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Rise of the Demon Forge: A Hidden Danger? (Razgriz x Wingshadow)

Well, that had to be one of the most confusing things Alex had heard yet; if people always mean what they say, then how could one understand another? In fact, how could anyone speak to anyone if what they intended to say was not made clear? He also failed to see how a serious query could be construed as humorous; he didn't take offense to it. Hell, for all Blair knew, even the concept of offending someone might be completely off his radar. For him, it wasn't at all about trying not to appear to be dim-witted or slow, but rather his simple mind trying to process what he thought to be an extremely complex system. He was at an extreme disadvantage here, and it was very clear to those who paid attention.

And this was certainly not lost on Spirit, who chuckled quite heartily at the poor man's confusion. "Go easy, Blair, I think he's suffering from an overload here" Though her comment about him having "the hardware to please a lady the way it counts" earned her a cocked brow and a snide smirk. "Oh really now? I take it you have experience with this? Tsk tsk, Blair......And here I thought you had more class than that". He then took another sip of his scotch and added, "Taking advantage of an amnesiac, how shameful. Don't let Risa and Arisa hear about that; they'll never let you live it down. And who knows....They might even try to steal him from you, hehehe". Poor Alex, meanwhile, was still silent, trying to follow the conversation, his head nodding as per Blair's suggestion, though he even seemed to do that at what others might consider odd times.
 
"Oi, who said I took advantage of him?" Blair seemed just a bit flustered at the suggestion that she might have done such a thing to Alex in his current state, "I took care of him for more than a month, Spirit, so some things just tend to happen. Besides, just look at the guy... It would be strange if he wasn't well equipped in that department." She crossed her arms in front of her ample chest and shrugged, hoping that he would drop the subject before she had to turn it back onto him, as it was highly ironic that someone like Spirit would criticism her in such a manner.

Granted, the way she worded her reply wasn't exactly the best way of dispelling whatever doubts Spirit may have had concerning Blair and Alex's relationship, but the cat was hardly the sort of person to hide any aspect of her life out of shame. Neither Spirit nor Blair seemed to take much notice of Alex's nodding, which he continued to do at rather inopportune points in the conversation. Instead, it was as if the large man was observing the two of them argue as if it were a strange TV drama played out before him for his amusement and education.
 
Spirit couldn't help but chuckle as Blair continued to dig herself deeper; still, he knew when he was going too far, and he was probably pushing the limit anyway. And besides, he didn't want this newcomer to find out about what was going on between him and his daughter; that was for Blair, Risa and Arisa to hear about only. "Hey.....relax, Blair. No need to get worked up, I was only teasing. I'm no saint either....." "As much as I wish I could be..... he would add mentally, his somewhat happy expression faltering for a moment before resuming the former state. "Well, I've got a fairly busy day tomorrow, and there's still something I need to discuss with Shinigami....You two have fun now. And Blair? Thanks for the pick-me-up" Spirit then left the club, in a strangely happier mood than usual. Perhaps it was the refreshing naivete exhibited by this strange man, perhaps it was the alcohol he drank, no one could say for certain.

Alex's eyes just followed the man as he made his way out of the establishment; what a strange fellow he was. Come to think of it, this whole day was strange. "Well, he seemed like a pleasant man" Alex commented nonchalantly, as if making a casual observation about the red-haired Death Scythe. Which for all intents and purposes it was; he knew nothing of his status or just who it was he just interacted with. Spirit had earned himself quite a reputation during the battle with the Kishin Asura, but he really wasn't too public about it. Unless he was flirting with the ladies, then it was a bit of a different ballgame and likely compounded his continuing relationship issues with his daughter Maka.

"Blair.......I do have some questions about what just happened" he then said; and before the cute woman might be able to even try to stop him, his questions flowed out one after the other with a slight pause in between to give her some time to answer them. "First, was I out for a month or three days? Because when I woke up, you said it was three days since you had been taking care of me, but you told that man it was a month" A pause, then "Second, you said I 'have hardware to please a lady the way it counts'. What did you mean by that?" Another pause "Third, are these "Risa and Arisa" friends of yours? Is Risa a firefly like Arisa?" A third pause, then "Fourth, how exactly do I look like big piece of steel?" He seemed to stop there; it still didn't really sink in that Alex could have just kept nodding, but instead his curiosity got the better of him and he felt like he wanted to know just what it was the two of them were talking about.
 
