The Most Alluring of Challenges (Veiled_Desires & darkest_fate)

[Veiled_Desire]

Benjamin Long sat in the far corner booth at the Blind Goose's Inn. He was attempting not to draw too much attention to himself, though he knew that this was a nearly impossible feat given his appearance and his outfit. While this continent often had many races and peoples mixing together, there were certain groups who tended not to like to socialize with the mostly human and elven kingdoms in the West. As the lone Orc in the establishment, Benjamin Long stood out for his dark green skin the tone of moss and his golden eyes that would seem to glow in the dark. His narrow black pupils scanned the room. Currently, there were only a handful of people looking at him, and none of them appeared to be interested in him as a person or as a wizard. Instead they were most likely confused as to his rather 'normal' attire.

Orcs were known for being a brutish lot, a stereotype he knew that was mostly undeserved. They were just built differently than most races. The average male Orc stood at 6'5" and they could grow to be at least 8 feet in height. They were naturally muscular, even Benjamin who was a magic user and not a particularly skilled fighter, had a muscular build that showed as his biceps stretched the linen fabric of his shirt. Ben, therefore, was considered short for his race, standing at only 6 feet tall, he had long black hair that was tied back in a pony tail that was at least 10 inches long, a symbol that he was a practicing magician. He had been raised by Magister Wilfred Long, a human mage who took him in after Benjamin's mother left him on the old man's doorstep for being too small and weak of a baby for Orcish standards.

That was why he had that typical human name instead of a fierce and proud Orcish name that most humans would not be able to pronounce. His yellow eyes swept the room again, knowing he would find his target eventually. He was looking for a member of the Charitable Renegades. They were a group of adventurers, or thieves, depending on who you asked, and there was a rumor going about them that Benjamin had to confirm for himself. For he was in possession of a black stone amulet, one that was referred to as the Gate. It was a magical device that allowed the user to teleport anywhere he or she wished. The problem with this all powerful device was that you needed to be able to see exactly where you wanted to go, otherwise the user might risk teleporting inside of someone, or worse, inside of something that would split you in half or trap you in stone for eternity.

That was why the Gate was meant to be paired with the Eye, an object that would allow the user to see anything in the world as it currently was. It in of itself was a useful device, and judging by how the Charitable Renegades had pulled off a few heists recently that seemed to be impossible without the magical item, he knew it was worth venturing into their territory to find out if they truly possessed it. He did not have worry about not knowing who the Renegades were, there were wanted posters plastered all over for him to get a rough estimate of what the members of this party looked like.

Speaking of which, he spotted the door to the tavern open and close without anyone seeming to open the door itself. Shortly there after, he spotted the messy, cropped hair of a gnome that was making her way through the crowds. It took him a second or two to finally get a good look at her, but it was well worth the wait to see this buxom young woman dressed in a fine jacket and a well fitted corset that showed off her natural curves. She seemed to turn to get herself a drink at the bar, allowing him to see those leather pants of hers and how they fit her firm, muscled legs to perfection. Benjamin smiled at himself, she was certainly gorgeous, but that was not the reason he was here this evening.

He waited until she got her drink before deciding to see just what kind of woman this Nypine Sparkledust really was. So as she was being handed her cup he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, folding it between his smooth yet strong fingers until he created a small swan. He brought the creation up to his lips and blew, sending it flying into the air. After a heartbeat the swan actually began to flap its wings, flying over to Nypine and landing just beside her on the bar counter where the swan bowed its neck and then unfolded to reveal a note that read.


Fancy finding you here, it is almost as if you saw me coming. Care to join me for a drink?

The note would serve a number of purposes besides being an invitation. He needed to know if she already knew who he was, or if she only knew where the Gate was located. He was also curious to see if she knew that he was a mage himself. Orcs rarely ever became mages, so if he could catch her off guard with his magical abilities it would be one advantage he could hold over this skilled gunslinger and fighter. Of course, even if she did not know who he was, he would just be able to approach her himself and make the first actual contact. He doubted she would carry the Eye with her herself at the moment, but maybe she would use that to find him as well.

 

[darkest_fate]

A combination of things was putting Nypine Sparkledust on edge.

For starters, she always was just a bit edgy whenever in a whole tavern situation like this. Often the Talls forgot to look down and remember that they shared the world with people who topped out at three feet or so, and Pine was most definitely one of those. That put her at a fun height for quite a few things, as she'd noticed throughout her adventuring career, but also meant that people routinely underestimated her. That was always fun to deal with, particularly as Pine's skill with firearms proved a brilliant equalizer in pretty well every situation.

