The Ace of Spades Experience [Gwen/Leon]

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For the first time in a long time, Leon was finally beginning to transition into something more comfortable. It wasn't just one thing, though. He didn't have to work several low-paying part-time jobs now that he was working for Percy, and he made a friend because of it too. After his first paycheck, he instantly already had enough money to afford a place better than what he already had, and he liked what he was doing, too. Going on unpredictable adventures and testing out amazing new gadgets wasn't half bad seeing as Leon was interested in Percy's work, and he got some good training and mentorship out of it too. It may have all been because of this one person, but his life was beginning to finally have some balance, and for once this entire year he had been loitering around, he felt good. But he didn't know if that's something he should've felt. Leon grew more and more dubious that he'd never go home with each passing day without a word from his family, and he wasn't sure how to feel. He wasn't sure how to feel about his opportunities. One year ago, when he was exiled into this country, his only goal was to return home and live out his destiny as a private soldier for some Bellish bigshot—that was the only thing that kept him going in his shitty living situation. He had told himself that he wouldn't make friends or get favors from anyone because he was so sure that he wouldn't be here for long, but days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, and now he was here. But... here wasn't so bad. In fact, the position he was in now felt so secure and fun that he was beginning to wonder how he'd feel if he abandoned all of this for his true purpose. He was growing more and more okay with the idea of never returning home... and he didn't know how to feel about that. Leon needed a drink, for sure.

Without much deliberation, Leon finally settled on a place to move into. It was a cabin in the outskirts of the River Village, but was much closer to Rose Garden than any of his other options. He also knew some people there that he used to deliver to as part of his old job, so it wasn't out of his comfort zone either. It was nice... but he had to clean it, get moved in, and more importantly...

Maybe I should have brought her with me. It probably wasn't a good idea to leave a puppy alone... there's going to be piss everywhere, I just feel it.

Sipping on a vanilla bourbon near the end of a bar counter was none other than the wolf-eyed Leon, clad in black leather clothing as he had just gotten off of his motorcycle to stop for a drink. It was the early evening, just as the sun was about to set, and he had made this stop just before going to his new place again. Recently, he had come across a dog whose mother had terrorized carriages on a road, ransacking them and scaring the mounts to steal food from unsuspecting travelers. The mother had died, leaving what looked to be a Pergranden Shepherd puppy. So much for a "beast", huh? Anyway, Leon had taken it in but... well, she didn't really have a name yet, but he wanted to keep her. He was a sucker for dogs, after all. But before that, he was still burdened with the thought of his obligations to his family, and he needed a quick drink more than anything else. Just one or two and then he'd drive home from Ace of Spades. It wasn't far.

Leon kept to himself the entire time, watching and listening as everyone else mumbled and bumbled together. It was quite lively, and while it was only a bar, it felt like a club with how much drunken flirting and dancing was going on. Not his kind of thing.

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About an hour ago, Gwen had been walking towards her hotel room in Ace of Spades. She was only in the town for a short time. A few days back, she had taken up a job listing to help an old lady organize her house. So far the two had tackled the woman’s old photos and documents, but there was still much work to be done. Gwen was pretty tired as she wound through the streets, but she also felt invigorated. Helping others was something she had always wanted to do, and here she was, a hired assistant for a few days! Maybe with a little more experience she could join a guild.

A voice calling from down the sidewalk had cut into her daydreaming. “Hey, you’re pretty cute, want to join us in the bar?” The voice belonged to a blonde guy who was leaning up against the outside of a building smoking a cigarette. Another man at his side with brown hair and a leather jacket was peering at her with an eyebrow raised. For most women, getting called over by two strange guys was scary and grounds for getting the heck out of there. But for Gwen, naïve as she was, it seemed no more than a friendly invitation and a chance to meet new people.

The young woman thought for a moment. She was pretty tired from lifting boxes and whatnot today. However, it couldn’t hurt to have a little fun, right? Plus, she’d been wanting to try alcohol for a while now that she was an adult! “Okay!” she replied to the men with a grin, following them into the bar. Music played from speakers around the room that caused a slight vibration in the floor. Quite a few people were here, most of them either at the bar or dancing in an open space on the other side of the room.

