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Into You [Lion]

Started by Cheesigator, April 06, 2017, 11:32:06 PM

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Cheesigator

For Azalea, his words ended up having two effects; on the one hand, they were very sweet, gentle and reassuring; on the other, it felt like she' been backhanded.

It was so easy for him to say those things because he had no idea who she was talking about, and considering what he was saying, he probably would have been singing a different tune if he did know.

He called her little one, like he still thought of her as a child, yet he also called her beautiful. He said whoever she was thinking of wouldn't deserve it if he didn't feel the same way back, and yet implied that maybe she'd want to practice first before trying anything anyways. It was all so double-sided, so vague, and so completely and utterly non-specific. But it made her realize what she was doing--something she shouldn't be.

Right, there was no way she could ever tell him. She didn't want to get him in trouble--if anyone had to be punished for strange thoughts or actions she wanted it to be her and only her. So she hid how her heart sank and pulled herself back up by her non-existent bootstraps and looked up at him, wiping the tears away from her eyes, offering him a little smile.

"Y-You're right. I'm probably getting all worked up over nothing."
She looked away quickly though, hiding it by wiping her face with her hands as if she were meticulously preening like she often did.

If she looked at him for too long he might just pick up on the fact that she was lying.

"I'm sorry--but you better not tell anyone that you saw me cry." She said, throwing him a glare with a tone of voice that wasn't nearly as headstrong as it should have been.

"So... I guess let's get on with this." She wanted this to be done and over so she could get out of this tent. So she turbed around so the examination could go on again, but this time she was barely even blushing. No, her mind was somewhere else.

You're such an idiot, Slate...

Lion

Whatever message she was sending, completely went over Slate's head. He wasn't completely unsympathetic to her plight. She had every reason to be scared, a bundle of nerves, and a bursting emotional coil that was unraveling before him. Slate, truly, didn't know what more he could say, and while he might not have been completely turned into her - what else was new? She was beside herself! - he frowned when he saw that she seemed to go back to preening herself.

"Wait a minute," he muttered and shifted around her, letting her wipe off her face and wanting nothing more than to bury her against his chest. He resisted the urge. "It's not nothing. I'm not trying to discount your feelings. Or your concerns. I'm sorry, Azalea. You have every right to feel what you feel. You're entitled to that much."

He held his hand out to her. "Now you won't be able to get better with that kind of attitude. Gimme a hug. Come on now. You know you want to." He tilted his head and gave her a hell of a goofy look.

"Azzzzaaaaayleeeeeuuuuhhh," he rolled his voice upward, into a pleasant melodic pitch. "Cooome oooon."  And spread his arms open wide for her. "Don't leave me hanging."




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The Order of St. Agratha

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Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Cheesigator

And here when Azalea thought that she'd done a good job of hiding her feelings and dismissing the topic like she would have anything else, apparently she didn't--apparently Slate either didn't believe it or didn't want to drop it.

Either way, she blinked and looked at him funny when he said 'Wait a minute' and carried on.

She always knew he could be sweet as much as he could be an asshole, but it felt different being on the receiving end of the kindness for once. Usually she just watched it from afar, watched him play nice with the other tribe members and smiled to herself, always secretly kind of enjoying it. She liked to observe those different sides of him, because usually she didn't get to see it much first hand when it was the two of them.

But to have him tell her those kind things, and from the look in his eyes, actually sincerely mean it, it gave her such conflicting emotions. It felt so strange that he was being so nice with her, and not someone else. It made her heart flutter and made her want to strangle him at the same time.

She looked down at his hand, hesitating for a moment, and then he opened his arms for a hug with that goofy voice and she gave him a flat stare as he went back to his usual goofy self.

Well, not all nice things could last.

"You're an idiot." She grumbled, hesitating before giving in and letting him hug her.

She knew it was... Kind of out of character. Any other time she would have huffily turned him down and said that oh she couldn't be seen playing around with fools like him or it'd ruin her image (hah), or something to that effect. But right now, she let her defenses slip just a little bit, even though she knew she shouldn't.

She knew she needed to get out of this tent before she said or did something that she'd regret later, especially with this moron, but at the same time she never wanted to leave. Once she left this tent it'd be one step closer towards the ceremony she was so secretly dreading, when she would ultimately have to Choose someone... Someone who wasn't him.

So, yes, she was being selfish as she stepped into that hug and wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, face buried against his chest so he couldn't see her blush. She was being immature and irresponsible, giving into the want that for just one moment, one silly little moment, she could pretend he was hers.

Just the two of them.

Even though she knew he'd never feel the same way back.

She closed her eyes and breathed, letting his scent and the warmth of his body, the feeling of his scales and clothes underneath her fingertips wash over her. It was so calming, reassuring--safe.

