[User]
Kirie didn't expect to one day wake up in the middle of a forest. She thought she was still dreaming. Then she broke into a panic. Then she realized that this was the sort of thing only younger girls would get into back in those fictional comic books. Kirie herself had reached 18 years of age, had a mature figure (with a C cup to boot!), and had just finished high school. She thought she was a little too old for magical adventures. But as this was her reality now, there was no turning back.

She stood out clear as day with her silver-lilac hair alone, if not the yellow jacket as part of her night clothes, with a white nightgown underneath that. Even with her slippers on, she carefully navigated the forest so as not to cut herself on any stray twigs or brambles. She needed to find someone, or someplace, anything that might help her understand just what happened to her.

[Assistant]
Not long after her arrival in this strange new world, Kirie soon heard the sounds of barking, shouting, and snapping branches. Ahead of her, a small cat with white fur, black ears and paws, and blue raced out of the underbrush. Not far behind, literally snapping at its heels, a pack of strange little creatures with green skin, long noses, and wide mouths rode a pack of wolves in pursuit of the little feline. The greenskins were armed with a random assortment of swords, spears, axes, and bows.

Seeing her, the cat's eyes widened and he leaped straight into the girl's arms! Soon enough, a voice with a strange accent spoke directly in her thoughts. The cat's lips never moved.

"Please, I am deep in the trouble and you are the only one who can help. I can give you the power, but you must help me!" Its eyes looked up into hers beseechingly.

The green creatures slowed their wolf mounts as they grew closer, jabbering among themselves in a sniggering tongue about how their luck had gotten even better. Their wolves snarled and chomped in restrained anticipation.

[User]
"Ah...!" Kirie backed up, her eyes widened at everything going on at once. She never thought twice about catching the cat into her arms, and then looked down at the creature before looking back up at the goblins. She took a gulp.

"Alright... I can help you... better than being a dinner for wolves. What do I need to do to help?" she asked as she started to back up, ready to run away if it turned out she couldn't fend them off.

[Assistant] Luckily, for the moment, it seemed as though the goblins were too busy arguing among each other about something to pay much attention to her. Meanwhile, the cat's eyes narrowed in concentration. "I am needing you to draw upon your inner cat, your inner beast. Close your eyes and make with the meow. Like you mean it! I will take care of the rest!"

[User] "Uh... um... Okay..." Kirie was confused as to what the cat really meant, but she closed her eyes as she was told. She awkwardly cleared her throat, and then started to let out the clearest, loudest mewl that she could. Given the situation she found herself in, the meow didn't sound too convincing to her own mind...

[Assistant]
The goblins stopped arguing as she meowed... before erupting into raucous laughter, leaning back in their saddles. Her fellow victim glared at her. "I already told you, you must mean it! Forget what you are and become what you must to survive! Believe in yourself!"

A few of the wolves, impatient with waiting, started creeping closer.

[User]
"Frigging... what do you think I'm trying to do!?" Kirie stopped cold as she looked at the wolves starting to close in on the two of them. "Ugh..." Seeing this just made her job harder.

Closing her eyes shut, she took a deep breath, then let out the most serious "MEOW!!" that she could.

[Assistant]
The cat rolled its eyes. "Eh, is close enough." With that, the cat's eyes began to shine with white light and shot through Kirie's chest into her heart. Rather than any sort of pain or burning, Kirie felt herself being filled with a strange sense of power.

While the magical surge changed her on the inside, the white light explained to envelope her outside. Her pajamas disappeared entirely, leaving her as a stark naked glowing silhouette. Stunned by the sudden display, the goblins soon erupted into jabbering and whistling as more of Kirie's form was put on display. Even with the language barrier, it was clear that there was a great deal of cat-calling going on.

