"Hello there, sweetheart." A man said as he dropped out of a tree from the left of the woman's current position. He slouched over in landing but regained his posture a moment later; he took the opportunity to adjust the monicle over his right eye. The man was formally dressed and wore a spiffy tuxedo and a pair of black pants with little blue lines down either side. He had within a brilliantly crafted sheath a beautiful sword about two inches wide and three feet long, only to be used in a dire emergency.

"Lost, are you?" The man said as he brushed aside his long green hair and tilted his head at her. Odd, this was very odd, not as odd as the man that stood before the woman, but pretty odd. "What's a lovely lady such as yourself doing out here at this time of night?" He asked politely as he extended out a hand toward her as if to shake her hand.

She takes his hand timidly, her nervousness revealed more through her handshake than her face. With a smile, she ends the shake and crosses her arms over her chest, rubbing her bare arms as she talks.

"Well, hm. Where to start? I guess the short answer would be that I have a cabin somehwere in this forest. I went out for some exploring and . . . explored myself right into the middle of nowhere. Do you know where I could find a map? Maybe even a phone? I couldn't tell you how long I've been out here. I tend to get carried away on my walks, as I do with my talking." She chuckles softly with slight shame, realizing how fast she's been speaking. She couldn't hide her relief at seeing another person, even if his entrance was startling. She just hoped he was here to help and not harm her. "Sorry. My mouth runs away almost as fast as my feet."

The man smiled warmly at the talkative woman; he thought of her trait as cute, annoying but very cute; adorable even. The man put a finger to her lips as if to silence her for but a moment. "You're looking for your cabin?" He asked politely and then, without even awaiting a response jumped up into the trees and left. The man looked around and spotted a cabin about a kilometer or two away. He returned to the woman.

"I'm sorry for the wait," said the man kindly. "I found your house!" He exclaimed and then walked off into the brush; he turned to her and beckoned her towards him and then turned back and dove deeper in, making a path to her house.

"Oh."

She closes her lips tight when he places his finger over her mouth. Breaking into a close-lipped smile, her cheeks turn a light shade of pink as she looks down to her feet. She was about to apologize again when he disappeared into the trees.

"Whoa, wait! What?!"

She takes a few quick steps toward the tree she last saw him near, straining her eyes as she tries to find him in all the branches and leaves. Before she knows it, he's back to the ground and off in a direction. For a second, she hesitates to follow, wondering if she could trust this man, but he only gives her a second's contemplation. She follows his beckoning hand, catching up to him quickly.

"You really climb fast. How is that? Do you have a lot of experience or something? I love to climb trees, but I've never been that good. I didn't even think about trying that to find my cabin. Good thing the moon is out to provide some light."

"I just jump. I jump to the lowest branch and quickly make my way up. I'm just that good!" He said arrogantly as he unsheathed the sword at his side and then started to rend through the brush to create a clearer path for them to follow. After about ten minutes, they reached the cabin; Brian walked over to the door and checked to see if it was locked. It was. He wanted to be polite, but he decided that that was unlikely so he just awaited her at the blocked threshold.

"Well," he said politely. "Here we are! Home sweet home, right?" He asked rhetorically as he looked around, trying to quell his curiosity. He stared into the house through the small window on the door. "Huh...nice place." He said, smiling brightly.

The trip went by in what seemed like a blink. Of course, she was rambling on for most of it, so it may have felt much longer for her companion. Before she knows it, she's looking at the front door of her home. Without thinking, she wraps her arms around him in a quick hug.

"You were right! Here it is. Man, I thought I was a lot further away than I actually was, but I was definitely headed in the wrong direction. You really saved me from a rough night."

By this time, she's ascended the three stairs leading up to the front porch and has her back to the door as she speaks. Noticing his not-so-subtle hints, she covers her mouth with a hand as she chuckles once again.

"You're welcome to come in. I mean, if you haven't grown tired of me by now. I must repay in some way. Maybe a warm meal? Of course, if you do intend to come inside, I must at least learn your name."

