[User]
The young woman would have tilted her head after watching him zoom around her apartment, happy that he was happy in a way, yet when she noticed his figure change or darken it became apparent that she was alone in some manner with a magical being. It made her heart hurt to see him almost become angry, "I-I am sorry..." Her eyes of green showing much remorse and worry, "I am sorry... i didn't mean to offend you or hurt your feelings. I have been listening to you I don't want you to think that I have not been. I guess I mistook a few things..."

Her voice soft as she looked down at her arms, wrapping them around herself some, closing her eyes. "Y-your fine Faraz, you don't have anything to be sorry about. Your reaction was normal. I am glad to know that I can avoid certain things because this tells me at least a little bit."

She would have looked out the window now across the room and seeing the moon. "I wonder what the desert looks like at night..." She muttered some and then moved pulling her legs against her chest. "We are still getting to know one another so I don't expect too much smooth sailing although I would expect that hopefully we will find some ways to defuse situations... so that way the other would feel better some how."

Looking at him now she would have tilted her head, "You don't have to be upset... I am not going to do anything. Your reaction as much as you may not like hearing it was rather human in a way. Though it could just be your nature it was a genuine reaction. Same with what your doing now..." Eyes softly gazed over his form as she would have taken a deep breath.

"No I can't sleep and I might have to find something to read or might write a poem... I don't know..."

[Assistant]
Faraz was genuinely surprised to not hear a command banishing him from her sight. It would have been what he deserved, but his mistress was kind, and that made the genie love her (as a faithful servant loves their master) more. Although, he did see that she was very attractive, and he could certainly see himself falling in romantic love with her, although that would be very inappropriate, given their power dynamic, Faraz thought.

He listened to her speak without saying anything himself, although his ears pricked up when she sighed about the desert. He smiled at her when she called his reaction human. It had been a long time since anyone had called anything about him human.

"I have an idea," the Djinn finally spoke up after Kiya had finished speaking. "Allow me to tell you a story. After being around for so long, I am almost a library of my own, and I have read and told many tales. Allow Faraz the Fantastic to help you take your mind off of things," he concluded, looking hopefully at her. He already knew what story he would tell her if she said yes. Provided she did not have any requests for him, that is.

Perhaps to tempt her into saying yes, he subtly caused the air in the apartment to flow like a cool desert breeze at night, the faint scent of sand filled the space, and out of the corner of Kiya's eye, she would see the image of an oasis surrounded by palm trees and shrubs---an illusion of the genie's creation.

[User]
Kiya was softly moving her legs against her chest beneath the blankets as she felt the cool breeze which caused a reaction with her skin goosebumps moved over it and hidden some with the blanket her nipples had hardened some which caused a simple soft blush on her cheeks. Her eyes wide as she could see the oasis. It made her heart rush with some emotions and her mouth opened in surprise. "Yes please, Faraz I would love to hear a story from you."

It was very exciting and perhaps if she could she would have him do this for her every night because she was truly lonely and this felt new and very exciting. He seemed to care much like she did and it made her very happy to know. The way that everything was showing itself was like it had hints of her apartment but more so the illusion he had created for his now story.

That was something she was very much looking forward too. Taking some of her hair into her hands and braiding it idly like a child in a way she would have watched him now with the most beautiful and sweet smile, "you may begin whenever you desire to do so Faraz." She stated gently as she watched him with eager and soft eyes.

[Assistant]
"As my mistress commands," Faraz said. He had noticed her blush, but was not sure what might have caused it. She looked very cute, however, and the genie was suddenly glad that he was currently a miniature whirlwind from the waist down, because the suddenly erotic image was beginning to arouse him, and it would not do for his mistress to see him getting an erection over her. Not without permission, anyways.

As it was, he distracted himself by floating next to her and changing his illusion. He loved to use magic to help him tell his stories. "Long ago, in a faraway land, there was a certain man named Sinbad. Men called him Sinbad the Porter, for he walked around the city all day, carrying various goods to and fro. One day, he was asked to enter the mansion of a certain nobleman, who had been intrigued by Sinbad the Porter's curious life, and wished to know his story."

"Sinbad agreed, and began to speak before the noble and his guests. What he said is this: 'I am Sinbad, and I have been on seven journeys, each more wondrous and strange than the last. I was a noble much like yourself, and being one day filled with wanderlust, I sold my home and bought a merchant ship and goods. Bidding farewell to my relatives, I departed for distant lands.'" Thus Faraz began to tell of the First Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor. He spoke of his shipwreck, and of the many trials and tribulations that the man endured, before finally returning home with much treasure and fame. As the Djinn spoke, his magic shifted, showing Kiya the imagery as he described it. The story has been recorded in many books, but not even the most complete version of The Thousand Nights and a Night could hope to contain as many details as Faraz gave the story. The wind howled during the shipwreck, monsters roared, and laughter and music there was, also. The grass was the brightest green, the sea a brilliant blue, the sandy beaches a delightful gold.

This was why Faraz was truly called the Fantastic, and he was here at the height of his art, immeasurably pleased to have so eager a listener as Kiya. Eventually, however, his tale ended, as all stories do, and the genie looked at his mistress while delivering the final words: "And if you think that tale to be wondrous, you have only to wait until tomorrow night, when I shall tell you of 'The Tale of the Prideful Monkey'," mimicking what Scheherazade would always tell her husband at the end of each of her stories.

[User]
Kiya hung on every single word he had to speak to her as she pulled her legs against her chest. Her eyes wide when certain things happened. It was magical and special that he would choose to thrill her with stories her mother loved to tell her when she was a young child. "Oh my god Faraz!" She stated clapping after he was done, "That was fantastic and magical! Please tell me stories like that every night it's so amazing!" It was obvious there was a child like spirit within her now.

"My mother, bless her, would tell me these stories! Yet, I don't really recall all of those beautifully colorful details and specifics. I must've been too young but I do know that's how I fell in love with 1001 nights. Those are my favorite stories but I do love that the king fell in love Scheherazade that way." Moving her legs down she would show off her chest a little bit a lovely smile on her lips. She enjoyed the fact he had been so kind and sweet to tell her stories in order to get her mind off of the bad things.

"I love the magic and beauty I saw too. It made your telling so much more special and I even liked that your depiction of sinbad was almost blank so I could imagine what he looked like myself." She seemed so bright and full of beauty that it was hard not to notice. Her dark hair moved across her eyes a little bit but nothing like before. As she noticed it she would have pushed it back and then blushed some, "I cannot wait to hear you tell more."

A gentle yawn escaped her mouth as she felt the weight of not sleeping hit her some. Her eyes showing a little bit of her tired nature as she waited for his responses to come because that was something she was truly enjoying. He was so very animated and adorable to her. Yet, something about him was attractive and she couldn't put her finger on what that was specifically.

[Assistant]
Faraz was absolutely delighted to know that his mistress enjoyed his story. Not only in the 'mortals should listen and appreciate when a genie tells a story' sort of way, but also because she was his mistress, and he wanted her to be happy. That was his whole purpose in life---for as long as he was trapped in the servitude of his bottle, anyways.

