Does it surprise you that I'm just as lost as I look?

T: around dusk
P: the woods between Gaia and Moonlight Falls
W: a light fall breeze rustles up the fallen leaves once in a while. The sky is clear.
O: Worn leather ankle-length boots, a pleaded skirt that stops at her knees, a white button-up shirt with a brown trench coat over, as well as a brown silken scarf around her golden-blonde hair. Light eye-makeup and a pure red lipstick.


It had been a while since she had allowed herself to wander off without her phone. After all, her parents had a tendency to call her every few hours to check in on her. Moving to the other end of the country had been a bad idea, they had stated. Of course, all they really wanted was to know if she was safe – which couldn’t be guaranteed if she wasn’t responding to their calls.
But every once in a while, the calls got to be too much. If it wasn’t her mother, calling to see if her readings were good, it was Tic calling her to make sure she didn’t need money or something else. None of them seemed to think she was capable to handle herself – which was quite fair, considering her previous incidents.
Still, off she wandered through the woods – getting off the trotted path more than once. Soon, she wasn’t even sure if she was still in Gaia; how far did the area stretch? How far was she from the salty waters? It had been hours, and she would soon need to return, if only to soak in the tub in her one-bedroom apartment. Swimming in the sea had always been out of the question – by her parents’ fear of her fainting once again.
The grass grew longer and more rigid as she walked. Soon, even the vanishing sunlight above the canopy seemed to fade away, leaving her with no hint to which way would lead her back. The rigid grass had given her a few cuts on her shins, and even though her long golden blonde hair had been mostly hidden underneath a scarf, it had caught on to quite a lot of branches; snatching fall leaves and getting them caught in her locks.
It was getting chilly, and in the dusk she had no way of telling what time it was or which way to go. It had been a foolish idea to wander off, but it had given her some time to clear her head. After all, it could get really crowded in there, considering all the thoughts she carried, as well as worries. She reached a clearing, where she noticed the canopy opening up and revealing the blush-coloured sky. So soft and gentle in its tones, it felt almost magical. She could finally get some sense of in which directing the sun had set, which in turn gave her an idea of in which direction she had to go to reach back to the city. Although, it was getting colder and colder – and she did not handle cold well. She took off the scarf from her hair, folding it out to reveal a shawl. She wrapped it around herself, brushed off the leaves from her hair, and then proceeded to make way back towards Gaia – hoping she would return before the darkest point of the night, although she was getting the feeling that it wouldn’t be possible.

It happened on occasion that the ocean breeze would ease its way through the pine trees, giving a faint salty scent to the dense forest surrounding his mansion, but he'd also met enough beings to know that this scent belonged to a siren who’d wandered too far into his territory. He didn’t like anyone to intrude on his grounds regardless of who they were. This was mostly due to the fact that he wanted to protect his pack members and property, amongst the many secrets and objects that he kept in his house. Today, he was alone, and hence also the only one there to check out who this person was. He walked from the proximity of his house towards the scent, soon hearing the ruffle of leaves from a person walking. It didn’t take him long to track the siren’s location and when he did, he was a bit surprised to see who it was. A woman, finely dressed, walking through the forest all alone. And he knew that she was alone because he hadn’t sensed anyone else nearby. Besides that, it was getting dark and cold, so if he had to take a qualified guess, it was that she was lost. He stepped closer to her, appearing visible behind a couple of trees as he neared her, although still maintaining a considerable distance. For a moment just observing her graceful way of moving through the forest. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said warningly, watching her reaction to seeing him. His accent was distinctively Spanish, having only lived in England for three years. And there were many reasons for this warning. There were dangers in the forest. Not just werewolves, but real wolves and other supernatural beings that were far more bloodthirsty and aggressive than normal animals. “Are you lost?” he asked, even if it was quite obvious that she was. Perhaps she needed to be somewhere, or visit someone who resided in the woods, in which case he could possibly lead her in the right direction. It didn’t seem like she’d meant to step into his territory, and either way, he didn’t consider her much of a threat. Not if she was simply lost and unaware of the various packs in the forest.

Lavender had only just begun leaving the clearing - almost reaching the outer perimeters before the forest would swallow her up once more. Halfway through a step, a voice heeded a warning not too far from her. Without finishing the step, but instead backtracking and ending up a few steps backwards, she turned her head to look at the source of the warning; a tall and dark stranger, with a very prominent Spanish accent. Compared to her relatively small frame, he was a beast, which was the primary reason for her to widen her eyes a bit. Had he just been watching her this whole time, or had he discovered her recently and just now decided to tell her to piss off? - or, maybe the warning was nothing but that; a warning?
“Well, I..” she started, but then she noticed how he didn’t seem to venture closer to her. What was he doing out there anyway? Did he have a cluttered mind, just like her? It was quite possible, but nothing she was to ask about. He was, in any regards, a stranger. And mother had always told her to be weary of strangers. “I wouldn’t exactly describe myself as ‘lost”, although I was hoping to find my way back to Gaia before nightfall.” She finally explained, after having gathered enough courage to say something to the stranger. “But since I am unsure of which way should be leading me back, I guess I could be categorized as ‘lost’, in some way..” she then explained, hoping he wouldn’t find her to odd - although she was quite used to being the oddity. “Have you been lurking in the shadows for long?” She then asked. Despite not really knowing of other species, he definitely felt more... beast-like that other individuals she had encountered during her time back home. That could surely just be written off as a tall, dark stranger in a forest at dusk. Her imagination was already running wild, which she didn’t appreciate one bit, considering the walk back home she had in store.

