The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Aiyanna on 18-11-2015, 07:38:32</h2>
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				Title: <strong>The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aiyanna</strong> on <strong>18-11-2015, 07:38:32</strong>
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				It had been one hell of a week. <br><br>Three months ago, Rose thought her life was going to pick up and run towards green pastures like there was no tomorrow. She had graduated from university with honors, at the top of her class. Her long-time boyfriend had taken her on a road trip to celebrate, and proposed at the top of the Statue of Liberty. She had come home and shown the ring to all of her friends, beaming with pride and looking at her now fiancé with the kind of gooey-eyed looks that made teenagers gag in romance movies. She had gotten two amazing job offers in fields that interested her, she was planning her wedding, she moved in to a nice apartment with her fiancé. It was a charmed life. <br><br>And then. <br><br>The week before, she had woken to find her life turned upside down. She was hungover, her fiancé was gone, her apartment was turned upside down, and many of her valuable possessions were missing. Her fiancé had stolen all of her money, drained their bank accounts, and made off with quite a bit of her jewelry, some of it antique, passed down from her mother. The police went on a manhunt, but so far, they had been unable to find Ben. Fortunately, her laptop, phone, and car were still there, and some of her more important possessions. The assumption was they had been left because they were too easy to track, despite being rather valuable. Rose had sunk in to a deep depression, despite the best attempts of her friends and family to get her out of it. She had been sleeping on the couch since that fateful night, because the memories of her own bedroom were too much to bear. <br><br>Today found sitting on that same couch, in the rumpled PJ's she'd been in for the past three days, staring blankly at her computer screen, when her email blinked to life and reminded her that she had not replied to a message for two weeks. With a faint spark of interest, Rose clicked on the blinking icon, and saw the message from her friend, Karumi, at the top of the list in her inbox. She had been talking to Karumi for nearly two years. They had never met, nor even exchanged pictures, surprisingly, but they had talked about pretty much everything; the past, the present, hopes for the future. Movies, books, TV, music, celebrities, romance, history. No topic was left untouched. Rose felt that she knew Karumi better than some of her 'real life' friends. <br><br>It was only in the past few months that either of them had brought up the topic of actually meeting. They had been speaking for so long, it just seemed like the natural progression of things. For Rose's part at least, there were no ulterior motives, no second guessing, no hidden agenda. She just wanted to meet the person on the other side of so many fascinating discussions. They had met originally in an online chat room, and had simply hit it off from there, eventually exchanging email and IM information to speak more freely. Now, Rose stared at the vague and distant possibility of meeting with her longtime friend, an open invitation to Karumi's house, and realized this was her chance to get out. <br><br>For the first time in a week, her eyes lit with some sign of life as she picked up the keyboard and her fingers flew across the keys, hastily explaining the gist of the situation to her friend. She went through the breakup, the investigation since, and the all-round feeling of betrayal and displacement. Lastly, she made her plea for a place to stay.<br><br><em>I know this is sudden, and a lot longer than either of us originally intended for our first meeting. But I have got to get out of the city, and out of this apartment. I don't have any other friends out of the area, and you're the only one who can help me, Karumi. I don't want to see anyone or anything that will remind me a of Ben. Can you help me? May I come stay with you for a while? We can work out all the details, and I promise not to be a bother. I look forward to hearing back from you.<br>-Rose</em><br><br>Crossing her fingers hopefully, Rose hit send on the email and set her computer down to wait for the return message. In the meantime, she set about cleaning herself and the apartment up a bit, resisting the urge to check her email every five minutes as she showered, changed, vacuumed, and did laundry. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Wispyr</strong> on <strong>18-11-2015, 10:04:30</strong>
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				Bzzzt. Ding.<br><br>Karumi shifted on the bed and looked to the nightstand where her phone had just vibrated and chimed in that she had gotten an email. Well it wasn't like she had been sleeping anyway, just lounging without so much as a care in the world. She had earned a rest after all the work she had done last week. The thought of memory fluttered through her brain and she grinned, tossing the silken sheets from her nude form and set up. Her legs swung from beneath the covers and delicate feet sat flat on the polished hardwood floor of her bedroom. She reached for the phone and pulled it up, only to find an unexpected – well delayed anyway – email response from her friend Rose.