The Hand That Feeds (m)

[Draconian]

The tips of her ears warmed and she gave them a flick, looking away and trying to ignore the throbbing of her tail. "I..." Jaiha cleared her throat and looked back at him, going a little red, "yes. I was. But you have all your bits so... Obviously you havent." She looked at his scars, or what she could see of them. "Which one is your favourite?" Her hand motioned to his scars and she gave him another too bright smile, obviously looking for a destraction from the pain

[DaGlobster]

"I rather like this one," Juras said as he pointed to a pale circular scare that took up most of his left pectoral muscle.

"I got it when a mage hit me with a fireball. Happened two years ago, on the battlefield. I used to be a mercenary, but... I guess I still am."

He looked back at Jaiha, smiled warmly, and then stood up.

"Anyways, I should probably get going. See ya tomorrow, Jai."

[Draconian]

Used to be a mercenary. Jaiha looked at him, taking in the whole image again. A mercenary turned volunteer Colosseum fighter. Turned Jaiha's master. Housemate. Something. Bright eyes flicked down to the scar on his arm and she reached out gently to trace it with her fingertips, though she pulled her had back before she made contact.

The warm smile caught her by surprise and she smiled back, though it quickly fell when he stood up. He was leaving? Jaiha opened her mouth to tell him not to go. If she was being sold tomorrow and she was a useless Colosseum fighter now. A slow look towards the door but she simply nodded. "Alright... I... I'll see you tomorrow." Maybe even in one piece.

A deep breath and she laid back down on the bed, her stomach pressed to the sheets and her tail carefully off to the side so it didn't jostle. Tomorrow. Juras would still fight, she was sure, and she'd do her best once her tail grew back.

Or maybe...

Jaiha entertained various ideas while she waited for tomorrow, until finally she dozed off. Only to be woken up by rough hands on her arms, pulling her up. Alarmed she lashed out with her tail... For it to thump uselessly and painfully against a barrel chested guard. "No. Where are you taking me?" She cried, fingers out, claws ready. It didn't matter that her tail hurt, she smacked at the guards with it.

They just laughed. "We're getting at least one good use out of you," Then she was dragged down to the holding cells, thrown in with one lucky man.

or unlucky. "If you don't let me out of here I will kill him," Jaiha yelled, smashing at the bars of the cell, snarling. They just laughed, "You have an hour until your new master is supposed to show up! Have fun!"

And that's how Juras would find her, claws out, teeth bared with a poor frightened man about her size sitting in the corner giving her a look and mumbling something about not wanting to be eaten.

[DaGlobster]

In truth, Juras was terribly busy that day. Between having to juggle all the paperwork and officialities for Jaiha (to the point where he was forced to sign a document declaring ownership of a dangerous animal), and then having to compete in the Colosseum in a non-lethal exhibition (an athletics show, of sorts), Jaiha'd already been in the cell with that poor man for a good half-hour when he turned up.

Normally, he wouldn't have made much of the situation. She was a slave waiting on her new master, a holding cell was commonplace. It was the fear in the man's eyes, paired with Jaiha's "cornered animal" stance, that got his attention.

"Jai?!"

Juras jogged up to the bars, putting one of his hands up against it. He had a roll of parchment in the other, her bill of sale.

"What's wrong, what'd they do to to you?!"

[Draconian]

Having an emotion wash over her that wasn't dread or fear wasn't normal for her so when she heard Juras's voice she turned around, her posture relaxed and she just stared at him. Her fingers poked through the bars and she just stared. "Nothing. They... Wanted to get some last use out of me, they said." A glance over her shoulder at the man who had relaxed slightly only to tense up and pull his legs up off the floor again.

"I guess he offered to..." A snarl instead of saying the words, "then I was here. He's been curled up in the corner ever since." Her tail gave a wag and she carefully grabbed it, holding it close so the sensitive wounded tip didn't hit anything.

"Juras..." Jaiha turned back to him, looking hopefully, "Am I yours now?"

[DaGlobster]

"Funny you should ask that, Jai..."

He held up the bill of sale.

"I've got this scroll here, it's got my name and yours. Says I own you or something, to the tune of three hundred gold pieces."

Juras cracked a smile.

"That mean anything to you?"

[Draconian]

The frightened man in the corner of the room was forgotten and Jaiha stood up, her tail in her arms and she just... Stared. Stared at Juras like he was some sort of drink of water in a desert and she felt tears in her eyes and gave him a watery smile. "I... Can go home with you?"

Jaiha's ears went from being flat back to being perky and up like a bunny, still she smiled and waited impatiently at the door.  "I wanna wag my tail so bad but it still really hurts," Though she said it with a bright grin on her face, "You won't regret this. I'll... I'll make sure you don't."

