Completed Dating a Harlot 101

[Matthew]

31st of Summer When the door to the Tavern opened up, most of the heads turned instinctively, and then went back to their meals. It took a moment for what had actually entered the Tavern to register, and when it did, all of the eyes whipped back almost at once. The ladies let their stare linger longer than most, though a few of the men didn't mind taking their time as well. A few men growled, and other's just perked up a single eyebrow at the slightly odd sight. Petch, the man looked fine. There was a definite air about him. There was a confidence, and a look to his eye. He was here on a mission, and he was going to accomplish it. There was this glint deep within his gaze that betrayed his utter determination, and his belief that he could follow through on whatever it was he was planning on doing. He was tailored to his target, his hair not at all styled but simply tossed back naturally with a simple brush of his hand. It had a bit of a wild look to it, as did his pristine face; if only because of the burning eyes. The fire in the air was palpable, and quite familiar to the one he was looking for. His clothes were neat, but also held a certain amount of savageness to them. His shirt was unbuttoned down the middle to expose creamy skin, with a black jacket unbuttoned and hanging from his shoulders. His teeth were digging into his lip, and his belted britches were slung just a little crooked. It somehow managed to look stylish and messy all at the same time as if silently hinting that though he was full of manners, but could abandon them in a second. He gracefully flowed through the tavern, intense blue eyes fixed on the bar across the floor. A scent followed him, not at all bad, but definitely not of cologne either. He smelled like musk. Like earth, skin, and sweat. A few drunks snickered at him, but he didn't care a single bit. His burning gaze didn't even falter. Instead, he merely came up to the bar and motioned at the nearest barmaid. "Ma'am?" His voice was dark and pointed, and she couldn't help but shiver a bit. Perhaps she was the one he was looking for? "I am here to pick up Kaie. I wanted to take her on a date." The barmaid blinked, pausing for a minute, too surprised to even be offended at first. A date? He did? She glanced him up and down, comparing his posh appearance to the girl he was asking about. Kaie was pretty of course, but she held herself a different way than he did. Did he know what he was getting himself into? A nearby drunk seemed to have the same thought, chuckling and nudging Matthew's hip with his elbow. "Better back away, boy-toy. You ain't near animal enough for that wild one." Matthew didn't even hesitate, not sparing a glance in the drunk's direction. "Maybe your first mistake was puffing up your chest in front of her and assuming she wanted an animal." Both the drunk and the barmaid blinked, and Matthew tilted his head. The drunk opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off once more by the harlot. "She isn't aware I am coming. This is a surprise. Could you fetch her, miss?" Even with the sharp and rather alluring edge to his voice, he was still managing to be polite. After a moment or two she nodded, casting him one last appreciative glance before moving onwards. Matthew glanced around the tavern, noticing how dirty it had gotten since they had cleaned. So went the food business, he supposed. One hand came out from behind his back, freshly bandaged and bundled around a nice little clump of yellow daisies. The real surprise would come when Kaie (hopefully) came out to see if there really was a man here to pick her up. Matthew would turn all of his fire and intensity her way, and then do the complete opposite of likely every man who had ever tried to seduce her. Instead of giving her this strong and manly show, he instead gave this wide-eyed and vulnerable stare. His voice came out soft, and almost instantly he seemed to be this un-corrupted cute little thing. "Hi, Kaie. I was hoping you might like to go on a... date." The last word was a bit throaty, causing more than a few men to widen their eyes. Even if he looked quite proper and had that innocent look to his young features, that last word had held quite a few suggestions that weren't at all innocent. He would offer the flowers to her, the wound on his hand obvious. Apparently there had been some sort of dire struggle over the flowers. Who even knew when it came to the harlot. A surprise date certainly wasn't expected. He was a prostitute, after all.

