The Life-Time Hunt (Duchess_Bastet and SatyrWarrior)

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After Rhia released his hand, he detached his own seal belt and opened the car door. While jumping out, he heard her joke of hoping that he was still hungry. "I think 'hungry' is an understatement." he joked back, even though it was the truth. No food and barely any water for three days had begun to take its toll on his body earlier today. It was around the time he'd received his wounds from the run. It was no doubt that he was definitely beyond the basic definition of hunger and parchment. There were drawbacks to possessing just advanced physical traits...and wings. Due to all that, he need many more calories than the average human, which was more than he could ever get to eat in a day. Putting his advanced attributes to use and the fact that he was still a growing lad burned his energy alone, so when he decided to fly--which was done quite a lot--, it stole even more of the precious calories the body needed. "Your hand, ma petite...?" Vexx said rather jokingly, a smirk smearing into his lips as he gently took her hand. "You did say we should try to look more natural, right?" he queried, although it sounded more like a statement.

He recalled when she had taken his arm, stating that it looked more natural that way. And honestly, he...wanted to hold her hand anyway, so it was an excuse to do so. They were so soft and warm, and his hands were evidently larger than hers in spite of the fact that he was smaller in frame size than most men his age. 5'9" wasn't a bad height for the almost-18 year-old guy, but when one was so lean and tall like him, it just kind of made you look lanky even if his physique was of a well-toned state. When they neared the door enough, he opened it for her and waited for her to enter first before he did.
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Rhia laughed, a soft ringing sound. "Yes, Vexx, more natural. But I think given the situation, normal would be a better word." She joked back as she took his offered hand and walked with him inside.

The restaurant was huge and the smells of various fresh cooked foods assaulted the nostrils as soon as the door opened. Rhia gave off a soft smile at all the organized chaos inside the building. There were lots of laughing people, children, the servers and bussers who refilled drinks and took away the used plates. Behind some of the food counters were chefs in white coats paper hats dishing out fresh cut steaks and roasts. In front of Vexx and Rhia was a long counter where you were given a tray, your first plate and your beverage. She led Vexx up to the counter and looked at the smiling woman next to the cash register. "Two buffets please, one with a cherry coke and..." She turned to Vexx "what ever you would like...honey." She smiled as she started fishing out her wallet to pay the woman.
 
Vexx grinned faintly at her joking response. "You're right." he said. His grin broadened just a tad more when she took his extended hand, and he walked in right after her. The various delicious aromas immediately attacked his sensitive nose, a mesmerized look of surprise coming to his face as he glanced around the interior of a restaurant for the first time. He didn't realize he was gaping with widened eyes of delight. The laughter of the customers, the bustling activities of the workers, and the organized selections of food. He had never seen so much food in one place, so the sights of it along with the extraordinary scents were all close to making him salivate. Though, before that could happen, he closed his open mouth. Strangely, he wasn't just focused on the food alone. It was the atmosphere. The nonthreatening air, the normal occurrences... All of it was enough to ease that natural paranoia of his, especially since he had Rhia next to him. Was this what it was like to live normally each day? Vexx continued to look around with the wide and curious eyes of a child as Rhia led him to a long counter with a smiling woman behind the register.

Eventually, he came out of his trance when she began to make her request to the lady. He smiled shyly at the word 'honey'. Wasn't it a name that lovers used towards one another? He wasn't so sure, but he had heard it was. However, he swiftly answered her question. "Thanks. Um, I'll just take water." he said, unsure of what other drink he'd want. Water was the only thing he was familiar with. Perhaps he'd feel a little more adventurous in the selection of drinks after he quenched his thirst.
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The woman behind the counter smiled and handed Vexx a tray with a plate, his water, and some silverware. Rhia nodded to him and started.walking slowly through the throngs of people to the back. There were some empty tables there and it would b quieter. She set the tray down and removed theitems from it. She took the plate and left the rest on the table. "Alright, Vexx. You take your plate and head to the food booths and fill it up. When you finish the plate leave it onthe table here. Each booth has clean plates for you." She smiled at him and took her plate over to one ofnthe areas. It had meats and she picked out a chicken breast. Rhia made her way through the booths picking a few things here and there before heading back to the table andnwaiting for Vexx.
 