Didn't help quite as much when she had to lever herself up onto bar stools or the like, or hoisting herself bodily up on a bar to be tall enough to be seen by whomever was on the other side. That was tricky to do under normal circumstances in normal clothing. When she'd put herself into some of her sexiest clothing, including the confining, supportive corset and skintight leather pants, the whole exercise became some serious feats in gymnastics. She swore that her tits would pop out of a corset from pulling herself up on a bar enough to be seen one of these days (hell, she might let the girls out on purpose to see if that got her some free drinks).

There was definitely no mistaking the gnome for a child. Her hips might not have an outrageous flare even for her size, but they were noticeably womanly. the tight, well muscled ass, showcased perfectly in confining leathers, definitely belonged to someone who was at last a few years past her maturity. Her body curved gently upward, with the sort of sloping curves of the physically fit. Her corset showed just a few inches of the tanned skin beneath, and anyone with the slightest bit of experience or perception would note how the muscles moved, not to mention a puckered scar or two, particularly low on her hips. The corset added more curves to the mostly fit body, and helped what was already a perky set of tits look just a bit more impressive. The gnome wasn't overly busty even for her size, but they were just starting to touch that way, and the corset pushed things up and out enough to create a nice valley of freckled skin. The jacket covered arms and let her store a couple of smaller side-arms away. Her face bordered a bit more on pretty or cute than outright sexy, but makeup helped nudge it more that way. Smoky eyeshadow made her already slightly large, expressive brown eyes seem just a tad more sultry. Deep red had been added to her lips. Her brown hair had been recently trimmed into her usual pixie cut, close but still having a sort of elfin cuteness and femininity that was amplified by an admittedly fairly large set of pointed ears.

The gunslinger had been slightly more interested in getting a decent sized drink than finding the guy she was here to meet. That and Pine wanted to make sure a few of the Renegades at least knew where she was, particularly at least one of the more responsible ones. Only an idiot would meet up with someone well over twice their size without backup.

The "twice his size" nearly made Pine chew her lips. She settled for drumming them impatiently on the counter, letting her mind wander for just a few seconds. According to rumor, this Benjamin was a pretty decent looking orc. Everyone knew that orcs had two major things going for them: their stamina was impressive as hell, and their dicks were usually on the longer, thicker side. Way more half-orcs came from curious maids or future size queens than the victims of rampage these days. And Pine definitely landed more on the latter side of that dichotomy, though she wouldn't admit it. The whole setup meant that she might be able to sway Benjamin with her feminine wiles, hence the extra mile with the getup (and fuck if Pine hated some parts; why the hell did she let Chastity talk her into a godsdamn thong!? Not to mention insisting on getting the corset tightened just one bit beyond full comfort...).

The bird made Pine jump, and she muttered a soft "Fuck" under her breath, the thick accent coming out. Benjamin was a fucking mage, great. How had they gotten great details involving his supposed prowess but missed that? Pine sighed, running a face over her hand: "Because our info gatherer's a fuckin' hornball," she mumbled under her breath. She gestured for the bartender to pour her another, before twisting. She found Benjamin easily enough, waiting only long enough to get her drink and pass over the handful of coin before sauntering over. Her step was more purposeful than seductive, but seeing a trained fighter in motion usually did things to someone, particularly when said fighter was a pretty stacked shortstack dressed to seduce.

"Howdy there yourself," Pine drawled, her voice having a sort of honeyed quality to it, slightly deeper than her size would indicate. "Supposin' we start things off with a drink," she smirked, letting her eyes roam him, "an' see where things take us from there?"

 

[Veiled_Desire]

First impressions meant so much in this world. If you had any chance of surviving in this harsh environment it was by always keeping your eyes peeled and learning as much about your opponents as possible before they found your weakness and exploited it themselves. The woman who he was tracking now was quite taken aback by his trick, but that in and of itself was not unusual. It wasn't as if this was the Wizard's Academy where nearly everyone learned the Living Crane Spell. Yet the way she jumped was what was truly interesting to him. This was a Renegade, a woman who had seen combat and had come in here prepared, and yet a non-threatening crane threw her off. Maybe that meant that she had some intel on him that was not accurate.

