rp: main topic Black City

[Aura]

It seemed the innocent facade was being dropped and Taka's true intentions were finally beginning to show. This helped her mind to focus on just him and not racing around in every direction. As she listened intently to every word he spoke, her heart only hardened and she could feel her breath catching in her lungs. She'd fallen right for his trap... was it even a trap? Or was it her own ignorance that drove her to where she was now...? 

"W-wait... what...? You mean... I want this...?" That couldn't be... it made no sense! She was being blackmailed! She was here against her will! "Tha-that's not true! I-I'm not just some slut! You're lying!" She adamantly protested. At this point, it was the only way to defend her behavior--her own personal identity! "I-I'm not just a slut... I-... I'm... not..."

[laslosurname928]

"Don't put words into my mouth. I never said you were a slut." Taka said, staring into Amelia's eyes. "You're anything but a slut, I think." He said, slowly tracing his fingertips up her right thigh. He didn't want her to feel like she was a promiscuous type of woman, even if she used to be. He just wanted her to give in to what she really wanted.

"I just want to know what you want. What you desire." He said simply, his hand going ever so slightly closer to the woman's sex. Even her thighs were a bit sticky with her juices, which made him incredibly aroused.

[Aura]

Amelia winced as she was scolded for misinterpreting Taka's thoughts. "Y-you... don't think I'm a slut...?" His behavior just didn't make any sense to her, he was in a whole other world that she simply couldn't understand... If he didn't see her as some sort of sex object, why then would he go to such an extent to put her into such an embarrassing situation like this...? With his fingers forming a much more suggestive trail, Amelia's whole body was quivering in anticipation... did it feel good or bad? Was she excited or terrified? At this point, she couldn't tell the difference, nor could she control the constant drool escaping from the corners of her mouth. 

"Wh-what I... what I want... what I want is... i-it's... ahh..." Her mind was fuzzy, it was like his words were unlocking some part of her mind that had been locked away all this time. She was getting her to places she never thought another human being would so much as know exists... What was this feeling...? How was he doing it...? She felt so stupid and yet... she felt strangely like she was on the cusp of freedom. "I-I just... I want to feel... erk... I-I can't say it..."

[laslosurname928]

Taka's whole body was close to Amelia, his groin barely pressing against her own and his broad chest hovering above hers. He continued to stare into the woman's eyes, a smirk plastered across his face. "Yes, you can... I want you to..." He said, whispering seductively into her ear as his hand inched closer and closer to the side wings of her panties.

"Just tell me... And I'll gladly give it to you..." He whispered before slowly and gently grinding against her again. The situation at hand was much more sensual than he anticipated, but that didn't matter. Amelia was basically putty in his hands, even if she thought she was doing this of her own free will for the most part. Just one more push, and she would be his.

[Aura]

Taka's words somehow parted the clouds in Amelia's mind. She couldn't turn away from the undeniable truth of what she wanted. His stare... his touch... he was hovering just inches away from her. Perhaps growing increasingly impatient with her... he wasn't going to go any further without consent... and it was clear that at this rate she was going to give it to him. So why was she hesitating? Why couldn't she bring herself to tell him how she was feeling? Was it really just because she was blackmailed? By now, that felt like eons ago... No... it's because that wasn't it. There was something deeper to her desires... more than what he was hinting at... as his eyes were locked onto hers, drawing her in like a whirlpool, she sunk deeper and deeper into his spell. 

"I-... I want... to be loved..." Her voice finally spoke, heavy and bated, her breath hot and steamy. "P-please... please don't just use me..." She whimpered out, almost desperate at this point. She'd finally gotten to the truth and she didn't want to disappoint. He'd asked for her honest feelings and she didn't want to give a superficial answer. Across her entire life, Amelia had never been loved by a man. She'd certainly been adored, aroused by all sorts of lewd things, and she'd been used in ways that could never be taken back... but there's been a fundamental desire throughout all of that... there was always something more than just her being some worthless addict... and his assertion that he didn't see her as a slut gave her a glimmer of hope... In spite of everything she'd done... could she still be lovable...? 

