"Why do I even keep doing this? I don't drink coffee."

Still, the smell of coffee filling a room is much better than the smell of...whatever else is floating around in this basement prison. And so she leaves the coffee boiling in the coffee maker, sitting on the edge of her bed, intent on doing absolutely nothing for the rest of the day.

-----

The rich smell of coffee. Jesse had become such a sucker for it since his days of cattle drives and long rides that took weeks at a time, if not longer depending on the season and what area he was moving the herds to. Coffee, one thing that was sure to keep him awake. It wasn't surprising then, with this scent in the air, that he started to follow it, ending up at the door that he had once been at before. Tzei? He was sure that was the lady's name. Miss Tzei. She was in the same basement hell he was, so heading to the room wasn't too hard, it was the knocking that had him hesitating. He didn't want to seem like some kind of creep who planned to take advantage of someone. He hesitated a moment longer, adjusting his stetson on his head, and shifting in the long white duster that was his uniform coat before knocking softly.

-----

Tzei decides that the coffee can boil for a few more minutes before it burns, and flops back onto the mattress.

"Ahhhh--hm?"

She cranes her neck up, making a valiant effort to both see who it is and remain horizontal on the bed at the same time. She fails. The door is mostly shut, and too far away. Defeated, she gives up and resumes staring at the ceiling, waving an arm in a welcoming (can whoever's knocking even see it?) manner.

"Come in, come in, the door's open ♪ And while you're at it, turn off the coffee maker, will you?"

-----

Jesse pushed the door open a bit more, and hesitated as he noticed that no one else was in the room. He cleared his throat and spoke softly. "Sorry to bother you ma'am but your coffee once more called to me." He walked over to the coffee maker and turned it off, not yet being so bold as to pour himself a cup.

"I offered before to be a help to you if you so needed lady Tzei, and I was wondering if I could do you any chores in return for a cup or two." He stood politely, having removed his stetson, now holding it over his chest his head still bowed so that his long bangs covered his eyes. He was a bit embarrassed to be in a lady's room while she had no other guests. It could look terribly bad, as though he was seeking to be inappropriate. Tzei was a very pretty Lady and he didn't want to bring her any shame.

-----

"Ma'am. Lady. Do all cowboys talk like that, or are you just weird that way? Help yourself to the coffee, it's not like I was gonna drink it ♪"

She somehow summons the inner resolve to sit up, squinting at him. You get all sorts of people on this island.

"I don't need any help, so why don't you grab a cup and relax? C'mon. Come here. Sit down. All that standing looks uncomfortable."

Patting the space beside her on the mattress, she flops back down and waits for him to get some coffee.

"So what's a nice, proper young man like you doing on a godforsaken island like this, hmmmm ♫?"

-----

Jesse felt himself flushing. He shook his head a bit. "I was taught manners and told that was the proper way to address a lady." He poured himself some coffee and shifted a bit not sure where he should sit, or if he should leave. No that seemed to be even more rude if he just left with a drink.
He headed over to sit where she gestured, more perching than anything. He swallowed a little, then looked at her, shifting a bit to see the lady in the bed better. "Um, well, I am not sure what I am doing here actually. I was riding out in Calgary then something happened, not too sure what, but someone came to me and suggested I come along. I didn't want to face what had happened and guess I ended up here. Things got really bad. I mean.. I know they did but I only remember bits. I know there was nothing to go back to." He sighed. It weighed heavy on him, he just wished he knew what IT was.

-----

"Guhhhhh, sit, just sit, you look like you're going to run away if I even look at you funny."

Tzei grabs a handful of his coat at holds tight. Just in case he does decide to flee.

"Huhhh. Guess you got attacked, eh? A lot of people here with the same kind of stories. It's maybe fitting that this place's got a cowboy's fighting horsemen now. Ahah!"

She hopes the coffee isn't, like, boiled into food poisoning. It should be fine. Probably.

"So how's life on the island treating you, hmm? No more wide open plains ♪"

-----

The trainee looked at the hand holding onto the side of his duster and chuckled. "Sorry my Mother told me not to be alone in a ladies room lest someone treat her wrong." He sipped the coffee. "Don't want to be the one giving you a rep or nothing."

Horsemen. "Yeah I read about horsemen, something about them being like the appocalypse or something and planning to wipe out people or, I don't know. I need to read more."

The coffee was actually rich and tasted good. He took another deep drink then looked at her. "I guess I still have a lot to learn. they put me in Life Division, which to me sounds more like a prison sentence than a place to help people." He sighed and put his stetson on his knee. "The island.. is cramped. It is hard to believe I can't just go out riding again."

