At the mention of the debt of cab fare, Garrett merely shook his head and made it clear with his yes that it was not necessary. One of the perks about the Sanctuary and the Order were the abundance of funds. Garrett never went over what was necessary, since he knew firsthand how hard it was to hide the expenditures of a pro-mutant organization within the books of a homeless shelter. Fortunately, many of the ledgers could be sated via imaginary grants from King Pharmaceuticals. It made it clear to him why Lisa was doing paperwork so often.

The stitches were complete. A slight tug to even them up and close the wound properly. He was already tying the end off and snipping it as Kealey was explaining her time in a convent. This of course explained quite a bit about her naivete and open heart. Only a convent or monastery could shield someone from the grime of the city. Not the kind that street sweepers ran over at night either. She mentioned the guilt she had felt for using her abilities on him. Elle was assuring her that there was nothing wrong with using them at all. Glancing over at her, Garrett thought he might encourage the sentiment, but the glassy glare he received turned his attention wholly to his patient.

" I have to agree with Elle. We are given our gifts for a reason. Be happy that yours is something so beautiful and warm. I have certainly seen some mutants who would have a terrible time justifying their gifts. Even I believed once that I was doomed to a life of torture. As you can see, the intent behind the mutation is what matters." Garrett turned and stepped to the counter, putting the implements in the sterilizer and turning the small device on. " Though I must admit, if I ran into the man who did this to you, I would be hard pressed not to give him a taste of his own medicine." His face twitched a bit at the idea of this thug shaking on the ground." And then some."

Kealey was speaking about the trouble she attracted and Elle chimed in about how trouble was something mutants dealt with on a daily basis. Garrett waited for them to finish speaking and wiped his hands with a sterile wipe. " Unfortunately, humans fear what they don't understand. It is a time honored weakness which they freely admit to. Trouble also comes in the form of other mutants. It's like the X-Men fighting us. It's pure stupidity. That is why I left them and came here. Though I believe in balance as a Taoist, the people here at the Sanctuary are much more keen to the idea of mutants representing themselves as a people. No longer are we some genetic freakshow, to be gawked at and lynched. No, now we are a rising community and we will be heard." Garrett meant the people of the Order, but he was being candid enough for one day. A bit long winded as well. " Anyway, sermon over." He leaned down close enough where he and Kealey's faces were nearly touching, dominating her field of vision." All done. Feel free to move around. You were an excellent patient, but I am afraid I have no stickers to give you." He smiled and returned to his stool.

Elle wasn’t budging and Kealey couldn’t help but wonder what things she’d been through that had made her so distrustful of people. Kealey could feel the emotions, and to her that meant intention. Garrett’s intentions were pure, all he wanted to do was help, and all that Elle could do was dislike him. It didn’t make any sense whatsoever to Kealey.

She spoke about her life, her growing up and Elle was amused. The good eyebrow rose again, it was getting very good at that already. If the number of stitches she was getting was any indication, though, it was something that brow needed to get used to. Double raises were probably out of the question for quite some time. There was still that amusement to deal with, though, and as it spilled over into her, Kealey couldn’t help but laugh a little bit at it too. The feelings changed though, decidedly and Elle pointed out how she couldn’t understand how Kealey felt guilty about her powers and surprisingly, Garrett echoed the sentiment. Kealey found herself resisting the urge to shake her head again.

Garrett’s words were so tempting, they rang so true and so strong with conviction when he spoke. Kealey hadn’t ever had trouble accepting her powers because of what they were. It was the selfish impulses that had been hard to ignore for so long. Self-pity had been another thing Kealey had struggled with, feeling as though her burden was too much. Over the years those feelings had faded as the nuns had made her see what she was really meant for. Garrett was a Taoist apparently and Kealey longed to ask him questions. People of other fates had never sent her skittering and crossing herself, instead, they were fascinating people to learn from. Now wasn’t the time, though, maybe later.

”My powers are a gift from God.” she said by rote, repeating the words she’d been told so many times over the last fourteen years, ”They are not to be used simply to make myself feel better. I had this burden laid on me for a reason and it’s my responsibility to see others and where they need me. That is how I’m supposed to use them. Not to bandage my own emotional wounds.”

Elle pointed out how well adjusted Kealey was and she had to laugh out that. It wasn’t a nice laugh though, it was a hash bark of a laugh that anyone could have pointed out as bitter. ”Well adjusted?” Kealey said incredulously, ”I’m not well adjusted Elle. Not at all…and being in a convent my whole life just made it harder for me to understand all the feelings I felt from other people…and being raised in a convent hasn’t ever changed the way people feel outside a convent.” She did shake her head at this point, stitches be damned.

