In the Shadow, In the Light (M)

[Lion]

With a might tug the threads of the dress came loose and gradually Jerec was freed from it's confines.  The sleeves were the easiest.  And the sides had some difficulty and he laughed when it was her turn, feeling her fingers along his ribs.

Jerec sputtered and snorted, tearing the cloth a little easier.  "I just hope whoever made this won't be mad we destroyed it," he said.

[GoblinFae]

"They should have known better than to throw such a pretty thing into the wild, don't you think?" Ariel easily tore the fabric away from him yet her hands lingered along his sides as if to see if she could make him squirm in the same way he had only moments before.

[Lion]

"Well, I don't think they consider this town to be very - WIIILD!" Jerec suddenly yelped when her hands found his ribs and he squirmed underneath her touch.  "OWL!  You better quit!  BAHAHA!"  He couldn't stop laughing and his squirming had torn the dress to shreds, almost literally and he was back against the wall, trying to defend himself.  "I-I... mean IT!  HAAHAHA!"

[GoblinFae]

Ariel smiled fiendishly up at Jerec, refusing to relent. "NEVER," she squealed. "You can't make me either, mutt!" The little huntress sprung at him, hoping he would instinctively catch her so that she could once more be in his arms and at a better height to see eye-to-eye with him.

[Lion]

[Lol.  She HOPED he would catch her 8D]

Jerec's arms did spring around her, catching her just in time.    He smiled up at her and brought his lips to her neck where he then blew loud raspberries there.  "Payback!" he howled.

[GoblinFae]

"NO!" she howled even as she sunk her fingers into his hair and yank back in hopes of keeping his mouth away from her neck. "Jerec," Ariel further whined. Her other hand sought to continue to tickle him but her squirming about was making it hard for her to truly focus on what she was doing. "Damn mutt slobber everywhere now! GROSS!"

[Lion]

"You like mutt slobber!" he cackled, snorting when she continued to run her hands along his side.  He was out of breath and leaned back against the wall, laughing so loud, he thought he was going to pass out.  "Okay!  I give!  I give!"

[GoblinFae]

She cackled evilly before giving him a lick to the cheek. "There," Ariel stated smugly. "Now you have Owlet slobber and we're even." Her face hurt from laughing and smiling so much and as she came down from her euphoric high, she wrapped her arms around his neck while scrunching her nose up at him. "Why does everyone want to see me in a dress anyway?"

[Lion]

He snorted, recovering from his laughter.  He as grinning from ear to ear and squeezed her to him, rugging her like a ragdoll.  "Because civilized humans like to wear things over their bodies because it makes then feel better about themselves.  And they think it makes then more attractive to other humans.  I think you'd look nice.  But you look nice in anything," he said and kissed her cheek like the wolf he was, tongue and all.

[GoblinFae]

Ariel made a big show of wiping her cheek off with his tunic, yet there was obvious pleasure in her dancing eyes at his praise. "Yes well humans are such silly creatures anyway. Or at least the cultured ones are. Who in their right minds would wear a dress? It's impractical for anything worth doing, right?"

[Lion]

"Only when they're not worn right," he said and ripped the rest of the dress off of him.  It came off into rags and pooled down around on the floor.  He kicked it away with a bare foot and looked down at his trouser cuffs.  "These are pretty odd too, don't you think.  Pants I mean."

[GoblinFae]

She looked at him skeptically. "Are you suggesting there's something wrong with the pants I salvaged for you, mutt? Are you wanting to tear something else now that the dress is ruined? Such a destructive wolf. What are we going to do with you?"

[Lion]

He laughed.  "I never said I wanted to tear them up!" he said, grinning.  "I only meant that after not wearing pants for so long, admittedly, it feels odd be wearing them."  He tugged at the fabric and he made a face, but when he looked at her, his smile came back.  "I like them.  In a weird way, I like them.  Though they're kinda itchy, don't you think?"

[GoblinFae]

"Not going to even answer that. You're the one that wanted to be civilized. The Owlet will hear no complaints. None." Ariel squinted her eyes at Jerec as if daring him to try and complain to her about it. As much as he seemed to enjoy their new life, she still had reservations about ever becoming completely comfortable with it.

[Lion]

He didn't respond to that for a moment and instead kissed her.  He smiled against her lips.  "Thank you," he said at last.  "For coming with me.  Giving up the forest must've been hard for you,  It was hard for me.  I still dream of the forest..."

[GoblinFae]

She smiled softly back against his lips, returning his kiss gently as she did so. "Wouldn't say it's been given up," Ariel hedged as she turned her head to rub their cheeks together before burying her face against his neck and shoulder. "And what is it that you dream?"

[Lion]

"Hm, each dream is different," he said, leaning his head against hers.  "It always starts the same, I wake up in a thick blanket of fog.  I can't see more than a few feet in front of me, and I hear the sounds other animals, as if they're distant, echoing, some close though they might be miles away.  I get up and I'm wandering though that dense fog and somehow the forest doesn't feel like home.  I feel terrified and lost....  Sometimes something's chasing me and I can never see what.  Other times, I'm following someone else and they'e always just out of reach.  I always wake up before I can make sense of it all."

[GoblinFae]

Ariel pet his hair soothingly while listening to him recount the dreams. She did not voice how disconcerted the idea that the forest was no longer his home made her feel but she continued her uncharacteristically gentle efforts nevertheless.

"Perhaps the bit of tail you're af'er ain't for you to find, mutt. Per'aps she's too good for ya!" she cheekily challenged him with a raised brow and slightly sassy sway of her head.

[Lion]

"Then why would I dream such a thing?  And dream it over and over?" Jerec asked gently, clearly puzzled.  He leaned his head into her gentle touches, like a dog that enjoyed being pet by it's master.  He tired of standing and moved through their small house into the sitting room, having a seat on the rug, sitting criss-cross.  He looked up at Ariel.  "How are you adjusting?  Do you have any strange dreams that plague you in the night?"

[GoblinFae]

She startled at his question, surprised that he would think to ask her and her face showed it. Her icy eyes widened as a series of indiscernible emotions flashed across her features before Ariel was able to hide her face with her chin resting tiredly upon his shoulder. "I dream," she admitted uneasily. "I remember."