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James Bond      It all began rather abruptly, following the visit to Ahn's world. Women are a particular weakness of James Bond's, and perhaps oblivious women doubly so. Perhaps he merely thought she was being coy. Either way, not long after the festival, Kukuru received a communication from him, and it's decidedly pretty hard to misinterpret. A bouquet left for her at the Grand Dorado, with an elegant card tied 'round the outside by a gold ribbon.

'How about a date? Dinner for two and an evening in the People's Prater. Meet me in Vienna if you're interested--and dress for cool weather. -James'

     Directions on warpgate paths from the Dorado to the particular Vienna he has in mind are enclosed on his invitation. The gate drops her off out front of a large complex evidently built to receive visitors coming in through the gate, just north of the wide and winding Danube river that runs through the city. Bond is waiting nearby, dressed in a pair of cream-colored slacks, a navy polo, and a matching windbreaker, his favored black Aston parked just behind him.
Kukuru Getting asked to go on dates is not a new thing for Kukuru. She's humored plenty of similar requests before, and she's even scared away her fair share of regular people, but this invitation is different. This one's coming from an Elite, it shows up at her door instead of while she's in a group setting where she'd be pressured into accepting, and the location is somewhere that's nowhere near Grand Dorado.

Naturally, it takes her way longer to prepare than expected. It's hard to prepare quickly when she's trying to figure out what would be the best thing to wear to a country she's never been to, after all, and while trying not to tip anyone off in the meantime. She does manage to pull it off eventually, though, and she even arrives just in time rather than showing up fashionably late or anything like that.

Kukuru's even dressed in something lighter than her usual fare: A loose yellow sun dress with long, puffy sleeves and frills to the gills (figuratively) (they're just going around the sleeves and below the bust all the way down to her knees). She doesn't appear to have arrived in any kind of vehicle, but she also doesn't look winded in the least ike she's ran or even hurried to get here.

Spotting Bond, Kukuru lets out a pleased noise as she raises a hand to wave at him from further away, then approaches him as casually as she normally would despite the extra effort put into being relatively presentable (her hair's still messy as it always is). "He-llo! Were you waiting long? It's so nice of you to invite me out to..."

She trails off. She totally forgot the name of the place.
James Bond      Bond smiles warmly at Kukuru--a new expression for him. Removing his hand from the pocket of his windbreaker to wave back, meeting her halfway. "Not long at all," he says, shaking his head. Kukuru's forgot the name of the place, and this draws a chuckle from him.

     "The city's called Vienna," he says. "Specifically, we're in the district of Leopoldstadt." Taking her gently by the hand, he guides her over to the passenger side seat of his elegant, yet imposing car, opening the door for her.

     Circling around, he climbs into the driver's seat. The leather upholstery and climate-controlled cabin are comfortable; the radio and dash instruments hinting at the car's age of origin, looking distinctly late-eighties.

     "I've arranged for reservations at a place called Das Loft," he explains, as the car growls to life. The streets here are very much the product of 'old city that was around before automobiles were,' in terms of both their construction and their width. They're also fairly sprawling and unorganized, but Bond navigates them as if he's been here more than once.

     "You look wonderful, by the way. I hope it wasn't too much trouble getting here," he asides. "Do you travel much, aside from work?"
Kukuru Kukuru's often seen smiling, so her expression is still about the same as it usually is: Pleased and cheerful, a little vacant, and mildly drowsy even though nothing's actually happened yet as far as the date goes.

"Leopold...stadt. Oh, that's a smart sounding name. I wonder what it means..." There's a curious tone in her voice as she repeats the name of the district a few more times, clearly trying to commit it to memory, then promptly forgetting about that once Bond takes her hand to led her over. Despite the clear displays of strength she's exhibited in their past few encounters, there's barely even a trace of that. The person Bond's meeting today might almost even seem normal!

Except for the horns. Those still look entirely unnatural, like someone had just wedged drills through the sides of her head in place of her ears and called it day without even attempting to blend it in. She's used to moving around with them, though, as she gets into the car without so much as glancing one of those horns against the vehicle. She even takes a pair of little rubber things (gray) out of her pockets to stick on the side facing the door so she doesn't risk scratching it if she happens to lean one way or the other.

