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It had been far too long since Lila had simply gotten out and let herself take a run. Her clothes were down by the river, and she was in her second skin, the coyote. It'd been the first animal she'd ever learned, a rite of passage for the Skinwalkers, and it would always be her favorite. She loved the way the earth felt beneath her paws, how...serene it all was. She took off at a run, leaping from the tall grass and into something of a meadow.
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The last thing that the woman expected, however, was the sweet scent of another animal. A larger one. Something almost...feline. Her animal instincts told her to run, to make it to a safer place. The animal was much larger than she was, she knew that. But, running had never been in her nature. She had two options. Stay in her current form and stalk what could be her dinner, or shift into something feline and see what she was up against.
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In the end, she decided it would be best to take the second option. Perhaps the first would still be open to her later, if the animal was one she knew she'd be able to take on in a fight. She summoned the image of leopard and concentrated on it. The form of her coyote fell away and she shifted, albeit painfully, into that of a leopard. She dashed off into the brush to hide herself, and she waited until she heard the rustling in front of her.
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And then she pounced the creature playfully. If it attacked, she'd deal with it. But, if it played with her as well, she'd have someone to run with tonight...
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It had been a particularly stressful night and day. Lonan truly hadn't gotten any sleep what so ever, and he doubted, at this point, that he could unless he relieved at least a little of his tension. It just seemed that one thing after another had been weighting down on him. The bar had been busy the night before and a small fight had broken out that he'd needed to nip in the bud before it had wound up in full-blown chaos. And just when he'd gotten home to relax in the wee hours of the morning, someone from another part of the bloody country had called him asking him questions about his investments. He'd been on the phone for hours talking about something he didn't really give a damn about at that point.

<br><br>He just needed the chance to run. Just needed the chance to forget about his human troubles and be in tune with his animal half. Which was precisely what he was doing at the moment. He was stalking through tall grasses, simply enjoying the tickle of it beneath his paws. He enjoyed the way the grass brushed against his back and shoulders as he walked along. It was comforting being here. It was nice being here.

<br><br>He caught scent of something in the same vicinity however, which was interesting to say the least. It was animal and yet... not. And then abruptly, even that scent chanced. He brushed his paw against the end of his nose, wondering, for a moment, what was wrong with him. But then he continued on. A moment later, something was flying at him and landing atop him. Shit. He hadn't been expecting that. What was wrong with him that his senses were so thrown that he hadn't anticipated that?

<br><br>He shook the other beast off and got to his feet, planting them in front of him in a defensive stance, but he kept his head raised and not lowered, non-threatening, but intimidating enough to let her know that he would attack to defend himself. And then he reached out to her with his mind. Nothing. Nothing at all. He tilted his head to the side a moment and then it dawned on him. She wasn't an animal. At least... not naturally.

<br><br>He shifted right in front of her, making sure his pants were at least there in the shift. "Whut the bluidy 'ell?" He asked, frowning down at her.

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As the panther shook her off and got to it's feet, Lila almost felt herself pouting. But, the panther seemed slightly shaken...at least, it seemed shaken in a slightly human sense, which was entirely unusual for an animal. Which brought about the question...was the panther an animal? <em>Probably not...besides, how many panthers are roaming free in the woods?</em> At least she'd originally chosen something a litle less...out of the norm.<br>
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The panther started looking at her as if he was expecting something and the next thing she knew, a man was standing in front of her and asking what the hell. Huh. A shifter. Certainy explained a lot. A termor ran down her spine as she stretched and pawed the ground a moment. It took her a moment, but she shifted back to her original form. Complete with tattoos, and piercings. And without clothes. It was one of the ticks of her race. Always shifted naked.<br>
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<strong>&quot;Wait....what? Waffles?!&quot;</strong> She exclaimed as she looked up at him, hands placed defiantly up on her hips. It was the one thing she'd heard from his mind before she got thoroughly distracted with the fact that he was in the woods so far away from the city. And that she had no idea who he even was! <strong>&quot;Who the hell are you?&quot;</strong> She asked, much more curiously than the words seemed at first. <strong>&quot;Why are you all the way out here, of all places?&quot;</strong> Maybe it was a few too many questions </div></center>
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One moment he was standing there alone in his human form and the next... there was a woman standing in front of him. A very naked woman. He quickly turned his head away to keep from staring at her. Damn his moral code. Damn it to hell. He cleared his throat, talking away from her. "Well that explains a lot." He sighed. He cautioned another look at her. Nope. Still naked. Still very very naked. He ran a hand along his jaw.

