[User] The inside of the home was humble, a decently sized chamber filled with a fragrant haze of flowers and strong spice, cut through with the stink of iron. A table and three chairs occupied the center of the room, one of the chairs tipped over backwards, and wide, long brocaded tapestries were mounted on the right and left walls, one depicting a black-skulled demon beast juggling human hearts while the other showed two angels dancing atop a snow-blasted mountain. A third tapestry lies in a jumble at the base of the far wall, but more striking is the large message scrawled against the wood, ''Westpier 17 Fishery'' written in vivid red, still wet blood, with an underline of crimson that ran down the length of the wall and turned in through a curtain-obscured doorway. Well, obscured until a hand darted through the curtain and yanked it aside, revealing a halfling with long golden hair and fair, freckled skin who looked very surprised to see someone. Enough to just barely slow her as the halfling jumped back and over, out of sight with only a slight curse. After a small beat, a voice called out from the back of the house, heavy with suspicion, "How did you get in here? And why?"

[Assistant]
Upon finding the blood-scrawled message, Ticaria frowned deeply and fell into her thoughts. _Not a good sign... but why would they specify this? Are those responsible holding her for ransom?_ Her initial thought was to examine it for any traces of magic, given how strange and creepy the situation was. However, when she realized that the scarlet trail lead to a doorway, she began to turn her attention towards it.

When a hand and the halfling it was attached to appeared, the Aasimar's eyes widened and she hopped back into a defensive posture with her hand sliding upward towards her scarf. _A halfling?_ she thought aloud, before she recalled that her employer described her quarry as someone darker. This fair-skinned and freckled lass couldn't have been her. Which made her a suspect. Ticaria narrowed her glowing gaze and commented, "I could ask you the same." before she gestured towards the blood with her free hand, "This your handiwork?" Her gaze fell to the side only briefly as she spoke her thoughts again, _Not that you'd tell me..._ She focused her eyes back on the stranger. "The door was open and I'm here because reasons."

[User]
The halfling peaked back around the door frame at Ticaria, bright blue eyes narrowed in distrust and one splayed hand held up, vaguely to keep the newcomer at bay, sporting a glove with thick leather across the back and but that had no fingers. "Much the same---door was open, and I'm here looking for the lady of the house. Pretty sure I closed the door behind me, though." There was a slight scuffle of noise for the hallway the halfling still wasn't coming out of, and for a moment she seemed distracted, kicking at whatever made the noise, before turning back to Ticaria.

"But no, can't say I did this. Yourself?" she asked tentatively. Her voice was a bit rougher than a stereotypical halfling's, and weighed down heavily with skepticism. After all, she was pretty sure she had closed the door behind her. But, the taller woman wasn't going on the attack immediately, which was something at least. And it had to be something of a give and take, or so the halfling thought. "No traces of anything back here, and the blood was only at the wall---there's no trail, on the floors or by scent," she offered slowly.

Calmly, she stepped out from the door frame, still ready in case of hostilities but unsure of what next. The halfling had backpack and a leather skirt of sorts, not much in the way of armor but more than nothing, and boots touched by the light brown dirt of the road. A large flower ornament sat at the back of her head, yellow petals looking like a lopsided crown from the front, and a number of pouches and bags hung down from her belt. The other hand came up, sporting a matching glove but otherwise empty, weaponless.

[Assistant]
Ticaria squinted at the halfling's explanation and watched her hands. Just because they held no physical weapons didn't mean the shorter lass wasn't a danger. After all, the Aasimar's scarf and sorcerous talents were all about exerting lethality in uncommon ways. "Considering I just walked in, I'm going to say you weren't as careful as you---" Her eyes briefly darted towards the direction of the noise, but she re-centered her sight on the halfling immediately.

"You got here before me, and if the little blood letter was there when you got here, then that automatically leaves me out of the list of suspects." With that out of the way it was time to address the other issue. "Hiding something?" It occurred to her that keeping her eyes trained on the stranger meant she wasn't watching her back, so she slowly maneuvered to cover it with a nearby wall and widen her peripheral vision towards the doorway.

[User]
One thin eyebrow raised, and the small woman's eyes drifted up as she thought about it for a moment. "Except maybe you had this place staked out? And it's known that criminals often return to the scene of their crimes." Although, the more she thought about it, the more it seemed, to the halfling, that this newcomer wasn't someone trying to box her in to attack and was just someone that had perhaps caught her at a bad time. It was pretty clear that whatever suspicions she had were wavering, at least a little.

"Not much to hide, though, other than the perpetual pain in my ass." She shifted further out of the doorway and clicked her tongue, which was met with an indignant squawk and the pitter-patter of two light feet against the wooden floor. A serpentine head, the crisp blue of an ocean the morning after a storm, peaked around the door frame at the halfling's hip, yellow eyes blinking twice and letting out a small chirp. The head rose up another six inches on a long, thin neck as the dinosaur rounded the corner. The small ones weren't unknown in the area but more popular near Kaer Maga, and usually green.

A small hand gestured up and down the animal, who stood almost preening. "Dross, a compsognathus. Bit of a scaled bloodhound, when he's motivated. Mildly venomous bite." After a moment, the same hand came back to her chest, and she gave a slight bow. "I am Malbrix. I'm from... out of town. So may I know why you're here, and who you might be, miss...?"

[Assistant]
Ticaria tilted her head and blinked, somewhat like the halfling's little companion as it came into view. Its chirp and blinking drew out a smile, and for a moment the Aasimar abandoned the tension of her current situation to preoccupy herself with looking at the creature with a mixture of amusement, curiosity, and joy. A moment later, she snapped out of it and her gaze went back to the halfling.

"Hello, Dross. Malbrix." the Starsoul replied with a mirror of the halfling's bow. "You can call me Ticaria." She let a faint smirk touch her lips. While she was acutely aware that they were spending a lot of time in one very seedy, possibly deadly place, she still didn't trust this person enough to let her guard down. "I'm also from... out of town."

"Wait..." She thought, as her gaze went back to Dross. Didn't Costipen say the halfling in question had a blue lizard? Granted, that seemed like the loosest possible description of what Dross was, but it wouldn't hurt to ask... nor would it hurt to be slightly honest about her mission. "Actually, before I answer that, have you seen a halfling with a darker complexion, by chance? And..." Her gaze went to the little creature. "A blue lizard? I was asked to find that pair. Apparently, there's trouble brewing, and I'm not it."

Well aware that she was being incredibly vague, she lifted up a hand in a disarming gesture, then lowered the hood of her cloak and gave Malbrix the most gosh-darned adorable and innocent smile she could muster. Being an Aasimar with glowing and pleasant features could be useful in that way, sometimes!

[User]
"Ticaria, from out of town," Malbrix repeated softly, giving a small nod as she committed the information to memory. As if also acknowledging the words, Dross bumped himself up against his master, hip meeting knee and his head batting at an upheld hand. It was enough of a reminder for Malbrix to lower her hands, still moving slow so that nothing came off as aggressive and not provoke anything.

The questions had one eyebrow pinch up, Malbrix unsure of how to respond exactly. After a prolonged pause, she rocked back slightly, eyes sweeping up and down the woman across the room from her. "Oh, so all gorgeous halflings are supposed to know each other?" she said, half accusatory, but she could hardly hold a straight face for a handful of seconds and the chuckle bubbled up swiftly. Almost enough to try and forget about the blood-written message on the wall.

A hand went back to the flower that adorned her hair. "If you do see anyone with a blue lizard, though, I'm in the market for a trade. Reptile for a reptile," Malbrix said, before adjusting the ornament---and like water falling off of a roof, blond hair and flower were replaced by black hair bundled tight and held in place by two butterfly-bearing pins, pale freckles washed away for skin of a rich honey. The transformation even added maybe half an inch to her height, even if was just an illusion. "So, Miss Trouble. Any chance the son of the lady of the house sent you this way too? Wasn't told about anyone else coming though."

[Assistant]
As Malbrix responded to her, Ticaria struggled to avoid the distraction of Dross' antics. She pushed aside the temptation to wonder what it'd be like to have a scaly or furry companion of her own in favor of zeroing in on curiosities about the halfling's words. She found it oddly specific that the woman used the word ''gorgeous'' to describe both herself and seemingly the halfling inquired about.