He arched a brow as she paused mid-sentence. Well, what? He wondered. Did she not know of the many murders taking place in the forest? The bloodthirsty creatures? The wolfpacks? Of course, Rafael had only said so because of her intruding on his territory. Not caring much for anything else. Because for all he knew, she could be aware of all those things except where she wasn't supposed to walk. She then said that she wouldn’t describe herself as lost, even though she certainly looked the part. Just like she looked like someone who lived in the city. “Hm,” he hummed before taking a few steps closer to her. “You won’t.” Make it to Gaia before nightfall. “If you keep going that way, you’ll run straight into a nest of Giant spiders,” he said, moving his gaze in the direction she was headed prior to his arrival. Their venom could easily paralyze a human-being, although they usually only attacked as a defense. He lifted his arm up to point slightly cross of that. “But if you continue in that direction, you should find a path that will lead you back to Gaia.”

He let down his arm and turned his dark eyes back to her when she asked if he’d lurked in the shadows for long. Wondering if she used that terminology because she knew he was a werewolf. “No, but I had to make sure you weren’t a threat. You see, you’ve walked straight into my territory,” he explained, observing her reaction as he said this. It varied depending on how much knowledge they had of his pack. But most of the time, it was people passing through without any means to anger him. However, had they met under a full moon; their meeting would have gone much differently. “Why did you come out here?” It wasn’t every day that a pretty girl like her took a stroll through the forest all by herself, so he was genuinely curious to know why she had decided to do so.

It was suddenly slightly disturbing to be there, alone, with a stranger. He muttered something before stepping closer to her. Then, as he elaborated on how she would have encountered giant spiders if she had ventured further into the depths of the forest, she looked at him with indescribable horror. Spiders? - and not just spiders, but giant spiders!? It took a moment before she collected herself enough to actually react to his next sentence. As he gestured towards the other direction, letting her know that she would be able to find a path back to Gaia if she followed that route. ''Oh! Thank you..!'' she uttered in a relieved sigh.
Now, it wasn't unusual for her to speak like she knew things she didn't. She was in fact way too good at it, which then left her feeling more confused than ever when someone reacted to her question. Of course, it had been a quite peculiar question in the first place. ''A threat?'' she asked, now clearly a bit confused. ''I'm finding it hard to understand how I can be a threat, compared to the fact that you've just told me about giant spiders residing nearby.'' she then said. In honesty, she figured that he meant spiders on the size of her palm - like tarantulas or something. She knew there was a certain type of spider that grew quite large by comparison.
Then, as he asked her why she had decided to go out there in the first place, she answered him with a shrug and a crooked smile. ''A crowded mind and a desire to explore the beauty of the natura that surrounds me, I guess.'' she then elaborated. It was quite easy to mistake her for someone who had a screw or two knocked loose inside her skull - but the truth was that she needed to shut out worries once in a while. That was only possible through dancing or taking long unplanned strolls. ''I would ask you the same, but it seems that you have already answered my question, mister. So, I'll ask another one instead. What did you mean by 'your territory'? I wasn't aware that this was anyone's property?'' she asked, quite curiously, as she looked at the tall dark stranger; secretly longing for him to speak again with that Spanish accent of his.

He gave her a subtle nod as she thanked him. He didn't help people with directions often, but it was almost cruel to let her continue in the direction of the spiders' nest, so if she did plan to venture back to Gaia, the least he could do was guide her towards a path. Without that, she'd most likely find herself getting more lost as the night made it that much harder to navigate through the forest.
He chuckled softly at her comment as to why he’d consider her a threat. Of course, as soon as he’d seen her, he didn’t. But it was always in his interest to seek out any intruders or strangers in case they did turn out to be threats, and if not, to tell them not to step into his territory in the future. And sure, the spiders could be frightening, but so could her kind. “You’re not. But sirens can be. I almost lost a friend to one last summer,” he said. They were swimming in the ocean east of their territory when his friend had started to hear the song of a siren and been tempted to swim further into the ocean. And had it not been for Rafael’s psychic immunity, he most likely would have fallen victim to it, but instead, he’d snapped his friend out of it and helped him back to shore before the siren had reached them.  
A crowded mind. He couldn’t help but wonder what it was that troubled her, but he didn't think it was in his place to ask. And he could hardly blame her for resorting to the forest for some peace of mind. “I see.” Nature had a way to calm the mind like no other, so her answer wasn’t all that strange to him. However, it wasn’t the smartest decision if you didn’t know of the supernatural creatures residing in that nature. Her question didn’t exactly surprise him, although he had assumed that she knew what he’d meant. But since she didn't, he figured that he might as well enlighten her on the matter. “I am an alpha werewolf,” he revealed. His eyes turning to the glowing red of an alpha. “And this is the territory of my pack,” he continued as his eyes turned back to their dark brown color. His house was a couple of hundred meters away from their location, so she'd walked rather deep into it as well.

Within a mere moment, he had revealed that he knew exactly what she was. That alone made her feel slightly uncomfortable - but she tried not to let that show. After all, he wasn’t to blame for her discomfort; he simply knew of sirens existence... but how?
The conversation then was turned to her wandering in the forest, which made sense to both of them it would seem. His reason however, was one that would have made her shriek if it hadn’t been for her knowing how unpleasant it would sound to anyone near them - even those spiders. As he looked at her with glowing red eyes for a moment, she looked at him with a combination of fear and surprise written all over her face. “I did not mean to trespass .” She uttered before she stumbled backwards, but managed only to create a small distance between them when her heel got caught in an exposed root from a nearby tree. She let out a small gasp of confusion as she was tumbling to the ground, landing straight on her bum. *Great. Now I’ve made a complete fool of myself.* she thought to herself before she looked over at him. “I’ll leave you to your... wolf-stuff.” She then said, as she got ready to get herself up from the forest bed beneath her. To be honest, she was surprised, intrigued and slightly confused. All in all, she was curious about the man in front of her - but she did not dare to ask. His first words to her was not anything but a warning of himself, she was quite sure of now. She felt so stupid, believing him - but his glowing red eyes gave her more than enough reason to. He knew what she were - and he clearly didn’t have a good experience with her kind. It surely seemed to be for the better that she simply got on her feet and followed his directions back to Gaia, before he changed his mind about letting a trespasser such as herself leave unscathed.

