There were vultures circling the sky that day and a stink that permeated the air in the rising heat of the afternoon. Decay bloomed too fresh, attracting a swarm of flies that buzzed, much like the carrion birds, around the heap of bodies tossed into a pile of limbs and dead eyes to be picked up in the morning by the cart that came by on a weekly basis. Like trash, the dead waited to be collected, and not far enough outside line of sight from the living. It was the way of the world now, just like the pavilions set up to the east of the town of traders that came to hawk their junk to anyone who could be suckered to trade their precious marks for a trinket from a long forgotten past. There were other things that were there to be seen in the make shift market that stayed for a month before leaving to try their luck elsewhere, perhaps in a more populated settlement than Eon.<br/><br/>Flesh trade was what they were known for here. Located at a crossroads between cities, the powers of each met here to trade and conduct business. It was why the marketplace conducted its own form of peddling there. Now it was lined with a steam powered caravan of cages filled with a special assortment of pets, or human labor, or even exotic beasts. It also contributed to the high body count of the season. Sometimes, the flesh trade had a high mortality rate. Even now there was a man foreign to these parts who had his hand fisted in a young woman's long dark hair as he yanked on the rough hewn rope he had tied around her wrists as she struggled to pull away. Her scream pierced the open air of the street that cut through the main part of town. Despite the hustle and bustle, not a single head turned to heed her cry that ended in a warbled whimper as the back of his hand struck her cheek, sending her reeling down onto her knees in front of him. She choked on her sob as he yanked her back up by the hair to haul her back to the wagon she had lept from to shove her roughly into the back with another string of men and women who waited for their fate.<br/><br/>The saloon that headed the end of the main road was a highlight of Eon; it attracted the most travelers, tourists, and locals of the town for the quality to price it catered to. The passerby did not have to be rolling in marks to be able to stay for a night. Nor did he have to be slathered in gold to enjoy one of the girls – or even young men – that offered themselves in exchange for marks. It was quiet inside except for a handful of regulars seated at the bar, beer served in mugs as they spoke in hushed voices. Occasionally, someone's sights would drift to the woman who came by to refill their drinks, a saucy smile on her painted red lips as she leaned her breasts forward to pour so that they spilled from the corset wrapped snug around her waist. But the first floor was only to set the scene; the bar to give the illusion that it was all it was with its divey atmosphere, though a few of the girls still lingered near the banister that led upstairs. Free advertising to the already known establishment.<br/><br/>They had rooms upstairs, but not before it opened up into a guest area. A second bar greeted the eye to the right, where a flash of blonde braids dangled over the bare shoulders of a plump lipped young woman who offered a delicate glass of something pink to a man who had dumped a pile of his marks on the cherry wood in front of her. His eyes had dropped to the sheer silk of her blouse that outlined the gold rings pierced through her nipples expectantly. She bantered with him there while another woman had her hand wrapped around the growing bulge in another man's trousers in one corner of the area. Only she gripped him tight, almost painfully, with her nails raking down the side of his face and her tongue snaking against his cheek, which were flushed with a mixture of pain and pleasure. The leggy brunette who toyed with him was the Madame herself, a woman known as Minx and nothing else. While she was in charge of controlling the atmosphere, she was doing nothing to stop what was happening on one of the plush couches littering the common area.<br/><br/>The woman's nails sifted through the man's short cropped blond hair having toppled the hat he had been wearing on his head to the floor behind the couch. The sound of her moans drowned out the sound of the jukebox that played against the wall. Oblivious to the rest of the world, she had straddled his lap on the couch. Long, tussled blonde curls rolled down her back in waves as she tossed her head back in ecstasy as his mouth plucked the rose tipped nipple he had freed from the blouse of her dress. His hand had also hitched her skirts up over her waist so that his hands could grip her naked bottom. She rocked against him wantonly, riding the hard muscle that plunged between her thighs with vigorous thrusts.