"So this is what it's like inside your car... It reminds me of  something. Like..." She purses her lips as she tries to figure out what it's reminding her of, but that too goes by the wayside once James mentions the reservations. "Wow... You really went all out preparing for this, didn't you? So considerate~"

Naturally, Kukuru's not one to hold back on physical affection, although she stops just short of tousling his hair while he's driving. Instead, she pats his cheek affectionately in htat way a teacher might with a student, or a parent with a child. The potential age similarity/difference is probably lost on her.

"Aw, thanks! I picked up this dress a while ago on sale, but I never really get to use it much. It's not really good for working where a fight might break out, you know? And it's not really... Fancy enough?" She purses her lips for a moment to hum, then nods at his question. "Mhm! Going to the supermarket, running errands back home, checking in on mom and dad, all sorts of stuff. It's real easy to get around, at least, but it must be really tough if you gotta get around by walking or driving instead of..."

Kukuru refrains from demonstrating what she means, but it's probably kind of obvious why. "Oh, but your car's super comfy, too. Is it okay to be using this outside of work and stuff?" A beat, and then- "Do you ever have to worry about fixing this?"
James Bond      "It's named after an emperor, if I'm not mistaken," Bond says of the district's name. It's an interesting mix of old and new; some of the buildings look like painters from several centuries ago might once have captured them, while others look like the product of new, iconoclastic design schools, all shoulder to shoulder. The occasional boat can be seen when the streets carry them close to the Danube, too. It's a lovely fall evening, with the city's lights reflected on the water.

     Her observation regarding his advance planning draws another of those nice, warm smiles from him, something that doesn't often come up when he's on the job. "It's only fair, isn't it? You're always ready with food whenever you're about. I thought it might be nice for someone to treat you, for a change." He doesn't withdraw from contact, even if he can't really lean into it while driving. There's hardly a sense that he disapproves.

     The topic of travel elicits a chuckle from him, and he finishes her sentence with a smirk. "Teleporting?" Yes, it was obvious. "As for the Aston... well, it's as much a daily driver as it is a company car. I like the look of the Vantage quite a lot, so I'll probably hold onto it as long as the Paladins will let me."

     The restaurant is called 'Das Loft' for a good reason; it's at the 18th floor of a modern, prestigious-looking hotel. Bond and Kukuru are greeted by the maitre d' upon exiting the lavish elevator. Bond carries a conversation with the young man in German, which the Understanding thankfully still parses for Kukuru. It seems Bond is known here by name, above and beyond his reservation.

     "It's a favorite spot of mine," he explains. "You'll see why in a moment." The two are led to a window table, which confers a stunning view of the city, allowing one to see how the Danube winds through it, glittering in the night, the mix of old and new illuminated by moonlight and streetlamps alike.

     "Give us a moment," Bond politely says to the waiter that comes to ask about what they'd like to drink. "Do you drink?" he asks. "They're holding a bottle of Bollinger for us, but it's quite alright if you don't care for champagne." All the usuals are on offer, too, if she'd prefer to stay clear of it. Either way, Bond doesn't miss the opportunity to strike up conversation while they wait.

     "You mentioned your parents--I don't think I've heard you talk much about them," he says with interest.
Kukuru "Is that why? Ooh... Stadt's a nice name for a ruler, mhm." Kukuru affirms with another pleasant hum, somehow managing to miss the entire name part of the name. Regardless, she's certainly enjoying her time in the car, seeing the sights passing by, and occasionally poking her head out the window to just let her hair flap wildly in the wind. She even points out some of the more interesting sights (to her), seemingly fixated on the more idyllic views and most funky-looking architecture.

"A treat...? Aww, that's so kind of you! I just do it because I don't like seeing anyone go hungry if I can help it, you know? Even if it's a little thing, seeing someone's face light up when they get something tasty..."

She trails off, clearly having some pleasant thoughts as she rests her head back on her seat. Kukuru nods lightly when James finishes her thought about teleportation, keeping her hands busy by untangling her hair from her horns. "Is there any reason the Paladins wouldn't let you keep that other car? I mean... It's yours, right?"