<br><br>"Wait....what? Waffles?!" He did a double take and stared her in the eye for a moment. "Whut?" He asked her. And then, realizing he was staring at her and her state of undress, he quickly turned his head again, cursing. "Dae ye nae have any kind o' clothing tae put on ye, Lass?" He asked her, momentarily forgetting the fact that she had just announced exactly what he'd been thinking about a second ago. He couldn't damned well help it if he was hungry. It had been a long night and this was already proving to look like a long day ahead of him too. He could go for some coffee... Chicory flavored. Ugh. He was practically salivating.

<br><br>"Who the hell are you?" He sighed. "Ye always ask that question standing there naked?" He frowned at her. He sighed, shifting once more in front of her into his panther form before taking the shift one step further and calling forth some of his own clothing. At least it was something so that he could look her in the eye without... staring. When he shifted again, he was wearing a dark blue t-shirt which he pulled off of him and handed to her, keeping his face turned away. "Fer the sake o' my sanity, Lass. Please put the bluidy shirt on." He sighed.

<br><Br>"Why are you all the way out here, of all places?" A tick started in his jaw, but he held on to the endless wealth of patience he seemed to have dwelling within him. "Aye've had a long night." He breathed. "And eet's gonnae bae a long day. Aye needed tae get away for a while. And this ees how Aye dae eet." He said. "As fer who Aye am... Aye'll ignore mae ire fer the time being and answer. Lonan Hunter." He shook the shirt at her. "And yer breasts are starin' at mae eyes, Lass. Please." He all but whimpered.

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It took but a moment for Lila to comprehend the man's thoughts. He wanted to look at her. Wanted to drink in the sight of her naked, but he had a moral code. He had a sense of honor. One that was rare in men today. She cocked her head at him curiously as he said that it explained a lot. He'd been expecting to be able to talk to her when she shifted. He spoke to animals, mentally. Much the same way as she could hear his thoughts now.
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<i>"Dae ye nae have any kind o' clothing tae put on ye, Lass?"</i> At that, she shook her head. <b>"My clothes are down on the river bank. Looks like I'm just skinny dipping that way."</b> She hated being followed when she was out running. People were often times very trying for her. Even though she did enjoy good conversation. And there were very few arguments she ever lost any more. Which was a huge plus in her column. Some days anyway.....all of the sudden she wanted coffee. Chicory coffee. What the....Oooooh. It took her a moment to realize it was the werepanther in front of her wanting coffee. She shook her head at herself.
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<b>"Generally I'm not naked the first time I meet someone. But, eh, it's happened before."</b> She said with a shrug of the shoulder. Of course, he shifted in front of her again and then back so that he had a tshirt on as well this time. What the...Oh. He wanted her to put it on so he could have a conversation without staring at her plethora of piercings and tattoos...Or more to the point, he wanted to talk to her while looking her in the eyes. Not at her breasts. He definitely was a strange one. She took the shirt from him and slipped it on, adjusting it so that it covered everything he was trying to keep from looking at.
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<b>"Sorry for being snippy. I never run into other people out here. Much less shifters. I'm Lila Spencer. It's a pleasure, Lonan."</b> She said before giggling the slightest bit when he said her breasts were staring at his eyes. <b>"I think you were staring at my breasts first. They had every right to stare back."</b> Not that she saw what the big problem was. She had no problem with her body, if that hadn't become more than apparent, she didnt see why anyone else should. Nearly 400 and she still looked this good? Of course she didn't have a problem walking around naked. Especially not when she'd all but grown up in next to nothing.
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He nodded at her explanation about her clothes. "Makes sense... but eet doesnae make anythin' easier." He commented with a wry smirk, letting his eyes flicker to her momentarily before they went back away from her. Yep. He was doing his best to be on his best behavior, but that just wasn't working out so well for him at all. He raked a hand through his hair and sighed. Clothes. She needed clothes.She needed them fast.

