[IC] Aerith of Brae & SinfulSkills

[EasilyAmused]

The throne room of the king of the heavens held a mix of emotions. Shouting and arguing, sadness and stillness and utter silence depending on which individual you were looking at, “And until you find the end to your marks you will not return to the heavens. The answers you seek lie in the eyes of the goddess.” A noble man raised his hand into the air, the room filled with a great light and the six individuals in front of him vanished. The King slowly placed himself back onto his gallant throne, propped up his elbow and rested his chin in his hand. “My dear gentleman, will you learn to love everything or will you continue to love nothing?”

As the Gods fell from the sky the conversation began. “The answers you seek lie in the eyes of a goddess?” The youngest god repeated his voice solemn and depressed.

“Yes Axel, that is what he said; judging by the King’s demeanor, he must know much more than he’s telling us.” The elder of the gods said as he crossed his arms during their fall.

“That trickster of a King knows exactly what he’s doing, and I have an idea of what he wants from me. I’ll be back in the heavens in no time.” The smirking brunette said laying back as the people fell from the sky.

The goddess who was falling among the gods clicked her tongue in rage towards the smirking man. “Shut your mouth you worthless lion. You know nothing of the King’s plans.”

“Scorpio, be still.” The black haired man with a professional presence said in an authority tone. “Leon knows as much as the rest of us. He is just making a guess.”

“Director Stick in the Mud knows nothing; at least I have an educated guess on what the King wants from me.” Leon said in a casual tone giving a shrug.

“I think we should split up.” The more mature looking one spoke up once again, “Finding the goddess that the king mentioned should be our number one priority.”

“I agree with Hue.” The silent one finally spoke up, his dark eyes and black hair stand him out among the rest of the falling Gods. Being as he was the only one who had any sort of facial hair. He was in a white suit with a gold armband around each of his biceps. “We’ll meet at the mansion and report anything that we have found. Despite the king’s rough treatment of us, he would never set us up to fail. The goddess we’re looking for must be in the city.”

“Curt is right.” Axel said speaking up, sounding much full of more hope than he had been when they first were summoned to the palace.

“I’m bored.” Leon announced before turning his fall into a different direction. “Do what you wish; I will be at the mansion.” Leaving the other gods, Leon changed his trajectory and headed towards the direction of the manor.

Watching Leon leave caused Curt to roll his dark eyes, “And there he goes.” He said with a sigh, “Well, if I may; I think we should split up and search until night time, and then we’ll meet up back at the mansion.” Everyone seemed to be at an agreement and split directions.

Curt landed on the streets of the town looking around. If I was a former goddess, where would I go? Or work? Curt found himself questioning as he started to walk, his hands sliding into the pockets of his white dress shirts before turning. Something told him he needed to go into this direction and before he knew it he was at an animal hospital.

The little bell rang as he opened the door and began to look around.

[Aerith of Brae]

"Hello, sir. How can we help you?" A pretty little blond woman spoke from behind the reception counter with a light smile. The office was fairly quiet at the moment. Only two people were waiting with their pets for the vet to call them back. All in all, it was just a normal day in the city. At least that's what anyone thought, anyway.

That was what Alyssa had thought, too, when she'd been on her way to the animal hospital. At least until she'd found the large dog laying on the side of the road. It'd been hit, and she'd pulled over to move it off the side. Only to realize the poor thing was still breathing. So she'd grabbed the blanket in the back of her car, loaded the dog into it, and drove as fast as she could to the hospital she volunteered for.

And so it was that only moments after the man was addressed by the blond behind reception that the red haired young woman burst through the doors with the eight-five pound Labrador mix in her arms.

"Anna! Get the vet! He's been hit!" She called to the blond behind the counter, who immediately went into the back to get the tall brown haired man. It wasn't long before the two had the dog and were taking him back, along with a few nurses as they vanished behind the doors. Alyssa sighed, looking down at herself. She'd been wearing a black jacket, but that was covered in blood now from the dog.

