The Blind Leads the Blind

"Mm," she grunted as she gave a slow nod, then sipped at the wine. It would do nothing for her, but...

The burn was halfway decent as a moment later, she drained the glass.

His copying didn't go unnoticed, and she watched with half-lidded eyes.

"I don't understand why," she admitted quietly, "But if you're content with an ugly shape, so be it." A pause. "I can't tell if you copied my scent, but if you did, you might end up getting forced into sex. Do be careful of that."
 
"Content is such a strong word." Joel shrugged, his own mannerisms slowly dissipating into Rare's. Slowly but surely, even when he wasn't actively imitating his motions became more and more like hers.

"But I can safely say that this shape is not... ugly. Ah, no." He raised a hand to Rare's objection, cutting her off before she even began. "Not to me. To me they are all the same. But tonight... If you are brave, explore tonight. Avoid those that roam in the dark. You'll find out why I wanted your shape." He chuckled mirthlessly. "I don't think the scent will be the bigger of my troubles by far."

"So, for my end of the deal. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Point you in the right direction. You might even convince the Artiste to lend you a few Corvians to make your life easier. Sound good?"
 
"Likely as good as I will get," she said with a nod. "I'll take your suggestion and explore, I think."

She exhaled heavily and looked at Joel, head tilted.

He had something in mind, she was certain of it, but the only thing useful to be done with her body was sex, in her mind, and her ability to remember things clearly, though if he lacked the latter, that meant he didn't have much to work with.

"Well then," she said as she straightened her dress, "Is there a bedroom I should be in by morning, or...?"