New Year, New Marks (Nikola)

It was the festive season once again and the streets of Magnolia were wonderfully decorated with lights, christmas trees and a lovely assortment of other decorations. Everyone seemed to be in a great mood and as people moved to and fro, there didn’t seem to be a single frown anywhere. There wasn’t a single soul who appeared to be in bad spirits and compared to the previous festival that she’d attended, this one was night and day. There were no petrified people here and from what she could see, no frightened people who loved scaring themselves and everyone around them to death.

Naturally, with the people of Magnolia being in such high spirits, it did leave them rather open to a familiar foreign hand whose owner stealthily moved through the crowds, a shadow amongst the people. She’d sneak up on a victim, slip her hand into their pocket and would be gone again before they knew that she’d been there. Oh, how she’d come to love these events, as the centuries old kitsune knew that it was just perfect for a sport of thievery. The Halloween one had earned her a fortune and so far, things were progressing just as well here. There were so many marks but only one Jaheira and so she swiftly moved from person to person, striking again and again at her hapless targets.

It’d been a great few weeks for the black haired woman, having found great success in her latest adventures and increasing her bank balance by quite a margin at the same time. Everything was coming up trumps and the currently red eyed human was looking forward to the start of the new year. A fresh start and the beginning of another year of money, adventure and maybe just a little rolling around if she found some she liked. The world was her oyster, as humans liked to say and already she was working on a schedule for the next month or two. There were some locations that she still hadn’t and a few rich folks who were just asking to be robbed from.

Disguised as always, the muscular looking woman would continue with her thievery, darting through the crowd with such accuracy and grace that it would almost look as though she was dancing. She could quite have happily done so too, given the mood that she was in. For the moment though, that could wait, as there was still time before the countdown to the new year and she did so wish to conclude her business so that she could be there when it started. Was it silly for such an ancient creature as her to enjoy such a thing? Perhaps but who cared? She’d spent long enough in Earthland to appreciate the simpler things and the beginning of a new chapter in her life was certainly one of those.

A smile crossed her face as she heard the occasional voice of irritation as they realised they’d been robbed but as always, they were far too late. She was already gone and on to another target.

(515 Words)

It had been a while since Nikola's latest adventure, and this had involved him going to attend the Halloween festivities in Crocus this year. During this festival, he had come across a rather intriguing woman named, "Jaheira" who seemed to have more to her than met the eye, but Nikola had not pried into the matter farther despite his nigh-overwhelming curiosity about her and instead, he had portrayed himself as just a cordial and ordinary physician-scientist mage who was out and about to enjoy the season's festivities, this time in the company of his new acquaintance. After the festival, the two had also go to wine and dine and though that sequel was marred somewhat by the appearance of some uninvited guests causing trouble for him, thanks to his preparations, their wining and gourmet dining experience had still been able to go off without too much trouble.

Since then, during the period of respite that followed, Nikola had once again gotten back to attending to his duties towards his family and the associated business group as well as the associated multinational business conglomerate. These included things like attending business meetings, meeting other high society families, along with getting acquainted with their heir(s) and heiresses, overseeing as well as signing off on the developmental processes for new product lines, and so on. Additionally, he had also gotten back to his usual ongoing and ever-burgeoning mad science research efforts during this time as well and in these endeavors and in the handling of his daily life routine, he was assisted as always by his trusted and exclusively personal, 6-unit strong, maid squad made up of monstergirls of all sorts, this squad also being his personal bodyguards in any combat situations too.

So, in this manner, time marched on for him till present wherein he was relaxing in the company of said maid squad, with all of them currently lounging in recreation room section of his mansion in Crocus, the capital of Fiore which was his home base of operations. In this situation, Nikola and his maids had decided to start expanding their recreational horizons aka enjoying themselves via participating together in a slew of miscellaneous activities such as playing pool, vintage wine tasting, reading classical novels of various genres and so on in addition to simply watching the newest movie to be released in said room.

However, this peaceful setup of Nikola's and consequently his pleasure-filled mood was abruptly interrupted by the distinctive notification tone from his newly acquired “iLac” that he had set for any incoming job request notification and more recently, also for any other equally important notifications, that tone being the “Voices of War”, which was the exclusive and special DLC soundtrack given only to frequent players of one of his now most favorite iLac mobile game apps, namely “Oda Nobuna’s Ambition”, as noted by his head personal maid, “Jeanne”

"Master Eisenstein, it would seem that our merrymaking is to be put on hold for a while...for it would seem you have your next job in your magus work...though, it would be more apropos to call this a relaxing outing once again instead of an actual task..."

