Rei Hargrave couldn't believe the audacity of what was done on his 'behalf,' on what was done behind his back. He was a sorcerer, for goodness sake! His magical prowess was incredible! Far more potent than his elder sister Coraline, the self-proclaimed 'mercenary soldier' who preferred the blade and the fist over her pitiful magical affinities. He outclassed her as a sorcerer by leagues! It was his sole consolation, as she was also the heir to their family's estate and fortune...


What WASN'T consoling him, however, was that they had hired a wizard from the Caravan 'to temper and control Rei's undisciplined power'! Boy, could he hear the DRIPPING sarcasm in their voices that, if they hadn't been genuine, would've rubbed the young man off the wrong way, even more so than ever! A WIZARD, of all things! They weren't naturals; they needed tools, wands, implements, and tomes to utilize magic! How ridiculous!


But then he realized WHO they had hired to tutor him in magic: a kobold who, despite her place, origins, and demeanor, was PERFECT with the mental arts. They might not have known completely who they had contracted, but Rei had heard tales of this infamous kobold: 


His upper-class society and kinsmen only knew her as an oddity, not as well-spoken or respectable as other 'little races' or 'non-humanoids,' but was an entertaining sight to behold. It was CUTE, they mused, thinking that she could walk among ordinary people, speaking as if she wielded any authority in her field.


What HE had read from pamphlets and papers more readily available in the bustling cities, however, was that this little melon-pink kobold woman--who he found out was named 'Tik Tik'--was not only a wizard but also a researcher and scholar in fields most enticing and scandalous: of carnality and pleasure, of implements and tools, and, above all, of sex...! Sex, unfettered, unbiased, unrestrained...!!


He had recomposed himself after the correlation was made; to potentially have someone like her as a guide and tutor, to give him something he could only indulge in behind closed doors in his wing of the palatial manor... And if she wasn't interested, Rei could just console himself by becoming a patron and learning of her world in this manner.

He couldn't wait to meet this diminutive scholar in person!

==

Tik Tik arrived at the opulent manor with the punctuality that a wizard of her power affords her. With the ostentatious display of the bright light filling the nearby horizon, she emerged from her famous teleporter, stepping out to the paved road in wrapped, clicky claws.

She wore a hood over her eyes, carefully protecting herself from the bright midday sun, and underneath, her green tunic shimmered with the trimming of golden accents, befitting a master magician with a lucrative business.


Her first order of business was, of course, to approach the gates and its guards and introduce herself. Though it was no complicated matter to introduce herself. She was expected, after all, and soon, she was led by the staff to the point where she would meet her pupil, though, for someone who was here to teach, she brought little in the means of supplies.

She was led from the foyer to the palatial gardens, where an ostentatious display of flowers, greenery, and a cooling fountain awaited the little woman. From there, she would see the manor's main occupants: a lord and lady of silvering blond hair. A dapper grey suit, black bowler hat, thick shoes, and a sturdy pine cane for the gentleman; a billowing silver gown with puffed sleeves with a peek of a clingy pair of boots for the madam. Their dull yet inquisitive hazel eyes studied the little kobold who was led their way, seemingly interrupting their quiet tea time in this lovely early afternoon.

“So you are the illustrious tutor we’ve been promised.” Lord Hargrave had spoken first in the language of dragons, eyes already assessing the diminutive wizard.

Tik Tik stands tall, her head high as she addresses the lord. Her voice responds in the draconic tongue in the most formal and dignified of manners. However, even to humans versed in the words, the kobold accent comes off as cute barking yaps and yips. “Indeed, I am your Lordship, and I am the finest tutor you could have for magical matters.”

“Hmm, and you speak so well.” The Lady noted dryly but kept herself courteous, a fan in her hand. “A pleasure, I’m sure.”

“Now, enough with the formalities,” the Lord spoke over his wife, “we have heard that, amongst your contemporaries, you are quite a well-versed spellcaster, yes?”

Tik Tik smirks at that, flashing her cloak aside, the magical energy glowing around her hands as the mana coalesces around her, making her cloak billow. “Indeed, your lordship. My feats are hardly exaggerated, as many rue that I have the skill that I have. They might even wish to underplay it. I assure you, my knowledge shall be well worth your investment!”

“This is my tutor? Well, I’m certainly intrigued now…!” A youthful voice called out from behind the couple.

From the western wing of the estate, a more youthful human than the Lord and Lady presiding approached them. A young man of a lithe frame, slender and effeminate, who was dressed in a sleek robe of ocean blue gilded with filigree markings, and a slit cut on the sides from the waist down that exposed legs in over-the-knee leather boots and black sheer tights. His face was smooth, with sun-blond hair, touched with accentuated make-up that made his cobalt eyes shimmer and possibly made anyone want to kiss those soft pink lips.

“Ah, there you are, Rei.” The Lady Hargrave spoke with disinterest, eyes looking away from her son and back to the kobold. “This is the instructor who–”

“I’ll be learning from?” He interrupted her before stepping closer, smiling down at Tik Tik and extending a hand to her. “You must be the illustrious Tik Tik. It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Tik.”