Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Jun 29, 2017 0:59:21 GMT -5
(( Ventia )) The night was warm and muggy, causing the canine that looked more shadow than wolf to shake his fur in an attempt to rid himself of the sticky feeling. Lady Luna was nowhere in sight, nor were her faithful companions. Dark clouds covered his sight of them, making the night feel more like a black hole than anything. Lark fit right in. Each step he took, he heard a jangle. His tag. Something he had gotten used to, but needed to get rid of and fast. It was what caused her to find him. She said as much. Maybe it was the bright red leather that always chafed him she charmed, or the bronze circle that proudly boasted LARK followed by the witch's number. Either way, it needed to go. The mud he had coated himself with soon after he departed the property was much more comfortable than the shackle tying him to her. With no scent, there would be no one of the non-magical variety trailing him for her - and she's paid people to find him for her, whether too busy to do it herself or too lazy. This trick up his proverbial sleeve has worked before, but it only caused Mistress to be more angry than if he had bitten her because she had to go get him herself. And she could find him faster than any hunting party could. Chances are, she already knows where he is and she's gone out to retrieve her hound. He had followed the road that smelled and tasted so foul it masked all other scents. But he knew where this led. A small town that most everyone knew each other and had a heart for the wolf that lived off scraps the itty restaurant threw out to him every time he came. Every time he came, it was the same. Someone would bring him in for the night. That someone would call his mistress. And then soon after that, his mistress would be there to pick him up. He'd be compelled to jump in the mechanical beast she commanded, and he would hang his head down in shame. Mistress thought it was because he was ashamed for running away, so she wasn't as harsh as she would be if he didn't look guilty. But really, he was ashamed that he believed yet again that someone would help him. He leapt over the fallen log, the last hurtle before he got into city limits. Something stirred in his chest. Something that he felt every time he set foot on the concrete of the town. Hope. Such an emotion that wolves shouldn't feel, for it was a human emotion. Yet, he did. Because when he rounded the corner of the first building, there she stood. A stranger.
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Post by Ventia on Jun 29, 2017 1:40:57 GMT -5
The Guild was pretty slow these days and Atsila found herself venturing out more than ever. Not that The Guild didn't know of Atsila's personality of not being able to sit still. When they needed her, they'd just give her a phone call and she'd be back to office business. It would never stop her from her true fun.
Which was what she was doing now. Some fun. Some hunting. Some more money in her bank account. Some blood...
She caught the apple from the air and turned when she felt eyes on her. Dressed in her usual getup, which was a simple tank top that had been sliced through the middle so that it hide her chest but still showed off her stomach and hips. Along with the usual leggings that had some rip and tears in it, along with stains of blood and other fluids that detergent wouldn't wash off. She wore sandals and had her hair tied in two distinctive braids that fell well below her waist. She wore a dream catcher bracelet and had a feather permanently entwined into her left braid. Along with a thick fur cloak that hanged off her shoulders in pelts of deep red, dark browns, velvet reds, angry blondes, and many more shades of her prey, well Atsila was looking pretty unusual in this tiny town.
Not as unusual as a man trapped in his wolf's body but still.
Atsila moved the apple into the cloaks pocket and eased off from the wall, approaching the wolf without hesitation. She didn't need to crouch down that low once she was within the wolf's personal bubble. Her lone finger brushed against the collar and magic stunned her.
Her eyes went wide and her chest instantly felt as if it were on fire. Smoke clogged her nostrils and her eyes-
She coughed. "Well Lark, this sucks."
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Jun 29, 2017 11:35:20 GMT -5
No, Atsila didn't need to bend down to look at his name tag. Lark was large; when he sat, his head came up to the foreign woman's chest easily. When he stood on his hind legs, he easily reached seven feet tall. His father had always claimed that Lark had gotten the fully-formed shift, while Ludin was stuck at the halfway mark.
