main thread Blackberry Falls

[Neptune]

Location: Thorndown University Campus

When he looked up at her, giving her a rather inquisitive look she almost expected him to tell her to go away. But he answered her question, explaining that he was only a student in the sense that he was new to Ashaea and he needed to learn the ordinances and practices of the country. This immediately made her even more curious to know where he had come from. Now that she could hear him even clearer, she noticed that he didn’t have an accent that was typical to Ashaea. It tended to be similar to British, with a slight American twang to it. She didn’t recognise his accent. She had seen a fair number of foreign students at the university, but no one with his particular accent.

He surprised her even further by inviting her to come and sit with him. It was an offer that caused her to give him a beaming smile, showing how happy she was with the conversation. It was a relief to be able to sit with someone and have a pleasant conversation than to head home and idle around for a few hours. She was quick to pick up her drink and turn around to place it on his table. She slipped into the chair opposite him, “Evelyn Thompson, it’s really nice to meet you.” She introduced herself in response to Brighton’s introduction, “I’m a Fashion Design student in my second year. I know, such a typical course. I wouldn’t bother chatting laws at me, it’s likely to go completely over my head.” She grinned a little as she twirled her spoon in her cup before she looked up at him with a curious glint in her eyes, “So you’re not from Ashaea? Where are you from?” She asked, hoping to gleam some more information about him. She lifted her cup and took a sip from it.

[Lawless Lawyer]

Location: Thorndown University Campus

Brighton gave an accidental stiff sigh as she switched. It was one of the natural ones where your body goes to yawn, but upon realizing what you are about to do, you cut it off, and there is a loud sigh. He reeled a bit at what he did and shook his head. "I apologize for that as it has been a very long day of studying." He responded cordially. He took another sip of his coffee and also reeled at that. "I also seem to forget that coffee is hot upon receiving it." He scrapped his tongue across his teeth. "Not a very good first impression, huh?"

When she sat and told him about what she was studying, he nodded as he was doing his best to keep up with what she was interested in. As Brighton had said that it was a long day, the coffee hadn't hit him yet, and his attention span was taking a hit. When she told him she didn't have a specific interest in discussing what he was interested in, he nodded. "I don't see the need to talk about the law and other ordinances to someone who doesn't study it." He said bluntly. "My intention isn't to be rude, but even the rudimentary aspects of the laws are quite complicated."

He paused after her question. He cleared his throat before answering. "I come from the United States. I was born in the Southern areas of the country, but I lived in the Midwest for most of my life." He finished by taking a prolonged sip of his coffee. It had cooled enough by now so he could drink it without scalding his tongue. "I moved here to start a new adventure you could say. What about you?"

[Neptune]

Location: Thorndown University Campus

When he stated that it had been a long day, she smiled in sympathy with him. She often had days like that, where she worked to the point where she dropped onto her bed and fell asleep instantly. She was lucky to have the free time she did right now, and instead of spending it alone, she was eagerly spending it with this complete stranger. Her long, slender fingers tapped a little on her cup, only ghosting across it as it was too hot to keep a constant grip on it. She leaned forwards a little, her interest in what he had to say regarding where he came from showing in the interested glint in her eyes.

She had never met someone from one of the Southern states of the United States. Most of the students around here were from the Northern areas, either people with very rich parents or a scholarship that allowed them entrance. Competition to get into the university was extremely tough, but Thorndown did put more priority on the local schools. Foreign students often had to pay a large amount of money, or be exceptionally gifted in order to get into the University due to the sheer amount of competition there was. She smiled when he said that he had come here for a new adventure. Considering that Ashaea was even younger than the United States, it was viewed by most of the world as a rather baby country. Despite that, though, they were as rich and as developed as any of the Western Countries. People often felt that it was a new and exciting place to come and settle.

“Oh, I don’t really have anything nearly as exciting as you to say.” Evelyn said with a grin, “I was born here. My Grandparents moved here in the Second World War, before the country properly formed because my Grandpa was part of the British army and his wife followed him here to work in the ammunition factories. My Dad runs his own computer repair business and my mother works as a chef in a popular restaurant. I grew up in this city and I’m unlikely to ever leave it.” She put the spoon down on the saucer with a faint clink before taking a sip of her drink. When she put it down again, she asked, “How are you finding things here?”

[Lawless Lawyer]

Location: Thorndown University Campus

Brighton's curiosity pinged a bit more after she told her story of her family. He seemed most interested in the fact that her grandparents came to Ashea during the second World War. "Interesting. My family is too young to have been anywhere near the wars. Course I never knew my great grandparents, but hey. It happens."

He gathered his thoughts about her father's profession. "I have thought about computer repair, but because reading a screen with one eye gets troublesome, I had to choose another career. Also, I wanted to be a chef as well, but the hand-eye coordination factor makes it very hard to work rapidly in that environment."

At her question, he had to take a moment to reflect on it. "I guess you could say that when I first arrived here." He nodded as he took a large drink of his coffee. It seemed he was becoming more alive by the moment. "However, that is only natural to arrive at a new area. You have to take a bit to get used to your surroundings." He cleared his throat again. "Then again, I am only going from my apartment to the library here as I study up for Ashea's version of the BAR exam."

[Aura]

On 2/4/2020 at 10:42 AM, Neptune said:

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

Kaylaen expected the terrified outburst regarding the police, and in her position it was a reasonable fear. Not many people liked run-ins with the police, even while being the victim of a crime. He himself didn’t really like dealing with them. He rubbed a hand against his forehead, wishing this headache would disappear. When she alluded to being too young to drink, he eyed her for a few moments. She didn’t look underage. But then she could simply look more mature than her age, and it made him nervous to even ask. His hand moved down from his forehead to his face as he let out a soft groan before letting it fall back to his side again,

“Well, if you were drinking underage the most that is likely to happen to you is that you’ll get a warning. They only deport those that make repeat crimes, or a big crime. But as far as I am aware, it’s possible to do a statement anonymously especially as a victim of a crime. But regardless, I don’t think the police themselves would look into your identity. You might need to provide ID if the two of them are caught and end up in court but with any luck that won’t be needed. For all we know, Sophia, we are the most recent in a long line of victims. Just, when they ask for a contact number, don’t give them one. Let me put down my numbers so that they ring me, instead of you.” He then sighed, pausing for a moment before going on to ask, “Forgive me for asking, but how old are you? You don’t look that young.”

Sophia nodded reluctantly. Kaylean's words weren't totally reassuring, considering she already had gotten in trouble once before for shoplifting. However, Kaylean then went on to suggest the possibility of an anonymous statement and that they were unlikely to ID her. That helped her to relax a bit, but she still couldn't shake the pit in her stomach. 

"I'd really rather stay as far from the cops as I can. If I get in trouble too much and get deported... I'm being sentenced to a date worse than death. I'll be on the other side of the fence, where they are." She shuddered at the very thought of being thrown into a room with all those creeps grabbing at her all over again. She couldn't bear the thought. She shook her head and let out a deep breath. "What good is talking to the police gonna do, huh? It's not gonna get my stuff back anytime soon and even if it eventually does, it's not even gonna matter to me anymore by then. It's not like we can do anything about it, so why even bother?

When Kay asked her about her age, she nodded, figuring it was best to be as open as possible. Otherwise, Kaylean might find it difficult to trust her given her aversion to the police. "I'm... 19. I have experience in acting, so I can usually convince people I'm at least 21 without the need to card me. But lying to the Police like that is a risk I don't want to take. Especially with a hangover..." She sighed again and rubbed her own head. The shower had certainly helped, but the stress of the situation returning only worsened it again. Had she been feeling any better, she'd probably crack some sort of joke about how he didn't have to worry about being a pedophile, but she certainly wasn't in the mood.

[Neptune]

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

Kaylaen sighed and ran his fingers through his hair when she questioned the usefulness of talking to the police. Unfortunately, it wasn’t entirely for their benefit. It was for the benefit of the Hotel. If they decided to try and avoid the police when they came, which was going to be impossible, they would look like the criminals instead of being a victim of a crime. He then paused when she said that her age was nineteen, and she seemed to be under the impression that one had to be twenty-one to purchase alcohol. He stared at her blankly for a few moments before he smiled a little and shook his head,

“Well it’s a good thing you don’t need to lie. The legal age to buy alcohol is eighteen, not twenty-one. So you’re well within age.” He assured her before he approached her and tried to comfort her by putting his hands on her shoulders in a firm, but gentle grip. He looked her in the eyes and said, “Just let me do the talking, okay? You’ve done nothing wrong. You have no need to worry. We’re in this boat together, and I’m not going to let you overboard, alright? I know it’s unlikely that the police will catch those two, especially if they’re long gone. But you never know. The last thing we want is for the hotel to pin this crime on us two.”

He looked her in the eyes for a few moments longer before he drew her to him and hugged her again, rubbing his hand along her back. Honestly, all he really wanted to do was get out of here, get some good breakfast and head home for some more sleep. He had no work today, so he was free to do that. He just had to get over the hurdle of talking to the police which he hoped wouldn’t take that long. 

Location: Thorndown University Campus

Evelyn sympathised with Brighton when he spoke of his dashed dreams. It made her even more curious about his eye and how he had lost it, but felt that it would be extremely rude to ask so early in their conversation. The last thing she wanted to do was drive such an interesting man away. So she continued to listen as she sipped her hot chocolate, savouring the hot, creamy liquid. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her server friend Maria eyeing the two with an inquisitive look, but Evelyn aloofly ignored her. Maria could draw all the conclusions she wanted; Evelyn was just enjoying a conversation with someone. And if that someone happened to be interesting, and handsome, then that was just a bonus.

She lowered her cup again when he said that he was studying for Ashaea’s version of the BAR exam. She gave him a faintly puzzled look before saying, “I have no idea what this BAR exam is, but I assume it’s something to do with being a lawyer? Whatever it is, I wish you luck with it.” She gave him a faint grin. She had gleamed one piece of information from him; he lived in an apartment. Going on that information, she said, “I don’t have my own place. Not really. Technically, I still live with my parents especially now that it’s the Winter Holidays. I’m waiting to finish University before getting myself a place. I do have a student accomodation here. It’s in one of the shared dorms, though. So I share the kitchen and living room. Otherwise, I get my own bedroom and en-suite bathroom… which is so cramped it’s about the size of a cupboard. And not the nice walk-in wardrobes, either.” Her grin widened at him. 