If he didn’t already know that she hadn’t meant to trespass, he certainly did by the time he saw the fear and surprise in her eyes. And he was used to this reaction, but intimidation hadn't been his aim. He'd simply wanted to explain why he'd called this his territory. He then watched her as she took a few steps back, only for her foot to get caught in something and fall, prompting Rafael to move forward once more. “It’s okay,” he said as he reached a hand down to her. Towering over her as he stood there, and perhaps his expression didn’t appear friendly or harmless, but in all honesty, he wouldn't mind it if she decided to trespass another time. “It appears that you need to look out for the roots as much as the giant spiders,” he said with a teasing spark in his eyes, if not just to make her feel less embarrassed about her fall. He wondered if she’d never met a werewolf before. Thinking that if she was this ignorant about other beings, she was equally brave and naive for walking this far into the forest at this hour. “Am I the first one you’ve met?” Perhaps it was obvious that he was from the way she'd said she'd leave him to his 'wolf-stuff', but it could as well be something she'd said because he'd made her nervous. “I didn't mean to scare you back there. I just thought I'd let you know that we live here, you know, to warn you from entering the forest at full moon,” he said as he looked at her. Wolves were far more uncontrollable at that time, and the slight cuts on her shin could easily be enough to cause a werewolf to attack her. “But now that I have met you. I will let you know that you are welcome to stay. If not just for a few hours until you can get someone to pick you up,” he said before he moved his gaze from her to the direction that Gaia was. At least, he wouldn't walk the long way to the city in the dark if he was a siren that didn't know much of the forest and the beings in it. But he wasn't going to try to stop her either.

He moved forward once more as she took a tumble to the ground, which usually wouldn’t be a bother, but she felt so stupid for falling over in the first place - for him to offer her assistance in getting back up just made things even more embarrassing. Still, she took her hand and got back on her feet - letting go of his hand as soon as she was sure she wasn’t going to fall again. The teasing spark in his eyes made her smile, just a tiny bit. “And here I thought the thing that would attack me first would be a giant spider and not a branch from a tree. Oh, how treacherous your forest is.” She said, as she looked at him. She pulled a lock of her golden hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear - but as he asked if he was the first werewolf she had met, she had to admit how ignorant she was. “I wouldn’t be able to tell, to be honest. I assume so, but considering I wasn’t able to tell who you were, it’s are to determine if I have met others like you. In short... I wouldn’t know it.” She said with a subtle smile. As he explained that he didn’t have the intention of scaring her, she couldn’t help but giggle slightly. Mostly out of nervousness, to be quite honest. “With eyes like that, I wouldn’t even dare entering in bright sunlight.” She then admitted. She had heard stories about werewolves - fairytales mostly. She wasn’t scared of them, because she had always thought it to be fantasy. Now, she wasn’t so sure...
As he continued the offer her to stay until someone could come pick her up, she tilted her head ever so slightly,  it as he was looked at the direction that would lead back to Gaia, she did the same. So, now he wasn’t too much in a rush to make her leave? “It’s only going to get darker by the minute now, I’m afraid. Besides, I have no knight in shining armor to come pick me up.” She said, joking slightly to lighten the mood a bit. “Anyway, as someone once told me - I shouldn’t be here. Especially not with giant spiders lurking. I should head back..” she said, emphasizing on the word ‘should’. Was she going to head back? Or did this tall and dark stranger have anything better to offer than a walk in the dusk towards potential danger? “But... thank you for stopping me. If it wasn’t for you, I just might have wandering straight into some Aragog-like nightmares.” She said with a little crooked smile, revealing a tiny dimple in her right cheek.

A smile appeared on his lips at her joking comment. But she probably had no idea just how dangerous the forest was. And as expected, she hadn’t knowingly met someone like him. A werewolf. Nonetheless an Alpha. But it didn’t seem like she was all that surprised about their existence either.
His expression softened as she said that she wouldn’t have dared to enter in the bright sunlight, looking into his red eyes. “Well that's good. It’s probably safer that way,” he said as he looked into her eyes. Not just safer because of the forest, but because of him and his pack as well. Rafael wasn’t exactly the type of guy that a girl like her should hang out with. And something told him that he should stay away for the same reason. But that didn’t make her any less interesting. And he was hardly the person to stay away from something or someone who had caught his interest.

He looked back at her as she said she had no one to pick her up. No knight in shining armor. But surely, she wouldn’t consider spending the night at his place either. With a stranger. He was silent for a moment, contemplating whether he should invite her home anyway when she spoke again. Saying that she should head back and thanking him for the warning about the spiders. Even if he didn’t understand the Aragog-reference. “Of course, de nada,” he said, pronouncing the Spanish 'you're welcome' fluently. He moved his dark eyes into the forest that had gotten more orange as the minutes passed before he took a few steps backward. “But a knight in shining armor or not, my offer still stands. I would love to spend some more time with you,” he admitted as he stopped his slow walking. “I’m making paella tonight, and if you still insist on going home after dinner, I promise to drive you home.” This way, she needn't risk running into the creatures of the night. But Rafael understood how he might be just another danger of the forest that she might want to avoid, so if she still declined his offer, then he'd let her get on with her way.

