<div align="center"><a name="user_fuschsiafox"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>The Fuchsia Fox and an Artifact Absent</strong></span></a></div><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3f/cb/51/3fcb513183b094b643a10c74bed38b1e.jpg)</div><strong>NAME:</strong>Date Toshiro<br/><strong>DAY:</strong>December 26th, 2018 | 6:00 – 7:00 PM<br/><strong>LOCATION:</strong>Pawnhouse Zaisan, The Gate<br/><strong>TAGGING:</strong>Nerissa | Mentions: The Papayo, Albion<br/><strong>EXTRA:</strong><br/><strong>WEARING:</strong>An overly large gray hoodie with a Polkadot Stingray emblem (https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.746250090.2683/ssrco,lightweight_hoodie,mens,grey_lightweight_hoodie,front,square_product,x600-bg,f8f8f8.2u3.jpg), black jeans, and his worn running shoes.<br/><hr/>“I appreciate it, but I'd be a poor doctor and a dead end artist if I got uncomfortable about being naked. Honestly it'd be more awkward to enjoy your hot tub with the knowledge that you'd have it to use it separately.” Shaving off a sliver of the chocostick into his mouth, he added with a coy grin, “And between the two of us, the more bodies in the hot tub, the more uncomfortable it'll make Albs.” It was clear from his tone that this was meant as more playful than malicious.<br/><br/>“Oh I was the opposite of calm, but looking back on it, it was hilarious.” Nerissa's question regarding more voyeuristic play was an interesting one that Toshiro hadn't honestly put to much thought to in the past, his escapades typically centering more around pleasing those involved in the act rather than any known spectators. “I can't really say. I mean my search history at home certainly says I enjoy watching, but as far I know I've never performed for an audience. Although the idea of someone getting turned on just by watching me? Yeah I think I can see the appeal in it.”<br/><br/>“Well, now I play because... it's a good way of getting out of my head for a while, that and I'm just a fan of music. As to why I started, well, Kyoko needed another guitarist for her first band, and she threatened to knock me senseless if I didn't learn.” Again Toshiro had to laugh at the idea. This was not because she couldn't have knocked him senseless, he'd been on the wrong end of a fight with his sister too many times growing up to believe that, but more because in retrospect he knew that she wouldn't have hurt him all that much over something like that. “Oh she's definitely one of the strongest people I know, if it wasn't for that strength, for better or worse, I doubt I'd be the person I am today."<br/><br/>For a time Toshiro was utterly paralyzed after Nerissa asked her innocent question regarding Toshiro's long term relationship, and for a long moment there was nothing but the sound of the city around them to break what otherwise would have been utter silence. Closing his eyes, Toshiro slowly took in a deep breath as his pointer finger drummed rapidly along the side of his coffee can. Releasing the air through his nose, Nerissa could see that the taller man was visibly trembling as he tried to regain composure. For some time this continued, the drumming of his finger against the half full can slowly decreasing in tempo until, with eyes still closed Toshiro answered in a voice both silent and somewhat strained, “That's... I-I'm not... it w-wasn't... we...” As he tried to speak, to explain his sudden shift in demeanor, his finger once again accelerated in it's convulsion, and for nearly a half hour Toshiro sat in silence as he breathed in, and out.<br/><br/>When Toshiro opened his eyes again, he seemed to try his best to return to the natural flow of the conversation, a slight quake in his speech a clear indicator that whatever had just happened still lingered in the back of his mind as he struggled to recall what Nerissa had said. “R-right. As long as everyone's h-happy.” Shaking his head for a moment in disagreement with Nerissa's assessment, Toshiro answered far slower than he had previously in their conversation, “N-not new every time, b-but even just experiencing n-new things can be... can... either you find something new you like, or ha-having found something something you don't like will make you like what you do l-like all the more in c-comparison.” Toshiro wasn't entirely sure if what he said was making sense, but at the moment it was more important for him to talk than it was to put thought to his words. “B-but if... if y-you know what makes you happy, then... if it keeps making you happy... why not? N-nothing twisted about it, you find someone who will give their all for you, and you give all yours in exchange. S-sounds nice...”<br/><br/>Setting his can of coffee on the dashboard, Toshiro withdrew a bottle of water from his messenger back and took a few small sips between labored breaths, his somewhat ragged breathing slowing down as his words began to regain their prior cohesion. “I-if you had a husband I wouldn't say all your relationships fail. If you d-don't mind me asking, how long do your heats usually last for? Did you ever think of asking someone from SOPHE to keep an eye on you when you went through it?”<br/><br/>Picking up items that had scampered over to his side of the car after the fox had upended her bag's contents on to the floor, Toshiro felt far more confident regarding their chances against the papayo should it be necessary for the two to confront it. On the subject of manipulation, Toshiro had an easy answer that he'd convinced himself of long ago, “Sometimes convincing people to do something they wouldn't normally do is the best thing for them. Think about what would happen if we did meet a tower of muscle inside, what would be better for him? If you convinced him you were a new employee and the boss asked you to get the statue, or if the two of you fought and one of you ended up seriously hurt or w-worse?”<br/><br/>Toshiro couldn't help but cough up a mouthful of water into his shoulder at Nerissa's statement regarding his preference of letters, a wide smile spread across his face as he once again tried to catch his breath amid a series of choked laughs. Wiping the trails of water coming from his mouth and eyes with his sleeve, Toshiro could now take a moment to consider his answer without fear of his continued slipping into the less pleasant recesses of memory. “I n-never dated more than one person at I time outside of a poly relationship, I don't think I could handle it.” Scratching his chin in thought for a moment he continued with a small lingering smile, “I'd say it's probably fine though, but if you're planning on moving to the next level with one, let the other one know. If they're in it to build a relationship instead of just being sex pals, then you'd be wasting their time stringing them along. Hate to disappoint, but I'm actually going with C on this one.”