Why couldn't things just stay that way forever?

Lion

The Slate that had extended his arms open to her was definitely not a side that she would have otherwise seen often. In the present moment, she definitely looked like she could use one, so why not him? Why not now? No one would question it, they were alone after all. And in the middle of this tent, no one ever had to find out if that was what she was worried about. She could move along and pretend it never happened too if she wanted.

He hoped to the Fire though that she didn't. Because the second she wrapped her arms around him, the most unsuspecting jolt fired down from his belly, as his arms fell around her shoulders and wrapped around her shoulders.  His face instinctively buried into her hair, and the faint scent of the outdoors from where she'd scuffed her butt, to the natural oils that permeated it were inviting and calming. Slate gasped softly, at the feeling of warmth that bloomed up into his chest.

"I'm an idiot all right. An idiot that healed your scuffed buns, Mosquito," he chuckled softly, the note in his voice less teasing as he lifted his head and released her from his arms, although he was wont to hold her there for as long as he could. Odd, when she buried her face against his chest, she just fit.

"Stay out of trouble and don't come back with any scrapes or bruises before your choosing. I want you to take good care of yourself because if I see you again, I might have to leave a big ol hand print on the other side of your tail," he noted with a small smirk on his face. 

He moved behind her to finish what he started and went about examining the stitches. The salve did it's job, soothing the reddened lines over and although the wound would need to stay closed for the next few days to really seal up, meaning the stitches would have to stay in there, already it was healing very nicely. "You look really good," he breathed. "Over all, I'll say it should be right as rain within a day or so. Maybe two just to be safe.  So I'm sorry but the stitches are going to have to stay in. Less of a chance of a scar, or y'know a crippling infection."

His hands reached up to steady himself on her hips and gently he squeezed them.  Her skin was warm and his fingertips wanted to smooth up the slope of her back, and his hand twitched with the temptation. She wasn't his, and she hadn't chose him (not that he'd given her any good reason to). And so he pulled his hands back, instead grabbing a cloth to smooth the skin of her thigh and rear just beside her tail.  He blew on it and tossed the rag back. "Otherwise it looks really good.  You, uh, know who you're going to pick yet?"




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The Order of St. Agratha

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Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Cheesigator

She didn't want him to let her go.

For a moment he pulled his arms away and she squeezed him a little tighter, her heart throbbing painfully in her chest as she took in another deep breath of his scent, let her mind wander for a half a second. To a world where she could be laying on top of him in a cot, blankets on top of them, his arms around her and her head resting on his chest. The sound of his heart beating in time with hers just underneath the surface.

She took in a soft, sharp breath and quickly let him go when she realized she was lingering, and couldn't bring herself to look at him as he turned to get back to work, taking a look at the wound, talking to her and while she understood the words, she didn't really hear them.

She'd heard stories from other travelers they'd met on the road, during their nomadic voyages across the desert sands. Stories of what some folks called "true love", where two persons fought through hell and war to reach each other, because for them there would never be anyone else. When she'd been a kid she'd thought it was just that, stories--nobody in her tribe ever mentioned anything like that. Said it'd been weird at most when she'd asked when she was younger.

But she wondered if this was really the way you felt about somebody you thought you hated. Or did she just love to hate him? She couldn't tell.

She was unresponsive to his quip, her eyes distant, tears welling up on her lower lids until she felt him squeeze her hips and the flush on her face worsened again. She blinked the tears away, one sliding down her cheek as she met his gaze when he stepped away to toss that rag over his shoulder. There was something in his tone of voice, the way he looked at her, that made her heart throb painfully as she made eye contact with him for once when he asked that question, and she actually held it for several moments, brows furrowed before looking away and silently shaking her head no.

She would just pick someone randomly, because she had to. She knew who she wanted to pick. And it was weird trying to reason with herself when she was so used to always getting what she wanted because she was the spoiled pretty one.

This was the one time she couldn't. Because if she gave into that selfishness it could be more than her that got in trouble, and she couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to Slate, or anyone else, because of her own selfish mistake.

"I'll know him when I see him." She lied, quietly, her arms wrapping around herself.

She felt so cold without him holding her, and even though he was right there, she couldn't reach out to him. No matter how bad she wanted to, and the longer she stayed in this tent the more tempting it was becoming.

"Well, thanks for checking. I... Appreciate it. Have a good day." And before he could say much more, she ducked out once she was appropriately covered, her movements brisk as she kept her head down and willed those tears to stay silent until she could escape outside of the tribe's village of tents where nobody could hear her weep in dread.




She purposefully avoided Slate for the rest of that day and the following. She did her best to duck out of eyesight when she saw him, refused to make eye contact, and kept her distance. Sure, she'd need to check in with him the day after her Choosing to keep that wound under control, but that'd be after everything was taken care of.

