S Beauty and the Beast

[Broly]

“Is Tal here? I can take my leave if you’re busy.”

Lucien anxiously awaited a reply. His earlier encounter with the voluptuous desert goddess hadn’t left his head during the remainder of his shift. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. For some reason, this random person had made his heart flutter in a way that it hadn’t in months. The werewolf felt a deep seated desire to get to know her and ask her on a date. As he awaited a reply he was swiftly reminded of the last time he attempted a relationship and felt himself mentally guard for the worst.

Morene raised an eyebrow. Had he gone to the wrong place?

“Lucien is that you?” A warm voice came from behind the towering woman holding the door.

A benefactor had granted the werewolf a substantial purse which he immediately put to good use acquiring the equipment he had lost in the desert and various other places. New armor, new sword, new cell phone, new street clothes; everything he needed to make Uruk a home. He even managed an apartment in another district that was actually pet friendly. Mangonel was adjusting fairly well to his new home. The puppy was always full of energy.

“Yes, Miss Tal.” He spoke past the knochten.

The Diva gave a soft snickering chuckle before placing a hand on Morene’s side, encouraging the towering bodyguard to scoot over. The warm yellow lamplight from inside illuminated her from the back, catching in all the multitudes of coils and curls of her mane. “Tal means ‘daughter’, just so you know.” She smiled, clearly amused, before continuing. “My name is Masahir N’air, but you can just call me Masa, sweetheart~”

Try as he might, Lucien could not stop color from filling his face.

This is going well.

She had a beautiful name. Masa. He wondered if it meant anything. Clearing his throat and tugging gently on his Sherwani the werewolf smiled.

“Forgive me. You have such a beautiful name. I was wondering if you might be interested in going out to dinner. My treat.” Lucien swallowed his anxiety and met her gaze.

The smile on her plump lips widened into a pleased grin. “Oh, I would lo-”

Morene quickly interjected, her brow raised with skeptical intrigue as she studied him, “and exactly where are you wanting to take my charge?”

“I saw this nice little place called Brio. It had some outdoor seating that looked nice. If you’re concerned for Masa, I’ll gladly get you a table so you may accompany us.” Lucien smiled widely, hoping his proposition wasn’t too much to ask.

The fiery brunette cast a look at the Knight-errant, “that sounds good yeah, I just hope you’re not too tired for a little dinner date~” She stuck her tongue out at the older woman with a playful wink.

The werewolf smiled widely given her response to his offer. He felt butterflies grace his stomach. He was excited for the first time in months.

“When would you like to go? I dare not pull you away from important business.”

“I have time now if you’d like.” She said, brushing her beautiful hair behind an ear.

She was insanely attractive. The werewolf had to center his thoughts to keep from staring. He was insanely happy to be talking to her again. It was the highlight of his day. He desired her company and maybe one day he might even be able to call her a friend.

“Wonderful. I’ll wait for you out here. Take your time.” Lucien felt happy for the first time in a while.

At the very least he could take her to dinner for bringing him joy and helping him earlier in the store. The ingredients she had gathered from the store had been enough to make a couple dozen doses of the medicine that suppressed his allergy to silver. Within an hour the infection was gone and he had regained full movement of his arm and shoulder. You could barely tell he had been stabbed. After about ten minutes Masa emerged from the store with her bodyguard.

Lucien bowed and led the way, eventually ending up at her side. Morene followed closely behind. Far enough away to give them privacy, but close enough to intercept Lucien should he step out of line.

He flashed a smile in the direction of Masa. “Do you like living in Uruk?”

“Oh, I absolutely love it. It’s always been my home in a sense, even though I wasn’t born here, or even in the Crossroads for that matter.” She paused to think for a moment, “I’m originally from a city called Nippur. You know, our mighty King Gilgamesh made that place too.”

“I’ve only been in Uruk briefly but I do enjoy the city. It’s one of the better places I’ve stayed.” Lucien rubbed his beard in contemplation. “I’m not originally from here either. I hail from a place called Argos.”

He didn’t know why he just told her that. For some reason he felt comfortable enough to reveal something from his past. What was wrong with him? This wasn’t his usual approach to any sort of relationship with someone. Whatever the reason, he needed to keep his secret close to the heart. Not everyone liked werewolves and his experience in the past just solidified that fact.

The bombshell brunette’s eyes widened with curiosity. “Ooh I’ve never heard of Argos. Tell me about it!”

Lucien smiled. “Argos was one of the most powerful seafaring nations in the land of Hyboria. They had a very powerful naval presence and strong trade influence in the area. It had a warm climate with big coastal beaches that stretched for miles. In the military we always chose the beach as the place we’d go on leave.”