[Aura]

10 hours ago, Neptune said:

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

Kaylaen sighed and ran his fingers through his hair when she questioned the usefulness of talking to the police. Unfortunately, it wasn’t entirely for their benefit. It was for the benefit of the Hotel. If they decided to try and avoid the police when they came, which was going to be impossible, they would look like the criminals instead of being a victim of a crime. He then paused when she said that her age was nineteen, and she seemed to be under the impression that one had to be twenty-one to purchase alcohol. He stared at her blankly for a few moments before he smiled a little and shook his head,

“Well it’s a good thing you don’t need to lie. The legal age to buy alcohol is eighteen, not twenty-one. So you’re well within age.” He assured her before he approached her and tried to comfort her by putting his hands on her shoulders in a firm, but gentle grip. He looked her in the eyes and said, “Just let me do the talking, okay? You’ve done nothing wrong. You have no need to worry. We’re in this boat together, and I’m not going to let you overboard, alright? I know it’s unlikely that the police will catch those two, especially if they’re long gone. But you never know. The last thing we want is for the hotel to pin this crime on us two.”

He looked her in the eyes for a few moments longer before he drew her to him and hugged her again, rubbing his hand along her back. Honestly, all he really wanted to do was get out of here, get some good breakfast and head home for some more sleep. He had no work today, so he was free to do that. He just had to get over the hurdle of talking to the police which he hoped wouldn’t take that long. 

Sophia breathed a sigh of relief after being informed she didn't need to be 21 to drink. This whole time she'd been worried about concealing her age. She supposed the laws were different in this country than in her home. This news made it easier for her to relax, although the idea of talking to the police still left her on edge regardless. She always avoided police anywhere she went because she hated the idea of being called out for anything she did wrong. It always made her feel like she was being watched, scouted... She was startled when she felt his hand grip her shoulder, but quickly relaxed once his eyes met hers. Suddenly she just felt weak, like her hangover and lack of sleep had caught up to her after her little episode of panic. At this point, she just wanted to go to sleep, but that obviously wasn't a possibility, at least not here. But as she stared back into his eyes, she listened to everything he told her. She couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, as this sounded less like a friend comforting a friend as it did a father comforting his frightened daughter. Still, she appreciated Kay's ability to take action in her moment of need.

She grew silent after he finished speaking. Her mind was drawing a total blank. Before any solid thoughts could come forward, she felt herself being pulled in for another hug. She slowly closed her eyes and could now feel tears rolling down her cheeks. She had no idea when she started crying, but she was just lucky to have someone here who cared rather than the any number of men who would just take advantage of her vulnerability right now. After several moments of hugging Kay, she stopped crying and closed her eyes. "Thank you... I'm sorry I got so emotional, my life's just been a wreck this past week... I promise I'm not usually like this..." At least, not as far as she knew. In hindsight, Sophia didn't even really know herself all that much save for her passion for performance. She'd never really had time to think about these things in the recent past. She was always focused on trying to live paycheck to paycheck with no safety net to bounce back with... Desperately hiding injuries or illness because having such diagnostics could have destroyed her opportunities for roles... She smiled to herself with her head against Kaz's chest. Something about him just made her feel... safe... 

[Neptune]

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

Kaylaen continued to hold her for several long minutes, allowing her to get herself under some measure of control. He had no idea what had happened to her in the past week, but clearly she had been through some bullshit to almost break down in front of what was basically a stranger to her. He doubted that she remembered much about the night before, so her only sobre interaction with him was waking up next to him in a hotel bed, with her stuff missing. At least they had one thing in common; they had both been robbed by the same people. Although he wasn’t happy about that. He resisted the urge to sigh as his head throbbed painfully.

After holding her for several minutes, he pulled away and smiled down at her as he squeezed the flawless skin of her arms. He caused him to have to resist touching her more, as he became consciously aware that she was only wrapped in a towel. A little awkwardly, he cleared his throat before he stepped back a little, training his eyes on her face to avoid his eyes roaming where they shouldn’t be, “You should get dressed. The sooner we get this out of the way, the sooner we can leave.” He said, suddenly looking away and looking down at the pile of rather tatty clothing. He frowned a little, as he knew he didn’t have much in the way of feminine clothing at home as he had given most of his mother’s clothing possessions away. He supposed he could see if there were any of his clothes that she could wear, and that only made him wonder what she would look like. If she would look sexy in his clothing, walking about his flat.

“Er- I’m going to leave you to dress. I want to… wash my face, and go to the toilet.” Kaylaen said, hoping to get those thoughts from his head. It was the most inappropriate time for these kinds of thoughts, especially with how upset and vulnerable she seemed to be. He just hoped that she was fully dressed by the time he came out. He moved around her and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him as he did so. As he relieved himself, he cursed his scumbag brain for doing this to him. It had a habit of these kinds of thoughts when it really shouldn’t. It made him feel like a damn asshole. 

He shook his head to try and rid himself of his thoughts as he moved over to the sink to wash his hands before he took several minutes to wash his face with cold water. It did nothing for his headache, but it did make him feel a little better. He rubbed his fingers along his jawline, frowning when he felt some prickly stubble. He was going to need to shave later, as he was not planning on growing a beard anytime soon. He pulled away from the mirror, not really wanting to look at his rather scruffy reflection, and reached for the other fresh towel. He used it to dry his face, before putting it on the rack again. He closed his eyes to compose himself before he opened the bathroom door and stepped out, “Ready?” He asked.

[Lawless Lawyer]

Location: Thorndown University Campus

The young lawyer looked around the cafe's interior, looking at the patrons that entered and left. He had broken away from the conversation for a moment to study all that was going on there. Brighton watched as he looked out for anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps he was looking for a legal case to go on. Who could really tell? The lawyer took a few quick drinks of his coffee and sat down the half-full cup before returning his attention to Evelyn.

He gave a soft smile at her question. "Well, it is technically called the Uniformed Bar Examination, but everyone calls it the BAR because it is shorter. It is essentially the test that shows you have the skills to practice law in the States." He gave a simple explanation. This was really the only practicable description for the test, but there was a lot more to it than that. 

He raised a brow at the girl when she told him about her living situation. "Humph." He grunted in a way that wasn't angry nor curmudgeonly. It was a weirdly, fascinating grunt. "I remember the times I had to live with my parents to get through a community college. I don't particularly appreciate being trapped somewhere in which I can't be my own person. Then when I got to a university, I was able to be independent." He shrugged casually. "But I should visit my parents now and again. Least you have a decent dorm, right?" His question being in the tone of very cordial.

[Neptune]

Location: Thorndown University Campus

Evelyn’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ of understanding when he explained to her what the BAR exam was. As she had not even gone anywhere near the law and the study of it, she had no idea what their equivalent was. Maybe some society of lawyers? She almost giggled at that, as she had a mental image of these old lawyers sitting around a polished wood table and exchanging legalise as they smoked cigars and drank expensive whiskey. She pressed her lips together in an attempt to stop herself from smiling at the image. To cover it further, she picked up her drink and took several hasty sips from it. Thankfully, it had cooled to a temperature where she could drink it straight if she wanted to. But she wanted to savor it, so put it down just as he asked his last question.

The question caused her to laugh a little before she smiled at him, her blue eyes sparkling with mirth, “As decent as living with a bunch of slobs can be.” She said with a grin. Her chuckling died down before she said, “Sometimes the others that share the kitchen and living room with me can be a little lax on their cleaning. Things like dirty plates and stuff grosses me out, so I pretty much clean the moment I am finished eating. But some leave their plates for days before cleaning them.” She shuddered with a look of disgust. She took a sip of her drink to calm herself down.

“The university does actually have apartments available to students. But, as you can imagine, it’s a lot more expensive than the shared accomodations. While it would make my stay here easier, and more comfortable, I decided that the shared would be best. I only get so much money with the student loans, and I would prefer not to rely on mum and dad to pay for my food and bills. So the shared accomodation lets me have more spending money for food, bills and of course, the treat of hot chocolate.” She grinned again at him as she tapped the cup of her drink before she added, “So I guess, like you, I kind of want to be independent. To me, that’s part of the point of University. A stepping stone to true independence. Some of my course-mates though, still live off the purse of mummy and daddy.” She shrugged one of her shoulders to show that while it wasn’t her thing, she didn’t really judge them for it. It was their life, after all, and if they weren’t willing to put in the work to become completely independent, then that was their fault. 

[Aura]

On 2/18/2020 at 5:39 AM, Neptune said:

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

Kaylaen continued to hold her for several long minutes, allowing her to get herself under some measure of control. He had no idea what had happened to her in the past week, but clearly she had been through some bullshit to almost break down in front of what was basically a stranger to her. He doubted that she remembered much about the night before, so her only sobre interaction with him was waking up next to him in a hotel bed, with her stuff missing. At least they had one thing in common; they had both been robbed by the same people. Although he wasn’t happy about that. He resisted the urge to sigh as his head throbbed painfully.

After holding her for several minutes, he pulled away and smiled down at her as he squeezed the flawless skin of her arms. He caused him to have to resist touching her more, as he became consciously aware that she was only wrapped in a towel. A little awkwardly, he cleared his throat before he stepped back a little, training his eyes on her face to avoid his eyes roaming where they shouldn’t be, “You should get dressed. The sooner we get this out of the way, the sooner we can leave.” He said, suddenly looking away and looking down at the pile of rather tatty clothing. He frowned a little, as he knew he didn’t have much in the way of feminine clothing at home as he had given most of his mother’s clothing possessions away. He supposed he could see if there were any of his clothes that she could wear, and that only made him wonder what she would look like. If she would look sexy in his clothing, walking about his flat.

