Advertising for a Shower Companion

[Winston Charles Bakersfie]

After meeting Inion and taking his shower, he did realize what he was missing, so he decided she had a point. He told her he was going to advertise for such a spot, and here he was making his way down to the message board. Best to start here at the Inn. If a compatible back washer could not be found within these walls, he would look elsewhere. A grin played upon his lips, as his right hand moved to adjust the pink and blue polka-dotted towel around his hips. Once the paper was tacked up, he turned on his bare heel and made his way to his room, running a hand through his short hair.

Tacked up upon the board was a piece of white paper, rather plain, with block styled writing in black ink.

Looking for a Back Washer

Must be female.
Must be willing to get wet.
Must not be afraid to get soapy.
Must not have a fear of male skin.
Must not be afraid of the male body.
Must not have a significant other that would try to do me bodily harm.
Pay is negotiable.

Winston Charles Bakersfield III
Room 205

[Jade Stone]

New year, still cranky. Right around Christmas the cranky turned into lazy, and it was a lazy she just couldn't shake. Jade was having blood delivered to her so she didn't have to deal with leaving the Inn, and she hadn't bothered to go on a good hunt since mid-December. For her, that was a long time to go without fresh living blood. Her body was used to it, and living blood provided things that even the freshest bottled blood couldn't. It just wasn't the same, and the lack of it was probably only feeding her malaise.

So was the fact that the Three had demanded that she stay in Rhy'din for the holidays, keeping her from...well, from going where she actually wanted to go during the holidays, put it that way. Jade had figured if she couldn't go where she wanted to, why go anywhere? The stupid Three told her to stick close to the Inn for most of her time anyway. It irked part of her that sulking in her room would suit their aims just fine, but damnit she sulked anyway. Sulking largely equalled zoning out in front of her television in her gigantic suite that had all that space that she really didn't need, space that probably just fueled the fact she was feeling pretty lonely.

This was one of the totally rare moments where she was out of her room. Doing the totally mundane trek back from the front desk where she'd just picked up her weekly delivery. On her way back down the hall she'd glanced at the message board as she passed it by. It took a couple seconds before it sank in - did she just see the words 'back washer'? Suddenly Jade was back peddling, literally walking backwards until she stood in front of the board once more. Was this...was this some kind of witty personal ad? A SWM seeks SWF sort of deal? Or was this more like a classified, like this guy was seriously looking for a back washer?

Normally she wasn't the type to answer ads, personal or classified. Except for one teeny tiny thing. "Pay is negotiable?" Knitting her eyebrows, she read that line again. Negotiable, negotiable, negotiable. Which could be a total win-win for her. A nice living vein to drink from without having to leave here and go hunting? She could totally kick off her lazy pants and find the effort to wash a back now and then if it meant fresh dinner. "Hmmm."

How to try and spin this so it worked, that was the question. Jade mulled it over as she headed up the stairs, not bothering to drop her delivery off at her room on the third floor. Nope, instead the door to room 205 got itself a knock. So if the door opened, the person behind it would find the blonde-haired Jade standing there in all her dressed-in-black glory, with a large paper bag in her arms big enough for a six pack to be inside. Considering Jade tended to downplay the fact she was a vampire if she could, this was going to be interesting.

[Winston Charles Bakersfie]

Winston had been in his room for a while before the first knock came upon his door. After he hung up his advertisement down on the message board, he went to his room to get dressed. Pulling on a pair of loose fitting regular blue jeans, that were not so baggy that they sagged, they just hung a bit low on his hips, feet were slipped into a pair of black socks. Then the black tank top was slipped over his head, and out came the arms, giving a bit of a stretch, lifting his arms up and out, perhaps popping his back just a mite. His hands had grabbed a bright blue button down long sleeve top which he slipped into, but left the buttons undone. No reason to have to be buttoned up to the heavens for staying in one’s room.