"Sorry about the wait, folks." She spoke as she took her jacket off, revealing the light blue tank top she wore under it. "Emergency case. Other vets will be out with you momentarily to pick up the slack."

Her accent was still somewhat thick with her Irish heritage, though she was easy enough to understand. She reached into a drawer behind the desk and grabbed a hair tie, swiftly pulling the long red locks into a pony tail. Working in a children's hospital, she'd gotten use to going from frantic to calm and back again, and took over for Anna without a second thought.

"Oh, don't worry, Ally. We're just here for a flea dip." One woman with a cat spoke.

The other man with a bird just chuckled. "No rush here, doll."

Alyssa smiled at the pair, before turning to Curt and giving a welcoming smile. "Sorry about any confusion sir. What can I help you with?" She questioned, perfectly calm now and right into professional mode.

[EasilyAmused]

The humans had such interesting objects inside their buildings and this was the first time that Curt had ever been in the human world. His hand traced along the device called “Leech” for a dog. A smile moved across his face. This device allowed a dog to be outside and dance around without getting too far away. Man, humans are truly clever!

The doors burst opened and a young woman hurried in with a dog in her arms. Despite the size of the dog, she was able to hold onto it with a surprising amount of ease. The other humans in the room didn’t seem surprised, nor did they seem bothered by the attention the injured animal was getting attention before them. Because of his position in the Department of Wishes, he could hear the wishes from the people in the room. I wish that dog would get better. and I wish that the dog’s health would get better. Selfless wishes from humans always made him smile and he put his fingers together getting ready to snap and grant the wishes of the patrons inside.

Before he followed through with the snap, he was approached by the woman who just carried in the dog. “Oh hello. Don’t worry about the confusion I…” His voice trailed off as he finally made eye contact with her. She had stars in her eyes! The stars were beautiful and nearly entrancing. She was the human-goddess they were looking for and she happened to appear in front of him. Without realizing he was staring into her eyes and almost leaning forward as if to get a closer to her stars.

The sound of the bird pulled him back into reality and he shook his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. Can, can I buy this?” He said holding up the leech. “What are you going to do with that dog once it’s better?”

[Aerith of Brae]

He looked at her like he'd seen a ghost almost. She rose a brow at him as he stared, and subconsciously leaned herself back from him. When he openly admitted to staring, she blinked. Either he'd been surprised somehow or he'd really been staring hard. Either way, her cheeks turned just a little pink. Sheesh, men were weird. She smiled after a moment, though, reaching for the leash to ring him up.

"Of course you can buy it, sir." She paused when he asked about the dog. "Oh." Her expression saddened slightly. "Well.. We'll hopefully adopt him out to a good home once he's healed up." She managed another small smile before beginning to ring up the price.

If he even makes it. I hate when this happens. Every time one of the animals die... Her thoughts trailed off for a moment. Ugh. I just... I wish I could have helped more. I hope he gets better. No animal deserves to die like that.

Once the leash was put in a bag, she slid it over the counter to him. "That'll be ten dollars." She smiled. "So, what kind of dog do you have, sir?"

[EasilyAmused]

When she took the leash from him he gave her a bright smile showing his straight white teeth. Humans couldn’t the stars in her eyes; nor would they be able to see the stars in the other gods’ eyes either, so he was getting quite a treat to be able to see them first hand. They were gorgeous, mind-blowing actually and he felt nearly swept away by the sight of them, even though she was human.

Knowing that they were going to be stuck on earth, the gods had made themselves earth money to make it through their time until they figured everything out. Curt reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet. It didn’t contain much information inside but it did hold a resoundingly large amount of cash. Filtering through the money he found the one marked as ‘10’ and handed it to her before putting the billfold back into his pocket. Her wish echoed through his ears as she typed away on the computer. His head tilted to one side as he watched her work. Why would she wish to help more? Most humans would just leave the injured animal on the side of the road, she’s already done so much. The selfless-ness of the human-goddess wasn’t very surprising, then again, they didn’t know what type of person they’d run into to begin with.