“Er- I’m going to leave you to dress. I want to… wash my face, and go to the toilet.” Kaylaen said, hoping to get those thoughts from his head. It was the most inappropriate time for these kinds of thoughts, especially with how upset and vulnerable she seemed to be. He just hoped that she was fully dressed by the time he came out. He moved around her and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him as he did so. As he relieved himself, he cursed his scumbag brain for doing this to him. It had a habit of these kinds of thoughts when it really shouldn’t. It made him feel like a damn asshole. 

He shook his head to try and rid himself of his thoughts as he moved over to the sink to wash his hands before he took several minutes to wash his face with cold water. It did nothing for his headache, but it did make him feel a little better. He rubbed his fingers along his jawline, frowning when he felt some prickly stubble. He was going to need to shave later, as he was not planning on growing a beard anytime soon. He pulled away from the mirror, not really wanting to look at his rather scruffy reflection, and reached for the other fresh towel. He used it to dry his face, before putting it on the rack again. He closed his eyes to compose himself before he opened the bathroom door and stepped out, “Ready?” He asked.

Sophia had mostly calmed down by this point. She was still irritated, of course, but Kaylaen had done a very good job of defusing her stress and anxiety. While remaining in his arms, she was able to regain her composure. Something about the gentle way he was treating her caused her to almost forget the struggles she'd been through. She'd already managed to heal so much, in fact, that she recognized Kaylaen's awkward reluctance to let go of her. A part of her wanted to play off of that cute nervousness, but now hardly did seem the time for another sexual encounter. They probably wouldn't be taken very seriously if the police walked in on them suddenly having sex in the same bed they'd just illegally slept in. Although, admittedly, the very idea did turn her on quite a bit... 

Sophia bit her lip as she watched Kaylaen walking toward the bathroom door she'd just come from. If he was trying to get his mind off of her, he'd probably have a hard time in there thinking of her naked, dripping wet body with the running water from the showerhead coating her luscious body... She wanted to tease the boy with these suggestions so badly, but again, she really just wanted to get this whole cop situation sorted out as quickly as possible, so she batted the idea away, at least for now. If she wanted, she had ideas for how to bring it back up later on, anyway. She was clever like that.

She finally started to gather up whatever shreds of her clothes remained. It wasn't much. Hardly anything at all, in fact. Especially considering the clothes were torn with the express purpose of exposing her most intimate parts... She blushed at the very thought of stepping outside in such rags. She figured that she could wear the towel at least until the cops arrived. Maybe they'd have some sort of blanket to offer. As she gathered her clothes, she also sought out Kay's clothes and lined them up neatly on the bed for easy access before sitting down at the bed's edge. She was admittedly curious what Kaylaen would think about her wearing the torn clothes. Would he be turned on? All hot and bothered? The idea amused her. She always loved getting into the heads of boys. They were usually so easy to predict and to toy with... and from what she could remember of the previous night, Kaylaen certainly wasn't a bad catch~

[Neptune]

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

He noticed that Sophia didn’t respond to his question when he had stepped out of the bathroom and he looked to where she was now sitting on the bed, her eyes lost in thought. He figured that she couldn’t hear him, so lost within her little world. At first, he was mildly concerned, but she didn’t look visibly distraught like she had earlier, so he figured that her thoughts were far less distressed and for that he was grateful. He then spotted his clothes lined up neatly on the bed beside Sophia and smiled a little, “Thanks.” He thanked her as he closed the bathroom door fully and stepped up to the bed. He picked up his boxers, slipping them on before he pulled on his jeans and secured them with his belt. He then pulled on his long sleeved shirt and then picked up his coat before he looked at Sophia with a frown.

He looked at her, his eyes unconsciously resting on her voluptuous breasts before he looked back at his coat, “I would offer you my coat to cover yourself but…” And here he flushed a little as he let out a nervous laugh, “I’m not sure it will… fit.” He added, before indicating her breasts. He doubted that she would be able to close the article of clothing around them, especially when he was naturally very skinny and thus the coat wasn’t a large size to begin with. It would be pretty pointless to give it to her when it would do nothing for her. He knew that it would make him look like a jerk, but there was nothing he could really do about it.

He was drawn from his thoughts when there was a very firm knock on the door causing him to jump in surprise and turn towards the door. He allowed his coat to drop down onto the bed before commenting, “I guess they got tired of waiting for us.” He then moved over to the door, glancing back at Sophia to make sure that she was properly covered with the towel before he opened it. Outside were three human men, one dressed in a rather sharp suit and wearing a displeased expression. The other two were police officers who looked rather neutral.

“You’re the one that called?” The man in the suit asked, to which Kaylaen nodded. The man looked him up before he came in with the officers trailing along behind him. Kaylaen closed the door before moving so that he stood slightly in front of Sophia as he looked at the suited man expectantly. The man still didn’t look too happy as he said, “I am Kevin Wilson, the Owner of this hotel. We reviewed the security footage. Roughly ten minutes before your arrival, a pink haired young lady came into the hotel and spoke to the receptionist. I need to contact the receptionist to ask what was spoken about, but whatever they spoke about caused the receptionist to leave the desk. The other lady slipped behind the counter and stole the keys for this room just before you two and another male came in, a kitsune man. From what we could see, she pretended to process the payment but obviously couldn’t as she didn’t have access to our systems. At five this morning, the pink haired woman - now looking like a kitsune, and the kitsune man left this room. The female was carrying a bag that matches the bag that you had come in with, miss.” He nodded towards Sophia before he took a deep breath, “I would like you both to make a statement to the officers here. Anything you can tell them would be helpful.” 

Kaylaen relaxed a little, as while the man sounded frustrated, there was an apologetic underline to his words. The chances of either him or Sophia being in trouble were very slim. It did make him feel so stupid for being so easily scammed, but in his defence he had been drunk and thus he didn’t realise that there was anything wrong. He looked behind him at Sophia and gave her a reassuring smile before looking back at the officers and asking, “Can we put in a statement anonymously? We have no idea how dangerous these people are, and they are in possession of our personal information. They can easily find out where we live.” While technically all true, he knew he was overplaying it a little. They were unlikely the violent, or stalkerish kind. He hoped at least.

“Of course.” The right officer replied, pulling out a tablet before he smiled a little, looking far less intimidating. Kaylaen sat down next to Sophia, taking her hand and squeezing it a little just in case she needed some kind of contact to help centre herself while being surrounded by these official looking men. The man with the tablet sat himself down at the desk and used the tablet cover to angle it before he started to tap away on it, preparing to fill out a new statement. The Manager seemed to have drawn back at this point, looking rather agitated as he stood near the closed door as the second officer started to look around the room.

[Aura]

On 2/22/2020 at 5:44 AM, Neptune said:

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

He noticed that Sophia didn’t respond to his question when he had stepped out of the bathroom and he looked to where she was now sitting on the bed, her eyes lost in thought. He figured that she couldn’t hear him, so lost within her little world. At first, he was mildly concerned, but she didn’t look visibly distraught like she had earlier, so he figured that her thoughts were far less distressed and for that he was grateful. He then spotted his clothes lined up neatly on the bed beside Sophia and smiled a little, “Thanks.” He thanked her as he closed the bathroom door fully and stepped up to the bed. He picked up his boxers, slipping them on before he pulled on his jeans and secured them with his belt. He then pulled on his long sleeved shirt and then picked up his coat before he looked at Sophia with a frown.

He looked at her, his eyes unconsciously resting on her voluptuous breasts before he looked back at his coat, “I would offer you my coat to cover yourself but…” And here he flushed a little as he let out a nervous laugh, “I’m not sure it will… fit.” He added, before indicating her breasts. He doubted that she would be able to close the article of clothing around them, especially when he was naturally very skinny and thus the coat wasn’t a large size to begin with. It would be pretty pointless to give it to her when it would do nothing for her. He knew that it would make him look like a jerk, but there was nothing he could really do about it.

He was drawn from his thoughts when there was a very firm knock on the door causing him to jump in surprise and turn towards the door. He allowed his coat to drop down onto the bed before commenting, “I guess they got tired of waiting for us.” He then moved over to the door, glancing back at Sophia to make sure that she was properly covered with the towel before he opened it. Outside were three human men, one dressed in a rather sharp suit and wearing a displeased expression. The other two were police officers who looked rather neutral.

“You’re the one that called?” The man in the suit asked, to which Kaylaen nodded. The man looked him up before he came in with the officers trailing along behind him. Kaylaen closed the door before moving so that he stood slightly in front of Sophia as he looked at the suited man expectantly. The man still didn’t look too happy as he said, “I am Kevin Wilson, the Owner of this hotel. We reviewed the security footage. Roughly ten minutes before your arrival, a pink haired young lady came into the hotel and spoke to the receptionist. I need to contact the receptionist to ask what was spoken about, but whatever they spoke about caused the receptionist to leave the desk. The other lady slipped behind the counter and stole the keys for this room just before you two and another male came in, a kitsune man. From what we could see, she pretended to process the payment but obviously couldn’t as she didn’t have access to our systems. At five this morning, the pink haired woman - now looking like a kitsune, and the kitsune man left this room. The female was carrying a bag that matches the bag that you had come in with, miss.” He nodded towards Sophia before he took a deep breath, “I would like you both to make a statement to the officers here. Anything you can tell them would be helpful.” 

Kaylaen relaxed a little, as while the man sounded frustrated, there was an apologetic underline to his words. The chances of either him or Sophia being in trouble were very slim. It did make him feel so stupid for being so easily scammed, but in his defence he had been drunk and thus he didn’t realise that there was anything wrong. He looked behind him at Sophia and gave her a reassuring smile before looking back at the officers and asking, “Can we put in a statement anonymously? We have no idea how dangerous these people are, and they are in possession of our personal information. They can easily find out where we live.” While technically all true, he knew he was overplaying it a little. They were unlikely the violent, or stalkerish kind. He hoped at least.

“Of course.” The right officer replied, pulling out a tablet before he smiled a little, looking far less intimidating. Kaylaen sat down next to Sophia, taking her hand and squeezing it a little just in case she needed some kind of contact to help centre herself while being surrounded by these official looking men. The man with the tablet sat himself down at the desk and used the tablet cover to angle it before he started to tap away on it, preparing to fill out a new statement. The Manager seemed to have drawn back at this point, looking rather agitated as he stood near the closed door as the second officer started to look around the room.

