outworldcowboy | For @thesanguinare : Out on the Town

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For @thesanguinare : Out on the Town

In the few hours since he had seen Skarlet, Erron had made it back to where he was staying to make himself a little more presentable. He'd showered, shaved and dressed a bit sharper than usual. He was careful to match his boots, hat and jacket. He had even dabbed himself with a little Dragon's Blood scented oil behind his ears. He'd always enjoyed how his own scent blended with the that of the resin.

He glanced over his reflection in the looking glass, gave his coat a final straightening, and headed off on his way. He was a little early, but that was a given. You were not supposed to keep a lady waiting...it was a mighty bad look.

The sun was setting and the cool of the evening was creeping in as lanterns were lit. It was a lovely scene and it was a refreshing reminder to Erron why he preferred Outworld with its blend of exotic adventures to his own Realm. It felt like something he'd read about in an old adventure story...but it was real and there...ready and waiting to be experienced as long as he could live.

He quickly found himself waiting across the street from the palace. He wasn't so bold as to knock on the door or ask the guards to let him in when he didn't have an active contract. That would surely make him look a little too comfortable with being there.

Regardless...he was there, ready and waiting.

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She did not frequently dress for occasions, she found the preening of court a display of foolishness. She had, of course, at her Kahn and creator's insistence made herself attractive but by and large she was given the freedom to comport herself as she wished.

Again Erron proved the exception to the rule, he had always favored her with praise and flattery when she'd made extra effort to'doll herself up.' Not that he was opposed to having her on his arm drenched in blood and sweat under leather and fresh from battle. But he had always said he enjoyed having a chance to treat her like a lady. So if he was taking the time to clean up a bit she decided she would as well and perhaps surprise him.

It wouldn't keep him waiting long nor would she be hard to spot her when she arrived all in red as she was. Her dress was simple but elegant in lengths of soft fabric that slithered around her ankles as she moved. The top was conventional, fitted and flattering but the jewel at her throat, large red and glittering, was the stand-out piece. Skarlet had put in the time to make herself lovely, and when she greeted the cowboy she did so with a smile of appreciation for his own effort. And the scent that she caught soon after that brought so many memories to her mind.

"If we are both ready, I can lead us there."

As soon as he laid eyes on Skarlet, Erron's hat was off and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed before smiling widely.

He reached for her hand to kiss the back of it.

"My, my...lovely as ever. You shine up like a new penny."

He released her hand and replaced his hat. His eyes had a pleased, genuine sparkled to them that Skarlet was sure to notice. He'd seen her in bloodied battle clothes, nothing at all, and casual wear, but Skarlet always managed to take his breathe away no matter what. He offered her his arm.

"I daresay we are both ready. Well, then..."

He gestured with his hand.

"lead the way."

His customs were strange, but there was a charm to them.

She allowed the kiss with a pleased sort of smirk.

"And you look good enough to eat."

Maybe a bit disconcerting when one was speaking to a being who willingly drank blood, but if she'd wanted him dead she'd had plenty of chances to do it. And certainly many chances when she was less pleased with him.

Skarlet entwined her arm with him and folded her hand over his arm.

"You will see we have made many changes to the marketplace, we have been improving things, bringing in new merchants and new means of trade."

She pointed out here and there where things had been improved, and things appeared to be thriving in response.

She lead through the winding stalls and tents to the deeper heart of the plaza where the scent of spice and cooking meat filled the air. Skarlet drew them up to a particular small building and with soft words arranged for food and for them to find accommodation.

In short order they were seated and sharp, spiced wine was brought to their table.

"Coming from you, Skarlet, that's a mighty fine compliment."

Erron allowed himself to be led through the marketplace, making sure to mentally catalog all the things she was pointing out to him. He would absolutely need some of these things later...but that wasn't what he wanted to think about right now. At the moment, all he wanted to think about was the feeling of Skarlet's hand on his arm and the way that the light from various torches and lamps caught sparkles not only in her eyes but also in the facets of the jewel around her neck. Her company always sat right with him, even when his wandering nature took hold and he disappeared for awhile.

Erron nodded thanks when the spiced wine was delivered and picked up his glass and gave it a careful swirl. He held it up.

"Shall we drink to our continued good health, good times and good company?"