Gradually, Vexx took the tray from the other woman, as well as the water he requested. Now, he didn't quite know what to do. Questionably, he turned his head in Rhia's direction, who had nodded and began walking through the bushels of individuals. He followed her quietly to a table that appeared to be placed in a nice location of the buffet. Not only did it promise a lovely view of the city, but it was also set near the corner of the restaurant. It was not solely isolated from the other tables, but the set vicinity of it wasn't so...bustling with activity. It was perfect. After placing his tray down, he peeked over to to Rhia to see what she was doing. However, instead of copying her, he paused. Apparently he didn't know what was next, so he was quite thankful for her following explanation. He perked up as she spoke, listening intently prior to giving a light smile and a nod to show that he comprehended her words. "Ohhh, okay. Got it." he replied, picking up his plate.

Though, as he stepped out into the open, he became mentally overwhelmed by all of the available options. Of course, it didn't take long for one of the aisles of food to catch his interest the most. Eventually, he wandered away from Rhia as she went in the opposite direction to obtain food, seizing just in front of a selection of pasta dishes. He gasped softly beneath his breath, and carefully scooped out a bit of macaroni and cheese onto his plate with a baffled expression. "What...in the world...?" He pondered aloud on what the food was temporarily before giving off a shrug. It probably didn't taste as weird as it looked, he presumed. Of course, he had seen many human dishes before, but...macaroni and cheese just wasn't among the dishes he'd seen until now. Vexx, being the curious lad he was, moved on to the other aisles to pick up a little of this or that. By the time he had arrived back at their table, he possessed a plate with...a surprisingly normal amount of food.

It was surprising because you'd think he would grab up everything in sight with his high metabolism and after starving for days, but...Vexx didn't want to take too much of food only to discover that he didn't like some of the food he'd picked out. That would just be a waste of food. So, he would merely obtain more food afterwards if need be--oh who was he kidding? He was definitely going to get more food. It was inevitable with his appetite. And now that he was finally seated with Rhia, a full plate in front of him, the hunger pangs were returning...as well as his thirst. Vexx instantly picked up the large glass of water and drained it voraciously, in a matter of seconds. After releasing a sigh of relief, he looked at Rhia with wide eyes of amazement. "There's such a huge selection of food here--I was overwhelmed for a second there..." he partially joked, smiling as he picked up a fork and scooped up some of the macaroni and cheese. He sniffed it just before taking the bite. And instantaneously, his silver irises brightened and he began to shove forkful after forkful into his mouth nonstop. "Wow! This is delicious!" he commented happily between bites.

Yes, he had been a little cautious of the food at first, but tasting the food had eased all of said caution since it reminded him of just how famished he was. It didn't take very long for him to clean his first plate. Honestly, it probably took about five minutes at most.
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Rhia laughed as she saw him sniff the food. She had been worried about him there for a few. What with all the new experiences he was having. And she felt he might have gotten overwhelmed and by his admission she was right. "Glad you like it. How about after this we get you some extra clothes and stuff?" She was beaming as she waited for his reaction.
 
"Clothes?" Vexx repeated with interest in his voice and brightened eyes. Of course, by looking at him and his former worn-out clothes, one would have never guessed that he actually took interest in various attire. However, having no money sort of forced him to wear the same clothes everyday. "That would be great Rhia, but..." He trailed off and tilted his head to the side after recalling another factor of the matter. "Won't that be kind of...expensive?" He didn't want her to spend more money than she needed to. He figured that coming to this buffet was expensive enough, and when he had looked at the prices of clothing beforehand--well, let's just say that it discouraged him from ever attempting to buy clothes in his condition again. "Are you sure it is alright--?" he began, but was once again interrupted by his growling stomach. Ignoring it, he resumed. "I don't want you to have to spend so much money on me... After all, I don't have any money to help..." he told her, averting his eyes for a moment.

Most people probably wouldn't have thought twice about the expenses if someone else was paying for it, but Vexx was very...aware of things...and considerate of others. Perhaps he'd become so observant through that good old paranoia of his. Although he was very grateful for everything she'd done for him, as well as for the time he had spent with Rhia thus far, he just didn't want her to accidentally spend over her budget or something along the lines of that.
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Rhia paused, a forkfull of food on the way to her mouth. "Yes, Vexx, clothes. You need them desperately, and nothing is too expensive for someone who needs it....well....mostly. It wont be too expensive for me, and I am totally sure that it's alright. Like I said, you need them. Besides, I like helping people." She winked at him and let the fork finish it's trip to her mouth. She loved being in places like this, she loved the people watching. Her eyes looked up from her plate and stared into Vexx's, she could see that he was worried about all this, and that just made her more convinced that she had to help him out. Also, it gave her a reason to spend just a little more time with him. He had mentioned he was running, and that it would eventually catch up with him, so Rhia knew he would try to leave soon. So, she figured she had to get him set up for that at least. And see if there was a way that she could give him something so that he could find her again if he needed her. She scrunched her nose in thought and went back to calmly eating.
 
