[Alice Morrow]

Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? + Nathan Havelock + wearing

Alice would likely have felt shy, but she was still riding high on a wave of alcohol and celebrity. It was hard to be shy when you were as hidden as she now was. One of the most immediately recognisable people currently in America, now virtually unrecognisable in a small bar in Manhattan. It was an exciting feeling. "Well you got the last one, and it doesn't look like they're going to ID me. So why not?" Alice didn't really know anything about whiskey, or really about alcohol. This also didn't look like the kind of place that would stock really good alcohol, but she supposed she could ask and no doubt they would recommend the most expensive thing they had. Hopefully that would mean there was something to the value, and it wasn't as if she was really struggling for cash now. Sure she wasn't rich or anything, but she was well off, and if what Dominic had said turned out to be true, soon she would be more than well off. Still, she could afford to buy a few drinks. She reached in and around to the back of costume, which contained her Hero Badge and a money clip with enough money to last her a night or two. She'd thought about simply carrying her card around with her, then realised how bad that might be if her suit got damaged in a fight. She didn't want someone discovering her true identity because she'd been too lazy to carry cash. She walked up to the bar and was served fairly quickly, not as quickly as the girls that were displaying far more cleavage, but she'd have to remove most of her costume to do that, and even if she did wouldn't have that much cleavage to show anyway. When a barman finally took notice of her she ordered whatever their best whiskey was, then pointed at one of the extremely large cocktails currently being dished out to a variety of women around the bar. "They look fun, I'll have one of those." She managed to make her way back out of the crowd around the bar to greet Nate with a grin and a wave of his whiskey, fortunately without spilling any. She handed it over and raised her own drink to her mouth sucking at the ice cold cocktail through a straw. "Aaaahhh brain freeze." A moment later, after she had recovered from her icy brain, she answered his question. "You can call me Alice."

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[Nathan Havelock]

Lace, Bows and Super Heroes

Clearly Paladin was just at that fun level of intoxication where she felt brave enough to take on the world. Or maybe she just felt like that all the time, considering her day job… Nate was just at that fun level of intoxication where such a thought was greatly amusing, and he chuckled to himself as she boldly made her way to the bar with the same level of majesty that he imagined her approaching an ongoing crime scene.

In his head, dramatic music played. This was in sharp contrast to the eclectic mix of 90s R&B and early 2000s alternative rock that the bar seemed to have on its playlist. Nate wasn’t sure how to feel about it, although the whisky he’d already had so far that night was definitely starting to convince him that it was a great selection of tunes.

Just as Nate had suggested, Paladin had acquired a ridiculous-looking cocktail for herself. It was probably overpriced fruit juice at best, but at least it was fun. Nate gave her a one-man applause as she drew near with the drinks in hand, smirking at her over the rim of his glass as he took a sip.

“Thank you,” he said, licking the whisky from his lips. “This isn’t half bad.”

It wasn’t necessarily half good either… but that was okay.

He laughed at her sudden case of brain freeze, shaking his head. She seemed to recover, finally answering his question on what he should call her.

“Alice,” he mused, swirling the contents of his glass. “I like it. Okay, another question – the blue hair really isn’t a wig?”

Alice Morrow

271 words

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[Alice Morrow]

Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? + Nathan Havelock + wearing

Alice was pleased that she had apparently managed to acquire whiskey that was to Nate's taste. It was a glass of some expensive looking bottle behind the bar, although her idea of expense was probably vastly different from Nathan's. She might not have known him that well, but her conversation with his mother had made it clear what kind of background he came from. It was almost like something out of a movie, poor orphan girl meets rich boy. She massaged her forehead with one hand, slowly recovering from the icy sensation at the front of her head. On the other hand, it had helped cut through at least some of the haze of alcohol, and she felt a little more aware, which was probably a good thing. After all, she'd drunk two glasses of champagne, and she'd gotten through the cocktail back at the party pretty quickly. This at least seemed to have less alcohol in it. Or at least she couldn't taste much alcohol. In answer to his question she shook her head, reaching up to take a handful of her own hair and tug on it. "Nope, one hundred percent me. Well… fifty percent me and like fifty percent hair dye. I've had my hair dyed like this since before the Event, I just get it topped up more often now. It's part of my image apparently. At least that's what I'm told." She shrugged, smiling, "I like it this colour though. I've been other colours, but I always end up coming back to this one. I dunno why." She hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask the question but not wanting to seem desperate. Eventually she caved. "So if you work at the MNRU does that mean you live in San Francisco? Or do you live like nearby or what?"

