( This is about 2-3 years late in the posting ;P Many thanks to the player of Kairee for putting up with me for so long!! )

It was almost 7, and Alper's chauffeur should have been arriving at Kairee's estate to pick her up.

He was making the finishing touches on dinner; being unoriginal he made his favorite meal consisting of Firinda Pilic Kizartmasi (Roasted chicken) and Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye (Fresh beans with olive oil) with Elmali Kurabiye (Turkish apple turnover) for dessert. It was tasty and since she had never experienced Turkish food, it would be the perfect dish.

His dining room table was set for two sitting across from each other. Wine glasses were out and several bottles of wine littered on the table. He pulled the salad and several dressings out of the fridge and set them on the table. Going back to the kitchen, he opened up one oven to eye the chicken, then to the other oven to peek in on the apple turnover.

Kairee's mansion, also known as the Royal Embassy of Appleburg, is situated in the older part of towne. The limo driver drove slowly through cobbled stone streets that seemed no wider than a cart path.

He was kept at the gate by armored, sword wielding men. His wait was not long before the doors opened and Kairee strode forth. Her dress short and tailored draped her curvaceous form like liquid black; shimmering iridescent green or purple with every shift and move.

Unfelt and unseen, she reached out with the arcane to scan both the driver and the alchemical mechanical transport. Finding only the base desire stirring in the loins of the driver, she winked to him as he held the car door open for her. A amused smile played along her lips as he took a long ogling gaze at her splendiferous legs.

********************

Finding herself at Alper's door just "on time", she rapped three times.

Alper had just taken the chicken out of the oven and onto a platter when he heard the rapping of her knuckles. Lifting the platter, he moved back for the dining room to drop off the platter in the middle of the table.

Absently, he wiped his hands on his apron, which read "Kiss the Cook", before pulling it off and hanging it up on the coat rack. He took a deep breath then swung up the door to greet Kairee with a devilish smile.

"Good evening beautiful, I was almost worried you wouldn't make it." He led her into his humble abode, gesturing to take her jacket for her if she did have one. "I hope you aren't vegetarian."

Kairee met the opening of the door with a dazzling smile. Her eyes dipped down and then up as she admired Alper. Strolling in at his invitation, her eyes swept over his abode, using both her physical and arcane sight.

They say that you aren't really paranoid if someone is actually after you, by that measure, Kairee isn't paranoid. You don't get to be as powerful as she is or live as long if you don't have a healthy respect for the cleverness of one's enemies.

"I've been called many things, babes, but never a vegetarian." She responded with a soft chuckle and wink "You have a charming apartment, babes"masculine and understated. It suites you."

His own eyes looked her up and down appreciatively in turn, foliage hues twinkling with mischief.

"Good. And thank you, doll." With a hand on the small of her back, he gestured to the dining room table. "Please, follow me."

He led her to the dining room, pulling out the chair at the end of the table for her to sit in.

"Would you like some wine to start of with' I've got some Turkish wines; L"l, is a ros"/blush, Kavaklidere's Bornova Misketi is a white wine, and Yakut's Papazkarası is a tasty red wine, all from home."

"Surprise me, babes." She smiled sitting in the chair, "It's your party and you are the expert in the various delights of your native cusine. Tell me, Alper, did you cook and prepare by yourself?" her fingers trail along the edge of the set table, "I don't sense other minds here".no sign of servants."

The knife whirred as he cut some delicate slices for Kairee, carefully placing them on her plate. "I deal with the construction ad distribution of planes, autos, boats, home durables and foods. We deal with all sorts of financing, energy research, information technology and research and development, defence and tourism. Nothing too exciting, really."

The whirring resumed as he cut his own slices of chicken, placing them onto his plate.

"We expanded to Rhy"Din to because it is one of the conglomerates to all of the universe. We could attract more business here, and find more places to reach out to. Though, frequently I find myself everywhere but here."

Then with tongs, he got some of the fresh beans in olive oil and placed some on both plates before returning to his seat.

"It's called "Firinda Pilic Kizartmasi and Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye." I hope you like it," he smiled pleasantly, gesturing for her to take a bite. "So tell me then, what is that you do?"

"Oh fun!" Kairee laughed as she became fascinated by the electric knife, "Do you enchant those as well?" she pointed to the whirring blade. "I've never seen anything like that."

When Alper set the knife down, Kairee reached for it to examine it more closely.

Alper laughed in amusement at her comment. "It is actually battery powered," he responded, resuming his seat.

"And so' Many enchantments are powered by power gems." pushing thebutton and laughing as the blades saw and whirr.