<br><br>"Generally I'm not naked the first time I meet someone. But, eh, it's happened before." He arched a brow. "Sae ye dinnae make a habit of doing this...?" He asked her with a smile. He was thankful a moment later when she took the shirt from his hand and slipped it on. He waited until he heard her stop shuffling around and then turned to face her again. "Thanks." He said, offering her a small smile. It made it a hell of a lot easier to face her when she wasn't standing there naked.

<br><br>"Sorry for being snippy. I never run into other people out here. Much less shifters. I'm Lila Spencer. It's a pleasure, Lonan." He smiled at her. "Nae... eets understandable. Aye didnae ken that thees area was inhabited... sae fer that... Aye'm sorry." He said to her genuinely. "Had Aye have ken, Aye wouldnae have wound up out here." He shrugged simply enough. And it was the truth. He didn't like treading on the territory of others. As an animal, he knew well enough how sacred one's own space could be. A safe haven.

<br><br>"I think you were staring at my breasts first. They had every right to stare back." He gave a good laugh at that, glad that she was in good humor over it. "Ye're attractive. Dinnae think ye're nae." He rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "Eets just hard tae focus when yer... naked."

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<b>"Nah. I do like to keep at least a few parts covered on the first meeting."</b> She said with a smirk as she crossed her arms over her chest. She nodded when he told her thanks. <b>"Not really a problem. Just hope you don't mind the shirt smelling like me."</b> She said with a shrug of the shoulder. Of course, now she was going to have is scent all over her for a while to come. And since she'd have the heightened senses lingering behind for a while, she'd be smelling him. She couldn't decide whether that was a good or a bad thing.
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<b>"This isn't really my property. I'm a lot further to north. I just run here when I've been staying in the city. I go stir crazy if I'm surrounded by all that concrete too long."</b> She explained with a shrug of the shoulder. She hadn't meant to make him feel like this was her territory. She was just...cautious. Her home was her haven. Far away from all of the modernization and technology. Only what she needed. She liked that. Though, it seemed there weren't many people in the world who agreed with her. She'd live.
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She couldn't help but smile at Lonan's nervous behaviour. Of course, the man didn't really know she could hear every word he was thinking. She knew he was wondering exactly how he could get her to bed, and then all but smacking himself for it. <b>"I know."</b> She cringed at how cocky she sounded. <b>"I mean, thank you."</b> She said all but face palming at herself. <b>"Well, I'm covered. So, you <I>should</I> be able to concentrate."</b> She said with a smile before remembering something, <b>"Waffles? Waffles and scotch?"</b> She asked, curiously.

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He smiled when she said that she liked to keep at least a few of her parts covered on the first meeting. "Well then, Aye'm an exception tae the rule." He commented. "Noted." He said, his smile turning into a grin. He shook his head when she commented on the fact that his shirt would smell like her. "Nae. Eets nae a problem. Nae like ye smell bad." He commented with a wink.

<br><br>"This isn't really my property. I'm a lot further to north. I just run here when I've been staying in the city. I go stir crazy if I'm surrounded by all that concrete too long." He nodded at that. "Ah... well... Aye ken that feelin' all tae well." He commented. "And honestly, eets nice tae ken that ye dinnae own this." He admitted. "Means Aye kin keep comin' here... so long as ye dinnae mind mae here." He shrugged. He certainly hoped not. Forested areas like these were hard to come by in an area like this.

<br><br>He blinked at her and her comments and he went red because it was almost as if the woman knew what he was thinking. Lord help him, she was beautiful and he would have had to have been insane not to have wanted to get to know her on some level. It was just a shame his mind automatically went to the realm of how to bed her. He arched a brow. "Yeah... Waffles..." He paused a moment. "Sae whuts the deal? Ye kin read mae mind?" He asked, furrowing his brows.