As the goblins jeered and hooted, the white light began to take shape around Kirie. Red gloves with gold trim materialized on her arms that went back all the way to the middle part of her upper arms. A matching set of boots covered her legs to mid-thigh. Her torso was soon encompassed by a combination red-and-white sleeveless skirt with frilly lacing at the bottom and yet more gold trim. To finish off the adornment, a wand appeared in her hand that was topped with... a fishbowl? It seemed to be, for there was a tiny little fish with bright golden scales swimming within it.

The changes were not limited to her clothing. Her lilac-silver hair became moon white and matching white ears sprung up from her scalp. When she opened her eyes, Kirie's normal eye color was replaced with the same blue as the cat's.

"There. Is much better." Once the light dissipated and Kirie stood revealed in her new regalia, the goblins shrunk back at the obvious display of magic. More arguing ensued, but the wolves had turned downright bloodthirsty with the presence of a much bigger feline being in the vicinity.

[User] "Much better!" Kirie smirked as she looked on at the arguing goblins. "Alright, fun time's over!" She raised the hand with the wand in it and then swung it down at the goblins, before a burst of energy shot out at the group. She then stood in that posture and waited; if they were going to attack after that... well, they might as well have signed a death warrant.

[Assistant]
When Kirie swung the wand down, the true nature of its decoration became apparent. A blue beam shot out of the weapon's head, its forefront shaped into the gaping mouth of a sea serpent. Most of the goblins and wolves were flung backwards harshly by the sudden onslaught, its strength rushing them back through the bushes from whence they came. The few remaining goblins look at the woman with shock. Her confidence shakes them even further and they ride off quickly into the underbrush, their wolf mounts whimpering at the display of magical might.

In the crook of her other arm, the cat gave a sigh of weary relief. "It was a close one. You did it, but much of my magic is drained." His form began shaking. "Put me down, quickly!"

[User] "Alright, alright!" Once she put the cat down, her strange regalia dissipated, turning back into her nightclothes and regular form. She examined herself for a moment, and then looked to see that the goblins and wolves had taken off for real. "So... uh... what happens now?"

[Assistant]
The cat gave no sign of actually hearing her. Instead, it shook and... changed. Twisted. Grew. Fur faded away to reveal human flesh. Claws receded into fingers and legs extended into arms. Its muzzle shortened and became a nose over a mouth. Ears shrank down into the skull and its tail disappeared completely.

By the time that the transformation was complete, a man was standing before her. He was a skinny thing with pale skin and raven black hair styled into horns (or ears?) on his head. The man was dressed in a high-end black and white suit, a clear sign of wealth. Those same blue eyes, now with round pupils instead of slits, turned to regard her coolly. His accented voice now came forth from his lips.

"I am thanking you for the help. You did not have much choice, but it is I who led them to you. Accident or no, I almost get you killed. Is my fault getting them angry. Chieftain was very mad about me pissing in his ale. Not that filthy cur-lover can tell difference." He dusted dirt off of his pants and plucked a white hair from his shoulder. "Had to use own shapeshifting magic to help you. Why is yours so weak, like little baby?"

[User] "Because, well..." Kirie's now somewhat normal purple-hued eyes took in the strange, lanky man before her before she went on into her explanation. "Thing is, I am really from... elsewhere. Another world would be the best way to explain it. So if what I'm getting at is right... I can't shapeshift. At all, really."

[Assistant]
He looked at her in disbelief. "What are you meaning, you cannot shapeshift? Everyone in Here-or-There can-" His eyes widened and body stiffened at a terrible realization. "You're... not from Here or There, are you?" The man leaned forward and sniff near Kirie's face.

"You smell human... But there is not the stink of drugs about you. And I was so sure that I saw the magic in your heart... How did you get past the Curtain?" His questions seemed more for his own sake than to ask for her explanation.

The man stood back, deep in thoughts. One could almost see the wheels turning in his head. Looking back up at Kirie, he asked, "How old are you, miss?"

[User] Kirie leaned back as he leaned in. She then gave a shrug while shaking her head. "I have no real idea how I got here. I mean I am just eighteen years old. I happen to come from... well, Earth is the most I can explain. San Francisco was where I last was. Uh..."

