[User]
Jenny smiled at his words. Well, she should hope Mark wasn't about to go looking for another woman when he already had one he lived with, willing to fuck him as much as he wanted. It felt so right, so good being in bed with Mark. Especially knowing that Monica hadn't given him a good time in a long time, and Jenny got to be the one to get him back in the saddle so to speak. "I'm glad you like being with me. Monica's loss is my gain, and I love the way you make me feel when you're inside me." Jenny said softly, kissing him back. She was addicted to even his kisses now. Mark was the best thing that had ever happened to her, even if it did take over a year to finally have him for herself. "Hey, at least now you have an excuse to come home on time. You've got a sexy little slut waiting to fuck you at home. And she doesn't like being made to wait longer than she has to." Jenny said happily. "Oh, I will. We're going to have sex all over this house." Jenny reminded him.

"God, you are so fucking handsome. I'm so attracted to you Mark." Jenny said hotly before moving in and kissing him passionately. Jenny's moans got louder as Mark played with her breasts, squeezing them and playing with her nipples. Her sexy, skilled man knew exactly how to make her putty in his hands, despite the fact that this was only their second time having sex. But then again, they were closer than they should have been for two people who hadn't been sleeping together, so it made sense that Mark knew her well. She blushed as he mentioned she looked good, and then smiled. "I'm happy you like the view. You're the only man I want to see all of my body like this." Jenny said between moans.

"Oh, fuck, Mark!" Jenny moaned out, feeling even more pleasure now as she rode him hard. His cock felt so good as it rammed into her harder with each bounce she made. The bed was rocking and creaking, but Jenny didn't care. She was having the time of her life riding Mark's big cock. "Fuck, babe, I could fuck you constantly. You're cock is so damn good! It's like having the time of my life every single time you're inside me. Like it was meant to be in me." Jenny said,m through passionate loud moans. She was so glad the baby slept through the night now, because she didn't want anything to interrupt her time in bed with Mark. Fuck, he was the best dick she'd ever had.

[Assistant]
Mark laughed at her words about having a reason to come home. "Oh I was planning to starting working from home anyway to see Suzie more. I guess I'll have another reason now." He chuckled, lifting and kneading her breasts, her nipples hard against his palms. He leaned up planting kisses on them.

"I will be doing my best to satisfy her needs and I am definitely christening every room in this house with her." He added as she bounced and swayed above him. "I do. I fully intend to buy expensive things to make you look even more beautiful and sexy, mustn't forget that word too." He purred.

"I don't intend to share that view, or anything else come to that." He said, letting his hands run down from her breasts, round her hips to squeeze her bare ass. He laid back watching her breasts bounce and sway freely now his hands were no longer supporting them. It was a hypnotic sight that only added to the intense pleasure her pussy was giving him as it squeezed and milked at his shaft.

"God yes... it's like you were med fade for me." He groaned, which was not something he could ever have imagined saying and actually meaning, but they physical and emotional connection they had was just electric. He felt so gloriously alive.

[User]
Jenny couldn't help but smile as she heard Mark. "Oh, well that's nice. I love it when you're home. Even just to talk to you. You're great company." she said happily. "I'm sure Suzie would love for you to join us on our outings. We were planning on going to the zoo tomorrow." she said softly. "I love taking her places. I miss that childlike wonder you only have when you're a child. She's so great." Jenny said softly.

Jenny kept moaning, happy that Mark was planning on christening his new house with her too. He was amazing, and she was very much addicted to having sex with him. Even kissing him drove her crazy with lust and desire. He kept talking, insisting on spoiling her, which made her blush as she was called sexy. The only thing Jenny could think, other than how amazing she felt, bouncing on Mark's cock, was that Monica had really lost someone special. Mark was such a good man, one who spoiled his lovers, and his kid. Monica had really thrown all of that way, but hell, Jenny wasn't going to. Mark was incredible, and she didn't ever want to lose him.

It didn't take long before Jenny was once again reaching her peak and cumming on his impressive cock while moaning out his name. His agreement that she was made for him couldn't have felt more true in that moment. Mark was doing things to her that no man ever had, and he was seriously the best sex she'd ever had. She kept bouncing happily, moving in to kiss him again. She stroked his chest, loving the feeling of being so intimate with him. "You're really incredible, Mark." Jenny could hardly believe her luck. She'd not only found her dream job and a child she considered her own, but she'd also wound up with the man of her dreams. She only hoped that one day, she'd get a happily ever after with him, that one day Mark would be willing to remarry, have a family with her. He was everything she'd ever wanted. Not to mention, they made a very attractive couple, and Suzie looked like she could belong to Jenny. After all, people already tended to come up to Jenny when she and Suzie were in public mentioning she had a beautiful child who called her mommy.

[Assistant]
Mark was becoming aware just how taken Jenny was with him and just how much he must have missed in terms of her interest and flirting with him. In all fairness though he'd had other things on his mind, just surviving day to day and making sure that Monica's spite and anger didn't reach Suzie for a start. The thought that any eighteen year old, let alone the attractive one living in his own home might have the hots for him had been that last one in his mind. He would still probably have been surprised at just how far she was daydreaming of a possible future with him in that moment.

His hands tightened on her hips, slowing her youthful enthusiasm a little, guiding her to not just bounce up and down, but to curl and rock her hips, to graze her bud against him at the base of each thrust and he lifted his hips to meet hers. Pushing up on his elbows he nuzzled into her breasts, planting kisses all over her nipples and then gently drawing one into her mouth and beginning to suck on it. Clearly Jenny made up in enthusiasm anything she lacked in experience in the bedroom, but he had the feeling that she would be a quick and willing study to anything he tried to teach her. Even that little bit of gentle tutelage from him was enough to make her moans deepen, her cheeks flush and her pussy clench even tighter around him, which left him groaning and purring with pleasure too. Her cries of pleasure and the knotting of her pussy were more than he could resist as she continued to ride him and he pulled her down against him. Letting her nipple slip from his mouth he leaned up and kissed her even as his seed was filling her folds all over again. Their kiss broke and between pants he grinned up at her.

"Hmmm... not a fluke... we're good together." He said with a chuckle, his hands relaxing on her hips and starting to caress her naked body as she leaned into him. "Mmmm... very good." He breathed.

[User]
Jenny's moans got louder as Mark nuzzled into her breasts eagerly. Before long, he was sucking on her breasts. God, it was so hot. Mark was way better than anyone she'd ever been with. Not to mention, there was never any awkwardness about being with him. Usually, with new sexual partners, it was awkward until they learned how to best please one another. But not with Mark. Mark just... it was perfect. Not a single thing felt wrong about being with him. She kissed him back happily as she felt his hot seed pulsing through her. God, it felt so damn good.

"Did you have to convince yourself it wasn't a fluke too?" Jenny teased softly, before moving and laying beside him in his arms. "You know, I've never had anything this... easy. Being with you is just... natural. There wasn't any awkwardness, just a friendship that very easily transitioned into being lovers." Jenny said happily, cuddling in close to him. "I really love how easy it is to be with you."

[Assistant]
She slid off him and rolling onto her side tucked herself into him. He curled his arm around her waist, his hand idly stroking her bare back, just enjoying the bliss of the afterglow to its fullest. "No, but in science you have to be able to repeat an experiment and obtain the same result to be able to draw a conclusion. This is very promising, but I think we'll need a few more repetitions to be able to conclusively prove out hypothesis that we are hot together." He teased, giving her side a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah, it's just easy... I mean, I guess we knew each other, liked each other, cared about each other first. It's not like we're strangers, so we had a foundation to build on already." He said thoughtfully. He let his hand slide lower and gave her butt a gentle slap.

"Come on. Let's get a quick shower to freshen up and clear up all these clothes that are scattered about the place. Just because we get to see each other naked does not mean that we get to start being messy now." He said playfully, but he made no real attempt to make her move if she wanted to stay where she was snuggled up to him.

[User]
Jenny couldn't help but giggle when he mentioned science and needing to draw a conclusion. "Mmm, I'm sure we'll have plenty more time to... experiment." Jenny teased softly. She loved hearing Mark agreeing with her. It seemed perfect, honestly. It had never been so easy or perfect with any other guy she had been with, but Mark was.

"Mmm, but I kind of just want to stay here and just sleep in your arms." Jenny murmured softly. "Besides, it's not like I can't clean up in the morning." Jenny reminded him softly. "It's kind of part of my job at this point. Taking care of you and sweet little Suzie, the house, cooking. I love everything about being a version of a housewife for you. It might have started out because we became friends and I thought you needed all the extra help with everything going on, but I think in the midst of it, I kind of found my dream life. Although, the sex is a great bonus." Jenny admitted. "My point is, I want to make your life easy. You are an outstanding father, but you've got me. I don't want our life to change, especially now." Jenny pointed out softly, staring up at him.

[Assistant]
Mark gave her a gentle squeeze. A shower was hardly a priority right now and it was very cozy just having her close like this. If Jenny didn't want to move her wasn't going to make her. He listened to what she had to say and couldn't help but smile at how sweet and innocent she was.