To that, Nikola nodded and remarked, albeit a tad reluctantly since attending these festivities would take him away from the pleasurable company of his maids for some time

"Indeed...Christmas and New Years season is upon us once again for this year, and I suppose I should avail myself of this opportunity while it is within my reach..."

However, regardless of how much he did not want to leave his beloved maid squad behind, he had no choice but to galvanize himself for leaving the pleasurable company being offered to him by his maids to attend to this, since even a workaholic like him still comprehended very well the importance of downtime, if only once in a blue moon. To that end, he addressed each of the members of his monstergirl maid squad in turn gently, as was his usual routine

"Ladies…though it pains me to leave your rather pleasurable company for attending to a triviality such as this…I am afraid it must be done, for in the eternal pursuit of my research, it is imperative that I have some variety to my leisure, so as to not dull the effect of said downtime...and so, I shall be attending this year's Christmas and New Year's festival as well, this time, in quaint little Magnolia Town...albeit alone again this time since you all have a lot of work to handle here at the estate in the meantime once again."

With that, Nikola gently disengaged himself from the company of his maids and after readying himself for whatever the festival had to offer and with the appropriate seasonal attire, this time his choice being his standard physician-scientist attire again as per usual, he headed off to the event locale mentioned in the notification on his iLac. To his surprise, although he did not display as much outwardly, once there he had made his way there, he noticed a familiar face, aka Jaheira, going about in the crowds milling about in the streets whilst enjoying the festive milieu and getting ready to welcome the new year to come.

Oho, what do we have here? Ms. Jaheira is here again...no doubt up to the usual tricks of her trade...perhaps I should call upon her after she has completed her tasks...it would certainly be amusing to have her entertaining company for this outing as I did for the Halloween festival...

Nikola mused thus silently as he studied the path that Jaheira seemed to be taking through the crowd and then simply waited at a spot where she would be able to notice him clearly.

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Nikola's Appearance:



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Soon enough, the pockets of the kitsune were becoming rather full and Jaheira knew that she’d have to at least pause for a bit. It was unfortunate too, as she was getting into the spirit of things and had just come across a rather rich looking fellow who she reckoned would make a fine target. He was wearing a suit, a top hat and everything that you’d expect from a rich noble. In the end, the temptation was just too much and the mage dashed towards him, her powers of shadow allowing her to appear as invisible to those who lacked the keen senses needed to pick up on her presence. Clearly he didn’t, as he barely so much as looked around in her direction as she approached and no sooner had she, her hand would slip into his pocket and pull out a beautiful golden pocket watch. That was certainly not what she’d expected and her eyes lit up at the sight of it. What a find! Before he even realised he’d been robbed, Jaheira would vanish through the crowd again, wanting to get a better look at her most recent find.

She’d slink to a quiet spot and spend a short amount of time looking over the watch, examining every last detail, trying to get a clue as to the make of it. Heavy for sure and clearly made of genuine gold, Jaheira couldn’t believe her luck and already she was pondering about who she could see it too. It was far too beautiful to be melted down and the kitsune imagined that a lot of rich folk would want to purchase such an item. This could certainly make her christmas, once she found the right buyer, of course.

Plunging it into her pocket, the black haired woman would be about to move on when her eyes fell upon a familiar figure. It was the scientist that she’d met at the Halloween festival, a friendly fellow and one that Jaheira had gotten along rather well with. They’d certainly had a good time in each other’s company then, albeit with a slightly heated confrontation with a few unpleasant sorts. Still, that hadn’t ruined the evening and they’d spent most of the evening wining and dining after that. A fun ending to what had been a great day for the kitsune and she saw no reason as to not say hello, even with her ill gotten gains. He hadn’t seemed to have had an issue with her choice of career path and she certainly didn’t with his. There seemed to be a healthy amount of mutual respect between the two, which she was delighted with.

Undoing her shadow spell, she’d approach the man with a smile, genuinely happy to see him again. “Well, look who we have here, what are the chances that we’d run into each other again like this? Not following me are you?” Chuckling, her crimson eyes shining with amusement, she’d then continue. “It’s great to run into you again like this, Doc, have you come to see out the year here too?”