Lavender had always known that magic existed. How could she not, when she was a siren herself? A mermaid, but with a bad temper and sharp teeth. Of course, she had also known that the magic had to be kept a secret to survive in this world - which was why she had yet to discover the existence of several other races. As she joked about the treacherous forest, he smiled. Although it was hard to notice at first, it seemed to be a bit of a warmer smile. It suited him, she thought to herself. His expression softened as she elaborated on the fact that she wouldn’t have dared entering the forest even in broad daylight if she had known about the dangers ahead. As he answered, he looked into her eyes. They were sea green, and depending on the lighting, they could shift from their natural color to an almost pure sapphire blue. Of course, he had to look a bit downwards to even be able to look into her eyes - she was a fair bit shorter than him, which had added to the whole deal about him being quite intimidating earlier on.

Her self ridiculing joke about lacking a knight in shining armor seemed to be wasted. Oh well, it seemed to be a bit harder to find the right keys to make him smile after all. But boy, did she already long for that slightly warm smile of his, just a bit. The silence was deafening, which made her break it once more as she thanked him for stopping her so that she wasn’t going to venture right inside a giant spider’s home. Then, his fluent Spanish made her knees weak. It was only two words - words she knew nothing of, considering she had been studying Latin, French and German, instead of Spanish. A mistake, obviously. He took a few steps, making her turn her head to look at him. She could feel the words ‘see you around’ linger in her throat, but he stopped his walking to admit that even though he might not be a knight in shining armor, he would love to spend some time with her. For some reason, that phrasing did exactly the same to her as his mother tongue. It was almost embarrassing. He then elaborated, stating that he was making paella. Suddenly, the urge to accept his offer grew by miles. Homemade food... she had a soft spot for food, which she quite honestly rarely indulged in. There wasn’t enough hours in the day for her to work, dance, maintain her home and cook. “That’s a deal, mr. Wolf.” She said with a soft smile on her lips. “My name is Lavender, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.” She then said, showing off the ever so light trace of a French accent in her voice when she spoke her own name. Then, it hit her... if she still insisted on going home after dinner? Did he consider other options? She certainly had not, right until she began thinking about his phrasing. She chose, however, to leave it be. She was overthinking it, clearly.

He flashed her a smile as she accepted his invitation. A smile that was wider than the one before. He had deemed the chances of her saying yes to be slim. Because she seemed to be a good girl. The kind who wouldn’t spontaneously follow a stranger home. But then again, who was he to judge someone by their cover. “It’s nice to meet you too, Lavender. My name is Rafael,” he introduced himself as he looked at her. He couldn’t quite put a finger on what it was about her, but whatever it was, it made him intrigued to know more, so he was happy for the opportunity to spend time with her tonight. “It’s this way.” He gestured his hand in the direction of his house before he started to walk, and whenever she’d catch up to him, he’d turn his head to look at her again. “Are you from Gaia?” he asked, having noticed the faint accent when she’d spoken her name. But either way, her reply would reveal a bit more about her background.

It didn’t take them long to reach a more open area, revealing a long gravel driveway and as he stepped onto it, the large mansion could be seen in the distance. A seven-bedroom house with a basement, two main floors, and an attic. The exterior was made up of beautifully crafted logs and stone. And besides the wooden porch at the front, it had a balcony on the other side of the house, facing the backyard. The front-porch lights turned on as they neared the entrance, as well as the exterior lights to the three-doored garage to the left side of the house. “I am alone tonight, but oftentimes my pack members will stay over,” he explained as he found his keys and opened the double wooden doors to the hallway. He considered the pack his family, so if they ever needed a place to live, or wanted to hang out at his place outside of meeting times, they were always welcome. The house was grand and luxurious but not compromising with the log cabin feel, with the dark wood, stonework, and warm colors. Overall making it more rustic. He took off his jacket and hung it up in the closet on one of the coat hangers before he kicked off his shoes and turned on the lights. “Would you like something to drink?” he asked as he walked further into the house to the living area and largest space of the house. At one end was a seating area in front of a fireplace, a flatscreen tv, a few bookcases, and various decorations, and if one walked further through the archway, they’d reach the entertainment area with another seating area and a bar. The other end of the room had a long plank table that could seat twelve people. And straight ahead of them were floor-to-ceiling windows facing the backyard patio, giving off a stunning view of the autumn forest. Above them was a large chandelier made of antlers that he’d assembled himself. But most of the interior looked exactly as it had when he'd first moved in.

It was hard to decline an invitation presented to her like that. The way it had been spoken, as well as the content itself, had intrigued her quite a bit. Was this alpha in reality going to play a game of cat and mouse, or was he being genuine? She couldn’t really quite figure him out, which was one of the things she already found interesting about him. He was so... foreign.
Her accept of the invitation resulted in a wider smile from the alpha, which quite frankly could make her knees soft as gelly. “Rafael..” she repeated his name - tasting it, even tough it had a hint of a French accent to it when rolling off his tongue, just has her own did. Funny enough, that accent never appeared in her usual way of speaking - only whenever she pronounced names or got riled up.
As he shoveled the way, she followed him - although her movements were nimble and elegant, she clearly had a hard time keeping up with him. Her strides were almost half of his. As she caught up to him, she felt his eyes on her, but she kept looking forward. His eyes was still lingering in the back of her mind - glowing red and warming her to stay away. His question came as a bit of a surprise, but with a soft chuckle she shook her head a bit. “No, I am not.” She said with a soft tone. “I’m from Oregon. I just moved her recently.” She explained, having a soft smile on her lips. After all, she wasn’t hiding who she was. “What about you, Rafael?” She asked. She could already make an educated guess that he wasn’t native to Gaia, but looks could be deceiving, so she found it better to ask than to assume.