Of course, there was no longer a need to string together hints when Malbrix shifted before her. She lifted a curious brow and took in the changes for a moment through several blinks. She hadn't said anything about who sent her, but it seemed like Malbrix understood the situation. Of course, if the halfling was able to alter her appearance, it was entirely possible that this wasn't her actual form, either. But then again, Dross was still there and still very much a blue lizard.

Ticaria realized that she could find any reason to doubt Malbrix if she wanted. As much as she loathed the idea of letting her guard down in such a shady place, during a questionable situation, with a shifty individual, she remembered that time was of the essence and that standing around in this house meant she was a sitting duck for whatever was out there. So, it was time to gamble. "That's right. And I was sent here because well..." Ticaria nodded towards the bloody markings, "Our employer was worried about complications. Oh, and I have a letter for a certain gorgeous halfling." She paused to shoot Malbrix a faint smirk. "But maybe we should step out of this place before whoever left their artwork decides to return?"

[User]
Malbrix turned back to the message, lips in a tight line as she read it once more. "Yeah, complications have arisen, I'd say," she muttered, mostly to herself. But there were only so many times one could read a single blood-scrawled address, with it getting no less unsettling. A single hand went back to the pack and fished out two compact coils of rope, putting each coil on its own quick-release buckled loop on the outside of her bag.

"What's your thought on our next move? I have a map of the city, so we can track down this address, but it might do us better to go somewhere we can think things through in safety." The little dinosaur let out a rolling squeak, his input to the conversation, but he was solidly ignored as Malbrix approached Ticaria slowly, still not wanting to do anything that might be taken as aggressive. "Some food or something? I don't know how tired you are from the road?" she offered as ideas, although the weird message pressed some urgency upon the matter.

No matter the destination, when the now a bit weirder group opened the door, the city of Korvosa was settling down into its night, the city walls and buildings giving it a gloomier sunset than had been on the open ride to the city. Coming out of the house, Malbrix clicked her tongue, which was enough for Dross to fall into step behind her, timing his footsteps to her and practically walking in her quickly dissipating shadow, hunkered low and out of the way. Malbrix didn't seem to have much issue with the darkening street, but the little reptile seemed to be quite busy trying to make out details in the shadows.

[Assistant]
"If that blood belongs to the woman we're both seeking, I doubt time is on our side." Ticaria replied as she accompanied the short pair outside. "Any words we get in will have to be while we're on the move..." She fished in her bag for a moment, then pulled out a letter. "That goes for reading, too."

"So I propose a trade." She said, half-jokingly with a smirk. "A peek at your map, so we can figure out where she was likely taken, in exchange for this letter to you from our employer?" Without waiting for an answer, she handed the item over to Malbrix. "Hopefully that map can show us an adjacent high spot so we can observe from above instead of walking into what could be a trap. This whole situation seems shady. I'd rather not be caught off guard."

[User]
"Can't disagree with you. Here's hoping it is something completely unrelated?" Malbrix offered, knowing full well that the chances of that were slim to none. "Map doesn't show any elevations or anything, unfortunately. Got it from a... friend, of sorts. Business associate. Useful for many things, including finding addresses, but doesn't list roosts." A roost map, Malbrix figured, was a pretty specialized kind of map.

The produced paper was an overly large and rather detailed showing of Korvosa, listing street names for even smaller streets, but the map also had a bunch of weird markings too. Sections were drawn out in green and others red, weird symbols marked all over the map, and a few repeating symbols that had addresses noted next to each instance of the symbol. Finding where they currently were, it seemed that this area was in one of the green chunks of the map, and the docks were maybe a thirty minute walk, on the fringes of a red area.

As Ticaria finished up her orienteering, the halfling was finished reading, rereading, and possibly rereading the note from their employer, brow hardening and lips turning down. After a last, final parse through, small fingers closed in on the edges of the paper and crushed it into a tight ball, teeth grinding in irritation as the debris was tossed down to the familiar who snagged it from the air and began gnawing on it. "Hopefully the matriarch is less of an ass than her son. Who, by the by, is paying you with half the cut I was promised." Malbrix sighed as they walked, a hand coming up to massage at her eyes. "If we weren't in a hurry, I'd be angrier about this. I know it's not your fault, but."

The walk saw the streets becoming dirtier, the buildings less well-kept, and by the time that Westpier 17 came into view, it was clear that more of the buildings were derelict than not, including the medium-sized fishery and the house across the street from it. However, derelict did not mean uninhabited, for prying eyes peeked out from everywhere. There didn't seem to be any easily noticed in either the house or the fishery, but there was also a perfectly serviceable, if grungy, alley next to the house that had less of a chance to upset any locals. Malbrix gave Ticaria a look, finger flickering between the alley and house, but clearly favoring the former.

[Assistant]
Like Malbrix, Ticaria deeply doubted the idea that the blood scrawls had no relation to the absence of their employer's mother. Hoping for a hint at possible indications for high vantage points on a map from a ''business associate'' was likewise doomed to disappointment. Though she had her own parchment guide to lead her around town, she had to admit that Malbrix's map offered a good deal more. Of course, as shady as the halfling made her ''sort of friend'' sound, she wouldn't be surprised if a roost map was floating around in someone's pockets. Of course, trying to hunt such a person down would waste precious time and likely be more trouble than it would be worth. The more urgent concern was that their destination was a ''red'' region. The realization gave her a sinking feeling.

The Starsoul gave Malbrix a curious look at the reaction to the letter, then furrowed her brow at the halfling's words. She mulled on the revelation as Dross munched on the crumpled document. While it would have been nice to get a glimpse at it before it got chewed up, it was too late now. She mused that it might just be better to avoid being honorable about document delivery and just start peeking at the contents in her future jobs. Still, If she heard the halfling correctly, it seemed that their employer offered Malbrix twice the gold to complete this job, then halved it when he decided to hire additional adventurers. Typically, one tended to increase pay to encourage working through unexpected hazards. This made it clear to Ticaria that there would be words after the job was finished.

Ticaria pulled her cloak and scarves tighter around her as the town found a way to become even sketchier. When they arrived at their destination, she had to fight down a visible shiver and frown. She might have concealed many of her otherworldly features with her garments, but such efforts would be a complete waste if she let her body language designate her as an easy mark. In response to Malbrix's look, Ticaria shared a private, uncertain smile as she murmured, _I can't be the only one that feels a bit of regret now, right?_ After a brief shake of her head and deep breath, she continued. "Ready when you are."

[User]
Malbrix shrugged, thin smile dancing on her lips as she led the way into the alley and moving to the wall of the house, right inside the entrance of the narrow street. "What, don't like the local flavor?" she jested, motioning Ticaria to come over. The halfling didn't quite lean back against the brick wall, didn't trust it enough for that, but she made a good show looking like she was leaning against it.

Once Ticaria had joined her in the alley, Malbrix didn't look quite pleased with their disguise, and she motioned further down. "Loom, woman, loom!" The halfling puffed herself up for a moment, a good attempt at faux-intimidation, as an example of sorts. "Korvosa's been pretty restless of late, something about the king, but that's good for us. Anyone looking for trouble isn't gonna try and find it with two people already having trouble. Not here, anyway. So... look like trouble?" Dross coiled about underfoot, head darting back and forth watching for any local fauna that might spell trouble. Or a snack. It freed up the two taller folks to keeping discrete watch over the looming fishery across the street, with its front entrance and a shoddy, thin dock winding around the side of the building and out over the water.

Ten minutes passed and the only people of interest that had gone past were locals scampering home or out to work or to wherever they were going this late in the evening. "So, Miss Trouble. Stake out factories often? Professionally, or more as a hobby kind of deal?" Malbrix asked, trying to feel out her new coworker's personality as they patiently waited.

[Assistant]
"I can think of a hundred other places I'd rather be." Ticaria quietly replied while trying to mask her discomfort on her features. When Malbrix puffed up, she blinked at the woman, then cleared her throat before she squinted her eyes, crossed her arms, and tried her best to look like a street tough. Of course, given that the last few years of her life were spent in Twilight Academy, the attempt probably made her look more like a teenage punk than anything else.

As the ten minutes passed, her eyes scanned the alley for anything of interest, though she was careful to pretend she was angry and annoyed whenever anyone from outside the alley looked their way. Eventually, she was so committed to acting out her role, that she pulled out the only bit of alcohol she had on her and took a few swigs. Sure, the metal flask might have contained a fruity wine, but it was a better look than pretending her waterskin held the strong stuff.