The focus if Kay's eyes did not go unnoticed by Sophia. She just smiled with amusement and shifted herself to look directly at him, subtly giving him a much clearer look at her chest. It was good to know that the feeling of toying with a man's hormones was just as amusing as it had always been. She of course, pretended not to notice as she watched his face get redder while he clearly tried to avoid mentioning her breasts. What was this? She certainly didn't remember him being so shy the previous night. She supposed alcohol would explain that, but the sight of such a sweet man getting so shy was simply adorable.

A part of her wanted to call attention directly to her breasts, but she figured normalizing it now would only get rid of that sexual tension. Using moments like this to flirt usually only resulted in the man gaining the courage to flirt back. She much preferred watching them squirm in uncertainty. Besides, it was a rather inappropriate time to be thinking such lewd thoughts. And perhaps it was a bit rude to be thinking about topping the man who had just helped her get over an emotional breakdown... She'd just have to get a feel for what he wants. 

"Oh," Sophia responded with a friendly smile, looking up into Kay's eyes with a playfully innocent look with a hint of flirtatiousness. "That's okay. Until we figure something out I'm sure they won't mind me covering up with their towel. The police have blankets or whatever for rescues, right?"

Sophia's thoughts were interrupted by a harsh knocking at the door. She was startled, but steeled herself. When the door was opened and she saw the three officers, she felt her heart skip a bit instinctively and immediately covered herself up more with the towel. Police... Perhaps it was a strange train of thought for most, but perhaps due to her fixation on flirting, she couldn't help but think of these men invading her intimacy, causing her to blush a little, which the officers would likely just assume was her embarrassment at being exposed around strangers. Still, police were never as fun. She'd tried to flirt with them in the past but they were usually strictly business. It made sense, the police needed to protect their reputation or whatever, but they're still human!

She hadn't really considered it until now, but 'all men in the city' includes all the police as well... Of course, there was a time and place for it all. Flirting with these men now would only make her look suspicious. Still... 

As she was lost in thought, her attention was called back by the hotel's owner addressing her directly. She blinked and nodded reluctantly. A part of her had somewhat still clung to the hope that her stuff hadn't been stolen and that it was just buried under the sheets in her drunken stupor, but this story definitely to confirm her suspicions. She sighed and buried her face in her hand. 

Of course, her priorities were all backwards. Thanks to her little runaway brain, all she could think about was how she was going to bed these men. She had no idea about the officers, but the owner of the hotel seemed classy. He wouldn't go for some trashy girl flashing her tits. And again, given the situation she couldn't just openly flirt. Still, even if she managed to attract the attention of at least one of the officers, maybe she could get one of them to start flirting with her. 

Not unlike with Kaylaen, she relaxed her grip on the towel, allowing her cleavage to be more visible in such a way that it seemed to be accidental. She watched the men's faces for any sign of a reaction once they'd notice. There had to be something. 

Once she got a reaction, she could gauge how to continue going forward. It was somewhat humiliating. She was consciously aware of the irony of her own headspace at the moment. She should be on edge right now, and Kay's concern for her only emphasized that, especially as he came to take her hand. She just nodded to him to signal that she was doing okay before looking back up at the men. Perhaps Kay had no clue what was going on in her mind. She wouldn't blame him, she didn't even understand much of that herself.

[Neptune]

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

As Kaylaen was watching the officer with the tablet, he didn’t notice Sophia’s watchful gaze on the three other men in the room. The Hotel Owner was still standing by the door, but his attention now seemed to be fixed on Sophia. He tried to maintain his professional air, but he seemed unable to peel his eyes away from Sophia’s cleavage which was now on show. The first officer didn’t seem to notice anything different, but the second one seemed to pause and give Sophia a rather appraising glance, his eyes pausing on her cleavage for a moment before his eyes then moved down to her covered crotch. He then moved, standing on the other side of the door, which was opposite to where Sophia was sitting, and he simply smirked at her with a certain glint in his eyes that she would no doubt recognise.

The first officer, completely oblivious to the show, and his partners reaction to it, looked up and over at them, “Can you describe to me what happened?”

Kaylaen decided to go first, hoping it would give Sophia the confidence to speak afterwards, “I was in a bar, since I decided to head there after work to wind down. But when the bar had closed and I was pretty drunk at this point, I stepped out to start getting home but I was approached by two people. Sophia and the kitsune man who introduced himself as Shez. He was tall… taller than I am with dark hair and kitsune ears and tail. He was wearing dark clothing but I don’t remember what colour his eyes were. I’m not sure how they met. But Shez lead us to this hotel, where the pink haired woman was at the reception desk. She called herself Emma, and after a bit of flirting, she agreed to accompany us up here where we…” He coughed a little, “... well, had sex with each other.” At this the first officer’s eyebrow rose but said nothing as Kaylaen continued, “This went on for a few hours until we fell asleep. I was then later awoken by Sophia in her attempts to find her bag, and that’s when I realised that my stuff had also disappeared. We had the suspicion that we had been robbed by them, and that lead us to think that perhaps this room wasn’t really paid for. That’s when we called the reception who confirmed that no, it wasn’t paid for.”

The first officer’s fingers flew across the screen of the tablet as he quickly typed everything that Kaylaen was saying. Finally, he lifted his eyes and looked over at Sophia, opening his mouth to say something but then paused as he finally noticed her cleavage. He seemed a little startled, but even as he spoke he wouldn’t stop looking, “Can you add anything else, miss?”

[Aura]

18 hours ago, Neptune said:

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

As Kaylaen was watching the officer with the tablet, he didn’t notice Sophia’s watchful gaze on the three other men in the room. The Hotel Owner was still standing by the door, but his attention now seemed to be fixed on Sophia. He tried to maintain his professional air, but he seemed unable to peel his eyes away from Sophia’s cleavage which was now on show. The first officer didn’t seem to notice anything different, but the second one seemed to pause and give Sophia a rather appraising glance, his eyes pausing on her cleavage for a moment before his eyes then moved down to her covered crotch. He then moved, standing on the other side of the door, which was opposite to where Sophia was sitting, and he simply smirked at her with a certain glint in his eyes that she would no doubt recognise.

The first officer, completely oblivious to the show, and his partners reaction to it, looked up and over at them, “Can you describe to me what happened?”

Kaylaen decided to go first, hoping it would give Sophia the confidence to speak afterwards, “I was in a bar, since I decided to head there after work to wind down. But when the bar had closed and I was pretty drunk at this point, I stepped out to start getting home but I was approached by two people. Sophia and the kitsune man who introduced himself as Shez. He was tall… taller than I am with dark hair and kitsune ears and tail. He was wearing dark clothing but I don’t remember what colour his eyes were. I’m not sure how they met. But Shez lead us to this hotel, where the pink haired woman was at the reception desk. She called herself Emma, and after a bit of flirting, she agreed to accompany us up here where we…” He coughed a little, “... well, had sex with each other.” At this the first officer’s eyebrow rose but said nothing as Kaylaen continued, “This went on for a few hours until we fell asleep. I was then later awoken by Sophia in her attempts to find her bag, and that’s when I realised that my stuff had also disappeared. We had the suspicion that we had been robbed by them, and that lead us to think that perhaps this room wasn’t really paid for. That’s when we called the reception who confirmed that no, it wasn’t paid for.”

The first officer’s fingers flew across the screen of the tablet as he quickly typed everything that Kaylaen was saying. Finally, he lifted his eyes and looked over at Sophia, opening his mouth to say something but then paused as he finally noticed her cleavage. He seemed a little startled, but even as he spoke he wouldn’t stop looking, “Can you add anything else, miss?”

Sophia immediately took note of the way the men watched her. As if a switch had been turned, she suddenly felt not only more relaxed around these men, but much more in control. She'd almost forgotten what it was like to feel this way. Having men thirst for her, this game of cat and mouse where little did they know she was the cat all along~ And when the other officer moved, she felt her blood heat up. Her subtle gift certainly seemed to work far better than she'd expected. Perhaps she underestimated her own charm~

She wasn't quite ready to turn off the innocent act, of course. They were still being questioned. She pretended not to notice the man staring at her, watching him with the corner of her eye. When doing things like this, she certainly had to be careful. Men could be surprisingly crafty. If she didn't keep an eye on him, she could very well end up trapped with a single man. Lots of time wasted... She kept the man in the corner of her eye and made quick glances every once in a while at him, but her main attention was fixated on Kay as he explained the situation. Again, she found his hesitation to mention the sex even more amusing. She allowed herself to blush slightly, to add to the innocent look ironically enough given that her little guests were quite aware at this point in the story of her deviancy. 

Finally, the first officer turned his attention to her and she had to stop herself from giggling when she saw a faint blush and noticed his difficulty in finding the words. "Add anything?" she repeated. She decided since her mindset had shifted, she may as well ride it out and play the victim. See if she could trigger any 'don't worry fair lady,' responses from these chivalrous heroes~ Utilizing her experience on stage, conveying a sense of distress came naturally to her. "I-I don't know... I can try, but..." she blushed again and touched her arm, looking down to her knees. "It's a little... degrading..." She bit her lip and looked up at the officer after taking a deep breath. "Um... I went to the bar--the one a couple blocks down from where we met--I don't know the name." That was of course a lie, but since the statement was anonymous, and given Kaylaen's suggestion before, she was confident they wouldn't fact check something like that. She could use this as an opportunity to make herself seem even more innocent and ripe for the picking. 

"I wanted something to get my mind off things. I'd just lost my job and things were getting really stressful... Anyway, I was drinking when Shez came up to me. In hindsight, he was obviously preying on my insecurities... I couldn't think straight, and I was already drunk. I'm sure he could tell. He took advantage of me and encouraged me to do... such... lewd things... I-I don't want to go into too much detail..." She blushed again, looking down at herself and blushing harder, pretending to have just now noticed her chest was exposed. She pulled her towel to cover herself up again and gave a quick glance at the officer who had moved closer to her to gauge his reaction. 