With his red eyes, he watched Atsila move toward him, his sharp sense of smell picking up blood and traces of fire from her seemingly soft skin. His tail moved slowly, hesitantly, all thoughts pointing toward her and the human hands that she had, which were capable of taking off this wretched thing latched to him. He felt hope stir a little bit more when she touched said wretched thing, but he reared his head back at her sudden retreat. One pointed ear rotated ninety degrees of its own accord, hearing then dismissing a rat's scuffle in an alleyway.
He didn't feel anything when Atsila touched him, therefore didn't understand why she acted as if he burned her. Or the collar. Or whatever. Instead, he whuffed softly, crouching down to the ground and moved to get closer to her. A small whine escaped him at his name, picking up her tone of voice, but wagged his tail again, as if encouraging her to take it off.
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Post by Ventia on Jun 29, 2017 14:46:55 GMT -5
"Dont whine," Atsila scolded the wolf as she rubbed her thumb and forefinger together, as if trying to smooth a unseen infliction. Her brows were drawn in thought as she stared at the collar and as if her body already knew what her mind was too slow to, her body started to grow warm. The thin soles of her sandals sinking into the ground, her skin absorbing the energy from the earth.
She raised a eyebrow at his own crouching and laughed a bit to herself. "Like that makes you any smaller." She stretched her spine, rolling her neck around her shoulders and then unconsciously flexing and twirling her fingers by her sides. She glanced down at the wolf, at the skinny but sturdy bones beneath his fur. She reached out, this time for the fur and not the collar.
A slight annoying shiver went down her spine and with her brows still furrowed, she walked around him. Her fingers still brushing just the top of his hair. It was when she was holding the tip of his wagging tail that she felt most at ease with his situation. She sighed, and continued walking around him. Her fingers were right underneath the collar now, her brows were relaxed, and her dark brown eyes had more amber in them than they did in the beginning.
"Spells are tricky and sticky things, Mr. Wolf." Atsila blew out the energy as she spoke and could feel but not see the warm smoke surround her and slowly entrapped Lark into its embrace. She slowly brought her other palm flat against the clasp of the collar. The amber in her gaze grew, burning brighter as if it were suddenly lit.
"It must have been pretty hard to get away this much from whoever placed this on you. Must have been pretty strong." Atsila cocked her head to the side in a very wolflike manner. After all, she could feel her wolf spirit filling her, giving her the means to feel this unnatural and invisible gold thread that connected him to someone.
The wolf.
A raven called and Atsila blew the wolf a kiss, her breath hotter than usual.
"It wont be cheap." She warned, her eyes more like burning fires than the darkness earlier.
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Jun 29, 2017 20:46:07 GMT -5
Lark had been in his animal skin for so long it was as if he was a wolf and not a lycan. All of his responses were primal, including his teeth snapping at her admonishment. "I do as I please," it seemed to say, and when she commented about his crouching he gave a snort before sitting up straight.
He sat so straight, in fact, that he looked like a statue as she went around him. She didn't touch him much, but the more she grazed his obsidian fur, the hotter and drier the night became. Or was it him?
His tail still wagged, getting slower and slower until her fingers caught hold of it. He wasn't expecting it; he jumped before standing up all of a sudden. He didn't growl, but to show his discomfort, his pointed ears flattened against his head. His gaze then followed her to his front, and he lifted his head a tad bit to let her have full sight of the crimson leather. Lark felt it then. Fire. Like the blaze back in his mistress's home, it was warm, and invited sweet release from his prison. But he couldn't see it, and it honestly freaked him out.
At the mention of "cheap", he cocked his head in a dog-like manner. What was "cheap"? He wasn't sure, nor did he know that she expected payment from him. After all, he didn't know the concept of money or whatever. All he knew was that he needed to get this thing off. Or Mistress will find him again. Once again, he snapped his teeth impatiently, ignoring the blown kiss and the raven's call. He blinked once, twice, then stared with an almost human plea within his red eyes into his amber ones.