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[Nathan Havelock]

Lace, Bows and Super Heroes

Nate laughed as Alice tugged on her hair. It was an interesting double-bluff to have the same hair colour for both your Hero and civilian alter-egos. There had been quite the surge in popularity of blue-coloured hair since Paladin had become a household name, and it wasn’t like it had been a particularly unfashionable hair colour before that. Anyone trying to uncover Paladin’s secret identity would surely assume that the vibrantly blue hair was just a trendsetting wig.

“Wow, you really are a hipster – you had the Paladin hair before she did!”

He grinned teasingly.

“I like it too, though I’m sure you could pull off just about any colour. Have you ever tried anything really weird? Bright yellow, some gross swamp green, maybe?”

Somehow, Nate felt like Alice could still look great. She was one of those cool, alternative looking girls who actually looked their best when pushing boundaries. It was an intoxicating level of beauty that Nate was starting to really appreciate through the soft haze of alcohol. He hadn’t exactly intended to seduce the Hero when they’d first started talking, but damn if he wasn’t considering it now.

He tilted his head with interest at her question about San Francisco. “Yeah… born and raised. I studied in Sacramento for a while but I came back for my residency. I love seeing other places – New York is super cool –” he added, with a wide gesture of his arms, “But I think so long as there’s a place for me at the MNRU I’ll be sticking around. Why, you thinking of accepting my birthday party invitation?”

Nate shrugged out of the getaway jacket that Stephen had provided him with, beginning to overheat in this cramped part of the bar. They were definitely going to have to stay for just one drink – any longer and the fun, dingy dive would lose its appeal. Pretend all he might to the contrary, Nate was a fan of more luxurious comforts. The Carlyle could definitely live up to his standards.

Alice Morrow

338 words

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[Alice Morrow]

Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? + Nathan Havelock + wearing

"Pffft, she is such a poser. Jumping on the trend. What a band wagoner." Alice grinned, it was kinda fun to make fun of her alter ego. She often did it a little bit anyway with Ashley, there was something about the other person knowing your secret that made the jokes more intimate. After all, no one else would know that she knew Paladin very well indeed. It was hard to offend yourself after all. "Gross swamp green? Thanks, but I don't think I'll be coming to you when I think about changing my hair colour. Not if those are the best suggestions you got. Anyway I'm naturally blonde so I've already got the yellow covered." She played coy when he asked about his birthday, though she would love to go. "Depends, do I have to come in costume?" She would probably still say yes regardless of his answer, but she'd be much more enthusiastic if that answer was that she could come just how she was. Although minus the rest of the costume of course. Nate's shrugging out of the jacket made her suddenly aware of how hot she was getting. The suit was made out of some kind of super advanced fabric that was both tough and comfortable, but there was also a thick heavy robe piled on top of that and even the icy drink couldn't control the heat. She looked around the place, it was true that no one seemed to be paying them much attention, but surely the sudden arrival of a Super Hero in their midst would prompt some excitement. And she'd already taken off her mask. "D'you think anyone would notice if I took this robe off? It's getting kinda hot."

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[Nathan Havelock]

Lace, Bows and Super Heroes

Nate laughed, jokingly rolling his eyes in agreement with Alice. “For sure, Paladin is so lamestream. I’d rather hang out with Alice – true trendsetter of the Bay Area.” He waved his arms at her dramatically, gesturing like she was a piece of art on display. “No wonder you have such firm connections to the fashion industry!”