Next he went to the couch, where he sat down with his laptop, and began to work. That was exactly what he was doing when there was a knock upon his door. Lifting his hands and running them through his short spikey locks, he set the computer down, and got up to answer the door. Answering the door, a blink at the woman at the door, before he remembered his ad. “Hello…are you here to apply for the job of back washer?” If she wasn’t well, it wasn’t as if he said something embarrassing right? Ended with a grin.

[Jade Stone]

You know when you get an idea, and you think it's a really great idea so you jump on it the second you have it, only to kind of snap to your senses a minute later thinking a big, "OMG what am I doing?!" Well, Jade started having a moment just like that the moment the door opened and she saw unbuttoned shirt guy standing before her in all his unbuttoned shirt glory. What the heck had she been thinking? She really thought she could just knock on this guy's door and say, 'Sure I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine and by scratch mine I mean give me your blood'?"

"Yeah.........." Took Jade a second to realize that that doubtfully hesitant, drawn out sound was coming out of her, instead of just a thought in her head. And that she was staring at him on top of it. A hard blink and a firm shake of her head to jog her out of the second-thought daze, and boy was Jade feeling like a world-class heel. A world class impulsive heel, even. Dumb dumb dumb dumb, that's what she was saying on the inside.

But on the outside? Different story. "Well hey there, Winston, buddy...do you mind if I call you Winston?" As she made a rally the troops attempt at a friendly happy-go-lucky tone, inwardly she felt like a total idiot. If the awkwardness showed, she wore it kind of well. Like sweetly hopeless was a look that was 'in' this season. Came with sweetly hopeless accessories, like the sweetly hopeless smile and the sweetly hopeless shift of her weight from one foot to the other. She shifted the brown bag, too, to balance it on her hip.

"I did, you know, see that neat little ad you had posted up on the board downstairs, that's how I sort of got here, to your door and all, 'cause a post like that you don't see every day. It's just..." A short little laugh then, one of those self-conscious foolish ones as gave her head a little shake. Green eyes landed on his just for a second, before slipping away to gaze to the side. "You know, knocking on a door and telling a guy you just met 'sure I'll get naked and hop into your shower with you'....I mean wow, right? As in 'forward much'?"

Yup, even a notorious flirt like Jade believed in too much.

[Winston Charles Bakersfie]

Oh, Winston knew all about that whole it sounded good at the time, but no in retrospect perhaps it was not the best thing to have done. Not that he was one to dwell on regrets. Everything that happened happened for a reason, there was some learning to do be done, and then moved on from. As long as one kept what they learnt there really were no mistakes, just choices that perhaps were not the best. So if she had admitted to it being all a big mistake he would of just let out a laugh. Instead she stared at him, and said the word all dragged out like that. He really should be kind, but he got a grin, “You can take a picture if you want.” A small waggle of brows as he moved to lean against the door jam.

Because she was calm and cool for the most part on the outside, one might not pick up on the tell tale signs that perhaps she was already having second thoughts. Though he was one to look at the woman’s eyes and perhaps there was a sign there. A twitch at his lips, “Well, I don’t know if we should be on first name basis yet.” Before his head was shaking. “No, feel free to call me Winston. And now that we have that settled, what am I to call you?” A lift of his right brow. He did not catch a name in there. Of course, some people could pull things off that other’s simply could not, it seemed this girl had a gift.

He laughed. That was his reply before he looked at her, really looked at her, his words coming out slowly. “Yes, that is not something you see every day. I have looked.” Before, “Are you old enough to be responding to ads for a backwasher?” She looked to be sixteen and back home that was not a good age to hire someone for a backwasher. He moved himself off the door jam, perhaps this was a better conversation for indoors. He took a step backwards. “Would you care to come in?” He figured while they were chatting he might as well invite her in. If she came into the room, the main room had a black couch, two dark brown plushy chairs, a coffee table, short gray carpet. The room was rather comfortable looking. He had added a LCD 50” TV on the wall. Slim. There was no clutter, he was a man that liked things in their place, when it was his own place, he was also easily adaptable he had to be when he was with Shane.