<br><br>Umi's lips curled at the corner and she clicked into the email to read her message. The general feeling of the email was pretty negative. Ben had left. Bastard. He had taken her things. Crook. Now he was on the run, after leaving her stranded, alone and broken. Poor thing. Then came the kicker though, a request to stay at her place for a couple of weeks. Lush red lines went from a gentle curl to a full blown grin as she read the last line once, then twice more to confirm she had gotten it right. Not that she really doubted her ability to read or anything but it seemed too good, to fortunate to be true. “Loziiz,” Karumi called, “come here darling.”<br><br>She had already hit reply to the message and begun to type up the response. She started with a sympathetic apology for what Rose was going through. Not that she really expected anything less. Sure the whole situation seemed like a fantasy, but that was, to Karumi, exactly the problem. It sounded like a fantasy. People were fickle. Men more so. Maybe her view on the subject matter was a little biased but that wasn't important. She had a golden opportunity here. Before she could go any further, the unnatural creature padded into the room and stopped just past the doorway.<br><br>“Mistress?” The creature, humanoid with dark olive skin, called. It wasn't more than three feet tall, and couldn't have weighed in at over thirty pounds. It had a dense little body, mostly arm and leg. It's eyes were a foul yellow that seemed to be blazing. It looked like a fairy tale monster jumped right off the page and manifest in the room. Not that it seemed to bother the overly pale women. Her almost neon colored green eyes trailed from the phone to the imp.<br><br>“We're going to have company for the next while. Be a dear and make sure the house is ready, would you?” Umi instructed.<br><br>Loziiz nodded his little head. “Yes mistress.” It replied.<br><br>“Make sure nothing... Abnormal is left in the open. She isn't aware of the truth of things. You'll need to make yourself scarce as well when you're done.” She murmured, turning her attention back to the phone.<br><br>The imp didn't bother to respond again, he had his instructions and he turned away to carry them out. Over the next few hours he would see to it that the house was properly cleaned – not that it really lacked for cleanliness as was – and that any evidence of his existence, his brethren and the truth of Karumi's being was well hidden.<br><br>She tapped into the phone the final part of her message.<br><br><em>Of course you can stay here with me, Rose. For as long as you need. Don't you worry about the details, it's absolutely no bother to have company for awhile. I get lonely out here by myself sometimes anyway, it'll be nice to have someone around. Pack whatever you need and come out as soon as you can. I'll link you directions. Whenever you get here just knock a couple of times and I'll be right down.<br><br>Don't worry Rose, it'll all be so much better here, I promise.<br>-Karumi</em><br><br>With the email sent, Umi set her phone down and pushed off the plush bed, stretching her arms high over her body and smiling. “It's been awhile...” She mumbled to herself, staring at her naked reflection in the full length mirror not but ten feet away. “Now what color should I wear...” She pondered, stepping away and heading to prepare herself with a shower.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aiyanna</strong> on <strong>18-11-2015, 19:05:25</strong>
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				Rose had gotten her place mostly in order by the time her computer bleeped at her, telling her there was a new message in her inbox. It had to be from Karumi, since this was the email she only gave to a few people, and she wasn't expecting a message from anyone else. She resisted the urge to run over and have her hopes dashed in case Karumi had denied her request, but it was a near thing. As she read her friend's response, a few happy tears streamed down her face, and she zipped off a rapid reply. <br><br><em>Thank you so much Karumi. I can't wait to meet you.</em> Here, she had to stop and click the link for the directions to Karumi's house. Rose knew that her friend didn't live in the same state, so it would be a long drive, but still less than a day. Google maps told her it would take about 10 hours. It was already ten in the morning, and she still had some things to do before she could leave, so she wouldn't arrive til late at night, but she could leave today. <em>I'll get there sort of late tonight, I hope that's alright. I just can't wait to get out of here! I'll see you soon Karumi, and thank you again.<br>-Rose</em><br><br>With relief bubbling through her body, Rose turned the computer off and unplugged it from the wall before sliding it in to its case. Then she had some phone calls to make, and her bags to pack. She told her parents and friends that she was going out of town for a little while, to stay with a friend. She had to drive to Karumi's because while her parents loaned her gas money until the bank and insurance company figured things out, she didn't want to be a mooch. Her parents were wealthy, but asking for a plane ticket out of the blue with no explanation, may have been a bit much to ask. Particularly since she didn't feel like explaining about Karumi. After letting her land lord know she would be out of touch for a while, and that a friend would be coming to move the rest of her things in to her parents' storage shed, she packed her bags in to her car and hit the road with her music blaring and her phone guiding the way to freedom and possibly, a