Luce straightened from leaning on the bartop directly infront of Sikura, his eyes lingering on her form for a few more seconds. Luce took much pleasure in making the girl blush, though, he took pleasure in making any one blush. He hadn't lied when he claimed to be lord of shadow and lust. When Reorik approached with the first aid kit, Luce looked him over approvingly and gave him an encouraging nod. That was the way. All guests must be tended to appropriately, Luce gave Reorik a brilliant smile, Reorik was a quick learner. Luce just hoped he continued to be helpful to all of the guests.

"You've a good heart, Reorik, if not just a little misguided." The words were spoken softly, gently and with good humor. Luce looked to Sikura and nodded slightly. "He's a good fellow, you can trust him. If you need anything else, my love, please don't hesitate to bother me." He gave the girl a wink and returned to his seat next to Rida. The neko seemed to be in his own little world, Luce reached up and stroked one of Rida's ears gently. Lightly massaging the tender appendage. "Darling, your food is getting cold."

Rida's eyes slipped closed as his ears were rubbed softly, head tilting to the touch and purring softly. Ear twitching from the others fingers, seemingly breaking the spell, the neko looked up at Luce with a blush staining his cheeks. "Sorry. Thinking." He spoke softly, even if he was stating the obvious.

Looking back to his plate he quickly finished the food, the stood to take the items to the sink. Figuring the kitchen would wash the dishes on its own, he placed them in the sink, the grabbed a clean glass that he filled with milk he grabbed from the fridge. Leaving the kitchen, he returned to his seat, glancing once more to the demon. "Luce? Do you have any sewing materials or tools?"

Leaning on her elbow, Vex watched as the others conversed. What was it with the people who came here? Was everyone just broke now days, who traveled like that? She was hoping some rich moron would saunter in at some point and at least get her a good pick pocket. That, or she could work her charm, get invited to his place, spend a night not so damn lonely and then make off with all of his valuables before he woke. But the chances of that happening didn't seem likely. Vex assumed some of the townspeople probably came here for a drink, but not with a storm brewing like this.

Sitting in silence Vex turned back to the bar, staring ahead as she drifted deep into her own thoughts again. Why was it she was always waiting to steal something from someone. Oh right, because there was no other choice for her at this point, not with a bounty this large on her head. If she didn't keep moving she'd surely end up dead. Vex was grumbling something about her cruddy life at her end of the bar as she finished off her drink, having her own one person pity party.

Sikura blushed even harder as she felt his eyes on her before looking away. Her hands went to her shoulders as she remembered the last time a man looked at her that way. She was about to say something to the man but a ayoung goblin walked up to her and offered her first aid. "Yes, please. But you can call me Sikura..." Her eyes on the goblin as she tried not to blush. But she wasn't comfortable with getting men's attention. The woman nodded and blushed more as he winked at her. "Okay..." She said softly.

When Rida moved to stand, Luce let his hand drop from the ear he'd been rubbing. He watched the neko go towards the kitchen with adoration and a hint of lust in his eyes. Luce shivered lightly, thunder crashed overhead, and rain continued to pelt the inn. He watched Reorik and Sikura until Rida returned, giving the neko most of his attention. "My love, I would pluck the moon from the sky if only you asked for it." He moved closer, one hand resting on Rida's thigh as he leaned towards the neko and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I'm sure I have such things laying about somewhere in this place. I'll get them to you as soon as I find them."

Of course, by that, Luce meant he wasn't going to scrounge around for such things at this very moment. He would do it later, rest assured, the things Rida asked for would be in his room the next morning, provided Luce didn't forget. Those eyes swept over the inn, stopping for a moment on the female Vex had tried to con out of money, he watched her for a few seconds and then his gaze shifted to Vex. He studied her for a few moments, as if trying to figure something out and then he was looking at Rida. One arm slipped around Rida's lower back and Luce hugged the neko gently to his side while his gaze turned to watch Reorik and Sikura.

Reorik nodded setting the case on a nearby table and opening the medical kit, he plled out a jar of ointment, taking a chair and setting it just behind the one he had offered her. Opening the jar, the balm inside smelled sweet, almost like a honey mixture. He would wait patiently for her to reveal the wounds.