"Bless your heart. I was always very grateful for what you did and all the extra chores and jobs you took on. I have not been an outstanding father though. I've been a distracted one, and you know that's true, because if I missed you flirting with me, I certainly wasn't giving Suzie all the attention and care she needs either, was I? No, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better about that, but I have to try harder for both of you and I think will be a lot easier now I don't have to handle Monica and all her stress. Look, I don't want things to change either. I don't want you to stop doing any of the things you have. Suzie and I would have been lost a long time ago without you." He said quietly, looking down at her and smiling.

"I think you should probably move out of the spare room though, when you're ready. If you want to." He added. That felt like a change that should be recognized and accepted.

[User]
Jenny couldn't help but smile as she heard Mark. "That's not true." Jenny pointed out softly. "Mark, you were a good father to Suzie." Jenny reminded him softly. "You did miss that I wanted you, but you did the best you could for Suzie. That's admirable. You just didn't have time for a girl who wanted you." Jenny reminded him.

"Honestly, I'm scared you won't have all that much time for me. All I really did was try to create a stable household, for you and Suzie. She didn't need to hear you two fighting..." Jenny pointed out softly.

When he spoke again, Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's not... moving too fast for you? I don't want to just be a rebound to you..." Jenny said softly.

[Assistant]
Mark smiled at her as continued to try to make him feel better about his less than perfect attempts at being a father, but he knew that there was always room for improvement and that was what he was going to aim for.

"We'll have time. We'll make time." He said gently, giving her waist a gentle squeeze. "You did a great job. She's a bright, happy girl because she's had you in her life. You kept her safe and away from all of that. I don't think she'll even remember it when she's older."

He could see her response and it made him question his own thought. Perhaps he was being a bit impulsive, but at the same time it didn't feel right for her to be in the spare room and working as his nanny. That was... it felt like he was paying her for the relationship somehow, which didn't feel good or right at all.

"Well I... I can't... you can't be my girlfriend and my nanny at the same time. That's not right. It's not fair on you, or Suzie. So, I guess what I'm saying is that I think you belong in this room as my girlfriend, not as my nanny. You want to keep the spare room as your own space and keep your clothes and stuff there I don't mind at all, but I just didn't want you to think that I was just after the sex, that I didn't want you too. That you don't matter to me." He explained thoughtfully. "What I'm saying is that you're welcome in here, in my love, my bed from now on. That's what I'm saying."

[User]
Jenny smiled when he explained that he would make time for their new relationship. It was nice to see that Mark was okay with their relationship and his own life. He was an amazing man, and she loved it.

At his next words, Jenny giggled. "I'm not a prostitute." Jenny teased. "God, you are so sweet." Jenny said, moving to kiss him passionately. "Mmmm, fine. I'll move in to your bedroom. Ours... I guess." Jenny said happily. "I don't think it's just lust between us. We've got so much more between us. I care a lot about you." Jenny smiled.

"I'm surprised you were so quick to label what we have, given all you've been through. But I am happy to be your girlfriend. I think we've got the makings of something really special." Jenny said happily.

[Assistant]
"I'm not saying you are. I'm just saying that I don't think it would be right for us to be together and for me to keep paying you to look after Suzie at the same time. That's all I was saying." Mark said gently.

"I mean, I don't know what else you'd call what we have, do you? It's not a friends with benefits thing. Like you say it's not just lust. You're not my mistress, because I'm not married or in another relationship. We're nowhere near partner. Girlfriend isn't quite right I suppose, but it's the best fit of the words we have, imperfect though it is." He said thoughtfully, resting his head back on the pillows.

"I'd say we it definitely has potential in the bedroom and out of it. We already make a pretty good team after all." He agreed. "It will be interesting to find out." He added with a smile.


[User]
The tall figure that was approaching his home was not a familiar face. Carter could recognize most of the villagers by now, but this man must have just wandered in. It was rare, but people did pass through the little town every now and then when they were on a journey of sorts. Though, they usually didn't take the long venture through the trails to see him. He was just a man in the woods to most people and only a healer to those in town. There were probably much more skilled healers and true doctors in the rich capital city surrounding the castle, but Carter did the best he could for the fine townsfolk here. They couldn't afford extra bread, let alone a real doctor.

"Yes, that's me," he replied when the stranger asked his name. He started to walk out of the garden, careful not to step on any visible roots or leaves bending towards the slight path he had worn into the soil between plants. "I will do my best to help. What do you need?" Carter could tell there was something truly bothering the man. He could tell from the tone of his voice which was laced in tired desperation. Sometimes, all they needed was a good meal, a good night's rest, and a little bit of medicine to bring them back up to par. Other times, their problems were much more complicated than that. Either way, the ginger man would do his best.

Brushing off a little more soil from his hands, Carter's green eyes took in the man in front of him. Certainly, he wasn't from around here. He was sure he had never seen this man before. The stranger was taller than him, and his hair was dark, almost completely opposite from Carter's bright red hair that was a little shaggy but kept much shorter than his. "We can go inside and talk if you'd like. The sky looks clean, but I think it holds more rain."

Inviting a total stranger into his home possibly not what Carter should be doing, but other than the basic necessities for life and a large number of various herbs, he didn't have anything worth stealing. He would rather trust people than find everyone suspicious, anyhow. It was always better to look at the bright side of things and look for the good in people than believe in the worst.

[Assistant]
Raven lingered where he stood for a few long moments, taking in the man standing in front of him. Such a bright shade of hair was less common among humans, he figured since he hadn't met many with such a vibrant hair color until now. Those green eyes seemed to study him as well before the man confirmed his identity and offered his help. Well, at least he found the right man, but would this person actually be able to help him? Raven seriously doubted that at this point, but it was worth a try, wasn't it?

"Well, I heard you specialize in natural magic... would that include animal-related magic as well?" He asked, but paused when he realized he didn't introduce himself. "By the way, you can call me Raven." He added, falling quiet when Carter offered him to cone inside.

Another moment of hesitation. Raven blinked and looked up at the sky. The man had a point, the skies may have looked clear, but storm clouds rolled over the horizon, and at the rate they were moving, they'd reach this part of the forest in a short while... "Thank you. Let's talk inside then." He agreed quietly, moving closer to Carter, to follow him inside the house. As he crossed the garden, he couldn't help but notice the vast array of plants growing all around. Some he had seen before, others were completely new to him. Either way, it was an impressive collection, this Carter guy sure took these plants seriously.

"Uhm, anyway..." Raven resumed speaking as he walked after Carter. "I have some problems with animal magic that I can't solve by myself. The people in town said you can heal anything... so, would you be able to..." He paused a moment, pressing his lips together before continuing. "Would you be able to break a curse? Specifically an animal transformation curse?"

[User]
"I do a little bit of animal magic, more than anyone else in town," replied the man to the stranger's question. Carter's expertise wasn't in animals. It was more based in botany and healing, but he did dabble a little here and there with animals. He had some books that they may be able to reference as well.

When the man, Raven, agreed to come inside, Carter nodded and motioned for him to follow. "Nice to meet you, Raven. Come on inside." While Raven began to talk, Carter simultaneously listened and led him inside. Drying herbs hung in bundles tied in front of each window and gave the entire interior a pleasant, floral smell. There was a wooden stove used for cooking and heat, a small dining table with two mismatched chairs, and a bed made with a quilt one of the townsfolk had given him. It was cozy and worked perfectly for a single man and his occasion raccoon friend.

"Animal transformation curse?" There was a bit of surprise in Carter's voice. That wasn't something he had been expecting and certainly not something he had been asked of before. "To be quite honest, I do not know. I've never attempted to break a curse before. But I know others have done it so it's not impossible. It'll take a lot of research, but I'll see what I can do for you." He moved to the metal stove and placed a log inside it and a tea kettle on top. The only fire magic Carter knew was to create a small flame at his fingertip, but that's all he needed to get the stove lit. "May I ask why you need that?"

[Assistant]
Raven couldn't help feeling a little discouraged upon hearing Carter phrase it as doing 'a little bit' of animal magic. Breaking a curse was difficult in itself, so breaking one in a subject you aren't well versed in? That was near impossible, if Raven learned anything about magic in his journey...

Stepping inside the house, Raven paused at the entrance. He narrowed his eyes as he looked around, a little surprised by the simple interior. He's been to visit many mages in the city, and all of them had a fancy looking house, filled with extravagant furniture. Compared to them, this house had a cozy and warm feeling to it. Despite finding it rather odd, this atmosphere was a welcome change actually...

Raven remained to stand by the table, watching as Carter handled the stove. He noticed another weird occurrence, Carter didn't name his price yet. Many of the previous mages he came to before asked for payment the moment he mentioned the word 'curse', and their prices were usually exceedingly steep. Raven could never afford any of them, he'd have to work a lifetime to earn that amount... he didn't have a lifetime

"Well..." Raven contemplated his words a little. His case was a bit special, as he came to realize over time. "I need it... to return to my original form." He said after thinking a moment longer. He looked at his feet as he spoke. Too many people had made fun of his situation before, enough to make him hesitant to talk about it. "You see, I'm---I'm not actually a human. I'm really a crow... I was cursed into a human form, I've been stuck like this ever since..." he knew how ridiculous he sounded, but he continued, hoping that something would be different this time around. "I just want to return to how I was before..."