[laslosurname928]

Amelia's words caught Taka off-guard. For just a second, his eyes widened and his cheeks flashed a modest red. He felt his heart skip a beat. What the hell was that...? The second where he changed felt like a lifetime to him. He had never felt like this from anyone before. He wanted Amelia, but now there was this underlying feeling in his heart and mind. 

Lust, maybe? Infatuation? ...Love?

No. It couldn't be. He didn't love anybody and that wasn't his MO. But, he couldn't just leave Amelia like this... On the ground, practically begging for someone to just love her. He wasn't that type of person. He figured he had two options here: play along and get what he wants in the end or, since he had technically gotten her consent, use her for whatever he desired. He didn't mind option two but... It didn't feel right. Dammit, now he was all confused. He figured he could worry about that later. It wasn't the time to get all flustered anyway.

Instead, the blush and surprised look on Taka's face vanished as he pulled Amelia close and pressed his lips against hers sensually, grinding against her gently. It felt good but... Something was different. His heart was beating fast and he was practically clinging to Amelia... like a lover.

Edited May 17, 2020 by laslosurname928
Spelling and fixing a typo.

[Aura]

This is wrong. It was all Amelia could think of as she felt herself being pulled tighter into Taka's embrace. He was much older than her... he was blackmailing her... not only that, he was her boss... for all intents and purposes, he was the bad guy... Yet she couldn't stop it. It wasn't clear if it was her or him that needed to be stopped... it wasn't clear if it was because of her own lack of energy or... was it possible she enjoyed something so... depraved...? She cringed at the very idea as what was happening came from the forefront of her mind. She... could enjoyed this...? Everything about it was disgusting... pitiful... was she going to get fucked right here in the middle of the back line of a ramen shop... by an adult...? Would that really be her first time getting intimate with someone? Giving it up so easily... she was disgusted with herself, yet somehow that only made her heart race more. Her face was deep red in humility as her tongue began to dance with Taka's, drool escaping from her mouth. "Mmphh..." she let out a soft moan that may have surprised her more than Taka. It didn't matter what Taka said to her... no matter what way you looked at it, she was acting like a slut... Even if he didn't see it that way, this was something that no doubt would remain on her mind every day going forward. That her base desires could lead her somewhere so depraved... 

Every moment inch of skin that made contact only made her body hotter. She was sweating and burning up, her clothes started to feel itchy against her sweaty skin and her pussy... her panties were completely ruined by this point... they needed to be the first to go... b-but... she couldn't just take them off... it was bad enough what was happening already... Once those panties came off, there would be no going back. W-was there any form of protection? What if she got pregnant from this encounter? Wh-why was she thinking like having sex was a guarantee? She... she could say no... she had to... she... "Mmphh...~" She moaned again as she tried to part her lips to speak, but only allowed more room for Taka's tongue to explore instead, shutting her up completely. He was in complete control of her body already... h-how did this even happen...?

[laslosurname928]

Taka kept kissing Amelia passionately, but... Why? He could've and probably should've stopped. He couldn't have sex in his own shop, the stains and smells would take way too long to mask. This couldn't happen here. But, he wanted her, badly. He wanted to be inside her. But, he didn't have any form of protection and in the state the two were both in, he highly doubted pulling out was going to be sufficient. But still, He wanted to hear her moans and see her face and watch her cum. 

But it didn't feel like a want. It felt like a need. 

He started rubbing her sex gently through her ruined panties, feeling just how wet and needy she was, all while his tongue danced with hers. It felt too good to stop and just wrong enough to satiate his depravity. But, he something he couldn't pinpoint still felt wrong. Did he want this because he was lustful and wanted to see Amelia's true desires? Or was there something more than that, just tugging at his moral compass...?

"Mmph..." Taka moaned as he kissed Amelia, using his other hand to massage his hardening member through his pants. Why couldn't he stop? What happened to his self-control just now...? What unspoken effect did Amelia have on him and... Why was he liking it?

[Aura]

Upon feeling his hand on her crotch, Amelia's back arched, breaking the kiss as she threw her head back and let out a louder moan. "Aahh~" The noise she'd released into the air wasn't quite loud enough to be heard by anyone in the store, but upon making such a lewd sound, the thought immediately crossed her mind-- if the store was still open, a customer just might walk in at any moment... maybe that would be good for her. A perfect escape to such a helpless situation! Yet, somehow that only seemed to encourage her sexual drive even more. Her heart was racing faster and faster. The more the thought of stopping crossed her mind, the more she realized she... she wanted this... Something about Taka's plan had reduced her to a horny slut desperate for sexual contact! She couldn't let a customer come in and ruin this moment... if she did, it'd ruin everything...! No more wasting time... No more...

