Profiles are NOT necessary.
Rules:
No God-Mode
No Controlling other people's characters
Try to be Literate or at least Semi-Literate
Yaoi/Yuri is allowed keep it PG-13
Fighting is allowed, don't kill other peoples characters without their permission

The Red Rose Inn had for centuries belonged to a vampire, when he took his own life, ownership of the Inn passed on to a wolf demon. After a few years, the wolf demon grew bored with the Inn, and so for a third time, ownership changed hands.

Luce. A simple creature of demonic origins cares for and runs the Red Rose Inn. His hands were the third that the deed of the establishment passed in to, and so far he has done the memory of the first owner proud. Luce keeps the Inn in top shape, always clean, always beautiful. A fresh single red rose is always on each table and a few at specific intervals along the bar. Outside trees grow, not ordinary trees, but apple trees who's flowers are red roses.

The bar, for the most part, is self service. No matter how many bottles are pulled down from the shelves, they always seem to be fully stocked. Red Rose Inn offers many varieties of drinks, some of which may never have been heard of before. The bar is self service, because Luce is not a very good bartender. He sits behind the bar, and he watches the patrons, but he's no good at mixing drinks or picking the right bottle of alcohol asked for. It isn't uncommon for Luce to slip out the Inn's back door and go sit by the lake a ways from the Inn.


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Luce sat behind the bar, one arm on the bartop and his cheek resting on that arm. With his other hand he traced invisible lines on the shining, mahogany bartop. As usual, his long black hair was pulled back in a high ponytail and the the clothes he wore were tight, form fitting and definitely made for a female. Blue eyes that practically glowed were narrowed slightly, watching his hand that traced those invisible lines. For the moment the Inn was empty. Completely devoid of life, other than himself. Of course people would come in. People came in, and sometimes they didn't. Today seemed like it might be a slow one, but he could be wrong.

Luce hadn't decided if he liked slow days or not. Busy days were to busy, so he didn't like them, but slow days weren't busy so that was a plus. Though, slow days were also very boring, so that wasn't a plus. Luce let out a soft sigh and glanced towards the door. Of course he hadn't expected anyone to be there.

Vex was in yet another new town today. She had been traveling from place to place, on the run for most of her life. Everytime she thought she'd be able to stay in a place for a while someone would recognize her, or she would pick pocket the wrong person and it was all down hill from there. She was walking down the narrow path of the town that seemed to be bustling with people going to and headed home from the market. She bumped into an older woman carrying a bag of fresh fruits and vegetables over her shoulder. "Please excuse me" she said with a genuine smile, as she turned around and bit into her newly aquired apple. Up ahead was an Inn. She wondered if she should try her luck in this place, she had after all been traveling for some time since the last town, and desperately needed food and rest. As she approached the door she stopped for a moment to look around at all the people. It seemed to be a pretty simple town, she may have good luck here, bounty hunters never came through towns like this. Pushing the door to the Inn open she stepped inside. She was carrying an over the shoulder pack of sorts, it looked ratty and old as she'd had it since the day she was abandoned at the orphanage when she was very young. Her eyes swept over the empty Inn. Well, at least no one will recognize me in a place no one visits... She walked to the bar and took a seat atop a tall bar stool, resting an elbow on the counter with her chin in hand she eyed the man behind the bar with the same sultry smile she gave every other man she intended on sizing up for a pick pocket of sorts, even though this man was wearing clothes that were a little more, her style, she didn't care, she'd hop into bed with almost anyone for a chance at making off with their valuables.

Rida nervously avoided yet another person. He had thought that no one would be filling the back ways, but it seems he was rather wrong. Shying away from another person, he sighed in relief as he hit a road that was rather clear, though he blinked his dark navy eyes as he saw an Inn up ahead. Adjusting the cap he had on his head so that his ears remained covered before brushing his indigo hair out of his face, the rest of the length pulled back and bound like a tail. His actual tail, he had wrapped around his waist over the skirt he had worn over a pair of capris. Hovering near the door for a little bit, unsure about entering, worrying the ratty knapsack he was carrying with his other clothes.

Stepping inside quietly, he glanced around before finding a seat at the bar, some distance away from the female already there. He'd been through a lot of things, but it seemed that females were always worse with him because they pulled his ears and tail, or tried to keep him as a pet. Unconsciously he reached up and rubbed his throat through the bright red scarf around his neck.

