He'd been lounging all day, the lazy cat. It was already past noon and he was still just sitting around, guarding his home here among the dense jungle, as if anyone would ever want to take it from him.
The big, spotted cat yawned, finally climbed down from his earlier perch and got his lazy butt to "work," patrolling the area.
Even Julian didn't know why he did this. There was just no point, ever, that could encourage the behavior, but he did it anyhow. Hardly anything or anyone ventured this far out and when they did he hardly encountered them as he was sleeping so much, but even so he patrolled his territory for trespassers. He was determined to protect, even though all he had was extra supplies and plenty of perfect little hiding spots to nap in. Continuously.
He fancied himself at least respectably intimidating. He could roar with the best of them. He'd scared more than a few small creatures literally to death, but he still felt the need to be protective of what he felt was his rightfully.
The jungle, such a lush and dangerous place. There were fierce creatures as well as exotic ones in this kind of place. Traveling through it took determination and preparation. Determination was definitely there, but preparation? It was a little lacking. Erisin may have been a brilliant young person, but she was incredibly reckless. Lucky for her, she was blessed with the body she had, or places like this could be deadly! She took everything with a grain of salt though. After a long night of traveling, keeping in the trees, she came to rest in one, making sure to keep off the jungle floor. Luckily the mousy girl was small and nimble, even without her armor.
The day grew warm, and the lazy Erisin lay limp on one of the large branches, limbs hanging down as she slumbered. Ill prepared was an overstatement for this one. She had nothing but the little rags that covered her, like she was left for dead! A tattered green shirt covered her top, over sized and long sleeves covering her hands. It was so big, in fact, that the neck hole was big enough so that it hung off her left shoulder. Covering her bottom was an equally tattered skirt, ripped short, but allowing her tail freedom to move. Sleeping soundly, the cute little critter looked a little beat up, dirty and bruised, a pair of goggles around her forehead, her long wavy reddish brown hair running down her back. She seemed extremely content in her sleep, like she didn't have a care in the world, like she owned the place.
He was about ready to wrap up his patrol when he caught the scent of something. Hm... Julian flattened his ears to his skull and growled low for a moment, stalking closer to the source. It led him to a dead end, though, which he was surprised for because he could still smell something. The hell?
When he was looking all around, though, he caught a glimpse of a foot and a...tail. A tail. Never having actually found anything before while out on his little jaunts, Julian wasn't quite sure what to do. So he climbed.
Leaping up, gripping the tree trunk with his claws, he shimmied his way up to the branch Erisin was napping on. Growling, he nudged at her leg before leaping over her to stand precariously on the far end of the branch. What the hell is this thing?!
Without another hesitation, Julian began tugging at her shirt, positioning himself to try and drag this sleeping body out of "his" tree.
The girly creature grunted and whined when bothered, but slept heavily. It wasn't until he decided to forcibly move her that she struck. "Huh? Wah!" the sleepy girl blinked, raising her head in an instant, and while still have a sleep, she twisted her limber little body and pulled some martial arts out of nowhere, still half asleep. In a swift motion, she slipped from his grasp like a snake and her palm plopped him on the nose as she quickly rose to wobbly slender legs and swayed almost drunkenly, hands posed defensively.
"What now, huh!?" she mumbled sleepily, giggling and grinning. "Hm?" she blinked again, coming out from her daze. "Ooooo! My, aren't you a...um...a...cat...a very large...cat...!" she mumbled, lowing her defense and yawning. Her goggles sat upon her forehead, crooked and she swayed on those nimble legs as if she weren't even trying. Her tail balanced her well while she reached up to rub her eyes, whining a lazy whine. "It's too early to get up...!" she complained like it was his fault.
"Why'd ya have to go and wake me up? What do you want? This better be good! Its hot and I..." she paused. I need water..." she realized as she pulled up her shirt to cover that open shoulder, only to have it slink back down, revealing it again. She did this repeatedly before giving up and she sighed. "Uh oh...I think I'm dehydr-" but before the wild little thing could finish her sentence, she literally passed out and began leaning to one side, about to fall from the tree.