Masa was latching onto every word which made him happy. He loved to have someone interested in him. He missed it greatly. Learning about someone and talking about each other was something he liked doing. It was nice to be able to do it again.

“That sounds so amazing! I bet you’re such a good swimmer.” She said bristling with excitement.

Lucien brimmed with happiness. “Yeah, we used to swim the Khorotas River all the time. Tell me about yourself, Masa. What things do you like to do?”

 

[Masahir N'air]

"Well..." she started, "there's a lot of things I enjoy doing honestly~ I like meeting new people, I like going out to new places and seeing new things... Let's see..." She mused idly for a moment, slipping her arm through Lucien's absent-mindedly as they walked down the street. Her wine-red lips pursed as she thought on his question. The man at her side tensed ever-so-slightly before relaxing into the pose. Lockwood was a sweetheart. She could tell through all his well-meaning stammers and blushy awkwardness that he was pretty worried about screwing this up. An excited tension existed under his skin at all times, a near electric fixation of curiosity that the empath couldn't help but pick up on. She tucked a stray curl behind her ear, "I also really love dancing and singing, there's nothing else that makes my heart feel as free~"

The little restaurants and store fronts had sprung to life under the dusky light of the setting sun, their lights shining warmly through their lattice work windows to tell people 'pick me!'. Their open doors let delectable aromas of potent saffron and the savory scent of curry waft into the night, drawing in customers like moths to a flame. Folks dressed in formal gowns and robes toured the walkways, stopping with short "Oooh's" and "aah's" as they excited discussed menu options or the tailor shops' newest fashions. Soon the voices of the crowd thrummed together until it was little more than a fleeced humdrum of elated discovery.

Her mouth watered as she sniffed the air. "Something smells really good, huh? I hope this Brio's place you talked about can live up to its competition, Lucien~" She squeezed his forearm as she teased him, her playful chuckle dancing in the twilight around his ears. He laughed too, and she found herself adoring that big carefree grin that began to make itself at home. Her eyes lingered on the way the red and gold lanterns colored his face in koi-fish like dapples, as if he were a masterpiece she'd never had the pleasure of seeing before.

"And what about you?" She asked. "What do you like to do?" Again she took the opportunity to squeeze his arm a little with her hand, enjoying just how strong and well muscled he felt. She couldn't help the bubbling excited anticipation beginning to well under her surface as well.

He too thought for a moment at her question. “I really enjoy reading stories as a way to wind down from a long day. ... I don’t know very many people in the city yet, so I mostly keep to myself, but now that I have the puppy I usually keep him company.”

He contemplated, his voice picking up in energy as she listened eagerly. “You know, when I was younger, me and the boys from our unit loved to go bar hopping in each new city we were stationed in. We loved seeing the different cultures and what sort of fun everyone got up to. Khitai had these dancers who would spit fire. It was really amazing.”

“Did you get to travel a lot in the military?” She wandered to him out loud.

“They would deploy the battalion I was in all over Hyboria depending on where Argos needed a military presence. I had a few favorite places, like Turan. It was this majestic kingdom of shimmering gold. They loved spinning elaborate silks and making use of it for their clothes. The palace guards wore a black ceremonial armor that was embroidered with gold.” He leaned down to her a small bit to add lowly, “I heard that they harvested their silks from giant spider nests!”

Masa looked up at him and scrunched her nose and stuck her tongue out in disgust, “Eeew- how nasty! Those must have been some brave harvesters... Either that or they were crazies. Oh-”

She looked up at a bright white BRIO’s sign, stopping in her tracks. First of all, it smelled absolutely delicious, secondly it looked pretty busy. And nice. Wow, he was really putting in work to impress her. You’d be surprised how many lousy dates a cute girl gets asked on. Masahir didn’t mind going for coffee or tea, but you had to have higher standards than bringing her to some sort of lame fast food joint for a first date if they wanted to make a good impression on her.

She turned to her handsome date, “this place looks nice Lucien~”

He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. Was that relief she felt from him? She couldn’t help but beam him a reassuring smile. The wait in line wasn’t that long, he’d taken the very important precaution of making sure to call ahead of time and actually made a reservation for the table. It only took her a moment to ask Morene to wait outside. She’d been under constant watch since she’d left that dreadful, humid place called Opealon. She wanted a little bit of space to enjoy the night.

Handsome: ✔✔✔
Considerate: ✔
Manners: ✔
Etiquette: ✔✔
Good Storyteller: ???
Bedroom skills: ??? (Absolutely Not Tonight, if Morene or Ra’tima had any say in it!)

