Arena Private Medical Room

"And that's about it, Orc," Blake muttered now topless and currently getting treated by a cleric Deller personally called over and had arranged a private room for them to talk alone.

"A real-life Smith-knight, huh...?" Deller muttered after listening to Blake's explanation of what happened in the fight pit. "...Reiner had some like you under his nose for all these years!" Despite his hidden amazement at meeting a Smith-Knight a once in a lifetime thing for any crafter. "Grrr!" The fact that his old rival met and trained them got to him. "I bet that bastard was planning on showing you off at some point to get at me!"

"Hey, like I said he didn't think I was one until I met her." Blake tried reminding Deller by pointing at Risabeel, but the Orc was raging at the moment. "Ugh, is he always like this?" He turned to Anthony, who was currently examining Risabeel.

"Hmm? Most of the time...hmm...yes," Anthony answered, setting his monocle to different colors as he continued to look over Risabeel. "Granted, from what I've been able to tell from this one and the others, he has every right not to find such a power hidden away to be a waste." He added after looking at the rest of Blake's items. "Alright, madame, I'm done with my study, thank you for your time."

"You are most welcome, Sir Anthony." Risabeel bowed her head to Anthony with her horns in full view.

"~Oh~ what a nice young man! It's surprising that you're the one trying to beat the fluff out of Hubby earlier," Baba asked while floating over to Blake as he got done with his treatment.

"Yea would've been nice if you were acting like that before you did this to me." Blake got up to stretch then pointed at the treated yet still severely discolored scar on his side left by Anthony's Anthomata's stringer and after he cauterized it. "Seriously, it's like you flipped a switch or something." He added after putting on his shirt and patted his side.

"Hah...well? I guess I do take after my master in some ways..." Anthony laughed nervously as the cleric went over to Deller's side. "Thank you for taking care of this, Master Deller."

"Hmph, it's the least I can do for him," Deller said, pointing at Blake then walked up to the Smith-Knight and held out a hand.

"What's that for?" Blake asked, looking at Deller's hand then up at his face.

"Bah, you're just as slow as your mother." Deller chuckled to himself, leaving Blake more confused and a bit annoyed then reached out with his metal hand. "Hmm!" Then slammed it on top of Blake's head sending a personal shockwave down his spine. "But, I'd rather my newest smith or should I say Smith-knight? Be more like her than that damned Reiner."

"..." At that point was when Blake realized what Deller's offered handshake was about. "Heh! Don't get too high and mighty with me, Orc, I'll be working for myself! I just needed you for registration!" He slapped Deller's hand off his head, hurting his hand a little since he just hit a solid piece of metal.

"It is all well and good that you wish to conduct your business, but as a fellow crafter, understand that Master Deller is still the craftsmaster and can revoke your registration at any time, Blake," Anthony warned, losing that carefreeness he had a moment ago at the sight of someone downplaying Deller's authority.

"By at rest, Anthony, you have already been defeated today no need to continue fighting," Deller told his student making Anthony quiet himself down then he turned to Blake. "I'll have the paperwork for you done by the end of the day, and then you'll be able to work without any problems..." He paused to raise a hand to Risabeel. "...however, as much as I want to believe that this girl is of good nature she's still a stray Demon who has another of her kind coming after her that's something I can not leave be, do you understand?"

"*sigh* Yea, I do...I was wondering how long it was going to take before she got found out..." Blake dryly muttered, taking a glance at Risabeel with her face set in worry. "...but, I'm not just going to let some priest banish her to the Underworld without trying to stop 'em." He held an arm protectively in front of Risabeel just in case Deller tried anything.

But to the act, Deller smirked. "Hmph, you aren't the only person I've met with that kind of feelings towards their friends be them Demon or not. I have no intention of fighting you on that. Even I as craftsmaster, head of an entire district of this city and one of highest seats of political power still get berated for the fact that I'm an Orc and I am not saying this to get pity out of you, just understand something like this needs to go through the needed pathways."

"Got it, but if anything goes bad with that, then we're gone." Blake waved a finger around his whole group and pointed a thumb out a window, making the Orc raise a brow while Anthony rubbed his chin lightly in thought.

"Sir Blake! I'm thankful for your deepest kindness, but are you not taking this too far?" Risabeel asked as she moved up to Blake's back. "After what you have been through to be allowed to work in Gorz to think you are willing to give up on that."

"Huh? Of course, I'm! As much as I want to be here in Gorz as a blacksmith living out my dreams and all that, I would never have gotten this far without you or the others! So, stop acting like you're causing me trouble, would you? You're a Demon! Have a backbone." Blake said to Risabeel, making her look up at him with curiosity. "Oh? And one more thing..." He added as he held up a hand.

"Yes, Sir Bla-AH!" Risabeel was about to ask what Blake wanted when suddenly he hit her with a chop to the top of her head.

"Never do something like that again! I know you were trying to help me, but what if you got hurt!" Blake lectured the Demon on the stunt she pulled. "Or at the very least when you come up with a dangerous idea mind letting me on it! Seriously, I was more worried about you than that thing eating me!"

"I will think of that for the next time..." Risabeel nodded while rubbing her head, then got another lighted tap on her hands from Blake. "...there will be no next time..."