It was a good thing Luce didn't have valuables then. He had sat up straight, letting a lazy smile grace his lips when the woman entered. Though when she gave him the sultry smile, Luce's own smile turned to a more seductive one. Those glowing blue eyes gave her a quick once over and he stood. Indeed Luce had no valuables, his pants were too tight to slip anything into the pockets, and to those who could smell it, this entire place smelled of magic. Old magic. Very old magic. The only real valuables were the apple trees out front, the ones that bore roses as their flowers. "Welcome to Red Rose, darling." Luce spoke the words softly. His voice sounded just slightly more feminine than it did masculine. "It's self service here unless you want something from the kitchen or a room key, but everything's on the house."

Then the door had opened again. A neko boy stepped in, and Luce licked his lips. He gave the female a fleeting, sultry look before he rather languidly moved further down the bar to stand infront of the boy that had come in. "Welcome to Red Rose, handsome." Luce bit his bottom lip almost seductively, but only for a brief moment, he leaned on the bartop, putting his face close to the boy's. "Alcoholic beverages are self serviced here, but if you need anything from the kitchen or a room key, don't hesitate to let me know." Luce's eyes roamed over the neko for a few moments. It was so boring here, a pet might be nice. Especially one that looked like this boy. Luce's facial expressions didn't give away what his inner thoughts were. "Anything you want is on the house."

Rida glanced up at the person talking to him, the owner apparently, and blushed prettily. The male was rather attractive, but the little neko was still nervous. He blushed even harder as his stomach rumbled softly as the other brought up the kitchen. He hadn't had a decent meal since...Well since quite a while. Ducking his head he completely resisted the urge to scratch the back of his head, that would have dislodged the cap over his furry ears. Shyly he glanced up at the other. "Ah...Maybe some food...Do you have lemonade?" He asked quietly, curious on the drink mostly. He didn't care to drink anything alcoholic, it didn't taste good to him.

Self service bar? Everything on the house? This was Vex's kind of place. This was also the kind of place Vex would probably drink too much in. Usually she didn't pay for drinks in a bar anyway. She always found some moron to lay her charm on to pay her tab and take her home. And she always cleaned the poor saps out and took off before they so much as started snoring. It always worked like a charm, except that one time. She pushed the thoughts of the one man who'd ever won her heart out of her head as the door opened and another customer entered. She saw a tail wrapped around his waist as she sized him up for a possible target, neko probably. She stood and walked around the side of the bar and grabbed a martini glass and a shaker. She turned around to face the wall of liquors and mixes. As she looked up at the colorful and seemingly endless assortment of bottles, she thought for a moment she was dreaming. Picking out her poison, she poured vodka, sour apple schnapps, some apple juice and ice cubes into the shaker before pausing and adding a little more vodka. Placing the lid on the shaker she picked it up and began to mix the drink as she walked down the bar to the two who were talking, heels tapping lightly on the floor. She smiled sending the neko a wink before leaning against the counter. "It's hard to believe you don't have someone running the bar" she said to the owner. "Or that any of this is on the house. You must be loaded" she said with another seductive smile. If he had money, you'd better believe she was going to get her hands on it somehow. She poured some of the perfect mixture into a small martini glass without spilling a drop, clearly having had experience with mixing drinks. She set the shaker down in front of the two, "Apple Martini?" she asked with a smile.

"Anything for you, my love." Luce smiled prettily at the neko. The little thing seemed a bit shy. It only made the creature more appealing to Luce. Quickly his attention was turned to the female and he grinned at her. She was very appealing as well. "Oh, darling, if I was loaded, I wouldn't be here." His grin remained on his lips as a bit of mischief entered his eyes. "This place is held together by magic. I'm just a caretaker, of sorts." On bare feet, Luce slipped passed the girl and vanished into the kitchen.

He wasn't in there long before he came out with a glass of lemonade in one hand, and a large plate of steaming hot, freshly prepared food in the other hand. It had to have been done with magic, there was no way that food could have been cooked that quickly. Elegantly Luce made his way to stand behind the bar but in front of the neko, setting glass and plate down. One the plate was a large baked potato, a large chicken breast that smelled of lemon and basil which had been cut into thick slices, a fresh biscuit, and green beans. Luce set the fork down next to the plate. "Today's special, if it's not your liking, just let me know and I'll bring you out something else."

The neko huddled closer around his bag, subconsciously flinching as the female moved closer. Shaking his head furiously for a few seconds at her offer of a fruity alcohol substance before navy eyes flickered to the other male, hesitantly smiling in return. Frowning in confusion as the other brought up magic, he shivered. Didn't he know he could get hurt for mentioning magic? Rida always had. People feared the things that were different, and if the male knew magic he knew what Rida was. That thought made him nervous.