[Kaie]

She didn't even look up when she heard the door creak shut. Her head was down watching the creamy froth of an ale bubble toward the brim. It wasn't until she turned and placed the mug in front of a patron, that she peered up through her lashes toward the sound. First she averted her eyes to turn her head to the side and observe the crackling fire across the room. That is until realization struck her harder than any fist could've. She slowly turned her head back in disbelief. Her lips parted softly just prior to a quick inhale of shock.

Was that...Matthew?!

He was...Flawless. Pants hung low and crooked on his hips, shirt unbuttoned in a teasing fashion, and Goddess that hair! In the end it was his eyes that grabbed her. That fire wasn't just lashing about her and tantalizing the space between them. Oh no, this aura was far more powerful and with more purpose. This time it flared out to enclose the entire establishment, sealing all inside with his charm. It no longer felt like a burn. It incinerated. And Kaie was too tied down by it to escape the onslaught.

What the hell is he doing here?!

Bored brown eyes went wide at the sight of him. They scanned him once, then twice in pleasant surprise. She didn't call out or make a move to run over to meet him. The Myrian woman was rooted in place by the seer sight of him. She watched him strut over to one of the barmaids before her vision was blocked by a congregation of rowdy drunks. When will alone wouldn't move the obstacles in her path, the best she could do was strain to see between the bodies. Kaie leaned this way and that, occasionally going up on her tippy toes for extra height. What she did manage to see was the harlot turn from a patron to the barmaid (no doubt hypnotizing her with that husky voice), speaking to her once more. And then she was headed her way.

Never once did the Myrian advert her gaze from the rugged looking man, who was by the way playing his part quite well. All she could do was stare. Kaie didn't even realize her fellow bartender, Seth, had been staring at her the whole time. Until he elbowed her that is.


"Ow, what the petch?" She said suddenly, snapping out of the trance and turning to her coworker. Quickly she went back to filling a few more mugs. Still she was unable to keep from stealing glaces at Matthew in between.

"You know him?" Seth asked suddenly curious when she finished what she was doing.

"No...Yes...Don't you have something to be doing other than interrogating me?"
She said hurriedly and waving him off with her hand. She did her best to pretend Matthew wasn't even present. That was quickly proving impossible. No matter where he was in the room, she could feel his presence. The air about him was that powerful. He sure as hell was feeling confident tonight...

"Um, Kaie. There's a man here to see you. That one over there," The barmaid said suddenly appearing in front of her. Kaie snapped her head toward her with wide eyes. There was a bit of jealousy in her voice as she gestured Matthew's way. Without another word the barmaid disappeared again and Kaie simply stood there. Not moving at all. Seth gave her a knowing look.

"Well...You're not going to keep him waiting are you? Go on, I'm just fine here," He said with a shrug and nodded his head when she looked at him, questioning if he was serious. She then immediately straightened herself out, removing all the admiration from her expression. That's when she strut out to meet him. All the while still wondering what the hell was going on. When he finally spoke she couldn't believe his words. It was all she do to keep her mouth from hitting the floor.

He wants to take me on a...On a date...?

Kaie peered up at him as if she had expected this all along. Of course only Matthew would see right through her ploy, but she held it just for show. She took the flowers from him. Could anyone else see how easily his voice melted her on the spot? Ugh, and those eyes!

Matthew might as well have kicked down the doors, stormed over to her, and bend her over in a kiss. He had completely and utterly caught her off guard. Never did she ever imagine he had that many tricks up his sleeves. Changing pace like that to show vulnerability and sensitiveness? It was giving her a whiplash she could certainly get used to. With the scene he had made and complete calamity he made in her own thoughts trying to adjust, she hoped he liked a taste of his own medicine. She certainly did.

She took the flowers gently with a musing smile, eyes sultry in a smoldering gaze. Without hesitation she leaned up and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. Her free hand moved to race a finger down the length of his loose jacket. Finger tip exploring his obliques. Kaie gave him a pretty, crooked smile as she looked up at him.

