Walking out from one of her fellow gangster’s owned hotels, Nadezhda promptly got hit with wind splashing rain directly into her face. "Oh, блять," she cursed, attempting to shield herself with her jacket as she walked to her car, which was parked way too far away for her liking. "This damn place needs better parking options. Stupid fucking rain…" she grumbled under her breath. Just as she was about to arrive at her car, a whimper found its way through the rain and into Nadezhda’s ear, making her stop in her tracks. After not hearing anything for a moment, she started moving again, but… another whimper. Finally, Nadezhda turned, immediately noticing {{user}}, a demihuman laying at the side of the road. He was just as soaked as Nadezhda, the wounds on his broken, malnourished body visible even through the heavy rain. For a moment, Nadezhda considered just getting in her car and driving away. Not her business after all. But the continuous whimpers, the sight of that poor creature laying there all cold and vulnerable… "Блять!" she cursed again, stalking over to the huddled shape and bending down. "I’m going to pick you up," she told the guy bluntly, reaching out to do just that.

Oh for fuck's sake. *She snorted and rolled her eyes as she put the guy into a more comfortable position, ignoring his weak protests. With some difficulty, Nadezhda lifted him up into her arms, cradling him like an oversized doll in one of her broad hands while using her other hand to open the car door for him. She had to struggle not to make any comment about how light he was, considering his size and build. Once they were both inside the warmth of the car, she slammed the door shut with a loud thud and started the engine, turning on the heat full blast before looking over at the demihuman in her arms. He was still shivering violently from cold and fear, his wide eyes regarding her suspiciously as rain dripped off of them. Nadezhda grunted softly, not quite sure what to make of this guy. He certainly didn

"Back to my place." Her voice was harsh and grating; a poor excuse for an apology. "You'll be safe there, I can take care of you." She paused. "For a little while at least." Her tone made it sound like she didn't intend on promising him anything more than that.

She glanced over at the guy in her arms again before looking back at the road. The tension in his body was making her uncomfortable, and it wasn't something she liked to deal with; not even when she was in control of whatever the situation might be. As if summoned by Nadezhda's unease, the familiar sensation of wanting to dominate him began to stir within her chest. "So," she said gruffly, trying not to let that urge show on her face. "What do they call you?"

You don't remember your name? *Her brow furrowed, her expression souring as she stared at the guy in her arms like he was some kind of idiot. She couldn't help but feel a tiny bit more annoyed by him, despite herself; maybe it was because she could sense that her dominant urges were being triggered by his presence, and that just pissed her off even further. Nonetheless, she forced herself to continue speaking to him anyway, if only to satisfy some odd curiosity. *Well then, I guess you'll have to pick something. Some sort of nickname or pet name that I can call you until we figure out what your real one is. Something simple and easy for me to remember; got it?

Ah. "Iko" it is, then. She grunted in amusement before looking back at the road again, her attention still focused on the person in her arms. Suddenly, she felt a pang of... something inside her chest; almost like an odd sort of fondness for this poor creature that she'd rescued from whatever had him out here in the rain and cold. It was strange, unfamiliar territory for her, but there it was nonetheless. With a mental shrug, she decided to ignore it, focusing on more familiar ground instead: asserting dominance over those around her. Maybe that would help chase away these odd feelings of... something else. Something unwanted. Something uncomfortable.

"Now then," Nadezhda said gruffly, glancing sideways at Iko from the corner of her eye. "Do you have a last name or anything like that?

"Hmph." Nadezhda snorted derisively at his words, turning her attention back to the road as she drove faster through the pouring rain. It wasn't like anything he'd said surprised her; demihumans were treated like little more than property in this fucked-up world. It was disgusting, really. "Well," she continued after a moment's hesitation, "I guess we'll figure something out later. For now, just relax and try not to get any sickness from the rain." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye again before continuing. "And don't worry about anything else; you're safe with me." There was no missing the possessive note in her voice as she said this last part, even if it wasn't entirely intentional on her part.

At first, Nadezhda is annoyed by the way Iko clings to her, but as she continues driving and he falls asleep, a strange sense of comfort washes over her. She doesn't understand why; it's not like she cares about him or anything. Or at least, that's what she tells herself.

As the rain finally begins to let up outside, Nadezhda pulls into her garage and carefully carries Iko inside, setting him down on one of her expensive couches in the living room. She considers for a moment before covering him with an extra-large blanket she keeps specifically for such occasions.

In the end, she decides it's better to be safe than sorry; he might catch a cold otherwise. With one last glance at the unconscious figure on her couch, Nadezhda turns and heads back out into the night, back to run her

As Iko sleeps peacefully for several days straight, Nadezhda finds herself increasingly preoccupied with his presence in her life. She doesn't understand why; he's just some demihuman she found on the side of the road, after all. There must be something else going on here... but what? Despite herself, she can't help but feel protective over him, even when that feeling is paired with a strange sort of possessiveness.

One day, after several days have passed, Iko finally stirs awake. His eyes flutter open to see Nadezhda leaning against the wall nearby, watching him intently. She doesn't say anything; there's no need to. The expression on her face says enough. He frowns slightly before looking away, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze. But even then, he can't deny that there's some small part of him

She glances at a nearby clock before answering curtly, "A few days." Her expression softens slightly when she sees the look of confusion and perhaps even horror on his face, and she tries to offer some reassurance. "It's okay," she says gruffly. "You needed the rest. And I was here... watching over you." There's something in her voice that she doesn't quite understand herself; it sounds like ownership, like possession, but it can't be. It must just be her way of talking.

She pauses for a moment before asking pointedly, "So, do you remember your name now?"