She could do it. He knew, because her presence was just as prominent and strong as his Mistress's.
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Post by Ventia on Jun 29, 2017 21:21:33 GMT -5
Besides from the curve to her lips at the sight of his ears going back, Atsila didn't comment on the display. No, her attention was all on the magic that had him chained. Whether it was because of something the wolf had done or because the owner wasn't around-it wasn't as strong as it should have been.
She kept her palm flat against the collar but used the other to stroke the invisible matter that swirled around the beast. The longer she touched the collar, the more the urge grew to give into a part of the spell-which made anyone who found the wolf want to give the number a ring.
It was a good thing Atsila didn't carry around phones.
"You might feel a little heat." She warned and pushed her magic into her flat palm, feeling it clash against the spell that held the collar in a death lock. It was all to easy, despite the fact it had been a while since she tapped into her natural flow. Maybe her wolf was helping her. Atsila's fingers slowly clenched around the collar until she held it in a fist.
Her magic burned its way through, slowly eating the spell until finally a little sound echoed in her head. She dropped her hands then, knowing that she had just broken the caster's spell. "It's a regular old collar now but it's ugly and there's a number on there that's not really mine and I don't like sharing." Atsila explained with a cheerful voice as she ripped it off his neck, throwing the damn thing back into the thick forest.
She dusted her hands then and readjusted her cloak before grabbing the apple once more. "Come on Mr. Wolf, you look like you need a bath. Plus, we'll have to leave first thing tomorrow."
With a little twirl, Atsila turned and walked deeper into the small town, taking the back roads to avoid confrontation with anyone. She didn't look to see if the wolf would follow her. But she knew it would. Just like she knew that no matter how many years would pass-the fire in her blood would always stay alive.
She eased out of a alley and walked straight across the empty open space. Towards the apartment that she rented out the night before. She hadn't bother to lock it when she left so it was a simple twist before it opened. Turning finally back, she waited to see where Mr. Wolf was.
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Jun 29, 2017 23:32:51 GMT -5
Lark was slowly getting used to the scent and feel of the phantom fire blazing by him. A little more heat wouldn't hurt him ... right?
Right. His eyes became hooded, and a large pink tongue lolled out from the side of his mouth. He could fall asleep right there, he decided, picturing falling asleep right then and there at the woman's feet.
Then, suddenly, something cracked. Like ice cubes when met with a drink that was warmer than them. His eyes snapped open, shock evident in the red orbs. For so long, he had been under his mistress's "care", and he was so used to the oppressive touch she had - both physically and magically - that when he stood and shook himself, something more than flecks of caked mud dropped to the ground. A blanket on a night such as his was wrenched free from him.
Freedom.
He barked twice, unable to keep his joy contained. When she took the collar off too, he spun in a complete circle, letting her words of "I don't like to share" roll off of him, a current over smooth stones. Then he sat again, and he scratched vigorously at his neck, exactly where the collar had been; it itched so bad!
At the name she gave him, the command to "come" specifically, he obediantly stood and walked behind her, confident that without the collar, Mistress wouldn't find him. Besides, he liked this woman better. She didn't call Mistress. She helped him. And she had food. Lark paid special attention to that, scenting the sweet aroma the apple gave. His feet never made a sound. No crunch on gravel. No clicking of his sharp, black-as-ink claws. Nothing, as he followed Atsila, never once passing her (even though he could do it). He was trained to walk behind unless Mistress was in grave danger. But with no Mistress, one of the reasons why he followed the girl that saved him was because of the fruit.
And she did save him. A sense of loyalty overcame him. Wrapped around his heart and seeped into his bones. Loyalty ... and maybe trust. When she stopped, he nearly ran into her, nose pressing against the middle of her fur cloak before instinct told himself to step back. Then he sat, looking up at Atsila and waited.
