You Can't Change Your-...Where Did Your Spots Go?! [Lucette]

[Sairque]

Wry humor twisted the drawn planes of her face as she considered the Kelvic's words. "I would have eaten you, had you eaten my rabbit," she quipped darkly before the possible ramifications of sharing such an idea clarified. The reasons for their current situation unfolded in the space it took Lucette to explain her 'sacrifice'. The cat had no idea she'd been there upon charging the bunny; had she, any number of other scenarious would have taken place before those of the actual events. Maintaining a respectable distance between herself and the Kelvic, the proximity and confidence that the cat exhibited when Sai had offered her shirt reminded the hunter of her companion's formidable physical prowess, she continued her sidelong study. The woman was weakening, that shirt already sopped blood. Sai actually had no idea which way Denval was; before this exciting rendezvous she'd had a vague sense, an idea shared by Catabasis, but the tremulous sense of direction was the first to go when faced with being eaten. Shadows blanketed the forest floor, tendrils of Akajia stretching from the tall, thick canopy. Though the leaves and needles, even the branches and slender trunks, swayed in the unusually gusty summer breeze, not a glimmer of that big burning navigational tool broke through. The arrow she'd drawn on the bunny was tipped by nothing more than a straight point, little more than a practice shaft. The arrows they used on big game was barbed with four long razors, and the woman was something of a mid-size creature...so...though it was bleeding a lot, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad should they not make it to Denval any time soon. Running out of important life saving considerations to muse over, the Kelvic's final question finally had to be addressed. "No. In my experience, feline Kelvics lack skill and the ability to contribute to society. I know a Wind Eagle Kelvic that proves not all Kelvic's are like that, but I've yet to meet a cat that wasn't useless," Lucy's companion informed her with dry aplomb, turning the full breadth of those guarded eagle-esque eyes on her. "No offense, but you have no business being out here; you're lucky the hunter that got you knew enough not to kill you out of mercy, and isn't of the animal variety that would have eaten you while still alive." Having reminded herself of the dangers inherent to venturing from the safety of society, her gaze swept across the narrow trail they followed, scanning the grass-obscured ground at her feet and the dried dust under Lucy's. Not so much as a squirrel scuffle stood out from the rain cleansed pattern. Their voices would inform anything nearby exactly where they were, and though nothing stood out around them, even the birds sang as they should, there really was no way to know for sure what was out there. Erring on the side of caution, one of those wickedly tipped arrows smoothly fit onto the string and snapped into place. Sai carried the weapon casually in the hand away from the Kelvic. Though a few social questions came to mind, some stemming from plain curiosity regarding the nature of this particular exotic species, what found voice was on the practical side of things. "Do you need to eat?" The wiry redhead, with her limited experience with the workings of these magical creatures, had only observed that her sister's girlfriend, Sira, required massive amounts of food directly correlating to the amount of shifting she did.

[Lucette]

“Eaten me!” Lucette whimpered. The Kelvic was thankful that the distance between them remained; the woman was alarming. There was no telling what the red-headed devil was capable of! The slave’s mind was in turmoil, and her normally serene face flushed and reddened at Sairque’s cruel words. For the first time in her young life Lucette argued with a gentle tone, though the emotions that gripped her were not. “I have skill…” she challenged almost proudly, eyes narrowing, “I have a place…” But the hunter notched another arrow and Lucette’s eyes widened in alarm. Sairque would shoot her again… and eat her! The Kelvic tried to think, but her uneducated mind automatically fell back to the only thing she had ever known… seduction. Lucette had to prove she was worth more unharmed, just as she had the times Roland had been very angry with her. Touch distracted humans from their violence… “I am very useful…” Lucette’s tone flowed into a velvety purr. Her lashes blinked slowly, exquisitely and her gaze did not stray from the hunters. The look was submissive still, yet primal, sexual. She glided forward, naked and tall in the shadowed foliage. It was easy to see she was skittish, but even so her body slid closer, almost touching the hunters. Lucette stood but a hair’s breath away. Sairque smelled of the earth, of birds… the Kelvic’s eyelashes fluttered and her nose touched at the woman’s cheek to lightly inhale her scent. On a long exhalation the Kelvic whispered, “Others have been satisfied…”

[Sairque]