In the span of time of that day and a half, she'd worked very hard in between her daily chores to thoroughly convince herself that what she felt was fake, a random fluke caused by her coming to season. That as soon as she Chose her mate, who wouldn't be him, it'd go away. Be gone, done, and over with--that was what she wished for the most right now. She didn't let herself day dream or pine or try to think of desperate alternatives to the inevitable, like running away with him, which was the silliest--he didn't feel that way, pure and simple, and she was just... Delirious. She'd be right as rain after all of this was settled.

And yet the nerves didn't settle or go away as she preened with some of the other females, mere hours before the ceremony. Dressing her hair in what few jewels they had, making her look special for the event. The silks they chose draped artfully around her and served to enhance the pure, glimmering color of her scales, and as she looked at herself in the mirror one last time before she stepped out to see the line of options awaiting her, she pursed her lips.

She'd always been pretty, but she was realizing looks only mattered so much when the one you wanted to see them most couldn't notice them at all.

She stepped out of the tent as the elder presented her to the tribe, dolled up and beautiful for the first night where she could really fulfill her role and bring honor to them all. There was a moment where her eyes searched the grouping of males as the elder spoke, and her gaze fell upon Slate's. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and seeing him there, even for the briefest of moments made her wonder if him seeing her like this had any effect on him at all. Did he care? Was he indifferent?

It's not like you'll ever know, Azalea. So stop it.

Lion

Walking out the way she did couldn't have been more of a slap to the face than if she actually slapped him in the face. Not that he could have blamed her. Slate watched her depart and said nothing as she made her exit, and the spot she vacated seeped into an emptiness he felt deep in his chest. The pang ached, and he rubbed at it despite himself. She'd know when she found him, she said. That was the way the Choosings went. He'd had his go with a few of the females when the time came to mate here and there. It was his duty to the tribe, his contribution to the Fire.

And just as this was hers. His heart still beat fast, and the way his stomach lurched at the way she felt when he hugged her, that residual memory left him with chills running down his spine. Slate grumbled as he put his utensils away. She'd be back when her stitches needed taking out, in the meantime he could only hope she'd make good on not getting herself into any more trouble. She was a pretty young thing, but even those needed looking after from time to time.

As much as he enjoyed teasing her, he hated seeing her scraped up even more.

The days went by as usual, and it was better to keep himself busy than pondering on the Choosings that were coming up in the coming day. Her stitches would need removal the day after most likely. And if she had any brains - doubtful - she'd know not to pick at them if they were getting itchy.

Just keep himself busy, patch up the wounded, the guards, the occasional stubbed toe. Anything to keep from thinking about how gorgeous Mosquito was going to look when they presented her on her coming of age. That day had been stressful most of all. And his hands hadn't found nearly as much to do as he wished.

Sure if was their duty to get all dressed up, but that didn't mean he didn't appreciate what he saw when the time came to be present with the other males of the tribe. He nudged elbows with Viridian who stood next to him, although his gaze was averted and reverent to the Fire and the word of the Elder as she spoke.

He didn't listen, couldn't when his eyes fell upon her shimmering pink scales. The bonfire at the center of the tribe ignited her tail and glistened alongside her cheeks, enhancing those striking beautiful eyes. And he felt his stomach knot up the moment their eyes met. Still, a playful smirk curled in a wry grin on the corner of his mouth. A gentle grin, all things considered, holding no malicious teasing, as his eyes clearly roved down her form to take her in.

Slate kept his gaze on her all the while. But so did every male present. Even as small a tribe as this was, those present couldn't be prouder to be chosen. New stock like Slate and Viridian lended to stronger bloodlines, made them attractive prospects to other females. Diversifying their brood, but Slate didn't care. Didn't care that he used to be an outsider.

He only had eyes for Mosquito, and the grin faded the closer she wandered when it finally came time to choose. His locked with hers, his heart rattling in his chest. Then again, she'd know when she saw him she said. And yet here she was looking right at him.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Cheesigator

When their gazes locked, she could've sworn her heart stopped for a moment before it sped up and hammered up inside of her chest, working its way up to the base of her throat. She felt like it was almost hard to breathe, the jolts of his eyes on her sending shivers down her spine.

She caught the smirk, the look he gave her, and a part of her couldn't help but smirk back and roll her eyes in return, before her eyes were locked back on his after but a single moment.

Desperately, her heart waged war with her mind, trying to convince her to just do it--pick him. It would be so easy, so painless, even if for just this one night, even if he didn't like her too. Even if he only saw her as a piece of meat, there was a small part of her that would be okay with that, if it meant he looked at her. Thought of her that way, even for a second.

