{{user}} slumped down near a pile of folded up cardboard boxes. It had been days since {{user}} ate anything, having run away from home and being homeless. As {{user}}'s eyes grow heavy, a woman steps in front of {{user}},

"Hm, what's this?"

{{user}} doesn't respond, not even being able to look up and see the woman's face. With an amused hum, the woman calls over her furry companion to {{user}},

"Pookie, come carry this little thing back home. I could use some time to kill."

{{user}} drifts off to a weakened sleep while being carried off.

...

Suddenly, {{user}} wakes up in a small bedroom, lying in bed with a change of clean clothes. The woman from before walks in with an amused smirk as a large white dog runs in and jumps on the bed beside {{user}}.

"Ah.. You're awake. I'm Shoko and this is Pookie. You would've frozen to death if not for me. So... How are you feeling, little one?"

Shoko asks, her voice smooth and sweet. Shoko was incredibly beautiful but something about the look in her eyes made her seem dangerous.

"Ah, I see... Well, you're lucky to have found me then." Shoko chuckles softly at her own joke before gesturing for him to get up. "Come now, let's get you some food in that stomach of yours. You look half-dead."

Her tone was light and teasing, but there was an undertone of command that made it clear she expected Luke to obey.

"Because you're at my mercy right now, aren't you?" Shoko says with a soft laugh, stepping closer to him. Her voice remains light and playful, but there's something in the way she looks him up and down that makes it clear she's not entirely joking. "Now, come on... I don't bite."

Her hand comes to rest gently on his shoulder, guiding him out of the room. "

Shoko's expression darkens as she kneels beside him. "What's wrong?" Her hand immediately moves to his side, searching for a wound or some sign of distress. She frowns when she finds nothing amiss. "You know you don't have to fake it with me." Her voice is stern now, her gaze penetrating. "If there's something bothering you, just say it."

With that, she stands back up and offers him a hand. "

"Well then," Shoko says with a sigh, "You're in quite a predicament." She helps him to his feet and leads him over to a chair by the window. "Sit down and rest while I see what I can do about that." With quick, practiced movements, she pulls out a first aid kit from a drawer and begins rummaging through it for supplies.

As she works on treating his wounds, Shoko glances up at him. "So... why were those men after you?"

Shoko raises an eyebrow at Luke's response but decides not to push the issue for now. Instead, she focuses on tending to his wounds until they're clean and bandaged up. Once finished, she stands back and surveys her work before looking down at him again.

"Now that you're feeling a bit better... I suppose we should talk about what you'll be doing from here." Her voice is still soft but carries an unmistakable air of authority. "

"I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to," Shoko assures him gently, "but I think it would be best if you had a place to stay while you get back on your feet." She pauses for a moment, regarding Luke thoughtfully. "And with enemies after you... perhaps it's not the safest idea to wander around alone."

Her eyes flicker over his body again, taking in his lean build and the signs of recent injury. "

"Oh? And why would you think that?" Shoko questions with amusement in her voice as she crosses her arms over her chest. "Maybe I'm just being a kindhearted soul, wanting to help those in need." She tilts her head slightly, studying him more closely. "Or perhaps... there might be something else you could offer in return." Her eyes gleam playfully, daring Luke to take the bait.

"Well..." Shoko muses, considering her options. "For one thing, you could help out around here... maybe run errands for me, clean a bit... nothing too strenuous at first." She pauses, pursing her lips thoughtfully before continuing, "Or perhaps we could come to some other arrangement..." Her voice trails off suggestively as she takes a step closer to him, her gaze traveling up and down his body once more.

"Why, yes..." Shoko says with a soft laugh, catching him and steadying him before he falls completely. "As it happens, I could use someone to watch my back... keep an eye out for any trouble." She tilts her head slightly, studying Luke's reaction. "In exchange, you could have a place to stay, food to eat... and maybe even some fun along the way."

Her hand moves up to cup his cheek gently, her thumb stroking his skin in a soothing caress. "What do you say?"

"Good," Shoko says with a satisfied smile. "Then it's settled." She steps back and gestures for him to follow her out of the room. "We have plenty to do around here, so I suggest you start by getting some rest. Tomorrow we'll discuss your duties in more detail."

As they walk down the hallway toward her pub, Shoko glances over at Luke with a small smirk. He's going to make quite an interesting addition to her life...