fresh start. <br><br>As she drove, Rose had to admit that perhaps this was for the best. With Ben, staying in the town she had grown up in, life had seemed pretty predictable for her. They'd have settled in to a nice house in the suburbs, had a few kids, a dog, a cat, maybe a hamster. She would eventually get her master's and her doctorate, hang around the lecture circuit for a while, maybe write a book after she had done some exploring and invented a few things. It had been a good future to be sure, but perhaps a little boring. Now she had a car, a phone, would have her money back soon, and very few expectations. She could do whatever she wanted. With a far brighter outlook on life than she'd had in the past several days, Rose made the rest of the trip in good spirits. She stopped in the last town she saw on the route between the city and Karumi's rather isolated house to pick up a housewarming gift as a 'thank you' for her friend, which consisted of a bright bouquet of flowers and a basket filled with some tasty cheeses, summer sausage, different kinds of crackers, and a bottle of wine. <br><br>It took another two hours after that to reach her friend's house, and by then it was nearly midnight, with as long as it had taken to get her apartment situation worked out, not to mention pit stops on the drive down. Rose pulled up the long, dark drive at a rather slow pace, until she saw the warm, welcoming lights of the first house she'd seen in miles, and her GPS telling her this was her destination. She parked in front of the house and grabbed the housewarming gift and the backpack that carried her essentials, then climbed out of the car and went up to the front door. Suddenly, she found her hands a bit sweaty with nerves and excitement, her heart racing and her pulse pounding. She was finally meeting Karumi, the mysterious woman she'd been talking to for years. A multitude of questions raced through her mind as she lifted her hand to knock, swallowing hard and plastering a smile on her face as she did so. This was her escape. Karumi was doing her a huge favor. She was <em>not</em> going to give in to nerves at this late stage. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Wispyr</strong> on <strong>19-11-2015, 12:46:38</strong>
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				Umi had taken sweet time while showering. It wasn't as if she needed to worry about the cleaning, what with Loziiz running around like a good little subject. So all that really mattered was that she was clean, and besides, she really did enjoy pampering herself when she could. Which, admittedly, was most of the time. Once she had finished with the long soak and the subsequent rinse off, she pulled herself back to her room where her phone was blinking with an alert. She lifted it up, tapped into her email and glanced over the reply. She knew it'd be late, which suited her just fine. Gave her plenty of time to prepare.<br><br>The afternoon was spent doing very little of importance. She went into the basement and prepared some supplies, a weekly ritual that she wasn't going to be able to do next week with Rose here. It was nothing fancy, just the normal upkeep stuff to make sure her home was protected. Wouldn't want any of the wards failing and letting the silly coven brats find her on accident while she was entertaining company. She watched Loziiz come down a couple of times with small objects and place them securely here; the basement would be shut off and hidden so that Rose wouldn't even be aware of its existence. Making it an ideal tuck away spot for everything not normal above.<br><br>Headed back upstairs she went to the graciously sized kitchen and tugged the fridge open. She had to figure out what she was going to feed her guest.<br><br>“Mistress.” Loziiz paused, standing on the center island and tilting his head at his master.<br><br>Karumi didn't respond right away, as she fidgeted with things inside the cool box. Finally she found what she was after, fresh mushrooms, and turned around to set them on the island. “What is it?” She replied.<br><br>“I wonder... If I might get to enjoy your company as well?” His little pulsing eyes flared.<br><br>Her bright green orbs turned to the imp and glared for a moment. He had over stepped his bounds, clearly. “Loziiz...” She murmured.<br><br>The imp shrank back in preparation for the worst.<br><br>“Time will tell. But if you do not have this house prepared for her arrival, you'll enjoy nothing for longer than you can count.” She scolded.<br><br>Loziiz's eyes widened and then he turned around and leap from the island to the floor, scurrying off to take care of his business.<br><br>She could hardly blame the little guy for wanting to play with Rose. She didn't give him the opportunity to explore his demonic nature often, typically only to protect the house when someone unexpected arrived that shouldn't have been there. Still, Rose was special and this wasn't the time for that. Maybe if she didn't live up to expectations. But not right off the bat. And that was a command that she was perfectly confident Loziiz would obey. While the imp sometimes spoke above his station he was loyal and obedient. It was one of the reason, if not the most important, as to why he had lasted so long as her familiar. <br><br>By the time the knock on her door came her house was filled with the delicious aroma of sauce bubbling in a large pot on the stove. Filled with mushrooms, peppers, sausage, and meatballs stuffed with globs of melted cheese. Umi dipped her finger into the sauce on her way to the door. She reached for the handle and pulled it open knowing exactly who was going to be there. It wasn't like guests frequented her doorstep.