[R] Prey; .Auki and Serendipitous Bliss.

[Mysteria]

Auki:

He twitched his left arm, flexing each finger individually. He could hear the shuffling of hands nearby but lacked the energy to open his eyes. A wet flannel rested against his forehead, a bead of water dripping from it to run past his left temple, tickling the skin – It felt unusually cool. He wanted to fall back asleep as he had so many times before. He doubted that whoever else occupied the room knew he had regained consciousness.

It had happened near on a week ago now – His feverish memories were blurred and distorted but their screams were still burned in his mind. He wanted to forget but they haunted him. Why had he survived? The predators hadn’t even been searching for them; His party had been stumbled across by accident. Both girls had been nursing him one moment – He had re-entered his animal form thanks to Rem and they had been in the process of reattaching the bags - the next moment, all he could hear was chaos.

And he had run.

The carnivores hadn’t followed him; they were already feasting on his companions. The thought made him gag and he tensed his eyes to stop any chance of them watering. He had barely known the pair. Although he wanted to cling to hope, he doubted the other group had survived. He was sure it was just him and the three piglets that had survived the ordeal. He knew there were three left due to an overheard conversation the day before last. The other two were dead – One had fallen out in Darnel’s haste to escape, the other’s heart had failed at the stress of it all. There was still Paradise to aim for…but without a group accompanying him, what was the point?

Opening his eyes, he stared blankly up at the rotting wood ceiling. The room was neat and as clean as possible but the age of the building clearly showed. These were the people who had managed to rescue him – Prey – hiding in an abandoned farmhouse – lost and alone just like himself, where the party had originally planned to meet. He was lain on a bundle of blankets, unclothed under a single woollen blanket that itched his skin. Deep scratches criss-crossed his right shoulder and arm where one of the carnivores had attempted to claw him – The wounds were likely to never fully heal. He could already tell the limb would be more difficult to manoeuvre painlessly and would likely hinder his travels…if he travelled.

Next to him lay another patient, one he didn’t expect to see. A dog lay quietly on the bed-mat beside him, both its left front leg and right back leg reduced to bloody bandaged stubs. How it had come to be so gravely injured he did not know; why the Prey were tending him he also wondered. He was too tired however to protest being lain next to such an animal. It took Darnel a few minutes of staring at the dog to notice the male sitting at the foot of its makeshift bed. The guy, who couldn’t have been much older than Darnel, gave him a silent nod of acknowledgement – Darnel returned the gesture with a dazed frown, his attention diverted to the flickering hands of the male. Sign language? He gave up trying to understand the situation he had been placed in and returned his gaze to the wooden planks above. He wanted to plan his next moves, his next destinations, but his thoughts strayed back to his lost companions – Those he had entrusted his future in, only to lose them after a day.

[Mysteria]

Serendipitious Bliss:

I’m a good runner, I’m a good hider, I’m a good runner, I’m a good hider, I’m a good runner…

Amanda’s lungs burned as she ran, breathing erratic, panting; her vision was starting to blur now, and the backs of her thighs were numb where her bag hit. It felt like she had been running for miles, arms pumping at her sides, cold sweat mixing with her tears that streaked down her face. Her strides grew smaller and her pace started to finally slow, but her body was screaming at her, legs wanting to keep moving, even though she couldn’t.

You cannot stop, Todd’s voice rung in her ears, making her choke on a sob and stumble to the ground. The tall grass hid her as she rolled onto her back and she begged to whatever higher power there might be, Please do not let some stupid bird come along…

To think, nearly a week ago the blond had actually slept in a bed. And had other people around her. And kissed a really cute boy. And seen actual, real animals. And almost made friends. And pummeled a coyote close to death.
But no, all good things must come to an end; the last time she’d seen any of them, carnivores had crawled out of a manhole in pursuit of them, and she had gotten a few hits in before scattering – not knowing what happened to the brothers, Aijah, Seth, Claire, and no idea if the other group was even alive.

“Where was I going, anyways?” Amanda asked herself aloud while turning over on to her stomach and beginning to crawl through the long grass. A more important question would probably be “Where am I?” but that had never been how Amanda’s mind worked. Sighing, the blond peeked her head just over the top of the grasses, violet eyes scanning the area; trees scattered the rolling hills and in the distance she could see the city behind her, river winding through the area, and a lone building quite a ways to her left.

The setting sun painted the sky shades of red, the cloud’s indigo – it was time for prey to hide, and Amanda needed cover. The tiny girl gathered herself to her feet, readjusted the bag across her body, and headed toward what looked like to be an old barn, in hopes that it was empty, or that she’d at least be in good company.

[Mysteria]

Auki:

In his silence, he had time to contemplate the power he had witnessed. Trapped in a studio flat for two years, the fear of carnivores had been instilled in him. He had seen his parents dragged off for slaughter, as well as his sister who Darnel felt had been too young to comprehend what was truly happening. He had seen from afar as his family’s unconscious bodies were dumped in the back of a truck and silently driven back towards the city. He had lived in a village near the Grand City – A closeted place called Vastil. With his life destroyed he had moved into the capital, following that old saying about keeping your enemies close. His plan, despite being flawed, had at least kept him alive. Then he had rushed headfirst like he always did, following the orders of a retired innkeeper in a hope of escaping his miserable life. He had almost died. The thought of that sent shivers down his spine. He had never truly felt a fear for predators until now – He had discovered what it was really like to be prey.

The fading red light crept through gaps in the splintered walls – If Darnel had had the energy to move, he could have watched the sun set through the partially rotted window. As it was he lay on his back, watching the shadows dance as the light began to die. Soon, he would close his eyes and drift back into a restless sleep. He was exhausted after all, even after so many days of rest. His body was still attempting to heal itself.

A creak of the barn doors could be heard but he ignored it – The keepers of the building were constantly passing in and out. He closed his eyes, just to open them in shock just moments later.

“Holy freaking mother of dogs,” the male next to him exclaimed, leaping up from where he sat. The Elkhound in front of him followed his gaze and began barking excitedly seconds later, its tail wagging limply from side to side, “Amanda! Amanda, you’re alive!”

Without thinking, Darnel jerked his body upright, just to collapse back in agony. He gave a couple grunts as he tried to shake off the pain, twisting his head determinedly to catch a glimpse of who they were shouting to.

[Mysteria]

Serendipitous Bliss:

The sun had slipped below the horizon before Amanda had gotten close enough to the barn to smell the prey inside. How have they not been found…? She wondered, frowning and pausing a few yards away from it. She waited a little while before pressing closer to the building, watching as several people left, only to soon return. They didn’t seem to be predators, so she frowned a little before making her final decision.

The barn door left grime on Amanda’s pale palms and she frowned after she closed the smaller door inside the much larger one, like a mouse’s in some fairy tale. As she wiped the dirt off of her palms onto her denim pants, a familiar voice reached her ears, soon followed by barking, and her blond head whipped up, a gasp drawing into her lungs.

“Shaun?!” She felt her heart pounding in her ears – They’d survived! – but maybe it was just from Josh’s barking. The little blond darted forward into a full sprint in a matter of feet and practically threw herself at the older boy, who’d been moving towards her.

“Ah! I was so worried, I had no idea what happened to you guys,” she gushed, probably speaking too quickly for her own, or anyone else’s, good. “The coyote went down under me and I just wanted to get out of there, I’m so sorry, Shaun, Joshua. Are you guys ok…?”

Amanda pulled away from Shaun, then past him, towards the barking – and then to the figure beside the Elkhound and her stomach leapt into her throat; she knew who he was, but it still took a moment for it to register, and it was definitely long enough for her insides to get all knotted up.

“Darnel…” She murmured and her violet eyes wandered over his rather crumbled-looking form while her insides did a few more back flips. What color there was in her face drained and she went to his side, lips silent, but quivering lightly as they moved; she shook her head slowly from side to side, noting where his wounds were – obvious, by the bandages that covered him – and where not to probably touch him.

“By all that is good, what…” Her eyes went back to his face, locking on his as her palm rested as lightly as a feather on his cheek. “What happened?”