He blinked, considering that. "That is true" but we just call it technology, not magic. I suppose that is about the same."

Still amused but the electric knife, Kairee reluctantly lays it on the table.

"I have found technology to be a specialized sub-discipline of Ritualism. All the component parts have to be shaped just so and assembled in the correct order and manner for the device to work. Of course, the more advanced technologies seem to be more arcane than the simple automatons that require the labor of man to work properly." She explained as she ate, "These "technologies", such as your amusing carving knife, tread into the realm of witchcraft, unless they are powered through an enchantment or an enchanted item."

(he might note that she views witchcraft as something separate from "enchantments")

He listened to her explanation with renewed interest. "That is definitely a different way of looking at it. Though, I do not know exactly what you mean by witchcraft. Care to elaborate?" he asked before taking a few bites of his food.

"Witchcraft is a lesser magic. It is ritualistic and only used by those without any real arcane power of their own." Kairee explained simply but then elaborated believing Alper is probably not as well versed in the intricacies of the Arcane, "A Witch, babes, isn't a Mage. Magi naturally draws ambient power into themselves and can store it. It's from that personal store that they draw in order to power their spells. The amount of power a mage can hold within and "let's say "process" is a key component to the mage's "hmmmm"for lack of a better word, let's use "power." The more magic the mage can store and process, the more powerful the mage is. Witches, on the other hand, do not have a personal power-store and if they do, it is so small as to be pitiful. They need to draw the arcane out of other items. Hence their rituals. Because they can't store power, they need to trap it in other items that they then use".such as wands and potions".even brooms?" Kairee shrugs, "Mages can also draw power from other objects to use but the primary difference is that they do not need to do so. Magi also have a wide range of arcane disciplines they can practice and specialize in. Witches do not have that ability either; they are left only Ritualism. Their specialty falls under the term Witchcraft".at least in the tradition to which I adhere. Does that answer your question, Sweetpea?"

He listened in enraptured silence. He had never heard it put that way, but it made a lot of sense to him. "Infinitely. That makes a lot of sense when it is put that way." He drew a sip from his wine glass. "How long have you been a mage?"

Kairee's laughter was light and genuine; her smile as always dazzled. "All my life. You can only be born a mage, babes. If you are asking when did I started mastering the arcane, I very young."It wasn't a boast and seemed uncharacteristically humble in tone. "Was that not the same for you? You were born to business and started mastering it as a child standing at your father's knee, is it not so?"

"That is what I meant." He chuckled, giving a lopsided smile. "I suppose we are not so different in that sense, no?" He swirled the contents of his glass thoughtfully. "Mages advance through certain levels of expertise, yes?"

"Or they blow up." Smirks.

Blinks. "Spontaneous combustion' Is that normal??

Alper's reaction was all that Kairee hoped for; the look on his face was priceless.

"Uh huh." doubt evident. "I have been deeply in love myself...more than once, but never at the same time." Awry smile before her eyes dropped to watch as she swirledthe wine in her glass, "In those times, I had no desire to be with anyone else and would not tolerate my lover being with another." a slight shrug, "Of course, if he had desired to be with another it would signal to me that he did not truly love me, though he may believe otherwise." she looked up to Alper, "If that had happened, I would have let him go as he desires another enough not to want me exclusively. If he truly loved, he would choose without my requiring it."

He rose a brow at her evident doubt. "Some people grow up in households where things like multiple spouses is normal. I try to keep an open mind. I have several mothers; my father could be considered to have his own harem. Maranya comes from the same sort of upbringing. I would prefer one spouse because it's less trouble, and less money. I divide myself enough for work, I wish not to for my love life."

Kairee shrugs,"There are many kinds of affection....and as you know..multiple spouses doesn't necessarily mean there is truelove involve..perhaps only like or a deeper affection or convience. i have not seen such a polyamorous relationship where in every participant loves deeply and unconditionally. But i grant you, not everyone needs such depth of emotion to find enou happines and satisfaction in their arrangements."

"No, it does not. Usually multiple marriages is for money, or status. But I know my father loves my mother deeply, but his most recent wife is also extremely dear to him. Who am I to condemn him for who he loves or marries?" a soft smile and a swirl of the wine before he drew an absent sip. "I suppose they don't. So why are you not married yet' A woman of your status, taste, and beauty surely should have found a suitable spouse by now, yes?"

"Married?" Kairee laughed at the thought."Babes, I hope you don't presume there is an authority over me who I require to sanction my relationship." She sipped her wine, "But if you are asking me if I have ever given my heart to one exclusively"..yes, I have. I have loved enough to be in a committed relationship".twice"..but not at the same time"otherwise it would not be exclusive or committed."