"Lead the way," She said without any forethought or nervousness. Kaie radiated confidence and played up her own aura of allure. It was like conjuring up the memory of the last time they were in the Stallion together. His flare attacked her viciously while hers only danced around it. Nothing but vivacious to the outside world. Inside of course a million thoughts flooded her mercilessly. What the hell did he think he was doing? Was this another lesson? A joke? What was even going on?!

[Matthew]

A pleased smile lit his face as the girl appeared, his blue eyes dancing with this playful gleam. He was bold as she touched him, pressing forward just a bit, letting the lines of his chest sink against her fingertips. He had timed his entrance right when her shift was ending, showing that he had at least done his homework. With more than a few people staring, completely caught off guard by the harlot and his boldness, Matthew took it even a step further. As he turned to escort her from the tavern, his strong arm slipped around her waist, gently hooking on the definition of her hips to take a firm hold. His fingers brushed her hip, nails lightly scratching at the bare skin, the simple motion of taking her against his side and into his arm coming across as quite possessive. Not in the sense that he owned her per say, but more like a silent signal to every eye that was watching. I came for her, and I am going to show her a good time. It was just more of that confidence and allure, his gait slow as he walked them both from the tavern. And did his hand on her hip just barely brush her thigh for a split second? A glance at him would show an innocent face, but burning blue eyes. Whatever he was up to, he was turning it up. They were soon out in the streets of the castle city, the savage of a woman and harlot of a man continuing to pull more and more stares. They were an odd-looking couple, with her in the Myrian loincloth and vest, him in his sharp clothes. He glanced down at the flowers that she was holding, raising an eyebrow, glancing up into her eyes. "Do you like them? I had to fight to get them. There was this vicious bea-" He paused a moment, eyes narrowing as he realized what he was about to say. He flushed just a tad, then pressed on, his words softer and lower. Once again there was that vulnerable tone, as if he was exposing a soft side that only she could see. He had this feeling that she found attraction in a mixture of innocence and playfulness. "...this vicious beaver. Big flat tail, sharp teeth? It even had this sharp little stick it was gnawing on, and it poked me with it." The harlot sounded offended almost, showing her his bandaged hand, his face dead serious. The idea of the prostitute fighting a beaver was absolutely crazy, but perhaps a little amusing. Strolling through the crowded streets, Matthew glanced at her again, eyes glittering. He paused a moment, then glanced around, once again flushing. Was he actually blushing? The man who had likely had more adventures in bed than half of Syliras? "Might we talk in private for a moment?" His hand found hers, and he tugged her into a side alleyway, blue eyes searching hers. Suddenly, the scene was even more sensual, the two of them tucked away into shadows that had the savage girl pressed against a wall with Matthew against her. He seemed to want to keep something a secret, and petch if he wasn't make sure he got as close as possible in order to do it. His body hugged hers in all the right ways, slim muscle complimenting defined curves, blue eyes searching hers. "I... have a favor to ask. You seemed perfect for this sort of date, so I am happy you weren't offended by me coming and finding you." This sort of date, eh? Matthew gave her little time to think about it, his voice dropping to a whisper, his cheeks flushing again. "I'll... thank you. I don't expect dates for free." His way of handling this was perhaps cute? He was so very smooth, yet his pink cheeks and hesitant words betrayed a bit of awkwardness... not that he was letting it stop him from being quite brash. His lips were so close that they weren't quite brushing hers, but were definitely warming them with his husky breath. His words were dripping with husk too, and a touch of that need. Like he needed her specifically for whatever this was, and no one else.

[Kaie]

The way his arm wrapped around her hips seemed so...Natural. Like his hands were meant to be placed there. As if that was the reason behind their creation. Pairing it with his nonchalant demeanor and confident allure, Matthew played them off like some sort of item. It was funny to her really. She couldn't tell what amused her more: how well Matthew played his part or the audience's reactions.

The angelic brush of flesh upon her thigh almost broke Kaie's composure right there. The Myrian girl turned her head toward him. Looking up with an arched brow as if questioning if he had really ventured so publicly (that she minded of course). All she got from him with this innocent expression and bright blue eyes alive in his slow burn. The signals were surely mixed and she had trouble interpreting just what Matthew had up his sleeve.