A very nice and sharply dressed host guided them to their dark wooden table, presenting each of them with a menu bound in black leather and printed in neat manuscript. The tall, thin man bowed his head and informed them that their server, a man named Alejandro, would be with them imminently.

Masahir looked around, soaking in the atmosphere of the busy italian bistro. It had wide archway windows bordered with white wood, and tan stucco walls that stretched upwards to reveal large hanging chandeliers of waxy-opaque white glass, matching white drapes were pinned across the ceiling in decorum. She set her red purse behind her on the red-orange-red patterned chair, pinning it between her back and the wooden slats. Old habits die hard, she guessed.

She looked over the menu. PRIMI... She had always assumed this was the appetizer section. Her eyes passed over options for mini-pizzas or caprese. Calamari Fritto Misto ... Fried to a golden brown with pepperoncini... Hmm... ‘Fried’ makes it sound like it could be good.

She would be lying if she claimed to be all that familiar with cuisine like this. “Hey Lucien~?”

“Yes?” His yellow eyes darted up from his menu to meet her dark ones.

“I’ve never had Calamari before, what exactly is it?”

“It’s these golden fried crispy pieces of squid that is really good with marinara sauce.”

“Squid is seafood stuff, right? Is it like a fish or something?” She leaned her chin on the palm of her hand. The lycan had withdrawn his phone and was typing something on it. A text message? she wandered passively.

He turned the phone around in his hand and showed her the screen. It was some sort of strange, shimmery multi-armed missile shaped creature with large eyes. Little fins decorated the sides of their cone shaped ‘heads’ (Masa could only assume). “That’s a Squid.” He said.

“Aww... but it’s kinda cute, in a... goopy, squishy kinda way.”

“But they are delicious when fried up right, and this place is my favorite in Uruk so far.” He put his phone back in his pocket and picked his menu back up, flashing her an easy-going smile. This was nice, he felt nice.

“Okaaay, I’ll try them, but if they come out bad and I don’t like them you’ll be stuck eating them. Alright?”

Her dark haired date chuckled, capitulating to her demands just as the aforementioned Alejandro arrived to introduce himself with a bright smile. He was a shorter, stockier man with a very well groomed beard and arched eyebrows. His outfit was solid black, his collar held closed by what could only be described as a positively inky black tie. Alejandro’s voice was soft and rounded as he asked what they were drinking tonight.

He looked to the Diva first.

“I’ll have...” She ran her finger down the beverages section. “A Peach Bellini, please~?”

Alejandro nodded, looking at Lucien next. “I’ll have a gin and tonic.”

“Great, and do we know what we want tonight or do you two need a little more time?” Masa was still studying the menu, clearly a bit indecisive.

“Yes,” Lockwood spoke up, “I’d like to start with an order of your calamari as an appetizer for us to share. For my entrée, give me a Bistecca Alla Fiorentina, medium-rare.”

“And you, Ma’am?”

Again she scanned the page before a pasta entrée caught her eyes. “Uh.. yeah can I please get the Campanelle Carbonara? It sounds like it’d be pretty tasty.”

The server interjected to reassure her decision, ensuring that the carbonara was exquisite, savory and rich in its flavor, in fact the carbonara was probably his favorite dish to order for his lunch break. When she was nodding in agreement he took up their menus and left to fill their order.

“So, Lucien~” Masa started, splaying her glittering fingers on the white table cloth. He arched a brow at her and she smiled, hiding her mouth behind her free hand. “You never finished telling me your stories of travel~”

He hummed softly, thinking of where to best pick back up at. He stroked his chin slightly as he considered his time spent traveling again. “We weren’t very happy with being sent to this one kingdom called Stygia. It was hot, miserably humid, and the local religion liked to offer sacrifices(he nearly whispered the word, knowing it to be impolite dinner talk) to their god Set.”

The diva’s eyes widened, and he continued. “One of the larger cities I was in was adorned with magnificent golden snake statues placed in various locations as beautiful shrines. Argos had a trade agreement with them, but the populace didn’t like us too much regardless. We would always get angry looks when going to the tavern after a tough shift in the sands.”

“And Aquilonia, they had a breathtaking military presence when we were loaned to the nation's garrison in response to a dispute with a region called Zingara, which sat west of where I was born. Aquilonia loved their giant marble temples and statues to their gods, all gilded in gold. They fielded one of the biggest legions I’ve ever seen until that point, and ever since.”

“Why didn’t Stygia like Argos?”

“Mutual conflicts of political interests, our wants didn’t tend to mesh well with theirs.”

“Ah, so just a bunch of regular boring politics then. It always seems to be the case huh?” Masa sounded only slightly dismayed. Alejandro had returned with their drinks by this point, and had set them on in front of their respective owners before again excusing himself.