By the time Malbrix attempted small talk, she was so into her act that her first response was to look down with an irate expression. She didn't respond, right away. Instead she took another swig, grunted, then wiped her lips with an uncouth swipe of the back of her hand. "Nah. This ain't normal. And I don't like all this waitin'." She uncrossed her arms and hooked her flask to her belt before she smashed her fist into her palm. "I wanna smash some heads."

Of course, channeling her inner academy bully ran counter to who she was, so she looked around and waited until no one was looking before she shook her head and relaxed her features. "Actually, I'd rather not. I'd prefer to get through this peacefully."

[User]
The tough act got an amused, but appropriately masked, look from Malbrix. "Yeah, can't say I've ever been hassled by ruffians who drink... blackberry wine, is it?" she asked, making a show of sniffing the air. The smaller woman was a little more at ease in their surroundings than Ticaria was, almost seemed unbothered by how unseemly the street was and how they were busy hiding out in an alley that may have seen better days in the past, but might have been made this grimy too. "Hopefully peaceful is what we can do, but I wouldn't hang too much hope on that," was her follow up, and was much more serious, undercurrents of anger in her voice.

Less than a minute later, an out-of-place sound for the area caused Malbrix and Dross both to clam up, shooting each other and Ticaria a look as they made sure to settle back down into their background-blending. Hearty guffaws wound down the waterside road, rising and falling as if reacting to a comedian's routine, but the only accompanying sound was that of many footsteps, most soft. The group passed by the alley, about a dozen and a half kids of varying shapes and sizes and a single man in the middle of the pack, a laughing orc with a vicious scar down one side of his face who seemed preoccupied with looking through a pile of... things, he held in his hands. Coin purses and wallets and trinkets. The children all seemed to be simultaneously looking at nothing and warily watching the adult, walking on eggshells.

None of the group paid the two watchers any mind though, even as they passed by, approaching the fishery and moving around the corner out of sight. The group was still close enough for the lurkers to hear the half-orc's call though, rough voice interrupting his chortling long enough to blurt out, "Everyone, git inside! Had your fun fer the day now," followed by the slamming open of a door, possibly two. There was no vocal response though, making the whole thing that much more discomforting---for both of them, if the silent snarl on Malbrix's face was any indication.

[Assistant]
When her choice of drink was pointed out, Ticaria kept her arms folded, shot a faux scowl at Malbrix, and commented, "It's a new day. I got elevated tastes." When the halfling said that the chance of things ending peacefully were low, the Starsoul visibly deflated for a brief moment. "And we're only getting 250 gold for this?"

She hushed herself when the commotion reached her ears, then glanced at the passing group through her peripheral vision. Something about the children's silence and the half-orc's presence and counting filled with suspicion first and visible disdain soon after. The way the children were dismissed only made the situation look more grim. Her street tough act was completely dropped and replaced with concern and racing doubts.

Ticaria looked to Malbrix and noted the halfing's expression before she murmured, "I know we're here for our employer's mother but... I don't feel right about what we just saw. Do you think...?" She paused as she tried to find the words for what that half-orc could have been up to, but gave up and continued, "Maybe there's something we could do?"

[User]
"Not even sure the original 500 would be worth this," Malbrix growled, grinding her teeth hard as her eyes remained locked on the group and where they had disappeared. Without much looking, she reached down to rest a hand on top of Dross's head and face. The dinosaur did not seem too bothered by it, as he was stock-still, unmoving.

After a handful of seconds Malbrix drummed her fingers once, the soft sound of fingers on scales stepping her thoughts forward. Another second and she moved her hand and clicked her tongue. "One for our target, two for the other building," the halfling whispered, and to immediately answer her words, Dross was gone, darting into the dark street and sticking to the dark shadows, practically vanishing. That done, Malbrix looked up, nodding. "Korvosa's not a good place for the vulnerable. Goes for a lot but kids especoaly. It mi---" but she was cut off, blinking hard and crinkling her face. "Yeah. Yeah. OK. They all went into our building. More than enough justification for me---there has to be something we can do now, part of the job."

Malbrix straightened up, losing her ''blend in'' posture as she faced Ticaria head on. "Way I see it, we can try to get some more information, watch if anyone comes and scout what we can. Or we can go in now. Hopefully whoever answers their front or side can answer some questions." ''Answer some questions'' was probably literal, but the venom it dripped made it sound violently euphemistic. "As a heads up though. I don't tend to do quiet well." Some time when she was talking, Dross had reappeared underfoot, eyes focused on the building across the way.

[Assistant]
Ticaria watched the lizard dart off with a pensive expression on her face before she turned her gaze back to Malbrix. Many of the things the halfing said were givens. Their cheapskate employer would certainly get an earful in the future from them both. She'd heard no shortage of tales about Korvosa's corruption and villainy long before she set foot in the dangerous city.

After she mulled on Malbrix's suggestions for a long moment, she finally spoke up. "Considering the blood we found, time might not be on our side... and yet, walking right up to their front door seems like the worst possible idea in a place like this." She paused for another moment of consideration, "I'm not inclined towards sneaking either, so in case we have to fight our way out, you should know that my talents are with magic and blades. The former comes through my blood. The latter? Well, my family insisted that I learn how to put down anything that got in my face."

The Starsoul rolled back one of the long sleeves of her robe and briefly held up her hand to flash her warmly glowing nails before she continued. "But more importantly, I tend to draw a lot of attention if I don't cover up. I had to learn to talk myself out of a lot of sticky situations. Jealous lovers, mages that wanted to dissect me..." She rolled her eyes as the memories came flooding in, "Fanatics obsessed with getting me to represent their faiths... the list goes on. I can reveal myself and serve as a distraction. If I can keep them staring, maybe you can look around?"

[User]
Malbrix gave a small shrug, nodding along as Ticaria spoke. "Some magic of my own, and I'm good with my hands," she informed, lightly punching one hand into the palm of the other. "You kick up a fuss and I'll see if I can't get around the side. Dross will stick near you, in case you need backup." The dinosaur gave a sharp chirp in affirmation, slowly unwinding out but still watching the building. A few more details were discussed, but now that a plan was decided on, things were picking up speed. It was only a couple of minutes before the three were ready, Malbrix reacquiring her tough posturing and Dross slipping into Ticaria's shadow as they left the alley.

As Ticaria got to the front entrance, the stench of brine and week-dead fish clung heavily to the building and seeped into her nose. The old double doors were closed tight, the drooping signpost above now only displaying a rusty chain, its wooden sign long rotted away. As Ticaria rapped her knuckled against the door, the doors felt and sounded solid, not terribly affected by their age; the knocking resulted in an explosion of sound from the other side, scrabbling and angry spinning until a hound of some kind could get its bearings and began barking up a storm and audibly slamming itself against the door, over and over. Dross was clearly not a fan, hissing softly and shrinking back and around, moving with light footsteps to huddle against the wall to the side of the door.


[User]
It was a busy time at the Queen Anne's Academy. The prestigious institute of higher learning, had existed for centuries, churning it far more than it's fair share of judges, politicians and business moguls and another academic year was about to start. Classrooms, labs, libraries, dorms and lecture halls were being fervorously cleaned, as the students would begin arriving that weekend.

Or at least most of the students would be arriving in the coming few days, some were already there. Forty of the sophomore class had already arrived on the campus nad had been gathered together in one of the large functionary halls the campus boosted. Each had been accepted into the mentor program, which meant they were the sons of wealthy and powerful families, who wanted them to have the political clout of having given up their own time, to help a student of less fortunate means. It also meant that every last one of them was one of the predator species in the world.

Lions, tigers and bears mingled among wolves, foxes, hyenas and various types of Mustelids. Each wore something at least semi formal, requirements for the program dictated that the young men joining, would need to be appropriately dressed for the Meet and Greet party, where the underrepresented students, drawn from among the prey species of the world, could pick out a mentor, to help them not only with their schooling but socially as well. They were suppose to help them make connections, which would be beneficial, once they left the Academy.

Indeed, the mentor program was considered a great success. The pamphlets sent out with the school's recruiters, showed scores of prey women, who had gone through the program, working as the personal assistant or on the staff of powerful politicians, CEOs and judges of the highest courts. Positions of influence and power in their own right. Often enough, they ended up working with the very mentors they had paired with at Queen Anne's.

