...There is a slot under the door, Ulric. Do you really need to see the face your giving money to?

Okay, Paris, calm down a little and try not to aggravate him. He sounds like he's helping you honestly and is complying with most of your commands. When you ask him to pass money under the door, just do it honestly, and without anger.
You're anger has made things a lot worse than it had to be in the past, you know. Don't fuck it up because you can't handle your tone, even if it's completely understandable and Ulric just mocked you. Just save some face. Say honest thanks for the help, and get the fuck outta dodge. Even if you think he doesn't deserve it.

We actually need to leave now, as soon as Ulric leaves. We can't take the chance that Paula has contacts at a taxi place, so we can't actually tell it to come here because they'll probably be notified of any requests for a taxi at any clinic, or even near a clinic. It's been too easy, Paris. Just too easy. I'm worried the lamb may have actually notified the police by now without our permission, so we can't actually stay here anyway, and dealing with the police is dangerous for us.

Shit, I'm worried about her eavesdropping on us right now. Even if she's a good person with good intentions with a creepy face, she can REALLY fuck shit up.

...Ask Ulric how he knew which clinic to go to.

on second thought why don't you tell him you know him. ask him about the swamp. ask him about wilbur . or ask loretta what the name of the woman he was with was and ask about her?

Tell him to slip you the money under the door or something and to leave his contact info.

Once you two are in a better position Loretta can give him a call but for now do everything you can to keep at arms reach. If he really is a nice guy he will understand.

Well, now we know that he will actually help us. Tell him to slip the money under the door or something so you know he's for real. After that I think we need to find out some more about him, to help solidify if we can trust him.

tell him to slip it under the door or have the lamb get it. don't let him see you he might have a weapon

don't open the door! and before you leave you gotta case the joint just in case he's still lurking out there. i would tell you to have the lamb do it but then again, even if she is creepy, i don't want her to become a casualty.

have him slip it under the door and ask where wilbur is.

honestly finding out where wilbur is and hanging out with him is not a Bad Option.

Obtain money and contact info through slot, don't forget to thank him if he complies.

Do Not open that door under any circumstances. tell him to slip the money under the door and if he refuses, tell him to shove it up his ass.

you are smart and capable. you and loretta can make it without him.

Open the door. There's only so much abuse someone helping you is gonna take.

It's not like he's gonna attack you in the clinic.

open the door!! if he tries anything funny, just slam it closed again, preferably on his hand or st!! @ least that way u can tell if hes actually planning on hurting u or not. if he just slips it under the door, u still dont have any real idea what his intentions r.

open the door but take loretta with you? i mean, ulric is bad, but wouldn't be spontaneously violent right? (i really hope not)

also, ulric probably would come in handy, but they already know where he lives. maybe his phone number would be useful?

>>588617 : Thanks! I'll use them from now on

FRACTAL 2014/08/08(Fri)00:11 No. 588697 ID: d3e5eb
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"nah, buddy, you're gonna slide the money through the slot in the door." i pause for a moment, then spit out a reluctant "please."

i reach out and slide back the tiny door blocking the eye-level slot. through it i see burning golden eyes, surrounded by thick black fur. there's barely any hesitation beyond the rummaging he has to do in his coat - next there's a clawed hand pressing against the slot, shoving through a thick roll of bills.

i snatch it and count quickly, and nearly choke - it's almost $500.

loretta says it before me. "thank you." whispered, barely audible, but he heard it because he says "you're welcome." i glance down at loretta, her blank face, and grit my teeth before calling out "your contact info, too."

"of course." i hear more movement, then a card is pushed through. he didn't even have to write anything down - he carries around business cards, thick creamy stock, with his name and address and phone number in elegant grey print. under his name it says "purveyor of fine goods." there's no other information on the card.

"thank you." this time i say it, but the words are ashes in my mouth.

"don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."

"yeah." i hand the card to loretta and she presses it to her chest. "one more thing - that other rabbit kid, wilbur."

i can only see a sliver of his face, but i can almost feel his ear twitching in interest.

"where's he at nowadays?"

"he still lives in the swamp. still with his parents, even, i believe. that's how swamp people are, though, you know - especially rabbits. they stay in the warren."