Gwen hopped up on a stool at the bar with the guys. They ordered shots, then began peppering her with questions that should have set off alarm bells in her head. Was she alone? Was she from Ace of Spades? Was she single? She answered the questions with enthusiasm, not seeing any issue with what was being asked. To her, it seemed like these guys just wanted to be friends!

A while later, Gwen felt like her head was filled to the brim with honey, her thoughts struggling to swim around in the viscous substance. If thinking wasn’t such a hard activity, she would probably find amusement in the mental image of it. Sounds seemed to register slowly to her, some of them even slightly muted. Her coordination had become awful, causing clumsy stumbles here and there. She remembered being handed some shots, then a very fruity drink by her newfound companions, but she couldn’t recall what it was. If this was what it felt like to be drunk, she didn’t know what to think of it. It made things fun, yes, but she was getting awfully drowsy...

How long had it been since her last drink? How long had she been at this bar? She couldn’t remember. Time was apparently really hard to tell when you’re drunk, a lesson she was learning as the minutes ticked by. All she could think about was trying her best to keep her feet moving in the crowd of dancing people. A few people had glared at her as she moved like she had two left feet. Gwen didn’t pay them any mind.

“Hey, maybe let’s siddown for a minute,” the tiny woman slurred to the two men, furrowing her brow. She took a few steps back towards the bar. Those barstools looked like heaven right now. The floor blurred in and out of her vision. Her arms felt heavy and sluggish. “Hehe, slugs,” she giggled to herself. “My arms are slugs.”

“Nah, let’s keep dancing,” the brunette, nicknamed Brownie by Gwen in her head, replied, pulling her back to the crowd by the arm. He and Blondie were staring at her with predatory gazes, unbeknownst to her. “I think it’s almost kicked in. Once it does let’s get the hell out of here,” Brownie whispered to his friend over Gwen’s head. She heard, but the words didn’t register.

The two were dancing closer and closer to her, surrounding her and separating her from others. She felt the front of Blondie’s jeans scrape against her butt, a sensation that startled her into taking a step forward, where she ended up right in Brownie’s arms. “Oh, someone’s eager,” he flirted with a smirk. Gwen felt his fingers grip uncomfortably tight around her waist. “Ow…” she mumbled.

“What do you say we get out of here and find a place to have a little fun?” Blondie whispered in her ear. She could smell the cigarettes on his breath. The young woman had never been one to realize she was in danger until she was in the thick of it. Wariness and fear weren’t feelings that affected her easily, and it often got her into trouble. Right now she was starting to wonder if Blondie and Brownie really just wanted to be friends like she had assumed...

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Post WC: 868 ❂ Thread WC: 868 ❂ Tagged: @Leon Hoffman  ❂ Job Info: X ❂ Music: Link  

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Bars like this wasn't really his thing. Loud music and rambunctious twenty-somethings grinding up against each other in a drunken stupor only ever seemed to get on his nerves and make his head hurt. It was getting late, too—and that meant everyone was getting off of work and would soon be flooding the bars everywhere in town. He should finish his drink and head back to River Village.

Just as he thought of it, a group of three sat a couple of stools down from him, eager for alcohol and the feminine company. It was so obvious—the way they were fawning over her, but that was pretty typical in scenes like this. The only thing that seemed a little out of place was the girl herself. She didn't look like all of the other girls who typically frequented places like these, let alone the type who looked for this sort of trashy attention. But who was he to judge? Making these sorts of assumptions was the sort of thing Leon hated, so maybe he was better off minding his own business.

Eventually, the trio left for the dance floor, though the girl was... far more intoxicated than the other two. That was a drunken clumsiness that she had, and those men had smirks and prying stares that would make anyone suspicious. It was the waist-grabbing that did it for Leon, and suddenly he couldn't shake off the feeling that in the midst of a swarm of dancing drinkers, something bad was going to happen to that girl if left alone with those two. Leon knew that he told himself that he wouldn't get involved earlier, but there was just something... wrong about this.