"P-please... t-take me! I'll never be like this again, j-just do it already!" She started to demand more forcefully. Never in a million years would she have expected to say such a thing to the very man who she'd met just one night ago. But what she said was true and it was exactly where her heart and mind lay in the moment.

[laslosurname928]

Taka nodded, as he started taking off his pants and underwear, revealing his rather large girth to Amelia. Immediately after, he took off Amelia's panties, revealing her sex to him. He didn't want to go straight in though, he wanted a taste. He lowered his head in between the girl's thighs and started licking her flower, eating her out sensually and loving the taste. He even moaned just a bit, looking up at her to see her reaction as he continued eating her out.

But he didn't want her to cum just yet, not like this anyway. Taka wanted Amelia to feel him inside her and squirm on his cock. He pulled himself away from the woman's soaking wet pussy, her juices all over his mouth and chin and pulled her close to him, his member hitting her slit.

"...You can still back out. If you want to." He said, giving her one final warning as he teased her slit, rubbing his cock against it. He figured he already knew her answer, but one last chance to solidify this wouldn't hurt.

[Aura]

On 5/18/2020 at 12:57 PM, laslosurname928 said:

Taka nodded, as he started taking off his pants and underwear, revealing his rather large girth to Amelia. Immediately after, he took off Amelia's panties, revealing her sex to him. He didn't want to go straight in though, he wanted a taste. He lowered his head in between the girl's thighs and started licking her flower, eating her out sensually and loving the taste. He even moaned just a bit, looking up at her to see her reaction as he continued eating her out.

But he didn't want her to cum just yet, not like this anyway. Taka wanted Amelia to feel him inside her and squirm on his cock. He pulled himself away from the woman's soaking wet pussy, her juices all over his mouth and chin and pulled her close to him, his member hitting her slit.

"...You can still back out. If you want to." He said, giving her one final warning as he teased her slit, rubbing his cock against it. He figured he already knew her answer, but one last chance to solidify this wouldn't hurt.

Moved to: 

 

[Aura]

Location: Winter Flowers; closing time

It had been a while since Serenity had a brief interaction with a suspicious male in the parking lot of Star Lite Motel. At the time, she didn't think too much of him. At worst, he would prove to be yet another eye on the streets. At best, a simple socially distant person who has a distrust for other people. In this city, both of those possibilities were equally likely. It wasn't long after that which she'd had a little chat with a young woman who was incredibly nervous. That poor girl went pale in the face the moment she knew what she was being questioned about. She knew what she was doing wasn't legal. Under the circumstances, however, the legality of it all wasn't Serenity's concern. It was the why that was important for her case. It was very clear this crime wasn't something she wanted to do, but it was also very clear that getting a direct answer from such a terrified mouse of a witness would be about as simple as counting the hairs on her head. In spite of her cold front, she did feel great sympathy for the woman. She had a feeling she knew exactly what was going on here and, from experience, she also knew the girl would be punished severely if any information was leaked. 

That was why she was here, at Winter Flowers. She'd been searching all day for the very vehicle she'd caught on camera earlier. Connecting the dots, it was very easy to tell who that suspicious person in the lot was. At the moment, she didn't have any suspicions that the man was a part of Viper, but she couldn't rule out the possibility. Since she was still off duty, it was impossible for him to use police resources to track down the vehicle. Not to mention any actions with government resources would no doubt be trackable by an organization as powerful as Ghost is rumored to be. Still, she needed to follow any lead she could get, no matter how small. Surely she would be able to get something useful out of this man, enemy or not. If he proved to have important information, it was quite possible she could strike a deal that he would be foolish to refuse.