[Aleshanee]

Shane had been keeping to herself lately, but she figured it was time to try to break out of the humdrums of not being home for the holidays. It was the first time she had not spent New Years Eve with her bosom buddies. Five girls had always spent the holiday together, this was the first time any of them did not make it back since they were five. It was the fact that she knew she needed to get out again, or else she would grow rather much like a couch potato.

It was that thought that had her out and about. Where to start where to start. The message boards, perhaps someone had left a message or something amusing to read there. So when she stopped before the boards, her gaze would scan before latching onto the one where she saw familiar writing. If anyone walked past right now, they would see her, laughing. The sound was coming out, as if she hadn’t laughed for a while, but it was there. A shake of her head, impish as she was, she thought of going to apply for the job.

Thinking she just might do that she put his room number in her head, and off she went, deciding that she would debate a bit longer on that, to see if the position was filled. Instead she would make her way to see if a friend was in.

[Jade Stone]

"Pictures.... Worth a thousand words...right..." God, she was nodding. Nodding way too much as she was fishing for a comeback that just wasn't coming. More nodding came though, before she gave a sheepish little point and fire gesture with her free hand as she settled on the one thing she could think of to say. "You know...totally left my camera in my other comeback. Not gonna lie." Sweetly hopeless and complete with quip-filled honesty, that was -

"Jade. People've called me loads of things, but sticking with Jade's good karma." Not that she knew a thing about karma except that apparently it was a bitch. Fortunately for Jade, whenever karma tried to rear its head around her there was a whole host of heroes ready to swoop in and save her day. The joys of a charmed life, if only it felt charmed to her instead of like a big stinking cage.

Up to this point she'd been keeping her awkward half of the conversation going just fine, but then Winston dropped the uh-oh phrase: old enough. "Old enough?" Uh-oh. The scoff said it all, Jade shoving the more securly on her one hip so that she could put her hand on her free hip to successfully achieve the stance of a woman seriously scorned. "Old enough? I'm thirty, thank you very - "

Crap. Cue Jade catching up with what she just said and just how much that truth wouldn't make sense to Winston just by looking at her. " - much," she finished with that hair of a pause, flipping her head indignantly before she tried to top her ticked off comment off with a quasi-smooth cover up, "days from my 21st birthday." Yup, twenty-first birthday.

"Sure I'll come in," she added quickly. Before he could change his mind. Winston's invitation gave her the opportunity to march right into his room without any barrier, and she did just that. "Nice TV," she commented. Choosing that as the place to saunter up to and check out. With boys, televisions were always a good tactic to change the conversation topic. "Big," she added, making sure to give it an admiring glance that would be just a teeeeny bit suggestive.

She knew boys. Size always mattered.

[Vesta Voui]

It just happened to be one of the rare moments that Vesta was walking about with her squirrel companion Blink. He had recently overstuffed himself on his horde of nuts and berries and was in a blissful food coma, it happened sometimes and when it did she knew that he'd be out for a handful of hours. So while he was in sleep she was idly strolling around on the main floor of the Inn, casually looking around for signs of De'Ryanna. Since she had seen that flier the other day she was now noticing how little she's seen that girl. True sometimes the odd jobs she did kept her away from the Inn overnight - yeah, imagine the look she had when she came back that time to see part of it slightly boarded up - so she never really thought of whether someone was there or not.

As it was, Vesta was strolling from the Lounge where she had just finished watching a Mecha show on that large TV screen. Black fishnet arm warmers covered her arms and they matched the netted blue top and would-be black tutu she wore that had a particular bounce with her steps, especially since her stroll consisted of a small bounce step here and there. Just as she was coming into view of the steps she saw someone leaving the message board. Now, that wasn't a place she spent a lot of time, just a glance here and there, but the female leaving it sure thought something on it was funny and that alone meant she had to look!

When she got to the board and gave it a look-see boy, oh boy did she understand what the other had thought to be funny. There was an advertisement, from Winston, for a back scratcher. Now, there was nothing for this girl to be jealous of or over, but it did bring about a curiosity and something she had to see for herself. So what did she do? Plucked that sucker right off the board that's what! She didn't need the room number, she carried him there before and knew the way.