A beat, and then she breaks into another grin. It's thenoe she usually has on when she's about to try recruiting someone. "You know... The Concord doesn't really have any rules about stuff like that. Um. Probably!" She recommends, somehow giving off the vibe that she's never had anything worth taking away for that to matter.

At Das Loft, Kukuru once again takes several moments to admire the architecture, the ceilings, and all the decor. There's probably a few times where she even bumps into Bond accidentally, although not with any particularly hard collisions. She lets out little 'oohs' and 'aahs' when she eavesdrops on that conversation in German, too, seeming rather easy to impress with literally anything.

The view, naturally, really gets her gawking. She leans this way and hat way, peering downwards as far as she can and then out towards the horizon. Her pupils even look like they might be dilating every now and then, or perhaps... Adjusting? Range-finding? She can see real far, so it's taking her a while to take it all in.

It's only the question about drinking that gets her attention back on the interior of the restaurant and Bond in particular. "Huh? Oh! Um... Not too much." There's a suspicious pause as she glances around, then lets out a relieved sigh at not recognizing anyone else. "... Around kids." She nods firmly afterwards, then giggles suddenly moments later. "I don't know much about names, though, if that makes a difference. It's just to relax, you know?"

At the question of her parents, Kukuru beams again. "Oh, my parents are the best. They taught me almost everything I know about fitting in with people. Cooking, too, and sewing, reading... All sorts of stuff! They taught me a lot about fitting in with humans, too, since... Um." She leans in to whisper like it's a secret: "I'm not human."

"What about your parents? All the driving around must keep you busy, so... Do you get to see them often?" She asks, not realizing the sort of land mine she might be walking into.
James Bond      Surprisingly, it's the car that Bond doesn't brooch, rather than the topic of his parents. That topic, however, is still approached with some difficulty. James looks away, not so much searching for the words as for the resolve to speak them. "They died when I was very young," he eventually explains. "Climbing accident. It's not something I like to discuss, but... I've had a lot more reason to revisit my roots as of late. I'm not like other humans," he shares, just as quietly as Kukuru had shared her own 'secret.'

     "I spent the rest of my childhood in an orphanage, educated at Eton until I got expelled." Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, he manages a sly smile for her, his blue eyes glimmering with mischief. "Trouble with a maid," he explains. Continuing, "Aged out at sixteen, with a job set up for me by the orphanage. Enlisted at nineteen, and stayed there for most of my life. I suppose..."

     He frowns, looking out the window. "I suppose I had something of a surrogate parent, working there. But anyone who's worked in that business will tell you it's just an act they put on to earn your loyalty." He pauses. "I'm happier in the Paladins than I've been in years, but don't let all of this fool you--I've got some things to learn about fitting in with humans, too," he says, reaching across the table to lay his hand gently atop hers.

     He smiles softly at her. The champagne is brought, a vintage from just over twenty years ago. The cork is popped satisfyingly, and the waiter pours some for each of them, before presenting menus. The names are a little pretentious in places, but Bond is enough of a gourmand to explain in plain language what each item is. Knowing that Kukuru likes meat, he points out grilled Duroc porkbelly, steak tartare and duck l'orange as potential choices.

     "...and I'll have the broiled Arctic char, with trout caviar. Thank you." With orders taken, he returns his attention to Kukuru.

     "You know," he admits. "I haven't even told my friends in the Paladins about my parents. But it felt nice to open up."
Kukuru "They...? O-oh no. Oh, I'm sorry. I had no idea..." Kukuru lets out an anxious noise at Bond's revelation about his parents, sounding genuinely remorseful about asking even that natural counter-question to her own answer. Once she gets over her initial bout of feeling guilty, though, she pats Bond's hand softly while listening to his history with the orphanage, the school, and then his enlistment.

"Kids can be pretty rebellious at that age, but... It's not a bad thing, if you were still able to learn from what happened. Now you know more." She doesn't say 'better', and she even manages a quiet snicker of her own, almost as if she's somehow familiar with the sort of trouble he means.

She doesn't, but she's certainly not telling everything about her upbringing.