It hit him! Julian flinched and recoiled from Erisin when he was struck on the nose. With a grumbling whine, he rubbed at it with a paw for a moment as he eyed the thing that was now standing. He could see that the tail was keeping her balanced, for now, but he cautiously slunk closer as she swayed from side-to-side. After much complaining, though, she was out again. As she began to topple over, the cause apparently dehydration, he quickly slipped himself around her to let her fall sideways onto his back.
Great. Just great. Now I have to freaking take care of this thing. It's not even mine. Sure, just use Julian's water! Take all of it! He wasn't unfriendly at all, just bitter that a "trespasser" had treated him like that.
Cautiously, he adjusted himself around and tried to pull her up more securely onto his back, thankful that she was light. Easing himself out of the tree, climbing down with care rather than just leaping and chancing her falling on her head, he held onto the shirt with his teeth until he'd gotten them out. Crazy thing, why climb a tree if you feel so bad?
Slipping her off of him and onto the jungle floor, Julian quickly shifted back to his human form and scooped her up. "Can't just let her die," he grumbled to himself as he headed back to his little camp deeper into the jungle, knowing the way by heart.
When they arrived he laid her down on his bed of leaves, slipping her goggles off and setting them down beside her. Leaving her there for a moment, he went to get a canteen from his stock and brought it over to kneel beside her with it. He brushed her hair back with his hand before pouring some water into it then immediately swiping the cold liquid across her forehead. "Eek, you're burning up...c'mon, wake up." He then held the canteen out to her, hoping she might wake enough to take a few sips of water. What is she even doing out here...?
Who knew? For her sake, her fall was prevented by this stranger, and he even helped her down the tree! He must be a sucker for punishment! She grumbled and whimpered while he carried her back to his camp, and clung to him a bit, eyes still closed. When set down, she whined louder when her goggles were stripped form her head, but she was too weak to do anything. Ooo, water...it felt good. Her body relaxed immediately and she curled into him a bit, mmming softly.
She drank when aloud, coughing a little and coming-to in anticipation. She drank more though, craving it and clinging slightly, taking a moment to gasp for air and then clinging to the canteen now. She snapped right back and got her fill, going limp again and gazing up at him. When her vision focused, her cheeks immediately darkened and she grew hot in the face, but not because of a fever. Who was this? He was cute! Where was the kitty? Why did he remind her of the kitty? Hehe, kitty! Those teal eyes blinked and she just started at him.
"U-uh...hi...!" she squeaked. She shook it off then and averted her eyes a moment, looking around. "Where am I?? She tried to sit up again, pulling her shirt fot ix her shoulder futily once more as it plainly drooped back down a moment after. Little pointed ears flickered as she examined his camp. "You live out here??" she seemed excitable and curious.
Julian smiled with relief when she began to drink and come-to again, glad he wouldn't have to deal with the passed out creature taking up space for much longer, or so he thought. And just like that, she was energized. A grin parted his lips as she looked about.
"Ah, this is my home...of sorts. Yeah, I live here." He then realized how he'd come to bring her here. "And you were in my tree. This is my area, I'll have you know... How did you even get here?" He pouted a bit, sitting himself down and eyeing her curiously, amused as he watched her ears swish about.
"And who are you anyway?"
She blinked, returning her attention to him. "Hm, I see! Waitwhat??!" she replied, and then got defensive. "YOUR tree? You can't OWN a tree in the jungle! ...can you??" she had to think about that, her ranting quickly changing into an adorable pondering. "And don't you 'have me know' ME! Its not like I KNEW this was YOUR jungle!" she huffed, crossing her arms, vivid like a little spark.
"Me? Um..." she thought about it a moment as he took a seat. "Oh! I'm Erisin!" she announced, nodding surely. But then she gave him another look in the eye and twitched, cheeks turning red again, and she quickly averted. "Ahem! So I'm a trespasser?" she acknowledged her crime, ears flickering some more. "You want me gone then? Have I caused any trouble that I don't recollect?" she asked, her tone shifting as her eyes explored again, quickly changing interest as the urge to look around overcame her.