[User]
The kettle placed on the stove was filled with water collected earlier that morning and was soon heating up on the stove. While he listed to Raven explain his situation, he opened a cabinet hanging on the wall that had various different dried plants in small glass jars. Some were similar in color while others were more vibrant. These were all teas he had made or bought from the locals in town and he liked to store them all together in the cabinet. Most of them he had created himself, and some of them were a little experimental. For now, he decided just a typical black tea was in order.

"So you were originally a crow," confirmed Carter as he sat the jar of leaves down to pick up two matching gray cups and set them on the table. "I've never heard of that before. That's really interesting." Carter was extremely intrigued by this case. Though he had no idea how to reverse this curse, he was happy to research it and learn more while finding a way to break it.

"I will be completely honest and admit I do not know how to reverse a curse like that. I have heard of that happening in books and such but never have I actually seen an example of it. If you are willing to work with me, I can do research and try to find you an answer. There are plenty of books here and I can go into the city and browse the library, and I may have a few contacts I can send letters to and ask for their input. You would just have to be patient with me, is all. This is going to take some time." It seemed like Raven was running out of hope, which made Carter think he was running out of options as well. Without having anyone else to turn to, maybe he would be patient and let Carter try. But the ginger man understood if Raven didn't want to wait for him to research and preferred to find someone else to help. If he got turned into something he wasn't, Carter would be itching to get back to normal.

[Assistant]
The serious way with which Carter reacted to his condition brought him some relief. Raven was glad to know he wouldn't get any ridicule from this mage. Another fresh change like this was extremely welcomed. Though there was still the matter of whether this mage could actually help at all. He watched in silence, remaining to stand as Carter handled his teas.

"You're willing to try to help me?" Raven tilted his head ever so slightly as the shorter man offered him his help in return for a little patience. "I can wait as long as needed". He waited this long, he could definitely wait a little bit more. He wasn't desperate for time, his flock had left already, only returning every few months to check on him... it seemed they were ready to move on without him... with the two cups set on the table, Raven snapped out of his thoughts to take the hint and pulled the chair away from the table to sit down. It seemed the chair was a tad bit too short for him or was the table a little too low? Either way, he sat a short distance away from the table, to give his long legs more room. Offering to come inside, and now making a beverage for him... it was very nice of Carter to be so hospitable...

And yet something about this whole offer for help seemed a bit too good to be true. "Uhm, aren't you going to name your price?" Raven inquired, surprised that Carter hadn't brought the subject up himself. "How much do you want for your help? Would I also need to cover the expanses of reaching out to your contacts?" He asked, again not quite looking Carter in the eye when he spoke. Even if people took his condition seriously, this would usually be the part the deal would fall apart.

[User]
It was good to know Raven was willing to wait for Carter to figure things out. He didn't really know where to start with figuring out how to turn the man back to an animal, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to start with learning how the curse works. Maybe there was a way to undo it hidden in the way it was cast. There were some spells that were extremely simple to undo but just appeared complicated on the outside. Though, this didn't seem like it was one of those. The other man seemed to finally sit down as the ginger-haired man looked at the kettle, which was taking its time reaching a boil.

"My price? I don't have one. I try to do as much as I can without requiring money. And since you were a crow once, I doubt you have any money, either. I might need a little help reaching out to my contacts but we can discuss that when we get there. The postal prices keep changing and since we are a little mining town away from the city, it's usually a little expensive. I should have enough to cover, though." As Carter spoke, he pulled out the other chair and sat across from Raven at the small table. It would take a while for the water to boil so there was plenty of time to chat.

"Though, you're probably going to need somewhere to stay, yes? You can stay here if you'd like. It's a small house and I don't have a lot of room, but it might be easier to research this curse if you're already here. Instead of making you pay to stay, you could just help me with the garden," suggested Carter. "If you help me with my plants, then I'll have more time to study and try to reverse your curse." To him, it seemed largely fair, but he wanted Raven's input on the idea.

[Assistant]
Raven couldn't quite hide the surprise on his face. "No price?" He repeated, finally raising his gaze to look Carter right in the eyes. "...you---you must be joking, right? Y-You don't want any money at all?" He blinked, clearly caught off guard and at a lack of words.

This was a first... all the previous mages he came to always required a price. Always. Those who seemed to have the means to actually break his curse were the worst, asking for a ridiculously large sum as payment. All of them kept repeating the same words over and over again: 'Get a job.' So Raven did just that. He got a job... he got two jobs. And with him being unable to read or write, and having such little knowledge of humans at the time, he could only ever get jobs of hard labor, the difficult kind. No one would hire an uneducated man for anything else. And yet, no matter how many days he worked, no matter how much he saved, it was never enough to cover the expanses asked of him. So eventually, he gave up.

Raven found himself lost in a slight daze in light of this offer. Since when were humans so generous? It all seemed too easy, too good to be true. His dark eyes followed Carter as he sat down across from him. "Are you serious?" Raven asked again, after being offered to remain in this house in return for helping with the garden. He was clearly doubtful, but regardless he lowered his eyes to look at his fingers, tapping them on the table for a moment as thoughts raced across his mind.

"...I-I don't know much about taking care of plants..." He spoke up after a moment of silence. Raven pressed his lips and looked up at Carter once again. "But I'll do my best." He said simply, accepting the offer. He was still a little unsure about this offer, but he was willing to take it, just for the chance that this time, things really will be different.

[User]
The surprise in Raven's voice when Carter said he didn't want payment was one he had partially been expecting. Humans were greedy, he understood that. They liked to hoard as much money as they could so they could surround themselves with pretty things. Carter didn't enjoy that lifestyle, though. He would rather help someone and get paid knowing they were going to stay alive than force them to hand over their life savings.

"Not joking. I'm serious. I don't really need money for much. Grow my own food, sell some things here and there to the townsfolk. I've got along this fine without it." Some help around the garden and the house would be much appreciated as he adjusted to another mouth to shelter and feed. With the two of them working the land and maybe even boosting his production of medicines and other herbal mixes, he might even earn a little more money in town. Most of the money he earned from the townsfolk went right back into their economy as he bought pots, jars, blankets, meats, and whatever else caught his interest in the market sections. Everything, of course, was made right here in town and Carter knew cycling the money back into town was better than spending it in the big city.

When Raven accepted his offer, Carter smiled a little. "Don't worry, plants are easier than they seem. I'll teach you and you'll be a gardening master in no time. And with the two of us working the garden, we should be able to increase our production so we don't have to worry about needing more food." As he finished speaking, the kettle began its shrill whistle of steam so Carter got up to address it. Removing the kettle from the heat, the whistling steam quieted and he put a small, knitted bag of tea leaves into the teapot before adding the water. It just needed to steep for a while and it would be an excellent tea to sip while talking.

The pot was brought over and placed on the table before Carter returned to his seat. "I'll figure something out for a second bed, but in the meantime, you may have to sleep on the floor. I have plenty of blankets that we can fold up to make it more comfortable, though. And tomorrow, we can go into town and see what we can find." Surely, the townsfolk were willing to make some sort of cot for them to buy. Often, anytime Carter requested something, the townsfolk were happy to oblige. It got pretty chilly in the wintertime as well, so he had a large supply of blankets that were folded neatly and placed out of view in a small closet.

[Assistant]
The concept of a human not desiring money was something Raven would have to get used to. It still seemed far-fetched to him, even after Carter explained how he pretty much sustained himself and got by selling to the townsfolk. "Okay, if you say so." Raven decided to take Carter's word, there wasn't much he could lose by accepting that generous offer.

There was something a little comforting about the way Carter smiled and then went on to reassure Raven about taking care of the plants. "Thank you, really. No one has ever done something like this for me." He admitted, tapping his fingers again on the table and glancing down, it seemed his lips lifted ever so slightly. Though when the kettle started to whistle, Raven snapped his head up, caught slightly off guard by the sudden sound and the fragile smile no longer on his face.

"I don't mind sleeping on the floor, you don't need to buy anything new for me, blankets will be plenty enough." Raven tried to insist. After all, it wouldn't be his first time, he spent his time on the streets the first few weeks after his transformation so he was rather used to it. Plus, sleeping on the clean floor of a house beat sleeping on the dirty streets anytime.

After a short moment of silence, Raven pressed his lips together. "So... where do we start with my curse? Do you have a plan?" He spoke up. They might as well start figuring things out while they waited for the tea to steep. "Do you need to hear how I got cursed?" He added, knowing it was usually the first question people asked him, if they even believed him.


[User]
The two battling androids froze in their battle poses as a new figure appeared in front of them. Both scanned the new presence, looking for a threat... and both were thoroughly confused as their sensors told them both that this presence was, and wasn't, standing before them.

The purple-clad woman was taller than both of them by about a head, and didn't appear to be YoRHa. The equipment was non-standard issue, and the glow to her eyes suggested something---but neither were sure what. But she was between the two white-haired android, both still intent on killing the other, though paused for the moment out of caution.