He cast her a look, a little offended that she would even suggest that he considered swamp green a legitimate hair colour idea. It was interesting to hear that she was a natural blonde – he stared quite openly for a while as he attempted to put the picture in his head. She just seemed to suit blue a little too well to imagine her as a blonde, but he was sure it looked great.

“Oh, fantastic,” he said suddenly – smile wide and a little devilish. “I’ll be sure to bring out the blonde jokes if you start acting a lil too cocky,” he explained, entirely teasing. Blonde jokes were hardly of the pinnacle of humour, and certainly not something you brought out to impress a woman.

He pretended to think about his answer for her question, taking the opportunity to enjoy some more of his whisky.

“Alice is invited. I like being able to see her face. Plus Paladin would totally steal the limelight from the birthday boy which is just not okay. Maybe she could make a surprise appearance to show all my friends how tight we are and then she can vanish to go save cats from trees or something while Alice mysteriously reappears from her conveniently timed bathroom break.” He laughed, amused by his own scenario. “Sounds good, right?”

Her next question made him freeze for a second. “I mean… won’t that show off your costume? You might need to put your mask back on just in case… Or…” Nate looked around the busy bar. “…I guess no one is paying any attention, and it’s not like you’re in a particularly normal outfit as is. You could probably shrug it off until we finish our drinks.”

He poked his tongue out a little as he grinned. “Live life on the edge.”

Alice Morrow

360 words

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[Alice Morrow]

Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? + Nathan Havelock + wearing

She'd just hit the jackpot tonight, good looking, funny, and he seemed to be into her as well. She acted casual, as if she was just being modest about deep seated and influential contacts in fashion. "Well of course, they always come to me before anything big happens you know." It was obvious why he was staring, but she found herself blushing a little as a result from the close inspection. Then his grin suddenly became devilish and cocky. "Oh you will will you? Just remember I can punch a lot harder than the girls you used to tease in the playground. So don't push your luck." She was even more flattered when he said that she would be the one invited, but laughed when he suggested that Paladin make an appearance like Spiderman had planned at the home of his crush in the latest movie. It didn't help that it was entirely spot on regarding her feelings for this man as well. After all, Peter's feelings for that girl hadn't exactly been subtle throughout the film. Alice could only hope that hers were a little less pathetically obvious. "Sounds like a deal, I'll have a word with her, but I think Paladin will be willing to show up for a brief appearance to sing Happy Birthday." She glanced around, the bar was packed, but no one seemed to be paying them much attention. And it certainly didn't seem to be the kind of place that a villain or member of the paparazzi might be hanging out in on the off chance that a Hero would show up. Besides, she wasn't even the only Paladin she had seen. Not here in New York, but there were a number of shops back in San Francisco selling various different versions of her costume. She'd even posed with a few fans dressed as her when she'd happened to wander past a Comicon on patrol one day. "I guess it can't hurt." She removed the too heavy, too hot robe, grateful for the sudden rush of cool air that came once she had shucked off the heavy fabric. They must have been talking for a few minutes when they were interrupted by someone who gave her a cursory glance up and down and then informed her. "It's pretty good, you've even got the colour right on the costume, but your hair is all wrong and Paladin is taller." Alice was speechless as they moved off, before breaking into laughter. "What the f*&k? I can't believe they thought I don't look like the real Paladin. I spent so long on this cosplay and everything."

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[Nathan Havelock]

Lace, Bows and Super Heroes

He was definitely not regretting his decision to leave the party with this girl. It could have been a nightmare – someone as famous as Paladin had every right to have blended in more than successfully with the other Fashion Week attendees – but Alice was the perfect mix of feisty and down-to-earth that had always drawn Nate in when it came to women. Despite her celebrity status, Alice seemed refreshingly normal; probably because it was just her alter-ego that attracted all the attention.

“Deal, let me get you an invite real quick…”

Nate had spotted an abandoned pen at the table – presumably leftover from when the bar was empty enough for servers to actually make their way round. He grabbed a napkin that was only a little damp on the edges from spilled drinks and scrawled his number on the dry corner. Then he wrote his name and drew a few balloons – because he was oh so cute like that and no birthday invitation was complete without them.

