A Night at a Tea-House (Private)

"And I kissed you..." Salzem whispered in response to Mia's. Saying it out loud was... strange. It was a combination of words he never expected to hear, let alone say. Salzem found himself relaxing a little, however, taking in Mia's honesty. She said that she felt safe with him, a feeling she had thought she lost a long time ago. Salzem listened in silence as she concluded her confession, saying that she wanted to make sure that he was okay with... this. At this point, Salzem was hardly sure where he was, let alone if he was okay with what they've been doing. For a few silent moments, Mia peered into his eyes, looking for some kind of response. The blush around his face seemed to fade away, his expression growing unreadable as he consulted himself. He placed a hand on Mia's, the one holding his arm, and gently took it in his hands. He looked at it in contemplation, almost as if he'd find the answer there instead of the gateways to her soul. He wasn't even sure if she wanted.... whatever this was. Whatever morals he had before, whatever steadfast code he had regarding this sort of thing was now being pulled into question, if it hadn't as soon as they got in the bath together. 

Making up his mind, Salzem raised his eyes and closed the distance between them, kissing her softly with her hand still in his. He held it there for a moment, pressing his lips to hers before pulling away, his eyes firm in his decision. There was no blushing, no shyness, no more pretense. Salzem sat there, holding Mia's hand gently in his, letting this action sink in before speaking.

"Yes, I'm okay with this..." he murmered, squeezing her hand gently, reassuringly. "It was just a little sudden... but yeah, I'm okay with it..." As he said this, he'd place one hand on her shoulder and smile lightly in an attempt to bring up the mood. Not really his strong suit, but there was no time like the present. He'd lean in again, this time slower, giving Mia the option to break away should she desire to. He'd pause just inches from her lips, before closing the remaining distance and kissing her one more to make it even. This time, he'd hold it for as long as Mia felt comfortable (or at least as long as they had breath).

In their kiss, Mia placed her free hand on the back of Salzem's head, coaxing him closer and closer, making their kiss deeper and deeper. She ran her fingers through his pitch-black hair, seemingly enjoying the sensation on her fingers. As their kiss grew longer, Salzem's awareness of everything around him seemed to fade away into a murky background of colors and shapes. The only thing that felt real was Mia and the ever-deepening connection they seemed to share. Even the hot waters of the spring seemed to die away. They both broke the kiss at the same time for air, a precious resource this moment took away.

His breath was heavy as he attempted to get it all back. The temptation to kiss her again and keep kissing her into the night was one rivaled by no other except MAYBE for the allure of sleep. The genetic trait that told him to rest pinged in his head over and over, making him aware of just how worn down he actually was. The world seemed to flood back in around him, ending the dream-like euphoria that made it all go away in the first place. Salzem would smile tiredly and peck Mia's lips lightly in a short kiss, taking her hand from the back of his head and holding it too.

"I'm sorry Mia... I just realized how ridiculously late it is..." He'd pause a moment, unsure if what he'd say next would be rude. "Is there a place I can stay for the night? The village is a long walk from here and I don't think I want to walk back in the cold..." Walking back in the sand in the state he was in with the temperature so low... it'd make for a hellish march. And then there was the fact that he just didn't want to leave yet. The time he'd had with Mia was magical and he didn't want to leave quite yet.

Salzem turned his head as Mia stood from the water and stepped behind the folding-wall. It was actually quite surprising how quickly she got dressed and disappeared outside but Salzem didn't complain. As soon as mia got out of sight, the sanguine eyed ninja rose from the warm springs and dried himself with one of the many towels provided. He slipped his clothes on just as quickly and stepped out just as Mia was heading to her room, carrying an extra large floor-bed known as a futon. He followed quietly behind her, hands stuffed into his front jacket pockets. They stepped into the room and Salzem observed that there was, in fact, another futon already there. Mia set down the extra next to the other one a respectable distance away and Salzem knew. This was Mia's room, wasn't it? Strange... There was hardly anything in here... Hardly any furniture, no personal affects that he could see... It surprised him how sparse the room actually was. Was she not paid for the work she did? And, if she was, was she not allowed to go out and spend it? These were all questions he'd contemplate intensely.... when he'd wake up in the morning.

