[User]
Jasmine watched as Raoh took a bite, satisfied that he liked the way she cooked it. She smiled warmly then took a bite herself. The scrapple tasted like some kind of sausage, but not quite. Regardless, she was surprised at how good it tasted. Her ears perked up and she made an equally yummy sound having to lick off some egg yolk that threatened to dribble down her chin. "It's better than I expected. I like having it on a sandwich like this," she said, taking off a little piece of the scrapple and tossing it into her mouth, then nodding her reassurance.

"Weird, but really good," she chuckled. She went over by the wood stove and plopped down on the floor like she had before. For a moment she ate quietly in thought, then spoke up, trying to be a little more lighthearted about their situation. "Kinda wish I would have run away sooner than I did... but then again, I think if I had, I would have had to go back to my boyfriend sooner than I would have liked. Not that I really want to go back at all..." She gave a soft sigh and set down her food for a moment, looking down at the palms of her hands. So much for being light hearted. "I'll have to eventually, though... I've gotta go home, sometime." Jasmine brought up her knees and wrapped her arms around them, staring into the fire. "If you had to go back to someone you didn't want to go back to, what would you do...?"

[Assistant]
Raoh chuckled at her comment of how it tasted, but smile at her approval. "Sometimes the right spices can make many things taste good... though depends on the quality of the ingredients too." He answered as he took a bite of his sandwich once more, chewing it for a bit but stopping as she mentioned how she wished she had run away sooner but in a lighthearted way. He chewed his recent bite up as he listened to what she said, but swallowed it when she posed the question to him. "I guess I've had that feeling with the real world... not someone, but more of something. Still, why would you have to go back? Does he have someone or something dear to you?" Raoh asked, curious to know what it was that had her feeling she had to go back to the abusive spouse or ex that had tormented her.

He sighed, feeling he was prying into things he shouldn't have any business getting into. "Sorry, might be sticking my mind into a business that isn't my own." He said sincerely believing he was being very nosey with his intent.

[User]
Jasmine smiled sadly and shook her head at him. "No, it's okay. You have a right to know. You saved my life, after all," she said before releasing a sigh. "The thing is... I don't live here. My boyfriend brought us here for a vacation, thinking that we needed some 'bonding' time." She scoffed at this and rolled her eyes, showing how she really felt about that idea. "I think he knew that while we would be here that it would storm like this and we'd be stuck together for who knows how long... but everything I have, he has it all. Unless I go back, I have nothing... so you see, I don't have a choice... I have to go back to him, at the very least to get what little I have with the hopes of leaving him for good."

It was obvious that she didn't expect him to have her stay there longer than she had to. She didn't expect anything from him at all. Even though he had saved her from the cold and brought her in to stay through the storm, she knew she was really on her own. How could she ask a stranger to help her with something like what she was going through? The last thing she wanted to do was to overstep her welcome. She felt like an intruder already and she knew she didn't deserve Raoh's kindness. The fact that he was even letting her stay with him for the time being already made her feel guilty that she was pushing her own problems onto someone else.

[Assistant]
Raoh nodded to her, hearing that she was not from around here and that her boyfriend, or ex he assumed due to his treatment of her and her attempt to flee. "I suppose with him having some of your clothes and possibly more I can understand the reasoning of getting it back or reclaiming it." He answered though he was pretty powerless in helping her right now.

"I can let you stay here if you need a place to stay... still, where exactly is it that you live at?" he asked, curious to at least gain an idea where she hailed from at least location-wise that at least might be helping with knowing where the area was she needed help in getting away from. It was a very longshot that he would possibly know if anyone was from there, chances are he might have known someone from there, but even with a bit of military background in his past, he still couldn't ask for something out of the country bounds.

[User]
Jasmine quickly shook her head at the prospect of having her stay there longer than needed. "No, you don't need to do that. Letting me stay here now is more than enough. I can't even repay you for letting me stay now as it is. I'll just figure something out..." she said, lifting up her plate from the floor in an attempt to eat the rest of her sandwich, though she had already lost her appetite. "I live in southern California. Way farther than I'd like and vastly different from what I'm used to. I'm used to big cities and sun year around without even a hint of snow. To be honest, I was reluctant to come here from the start, and not just because I'd be staying with my boyfriend..." She sighed and forced herself to take a bite of food. The taste of the sandwich brought some appetite back and she began eating a little more.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, looking up at him. "I really wish that I didn't need your help... everything was just... such bad timing. Maybe once I'm back on my own feet I can repay you somehow. Anything I can do... though, it probably wouldn't be much in comparison... there's really not a whole lot I can offer," she said, a bit of guilt in her voice.

[Assistant]
Hearing her response and how she came here in a reluctant manner did he remain silent, as he took a bite of his sandwich and chewed it. Raoh noticed her looking up at him and how she spoke with guilt that she was being more of a burden and that she said she could repay him somehow. Swallowing the food that he chewed up did he slide down and move in close to her as he rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't feel like you owe me anything. If I was going to hang it over your head and use it as leverage..." He trailed off, taking a sigh at what he was getting at. "Honestly, I don't mind you being here at all. It is refreshing to have someone to be around." He assured her, hoping to at least try to get her to understand that she wasn't a burden and that he wasn't needing anything in return. "I mean, if you do wish to..." He shook his head as he began to mention the idea, finding himself laughing with a mix of bashfulness and boldness at his one thought entering his mind. "I should probably perish such thoughts." He said, but his expression did turn to shock when he realized he said that part out loud.

[User]
Jasmine had set her food aside once more as Raoh approached to set a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her that she wasn't a burden and was welcome to stay with him, that it was refreshing to have her there, even if she was desperate for help. She smiled a little at this, trying to see it from his side, but failing to really see the big picture. She could only see herself as a burden. It was just what she was used to. Though, what he said next surprised her. Did he really mean what she assumed...?

Looking up at him her expression had changed a little. Solemn, but there was a hint of something else in her eyes. Sultriness, perhaps.. "No, go ahead. Say it..." she said softly. "I said that I would do anything in return. I meant it. I know there's little I can offer you, but whatever it is that I can do to even help repay the kindness you've given me, I'll do it, and I'll do it gladly."

[Assistant]
He looked at her with still worried eyes, but he sighed slowly and deeply as he heard her even seem eager to do it. "It's... pretty selfish on my part to ask of you..." He answered since he was asking her to do something that would be more work on her part. He felt his heart racing, such an idea that itched his mind did have him feeling more bashful and tense just even thinking he'd request such a thing. His body soon shook as he thought, but taking a few deep breaths did he manage to calm his body down. His hands moved forth, taking her own hands to clasp his large hands over her own.

"Trust me, to ask you this is on my part is very selfish to even ask. To even ask you to bear me a child... it's not something I can ask you..." He assured her, calming his mind down as he looked at her with a solemn expression as he mentioned it. "Believe me when I tell you this, I do not see you as a burden. I see someone who needs help, someone who needs time to think, to reflect, to change." He said to her, gently releasing her hands from his own as he withdrew them back. "It will be a long road for you, but know you won't walk it alone." He added.

[User]
No. It was far from her expectations. Jasmine did not foresee anything close to what Raoh was going to ask. But the way he asked her... no, he didn't even ask her. He knew that it would be so much for her to bear if she accepted. He wouldn't ask her. Even so, his reassurance that she wasn't a burden, that he saw her as a woman that needed help and time to heal and change. Raoh was so much kinder than anyone she had ever known. She could see that even admitting what he really wanted was hard for him to do because it was something that he couldn't get by himself.

After Raoh had pulled away from her she had to pause for a moment, however brief it was. It didn't take too long for Jasmine to come back from the shock. Slowly, gently, she got onto her knees to face him. One hand rose to rest on his cheek while the other laid on his broad chest. "You are so kind, Raoh... I understand why asking me to bear a child for you is so hard. But know that I do not judge you for it. I can understand that with being alone for so long... having someone for company, even someone that you weren't expecting, can be a small blessing." Jasmine leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on his other cheek, then wrapped her arms around his neck in a warm embrace. "If that is the worst thing you think you can ask me to do, don't be afraid to ask me for anything. I owe you my life, whether you feel that way or not. Giving you a life in return is something I will gladly do," she said softly. She pulled away just enough to look him in the eyes and smile. "Just promise me that you'll make sure I'm good to be on my own again after that. Okay?"

[Assistant]
Raoh looked to her when he felt her hand resting on his cheek and the other on his broad chest. He sighed in relief at what she said, her words assuring him that she had no judgment to his request and that was not the worse thing that he could ask of him. He allowed her to pull away from him and look him in the eyes, asking her own request that he will make sure she'd be good to be on her own after that. "I can promise that I'll help you if you need it... but not sure about making a vow about being good on your own..." He admitted as he did chuckle at the remark.

"Still, I can promise I will do what I can to get you help on getting away from that abusive ex that you have." He assured her, as he gently took her hands into his own, high big hands once more covering her own hands. "You are a blessing, perhaps even a miracle that I could only dream of having during these lonely months of winter." He mentioned, his eyes looking at her with much sincerity in them.

[User]
Jasmine chuckled and nodded. "Any help at all is appreciated. As long as I'm okay physically, I think I should be able to handle the rest after that," she said before he took her hands in his again. She smiled warmly at him, her heart fluttering at his words. Being considered a blessing was something she had hardly heard from anyone, and never from her boyfriend. Well, ex, as she should start to call him. She didn't want to go back to that he'll he put her in. Now that she knew there were other people out there that wouldn't treat her the way he did, she wasn't going back to it. "You're a blessing to me, too, Raoh. Without you, I would probably be frozen out there, or worse. I could be back with..." she sighed with a groan and rolled her eyes. "I don't want to think about him anymore. It only brings bad memories," she said before leaning into Raoh again, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'd much rather make new ones. Good ones..." Raising her head again she kissed his cheek once more and beamed a great smile. "And because of you I can."

