A chance Encounter
I wrote this a while ago for a contest. It won. But this is the story referanced in the Meme I posted "There was that incident with Chakat Oceanrider"
There was suposed to be a part two. There still may be.
A Chance Encounter
By: Draven Nightly
Truth be told he wasn't even sure how he got here, where ever here was. He had been sent out on assignment to take photos of "interesting" places once again, and like always when he was told to do that he hung a large map of the world on the wall, took three darts in hand, closed his eyes, spun ten times and threw.
He decided on dart number three, it had hit on the west coast. California to be specific. So he had packed up and left. He had been to California several times, there was always plenty to see. So this time he decided to pic a direction and go. Renting a motorcycle he had made sure the tank was full and off he went.
It didn't take long before he was pulling over to take pictures of humans and furs on beaches, or some wild life in the woods. But that all changed as a storm rolled in and quickly put a damper to his fun and adventuring. Hours passed as he looked for a suitable place to settle in for the night before he came across a fair sized beach town, it had a few hotels, but one in particular caught his attention. It was a medieval themed Hotel and resort. Pulling in he thought, "Why not?"
After checking in and hanging his clothes up to dry he got into some dryer clothes and headed out in to the resort to see what it had to offer. He managed to get a few good shots and that was it. The resort must be in its off season because other than a few nicely dressed employees in time pieces there wasn't much of anything else. Deciding he was going to get nowhere with the place he made a bee line for the tavern.
Like the rest of the Hotel/ resort this too was decorated to look like something right out of a fantasy novel, or table top roll playing game. It was rather dark and cave like in feeling, with wall mounted light fixtures that resembled old torches in sconces high on the wall, as well as rough worked iron chandeliers with candles. The atmosphere was rather smoky too, like everyone had a lit tobacco product of some kind going.
The bar itself was a master piece of worked wood and the shelves behind it were no different. Hand crafted with lots of care and aged to perfection. A true marvel. All the drinks and taps were modern though, so that kind of killed the feel. He would have taken a picture but the way the "door man" eyed him and his camera, he decided against it. Instead he sat himself at a corner table, also hand worked wood.
He sat down and started to mindlessly work his way through a menu that had been left on the table. Everything was in that annoying to read old English style of script and speak, making it rather hard to decipher what anything was.
"The soup is really good tonight." Said a voice interrupting his thoughts.
Looking up he was greeted by the most unexpected sight ever, A Chakat was standing there dressed in the employee "Bar Wench" outfit, smiling warmly at him. He couldn't help but gawk, Shi was very pretty, and he had met so few Chakats in his travels.
"Are you okay mister?"
He quickly snapped to his senses.
"Yeah I'm fine thank you. What did you say before?"
Shi favored him with another smile.
"I said the soup is really good tonight."
"Oh and what would it be?"
"French onion."
He loved French onion; this was becoming better by the moment.
"Anything else you could recommend, this menu is giving me a headache."
Shi took the menu with another smile, then reached around to a tray full of mugs of beer, balanced perfectly on hir looped tail, and set one down in front of him. He had to admit, that was some trick.
"For starters take one of these, not on the house, but you look like you could really use one, maybe even a shot or three."
"Thank you, your right I could. As for the shots it depends on what they are shots of, how you serve them to me, and if you will have at least one with me."
He could hit himself; he couldn't believe he had said such a thing to such a pretty stranger. Shi just gave him a rather genuine smile of amusement and let out a very loud bark of laughter.
"Okay, and what would you like to eat?"
"Tell you what, your better at reading that thing, why don't you surprise me. I trust you."
Again he couldn't believe he was being so forward with hir. Shi jotted something down on an order pad and turned to leave exposing hir feline backside and long fluffy tail to him. Quickly she turned her upper body back towards him like shi had forgotten something.
"Oh, I am Oceanrider and I'll be your wench tonight."
"Oh really?" He said lifting an eye brow at hir.
"Don't look too much into it Mr. Fox, it's just a job title."
"The names Demin" He shouted to hir retreating backside.
He hated to see hir go but boy did he like watching hir leave. And watch hir he did. Shi was a master at work, shi managed to move hir body through the crowd with a level of skill and grace that got hir more than a few nasty glares from coworkers, and lecherous stares from patrons. Shi knew just when to, and how much to flirt. Hir smiles were always warm, and hir laughter came easily.
It wasn't long before shi was bringing him an order of nachos to munch on while he waited for his actual food. Again shi got that adorable look on hir face that shi had forgotten something and darted to the bar. Shi returned with four shots of what could only be whiskey.
"Here you are your shots."