A sardonic smile greeted the tall woman’s hearty claim to a position beneficial to society, but the little red head refrained from comment. A moment later the expression, gentled somewhat by progress in other thoughts, froze. The taller woman’s alien movements disarmed her, only ticklingly familiar to the approach of earlier when the shirt had been removed. Others might recognize the tell-tale signs: breathy words, smoldering eyes, sultry movements…others had generally enjoyed their sexual encounters and the interested parties had actually bothered with seduction. Most others had been emotionally available enough to at least attempt a relationship that could progress through seduction. Troubled visage turning toward the Kelvic, her wary gaze remained trapped by the determination in those predatory eyes. What was she doing? Jittery, the woman prolonged Lucette’s experienced approach by a series of startled incremental twitches away. Just her torso retreated, really, rotating slightly with each jolt to almost face what her mind suspected to be a threat. Physically, instinctual reactions confused the wiry woman; the actions didn’t appear to be a hesitant attack, something didn’t quite fit with that assumption. Finally, a heel jerked back, prompted by the shocking effrontery of that delicate nose brushing against the flushed velvet of her cheek. All that really did was knock the arrow from her convulsive grasp on the bow and straighten her posture once more without even a centimeter more distance put between them. Confronted in this manner, those titillating words caressing the delicate flesh with warm promise, the bewildered, but finally comprehending, hunter…stared. Not even the beautiful lower castes with little more going for them then their ability to entice the powerful exuded such attraction. This presentation, despite the painful wound, indicated a refinement startling and mesmerizing in its scope; thoughts of dangers, regarding both shoulder wounds and hungry bears, evaporated like so much water. Disarmed, Lucette would just as easily pick up on her nonplussed and anxious hesitation as she had Lucette’s skittishness. After a thick swallow, that sharp tongue suddenly unruly, lips parted to facilitate eloquently straightening this whole situation out and returning them to their journey. “Satisfying.”

[Lucette]

Lucette’s head turned slowly to look upon the arrow as it dropped from the hunter’s bow. Relief washed over her as she thought she might now be safe from another terrible puncture. But she had to make certain… Loosening her own fingers from the bloody shirt at her shoulder, she allowed the garment to fall over the discarded arrow. Hopefully she could distract the woman from the now concealed arrow. “I can be satisfying… for you,” Lucette murmured into Sairque’s ear effortlessly, though the Kelvic’s reply was apparent more through her actions than the words she used. The slight distance between them still remained, but it was as if the slave girl would cross it at any moment to nestle or rub against the hunter. A charged tension hung between them, and the Kelvic sensed the woman’s hesitation. Lucette continued gently, her voice feathery soft and full of promise, “I have been trained well.” A smooth hand rose slowly to brush loose, red strands of hair from the Inarta’s face. Lifting the fiery hair away, her fingers caressed Sairque’s skin for a moment before they were withdrawn. “Perhaps you have… needs?” The Kelvic moved deliberately. Fear of igniting hot pain in her shoulder made her doubly careful. Unlikely as it was that the injury would kill her, Lucette did not know this. Any affliction was terrible to the Kelvic’s mind, for it brought Roland’s beatings to the forefront of memory. And so she was unable to brush off even the slightest of injuries. Turning her head almost shyly, the girl tried to hide the grimace that suddenly stole over her passionate features.

[Sairque]