[Assistant] Raoh gave a nod to her, smiling brightly as he felt her kiss him on the cheek and claim she wanted to make new memories. "You are welcome." He firmly answered to her remark that she could make new memories because of him. "For now, think of the future, plan ahead of where you want to be. I do have clothes the might fit you, a tad dated in some way, but I believe they will fit better than what I have given you." He suggested, slowly releasing his hands from her and standing up as he offered Jasmine a hand to help pull her up. "That is if you need something to wear?" He assured her.

[User]
Jasmine chuckled as he helped her up, feeling a weight coming off of her shoulders as she did so. She really could start to think of the future and what she wanted to do with it now that she had been given the opportunity. And since she was gonna be stuck in a cabin for a while she had plenty of time to think of what she could do with herself. But first thing was first, finding some clothes that fit her. "I dunno, I think this shirts kinda fashionable, don't you think?" she teased as she posed in a sassy way. With a playful laugh she picked up her plate and took the last bite of her sandwich, then set the plate aside so she could wash it later.

"I have my doubts that you'll have something that will fit me, but I suppose anything I can use as pants is good enough for me," she said, eyeing her clothes that were left to dry the previous night. She grabbed her undies, at least wanting to wear those in case they couldn't find anything else for her to wear.

[Assistant]
Raoh chuckled at her remark and watched as she posed in a sassy way that had him giving a smile of amusement at her pose. "Never know." He stated, turning to grasp a lantern and leading her down the hallway and up the stairway that leads to the top, soon going into a room. In the room was a few wooden chests inside, well crafted, but nothing fancy. He walked over to one of the chests and opened it up, revealing some clothing that appeared to be in a size that was medium in size and while it was solid in colors. He looked them over a bit, seeing they were folded well and neatly put in.

"These are the more formal stuff, namely summer clothes for more warmer weather. I am sure the winter gear is somewhere." He mentioned as he looked around the room, searching for at least a box that might have a label on it.

[User]
Jasmine followed Raoh down the hallway and up the stairs into another room. She looked around briefly at the things inside, then made her way over to the window to peer outside. Her eyes widened at the view outside. Everything was blanketed in bright white snow. The sky was gray and snow was still falling heavily, but not in a gloomy way. It almost looked magical. "Wow..." she said breathlessly. "I didn't think snow could look so beautiful," she said, admiring the pure white that covered everything in sight. Her eyes shifted to the sky, watching the flakes come down in a hurried flurry to build on the snow that had already fallen.

What she didn't know was that while she was standing at the window enjoying the view, she had forgotten that she was wearing nothing but a shirt and her tail had perked up, leaving her ample bottom exposed to any wandering eyes. She was too busy admiring the snow to notice, though. Jasmine could see her own breath fogging up the window the closer she got so she purposely breathed on the glass to fog up a good portion. With a playful grin she drew a little heart on the window before the fogginess dissipated. Her attention went back to the falling snow once more and she smiled to herself. "I can see why you like it out here. Once you have a moment to step back and appreciate how beautiful it is out here, it's hard to imagine being anywhere else..."

[Assistant]
Raoh looked up to see Jasmine looking out the window, as her own breath seemed to be fogging up the window, a grin forming on his lips as he watched her draw a little heart on the window before the fog began to dissipate. He nodded when she mentioned how it was beautiful with the snow and the way it looked did he stand up and make his way over to her, standing behind her at her left side. "Every season has its beauty... this is the part of winter that makes this area a sight to behold." He mentioned as he gently moved an arm around her back and pulled her gently up against him, though he held her a bit firmly against his body before realizing he might be coming on a bit too strong with his approach.

Gently releasing her from his own hold did he remain silent, but watched the snow coming down, in a moderate, but still beautiful way that the flakes fell, remaining silent as he watched with amazement. Normally he didn't always take time to appreciate the wonders of it, but he had seen it quite often. He had noticed her ample bottom was exposed, but he wasn't going to even touch her tempting rear out of fear he might bring back some unsettling feelings for her.

[User]
Jasmine peered over her shoulder as Raoh came to join her, then smiled softly as she looked out the window again. For once his touch didn't make her flinch as he wrapped an arm around her from behind and pulled her close. He was so gentle even though he held her so firmly, but it only lasted a brief moment. He let go and she felt a bit of sadness creep into her heart. She knew that he was being wary with her, as if stepping on eggshells. While she appreciates it, part of her was a little disappointed.

"You can hold me if you want to," she said softly, looking up at him. "I don't mind..." As if to reassure him, he gently took one of his hands and brought it around her waist, letting his arm wrap around her like it did before. She laid his hand on her flat stomach and laid her own hands on top, holding him there. With him holding her once more she let her head rest back against his chest, her gaze returning to the falling snow. It was nice to just be held without any expectations. For the first time in a very long time she felt safe in someone else's arms. "What brought you to live out here, Raoh? You must get pretty lonely being up here all by yourself. It can't be easy for you being alone for months at a time like this."

[Assistant]
Raoh turned as she spoke of holding, smiling at her remark as she looked up at him. He was a bit surprised by her statement, but he allowed her to take on of his hands and place it around her waist and around to lay his hand onto her stomach, as her own hands were on top to hold it. He remained with his hand firmly pressed on her flat stomach and continued to hold her with his arm still around. He heard what question she posed to him, namely on the idea of months being alone and how it wasn't easy.

"I suppose it started with a silly bet that involved about fifty thousand in currency bet to spend a year in these woods at this cabin, namely no electric and no plumbing. Also, I didn't have any propane to use too. I managed to win the bet and ended up putting the money away and living mostly as a hunter and lumberjack to at least make cash during the warmer seasons. I admit, it is a tough life when winter comes and the snow becomes high, but I suppose I am used to it. I do sometimes use a radio to listen to music when I do some working out too." He answered with a firm, but still questioning tone as he did wonder if his lifestyle was one that was decent.

[User]
No electricity, no plumbing, completely off the grid. Jasmine had a hard time believing that he would live out there for so long just because he liked it after having to do it because of a bet, but she wasn't going to say anything. It just didn't make sense to her. Then again, she wasn't used to the kind of lifestyle he lived. She was used to the comforts of air conditioning when it was hot and a heater when it was cold, electricity, and working plumbing. The ability to go wherever she wanted whenever she wanted within reason was easy. Jasmine sighed and shook her head. "I don't know how you could do it. Electricity, sure, I could live without that if I had to, but shitting in a bucket is pretty bad," she laughed, teasing the guy for having such a crude bathroom. She shrugged and nuzzled against him. "But, I guess for a view like this, it's not too bad. Just takes some getting used to."

Jasmine turned her head to look up at him and smiled. "Would you like some help finding those clothes? I don't know how good I'd be, but I might help narrow it down some." Her offer made it seem like she was ready to look for the clothes he was trying to find for her, but her tightening embrace on the arm that wrapped around her said otherwise. She was quickly finding his holding her to be very comforting.

[Assistant] "I do admit, the bucket part is a tad difficult to get use to, but having an outhouse during weather like this doesn't make it any easier." He answered with a nervous laugh as he did know she was teasing him for it but smiled as she said a view like this was not too bad, just taking some getting used to. At the mentioning of the clothes, but he did already have a few boxes open, but he looked over to one with a few shirts inside them, namely short-sleeved shirts that were medium at least, but he knew there were others. "There are some clothes, but it's a question if they will fit. I can look for something long-sleeved and maybe more insulation too." He said, though he still kept his arm around her, feeling her tightening the embrace he was giving her. He still was unsure what her reasoning for him holding her was, but he wasn't against not holding her.

[User] "Long sleeved shirts will do just fine. They don't have to be crazy thick or anything. I don't plan on going out into the cold any time, soon," she said before finally stepping away from the window and away from Raoh. She looked at the box that was already opened and pulled out a shirt that was in it. It was significantly smaller than the one she was wearing, so there was no way she could wear it without some sort of pants on. "Yeah, definitely gonna need to be a bit bigger. Unless you think you got some pants that'll fit me? Though I think they would have to be shorts for you in order for me not to trip on them," she teased with a chuckle, then folded the shirt and put it back.

[Assistant]
Raoh remained silent, thinking of pants that might fit her as his eyes did look at her waist. "Might need a belt for the pants to fit you... but I can find something." He added, as he smiled at her remark, but looked into an area where he had some pants in the room. While some of the supplies here were his late mothers, he did have a hunch that he could find something for her to wear that was his, namely something of shorts that might help her.

Opening a box and pulling out the denim-based shorts, he offered them up to her, knowing they did have a belt line, but he did have a few belts he used for extra-large jeans he had. "Think those will work?" He asked as they would go down to her knees or over them.

[User] Jasmine peered over her shoulder at the pair of denim shorts he held up for her to see and couldn't help but to snicker. They were huge! But, she could wear a belt with them, so it shouldn't be too bad. She took them from him and slipped them on, then stuck one arm in, then the other. If she had a third she wouldn't be surprised if she could fit that one in, too. Laughing at the visual she pulled her arms out and played with the waistband a little bit, tucking and folding it in a few places while keeping the belt loops on the outside. She was able to get it to a decent point where she could put on a belt and they would fit comfortably. "These will do. They just need a bit of tweaking is all," she said before letting go of them. They dropped immediately to the floor and she stepped out of them before picking them up, folding them in half, and draping it over her arm. "It might not be a bad idea to try and find some safety pins, too, if you happen to have any. If not, I think just using a belt should be okay. As long as I'm just sitting around the house, it should be fine."