"A month... Three days... Its a long time either way, and since I just live each day as it comes it really doesn't make much of a difference to me," Blair shrugged, as she honestly couldn't say for sure how long she had actually been caring for him despite the trouble she had gone through, "I'm just glad you weren't still flat on your back by the time Maka rolls back around. That would have been a bit of a pain to explain to her. The little darling is a bit hot-tempered at times and its hard to explain much of anything to her when she gets like that."

The cat tapped her right forefinger on her chin for a few long moments before replying to his next question, as this one required a bit more tact in order to word it in such a way that it would be suitable for public discourse, "I think the best way to put it is to say that ladies might like you more if they knew what you are hiding away in your pants, as I do. Don't worry, its just a compliment so don't stress out about it."

"Risa and Arisa are my friends, yes, but they are human women. What Spirit meant by firefly is that they are sexy, lively ladies," Blair could barely suppress her urge to laugh, as the poor man was clearly still confused by many of the everyday expressions he was being rudely exposed to, "Oh, and when I said you look like a piece of steel, I meant to say that you look very big, strong, and sturdy, like you couldn't possibly be hurt by anything... Sort of like steel."
 
Alex just merely listened as Blair started to answer his questions; any normal person would see that they were being too inquisitive for their own good. He was lucky to have been found by someone as patient as Blair, as most others would have likely just dumped him on someone else or worse yet, have him kicked out of the city. "I see" was all Alex could say, simply nodding in response; it wasn't like he really cared how long he'd been in her care. He was just curious as to why she said one thing to him and said something else to another person, but now that she'd given her response to that query, it was a sealed deal.

Though her next response would confuse him; still, when she explained to him not to worry about it, he felt trusting of her enough to take her word for it. "Well, then, I'm glad I have what I have in my pants" Alex proclaimed with a bit of pride, though this was done a bit more loudly so that most of the other ladies who worked in Chupacabra might hear what he said. However, he didn't really pay attention to what their reactions might be, since he was facing away from them.

"Oh? So they're energetic then....." Alex then asked, missing her use of the word "sexy". It was a good thing too, because that might lead to a rather awkward and inappropriate conversation about what exactly sexy was. "So, I'm like steel.........." he then said to himself, looking down at his hands and over his body, as if it were something new and foreign to him. "Alright, then since I'm like steel, that shall be my new name......Steel" he then added rather decisively, going by his own literal sense of logic in that a name for something was meant to define its characteristics.
 
"Alex Steel, hm?" Blair blinked, tapping her right forefinger on her forehead in a thoughtful manner, "Sounds like a rather dashing name to me. Oh, and I don't mean that you run all around the place. Dashing means cool, when you say it about somebody. From now on I'll call you Alex... Alex Steeeel..."

The cat woman had simply taken the name and added it onto the one she had come up with, of course, but she still seemed quite proud of it, drawing out the "e" sound in order to emphasize how awesome she thought the name sounded. She reached out and took his hand before leading him toward the back where they had the changing rooms.

"Lets see if we have any suits that suit you... If not, I could just fix something up for you or resize what we already have. We need something that will make an impression on the girls while showing your true manliness, strength, and all your other good points," Blair giggled, "Come along, come along, it will be fun!"
 
It was a good thing the cat-witch had explained what she meant, else she would have had to deal with more questions from the newly named Alex Steel. "Cool........." he then replied; one might think it would be exhausting to try and remember all these terms. But this was a learning process, and Alex was determined and eager to learn about this place and its customs as much as he could. Before he could say anything else, he was once again being led to parts unknown, but this was only through a door into another room; though he did see another door off to the right of where they were headed. It only said "Private" on a golden plaque located about a third of the way from the top of the door itself; he wondered what was behind there, but would ask when he got a chance.

Though the question would go unasked, because she then led him into the changing room of Chupacabra, where several women could be seen adjusting their outfits getting ready for their shift in providing pleasant company for the men. "Blair.......What exactly are we doing in here again?" the large man then asked, wondering why there were others in here. He didn't realize that this was the dressing room for the female workers of Chupacabra itself and that he was the one who was technically not supposed to be in here. Though the reaction to his presence would remain to be seen.
 