When they arrived to the gravel path leading up to a mansion. How that could be hidden this well in the forest area was beyond her. Logs and stone was used for the exterior, which quite frankly made it seem so charming and rustic. In awe, she followed him; trying to notice every little detail about the place - although that quite possibly would be impossible for her. Tomorrow, she might not think of this as anymore than a dream. As they neared the entrance, lights were turned on at the porch, as well as the garage. Safe to say that she was impressed. “It’s marvelous,” she uttered to herself, once more trying to take in all of the surroundings. Then, he explained that oftentimes, his pack members would stay over. As an alpha, she had figured as much, but for him to explain it made her nod once. She wanted to ask questions, but she had been told often enough that her tendency to ask about most things annoyed some people quite a lot. So she didn’t.
As they entered the mansion, it felt like she was being sucked into some other world. Logs, stone... warmth, just like what she had seen in his smile. But, with a lack of water. That alone made her itch to go back to the waters. She had been on land for many hours by this point, but she wasn’t going to leave just because of that. She opened her coat, revealing the white silk shirt. It was buttoned up all the way, not revealing anything but her figure. She was petite, as some men would describe her, but with soft curves and toned muscles. Her bright red lips stood in stark contrast to the white shirt and checkered skirt - which had been the intention from the start. She always had one element to her that would be in contrast to the rest. Her little oddity. By her left wrist was a dangling golden bracelet, thin enough to break easily, but even in the dimmest light it would glisten. She did as he, and took off her coat, but instead of putting it with his, she folded it nicely over her arm. She then took off her boots, before she followed him once more - again in awe over the marvel his mansion truly was. Surely, she must be dreaming, she thought to herself. “Yes, please.” She simply said, slightly distant in thought, as she looked at the mighty windows that revealed the backyard and had a direct view of the autumn forest they had walked through moment earlier. She caught herself daydreaming once again, wondering if’s and how’s.

He nodded as she answered that she wasn’t from here. Oregon. He wasn’t sure where that was exactly, but it sounded like it was far away. He also felt kind of ignorant for not knowing it, so he’d need to remember to look it up later. She didn’t tell him why she’d moved here either, so he just assumed the reason was work or family. Something ordinary. Much unlike his own reason for moving here. She then returned his question, even if his strong accent already revealed that he hadn't spent much of his life speaking English. “I’m from a small town outside of Madrid in Spain.” He had never thought that he'd end up in England, having not even heard of Gaia until four years ago. But now that he was here, he felt as if it was his home as much as any other place. At least, any place after the night that he'd watched his real home burn.

He pulled in the corner of his mouth as she called his place marvelous. He'd yet to meet someone who wasn't at least slightly impressed with his place. But he also knew that far from everyone would be impressed once they learned how he'd obtained it. She then stayed quiet for a while, so he did the same, giving her some time to look around. “I’ve got water, soda, beer, wine, or cocktails.” He looked at her as he anticipated her to tell him what she’d like before he then walked past the dining table to reach the kitchen, feeling pretty hungry at this point, as he did need more calories than most other werewolves. And he hadn’t had much to eat all day. He started to take out the ingredients for the paella as he waited for her to join him in the kitchen. “So, what do you do for a living?” he asked as he set down the pan on top of the stove and started to prepare the meal. She didn’t look much younger than him but looks could be deceiving. At least for a siren such as herself, being one of the many species that didn’t age.

That he was from Spain didn't surprise her in the slightest. The accent was clear in his voice, which was even more enticing once you had heard it before. She had to stop getting soft in the knees whenever she thought about it.
She had agreed to something to drink, but she had not anticipated being offered different options to choose from. Still, as she was lost in thought, she had no idea that she still needed to answer him - until a few moments later when she shook her head as to regain focus. ''Is is rude to say that I'll have whatever you're having?'' she asked, simply so that she didn't have to make the decision herself. After all, if he was offering it would only be fair for him to decide. Or, so she thought. She walked over to the long dinner table, allowing two fingers to run along the edge for a moment. You could feel the raw energy that had been displayed by the table, which made her close her eyes for a moment. It wasn't often she had been close to other species like thise, that she knew of. Slowly, she walked over to the kitchen, but staying out of his way as much as possible. Mostly because she was used to being scolded for being in the way all the time back home. She smiled by his question, although the answer would be a bit boring to most. ''I work at a café, how dull it might end sound,'' she said, before she turned around to look around them once more. Mesmerized by his home, she placed her coat on a random chair at the table, before she stretched out her nimble and yet relatively small body. It made noises for every joint that popped - but to her, it felt amazing. ''What about you? I assume being an alpha isn't your only occupation?'' she asked, as she then proceeded to walk back to the kitchen to see what he was doing. ''Oh... I have another question!'' she suddenly seemed to remember something important to ask him, although it couldn't have been further from the status 'important'. ''Can you dance, mr. Wolf?'' she asked, clearly teasing him just a bit with calling him what she had called him in the forest earlier. She wouldn't mind if he didn't dance at all, but dance was a huge part of her life. Those without music and dance to release tension in their life were usually stressed and angry, she had found. He didn't seem like that type, to be stressed or angry all the time, but you never should judge a book by the covers.

He simply nodded as she said she’d have whatever he did, not seeming to have a preference, but perhaps she was just trying to be polite. “No, not at all. Do you drink white wine?” he asked as he thought it would go well with the paella. He grabbed a bottle of white wine from the fridge and two wine glasses, pouring some wine in them both - had she replied yes - before he placed the bottle on the table and handed her a glass. He then turned his attention to the cooking, only taking one sip of his glass before he placed it on the countertop beside the bottle. He didn’t think it sounded dull to work at a café. But he understood how it would sound that way to some people. However, Rafael himself had worked many jobs throughout his younger years. Anything from working on a farm with cattle, to cleaning pools, to being an assistant cook in a restaurant. Never being picky regarding work because it meant that he would earn some money to sleep in a more comfortable place than the street and eat food without having to steal. “Would you rather work with something else?” he asked, getting the hint that she herself thought her job to be dull. But if she didn’t and liked it, then that’s what mattered in the end. Not what anyone else thought.

