Graced by Contempt

Roy gave a slight yawn as he pulled the car into the driveway, the tires giving a slight screech jolting the older neko awake. He hit the a switch and the head lights quickly flickered out leaving an unnerving darkness covering everything. Roy looked into the back seat at the two nekos. "We're home." he said in a tired voice.

Krystal just sat still, her arms crossed, she looked over to Ari who was snuggling under the warmth of the coat breathing quietly. The door cracked open and slammed shut as the tall man got out. She watched as he quickly ran his fingers through his hair and stretched a bit before turning back to the car and opening her own door. "I can do it myself." she grumbled jumping out of the car determined to hate whatever were to happen next.

"Time to wake up little one." the man said leaning into the car looking at the lump under the coat.

Ari opened one sleepy eye than another and peered around anxiously for Krystal. Not seeing her she eked and sped under the seat so fast the coat that was on her didn't move from where it was.

Roy blinked a few times, under the seat he could barely make out her form in the shadows. But two big eyes looked out and a tail stuck out as well twitching a bit. Roy began laughing at the sight and chuckled, "Its alright, your friends right over there." he said pointing to

Krystal who was now leaning to the side trying to see what was so funny and if Ari was ok. Ari however was quite set on not moving. Roy shook his head and reached under to grab her and pick her up again.

Ari saw the hand come at her and instinctively bit it. It was quickly pulled back and she pushed past him on all fours till she was behind Krystal nearly pulling her over as she stood up and grabbed the back of her sweater. Only two little ears could be seen poking up from behind Krystal's shoulders. Krystal shook her head and mumbled.

Roy tugged off his glove inspecting the bite mark on his index finger, luckily no blood was drawn. He then tugged off the other and put them in his pocket. Looking over at the two he tried to stay calm, "How about something to eat for you two." he said pleasantly. The set of ears that were poking up from behind the black haired neko suddenly stopped shaking and two eyes peered out from around her.

Krystal just stood there with her arms crossed, "Im not hungry, neither is she" she said annoyed by the mans fake kindness. The man shrugged and walked up to the door of an enormous house. Krystal stared up at it slack jawed thinking, "How the hell we gonna clean this "

Roy groped around in his pocket for his keys, finding them he hurriedly shoved them in the lock and threw open the door. He then put his arm out presenting the house, "Welcome home." he said sleepily.

Krystal quickly regained her composure and started taking short steps toward the house gazing about suspiciously. Ari who was still looking at the house tuned her attention to Krystal and hurried after her.

Roy watched as they entered the home looking all over. He couldn't help but smile, he had always enjoyed how jealous or amazed people were by his home. Shutting the door behind him he tossed the keys on a small table to his left by the door and walked over to the livingroom then plopped down on the soft couch sighing and leaning back.

Ari looked around, "Its so big." she whispered to Krystal,

"My god what does this guy do for a living." Krystal whispered back as they both looked around. The whole room was open meaning the livingroom and diningroom were both connected. The ceiling was almost as high as a flag poll and the walls were painted a cream color decorated with various paintings and pictures. The large tan plush couch seemed to be the only thing that separated the diningroom form the livingroom. It faced a small marble fireplace and a big glass coffee table that looked very expensive. Two small recliners were angled toward the fireplace as well with a small oak table beside one only big enough to hold a phone and a stack of papers. Various shelves lined the walls adorned with metals, nic-nacks, picture frames, china and vases. Ari scrunched her toes around the soft white carpet. The diningroom only consisted of a large oak table with four chairs and a big cabinet filled with dishes. A small swinging door would be the only guess as to where the kitchen was. The lighting in the home seemed to be a soft color, not the bright white lights like at the Slave Market. They gave off a warm glow that made you feel like you were really at home.

"So you like it?" Roy said tilting his head back to get a better look at them from his position on the couch. Ari only nodded while still looking around and Krystal shrugged, not wanting to admit that the place looked like the mansion of her dreams. Roy gave a small smile, "Good im glad. Hmm we better get you two changed, those cloths are pretty dirty." he said pulling himself back up. "What a pervert! " Krystal thought wondering what he was trying to pull. She watched as he walked up the stairs and out of view. As soon as he disappeared Krystal turned to Ari, "We gotta get out of here." Ari looked up to her,

"Bu-but we'll get in trouble and we just got here." she protested.