<br><br>In perhaps the most bizarre greeting in all of history, Karumi, clad in a white shirt with a lime hem that hung just above her knees and a matching top that left her thin arms and stomach revealed, pushed the slender, pale finger holding the sauce forward right up against Rose's smiling lips. “Taste this.” She offered the sample of seasoned red sauce, right off her finger tip. Her gesture was followed by a slow step backwards, which would force Rose to chase the finger for half a moment before getting her taste, and ultimately step into the house. Umi's plan the whole time.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aiyanna</strong> on <strong>19-11-2015, 19:00:47</strong>
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				Rose had plenty to occupy her mind as she waited for her friend to answer the door. All those pesky first-time-meeting questions and curiosities, not to mention the delightful smell emanating from the house, making her stomach growl and reminding her that her lunch of a greasy fast food burger had been several hours before. Still, she was caught completely unprepared by the door opening and a finger being held up to her lips as she was ensnared by the brightest green eyes she had ever seen. Rose responded on instinct to the command, and a pale pink tongue flicked out from between full lips to snare&nbsp; taste of what turned out to be an absolutely delicious sauce. Her feet happily followed the other woman in to the house, until she realized what had happened and she stopped, blushing slightly. <br><br>Why was she blushing? It was nothing she hadn't done with her own friends, some of whom she hadn't 'known' as long as she had known Karumi. With a bit of an anxious throat clearing, she managed to open her mouth and introduce herself properly. "H-hi, Karumi. It's so nice to finally meet you. I, uh, I brought something for you. You know, as a thank you. Here." She held out the basket awkwardly with a shy smile, until the other woman took it in hand. Once she had been relieved of that small burden, she told herself to relax a bit, and wandered in to the kitchen to inspect the gently bubbling pot. <br><br>"You made dinner?" she inquired over one shoulder. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble. This smells, and tastes, amazing." While she waited for a response, Rose's eyes wandered, taking in the rest of the house. It was beautifully appointed, and fairly sizeable as well. She could imagine that Karumi would get lonely, with such a large house all to herself. Her friend's willingness to let her come and stay here made a lot more sense now. She had known before that the woman lived alone, out in the middle of nowhere, but it had been too easy to imagine her in some humble little cabin like Rose and her family used to stay in once or twice a year. But no, this was a proper, comfortable house, and the elegant touches made Rose feel rather at ease. <br><br>"Your home is beautiful," she said to Karumi, meeting those stunning green eyes again for the first time since the door had opened. Now, she also took the time to look at the other woman. She was gorgeous, really, even the fairly straight-laced Rose could see that. They were in an interesting pair, with Karumi's blue-black hair, glowing eyes, and powdery pale skin, and Rose's own darker complexion, warm chocolate eyes, and soft black hair that was confined in a braided bun at the moment, but when loose hung down to her waist. In fact, aside from the hair and similar figures, they were polar opposites appearance wise. The combination made Rose grin. She had certainly never imagined her friend looking quite like this. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Wispyr</strong> on <strong>20-11-2015, 12:11:34</strong>
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				Contrast.<br><br>Stark contrast. That was what came to mind when her bright greens washed over Rose as she near stumbled into the house, chasing the finger. Cute contrast. It was subtle, her tongue rolling between her lips as she eyeballed the friend she had never seen before. Certainly not what she had imagined, but not at all in a bad kind of way. The little flush that had taken to her deep olive complexion had not gone unnoticed by the raven haired minx; a reaction that she really had been going for, because it was just one step, one tiny little step towards a much larger plan. A harmless, innocuous step... but still a step.<br><br>“Oh!” She exclaimed, once her finger was clean. “That was so thoughtful of you, Rose.” Umi grinned, reaching out to relieve her of the gift and peer into it while Rose headed deeper into the house. Behind her back the green eyed lady pulled up the finger that had been covered in sauce and quickly flickered her tongue against where it had been licked. Deviance filled her features as she pulled the door closed, but it was long gone by the time she turned around to talk more with her house guest. Sauntering towards the kitchen, she placed the basket down on the outside counter while Rose wandered to check things out. She peered through the items, eyes falling to the wine. Good choice.