[Mysteria]

Auki:

Shaun braced himself for Amanda’s weight and was slightly shocked to discover how light she was. “Don’t apologise! There’s no way you could have fought,” he smiled with a small chuckle – A pressure in his chest had lifted. He was just glad someone other than the two of them had survived, “And we’re just fine, me and Josh. We’d survive anything.” Joshua, who had been intently watched their lip movements, gave a frown and wiggled his two limb stumps around to try and indicate he was not okay but Shaun ignored him.
“This place is great, isn’t it?” He continued on, “It turns out the Mayor’s son is Prey and he’s been providing shelter for our kind for the last two years. It’s only a pit stop of course. You’re not allowed to stay longer than a fortnight unless they enlist you as staff but…I mean…” He trailed off as Amanda noticed the guy lying beside them. When he saw the look on her face, he remained silent, smiling softly at the pair. His hands flickered soundlessly to Joshua, continuing their previous conversation about what might have happened to their mother, allowing the two to talk undisturbed.

---

Something clenched at the bottom of Darnel’s stomach as he watched Amanda throw herself into the other male’s arms. Every muscle in his body seemed to tense, his icy green eyes glaring at her back.

Fine then. I’ll just wait ‘til you’re ready to notice me, aye?

Even though his thoughts were moody, he couldn’t stay angry at her – Not at a time like this. He had never felt so relieved in his life as to discover one of the others had survived. He was convinced he had escaped alone but now he knew they had escaped together. It elevated his mood.

Patience. Patience. Patience.

He repeated the word in his mind as he waited for her attention, fists clenched slightly. He would bring this up another time and make her feel guilty then. For now, he was patient. When she did finally draw close, his cheeks grew warm. She shouldn’t have to see him in such a state; it was embarrassing. He gave a shaky laugh, and placed his hand over hers, holding it closer to his cheek. She was stone cold – How long she must have been outside, he didn’t know. “Not my best look, right?” He sighed, the exhalation turning into a couple rough coughs. Then he realised what she’d said.

“What happened?”

He didn’t look at her for a while as he mulled over her question. “The other girls died,” he murmured after a while and he pulled her hand to his mouth, pressing his lips lightly against her skin – The sort of kiss a gentleman much unlike himself would have done back when things were normal. “You’re cold,” he continued, his voice unusually quiet. He still felt warm – Perhaps his fever was returning.

“Get under the blanket. You’re gonna freeze to death as you are.” In his exhausted state, he forgot to take note of his apparent nakedness. The small part of his mind that registered it didn’t care. He was genuinely concerned for her – To him, such an icy temperature didn’t seem to suit her pale complexion, despite what one would expect. He gave a small tug of her hand. “We can’t both get ill now, can we?”

[Mysteria]

Lady Of Shalott:

“Not your best look?” She scowled at him then gave weak laugh as his turned into a rough cough, shaking her head as he kept her hand against his cheek. Amanda hadn’t quite realized how cold she was until his feverish skin touched hers – his face was hot, her fingers cold.

“The other girls died,” he told her and she winced slightly, closing her eyes. Those poor girls, she thought, before her thoughts were interrupted. She blinked her eyes open curiously as he moved her hand to his lips and pressed a burning kiss against the back of her hand.

“You’re broiling,” she told him, leaning close. “And I’m not going to freeze to death, silly.” The blond scolded him playfully, toed off her muck-covered shoes, shed her jacket, then moved to slip under the covers. A squeak of surprise came as she hesitated and she glanced away from his nude form under the covers, blush claiming her features.

“Yo-you’re naked, Darnel! Is this some weak try at getting to bed me?” She slid under the covers, though, facing him. She stroked his cheek softly, her arms folded between their two bodies; Amanda studied his facial features, the color of his eyes, angle of his cheek bones, how his lips curved, parted when he breathed.

And that stupid pink streak in his hair.

“How did this happen?” She sighed, shaking her head a little. Though, whether she was referring to how hard her heart was beating and how her skin was much warmer now, or how the group’s plans had fallen apart, was unclear.

[Auki]

“Firstly,” he said, tapping her on the nose, “It doesn’t matter if I’m naked. It’s not like I have anything to be embarrassed of, aye?” He looked down at her dishevelled state; she seemed smaller than he remembered. That was probably why he expected her dead – He had doubted someone so delicate could have escaped such an ordeal. Such unjust notations made him feel guilty, if only for a moment. He would just have to protect her from now on.

“Secondly, I don’t think the old hag ever expected us all to make it out alive,” he sighed, stroking a hand absently through her hair. This was how he used to lie with his girlfriend, all them years ago…before she tried to eat him. She had always been too independent though, constantly trying to assert authority over everyone. He’d hated that – He liked to be boss after all. With Amanda, however, she tucked beside him – From what he’d seen she could be strong for the most part, while at other times, she needed someone to comfort and protect her. He’d never thought the two qualities could coincide within one person. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of it, whether he liked it or he didn’t, whether he would see a new side of her once they got better acquainted.

“Maybe she didn’t expect any of us to survive. Maybe she thought she was just clutching onto a hopeless fantasy, that somehow the pigs would make it to Paradise and peace would be restored. I don’t, however, think the predators were anything caused by her deliberate intentions. She had no motive to betray us after all, right?”

He shifted his head, wondering if he’d be able to see down Amanda’s top, but dismissed the thought almost instantly. What was he doing? He must still be feverish. He had been brought up better than that, right? Still, his curiosity pondered on whether her chest was any more or less (if that was possible) impressive unclothed. Not that it mattered; he didn’t think she was that type of girl anyway.

And in a small way, he was relieved that she wasn’t.

“Do you think we can make it to Paradise by ourselves? Should we even bother trying…?”

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

Amanda listened to him speak, her small body pressed close against his, enjoying the sound of his voice, how she could feel it in his chest; she absorbed his words, turning them over in her mind.

Firstly— nothing to be embarrassed about indeed, the blond thought.

Secondly— “Who doesn’t have their own fantasies that they clutch to? How many of us want the peace restored – both predator and prey alike? How many of us carry guilt heavy on our shoulders, Darnel? We may run for our lives, but the meat eaters have killed their family, their loved ones, friends, and strangers because they’re starving, because their instinct to survive kicks in and they can’t control themselves."

She paused, thinking. It was strange for her to be saying these things out loud, but was she wrong? Amanda continued, "They have to live with what they do on their conscious, know that they killed – do you think it’s easy for them? I can’t imagine it is. I mean, not all of them can be like Shaun and Josh or like my brothers. I don’t think she had a reason to betray us. I really don’t.” She sighed, shifting a little as if uncomfortable, and then meeting his eyes. She watched as they flickered down, between them and she arched an eyebrow before continuing. Amanda wondered what he was thinking.

“If we don’t even bother to try getting to Paradise, then all of this will have been in vain. Do you really want them to have died for nothing? I don’t.”

[Auki]

He lay in silence for a moment, pondering on what she had said.
“You’re a strange girl, Amanda,” he murmured, “I’ve never heard anyone talk of predators as anything but monsters. I think a part of me forgets they used to be our friends and family…”
He noticed her arched eyebrow and gave an embarrassed cough, diverting his gaze fixedly onto the ceiling. Had she noticed his wandering gaze? He had to remind himself she wasn’t an idiot; Even if it pained him to admit it, she was cleverer than him. Damn it but he would never voice that opinion aloud. He just had to be more careful about where he let his eyes look.

Should he even be thinking like this? It seemed ridiculous that he wasn’t mourning his companions more, that he wasn’t wallowing in depression. Perhaps his mind was trying to protect him but no matter how he tried, he could only feel slight remorse for what had happened. That worried him – His emotions had a habit of boiling away beneath the surface and then exploding at random.

“I don’t know if we can do it by yourselves,” he murmured, “It’ll be so much more difficult.” He shuffled down further under the blanket as a harsh breeze swept in through a crack in the wall. “For one, I’d had to carry the piglets every day in horse form. You’d be responsible for activating my quirk every morning. You sure you can handle that, aye?”

