The Bar [Open]

[AJoeOfSubjectiveQuality]

Jason Ayers enters the bar at the Hotel California. It's well after Midnight on his first evening here. Pausing at the door, he briefly surveys the room and nods his approval. Moving to the bar, he disregards the stools and stands next to it. 

"Good evening, Ari. Do you have a blended Scotch whiskey brand called Famous Grouse, by any chance? If not, may I please have a glass of any blended Scotch available that you don't use to strip varnish, neat?"

[Chiyako]

Hungry. Food. Need food.

Miu had access to shelter and water. Those two were the most important for survival. Both could be found in one place, although a second source of water was probably necessary. Food was all that she had left to find. Of course the woman behind the short wall had given her food. It was possible that she could return for more, but like water she would have liked to find more sources.

Meat. Meat is good.

With stomach grumbling the wolf-like creature had crept quietly through the halls, using whatever she could for cover. Occasionally she stopped to sniff at the air. A smell vaguely familiar had cropped up. It belonged to a drink that others consumed. She knew that much. But there was another scent too, one which had only become recently familiar to her.

The top of her head crept into view within the doorway, followed swiftly by a pair of red eyes. Ears lay flat against her head, disappeared into her messy mane in order to keep hidden. It was as she had suspected: the man from before, the one named Mister Ayors, was here. He stood within a room of polished wood, settled next to another short wall. He did not appear to be threatening before. In fact he appeared to be a kind person, at least as a first impression. He also seemed to be fairly confident, as though he knew what this place was. He and the one called Mother both would act as good guides, although the woman who had gifted her food probably was a better choice. It seemed she was the one who lived here, after all!

Seats? I think? He does not sit. Maybe not seats?

Something told her they were seats. Still, he did not sit. It confused her but also did make her somewhat curious. Perhaps he had a reason for this? Whatever the case those seats were a fair bit taller than anything she remembered feeling familiar with. They would act as good spots for anyone wishing to attain some extra height advantage, important for keeping an eye out or pouncing upon some prey creature. And so after a minute of observation Miu made her way inside, quickly but silently stepping forward and over to one of the seats located near the man. Hands clasped against the seat and with a pull she dragged herself up!

What!?

Eyes widened as it started to turn, to spin, prompting her to hold onto the seat with enough force that leather threatened to tear and wood creaked softly! As she adjusted her position and pulled her feet up the chair continued to slowly turn. Her tail, puffed up quite some bit, curled around the seat in order to halt its movement, and there she remained as still as a statue, awkwardly facing away from the counter and the man, feet pressed against the leather seat and fingers digging into it, body aimed at the moment towards the door.

Moving seat!?

[AJoeOfSubjectiveQuality]

Movement to his right; Ayers turned his head to see the young wolf-girl clambering onto a stool and being startled when it began to spin. He couldn't help but smile. One can't expect a wolf to know how to use a barstool, I suppose. 

She looked the same as he'd first seen her. Surely Ari has given her a room by now? Has she gone to it yet? Does she even know how to operate a doorknob and a key? He had questions, but he hadn't heard her speak yet. Can she speak?  

He gave her a moment to calm herself, and then ventured a soft, "Hello." As he was slowly extending his hand to her, he had an idea and angled it slightly so that she could either choose to take it or sniff it. Something else occurred to him in that moment; wasn't Okami the Japanese word for wolf? It had been many years since he'd heard or spoken that language, but still remembered some of the basics. "Konbanwa?"

@Chiyako

[Chiyako]

It stopped. Should be okay.

Very slowly the wolf's tail uncurled from the stool, extending back in an effort to keep her balance. Fingers groped against the seat for a few moments, trailing downwards until she found where it was solid. With a careful tug she turned the seat, doing so slowly until finally she was left facing the one named Mister Ayors.

It worked!

He spoke to her. A greeting. His hand extended and, on reflex, she tensed and leaned back just a slight bit. However this time she was able to recover quicker, to relax after a moment of hesitation. While one hand remained gripping at the seat the other rose, fingers gently taking hold of the man's fingers. With a soft grip she offered a smile, tail wagging softly behind her, albeit still with enough power that it caused the seat to shift from side to side ever so slightly, wheeling although not with enough strength to throw off her balance.

