[User]
"OK... this is weird. Really, really weird..." Ian thought aloud as he looked around his strange, unfamiliar surroundings, completely lost as to where he was. The last thing he remembered, he had been hanging out at his apartment, planning on enjoying his day off by playing some video games or something, and now he was... somewhere else entirely. The terrain was rocky and barren, the skies were red, and the only sort of structure or building he'd been able to find was some kind of large, metallic... mining platform...? It loosely resembled that at least, but once he'd gotten there, there was no one to be found; the place was completely deserted... or so it seemed.

"What is going on? Where am I?" he asked, not that anyone was around to answer him. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought he was dreaming, but as giving himself a hard and painful pinch was the first thing he'd done when he'd come to on this strange place, that clearly wasn't the case, which was making it a little hard not to freak out. Had he been kidnapped? Abducted? Had someone spiked his punch again? Was he even still on Earth!?

And what was with this level of technology that surrounded him the further he traveled into the platform? It was almost like he was in some kind of... sci-fi setting or something. As he considered all of this though, the sudden sounds of movement caught his attention from deeper within the building, and Ian found himself drawn to it. Movement had to mean people, right? And hopefully, people could tell him what the heck was happening!

[Assistant]
Samusa had to get out, this wasn't going according to her plan. Her mission had been simple, get in, get the artifact and get out. She did not expect that this place was currently being inhabited by Space Pirates. They discovered her before she was able to discover where it was in the base and now she was being chased down. Unfortunately the Space Pirates were not fans of hers. Samusa turned and shot off a few cover shots from her power beam as she ran for the door. The armor she was wearing, her power suit, was perfect for missions like this normally but it was lacking the energy to keep suit active. If she wasn't careful she would be forced into her most basic armor and a pistol instead of her power beam. The helmet was fully automated showing her where the hostiles were and flashing red in warning that her suit was going to drop soon and leave her vulnerable. Two pirates started to come up on her left and started to fire at her.

_Shit!_ She thought to herself and ducked behind what looked to be some kind of computer input data system desk. Samusa had no other option but to make a break for the door. _This is just like the time in Sector 82-B. Just get up and go!_ Quickly she got up fired again at the two new hostiles before making a run for the door. She heard one of them drop which should mean she had one more to deal with. _See, no problem!_ but she thought to soon, the last pirate fired at her and made a direct hit to her back. The impact knocked her off of her feet and she ended up sliding across the floor to the threshold of the door as her power suit started to power down leaving her vulnerable in her basic blue zero suit. Her gun holster that she kept as back up was old and outdated, however today she was going to regret not upgrading it early as her pistol easily slipped out of the loose clip and slide past her and out the door.

The last shot had hit her harder than she was expecting and she started to groan as she started to crawl towards her pistol. The last pirate fortunately didn't have a clear shot of her and had to maneuver before he could finish the job.

[User]
Having been moving steadily towards the sounds coming from deeper within the facility at first, Ian's pace soon slowed as it became clear that the noise indicated some kind of struggle was taking place, leaving him hesitantly pressed against a nearby wall as he recognized what sounded like... laser fire? How could that be? The need to find out more continued to drive him forward, even as the sounds of conflict grew more and more vicious, until it sounded like he was practically right on top of whatever was going on, and he blinked in surprise as a firearm suddenly slid out into the hallway through one of the nearby doors, followed by something that could only be recognized as blaster bolts---thanks to lots of time playing Sci-Fi setting video games or watching movies---shot out into the hall and impacted heavily on the wall across the way.

"Whoa! What the hell!?" he exclaimed, pressing tightly to the wall by the door once more for cover as a few more shots were lobbed into the hallway. Risking taking a peek into the room, what Ian saw was either a ridiculously life-like movie set for some kind of thriller shootout... or real, and his jaw dropped before he took cover again before some oddly familiar-looking alien creatures could see him. "This is crazy! How is this happening!?" he muttered, taking another opportunity to pinch himself before stealing another look... only for his eyes to widen as he realized who the aliens were shooting at. "T-That's... Samusa Aran!? Is this Metroid!?"

Whipping his head back around instinctively to avoid a shot from what must have been a Space Pirate that got a little too close for comfort, about a million thoughts were running through his head all at once, most of them questions, but somehow one of them rose up above the others, and it was that Samusa was clearly in danger---he had caught sight of the fact that she was in what was known as her Zero Suit---so she needed help. It was an insane thing to do---part of him knew that---but before he could stop himself, he reached out and snatched the blaster from off of the ground, taking aim from around his cover and squeezing the trigger to fire a few wild shots in the direction of the Space Pirate.

"Quick, get to cover!" he shouted to Samusa, continuing to fire at the caught-off-guard Pirate, who soon took a few lucky shots right to the chest that brought it down, potentially ending the fight... at least for the moment. Holding the blaster in somewhat shaky hands as that burst of adrenaline continued through him, Ian took a breath and looked to the---until this moment, apparently---fictional bounty hunter, holding out his hand to help her up. "Are you alright, Samusa?" he asked, not really realizing how odd it might be for her to just have a stranger show up who knew her name... or that said stranger actually---and unknowingly---strongly resembled someone from her past...

[Assistant]
This was it, Samusa knew in her current condition that she wasn't going to make it to her blaster before the ugly alien was on her to finish the job but it wouldn't stop her from trying. The armor scuffed across the floor as she pushed forward. Panic started to set in, her heart pounded in her chest and sweat started to drip down her forehead. As she was scrambling towards her weapon she noticed a pair of feet step out and someone pick up her blaster before taking cover again. They didn't look like the giant clawed feet of the beasts chasing her, but human. The only logical thing that made sense is that there was another bounty hunter hired for the job, or someone else was after the artifact as well. Either way she had no knowledge of it and had no idea if they were friend or foe. Samusa was stubborn, she had to think of another way out. Her fist slammed the ground causing pain to shoot up her arm and a small crack in the floor, unfortunately her strength wasn't going to help right now, the floors were enforced and refused to cave in, they didn't even shake.

A blast came from the doorway, but not directed at her, but at the creature come up behind her. This could only mean it was another bounty sent to help her, which hit a nerve. She was the best, she was number one, nothing else would do for her and everyone knew it. She worked solo. Someone was asking for it when she got back, but at the moment she would take what she could get. She heard a male voice tell her to take cover so she dropped to the ground and covered her head. She couldn't hear the alien's giant claws on the floor anymore which meant it was hit, knowing he was stopped for the moment, she relaxed enough to take in a deep breath.

She raised her head to look up at her savior. Her blond hair was too long even in a pony tail that it blocked part of her view so that when she glanced up, she only saw his hand reaching out. Did he seriously think she needed help getting up? She pushed her chest up off the ground before taking a step and standing up fully. As she stood up she finally saw him and couldn't believe who was standing in front of her. It was impossible. He died. Was it him? How did he survive the explosion? Ian's brother, Adam, made the choice to leave him behind to save everyone else while Ian was left behind and blown up by a drive unit he was trying to repair. Her brain started to think of all the possibilities of how he could have survived that she didn't notice he wasn't in an issued federation uniform. If it was the Ian she knew, she wouldn't have known if he truly survived, she left the federation after the incident and became a bounty hunter. Tears started to well up in her eyes, blurring her vision as the guilt of leaving him behind came rushing back to her. Samusa was so distracted that she forgot that her blaster, better known as Paralyzer, does what it is named after, only temporarily paralyzes the victims and that the Pirate behind her was about to unfreeze.

"Ian... I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave you behind!" A tear trickled down her face as flashes of her past started to replay in her head of that day and she took a step towards him worried that maybe he wasn't actually there, and that maybe she was already dead. As she got closer to him however something started to feel off about him. Her eyebrows furrowed as she finally started to look at him closer. He looked like Ian sure, but the differences were subtle other than the lack of a federation uniform. The way he styled his hair was just off, his stance and the way he was holding her pistol told her he was a civilian. This wasn't her Ian, it was a trick. _Who would do this? Why did they have to pick him?_ She thought about backing away from him but he still had Paralyzer.

[User]
Not seeming to be interested in accepting his help to get back onto her feet, Samusa rose on her own without really regarding him, so Ian let his proffered hand drop to wait for her to get her bearings, unsure of what to do or even to say, given the circumstances. He was really here, it seemed; in the reality that existed within the Metroid series! How could that be though? Metroid was just a bunch of video games---awesome video games---but still just video games! Fictional! He couldn't be here! Yet, here he was, and given the situation, it seemed like he really didn't have any time to consider the hows and the whys right now, so he kept his focus on Samusa as she finally turned her attention to him, surprising him as she turned as pale as a ghost at the sight of him... before saying something truly shocking.

"W-What? How do you know my name?" Ian asked, too bewildered by any of this to remember the fact that he shared his name with another character from the Metroid series---one that had strong ties with the woman standing before him. Having never imagined someone like Samusa tearing up emotionally like this, he was left standing stock still as she approached, before she seemed to collect herself just as suddenly, and began to back off with a suspicious look on her strong, yet beautiful face. "Wait, hold on a-"

Before he could finish though, the effects of Samusa's sidearm---the Paralyzer---suddenly wore off of the Space Pirate he had attacked moments ago, and as it angrily climbed back to it's feet, Ian reacted by stepping forward, pulling Samusa down with him on the other side of a bank of computer consoles seconds before it opened fire once more. "Get down!" he exclaimed as the multitude of shots whizzed by or struck their cover. "Shoot... looks like it's gonna take something a little stronger to keep that thing down..." he thought aloud, glancing down at the Paralyzer in contemplation before remembering one of it's features... though it was a feature established in another series that featured Samusa.