He was used to humans fawning over him after he was done telling a story, but with Kiya it was different. The Djinn couldn't say why, but if asked, he would likely mention something about sincerity or something like that. He wasn't sure why, but although he normally graced mortals with one story only, he knew right away that he would willingly tell Kiya all of the stories he knew. Especially after she almost begged for him to tell her a story every night.

The genie blushed ever-so-lightly as his mistress continued to talk about her wonder and how much she appreciated him doing this for her. "I am very glad that you enjoyed the tale," Faraz said in the understatement of the decade. "Faraz the Fantastic would love to tell his mistress all the tales, stories, and fables that he knows," the Djinn added.

With a rakish twinkle in his eye, Faraz grinned as he saw Kiya pulling her legs out of the way, and he did not hide that he was looking at her breasts. "You know, storytelling can be the basis of some very interesting games. Perhaps my mistress would like to try one out sometime, since she is so fond of Scheherazade," he mentioned with a chuckle.

Then he noticed her yawn, and his playfulness immediately turned into concern. "But I have kept you awake for too long!" He quietly exclaimed. "Faraz shall now be silent and let his mistress sleep, unless she has other plans for him." The last part of his statement was inflected as more of a question, and the genie carefully watched his beautiful mistress for any sign of instruction.

[User]
Kiya would have watched him very happy that he was so happy at her compliments. Part of her didn't want to be a bad mistress to him but she truly didn't have any wishes more than the fact he was there spending time with her and she was loving every second of it. It had been so long since someone told her a story before bed she almost forgot what it felt like.

There was a rush or wave of emotions connected to it that she had not even expected to feel. It was like a warm blanket on a cold night just something to wrap you up and make you feel comfortable, safe warm and loved. Those were the feelings which were causing her to feel sleepy. Because she was feeling very content with him after being wrapped in a verbal blanket in a manner.

Brushing her hair back some with a sweet smile, "You are not keeping me awake Faraz, I am keeping me awake." She stated with a pure giggle. Her eyes searching him noticing his twinkle of his eyes some, "Perhaps one day we can play the games of which you speak I will gratefully accept them and play with you." Her voice lifted in tone showing her innocence and sweetness again.

"You may stay in bed with me until I am fully asleep. Either that or you may have the pull out from the sofa. It's no palace or anything fancy but it's comfortable and cool." She breathed yawning more and feeling her eyes rather heavy.

[Assistant]
"As my mistress desires," Faraz proclaimed. In his human form, he stood up from the couch and walked over to Kiya's bed. This, too, was a relatively new thing for him: it had been many, many centuries since he had last shared a bed with anyone in any situation, and longer still since the other person was a beautiful woman.

He gently and carefully climbed into the bed next to her, not caring that his nice clothes would become all rumpled and wrinkly. He laid himself down, and looked up at his mistress' back. "You shouldn't keep yourself awake for much longer, Kiya. You know that sleep is important for you mortals," the Djinn urged with some amusement in his voice, before proceeding with a more serious tone. "If you have more nightmares, Faraz will be here to keep you safe."

The genie was laying on his back, and while his arousal from before had receded, if Kiya were to look carefully, she would still be able to see traces of a bulge. the only way to hide it, however, was for Faraz to turn on his side, which would put his back to his mistress---something he did not want to do (symbolism being important among the Djinn).

Kiya was so pure, and Faraz was drawn to it like a moth to flame. Perhaps that was a bad analogy, as he did not think that his time in service to Kiya would destroy him, but the premise of some sort of attraction was the same. The genie wasn't used to having actual feelings about people, given that he had been locked away for a thousand years. It was nice, he supposed, but also confusing. Spending the night in his mistress' bed certainly would not help matters, either.

[User]
Kiya would have laid down facing him some as she would have listened to his words, "I hope that you honestly enjoy being around me in the future but for now I won't argue." She stated softly having watched and noticed said bulge. It made her curious why he would get flustered in such a way around her. She hadn't done anything more than be herself with nightmares.

The young woman would have curled up some and began to play with her pillow case in some of her fingers rubbing it. It was a childish thing to do but it showed her innocence to him even more. As she finally allowed sleep to take her again. This time it would have come easier than before with less fight especially with such an amazing story having been told to her.

Kiya was loving that Faraz was with her and an amazing story teller. It made her heart light and her excitement grow. Her lips parted as she went into a deeper form of sleep. Her mind finally shutting down and focusing on some unique fun dreams that involved Faraz and herself.

It had been a while since she fell asleep. Eight hours or so and the sun was already peeking through the windows. Gently she would inhale deeply and very softly open her eyes. Not having a nightmare but not realizing that in her sleep she had gotten closer to Faraz than she originally though. Her mouth opened some as she closed it quick. Softly moving away from him now with a gentle blush creeping over her cheeks.

[Assistant]
Faraz slept well, far better than many nights of his long imprisonment, anyways. Genies did dream, after a fashion, but not like wortal dreams. They were more involved, as if the dreamer were actually awake.

The genie dreamt of many things, but none so dark and troubling as those he started receiving around eight-hundred and fifty years into his imprisonment. Faraz guessed that sleeping with his mistress beside him helped greatly in that regard.

He was woken up by Kiya as she pulled herself away from him after waking herself. The Djinn kept his face neutral, although his body mourned the loss of touch. He definitely noted her blush, and found it difficult to keep a straight face when he also registered that certain parts of him reacted to Kiya's closeness more than others.

"Good morning, Kiya," Faraz began gently, unsure about where to go now that his mistress had removed herself from him (likely having been able to feel his... what did mortals call it? Morning wood?). "May Faraz the Fantastic be of any service this morning?" The Djinn formally asked, his voice revealing no hint of his inner turmoil.

Regardless of how any part of him may be feeling, it was not the genie's place---as the servant---to initiate anything. Kiya must lead in all things, and Faraz would follow. Such is the life of a faithful servant. Of course, if his mistress did not cease to be so adorably innocent, Faraz would have a difficult time sticking to that rule.

[User]
Kiya would have gasped when she heard him awake having felt his unique situation which had shocked her because part of her wondered why that was a thing because he was a mystical being. Her eyes soft as she sat back and brushed her thick black hair back some, "Morning Faraz." She stated in reply to him gently with a blush.

Licking her lips she would reach above her and stretch some, "Are you hungry?" She asked wondering if he would eat or anything of that nature. Her green eyes now looked out of the window near the opposite side of her bed. It was past him and wondering if she would be allowed to ask him things based on different preferences. It wouldn't hurt but it wouldn't be appropriate in her mind to do so at all.

Softly moving out of her bed now she would look over her shoulder at him opening the door to her closet and walking inside of it. Moving clothes around as she checked the time it was still very early. She also didn't have any classes today but she would have to get a head start on her reading thankful the idiots didn't take her books. Taking a breath she picked out an outfit placing it draped over her arm.

Taking them into he bathroom she left the door cracked as she would toss her sleeping clothes into a hamper she had in the bathroom, being fully nude and turning on the shower would make the scent of lavender and vanilla all the more present in the room because of the cracked door. If he wanted to be nosey he would be able to see her curvy silhouette in the door crack and in the mirror of her dresser.

She washed her self taking her time but listening to hear any of his words.