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<div style="width:350px; text-align:justify; line-height: 95%; font-size:9px; font-family: Arial; letter-spacing: 2px"> Lila smiled when Lonan said he was an exception to the rule. It wasn't all that often that she found someone who's thoughts weren't so thoroughly...boring and petty that she could actually hold a conversation with them. <strong>&quot;You sure 'bout that? Don't want you smelling too much like a woman, now do we?&quot;</strong> She asked, smiling as she let herself fall back into the grass with a thump, sitting down with her legs tucked under her.<br>
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Really there wasn't much of a point in standing around the entire time they had a conversation. It could go on for hours for all they knew. <strong>&quot;I don't mind you here at all. It's actually nice to see another shifter out. Though, it put me a little off kilter at first. Kinda thought you were going to be dinner.&quot;</strong> She told him honestly with a shrug. <strong>&quot;If you like this place, you'd love my property. A couple hundred acres of nothing <em>but</em> woods. It's pretty much heaven.&quot; </strong>She said, leaning back on her palms.<br>
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She bit back a smirk as she heard Lonan wonder if she knew what he was thinking. She smiled to her self when he thought that she was beautiful, and regretted immediately wanting to sleep with her. He...actually wanted to get to know her first? That was...different. But it was a welcome change, in her opinion. <strong>&quot;I'm a Skinwalker. Telepathy's a part of the gig.&quot;</strong> She said with a slight shrug of the shoulder. <strong>&quot;It's a bit of a problem, since I can't shut it off.&quot;</strong> She looked him over a moment, idly playing with her tongue ring. <strong>&quot;What about you? What are you, exactly? If you don't mind me asking.&quot;</strong>
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"You sure 'bout that? Don't want you smelling too much like a woman, now do we?" He gave a laugh at that and shrugged his shoulder. "Aye could definitely think o' worse things tae smell like, Lass." He commented with a grin. She wasn't at all unpleasant. The scent of her didn't bother him in the least, that was for certain. He arched a brow as she fell back into the grass with an audible 'thump' but he didn't comment on it for the time being, he just sat down on the grass near her and watched her a moment.

<br><br>"I don't mind you here at all. It's actually nice to see another shifter out. Though, it put me a little off kilter at first. Kinda thought you were going to be dinner." He wrinkled his nose at that and shook his head. "Uhhh... yeah... Nae." He commented with a smirk. It was no small surprise, given the fact that he could mentally communicate with animals, that he couldn't stomach the thought of eating one of the poor things.

<br><br>"Ahh..." He commented when she told him she was a skinwalker and that telepathy was a part of the deal. "Explains a lot then." He said with a smile. He frowned when she said it was a bit of a problem since she couldn't turn it off. "That would bae a problem... having tae listen tae everything goin' on een the head o' a complete stranger." He commented, refusing to let himself dwell on the fact that he had just been thinking about a few things on her part. He looked at her a moment when she asked what it was that he was. He shrugged. "Panther shifter... with the added bonus o' bein' able tae mentally communicate with animals." He admitted. "Makes fer an interestin' combination."

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Lila cringed slightly when she heard Lonan think about the animals he could talk to...She'd never look at a steak the same way again. That particular gift would make life infinitely harder. Especially considering the time period in which she grew up. There weren't really such things as &quot;vegetarian dinners&quot;. Even less so in the Navajo community. <strong>&quot;What's the vegetarian life like?&quot;</strong> She asked before catching her self. <strong>&quot;Don't answer that if you don't want to. I'm being nosy. And telepathic.&quot;</strong>At least it made for interesting conversation?<br>
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<strong>&quot;It's not that bad with strangers. So long as I'm not able to distinguish their voices, I can't hear their thoughts. But, all it takes is once.&quot;</strong> She said with a shrug of the shoulder. <strong>&quot;Some people think louder than others too, so they can be drowned out. And getting lost in my art always helps.&quot;</strong> She explained. She nodded when he told her that he was a panther shifter who could talk, mentally, with animals. It definitely sounded like it could definitely make some interseting situations. Though, she didn't know how she'd feel being limited to only one animal. She liked her freedom.<br>
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<strong>&quot;Where in Scotland are you from?&quot;</strong> She asked, <strong>&quot;I only ask because I spent some time there. Back a few centuries ago, anyway.&quot;</strong> She asked as she leaned back further, looking at Lonan.
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He blinked at her a moment when she asked what the vegetarian life was like. It was a little disconcerting knowing that she could hear exactly what he was thinking. "Uhh... Eets... a lot more sane than the carnivorous life." He commented. He paused a moment and looked at her. "And eet ees a lil' disconcerting, Aye cannae lie... but Aye ken ye cannae help eet." He shrugged. It wasn't something she could control. No use in yelling at her for something that came naturally to her.