<br><br>“It's nice to finally meet you too.” She replied, in delay. “Make yourself at home... What is it they say? Mi casa es su casa.” She said with a chuckle, slipping away from the basket and into the kitchen. She slid behind Rose, if just close enough to subtly bump hips, towards the counter on the other side. “It was no trouble at all, don't be silly. I figured you'd be famished after driving so long... Hopefully you didn't eat a big dinner on the way here!”<br><br>Karumi pulled open the cabinet and withdrew two long stem wine glasses and setting them down on the counter. “Besides. My mother always used to say there's nothing quite like homemade spaghetti to mend a broken heart.” Umi paused and made something of a giggle snort sound, shaking her head. “Okay, no, my mother never said anything of the sort, but I have found it to be true!” She exclaimed, whilst once against slipping past Rose with glasses in hand. “Either way, I'm glad it agrees with you.”<br><br>Reaching into the basket she withdrew the bottle of wine and set it back on the counter, between the two glasses; turning around and leaning against the edge of the counter, her eyes followed Rose as she peered curiously around. “Thank you. I find it suits me quite nicely. Tomorrow we'll have to go for a walk, there's a lake not too far from here we can go check out. If you think the house is lovely, just wait until you've seen the area. It's absolutely...” She paused, a teasing little smirk yanking at her lips “Magical.” If only she knew.<br><br>“Now come here.” Umi said, pushing herself off the counter and tossing her arms wide for a hug. That's what girlfriends did right? “I'm pretty sure the girl code demands that you get a hug for your troubles and then we crack into the wine and tell silly stories that shed our partners in the worst of lights and giggle about it. I think ice cream is involved somewhere...” She casually peered past Rose towards the freezer. “I think I have some. Oh well, come here and give me a hug, Rose!” She exclaimed, happily. “It's not like we're strangers.”
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aiyanna</strong> on <strong>21-11-2015, 07:02:09</strong>
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				Rose chuckled slightly at Karumi's attempt at Spanish, and nodded without looking at the other woman. The brush of their hips had been enough to set an odd fizzing in her veins, a sensation that confused and excited her. It reminded her of the rush she used to get from...no, don't think about him, she told herself firmly, and turned to see that her hostess had broken out the bottle of wine and set it with a pair of wineglasses. She smiled crookedly and reached out to grab the bottle, before peering around and realizing she had no idea where to find a corkscrew. As she listened to Karumi describe her plans for the next day, and about spaghetti mending a broken heart, she couldn't help that smile widening. <br><br>"Well, trouble or no trouble, I still appreciate it. I haven't eaten since lunch and that was fairly uninspiring. Show me where your corkscrew is?" she asked, dangling the bottle from one hand as she faced Karumi, at which point the woman was speaking again and threw her arms open for a hug. For a moment, Rose stood stock still, trying to keep herself together, then the floodgates broke open and she flung herself in to the offered hug as choked sobs escaped her. She'd thought she was done crying, but apparently that had just been the calm before the storm. "Oh K-k-karumi! I l-loved him! We w-were supposed t have a future together, a-and he just <em>left</em>."<br><br>Fortunately, after only a few minutes of crying and incoherent babbling, the sobs subsided to some much gentler tears and sniffling, and Rose was able to let go of her friend. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to explode on you like that. I just can't believe this has happened! We were together for years, and yet I had the wool pulled over my eyes the whole time! How could I have been so stupid?" Rose huffed through the tears and lightly stamped one foot in frustration, the movement seeming far more endearing than one might expect. She sighed then and shook her head, looking a bit sheepish. "You're right. Ice cream and ranting about old lovers seems like a great idea right now. None of my friends...the people at home aren't good to talk to right now. Especially not about <em>him</em>. They were all fooled to, you know, but some of them act like they saw it coming all along." She would have continued, but just then her stomach growled, and she stopped to look sheepish again. "So, dinner?" She flushed, knowing she was probably not making the best first impression, but considering the circumstances, she really was trying her best. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Wispyr</strong> on <strong>24-11-2015, 07:32:08</strong>
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				Slender arms wrapped around her friend and she casually rubbed the other womans back, letting her sob it all out. Her lips turned into an unseen, but nonetheless concerned frown as she listened to the trouble that poor Rose had been subjected too by Ben and his treacherous ways. She didn't say much, mostly just little reassurances, urging Rose to continue and get it all out, to let it go and that it'd be alright. When finally the storm of tears had subsided, Umi let her friend go and smiled. She wasn't at all surprised to hear that some of the others claimed to have seen everything coming from a mile away. This of course made her reflect on the nature of people. Either they were so self centered that they needed to lie to make themselves seem superior as if they had an insight that had been beyond poor Rose, in which case were they not beings not worthing having around? Or they were so self centered that even when they did see it coming they could not be bothered to share the knowledge and the signs and the evidence with Rose to protect her from exactly this situation. Didn't that make them bad either way? Who needed people. Exhausting. <br><br>And people wondered why she had her own little home here in the middle of no where. Well, she supposed, not dealing with people really was only one of the reasons. Not even the most important, but that wasn't important it still registered. People, by large, were not worth indulging.