Sikura untied the laces of her sleeve so he could at least get her arms. The other wounds she would tend to herself. She knew first aid from tending to the wounds of her siblings. Her eyes grew distant as she thought of the trouble they may get into or be punished for since she left. And she began to worry for them. The sweet smell of the ointment almost calmed her down but not much. Sikura remained silent as she thought of them and didn't even notice Luce watching her.

Reorik kept his touch gentle, only applying the ointment to areas she presented. He could feel his Master's content atmosphere, which made Reorik seem to become more timid and calm. His grey eyes scanned the girl carefully, her demeanor seemed as if she were hiding more injuries. To what extent had her aggressor gone? Reorik looked over to Luce, wondering if his master could sense his feelings of concern.

Luce leaned against Rida just slightly. The pressure of his body touching the neko's was meant more for comfort than anything else. The storm continued to rage violently outside, though Luce had managed to keep any slight jumping or tensing of his body under control when thunder struck above them. Though to Luce it sounded more like it had boomed all around him. Still, it was just a harmless noise really. Those sapphire colored eyes continued to watch as Reorik tended to Sikura's wounds. The motions brought his thoughts around to his own burned shoulder. The knife wound had long since healed, but the burns were still there, he could feel them. Just slightly sore, or rather, tender. He raised his right hand and softly let his fingers brush over the bandage Rida had applied earlier, the faintest hint of a frown on his lips, just before he put some pressure on the afflicted area with a finger. Luce winced, an almost imperceptible sigh left his lips. It would take so long for that to heal, even longer for the scars to fade.

Luce let that hand drop to his lap, his full attention returning to Reorik and Sikura. Though he did glance over at Vex and the warrior female, watching them for only a moment. Something seemed to grab Luce's attention, his gaze quickly jumping to Reorik and then Sikura. Luce hummed softly, wondering what exactly had happened to this woman, to cause her such bruises. No doubt another person, but under what circumstance had such a thing happened? Luce offered Sikura a reassuring smile, but he did not pry or ask her any questions. If she wanted to tell such things, then she would. It was rude to ask things like that. Luce licked his lips and gently his voice flowed, flirty, playful and serious. "Beautiful Sikura, and all my lovely guests, feel free to call this Inn home for as long as you feel you need to stay. My doors and arms are always open. There is no discrimination here." His gaze swept over the entire Inn for a moment when he spoke.

Her eyes closed as her mind went to her siblings she left behind. Sikura tried not to let her eyes water as the thought of them being hurt tortured her heart. She looked at Luce as he said her name and blushed as he called her beautiful. The young woman listened to his words as a tear slipped down her cheek. She looked down at her arms and the to Reorik. "Um..when you're done with my arms...I have more wounds...but I rather not reveal them down here...." Sikura said softly and looked at Luce. "Luce...will you and Reorik come up to my room with me?" She felt very embarassed and turned red at her question, hoping the action will not look slutty.

Reorik knew the look of such wounds, most seemed to have just been inflicted. Slowly he rose to his feet, glancing to his master as he waited for Sikura to rise. The handsome high-goblin packed the balm away in the medkit. Sikura was somewhat beutiful for a human, but in her current state he would suggest rest before the thought of lovemaking. He stood patiently, his mood content as his master's was.

She stood and left her sleeves untied since she would end up removing her dress anyway. Sikura looked at Luce then Reorik before moving towards the stairs. Her cheeks still red as she walked up the stairs and unlocked her door. The young woman was trembling a little as she unlocked her bedroom door. As she entered the room, Sikura moved towards the bathroom to undress and cover herself with a towel. Her face and neck turned red as she emerged from the bathroom. "Please, don't stare at me. I have very few good experiences with men."

"Please excuse me, my love." Luce murmured the words softly as he stood, leaning down to kiss Rida gently on the cheek and giving his ears a gentle, affectionate rubbing before. Luce couldn't deny that a slight thrill had rushed through his body when Sikura invited him and Reorik up to her room, though he highly doubted it would be so they could engage in carnal activities. The demon hesitated for only a few moments, letting Sikura lead the way and nodding for Reorik to proceed him.