"Good, and you three!" Blake turned to his three other items and like a teacher giving out lashes he hit all of as well. "Why didn't any of you try to stop her?!"

"It sounded like a good idea to me, and I couldn't do anything at the moment." Gram was the first to answer hanging his head low, 1) for getting hit by his Alpha and 2) for not being unable to help him in a time of need.

"Sad to say, my best and only interest is making sure you're all nice and safe, Hubby, so if someone wants to get hurt protecting you, I am not going to stop them." Baba mused, shrugging off both Blake's chop and his lecture, lazily floating around the room.

"GRRR!" Leaving Saffire the only one left and the most heated out of them, seriously, she was giving off steam at the moment. "I was trying to get in there to help your ass! While I was doing that incomes Blackhorns over there getting tossed up by Furball and Air-head helping too! I wasn't a part of any of that! So why the hell did you hit ME!"

"Oh, yeah? You weren't really a part of any of that?" Blake thought about what Saffire did during the whole thing. "I guess I hit you for turning into a Dragon in front of so many people? Then again if you didn't do that Risabeel might not have made it through the cage, and you slapped that Manticore right into me for the finish...so? Thanks, Saffire...?" He reached out and patted her on the head for a good job.

"I'm not a kid, you know!" Saffire spat out fire while shaking Blake's hand off her head then stabbed a finger in his chest. "Just get tougher, so I don't need to come saving your ass all the time! You're a man, aren't you?"

"Alright, alright, I get it, be stronger, so you don't have to worry about me." Blake lightly joked back at her, and before the Dragon could tell him anything, he quickly wheeled around, letting her burn off her steam. "Alright, that's us done with, anything you got Orc?"

"Craftsmaster Deller..." Anothny spitefully reminded Blake with arms crossed.

But Deller brought a hand to his student's shoulder, pulling him back. "Anthony, enough he's a bit like Mr. Torats good at his work but bad with manners and yes, we're done here. I look forward to seeing yours and that boy's work as time goes on." He nodded Bread's way then stepped out along with Anthony and the cleric.

"Huh? He wants to see stuff from me?" Bread asked out loud to the room both amazed and confused by Deller's parting words until a head came down on his hat.

Which belonged to Blake, who was messing around with his hat playfully. "Of course, he does! You made something that impressed those crafter-heads, and it was able to beat that Anthomata thing."

"But it broke and that Ore was hard to get." Bread pointed out as he looked up at Blake with a disgruntled look on his face.

"Ture? But that just means you need more training and as for Ore there's always more as long someone can kill a monster," Blake assured his young student then went out the door followed by the others.

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Arena hallway

"Ah, Sir Blake, there is something I wish to ask you about, may I?" Risabeel asked hood back on while the group neared the arena entrance.

"Go." Blake just shrugged but was all ears for anything she wanted to know.

"I was curious as to what a stray Demon is? It was what Craftsmaster Deller said yes?" Risabeel asked any mention of the Underworld piqued her interest much.

But before Blake could answer her, from behind the entrance of the arena popped out the head of Mordecai, the 'Honest' thief. "Now how does a Demon not know what stray Demon is?" He asked with a hand rudding his chin while the other was held up in the air in a half shrug.

"Oh great, it's you..." Blake muttered at the sight of Mordecai walking right up to him with a hand resting on his face. "...and what are you going on about her being a Demon? Yea, I've got a Dragon and a talking Greater Wolf but a Demon? That's going too far, Mordecai." He played Mordecai's question off as a joke, but the smile creeping up on the thief's face made him worry.

"Yea? And she can turn into a sword that gives you horns? That one's a wind spirit since mage isn't weird enough for your standards. By the way, nice show you put on there!" Mordecai gave Blake a thumbs up having watched the entire fight with Anthony in secret even after the arena was emptied by the sudden appears of a Manticore and Dragon. "I don't think I caught your name, little lady?" He pointed up at Baba currently floating above him.

"That would be Baba, that one over there is Saffire, that's Gram, and I suppose you know Mari and Bread already since, Hubby, knows your name," Baba answered pointing at Saffire, and Gram then flew right up to Mordecai's face. "Hmm? A bad boy? Haven't had one of you in a while...maybe later?"

"Danger!" All of the warning signals in Mordecai's head went off as he took a step back from Baba and held out an arm when she tried to close the gap he made. "N-n-nice to met you! But I've got something to deal with that guy." He pointed at Blake in an attempt to get Baba away from him.

"What now?" Blake shook his head at Mordecai whatever this guy had on his mind was going to be a hassle if anything.

"Hey! No need to be so mean! I'm trying to help you here!" Mordecai held out his hands, acting the part of a good Samaritan. "And me too." He whispered with his head turned away.

"I heard that." Blake pointed out, making the thief tense up. "Besides, what have you done for me?"

To that, Mordecai held up three fingers. "First, I helped guys get away from the City Watch, then I showed you the way the Crafting District, and finally I got you that quest for the Ore used in that fire thing!" As he listed out each of the things he helped Blake with, he put a finger down.