He was a little startled by the spontaneous hug he had just recieved, but he still returned the hug with one of his own. The man let her go and let her do her thing; when she placed her back against the wall and began to speak, the man merely smiled politely; he heard her mention something or another about of name and then tilted his head. "What did she ask me?" He thought, "Oh! My name, that's right!" The man opened his mouth to talk and closed it right away, he thought to himself for a moment longer and finally decided to speak.

"My name, huh?" He asked in the same way that he asked his previous question...rhetorically. "My name is...it is!" He tried and failed miserably to build up any form of suspense. "The name is Brian David Tarr." He said at last and with a short pause afterwards. "What's your name?"

"Oh! Of course. How silly of me. That's the proper way of doing things, isn't it? I should've introduced myself first. I'm Kathryn, but most people just call me Kate."

She smiles back at him, finding his delay at revealing his name entertaining. Turning around, she fishes the key from out of her pocket and unlocks the door. Giving it a hard shove, she pushes it open a crack and looks over her shoulder back to him.

"So have you decided? Hungry or no?"

"Nice name, Kate." He said politely as he awaited the opening of the door, which happened just a moment ago. He looked around for intruders, just to be on the safe side. Better safe then sorry, he always said. Speaking of safety, he forgot to sheath his sword! He quickly sheathed it and solved that problem entirely.

The man waited for her to enter before doing so himself; he found that the waiting game would have to play into the hands of irony and wait. She asked him if he was hungry, he paused for a moment to see if that was the case and then spoke politely, uttering the three letter word in a soft tone. "Yes." Said Brian simply.

Then Simone stepped in, not abruptly, but as though she was a part of it. She was most certainly not lost, as she had no destination in mind. And upon stumbling across the clearing, she found habitation. Was anyone home? She went to investigate.

"Good! I'm so glad, because I am starved. I could shrivel up and blow away at any moment!" She bursts into a fit of awkward giggles at her exaggerated hunger right before she trips over a pair of shoes on her way to the kitchen. Managing to remain standing, her cheeks turn pink again as her laughter intensifies. "Oh wow, what an impression I must make."

She makes it to the kitchen, having gained control over her laughter as well, and looks at him as she stands with her hands on her hips. "So Brian, what do you feel like? I have a beef stew in a crock pot I started this morning, so I'm sure it's really good by now. But I also have some left-over fried chicken, or I could heat up a frozen pizza. Take your pick."

clarification: a part of the scene

"Anything you're willing to make, my dear." Said Brian as he walked through the threshold and looked around at her humble abode. Cozy, to say the least...cozy and totally alien to him. Where were the hot maids? Where were the servants? Where were the Chefs?! The servants and Chefs meant nothing to him, so he discarded such thoughts.

"If you just want to heat up this...pizza, you called it? Then I'd be willing to eat that. I love to try new foods!" He said with a chuckle as he looked out the window, sensing yet another person...it was another female! "Brilliant!" He thought to himself as he watched her move about, completely amused by her antics, if any.

"You've never had pizza before? Then that's definitely what we're having for dinner. You're gonna love it."

She goes to the freezer and pulls out the pizza box, noticing the woman outside her house once she closes the door. Leaving the box on the counter, she walks over to thr front door and opens it, excusing herself first.

"I think we might have another dinner guest."

Stepping out onto the porch, she offers a wave. "Hi there. Are you lost or something? What brings you out here so late at night?"

"Oh, hello there. I'm not lost, just taking my evening constitution, and I never found this place before, so I was curious as to who lived here. And...", she added, sniffing the air, "...are you, perchance, having pizza?"

"Nuh uh! You don't know if I'm going to love it or not!" He said rather playfully as he made himself comfortable after sitting in a rather cushy sofa. The man fell into a trance and thought about things for a few moments, he snapped back to but fell back into the trance once more. Damn those things, always unpredictable, always annoying!

"Well, I can deal without the maids, seeing as I'm currently in the presence of a hot woman..." He muttered to himself and then came to once more.

She simply laughs at Brian's retort, shaking her head. "You just wait." Then, she returns to addressing the woman.