He shoved it across the table towards her, looking proud of his handiwork.

There was a huge look of relief on Alice’s face almost instantaneously once she’d escaped the clutches of her heavy robe, and Nate laughed and fanned her with his hands to help her cool down. “And that’s why you don’t want to be a villain,” he chuckled. He returned to his drink – nearly finished at this point – and they continued speaking for a short while.

The sudden interruption was as startling as it was amusing. The complete stranger burst in between them, sweeping their eyes up and down Alice’s costume.

It was difficult to hold back the laughter while they were still present. “Wow, rude, she stayed up all night making that,” Nate said defensively, the curl of his lips nearly giving him away. The stranger either didn’t hear or just chose not to, and they disappeared into the depths of the bar.

Only then was he able to join Alice’s giggles. “Your hair is all wrong apparently, gonna have to fire your hair stylist. Who knew the ultimate disguise was to just look exactly like yourself?”

Alice Morrow

357 words

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[Alice Morrow]

Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? + Nathan Havelock + wearing

Her laugh at the invite was surprised and genuine. She hadn't expected him to do so immediately, or for it to be so cute. She held the napkin to her heart for a moment, batting her eyelashes. "Oh this is just so romantic." She tucked it away inside her suit, again grateful that she was so much cooler now. So true, the cool sinister looks are not worth having to put up with that heat. Maybe if I lived in Alaska or something, but any further south than that? And can you imagine in San Francisco in the summer?" Her worries about being recognised were put to rest when someone did. Oddly enough. Although it seemed that they couldn't even believe what they saw. She hadn't expected someone to criticise her costume as not quite accurate enough. Or that she wasn't tall enough. It was both hilarious and strangely offensive. "They are so fired, but now I have to find a new stylist. You don't have anyone you can recommend? Not your mother's I doubt I can afford that kind of stylist." She mused on her apparent ability to be incognito. "Maybe it's like Superman? No one recognises him as Clark Kent, even though all he does is take off his glasses. Maybe I should get some glasses." She struck a pose, pursing her lips. "How do you think I'd look with them?" She was having a great time with Nate, it was nice to be relaxed, especially after a week of barely leaving her costume. She was glad she had spares, and that there were facilities here for her to get them washed. Several shows a day had given her only a few opportunities to explore the city, especially considering the times the shows were on, and the after parties that she 'had to attend' according to Dominic. He was funny, smart and good looking. That alone would have been enough, but he was fortunate enough to be providing some welcome relief at the end of a long and boring week. "It would be nice to just get out of it properly. I feel like I've barely taken the suit off all week." She smiled innocently at him.

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[Nathan Havelock]

Lace, Bows and Super Heroes

TThe batting of her eyelashes seemed to suggest she was mocking him, but she did also look genuinely, pleasantly surprised by his little napkin gesture. Her reaction only served to encourage him further. Nate took a self-congratulatory swig of his drink. Really nearly empty now.

He laughed at her mention of ‘cool, sinister looks.’ “Are you kidding? With all the fog in the summer, that outfit would probably look dramatic as hell – super appropriate. Maybe some days you’d overheat but most of the time I bet that would look awesome.”

It was difficult to figure out whether Alice was actually asking Nate for stylist advice or not. Nate tried not to give the impression that he was particularly knowledgeable when it came to hair stylists. Which was pretty accurate actually, much to Carol’s dismay. “Are you suggesting my mother’s hair colour isn’t natural?” he teased. “’Fraid I can’t help you on that front, I stick to barber shops. I know a great place for old-fashioned straight razor shaves…?”

Nate pinched his thumbs together with his fingers, holding them up to form a rough approximation of glasses. He slowly moved them closer to her until his thumbs brushed the bridge of her nose, then he drew them back with a laugh.

“Pretty good, but I’d suggest nicer frames.” He held them to his own eyes for a moment as a demonstration.

Her next comment coupled with the innocent smile had him nearly spitting out the last of his drink. He retained composure, but only just, and she was sure to have caught the raised eyebrows.