"A-anyway, that was when he decided to take me to a hotel. He said he had a fancy place where I could stay the night. I... really needed a place to stay since I was about to lose my apartment, so against my better judgment, I agreed. On our way there, we met my friend here," she gestured to Kay, her choice of words quite significant so as to not give the impression that she was taken. "...he's been a real sweetheart through this all. Anyway, we then came to this hotel where we met with Emma... I was drunk, so my memory is hazy, but I remember flirting with her..." She knew they'd reviewed the camera footage, there was no use lying about this part. "Oh, I'm sorry, it's really embarrassing... I'm not normally like that... maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe Shez put me up to it... I honestly can't remember why, but I encouraged Emma to join us. And then we-- w-well..." Her face was now a dark red as she glanced over at Kay. "I-I don't know if any more details after that point are really necessary... Especially with the state I'm in... my clothes were all torn up, so this towel is pretty much all I have to wear. When I woke up, Shez and Emma were gone and my stuff was missing... then I guess I woke him up. I went to take a shower when he called the lobby. We've been here since morning and neither of us have left..." She trailed off before looking back up at each of the men in the eyes. "...that's everything... I'm... not in trouble, am I...?"

Edited February 25, 2020 by Aura

[Neptune]

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

“Take your time.” The officer sat at the desk said encouragingly when she seemed to hesitate in a shy, and unsure manner. He was staring intently at her, almost forgetting to write down what she was saying. Kaylaen looked at the officer, before looking at Sophia before he then noticed that her cleavage was on display. He was reasonably sure that it wasn’t that exposed before the arrival of the owner and officers, but he couldn’t quite remember. The headache was making it difficult to really think. He looked over at the owner and the second officer, and noticed that they seemed really interested in Sophia, who either didn’t mind the attention or was oblivious to it. He was about to look away before he did a double-take when he saw the owner shift a little and the unmistakable bulge of an erection that he seemed to be trying to hide.

Kaylaen had no idea what to make of that, or even how to subtly tell Sophia, so he turned his head back to Sophia as she explained about the decision of Shez’s to some to this hotel. He didn’t even bat an eye when she emphasized that he was her friend, and he even nodded to show that she spoke the truth. While Sophia was really nice, and while he would fuck anyone with little care to their gender, he was romantically more inclined towards men. It would take a very special woman to catch his heart. He continued watching Sophia blush and flounder her way through her statement until she finally asked if she was in trouble.

The officer writing on the tablet was quick to smile and reassure her, “Of course not, pet.” He even reached out to give her a pet on the knee, rubbing his thumb against it for a moment before he pulled back and continued to write on his tablet, “We just needed your version of events, to compare to the CCTV footage that we’ve watched. It’s quite clear that you two were taken for quite the- ah, ride.” He said, the corner of his lips twitched a little up at the double meaning of what he had said. He then coughed a little, clearing his throat as he typed a couple more things on his tablet before saying, “I’ve gotten your statements down. Although if you think of anything else…” He rummaged around in his pocket for a few moments, before pulling out a call card. He pulled out a pen and scribbled something down on it before he then handed the card to Sophia, “Just give me a call.” If she looked at the car, she would see that he had put his name down as ‘Benjamin’ and had put down a personal phone number. Kaylaen saw this and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. Was the officer coming onto her? While he couldn’t blame the man, he was certainly surprised and he looked at Sophia to see her reaction.

 

On 12/12/2018 at 18:49, Neptune said:

Location: Blackberry Falls airport and Twin Mill Motel.
Time: 18:24

Rayvenne lowered her phone from her ear, a light furrowing between her eyebrows as she looked at the screen as she pressed the hang-up button. She returned to her contacts menu, staring at the name of the man she had been trying to call since her plane had touched down but he had not been picking up. It could only mean that he was busy, which was irritating as she really needed to talk to him. Well, he would no doubt notice her missed calls when he was free, and call her back when he was able to. She just hoped he wouldn’t wait too long. She slipped her phone back into her pocket and raised her dark eyes to the luggage belt of the airport as the bags from her flight started moving by. Her lip curled a little as she felt people around her, nudging her slightly in their eagerness to grab onto their bags and to be gone. She had to put a lid on her irritation before she accidentally hurt someone, but it was hard as she hated being in such a crowded place. Things were a lot simpler back in the days in which she had been born. There wasn’t quite as many people, for a start. The crowds weren’t so big, nor so suffocating. Still, at least this crowd wasn’t intending any harm on her, so she could put up with the other downsides.

She spied her own luggage and pushed forwards to pick up the wheeled luggage bag. She put it down on the floor, shifting her shoulders which had the weight of her backpack pressing down on them. She extended the handle on her bag before she moved out of the crowd and headed to the desk where she could pick up the rest of her luggage. Her faithful companion, Raeghan. She approached the desk which was currently empty, causing a women to smile at her. Not bothering with the pleasantries, Rayvenne pulled out her wallet and produced her ticket and handed it over. The woman took the ticket and scanned it into her system before saying, “Just give me a moment, ma’am.” 

Rayvenne didn’t say anything as she watched the woman disappear behind a door before coming back a few minutes later carrying a black pet carry bag which completely concealed the animal within. She put it on the counter, scanning the label in and confirming that the correct ticket holder had collected the bag. Rayvenne then took back her ticket, sliding it back into her wallet which she put away before grabbing the bag and walking off without so much as a thank you. The woman on the desk looked startled by her abrupt manner, frowning slightly before shrugging and turning to the next customer that approached her desk.

Rayvenne left through the front airport doors, glancing around and taking in her surroundings out of pure habit, before she turned and headed towards the large car park, moving between the lines of cars until she came to a stop in front of a rather plain looking black car. It looked unremarkable, and there were no personal belongings within it. Again, Rayvenne looked around her to ensure that no one was watching her, before she put the pet carry bag down and let go of the luggage. She moved to the drivers side and reached under the rim of the front wheel, her slender fingers groping for a few moments until they bumped against a small box tapped to the body of the car. She pulled it off and drew it out. She saw that there was a small keypad on the box, which she entered a four digit key into which unlocked the box. She opened it up, pulling out a set of car keys which she turned and used to unlock the car. She put her luggage in the boot, before putting the pet carry case in the front seat with her backpack on the floor in front of it. She then climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. She put on her seatbelt, before she drove out of the airport car park and drove through the busy streets of Blackberry Falls to a motel that she frequented whenever she was in Ashaea, the Twin Mill Motel.

She pulled up into one of the parking spaces, stopping the car and getting out. She went into the main office of the motel where she booked herself a room before she quickly retreated from the office. The man at the front desk, used to her abrupt manner, did everything she asked without so much as a whisper of small talk, knowing that she wouldn’t bother responding. Or, if she did, she would be quite cold and impersonal. It just wasn’t worth the effort. Rayvenne returned to her car, gathering all of her luggage and locking the car up again before she went to her room and unlocked it. She took everything inside, putting the pet carry case on the bed carefully before she turned and locked the door to the room before drawing the curtains close so that no one could see inside. 

She shrugged off back backpack and put it in the arm chair before she went over to the bed and unzipped the front of the pet carry case, allowing a large black raven to hop out of it and to stride across the bed. It was unusual in that it had blood red eyes that observed the environment around him with a calculating gaze. The bird turned his head towards Rayvenne before ruffling his feathers before he began to speak, his voice like the cawing of the bird he appeared to be, “You know, I really hate having to travel like that. I would have rather flown.”

“I know, Raeghan. But since you’re no longer human, you can’t really have the same benefits as us ground dwellers.” Rayvenne answered, picking up her wheeled bag and putting it on top of the chest of drawers. She turned the television so that it was sideways on, so she could make more room for her bag. She never watched television anyway, so it wasn’t any kind of loss. There was a cawing behind her as Raeghan laughed, “That’s true. I guess there’s ups and downs to everything.” He said, before asking, “Have you contacted him yet?”

“No. Not yet. He seems to be busy. He’ll call back. He always does.” Rayvenne answered in a slightly distracted tone as she moved over to her backpack and opened it up to reveal various items, including some clothes. She reached into the back and pulled out a thin laptop before she moved over to the bed and sat herself down with her back against the headboard. She opened the laptop, glancing at Raeghan who was grooming his wing feathers, before she looked back at the device as she opened up the internet browser to look for any jobs going in the area. If Diomedes wasn’t going to call soon, she was going to need something to occupy herself with until he did. 

Location: Twin Mill Motel and nearby fish and chip shop.
Time: 20:38

“Ah, finally.” Rayvenne muttered softly as an email from Diomedes came in. She opened up the email and her dark eyes scanned the information that was present. Meticulous as always, she saw that he had included a lot of detail regarding the person he wanted her to check up on. A Sophia Hayashi, a nineteen year old immigrant from America. She had fled unscrupulous individuals, and Diomedes was willing to pay extra if Rayvenne got her hands on any information regarding them. A part of her was curious as to his interest in this street urchin but dismissed her curiosity. Despite her personal relationship with him, she was not interested in his numerous flings. It wasn’t her business. 

She closed the lid of the laptop before putting it aside with a sigh, “Raeghan. I’m going to go get something to eat. Do you want to be let out while I go and do that?” She asked, looking over to where the dark bird was grooming his wings. He looked up, ruffling them for a moment before cawing softly, “Please. That damn pet holder of yours is cramped as all hell.” He said.

Rayvenne nodded her head in agreement as she slipped from the bed and picked up her wallet as well as the keys for the room. She unlocked and opened the door, stepping out and looking around before she stepped slightly to the side and nodded at Raeghan. The large raven flew out of the open motel door and swung upwards into the night air. She watched him closely for a few moments until he disappeared from view behind one of the nearby buildings. She then closed the door, making sure it was locked before she turned and went down the street. There was a fish and chip shop nearby, and she fancied a cod. 

The streets were lit brightly by the overhead lights, despite the fact that it was well into night. It was still extremely cold, but despite that she was quite comfortable. People hurrying past her were all wrapped up in thick coats, while she was wearing black jeans, a t-shirt and a thin jacket. She could sense how cold it was, but it wasn’t affecting her. It was only a short five minute walk from the shop, and she stepped into the family run establishment. She went from very cold air, to warm air that blasted her in the face as she stepped in. There was a young man behind the counter by the register, putting a couple of boxes in a bag and handing it to a customer, wishing them a goodnight before the customer stepped around Rayvenne and left.

