A Day Out In Town

Ayla sat quietly on the couch in the living room that morning, contemplating the day ahead of her. For the first time, she had plans to roam around the town that day, instead of following Sam all over the place as the Sheriff worked. It would be good to find some places that she liked in town, anyway, and some people to hang out with as friends, though she loved her company with Sam.

Sometimes, though, it felt a little awkward when she spoke to the officer. She wasn't quite sure why, but when she ran out of words, she felt like there was a reason she should keep talking, or felt guilty when she was silent. She enjoyed Sam's company, there was absolutely no doubt in that, and the officer had most certainly become her hero, giving her shelter and food and looking out for her when she had appeared out of no where with almost nothing but a few articles of clothing, literally, having nothing but the clothes on her back and a name to herself.

Ayla.. She sighed quietly, shaking her head after a moment. There was no use in trying to remember a last name. Ayla was all she had to her. But that was alright, wasn't it? Ayla sounded like a friendly name, she thought, though some part of her missed having a last name... If she ever actually had one. A last name signified importance of a sort, after all. A family, or a clan, or a group, people that would miss you or remember you when you were gone. Was there anyone that remembered her or missed her?

She shrugged quietly, standing after a moment and stretching, as though she had been sitting there all morning, giving a yawn. She had only woken about fifteen minutes ago, actually, and had wondered out here to think. She slipped over to the window, peeking out quietly into the street and whatever it was she could see. This was a nice little town, with just about everything in a good walking distance. She was sure she'd find someone today to hang out with, as she sometimes wondered if she was a burden on Sam, being around while the officer worked.

She slipped back away from the window and wandered back through the house to the bedroom, peeking in there almost slyly for a moment before sneaking in quietly. She made her way over to the bed, looking down at the sheriff as the sheriff lay in bed, wondering if the officer was awake or not. She sat at the edge of the bed before quietly questioning, "Sam?" She gave a soft hum afterward, a slightly content smile. Sam sounded like a good and reliable name, and she thought it was rather nice.

"Um.." She pursed her lips lightly, looking back at the Sheriff again, hoping she wasn't bothering or badly waking up the officer she so looked up to. "I was thinking.. Maybe I'd go out and explore the town a little.. It might be good for me to do so, y'know?" She felt a red taint come to her cheeks, her brow furrowing just slightly, though that was unnoticeable. She had actually gone over her words earlier, but when she finally spoke, she felt clumsy.

"I'd like to get to know some of the people around here, and find a place where I fit in, too.." She murmured, biting her lip for a moment. She doubted she'd get to stay here in this house with Sam forever, but it'd be nice to maybe live in this town nearby. She would need to find out a bit more about herself first before she could get a job or a house, though.. That might be a problem, but it was something she shockingly did not worry over. It was something that she felt would fall into place on its own when the time was appropriate.

Sam shifted around just slightly, letting out a small groan. It was a lot harder to wake up in a bed than it was to wake up on a couch. Taking in a deep breath, the slender figure slowly shifted onto the side, gazing quietly towards the wall. Eyes only half open, anyone would have seen the officer as still asleep. Sam would get up soon, I will! Soon enough though, the officer was letting the eyes drift the rest of the way shut. Just a little longer... Mmm... I slept very comfortably last night... And not because of any bed, either. Of course, not a single lewd thought crossed the sheriffs mind, but it was hard not to enjoy the company of a pretty girl while sleeping.

The officer smiled quietly. It was pleasant, really. Sam never really thought about it, but having company over brought a feeling of warmth, a feeling of joy that the sheriff could not get anywhere else. Still dozing in half-sleep, the sheriff was able to admit silently that there was also a hatred, or perhaps a fear, of being alone. Sam knew the girl was not going to want to stay with her forever, but was already dreading the day that she would leave, pushing Sam back into loneliness. After a while that smile faded into a neutral expression, and the officer slowly reopened the eyes, staring at the wall again.

When Ayla herself walked in, Sam slowly shift when the girls at down on the edge of the bed. The sheriff's mind was still half fogged, and so rolled over just slightly onto the back again, gazing upon her quietly. The blouse was half undone, exposing a little cut of that smooth, flat chest. The officer's figure seemed utterly hairless, in fact. So... you want to go out, huh... Smiling after a moment, Sam tried to recall a vital piece of information that had to be passed onto the girl before she left, and so reached out, lightly setting a hand upon her shoulder and quietly sitting up to shake the sleep from the shaggy-haired head.

"Yeah.. Yeah that'll be alright..." The officer said, the words somewhat fuzzy from the thickness of the tongue. It would stop feeling so thick once the sleep wore off. "Just.. Be careful out there..." What was it again...? Ah, yes... Stupid Sam... "Some of the people here are not as nice as me." Sam did not want to scare her off with just what kind of people could lay beyond the doors, so the officer did not go into that, merely imparting on her with a warning. "Here..." Sam reached into a drawer, plucking out a small phone and pushing it on her. Why couldn't a sheriff have a cell phone, after all?

"If anything happens to you and you get the chance, just call me... All you have to do is press 'one', and it will dial me." Speed dial rocked, after all. That sounds a little too convincing... "Not that I think that you have too much to worry about! I just like to take precautions." Sam offered a quiet smile, trying to brush away any fears the officer might have accidentally imparted upon the girl. "Or of course... I guess I could come with you... Just have to get a shower and what not." Sam would have to pull away from her official duties, but found it worth it.

Sam slowly began to wriggle the lengthy legs over the side of the bed, clad in only a pair of boyshorts that managed to worm it's way down half of the slender thigh. Also lacking hair, it seemed the sheriff either shaved or simply had never grown it. Unclad as it was, some of Sam's scars showed, likely from battles to save the town or the like. One on the left side of the chest, simply a small circle patch of dark skin that looked like it could have been an old bullet wound. What seemed to be a pink strip of a knife slash on the calf. That seemed to be all that was visible. Both were fading, so it seemed they were rather old wounds.

Sam's arms stretched up, back popping as the sheriff pushed the chest out in order to stretch with a deep, waking yawn. "Ahh...." The officer slowly let the eyelids fall half shut after a moment, slowly resting hands on the bed and letting out a small smacking noise as the officer wet the lips. "Just give me a few moments to get ready, all right?" The sheriff asked lightly, smiling at her for a few moments before slowly beginning to push up.