"Wait, Blair, why did you bring a guy in here?!" one of the women who was mostly undressed grabbed a bundle of clothes and held them up to herself in surprise.

"Hmm... He isn't that bad lookin' though," another of the girls snickered to herself.

"Oh... Right, I clean forgot that we don't have any male dressing rooms here," Blair giggled, lightly rapping her knuckles on her head in a cheeky manner, "I guess I could just change the clothes you are already wearing into something a bit different."

She waved her hand above Alex, small bits of glitter-like particles drifting down toward his clothes as she recited her typical incantation. There was a slightly tightening sensation across his body, then a puff of smoke that surrounded his entire form which quickly faded, leaving him before them in a striped suit and matching red tie which nicely accented his already impressive height. The cat-witch looked him up and down, circling him a few times while surveying her work before giving him an approving nod, "You don't look half-bad in that... I think it should work out just fine."
 
Well, once again poor Alex - now known as Alex Steel, apparently - was confused; so was he supposed to be in here or not? One of the girl's reactions suggested that he shouldn't, since she asked why she brought him in here. He knew he was the guy because another girl sad he wasn't that " bad lookin' ". He assumed " lookin' " was some sort of quality, and since he wasn't bad of that according to her, that must mean that he was some good " lookin' ". At least, that was how he deduced it in his own mind.

Before he could ask about male dressing rooms; he could feel a slight pressure over his form before everything erupted in smoke, though he didn't seem to cough as others might have. When it cleared, he was able to look down at himself and see what Blair had done to his clothes. Well, this was an interesting change; though he had no concept of fashion at all, and any attempts to dress himself would have likely resulted in many laughs by all. Her comment made him cock his head, but he just nodded his head per Blair's suggestion. "Blair, you said earlier that I was to be a guard for this place. Are these clothes part of that task? Will it help "draw in the ladies", as you say?"
 
"Yes, I suppose that is one way to look at it," Blair crossed her left arm in across her chest, propping up her right arm as rested her chin on the back of her right hand, "They are clothes that help you look the part of your new job, Handsome. All you need to do is stand by the front door and look like and manly for the ladies, while dealing with any troublesome fellows that might wander in on occasion. Its not like many people come here looking to cause trouble, but it might happen, so who know, right?"

The cat-witch shrugged, and took his arm in order to lead him back out of the lady's changing room before their presence caused any more of a stir than it already had. Wherever this tall, strong, yet gentle man had come from, Blair had essentially given him a brand new life. Although the exact details of his permanent residence had not yet been worked out, for the time being at least things would settle down as Alex became more accustomed to his new surroundings. Blair, of course, had every intention of enjoying this new experience to the fullest... It wasn't every day that she came across a fine piece of man like Alex, after all, especially since she could tell him just about anything and he would automatically believe every word that passed through her lips. What more could she ask for?
 
At the mention of the word "Handsome", Alex looked around to see who she was talking to; was there someone here named "Hand Some"? He certainly didn't see anyone...No, she was certainly looking right at him. Was his new name "Hand Some" now? Alright, from that day forward, he would be known as Hand Some; little did he realize the kind of (relatively minor) trouble he would cause himself.

As Blair would lead him to the front entrance of Chupacabra, he took careful note of what Blair told him; though he didn't quite understand what she meant by looking "manly", since he was a man already. He figured it was just a way of saying be himself, so he had that part covered. He also mistook the meaning of 'dealing' as working to make a deal with them, and the condition would be for them to stop them from making trouble. Seemed straightforward enough.

"I'll do my best, Blair" he said as he was given his post; within the hour, men started coming in at regular intervals. Alex...er, Hand Some....would greet each of them as they walked in, thinking it was part of the job as well. Some of the men seemed downright frightened of him as they approached the club; surely someone that big had to be a real bruiser, right? However, many braved the attempt to talk to him and ask if he was new. When they asked his name, however, he would simply reply "I'm Hand Some". Some would laugh and continue on their way, leaving the strange man confused as ever, whilst others would grumble that he was an arrogant fathead and either go into the cabaret club disgruntled or turn and leave, making him confused even more.

