An unusual meeting in Duskvol

"I'm a goal am I?"
Laudius spun the woman around as she pulled out, and then pulled back in. And that was the moment when he realized balance, after an amount of wine that he rendered un-countable, was not a thing he possessed in great quantity. The force of Cyrene pushing against him caused the both of them to fall. Thankfully, one of the plush chairs was in the way, resulting in a much more pleasant descent than collision with the wood floor. Laudius tried to make the room stop spinning as he focused on the question.
"I... I would say I am having fun. But why am I a goal?"
 
Cyrene made no move to get up from on top of him as she laughed at his question. "Because I'm very good at reading people and you have far more potential than you show where you are now. And I think some day you'll be able to get out of that and get to your true potential. And I want to be there when you do, cheering you on from the side lines." She booped him on the nose then laughed more. "I thought maybe I was the only one having a blast tonight."
 
"Is it normal for you to tell people this?"
Laudius let his head fall back against the chair. The alcohol was starting to hit him very hard, and he wasn't sure how much longer coherent thought was going to be available to him.
"I've... never had someone tell me that. Not once."
The man looked down at Cyrene, for once actually gazing into her eyes directly.
"And then you come into my life and turn everything on its head for at least a day."
 
"Sometimes you need something to shake things up a bit for a change." Her voice was still soft and smelled of wine. "You look rather...comfortable. But I think if we're going to continue to be in this *ahem* position, we should move to the couch. It's much more comfortable. Besides, you look a bit loopy. Definitely a lightweight. You'll need some water." Cyrene hoisted him up quickly and laid him down on the couch. She went and got some water from one cupboard and poured him a glass, setting it on the table next to the couch. As a precaution, she went and locked the door. This guy probably wasn't going to be very coherent for a bit. Plus, she saw an unwanted visitor out in the bar area.
 
"Nothing's changed in my life for the last six years--"
Laudius didn't have much time to continue, as he was dragged from the plush chair over to the couch. The change in position was very much appreciated, and when the water was given he gratefully accepted. Due to both a lack of time and a lack of money, the man had never spent a great deal on alcohol. Usually just a couple of beers before bed, and apparently his tolerance was not particularly high.

Of all the things in the room right now, it was the smells he found overwhelming. The smell of wine, perfume... and the girl he was sharing it with. His brain struggled to come up with a reasonable path for how he had ended up here... and yet found itself unable to do so.
"So what did you have planned next?"
 
"...If you wouldn't mind..." Suddenly she seemed hesitant, almost vulnerable. "Even in this state of inebriation, you are a gentleman. I wish to be held by a man who sees me as more than a pretty damsel." The silken dress slipped from her body, leaving the usual corset behind. She had never been a fan of the constriction of pantaloons. Thus, she opted for a thin, barely there garment that left her free to move. Cyrene laid down next to him, her head falling onto his chest. "I want a man to see me as more than a pawn in their schemes or a pretty face. That's what I wanted when I saw you. You have treated me as neither. Thus, I feel that you will be a gentleman and allow me some ...well...cuddles..."
 
When Cyrene disrobed down to just about nothing in front of him, a stream of garbled and half-formed syllables started to fall out of Laudius's mouth. It had been completely unexpected, and he wanted to say something, he just wasn't sure what. Then she lay down next to him.
In that moment, his jumbled thoughts stopped. And with her words, his mind calmed. A pawn... the term was all too familiar to him. The idea that she would feel the same way thought didn't sound real to him. Not after what she had done in his life. Yet if she did... Laudius put one arm around the woman next to him, his hand resting in the small of her back.
"I would have thought... Is it difficult to find men who would view you otherwise?"
 
"A woman's greatest value in this society is her looks." Cyrene sighed as she melted into his warmth. "I just graduated from Duskvol Academy. Top honors. But a person walking down the streets sees my looks alone. Not my wit or my intellect. And others would seek to use me as a pawn in their own schemes. Outside of my family, I'm a pretty girl in this world and no one cares if I'm anything more."
Cyrene paused; she had just talked far more than she had meant to. However, this man was easy to talk to it seemed. "...you're easy to talk to; I normally don't talk about myself that much." She further snuggled into his side, her leg coming to rest on top of his body. It was like she could not get enough of that warmth. "...you are ridiculously warm." A satisfied smile crossed her face as she closed her eyes.
 