She watched the sheriff as the officer rolled towards her to look at her, offering a smile in return to the one she spotted on the androgynous face that she had just apparently woken from sleep, or a state near it. The sheriff was rather cute when waking up.. She pursed her lips slightly for a moment, feeling ashamed over the fact that she had not yet figured out if the sheriff was male or female. But that was something she'd learn later, maybe. She was too shy to ask.

She gave a soft sound as the sheriff's hand reached out and touched her on the shoulder, watching as the sheriff sat up and began to shake away the sleep just woken from. She gave a bright smile at the answer, of course, though she dimmed it a bit when she received a warning. She gave a light shake of the head, pursing her lips softly for a moment. She knew there were bad people out there, but she hardly believed she could run into any. She doubted she had ever run into bad people before, though it suddenly made her wonder if maybe if it was some horrible excuse of a person that had taken her out of her previous life and took her memory in doing so.

She chirped lightly, looking at the cellphone quietly for a moment before taking it. She pursed her lips for a moment before looking back up to the sheriff, listening to what the officer had to say after handing the thing to her. She gave a giggle as the officer reassured her that she would probably not have to worry about anything, offering a bright smile in return as she grasped at the phone carefully. "Oh, don't worry~ I have a great feeling about today.. Thank you so much for your precautions to keep me safe, Sam!" She giggled again softly, nodding gently for a moment.

"Oh, no, no, no.. You have a job... I don't want to be a burden and take you away from it!" She exclaimed quickly as the officer suggested coming along, though she bit down on her lip after a moment. It sounded as though she simply didn't want Sam's company, when that was opposite of how she really felt. She shifted slightly a moment before murmuring, "I am already living beneath your roof, eating your food.. I really can't take you away from work."

She looked back quietly towards the sheriff as the sheriff began to pull out from the covers and turn to sit beside her, giving a soft sound. Having been living with the Sheriff for a while now, she was starting to notice certain things about her host, like the scars, though she never did more than glimpse at them and wonder on the stories behind them. More and more, she was thinking of the sheriff as a gallant hero. No, that's exactly what the sheriff was.

She leaned over after a moment longer, reaching out and hugging herself against the sheriff for a moment or two before breaking away and standing, pocketing the cellphone quietly. She was already dressed, as she tended to do soon after waking or breakfast. Maybe it was a habit from before finding her way into Sam's care? "Thank you so much for everything, Sam, but really... You don't have to go out of your way to look after me again." She paused a moment before continuing, "I will not fail to call you if something happens."

Sam slowly glanced over towards Ayla quietly for a few moments, letting a tooth lightly bite down upon the inside of the lip, nibbling on it for a few moments. The girl said she would be fine, and Sam had a job to do... A little sigh fluttered out from the androgyne, and a quiet shrug came to the slender shoulders. "Alright then. I'll let you go about your own way then." The officer said with a small smile, before slowly plucking an identical cell phone out from the drawer, slipping it into a shirt pocket for now. Sam turned towards Ayla after a moment, taking a quick step up between her legs.

The officer leaned down after a moment, pressing an almost motherly little kiss to the top of her head before stepping backwards. "I just have a problem letting my little chicks flutter out of the nest." The sheriff said playfully, before wandering around the bed to open the closet. Flickering through all of the clothing from one side to the other, Sam eventually plucked out another replica of the sheriff uniform. Normally Sam might wear the same outfit twice before washing it, but living with a woman seemed to spark hygenic urges again. A small hum fluttered from Sam's lips, before turning back towards Ayla.

The officer parted the lips to say something, but stopped and shook the head back and forth. She's not a child, Sam. She can take care of herself. The sheriff stepped back into the bath room, and began undoing the clothes in order to take a shower. The door was shut midway through finishing the unbuttoning process. Soon enough Sam was in the shower, washing off the rigors of the night, whatever they might of been. The shower was awfully quick, lasting no more than ten minutes before the officer was climbing out, and drying off again.

After donning the clean sheriff outfit, the officer stepped back outside of the room, looking around while the wet hair dripped down, soaking through the thin white blouse. Not enough to cause more than slight spots of transparency though. Soon enough the officer attached all the sheriff stuff; guns, badges, the like, before smiling quietly. Ayla would be fine. She would. And if not, well, Sam was the only person in the town who owned a gun. Slowly Sam scratched beneath the chin, thinking as the officer left the room. A piece of bread and a glass of juice before leaving to do the things of today.

Walking into the kitchen, the officer plucked out a slice of bread, and began chewing on it, while reaching around, grasping a glass and setting it on the counter, before filling it with some orange juice. Taking another munch of the bread Sam lift the glass up and tipped it back, washing the bread down with vitamin C. Who knew when someone might get an infection? The officer quickly finished breakfast before walking to the front door, taking a quick glance around to see if Ayla was still present, or if she had already gone out. Either way, only a soft 'bye' would have been murmured before stepping out.

She watched the sheriff quietly for several long moments, bearing that confident smile she seemed to gain only from being around Sam. She really was confident, and believed things in a better light than she had when she had woken on the outskirts of the town, hungry and not really knowing who she was. At the time, she felt as though there was no possible way for her to be happy, and then the officer spotted her and came to her aid.

"Thank you, Sam..~" She murmured softly in reply, looking back towards the one she admired. She watched as the officer took a phone identical to the one she received from the officer, feeling a smile on her face once again. It broke into curiosity as the officer rose and slipped forward, giving the faintest of sounds when the sheriff leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She bit at the inside of her lip powerfully for a moment, almost drawing blood before relaxing and murmuring again, "You sound like a mother~ That's so cute..!" She teased at the sheriff, smiling brightly.

When the sheriff slipped around the bed to the closet on the other side, she remained with her back to her, though she knew of course that the officer wasn't about to change with her in the room. She was busy hiding a blush away from Sam, which she refused to let out when the officer was still watching her. Hearing the officer finish gathering her change in clothing, she turned around quickly, bearing very little remains, if any, of the blush, smiling brightly.

She gave a curious look when it appeared that the sheriff was going to say something, but it appeared that the sheriff had changed the mind, and she watched as Sam turned and wandered out, off to go take a shower. She sighed quietly for a moment before slipping out and making her way to the kitchen, where she proceeded to make some toast, sitting down to nibble at the warm slices while she wondered on just what she might do that day.

When she was done, she rose to her feet and cleaned her area, as toast tended to leave crumbs behind, before wandering out and glancing back towards the bathroom for a moment, wondering if she should stay to say bye to the sheriff. She was nervous about going out on her own.. She reached down, patting at the feel of the phone in her pocket, relieved that Sam had given her a means of communication should anything happen.