Now that she was the only one here, she stepped up and said, “A large cod, a large portion of chips and a can of coke.” 

“Coming right up!” He said with a friendly smile as he turned around close to another worker, an older woman, as he began to cook another batch of chips by loading the frying basket with potato chips and lowering them into the fryer. She stepped back, leaning against the wall in silence as she divided her time between watching them cook and glancing out towards the door where she could see people passing the window.

[Aura]

On 2/25/2020 at 12:10 PM, Neptune said:

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

“Take your time.” The officer sat at the desk said encouragingly when she seemed to hesitate in a shy, and unsure manner. He was staring intently at her, almost forgetting to write down what she was saying. Kaylaen looked at the officer, before looking at Sophia before he then noticed that her cleavage was on display. He was reasonably sure that it wasn’t that exposed before the arrival of the owner and officers, but he couldn’t quite remember. The headache was making it difficult to really think. He looked over at the owner and the second officer, and noticed that they seemed really interested in Sophia, who either didn’t mind the attention or was oblivious to it. He was about to look away before he did a double-take when he saw the owner shift a little and the unmistakable bulge of an erection that he seemed to be trying to hide.

Kaylaen had no idea what to make of that, or even how to subtly tell Sophia, so he turned his head back to Sophia as she explained about the decision of Shez’s to some to this hotel. He didn’t even bat an eye when she emphasized that he was her friend, and he even nodded to show that she spoke the truth. While Sophia was really nice, and while he would fuck anyone with little care to their gender, he was romantically more inclined towards men. It would take a very special woman to catch his heart. He continued watching Sophia blush and flounder her way through her statement until she finally asked if she was in trouble.

The officer writing on the tablet was quick to smile and reassure her, “Of course not, pet.” He even reached out to give her a pet on the knee, rubbing his thumb against it for a moment before he pulled back and continued to write on his tablet, “We just needed your version of events, to compare to the CCTV footage that we’ve watched. It’s quite clear that you two were taken for quite the- ah, ride.” He said, the corner of his lips twitched a little up at the double meaning of what he had said. He then coughed a little, clearing his throat as he typed a couple more things on his tablet before saying, “I’ve gotten your statements down. Although if you think of anything else…” He rummaged around in his pocket for a few moments, before pulling out a call card. He pulled out a pen and scribbled something down on it before he then handed the card to Sophia, “Just give me a call.” If she looked at the car, she would see that he had put his name down as ‘Benjamin’ and had put down a personal phone number. Kaylaen saw this and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. Was the officer coming onto her? While he couldn’t blame the man, he was certainly surprised and he looked at Sophia to see her reaction.

The added 'pet' comment completely took Sophia by surprise. Had she really come off that strong? She blinked in response as she had no idea how to provide a genuine response to such an unnecessary comment. And yet, she could feel her body heating up from the inside out. 'pet.' For some reason, she quite liked that. Still, she couldn't let her innocent act down just yet so she simply offered a look of surprise which grew with her blush as she felt his hand hand on her knee. Her heart skipped for a moment, part of her expecting to be grabbed right there. She wasn't certain how well she was delivering her performance, but either way, this officer was certainly coming on strongly. Maybe he hasn't had any action in a while... 

When the man handed her a card with his name and number, Sophia briefly glanced at Kay with a sly smirk and a wink before smiling up at the officers. One down, two to go~. "Well, thank you so much, officers. I really appreciate your help in capturing those horrible criminals. I don't know if I'd feel safe wandering around with those thieves on the loose..." She let out a sigh and looked up at the professional-looking owner with a soft frown. She slowly stood up, pulling the towel tightly to ensure her cleavage was covered. "I'm really sorry about this whole stunt, sir. I know we aren't to blame, but I still feel bad sleeping in your establishment without any sort of payment... Would you perhaps mind if I offered to work here to help pay off the room? I am actually quite a talented performer, if I do say so myself, but I am also capable of doing humble work like room service and... other tasks." She fought the urge to grin at the very idea of what images probably popped into this man's mind at those last words. She walked over to a notepad on the desk the other officer was sitting at, and sat down on its edge, the towel again dropping a bit to "accidentally" display a window of her cleavage to the other men in the room while the one at the desk had quite a convenient view of her ass covered only by the towel that draped nicely around her rounded form. She started jotting something down on the notepad with the Sapphire-Mantel-branded pen that was next to it.. "My phone was stolen, so leaving my number won't do any good, but I'll do my best to get a replacement soon. Until then, I'll leave you my email so I can get back to you whenever I get the chance." She finished writing and doodled a few little hearts around her notepad and tore the page out to hand to the man with a cute smile on her face. "That is, of course, if you would have me~"

Last was the man at the desk. He seemed mostly oblivious to her. He just might prove to be the most difficult of the three as her initial actions didn't seem to garner much of any reaction from him at all. She thought for a moment before considering that, perhaps he wanted to take more of a nice-guy approach to women. Maybe he had noticed her but simply chose not to act on it because he didn't want to seem like some low-life pervert. How sweet~. She decided to test this hypothesis by mumbling to herself a bit. 'Getting out of here with my clothes all torn up... I don't know what I'll do..." She then looked around the room before her eyes settled on the officer at the desk. "Um... don't you police have some sort of blanket or something to cover people up in case of emergency? Or is that like... only a movie thing? I'm only asking because I don't really... have any clothes on me and I can't exactly leave with this towel on." She tried to keep her voice low and ask the officer directly to avoid the owner of the hotel hearing. After all, he seemed quite wealthy so he would likely simply offer to allow her to keep the towel if he realized clothing would be an issue. She wanted to give this particular man a chance to play hero. 

[Lawless Lawyer]

Location: Thorndown University Campus

 Brighton did his best to stifle a look of utter disgust at the mental image of plates that held day old food on them. What he couldn't suppress was the shudder that went down his body. Whereas the lawyer was a bachelor, Brighton wanted things to be clean when it came to the sink area of his apartment. He had a few distinct memories of living with a few roommates that had less than adequate manners in that department. He quickly cleared his throat as he straightened up. Looking down at his button-up shirt, he gently brushed any crumbs that fell from his muffin. The same biscuit had not been touched since he began to talk to Evelyn.

 Brighton nodded. "I understand how you feel." He took a quick sip of his drink as he collected his thoughts. "Independence is something everyone should strive for in my honest opinion. If someone is living on someone else's dime trying to attain it, then why stop them. I unfortunately had to because of my eye. With this disability, I had to rely on what money I could get." He gently wiped his hair away to reveal the eyepatch more. "Losing one's hand-eye coordination makes things very difficult when it comes to jobs that require gentle work." He balked at the mention of 'other' work. He gave a quick sigh before shaking himself out a bit. The cerulean blue eye that had focused on Eve seemed to glisten a bit on the reflecting sun rays that bounced off the table.

 "One of the reasons I became a lawyer solely rests on the aspect of detail." He started to spin his tale. He briefly paused as his eye darted a bit as he recollected what happened. "The lack thereof can cause a detriment. Whether it be in the law or in life. Some details should be always be noted of." He cleared his throat again. "I wasn't paying attention and ran face-first into a barbed-wire fence. Long story short, I lost vision in my eye." He shrugged some. 

[Neptune]

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

Kaylaen almost fell off of the bed in surprise when she turned her head and looked at him, winking. It became very obvious that she was playing with the officers. She had turned from the really shy, too-scared-of-the-police to the same seductress from the night before. It was as if some switch had been flipped and she had turned into a completely different person. Not that he minded, in fact, he found it pretty hot and it was rather entertaining to see her wrap these older men and neatly place them into the palm of her hand. He watched in amazement as she turned back around and continued to give the innocent act.

When she stood up, offering to the owner her services to pay the room off, he seemed to twitch a little and he seemed to struggle to clear his throat. Kaylaen noticed that the man's bulge drew even more and he couldn’t help but to be in awe of Sophia’s ability to play them. He continued to watch as three pairs of eyes seemed drawn to her as she bent over, teasingly keeping her most salient features from view, while stringing them on with the subtle promise of more. The owner took the piece of paper from him, before coughing a little more and stuttering a little, “T-there's no need to… to pay the room off, dear… but… I don’t… I don’t see why I can’t offer you a job.” He said, unable to tear her eyes off of her cleavage. The lust he felt for her was quite obvious in his gaze that seemed absolutely glued to her. 

She then turned her charm onto the officer sat at the table with the tablet. He was wrapping it back up within its protective sleeve, about to put the thin device away. His attention was drawn when she spoke, her words so quiet that Kaylaen almost missed them. He had to control himself, to avoid grinning like an idiot. It was very obvious to him what she was doing, but the other three men in the room seemed oblivious to what she was doing. The officer smiled at her, “Of course. I’ll go get one for you.” He stood up, slipping the tablet away, before resting a hand on her shoulder, his fingers brushing against her soft skin, “Just sit back with your friend. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He smiled down at her, although he paused before leaving the hotel room, his eyes lingering on her cleavage. The door snapped very gently behind him as he left, his partner remaining where he stood where, if Sophia were to sit down, he would have a perfect view up her towel if she allowed him to. He gave Sophia a small smile, “It will take him a few minutes, so best just sit down while you wait for him.” He said, clearly wanting to see something. 

Location: Thorndown University Campus

Evelyn could tell that her speaking on the unsavoury hygiene habits of her roomates made him as uncomfortable as it did her, and she found herself secretly pleased that they shared something in common. A phobia of allowing for a messy kitchen. To her, it was rather simple. The kitchen was a place where food was prepared. While she wasn’t the kind to wipe every surface down with disinfectant everyday, she felt that there should be at least some level of cleanliness maintained. The sides should be wiped down regularly, the floor swept daily and washed weekly. Dishes and things used for cooking should be cleaned as soon as possible. Not only to prevent the clinging food from turning nasty, but to also make it easier upon oneself as caked on filth was harder to clean, as several of her roommates found out frequently, but never learned from. 