”It’s a nasty world out there Elle, and I know that, probably better than anyone. That doesn’t make me well adjusted though. Not at all.”

Garrett was done with the stitches, and his conviction and calm washed away at least some of the bitter irritation she’d felt at Elle’s question. As the anger faded, guilt filled Kealey anew and she sighed, ”I’m so sorry Elle…I didn’t mean to snap…it’s just been such an awful night. Kealey looked at Garrett as his face filled her line of vision and she smiled, a real smile, ”Thank you.” she said, then Garrett congratulated her on what a great patient she’d been.

”It’s easy to be a good patient when the doctor is so steady and sure, and the procedure is completely painless. No sticker is required for such an experience.” They were done and Kealey assumed that meant that she was free to go. My god, she had to leave.

The man knew where she lived. Kealey couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he’d decided that letting her live was the wrong choice after all? What if he decided tomorrow, or the next day? Suddenly all the warmth and good feelings of the past few minutes faded away and was replaced from the same terror she’d felt earlier, right after the fact. Kealey’s eyes were welling with tears, and even though she could only see a sliver through her right one, it filled as well.

”Now what do I do?” she said, voice cracking.

Lori nodded along with Garrett's preaching. Sure, she didn't buy all of it, but there were enough good words in there to make a pretty turn of phrase at least. There was no need to upset the crazy man, after all.

For someone who wasn't well adjusted, she sure as hell knew a whole lot about the woes of the world. "Difference in terminology, I think." Lori pat Kealey's arm. It wasn't casual touch she feared, it was casual touch from a stranger who acted strangely. She'd lie to think it wasn't paranoia either, just plain and simple good practice. Who blindly trusted strangely behaved men? Lori at least could pick the ones that were normal at first and then turned into wackos later.

Elle yawned. No skin off her nose if Kealey jumped all over her case. Just proved that the girl needed to loosen up. At least, she needed to let go of some of her pesky past rectitude and start worrying about the things that needed worrying. As if Kealey had any place telling Lori that it was a cruel world. That was like telling water it was wet. But maybe, just maybe Kealey been taught a valuable lesson tonight.

If Lori could manage another for Kealey, then they would be making good time. An idea, small as a mustard seed but with the potential for gloriousness, began to fester in Lori's mind at the break in Kealey's voice. Perhaps the Sanctuary was the perfect place her her.

"You don't have to do anything, dear." Lori wrapped a comforting arm around her friend. She was going to do her a big, big favor. "It's safe here and we house mutants of every kind. Not saying you have to stay forever, but what do you say to a girl's night? I have a room and all kinds of clothes. I'll even..." She tried not to grit her teeth, "paint your nails if you want. It could be fun." Who knew? It really could. She tried to believe that and be sincere. Kealey would never buy it if she didn't mean it ... so she had to mean it.

All seemed to be well in the world again. Kealey was properly stitched up and the two girls were gabbing like chickens again. She made a point to illustrate the benefits of Garrett's mutation working hand in hand with his procedural efficiency. He only nodded and smiled to her. It wasn't long before Miss Quinn started tearing up, as the end of the stitches made her believe that she would be forced out into the night, where her predator could be waiting and watching.

As Garrett began to open his mouth and reassure Kealey, Elle began talking to her. It was a good thing, though the latter made a point to completely ignore him. It was as if he had already left the room and it irked the neural manipulator. The sheer rudeness of it all. He hadn't crossed the woman and had been as friendly as he could, taking his mental baggage into account. It seemed that his absence to Elle paid off in a way, as she seemed to speak freely. She mentioned that she had a room here at the Sanctuary. Garrett would have to investigate this matter. To be nonchalant about the place one moment, claiming it as a weekend retreat and then to turn around and invite Kealey to stay overnight in her room? Inconsistencies were something that ticked off in Garrett's mind.

" Well, it sounds like it is settled , then. Kelaey, if you wish to stay longer and need your own private space, I can gladly get you a key and let you stay here. This is the Sanctuary and it is important that all mutants feel welcome and safe here. " He stepped over to her, placing a friendly hand on her shoulder. " It was a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to seeing you again soon." One of his business cards appeared and he handed it to her, as it had his office line emblazoned across the bottom center. Turning his attention to Elle, he chose not to touch her, out of respect. " I suspect you and I will see each other again before too long as well." He stepped out of the room and made a half turn in the threshold. " You two have a good evening. Don't get into too much trouble." he smiled and returned to his office, where papers and plans awaited.