Up the steps. Up the steps, up the steps and on the landing in time to see a chick step inside of his room. Well this was going to be fun!

Step, step and sliiiiide and a lean agaisnt the archway of the door. "Hi there!" It was to both of them. His door was still open so they both could see her, not trying to hide anyway and the smile she had was both humorous and mischevious. Then she flicked the flier and held it up and out so the announcement was facing him.

"Really Winston? A Backwasher? Seriously?" She could only think that the other female there was here for the job as well. She lowered the flier and crossed her arms as she leaned against the frame. "Well I call dibs on Tuesdays and Saturdays."

[Winston Charles Bakersfie]

A grin. She knew exactly where he was going with that. At least he had not completely baffled her. He remembered meeting Cas and baffling her with the tv, and other conversation. Laughter, “Perhaps you will have to remember to carry one around next time, in case a photo opt happens.” He could not help but tease just a bit, it was in his nature, and he she did ask for it.

“Nice to meet you Jade.” Grin was given and hand was offered for a quick shake if she chose, if not that hand would fall easily to his side, gentlemanly manners had come out. Ingrained. He too knew about karma and it could be a major b. Thankfully he was usually pretty lucky, usually. Which meant that he did not normally worry about that.

When she said she was thirty he blinked and peered over at Jade. Not the best look to give one, but it was more that he was trying to see if she had any tell tale signs. If this girl was thirty he had to bet that she wasn’t a mortal, there were a lot of those running around here, from the stories he had been told. But then in the next breath she said 30 days from her 21st birthday. That was more believable and he quit peering at her, perhaps she would feel less like a insect under a microscope. “I did not mean to offend you.” He gave a small grin.

He was about ready to turn and make a comment on her comment about his Tv, but he was suddenly distracted, when he heard that voice. Now, Winston could probably know that voice any where. It was rather apparent too as he looked like a little boy that had got caught his hand in the cookie jar. He looked a bit sheepishly over to Vesta. “Hey Vesta! How’s it going?” He almost broke out into a hum, but he restrained it. Instead he started to walk towards her, as he spoke, “Come on in. This is Jade.” He had just learnt her name, and it seemed that it was done in the nick of time. “Jade this is Vesta.” He thought it only right to introduce them and maybe Vesta had not seen his ad at the message board. Really how many people really looked at the message boards anyways? Right.

Now Vesta was calling him out on his ad, not only calling him out, but holding it in her hands. Ground could open up at any time and swallow him whole. There went the illusion that she had not seen the ad. His hands lifted upwards and both lifted to his hair to run through the soft spikes, he had no time to put the product in his hair so it was still standing up but it was soft. Was that a bit of a blush crossing over his face? He would never admit it. He gave Vesta one of those school boy charming grins. “I can’t reach it by myself?” He looked between the two women, “Well…it looks like you have this handled. I should just leave you two…” He moved towards the door.

[Jade Stone]

God, she knew that look. She really, really knew that look. The Microscope, it could sure be called that. Because while Winston looked at her like that Jade felt like one of those ancient slightly crusty and faded amoeba slides that her equally ancient slightly crusty and faded junior biology teacher made them stare at and draw like they were scientific Vincent Van Goghs.

So she was kind of pale. But who wasn't, cute pale doll look was in this year (thank god). She'd 'whoopsied' and missed his offered hand when she beelined for the television, or else he would've been able to feel that she wasn't exactly warm. But besides that, what was there to notice? At least right now.

While he scrutinized her, she was petting the buttons on the television like the appliance was a goat at a kiddy zoo. It gave her somewhere to look, because she knew she had a serious case of 'I'm a crappy liar' eyes. One look at those, and he'd know the 21st birthday deal was a total cover-up. This way, only the television knew, and only the television saw the huge heaping relief in her smile when he said said he didn't mean to offend. "Happens all the time. I totally get carded at the playground." Which was a joke, obviously. See, she could joke about how young she looked.