"...identify yourself..." 2B said stoically, almost coldly. While she had no heart, not in the human sense, she was grieving. Of everyone, 9S had deserved a better fate than he'd been given. She'd been forced to kill him so many times, deny him of a future so many times. Witnessing his loss of innocence, his curiosity, as the world itself betrayed him. As Command had betrayed them all.

"An operator?" A2 asked. This figure had a passing similarity to Operator 210---if she squinted. But it made the most sense as she tried to piece this together. But she had no uplink to anything resembling Command---she hadn't for a very long time.

"Out of my way, or I will cut you down with this traitor..." 2B hissed at the figure blocking her from reaching A2.

"You couldn't do so before... and you couldn't do it with backup..." A2 said dryly. "So if you desire the oblivion I crave, then yes, attack me again and I shall render your model obsolete once again..."

[Assistant]
Well, Blue at least got them to stop. Problem was, she didn't really have a plan about what to do after that. Maybe she didn't expect them to actually listen to her. She looked back and forth between the two, still a bit worried one of them is going to suddenly attack again. She let out a bit of a nervous sigh. "I know you both probably don't have a reason to listen to me, but you should. It might be hard to realize, but you both have been out of commission for a long time. The world isn't as you remember." She lowered her arms a bit, trying to diffuse the situation.

"I know you both have been through a lot. I only ask you give me a few minutes to explain." She had to at least stall for time before the tense situation erupted again. "I was a member of YoRHa, like you both, but different. I went by the code name Blue, similar to how the Commander was named White." That made them of the same generation of androids, the top tier. "There was a set of models based off me called H series. You likely don't have any information in your data banks on it." That was going to make her story somewhat hard to believe, but she just had to be convincing. "We were specialized hackers and infiltration specialists where the S series was meant more for battlefield support. Our data was kept separate in case something went wrong."

She took it as a good sign that they hadn't jumped at her yet. "None of that really matters now though. It's been 1000 years since YoRHa was destroyed. It's more than that though. There is barely anything left. Even the machine life forms have stopped, their consciousness faded away." The more she spoke, the more her voice took on one of both fear and sadness. "I'll answer whatever questions you have, just... please... please don't kill each other."

[User]
Weapons stayed readied, but the two android at least seemed to be listening to Blue as she tried to explain. The assumption that they wouldn't believe her was right---this could be a machine trick, if there was no data to back up her claims. But while 2B remained suspicious for that very reason, A2's blade slowly lowered. After all, she was an android model that wasn't meant to exist as well. She'd been made for one purpose, and was supposed to have been discarded afterwards. Yet here she was. And here was Blue...

"...a millennia?" A2 muttered as Blue claimed how much time had passed. She tried to access her own internal logs, but many were missing or the data was corrupted. A look around definitely showed that the factory was significantly more worn down than it should have been, however.

"How am I supposed to know you're not a machine plot?" 2B accused, pointing her katana at Blue.

"...any why should we not seek death?" A2 added. "If what you say is true, the war is over. There is no more use for us..."

[Assistant]
Okay. They were talking. That was a start. Words were always better than blades... most of the time. Maybe. At least in this particular circumstance. Truth was, neither of their answers surprised her and she was somewhat expecting their hesitation. However, they didn't seem to be outright dismissing what she said. That was something. She first turned her head toward 2B to address her question first. "I do not blame you for believing such. Mistrust is all you have known for so long. I very well could be a trick, but the only proof I can give is that which you see yourself." She motioned around them. "Look around; this place has not been used in a long time. And if that is not enough, I recommend taking a walk outside. See for yourself what the aftermath of that war has caused. There were no winners, in the end. YoRHa's entire existence was to perpetuate a lie and it cost everything. I know you have glimpsed A2's memories so you know what I say is true."

She then looked over to A2 who question the far more pertinent one and even caused her to frown a bit. "I have asked myself that same question so many times for so long. And I'll be honest... I don't yet have an answer. Hope, maybe? Hope that there is still something or someone out there? Hope that maybe there is an answer as to why I, of all, managed to survive." She looked down at the floor for a long moment, then ahead once more. "You don't understand how happy I am to have found both of you in relative working order. What was it that humans called such things? A miracle?" She laughed a bit darkly at that.

"But I found you, and if we work together, I'm sure we can find a solution, answers... whatever. I just don't-" She stopped herself and her face turned to one of fear and sadness, and what looked like a tear running down her cheek. She didn't want to say it. Admitting to it made it all real. Not only that, she feared it would become true again. "I just don't want to be alone anymore..."

They were the words the two androids heard in their sleep; just as a much a cry for help as the ones they themselves had once had for one reason or another. Silence fell once again as the words faded in the air. She was almost afraid to look at them.

[User]
2B was reluctant to look away from Blue, or A2, as the figure gestured to their environment as proof of her words. But the memories were returning, slowly. The lie of YoRHa, the lie of her mission, the lie of her very existence. That she had fought a war against the machines for...

For... why had they even been fighting? She could hear 9S in her head, his soft tones expressing those words. Often right before she was forced to exterminate that iteration of him. And now she had to ask herself the same words.

The false Battle-type frame just stared down at her katana, her face a stoic mask as her eyes remained hidden, when Blue shifted to address A2. The unit's dark laugh at invoking the human term 'miracle' was met with a derisive snort from the Attacker-type, but she lowered her greatblade after determining there was no threat here. Not from Blue, not from 2B---as if 2B had ever truly been a threat to her. But it was the last seven words, a desire to simply no longer be alone, that sealed her decision. As much as she craved oblivion, it was a sentiment she could understand far too well. And if nothing else, she could fulfill her purpose once they were all together. None of them would be alone if they all died a final death together.

"...you are not here." A2 spoke finally.

"What?" 2B asked, glancing up, a bit behind A2's observations. She'd been made for fighting, after all, not observation. That had been Nines's job... but she reached the same conclusion after a puzzled frown crossed her face. "That is why you read as here and not. A hologram? Or... a sensor malfunction?"

"She's patched in to both of us. We see here... but we don't see the same her..." A2 guessed. She and 2B were not linked, yet saw Blue. It was entirely possible that she could be hearing and seeing something entirely different from 2B. It didn't seem likely, just possible, the paranoid unit thought of as she feared being manipulated again.

[Assistant]
Blue had been lost in her own thoughts until A2 brought up that she wasn't actually there. She quickly looked back and forth between them as they conferred with each other, only now remembering her current state. "Ah... yes. Well, what you see here is a hologram. A very sophisticated one, of course." She finally moved from her position and approached a set of metal double doors, placing her hand against them and pushing the door open with a groan of rusted hinges. She was a hologram able to interact with things around her. She finally turned back to them, looking at her own palm. "I said the H series were hackers and infiltrators. We did most of our work through these holograms that we could make look like however we wished. I'm using your systems to project an image into the environment. And before you freak out, no, I can't read your thoughts."

Her form suddenly vanished, but her voice could be heard in their heads. "I can talk to you through your audio processors though and can hear what you say. And since I know you will ask anyway, yes, I can appear or speak with only one of you at a time, if needed." That probably came off a bit untrustworthy. Why would she need to do that? It did have its uses, though those likely wouldn't be clear until they came up, if they came up at all. Her form appeared once again in between them. "But no, I cannot project more than one of myself at a time. It would put too much strain on your systems, and I don't want that."

She finally let out a sigh. "But now that you both seem to be calmed down, I would recommend you both head North, past the Forest Kingdom, beyond the mountains. It's a bit of a journey to reach where I am, but I'll be with you the whole way." She actually smiled at the thought of interacting with others, even if through the hologram. She had been alone for so long it had been a wonder she hadn't gone mad after everything that happened. Or maybe she had and this was all in her head.

[User]
"I've never seen a hologram that can interact with the world around it..." 2B frowned as she watched Blue open the rusted factory doors.

"You don't see much with that combat visor over your eyes..." A2 scoffed.

"I have Nine---" 2B started, before the reality of the situation caught up to her again. Cutting herself off, she looked away from Blue and A2, just turning and walking away from them as she spin her katana in her hand. Returning it to its place on her back, the mag-field keeping it hovering perfectly in place for her to quickly retrieve if needed, she went to the shells of destroyed androids---mostly Battle-types like her---and scavenged for pieces of clothing that weren't ruined. While she had nothing that truly needed hidden, it was comforting being covered properly, and not showing so much of her synthskin... even if it meant she had to strip to change her clothes out, briefly covered in nothing but a skin tight unitard that barely covered much of anything.

"North..." A2 hummed, following the hologram for the moment. Stepping through the doors, sliding carefully by Blue, she left the warehouse they'd woken up in and looked up. Trying to find the sky to orient herself, she sighed. "So of all of YoRHa, only you survived the fall? You're not connected to Command at all?"

It was the logic virus that had brought down Command, and all of YoRHa, at the end... right? Her memories weren't perfect but the shades she had suggested that. And if that was true, and this was where she remembered being... the body of Operator 210 should be nearby. No---21B she had become. A woman that had only wanted a family... the least she could do was ensure her frame was resting peacefully... and make sure 9S wasn't still where he had fallen, and risk enraging 2B even further.