"And the good fortune to share that again."

She raised her glass to his, she had every reason to share his feeling on their meeting again. Strike to her pride aside, she had always held out hope to see him return. They were oddly suited with his wanderlust and her own loyalty to Shao Kahn. They each had something that pulled them a different direction away from the other. It didn't diminish her feelings, but she was well versed enough with suffering, loss and going without to let him go.

It had led them to this on again, off again cycle, but when they were good they were too good for her to ever consider otherwise.

"Have you had any interesting contracts to speak of?"

"Always."

He clinked his glass against hers before drinking. Outworld spiced wine was a cut above anything other Realms had to offer. It was always strong and well aged, much like the two of them. The more time he had, the more he began to appreciate the impact of small moments. It had only taken him a hundred years or so to figure that out and since, he'd actually made sure to make time to actually enjoy things. He sipped his wine again before answering her question.

"As a matter of fact...I have. I just finished with retrieving some idol from some aristocrat. With a little negotiating, he handed it right over and I kept my word and he's still kicking around. Tch. His ex-wife wanted it. Didn't look like much, some kinda lizard horse with jewel eyes. I think it was more of the principle of the thing. Oh- Also, I retrieved a few runaways from another noble house. Got 'em all back in one piece despite their best efforts."

He shook his head and raised his eyebrows.

"Those damn punks didn't know what was good for 'em. I had to tie 'em up and ride them on the horse hung up like a dead deer or something. I should have charged extra. They screamed for the first mile but then I just gagged the two of 'em for the other two hundred. Turns out they tried to run off with some scoundrels not worth their salt. As soon as I showed up, they beat it."

He chuckled.

"To be fair, that was smart. They're still breathing, as far as I know."

He tipped his glass in her direction.

"What about you, Skarlet? Has Shao Khan had any interesting work for you?"

"You have more patience for squabbling than I do." Frankly she had no idea how he made it through the contract without killing them. She would have been hard-pressed to find a reason to leave them alive. But Erron had an incredible sense of focus when he had a job to do, it was one of the things she'd always admired about him.

"Some small skirmishes that had to be dealt with. Unrest in the outskirts, like embers. They can be dangerous if left unchecked." And she was the right-hand woman of Shao Kahn was the one most often called upon to clear up such unfortunate resistance. It was her job, her devotion, her literal reason for being to serve the man who pulled her starving from the gutter and remade her into a more powerful being than she could ever have dreamed.

"Much of my work has been in securing the extent of Shao Kahn's territory. I've assembled an admirable squad of warriors that have not failed to impress. And it has kept me heavily supplied with blood when needed. It's an ideal situation for everyone."

And it kept her high in the halls of power, a position that could not be touched by D'vorah or Mileena or the rest.

"The job was to bring 'em back alive. If they weren't breathing, I didn't get paid. Good for them, their parents paid up."

He indeed had plenty of focus...especially when properly motivated. He nodded when Skarlet described quelling skirmishes and rebellions. The Khan was direct and unforgiving, as was what Erron considered his greatest creation. Skarlet could handle most of these things by herself, and she was damn near unstoppable if she had help.

"He was right to choose you for the job."

He knew that she knew that...but it felt right for him to point it out. It wasn't some ploy for attention; it was a statement of fact and respect.

"Glad to hear it, on all accounts."

His eyes sparkled as he held his wine glass, giving it an absent swirl in his hand.

"Beautiful and Deadly, as always."

"You are true to your word." And his word was his contract, she had seen that in the very beginning when she'd met him. All she had known of him was that he was a useful addition to Shao Kahn's arsenal, it didn't take long for him to distinguish himself in her eyes.

He wasn't a braggart, for all his bravado anything he said he was more than willing and able to back up with action. Words never left his lips that were less than a promise he was fully capable of delivering on. She respected that, more so she saw how others responded to him. Some feared him, others were angered by the deference his effectiveness granted him, neither reaction seemed to affect him at all.

Erron was always so smoothly in control of himself, though she could feel when his blood surged. That fascinated her all the more and had never really stopped. How he could be volcanic beneath such a placid surface. She was one of the few to see his passions rise and counted herself fortunate for the secrets shared between them.