When he spoke about his view regarding independence, she nodded her head in agreement, pleased that there was something else that they had in common. Evelyn was liking this man more and more. She rested her elbow on the table, while her chin rested on the palm of her hand as she watched him speak. She became even more interested when he suddenly switched onto the subject of his eyes, something that she wanted to ask about but didn’t as she didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable. And yet here he was, bringing it up on his own. She leaned forwards a little, her blue eyes intent on him as he spoke about the troubles he faced with only one eye. It was something she could only imagine, and it made her feel as if she sometimes took having two eyes for granted. 

She winced when he explained what had happened. It was not the nicest way to lose an eye, and it no doubt was a long and painful road to adapting to living without it. She doubted that she would adapt, at least not fully. Her love and hobby required hand-eye coordination, and it was something she wasn’t sure she would ever want to give up. She pulled her chin away from her hand as she, unthinkingly, reached forwards and rested her hand on his arm and squeezed it a little before pulling away, “I’m sorry that happened.” She said, and it was all she was going to say on the matter. After all, she doubted that he was someone trying to fish for sympathy from her. He had managed to adapt to living without his eye, and had learned crucial life lessons from it. Crucial enough that he was able to forge a new life for himself. If anything, she found it impressive. She then smiled slightly at him as she tilted her head, “I suppose one bright side, is that because you took the route of a lawyer, it allowed you to move here and to let me meet you.” She then gave him a cheeky grin, wanting to lift his spirits a little, as he seemed a little down when he was talking about his eye. She was also subtly letting him know how much she was enjoying their conversation.

[Aura]

1 hour ago, Neptune said:

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

Kaylaen almost fell off of the bed in surprise when she turned her head and looked at him, winking. It became very obvious that she was playing with the officers. She had turned from the really shy, too-scared-of-the-police to the same seductress from the night before. It was as if some switch had been flipped and she had turned into a completely different person. Not that he minded, in fact, he found it pretty hot and it was rather entertaining to see her wrap these older men and neatly place them into the palm of her hand. He watched in amazement as she turned back around and continued to give the innocent act.

When she stood up, offering to the owner her services to pay the room off, he seemed to twitch a little and he seemed to struggle to clear his throat. Kaylaen noticed that the man's bulge drew even more and he couldn’t help but to be in awe of Sophia’s ability to play them. He continued to watch as three pairs of eyes seemed drawn to her as she bent over, teasingly keeping her most salient features from view, while stringing them on with the subtle promise of more. The owner took the piece of paper from him, before coughing a little more and stuttering a little, “T-there's no need to… to pay the room off, dear… but… I don’t… I don’t see why I can’t offer you a job.” He said, unable to tear her eyes off of her cleavage. The lust he felt for her was quite obvious in his gaze that seemed absolutely glued to her. 

She then turned her charm onto the officer sat at the table with the tablet. He was wrapping it back up within its protective sleeve, about to put the thin device away. His attention was drawn when she spoke, her words so quiet that Kaylaen almost missed them. He had to control himself, to avoid grinning like an idiot. It was very obvious to him what she was doing, but the other three men in the room seemed oblivious to what she was doing. The officer smiled at her, “Of course. I’ll go get one for you.” He stood up, slipping the tablet away, before resting a hand on her shoulder, his fingers brushing against her soft skin, “Just sit back with your friend. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He smiled down at her, although he paused before leaving the hotel room, his eyes lingering on her cleavage. The door snapped very gently behind him as he left, his partner remaining where he stood where, if Sophia were to sit down, he would have a perfect view up her towel if she allowed him to. He gave Sophia a small smile, “It will take him a few minutes, so best just sit down while you wait for him.” He said, clearly wanting to see something. 

"A job? You would really make such an arrangement for me?" Sophia clasped her hands over her chest as if in surprise. "Oh, thank you so much, sir! I really need one right now so that would be a great help." Sophia was no stranger to using her charm in order to get what she wanted from people, but she had never pushed them to this extent. Still, she had these men wrapped around her fingers. It was quite adorable the extent they were willing to go to please her. A precious smile grew across her lips as she looked up at the owner of the hotel. "Even if it isn't necessary I just wouldn't feel right not paying you back for such kindness. No man's ever treated me like that before~." 

As the kind officer started to leave, eyes still drawn to her cleavage, Sophia had to fight the urge to giggle. "Thank you, officer, that would be a big help." She smiled to him. She couldn't wait to be alone with these men later on. It would be so much fun to play along with the different personas she's created of herself in each of their minds simultaneously. The one sitting across from her clearly saw her more as a secret slut. He'd probably treat her like some sort of whore and get rough with her. Or, perhaps he saw her as a genuinely innocent and totally oblivious girl. Someone who would be easy to fuck for a night and leave. Either way, the very idea of being used by him excited her. The hotel owner seemed to see her as an attractive young lady with an extremely alluring body that he found impossible to resist. While he'd be in a position of authority over her, it was pretty clear who was really on top here. Perhaps this man was married? She'd have to check his hand for a ring next time she got a convenient look. While the idea of having sex with a married man disgusted her before, something about this particular situation had turned that around. Strangely enough, she seemed to find that idea a massive turn-on. It was a weak-willed man who would cheat on his wife anyway, she'd just be doing his wife a favor, really. 

Lastly, there was the officer who was getting the blanket for her. Maybe he was just shy, but she found it difficult to place his interests. For now, she'd just go along with the assumption that he was more gentlemanly than the others. Unsure of how to confess his attraction to her. Maybe he was new to his job and worried about getting in trouble for having relations with a witness? Either way, he seemed like he just might prove to be a total sweetheart. Maybe his heart would be broken if she toyed with him only to then go after other men in his stead, but... Well, that was just something she'd have to deal with when the bridge is crossed.

Finally, she heard the man across from her suggest she take a seat. The assertion wasn't subtle at all and Sophia was quite privy to his little trick. She wasn't about to hand the power over so easily, though. He'd have to try a little harder than that. "Oh, of course." Sophia sat down across from the man as he seemed to desire. But perhaps counter to his expectations, she crossed her legs as she sat. It still offered quite a nice view of her thigh, but, tantalizing enough, he wouldn't be able to see between her legs at all. She, of course, pretended to remain entirely oblivious to what the man was after. She didn't make eye contact with him and instead just looked back and forth between Kay and the owner of the hotel. "So, is there anything else we have left to discuss?"

[Neptune]

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

Kaylaen was impressed at how easily Sophia was able to command the room. She had the other men in absolute thrall of her. He had no doubt that she could do the same to him if she really wanted to, although he wouldn’t be as easy to manipulate as these poor saps. But even so, he could tell when someone was in absolute control of a situation and Sophia had it. While he had experience leading, and taking charge, he still respected a chain of authority. Thus, if she told him to jump, he would be a few feet in the air before he asked her which direction he should jump. He watched in amusement as Sophia did as the officer had asked, without giving him what he wanted. He saw a flash of dark amusement in the officers eyes, and immediately sensed that this could be a ‘dirty’ cop. That could end up a few ways. Either he would force Sophia to give him what he wanted, or he would offer her a deal. Give him what he wanted, and he would be an inside ear for her, a dirty cop that would do favours for her. He certainly hoped it was the latter. Such a connection for someone like Sophia would be valuable. 

The owner seemed to have missed the silent exchange between Sophia and Benjamin. He seemed hopelessly enthralled by her, and Kaylaen doubted that the man would ever see what Sophia was doing to him. The owner seemed to fidget, straightening out his cuffs causing Kaylaen to catch a glimpse of a gold ring in his finger. He almost scoffed at that, but he chose to remain as silent as possible to allow Sophia to remain in command, like a Queen ruling over her subjects. He had never thought his morning would take this direction, and he found it easier to ignore his headache in favour of watching this private show going on. The owner fidgeted more as he said, “I… I don’t think so, dear… I mean, as an apology for letting a criminal pretend to work here and offer you a room that wasn’t available… I was going to offer you a free taxi to wherever you needed to be. So that you could get home...” Kaylaen knew that would be very useful, letting them get back to his place, although it seemed that Sophia wasn’t quite ready to leave as she seemed to be having fun with her new toys. 

The other officer soon returned, with a thick woolen blanket that was a light sandy colour. He unfolded as he approached Sophia but instead of letting her put it on herself, he threw it over her shoulders before tucking it around her front, “There you go.” He told her gently before he stepped back and asked, “Are you alright?” It seemed as if the three men had completely forgotten about Kaylaen, having been so focused on Sophia. Originally, Kaylaen had been intending on keeping the attention on himself, since Sophia had been so scared. But it seemed she no longer needed that and it seemed she was getting more out of this than she thought.

[Lawless Lawyer]

Location: Thorndown University Campus

Her words actually got him to blush a bit. He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Guess that is a fair and valuable assertion on the matter now innit?" He smiled in return as he seemed to let his natural drawl return. "I don't let it bother me. If we live in the past, then we are going to miss the future. I used it as a life lesson. Now I am always paying attention." He was slowly losing the shell that he had and was more or so opening up. "You learn to spot inconsistencies in your day to day life."

He cleared his throat and took a drink from his coffee that had become lukewarm. "Since I am fairly new here, I do not know what the routines are in this area. Once I learn them, I could easily spot any strange inconsistencies and know something is up. However, we are in a university, and therefore we cannot always predict that something is wrong when there is something new in the area." He nodded before suddenly realizing what he was saying. Brighton gave a hard guttural laugh and sighed. "Sorry, that went entirely off the rails there. I went from a life lesson to sounding paranoid." He chuckled again. "I am sorry, love. It has been a long day of studying." 

Brighton suddenly looked forward before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his smartphone. He looked at the screen for a few moments before shaking his head with a 'tsk' sound. "Oh, the mates want to have a night of fun, and I have to decline." He put the phone away, laughing softly."