<br><br>He nodded at that. "Understood. Sae Aye should have remained mute." He commented with a small smirk. He nodded when she commented about the art thing. "Ye're an artist?" He asked, arching a brow. "Huh..." He commented, thinking on it a moment. He couldn't imagine what it'd be like to have to live with that sort of an ability. Sometimes it was bad enough being able to hear the animals around him... particularly as they died. It had nearly driven him insane in the past when his father had forced him to hunt...

<br><br>He shut that train of thought off immediately. Thinking about his father wasn't something he wanted to do with a woman with this particular ability standing right there in front of him. He cleared his throat when she asked where in Scotland he was from. "Originally in the area of where Edinburgh now lies." He told her. "Eet was verae different than it ees naow." And that was an understatement. He tilted his head to the side. "How old are ye then?" He asked and then turned red a moment later again. "That... came out worse than Aye meant it tae." He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck again.

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Lila wanted to shoot her self, in the moment. Her telepathy was one thing that always drove her mad. She found it so difficult to make it through a simple conversation without freaking most people out. Being around someone who could read your thoughts was...tiring. And some people had learned they only needed to speak to make her look sane. But, all of the sudden, she came up with a way to compensate for her ability. At least, in part. <b>"Tell you what, for every question I ask you I wouldnt know if I weren't telepathic, you can ask me two."</b> She told him after a moment, <B>"And I'll answer them all honestly."</B><br>
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<b>"Yeah. I've got a couple exhibits in the city. It's the only reason I really leave my property."</b> She told him honestly. She loved where she lived, loved getting lose in nature. Loved getting lost in capturing it on canvas. <b>"Art helps me drowned out all the noise up here,"</b> She tapped her temple, <b>"I love what I do, and I just compeltely lost in it. Nothing else matters when I'm in my zone."</b> When she was creating, nothing else mattered to her. She was completely lost to the world, and rarely a thing could shake her. Save a storm, or something of that calber. <br>
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<b>"Edinburgh? I spent a bit of time there, actually. A little more recently, but still."</b> Of course, her definition of recent was in the past three decades. She laughed when Lonan asked how old she was and smiled. He blushed and she couldn't help but brush the back of her hand against his cheek. <b>"I'm a hell of a lot older than I look."</b> She said with that teasing smile on her face. <b>"I'm two decades shy of 400, or there abouts."</b> She explained to him as she leans back again. <b>"Now, you just have to ask about my weight, and you'll have all the class 'What not to do' moves down."</b> It was obvious that her teasing was meant in good nature. She just hoped that Lonan took it as such.
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He could tell that living with her particular abilities was difficult. He could imagine how taxing something of the sort must have been from the comparatively small amount of trouble he had with his own ability. He felt for the woman. Really, he did. He arched a brow at her compromise though. It was an interesting spin on things and an interesting way to compromise, but there were just a few things that he wouldn't answer. "Fine... but there're a few things that Aye willnae talk about." He told her honestly. He drew up all of his willpower to utter a simple sentence without dwelling on it too much. "Aye willnae talk about family." Apples. French fries. Batman. Briefcase. Cell phone. He thought mentally to drown out any stray thoughts.

<br><br>He smiled wryly at her, knowing well enough that she'd know he was really hiding something where that was concerned. He nodded when she said that she had a couple of exhibits in the city. "Impressive." He nodded. "Eets a good outlet." He commented when she said that it helped to drown everything else out. For him it had always been music. While he didn't necessarily do anything professional, it had always been there with him to keep him sane and grounded throughout the duration of his life. It went a long way to helping him along the way, that was for certain. "Aye get that way when I'm writing or playin' music." He admitted. "Hours pass and Aye barely ken eet."