(516 Words)
(1988 TWC)

Nikola had been waiting patiently for Jaheira to finish her business and as he had expected, she had noticed him as well despite seeming to be so enthralled by her work and so, he waited for her to come closer so they could greet each other. As she came closer, Nikola's keen slayer's hearing picked up the jingling of her spoils of war all too well, but before addressing that, he focused his attention on responding to her query with his usual amused smirk playing on his face as per usual but also with mock hurt displaying in his expression and body language as well as gestures to match, all of which would be worthy of the finest of theatrical performances since he was feeling the urge to be melodramatic in that moment

"Following you? Moi? Ah, your words do wound me so, Ms. Jaheira...after the thrilling time we shared together at this year's Halloween festival, how could you ever say such a thing about poor, innocent. little, friendly moi? I have been raised as a gentleman, I shall have you know...and I would never stoop to engage in something as unbecoming of me as following a lady whilst she is out and about without her permission."

Nikola paused briefly there to collect his thoughts and subsequently, his amused smirk as well as his overly theatrical expression of mock hurt then proceeded to morph into his usual cordial smile, only this one was one his ghost-rare genuine ones as opposed to his usual practiced businessman's smile

"All jokes aside, however, perhaps I was simply hoping to encounter you in a festive locale such as this, for being the dedicated researcher and physician that I am, I happen to be a man who simply cannot and will not resist the inexorably alluring siren song of all things in existence that are mysterious or are otherwise unexplained in nature. Naturally, it is truly the highest of exquisite pleasures to meet you again in such a short time for me as well and yes, I have indeed come to bid this year a fond adieu...and who better for me to do this with besides you? I certainly cannot think of anyone else."

After that, Nikola's face now regained that same amused smirk it had before as his traveled down to rest on Jaheira's pockets which he could tell were loaded with a sizeable fortune thanks to all the unwary marks she had hit successfully, so he remarked, now with his piercing brownish-red eyes glinting with the light of his currently mirthful disposition

"I see you have been hard at work again, Ms. Jaheira...I do admire your diligent work ethic, you know...on that note, I presume that, given the way that your pockets were jingling so vociferously, it was a bountiful harvest once again for you with all these, shall we say, unwitting patrons milling about here?"

Nikola spoke thus without worry of them being overheard since there was far too much ambient noise for anyone to eavesdrop on their private conversation. With that said, he fell silent and waited for Jaheira's responses to his remarks and actions.

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A smirk crossed the kitsune’s features and she laughed. “You wouldn’t be the first guy who’s followed me after a night out.” It was a true statement and although she meant it in a joking way, there was a touch of useful information in her words. There were a lot of men who’d want to follow her back to her den, mostly to retrieve their stolen possessions but there’d been a few who she’d become close to as well. Oh, she’d never thought of settling down with any of them but still, some people just didn’t understand that not all close encounters led to long and fruitful relationships. The ancient nine tailed fox thought of such things in the longer term and the lifespan of a human was so tragically short compared to her own. “I tease though, I genuinely am glad to see you, as I do remember our last encounter fondly.”

Amused by his usual scientistic twist on pretty much everything, she’d then go on to say. “Oh? I’m a mysterious and unexplained creation, am I?” Jaheira chuckled a second time. “Well, I’ll take that as a compliment, Doc, but I’m not sure if there’s anything that special about me. I’m just another girl, trying to survive in the world.” If he only knew the truth but the black haired woman didn’t feel like the time was quite right to reveal that particular secret. It wasn’t exactly one that came without risk and should her true appearance be discovered then it would bring all manner of Hell to her life. She needed to keep her true nature intact, it was vital to her survival. “I’ll certainly be happy to see out the year with you though. I reckon that I’ve done enough work for one day.”

When he spoke about that particular topic, she would simply nod. “You know me well. I’ve spent the best part of the day going after them. These Magnolia folk are a little more difficult to rob than those in Crocus but it’s still not that hard for me. I reckon I’ve earned enough today to last me quite a while. I have no idea what it is but as soon as humans start having a good time, they seem to completely drop their guard. It’s quite a weakness.” It slipped out before she’d fully thought it through but it was too late now. In a way, it probably made her sound rather alien, or maybe she’d just started picking up on Nikola’s scientific way of speaking.

Thinking back to their last encounter, she’d then ask him. “You never did speak much about that group who went after you the last time. What were they after when they attacked you like that?” She thought that it was an appropriate question and if she was going to be spending any more time with him, it seemed only fair that she knew the full story. Maybe tonight he’d be a little more willing to discuss it?