"I believe I would be far less interesting to you if I was not." A joke they both understood the truth of, if either had been different than they were the chances were good they would have grown bored and apart long ago. Instead, it seemed they always drifted back to each other, eventually.

"Fortunate that tonight all I am killing is my hunger." She murmured, and her lips curled in a smirk before she too sipped her wine.

"Will you be in the imperial city for long?" She asked lightly, for anyone who didn't know her it might have sounded like a casual question.

"That I am."

He always prided himself on being true to his word. Erron Black was many things, but a liar wasn't one. He came from a time when one's words and reputation were all one had and it needed to be backed up with action, not bland pleasantries and that was how he had always carried himself.

He didn't concern himself with the opinions of people who didn't matter to him. Most people didn't actually know him outside of his reputation. He could count the number of people who truly knew him on one hand and still have a few extra fingers. One of those people was sitting across from him, sipping spiced wine. Skarlet knew him more than anyone else who was still breathing. Erron had long suspected she could read his moods through her ability to sense blood since she seemed to respond things he never vocalized. He didn't have to explain things to her, she just knew them. It did make things easier between them, whenever they were together. Skarlet, in a way, knew his most intimate secrets, how he could go from cool headed to wildly violent without so much as batting an eye and managing to keep a cool exterior.

Erron ran his tongue over his lips as Skarlet sipped her wine. A half smile pulled at the corner of his mouth at her question.

"I've got a little over under a month before my next contract starts."

He'd taken more expensive jobs lately to afford him a little well deserved time off-good times with pleasant company. Hie eyes met hers and he didn't look way as he said his next words.

"I was...hoping...to spend a few weeks here."

He could have spent it anywhere...but he was choosing to spend it here in the imperial city because that's where Skarlet was.

Edited 2023-07-02 19:13 (UTC)

"I must say that's what I was hoping to hear." They had been a bound couple for a period but events were what they were and they had moved apart. But they continued to return to each other, they weren't together but the truth was they were never really apart.

Skarlet was not a woman without options, attractive and powerful she could take lovers or companions as she wished. Though she hadn't, none dared whisper about her choices or preferences. The most intimate she'd been with others was those whose blood had fed and empowered her. When it came to the social or rarer still romantic entanglements the man across from her was the only one who ever seemed to rank among her guests.

"I could see to accommodations for you, within the palace." He was a valued contractor and always her favored guest, he would be treated with all due respect. Of course, there was also another option. "Or you know my quarters well enough and would be welcome there."

That was as formal an invitation as could be made, she understood that this was a short-term arrangement and he was a man who valued his freedom but the choice would ultimately be his.

They had seemed to find a rhythm that suited them. Skarlet's devotion to the Emperor and Erron's wanderlust could both be accommodated with it. Besides...it gave Skarlet a break from him...it let her indulge her hunger without him there-out of sight, out of mind...and it gave her a little distance from his magic rich blood. He could not imagine it was easy having the equivalent of a well cooked, prime steak under her nose at all times. Their two lifestyle preferences seemed to compliment other, nicely. Though they were often far apart physically, the woman in red was rarely far from his thoughts.

"I've got a room rented...mostly to keep my things in. I don't want the Kahn thinking I'm exclusive to him. You know how business is."

Under the table, his boot lightly teased her ankle.

"Your quarters, on the other hand? A most welcome change of scenery. Always a pleasure and an offer I'd be happy to take you up on."

His hand reached for hers on the table.

"Well, hot damn. I just keep being the luckiest son of a bitch alive."

There were moments where their passions spilled over into her more craven needs. Erron's blood was rich by nature, but the magic that sustained his life made it an intoxicating elixir. She'd tasted it of course, when lovers were also fighters blood would be present, but she had never, to the credit of her will and his self perseveration, truly fed from him. She could imagine it would be spectacular, but the thought of losing him was far more potent a worry. A sign she cared for him more than she was willing to admit, which was another good reason for him to spend time away from her.

If either of them were to become a liability for the other, that could be a lethal mistake.

"Of course, you must be seen as an independent contractor, I respect that."

The feel of hardened leather and cool metal grazed her ankle, in a dress the feel of it was surprising to her and enough to draw a quick reaction, it melted into a pleased smile quickly enough and her hand joined his, her fingers tracing over his before settling atop them.

