Bright Eyes [Apotheosis/Chimera/Wolf]

Posts : 85 Join date : 2023-08-21 Location : Newton, MA

Code:: Dear Lana Branfeax,

We are pleased to inform you that your expedited passport application has been accepted [...]

Code:: Get ready to travel, Lana Branfeax,

Your flight to Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) departs in less than 48 hours [...]

She feels luckier than anyone in the whole world. The luckiest woman that there ever was and might ever be. After over a decade of pain and tragedy, the darkness is parting. The suffering is ending. It's going to be okay. The world isn't as scary as long as she knows that her Wolf, her Zalgiman, is in it, and he loves her, and she loves him. Some part of her knows that this is insanity, what she's doing--to get a passport processed thanks to her lawyer contacting the senator's office and making the right introduction with the Passport Office to get everything squared away in a day, then to buy a flight and a hotel in a city where she doesn't speak the language... It's insanity. No one should do what she's doing. She knows she shouldn't be doing what she's doing.

But she needs to see him. Needs to meet him in real life so she knows him for real. It's the only barrier that remains now between them. He's already promised to love her forever, they've seen each other, and he told her so sweetly, so lovingly, that he loves her as he fell asleep. No one could lie like that. No one!

It's with that in mind that she comes as Apotheosis, holding onto a very special present in her arms. It's a card in an envelope. Something that she crafted herself using the crafting system, personalized it with a wolf and a raven nuzzling against each other on the front in the best that she can manage. The text inside is the real surprise, and she can't wait to see his face when he opens it up. All she has to do is catch him at the right time.

Apotheosis walks into the building that operates the escort service that Zalgiman works out of, where they'd first met and she'd selected him from a group of individuals, peering around with violet eyes. "Hello! Is Wolf around?" she calls out as she steps in.

Posts : 18 Join date : 2023-08-21

A woman at the front desk greets Apotheosis, smiling at the woman brightly as she requests ‘Wolf’. “You’re looking for Wolf?” She inquires gently just to be sure that she heard the name right and then looks over the schedule to see if Wolf is available. This process is taking a little bit of time, and it allows the creature standing somewhat behind the hostess a chance to overhear the conversation.

The owner of this particular establishment is by all appearances, a Lamian. He’s easily seven and a half feet tall, his black fur marking him as the mammalian option for the anthropomorphic race. His face suggests wolf, though he also has a pair of black horns sprouting from his head. Delicately and with easy grace he touches the woman on the shoulder. She startles slightly and looks up at him with just a trace of unease on her features.

His eyes are two different colors. One light blue, the other a light shade of green. “Let me take care of this dear.”

The woman nods and hastens away while the creature with the rough masculine voice steps forward toward Apotheosis and offers her one hand that is more human than animal. “I am Chimera, I own this establishment. I do not think that we have had the pleasure of meeting one another.”

In spite of his animalish appearance he has a smooth, cultured voice. In fact, he sounds vaguely as though he might be from somewhere in the United Kingdom. Not exactly a British accent, but something a little harder to pin down. The voice of someone who speaks more than one language and is comfortable in them.

Posts : 85 Join date : 2023-08-21 Location : Newton, MA

In truth, she's a little intimidated by the Lamian man who approaches. He's a large man, larger than Wolf, and while it's not out of the ordinary to see such tall people in Savior, it's the odd appearance combined with his voice that's throwing her off. A wolf with horns is such an odd and uncomfortable combination, after all. Why would he choose a form like this? And the voice is... such an odd contrast to the appearance that it serves to make her uncomfortable.

But she's Apotheosis, not herself, and that helps a little to hide her discomfort.

"Hello, Chimera. We have not met up until this moment, no," Apotheosis responds, a light smile on her face as she responds politely. "I'm happy to meet you, however. I'm Apotheosis; I'm a regular client of Wolf's. I wasn't looking to book an appointment, however; I wanted to drop by with a little surprise for him."