Her eyes widen for a moment before returning to normal. "Are you half canine? I haven't even put it in the oven yet." She chuckles. "But yes, we are about to eat some delicious pizza. I doubt you'll find anything better around here, so you're welcome to join us if you'd like. I'm Kate, and the handsome young man behind me in the house is Brian" she beams, pleased that she remembered to conduct herself more appropriately this time. "And what is your name?"

(I'm sorry, Lovely Lady, but I have to leave now. ;_; I'll get back on tomorrow! Bye!)

(Do you have MSN Messenger, by any chance?)

((Nope, sorry. But I hope to see ya tomorrow! Bye.))

(Aww! No fair! No one has MSN these days! Oh well, I'll live...Bye bye!)

((lol, it'll be ok. I think I'm gonna go to sleep now. So if you're still around Terran, then I must say goodbye to you as well.))

"My name is Simone. Just... Simone. So, I can come in?"

Noting the invitation, she ascended the steps and entered the house. As she did so, a light breeze caught her sky blue T-shirt, making it billow lazily with the wind, but did not affect the khaki shorts she wore. This once-stranger was fairly tall (about 6'1"), as the girl could have noticed as Simone walked by her. She paused at the doormat to wipe her bare feet of anything that may have been on them, then stepped inside.

"This is a nice place you have here," she noted.

(Oh, dear. Well, then, shall we resume later?)

((Certainly. I'll be sure to post a continuation sometime tommorrow night. Bye for now!))

((I'm back, so I'm posting. Just reply whenever you get here. If only one person is on for a while, then we can just pretend the other one is silent or something until he/she shows up. Yeah?))

"Why thank you, Simone. It's really not much, but I don't need anything too big or fancy anyway. Just more to take care of." She laughs at her little joke, being sure to close the door behind her newest guest. "Please make yourself comfortable. As you can see, Brian has already done so." With this comment, she turns her eyes to him, offering a grin that seems to say more than a simple hello.

She walks over to the kitchen again, picking up the box from the counter with one hand and setting the oven to preheat with the other. By time she gets the pizza out of the wrapping and on a greased pan, the oven is ready. She pops in the pie and sets the timer.

"Only fifteen minutes until pure cheese and pepperoni gold!"

~Brian decided that it was time for a little nap, so he lay himself down on the comfortable couch and crossed his arms, he closed his eyes and decided to remain in that position until the food was made. Before doing this, however, he caught glimpse of the look she gave him and returned it back to her himself. As he lay there, he thought to himself about his position...it wasn't bad. Sure, it wasn't as luxurious as he wanted it, but it was comfortable, nontheless.

"Ahh..." He relaxed some more whilst doing more thinking, he thought of different things; thoughts of memories of the past; thoughts of things at the present and thoughts of the future; he considered them all as he rested, awaiting the pizza that would surely whet his appetite.

Jumping up on the counter, she swings her feet and drums her fingers softly on top of her thighs as she waits. Glancing over her shoulder, she notices that Brian has changed his position and seems to be rather relaxed on the couch. She fights a smile, chewing her bottom lip as she turns back to stare at the oven. Right as she is slipping into deep thought, the timer goes off and buzzes loudly. Sliding off the counter, she quickly turns it off and grabs an oven mit to take out the pan. Placing it on the stovetop, she removes the mit and gets a pizza cutter. In a few moments, she is standing over Brian with a plate of two pieces of pizza and a glass of soda.

"Ready for some deliciousness?"

Brian's eyes shot open suddenly and there she was, standing over him with a piece of pizza on a plate in her hands; this scared the hell out of him for some reason and caused him to jump. The man sat up and looked at the pizza; he took the plate and smiled politely at her; he took the soda from her and nodded.

"Hmm..." He eyed the cheesy fraction of what was once a disk and took a bite out of it. Mmm...was this the taste of two-star food? He'd never eaten less than four or five-star foods; he didn't care, the pizza tasted quite good to him. He took another bite and another and another until the slice was gone; he realized that he was choking a little, so he took a swig of the soda to wash the pizza down.

"Not bad." He said with a smile.

"Some... deliciousness?", Simone queried. She noticed what was going on between the other two, but chose to ignore it. Her growling stomach had caught the scent of food, and the needs of the body took precedent. "Shall I get my own? And do you, perchance, have any Dr. Pepper? It's goood stuff!"