<br><br>He tilted his head to the side when she said that she'd spent some time in Edinburgh more recently. "Then ye truly cannae fathom how beautiful eet once was..." He sighed. He moved around a lot over the years, sure... but Scotland would always be home to him. When he asked the stupid question, she brushed the back of her hand against his cheek which made him freeze for all of a second. He hadn't been touched like that in... one hell of a long time. That provoked a sadness within him and he couldn't even pinpoint why. He smiled briefly when she said that he just needed to ask how much she weighed to have the 'what not to do' moves down. "Dinnae tempt mae... Aye just may out o' spite o' mae common sense." He smirked. "Aye'm about five and a half centuries old maeself..." He admitted with a shrug.

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She smiled when Lonan told her that the compromise was acceptable, and then told her that there were a few things he wouldn't talk about. His family. At that, she tried desperately not to listen in, but Lonan was one of the people that thought loudly. Of course, what she heard was gibberish, and made her laugh. <b>"Deal."</b> She said, trying to bite back her laughter, <b>"Nice technique, by the way. You're the first person who's thought of that."</b> She told him, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. <b>"I'm an open book. I'll answer anything."</b> She said wth a slight shrug of the shoulder. And she really was. She didn't have any secrets, and she never lied.
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<b>"I've been painting pratically my entire life. Though, it started out as a tribal paint."</b> She said with a small smle. She missed how simple everything had been back then. She really did miss it. Though, seeing how art had progressed...now that was something else. Something that she didn't know if she'd be able to live without. She nodded when Lonan told her that he was a musician, in a round about way. <b>"What do you play?"</b> She asked. Her money was on him being a singer. He just...he seemed like the sort who'd have an amazing voice.
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<b>"You could always show me."</b> She told him as she layed back in the grass and stretched out. She noted the way he paused when she caressed his cheek. He hadn't been touched like that for a very long time. <b>"I'm sorry."</b> She said before she bit her lip. <b>"I'm doing it again. Sorry."</b> She apologized, running a hand over her face. <b>"Yes! Someone who's older than me."</b> She said with a teasing smile as she leaned up on her elbows and looked at him. <b>"Ask whatever you want. I do owe you a couple questions."</b>

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He smirked when she told him that he had a nice technique there. "Wasnae sure eet'd work." He told her honestly. He'd been taking a gamble. But now that he knew that it did... He tilted his head to the side when she said that she was an open book and that she'd answer anything. It made him feel like a bit of an ass. The woman knew that he was hiding something and yet she still put faith enough in him that she'd tell him anything about her. How peculiar. "Where're ye from?" He asked her. "Originally, Aye mean." He clarified.

<br><br>He nodded when she said that she had been painting her entire life and smiled when she said that it had started out as tribal paint first of all. "Things were different back then, huh?" He asked her, the same smile teasing the edges of his lips. Yeah. Things had definitely been a whole hell of a lot less complicated back when tribal painting had been the in thing. He looked at her when she asked what he played and he shrugged. "Some guitar. Some piano. Drum e'ry now an' then." He smiled a little. "But Aye'm best at vocals..." He admitted. "Or so Aye'm told."

<br><br>He smiled at her saying that he could always show her what his home had looked like. He nodded. "Yeah... S'pose Aye could." He grinned at her. She apologized for the way she'd touched him and he held her hand to his cheek before she could pull it away. "Nae..." He said simply enough. "Nae need tae apologize. Aye'm nae used tae eet." He commented simply enough before letting her hand go. She leaned up on her elbows and looked at him and told him to ask whatever he wanted. "Well... Aye ken that askin' where ye were originally from was a start." He commented with a smile. "And yeah... Aye'm older than ye." He grinned. "Respect yer elders."

