Mathew Carpenter was eighteen and it showed, his face looked more like a boy's than a man's and his dark blonde beard was about as thin as a layer of polish on a beggar's shoe. His eyes though, shone like two blue diamonds and he had a way about him that spoke of age and experience in a way that made him seem far older and more worldly than many men twice his age. His reputation in the island city of Altanos was that of a fighter, a gambler and perhaps most important of all, a seducer. Mathew Carpenter saw most women and certain men as sexual conquests and was known for his lecherous ways amongst the women of Altanos. He knew he had an edge on most men who sought the attention of the fairer sex and that it wasn't just his boyish good looks but his reputation as well, the women he seduced seemed even more drawn to him when they heard of his scoundrel's ways. The ones he didn't seduce, well, they didn't matter so much anyway.
Mathew was walking down Illmaster Street as a light rain fell, headed to a late night gambling den to spend some of the hard earned money he'd made from a daredevil's heist last night with a friend named Eric DeVreer. It was then that he saw one of his old playmates walking down the street towards him.
"Caroline," he called out to her as she walked towards him, arm and arm with a friend of hers. In truth, Caroline Tarsier was more than just a playmate; she had fallen hopelessly in love with him after he had professed his love for her on a moonlit jounrey down The Lover's Canal and Caroline had been pining for him ever since. Unfortunately for Caroline, Mathew had been distracted, mostly with work and sometimes with other women but he was a man who could not bear to be held down and he had told her so.
It appeared that she had gotten over the decline of their dalliance and was enjoying her night out with a friend; so Mathew decided that now would be a good a time as any to try to seduce her once more and get her back into his bed.
"Mathew Carpenter, you honorless scoundrel," she shouted to him as he walked towards her.
"Honorless scoundrel," Mathew asked in shock, "why Caroline I don't think that's warranted, we were hardly lovers engaged to marry and I've wanted to see you these past few weeks but I've simply been too busy with my work to be visiting lovers and spending time with love-struck women.
"Too busy, it's been far more than a few weeks and you're nothing more than a common thief. How dare you disgrace my sister with these spurious excuses of being too busy," she said to him.
"Excuses? Sister?" Mathew said before being cut off once again by his unexpectedly vociferous conversation partner.
"Yes, Mathew," she said as she walked towards him, unhooking her arm from her friend who was now giving Mathew a disapproving glance.
It was then that Mathew realized he was not speaking to Caroline at all but her younger siste. Kira Tarsier had recently turned eighteen and was equally as beautiful as Caroline but had a far more fiery way to her by the looks of things. She was a good six inches shorter than Mathew and short for a woman but her dark skin and fine features drew him to her, to say nothing of her large breasts and full figure. Like most natives to Altanos, she had dark hair and brown eyes but Kira stood out thanks to a sensual beauty that was enough to make any man grow hard. Mathew approached her with hands out preparing to say something charming when the woman stepped forward and slapped him across the face.
"Gods Kira, I don't think that was necessary," he said.
"Not necessary," she shouted, "you broke my sisters heart and now you complain about a slap on the face, you have no right calling yourself a gentleman."
"I never did," said Mathew in exasperation.
"You there," shouted a male voice not far off. Mathew turned to his left to see a night guardsman standing under the eve of a merchant's house. "Get yer shoutin match off the streets, can't ye tell that people be sleepin 'round here. It be no place for a lover's quarrel anyway," the guardsman said.
"We're not lovers," Kira shouted at the man.
"Well get yerselves home anyway, this ain't the time for proper ladies to be out an about, walkin the streets with random men so why don't ye get home an leave me in bloody peace," the guardsman told her.
"What a lout," Kira said under her breath.
"Kira my dear, allow me a moment to explain," Mathew told her while she swore under her breath.
"No, you don't get a moment to explain, you broke my sister's heart," she retorted.
"It's not like that, why don't we go over to your place right now, I'll show her how much I love her, I've just been busy with work. I was out of Altanos," Mathew said, struggling to make up something convincing. "Aboard a ship, pursuing a spice trader who conned my friend and I out of our pay. We had to chase him and it took weeks," Mathew exclaimed.
"A likely story," Kira retorted.
"No!" Mathew told her, "Now listen Kira, if you don't give me a chance then I won't go to sleep feeling guilty tonight but if you do then you'll have done your sister a good deed. Let's go to your apartment, I'll escort you and she'll be thanking you in the morning."
"You just want to get into her knickers," Kira replied.
Mathew could see the ghost of a smile forming on her lips and he knew that with a little more work he'd have her. "Kira, I can't very well get into her knickers if I don't earn her forgiveness, now can I," he said.
"Oh all right, let's go then," she replied.
"Kira, are you just going to take this man back to your home," her friend asked.
"It's fine Jeanette, I can take care of myself. Besides, Mathew isn't that tough," Kira told her.
"Alright," Jeanette said with stiff reluctance, "but you had better behave," she warned, gesturing towards Mathew.
"Madam, I shall be at my finest behavior," Mathew replied.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Jeanette mumbled as she turned and began walking the way the two women had headed earlier. "Fine evening, Kira."
"You too Jeanette," Kira replied before looking to Mathew.
"Now, shall we my lady Kira," Mathew asked, holding out his hand to her.
Kira giggled at the mock formality and took Mathew's hand and began leading him down the street towards the house Kira and her sister shared. "Don't get any ideas with me, Lord Mathew," she said humorlessly as they walked, "I'm not as easy as my sister."
"Oh, I wouldn't imagine you are, which is not to say that your sister was easy Kira, just adventurous," Mathew said with a mischievous wink.
"Oh Gods, what have I gotten myself into now," Kira asked herself as they walked.
Nothing that a good fucking won't get you out of my dear, Mathew thought as he followed her lead, planning all the way how to get her into her bed and have his way with her.