"O-Ok... if I'm right... it should work like this..." Ian muttered, tinkering with the firearm the way that he had seen Samusa do so herself in newer iterations of Smash Bros, until it all clicked into place, and he stood up while sharply gesturing with the transformed weapon, lashing out with the energy whip that came with this configuration and striking the Pirate sharply across the front, leaving it stunned as it screeched in pain. With another swing, Ian managed to wrap the electrical energy tendril around the Space Pirate, and whipped it across the room, crashing it into the opposite wall with impressive force. "...huh." Ian said, not really sure how he'd actually pulled that off as well as he just had. It had just sort of... happened, almost like muscle memory had kicked in and guided his movements.

[Assistant]
It was odd to see him standing in front of her, he knew who she was but he didn't realize she knew him? That she knew his face or his name? It had to be the oddest situation she had been in, and she had been in some weird places during her travels. She shook her head ready to stop him about to go forward and grab her pistol back from him when he grabbed her first to take cover behind another console. Was he there to kill her or save her? She couldn't seem to make up her mind. Seeing Ian's face after so long threw her off her game.

Samusa looked up to where they had been standing realizing they both probably would have been shot if he hadn't moved into action. A sound of clicking caught her attention as Ian started to fiddle her her sidearm. "What are you doing! Stop, you are going to break it!" She reached forward for the gun but he had already stood up and flicked what looked to be some kind of electricity out of it. Samusa was shocked again. Not only she failed her mission but someone was rescuing her? It wasn't possible.

A feeling of frustration rushed through her as she felt her face heat up. She quickly checked to make sure the coast was clear before standing up and grabbing her gun back from the Ian clone. That is the only conclusion that she could come up with, that he was a clone, some weird experiment that Adam or his father started and didn't bother to tell her about. She pulled the pistol away from him and down to her side which caused the Space Pirate to pull towards them still entangled in its charge. She wanted to lash out but this man in front of her did nothing wrong, in fact he seemed to be naive, so she turned her attention to the alien struggling to get free. Her boot found its neck and what looked like ease, she crushed its esophagus before twisting her foot and hearing a distinctive snap of a his spine breaking in one quick movement. Standing over the body, she paused trying to take in what just happened. Maybe she took it too far this time, maybe she was getting reckless? Either way, she had questions for the new Ian.

_Why are you here and what do you want?_ She thought to herself as she turned around and looked at his face. The guilt washed over her again. "Where is your armor? Weapons? Do you have a death wish or did someone send you here to die?" She seemed to ask without emotion, trying to push those feelings away so she could focus on getting out of this place. At that moment Paralyzer decided to shut down and let go of the alien leaving the limp body to just lay there under her foot. She lifted up her boot and took a few cautious steps towards Ian.

[User]
Still wondering how he'd pulled off that little stunt with Samusa's Paralyzer, Ian blinked in surprise as the Bounty Hunter snatched her sidearm back from him to take control of the situation with the remaining Space Pirate, and he cringed as she executed it with brutal efficiency, easily snapping it's neck thanks to her Chozo DNA-enhanced strength. _Yeesh. You don't usually see something like that in a game that comes from Nintendo._ Then again, it wasn't often that Samusa was forced to fight without her standard Power Suit and weapons... and maybe his sudden appearance had her on edge?

A few seconds of silence passed as Samusa stood over the body of the Space Pirate while Ian waited, unsure of what was going to happen next, as he was still trying to process everything that had happened since he'd appeared in this place. Eventually though, Samusa turned her attention back to him with questions of her own, and he was left fumbling for any sort of answer to give her. "I-I don't have anything like that. I don't even know how I got here." he began, deciding not to lead with the idea that here was technically within a video game, as that would just sound crazy.

Samusa was coming closer now that it was certain the Space Pirates were no longer a threat, and Ian met her eyes, noticing that she still had that strange expression on her face that she had when she'd first seen him moments ago. "Are... are you really Samusa Aran? How can you be here...? You're... you're..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say.

[Assistant]
"What do you mean you don't know how you got here?" He was starting to confuse her more and the rush from the earlier battle was starting to wear off. Samusa couldn't afford to start this conversation now as she started to snap out of it. This isn't him, she had to keep saying that to herself in her mind and move on. "Then I guess you have no idea if you have a ship." She realized they had to start moving again. With her luck today one of the beasts had turned back to get reinforcements or set off some alarm.

"I guess you know what you are doing at least." Samusa shrugged taking in the image of him once again, studying his features like it was the last time she would see him again. Then she brought up the courage to move again, walking past him in confidence. If he was really here to take her out, she could take him down in simple hand to hand combat. "Maybe I will see you around if you survive this place." It was almost as painful to walk away from him again but it had been years since the explosion and she thought she had moved on. At least now he wouldn't be able to see her face as she closed her eyes almost not believing she was going to do it again. Should she trust him? He did just save her after all.

Her ship was not that far away, in fact it was set down on the other side of the ridge outside so it had some cover other than its shields. Who would want to just land out front and just announce that you are here? Luckily it wouldn't take long to get outside and cross the terrain and take off in her ship. Her glance went down to her former pistol, now whip and wondered if she would figure out how to fix it. The new configuration felt strange in her grasp, if she couldn't figure out how to switch it back, she would have to set aside a bunch of training. Her gear was an extension of herself, and this felt foreign much like the presence of Ian.

[User]
Samusa reacted about the way one might have expected, considering the confusing circumstances, and Ian shook his head as the Bounty Hunter asked if he even had a ship. She seemed to be studying him for a short time, but just as quickly, she was on the move again, leaving him to try and keep up as she walked away. "W-Wait a second, you're just gonna leave me out here?" he asked in surprise, feeling more than a bit of dread at that idea. "I just told you; I don't have any weapons, or a ship... I don't even know where I am!"

Following Samusa down the halls in the direction of the exit, heedless of the fact that, were this any other type of situation, he might be tempted to steal a peek at her well-toned ass in that skin-tight Zero Suit, Ian shook his head. "I won't stand a chance out here by myself! You've gotta help me!" he said insistently, trying to appeal to her sense of decency. "C'mon, I helped you with that Space Pirate back there, so can't you do the same for me?" he asked, catching the way that she glanced down at her reconfigured Paralyzer and tilting his head curiously as a thought occurred to him.

"You could at least let me show you how to change your weapon back to normal, you know, before you abandon me." he pointed out, raising his eyebrow as he waited to see if Samusa would at least look at him during this conversation.

[Assistant]
"I'm not trusting you with a weapon. You got here somehow and just don't want to tell me, I can't trust you," Samusa shrugged. "You know what you are doing clearly," lifting up and referring to her gun again before putting it back into its holster. "I suppose I could take pity, after I take off I can drop a package for you with a SOS beacon and someone should come pick you up eventually, if you survive that is." She had seemed to push back her feelings now that she wasn't facing him. "You aren't my responsibility so I'm afraid that's all I can do, my ship is only made for one..."

They finally made their way out of the compound and into the haze of the planets harsh environment... The barren land reminded her of so many other planets that were deserted that she was surprised anyone would be here at all. A wind picked up and blew dust against them so hard she would say it almost stung again her exposed face as she descended the stairs of the compound two at a time. As her foot hit the red soil of the natural world an alarm rang out behind them. One of the Pirates must have gotten away and set of the defense system. "Well I think that mean it's time to go!"

Samusa turned her head to look at Ian again. The fear was clear on his face that she was about to leave him but he seemed to have hope in his eyes at the same time. Maybe he wasn't what she thought he was after all. Part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind and go with her gut instinct but it not only went against her training but she got burned enough in the past to know better. She gave him a soft smile as she tilted her head saying "good luck!" before turning and breaking into a sprint.

[User]
As Samusa continued to shrug him off and shoot down his attempts to reason with her, Ian had to admit, this could have all been going better, but he continued trailing after her regardless in the hopes of changing her mind, and shook his head. "There's no way I'll last that long! M-Maybe... I don't know... I can pay you back somehow?" he replied, flailing for something that might work at this point. Even he knew that was unlikely though, as he had no money on him, or at least not the kind of money that would interest her, considering that the Space Federation probably didn't use present day currency anymore even on Earth.

Stepping back out into the planet's acrid landscape and holding up his arm to shield his face from the wild dust that was kicked up by a fierce gust of wind, Ian was just about to say something else---anything else---in the hopes of convincing her not to leave him here to what would certainly be his death, only to be interrupted by the sounds of a blaring alarm from behind them, and his eyes widened at the thought that more Space Pirates would be on their way. To make matters worse, Samusa decided that now was the time to end the conversation, breaking out into a run that he could never hope to match---thanks to her enhanced physical abilities---meaning that he had little chance of evening trying to reach her ship in the hopes of stowing away before she might take off.