Recovering, Nate decided to continue down a more innocent path. “We definitely need to get you out of this bar, then. I’m guessing you have a change of clothes that isn’t quite so…” he gestured up and down her costume, “Super?”

Alice Morrow

305 words

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[Alice Morrow]

Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? + Nathan Havelock + wearing

"Damn, now I wish I could just manipulate the weather instead of punch people really hard. How cool would it be to be able to provide your own ominous fog on demand?" She raised an eyebrow at his suggestion of straight razor shaves. "What? Like Sweeney Todd? I think I'll pass on that one, I like my neck without a huge cut in it." She sucked on her straw, "makes it much easier to enjoy drinks like these if they aren't leaking out of your neck on the way down." Her drink was down at least halfway now, the colour slowly leaching out of it as she drank the actual liquid as opposed to the ice that had been used to pad out the overlarge glass. In truth she probably had less alcohol in this drink than Nate had in his, but hers looked more impressive. "I happen to think I'd look very clever in a pair of glasses. Maybe I'd pick some more classy than those though." Alice was delighted when Nate picked up on her hint that she would be more than happy to leave the bar with him, but less than happy when he simply suggested a change of clothes. Change had been in her mind, but she'd been thinking of a one way procedure, changing out of, not into something. The rejection hurt a little, but it didn't feel like a proper rejection. He'd seemed to be into her as well. She paused for a moment, sucking on the straw. Maybe it was just because she'd had too much to drink. She stopped at that thought, and carefully placed what remained of the sugary cocktail on the table. "I think I've had enough, I wouldn't want alcohol to spoil the rest of the night. Especially not when I'm already having so much fun. You're a pretty fun guy to hang out with, you know that?" She moved a little closer to him as she asked the question, clearly hoping for a similar response.

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[Nathan Havelock]

Lace, Bows and Super Heroes

“Hey, maybe I’ll finally develop abilities and I can be your ominous sidekick.”

He laughed at her Sweeney Todd jokes, although he quickly realised how much of her drink she still had left to go. Nate’s glass was now glaringly empty. There’d been less liquid in his, he supposed, even if the alcohol content was probably on an equal level – if not higher. Although his whisky hadn’t been the greatest, it was also probably a little more palatable than whatever sweet concoction Alice had ended up with. Unless you liked that kind of thing, of course.

“They would like pretty dorky over a mask though – Paladin will have to settle for looking like a jock,” he said, chuckling. It was as she said; just like Superman and Clark Kent.

Maybe Alice also had the ability to read minds, or maybe the timing was just coincidental, but she seemed to have given up on the cocktail. As she moved closer to him, a slow, knowing smile spread across Nate’s face. He leaned in too, his smirk evident even in the low light of the bar.

“Fair call, it didn’t look that great anyway. The Carlyle mini bar is probably stocked with much nicer drinks anyway. And hey, I’m glad you’re having fun.”

His finger traced along the edge of the table.

“Right back atcha. Let’s ditch this joint.”

Nate offered his arm.

“Shall we?”

Alice Morrow

233 words

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[Alice Morrow]

Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? + Nathan Havelock + wearing

Alice stepped back, looking Nate up and down, her gaze slowing down appreciatively as it came back to his torso. "I don't think you'd fit as my sidekick. Just doesn't work if my sidekick is taller than me y'know?" She posed, pretending to flex her muscles. In truth, flexing her muscles now actually did something. She'd put on quite a lot of weight since she'd first discovered her abilities, all of it muscle. Stephen had refitted her suit six times as a result. The training she had gone through, and still went through now out of habit had built muscle and toned her body until she was the rival of most athletes. She still fondly remembered those days when she found it difficult to walk home after training. It also didn't hurt that since she'd started working out regularly like that she looked a hell of a lot better than she ever had before. It might hurt, but she definitely wasn't complaining. "I haven't even looked in the mini bar yet. Let's go check it out!" She watched as his finger traced lazily along the edge of the table, then looked up at him as she realised she had been so distracted, laughing a little as she spoke. "Sorry, I got distracted there." She took hold of his arm, gathering up the heavy robe over her other arm. She didn't want to leave it behind, after all, Stephen had helped her out with it, she wouldn't pay him back by losing one of his projects. "I'd love to." The hotel was only a few minutes walk away, the luxurious hotel still lit up, even at this time of night. Fortunately there weren't many staff on duty, and no one took any notice of them as they made their way through thee well lit, marble floored lobby to the elevator. Her room was on the 24th floor, so despite the speed of the elevator, it would take a moment to get up to that floor. She moved around so she was a little closer to him. "Y'know I didn't think this is how my week would go…"