(501 Words)
(3014 TWC)

Nikola chuckled as he heard Jaheira's remarks about him not being the first man to have been so enthralled by encountering her and he remarked with a facetiously quizzical look and his amused smirk back online

"Oh? Well now, I surmised as much, Ms. Jaheira...after all, despite your predilection to work in the shadows, when you are out and about like you are right now, you do seem to be quite the magnificently statuesque head-turner, given how we seem to be getting a profusion of stares currently...That said, I am quite glad to hear that your memory of me is a fond one, so here is to us continuing this cordial relationship dynamic between us into the future."

Nikola said thus while chuckling and casting his gaze about at all the various admirers that Jaheira seemed to have garnered now mingled in the crowd milling about some paces away and who seemed to be giving him quite the evil death glares. After that, Nikola focused his attention on her next remarks about how she was just another woman trying to make her way in the world

"Just another girl, eh? Oh, I highly doubt you are as ordinary as all that, Ms. Jaheira...for I seem to detect something...shall we say, larger than life...almost otherworldly, about you...I know not what exactly that is, but even so, I certainly would be thrilled to find out...someday, if you are amenable, of course..."

With that said, Nikola then moved onto addressing her next few remarks about being willing to see the year out with him

"Very good then, Ms. Jaheira. They do seem to have quite a few celebratory stalls set up around here, so perhaps to see the year out on a high note, we could tour the place together if you are agreeable to that idea."

Nikola was then caught by Jaheira's next remarks and they managed to set his keen and inquisitive mind's proverbial gears whirring at breakneck speeds since she had, perhaps unwittingly, referred to the people who she had robbed as "humans" instead of "people", which to him, implied that she was maybe unintentionally letting slip the suggestion that she was something else or some other sort of being entirely. Naturally, this brought his insatiable curiosity to the forefront, but still, he decided to phrase it in a jocular sort of way to avoid any potential faux pas

"Indeed, that is one of the many major weaknesses of the human condition in my experience as well...and it is fortunately one of the ones that I have since rid myself of successfully, for the most part, at least, Ms. Jaheira. That said, your remark there is quite a telling one...how very amusing and enthralling, indeed."

Nikola said with his amused smirk wider than ever now and then chuckled a little before refocusing his attention on addressing the rest of Jaheira's remarks which concerned the rather unpleasant encounter they had with some uninvited interlopers during the last time they met

"Ah, those fools...well, recently I happened to lend succor to a rather unfortunately helpless and rather strange sort of nagini whom I found quite literally collapsed on the doorstep of my personal estate in Crocus...and upon conducting a background investigation upon her past, I discovered that she had run away from a group of slavers who had been holding her prisoner with the intention of transferring control of her to their client who had hired them for that purpose...naturally, when said slavers realized that I had taken her in instead, they came to pay me a visit and I dealt with them appropriately...by then mercilessly crushing them underfoot personally, and quite literally as well as  metaphorically, of course..."

Nikola narrated those past events thus to Jaheira and as he spoke thus, the vivid memory of these events which was still fresh in his mind caused his eyes which had been cordial and even genuinely mirthful till now to grow both hard and cold, like ice in the deepest of winters and his mouth which had been displaying a genuinely amused smirk now was drawn into another of his manic smiles, like one would see on the face of a stereotypical mad scientist. That said, this metamorphosis lasted only a split second or so and then, he was back to his lighthearted and cordial self once more as he reassured her

"Ah, but please do not worry for your safety, Ms. Jaheira. I have taken appropriate measures to ensure that those uninvited guests will not bother us again henceforth."

With that said, Nikola fell silent and while waiting for her responses and reactions, he then began leading them towards the many festive stalls which were set up all around the area and which were providing all manner of services from food and drink to dancing avenues to games and much more.

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The kitsune simply smirked for the most part, at least until he seemed to cotton on to her slight slip regarding how she referred to the people she stole from. Even after all this time, it was somewhat difficult for her to hide such things, at least in a social setting. It wasn’t so bad while she was on the job, since it was all business then and nothing else but otherwise, she was known to let her mask slip from time to time. Maybe it was a sign that she was becoming more comfortable around the good doctor which wasn’t exactly a bad thing in her opinion. The life of a thief was dangerous, as well as a lonely life and having someone to talk to was hardly a negative in her opinion. He was a lot more approachable than most too which was nice. She simply chuckled in the end as he pointed out her error. “Whoops. Did I refer to my precious targets as humans? I guess that just shows how long I’ve been doing this for. It’s a lot easier for me to rob someone when I think of them as a mark rather than a person. I suppose I’ve adapted to thinking of others in a different light.” There were fragments of the truth in her words.

