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Post by UltraJKatt on Mar 6, 2013 22:25:36 GMT -5
Phoebus nodded when she spoke about how she could get her human form back. Then a look of realization dawned on him at his gesture, he sighed, and then said, "Ah, I see." He watched her pick up the body on the ground and try to shove it out the window. Phoebus recognized the disturbing aspect of this situation, but it didn't really register with him. While a normal person would have looked at the mutilated body in horror, Phoebus just arched an eyebrow at her rather awkward attempt to dispose of it. For one thing, people on the ground below could be walking around and get pelted with it. Dropping a dead body on a person was a guaranteed way of traumatizing them.
Chainey returned to him with a gleeful smile on her face. Phoebus was surprised by the change in mood. He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes shifting from side to side. "Um, all right." One minute she wanted him to go, the next minute she wanted him to stay, and now she wanted both of them to go. He would be lying if he said he wasn't a little confused by her behaviour. He shrugged his shoulders, not objecting to going out with her.
"My abnormally tall, sick grandmother," Phoebus remarked a bit dryly, a smirk painting his lips. "All right then, stay close, and we'll go to the river." He led her outside and through the deserted city streets. A few people who were out and about glanced over at the two, looking a bit perplexed, but Phoebus simply shrugged and shot them a look that told them not to ask questions. Their walk was brisk and fast-paced. When they reached the river's edge, Phoebus halted and cleared his throat. "Here we are, Lady Chainey," he said.
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Post by Novaanimefreak on Mar 6, 2013 22:39:05 GMT -5
Chainey ignored his smirk, she couldn't really tell his expression very well, the world of colors was still like seeing a blurred image in a water's surface from a good distance away. She stayed close to him on the walk to the river, occasionally her tail would try and pick something from the carts filled with food and jewelry, but she normally held it against her. However, her tail did get away with two bracelets.
She moved her head from side to side, her ears picking up any sign of sound besides their own noises. After she had cleared the area, she untied her cloak and slipped it off her shoulders, stretching. She stretched her wings and gave a huge smile of excitement when she saw the river. "'I've never swam in this form before, I bet I could dive well." She came up with, then put a hand on Phoebus's head and rubbed his hair. "Come on, have a bit of fun." She suggested.
Her tail lifted and twirled the bracelets as if it was proud to have stolen them. She giggled lightly and put a hand over her mouth. "Oops, I guess I never told you I wasn't into law much before I became captain." She shrugged it off and gave him a grin. She bent low and outstretched her wings. She then curled her tail so the bracelets wouldn't fall off when she ran. She turned and ran toward the edge of the river, leaping and using her wings to give her extra air. She landed with quite a large splash, coming out of the water gracefully as she looked toward Phoebus, but her eyes were once again unfocused. "You going to swim with a shirt on?"
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Post by UltraJKatt on Mar 7, 2013 0:11:09 GMT -5
Phoebus stood like a guard, staring ahead without really focusing on anything. He could see Chainey's blur of movement from his peripheral. It was only when she spoke that he snapped out of his militant trance and looked to her. It was interesting to see how she could behave so innocently after having just killed someone. That was what made it very clear to him that her monster form wasn't a part of her, and that it was an unfortunate burden more than anything. She may have embraced it, but it was still like a separate entity from her.
Phoebus grimaced when she rubbed her hand on his head as if he were a dog. He knew she saw him and the others as puppies, but was it necessary to take the meaning so literally? He nearly pulled away from her, but she removed her hand just before he got pushed over the edge. Sucking in a breath of relief, he shook his head and then allowed a small smirk to stretch the corner of his lips. "Fun? I've no time. And that's not a word I make room for in my vocabulary."
His brief moment of wit was soon replaced with gawking horror when she revealed that she had stolen two bracelets. "What?!" Phoebus said, appalled. "How could you possibly -- why on earth --" He shut his mouth in both shock and frustration. What had gotten into her tonight? Was she just more mischievous and playful in this form? He watched her dive into the water and then sat down with an upright back and crossed legs. At her question, he snorted. "No, I probably wouldn't. But that's beside the point, I'm not going to swim." Wading into the water half-naked with his former captain would have been extremely inappropriate, not to mention, it was far too late for such an activity.