At the mention of a surrogate parent, Kukuru perks up at first, then droops a bit when he continues further into the act part of it all. She doesn't respond right away, still listening to his talk about the Paladins and his happiness, then eventually settles into another smile of her own.

"I don't know the whole story behind the... Um. Enlistment thing, or the surrogate, but I wanna believe there's still some part of them that cares about you. Nobody I've ever met could just... Throw away their love for someone, even if they went kinda crazy and tried to destroy humanity because of it. Love still won out in the end."

Kukuru is definitely speaking from experience there, if perhaps also a lot of wishful thinking.  She doesn't mention the violence in between.

Surprisingly enough, Kukuru's actually pretty good about drinking. She might not be practiced in proper drinking techniques or language, but she certainly knows how to enjoy a good vintage without imbibing too much at once or just going 'ah, how good' without really appreciating any of it. That leads right up to the menus, and the language...

She's going to rely on Bond way more for that part. "Oh, these all look really tasty... Have you tried all of these before?" She scans the menu one more time, then snaps her fingers like she's just gotten a great idea. "Oh, which thing are you going for? We could have some of both, so we don't have to worry about missing out on trying something nice or spending a lot at once."

As Kukuru says that, her eyes go right back to the menu. She's finally remembering to look for the prices, and she might get blank look on her face if they're there at all.

Eventually, though, she finally looks back up at Bond with another relaxed smile while running her thumb over the back of his palm idly. "It's good to have someone to talk to about stuff like that, yeah. Someone that understands, or just knows how to listen really good... And even if you never met them, I'm sure your parents would be proud of how you turned out." Kukuru clasps her hand over his with another affectionate pat, then finally remembers a thing!

"Oh! Right, since... If you ever come to Fall, you should visit my parents. I'm sure they'll get you some good discounts on local stuff if you give them my name." She hurriedly reaches into her skirt pocket (somewhere???) and digs out a small photo for Bond. It's a photo of a idyllic spooky house, complete with a skeleton and a suit of armor standing in front of an open fence.
James Bond      Unsurprisingly given the ambience, bleeding-edge modern decor and locale, the prices are steep--but Bond insists that Kukuru shouldn't worry about them, and just enjoy herself. As for choices... "I usually like a steak, but I can make those well enough at home." He's gone for the fish, and suggests that, with her preference for fried food, the steak tartare might be an interesting departure, given that it's served mostly raw; only lightly smoked, and with seasonings set aside for the diner to use at their preference.

     "Normally I wouldn't recommend it," he says, "But you and I are... what did Lilian say? 'Built different,'" Bond notes with a grin. The grilled Duroc porkbelly, meanwhile, would probably be closer to what's familiar in terms of flavor, especially given that it's served with hoi sin sauce.

     "Thank you," he says, gently squeezing her hand. "You did strike me as a good listener," admits the secret agent with a nod, his brow raised in interest as she makes an offer for him to come visit.

     "Well," he says, pleasantly suprised, "I can't say I've ever had an invitation like that, but I certainly won't say no." Taking the photo gently, he peers at it. "Are these your parents? They must be proud of you," notes Bond, smiling. "Making a name for yourself as part of the Concord, still finding the time to make sure your fellows are taken care of." He grins. "The rest of them could learn a few things from you, if you don't mind me saying so," he then adds, handing the photo back. "Maybe when I take you up on that invitation, I'll see if you're available and you can introduce us."

     The food is brought out--and Bond doesn't at all mind if Kukuru wants to try some of his char. "Especially not for what they're charging," he jokes.

     "Being able to teleport must mean you've been to some pretty amazing places. Do any stand out in particular?"
Kukuru Kukuru is all too easy to guide as far as food choices go, and the steak tartare ends up being an easy pick once Bond describes it to her. "I always heard humans had to eat meat cooked or they'd get sick.. Huh. Yeah, you're right. Maybe the people here are just built different, too. Sturdier stomachs in this past of the world." She theorizes, clearly coming at it from the wrong angle entirely while sounding incredibly impressed nonetheless.

The serving size might be a thing, but the pork belly will most certainly alleviate that potential issue once Kukuru's gotten her fill of rich meat and belly fat. She's not going to hog either dish, either, as she's all too eager to slide her own dishes around as well to ensure that he can get a good taste of it all, too. It's only fair, after all, as Bond offers some of his fish, and especially a those prices.