In an attempt to change the subject, she’d briefly bring the conversation back around to the idea of them exploring the festival together, answering with a smile. "Of course. I’m finished for the day and I’d enjoy the chance to spend some more time with you. I remember the Halloween event fondly and I’m sure that we can find something to entertain us here although I hope that there aren’t any more ghost trains this time.” She’d come to take her embarrassing reaction to that particular ride with good humour and although she’d had her feathers ruffled at the time, Jaheira had come to respect the clever folks who’d been able to frighten her so easily. Those illusions had been powerful.

There was a brief change in his demeanour as he’d then answer her question regarding the incident with the thugs that they’d become involved in last time. It appeared for a moment that he’d enjoyed the fight, something that she found rather amusing. Honestly, she hadn’t figured him out for the type who’d thrive in the heat of battle but he’d handled himself incredibly well and the kitsune hadn’t had to lift a finger to help him during the encounter. She could have aided him if necessary, as the black haired woman had no doubt that she could have easily defeated them but she’d refrained, keeping her powers to herself. “A nagini, hmm? Quite the rare specimen indeed. I can see why those imbeciles were so upset about losing her. You certainly did a number on them in Crocus and I doubt they’ll cross you again. I trust that your serpent ally is doing well now?” Jaheira had encountered such beings during her long life before and had to admit that she’d always found them rather sweet although that could be said for quite a few.

When he spoke about her own safety, her eyes would briefly fill with mirth. “I appreciate your concern for my safety but have no fear. I’m more than capable of defending myself and they wouldn’t know what hit them if they tried to mess with me.” Given her own stealthy form of combat, that was half of what made her style so awkward. She was in and out so quickly that it was a nightmare for her opponents to lock down her position. It was certainly amusing to watch them try though and the looks on their faces were always entertaining.

Once she was finished speaking, he would lead them into the midst of the festival and Jaheira’s eyes soon lit up as she admired the splendour of the various stalls. They’d spared no expense this time around and although she picked up on the occasional annoyed voice, probably belonging to someone who she’d robbed, that didn’t stop her from smiling. “They never miss a chance to put on a show, do they?” She uttered with a chuckle.

(707 Words)
(4531 TWC)

Nikola chuckled once more as he heard Jaheira remark about how avoiding thinking of her pickpocket targets as actual people made it easier for her to accomplish her objectives and so he remarked in return

"Oh? Well now, you are not alone there, Ms. Jaheira. I too, certainly understand that sentiment quite well...only in my case, I think of those around me as specimens rather than marks...and naturally, I consider myself to be my first and foremost specimen."

Then, going along with Jaheira's attempt to change the subject to a lighter one, Nikola nodded to her expression of her willingness to accompany him around to the year's end festival stalls and responded with an amused chuckle as he heard her mention their experience at the Halloween festival that had preceded this celebration

"Indeed, after all...we would certainly want to avoid being so adorably flustered again in the face of some rather realistic illusions...as I fondly remember witnessing you in such a state during our tour of the Halloween festival scene. That was quite a bit more entertaining that I had expected it to be, so you have my sincerest thanks, Ms. Jaheira."

Nikola spoke thus while attempting to contain his mirth but visibly failing at it as the vividly and perfectly preserved memories of their time at said Halloween festival came bubbling back up to the forefront of his mind as he reminisced about it. After that, he refocused his attention on her reassurance to him that she would be able to handle herself should his enemies start going after her too and also responded to her query regarding the well-being of his newly acquired nagini subordinate, "Hygīa"

"That is very good to hear, Ms. Jaheira. Perhaps I shall have to avail myself of your powers and assistance by requesting access to it should the need arise in the near future. Regarding my nagini subordinate and colleague, however, she was quite hale and hearty when she saw me off to this year's end celebration, and since I have put some special defense systems in place at my estate and since I have taken the liberty of providing her with some useful upgrades and personalized equipment that I have designed myself, her erstwhile captors should not be able to take her so easily this time around..."

Nikola spoke thus on the subject and then, after briefly mulling over the rest of his plans for that scenario, he resumed his narrative

"Still, even if they do somehow find a way to circumvent all those defenses and capture her, I have also prepared for that scenario as well, though I do hope I will not need to activate those protocols since they are rather complex and involved ones...and regarding this celebration and the effort they put into it, you are correct, Ms. Jaheira, Magnolia seems to be known in Fiore for going above and beyond in their celebrations, at least in my experience."

With that said, Nikola fell silent once again and while waiting for Jaheira's remarks, he turned his attention to thoroughly enjoying the festive milieu and all that this year's end celebration had to offer him while also enjoying being in Jaheira's company since she was such an amusing companion in every way.