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Post by Novaanimefreak on Mar 7, 2013 0:36:46 GMT -5
Chainey put her ears back, clearly he wasn't used to the animal that resided in her. She guessed it was appropriate, seeing as how she would have done the same thing if she were still 'normal.' She sunk into the water until it gently pushed against her nose. Her wings rose above the water and flapped to help lift her. The wing's structure was weak for flying and more used for gliding, but this was mostly because they weren't used much to grow muscle. She waded out of the water and approached him, looking rather hurt.
She dusted off a place beside him with her tail, then sunk to his level, taking her tail and loosening the grip on the bracelets. She dropped them in his lap, "I'll take them back if you want." She offered, clearly taking his feelings into consideration once more. She reached out her hand, looking straight ahead as she put her hand over his lap for him to take. She wanted to know if he would, even if he still thought of her as his captain. She considered him a friend, one she had never had before. Her other friends were Kai and the women of the elite, who had lives much too busy to help her out. Sure Kai had offered to visit her in this form once before, but she always told him to stay away. So what was so different about Phoebus? Maybe she just thought he could handle himself.
"I'm not your captain anymore Phoebus. I'll always teach you, but as your friend now.... Okay?" She offered a change, her tail slipping around his waste again to show it agreed with the upper half as well. The tail was loose around him, sometimes even poking his side to see if he was ticklish. "Now be happy, okay?... I haven't been happy in so long. To tell you the truth, I never wanted to be captain. I just want to control this animal I am, and I don't know-" She stopped, realizing she was about to talk about a subject she hated. "Maybe just wish I had something to offer a man, like everyone else in my culture.... I was never allowed to be happy. Never allowed to be in power, or have many friends, and I certainly wasn't allowed any male friends...." She turned her head away from him and the hand she had extended to him before was placed upon her chest in a fist.
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Post by UltraJKatt on Mar 7, 2013 20:19:55 GMT -5
Phoebus noticed Chainey's expression when she drew close. He was silent, but very alert, having studied her within a matter of moments. Was she upset? She sat next to him and dropped the bracelets she had taken into his lap. He looked down at them in surprise. "I don't have any hard feelings," Phoebus assured her, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. She put his hand on his leg, holding it out in a way so that it looked like she wanted him to hold it. Phoebus was very hesitant, looking down at it, but it wasn't like he had not held her hand before. The skin wouldn't be as soft, but it was still her hand. Phoebus exhaled a breath, and then held it. He looked ahead, pretending to not be fazed by the gesture.
He wondered how he saw Chainey. It was a very strange grey area. On one side, she was his former captain and their relationship was strict, professional, and formal. On the other side, they had interactions that were outside of a standard professional relationship. In fact, this side seemed to happen rather frequently. She made it even more confusing when she outright admitted that she was his friend. Her tail went around his waist and it was a little too playful and invasive for his liking. It tickled at his waist and he arched an eyebrow.
"I understand," Phoebus said. "But ... that'll take some getting used to." Looking at her as a friend would definitely be a peculiar change, but perhaps it would be a good one. She told him to be happy, and he cracked a smile. Not because she told him to, but because he found the comment amusing. However her words took on a sadder tone and his eyebrows furrowed. "Your culture sounds quite strict," Phoebus remarked. She took away her hand and his own suddenly felt cold. He turned it palm down on his lap. "Well ... I can try to be your friend if that's what you'd like," Phoebus rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, I can't offer you a particularly interesting friendship, I'm sure Kai is more entertaining, but I do like you ... in a respectful way that is."
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Post by Novaanimefreak on Mar 7, 2013 21:40:27 GMT -5
Chainey smiled when he said he would try to be a friend. She frowned and looked down at her tail, putting her ears back. She grabbed it by his waste and pulled it back. "The tail represents my werewolf side I guess, i'ts always doing whatever it wants. Werewolves, or whatever my father was, are supposedly uncontrollable in their wolf form." She explained with little to no expression. These were not facts, they were simply what her holders had told her when they educated her in the cells. "I think my culture was quite fair." She disagreed.
