The hyena padded a circle into the floor around his belongings. The black eyes studied the things that he carried and realized that he cherished none of it. It was hard to imagine the kind of life where stuff was so important to a person that they accumulated an entire house full of things they never touched, used or wore. With a slump and a whimper, the canine fixed himself against the stone slab on his side. He was hurting but the beating was nothing new. As pain crept up from this bruise or that cut, his mind would simply refocus the sensation into something else like numbness or pressure.
The kelvic reached into the bond and felt the acknowledgment of his pain in Madeira. He felt the pain she was experiencing, too but that was not all that their elastic rope contained. Indifference. Allister was no stranger to being ignored but he felt it twice coming from the spiritist. Here she was, marking her perfect body with an artistic rendering of his animal form and he had shamed her. A second whimper fell from his muzzle as he planted it on his front paws, black eyes looking anywhere but at other people. He let the pain flourish now. It was uncomfortable, terrible and everywhere but he let it in without resistance.
The man inside the beast cowered against walls of isolation. The sadness he felt was not for his own pain or suffering- it was for the disgrace that he had brought upon the only thing that mattered to him. As his penance, he sat in silence. He stopped pawing at the bond for affirmation or affection. He let the wounds strengthen his resolve for every deep breath that clutched and every twitch of skin that burned. Allister dreamed of ways to make this up to his beloved and he would- one day. It was harder for him to stretch his mind to places beyond his minute understanding of the world. An impossible task was to see how she saw but he still tried and he learned more about himself than anyone or any thing else.
As a way to pass time while these kinds of thoughts crashed around inside his damaged skull, the hyena focused upon his imprint that rested within the astral plane. He felt the connections of his legs and tail but rather than play a prank or perform some other act of mischief, the former slave decided to be helpful. His front paw was not doing anything so he removed the binds at his shoulder and watched as the apparition drifted forward towards the mess he had made when his back collided with the ceiling. On the floor were hips of paint, plaster and chunks of mortar, too. One by one, the phantom limb dragged each piece over by the front door and created a small pile that could easily be removed when they left.
When the lovely little tattoo artist called his name for a final inspection, Allister brought his wayward leg back to his body and slowly reattached the mystic fibers. Once his astral form was whole again, the dog cascaded into a flash of bright light which left behind a naked man crouched on his hands and knees next to his mistress. There was a small delay before he stood. Rather than flash his nude form right next to a seated Taurina and prone Madeira, the kelvic showed restraint and quickly got dressed in his breeches and boots. He left his coat on the floor and turned to face the slab table. He knelt down and put his face before the blue-eyed wonder he’d come to love. A somber look, out of place as it may seem, settled upon him and Allister spoke with very little volume.
“I am sorry I acted like that. You deserve better.” The man careened around to gaze upon her exposed back and the mark of permanence that symbolized his striped form. He smiled and resisted the urge to touch her alabaster skin. The black eyes turned their focus to the artist and he bowed his head. “I think your talent makes me look less of a fool. You have done me a great favor with your needles and ink.” His pale skin flushed red. “I am sorry for what I did and that your boss got mad at you because of me.” His apologies were sincere but his tone was like that of a child’s. The pride that Madeira used to spurn him on was a double-edged sword. When she took it away, it left him broken.
Allister turned his back so his bonded could get dressed in her modesty. He gathered his jacket and slipped into it to help cover the bruises that bloomed all over his ribs, back, shoulders and stomach. Once the debt was settled and it was time to go, the kelvic turned and took Madeira into his arms. Beaten as his body was, he still hoisted her up from the slab with ripples of pain and tension that shot through his legs and back up to his shoulders. He set her down gently then gingerly wrapped his arm around her waist while avoiding the fresh tattoo. He allowed her to lead and they said their final goodbyes then disappeared into the cobbled streets of Riverfall. Madeira had gained a tattoo; bound in ink to mirror the binding of two spirits. Her devoted jester had gained something, too- a deeper understanding of how much he needed to grow to be a good partner for his human.
The kelvic reached into the bond and felt the acknowledgment of his pain in Madeira. He felt the pain she was experiencing, too but that was not all that their elastic rope contained. Indifference. Allister was no stranger to being ignored but he felt it twice coming from the spiritist. Here she was, marking her perfect body with an artistic rendering of his animal form and he had shamed her. A second whimper fell from his muzzle as he planted it on his front paws, black eyes looking anywhere but at other people. He let the pain flourish now. It was uncomfortable, terrible and everywhere but he let it in without resistance.
The man inside the beast cowered against walls of isolation. The sadness he felt was not for his own pain or suffering- it was for the disgrace that he had brought upon the only thing that mattered to him. As his penance, he sat in silence. He stopped pawing at the bond for affirmation or affection. He let the wounds strengthen his resolve for every deep breath that clutched and every twitch of skin that burned. Allister dreamed of ways to make this up to his beloved and he would- one day. It was harder for him to stretch his mind to places beyond his minute understanding of the world. An impossible task was to see how she saw but he still tried and he learned more about himself than anyone or any thing else.
As a way to pass time while these kinds of thoughts crashed around inside his damaged skull, the hyena focused upon his imprint that rested within the astral plane. He felt the connections of his legs and tail but rather than play a prank or perform some other act of mischief, the former slave decided to be helpful. His front paw was not doing anything so he removed the binds at his shoulder and watched as the apparition drifted forward towards the mess he had made when his back collided with the ceiling. On the floor were hips of paint, plaster and chunks of mortar, too. One by one, the phantom limb dragged each piece over by the front door and created a small pile that could easily be removed when they left.
When the lovely little tattoo artist called his name for a final inspection, Allister brought his wayward leg back to his body and slowly reattached the mystic fibers. Once his astral form was whole again, the dog cascaded into a flash of bright light which left behind a naked man crouched on his hands and knees next to his mistress. There was a small delay before he stood. Rather than flash his nude form right next to a seated Taurina and prone Madeira, the kelvic showed restraint and quickly got dressed in his breeches and boots. He left his coat on the floor and turned to face the slab table. He knelt down and put his face before the blue-eyed wonder he’d come to love. A somber look, out of place as it may seem, settled upon him and Allister spoke with very little volume.
“I am sorry I acted like that. You deserve better.” The man careened around to gaze upon her exposed back and the mark of permanence that symbolized his striped form. He smiled and resisted the urge to touch her alabaster skin. The black eyes turned their focus to the artist and he bowed his head. “I think your talent makes me look less of a fool. You have done me a great favor with your needles and ink.” His pale skin flushed red. “I am sorry for what I did and that your boss got mad at you because of me.” His apologies were sincere but his tone was like that of a child’s. The pride that Madeira used to spurn him on was a double-edged sword. When she took it away, it left him broken.
Allister turned his back so his bonded could get dressed in her modesty. He gathered his jacket and slipped into it to help cover the bruises that bloomed all over his ribs, back, shoulders and stomach. Once the debt was settled and it was time to go, the kelvic turned and took Madeira into his arms. Beaten as his body was, he still hoisted her up from the slab with ripples of pain and tension that shot through his legs and back up to his shoulders. He set her down gently then gingerly wrapped his arm around her waist while avoiding the fresh tattoo. He allowed her to lead and they said their final goodbyes then disappeared into the cobbled streets of Riverfall. Madeira had gained a tattoo; bound in ink to mirror the binding of two spirits. Her devoted jester had gained something, too- a deeper understanding of how much he needed to grow to be a good partner for his human.