When he jumps, she jumps as a result, almost spilling some of his drink in the process. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she chews the corner of her bottom lip with shame. Her eyes dart over to nothing in particular, just as long as she isn't making eye contact with him.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you would have heard the buzzer and . . . sorry."

Her lips break free from her teeth as they form a smile. Noticing how quickly her ate the first piece, she was glad she had included another on his plate.

"Slow down there some. I can't have you choking." She chuckles. "Do you think you'll want a third piece?"

"Oh no no, Simone. You're my guest. I'll get you a couple pieces too."

She skips back to the kitchen and puts two pieces on a plate and pours a glass of Dr. Pepper, bringing them both back to Simone.

"Enjoy!"

He inhaled his second slice of pizza and downed the rest of the soda, he set the plate down on the table and headed off to the bathroom. He didn't know where it was, but he found it eventually; he stepped in and then pulled out a toothbrush from a back slung over his shoulder(similar in looks to the bag that Ford Prefect owns), he opened the bathroom pantry and pulled out the toothpaste, slathered it onto the brush, cleaned his teeth and ended with a rinsing. He was out moments later.

"Thank you for the pizza, Kate." He said with a smile and then suddenly noticed that she was failing to make eye contact with him, this intrigued him a bit and forced him to ask a question. "Why won't you make eye contact with me anymore?"

Taking the consumables in hand, she started eating. Although she might have preferred a pepperoni and sausage pizza, she did not care. It was free food, after all. Besides, sausage did not do too well for the digestion, though she loved it so. Taking all in mind, she ate at a moderate pace, taking in the room, the couch she reclined on, which was quite soft, and the carpet. It felt smooth under her feet, which was in a way sexually appeasing, though Simone felt awkward about thinking so. Then again, she walked barefoot to feel more at one with the earth. She sighed and continued eating.

Now that her guests were cared for, at least temporarily, she decides to grab a piece of pizza for herself. Plopping a slice on a plate, she rummages through the refridgerator until finding her last can of Mountain Dew. Popping the tab, she takes a long swig while closing the frdge's door. Then she makes her way over to the living room area and seats herself on a chair, being sure to pick up her plate on the way. This is when she notices Brian's absence. Her eyebrows lower, but then she hears the sound of rushing water coming from the bathroom and assumes where is. Taking a big bite of pizza, she munches happily while casting a glance to Simone.

"Pretty good for a frozen one, huh?" she asks after she swallows her food. Not waiting for an answer, she merely smile and continues eating. During her last bite, Brian emerges. His question catches her off-guard and she almost chokes on her food. Coughing a few times, she tries to play it off by laughing.

"What do you mean? I didn't realize I wasn't." Wanting to change the subject, she turns her attention again to Simone. "So Simone, what's your story? Do you live in the forest also?"

When she was finished, she relaxed, polished off her drink, and then sat back, letting digestion take its course unabated. All the while, she was looking at the wilds outside, and at the hostess, shifting from one to the other according to comfort level. Interestingly, she didn't pay so much attention to Brian as Kate. This little fact engaged her curiosity, so she decided to analyze this line of thinking further.

"I dunno, it seemed like you were purposely trying to avoid my eyes." He said with a yawn as he rose both arms to the back of his neck and stretched himself out, he bent his spine back as far as it would go, stretching his stomach and back and whatever else that got pulled as well. Brian looked around and then looked back at Kate, trying to catch her gaze with his own.

"Huh...changing the subject without even finishing the first one, huh? Okay, NOW I'm really curious." He said quietly to himself, his eyes still trying to catch her gaze.

"Frozen, huh? I didn't notice! It tastes fine, anyhow."

She watched as Brian came in, and his interaction with Kate, as one might analyze some other people's conversations when they have nothing better to do. This was typical Simone behavior. However, she was quickly able to answer the question directed at her.

"Well, not all the time, but I do like being in it often. I feel at peace here, at one with the wild."

She listens intently, trying to remove the feeling of Brian's eyes on her. "I know exactly what you mean. Why don't you get a cabin? I mean, since you like it so much out here. They really aren't that expensive and there's a road that leads into a nearby city. Of course, the road is dirt, but it turn into a paved one eventually."

