I Didn't Think It Would Happen Like This

[Tree]

Victoria looked up at him, smiling shyly.



" I rode horse back. I studied message from a friend I rode with. She wasn't that good, to be honest... she did it more for fun... she wanted to be a message therapist... I made a bit of fun, so she forced me to learn. I didn't tease anymore after that..."



She explained softly, looking him over, waiting to be mocked as she awaited his words, returning to working on the kinks in his back.

[Sushi]

The funny thing about having someone releasing tension out of your body is that it is very difficult to be angry with them.



"That's ironic. Chiropractors and message therapists both complain about what horseback riding does to the body."

[Tree]

" She did it more as a relaxation... she had the theory that if it made you happy, it was worth it... I happened to love riding... and was at least decent at it."



Modesty beyond the win on that one, her bank account wasn't flushed to the walls because she was sub-par.

[Sushi]

Lot just nodded this time. The he gave a little smirk.



"I don't keep cash on my person."

[Tree]

" .. I was a plastic fool."



All with elite protection, even if her cards were sold off, none would be able to use them anywhere. Sighing inwardly, she looked to her toes as her hands worked on his back.

[Sushi]

Lot opened his eyes up, catching a certain tone. He turned his head to the side, but did not fully turn towards her on account of the fact that it would have removed her hands.



"It is not as though you are a poor house now..."

[Tree]

Glancing up at him, she shrugged.



" No, it's all still there... not that I was overly wealthy to begin with."



Pssssh.... Another major understatement.



" Money means nothing without reason and purpose anyway."

[Sushi]

Lot gave a hearty laugh at this one.



"That is true, but it does make things a deal easier!"

[Tree]

" I know."



she purred, looking him over.



" Otherwise, you wouldn't have money to buy and dispose of people at whim."



she replied simply, returning to work on his back, full focused. Yep... he should really watch what books, or journals were in his library.

[Sushi]

At this one Lot actually sat up, pulling away and turning to face her, holding one finger up.



"I do not dispose of people." He looked her straight in the eye. "I do, however, monetarily accent other geographic options."

[Tree]

Victoria merely looked back up at him, moving and kissing the hand he held up.



" Call it what you want. I knew you held my life when I came here."



she explained simply, not too bothered by it as she returned to tending to his sore muscles (Which required her to relocate, thanks to his moving) and let him be without voicing any other thoughts.

[Sushi]

Lot actually stood up.



"Stop trying to schmooze me. It doesn't work." Unless he wanted to.

[Tree]

Victoria stopped, crossing her arms, looking up at him.



" I was doing nothing of the sorts. You were upset, I was merely trying to ease the stress a bit."



she replied honestly, a bit hurt by his accusations, looking him over before leaving him be, wondering where her little Tiki had gone to, heading to her room.

[Sushi]

Lot just sighed and plopped back into his chair. This was such a trying day.



What the woman would see back in her room was certainly interesting. Tiki had since not only removed himself from the backpack, but he had taken it upon himself to alter her room slightly. The little creature had brought in several clear glass containers of countless types, everything from a drinking glass to a broken ornament. All of them were filled with a little layer of shiny baubles of different sorts and then water almost to the top. The most interesting one, however, was a glass dome that would come to knee-height on the average human (this was several times bigger than Tiki). Besides the water and shinies, there were two additions to this particular bowl. Moby. Tiki.

[Tree]

Victoria walked into her room, and sighed as she considered the two swimming creatures in her room, and then decided it wasn't worth her time to ask, and crawled into her bed, watching the two swim about.

[Sushi]

Tiki after growing bored of stalking the fish soon moved to the side of the bowl and began to make faces at the woman. Which was very interesting considering that his eyes were like two little bright dots, his mouth was a dark opening in the orange fur and he didn't have any nose that was visually obvious.

[Tree]

Victoria looked at him, smiling after a while.



"Does Tiki eat?"

[Sushi]

Tiki spoke, voice watery but surprisingly clear. True be told, it was part of the reason the creature's voice had it's specific timbre.



"Tiki does. Tiki eats lot of things. Like..." He rapped his fingers together (which was interesting too because it only had two fingers and a thumb on either hand). "FISHY!" Tiki pounced the fish, who started and slipped away. Tiki cackled. "Nah... Tiki don't eat Fishy. Just joking."

[Tree]

Victoria wasn't too ammused as she looked him over, sighing.



" so, what do you eat?"

[Sushi]

The little orange furball swam up and climbed out of the bowl, standing on the rim. It shook out the water, smoothing out its fur.



"Why Vicky want to know? To take away Tiki's food? No! Tiki too smart to tell Vicky what Tiki likes." It stuck out its little purple tongue.

[Tree]

" I'm curious. I'd feed you if I could, I like you, Tiki... or at least, most of the time anyway."

[Sushi]

The little damp creature folded its arms stubbornly.



"NO! Tiki feed Tiki! Tiki good at it!" It stomped its little foot, a chain link from the shackle getting in the way and causing the creature to fall off of the rim and onto the floor.