Dylan Weiss was a rather tall fox, matching nearly every one of his peers in height, as he traded the normal pleasantries among equals. He was dressed in black slacks, white shirt, plain black tie and a dark blue blazer, with emblem of the private school he had attended on the breast. However his unusually colored eyes, an almost purple blue, which was not uncommon in his family, if rare in those outside it, were drawn towards doors at the far end of the hall.

After several long minutes, a few of the staff had entered in the hall, calling the attention of all the boys in the room to where the freshmen they were to mentor, were entering.

[Assistant]
In truth, Queen Anne's hadn't ever really been on her list. It was expensive, and prestigious. The place rich people went to get degrees that would make them richer. A place predators went, and girls like her... well, they probably employed them as housekeeping staff. That was the truth of it---while they theoretically had equal rights and just as many opportunities, prey had neither the resources nor the professional contacts to reach the upper echelons of society. Sure, the occasional one did, and was usually held up as a paragon of her kind, but it was a long-shot, at best.

But a teacher of hers had pushed her to apply. Had written her a glowing letter of recommendation, and introduced her to an admissions advisor for Queen Anne's. They had sounded skeptical on the phone, but agreed to meet her---and after that meeting, had told her she was a good fit, and a strong candidate for their mentoring program. She had applied, excited at the opportunity to go to a good school, with a scholarship, and be in a program that was supposed to make connections between them and the sons of the elite and wealthy, who could open doors for them, introduce them to the right people, and help them navigate political waters she never thought she might swim in.

She even got to pick her mentor. Forty-some girls were waiting, each of them dressed well, though in a somewhat more innocent, ''dress to impress'' style than the Vixen and Jaguar who had welcomed them, both women dressed in sleek, provocative outfits that somehow still dripped power. There was a chime, and they were ushered in, slowly defusing toward the waiting boys. She introduced herself to a few, and perhaps fifteen minutes in approached Dylan, offering her hand. "I'm Lyra."

[User]
Had the room not been filled with the scions of powerful and prideful families, there might have been drooling or chop licking, when the girls began to walk into the room. In an almost as unnerving manner however, forty pairs of eyes, sharped by the whim of evolution for the hunt, focused on their prey counterparts. The boys themselves moved only slightly, separating out from the small groups they had clustered in, so to make themselves less intimidating to approach. Smiles spread across muzzles, as they boys did their very best, not to show their fangs.

Dylan himself was approached a few times and to each of the prey girls, he offered a smile, a firm handshake and a few words. He wasn't watching the clock, so he wasn't sure how long it had been but not too long, when a mouse approached the tall fox. Even before she gave her name and offered her hand to him, he already decided that he wanted to mentor her. All he needed to do, was make himself like that her best choice. The smile he offered her almost oozed with charm and he took her hand in a comfortable but strong grip.

"Dylan Weiss" answered the Fox and he paused, to see if she recognized the name. His father, another fox with almost purple eyes, was a governor and had goals for a higher office. His father also seemed rather outspoken about giving prey species more opportunities or at least that was what the voting base seemed to hear anyways. "Enjoying the evening so far?"

[Assistant]
Lyra was perfect. Petite, busty, with an innocent, ''take her home to meet your parents'' aura to her expression---though knowing Dylan's parents she'd be shattered by having to spend a dinner with them. Her expression was a little awe-struck, and eager to please, apparently having bought into the lines that told her this was her choice, not his. That this wasn't a hunting ground.

She clearly did recognize his name. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dylan." They had been told to call them by their first names, resisting the temptation to slip into honorifics. These were supposed to be their friends, their peers. "I am. You've all been very welcoming to us." She smiled playfully. "So, I'm sure they made you come up with some pitch on why I should choose you to be my mentor---want to give it to me?"

[User]
If Dylan hadn't been a politician's son, raised from the cradle with the expectation he would follow in the family's business, it would have been almost too tempting to run his eyes over the mouse in front of him. He had gotten a look at her figure, when she had been approaching him and as much as he wanted to see it again, his eyes remained firmly on hers. There would be a time again later, to catch a glimpse.

"Of course" he said, laughing good-naturedly, "We are here to sell our services."

"Now" he continued, flashing that charming smile at Lyra again, "If you don't know, I am the son of Governor Weiss, who might just be President Weiss one day, if he so chooses to run. That said, I can bring you to the attention of plenty of regional and national politicians and help get you a government job. Or if your looking to get a degree in law, the family knows plenty of lawyers, at some very well known firms."

"My mother" Dylan added, his smile turning into a teasing grin, "Says I'm devilishly handsome, so spending time with me won't strain your eyes! An added bonus to be sure."

[Assistant]
Lyra smiled as Dylan spoke to her, noticing that he kept his eyes on hers, even though he had the height to sneak a peek down her dress---and she liked to flatter herself with the idea that the prospect was not unappealing.

"My parents voted for him." She smiled slightly. "And I have been interested in government work---giving back and helping, well, advocate for more things like this." Giggling at the comment about his looks, she didn't contradict him.

"And what do you do for fun? We would be living together after all, and I don't just want to leach off your family's connections."

[User]
"If it's government work you want" said Dylan, "Then you'll definitely want to pick me."

"As to what I do for fun" he continued, "Nothing too out there. I was on the track team and still like doing runs. Mostly early morning ones. Other then that, well I do happen to play a good variety of video games. I even stream from time to time. I bet if I got someone as pretty as you to play with me, my viewers would jump through the roof."

"What about you" the Fox asked, "What do you do for fun?"

[Assistant]
Lyra grinned. "I could see streaming with you, as long as your viewers don't mind a somewhat less skilled female sidekick?"

The mouse-girl shrugged a little. "Honestly, I'm... looking forward to finding that out. To pay for school and get in to somewhere like this, it's mostly been studying and after-school jobs. I played a few sports, but never well enough for that to really be my ''thing''. I'd like to try reading for fun though, or maybe trying to improve my drawing."

[User]
"Most of them would be happy just to see a girl" Dylan the fox chuckled, "Never mind a pretty one like you, making a good attempt to play."

"While studying will be a must" he added, "I think we could arrange something to get you more leisure time. You know the saying, all work and no play, make Lyra a dull girl. In fact, I think a bit a fun will be a requirement."

"But" he said, laying on all the charm he could, smiling and taking her hand again, "Don't let me hog all your time. Go say hello to a few others. You'll want to make sure you make the right pick, when the night is over in... an hour or so. However you choose, I would love to be your mentor."

Dylan's jaw was aching, when the chime sounded again and the mingled crowd of boys and girls, began to separate, forming into two semi blobs, facing one another. The Vixen and Jaguar staff members appeared again, walking with a deadly, sensual grace, to stand before the girls. The Vixen held a plain black bag in her hands and the Jaguar announced that when her name was called, each girl would walk over and stand beside the boy, she wanted to be her mentor. First come, first served, once a boy was picked, he was off limits to the other girls.

[Assistant]
Lyra blushed at how flattering he was, and how readily he suggested some other ''fun'' for her in addition to studying. It felt a little bit like he was determining what she would do, but then he was supposed to be guiding her, wasn't he? And she knew she could take a little ''push'' to get out of her shell.

"It was very nice to meet you Dylan." She moved off to another potential mentor, working her way slowly through the room. If nothing else, she needed to hedge her bets a little bit, in case she didn't get her first pick. There was one girl here who was going to have to go with... whoever was left. She hoped that wasn't her. Chatting with a few others, she let herself be herded back into a group, once more admiring the vixen who appeared. She watched the first few girls pair off---a mare with an athletic looking wolf went first, and she was relieved to see that her first few picks weren't immediately snapped up.

Her name was called---7th, not bad, and she took only a moment to decide. Several of the men had been welcoming, kind and supportive, but there was something about Dylan, how he presented himself, that made her want to know more. Smiling, she approached him, turning to stand beside him, hoping he felt the same.

[User]
Dylan let a plainly and very pleased smile spread across his muzzle, as he watched Lyra come walking up to him, when her name was called. This was what he had been hoping for all night. To be sure, he had charmed a few other lovely ladies, but none had gotten the full force of his abilities, like the young mouse-girl. His chest seemed to swell a little with pride, as she stopped, standing besides him.