Once they had all entered the room, Luce closed the door behind him but did not lock it. Though invited, he still wanted to make sure Sikura didn't feel trapped by him and Reorik. Luce stepped away from the door and moved towards the window, looking out of it as Sikura undressed in the bathroom. When she came out, clad in a towel, Luce did turn and stare. A reassuring smile on his lips. "My darling, beautiful things are meant to be stared at." There was just a hint of amusement in his eyes, and a little bit of lust. He glanced at Reorik for a moment. Perhaps later he and Reorik could play some carnal games? Rida would be nice, but the cat boy still seemed just a little out of reach, he would have to be very delicate with Rida. Luce shifted on his feet slightly, he wasn't even sure if Reorik went for men. Perhaps then, he could lay with Vex?

That seemed a good choice. Luce cleared his throat softly, his gaze returning to Sikura before he adjusted it a bit to look in her direction but not at her. She had, after all requested they not stare. It was hard not to, she was a very beautiful woman, though outward beauty had very little to do with it. "Beautiful things should be adored and worshipped, not treated roughly..." Luce glanced at Reorik. "Don't you agree, handsome?"

Sikura looked away as Luce stared at her but she felt comforted by his words. Though his stare and the emotions in it scared her. Her eyes closed as she walked to the bed and laid on her stomach wincing slightly. She moved the towel to cover her buttocks and revealed whip marks, scratches, scars from old whip marks, and bruises on her shoulders. The young woman's legs were nearly flawless but had scratches from brier bushes and bruises around her ankles. Her eyes closed as her bare back was exposed to these men. "My step-father is an abusive, alcoholic that my mother married after my father died. Then mother died early this year and left me to take care of everything. I do her housework, chores, and look out for my five siblings. He was convinced that I replace her in bed as well...I refuse and he takes it out on my body."

*Reorik's face turned a darker green seeing Sikura exit the bathroom in a towel, he could feel Luce's lustfull emotions interacting with his own. Brushing a braid strand from his place he moved to stand next to Luce, trying not to devour the girl with his eyes. "Such beauty should be treated delicately master, even among my people we would treat her as a princess.". Reorik hadn't given a thought to being with a man, he was used to a strict life of survival and obedience, any homoerotic behaviour was done indoors and away from the rest of his tribe. Reorik's face grew serious, wanting to help the girl and leave her to heal as quickly as possible. His mood changed hearing her story. Sitting next to her he opened the medkit and began to get right to work, ensuring each wound was cleaned and covered. As he worked on the delicate project, he would glance every now and again at Luce.

Luce bit his lip hard when Sikura exposed the marks on her back. Hard enough to draw a few drops of his lavender blood, quickly he flicked his tongue across his bottom lip. For a few moments he watched Reorik. Anger had flooded through Luce, not at any of them, but at Sikura's stepfather. How could anyone treat family that way? True it was a stepfather, but still the word father was in there, Luce grit his teeth and inhaled deeply. Nodding approvingly as Reorik set to work on tending to the girl's wounds.

"Family especially should not treat one another harshly. Blood relation or not." Luce spoke softly and moved to sit on the edge of the bed near Sikura's head, so he would not be in Reorik's way. Gently, Luce ran his fingers through her hair, soothingly. Generally not one to turn to violence, inside or outside of his inn Luce could not help but think how much he would like to rip apart Sikura's stepfather, not just for Sikura's safety but also the safety of her siblings. "Reorik speaks true, you should be treated as a princess." Luce's brow furrowed a bit. "Your siblings, they would be safe here."

The door to the Inn opened to reveal a short burly man in a suit. He looked like a shiesty roach of a man. He was frowning as he shook the wet from his umbrella. Smoothing over the few hairs that were left on the top of his head he set the umbrella against the wall and made his way to the bar. Sheldon Rooney was traveling through this town as he did each town under his company, inspecting local Inns, shutting down the ones that failed to meet protocol. So far he had not been greeted and that became a giant X on his mental checklist. Seating himself at the bar Sheldon waited for some sort of service, growing more and more impatient at each passing moment.