Kaie looked down at the beautiful arrangement of flowers in her arms. No doubt they were carefully and selectively chosen. Almost professional. Then again she knew nothing of such a trade, so he could've fooled her. She absently brought them closer to her face. Eyelids fluttered closed for a minute as she inhaled the delicious scents. With the fall season rolling in, she wondered if she'd ever get to smell such beauty again. It wasn't until the always surprising harlot began to tell his tale that Kaie removed herself to listen.

He got in a fight with...A beaver?

She could hardly contain the titter that slipped out at the very thought. Though the beavers were not so common in Falyndar she knew what the animal was. A fat little ball of fur that chews on timber and lives in dams. The idea such a tiny thing would battle him for something as common in the woods as flowers was ridiculous. No less, it did bring a grin of amusement to her features. He seemed to blush for a moment as if mildly embarrassed at the ordeal itself. Fact or fancy, regardless of the story he was just being so...Cute.

Suddenly he grasped her hand and pulled her close to him. Tucked away in the darkness of a narrow alley, Kaie could feel how hard his body pressed to hers. The way he fit right along her silhouette. Sensual. Urgent. Whatever he was about to say was clearly very important. It was almost a struggle for her to avoid being lost to her, well, other focuses. It seemed whenever the harlot was around her lust was easily manipulated. Kaie liked to exclude that from being considered a weakness. For how could it when such a primal urge was so strong?

"You're welcome. But I guess my question is what sort of date is this?" She questioned, tilting her head just so. After all he did just drag her from her job without any explanation at all. Kaie felt he was a bit obligated to give some sort of reason to his random appearance. What exactly was he getting her into?

[Matthew]

Even something as simple as touching a girl on her hips had been practiced, though it wouldn't be obvious at all. He did manage to do it with an almost-alluring ease, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. His arm held the definition of her hips and his fingers caressed the bone, very light and gentle touches that could almost be missed if they didn't tickle every so often. They did play off the couple role quite well, and it was definitely odd. The well-dressed harlot and the barely-dressed savage, strolling down the streets of Syliras. It definitely pulled a few glances. Their eyes quietly linked and studied each other in the darkness of the alleyway, faces intimately close. His body flexed just the lightest bit, an instinctive motion that served to remind her curves of the definition that they were so perfectly molded against. At her quiet question, he narrowed his eyes, and gave a quick nod. "Yes, of course, that is a legitimate question. Here, follow me." Once again he slipped his hand into her own, and pulled her along with a definite purpose to his graceful steps. His blue eyes stared straight ahead, and he strolled along with her hand in his, once again doing a rather fine job of appearing to be her confident suitor. After a few moments of strolling, the building they were headed toward became very clear, and it would probably be a surprise. The Welcome Home. "See, I was trying to get to know some people outside of the bedroom, because that is what normal people do." He spoke in hushed tones as he led her around the side of the Welcome Home, blue eyes staring into her with this oddly desperate sheen to them. "So I met Aenysa, and asked her what she needed help with, and well..." They spilled out into the backyard play area, complete with scattered toys and a couple of children. They all spun as they heard motion, crying out gleefully and running towards Matthew. None of them could be older than 10, and their little stampede was causing an adult man to look more desperate and terrified than ever. "Matthew! Matthew! Throw me next! Make your eyes sparkle! Throw the ball! I'm huuuungry. Can we eeeaaaaat? Let's wrestle again! Throw the ball! I think my pants need chaaaaaanged." A flurry of voices cried out in mixtures of joy and frustration, the little beasts latching onto Matthew. They had apparently taken a liking to him, though the look on his face said he didn't really share the feeling. His blue eyes darted about, and for a moment, darkened in color. Djed swirled as he summoned it from his stomach, flooding it up through his bloody veins and into his throbbing skull. He focused the intoxicating feeling into his eyes, and burned it out of them in a focused stare towards the loudest of the children. His Hypnotism swirled through the air, suggestive Djed that was unseen but forceful. "Be quiet." The child paused for a moment, then giggled loudly as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world. "Your eyes are so preeeeetty." Matthew threw his hands up in the air, a young child attached to one arm, turning to Kaie and growling. Petching magic didn't even work. He had no idea why. Were they too young to be influenced in the way he influenced adults? Was he going about it wrong? We they secretly powerful sorcerers? "I told her I would babysit! But I can't! Nothing works! They keep talking! Help me!" His brow furrowed, and his face took on perhaps the most genuine expression of utter helplessness that Kaie had seen. "Please."