"Your home huh?" she answered before giving him any room to reply thus far. Her little bum rolled over and lifted as she said this, tail high as she began to crawl off in the direction of something interesting. "Just what kinda stuff you got here, huh?" She went on as she made an attempt to sling away, the tip of her tail in easy grasping range of him as she made a pose that said she was about to pounce upon something.
Julian merely rolled his eyes at her protests, not seeing them as a threat from such a little thing, feisty as she was. Curiously, enough, though, she quickly switched from defensiveness to peeked interest in his camp. Eyes widening as he watched her, knowing that look, knowing what she was about to do having done so enough times himself, he flung his hand out to yank at the end tuft of her tail. He didn't stop there, though.
"Hey hey hey!! Uhm...Erisin! Erisin, what are you doing?!" He reached out to grab her around the middle, trying to forcibly seat her down again. "I just told you it's mine. Mine! Don't go snooping around, it's not any of your business what I have here," he protested, eyes twinkling as he pouted. "No manners," he mumbled, eyeing her as he readied himself to go after her if she tried anything again.
The little mousy girl let out a squeak when her tail was grabbed, failing in her leap and before she knew it, she found herself grabbed, and gasped sharply in surprise, twisting and fidgeting in his arms. "W-what?? No! Wait! I um...!" she argued pointlessly. "But its RIGHT there!" she whined, squirming more until she pushed back with her feet, shoving herself into him. "Oof!" And then the movement suddenly stopped, and there was clinging.
Erisin found herself plopped right in his lap, her back against him, his hands around her waits, and her hands clamped to his arms, cheeks hot again. She was frozen, almost in fear, but finally, after some point, her tension faded gradually and she sank deeper against him. "H-heh...!" she squeaked weakly, lowering her head in his arms, leaning her head to one side to peek up at him ever so slowly, face dark with blush.
There appeared to be something that stopped this little terror in her tracks all right, something even she didn't see coming. Her heart raced and she found herself reaching up to poke his jaw and neck with her nose. She was tiny compared to him. Her tail curled between her legs and she sighed shakily, a tiny smile growing on her face. Gah, what was going on!? Her mind went nuts, but her body was mush in his hands! Why?? "I-I d-don't think I caught your name...!" she squeaked again unable to control the tone of her voice, ears lowering and hands finally unclamping from his forearms that held her against him.
Through their brief struggle, she'd somehow ended up on his lap instead of beside him as he'd intended. Blinking at her for a few moments, too surprised to let go immediately as he registered her little hands gripping his arms. As she relaxed against him, he felt the urge to hurl her off of him, the increased pressure something he hadn't expected as she sank back against him.
Julian was all but paralyzed, though. He hardly reacted to her nosing at him, but he did shiver at the feeling of her brushing against such sensitive skin. As she spoke again, though, he began to snap out of it. Cautiously, not wanting to offend her, he slowly lifted her from his lap and back onto the leaves she'd been on before and slipped his hands from her waist. "Sorry... Um...you can just call me Julian." He felt so awkward now. "Ah, but anyway...why are you out here anyway? How'd you get here? Are you lost?"
The lovely mood came to an end, and Erisin was lifted from his lap with little resistance, curling up and sitting Indian style as he cleared his throat and asked her more questions. Her blush faded and she smiled, ear flickering. Somehow he had calmed her, but who knows how long that would last. "Julian..." she repeated to herself while he asked, letting him finish this time before answering. "I am looking for something that ran away...! How I got here should be obvious! I traveled, and traveled...and traveled!" she rolled her hand as she described. "Lost? Mm...possibly! But that won't stop me!" she nodded surely again.
"And you? Are YOU lost?" she teased, giggling and crossing her arms smugly. "you look like the type who might be bad with directions!" she claimed with a another laugh. "I'm amazed you found me! Where was I again?" she blinked, thinking about it. And then you steal me away and bring me back to your nest here!" she purred most suggestively, that smile turning into a wicked grin. "Just what were you planning on doing with me, huh?" she moaned softly, leaning toward him and giggling more with those intimidating eyes on him from her tiny stature. Even though she tried to get a rise out of him, she was also blushing at her own teasing.
Watching her as she answered his questions animatedly, he finally began to crack a small smile again. He was beginning to think she was alright, despite the obvious quirks, but then she went and started teasing him.