<br><br>Not that she particularly got that vibe from Rose. Which was a huge plus, and perhaps the biggest factor in allowing her to come out here.<br><br>“Yes! Dinner. You must be starving if it's been that long, I know I am! You pour the wine, I'll make the plates.” She said, slipping past Rose towards the pot of sauce. “Corkscrew is in the the drawer closest to the walk way. Right side.” She gestured to one of the drawers she had just been leaning in front of. “Normally we stick to the dining room, but tonight I think the plush living room is in order. Be a love and take those glasses out to the couch would you? I'll be right behind you.”<br><br>Umi reached into the cabinets once again and withdrew two plates, and began plating the food up. A portion of noodles throughly covered in sauce each, and then she retrieved a hand grater and a wedge of fresh Parmesan and coated the top with a thin layer on each plate. A fork to each, and she deftly carried the two helpings out to the long glass table that lay before the plush sofa. She set one down near Rose and then one down in front of herself. “There. Now. A toast?” She said, eyeballing her glass and going for it. “To friends, to endings and most importantly to new beginnings hmm?”
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aiyanna</strong> on <strong>24-11-2015, 07:48:00</strong>
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				Rose chuckled somewhat wetly at Karumi's exuberant manner, but the woman's near effervescent and seemingly effortless manner of doing things reassured and comforted Rose, as much as it awed her. Of course, it made sense for her hostess to be rather self-sufficient, seeing as she lived out here in the middle of nowhere. With a slight giggle at the casual term of endearment, she did as she was bid and picked up the glasses after retrieving the corkscrew from the indicated drawer. Then she carried the lot in to the living room and arranged everything on the table, making sure to leave room for plates and tableware. <br><br>The couch seemed to swallow her up as she sat down and reached for the as yet unopened wine bottle, and she sighed contentedly, thinking it was indeed better to be sitting here in comfort tonight, particularly after her long drive. Rose wriggled out to the edge of the seat so that she could get a good grip on the corkscrew and wine bottle, then winked the cork out with a distinct <em>pop</em>. That done, she poured the lovely red liquid in to the glasses with an expert hand, having worked both as a waitress and a bartender during her college days. Neither were particularly useful skillsets, and she hadn't particularly needed the money, but it had been nice to make her own way, and the jobs definitely had their high points. <br><br>When Karumi joined her with plates, she took another large sniff of the dish, smiling again at the delicious aroma and accepting her plate eagerly. "Thanks hun," she said, thinking if Karumi could be casual, she could be too. The easy familiarity made her happy anyway, and wasn't awkward at all after their long communication. "Oh, yes, that's a wonderful toast!" she cried after the other woman's suggestion, and gladly raised her glass. "Friends, endings, and new beginnings," she said with a nod, and lightly tapped the rim of her glass to its twin, before taking a sip and savoring the rich, fruity bouquet for a moment. Then she set the glass down and picked up her fork to dive in to the tasty spaghetti before it could start getting cold. "Thanks, again, for this," Rose said with a grin at Karumi, realizing how many times she'd said that in the past few minutes. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Wispyr</strong> on <strong>24-11-2015, 09:08:50</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				The glasses clinked together and mirror Rose's action, Umi tilted her own back towards her lips and sipped from the edge; the red liquid lay in a pool on her tongue for a long, savored moment before she ultimately swallowed the fruity beverage and set her glass back on the table. It was a surprisingly good pairing for what they were having for dinner. Almost as if Rose had subconsciously divined it. No, probably not. Just luck. Reaching for her plate, she pulled it up, crossed her legs and easily balanced the edges on her thighs so the hot bottom was touching nothing and just venting into the open space in the crook created by her legs.<br><br>“I told you not to worry about it Rose.” He smiled, waving a widely sweeping hand to dismiss the thanks. “You're more than welcome. We've been meaning to do this for awhile anyway. I'm glad I could help out. So there's just no need to keep thanking me for it. Besides, you're the one who had to do all the driving. It's not like you're imposing on me in anyway!” She grinned, before gesturing towards Rose's plate. “Now eat. Before your stomach revolts against you.” She scolded, if playfully.