She sighed quietly after a moment, deciding it to be best that she left now to stay out of Sam's way, though she did stick around long enough to say bye when she got out of the bathroom. Minutes later, she was outside, walking quietly along the sidewalk, grasping quietly at one of her arms while she looked around nervously. She was heading on towards the heart of the town, feeling strangely bear and alone without Sam at her side or guiding her, and focused herself on looking around as much as possible.

Kyrie quietly wandered along the streets of the town, a small sigh fluttering past her lips. She stared around for a moment, her eyes catching on this and that. Ever since that new sheriff came to power, she had been forced to lay low. A sad sigh came to her lips. The creature actually enjoyed doing the job, meaning Kyrie had to stop experimenting on young women. Well, for the most part. Her figure wandered along through the street. Though she looked no more than a few years past pubescence, she was actually rather old. That was why she needed to find someone.

When her eyes fell upon a voluptuous blonde, her lips coiled up into a smile. She was not a resident. A slow purr fluttered past her lips, and she quietly began to advance, taking no time to smooth her features. After all, though she always thought of herself as widely emotional, apparently to everyone else she had a perpetually blank face. That made her a little depressed but she did not care too much. So no one could see when she was happy, big deal. Soon enough she stopped near the blonde and said gently; "Hello there." Well, it was supposed to be gentle, and to her it sounded gentle, though to most other people it sounded flat and cold.

She offered a smile up to the woman, though with those blank features, those blank eyes, it did not really show itself, though she really tried to make it. There was a twitch in her tattooed forehead showing the effort, but it never showed, though to herself she was practically beaming at her. She dipped her body down in a small, waist-height bow, before murmuring; "I have not seen you around these parts before." That was supposed to be a warm, slightly accented voice, yet it truly was as robotic as ever. She did not realize that though, but she was experienced enough with herself to know that was what the girl probably heard.

"I find myself curious to know if perhaps you might wish to indulge in some company?" Her head tilted just slightly, but one could almost imagine the gears creaking as she did so. It was not really so, of course. She was no robot. If her attitude was not big enough of a warning, her outfit was not normal in the least. It exposed more skin than it covered, lewd for even a woman twice her youthful 'fifteen' years. Her lips and eyes both had pale, pink cosmetic decorating them, adding to her overall whitish appearance.

Which opposed itself to the dark purple decorating her clothing. What covered her the most seemed to be a dark, though transparent cloth that seemed to be folded around her like a cloak. The rest was opaque, but thin slips of purple cloth that made it seem worse than being naked the way it was arranged around her. "I fear that I am somewhat lonely these days. No one wishes to talk to me and I do not quite understand why." As robotic as ever, yet there was a strong truth to that that was powerful enough to show just a glimmer of it within her blank eyes. "It would make me beyond happy to have someone to talk to." Another truth, and it likely would happen.

She wandered along quietly, looking just about everywhere as she explored the town. Her eyes, more than once, fell upon a rather dark looking figure, one that startled her when that figure began to approach her. A suspicious young looking girl, and the way she looked, the way she dressed, frightened her, though she forced it out of her mind. A girl younger than herself surely could do her no harm, right? She still gave a light jump when the girl spoke, looking at her curiously before looking around, assuring that the girl was speaking to her.

Her head dipped down after a moment, and she murmured quietly in a shy voice, offering a smile to the strange girl. "Hello.." She blinked quietly when the girl gave a bow, pursing her lips quietly. Maybe the girl was just of another origin? If that was the case, maybe the clothes were a part of older customs, too... She shook her head after a moment, murmuring, "Yeah.. I'm sort of new around here.. I'm taking a chance today to explore the town and whatnot." She glanced quietly around for a moment, pursing her lips.

"Company?" She asked after a moment, looking back towards the girl who offered it, giving it a moment of thought before nodding gently. "I'd love some company.. That's the real reason I'm wandering around, to find some friends.." She offered another smile, a bit more friendly this time. She still thought it odd that a stranger approached her, let alone such a strange stranger, but the girl seemed peaceful so far, if not a bit cold and.... simply frightening. It made bells ring, but she still ignored those bells for the sake of innocent until proven guilty.

She listened quietly a few moments afterward before giving a gentle nod and murmuring, "Well.. We can talk and keep each other company! It'd be nice to have a friend." She smiled warmly for a moment, having caught those glimmers in the girl's eyes. She slowly extended her hand, murmuring quietly, "I'm Ayla. No last name; can't remember it! Hehe..." She joked quietly, despite that it was secretly a tender subject with her.

Kyrie smiled widely when she agreed to company, though the smile of course, did not show. Simply, the glimmer faded from her eyes, and she reached out, taking hold of the girl's hand within her own, which was cool, but rather soft. She began to urge her in the direction of her house, but did not pull, and let go after a single urge, expecting the girl not to wish to have too much contact with her figure. She began to move towards it slowly, slowly enough to keep the pace comfortable for the other, otherwise her walk would have been quite brisk and swift.

She stopped though, and turned back to face her when she introduced herself, and stared at her for a long moment, before the slightest touch of a smile actually appeared on her pale lips, and she reached out after a second, clasping the extended hand and murmuring very softly; "My name is Kyrie. I also do not have a last name." And for reason. Her family had long ago disowned her. She did not blame them too much for wanting to forget about her. She released the hand again after a moment, quite swiftly. While it may have looked as if she did not want to touch the other girl, her worry about the reverse being true was actually the case.

The smile could not last long on her lips, though inside, she felt herself beaming with happiness at having company, and interesting company at that. She merely dipped herself into another small bow before slowly backing away towards her house, going up a set of steps with a swanlike grace that she did not even need a dress to imitate. She stopped beneath the shade of a wooden roof, not entering her house and instead walking along the porch and sitting down within a chair while offering another to Ayla. "Ayla, it is a pleasure to meet you, truly."

She would take the girl into her home eventually, but she wished to make the girl comfortable first, and more perversely, she wanted to talk to her for a longer time before she began preforming the experiments upon her. She slowly blinked towards her a few times, though it was so slow a movement, that it seemed like three whole seconds had passed before the blink made a completion. "I hope you can find comfort under my shade."