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Post by Ventia on Jun 30, 2017 0:27:03 GMT -5
She had glanced back just in time to see Mr. Wolf almost bump into her. The words "how cute," crossed her lips out of their own accord and her now dark brown eyes had twinkled in amusement. Such a human reaction. She wondered just how long was he stuck in that form that he managed to combine both beast and man personalities and quirks.
She leaned against the door frame and quirked a eyebrow up. "Whatcha waiting for, Mr. Wolf?" Atsila reached out, brushing her fingertips against one large ear. The stillness of his aura made a satisfied weight fill her stomach. He was free now. In a way. Whoever had casted a spell on him would try to hunt him down.
It didn't bode well in her bones.
"Come on you," she scratched below his ear, enjoying the feel of his fur. She dropped her fingers and with a sway of her hips, she was moving deep into the tiny room until she was by the far side. Opening the crappy refrigerator, she pulled out one ziplock that she had placed earlier.
Thick, rare, and bloody slices of raw meat.
Atsila took out one slab of steak for herself and then placed the rest in a paper plate courtesy of the owner. She placed the plate down on the floor for the wolf and clicked her tongue to get his attention. "Doubtful you'd want it cooked."
She turned the stove on and started to season her own piece. Raw meat was good and all but Atsila slept way to long the next day if she had a belly full of bloody goodness. So cooked would have to do for tonight.
"The toilet seat is up if you want some water. Trust me, it's just as bad as the tap water. Doesn't make a difference and I don't got any bowl to give you. So unless you turn your pretty ass back to whatever form you were in before that spell, it's the toilet seat for you." Atsila shrugged her shoulders and pointed towards the right where the bathroom was.
"Or you can wait like ten minutes and then I'll give you a bath and you can just drink the water from there."
She made small talk as she flipped the steak over in the pan, ignoring the stabs of pain from the butter spitting at her arms. Once she had that done, she sat on the tile floor to be on eye level with the wolf.
With her fingers, she tore into the hot steak, licking and blowing her fingers as she ate. She grabbed the apple from her pocket, grabbed the knife strapped to her thigh, and routinely started to slice through the apple.
"Oh, my name's Atsila by the way."
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Jun 30, 2017 23:14:14 GMT -5
There was a part - a rather large part - of him that enjoyed Atsila's touch. It was warm, causing Lark to lean heavily against her hand. A small groan escaped, and when she pulled away he shook his head before following her in. Once inside, he looked around and scented the air. Definitely, he smelled her. The firey tang of cinnamon tickled his nostrils. He decided that he liked it.
Not as much as the meat she pulled out of the fridge, though. His nose detected beef. The red meat made his mouth salivate and stomach clench in anticipation. Lark could barely contain his excitement, and it showed in how his front paws danced wildly and tail wagged furiously back and forth. Yet, he stayed where he was until she made an annoying clicking sound. Then he practically leapt on the meat, taking the first slab into his powerful maw in a starved greed.
It's been so long since he's eaten such delicious food. The blood enticed his tastebuds, traveled leisurely down his throat long after he bit into his second piece. Yes. Atsila was easily becoming his favorite ... person for a lack of a better term. She took his collar off; gave him human contact that didn't downright disgust him; and fed him actual food within a span of an hour. Most of him, admittedly, wasn't paying attention at her words. But when "shift" passed those lips of hers, he looked up in shock, his last piece of meat hanging from his mouth.
Where has he heard that word before?
Unbidden, a memory leached into his brain. Unlike his vision, which colored the world around him in dark hues like gray and black, this ... scene came with colors. Lark didn't see it through his canine eyes. Instead, they were human. He saw his siblings. Slowly, their names came to him.
Georgina.
Gertrude.
Luc.
"My children are strong," a masculine voice behind him said with conviction. His father. Anderson. Alpha.
Pain.
Quickly, he shook his head, as if to try to dislodge the awful memory. Then he continued to eat.