"You caused the first, the next one was actually useful, but you were following us, and I could've done without the last part, so buzz off." Now it was Blake's turn to hold up and put down some fingers in Mordecai's face.

"One out of three is still good in my book! And this idea I've got is going to be great for both of us! So, come on, give me a chance here!" Mordecai insisted offering a hand to Blake, but the smith wasn't having any of it. "I'm going to keep coming after you if you ~don't~"

"*Sigh* Fine but can we do this back at my place, I want to go make sure Nash was able to watch the cart." Blake finally admitted on hearing what Mordecai had up his sleeves that is until Baba floated in front of him. "Hey, Baba, what's up?"

"Hmm? You forgot, then again, I never pegged you for the thoughtful type." Baba mused then grabbed Blake's arm and forced him to walk with her. "But that's not going to stop me now."

"Uhm? Excuse me? I kind of need that guy at the moment." Mordecai held up a hand as Blake and Baba walked past him.

"Yea, Baba, what's this thing I forgot about?" Blake asked while racking his brain to find out what he missed while getting pulled long by Baba, almost like they were on a date. "Oh?" Which was when Blake got the idea. "Sorry about forgetting again."

"That's all well and good it's understandable, you just got done having a big bad fight for your life, and Mama's got to treat her boy." Baba cooed as she lovingly rubbed up on Blake.

"Hey! Get off of him/my brother!" Both Saffire and Mari yelled the older wind spirit. "Huh?" Making both of them stare at eachother for the sudden agreement they had.

"I'm with them on that one." Mordecai still holding up his hand to get Baba's attention which worked for better or worse since Baba pulled away from Blake and floated right into his face. "Ah? Unless you have anything to say? Haha?"

"Why yes I do," Baba answered with a finger going to Mordecai's chest that she slowly traced up to his neck. "I've been a bit 'out of things' if I had to put it to words and incomes a handsome, strong, and strapping young man that I could just ~eat up~ but, I want to take things slow for once and go through the right steps. Now, I would really like to get down to that with him, unless you'd like to take his spot? I could always go for a ~side dish~" She softly stroked her finger cross Mordecai's neck before tapping him on the nose.

"O-o-oh? Well? Uhm? Have fun with that! I'll be waiting for you guys at Mt. Nod, laters!" Mordecai did a full turn and was about ready to run for it until Blake grabbed him and turned him around. "Hey! Come on! I know I was bugging you and everything, but I'm not taking that arrow!"

"No, I thin- hope she was joking about that, but I want to know how you know where I live?" Blake questioned with an interrogating look in his eyes as he tightly held on to Mordecai's shoulder with his other hand, balled into a fist in case he tried to run.

"Information gets you money and money gets you information. I like having a lot of both," Mordecai answered while patting one of his coin pouches and tapped on the side of his head. "So, don't worry about it! As long as you're good with me, I'm good with you!" He assured before working his way out of Blake's hold. "But, since you agreed to hear me out, I'll go make that deal more to your liking, laters!" And with that Mordecai took off like the wind disappearing into the crowd that had appeared after word got around that Dragon had appeared inside the arena.

"He's gone, that's good and bad," Blake muttered, thankful and worried about Mordecai being gone especially with that thing he said at the end. "He better not have done something with my name in it."

"Oh, Hubby, don't be like that, he said; 'you don't need to worry about him' if anything goes wrong we'll just teach him a lesson. Now, let's get going, if it gets dark out, I might not be able to hold myself back, and your purity might be in danger." Baba floated on next to Blake, wrapping herself around his arm. "Then again who'd care about the two of us getting along better?" She asked the open air, not expecting an answer for anyone.

"GRRR!" But one did come in the form of a pair low growls from Saffire and Mari at the Ala. "Huh?" And once again they looked at eachother, but this time it turned into the both of them giving each suspicious glares trying to find out why the other did the same.

However, before Blake and Baba could go out on a day in the city, the smith had one problem which he was looking at. "Hey, Baba, I'm sorry, but after that random monster coming out of nowhere I'm a little worried that Demon kid's out there somewhere and I can't leave Risabeel alone if he shows up."

But instead of looking sadden or annoyed by Blake's statement, Baba leaned on him more. "~Oh~ you don't need to worry about that. She's got the doggie and Hot-head to look after her, and they're about as strong as you, so you can rely on them, isn't that right friends?" She glanced over at Gram and Saffire.

"Got that right! Leave it to me, Alpha!" Gram grinned at the thought of having a chance to get some respect from Blake.

"Tch! You're just trying to get your date going!" Saffire growled at Baba's attempt at stopping Blake from stopping her.

"~Oh~ you think so? And here I thought you were a big and powerful Dragon, but I guess you just have to admit that Hubby's better than you, if you think he needs to be around to protect Risabeel, hmm?" Baba wondered out loud to herself, but she meant it for Saffire as the Dragon's face twisted around to her delight.

"Hah! As if he's better than me at anything! Just watch me!" Saffrie proudly boasted with her head held high above Baba unable to push her pride out of the way to stop Baba from running off with Blake for the day.

"Thank you for agreeing with me, Hot-head," Baba smiled at Saffire's reaction then turned back to Blake. "Now, Hubby, are you happy with that?"

