A strange intrigue... [Closed]

[Tigeress]

The poor fox was almost in tears of confusion. He liked the attention, he'd always wanted the attention, but he didn't deserve it. If the canine showed too much attention to him in public, bad things would probably happen. He'd get a reputation, and... Sabien just couldn't live with ruining anyone else's life. He pulled back at the lick, although moving away caused him more pain than Anatolius would ever know. He just... he just couldn't. He couldn't accept this from the handsome canine. He could have anyone he wanted, anyone at all. And pretty much anyone would be better and better for him than Sabien.

"Friendly... yes..." He was hoping the canine wouldn't take offense to him moving back a little, though anyone could see from the fox's eyes that he was drowning in a river of guilt and looking very much like one cast out of eden. He'd always had to live looking at beautiful people he'd like to be with, beautiful people he'd like to get the attention of. But never before had any of them ever stopped to consider what lie behind that cursed marking on his chest. He didn't blame them, not at all, he knew all too well what happened when one got too close to an Ace. His parents had suffered enough in his presence for him to feign ignorance.

It was so selfish and rude of Livide to enjoy the dodgy politeness of the butterfly. The squirming, the fluttering, it was thrilling in a way that she wasn't used to experiencing. But gods was she a pretty thing, Livide simply couldn't tone it down any farther, or she might just implode. "I think your company takes precedence over almost anything I could be doing instead, Parvana. You're very enjoyable to talk to." At least she'd managed to recover herself at the end to sound like less of an obsessive smooth talker. She was quite oblivious to the existance to the two men beside her until the canine decided to steal Parvana's attention for a moment, a thing that made Livide's fur bristle until she heard what he proposed.

Lunch would be nice, yes... more time to talk all about the pretty butterfly. "That sounds good to me, I could use a change of scenery." She only ever came out to float about the market with an eye for shiny things, exotic things. She actually hadn't been to any eateries in the area at all, she just bought what she needed from the market and made her own meals at home. It made for terribly lonely evenings, come to think of it. She simply wasn't the kind of girl to like being locked up at home, alone. Not when the loveliest ladies came out at night in all their finest. She wondered idly what Parvana would look like, decked out in an evening gown...

The fox glanced over just in time to see his comanion deep in thought, but it was a faraway look he knew well, and he had to cast his eyes to the ground to avoid blushing again. Geeze, the canine and the mouse sure had a lot in common, it seemed. And come to think of it, the butterfly looked as confused and nervous as him. How crazy this day was turning out to be. His stomach rumbled before he could stop it, and he realized then that it had been almost an entire day since his last meal. "Lunch would be nice.." He admitted bashfully, noting his own increasingly thin frame. It was hard to get by in the city, only the lowest of jobs would accept him, and he hadn't come across anything he could do yet. Nobody wanted to employ an ace, and that meant he had no money for food. He lived off of scraps, mostly.

[Kiki]

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[Vyn]

The contrasts in the small group was definitely interesting... Or, at very least, it would have been if Tolius had eyes for anyone other than the pretty little fox at the moment.

In his view, however, he saw only Sabien's distress and embarrassment. Worse yet was that he knew where it stemmed from. It wasn't simple bashfulness like Vana displayed when she was flirted with. No, even Vana knew when enough was enough and was quick to give a curt slap or a quick excuse to leave when someone pushed too hard. Sabien though... Sabien was most definitely enjoying the attention on his own. Something else then?

The canine brushed the thought of, his tail flicking slightly as he ran it under Sabien's chin. "Come along then, it's not too far from here actually."

* * *

They arrived at the diner in short order, gaining entrance just as quickly and being ushered to one of the many booths set aside for animal patrons. Tolius slid into the seat beside Sabien, his long tail brushing Sabien's side.

"Order whatever you'd like, Sabien... You're my guest and I'll take care of ya." He leaned in just a little closer, so that his side touched the fox's own. He had no shame at all when it came to being forward, he liked to touch and he liked to make people feel wanted. "Same goes for you, Miss Livide!"


This meant, of course, that Vana was seated beside Livide. The lovely butterfly remained sweetly flushed and bashful, but the enclosed space gave her a little boost. So long as Livide wasn't overly forward, she would be capable of friendly conversation and the like.

[Tigeress]

Sabien shivered from head to toe under the attention of the handsome canine, but visibly flinched at the end. He couldn't do this to him, someone so kind didn't deserve to have their name darkened by... him. He'd heard there were lots of nice Aces for him to be around in the capital especially, he just had to be patient and not greedy with this one. The canine could do much better than the hopeful but broken little fox.