She'd finally managed to locate the truck she'd been searching for and it seemed just in time as the time on the door showed that it was nearing closing time for the store. Serenity pushed the door open and stepped inside. It was a public area, she needed no excuse to go inside. She was also not in uniform, so she wouldn't have drawn any particular attention from anyone except one person she was confident would be here. If her understanding of the situation was right, however, he wasn't likely to admit to recognizing her. "Hello? Is it too late to make a purchase?" She spoke softly so as not to disturb the atmosphere too much, but with the voice of a dignified woman. One who was well-versed in maintaining her manners, but perhaps a little too well-versed, almost as if she was an expert at faking such manners. At least, that's how most people would tend to interpret her personality. It didn't matter to her, though, as long as it didn't interfere with the results she'd get.

[Neptune]

Location: Winter Flowers

Zack was glad when he glanced towards the clock and saw that it was almost time to close up shop. It had been a long day, unusually busy with people coming in to purchase bundles of flowers. While he had felt almost run off his feet, as Silvia continued to hide herself in the office, he was glad that he was busy enough to keep his mind off of things. He had attempted to call Rose at lunch time, but assumed that she was out with her friends when she didn’t pick up so he wasn’t too concerned. He trusted her to not be getting herself into any kind of trouble. His eyes were torn away from the clock he had been watching when the door opened again. There was a greeting that was on his lips that died as his green eyes settled on the figure that had walked in. He felt his entire body stiffen. While he had almost forgotten about the woman in the parking lot of the motel earlier, she had been suspicious enough that he immediately recognised her. He watched her, as if she was some kind of predator that he expected to strike at him at any moment. However he made no indication that he realised who she was.

He glanced at the clock once again and wished that it was late enough that he could turn her away however there was still time before closing. He turned back to her and in an almost clipped tone, he said, “No, it isn’t. What are you looking for?” What he was really asking, is what she wanted from him. Her behaviour at the motel had been enough to set him on edge and he trusted her as much as he trusted a very pissed off snake that was moving to bite him. He resisted the urge to cross his arms, and instead stood still, staring at her.

[Aura]

Location: Winter Flowers

"Ah, wonderful," Serenity approached the man at the counter, her eyes glancing around the room. She knew what she was watching out for could be anywhere and nearly invisible to the naked eye. More importantly, she had to ensure that their conversation couldn't be picked up by any sort of microphone. She also had to be careful about her word choice here. For all she knew, she could be speaking directly to a member of Viper. However, it was a bit of a gamble she would have to take. She wouldn't get anywhere if she cowered at the possibility of any given person working for that gang of thugs. He certainly didn't look like the type who would be a part of a gang, however. He had the look of a handsome gentleman rather than the typical dirty street rats that made up Viper's community. But generalizations like that wouldn't get her anywhere either.

"Do you cater? I would like to take to have a bundle of daisies shipped to a friend's address..." As she spoke, she helped herself to one of the small blank cards on the desk and a pen and began writing out a message in very thin calligraphy, or at least, as thin as the pen would allow. When she was finished, she capped the pen and slid the small card toward Zack. One look at the card and it was clear there was more than an address on there:

Star Lite Motel -- Room 143

I have some questions I wish to ask.

Please come tomorrow night at 10. Bring the daisies, too.

I am not concerned with your crimes,

However, you may be in danger.

"Will that be okay?" she followed up? "I'm willing to pay extra for this service, of course. But I would really like them delivered by then. How much would this cost?"

[Neptune]

Location: Winter Flowers

Zack almost told her that no, they didn’t do deliveries however that was a lie that could easily be called out if she did even a little bit of research on his shop. So he was forced to nod his head in confirmation, “Yes…” He said through gritted teeth, feeling frustrated that he was being backed into a corner like this. He didn’t like it, and he didn’t like her. He watched with narrowed eyes as she picked up one of the blank cards and wrote something on it. For a moment, he ignored the card as it was pushed towards him in favour of watching her. He then glanced down at the card and quickly read the words. Danger? What the hell did she mean by that? Surely she was joking. Just what the hell was her angle here? Again, the thought that this was some kind of joke ran through his mind.