"Well--I can tell you of several people I work with who are grateful to you, even if they don't know you were responsible for it. I know that just a pretty face wouldn't have dragged me out of my workplace just so that she could cuddle like this."
Laudius grabbed a throw from the back of the couch, and pulled it over the two of them. He had a feeling neither of them would be moving for some time. Even if he could, he didn't feel like he would want to.
"I have a feeling both of those may be due to the influx of wine in our systems. Though I didn't strip off most of my clothing, so--that may be part of why I feel so warm."
Laudius felt something odd when he looked down at Cyrene's closed eyes. This woman had chosen to trust him. This woman had given him an opportunity he had not had in years.
He wanted to protect her. If only for a little bit.
Laudius pulled his other arm around Cyrene, and simply held her there for a time. He did not say anything else, and for once, the scene outside the room did not grab his attention.
 
"Mmmmm. Maybe you should have. Survival tips 101: skin to skin contact is warmer and can save your life in cold conditions." Cyrene chuckled softly. Peaceful. That was what this was. The smile remained on her face at his words; she had gone a little overboard, going after his supervisor so hard. But people had benefited from it, so it was a win-win for everyone. Her breathing was very even as she tried not to fall asleep in the sweet warmth. He still smelled like burned cloth though, probably a smell that was difficult to get off. Burned...her eyes flew open. "Your burns from yesterday. How are they doing?"
 
Laudius simply lay there and listened while Cyrene talked. Her voice was calming--he could simply lie here and fall asleep if she continued. As they lay there, Laudius felt the impulse to tuck her hair behind her ear. He was about to act on such impulse when her eyes bolted open. He had to blink a couple of times to process the question.
"Oh, those?"
The man spoke about it as if they were bruises, rather than electrical burns
"They're wrapped up and healing slowly. Not the first time it's happened, and it likely won't be the last."
 
"You're wasted in that place." Cyrene sighed. "You are capable of more. But so many in this city are stuck into the roles they are born into with no choices of their own. Both of us are..." Her voice trailed off; he didn't know her background and had no idea the weight those words had on her. "But right now, in this place, we are exactly what we want to be. We decide who we are here and no one can tell us differently. That's why I come here so much. Here, the men know better than to cross me for the most part. And I do as I please, drink as I please, dance as I please..." A smile returned to her face. "This is paradise for me."
 
Laudius looked down at the woman beside him, and pulled the blanket tighter around the two of them.
"I know how I am a slave to the city's will--but how are you? As best I can tell, you don't care what the city thinks of your actions."
Of course, he'd only seen the woman a couple of times at this point, but each time she had defied convention and all but disregarded authority.
"I... think I see why you brought me here now."
 
"...maybe one day, I'll explain that." Cyrene knew this was not the time to have this conversation. "...tonight, I think we should just have fun. I have to ensure you want to come out with me again on your next day off." She sent a wink up at him. Her hair was falling down where she had put it up earlier, so she pulled the hair ties and pins out, letting her black fall naturally off the couch edge.
 
"Well, what else did you have planned for this evening? Though I'll have you know I'm quite comfortable here."
Laudius had a feeling that the next day he was pulled away would not be too far off... and that he also would be much more receptive to the idea.
 
"...well, for now, I'm not going out that door." Cyrene's eyes were looking outside the window area. Baz was right there. He was drunk and loud tonight, loud enough that she could hear him yelling that Cyrene had to be here somewhere and he was going to find her. "Someone who has no respect for me is out there."
 
Laudius could hear Cyrene's name being called from outside the room, and he followed Cyrene's gaze to the boisterous man outside. He looked loud, drunk, and aggressive.
"Someone you know, I take it?"
The man reminded him of a few different individuals he had seen at the barrier. They usually ended up getting fired or getting killed as a result of their actions.
 
"...an ex of mine." Cyrene was shaking slightly. If he was here, the gang was probably here. Which means if she went outside, she'd be pressured into going back to his office. Which would lead to other things. That's when she started to shake harder, burying her face into his chest.
 
Laudius could feel Cyrene shaking in his arms as she gave the identity of the man. If that wasn't enough, she buried her head into his chest, as if he was some kind of escape portal away. Laudius tightened his arms around her and watched the man through the window for a few minutes, trying to get a read on him. From the way Cyrene was acting, it almost seemed as if he was abusive to her...
"Do you need me to do something about him?"
Laudius was surprised the words had come out of his mouth. The alcohol probably had something to do with it--but if he was being honest, it was how Cyrene had opened up to him, and how vulnerable she felt right now.
 
"Just want to stay in here with you." Cyrene's voice was muffled in his chest. "Please, don't go." The woman that had been fearless was now like a small, cowering creature. "That's Baz. He's a gang leader. I don't want you anywhere near him." Her grip tightened around his body.
 
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