[Assistant]
The man raised an eyebrow at that. "''Only'' eighteen? Yes, you are definitely from Earth-side of Curtain. And if you are from 'San Francisco', you must belong to so-called Capitalist Union of States." His tone was less than pleased, but not hostile.

He offers a small courtly bow. "I am Alekzandros Kotsyn and my mother is the Duchess of Floof. She will no doubt wish to thank you personally for my rescue. I'm sure you two will have much to talk about... come, we must go before goblins come back with bigger friends." Alekzandros began forging his way in a certain direction, swatting aside branches and stepping over roots.

[User] "Well, not really a flattering name, but yes. I'm surprised you actually know at least that much about Earth. My name is Kirie Brighton." That said, she began to pick up the pace, carefully navigating the trail that Alekzandros made as they would hopefully travel out of the forest.

[Assistant]
"Only know so much because Father insisted. He was originally from Motherland before he came here. Got really drunk one night and was cursed by a witch. He was sent here, away from his beloved country, but he met Mother and... well, here I am." Alekzandros gave such information easily, as if it was no great secret.

"Humans normally only able to gain entrance Here or There when deep in bottle or sniffing powder. Yet you have had neither of those things." He looked over his shoulder back at her.

"So, Miss Brighton, I am thinking that you have questions." It was a statement, not a question.

[User] "Well, I just remember falling asleep then winding up here. That's it," she said as she twiddled her thumbs. "I'm sure you've been able to explain much of it... but why did you use that tone when I said my age? Do kids at a younger age come here?"

[Assistant]
"Hmmm... It has been long time since sleepers have come to this place. No, children do not come here. Well, at least, they only came in dreams. Nowadays, some do come with the help of alcohol or drugs..." His tone was clearly disapproving.

"But still, only some Earth cultures think that being eighteen years is young. Most girls here are married shortly after sixteenth birthday. Speaking of which, Mother may try to 'help' you find a man. If she says that, just smile and nod and let me do talking. Likely, Mother will try to marry you to me."

Alekzandros shrugged. "No offense, but just met you. Want to know woman before marrying her. Learned that from Mother and Father."

[User] "Hm... that does sound like something strange is going on then." At the mention of marriage, however, her eyes widened. "Ah... yeah, sounds great, but that doesn't really solve that she would try and marry me off. But alright then, I'll... I'll try and trust you on that. How much longer until we're there by the way?"

[Assistant]
Alekzandros held up a hand to placate her. "Trust me, this is the best way to do it. What is the Earth saying... ''the cat has hold of your tongue''? Mother can be like that, sometimes. I'm the only one that knows how to deal with her. Lately, she's been very desperate for grandkittens to be running around the castle, but I don't want to settle just yet. Personally, I just like to have a quick fuck and move on." He shrugged.

"It will take us about another quarter of an hour. Don't worry, the forest cover gets lighter as we get closer. Don't have to worry about nightdress getting ripped to shreds before meeting family," Alekzandros joked.

After trekking for about fifteen or twenty minutes, they finally arrived. Before them stood a clearing, one that somehow did not give the impression of having been clear-cut from the forest but was naturally arising instead. At the center of the clearing stood a tall castle, easily six stories in height. The Floofian coat of arms, a series of crossed claw marks over a black pawprint on a purple banner, hung from the battlements of the castle. This castle was surrounded by a moat and a dirt road led to a village miles away.

As they make their way down to the castle, Alekzandros leads Kirie to a side of the moat far from the far entrance. Clicking his heels twice and brandishing his hand with a flourish, Alekzandros summoned a stone bridge from below the water and allowed them access to a postern gate, a secret passage, built into the castle wall.

He beckoned her onward. "Come. Is better that whole castle does not see you, or there will be uproar. Until we know what is going on, less people that know, the better."