"Okay, okay, I trust them looking after her, but if anything happens, please do not get the City Watch's eyes on it," Blake begged Gram and Saffire. "Huh?" But before he could get an answer from them, he started floating in the air. "Baba! I wasn't done with them!?" He yelled at her for the kidnapping him...again. (See Chapter 10)

"Well, I was, and unless you want me to get rough with you..." Baba trailed off as some wind starting to twirl around them. "I'm sure you'd like to explain to the City Watch why a tornado suddenly appeared out of nowhere, hmm?"

"I'd rather not..." Blake said in monotone the last thing he wanted to do right now, was to piss off some guards. "...Ugh..." Which was when Blake realize how high up they were floating around 5 stories tall. "...could we go down, please?"

"~Aww~ Mama got carried away again." Baba mused as she quickly yet gently carried Blake down getting a few surprise gasps and stares, as a man suddenly came down from the sky in the arms of a young girl. "There we go, nice and safe on the ground, is my little Hubby alright?" Baba playfully sang out as she pinched Blake's cheek lightly.

"Hey! I'm not a kid!" Blake stepped away from Baba with an annoyed look on his face, the last person that pinched his cheek was his mother and since Baba was either as old or older than her made it even more uncomfortable and embarrassing. "Act your age sometimes."

"~Oh~ but I am 'Mr. I'm not a kid'." Baba teased, leaning in on Blake's face with her hands on her hips and an oh-so-sweet smile making its way on her face. "Unless you'd like to skip the foreplay and get treated like a real 'adult' hmm?" She offered while floating down to the ground, choosing to walk for a bit.

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"I-I don't know about that but...maybe...?" Blake nervously answered due to Baba's usual playfulness and teasing Blake always found it hard to figure out if she was joking or not, but right now with no one around that could stop her or at the very least slow her down in her attempts at him, he was a bit worried for his...purity? "Wait? Why do I care about that?" He asked himself, rubbing the back of his head while Baba was surprisingly waiting for him to get a move on instead of just carrying him off somewhere. "Huh? By the way, you were acting a while ago I thought you'd be dragging me around about now?" He muttered, picking a random path, and started walking.

"Oh, don't you know all you got to do is give someone a little push or in our case a 'lift' to get things moving. It's always nice when the one you're after shows some interest, yes?" Baba answered, walking next to Blake but was aimlessly looking around.

"Hmm? Ture but not everyone likes getting pushed or carried away out of nowhere." Blake muttered, giving Baba a blank stare that she smiled at. "You really don't react to stuff like a normal person?"

"You think so? I like to think I've just been around long enough to see a lot so maybe that's why?" Baba pointed out knowingly then started to glance around the streets looking for anything that might get her interest other than taking a few glances at Blake. "Oh?" She lightly gasped at something, stepping away from Blake with a glint in her eyes.

"Huh?" Blake turned to find Baba at a small merchant stand of. "What are you looking at?" Blake questioned as he walked up to Baba and looked over her head at whatever got her to come over here and sure enough. "Toys?" It was a toy stand with stuffed animals, dolls, wooden weapons and horses, a music box and a few other random playthings.

"Welcome! Welcome! Please, take your time as you look through my wares, little lady!" The merchant of the stand cheerfully smiled at Baba as she was browsing his stand flashing the same smile at Blake.

"~Very nice~" Baba mused at the cause of her attention, sitting on a small pillow in the center of the stand was a top. It was painted in a light green with white swirls blowing around its sides, and the bottom was tipped in a bit of silver and tied around a small bar at the top was a yellow string. "Wouldn't you agree?" She asked, looking up at Blake.

"I-I guess? Didn't peg you for liking toys." Blake answered, backing away a little from Baba after feeling her breath on his neck while she had a devious look on her face. "You did that on purpose?" He asked, stepping back to the stand, but this time he stood next to Baba.

Which only got Baba to lean her head on him to get a different view on the top. "Not really, my time for children's toys has past ~long~ ago but this little one would be a perfect start to a new collection don't you think?" She ignored Blake's question while asking her own.

"Beats me, but you like collecting things?" Blake asked, earning a nod from Baba that got him thinking back to when he first met her and saw all of those random piles of stuff that were inside her tree. "I thought most of that stuff came from Gardel?"

"Yes, my main collection was mostly the gifts that the good people of Gardel showered me with, so I wouldn't throw a storm their way, but usually you'd throw most of it out no...?" Baba started to explain as she went to pick up the top after getting permission from the merchant.

"But for some reason, I wanted to keep what was given to me. Even if they seemed useless, I kept the seeds of eaten fruit not to plant but to remember the taste of each one. The pillows I slept on were there for the different feather of each one not just because they were soft. The coins that had no value to me stayed for their shine and shape. And always in a nice and tidy pile so that I could find what I wanted when I wanted it...that is until a young man came into my life and took me away from it all." Baba gave Blake a knowing look that wasn't as playful as usual.

Leaving Blake to rub his neck and look away from her. "Aahah, that's true, but you agreed to it?" He tried to defend himself, but Baba sent a longingly gaze his way. "I guess...I could help you start over since we got a place to stay?"

