[Relationship] The Rosenhof Residence

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette eventually stirred and let out a contented sigh, the afternoon sunlight broken and moving by the light drapery over the window reflecting on her "skin" and making her sparkle not unlike the ocean on a pleasant seaside vacation. An arm was draped over Basil's chest, her head resting on his shoulder as she pretty much literally melted into his side. At least she was getting better at the whole "wet and slimy" part, most of the moisture on him being his own sweat. That or she was getting better at cleaning up after herself. She watched him, how his chest rose and fell and nostrils flared with every breath, her own form mimicking those actions a little better the more time she spent with him.

[Basil Benson]

"Mmmmmmmlovely." Basil murmured, appraising her from behind heavy lids as he rested under her, breathing deeply and thinking of how badly he wanted a smoke right now but not making that known.

Most lovers would probably run their fingers through their girls hair, but Colette didn't have any of that. Instead, Basil brushed his fingers lightly, back and forth over the curve from her waist to her hip. Without the weight of someone walking in on them, the anxiety he tended to experience fled as well, and Basil's earlier relaxed demeanor carried over.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Of course to Colette, Basil's touch on her hip felt as nice as it would have through her "hair". Indeed, even her usual goo-do was quite short - the girl was a bit dehydrated perhaps. Basil's relaxed state was definitely noticed, and that made Colette all the more content. They were both happy, without having to worry about it being at the other's expense. She took the compliment with a little coo, closing her eyes again.

"Do I need to say zat I love zis?"

[Basil Benson]

Basil chuckled a bit, and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"We can spend virtually the entire summer like this, if it suits."

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette stretched her legs a little bit like a sunbathing cat. "Mmm, zat would be razer nice." Of course there was still a lot of the "real world" she had yet to see or experience. But for now the thought was very, very pleasant.

[Basil Benson]

"You will of course deign to feed and water me, and perhaps allow me a nap occasionally? Otherwise I might die of exhaustion." He joked in his dark fashion.

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Well, we can expand 'like zis' to include ze entire house. Zat is easy enough."

[Basil Benson]

"Well then if you'll excuse me for a moment?" He asked, making to get up.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette feigned that she was trying to hold him back, but also feigned that she was too weak to. "Bring me some water when you return." No please this time, she was learning.

[Basil Benson]

"Yes ma'am." Basil replied, not sounding put out at all.

Unfortunately the sound of water running indicated Basil was otherwise occupied in the shower, so that water could be a minute.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette eventually let out a small groan and slipped out of the bed, padding barefoot around the upstairs in casual exploration. She could have put on a robe, but she was free to do as she willed - they have privacy, security, comfort. And she was very content. She knew fully well that Basil would eventually return with her request, but she didn't have to remain in bed the entire time. She leaned against the doorframe and looked into the guest bedroom. Perhaps her parents could come a pay them a visit sometime? Oh, what would they think of this arrangement?

She turned around, light glinting off of the purple glass of the doorknob to the locked room. How strange, of all of the rooms in the house, this was first she'd come across that had the door securely closed, most had been partially ajar. She approached it and tried the knob, now more confused to find it locked.

[Basil Benson]

The shower turned off during Colette's investigation of the remaining two rooms and while she stood to try the door with the purple knob and found it locked, Basil stood in the hallway with a towel wrapped around his waist, silently watching her.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette turned around, a little surprised to see Basil standing there silently.

"Ze linen closet appears to be locked."

[Basil Benson]

Basil shook his head and smirked as he looked down on Colette. He was usually taller than her, but due to withering he now towered over the young lady.

"Storage is in the guest room love. This one's locked with a reason."

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette furrowed her brow in confusion.

"To keep somezing out, or to keep somezing in?"

[Basil Benson]

"Out Madame. What kind of a freak do you take me for?" He joked, nuzzling his face into hers resting his forehead lightly against her own.

"There are doors, Madame, that you have yet to open. That you may not even want to.

Until you decide you're truly comfortable with what's inside, this one remains locked along with the rest of them.

Do you understand?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

"I... maybe?" Colette didn't sound too sure of herself. "How can I know zat I will be comfortable wiz what is inside... if I do not know what is inside? Ozer zan... well, my trust in you." Well she just answered her own question, didn't she?

[Basil Benson]

Basil tilted his head and began to walk off.

"The key to the door is in your possession, not mine. You can open it up any time you like, as long as I don't see you, how am I to know?" He started down the stairs, and paused to look at her.

"It's in the top left drawer of your dresser. I'm going to make some tea and get you that water. I'll be back."

The comment was rather leading, as if to allude she had more than enough time before he returned.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette thought that Basil was being a bit mysterious and vague, but then again she enjoyed his sense of theatrics. Indeed, she felt like she was about to step into one of Lewis Carroll's short stories.She waited for Basil's fluffy head to disappear below the stair before she turned and walked back into the bedroom, her feet making those little plap noises on the hardwood floors. She initially went toward the dressed and then hesitated, turning instead to take the time to put something on; a pajama shirt that on Basil would have fit rather nicely but on her was more like a sleepshirt, reaching her thighs.

Now properly dressed, she returned to the dresser, pausing for a moment before she reached out and pulled open the drawer, looking inside.