"Oh man, you've gotta be kidding..." he said, running a hand through his hair as he looked back and forth from Samusa and the compound a few times. This was bad. Samusa was his only hope, and at this rate, that hope was dwindling fast. What should he do? "Is this really what they taught you back in the Federation? To leave a helpless man behind to die? And what about the Chozo? Do you think they'd approve of you doing this?" he called after her, not considering the fact that his knowledge of her past---likely not something well-known at all in this universe to anyone but those closest to her, which weren't many at this point, but was the opposite where he came from for anyone who'd played any of the Metroid games---might come as a surprise to the Bounty Hunter.


[User]
The sky was already cloud covered, with the light gray clouds covering the sky from center to every directional horizon of the sky. A storm was heading towards the wilderness countryside of this area, the very winds were already starting to gust and by the way the clouds were moving did the chance of snow seem likely to occur within the forest area of Yore. While the land was at least a good thirty miles from any urbanized town with shops and heat, but outside was a place that very few people would live in due to the lack of plumbing and electricity too. Yet there was at least one male who did live deep in these woods during the harsh times of winter. Currently, Raoh was heading home, having made a trade of game meats and hides for a good profit that he used to buy a few supplies, most of it going to wood, but some other stuff being spices, cups, utensils and other products that he needed due to time and usage breaking such things down.

About three inches of snow had come down a week ago, and with the cold temperatures that were part of the land and mostly cloudy weather, the snow had yet to melt. Hauling a large sleigh that was the size of two bathtubs behind him with a secured black tarp covering the stacks of wood, at the front did a very tall and perhaps muscle bulked figure made his way along the path that he had made earlier in the morning, the path packed down and not yet covered by the snow well enough. Dressed in mostly in black cloths, he wore a thick puffy black coat, thick snow pants, leather brown boots upon his feet, thick insulated gloves that covered his hands, with the addition of a scarf that covered his maw and neck area, to a set of goggles that kept his eyes from freezing in the bitter cold, he also had a camouflage hunter's hat upon his head, with ear cuffs to keep his ears warm.

With a backpack that was large as he was and bulkier hung behind his back, he hauled the sleigh with six leather straps connected to a harness on his upper body area that was on his coat, continuing along the pathway from before, knowing he had to get home soon, as the evening was already approaching and the way the cloudy sky was looking, he would be lucky to make it home before the storm and things grew dim. It had taken him at least 2 hours and 15 minutes to get to town with less weight and on foot and right now had 2 hours and 35 minutes passed since he started the walk home with a cart full of wood and a heavy backpack upon his back.

Raoh was not moving at the best pace though since he had to try and conserve energy to at least get home and start the fire stove that had probably gone out since he had been away for about 8 hours by now, but he had to get some of the supplies before a real heavy snowstorm would hit the area. Still, he knew one was coming due to the citizens in town speaking of the storm that was spoken of on the news channel, so it was going to be a cabin locked month for him if the snow was 3 feet or more. He still wished that he had some form company during this time of year, a female kind, but what sort of female would even want to live with a male that didn't have electricity or even modern plumbing? He knew such a thing would be a miracle.

[Assistant]
The woman watched in shock as the snowmobile roared away, her only transportation back to town leaving her behind in in the middle of nowhere as her boyfriend made it clear they were through. She looked up at the sky, wondering at what point the snow would start falling and if she could make it back to town before then, or if she would be lost and freeze to death, not to be found until the snow finally melted in the late months of summer.

Shaking her head, she looked around trying to get her bearings. She knew that they'd gone north from the town, and there was a major road as well, but she had no idea which way north was, and thus, no idea which way was south, the eternal cloud cover hiding the sun from view and leaving no trace of shadows on the ground. or, rather, on the snow. She looked down, her feet sunk deep into it, her jacket and pants more appropriate for a ski lodge than trekking through several feet of snow.

But there was no help for it. It would eventually get dark. It would eventually snow. It didn't matter which happened first or if they happened together. Either one would be more than enough to be the end of her dressed as she was. She pulled out her phone, staring at the little notification that indicated that there was no signal to be had this far from town. Putting it back, and returning her glove, she finally picked a direction and started moving, leaving a deep furrow in the thick blanket of snow. She hoped that her boyfriend, no, her ex-boyfriend, had been heading back towards civilization when he'd taken off after pushing her off of the snowmobile, and that she could make it there before the cold, the snow, or mere exhaustion was the end of her.

[User]
Despite the weather report, the weather had yet to take a turn for the worst so far and the woodsman already noticed it was calm out, perhaps indicating the storm was approaching the area rather slowly. Even as Raoh trekked on in the almost bitter cold did he stop dead in his tracks when an unfamiliar scent tickled his nose and seemed to catch his attention. It was perfume-like, feminine in some ways, one that normally he never had smelt in this neck of the woods. A part of his interest and concern was peaked due to the scent and part of him feared someone might be lost. Undoing the buckles to his sled and setting his large merchant size backpack down did he begin his search, soon finding tracks that he followed.

It took at least a few minutes before he caught up with the female, the sound of his feet crunching in the snow would catch anyone's attention with his large physique. He slowly approached her, stopping only a few feet from her as he removed his goggles from his eyes, looking at her with concern. "Are you lost?" He asked firmly since he at least was aware of the dreaded situation that was approaching and the sky would grow dimmer shortly, leaving the area in the pitch-black darkness of the longer nights.

[Assistant]
Lin didn't notice the crunching of the snow behind her at first, her attention taken up almost completely with her own progress as she pushed her way through the heavy drifts of it. You wouldn't really think that something that was so light when it fell could become so heavy once it accumulated.

It has finally dawned on her that the sound she was hearing wasn't being made by her alone and she had just stopped to turn around when a voice called out to her. She felt a rush of relief at the thought that she wasn't going to die out here alone in the middle of nowhere with nobody but her jerk of a boyfriend... ex-boyfriend, she supposed, to have any idea where she might be. Catching sight of her rescuer, she had to raise her gaze significantly, the figure standing significantly taller than her own five feet and seven inches. She couldn't really tell what he looked like, though, as he was dressed much more appropriately for hiking in this weather than she was, most of his figure covered in protective layers.

"Oh, thank god you found me!" Lin said, turning and making her way back towards him. Some voice at the back of her head tried to throw warnings in her path about what if he was an axe murderer or something else horrible. She crushed all the little voices. There was very little chance she would survive until morning without help, and his help was the only help there was to be had. "My boy---my ex-boyfriend dumped me off the snowmobile and took off, leaving me out here to freeze to death. Is there any way you can get me to town before the storm hits? Or, well, anyplace where I can wait it out?" she asked him.

[User]
Remaining where he stood did his eyes keep firmly on her body language to see if his presence was either intimidating to her or perhaps even strike fear into her mind. When she turned and made her way over to him and heard what she said did his calm expression turn to worry, hearing what her story was as he moved a hand out and placed it firmly on her shoulder with a gently grasp of trust as he kept it there. "I do have a house you can stay in and keep warm. Not sure how long you might be waiting though, according to most weather reports I've heard, the coming storms a blizzard one." He answered to her, speaking with a firm tone and with truth in his tone.

Releasing his hand from her and turning around did Raoh began to walk off. "Follow me. I still have to haul my sled back to my cabin... well, a more lodge if anything." He added as he followed his footprints off, the sky already covered with soft, white clouds. Gentle snow did start to fall, very light and calm while they made their way back to the sled. "Forgive the lack of giving you my name. I'm Raoh Walsh." He introduced himself as he once more took the oversized backpack on his back and began to apply the straps and buckles to the harness he had on his coat. "Take a seat on the sled. It might be bumpy, but my pace is going to be faster than normal." He warned and soon began to move at a moderate pace, one that was quicker than he normally had done, at least taking a second to take two steps as he pulled the sled.

The pace would be exerting and he knew he would be exhausted by the time he got home. The fire might have been out at this point in the woodstove and the bitter cold would easily get inside. He couldn't ask his guest to do work even if she was staying with him. Still, right now he was more concerned about getting home, the light growing dimmer with each passing moment. He soon reached the large cabin that seemed like a lodge or half of one in size. He made his way over to the garage like area that acted more like a storage shed then a one-car garage. Slowing his pace and approaching the sliding door did he kneel and lift the door up with one hand, pushing it up firmly and up high, pulling both the cart and himself inside. The snow by now was picking up and getting to a point that was noticeable.

As he pulled the cart into the area did he sigh as he flicked an electric lantern switch on to light the inside area that hung on his backpack, undoing the straps and setting the large backpack down, as he walked over to the door and closed it down, taking many deep breaths and slowly falling to his knees as he panted in a raspy manner. He did need water, but his body was indeed pretty worked out from both the rush to get home and overworking himself. "Water... gallon jug... on sled... please... need..." He spoke out in a groggy and still taking breaths as he felt boiling hot from his layers of cloths that kept the body warm inside.

[Assistant]
She nodded eagerly at the thought of any kind of shelter, whether it be lodge, cabin, or even just a shed, if it was heated and had food and a place to rest. She wasted no time in following his tracks, the going much easier with him having broken the trail to reach her and tamping it down further as he moved back along it. "I am so very glad to meet you, Raoh. I'm Lin Strucker, but everybody calls me Lin," she said as she climbed up onto the sled, amazed that he could haul the sled at all, much less while encumbered by a pack that looked to weigh more than she did, and doing so at a pace she couldn't hope to keep up with.