An important thing to note, but also a shame as he had just given away a secret about himself without making her work at all for it. Damn him and his need to try and impress that short and curvaceous beauty who was drawing attention from many of the patrons at the bar for the excellent job she did at painting her face up that evening. Luckily, this woman was in no hurry, and she gave him a few more moments to appreciate her from afar before she would head over to see him. If he was as wise as his adopted father, he would have spent that time memorizing her motions and analyzing the way she spoke to everyone around her. Instead, well the brain in between his thighs was still controlling his eyes and telling him never to miss an opportunity to gaze at her tan and exposed upper chest, or at that perfectly curved ass that was not hidden by her jacket.

It was good to see that she made sure to get her second drink before she even contemplated finding her target for the evening, a quality he could admire about a woman. He saw her gaze make its way across the room until it landed on him, and his irises narrowed to tiny slits in acknowledgement as he gave her a curt nod and a sly grin. She would get to see his large white canines with that grin, a feature most orcs had though he knew their teeth were usually far sharper and less pristine white than his. Pine had her eyes on him throughout that entire walk over to his table, and she would be able to see that while he knew he should lock eyes on her as well, he was unable to hide his interest as her swaying hips drew his gaze down as if they had magnetized him to his true goal of those timely swayed hips.

When she finally made her way to his table she greeted him, letting him hear that country drawl that sent a shiver of anticipation up his spine. Lord that would be a voice he would want to hear echoing off the walls of his rented room that night. Would that honeyed tone only deepen the more it was influenced by pleasure, or would it fade away between moans and hopefully screams of delight? His eyes narrowed in thought but his smile grew as she asked if he would entertain a drink before business.

She was letting her eyes roam over his body as well. She would see that the well built Orc wore a white silken shirt and black cotton pants. The shirt was tight against his frame, but not by design. It was one of those annoying features of living in a world that did not know how to tailor to Orcs. When his smile grew she would be able to see the feignt light green lines across his right cheek, a sign of a soft scar. His body had few scars, but far more than most mages were used to having. If this night went well, she would be able to find the most prominent ones, and a few tattoos that he had gotten while with a band of barbarians on his last quest.

"I have never had the pleasure of drinking with a famous gunslinger, but I am quite interested to see where we could possibly find ourselves by the end of the night." He did not hide his own stare, making it a quick but obvious glance down to her cleavage before he looked back into her deep eyes that were all the more prominent thanks to her eyeshadow.

"Should I make room for others to join us? Or do I have the pleasure of keeping you all to myself for the rest of the evening?" She of course had no reason to tell him if she was alone right now, and he would be a fool for believing her even if she said the other Renegades were not here. While he waited for her to determine whether to tell him the truth or not he moved his glass over to hers. He had a thick wooden pitcher of ale that contained a strong Dwarven variant of the drink.

"And what may I ask should we drink to tonight? To new friends and hopefully to new and endless possibilities?" She was gorgeous, but he was used to women approaching him and backing off after a few drinks. He had a reputation, and there were women who thought they were ready for a man like him, that was, until they saw that the stories did not over-exaggerate his size, and that they were perhaps not as ready to try something that big out as they initially thought they were.

 

[darkest_fate]

"Famous?" repeated Pine, adding a little snort, even as the corner of her lip tugged just a little upward, "that's overstatin' the situation a mite, but I ain't gonna protest if ya like it," there was a brief moment where Pine took in the height of the booth and did some mental math. Well, might as well. With some practiced smoothness, she got up onto the seat, scooting a little close to him, though not quite close enough to invade personal space. The gunslinger obviously wasn't too horribly used to moving in the more confining outfit, and for a moment it looked like she might pop out in a few key places, as the well toned body got into position. There was also a bit of wiggling as she got situated, getting her own drink into position.

"Don't think ya need to be worryin' 'bout the rest,' she said, waving a hand. "We're kinda doin' our own thing tonight," no need to let him know that there was at least one pair of eyes on them. There had been some quick debate before a hooded Tawny made it clear who the best choice was for all kinds of reasons; the half-tabaxi could clear the distance fast enough to deal with most any troubles outside of spells, and she was highly unlikely to get distracted unless someone started tossing catnip everywhere.