Mia brushed past him to go grab more pillows or something, but before she could, Salzem would reach out and grab her arm. It wasn't a tight grip and she could easily tear herself free if she so desired. Salzem would then pull her gently back towards him, turn her to face him and kiss her one more time before letting her go. It was unexpected (even for him) , but was by no means a quick kiss. Unless Mia broke away or pushed him away, the connection would last several several seconds. It was his way of saying 'thanks.'

"Thank you." He'd murmur to Mia. Of course he was going to thank her with words. She was giving him a room in addition to the kisses they've shared. Salzem would watch her go if she would and, as she disappeared from sight, he'd start placing down his gear around his bed, pressing his hands against the soft material of the futon, feeling the material.

When Mia broke off their kiss prematurely and told him to wait, Salzem ended up laughing to himself, half expecting Mia to point at the spot by her feet like he was a dog. The irony of the whole thing was just so hilarious. Being a lycanthrope, if Mia had made this kind of joke knowingly, Salzem might have found it somewhat offensive. Considering she didn't know the full extent of his transformation, however, it was just a cute joke. Mia swept past him again and Salzem once again felt the erg to kiss her the same way he had just seconds ago. He craved that fuzzy feeling that crept into his mind every time they touched... It was addicting, the feeling... He managed to restrain himself, however, and, as Mia stepped out into the hall again, Salzem knelt by his futon and ran his hand across the material. To his surprise, it was quite soft, firm and gentle... It was a much higher quality of bedding than Salzem ever felt before, even in the various hotels he had stayed in. He smiled quietly to himself as he ran his hand across the futon, feeling like the luckiest person in the world. This feeling he had when he was around her... the ability to tear down all the icy cold barriers that made him who he was to anyone else... The ease to kiss her and make her smile.... Was it love? Was that what he was experiencing? Salzem had his fair share of crushes in his day but what he felt with Mia... what he had done with her... It was much more intense than any infatuation he had before.

As he contemplated his feelings for Mia, a smell reached his lycan senses. A culmination of several floral scents wracked Salzem's enhanced senses, causing them to burn slightly in irritation. He looked up and saw Mia standing there in the door way, holding a freshly fluffed scented pillow and smiling at him with a grin that compelled him to reciprocate his own. He felt that simply seeing her was the sun in his sky, casting light on his world, for lack of better poetry. He stood to his feet and walked over to Mia, grin still on his face. As he approached, the floral scent grew more and more intense, but that didn't matter. Just being close to Mia was all he wanted and any minor hindrance  that got in his way like his personal discomfort could easily be discarded and ignored. Salzem stopped about a foot away from her, eying the pillow in her hand, then her with a tired, but sweet smile on his face.

"Is that for me...?" Salzem asked, pointing at the pillow in her hands. "Mia... you've given me so much tonight... I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you if you keep giving me things..."

Salzem listened to Mia as explained that it was her grandmother that had taught her how to be. She explained that she was encouraged to show kindness to those that needed it and that it was a trait she admired about her. Mia set the scented pillow on the futon and told him that he wouldn't have to worry about repaying her at all. That he had done more than enough tonight. He didn't know what more to say... So he said nothing. All he did was smile thankfully, his feelings for Mia seeming to intensify every moment that passed. With little energy left to spare, the sanguine-eyed ninja walked over to the futon and literally fell on top of it face-first, head connecting with the scented pillow. For the briefest of moment's the floral scent overwhelmed him, causing him to flip from facedown to face-up, his face scrunched up in mild irritation. Slowly, the burning sensation faded as his body adapted to the intense smell of the pillow and he relaxed, meeting the embrace of sleep with open arms.

Much to his sub-conscious surprise and relief, Salzem wasn't subject to any of his usual nightmares. There was no death, no haunting premonitions of what could be, no horror scenes playing just behind his eyelids. No, it was a soothing, comforting blackness that washed over his thoughts, the first good sleep he'd had in a long time. And then... He was no longer part of this world, embraced in the comfort of sleep.

(Exit)

TWC: 8379

Claiming Lycanthropy: Partial Transformation and 82 AP