He blinked as a plate was set before him. He'd lost himself to his thoughts, a dangerous thing usually, but he was sure he hadn't been distracted that long. Then he remembered. Magic. If the place was held together by magic it meant everything was done by magic. Blinking at how much food there was, he wondered if he could eat it all, then what to start with first. Picking up the fork slowly, Rida speared a piece of chicken, taking a delicate bite. Eyes widening fractionally before slipping closed in joy, he hummed softly at the taste, quickly finishing off that piece before trying more, only pausing every now and then to sip his lemonade until his plate was clear. Rida blushed softly, fidgeting lightly, he hadn't meant to eat that quickly but it was just so good. Made him curious if there was dessert and what that would be. Covering his mouth, the younger tried stifling a yawn.

Magic? she thought, hmm well that certainly wasn't something she could steal, or sell for that matter. She had finished off the first martini and was pouring the second from her shaker when the owner returned with the neko's food. She watched him for a moment before she directed her attention at the owner instead. Vex wasn't a cute little animal kind of girl, in fact, she didn't like animals much at all. Almost finished with her second martini now, she figured as long as she wouldn't be getting herself into any trouble in a place like this, she might as well stay. "Suppose I'd like to stick around for a while" she said to the owner, who's name she still didn't know. She'd finished the second martini and was pouring the third. She might as well have just stuck a straw in the shaker, maybe next time she would. Vex didn't usually drink like this, it threw off her game. But there was no one in here that seemed to be of any value to her, and when she drank, all of her pains just melted away.

Luce stood near the female who was mixing her drink and watched the neko casually as the boy ate. An amused smile graced Luce's lips at how quickly the boy devoured the food he had set before him. "If you want something else all you need do is ask, handsome." The words were spoken softly, almost encouragingly. As if he knew the cat boy wanted to say or ask something. Luce didn't really know, maybe. His blue eyes turned to the female when she spoke. His smile widening a bit.

"Suppose you'd be needing something like this, then my darling." Luce held his hand out, closed fist, as if he were concealing something beneath his curled fingers. Slowly he uncurled those fingers to reveal a small wrought iron key laying almost daintily in his palm, a thick silk purple ribbon was laced through the key and lay coiled up almost gently beneath the key. Amusement danced in his eyes as he closed his hand and stepped behind the girl. Then gently, almost like a man giving his lover a necklace, Luce had pulled the ends of the ribbon around the girl's neck and tied a small bow at the back.

The ribbon was a bit long, and the key dangled, fitting perfectly right between the female's breasts. Luce stepped away, going to lean on the bar top in front of the neko as he gave the woman a sideways glance. "Careful you don't drink too much, darling. If I think you've had too much, I will cut you off. Sit down, drink it slowly, enjoy the feeling of it on your tongue, down your throat, savor the flavor of it as it caresses your tongue." His words, they were spoken in a tone that was almost seductive. He glanced at the neko and winked at him.

Rida glanced over at the older male, stifling another yawn. He tilted his head, and if it weren't for the cap on his head one of his ears would have twitched cutely as he thought, silently debating if he wanted anything more. Blushing a faint pink, he fidgeted a little before shyly looking back at the other. "Ca-May...May I have some chocolate molten cake with caramel sauce?" He asked timidly, deciding to indulge his sudden sweet craving. He'd heard of the cake when he was passing quite a few couples, many saying good things about the treat. Though, none had the caramel added, they had it with chocolate sauce. Rida however wanted the caramel sauce, he'd had that once before...The neko shuddered and shook his head to chase the thought away.

Blushing scarlet at the wink, the neko pulled his scarf up to cover half his face. This male was being strange, at least thats what Rida thought of him. Glancing to the female a flicker of worry sparked in his navy eyes, he worried that her drinking that much alcohol would make her sick. People always acted strange when they drank, some tended to hurt others. Shaking his head slightly, he slowly lowered the scarf from over his mouth. Regarding the dark haired male again, Rida blinked owlishly, tilting his head. "Ahh. May I have a room to sleep in?" He asked quietly, stifling another yawn, his hand coming up in a fist to rub his right eye.