They were offering her a place to stay for the night. Kealey’s tears of dismay at leaving in the night turned to tears of relief and she wondered at the fact that anyone wanted to spend any time with her considering how weepy she apparently was. Elle didn’t seem to take the talking to that she’d given too horribly bad and Kealey was glad for it. The mini-rant that she’d gone on had been completely unintentional and a result of the stresses of the evening. Elle was even offering up her own room…and a girl’s night?

That didn’t sound anything at all like the Elle that Kealey knew and a moment’s concentration on her thoughts revealed that Elle wasn’t exactly gung-ho for the idea herself. Strangely, that made Kealey feel even better about the whole situation. Obviously Elle was willing to go out of her way to make Kealey safe and comfortable. Were they actually becoming friends? Kealey hoped so, her list of those was so short in New York. All signs pointed even further to Yes when Elle slipped her arm around the other blond. Kealey appreciated it.

Elle said that they housed mutants of all kinds at the Sanctuary and Kealey was momentarily curious about each and every one of them. The three people isolated in this room were so very different, both in personality and in mutant talents, what must an entire building full of them be like?

Garrett seemed a little irritated, or maybe it was just affronted and Kealey tilted her head at him and watched as he too listened to Elle’s offer. On top of those emotions he was still calm and collected, no sign of the earlier problems that had momentarily plagued him. Kealey wondered if she could count Garrett among her friends. He held out a card and Kealey decided that, yes, he was one of her friends, the friendly hand on her shoulder didn’t hurt either.

”Thank you, for everything.” she said, ”I really meant that. Most people would have just called the police worse, not done anything. I owe you one.”

Garrett made his goodbyes then, and left the infirmary, leaving Kealey alone with Elle, and Elle’s offer. ”I’d love to take you up on your offer and stay the night if you’ve got the room…I might pass on the nails though.” Kealey said, as much for Elle’s benefit as her own.

”You don’t stay in a very populous area of this place, do you? I’m not sure how many emotions I can take after all this…”

Kealey gushed at Garrett some more and Elle waited until he was out the door and around the corner before she stuck her tongue out at him and pulled Kealey closer. If he (or she) wanted a crack at each other that was all well and good, but that would have to happen later when Elle wasn't around to gag at their general good will.

Only when Kealey spoke did she realize she was kind of squeezing her around the middle. Protectively, of course. "I’d love to take you up on your offer and stay the night if you’ve got the room…I might pass on the nails though.”

"Oh thank god." And the relief was all real. "If you tried to put curlers in my hair I might have gotten violent." Lori hopped off the medical counter and rooted around for a butterfly band aid to keep her cut closed. "You are going to laugh when you see my bed, but oh is it comfy." Half a second later she'd successfully taped her finger back together. The bed in question, of course, was not her bed though the two beds looked suspiciously alike considering Lori had swiped her sheets from Venus.

”You don’t stay in a very populous area of this place, do you? I’m not sure how many emotions I can take after all this…”

Lori couldn't help but laugh, she'd practically described Venus' room, though he kept the room closest to the garage for an easy escape and even easier woman trafficking. "You are in luck, it's the farthest down the hall and closest to the garage. There are onlyyyyy... 1 or 2 people in the area who could even possibly be home?" Lori's room would be empty and there were mostly clones on that hall. Venus was, of course, out late pandering as he well should be.

The clones tended to flock together and considering Lori knew Pluto had been out (she had been decapitating his toys after all) it was very, very likely that they were all out on the town. That was why Venus' room was the place to be. Call it, Lori's gift to both of them. An amorous man, a vulnerable woman in his bed... he wouldn't force her... oh, but his emotions might. Lori chuckled to herself as she motioned for Kealey to follow her down the hallway.

"How about a truce? I won't paint your nails, you won't curl my hair and we can watch an old black and white Audry Hepburn movie. I bet I could find one of those." Honestly the old black and whites were the only movies that held her attention in the chick flick department. There was more of a play acting quality to them and less of a ... hey, my mailbox goes through time... or whatever.

Once at Venus' door, Lori tried it. Locked. She frowned and checked her pockets. Nope. She didn't have a key for his room, nor would she. "Ooops." She tried with all her might to make only the deadbolt retreat back into the door, but as usual her finesse was lacking. Was that the third or fourth crumpled door knob she was responsible for? They never seemed to matter. And inside the door? Well, Venus' room never disappointed.