Having finished her pizza and drink, she stands, gathering Brian's plate and glass as well, and walks back to the kitchen to place the empty dishes in the sink. Calling out from near the sink, she asks, "Did you want anymore pizza Simone? There are three more on the pan here. I also have som popsicles if you two would like something sweet." She waits for feedback to determine her next move.

(I no longer wish to be a part of this RP. Sorry and goodbye.)

((Aw. I hope you didn't feel ignored. I was planning to redirect a question to Brian once the food situation was settled. Anyway, if you must go then you must go. Thanks for your time.))

(Maybe we can try again next time.)

"Actually, I feel like those slices will do it for me. And, to answer your other question, I never thought of getting a log cabin out here. For the most part, I've been living in a cave I refitted for habitation. However, considering this, I would like to live here... er, in a cabin of my own. Then I could visit you more often! So, tell me, why exactly did you move out here, yourself?"

With that last sentence, she shifted into a more comfortable position, with legs out to her side, and arms resting on the arm of the couch. The position was somewhat catlike.

(Oh, dear, leaving already? Pity! Well, I'm still game.)

((That would be great. Hope to see you again later.))

"Ok then." She goes back into the the living room to pick up the last of the dishes and places them in the sink with the others. Having not received an answer about the popsicles, she takes two strawberry flavored out of the freezer anyway. She peels the wrappers off of one and throws it away, taking a few licks of strawberry with a grin. Bringing the other one to Simone, she holds it out to her with a look that asks if she wants it.

"I guess you could say I have an appreciation for nature also. Really I just couldn't stand living in the city anymore. A lot went wrong in my life, and well, there wasn't anything keeping me there. I needed a change, so I came here." She smiles, giving a nod as indication of the end of her story.

((I suppose we can just pretend that Brian said goodbye IC and left the cabin.))

She took the popsicle graciously offered her, and considered it for a moment. She then shrugged, and licked it once. "Strawberry, huh? My favorite!" Pleased about it, she dove in more eagerly.

"Indeed. I hear you, not being a city-dweller, myself. Urbanites strike me as dull creatures, clinging to old ways and new technology, as though they risked falling into the abyss of the wilderness. They would seek to tame it, but it is it that tames them in the end. I feel more at home here. In fact, I would consider myself one of the beasts that stalk these woods, in a way."

"Well, I can't say I'm quite that connected." She grins, seating herself on a chair next to the couch facing Simone. "Maybe one day, but I'm still pretty new to this. I mean, I wouldn't even be here now if it weren't for Brian. I got lost on one of my walks earlier today." She shrugs her shoulders with a chuckle.

"Oh, dear! If that is the case, you could use a friend like me! I know this forest pretty well, though sometimes I stumble across something different when I'm out walking. Like this cabin, for instance! We should walk together, because I would hate for you to get lost in the woods like that again!"

"Oh, I didn't mind so much. I was more annoyed with myself than anything else I think. Besides, it allowed to meet someone new." She smiles again and settles back into the fold of the comfortable old chair. "But it would be nice to have a tour guide of sorts. Perhaps we could go for a stroll tomorrow afternoon even."

She opens her mouth as if to say something else, but is interrupted by a yawn. Adding a long stretch, she settles back into the chair. "I'm getting tired. Were you planning to stay here for the night? I'm afriad I only have the couch to offer as a guest bed, but you're welcome to it if you wish."

"Oh, I can stay? That's great! I'm already too settled in to this couch, anyway, so I don't mind. As long as you don't mind, that is... And then tomorrow I can show you some highlights of the forest... after breakfast, of course!"

She laughs openly, not caring to even cover her mouth. "I see. So you've enjoyed your stay that much so far, huh? Yes, it's fine if you stay tonight. Excuse me for one moment though."

She disappears into her bedroom and comes back with a pillow and a blanket, handing them both over to Simone. "The bathroom is right back there, as is my room if you need me for anything during the night." She goes to the front foor and locks it. "Goodnight, Simone." With that, she nods her head and goes into her room.

((I'm going to go now. See you again I hope!))