"alright." i touch loretta's arm and she moves a little closer to me. "we're gonna leave now, so it would be cool if you were far away before this door opened."

"i'll be in touch," he replies softly. the fur on the back of my neck prickles. i close the sliding door, and i hear footsteps receding.

FRACTAL 2014/08/08(Fri)00:11 No. 588698 ID: d3e5eb
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"loretta. hey. come on, we gotta go." the nurse has come up behind us upon hearing the conversation come to a close, and i mutter a quick thank-you to her as well.

"we're gonna go now. we're just gonna flag down a taxi instead of walking," i explain to her. she nods slowly.

"do you want pants first. we have some extra scrubs and you can have the bottoms."

i sputter for a moment - with everything else going on i'd forgotten that loretta and i were only in oversized shirts. i cast my eyes down and nod a bit, and she disappears in a side room before coming back with two pairs of teal pants.

"thanks," i mutter. loretta echoes me, and we pull them on before opening the door.

i glance back over my shoulder. "hey .... thank you for everything."

the nurse's voice is tight and flat. "god bless you."

FRACTAL 2014/08/08(Fri)00:11 No. 588699 ID: d3e5eb
File 140748191526.png - (94.17KB , 700x600 , 93.png )

i close my fingers around loretta's thin wrist, shove past the door, and we're out in the cold night air.

ask loretta where you guys are headed? And uh...maybe keep in mind if u are worried about ulric, maybe don't go to wilbur's just yet as you basically just told him that's your only plan thus far

See how loretta is doing tho and ask her where she thinks you guys should go

$500 is easily enough to get a cheap motel for the night, somewhere to rest until day, lay-low

get a really cheap motel for probably about 10-20 bucks and plan what youre gonna do next

Decide where you guys want to go, probably find a place for the night and discuss your options once you're somewhere relatively safe. MAke sure though that your cab doesn't drop you off right at the place you're going, get dropped off like a block or two away, you don't know who's looking for you right now and I'd imagine you'd like to throw them off as much as you can.

i dont know about cheap motels, guys. it seems like the first place people from the club will look. get some fuckin McDonalds or some shit and call a taxt. hell, flag one down and go through the drive-through if it feels safer. we should still keep our heads down and get out of the city- and Wilbur's the only other person that can help us. without, you know, the creepy bullshit.

do neither of you two have homes jesus christ. where have you been living. holy shit

uh are you sure ulric isn't lurking around

Just let him in.

>>588735
>all the girls live in the back of the club - rent gets taken out of our paychecks.

He seems like a decent guy. Only suspicious thing is why the fuck is he carrying around $500 cash on him?

>>588814
He's well-off (he tips well, wears expensive clothes...) so it's not weird he'd have quite a bit of cash on hand.

Though... he was walking around in his clearly expensive coat, with that sum on himself, but he wasn't really in the most respectable of places. Isn't he afraid of being mugged? He doesn't look like a fool, so he either has a weapon on himself or he lied about "not [being] a fighter".

>>588818
It probably helps that he's a large wolf in a world where people can literally eat eachother.

Reasons for going with Ulric:

1. mad stacks
2. why not?

Reasons against:

0.

The past is the past, Loretta. He's YOUR big bad wolf now.

Reasons against:
-pedophilia is likely

Be fair here dude

>>588869
Why are we even arguing over this like it wasn't something that was already decided with the last update?

Listen to your instincts, stay away from Ulric as long as you can.

I agree with asking Loretta what she wants to do. If nothing else, it's the right thing to do, though don't apply pressure. She's had a lot to take in recently. You both have.

However, finding a (cheap) place to lay low sounds like a good idea unless there's a reason not to. Maybe bring it up as an option. You have money, and you have choices. It's not a world's worth of power and agency, but it's maybe more than either of you have had in a while. Maybe that's worth something on its own.

FRACTAL 2014/09/09(Tue)14:22 No. 593450 ID: 2c322d
File 141029775429.png - (128.62KB , 700x600 , 94.png )

"loretta." she's leaning on me and her frame is thin but warm. i feel like she might be falling asleep and i jostle her a little. "do you wanna get a motel? we should rest and we can figure out what we wanna do tomorrow.

she shrugs listlessly. i lean down to look at her and her eyes are glazed, dull.