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As they explored the festival, Jaheira had to admit that she preferred Magnolia to Crocus. There just seemed to be a more homely and friendly vibe to the place that the kitsune quite liked. In Crocus, everyone was on the move and seemingly desperate to get to where they were going as fast as possible. She assumed it was because the city was the Capital and there were so many businesses there, still, it made the place a little less inviting. Oh, the marks were good but Jaheira wouldn’t want to spend her holidays there, that was for sure. Magnolia was far nicer and the people were much more friendly, from what she’d seen anyway. She didn’t spend much time talking to others, given that her work meant that being on the road was a must but the vibe was always nice, that much she could tell.

Curious about what the doctor had said about his newest ally, Jaheira would soon ask. “So, what other companions do you have who work with you? It sounds to me as though you are rather fond of non humans and I confess that I am intrigued by that. I assume you must have seen many different species in your time. Do you have a favourite one to study? Is there a species out there that you’d like to learn about but haven’t yet found in the flesh?” It wasn’t a topic that she’d remembered asking about during their last encounter and given her own fluffy nature, she was rather interested in his tastes. A part of her wondered if maybe she was asking for trouble by asking that question. What if it turned out that it was her own species that he was eager to meet? An awkward position for her for certain but her curiosity won out in the end. In truth, another part of her was beginning to wonder if perhaps revealing her true self to him might not be such a negative decision after all. The trust wasn’t quite there yet but maybe in time, if their relationship was a fruitful one.

She had to admit that it was rather difficult for her to fight off the temptation to start stealing again, given how many easy targets there were but Jaheira just about managed to batter it off. The kitsune had already made her fortune and there was no need to put herself and her companion in any unnecessary danger. This evening was supposed to be fun after all and she’d made quite enough profit for one day. Still, she made a mental note to return to Magnolia again at some point. “I can see why Magnolia has that reputation. They’ve done a delightful job here and I’m certain that everyone here tonight must be having a great deal of fun.”

As they passed a stall handing out free drinks, Jaheira would take one in hand and down it in a single go. “Mmm. That hit the spot. You must try one of these, Doc.”

(505 Words)
(5579 TWC)

While they both were walking around the festival and enjoying all that the various celebratory stalls around them had to offer in the way of year's end entertainment, Nikola continued to listen to Jaheira's remarks, queries, and so on and afterwards, he replied while nodding thoughtfully

"Indeed, I have met and studied quite a few nonhuman species over the course of my life and profession as a researcher and physician thus far, Ms. Jaheira...regarding the ones who I work with specifically, though, that is a more select and smaller group...but it is also quite diverse, for in addition to the nagini I mentioned earlier as being my second-in-command, I also have a group of 7, shall we say, monstergirl maids...for a lack of more accurate and precise phraseology...each of them being a member of a unique and different species, of course...and their task is to lead the other nonhuman employees I have at my estate in its defense against uninvited guests and more importantly to see to its daily upkeep."

Nikola paused there briefly to collect his thoughts and then resumed his narrative once more in answer to Jaheira's queries

"Naturally, whenever I am at the estate, their job switches to being my personal support and care since I do tend to become so absorbed in my work that I tend to forget all other basic personal needs such as bodily necessities like food, drink, and sleep. I also have a nonhuman working as my head butler who leads all the other nonhuman butlers in my employ to work alongside the maids in attending to the daily estate upkeep and so on."

Nikola paused there again to collect his thoughts briefly before resuming his narrative once again since there were quite a few nonhuman employees of his to take stock of on the spot

"Regarding their species nature, however, these employees of mine are a rather multifarious group, all things considered...ranging from dragonewts to mermaids to harpies to golems and homunculi to various kinds of beast-folk...that said, I have not yet had any encounters with elves, spirit foxes or kitsune as they are known in Midi...nor with demons and angels of any kind...there are really too many as yet unknown to me to properly tally up currently...though, if I had to pick just one...I would say, spirit foxes and cat spirits, since the ones I have met have all fled from me on sight for some reason I cannot fathom as yet...which makes me quite sad as I fervently wish to experience their luxurious fluffiness at least once in my life and to study their unique arts and abilities, Ms. Jaheira...since that would be a dream come true for me."

Nikola paused there again to elaborate on his answer since he expected such a question to come up next

"The reason for my interest in and fondness towards nonhuman entities as opposed to humans is of course, not only because they are so much more interesting as research subjects in my professional opinion, but also because I find that they are far more durable, more talented, and more long-lived than most regular humans which, in turn, makes working with them and also studying them as well as every aspect of their lives so much easier and more practical for my purposes."