It wasn't so very long before a building came into view and as he had hinted, calling it a cabin was a bit misleading, and she wondered how long it would take to heat such a large space if one started from dead cold. Then again, she rather suspected that he wouldn't let it get entirely cold if he could help it. And it was none too soon, either, with snow having already started to fall. If the storm was going to be as bad as he thought, she was likely going to be stuck here with him for some time.

As soon as he'd pulled the door closed, she slipped down off the sled and to the ground, pulling out her cell phone to confirm that there was still no signal to be had. Putting it back with a sigh, she starts to move around to thank her rescuer when she hears him call for water. She immediately beings looking over the sled, her eyes roaming over it until she finds the jug in question and brings it around to him, pulling off the cap so that he won't have to fumble with it.

[User]
Taking the gallon jug she presented him and noticed the cap off did Raoh bring it to his lips and began to chug it down, drinking it down quickly to the point only a quarter at best was left, as he gave a sigh of relief at the feeling. He took a breath and set the jug down near the sled, slowly standing up gently, his legs wobbling as he was still weak from the trek that he exerted his body more than usual, slowly walking his way to the door, as he opened it up to at least get inside. "Mind bringing the lantern along, it's the only real source of light I have during the night." He mentioned as he entered the house, making his way near the spent wood stove and removing his winter gear to hang on either a rack or a coat hanger, making sure each part was spread as he stripped down into only a pair of boxers and a short-sleeved shirt, both a dark color.

He waited for Lin to enter, looking over to her and gave a weak smile. "Hate to ask or burden you with things... but if you could get the fire stove cleaned and then started, the house would stay warm with the bitter cold that is coming." He mentioned as he made his way to a three-seater couch he had that was pretty grooved from his sitting upon it and laid his large body onto it as he took a breath. There was a hinge of guilt in his mind to even ask her to do work, but his body was pretty spent, and to not even get a fire going again could make the house chillier for the next day. It was nearly in the 40s in temperature of Fahrenheit, but he hardly was phased by that area of chilliness.

[Assistant]
As soon as he'd set the jug down, Lin moved forward to place the cap back on it. unsure of what else to do with it, she kept it in her hand, thinking that he might wish to refill it before the next time he would need to head out. Though, by the looks of the snow that had begun to fall even heavier before they made the refuge of his home, she wasn't sure that would be any time soon.

Grabbing the lantern as requested, she followed him into the main building, closing the door between it and the garage area firmly to help preserve what little heat remained inside. She stood awkwardly as he stripped down to boxers and shirt, noting that most of the bulk she had attributed to his heavy winter gear was, in fact, his own, forcing her to revise her estimate of his strength yet again.

"Oh, it's no burden at all," she answered quickly, moving to kneel next to the stove. Setting both lantern and jug to the side, she stripped off her gloves and stuffed them into her pockets before setting to work on the stove. Many a long winter holiday had been spent in cabins that were, honestly, not nearly as large as his, and so she had little difficulty in clearing the ashes and setting wood from a nearby supply into the cavity in preparation for lighting. And a few minutes later, there was a good fire going, the stove quickly radiating heat that pushed back at the cold that filled the space inside.

Once that was done, she was left feeling at odds. Making her way to the coat rack, she pulled off her own outerwear, leaving her in a long-sleeved winter shirt and thermal pants, in addition to her snow boots, the figure beneath proving to be fit and perhaps slightly more muscular than might be expected, though that did nothing to diminish her curves. "Seriously. If it wasn't for you, I'd likely be freezing to death out there right now. I owe you my life," she said. "So, yeah, if there's anything you need me to take care of, just let me know."

[User]
Raoh remained seated and watched as she worked rather skillfully at not only clearing the ashes out and setting the wood from the nearby wood rack into the cavity, though he was relieved she did know how to get the fire stove ready for lighting, using namely twigs and some dried leave with paper to get the fire going and help get the wood. He did leave a long-nosed lighter that was on a table behind the couch that he did offer her once she had the fire stove all prepped and ready for lighting.

He sighed in delight at the fire started to radiate and come to life, slowly heating up with cracklings and pop as it began to burn to life and brighten a part of the almost pitch-black area, they were in. Keeping his eyes locked to the fire, hoping at least it would take while avoiding trying to look over to the undressing Lin as he did feel it might be rude to look her over even if she was still dressed. Turning to her when she spoke did he give a broad warm smile as he heard what she said. "Don't worry about it. I hardly have much company during these times." He admitted as he truly was happy, she was a guest that could keep him company and all. He soon felt his belly give a firm rumbling, as he knew he did need food after the journey he took returning to his home.

"There should be a six-inch hoagie outside I could use. It's mainly beef, cheese, peppers, perhaps a mix of a cold sub with hot meat. Should be in the right-hand pocket of the backpack on the lower part. Mind bringing it in and cutting it in half. I feel we both could use some food for now." He offered since his legs were still spent from his exertion and he knew he did need something to eat to even get some ounce of energy to get to bed at some point.

[Assistant]
Giving him a bit of a smile, Lin nodded, glad that he wasn't at all put out with her unexpected presence as they waited out the storm. Listening, she gave a nod as she went to retrieve the sandwich, finding nothing at all objectionable in the list of ingredients he had provided her. And while he had suggested that she cut it in half, she, instead, cut it so that her portion was perhaps only a third of it's length, towards the end, leaving him to have the most of if. After all, he'd been the one to do all of the work, and her only exertion since they'd met was to cling to the sled, and then start a fire, neither activity at all taxing.

Sitting against the arm of the couch on the end nearest his feet, she ate the bit of sandwich. She was not especially hungry, but she figured that it wouldn't be any benefit to wait when food was available to her already. As the silence stretched, she started contemplating her situation. If this storm was anywhere near the level that had been forecast, there was a very real chance that she might be trapped here with him for days, if not longer. She didn't have any other clothes she could wear. Nor did she have any of her toiletries. In fact, other than her clothes and cell phone, she only had a pouch that contained her ID, a cash card that was close to empty, and a twenty dollar bill. A shiver ran down her back that had nothing to do with the cold as she realized just how close to actually dying she had come and that unless her ex decided to show some humanity that nobody that cared about her would even know she was lost for another week, at least.

[User]
Taking the hoagie she had cut in the nearby kitchen did Raoh bite into it, chewing it down firmly while giving a few delighted groans and ‘mmm' sounds as he chewed it up and swallowed it down, giving a sigh at the taste, while not at room temperature was still delicious. Continuing to eat the food up as the silence was going on did he soon finish his hoagie down to the last bite. He caught the shiver that she gave off as he looked at her puzzled by her sudden shivering and gently did he move off from the couch and move to at least within an inch or two from her.

"I should be at least able to help out if you need anything sleeping wise." He offered, looking at her with his soft green eyes as he did wonder what was going through her mind at this current time. He had a feeling that there might be other factors that had her bothered, but he didn't want to be the one to assume anything and he did at least want to help make her stay here relaxing.

[Assistant]
Lin watched as he shifted to sit up near her. The mention of sleeping arrangements brought all new thoughts and worries to mind. She thought it unlikely that he would have more than a single bed. The state of his cabin, what she could see of it, seemed to indicate a primarily solitary lifestyle. "I can sleep out here... if you have a blanket," she said, then frowned. "I don't suppose you have anything I could wear for sleeping in?" she asked.

After a moment she shook her head. "I don't know what I'm going to do about clothes. I've only got what I've got on and, well, I'm not really looking forward to wearing the same things for days on end, much less however long this storm is going to last, and then the time it takes for enough of the snow to melt off so that I could possibly get back to civilization." She sighed. "I'm really sorry for being so much bother," she told him before going silent, her lower lip starting to quiver as the enormity of her situation settled in, leaving her fighting back the tears that were starting to well up in her eyes.

[User]
Raoh smiled at her in an almost wicked manner, but he did feel more teasing in what he had in mind. "Sleep with me. Only thing to worry about is either me clinging to you or hugging you." He told her in a somewhat joking manner since he really had no idea if he was a clinger or he might actually end up latching onto her with his arms. Still, his mindset wasn't one bit focused on anything of lust or anything sexual. He did get serious when he heard what she said about clothes, but he did have something he knew might help as he extended an arm over to her and placed it onto her far shoulder to pull her in close.

"Chin up Lin. I do have some clothes that might fit you... not mine though, but my late mother's." He assured her, though he did speak the last part with a bit of regret. "I kept them as mementos to her, but cannot say the fashion style is in or not. Might be dead dated in some style, but you are welcome to use them while you stay here." He assured her and had felt his remark could send the wrong message in a way, but he could see that the poor lass was pretty down in the situation of clothes.

[Assistant]
At first, Lin was a little taken aback by his suggestion that she sleep with him, but when it becomes obvious that he had said the words in jest, she relaxed. Although, there was a part of her that wondered what it might be like to share the same bed with such a mountain of a man, even if only just to sleep. If the storm kept up for very long, she might find it preferable to sleeping on the couch, which, she had to admit, looked like it wasn't going to be the most comfortable of resting places.

At the mention of the clothes he had, her mood brightened. If they fit, then she'd at least be able to have something to wear and, hopefully he would have a place she could clean her own so that when she was finally rescued, or the weather cleared enough he could help her get back to civilization, she'd be able to do so in her own clean clothing. "I'm sorry to hear about your mother," she told him. "But, if you really don't mind, I'd really appreciate being allowed to wear what she left behind." For a moment she wondered if his mother had lived with him out here in the wilderness. But, then, he hadn't offered her a second bed, so it seemed that whatever he'd kept of hers has been brought to the cabin from elsewhere.

