((November 8, 2014))

It had been a busy night for a certain redhead. She sprawled gracelessly in the plain wooden chair in the sparse back room of Midnight Oils, a store that was technically a stationary boutique and one that she was technically the manager of. Truly, though, she had become the lynchpin of a thriving information-trading business - a role Arlen had performed before his untimely demise. He also previously had charge of another duty beneath that and she had taken his place in that manner, as well. And she had just sent off the latest petitioner, shooing the tired man with the empty promise of reviewing his case to see if they could assist him. Her eyes closed as she let her head fall back over the chair.


Tanya, on the other hand, was standing behind the counter in the front room, like she did every working night, and frowned at the man's retreating back. Where in the hells were they going? And why did they look so weary when they came out? Sighing, she checked the store, then walked over to give the office door a faint knock. "Jaycy? You alright in there?"


"Hrm?" Jaycy sighed, lifting her head again at the sounds issuing from the other side of the door. "Be right there, hon." She pitched her voice to carry through the deceptively thin door; this back room was well-soundproofed. Slowly she eased up to a standing position and padded for the door, opening it and slipping through. "Sorry, Tanya, did I forget something again?" Her cheeks colored faintly pink as she offered the young lady a sheepish grin. She was dressed as she normally did at the store - a flowy, fluttery blouse over dark trousers that drifted like silk around her legs, her silver-streaked red hair curled in loose artistic tangles.


Call her kooky, but Tanya wasn't buying it this time. Standing there and looking down with folded arms, one foot tapping. "Okay. What's the deal here?"


Jaycy paused in the middle of closing the door behind her, blinking owlishly. It seemed as if she, in fact, didn't understand what Tanya meant by the blunt question. "Erm, huh?" Her hand continued to draw the door nearer to shut it, an automatic reaction to leaving the area. "Deal where?" Brows knit in a frown as she tried to decipher the words, flush fading as embarrassment did.


"Oh come on, Jaycy. I'm not infuriatingly smart like mom is, but I'm not stupid. This place isn't all it seems to be. So what's the deal? What's going on?" Tap tap tap.


Oh. Jaycy?s face cleared and she chuckled a little - ruefully, perhaps - and moved behind the cashier's counter. A quick survey assured her that they were alone, and she had hope that situation would remain for at least the next several moments. "I trade in information," she admitted matter-of-factly. "Those you see come in to either give or get intelligence." She quirked a small grin. "Meet with what you were expecting?"


Tanya took the necessary time to digest that information, then nodded. "Okay. That's a better cover story than a sordid sex ring. I mean, the place doesn't even smell like you broke a sweat or anything like that." Managing to hide her annoyance of the double-check (since she understood that it's just the way brokers think), she nodded again. "Okay. So now what?"


"Um, we restock the shelves, if needed?" Jaycy chuckled again. "I'm not sure how you mean, hon." A shrug, then. "Does knowing what else I do change your opinion of me or your work here? Do you want to leave?" Her head canted left as she studied the girl and her nonverbal reactions to the new 'state' of things.


"No. Like I said, you aren't pulling any freaky smexy stuff while I'm stuck up here." Tanya had been fairly diligent about keeping things up to snuff while people came and went. "I've ... dealt with worse. Than information, I mean."


"I assure you, Tanya, there is no sexual play going on here." The words held a little more force than Jaycy expected and more than she wanted to impart to the woman. There was a history there that either implied she had done things involving a sexual component before - here or somewhere else, but likely elsewhere - or that she was overly sensitive of not wanting to cause hurt because of Tanya's mother. "Any sexual play - and it would be nothing but play among friends and lovers - would take place ? at ho ? well?" she amended, "? elsewhere." A tiny smile reappeared, and so did the rosy cheeks. "Are you comfortable with that?"


"Hey, it's cool. I just didn't want to be the one stuck out here like a spare tire, that's all." Tanya found somewhere to sit, and did so, utterly unladylike. "Really, I don't care who you do whatever with or where."


"I wouldn't do that to anyone. I do have to ask you to still never go in that room unless I ask you to, especially if I'm in there with someone." Leaning against the counter, Jaycy lifted her hand up to cover her mouth as a yawn escaped. "Not surprisingly, the people who come in there value privacy. And the less you know, the less you can tell." The last was said with the same frankness as her admission of work. She paused, then, watching Tanya before continuing. "You said you've dealt with worse. Do you want to talk about it?" Her voice gentled, inviting confidence while seeking the measure of the lady.

It seemed the couple were just browsing and window-shopping, until Tanya planted the idea in the other woman's mind of cute little love letters on this type of stationery with this color of ink. After that, she just had to have it. A few coins exchanged later, and she stood there at the counter watching the couple depart.


"That was well done," Jaycy approved at the conclusion of the encounter. "Well done indeed." She coupled the praise with an approving smile. "And your reward, m'lady," she grinned, offering the water bottle.


"Thanks!" Tanya blushed, beaming with a little pride. Though, really ... " She dropped into a conspiratorial murmur. "Did you see that ass? Gods!" Hey, no filter, right?


Jaycy laughed outright, then, opening her own bottle of water after Tanya took hers. "His or hers? They made quite the pair," she noted, chuckling and taking a long drink of water.