It was posh in a bachelor pad kind of way. The bed was made and that was good because that meant fresh sheets. Fresh black silk sheets on a low japanese styled bed so large, it surpassed King size and went straight for orgy-sized. Lori ran and jumped onto the bed. She'd been here before and been through all his things enough to know which drawers not to open in front of Kealey. Typically the room was clean of his typical vice, but there were some fur-lined hand cuffs still attached to the head board. Ah well. Nothing Kealey couldn't handle. "This room also has the most glorious bathroom you will ever lay eyes on." Which was true and had Keaely known the full ins and outs of Lori's power, she would know Lori could never enjoy such a bathroom. "So feel free to help yourself in there if you want. I can set up in here." Perhaps even popcorn was in order.

Kealey just shook her head at Elle when Garrett left and she stuck her tongue out at him. Kealey still didn’t know how someone could pass judgement on another so easily having barely just met them. The irony of that thought hit Kealey and she smiled a bitter little smile, it was exactly what she did to pretty much every man approached her. Then again, she knew what they were feeling towards her. The same was true with Garrett, and when his powers hadn’t interfered he’d been a perfect gentleman, right down to his emotional toes. It was refreshing to know that men like that did exist. The road these thoughts were taking Kealey’s mind down was not a good one and she pushed them away just in time to feel Elle’s rush of relief at the fact that Kealey didn’t find nail painting necessary for a wind down.

Kealey actually smiled at that and shook her head slightly, truth be told, all that she wanted to do was lay down somewhere comfortable and wake up to find out that all of this had been a bad dream. For some reason, she had a feeling that not quite all of that was going to happen, she’d settle for the bed though. Apparently Elle felt comfortable enough with First Aid to patch up her own finger and she busied herself by running around and taping it up while she talked about her room. Apparently Elle’s bed was laughable. Kealey really wouldn’t have cared at this point if Elle had pointed at a blanket on the floor, as long as it was somewhere she could sleep. Once Garrett’s powers worked of, Kealey had a feeling she’d have a hell of a headache, she wanted to sleep before that happened. ”Im sure whatever you have will be fantastic Elle. Now that all the adrenaline’s worn off, I’m pretty much exhausted.”

Elle finished with her finger and confirmed that she did indeed live in a secluded area of the sanctuary, the place right by the garage, apparently. Elle was feeling crafty and incredibly pleased with herself, to a point where Kealey almost wanted to ask her what it was about. She refrained though, maybe Elle really was getting into the idea of having a real girlfriend to hang out with. Even if this was a strange situation, the idea excited Kealey too. The last time she’d done anything like this had been with her sister. They’d been children. Elle and Kealey were grown women, she wondered how this would be different. Elle suggested a truce and Kealey couldn’t help but grin broadly at her terms, ”I find those terms very agreeable Elle.” she said, then rose slowly from the table and followed her friend from the infirmary.

As they walked, Kealey noticed she was still slightly dizzy and focused on that and the absolute near opulence of the facility she’d found herself in. It was incredible to believe that a place like this had existed all along and Kealey had never even heard of it, let alone seen it. People lived here, people like her, people who lived normal lives with their powers. Maybe someone here was even more like her…maybe they knew how to deal better. They’d stopped at some point and Kealey’s head jerked up when Elle said ‘oops’. They were at a door and Elle had messed up the door knob. Poor girl and her powers. Kealey couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have to deal with something that effected everything a person touched. It didn’t matter though, the door was open now and Elle pushed it, allowing entry into the room. Kealey paused for a moment at the threshold and closed her eyes. It really was quiet in this part of the building. All Kealey could feel was Elle, it was almost like…Kealey shook off the thought and walked into the room.

”Saints be praised…” she said as she walked in and let her eyes roam, trying to take in everything at once. Elle ran ahead and jumped on….the bed. That was a bed. Kealey had never seen a bed like that in her entire life. She walked towards it slowly. The bedding looked so…luxurious and soft…”Elle…what on Earth could you possibly need a bed this size for? she said, then laughed. ”I guess I don’t need to worry about crowding you.”

Elle mentioned the bathroom being amazing and Kealey shook her head, ”I’m not going to look at this mess… she said, pointing at her eye, ”Until tomorrow. I’m way too vain to take that final blow tonight.”

Kealey wanted to crawl into the bed, but a look down at her blood splattered sweater that was also dirtied by the subway floor , she hesitated and frowned. Elle’s excitement was contagious in a way that only Kealey could feel, but she didn’t want to ruin the beautiful sheets on this enormous bed. Kealey looked it over again and shook her head slowly, then her eyes locked on what appeared to be some kind of fuzzy dice hanging on the headboard. That was odd.

”Uh Elle…do you have something I could borrow to sleep in? My clothes are kind of trashed and I’d hate to mess up these gorgeous sheets.”