<br><br>She also took that as her own queue to start feasting, because she was too, in fact, very hungry. She quickly spun the noodles upon her fork and scooped a hefty mouthful between her lips. Her eyes closed and she grinned happily with the way that it had come out. She hadn't really been concerned that Rose was playing nice and humoring her, but still it was always best to test for ones self. It really had turned out delicious. She enjoyed the taste, while chewing and swallowing, fork already in the process of heading for the next bite.<br><br>Looking up from her plate, finally, with another mouthful ready to go in, she smiled. “So tell me about the trip, anyway. How was the drive? Get to see anything fun along the way?” Not that she was really aware of anything spectacular between the two locations, but road trips often had a way of producing the most interesting little side adventures.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aiyanna</strong> on <strong>24-11-2015, 17:34:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rose chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Yes indeed. I think I could have hoped for better circumstances, but the opportunity to finally meet in person is definitely welcomed!" Another bite, making a small, appreciative noise as the decadent sauce touched her tongue. She shrugged slightly as Karumi asked about the trip, as her mouth was full, taking the time to swallow before answering properly. "Honestly, I think for a lot of it I just had blinders on. At any other time I think I would have just pulled over and taken a break. I really probably wasn't in the right state of mind to be driving, but I just wanted to get away, and get here. Although, I will warn you that it might be better to find a better rest stop than the one at mile marker 483 if you need lunch!" She shuddered and made a playful gagging noise at the thought of her rather greasy and overall uninspiring midday meal. <br><br>"Although," she said, after a moment's consideration and another bite of spaghetti, there was a biker rally that went by while I was stopped. That was sort of impressive. I've never been on a motorbike, but I have to say it looked like they were having fun." Rose shook her head a little at herself, though the motion made her head hurt and she groaned. "Oh, it is so time to let that down." She set down her fork and reached up to pull out the pin that held the end of her braid in place in the bun, then quickly pulled out the hair band and shook out the braid until her hair hun in a long, black, velvety mass down her back. Her normally stick-straight hair had a lovely wave to it now from being in the braid for so long, while still slightly damp, and was nearly down to her waist. Then she smiled at Karumi, and gestured at her hair. "Appearance wise, I think this may be the one thing we have in common!" Rose said teasingly as she carefully massaged her scalp a bit before going back to eating. <br><br>"I think we've exhausted the conversational value of the drive," she continued after a few moments of relative silence. "Tell me more about your home, about the area. I didn't get to see much of it on the way in because it was too dark, but you made it sound quite beautiful before. I'd love to know more, and nature is my thing in more ways than one! As for your plans for tomorrow, a walk and maybe a swim sounds wonderful." Rose smiled encouragingly at her friend, eager to learn more. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Wispyr</strong> on <strong>27-11-2015, 01:19:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Casually, “Well you know what they say about opposites attracting.” Karumi murmured just before putting another bite of food into her mouth. The knowledge that Rose had never ridden a motorcycle didn't really come as much of a surprise to Umi, but then again, neither had she. Not for any silly reason like she was opposed, but that it was typically just outside the purview of what she was doing with her life. When it came to travel, an efficient car – or less mundane means – had always been what was available so that is what she had done. “I'll make sure I don't stop there.” She followed up, once the bite had been dealt with.<br><br>Umi slid her fork beneath the remaining pasta and set the plate down on the table, replacing it in her hand with the glass. She peered down into the red liquid and swirled it along the sides, watching the whirlpool it formed at its center. “Well let's see. I own the surrounding six acres in any given direction. I had this house completely redone when I got it. I liked the location but it was a tattered shack, more or less, when I got here. I think it's come along quite nicely.” She grinned, running a finger along the edge of the glass. Holding it up to her lips she took another lengthy sip from it, allowing herself once more to savor the fruity delight. “The lake is probably the biggest draw, everything else is just plush wilderness. Hope you don't mind the sound of birds in the morning because they're quite plentiful around here.” She explained with a small chuckle.<br><br>“The house itself was designed mostly by me. The foundation was in good condition so it remains original to the house, though partly expanded on. The original building here wasn't quite this large, so I had to add onto it. The upstairs I'll show you, but it's actually divided into four large rooms. My bedroom, a spare, my office and then about half of it has been converted to a library of sorts.” Karumi explained, reaching out and setting the glass down. Her eyes locked on her plate for a moment whilst she determined if hunger was still a factor. A few more bites wouldn't hurt, she reasoned picking it back up.