<br/><br/>“I think he might make her one of his wives soon. He usually does when he fucks his favorites out here in public. I think he's trying to mark his territory doing it this way. Like he knows he's going to claim them permanently. I mean, he's been working him for whatever he's worth so that he does pick her to be his wife. Then that'll make.. five now? Jeyr is a good man, so I don't blame her. He takes care of his women.”<br/><br/>Liquid dark eyes turned to the red head that spoke, bemused as they watched the show from across the way. Erol Fain Navarre had her back against the wallpaper near the jukebox, one heeled boot struck up against the wall to support her whippish weight against the wall. With languid grace, she had her hips pivoted forward and her head cocked at the spectacle. Pinstripes crawled up her legs to make them appear longer, disappearing up the skirt whose front came down to her mid thigh and left the back to drift behind her like an ebony and scarlet tale sweeping the ground. The garter was pulled to the front, dragging the eye to the patch of creamy skin she left exposed to the naked eye before the skirt and leggings covered the rest. Her partner in crime wore far less, and preferred to have gold etched onto her tanned, bare skin that marked her status. She was open to far more than most of the men and women here.<br/><br/>“Do you think she's faking those noises?” Erol's companion, Myrrh, whispered with a grin splitting her dark ruby lips. “Or do you think she's enjoying the fuck out in the open like this?”<br/><br/>Erol grinned her own amusement and was ready to speak up again when the familiar chime of the door brought her attention back around to the ornate banister of the stairwell. A new customer. She pushed herself up and away from the wall to step up to the wooden rail, arms folded in front of her as she turned her attention down below to the first floor to catch sight of the newest customer.<br/><br/><br/>************************************<br/><br/>The first rays of sunlight crept into the small cave, pushing back the darkness. Groaning groggily as he rolled over registering a pain in his side that said he had slept on a large rock. Pushing himself to his feet slowly, the ragged cloth that he draped over himself fell to the floor along with a gentle rain of dust.<br/><br/>Rubbing a hand firmly over the back of his neck he began stretching his aching muscles, working from top to bottom as he did every day, not wanting to take chances on an injury or his body not being ready to move if he needed to. He’d done it once and nearly gotten dead, it was a stupid lazy mistake and nearly cost him his life, these lands didn’t often give second chances, so he wasn’t going to push his luck any more than he needed.<br/><br/>He unstoppered his canteen to take a drag of warm water, it still tasted great after a night in a dusty cave like this, working moisture back into his mouth, he sat and ate a small breakfast of some meat left over from last night.<br/><br/>Before setting off outside her set the remains of his meal upon the rock that he had slept, a few small scraps of meat still left upon the bone. He was always careful to leave some offering behind, kneeling he uttered quiet words to the spirits of the cave, thanking them for providing him with shelter, for a meal and for protecting him from becoming a meal like the remains of it’s last occupier that now lay upon the rock before him.<br/><br/>Stepping into the barren land outside of the cave, he adjusted his goggles over his eyes, making sure to not let any of the sand in, settled his pack upon his back, it was beginning to feel a little light, most of his supplies gone, and only the weight of his scavenged materials remained. The cloth that he had used as a blanket wrapped about his shoulders to shield his face from the worst of the windblown debris as he turned West. By his reckoning he was about half a day from Eon….<br/><br/>… Eon, spirits how he hated that place, such a decrepit cesspool of humanity, at least by his standards, nothing like where he had grown up, although that seemed so very long ago now. As much as he hated it though, the place was good for trade and for information. All types passed through there and he hoped he could pick up some information that would lead him towards his goal. His items for trade would get him enough marks for a room and board from a little while, and he could work to earn enough for the supplies he would need for his next leg of his journey.<br/><br/>The vultures circling the sky told him that he was headed the right way, civilisation always drew scavengers of all sorts these days and Eon so much more so, the regular flesh trade provided them with plenty of options for the carrion birds, but for him they marked that his path was true and that the spirits has guided him right.<br/><br/>Stopping about a mile outside he took another long drag of water, and poured a little on the ground, speaking again another brief prayer of thanks before the vital liquid offering was absorbed by the ever-thirsty spirits of the ground.