Duty, responsibility; ideas held up, crystaline clear, hard, sharp, in the Inarta's eyes. They provided the ultimate motivation, they cut the world into black and white. They were the catch-all, the justification and the solution. Three responsibilities worked on the anxiety-struck woman there in the shadows of the trees some distance from Denval. Food, to the city; survival, for the city, for Aidara, for Catabasis; medical attention, for the increasingly powerful creature she'd inadvertantly shot. No space in that tight net of motivation existed for the daliance proposed by the mesmerizing, bewitching thing at her side. But not even the faintest trace of responsibility existed in the befuddled, vexed and enticed mind behind those gossamer strands of hair the siren so gently and suggestively brushed aside. When had hands ever been crafted so pure, delicate in every ministration, as though they had nothing in common with the toiling clubs the masses of Wind Reach clawed by with. Had they a different purpose, one meant for taking the mundane sensation of flesh upon flesh and lighting it on fire, the destination of which seemed to be the chest vicinity where thick hunger started aflutter and the lungs heaved in preparation for finding satiety. Just as no logical sequence could explain or debase the vibrant whirlpool of glitter that transformed animal to human, Sai could find no category or parallel for the creature focusing all her substantial talents on the naive hunter. Lucette existed beyond her understanding of the world, beyond any and every person she'd come into contact with. The closest possible relation was Chemar, with the dreamwalker's otherworldy mystery. But even her being was tied inextricably to the toil of physical labor; strong hands for tanning hides when no souls could be found for healing. This woman, expanses of pristine flesh begging to be melted into just a hairsbreadth away, eyes to hypnotise, fingers like flower petals, everything held together by a promise of complete caretaking. Whatever those cares be within the offered realm. But what was one who devoted body and soul to the grinding work of the survival of an entire rough, beastly race, to do with something like that? Why, stare of course. Sweat a bit, draw in unnecessarily shallow breaths, panic quietly in her own way. She'd shot this ethereal creature, drawn its blood and then subjected it to verbal abuse. Finally, sympathy for the woman dawned, guilt intesified, and duty reinstated itself. The Kelvic needed her shoulder taken proper care of. Swallowing hard, she inched away, well aware of the painful loss each little shuffle intensified. "I need to take care of your shoulder. I'm sorry I shot you, I was trying to hit the rabbit for lunch. I had no idea you were even there until you ran out just in time to catch it," Sairque explained in a rush, sharp features softened with humane sympathies for the first time. "That wound shouldn't kill you, but it could get infected."

[Lucette]

Soft, red strands of hair slipped between Lucette’s fingers as the hunter inched away. A flutter of panic surfaced in the Kelvic’s belly. Had she been mistaken… did Sairque deny her advances? Would she pick up the arrow once more? Almost immediately though, Lucette’s keen eyes noted the woman’s discomfort. Even at this small step, the Kelvic felt very pleased with herself. An overwhelming sense of relief filled her, for in Lucette’s world, a slave held no real power, but in this moment, she felt as if she did. The feeling aroused her already sharp senses. The briefest hint of a smile formed, slow and seductive, on the slave girl’s lips, and made her features appear softer, more accommodating. Lucette stood beneath the hunter’s stare, accepting it, welcoming it. Silently, her body answered to speak on a primal level of the pleasures she offered. The Kelvic knew, humans preferred this naked form. And that seemed to hold true, even when her only adornment was the wound upon her shoulder, and the thin rivulets of red that trailed from it. “I understand,” was all Lucette replied to Sairque’s rapid stream of words. But exactly what the Kelvic understood, she did not say. It was not in her nature to chastise, or argue… even if she wished to, even if the hunter had acted badly in her mind. “You did what you thought best…” she added, showing that perhaps she didn’t understand at all. “And it was… an accident.” Purposefully, Lucette failed to mention the hurtful things the hunter had said, though she had not forgotten them. Gliding closer once more, she held the hunter in her auburn gaze as her fingers grazed the arm that still held the bow. It was an evil thing to the Kelvic’s eyes, and she wished it to lay discarded with the arrow. With the lightest of touches, tiny circles were drawn upon Sairque’s skin, moving downwards, towards the bow. “Of course we will do whatever you wish…” she said, but the sentence trailed off, left purposefully open, purposefully inviting.

[Sairque]