With one last swig of his bourbon, he finished his drink and hastily placed a few jewel bills on the counter for payment before marching into the crowd, straight for the trio. He saw their mouths move, and how they leaned over the girl to exchange words, but he didn't hear any of it. Leon didn't hear any of what they said before this—but that hardly mattered. Once he finally weaved through the crowd, Leon was right behind the brunette, and no sooner had that man pulled the girl into his grasp did Leon put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, I'm gonna take the girl home," Leon insisted, staring at him with a narrow gaze. There was no doubt in his head that these two sleezebags were probably predators, but Leon was the one who looked more like a predator right now. His eyes were sharp and bold, almost like a wolf's. He had a couple of scars stretching diagonally down from his cheek, and short, messy black hair. His eyebrows were thick and pointed, and just to top it all off, he was huge in comparison to a lot of others, standing at a notable six feet and three inches. "...She's pretty wasted."

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Brownie whirled around as a hand clapped down on his shoulder. As his attention was diverted, Gwen was released from his grasp, stumbling back a few steps. Blondie moved in behind her, closing off any exit she would attempt to take - that was, if she was mentally sound enough in the moment to even think of running. The on-and-off blurring of her vision was getting worse, and her head now felt like it was filled with honey and bricks.

“Nah man, we’ll take care of her,” Brownie responded to the newcomer with an icy tone, his gaze hardened. Nervous glances were sent his way from Blondie. They were both intimidated by the harsh appearance of this guy, though only the fair haired one showed any sign of it. From the sharp gaze he regarded them with, he seemed like one to avoid messing with.

Gwen leaned over with questionable balance and peered towards the source of the new voice. As her vision focused for a moment, she took in the sight of him. Tall, much more than her or either of the guys she was with. A fierce gaze from golden eyes that seemed like it could freeze anyone in place. Scars stood boldly out from the skin of his face, giving him a rugged look. “So cool,” Gwen mumbled quietly. He looked like some sort of superhero - or supervillain?

Wait, had he said she was wasted? “Pfft,” Gwen spluttered, “I’m not wastered, yer waited. I mean- weighed. No, I…” her voice trailed off. Why was it so hard to speak? Her tongue felt like it was made of lead, sitting heavily in her mouth and blocking any sort of enunciation. Brows furrowed as she stared, perplexed, at the floor. Being drunk wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. The wood planks under her feet were looking pretty inviting. Maybe she could just lay down and take a nap...

“Yeah, back off bud,” Blondie piped up, nervousness giving him a streak of courage. Leaving his spot behind the young woman, he stepped closer to get into the new guy’s face. “We’re just having a good time.” His voice held a challenge as he stared back into golden eyes.

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Post WC: 371 ❂ Thread WC: 2,405 ❂ Tagged: X ❂ Job Info: X ❂ Music: Link

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"I wasn't asking," Leon quickly retorted with that deep, steely voice of his. Leon had many good features, his bravery and sense of duty just a couple of them, but he usually fell short in the patience department. He had a short fuse for people like these guys, and he was quick to resolve these issues with his fists than his words. "The pen is mightier than the sword," or so it goes, but Leon's pen was too dull to be reliable. The blonde guy stepped up all of a sudden, in Leon's space and face and overall trying to almost make himself look bigger. These guys were seriously looking for a fight, huh? "And I'm not your bud. Now move."

Leon pushed past the blonde guy standing in front of him and reached out to grab the wasted girl's wrist. Her speech was all kinds of slurred and she looked like she had trouble standing up straight. What part of this was a "good time"? She couldn't even complete a sentence without breaking off into some sort of intoxicated line of thought if she was even thinking at all.

"Hey, I'm gonna getcha out of here," Leon looked at her with his stoic stare, with a reassuring look glossing his marigold eyes. He paid no mind to the two guys behind him, though surely they would not take kindly to Leon's boldness.

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Blondie huffed indignantly as the guy pushed past him. “The hell, man?” he snapped. This man had just come up in their business and was trying to ruin their night. They’d been working on wearing down Gwen’s defenses for a while now, waiting for the right moment to whisk her away from the bar quietly. He couldn’t just let that go to waste, not before they had their fun.

As a hand grabbed her wrist and a voice reached her ears, Gwen’s focus left the comfy-looking floor. Looking up, it took her a moment to register who was touching her. It was the stranger. That stare was just as piercing up close, but not in the same way the two guys had been looking at her earlier. It was intimidating, but Gwen didn’t feel that uneasy pang in her stomach when she looked at him with wide hazel eyes. His grip was sturdy, but not painful. Suddenly eager for something to help her balance, Gwen grabbed his forearm like it was a life raft. “Buoy!” she whispered, though it was a loud whisper. With how shot her center of gravity was right now, it felt as if she were on the ocean, being buffeted by waves.