She just needs to keep reminding herself not to take as large bites as she usually does. It's expensive, so she needs to savor it!

"Listening is important. I've... I hear a lot of stuff, and how other people don't really do that so much. Talking over each other, saying what they wanna hear, trying to sound smarter than everyone else just to feel smart instead of convincing anyone of anything..." Kukuru sounds like she might actually be saddened by what she's talking about, but she actually perks up. "That's why I like to listen instead. Then maybe that can rub off on them, and everyone can learn to understand each other better instead. It feels better to know someone's listening, you know?"

At the mention of the photo, Kukuru nods firmly, puffing up her chest proudly just a bit at that. "Mhm! They're still back home, but I make sure to send them plenty of money  so they never have to worry about things back home. Food deliveries and supplies, too, since I've got the magic card." She says 'magic card' like it's a mythical thing, too, as she brings out... THE DORADO BLACK CARD. "... Just don't tell them I'm using this for that, too. They might get worried."

From the mischievous grin on her face, Kukuru totally knows she's probably doing something technically illegal. It's unlikely she spends enough for anyone in charge of those accounts to notice or care, though.

"Stand out spots? Mmm... There was this one really high mountain I heard about. That was a nice spot to bundle up in and doze off, especially when it got really snowy outside and toasty inside." She starts with a cold place, already closing her eyes as if she's remembering nearly freezing to death like a fond memory. "Then there was that cave in the ocean with all the sparkly rocks and the weird fish that were easy to hold onto while taking a break... Oh! And that one weird place where the world looked like it was kinda... Smushed together?"

That last one seems to be hard for her to describe, but she's trying nonetheless. "It was really old, and there was a nice old lady that was really dusty, and a lot of painful flying things that shot lasers. The place looked really pretty, though, but kinda sad."

With that bit of reminiscing, Kukuru lets out a contented noise before peering at Bond with another tilt of her head and a slight lean forward on the table. "How about you? You sound like you know a lot about different places, too, with the languages and the fancy foods... What's the furthest place you've ever been from..." She gestures vaguely, then points towards the horizon. "... That way?"
James Bond      Bond listens intently, eating only chaste little helpings as if afraid he might miss some part of Kukuru's explanation to the gentle clink of silverware on ostentatious plates.

     "I have to admit, I gave up on being listened to, for a long time, exactly for those reasons." After a sip of champagne, "It's all fine and good if you're saying what someone wants to hear. But people can be impossible, when you're saying something to the contrary. At some point I fell into a kind of bitterness about it. Now, I'm having to open up and be vulnerable with other people again, and it's all rather disorienting, even if there's some relief mixed in when I can do it and not have everything crashing down around me."

     After a thoughtful pause, "I think more people should try it your way, instead." He smiles, hearing her explanation on favorite places and fond memories, nodding along.

     "'Pretty and sad' can be a moving thing to see. There are parts of Russia like that; where you can be the only person for miles watching the sunrise, seeing the light spread across snow that seems like it goes on forever. But... the farthest from the horizon. That's a good question."

     He grins. "I'm sure it's old hat to someone in the Concord, given your business with Sapient Heuristics, but I have been to space before. Sad to say it was on business, but there's..." He pauses, searching for just the right way to put it. Bond looks out over the Danube, across old world spires and new world skyscrapers. "There's something to be said for the sense of perspective you feel, looking out at the superplanet, seeing that massive quilt of worlds from so far above. I'll always remember how peaceful it all seemed. I think that memory alone kept me going for several years."

     When they've finished with their food, Bond has something else in store for Kukuru--the People's Prater. He can take her by car, or they can arrange for a horse-drawn carriage. Either way, it's a grand, public park, closed the public in centuries past but open since the mid-eighteenth--within which there's an actual amusement park, complete with a ferris wheel.
Kukuru "Opening up is good. It's how you get to meet new people and learn new stuff about them, yourself, and everything else. I mean... Yeah, it's easier to get hurt that way, but it's way better than just being afraid of what could happen and doing nothing at all, you know?" Kukuru smiles fondly as she reaches over to pat Bond's hand again. "I'm proud of you, for being able to do that. It'll keep working out, I just know it."