[Assistant]
Faraz saw her blush, which caused him to wonder what caused it. It was this line of thought that saw him realize what his member was doing, and he blushed himself. "I am terribly sorry, Mistress," the genie began. "This is not usually a problem. Human bodies have human affects, you see---or feel, as this case may be." Any thoughts of needing sustenance were driven away by his breach of captive genie propriety. "No, I am not hungry, thank you," he politely declined.

The Djinn wondered if he had been a slave too long. Any free genie would not have been so embarrassed about sporting arousal in the presence of a beautiful member of the opposite sex (or the same sex; some genies were known to swing that way). But Faraz had been enslaved for many, many centuries, and it was definitely getting to him. It was just as certain, however, that not all of the effects of his long imprisonment would appear at once.

The Djinn watched curiously as Kiya retrieved a set of clothes from her closet and walked over to the bathroom. He figured that she wanted some privacy to change. When she left the door cracked, Faraz became confused. That confusion only intensified when the genie heard lots of running water. What was she doing in there? He walked over to the door to investigate, peering through the crack just in time to see his mistress' naked and beautifully-curved form step into the shower.

Hurriedly shutting his eyes, Faraz stepped away from the door, though the vision lingered in his mind. Mortal plumbing had certainly advanced while the genie was away, that was for sure. Perhaps the morning habits of humans had, as well. The last time people bathed regularly when Faraz was around, it was almost always after exercise, and never the first thing in the morning.

He did not stray too far from the bathroom, however, as he still had a question to answer. "For the most part, I don't need to eat. I get energy from the movement of my element, so a stiff breeze is like breakfast to me. However, I can derive some energy from food, and I absolutely do enjoy how it tastes," the Djinn explained, speaking louder so that Kiya could hear him over the water. "So I might eat later, if that is alright?"

[User]
Kiya would have heard his words about his arousal first thing in the morning, it was something which of course had shocked her but also didn't seem to super bother her as she spoke out through the door, "Faraz, its okay I asked you to become human in the first place and I understand. I am sorry if that bothers you though and you may take your old form if you so choose." She stated softly. "However, it doesn't bother me now that I know." A soft giggle heard from her as she would have continued to rinse herself some.

She was just allowing herself time to thoroughly wake up. It wasn't hard but she wanted to make sure she could focus in the kitchen to make food for them both. Her eyes searching around as she would have taken a deep breath. "It's too bad your not hungry. I tend to make some pretty interesting meals first thing in the morning. Depends upon my mood mostly but it is something not to miss. Although, with you basically getting energy from the wind I can understand that."

At this point the scent of lavender and vanilla would be rather strong because it was coming from her body wash which she was using to cleanse her form. Taking the sponge and lathering it up to wash down her curved figure. Then rinsing off with a pleasurable sigh. One that might be heard by him but she wasn't expecting him to hear it.

Another smell of only lavender came from her shampoo which she used for her hair and washed it just as thoroughly as her body. Rinsing off and then after that was done she stepped out of the shower grabbing a bath sheet and wrapping the soft material around her curvy figure. "I plan on making something with eggs and tuna. I know people probably think I am weird but its something that gives plenty of energy first thing in the morning. I won't mind if you eat later just means I will have to make a little bit more than normal."

[Assistant]
Faraz took her comment as command, and whenever Kiya saw him next, he would be in his natural form. She may have said that it did not bother her, but it did bother the genie, which was enough. He zoomed around the apartment again---the genie equivalent of stretching one's legs---and returned to his post by the door. He nearly missed her comment about her interesting breakfasts, but he reached the door just in time to catch it.

"I wouldn't want to rebuff your hospitality," the Djinn replied to his mistress. "If you would be so kind as to make some extra for your humble servant, Faraz will eat it a bit later," he continued. He liked lavender, it reminded him of some others he used to know. Vanilla, on the other hand, called back to the rough time he had endured sailing with a merchant back in what people were now calling the 'Dark Ages'. It was unpleasant to remember, but he would endure.

"I have no complaints with eggs and tuna, it used to be a popular breakfast combination many centuries ago," Faraz said. He then grew visibly distracted, hovering over to the window and staring out of it for a minute or so, his eyes looking out at the other buildings without really focusing on them. After a moment, he shook his head like a dog might, and left the window.

He floated next to the couch, looking over at his mistress. "What is the plan for today?" The Djinn inquired, wondering if she perhaps had something for him to do today.

[User]
Kiya had a gentle smile as she would start to dry off from the shower. Standing in the right spot to show off her form again it was unintentional but beautiful to watch. As she dried her hair she would respond, "Today is going to be a relatively small day. I just need to read before classes tomorrow; whether or not we go over chapters tomorrow makes no difference I would like to have a leg up on it, as they say."

Her eyes focused on the spots of hair that had decent amounts of water still in them. Taking the towel and making sure to dry it out as best as she could do. Her eyes glowing some as she then continued, "I plan to go to the store for groceries and things like that to make food. I also plan to listen to another one of your amazing stories tonight." When she spoke about the stories her voice was sweet and childlike in a way that was flattering. She just wished she could let her servant of sorts have free will and drive to do things he wanted on his own.

Looking down some at the counter she leaned forward, "I may need some help too we will see." She stated quietly but it was still enough he would be able to hear it. Her mouth closed as she would have felt a shiver run over her body. It caused her body to react to the cold nipples being perky and her skin rippled with goosebumps. Why did it just feel like someone had walked over her grave.

[Assistant]
This time, Faraz did not look away when Kiya put herself on display. He remained in his natural form, however. He smiled when she spoke of wanting to do well in her studies. "That is an admirable habit to have," he commented. "Intelligence is always something to strive for."

The Djinn nodded when she mentioned going to the store. "I would very much like to see if markets have changed at all," Faraz mentioned. "They had barely done so any of the other times I have been out of the bottle, but I have seen so many changes all around me since you released me, I am wondering if markets have, as well." He smiled a large, dazzling smile when his mistress said she wanted another of his stories. "To hear is to obey," he replied, already thinking about which tale to tell.

The genie's sensitive ears picked up on her quieter comment as well. "My mistress knows that she has only to say the word, and Faraz the Fantastic shall be ready to help with any need," he reassured her, unsure what the help may be, but willing to provide it regardless.

Then he thought about a desire of his own. "I don't want to ever leave you alone," the genie prefaced his request, "but I would like to see if there are any new stories to learn. I used to say that I know all the tales that have been told under Heaven, but in a thousand years, doubtless new ones have been written. I would seek them out, if I may."


[User]
"I've heard before I passed out... I have no idea what actually happened. Just heard that Brian guy tear into you because you didn't have a pack anymore. That's how I knew about you and him... had I passed out slightly sooner, I would still have had no idea... can you imagine how incompetent I was at my former duty? I had no clue for years, and only showed up at the party because of online gossip that I figured was of interest, and you know how it ended..." It was easy to stand up. While she was hungry, she could still count on her fast healing.