[User]
"Ah, right..." Kirie tried to hold back a blush at the mention of a ''quick fuck''. Regardless of his reassurance that her nightgown wouldn't be torn up, she did try to keep it away from stray brush.

Once the two of them arrived at the castle, she took in the sight of it before being pulled away. She gasped as the bridge rose up. But once she heard the reason why, she blinked.

"Why would there be...? Well, unless my whole being here as a stranger were to cause it." Regardless, she followed him inside.

[Assistant]
In a low voice, Alekzandros responded, "I told you that humans are very rare around Here as well as There. As a result, there are a lot of myths about humans, like how having sex with one can make you fly or that they will grant three wishes to anyone who captures their heart. Stupid things, but they make humans very desirable. Mother was very possessive of Father, so no one had the loins to stand up to her."

Moving through the wall and into the courtyard, they could see a wide range of creatures moving around. Beings made of stone, little gnomes with their red hats, centaur-like beings with the body of a deer instead of a horse, and most of all, a great deal of felines. Some slunk along on all fours, in sizes from a house cat to a liger. Others walked upright like men and either looked mostly human with cat-like ears and tails or like a strange hybrid of human and feline features.

A keep stood in the center of the mess, no doubt the home of the ruling family. Grabbing a jug from beside the wall, Alekzandros handed it to her. "Here. If anyone asks, you're helping me bring in some fresh wine for Mother... though try not to talk. Your accent gives you away."

Alekzandros began making his way through the crowd. In a natural display of deference, the crowd opened up slightly before him to allow passage.

[User] "Err... okay." Kirie just had to do as Alekzandros... or whatever his name was, and carried the jug as the two of them went into the keep. Though she couldn't really help but look around herself at all the strange beings in the place.

[Assistant]
Things around her seemed out-of-control. A rock troll carried logs into the castle and set them down in a brace, no doubt for fire fuel later. A pair of children with cat ears chased each other through the legs of the adults, giggling in their spirit of play. A cat-man with gray and black stripes cartwheeled his way through the crowd before standing up and juggling a series of shiny red balls with his feet while lying on his back. Garden gnomes argued over the pros and cons of planting mandrake roots for the castle's use in the royal gardens. A deer-woman with a large rack and heavy make-up flicked her white fluff tail cheekily at a male of the same species who possessed an impressive rack of a different sort before darting off toward the castle gate, the male in hot pursuit.

Through it all, Alekzandros's prediction proved true: in the hustle and bustle, no one paid any attention to her. Soon, they made their way through the doors of the keep (after nodding respectfully to the upright armadillos guarding the door with vicious looking pikes) and Alekzandros motioned for her to put the jug down next to the door.

Continuing on, they soon found themselves in the royal chambers. A roaring fireplace, the length of a school bus, lent the place a cheery warmth. Tapestries covered the walls with scenes of fantastical creatures and large battles. The space was made cozy with the presence of plush armchairs, sofas, couches, and even a pile of cushions in one corner. A beautifully paned glass window offered a view of the castle walls and the village miles away.

Whispering to her, Alekzandros said, "I'm going to call her. Are you ready to talk, or do you need moment to compose yourself?"


[User]
By the time Kida had gotten home she was nearly overflowing with excitement for what the night would bring. Clothes were flung onto the bedroom floor as she went into the attached bathroom, starting up the shower and stepping in with a happy hum. She was taking a human to a club full of other creatures, what would he think of it? Would he enjoy it, or would he run away screaming before the end of the night?

A quick shower later and she was slipping into a form fitting black dress, her tail swaying behind her back through the cutout as she fixed the singular strap around her neck that held the piece together. Leaning down to pull on her ankle boots Kida grinned at him, grabbing a lightweight jacket before slipping out the door with her bag.

"You look much better out of that suit. Not that it was a bad look, just not for this." Locking the door behind her as she stepped out the rest of the way, Kida nodded eagerly and looked towards the ride he'd gotten for them. "Yeah, let's get going!"