She doesn't, but she certainly believes that it will.

When James brings up Sapient Heuristics, Kukuru lights up a little bit more. "Oh, you've been there, too? It's really neat, right? I didn't understand half..." She pauses, then looks off to the side a bit. "... Most of what they were talking about, but it sounded super impressive. And the view... Seeing everything that we can touch, that we can improve, all of it from so far away? It really was amazing, mhm!"

When the choice to go to the People's Prater by car or by carriage is given, Kukuru chooses... The car! It's partially from liking the feel of the car, not wanting Bond to have to worry about finding it later once they're on the way back, and also...

"I've actually been on a couple of carriages before. Before I was able to start the experiments and work with the Concord, I escorted some of those things going around. It was...." She struggles to say something nice about a not-so-nice feeling, fails, and then just gives up on finishing that thought outright.

At the park, Kukuru once again has her sight darting about everywhere, and she even snags some snacks for them both (since she's definitely not full just from dinner despite trying not to draw attention to it), but it's the top of the the ferris wheel that she points to once it comes into view. "Oh, do you wanna go up there? It's not... Um. It's nowhere near as high as seeing everything from space, but I bet we could see a lot of the city from up there, too. And we might even be able to see the Das Loft from there."

There's another pause, and then she taps her chin. "Al-so... If you want, maybe we could even go to Sapient Heuristics without it being work sometime. Phony's super nice, and I bet all the kids would be thrilled to see someone new."
James Bond      The trip to the Prater is as comfortable as the ride to the restaurant--when he's not driving with his life on the line, Bond naturally has no need for hard turns or heart-pumping acceleration. The cool night air is clean and refreshing, perfect after a nice dinner (even if Kukuru didn't quite get her fill). The amusement park therein does have plenty of snacks on offer, including some fried stand-bys closer to what she's familiar with. With the ferris wheel pointed out, Bond takes Kukuru's hand.

     "I'd love to," he says warmly. Waiting in line for the attraction, he listens to her question about Sapient Heuristics with a tight-lipped, uncomfortable frown, looking away. "Not yet," he says softly. "I'll explain a little more once we're in the cabin there," he says, pointing with his free hand. Still holding her hand, he squeezes gently, as if to reassure her she hasn't stepped on some sort of social landmine.

     Inside the ride proper, it's just the two of them, and, after another moment of gathering up his resolve, he does as he said he would. "Do you remember how you said you don't like to drink around children?" He taps his temple lightly with an index, watching as the beautiful, grassy park and its wooded perimeter begin to slowly descend around them. "I've had training to resist the influence of people like Persephone. But that doesn't mean that being around a lot of them at once is a good idea. I worked as part of the secret service for a long time," he further explains, taking his eyes off of the window to look at her. "There are things I've done, and said, that I wouldn't want a child stumbling into. I have faith in what they're trying to accomplish up there... but until I sort this business with my past out, I don't think it would be a good idea for me to visit."

     Still, he manages a smile. "Someday, though. Maybe even soon."
Kukuru With so many snack options available, it's inevitable that Kukuru's going to be getting a bit of everything. Sure, it's all standard amusement park fare, but there's still something special about getting it later in the evening rather than just buying it to eat at home.

At least, that's how she justifies it to herself. Plus, chili fries. She makes sure to get extra napkins for herself and James just for those. It makes it a little easier to hold back on asking what she's thinking really hard about regarding his concerns about Sapient Heuristics, anyway. The squeeze gives her plenty to relax about, too, and she nudges his shoulder with her head in acknowledgment of that silent reassurance.

Once they're in the cabin, Kukuru lays out the miniature spread she's purchased on the spare space on the seats. "I remember, yeah. That was just a little while ago." She giggles softly and rests her chin on the bottom of the window as she peers outside, watching the people slowly shrinking further below them. "It's better to keep that kind of stuff away from them, so..."

He explains more about his past training, his work in the/a mysterious government agency, and his concerns about the children finding out about his hangups before he can figure it out himself. It takes Kukuru a while to finally say or do anything again, and it's not until the their cabin finally reaches the apex of the ferris wheel that she finally does.