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As with each new customer, Vex looked to see who had entered. Bingo, she thought. This man looked like someone who carried large wads of cash. He wasn't particularly easy on the eyes, but Vex always looked passed that for cash or valuables. Once he sat she noticed how anxious he seemed to be. Luckily for the both of them, she wasn't too drunk for the upcoming encounter.

Standing and walking subtly to stand a stool away, she leaned against the bar, flashing him her best smile. "You look tense," she said, "Maybe I can help with that," she added with a wink.

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Tapping his fingers against the bar top, Sheldon was going to give the owner of this place a stern warning about such an early strike, when he did finally decide to show himself. Where was the bartender, manager, waitress, maid... anyone. When he heard the voice of a woman beside him, he turned, his frown dissapearing. Her voice in itself was enough to give a man goosebumps, and her appearance was enough to make him adjust himself.

"Well well," he responded, "maybe this place won't be so bad after all." His eyes were level with her breasts, and that's where they stayed for far too long before meeting hers. "Where are all of the employees," he asked her suddenly, remembering why he was there in the first place.

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Vex's nose wrinkled in disgust at the smell of the man's breath. He truely was a roach of a man. When he adjusted himself, she smiled. This was going to be a peice of cake. "The employees?" she echoed, "There aren't any. The Inn runs itself. Well, except for the bar. The bar is self serve." With that, she made her way around the bar and began to mix a couple of drinks, making sure to add a little extra liquor to his. What? He was tense... Setting a drink in front of him, she leaned forward on the bar enough to accentuate her cleavage as she waited for him to drink the concoction.

Her eyes closed as she gripped the bed from the pain of having her wounds dressed. Sikura smiled to herself as they continued to compliment her and said how she should be treated. "I am not that beautiful, but thank you for your words." She said as she looked to Luce as he stroked her long brown hair. Her blue eyes closed as she kept her hair out of Reorik's way.

The young woman looked to Luce as he spoke of how family should treat each other. "Thank you but I have no way to get them. It took me a week of traveling for just me. Most of them are younger than fifteen years. I want to help them but I would need at least another person to help me. And my step-father...he would never let them go..." Sikura tried not to cry as she wiped at her eye.

Toying with her glass out at the front she stares into what was left of her drink. she was surprised at the amount that she had drank, and was feeling quite the enjoyable buzz from it. even the man coming in the front door, a man who looked like he had a stick shoved up his but, didn't ruin her buzz. besides it looked like vex had marked him out to be her "prey" for the evening.

"Better me then him" Cytria muttered under her breath as she sat thinking. she had managed to live a very long time... hell of a lot longer then most huimans did, though she supposed she couldn't really be called human anymore. She sighed and frowned her mind replaying the scratches, cuts, and bruises that she could see on the woman's skin. "seriously? what kind of human would beat up someone like that, let alone anyone else...?" the last of this came out in a growl, as Cytria almost wished she knew who had caused such injuries to the woman.

She recognized the bruising of an abusive hand, and had to shove the memories that came rushing into her mind, back down into the box she locked them in within her mind. "another strait eh? too bad" Cytria mumbles as she swallows down another glass of alcohol. Pausing after this one she looks down that the table, the buzz slightly stronger, as well as the warmth that alcohol generally produces in the body, as she asks herself "how much have i drank anyways? and why am i drinking...?"

Rida made a sound in the back of his throat when Luce spoke, his mind having wandered once more about the prints he'd need to make some new clothes. When a particularly loud crash of lightning sounded, he startled with a yelp and fell to the floor on his back. Whimpering a little, he opened his eyes, hoping to see the demon, but not. Frowning a little, he sat up, legs parted and folded against him, looking around. Thinking about it for a few minutes, he decided being in his room would be better on the off chance he got a panic attack. Standing shakily as another round of thunder rumbled overhead and lightning crashed, he quickly walked to his room, half glad he hadn't shut the door as he forgot his key.