[Assistant]
When she giggled, Marten felt his heart skip a beat. A chuckle that affectionate and cute should be illegal. With a bit of a silly grin, the human man made his way out of the café and towards his home. Frankly, he had no clue what awaited him and didn't know how he would react. The more he thought about it, the less sure he became. All the stories about Fae and Demons popped up in his head. The tricks, the promises, and the slow stalking of the Fae to the more direct approach of the Demons. Of course, those tales were exaggerated, told by colleagues that had dared to venture within those kinds of clubs and circles. But were they? Guess he would find out soon enough.

Her dress did much to alleviate his worries, his mouth almost falling open at the sight. The form-fitting garment accentuated her lovely shape. Kida was gorgeous and she knew it all too well. "Thank you. You look gorgeous yourself." He complimented her, every word sincere out of his mouth. Recomposing himself, he nodded as he offered her a gentlemanly hand. They might be going to a club, but that didn't mean he would be a rude party-animal all of a sudden. No, he would stay himself tonight. And if Kida found that to be boring later on, so be it.

Without further ado, the two of them got into the car and the journey was on. Before long, with some help and directions from Kida, they found themselves in the busy part of town. The party district, so to speak. Helping Kida out, he watched as their ride drove off, leaving him with no choice but to go clubbing with a delightful, cheerful, and beautiful woman. It wasn't that bad when you said it like that, not at all. "Alright, lead the way!" Marten said, grinning and actually getting excited for this evening. "Which club is it exactly?"

[User]
"Oh, you're giving me your hand?" She raised an eyebrow, staring down at the large hand before taking it and allowing him to lead her to the car. "I've forgotten you humans can be rather fond of that." Not that she was complaining, his hand was warm, and comfortable, and she gave him a cheeky grin as they got into the car. Directions were given to the driver as they set off and she relaxed in the seat, making idle conversation with Marten until they'd neared their destination. Finally, they were almost there.

"It's not far." She waved a hand down the street, weaving through the crowds of people preparing for their nights out. "You can see the ridiculously bright lights from the sign at the end of the street there. That's what happens when you get the Fae running a club. Everything is all about glamour, about appearance." She rolled her eyes. "Try growing up with that as half of your life." With a shake of her head her cheery appearance was back just moments later, an arm linking through the human's to lead him to the front doors of the club. The line to get in was a decent size, but when the demon at the door spotted them a wide grin spread across his aged face.

"Kida, darling! I was wondering if you were going to come tonight. Brought yourself a toy, huh?" She scoffed, tightening her hold on Marten's arm and shaking her head.

"This is my guest, be nice to him! Now, are you going to let me in, or just stare at my tits all night? You think I can't feel your eyes on them?" The demon gave her a sheepish grin before stepping aside, motioning for the pair to enter. Kida gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek on the way in, savoring the slight sputtering from the burly man before she giggled at Marten. Inside the club was booming with life, between the bright lights flashing around the club, the booming music, and just the overall atmosphere of the place. "What do you want to drink?"

[Assistant]
His head tilted a bit when she questioned him giving his hand before he remembered that she didn't have a single drop of human blood in her. Of course, she wouldn't follow human customs. "Yeah, it's somewhat of a custom..." Marten was just about to sheepishly apologize when that cheeky grin stopped him in his tracks. His cheeks reddened. Kira's smile and spirit were proving to be infectious.

The banter inside of the car served to relax him quite a bit more and when they both stepped out of the car he was nodding enthusiastically when she pointed out the club. "A club ran by a Fae huh? Let's hope a human like me doesn't get lost a bit too much amongst all the glamour!" He laughed softly, looking at her with interest when she rolled her eyes. "You're a half-demon, half-fae, correct? You must have had a very very interesting upbringing."