With that said, Nikola fell silent and after thanking Jaheira for pointing out the free drinks to him, he also took one and while sipping it, he waited for Jaheira's reactions to his remarks as well as revelations regarding his work and retinue of nonhuman employees.

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• Post Word Count: 597
  
  
• Total Personal WC: 3432 of 4000 (for Nikola/EISNIK003 only)
  

His passion for the topic was once again impossible to miss and Jaheira listened with curiosity as he spoke about his companions, as well as more about his work. The thought of him having a group of monster girl maids made her smile and her expression briefly turned sly as she looked him over. Just what had he been teaching those creatures in order for them to act in such a way. An entertaining notion for sure and a part of her hoped that perhaps she’d get to meet some of them herself one day. Meeting other non-humans was a rare pleasure for the kitsune and she was always keen to meet others who, like her, were a little different from the normal human.

Jaheira was just about able to keep a smile off of her face as he spoke about wishing to meet one of her own kind. It made sense that he’d be curious, as the stories of the kitsune had been spread far and wide for centuries. Some were true and others weren’t but there’d constantly be individuals travelling to Midi, in the rare hope that they’d come across one of her own kind. The thought amused her in truth, since not all of her kind were skittish and one of her nieces was well known for fooling around with curious humans. The black haired woman herself had never been one to reveal her true nature cheaply, even before she’d started on her road of thievery. She’d always been the cautious type, something that was just as true now as it had been then, for the most part anyway.

“Your reasoning makes perfect sense to me. During my travels, I’ve occasionally come across a few non-humans who I’ve had entanglements with although I’ve only met a spirit fox once. She was a white haired vixen and the most playful creature that I’d ever met. I can confirm from personal experience that they’re most certainly fluffy but they’re so fleet of foot and cunning of mind that it’s difficult to fully get a grasp of them. As soon as she was bored of me, she disappeared without a trace, leaving me just memories of her. A shame for sure, as I’d liked to have spent a little more time with her.” She smiled after a moment. “I’m certain that you’ll come across one sooner or later. They enjoy pitting their wits against those who can match them and I’m sure that you’d definitely fit that description.”

As she finished her drink, her eyes would fall upon a dance floor nearby, where numerous couples and party goers were dancing the night away. Jaheira had to chuckle at the ferocity of their dancing and it was definitely enough of a reason for her to turn to the doctor and ask. “How about a dance to celebrate the end of this year and the start of the next? I haven’t danced for a while but I’m sure I remember how. What do you say?”

(503 Words)
(6679 TWC)

Nikola noticed the sly expression that briefly came over Jaheira's face as she took in what he had said regarding his retinue of nonhuman employees/colleagues and so, his face took on more of an amused and a somewhat sly smirk of his own as he remarked

"That face tells me that you are curious to learn more about my nonhuman colleagues whom I have finished speaking about just now, Ms. Jaheira...and if that is indeed the case, then please feel free to pay me a visit at my estate in Crocus whenever you may be in the mood for some leisure time in the foreseeable future. I also hereby promise to slake your thirst adequately or at least to the best of my ability when that time comes for us."

With that said, Nikola then moved on to addressing the comment of hers regarding the white spirit fox which had caught his attention, his eyes now positively gleaming with what could only be called a researcher's excitement

"A white spirit fox, you say? That could have been the messenger of Inari, the ancient goddess of bountiful harvests and also fertility who was worshiped in Midi and is still prayed to in certain more rural areas of Midi...if I may ask, did she also happen to possess red markings of any sort on her body along with a green jade mirror or disc-like object cloaked in fiery halo which was floating around her and followed her, perchance? If yes, then that is one of two spirit foxes I have been wanting quite desperately to meet for a long time now and so, thanks for the best wishes, Ms. Jaheira."

After that, Nikola finished off the rest of the drink he had picked up and when Jaheira suggested that they dance together like all the other party goers who were dancing the end of the year away, he chuckled as he realized she had basically beat him to the punch

"A dance eh? That would certainly be an entertaining end to the year, Ms. Jaheira...and I am always amused at how you seem to be thinking along the same lines as myself...for I was just about to invite you to a dance with me. So, let us join our fellow party goers in this activity."

With that, he held out his hand and then waited for Jaheira to take it so that they could begin their dance in step to the strains of music that was permeating the space around them currently.