Turning on his side to face her, he propped his head up on one elbow and surveyed her before abruptly averting his gaze. Suddenly death seemed all the more terrifying, although he would never mention that to the girl. If they were going to make it to Paradise, they would have to leave as soon as possible – One of the Prey was bound to have reported back about the two of them escaping. He might have to journey regardless of his persistent fever – It wasn’t like it was severe anyway. They’d just have to be careful.

“You’ll sleep here with me tonight, won’t you? I want you to sleep here.”

His eyes were feeling unusually heavy and he scrubbed at them to keep himself awake. He was a man after all; He couldn’t be overcome by exhaustion halfway through a conversation.

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

A strange girl. Amanda didn’t know how to respond to that – whether to be complimented or offended – and she was too exhausted to really be bothered by it. Her eyelids were drooping over her purple irises and small frame felt heavy.

“I don’t think we would have to do it by ourselves. The boys can always join us if they want,” she glanced back over her shoulder towards the brothers. “Otherwise, I think we can do it. You’re a tough cookie, Darnel. So am I. I could help carry some of the piglets, and I don’t think I’d mind too much… Activating your quirk, you know.”

Her face heated with blush and she smiled a little, scooting a little closer to him; she could feel herself getting a bit warmer and shifted again, stifling a yawn. Her thoughts were starting to trail off, consciousness slipping away – she had to stay awake; please don’t let her change right here! How embarrassing...

“If we’re going to try… We should probably leave soon, you know,” she commented, only to yawn again. “Only, I’m pretty sure you’re still sick… I wonder if we can find some medicine for you...?”

Amanda blinked curiously at Darnel as he spoke again. Sleep with him, here? He wanted her to… She bit her lip and blushed again, closing her eyes. Amanda hadn’t planned on going anywhere else, at least not consciously.

“Sure I will,” she replied. “I mean, since you want me to…”

The blond shivered a little and closed her eyes – wrong move. Her consciousness slipped away from her, brain waves moving from alpha to theta, the first stage of sleep, and triggering her quirk. Her body changed, clothes growing loose, and she became the cat-sized Red Panda she did every time she lost consciousness or was injured.

[Auki]

Darnel glanced down at the now bundle of clothing in fascination. Despite his exhaustion, he peeked under the opening of her shirt and choked back a laugh. Falling asleep? Was that her quirk? The Red Panda looked quite content with its bed but Darnel worried about her limited air supply. He waited a few minutes before scooping up the animal, placing her closer to the top of the blanket, careful not to wake her. She looked peaceful; harmless. Strange, strange girl… His last thoughts murmured before he too fell asleep.

---

Picking up the bucket in one swift movement, Darnel tipped the icy water over himself, a small gasp escaping his lips; partially for the chill that seeped through his skin, partially because the rough movement caused his injured shoulder muscles to cramp painfully. “For fuck’s sake,” he muttered, throwing the emptied bucket to the ground with his good arm. He wasn’t used to his movements being limited and he hated it – He’d just gained his freedom from that damn city and now, here he was, unable to lift a bucket over his head without crippling himself. Grabbing the towel from the rack to his right, he began to dry himself off more carefully, glancing across the barn to where Amanda lay, still asleep. He was glad she didn’t see his wounded awkwardness, purely to save himself from his own embarrassment. He was meant to be a man; it’s not like he could protect her like this.

Replacing the towel, he wandered back to his bed, the blankets pulled back just enough that he could see her Red Panda face. Shaun and Joshua had both been absent when he’d awoken. He cocked his head to one side; the barn was empty minus the two of them. “Amanda…” he said softly, scratching at the stubble pushing its way through on his chin, “…Amanda.”

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

“Amanda…” The voices of her brothers… The urge to weep made her shudder and she drew closer to herself, curling into a ball.

“Amanda…” This voice was different. This voice, she could hear every day and never tire of it. Not to say that she couldn’t listen to her brothers’ voices every day, especially now that she could never hear them again but in her mind, but… She longed to hear this voice in a different way, and she was a little scared of how deeply Darnel affected her.

It was only a moment later she realized she was awake. And naked. And hardly covered by the sheets, with her size change. The blond sat up with a gasp and blushed – the color bright red against her pale skin – pulling up the sheets to cover her breasts. She cleared her throat awkwardly and glanced around the barn – to see if anyone else had seen her exposed body, and found it empty, to her surprise.

Amanda’s violet eyes found Darnel’s face and she only proved to blush deeper as she stammered, “G-g’morning. Where is everyone?”

[Auki]

Darnel started as she changed, clutching the towel wrapped around his waist hastily to stop his movement from revealing too much beneath it. He watched her for a moment in fascination before releasing her nakedness. “Oh god,” he murmured, finding an interest in the ceiling until she had covered herself. He would not be the type of guy to stare at the body of a girl so clearly embarrassed by her exposure; although when his gaze returned back to looking at Amanda, his mind refused to focus on nothing else but what he had glimpsed. He ended up blushing just as much as she did, Damn it, I’m trying to be respectful and all that and it just makes me look like an idiot.

He was not a shy man but with Amanda, he tried his best to avoid any behaviour he thought might offend her.

“G-g’morning. Where is everyone?”

Rolling his still-painful shoulder in its socket, he gave a nervous grin, “Breakfast must have already started; this barn houses those in less serious conditions and the owners deem it uncivilised to eat meals in a place like this so…everyone should be in the dining hall now.” He swallowed, his eyes shifting to look away from her violet eyes, “I’m not exactly hungry though.”

He scratched his chin again, “If you intend to come with me, then we need to leave sooner than later. It won’t be much but I’m sure we could make some progress today…Just need to pack and all that…”

He sighed and moved to sit himself beside her, placing himself above the blanket to stop her getting angry at him, “You sure you want to do this with me? I’m not the smartest bloke you’ll meet, I mean. I have no idea how to even start getting prepared for our journey all over again – Thinking…Thinking gives me a headache.”

He rested his head in his hands and sighed, exhausted by the mere thought of what lay ahead.

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

Amanda's eyes flickered to the movement as Darnel rolled his shoulder and she frowned just slightly - it must still be causing him pain. She listened to his words, still trying to bat away the butterflies his voice stirred in her stomach.

"No, I'm not all that hungry. Eating will be helpful, though, and an apple may be nice... Do you think they have them?" She asked as he scratched his chin, dark stumble sprouting through his skin, giving him a rougher look; it suited what they'd gone through - she wondered what she looked like.

"I don't need to think twice about it, Darnel. I'm coming with you, we're doing this - together," Amanda watched him as he sat beside her, leaned forward and put his head in his hands. Even though she was sure they'd both slept, he looked tired.

The blond felt herself lean towards him, but as her lips met his temple, she found herself startled at her own movement. She left them there for a moment, however, as a "feel better" kiss for his head, hoping such a small gesture wouldn't trigger his quirk - he'd said it took a kiss, but there are a lot of kinds of kisses... Her mind trailed off a moment to the inn, their kiss there. She sighed gently and leaned her head on his good shoulder, closing her eyes.

"Don't hurt yourself with thinking too much, dummy," she said softly, her hands moving across his skin. One rested against his upper arm and the other on his injured shoulder, careful, but gently massaging and trying to soothe it, hoping she wasn't causing more pain.

"We can do this."

[Auki]

Darnel almost turned to kiss her on the lips but restrained himself. The most obvious reason was his unwillingness to trigger his quirk, the other reason being… before his isolation he had always rushed into things – Rushed the girl, rushed himself in some parts – and things had gone wrong. He had misread signs, he had hurt girls emotionally, he had lied and even cheated a few times; none of which he could claim to be proud of. The one girl he had attempted to settle down with had tried to eat him. He was a romantic fuck-up. And Amanda…Well, he couldn’t do that to her. She deserved someone who was going to treat her right…right?