"Well well" he said softly, keeping his voice pitched low, leaning slightly towards her, "Hello again. Looks like I'm the luckiest man here tonight, seeing as the pretty girl picked me."

[Assistant]
Lyra turned a bright shade of pink at the complement, ducking her head slightly against him. "You're a very charming young man Dylan... I'm glad we'll be spending the year together."

One the pairs had all separated out, the vixen once more appeared. "Ladies. Gentlemen. The night is over---I hope you're all pleased with your pairings." While she was speaking to the room, most of the predators felt like she was mostly making eye contact with them. And for the most part, they did---the girls excited, the boys confidently satisfied. "Porters will bring your new charges boxes to their rooms---in the meantime, why don't you gentlemen show your new mentees to their suites."

She smiled, a glint in her eye. "Have an excellent year everyone. Of course, if you need anything, we're always here to lend a hand."

[User]
Dylan was beaming by the time all the pairs had been made and meet the gaze of the Vixen with proud look of his own. As the forty pairs of predators and prey began to move towards the door, the tall fox looped his arm around Lyra's shoulders, almost tucking her under his shoulder and lead the way, guiding the mouse out of the building and into the street, as the crowd around them murmured in their new partnerships, each talking about some subject or another.

"So Roomie" the fox began and then paused for a few heartbeats to the girl absorbed the phrase, "Did they show you any pictures of the suites, when they got you into the program? I think I picked out a good one. Top floor of the dorm we're all gonna share, with a great view. Facing east, so we'll get to see the sunrise."

[Assistant]
The petite mouse fit easily at Dylan's side, oblivious to the exchange between him and the Vixen, or what it suggested. She seemed... happy, and eager, pleased that her selection was available, which suggested he was her first choice.

"Not really." Lyra grinned at the phrase. "They showed us some architectural renders of the outside, and said it was state of the art." She looked excited as he described the suite. "I'd like a room with a view... that sounds perfect."

[User]
The fox chuckled softly, smiling broadly and gave the mouse a one armed squeeze, like they were already fast friends, as they walked among the semi-blob of other students. In the distance, rising up on a small hill, separated from the rest of the campus and overlooking a well tended park, was what looked like an apartment building in a brick gothic style. Each floor seemingly ringed with large windows and separate porches, separated by small walls to give a little privacy. Each porch had a door, plainly making them available to use and not just decorations.

"Oh you'll love it" said Dylan, "Each suite has it's own bathroom, a kitchen, a living room type space and two bedrooms. I was a little disappointed in that last fact but they went all out and gave us apartments, not dorm rooms. And I'm happy not to be sharing a bathroom with seventy nine other people. Each suite or so I was told, has WIFI and there is a printer on each floor, in that floor's common area. They've got some snack machines too. Down in the basement, weight room and gym."

[Assistant]
The mouse pressed herself to him as he squeezed her, set at ease by his easy manner as the group of paired off students headed to their new home. It looked lavish, almost impossibly so, and she wondered how a program like this, even with some of the richest names in the city as mentors, could afford it.

"It's beautiful, it really is." She quirked her head to the side, confused as to why he'd be disappointed that there were two bedrooms. "Why is that?" She laughed at the comment about sharing a bathroom. "Just me, and I'll do my best to keep it clean."

She grinned as he led her inside. "Honestly, it sounds amazing."

[User]
An amused smile spread across the fox's muzzle and he had to swallow a chuckle, as the mouse girl asked him why, when he mentioned he was disappointed in there being two bedrooms. She was adorably innocent, if she couldn't pick up on why a young, college age male, would be disappointed in not sharing a bedroom with a girl barely a year younger than himself. He almost wanted to tussle her hair and send her on her way with a playful warning not to spend time with strange men.

"Yes" Dylan agreed, as they reached the dorm hall, "They really went all out."

The pair joined the seventy eight other students, the crowd squeezing through the doors of the building and then through the front lobby, luckily channeled right to the duel sets of elevators. They were among the first two into one of the cabs and nearly pushed into the corner, as the tiny moving room was filled nearly to capacity. The fox deftly used his arm around Lyra, to position the girl right in front of him, so when everyone in the elevator got real close and friendly, she was pressed against him.

Relief came on the second floor, as the elevator began to empty, until they were alone, on the trip up to the fifth floor.

[Assistant]
The naivety of her question didn't really occur to her, nor did the implicit answer he gave her when he didn't answer her directly. They had reached the elevator along with a small group, and so they crowded together, the girl's body pressed against him, Lyra apparently accepting his arm guiding her---and holding her just a few moments longer than was necessary when the elevator began to empty.

"The fifth floor..." She grinned. "I got the best mentor and the best room then..."

[User]
The young fox was all smiles, as the elevator moved upwards, the mouse girl seemingly accepting the fact she was to be pressed against him there, without a word or a wiggle to get a little room. He would have kept her there, for the entire ride, even once they got a little space, as their compatriots left, if it wasn't for the fact she was starting to get a rise out of him. As innocent and naive as she seemed to be, there wasn't a rush to let her know he found her desirable. He wouldn't want to scare her away, not before she couldn't escape anyways. After all, he was suppose to be helping her with her studies and connections, not bedding her, at least that was the official position anyways.

"I'm far too humble" said Dylan, as they reached the top floor, "To claim that I am the best mentor but I think I can claim that I got us the best room!"

Slipping his arm around the mouse's shoulders again, he stepping out of the elevator, guiding his charge into the common area of the floor and down the left hand hallway. They walked all the way down, to the very last door on the right hand side, facing east. Keeping her tucked against his side, he fished in his pocket for a few seconds, before producing a brass looking key and slipping it into the lock.

"A bit old fashioned" the fox commented, as he turned the key and the lock made a soft click, before the door swung opened, "But charming."

He ushered Lyra into a small outlet, where there were hooks for coats and jackets and a space for shoes. Beyond was a small kitchen, where the mouse's bags were piled neatly. Plainly the staff had heard the student's new living arrangements before the pack of youth's had reached the building and had done their best to deliver the belong's of each girl to the proper room. Easily seem from the door, was the living room, with just a couch and TV set into one of the walls. On the far wall, was a sliding door to their porch. In the last wall, was two doors, set close together, leading to the bedrooms. One, took up the space behind the living room and was empty. The other, slightly larger, behind the kitchen, was already filled with Dylan's things.

"Home sweet home" he declared, pulling the door closed behind the pair.

[Assistant]
Lyra didn't mind being held against him, even when there was a little more room in the elevator. It seemed natural enough to not move as it did to force herself into another space, so she didn't object when they only parted a few minutes before they reached the appropriate floor.

Led toward the apartment, she looked at the key curiously. "Did they give you a pair of those?" She certainly hadn't been given one, but she presumed that was probably in the room along with, presumably, her relatively few belongings.

The girl genuinely gasped when he opened up the apartment---it was far nicer than she was expecting, and as promised, the view was excellent. Her bags were in the kitchen, which while small was perfectly functional, and her room looked more than adequate. She wondered for a moment why her things hadn't made it into that room, before assuming that the porters had been in a hurry. Nor did she seem to object to Dylan getting the larger room---if nothing else, it was clear that the wealthy young man owned more.

"This is amazing." She turned, hugging him tightly. "Thank you."

[User]
It took an amazing amount of willpower, for Dylan not to reach down and grab the mouse girl by the rear, as she turned and embraced him. He wanted to, instinct called out for him to grab her by the rump and lifted her up against him and to carry her off to a den. Old instinct that, although a bedroom, did well enough as a stand in for a den. Instead, he forced himself to wrap his arms around her shoulders again, returning in her hug with a warm strength, holding her for what might be longer than appropriate but not to long it would be uncomfortable.

"Your the one who chose me" he said in a warm voice, "I merely picked out a room. Now why don't you unpack and get into something more comfortable? I'll have your key, when your done."

The fox smiled broadly, as he shooed Lyra towards her few bags and then towards her room. Still smiling, he strolled into his own, stripping off his jacket and hanging it up with care in the closet. Off came his tie, the dress shirt and slacks. All with his door open, just in case the girl came out of her room, before he was done changing. Left only with a pair of boxers on, he rummaged for a seconds, before pulling on a pair of plain, knee length gym shorts. Deciding against a new shirt, he strolled back out and dropped onto the couch, leaning back, plainly relaxed.

