Closed [Aquillar Hot Springs] Slithering about in the water.....

[Xoren]

17th, Spring, 515 AV

Xoren looked around, his face indifferent as he watched the people in the crowd. His coin purse was still the same as it had been; the angry, slightly crazy look he sent towards people and the giant greatsword strapped across his back put off many would-be pickpockets. He'd been in the city for not that long, and he already knew how things worked. His father, who was quite the traveler himself, had told him all about the city before he left Zinrah: the good things, the bad things, and the ugly things. He felt like he had lived in Sunberth all his life from the amount of information he had obtained from his father; he knew good places to eat, good places to fight, and good places to buy things. He also knew many of the bad aspects of Sunberth, which had him watching everyone and everything that moved closely, should it get a little too close...

He had just left his apartment, the one in the Sunset Quarters. Clad in all of his gear; that is to say, his armor and light pieces of clothing. He didn't want to get too sweaty. He never liked perspiring all that much, even if he did come from Zinrah. Shifting his greatsword for a better position, he bared a sliver of the blackened steel blade, so that anyone behind him would know there was actually a weapon in the scabbard; many people only had fake hilts to scare off thieves and bandits, but his was the real deal. Stopping suddenly, so that a few people hit his back (to which he let loose a growl) he looked around, a hand rubbing at his chin. He was thinking of the fact that he was like a rock in a stream: water rushing about his sides, himself weathering the flow easily. He wondered briefly where he should go, when he though of the stream again. Maybe I should go to the Hot Springs. Siku knows I could use the relaxation.

Nodding slowly to himself, he turned on his heel, facing the Tent City; it wasn't hard to spot, outside of the city. He though briefly if what he was thinking was right: if the Hot Springs were near the hundreds of tents. He didn't know, nor did he care; he could find it later, should his guess be wrong.

Walking against the rush of people, he walked towards the many tents that made up the Tent City, pushing past people easily and using his great strength to get through.

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"Hello, there! Welcome to the Aquillar Hot Springs. I haven't seen you before, young man; you knew around here?" The Serpent looked at the little old woman; she was quite friendly, which was surprising in this city. He nodded, a smile stretching across his face. "Aye, I am. I heard this was a good place to relax." His voice was deep, smooth, though with a hint of his wild nature lurking beneath. His smile charmed the old lady, who smiled in return, telling him of the prices. "I'll go the Common Spring, thank you. And, I might want one of those shepherd's pies you make." He smiled, handing her the amount set. He walked over to the Springs, wondering where to put his things. Shrugging, he slipped off his boots, finding a dry, lonely spot. He placed it onto the ground, giving the other people around a stare; they don't know it yet, but he would eat them all if he ever found anything missing.

Soon, he had removed all his things from his muscled body, the warm, wet air bringing goosebumps to his flesh. Lowering himself into the water, he let the liquid come to his chin; the rest of his body was submerged. Closing his eyes, a small smile on his face, he floated. Peaceful, quiet, and not that much hungry.

[Thaloyss]

The beginnings of the day consisted of Thaloyss taking a bit of time off work to herself. Dealing with touchy-feely patrons was impossibly stressful, seeing as how she could only eat once every couple of days. There were simply too many for her to devour.

She'd decided to head to the Aquillar Hot Springs to relax. Siku knows she needed it. The heat would do her cold blood some good, loosen up her muscles, eliminate the ball of irritation that had taken up residence in her chest. It was almost like it was wrapped in barbed wire, pricking her at every move. It was nearly unbearable.

The Dhani breathed a sigh of relief as the Hot Springs came into view, itching to tear off the confining clothes and sink into the steamy water. She practically threw the door open, allowing a tiny grin to appear on her face. The old woman, Natlana, had greeted her at the door. She was very nice, one of the few the barmaid would absolutely refuse to eat. There was just something about her that was appealing.

Thaloyss opened her mouth to speak. "The commo- Oh, my. Who in Ssiku'ss name iss that?" she asked, more to herself that to Natlana, allowing her gaze to roam the tall man's frame.

"The private sspring insstead. Here," she told Natlana, handing over the appropriate amount of mizas. She then crouched by her target, touching his shoulder lightly. "You, come with me."