"Understood. I will go for a light snack then, if you do not mind, I am really, really, really hungry after everything that happened. Don't worry, I am quite sure my legendary bad luck will not follow me here and that whatever flammable things you own will not suddenly ignite. Yes, flammable things igniting for no apparent reason was a common occurrence around me... and if it does happen again, fire will be the least of your worries and my death is virtually guaranteed..." She did not explicitly say it, but her meaning was clear. She had already been a disappointment well before breaking her Covenant, so her parents had no idea where she was. It was likely no one even realized she had been missing. She headed to the kitchen, to find whatever food would fill her that she would not need to cook. She was very hungry. The "beast" had allowed her full access to food... and to the beast's surprise, Alicia's "light snack" had been bigger than what was called "a meal" for two werewolves, and Alicia showed no indication in her behavior that anything was unusual. And to her, it wasn't, it was a pretty typical "light snack" like she always had right after her "accidents".

[Assistant]
Sebastian did not comment on her talking about flammable things or her death, but he did frown at it. "You shouldn't talk so badly about yourself," he said a few moments later as he followed behind her as she went to the kitchen to get something to eat. "I am sure that everything is going to be fine while you are here." The amount of food Alicia was eating was both amusing and surprising to Sebastian and he made a mental note to go to the store sometime this week. He needed to go soon anyhow, but with her eating like this, maybe he would have to go a little sooner than planned.

"Anyway, I'll take you to wherever you live sometime this week so we can get you clothes and whatever you need while you're staying here." Honestly, he had no idea how long he was going to have her stay with him. Alicia could not be released back into the public without him being around else she may spread news of his werewolfness and cause him issues. But then again, he supposed death would not be that bad of a thing. His family was gone so it's not like he had anyone else to care or worry for him. He just didn't feel like he was ready to go yet. But when the time came for his life to end, he wouldn't fight it. As Sebastian spoke, he leaned his shoulder against the door frame of the kitchen and leaned against it.

[User]
Alicia didn't comment on how the beast told her about her low self-esteem. Was he taunting her about how she had broken her Covenant? "Right, odds are pretty low."

"I think this would be a bad idea. Unless you want to suffer severe burns from an propane blowtorch used for melting silver spontaneously turning on while you walk near it, and then have your flesh perforated by bits of silver precisely 7.62 millimeters in diameter as hand loaded rounds fire at the right time to hit you for no apparent reason, and if you want this to happen to you I can't stop you. Somehow, I think in this specific case, my bad luck would be contagious." Alicia didn't know why she had mentioned that. She was already damned as she fell by breaking her Covenant, breaking the oath she made while begging for mercy by leading the beast she made the oath to into what she knew would likely turn into an impromptu ambush would not add much to her punishment, at least not anything she hadn't already lost. Maybe she was still somehow clinging to what purpose her life had before even though she knew she had already damned herself. Maybe she still had some respect for the Covenant that gave them the ability to ease the fears of the innocent through fighting back the darkness everywhere it appeared, even though she disgraced herself already. She didn't know.

[Assistant] Sebastian gave her a curious look, confused by why she knew this down to the size of the holes the silver would make. "So I shouldn't take you home to get stuff, then? You can borrow some of my stuff I guess." Surely, he had some extra clothing that would fit her. Sebastian was fairly bulky with muscle, so everything would be big on her, but maybe he had some things that were too small for him that wouldn't be so baggy on her. He'd have to check later though. The werebeast walked into the kitchen and opened the cabinet, pulling out a granola bar, opening it, and taking a bite. Seeing Alicia eating made him remember that he had also not eaten breakfast and he was a tad hungry. As he ate, he hopped up and sat on the counter. "Well, we are going to be living together for a while now, so we might have to take a trip to the store to get you stuff like a toothbrush and what not. My family used to keep extra ones in the bathroom so I may have a few. But the point is, you're going to be staying here and I want you to be comfortable."

[User] Alicia was just stunned by the curious look. Did the beast just pretend to be clueless? "I know 7.62 millimeters is more of a Russian thing and NATO uses 5.56 millimeters rounds in their ARs, but seriously? Most hunters who use guns have chosen that caliber as their go-to first option for "wolf hunting"..." She was surprised at what looked like a surprisingly mundane food for a beast. "Right, keeping me comfortable." There was no sarcasm in her tone. It did make sense, since the beast had accepted her plea for mercy. Of course he would want to keep the strain on his packmother as low as possible. Offspring were healthier the less the mother was strained during pregnancy, it probably also applied to mutts too... becoming a packmother looked like it was going to turn surprisingly mundane... "I don't need much, just decent hygiene supplies, enough food to not starve, and a bit of attention every now and then... though I liked that blanket, it was warm and soft... and I don't really have medical needs. I pretty much never get sick. I think I was 10 the last time I caught a cold. I am 19 now. I didn't even get the muscle aches in the arm people get after receiving their vaccines..."

[Assistant]
Sebastian was not very familiar with guns, as his family did not have the need to use them, nor did they hunt for sport. His pack was a relatively gentle one. Some packs would hunt their own food, other would kill deer for sport, but his family, aside from his uncle bringing home the occasional rabbit for rabbit stew, his family never really hunted anything. So, Sebastian didn't inquire further on the gun and bullets thing, but nodded his head to her request for basic hygiene supplies.

"We can go to the store tomorrow or something and get you the stuff you need. For now, you can just use my soap for showering and I have toothpaste and an extra toothbrush. You can also take that blanket into your room with you, if you'd like. I never use it. I wish I was that healthy, though. I get colds sometimes." By now, the man had finished his snack, so he stood up and tossed the wrapper in the trash, then stretched his arms above his head. After yawning, he took out his phone to see what time it was, then returned it to his back pocket after seeing it was early afternoon. He was a little sleepy from staying up all night, but he often pulled all-nighters when he was in a video game kick or the sort so he was used to it. "So, do you still feel sick from when Brian drugged you or do you feel okay now?" Unsure about it at first, Sebastian reached his hand out and put it on Alicia's forehead to see if it was warm or not, checking for a fever. He wasn't too sure about the action, as he didn't want to freak her out.

[User] "Right." She'd get what she needed very soon. "You're not the only one. I made a lot of the girls jealous when I overheard one complain of how painful her periods were. I had no idea they were supposed to be painful." To be honest, she didn't feel sick anymore. "I feel like whatever he put in my drink, I never actually drunk it. Apparently, I don't take that stuff as well as alcohol though. I crush everyone in drinking contests, and it got me easy pocket change. I started doing these when one guy challenged me to drink more of the bottle than him. Drunk the bottle in one go, thinking it was water. Apparently, good quality vodka has no taste. Everyone in the room just looked at me weirdly afterwards, and I had no idea why. Just like my periods, I later learned that drinking one liter of vodka without even getting tipsy was not normal. But people usually declare me the winner right here and then when I finish the bottle. And I also learned much later in life that not even noticing a wasp sting also wasn't normal. When people looked at me weirdly for shooing a wasp with sudden hand motions and getting repeatedly stung in front of their eyes. But you will need me healthy, so I would like to shower, brush my teeth and sleep..." Taking a shower, and putting on borrowed clothes was easy enough, but sleep was the part that Alicia dreaded. She had been haunted by nightmares, and sure enough, she was back to being trapped in a burning wreckage, begging her mother to get her out of there... this time she screamed in her sleep, in the middle of the night. Explicitly begging someone to let her out before she burned to death, screaming in agony... the nightmare wasn't waking her up this time, and if left alone, would scream again every time she was back in her REM sleep phase.