His face slowly twisted to express his shock for her teasings. "Hey, I am not bad with directions! I give excellent directions! That's why I asked if you were los-" And then she was beginning to act suggestive, which surprised him even more. Who the hell was she?! "Uhm, um...err...no! NO! I- It isn't like that, I swear!" Julian looked a bit helpless as she giggled, unsure of what to do or what to say about all of this. "Y-you don't really think that, d-do you?!" his voice cracked a bit towards the end as he nervously began to inch away from this crazy girl. "I wasn't going to do anything! Promise! I just...wanted to help..."
She had a good laugh at him, amused by his abrupt shyness and slapping her thigh in giddy. "Aww, you're sweet!" she cooed, calming down a little and leaning swiftly to nuzzle noses. "Promise huh...?" she purred slyly, grazing lips, and blushing more. Before even giving Julian a moment to react, her swift little self slipped away and giggled vibrantly. "So you want to help little old me?" she rambled on. Then she paused to think, still on all fours before him, tail high and curled over confidently. That sly face turned to one of bewilderment when she looked back on something.
"...Wait! What happened to that cat?" she mumbled, eyes drifting in contemplation as she stayed posed and vulnerable before him, the over-sized neck hold in her shirt maybe revealing a little more than intended as it drooped with her current posture. "There WAS a cat, wasn't there??" she asked herself. "Yeah...YEAH...woke me up, it did! And then...I passed out...!" Those teal eyes darted back to him. "Did that beast attack you!? Darn animals! Ida shown him!" she nodded surely, getting a little bouncy.
The added contact got him into a slight panic, but even as he tensed again and began backing up she moved away again. He noticed her shirt dangling off of her, which caused him to frown, but he watched her sharply for any more unexpected movements. He reached out to lift the shirt up, holding it with his thumb against her collarbone, his frown still present as she continued on about a cat. Well, his other form, but she didn't have to know that.
"Um, a cat? I don't know of any cats around here," he said, intending to hold out on the details of his existence for as long as he could. "You passed out? Maybe you were just imagining it." He grinned knowingly, hoping it would be enough to get her off the subject. "Is there something you do need help with, though? Or did you just wander out here for nothing?"
Eyes lazily shifted to his hand as it came out to pin her shirt up, and then drifted back to him. "Oh? And just what do you think you're doing?" she asked smugly. "Really now? You know of NO cats? In the JUNGLE? HMMM?" she questioned suspiciously. Her eyes stared into his as she looked for an signs of inconsistencies. "Uh huh...that HAD to be it, right? I IMAGINED it!" she slowly crawled closer, their faces practically meeting as she stared at those eyes, noses almost touching.
Then Julian asked if she needed help or not, and she was silent to it, for now. "...Y'know...your eyes look awfully familiar...like cat eyes..." she mumbled in purr with that wicked grin. He seemed to be on trial, and would suffer her interrogation until there was a confession before she would answer his question about needing help. She was a sly one, like a fox, a very mousy fox.
"Well, someone can't wear clothes that fit her, so-" He was grumbling, irritated that something he'd done to save her from possible embarrassment wasn't being taken gratefully. As Erisin moved closer, though, questioning him further, he was beginning to not be so sure about the possibility of making her think something false about him.
"Hm? My...eyes?" He suddenly looked stricken, remembering that his eyes held the same color in either form he was in. Panicking, thinking she'd probably already figured him out, he dropped his hands and started scooting himself to back away from her slowly. "You're thinking too much, Erisin," he said nervously, looking down to break their eye contact. "You're just confused!"
"Clothes that fit?! Ill have you know, mister, that I stole these, thank you very much!" she huffed at him with a blush. "Not like size was a choice in the matter! I was basically stranded in my panties y'know!" she explained, causing him to have time to slink away from her while she was distracted by more thinking. "H-hey now! Where do you think you're going!" she crawled closer, planning her hands on this thighs and gripping his pants to prevent escape, dangly shirt still dangling and she didn't seem to notice or care.