“Hey,” the brunette growled, shoving the stranger's shoulder roughly. “If you want a girl you gotta find your own. She’s with us.”

“Yeah, we ain’t wasting a whole two pills-”

“Shut up, idiot!” Brownie, hissed, kicking his friend in the shin. Turning back, he puffed out his chest and squared his shoulders to make himself look bigger. “So, you gonna fuck off or do we have to do this the hard way?”

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Post WC: 278 ❂ Thread WC: 2,916 ❂ Tagged: @Leon Hoffman  ❂ Job Info: X ❂ Music: Link  

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Yeah, Leon really didn't have the patience to deal with these two sleezebags after all. It only took that one guy mentioning "pills" to make Leon perk up and turn around to face them, a look of disbelief and anger on his face. Just one word and suddenly the entire situation was beginning to make more and more sense. That girl's immense intoxication, their uptight aggression... this was all some date-rape ploy, wasn't it?

"What did you just say, you piece of shit?" Leon's eyes were wide and his face still had that expression of shock, but there was no doubt about it. He had the full idea, but that wide look in his eyes wasn't anything short of rage. He paused, releasing his hand from the girl to turn and face the two. Leon began to step forward and approach the blonde guy, his fists nearly trembling with how tightly they were clutched.


In one raw motion, Leon punched the blonde square on his nose, making him fall backward on his feet and land on his back from the hit, a red and bruised spot in the center of his face. Leon stood over him, glaring down at him with a more obvious fury. His lips are parted into a toothy frown, and his glowering eyes looked dangerously wolfish like he was a hair away from beating the shit out of the guy right then and there. He had hit him so hard that his nose had probably broken, leaving a splatter of blood on Leon's knuckles.

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As Gwen dazed about, she only picked up bits and pieces of the conversation. The word ‘pills’ and ‘piece of shit’ lingered in her head, causing her to blink daftly. The voices were angry, both close and far away. Lights blurred in her vision. Suddenly the stranger’s grip was gone and she was left to the ocean of unbalance once more without her life raft.

The crack of flesh against cartilage drew her honey-colored gaze upwards. The stranger had punched Blondie square in the nose, knocking him to the ground. Blood splattered on the smooth floor. The crowd of dancing drunks parted with gasps and screams, making a wide circle around Gwen and the three men. Many sets of fearful eyes watched them and several people were already making their way towards the exit.

The stranger was standing over the floorbound Blondie, looking like he was ready to beat the shit out of him. Gwen wasn’t really sure what had caused this to escalate, but then again she had missed a lot in the past few minutes due to the drugs in her system. Seeming like slow motion, Brownie pulled a knife from his belt. The blade glinted in the light as he took a step towards his friend’s attacker. He was going to stab her rescuer! “No,” the young woman said weakly, horrified. She didn’t even know his name, but she couldn’t just let him get sliced up.

“Don’t… hurt my… BUOY!” Gwen cried out, her intoxicated mind fixating on the nickname she’d given the stranger. The volume of her voice grew until it was nearly a scream as she clenched her fists. In the blink of an eye, a whirling torrent of wind formed in the shape of a ball in front of Gwen. She looked startled at its presence, a confused expression on her face. Slowly at first, then faster, the magical air began to swirl like a tornado contained in an orb. The chaotic turbulence increased as it expanded, until at last, the ball of uncontrolled energy exploded outward in powerful gusts of wind. Anyone standing nearby got blasted by a wave of air.

Brownie was sent flying across the room. The knife fell from his grip and lodged itself solidly a few inches in the wall behind the bar. Several bar stools clattered together as he became a human bowling ball, coming to rest a few seconds later among the pile of them. Blondie was sent rolling across the room too in a different direction, knocking over a crowd of people. He left a trail of blood across the floor behind him.

The stranger may have been caught in the crossfire too, but Gwen didn’t see. She was hit by some powerful knockback from her unplanned attack. The gust hit her square in the chest, knocking the breath from her lungs. There was some momentum gained as she stumbled backwards, gasping wildly for air as her vision started to blur in and out again. As she finally began to fall, she managed to sit haphazardly in a chair. Unfortunately, the wind propelled her fast enough that the chair tipped backwards. Teetering for a moment, the last thing Gwen saw with frantic eyes before she tipped over was the stranger across the room. The chair collided with the floor and she lay there, staring at the ceiling as her vision faded in and out of black.