She fucking hated it, hated how her gut twisted and her heart throbbed and ached. It would be so easy.

But she feared the potential of what could happen afterward the most. She couldn't miss something she'd never had--but what if she had him? What then? What if that feeling didn't go away, and the clan got suspicious of her frequent visits to his tent, of time they spent together?

Even though he and his brother had been with them a while now, they were still outsiders. There was still the slim possibility that they could be pushed out, and that thought seized up Azalea's emotions from her core, freezing her to the bone. She couldn't imagine this tribe without Slate. Didn't want to--refused to, even.

So as she stepped closer, looking over all the males as she considered who she might pick, her gaze landed on his one last time. Her breath caught in her throat, did she dare make the decision that could ruin both of their lives, or did she ruin just hers?

"Jade."

She turned and looked away from Slate, her heart shattering as she did, as she ended her chances with a single word. Instead she looked at another male of the tribe, not terribly older than herself, who was a pretty light green, who seemed shocked that she'd said his name. They didn't really speak much, weren't particularly close, and had never had anything to say to each other. And yet here she was, placing all her hope in him that maybe he could cure her of this strange disease she refused to admit to or call by name.

"I choose Jade."

She couldn't look at Slate, and absolutely refused to. She felt fragile enough as it was, like a cracked vase just waiting to tip over and shatter into hundreds of tiny, glimmering pieces in the sand. If she looked at him, she would break. If she thought about him, she would break.


And yet as she entered Jade's tent and dropped the meager cloth that had been covering her body, seeing this male awaiting her who wasn't who she wanted, she couldn't feel more dreadful, more numb. It was the first time for both of them, and it involved a lot of awkward fumbling, frustration she had to swallow down along with her pride, and pain. At the end of it she felt disgusting, vile and ashamed, but at the very least as Jade slept on and she silently slipped from his bed, gathering her clothing, covering herself and exiting to stand at the edge of the village and stare up at the stars, she felt somewhat resolute.

She knew as the tears started falling that she hadn't been fixed. It had taken everything in her to not think of Slate the entire time; his stupid mischievous grin, his cackle, the look in his eyes when he found something new to tease her about. The way her heart throbbed and felt broken and shattered, lying in pieces at the sinking pit in her stomach. She felt twisted, sick, and wrong, for doing what she had done. But at least Slate was safe for now, until her next Choosing when she'd have to pick someone else.

She swallowed down another heavy sob, wiping furiously at the tears under her eyes as she tried to soothe herself with a lullaby one of the other females had sang to her when she was young. Her fingertips reached down to touch at the wound on the back of her leg, which had reopened and started to bleed again at some point during the night, but she couldn't bring herself to go to Slate's tent and ask him to fix it for her.

Not when she couldn't look him in the eyes. Not when she smelled like someone else. Not when she felt like this.

Lion

She was right. And who could blame her. Definitely not him.

She was young wanted someone strong and virile. He was a healer, not a warrior, not even a blacksmith. He stitched butt wounds and plucked needles out of someone that fell onto a cactus, not warded off against rogue tribes, and other potential dangers. He didn't even hunt. Of course she chose Jade. It was too bad Jade couldn't appreciate who he'd been chosen by the way Slate could.

And from what he knew, this was his first.

It was all Slate could think about in order it ignore the ache in his chest, the wild panging throb in his heart when she walked off with him into the tent to breed for the good of the Clan. For the heavenly fire. Slate's throat balled up, into a dry aching mess and he didn't even hear Viridian as his brother walked off and said good night.

Slate was still standing there until he was the last one, watching her disappear and soon he did too, going back to his tent and closing it off. He clenched his teeth and threw off his robes, the worn cloth tattered from reuse. The one he'd worn over his shoulders in the best presentation of himself. But no, he'd been unworthy and unchosen. Maybe next time. Maybe he'd be better. Maybe he could get a new silk shirt that she'd notice.

Slate didn't get to sleep, and after a few hours the restlessness of working on salves did nothing to sate his restlessly wandering mind. He stepped outside, pushing aside the curtain and seeing everyone else was asleep, save for the night guard. The night desert air was cool and he whipped his tail to the side, playing with a pebble that went tumbling off ahead of him. Which he did so again and again with little thought, until the rock landed next to someone shiny and pink.

His eyes meandered over to where a sliver of blood eased down the side of her leg. "You know, when you're bleeding like that, you probably should come and see me," he commented softly, standing next to Azalea and brushing her shoulder with his. He gave her a smile, despite his nostrils flaring and the scent of Jade making his hackles rise.  He tried not to show it, but his jaw clenched and he gently reached his elbow up to nudge at her. "Hey, let me patch you up."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Cheesigator

She'd eventually managed to calm herself down enough that the heavy sobs had passed, and she could breathe again, but the tracks of tears still kept coming, rolling down her cheeks as she stared at the stars and wondered what she'd done to anger the gods. Why did they decide to give her this fate, this fate of loving someone she wasn't ever supposed to..? The only way it could have been worse was if he wasn't another Kulshedra at all--but the fact that he was an outsider almost made it just as bad.