Elle was pleased at Kealey's reaction to her bed. "What on earth is it for?" She parroted the words back to Kealey with a laugh. Lori rolled around in the silk. She was mussing the sheets, but that was the best part! Silk on silk. Mrowl. "For sleepovers of course." Lori kicked her feet and found the edge of the bed to sit up and grin at Kealey not shy in the least. "You don't have to worry about crowding at all unless you needed a snuggle or something." And that was exactly why she had a bed (or rather, two beds pushed up together) as large as this one.

Clothes? Lori hesitated. Oh right, there was a closet full of women's clothes. Everything from sequins to linen, from leather to lace. Venus, you rascal. Good thing he was so very, very prepared to provide for the women in need.

"I hope you don't mind what it looks like. I'll be going for comfort, my area of expertise." Lori flung open the closet and shoved the male clothing far to the side and out of the way so that she could pick through the women's clothes. Though she did consider grabbing a wife beater of Venus' if he had one, Lori decided against it even if it would have made for a dress on Kealey. No, If Lori were to properly give Venus this gift, it would need to be properly wrapped too, right?

A long, smooth camisole... or was it supposed to be a dress? It looked like a night gown to Lori, all white except a flush of red lace at the neck. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference between night clothes and day clothes with what people were wearing outdoors these days. Lori grabbed one of those little sweater things that didn't make it all the way down to the waist and called it a day. If Kealey wanted some replacement pants, well of course Lori would suggest she just do without. Lori was much shorter than Kealey anyway. They would look like clamdiggers or something. Yes, that would be her excuse and she would stick to it. Excellent.

Lori tossed the clothing items to the bed and busied herself with the drawer Lori knew contained many VHSs that Venus shouldn't have owned in the first place. She didn't mind ruining those, and she knew that hidden beneath he porn was the REAL secret stash: a complete DVD collection of Audrey's movies. Venus was a scallywag, but a die hard romantic at heart.

Lori carefully navigated toward the small TV.. or actually... "You want to pick which one?" Lori closed the drawer of now blank VHS and turned slowly just in case Kealey was still changing. "I'm afraid I might blow the TV to smithereens so..." She smiled a big roguishly and went to cannonball the bed again.

This was getting more and more incredible as time went on. Elle’s reasoning for the bed in her room made Kealey blush scarlet, but it did seem nice to think that a person didn’t necessarily have to commit to being squished right up next to someone else to simply share a bed. Elle seemed to be having way too much fun in her sheets and Kealey couldn’t help but reach out and touch them, then she sighed. They were every bit as soft as they looked. ”I can see how those would all be benefits of something this large…” Kealey said, yawning as she thought, once again about how comfortable that bed was going to be. Her clothes were so dirty though…she couldn’t get in the bed with them like this. Elle had heard her request for replacement clothes though, and was off and running across the room to what was something else amazing about this room.

Not only did the room have the biggest bed that Kealey had ever seen, but it had an expansive closet full of clothing as well, both men and womens’. Kealey’s eyes widened slightly, then she shrugged it off. Elle had been the one to introduce her to the concept of no-strings-attached relationships. Besides, what the other girl kept in her closet was no business of Kealey’s. Especially when Elle was being so nice.

Elle pulled out several items of clothing and Kealey picked them up from the bed as they landed. These would work quite nicely. Quickly, while Elle’s back was turned, Kealey pulled her shirt over her head. Modesty wasn’t the issue, it was the scars, they too so much explaining and Kealey was so tired. Quickly, the night dress was slipped over Kealey’s head and pulled down to check the length. She nodded with delight. With the height difference between them, Kealey had been afraid anything of Elle’s would be too short on her and she’d have to sleep in her jeans. Not the case. They were quickly undone and ditched as well and as Elle turned, Kealey was pulling her arms through the cardigan Elle had given her. ”This is perfect Elle…thank you so much.” she said, watching the other woman digging through what appeared to be a drawer of movies.

Kealey took a few steps towards Elle, to peek over her shoulder and have input on the movie, only to have the other girl shut the drawer and turn. She offered Kealey her choice of movies and she smiled as she took the box, giggling softly as Elle took a running leap at the bed. It was incredible how excited the other woman was about this little slumber party. Kealey almost felt bad about how tired she was, she knew it wouldn’t be long until she was fast asleep.

Looking down at the movies in her hands, Kealey didn’t have any trouble selecting one and pulling it from the collection as Elle pointed out that she couldn’t touch the TV without frying it. That made Kealey tilt her head, ”So your power works all the time, like mine? You can’t shut it off? It was almost amazing how much the two of them had in common, when at first glance they seemed so different.