She gave a soft little sound, watching the girl as that lonely glimmer slipped from her eyes. She smiled again when the girl took her hand, if only for a moment, to urge her to follow, which she did rather nervously did, remaining a pace or two behind and to the side of the girl. She pursed her lips quietly for a moment. Her hands are like her attitude.. She wondered even if there was a chance she might be in danger, but she discounted it again, figuring that a girl that was weaker due to the size and age difference. Besides that... She did not look the dangerous type, physically, because she had no scars. Dangerous people generally had something about them that gave it away, but she could not actually find anything that marked the girl dangerous.

She blinked quietly down at her when they stopped, pursing her lips as the girl stared at her for a long moment. It caught her by surprise when the woman finally smiled and reached out to her hand. "Kyrie.." She murmured softly before giving a curious look and a smile at the same time. There was some story behind the girl's reason for not having a last name, that much she knew. "That's a nice name.." She stated with a nod, offering a brighter smile, not letting it falter when the girl pulled her hand back away, though she wondered what was wrong with her that the girl might not want to touch her.

She realized soon enough that she was being lead to a house, which made her quite cautious. She should never follow a stranger into a stranger's home, after all. For that rule that came to her mind out of no where, she paused when she reached the steps of the porch, watching the girl for several long moments. She was nervous... And yet the girl seemed graceful and calm. The way she had moved up along the steps was actually somehow surprising to her. Still, when the girl made her way along the porch to sit down, she couldn't help but feel relieved, following quietly after when the girl offered a spot for her to sit She sat down quietly a moment later, offering a smile, murmuring, "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Kyrie."

She gave a nod moments later, smiling warmly for a moment before murmuring, "Thank you very much.." She watched the girl intently as she blinked, giving a few of her own for a moment. This girl really was strange... She wondered for a moment if company was all she had wanted, though the glimmer in the girl's eyes earlier left her little doubt. Maybe she really was lonely for being different, and therefor, avoided. "I'm happy to have company, too. It means a lot that you are kind enough to give that company~" She said with a little nod, glancing around quietly for a moment.

She sucked in a small breath before letting it out in a gentle sigh. It sounded no different from any other breath, but apparently she had some sort of mental disorder that prevented her from showing her emotion. She quietly lift a hand after a few moments, and brushed it through her long hair, tucking some of it behind her ear, causing it to curve around it. Despite that effort though, it seemed to do no more than to add a layered effect to her hair as some other hair dripped down to replace that which was out of the way now. The hair on the other side of her face continued to cover it almost to the nose, meaning only half of her face was showing at any given time.

"I am happy that you have decided to accompany me. I am afraid that some of the townspeople are not too fond of me due to my mental dispositions. Thank you for not judging me based on that. I am aware that most people see me as cold and harsh but I do not try to be." Her hands rest within her skirted lap, though the skirt was so short that it was fairly easy to get a peek up it. It was clear she was not wearing anything beneath that skirt, but clearly, she was not expecting anyone to take notice of that. Her lips pursed just slightly before she said after a moment; "Tell me about yourself, Ayla."

Her eyes stared towards the girl in what she hoped was an interested way, but to no avail. Her features were as snowy as ever. She simply stared blankly, her eyes wide but emotionless. Her hands came to clasp together within her lap, gripping each other quietly. She hoped to take on the appearance of harmlessness, but she knew the girl was already wary of her, and that she would not be able to appear harmless if her arms and legs had been chopped off. She let out a silent, mental sigh, her head lowering to gaze at the ground after a moment. Her mental defect could come in handy sometimes, but most of the time it just depressed her.

Still though, company entertained her, and so she stared at the girl again, watching and waiting for her to tell Kyrie about herself. She did not understand her want to know the victim before she did the horrible things she was going to do, but she knew she did. Her teeth nibbled down on the inside of her lip for a few moments, though the action did not register on her facial expression.

Ayla pursed her lips quietly, glancing around for a moment before turning her eyes back to Kyrie, watching the girl as she pulled her hair back behind her ear, and as more fell before it to replace what had been pulled back. The girl did have pretty hair, she thought, reaching up to quietly comb at her own hair for a few moments, which framed her face rather than falling in front of it like Kyrie's. She gave a closer look to her for a moment, though she tried to not let it be too apparent. The girl looked almost like a doll, or something from one of those television shows.

She pursed her lips again and let one of her fingers curl to coil a lock of her blonde hair around it, her head tilting and her eyes glancing out towards the street as the girl spoke. So that was what was wrong.. She was right then, in thinking that perhaps the townspeople did not like her simply because she was so very different. Ayla, however, found that this was even more reason to be her friend and accompany her. She wasn't -that- different, after all. She just dressed differently, and could not show her emotions as she truly felt them. That did not make her a bad person.

She perked quietly after a moment and tilted her head down a bit, biting at her lip quietly for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure there's all that much to say about myself... I guess I have some sort of amnesia. A short while back, I woke up at the edge of the town, and the sheriff found me, and has since then housed and fed me and looked over me. I don't remember much from before that except my first name... I wonder what happened, anyway, because I woke up without an I.D. or anything, just clothes and hunger." She pursed her lips quietly for a moment, her head dipping down a bit further. "I wonder if anyone's looking for me, or if there was anyone to care about my disappearance." Why she questioned that, she didn't know, but that was jut how things worked back in her mind.

She drew a leg up after a moment, shifting to sit on it quietly, her hand dropping from her hair to grasp at her ankle instead. She was becoming more comfortable talking to the girl, probably because of what she had said earlier. There was nothing to fear, if on the inside, she was just like her. She pursed her lips into a soft smile afterward, lifting her head. "I'm curious about myself, so I came out today to see if I could find anything that might jog my memory of my life before. I mean, it'd probably be alright if I never found out much about myself, but it'd make easier on the one that came to my rescue, I think." She shifted gently a bit, looking up to Kyrie curiously. "What about you..?" She asked curiously, hoping she was not out of place to ask.

Kyrie slowly tipped her head down as the girl thought, mentally smiling as the girl began to attach herself to her. She stared at her with the one eye that was able to see past the shield of hair. It was as blank as ever, of course. She slowly said to her after a moment; "I will make us tea. You are free to wait out here or come in as you wish. Make yourself at home, either way." The tea would be harmless of course, except for making the girl trust her more. She hoped anyways. It might just make her more suspicious. She slowly pushed herself to her feet, and walked into her home, leaving the door cracked open.