"Of course not," he replied smoothly, watching her over the bridge of his fingertips. "You've mentioned this already. Do you miss either of them?"

"Of course....sometimes acutely so...but other times, not at all.....well, it would be more appropriate to say that I am no longer conscious of how much I miss them but there are those moments."

"I can understand that," he nodded, glancing to the grandfather clock briefly before he rose from his seat. "Would you care for dessert?" he asked, a diminutive smile curling.

"Would you rather I leave?"

He laughed outloud. "I wouldn't kick you out if you didn't want dessert. We could move to the sitting room where it is more comfortable and continue getting to know one another. So yes, dessert?"

"Dessert,yes." Kairee stands from the table, "It was the glance to your timepiece that caused me to wonder if you are growing weary of my company." A teasing smile as she starts to clean her plate from the table.

He laughed genuinely. "I look at the time habitually. You've seen me in the inn. I really ought to begin wearing watches?" A grin curved before he turned back to the kitchen to check on the pie. The timer was seconds from chirping, so he shut the timer off then put on his oven mitts to pull the pie out and let it cool on the stovetop.

The oven was shut off and mitts replaced before her turned back to the dining room to begin his ritual of removing the left over dinner items and saran-wrapping them before storing them in the fridge. A glance up to Kairee as she picked up their dishes. "That isn't necessary, beautiful, but I thank you."

"Hon, I don't just do things that are necessary, I do things I want." Winking as she brushes past him bringing her plates to the kitchen.

Laughs again. "I do not doubt that in the least." He looks back to the table, grabbing the last bit of food and saran wrapping them before placing them in the fridge.

Setting the plates and whatever else needed to be removed fromt he table into the sink Kairee commented, "I've never gotten use to being helpless or pampered." she started washing the dishes, "I've always done things for myself. I never had the luxury of....luxury...until I was well into my power and by that time, I was very....comfortable....in my independence. One of the most difficult things I've found in ruling Appleburg is the plethora of servants and courtiers who insist on doing things for me." Kairee glanced to Alper, "Are you just now seeking lessons in true independence by living so.......frugally"

An affable shrug of his shoulders. "I grew up pampered, and I hated it. I like to do things for myself, I am not handicapped, you know?" he asked as he reached into a cabinet to withdraw two dessert plates and coffee cups. "Would you like some coffee with dessert' I have a bag of a decadent dark roast from Turkey."

Kairee nods at his words but makes no further comment about her life.

"And so......?"

"So what...Buttons?" he grinned again, fondly remembering his grandmother's little joke with 'so".

A curious tilt of her head at his words, "I've not heard that phase before....what does it mean?" a simple question asked simply without any normal teasing or humor lurking. "You seem to find it funny.....but it is lost to me in our cultural difference"

He opened his mouth to explain, and instead only chuckled in mild amusement. "Just something my grandmother used to say to me every time I said 'so". It's silly, just a play on words."

A warm smile, "Tell me about her....and of all your family."

Eyes her in amusement. "You wish to know about my family' I could go on for hours about them, you know" I have a large family."

"is there a reason you will not speak of them?" Teasing right back.

"None other than the fact it will take hours. Are you prepared to be bored to death?"

"Do you think I can be killed?" a cheshire grin, "Or that easily?"

"You can't be killed?" musing gently as he gives an up and down look. "That easily' Hmm, I hadn't thought about it but now that you mention it' are you immortal?"

His question was met with a round of laughter, "If I weren't, would you expect me to mention it?" she teased with a wink. "But it's a good question and the answer depends on what you mean by immortal. There is a school of thought, quite proven actually, that after the body dies, the spirit lives on....of course whether that spirit is able to retain itself is key to the answer....assuming your definition of immortal included the post-body phase of existence."

Soft grin for her. "Probably not." Leans back in his seat, stretching his arm out along the top of the chair. "So you're saying immortality is the ability of your soul to live on after physical death, and the ability to retain itself?"

"Only if you can retain your sense of self and don't let your consciousness dissipate.....most people don't have a choice. Physical death is very....." a pause to find the right word, "....disruptive."

Makes a face. "This is why I'm not sure if I ever wish to grow old and die." Then tapping his chin thoughtfully. "It is disruptive to the soul, you mean, right?"

"Yes, the soul is as good a word as ever. Who you are is more than your "fleshy anchor" as I have heard the physical form called. Your soul is the sum total of your energy, your mind, your total "Being." Death, from what I have studied and observed, is so......unsettling..." a ghost of a smile at her choice of words, "That your sanity....your mind....is ruptured. What remains wanders lost until it returns to the Nexus or is consumed by another entity,such as a demon, or is trapped....perhaps by a Necromancer. There are a myriad of dangers for a 'lost soul'."