He gave a small appreciative sigh as she rubbed over his shoulder with delicate hands. “Whatever you say, sweetheart,” he murmured, “Guess we just have to see how it goes.” Despite how much he was enjoying her massage however, it was getting later in the morning. He was not one to sit around idly. Yawning, he rose, picking her up as he went. Cradling her in his arms, he turned a full circle with a confused look. “There’s a basket around here somewhere…You can’t wear them clothes you came it…”

He hefted her closer to his body, one arm hooked under her knees, the other supported her back – Her weight tugged painfully at his shoulder but he ignored it, “There it is.” A large basket in the corner contained an assortment of mismatched clothing and he hastily made his way towards it. He was hesitant to put Amanda down, enjoying the feel of her body, but did so anyway with a muttered, “Don’t take all day now.” Her own clothes, as well as dirty and damaged, would be carrying dangerous scents; it was better to start afresh. He himself ditched the towel around his waist and began to rummage through the bundle of shirts on the top, “And just so you know, I’m glad I’ve got a girl as great as you coming with me…”
One that knows to give me a kick up the arse to get me going and still looks pretty while she does it.

He hoisted a plain white shirt against his chest before she could reply, “Too small? Too big? I have no idea when it comes to clothes.”

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

Amanda smiled slightly and nodded her head as he agreed in his boyish way; she watched the slight change in his features as she massaged his shoulder – apparently, he was enjoying it. Suddenly (well, to her at least) Darnel rose, holding her bride-style in his arms, and she let out a surprised little squeak.

“Darnel! Your shoulder, you shouldn’t lift me,” she said, but didn’t do much to support the statement. The blond didn’t do as much as squirm, since she was afraid to cause his shoulder more pain and she didn’t really mind. Amanda winced for him as he shifted how he held her, to get more comfortable apparently.

“Clothes… Would be good,” she muttered, feeling the need to add something after his statement as he looked around and then went over to the large basket of clothes.

She looked at him as she felt him hesitate to put her down – perhaps that was troublesome to his shoulder, also? Amanda regretted the distance from him once she was standing on her own next to him, cool morning air rushing into the space between them.

“Don’t worry, Darnel, I don’t change five times like some other girls,” she said playfully, trying to distract herself from the butterflies in her stomach again.

Which was made much harder to when his towel came off of his waist. Amanda turned her head and sorted through the basket in a pre-occupied manner with him as her face turned beet red. Talk about hung like a – Amanda stopped her own train of thought with a little choke, immediately embarrassed of her own thoughts. She caught only parts of what he’d said and looked up at him hesitantly when he finished, slightly confused until she was able to push her own dirty thoughts aside and put together his sentence.

“Oh… Ah… Well, you’re welcome?” She didn’t know quite how to take such a statement, but he was already speaking again, asking her about the simple white T-shirt he was holding against his chest.

“Uh…” She shook her head and stood up straight, facing him, making sure that the sheets that drowned her figure were securely tucked under her armpits to keep them around her, so she could keep her hands free. She pinched the seams of his proposed shirt and tucked them against his sides then leaned back to judge the length. “Well, as long as you don’t mind it being a little tight, it should be all right for you.”

Then, Amanda flashed him a little smile and turned back to the basket of clothes, attempting to find something that wouldn’t be too big for her – the blonde’s best bet was going to probably be children’s clothes. She sighed again as started at a bright pink shirt with embroidered little flowers all over it before discarding it to the other side of the basket.

[Auki]

“Tight is always good,” he muttered with a suggestive grin before returning to riffle through the clothes once more. His search produced a couple more shirts, roughly the same size, a pair of jeans and some combat trousers. Hoisting on the latter and the white T-shirt, he quickly found a dark green jacket to complete ‘the look’.
“This is so not my style,” he grunted in annoyance, glancing down at himself, his mind wandering to his favoured clothes. They had made statements, looked sexy and were personalised by him; ripped and cut how he decided. He had no idea how to alter clothes like these. He would figure it out if he ever got a free moment.

Amanda was still looking; a top grasped in her hands that he assumed was made for young teenagers. Was she really going to wear clothes like that? The only girl he was going to have true contact with and he was going to feel like a paedophile every time he glanced her way. At least she was making progress however – He did not doubt that any other girl would have him here for hours. He rolled his shoulder again, anxious that it did not get cramp, and sighed at the discomfort that came with the movement. He was buzzing, full of energy; he needed to move around properly.

“I’m going to go tell the owners we’re leaving,” he told Amanda, “You’ll be okay by yourself, right?” Upon confirmation that he could leave, he strode towards the barn doors eagerly, glancing around for possible dangers outside – as was the instinct of Prey – before jogging into the house next door.

Those already in the building were of all ages and races, an assortment of people who would struggle to be more diverse. Excluding the mayor’s family, however, they were all Prey. They bustled through the house carrying plates and bowls, attempting to find somewhere unoccupied to eat their breakfast. Darnel was not a ‘people person’, finding the situation to be somewhat overwhelming – He knew exactly where the mayor would be though, learnt through overheard conversations whilst he pretended to sleep. Descending a stone staircase, moving two steps at a time, he entered the basement with a sigh of relief, glad to have left behind the throngs of people. The mayor, situated in the middle of the room, did not acknowledge his presence, to Darnel’s annoyance.

He scratched his chin and waited for…what, fifteen minutes at least?…until the older man finally lifted his head from the book he was scribbling in.

“Can I help you with something, lad?”
“Me and my friend…that new, blonde girl…we’re leaving.”
“I see…”
“We need our things back please. Y’know, the piglets and all.”

The mayor sighed and ran a hand through the thin wisps of white hair that still clung to his scalp, “Ah yes…You plan to carry these animals to the so-called Paradise.” He indicated to a small makeshift pen in the back corner; thanks to his height, Darnel could see the piglets contentedly huddled within it. “ Lad, don’t you think someone older would have more luck,” the mayor said, his eyes flickering to the younger boy’s wounded shoulder. Darnel made a non-committal shrug, “Time’s too precious to waste trying to find the ‘perfect guy’ to carry them. Me and Amanda will manage somehow. The only problem we’re going to have is our scent.”

The mayor perked up a bit at the last comment, rolling his eyes and taking a glance around the room, “Olfactory mimicry it’s called. I’ve been hiding Prey for decades now; I’ll have something.” He rummaged through some boxes, muttering to himself, Darnel standing by the steps with a confused expression.
A few minutes later and the elder man straightened, two scarves held in his left hand. He threw them to Darnel and returned to his chair in the middle of the room. He took a swig out a beer can before returned his attention to the woven fabric in Darnel’s hands,
“Olfactory mimicry – Mimicking another’s scent to further chances of survival…or something to that extent. Those scarves are from Al’Yuna, the largest export of animal-made products in the world – Their laws are loose enough to allow products like that to be made. Bathe regularly to wash off your own scent and wear them around your necks to mask the smell.
And just as a warning, I know you kids are used to living in the Grand City but law isn’t as organised in the other cities. Most cities don’t even have police systems; those that do are corrupted and unjust. Whether you smell like Prey or Predator, you’re bound to get in a fight. Try not to draw too much attention to yourself.”

The mayor dropped his gaze and returned to scribbling in his book. Darnel sniffed tentatively at the material in his hands; one was dark brown, woven from dog’s fur, the other white from a polar bear’s. All this hiding, masking his scent, he couldn’t wait to be rid of it. He slung both scarves over his shoulder and went about sedating the piglets and packing them into their bags. Two other men had to be called to help him carry the heavy packs back to the barn. Amanda had thankfully chosen her clothes in the time he had been gone.

“According to these guys, we have our instructions. When we’re ready to leave, the mayor has hired a boat that’s going to take us to Sekovia – Get us away from the Grand City as quickly as possible. The city police might still follow us there but they’d struggle to find us in a city like Sekovia; what with it being controlled by gangs and all that. He’s given us the money to pay the entering fee and even buy a pack-horse there if we want to – Think I’d like to, y’know, freeing another Prey from the bitch of a life they must be living. We’ll have to buy any other supplies out the money Bertha gave us though. After that, we just need to find our own way; shouldn’t be too hard as soon as my shoulder’s better.”