She put her ears forward and a smile spread on her strange lips once more. "Well Kai is nice, but he's got a promise to his brother to stay in the military so he wouldn't risk coming to see me. I applaud him for it, the same as I applaud you for coming." She outstretched a wing and wrapped it around his shoulder. "I like you too." She confessed, then looked away. "In a 'atta' boy' kind of way." She farther specified. She took her wing back and pressed on her knees to rise. "Come on then, if you're my friend you will swim with me." She assured him.
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Post by UltraJKatt on Mar 7, 2013 23:10:25 GMT -5
Phoebus shrugged when she said she thought her culture was fair. He never said it was unfair, merely strict. Just like he had believed that the military, before he had noticed the corruption within it, was simply strict and not unfair. When she explained why Kai didn't visit, he nodded in understanding. He could certainly understand sibling loyalty. After all, he and Rose, his sister, were quite close before he got caught up with other things. They annoyed each other, being at two different ends of a spectrum, but they loved each other dearly.
It was strange hearing her say she liked him back. Though she was also like him in the sense that she chose her words carefully. Phoebus smiled, it was crooked and had a funny look about it. It was not inviting or repelling. "That sounds like peer pressure to me," Phoebus replied with a raised eyebrow. "Since when is swimming in a definition for friendship?" He supposed that he would never get over his discomfort with her being his former captain if he didn't participate in these sorts of activities. So, very reluctantly, he stood to his feet and folded his arms across his chest. "Fine then. I suppose I could swim with you if we're friends ..." Now he just thought he sounded like Ai. He wasn't sure if that was good or not. He almost chuckled at the thought.
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Post by Novaanimefreak on Mar 7, 2013 23:42:41 GMT -5
Chainey clapped her claws together, "Yay." She spoke quietly, but gave an excited expression. She bent over to pick up the bracelets, slipping them on her tail until they could no longer move up, like a ring on a finger. She then headed toward the river, her ears back to make sure he was coming. She waited by the water's edge for a moment, her ears pointed forward. There was a faint howl on the faint, quiet to most, but she heard it loud and clear.
She frowned a bit, "Surely they don't expect me to join them." She spoke, mostly to herself. She didn't feel like keeping her words bottled inside, not when she had someone to share them with now. Her wings spread and flapped back and forth to create small waves upon the surface of the water. She then waded into the shallows, it came to her waste once she was far enough in. Her tail came up with a fish in it's grasp. She smiled and waved to Phoebus, "Hey! I know what we're eating tonight!" She then pointed excitedly to the fish, which struggled in vain against the hard grip of her tail.
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Post by UltraJKatt on Mar 8, 2013 17:12:51 GMT -5
Phoebus wasn't sure whether to find Chainey extremely amusing or extremely odd. He shrugged it off, assuming that most people in the desert were unusual in one way or another. He watched her walk towards the river. Letting out a hushed sigh, Phoebus pulled at the hem of his dark brown shirt and took it off. The air chilled his skin. He had a well-sculpted figure, broad and developed with lean muscles. Scars on his back and some areas of his torso showed how active he was. Already, he felt slightly uncomfortable. Though Chainey's playful, childishness was helping him to not view her as a captain so much. He walked out to the water.
He stopped right at the shore when he saw Chainey riling up the water with her wings. Using her tail like a spear, she pulled out a fish and then excitedly showed it off to him. Phoebus's lips puckered, and he stared at it with an almost blank expression. "Oh, uh, how good. Fantastic. Good job." What was he supposed to say? It wasn't like he had much experience dealing with excited fishermen and women. He waded out into the water until it sloshed above his naval. Without having realized it, he had created a rift of space between him and Chainey. He continued to look at her and the determined fish on her tail, his expression calm and neutral.
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Post by Novaanimefreak on Mar 9, 2013 3:35:26 GMT -5
Chainey put her ears back, listening to the night was a favorite past time. She wasn't able to enjoy much of his absence of a shirt, as a women might, mostly because he was blurry no matter what he wore. She looked toward him when he attempted to compliment her, smiling and walking toward him. She paid no attention to him, showing her disinterest she thought would allow him to loosen up more. She came up to the shore and strangled the fish, getting the job done as quickly as possible. She seemed to fold her hands and pray over it as well, then she took some long leaves from the weeping willow and wrapped the fish up.