He reached forwards and picked up the card and slipped it into his suit pocket, “Twenty dollars for a medium bundle of daisies, and five dollars for delivery for delivery of such short notice.” He replied. He still didn’t know if he was even going to show up. He could simply get his usual delivery man to deliver the flowers and go nowhere near the Star Lite Motel. He certainly didn’t like going to a motel he had recently spent time in, especially the motels he used to fuck prostitutes in. It made him suddenly worried if she was some kind of private detective that his wife had hired to keep an eye on him. Perhaps this was some kind of trap? Well, perhaps he would show up, just to see what this was all about. If it really was a private detective, he could attempt to get them off of his arse. The last thing he wanted, or needed, was some PI breathing down his neck.

[Aura]

Serenity could tell that Zack was still skeptical. His face said it all.

"Let me just add one thing." She volunteered, taking a bit of a risk, but it was one she felt was necessary to guarantee his participation. She couldn't have this man ignore her warning. She leaned forward and whispered. "It is my duty as an officer to report you both, but I don't have to. They have no usable evidence that I know anything. But I do. I don't have any interest in doing so, but you'll leave me with no choice if you don't comply. If you must know, I'm working on a much bigger case and I need every bit of help I can get to get to the bottom of it."

With those words, she leaned back with a sigh. "So, $25? That's affordable. I'll be sure to offer a tip for the service on such short notice. Thank you kindly." She spoke in a friendly manner once again, offering a bow of gratitude. "My friend will certainly appreciate the flowers as well. Shall I pay you upfront, or after delivery?"

[Neptune]

Location: Winter Flowers

Zack watched as the woman leaned forward and he almost gave into the urge to lean back and away from her. His eyes widened slightly at her implicit threat. This bitch was seriously resorting to blackmail? He knew that if she did report it, it would come out that he fucked prostitutes and any hope of reviving his dying marriage would be completely gone. Silvia hated nothing more than a liar and a cheat, and he would be exposed as both. He gritted his teeth, clamping down on the urge to punch this woman in the face. It was a strange feeling to want to hurt someone like that, as he wasn’t often prone to such violent urges but this woman was backing him into a corner and not allowing him any room to maneuver out. But then, if she was some kind of private detective, she wouldn’t be beholden to typical regulations. He didn’t respond, as he contented himself with throwing a venomous glare in her direction as she pulled back and asked her question.

“... upfront.” Zack told her in a tight voice. It wasn’t strictly true for small orders like this, as they could take the money after the delivery. But her manner, and the implied threat that she would throw him to the wolves at the police station, caused him to be very distrustful of her. He then held out his hand in a silent demand for the money.

[Aura]

On 9/3/2022 at 1:02 PM, Neptune said:

Location: Winter Flowers

Zack watched as the woman leaned forward and he almost gave into the urge to lean back and away from her. His eyes widened slightly at her implicit threat. This bitch was seriously resorting to blackmail? He knew that if she did report it, it would come out that he fucked prostitutes and any hope of reviving his dying marriage would be completely gone. Silvia hated nothing more than a liar and a cheat, and he would be exposed as both. He gritted his teeth, clamping down on the urge to punch this woman in the face. It was a strange feeling to want to hurt someone like that, as he wasn’t often prone to such violent urges but this woman was backing him into a corner and not allowing him any room to maneuver out. But then, if she was some kind of private detective, she wouldn’t be beholden to typical regulations. He didn’t respond, as he contented himself with throwing a venomous glare in her direction as she pulled back and asked her question.

“... upfront.” Zack told her in a tight voice. It wasn’t strictly true for small orders like this, as they could take the money after the delivery. But her manner, and the implied threat that she would throw him to the wolves at the police station, caused him to be very distrustful of her. He then held out his hand in a silent demand for the money.

Serenity could only feel so bad for Zack. At the end of the day, he was the sort of lowlife she had no interest sympathizing with. And yet, he would be incredibly useful to her and his compliance with her investigation was certainly in both of their best interest if he knew what was best for him. Not just because of the secrets she could spill, but moreso because of the secrets he needs to know. If her investigation went smoothly, he could never be blackmailed over the same thing again. Otherwise...

Serenity smiled and reached into her bag, pulling out a small wallet and counting out a $20 and $10 bill. She placed the bills in Zack's extended hand toward her. "That should cover the tax as well. You can keep the change. Thank you." She wanted to say more, truly. She wanted to lean in and tell Zack exactly what this was about, she knew she'd have his compliance if she had been openly honest about what was going on. But there was just one major obstacle preventing her from doing just that. Under the circumstances, she'd handled the situation about as well as she could. While she was certain her little meeting with Zack wasn't going to benefit his mood in any way, he'd certainly appreciate the message once it came time.