[Kaie]

The Myrian woman eyed him expectantly, a coy grin slipping up her face in anticipation. If this harlot had one thing going for him, it was certainly the element of surprise. Matthew had mastered the mystery piece he laced in with his games. He was the master of the chess board, moving his pieces with such prowess and skill, his opponents were victimized before they realized they were participating. By now she was beginning to pick up on his little cues. The brushing of gentle fingers, the flexing of his body, and the smolder of his eyes. As intoxicating as they all were, Kaie was only just beginning to really see. There was more to this personal meeting than fancy outfits and pretty flowers. And she knew it.

Goddess, if only I could read minds...

Kaie allowed the chiseled man to pull her along after his ever graceful gait. His eyes never strayed from their unspoken destination. Somehow through all that urgency in the alley, he was still managing to pull off his previous role. If only he would just tell her where they were going!

The...The Welcome Home?

As soon as she saw it, Kaie's eyes widened in surprise. Out of every place he could've taken her, she couldn't have expected to be brought to an orphanage. Was there more to all this than met the eye, or was it exactly what it looked like? Shock kept her quiet, eyes still raised and now trained on the harlot. Immediately he began to explain himself. The savage woman hung onto his every word. She absorbed it all like a sponge, like her whole world was flipped upside down and she was trying to grasp a new understanding of it. The play area was what really overwhelmed her.

Children. Children everywhere. Screaming, laughing, running. Running toward them. All of them. They swarmed Matthew like ducklings to their mother. All squealed excited demands at the harlot, and Kaie was utterly lost. There were just so many of them! So many tiny voices shouting, little bodies attaching themselves to Matthew. Almost to her relief, when she recovered from her initial shock, Matthew seemed almost as bewildered as her. His blue eyes were wide with anxiousness. Then it came.

That quiet forcefulness Matthew had somewhere deep within him made its appearance. The invisible swirl permeated the small area, giving off a mood different from the one he had sent toward Kaie once before. Same principle but for very different purpose. And was that just the slightest flicker in his eyes?

Oh! You used a little hypnosis on me that one time didn't you! I suppose that makes more sense now...

Sadly he didn't nearly affect the children as well as the savage. He only amused them and made himself more interesting. Right about then he was their favorite toy. Kaie could see the utter loss in his eyes. But in that sea of shouting children she did something unexpected. She smiled.

"What's the matter, Matthew? You can chat up any potential client and bring her home within minutes, and you're telling me a couple of kids can shatter that confidence?" She asked in a teasing way, grin radiant like she had just found his weakness. Her muddy brown eyes flickered between him and the children before she nodded solemnly. Just watching him seem to shrink under their crowding brought a gleam to her eye.

"Fine, fine! I'll help you," Kaie laughed though a sliver of nervousness crept into her own heart at the prospect of controlling so many kids. How could she possibly bring them all to docility without breaking their necks? These were barbarian children after all, not Myrians. It wasn't like she could just beat a bunch of orphans. "But you so owe me," She added more jokingly than serious. This was going to be quite the adventure for the two of them. Just another new challenge. Looking around she couldn't help but wonder: would it be a battle she could hope to win?