Vex watched as the man held out his hand with a small wrought iron key in palm. It certainly looked magical with the beautiful silk ribbon laced through it. He closed his hand. Huh? When Luce moved to stand behind her and tie the key around her neck she only slightly glanced over her shoulder before the key dropped into her cleavage causing her to look down. She slowly reached up to grab it and rub her thumb over it almost as if to check that the dainty little key was real. When Luce spoke she dropped the key back into her cleavage and seductively smiled again at his words that seemed to turn her on for a moment before she grabbed her drink and moved around the bar to sit. "I'm not going to drink myself stupid, don't worry. I hate the hangover." She spared no personal space to the neko as she sat directly next to him, leaning lazily on the counter with one elbow to watch him for a moment. "Why so nervous kid? We aren't going to bite you" she said, flashing him another sultry smile.

Luce smiled brightly at the neko. "Of course you may have such a delicious dessert." The tall male straightened from his lean on the bartop and grabbed the boy's empty plate in one hand. The boy was so adorable, all timid and shy like. Luce loved every minute of it, and the female. Oh, he was sure she was an exciting sort. Ah such lovely company. Luce grinned as he watched the girl sit down beside the timid neko. For the moment, Luce ignored the boy's request for a room key. His eyebrows wriggling suggestively at both patrons for a moment. "Oh..Sorry to disappoint my loves, but I enjoy biting. Just a little nip, here and there." Then Luce was stepping away from them and slipping off into the kitchen.

Moments later, he returned with a small decorative saucer in one hand. A slice of the molten cake with caramel sauce rested almost gently on that plate. It wasn't a large slice. As Luce figured after such a big meal, the young man wouldn't need a large quantity of sugar in his belly. Would probably give him a stomach ache, so Luce had gotten him a small piece, not to small, but just the right size. A fork rested gently across one side of the plate. In Luce's other hand was a juice glass of milk. As milk would go better with the cake than lemonade.

Luce walked around the bar, coming up behind the neko and leaning over his shoulder easily, he sat the plate and glass down softly. That being done, Luce didn't leave the boy, he turned one hand over and in his palm rested another wrought iron key. Similar to the one given to the female earlier, this one had a light blue silk ribbon. Just as he had done for the female, Luce drew the ribbon gently around the boy's neck and tied a small bow at the back. They key dangled down just as far as the one on the female, resting nicely at the center of his chest.

Luce leaned in just a bit more, letting his lips and teeth graze the neko's neck very softly and very briefly. The tall male jumped back a step and was already walking around to take his place behind the bar. "The room keys are impossible to lose, and the ribbons match the door knobs, no two are the same color."

Rida felt his lips tug again to smile in response to the male's. The neko couldn't control the very visibly twitch as the female moved closer, navy eyes widening as he tried not to panic. He glanced nervously at the female as she brought up biting, shivering as the male spoke. He wasn't entirely sure why he shivered, hell, the little neko was very confused about how he felt towards the male. The female was also being very confusing. Navy eyes considered the female, he had been here for quite a while, and she hadn't attacked him yet. That didn't mean she wouldn't if he took the cap off so his ears could be free.

Rida tensed, his back going ramrod straight when the male came up from behind him, setting the plate down with the glass of milk. He felt the other tie the ribbon, the key a nice weight against his slim frame. By that point, Rida had slowly started to relax before the other leaned in to briefly brush his neck, startling at the slight scrape of teeth. As the male jumped back, his tail had released from his waist to snap at the male unintentionally. Calming down, the neko jerkily picked up the fork, holding it sideways to cut a mouthful away before scooping that piece up and placing the gooey morsel in mouth. Navy eyes fluttered shut as he hummed in pleasure as the taste danced along his tongue, slowly removing the fork from between pale pink lips.

Chewing for a few seconds, he considered how to respond to the female's question. Yes he was nervous, but so far this place didn't seem like anywhere else he had been. Left hand rising, he pulled his cap off his head, sighing happily now that his ears weren't uncomfortably pressed against his head. The right twitching every few seconds, he returned to eating the cake, slowly, savoring each and every bite, humming or purring with each bite. Pausing as he finished over half of the slice, he picked up the glass of milk, drinking from the cup. Blushing softly, Rida just rolled his shoulder in a shrug. "People have always been bad to me. Older women especially." He commented quietly, ears drooping sadly and he tensed, almost expecting to be hit.

Vex was finishing off her martini as the owner brought out the neko's desert and tied the key around his neck. Setting the empty shaker down on the bar she contemplated making another. But her head was already swimming and she was feeling good enough for now. She'd be better off keeping her cool than drinking too much and making a fool of herself. She sent a sideways glance to the neko when he removed his hat. "Lucky for you I'm not old" she said putting emphisis on 'old'. Plus, she wasn't a fan of furry little animals in the first place. Vex should have eaten something, especially since she'd been drinking, but now she was tired. She stood and walked to the other end of the bar where she'd left her ratty bag and picked it up. Passing the two at the bar she gave them a slight sarcastic salute as she headed towards the rooms. "Callin' it a night boys." And she was gone.