"Are you avoiding my question? Huh?!" she growled playfully with that smirk, getting back in his face, following it swiftly as he darted it away, pushing her nose against his if she had to, preventing him from looking away. "Come now, Mister Julian!" "I may think too much, and I may be confused, but I'm...well I'm sure I'm not THAT confused...I don't think...!" She blushed darker. "But you're obviously hiding something! You didn't drug me, did you?!" she mock gasped. "Am I some trophy pat for you to have your way with?!" She made extreme claims, grazing lips and pushing him almost enough to lie back if she kept getting nosy. She was definitely enjoying this and wanted to see how far he'd let her go.
Stranded in her panties? What the hell was this girl up to?! He didn't have much time to wonder, though, as she dug her hands into his thighs to stop him from escaping. And now she was back in his face again, spouting off and preventing him from moving away entirely with the sheer discomfort of her being so close, practically on top of him now.
"Uhm... Erisin- Wait! W-wait, drug you? Drug you?!" Julian looked utterly shocked and hurt by the accusation, but then her saying he was keeping her for his own purposes put him overboard. Eyes narrowing sharply, Julian growled his displeasure and dropped himself down abruptly before rolling them over and pinning her, holding her down by her skinny arms, determined to keep her through whatever protesting she might do.
"Don't say things like that," he snarled, hair dangling around his face. "Do not accuse me of such things. I would never! You have no idea what kind of man I am." And then he began to calm down, relaxing a bit as he loosened his grip on her before sitting back on his heels. Julian just shook his head in disappointment.
"I'm not perfect, I know that." He reached up to brush his hair back, smoothing it down again. "I have flaws, but Erisin...I'm not like that, okay?"
She dug deeper and deeper and poked and prodded, and finally Julian retaliated. She let out a squeak when their roles were reversed and she gasped when she found herself binned to the ground. Her eyes lit up and she just watched him angrily defend himself, and even as intimidating as he was, her expression could only soften as he spoke, a smile creeping up on her lips as she blushed still. Behaving like this was her reaction to someone who made her flustered. She couldn't help herself; she had to even the odds.
But before she could speak, he had already loosened his grip, then he even let her up, and she blinked in surprise. With a back-and-forth of her long slender legs, she rolled herself up onto her bum, sitting beneath his semi arched form and looking up at him with ears tipped back, smiling still. "Fierce...aggressive...feral...instinctive..." she said in her soft voice, one hardly heard as those sly eyes looked into his. She giggled again. "...Like a cat." She suggested as she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, almost basking in the shade he provided.
"Nobody's perfect..." she responded gently, her hair falling in her face. "Flaws are what make us fun...!" she added, smiling at him contently. "Mm, I know you aren't...well I 'knew'...but just now, I could tell still because of how you reacted...!" she hypothesized, her voice picking up slightly as she rocked back and forth slowly, getting antsy again. "I'm smart, you know! A genius, in fact!" she stated boldly. Then her mood dimmed a little as she pondered the past, lowering her gaze. "...A little too smart for my own good, or so I've been told..." Those little ears flickered again and she sighed and met his eyes once more, giving a lazy smile.
"You probably couldn't handle me anyway..." she taunted him, her grin turning sly again as her tail rose with glee. "So, uh...where were we?" she asked, having lost track of their conversation. "Oh yeah, my clothes! Um well...it's kind of a long story heh...!" she paused to think about it. "My suit sort of...well...grew a mind of its own and ran off..." she mumbled sheepishly. "Some genius, huh?" she sighed. "Can't even build a power armor that listens..." She went on, in turn, leading on that she was no normal creature.
He could hear that she was muttering something, but had no idea what until he caught her saying "cat" again, for which he narrowed his eyes. His expression softened, though, as she began professing her intellect. Smirking, he reached out to her, brushing a hand to gently move some of her hair over her shoulder. "A genius, huh?"
Figuring he would just let her think what she wanted, thinking his preferences probably meant nothing to her, he chose not to react until she started talking about a suit that ran away. "What? A...suit? Like, your normal clothes? They just ran off?" A smile had slowly formed on Julian's face again as he shook his head, dropping his hand to dangle at his side. Chuckling, not believing what she was saying, he seated himself down again. "Uh-huh...armor...you? You and armor? Pfft."