[DaGlobster]

"I'm sure you will," Juras said, motioning to the guard outside the cell. The man came over and opened up the cell at once, letting Jaiha go.

[Draconian]

Excitedly, Jaiha shot out of the door and wrapped her arms around Juras's middle, nuzzling at his neck and making happy chirping noises. Her ears flicked ( probably hitting him in the face ) before she pulled away, bright and happy. "I... Thank you." Then she stood off to his side, looking at him every so often, not quite believing this was true. That this was happening. Some light in her dark life. A chance out.

Maybe even a new friend, "If I ever do anything that annoys you just... Tell me once and I won't do it anymore. And... and... I'll make sure we coexist well together... and.." her tail gave a wave through the air behind her and she winced, reaching to grab it and hold it in front of her. It was weird without the beads and the giant blade, "I'll let you know as soon as it starts growing back," she nodded down to her tail.

[DaGlobster]

Juras was, once again, caught off guard by Jaiha's sheer happiness. For him, the motivations to actually buy a slave were... Complicated. Juras was far from a bad guy, so it's not like it wasn't in him to help out, but...

His thoughts came to a halt when she nuzzled his neck and one of her ears flopped right into his face. The tingly feeling mixed rather oddly with the slappy one. She pulled away, and Juras let out a held breath.

"I'm sure we'll have no problems coexisting," Juras said, putting the same emphasis on the word as Jaiha. Juras wasn't really sure why, but something in his head told him to stick out his hand, as if offering it to her.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

[Draconian]

Overjoyed was a good word for what Jaiha was feeling. The offered hand made her smile and she took it in hers, looking down at it after a moment. Another happy noise and she bounced a little before following him, hands held.

Juras in one hand, her poor abused tail in the other. This was definitely worth having her blade shed a little early. Not free, but maybe her new master could be a friend. Slowly she gnawed on her lip and she cleared her throat, uncomfortable with the silence. "Have you ever had a slave before?"

[DaGlobster]

By the time Jaiha had spoken up, they were already in the outer corridos of the Colosseum. Juras' ears perked up slightly, although they were nowhere near as prehensile as Jaiha's. They were just long enough that those subtle ear movements usually lost on humans became easier to see.

"No, never owned one. Never thought I'd end up owning one, either."

[Draconian]

Positively buzzing, Jaiha kept looking sideways at Juras.  "Well.. Thank you for owning me?"  Her hand tightened on his and she followed him as closely as she could without whacking him with her more beastly bits. "Do you live far from the Colosseum?"

[DaGlobster]

"Not really. Just a couple streets away, actually. All of my neighbors are volunteer fighters, like me, so it's pretty quiet. No crime."

Juras looked over to her, and noticed just how close she was walking.

"Don't think of me as your master or whatever. We're friends, yeah? Just one friend helping out another."

[Draconian]

No crime. As if. Still she kept quiet and simply nodded. A little closer. "I'll help you some day, Juras." Another moments pause, "I've only had one friend, and I'd like it if we could be friends. Just... Say the word and I'll do it!" Jaiha exclaimed happily before she paused at looked at him, "Where are you from?"

[DaGlobster]

Juras smiled at Jaiha's words. He didn't bother trying to move away, mostly because he had a feeling she'd get closer again anyways.

"I was born in Uthlyn, all the way in Connlaoth."

[Draconian]

The lack of resistance from Juras had her getting closer and before long she had her whole arm wrapped around his and her side pressed against him.  "Is Connlaoth far away? It sounds like it's far away."

[DaGlobster]

"Just about half a continent away, I reckon," Juras said, glancing down to make sure that he wasn't going to accidentally step on her feet.

Juras looked back to her, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Do you mind if I ask you something personal? I'm just curious about you, you know? Half human, half... dragon?"

[Draconian]

Wow. He's sure come a long way. And now here she was, clinging to him like a lost puppy. This was probably the last thing Juras imagined himself doing in Essyrn. This was also the last thin Jaiha imagined herself doing. So desperate for contact and affection she was practically crawling all over an almost perfect stranger.

Jaiha stared at him for a moment, her ears dropping down and she ducked her head. "I.. I don't know. Maybe? I don't know my parents. I was teased about my mother having a child with an animal," Jaiha shrugged, "a big ol' lizard. Maybe a lizard-man."

[DaGlobster]

"I don't think I've ever seen a lizard-man. Wait, actually, I have. Don't think he could've been your father, though," Juras said with a chuckle.

He looked over to her tail, caught her expression, and sighed.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of being mixed in with something else. I'm a half elf, but I grew up around full elves. I was teased too," he said, and smirked.