[Assistant]
Unaware of just how much restraint she was forcing on her new ''roommate'', she nodded and headed to her room, gathering up several of her boxes as she did. Instinctively following his instructions, she changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, considerably more comfortable than her best attempt at a ''making a good impression'' dress and more suitable for unpacking. Her possessions, such as they were, were minimal, and her room was mostly setup in a little more than an hour, before she emerged, joining him on the couch.

"So... I uh... do you want to tell me a little bit more about yourself? Now that I've picked you as my mentor and all? Likes, dislikes, habits... your major?"


[User]
Alexei was fast. Years of training in free running, an impressive physique and more than a little help from his powers made him that way. He trained rigorously and regularly, daily almost, and managed to keep himself well in shape, but in no universe was he ever going to outrun Vallie. Even if he hadn't given her a headstart from recovering her ball, she still would have left him in the dust either way, so after about ten seconds of sprinting as hard as he could, he decided to slow down to a jog. She had been a stray when he first ran into her, and had remained a wild animal at heart, only deigning to stick with him because, dammit, they made a pretty good team. Him with the magic show, her with watching him practice his act in a way so as to use his powers to make them easier, as well as keeping the fact that he was using powers on the down low, as Americans liked to say at some point in their history. And then, with the magic trick perfected and performed, she would just stare at him with those huge brown eyes as if wondering, "That was awesome. So when's the magic trick?"

He finally slowed to a brisk walk when he saw that she was being entertained by a young woman. Tall, lean and with her long red hair done up in dreads, she was stunning in her own way, but what attracted Alexei's attention the most was how at peace Vallie seemed beside her, looking up into the woman's face and back at Alexei as he came closer, wagging her tail hard enough that her hindquarters were wagging with it. Comfortable. Which was odd. It had taken weeks for her to grow used to Alexei enough for her to stand that close to him, close enough to feel her long tail hit like a whip.

He came to a stop as the woman stepped out from under the pier, into the sunlight, letting it glance off her pale white skin like a statue of marble and red staring back at him. Stopping a few feet short of her, Alexei forced a smile and peered down at Vallie, who was staring at him with her tongue hanging out as if she hadn't just set his heart racing.

"Ah... yes. I guess. We meet in Texas, and we have been together ever since," Alexei said with a smile, still slightly forced, his accent hopefully not masking his words too harshly. Vallie just kept wagging her tail and half her body besides as she sauntered away from Eva to come in arm's reach of Alexei and he leaned down to run his hand over her back. All was forgiven.

"Ah... thank you for..." Stopping her? Catching her? "Eh, thank you. My name is Alexei," He offered his hand to her.

[Assistant]
Any other time, any other place, the mere presence of this thickly-muscled and tattooed man would have been enough to send Eva sliding back into the shadows, silently fleeing long before he ever had the chance to see her, much less speak to her. The few gains she'd made in remaining alongside humanity these past years had been hard-won, and even harder-kept. A man who looked as hard and rough and---let's be honest here---as genuinely terrifying as this one did? The very idea of what might be lurking in his surface thoughts, permeating his emotions and instincts, would have been far too terrible---painful even---for Eva to imagine lingering long.

Obviously, Eva was learning a lesson today about judging a man by his outward appearance---and a rather valuable one at that. _Always let the dogs do the judging._

The sweet canine trotted to her human, all her intentions apparently met. It was a truism that never failed to tickle Eva: so many considered cats to be among the most manipulative of animals. Secretive. Crafty. Devious. Cunning. Maybe it was the velvety soft ears, the charming tilt of their heads or those long, lolling tongues that always turned a maw full of wickedly long and deadly fangs into an almost human-seeming smile; but no one ever gave canines enough credit for being even more conniving than their feline counterparts. Eva knew better.

"Hello Alexei." She understood his words just fine, no matter the thickness of his accent. Russian? Ukrainian? Perhaps even Eastern European of some sort or another---Eva wasn't terribly good at judging such things. What she could do was sense the very surface of his mind and read the vaguest direction of his intent, all of which promised he'd be no threat to her.

"I'm Eva. Eva Bellamy." It was a common enough surname, in the U.S. at least. Considering the young, barefoot woman wore little but an old, probably second-hand sundress and kept a Holiday Inn-purloined towel nearby, the idea of connecting this Bellamy to the famed family of Richard Bellamy, the powerful and eminently influential U.S. Senator from norther California would have been laughable at best, now wouldn't it?

"Your friend thinks pretty highly of you... " Such a strange thing to say, but she didn't let the words linger long between them. "What do you call her? And... Texas?" This was northern California after all, and San Francisco at that. There was far more than several hundred miles between here and Texas. She watched Alexei welcome his friend back into their little pack of two, pale eyes softening at the sight, such a strangely sweet tableau to find here in the sun and the sand.

"Your accent, it doesn't sound very Texan to me." Eva bit her lower lip softly, ivory teeth pressed lightly into soft, pale pink flesh, keeping the grin from growing too big. She was long out of practice in the subtle social art of small talk, and couldn't be sure if her little jokes might be considered humorous or, heaven forbid, offensive in some way she did not intend and could not foresee.

[User]
Alexei wasn't the sharing sort. Ever since he'd been in that orphanage, information had always been seen as a commodity to be bought, sold and traded. Information about himself was the kind of commodity that went for a higher price than diamonds, to be honest, and he rarely shared anything with anyone. As a criminal in Russia, it had been what kept him alive. It had done the same for him as a prisoner, and it had been what had allowed him to escape intact, and reach North America. Even the people that he had begun to share his life with, people that he considered to be his friends, people who he knew had his back, knew nothing about him apart from his first name. Or if they did know anything more, they would have had to glean it from a source apart from himself. It was worth mentioning that the lifestyle that they had chosen for themselves wasn't one that they had picked because of its creature comforts. People who came to the traveling arts didn't come to it because it was their first choice, and everyone was entitled to their secrets, and privacy. Alexei just had more secrets than most.

And yet, he realized that he felt more comfortable around his Eva Bellamy. Maybe it was the inherent trust that Vallie, the single being in the world that he actually trusted himself, had in this woman. Maybe it was her unprepossessing nature. The way she smiled where most would have averted their eyes or stared at his tattoos. Not her. Of course, he had seen the way she looked at him at first, but now it was... it felt like talking to an old friend. And that was ringing all sorts of alarm bells in his head. Quietly, of course. He was nothing if not collected.

"I have traveled all over the country," He said, subtly avoiding the implied question in her statement, "Texas a few times, but only in passing. Pretty much everywhere only in passing. Roots make no home for me," A smile touched his lips as he said that, a small bit of pride in his gypsy lifestyle somehow giving him what roots he needed.

"Vallie has been with me for a while. The only one who's... been with me," A confused smile touched his lips now. Again with the feeling of trust. It was odd. Not as alarming as he had thought before, but still... interesting.

"How about you, Eva?" He said, sitting down on the sand and stroking Vallie's coat, scratching behind her ear, the way she liked, the way that made that one ear tuck back and her head turn a bit as he did, "What roots have you placed?"

[Assistant]
Eva liked his smile, she decided. She liked the gentle ring of soft emotion that wreathed him like a crown of golden light and a comfortable warmth as he scratched behind Vallie's ear. It was all so utterly at odds with the evidence of a far rougher, far more cruel and vicious life that littered his flesh in ink. It was a life filled with memories she was sure should have sent her running the moment he crossed the horizon, gripping her poor, aching head, reeling with spikes of pure, visceral agony. And yet here he remained, as did she.

"This place was my roots... once." Eva accepted his unspoken invitation, lowering herself to her knees in the warm sands before leaning to rest on one hip. Legs curled up beneath her, one long-fingered hand wrapped about her ankle, the other resting lightly in her lap. Never once did her gaze leave his smiling face. Alexei was captivating to her eyes, and her preternatural senses as well, in ways that defied explanation in merely human words. It was all far more visceral. Instinctual. Animal, even.

"Obviously not the beach, but the city," she laughed softly at her own lapse, realizing how her words might not have made sense to someone whose first language was not English. Words... words had become so difficult for her since the Change. Listening to her now, no one might ever believe she earned a PhD. in Marine Biology, that once-upon-a-time she'd successfully and handily defended a thesis on meaningful variations in cetacean language patterns. "Here, in San Francisco."