The bar had gone quiet, save for the groans of other patrons returning to their feet. Blondie had managed to get up and stumble over to his friend. Grabbing the back of the brunette’s coat and holding his gushing nose in the other hand, the sleazebag made a break for the door.

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Post WC: 622 ❂ Thread WC: 3,804 ❂ Tagged: @Leon Hoffman  ❂ Job Info: X ❂ Music: Link  

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Leon hadn't noticed anything with the other guy until the girl started mumbling something. He turned around to see just what exactly was unfolding but no sooner had he glimpsed their way did everything seem to spiral into chaos. The girl cried out, and suddenly a sphere of whirling torrents gathered in the center of the bar. Everyone scattered and screamed as they emptied the building, tables, and chairs rumbling like an earthquake was going off, and Leon, who was staring at it all with a look of shock. The ball of wind grew and grew until it could no longer maintain its chaotic form, and it's burst out into a gust of violent wind, sending people and objects flying across the room in one hectic swoop. Glasses were shattered and the screams seemed almost muted against the sound of wind whistling in your ears. All manner of objects went flying past Leon, who stood there, his feet grounded and his arms X-ed over his face to shield it from the flying debris, but something ended up smashing against his cheek anyway.

Finally, the winds had died down, and a silence fell upon the room. Groaning patrons and the intermittent crackle of broken glass filled the room. The bartender cautiously peeked over the counter, and everyone else seemed to be trying to gather their bearings for what just happened—even Leon paused for a moment before letting down his guard, looking at the damage that was done.

"What the... hey! Assholes, get back here!" Leon perked up when he saw the blonde guy and his friend carry each other out of the bar and make a B-line for the closest escape. He rose to his feet, ready to run out after them before he caught a glance at the girl he was trying to help, about to tip over in her chair as she slunk back into it. Instinctively, he pivoted over to her and quickly grabbed the back of the chair to keep them from falling, a sigh of relief escaping his mouth as he loomed over her. As he looked around the room, it was clear to see that it was all a mess. Broken glassware, tables, chairs... you name it, and when he rose his thumb to his lip to investigate the stinging pain coming from it, he pulled away to find a splotch of blood on it. He busted his lip too, apparently. Well, that was bound to happen amidst that chaos. More importantly, the girl...

Leon looked down at her, deep in thought as she slumped into her seat. After the pause, he turned to the trembling bartender who was watching them with terror in his baggy eyes.

"My name's Leon Hoffman, and I'll come back and pay for all of the damages as soon as I can. Sorry 'bout all of this!" Leon dipped his head in a deeply apologetic gesture before returning his attention to the drugged girl in the chair, lingering in and out of consciousness. All he did was punch a good who well deserved it, but he wasn't completely blameless with how this all unfolded. Sure, it was the girl who caused all of the damage, but it was Leon who drove it to that point to begin with, so it was his responsibility. He could probably pay off the damages after a few paychecks, but he wouldn't be able to splurge for a while, that's for sure. In the meantime, he should focus on getting this girl to an inn, because there was no way she'd be able to tell him what her address was with how she was now.

Without much struggle, he turned around and mounted the girl onto his back without assistance, moving her arms and legs so that they loosely wrapped around his waist and neck, stepping over groaning patrons as he piggybacked her out of the bar. He drove past an inn on his way here, so maybe he could get her a room there? He only owned a motorcycle, so there was no way that he was driving with this drugged girl on his rear, so he'd have to carry her to the place... it was a good thing she wasn't heavy.


The next morning, Leon was back at his unfurnished cabin in the River Village, sitting on some of the boxes he brought with him. It was about eight in the morning when he started loitering around his new space, staring into his mug of black coffee listlessly. He had checked the girl into a single-person inn room like he planned to, and left a piece of paper with his phone number and address scribbled across. He had a puppy to tend to, so as much as he would've liked to hang out outside her door for the night and maybe look around for those good-for-nothing shitfaces, he couldn't.

I wonder if I did the right thing... maybe I should've taken her to a hospital instead... Leon wondered to himself, swishing his coffee back and forth in the mug as he pondered last night. Was she okay?