She enjoyed having him brush her hair out of her face and tilted her head for him, smiling at the gesture. "Mm, yes, a suit." She responded. He then continued. "Uh huh...yes..." And he started to tease her back and she puffed her cheeks, glaring as he laughed. "NO not 'pffft'! It's true!" she growled cutely. "I did, and IT did! Oooo! You dare mock me...!?" she held her knees tighter, getting defensive. "A-and why exactly is that so hard to believe, huh?!" she blushed, ears tipping back. "You don't think I can make one?!" she let go of her knees and leaned forward on all fours again, brining her face up to his once more with that little glare.
"I happen to be a very well known magma specialist! Well not here...in this world, but still! It shouldn't be that unbelievable!" she huffed and fall back onto her bum again, sitting Indian style and folding her arms, blowing at the hair that fell in her face again without her goggles to help hold it back. Seem he hit a nerve, doubting her ability. "Fine then, I'll prove it...!" she trailed off, eyes drifting away as she pondered a good way to do so. "I'm also adept in body enhancement spells too!" she added randomly. "Thank goodness for that, otherwise I'd probably kill myself! Ahaha!" she sounded very destructive just then.
"Though I'm not too adept at combat without my suit, but I can still show you something! I excel at crafting...s'why I made me a suit!" she explained as the thought. She realized how exhausted she was and that would inhibit some of the things she was willing to demonstrate. "Hrm...well...I actually don't feel well enough to do something sophisticated..." she mumbled in defeat. "But fire is easy!" she nodded.
She held her hand out to him those teal eyes began to glow. She concentrated and snapped her fingers, sparking a flame that floated in her palm as she turned her hand slowly. "See! It's not much! I could do more, if you want to risk me burning something!" she laughed. "Mm...Let's try magma...!" she was feeling better and thought she might be able to handle it. "Conjuring earth is harder so ill just use what you have here!" her eyes glowed brighter and slowly, lines of dust began to trail upward, spiraling in a delicate motion as the tiny flame consumed it and began swirling.
The ball of fire sped up and grew denser with the earth substance filling it, and it became a wiggly blob and increased in heat as it floated now magnetically in her hand. Soon it was as if actual magma, molten earth, was spewing and consuming itself as she kept the mass from dripping, folding it into itself repeatedly. The heat became intense as she kept the earth melted. Those eyes were vibrant, glowing intensely as she kept her focus, looking a bit tired, but grinning smugly. "See! I told you! Neeeh!" she teased back, holding it closer to him and making it take shape and dance like a little glob.
He'd merely scoffed at her huffiness, still thinking she was just messing around with him. As she got more into it, though, and he saw how serious she seemed, his chuckles and giggles began to die down. It was interesting, watching such a small thing get so upset and defensive, but he couldn't look away from that passion, the drive in her eyes as she proclaimed her adeptness in various crafts.
"Prove it? Erisin, I don't need proof, I believe you!" Julian was just teasing still, though, grinning that wicked grin in his attempt at payback for the rise she'd gotten from him earlier. "Wait....fire? FIRE?! Nonononono don't do anything with fire!" His face had fallen, hearing this. He did not want to chance her burning down his camp, whether he believed her or not. But as she held her hand out to him, he couldn't help but look, curious all the same.
The flame that burst into life in her palm was something he'd never seen performed before in all his life. How was she doing that? Was it just an illusion? He had no idea what it meant, how her lineage was to blame for her skill with this spectacle. Julian just stared at it, his jaw relaxing to gape just a bit as the reflection of the flame twinkled in his eyes.
While hesitant, he didn't make any attempt to stop her when she began talking about magma, as dangerous as he knew that had the potential to be. He just watched in awe as the mass floating above Erisin's hand rolled around, constantly folding and stretching and becoming more vibrant. The heat was something that he couldn't ignore. It was too real, too hot to not be real.
As she held the thing closer to him, though, Julian flinched and leaned back a bit, worried about the thing causing his clothes to burst into flame or the thing to jump out and burn him somehow. "Um, I believe you! Just- Just keep it away, I can see that you're serious now." He offered a sheepish grin, not wanting to outright say he'd been wrong, though they both knew he was. Egos.