With those two matters out of the way, she felt at least marginally more secure than she had when they had first arrived. "So, what time do you normally retire? I'll probably be up for a while, but it'd probably be a good idea for me to adjust to whatever schedule you keep. I can sleep in my stuff for tonight, and tomorrow you can show me what clothes you have here so I can try them on."

[User]
Raoh smiled lightly as he gave a shrug. "I doubt she'd mind if the clothes were given to someone else. Still, might be better to worry about it tomorrow." He assured her due to it being already dark outside and also his body still in a state that had him ready to lay down on his bed and take a nap. He smiled as she asked when he normally retired, but he did take a sigh. "I'd say it's normally around eight pm during the winter months, though I do rise and check the fire at some point during the night." He answered, as he slowly stood up from sitting near her to stretch his arms out and give a very long and tiring yawn as he got up.

"Probably gonna retire to bed now... but if you're going to be up a while, restock the wood stove as full as you can and tamp down the flues when it gets near the too hot zone, namely the red part or the area marked ‘too hot'. I can show you around more tomorrow when it gets light outside." He offered her, making his way out of the area and the area, going to the second door on the right-hand side where he plopped onto the bed with two pillows on one side, pulling his one quilt up to cover his body up to his neck as he fell asleep quickly and soundly, snoring at least a good ten minutes after he fell asleep, but the snore was thankfully normal.

[Assistant]
Lin nodded and watched as he answered. It wasn't till after she could hear him snorting that she realized that she hadn't gotten a blanket from him, nor asked several questions of him, one of which being whether or not he had a charge cable she could use for her cellphone. She pulled her phone out and checked, noting that it was already below seventy percent power. Setting it to power saver mode, she turned it off for now. Without signal, it wasn't much use, anyway.

After a while, she worked up the courage to explore the place at least enough to find the bathroom, making use of the facilities before returning to top up the stove, to keep it going for as long as it was safe. Once that small chore was completed, she pulled her jacket from the rack and slipped it on, back to front, using it as a blanket while she curled up against the arm, doing her best to get comfortable and try to get as much sleep as she could manage. She drifted in and out of sleep, taking one opportunity when she woke to the air feeling chill, to restock the stove again. At the very least, the temperature wouldn't be too cold when it was finally time to actually get up. By the time the sky started to lighten in preparation for the dawn, she was snoring lightly, curled up under her jacket in the corner of the couch nearest the stove.

[User]
Raoh slept soundly through the night, perhaps oversleeping until an hour or so after seven am. Despite his body aching, he rose up from his bed and slowly got up, heading over to the fire and checking the stove to fine it had coals still leftover from the night before. A smile curled on his lips as he added the last three logs that were inside and near the fire, having the flues opened and letting it warm up. He noticed his guest was currently laying against the couch, getting up as he walked over to her and gently scooped her up in his arms. Carrying her out of the room and into his bedroom, he set her on his side of the bed, removing her jacket and covering her with the quilt to help get her a better rest and a comfier area to relax.

He soon left, deciding to at least start on some food, first cooking some bacon up in a skillet over a propane heated stove, keeping it sizzling while he worked also on other stuff, namely peeling potatoes and dicing them so he could cook them up in the skillet with some of the bacon grease. He did feel hungry, but he knew how to cook most of his meals.


[User]
"Alright then. It's time to get underway. You'll notice when we leave Magnimar that the terrain and makeup of the land changes" and Andurain wasn't kidding. Once they had left the city, they walked for a few miles through swampy, boggy terrain, the road slicing through it. As it was a major trade route, it was a well traveled road, that was once likely paved in some places. There were plenty of wagons and travelers heading in both directions, although after a few more miles, the southerly road split from it, heading towards Whartle and points east, while the Coast Road continued northeast towards Sandpoint and Riddleport.

It was pleasant, the salt on the breeze indicating how close the water was, and there were plenty of trees and the occasional small farm that they past. Traffic had slowed considerably, a large portion of it heading east. Around lunch time, they stopped off the side of the road to rest and eat something.

[Assistant] Riliana seemed to be even more radiant and happy as they left the town and headed into the countryside. She smiled and waved at the passersby and looked around with great curiosity. Riliana pestered her master with questions about the travelers on the roads and the cities and towns nearby. But most of all she stayed close to Andurain and sang softly to herself.

[User]
Andurain would learn that the Coast Road connected Magnimar with the important small town of Sandpoint, and then moved north to connect to Riddleport, which Andurain explained was the most dangerous city in Varisia, as it had a more pronounced element of organized crime that ran things. Magnimar was a more stable, trade oriented city, and Korvosa had recently gone through a civil war that ended up with a new queen that seized power by poisoning her husband, being removed by a group of adventurers after she nearly bankrupted and decimated the city with the aid of some rather nefarious organizations. Although brutally subjugated and driven to starvation, the citizens helped and rose up, and now the new Queen, the former captain of the city guard, was seen as a just, kind ruler. He also explained that the Storval Plateau was home to many wondrous beasts, including giants and manticores. He explained that Varisia used to be a province of the devil worshipping kingdom of Cheliax, but was free now, although the influence of Cheliax was still felt from time to time.

All in all, she got a few history lessons about Varisia before they had to find somewhere to camp for the night.

[Assistant]
Riliana eagerly absorbed all that Bertram had to teach. She found it was incredibly easy to focus on his every word; indeed it was difficult at times to look away from him as their bond drew her irresistibly to her master. "This is a place of more complexity than I would have expected. I think my people tend to think of mortals as rather simplistic."

As they walked she spotted a place where a small stream ran down toward the ocean. "There, under the trees by the stream. We can camp there."

[User]
"This world is far from simple, I can assure you" Andurain said to her, grinning. He followed her to the spot she deemed good for camping.

"In addition to the various races that inhabit this world, there are varied factions of humans, and of each race, not to mention the various empires, religions and what not that populate this world. Varisia is a small drop in a very large sea of cultures and ideals. As diverse and different as Varisia is, so goes Avistan. Varisia itself is a former colony, and that goes for many of the realms on this world. Not only do you have cultural differences in places, you have grudges that won't die, and various traits and customs to navigate at times" he explained.

"Of course, I will endeavor to show you as much as I can" he added, setting his pack down and taking his robe off to go take a swim.

[Assistant]
Riliana returned his grin. "I can see that I have much to learn." She watched him carefully, memorizing his features and mannerisms. "I would never have guessed that the humans and other races of this world were so diverse. My own people are wildly divergent but that is in our very nature. I'd always assumed that the people of the material plane here were... simpler." Riliana shook her head. "The differences are delightful."

As he undressed she watched him hungrily. "I look forward to learning everything you have to show me." Quickly she wiggled out of her own clothing leaving her sword carefully wrapped on top of her dress. Laughing she ran to the water and jump in.

[User]
"Ha, the opposite, totally. Diverse doesn't even begin to explain this world, especially the differences in local cultures among the same peoples. Geography plays a huge role in the development of culture, the dwarves for instance of one part of the world have vast differences from their brethren on the other side of the world. It's quite amazing, and can be amusing at the same time. Humans too have the largest differences. While some are rather simple, others are extremely complex." Soon they were swimming in the bay, enjoying the salt water.

"Hmm, I believe there are more than cultural differences you wish me to show you" Andurain said, grinning as they swam.

[Assistant] Riliana cavorted in the water. She was sleek and lithe and swam like an otter through the water. When he spoke of cultural differences she laughed and splashed him with water. "Oh, I'm always seeking knowledge Master." Riliana ducked underwater and gripping his hips took his manhood in her mouth and sucked and licked at it until he grew hard. Coming up for air she laughed as her hand gripped his hardness. "I can see a large, hard difference between you and me Master. Perhaps you might explore just how deeply difference I am from you."

[User]
Andurain laughed as she splashed him, and then groaned in delight suddenly as he found himself in her mouth, her talented tongue and mouth getting him hard in an instant. When she came up for air, hand wrapped around him he smiled. "Indeed" he said, his own hand moved to rub between her legs, teasing her.

"I think some deep exploration is in order, but perhaps not in the water where there is less chance of drowning" he said to her.

[Assistant]
"Mmmmmm..." Riliana almost purred as he found the soft cleft between her slender thighs. She wrapped her legs around his hips spreading herself open for his touch and letting her grind her mons and clit against his groin. Tilting her head up she pulled his head down into a passionate kiss. Riliana probed his mouth with her tongue with ferocity as though she were assaulting an enemy fortress. Her hand cupped the back of his head and held him into her kiss until she disengaged, panting and flushed.

Riliana stroked his cock and then firmly rubbed the sensitive bit under the tip with her thumb. "I'm prepared to go as deep as you wish master." She wriggled her hips and pressed his cock between her thighs so that the hot, heavy shaft rested against the plump lips of her sex. Riliana flexed her pelvis to rub herself along his shaft between her folds. "Move quickly master or I might sheath your sword here and now."