[Assistant]
Honestly, Sebastian was a little impressed that she could drink so much alcohol in one go. He had prided himself in how much he was capable of drinking, but it was impressive to find that she was capable of even more than him. As for the rest, he wasn't so sure about, especially the period part. Never having to endure one himself, he wasn't sure what they would feel like other than that girls just generally did not enjoy them. Somewhere, he had heard that some hunters may have started to evolve special abilities, and he was wondering if maybe Alicia had one that she was unaware of or something. But he wasn't sure if that was even true or not, so he didn't bother to mention it.

Upon her request, Sebastian showed her where the soaps, towels, toothpastes, etc., were and told her she could use them as she wanted. He also retrieved her a pair of sweatpants that were too small on him and a t-shirt, both of which he was sure might still be too big for her. Then, when she went to bed, he did as well exhausted from not sleeping the night before, only to be awoken in the middle of the night to screaming. At first, he wasn't sure what it was, but then he remembered that he had Alicia in the other room and jumped up, sprinting across the hallway and into her room. Relief swept over him when he realized she was okay, just having a nightmare.

"Hey," he said, shaking her shoulder to wake her up. "Hey, you need to wake up. Alicia, wake up. You're dreaming." The wolf man didn't want her to endure a night like this, and he also knew he wouldn't be able to sleep through this, so it would be beneficial to both to get her to wake up. "Alicia!"

[User] Alicia woke up as she felt she was being shaken. As reality asserted itself again, she realized that the beast had been the one to wake her up... In the middle of the night. "Do you need something from me?" She asked in ragged breaths. That nightmare had been more intense than usual... she had apparently been screaming in her sleep. "It... it is probably gonna be a regular occurrence... I have had nightmares for a long time... as I narrowly escaped being burned alive in a car wreck... I don't remember a lot about it... I know how I survived, breaking the window, which got me severe cuts on my hand... and crawling out... before passing out and waking up in a hospital ward. Lucky me got the consolation prize that somehow, I didn't get that bad of a scarring from it... It's easily noticeable, but I am not disfigured... I don't really remember much about how it happened..." The beast's side of the bargain she made was to at least pretend he cared... "Can I have a hug please?"

[Assistant]
As much as he didn't want to leave her to have nightmares all the time, he wasn't going to be able to come in and wake her up every night unless she was screaming. Hopefully she wouldn't scream often, Sebastian liked his sleep and it would be hard to wake up every night to shake her out of the dream. Because of earlier, Sebastian was aware that the girl didn't have any weapons. He had searched her earlier and still had confiscated the silver knife and other cutlery, so he was willing to give her another hug. After placing himself on the bed beside her, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight, but careful not to hurt her.

"I'm sorry you have nightmares. If there's a way for me to help, let me know," he said softly as they hugged.

[User]
Alicia returned the hug. Here the beast was, and it almost felt like he was protecting her... Which in a way he was. He needed his packmother healthy in order for her to give him healthy offspring... and he offered to help her... The beast probably meant it on some level, realizing that keeping her happy would make her more docile...

"I know it won't matter much, but would you mind getting me my coursework when you go back to school? I know you don't really want to let me out more than strictly necessary, but I always liked chemistry... I'll miss the teachers showing pride in my accomplishments though... I wasn't a disappointment to them, quite the opposite... I just never could be part of the first and last line of defense against the darkness, the one reason why the innocent can live a life without worrying of the terrifying monsters living in their midst... instead I offered myself to the darkness just to save my life..." She had turned her back on all that she was. She wanted the beast to hurt her. Just do whatever he wanted with her, and make it painful, so she would fear for her life and well being. Instead the beast let her think about how she had betrayed humanity, and she could never escape it, which was painful on a deeper level. Alicia sobbed again...

[Assistant] "You can still come to school. We can just go and come home together, but I guess I'll also be keeping an eye on you to make sure you are not talking to any other hunters." Sebastian let go of the hug but kept sitting on the bed for right now so they could talk. She still didn't understand that he wasn't out to hurt her, it seemed, and he sighed when she began to cry again. Gently, he put his hand on her arm. "Werewolves are not monsters like you think. We don't go out of our way to hurt people or kill or eat people or whatever else you are thinking. I am nothing but a human that can turn into a big dog, basically. The only difference is that I can turn into a wolf. I do not want to hurt people, kill people, or eat people. I am not a monster, Alicia. I don't know what you were told and what you think, but that's not true. I am different but I am not evil."

[User] "Thank you. I will not tell anyone." Alicia listened to the beast... "You did take me here. Instead of calling 911. You wanted a packmother and thought I would make a decent one. And you accepted my pleas for mercy, keeping me healthy so I could replenish your pack... leaving me aware that I will bear offspring that will terrorize humans... I was supposed to be the first and last line of defense against those that would hurt humans, and I betrayed my kind just to survive, selling my soul... my parents were right, they made a mistake when they gave me life... they were the ones who made sure humans were safe, I was just a liability..." Alicia was sobbing again.

[Assistant] "No, I didn't bring you here so you could be a 'packmother'. There is no such thing as that," Sebastian found himself growing increasingly frustrated. Did she think he was just going to replace his pack? His family? That they were just recyclable beings that could be so easily replaced? "I am not going to use you to re-make my pack. They were my family, I can't just replace them! They were my parents and my uncle and my cousin and they are not just interchangeable creatures! I am not keeping you here because I want to hurt you or make children, I am keeping her so I can make sure you don't get me killed. I don't want to die yet!" Sebastian's frustration was clear in his voice. "Humans are never going to be safe and it's not because of people like me, it's because of other humans. Humans can be bad, and werewolves can be bad, or humans can be good and werewolves can be good, but neither species is made to be evil, they just happen to turn out that way. I am not going to hurt you. I am not going to use you to remake a pack. I am only keeping you here so I can make sure I am safe."

[User] "Your kind made a pact with darkness to become the apex predator! Power to enjoy the thrill of the hunt, hunting the most dangerous and elusive prey! To see the fear in their eyes, to smell their fear as they know they will die and no one is going to save them! But hunters swore by the Covenant to be the ones who would be there to save them! So that one day, no one would have to know they will die in horrible pain, that there will be no escape, no one to rescue them! They... we... swore to protect people from that!" Alicia sounded more and more hysterical as she talked about an impending, slow and horribly painful death that no one was there to rescue people from, poking and prodding at her burn scars without even being aware she was doing it.

[Assistant] "No, that's not true. We don't hunt things for the hell of it, and we don't want to make things suffer like that. There's no 'pact with the darkness,' either. I mean, sometimes we might hunt deer or something, but it's no different than when humans do it. We don't make the animal suffer and we use its meat for food, rather than let it rot in the forest. We aren't going to hunt people, either. There's no reason to. We are not monsters. We are just people, too, Alicia. I am just like you, okay? I have feelings and morals and dreams and aspiration. I am still a living, thinking person, just like you and everyone other human, and the other wolves are like that, too. Yes, there are some that are more bad than others, but it's the same with humans. Werewolves are not different than people, other than the turning into a wolf thing, okay? I can turn into a wolf and that doesn't make me a monster. It just makes me different."