“Actually I’m in the market to adopt.” He said with a broad smile across his full lips. A companion like a dog would make his time on earth much less lonely and more fun. “Though I’ve never adopted before, is the process a difficult one?” Curt was doing his best to contain a causal conversation with the woman as he worked through his thoughts to try to figure out the best way to approach her about the situation he and his fellow gods were in. There was only one person on earth that could help them in their situation and… well he happened to be standing in front of that single person.

[Aerith of Brae]

She blinked again in surprise when he paid. Mostly at the size of his wallet. What the hell kind of job did this guy have? But then he said he was in the market to adopt, and she immediately took on a serious expression. This was her chance. There were so many in the back that needed adopting. But which one would he be suited for. He seemed kind enough. She usually had a pretty good sense about people and something about this guy just...screamed happy at the moment. Her serious expression turned into a small chuckle. He definitely wasn't a cat person. That gentleness of his would get him clawed.

"It's not very hard." She said with a small giggle, smiling now. "But you're definitely not a cat person." She turned toward a door then, pointing over her shoulder. She was giddy at this point. "We've got some great dogs, though. If you want to check any of them out, you can come back here with me. I'll need to ask a few questions to pair you with the right dog, but it shouldn't be too hard. I already have a few in mind."

This was perfect. If he didn't want one with a lot of energy, she had several older dogs that could be a perfect match for him. If he did, some of the puppies could be better. She opened the door to lead him inside, practically beaming at the thought of getting one of the dogs adopted.

"Have you ever owned a dog before, sir?" She questioned.

[EasilyAmused]

When her expression changed to one of seriousness, he was worried she might turn him away for some reason or send him to someone else. He needed to talk to this woman! She doesn’t even know how important she really is so he couldn’t be turned around away now. When she started to chuckle he felt a wave of relief over him, good; she wasn’t going to turn him away. At least not yet!

“Sure, I’ll answer any questions you have.” He said with a nod as he followed her into the back. He had no idea what he was getting in to but maybe there’s some way he could get to know her and get her to trust him. Something like this wouldn’t be easy… at least that was his guess.

A smirk moved across his face when she asked if he had ever had a dog. Leon acted a lot like a dog, sometimes he’d have to give his boss orders or remind him to do his work but over-all he was a good leader and an incredibly loyal individual. It took a long time to build that trust with Leon but nothing has shaken their bond yet. And probably never will.

“No I haven’t.” He responded as they walked through the doors and into the back. “But I know I have a lot to learn and I’m willing to do so.” As they walked he slid his hands into the pockets of his white suit pants and gave her a side grin, “I’m Curt by the way.”

[Aerith of Brae]

She blinked. "Hm? Oh! It's nice to meet you, Curt. I'm Alyssa." She smiled back at him as she walked down the hallway. She lead him down a few halls and into a back room. As soon as the door opened, the sounds of dogs barking filled the room. There were a lot of kennels in the room; some large, others small. Each one housed a dog or two inside and most of the ones barking were the larger breeds. Her brow twitched slightly with a bit of annoyance at the dogs. She'd never be able to hear his voice over all that racket.

"Shhh!" She stopped cold as she let out the hiss for quiet, one finger going over her lips subconsciously. It never did cease to amaze her when they actually listened to that command. The whole room went quiet. She put her hands on her hips, raising a brow as she looked around at the dogs in the cages. "...Never did understand how that always worked..." She muttered under her breath. After a moment, she turned to Curt and gave a light smile.

"Well, here we are. The first thing you should be aware of is how much work a pet is. Particularly dogs. Unlike cats, you can't just leave a dog to its own devices. They require training, exercise, grooming, and most importantly, love." Her expression became serious again as she spoke. Her voice remained gentle, but this was always the part that generally tended to get her convictions roused.

"A dog is a lot of responsibility. And furthermore, they're more like people than you might think. Dogs can be loyal, and they're probably the most faithful companion you'll ever find. They love you unconditionally, and deserve the same in return. So, depending on how much work you want to put in, will depend on the best breed for you to choose. If you don't mind a lot...and I do mean a lot of grooming, a longer haired dog would be good. However, consider the breeds closely. Another thing to keep in mind is the connection you have with a dog when you go to pick one out."