<br><br>“Otherwise around here there's a natural spring a small hike to the north. Past the road you were driving on a little ways. We get pretty intense thunder storms out here, actually it's the season so you may get to enjoy two or three of those while you're here.” She shrugged, nibbling on more of the food. “Oh! And there's a cave network a little off my property to the east. Very neat if you like the dark and to explore.”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Aiyanna</strong> on <strong>27-11-2015, 03:23:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rose chuckled at her friend's offhand remark, but in the back of her mind and out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw this situation in a whole new light, and wasn't sure what to do about it. Karumi was beautiful, and she already knew she was funny and intelligent. They were here, alone together in the middle of nowhere and Rose was quite sure that her experience with Ben had put her off men for a while. She'd never thought of herself as lesbian, or even bisexual, but now...well, the possibility was there. She was certainly open to the possibility of loving someone she was significantly more sure that she could trust at the moment. <br><br>"Your house is coming along more than nicely," she reassured her friend quickly, and looked around admiringly again. Her hand reached down for another bite of spaghetti, but she scraped up only sauce over otherwise bare ceramic, and a laugh bubbled up between her lips. She had cleared her plate while Karumi talked about her land. "And your cooking is great too!" Rose said, still chuckling. She pushed the empty plate away and sat back in the plush couch with her wine glass settled in one hand, looking dreamily off in to the distance. "Ah, a private lake. That sounds positively lovely. I can't wait to see it tomorrow. And I'd love to explore the caves sometime. I can't say that I'm fond of the dark, but I don't mind it, and I definitely like adventures."<br><br>She smiled, thinking that her time here could probably turn out to be one big adventure in and of itself. However much she thought she knew Karumi, there was only so much you could get to know a person over the Internet. There were so many nuances in character and personality that just didn't come through in text format, and she was eager to get to know her friend even more. There was this beautiful area to enjoy and explore and relax in, and she had nothing holding her down or holding her back at this point. People back home knew how to get in touch with her, and she felt safe her. Surely, that was all that mattered. "Until tomorrow, when you're done there, I can help clean up, then we can break out that ice cream and maybe a movie," Rose suggested, smiling contentedly and looking over at Karumi.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Face Behind the Computer [Aiyanna and Wispyr]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Wispyr</strong> on <strong>01-12-2015, 10:09:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“Movie. Great idea.” Umi said, reaching out for Rose's plate. “Don't you worry about these. How about you go pick something out,” she said, gesturing with her shoulder towards six shelf cabinet next to the entertainment unit that held both her collection of dvds and playstation games. Even Umi enjoyed a good game now and then – and an eye for detail might pick up that they were largely fantasy based and RPG's.<br><br>She hadn't finished her dinner, but she had eaten enough to be satisfied for now, and another bite or two in the kitchen would finish up what she hadn't gotten too. “I'll get these taken care of and find that ice cream while you do that.” She nodded, and lifted herself from the sofa, a feat in of itself as the large plush threatened the swallow the small women. She quickly and easily turned and meandered her way back to the kitchen. Her plate she set aside while scraping what was left from Rose's off, rinsing it off and then quickly gobbling up what was left of hers and repeating the process.<br><br>To the freezer she went, pulling it open and searching for the tub of ice cream. It wasn't nearly as hard to find as she might have suggested, which really wasn't surprising given how well kept and organized Karumi kept things. Old habits and what not. She tugged the tub open and frowned at how much was left. Too much. Her eyes narrowed in on the ice cream and then shifted towards the living room to ensure Rose was occupied making a selection. Slowly moving towards the bowels with the tub in hand, she murmured a small incantation and pointed a finger into the tub. Half of the remaining amount vanished into thin area, turning to a small puff of mint-green smoke before fading entirely. There. Now there was only enough to share.<br><br>Please with herself, Umi scooped what was left into a single bowl, and surrounded the mint chocolate chip ice cream with a small circle of liquid fudge. She snatched up two spoons, thrusting one into the pile of ice cream and carried the second back with her into the living room. “Seems I had less than I thought.” She said, with a small pout. Holding out the bowl towards Rose, Umi also held up the other spoon in her hand, lips curling into a grin. “Hope you don't mind if we share.”
			</dd>
		</dl>
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