"Erisin...that's- I've never seen anything like that! How'd you learn that? Is it...magic? Are you a mage?"
"Keep it away??" she mock gasped, grinning at Julian's fear. "Afraid now, hmmm?" she giggled, dangling it about dangerously. She calmed down when Julian went on, hearing the amazement in his voice and satisfied by it enough to back down and let him continue. "Well, I'm not a mage. I don't have the skills to cast like that! "Yes though, it's magic...sorcery, it is the basis for all lifestyles!" she began to explain. "I use it to forge armor and I use fire to power my armor. But I don't have a lot of practice using and conjuring raw materials like mages do!" she went on, sitting back and letting her magma cool off slowly until it was but a stone, still crackling and hissing as the heat left it and it still floated, swirling above her hand.
"There are those who use it to enhance themselves physically, like I explained earlier, and those who focus it into their weapons. I focus mine into my gear!" she nodded. "But that doesn't mean I can't toss it around here and there! Everyone's gotta learn the basics!" She raised her other forefinger and shook it as her spherical rock cooled enough to let drop into her hand where she rolled it manually. "Everyone learns to forge and shape their own way of using it! That's what makes you unique! Outside of using my armor, I only have a small amount of control over what I can do, but that doesn't mean I'm defenseless! Control doesn't make you stronger necessarily! There's always sheer destructive force!" she grinned. "If you can't control directly, control the outcome indirectly, I always say!" she explained with another nod.
"And by that, of course, I mean, know your explosions!" she giggled, hinting at her fetish. It was true, she had little control over her self, but her ability to destroy the playing field so erratically gave her an edge. She had little pattern to follow and she could withstand being hit by her own bombs. This made her lethal when it came down to it.
All he could do was watch her, it was clear just how giddy this was making her. He was impressed, but as she continued on he couldn't help but frown a bit. "So that's why you're looking for it? It just...ran away and it has your...powers?"
His frown deepened, though. "No! Nononononono, there will be no explosions anywhere near here!" he huffed, forcing her hands down with his own. "This is my camp! No more fire! No...rock things! And definitely NO explosions, Erisin!" His warnings weren't spoken with anger, he was just beginning to feel he would have to completely keep control of her and keep his eye out while she was here.
"If you want to put it simply, then yes, I suppose!" she huffed at him, blushing at how dumb he made it sound. A squeak escaped her when he grabbed her hands and held them down. She blinked at him in surprise and dropped the little sphere, blinking at him. "You speak as if I have no self control! Well..." her eyes drifted away guiltily. "Just maybe... But I wouldn't just go and blow up your camp y'know!" she growled back playfully. "I mean, I COULD but...aheheh" she teased, not seeming to try and break free from his grasp yet.
"So...do you plan on holding me the entire time I'm here?" she pointed out with a quirked brow and grin, wiggling her arms a bit. "Not that I mind and all..." she mumbled, giving a swift tug to pull him closer to her. "I don't see this working out to your advantage. I mean, who said I even needed my hands to use magic." She told boldly, grinning slyly at him as she gave him a tender nuzzle. "Not that I could cast a lot without my hand, but there's a few!" she nodded. "Wanna see?"she asked with a devilish smirk, pulling him closer to her, or herself closer to him, since he was obviously a lot bigger.
She spoke so quickly! His face twisted into one of mild irritation again as she pulled herself closer, practically hanging on him. "No! No, Erisin, no more!" he barked, immediately regretting his tone. What was with him today?! It was so unlike him to be so...snappy!
Sighing, his tension slowly relaxing again, he released her and gruffly mumbled to himself as he stood and physically moved himself away from her. "I brought you here to help you! If you're feeling better, then why don't you just head on your way, hm?" His back was turned, he knew he wouldn't say the words right to her face.
He grew suddenly hostile with her. It should have been expected, but it still startled her. Before she could react, he separated himself from her, leaving her on the floor while he cooled his head. Her ears were tipped back and she was quiet as he continued to speak, and her mood sank as he suggested she leave. "W-well..." she stopped, going quiet again as she frowned, pondering it form her spot on the floor. She peeked at him and sighed softly. "O-okay then...If you really want me to..." she stood up, dusting her tattered clothes off and pulling up her oversized shirt futily once more.