[User] "Unghh" Andurain groaned as she rubbed herself up against him. He picked her up and carried her out of the water, kissing her, and laid her on the soft grass not far from the water's edge, and moved up atop her, and spread her legs, and thrust himself inside of her. He was already rock hard, and she was already dripping wet with need, and soon the air was filled with the lewd sounds of bodies slapping together as he began to thrust hard and fast inside of her, working to sate his need with her body. He pressed atop her, his chest pressing against hers, his lips finding hers and kissing her passionately as his cock dove deep inside of her with each thrust.

[Assistant]
Riliana kissed and nibbled at Andurain as he carried her from the pool. She didn't mind the water so much but her people were more creatures of the air and mountains than lakes and streams. She much preferred making love to her master on dry land if flying was not available at least in her current form. She laid back with a smile and eagerly opened her thighs for him as he settled between her legs. Riliana cooed with delight as he immediately thrust himself into her sex. She had always been sensuous like all of her people but since her summoning she found herself utterly insatiable around Andurain. Riliana knew that her desire and love for her master was enforced by their bond but she would have been deeply attracted to him no matter what magic might have intervened.

"Oh master, master..." she moaned as he hilted her in one smooth thrust. Riliana wrapped her legs around him and locked her ankles behind his butt as he began to powerfully thrust into her. Riliana could feel his emotions and desire mount as he rode her hard. She wanted nothing more than for him to slake his lusts on her barely nubile body as nothing gave her more pleasure than his total satisfaction. Besides, she found it overwhelmingly sensual to be fucked hard and fast. She'd come on to him aggressively to get exactly this response.

Riliana arched her hips back up against Andurain and twisted her pelvis to grind her mons along his groin and further hilt his cock. With each thrust she twisted and squirmed, increasing the friction and sensation for him inside of her tight channel and hyperstimulating her own clit. "Cum deeply into me master! Fuck me and claim me with your seed."

[User]
At this point, Andurain didn't need her encouragement although it was nice to hear. Their bodies were reacting instinctively to each other's, and the sounds of their bodies moving together, and their passion, filled the air. Andurain had need, and was using Riliana's body to satisfy it, and by the way she was moving against him, and crying out for him, it was just what she wanted. Hilted deep inside of her, he continued to press forward, trying to reach that release that would expend some of his pent up need and desire.

Soon his thrusts were a blur, a constant pistoning force moving in and out, and then he groaned, and emptied himself inside of her, several deep thrusts signalling his climax as it burst forth from him.

[Assistant] Riliana settled back into the soft grass as Andurain pressed down against her in their passion. Instinctively she felt his need and every move of her hips, every touch and caress, every moan and cry of passion was calculated to increase his pleasure and passion. Joined together so intimately they were one creature feeding his need even as her own desires soared. She pressed herself back up against him, grinding into his powerful rutting with joy. When he groaned and stiffened inside of him Riliana cried out with joy as the warm flood of his seed and the pleasure of his orgasm sent her into a shuddering, terrific orgasm of her own. Her sex clenched tightly around him, milking his cock and drawing forth every bit of his pleasure and his semen.

[User]
"Ahhhh" Andurain sighed, feeling the last of his release explode from him, and her body leaking around him as she came, her body displaying the obvious signs of her satisfaction.

He slid out of her, and moved up beside her face, his still hard cock glistening. "Now be a good girl and get me clean" he said, presenting his stiff member to her, pressing it against her mouth.

[Assistant] Riliana moaned and tightened her grip on his body in a vain attempt to keep him from pulling free of her. Immediately she felt the warm trickle of his seed from her sex and purred in satisfaction at the concrete evidence of his satisfaction. As he moved up and around her she propped her self on one elbow to bring her face even with his cock. "Oh I am the best girl," she smiled and then licked down the length of his cock. Like a lollipop she licked him until he glistened with her saliva. Once he was clean she took his entire length in her mouth, moving forward until her lips were buried into the harsh hair around his groin. She looked up at him, his cock bulging her cheeks and the back of her throat and winked.

[User] "Ah, you most certainly are" he said, moving his hips in time with her ministrations. "Unghh, gods you are, very good, keep doing just that" he said to her, watching her as she sucked on his cock, expertly pleasing him. When she took the whole thing in her mouth after cleaning him off, he groaned a lot louder than he was expecting, the sensations of his entire member being surrounded by her hot and wet mouth was driving him crazy. "I think, I think you may be able to get me off again soon, your mouth feels amazing" he said, gasping in sheer delight.

[Assistant] Riliana ran her small, delicate hand up Andurain's thigh and cupped his balls. She rolled his testicles gently in her fingers and then began to stroke and tease the wrinkled sack. She pulled her mouth back and flicked the tip of her tongue along his little slit and then pulled entirely off. She licked and ran her tongue over the underside of his shaft and then engulfed the swollen head. Her other hand rubbed his stomach and then moved up his chest to rub and tease at his nipples. She rubbed at the little nubbins one at a time while her head descended again to deep throat his cock. Back and forth she slowly moved up and down his length letting her tongue make love to his turgid cock. Every burst of pleasure from her master fed back into her body and made her more and more eager to bring him to a peak.

[User] "Unngh" Andurain groaned, moaned and lost himself in her attentions. Her swirling tongue and wet mouth were rapidly bringing him to the point where he would being the climb to another orgasm. He was already throbbing in her mouth. Heightened by her attentions to his chest and nipples, she felt his tip leaking in her mouth again already, and she felt him begin to tense up. After several more minutes of her divine mouth working over his hard shaft, she felt him stiffen up, a signal that he was about to cum, and then the tip of his cock exploded, erupting into her mouth, delivering rope after rope of thick, warm seed to her waiting mouth. He groaned loudly as his hands gripped her hair, and his hips thrust him cumming cock forward in her mouth.

[Assistant] Riliana knew exactly when her master would orgasm. Not only could she feel his manhood swell and begin to leak precum but Riliana could feel his emotions as if they were her own. Normally the feelings were not so intense but when her lips were wrapped around his cock and her fingers teasing his body the link between then was extremely strong.  She intensified her efforts to bring him to a peak and then as he jerked and began to spew his seed into her mouth Riliana felt her own orgasm surge forward. She felt intense pleasure and an equally strong sense of satisfaction as her efforts brought him off. She knew that he was continuing to train and imprint her on him and his desires but Riliana didn't mind as she loved him and everything about him with all her heart. As he pushed her head forward she swallowed deeply and took the end of his cock down her slender mouth. Subduing her gag reflex she deep throated him such that his seed flowed directly down her throat.

[User]
His eyes were about to fall off of his face, at least he was sure that would be the case, her mouth and the sensations it provided as he came, and then slide down her throat were powerful, to say the least. It would take a few minutes for his heart rate to come down after that, and he fell back against the sand, breathing rather huskily, in total satisfaction.

"I, wow, just that was incredible" Andurain said to her, finding words was really hard, but he was fairly certain that she knew what he was about to say, his body language gave plenty away. "I think I'll need a moment to catch my breath" he added, sighing rather happily.

[Assistant]
Riliana eagerly swallowed her master's seed. Of course given that she was deep throating him she didn't have much choice in how she handled the flow of his spend. She herself orgasmed as well as her link to his feelings and emotions brought her to a climax. Slowly she pulled off his cock, licked and sucking at the softening member. Riliana looked up at him and smiled, her face flushed and threads of semen and saliva dribbling from her mouth. "I love you master and love nothing more than serving your pleasure. We are joined through eternity."

As he relaxed she snuggled against him and softly stroked his face with a loving gentleness.

[User] Andurain smiled. This is what he had wanted, why he spent long hours studying and honing his craft. A devoted partner, the ideal woman for him. He caressed her hair from her eyes "Aye, this is perfect. Exactly what I had wished for. A team, for sure. I cannot tell you how happy I am. This has worked out much better than I had ever dreamed" he said to her, pulling her head down to rest on his chest. He was not interested in leaving the beach any time soon. It was a lovely day, and would be a lovely evening, and right now, everything was perfect.

[Assistant] Riliana began to purr softly in contentment as she felt her master's happiness and satisfaction not only through their bodn but through his affectionate and relaxed manner with her. She smiled up at him, love and devotion in her eyes as he brushed back her silky hair. She snuggled eagerly against him and pressed her cheek against his chest in adoration. "Never would I have believed that I could find completion and joy here on this plane with a creature of flesh and blood. We are one through your magic. I wish nothing but to love, serve and complete you. We will be magnificent and epic." She sighed and wrapped one arm around his waist as the steady beat of his heart filled her senses.


[User]
Myra's body tensed for a moment at the knock. That had to be him. Nobody else would have come to bother her so far out, unless it was a traveler looking for directions. Or bandits... but she hoped not. While most females were given some mild form of combat training just to help protect themselves for the first few days they were on their own, she wasn't savvy enough in the matter to keep bandits at bay. They came in large numbers and often times had a mix of races among them... outcasts really. It made them dangerous... and her nervous.

Hesitantly, she peeked through the lace curtains... her attempt at making the run down little home feel a bit more feminine in nature... and felt her body sag in relief. It was him! She had been given a fairly brief description on who to expect and was more then certain this had to be her new companion. Hearing the knock again, her nerves suddenly returned, though this time it was the excited type. "Oh... just... just a second!" Turning, she looked over the inside. His bed had been set up and made... she had made the throw blanket covering it herself in her free time. It was made from the best cotton she could find and depicted his coat of arms... or what orcs had that passed for such anyway. Tribal signs if she recalled. Orcs were like elves, they lived in groups and each had their own distinctness about them.