He glanced up, throwing her the polar bear fur scarf with a grin, “Your disguise, madam. Whenever you’re ready we can get going.”

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

As Amanda continued looking for clothes that would fit her properly, Darnel found himself clothes and got dressed; whether she was disappointed or not about this she did not know, which made her blush.

“Of course I’ll be all right by myself,” she scoffed at the notion of her not being able to handle herself. The blond even gave a little amused snort.

She watched him go, and then dropped the blanket she held around herself; Amanda shivered and quickly wiggled into the only pair of pants she’d found to fit her – a pair of Daisy-Duke style shorts, which weren’t exactly comfortable. Her legs were just as pale as the rest of her, but nicely shaped, so she wasn’t too ashamed to show them off. Amanda then pulled on two tank tops, one after the other, layering them strategically; she found a zip-front sweatshirt and pulled it on. Her KEDs had been ruined from trudging through the sewers and were nowhere to be seen, so she made an effort to find a good pair of shoes; in her search, she found a pair of black Chuck Taylor Converse and put them on with an extra pair of socks.

Dressed, she went back to where she and Darnel had slept and pulled on her brother’s jacket. The more clothes she was wearing the better, she’d learned. She ran her hands over the leather of the coat and closed her eyes with a sigh. It still smelled a little like the sewers, but the scent of her brother still overwhelmed it, thankfully.

Hopefully, it always would. The blond couldn’t even stand the thought of losing her brother’s scents and pushed the train of thought away.

With a sigh, Amanda took up her bag and rifled through it. She didn’t have much left; she’d eaten all the food she’d saved up and the rest of it were things from home, a pocket knife, some bandages, generic pain killers, antibiotic ointment, and a spiral-bound notebook. The blond slung the leather satchel bag across her body and went back over to the basket of clothes, folding a few shirts, a blanket, and another pair of pants and pushing them inside. Picking up a dress she’d laid over the side of the basket, she mused over the thought of bringing it; the garment wasn’t very practical, but it wouldn’t hurt either. She folded it, too, and slid it into the bag.

The barn door opened, startling her and she whirled around, grasping the pocket knife and readying herself to draw the blade. When she saw it was Darnel, she relaxed and let go of the weapon, sliding her hand out of her bag; she sighed.

She listened to him carefully as he spoke and she shook her head, catching the scarf he tossed at her and slinging it around her neck. “Joy, what a perfect joy. Sekovia is so gross,” she complained and shook her head. “But, I’m ready.”

She glanced around the barn one last time, feeling like she was forgetting something. Then she looked to him and gave a little shrug, tucking her blond hair behind her left ear.

[Auki]

Their trip was mediocre. With one cabin between the two of them, he refused to sleep anywhere but the floor, being the gentleman he thought she wanted, despite the pain that radiated through his shoulder. The pigs were stored safely below deck; sedated and therefore, silent. Even so, Darnel still tensed whenever a ship went past, – and there were a lot seeing as they were sailing down a main trade point – wondering if someone would catch their scent, but the passengers never did anything more than wave friendly. By the end of their journey, he was waving back; even smiling at some of the cute ladies they crossed past. The two weeks he was on board made him almost reluctant to get off – Especially at the sight of Sekovia.

The three remaining pigs were bundled into bags; two for him, one for Amanda. He felt bad but there was no way he could carry them all with his injured shoulder. With his own bag slung across one shoulder and the piglets slung across the other, he looked rather suited to the role of traveller; that was the story they’d set themselves if anyone asked – Two young fiancées seeing the world together. The Captain – A lovely man, always laughing - had even found a battered old ring for Amanda to wear. He was still trying to gauge her reaction to the idea; at least he hoped she understood it was the simplest way to describe their predicament.

The city was a sprawl of metal, wood and clay; all plastered together to form makeshift huts. Some buildings were remarkably nicer than the rest – those he assumed were inns or the manors of the richer – towering three times the height of their neighbours. They looked distinctively out-of-place, bright colours contrasting with the general grey of the poorer constructs. Blankets lined the roadside, filled with merchants and their wares screaming prices. The noise was overwhelming but the residents did not seem to notice, dragging their feet as they trundled through the mud-packed streets. The atmosphere was depressing if nothing else.

“What…Where do we go first?” Darnel questioned aloud, his eyes following the forlorn expressions of the crowds. Sekovia was renowned for its gangs, thugs and thieves who had control of the place – Merchants bribing them excessively to be left alone. Normal citizens could not avoid their crime, battered down on the streets for little to no reason. He did not query their attitude – None of them had the money to relocate. They hadn’t the energy to fight back. They were stuck in this miserable slum of a city.

He put an arm around Amanda protectively as a man tried to push past her, smelling distinctively of tiger. He worried he might lose her in the throngs of people – This place was not safe for a girl of her stature. “Any ideas?” He asked, holding her against his chest, “I already feel lost…”

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

Amanda wished for the boat. She didn’t care that at every waking moment the blond had felt nauseous, or that Darnel had slept on the floor… And she definitely didn’t care that he’d waved at pretty girls on passing boats… At least she wouldn’t be scared out of her skin like she was now. Her only consolation was Darnel, and even, just now, he’d admitted to feeling lost, and she could tell he felt slightly intimidated by the city.

“I don’t know,” she admitted with a small shake of her head. The blond leaned into him, glancing around, unconsciously fingering at the pretend engagement ring around her finger. When the Captain of the ship and Darnel had first presented it to her, along with the story, she’d virtually gotten butterflies; she didn’t let either of them know it – especially Darnel – but it pleased her. You know you shouldn’t be getting attached! Amanda chided herself, knowing it was already far too late for that.

“Maybe try and find some food?” She glanced at him, voice low, but they were standing close enough together that they could hear each other over the cacophony of merchants hawking their wares and the conversations of the bustling crowds around them.

Amanda felt a rough nudge against her lower leg and the blond bristled briefly, looking down at the source of the distraction – it was a scarred Komodo dragon, which sent a wave of anxiety through her body. Komodo Dragons can smell by just flicking their tongue in the air and its bite contains a gnarly bacterium that kills the dragon’s meal even if it manages to escape its long, sharp claws and short, dangerous teeth. The blond made a disgusted face and moved through the crowd, her hand tightly holding onto Darnel’s, their fingers laced together.

Together, they took pause near an alleyway, and Amanda looked up and down the street, which proved for her to be useless, as her many of the passerby’s were much taller than her, like Darnel. What she did catch sight of nearby made her nervous again, as a few fairly normal-looking men surrounded a woman and with a bit of disguised force, escorted her inside one of the better looking buildings.

“Whatever we do,” she commented, “let’s do it fast.”

[Auki]

A low growl rose in his throat, harmonising with the throaty shouts of the merchants, as he watched the woman escorted into the nearby building, her eyes wide with terror. No-one broke stride or glanced her way; no-one had the guts to help her. In truth, he didn’t move either but by the time he had thought to react, the manor door had slammed shut, whatever screams she might be making drowned in the noise of the city. He pulled Amanda even closer instinctively, looking the other way as he tried to distract his mind, “Food sounds good, don’t it?”

The boat’s cuisine had consisted purely of seafood. The beverages being water or alcohol, which he hadn’t dared drink too much of. He knew what he was like. The only girls to enjoy his drunken company tended not to have self-respect. Amanda was his only companion now – He couldn’t afford to scare her off…however tempting she might be.

He returned his eyes on her face, exotic as it was. Porcelain skin and hair, so blond it was almost white; she looked like the Padrian china doll his grandma treasured on her mantle piece. The only difference was her violet eyes; in all his life he would likely never see a woman with such a gorgeous hue. He gazed at her, trying to ignore the manor on the opposite side of the road – The look was only temporary however, before he remembered the urgency with which they had to relocate themselves.

The further from the docks they got, the better. The sun was setting and with it, the city gates would close - Best they ate and found residence before the sky went dark.