Safe.

Miu only held his hand long enough to be just a little awkward before it retreated back to the seat, assisting the other with balancing. Again the man spoke, only it wasn't a greeting, and it felt just a little more familiar to her. Not completely, but it did sound closer to what she thought she might have been used to. In any case she didn't quite know if his answer was truthful or not. This place was strange. She did not know if it was evening or if it was morning. And so she ultimatedly decided to answer him with a simple shrug of her shoulders.

[AJoeOfSubjectiveQuality]

She still didn't speak, but shrugged. He bit his lip as he tried to figure out how to proceed; teaching was never his strong suit. "Jason Ayers," he said, gesturing to himself. As he did, he slowly sat on the stool next to him, using his left arm on the bar to show her how to support herself and turn the stool towards her.

Well, that was the plan. But now he could really see her for the first time. Her big ruby eyes contrasted with her silver hair, thick enough so that he wanted to run his fingers through it. As the scent of Ari struck him again, in his mind's eye he could see them in the bath together, her looking up at him as he washed that silky mane, her slim legs wrapped around his waist ... God! No way was he turning towards her now; he scootched his lap a bit more towards the bar to hide is growing arousal from her. What the hell is wrong with me?!?

[Chiyako]

Ayors. Jason. Not Mister? No. Jason Ayors. Ayers?

The man's true name, probably. Why he hid it from the others she could not determine, nor could she figure out why he had told it to her. It did feel bad not being able to communicate her own name, but she could try! Lips parted, again revealing the sharpened pearly whites. Her tongue twisted about within her mouth and a sharp exhale left her maw. With a defeated frown her lips closed again. It was going to be something of an issue, but it also felt like a familiar one. She made due in the past, probably, and so she could make do here!

Red orbs shifted towards the edge of the bar, observing the man's example. Up until this point she had been sitting up, knees lifted up and legs pressed to her body. If one looked they could easily spot her undergarments: a simple sand colored loincloth, much like a fundoshi. She didn't seem to care, or perhaps she didn't notice. Now however she decided to plant her butt upon the seat, lower her legs until they hung off the side, and leaned awkwardly up against the edge of the counter with one elbow raised to meet it! It was as close as she could get, but it seemed to work, her entire body relaxing just a little bit as it was no longer forced to hold balance!

This feels right!

Miu smiled, tail now wagging freely behind her. Ears perked up from beneath her mane of silver, head tilting slightly to the right. She sniffed at the air. The one named Jason Ayers gave off a slightly strong scent. A faint tinge of pink crossed her pale cheeks. It felt a bit familiar in a way, like the scent of the woman stood behind the short wall.

[AJoeOfSubjectiveQuality]

He felt badly for her as she made what looked like an attempt to speak but failed. His instincts were to pat her on the knee or give her a hug, but then she adjusted her seat to match his posture. This seemed to make her happy. Her smile and wagging tail made him happy in a way he hadn't felt for many years.

Okay, next steps. Why was she here, now? Think it through. This was the public room with people in it at this time, but it was also the room where you could be served ... Ayers looked at her, and asked, "thirsty?" As he did, he pantomimed raising a glass to his lips. After a moment, he tried again with, "hungry?" whilst rubbing his belly.

[Chiyako]

Thirsty.

A nod of her head was her immediate answer. It was good to consume water when possible, and this would also give her a clue as to where to go when she needed more! This place did seem right. There were bottles of liquid behind the short wall. Some probably contained water. She also smelled something much stronger. It felt familiar, in a way, or at least like something she had encountered in the past. She could not remember whether or not it had been a good experience.

Hungry!

Once again she nodded, only this time with a little more enthusiasm! She was fairly hungry. The delicious food she'd been granted earlier had reminded her that she needed food. Hunger definitely felt familiar. Whatever her past, it was undoubtedly filled with plenty of hunger. Perhaps she had failed to find adequate food? Or maybe she just required a lot of it. Whatever the case she needed to figure out how to attain more food here and, preferably, a greater variety! She doubted that the sweet thing that she had eaten was enough. Meat felt important, and it did not taste like meat.