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Post by Ventia on Jul 1, 2017 1:12:16 GMT -5
Atsila watched the knife for a few seconds, taking in the curve of the handle that fit just right in her palm and the sharpness of the blade. She sliced through the apple once more, cutting off a slice, and watched the liquid slide down the blade. Hmm. She brought the blade to her lips and licked at the edge, feeling the blade cut her on her tongue just a bit.
She swallowed and within a few seconds, she felt her tongue healing and the presence of blood in her mouth lessened until there was none left. She glanced up at the wolf and found herself leaning up against the wall, just staring at the gigantic beast.
She was so small compared to him, Atsila thought humorously. In both her human form and her wolf form. She scooted closer, trying to mentally calculate just how small in comparison she was to him. Atsila sat back on her legs, sort of kneeling beside him and she cocked her head to the side.
"Yep. Definitely smaller." She told Mr. Wolf, even going so far as to get on her hands and knees for measurement. "Mmhm. Totally." She nodded to herself and raised a eyebrow at him shaking his head.
"Trust me, I'm definitely smaller." She sat back down on her legs, comfortable in the position, and brushed out some leaves from his body. As she sat there, feeling the bones underneath her fingers and getting her already dirty floor even dirtier, Atsila started to think.
Why did she help him? It wasn't the first time that she sensed someone being trapped in a spell. She hadn't stopped to help them. She smoothed the fur, noticing hints of bright red under all the junk. So why did Atsila help Mr. Wolf? Was it his red eyes that she was drawn to? For they were like burning blazes and they screamed out to her in ways that only her memories remembered. Or maybe she had missed Elaine a bit too much. The leopard kept her bed warm most nights back at the Guild. Here? Her bed was still warm but she had missed that physical comfort that Elaine always provided. Did she pick up a stray just to have that again.
Atsila stared at her fingers which were now unconsciously petting the wolf. Her fingers were getting black with dirt and anything else he had on him. She didn't quite mind that. She had worst. It was more of why she was still petting him that made her frown.
Maybe because he was another wolf and deep down, she still had that loyalty to her kind. Atsila brushed her fingers up his neck until she had her fingers just by his mouth. Sort of dangerous with him snapping his jaws at her meat but Atsila never minded pain before.
"Just who are you anyways?" She whispered, curling a forefinger over the bridge of his forehead. "Well. Bath time you. You stink and quite frankly, so do I." She winked at the wolf and then stood. She didn't go that far, unsure why she enjoyed the comfort that Mr. Wolf provided. She took off the cloak of furs and placed it on the kitchen countertop before moving back to the door.
After closing it, she pushed a finger in her sandals and slid them off. Walking barefoot now, Atsila moved towards the bathroom. "Wolf." She called, flipping the toilet seat down so she could sit down on it. There was no shower curtain and there were spots of mold growing at the far corners under the sink, but that hadn't bothered Atsila and she doubted it would bother the wolf.
"Come on." She regulated the temperature of the water and started lathering up her hands with the shampoo bottle she carried.
"You're not sleeping on the bed if you don't get in this shower mister." She told the wolf since he had still not jumped into the bathtub.
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Jul 1, 2017 2:05:37 GMT -5
Lark let the girl pet him.
There was no reason other than he enjoyed it. He didn't sense her inner questionings, but did cock his head curiously when she got down on her hands and knees in front of him. He paused in his feasting to sniff that cinnamon tang he had been associating Atsila with, pressing his nose close to her eye before sneezing and going back to his eating. By the time her fingers came close to his mouth, he was finished, the pink tongue licking his chops. He was full now, warmth seeping into his skin that came from Atsila. He could easily fall asleep right then.
But then she called him. "Wolf," she said, but he knew that wasn't his name. In fact, he didn't really like it all that much. The word she referred to him as. Not his name. He quite liked his name. His mother picked it out.
Mother?