She had set up an area she hoped would make him feel comfortable by the fire and had even made sure to construct a small work bench near her garden. Dinner was cooking in a pot over the hearth. Not much, but just enough for two of them to share. Turning, she inspected herself in a small mirror she had hung up for scrying every once in awhile to keep in contact with her family, tucking a stray hair back into place and quickly adjust her corset. Taking a deep breath, Myra finally turned her attention to the door.

Opening it slowly, she peeked out, dark blue eyes coming to rest on his midsection since that was about as tall as she reached. Her gaze lifted however to finally focus on his face and instantly she felt her cheeks turn pink beneath the brown tones of her skin. "You... you are Greggor I presume? I... I'm Myra... oh! Forgive me, it's rude to keep you waiting outside, this home is as much yours now as it is mine. Come in... I made dinner. It isn't a lot... I... had limited meat left but, I figured it would do for now." Stepping back she beckoned him inside, feeling the earlier rush of excitement return. He was bigger then she had thought. "I hope you like everything... I... I tried to make it as homey for you as for myself. I'm afraid I don't know much about Orcs livings habits but I figured you would enjoy simplicity... I never was much for fancy sparkle..."

[Assistant]
Greggor noticed when the young elven woman peeking at him through the window, giving her a small, kind smile... only to have her vanish behind the lacy curtain once again... had he scared her off? He was at the right house right? It wasn't like there were many options around these parts anyways. Thankfully however the door did eventually slowly open, a small elf woman standing in the doorway. "It is nice to meet you Myra..." He said, stepping inside of the small house, floor boards creaking under his weight. It was a nice little house... it could probably use some fixing up, but nothing he couldn't handle. His education had consisted of the basics of many forms of manual labor, carpentry being one of them.

"It is a nice place... warm, sturdy..." He said, removing his sword and leaning it by the door after closing it behind himself. "I've got some jerky in my pack if we need more... which reminds me." He reached inside the large sack, pulling out a massive bear pelt, an impressive specimen, the pelt more than large enough to cover a bed, or make an impressive rug... it was definitely a quality piece, worth quite a bit of coin. "I thought you might like this... we can use it as a blanket when the nights get cold, or a nice rug... or we can even sell it, if you like." He said, reaching into the bottom of the large sack, pulling out another, smaller sack. Inside this sack was a bunch of dried meat, one of the few kinds of 'cooking' that the orcish people enjoyed, a skill learned from the elves a long time ago.

He noticed his clans crest on the blanket, causing him to smile. The image of a red hand on a black background, taken from a story about the founder of their tribe. "That's a nice blanket... did you make it yourself?" He asked, knowing that her people were rather skilled in those sorts of things... crafts, arts, the sort of things that his people just didn't seem to have a talent for, for the most part anyways.

[User]
Myra beamed, mildly pleased he was happy with her craft. "Yes. I wanted you to be as comfortable here as possible. But... I didn't want you to forget about home either. I know how hard it can be on the mind sometimes when you are away for so long. You leave family behind... friends... possible love interests. I'm glad you like it however. I worked for a long time on it. My mother helped me with the crest. She would know it of course, given her own Orc companion was from the same clan. She told me a lot." Peering at the bear pelt, she moved closer, cupping its long dead head in her hands. "Majestic creatures in life, bears are. A pity this one had to die... but, he will look nice near the hearth. As you can see, this place needs a lot of love and attention."

Dragging their new rug over, she set it out in front of the fire, situating it into a position she liked before smiling up at him. "There. It looks good. Perhaps you can go hunting sometime for more. We can use the meat and keep the pelts for decoration on the wall. If we end up with too many, we can make a trip to the nearest town and sell them. As for this..." She picked up the dried meat, peering inside. "This will make a few good stews and soups for awhile. I've been growing vegetables in my garden. We should be OK for awhile. But we should also make sure we stock up before it gets colder. Once all the animals head to ground, we'll have to rely on what we find at the markets. And heaven knows humans are greedy creatures."

Clasping her hands in front of herself she held her breath for a moment, thinking. She was glad he liked it however. It eased some of her concern. But this was still their first day. Snapping out of her thoughts, she moved forward, taking his hand and leading him to her small kitchen table. "Here... make yourself comfortable. You have to be starving." Finding a bowl, she poured a bit of the stew she had spent a portion of the morning making and set it in front of him with a thick half loaf of bread. "Eat... please. I may be new to this, but even I know walking builds an appetite."

[Assistant]
Greggor smiled when she talked about her mothers companion being from the same clan as his own. "The Red Hand is a good clan to belong to, long history of successful warriors." He said, clearly proud to belong to said clan. When she looked at the bear with pity he took note of it, knowing that elves were a lot more sensitive about death, even when it came to animals. "He was an old one, well past his prime. And we made sure nothing went to waste." He said, thinking that might be some consolation to her.

When she took his hand he was surprised by how warm and soft they were... being an orc he was used to his own callused hands, the hands of someone who did manual labor for a living. Hers however were soft, warm... it was a pleasant sensation, and over all too soon. "When winter comes I'll be sure to set up a few traps for snow hare, so far away from the city there is bound to be quite a few of them." He said, already eager to be of use to her. Orcs were a very community minded group, what was good for the clan was good for the individual, so each member strived to contribute what they could.

He took the first spoonful of stew, chewing it thoughtfully. "This is good." He said, barely having enough time between spoonfuls to actually articulate his opinion, clearly enjoying it. He did eventually start to slow down however, allowing him to actually speak with her between mouthfuls. "Is there anything in particular you'd like me to get started on?" He asked, figuring there might be a project she had in mind for him. It was probably too late to start something right away, it was evening after all, and it would be dark soon. That said he wanted to show that he was eager to help, to do his bit to contribute to the household.

[User]
Her gaze drifted around, having already pinpointed most of what their little homestead was going to be in need of. That was simply common with this little tradition. The family would bless the woman with the land and a home, but generally left upkeep to her and the orc who joined her. Myra's family was a bit more blessed when it came to how they lived their lifestyle and had at least spared her the pain that came with trying to build a home from scratch. But this one was not without its vast flaws either. The roof had a small leak in it near the small kitchen, the windows needed additional insulation to keep the cold out further when that came, but first things first...

"A fence. I... I would very much like a fence. Nothing fancy, just something simple. Our land is fair sized, but something to encompass at least the cottage and the garden would be nice. I intend to hang bells on it... so we know when someone is coming through. Out here so far away, I know visitors will be scarce but it might be good to know ahead of time. Bandits, wolves, other unsavory things still exist." That was a simple enough task to start. If he could do it to her liking then she would set him on other things.

But they had time. Female elves were often left on their own for a year or so before potential suitors came about. Male elves wanted to see certain things and she aimed to prove she could do them. She wanted a good husband. Her parents wanted her to have a good husband. Making her own bowl, she made sure to give him seconds before sitting down across from him, blue eyes bright and curious. "So... tell me of yourself? We are going to be together for some time. May as well get to know one another as much as possible, don't you think?"

[Assistant]
Greggor smiled as she served him a second helping of food, eager to have some more of the deliciously prepared stew... he would never tire of Elven food. "I could make a fence... could make it tall and strong enough to keep out people if you want, or something more simple, to keep animals out." He said, thinking that might be her main concern. He would build a whole bloody wall around their property if that's what she wanted, more than happy to spend his days chopping down trees for lumber and planting posts.

When she asked him about himself he considered her question for a moment, not sure where to start. "I'm eldest of three, one of the strongest fighters in my clan. I used to fight in some of the smaller gladiator arena's for a little extra coin, and for fun of course." He said with a smile. The fights were fairly safe for the most part, deaths were few and far between, as most fights ended when either the opponent was knocked out, or gave a signal that he surrendered. It was still a rather brutal sport, one the orcs loved to both watch and participate in. "I learned how to hunt, mostly trapping, as I'm not fond of using a bow... but I can provide plenty of meat." He said, taking a bite of bread and chewing thoughtfully as he considered what else she might want to know. "I've done a lot of carpentry, replaced a few roofs last year, helped rebuild after a barn burnt down. Also helped to fend off raiders every now and then, cleared out a camp of them last year, humans and a few rogue orcs..." He said, some orcs having refused to join with the elves, seeing it as weakness to rely on a race that couldn't defend itself... something Greggor saw as foolish, considering the benefits of sharing a life with an elf... besides, considering he had won against a rogue orc, he knew which was weaker... and it certainly wasn't him.

"What about you? I'd like to know more about you." He said, genuine in his interest. He had always found elves fascinating... they were intelligent, kind, creative people... he had seen works of art done by elven masters, sculpture and paintings that looked almost real. The orcs may be a simple people, but they could appreciate beauty... which was one of the reasons the arrangement they had with the elves went so well. Orcs could be very attracted to elven females, and it was customary for elven women to practice pleasing a man with their orcish companion in preparation for one day being wed... however, romantic relationships between their two people were forbidden, the biggest taboo in their society. Orcs and elves couldn't reproduce, and the orcs valued blood lines... to not produce a child was to waste your potential as an orc, to cut short your line, and all the great warriors that may have resulted from your offspring.