Sometimes.

When the other girl showed up - Vesta - the tone of the room entirely changed. Jade could be really dense when it came to some of the other abilities that Damon et al told her she should have mastered by now, but the vibe in a room was one she was really good at. Green eyes went right to Winston, getting a load of his caught in the cookie jar look on his face. Now who was the crusty amoeba slide getting sized up? Ha! Lucky for Winston, Jade wasn't thinking of it that way.

"Hiya." To Vesta. "Leave?" To Winston. "Huh?" To both of them. "But this is your - you know, I can go." There was some serious 'three is the awkwardest number' going on here. Jade's arms shifted around the paper bag she still had resting on one hip. A normal girl probably would've gotten tired of holding on to it like that considering the weight of the six pack, but Jade barely felt the heavy at all. The only reason she shifted it was…well, as an excuse to reference it. "I'm totally carrying this around like a bag lady or something, it…it really needs a fridge. Refrigeration." Corrected as she retraced her steps to make a beeline for a door.

"Nice to meet you guys." Smile was quick and sheepish as she opted for the quick retreat.

[Vesta Voui]

It was always funny, watching a persons facial expression changed as they went through an array of emotions from being faced with something they didn't expect. It was a Kodak moment defiantly worth keeping. If life here in Rhy'din had an instant playback button then Vesta would push that button and re-watch Winston as he noticed she was there. And not only him, but Jade too. The pair of them put such an awkward 'Oh shiznit' feel in the air it was hilarious.

It was even funnier that they both were trying to leave. Don't blame them. If the situation was in reverse then maybe she'd want to exit stage left too.

"Na-hold on a tick 'Slick' n' 'Slide'. " Of course she couldn't just let them leave. Leg up and foot slamming against the doorframe on the opposite side and stretching her arm out to do the same made a nice little barrier. If they were that desperate to get out of the room then they'd have to knock her down and they could be an awkward heap on the floor! Twister anyone?

The raised leg position couldn't hike-up the tutu any higher than it already was – that’s the magic of multi-layers. Still, in this position she tried to adapt a casual lean, even laughed a bit. "Have this handled, you kidding? We're all just getting to know each other."

Vesta's laugh turned slightly sardonic as it dragged off at the end with a 'yeah....' You know the one. The sound people made when acting like something is funny when it really isn't? "What better way to bond then by hoping in the shower together."

[Winston Charles Bakersfie]

The air might be hilarious to Vesta, but it certainly wasn’t to Winston, and the way that Jade was trying to run away too it must not be the same to her either! He blinked at the names she was calling them? It was actually kind of cute. Not that he was saying that. For when she blocked the doorway he was rather close to her. Normally he liked being close to Vesta. This wasn’t normal. Though Twister in the doorway could be interesting. It might be a good thing he did not think of that, for he might of just went for that if he thought it would get her mind to move somewhere else.

Then all of a sudden he looked at Vesta, the sound of the voice, with the words, he was probably aiming to get hit. “You like me!” Then before she had time to respond, he turned to look to Jade. “It was nice to meet you Jade….but she likes me…she really likes me. Guess I don‘t need to find a back washer.” A boyish grin. Of course she might not like him and he was running with a full head of steam. Then he turned back to Vesta, with a waggle of his brows, “Do I?” Yes once more he was asking to get hit. But before she had any more time, he moved his hands quick as he could, to touch Vesta’s hands, one hand for each of hers. Then he leaned in, perhaps catching her off balance, for she was wedged into the door, and he laid a kiss upon her. Depending on if she moved or not would depend on where that kiss landed.

[Jade Stone]

This whole thing was a total reminder to her why she'd just been staying in her room. When Vesta blocked the doorway, for a precious second Jade's expression got really dark. Not the typical 'did you just call me fat, cow?' kind of glower that was stereotypical for the stereotypical teen queen that Jade looked to be. No, the look and the shift of the tension of her muscles was something more primal. It was a style that matched wolves and jungle cats, not saucy pretty girls.