Another memory came to him again, showing him instead of the three children, a woman with rose-red hair and beautiful hazel eyes. He wished he had those eyes. "My little Lark," she murmured, a lilt to her voice that he couldn't really place.
Once more, he shook his head. Then padded after Atsila with a slowness that showed his lethargy. He was, indeed, reluctant to jump into the tub. But at the mention of a bed, he groaned in an almost human manner before jumping in. Immediately, the swirling water became brown with the mud caked in his fur. Paying no attention, he lapped at the water coming from the faucet, not minding how warm it was.
Better than the things Mistress gave him.
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Post by Ventia on Jul 1, 2017 2:39:05 GMT -5
He was dirtier than she had originally thought and much more skinner too. Atsila frowned, splashing water up and down his body, rubbing soap deep within the layers of his fur, and rinsing just to do it all over again. "Well," she started as she began to wash him yet another time. How many was this now? Four? Five? Atsila lost count. "Looks like no shampoo for me." She rubbed his paws, getting between each individual toe until eventually the water ran clear.
Sure. Atsila was a pretty grotesque person who loved her blood and mud and the heads of her targets, but she had a thing with beds. Had to be clean beds that she slept in. Unless she wanted to get it dirty. That's the way she liked it. It was why she always took showers before nodding off. Showers that took off the mud, leaves, and most often than not, someone's blood.
"Ill de-flea you another day." Atsila mumbled as she squirted some conditioner into his pelt. He had a pretty one, she mused. Dark yet with shades of red and gold if one looked hard enough. Beautiful really. Atsila though as she rubbed the conditioner deep into his body, getting between his ears and his muzzle and nearly everywhere.
She was sort of surprise he hadn't bitten her. But then again, she wasn't. She felt a strange bond form between them once the understanding dawn that she would break the spell. She could very well poke him in the eye and all the beast would do would growl at the most in warning.
Or maybe bite off a arm.
Yay for her accelerated healing.
She hummed as she rinsed him off, a little song that one of the old women in her tribe used to sing. Atsila couldn't remember the words for the life of her-not that she wanted to either. But she always remembered the tune. It was soft and had mellowing undertones that made everything feel slightly more peaceful.
"Mm, thats about the best we'll be doing." Atsila sat back on the toilet, her front positively drenched in water and soap with a few mud streaks. With a little annoyed sigh, she took off the cut tank top, leaving her completely nude from the waist up.
"Alright Mr. Wolf, my turn." She nodded her head for him to jump out, not really having any towel for him. "Just gonna have to shake the majority of that water off before we get you in bed." She mumbled, feeling drained all of a sudden.
Could it be because of the magic? She wondered as she slowly slid out of the equally as wet leggings. Maybe. Atsila tried to move faster, wanting to get under the warm water but her body felt as if it weighted hundreds of pounds. She kicked the wet leggings towards the side but it didn't even move.
"Damn." She muttered even as she felt her body going cold. Her fingers crawled up to her braids and she slowly undid them, not finding the strength to undo the tangles that she felt. Too lazy. Too weak.
Atsila lifted one leg over the tub. Then the other. She didn't even bother trying to stand up, she just let her body slide from the toilet seat until it hit the bottom of the tub. Her head felt heavy then so she leaned it against the wall, welcoming the spray of the showerhead.
The water was nice and warm, and it made her curl her arms around her legs. A breath escaped her. Her eyelids felt heavy. Her body still wasn't warm enough.
With her eyes still closed, she twisted the hot water so that the temperature would go up. Soon, stream started to fill up the room and it attacked her with its burning touch. Atsila welcomed the heat. Her pores opened trying to absorb it all. It sting. It burned. It made the coldness of her skin start to go back to its regular temperature.
Her head started to clear up and lazily she opened her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. A few strokes later and she turned off the hot water and just sat there for a bit. Ringing out the water from her hair she glanced at Mr. Wolf. He was still there. Was that concern in his red gaze?
