𝚒‎ ‎ ‎ 𝚊𝚖 ‎ ‎ ‎‎ 𝚖𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎

𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎‎ ‎ 𝚊𝚗𝚍‎ ‎ 𝚠𝚊𝚛

The three rode in silence as Roman drove through the low-density outskirts of the city. Roman kept his gaze forward on the road ahead of him, keeping his eyes peeled for any kind of motel to stay the night in. Axis kept his gaze out of the window, practically feeling the heat that radiated from Roman due to his agitated state. He understood that he and Ariel had basically left him in the dark regarding their plan and threw him for a loop. But he had calculated that he could convince Roman and persuade him into being comfortable with letting Ariel be with them in their travels. Ariel simply gazed out of the window of the passenger backseat, observing all the roadside supermarkets and fast-food plazas that fronted miles of residential land of the city outskirts.

Eventually, Roman then slows down just as he spots a hotel on the side of the road with a "Vacancy" and "Free Streaming" lights activated on its sign. He turns into the parking lot of the plaza and parks the car in a space just outside the building before unbuckling his seatbelt and reaches into the backseat to grab the case of money that sat beside Ariel. The two watch Roman as he silently sat back down in his seat and popped open the case, taking out a stack of bills from inside and stuffs it into his trench coat pocket before slamming the case shut.

"Out." Roman sternly said and hastily begins to exit out of the car with the case of money in hand and slams his door shut.

Axis and Ariel do as Roman instruct and watch as he briskly walked onto the pavement of the sidewalk outside the motel building and towards the front entrance. Ariel approaches Axis' side as they step onto the sidewalk as well.

"He's not very happy with us..." Ariel said quietly as she looked up to Axis.

"Do not worry." Axis said, glancing down to Ariel. "He just does not understand your side of things like I do. I will talk to him once he has had time to cool off." He then said, looking to Roman.

"Okay..." Ariel then said, reaching for Axis' hand and gently grips it.

Axis turned his attention down to Ariels' hand before glancing down to her, seeing the anthro smile warmly to him. Although Axis did not have the facial muscles required to smile, he did his best to reciprocate the smile by softly tightening his hand around hers.

"Let us catch up to Roman." Axis then says.

Ariel nods before walking with Axis after Roman. The two stroll towards the front entrance of the motel; Axis reaching for the handle of the glass double doors of the building. Upon entering, the sound of gentle classical music filled the silence of the lobby as they ventured in, seeing Roman standing at the receptionist desk.

"Look, I just need two bedrooms for one night." Roman said to the receptionist of the lobby. "Is that so much to ask?"

"I'm sorry, sir." The male receptionist of the motel said, clacking away on the touchscreen of his computer. "But we only have a few bedrooms available, one room being a single and the other being a twin." The receptionist says, glaring over to Roman.

Roman lets out a soft groan and places his head upon the desk. "How much for the twin?" He asked before raising his head back up.

"It's two hundred dollars a night, sir." The receptionist answered, glaring back down to his computer.

"Two hundred?!" Roman groaned out, planting both of his hands on the counter. "Talk about highway robbery..."

"I don't make the prices, sir." The receptionist said, glaring over to Roman.

"Ugh... fine." Roman grumbled as he reached into his trench coat pocket and removes two-hundred-dollar bills from the stack and places them on the desk.

"Very good, sir." The receptionist then said, reaching to the bills and slides them to his side of the desk, pressing a series of buttons on his computer. Suddenly, the register underneath the computer pops open and the receptionist places the bills inside, shutting the register before reaching around to a wall of keys behind the desk.