"Okay." He said lamely, following along with his head down as he often did, even when he'd tried to follow Livide. He still didn't know why she'd tolerated him, maybe she still pretended in her mind he was a girl? That would be just weird...

--------

The easter coloured fox hopped up in the booth only after everyone else had, and gave ample space so that nobody would have to squish up... unless they wanted to. When the canine's soft fur brushed his again, a look of torture stole the beautiful shine from his eyes. This was so hard, being taunted by Eden but knowing he could never come in. Everyone had told him things like this would happen, don't get too eager, they don't really like you, how could they? It's all just silly little games.

"Thanks." He looked at the menu and his mouth salivated heavily. He didn't know what half of it was, but the descriptions that he understood sounded so very good. He hadn't eaten all day yet, which wasn't unusual, but the thought of actually having food was so painfully good.

The pretty little door mouse hopped up next to Vana without hesitation, though taking a note from earlier, she only lightly pressed against the butterfly and tried to make it significantly less important than it was in her mind. Touch was, ah, so wonderful. She could smell the scent of the butterfly from this distance like an alcoholic perfume, making her feel bubbly and light headed. What an enchantress, but she probably didn't have a clue. Too bad, really. But good news for Livide, else she would have been scooped up ages ago.

"How very kind of you, Anatolius." She chirped, noting Sabien's discomfort from across the table. He had shifted so suddenly, being so excited to come with her when he knew she didn't instantly hate him because of their realm, and now so uncomfortable in the presence of someone who so obviously liked him very much.

Too bad she didn't know anything more about him, he really was a mystery to her, which was equally as strange as the circumstances under which they had met. However, she just couldn't distract herself from Parvana, no matter how intrigued she was my this miracle male, to have escaped to the city with as much intact as he had. She'd done her good deed for the week by introducing him to the canine, and now it was her turn to enjoy the benefits of their company for the day. She went through the menu quickly, picking out the first thing that interested her, and not truly caring anything past that. There were more important things at hand.

"So, Parvana, tell me more about yourself. Where do you come from? What brings you here?" and, of course, 'where are you staying?' she thought to herself with a smirk.

[Vyn]

When the waiter arrived, Anatolius and Vana placed their orders before turning their attentions to their respective guests. Anatolius especially focused on Sabien and Parvana finding herself being asked questions by Livide.


Sabien's shift in personality concerned Anatolius a little and honestly baffled him quite a bit. He'd been so happily drinking in his affections one moment and now he'd turned cold to them all. Had he done something? That would be awfully sad if he had. Hesitating a little, he tilted his head and licked Sabien's cheek apologetically.

"Have I done something to upset you, Sabien? You seem uncomfortable."


Vana, on the other hand, was on the opposite end of the situation. She wasn't as shy as Sabien appeared to have become but her wings still fluttered from time to time with uncertainty and embarrassment. Why was Livide so interested in her?

The bipedal dormouse was beautiful and Vana was... well, Vana was Vana. A rarity in her breed but nothing special in her own opinion.

"I was born in Corvistowne, actually...but my father was Morganberry and very much of the Morganberry mindset." She laughed a little, the sound soft and high and nervous. "As for what brings me here, that's a little...more complicated. My parents passed recently and I just," she trailed off for a moment, gathering her emotions together. "I just didn't enjoy staying in that big house all by myself. I'm glad I've come to the Capital, though, it's very nice and so full of different and interesting people."

She smiled warmly, tilting her head toward Livide. "And what of you, Livide? Where do you hail from and what brings you here, aside from the shopping? Did you grow up in The Gardens?"

[Tigeress]

The fox stiffened when the waited came along, meekly uttering out the only thing he had really understood, which was probably much less fancy than what everyone else was ordering. But at least it was done and over with, and when Livide absent-mindedly ordered pretty much literally the first thing off the list, it made him feel a little better. Maybe she didn't know what much of it was, either?

Anatolius was so painfully close, and only getting closer. Sabien knew what he was going to say before he said it, somehow, and it made his heart drop, though his eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't wanted the handsome canine to blame himself! Oh, now he would have to open up and explain.