Momentarily, Vexx glanced down at himself. Well...he couldn't argue with her. She was right that he desperately need new clothes. Saying that his current ones were worn-out would be an extreme understatement. He contemplated prior to finally cracking a small smile. "Well...okay Rhia, if you say it's alright. You're so generous and kind-hearted, wanting to help others all of the time." he said, subconsciously placing a hand on her own hand--the one that wasn't holding the fork that had neared her mouth. "Thank you Rhia. Seriously...if it wasn't for you, I'd probably be dead right now on that beach." he told her sincerely, but chuckled a bit weakly at his partial joke near the end. His smiled broadened as he noted her wink in his direction, but he eventually realized that he had placed a hand over hers and was quick to remove it in the awkward sense. However, he watched her as discreetly as he could thereafter, finding her following facial gesture of scrunching her nose to be quite on the 'cute' side as she ate her food.

Soon enough, he recalled that his own plate had already been emptied so he seized with stealing glances at the lovely young woman across from him and stood to go explore the rest of the buffet's food options. Rhia had paid for the two of them to eat in this restaurant. Therefore, he should make the most of it by at least eating more than what was equivalent to the expense of getting in. He came back with yet another large plate of food, but this time, he had picked up a larger variety of foods and happily proceeded to eating away.
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Rhia watched his expression as his hand had laid over hers and hid the blush as he awkardly pulled his hand away from her. She quickly lowered her gaze to her food and hid a sly smile as he stole a glance before getting up and heading back to the buffet. "I see you're enjoying the food," she replied when he returned. "And that apparently you are completely fearless as well." Her tone was one of youthful jest. If she was going to try to convince him to stay here and stop running, well she figured she had to get him used to everything. And she was really glad to see that he took everything in stride, even if that stride took some convincing on her part.

She met his eyes for a moment as she spoke and her mouth kept moving but her brain didnt process what it was saying. All she could think about was how unique and beautiful his eyes were. "So, when you are full, which we have all the time in the world for that...ahem, when you are full we will hit the mall. There will be large crowds there, but there are also more stores. Which means we will definately find somethings to fit your uniqueness...and you have really beautiful eyes, and you are really...."Her brain caught up in that moment and her eyes widened in shock and her mouth dropped open.
 
"Yes I really am~." Vexx replied to Rhia pleasantly when she mentioned that he seemed to be really enjoying the food. It had been so long since he'd tasted something so exquisite. Seriously, his taste buds were certainly having a party in his mouth. "Aha... I wouldn't say 'fearless'." He shrugged slightly, smiling a little in a playful manner. When the young lad had looked back up to Rhia, his eyes locked with her own. And almost instantly, he became lost in those irises as she spoke to him. Literally, he had to force himself to stop staring into her eyes so hard and for so long. He chuckled weakly and wondered if he had directly mentioned his 'eating habits' after she stated that they possessed all the time in the world for eating here. "Er, I don't think I ever told you about how much we can put away have I?" he queried, referring to his winged elf race with 'we'. He carefully worded his quick explanation since they were in public. "Maybe it's because of our...'extra appendages', but our metabolic rates are probably 10 times faster than normal rates. I think our bodies need at least 3500 or 4000 calories a day...but mine is probably higher than that from..."

He trailed off and shook his head. He was going to say that his metabolic rates were probably higher than that now thanks to all of the experiments. However, he recalled that he hadn't told her much about that part yet. "Ah, but I'm really interested in seeing the mall you mentioned so I'll make this...quick..." Once again, Vexx lost the flow of his statement as Rhia started to express how unique he was, how beautiful his eyes were... He listened to her, surprised as she said quite a few flattering things about him in one go. Awkwardly, he averted his eyes and figured that she now realized what she'd been saying according to her shocked look. "Uh...thank you, but...my eye color isn't the most beautiful one here. It's you--er, I mean--," he replied, but muttered out that last part in a lower tone. He sort of stopped himself in time, but he couldn't help the blush that surfaced to his face. Like her, for a moment there, he didn't realize what he was saying. Even though he thought he stopped in time, there was a possibility that she was able to make out that he just called her beautiful.