She wandered into her home quietly, and shuffled past the comfortable looking livingroom into the kitchen. The livingroom held a single couch--Kyrie was obviously well aware that she never got visitors--and a large radio that looked like it was half-a-century old. There was a coffee table in front of the couch, covered with newspapers that were spread all out. There were a few paintings on the wall, and though no recognized, famous artist did it, they were all obviously by the same artist. They seemed all to follow a theme of one female. One featured her looking out over a hill, staring out and watching a family enjoy a picnic, and wearing a small smile as if happy for the family for being able to experience such intimacy. The rest of them seemed to follow that theme of loneliness.

She slipped into the kitchen, and pushed the tea kettle over the gas range, and let it heat up. It took only about a minute for the water to steam out the top with a high pitched whistle. She brought it over two mugs, and filled both of them, tea leaves already inside and dispersing their contents. She slowly walked through the place, and left the kitchen then while the tea was diffusing throughout the water. She glanced around to find Ayla, and gently stepped over to her, whether she be inside or out, and handed her the cup, before joining her in taking a seat.

She murmured to her quietly after a moment; "It will take approximately another two minutes for the tea to finish, however, I assure you it will be delicious. It is a recipe handed down for generations. Now, I believe you asked a question of me when I left." All in quiet monotone. "The tea gave me time to think over it, and I will tell you simply that my family disowned me for having undisguisable differences."

Ayla's head gave a slight tilt as she watched the girl, remaining quite silent, waiting for her to speak. When she finally did, she blinked a bit wider, reddening slightly at the gestures of hospitality, her head dipping down a bit. "A-Ah... Alright... Um... Thank you.." She murmured quietly, biting at the inside of her lip. She was one of those girl's that feared imposing on others and becoming disliked, but she also wanted to avoid being disliked for not accepting kind offers. She nodded softly, her head lifting to watch Kyrie stand and slip into the house.

It really was alright for her to follow, right? She shifted a bit in her spot before raising to her feet quietly, wandering nervously after the girl inside. She remained very silent, looking around and clasping her hands together. It always made her nervous to be in another's home, and yet here she was. She gnawed at the inside of her lip, looking around quietly, splitting off away from the other to wander quietly into the living room. She pursed her lips quietly, looking around the homey living room, from the old radio to the paintings, to the newspapers on the coffee table. She stepped over quietly to take a closer look at the paintings for several long moments, giving a faint sound. More and more, she was becoming attached to the girl, wanting to be her friend and keep her from being lonely.

She continued her looking until she heard a whistle in another part of the house, backing quietly away from the wall and turning, with another glance at the paintings before sitting down quietly on the couch, working her hands against one another in her lap. She bit quietly at her lip, looking around until Kyrie came in, offering a shy smile and taking the cup when it was handed to her. She shifted just a bit when she sat down beside her, to turn and better look at her. "Thank you.." She murmured softly.

When the girl spoke again, she nodded gently, pursing her lips a bit and setting the cup, nestled between her hands, on her knee to wait for it to be finished. She did not doubt the girl's words, and hummed softly. She looked up quietly and seriously when the girl mentioned the question she did not answer earlier, falling silent for a few moments. "Disowned..." She murmured quietly, her head tilting down, pursing her lips quietly. "I see.. I also don't agree with that... I think you're rather nice, and generous." She muttered softly.

Kyrie quietly nestled into the couch, getting comfortable while she held the hot cup within her hands. The heat seemed not to bother her, as she did not bother holding it by the handle, yet after a few moments, the cup was surely hot enough to burn the hand. She stared into the steaming mug quietly, watching the water steadily darken as it sucked the tea out of the leaves. She slowly let out a soft breath, letting it carry away part of the steam. She slowly gazed down into it, listening over the girl's words quietly. Kind and generous, was she? Perhaps in some ways. But not in every way. Her tongue teased across her lip, moistening them before lifting the cup to her lips, blowing on it again, at lip-level.

Her eyes slowly wandered over to Ayla after a moment, before quietly murmuring; "Thank you. It is not often anyone attributes those words to me." The cup was lifted, and she slowly took a sip of the darkening tea, closing her eyes, letting out a pleasant sigh. Of course, to anyone else it sounded wooden, robotic. Even despairing. She felt the warmth coursing through her figure, teasing all the way out to the tips of her fingers and toes. This was the kind of stuff that she generally would have made for a Winter evening, but the chill of Autumn was already settling in, so it was still appropriate.

"How are you enjoying your time with the Sheriff." She said, carefully avoiding speaking the officers name. She slowly let her hands bring the cup up, taking another sip of the pleasurable liquid. Her eyes shut and her head tilted back, resting against the couch. It was supposed to be a relaxed motion, yet it was the only change about her. None of her muscles seemed to loosen, though they did. Her back did not bend, very far anyways. She yawned, actually, but her mouth never opened, her jaw locking together even as it tried to force itself apart.

Once the yawn had passed, she lift the cup up again, tipping it back. Despite the very odd angle, none of the tea spilled out of the cup except into her lips, though she hoped the girl was not really paying much attention to that. She was so casual about it, though, that she doubted the girl would have seen it as odd had she been staring straight at her. This tea was dangerous, she thought with a dark sigh, as the third layer of warmth enveloped her, deepening the sleepiness that was ingraining itself into her bones. Her eyelids found it difficult to open themselves after the third drink.

Ayla, remaining silent for the most part, watched Kyrie quietly while she nestled her own mug against her cloth covered thigh, thankful for the protection the fabric offered to her leg from the heat. Her fingers, two of them at least, were looped about the handle, waiting for the tea to cool enough for her to drink it. She let her index of her other hand run gently along the rim of the mug, where she found that it was a bit cooler, simply letting her hands rest in her lap around it. She noticed that the girl did not even seem bothered by holding the hot thing in her hands. Surely it could have burned her, no? Or did she do this often and had built up a tolerance of hot things?

She perked a bit when the girl spoke, looking at her quietly for a few moments before murmuring gently, "I've not been in this town long, and I have already met another person with much hospitality.. That people don't give you more of a chance is surprising." She waiting quietly until the girl had taken a sip of tea to do the same, only waiting for some sign that it might be cool enough to drink the darkening mixture. It was still hot... But it was a pleasuring warmth as it washed down her throat, and in turn, through her body, melting as some of her tenseness, pulling off the edge of alertness.

"My time with.. them?" She felt ashamed that she still could not truly tell, but she was too embarrassed to ask, too scared of hurting the sheriff's feelings, when the officer had, in essence, become her savior when she was surely to be left with nothing. Besides, there was a certain attraction there when she thought of the Sheriff... She'd hate to be wrong, though.. She didn't know what could come of being wrong. Her head dropped down gently and she murmured softly, "I've loved it. I feel at home with Sam, in this town... I do not have memories of my real home, but... I think if I stay here a while longer... I will choose to stay in this town, even if my memories return."