It didn’t take long until Kealey had fiddled with the DVD player enough to get it up and running and within moments, An Affair to Remember was revving up its title credits. Kealey turned and made her way back towards the bed and finally allowed herself to sit, swinging her legs around and letting them slip between the silk sheets. Good god, they felt nice. Kealey made a mental note to maybe pick some up for her Murphy bed and propped herself up against the pillows, eyes already droopy. She yawned and looked over at Elle.

”I can’t tell you how grateful I am Elle…I’m glad you were here…I don’t think I could have slept a wink tonight if I’d have been alone.” Kealey yawned again, geez she was tired, the movie was only a couple minutes in. Kealey hoped Elle liked it as much as she did, because she figured that was probably going to be the only company she had after too much longer.

”So your power works all the time, like mine? You can’t shut it off?"

Lori smiled and scrambled up to the top of the sheets, diving under the sheets and then shaking them to ballon out all the wrinkles she'd made. "Well, kind of. I have an active component and a passive component that can never be turned off because of the nature of the physical word. I'd explain it, but... no offense, I don't think you'd really care." She laughed. "At least not now. We can talk about it later when you're not taking such long blinks, though."

The movie came on, slightly mottled old music and a long pan across the setting. Ah, this was the life. Now all Lori had to do was wait. She smiled to Kealey when she climbed in bed. They weren't too terribly far apart, but they weren't on top of each other either. It was a comfortable distance that Lori hoped Venus would invade... after Lori had skipped out, of course. Though she did wis she could be there to see the look on Kealey's face. Hehe.

”I can’t tell you how grateful I am Elle…I’m glad you were here…I don’t think I could have slept a wink tonight if I’d have been alone.”[/i][/color] Lori felt a slight pang of... guilt?

"Well, I may have to leave earlier than you might wake up so don't worry if I'm not here for you in the morning." No, she was going to leave Kealey in Venus' tender care which was, simply put, much more tender than her own. Hopefully Venus could open her... eyes. "I'll be here for as long as you need, though. The Sanctuary is probably the safest place you could have picked to stay tonight." Here in Venus' room at least. She didn't quite trust many of the other residents even though she'd hardly met them. Ever since they'd kicked the humans out there were so fewer safe targets for snooping and conning. What a shame.

Lori settled back against her pillow and leaned toward Kealey until their shoulders touched. She liked to know that she was still there and the movie was too interesting to not watch. It was even interesting enough to keep her awake. She felt amused by the devious brogue of a villain, very little sympathy for the weak-minded hero, and general interest in Audrey, who of course every woman always seemed to adore. Lori liked to study what she had because apparently it was as good as gold. As soon as she figured it out, she would have to try to implement it... whatever it was. Class? Maybe? Could Lori have class one day too?

The end credits rolled and Lori yawned. Kealey was fast asleep, no doubt the girl had dozed during the first half of the movie. Ah well. Lori settled her into the bed as best she could without disturbing her, making sure the sheets were just so so that Venus would be pleasantly surprised at his present. Then Lori slipped out of bed and wrote a note.

Venus, I leave one KeyLee Quin in your tender graces.
She needs someone to widen her romantic horizons.
Happy Birthday.

Love,
L

The note she folded in half and taped to the inside of the door frame so that he would have to open the door to see it, but it would definitely be the first thing he saw. And then Lori went to her own bed, her own silk sheets. They weren't warmed by anyone else's skin and the bed was a bit expansive for just one person. A well. At least it made for good rest and dreams of Kealey's later gratitude.

Venus walked to his room down the hall, His other brothers took to their rooms and promptly went to bed, it had been a long, uneventful day, uneventful for him meant business and not pleasure of course, that is to say that when business couldn’t be intertwined with pleasure. And today certainly hadn’t been. Knocking over a building to prove a point, even after allowing the inhabitants to leave was hardly even fun these days. Though he did doubt that that particular law firm would be so quick to pursue and chase the lifting of the ban on the mutant registration act. What did they think was going to occur? Perhaps they had went about it the wrong way, but they gave tem a generous amount of time to get out. And went about it in an almost peaceful manner and left them only with the words that ‘they would not, nor would anyone successfully in act such a call to war again without receiving the full brunt of it on their own doorstep.’

He sighed and missed the night out on the town he had originally planned that would have had him bringing home some pretty little innocent thing, that was begging for corruption. He reached to his door knob and felt it’s broken mass in his palm. Lori again?[/] He told her that he would help her decorate if she would just stop … A note dropped to the floor and as he knelt to get it he saw a pail little foot sticking out from under his sheet. Intriguing had she abandoned the thinker for the lover? Thinking that Goldie Shocks had finally come to her senses.