He glanced at her as she returned the question, hesitating to reply to her as he didn’t exactly have a normal occupation. Besides being the alpha of a pack. “I work for a company in Aston,” he simply replied. It wasn’t entirely a lie, although a secret organization was more correct. However, he couldn't exactly reveal that to her. But luckily, she changed the subject by asking him another question. He chuckled briefly as it wasn’t one he'd expected her to ask. And he also found it a bit amusing that she called him Mr. Wolf. “Oh no.” He shook his head as he said this. He hadn’t danced much in his life except for the occasional party, so no, he didn’t dance. And he’d surely be bad at it if he tried anything more advanced. “But I will dance with you after about three drinks,” he said, glancing at her with a smile on his lips before his focus returned to the cooking. “I assume you do?” He had gotten the feeling that she’d asked because she herself could dance, and he wouldn’t at all mind watching her do this. He’d much prefer that over himself dancing.

The mansion felt so at peace. She felt that if they just stood still, they would hear the walls breathe. It brought her some sense of ease as well. As Rafael asked her if she drank white wine, she walked over to him once more. ‘’I enjoy a glass or two on occasion,’’ she said with a crooked smile. He handed her a glass of chilled white wine, which to be honest surprised her a tiny bit. Did he always have some wine in the fridge? He already seemed more put together than her. She took a sip of her wine, before she placed the glass a few inches from his. Of course, her bright red lipstick left a clear print of her lower lip on the rim of the glass. That would be a bother to clean off later, she thought to herself, but she decided not to mention it. She did realize that her way of declaring what she did for a living might have made it sound like she didn’t enjoy it. ‘’Well, I enjoy making coffee - it’s not that. I just… I would prefer working with something that makes me happy. Waking up to go to work with a smile on your face simply makes the mornings easier, I think.’’ she said, before she reached for her wine once more; matching the lip-print almost perfectly as she took yet another sip of her drink.

As she asked about his occupation, she did notice the glance, although she did not mention it. Instead, she listened as he explained that he worked for some company. It seemed better not to ask more about it, as it felt like it was a bit of a secret. That, or he was simply keeping his cards tight, which wasn’t such a bad idea when the once asking about it was still sort of a stranger. Instead, she remembered to ask him her ‘important’ question; if he danced. A brief chuckle sent chills down her spine, and as he answered, she couldn’t help but chuckle herself. The ‘oh no’ told her that he wasn’t keen on dancing much - but she felt somewhat privileged when he then stated that he would dance with her after about three drinks. She took another sip of her wine, as she smiled by the thought of such a tall man dancing with her. He then stated that he assumed that she did dance, she let out a ‘mmmh’ sound, before she placed the glass on the countertop again. ‘’I’ve danced for the most of my life. Ballet, mostly.’’ she said with a soft smile on her lips, before she shrugged. ‘’Although, I have been taking a break ever since I moved. There’s not really any dance studios around here, and my flat doesn’t allow more than a few steps before I bump into a wall,’’ she chuckled before she looked at him with a teasing sparkle in her eye. ‘’I’ll bet that you are quite the dancer yourself, as long as the music is loud enough and there’s someone to dance with,’’ she then stated before she took yet another sip of her wine. ‘’It would be quite the sight, I imagine,’’.

“What kind of job would make you happy?” he asked, assuming that she had something specific in mind as she said this. And he agreed that it was important to work with something that felt this way - at least in the long run. He was very happy about the work he had now as compared to the jobs he’d had in Spain. And getting a pack of his own certainly helped on his overall happiness. Even if he still had a lot of ambitions for the future.

He began to stir some of the ingredients in the paella pan, adjusting the temperature on the stove a bit as he looked back at her. Listening to her as she replied that she danced while he took another sip of his wine. Rafael didn’t have the slightest clue about ballet, but he would have easily gone to see one of her shows if this night had gone well and she still performed. However, it didn’t seem that she did. However, he didn’t understand why there wouldn’t be a dance studio in Gaia. So, maybe she just meant that they didn’t have one that offered what she searched for. He chuckled at her comment about bumping into the walls in her own apartment. “Well, I’ve got plenty of floor space if you feel like dancing later.” He then took a moment to imagine her dancing in the living room. He knew that sirens had a natural talent for the performing arts, having seen them perform a couple of times in clubs or bars. He laughed again as she said that she bet he was quite the dancer, shaking his head lightly. It certainly would be quite the sight. “I’m not so sure about it being the good kind.” He knew how to slow dance and sway from side to side, but that was about as far as his dancing skills went. He then turned around to add some spices to the dish before he prepared a few more ingredients.

As he had been prone to do from the moment he had spoken to her the first time, he nailed yet another question. What kind of job would make her happy? It was a question that wouldn’t take much thinking to answer clearly and truthfully. Still, she delayed her answer a bit by taking another sip of her wine, pretending to digest the question for a moment. ‘’A job where I did something I loved.. Dancing, painting, singing.. However, it takes a certain level of skill and talent to do such, and regardless of my ambitions… It is out of reach, for now.’’ she said calmly, knowing that the things she had been struggling with since birth wouldn’t allow for her to work with something that could exhaust her far too often. Instead of elaborating, she placed the glass on the countertop once more.