She plucked her Bellini from its place on its individual coaster, “a toast~ to a good date.” At his mutual toast, she pulled a long draw (but not long enough to be endemic of a drinking problem) on the black straw. The thick drink was refreshingly cold with only a twinge of that chemical-disinfectant taste she knew of alcohol. The champagne fizzled lightly on her tongue, and after a few more sips she could already start to feel the warmth on her face.

She hoped that tonight was good.

She needed tonight to be good.

 

[Broly]

Lucien smiled and took a generous sip from his gin and tonic. He was enjoying himself much more than expected. He had been nervous at first, but as she started talking to him he felt it easier to open up and relax. No one had been so interested in his military life before, or him for that matter. Lucien tried to keep himself as much of a closed book as he could, for good reason. However with Masa he felt different. His normal concern that she’d throw him under a bus was gone. He couldn’t mislead himself though. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on and he felt incredibly lucky that she had even given him the time of day, but here she was on a dinner date with him. For the first time in a while he felt truly happy. He could exist in the moment and let his guard down without fear that someone was going to stab him or make him public enemy number one.

Taking another drink he emptied his mind of Giselle. What was he doing? Masahir was right in front of him. He politely looked her over, careful to maintain eye contact.

“You said you liked to sing and dance. I would love to hear you sing sometime.” The lycan said with a smile. “I’m not a very good dancer myself. I’d love to learn though!”

“It’s not very hard. I could show you sometime!” She replied casually, sipping on her drink.

“Do you perform in one of the clubs around here?”

“Yeah, I usually perform at the Crimson Lily on Fridays and Saturdays in the evenings. Lounge music type stuff, with a lil’ jazz backing band.”

“Colour me intrigued. I’ll definitely make sure to stop by sometime.” Lucien flashed her a broad smile.

He only hoped he was giving her a good first impression. The lycan took another drink and caught himself admiring her gorgeous features. She had eyes one could get lost in. He felt a little color rush to his cheeks and he wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or himself. It didn’t matter. Alejandro arrived just in time with a plate of fresh calamari seasoned with salt and pepper. Placing it in the center of the table he adorned the circle of fried food with a little bowl of marinara sauce.

“Enjoy you two! Your entrees will be out in a bit.” He smiled and placed two glasses of ice on the table.

Filling them up with water, Alejandro continued on his way to serve the other tables.

Lucien grinned as he watched Masahir eye the plate. “Do you want to try one first? Or should I?”

“I’ll give it the old college try... It does smell really good. It’s honestly making my mouth water~”

The goddess took a piece between her finely manicured fingers and plopped it into her mouth. Her eyes widened as she crunched. “That’s fantastic!~”

Lucien smiled, taking a piece for himself making sure to dunk it into the sauce first. It had been a long time since he had calamari, or any good food for that matter. Until recently he had been barely living off the wages at the barracks and eating whatever they were serving that day. While the food wasn’t bad it wasn’t good either. Even during his time in the military the men and women of his outfit would pool their wages and go out to eat at the best restaurant they could find. They couldn’t do it all the time, but when they did they made sure to have a good time.

“I’m glad you like them.” He said with a slight laugh. “I was worried I’d have to eat them all!”

“I might just do that myself. With the marinara they’re very tasty!~”

Lucien let out a short laugh before lifting his glass and taking another drink. He took a few pieces of the fried food and plopped them into his mouth, silently crunching. It made him really happy that she was enjoying the food.

Making sure to swallow his food first Lucien asked, “Are there any places in Uruk that you haven’t seen yet that interest you?”

“I would love to visit the Palace and perform for King Gilgamesh one day.”

“That sounds like it would be fantastic. I’ve only ever seen the palace doors.” Lucien thought back to the advisor who had taken the package he had brought from the deep desert.

The music in the restaurant had been nice, but was interrupted by intense static before an announcer's voice filled the establishment.

“We interrupt this evening of smooth jazz to bring you a special report from the Palace. Babylonia has won the Conquest of Dante’s Abyss! After a tough fight the Unmaking Army has fallen before our one and only, the Glorious Golden King Gilgamesh!”

The restaurant filled with applause and cheers of joy. Some nobleman at the bar cheered about how the next round of drinks were on him.

A smile came over Lucien’s face. “I had heard about the competition. I wasn’t aware the King had entered. Glad to hear we came out on top.”

“What?!” She exclaimed, “you mean you haven’t been following the Dante’s Abyss coverage this year? Hun, you really are from out in the middle of the desert, aren’t you?”