"I'll be waiting for your delivery." Her smile faded as she slowly turned away from Zack, eyes scanning the room for anything that might seem out of place. "And I highly request you to keep this a secret for now. We wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, after all."

If her theory was correct, this should go off without a hitch. Zack's arrival at the destination would be disguised as a delivery of flowers, they could exchange information in the privacy of her room, and they'd both be on their merry way. She could only hope her actions hadn't been too suspicious up to this point. If the other police were to look into her right now, things would go south fast...

[Neptune]

Location: Winter Flowers

The moment the two notes were placed in his hand, Zack drew his hand back to put distance between them. He said nothing in response, choosing to remain quiet. He knew that if he spoke, he would quite likely say something that he would regret. The last thing he wanted was for Silvia to overhear him cussing out a customer, or for a customer to come in at the wrong moment and see him losing his temper. With quick movements he placed the money into the register, shutting the drawer perhaps a little harder than he should. 

When she told him to keep his secret, he gave her a rather unimpressed blank look. He crossed his arms over his chest before saying, “Sure. Whatever.” He watched as she seemed to be scanning the shop as if trying to spot something. He didn’t know what the hell she was looking for and frankly, he didn’t care. He just wanted her out of his shop as soon as possible so he told her, “Your flowers will be delivered. Have a nice day.” He snapped his mouth shut against the other words that wanted to escape. He then stood and stared at her, waiting for her to leave.

[Aura]

41 minutes ago, Neptune said:

Location: Winter Flowers

The moment the two notes were placed in his hand, Zack drew his hand back to put distance between them. He said nothing in response, choosing to remain quiet. He knew that if he spoke, he would quite likely say something that he would regret. The last thing he wanted was for Silvia to overhear him cussing out a customer, or for a customer to come in at the wrong moment and see him losing his temper. With quick movements he placed the money into the register, shutting the drawer perhaps a little harder than he should. 

When she told him to keep his secret, he gave her a rather unimpressed blank look. He crossed his arms over his chest before saying, “Sure. Whatever.” He watched as she seemed to be scanning the shop as if trying to spot something. He didn’t know what the hell she was looking for and frankly, he didn’t care. He just wanted her out of his shop as soon as possible so he told her, “Your flowers will be delivered. Have a nice day.” He snapped his mouth shut against the other words that wanted to escape. He then stood and stared at her, waiting for her to leave.

With a simple nod and wave, Serenity stepped out of the store. The task was far from over, however. So many things could go wrong if he chose to be careless. She couldn't possibly warn him of the many things he could possibly do to tip Ghost off about exactly what's going on here, not that they weren't likely already suspicious. She already suspected her little hideout wouldn't be easy to protect. She would need to continue staking out the area until her guest would arrive. She wouldn't put it past Ghost to send Viper thugs to raid her room and plant bugs or something while she was out.

So, she began to walk toward her car before stopping as a stranger, a man, began to walk by. She just stood at the entrance of the shop as the stranger walked away, causing her to grit her teeth. The stranger stopped and spoke out to her. "What are you looking at?" 

Serenity just shook her head. "Please mind your business and carry on," She honestly had no idea whether or not she should be suspicious. There was no reason to suspect this stranger of being any sort of villain, yet there were at least a dozen ways she could imagine the entire case being jeopardized had she elected to ignore his presence. With a scoff, the man continued walking forward, leaving Serenity alone. Worst case scenario, she'd only just embarrassed herself with an awkward encounter, something she had grown used to. Best case scenario, she'd just saved her own life with careful observation. But she had to start making progress on this case, this paranoia would drive her insane if it continued... Quickly, she approached her car, checked to make sure nobody was inside, climbed in, and drove off in the opposite direction the man was walking. She needed to make her way to the motel and ensure the coast was clear.

[Neptune]

Location: Winter Flowers and the Winters Residence. 