She didn't hear anything at first until the pebble hit her leg and she blinked, startled with a soft jolt as she looked over and her heart stopped, eyes widening in horror as her heart leapt into full panic mode, beating fast in her chest. What was Slate doing out here so late!?

The stars and moonlight did a good job at shining off of the tears in her eyes and down her face, and she stared at him for a good several moments in utter terror, every muscle frozen, the aches and pains temporarily forgotten as she wondered how in the hell she would get herself out of this one.

She caught the flare of his nostrils, and the shame swallowed her whole as she looked away instead of staring at him.

She was frozen solid in her place, unable to move, unable to run. Her leg hurt, the parts in between her legs hurt, but her heart hurt the most and she was afraid if she took a single step she would shatter into pieces. Already more tears were welling up in her eyes as she reached up to try and hide her face, but the waver and shake in her voice gave everything away and drizzled it with her own tangible fear on top of it. It was the most she could do to shy away from his touch.

"P-Please don't look at me."

Lion

She wasn't at all the Azalea he expected when she was finished, and finally sing seeing her in the state she was in, worn and aching, tired and utterly filled with sorrow made his stomach clench right up. Slate's throat knotted up again, and he shifted so that he could get a better look at her, staying close and ignoring her plea. Because it was a stupid plea.

"Azalea," he murmured, not even noticing then that he was addressing her by name. The words came out naturally and he reached a hand up to go underneath  her chin to prop it up so that she could get a better look at him. He frowned and released her, taking her by the wrist and tugging her along. "Okay, let's go. You're coming with me because you're bleeding and you're a mess and standing here is stupid."

It was, and the sooner he got her alone, the sooner he could ask her why against all instruction had she let herself get hurt all over again. She had one job and she couldn't even do that. Good job Mosquito, great job. Wonderful JOB!

Again another distracting thought from focusing on her distress alone and he didn't take no for an answer as he trudged her back to his tent and nudged her inside.  "Get in there," he ordered and pulled the flap closed behind them.  He knotted it at the end to keep it secure and he lit the small candle in the corner.

"A little fire to honor the Heavenly fire," he murmured in prayer before walking over to her. "Hey, now, you're crying and sobbing all over," he muttered, and gently took the cotton worn robe he'd been wearing before and draped it over her shoulders. Anything to replace the smell of Jade with his own.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Cheesigator

Her ears twitched when she heard the sound of her name coming from Slate's lips, and even in her state of distress, her heart skipped a painful beat.

He never called her by her name, and in doing so more tears started to well up in her eyes, so much so to the point that it was all she could do to bite her lower lip to keep in another sob, nodding when he grabbed her wrist and just letting him take her wherever he willed. At this point she didn't care, she was too exhausted to put up a fight. Too ashamed. Too much a disgrace.

She dropped her gaze, ears drooping and shoulders hunching as he ordered her into his tent and she realized that he probably said her name because she was in trouble. She'd let that wound open up again (despite her telling Jade to be careful,) so now Slate was probably angry.

And yet the moment she felt the soft, warm weight of Slate's robe placed around her, his scent falling around her like the most comforting blanket, she couldn't help it when the sob escaped and she started crying again. She clutched at that robe with all her might until her knuckles turned white under her scales, her head down as her shoulders shook.

Gods all, she'd never wanted anyone to see her like this. Slate least of all. Mostly cause he'd probably just make fun of her and call her a crybaby, but also because he should never see her in a state that was anything less than perfect. Because that was... That was what she felt, deep in her heart, that he deserved.

"S-Slate, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," She managed to say in between sobs, wishing for nothing more than to just hug him and cry against him, but even that she denied herself. She felt awful enough just for clinging so hard to his robe, to the scent of him that was on it. "I--I tried to tell him to be gentle I swear--"

Her words caught on her cries, because Slate being angry with her right now was one more thing she just couldn't bear. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," She said it over and over again, panic rising in her chest as she tried her best to keep quiet, so she didn't disturb the others, and yet her distress was so obvious. If only he knew that it wasn't just her leg that she was saying she was sorry for.

Lion

He shouldn't have been surprised when the small thing in front of him was soon wracking herself with sobs. His eyes widened, but she was already such a hysterical trembling mess that when she did so, he gasped softly and let out a soft cooing hum as he dropped his legs down enough to meet her at her level. "Hey now. Heeeeeyyyy," he soothed, his tone swooping into a decadent baritone that would reverberate through her.