By the time she made it to the purple handled door the hall seemed to spin slightly. She removed the key from around her neck and after a couple of tries, Vex unlocked the door and stumbled inside the room, closing the door lazily behind her. She noticed nothing else but the bed as she disregarded the light switch and made a bee line towards it, losing one heel, then the other, and finally her dress, before crawling under the sheets, a trail of her personal belongings behind her. She layed her head on the cloud of a pillow, but couldn't force her eyes closed as she stared up at the ceiling. Vex only drank to forget, but it seemed that once she was alone, Cade was the last thing she could forget. Vexaline lived a life on the run, there was such a large bounty on her head it seemed everywhere she went someone was recognizing her and she was on the run again. That didn't leave room for a normal relationship. Vex and Cade's relationship was never normal in the first place, but who's is? The night she left Cade had realized who she was and gotten very hostile. He wasn't usually agressive, not towards her at least, but that night was different. He was yelling something about lies and trust. When he went to sleep that night Vex had gathered what few things she truely owned and dissapeared. She knew he was looking for her, word had gotten around, but the reasons differed from person to person. Some said he loved and missed her, others said he wanted her bounty. Her eye lids grew heavy as her eyes slowly closed and she drifted into a deep sleep hidden safely away in the feathery comforter and sheets.

Luce had nodded and smiled ever so sweetly to the girl as she decided to retire for the night. "If your bed is too cold, darling, let me know and I'll help you warm it." He had called the words softly to her as she made her way off towards the rooms. Watching her go for a few moments before he let his attention return to the neko boy. Luce tilted his head to the side slightly, his eyes on the cat ears. Adoring them, appreciating them and admiring them. "You don't have to worry, my love. No one will be bad to you here." Luce was leaning on the bartop infront of the neko, slowly so as not to startle the boy, he reached out to very gently run one slender finger around the edge of one of the ears.

So soft. Luce's smile had turned to a reassuring one, he traced his finger along that ear once again, then rubbed it gently with the palm of his hand. "See..no harm. I don't understand how anyone could want to harm someone as adorable and pretty as you." Luce withdrew his hand, the whole time he'd watched the neko carefully. Watching his reactions. "I have a friend that has wolf ears and a wolf tail, but he's no where near as lovely as you." His smile turned to a grin. "I'm called Luce." He held his hand out, to shake. But Luce didn't shake hands. So if or when the neko would take Luce's hand, Luce would lift it to his lips and gently kiss the back of the neko's hand before releasing it.

The neko nodded, yes she wasn't old, but that still didn't mean anything. Shrugging his thoughts away, he waved briefly as she left, apparently heading to sleep. Scooping up the remaining piece of cake, Rida brought the fork to his mouth, blinking as the other slowly reached out before gently petting his ear. Shuddering slightly, navy eyes slipped closed as he started to purr, ear twitching slightly. Blinking heavily, it had been the first time someone had touched him like that, as if he were breakable. Slowly slipping the tines of the fork from past his lips, he carefully placed it on the plate, swallowing thickly before finishing off the milk.

Tilting his head to the side, Rida blushed as the other complimented him many times. "I am different. Others do not like things that are different. Males hit me. Females pull my ears and tail, or try...other things..." He trailed off at the end, hands suddenly holding his tail. Ashamed about what he had gone through for some reason. Glancing up as the other introduced himself as Luce, Rida smiled, it was a pretty name. "I'm Rida." He replied, one hand coming up to accept the shake, only for the young neko to blush scarlet when the other instead kissed the back of his hand before releasing.

Luce frowned, but only for a moment before a smile took it's place on his lips. "People often fear the things they do not understand, and generally they react to it in some of the worst ways possible. People are stupid." Luce shrugged slightly, reaching out to gently stroke one of Rida's ears again. So soft and felt nice against his fingers. "You're safe here, my love. I'll protect you from any or everything that tries to hurt you." Luce winked at Rida, his smile widening some. "You're welcome to stay at my inn for as long as you like." His fingers carressed and smoothed the fur of Rida's ear, gently, almost lovingly.

"Someone as sweet as you should be doted upon and smothered with love and adoration." Luce spoke those words very softly with a slight husky tone to his voice. As if he were whispering words of seduction in his lover's ear. "I would be more than happy to provide you with such attentions. I ask for nothing in return, only that you remain so sweet and beautiful." Luce withdrew his hand, but not before he gave Rida a light, affectionate pat on the top of the head, almost like one might to do a small child.