"...what happened?" 2B would ask, freshly changed, looking at Blue. "YoRHa was functioning when I was disabled. What brought us down at the end?" A glance to A2 suggested she was fit to blame it all on the rogue android.

[Assistant]
Blue let out another relieved sigh as things seemed to be stabilizing. Even if they didn't fully trust her, she had at least made some manner of progress. As A2 made her way outside, 2B looked to improve her state of dress with replacements from the ones around them. She couldn't help herself but to watch as 2B remove the more tattered black dress. Her eyes traced over her curvy form for longer than she had intended, only finally managing to tear her gaze away after the dress was back on. She finally followed A2 outside, hearing 2B's footsteps coming up behind her.

She followed A2's gaze to the sky, both of them having inevitable questions. One she had an answer to, the other not so much. She decided to answer 2B's question first, as it was the easier one, yet still complicated. "YoRHa was... never designed to survive. The bunker was attacked by the machines and everything was destroyed. One of 9S's last acts was to upload a data file that had been hidden even to the Commander. The humans had always intended YoRHa to be destroyed by the machines, even building in a backdoor access for them." That information alone was heavy, so she fell silent for a moment to let 2B process it before continuing.

"The entire project was a lie from the start. Humans had long been extinct and YoRHa's purpose to perpetuate that they still lived on the moon to the other androids. I do not know if it really worked. I've been separated from most other androids and it took me a long time to get connection back. By the time I did... there was nobody left." Her words were sad, as if she had somehow failed, even though she was never meant to succeed. "A2 found out that YoRHa was fighting an unwinnable war. That's why she left, though I doubt even she knew the full story of how deep the deception ran."

She finally looked at A2 again, her question probably at least partially answered already. "I don't know if I was all that was left at the time, but I've traveled across much of the world over the last thousand years. If I wasn't alone then, I can say for certain I am now. All I found were dead machines and deactivated androids. Try I as might, I couldn't restore either of them. Until you two, anyway. I don't know why; maybe you're special? Maybe just dumb luck. I really don't care." She grabbed hold of both A2 and 2B's wrists and pulled them in close, wrapping her arms around them both in a group hug. She was indeed solid and everything seemed to feel like she was actually there, even if she wasn't. "I'm just happy you're both alive."

[User]
"Yes. Blue is right. The Assault-model were the first prototypes created for the opening moves of the..." A2 started to say, as Blue explained the past to 2B and said she'd discovered the truth on her own. But she couldn't remember the operation of the war, and just sighed and shook her head. "...that is why my frame is more industrious, less streamlined for yours. I was built for brutal operations, as opposed to your more streamlined form. I alone survived of my squadron. Command---Commander White---declared me a traitor so I would be cut off and unable to share what I discovered with any other android..."

2B didn't look at either of them as she walked out of the warehouse, listening. There was an odd shiver along her spine as she passed Blue. When she'd been changing, she had thought she felt someone watching her---perhaps it was paranoia. This hologram was linked into her, after all, so it was like as not nothing. What purpose would they have been to watching her, after all?

But she took in what was being said. These were the truths that 9S had discovered time and again. That YoRHa was a lie propagated to keep android morale up and the war going. That the human masters they served had perished even long before their founding. The logic virus, the feared fate of any android, losing their own minds and autonomy, a tool used by their leaders to cull the ranks and keep the war going when it had advanced too far and information was at a risk of leaking into the general android ranks. Ranks that seemed to all be long destroyed or deactivated... but why, then, was she active again after all? She'd been victim of the logic virus herself. In fact, as her memories returned...

"...I had asked you to kill me..." she spoke emotionlessly, looking at A2. The Attacker-type was kneeling over the frame of what had once been Operator 210. A hand closed the eyes that had still been open, a hole in her chest from where she'd been run through, where a batch of beautiful golden flowers bloomed, matching the deceased android's hair. "I'm not special."

"You're not a Battle-frame, either." A2 countered, standing and looking at her. "So what do you know?"

Frowns and glares, and it seemed for a moment that Blue might have to break them up again... and she did, when she pulled them both into a hug. Both android tensed, unused to that kind of physical contact, their shorter frames molding in against the curves of Blue's taller figure. Neither fought it as odd warms seeped into their sensors, an incredibly odd feeling despite knowing that she wasn't there. Two sets of hands started to return the embrace... before the moment was too much for one of them, and 2B would pull away. With a huff, 2B would just start marching to the north. Perhaps there was an aerial frame or glider around she could get to work and make this trips easier. A2 shook her head, but brushed some hair behind an ear and moved to follow. Pausing however, she turned to face Blue again, taking her hand. "...we will find you." she promised simply.


[User]
The following day, Amelie got dressed as she had expected possible company. Part of her was excited to see him again but part of her was honestly scared of what was going to happen, she was nervous. Amelie needed to make sure she had those nanobots in her. Her mind kept swirling with what if situations as she walked around her home. As her nerves kicked in she grabbed a smoke and made her way outside to the pool to light it, taking a long drag on it, hoping it would help somewhat settle her nerves until he showed up. If this didn't work... she might have to resort to mixing a drink.

She was not sure when to expect him as he didn't really mention what time he would stop by, so she was left on edge at home wondering when he would come back, or even if he would show up.

[Assistant]
Though it was hard thing to do to return to his base of operations blue-balled---Melvin knew that's the way it had to be. At least for now. Overall, he was rather impressed and intrigued by how classy Amelie was. Her French accent, her perfect body, those soft breasts---and even that little tuft of hair on her crotch. It thoroughly aroused him. It wasn't easy showing restraint. But he was still glad, he'd have the opportunity to enjoy her a little more, the next day.

It was nearing sunset when Melvin finally arrived at the Lacroix residence. Up close, it was as beautiful as the intel had told him it would be. _That lucky bastard Gerard... beautiful wife, beautiful home._ Truth was, Melvin and Gerard were in no good terms---at all. He despised that French bureaucrat. With that man's meticulous meddling in all of Talon's affairs, it became harder and harder for Melvin to get a mission completed... but this time? This time, his plan was full-proof. For he chose to strike where even Gerard Lacroix would never expect...

As he made his way into the property, he headed up the stairs, where he could spot the woman's unmistakable figure at the edge of the outdoor pool. "Sweet Jesus... you look... fantastic, Madame Lacroix," he called out, as he approached her, his voice confident in his statement. "If I knew you were dressed up, I would've cleaned up a lil' bit better..." he remarked, watching her curves from her revealing outfit. Though he wondered, if this was dressing up or just casual for an aristocratic French woman.

Melvin on the other hand was dressed in much more simple gear. He had a tight, black t-shirt on, which hugged his muscles well. He also had a simple set of cargo pants and boots. Those broad shoulders were prominent and his sleek jawline held a genuine smile on his face as he approached the woman. Around his back, he had a small satchel. "I brought the measurement device... but from the looks of this home, I should've brought a bottle of wine," he joked, wiping a small trickle of sweat from his brow. Unlike the prim and proper Amelie, Melvin had worked up a bit of a sweat, trekking through the summer heat, and making preparations for tonight...

[User]
The day had been warm again. Amelie had not spent much of her time outside unless she needed to smoke. Her day had been simple and filled with tension as she waited. The new familiar voice of Melvin finally got her attention and the familiar knot in her stomach seemed to tense and come back. "Ah thank you and honestly I wasn't sure you would show up." She gave him a smile as she approached him confidently, she knew how to hide her nerves fairly well. She was still questioning if she was doing the right thing. She had taken a risk at inviting him to her home and making sure any kind of security that she knew of that could reveal he was here was shut off.

Her figure softly covered in the thin fabric moved gently across her skin in the heat so she wouldn't get warm quickly. She was in fact wearing her stilettos which helped elongate her legs more bringing her 5'9 height up just over 6'. "You don't need to dress up, it is just a check up. Once we confirm the details we can open a bottle if you like? I have a few bottles of red and white inside."

The form of his shirt clinging to his body easily showed his muscles and she was reminded of their meeting yesterday. She steadied herself and tried to remember the actual task, focus. "So how do take a sample? Blood or saliva or something?" Amelie was hoping to keep the touching today to a minimum. Yesterday was a good example of how lone it had been lately and how much she missed her husband.

[Assistant]
She looked stunning in her heels---quite tall. Though, the large black stud still had a few inches on her. The scent of smoke in the air, only made the French beauty appear sexier when she approached. "Of course I'd show up---we have a mutual goal in mind, right? Guess you deactivated security too? Wouldn't have made it in if you didn't. I appreciate that," Melvin commended her, feeling confident, that he'd definitely earned her trust at this point.

"Sounds like a plan then---we'll just confirm those levels real quick. Then we can have a glass of wine to celebrate, yeah?" he smiled over at her, as he planted his bag down to the floor. Unzipping it, he took out something that looked like a small beeper with a digital display. His other hand held out a small, clean cotton swab. In fact, the beeper had compartment in the back that held a dozen of them, for multiple checks. "Just get a good bit of saliva on that swab, and we can place it in the slot of the reader right here," he said. "It not only shows the nanobots... but some other levels too," Melvin added on, giving Amelie some time to go ahead and do her thing.