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Lila nodded as he told her that he hadn't been sure it would work. He'd been the first one to thnk of it, to be certain. And it was an interestng way to get her out of his head. She had to say, she'd never met someone like Lonan before. He askd where she was from originally and she smiled. There were severeal answer to that. <b>"My people call it Dinétah."</b> Which was Navajo for 'among the people', though she was unsure of whether he'd know that or not. <B>"Today, it's something close to the Four Corners. My mother was one of the Navajo. My father was English."</B> Or close enough, anyway.
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<b>"I spent a lot of time with my mother's tribe when I was growing up."</b> She explained as she looked him over, actually taking the time to see him. He was a really attrative man. Tall, handsome, and beautiful hazel eyes. What she noticed the most, however, was the tattoos that Lonan was covered in. She admired them for a moment before nodding to his explanation. So, she'd called it. He was a singer. <b>"I'd love to hear sometime. If you don't mind, that is."</b> She said with a soft smile on her lips.
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She was taken by surprise when he held her hand to in place for a moment. She hadn't been expecting that in the slightest. <b>"Alright. No apologies for touching you."</b> She said with a smile. She laughed when he told her to respect her elders. Like they really stuck by that when their elders didn't look a day older than them. She shook her head and gave him a playful and light kick in the leg. <b>"I dun wanna."</b> She was obviously teasing. But damn. All of this felt nice. She couldn't recall the last time she'd actually sit down and had a conversation with someone...

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He listened as he told her where she was from and nodded with interest. He wasn't sure what the meaning of the name she gave him was, but as she went on a little more, he nodded. That made a little more sense to him. "Ah..." He said when she admitted that her mother had been Navajo and her father English. "Britain English or Caucasian English?" He asked her with a small smile. "Whether or nae Aye can admit tae likin' ye hinges on the answer tae that question." He said with a grin, clearly teasing her.

<br><br>"I spent a lot of time with my mother's tribe when I was growing up." He nodded. He had a feeling that she had a good foundation for at least her Navajo roots. The woman had a calm soul... not that he was really one that could read into the souls of others, but his animal instincts were telling him that she was very much in tune with her own spirit. The woman was interesting to say the least and he was actually looking forward to learning more about her if she was as open as she said she was. He only wished he had the courage to be quite so open.

<br><br>"I'd love to hear sometime. If you don't mind, that is." He rubbed the back of his neck a moment and shrugged. "Honestly, eets nae somethin' Aye dae very oft'n." He admitted with a shrug. "But... maybe.. Aye mean... eef ye plan on stickin' 'round fer any amount o' time at all." He teased. They had, after all, only just met. Didn't change the fact that he wanted to get to know more about her... but he wasn't about to make any assumptions where she was concerned.

<br><br>He could tell that he'd caught her by surprise when he'd grabbed hold of her hand and held it against his cheek a moment. He offered her a small smile when she said that she wouldn't apologize for touching him. Affection, quite honestly, wasn't something that he was extremely used to in any capacity. He hadn't been allowed it as a child and in earlier years hadn't had anyone offer it to him. It was what it was, however. It was strange that a woman like her just suddenly shows up in his life and he jumps at the opportunity to let her touch him. Maybe there was more wrong with him than he wanted to contemplate.

<br><br>He smiled when she said she didn't want to respect her elders and he sighed dramatically. "What am Aye gonnae dae with ye then?" He asked, unable to help the way he grinned immediately after.