"I thought I said it depended on how you served them to me and if you would do one with me, that I would order any." He said with a smirk.
"I know that is why I grabbed four. Now quickly before my boss sees me"
With that they both picked up a shot and downed it.
"I understand your working and all, so you're not supposed to be drinking, but after that marvelous display of dexterity with your tail I was hoping for something a little more interesting than a straight up shot out of you."
Shi raised an eye brow at him and cracked a grin. Looking quickly over hir shoulder to make sure shi still wasn't being watched, shi quickly took the third shot and wedged it into her ample cleavage. Shi then gave him a look that pretty much was a cross between "How's that, and I dare you."
"No hands Mr. Fox." Shi teased in a sing song voice.
He stood up and showed her his hands before tucking them in his back pockets. Bending at the waist he leaned in and lightly ran his tongue down said cleavage before taking the shot glass in his mouth pulling it out and tilting his head back to take the shot. Setting the glass down he gave hir a smirk.
"How's that?"
"Not bad, could have done without the lick though."
"Sorry"
"It's okay, so how should I take mine then?"
Shi was openly challenging him. He had no breasts he could tuck a shot glass between. Thinking fast he did the first thing that came to mind. Still standing he took the shot glass and tucked it in to the waist of his pants, right in front, just behind the button holding the pants closed.
"No hands Ocean" He smirked.
He had hir, there was no way shi would take the shot. Imagine his surprise when shi tucked a loose strand of hair behind hir ear, looked over hir shoulder, and then bent forward at the waist and retrieved the shot glass, tilting her head back to take the shot. He couldn't decide what had just shocked him more, the fact that shi had done it or the spectacular view down her bodice he had just gotten.
Shi just looked at him with a mischievous grin, reached out with one finger and closed his gaping mouth, then pushed him back into his chair. Collecting all of the shot glasses she placed a fresh beer in front of him.
"Your food will be out shortly, Mr. Fox"
He regained enough of his senses to once again yell at hir retreating form.
"It's Demin"
Eventually his food did come, and shi was right, the soup was amazing. So was the steak shi had ordered for him, done just right. He spent the entire meal watching hir work. Flirting here, avoiding a wondering hand there, making small talk with some, having heated words with others.
Every chance he got he would have a little conversation with hir himself. Nothing major. He found out shi was really a pilot, just between missions at the moment. Shi was doing this more or less for fun. He gave that a small thought and could only come up with that shi must be enjoying the interactions.
He got hir to bring over another round of shots, and took the opportunity to talk some more.
"Sorry if I am bothering you." He apologized taking the shot.
"Not at all, you are at least trying to make real conversation. Everyone else is just trying to get inside my bodice or get my room key from me. Its rather enduring, but loses its charm after a few hours." Shi replied taking a shot of hir own.
"And do you?"
"What? Hand out my room key?"
"Yes"
"Occasionally, if the fancy strikes me. Why Mr. Fox, would you like to try for my room key too?" She teased with a smile.
"No Dear, I respect you too much for that. If you want to give me your room key that is your choice. I will not hound you for it."
She looked at him with a sad little pouty expression on her face while shi nervously fidgeted with her braid.
"But don't I please you, don't you want me?" Shi had a slight quiver to her voice.
"Of course you do, and of course I do" He quickly blurted out.
"It's just... I mean... What I meant to say is..."
Shi all the sudden burst out laughing, shi had been playing him the whole time.
"Ah you're too cute" Shi said placing a hand on his shoulder.
He couldn't help but chuckle.
"You, you, you're good." He said shaking his head.
With that shi went back to work. He watched hir dance here and there in between people and tables, serving drinks, serving food, and having a grand time while doing it. Eventually though the drink and the atmosphere got to him and he requested his check. Shi had one trick left up hir sleeve for him. Bringing him his check she had slipped her room key underneath it.
It wasn't too long after this that he walked right up to her after she had served a table. To hir surprise he leaned in and gave hir a brief hug and a quick peck on the cheek.
"Thank you for the good time, great food, and pleasant conversation."
And with that he left hir standing there stunned speechless over the suddenness and sincerity of the action. Trotting over to his table shi found the check and a pile of money on it. Picking it up it was all there, including a sizable tip, and hir room key much to hir disappointment.
To hir amazement when shi picked up the check and the money a second key fell to the table. Shi picked the key up and glanced at it for second till shi realized there was a note in the key loop. It was a simple note containing all of six words,
"I Dare You, Room 258, Demin"
That sneaky fox, he had gotten the last word, and it was a challenge. Smiling privately she tucked the key and note into one pocket and the money into another, and went back to work.