All the while, he quickly shifted a single hand back into the bag, hoping she would be too distracted enough by her task---and his gyrating muscles---to notice. Clicking a small device, Melvin activated a signal, which let Talon HQ know, that he was in. And that activated another tool he'd brought with him---something he didn't tell her about: about a dozen or so tiny, spider-spy bots. Despite being nearly discernible, and just a few inches in length---the mechanical critters were armed with state-of-the-art cameras. And they started to scatter, crawling out of the bag, and burrowing themselves around the house... especially the bedroom. Talon wanted to make sure they caught the activities of this evening in full HD video and audio.

[User]
Amelie turned to put her cigarette out after taking the swab from him. "I did turn it off temporarily... you said he couldn't find out about you." One of her arms held herself around herself right under her chest not thinking of the subtle changes to her chest being pressed up, as she looked at the swab. "But wine would be a nice refresher after today."

She began to swab the inside of her mouth making sure she got inside of her cheeks and then under her tongue as well. She looks at the swab and then looks to where he referenced to put it in. "Maybe you should do this, I don't want to break it." Amelie looks over the device more worried about what the result would be.

"You mentioned other levels? What other things?" Her attention was more focused on the machine if it wasn't on him. "Maybe I will leave this with you and go grab that wine? I may need it either way after all. Do you prefer a Merlot? Or maybe a Malbec?" She licked her lips nervously. Though her home was large it wouldn't take long for the bots to find good spots to set up, it had a pretty open concept and lots of glass. Gerard made sure to leave it fairly open as needed but have a privacy setting on the glass to darken, and of course bullet proof.

[Assistant]
"Merlot sounds just perfect. Why don't you go get that for us? And I'll take care of this," Melvin said, looking to her fingers which cautiously held the swab. Clasping her fingers, he ran his large, black thumb across her golden wedding band, and brought the backside of her palm to his lips, planting a kiss on it. "And thank you, Madame Lacroix, for inviting me to your home---that's how the French do it, right?" he teased, his fingers gently maneuvering the sway away from her own, his hand leaving her own. It was hard keeping his eyes off her face and figure, the way those breasts were just barely covered by her dress---and how those curves were so visible.

Eyeing her for a bit, Melvin stuck the swab into the appropriate slot of the machine, the screen starting to scramble with calculations. "Go ahead, it takes a minute or two sometimes to get the reading. We use this on the field a lot... it's also a good way of picking up a few other random things... like hormone levels and such. I'll show ya when it reads," he reassured her, answering her curiosity.

The spider-spies didn't take long to park in their locations, with several scattered throughout the bedroom and the living room, the hallways too. Everything that happened in the Lacroix residence that night would be etched into hard drive and uploaded into the Talon cloud servers...

[User]
Amelie nodded to his kiss, "it is polite however if you want the true French greeting..." She waited for him to release her hand and moved closer to him, leaning in to brush her lips lightly first against his left cheek and then right. "Now... I suppose I should go get that wine."

She took the opportunity to turn and go back inside to pull out a bottle of wine. It took her a moment to find two wine glasses that she held in one hand and the wine with the wine opener in the other. She stood and prayed for a moment that whatever this was would help and she wasn't putting herself at risk. Before leaving the kitchen she made sure to check her security system would turn back on later in case she forgot, but his little droids probably already made sure to tap in and take over the system instead.

Satisfied that she had everything she started her way back outside anxious to see if he had any results yet. "So how long have you known Gerard? I will say he doesn't really talk much about work so I eager to know what you can tell me." Her gaze lingered on him, standing and sweating in the heat and then went to the device he brought, hoping it showed the test was done.

[Assistant]
The touch of her lips, even if it was brief, barely even a kiss, still lingered on Melvin's dark face, even after she left. He eyed the device curiously as she'd walked away and returned with wine and wine glasses in hand. He turned to her, watching at the way her body gracefully moved. Indeed, the hot summer sun had caused Melvin to work up a bit of a sweat, the glisten from the droplets almost making the ebony musculature on his forearms become more outlined.

"I think you're just in time... the numbers are turning up..." he said, taking a step closer to Amelie, shoulder to shoulder, and holding the result in between them, as if they were taking a selfie together. It was just about finished loading as he answered her questions: "Gerard? Hah, know him almost 10-years now. Worked with him a few times in the field too. Saved my ass more times than I can count. There was a time we were decent pals at work. We just drifted apart, I guess?" Not everything he said was a lie. For indeed, Gerard had been foiling his plans and putting thorns on Talon---and Melvin's---path for nearly a decade now. He despite that French bastard to the core... but he did like Amelie.

The device beeped suddenly. The reading was complete. Squinting at it, Melvin stared. "Fuck..." he muttered under his breath. "Fuck, that's not good at all... dammit..." he muttered again, flashing the device a little bit more towards her direction, as it read a series of numbers with letter abbreviations by them. "Sorry Madame Lacroix... we failed him. The level, it's only at 24mm. We need it at least at an 80---100mm level to be effective. God dammit..." the large man said, feigned disappointment in his voice. The large stud shook his head, and held it downwards, "Why couldn't it be like the numbers...? I mean, at least there's good news, your other statistics look perfect. Especially those LH and FSH levels, you're... ovulating, I guess?" he remarked, masking his sinister intentions. "Ugh..." he groaned lowly again, "I'm sorry, I should've contacted you earlier. I just wasn't able... so hard to get to you as is. Can't believe I'm gonna let Gerard down like this." Sinking his head low, he didn't even make eye-contact with the beauty.

[User]
Amelie looked at the numbers and she didn't really know what any of it meant. She honestly had to take his word for what was there. "Well... you may have known him longer than me."

Once he told her of the results she wasn't sure if she was happy or sad. She wanted to help her husband but it also meant maybe spending more time with this glistening wall of muscle beside her. "It... it didn't work? I am glad I am okay but he won't be!" She put down the bottle and glass and immediately opening it. "So... is that it? We failed after everything..." she started to pour two glasses of wine. She needed the drink. "After yesterday... that's as good as it got." She started to drink a bit of the wine, not really caring if it needed to breath or not.

She wondered if trying again would be a smart idea when she looked back at him. She felt bad that he tried and they both failed. The knot in her stomach grew before she blurted out. "We could try again before he comes back." She felt herself blush at how easily that came out but she could save her husband and maybe spend a bit more time with him... after all no one else would know and they could stop before things got carried away again.

[Assistant]
Melvin tried hard to bite back the smile of utter joy that would fill his face---if not for his own self constraint. "Hmm... try again?" he said, trying to act nonchalant about it. He silently took the second glass from her hand, taking a small swig as well. "I think we both need a lil' bit of a drink," he smiled, pausing to let the idea she suggested fester in her mind for just a little bit longer. "He comes back tomorrow morning... right?" the large stud said, taking another small sip before planting the glass on one of the outdoors poolside tables.

"I guess that does give us plenty of time... besides, I worked up a lil' bit of a sweat today---in case you didn't notice," he smirked slightly, wiping a few beads of perspiration from his brow. "The liquid should help transfer more nanobots this time around. Though, we'd probably have to be a little more intense" he said, adding a special emphasis to that last word.

"Are you... okay with that Madame Lacroix?" he asked, stuffing the device into the back pocket of his pants. His free, dark fingers, now gently caressed the side of her bare shoulder, letting her feel that rugged warmth. "It's a good idea, I think. And, we'll have a bit more privacy too. So we wouldn't have anyone watching or getting the wrong idea now..." he said, recalling how he might have caught the gaze of a nosy neighbor or two on his way here. But he didn't tell Amelie that...

[User]
"I mean, yes he should be coming home tomorrow, that is what he told me last I spoke to him." Amelie took another drink before putting her own glass down. She wasn't really surprised he didn't turn down the idea, after all he seemed to enjoy it yesterday as well.

"Well if the sweat is good, maybe we could both step into the sauna?" She wasn't sure what he meant by more intense but she was trying to think of ways to help and keep herself from slipping, Gerard may not have asked her for a prenup for whatever odd reason, but she truly loved him. It was all the lonely time she had that was drawing herself to this man. In all her time, she had been close to being with someone like Melvin prior, or what she assumed was close to the same size of his cock she felt. "We can keep close in there, work up a sweat... it would be private."

The feeling of his touch gently across her skin again made her mind race again as she quickly caught her breath. "But more intense than yesterday? We only kissed for but a moment. So if we sweat and kiss... it could be sufficient? How soon can we retest?" Amelie was grabbing at solutions but she knew her will power would be questionable at best. Internally she cursed at herself for how hard this was going to be, even though she was doing it for him, part of her was doing it for herself.

[Assistant]
"Sauna? That sounds perfect... is there anything you don't have in this house?" Melvin smiled, nodding at her suggestion. "I think that could be sufficient... we'd have to kiss a lot more though, so we exchange enough saliva. And... we'd need much more body contact. I think the sweat would help as well." Imagery of the possibilities ran through Melvin's mind as he once again, practiced restraint.