Predators just hate to have their way blocked. Especially when they want to make an exit.

But Jade managed to put a lid it, hence why it only lasted a second. She didn't charge at Vesta, she didn't snarl. She even won against her fangs which literally hurt because the predator in her wanted to grow them in so she could bare them. She didn't manage to control her tongue though, and her words back to Vesta had bite. "Yeah no. Don't swing that way, at all." She knew she should tack on the word sorry, even if she didn't mean it, just in the name of being polite. But it wasn't coming.

And what Winston said cemented it. No sorrys on Jade's part tonight. 'Guess I don't need to find a back washer'? What the hell! Was he trying to play the 'see how I'm rejecting her, baby' card to look like the cooler catch to this Vesta girl? Because Jade was so not having that. "Guess that works out then, since I already told you I decided answering an add like that was forward much." Yeah. She wanted it to be clear who put the kibosh on her being a potential back washer. At this point she was kind of speaking through gritted teeth. A sign that she probably lost the battle against her fangs, and she didn't want them showing. This fiasco was already bad enough.

"And you know, Winston, when I took your invite to come in I was just trying to be friendly. I wasn't signing up to be used as some pawn to score points with her." A thumb over at Vesta. "You sure know how to make a girl feel this big, buddy." Yup, she showed him how big with her thumb and forefinger. Looked like it was an eighth of an inch.

When Jade turned back to Vesta, it was obvious she way beyond being polite or even sardonic like Vesta'd been. The dark look was back, with a tone to match. "Na-let's try this again. Nice to meet you guys. Move." If Vesta didn't move from the doorway, to Jade that wouldn't matter this time. Even if Jade bulldozed Vesta over to the point where it'd be obvious she wasn't human, she was leaving this wreck of a social outing behind.

At least Jade had learned a valuable lesson. No more answering personal ads, even if they could be a potential meal ticket!

[Vesta Voui]

He was talking and before she was able to make any comment about whether she actually liked him or not Winston took her in a kiss. Oh Winston wasn't only asking to get hit, but he had painted a nice, big, luminescent target over his body with the words "Hit Me" blinking like a beacon. It's not that she didn't like the guy - they had one helluva bonding the day she called him to come and pick her up but that didn't mean he could just lay one on her. Especially when it seemed to be a cop-out. Sure she thought he was cute and all that, but it was the principle of the matter.

Vesta pulled her head back to break the kiss but since he had her hands she wasn't able to simply raise her hand and land one right in the kisser. With him being so close she pulled up her right knee for a quick connection to abs and then she tried to pull out her hands and deliver a strong left hook. "Dude, what the Hell?!"

Like, seriously? Maybe this was how the rich guys picked up women. If this had been another situation she would have responded different. Looked like he upset Jade too because that lady was making a quick and aggressive move to the door. No need to push Vesta out of the way for she had backed out of the doorway after she went to lay the hits on him. "Use the ad to make your move all while making her feel like crap. That is totally un-cool."

Un-cool Winston. "You could have just asked." Vesta might just be a bit hot under the collar because either he really wanted her to wash his back in the first place and was afraid to ask, or he liked her and thought she was the type of girl that saw nothing wrong with him in the shower with other females. If he didn't like her, fine, but he did so. . . .

Vesta was making her way to turn and go too.

[Winston Charles Bakersfie]

Now he was glad he did not have sisters. Females never seemed to let you get a word in edge wise. If it wasn’t Jade talking it was Vesta. He had no cards he was playing. It was not the look I’m rejecting her baby, there was nothing to reject, they had not even really began to scratch the surface of the ad before Vesta showed up in the door. He was still taken back by the girls age, let alone the fact that she said that answering such an ad was forward. It was forward. They had already went over that hadn’t they? So there was no rejection there. His tone had been more joking which obviously was not the tone of the room currently.