"loretta, are you listening?" i shake her a little harder, but her head just bobbles like a doll's. she lifts her chin slightly, staring right through me.

"yeah. i'm listening."

"you need sleep. i need sleep. let's go, okay?"

"mm. okay."

i'm not gonna get anything else out of her. maybe she's just tired, but i'm worried that it's more than that.

FRACTAL 2014/09/09(Tue)14:22 No. 593451 ID: 2c322d
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after another exhausting half hour of running from one 24-hour place to another trying to find someone who'll lend us a cell phone, kicking myself for not calling from the clinic, i manage to call us a cab. there's an hour ride to a dingy motel outside the city limits, almost in the suburbs, with loretta limp but awake against my shoulder. there's a point during the ride where she turns, her mouth touches my neck disconcertingly, she whispers something i don't catch. i scoot away from her, disturbed.

when we reach the motel i'm dead on my feet. everything's a blur up to the point where i burst into the room, nearly falling against the door to open it. with fumbling, drowsy fingers i lock the door and check it, again, again, again, until even my exhausted mind can be sure it's secure.

FRACTAL 2014/09/09(Tue)14:22 No. 593452 ID: 2c322d
File 141029777994.png - (44.13KB , 700x600 , 96.png )

there's only one bed. i lift her into it and slump beside, too tired to set myself up in a chair or even on the floor.

she speaks for the first time since we left the clinic. "come into bed with me."

Alright but no funny stuff, young lady.

>>593452
Well, it's got to be more comfortable than leaning against the bed anyway.

>>593451
>neck kisses
>unintelligible whispers

Tread carefully, paris. You can't be 100% sure, but it wouldn't be surprising to find loretta has a crush onyou brought on by extenuating circumstances.
Dunno if you would be willing to consider reciprocating that or not, but regardless of your own thoughts loretta's may or may not be in a fragile state.

I repeat, tread carefully.

(that said, get in bed with her. No funny stuff, as mentioned though.)

>>593452
Loretta's been disconnected since she found out who Ulric was. She's in want of comfort, or maybe physical companionship makes her feel secure. Whatever the case, consider whether or not you're willing to engage her in that capacity.

If not, plant your ass at the side of the bed and just tell her you're right here and you're not going anywhere.

You aren't gonna stay up or sleep on the floor so crawl into bed. At the same time... Loretta is not well. She's had any kind of security or positivity crushed from her life within just a few hours. She might just want you close for comfort, or she might be trying to latch onto you in a more intimate way in an attempt to escape from her predicament.

Think about it from her perspective, she's narrowly avoided being killed, had her "home" taken from her, had the only person who gave her any positivity in life revealed to be someone she doesn't trust, and now she doesn't even know what's going to happen tomorrow. A life she already hates has collapsed on her and you are the only person she feels she can trust, and there's a good chance she's going to mistake that for something else.

Don't forget that she's showed you a lot of solidarity. She was there getting you clothes and patching you up, showing support when you were in pain. You at least owe it to her not to flip out on her even though she's acting strange.

Just crawl into bed, curl up, and sleep. Just being there is all she really needs from you right now.

>>593452

only join loretta if yr comfortable, if yr ok with it. if so, maybe stay close, maybe hold her hand. something thats small but could mean the world-- maybe itll help you too?

>i'm not gonna get anything else out of her. maybe she's just tired, but i'm worried that it's more than that.
The hard part is she was acting like the strong one, for a while there. She helped get you this far, then fell apart.

>come into bed with me.
...fine, kiddo. We'll share.

FRACTAL 2014/09/12(Fri)08:31 No. 593766 ID: 2c322d
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"...alright." the fur on the back of my neck is prickling but i haul myself into the creaky bed, settling next to her. she turns to face me, but i keep my gaze trained on the ceiling. "let's just go to sleep now."