[User] Alicia simply curled up. She knew exactly what she was dealing with, and how she broke her Covenant, and the beast was trying to convince her she had made the right choice... That helping him spread terror and misery out of self preservation was a good thing, a moral thing even... she was familiar with helplessness. She had offered herself to the beast, condemning people to the same helplessness she felt when she had been about to die and no one to save her, all at the hand of the mutts she would birth... she had joined the darkness she has sworn to protect others from, no matter the sweet words the beast was speaking, she knew exactly what she had done... and how there was no forgiveness for her sins... she had fallen. She looked at the back of her left hand. An easy to see burn scar... "I... I condemned people to my helplessness... I should have let you kill me instead of begging for my life... I should have died with a clean conscience..." Alicia cried again, looking straight her burn scar.

[Assistant] "I don't have any intention of killing, nor have I ever," Sebastian said with a sigh. He gently pushed her down so she was laying in the bed, then took the blanket and pulled it up over her. "I am not going to hurt you and I'm not a monster. I don't know if you are ever going to understand that, but I can try to show it to you. But you need to calm down. You've been upset all day and all night." Sebastian laid his hand on her shoulder after she was tucked in and attempted to calm her. When she was upset like this, he knew that his words probably weren't going to do anything, and she had probably been told all her life these tales of the wolves. He's have to work hard to convince we otherwise, that wolves weren't as awful as she though.

[User]
Alicia nodded without a word. "Could you please make me these "toaster waffles" you offered me yesterday for breakfast tomorrow?" The beast needed her after all. And she then cried as she fell asleep. Images of her puppies bringing back a young couple with a child to her had haunted her dreams... she could see the last of her humanity had been stripped from her dream self long ago as she beamed proudly at her puppies and joined them in their post hunting ritual, the worthless prey crying and begging her to spare the life of their young being so beneath them... she realized... she had become them... she did not even recognize the humans as what she used to be... She was just a beast that couldn't transform now, and though she couldn't hunt herself, having birthed many werewolf puppies, she was an honorary beast now, and she saw herself as one of them... they weren't 'mutts' anymore, they were 'puppies'... and all of her burn scars were gone, the last trace that she could, at one point, understand how helplessness felt... She had felt sick as she woke up...

She wished she could have her recurring nightmare back. At least she still recognized herself in the old nightmare... that thing may have worn her flesh, but it wasn't her and yet at the same time it was her... she didn't even dare getting out of the warm, soft blankets... she didn't dare look at her hand to know whether or not the scar was gone as it had in her nightmare as she slept... the thing terrified her. The idea that she had discarded her very self so thoroughly when she pleaded the beast to spare her... and she hungered again, meaning she couldn't stay in bed... it was obvious she had cried again, and had slept rather poorly...

"I'm okay, I just get burned alive over and over again in my nightmares... Burning to death is a horrible way to go... and even surviving it leaves scars. And the ones on your flesh aren't even the worst ones..." she preemptively lied. She so wished it was true, that she had indeed had her old recurring nightmare... with how disgusted Alicia felt at herself, she didn't know how she could even eat... the waffles tasted delicious at the very least as she ate a large but reasonable amount of food for a human... the previous day's "light snack" (that was the size of a meal for two wolves) had apparently been a one off. And finally she dared look at the back of her hand, and let out a relieved sigh as the scar was still there, just the way she had remembered it.

[Assistant]
Sebastian promised her he would make the Toaster waffles she requested and left her sleep alone and returned to his own room to sleep as well. In the morning, he peeked his head in her room and saw that she was awake, so he went into the kitchen and started to prepare the waffles she wanted. By the name she came out of her room and into the kitchen, he had the waffles made and placed them on a plate in front of her with some syrup, if she so wished to have it. She looked quite awful, and he expressed his concern, but was greeted that she was only having those nightmares over and over again. There wasn't anything he could do about her dreams, although he wished there were something he could do to calm her and make her understand that wolves are not like what she thinks they are.

"We can go to the store today to pick you up some things so you'll be ready for school tomorrow," he suggested, thinking that maybe changing it up and going to do something would be good for her well being. Just sitting here and moping wasn't going to do her any good, and he wanted to try and open her mind to new ideas. Ideas that showed that wolves weren't monsters.

[User]
"Right, that would be a good thing to be done." A shopping trip for essential supplies was not usually something she enjoyed. But she would need soap, food, clothes, school supplies, wipes to clean blood off herself in case of an emergency... dressing was easy enough, even with the borrowed clothes that were not really her size...

Passing next to the plush toys aisle felt like she was hit. She had made it her goal that once she had made it on her own, she would buy a plushie, she could never have one growing up, and it seemed an important milestone, a symbol that her life was her own, that she could make her own choices... she quickly went looking at the plushies, a longing, melancholic look in her eyes... it may have seemed ironic that she had been glancing at a Siberian wolf plushie, considering her occupation, but she knew actual wolves were just normal animals, the beast were just a twisted mockery preying on the primal fears humans had of such efficient hunter species... She would never have her plushie now, a simple yet powerful symbol of everthing that life denied to her... after fixing the plushie for five minutes, she turned away. She wouldn't cry. Everything her body needed, was about to be bought, alongside whatever the beast figured he needed...

[Assistant]
While they were at the store, Sebastian noticed that Alicia seemed to have taken a liking to some Plushie. He didn't know why, or if it had any significance, as it was a wolf, but he just watched her for a bit, curious. When she walked away, he grabbed it and stuck it in the bottom of the basket he was carrying that was starting to become full of various care products for the human he was now living with. Maybe if her got her this, it would help her stay calm or something. Keeping her calm seemed to be a challenge so far and he was willing to try things and see what worked. So far, hugs seemed to kind of work as a temporary fix. Hugs and toaster waffles.

As they walked through the store, he put things she would need in the basket and bought them, then took her back to the car, all the while attempting to hide the plushie wolf he had snagged off the shelf. When they reached the car, he put all the bags in the back seat except for the one with the wolf in it. Then, when he got into the driver's seat and Alicia was in the passenger seat, he handed the bag over. "I saw that you were looking at this, so I got it for you."

[User]
Alicia looked curiously as the beast handed her a bag... and as she looked in it, she came face to face with the plushie she had been eying! It didn't make sense! It was something she had been denied growing up, as "her duties didn't leave time for such frivolities.", and "she had to focus on her mission, she was one of the chosen, called to battle the darkness so that others would enjoy the light". She didn't need a stuffed animal, it wasn't something that would kill her if she didn't have access to it! And it had turned into such a symbol that her life had been her own, not her parents'...

She never expected to be allowed to have one by the beast no matter how well she behaved, she had offered him her life in desperation and he had taken it, so why did he... it didn't make sense! "Thank you!" She would have hugged the beast if he wasn't driving, so instead she hugged the plushie... "What name should the plushie get? I mean, Wolfie might be a bit cliché since it is a wolf plush... maybe "Journey"? A wolf that was electronically tracked to study wolves' migration patterns and whom has made the journey from Wallowa Mountains to the Rogue River... do you know any other famous wolves?" Alicia looked truly happy as she had finally fulfilled one of her dreams... part of her knew she would pay the price later, especially since she was fraternizing with a beast, but right now she enjoyed her first plushie... she would deliver the beast a crushing hug as soon as they were out of the vehicle...