Rida let the corner of his lips tug in a soft smile, his arms rising to lean against the counter as the other reached out to pet his ears again. It felt so nice. Navy eyes slipped close and he leaned into the touch, purring delightedly. The words Luce spoke swam through his fuzzy mind, not really connecting, though some did stand out. Things like 'safe', 'protect', 'stay', and 'love' in particular. They didn't make any sense to the neko. Whimpering at the loss of contact, he lazily opened his eyes, lower lip sticking out in a cute pout.

Shaking his head after a few minutes, his bangs coming to hang in his face. Brushing them back shlyly, the words coming back to mind. Nibbling his bottom lip he shook his head in denial. "I can't always be protected. No one will always be there." He remarked, a haunted look flitting through his eyes quickly. He spoke from experience obviously. Blinking before letting dark eyes look up to Luce, that sadness disappeared, replaced once again with shyness. "I'm going to go to bed now I guess. I've been traveling all day. The room has a bathroom yes?" He asked softly before standing on his own two feet, the sack slung up on a shoulder and both hands squeezing the hat in front of his chest.

Luce frowned ever so slightly at Rida's words. It was true though, no one would always be there. Luce's entire demeanor seemed to plummet a few feet with a crash. The expression that Luce couldn't hide quickly enough was one of pain and sadness. Agony. It was gone soon though, but not soon enough. "Maybe I won't be able to protect you all the time, but I'll do my best to protect you whenever I can." After a brief struggle, Luce's demeanor went back up, shooting for the stars. His frown turned to a brilliant smile and he reached out to give Rida's ears one last, adoring stroking.

"I'll be there whenever I can. Besides. No one would dare harm you in this place, the Inn's magic would protect you if I couldn't." That hand withdrew and Luce nodded slightly. "Of course the room has a bathroom." His smile turned to a grin, Rida really did look tired. The poor kid. "Sleep well, my love. If you find your bed too cold, don't hesitate to ask and I'll help you warm it." He gave Rida a sultry look and a wink, just to make sure his meaning didn't get lost.

Rida tilted his head to the side, confused about whether he really saw the pained expression, but said nothing about it. It wasn't his business to push the other. Sighing as the other once again pet his ears, Rida's lips twitched to a smile. "But you don't really know me. Why protect me at all?" He wondered softly, not realizing he actually vocalized the thought. Blushing as he noticed the look, he shook his head quickly. The thought of curling up with someone was nice, but he was so used to sleeping alone that it didn't matter. "I.-I think I'll be fine" He commented before darting from the main room to the hallway, looking for the room that had the same color knob as he had from the ribbon.

Locating the door, he unlocked it and went inside, not really bothering to shut the door anyway if he was safe like the man, Luce , had said. Throwing his bag next to the bed, he placed his cap on top of the little nightstand, shedding his clothes as he moved toward the bathroom, the long ribbon tying his hair back coming undone first. Navy eyes blinked as he looked at the rather nice room, even in the dark, though he flipped the switch and went to use the tub. Turning the tap till he found a rather pleasently warm temperature, he sunk into the water, mildly annoyed over his short stature, at least compared to Luce he was short. Shaking his head, more for the attempt to not think about anything, he grabbed a cloth, he skipped over the soap to find a fresh smelling shower gel. Sniffing a little he could tell there were hints of vanilla and blackberry, not that he had a problem with it, he liked it a lot. Shrugging softly he continued to wash off before finding a similar smelling shampoo, even a conditioner. Using both, he meticulously washed his long locks, wondering if he should at least get it cut a little bit.

Stepping from the shower, he dried off, pulling on his pair of rather tattered sleep pants before he exited the now steamy room, turning the light off and gathering his dirty clothes into a pile at the end of his bed. Pulling back a corner of the blankets, he climbed in between the sheets, curling into a ball on his side and cuddling a pillow to his very slim frame, as he slowly slid to the of Morpheaus.

Luce murmured something inaudible to himself as Rida darted from the main room towards his bedroom. The cat boy was adorable. Luce was certain the boy would make a good pet, but he'd have to be careful, the young man seemed like he might bolt at the slightest indication of something like that Besides, Luce had already assured Rida that he would be safe in this place, and protected. It would be like going back on his word, though, somehow that thought didn't seem to trouble Luce too much.