[Matthew]

Oddly enough, in this completely surreal environment, Matthew would be more expressive with her than she had ever seen. It was like something had been peeled off of his face to reveal the layers underneath. Another man, really. First he scowled, displaying genuine irritation. There wasn't that moment of hesitation, as if he was trying to figure out if irritation was the correct emotion to be displaying in the situation. He merely let it spread out across his handsome features. "They haven't shattered any sort of confidence, thank you very much. All I would have to do is hit one, right on the top of their tiny little heads, and I am pretty sure that they would be quiet. It might take a few blows to fully quiet them, but it would eventually bring blissful silence." His scowl grew as one of the kids yelled for him to 'give them a ride', the harlot dutifully beginning a slow and purposeful walk. It was from the kid who was latched to his leg, who now gleefully cried out every time his leg lifted and stepped forward. It was a very simple little ride, but she seemed enthralled with it. They had already trained him a little. "But as you might imagine, beating on little orphan children is not acceptable and will get me thrown into prison. When I was a child, you learned your lesson by the back of a hand. It didn't damage me in any way." That was debatable. "But no, Aenysa said that I can't do that. So apparently I have to play with them." One of the children came running up, and gave Matthew a firm slap on the side. "Tag, you're it!" The child went bolting away, and Matthew stared after the little petcher with a look of absolute confusion replacing the irritation. He had no idea what the child was trying to make him do. He tried asking, but he was never given an answer. Just a mad giggle and a blush. Mumbling to himself, he turned to Kaie again. "You could murder them, you know." For a moment, Matthew looked horrifyingly serious. Then he sighed, eyes lightening up a bit as he shook his head slowly. "But fine, sure, I can owe you. Consider it a deal. What do we do? It isn't like I can teach the boys how to bed the women, or the women how to lure the boys. They think the others have some sort of disease. Cootitious or something, I never quite caught it. It is so hard to pick out their voices. They all talk at once." He was talking quite fast himself. Oddly enough, his voice had changed a bit. Now that he wasn't focusing on that very carefully pronounced speech of his, there was a definite accent popping out. It was deep, slightly husky. "Perhaps we could put together an obstacle course for them. Like, a little playground sort of thing? They can wear themselves out on it. I saw kids playing on those back when I was young, though I never really had time for it. Things to learn, you see." He was revealing a bit about himself as well. No time for play at a young age? Perhaps the Myrian would understand. She had no doubt had an interesting upbringing. He furrowed his eyebrows at the throng of children, some of who had now paid attention to Kaie. "Mattie-" A slight growl curled Matthew's lip, but the kid didn't notice. "-is she your girlfriend? Does she pay for you to... uhm... wrestle? Where are her clothes? Is she poor? Is she nice? Does she know how to play any games?" Matthew met Kaie's gaze, and motioned at her, noticing with some annoyance the look of utter glee in her smile and stare. "This is Kaie, no she is not, no she does not, on her body, I have no idea, nice is relative, and I know how to play games." "No you don't." Matthew took on a sullen look, like a small child scorned. "Yes I do." His stare intensified on Kaie and his lip curled again, the usually-composed harlot obviously a total mess. "Why are you looking at me like that. I don't see the amusement in the situation."

[Kaie]

She had to stifle a bit of a laugh when she saw how bristled he became at her little jab. Of course he'd never let her accuse him of such a thing, falling out of his place because of some little, playful orphans?Unspeakable! Yet there he was battling subtly with them. Trying to ward them off with logic and reason, with seriousness and professionalism. Matthew was very diverse. When children were thrown into the equation, however, his game was thrown off like any other man. Now Kaie hadn't a maternal bone in her body, but she was a kid once. Her fondest memories were those of her childhood (assuming a westerner didn't dispute Myrians had childhoods). Really it seemed they had just ended the week she left Falyndar. Still she was in touch with the heart of her former self somewhere deep in her past.