This was relatively minor compared to what would happen next; one such man, short, red-haired and balding but otherwise physically toned and dressed in a polo shirt and black slacks, was really giving Alex a hard time because of this. "You think just because you're so tall and big you can just throw it around. Whoever hired you was an idiot!" he said, clearly upset at what he thought was unprofessional and overall just pigheaded. Alex just cocked his head, "I don't see how you can throw physical qualities...." "Oh, and you're a wiseass too! That's just fantastic!" "I'm a wise donkey?" That last comment made the man look like he was going to blow a gasket; he was a customer and he expected at least some form of damned courtesy!

Just then another patron who wanted to go in said to the instigator, "Hey pal, let him call himself whatever he wants and move out of the way. You're blocking the door!" The red-haired man then turned on this patron and said, "Well, you can keep waiting, jackass! This asshole needs to be taught a lesson!" "What did you call me, geezer!" "You wanna start something, punk?" And now the scene just outside the club was starting to get ugly; the people inside the club started to leave their tables and see just what the commotion was.
 
Blair's initial reaction was to simply sit back and enjoy the show, as the two men began to dig into each other like a pair of wild animals. Her tail swayed back and forth slowly, indicating her complacency with the entire situation rather than showing even an ounce of concern. Instead, she simply waved to Alex, "Hey, you might want to keep those two from hurting each other... I don't know about you, but it seems to me like you are partially at fault for why they are so angry in the first place, and it goes without saying that the owner of this place wouldn't like it if they began throwing each other through the windows."

"Then again, the other customers might enjoy the show, so it might work out fine either way," Blair stretched her left arm over her head in a lazy manner, apparently not at all worried about the long-term consequences of either option. In fact, before she brought Alex into town things had more or less settled down to such an extent that her everyday life had become something of a bore... Going to work, then back again, and eating delicious fish had more or less become simply part of a greater routine which lacked flair and excitement. Even if this event caused trouble to her place of employment, at least it was different from the norm.

Eventually, Blair decided it would probably be best to at least try to diffuse the situation before things got completely out of hand. With a slightly reluctant sigh, she stepped toward the two men just outside the establishment and gave them both a simple nod, "Uhm, sorry about my friend. He's not exactly the brightest bulb in the bunch, if you know what I mean. He'll seriously take anything you say completely literally, and he's not trying to be amusing, either. He's just that sort of fellow."
 
Alex cocked his head at Blair as she told him he was partially at fault for their argument; he didn't really see it, since the other man had come up and told the one talking to him had been obstructing the entrace to this place. Then again, given his rather naive persona that was seen so far, perhaps he wouldn't be able to comprehend the consequences of his asking for clarification.

The patron who had started the verbal onslaught outside the cabaret club turned to Blair as she approached them, his face livid with anger and outrage at being treated this way. He'd come here so many times before and was always treated with respect; where the hell did they get the brilliance to hire this asshole? Her explanation didn't even make any sense; what kind of nincompoop would take everything that someone said seriously?

"Yeah, well, sorry ain't going to cut it, toots" the elder patron then snarled in response to Blair's attempts at making peace. "Hey, take it easy on her, man! At least she's trying to help sort things out, not make them worse!" the other patron then spoke up in Blair's defense. "Don't you start with me again, you arrogant bastard!" "Well, just let it go and we can all be happy! Did you ever try that?"

Alex then quietly interjected, "Umm...Can I ask something?", causing both of the men to turn to him and shout "What?!" Alex then asked, "How is the word 'sorry' going to cut something? And what would it cut?" The two men both got utterly stupefied expressions on their faces; seems Blair hadn't been lying to them after all. The younger patron simply mouthed 'Wow' while the older continued to stay silent, creating a rather awkward silence. After a few minutes, the older red-haired patron then said, "Alright, fine, maybe he does take things seriously, but that doesn't give him an excuse to keep calling himself handsome again and again!"

Alex then replied, "But...That's my name, sir". Again, the two outside - and likely most of the people in the club that were watching - became even more confused. "Wait, wait, who the hell gives someone the name 'handsome' anyway" a younger brown-haired customer inside the club asked, now extremely curious as to what the hell was going on. Alex then pointed to Blair and replied, "She did; Blair and her friends referred to me as 'Hand Some' so I assumed that was my new name. My old name was Alex Steel". All eyes then went to Blair and her lady-friends as if to say, "Are you serious?"
 
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