The barmaid straightened up and spun on her heel, heading into the private spring she'd paid for. There she kicked off her shoes and laid her kopis beside them, waiting until the stranger entered before she crossed her arms over her chest to take hold of the hem of her shirt. She lifted it over her head, slipping the associated undergarment off as well. Her back was to the newcomer and she cast a sly look at him.

The Dhani's thumbs hooked in the waistband of her skirt and pulled it past her wide hips, wiggling them slightly to aid in pulling it down to her ankles without bending her legs as much as possible; the undergarment failed to follow because she refused to wear them unless she absolutely had to. She was probably moving a bit fast than some would think, but it was the Hot Springs and people would be accustomed to nudity.

Thaloyss turned to face the man, one hand on her hip. Her clothes had been tossed haphazardly into a sloppy pile. "And to whom do I owe the pleasure of thiss encounter?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the spring and dipping her feet in. It was hot, but it was perfect to the cold-blooded woman. She slid in and allowed the water to embrace her up to her collarbones, motioning for him to join her.

[Xoren]

Soaking in the springs, he let his head dip briefly underwater. He could hold his breath for quite a while, but decided to resurface after a few ticks, the water streaming down his face. He took a breath; it was quiet here. Unlike most of Sunberth. He was still quite surprised at this, as he though everywhere in the lawless city was quite dirty, loud, full of obnoxious cretins. But here.... Here one could float about in relative peace, mingle with the few others around. But Xoren wasn't one for mingling. Not in this place, where the people were much better off as food. Though, even then, some of them tasted disgusting, as if they had been rolling around in soil that contained feces. He shuddered at this, though his mind was still on food. I think I should get some of that pie.... And maybe something to wet my throat, aye." He wondered whether he would be allowed to eat while in the springs; he didn't want to get out.

He was about to raise his arm and call for Natlana, attempting to reach for his coin purse (cleverly hidden) when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked up, his eyes finding probably the fairest of Sunberth. She sure looked it; he hadn't seen many women who looked like her.

He had completely frozen, wondering what she wanted. His arm was still outstretched, his mouth a little 'o' of surprise, when she told him to go with her. He felt his heart give a jump: he wondered where he was going to go, if he did indeed follow her. And he did.

Climbing from the springs, he scooped up his clothing in one arm, his free one holding his large weapon. He followed her, wondering if they were leaving the Hot Springs. If they were, he'd need to tell her to wait, so he could get his clothes on. Though, within a few ticks, his small curiosity was answered.

When they reached they private springs, he blinked a few more times than usual, setting his clothes onto the ground. He crossed his arms, hoping to come off as intimidating; after all, being ambushed in the hot springs wouldn't turn out so well. He was just about to ask her what she wanted, as so far he hadn't had a clue, when she started undressing. His mouth was open the entire time, eyes wide and roaming her body as it revealed. Sooner than he thought, she was in the nude, just as he was. He gave a low whistle, silently thanking Siku for women.

Slipping into the water as she dipped her feet in, he spread his arms out on the edges, gazing at her. He faintly caught the emphasis on the 's' when she had said 'this'; he faintly wondered where he recognized this from, but it was shoved back, lurking in mind as he watched her intently, a smile on his face. "My name is Xoren. And the pleasure is all mine." He left the side of the springs, getting a bit closer to the female. He wondered where she was from; she looked so different from the other Sunberthians.

"So, you come here a lot? Nice place, these hot springs, yea?" The Constrictor got a little closer, a grin stretched across his face. He was hungry, but was not going to eat her; no, she looked so much more than a meal to him.

[Thaloyss]

Thaloyss watched the male with a raised eyebrow, her gaze roaming his nude form appreciatively. He wasn't too bad compared to some of those back in Zinrah. She enjoyed the taller ones far more than the shorter ones. She hated the lack of competition too, but this one... He felt like he would provide plenty of competition, though she would always come out on top.

"Xoren," she repeated, tasting the name. It was a strange name for a human, but perhaps he wasn't one of the warmbloods. She smiled at his compliment, looking down demurely. It was an act, of course. She would never put on such a show in Zinrah, she would simply take what she wanted. The males here, however, felt entitled to those sorts of things. It almost made her gag.

"Thaloyss iss my name," she said as she raised her head. This man, this Xoren had edged closer as if her body were a magnet. A magnet that attracted the living, that with each breath and each heartbeat seemed to amplify the pull. The Dhani could feel the hunger in her blood emerging, and as she stared at Xoren it made itself more pronounced.