Coughing to cover up the sentence he had cut off, he looked back down to finish his plate of food. And after plates of food later that he most likely lost count with, he was finally full enough to be satisfied. That was definitely apparent with the way he leaned back in his seat comfortably, optics shut as he rested a hand over his slightly distended stomach. Upon reopening his eyes, he smiled at Rhia and said, "Okay, I'm done. I'm ready to go whenever you are." That surprisingly didn't take as long as it would have a normal person to finish all of that.
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Rhi laughed off some of the apparent awkwardness between them. "No, you haven't told me how much you can eat, it might be helpful for me to know, since you're going to be staying with me for a while." She made sure that the tone, while soft, didn't leave any room for argument on that point. She looked back down to her plate as Vexx continued on and when she thought she heard the end of his sentence, her mouth dropped open. "Umm...I-Im done too, sure we can go." (sorry so short...keyboard is old..)
 
(It's a fine length ^^ )

Vexx noted the way in which Rhia's mouth dropped open. Subsconsciously, he swallowed hard out of nervousness. 'Did she...maybe...overhear what I said? But I thought I had stopped in time.' He pondered on this for a moment before gradually sitting up from leaning back so far into his seat. As he tried to push that thought to the back of his head, he stood up and absent-mindedly placed a hand over his mouth, burping slightly. He kept silent, unsure of what to say now as walked alongside her. He had assumed that, now that they were done, they were going to head to mall now as Rhia mentioned. And...he was actually looking forward to it despite that it would surely be filled with people. Then again, it was always much easier to hide in a crowd...​
 
Rhia noticed Vexx's silence, and unsure of how to continue, walked on through the restaurant with him in, as she hoped, companionable silence. Once they reached the doors she pulled the keys out of her purse and crossed the parking lot to her car. The key slid into the lock, and the locks opened with an audible pop. "So, its just a short drive to the mall, it is a weekend, so the mall will probably be packed. Umm...filled with people, and noise. So, the restaurant will have been quiet compared to what you are about to deal with." She reached across the roof of the car towards him. "But dont worry, and dont freak out too much, I'll be right there with you the whole time. Aaannndddd, if you get hungry again, the mall has lots of food vendors." Finishing that sentence, she gave him an encouraging smile and a wink and slid into the car.
 
In attempts to ignore the awkward silence, Vexx kept his mind on the surrounding locale as they left the restaurant. He was thankful that she had also chosen to break the lingering silence as well. Perhaps she already dismissed the statement of admiration that Vexx allowed to slip out of his mouth? Before entering the car, he listened to her as she explained that the mall would be far more crowded and noisier than the restaurant they were just in. Tilting his head slightly, he widened his grey eyes as she reached across the roof of the car towards him. Then, he gave her a faint smile in return. The concern was certainly unfamiliar for him, but it felt rather...nice. "It's alright Rhia. I'll be fine, even if it is really crowded and noisy. After all, if I want to adjust to modern society, I'll need to get over that." He nodded, as if confirming what he'd just stated. He chuckled when she mentioned that there'd be plenty of food vendors around if he were to grow hungry again.

"Okay, thanks for the heads up Rhia." His smile widened just a tad more. However, he assumed that after eating so much, he wouldn't feel hungry for awhile. Since his body had not obtained that much food in so long, his digestive processes would probably need some time to become re-accustomed to digesting such a vast amount. Swiftly, he slid into the front passenger seat after Rhia had unlocked the doors. ​
 
The trip into the mall was uneventful. the traffic flowed in an orderly pattern ddown the streets and the parking lot was full, but not crowded. There were a few people milling about outside the doors as Rhi parked the car and got out. To Vexx the building would appear huge, over a story tall and about 6 city blocks long. But as far as malls went, it was rather small. That's why Rhi chose it. She didnt want to shock him too fast.

She waited for him to exit the car and when he did she slowly walked toward the large set of doors ahead of her. Those doors led into the food court and soon they would be accosted with the smells of dozens of different kinds of food, the sounds of music from the overhead p.a. system as well as the music from each store. There would also be the cacophany of all the thousands of different vouces, ranging from the cooks, to cashiers, to peddlers, and the customers.
 