Atsila didn't know. All she knew was that she longed for his touch. For anyone's touch. Elaine. Elaine would know what to do right now. Atsila's head throbbed. Each throb made the fuzziness go away. Replaced with a annoying pain. Good. She could deal with headaches.
"Bed time." She said, her voice weaker than she wanted it to be.
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Jul 1, 2017 13:44:05 GMT -5
After he drank, Lark stood still in the bath tub. He wasn't really rebellious, but he wasn't compliant either, making no motion to help Atsila clean him. It took forever to clean him. Just when she finished rinsing the soap from his fur, she added another layer on top to do the process all over again. Needless to say, he was eager to switch places with her.
He lied there, in the middle of the bathroom floor after he shook himself thoroughly, licking his pelt with the utmost attention. His tongue swiped his chest repeatedly, then travelled down to the webbing between his paws. It was only when he felt steam fill the room that he looked up.
Definitely, there was concern in his red gaze.
There was a sense of ... helplessness that chilled his blood despite the heat in the room. He didn't know what was going on, but he felt that there was something terribly wrong. Bed time? Surely she didn't intend to sleep in the tub. Mistress took long baths, but she never slept in it. And technically, this wasn't a bath. He groaned, watching Atsila's eyes flutter. He put his paws on the edge of the tub, his muzzle pressing against her cheek. She needed to get out. Now.
But how was she going to get out when it was apparant she didn't have the strength to move?
Shift...
The voice came into his mind softly. Was it his voice? He hasn't spoken before, but he sensed that it was his own voice, a deep voice with the lilt that belonged to his mother. Quickly, he latched onto the word, and followed the thread of memories that came along with it. Like an instruction manual, he followed what the memories showed, willing his body to morph into the shape with fingers and vocal chords. It was so slow, the process. Not at all like what the memories of shifting with his pack that played through his mind. Excrutiating pain blinded him, but he pressed onward, panting heavily and occassionally whining.
By the time the process was finished, the water was cold. Atsila had used all of the hot water in her attempt to warm herself. He didn't give himself time to marvel at the hand that once was a paw; his long, lithe fingers grasped the knob, just barely strong enough to turn the water off as he panted some more.
What stood in the place of the wolf was a man, just as skinny, with an equally animalistic look in his now blue eyes. He had red hair, as vivid a color as a rose's petals, that went down to the middle of his back. He had a beard as well, thick and wild that covered a good portion of his chest. He was a Viking. Well, by the way of looks. His father would be proud, at the very least, of that.
"At ... At-si-la," he tested his unused vocal chords. The name sounded foreign coming from him. A rough, gravelly version of her name. Slowly, he reached for her, pressing his palms against her sides -
Only to jerk back at the sudden sensation he felt.
What were those? he asked himself, pressing his hands against his stomach as if she had shot him. Another thought came in answer, but he didn't have time to go through another memory; impatiently, he set it aside, bolstering himself for the sensation as he grabbed at Atsila again.
This time, he kept himself from pulling away in terror at the unknown feeling as he lifted her by her underarms. Like a rag doll, he pulled her out of the tub, not strong enough to do much else in this form. If she protested, he ignored it, his only thought was to get her out of the tub. Finally, he collapsed on his back, Atsila sprawled on top of him and his long hair beneath.
"At-si-la."
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Post by Ventia on Jul 1, 2017 15:41:30 GMT -5
Her eyes closed on their own accord after her earlier words. Everything felt like too much work-even keeping her eyes open so that she could stare at the wet but much cleaner wolf. She liked looking at him. But now darkness crowded her. Ash filled the air. The scent of burning flesh filled the air. Bright light burned just beyond her gaze. Her throat tightened. A raven's cry filled her mind.