More specifically, she gets up, approaches Bond, then wraps her arms around his head to hug him against her chest gently. She's warm, and thanks to the food, her stomach isn't rumbling any more when she does that.

"That's really good of you. They can... Kids can pick up on a lot more stuff than older people like us might expect. Little things, stuff we don't want them finding out about, stuff we don't even know we're feeling until they just say what they see from us."

She starts stroking his hair softly, humming a brief nothing before continuing. "Take whatever time you need to do that. I'm sure they'll be ready to see you whenever you are. And if you ever need help with figuring that stuff out... I'll be around, too. Okay? You've got friends in the Paladins, the Concord, anywhere you need us."
James Bond      Bond blinks at Kukuru as she crosses the space between them. Embraced, he freezes up, as if having to convince himself that her display of warmth isn't wasted on him. After a tense, silent moment, he closes his eyes, arms slowly traveling upwards to gently return the embrace. Eyes closed, he lets loose a slow sigh as her fingers run through his hair, pulling her just slightly closer.

     "Thank you. For listening." The apex of the ride lasts--the beauty of ferris wheels. The two of them are afforded this moment, high above the rest of the world; not as high as they would be in space, but given a perspective that only a ride like this can. The rest of the amusement park, the larger Prater, and the distant sprawl of Vienna disappearing into the glimmering horizon all around them. Bond withdraws from the embrace, but his hands don't drift from her so much as gently pull, urging her onto his side of the cabin, into his lap. One hand on the small of her back, the other stroking a lock of green hair behind one of her horns, before moving to caress her cheek. He plants a tender kiss on her lips, feels the ambient cheers, chatter, and clangor of rides fade into a dimly-recognized susurrus all around him in that moment. It passes, and the ride begins its descent.

     When the cabin reaches the ground level, Bond feels lighter than when he entered. The door swings open, and he takes Kukuru's hand once more on the way out. "It's getting late," he says. With a glance towards the Aston, his warm smile shifts into an amused grin. "I know you can teleport, but, if you'd *like* a ride home, I certainly don't mind. Either way, I'd love to do this again."
Kukuru "Anytime." Kukuru answers Bond simply enough, rather content to hold him like that as long as he needs that comfort. When he withdraws, she's ready to return to her seat, but that light pull catches her attention while keeping her from stepping away. There's a moment where she's caught like a deer in the headlights as she goes along with where he's guiding her, but that kiss is enough to snap her out of one daze and immediately send her into another.

To her credit, it's not as though Kukuru doesn't know how to kiss. She's just not expecting it when it comes, so she's working less on logic and more on instinct when she leans into it. It's a pleasant feeling that has her looking and feeling more at ease than usual, and she's still somewhat giggly when they finally reach the bottom of the wheel. Stepping out of the cabin, Kukuru peers at the sky and nods in agreement with Bond's assessment of the late hour.

"That'd be great, if it's not too long of a ride for you. It might be tricky getting past security at Grand Dorado since... Um. Paladins and all." She chuckles lightly and lets out a long, droning 'hmmmm' as she considers how to get around that little issue without teleportation. It's also a convenient opportunity to pack up the uneaten snacks (since she's not just going to let that food go to waste sitting in a ferris wheel), and it takes until she's done to finally get THE IDEA.

"Oh! There's hotels further outside for tourists. We could go to one of those and just say that's my place. Then we don't have to worry about that part!" She suggests, clearly not understanding the implications of her suggestion one bit.
James Bond      Bond grins slyly at Kukuru, himself usually the one making implications and innuendos. "We certainly could," he assents. Once more walking hand-in-hand, he opens the passenger door for her, before circling around to the driver side. As Kukuru no doubt has come to know, thanks to her Dorado Black card, there are certain privileges to the reputation of *having* wealth as much as the wealth itself. The car's radio antenna opens up into what looks like a radar dish. Bond makes a call, the radio console swiveling to reveal a waveform on a digital screen that bounces in time with the voice of the hotel receptionist on the other end. By the time they arrive at the hotel overlooking the Danube, Kukuru has a suite reserved.