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[Nathan Havelock]

Lace, Bows and Super Heroes

Nate’s face crumpled into heartbreak. “My sidekick dreams! Over before they even began…” He sighed dramatically. “I guess I won’t develop dramatic fog powers after all.” With an “aw-shucks” click of his fingers, he slowly let the grin creep back onto his face. It was funny to think of somebody preventing the development of powers through sheer force of will as though they were Harry Potter begging the Sorting Hat not to be placed in Slytherin. Nah, I don’t think I will become a metahuman actually, thanks for the offer.

Some of his patients would certainly have benefited from having that choice.

The suit was tight to Alice’s form and it was clear as she flexed her muscles that her strength in combat wasn’t limited to her ability. She was obviously in great shape – better shape than Nate. Although he had been working on his abs lately, so at least his stomach looked great. The rest of him was decidedly slender – toned if you were feeling generous, but definitely not bulky by any means. Luckily his frame didn’t seem to be a turn-off for Alice by any means.

“Alright!” he sang enthusiastically. The mini bar was more of an excuse to head back to the hotel than anything else, but he was quietly excited to see what it stocked. Especially if Paladin was on an all-expenses-paid kind of deal.

He shot her a wink, saying nothing, as she excused herself for getting distracted. The embarrassed laugh was endearing.

They escaped the bar without any further Paladin-related incidents – apparently the rest of the crowd was in agreement with that first stranger who claimed her cosplay needed some work – and it was a pleasantly short walk to the hotel. He commented briefly about the great view she was sure to get from the 14th floor as they entered the lift. It was just the two of them, and so he raised an amused eyebrow as she moved closer.

“No? I hope that’s a good thing…”

He smirked playfully, closing the gap a little further, indulging in the electric, anticipatory vibe that was hanging in the space between them.

Alice Morrow

356 words

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[Alice Morrow]

Paladin Am I more than you bargained for yet? + Nathan Havelock + wearing

As if you could simply decide whether or not you were a metahuman. Alice almost laughed at the thought, but held herself back, remembering what things had been like for Mason, he'd had no choice but to remain invisible. Maybe some people would have taken that choice, if they'd been presented with it. "I guess you'll just have to settle for being a Doctor. No glamorous Hero career for you." If it really was that glamorous, Alice had seen more violence and suffering in the last year than she had in the previous eighteen years of her life. She was supremely powerful, nigh indestructible and strong enough to stop a train. But she still couldn't save everyone. Sometimes that thought kept her up at night. In truth, it was more than sometimes. "It was definitely a pleasant surprise; I didn't think I'd be meeting anyone interesting over here. I just thought I'd be here to support a friend." She shrugged, but resisted the urge to move closer to him, enjoying the tension that seemed to currently be occupying that area. "Looks like I get something out of it too." They were unfortunately interrupted by the metallic chime of the elevator as it reached her floor, she almost sighed in frustration. Things had been so deliciously promising. She gently pulled him out of the elevator by his arm and down the corridor. "It's just down here." A second later she was slipping the room key card into the lock and opening the door to her room. It was luxurious, the kind of luxury you wouldn't have at home even if you could afford it. The room they had walked into was carpeted in cream, and looked spotless, clearly maids had been in during the day. The furniture looked expensive, but was modern, all steel frames, dark fabrics and bright splashes of colour to liven it up. She let go of his arm and stepped into the room, throwing her arms up into the air as she turned back to her companion. Her tone was expansive and overly dramatic, that same playfulness glinting in her eyes as she welcomed him, "My humble abode, I trust it is to your satisfaction?"

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