She paused for a few moments before continuing, letting all the information settle in. "Now that we're done with the warning, these are the main questions we need to ask in order to pair you with a good dog. First of all; how much time can you spend a day with the dog in hours? How active are you? Do you have a house with a yard or an apartment? Are you wanting a dog for a companion, an exercise partner, or a guard dog? What sort of activity are you looking for in a dog? Do you want one who's full of energy, one who's mellow, or somewhere in between? But most importantly.... Are you able to accept whatever dog you choose as a member of your family? Are you going to be able to love and care for your dog the way they should be? Dogs are like children. And the more they bond with you, the more they want to be with you. It's a bit like having a two year old for the next ten to fifteen years." She chuckled.

"I know it sounds like a lot, but they're really all important to finding the right type of dog for you."

[EasilyAmused]

“The pleasure is all mine,” Curt said with a grin giving her a small nod of the head as he slipped his hands into his pockets and followed her down the hallways. When they entered the room full of barking kennels and she calmed her authority over the animals he did everything he could not to chuckle. So she still had some form of left over power the animals; then again, she used to be the goddess of animals, she wouldn’t have any memories of her time as a goddess but her ability to retain some of her powers, even small ones like this was complete fascinating.

As they walked through the room of cages; Curt pulled his hands from his pockets and extended his fingers. A small sparkle left his fingertips that were hard to notice. The animals in the cages gingerly eating medicine food began to show signs of improvement. His power had the ability to enhance something’s properties including but not limited to medicine. This was his natural power and while he didn’t see is as useful as his fellow gods; from time to time it shows its worth. The wagging happy tails of the dogs whose lives were already improving was proof at this moment.

When she started rapped firing questions at him, he slid is pockets into his hands and listened patiently. At her finish he took a deep breath and began. “I’ll do my best to try to cover everything. My job has me working from a single location and the presence of an animal is fine. So I don’t really have a time when I’d leave the dog alone for extended lengths of time. I’d most likely want the dog for a companion as I don’t have any family but my friends and colleagues are the ones who I’m around on a consistent basis. If the animal is full of energy I know we’d have fun but I can handle a calm dog just as well. I do know that I want something I can cuddle and hold but I don’t think a naturally and continuous small dog would be very beneficial for me.”

He rose and fell his broad shoulders as he looked around the cages, not really having any idea of what he should get. Good thing he had someone here who knew about his sort of thing. Turning his attention back to Alyssa he gave her a smile. “How long have you worked here?”

[Aerith of Brae]

He was definitely an odd one. She watched him curiously again for a time. Unless she'd been seeing things, some of the dogs had seemed to get better somehow. That serious expression crossed her face again as she watched him. Something just felt...strange. It wasn't one of those things that gave her a bad feeling, though, so she dismissed it. When he asked how long she had worked there, she laughed a little.

"Me? I don't actually work here. I just volunteer. I work at a hospital in pediatric care taking care of sick kids." She explained. Her eyes moved around the dog kennels. So he wanted a companion dog who liked to cuddle and had at least a little energy, huh? But nothing small. Grooming requirements didn't seem to be a big issue, so that was good. Once again, that serious look crossed her expression as she watched the dogs. It seemed to be what happened when she got to thinking on something.

They had a few dogs that met his requirements. Puppies were easier to get out with adoptions, so she wanted to try and get out one of the older dogs. But which one? Too big a dog and he wouldn't have the cuddling aspect. But it needed to be one with a good temperament. This guy didn't seem the type to be able to assert too much dominance over a dog, so she had to make sure it wasn't too headstrong, either. But which one?