[Assistant] Seeing how happy she got over having the stuffed animal put a smile on Sebastian's face as he drove. He had aimed to make her happy and it seemed like the goal was reached. "I don't know any famous wolves, personally. The only one I can think of is named Wolf and he's from a video game," Sebastian said as he drove. "But it's your wolf now, so name it whatever you want." The wolfman had no idea why such a thing was making her so happy, it was just a silly plushie of a wolf, but her happiness seemed to make him happy and that was all that mattered. Once they reached the house, he got out and opened the back door of the vehicle to get the bags of things out.


[User]
Viktoria rolled out of the pitiful excuse for a gravity couch and straightened up in her bare, minimalist studio. Wearing a basic black bralette and a comfy pair of cotton panties, she padded into her small bathroom. and stood looking up at the ceiling as she relieved the morning pressure. The hollow sounds echoing in the bathroom were still a bit disturbing to her and she found herself, again, questioning human values. Still, observation and data collection were her job and there were plenty of luxuries she could enjoy.

Quickly, she tucked her panties back into place and moved into her kitchenette where she popped some bread into the only device inside it, the toaster, then opened the fridge and took out a bottle of green, glowing pills. Fishing one out of the bottle, she quickly reached around back and slipped the suppository in with practiced ease. She mused at how much easier it was now that she had this body. Taking the toast as it popped up, she moved into the main area and put the bed away. This allowed access to the small closet she now maintained and she let her eyes run along the small selection of clothes.

Minutes later, she was dressed in a black long-sleeve shirt that contoured her curvy figure, gray jeans that hugged her wide hips, and jewel color flip-flops that were still the only thing she fond comfortable on her feet. She twisted her long, purple hair up into a rough bun and set it in place with a long, metal hairpin. Looking herself up and down in the mirror, she blanched and pulled a face. She knew that the way the shirt stopped just millimeters above the waist of the jeans was appealing as it flashed bits of pale flesh and the way the clothes hugged her form fit the local norms of beauty, but it still wasn't the body she was used to. Finally, she grabbed her 'phone,' messenger bag, and the large earphones, which got wrapped around her neck, and stepped out of her apartment into the hall.

Shortly after that, Viktoria strode into her favorite cafe, her head bopping along to some rather obscure music, and approached the counter, "Yo... curious phrase, 'yo.' Whatever. Yo, Jenna. I'll take the usual... vanilla latte. Coffee's pretty wonderful, eh? Not as good as a fresh cup of Lho, but it'll do. Hmm, and a couple of those orange scones, yeah? Got any butter back there?" As always, when she ordered, she had pulled the headphones off her ears to wrap around her neck as she ordered, but the thumping, siren-like sound was loud enough that Viktoria could still bop her head in time to it. The music was rarely the same style of music twice as far as anyone could tell, but Viktoria always seemed to be enjoying it. Today, it seemed to be some type of heavy, death metal stuff. Viktoria arched her neck side to side and rubbed her traps to ease the morning ache out of them.

[Assistant]
The cafe had a healthy assortment of peculiar regulars, Viktoria among their ranks. Jenna found that she didn't mind the woman so much, though. She was always nice and caused significantly less hassle than some of their other regulars, such as "3 extra shots espresso, 1 pump raspberry syrup, 2 pumps vanilla syrup, chocolate drizzle and sprinkles, no ice." Viktoria's musings over the greeting "yo" and chatter about some drink called Lho were comparatively refreshing.

"Good morning, Viktoria," Jenna replied with a smile, scrawling the drink order on the side of a cup with Sharpie and handing the cup off to a barista. "We do have butter. I'm assuming you want some with your scones?" After slipping on a plastic glove, Jenna slipped two orange scones into a paper bag. "Would you like me to warm these up for you?" She tapped at the register's screen a few times. "That'll be $11.27."

[User]
Viktoria's head snapped around at the question and she had to filter the words carefully though her inattention. She watched the woman using the gloved hands to fetch the baked goods and felt her nose widen as the smell of them escaped the glass cabinet, now open. She smiled broadly, "Oh, yes. But just put it on the side, please. And, yes, warm them up. A pair of warm buns is ever so nice." Viktoria chuckled then and smiled apology for the lame joke to Jenna. Viktoria took another deep breath as she fished her wallet out of the messenger bag and sifted through her cash idly. She handed over a twenty to the lovely barista with a smile.

With delivery of her order imminent, and while she waited for her change, Viktoria let her eyes rove over the cafe's interior looking for an unoccupied table. She felt the tension and nerves mounting at the impending doom that might be sharing a table with someone. Her soft, pink tongue flicked out and ran over his pale lips as she contemplated the horror of the notion of sitting next to some human schmuck taping away at their laptop, working on that novel. She wanted solitude. her gaze spotted a table and she visibly calmed as her gaze returned to Jenna with a beatific smile and held her hand out for her change.

She took another deep breath and registered Jenna's pheromones. She had been a bit of a cafe nomad until she ran into this one and her pheromones had alerted Viktoria to her differently gendered situation. She supposed there was a bit of familiarity in dealing with someone similar to herself, so she became a regular here when she was doing her work. "Hey, I need to go grab that table before some mouth-breather takes it. Can you run the order over to me? Pretty please?" She batted eyelashes and struck a artificially cute pose for the female barista. Her hands clasped in front of her faces, causing her elbows and forearms to press her chest together just slightly and expanding the material of her shirt the barest amount. Viktoria monitored Jenna's reaction carefully.

[Assistant]
Viktoria's little joke earned a small chuckle and a nod. "Alright, we'll warm these up for you," Jenna promises, handing the paper bag of pastries off to a coworker so they could put them in the microwave.

Jenna handed Viktoria her change and receipt. The request to have her order brought over to her, while unusual, wasn't undoable---peeking at the line, Jenna could tell that it was a slow morning and they would be able to afford someone away from their station for the half a minute it would take to deliver Viktoria her order. No, what threw Jenna off was the pose Viktoria made, pushing her breasts together and forward. It surely was intentional, wasn't it? Was she flirting? Who even did that? While the pose was certainly cute, it seemed more like fanservice you'd see in an anime than something a person would actually do.

"I'll get them over to you as soon as they're ready," Jenna promised, a light blush dusting her cheeks. A few minutes later, once the latte was ready, Jenna collected Viktoria's order and made her way over to the woman's table, gently setting the coffee and scones down for her, along with a small container of butter and a plastic knife.

[User]
Viktoria enjoyed playing with the social conventions she found. Taking the change and her receipt, the gorgeous, purple-haired creature moved off toward the table she had spotted in the perfect spot and set up camp. Opening up her messenger bag, she pulled out the thin laptop within it and placed it carefully down on the table. She then fished out the USB mouse and a series of thumb drives. Plugging them all in, she pulled up some documents and read through them briskly to refresh where she had left off the day before. After that, she checked her email to review messages and new information that had come in from agents stationed in various places.

Still, as she worked diligently, the light blush that had spread across Jenna's face and the less visible reactions she had noticed wafting in the air made her smile near constantly. One of her favorite songs came on to the large, noise canceling headphones she was wearing and her attention was diverted even more such that she lost track of her intention to monitor the cafe for those nearby.