[Assistant] Raoh managed to give a soft chuckle as she tried them on and just how big they were on her. He went up to another box, small, but he knew the belts were stored in the box. They weren't his own belts, but his mothers, offering one to her and knowing it would fit her, at least on the end. "Hmm, might have a small box of those somewhere in the attic area. But I'd go with a belt." He answered as he walked up over to her and smiled down at her. "I do wish I at least had a dexterity for threading, yet my size makes it pretty hard to do any sort of work such as that." He embarrassingly brought up, though he was curious if she did have a skill such as that. He did have some supplies like that that was his late mother, but he normally had to have a seamstress in town tend to his own clothes when they had wide holes and all.

[User] Jasmine smiled as he produced a belt that would fit her and gently took it from him when offered. It was odd, though. Why would someone of his size have clothes that would fit someone her size? They weren't even close to his size, even if he was smaller back in the day. She couldn't imagine him being small enough to use the belt that he had given her to use. While she thread the belt through the loops of the shorts she had she toyed with the two until they sit nicely enough that it wouldn't be uncomfortable to wear. When she was done the shorts stayed up and looked as decent as she could get them. With a smile she nodded approvingly and looked up at the big guy. "I can sew a little. I haven't done it a whole lot, but I at least know how to use a needle and thread. My mom taught me when I was little so I could fix my dolls if they ripped. Came in handy quite a few times," she chuckled bashfully.

[Assistant]
Raoh smiled at her warmly when he heard what she was able to do with sewing a bit. "I believe I have a case with the needles in it. Threads should be in a toolbox on the same area..." He assured Jasmine as he looked over to a shelf and made his way over to the shelf, in the room, kneeling down and soon took the toolbox out and opened, finding the string threads inside it with twenty-six threads in red, blue, white, black, and yellow colors that remained wrapped up on a roll for threads. The needles remained in a small case that was similar to a ring container, at least in one of the two cases. The second contained many amounts of pins, namely in a uniform size. Raoh brought the tin toolbox over to her and opened it up to show her what was inside it.

"If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask." He added, but set the bin down on a box and exited, knowing he had to check the fire, namely to get some of the spent coals into the bin at the bottom of the fire stove, along with loading the fire up. His body did still ache a bit from the trip to town and back. He knew he did still need to rest up, but he couldn't ask Jasmine to do something she might not be familiar with. Shoveling the coals around the inside of the stove and dumping the coals in a metal bucket in the garage, he placed the tray back into the stove and placed a few logs inside, namely stacking the wood up to near the top to have it last a while. He took a breath, feeling his mind reaching a drowsy point as he felt himself nodding off. He moved over to his couch and sat down, in a few minutes falling asleep.


[User]
Amanda sighed as she looked over the ad she'd placed in every conceivable outlet she could think of. She'd gotten a few inquires already but no one she really liked. She needed a roommate to help make ends meet, but she had enough leeway for the moment that she could afford to be picky about who she chose to live with. Despite what her aunt would try to tell her.

The twenty-five year old lived by herself currently in a smallish ranch style house she'd inherited from her parents. She of course also inherited their mortgage which she'd managed to stay up on with her other bills, but her job had recently cut back her hours so she was finding it harder to stay afloat while keeping food in the cupboards. She was also looking for another, hopefully better paying, job but pickings were slim and it had quickly become apparent that she would need help.

The stocky red-head hoped she found someone suitable soon. While she waited for what she hoped wasn't more duds, she kept herself busy working on small projects around the house. The current one was repainting the living room a light blue to match the couches that her mom had bought shortly before her parents passing.

[Assistant]
Getting off work at 3 am was never a good time for... well, much of anything, really. Everywhere except gas stations, convenience stores, and Dul-Mart were closed. And the occasional all-night donut shop. That's where Stephen was, procrastinating on the way home (if you could call a low-rent hostel "home"), when he picked up the previous day's newspaper, left on a table by a previous customer. He had to get a better place to live, but so many apartments wanted first, last, security and, oh, let's get an employment and background check while we're at it...

...and if they took the time to actually look at where he worked, they gave him that look. He hadn't been working there for long, but he'd already gotten quite familiar with the look of distaste and distrust from people. Idly, he flipped to the Classified ads, and saw more of the same. Professionally-written ads that used a lot of words to say very little. Promises made that were taken back in the next sentence... or the last. He was just about to throw the page down in disgust when he saw an ad that looked like it was written by someone who might be doing this for himself, rather than as part of a job.

Glancing up at the bored cashier, he tore off the section of the newspaper and shoved it in the pocket of his trenchcoat. He'd need to get back home quickly to get a few hours' nap before calling. At 8 AM sharp, with a cup of low-grade coffee in one hand and a pen in the other, he dialed the security number given by the newspaper, which forwarded to the advertiser's phone number. He wasn't sure how to ask for it, but he wanted to land the room today. He hoped that maybe he could get a personal interview within the next hour.

[User]
*ring* Amanda grumbled sleepily as her phone rang on her night stand. It was too early for phone calls, especially since she'd stayed up late painting the living room. *ring* She rolled over and glared at the bleary alarm clock to see the time. Eight o'clock? *ring* Who the fuck was calling her at this hour? She snatched the infernal device up and tapped the screen to answer.

"'Lo?" She mumbled, still half asleep as she scrubbed her fingers through her hair. "'Manda McKay speaking. Can I do for you?"

She really had no idea what anyone would be calling her about this early in the morning. Unless it was her boss calling to tell her not to come in today. Which would be a blessing and a curse. It wasn't like anyone would call this early on her roommate ad.

[Assistant] It took Stephen a moment to adjust in response to Amanda's words---both in that the he that he'd been expecting was a she, and that she seemed a little... not quite awake. Trying to avoid talking too loud, he started, "Good morning, Ms. McKay. I'm calling about the room for rent. Would I be able to come over and see it today? This morning?" He hoped he didn't sound too desperate. He'd been around too many people who equated desperate with sucker.

[User]
"Wha-yeah the room." Amanda groaned mentally at how stupid she sounded. It really didn't help she was not waking up quickly, at least in a mental sense. She did a mental tally of the house. It should be in good shape for a visitor, especially if he was interested in renting out the spare room. "Yeah. Come on over.. I'm gonna apologize for the mess up front as I've been doing a little redecorating, but you're welcome to come over. Would you be able to show me a current pay stub, or something along those lines so I know you actually have a job? Not that I don't trust you, but I've had some other people try and give me the run around on that."

She paused for a moment trying to think of there was anything else she would need him to bring. She didn't want him to have to waste a trip because she forgot to mention something essential. "I guess that's all I really need up front. I can text you the address, if you like. I assume you're calling from a cell. How soon did you think you would be heading this way?"

Once she had the answers she needed and they hung up, she made she he had the address and quickly slid on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that wasn't too dirty. Since she was awake anyway, she planned on getting more painting done before she had to go to work. After he left of course. She hoped that this guy worked out well as she was finding it hard dealing with other chicks.

[Assistant]
"Uh, sure," Stephen said hesitantly. He knew that almost anyone who was being responsible about renting would be doing their homework, so he was half-expecting the request for his pay stub. And it wasn't as though the company name was obvious enough. "Yeah, text me the address, I'll be there as soon as I can get there. I'll head out right away---shouldn't take more than half an hour to an hour to get there."

She didn't ask him where he worked; that was a good first step. Hopefully, she wouldn't look any further than the company name on the paperwork, C&D Entertainment. That was the polite, vague, official name of the company that owned The Treasury, an upper-class establishment. A men's strip club for higher-class clientele, to be specific. If she wasn't personally familiar with the place, she probably wouldn't think twice about the name.

He repeated his phone number, despite the fact that she probably already had it---he didn't have any ID blocking on his phone. Once they finished the call, he dressed up---a stylish gray business-casual collared shirt, dark blue slacks, and his worn running shoes. He sighed at the last, but they were all-black, and looked business-y enough unless people looked closely at them. He knew he'd need to get better before too long, though, as his manager had mentioned it. Which meant a customer mentioned it.

He waffled momentarily on whether or not to wear his trench coat, but it seemed too heavy for wearing during the daytime. Especially at this time of the year. His phone pinged with her address, and after checking it and getting a quick route map, he headed out. 25 minutes by bus, but the place would be no more than two miles from his work. Walking distance on cooler days, a short bus ride on other days. At least on his way to work---he was fairly certain that the buses didn't run on that route after 10. It was 30 minutes later when he found the address and knocked on the door. He stood at attention, trying his best to look more respectable than he felt. He did a quick comb on his dark brown hair, straightening out some wind-swept locks on his short, close-cropped hair, then he knocked firmly. Waiting for a response, he took an absent-minded step backwards, not wanting to loom over her with his lean, 6 feet and 3 inches build when she opened the door.

[User]
Whatever Stephen had been expecting of the person answering the door, Amanda probably wasn't it. She knew she wasn't what guys really wanted in a girl, but at twenty-five she was just old enough now to not really care. She was thickly built, some less tactful people would call her fat, despite the fact that she did workout regularly. But she would still call herself cuddly, if she had someone to cuddle with. And, since she'd been woken up by his phone call, she hadn't really had the chance to put in contacts or do anything with her short, red hair other than a quick finger comb. Mostly because she'd deemed a quick mug of tea to be a slightly higher priority, especially in dealing with people. Or in this case one person.

She smiled in greeting as she opened the door. She took in his appearance and bit back a giggle as she thought he was dressed more for a job interview than checking out a place to live. "Hi, I assume you're the one that called about the spare room. I'm Amanda. Please come in and tell me about yourself." She almost smacked herself for the cheesiness of the last part. She sounded like she was giving him an interview, which she kinda needed to do. She just didn't need to sound like it.