"I could...That's assuming I wouldn't mind being thrown in the Tank and dragged to the gallows by the order of some petching tree. Wait. Am I allowed to say petch here? I forget all your little rules," Kaie joked half heartedly at first, then turned a bit more serious when she pondered the ethics of her word choice. Brow drew together for a moment in consideration. Then she waved off the thoughts and let them fade into irrelevance. His next idea, however, was very amusing to the savage woman.

"Maybe a bad idea but I bet it would certainly prove interesting," Kaie said, looking at the harlot as if she was considering a lesson in seduction was a better idea than he thought. That's when she broke into a wide grin, unable to keep a straight face at the very image: Matthew turning a handful of good little orphans into prostitutes. Oh, how the knighthood would adore that!

An obstacle course piqued her interest. It actually made her almost sympathetic toward the barbarian kids, aside from the fact they were parentless. Kaie had grown up in the jungle. Her whole world was a gym and obstacle courses were surely in abundance. Climbing and swaying along the branches of the canopy had been one of her favorite non-combative past times. These kids had nothing but a dirty street and a well over used play area. It's not like the citizens outside the Welcome Home were much fun either. She'd tried her own luck with the knights. They kept the city on lock, that was sure.

Mattie?

Another stifled round of laughter tittered from the woman, who raised a brow at the harlot's new pet name. Really she was staring at his face to see his reaction. The series of questions asked in addition to that were equally amusing. For what it was worth, the kids were definitely entertaining to say the least.

"Oh, lighten up. Kids don't want professionalism. If you want to get the little brats to listen to you, you have to catch their attention. I know you know how to get rid of all that...Tension. Don't you, Mattie?," She teased, walking from his back toward his side to become front in center for the children. And was that her fingertips that graced the base of his spine with feather-light grace on her way?

"Just make things interesting. Be interesting," She said with an easy going shrug and a flashy grin as she faced her new audience. Why was she even taking such an interest to help him with these things in the first place? She swore she was a mystery even to herself...

"Anyone ever heard of Falyndar?"

[Matthew]

Matthew's childhood had been a bit different. He didn't look back on it with any sort of anger, or at least he didn't think he did. He just knew that he had been raised in a very different manner than most children, therefor it was hard to look at these little tykes and relate to them. Snapping out of his thoughts as Kaie uttered a swear, he shrugged his slim shoulders and shook his head. "I think it is fine. I didn't even know there were rules. I wouldn't want you getting dragged around though, that'd be a waste. Have you ever considered my profession?" An odd compliment, maybe? One of the children piped up, tugging on Matthew's hand. "What is petch?" Matthew glanced down at the child, not hesitating in his answer. "It is a slang word that people use when referring to having sex." The child furrowed her brow, obviously thinking quite hard. "Sex?" The harlot crossed his arms, once again not hesitating. "There is a lot to it. Don't worry too much about it. You'll learn when you are older, likely be very disappointed, and then perhaps find someone who is good at it." The child paused, then nodded doubtfully, for once taking Matthew at face value. The harlot was relieved, not wanting to have to explain all of the intricacies. There was just too much material for him to go over. Luckily, the other children were too busy babbling among themselves about Kaie. At her validation of his earlier mumbled prostitution idea, he blinked, a small ray of hope appearing. "...Do you think so?" He got his answer in the form of a wide grin, causing the grumpy look to come right back to his pristine skin. He was having a hard time keeping up with the two different brands of savages. Grumping to himself, he returned to walking around with the child on his foot in tow. It was actually starting to make the muscles in his leg burn, but the kid certainly wasn't getting tired of it. Kaie's teasing voice reached his ears, and he felt his back shiver a bit as she brushed fingertips across it. He wasn't expecting the maneuver, and shot her a small look, now split between irritation at her wide smiles and muffled laughs and his new-found irritation at himself for teaching her to touch. The irritation never really reached a serious level, though. No matter how grumpy his face ended up looking, he was still thankful that he had someone familiar in this cesspool of energy and laughter. Be interesting, she had said? He was interesting. He was very interesting. He knew a lot about books, and all sorts of little educational details here and there. He crossed his arms as Kaie headed to the front of the pack, realizing for the first time that she was inappropriately dressed like always. He cast a critical eye over her body and attire for a brief moment, then nodded to himself, as if validating that she was showing off the right things. He double-checked the crowd of children, but soon relaxed when he found that there were definitely none that were approaching puberty. He had no desire to deal with that. The kids cheered when Kaie spoke up about Falyndar. They had never heard of it, and that made it interesting to them. Matthew could understand that. He gave it a try himself, picking out something interesting and offering it to the audience. "Does anyone like math?" His offer was completely and totally ignored, except for the one or two children who gave him a look like he was stupid. They were the stupid ones, he automatically felt some child-like impulse inside of him yell. Instead he just fluidly moved from Kaie's side to join the crowd of children, slowly and carefully sitting down on a clean-looking patch of grass to get down to their height. A few of the scamps cheered out and ran over, climbing all over him in various ways. He just sat there, a scowling handsome mass. He kept forgetting how eager they were to use him like a new toy. Granted, he was used to getting used like a toy. Just... differently.