She let herself lean back to rest against the couch, turn a bit so as to face her hostess beside her. A hand lifted, covering her mouth as a tiny yawn slipped out, which brought a soft reddening to her cheeks, before lowering it back down, lifting her cup to take another sip or two. Or three. It was warm and inviting stuff, very nice to her, helping her to calm down... But it was also threatening her with her tiredness. Her eyes fluttered a moment before murmuring softly, "This is good.. Very nice.. Is it a secret, what is in the recipe for this?"

She had to admit, the girl's kindness in return was quite nice. She still had to do what she was going to do, but she was beginning to think that maybe she should skip over her for the next girl that wandered through. She slowly tipped the cup back to her lips, taking a fourth drink. She slowly set the cup down afterward, and said to her quietly; "Some things people cannot see past. I have no doubts that the town will accept you, however. You are a very lovely woman." The way she said it sounded like she was not even giving a compliment, but it still was.

She slowly stood up, glancing down to the rapidly tiring woman. It was really just made for that; helping the body fall asleep. It was typically used to soothe the troubled soul. And obviously, it worked. She slowly began to step towards the kitchen, murmuring; "I will bring some tea for you to take home." She mentally grimaced as she walked away. She was already thinking in long-term. As if the girl were going to survive the night. Well, she could not retract the offer, so she went to get some. "If you can manage to figure out the recipe from it, then you are free to use it forever after."

She disappeared into the kitchen soon after, fully expecting the girl to be too lethargic, if not asleep, to resist her by the time she got back. She began putting tea leaves into some bags, humming under her breath in a strange, single noted way. She turned once the bag was full--she grew and harvested the tea herself, so she had plenty--she exited the kitchen, and slowly gazed down at the girl. Filling the tea bag had taken a couple of minutes, due to her slow, precise way of moving. She set the tea bag on the arm of the couch next to Ayla, before slowly watching her. This was not going to be fun.

She gave a soft frown, sighing gently with a shake of the head. "I cannot agree with people who do not give others a chance.." She brightened with a soft smile a moment later. "Thank you so much. You've been very kind to me, though we've only just met... that in itself is a good welcome to the town.." She murmured, reining in the need to yawn mid-sentence. She lift a hand and cupped it over a yawn she gave when she finished what she was going to say. She offered a murmured apology afterward, cheeks reddening a gentle degree. It was rude to yawn in front of a host or hostess.

She squeaked quietly when the girl rose to her feet, blinking after her a moment before murmuring, "Oh gosh... Thank you so much.. That's so thoughtful of you..~" She closed her eyes quietly for a moment, giving a tired little hum before calling after her, "I promise... I'll find someway to repay your kindness..~" And she took another drink of tea, purring gently as the warmth washed down her throat. So soothing..

When the girl left the room, she sat there motionlessly for several long moments. Then it occured to her.. She should probably call Sam, let the officer know where she was and that she was alright. She took another sip or two before slumping forward and placing her cup on the table, carefully, so she would not drop it. She would hate to make a mess for Kyrie. She withdrew quietly from it, and let her hand drop to her waist to dig into and around her pocket until she got a grip on the cellphone Sam had given her earlier. She pulled it out and paused quietly. What was it again...? Oh, yeah. She pressed one and put the phone up to her ear, giving a drowsy sound of delight to hear it ringing. If Sam picked up, or if her voice mail did, she'd say, albeit sleepily, "Hiya Sammy.." A slur from the sleepiness. "It's Ayla.. I'm alright, just a lil' tired.. Met a new friend.. She's very nice... name is Kyrie.. I'm at her place right now.. Have to go, she'll be back soon.. Seeya later.."

She dropped the phone, blinking her eyes open quietly to find where it fell. It had hung up in the landing. She whined softly, for if she had hung up on Sam, it must have seemed most impolite, but she grabbed it and tugged the thing back to her pocket, poking it in. She nestled her head back into the couch afterward, eyes falling peacefully shut. It wasn't even half a minute before she had slipped off into a comfortable sleep, slumping lazily.

Sam felt the phone vibrate in the tight pocket of the jeans while in the middle of town. It caused the sheriff's boots to come up off of the ground about two inches before a quick blush ran across the cheeks. Slipping a slender hand into the pocket, Sam pulled it out and flipped it open to Ayla's voice. Eyes stared ahead frozenly through the whole message, body locked up into a state of shock. Midway through the message the wide eyes blinked out of it, after a soft murmur of 'She called me Sammy. . .' Cheeks blushing more darkly, Sam began to actually listen to the message, and blinked rapidly.

Wow, she sounded pretty sleepy. . . Whose house did she say she was at? Kyrie?! Not again. . . Sam kicked off into an immediate jog towards the residential side of town. Things were not good. Sam had never been able to trace anything back towards Kyrie, but strongly suspected her to be responsible for many strange disappearances in the area. The officer had to get there quickly before Ayla became another victim. A hand lowered to the gun at Sam's waist, grasping the handle and drawing it. It would take a few minutes on foot. . . Damnit,why don't I have a car!?

-

Kyrie quietly sighed as she stared down at Ayla, already asleep. It was sad. She really was beginning to like the girl. She reached down and took a hold of the girl, lifting her up and carrying her close against her chest. It was hard for her smaller form to pick up that of the larger elf's, but she managed. She carried her carefully--being strangely certain that she did not bump her head on the walls. Soon she approached what could only be a dungeon scene, and carried the girl over to a table, laying her down on top of it, and beginning to restrain her wrists and ankles with leather straps.

Once she was secured, she quietly advanced over towards the side of the room, letting her fingers wrap around the handle of a dagger. She would have to cut out the girl's heart. She walked close to Ayla, again, and began lightly teasing the tip of the dagger back and forth between the girl's breasts, not yet removing the shirt. This was definitely a slow movement, but not efficient in any way. It was unlike her, yet she did not stop, despite knowing that. She stared down into the other's sleeping eyes quietly, her eyes longing. She needed the elf's life, so that she herself would not die. She needed it!

Ayla drifted into sleep so quickly that, when she was lifted and moved throughout Kyrie's home, she was not even vaguely aware of it, only of movement beyond herself. She gave a soft noise, anyway, because the movement that was beyond herself was affecting her in some way. Until she was laid out on the table, and secured into place by the leather straps, she was not aware of anything, but she was slowly being jostled from her sleep. Her eyelids flickered just gently.