[Assistant]
Stephen smiled politely at her greeting. "Hi. My name is Stephen, and I'm a... waiter at a nearby... establishment." Mentally, he kicked himself. He should already have a smoother explanation than this. "I grew up in Los Angeles, but I moved here for a change of pace." He paused, trying to think of what else he could add. "I read a lot... er... and cook some."

_God, this is almost as bad as a job interview,_ he thought, watching Amanda for her reaction. He wanted to end this, and just get the room. Right now, sleep would be good. "I guess you want to know about other things," he added after a moment's pause. "I don't drink aside from a social glass of wine every now and then. I don't smoke. I don't do recreational drugs. I don't play obnoxious music so loud you can hear it across the street."

_That should be the important parts, right?_ he considered. "Was there anything you'd like to ask?"

[User]
Amanda nodded at his response, really wishing this would stop sounding and feeling like a really bad interview. He was actually adorably awkward though. She led the way further into the house while he talked. She didn't like the sound of waiter, knowing that most places didn't pay shit and a bad night could make or break someone. But if he was able to pay his portion of the bills, she wouldn't say no. "I'm glad to hear you can cook. I've had a couple people think that I was going to cook for them, just because it's my house. To be fair, I might offer you something if I cook extra, but it won't be the norm." She didn't say it to be mean, but she did want him to know where she stood on that front as she had had others try to assume she was going to be their mother or some shit.

She was glad to hear that he seemed to be rather mellow and not the party type. She didn't care what others did in their own time, but she was glad she wasn't going to have to deal with a smoker either. "That's really good, actually. Though I have been known to turn my music up loud if I'm working around the house, so as long as we don't get a noise complaint from the neighbors I'm cool."

She led the way passed the living room, which still smelled of paint but was thankfully painted, and into the kitchen. The appliances were in good shape, modern, but definitely not brand new. There was an island in the middle of the room and a small table set off to one side for eating at. "You're cool with paying half the bills, right? That's rent, electric, gas, garbage, internet and water. I got a cell, so don't have a landline. But we can get one if you need it. And I just watch stuff online so we might get locals, but that's it for TV. We can add that also, but you'd be paying for that."

[Assistant]
"No, no problems here," Stephen agreed warmly. "I can take care of my own food prep. And cleaning up afterward, of course." He looked around, getting a feel for the place as she guided him through the house. "That... was a bit of a problem at my last place. The sink was never clear---the other roommates figured that someone would take care of it, they just didn't figure it was them, personally."

Stephen's voice deepened as they chatted, changing from his nervous tenor tone into a deeper, more confident baritone. "As for the music, as long as it doesn't wake me up, I'm fine with it." He paused for a moment, realizing it was time to bring up an important point. "That said, I usually work the late-night shift, and won't be getting home until around 3. I usually sleep most of the day away, and wake up in the afternoon." He didn't mention that there wasn't any other shift at The Treasury.

He pulled out his wallet, a faded black leather wallet. It was obvious from the moment it was visible that it was stuffed with bills. "You wanted my last pay stub," he said, pulling the stub out from behind the bills, and his state ID along with it. "I can pay for my first month immediately; if you need more than that, like first and last plus security, it'll take me a few days."

[User]
"Yeah, that's always the worst. I've had people I tried renting to that thought I was going to be their mom or something." Amanda laughed, though she hasn't felt like laughing when it had happened. "Even if you don't wash the dishes, at least load the dishwasher."

She nodded when he mentioned that he worked third shift. "I'll switch to using headphones then. I like to be courteous. My schedule is all over the place unfortunately, so don't worry about waking me up. My boss is as likely to wake me up as you are. You'd think five years in the job would grant me something of a steady schedule, but it doesn't. I get to pick up any shift no one else wants to work because in not willing to suck sick to get ahead. Anyway..."

She took his offered pay stub, trying not to feel nosy at the sight of his loaded wallet. Damn, he could probably make a decent sized dent in her mortgage with that amount of money. She gave the sub a cursory glance, noting that he made decent money. "Uh... first month is fine." She replied handing his sub back. "It's not exactly going to be a formal lease or anything. I technically own the house, I just happened to inherit a mortgage with it. But rent is due on the first and the rest of the bills usually around the tenth. That way you won't be too hard pressed to have all the money." She pointed down the hall with her thumb. "You wanna check out your room before you give a final answer?"

[Assistant]
"Honestly," Stephen said in a stage whisper, "even sleeping on the couch here would be better than the hostel." He chuckled, then continued in his normal voice, "But by all means, the tour isn't done until I've seen the room."

As he followed her through the house, he started counting out bills for the rent from his wallet, a disorganized mix of bills. Several hundreds, some twenties, a few tens, a couple of fives... but lots and lots of ones. He slipped the oversized stack into a back pocket, then returned the notably smaller wallet to his front pocket. "What are the terms for the rent, by the way? Month to month?"

[User]
"I can understand that." Amanda said leading the way down the hall, ignoring him digging into his wallet. Part way down the short hallway were two doors, one on either side and then one door at the end a few more feet down. She pointed at the door on the right.

"That's the bathroom. Pretty standard. We have to share though, so I guess it's a good thing I don't take hours in there." She chuckled and opened the door opposite. "This'll be your room. Mine is that one."

She pointed at the last door as she stepped back to let him look at the room. "Sorry, it only has a full bed. I haven't had the extra money to get anything bigger yet. But, let me know if there's anything you want to change. As for rent, month to month would allow us both the most amount of leeway. That way you're not stuck here if you find something you like better. And I'm trying to make ends meet until I can find a job where my boss won't cut my hours just cause I refused to suck his dick, or cover for him when his wife calls looking for him."

[Assistant]
"It's all great, really. Even a twin bed is better than the hostel," Stephen said easily. "It's got a mix of military-style bunks and twin beds, and really, the bunks are in better shape. I didn't have a choice when I arrived because only a couple of rooms with bunks were available, but I was given an option to 'upgrade' to one of the beds a few days later, and it only took me a minute to realize that it wasn't much of an upgrade at all. I think they rely heavily on donations of old beds..."

Stephen frowned sympathetically at her grousing about the work scene. "Nobody should have to put up with that," he said sternly. "I... hope you find a good job soon, then." Once the formalities were over, he retrieved the stack of bills from his pocket, handing them over to Amanda. "I can pay weekly or biweekly, if it'll help," he offered, not sure if that was appropriate. But since she'd said that this was entirely her deal---her house, her rent, her rules---he figured that at least offering it wouldn't hurt.

He glanced back at the bed, longing for blessed sleep. It was Friday morning---it'd be the busiest day at work tonight, without question. Good money, but lots of hard work. In more ways than one.

[User]
Amanda nodded at his statement about the bed. She was glad he wasn't feeling too picky, but made a mental note to try and get a bigger bed for him. The full bed looked like it would barely fit him. He seemed like a rather nice guy, so she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable. In fact she wanted him to feel welcomed.

She took the money from him a little surprised that he was offering it so quickly. Not that she thought he'd be slow to pay or anything. She'd just never had a renter be ready to hand over money right away. "What ever works for you, as long as I have all the money in time to pay the bills." She said with a smile. "If you want to give it to me a little at a time, I'll just keep track of how much you've given me."

She noticed his staring at the bed and realized that he had to be tired of he worked all night. "You want to crash here today? I can go run done errands while you sleep, so I don't disturb you. And you can worry about getting your stuff this evening."

[Assistant]
Stephen hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great," he said with a shy boyish smile. "I had a nap after work, but I wanted to be sure I could at least have a chance at getting the room before someone else got it."

He started to head into the bedroom, then paused and looked back. "Thanks again. This means a lot to me." He waited for a moment for her response, then shut the door and collapsed on the bed. Despite having his feet hanging down and resting on the floor, he was asleep within minutes.

It was mid evening when he woke up. It took him several long moments before remembering where he was---the different room layout wasn't familiar to him yet. After making sure that his clothes weren't too disheveled, he ventured back out into the house, looking for Amanda.

[User]
"Don't worry about it. You're the best potential renter I've had in the last two days. Sleep well." Amanda returned his smile and left him to sleep, making a mental note to get some darker curtains for the room so he'd be able to sleep better. She puttered around the kitchen a little, cleaning up and waiting for the bank to open. Since Stephen had already given her his rent money, she figured it would be best for her to get that taken care of before she went grocery shopping. Since her boss had started fucking her hours over, she hadn't had to work on a Friday for a month now. So she didn't have much else to do.

Of course she jinxed herself with that thought. She was halfway into her shopping trip when her boss called saying that his 'precious' Rachel was having car troubles and couldn't make her shift. Of course it would be helpful if she could come in and cover for the other woman. She needed the money, so she had little choice but to say yes despite the fact that she would have to wait another couple of days to do her shopping. Because of course Rachel worked the morning shift.

So when Stephen woke up the house was empty and there was a note on the fridge. 'Called into work. Help yourself to leftovers if I don't make it back before you wake up---A'

[Assistant]
Stephen scouted the house for Amanda. He knew they'd forgotten something, and it didn't come to him until after he woke up. Keys! He hadn't gotten a key for the house! After a brief scouting of the house, he found the note. He was momentarily glad that he didn't have to knock on her bedroom and possibly wake her from a nap. Then the problem reasserted itself in his mind. _No keys... this might be a problem._ After a few minutes of waffling, he wrote a note, and put it on the same spot on the fridge. _Off to work. I forgot to get a key from you. Please don't lock me out tonight!_ With that taken care of (or as ''taken care of'' as he could manage), he started prepping for work. A cleaning round in the bathroom, the traditional three Ses, didn't take long, and he was ready to go.