Food!

Her free hand settled against her flat belly, rubbing in small circles. Mimicing these sorts of things would help a lot with communication! The hand was lifted to her lips in an attempt to mimic Jason's earlier gesture, fingers together in the shape of an 'O'.

[AJoeOfSubjectiveQuality]

Ordering was a no-brainer: beef steaks, rare and medium rare. He'd let her choose which she wanted, if either. Also mashed potatoes and green beans, just to see if she was omnivorous, and water, milk, a pale straw lager, and a glass of wine. Then, feeling stupid, also a plate of whatever her people preferred if Ari knew that.

While they waited, he looked at her. He had a million questions for her, and wished she could answer them. She was obviously bright and a very fast learner, but he didn't know what and how to teach her. Several times he caught himself wanting to reach out and touch her, to stroke her cheek just to see if her skin was as soft as it looked. He found that he was pretty hungry himself now, and wondered how much longer for the food. She'd let him know; she could probably smell it coming a mile ...

She's part wolf?! Can she smell how much I want her???

Damn. He felt like a schoolboy caught trying to look down his teacher's blouse. But also relaxed. He felt sure she knew and at least wasn't repulsed by his rut. He relaxed a bit, even allowing himself to be able to face her more directly on the stool as he tried to think of how they could communicate better.

[Chiyako]

Steak.

She knew of that word. Rare? Would she get to try rare creatures? What did medium rare even mean? Was that not average? Or perhaps above average? Whatever the case, steak was a good choice. Her tail started to wag even harder, and the very thought caused her to salivate enough that she had to lick her lips in order to contain it!

Potato.

Miu also knew what a potato was. They were good, if she was remembering correctly. Beans were fine. Water was important. Milk could be good too! But it was so rare to have that. Would they really have it here? More importantly, did they know how to serve it properly? How did one serve it properly? She would just have to try it.

Straw?

That was the food of prey beasts. It was also used for bedding. Did people here eat it? Maybe the horned woman ate it. She felt as though she had tried to eat it in the past. And while Miu did not know what a lager was she had heard of wine. It was the drink of nobles, if she remembered correctly! It usually smelled good, but sometimes it could have a very harsh smell. She did not remember trying it.

Noble food. I get to eat noble food!

Ruby orbs lifted to meet with those of the man sitting next to her. He was staring at her, but she simply smiled and tilted her head. One ear lifted, the other flopping slightly forward. Prolonged eye contact meant something, although in this situation she knew not what. Of course the faint pink lingered still across her cheeks. She could pick up on arousal, especially being so close, although it wasn't really something that she fully understood. Familiar? Slightly. But perhaps it hadn't been important to her in the past. She didn't really know what to do with it.

I smell food. This place gives food.

[AJoeOfSubjectiveQuality]

She's adorable, he thought, making him feel even more awkward. When the food arrived, he arranged the plates before her, gestured with his open hand for her to examine them as she wished, and sipped his scotch as he watched.

[Chiyako]

While she did not quite remember how long it was supposed to take in order to cook food it did still feel as though things moved a little more quickly here. Only a few minutes seemed to pass before the plates arrived and were laid out upon the short wall. Perhaps her hunger made the time pass quicker. Maybe it was the awkward stare off between her and her new companion. Whatever the case, food was here!

Grasping against the edge of the counter Miu carefully turned herself to face it. She sat up on her knees, lifting herself high enough upon the stool, and at the sight of the sizzling meats her eyes widened, as did her smile! The steak was lifted from the plate and drawn to her lips. She paused only long enough to give it an inspecting sniff before it was pulled into her mouth. Like a ravenous beast she tore at the cooked flesh, teeth clearly sharp enough to make quick work of the meal. It was a messy ordeal, juices dripping down her fingers and along her hands and arms, even from her chin and down upon her tunic. Within a third of a minute she'd devoured the first steak, soft pink tongue leaving the safety of her maw in order to lap at the mess she had made upon herself.

It's good! Very good!