~~Venus, I leave one KeyLee Quin in your tender graces.
She needs someone to widen her romantic horizons.
Happy Birthday.

Love,
L ~~

No even better, she made a delivery. Key Lee Quinn his eyes traced the form in his bed Delicious and he thought that he would indeed have to thank Lori properly, perhaps he could teach Mars how to treat her right. Or forego the lesson and ruin her for other men.

He threw all thoughts of any other woman to the side and entered his room and closed the door behind him carefully as he could. He wondered momentarily where her ‘ romantic horizons’ currently stood. He looked at her blackened eye and connected it with the Irish name. It was intriguing and a bit arousing. He wondered if she was a spit fire who took it upon her self to put out more trouble then she took. He walked to his closet and realized that the woman had something from his collection on already. His clothes had been pushed to the side. He picked out a pair of boxers. Black with little red pitch forks on them. He undressed there in the walk in closet and then walked nude to his shower, quickly freshening up he let the anticipation and curiosity about the woman in his bed build. He pulled the silk on over his extremely muscled legs.

He paced into the room his tail swaying back an forth, he set on the edge of the bed and softly caressed her pale skin, it was time to wake up and find out how much she had to learn.

“Key Lee.” He whispered his mouth close to her ear. His heart beating with gentle excitement, his mind painting exquisite scenes of what pleasure they might take in one another.



Venus is the embodiment of Free love. While others might see him as a player or a man ho. This isn’t the case at least from his view point .He honestly appreciates the human form and sexual encounters for something a bit more abstract A twining of souls and bodies leaving the minds to catch up later after ward to sort out complications. A breathe of fresh air, A quickening of the heart. The sunrise or sunset, The stars on a dark country sky. This is the sort o appreciation he has for what others might find as a sinful act of lust..

The wind wafted in over the white capped waves of the sea below the rocky cliffs where the castle stood. The villain had been defeated and the heroine stood on her balcony, awaiting the return of the hero who had rescued her from his evil clutches. Her blond locks flew out behind her on the breeze and she inhaled the salty smell of the sea.

“Lady Kealey, I have returned!” Came the voice she’d so been longing to hear and Kealey turned to see her hero, already approaching, his long strides eating the ground between them as he came into her outstretched arms. His arms wrapped around her and Kealey’s heart sang as she clung to him, her body memorizing the contours of his as they pressed against one another in a heated embrace.

The embrace broke and Kealey stepped back, her heart skipping a beat at the example of pure masculinity before her. His shirt was open halfway down his chest and she felt her heart speed up at the broad expanse of chest it exposed. She let her eyes move up and over his face, locking on dark, chocolaty depths of his eyes which were even darker with passion as he looked at her. Kealey’s tropical ocean blue eyes looked back, mirroring that passion, but she hesitated to move back into his waiting arms.

“What of the other woman?” she said, the memories of the woman who’d lured him away surfacing and clouding the clear, blue orbs with pain.

“She’d only bewitched me!” came that voice again, that voice Kealey had been longing to hear and she was moving forward again into his arms. They kissed, and her hands moved to close in the tawny chestnut locks that flowed from his head. The kiss deepened and the passion flowing between them escalated to peaks the highest mountains would have envied. He whispered her name against her lips, then his mouth moved to her ear.

“Kealey Quinn….”

At the sound, and the brush of lips against her ear, Kealey’s eyes flew open. Momentary confusion clouded her consciousness and her eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness of the room. She’d been dreaming…dreaming about…Kealey’s face was flushed and hear heart was slamming against her rib cage as she remembered where she was. The sheets suddenly felt silkier, softer against her skin and the warm breath on her ear made a shiver run from the back of her neck, all the way down her spine.
With that shiver came realization. There was warm breath on her ear. Sudden fear mixed with the arousal coursing through her body and Kealey’s eyes widened, the swollen right eye only opening a crack. Slowly, choking down terror and fighting the urge to simply move into whoever it was who had whispered her name, Kealey turned over in the bed.

Her eyes adjusted further and what she saw made them widen even further. The…man…standing over her was as red as sin…and was that a tail. Kealey opened her mouth to scream, but all that came out was a terrified squeak. Satan lived in the Sanctuary. Garrett had brought her here under the pretense of fixing her eye and he and Elle had delivered her right into the arms of the devil himself.

Fighting the urge to cross herself, and the equally strong urge to flee, Kealey decided that this…man was far too large for her to have a prayer of evading and settled for shaking and trembling as she looked up at him with her eyes full of fear. She knew the emotions flooding from him, and she could feel them so strongly she wondered if she shook with the intensity, wondering if she was going to break apart. What did he want?