All that was left was his work uniform. Some people wouldn't even call it a uniform. A tight pair of micro shorts and a bowtie and collar. The white collar accentuated the gold color in the tie and matching shorts. And black dress shoes, of course---walking around barefoot in an energetic nightclub like The Treasury was just asking for injuries. For some reason, he was a little embarrassed to think of Amanda seeing him in this. He didn't want her to think he was a stripper. Which was, itself, absurd---there was nothing wrong with stripping, really. But Stephen wasn't self-confident enough for that. He'd gotten used to the uniform (his blush during his first few nights had gotten him some extra tips), but... dancing on stage was something else entirely.

But the uniform wasn't here---it was still at the hostel. He redressed and headed out, intent on spending an hour collecting his belongings from the hostel. After getting dressed for work... Stephen knew he had a long night ahead of him. Thankfully, the club was cool about letting people store a backpack or rucksack in the staff lounge. It could just sit there until his night was done. With that settled, he quickly left his new home, making sure that the door was locked before he closed it and left.

[User]
Amanda got home late, close to midnight. Later than she had expected, or even wanted to be. She'd ended up working all day. First she covered Rachel's shift, then she was essentially forced to work Megan's shift. Megan had been scheduled to replace Rachel on the evening shift, but she'd called off on an undisclosed reason. Which had left Amanda to work her shift also. While the long day looked good for her check, it didn't do her body any favors. Her back and feet ached and her stomach growled in complaint because the only food she'd been able to eat had been a gas station sandwich after the lunch rush. And it wasn't like she was going to get overtime pay for this.

She heaved a sigh as she shouldered her way through the front door and wished her bed wasn't in the back of the house. She made her way to the kitchen and wondered if Stephen had made it home yet. The lack of lights and his note made it clear that he hadn't made it home yet. She groaned as she read the note and realized that in her haste to get to work on time she'd forgotten to leave a set of keys for him. That had been the only task she'd managed to get done before work.

She didn't recall when he said he got done with work, if he'd even mentioned it. She was certain he had, but couldn't remember the time. So she grabbed a bowl of leftover potato salad and a glass of milk and walked back to the living room. At least the task of eating would keep her awake, hopefully long enough for him to get home. She made it through an episode of Supernatural on Netflix, but halfway through the second she ended up drifting off.

[Assistant]
Stephen finished his shift, heading home a little later than usual. The bars were closed and drunks had mostly made their way home---or at least far enough away to not be much of a threat to him. It was close to three when he got to his new home.

He checked the door, and was relieved that it was open. As he opened the door, he heard something from the living room. _Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole._ He headed that way, and saw the TV running, but nobody around it. With a quick step over, he turned off the television, and then noticed Amanda, curled up on the sofa.

He waffled over whether to wake her or not, but he didn't want to go through the dance of missing each other again. Leaning down, he patted Amanda on the shoulder. "Amanda? You shouldn't sleep here, you should head to bed." Her first view as she woke up would be the bottom of his trench coat, and the bare, smoothly-shaven calves underneath it.

[User]
Amanda would be dismayed to realize that she had slept through Stephen coming in the front door. At least as far as her groggy mind was able to tell her. She was pretty sure she remembered him turning off the TV, but still wasn't quite sure she was really awake for that. She jerked awake though when he gently shook her shoulder.

"Wha? Who?" She frowned up at him in confusion, her mind taking a moment to remember why she'd fallen asleep on the couch. "Fuck. Stephen. Sorry." She mumbled as she slowly sat up and rubbed her face sleepily. "Didn't mean to fall asleep. I forgot to leave keys for you." She gave a big yawn as she slowly pushed herself to her feet. "I got 'em made an' all. Stupid boss had me all flustered. They're on the counter for you now."

She blinked a little in confusion at the door, not even seeming to register that he was wearing a trench coat. "Lock up before you go to bed?" She asked with another yawn. "I'm going to bed. My luck the asshole's gonna call me to cover some cunt's shift again in the morning." She wandered back towards her bedroom without even waiting for a response, muttering about her job apparently the whole way.

[Assistant]
Stephen watched as she went, fairly certain that she'd never quite fully woken up. He wondered if she'd find herself in bed in the morning, and wonder how she got there. _Ah well,_ he thought as he headed to the kitchen counter, glad to have a key. _Doesn't matter to me._ He picked up the key, put it in his nearly-empty keychain (which still had a few keys that he no longer used), locked the door, and headed to his room to read a little before going to sleep himself.

Several days later, early in the morning, he was working in the kitchen, making a breakfast/dinner for himself when he heard Amanda's alarm go off. It wasn't the usual time for it---he figured that his boss was calling her in for some opening shift.

Cleaning things up so that he could resume in a few minutes, he headed to Amanda's door and knocked. "Good morning, Amanda," he called through the door. "What would you like on your omelette?"


[User]
There was a time, his father told him, that every man goes to war. At least, Akio remembered the words that way, and considering the opponent he'd been charged with defeating, it might as well be. The village elders had come to him in his forge, already solemn faces casted in a ghastly light by his roaring forge. They'd told him the oh so generous decision they'd made to help with the situation. Of course, it was so very terribly unfortunate that nearly every able bodied man had died in conflicts of previous years, so he was the only one able to go.

Really, it had been decision made from the bottom of the bastards hearts. While he was sure that this venture would be the end of his life, Akio had no intent of rolling over for his gut stabbing. It only took two weeks to prepare himself with what he could think of, forge what he thought might help. On the early morning of the new moon, he let his forge cool for what was surely the last time. Clad in simple, fitted steel armor and with a large pack, he left his village behind, starting on the two day trek. Aside from the simple body armor, he'd made three weapons that he kept at a relative readiness.

One was a steel katana. It was one of his proudest creations. The metal folded over and into itself in a way he'd simply failed to replicate to exact effect, leaving it a hardness that had held up under even his most esoteric stress test. The second was simpler, a tanto. It... was more of a utility than a true weapon, but maybe he could stab the witch should she approach in his personal space? The final weapon in his load was a kanabō. It was what had taken a good portion of his first week to create, simply because he couldn't bare to not give the item the dedication it required. It was likely to be his main weapon, after all. A four foot solid rod of wrought iron, with rings of steel spiking and studding everything but the grip. Akio was a blacksmith, trained from a very young age. Frankly, he might just have a chance with this maxed club rather than something bladed. He knew how to handle a big blunt object with some proficiency.

The course of his journey was easy. But every step sent shivers of trepidation through him. It was the dread that was the danger. The cuddling in his stomach, the quake that danced through his fingers. Every breath had to be calming. To ignore the shadows that flitted in his peripheral, to not jump at every falling branch behind him. On the noon of his second day of travel, he passed through a ghost town. Coal dark eyes shifting, quick steps carried him through it. On the dusk, he set his massive bag aside, unsheathed the massive club, and entered the fox witches reported hunting grounds.

[Assistant]
It was sometime in late summer and the cicadas were loud in their lustful scramble for partners before their demise. The sun sat high above the small mountain town as the people gathered on the main road to sell their wares. The scent of perfumes and street food wafted through the town and made its way into the edges of the forest around it. Smoke rose lazily from nearly every chimney, while kids and dogs loudly played.

It wasn't yet her favorite time of year, though that time was drawing close. She emerged from her small hut just outside of town and took a deep breath. It always took her a while to prepare for the day, and today was no different. But that didn't matter, as she made her best money at night. She turned and closed the door behind her, being sure it was locked before beginning her short journey into town. The sun was warm and cast cool shadows from the trees leaves as she floated through the forest. She made no sound at all as she moved, despite the intricate blue and silver kimono she wore.

It didn't take her long to reach the main road, and she blinked hard as the sun hit her face. With a silent, resigned smile, she turned towards the top of the mountain and continued walking. She wasn't the only one on the road today though. There were merchants from nearby villages coming to trade and sell, and a few people who had traveled far to return home. It was a simple place to live, but no less lively than the larger cities. Just less populated. Which suited her just fine. It was easier to make money, even if in lesser amounts, and there was less chance of having to deal with thieves or other criminals in a small town such as this.

Though there was something about today that felt off. A pit in her stomach she couldn't attribute to anything in particular. She pondered what it could mean as she made her graceful way towards the town.

[User]
Akio was tired. That was the emotion, dulling his bones rattling around in his head, and had been doing so for the later half of his fruitless, hour long search. Of course she wouldn't be wandering around in the damned Forrest, she was a witch, not a... well, he actually wasn't sure if Kitsune were animals on some level, or even how much of animal they were. None of that changed the fact that he'd wasted his time with this.

Resigning himself to not having this dreadful deed finished in an afternoon, he backtracked to retrieve his large traveling pack, resheathing the weapon along the way. The promise that every road eventually led somewhere kept him trodding on, until he finally encountered someone. A young woman, who redefined his inner idea of what a beautiful young woman looked like. He'd seen pretty women when he was younger, before they'd married off and moved away, but even through rose tinted glasses, this stranger outclassed them all.

Heart beating just a bit faster, flush dusting his expression. The work strengthened blacksmith paused a bit, considering a few half dozen greetings. Of course, beyond the fact that she was gorgeous, he also recognized another factor. She was alone. And, given what he'd been sent here for?

"Good afternoon. Would you let me escort you to the next village? I'm... unsure where to go to find it, and it's not good for a young woman to wander on her own here at night." Why, that vile Kitsune might steal her looks, if it stuck the witch to do so. Or, well, that's what his mother told him? But he still was never sure what had been made up or had been actual lore, coming from that woman.