"No, no. Yes, I mean. Uhmm..." 'you could do better than me' seemed silly at this point, but it was what he honestly felt. "In public, if you're so nice to me, people won't like you as much." He didn't know it, but his concerns were very founded. Being a whore, the canine's business would surely drop if someone knew he was commonly found to be fucking the lowest of the low, mere Aces, who couldn't even produce children with him. Sabien knew better to expect things like love and children though, but he did want someone to like him the way Tolius did.


Livide felt uncomfortable when she heard the conversation taking place on the other side, but very easily dove back into her own personal world of butterflies and flowers that made up her experience being near Parvana. "I'm so sorry about your parents. I know what it's like to loose someone like that." Her father had been very, very brutally murdered when she was too young to even remember his face. She still didn't know the circumstances around it, only that he was, in fact, a man. A man living in the Yarrow Gardens, even. Which probably explained her reluctancy to be an outright bitch to the pitiful, but beautiful, fox.

"If you ever find yourself lonely, I have a rather sizable place in which I stay which often makes me feel fairly alone as well." She'd managed not to make it suggestive, though terrible thoughts slid through her head and would have allowed a sleazy grin had the doormouse not formed any better self control over the years. It was a miracle, really, because in almost every relationship, though she was glamorous and beautiful, her personality was very much 'the man'.

"I did indeed come from the Gardens to the city, quite recently actually. It is easy to grow bored of that place when you don't share everyone's ideal of a perfect world. I find males to be... tolerable, and it make sme somewhat of an outcast. That, and my father being a man who briefly lived in the Gardens." It actually didn't bother her that much. What they must have done to him was probably terrible and completely undeserved, but if he had of known anything about the realm he was trying to force himself into, he should have known better.

[Vyn]

Anatolius sighed a little despite the fact that he wore a calm smile. Did the boy really think his rank was going to affect Tolius's affections? Well, yes, he was probably right to...but still, he obviously wasn't.

"Don't worry yourself, Sabien. People will always think what they will and it won't hurt me any. Besides, those that do dislike Aces will probably just think you're my pet if you stay nice and close to me... and those that don't will just think we're friends or more, so it shouldn't be a problem. Alright?" Another gentle lick to his chin and another concerned little sigh. He hated that people treated Aces like pets or worse but it was the truth regardless of how Tolius thought of it. "So enjoy yourself this afternoon. You've got my company until nightfall, then I've got work. You can surely have fun with me until then, yes?"


"I'm sorry to hear that. Big empty houses bother me quite a bit, it's eerie really." Vana shivered cutely in emphasis of this before continuing. "But yes, perhaps I could visit sometime. I think that'd be lovely, Livide."

Parvana wasn't sure if she wanted to ask about the girl's father. She knew very well what the dwellers there thought of men, and even if everyone didn't share the opinion enough of them did that it would matter.

"I can see how that would grow boring quickly ...though... I am quite fond of the flowers." She blushed a little but smiled shortly after, it was so very like her breed to say that...wasn't it? One day, when she wasn't living in the heart of the city with her Uncle and his roommate, then she'd have a garden again. "Back in Corvistowne, I had a lovely garden but it doesn't at all rival the beauty of the flowers from your home region." She wrinkled her nose. "Pity that they're so...toxic."

[Tigeress]

Sabien listened intently, his tail flicking up and then down now and again to show the parts he liked versus the ones that he didn't. He had work... at night? But that's the time Sabien hated being alone most... it was cold and dark and he fell asleep every night not knowing if he'd wake up. He swam in the fountain just before dawn to clean himself, hoping city officials wouldn't notice before he slunk off to lick himself for good measure. The only way to get people to like him was to look nice and pretty and fluffy.

"O-okay... You're so nice, and I don't want to be bad for you." He smiled meekly, hoping his words would convey how he felt inside. The canine probably had a lot going for him, many people who wanted him for companionship or love or other things, and Sabien just couldn't live with himself if he drove them away, took away his happiness.

"Alright. I'll be your pet. Can I go to work with you then?" He enquired hopefully, if he could just follow him around, he'd stay up all night, it wouldn't be a problem. The fox didn't notice how strange of a question it was to ask someone he barely knew, but Anatolius liked him, right? Really, honestly, thought he wasn't a waste of space and air! It was the first time he felt necessary on the earth since the day his mother had ripped off his ears in a fit of rage.

"Mmm, I don't know how anyone could live in them alone, honestly. Mine was inherited, else I would be in a little shack somewhere probably." She admitted with a laugh, the place did feel so huge sometimes, as if there were hundreds of hidden rooms and corridors she couldn't see, maybe with things inside them she couldn't imagine. But she had such a wild imagination when night fell in that house sometimes, she'd conjured up quite the interesting images.