She gave a soft noise, shivering lightly at the feel of something teasing down the center of her chest. Perhaps... Oh, surely it couldn't be, but.. the idea of a bug there scared her, and it was the first thought she had when her eyes opened drowsily. After a second, however, the thought was lost to her, as she continued to drift. She spotted Kyrie. She could not keep her eyes focused on her, so sleepy as she was, but she was sure she had seen her. "Ssserry.... Dent mean t'fahll shleep.." She murmured, apologizing for her sleepiness.

Her brows gave a weak little furrow as her uncooperative eyes shifted towards Kyrie, and then away. "Kint foocuss.. heldon... serry..." Another apology. She was making the attempt to wake up, her head loling off to the side. Her body was much too relaxed, like she had been denied of sleep for a week and had suddenly been tossed into a nice, warm bed. She shivered again. "Sumthin' on me..." She muttered quietly, attempting to lift a hand to swat away whatever was on her chest. She couldn't, of course.

She watched as Ayla quietly began to wake up. A soft little sigh drift past her lips as she continued to tickle the blade up and down along her chest. Eventually the tip had cut a hole in the cloth, and was beginning to lightly scratch back and forth along her elfin skin. When the girl began talking, she spoke back, still in that monotone of hers. "I don't mind. There is no need to apologize. Relax. There is no need to stir yourself on my account. You can stay the night, if you wish."

Now, why would she say something like that? She cursed herself silently. She was deeply regretful of this situation. She dearly wished she could get by with not taking the girl, but the life was needed. So then, why did she continue to tease the skin instead of cut it? She was not acting logically at all. When the girl spoke of something on her chest, she spoke softly, but still in monotone: "Don't worry. It isn't going to hurt you." She closed her eyes then, tightly. It didn't seem very tight from someone looking on but it was for her. She did not like to lie. She did not do it very often, either. So why was she doing it now, when there was no reason for her to? Surely she didn't care for the girl's comfort.

Only moments later did she see the dreadded blue-haired sheriff step into the room, gun outstretched. "So you actually arrived, Samantha. . ." She said softly, closing her eyes and waiting quietly. The loud shot echoed outwards through the room and a violent pain ripped through her shoulder. She collapsed back against the wall, and fell upon her bottom. Somehow she managed to do it monotonously. She dropped her knife and lift her arm, covering her shoulder quietly and staring at the woman. Why had she said that? Had she wanted Samantha to show up?

-

Sam rushed over to the table that the girl was on, and pulled open the clothing without a word, to check the skin beneath it. The officer didn't seem to care that caught within the gaze was Ayla's breasts, and sighed in relief when all she found there was a faint red mark. Why was it like that? Obviously Kyrie had enough time to operate. Sam lightly reached up, and patted her on the cheek firmly a few times to wake her up. "Come on, Ayla. It's time to get up." The officer blinked when noticing the leather straps holding her down, and quickly began to undo them so that she could move freely. "Come on, Ayla. It's time to go."

Sam was really trying to avoid causing worry to the girl, but she seemed unhurt, so her attention flickered up to Kyrie, who remained seated where she was upon the ground, clutching her bleeding shoulder. She spoke up after noticing Sam's attention. "I left Ayla some tea in the living room. She will probably not want to drink it, but it is a good recipe for helping troubled souls get to sleep." She fell silent after that, simply staring at the elf woman silently. Sam would have been confused, but was far too angry. "I'll see you imprisoned for this. If not just hung outright!"

She shifted gently on the table. Extremely gently. As in, she tried, but failed gently. The thing on her chest was bothering her a bit. Just a bit. But at the same time, it wasn't really irritating her... She gave a soft noise, humming gently as she tried, weakly, to hold cognative thought together. But she said it was alright... was it really alright to go back to sleep? Surely she could trust the girl... She had been so kind, after all. Her heavy eyelids fell shut again, but she slurred on, "Relluh..... shouns.... nish.... Wood lick ta..." If by -any- chance the girl could understand her, what she said was 'Really, sounds nice. Would like that.'

She wanted to lift a hand and rub at her chest, making another soft, muffled sound. But it wouldn't move. Probably would have just flopped without the restraint, too... She still wasn't even vaguely aware that she was restrained. She settled back down, though, trusting the girl's word. If it wasn't going to hurt her, she probably did not have to worry about it. It was probably harmless. Just irritating, but nothing more.

And then she jumped awake. Not visibly, but inside her head, she jumped awake. Her body was too tired to make more than a fidget of a response to the gun shot that rang out through the room. A moment before the shot, she had heard Kyrie's voice... What was that shot..? She was still so close to drifting off.. She gave a weak sound, though. That was Sam's voice. And someone, probably Sam, was trying to wake her. An eye opened partially, looking up at Sam through a glaze from the need to sleep.

Sam sounded to angry compared to a soft, monotone voice.. Why so angry? What was that shot earlier? Was that a gun shot? She whined quietly, sounding like all she wanted to do was stay asleep, but her other eye now opened. Like before, they could not focus on anything, rolling lazily about, catching whatever sights she could. Lights. Sam. Sam. Her hair. The backs of her eyelids. Lights. Was that Kyrie out of the corner of one of her eyes? She couldn't catch it again. "Shaammee...." She muttered, sounding like a tired drunk.

Sam stared down towards Ayla as soon as her voice reached far enough. Eyes darted down sharply and stared down at her. She reached down again, and began to lightly pat her on the cheek. "That's right, it's me. Sam. Wake up. Come on." Arms slid beneath Ayla's form, and almost easily lift her up. Kyrie's might have been because of some supernatural force, but Sam was simply strong enough to do it. The woman would be held close against the soft chest, while a short glare was shot down towards Kyrie. "I'll be back for you later, witch." The officer said with a scowl.

"Relax. I am not going anywhere, Samantha." Her voice was monotonous all the same, but sounded relieved. The decision had been taken out of her hands, after all. She did not have to feel guilty for killing her. "I cannot seem to stand up." She closed her eyes then, and let her hand drop away from her shoulder, bleeding freely, though it had started to clot.

"My name is SAM." The sheriff almost yelled it at the woman, and clutched the other close to the chest, and leaned down, nuzzling the top of her head in a protective, comforting way. Kyrie sighed gently and said to no one in particular. "I am going to regret not being able to see her again. I've met few who acted so kind to me." She lowered her head then, her voice taking on the first touch of emotion it ever had in such a long time. But it eased out by the time her next sentence came. "Don't forget the tea."