Twisting the cap off, Tanya brought up the bottle, but spoke just before she drank. " ... both ... "

"Mmm." Suspicions confirmed in one respect, Jaycy gazed at the door after them. "I liked hers a little better. I? well. I'd better stop now. Battery fund and all." She risked teasing, just a little, but didn't turn so much an inch in Tanya's direction. Never fear, though, she was still watching her.


There was a slight groan, and Tanya visibly twitched at the jawline. "I thought you were married? I mean, all that sordid sex trade BS is just that, right?" Obviously, she'd totally spaced the stuff from earlier, other than being told it wasn't happening. That was mainly due to not wanting to mull it over.


"Sex trade BS?" Jaycy shifted to face Tanya again, brows furrowed. "I'm sorry I have to keep asking you what you mean, but ? well. I don't want to assume." She paused, then answered the other question. "Aye, Psly and I are married. But traditionally, we still share pleasure - play - with others. We both have had lovers, either separately or sometimes together. There is no trade, no money or exchange in it other than mutual enjoyment."


"Oh." Tanya slumped into a seat, a visible tinge around her collarbone as she nibbled her lip. "Um, okay. No, I meant that stuff I was talking ... wait, yannowat? Forget I mentioned that." The flush rose to her cheekbones as she gulped down more water, before finally giving voice to a brooding question. "You share him? And he shares you?"


Jaycy sighed, looking down briefly. "I'm sorry, hon. I didn't mean to upset you, nor make you uncomfortable. No filter." She added the last a moment later with a whisper of a wry grin. "I will try to keep quieter about such things." Even though Tanya really was the one to start it, and could possibly do it again. Not answering the last questions.


"No, no no, totes my fault. I mean, yeah, you're just ... being honest, right? I can deal with that." Hastily, Tanya stood, subconsciously smoothing out the knee-length skirt. Clearing her throat, she picked up the cap to her water bottle, and started heading back to the counter.


"Honest, aye." jaycy nodded and finally answered the two incredulous queries. "Aye, if you want to call it sharing. Hon, we're bound by more than just marriage; the two of us are bound soul and blood. The only way we will ever be apart is if one of us dies. We see no wrong in sharing physical pleasures with others. We know, always, who is in our hearts - and it is each other. Everyone we would make love to knows this, has to know this, and has to accept it. And if they are involved with others, the other needs to accept it as well. There are no secrets, no hurt feelings."


That little revelation made Tanya stumble a little. "Oh ... wow. That's ... yeah, I don't think you have that, where I'm from. That's why there's all the stories."


"All the stories about what?" Jaycy?s grin this time was again wry. "Just what did I do, where you're from?"


"I never knew you personally, there. Just a knife in the shadows is what all the stories said. But from what I heard, you killed. A lot, and often."


Jaycy took a long drink from the bottle of water, draining almost half of it. "I see," she finally said, with a private little smile. "Well, that is not what I do, here." Do, present tense. Not did, of course. But it was up to Tanya to figure out that careful little wordplay.


"No, I guess not. Your guy ... well ... " Tanya ducked her head a little. "His name. Was on the plaque."


"Sometimes his name could be on such a plaque here too," Jaycy teased, attempting to lighten the mood temporarily. "Especially when he's in his dragon form and snoring. That shakes the entire house!"


Breathing a little sigh of relief, Tanya nodded with a faint smile. "I gotta say though ... seeing him walk in here sometimes?" She puckered her lips and blew out a gust of air. "Whooo."


"Oh?" Jaycy encouraged mildly, sipping. Go on, she silently added.


"I could hate you for that." Not really, is what her smile's saying.


"I should tell him about this," Jaycy returned with an answering grin.


"About what?" Tanya?s voice skipped all the way up to a squeak. "Why?"


Laughing, Jaycy capped the bottle. "Oh, nothing. Just that you seem to be ?. interested ?. in getting to know him better." An impish twinkle glinted in those green-gold eyes. "As a matter of fact, I think it's time I went home to do just that." Words seemed to lie, though, as she didn't make a motion to move from her lean against the counter.


"Oh you bitch." Tanya capped her bottle and laughed. "That's mean!"


"Hey. He's cheaper than batteries." All innocence, that comment.


"Seriously, I haven't gotten any in like ... four months or something. Don't tease me with that." Tanya couldn't help it, and flicked her glance down and back up.


"When's your next day off? Completely, I mean. Both from Rick's and from the tyrant who keeps you slaving here?" Falling serious again, Jaycy pursed her lips. There wasn't any steam, but yes, she was thinking hard.


"Whoa, wait. You're ****in' serious?" Tanya had to sit down. "No ****in' way. You are not telling me that's part of the benefits package."


"No, no," Jaycy hastened to deny, putting up a hand. "No, hon. That would be between you and Psly, though if anything were ever to happen it would be with my blessing. But that is between the two of you, and not on my say so." She shook her head. "No, but you said you were learning to drink reasonably. Which I presume means you're starting to go out. So I wanted to go out with you. To lunch. At a place where you might start to meet some other people." She paused, then added with a bit of color to the tips of her gently-pointed ears. "Not, if circumstances were different, would I be adverse to ?. well." She ducked her head.


"Oh!" There's a fine line between relief and disappointment, and here Tanya straddled it. "Okay, yeah. Lunch sounds good ... how about Thursday? I've got plans on Sunday to do laundry and such." But then she blushed. "What, take me out on a date or something?"