After she was finished, she waded back into the water, diving into the deeper end as she came passed Phoebus. Her tail flicked a bit to try and splash him, but it didn't have too much aim. When she came up again, her ears were forward. "If you get tired or cold, let me know." She told him, much like a mother would. "I'll make a fire, or you can stand by my body, I've naturally higher heat due to my werewolf side." She explained, then gave him a reassuring smile. "And if you get tired I can fly you home. And if you get hungry I can start dinner." And with her offers, she finally dove backwards back into the water, swimming to the other side.
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Post by UltraJKatt on Mar 9, 2013 20:45:08 GMT -5
Phoebus watched Chainey as she approached him, but instead of going to him, she went past him to the shore. He walked out a little deeper, doing his best to pay attention to the water and only the water. It was dark blue due to the night, he knew that much, and it was somewhat cold, and it made ripples around him like little blue halos whenever he moved. If he was a kid, he probably would have twirled around, arms stretched like a windmill, and made splashing waves. It seemed he had done well focusing on the water when Chainey left, because soon enough she was back again.
Her tail seemed to deliberately try and splash him, and while a lot of the water didn't hit him, there was still enough to splash a bit of his chest and make him flinch. The boyish part of him, a part deep inside, was tempted to splash her right back. The instinct was like an annoying little bug, which Phoebus immediately squashed. Suddenly she sounded like a doting mother. It was actually enough to make Phoebus crack a small smile. "I am a soldier, you know. A little cold water won't hurt. But thank you, I'll keep that in mind." He waited a good minute or two before swimming with large strokes over to where Chainey was. He held himself up in the water, kicking his legs. "You know, you surprise me." Phoebus confessed.
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Post by Novaanimefreak on Mar 9, 2013 20:53:30 GMT -5
Chainey smiled widely, showing her fangs a bit as she closed her eyes, pulled her ears back, and leaned her head backward into the water. She enjoyed getting her mane wet, it made for a good whip when down and not bunched. When she wet it, it's length was shown, climbing down her back and almost to her waist. She didn't like it too much when it was free, often braiding it or holding it together with lace. She pulled her ears forward and looked straight ahead as she heard him move toward her. Her expression was blank when he was close enough to make out lines of darker color and her world was not as blurry as before with the closeness.
She smiled faintly and put her ears forward, "What do you mean?" She asked, in a way that was both curious and thankful he was talking to her again. Her ears flicked back, then forward again as she gave him her full attention. Her wings lifted themselves out of the water, their muscles dripping with the river's breath. Her tail stayed submerged, wrapping around her waste as her feet kept her afloat. She became tired of kicking and rested her wings on the surface of the water, pulling her feet up a bit as she moved onto her back. Her tail unwrapped and drifted her beside Phoebus, so she could hear him still and look up to where she imagined his face would be.
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Post by UltraJKatt on Mar 11, 2013 19:53:23 GMT -5
Phoebus smiled. It was easier to smile around her since she couldn't see it. He preferred for other adults to see him as completely serious. It made life so much easier that way. "Well ... it's just as I said. You're full of surprises. Here I had thought that you were a very no-nonsense sort of person. I realize I should have known better since one has to behave that way in a military position, but a lot of soldiers I knew had predictable personalities even outside of work. I honestly wouldn't have seen you as someone who liked taking bracelets and swimming around and fishing." He paused, lips pursing, and then added with a small smile. "I mean that in a positive way, just so you know. Normally I can pinpoint what kind of person someone is. With you, it appears to be different." Phoebus realized he might have been saying too much and quickly shut his mouth. He cleared his throat, and then looked down, trying to focus on the rippling water again and not the meaningless babble he had just uttered to his former captain.