For just a moment Eva felt oddly comfortable, but that was before she recognized the quiet pause that promised she hadn't offered up all that genuine human conversation required. "I was... I... " A flash of panic flashed through those gray eyes, a soft blush to her cheeks as she licked suddenly dry lips, her heart pounding harder in her throat. What could she say, to explain why she'd fled her home? So many hated her kind, those who'd become something more. Something else. Something other than simply homo sapiens. Alexei seemed a good enough man---Vallie said as much. But how many good people considered it a moral imperative to hate those like her? Eva was different now, and whether that made her more than human or less, there was no going back now.

She cleared her throat. "I had to leave. It's hard for me... to be around a lot of people. It's... my head." Fingers lifted to one temple, tapping gently before falling back to her lap. "My head can hurt... " There. Truth, but not too much truth. Not enough truth to get her killed she prayed, the threat of TAC-6 never far from her thoughts. Not enough said to hurt her family any more than she already had.

True lies were beyond her anymore, even if she must sound unbalanced, maybe even mentally ill. "I'm trying to get better though, little by little. But I haven't had roots in a few years."

Her eyes fell from his handsome face to her lap, suddenly afraid to see what she might find in his dark eyes. Her fingers played nervously with the hem of her short dress. "But I've been to Texas too. Around El Paso." Eva cringed. On any given day, she did not speak a single word---but now it seemed she could not stop nonsense dripping from her lips. Her gaze flickered from her lap to Vallie, a soft whimper and a thud of thick tail in the sand the tenuous anchors that kept her right where she was.

Eva took a deep, hitching breath, forcing herself to look back up and meet Alexei's gaze. "So why do you travel?" She was doing her very best not to cry, embarrassment and fear of what this man must think of her now roiling in her gut. "You don't have to say if you don't want, but you have the face of a man who's lived an interesting life." A soft laugh, to hide a trembling lower lip. "And besides, Vallie vouches for you. Her word goes a long way."

[User]
The sand was warm beneath him. Coarse, true, but comfortable to sit on anyways. He sat cross-legged, or halfway anyways as his thick arms came around his knees to connect to each other at the wrist. Vallie, her mission to bring the two together completed, came to his side and, walking in a small half circle, settled in the sand beside her companion, right ear perked up as the left hung down the side of her hear, bright, intelligent eyes gleaming, panting happily with her tongue hanging outside her mouth. A dog that had taken months to get used to him being around her, even though she followed him around and happily shared food and a resting place with him, seemed oddly at ease with this strange woman. Of course, Vallie trusting her was more than enough for him to give her the benefit of whatever doubts he was having, but it still tugged at his mind. His hand went automatically to her, Vallie that is, stroking and brushing her coat with his long, calloused fingers.

The woman settled down on the sand next to him and Vallie, his dark eyes looking over her. It was something that he did more out of instinct, something that you learned after a few years in a prison locked up with the worst criminals that Russia had to offer, and as it turned out you were the only thing that the inmates hated and feared more than the guards. Sizing a person up, trying to judge if they were willing to overcome that fear and attack had been a skill, among many others, that had kept him alive all those years, and for many more afterward.

She didn't seem like much of a fighter. He didn't doubt that she would and could put up a fight if there was no other choice, but her words indicated that when the fight or flight moments came along, she tended to side with the latter. He did too, honestly. Another reason why he was still alive. Sometimes to had to make a stand, and others, it was perfectly acceptable just to step out of the way of the problems instead of bullishly trying to meet them head on. The only problem was, with the two of them as living proof, that sometimes those problems had a habit of coming back around and following you, hounding you for the rest of your life until the time came when there was no other choice but to take a stand. But every time the option came up, the harder it became to stand his ground and the option of running just became easier and easier. Until he couldn't remember a stable life in which he wasn't constantly looking over his shoulder, expecting the enemies that he was running from to just... appear. They had before, after all.

At least she was trying to get better, he mused. He smiled when she asked about why he traveled, and especially her comment on Vallie, who got an appreciative ear-rub," I..." There were two truths, really, to that question, and deciding which required a moment's thought, "I work with some traveling artists. We travel all around the country, although we haven't had any work outside. Yet," He nodded. It was a dream for them to travel internationally, "I work as escape artist. You know... like Houdini?"

[Assistant]
Alexei spoke, his deep, deeply-accented bass rumbling easily between them over the eternal murmuring growl of the sea. He spoke, and in an instant whatever troubles shaded that porcelain-pretty face disappeared as if they'd never been, as if the sun overhead decided to shine a thousand times brighter, just for them. That choking ache in her throat unwound its stranglehold as a soft, breathy laugh escaped. Had there truly been tears in her eyes? If there ever were, they were gone entirely as that incredulous laughter made its way upward, her eyes wide with an obvious, undisguised delight. Alexei could not know how unlikely it would be that a lie to Eva would go unnoticed, but he could not fail to notice the genuine joy his words brought for the young lady before him.

"That has got to be one of the most incredible things I've heard all day." And considering that most of Eva's morning was spent submerged in the ocean, listening to the ballads of whales and the chittering song of dolphins? This was obviously no small thing---not, of course, that Alexei could have known just how incredible a compliment she paid him.

Eva could not help but lean forward where she sat in the sand, whatever trepidation she might have felt disappeared entirely in the excitement of meeting someone who had an honest-to-heaven reason to live like the Romany. ''Traveling artists'' didn't that mean something very like a circus then---or at least, a traveling sideshow? There would always be something just a little romantic about the idea of a traveling show to Eva's mind, no matter she knew firsthand the very real rigors of living on the road. After all, she'd been driven to this life by the havoc wrought in her head by her newborn abilities, by genuine fear for her family and the all-too-real threat of TAC-6. But what would it be like to live such an unfettered life, to make a living by one's wits and talents and undeniable skill?

"So where would you like to go, if you could?" Eva shifted on her bottom where she sat, pulling her bare ivory legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms about her knees. If she noticed how the skirt of her pale green sundress fell away, bunching up about her hips and giving the smallest peek of underwear, she gave no notice. This was a beach after all, and she revealed nothing so daring than bathing suit modesty. "Overseas I mean, when your show gets bigger and famous, and I can say, ''I knew him when.''"

Eva found speaking so much easier now---easier for her head and easier for her heart---when conversations took a turn toward the other person. Self-consciousness disappeared, and faint glimmers of the bright, fun and witty woman she'd once been---and perhaps would one day be again---could shine through. "And what do you escape from?" she asked him, genuine enthusiasm spicing every word. "Do you use, say... ropes? Or chains or something like that? Or do you mean you're a real Houdini? That you can get out of locked safes and tanks filled with water?"

She grinned widely, her laughter sweet and bright, as far from the nervous, self-conscious woman she'd been only moments before as the sun from the moon. "Is there anything you can show me, like... " Her arms fell back to her sides, hands flat in the sands. She shot a glance over her shoulder back to the pier, where her meager belongings remained in the shadows. "Like with a towel?" She shrugged helplessly, knowing how silly her suggestion must be but glad to immerse herself in this fascinating man for a time. "Or... "

With a mischievous little lift of her brow, Eva tilted her head toward the shoreline only yards away. "I know I could get all the seaweed you'd ever need!"

[User]
Where would he go, if he could? It was an odd question, not because of the question itself, but because of the answer that it would draw. Even though he had never had much of a home back in his homeland, there was something comforting about being back in familiar ground. Or maybe it was because it was the one place in the world that he could never go back to. Odd how things like that tended to sway one's mind. Every day that he spent away from home, the less he remembered of the terrible nature of it, and more and more his mind glorified and amplified the good. Either way, he would never be allowed to go home anyways, so the whole thought process was moot anyways.

He looked up, a little surprised that she had moved past the topic onto what exactly it was that he did with this traveling band of his. He opened his mouth to speak and snapped it shut again when he realized that she wasn't finished. He understood English well enough do understand what she was saying, but he was still caught in that awkward phase where he had to mentally translate what he was going to say before he could say it, otherwise it would end up a vocalized bunch of nonsense, a mix of English and Russian. And since it required conscious thought, which couldn't be spared if he was concentrating on what she was saying.

Finally, he inhaled and smiled as he worked his way through her language with ponderous thought and precision, "I can... work with almost anything. Ropes and chains are easy enough," Didn't even need his powers for those, for the most part, "I can work with locked safes and water tanks too, but those are usually for the bigger shows, since they take some setting up."