"No we wont, hmm we just gotta knock em out and run like hell " she stated. "C'mon follow me." Krystal quickly grabbed Ari's arm and hid under an oak coffee table at the bottom of the stairs. She then reached a hand up on the table and grabbed a big heavy dictionary. "But

Kry.." Ari started but was quickly cut off by Krystal,

"Shhh He's coming."

Roy slowly marched down the stairs. The only thing he had were his work shirts and his white button up tops. Not much but it'll work till I get them some cloths, he thought. Reaching the bottom he closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair, "Alright girls I have your..." Wham Roy felt something large and heavy hit him in the head. He staggered backward tripping over the bottom step.

"I think he's dead." came a voice as Roy opened his eyes a bit feeling someone poke him in the cheek,

"D..dead, Krystal " came another voice that only seemed to be a blur broke into tears.

"Speak a the devil." came the voice from the older girl. Roy quickly sat up rubbing his head, "wha..what the hell happened " he yelled, but felt bad after the smallergirl began to cry harder her hands covering her face as she scooted back a tad. The two girls were sitting on the steps next to him one obviously upset, and the other just aggravated looking. Roy sighed, "Im sorry I didn't mean to yell." The girl in black just rolled her eyes,

"Whatever." and the other slowly calmed down sniffling.

"So what happened?" Roy stated rubbing his head.

"Well," started the older one,

"We knocked ya out so we could escape. To bad your heads thicker than the book." she scoffed, "You were only out for ten minuets or so. When we went for the door you had it locked, windows too. You got this place locked down tighter than fort nocks " she growled. Roy grumbled,

"That's because I have a lot of expensive things. Now why would you want escape? I haven't done anything mean to you."

"Yet." she added sarcastically. Roy turned his attention to the other neko, the less hostile one, "Its alright, why don't you wipe those tears away and I'll get you two cleaned up hmm?"

Ari pouted and used her fist to wipe away the wet tear trails and nodded a little. Roy gave a warm smile and tilted his head toward the stairs, "The bathrooms are right up there." he said standing up slowly. The two nekos followed suite and the three of them trudged up the stairs to a long hall. Roy simply ignored the pain in his head, a few aspirins and he'd be fine, he thought. The floors were wooden with a red hall carpet running to the end. Its wasn't a fancy hall, not that a hall could be fancy, but it was nice.

The man then opened a door that lead to a huge master bath. The tub was as big as a hippo. The floors were white tile and the sink was marble with a towel rack next to it. He closed the door behind him and the two stood in the middle of the colossal bathroom. Roy then opened another door that was right by the tub that lead to another bathroom almost identical to the one they were in. "I'll start you two both baths and get some work done while you get cleaned up." he then pointed to the hamper in each bathroom, "Just put your cloths in there, I'll go get the clean cloths off the stairs where I left them." He then quickly turned the water on in both rooms and threw in some bubble bath. After The tubs had filled he told the girls that they each had a separate bathroom. "Ill be right back, let me get the change of cloths before you two get in the tubs." The older neko rolled her eyes and the younger one just stood fiddling with the charm on her collar.

The door closed and they were alone for the moment. "Krystal."

"Yah?"

"Your not really going to escape again ..are you?"

Krystal smirked, "Yah, why?"

The door flew open again and Ari jumped. "Alright here you are." he said placing the cloths on the counter. Just come get me when your all done and dressed, ill be right down the stairs. He then walked out leaving the door open just a crack so that he could hear them, just in case.

Ari stood in front of the tub and stared at the water. "K..Krystal." Krystal who had been walking into her bathroom turned to look at Ari,

"Yah?" she said duly.

"I don't like water." Ari said poking a bubble and watching it pop.

"Come to think of it I don't either." Krystal said, "Well I feel like a grease ball, I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a bath every now and then." she shrugged.

Ari nodded, "Okay, ill try." she said as Krystal closed the door to her bathroom and undressed before climbing carefully into the tub.

Ari slipped the white button up shirt on over her head that the man had given them. It smelled of cologne despite that fact that it had been freshly cleaned, the smell worn into the fabric. Ari knocked on Krystal's bathroom door, "All done?"

"Yah hold on." Krystal answered and a few moments later the door opened. They both looked at each other and began laughing hysterically.