“I offered you to come inside because I thought it was more comfortable then standing in the hall with your brown paper bag. “ The only time that the backwashing was brought up by him before Vesta showed up was asking if she was even old enough to apply for such a job. There was no other thought about that. He had been trying to be friendly by asking her to come in, and had that conversation gone on further well …that did not matter at the moment.

So when Jade left and Vesta moved, Winston had made a mental note. Did he care if people were mad at him? He was actually pretty used to it. But it was the look in Jade’s eyes, yes he noticed, that made him know that at some point he was going to have to try to figure out a way to erase that look. Having people pissed off at you was nothing new, but hurting someone even when he did not try to, someone that had no right in being hurt by him, was something new. Something he wasn’t going to let drop, though he did for the moment.

And then Vesta moved, and he got her knee in his gut. Thankfully he worked out, and he had a feeling she was going to react with some sort of violence so he had his body tensed up. If he had not tensed that knee might of knocked the wind out of him. Instead he gave a “umph” Dropping her hands, as soon as they were free, he stepped back so her swing went right past his nose. His hands moved down to rub at his stomach. He was rather glad he worked out daily in some way and had some good reflexes. He didn’t say anything about the knee or the attempted hit, he figured he deserved that. Knowing she was a hitter after the day he rode up on a horse to give her a ride home, he knew to watch out for the hands.

He looked ashamed, for a moment, before looking back to her. “It wasn’t meant to hurt anyone.” That was the truth, he gave a small shrug, “I was checkin in a lady to the Inn and she said something about shower companions. I thought it would be funny to post an ad.” Now he might be having second thoughts on that. “Maybe it wasn’t the best idea. But once I figure out how to make it up to Jade, maybe I will have another friend here?” He gave a small shake of his head, “And of course, I have to figure out a way to make it up to you too.” He did not want to hurt Vesta’s feelings, but he had a small grin, “And some sort of payment method for Tuesdays and Saturdays.” He knew he was pushing it, but it did come out. You know he didn’t always think things through before he said or did them.

And then she was leaving too! “Vesta, please don‘t leave, why don’t you stay, and tell me what I have to do to make it up to you?” He wasn’t groveling but he was asking, watching her back the whole time. He did want to figure out a way to make it up to her, and if she didn't tell him how or what might do it, it could be scary what his own mind could come up with. Maybe she would have some ideas how to make it up to Jade as well. Though he wasn't going to ask that right off. Did he want her to turn around and come back, well Duh, but if she did not he would have plenty of time to do some thinking, right?

[Inion]

Inion was passing through on her way to her room when she noticed the ad on the cork board. She stopped for a moment to read it and gave a soft chuckle "well it seems that he has started his search already. Hmmm I should stop by soon and see how things are going." She would do it now but she needed to start moving in but did make a note to herself to stop at his room later.

[Vesta Voui]

Vesta felt as though she was getting a few mixed signals. First off, she didn't know if he was sorry and apologizing because things didn't quite go as planned...or if he really was sorry. Kind of hard to be sorry about something when you keep making jokes about it, right? She didn't mind. Really. Vesta wasn't the type of girl that was drama-tastic and made the other person want to run away screaming. She could take a punch or too - and Winston could too it seemed! (The hit and kick was more or less an instinctual reaction from how he had made his approach.)

Having turned to leave and hearing him talk Vesta turned around and placed both of her hands behind her head. She took a slow and dramatic step backwards. "Ya know, people get hurt anyway. Whether you mean it to happen that way or not. No point in banking on not trying to hurt feelings." Giving a shrug of her shoulder she started to chuckle. At least she had stopped walking away from him. Now she was doing more of a slight rocking back and forth on her heels as she watched him.

Jade, she had stormed out of there and the air was probably still fizzling with negativity, maybe that's why Winston seemed to be off ease. Any other hint of anger was lible to set the place ablaze, but she wasn't angry. Odd huh? Yeah. She wasn't angry but that didn't mean she found the whole thing funny. Typical. Yeah, that's how she was going to define it.