Zack glared at the woman until she left. It was only then that he could feel himself relaxing a little. Still, the encounter rattled him and he really wanted to head home and have a drink. Several drinks. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost time to close up anyway, much to his relief. He didn’t think he could really continue his composure for much longer. He quickly moved around the counter and approached the front door, quickly locking it and turning the sign so that it read ‘closed’. He glanced out of the glass door to see the woman getting into her car. He watched her drive off with narrowed eyes before he turned and began to settle the shop for the night such as putting the flowers away and ensuring that they had enough water for the night as well as taking the cash register to Silvia so that she could count and put away the money in the safe for the night so he could deal with it in the morning. He brought down the metal grating behind the windows to help protect against thieves although in the years that he had owned the shop, they had never had any break ins. But then, who would rob a flower shop?

He collected his purchases from this morning, before he took Silvia back home. As soon as they walked in through the door, Silvia disappeared upstairs to the master bedroom leaving him alone. He had expected to see Rose home and waiting for them, but she wasn’t. Unusually, their german shepherd was there to greet them. She rarely left him home alone on her days off, even though Shane was very capable of being alone for a while. He petted Shane, before checking through the house but didn’t see any sign of Rose. Figuring that she was out at the shops, somewhere she couldn’t take Shane or with friends, he decided to forget about it. He retired to his study and went on his computer, immediately opening up his bottle of whiskey and pouring himself a large glass. He needed at least a few drinks in him before he could stomach making dinner and eating it in stony silence, especially if Rose wasn’t there. He sent her a quick text, to ask where she was before putting his phone down on his desk and starting to peruse the internet for anything to distract him from his rather miserable life.

[Aura]

Location: Star Lite Motel

Time was progressing, but it wasn't moving fast enough. Until she could follow up on this lead, she had no choice but to wait anxiously until the next night. Why the next night? She needed to guarantee cooperation. That man would've been less likely to visit her had she sprung an immediate request, and she had to report for duty first thing in the morning, there was no way a flower shop delivery would be held so early and she'd be obligated to wear her body cam the entire time she's on duty... she needed as little footage of her as possible. Not to mention there's no way this would be seen as legitimate police work by the office. She was suspicious of the entire department in the area. Any time she insisted on investigating crime related to the Viper, she was shot down and told someone else was already investigating the matter even when that was clearly impossible... She thought back to that poor girl she'd spoken to earlier that day. The lifeless, terrified look in her eye... She couldn't stand to think that girl wasn't alone... that girl was just like her... and she could do nothing to protect her. Or perhaps it was more correct to say the girl could do nothing to get help from her.

But even still, it wasn't necessarily words she needed from the girl. She knew she wouldn't get any. It was the circumstances. Serenity wanted to offer the girl a place to stay, but knew it would be fruitless. She had to return to her masters... Serenity shuddered as she fought off flashbacks of the horrible nights of constant torment she would endure in their hands... She needed to help her in some way, even if it meant defecting from the police. Even if it meant she'd have hitmen on her. Viper had to be destroyed for good.

Serenity took a deep breath as she walked through the walls, carefully monitoring her surroundings, avoiding the locations where she knew cameras were hidden... undoubtedly there were still more she'd yet to spot, so she still assumed every moment was being recorded. But what had her far more concerned was her room... She'd left it unoccupied for a while now. What if somebody had broken in and tampered with something? Could there be a trap waiting for her in there? A hit? She bit her lip as she mulled over the possibilities. She was confident she could handle a man with a weapon, but what if there was some sort of bomb trap set up? If the police refuse to budge, it could be easily covered up as some tragic accident. And if an organization as powerful as the rumored GHOST existed... it wouldn't be so outlandish that anybody could be blamed and hauled off to jail...

She winced at the thought as she turned the corner toward her room. She had the key to the room in her pocket. It wouldn't do her any good to stay on edge for so long. She needed rest or she wouldn't be able to stay attentive in the morning. She needed to be on her best performance so the office had no grounds to have her dismissed from the force... as much as she distrusted the department, she needed access to those resources...

As she approached the door, she took a careful look at the key slot before her... "Shit..." She muttered to herself before taking a step back. Her heart racing already. Somebody had been inside. How long ago? She had no idea. It wasn't safe to go in. Not yet... She quickly turned and walked back toward the lobby.