His chuckle relieved the tension that had been creeping in on her whilst explaining just why she had not pursued her dream occupation. He had a soothing effect on her - which was something she was getting quite cautious about. She had gotten far too used to that soothing effect back home, which had resulted in her being very vulnerable once she was without it. ‘’That sounds perfectly splendid, mr. Wolf,’’ she replied, as he offered her to dance in his mansion, if she felt so later on. Then, as she had retrieved her glass of wine, which was about half-empty by now, as she explained how she imagined him being quite the sight once he did dance, yet another laughter escaped his lips. Chills ran down her spine, making her look down at her glass for a moment as he stated that he wasn’t sure about the sight being of the good kind. Then, without thinking, she simply replied; ‘’That depends on how much clothes is involved, I would say.’’
It took a moment for her to realize that what she had meant to think to herself was simply being thrown from her lips into the air between them. Instead of reacting with panic as her brain told her to, she simply brought her glass with her as she walked over to the massive windows once more. ‘’I have a tendency to suffer from foot-in-mouth syndrome. My apologies.’’ she simply stated, as she looked out the windows, trying to avoid any eye contact for a moment, since that - combined with his laughter and Spanish accent - was what had made her state such improper things to begin with.

He nodded once to her reply, knowing that it was a dream that many people had - to turn their hobby into a profession. And he’d always been an advocate for people pursuing their dreams, regardless of what they were. But with that, she’d revealed two other interests of hers. “So, you sing and paint too?” he asked. He didn’t consider himself to be creative, but he had always loved music - even owing a guitar when he was a kid, although he hadn’t gotten to practice much guitar and singing before the fire and it was first recently he’d gotten himself a new guitar to take up the hobby again. He glanced at the large doorway into the common room where the guitar was hanging on the wall alongside other decorations.

His smile widened slightly as she said it sounded splendid, although he doubted that she’d feel confident enough to dance in front of him tonight. He picked up his glass of wine to take another sip when she said that it being a good sight depended on the amount of clothes involved. He swallowed the wine in his mouth before he turned his gaze to her. He’d not expected her to say that, so it took him a moment to process the fact that she had. He just laughed and shook his head as she then apologized. “I mean you’re probably right. If I took off my shirt, you wouldn’t be thinking about my dancing skills,” he said, not minding her straightforwardness. Or any flirtatious remarks for that matter. “And we probably wouldn’t be dancing for long,” he added as he looked at her. It was no secret that he found her incredibly attractive, and it was part of the reason he'd invited her home for a date with him. He briefly looked beside her at the view outside, although the sun had almost set completely, making it appear much darker than earlier. He cleaned up some stuff on the table before he washed his hands and stirred in the pan again. He then took out two plates and served a large portion on one of them. “Help yourself,” he said before he found some cutlery for both of them and placed it on one end of the dining table. He then went back to fetch his glass of wine and the bottle that he placed by the table as well before he sat down.

The werewolf seemed too observant - or was he simply skilled in the deductive department? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that almost with every sentence she spoke, he seemed to be gathering more and more information about her. Not that she’d mind, in all honesty. Keeping her personal affairs to herself wasn’t something she cared much to do, so letting him know a thing or two about her didn’t really bother her. “I do, yes. I had plenty of time to nurture my hobbies growing up,” she said with a crooked smile.

Of course, it took a moment for him to process what she said next. Just like she should have taken the time to think it through before she had said it. Yet, he simply laughed it off, and as she had apologized, he continued the train of thought, making her chuckle softly. “I am fairly certain that you would be correct in that assumption,” she said, still looking out the window. In all fairness, it seemed like he was just as interested in maybe getting rid of a layer of clothes or two. However, regardless of the images flashing before her eyes of him semi naked and her writhing in pleasure, secured in his strong arms, she needed to contain herself. How wasn’t it to be perceived if she simply caved in to lust of the flesh with a man she had just met? Even though... nobody had to know. She needed to stop her mind from running off with her.
She once again joined him in the kitchen, as he fetched his glass and the wine, before sitting down at the dining table. She served herself a portion of the paella, albeit a rather small portion compared to the werewolf. She didn’t need much food, and to be honest, when she wasn’t dancing on the regular, she tried to keep her food intake to a minimum. The doctors had warned her about the habit developing into something worse, but she was convinced that she had it under control. She placed herself across the table, making them able to have eye contact. “So... now that you know what I do in my spare time,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “What do you do for fun?” She asked, before she picked up a fork without taking her eyes off of him as she awaited the answer.

Rafael hadn’t had much time to nurture any hobbies growing up. Most of the time he’d worked or trained, having had many tasks as the oldest sibling and alpha to the pack. It was still what he spent most of his time doing, but at the same time, he’d gotten to a point in his life where he had the freedom to do much beyond that. His smile widened as she said he was right in that assumption, getting the image of them laying in his bed together. But he tried not to let his imagination run wild with him as it only distracted him from what he was doing, and the last thing he wanted was to ruin the moment by burning the food.  

At the table, he took a bite of his food with his gaze on her as she sat across from him. “I spend most of my spare time hanging out with friends or my pack… and I tend to host parties once a month,” he said before grabbing the glass and taking another sip of the wine. “I also enjoy being active or doing outdoor activities such as hiking or hunting,” he added, to mention a few more things. Although, it probably didn't surprise her that he liked nature or the outdoors, considering that he was a werewolf and lived in the forest. Rafael was much more physically inclined than he was academic or creative, so it still intrigued him to know that she could sing, dance and paint. He glanced at her plate, anticipating her to take a bite so he’d know if she liked it. “Cooking is something I got into when I worked at a restaurant as a teenager,” he continued before he took another bite of it. It was where he'd learned the paella recipe and the first place he'd earned enough money to rent his own apartment. “Have you traveled much in your life?” he asked.

As she agreed in his assumption, she could almost sense the widened smile on his lips. That alone aided far too much in her mind running wild. She needed a leash on that mind of hers, that was for sure.