Lucien laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, “I had heard about it, but recent events put me out of contact with anyone or anything that could give me any information about it.”
He took another drink from his glass and emptied it. Just as he set the glass down Alejandro showed up with a serving tray that held both of their entrees. Clearing a place on the table, he placed the plate with the pasta in front of Masahir and the steak in front of Lucien. Removing the empty plate that the calamari had been in, the waiter also placed down two fresh drinks for the couple.

“Enjoy you two!” He said with a smile before continuing along with his duties.

“Everything looks so tasty! Thank you, Alejandro!~” Masa said, filled with joy.

Lucien examined his plate and inhaled, filling his lungs with the aroma of his freshly cooked steak. Something inside him stirred at the thought of eating red meat. Something that he had spent nearly a decade suppressing. With a smile the lycan brought his knife and fork to the slab of meat and began cutting away bite size portions. The goddess had begun by swirling her pasta on a fork and taking a bite. Lucien forked a piece of the meat he had cut up along with some vegetables and took a bite. The announcer had finished his report and the gentle music had returned to the restaurant. Patrons were still cheering and the whole place was abuzz with the news. He had heard of Dante’s Abyss, but had never really looked into what it really was. It must have been important to the city of Uruk because outside he could hear cheering and hooting about the victory.

The lycan took a few more bites before swallowing to ask, “Is your food okay?”

“Mhmm~” she hummed through a mouthful of creamy alfredo pasta and bacon.

Lucien smiled with delight before continuing his own meal. He hoped to the gods he was being pleasant company. That he was showing her a good time. Something about sitting in this eatery with her made him incredibly happy. He would capture this moment and dedicate it to memory. Maybe it was the slight alcoholic glow he had going on or something else, but as they both enjoyed their food he found his gaze drifting from Masahir’s beautiful face to her ample bosom. If only for a moment at a time. She met his gaze and he smiled widely before taking another bite from his plate.

 

[Masahir N'air]

It had been so long since she’d last enjoyed being out and around people. It seemed like ever since she’d finished that performance nothing in her life felt normal. Her ex had turned her life upside down, used her up and broke her. He’d shattered her heart into a thousand insurmisable fragments and left her to pick up the sharp glass all by herself.

She pushed the thoughts of him from her mind before she could dwell too long. There was a new man in front of her. Lucien. The color of his emotions flickered into passionate reds for brief moments at a time. She wasn’t naïve, even two cocktails in she knew where his eyes were falling to, and she loved it. There was just something so delightful about being such a desirable woman as to make her gentlemanly date break polite social protocol.

She pushed her arms together a bit, noticeably squishing her more-than-ample bosom together. Her golden jewelry caught the light and glittered playfully as she downed more of her drink. The warmth seeped through her body, she was already blushed across her cheeks and nose bridge. She didn’t realize just how long it’d been since she last drank, but tonight was one hell of a night to relearn her limits.

She studied her date with heavy-lidded, dreamy eyes. “What would you do if you had infinite money~?”

Lucien took a few moments to ponder, chewing his steak and swallowing before he started. “I would help out those close to me first. Give everyone I know a better life. I’d definitely get some of the highest quality equipment money could buy. Maybe I’d finally leave the planet and start some journey elsewhere in the Crossroads. Discover new and interesting things to write home about.”

He paused and smiled at her, hoping that his sincere answer wasn’t going to blow it with this extraordinary woman. “What about you?”

She had listened closely to his answer. So much could be gleaned about a person just from how they responded to a question like this. How compassionate of him, though she noticed that it wasn’t some sort of larger-than-life expectation or goal of helping every single person ever. She guessed he was more realistic and grounded than some of the people she’d met in the past for that fact. Too many folks she’d met in her life had such gigantic and unrealistic goals or expectations, and it always ended up as some sort of earth shatteringly disillusionist episode when it became apparent that not every single person could be saved, or they probably wouldn’t be known by everyone and their mothers across the Crossroads, or that old place.

She couldn’t help but smile, overall pleased about how he had replied. “If I had infinite money, I think I’d end up donating a lot to women’s shelters... and probably refugee funds. Plenty of places could do with having their orphanages upgraded, I’m sure. Oh, and hospitals. Honestly, I’d probably end up trying to ‘fix’ a lot of things ‘cause I don’t like seeing people suffering when I know we can do something to stop it.”

She twirled her fork in her pasta and took a bite. “I mean honestly,” she continued after swallowing (a lady never talks with her mouth full), “what’s the point of having a grand opulent society if it’s built on suffering and inequality? I know what it’s like to have nothing and it’s not fun. Being scared, hungry and homeless isn’t something I’d wish on anyone.”

”I agree. I know what you mean. There’s an organization in the city called the Sisters of Mercy who recently hired me to help them out. I think it’s an all-female run soup kitchen and clinic. They mainly help those who can’t help themselves in the city. I’ve been destitute before. If I can help someone avoid that life, I’d gladly help out.”

