Rainblade-Ryalors Private The Bilge In The Bucket The Belle of the Bilge

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina Rose stopped twitching as Kaii asked directly about her condition. She felt her face blush a bright red. "Yeah, I.... I'm fine," she deflected, not meeting his gaze. Her mind conjured up a few ways she could soothe her needs, and that only made her blush even redder. "I jus' like listenin' to ya, 'at's all. Ye got a very nice voice," she mumbled. "Makes me feel all warm an' such." Her voice trailed off into nearly inaudibility as she confessed to what his words were doing to her.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii processed what was said and blushed himself upon both realisation what was consuming Mina as well as what he just had suggested. splendid. At least she didn't seem too bothered with his faux pas. But realistically he had now two options. And either felt horrible and disastrous in the long run. He could 'help her' and his primal part yearned for it so badly he felt it physically. The issue? He wanted to just talk with her more than act upon those needs. But just talking with her more? That would potentially show her he is cold. Unwilling to help.

So Kaii decided to do then the smartest thing he could think of. Ask.

"Well... If you want me to keep talking I sure can. But I will say now... I am not great with reading beasts. Directly telling me things will help." A short pause before he spoke again. "I am not a beast to judge. Speak your mind freely."

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina Rose felt tears of frustration start to come to her eyes as the sweet, gentle, fallen noble offered her space for her to figure out what she wanted. That was exactly the problem. "I don' know what I want," she confessed, almost in a sob. "I wanna be loved, be held an' pampered, an' told it'll all be alrigh', but ih' won't. My Ma an' Pa are gone, and worse, they weren' even my ma an' pa! Bu' my real ma an' pa are gone anyway, so it feels twice as bad!" She sunk her face into her paws, letting herself cry. It was certainly calming her raging libido, at least.

"An' I wanna be held an' loved an' touched, bu' that's jus' th' loneliness talkin'. E'eryone in this city is so mean an' rude an' pushy 'cept fer you, an' it's got me all twisted abou' so th' firs' nice todd I meet's got me wantin' ta drop my knickers. I ain' that kinda gal, I swear I ain'! Ma didn' raise me like 'at, an' I don' wantcha lookin' at me like I'm some cheap floozy. I wanna be a princess ta someone, nah just a tumble in th' hay." Her eyes were burning, her nose was runny, and she was starting to get a headache as what she'd been tamping down for weeks came pouring out of her.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii moved closer and covered the poor vixen, shielding her from the other patrons in the bilge as soon as she started crying. Especially with what she was saying, it was an attempt to protect her, just like he did before. Her words were... sad. Kaii was numb to various tragedies after experiencing a lot of them himself, but it didn't mean he was not empathetic. He could very much relate to pain of losing whole family. As for the second part? He couldn't deny that he too sometimes had to let his primal needs be sated and it was not always easy.

He sat close, with open arms, ready to take her in should she desire as he spoke calmly. "A lot of us do Mina. I personally know the pain of losing family. Losing the ones that loved me." He tried to show her she is not alone in that suffering at least. But also there was one more thing to add. "I believe you, who wouldn't want to be pampered and loved after all and just loved. But... well. I got to find a new family here. Beasts who showed me that I need not to be alone nor... seek closeness in that primal way, even if pleasurable."

He took out his silver watch, the only thing he had after his mother, beautifully engraved with coat of arms of his family among the depictions of starry sky. Trying to ground himself for the next words to come. "And well. I am treating beasts justly. And those who treat me well are treated well by me." Then he asked her gently. "Do you wish for that? To be loved and have someone to love?"

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina Rose looked up at Kaii, blinking through the tears. She hesitated before nodding slowly. "I don' wantcha ta pity me," she sniffed, rubbing at her eyes and leaving a small smear of her mascara on her lower eyelid. "Ya don' have ta indulge me if ya don' wanna. I know I ain' much o' a find. No money, no family wot cares... Well," she amended, "Auntie Tanya is nice, an' I 'eard Unca Jesh is a good todd too, bu' I ain' talked ta my cousins yet, an' ya saw what a bitch my Auntie Dusk can be." She muted the word, either not wanting to be heard swearing on the job or, more likely, uncomfortable with swearing at someone loudly.

She shrugged before adding, "E'en wiv'out money, ya gotta 'ave rich, classy vixens throwin' 'emselves atcha left an' righ'. I mean," she gestured at herself, at the apron stained with old spills of various alcohols, "ya gotta admit you can do better 'an me, righ'? If yer Ma an' Pa saw me ya take me 'ome ta meet 'em, they'd prob'ly throw a fit."

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii moved his paws to clear the mascara smear and tears from her fur while giving her a smile that was wider than any he did so far. His smile wasn't pitying her, it was one of understanding and compassion. There was nothing but assurance in his voice now. "Well, not that I am any better. I am in massive debts, my family is all dead; I act the way I was raised to, but my position isn't much better than yours... and well," He paused for a moment before showing her contents of her bag, it being tools of his trade with a glaive being the only truly outstanding item within it. "I am a bore to most of my pedigree. I sure can adjust and act the way, but I dislike the act. I would much rather be with someone who listens, nay, who wants to listen. And from what I know of my ancestors, I am assured none would bat an eye." It stung that he had to omit the fact she was de facto of higher social standing than him, but his words to Duchess Dusk were set in steel.

He wasn't sure if his logic would suffice, so he tried to add something more direct. "Besides, even setting aside my physical attraction to you, I still wish to know you better. Curious, kind and soft souls are much more endearing to me and my nature... meaning I find you way more interesting than most."

 

[Mina Rose Brewer]

Mina Rose blinked, desire to accept his kindness still warring with the voice of her own self-doubt. "Really?" she asked. She blinked, and looked down at the table, suddenly bashful. "So, ya don' mind 'at I ain' smart an' articulate like you?" She mispronounced articulate, placing an oo sound rather than a yeu sound in the middle. "I don' fully understan' all whatcha were sayin'," she admitted. "I like hearin' it, though, an' I wish I understood. Ya wouldn' rather 'ave a smart an' inventive vixen 'oo can be yer equal? I ain' invented nothin' in my life 'cept a mixed drink."

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii shook his head, and seeing as Mina didn't mind being touched, placed his paw on hers. "Problem with smart beasts is their arrogance. Few are there that are humble enough in their intelligence and knowledge to be pleasant to converse with, especially as their equal. I myself, sometimes struggle with that, gladly my friends keep me in check." He admitted before looking directly into her eyes. "I care little for how much one knows or how intelligent they are. What I care for is curiosity. Desire to learn and explore. You said you wanted to see the world. You said you wanted to hear more of my words. In that regard, you are better than most." Kaii paused for a moment. "And no matter what, you are my equal. I have horrible time cooking or making things without recipe. So you being able to mix drinks would put you above now, wouldn't it?"