"So...You're really just gunna lemme go...? Like this...?" she held her little arms out and blushed as she looked up at him helplessly. She was either truly hurt, or very good at making people feel guilty. "You don't think I'm crazy? Or insane to be doing something like this on my own?" she asked with mild curiosity. "I-I know...maybe ill go find that cat from earlier...yeah....I'm sure he might help..." she sounded like she just list the last of her sanity, a little delusional even as she sadly turned to walk away. Her pitter-patter grew quieter as she walked off silently, wondering if he'd stop her.
Julian turned to watch her over his shoulder as she just stood there staring at him, looking so helpless there with her skinny arms and sad face. But no, he was committed to not falling for that again! Look where it'd gotten him already!
She rambled on, about searching on her own, about the cat, too. He sighed. "Erisin...you probably shouldn't go off on your own to look for it, you already got dehydrated once already today," he reminded, but she was already moving away from him, turned to walk out of his camp. His pride too much right now to give in to it, he just shook his head and turned to watch her properly as she shuffled along. "There's no cat, you know!" he called after her. "You aren't going to find one out there!"
As he watched, he would see her exit his camp's perimeter, and then she turned. She seemed to ignore what he was saying and continued onward. She came to the edge again and once more, she turned, trudging along. This went on until she found her way back to him, approaching from the opposite side. Slowly she came up to Julian, who was probably facing her again, and wondering what was going on, and with a small plop, she planted her face into his torso, whining. She took a breath and raised her head, pressing her font against his, arms limp at her sides and face peeking up ah him almost adorably as she looked into his eyes.
There was a moment of silence, then. "Hello, Mister Cat...! Will you help me? Mister Julian is being awfully mean to me...! "She said softly, ears flickering as he kept her chin in his chest. With that, she smiled, making her all the more irresistible, and she swayed gently, pulling him into a gentle rhythm as she awaited his answer, proving to him that she wasn't that simple and knew the similarities were too much to be a coincidence.
Stubborn girl, he thought, shaking his head as he watched her go off. He was beginning to piece the leaf bed back together when his ear picked up a rustling. Turning, he saw her for a brief moment before she disappeared again. Childish games...
He resumed his work and noticed the goggles still on the ground there. He sighed. And now I'll be responsible for her stuff, too? Ugh... He kept hearing her circling back and finally stood up, walking over, but then she would disappear again. This was irritating him.
About to yell for her, he turned again to go toward the center of his camp once more. And then she finally came back, making her way over and burying her face against his shirt. Sighing and rolling his eyes dramatically for her whining, he put a hand on her shoulder to stop himself from chiding her for being such a child.
He caught that she was looking at him and, with a tense face, looked down to meet her eyes, pitiful as they were. But then she'd said it again.
"There is no 'Mister Cat!' What a horrible nickname for the thing! And don't go calling me 'Mister Julian' either, it's just Julian!" Ah, but he'd let himself slip and needed to cover it up quickly. "A-and there wasn't a cat out there! Isn't! Isn't a cat out there!" Crap, he'd done it. He didn't think her so dull as to not pick up on this. Him and his loud mouth.
She quirked a brow at him and shined a smug grin as Julian corrected himself. "Oh? I see..." she lingered, just staring into his eyes with her won teal ones confidently. She let out a mischievous giggle and swayed with him a bit more, mmming and grinning still. "Mis-" she blushed, catching herslf. "J-julian...?" she asked in quite the appeasing tone. "...Are you sure you aren't part kitty...?" she asked, slowly bringing her hands up to cling to his shirt. "Kitties like mice...!" she suggested. "Don't I look like one?" she wiggled adorably, raising her tail.
"Kitties also like being petted behind their ears!" she suggested, reaching up to try and reach Julian's ear from her short stature, failing and flailing her hand up at his ear as she stood as tall as she could, pressing against him to reach it. She grunted and whined and giggled more as she played with him, touching his earlobe and tugging on it softly. All this time, she just looked into his eyes, teasing him gently and just being silly in an attempt to loosen him up. There was no need for him to lie and hide it! What was wrong with being a kitty?