Pine nodded to his suggested toast, "An' to gettin' ta rightly know each other," she added, clinking her own mug against his. Most bars didn't have special glasses and such for the smaller folk, so Pine had adapted. It did mean occasionally using two hands to lift the cup, but the way she tossed back her own Dwarven drink proved that the gnome could handle her liquor. She leaned forward a bit onto the table, and it was again a little unclear how aware she was that the corset bunched her breasts a little. Hell, Pine wasn't even entirely sure that Benjamin would be interested.

"Nice to see that ya live up to some of the rumors I've heard. 'course, lot of them ain't quite so easy to tell at a glance," there was a bit of a flirty, roguish twinkle to the gnome's eyes, and the smile took on that teasing edge, as she took another sip. No rush here; might as well feel things out, take in the cut of Benjamin's jib and all that.

 

[Veiled_Desire]

Now that was a look he could recognize in a heartbeat, for it was one that many of the 'over' and 'under' sized races gave each other and received when they were first meeting someone knew. Not all peoples were compatible together, and there was definitely a time where you had to judge whether someone would even think you were physically compatible before beginning to flirt with that partner instead of wasting your evening trying to bring someone back home who thought you would never even fit inside of them. Seeing Pine move a bit closer after she took in her fill, Benjamin found himself cracking a slight and welcoming smile, a grin that spread from the left side of his cheek as he tried to keep his expectations down for now while he simultaneously moved a bit closer in his seat as well. Together, the pair moved a good half foot, enough to still not bump into one and other, but far closer than two strangers had any right sitting together.

Benjamin might have moved a bit too close, it was hard to keep one's focus when that person's drinking partner seemed to be about to pop out of her very well fitting corset with even the slightest cough or deepest of breaths. And the way she wiggled...she had to be doing that on purpose right, the natural sway of her hips that just let his mind wander into what it would be like to have her in his lap or pinned beneath his body in an oversized bed...

It was certainly reassuring to know that he had her all to himself for the night. Of course he could have been suspicious about her admission, but what was the point in second guessing everything she said when he didn't have a plan to handle more than this one potential adversary at the moment? So as the pair made their toast he watched in amusement at how quickly she was able to handle a drink that would have downed his human father in half of what she just handled herself.

Now it was her turn to mention reputations and rumors, and when she told him she had heard something about him he flashed her a cunning grin that said he was well aware of some of the rumors about himself. Sure he did not know them all, nor did he need his ego stroked to ask about himself, but he had a partner a few nights back who mentioned that he was as good as they said and that was certainly enough for him to make sure he serviced her for the rest of the night so she could continue to spread that rumor as far as she would travel.

"Oh I agree, rumors are so hard to substantiate by a single glance." He leaned in closer now, gently pressing his leg up against hers as his arm rested just an inch or so away from hers on the table. "I mean you could sure tell some rumors by spying on an individual from far away, but others...well I think you need a hands on experience. Got to make sure I ain't cheating by stuffing my pants or paying off bar maids to make me seem like something I ain't." He gave her a little wink at that, for he knew that many a young man would do just that in the hopes of a blatant lie being the one thing that got him a partner when nothing else he tried worked.

He leaned in a bit more conspiratorially now and said, "But we do have a rare opportunity don't we, to test out some of the rumors and see if they are at least half true. As for me, I have heard some outlandish tales of gnomish flexibility and skill with their hands that I would never believe without a first hand demonstration. Perhaps tonight could be about clearing the air and finding out just what we could do...when given such a fine chance as this."

 

[darkest_fate]

Damn, Pine had just been trying to be coy and flirty, but Benjamin here was just jumping in with both feet. The gnome felt a slight blush rise up on her face, not quite enough to make her look all demure or embarrassed, but enough to show that it did get to her a bit. She covered it by grabbing onto her drink and taking another swig, some of the strong booze threatening to leak out of her mouth. Without really thinking about it, Pine wiped her mouth clean with the back of her hand, meeting Benjamin's gaze with her own big brown eyes.

"Oh, I'm pretty darn sure I can handle guns o' just about any size," she replied, drawling the words out again. She propped an arm up on the table, leaning against it a little. "Most folks I meet jus' aren't really up to caliber though," she gave a bit of an expressive shrug. Still, Pine didn't move her leg away, though the press of limb on limb made her a bit more acutely aware of the whole difference in size. That made Pine's mind drift a little toward certain other likely size differences, the gunslinger doing some quick mental geometry of the kind she did oh so often. To use her own metaphor, she was pretty sure the holster could be made to fit the gun; she was just worried about how well it would hold... smaller weapons later.