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OOC:

Word Count:

• Post WC: 421
  
  
• Total Personal WC: 3853 of 4000 (for Nikola/EISNIK003 only)
  

“It seems that my expression has given me away.” Jaheira replied with a laugh. “I must admit that I’m deeply interested in meeting your delightful maids, as I truly am fascinated by non-human beings. When I can find a moment in my schedule, I’ll happily take you up on that offer, as it’s been quite some time since I was in their company. You truly have captured my attention, Doc.” It was surprising to her in a way as to just how comfortable she felt around him. Normally, there was at least a hint of caution in her mannerisms but she felt completely at ease around him. Perhaps it was their shared interests or maybe it was that like her, he wasn’t on the straight and narrow, as humans liked to say, he followed his own path rather than the law.

When he asked for specifics regarding her tale, the kitsune pondered for a moment before answering, as though she was trying to recall. “She definitely bore red markings although I’m uncertain as to what she was carrying. I confess that I was a little more interested in her then I was her equipment. My intention had been to steal from her but in the end, I think it was her that stole something from me. They have quite the effect on people and I was no different. You’d most certainly recognise her if you met her though from just her tone of voice. Sweet and playful, with just a hint of lust.” In truth, the creature was a fabrication of both her nieces, taking traits from both to create one being.

When he agreed to dance with her, Jaheira was more than happy to take his hand and to begin dancing around the area with him. She was a graceful mover and any rustiness she might have had soon disappeared. In a way, it was unfortunate that she was in her human form, as her dancing would have been far more electrifying in her true form but that was simply how it had to be. Maybe one day, if the time ever came that she felt comfortable enough to let her shields down, they could dance with her in her kitsune form but for now, her human one would have to do.

“You’re a good dancer, Doc, did you learn to do so with your delightful maids?” She asked him as they moved, thoroughly enjoying herself.

(407 Words)
(7507 TWC)

Nikola, for his part as well, felt strangely comfortable around Jaheira despite his usual introverted tendencies, but for now, he decided to focus on the present and addressing her remarks and queries instead of dwelling on that

"Likewise, Ms. Jaheira. I too am finding myself to be endlessly fascinated by you and am looking forward to spending more time in your pleasurable company in the foreseeable future, if you will allow it, of course, and I am glad to hear that my invite is acceptable to you."

Then, Nikola moved on to addressing their ongoing discussion about the white kitsune that Jaheira had apparently met in the past

"Oh? Well, that is certainly good news to hear that this kitsune you met is at least somewhat like the one I have been looking for, Ms. Jaheira, so thanks for sharing this invaluable information with me. With any luck, I hope to be able to recruit this kitsune to retinue to work for me."

With that said, Nikola returned his attention to his currently ongoing dance with Jaheira and like her, he too was a rather graceful and talented dancer, in accordance with what she seemed to take note of just then. So, naturally, he never missed a beat even though he was keeping up his current conversation with her and moved in perfect sync to the flow of the music, from fast to slow to fast and so on, leading to them drawing the attention of all the other dancing couples in the area to which he smirked and remarked

"Why thank you, Ms. Jaheira, you are quite the talented dancer yourself, I see...so much so that we seem to be turning the heads of everyone else here onto us...and as to where I learned my dancing, you are indeed correct. The maids I have mentioned earlier were my instructors in this regard and in many other areas of expertise as well since I happen to be the sole scion of the famous Eisenstein family, one of the 'Big Four' of the 'Fortune 500' in Earthland, if you have ever heard of them, which means that the various forms of high society etiquette including dancing, proper comportment, fine arts, linguistics and so on have been drilled into me thoroughly since childhood."

After that, Nikola inquired about where Jaheira had learned her dancing since he was curious about that aspect of her as well

"So, Ms. Jaheira, might I inquire where or from whom you learned these superlative dancing skills of yours? Furthermore, do you have any preferences regarding which dancing style you choose to employ in situations such as these?"

With that said, Nikola fell silent and waited to behold Jaheira's reactions to his remarks and actions and while waiting, he kept up their dancing, still in perfect sync with Jaheira as well as with the music that they and the rest of the dancing couples were moving to in the area. Along with that, he also ensured that he remained vigilant for any signs of incoming trouble of the sort that he and Jaheira had encountered on their way to their chosen restaurant after having attended the Halloween festival in Crocus which had just taken place before this year's end celebratory festival.

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OOC:

Personal Word Count:

• Post WC: 544
  
  
• Total Personal WC: 4401 of 4000 (for Nikola/EISNIK003 only)
  

Total Group WC: 8051 of 8000

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(THREAD EXIT FOR NIKOLA AND JAHEIRA)