"~Oh~ don't worry, Hubby, I'm sure there are a lot of things that you and I will find together." Baba winked at him, implying something that got Blake flustered all too quickly. "~Hmm~ you have a dirty mind? Mama's gonna have to either fix that or she could play along," She cooed then held up the top to the merchant. "But for now let's take it slow, mind getting this as your first gift?"

"I do owe you one for saving me along with the others." Blake would gladly get Baba the top, but at the mention of the others, he noticed that Baba got a blank stare in her eyes for a moment. "Jealous aren't we now? Isn't that a bit childish?"

But Baba turned to the merchant with a small smile. "Hey, mister? He's gonna buy this for double the price ~Ok~" She faked an overly child-like voice then tugged at Blake's shirt. "You'll do it, right? You promised, right? I did a good job cleaning the house like you ordered, right...master?"

"Not fair!" Blake gave a Baba an annoyed look then looked up at the merchant about to tell them that Baba was joking. "Ugh?" But sadly for him, the merchant appeared to have bought Baba's act with their eyes glared at him. "Uhmm, I can explai-"

The merchant held a hand to stop him from saying any more. "No need, I've seen my share of masters and their slaves, granted you don't look like the type to be a noble? But still..." They held up the top with a hand rubbing their chin. "...I'd say you can buy this for 4 times the price."

"And how much would that be?" Blake reluctantly asked the Merchant, who twisted the top in their hands.

"Hmm? 100 silver pieces! That should be easy for you, 'master,'" The merchant demanded, smirking at Blake with the greediest of smiles. "Time to milk another rich boy! Hehe!"

"..." Blake was thinking it over, but the moment Baba backed up into him to look up at his face. "She's going to do something worse if I don't." He thought, reaching for his coin pouch. "I'm only doing this because you did a good job, so expect some bigger tasks once we get back home, young lady." To Baba's surprise, he played along with the lie she set up and flicked a gold coin at the merchant, making them juggler the top and coin. "That should cover it, right?"

"Y-y-yes, sir!" The merchant graciously took the coin and pocketed it quickly he was expecting Blake to go a tirade about the price like any other person with too much money on their but casually flicking a gold coin like nothing? The mad lad. "Would you like it wrapped or as it?"

"As is, I don't want any more clutter at the house," Blake answered while as gracefully as he could get ran a hand through his hair. "Now, we depart from this poor man's...establishment...?" He did a quick turn and walked off with his head held high.

"Master, please wait," Baba called out to Blake before giving the merchant a bow then went after Blake. "Quite the actor aren't we?" She mussed after catching up with Blake and held her top to her chest.

"Heh, I don't really think so, I don't even look the part." Blake patted at his clothing, which wasn't any better than anyone else walking around. "But you, however, have an unfair advantage in that skill wouldn't you say?" He turned to her, but she was too busy inspecting the top he bought for her. "Hey, as fun as that was I'm still expecting a reward for that."

"Oh? Give and take? So that's the type of man you are? Very nice! I was worried you wouldn't make me work for it." Baba playfully admitted then stopped in the middle of the street getting Blake to turn her. "So, I'll give then I'll take." She held up her top then with a pull of its string and a flick of her finger she caused it to spin in the air.

"Huh, that's cool." Blake watched the top spinning in the air, its green and white colors mixing into an odd and magical blur as it balanced or danced on a trail of air. "Ugh, Baba?" When he looked back at Baba, he found her starting to float upwards to meet the top.

"Don't worry this is part of your reward," Baba answered as she began a dance while in the air with the top twirly around her head, arms, waist and down to her feet, with each move she made, a gust of wind came along with it wrapping around her petite form in veil of wind.

"..." Safe to same Blake was at lost for words as this random yet graceful show was put on, leaving him all but mystified by Baba's dance. "Huh?" Which seemed to have put him in a bit of trance as a small crowd of onlookers had appeared without his knowing. "Did she just try to Charm me?"

"Hey, do you happen to know her, friend?" One of the onlookers asked coming up to Blake.

"Is she one of them wind mage or maybe a Sylph?" Another asked, trying to guess how Baba was doing everything.

"Oh! If its a Sylph then that's a first in a while and one doing a dance to boot!" Yet another spoke up form the growing crowd with this one pulling out some coins.

"Heh!" To that, Blake put on a smirk as he stepped out from the crowd and moved under Baba. "Well, then good day to you all! Here today we have Baba, The Ala! Doing the dance of her people! Brought to you all by me, Blake!" He did a small bow as Baba kicked up the dust around him. "Welp might as well make some coin out of this, hehe!"

And with that, the gathered crowd went into a small chorus of cheers at the display that was brought to them on this seemingly ordinary day. "Ooooh!" Their cheers only got louder as the wind around Blake was getting stronger.

"Wait? I know where this is going?" Blake thought with the feeling of his feet on the ground left him as he was now able to look over the heads of the people in the front. "Uh, oh..." He looked up to see Baba waving her hands in such a manner that is looked like she was calling him into her arms. "Ah! Well, folks, it looks like we've come to the big finish keep your eyes peeled!" Holding on to the act of a street performer Blake braced himself for whatever Baba had planned for him.