"You're definitely puttin' the cart 'for the pony though," she said. "We still got ourselves at least a bit of business to discuss first after all." Pine raised her brows, leaning back just a little. She took another drink, still keeping her attention more or less focused on Benjamin as she did. As the gnome lowered the drink, she smacked her lips and let out a little satisfied noise, taking just a moment to lick her lips. "Gotta get all the good stuff," she said, adding another wink.

Pine resumed leaning on the table, the position again bunching the corset, though Pine was at least a bit more aware that it was pushing her own ballistics up into a bit more noticeable a position. Thank the gods she wasn't as stacked as some of her companions (Chastity immediately sprang to mind), but she knew how to work with what she had. "Heard tell you laid hands on all kinds o' things lately. Might be just the sort o' thing to catch a gal's interest." Might as well keep with the hinting for a bit, if only because it was fun.

 

[Veiled_Desire]

Pine looked gorgeous with a blush on her face. Even if he wasn't attempting to outdo her in banter and catch her off guard, he would want to make this shorter woman blush again and again whenever possible. There was no lady like manners to how she drank her liquor, and that made her all the more appealing to him. He was bringing his own mug to his face to take another sip when she casually told him his size was not something he would have to worry about, and that most men who were focused primarily on their own size were usually not skilled enough with their equipment to impress her.

Before he could come up with a hopefully clever retort and explain that his aim was precise or that he had learned to master his weapon through much practice, Pine quickly reminded him that he was making a few assumptions and jumping to conclusions that were not justified. That caused him to laugh, a loud and rumbling laugh that came from a voice that was deeper than most humans could make.

"Aye, that we do." He took another swig of his drink, finishing it up and slamming his cup down to show her he was ready to get to the real reason she was here. "Here I was hoping my personal reputation would be enough to draw you out towards me, but the world is not that kind and the rumors and not that appealing now, are they?" She had leaned towards the table again, giving him that view that was almost impossible to resist.

One more glance, one more glance down at her full chest was not going to give away his desires too much, was it? "I think you are right, there are items in my treasury that I believe would be of personal interest to you. Especially considering some of the items that you have yourself stubbled upon recently." He paused and gave her another coy smile, not knowing if she would admit what she had to him right away. "If those rumors were to be believed. The thing is, I doubt either of us really want to give up our treasures, nor would we be foolish enough to leave them in a place that they could be taken without us being aware of what is happening."

He did want to imply that the Gate was well hidden, not allowing her to use her item, or more likely allow another Renegade to use the Eye to get at it while Pine kept him distracted. "But...seeing as we both want the same thing, perhaps we could figure out some kind of arrangement...a challenge even. We could set goals and see if the other person could meet them. maybe having the winner be given the right to claim one thing from the loser, no matter what it is."

"Would you be interested in that sort of challenge? Or are the Renegades not up for putting everything on the line and risking their own treasures to gain infinite riches?"

 

[darkest_fate]

"Oh yer personal reputation goes way ahead of you, Mr. Long," Pine couldn't quite help but tease, the half-smile again returning and making her eyes dance for a few moments. The banter continued a bit as they both sort of danced around what they were really here to talk about. It seemed like what Pine heard was true: Benjamin had gotten his hands on the other half of that pair of artifacts. The Gated Eye was supposed to just be one thing, but apparently was actually these two pieces. Given what Benjamin was saying, he definitely had the half they'd thought.

Pine drummed her fingers on the table as Benjamin started drifting toward solutions. A challenge? Pine raised a brow at that, looking up at him and wondering what exactly he meant. "Yer kinda puttin' yourself at a disadvantage there," the gnome said, brow furrowing. "I mean, there's six Renegades an' last I checked, yer still without a crew of your own. Pretty sure that we'd take you in a fight," Pine let out a snort. "Hell, I don't like your chances goin' one on one with Tawny, let alone tossing anyone else in there," she raised her hands. "Not that I'm threatenin' you or nothin'. We ain't that type of group," which Benjamin should probably know. After all, the Charitable Renegades did have "charity" as part of their whole thing, and were known for taking jobs that underpaid and so on.

"Now, jus' to put cards on the table," Pine leaned forward, actually rising out of her seat a little . Stupid Tall structured furniture, "We're talkin' bout the Gated Eye, right? We got one piece; you got another. Gotta put 'em together?" she figured she might as well make sure before any challenges or the like were laid down. Pine would settle back down with confirmation or denial, the fingers resuming their drumming as she tried to work through whether or not she should lay down some kind of group challenge. Technically she had the right to do some negotiation; they wouldn't have sent her if she couldn't. Plus Pine could probably talk the others into almost anything if she thought it a good idea.