<br/><br/>Walking into town through the busy crowds, hawkers calling their wares, trying to draw in business. Those near the gates to the settlement didn’t interest him, they were just there to make what money they could fast, they gave bad prices and were often used to fence stolen goods…. The thought made him laugh, in these lands almost everything was stolen from someone along the way, but still some were precious over certain things, and those on the outskirts would pay for almost anything and then pack up and move on. It was an easy way to get rid of something that you know was going to be missed, but you never got a good price.<br/><br/>Pressing on into the heart of town he walked down the side of the main street, looking for somewhere he could crash that wasn’t made of rocks, not that he minded too much, he liked the wildlands to some degree, he felt close to the spirits there, but he couldn’t deny, the comfort of what passed for a bed, was always welcomed.<br/><br/>Seeing the sign for the saloon at the head of the main street he walked on passing through the door of the establishment, a chime ringing out, somehow still clearly audible over the din of the place. The overlapping waves of voices, the old-world music with its distinctive warble and the cries and groans of other enjoying more carnal pursuits.<br/><br/>Walking to the bar, swinging down his pack to rest upon the floor in front of him, the long duster he wore hung down to his knees, the old worn leather creaking as he worked open the collection of buttons and clasps that held it closed, pushing down his hooded wrap and raising his goggles, signalling the bar tender.<br/><br/>“I need a room for at least a couple of nights, some water, something alcoholic and some food” He slipped from his belt a small pouch and shook out a handful of marks placing them on the counter and pushing them towards the tender.<br/><br/>Running a gloved hand through his long dark hair he looked around the room, a few eyes remained on him and his lingered a moment or two longer on some of the girls in the room, it had been a long time since he’d had enough marks to feel he could waste them of something like company for himself.<br/><br/>Movement out the corner of his eye, drew his gaze upwards, following long pinstriped legs up from the floor as they disappeared under a short fronted skirt. A small unconscious smile creased his lips as his eyes continued upwards following the curves of her hips, her waist, then the pale skin of her face and those dark eyes, they held his gaze so long only the loud throat clearing of the bar tender broke their spell.<br/><br/>“Thanks” the stranger said as he took his order from the bartender, shaking his head, scalding himself mentally at his own foolishness. Leaning against the bar he took a mouthful of the moonshine he had been served, spirits it was awful, but it would hide the taste of the meat he had been served. He could not help the cringe on his face as the over enthusiastic woman upstairs seemed to reach her peak calling out in what he hoped was faked ecstasy. Softly speaking to himself as he picked at his meal “Spirits, ain’t no man wants to have that racket regular”<br/><br/><br/>************************************<br/><br/>That was her cue. With the Madame too busy with her own entertainment, it was left to the other girls to lure business upstairs from those who settled in downstairs thinking that they might just stay for a drink. One set of dark eyes and the other set of vibrant blues now watched the in his worn duster wander to the bar downstairs, to be served by an indifferent man with watery eyes that grunted his affirmation when he took down the stranger's order.<br/><br/>Myrrh spoke first, her head already shaking as she turned away from him and pushed herself away from the banister, “He can't afford me, doll, so he's all yours.” That was all it took from the dark skinned woman, whose hips swiveled around. She wandered deeper into the common area to perch herself near the bar, leaving Erol to gaze down at what the desert had dragged in for a drink.<br/><br/>Any business was better than no business, though. Picking up the trail of skirts that fanned out behind her, her boots clicked across the carpeted floor in soft thuds as she made her way down the curving stairwell and into the saloon proper. A smile that almost lit her eyes wove itself across her face like she was a cat about ready to knock his glass over for the fun of it. Boldly, she angled her footsteps to stay in his peripheral until she was able to slide up onto the bar stool next to him, one pin striped stocking wrapped over the other as she crossed her legs and turned herself to face him.<br/><br/>“Ernie,” she drawled sweetly to the bartender that turned his pale stare to the red head that had taken up residence next to his newest customer. “I want one of those strawberry drinks you sell to the ladies, please. It's just the right amount of sweet and tart that I've been craving, I think,” she finished with a wink. Her torso leaned forward, arm stretching out over the bar to grasp the man's hand in her own to give it a playful squeeze to go along with the wink. “And of course, if you ever decide to take on another wife except for that one you have, you let me know, yea?”