Once they'd arrived, Vexx stepped out of the car all the while glancing around gradually until his eyes fell onto the mall. It was certainly larger than many of the buildings around it, but he recalled that it definitely wasn't as large as the hotel that Rhia had taken him to. It was relatively at a decent size--maybe on the petite side, though it wasn't extremely small to Vexx either. Quietly, he stepped inside with Rhia; his eyes were curiously beginning to scan the interior rather than through caution. His paranoia was nowhere to be found surprisingly, as he studied each of the vouchers and took the time to take in the scents, sounds, and sights. Possessing keen senses in general, he was a tad fussy about what scents and sounds he preferred in particular, but he genuinely enjoyed the sound of the music. Let's not forget the delectable aromas either. He did have a CD player and a radio once, but of course, they were both destroyed during his various escape routines.​
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"Hmm..." Vexx continued to walk alongside Rhia until a mannequin display caught his attention. Absent-mindedly, he moved up to the display window and stopped to take a better look at what the male mannequin was wearing. There was a female mannequin in the window as well, wearing a short fitted cocktail dress. He glanced back at Rhia with a smile, mentally thinking the dress would look nice on her. Anything probably would, but of course, he kept the notion to himself and proceeded with examining the male clothing. The mannequin wore a casual black T-shirt with a grey cross over the front. The fitted jeans that came along with it were of a dark grey hue. An optional grey jacket with a hoodie accompanied the T-shirt. The possibilities were nearly endless when it came to clothing, and that was one of the traits that intrigued him about fashion.​
 
Rhia noticed that Vexx had stopped when she no longer saw his movement out of the corner of her eyes. She had kept a slight watch on him hoping that the large amount of noise and utter chaos that accompanied a mall wouldnt bother him. She stopped a few paces ahead of him and turned back to see him staring at the window display of one of the many clothing stores. Casually she walked back and stood beside him. "So, I think you like that outfit. I think it would look good on you. HOw about we head inside and see what else the have for you?" She asked, completely oblivious to the other mannequin and the dress and his thoughts.
 
Surprisingly, the crowds and the general chaotic disorder of the flooded mall did not disturb the boy as predicted. Of course, the claustrophobic-inducing crowd irked him faintly but that was all. Ultimately, crowds were much easier to hide in if need be. With that aside, the outfit on the mannequin had genuinely caught his attention. That would explain why he had suddenly halted following Rhia through the petite mall. Blinking, he turned into her direction when she spoke about his fondness of the clothes before him. "You're right. I do like it a lot." he admitted, tilting his head slightly out of thoughtfulness when she mentioned that it would look good on him. "You think?" he murmured softly, raising a brow. He hadn't thought about whether the outfit would look decent on him or not, but if she thought it would look fine, then he should at least try it on to confirm that. "Okay." he said, nodding in agreement. Vexx smiled gently at Rhia and absent-mindedly took her hand prior to stepping inside of the store.​
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Vexx was still oblivious to the fact that he had grabbed her hand; it had almost seemed like second nature for a moment. He glanced around the clothing store swiftly, smoky irises eventually spotting the outfit that had resided on the store's display mannequin. "Ah, here it is." Releasing her hand, he lifted the outfit from the numerous hangers and made his way toward a dressing room. He never did take much time to dress apparently, considering that he was back out of the room in a minute or so. Vexx paused in front of a mirror, temporarily examining the way in which the jeans hugged his slim legs in an unfamiliar manner. The shirt actually fit as well, even outlining his toned muscularity beyond his lankiness. He'd been so accustomed to throwing on any male clothing he could find when his original clothes would become unwearable. Often, the clothes he found never fit him correctly so his frame constantly looked as if it were drowning in misfit over-sized attire.​
 
"Yeah I do think so, silly. Go on." Rhia shook her head in mock frustration as they stepped into the store. It was small and played some kind of upbeat music. All the clerks were men today, and the whole place smelled of sweet cologne. "ugh, why do they have to spray that stuff everywhere? It's not that bad a little at a time, but geez." She muttered to herself as she watched him pick out the clothing from the hangers and rush through trying them on. When Vexx stepped out of the dressing room, Rhia looked at him looking at himself. Wow, they do look really good on him. Rhia couldnt stop staring at his back as he stared at himself in the mirror. She could feel some heat in her cheeks as she followed his eyes in the mirror with her own.
 
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