“You said before that you’d maybe leave Mesa Roja and go on a Journey... Where do you think you’d go first?”

“I think I’d start with Opealon. What little time I spent on ships during my stint as a soldier, I thoroughly enjoyed. I’d love to go sailing.” He smiled at the thought.

“Ugh, Opealon was the first place I arrived in. I don’t know if I could stand the humidity all of the time... And the smell. I’m not a huge fan of that fishy smell haha~” She chuckled. “My hair would frizz up into such a mess anytime I was outside. You have to remember that I’ve lived in deserts my whole life, and get pretty motion sick any time we have to travel in the spaceship. I’d probably be a pretty damn bad sailor~! I don’t know how you do it.”

“You get used to it pretty quick when the navy throws you into the life head first. I’d have to agree with you about the humidity though. I definitely prefer the dry heat of the desert to the swamp of living by the ocean. What about the desert do you like?”

“The heat. It’s cozy~ The heat of the sun is like the warm embrace of a passionate lover,” she winked and blew a kiss at her date with a coy, flirty smirk. Her voice was deep and sultry, and the lycan found himself particularly tickled by it’s sensual cadence.

“I love that. There’s little that compares to a lover's passionate embrace. Maybe a romantic moonlit date during that period right after the sun has set when the city is calm and the day’s warmth lingers.” He smiled widely meeting her gaze, trying to flirt back as confidently and casually as he could.

“Would you enjoy something like that?”

She sighed airily, her soft hand brushing across the top of his as she responded, “I would love something like that~”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He said, smiling, raising his beverage before taking another long drink, an action she joined him for readily. She leaned into the table, and again she found herself gently stroking small patterns on the back of his hand once it was free.

The diva rested her chin on her opposite palm, a bright-and-wide smile flashed her perfect white teeth. A lighthearted question danced on her lips, “have you ever been with a woman like me~?”

There was a desire deep inside her encouraging her to linger her touch on him. He was warmhearted, comfortable, and she wondered how his passionate embrace would feel. Would he be as gentle as he seemed, or was he the type of man who devoured his women? She smiled as her boozy mind got lost daydreaming. He was just so handsome, she couldn’t help but imagine trailing her lips down that chiseled jawline, or tasting that wonderful tanned skin as she nibbled down that strong neck of his.

“I have not. Your beauty is extremely captivating. I’ve never seen a woman as ravishing as you. When I saw you in that shop I knew I had to at least stop and talk to you. You have the most beautiful eyes, and I've been spellbound by them all night. I’ve found myself unable to take my eyes off you for most of the night. To be honest I’ve been greatly enjoying both your beauty and your company. If I could hold onto this feeling forever, I would.”

Masa bit her lip. Her date had turned his hand over on the table and they were holding hands now. She wanted his smoldering golden eyes to soak her in, to gaze lustfully at all her curves. She wanted him to possess her and take her and pour himself into her soul. She craved the connection, craved the idea of running her fingers through his well combed hair and gently pulling, or of being squeezed and held inescapably tight in his carnal need. “How romantic of you, Lucien... ”

Even a few strong drinks in, Lucien was not a dense man by any stretch of the word. He’d noticed his date’s increasingly open body language, not to mention the way she was gazing at him like she had hearts in those big dark brown eyes of her’s. He found himself leaning in towards her, eagerly listening to her whispered words. She had a thrilling way of speaking quick and low, as if letting him in on a terribly juicy secret. He felt so exclusive in her attention that butterflies blossomed in the pit of his stomach.

She finished her third bellini and set the glass down with a soft clink. “I think you are muy guapo, mi amore~ Such a strong and handsome man with a gentle lion-heart.”

She gave a playful laugh and continued, “I’m also having a very pleasant time with you, Lucien~ It has been quite some time since I’ve had such a fun night out with a man.”

“It makes me happy that you’re enjoying yourself.” He folded his napkin and left it in the middle of his cleaned plate. “If you’re finished with dinner we could go for a moonlit walk around the city if you’d like.”

“I'd adore it~”

 

[Broly]

Lucien squeezed her hand with a loving grip before bringing it gently across his lips. Leaning forward he met her gaze, the intoxicating aroma of her perfume filling his senses as he planted a soft kiss to her lips. As Masahir pushed back with a second kiss, her desire for him filling her body, Lucien pulled away gently, a sly grin on his face. His eyes betrayed him, giving away his desire for the goddess sitting across from him. Her lips were softer than he could ever have imagined. He wanted to kiss her again. Lucien wanted to embrace her in passion.