<br/><br/>Ernie the bartender grinned a little to himself and shook his head, but bobbed his head respectfully when he uttered the single, soft spoken word, “Miss.”<br/><br/>Crimson curls bobbed and swayed as Erol shook her head, cerulean stare turning now to the man she had sat beside. She was casual in the way she flirted with him, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that she was after his marks – not overtly, anyhow. They all knew that the girls here spun tricks and that to garner any real company they had to show their hand on how much they had. But she propped her elbow up on the counter top and rested her chin in the palm of her hand as she ran her gaze across his face. Rugged, but handsome under the scruff that had grown on his face. In need of a bath.<br/><br/>“Well hello there, stranger. You look like you just came out of a sandstorm. Looking for a place to soak your feet and a place to crash, yea?” Pert nose bunched up on her face. Her free hand reached out, letting it dangle to see if he accepted it. “Erol, darlin'. Mind if I keep you company for a little while? I promise I'll treat you like a real gentleman and not try and get in your pants if this is going to be our first date.”<br/><br/><br/>She waited until he'd been able to process, then added, “So what are you here for, honey?”<br/><br/><br/>*******************************************<br/><br/>Elim knew how these places worked, the girls that greeted were always crazy pretty, something like off some of those old playing card from ‘the time before’. He’d found a pack once, little worse for wear, gone now, some old trader he’d met took a liking to them and he’d traded for water, always more useful than a picture of a pretty girl. Besides the cost, that he hated to think how my much longer he’d have to stay to work off, there were other reasons Elim wasn’t one to usually partake in what these women had to offer.<br/><br/>He watched as the pretty young red-head carefully made her way across the bar taking her place on the stool beside him, listening to her order Elim leant forward, pinching the bridge of his nose as he lent upon the bar, trying to hide a smile. Even from the corner of his eye it was hard to miss the young woman’s assets as she leant forward, playfully teasing the bar tender, Ernie.<br/><br/>Elim finished his mouthful of food and knocked back the last of his drink before turning his head as she spoke, lips resting against the fingers of his fist, seeing the sight of the lady’s dangling hand, corners of a smile peaked out from the side of his hand.<br/><br/>As Erol continued his eyes closed, shoulders rising and falling slightly as he chuckled, spirits knew why he got so nervous around women, well Elim knew too, but always tried to overcome it. Remembering some old picture he had seen once, he straightened up slowly, carefully taking her hand in his and brought it to his lips “Nice to meet you Miss Erol, I guess you could say I came out a sandstorm yeah. Eon seemed a good a place as any to rest a little and as you say soak my feet.” Struggling to stop his smile and nervous laughter “As for this being our first date, well that one is news by me, tend to like to get to know a girl before it’s called a date, but your company is certainly welcome.”<br/><br/>She certainly knew how to approach a guy, her forward nature was interesting, but made him wary… what was he thinking, all women like her made him wary, he’d learnt that the hard way. “Well Miss, I’m just stopping by for a short while, got some bits to trade” he tapped his foot against the bag beside him “Perhaps pick up some work to, make a few more marks before heading on my way.”<br/><br/>Elim picked at the remaining scraps of his scant meal before sliding the plate away slightly and signalling to Ernie to pour another shot of that moonshine. Erol’s mention of soaking his feet made him think how long it had last been since he had water spare to wash away the trappings of his trek through the wastelands.<br/><br/>“Say, don’t suppose you would mind providing me a little info Miss Erol? Like, perhaps telling me does this place have a bath house? Reckon I could do with that soak you mentioned.”<br/><br/>He knew the saloon would have, but waited for her to confirm it, smiling politely, he called to Ernie “I’ll take that room now if that’s okay and a bath too.” Slipping over a couple more marks to cover the extra cost, he slid one Erol’s way as a thank you for answering his simple question.<br/><br/>Her physical companionship he was reluctant to partake in, but if she could help him with info, then that would be worth parting with a few marks.<br/><br/>Waiting for Ernie to return with the key to his room and listening to the grunted directions, he nodded and slipped from the stool, hefting his pack onto his back, turning to Erol with a slight bow of his head “Thank you for your time Miss Erol.” Elim turned and slowly made his way through the bar to the room he’d been allocated.