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When Gwen awoke at last, she felt like the whole of Desierto had manifested itself in her mouth, save for the oases. Her parched tongue felt like a rock and her lips were uncomfortably dry. A hammer of a headache pounded in her temples, the pulsing pain pulling her towards consciousness one thump at a time.

Several minutes passed before she was fully released from slumber into the cruel reality of how shitty she felt. Rolling over with a groan, all Gwen could think about was getting a drink of water. Fighting the urge to lay back down, she stumbled to the bathroom on legs of gelatin. Turning the sink on full blast, she drank more water than she ever had in her life. At least, that’s what it felt like. Stopping to take a breath, she felt her stomach churn uncomfortably. She barely made it to the toilet before all the water came back up. A croak that was meant to be a groan escaped her lips.

After taking a more paced drink she returned to the bed, sat on the edge and put her head in her hands, resting her elbows on her knees. It felt like a train had hit her, then backed over her and hit her again. “What the heck happened last night?” Gwen mumbled to herself, rubbing her eyes. All she remembered was heading into a bar with two guys, the burn of alcohol in her mouth, and the fierce golden eyes of another man she didn’t know. The rest of her memory from the night was blank. The feeling of losing that many hours of her memory disturbed Gwen greatly. She didn’t like this, not one bit.

A glance around the room led her to realize that this wasn’t the room she’d been staying in the past few days. Why wasn’t she in her hotel? Had she been so drunk she forgot about the other place and paid for a new room? No, that didn’t seem right. A piece of paper on the night stand caught her eye. She reached over to pick it up. Scribbled down were a phone number and address.

Gwen’s mind jumped to the worst conclusion first. Had she gotten so drunk she brought a guy with her to a hotel? Whipping her head around, she looked at the bed behind her. Only one side of the covers had been disturbed. She was still wearing her clothes from the day before too. With a sigh of relief, Gwen ruled out that possibility. It wasn’t like her to do something like that, but with how unknown the effects of alcohol were to her, there was no way of knowing if she would make different decisions while imbibed. She vowed not to ever get that drunk again.

All of a sudden she realized what time it was. “Noon?! Already?” Gwen gasped, leaping up from the bed. She was supposed to be at the old lady’s house at 9! Frantically stuffing her possessions in her pockets, she took one last look at the note. Figuring out what had happened last night would have to wait, she had a job to do! She fled the room, checking out at the front desk before bolting out the door to find her way to the old lady’s house.



Several hours later, Gwen sat at the old lady’s dining table, sipping on a cup of orange tea with honey. Her headache and the dryness in her mouth had subsided greatly after getting a bite to eat and working on replenishing her fluids. Luckily the old woman, Edna, had been very gracious and forgiving of her tardiness. Gwen had tried to explain what had happened, but Edna hushed her, insisting that the young woman eat something now and they could talk about it after the work was done. They had finished organizing the house and now sat together, talking over tea.

“So you think someone took me to the inn and just left me there?” Gwen asked, glancing at the crumpled note she had placed on the table. The idea wasn’t unbelievable, but she was confused about how things had gotten to that point.

“Yes, dearie,” Edna said with a nod, taking a sip of her own tea. “Those two men couldn’t have been up to any good inviting you to the bar that way. Someone else probably took you away from the situation to make sure you were safe. Something like that happened to my niece once,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Hmm. I just don’t get how the guys could have been bad,” Gwen mused, her brow furrowed in thought. A slight pout sat on her lips. She’d encountered bad people before, but these two had seemed friendly. She hadn’t noticed any signs of malicious intent. Was she really that bad of a judge of character? The notion upset her.

“You have to be on guard more, dear. There are people out there who seem nice but want to hurt you.”

“I guess so…” Gwen thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “Hey, Edna, could I use your kitchen? I want to make something for the person who helped me before I go to this address.” She picked up the note, waving it for a second before returning it to her pocket.

“Of course,” Edna said with a warm smile.



After departing from Edna’s house with a hug and a promise to provide any future help the old lady needed, Gwen made her way towards the address on the note. The place turned out to be a beautiful little cabin in River Village, just a little trip by train to the northwest of Ace of Spades. The river ran lazily through the town, the shores dotted with fishermen. When she got to it, the cabin itself looked cozy and well-kept.