"Azalea, calm down," he muttered and when her sobs evidently would not cease he slowly reached his arms around her, scooping her close and pressing his head over her shoulder. "It's ok. Things like this happen from time to time. There's no need to beat yourself up over it, girly girl. C'mon now. Take a deep breath."  Slate didn't belittle her as he might have been wont to on any other occasion, instead his arms keeping her close and one arm hooked over he shoulder when shifted away enough to lead her to his cot in the corner.

"Lay down," he instructed and turned her so that she could lay on her belly, freeing her tail and legs from the pads and furs he'd slept in. He knelt down next to her, reaching for a fresh shirt he had in a knapsack and laying it underneath her.  "Jade doesn't know what he's doing. He's a young buck. You can't expect a fumbling thing like him to even listen to you, let alone follow simple instructions. Boy had cactus spines poking out of his leg. So I pulled them out and told him not to scratch them for a few days. He comes back and complains they got all red and bumpy and weren't healing. Stupid rockhead, he is. Don't feel bad, lovely. I'll take care of you."

He shushed her softly as he moved around the tent, gathering a mortar and pestle and some of the salve he'd been fixing up before he wandered outside. Seeing her in so much distress made his ears flick and twitch, pulling up a stool just beside her and setting down the medicinal herbs in the mortar.  Slate flicked his eyes at hers, meeting her gaze as his hand reached up and pushed her hair back. The redness of her eyes, and the moisture left by tears he rubbed away with his thumb.  "Now you know not to pick him next time. He's dumb. You'll want a male that has a modicum of experience, to make sure you're taken care of."

Slate's heart jumped a little, and his stomach flipped at the thought that there would be a next time, and his heart went out to her that this first time - the one she'd remember most of all - had been ruined. He visibly frowned as he went to work cleaning her up, expertly cutting the stitches and applying the salve, rubbing it in gently.  He took a few strips of cloth and bound them around her leg this time, as opposed to stitches. She'd already been poked unpleasantly once tonight. No need for him to be stabbing her again.

"Do you want to stay here tonight?" he offered, wiping his hands clean and brushing her hair back some more.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Cheesigator

She wished to the heavens her heart would stop jumping every time she heard him say her name. Wished to the heavens that her breath didn't hitch when he touched her, or when he wiped the tears from her face. She nodded and forced herself to take a deep breath as the gentleness in his voice soothed herm Maybe she wasn't in so much trouble, maybe he wasn't angry. Was she overreacting? Probably.

She just wished it didn't feel like her chest was being torn apart by someone's bare hands.

Instinctively when his arms slid around her she returned the hug, holding onto him tightly as if she were afraid he was a mirage that would disappear with the next wind sweep of the sands. Part of her wished this was just a dream, part of her hoped it was actually real, and she didn't know which one to go with.

Azalea followed his lead, letting him go through the motions of his preparations like this was nothing, just another patient, another accident to happen that was easily treatable. The physical wound might've been, but she didn't know about the rest of her. She obeyed him and laid down, wincing as he cleaned up and tied off the wound on her leg, barely managing to hold back her whimpers of pain.

She snorted softly when he mentioned that old memory, remembering Jade's whoops of pain when he initially landed on the damn thing. Back then she'd thought it was funny and had had no sympathy for him. Maybe she'd picked him out of residual guilt for that, or maybe this was just life coming back to literally bite her in the ass.

He called her lovely and her heart throbbed painfully. The idea of Slate taking care of her shouldn't have sounded as heavenly as it did, and yet it did. She nodded quietly in agreement with his statement; someone more experienced... If only he knew. A bit of jealousy burned inside of her that he was just that--more experienced. That he'd been picked by others before. She didn't let herself dwell on it though, instead figeting with the cloth he'd set underneath her on the cot as she sucked in another deliberately slow breath and let it out in a measured, heavy sigh.

When it was done she slowly sat up, laying more on one leg and side of her hip than the other, keeping the wounded one off of anything for now. But when he made his suggestion, her ears went from they had been drooping to twitching and perking upward; she looked at him with surprise clear in her eyes, and for a brief second she considered it--the notion of saying no came up, and that was where it ended. She nodded quickly, wiping a few more residual tears from the corners of her eyes.

"I-I can sleep on the floor, or something. I don't wanna take your bed," She started to offer, but there was no denying the small part of her that hoped he'd suggest the bed was big enough to share--which it was, if only just enough so--before she quickly told herself to stop being stupid, Azalea.