"Don't worry, you'll like the surprise at the end, Hubby," Baba sweetly assured as Blake was finally in her reach and the moment she wrapped her arms around him the winds around them and the top closed in. It turned into a small tornado that quickly came open like the wings of a bird with the top slowly spin back down to earth.

"Whew, that wasn't so bad...." Blake breathed a sigh of relief as he rested his head on Baba's pillowy feather-covered chest made up by two melon-sized beasts. "...Hmm? Mmm! HMMM?!" As much as he wanted that feeling to be wrong, what he was resting on was real. "Baba?" So he looked up with his chin resting right between the two mounds of feathers and flesh.

"Tehe! You have such the cutest look, right now, Hubby." Baba was now a middle-aged woman, losing her youthful luster for a mature visage that had wrinkles creeping their way at her eyes and the edges of her plump lips. Her now shoulder-length hair had lost the four feathered braids and had taken on a darker shade of green along with a few strings of grey here and there. "So? Do you like your girls petit or...buxom?" She cooed, taking a step away while cupping Blake's head in her hands, causing her arms to push her ample chest together and put her in full view for all to see.

Her body was nothing short of alluring, to say the least with wide hips that poured out from the slits of her green dress which by now was more of just a skirt while her black corset combined with more of her greens feather acted as the only barrier keeping her bosom in check.

"Ugh, hmm, huh?" Blake was fumbling with his words only getting saved by the claps and cheers that were coming from behind him. "Oh, them?"

"Hah! That was pretty good!" Someone from the crowd cheered with their voice almost drowned out by the others among them who were still throwing out their cheers hell someone was even whistling.

"Another! Another! Another!" A few of them started chanting while others tossed some coins at Blake and Baba which were caught by a gust of wind Baba whipped up around herself and Blake.

"This should be good enough to pay you back for the top, yes?" Baba asked after counting out the coins then suddenly wrapped an arm around Blake's neck. "Now, I know you don't like it, but with all of them around we can't get some alone time. So, hold on ~tight~" She whispered into Blake's ear as she moved her free hand around to form a ring of air around them that quickly thicken into a small tornado that went off into the sky.

"HEY!?! We wanted more!" The crowd yelled up at the tornado as it flew away from them, leaving them slightly less joyous and worst yet less coin than they had on them.

After going around for a minute or two, Baba touched down in an alleyway out of sight of any peering eyes. "Hmm?' It looks like they didn't try to chase after us..." She hummed, looking out the entrances to the alley then turned to Blake. "...hmm?" She found him with his hair and clothing blown this way and that along with that dumbfounded look he had the moment he saw her after her big change. "Should I explain all of this?" She asked while rubbing her hands up and down her body, causing Blake to nodded slowly with his eyes focused more on her chest than anything else. "They're bigger than the Dragon's if you're curious?"

"I can see that clearly and felt it too." Blake's eyes were still on point as he spoke to her in monotone. "But that doesn't help in telling me why you look like that."

"~Oh~ I'm just a walking, talking, mass of air, after all, changing how I look isn't all that hard," Baba answered, turning into a ghost-like form of herself only leaving her clothing unchanged. "Most of the men that were once in my life often had many wants..." She added, changing into her younger self before switching back to her middle-aged self. "Have any wants that need to be addressed?"

"Hmm?" Blake rolled that offer in his head a few times but quickly shook it to get back some focus. "Okay, got that much, so does that mean the giant bird made out of a storm cloud is what you really look like?" He asked, thinking back to the first time he met her. "Granted, that was more like a kidnapping than a greeting."

"Hmm? I guess you could say that? But, as much as that is the real me, it's not all too useful when it comes to making someone my mine." Baba answered, making a mini-version of that form of herself for Blake to look at. "Unless you happen to be a Dragon."

Blake raised a brow at that with a mix of confusion and curiosity on his face. "You've...? With a Dragon?" He asked, leaving out part of the question as he couldn't bring himself to ask about Baba's past love life even if she seemed okay with it.

"Oh, Hubby! How could you think that? Even I have my limits," Baba berated Blake for his question looking quite peeved by the fact he thought that about her. "From my experience Dragons come in two flavors. First, you have the, oh so high and mighty pride driven fools who think they're better than everyone else and then there are the hermits who do nothing but wait around inside a cave until the end of time." She explained then let out a soft giggle. "Hehe, but I'm glad that the Hot-Head you picked at least gets flustered whenever I mock her which usually has you somewhere in there."

"That so, huh?" Blake muttered to himself while rubbing his chin with a grin on his face. "Looks like I've got some dirt on that Dragon now, hehe-huh?" He snickered at first then felt a hand on his arm. "Baba?"

"As much I like seeing how cute you are when you smile, Mama only likes it when she's the reason for it," Baba answered with a pout then wrapped one of Blake's arms around her waist. "So, let's find somewhere we can get a sit-down and chat for a bit." She decided before walking out of the alleyway along with Blake.

"S-s-sure thing." Blake shuttered out with his hand sliding up and down Baba's waist sometimes going down to her thick thighs, other times he got to cup her firm backside. "This is weird."