She had just pulled up a document describing, with very detailed images attached, the status of various space programs around the world as was reading it with rabid interest when a shadow suddenly fell on her table and she looked up at the person who had come over to drop off her order.

[Assistant] Jenna didn't intend to be nosy, but she couldn't help seeing all the images on Viktoria's laptop as she dropped off the purple-haired woman's order. She couldn't read any of the writing from where she was standing, but the photos of different space projects were instantly recognizable to her. Jenna was immediately impressed. She had assumed that Viktoria was some sort of musician or a graphic designer, so seeing that her job seemed much more science-oriented than she expected was surprising. "Oh, cool. Do you work for NASA or something?"

[User]
Overreacting just a touch, Viktoria immediately closed the lid over. Not enough to close the laptop and put it to sleep, but enough that the girl standing over her could not see to read it, "Uh, not exactly. I'm an independent consultant for the IFCP. And, no, no never head of them before." Casually, Viktoria moved somethings to make a place for the confections and coffee and then smiled at the pretty, raven-haired beauty above her. She'd never been so close to estrus before in her life among these humans.

That was a consideration that she had been thinking of including in her report as well. Pheromones were a dangerous thing in the grand scheme of things, and humans seemed to walk around wafting them wherever they went. It had been decidedly distracting to her for the vast majority of the last several months. The sensation of ice and fire flowed up from her crotch in waves and she felt her body adjusting to it. It had been only a handful of years since she reached sexual maturity and she had experienced this sensation only a few times before coming to Earth. Now, it was becoming a near constant distraction and, worse, she found that the pheromones given off by this one and others like her were particularly strong. It made her body tingle and her reproductive organs overactive. She shifted and had to press her thighs together to hide the bulge slowly growing down one leg of her pants. Her long, nimble tongue flicked out over her lips and she sighed as chemicals that she could name categorically flooded her system.

Shaking her head to clear it, Viktoria maintained her smile and then shifted in her seat. She knew that, under the table, she was a bit overexposed, but she kept her lap secured firmly beneath the wooden hiding place and enjoyed her view. "What's going on today, Jenna? How's life?" Even if the VNA strictures dictated that she must not interact in such a way, she certainly saw no prohibition in taking a bit of biochemical enjoyment of the situation. Viktoria inhaled deeply as she gazed up at the woman and felt herself stir in response. It was a heady thing for her since, normally, she felt no such desires. She was only supposed to be in heat once a year, but it had been a near constant thing these last months. Surely that constituted a serious threat to people like her. More, she wanted to distract the girl from what she had seen as well.

[Assistant]
Viktoria seemed quite eager to hide whatever she was working on from Jenna, but the barista couldn't find herself to care much. Though she had been a smudge curious, her inquiry about Viktoria's work was mostly polite small talk. If she wanted to be secretive about it, that was fine. Besides, it seemed like Viktoria's work was a sore subject, if the way she had fended off any questions about just what the IFCP was before Jenna even got the chance to ask.

"Ah, I don't really have anything exciting going on today," Jenna replied, tucking her hair behind one ear. Just as she was unaware of Viktoria's little situation going on under the table, she was unaware of how her simple gesture exposed some of the glans on her neck, only intensifying the pheromones wafting from her. "I'll get off work, probably go home and play some video games. Life's been the same. How about you?"

[User]
As Jenna responded, a vibration on her wrist had Viktoria pulling back her sleeve to look at the smart watch on the inside of her wrist. A message from her ship's on-board computer was scrolling a message across it in her native language. Elevated hormone secretions detected. Estrus imminent. Isolation protocols recommended. She swiped the message down and then turned her eyes back up as Jenna tucked her hair and a wave of pheromones it her right in the face. It was like getting punched with horniness. Instantly, she bit down on her lip and a hand darted below the table to press down on her hardness. She knew that Jenna didn't see what she had done as teasing and a rational part of her mind retained some semblance of clarity and control. Shaking a bit, she tried to control herself even as her eyes followed the line of Jenna's neck as it curved and turned into collarbone. That expanse then swelled into a modest but appreciable chest. She knew that mammalian biology differed from Aeolian, but there were certain aesthetics that appealed well across the divide.

Jerking her obvious stare away, Viktoria quickly pulled her watch up as it buzzed again, Hormone levels indicate Estrus. Aggression related chemicals detected. Isolation protocols recommended. Cursing under her breath, she swiped the notification away then fiddled with it through various menus and held a red button with a black needle until it expanded and showed a menu in her language. She selected several chemicals and then hit the injection button. A tiny hypodermic on the underside of the watch stabbed her skin. She hissed but felt ice flowing through her veins.

Finally in a little control, she checked the amounts left of the chemicals and knew she'd need a restock sooner than planned. Mammalian pheromones were something else entirely! Looking up at Jenna, she smiled "Sounds lovely. Just work, work and more work for me, I am afraid. Not much me time available at this time." Then, on a whim, she added, "Sharing those plans with anyone?" Perhaps it was a bit intrusive. She bit her lip pensively even as she asked and hoped Jenna would ignore it more than anything.

[Assistant]
Jenna noticed how Viktoria fussed with her watch, messages flashing across it in some foreign language. Russian? Urdu? She had no clue. Jenna decided to give Viktoria some space while she sorted out whatever was going on on her smartwatch, turning to look at the line of customers. Things were starting to pick up, but she could still spare another minute or two to chat with Viktoria.

Turning her attention back to Viktoria, Jenna gave the woman a small smile. "No, it'll be just me." Noticing how Viktoria bit her lip, Jenna misinterpreted it as a flirtatious gesture, not a thoughtful one. Without even thinking, she quickly tacked on, "Well, I do have more than one Xbox controller. If you can find time from your work to come over, I'd be happy to kick your butt at the game of your choice." As soon as the words left her mouth, Jenna realized just what she'd done. To her surprise, she wasn't scared. Viktoria had an abundance of quirks, sure, but she was also genuinely nice. If their relationship progressed past friendliness... Jenna quickly shoved the thought away. It was bad luck to count chickens before they hatched.

[User]
As soon as she had said it, Viktoria has winced and her heart quailed. More than her fear that she would be rejected, she knew that it was against policy to do so. Fraternizing with the locals was deeply frowned upon in her profession. Too, she had a lot of work to do. So, she confronted her expectation that she should be rejected directly in front of her. She had made a study of the normative behaviors of this place. Though they were deeply alien to her, she knew that her ideas of partnership were non-traditional. She was also aware that Jenna wasn't exactly a traditional person either.

So, when Jenna extended the invitation to join her, Viktoria was half way to accepting her rejection. She blinked and did a double take then looked the woman up and down appraisingly, "Well, I'd doubt such bravado, except I've never played video games before, so the asskicking seems guaranteed." She had meant to use it as an excuse to demure from the invitation. She shifted her legs and felt the ice in her veins battling against the heat and pulse of her interest in the woman. "But, if you're willing to train a rookie, I'd be game..."

She bit her lip again as her brain did something incredibly stupid. This assignment was temporary and had some extreme condition on it. She did not have time or the right to dally with Jenna. Still, she smiled at the woman and took a slip of paper out of her bag. Glancing at Jenna, she quickly wrote something down and handed it over, "Gimme a call then."