Posts : 18 Join date : 2023-08-21

“Apotheosis.” The name sounds so cultured in his mouth, so strange compared to this beastial form which he has chosen. It makes one wonder what kind of man he is to have chosen this. Why choose such a form, and then choose not to use a voice modulator? Certainly a man who owned such an establishment could afford one if they so chose. Or was he using one? Perhaps there was a voice that matched this body hiding within reach.

“Yes, I have heard of you.” He continues to hold his hand out for a handshake that she has not as yet completed. The fact that she has not done so doesn’t seem to bother him at all. He seems in fact as patient as a statue, as immovable too if his size is any indication. “Wolf speaks highly of you.”

The wolfish face smiles, closed-mouth and sparing her a flash of pearly white teeth that such a maw must hold. He manages to make this massive form look almost friendly really, which is saying something for a figure that seems built to inspire fear. “I fear that Wolf is currently with another client at the moment. Perhaps I can offer you my own company, poor as it might be as a replacement, until he can make himself available to retrieve whatever gift you have for him?”

He seems utterly earnest and polite, and at complete odds with this figure that he wears.

Posts : 85 Join date : 2023-08-21 Location : Newton, MA

Apotheosis is all but pleasant smiles as she goes to shake this large man's hand. He has, after all, just informed her that Wolf speaks highly of her. That's pleasant to hear even if she knows that Wolf--Zalgiman--is her promised one, her soulmate. It's natural for him to speak glowingly of her, isn't it? She'd do the same for him if anyone ever asked her about him, but--well, she doesn't talk to many people.

Or really... anyone besides her Wolf.

"Do you know how long he might be occupied?" Apotheosis asks politely. "I wouldn't want to take up more than a few minutes of your time. After all, you run this service--I wouldn't want to inconvenience you or cause you to be late on important items of your agenda."

It's an odd little feeling that's growing in her more and more as she spends time with this man. The look of unease in the woman who had tried to help her as Chimera touched her shoulder--she wonders if the woman has to endure that treatment often.

Posts : 18 Join date : 2023-08-21

The handshake is gentle but firm, a polite business-like handshake that doesn’t linger overly long. It’s the sort of handshake that anyone might have given though his is perhaps a bit warmer thanks to the fur which threatens to tickle the palm of her hand. Then he withdraws his much larger hand from her own and allows it to hang comfortably at his side.

Her question causes Chimera to look down at the schedule himself, running a finger over it and tapping when he gets to some unseen portion of the paper. “Several minutes at least. He is booked for the rest of the hour.”

He seems to think for a moment and then offers her a little wave of his hand toward the interior of the establishment. “If we wait at one of the entry tables he is sure to see us when he escorts his latest client out. I sit there myself when I wish to talk to a host about something. Please, I insist that you allow me to be a gentleman.”

Chimera takes a few steps toward a table that is indeed near the entry of the establishment. There are many tables inside the politely labeled ‘host club’. Most of the tables were filled with couples talking, eating, and even drinking. Here, one could pay for the pleasure of companionship while enjoying a meal. However as most of the clients that came here often knew there were other services offered here besides that. One could hire a host for nearly anything depending on the services that the host offered.

“Can I offer you a menu while you wait - a bite to eat or a drink?”

Posts : 85 Join date : 2023-08-21 Location : Newton, MA

Apotheosis follows Chimera's direction, although there's a slightly uncertain look in her eyes and her expression as she goes to walk towards the table. "Far be it from me to prevent you from being a gracious host," she replies, managing a small little smile for the effort of not offending her... host.

Her eyes dart around the room, like she's looking to see if maybe he's here with a client, dining with them. When she'd met Zal--Wolf, she reminds herself--for the first time--it wasn't here, in fact. She'd picked him from the service's catalog to arrange a date because he had the kindest eyes out of the lineup from the pictures she saw. And she was right. He's kind beyond measure...

She hopes that fate is kind to them both and he's not here.