[Aura]

On 3/11/2020 at 5:59 PM, Neptune said:

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

Kaylaen was impressed at how easily Sophia was able to command the room. She had the other men in absolute thrall of her. He had no doubt that she could do the same to him if she really wanted to, although he wouldn’t be as easy to manipulate as these poor saps. But even so, he could tell when someone was in absolute control of a situation and Sophia had it. While he had experience leading, and taking charge, he still respected a chain of authority. Thus, if she told him to jump, he would be a few feet in the air before he asked her which direction he should jump. He watched in amusement as Sophia did as the officer had asked, without giving him what he wanted. He saw a flash of dark amusement in the officers eyes, and immediately sensed that this could be a ‘dirty’ cop. That could end up a few ways. Either he would force Sophia to give him what he wanted, or he would offer her a deal. Give him what he wanted, and he would be an inside ear for her, a dirty cop that would do favours for her. He certainly hoped it was the latter. Such a connection for someone like Sophia would be valuable. 

The owner seemed to have missed the silent exchange between Sophia and Benjamin. He seemed hopelessly enthralled by her, and Kaylaen doubted that the man would ever see what Sophia was doing to him. The owner seemed to fidget, straightening out his cuffs causing Kaylaen to catch a glimpse of a gold ring in his finger. He almost scoffed at that, but he chose to remain as silent as possible to allow Sophia to remain in command, like a Queen ruling over her subjects. He had never thought his morning would take this direction, and he found it easier to ignore his headache in favour of watching this private show going on. The owner fidgeted more as he said, “I… I don’t think so, dear… I mean, as an apology for letting a criminal pretend to work here and offer you a room that wasn’t available… I was going to offer you a free taxi to wherever you needed to be. So that you could get home...” Kaylaen knew that would be very useful, letting them get back to his place, although it seemed that Sophia wasn’t quite ready to leave as she seemed to be having fun with her new toys. 

The other officer soon returned, with a thick woolen blanket that was a light sandy colour. He unfolded as he approached Sophia but instead of letting her put it on herself, he threw it over her shoulders before tucking it around her front, “There you go.” He told her gently before he stepped back and asked, “Are you alright?” It seemed as if the three men had completely forgotten about Kaylaen, having been so focused on Sophia. Originally, Kaylaen had been intending on keeping the attention on himself, since Sophia had been so scared. But it seemed she no longer needed that and it seemed she was getting more out of this than she thought.

Watching the hotel owner sweat and fidget only turned Sophia on more. It was so easy to do, she was confident she'd be able to do it again next time they saw each other. Along with Kaylaen, she also took note of the ring on his hand. That just might prove useful going forward. A part of her wanted to take advantage of this and meet him in another room right now, but she couldn't just throw her advantage away like that. She was certainly going to see these two men in the near future. Besides, she wouldn't want to keep Kaylaen waiting any longer than he needed to. Still, it seemed like such a waste not to seize this opportunity to sleep with at least one of these men. She glanced over at Kay who seemed to be enjoying the show and couldn't help but smile slightly to herself. Maybe he wouldn't mind... Her eyes scanned the men in the room. Both of them she had an easy method of contact for later. But there was one more she had her eyes set on. One that she couldn't let slip through her fingers. She couldn't afford to miss any opportunities. She had to sleep with everyone. 

When the taxi was offered, Sophia knew she had to decline. If she accepted the offer, she'd probably have to leave as soon as the officer got back with her blanket. That wouldn't necessarily be good as it would not only make the hotel owner feel as though he had made things even, but it would also take away from letting this sweet officer see himself as her hero. "I'm sorry... Maybe my friend can take the taxi if he's up to it, but I'm not sure I'd feel very safe in one after what just happened..." As she was speaking, the officer returned with her blanket with such perfect timing. She turned her attention to the man, intentionally allowing him to interrupt the conversation as he walked over and tossing the blanket over her shoulders. The blanket was surprisingly soft and comfortable and the extra care the officer gave in tucking the blanket around her made her smile. It was clear he was just trying to impress her, but the gesture was sweet all the same. "I am alright, thank you, officer~" She smiled brightly up at him with a faint blush across her face. "Actually, um... I wanted to ask. Would you be okay with escorting my friend and I to his place?" She gestured to Kay when mentioning her friend. "I'm really on edge with what happened last night and I would really feel safe with a police officer keeping me company."

[Akira]

Location: Vector’s apartment.

 

It was just another normal day when Vector decided to leave his home to go after a possible lead on a Leech agent hidden in the city. He had to spend quite some time trying to intercept and decrypt mails and radio frequencies from the organization to get a rough estimation of where the hidden agent could be hiding or what places he frequents. There was also another problem: Vector didn’t know what was the appearance of the person he was looking for. Thankfully, as an ex-agent from Leech, he could use his skills and experience to hopefully notice any strange or suspicious behaviours. Of course, he would be prepared for a fight too, should it be necessary. 

 

He was wearing his usual clothes when he left his apartment and made his way to the bus station. From there he took a bus to the central area of the city. As to be expected, there were a lot of people walking around and minding their own business. Vector walked around a bit, doing his best to keep his identity hidden, before finally reaching the small bar that his target frequents, according to the information he got at least. To blend in, Vector took a seat at the counter and ordered himself a beer. Now all he had to do was to keep his eye peeled for anyone who could be and undercover Leech agent.

[Neptune]

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

“Of course.” The officer said with a kind smile down at Sophia as he affectionately petted her on the top of her head, “It’s perfectly understandable that you would feel unsafe right now. We can leave whenever you’re ready to, dear.” He said, before he looked over at Kaylaen with silently questioning eyes. He returned his gaze, his eyebrows twitching up a little before he said, “I’m ready to go when she’s feeling comfortable to.” To complete the appearance of a concerned friend, and to add to Sophia’s ‘vulnerable girl’ act, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm in a comforting manner. He noticed that the owner seemed to frown a little at the action, as if unpleased. The officer standing by the door only seemed to smirk more as the second officer only nodded and told Sophia, “Then let me know when you want to leave and I’ll take you in the cruiser. You can keep the blanket.” He smiled a little at her.

The owner then stumbled in and said, “A-and I’ll definitely email you about a job. It’s t… the least I can do.” Kaylaen blinked a little, a little startled but he kept his expression schooled. It seemed that the owner didn’t particularly like the attention being taken off of him. He felt that Sophia might need to be a little careful of this man, just in case he turned a little possessive. But then again, if she played him right she might be able to get a fair amount out of him. He seemed to be the kind that would allow his lovers to sleep their way to the higher positions within his hotel. If Sophia wanted, she could end up fucking her way up to a General Manager. This was turning out to be more and more interesting than any of the shit that came out on television these days. He turned his head and looked at Sophia, a silent question in his eyes as to what she wanted to do. This was her show, after all, and he was deferring to her.

Location: Thorndown University Campus

Evelyn was secretly pleased at the sight of his little blush. She felt it was endearing of him, and she hoped to be able to make him blush more. She picked up her hot chocolate, draining the last of the sweet liquid before putting it down as he said that he doesn’t let it bother him. She smiled and nodded her head in approval. She was glad to hear that he wasn’t allowing such an injury to control his life like many other people did. They tended to fall into a deep abyss of dispair, and don’t seem interested in pulling themselves out. She found it admirable that Brighton was able to take back that kind of control and adapt his life to compensate for the missing eye.

She tilted her head when he went on to speak about the fact that he was still learning the routines in this area, and the fact that at a university it was hard to make such predictions. She certainly had to agree with that point, especially as life seemed to shift and change so frequently. Things were rarely consistent here. She smiled as he laughed, finding it rather pleasant as he admitted that it had turned from a life lesson to him sounding paranoid. But when he referred to her as ‘love’ she couldn’t help a slight blush as she giggled under her breath. She had twigged him as a rather introverted person, who most likely kept to himself, so for him to call her such an endearment especially unconsciously.

She then blinked when he suddenly looked forwards and reached into his pocket to look at his phone. Evelyn was honest with herself when she felt a little disappointed when he said that it was friends that wanted to have a night of fun, but she perked up when he declined. Deciding to tease him a little, she asked, “Why is that? Because you already have such good company?” She then laughed a little. 

Location: Blackberry Falls City Centre, and “The Rock” bar.

Liliana was glad that she had kept the communication open with her fathers old work colleagues. She knew that the information that they were passing onto her was illegal, and they could get into a lot of trouble for it, but she knew that they wanted justice as much as she did. And she was acting as an informal agent. They had been barred from being able to look further into the matter of her parents deaths, but the Ashaean Intelligence Agency couldn’t stop her from looking into it, not without her kicking up such a fuss that it would become noticeable. So her father’s colleagues would ‘accidentally’ leave information around in several dead drop locations for her to pick up and look into. Sometimes the information wasn’t useful. At other times, it was very useful and led her to interesting incidents caused by the very organisation that she was hunting down. 

It was this information that had led her to this bar. The Rock. Not a very imaginative name, but it was a little shady looking and kind of out of the way. Just the kind of place she expected these low-lifes to be in. She figured that they were there for two main reasons. To drink themselves stupid, and to pick up some poor chick for them to fuck. The latter of which she could use to her advantage. While she had not had sex before, she was confident enough in herself to use her good looks to her advantage with certain people that couldn’t see much past her looks. So she was dressed a little for the part, but she wasn’t going over the top. That would have been too obvious. She was wearing a pair of tight black jeans that hugged her figure, as well as a pair of black high heels. Her top was a tank top, showing only a very teasing amount of cleavage. She wore a white coat on top that went down to mid-thigh, covering up the concealed firearm that she had on her person. Her hair was up, in its usual style, as it fit the outfit well. It was stylish, and teased someone who was looking for a bit of a fling, without being obvious.

With a confident stride she entered the bar, her blue eyes flicking around to see if she could find anything of obvious interest. There wasn’t anything that she could immediately see, but that was to be expected. She took note as to where everyone was in the bar, as well as the potential exits just in case she needed to make a quick getaway. She moved up to the bar, glancing at a long man sitting nursing a beer. She glanced at him a little longer than the others, as he was quite handsome and he had red eyes, an unusual feature for sure. It made her wonder if this was the target she was looking for. She gave him a slight smile before sitting down, with one stool between the two of them. When the bartender asked her for what she wanted, she ordered herself a chilled white wine as she got herself comfortable while observing the man from the corner of her eye.