A stool turned out to be the most proper seat for her. Her tail wagged aggressively behind her, unbound by the backing of any chair. When she had cleaned herself enough Miu looked to the other plate of steak, and then over towards the man seated beside her. With only a little hesitation she nudged it over in his direction. He deserved to eat good meat. This man was a friend now. Besides there were so many other things to try! The plate that the missing steak had arrived upon also held the crushed potatoes and the beans. Both hands grasped at the glassware, lifting it up close to her face. It was carefully tilted, and one by one the wolf snapped up the beans as they slid closer. They weren't as good as the steak, but they weren't terrible either. Thankfully juices from the steak were present to improve the taste!

Beans? Beans.

The potatoes were trickier. They didn't slide around as easily as the beans had. Instead she leaned in close, lapping up the pile of squished potatoes with her tongue. As expected they did taste like potatoes, although why anyone would crush them in this fashion was anyone's guess. The potatoes that she was familiar with were whole and easy to pick up! They made for great travel food.

Travel.

That too was familiar to her. Perhaps the reasoning for it would come later. For now she had a feast to devour! Thankfully she had not spotted any traces of straw.

[AJoeOfSubjectiveQuality]

"Thank you. Arigato gozaimasu," Ayers replied to her offer of the second plate. Whilst delighted at the gusto with which she attacked her meal, manners were no so easily overcome that he could mimic her. Discretely so as to not make her feel self-conscious, he placed the napkin on his lap and laid in with fork and knife. But the same pleasure was there; the food was delicious.

[Chiyako]

Thank you? Thank you! I am the one who is thanking.

Of course she didn't mind being thanked, nor did she mind the manners of others when it pertained to consuming food. Others being neat and tidy, being slow to devour their food, was familiar to her. It was not something she was used to doing herself, although she knew not why this was. This just felt right to her. Thankfully he didn't seem to mind.

It did not take long for her to finish her meal. In fact it took just as long for her to clean herself off, tongue lapping at hands and between fingers, even along her forearms which she'd used to wipe her chin clean, or at least as clean as she could get it in the moment. All the while her tail continued to thwap at the air behind her. Somehow she still felt a bit hungry, but not enough to show it. It felt rude to ask for more when she was already being treated so kindly. Besides, there were drinks present to consume!

The wine she recognized immediately. It was the beverage of nobles. On the other hand the lager reminded her of something else that she was familiar with. In the moment she could not place the name, but it did feel like something she was used to drinking, or at least something she had tried before. Hands reached out, grasping at the glass, pulling it close. A quick sniff test determined that it was safe to drink, and so it was brought closer still to her lips for a sip test!

Familiar. Ale? Ale. Not ale.

It wasn't strong enough to put her off and so in order to quench her thirst the wolf steadily drained the glass until, at last, it was emptied! With a satisfied sigh she set the glass back upon the counter, the faint pink which had already been lingering across her cheeks now a faintly brighter shade. A hand lifted, rubbing contently at her belly. It had assisted with filling her up, and now left her belly warm!

[AJoeOfSubjectiveQuality]

After they'd finished, Jason was at a loss about how to proceed. Small talk was out of the question, and he felt awkward just sitting in silence. A big yawn saved him.

Getting up from his stool, he faced the young wolf-girl and said, "I'm sorry, but I must sleep now. Goodnight, my lovely." He bowed to her, and walked out.

[Chiyako]

One glass still remaind: wine. The drink of nobles. With both hands the little wolf carefully lifted it up, pulled it to her lips, and took a sip. Eyes widened for a moment before closing. Others tended to sip it slowly. She could see why. It had the taste of berries, albeit sharper. There was a partial burn against the throat, but it was definitely tolerable. As with the ale she felt a heat lifting across her body, flustering her cheeks and calming her nerves.

Wine. Good.

By the time she set it down the man named Jason had stood from his seat. He was off to sleep. For whatever reason he was tired. Perhaps he had been here much longer than she had? It was entirely possible, of course, but she was also quite curious, still filled with energy, and with no clear goals in mind. She had, after all, discovered where to get food and drink!

With a slight wobble Miu turned her seat and hopped off, waiting until the man had passed the doorway before she crept silently after him. If nothing else she intended to track him to his room! It would be good to figure out where he lived. He seemed nice, after all.