Apotheosis looks back up at Chimera and smiles more brightly. "A menu would be nice," she replies. "Thank you." Not that she has intention of ordering anything more than a small glass of water or maybe some tea--she imagines Wolf's sick of the food they make here by sheer virtue of being around it so much.

Posts : 18 Join date : 2023-08-21

With Apotheosis in tow, Chimera leads her to the front table and politely motions for her to sit before joining her at the table. He sits beside her rather than across, leaning a little into her to pull the menu from where it sits. Chimera settles it in front of her, being a gracious host and flipping the book open for her so that she does not need to.

The menu itself is twofold. The first part is pictures of hosts. Men and women who one can pay for the pleasure of companionship. They are arranged in seemingly no specific order, with prices labeled beneath by the hour for ‘ordinary’ company. There’s also a little blurb underneath each picture talking about the person in question and offering a few words from them.

Coincidentally Chimera flips to the page holding Wolf’s picture and pauses a moment. He’s smiling with his lips closed; a sort of soft smile. His little blurb says:

Wolf is friendly, and outgoing. He most enjoys taking long walks and exploring the world with his special friends.

“I think that making friends is the most exciting thing in the world. Life is so diverse, and I look forward to meeting new people!”

“Our wolf has been treating you well hasn’t he?” Chimera inquires softly, looking at Apotheosis. “He doesn’t have many clients at the moment, and I worry that he’s not getting on well. He’s friendly, but I think sometimes that… Well. I’m interrupting your answer.”

Posts : 85 Join date : 2023-08-21 Location : Newton, MA

The fact that Chimera is leaning into her makes her feel uncomfortable in a way she tries desperately not to show. She doesn't want to offend Zal's employer. No good would come of that by any means, not for either of them.

But then Chimera stops on the picture that made her want Wolf to begin with. That soft smile, those kind silver eyes. The blurb about making friends. In all truth, all she'd wanted originally was a 'special friend'. She'd gone through twenty-three years of living without ever knowing what it was like to kiss someone, to hold their hand, and... She knew that if she got close to someone 'normal', they'd only see her as money and nothing more.

Her care for him shows evidently in her eyes. It's a warm, wanting gaze, the kind a person has when they see someone they care for so greatly--that they love so very much. Her eyes remain trained on the picture of Wolf that's captured on the page.

"He's been nothing but wonderful," Apotheosis says softly. "He's kind. Sweet. Gentle. Caring. All the things that a person should be."

There's a secret thrill in her heart, however. Not many clients. Maybe he's purposefully not taking on many because of her. He doesn't have to do that for her. Especially if it's worrying his boss...

Posts : 18 Join date : 2023-08-21

It’s not hard for Chimera to notice that little glimmer in her eyes. The way that she looks at the picture like it’s something she treasures. The softness in her voice. His eyes look down on her and he knows. Knows without her needing to say a word that she cares about Wolf more than she should. He licks his lips and smiles a soft smile of his own. It’s a warm sad thing, a friendly expression touched by a slight bit of sorrow.

“I am glad to hear that he is getting on along well with you. In truth I have been fearing that I might have to let him go. Or move him to another position.” There’s a slight glint in his eyes as he continues. “I’ve been in discussion about moving him to our location in Amsterdam.”

There’s a hint of something in Chimera’s gaze, but it’s nearly impossible to read. His wolf’s face makes it like trying to read the expression of some foreign creature. His ears are shifting on his head, catching the sounds of the host club around them. He lowers his voice so that only she could possibly hear him. As if they’re good friends and he has a secret for her. Even leaning in a little so that he can tell it.

“Wolf thinks so much better on his back; I think he would do well there... Would you be interested in meeting him?”

» The Darkening [Apotheosis & Chimera]
» Never Get There [Wolf & Apotheosis]
» Grimm Tail [Apotheosis & Wolf]
» On the streets of Seaguard (Cordelia, Kol, Red, Apotheosis)