Taking the old woman’s words to heart, she was cautious as she approached the door. Gwen had always been a pretty fast runner, so she was on her toes and ready to leave if she had to. Straightening out her clothes and hair so she didn’t look as much of a mess as she felt, the young woman hesitantly knocked on the door. In her hands was a plate stacked high with snickerdoodle cookies that she had baked at Edna’s house, a gift of thanks for whoever would open the door.

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Post WC: 1,066 ❂ Thread WC: 5,733 ❂ Tagged: @Leon Hoffman  ❂ Job Info: X ❂ Music: Peaches

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With a few hours to spare before he had to go to Rose Garden, Leon continued to pensively linger around his new home. He seemed content to just sit there and sip his coffee until it got cold, but his plans was interrupted by the sound of knocking on his front door.

He put his mug down on the kitchen countertop and began making his way to the door, not even checking the peephole or the windows for who it could be despite his uncertainty. Leon could never really predict who was visiting him during the day, as the River villagers were all of the friendly, generous kind, so it wasn't uncommon for them to visit him bringing gifts or asking for help with something. The village itself was quite safe as well, so he never felt anxious or uneasy when answering his door, but part of him hoped that it was the girl from last night. After all, he never got to find out if she made it home okay or not.

Well, speak of the devil and he shall appear! When Leon opened the door, he was greeted with a familiar face—the girl from last night, although she looked a lot more well-kept than before. He stopped and paused when he opened the door, looking a little surprised to see her even though it was him who left his phone number in address. In her hands was a plate full of what looked like snickerdoodles, and she just looked a lot more refreshed than she did last night.

"Oh, you're that girl from the bar..." Leon started, letting the door hanging open as he leaned against the frame. She was a lot smaller than he remembered her, and she had a cute, girlish face. It was no wonder that trashbags like the men from before were ogling her. The dark-haired man stared at her without smiling, his intense eyes looking at her curiously. He never had the most friendly face, let alone an approachable demeanor, so he could only brace himself if she was caught off-guard by it. "Hey, you get home okay? Feelin' alright?"

The girl looked well enough, but Leon had to be sure. However, the moment he started the conversation, there was the sound of footsteps against the wooden floorboards within the cabin. It started with the light tapping of something hard, but then came the relentless barks and yaps of a small dog. Dashing from behind, the nameless puppy Leon had taken in caught sight of a visitor, and as if witnessing the second coming of Jesus, she sprinted for her target.

"Uh-uh! Hey! No!" Leon flinched from the familiar yaps, trying to block the gaps in the door with his leg as the puppy tried to squeeze past. Yet, after a few seconds of matching each other's steps, the puppy prevailed and managed to dart out of a gap as soon as she saw one and immediately circle around the girl from last night, sniffing her, jumping up on her leg, and overall begging for attention. With a better view, the puppy looked like a Stellan Shepherd. Leon's eyes widened fractionally as he hastily stepped forward to pick her up, holding her firmly within his arms as she wiggled around and covered his face with wet kisses. "I'm sorry about that. She gets really worked up over everything."

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Gwen let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as the door opened. Standing there was the man with the intense golden eyes she vaguely recognized from what sparse memories she had from the night before. The sight of him was something her brain latched on to, an affirmation that what little she recollected wasn’t all figments of her imagination or bits of a dream. This guy was real, and he was huge, standing nearly a foot and a half over her measly five feet.

Heeding Edna’s warning to be more cautious, she stayed on the edge of the step. “Yeah, that’s me!” Gwen replied with a tentative, sheepish laugh. She squirmed internally under his fierce gaze. It felt like he was trying to see right through her. Was he always like this? Trying to ignore it, the young woman smiled brightly. “I’m not actually from around here, but thanks to you I woke up safe in that inn. This morning I didn’t feel too great.” Gwen shuddered as she remembered the awful headache. “I’m much better now, though!”

Gwen’s guard dropped the moment she saw the puppy barreling towards her from inside the cabin. Honey-colored eyes lit up with excitement. Successfully dodging the legs of its owner, the dog ran in circles then jumped up on her. Trying to keep the plate of cookies out of its reach, the young woman leaned over. “Hello puppy!” she cooed, petting its soft head. “You’re the cutest little thing! Yes you are!” Cute animals were her weakness. Her heart melted at the sight of its little face up close. Those floppy ears and brown eyes were to die for! Stellan Shepherds were one of her favorite breeds.