”Please…don’t hurt me…” she choked, terrified tears welling in her good eye.

~~”Please…don’t hurt me…”

Venus leaned back slightly setting his but on the edge of the bed with a thud, fear was not what he had expected, perhaps she hadn’t been told what to expect. Reluctantly he accepted that his mere mass would be enough to cause fear and his look wasn’t the friendliest upon first glance. “shhhhh.” He tried to soothe. “I wouldn’t hurt you, Sweetie. ” he said in a gentle voice. He smiled and raised his hand to message er left shoulder, he did so with a slow and calm deliberate motion. He tried to exude relxation into the woman. a bit of confusion causing him to momentarily search for the right words and then settled for moving strait to the point and borrowed a phrase. “ I was informed that you, might need to expand your romantic Horizons and perhaps I could fill such a need with a tender grace?”

He gave her a charming smile as he then sat wordlessly on the edge of the bed patience winning over his initial excitement. She perhaps was simply one of those that took a moment to wake up. He then judged the situation. And leaned back so she could have a better look at him the same as he was appreciating her form.

He wasn’t going to hurt her. The words rang true, as true as any that Kealey had ever heard uttered. No, harming her was the absolute last thing on this man’s mind. That almost predatory glint that had been in his eyes when she’d turned to initially look at him was gone. Kealey could feel his initial eagerness fade to calm patience as his hand moved and she flinched, only to feel it come gently down on her shoulder. She was so scared, terrified in fact, her whole body was shaking still and Kealey couldn’t make her mouth form the words that she wanted to say.

His feelings were still there and Kealey felt her eyes welling up again at their intensity. Things she knew, but didn’t know how to deal with, especially at this level, especially with a complete stranger so close. Did it have something to do with the sheer size of the man sitting on the edge of the bed beside her, or was he simply lust incarnate, come to prey on the innocent in the night? It didn’t seem that way, the slow, almost soothing motions of his hand on her shoulder belied someone far too gentle to be one of the deadly sins in the flesh.

It was hard to fight the flood of emotions from the man, especially when they seemed to be just the perfect combination to both put her at ease and on edge. Her fear was gone now that she was sure that he intended her no physical harm. There had simply been a misunderstanding. The man spoke again, and Kealey’s gasped, the sharp intake of breath loud in the otherwise silent atmosphere of the room. Elle had set this up? Kealey really had been delivered into the arms of this lusty man? Elle had done this, knowing what Kealey’s powers could do, and how she felt about such things?

”There’s been some sort of misunderstanding…” Kealey said as the fear receded further and she attempted to reason her way around the feeling of his hand on her skin and the emotions that flooded through him when he leaned back and looked at her.

Kealey’s words dried up and she swallowed hard, trying to stave the flow of desire emanating from the form on the edge of the bed. Kealey wanted to pull the covers up further to hider herself, but her shoulder was still under his hand and she didn’t want to move. The contact was comforting, even if there were baser intentions to the action. “I…I don’t know…” she managed, trying to grasp at strings of words that were forming and falling apart in her head at the same time. “I can feel you…” she said, her breathing hitching slightly as she stared. “How…you’re so intense…I don’t understand…”

~~”There’s been some sort of misunderstanding…”

His hand kneaded her shoulder in a particular spot he found a bit of extra tension.

~~“I…I don’t know…”

“ask and find out.” He replied already taking a bit of an instructing tone.

~~ “I can feel you…”

He resisted making that a more literal offer and listened as she said what she was trying to say.

~~ “How…you’re so intense…I don’t understand…”

He looked at her with a curiosity in his eyes that made him even more intrigued then the feisty girl he had made up in his mind, she was better than feisty, she was innocent. Truly.

His gave her bedroom eyes, that worked well enough on most to do half of the work for him.

“ I suggest you find out, so I can help you understand.”

He let that deviant statement hang in the air and then proceded, with something that he might conider a disclaimer..

“ I absolutely would never force you to do anything you wouldn’t want to, I am not a fan in the least of those that take advantage of others, quite the opposite. I do wish however that you might consider my initial purpose here. I could open your eyes and help you feel things that you would do well to experience.” He looked at her and estimated how far to push her and how far she could be pushed.

“honestly, I think that you might be passing an opportunity to take what you want, however you want it.” He bit his lips slightly, they probably saw more chap stick and lip gloss then most females. His lips were cultured and trained, supple and soft and wanted nothing more then to explore the woman before him.

“ Perhaps A kiss could make up your mind?” At this point he was ready to take her answer for what it was if she said yes…well, game on. If she said no, perhaps a quiet night in, first, would do the trick.