Her eyes landed on one of the cages and she suddenly smiled. Either one of those two would be perfect. One of them wasn't as old as she'd have liked, but the little guy had been through hell already. So had the other. "I think I have just the ones." She said lightly, moving down the hall to the kennel. Inside was a boxer puppy about eight months old, and an Australian Shepherd they pegged at four. "The little one there is Juna. We found her and Kima there in a raid. They're the only ones left that made it." She sighed, shaking the bad memories from her mind. "Juna was only about eight weeks old when we got her, and we can't figure out why she hasn't been adopted out yet. Usually puppies go fast, but she didn't. They're both cuddle bugs. Juna will get a bit bigger though when she's full grown. Kima's just like her. He loves to cuddle, and both have a medium amount of energy to spare. He won't get any bigger, though. At four years old, he's about as big as he's going to get. Would you like to go in and say hi?"

[EasilyAmused]

“So you work with animals and kids, caring for those in need. You sound like quite a king person. The world could use more people like you.” Curt responded with an honest smile and a friendly nod. His aura radiated with friendliness and welcome-ness as if drawing both people and animals to him with the inviting and warm atmosphere. She didn’t seem too interested in talking with him and to that he was disappointed, and kind of impressed. Most of the time he could get people to forget what they were doing and focus only on him. Except for her. She seemed much more interested in selling him a dog then she did learning about him.

Nodding, he entered the kennel only to be greeted with the 4 year old bounding to him. Bounce Bounce Bounce THUD, the dog kicked off his legs and smacked into Curt, “Whoa!” He called out in surprise followed by intense laughter as Kima began to lick his face. Juna seemed just as excited as she bounce to him and began to find her way smelling and licking his thick brown hair. It had been a long long time since Curt had laughed as hard as he was now. He gently pushed the dogs away/off of him and they began to settle down.

“Well, I see why Juna’s never been adopted,” He stated as he patted the little puppy on her head. “She doesn’t want to leave her best friend.” His chocolate gazed moved to the Shepherd whose tail was banging against the floor. “And you don’t want to leave her either huh?” His voice was playful and happy as he nuzzled his face against Kima’s nose who proceeded to lick him in response. “Are you sure they aren’t on anyone’s adopting list as a pair? Can you adopt a pair?” Turning his gaze up to her, he gave her a questioning innocent look; a look a child would give a teacher when they were excited to learn something new.

[Aerith of Brae]

She found herself blushing a little when he said there needed to be more people like her. Still, though, she only gave him a light smile and a quiet "Thank you" before turning her attention to the kennel. What surprised her was the dogs. Not once had she ever seen them that excited over someone. Usually they were pretty mellow, and Juna tended to be a little nervous with new people. The fact they were both excited and happily wagging their tails was surprising in itself. Still, she couldn't help but giggle a little as the man laughed.

And then he asked about both of them and her heart nearly leaped from her chest. She stared at him, her breath literally catching in her chest as she watched him. Did she dare to hope? Would he really take both of them and keep them together? It took a moment before she finally caught her wits and nodded her head almost way too enthusiastically.

"Adopting both is totally an option!" She beamed. It was like seeing a kid who just got told that if they were really good they'd get the toy they'd always wanted. "Oh, you have no idea how happy that would make us! Er... I mean them. If those two could get adopted out to the same home...Ah, who am I kidding? All three of us would be jumping for joy!" She laughed. Okay, so she got excited about the animals when something really good might happen. Sue her.

[EasilyAmused]

She stopped breathing?! OH NO! What did he do?! He stared up at her, his expression changing to one of concern as she stared down at him. Did he do something weird? Did he make her comfortable!? Did she think he was a weirdo for asking such a question? Was she going to throw him out? Many questions went through his head when he knew that he desperately needed to talk to her about something that was just as important as adopting the dogs!

When she started to nod he let out the breath he had been holding in and her smile seemed to lighten the room. He couldn’t help but grin in return. “Well I’m glad all three of you are jumping for joy because it’s myself included. But it looks like I’ll need another leash.” He said with a chuckle as he rose to his feet. “Can I trust with your help for gathering the essentials I need in order to care for these lovely guys? I’d like to think you have most of these things in the store. And any tips you have would be wonderful.”