"We could probably test again after we've been in the sauna for an hour or so... but it may take some time. Worst case scenario, we have the whole night to keep trying---right? I'm willin' to do anything to save Gerard," he reassured her, his touch on her shoulder turning into a gentle caress as he stroked his hand downwards, gently clasping her by the elbow.

With a powerful grip, and an effortless tug, he yanked her body gently towards her direction, scooping his arm into hers to hold her close. He held her arm like a gentleman would---and with a look down at her pretty face, he nodded affirmatively to her, "Lead the way Madame Lacroix... let's get to work?" He tried to keep a veil of professionalism in all this. However, those spy-bots, dug into the sauna walls, would monitor the footage and audio of just how professional things would be. "Besides, I think some privacy would be good... you have a few neighbors who pry too much. This woman, Selina, she looked so damn excited when she saw me coming this way... friend of yours?"

[User]
Amelie could think of a few things that were missing in the house but she didn't want to admit she felt that when she asked for something Gerard made sure it was there for her, like he felt guilty she was here alone for so long. This was why she filled her time in the studio and that friend Selina trying to fix her up with someone else.

"An hour should be fine... but I don't think we should spend a full hour in the sauna." She linked her her arm in with his, the heat of his body already burning through the think fabric of her dress where ever their bodies touched. Amelie grabbed her wine and then lead their way inside. The sauna wasn't far off from the pool area.

"I don't think Selina will be a problem if she saw you coming over... maybe she will stop bugging me for a while and stop trying to hook me up with people..." She looked back towards him, her eyes traced over his chest before going up to his eyes. "But she is the women I mentioned yesterday... she shouldn't say anything." For all she knew she was just a neighbor, or maybe she was working with Talon to help plant the idea in Amelie's head to start this.

Amelie led them inside and put her glass of wine down on a side table. She went to the controls by the door of the sauna and set the temperature to rise. "Well that will need a minute to heat up." She then grabbed a towel from a near by pantry and passed it to him. "There is a change room down the hall to the right if you would like to use it."

Amelie started to remove her jewelry and place them by her wine glass before she easily slid her dress straps off of her shoulders letting the light silk dress fall to the ground. He already knew what she looked like, so she felt confident enough to just change right there. Once it was off she stepped out of her shoes as she grabbed her dress to put it away and grab another towel to wrap around herself. She had to admit this gave her a bit of rush every time she stripped down in front of him. This time he would have a good view of everything as she had bent over.

[Assistant]
Holding the towel she'd passed to him, the large black stud simply stood and watched as the French beauty undressed herself. She was so meticulous and careful, and he couldn't take his lustful eyes off of her body. _God damn... she was flawless,_ he thought, watching her bent down. Those ass cheeks were perfect... and those pussy lips too. So tight and clenched together. Seeing them from this angle, so exposed, so lewd---it was completely different from getting a view of her from top down as he had got in the beach. Indeed, she was perfect, he thought; and he could feel his own body temperature rise even outside of the sauna, just from thought thoughts.

But as she leaned over to grab another towel, Melvin walked up to her and placed a silent, gentle touch on her lower back. "Are the towels really necessary...? We should go in there with as little clothes as possible, to get the maximum benefit. No?" he asked her, his hand slowly tracing up the crease of her spine, sliding past her shoulder blade before finally coming off her body.

His other hand tossed the towel she'd given him gently to the side, and yanked his own shirt right off his body. Next, his hands went to his belt buckle, and with some cluttering and clanging, it was undone. His t-shirt, those cargo pants, and his boots were gathered in a somewhat messy pile at the corner of the room---the only speck of disorganization in what was otherwise a pristine house.

"Are you comfortable... like this, Madame Lacroix?" he asked her, his eyes unabashedly staring at her nude body, taking it all in... savoring it. He, of course---was not completely nude yet. His sculpted muscles were visible on his torso and his thighs, colored by a thin layer of sweat, that made his black skin truly stand out in comparison to her own pale flesh. But below the waist, he was still wearing a rather loose boxer, which concealed much, but still couldn't hide the large bulge of his flaccid cock, still slumbering against his inner thigh.


[User]
Inyael's eyes squeezed shut against insistent burning behind them and he forced his breathing to calm. He had to focus. His entire body ached, but the crash of emotions hurt more than it ever had. Was this what having a body was like? Just pain and sorrow? There had to be more, right? There had to be a reason humans shone so brightly. Once his breathing had calmed, he opened his eyes to stare up at the stars. It was so familiar, yet so alien. It was his first time actually looking at them from this side, but they held no answers for him. No revelations. Just an emptiness in their shine.

Inyael's body throbbed in protest at the contact and his fingers twitched in acknowledgment, but he didn't turn to look just yet. He had to steel himself, unsure of who or what he would see when he turned his head. The fear gripped him for a long moment before he buried it deep. He couldn't be afraid, that would get him nowhere. Finally, Inyael turned his head slightly so that he could look up at the man before him. There was a thin trail through the dirt on his cheeks, but he hadn't noticed the tears. Most of his dark hair had tugged free from the braid and framed his face messily.

The first thing he noticed about the man was his eyes. They were pink. He'd never seen that color in a human before, which meant this man obviously was not human. A small frown tugged on his lips as he considered. Usually Inyael was able to see the light of a person's soul, but he supposed that he couldn't do that anymore either. His lips parted, but the words that spilled forth weren't any human language. They were musical and almost seemed to echo, itching at the ears. They portrayed confusion and fear and pain, but he wasn't sure if he got it across to the man watching him with those pink eyes.

[Assistant]
Alive, and conscious. A single slim, flawlessly sculpted eyebrow arched upward with subdued curiosity. Aleksei wasn't entirely sure who---or rather, what---he was looking at. His unnatural eyes scanned over the... thing's body, absorbing its strange clothing and foreign armor, glinting steel tarnished by dirt, mud, and... was that ash? A moment ago the creature had been a fireball careening toward the earth, so while he supposed that would make sense, he would not have believed it if he hadn't seen it himself.

When those peculiar amethyst eyes opened to meet his own, Aleksei's head tilted to the side with a renewed sense of interest, hands shifting into his pockets in an oddly casual pose for the situation. Strands of pearl white hair slipped over his face in the cool night breeze, but he ignored them. And then the thing was speaking to him---at him---and still his severe expression scarcely shifted. He didn't recognize the language and its voice rang in his head like a bell in a way that was almost unpleasant, but it was distinct and unusual and altogether different, and it was making Aleksei think. The frightened, anguished tone was noted, but ignored.

"I don't know what you're saying," he said plainly, his own voice low and mild, with an air of nonchalance unfit for the circumstance. He squat down, considering the dark-haired, lilac-eyed creature for a moment before reaching an experimental hand to a ruddy cheek, knuckles brushing skin. Warm. Human? Couldn't be, unless it had just escaped some mad scientist's laboratory after being melded with a crow. At that thought, pink eyes shifted to his wings and he moved his hand to press his fingers into the dark feathers with guarded interest. Alien? More likely, but not entirely what he imagined extraterrestrial life would look like. Disappointing, really. His lips pinched tightly together, eyes narrowing. It couldn't be...

"Can you move?" He asked, though why he asked, he didn't know. It wasn't as though it could understand him. He looked downward and took the creature's hand into his own deathly cold fingers, raising it experimentally to see just how extensive the being's injuries were.

[User]
Inyael's words trailed off when he realized that he couldn't understand the man before him. The frown grew slightly as he watched the other crouch down; it was obvious now that they were totally different creatures, not that Inyael thought they were the same. The truth was he hadn't even considered the fact that beings on the surface wouldn't be able to understand him, it had been so long since he had visited that he had lost touch. He couldn't even remember if he could speak a human language before; he certainly couldn't now. Could he even learn? There was a split second of doubt before he decided that he could. Just because his power was bound didn't mean his mind was. Probably. The icy brush of knuckles to his cheek startled him out of his thoughts; he jolted which caused pain to shoot through his veins like being struck by lightening. He refused to allow it to show. He didn't know if this man was safe or not. Do not show weakness. A little late, if he was honest, but he could at least try.

Then the pink eyed man reached to touch his wing. Inyael didn't think, he reacted. The feathers were only soft for a split second before they hardened into something akin to steel and he tried to force his body to just move. When it didn't budge he bared his teeth like he had seen injured animals do in aeons past. But the white haired man didn't seem like a threat. At least not to him. Amethyst eyes zeroed in on the flash of sharp teeth when the other spoke, his own empty threat fading as he considered.

Inyael made an anguished sound when his hand was taken and lifted, but the pain faded to a dull thud under his skin. It was obvious that he had several broken bones, though many of them were already mending themselves. The bruises that marred his skin already began to fade as his body worked to heal itself. Inyael stared at where their hands met and focused on his own body; even though his power seemed to be locked away, his body still has enough to heal life threatening injuries. He just wondered how much damage would remain when it ran out.