[Assistant]
She was brought out of her thoughts a few times as she walked by a few of the townspeople that recognized her and greeted her, greeting each of them in return as they passed her with a smile and a small bow. She heard an unfamiliar voice behind her, but didn't realize the owner of the voice was talking to her until he caught up to her. A little startled, she looked at this man offering his protection. Her honey gold eyes looked the man up and down briefly, taking in his features. He was clearly very strong, and rather easy on the eyes. His hands were work worn, but looked equally as strong, and his sun darkened skin gleamed a little in the fading light of the sunset.

Her eyes brightened, the surprise replaced by amused interest, and she smiled at him and looked away coyly. "I thank you for your offer of protection. I would be grateful of the company as well." Giving him a small bow, she turned back to face up the path, but watched him and waited for him to walk beside her. "You were at least heading the right direction." She said reassuringly but with a soft chuckle at the end. "Where is it you come from?"

[User]
Akio flushed slightly at the color of her eyes. He hadn't seen many gems in his life. For his blacksmithing, he'd not trained in gem setting, and his village wasn't one filled with nobility. Still, he knew what the sun looked like when it was shone through polished amber. It was the only description, in his mind, that fit. That, or what he imagined glass made from gold would look like.

He gave a short bow to the kimono clad maiden, stepping forward to join at her side dutifully. The young man chuckled wryly at her words, feeling a faint flicker of irritation at his damned goose chase from before. All that searching around, on guard, and he hadn't even found the damnable Witch! He didn't let the brief negativity affect his expression. "Thank you for the assuring words, Madam. I come from small village a few days travel from here. The village elders received a call for aid, and as the blacksmith, I was the only able bodied man available." Akio explained at the woman's query, hefting at his packs shoulder straps to demonstrate.

[Assistant] The expression in his eyes as he looked into hers was rather telling. Though she had seen it before on the faces of other men, for some reason, seeing it on the face of this man made her blush a little. She waited for him to come up beside her before continuing to walk towards the town. An oddly giddy giggle escaped her throat, like the bell sound of a wind chime, upon hearing of him being sent on a mission as a blacksmith. It happened all too often though, people in trades being sent off to war or to do some task deemed important that normal people wouldn't be able to accomplish. But this wasn't why she giggled, it was more at his perceived irritation at being sent on this particular mission. "A call for aid you say?" She said with some interest. "What was it you were sent here to do?"

[User]
The man at her side, a blacksmith playing dusk time guard on a hunt he was losing care for, blushes a bit at her giggle. There'd been times, in his life, that he'd spoken with village girls. Daughters of traveling merchants, or young women tanned from work in the rice fields. So it wasn't like he was a stranger to conversing with the opposite sex. Still, of the few women he'd known, few had a laugh that stirred his head like that. It was enough that there was a moment between her question, and his forming of an answer, that he'd surely been nothing but a little blank in the head.

Akio chuckled in ruefulness, idly scratching at the back of his head. "A village near here reported that a Kitsune was killing people." He sighed in a slightly aggrieved fashion. Not in direct irritation, in a more weary way. "Unsurprisingly, Fox witches don't just appear before a not so valiant blacksmith because he stomps through the forest for an hour. I suppose I could just... Walk about after dark? Try to be bait? I honestly don't know what a Kitsune even looks like, beyond fox like. And, magic? Doing something nefarious?" He seemed to be almost talking to himself in the end, finger tapping against a metallic plate on his hip to a perfectly even tempo.

[Assistant]
Stopping dead in her tracks, she looked at him wide eyed, her delicate hand covering her mouth in shock. He's looking for me?! She was, in fact, the kitsune he was referring to, and knew well that many people would never believe her if she told them what was really going on. She had, in fact, been killing people. This was true. Men specifically. The men who believed that they could overpower her and take her however they pleased. The men who went behind their wives backs to see prostitutes and gamble their money away, leaving their families destitute. The men who threw their titles around as if they were a pass to act however they wished, regardless of the consequences and terror it caused. Her horror at the thought of this man hunting her was evident on her face, but she quickly thought of something to say that would not arouse suspicion. "I---I'd heard of men going missing lately... I-I didn't know they were... being killed..."

She dropped her amber eyes as they clouded with tears. It wasn't something she was proud of. But it was the only way she could justify sustaining herself, while staying as good as possible. Each of them deserved their fate, but each of their hearts were so tainted with malice and deceit and pride that they couldn't sustain her for long. Between finding human victims, she would hunt deer and other fauna in the forest, but they too, did not provide enough sustenance. She found herself lost in her thoughts for a short while, standing in the road with the blacksmith. When she finally pulled out of her dazed state, she blinked away the fog and smiled up at him with a sad smile on her soft, pink lips. "I don't know how to catch a kitsune. I may have heard some stories, but who believes most stories anymore?"

[User]
Akio had little idea of the circumstances of death, nor the moral and character quality of the men that had been lost to the cruel beasts claws. He stopped only a step after her, looking at his voluntary charge in concern. Rather foolish of him, scaring a young woman like her with grisly details like this. Damn, and she looked so... Well, he wasn't particularly good at discerning emotion in others, but even he could see she was visibly upset.

The look of concern only deepened, during that moment of still standing. His gaze lingered on her sadly smiling lips a moment or two longer than what might be strictly appropriate. Slowly, his expression relaxed. Well, if she wanted to close the topic and move on, he wasn't going to stop her. "You're surely right." He sighed, taking a tentative step in effort to continue their pace. "Honestly, I would be surprised if the men just got drunk, wandered off and got killed by a wild animal." The young man scoffed, glancing off into the woods, like he'd see the men in question being feasted on right there. "Onto more pleasing topics. What can you tell me about the village we're going to? Any reason to stay for longer than strictly necessary? It's not often I travel." If not often, he meant never alone and never this far north, side, he was entirely honest.

[Assistant]
She was grateful for him taking the subject change. Unsure as to what this development would mean for either of them, she decided it would be best to stay near him and learn what she could about him. He didn't seem to have a dark heart like her previous victims, but only time would tell for sure. She grinned at his question about the village. It wasn't anything particularly special, to most people. Looking down at her hands and beginning to walk again, her smile persisted as she spoke. "It's not anything particularly special." Her eyes moved briefly, glancing up at him through the sides of her eyes. "Most of the people are wonderful. The children are respectful, lots of hard workers, talented craftsmen and performers, nearly everyone seems happy almost all the time." A little giggle escaped her as she remembered events of different nights at the lamp-lit taverns and tea houses she performed at at night. "I make decent enough money to live off of. I don't really need much more than that. Often I can trade my services for the various things I may need. Food, clothing, sometimes repairs or jewelry. It's a simple living. But it suites me well I think."

Looking up she turned to him with a nonchalant, vague hand wave, and cutely exaggerated movements. "It's nothing like the big cities, where most people are rude and overly drunk. I'm not constantly assaulted by men who want me or cheated out of my money. No. It's nice. Almost peaceful compared to Kyoto." Her eyes grew distant as she turned them back up the road, the gates beginning to come into view.

[User]
He found himself smiling, just a bit, as she spoke. The kind of pleasant feeling you got from hearing of a pleasing dream, and you just knew that what was described was an ease to the psyche. Akio hummed as her eyes grew distant. Bad memories of the big city? Best not to pry. He looked ahead with her, towards the growing town, then looked back to her.

"And what kind of services would those be, Madam? Are you a seamstress?" He didn't want to assume simply based on whatever bias he may have, but she lacked the... demeanor, he supposed, of someone used to the rougher types of work. Her hands looked soft and uncalloused, and she moved with a poise in her step. A finesse that, to him, brought forth images of a certain level of... Delicateness? Sophistication?

If he saw her among the imperial family, he would not find the woman wanting.

[Assistant] She was pulled out of her reverie by his words, and looked up at him again and grinned sweetly. "Oh. No. I'm---an entertainer." With a gentile flourish, she produced a small wood flute from her sleeve and held it up in front of her. It was made with thin but sturdy bamboo, painted with delicate flowers and butterflies of yellow and blue with very subtle golden accents in the wings. "This is one of my treasures. When I'm not playing my guqin while singing, I play this and dance. Generally it depends on how much space I have for my performance, and the general feel of the patronage for the night." She gave another flourish of her hand with the flute in it, imitating one of her dance moves with a small giggle. A thought crossed her mind that made her blush a little to ask this man. It was a bit of a risk if she were to hunt tonight, but it would be worth it to learn more about him and his quest to kill her. Stepping quickly ahead of him, hands placed behind her back, she looked up at him with a slightly coy yet somehow still innocent smile. "Would---would you like to come see me perform?" Her cheeks red, she looked expectantly at him, hoping he would say yes, though she did not understand the reason for how strong her desire for him to be there was.


[User]
A tentacle for each empty mug, two to clear the bar, and another to tap along to a festive song still stuck in its head. The Urophion was a rare sight to behold even in a dungeon, but tending bar? In a humanoid settlement? The silver band around its stout neck just below its single eye was a brilliant and contrasting symbol of culture and sophistication, one that even wayward young adventurers would pause and wonder about even as their hands jumped to their swords. The Ithillid roper was no stranger to misunderstandings, but neither was he patient enough to explain himself before paralyzing troublemakers with a psychic attack and tossing them out on their asses. It just wasn't worth his time any more, and the humans on patrol knew the deal.

Facing the southern gate of town, the Urophion was a profitable curiosity for the open-minded townsfolk. The wild was long tamed, and an understanding reached with the mystical creatures that once haunted the forests and caves and mountains all around the city. While many remained reclusive in the old ways, many so-called monsters now came and went as merchants, laborers, and envoys. And those that learned to appreciate the taste of ale found their way here, to his bar. With a genius intellect, nothing quite dulled the mind and allowed the Urophion to enjoy the state of mindlessness like his roper ancestors like a good dwarven poison. It didn't take long for him to turn his good taste into a profitable business.