“In fact.” He said as he rose from the floor and dusted off his pants, the dogs tails banging against the floor. “I do have some other questions I’d love to ask you Miss Alyssa that do not involve the animals. I don’t wish to take up your time while you’re here but is there any way I could meet you after you’re done with your volunteer work?” His voice was soft, inviting and warm. The bright smile on his face gave off nothing but positivity. “What do you say?”

[Aerith of Brae]

She blinked a little. "Hm? Oh! Um.." She paused as she moved to a small closet and got out a few tags. "Well.. See, the thing is, there's one final stage to the adoption. I have to do a home inspection first, to see if you have the right kind of home for the dogs." She took the tags back to the kennel, placing red tags that had the words "Home Inspection" written on them on the kennel door. She put two, so that the others would know both dogs were being considered, one with each dog's name.

Once that was done, she turned to look at him. "But if you pass the home inspection, I can help you pick out the supplies afterward. So if you want to have that talk on the way to your place, we can. Did you drive here or should we take my car?" She smiled easily at him. Home inspections were something she'd done plenty of times before, so she wasn't too worried about it. Besides, she always had her gun in her purse when she went to home inspections anyway, just in case some sicko tried something. She felt fairly relaxed around this guy, though, so she didn't think she would need it. But better safe than sorry.

[EasilyAmused]

Home inspection? The words buzzed through Curt’s head in surprise. Well, maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing. Maybe this was a good route to use to talk to her. He never believed in a ‘shock tactic’ like some of the other gods. He would always prefer to approach someone calmly and collectively. These were humans; humans can’t handle something as surprising as ‘hey I’m a god and I need your help’. That’s not an everyday experience for a human.

“Okay sure. I, I kind of just ended up here on a whim so I think taking your car would be best.” At that the two left and place once the other front desk girl came back and they walked out of the building. Running a large hand through his hair he climbed into the passenger’s seat of her car and buckled in, doing his best to hide his excitement for being in a human vehicle. Boy! The things humans can do without magic is truly remarkable. “So I answered a bunch of questions from you and you’re willing to answer some of mine,” He asked playfully, his voice filled with excitement, “Great, so my first question is… On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate your willingness to help those in need. I’d obviously give you a ten because you’re helping me get not one but two new additions to my life! But… I’d like to hear your own personal opinion.”

[Aerith of Brae]

Once Ann had gotten back to the front desk, she asked him where he lived and informed her that she was off to a home inspection. The car she drove wasn't really anything fancy. Just a decent looking little four-door car in light blue. She punched the address into the GPS system in her car and began following it as he spoke. She laughed a little when he began asking her questions, keeping her eyes on the road. Except for a surprised glance when he asked her how helpful she thought she was. Her expression grew serious again as she watched the road, considering his question.

"That's kind of a tough question." She spoke honestly after a while. "I mean... I try to help when I can, but sometimes there's nothing I can do. Though I thank you for the volunteered ten, I can't really rate myself that high. There's always someone who needs help. Kids at the hospital need to be saved, but all I can do is try to help ease the pain and occasionally make them smile. Animals are always getting hurt. People go hungry and homeless. I'd put myself more at a six than a ten. I help when I can, but sometimes there just isn't enough time, or money, or resources, to help the way I wish I could. Most of the time I just feel helpless, really."

[EasilyAmused]

Was this a bad way to approach this? Curt couldn’t help but question his tactics. Simply because he thought it was the smartest way to begin presenting exactly what he would be asking from her. However, after the long silence she finally spoke. Her answer was surprisingly honest and clear. Sure there were times when there’s nothing you can do about a situation and limitations can cause problems but even so; a six seems a bit too low.

“On that same note, another question.” He said with a nod as he ran a large hand through his hair before stroking his chin. “If a problem arises and there was a solution that would require effort to figure, would you be more apt to continue the hunt for the solution? Or would you left the problem for someone else to take care of?”