<br/><br/><br/>************************************<br/><br/>Erol saw the skepticism on his face even if he was doing a damn good job hiding it from her. Myrrh had it right by retreating at first glance at the worn out duster that had fended off this man’s time fighting the elements. He wasn’t here for the pleasure house, nor did she think that she was going to convince him to part with his marks otherwise for a night with her in his bed. Still, the sheepish way he took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles made her face split into a grin and a laugh to bubble in the back of her throat. At the very least, he was going along with his, despite the fact that she made him nervous with the attention.<br/><br/>She pulled her hand away only to wrap her fingers around the chilled glass that was handed over to her by Ernie the barkeep. His toothy grin was his only response to her churlish wink before she raised the colored liquid to her lips and took a drink. It tasted of near rotten fruit and the sharp tinge of alcohol, but it was one of the only things that she could stomach unless it was a straight shot of something strong to really take the edge off her day.<br/><br/>She shifted on the barstool when he fidgeted, let her legs fall forward so that her ankles hooked on the barstool to give her leverage when she leaned forward to whisper in his ear. The smell of honeysuckle lingered around her neck, on the pushed up globes of her breasts crammed inside the tight confines of the corset around her waist.<br/><br/>“It’s OK, honey,” she drawled out with an evil little grin now. Her nails traced the ruff scruff on his face as she turned his face over to look at hers, eyes sparkling. Her lips, touched with pink, pressed against his cheek playfully before she drew back from him with a wink. “There’s no reason to be so shy. No one’s going to force you to do anything you don’t want to here, promise,” she reassured him lightly, this time genuine consideration locked in her gaze. “Besides, you can always come back to say hi once you’ve had your time on the marketplace tomorrow. Don’t tell anyone, but I’ll be there tomorrow, too, working out my own part time deal.”<br/><br/>They all had their own secrets. Herself included. And desperate the light hearted way she expressed herself, the latter part wasn’t a joke. Erol had another life of sorts – away from flirting with strangers in a saloon at the edge of the world. Once upon a time, she had been something completely different than a girl in a ruffled skirt trying to beg the attentions from a man who looked like he would much rather lock himself in a room than contend with her.<br/><br/>“I’ll tell you what. Since you’re so sweet, I’ll just show you, and you can spend your marks on something for yourself at the market tomorrow instead of wasting them on something I could just walk you to.” A flash of pearly white teeth and she had slid his marks back over to him when he had requested the information. She instead looped her arm through his when he shifted off his stool and hopped down herself, leaving her half finished drink on the counter so that she could play tour guide.<br/><br/>“Follow me now, darling,” she tossed at him politely once he had slid his pack on his back. Shooting him a look from underneath her lashes, she led him deeper into the saloon, toward the back, where the wooden floors branched off into a long hallway. “You’ve got the co-ed house back here and you’ve got the springs in the back if you want something more natural. Then if you want the real pampering treatment, you can have your own private bath drawn that is included in the price of one of special rooms upstairs along with a companion for your comfort,” she grinned cheekily.<br/><br/>She cut her sales spiel off there, however, when the steam from the door she pushed open slapped them both in the face. It was quiet tonight except for a pair of men that lounged, smoking, in one bubbling tub in the back. And the distinct giggle of a girl followed by the splash of water from a large wooden tub to their right as the man that stood behind her dumped a pale of steaming water over her flaxen hair and naked breasts to stream down the flat plane of her belly to the blonde curls between her thighs.<br/><br/>“You go out that door to the left of here and you have the springs, darling. Want me to fetch you a towel and soap?”<br/><br/><br/>******************************************<br/><br/>Elim paused as he rose, watching Erol’s movements as she slipped her arm through his. A slight colouration to his cheeks at how close she was and from the smile she had flashed to him as she crossed the small distance between them. He slipped his pouch of marks back into his makeshift belt, collecting up the couple Erol had slid back to him and dropping them into his duster pocket, he was sure he would need them again soon.