"Who knows how your luck will continue this evening.

If they hadn't ordered, she would be tempted to skip their meal and make their exit now, but the quivering excitement of this flirtation was not unlike stalking prey and it was serving well to work up her appetite.

Skarlet’s reaction at the touch of his boot sent a thrill up his spine. His thumb ran over her fingers when her hand joined his.

“Well…I am sure someone knows…but she’s aiming to surprise me.”

He gave Skarlet a quick wink.

He was content to wait for their food to arrive…her company was most welcome and like her, he enjoyed the thrill of the chase…the promise of excitement. All in good time. They complimented each other nicely in that respect as well. He was fine with being her figurative prey for the evening.

“I don’t always like surprises, but yours are always mighty fine.”

He sighed and nodded softly.

“I appreciate the invitation. It will be nice to be spending time with you under significantly better circumstances than the last time I was in your quarters.”

"As I recall you enjoy certain surprises."

Not in battle always and definitely not in contracts but when it came to things she could or would do to or with him she knew he was very open.

They had shared some intense and intimate history and it was looking as though tonight might expand on that. Her lips curled in a lush smile and she was about to say something when their food arrived, cutting her playtime short for the moment.

"The last time you were there you needed healing, you appear fit and ready now. And after all this, you will be well fed." She smiled and turned the metal plate upon which sat a thick cut of steak, hot but smelling of fresh meat. The scent was tempting and she wasted little time cutting into the meat and tasting the rare flesh.

Erron raised an eyebrow and a smile tugged at the corner of his lip again.

“Hmph. I do as long as you are concerned. You tend to rustle up the best kinds of surprises.”

It was then that their food arrived and he seemed to get the temporary last word in. He nodded his thanks to the server that delivered their food. Erron wasn’t about to let good beef go cold, so he cut into his rare steak and tasted it.

It was perfect-a soft pink middle and buttery soft meat that cut like a dream. He dipped his into the gravy of his mashed potatoes before he ate it.

He nodded at Skarlet.

“I hope the beef and potatoes meet your expectations.”

They certainly met his. The flavor combination reminded him a bit of the home he had left behind decades ago. He had moved on to better things, obviously…but scent and taste memories were potent things.

“Nice to have a little piece of the best thing about EarthRealm here.”

The meal was, as most things with the man tended to, a surprise. Skarlet had never really felt satisfied with most meals. She had starved in the streets, fought and begged for scraps just to sustain what pitiful life she had. Her ravenous nature did not end when her master remade her, it merely changed with her. Her hunger ran deeper and was less easy to sate now, food could fill her belly but still even so she could be on the trembling edge of hunger and want of blood.

The meat, as he had recommended, offered her both sustenance and liberal blood as well. Not as rich as higher beings, but it was still full and flavored, and she could openly enjoy it without others running in fear of her to ruin her meal. She found herself with a peculiar expression, almost childlike in the freedom of her enjoyment. Another new experience she had him to thank for.

The vegetable was fine, it had good flavor and was filling, but she was very taken with the meat, which was no surprise. She made a note that she would have this brought to the palace as an option for her in the future. It satisfied far better than the lizard and dessert spawn that usually sustained her when she was between battles to feed.

"If this is a taste of home it makes it a tempting place to venture to, if only to sample." Of course, she already knew one delicacy from there, sitting right across from her.

Erron cast a few glances up at Skarlet and enjoyed the pleasant feeling that bubbled up inside him. She was clearly enjoying the rare steak, just as he thought she would. He was happy to see her actually enjoying food rather than just having it be a necessity for sustenance. He kept his looks to a minimum as no predator enjoyed being watched while it ate.

It was still nice to see her enjoying herself.

"If you want, sometime I'll take you on a tour...you know, to sample the local cuisine...though I'm more than happy to bring it to you."

One way or another.

She was attuned enough to her surroundings to know when she was watched, even by one as keen eyes as him. It was part of her nature and her abundance of caution, but he was perhaps the one person whose attention she didn't mind. Even her master, she only tolerated based on the nature of their relationship.

"We shall discuss that later. Perhaps this evening we can tour to reacquaint with more personal territories." Her foot nudged his own, she pushed back her emptied plate and took up her wine. One appetite sated, she was finding another beginning to rise.