[Tree]

Victoria rushed over and checked on Tiki, looking concerned.



" are you okay?"

[Sushi]

Tiki was rubbing the back of its head.



"Yeah..." The creature looked up.



"Tiki fluffy... Bounce."

[Tree]

" are you sure your alright?"



she asked, moving a bit back from him now, looking the creature over, then about her room, and sighing as she saw half finished paintings, and the few she'd completed, smiling more to herself in a bitter way, then happy.

[Sushi]

Tiki didn't say anything this time, simply reverting to the little squeaks that it preferred every now and again. The orange furball looked up at Victoria after a bit. The thing followed her gaze, and with two seconds flat was standing on the edge of her easel, examining everything from the painting to the paints themselves. The little thing curiously poked the a glob of white paint on her palette, and was amazed by the way it clung to it's hand.

[Tree]

Watching Tiki she sighed adn was soon putting the other paints away, and looked him over as she soon was removing the paint from him before he caused a huge mess.

[Sushi]

Tiki gave a little whiny squeak and pouted. You could tell he was pouting because the little shiny spots of eyes got larger.



"But Tiki like stuff...

[Tree]

" I'll let you paint, when I'm around to watch, and when I have time to clean up after words. ... Lot will become cross if his whole house is randomly coated in splotches of paint, i'm sure.... and I'd get blamed for it."

[Sushi]

Tiki didn't really understand exactly what she was saying, after all, he didn't really grasp the concept of 'painting'. It just liked the idea of playing with colorful gooey stuff. However, at the mention of Lot, his expression changed.



"Oh no! Vicky not going to tell Tiki to Lot! Tiki done nothing! Fishy like everything Tiki do. Ask Fishy!"

[Tree]

" No, no no. Tiki just play with these when Vicky says, and no tell on Tiki."



she said, holding up the paints to explain what 'these' were, watching Tiki.

[Sushi]

Tiki was bouncing up and down at this point, wound up by this entire thought. It nodded exuberantly.



"Okay!" Then the little creature nipped the end of Victoria's finger and darted out the door.



Lot was still downstairs by the fireplace, but he had gone to retrieve a bag of marshmallows. The man was sitting in his chair, pitching the marshmallows as hard as he could at the wood, watching the little puffs splat and then combust. When Tiki ran by, Lot for once didn't do anything. Well, he threw a marshmallow at it but other than that did nothing.

[Tree]

Victoria came down about an hour or so later, covered in paint, and some outfit or another she'd discovered or acquired, either way, it blended in with skin and paint, making it hard to tell where the clothing started, and the skin and paint stopped.



Either way, she said nothing to her master as she walked by his tempertantrum scene, headed to the kitchen.

[Sushi]

Lot watched her go to, throwing a marshmallow at her when she passed as well. He was not in the least bit inclined to follow her. However, her appearance... The man got up after a minute, carrying his big bag of marshmallows just simply because he didn't feel like putting them back. He wanted to see what she had painted and was headed to do just so.

[Tree]

Painting not so much hidden, as disguised, he'd be lucky to know what she had painted, as she'd purposely started it in such a way, as he'd not tell until she was finished with it. She was not happy with him, nor his accusations, and she was not about to let him enjoy, anything.

[Sushi]

Lot was naturally flustered by this. Well, not so much about the painting as the fact that everything seemed to keep getting worse today. What was the man's response? He shoved the rest of the marshmallows into her pillow and stalked off, this time whisking away into the false (what he liked to think of as the forbidden) wing of the manor.

[Tree]

Victoria paid little mind to her master for the next couple days, actually, tending to herself ( and when needed, Tiki and Moby), keeping to herself, continuing on working with her paintings, marshmellows not even there when she'd returned that day.



As the next couple days passed, Victoria merely grew a bit lonely, soon laying outside, looking to the pants she'd found. Odd, it was easier to find things when you weren't hiding them....

[Sushi]

Lot hadn't been bothered. Really. It was a good thing. After all, he had spent so long by himself in that manor that the lack of people was a sort of comfort if anything. The man even manage to squish the little itchings that his awakened conscience caused. The same day that the girl chose to go outside, so did he. As he walked out of the forest on the far side, the side that led to nothing but trees as opposed to the road, the last thing Lot expected was to look up and see the woman in the grass. He promptly stuck his hands into his pockets in what he hoped was a casual manner.

[Tree]

Currently using the not-so-missing-pants as a pillow, she looked to her master as she saw him approaching, considering him as she kept her silence, wondering what he wanted. Was he here to insult and bash her again? If she'd wanted freedom, she'd already have killed him when he'd offered... to accuse her of trying to .... how dare he. ... Yep, still testy.

[Sushi]

Lot looked down at her as he passed. However, he was not one to grovel and apologizing was agonizing - especially when there was nothing to apologize for. Besides, he was not so keen on prolonging this particular moment. So he said only one thing, never even stopping.



"I see you found my pants."