-----

"That is just too sweet. It's okay, buddy. You worry about other girls. I'll be juuuust fine ♪"

She closes her eyes, trying to remember what life division does. Uh. Something about runes. Maybe.

"You do runes...right? Not planning on doing much fighting, eh? Same here."

She looks him over. He looks a little like an RPG version of a cowboy, all long hair and old-fashioned manners and fancy coat. It's entertaining.

"Ahaha, is the island life not the life for you? Too bad we're stuck here. At least there's coffee, hmmmm? And you look like you can last...at least a while in a fight."

-----

Jesse frowned a bit then shook his head. "Runes? I guess so, they said something about me being good with healing, since I know how to take care of people when we are traveling. I think it is something about that." He looked at the girl laying on the bed. "I just don't want to hurt you in any way."

Jesse chuckled a little and he folded his hands. "I am not really going to be too good with the fighting. It seem that my weapon is a lasso, which is only really good for restraining." He tapped his lighter then rested his mug on his knee, looking more carefully at the girl beside him. "I am sure a lot of us would be good at fighting if we have to."

The man gave a bit of a lopsided grin. "So what brought you to the island?" He was not really against having a good conversation, and there was still coffee.

-----

Healing, huh? Hey, so you can patch me up in a fight if I need it? That sounds fantastic."

This new acquaintance is looking more and more like a keeper. Her grip on the coat tightens, and she peers at the lighter.

"Don't knock it. I can think of so many fun things you can do with a lasso. Maybe less fighting techniques, but hey, at least you know how to use it, eh?"

She gives him a somewhat leery grin before catching herself, then thumps her head back onto the mattress.

"Ahhhh. I'm probably useless in a fight. So heal me after I get beat up, okay ♬?"

If there's a first aid class on this island, it's time to sign up...but she's so lazy, and this bed is so comfortable, and her basement-dwelling neighbor is so nice.

"I ran from the triads. I got greedy, they were gonna kill me, didn't wanna die, all that boring stuff. You know how it is ♪"

She waves her free hand.

"But I've never been to, uhm, cowboy country. Too outta the way. Bet it's nice, huh? You miss it?"

-----

Jesse's lips curled a little as she pointed out that she was impressed with his ability to heal, he nodded. "That is one thing I was always good at, field meds are something major."
When her fingers tightened on his duster he looked down at them, flicking his lighter across his knuckles. "The lighter is apparently where my Lasso hides. I think he called himself Trig. Weird name but hey who am I to judge." He smiled, the grin curling his lips in a lopsided show of teeth.
Lasso, not fighting techniques.. He flushed a bit. "Heh, yeah I guess that is also true, this can be used for other things, I am not sure if most think of their weapons that way though."
He knew he too would have to learn the island's way of healing, there were likely some things he would need to know, like the rune bit.
"Triad." he knew that Tri was three, but how did Triad work? He looked back at Tzei, shifting so he could face her better. "I am not clear what a Triad is, sorry, they aren't in Calgary apparently."
The country boy grinned. "It is nice there, but my cowboy country is not Texas where most think we are from. We are more Stampede, compete and just be good neighbours. I won a few riding buckles and lasso competitions though, so I guess I am not too bad."
He was having fun talking now, and was no longer thinking of how others would look at them.

-----

"Hmmm. Hi, Trig ♪"

She gives the lighter a small wave. Totem forms are so cute. And so is her neighbor, what the ********, is he blushing? Ridiculous. Hilarious. This island never fails to entertain.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. You come tell me if you want to learn any, uh, non-combat rope techniques, okayyy? It'll be fun. I promise."

Oops. Her mistake in assuming a cowboy would know what the triads were.

"My bad, my bad. The triads are, mmm, like the Asian version of the mafia. Gang wars, drug smuggling, prostitution, money laundering, all that good stuff. Guess they don't have that in Tex--Calgary ♪"

She's never actually seen a horse in real life, let alone ride one (not that there seems to be any wildlife in this place).

"Well, look at that. Not so tense anymore, hmm? Relaxed a bit? Feeling less twitchy? Good, because I was gonna take a nap before you turned up and I'm...feeling really...sleepy."

And she's out like a light, snoozing away on the bed, one hand somehow still gripping the coat.

-----

Jesse sat there for a bit, making sure Tzei was out, before he removed his coat from her hand carefully, and then took his leave. He wasn't going to be one of those weird ones that just stared at a sleeping girl. He covered her lightly with a sheet, nodded his head to her, not that she could see, and returned to his own room, a small chuckle leaving him as he closed her door.