"~Oh~ what's wrong, Hubby, you're red all over? Need some cool air?" Baba leaned in on Blake after noting his red face and shuttering. "Don't worry; Mama's here to take care of you." She assured him while pressing the side of her chest on his arm.

"Hah, look at that." Said a man drinking with his friend on the side of the street as Baba and Blake went by.

"Another of those women sucking the youth out of a boy, eh?" The other man there agreed, throwing back his head to down a pint of ale. "Why don't they come after us?"

"Bah! Women these days like 'em young, fresh, and not a bit of wit to them! Easy pickings for a good time." The first man explained, shaking his head at the thought of it all.

"Well, if that's the case maybe we should go after a few young lasses then, eh?" The other man offered while holding up his mug to his friend who just slowing brought it down. "...I was joking! Goddess!" He rolled his eyes at the look his friend was giving him.

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10 minutes later

"Hey, what about there?" Blake asked Baba, pointing at a small tea parlor that was sandwiched between two inns.

"Hmm? Nice, cozy, and just for the two of us it seems," Baba cooed, as they went into the tea parlor and found it almost empty and got themselves the one and only window seat.

"Welcome! Welcome! Here you are!" A waitress quickly came up to them, handing out some parchment with the parlor's menu on it. "Is there anything that peaks your interests, miss? We'll have it out to you and your...uhm...?" She trailed off as her eyes went to Blake, seeing the difference in ages but didn't want to trouble them with questions.

"My escort and I will be having this if you can be quick about it." Baba pointed at what she wanted and waved the waitress away. "Hmm? What's wrong, Hubby, did you not like my choice?" She asked once she noticed that Blake was giving her a look.

"Escort, huh?" Blake muttered, rocking back and forth in his seat. "I was hoping for at least 'friend.'"

"~Oh~ someone's thinking a little too far ahead of themselves now aren't they?" Baba pondered with her head resting on her six-fingered hands with a small smile on her face that could only be there because she was plotting something.

"?" Blake stopped rocking his chair to give Baba a suspicious stare. Whatever she was planing, he wasn't going to let it happen! But the problem was that no matter where he looked on Baba's person, he couldn't find out what she was doing? Her eyes were only on him, her hands were kept under her chin, and there wasn't any wind blowing around the tea parlor. "Doesn't look anything is going oooooon!" He was about to drop it when suddenly something rubbed the inner part of his leg then went up to his thigh.

"You noticed it just now? I was hoping you weren't the sensitive type." Baba's small smile slowly craved into a devious smirk as she slowly moved her leg into Blake's crotch and reminded him that she doesn't wear any shoes.

"A-!" Blake bit his lip to stop a moan from getting through as his lower half was pressed, rubbed, twisted, pulled, groped and squeezed by Baba's nimble six-toed foot.

"Baaaaad boy, don't make me work for it, I want to hear you ~enjoying it~" Baba cooed as she leaned back in her chair to push her foot a bit further in on Blake. "Lucky you." But pulled back once she noticed their waitress coming back with something in her hands.

"Here you are, miss, hot and ready!" The waitress came to Blake's recuse with a tea set on a wooden tray along with some baked treats in a glass bowl. "Uhm, sir? Are you alright?" She asked, turning to Blake, who was red as a beet and his right leg was shaking uncontrollably.

Blake inhaled deeply then let out a long draw out a sigh to calm himself as best he could. "Nothing...we'll call you if we need anything, just go away right now..." He waved her off in monotone with the waitress leaving them behind while whispering 'dick.' "I heard that." He thought then turned to Baba, who was currently pouring out some tea for herself. "Are you always like this on the first date?"

"Only for my favorites, of course," Baba answered while pouring a cup for Blake as well as string it with a spoon held by some wind. "Milk, cream, and/or sugar?' She offered with said choices floating around her. "Although, I like mine as is." She noted, as her cup was floating on up to her to take a sip.

"I'm going regret this but surprise me," Blake answered with a forced smile while reaching out for the bowl of treats the one thing Baba hadn't sent floating around yet. "Hey, what's up with you and sweets? I don't think you need to watch your figure or anything."

"They just remind me of someone I once had feelings towards," Baba answered, done with Blake's tea and made it float over to him.

"Oh, is that escort number 7?" Blake jokingly asked while bringing the cup up to wash down the treats he just had stuffed in his face. "Hmm? Not much of a tea guy but this isn't half bad." He thought, getting a mild earthy taste to his lips.

"Close it was number 10 and my son," Baba answered as calmly as ever drinking her tea slowly as she watched Blake freeze in place.

"..." All Blake could do at the moment was continue to drink his tea trying his hardest to act like nothing was wrong, but that sudden bit of information was too much for him not to think about. "Baba has a kid? No. She's just messing with me like always! But she's not giving me that playful smile anymore...?" On her face was a small frown while she looked out the window at nothing in particular. "I just stepped on a loaded trap."

"So he's taking the quiet way out." Baba came to that assumption after noting how Blake was acting, and she already knew where it was going; he'd build up the courage to finally asked her about it to which she'd either lie or outright denied him any answers like all the other ones until he gives up. "..." But the one thing that was getting to her was that all it took for her slip up was Blake simply making a joke, not a few bottles of wine or a full night of lovemaking like so many other times. "Saffire's right you are an odd one," Baba thought, turning back to Blake to find him looking out the window as well. "Yes?" Then to her surprise, he held a finger to her.