He interlaced his fingers with hers and pulled her out of the alleyway, entering the main street again. It was difficult to safely navigate both of them through the aggressive crowds so he put her well-being first, walking in front of her and clearing a path before them, despite the death threats and curses that followed him. Most the cries died out within moments however; the thugs of Sekovia seemed only to have courage in numbers. The majority of citizens did little more than trudge dispiritedly out his way, not taking the effort to raise their eyes from the ground. They seemed almost wary about making eye contact with strangers, likely due to the continuing invasion of bandit groups terrorising the town.

Restaurants were scarce in the city, and none of those he saw looked decent. Would Amanda eat at these places? She had been so fixated on types of tea back at Bertha’s after all. She was elegant and dainty, something his ruggedness failed to compliment. Surely, these were not to her standard.

He clicked his tongue, peering over the crowds of people almost as tall as he was. His vision was limited but he was not stupid enough to convince himself a luxury restaurant might be around the corner. Amanda would just have to deal. He wanted to sit down and eat. There were things he needed to discuss with her…before they headed for Paradise and to their likely doom. He had made her a promise after all; he didn’t break promises.

He spotted a secluded place to eat a few metres away and pulled Amanda in its direction. It didn’t look expensive – which was good considering they had a budget – but there was a decent looking inn midway down the road. At least if he did drink, they would be able to find accommodation without trouble.

He had to duck to enter the shack-like structure, peering round the gloom with a feigned smile, “It doesn’t look that bad, does it?” She probably thought he was cheap now. Just great…
The tables, only reaching knee-height, were surrounded by cushions instead of chairs – He arched an eyebrow at the sight, having to take a glance at the other kneeling customers until he knew how to seat himself. He was not used to different cultures – He doubted he would ever understand them.

Sitting cross-legged near the centre of the building, Darnel indicated a cushion directly beside him for Amanda, the table wide enough to fit two persons per side. Offering her a menu, he scratched at the stubble of his chin as he viewed his own. The waitress, a brunette lady with a top far lower than what was decent, looked at them blankly, waiting for them to choose their order before approaching.

“Is it twisted for me to order the Roast Duckling?” He queried Amanda with a confused look, unsure how to proceed when faced with the multitude of meat-dominated recipes, “They do say that ‘When in Al’Yuna, do as the Yunans do.’ I don’t want to stand out too much.”

In honesty, he had to admit it sounded nice but then again…he was so famished he would likely eat horse if he had to.

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

The little blond nodded, comforted by Darnel’s strong arm pulling her closer, but only slightly – the pang of pent-up fear in her stomach brought the sharp acidic sting of bile to her throat. Amanda turned away, moving a little further down the alleyway, held back her hair and was – quietly – sick, though not enough to trigger her quirk. She woozily returned to Darnel’s side, a small hand placed over her mouth, embarrassed.

“Yeah, food…” She nodded again, “Sorry about that… Nerves, stress, et cetera.”

She looked up at him, catching the end of his stare; she blushed, surprised and wondered what could have crossed his mind as he gazed at her. He took her hand again and she smiled, trying to hide her face, ducking into the scarf around her neck; she stayed close to him, trusting his advantage in height to guide them through the hordes of people successfully. Amanda clutched his hand a little tighter, her other hand holding onto the back of his shirt like a child would, wincing slightly as one particular man hissed his threat of how he’d bring about Darnel’s death with razor wire and fishnets.

Someone grumbled something about toting around children and she whipped her head around and hissed at the stranger before they disappeared into a nameless face in the crowd. Amanda sighed and reminded herself to shut the hell up and not draw too much attention as she pressed closer to Darnel’s back.

Looking up at a movement of his head, she caught the look on his face briefly, but recognized it immediately. She sighed.

“It doesn’t matter you know,” the blond grumbled, nudging him forward a little, only to be pulled forward by him a moment later. Seemed he’d made up his mind. She peered around his side and, through the people as they started to thin toward the establishment, she summed it up as a decent place – the smell enough made her walk a little faster, stomach growling.

“It looks fine, but it smells even better,” she let out a small little moan as she spoke and followed him inside, “Besides, we are working on a budget, and I’ve been in worse places, Darnel.”

She sunk down beside him on the cushion, giving a little wiggle and then taking the menu from him. She held it with one hand and moved her messenger bag between her criss-crossed legs in a little less than a paranoid fashion, then looked over the menu, aware of the waitress’s presence but ignoring her.

“Not sure,” she gave a little shrug and glanced at him, then his menu, as if he’d been given something different. “I’m always conflicted when ordering food. I prefer cooking for myself... My brothers liked pasta...”

Her stomach growled, shutting her up, until she settled on what to get. She glanced at him, and then ordered, giving Darnel a little more time to decide. “I’d like a glass of ice water, please, fruit cocktail and... Uhm… The burger, please, but no tomatoes, no lettuce, add onions, add bacon and switch the Numadu cheese with Ol’Endu, please.”

She glanced sidelong at Darnel, who was no doubt surprised by her order, then gave a little shrug, murmuring, “Small people need to eat too.”

She shut up enough for Darnel to make his order, placing an elbow on the table jaw in her hand as she waited. Her violet eyes wandered of him, from how he sat – rather uncomfortably – to how his lips moved when he spoke; Amanda found herself daydreaming, a light blush warming her pale cheeks.

The word “army” caught her attention as Darnel ordered and her violet eyes darted in the direction of the voice, focusing on it, but now that she was trying, she found it even more difficult to identify the conversation.

“Damn it,” she hissed under her breath, closing her eyes and shaking her head a little. The waitress left with a flirty glance to Darnel, which made her blood boil even more. The blond hid her jealousy and dropped her hand away, lacing her fingers in her lap and leaning back a little, looking to Darnel.

“So, anyway, food, lodging, sleep without the nauseating sway of the ocean. Seems like everything’s going pretty well, wouldn’t you say?”

[Auki]

“I prefer cooking for myself...”

She could cook? He had always been the one serving up mediocre meals in his previous relationships. Scars marking his fingers delivered by boiling water and hot baking trays showed his skill in the area – Her skin remained smooth and untouched however. Perhaps such a thing required a deal of finesse, something he obviously lacked. His interest in the conversation perked as he listened to her order, a grin spreading across his face, especially when she glanced his way.

“Small people need to eat too.”

“Too right they do, sweetheart.” It seemed strange to think that he would witness such a petite herbivore dining on beef and bacon. The girl was full of surprises. She knew just what she wanted as well. Sure, some might consider her fussy; he saw it more as decisive and inspired. How about you stop thinking and order something, idiot? He pretended he had been looking through the menu intently, although the waitress did not seem to mind the wait. She simply twirled her pen in her hand, head cocked to the side, quiet as he sifted through the range of choices.

“I’ll…Well, I guess I’ll have the Can-…Caner-…Canard al’orange? The Roast Duckling one, yeah? And forget her fruit cocktail, just bring us a bottle of quality red wine, understood?”

That was what romantic guys did, wasn’t it? Despite his numerous girlfriends, this was the first time he had actually taken the time to sit in a restaurant with a non-related female. The waitress confirmed their order before bending down to take their menus from them. It was difficult not to stare at her cleavage, especially when she leant over him. As far as he could tell, she wasn’t even wearing a bra underneath her uniform.
Trying to distract himself, he turned to face Amanda, “Don’t worry about the wine - I’m paying for it with my personal savings, not Bertha’s money. Fruit cocktails can come after the meal if you must.”

The waitress had finally moved her chest away from his face and was retreating back to the kitchen. He watched her leave curiously, his eyes trailing downwards before he remembered whose company he was in. A little too quickly, he returned his gaze back to Amanda.

Amanda laughed as he stumbled over the French, shaking her head a little, disturbing her white-blond locks; she then stopped, afraid of stirring up her scent too much. His change in her order brought her lips into a smart little smirk, light flashing in her eyes, her amusement in him evident. She tried to ignore the path of his gaze when the waitress bent down and walked away, and smiled when he spoke again, looking at her.

“So, anyway, food, lodging, sleep without the nauseating sway of the ocean. Seems like everything’s going pretty well, wouldn’t you say?”