“Are you just going to tease me like that, Lucien?” She said breathily, squeezing his hand.

“Come with me.” The lycan whispered, his words egging her on.

Leaving the correct amount of money for the bill on the table, with enough to provide a sizable tip, Lucien led the diva toward the opposite end of the restaurant that opened onto the street adjacent to the one they had entered from. The moon was just beginning to make it’s journey through the night sky casting a beautiful white glow down upon the city. The two of them weaved in between groups of people still making their way home or out to eat for the evening.

It wasn’t until he felt a tug on his arm did he stop leading the diva through the streets. She pulled him into an alley lit only by the faint light coming from the moon. Their lips met as she pushed him against the wall, her hands pressed flat against his chest. He was so muscular. Each time she pressed her lips to his they both felt their excitement rise. His hands moved from her arms down her body, his hands feeling every curve. She lifted her head and bit her lip as Luien moved his kissing down her chin to her neck. He spun her around and gently pinned her to the wall of the alley. They were safely hidden behind a stack of crates.

He pressed his body against hers, an arm wrapping around her lower back to bring her in as close as he could get her. Their eyes met for a moment before Lucien pressed his lips to hers once more. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer. The scent of her perfume was intoxicating. Lucien moved his free hand to her bosom. The two were intertwined with each other. Masa’s hips were pressed against Lucien as they both moved to the motion of their kissing. She pulled away, a grin forming across her beautiful features. Lucien felt her touch move down his torso to his waist. She squeezed him gently, having felt him lightly graze her thigh. The lycan buried his face into her ample breasts, kissing her chest as her hand skillfully slipped it’s way into his clothing. Her touch was gentle and amazing.

“Excited are we?” She whispered breathily into his ear.

“Very.” He replied, a smile spreading across his face.

She kissed him once more, her entire body pressing into the kiss with her lips. Lucien felt himself melt away and through his drunken stupor he felt pleasure blossom inside his body and spread. She pulled away, running her free hand down his chest. Spinning the lycan around she put his back to the wall of the building. Dropping to her knees she began undoing his belt. Unzipping his pants she freed him from his clothes and took him in both hands, placing a gentle kiss upon the tip. Masahir could feel his excitement grow in her hands. She looked up at Lucien with a wide smile, making eye contact with the man before she wrapped her lips around him.
She gently twisted her hands around. Lucien felt all of the pleasure in his body rush to his waist. He let out a low grunt, his hands running through Masa’s hair.

I couldn’t, in my life, have expected this. Let alone with a woman as beautiful as her.

She removed one hand and slid it up under the lycans shirt, running her fingers across his abs. Her touch felt really good. Lucien could barely move, he was encompassed in the moment. Color had rushed to his face and as Masahir continued to pleasure him he clenched his teeth and grunted in satisfaction. Removing her second hand she placed both hands on his waist and took more of him in her mouth. Lucien couldn’t help but thrust his hips against her which made the woman moan, leading to a very pleasant sensation. The lycan could feel a swirling sensation in his body as the woman did her thing. The pleasure he was feeling was beginning to come to a head. It felt like a rising sensation from the base of his groin.

I must be the luckiest man in the world right now.

Masahir could feel how his body was reacting and she didn’t let up, even though his thrusts. Lucien’s breathing had become heavy and he was letting out soft moans and grunts. Color filled the woman’s cheeks, she was obviously enjoying herself. The lycan grunted as the moment of climax was upon him. Masahir pushed him down to the back of her throat as the man experienced a throbbing orgasm. Swallowing multiple times the diva pulled away, gently licking the tip as she did, causing Lucien to twitch ever so slightly. Wiping her mouth she stood up as her date fiddled with his pants, zipping himself shut.

That was the best feeling I’ve ever experienced.

“There are no words to describe how that felt.” Lucien said with an exhausted sigh.

“Oh yeah?” The diva said with a smile weaving her arm around Lucien’s.

“I’m glad you liked it, handsome. It was really hot.”

Lucien kissed her one last time. “Shall we?” He motioned towards the exit of the alley.

 

[Masahir N'air]

CONTENT WARNING: Sexual Content; Very Light BDSM mentioned​

"I had a good time tonight, thank you Lucien~"

Masahir was standing in the doorway to the shop, light spilling from the room behind her and out into the street. The warm illumination pooled around the Lycan's feet, dragging long shadows out behind him in the night. He grinned wolfishly at her, flashing beautiful teeth in his pleased amusement. "Anytime sweetheart... I enjoyed it too." He paused to consider his words for only a moment, the blush of his intoxication still plain on his face, "I'd love to take you out again, I haven't had such a good night out in a long time."