"okay."

then our voices give way to the buzzing of the fluorescent light outside our room, weak breathing, slight creaks whenever one of us shifts. suddenly, though - a louder creak, rustling sheets, and there are small, warm hands pressing on me, seeking, pulling back layers of fabric.

"no!" i jerk back, shocked out of my heavy fatigue. "wh- what the fuck are you doing?"

loretta's sitting up, her arms reaching out insistently. "come here. it's okay."

"it's not!" i reach for the light beside the bed and turn it on, throwing harsh yellow light over us. her eyes are glistening and i think she's shaking a little. "c....come on. what are you doing?" i repeat, a little desperately now.

"it's okay." she slinks forward on hands and knees, a movement i recognize from her dance routines, and i hurriedly leave the bed, pulling the hem of my shirt down further. "paris, it's okay. i like you."

the tone of her voice is .... wrong. it sends my tail prickling, the fur on the back of my shoulders bristling as if statically charged.

"i like you," she mumbles again, rising to grab the front of my shirt. "i like you. i like you."

"l-listen, even if you weren't half a decade younger than me - and you are," i remind her firmly, "this isn't - we're not doing this, okay? we're not."

FRACTAL 2014/09/12(Fri)08:31 No. 593767 ID: 2c322d
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she drops back, staring up at me blankly. her mouth starts twisting.

"you don't like me."

You don't like her, but you don't don't like her either. You have ambivalent feelings for her. You don't particularly like anybody.
Just say please don't touch you, you've been through too much today and the idea of being touched by anyone is just too much.
Don't play that "don't like me" card, it's a dumb man tactic to guilt trip women. And if it's anything more than a card, like she actually cares about you liking her, she shouldn't. You're grateful for her help, but you don't owe her what she apparently wants.
If she want to cuddle or hug, she's going to be the pillow. Loretta, not Paris. You have to hug her, not the other way around.

>>593767
Tell her you don't even know right now. You've only been acquaintances before today, and you've been too focused on staying safe and running to even think about anything like that.

You should at least reassure her that you care about her; I mean, if you didn't you've had ample opportunities to go off on your own instead of sticking around with her and trying to keep her safe as much as yourself.

It's probably for her own good too. Whatever was up between her and her gentleman was clearly pretty complicated, and you don't want her making any rash decisions because of what happened today regarding it.

You like her but liking doesn't mean fucking
You like her but the sway of her hips is the sway of a dancer and not a lover and she deserves to love the next person she fucks, love not just like
You like er and you will be tthere for her, but love is not sex

>>593767
"Loretta, this isn't the club. This isn't how you show someone that you like them."

>you don't like me.
I like you just fine, kid. I just don't want to fuck you, okay?

You don't have to do that anymore, okay? We left the club.

I think we have to be very simple in our arguments. She's not in a good place in her head. She feels alone, and desperate, and is reaching out the only way she can remember how, right now. Which means we need to rebuke her without driving her away.

FRACTAL 2014/09/12(Fri)11:02 No. 593794 ID: 2c322d
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i grasp her shoulders and hold them firmly. "don't ever try to guilt me like that," i say firmly, but then i soften a little. she's clearly really fucked up over everything that's happened, and i feel instinctively that i have to be careful with how i handle this.

"loretta, listen. i like you fine. that doesn't mean i wanna fuck you, though." i gently push her so she sits back down on the bed. "this isn't the club, alright? you don't have to do this shit anymore."

"then what do i do?"

the way her voice sounds makes my throat thicken, and i rub angrily at the corners of my eyes. "do you really think that's the only way to show people you like them? to thank them? to be nice to them?"

she shrugs limply and the lump in my throat grows painful.

"listen. listen." i give her another small push, guiding her down to lie down again. "we can hug, okay? i'll hug you if that's what you want. but just - don't move, okay?"

FRACTAL 2014/09/12(Fri)11:02 No. 593795 ID: 2c322d
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she whispers "okay," and i lie down behind her, looping my arm gently over her body. i can hear her shuddering, whispy breaths.

"i'm sorry." i barely hear it but it's there, and i tighten my arm a little to calm her. she cries herself to sleep and i follow soon after, too exhausted to do anything more to comfort her.

[end chapter 2]

shivers, yo