Between his tentacles and his psionic abilities, the Urophion managed just fine. He even slept in town, comfortable enough around the humans to go dormant for a few hours. Not many could, and he heard plenty of his customers' headaches each and every night to appreciate it. Too bad they rarely accepted any help, or posted on the notice board at the back of his tavern, but there was just no helping that when adventurers rarely came around to take on work from monsters. They tended to give out really odd rewards, just one of those cultural differences that wasn't so easy to bridge.

The sun shone through his window, and the Urophion instantly winced and shut the blinds with his mind. He drank a little too much of his own stock last night, but he only had one customer who insisted on sharing a bottle. He paid it no mind however, knowing his overhead was incredibly small. He could run the whole place by himself, and there weren't many places in town a monster would rather spend his time and money, so even one customer could shell out a ton of coin in one sitting. He once put out a notice for an assistant, but no takers. At least none he didn't immediately throw out when they failed to show him proper manners. New adventurers were such a hassle, honestly.

[Assistant]
It was still fairly early into the afternoon as a new face made her way into the bar. Heels making a dull thump to the wooden planks as she strode in, fearless and perhaps even foolhardy given the smile on her face. A human completely out of place on this side of the city and the pack heavy on her back spoke plainly that she wasn't from these parts. If she was she'd know better than to stray here for too long but the look of her almost made it seem like she was comfortable with the presence of non-humans.

Long red hair pulled back into a low ponytail with some of her bangs covering an eye. Her waist held snug by a corset which only sung praises of her ample bosom that almost seemed as if they were daring to spill from her low hemmed top given the slightest tug. Her skirt bustled in the back, though it really didn't need to be given how voluptuously made her hips already were. All in all she seemed like a poster girl for the human commonwealth and she stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the small monstrous crowd in his bar.

The confident air about her didn't fade as she reached the many tentacled Urophion, even being a good foot and a half shorter than he was. "Hello!" She gave cheerily before holding out an old but familiar notice. One he'd prepared himself a long while ago though worn with time, the edges tattered and a few boot prints were upon it---giving a good guess as too how long it'd been laying on the side of the road before this newcomer had found it.

"I don't know if anyone answered your posting yet, I only just found it upon entering the gates." Her smile big, eager even. "My name is Gwen Silvercross and I'm looking for work, if you're still looking for an assistant, of course, sir."

[User]
For a moment, the sound at the door didn't register for the Urophion. He usually ignored the chime of a newcomer on busy nights, but he hardly ever saw anyone come in during the day. Most monsters who came to visit usually stopped by at night, when their day's business was concluded and they needed a place to drink and sleep without rousing suspicion and fear. Almost no one came during the day---that would mean they had no business and were confident on roaming a human town for no reason whatsoever.

When he finally looked at the doorway, he found a young human girl standing there, then approaching with what he recognized as a friendly expression---or a disingenuous one, even he couldn't tell sometimes. It wouldn't be right to penetrate her mind right from the start before she properly introduced herself anyway.

When she held out a notice, he didn't recognize the scrap for another moment of silence and confusion. Had he put out a request? It must have been so long ago that he'd either forgotten, or had suppressed the memory after one or more bad experiences. He couldn't tell which any longer. If he had an eyebrow to raise, to mimic one of the guards who patrolled out in front of his tavern, he would have.

"Gwen, is it?" he replied, his voice part groaning and monstrous and part clear and psychically echoing in her head. "I don't remember when I posted that, or if I'm still looking for... an assistant was it?"

One of his tentacles reached out and grabbed the notice from her hand, while he leaned on one of his own arms over the counter. "There's not much I can't handle myself around here---at least nothing I need a human lass to handle. Where are you from, exactly? You don't seem like one of the local maids I've seen around town. They don't have your... flair," he noted out loud, moving his eyes and mind's eye up and down her figure, unable to ignore how much more filled out she was than the usual waifs looking to scrounge around for a living.

[Assistant]
The smile had dropped a little to a look of confusion when the Urophion started to speak. He didn't remember putting out a post? Did she perhaps get directed to the wrong bar? Was there another here in the city of it's name? He also seemed so lackadaisical about it which made her hope for this job peter out even more than him just not remembering. There was still maybe a chance when he asked her for some information and the ginger reflex of taking a gander at her. She'd gotten the eye from near almost everyone here, apparently cleavage was rather unheard of in these parts since most of the women she's past either didn't have much to show or were buttoned up so tightly they looked like a trussed-up ham.

"I'm South ways from here. Come from the small settlement of Belford. 'Bout a good ten or so miles, depending on the road, took me all of yesterday to get here." Gwen explained when he asked, doing her best to bring the smile back. "I used to work for my momma and pop in their inn, till we had a bit of a falling out a couple evenings ago."

Her eyes glanced down at the parchment again. "I-I'm a good waitress. I'm smart with coin. I know how to break up a bar fight." She continued, the hope dwindling in her voice a little bit. Unable to really get a read on the monster and that stressed her out a bit so she found herself rambling a bit more than she'd like.

[User]
The bartender listened patiently, or at least silently given his lack of emotional tells. His many tentacles curled and unraveled in slow, gentle undulations, but what he was thinking seemed impossible so long as he remained silent. Instead, the Urophion seemed interested in the girl's own emotions, with his pyschic aura almost palpable around her body. Nothing subtle was beneath his notice, from the tremble of her lips to the shift in her stance. There seemed a gentle nudge throughout her body, including underneath her skirt, but the creature hadn't moved an inch.

"You're quite the vibrant lass," he finally responded, a bit of wonder smoothing over his earlier abrasiveness. "I'd wager you were a popular draw at your inn. I'd wager some more you'd have fast admirers at any other inn here in town. What I haven't heard is any questions about what my bar in particular."

The humanoid roper straightened, and motioned with a finger for Gwen to take a seat at the bar. Taking a moment to think, he decided to at least hear her out some more, now that he knew she wasn't hiding anything underneath that dress, that this wasn't some elaborate prank to distract him. At the moment, he couldn't sense any other stranger nearby. Plus, unlike almost every other jobseeker he'd met, she hadn't acted surprised to see an Urophion in the slightest. Rather, she seemed nervous that he might reject her pitch, instead of feeling wary about so many tentacles growing out of his head.

"You do realize, Miss Silvercross," he directly asked, "you're looking at a monster? Do you realize what kind of bar I run here? I don't think your parents ever had a clientele quite like mine."

[Assistant]
Gwen settled onto the barstool when prompted, her heavy traveling bag made a particularly hard thump as she placed it beside her on the floor. A more honest testament of her previous statements. His next question sort of made her pause, an odd look crossing her features. Brows pinched up and lips in a small frown as she looked at him clearly perplexed that he'd even ask her something like that.

"I... I mean, of course." She returned some what flatly in her confusion. "My eyes work just fine, if that's what you meant." A weak smile pulled back as she tried to joke, resting her hands on the bar. "And you're right, Belford is already a small place, we mostly saw dwarf and the odd elf from time to time. But mostly humans. Lots and lots of humans." Gwen stated, glancing back down at the old, dirty flyer. "But that's why I kinda why I'm here... at least a little bit." She said with a flush across her cheeks as she looked back to the Urophion owner.

A sort of cheeky look to her now, her expressions changing so easily made her a pleasant target to read. A real 'heart on her sleeve' kinda gal. Her eyes alight again as she continued. "I want to experience all this world has to offer. I want to meet so many different people. Learn their stories and share mine, ya'know?"

[User]
For a human, the roper didn't have to try very hard to read her. The best liars were careful about their body language as much as their own thoughts, but Gwen seemed to ease and shift as she pleased, as openly as her blush and her smile. That left a lot of focus for the Urophion to appreciate her candor and honesty.

"So, you're a little bored of humans, are you?" he asked, leaning forward on both arms on opposite sides of her own, and bringing his swirling, tentacled face. Even from this proximity, it was hard to comprehend just what was at the core of his writhing visage, but he liked how this girl didn't think to turn away from his gaze at all.

"Well if it's conversation you want, how about I pour you a drink or two, and you tell me all about your story? I like how easy you are to read, but I get the feeling there's something more to all this, isn't there? A nice lass like yourself would be welcome back as a customer any time, and I can tell you're pretty. Any human bar would love to hire you at a good wage. Me? I can't offer you much, this isn't the liveliest bar in the world. And my clientele barely understand how money works, so I sometimes don't bother."

Raising a hand away from the counter, a glass lifted up into the air where he caught it, placing it between him and Gwen. "What'll ya have?" he asked, shifting closer and leaning on an elbow in a manner that he gleamed from some vague feeling or memory of hers. Her father, perhaps?

[Assistant]
"I suppose you could say 'bored' but..." There was a pause as he moved close to her face, her look once more a little confused but unflinching. Either bravery, stupidity or naivety---perhaps even a mix of the three. There was something almost bittersweet in her words, more thought and weight behind them that she hadn't let on to just yet. Then she shifted again as he continued on about not really needing the help, more downtrodden and eyes everting to the bar as if she were becoming hopeless now before perking up at the offer of a drink.

A softer smile back on her features, leaning a bit closer. "I do fancy an ale from time to time." Her mind free to wander as she watched him work. His actions easily calling her back to living with her parents as if he so simply just asked her about them. The memories fresh with a bitter taste over laid them. Something bad happened recently and as much as she tried to keep the smile on it clearly waned at the thought of them. Her chin in her hand before getting her mug looking rather contemplative about recent past and what he'd just spoken about.