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Post by Novaanimefreak on Mar 11, 2013 21:42:31 GMT -5
Chainey started treading water again, putting her ears back slowly as her expression changed to that of surprise. She listened inventively, a small smile reaching her lips when he stopped. Her tail moved up to touch his chin, trying to encourage it up. After her tail had done it's job, it sunk below and helped tread water. "You're sweet, Phoebus." She closed her eyes sunk under the water, staying there for awhile as she tried to control herself. One part of her was animal, wanted to explore just how far this man would go before breaking point, wanted to push boundaries and dominate the situation. The other? It simply wanted to leave plenty of space and be as positive toward her friend as possible. That part of her was afraid of loosing him. She came up quickly when she realized she was running out of water. Unaware of how far the current had taken her, she ended up just inches away from him, her hand sliding over his chest as she arose. Her ears pointed back when she felt him, her hand spreading and her eyes widening as she looked passed him. If her skin would show as the time, she turned pale. She was not embarrassed, more of surprised by how warm his chest felt. It seemed like hours had passed while she struggled against her different sides, finally pushing lightly against him to separate herself.
She smiled and a tiny laugh passed over in her breath. "Sorry, I wasn't aware how strong you were." She came up with quickly, then sunk turned as she heard footsteps. A women with a pale and washcloth came within distance of them, then dropped her pale as she saw she wasn't alone. She backed up, looking petrified, then she screamed. Her scream was not only loud, but it lasted for awhile. Chainey let out a moan as a rhino or armed animal might, a deep tone that sounded painful. She put her ears back and her hands over them, her wings helping her to the shallows. The women let out another scream, this time pointing at Chainey. The red of the creature's eyes begun to glow, then her hands dropped from her ears and she started to growl, walking toward the shore with her tail raised and wings outstretched. She came closer, the women backing slowly, stopping her screaming now as she evaluated her movements. Then a rock entered their scene and knocked the growl out of Chainey, hitting her by her ear and causing not only quite the bruise, but blood to spill as well. A man came and stood by the women, grabbing another rock. "Freak!! Go back where you belong!"
Chainey barely heard them, her ear didn't seem to give her much anymore. She let out a whimper like a dog might, then backed toward Phoebus, her ears back and tail down. The man now threw smaller stones, pelting Chainey's wings that protected her best they could.
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Post by UltraJKatt on Mar 12, 2013 16:35:27 GMT -5
Phoebus frowned when she said he was sweet. He always felt that comments like that were just a strange way to turn his ideas down. In the past he was "sweet" whenever he said anything that one of his mother's friends didn't fully agree with. He wasn't sure he appreciated the tail gesture either, but at least it was affectionate, non-threatening. She went underwater, and he looked out ahead. Then he felt something on his chest, and his gaze shot down in surprise. It was Chainey. How did she get so close all of the sudden? He flinched, but not away from her. She really was very warm. Her touch was warmer than the average woman's. It was nice in an odd sort of way. When she started to pull away, he realized just how much time had passed and his eyes stretched open further. He swam back a bit, clearing his throat as if several coughs had gotten stuck there. "T-that's all right," he said. He composed himself after a minute. "I, uh, I had to get into a lot of shape to be captain." He nodded.
The moment was cut short when a loud scream ripped through the air. Phoebus whipped his head over to where the sound was coming from. Some random woman had shown up, and her scream was enough to disturb the faintest of listeners. Phoebus cringed, his teeth gritting tight, and his shoulders bunching up to his ears. Chainey approached the woman, and to anyone who didn't know better, it would have looked like the gargoyle-esque creature was readying to attack. "Damn it," Phoebus cursed beneath his breath. He went to the shore quickly to catch up with Chainey. Soon he was standing upright with only his feet bathed in water. A rock came whirling out from the darkness and hit Chainey right across the head. Phoebus's jaw dropped. He quickly scanned the area. Then an insult rang through his ears and Chainey was pelted with more rocks.
Phoebus snapped in that moment. Rage boiled in him. No one was going to show her that sort of disrespect while he was around. No one was going to show that to her ever. Phoebus charged forward, ignoring a few thrown rocks that grazed his skin, and then yanked the man up by his collar so that they were eye-to-eye. "How dare you!" Phoebus growled like an angry dog. His eyes were narrowed into slits, his face was contorted into a snarl. "Is that the sort of behaviour you demonstrate to the former captain of the guard? Why don't you go back to the barn where you belong, coward?" Phoebus threw the man to the ground, and glared at him, then the woman. "You two go away! Now. If you refuse to comply then I will have you detained for violent behaviour as well as disrupting the peace."
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