"You're always welcome. It's one of the older houses in the center of city, only a block up from Cauter's shoppe. It's the red brick with brinded black marking on the side. I assume there was a fire nearby at some point in time, but that's the only building left standing with marks to prove it." The description was of course in hopes that the female would go looking for it. Somehow not giving her the direct address seemed more exciting. See if she was willing to work to locate the flirty mouse.

"Ha, the most common complaint, but really, I understand why you'd adore them. Everyone does, as long as they avoid the toxic ones. It's an addiction nobody ever really shakes." She had a small garden out back, really very small, it only housed one batch of flowers, and they were the most common and most addicting ones known to her realm. It was just hard for someone who lived in the Gardens to be without them for too long, and she didn't mind the minor addiction. It was a little thrilling sometimes.

[Vyn]

Anatolius couldn't help the well of pity that sprung up for a moment and flooded his senses. The little fox really was just...pitiful. Tolius wasn't used to Ace's, he didn't find many well off Aces that were also unattached or of decent intelligence. However horrid it truly was, Tolius had to admit he was more accustomed to the 'pet' Ace than a free one.

"The last person you need to worry about is me. I know how to take care of myself." He was a whore, everyone knew he slept with all brands of lovers and johns and janes and it just, simply didn't matter in the end. So long as you had enough coin, not rank nor breed nor region mattered.

The next question caught him very obviously off guard. Sabien...come to work with him? "Ah... S-Sabien, I don't think you'd enjoy that. You'd do better to spend the evening with the ladies." Unless Sabien was a voyeur and got his kicks from watching people have sex, he wouldn't enjoy that filthy world which Tolius descended into night after night.


Parvana smiled delicately, listening quietly to Livide's recitation of her home. The old manor sounded very similar to Vana's own, but Vana didn't live there anymore. She had Tolius now and, though she didn't know it yet, his roommate to keep her company.

So much better than nothing at all. Regardless, though, she would have to look Livide up sometime and see this big house with her own eyes. It sounded very pretty.

"Ooh? They're addictive? That's...a little unnerving." But the Corvie in her was absolutely curious, even if it was outside of her usual experiments. "What makes them addictive? A property in their scent or something else?" Vana had leaned forward a little, eyes full of curiosity. The little butterfly loved to learn and she simply adored flowers.

[Tigeress]

The fox let his tail sway happily at the male's comment. Well good, if he wasn't going to ruin his life just by being around... he could be a slave anyway, he liked doing what Anatolius told him to. It felt nice to make him happy by being around. But still... Sabien did worry about him, because Sabien had nothing to worry about with himself, his life was about as in the pitts as it got. It didn't bother him normally, and today he was actually having a good day, so all he could focus on was the winged canine.

"Oh, okay!" He shot back merrily, the wag of his tail slowing to a slight twitch at the second comment. Didn't he want him around at work? Surely his boss would find him more important if he'd aquired a pet. Aces didn't always agree to being slaves and it took a rather... persuasive character to be able to tame them. Or promise of food, money, that sort of thing. Either way... he wouldn't be an embarassment somehow, would he? Oh, probably... well at least he was looking out for himself, that was good.

"I think I would, but if it would be bad for you, I can wait. When do you come home? Can we meet up later again?" It was a little... overbearing and probably quite difficult for the canine to deal with, but Sabien honestly just wanted to spend more time with him. Being around him meant being wanted, accepted, and he hadn't felt those things in so long, he now craved them, and would miss the feeling the second it was gone. How truly sad.


"Unnerving? That's putting it lightly, pretty lady." She said with a chuckle, hoping her off-handed... pet name didn't bother the pretty lady. It was true, and she liked to let girls know how the world saw them, beautiful addictive little flowers like the ones she kept for herself.

"Hmmm I think you'd figure that out years before I do. But if you're ever curious, you're more than welcome to come investigate them. Just- ah- be careful." She grinned at this and sent a wink the butterfly's way. Not that the addictive properties were bad, it was really only a minor thing for most people, but she had a natural addictive personality so it had been a tad more intense naturally for her. Still, she would feel bad for letting Parvana go in unprepared and then leave her with the little addiction of her own, even if it meant yet another excuse to have the woman over.

Really, at this point, she was starting to think there was no reason NOT to come over to her house, with all the intrigue the pretty thing had shown for her house and her flowers and... well, everything. All good signs to be sure.