Really begged one question: "You got somethin' in mind?"

 

[Veiled_Desire]

He snickered as she reminded him just how accurate his name was. Sometimes fortune favored him, and being given an appropriate human last name actually served him well in these rare instances. Luckily, even throughout their friendly conversation, Pine was able to discuss business without changing the mood or flow of the conversation. Hearing how she thought he was at a disadvantage he raised an eyebrow at her. a genuine look of puzzlement on his face as if he hadn't even considered that a possibility. "A disadvantage, really? And I would never assume you are threatening me, in fact, the concept of fighting you and possibly risking one of our lives for these invaluable objects never even crossed my mind."

"But yes, we are talking about the Gated Eye. I think of all of the areas of conversation, this can afford the least subtlety. "See, what I was thinking was that we are in favor of the Gated Eye being used by people who are truly worthy of using it. Why let such a powerful relic go to waste, or to not allow it to achieve its full potential in the current state it is in?" He was not going to make this a trade, but he wanted to set the stage for the challenge to see if she would be interested in maintaining the groups reputation by saying that they had outsmarted a wizard if they somehow managed to get their hands on the gate.

"So I propose we make a test, to see if I am worthy of wielding the Gated Eye." He doubted she would like the sound of the test only being about him, so he quickly continued on. "I set out a challenge, if I am to accomplish this challenge within the given time frame, then I deserve to wield the Gated Eye and you will hand over your piece to me. If I do not, well then I have just demonstrated to you and your group that I am not worthy, and then I will hand over my half of the Gated Eye to those who have clearly shown they are more worthy than me."

"No tricks, just a fair contest, how does that sound?" He gave her a playful grin and said, "We can even set the rules right now and begin this challenge this very evening if you wanted to get a head start."

 

[darkest_fate]

In truth, Pine wasn't sure who would come out ahead if the two of them were to fight one another. She was pretty damn quick with her guns and most people weren't willing to risk the explosive firearms. On the other hand, nearly every story Pine had ever heard said that Benjamin had all kinds of stamina, even beyond what usually went along with being an orc. If even a portion of that proved true, then she'd probably lose in the long game, unless she could keep him away. All pretty theoretical, as she had no more desire to fight him than he did to fight her.

Instead she listened as he worked through a lot of the logic the Renegades had discussed. They'd almost suggested just giving the Eye to Benjamin to complete the set, taking favors or whatnot in return (given that Chastity had been all about the favors and the particularly hungry look she'd had at the mention, Pine had switched from thinking that a good idea to a hard pass). Almost every rumor that wasn't about the Long part of his name said that Benjamin was a pretty upright male. Some added "for an orc' onto that, but the statement more or less stood.

"Contest sounds like it could have some potential," allowed Pine. "Still not seein' how that's not tiltin' things in our favor, but yer the one settin' term," she drummed her fingers, considering, working over possibilities. So long as they kept the prize focused on the magical artifacts, the Renegade representative didn't see any real problems. Plus it almost sounded like Benjamin was the one who wanted to set himself up to fail. "No hurtin' my girls more than ya gotta," Pine said, "no unwanted mind control, no hirin' outside help..." she drummed her fingers again, scrunching her face. Pine felt like she was leaving something out there; she was almost tempted to go and talk with Xanthe and Tawny.

"What didja have in mind anyways?" asked Pine. "I mean, ya gotta set somethin' you can actually win or tain't no fair, an' again," she held up six fingers, wiggling them, before using them to point at Benjamin. She finished with another drink, wincing as the alcohol hit. Tilting her cup, Pine almost winced again. Yep, she'd drained that. Hope that didn't come back to bite her on the fine ass.

 

[Veiled_Desire]

Pine was at least somewhat interested in the idea of a contest, though without knowing the rules of the contest she did seem to be skeptical at best. Before allowing him to explain the rules she made a few conditions of her own, one that Benjamin agreed to as he said, "None of that indeed, what would be the point of a contest to prove my worth if I relied on others or mind controlling magic." Now that she asked him what he had in mind he was now in the position to delay again by draining his drink and reaching into a pocket of his robe to pull out another piece of paper. With this he wrote down '2 more please' and then tapped it with his index finger. The paper folded itself up into that origami bird and with a flick of his finger flew off towards the bar to secure them refills on their drink.