Luce's hand rested over his heart, rubbing gently at the flesh there through the fabric of his shirt. He sat down in his chair behind the bar and propped his feet up on the bar top. Luce relaxed in his chair, eyes slipping closed. He wasn't sleepy, not really. Nor was he tired. He was just relaxing. Waiting for another customer or one of his guests to return to the bar. Really there was nothing else to do. Nothing to clean, nothing to cook.

Such a boring place. Luce's nose wrinkled in disdain.

From the deep forest outside the city, among a broken down and dishevelled village, many forms danced before a large fire pit. Techno music blared around them, fueling their movents and driving them into a writhing cluster. Behind the crowd and the fire, a lone being stood behind a DJ setup, bobbing his head to the music and taking a quick pull from a small hooka sitting on the setup. Another figure stepped into the crowd, wearing robes and a hood to hide his features.

The music went silent as the DJ turned down the volume, many of the dancers seemed aggravated that the party was halted, but most kept quiet, and allowed the figure to stand in the center of the large group. Holding out a scroll of sorts, the man spoke with an eerily raspy tone, "Village of Ghihana, I come bearing a message of hope in these harsh times. In the nearby city is a woman who is a coward and a trickster, she is what stands between your tribe and the vast bounty of supplies you need!".

At the mention of provisions the group listened intently, An older figure stepped out of a nearby "house" stumbling up to the hooded figure with ease; as most of the younger forms parted in his wake with respect. Stepping into the light, what now could be seen as a man approached the eerie messanger, taking the scroll and reading it carefully.

The smell of alcohol on the old man was almost as intoxicating as whatever he had consumed. A soft gasp left his lips as his head looked from the paper to the night sky and bellowed a high pitched cry. The more spry party-goers joined him, whooping and shrieking at the top of their lungs. The robed figure bowed respectfully and backed away from the group, his voice seeming to fade away on the gentle night breeze, "Capture her alive, and you will be provided with double the reward, I will contact you once your mission is completed". The gathering watched on as the figure seemed to fade into nothingness, before turning to their chieften, waiting for him to speak.

The old man stepped into the center of the crowd, holding the parchent for all to see, giving a sharp glare to the man at the DJ equipment, who rushed to leap off the stage and stand before him. The old man quite suddenly rose his hand and backhanded the poor fellow, his voice filled with drunken rage, You! Out of my thirty-four offspring, you have showed little determination, no desire to help out your kin in important matters!" . Clenching his hand into a ball, the aging yet strong old-man drove his fist into the stunned, and fearful youth's stomach, making the boy drop to his knees in agony.

The old man grabbed him by the chin, the smell of alcohol making the youngster nearly gag as his was brought face close to his father's, My youngest and weakest son, you will do this alone, or your tongue will be the next trophy hung in my quarters!". The young man nodded, fighting back the tears trying to form in his eyes from the pain, he suppressed such weakness by boiling up his rage, and nodding to his father's orders; while staring closely at the bounty parchment the elder forced into his hands.

The young-man rose to his feet, standing just slightly taller than the old chief; the son's height being roughly six feet. The leader of the village continued "On this day, Reorik Heltooth will be bound by duty to fullfill this task, If he returns without the girl in tow, treat him as an outcast and slice out his tongue!"

Reorik gazed to the crowd around him, most seemed somewhat reluctant to fullfill their leader's decree, but as he was bound by his orders, so were they. His old man bellowed again, " what are you standing around for!? Get him, and this shit cleaned up!". Two females from the group giggled mischieviously as they pounced on Reorik, undressing his slim form as they coralled him to the house the cheif had exited from. He looked back to his old man, blushing slightly as he dissapeared from view. All of the former partiers quickly cleaned up the makeshift stage and speakers, preparing to begin gaurd duty, night-time gathering, and hunting.

Within the home, Reorik sat in a tub as the two women made small talk as they seemed to groom every inch of his body, taking care to scrub his delicate parts carefully, giving his somewhat handsome greenish face a clean shave, and trimming his long unruly black hair neatly. Soon they would depart, leaving him with a sense of carnal longing, and a somewhat fresh pair of clothes. Getting dressed quickly, he ensured to leave as little of his skin exposed as possible, humans would most likely kill him outright.

Dressed in a baggy black hooded sweat shirt and blue loose-fitting jeans now, he slipped on an old pair of combat boots within his own room now. Beggining to pack, his hand went to the new bruise on his stomach, his anger returning once more. From outside the room, his rage filled screams could be heard, and a wooden chair could be seen thrown out his window. Years of abuse from his father left Reorik with a bit of an emotional disorder when upset. He sat on his makeshift bed, fingers gripping the flesh of his arms painfully; soon streams of blood driped form his arms onto the bed. Standing once more he began to write on the wall, in huge letters, Never retreat, Always foreward. Which was sort of ironic since his people had been driven back to the destitution of poverty, by humans no less.