[Aerith of Brae]

Well, he was a curious sort, wasn't he? She couldn't help but laugh a little at the question, though. That one was easier for her to figure out than the other one. "Well, I'm not one to give up on things to be honest. Truthfully? I'm probably a bit too stubborn sometimes when it comes to that." She stopped at a red light and patted her thigh on her right leg. "I have a scar here because of not giving up on problems. We had a dog come into the shelter once that was extremely aggressive toward people, but I could tell it was only because he was afraid." She started to drive again. "So I climbed into the kennel with him. He bit me, of course, but I just sat there and let him growl and bite until he let go despite Anna screaming her head off. Cost me about thirty stitches, but it was worth it when he got adopted."

She smiled at the memory. She'd done what she felt was right. "And you wanna know a secret? That dog that bit me? He's a local hero. Turns out, he stopped the woman he got adopted by from getting mugged by chasing off the attackers." She giggled at that. "It's kinda funny, isn't it? Going through all that pain just for a dog? But the way I see it, if a problem is worth my time to fix, then I'm going to find the solution no matter what happens. Of course the last time I said that I ended up with a hole in my leg." She laughed again.

[EasilyAmused]

“So you’re never one to give up it sounds like.” Curt repeated with a genuine smile on his face. His smile was as bright as the sun itself and white like a cloud in the sky. He truly did radiate with the charisma that is a god. There was no denying that but, Curt would much rather not be a god despite his current situation. But that is another story for another time.

The mansion soon came into view. “Oh, we’re here already. Great.” His voice sounded like there was some disappointment in it as they parked in front of the walkway. “Well come on inside and I’ll give you the grand tour.”

“There are 7 bedrooms in this house. 9 bathrooms, a basement with 2 rooms, a sitting room a dining room and a kitchen. The back yard is fenced in and there’s a greenhouse.” Climbing out of the car he waited for her to get to the door before he opened it.

Greeting them when they entered was an elegant staircase. “We’ll start with the basement, simple enough right?” He said with a grin as he opened a nearby door and went down the stairs. The basement was just a simple hallway with a door on each side. He opened both doors and waited in the hallway for her to finish her inspections. Each room had a couch, a few chairs and a good size pool. One pool was purple and the other was golden. Once she was done they ventured back upstairs. First he showed her the sitting room, which led into the dining room and on the other side dining was the kitchen. From the kitchen was a beautiful glass door leading outside into the massive back yard.

After that they went upstairs and he proceeded to open the doors to the rooms that his roommates stayed in, lucky for him no one was home so it was much less awkward; mainly because some of the other gods were overbearing and would demand she start to work with them right away. Then he opened the last door, “And this is my bedroom.” The door revealed his bedroom, comfortable and modern with his own attached bathroom.

“Is there anything else you need to see?” He asked leaning against the door frame, crossing his large arms over his broad chest and tilting his head to one side. A happy smile on his face and his dark eyes twinkling.

[Aerith of Brae]

When they pulled up to the address, Alyssa nearly fell over in pure shock. That wasn't a house, it was a freaking mansion! So, it took her a few minutes before she was able to get out of the car and follow him in. It wasn't just the outside that was impressive. The whole place was. She followed behind him silently as he gave her the tour, too stunned to really make any comments. Hell, she was barely able to keep up sometimes due to staring at all the splendor of the mansion. Two pools inside the house, massive rooms, a huge yard that was completely fenced in. What kind of work did he say he did again?

She was still staring into his bedroom when she realized they had stopped for several minutes now. She blinked, looking to Curt with an awed expression. For a long while, she stared at him. Her head tilted to the side slightly as she studied him. She couldn't figure it out. There was just something...not human about this guy. She didn't know why she could sense it, but she did. Her brows furrowed and she finally shook her head as if shaking thoughts from her mind. She laughed, her cheeks turning a bit flushed as she rubbed the back of her head.

"You know... I could have just looked at the yard and the main parts of the mansion." She laughed. "I...think it's safe to say that you passed the home inspection."

Jeez... and I thought my place was a dump before. This is ridiculous. She thought to herself. She could clearly picture the run down apartment complex she lived in. A one bedroom apartment that cost her half her check every month on rent and utilities. So this was the sort of place a rich person lived in, huh? She almost laughed again. She never thought she'd so much as set foot in a place like this, let alone get a tour of one.