#anywhere

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At a nice little house in Kansas City, a taxi pulls up and a short, stout man gets out, pays the driver, and takes his bag up the walk to the door and let himself in.

A set of eyes peeks from the househouse window... as the cab pulls up.

And as the certain figure opens the door, six young men who are members of a fraternity, and one veryy confused den mother slip past him wearing togas.. JUST togas.

As tired as he is, that still surprises him. He stands with the keys in his outstretched hand.

Some get into the taxi he just left, others get into a beat up car and drive off.

A weary blink. "Been entertaining, have we?"

"You left" CC says as if that explains. She has taken this time to get showered very fast and put on a nice blouse and skirt. She kisses him and guides him in.

"We agreed, Dearest." He reminds her, setting his bag down. Yeah, he's -definitely- frayed around the edges, but he found his way home!

"Of course we did," She gives him a kiss, and gives him a rush of glamour. It tastes of toga fantasies and youthful energy. Why one might think she mused RIGHT before he came back to unfray him.

He sucks it in without shame. "Oh my......."

"Better" she straightens his collar, "how'd it go?"

"And do you want food?"

"Successfully, of course."

"Of course, never had a doubt- but regale me with glorious details of your cleverness, darling." She does not seem sarcastic even if she does engage in hyperbole.

"Mmmm..." He drops onto the couch. "Hardest part, really, was reforging old contacts. Tracking down the friend of a friend, you know. Once that was done, it was a matter of discretion and payment." A stiff shrug. "Simple."

"By Payment, and reforging...." She takes his shoes off as they talk, satyrs, having hooves, are big believers in freedom of feet.

"you have still established certain boundaries about what you're NOT getting back into, right?" Worried

He watches her with a certain glint in his eye. "I did my best, Dearest."

"I .... might owe a favor. Or two." Off-hand. No big deal.

"Details, oh man of mine, details." She undoes his tie and puts it away in a place of honor

"Well, payment is a matter of subjectivity. And discretion can be costly."

"Well, subject me to details then about the cost"

Still listening she prepares him a drink

A sigh as he watches her. "Without naming names, I was able to get all the false identities and associated work for $150,000, 50 pieces of dross, and the promise of three favors owed."

"you Should have taken me with you..." She sets the drink in his hand, "id have knocked that down by $10000, 5 dross...and let's face it, I can be a favor all by myself."

Despite her fussing she arranges little pillows and fusses.

"I am your lover, not your pimp."

She leans back and looks at him, "Bill. I'm not sure if you're trying to be noble or being snippy there. First off... who said anything about sex... you know very well I can be charming without delivery. Second...."

He sips appreciatively. "Bad enough you felt compelled to give those willworkers tastefully intimate pictures....." Grumble.

"if I accidentally insulted you by suggesting I could have helped you in negotiations...." A blink "is THAT what this is a bout?"

"Certainly not, you're a powerful negotiator, I agree."

"Honey, if you didn't want me to give those pictures, you should have said so..." She fusses and strokes his ear, "I never want to hurt you you know that. "

He sighs. "It's not that. Exactly. It's fine you did, as long as -you- are ok with it."

He sets the glass down to stretch, ending up with an arm around her. He takes up the glass again with his other hand. "You would indeed have been an asset on the trip, but one of us had to mind the store."

She snuggles in, "Well, what is it exactly?"

"I prefer to keep you at some distance from these people."

"I know, and that's irritating.Somedays you're worse than a troll"

"Hmmph."

"Baby, you know very well that I worked with the shadow court, back when the court meant something too and wasn't just a brainwashed cult masquerading as a political movement. I did things novelists write horror fiction about. It's a bit late to protect my innocence, and way too late to keep me from dangerous people"

"I can keep you from -these- folk. Perhaps." Dryly.

"How can the man who fell in love with how dangerous I am, at least in part, forget that very same quality. Darling, they don't want to cross me." And she sings "Anything you can do, I can do meaner. I can do anything meaner than you."

A wink.

A chuckle. "I have no doubt of that, Dearest, honestly. But as I said, one of us had to stay and mind the Club, and the little flame inside that hidden closet, yes?"

"Caesar can guard it for us if need be, or others I trust. My point remains if you try to protect me or it to the determent of your own freedom and safety it's going to just cause me to clean up later and then it ALL get s endangered anyway"

"Yes, Dearest."

"So help me if I thought for sure you were just saying that to shuh me up you'd be wearing that drink." A bit of satyr passion

He sets the drink down, leaning to move it to safety before turning to her with a wicked twinkle.

She laughs at that

An unrepentant grin. "I do not regret you staying here, as we -agreed- you would. But I did miss you."

"You better have" she says "Now, would you like the spy reports?"