Taking a small sip, "Guess I gotta tell you my 'story' then, huh?" Gwen returned, a little bit of a grimace on her face. The ale more pungent than Belford but things were bound to be different in other places. Belford was surrounded by orchards and many, many farm families so the ale was sweeter. Where they were now the farmlands were out a bit further, not as many fruit trees or really trees in general given the huge state of buildings and homes and shops like this one. Swallowing down another sip with a small cough, either working up the courage or trying to dull the ache.

"My... parents kicked me out after the found me rolling around with a customer." A rosy tint not from the alcohol across her cheeks, the memory of this far happier than the ones regarding her folks. "He was tall, broad shouldered, they let him stay in the barn while he was helping to fix some stuff around the town after a storm. Had the muscle to really lift and put heavy beams back into place." Her finger idly tracing the rim of the mug, "He was really nice. Made me feel real special." Her mind giving way to the fact she wasn't talking about a human in any sense, the memory was in regards to a half-orc about her age. Mottled green skin with a broken tusk and a wild mop of dark brown hair.

Her gaze back up to the barkeeper, wondering how much she'd have to go into detail about it and how much he could already glean just from that. "Neither my momma or pop liked him but he was good business, ate a lot, drank even more. So they'd have me run food out to him so he wouldn't scare off the other customers. We got to talking and I already had a crush on him so when I didn't come back pop came looking for me and well..." Her face a darker blush as she took another sip, giving a pause to let herself run back through to her bodice strewn somewhere in the hay and their lips mashed together while the practically dry humped one another as if their lives depended on it. "I think you can figure out what happened next, huh, mister?"

[User]
With a variety of monstrous customers, the Urophion wasn't very precise when it came to reading their emotions. There was a vague sense of things, sure, but what they thought and what they said tended to be the same thing most of the time. But when it came to humans, he had known so many over the years that the roper had a particularly vivid insight. With all his practice, he was already drawing exacting imagery from her words and thoughts as soon as the thought and words came to her.

So her affair with this half-orc was a bit too vivid for him. Where she quietly sat and blushed, the Urophion was leaning in and bracing himself for the scattered images of rather exotic passions. And rather than a distant and judgmental eye, he was gazing down at this human girl as an altogether sexual creature, even with their differences in species.

"Hm? What happened next?" he asked, for once unable to simple move on from the image of Gwen humped and humping a half-orc who seemed larger and larger in her mind with every passing minute. The moment her father broke everything apart hadn't even registered yet, and when it did he---the roper that is---found his hand touching her arm.

"No, I can guess," he sighed, letting go of the girl and pouring her a second drink. "Well, it's not as though being caught with a human boy would have changed much of anything, right? At least, not in the moment. But that doesn't answer the question: why here? I'm sure there's a few half-orc adventurers you could always party with, who'd love to have you in more ways than one," he thought aloud, trying to steady himself and not get sucked back into her passionate memories.

[Assistant]
Gwen didn't pull back as he touched her arm, no recoil of fear or disgust was felt inward either. Looking back at him from her second drink which she simply let sit after giving it another sip, a deep exhale came from her. "I suppose the truth is, while sure I could go out and find myself another half-orc---it probably wouldn't even be hard at all... I don't want too." Her voice gentle, "None of them would be like Roan and I feel like it'd just soil his memory for me."

Her thoughts subsided from her family and from this Roan as he was named, going back to the roper in front of her instead. Her curiosity was piqued even without her doing much else, "Like I said before, I'm eager to experience what else the world has to offer. Don't you think that's a better way of going about things in life?" She said, turning the question back to him.

"Sure, I could stay home. Maybe work to get back into my parents good graces, marry a nice but boring human boy, have some kids. Do what's expected of me... but where's the fun in doing what others expect me to do rather than what I want?"

[User]
He'd known a few odd humans in his time. Those who chased the excitement of non-human lovers were rare, but there were always whispers, and the Urophion could usually sense out those who definitely partook. Gwen wasn't even the first human woman who had directed such interest at him. And, while he wasn't keen to admit anything of the sort, he couldn't unlearn the feeling of loneliness and need for companionship that had him reciprocate. Yet none were after anything more than satiating a fleeting curiosity.

Gwen was not like them. The way she spoke of Roan and keeping his memory as something more than a lust for orcish manhood was unexpected, even though he had read her thoughts. It grabbed him, again, despite his efforts to resist, and pulled the Urophion closer.

"And, what do you want?" he asked, somehow holding his breath. His mind link opened again, this time proactive and apologetic, as he flashed a crude but erotic image of Gwen in the midst of some burly half-orc adventurers, lost in hedonistic pleasure, before it faded away and was replaced with one of her warmer memories with Roan, in the middle of their love-making, where she gazed and responded to him as a lover.

[Assistant]
"What I want." Gwen repeated, hand still on the mug of ale turning it between her palms. Her mind as gentle as her words but really offering up no more glimpses into her psyche. Aside from his own images playing in her brain which did make her smile. Apparently he was just as curious as she was.

"I suppose one could say experience but that's not entirely true. I just... enjoy people, y'know?" Gwen gave him a soft look towards his mass of tentacles. Keeping the conversation light still. Clearly enjoying the company he provided. "Satiating curious appetites, finding out new things about myself. Learning what I like and what I don't... that sort of stuff."

In turn with him being playful she responded in kind while locking her gaze on him and imagining herself at the serve end of the large Urophion. Her soft frame supported and wrapped up in his tendrils, the feel of them caressing every nook and cranny with expert ease. She certainly had an imagination on her for a simple town girl, rather naughty indeed. "Aren't you curious as well? Anything you've been itching to try?" She posed back at him with a quirked brow. "If you are... perhaps we could come upon an arrangement."

[User]
Is that a proposition, young lady? Urophion asked, though not vocalized anywhere but in their minds. He could certainly see and appreciate her adventurous mind, no longer only entertaining him with her past encounters. His tone of thought was warm, warmer than he'd certainly been since she first arrived, and he could admit she had won him over by now. It wasn't simply the exotic and imaginative imagery of their bodies coming together, though he could see the beauty and appeal. Gwen really did see him, and everyone like him, as people. How could he not reciprocate, and treat her as one of his own?

He poured another drink, but this time for the both of them, and from more generous stock. The Urophion coiled a tentacle around his glass, demonstrating even more control and dexterity than Gwen's imagination had suggested. And as he brought the lip to his lips, he flashed her mind with a corrected image of what to expect. The tentacles growing out from his head were certainly strong and flexible enough to grab her as she imagined. They could grow and coil around her arms and thighs, and bring her to his lips as well. But through the bottom of his glass, in place of a human tongue, Gwen would see a thick ridged tentacle sloshing around the beer.

After a heavy sigh, the Urophion found the words to answer her curiosity, having never thought he'd ever discuss such things with anyone let alone a customer, a human girl, or a definite new hire.

"This body, this vessel, was once a man. An adventurer, ages ago. Sometimes I---it---misses it," he said, unsure of how to explain it, but able to flash an image of himself holding Gwen in the air, and a another mass of coiling tentacles sprouting from between his legs, twisting into tight, thick pillars of flesh steadily aiming towards Gwen's hips.

[Assistant]
Gwen could only crack a smile at his question before the smiled faded to an expression of awe as he filled her mind with more delightful images. She couldn't help the shudder down her spine. The imaginary foreplay already eliciting a response from her form as if he was doing those actions to her right now. Her cheeks flushing a rosier color as she watched him move, his tongue of sorts drawing a small noise as she saw it in person and as she felt it in her mind. He certainly knew how to tempt a gal. No tick on Roan as they only really had a few seconds to get busy, the Urophion was down right torturing her with erotic visuals and promises.

A small breath left her, trying to steady herself at the last few thoughts passed from her to him. Lords above he certainly made her excited.

"W-well..." She puffed, almost feeling as if she'd lost some sort of high ground she didn't know she'd had. "What do you say to you and I having a little..." Gwen paused, a hand reaching out to touch him. Letting the tendrils of his face coil about her fingers as if she was cupping his cheek while she looked him dead center. "Adventure ourselves, huh?" Her other hand pulled at the top of her blouse a bit, clearly unafraid of the idea as she exposed more of that gentle, supple flesh of her breasts in this dingy but public place. Just the barest hint of soft pink nipples could be peeked at before letting it snap back into place. Eager to tease him in return after he left her feeling so breathless and wet from thoughts alone.

[User]
He was so unused to this hesitancy, this feeling of a new experience, that this precocious human girl was almost leading things to his great surprise. He half expected terror and panic once he penetrated her mind with salacious, alien imagery. But while it did give her some pause, the Urophion never noted any disgust or aversion, nor fright. To her great credit, Gwen responded physically, her body moving even in the midst of their mental intimacy. His tendrils sucked her hand in, moving on instinct rather than dominating thought. In fact, he leaned forward, as if pulled effortlessly by her hand, giving him just the view she wanted to show him.

Seeing her flash her nipple shouldn't have done anything for him. But, in this strange mood and air of curiosity between them, his body responded with heat and motion. His large arms moved forward as his hands clenched the edge of the bar facing Gwen, and his face of writhing tentacles came close enough to flick and tease a few against her cheek and lips. From his groin, a writhing mass of tentacles emerged as well, coiling around and undulating against the opposite edge of the table, spilling out in her direction.

"Here or...? I've... got some rooms upstairs. And it's been... a slow day," he breathed, gushing warmly over her face as though he were actually speaking aloud as well as through her mind. There was definitely an audible grown in the air between them, as well as a mass of tendrils that hung down from his chin to tease her neck, collar, and down to the neckline of her blouse. The cool metal of a key was pressed against her skin then, with its chain coming undone and hanging freely before he managed to slip the whole thing into her cleavage. "So, your first job. Go and lock up. Then... come show me what else you can do."