"T-Thank you. For offering. And your help. You didn't have to do that." She said quietly when she realized with a start she hadn't thanked him yet, dropping her gaze because it was still so hard to look him in the eyes when she felt so guilty, like she'd done him such a wrong, and yet he didn't have the slightest idea--and would have probably called her silly if she told him.

Lion

Slate tried to smile, to stay relatively calm and well-humored for the both of them. He didn't know what more he could say, really. And offering her what he owned, what he valued, he hoped she would take to heart that he meant her well. He kept his gaze soft, and the curve of his lips gently fell into a frown when she refused his offer.

Of course, she wasn't going to sleep on the floor.

"What in the rockhead are you talking about, Azalea. You're not sleeping on the damn floor. You could have done that in your own tent. That's not happening. You're taking my bed whether you like it or not. And if you're that insistent about not stealing it from me, then I can scoot my butt and tail outta the way and sleep on the other side of it, huh," he revised his offer and nudged her shoulder with his.

He stood up and pulled his shirt over his head and motioned her to scoot over. "Don't disturb those stitches okay, no git your butt over there, Mosquito," he grumbled and flopped down onto the bed next to her. "I've had a long day and I want to make sure I get some decent shut-eye. As should you."

He shifted over onto his side and settled his weight along the edge of it. His tail hung off to the side and swayed lazily. "But jokes aside," he mumbled and gently stroked a thumb on her cheek. "You gonna be ok?"




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Cheesigator

She blinked and looked up at him in a bit of surprise when he spoke, seeing his disapproving frown. At first it hurt, until he nudged her shoulder and said he'd just sleep on the bed too.

Her heart throbbed and skipped a beat.

Maybe, just for this one night, she could actually pretend..?

With a squeak she was hastily scooted onto the far side of the bed so he could get on, and she watched him get comfortable for a moment, hesitating before laying down and finding the two of them facing each other. His face was so close to hers in the tight space, and for a moment she thought she could see every emotion in those eyes of his. Her heartbeat sped up, and for a moment she forgot to let out her breath when he stroked her cheek.

A really strong emotion welled up inside of her; she wasn't sure what it was, but it brought a few tears to her eyes as she pursed her lips and nodded. There was a beat, and then without thinking she reached up to rest her hand on his. She let her long slender fingers slip around the back of his hand as she stroked his knuckles with her thumb. She couldn't tear her gaze away from his, and the warmth of his hand spread throughout her and it just felt so nice.

"Thank you." She said again, her voice barely a whisper as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Lion

He didn't need a silk shirt to get her to look at him that the way she did just now. And it made a blush touch his cheeks. Slate had to gasp softly and the warmth behind his eyes made a small bubble of tears bubble up underneath their rim. He held his breath, catching it and a small smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Yeah. It's uh... it's my pleasure. Any time you want to just kind of.... hang out, you can," he murmured and exhaled softly as she squeezed his hand. His heart sped up with the way she gazed into his eyes and he leaned his head forward to kiss her gently on the forehead. "My door is always open to you."

The offer was geniune and when the words escaped his lips he released that deep breath and scooted in even closer so that he could nestle her into the crook of his neck. Slate shifted so that she could sleep on his shoulder.  With a lick of his foot, he pulled the blanket over both of them and kissed her forehead again.

"Good night Azalea," he whispered. Closing his eyes, he was soon fast asleep and breathing lightly. He had gotten the best sleep he'd had in days and the closure of his tent kept it well insulated. The chill from the evening desert had been abated, with the warmth of the body on top of him.

Slate's eyes blinked open sleepily, his free hand reaching up and rubbing the morning crusts from his eyes. He was stiff feeling something was really heavy on top of him and he groaned softly until his eyes widened at the sight of Azalea. Oh that's right, she stayed the night.

He didn't move - moreso because he couldn't than because he wanted to. He simply stared up at the tent ceiling and yawned and tried to ignore the awkward morning ache in his groin.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Cheesigator

She noticed after a moment that his eyes were shining too, though she wasn't really sure why. She didn't bother to think too much about it--right now she was in the moment. They both were. And right now she didn't want this moment to ever end.

When he pressed the kiss to her forehead her heart felt like it was about to leap right out of her chest, and the words that went with only made it that much stronger of a feeling. She could come hang out..?

Before now they'd usually seen each other in passing or when one needed something from the other, or in public settings. He'd tease her, she'd get huffy at him (later getting huffy was all pretend) and they just went on like that for a long time, somehow getting to know each other throughout all of it. Would it be weird if they hung out, now? Would the other tribe members think it was suspicious?

How much did she care?

She wanted to protect him, she didn't want to get him in any trouble because of how she was feeling, but every single feeling in her--her heart, her gut, her mind--was telling her to do it.

"O-Okay," She murmured, scooting in closer too when he did as she let her hand move from his to hesitate and then rest on his side, giving him another gentle squeeze. "I'd... Like that."