[Kaie]

Some might've found it odd that the woman didn't blush or gape at Matthew when he seemed about to explain intercourse. Then again there was a reason she was titled a "savage." One would need to do nothing but look at her dress to see insight into her thoughts regarding the subject. Kaie was all but bare. A vest buttoned only once in the center to cover what mattered, and the same went with her loincloth (which was tailored to be a bit more "appropriate"). With half of her clan members running around hardly clothed at all, nakedness wasn't something that made her very uncomfortable. It was hard to make Kaie uncomfortable in that regard. The child seemed far more awkward and quickly the subject was changed.

Myri's sake, Matthew! You couldn't have picked something more interesting than math!?

To be honest, the Myrian might've been just as lost as the children. She knew basic math. The whole "If Reik has twelve coconuts and a monkey steals two, how many does he have left?" spiel was old news. It was obvious, really. The complex stuff she heard scholars studied was out of her league, though. This was nothing she never would've admitted to Matthew. She was already a heathen in barbarian terms, no need to reinforce that belief.

"What?! No one has heard of Falyndar? Haven't your pare-..Mrs. Aenysa ever told you the stories about the jungle?" She began mysteriously, barely dodging that awkward slip up and playing it off. She seemed to have caught their attention then. The children followed her down in her crouch, some scooching closer and others clambering for Matthew. A few tiny fingers reached out and gabbed at her wild curls, feeling the texture in their hands. Exploring the wild woman who looked too foreign to be a temporary resident. Kaie let a silence befall them, grinning as they began to squirm some shouting questions already. Half a kid herself, she knew suspense was a real killer.

"What stories!?"
"What jungle?"
"Wait, what's a jungle?

And then she shot a grin at Matthew, clearly enjoying her new role far more than reasonable.

"Ah, the jungle...It's like the forest kind of but different. The trees are tall, taller than the Castle Hold, and it's very hot and humid. But you have to watch your back...Sometimes when you listen real close you can hear things watching you.."
"Like what! Bandits! Bears!"
"Balicani!"

"All kinds of things! But the worst monster them all...Is the Dhani!" Kaie couldn't help herself there. It was maybe biased but completely factual. Undisputedly factual. "Horrible, giant snake-demons that wrap right around you when you're not looking and squeeze!" She wrenched her hands together in a constricting motion, leaning forward and raising her voice a bit for dramatic effect. One of two leaned so far back in surprise they toppled over. But in a moment they scampered back to prop up on their knees, eyes wide in wonder. "Right, Matthew?" Kaie raised her brow at him in mock seriousness, a sly expression coming to her features. Was it really so terrible to spread a little Myrian propaganda?

"Mattie, Mattie! Have you seen one?" A child in his lap demanded curiously, mouth agape at the image of the slithering monster.

OOC:Sorry! I couldn't help myself!