There was a warm chuckle in his chest at the nudge to his foot. His own foot pressed back against it. He slid his empty plate out of the way and leaned forward, resting his elbpw on the table and setting his chin on that hand.

"Oh?"

That was a very interested "oh."

His other hand reached for his own wine glass that he held across the table and clinked against Skarlet's. Her words made a pleasant little burn start in his belly and a bristle to the hairs on his neck.

"Well, I do like the sound of that. I was hoping you'd say something to that effect. Cheers, Skarlet. To reacquainting, tch, with each other's personal territories."

There was a mischievous glimmer in his eyes that Skarlet would find all too familiar.

Skarlet tipped back her wine and finished it in a long, enthusiastic draft, and set the empty cup down on the table-top. Her tongue made a slow pass over her lip, collecting any stray traces of the rich wine clinging there.

"As soon as you're finished, you may escort me back to my quarters," She eased back in her chair looking very much like a cat eyeing her favorite catnip mouse.

"And I hope you didn't have plans for tomorrow, I believe you will be fully occupied."

Erron's eyes followed her tongue as it ran over her lips and he audibly swallowed and raised his eyebrow before quickly downing his own wine. He cleared his throat and set his glass down before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a stack of gold coins and placing them on the table. He whistled to the waiter signaling for the bill. He paid, with a hefty tip for discretion.

He rose and offered her his hand.

"I'd be happy to do the honors."

He leaned in and whispered.

"I hope you don't think this presumptuous, but I left the whole day open for you."

Her hand slid into his, and she rose, like everything it was more of a fluid motion than an effort. Her Kahn had recreated her in an elegant form, one which moved with grace and purpose. And currently her purpose was the man before her.

"I think that is a sign of wisdom and foresight." She smiled in return.

Her lips pressed a quick kiss to his ear before she whispered. "And that wisdom will be rewarded."

Many eyes turned to follow the pair, not overtly as few dared to be so bold, but downcast gazes observed the couple on their walk back toward the palace and her quarters. Lavishly appointed in drappings of silks in red and black and always just a degree warmer than skin. Fires glowed in bronze braziers about the room, scented incense something like cinnamon and jasmine.

Gun calloused fingers curled around her delicate hand when she accepted his. A silent chuckle caused his frame to move slightly at that kiss and that response. The gunslinger knew the way, but he was sure to let Skarlet lead him. He had been to the palace and to her quarters specifically numerous times, but he was always a guest and he was sure to act accordingly.

When the door closed behind them, he removed his hat an hung it on one to the hooks by the door. He paused for a moment, eyes shut to inhale and scent the room, picking up on the smoke, the cinnamon, the florals and the hint of metal. He exhaled with a smile and opened his eyes.

"I'm glad to be here again."

He'd survived, thanks to her. Skarlet had kept watch over him as his magic blood had brought him back from the brink. She'd kept watch over him despite her own nature and he wouldn't ever forget that. The scents of the room brought him back to those weeks where he'd drifted in and out of consciousness to always find her there.

He crossed the room to where Skarlet was and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her neck slowly before he moved up and pressed his nose into her hair and breathed in her scent.

"Damn, I missed you."

"The last time you were in my bed I feared it might be the last time." His wounds had been severe, but he was hearty and she sat by his side to watch over him until he woke and was able to see to himself. It had been an exercise in self-restraint being so close to him with the rich and potent scent of his blood so openly available to her. Her care for him, the depth of her feelings gave her the strength to keep her hunger in check.

Now that he was well she felt less compelled to worry about causing him harm and he could well defend himself even if she lost control. A possibility when he moved to her like he did.

Skarlet purred with the contact between the bits of skin that her outfit bared and his own, skin on skin, skin on leather, the contact was tantalizing. His personal scent of gun oil, ash, and leather filled her senses when he drew that close. He made her gasp with his words, the low long drawl rumbling against her skin.

"Gods, Erron. I've missed you." One arm reached behind her, fingers sinking into his hair and nails lightly dragging along his scalp. She pressed bodily back against him, wanting for all the more contact with him that she could have.

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(I thought I had replied to this already, I am so sorry)

No worries! There is never a hurry for tags!

I appreciate that

<3

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8 Million Years Later

never worry

^_^

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