He chuckled, leaning closer and lowering his voice, “I wouldn’t call being in this town in a dingy restaurant with whores for waitresses…Well, I wouldn’t say it’s the best situation I’ve been in. And the boat wasn’t that bad – It was just that floor that was a bitch to sleep on.”

“Oh, of course, right. Why would I worry? You have it all taken care of…” She thought, only to listen to him again, the deep chords in his voice shifting a little when he dropped his voice so only she could hear.

“You didn’t have to sleep on the floor, you know,” she commented, studying his face after her words registered.

He leant back and gave a small snort of indignation, his voice still low enough to avoid being overheard, “You’re just lucky I’m a decent guy and all that. I can see how uncomfortable you are. Even now, you’re sitting like that when we’re meant to be fiancés.”
He took her left hand, holding it up so she could see the engagement ring circling her finger, “Remember?”

“Oh, yes, lucky indeed, you’re such the gentleman,” the blond gave a little giggle, even more amused, and then blushed as Darnel continued. “I’m not uncomfortable! I just… Don’t know how comfortable you are with, you know, public displays of affection and all that.”

She scooted closer, their hips touching, arms pressed together; the hand closest to him found a spot just higher than his knee, right where twelve year-olds started to get nervous when playing that age-old game. Amanda leaned against him gently, just enough for him to feel the curve of her form – and make it obvious to onlookers that he could feel it too, then brushed her lips against his jaw, murmuring into his ear, “Is this engaged enough for you, Darnel?”

“Why would I be uncomfortable?” He murmured, trying his hardest not to blush as she shifted closer to him, making sure to keep his mind out the gutter. Why did he care so much? He was twenty-two, for heaven’s sake! There had been plenty of women getting this close to him before. It had been years since those females, however, and the fact it was Amanda seemed to make all the difference. She was not just the type of girl he would leave in the morning, who he’d never call again. Heck, they were travelling the world together and potentially, saving half the human race.

It was so tempting to kiss her then, although he knew it impossible considering his quirk. In fact, his mind wandered to more intimate acts he would like to do to her then and there but he doubted she’d take it very well. Instead, he just murmured “The perfect amount, thank you,” and put his arm around her to keep her close.

Grinning, he decided to get to the point before the waitress returned and he was, once again, distracted. “Do you…remember before we left Bertha’s? I told you I’d ask you out if we managed to meet back up safely. I thought I’d take the initiative to ask before we…spent the night.”

“Nhmm, again, what a gentleman!" Amanda smiled brightly at him, blush blossoming in her cheeks like ruby flowers as she turned her head to look directly up at him. Her violet eyes too in his expression as she paused, leaving him in suspense.

She shifted, pressing a little closer to him, turning her gaze away and thoughtfully running the fingers of her free hand over the utensils on the table, trying to think of how to respond without tripping over her words.

"Well, seeing as that's what you promised and we have met back up safely, it is your place to do so, isn't it?" When she turned her head back to him after finishing, she realized how stupid she sounded and blushed a little deeper, longing to kiss him - if only he had some other quirk! She wanted to sigh, but didn't, and pressed her lips to his cheek instead, drawing away a moment later.

"Though, you only said you should ask. You didn't actually ask anything," she pointed out, smirking.

“Yeah, well-…” Darnel’s sentence was cut off by the swift return of the waitress, two wineglasses and a bottle in hand. Placing them on the table, she shot an annoyed look at the way they were sitting. She’s probably used to getting all the attention around here, he mused.

“Your food will be along as quickly as possible,” She said before leaving – He gave her a smile of thanks but she only returned it with a flat stare. Her personality seemed to have shifted within the space of a few minutes. He quickly dismissed her from his mind; with an attitude like that, she wasn’t worth the effort. Taking his arm from around Amanda, he poured them both some wine, all the time aware of how she was inching closer against him.

Passing her the cleanest of the two glasses, filled just over halfway, he returned to holding her waist, taking a sip of the cool liquid to buy himself time. After all, just blurting out the question made him look like an idiot…or desperate…didn’t it? It had been years since he had last asked a girl out – Had the rules changed? And why the hell wasn’t he confident enough to just be a man and ask the damn question?

Dropping his voice again – After all, they were already supposed to be engaged – he whispered into her ear, “Amanda, will you be my girlfriend?” In his head, he cursed how pathetic the words sounded.

Amanda closed her eyes, drumming her fingers against her glass of wine; she hadn't taken a sip from it yet, but instead let the wine breathe, stirring it with a smooth motion of her wrist as she left him in suspense.

A sinister thought occurred to her and she turned her head a little, looking at him. "Convenience or do you really fancy me, Darnel?"

Her violet eyes seemed a little darker in the light of the restaurant, or perhaps it was the rather depressing thoughts fogging her mind, but she sipped her wine politely as she looked at him.

“Oh, you’re kidding me…” He growled under his breath, downing a rather large amount of his wine. He hadn’t expected that from her in the slightest. He had imagined her throwing her arms around him, ecstatic that he had chosen her to be his lover. But no, she was testing him. Pausing for so long just to hit him with that.

“I’m not going to lie and say I love you, simply because I don’t know you well enough yet and I’m not the kind of guy to jump into commitments. Heck, I’ve only been in about three relationships in my life just because I’m not that type of guy. My last girlfriend was with me for a fair number of years and tried to eat me at the end of it so you can understand my scepticism.”

He sighed, readjusting one of his lip piercing so he could better drink from the glass before taking another sip.

“No, I’m not doing this for ‘convenience’. If I just planned to ditch you the minute I saw another girl, I wouldn’t bother making us official. You make me feel more confident – Not right now, I must say, but in general. You make me laugh. You’re different from every other girl I’ve met. That and you’re actually quite seductive despite having no curves. I’m starting to see there is nothing wrong with a petite girl. The smaller you are, the bigger I look.”

He grinned and finished off his glass, savouring the taste for a moment, “There. It may not be a Romeo styled confession but there isn’t a word I said there that ain’t true. And that is why I’m asking you to give us a try. I mean, come on, how do I know you won’t just say yes because I’m the only guy around?”

“I'm not that kind of girl, Darnel," her violet eyes flashed with something like insult, but it was overpowered by the ache that was throbbing in her chest from his words. She wanted to kiss him again and felt herself lean up, press a little closer, and instead, in a motion of self control, she pressed her face gently into his neck, nuzzling affectionately.

"I'm glad I could open your eyes," she murmured, eyes shut tight now, voice even more of a whisper than before. "And thank you, Darnel... I just..."

Her voice broke and she drew away from him enough to quickly wipe the stray tears off her gently blushing cheeks; Amanda composed herself and gave herself - all over - a little shake.

"I will, Darnel... If you'll be my boyfriend," she looked up at him, voice still low enough to be just between them. "If you won't turn tail and run, leave me... Just because you're afraid of... Of whatever, like..." She stammered, trying to work up the nerve to even find the right word.

"Like, strong feelings and stuff... Don't run, ok?" The blond took another, longer drink of her glass of wine, the ruby liquid not as smooth as it could be, but still decent - probably the best in the establishment. She looked at him then, hesitantly, wondering if he'd agree - she was aware of just how much of a handful she could be, and of what she was asking him.

“As long as you don’t expect me to reciprocate anything you say right away. I’m not going to run away if we…fall in love or something.” He filled up his glass again as he spoke, swirling the liquid round once he was done. It was probably a good idea to try and slow himself with the alcohol – After all, drinking had been limited for the last two years. His body may have lost its resistance for all he knew.

“Just I can take a while to say those things… I don’t know, it’s like you want to make sure the feelings are real before you go ahead and admit them. And you want to make sure the girl loves you first. Otherwise, you end up looking like an idiot.” He gave a small shrug, “I never told my ex-girlfriends I loved them…mainly because I didn’t. We constantly argued, especially with all the government tension before they passed the damn laws.” He took a sip before directing his gaze at her, “You can tell me Amanda. All your boyfriends were the prim and proper types, weren’t they? Never placed a foot wrong and always acted like the perfect gentlemen, right?”