After a long moment, he registered the concern and wiggled his fingers lightly in the other's grasp. It crossed his mind to be concerned for his own safety. This man may not mean harm now, but later? There was no way to tell. Inyael pushed that thought away. That was for later. Slowly, so painfully slowly, Inyael forced himself to sit up. His wings shifted in time with his movement, working as a sort of counter balance, before he once again tried to pry the chest plate from his body with his free hand.

[Assistant]
Aleksei simply watched bemusedly the moment those eyes flashed and teeth were bared at him like some kind of wild animal. The demonstration inspired no indication of fear in the white-haired man but instead his eyes glimmered with quiet fascination. After all, there was no reason for him to be afraid; Aleksei hadn't felt the fear of danger since he was a young boy---and that was nearing a century ago. So as he looked this creature up and down, instead of wariness, Aleksei was considering the other's origins. The lack of recognition in its gaze confirmed that the little beast was no human; most wouldn't dare to meet his gaze much less attempt to threaten him. What a lovely mystery he had stumbled upon.

He rocked back on his heels, letting the other's hand drop from his grasp. It was obvious the creature was in a great deal of pain, but Aleksei took his movements as a good sign. He made no effort to help, simply observing, as if he'd encountered an interesting little woodland critter and not some sort of wild-eyed winged being from outer space.

Rosy eyes watched the great feathery wings move as the other sat up. The strange ability the creature used to sharpen the feathers into daggers had sparked an odd rush of excitement in his chest, and he stared at them as though appreciating something of immeasurable wealth, almost predatory in nature. That same gaze flicked back downward as the other was fiddling feebly with the strange chest piece, and finally Aleksei shifted himself forward. His eyesight clear and sharp in the darkness, it only took him a moment of examination to see how the scrap of armor was fastened together and he reached toward him impatiently, heedless of whatever resistance the odd one might put up. His long fingers were already making quick work of the clasps and ties.

"Your body is broken. You will come with me," he said shortly, knowing full well the other couldn't understand him. It didn't matter. He'd need to call for his car again, however.

[User]
Inyael froze when the other reached towards him again, but he didn't bother trying to stop him. it was painfully obvious that he didn't have the strength to do anything to the other man; and it seemed like he would do whatever he wanted anyhow. He was almost positive that he couldn't be killed. Almost. Was he still Endless? Inyael didn't know. He also wasn't too keen on testing it out.

The moment that the armor loosened, it felt like he could finally finally breath. He wanted to tear the hunk of metal from his body and throw it aside, but knew he didn't have the strength or the willpower to throw it away. So instead of clutched at the edges of the chest plate and forced himself to take deep breaths. It was still a new sensation, his lungs filling with air only the immediately expel it. It felt good, but he knew that was only because his now corporeal body seemed to need it. Did that mean he could die? Or would it just be uncomfortable if he couldn't physically breath? There were so many questions, but he didn't have any of the answers.

Lavender eyes shifted to the other when he spoke, but he only blinked in response. Did he mean to help? Inyael didn't know. Once it was obvious that the other meant no harm, he finally allowed himself to relax. The feathers of his wings shuddered in response, the hard steel-like texture melted into soft looking black feathers.

Inyael decided to focus more on healing. He didn't know when the residual Light would be extinguished for good; so he tried to direct what he could to the worst of his injuries. For a split second there was a faint glow beneath his skin, flowing through his veins like blood, before it faded completely. He frowned. The pain remained, though it was lessened considerably.

[Assistant]
The way the winged creature gulped down breaths and the sound of a heartbeat thudding in Aleksei's ears verified his suspicions that whatever this being was, it was mortal, which then begged the question of where it had fallen from and how it had survived such a fall. Aleksei was making a mental list of all the things very strange and fascinating about this odd little beast, but the sudden shock of radiant light that suddenly illuminated the other's pale skin was just enough to finally catch him off guard. Perhaps to mortal eyes it had only been a soft glow under the flesh, something akin to warm bioluminescence, but Aleksei had to shield his eyes from the piercing luster that he was nearly blinded by, a clawed hand raising and fangs elongating defensively in his open mouth. It was gone as quickly as it had come, and in its wake Aleksei's expression was perhaps the most genuine it had been all night.

He stared at the winged one in muted awe, unsure of exactly what had just happened. For a moment he had almost believed it was sunlight and his initial reaction had been to run, to hide, to find shelter somewhere dark and hidden. Common sense had preserved his dignity, at least, but now his unnerving pink eyes were locked onto the other with an intensity that rivaled on hunger.

"What in the nine layers of hell was that," he hissed, his long fangs gradually retreating back into their sockets. He broke his gaze from the other to glance around the empty field, as if looking to see if anyone else had noticed and come running, but they were still alone in the chilling darkness, and when Aleksei's eyes returned to the creature, they were resolute.

"Whatever it was, it'll bring a fleet of them here if anyone saw. Come. We're leaving," he said, still indifferent to the fact that they couldn't understand each other. He didn't want to wait for the other to see if it could stand or walk, and in his impatience, Aleksei simply stepped over the beast, hooking an arm under knees and wrapping the other just under the joints of wings. He lifted the other easily, as if he weighed little more than a small pet. "Try anything and I will make you regret it." The words might not have been understood, but perhaps the tone would.

[User]
Inyael's attention shifted from the now faded glow just in time to catch the other staring at him with such an intensity that he almost expected him to lunge and tear into him with his fangs like an animal would. Despite that, there was a strange lack of fear when he focused on those elongated fangs, his own expression considering. Each new thing he learned seemed to fill out a puzzle in his currently fragmented mind. Again the words made little sense, but he was starting to understand the implied meaning of the words. Inyael tilted his head slightly in curiosity as he too looked out into the empty night. Did he expect someone else to show up?

When he was suddenly lifted, the noise he made was a cross between pained and surprised, his arms automatically slipped around the other's shoulders in a effort to keep himself steady. Again the implication of his words somewhat understood as Inyael didn't try to squirm away or even shift to get more comfortable. It was almost a relief to be out of the dirt, even if he needed to be carried. Another fragmented piece slipped into place as he stared down at the pink eyed man. It shouldn't have been possible for a human to lift his condensed body, unless it had lightened when he was given a physical body, but he doubted that with how broken his body had been when he crashed into the ground.

"Oh," He murmured as his wings fluttered, betraying his curiosity, "You're a Dark Creature." There was an understanding in those amethyst eyes as he stared down at the other now, but fear remained absent. It was almost enjoyable to be carried, the icy touch of the other seeping through the clothe and somehow soothing a portion of the remaining pain. How strange.

[Assistant]
Rosy pink met with lavender and Aleksei's eyebrow rose again at the gibberish the little creature spoke. It hadn't come across to him as any attempt to be threatening or defiant---or even fearful, which would not have come as a surprise. Could it be that this winged one didn't know what Aleksei was? Was it possible that he didn't know to be afraid? That would certainly confirm his suspicions that it wasn't from this realm---at least no part of the earth that Aleksei was aware of. Very curious. Very interesting.

Without another word Aleksei turned to clamber with as much grace and dignity as he could manage out of the gaping crater the other's fall had caused and stalked across the empty field with purpose. "I'm going to have to call the fucking car back," he growled, mostly to himself, because he'd already spent a great deal of time in dirt and muck, and his suit had been soiled by the dirtied beast, and Aleksei wasn't about to carry this thing all the way home. What if someone saw? He'd never hear the end of it.

No, that wasn't the type of gossip he wanted. Word would spread quickly, yes, but it would be of the strange new creature Lord Aleksei Dresvyanin had acquired---the most intriguing Accessory a vampire lord had ever owned. Yes, an Accessory with wings, one that could make its skin shine like sunlight, that spoke a bewitching and exotic language. Aleksei would have his gossip, and it would have them all clambering around him. He couldn't wait to see the look on that bitch Friga's face when she saw. She wouldn't dare call into question his legitimacy again. The thought made a thin, unpleasant smile spread across his sharp features. He'd found it. It was his now. That was the simple truth.

They'd made it to the road but Aleksei stayed in the dark of an old tree, avoiding shimmering streetlights and lurking where they wouldn't be visible to any passing vehicles. He shifted his hold on the other enough to pull out his phone and call his driver, snapping at him to come pick him up and how dare he leave him on the side of the road? After tossing in a few threats, Aleksei hung up. He looked down at the creature in his arms, expression shrewd. The warmth around his shoulders from the beings arms wasn't unpleasant, but he was more familiar with a mortal's warmth clinging to him when his teeth were buried in a vein. Usually their heartbeats thrummed but this creature's was slow and calm. It was almost irritating how unafraid it was. It simply had no frame of reference. No matter; that would change soon.

Finally a large black SUV turned the corner and came to stop and Aleksei threw open the back door and deposited the other unceremoniously onto the seat. The driver's eyes were wide as he stared with silent shock in the rear-view mirror, but said nothing. Speaking was unwise, even if his master had seemingly come into possession of what he could have thought was an angel... if not for the pitch colored wings. Aleksei shut the door, rounded the car, and got in on the other side. "Go," he snapped immediately as he closed the door behind him, and the driver obeyed, pulling off from the curb and speeding toward their destination.