She tried to part her eyes open, tried to see past the memories, tried to get back to reality and her wolf. But she couldn't. She leaned against the tree, staring at the burning ablaze. She had done this. She had called on the fire. She had destroyed her entire tribe-
Her name felt like a distant call. Her body turned to it either way-as if it were highly sensitive to whoever had spoken. Atsila wanted to see. Something nagged at her mind. Telling her that she had never heard this voice before. Something nagged at her to understand.
Sensation blossomed under her side. It burned. It made her gasp in air, bringing oxygen into her brain. Fire settled around her in a lover's embrace. She welcomed it. Welcomed that sensation. Welcomed the sound of her name in that hoarse voice. Welcomed that touch that seemed to zap into her body and rewire her circuits.
Feeling her body being pulled upwards, Atsila found her eyes opening. Mr. Wolf was holding her. She didn't know how she knew that this was her Mr. Wolf. It was a man she had never seen before. Who didn't have Mr. Wolf's red eyes and instead had cold but beautiful blue eyes that made Atsila shiver from the mixed emotions. But she knew this was her Mr. Wolf. She knew that this man was the same skinny wolf who she had lifted a spell.
Her eyes caught on his hair. On the hidden highlights of colorful reds and golds. She sighed, her arms curled loosely around his side, fingers just brushing against his ribs.
"Mr. Wolf." The words felt far away yet she knew it came from her mouth. Her mouth pressed against his chest when they fell. It felt..she nuzzled her nose against the fine hairs there. It felt warm. Atsila closed her eyes at the sound of her name. At the feel of this man beneath her.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled unknowingly in her native tongue, but she wasn't sure why she was saying sorry to him. She hadn't hurt him. Hadn't killed one of his lovers or family. Yet here she was, apologizing to him. "It's been a while since I've done any magic like that. Kind of takes the life out of me a bit." Her words went back and forth between languages as she laid on him.
After a period of time, she raised her head to lean her chin on his chest. With her eyes open now, Atsila stared down at him. Yep. She was still definitely smaller than him. Even in his human form.
"You shifted." She whispered, her fingers brushing against his chin. Atsila smiled, "Proud...of you." She mumbled, the sensations that covered her skin filled her body with warmth and just feeling the coldness sweep away gave her enough energy to sit up.
"Come on. Floor's aren't comfortable even if you are."
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Jul 2, 2017 1:25:47 GMT -5
There was no way of understanding what she said in her native tongue. What English she spoke didn't register with him. No, he was more concerned with how his body was reacting with her on top of him.
It wasn't like he was turned on or anything, though - in hindsight - he would appreciate the burning beauty that was Atsila and how she complimented his otherwise icy nature. It was the continual sensation that happened everywhere her soft skin came into contact with his (even though he was nowhere near soft). It was like ... a hum. Little shocks as if he rested his head on a cat's chest while it purred. The sensation wasn't altogether unpleasant. But he wasn't sure what to make of it. Did she bewitch him, like his Mistress had? Was that what she meant when she said it wouldn't come cheap?
The thought made him angry.
"Proud," he growled, his hands still under her arms. He was really tempted to push her off him. But even through the cleansing water, she smelled so good. The primal part of him was still prominent in his mind, and he didn't want for her to move. Not even when she said "come on". So, awkwardly, he turned on his side, taking her with him. He pushed himself onto his knees, very conscious of her nudity yet not saying anything about it. One arm wrapped itself around her middle, and the other used the toilet lid as a prop to hoist them up.
What he was doing was foolish, he thought; his legs wobbled, having been canine ones just minutes beforehand. He wondered how he did it before, walking on two feet instead of four, and was embarrassed that he used everything to keep him balanced while he held Atsila close. "Crazy," passed his lips, growling soon after that when a lock of his coarse hair got caught in his armpit when he put his hand down off the wall.
Then he turned 180 degrees so that his back was facing the bed. Letting gravity do the rest of the work, he was quick to grab most of his hair out of the way as he fell onto the surprisingly cozy comforter.
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