<br/><br/><br/>Elim walked beside her listening to the commentary of the bathing services available, pondering over the choice he was about to make as the door to the co-ed washroom was flung open. Taking a few moments for the steam to clear, Elim heard the voices of others before he saw them. He was definitely not feeling much for the company of other travellers, especially ones happy to enjoy the company of a woman in a public space like that.<br/><br/><br/>Turning to Erol, half smile upon his face, a mix of amusement and incredulousness “I think Miss Erol, I shall go for a private bath.” He nodded toward her, feeling his decision was made “But perhaps instead of a companion for comfort I might have you for conversation? Perhaps to tell me a little more of the happenings within Eon and perhaps whatever you know from the lands around here? And as for towel and soap that would be most helpful.”<br/><br/><br/>It took a short while for the water to be drawn and the bath made ready, Elim handed over the additional marks needed for the private bath, it was a lot, but he really didn’t want to try to unwind from his travels with the likes of those men in the same room.<br/><br/><br/>Standing outside the room after he had paid the additional marks Elim waited to be told it was ready for him.<br/><br/><br/>Turning to Erol before he stepped inside, “Apologies, but if you would give me a minute to prepare myself before coming in.” Elim stepped inside the solo washroom, carefully removing his clothes and setting them aside, his time in the wastelands had made him very careful of the few meagre possessions he called his own. He roughly folded the items of clothing beneath his duster and set them on the chair beside the copper tub and hung the duster itself from the back of the chair. His pouch marks tucked into the top of his backpack.<br/><br/><br/>Elim was just sliding into the tub as the handle to the door turned admitting Erol into the room. Elim tried to hide his smile as the attractive young woman entered. Despite his reluctance to pay for a night with Erol she certainly set his mind at ease, regardless of the small amount alcohol he had consumed he felt he needed to be on guard, for previous experience had bitten him firmly in the behind.<br/><br/><br/>As Erol entered, the water lapped around his waist, the handful of soap crystals that had been thrown in beforehand had stirred up enough suds to cover his modesty as he got himself into the tub. Reclining back slowly to rest his back against the cold metal of the tub with a quiet hiss of his breath, he watched as she swayed into the room and found somewhere to make herself comfortable.<br/><br/><br/>After a few moments Elim spoke up, “So, what can you tell me of Eon? Where is good to work? Where is bad? And….” Reaching into the pocket of his duster which sat nearby, upon the chair and beneath the towel the bathhouse had provided, he pulled forth the couple marls Erol had given back to him at the bar “…How much for you to work out this terrible kink in my neck?” his face split into a broad grin and cheeks colouring slightly at the idea of Erol’s hands upon him, but god did he have a knot in his shoulders and if he was going to be working to earn mark anyway, spending a few on Erol and getting fit for work would be worth it.<br/><br/><br/>*********************************<br/><br/>He was different from the rest of them, this traveler. Why he had picked this particular establishment was beyond her, but the enigma in his duster had a quiet, reserved presence that did not fit in with the lewd and crude that was found there in the brothel. Perhaps he had not known better when he had arrived in Eon what kind of place this was. It was why she watched him with a look of faint bemusement as he took in the scene of the co-ed bathhouse she had led him to, right up until the point that one of the men bathing with one of their girls there dipped his hands over the full swell of her breasts, groping her until she squealed and giggled, which melted into a moan as his hands dipped lower between her thighs to the thatch of curls. At first the girl squeezed her thighs shut playfully with a salacious laugh, then when he reached behind them to give her plump backside a firm swat so that she parted her legs for him.<br/><br/>The redhead hid her smile from Elim when the man requested the private bath once he had taken a good look around the bathhouse, and with a casual familiarity, she took his hand in her smaller one and led him back out of the establishment’s public area. Small and white and fitting snugly against his palm, yet her fingers bore callouses and there was a sleek scar from a long ago burn marring the inside her palm as she held onto him. She guided him back down the way they had come and up the flight of stairs that he had not bothered to climb earlier. Here was where the other girls were, though these did not hide their sly smiles that was returned by Erol herself as she tossed her own blatant grin over to the saloon. Myrrh, the darker skinned girl that she had been talking to earlier, was now occupied in the lap of a gentleman that had wandered up, though their Madame had left her own plaything and now shot a dagger sharp stare over to the pair as Erol led him past the girls and down another hall at the top of the staircase. There were rooms lining the walls here, each numbered with brass like the antiquated door knob she reached out and twisted once they had reached door number six. She released his hand only to push the door open and step inside the room.