Now that he would have something else to further help convince Pine on its way he said, "Quite simply, I believe the best way to convince you all that I am worthy of being the bearer of the items is to sleep with each and every single one of you." He leaned forward, smiling into Pine's eyes as he said, "The challenge will be that I will have one year to bed each and every member of the Charitable Renegades. If I can fuck every single member within that timeframe, the challenge is mine. If I can't, even if I sleep with 5 of you, then I will have proven that I cannot accomplish my goals and the Gated Eye will belong to you."

Now that the challenge was out and on the table he said, "And just as you provided ground rules which I will follow. There will need to be rules that you and your Renegades must follow. For one, you cannot tell them all about the details of this challenge. You can tell them that we are in a challenge to win the Gated Eye, and that I have a year to accomplish the challenge. You cannot tell anyone not to sleep with me because of the challenge alone, and you cannot send any members away from here for me not to be able to find and seduce."

He gave her a playful smirk as he said, "Now how does that sound to you Pine? A near impossible challenge, and even if you were to lose it, I assure you that you would quite enjoy finding yourself in the losing scenario." He knew that this challenge was absurd, but why not shoot for the moon and make the most of the situation? He wanted to challenge himself nearly as much as he wanted Pine for himself at the moment.

 

[darkest_fate]

The gnome almost rolled her eyes seeing Benjamin use magic to summon more drinks. Mages; they were always subtly proving that they could bend reality or whatnot. At least Pine was used to that, both from guys flirting in bars and from the magic users on her team (though at least Nia was hardly showy about her powers). She refocused on Benjamin as he kept speaking, a wry smile on her face. A snort left at that initial proposal though. All the Renegades? Within a year?

Pine tapped the table again, waiting while he kept laying things out. Ground rules, no telling them, no telling not to sleep with them. Chances were high that at least half the Renegades wouldn't just like the challenge, but would probably appreciate the results. Chastity had been looking for someone to pluck her for as long as Pine knew her. Nia would probably be flattered to just be asked. And when it came to Pine, the only way she saw to make it fair was to do what she was about to offer.

"thinkin' it may be more than near impossible," the gunslinger mused aloud. "You'd have ta court Rally for almost that long ta get her ta even consider spreadin' her legs, an' there ain't no way she's gonna do it if she knows at all that you're sleepin' with any of the rest of us. Ya also ain't really weird enough for Xanthe's bullshit, an' if ya were, Rally wouldn't be interested in ya." Pine raised her brows, tilting her head to look up at Benjamin. "An' ye'd have to physically wrangle Tawny; ain't sure ya can manage it. Hell, ya might as well give me yer half now."

Still, the gnome paused, rapping her fingers on the table. She knew off hand that likely a majority of the Renegades would agree to the proposal if offered, though if they knew it was some sort contest about half of them really would say no on principle. There was that other thing: "Ya do realize the only way that works is if we fuck now, right? Otherwise I could hold out fir jus' about forever,' she pursed her lips, "or I guess I could say I'm the prize if'n ya nail th' rest, but that feels a bit skeevy, don't it?"

Whole thing did have a slight bit of that attached to it when you stopped to think about it. But if it was just playful fun and everyone consented, then Pine didn't see it as any kind of problem. Plus it was Benjamin who would likely have to deal with a crying Nia, a frustrated martial artist who wanted to beat the shit out of him, and a spurned paladin of a powerful god. Hell, he might as well challenge them to a fight; better odds of making it out alive...

 

[Veiled_Desire]

"Well if I suggested something easy, even plausible, would you really have accepted it without consulting with your comrades first?" He countered as she reminded him how seemingly impossible this was. He gave her a little shrug, letting her know that he knew that this was not going to be easy and that he did not truly know if he could accomplish this goal within the timeframe he presented her. When Pine countered that this plan had a fatal flaw with her knowing the one way for him to lose he gave her a conciliatory nod.

"Aye, there lie the rub, but no, I don't think you would ever want to offer yourself as a prize." He gave her another little knowing smile, their conversation began to reveal more and more about the woman sitting beside him as he said, "And I would hope never to 'win' a woman as a prize. Now, turning to the issue of your acceptance. It is true, you could deny me a chance at even beginning this contest and in a year we could meet up again and I could hand you what you are after, but really, where is the fun in that?"