He blinked at this new bit of information. "One's soul can be consumed by another entity or trapped?" A hand rose to scratch at the side of his face absently. "What causes a soul to be lost' And when it gets to the Nexus, is that like a haven or do you believe in reincarnation?"

"A lost soul is a soul confused....and if the soul returns to the Nexus, babes, it returns to the Nexus. It ceases to exist. It's Ordered Form returns to the Chaos from which all things come."

"Huh, never looked at it that way." Alper studied Kairee with a pensive expression before his lips curled into an appeased grin. "You know, had I known I would be entertained so well by learning from you, I would have invited you to dinner before."

"Why didn't you, babes" Afraid your lover would be angry?" A teasing yet good natured smirk.

"Mm, I doubt she would. She has other means of occupation to satisfy her attention. Maybe I was too busy, or maybe I was intimidated by your wanton beauty." Roguish wink for her, returning her smirk with a modest one of his own.

"You wouldn't be the first!" she quipped, her tone merrily light, "But I don't believe you. You are too even tempered, too grounded, to be so readily flustered by a pretty woman among a plenitude of pretty women. And I...I am to jaded to take a man who makes such claims seriously." Kairee concluded with a wink. A tilt of her head, "I do believe that you are shy and perhaps fear rejection and so are very selective as to who you do share honest feelings of desire. Am I very wrong?"

"I'm not surprised that I'm not the first." Low, rumbling chuckle was followed by a simple shrug of his shoulders, like he didn't know to what she referred. "Don't believe me then." A pensive look before he responded to her question. "I'm not sure about the shy or the fear of rejection part, but sure, I am selective. I should be, lots of secrets that could be spread to the public to harm my reputation." Playful grin as he winked right back at her.

"I wouldn't worry about reputation. I never do. People will believe whatever they want to believe about you irregardless of the truth. If they like you, they will always think better of you, and if they dislike you, they will always think the worst. And if someone chooses to think about you based on what others say instead of personal experience, then their opinions aren't worth very much after all." "Huh, spoken like a true queen," he mused. "People do think what they want, and I suppose you can't keep everyone happy. This is precisely why I hate politics." He had to chuckle, then, glancing toward the clock. "Ah, how late I have managed to keep you," grinning at her, "It seems like you had only arrived just a few minutes ago."

"I have been told that people lose all sense of time when with me." Kairee gracefully stands, "Are you sending me away?" her voice teasing and yet seductive. Its so hard to tell if she really means what others read into her tone and manner, "Or is the night as young for you as it is for me?"

Alper grinned at Kairee, rising when she does and soothing out the creases in his slacks. "I only send away those who wish to be sent away! But alas, I do have work to attend to in the morning, no matter how young I find this night...Though, I suppose, it's the type of tired I'd yearn for, the kind that's worth it." He winked roguishly at her.

"All work and no play makes Alper a boring boy." she smirked and offered her hand. "I enjoyed our night together, babes. Perhaps next time you will be more relaxed. Sweet dreams...don't let the burden of work weary your mind."

The corners of his mouth twitched as he took her hand in his and elegantly lifted it to brush his lips along the back of her knuckles. "I enjoyed it, as well, and next time, I hope to be. I'll have to ensure myself a good night's sleep next time we meet." Alper winked again and smiled. "I'll try not to, and I have you have sweet dreams as well." Alper held out the crook of his arm so he could walk her to the door.

The corners of his mouth twitched as he took her hand in his and elegantly lifted it to brush his lips along the back of her knuckles. "I enjoyed it, as well, and next time, I hope to be. I'll have to ensure myself a good night's sleep next time we meet." Alper winked again and smiled. "I'll try not to, and I have you have sweet dreams as well." Alper held out the crook of his arm so he could walk her to the door.

As easy as her manner is, as dazzling as her smile may be, Kairee still held herself in reserve. It was a charming evening with a charming man and no more than that.

She liked him. There was depth to him yet to be plumbed. He was unlike others who spew their life story out within the first 30 seconds of meeting. He did not wear his emotions openly nor did he let lose his mind to wander aimless, carried by the tide of emotion.

Too bad he wasn't a mage.

However, he may yet prove more entertaining ....in time.....

Taking his hand she glided to the door to which he led. With a wink she passed through it before his hand could even reach the knob.

Should he open the door to watch her leave, he will be disappointed to learn she vanished as fully as a waking man's dream come the dawn.