[User]
Myra made a soft noise, thinking for a moment on how best to respond to him. "My family is fairly upper class in terms of elves. Not stupendously rich, but far from poor either. My father is what one would consider a... political figure, I suppose. His word holds high meaning. My mother prefers simpler things. She was middle class, and she was taught how to sew and cook and the like. I inherited her love of the arts and crafting. My eldest brother is a scholar. Books were his calling. I enjoy reading, but I could never make books my life like he did." Getting up, she went over to a small trunk at the foot of her bed and knelt, shifting things around until she found a small book. Picking it up, she brought it back over to him and set it down,smiling.

Opening it up, it exposed a few miniature paintings of elves. Leaning over his shoulder, she pointed to the first one, an elegant woman with the same tone of skin as Myra, a soft brown the shade of cinnamon. Her hair was dark and hung down to her waist, with blue eyes and a sweet smile. "My mother... Hara. Smartest person I know. She painted all of these. There is my brother... Jethro... and my Father, Theo... and let's see... this right here, is my mothers companion and Orcish guardian, Calamine. He still lives near her home with his own family. He was very helpful in telling me what to expect."

Leaving him to browse the book as he pleased, she returned to her seat, pulling her stew towards herself. "They both agreed the first few days were the toughest... simply getting to know one another. And I suppose it didn't exactly help that my mother was not so keen on the idea. She's stubborn, and independent. Having someone else coming in was probably odd. But... it grew on her." She licked her spoon clean slowly, thinking. "It's odd... how this always works for our kind. Like it was natural."

Her gaze drifted to watch through her little lace covered window for a moment... then paused. A thought had suddenly come over her and it made her blush. The sun was going down, and the light fading into dark. Soon it would be bedtime... and he was going to see her undress. Nobody had ever seen her naked before. ‘But it's expected' she reminded herself quietly. ‘He is going to see a lot of things nobody has ever seen before. He is going to do things nobody has done before. But... it's practice... right... just practice.'

[Assistant]
Greggor listened to her, nodding. He understood the concept of wealth, his people were usually more communal, most trade done via the barter system rather than dealing with coin. Gold and silver were pretty, but didn't have much value to orcs, they usually traded any they mined to the elves, who seemed to prize the soft, useless metal. When she brought over the small paintings he looked over them with a small smile, constantly amazed by how realistic such things could look.

He looked through the little album of paintings, eyes traveling over every detail. He looked back up at Myra as she started to lick her spoon clean... not sure if she was aware how erotic she looked in that moment. He shifted a bit in his seat, watching her pink little tongue slide along the spoons surface... making him imagine what it would feel like to have that tongue caress him... a shiver running down his spine at the thought.

It seemed she might be thinking along the same lines... it was sort of an unspoken tradition among their people, the first night together... it was something he was quite looking forward to, but he also realized that she might be a bit more... nervous about the experience. "It's getting late..." He said, closing the book, looking at her from across the table. "If you'd like... I could always sleep on the bear pelt..." He said, wanting to give her an easy out if she wasn't quite ready for, well, the main event... "I've slept on much worse..." He said with a grin, not wanting her to feel pressured into going too fast. She had indicated her mother had needed time to adjust, and he wasn't sure if that was a hint that she might need some time as well to adjust to their new living arrangement.

[User]
Myra's eyes widened in surprise momentarily. "Oh... I mean... I... made you a space. I wouldn't make you sleep on the floor. The... the bed is big enough. For two, I mean." Her nerves heightened briefly. She hadn't really given this part of their relationship thought and now that she had to, she wished she had done so sooner. Sure her mother had prepared her as much as she could, but it was different listening to it in comparison to actually doing it. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself. This was something she had to get used to. It would happen every night for as long as necessary.

"No... it's fine. You... share the bed with me. That's how this works. Besides... in the future I can't make my husband sleep on a bear rug." She offered a smile then stood, collecting his bowl and taking it to the small basin filled with water to wash. "Plus,it can get a bit cold at night I have found. It might be nice to have someone warm for once."

She finished washing then turned back to him. " Tomorrow you can start on the fence. Then I will find other things to work on. The roof needs a small patch, among other things." She trailed off, staring down at her hands before glancing back at him shyly. "Would... you mind unlacing my dress?" She turned, showing him the crisscross silk ties that wound up her spine, and keeping corset together. "I can fill the tub up... and heat it. I am sure you would enjoy a bath before bed."

[Assistant]
Greggor smiled, wanting to make her feel more comfortable. He supposed being male made this a bit easier for him, sure he was nervous, but he was mainly excited. "Well, whatever you feel comfortable with..." He said, wanting to make his intent clear, he wouldn't push her if she wasn't feeling ready yet. When she asked him to undo her corset he got on his feet, maybe a bit too eagerly, not exactly able to hide his excitement well. He started to undo the ribbon one loop at a time. being surprisingly gentle considering his large size. "A bath could be nice..." He said, undoing the last loop. She could feel his large hands move up to rest on her shoulders, massaging gently, his rough hands a sharp contrast to her smooth skin. "Would you want to join me?..." He asked, his voice warm.

He knew she was nervous, and he wanted to make her comfortable... but at the same time he also wanted her to know that she was desirable. He was playing a sort of balancing act... not wanting her to feel pressured, but at the same time wanting her to know that he still found her attractive, He would be fine simply sleeping beside her, if that was all she wanted... but personally, he was eager to explore a little more thoroughly... the image of her slowly licking her spoon clean still burning in his mind.

[User]
Myra stiffened slightly when his hands pressed against her shoulders before she relaxed. At his question she nodded slowly. "Yes. I think I would. A bath can be quiet relaxing before bed. I have oils we can add." With her corset loosened, she pulled it away, allowing the dress she wore underneath to slowly slip down her hips and legs, pooling at her feet. It left her in a thin shift that soon followed. She stepped out of both and shivered some, feeling more exposed then she had in some time. It left her utterly naked. Her slim form was curved and plumped out in all the right places. A narrow waist slipped into full hips and an equally full bust, her breasts tipped in dark, rosy pink nipples.

Her pointed ears twitched slightly as she turned to face him, blue eyes drifting up to meet his even as a red tinge spread across her cheeks and flushed through the rest of her body, warming it. "I'll go start the fire, the water should heat quickly."

Brushing past him, her fingers slipped along his before she made her way to the fair sized wooden tub in the corner, separated from the rest of the room behind a screen. Grabbing some wood from a small pile, she tucked it in beneath the tub before whispering softly. A soft breeze caught at her hair, moving it ever so slightly as it seemed to come from nowhere before the wood sparked then caught fire. Elves knew a small bit of magic and it came in slight handy for things like this. Getting to her feet, she turned back to him, hands grasped loosely in front of herself as she quietly let him observe her body now that it was no longer hidden behind clothing.

[Assistant]
Greggor watched as her clothing slid to the floor in front of him, exposing inch after inch of soft, smooth skin. She didn't stand still for long, clearly nervous to have him see her completely bare before him for the first time. "You are very beautiful..." He said, his voice soft as she turned to him after starting the fire. He took a step towards her, hand gently reaching out to cup the side of her face, his index finger sliding under her chin to guide her to look upward and meet his gaze. "I want you to be completely comfortable tonight... I am more than happy to go as slow... or as fast as you'd like..." He said, sliding his hand back, caressing her ear gently before his fingers ran through her hair.

He figured it was only fair she get a look at him as well, sure she was curious... so he took a step back, untying his robes and letting them fall to the floor. Under his robes he wore simple brown shorts and a sleeveless shirt, the former of which was quite obviously tented with his arousal... he removed his shirt first, allowing her to see his strong, muscular upper body. His green skin had a large variety of scars across its surface, many from combat in the arena, others from hunting, or in fighting with bandits. The scars were of varying shapes and sizes, some from simple cuts, others from scrapes, burns... some of them had been stitched well, leaving only a faint outline of a scar, while others had been less well tended to, and looked jagged and rough.

He reached down, removing his shorts in one smooth motion. Once again their size difference became even more apparent, as his erection stood out proudly in front of him, much larger than your average elf would be... hell, even larger than your average orc. He was clean and well groomed, having wanted to be ready for tonight and the events he had been fairly confident would take place. His balls were a heavy weight under his shaft, which currently pulsed eagerly under her gaze, head flaring softly as veins pulsed along either side. He was curious as to what she would think, she was the first elven woman to see him naked in this state, and he hoped he measured up to her expectations.

[User]
Her look of surprise was evident as he stripped, her gaze traveling along his frame slowly. It was fascinating. Myra had only ever seen other female elves naked before, as communal baths were common. The cities had large ones built and anyone, regardless of class and upbringing, could partake. It was how they bonded, gossiping and sharing secrets. But to see someone else in front of her, a male at that... it left her somewhat speechless. He was a magnificent being. "I can see why you consider yourself the strongest in your clan."

Moving forward some, she let her fingers trail along some of the scars, awed. She had never seen anything like him. Not like this anyway. Her hands were light as they explored, moving over his chest and across his shoulders. They slid up, her fingers caressing his jaw line. Her head fell to rest on his chest, eyes closing as she listened to the rapid pounding of his heart. It was soothing.

Pulling away finally, she took his hand and led him over to the tub, carefully stepping in, gently tugging him in with her. She settled him before moving to sit in his lap, his rigid cock trapped against their bellies as she cupped his cheek in one hand... before leaning forward some to claim his mouth with her own, feeling bold.