Reorik looked to an old disheveled dresser in the corner of the room, grabbing a sharp jagged knife in a black sheathe from inside, and a pair of black leather gloves. His fumming figure stormed out of the house, speaking to none as he began the temporary exile, heading south towards the bright lights of the town. Reaching in the large pocket of the hoody, he tied it around his face quickly, looking over the parchemtn under the light of the moon as the small city came into view. Where could he look? The only lead was the girls name and a detailed drawing of her appearance. The strongest of his brothers did this sort of thing, some unsuccesfully, but where did that old bastard get off thinking Reorik was a tracker? Taking one look back the way he came, he whispered a silent prayer that the messenger was not some wretched schemer.

The village Reorik left, roughly consisted of two-hundred beings, all of them of high-goblin breed. Unlike other goblin races, high goblins resembled humans to a point. Having a slight green tinge to their skin tone, sharp teeth, grey eyes, and even a pointed tip to the ears. Their tribe had once been a glorious civilization, brutal but glorious none the less. Stories told to the young about their fall often consisted of xenophobic babble, but one thing was true, humans were the cause of his people's current suffering, they drove them to the point of near extinction, leaving just enough for his species to continue to breed.

As Reorik walked the cold streets, He noticed most buildings were closed, including most inns; save one that still had lights on the first floor. Approaching cautiously he gazed into the window to see a slightly older man. He opened the front door and stood just inside the building. Clearing his throat he tried to make his somewhat vulgar sounding voice seem pleasent, I have been walking for quite a while, do you have any spare rooms I could use to rest?". He kept his face hidden, hoping the feminine man wouldn't question it too much. Reorik was slim for his species, having the look of an artist, more than a fighter; well at least without the suspicious clothes he would.

Luce had actually begun to doze off, that dozing had quickly turned to actual, restful sleep. The Inn's lights remained on, the building was always open to guests, even when it's caretaker was sleeping in a chair behind the bar, with his barefeet propped up on the bar's top. When the high-goblin entered, the Inn almost hummed, almost sang, though Luce was the only one who could hear it. The buildings way of trying to politely rouse him from his sleep. Luce was already slowly opening his eyes when the young man spoke. A pleasant smile quickly formed on his lips and he stood.

Luce was tall, a few inchs taller than this newcomer, he stretched a bit. Such a simple gesture and one that he made look very seductive without even really trying. Well, maybe he had put a little effort into it. Blue eyes glowed softly and Luce leaned on the bar top, his eyes on the stranger. "There's always spare rooms available, and if there wasn't, I'd share mine with you." The words left Luce's lips with a soft tone and a hint of carnal desires, followed by a wink. Luce held out one hand towards the stranger, pointing at him, while he leaned on his other arm atop the bar. "Come and get it, lover." Luce turned his hand and made the 'come here' motion with his finger.

At the same time he did that, to those that could see such things, a bit of magic swirled around his finger and then a key appeared, dangling from Luce's finger by an emerald colored silk ribbon. To those that could not see the swirl of magic, it looked as if a key just randomly appeared, dangling by it's emerald ribbon. "The ribbon upon this key matches a door with the same color knob. No two are the same." Luce found it odd that the stranger had just stood, just inside the door way. Perhaps the man had been afraid of being turned away? That seemed likely, what with his scent being the way it was and the way he hid his face.

"umm... can you move? your kinda standing in the door way... and in my way" a voice popped up from behind the goblin in the door way

the speaker was surprisingly tall for most of her species. at 6'11" she towered over most of her other immortal brethren, as well as the humans that she normally kept company with. she was well built, muscular, even with most of it covered in sleeves of red material and bandages. her chest, and upper body was wrapped up in bandages forgoing the need for a shirt. her pants was an odd sort as well, leggings so wide they gave the impression of a skirt, were partially covered by an white... remains of a coat, there really was no other way to explain it. about her waist she wore a leather belt with two clips holding her pants and the coat up around her waist.

out of site and at her back she wore a long katana about 5' long and of a clear material rendering the sword almost invisible. she had piercing blue eyes, the color of icy lakes, that seemed almost unhuman, the only tell tale of her race. she also wore a lace choker around her neck the red material standing out against her butt length brown hair that seemed to start to fade to gray about half way down her hair.

"Are you going to move? or am I going to have to force my way past you?" she asked again her oddly musical voice at odds with the rest of her.