As they sat there, and he explained what he was spending his spare time one, she allowed herself to taste the food he had prepared. As the word ‘parties’ left his lips, so did a soft and slightly silenced moan from her. She closed her eyes, her lips stretching to an apologetic smile as she scoffed chuckling at herself. “In my defense...” she said, using the fork in her hand to point at the plate in front of her. “This is freakishly scrumptious,” she chuckled; knowing that her sitting there and moaning at the dinner table wasn’t the most expected thing to happen. “But, um, you mentioned hosting parties?” She asked, hoping to guide the focus from her sounds back to the core of the conversation.
“And of course you love the outdoors! I bet that you are the type of guy who wanders for hours yet never get lost!” She said with a crooked smile. “Nothing like me, getting lost the moment I enter the forest!” She chuckled, before she took a sip of her wine. It was quite easy to tell that the focus was far more on him than the food, to be fair. Handsome, and he could cook. He was a catch, as her mother would have said.
He mentioned working at a restaurant as a teenager, which made her sigh dramatically, and in pure fun. “My parents never allowed me to have a job when I was younger..” she said, shrugging. “They were quite... protective of me,” she explained, before she took yet another sip of her wine, now having her glass nearly empty. When he came to ask if she had traveled much in her life, she shook her head softly. “No.. my parents are both from Grenoble in France. They moved to Oregon when my mother was pregnant with my brother. They managed to squeeze in a couple of family vacations to exotic places before they had me and settled down for good,” she said, smiling calmly. It was quite fun, seeing how many ways she could refer to her childhood and upbringing without telling him about the hospitals, doctors and endless testing. Not that he’d want to know, to be fair. That seemed more like second date-stuff.
“What about you?” She asked with a now soft smile and she looked at him, not denying him of any of her available attention.

He smiled as she tasted the food before letting out a soft moan of satisfaction, although it naturally sounded louder to him. Making it stand out more than she probably intended. He wasn’t familiar with the word scrumptious, but from her expression and reaction, he knew that it was a compliment. “Yeah, the theme of them varies, but I've always loved being around people. And I like how parties give people a chance to step away from the troubles in their life,” he elaborated. It was partly in his nature to refrain from being alone too much, but for the most part, the reason was that he'd never gotten to have that kind of fun as younger, so now that he finally could, he took advantage of it. “That’s true… I have actually never gotten lost, but I think that stems from my tracking ability,” he said. He’d always been able to find anything he’d set his mind to and sensed even the smallest of clues that surpassed most other people. “Or maybe something was leading you to me, in which case, you walked exactly to where you were supposed to be,” he pointed out while raising his fork. It was a far-fetched assumption, but he was glad that her getting lost at least meant that they’d gotten to meet.

He took another bite of his food as she then explained that her parents hadn’t allowed her to have a job. Something that was very distant to him, as his parents always had made him work hard and surely would have wanted him to have taken a job once he was older. “I wish I hadn’t needed to work, but it taught me a lot about cooking, so I guess something good did come out of it,” he said with a smile. Besides the fact that he’d finally been able to sleep on a good mattress. He took a sip of the wine as she revealed that her parents were from France. His eyes lighting up as she mentioned that they'd gone to exotic places for vacations, revealing his own wish for one day seeing more of the world. “Exotic places? That sounds amazing.” The furthest his family had taken him was a camping trip to the beach one summer. But afterward, when he had no home, he'd traversed through most of Spain in his search for the vampires who’d killed his pack. “I’ve mostly traveled around in Spain, so no. I haven’t even seen other parts of the United Kingdom besides Gaia and Moonlight Falls,” he admitted before taking another bite. “Does your family still live in Oregon?”

Thankfully, he decided not to comment further on her pleased sounds, and explained about the parties he usually hosted. He seemed like a caring man; wanting to give people a place to step away from there worries for a moment. Just like he had done with her. “I see,” she said, with a soft and calm smile. Could it be more obvious that she was quite smitten with him already? She must be looking like a fool, she thought to herself. But how could she not?
As the focus shifted to be about him never being lost, she smiled to herself for a moment. “I guess that it could work as an advantage, yes,” she said with a smirk, but when he stated that she maybe ended up exactly where she was supposed to be, she looked rather curiously at him. “Is that so? And why would you think that I might be supposed to end up here?” She asked, before she took another bite of her food. This was something she could get quite used to, she thought to herself. Perhaps dinner dates in the forest wasn’t such a terrible idea after all..

“Well... being forced to work sucks. Trust me, I know.” She sighed, looking at him. “But being forced to not work, when you really want to, that sucks too..” she mumbled as she looked down at her plate for a moment. Calmly, she placed her fork to rest on the edge of the plate. “I’m sure it was amazing. Sadly, they stopped when I was born. So, it’s only my older brother who got to experience it. And he was too young to remember it, so yeah.. that’s just how it is.” She said with a soft smile, before she tilted her head. “I’ve always wanted to go to Spain. Or even Italy! I just... well, I haven’t managed to gather the funds for it just yet,” she said, after he had explained about being traveling in Spain. “Maybe I should hire you to be my tour guide?” She suggested, slightly teasing. Back to the focus on her family, she nodded once before taking a sip of her wine, ultimately finishing her drink. “They do. As well as my brothers, and my sister-in-law. I’m over here in Great Britain all alone!” She said, winking at him teasingly. “Hence why I have no knight in shining armor to pick me up,” she explained with a chuckle.
It was all true, though. Her cousin and aunt lived near the Oneroi Mountains, at the D’Combe Estate. However, she had yet to visit them as she knew that her aunt would insist on Lavender moving in with them instead of living at the Southside. “What about you? Any family around here? And no, the pack doesn’t count!” She asked, chuckling as she added the part about the pack.