The man grabbed up the puppy from Gwen’s feet, trying to hold it still. She couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s okay! I don’t blame you, little puppy, there’s lots of exciting stuff out there!” This guy didn’t seem so intimidating anymore with a small dog licking his face into oblivion. The puppy balanced him out perfectly, a dose of adorable to ease the fierce appearance he wore. Gwen felt a little more safe. There was no way a guy with a dog this cute could be bad.

“Do you have a name for him… or her?” She reached out to pet the puppy’s ears again.

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Post WC: 392 ❂ Thread WC: 6,690 ❂ Tagged: @Leon Hoffman ❂ Job Info: X ❂ Music: Peaches

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Leon felt a little relieved to see that the girl didn't shriek or feel disgusted by his puppy's presence, much less her bubbly nature. In fact, she seemed quite fond of her. While he loved dogs and other pets himself, he knew that many people didn't share such sentiments. Sometimes those kinds of people would just avoid them at best or lash out, physically or verbally, at worst, so he was glad to see that neither of these things had happened. When she asked for her name, Leon perked up again, his eyes awkwardly looking to the side.

"Nothing I came up with seemed good enough for her" is what he wanted to say, but how on Earthland would he be able to say that with a straight face? Admitting it was a whole different level of embarrassing, after all. This entire time, he had just been vaguely referring to the dog by her pronouns or just by raising his voice to get her attention. That, and honestly, he wasn't very good at naming anything or anyone in general. He was the type to stay up all night, trying to think of something unique and meaningful for a name, and only end up with something like 'Sparky' or 'Maxwell'.

"I... haven't really thought about it," Leon hesitantly looked back to face the girl as she reached out to pet the puppy. Eventually, he ended up looking back down at the plate of snickerdoodles again. Like a lightbulb over his head, a realization dawned over him as he stared. He was being a really shitty host, wasn't he? They had been standing at his doorway for a bit now, so maybe it was about time that he actually invited her in. He wanted to talk with her about last night a bit more, too. "Hey, why don't we—"

"...go inside?" is what Leon was about to say, but then he flinched again as another realization came upon him. His cabin was just full of unpacked boxes, and everything that was unpacked was just enough for a single person to use. He only had one chair, one mug, one plate, and so on. The villagers that would stop by always made their visits brief, knowing that he was just moving in, so he never had to worry about accommodating them for entering his home. Before the pause in his words became too notable, Leon just thought of the next best thing.

"...sit out here for a sec?" Leon finished, placing the puppy down and closing the door behind him as he did. The puppy flopped around and thrashed around the girl like earlier, but then her most animal instincts overtook her excitement and sent her darting off of the cabin porch, nearly tripping over the steps as she ran to the nearest tree to relieve herself. She continued to sniff around and pee on anything that seemed to be within her furry reach without going too far from the cabin. Leon, on the other hand, sat down on the porch steps, suddenly committed to his idea. He had a face that was hard to read, so it was difficult to tell what sort of impression he had of others just by looking at him. "So, what's your name?"

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”Oh, I see,” Gwen responded, her mind already bubbling with a million adorable name options. Most of her ideas seemed too cutesy for a dog owned by a man with such a stony demeanor. Fluffy or Luna were too basic, Cupcake was too childish, Petunia was too fancy and floral.

The man suggested they sit. Gwen had expected to be invited inside, but she was more than happy to sit down in the outdoors. It was a fairly sunny day and she could watch the puppy play around in the grass! “Okay!” She took a seat near him, making sure not to invade his personal space. The plate of cookies was placed at her side so she could ward off the puppy from them if need be.

Gwen pet the puppy for a minute before the little creature got distracted and ran off. She heard him ask her name, but finding a good name for the puppy was still at the forefront of her mind. “How about… Scout? Or Robin?” Gwen suggested, tilting her head and looking off towards the romping puppy. The names were cute but not extremely so. To her, they spoke of the fierce loyalty of Stellan Shepherds that combined with their goofy natures.

“Oh, I’m Gwen! Gwendolyn Briggs. Sorry,” she smiled apologetically, instinctually extending her hand to shake. “What’s your name?”

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Post WC: 225 ❂ Thread WC: 7,461 ❂ Tagged: @Leon Hoffman ❂ Job Info: X ❂ Music: Peaches