The blond opened her mouth to respond immediately but stopped and took another long pull from her wineglass. Darnel had assumed she'd had boyfriends before - she'd nearly choked on air. Blush flooded her face again and she cleared her throat a little, looking away from him.

"W-well," she stammered, voice dropping even lower. "I've... Never really..."

Amanda chewed her lip and glanced around, as if wondering what has taking their food so long. "Never really had what you'd call a proper, like, you know, boyfriend and that."

Her slender shoulders gave a little shrug and she swallowed the last of the wine in her glass, only to refill it as he had and take another drink. She stilled her hands, refusing to let them tremble as much as she could feel they wished to; Amanda dared not glance up at Darnel, fearing the look on his face at the twenty-one year old young woman who'd never been in a legitimate relationship before.

Darnel simply stared down at her in a state of shock, “Holy…fuck.” Admittedly, he wanted to laugh but he knew that would be insensitive. She’d likely throw her drink in his face and storm out and that would do neither of them any good. He didn’t want to do this journey alone and Amanda was a damn fine girl. Tact… He needed to remember to be tactful at all times. One question continued to pester him however and he was never one to deny curiosity.

Setting down the glass, he cocked his head to the right, waiting for her to stop looking so uncomfortable. He tightened his grasp around her, not uncomfortably but enough to let her know he was there, stroking his thumb over her skin as softly as he could manage. His voice was as low as possible with her still being able to make out his words,

“Don’t…hit me. I’m just…wondering. You have like… had sex, right?”

The blond let out a pained groan and rolled her violet eyes toward the roof, as if to ask why - she'd been dreading the question. She lifted a hand and covered her face with it, thumb and middle finger rubbing her temples while she cringed and shook her head. That was all that was needed.

Darnel didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of her anymore. It was surprising how different their lifestyles had been, yet how comfortable they were around each other. His plans for that night had been ruined of course – Although his old self wouldn’t have cared, he had promised himself to be a decent guy now. He wasn’t going to force a girl to give it up. Some of them were really protective over that type of thing. Why, he couldn’t understand, but he assumed she had a reason.

Although saying that, she hasn’t had a boyfriend…yet she obviously wanted one…

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the food being served onto plates, ready to come to their table. The waitress glanced their way, ready to head in their direction. One last question…

“Is it because you're saving yourself for marriage? Or because you're waiting for the right guy?'

He paused, swirling his drink, "I'll wait, y'know. Honest, I will."

She nodded again and uncovered her face - at least he hadn't made fun of her or laughed, even though she knew he wanted to. Amanda took another drink of her wine before she spoke again, quickly, racing the waitress, so she could finish before she arrived. She could feel the wine making her nerve endings buzz now, like a warm sweater when she's really tired, making her a little woozier than before.

"It isn't that I haven't had the opportunity to have a boyfriend, I just was never interested enough in committing myself to anyone - never liked anyone enough... Nor have I felt it was the right time to... Y'know... Be with anyone... Nor was there anyone right to be with," Amanda looked up at him again, then movement caught her attention in her peripheral vision and she watched as the waitress put their plates down in front of Darnel and herself.

"Mmm," she nodded, picking up a hot fry and eating it. "Looks yummy, thank you."

He couldn’t work out if she was bluffing or not – After all, didn’t every girl want a guy. They seemed to spend half their life chasing boys around. The more he didn’t notice them, the more they seemed to flock to him. It had made for a nice life. Now, he was treading on eggshells to try and avoid offending one person; the shift in dynamics made him uncomfortable. Not necessarily in a bad way, he just knew it would take getting used to.

Still, there wasn’t much else of a choice at the moment. It made for a good opportunity – Was a faithful relationship really for him? Was it really possible to love one person and no one else? He had always been cynical when it came to love. Life had made him that way.

The smell of food met his nose, tearing him from his thoughts. His mind repressed the reminder of the meat origins, his mouth salivating at the sight of the roast duck. He looked longingly at her chips, disappointed to find his meal didn’t come with its own serving, but made no comment. Thanking the waitress, he began to eat. The moment his mouth tasted food, he felt starved, but his dignity stopped him from wolfing down the rest of the meal.

They said the longer the meal lasted, the better the date was. Was that true? He didn’t really know anymore. “Honestly, I never pictured myself being here - Overseas at a restaurant with a cute girl,” he muttered, around the chunk of duck in his mouth, “I don’t even know what you’re meant to do on a date. So…don’t get any high expectations. Romantic gestures might come when I have money, a safe place to stay and when I know we’re serious. For now, I’m just trying to figure out how to have a pleasant meal.”

He gave a sheepish grin, “After all, our conversation hasn’t been the most appropriate so far considering.”

[ｒａｂｂｉｔ]

“Don’t know what to do on a date,” she murmured, repeating him. “Well, you’d have more experience than I would…”

The blond gave a soft sigh, a rise of fall of her curvaceously-lacking chest, and ate another fry as she looked at her burger thoughtfully. She removed the little stick from it and set it aside then leaned forward and picked up the hot burger, taking a bite and setting it down again, chewing. She held a small hand over her mouth, having taken a bigger bite than she’d meant to – she even turned her head away from him a little until she’d swallowed. Amanda always hated eating in front of people for the first time.

“Not appropriate, but it should be talked about, not matter what the situation is,” she looked at him and ate a few more fries before taking another couple of bites from her burger. She took another drink from her glass and cleared her throat a little.

“I don’t even know about romantic relationships and stuff, not really, so I don’t really know about dates, either, or expectations or romantic gestures. I’d be happy with you just being by my side, Darnel,” Amanda shook her head and glanced at him before looking back down at her plate.

“Honestly… Honesty, trust and ‘feelings’ are what a relationship is, right? And, like, knowing stuff about each other? Being friends? Well, I have no reason to lie to you, no reason to tell you anything but the truth, and I trust you more than anyone I’ve met in the last year and a half, for obvious reasons… I know you like pink.”

She gave a little smirk and looked up at him, raising a hand after she’d wiped it on a napkin and brushing her fingers through the hot pink stripe in his hair, then down his shoulder over his tattoos.

[Auki]

The quality of food was better than he could have imagined…or perhaps he just hadn’t eaten in so long that any sustenance was welcomed by his taste buds. Although he only cut off small pieces, it required all his patience to do so. Every so often, the fork would chime against the chain that attached two of his lip and ear piercing, but he tried to ignore it as much as he could. Each clink made his face redden slightly and he prayed she didn’t think it was the wine.

In truth, he was more of a lightweight than most guys were, but he didn’t want her to find that out. It was hardly the most attractive thing to a woman. Considering how long they had been sat there, they appeared to be drinking rather quickly. He tried to work out the maths in his head – a hopeless attempt – to figure out if he could afford another bottle. It wasn’t so much that the drink was expensive more than he was poor.

“…I’d be happy with you just being by my side, Darnel.”

He hadn’t really expected such deep conversation so early in their relationship. They’d only been dating an hour at most. ‘Relationship’ – That was a word Darnel had never wanted to be associated with again. Funny, how your views could be changed by a two year dry spell and a quirky teenage-looking girl. He sipped thoughtfully at his wine to hide the small grin that formed.

“Honestly… Honesty, trust and ‘feelings’ are what a relationship is, right? And, like, knowing stuff about each other? Being friends? Well, I have no reason to lie to you, no reason to tell you anything but the truth, and I trust you more than anyone I’ve met in the last year and a half, for obvious reasons… I know you like pink.”

He gave her a mocking look of indignation at her last comment, “How dare you imply I like pink. I’m masculine. A macho man – I like sports and beer and woman.” A quick glance down into the wine in his hand and he gave an awkward cough, “Well, at least the last part was right.

As for relationships, loyalty is in there too somewhere. I can’t have you frolicking with any guy we might come across – it would do bad for my reputation.”

Another pause.

“And I know you like tea.”

It was nice to have someone to joke around with after all those years, even if the setting was less than ideal. He had yet to see her as his official girlfriend but he already cared about her. Not love in any sense but he wanted to try his best not to hurt her. That was all he could really do.