Grabbing up the ratty bag, he pulled out a needle and some fabric he had already started working on. The fabric wasn't the best, similar to burlap, but he needed to make a new bag to carry his stuff and this was all he could manage to steal. Quickly and efficiently he stitched the fabric together. It had been quiet for a few minutes, so when the next bolt of lightning crashed, he jumped, gasping in shock, then yelping in pain as he noticed he'd accidentally stabbed his finger with the needle. Removing the sliver of metal, he stuck the bleeding appendage in his mouth, licking on the pinprick as the blood leaked out. Navy eyes flitting around the room to use as a temporary bandage.

Reorik's mind filled with concern for his own people, the short time he had spent with Luce had shown him the ways of a leader of peace, and his old man was nothing like that. Finishing the last of the bandaging, the high-goblin lifted himself off her bed. He stood next to Luce whispering softly in his master's ear, "We can't allow an injusticelike this to be unpunished, I will find out more where this girl lives, and see towards helping her family escape at the very least." He pulled away and exited the room, to prepare for an excursion through the human town.

Luce's heart weighed heavily in his chest, though his outward expression did not betray how he truly felt on the inside. Anger and outrage at this woman's plight, gently though, he continued to run his fingers through her hair. Luce was silent though, thinking. There wasn't much he could do short of slipping through the shadows and more or less kidnapping Sikura's siblings. When Reorik stood next to him, Luce tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Be careful, and try to avoid unnecessary violence if possible." Luce's eyes had opened and just before Reorik could pull away, the demon's lips brushed against the goblin's cheek. Luce watched Reorik go, and smiled down to Sikura as he slowly stood. Almost reluctantly sliding his fingers from her hair and turning his back to her. "Perhaps it is time I left you now so that you may dress?" He questioned softly. Luce was doing a fine job of keeping his lust in control, but how long could that last, especially while she remained naked, clothed only in bandages and a towel? Luce didn't want to find out, and he certainly didn't want to do anything to make this woman fearful of him.

Sikura laid there on her bed quietly and let the goblin finish bandaging her back. Her eyes went to Luce as he stood up. The sandman had placed sleep in her eyes as she almost fell asleep from his fingers running through her hair. "I should." She stood up and walked over to place on the white nightgown that flowed from her figure. "I want to thank you, Luce. For being so kind and allowing to stay here." The young woman walked towards him as she blushed and looked at him. "If there is anything, I can do to help you. Please, let me know."

Reorik would spend time within the confines of his room to stretch and meditate, removing his clothing and wrapping a towel around his waist. After thirty minutes, during a set of situps, a thought dawned on him; he had forgotten to ask where the girl lived. If his master picked up on it, the feeling was of confusion and embaressment. Finishing his stretching and small workout. He stepped into the bathroom to shower off, It was quick since he had showered once already. Remarkably; during the short time in the bathroom, the young high-goblin found his bod almost instantly recovered from the fatigue of his short work-out. Stepping out and slipping on a pair of black boxers that appeared on the bathroom counter; he was hardly suprised, the house seemed to be accepting him with open arms; in many ways perhaps it had a personality similar to Luce? The symbol on his palm could be responsible for his newfound dexterity, Reorik continued to prepare to get ready.

In minutes he would walk out in his former attire, a hooded sweatshirt, a backpack, and even his hunting knife. He would wait in the hall, for either Luce or Sikura to exit the girl's new room. He felt anxious, wanting to right the wrong that had been commited against her. His kind's savage nature began to show; the thought of confrontation made him jumpy and slightly paranoid.

Luce had already moved towards the door to make his exit and depart from the company of Sikura. He paused, hesitating when the woman began to approach him, what he wanted, he knew she would be reluctant to give. Luce watched Sikura for a few moments. "You do not need to thank me. Acts of kindness should not be done for hope of rewards." Once again he found himself looking her over appreciatively and just a bit lustfully, he shook his head slightly, and averted his eyes. He could feel Reorik, nearby. Waiting. Excited for the confrontation that he would no doubt soon have with Sikura's family. Luce shivered, imperceptibly. "Perhaps it is time I took my leave of you, unless you need something else?" He spoke the words softly.