[Basil Benson]

True to his word, there was indeed a modern style key that seemed to somewhat contradict the fanciness of the door handle... But one supposes if one goes through the trouble of locking such a room, one would probably put a lock on it that couldn't be jimmied by a coat hanger. It was attached to a key ring with a decorative stone heart. If Colette bothered to know her semi-precious stones, she'd know it to be purple agate.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette reached into the drawer and carefully removed the keyring. Glancing back at the stairway she strode toward the locked door, quite determined. It wasn't until she had the key inserted in the lock that she had second thoughts. What could Basil possibly have to hide from her in the first place? But if it was something bad, he wouldn't give her the key to it. It wasn't about him trusting her to not look, but trust her to be understanding of what she saw. With her nerves steadied she turned the key until she heard a click, and tried the knob.

[Basil Benson]

The key fit, and the door swung open to reveal... nothing.

Well okay, not literally nothing. The interior of the room had been wallpapered in a black and purple damask pattern, and there were two pieces of furniture in the room: A refurbished black armoire, and a matching semainier.

But both of them were bare and awaiting use for the storage of... something.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette opened the doors and drawers curiously and, finding them empty, was left confused once more.

[Basil Benson]

Unfortunately, no answers were going to be found in here it seemed.

As she contemplated what a locked, empty room was supposed to mean, she heard the kettle go off in the kitchen downstairs.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette placed the key down atop the chest of drawers, and left the door to the room open as she padded down the stairs in search of her boyfriend. And that glass of water.

[Basil Benson]

She'd find her glass of water on the counter, awaiting her boyfriend to quit mucking about with his cup of tea.

He finished with the kettle, and noticed her coming towards him.

"My apologies Madame, did I take too long? I'll get my drink later, next time."

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette took the glass of water from the counter and began drinking it, holding the glass with both hands as she swallowed it's contents. She didn't answer Basil until she was finished and had set the glass down on the counter.

"No, you did not. I just... do not understand. Ze significance of ze furniture."

[Basil Benson]

"A stately looking cabinet in a locked room is a great deal better than an ottoman in the living room, I think.

Do you not agree Madame?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette tilted her head, clearly not getting it. "It... is?"

[Basil Benson]

Basil paused, she was clearly confused.

"For hiding certain activities and items? "

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette appeared confused for a moment before yer eyes cleared. And then widened. And then widened a little more.

"Oh... oh! Oh I see! Yes, I suppose zat zis should do nicely."

[Basil Benson]

Basil added a little too much honey into his Lady Grey as he stared as his girlfriend.

"Well now that I know you've ruined the surprise... What did you think you were going to find in there luv?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

"I ruined...? But you... you said... you could have said it was a surprise for later!" Colette 's expression was confused again. And she avoided answering the question.

[Basil Benson]

"I also said if I wasn't present there was no way for me to know whether or not you went into the room. I suppose I was mistaken in leaving it up to being implied." He replied, leaning into the counter and smirking. He held out the honey container in a fashion that suggested it maybe might have been being offered to her so she could snack right from the squeezy container, but also, in a fashion where she couldn't actually reach it yet unless she did some cheating and contorted in the way only she could to get at it, as it was above her head.

"Are you going to answer my question?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

"If I did not ask, I would not have understood ze significance of ze contents. I would have zought zat you wanted to place black furniture in ze bedroom but was worried zat I would find it ugly."

Colette fidgeted a bit, approaching the counter and setting her empty glass on it. She'd need a lot more water and such to regain her spent mass. "I do not know... my mind went everywhere. It could have been a twin brozer, or some sort of extravagant gift, or a puppy, or like zat scene from zat movie about ze bad Twilight fanfiction."

[Basil Benson]

Basil took the glass and turned away to fill it again with room temperature tap water. Turning back towards Colette, he used the spoon he'd used to stir his tea to stir honey into the glass. As he stared at the amber coloured swirls, he had that wistful smile on his face he often did when he was thinking of how to reply to something.

He slid the glass across the counter to her again without looking up, and finally replied -

"He tricks her, in a fashion. He doesn't set up a safe word and proceeds to strike her, an inexperienced vanilla who he himself brought into blossom, far too many times for someone who has never experienced such a thing to be expected to bear. Because of that, he hurts her. Not just in the physical sense, but in the psychological sense as well.

I would never attempt to trick you. And while I may not be as experienced as he supposedly was, I know enough to know how to avoid putting you into situations that could hurt you. Experience I will use, because I never want to hurt you.

And I look horrid in red." He added, trying to place some levity into the statement.

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Well, zat is a lie." Colette said, taking the glass in both hands and taking a sip. "Zere is not a colour zat you do not look dashing in.

"But to be serious... zank you. For trusting in me, and for being patient, and careful. I have experienced zings I would never have ozerwise, and discovered zings I never imagined zat I would enjoy."

[Basil Benson]

"Oh? Such as? I'll need specifics." He asked, smirking over his mug before taking a sip like the smug prick that he became now and again.

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Have I not already demonstrated zem?" She asked, hiding her lips behind her glass.

[Basil Benson]

"Mmmm, you do seem to enjoy yourself." He remarked casually, taking a long gulp out of his mug.

"You always seem to be enjoying yourself. It's enough to give a man an inflated ego."