"You already admitted to me that you think that this challenge is impossible, so us sleeping together would have no real effect on the outcome would it? It doesn't matter if we spend the next eight or so hours experiencing some of the most satisfying orgasms of our lives, because in the end, I would need to do the impossible to win." He leaned in closer, his lips just millimeters from her ear so he could say this to her and only her.

"Therefore, why not accept and treat yourself to a night of consequence free sex. We have our fun, and you get to see first hand if this contest is really as impossible as you think it will be." It would of course be a way for her to determine if he even had the skills that these rumors about him claimed to be true. As he pulled back he gave her another playful smirk and said, "On top of all of that, in the end you could say you got to fuck a half-orc and potentially secure a magical item because of that, to me that sounds like quiet the rewarding quest, don't you think?" Pine did appear to be the kind of woman who would want a notch on her belt. It wasn't just men who could claim to be on the hunt for fun sexual partners and to want to collect as many pleasurable experiences as possible.

 

[darkest_fate]

Benjamin was definitely giving her a lot to consider here. Pine kept drumming her fingers as he kept going. nice to know he wasn't going quite skeevy enough to think of this as some sort of prize competition. It still felt at least a little weird, but it wasn't like Pine was saying that anyone had to fuck him. Just that he'd have to give it a go. Again she was reminded that probably half of the party would actually appreciate what Benjamin was suggesting, assuming Chastity's seeming cursed luck in losing her virginity or the overprotectiveness that most of the Renegades felt toward Nia didn't kick in.

Yeah, this was definitely feeling like quite the trial for Benjamin.

The whispering in her ear made Pine shiver. Yeah, she'd been kind of wondering if the fairly attractive half-orc would be a good ride. She wasn't loose or anything; she did at least know Benjamin by reputation and they'd spent the last bit of time getting to know each other at least a bit, after all. "Pretty darn sure if I wanted to fuck a half-orc, I'd jus' have to ask," the gnome drawled, smirking a little. It wasn't strictly universally true, as they both knew. Smaller races like hers sometimes ran into difficulties with the tall ones; they'd assume that the smaller size meant less experience, and things degraded fast.

In this case though, Pine hadn't been kidding. For this to be fair, she'd pretty much have to sleep with Benjamin now. "You do know if'n you do me first, I'm gonna be able to tell everyone else how good you are?" she pointed out. Pine waited only another beat before continuing: "If you still think yer up for it, I'm gonna need a potion of healing at least, an' maybe some oil of slipperiness." The gunslinger said this with a straight face, her expression almost deadly serious. If he needed explanations, she'd give them, but he should be able to figure it out. After all, their size difference was... noticeable. Things would have to fit somehow, and the aftermath would be... interesting to say the least.

 

[Veiled_Desire]

The whisper had its desired effect, and Benjamin reveled in how she shivered right in front of him before regaining her composure and reminding him that if she had wanted just any old half-orc all she had to do was ask for it. He had to laugh and nod along at her point before saying, "Pine, with your charm and beauty, I am sure finding a partner has never been a challenge for you. The trick is finding one that is worth your time."

The pair exchanged a look, and to Ben it seemed like their evening was already decided upon when she reminded him that this could backfire for him if he didn't live up to his reputation. "I am counting on it Pine. After all, if I can live up to your high standards that will be a step in the right direction, and if I disappoint, well then I would have saved us all a year's worth of flirting and pointless romancing, wouldn't I?" He stood up from the table, stretching out his hand for her to take as she told him that these two couldn't just hop into bed like a normal couple and fuck without any ramifications.

"A man like myself always comes prepared, and I have a few healing spells as well as aphrodisiacs to make sure that the night is one that we will never forget." He was not going to assume that he could simply go down on her long enough to make sure she could handle his size. With his free hand he reached for the right flap to his jacket, pulling it open to reveal a few flasks at the ready. The labels were hidden, but judging by the colors of the concoctions, not all of them were for pleasure. There were some 'magma viles' and poison gas potions at the ready that he knew she would be able to swipe as well if she wanted.

"I have a very pleasant room upstairs if you would like to get right to work, or we could go out and find someplace new and neutral if you prefer." They were technically rivals after all, so he would not hold it against her if she wanted to try and find a place where she knew he hadn't been able to prepare anything, or even one where she had a few tricks up her sleeve that he could not prepare for.