What... could he show her? Most of his skills relied on a little misdirection that was easier in a crowd, difficult in a one on one situation, since all of her focus would be on him. Not impossible. Just difficult.

"Well, I don't have anything on me, at the moment," He tilted his head, looking down at Vallie. He had been told to collar her or she would likely be impounded, and so he'd put a light chain around her neck, with a tag with his name and phone number on it in case she ran off and someone picked her up. He reached down and rubbed her ears, pulling the chain over her head, and wrapping it around his wrists, offering the choker end to Eva, "Pull it as hard as you can, make sure it's tight."


[User]
Mtruki was in the middle of his musings at first, but was soon brought out of it by the scent of something... odd. Say, what was that enticing scent? Mtruki quirked a hairless brow in intrigue as he used his long tongue to sniff at the air, sensing a smell akin to humans, only it was the smell of sweat as well. Delicious, liquid salt that was the product of baking in the heat and overworking one's self. A euphoric sense of calm overcame the snake the more he tasted that scent, almost growing another level of horny by the mental image alone. Mtruki smiled with a humble Mmmm in his voice. He wasn't expecting anyone to be having a nice little cook out at this time night! He would have to pay a visit and get a little taste test. If only he could figure who was making it...

Hmm. He slithered down from his tree, his long body dragging this way and that in a slow S pattern, spurred by his own interest in the scent of the human. If there was a human, there was a potential plaything---something to play with for months on end. He pouted as he slithered into view, curled around the tree trunk as he was, narrowing his eyes as he looked about. "Ssstrange, "He said aloud. "I thought I smelled something...?"

[Assistant]
The cool, humid night air felt heavy in her lungs as she lay in wait. The moon almost cooling the steam further, simple for the blue of its full light. The anticipation was nearly too much for her, as her muscles twitched under her silver fur. Gold eyes alert and bright, she stared in the direction of the scent she had picked up.

Keira lay quietly, patiently waiting for the large serpent to come into view. As it did, she stared in wonder at the impressive size of the scaled beast. Its blue and green scales gleamed under the moonlight like gems as it made its way closer to her. She held her breath in awe before snapping herself out of the trance. She watched as the great serpent entered the open area just beside her, lifted its head and flicked its tongue out, obviously searching for something. She leaped from her hiding place in front of the serpent with a growl and began slowly circling it.

"You're new to this territory." Keira said, licking her maw as she walked a circle around it. "What brings you to these parts?" She observed its large muscular body, the immense length of it, the soft scent of blood and musk of it, and the grace of its scales. It truly was an impressive creature.

[User]
Mtruki, at first, found no other souls in his line of sight. His massive tongue started out in a back and forth manner, hoping to catch more of the delicious scent that had been in the air minutes prior. And while it was indeed up and about in the air around his head, he still couldn't pinpoint an exact location. The python frowned in frustration, but didn't quite find any more strength in himself to search further. With his spirits dampened at the prospect of no toy, he turned and made to reenter his tree. It was only the speaking voice that drew his attention back down.

A tiger, it seemed, with a fur coat of blueish hue and a feminine air about it. Mtruki couldn't help but perk up in attracted interest at the physique of this feline; serpenet or not, it was not difficult for one of another species to turn him on. Though he preferred toys of the human nature with their supple flesh and expressive faces, he wouldn't let a cat toy pass him by either. And who knows? Most tigers weren't intelligent enough to make conversation with him, and yet she was fluent in speech. Maybe there was more to this strange tiger than she appeared...

"A fire, If I mussst sssay sssso..." Mtruki explained with the slightest tone of coyness. He didn't approach the tiger any more than where his current position was, but he did decide to test his hypnotic strength. A shift, invisible ring of blue flew from his left eye: encouraging her to step closer to the giant snake. A closer look would please him, he reckoned. "Raging through my jungle, I had no choice but thissss land..."

[Assistant]
Keira smiled, still circling the giant serpent, listening to their words for signs of lies. There were none in what they said. The memory of the smell of burning moss and trees tickled her nose and she sneezed a little at it. "I remember that fire. The smoke caused many issues for many days. I am sorry it swept through your home so viciously." Though she was sincere at the sympathy she felt for this snake losing it's home, had the fire never happened, it would not be here in her territory, about to become her pet.

She licked her lips a bit as she continued back around to be in front of the snake, and found herself circling closer and closer to it's large, muscular body. This creature truly was impressive, in size and stature. It also seemed much more intelligent than most others she had encountered. This pleased her greatly.

[User]
The hypnotic ring worked, earning him a closer look at the feline as she chose to circle and eye from all manner of angles. He fought the urge to narrow his eyes as he looked upon her in the same manner, for something was puzzling his massive brain. He'd heard of a tiger with orange fur, but with fur of a blue variety? Now that was only heard of for creatures that could shapeshift themselves. Mtruki blinked at the absurdity of that thought, but then quietly mused that he was a massive talking serpent to begin with and that maybe this possibility was possible as well. If there was a tiger form to this shapeshifter... perhaps there was a form even more appealing.

"It was quite a threat, for a time..." The huge snake said, giving her respectful eye contact. Such eye contact sent out more invisible rings, silently asking the supposed shapeshifter to relax herself into a more human form if possible. Casually, he kept up the conversation in the same best. "And may I ask who you are? I hardly ever get Tiger visitors."

[Assistant]
Meeting the gaze of the snake, she felt herself more at ease and still very interested. She continued to circle closer to the snake and found herself wanting to alter her form. Perhaps her human form would be more intimidating to him, as he was a creature of the rain forest, he likely hadn't seen a human before, or even had seen one and been made to fear them. In some odd way though, these thoughts made her uneasy. She shook her head to attempt to clear the feeling from her mind.

Slowing to a stop in front of the serpent, she looked into it's eyes with a grin as it asked her identity. It was too much to not change now, her pride took over at those words. Turning to face the snake, her body began to change as she spoke. Her fur receded, face shortened, legs shifted to arms, paws to hands and feet, even her tail became no more. "Who am I? Hahahaha. I am the ruler of this domain. I am the goddess among the forest, the strongest and most fearsome shape shifter. I am Keira Moonfang. And you, haha, you my friend, will be my new pet." By the time she finished speaking, she stood before the serpent in full human form, her golden eyes half lidded, with a smug expression.

[User]
Mtruki suspicions were proven true within a few short moments. Before his very eyes, the tigress began to morph and change her form into something more humanoid, then the fur was list for her to become an entirely human form. As his eyes carefully took note of her attractive physique and the naked spaces her clothing didn't cover up, he recalled hearing legends of shapeshifting creatures from beyond the edges of his own jungle and he always dismissed them as fairy tales. But soon he would get to screw his very own shapeshifter and hold all her delicious curves in his coils.

An improvised plan quickly popped in his mind as she finished her words, stating her obvious intentions for him. Mtruki found it all too ironic given what he had planned for her, but he never said much. He merely smiled in delight and said: "Keira Moonfang...? What a delight, to meet the famed Empress of legend!" He lied, but knew that flattery was as good as any way of appealing to someone. A brief slip of green flew to hopefully make sure she didn't care for the tail sliding onto her bare shoulders. He displayed his delight with massage there, pressing and kneading into her shoulder blades as well as the tops of her shoulders. Cool scales kissed across hot skin, dissolving the harder muscles in a more relaxed state and even popping different joints. He led wider as she continued, having thought of more flattery to lie about. "You wouldn't believe the tales of your graceful over the land where I came from, Missstressssss," He hissed sweetly, his new moniker for his ''master''. "Beasts of all sorts offered words of your awe-inspiring aura, and Now I can see it for myself!"

[Assistant] Her grin grew wider as the snake confirmed he knew her status and the fact that he had heard of her before. Clearly this was a very intelligent creature to submit so quickly. Her reputation truly did proceed her. Putting her hand on her chin, she regarded the snake carefully. "You are intelligent not to fight me on this. You will be treated with great care and will get many tributes of your own for having a place beside me." Her pride was evident in her tone as she spoke. She could feel the snake's cool tail curl behind her and began kneading into her shoulders. It felt good on her hot skin and the weight and strength of the tail helped ease her muscles some. "And you are wise to submit peacefully. I would hate to have to hurt you and try to find another creature to be my pet." Her smile widened a little more before speaking again. "I think you will enjoy living with me in my palace."