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<B>"He was a mutt. Little bit of all the caucasians."</B> She admitted. It had been the reason her father had come over with the earliest settlers. He'd wanted to get away from the prejudice of England. <b>"But, he was raised in England."</b> She told him, smiling and shaking her head. Well, whether or not he <em>admitted</em> he liked her, she knew. Not that she'd remind him of that. But she knew, and that was enough. Of course, he was teasing her. So, that was something she should keep in mind. Right. Focus on what he was saying, she reminded herself.
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She'd always appreciated the Navajo side of her heritage more than she had anything else. She loved the way that the Navajos appreciated everything around them. Gave as much to nature as was given to them. If her mother were still alive to see what the settlers had done to her homeland...She was sure her mother had turned over in her grave about a hundred times already. <b>"I'm in the city every other week, actually."</b> She told him, oh so matter of factly.
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<b>"I really would love to hear you, though."</b> And she woulsd. She couldn't help but to wonder exactly what kind of music he played, though. She listened to an amalgamation of everything, so it wasn't really a problem. But, of course, there were some genres she liked more than others.
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She tried not to listen in as Lonan took a moment to himself to think, but it was second nature for her. It wasn't the easiest task in the world for her to tune people out. And of course, that was one of the reasons she was so open and honest. The people around her weren't able to keep secrets from her, so why should she keep her secrets from them? It hardly seemed fair. However, she couldn't help the twinge of pain she felt for him when she realized that he'd never had anyone to truly show him affection. She let it go, for the moment, knowing that it was something personal she shouldn't pry over.
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<b>"Well, I'm too old to get my ass whooped."</b> She said with a grin, though she was immedaitely distrated by the grin Lonan gave her. God damn it. Those dimples. <b>"That grin of yours is going to kill me. Not. Fair."</b> She told him with a smile, her demeanor clearly stating that it was compliment towards him.
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He nodded when she said that he was a bit of a mutt but then grimaced playfully when she said that he was raised in England. "Well... the English an' Scots had a bit o' a rough history, Lass." He paused a moment and then broke into a smile. "Lucky fer ye, Aye happen tae like ye enough tae over look it." He commented. He knew well enough that she already knew well enough how he felt, but it didn't matter. He could tease her and that was all that mattered to him in the moment.

<br><br>He nodded when she said that she was actually in the city every other week. "Good tae ken when Aye can find ye." He commented with a smirk. "Then again, findin' ye mae bae like findin' a needle in a haystack." He commented. He paused a moment. "Aye ken ye can read mae mind well enough, Lass... so ye ken that Aye'm aimin' fer some sort o' contact information fer ye." He commented, turning a shade of pink. He was putting himself out there at the moment and hoped she wouldn't wind up shooting him down.

<br><br>He turned a deeper shade of pink when she said that she really did want to hear him sometime. He wasn't even sure why he was blushing at this point. And damnit, he wanted to stop. He hadn't been around a woman alone like this in a number of years, sure, but he couldn't recall ever having been this... completely and utterly... idiotic. He felt like a moron in the moment and he was sure that he looked the part of one as well. He could have sighed in exasperation.

<br><br>He arched a brow at the comment she made in regards to his dimples. "Aye cannae help that anymore than ye can help the fact that ye can read mae mind." He told her pointedly. "But Aye'm nae claimin' eets nae fair." He said with a shrug. He liked her. He liked her a lot. He pulled a cell phone out of the pocket of the jeans he was wearing and cursed as he looked at the screen on it. "Aye should bae gettin' back tae the city." He sigehd. "Aye'm s'posed tae bae at the bar this afternoon tae let one o' our tenders out early." He said with a sigh.

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Lila smiled when Lonan told her that he liked her enough to look over the history between her father's people and his own for her. It'd been a hell of a long time since anyone had sat around and joked with her. She missed it. A lot. <b>"I'll be sure to count my blessings, then."</b> She said with another smile as she leaned back.
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She spent more than enough time in the city, in her opinion. But, hey, it was paying the bills, even if she wasn't particularly fond of the idea. She'd much rather be at home and able to run where she pleased than caught up here in the city. <b>"You know, you're even cuter when you blush."</b> She told him simply. Yes, she did know that he wanted to find some way he could keep in touch with her. Which was more than alright by her. She hadn't found someone that she actually wanted to keep in touch with for a hell of a long time.
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He pulled out his phone about that time and the moment he said he needed to get back to the city, she frowned. But she gently took the phone from hish ands and added her number, sending herself atext just in case. <b>"There. Now we have each other's phone numbers."</b> She said as she handed it back to him. If they were going to be forced to separate when they were having a nice conversation, she was going to make damn sure they could continue it later. It was just going to take a little bit of work, it seemed. Not that that was going to bother her.
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<b>"It's been a pleasure, Lonan."</b> She said honestly as she finally made herself stand again. And then something hit her. She still had his shirt on. An idea came to her. <b>"You'll get this back when you see me again."</b> She told him, motioning over the shirt with a smile.

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