Relief dissipated like so many crushed dreams as the enticing creature continued to speak past the initial ‘I understand.’ Brows furrowed, the disarmed woman tried to piece together the conflicting statements, a fruitless endeavor in the end as the alien sensation of expert fingers against the overly-sensitized flesh of her arm riveted her attention to back to the physical. She flinched. But didn’t drop the bow. Instead, the arm jerked and thwacked both herself and the Kelvic with it. Jostling it, deft fingers unable to regain their grace, she clumsily held it between them in the end, one hand on the grip and the other on the string…like a shield. And then she dropped it. The suggestion that they do what she want lit the fuse that blew the mind. The exploding agent being the complete ambiguity of desires and absence of concrete experience. Somewhere, somehow, the intoxicating woman—and it very much was intoxication, as dizzying and warm and wanton as any ale or mead—had swelled up with…with…more. Of this. This…whatever it was that she had such deliberate control over. Something had boosted her confidence. And the increase in power attracted the flight leader tenfold. Clearing her throat, the hunter hastily bent to retrieve the weapon, quick as one of her profession had to be. This, of course, awkwardly thrust upon her the opportunity to examine those long, toned legs mere inches from her face. And then stare dumbly at each new inch of creamy, soft flesh as she slowly straightened again. Absently aware of protecting the weapon from drops and jars, it found a resting place propped precariously against a nearby tree. Sai’s golden eyes, wide with dilated pupils, lingered on the midriff, on the delicate hip bones, slid up the torso, pulled along by the slender and elongated lines of that elegant form, and finally met Lucette’s. Not unused to making decisions at challenging moments, wetted lips finally released their verdict. “We got attacked by a bear once, my sister used water and cloth to clean the wounds. Let’s do that,” she stated with an inflection that made it more of a question than it should have been. Despite the productive decision, the wiry woman had no more luck this time around extracting herself from the claws Lucette had laid in. Only this time, with the increase in confidence and power of the woman before her, ideas and desires sharpened into focus and clear ambitions. The intangible sensations and reactions the mysterious woman had engendered swelled and matured into an aching want that had no parameters beyond the satiation resting absolutely on a physical encounter with her. That desire to run, Sairque discovered, had problematically transformed into a desire for proximity. Golden hues almost pleaded to be released. That shoulder needed taking care of over and above all else. Duty must be performed.

[Lucette]

Startled to be slapped with the bow, Lucette flinched, while her hand recoiled as if chastised, and fluttered protectively to her chest. The weapon slipped between them, and the slave girl feared her attempts at diversion had been discovered. But when Lucette looked worriedly to the woman’s face, she finally understood... The hunter was flustered and the bow fell from her hand… The Kelvic’s eyes widened in elation, but she tried to hide the great relief that filled her. But the bow… fell! Like the shifting wind upon her face when she ran, Lucette’s demeanor fluctuated, ever changing between self confidence and timidity, timidity and subtle confidence. But when the hunter bent for the weapon… Lucette wondered if she had been mistaken? Fleeing crossed her mind, though she was too timid to follow through with the thought. Instead, the slave girl’s wavy locks fell to brush her cheeks with soft curls, as her head bent to study the hunter who knelt at her feet. Lucette knew the look of appraisal… of judging, of being considered. Statue still, the Kelvic stood as Roland had taught her – acceptance with a graceful stance. Only her hand moved, to slide downward from her breast, fingers trailing to hover at her tight belly, to focus attention there, then across her hip before settling to ultimately hang at her side, fingers lightly touching her thigh. The hunter appeared flustered, though not as deadly as she once had… and Lucette was reminded of certain humans who had visited her before in the Temple. Often some had need of assurances, or guidance… Did the hunter wish this as well? If it meant getting safely to back to Denval and further away from the hurtful bow and arrow, the Kelvic would satisfy this wish. A supple, pink tongue darted out. Lucette knew she had captivated the hunter at least for a time. Patiently, she waited for the red-head to rise. And while the nervousness in her companion caused her to trust more, always she reminded herself of the terrible aggression that lay beneath it… “You would do this, take care of this hurt?” Take care of me…? The girl’s head cocked to the side. The woman acted as if it were true, and Lucette wanted to believe her, for her shoulder pained. “I would be… very thankful.” And she brushed against the woman lightly, purposefully as she moved to the side looking for a suitable place to receive cleansing. “Where would you prefer me?” Lucette looked back, over her shoulder with a slight lift of her brow.

[Sairque]