"We, haha we look like marshmallows " Krystal laughed, "Yah we do." Ari giggled back. Krystal took a deep breath, "Wheph, that was funny. C'mon Ari lets go tell poodle man we don't fit in theses." Ari nodded and they both waddled down stairs sleeves dragging behind them. Deciding to race the both bolted off wet hair dripping behind them, first one to the bottom won. And so they were off.

Roy pulled his reading glasses off hearing loud giggling, "Hmm." he slowly set the pile of papers he had in his lap down on the coffee table and pulled himself from the couch, walking to the stairs with a quick pace. God only knows what they could be up to.

Ari stuck her tongue out as she passed Krystal down the steps. She had a huge smile plastered on her face, she almost never won anything. Tuning back to see where she was going she suddenly collided with something. Ari slowly looked up pale faced as Krystal stomped down the last few steps, then stopped. Ari found herself staring right at the tall man. She whimpered and went to turn tail and run when hands grabbed her waist and she was lifted into the air.

"I think that's enough running for tonight." Roy said lightly as he lifted her up holding her like a baby. She hurriedly covered her face only peeking out once to see if he was mad. He smiled to her to reassure he wasn't and placed her back down on her feet next to the other neko. "Now lets find you two rooms for the night shall we? C'mon." he said waving his hand forward for them to go ahead. The oldest gladly went ahead,

"Yah whatever." she said the excitement from the race faded from her expression.

The youngest on the other hand was a bit more timid about walking ahead and walked almost on tip toe never going further than three inches from her friends side. The livingroom had three doors. All guest rooms.

"Well, go ahead look inside." Roy encouraged. Ari just followed behind Krystal as she tuned one of the silver knobs. The room inside was decorated in the same style as the livingroom, and Krystal didn't look twice at it,

"To primp." she said opening up the next door. This room was all white lace and pink plaid. The two both looked at each other and shook there heads at the same time. Ari, feeling a bit left out opened the third door. The room was black on one side and a deep blue on the other. There were two canopy beads piled high with fluffy pillows. Krystal looked to the man and pointed a thumb toward the room,

"This ones good." she said flatly and walked in. Ari nodded and followed.

"Are you sure this is the one you want?" he said walking in. His voice echoed around the room because it was fairly empty.

"No." Krystal said, "I said I wanted this one but really I want the pink room." she said sarcastically.

"Right then." Said Roy, and to his surprise the little neko spoke, by this time he was beginning to doubt she could.

"Um, t..thank you sir." she said timidly shrinking back behind the other neko.

"No problem, and you can call me Roy. May I ask what your names are?" Krystal was the first to answer with a lowly mumbled,

"No" just to be smart then said her real name, "My names Krystal, not Kris, and sure as hell not Krissy. Just Krystal and that's all." Ari the peeked out from behind Krystal,

"And I..I'm Arianna, but everybody calls me A...Ari for short." Roy nodded and smiled again,

"Well then Krystal, Ari its nice no meet you two." Krystal just shrugged,

"Whatever." and Ari spoke,

"L..likewise." Then clung to Krystal's arm again.

"Alright then, time for bed." he said and watched as Krystal climbed the high bead and plopped on top. Then looked to Ari who was struggling to get up with the baggy cloths on. She finally stood there and put her arms out and looked at the sleeves that dragged to the ground. Roy chuckled, "Here let me help." he said beginning to roll up the sleeves for her, but she only ducked away her fists brought up to her face covering her mouth like she were scared. Hurriedly she managed to pull herself up and hide under the covers. Roy chucked and walked to the door, "Alright good night you two." he said flicking off the light and closing the door behind him.

"Yo Ari. You still awake?" Krystal whispered.

"Huuuuuuh?" came the sleepy drawn out voice of Ari. She pulled her head out from under the covers but the blanket went over half her face. Krystal crawled to the end of her own bed and lay down on her stomach holding her head up with her hands, her elbows on the bed, "So what you think a this guy?" she said pointing to the door.

"Duuunoo,yaaaawn, he's okaaay, really big house, he tall." She said rubbing her eyes.

"Hey R."

"Yaaaah."

"I cant sleep."

"That's nice." Ari said still half asleep herself.

"I want some milk."

"That's nice."

"Can you get me some?"

"Uh huh." Ari said lazily getting out of bed and stumbling out the door. After about fifteen minutes Krystal assumed that she wasn't coming back.

Ari walked until her feet hit a couch and she fell over onto it. It was soft and comfortable, and so she simply fell asleep again.