Her smile wasn't lost in the shadows of her face. "Yeah," came her breathless, contended sigh, "I think I'd like that too~..." She stretched her arms up and yawned, blinking softly. "It's getting pretty late. Good night, Lucien. Keep me in your dreams tonight, mi amor~"

"Good night.." He remarked as the heavy wooden door closed behind her. His sharp ears pricked at the quick succession of locks dully-clicking into place, and he found himself standing alone in the dark of the night with a growing sense of apprehension.

He couldn't believe how well everything had shaken out. Really. A woman that beautiful going on a date with him felt almost like some sort of act of divine providence, as if the universe was finally putting some good karma into his turbulent life story. He knew he'd hold onto the feeling of tonight for as long as he possibly could, until it was worn and tattered at the edges. Masahir was stunning, absolutely breathlessly graceful and had irrevocably ignited an ember buried behind his well-built breast. For the first time in ages, his heart fluttered again.

~ * * * ~​

The dancer flopped lazily on her bed, pulling her phone out of her pocket. She hoped that hot stud found the cutesy note she'd slipped unnoticed into his pocket during their affair, all decorated with pink hearts and her phone number, followed with an excitedly written "TEXT ME!! <3".

(1) New Message
From: Iris Severity

I sent you Demetri's number by the way, I noticed how you stare at him all starry-eyed! - sent 11:00pm​

The diva bit her lip and smirked, running a hand through her curls as she stared at the string of digits. She rolled onto her back and worked the buttons of her red blouse-shirt loose until the entire garment hung open at her sides. She paused, thumb hovering over the green phone symbol. He had told her to call him, but... it was quickly edging closer to midnight. She knew men like him skulked around at night in the shadows, and she knew men like him would probably prefer to not take a voice call while working. Masa instead tapped the 'new message' button and sent the number a playful text as a light flirty tease.

He made her head and heart feel stupid when he paid attention to her. He was devilish, positively charming and coy. He dared her to trust him, to let him pull her into deep waters with the promise of scandal. Gods have mercy on her big, silly heart, but she hadn't exactly betted on him showing up to their shop after all the sass and needling her mama had done. She was crushing so astoundingly hard... Men with beards, she thought, beards and light eyes... ugh... She closed her eyes and rested the screen of her phone on the sloping bridge of her nose.

Why do so many boys have to be so damn hot? It's just not fair... She trailed the fingers of her free hand down her stomach, sending little shocking shivers across her skin. She bet the handsome Demetri was as good with his hands as he was with that silver tongued mouth of his.

She felt the pleasant bzz-bzz alert of her phone go off on her forehead. The brunette cracked an eye open, pulling the screen back when her heavy lashes smooshed against it. Her face lit up in a big smile and her heart fluttered in tingly excitement, he'd flirted back and sent her a selfie of him at some fancy ritzy type space party, daring her to think of all the places they might be able to sneak into. With a single deft hand she unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them down her hips, and gave soft breathy gasps at the silky texture of her cold satin sheets sliding against the warm skin of her thighs. The hairs on her arm stood in sharp attention as goosebumps prickled over her flesh in waves. The dancer gazed longingly into her camera and snapped a selfie back to her newest beau before tossing her phone to the side, unable to help but groan when she finally paid long needed attention to her slick desire.

She bet an experienced man like him knew how to read her body like an atlas and navigate her deepest needs.

She bet a mischievous rogue like him enjoyed having long drunken nights of passion and hedonism.

She bet that such a handsome man like him, with that rich sultry voice of his, could make her sing the most beautiful symphonies.

She betted that he'd grin in confidence whenever he unwound her tensions and let her play out like a music box.

Her breath quickened as she arched her back, her mouth open in silent pleasure.

She hoped that he would possess her and consume her, that he would get as lost in her as she was in him. Her head ran wild with all the fantasies she reflected onto that devilishly charming rogue in all black. A defiant, debaucherous guy wearing black leather with such a neatly groomed beard and black-painted nails like him had to be into something kinky after all. There was a darkness to his eyes, a heaviness that made her feel like she was standing by the railing of a great precipice. He was damaged like she was. She bet he'd enjoy choking her pretty neck, or maybe he was the type that just loved being called Papi in the bedroom. Or, she hoped, he liked the heady rush at the risk of being caught in public as much as she did.

She threw her head back into her plush pillows and quietly mewled his name to a needy, breathlessly lewd crescendo that left her a total jelly-boned wreck. Oh she couldn't wait to experience him and all of his passionate, messy, dirty surprises and secrets- she was more than willing to dare tasting his bitter, personal poison in exchange for the sweetness of his unfettered desires. She just hoped that he was half as good as her vibrant daydreams, for her own sake.

Thread End.​