A previously undetectable breeze intruded upon the hunter’s awareness as the transformed Kelvic stepped away. Chills raced up and down her arms, provoking a disconcerting curiosity regarding the magical creature’s abilities to affect the redhead. Perhaps she had more control over her…victims…than it seemed. That smoldering glance, tossed so deliberately over her shoulder, banished all hints of cool comfort, washed a flush, sticky heat over the hunter and removed all doubts as to the supposed limitations of the woman’s power. All the more reason to go through with what was right, getting her patched up. “Yes,” Sairque breathed, taking a moment to focus on the centering sensation of air flooding her lungs and rushing out her nostrils. “We need water…” Breathe. Breathe. The forest surrounding Denval smelled differently than those near Wind Reach, less arid, more lush. Ripe, juicy, succulent, ready to be plucked, a single bite would spill juices all down one’s chin. Sai blinked, wondering where that particular, specific thought had intruded from. It was a nice wake-up call. “There was a small spring back at that glade with the rabbit, let’s head back there.” Carefully minding her gaze, it was a hungry little thing, the hunter slung the bow over a shoulder and fetched her shirt and discarded arrow. With every step back, the sensation of that last, light and tantalizing brush from the Kelvic relived itself. “What’s your name?” Was that really her voice? It had…squeaked. Clearly, during one of those calming breathes, she had inhaled a bit of grass. Clearing her throat, the hunter continued. “I’m Sairque Catabasis, of Wind Reach. I’ve only ever seen my sister clean a wound like that, so I can’t guarantee the results.” There was no sign of any happy little bunny upon entering the glade this time. She meant to kneel near the water, rinse the congealed blood from the dark shirt, and allow the Kelvic to recline nearby as she would. In reality, the cool, rough tips of her fingers sought to subtlety guide her patient into position near the water. The way she jerked her hand back before ever reaching any smooth expanse of skin was in no way subtle, and the hunter looked puzzled as she instead set aside the bow, removed the quiver and snapped out the shirt to shake it free of any debris. The water was bone-chilling, shocking and revitalizing even from just the tips of her fingers dipping in to rinse the shirt. Pink tendrils stretched from the dark material, carried downstream with the slow current. It was no more than three inches deep with a rocky bottom and surrounded closely with bushes. A small break allowed Sai entrance, and once the material was clean and sopping she rotated around, balanced nimbly on the ball of a foot, to start cleaning up the bloody stain spread over that fair shoulder. With this serious task in mind, her touch would be smooth and confident, taking considerable care not to cause unavoidable pain or discomfort. It was more consideration than any Inarta, man, woman, or child, ever would have got from the pragmatic flight leader.

[Lucette]

The Kelvic stood waiting while the hunter gathered her belongings. To Lucette’s dismay the fallen arrow was among the collected items; the woman had not forgotten it. Softly, the slave girl answered, “Lucette. From the Temple, in Denval. You… have not been there. I would have remembered you.” The tone was silky yet honest, as her lashes lowered slowly over pools of amber. “Wind Reach… is a great distance. You are a long way from your people… your family?” Perhaps the woman was lonesome, the slave girl thought, to be as disconcerted as she acted. “In the Temple you would find much comfort, while you are away from home.” Sairque had wounded her. But Roland had before as well, though never this badly; the Kelvic had become used to his concerned ministrations after a beating. And this hunter had an almost embarrassed expression, which served to quickly dispel the Kelvic’s fears that she might be harmed further. “I am sure the cleansing will be worthwhile. I do not worry.” Once they had returned to the glade, Lucette would have pricked her ears forward with interest had she been in Cheetah form. Sairque’s fingers neared, and Lucette waited, almost welcoming the contact. But the touch never connected; instead it quickly withdrew, as if scalded. Lucette smiled, and though she was still in pain, it was the smile of a feline, self possessed in the moment. The original intent behind the motion was clear, and the Kelvic’s body responded to sit. She settled onto the grass, as comfortably as possible, her legs bent and tucked beneath her. Even as she sat injured, it appeared as if she reclined, comfortable in the small glade, though her good hand rested upon the injured shoulder. Her skin was pale against the green of the grass, and the breeze tickled the light curls about her face. Worried as the wet rag neared, Lucette sat immobile, only to flinch as the cold, wet cloth touched her skin so near the arrow wound. A warning hiss slid from between her teeth. But Sarique moved confidently, the hesitation gone, replaced with an intensity that had not before been there. It held the Kelvic in place and Lucette could only focus upon Sairque’s eyes, watching the movement within the pupils. So gently did the cloth move… the kindness of it was a surprise as the crimson stain was rinsed away. Each downward stroke of the wet shirt dripped ice cold droplets of water that ran in small rivulets down her arm, and around the curve of her breast to disappear behind a shapely hip. A shiver ran through the slave girl from the chill. Fearful of losing the upper hand, Lucette lifted her fingers to lightly cradle Sarique’s cheek, as if to say ‘thank you.’ But the Kelvic did not speak, instead she let the hand remain, cool and sure where it caressed the hunter’s face.