<br/><br/>Private though it was, it was still small. Quaint. A modest four poster bed was stacked against the wall with a floral quilt draped across it and the stuffed pillows freshly puffed. A sprig of lavender rested against one of the pillows as a sign that this was a fresh room. A small chest of drawers stood beside it and a small table complete with lamp alongside the bed. She waved him to the back of the room and through another door, where a smaller room opened up into tiled floors and a large copper tub attached to a wonder of metal tubes that disappeared into the walls. Attached to a triad of faucets, she soon demonstrated how the tub worked when she felt down beside it on her knees and reached in to twist one of the faucets. Water poured from the faucet, already steaming, into the stoppered bottom of the tub. She ran her hand underneath the flow carefully, then reached up and turned another with her free hand until, nodding her head, she withdrew her hand from the stream of water.<br/><br/>She stood just as he offered her the marks for the bath and made his request. Her lips split wide and curved upward with the grin she shot him. Genuine, playful, as it met the crystal blue of her stare and made them crinkle and sparkle. Tucking the marks he offered away, she then reached up and patted his face before lifting herself up on the balls of her feet to plant a kiss on his cheek. “You are a darling, you know,” she teased him lightly. “But you can have your modesty, precious.”<br/><br/>She slid out of the room at his request and made use of the time once the door had shut behind her to slide from her own costume. The corset she loosened until she could pull it up and over her head and the skirt dropped to the floor after she plopped herself on the bed to remove the boots. As much as she was endeared by his shyness, Erol wasn’t about to return inside the washroom only to get soaked. Barefoot and dressed in nothing but a thin cotton shift, she slid back inside the washroom, winked at him now that he had submerged his lower half beneath the water to soak, and moved over to a cabinet situated inside the room to pull out a selection of oils, soaps, and a hair wash before moving alongside the tub. Elim probably didn’t realize that he paid for his private bath all right -- and wouldn’t have to lift a finger if he didn’t want to for the full service.<br/><br/>“How’s the water, darlin’?” She had pulled up a small wooden stool to perch on and leaned forward now so that a streak of copper and fire teased across his cheek as she dipped her hand in the tub to test the temperature for herself. Hot steam rose from the heat, but it wasn’t scalding. Her drifting hand caressed through the water to create ripples before it came to rest against the broad spectrum of his bare chest underneath the suds he had created. “Not too hot?”<br/><br/>Blue eyes darted briefly to watch his arm stray from the water to pull out the marks once more. This time, she took them, but put them aside and leaned in close so that his eyes were level with the dark shadows of her nipples underneath the thin linen. Grinning cheekily at him, she landed a kiss against his cheek and dropped a wink before scooting the stool close to the tub. This time, both her hands swayed through the water to clap down on his shoulders. “You worry about getting squared away with me once you're done with this bath. You just leave it to me to take care of you, my handsome fella. I want you to relax and not worry about a thing.<br/><br/>Her hands roved higher so that her fingertips dug into the firm muscles, following them until she hit a snag at the base of his neck. Leaning into her touch, she applied pressure there, working a the kink she had found while her voice glided close to his ear. “Eon is nothing but a trade town, you know. It's a crossroads for three of the major cities; people come from all over to use it as a trade stop for all sorts of things. If you're real lucky, like I'm hoping to be, you can make quite a bit of marks in one or three runs with the folks looking to strike a deal, depending on what you have to offer. What do you have to offer, Elim?” She paused with his name on her lips and smiled to herself, her hands tightening as they groped down over his shoulders to rub there as well. “You're obviously not here for the flesh trade, which tends to be popular for the rich. They feel like anyone is up for sale for the right price. There's no real good place to work in Eon, though. You either put yourself up for sale, or you find a trade that you're good in that can be marketed to what people want. What is it that you do?”<br/><br/><br/>********************************