Sam was somewhat disturbed by Kyrie's attitude, but did nothing for it, turning around and beginning to leave the room. That darned girl calling Sammie again, though it was a rather drunken-sounding voice. Sam glared down at Ayla, but didn't mean it. The officer leaned down after a moment, pressing a small kiss to the girl's forehead. "You'll be alright, Ayla. Everything will be fine. Just relax, I'll get you home and we can have a nice nap, right?"

Ayla groaned quietly as the officer picked her up, her head rolling to rest against her arm like a pillow. She seemed, overall, like she was simply disturbed that people were interrupting her sleep. But inside, she was confused. Things weren't connecting. And it scared her. It was such a relief to hear Sam's voice, to be in those arms of the one she trusted.. But she didn't understand the hatred, and the situation around her. Her eyes were still rolling lazily, uncontrollably, and she could never keep focused on one thing, so the only thing she had was her hearing. The images she did manage to get from her eyes only confused her.

There was Kyrie... But only a blur of her. She spotted her over behind Sam, around Sam's shoulder. Was she on the ground. She couldn't tell. She whined when Sam yelled to correct the darker clad girl. She could make sense of nothing, but she did get the feeling.. She was saved. She let her eyes fall shut, her head resting against Sam's arm. There was nothing she could do, nor say, that would do anything to clear up her confusion right now. She was just too.... Too tired.

She felt sad for Kyrie back there. It sounded like she was going to be alone again. But it sounded like she was being saved from her, too. Why else would Sam be taking her away like this? She would... She would figure things out later, when she was awake, when her mind was clear and she could ask questions. She eased quietly at a kiss to the forehead, trusting that Sam would protect her. That Sam would be right there for her.

She couldn't even really move her head, but she wanted to nod gently. She wanted to nap. She trusted Sam's words. She knew she was safe with her. And though it was not easy to tell, with her already sleepy state, she did relax in the officer's arms, giving a little noise of comfort before drifting off back into sleep.

Sam quietly growled to herself as she left the witch's house. The sheriff hissed angrily, and cursed multiple times under the breath. They were unfamiliar on the tongue, and Sam obviously did not usually say things like that. Stepping quickly towards the officer's own house across the street, Sam stared down silently at the precious elf held within the firm arms. Kicking the door to the house open, Sam rushed into the bedroom, and lay the elf girl down upon the bed, draping the sheets over her. For now, she would be left there while Sam took care of some other things.

It was only a few minutes later before the officer stepped back into the house. What had been done was a mystery, but the officer's uniform now had a rather large blood stain on it. As the dark-haired sheriff began to walk back to the bedroom, fingers began to work at the blouse that had been chosen for work today. It would have to be set out of rotation until the last hint of bloodstain had been removed from it. Dropping it on the floor, Sam quietly worked at the pants, dragging them off of the long, toned legs. Kicking them away, Sam turned to prepare one last thing.

Sam was now only wearing a pair of very tight boyshorts. They clung to the body like a second skin, and showed off every inch of the firm behind, as it remained so tight as to the point of slipping inside the crevice of her bottom. It was little different from wearing nothing at all, but it was far more comfortable. Sam walked into the kitchen this way, reaching into the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of wine. Sam thought the girl might need it once she remembered her ordeal. Attaching a little note to it that said 'Drink this when you wake up, you'll feel better', Sam stepped back into the bedroom, setting the bottle down on the nightstand closes to Ayla.

Slipping into bed then, the sheriff snuggled the lean form up against the elf's back. It was why the clothing had been stripped to begin with. Sam was not tired but wanted to comfort the girl while she slept. Arms wrapped around her figure, cradling it close against the form, and letting dark shaded eyes close. Nuzzling a cheek up against Ayla's back, Sam was surprised to find that sleep was coming rather easily. It was no time at all before the sheriff was out, swollen chest slightly pressing against the girl's back.

Ayla never gave more than soft groans at the movements and the noise, but never did it rouse her from her sleep. Even when she was laid down on the bed, she did not even budge, save her breathing and natural slump due to sleep. She did become stressed, however, when she was left alone in her sleep. She did not like being alone.. And she had already grown accustomed to sleeping with Sam nearby. Her fingers curled quietly, grasping at the sheets draped over her and tugging them to her chest.

It was such a relief when a short while later, another body slipped under those sheets to snuggle up with her. Her hands loosened their grasp on the sheets, resting instead on the arms Sam had wrapped around her. She snuggled back into a warmth, provided by Sam's own body that pressed against her back, and was at peace in her sleep.

It was only a few hours until Ayla began to stir again, if only lightly, with a gentle little groan and squirm. Her hands slowly slipped away from where they grasped at Sam's arms, extending into a stretch directly in front of her, straining for several moments before slowly relaxing again. She stiffled a wide yawn against her own shoulder before slowly opening her eyes drowsily. She felt drained, despite the wonderful sleep she had in the officer's arms.. Sam!

She turned slowly, looking quietly at the dark-haired Sheriff's face, staring for several long moments. She really didn't have a clue what to think... She slowly inched out of the arms around her, trying to leave the officer undisturbed, though she settled down just a tiny ways away, pulling herself into a sitting position and resting her back against the headboard. She let her head come forward to rest her cheek against the tops of her knees as she stared down at the Officer, silent.

The only thing she could make out of the situation from earlier on her own was that... Her new friend was not so friendly after all. And she must have had plans to do her harm, even if Ayla managed to get out of all of it with only a scratch. She knew that Sam wouldn't have gone there and done harm to someone who was not going to hurt an innocent. She knew Sam would only defend her. But still... She felt miserable, wondering if she was right about the situation. She would... ask when Sam was awake, maybe.

She glanced around quietly, sighing to herself. Spotting the bottle of wine, she hesitatingly reached out, picking the bottle up, looking at it. Only looking at it, chewing at her lip softly. Her fingers slipped up to the cork, giving a twisting pull, and it popped out with just that. A pop. She jumped lightly, glancing down at Sam, wondering if that might have disturbed the sleeping figure, staring for several long moment. And then she brought the mouth of the bottle to her nose, taking a sniff or two before lowering it to her lips, taking in several small swallows. She cringed gently from the burning sting the stuff provided down her throat, coughing gently. Reaching up with her free hand, she rubbed her eyes quietly.