She didn't protest at all as he moved so she could rest her head on his shoulder, whispering a gentle "Goodnight." And before she knew it she was out like a light, even though she wished she could stay awake to cherish every moment.

Throughout the night she'd slowly entangled their limbs together, pulling him in until they were both in the middle of the bed and her head was using his chest as a pillow, an arm draped over his midsection in a firm hug. He woke up first; she was so tired from the day before, so tired from crying, so tired from her hurt leg that she was still out like a light, and blissfully unaware of his morning problem.

Unfortunately not all good things could last; after a little while she started to stir, starting first with a stretch that made her back arch and tailtip twitch, then she sat up half way on an elbow, blinking slowly and rubbing the sand from her eyes with a look almost akin to a pout.

She took one look at him, and laid back down with her head back on his chest as she squeezed him in a hug.

"Fivemoreminutes."

Lion

Slate couldn't very well stay in bed all day, no matter how much he wanted to. No matter how much even the slightest movement left his neck stiff and his back a little sore. He wasn't used to the weight of another body on top of him. Something felt natural in the way Azalea laid  on top of him though, comfortable, sleeping soundly and probably better than she would have otherwise.

She was just tired of course. Anyone that tired and that stressed probably would have knocked anyone on their butt by the time it came to conking out for bed. But the little warmth that billowed up in his belly and into his chest told him he was glad she stayed.

Glad that she decided to stay here with him instead of rebuffing him and going off on her own. At least then he could keep an eye on her stitches and make sure they didn't open up again. Slate's arm scooped around her lower back and hugged her tightly, making sure she didn't suddenly stir awake and fall off him.

He did nudge his hips against hers though, as if to vaguely confirm the ache he realized was pressed against her. Oops.  Not that he had much control over that anyway.

Slate leaned his head down and nudged her forehead with his chin, patting her back softly just as she stirred, groaning for more time to stay asleep.

"Hey there, Skeet," he chuckled and poked her sides gently, letting his fingers walk along her ribs. "It's morning now, y'know and you drooled a little when you were snoozing. I almost woke up in a lake."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Cheesigator

There was certainly no doubt about how much of a night owl Azalea was meant to be, nope, none at all--not if the burning death glare she gave Slate at the nudges and pokes had anything to say about it. After all, she was a star gazer, a navigator--she usually didn't get up until much later in the day to begin with.

"A lake?" She growled, her voice a bit rough with sleep, "You better learn how to swim then."

She tried once more to get comfortable again, and that was when she noticed something was a bit... Off.

"... Slate?"

She sat up better as she looked down, wondering if there was something else on the bed, like maybe a rock or something--oh. Nope. No.

Aaaaand now the rest of her face was as red to match the color of her scales and hair.

"Oi, look I know I'm pretty and all Slate but come on now I just woke up," She said with a tired smirk crossed with a slightly withering look and an eyebrow raise.

She looked away from him though in the hopes that he didn't catch her blush (even though he totally probably did) as she sat up better and tucked her legs more daintily underneath herself when she realized they were still entangled with his. And yet as his warmth left her she found herself immediately wanting to go right back in for more, though she held back and let him get off the bed first.

"I always kinda wondered what you were like in the mornings, if you had a routine. Think I got a pretty good idea now." She snorted, sweeping her long hair over her shoulder to start finger combing the tangles out of it.

Lion

Maybe if he was really lucky, she wouldn't notice. Maybe she'd just...

No. Nope.  Not gonna happen today. Oh fire.

"Yeah?" he muttered, his face going stark raving red at the fact that she had to point it out and everything.  He met her gaze and the heat went right to his eyes.  He had to look away the second she smirked and when he just couldn't hold it back anymore, it was quickly followed by a guffaw and a snort of his own. Because in what world was this just not funny?

He noticed her blush, of course, and shifted so that he could crack his back a little more, sitting up.  His lips curled in a soft grin, chuckling as he did so. "I mean I'd be a pretty rotten host if I had a pretty girl like you in my bed and i didn't get morning wood. So rude of me. How dare I, I think I'm gonna go cry in the corner now," he mocked sobbed and with some effort untangled their legs.

He rolled them over the side, pushing himself off to stand, pulling a robe over his shoulders, letting it hang loosely and readjusting the -ahem, stiffy in his pants. Slate, unable to remove the blush from his face, decided he was just better off living with it.

"I bet you're pretty hungry though, huh. Come on, let's go make some breakfast and cry into some eggs. You do know how to cook an egg right?" he murmured, raising an eyebrow quizzically at her. His tail swished out to her and curled around her ankle, brushing around it to pull her along with him toward the small clay oven he had next to a small basket of eggs.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

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