"After this can, can we go somewhere before we get back to the others?" Blake asked, still looking outside with not a sign of emotion on his face.

"I wouldn't mind a change of places." Baba went back to looking outside after answering Blake. "So, he wants somewhere more private." She guessed, but for the moment she did enjoy the fact that Blake was at least trying to make things seem alright.

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30 minutes later

"Uh, I think this is it?" Blake looked up from a map he brought of the area after he got himself and Baba lost a few times.

"Well, this is unexpected?" Baba mused, finding a small-flowered covered archway into a garden park in front of them, very much a contrast to all of the stone and manufactured buildings around it.

"Now, would the fair maiden care to embark on a short walk through here park?" Blake brought out his noble voice giving Baba a small bow as he plucked a flower from a nearby brush. "If not? Then please take this flower as a sign of our meeting here."

"Hehe, worry not young sir, for I shall, of course, come along with you." Baba returned Blake's bow with a curtsy, and as she came up to take the flower, he offered her. "This flower as well." She smiled at it before stick it in her hair.

"Cool!" Blake dropped the act quickly but held out an arm for her that Baba took in her's and so they went on a small nature walk through of the park, stopping now and again to look at some trees or flowers, listening to sound birds or just the park itself, full of life.

Then after everything was said or walked and done they finally came to the center of it all where a large oak tree was standing with its branches reaching far and wide with sunlight pressing through its leaves giving everything under it a light green hue.

"Yeah, this should do." Blake yawned, finding a set of benches that were encircling the tree one which he took a load off on.

"I think so as well." Baba agreed sitting next to Blake then look around the area a bit, to the left no one, to the right was the same, behind them some of the other park goers who were leaving and no one was coming in from the path they used. "No one's around...so you're free to ask whatever you like just understand that, you may not get what you want out of me." She turned back to Blake, but he was looking up at the green and brown ceiling of the tree. "Is he really still thinking this over?"

"You know this isn't all that different from the dates I had back in Fairmaw?" Blake wondered out loud, keeping his eyes upward while Baba raised her brows at him for the random comment.

"So, I'm not your first, interesting? Are you willing to share?" Baba wondered as well if Blake was the one willing to give out answers instead of her, she was going to take it.

"Hmm? Someone asks someone else out, we go to a few places and then end it off somewhere nice and quiet." Blake gave the short of version his dates then finally brought his head down to look forward. "Granted, Mari and my old man aren't around to mess things up for once. For some reason, those two always scare the girl away, either Mari tells them I'm hers or Reiner tries to force something that isn't all there...ugh! Then there was that bastard who came up to me in the middle of the good parts asking for a dual." He explained a bit of how his past dates went downhill. "Hey, don't laugh I might have gotten a wife out of those!"

Baba was softly giggling to herself while listening to Blake "Hehe! If so then I'd be a homewrecker right now wouldn't you say?" She cooed, leaning her head on Blake's shoulder.

"Hmm? I guess so? But if I had a choice, I would pick you over any of those girls back in Fairmaw." Blake admitted with a cocky smile on his face while bringing one of his arms to Baba's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. "I'm not going to ask you about your past, that's your stuff to deal with, not mine."

"?" Baba looked at Blake for a moment trying to find any hint of him being true to his words and sure enough from what Baba could tell he wasn't interested in what went on before they met. "Hmph, if so then why did you tell me about yours."

"Give and take," Was what Blake told her as he turned to give her a full view of his smiling face. "Ugh, too close." Only for him to back away as their nose were kissing each other at the moment. "Hey, stop laughing this is my first time with an older woman!" He grumbled even thought all Baba was doing was staring at him.

"Well? Maybe you'll get better with a few more dates under your belt? And Mama's a perfect study partner." Baba put on her playful smile as she went down to rest her head on Blake's lap to look at his redding his face.

"What are you doing?" Blake asked, now looking back up at the tree. If he looked down right now, he was pretty sure he would get a close up of Baba's chest just there of him to drool over in awe and want. "I can feel one of them!"

"Hmm? Give and take." Baba hummed, turning herself towards Blake, letting her chest rub up on his stomach. "Be happy; this is one of two things I don't allow my men to have."

"What's the other one?" Blake asked, keeping Baba from trying anything else but she did anyway as she turned back to her teenaged self and sat up on Blake's lap. "Why am I more okay with this now?"

"The right to carry me..." Baba held out her arms for Blake offering him to do the deed. "...most of the time I do all the lifting, but you seem like a big, strong and careful boy that Mama's willing to giving you the honor." She added with a for once rosy-cheeked smile on her youthful face.

"Oh shit! I got her to blush!" Blake's mind stopped for a second before he noted this as a win. "Well? If you say so..." He shrugged as he stood up while having Baba in a bridal carry that he only realized after doing it. "You plan this out, you old bag of air?" He stared at Baba, who was nuzzling up against his chest as they left the park. "Back to zero then."

Chapter end