Her mind was producing all sorts of things. Plans, images of what she could do to him and how he could service her. Yes, they were all good, but first she had to ensnare his senses and his thoughts. The barmaid slid towards him, her thigh bumping his before water rushed in between their skin.

"No, I do not come here much. I'm glad I did today, though," she said suggestively, offering up a grin. "Because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have had the good fortune of meeting you. To ansswer your other quesstion, yess. The heat iss good for the body as well as the mind."

Thaloyss' hand had made its way from her leg to his, trailing along the submerged limb in such a way it was difficult to tell if she was even touching him. She allowed her nails to graze his skin. "Mosst would ssimply ssoak in the water, though it iss probably not unusual for two people to think up a few thingss that could occupy them when in a private sspring ssuch as oursselvess, Xoren."

The Dhani almost sighed his name, her gaze going from the water to the male's face. A carnal smile spread slowly over her face, lips parting to allow her tongue to sweep across the soft flesh before it retreated into her mouth once more.

[Xoren]

I'm glad I did, too. He wondered what he would have been doing this day, should he have not felt like coming; probably hang around in a tavern, drinking his long life away. It's what he had been doing the past few days: knowing not a soul in the place was horrible. In Zinrah, he had known every single Constrictor in that giant nest. The perks of being born in a place and living there for more than a hundred years.

Maybe he should go back sometime; after he had a good bit of fun in Sunberth, of course. Who stayed in the lawless city for awhile and had a boring time whilst there? Zinrah wasn't much like Sunberth, but you could have some fun, if you knew how to find it.

I wonder how people are doing back home. Hmph. Wonder if dad is out chasing jaguars again right now.... He felt a small pang of homesickness, before turning his attention back to the lovely creature in front of him.

Thaloyss? Hmm, odd name for a human.... But, who knew? The whims of such a fleeting race... Enough to make my scales itch with annoyance. He shrugged mentally, pushing another thought from his mind. He figured he needed to pay attention; he did not want to lose a chance at this gem. He doubted he would get another crack at her should he petch up; beauties like her didn't give second chances.

How many times had he seen a multitude of extremely comely human women ignore some poor fellow because he didn't do this, or didn't do that; it was frustrating, the little "game", but rewarding, should he play it right.

A flash of slight boredom flashed through his mind; this play was stupid. He'd always grown up around women that took what that want without this before-hand stuff. He actually kind of missed it, to be dreadfully honest. Being submissive had it's own charms. Oh, well.... I'll play by her game for a bit.

"Oh, only a few? I can think of lots of things. I'm quite creative." Throwing the small, subtle act into the wind, he reached and grabbed her waist, slowly pulling her towards him.

[Thaloyss]

"Well, I was trying to be ssubtle. But sseeing as how you don't appreciate that, I ssupposse I can move thingss along," Thaloyss said, turning and settling herself on Xoren's lap. They were both quite tall, only an inch of difference in their heights, but she appeared to be taller from her perch.

She pursed her lips and pressed a finger to the male's chest, then another, then another and soon both her hands were splayed across his bronzed flesh. The Dhani's gaze raked down his torso, admiring the muscle beneath her touch. "Very nice," she murmured.

When she said 'very nice' she was hardly talking about how attractive she found him, though that was part of it. There was plenty of meat there to last her at least two days. Would Natlana mind if she ate him? Probably, but she could always say he slipped out the back. Her head swiveled around to find some sort of exit. If there wasn't, she could always bash a hole in the wall. She was powerful enough, right?

The barmaid looked back at the man she was straddling, hands sliding to his shoulders. If she was going to eat him, she might as well have a bit of fun and toy with him for a bit. "Yess, very nice indeed," she murmured.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, allowing her fingers to trail up his shoulders and neck to tangle themselves in his hair. It always gave her a sort of high, the kissing. It fed her hunger that lurked in both her blood and in her belly. Unfortunately, she couldn't shift into her preferred form -- the one that gave her people their name -- while her legs were on either side of her prey's without giving up her plan.

Thaloyss was going to play with him first though, yes? She rolled her hips forward to meet Xoren's before returning to her original position, tugging on his hair so as to pull his head back and expose the tender flesh of his throat. If he allowed her access to such a vulnerable region she would nip at the smooth expanse of bronze skin for a few ticks to mark him, then she would move back to his lips.