"Never figured you much for a 'let me make it up to you' sorta guy when the relationship wasn't serious," was said in a bit of a tease. "I'm pretty easy when it comes to things like this, all you have to do is the thing everyone's taught to do when their growing up. You did learn all those basic principles, right?" Hope he did because if not then he was screwed!

"After that we'll take it from there. Jade though...." she sucked a few times on her teeth. "Might work for her too. You'd be surprised."

[Winston Charles Bakersfie]

He was the sort that made jokes when he was uncomfortable. He really was sorry. And it would take him a few moments to realize that he had not said those words. He said words that implied that he was sorry. He said he didn’t want her to leave. That he wanted to make it up to her. But it was true, the I am sorry, had yet to cross over his lips.

When she turned around, his mind did a little victory thought, she had not left. That had to be a good sign right? It would have been harder later, then to just get this out of the way now, he thought. He liked to get things dealt with when they came up. No holding onto things. Or bringing them up later, as a small arsenal. “I still don’t like doing it.” Not when he realized he did it. Now if this was strictly business he was rather ruthless.

Ouch! But he could take her teasing. If she was teasing him, he figured it had to be a good sign, a you didn’t completely screw everything up sign. He was going to take that sign and run with it. Then he thought about that. The basic thing he learnt when growing up when he did something wrong. The example that had been set for him was not a normal one. Whenever his father had messed up, his mother ended up with a new set of jewels. Depending on how bad his father had messed up. And the scale his parents had seemed to of worked out. He had a feeling that was not what she was going for. Vesta did not seem the type that wanted jewels for every little misstep. And as she said it wasn’t a serious relationship. And it was a good thing he did not think on it, because he would have to admit that, and the fact that he was whipped. Already. Oh what was he getting himself into.

Swallowing, he decided to go the other route, the route he had learned about more recently. Not growing up. He looked down a moment, as if he was fumbling with something, as all these thoughts went through his head. Then he looked towards Vesta, his voice held a sincere quality. “I am sorry Vesta. I should have known better.” He paused. Not sure if he should say anything else, or brace to get hit again.

[Vesta Voui]

He could have stopped after 'I'm sorry Vesta', saying that he should have known better only made her wonder what he should have known better about. Was it "I should have known better than to put out an ad", if so and if that's what he wanted to do, then why not put out an ad? Was it: "I should have know better than to hurt people's feelings." Maybe it was even: "I should have known better than to think I'd get away with it." Countless possibilities there.

Vesta knew what he meant though - benefits of growing up with a brother and all that - so she wrote it off for what it was meant to be, an apology. "S'okay Winston." And it was, really. "No harm no foul. Well, maybe foul odors." She made a joke and laughed at it even if she was probably the only one of them that was laughing. She let her hands down from her head to place them on Winston's shoulders and try to make him turn around even as she leaned to the side to see behind him, taking one hand off of his shoulders to rub his back.

"Broad shoulders, firm back, should be fun!" That meant she was still up for the ad, hopefully he wasn't getting too confused. "But right now . . . I should probably get going." To somewhere.

She even started to turn away though she stopped halfway to turn an give him a wink. "Thanks for the kiss."

[Winston Charles Bakersfie]

If he knew the reason she understood him, he would be glad for her having her brother. He did remember her mentioning him. She was cracking jokes!? Oh but she was keeping him off his toes. Something that was not normal. Not being in control. Not knowing the next step, action to be taken. Threw him right off.

When she put her hands on his shoulders to attempt to make him to turn, he did turn. He could of resisted. But he was not going to be contrary. Maybe at another time he would be. Right now he was just glad he wasn’t getting hit or kicked any more.

Blinking at her words. Looking over his shoulder back at her, his brow raised. No words though. He had a feeling yet a part of him was wondering if she was just messing with his mind. He would find out soon enough wouldn’t he?

Not pushing his luck, when she said she should get going he gave a small nod. “See you later?” Did not mean later that night just later in general. Then her last parting words had him laughing. Yes that full out laugh. A small shake of his head as he went back into his room, and clicked on the TV.

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