It appeared Kida wasn't very interested in the past for now though, linking her arm with his and leading him towards the light-show that was the club's entrance. Somehow, Marten wasn't very surprised to discover that Kida knew the bouncer, looking at Kida a bit suspicious when he was called a toy. He got jostled a bit when Kiodo tightened her hold on him a bit possessively, fervently denying he was her toy but instead a guest. That was... better, right? Kida's comment made Marten's eyes flutter to her ample buxom, looking away a bit embarrassed as they stepped inside. The sputtering of the man did ease his nerves somewhat, seeing that Kida had it all under control. He answered her giggle with a big grin on his own, nodding to her as they stepped inside the light-covered halls.

The atmosphere of the place was almost too much for the poor man. He'd only been to a club once, and that was a more normal human one. This place's lighting played tricks on his eyes, Marten shaking with his head a few times before looking at Kida. The light flashed in different colors, the flashes somehow accentuating her form to an unfair degree. And she moved as if she knew it.

He thought for a moment, shrugging with a chuckle. "No clue. I think I'll go for something light in alcohol first. A good craft beer or something. Working up to the stronger stuff slowly. First time, so I'll take it slowly as this sinks in." As they were talking, Marten looked around, slowly guiding the two of them towards the bar. Already people were paying attention to the two of them. Not only was Kida looked at and given meaningful looks by the mostly Fae and Demonic crowd, but the women had also noticed Marten be quite to their liking. There were a lot of lips licked and eyes fluttered before they finally got to the bar, the human man's face getting redder and redder.

[User]
"Beer? Sure, there's plenty of beer here." Pulling him excitedly towards the bar, Kida barely noticed the eyes on them until she saw just how red the human's face had gotten. Then she noticed all of the women eyeing him, and even some of the men, bursting into a fit of giggles before bumping her shoulder into his.

"You have some admirers already, it seems. They adore humans, for different reasons of course. I think half the women here just want to eat you up." She snapped her teeth lightly at him, leaning against the bar counter and waiting for one of the bartenders to approach them. "I better keep an eye on you, or you might end up going home with one of them instead!" Then how was she supposed to have any sort of fun?

"Just a beer for him, one of the better ones, and you know my usual!" The hybrid grinned at the Fae that sidled over to take their order, receiving a wink in return before the man was moving around to fetch the beer and set it on the counter for Marten. "Just put it on my tab doll, he's with me." Once they'd gotten their drinks she took a sip of the fruity concoction that was hers, making a noise of approval while dancing absently in place. "Are you a dancer, Marten?"

[Assistant]
Letting himself be dragged off, Marten gulped with all these predatory glances heading his way. A bit subconsciously, he pulled Kida in a bit more as if she was protection against those women, only to hear her giggles and feeling the bump on his shoulder. Her snap made him flinch a bit, the man chuckling nervously. One thing became clear. Kida was as much a predator and party animal as anyone here. He was on her menu as well, as she clearly let him know. "Eating huh... well, I'll be careful. Don't want to fall prey too easily." He said, figuring out way too late that Kida could interpret this as him playing hard-to-get. Damn it, he didn't want that! And wasn't that kind of a woman's thing to do. Going by all the glances though... It perhaps didn't work that way in Fae and Demon culture.

Oh dear... put a bit on his guard, they arrived at the bar, Marten taking a deep breath to calm him down before nodding at the bartender with the friendly manner of a person that's way too inexperienced with this sort of thing. "Thank you." He said trustfully, taking a sip of the drink without having checked it for anything having happened to it. It indeed was good stuff. Immediately, he settled down a bit, sighing deeply in contentment.

"You weren't kidding. This is some great stuff." He looked at her dancing in place, the movements in her hips more hypnotic than they had any right to be. "Dancing? I'm not really all that good at it, but I can certainly try." When in Rome, do as the Romans do. The man started dancing too, albeit his somewhat clumsy dancing was a far cry from Kida's more practiced moves. Nonetheless, it helped him keep his mind of all the looks. Except the looks he got from Kida herself, that is.

He looked at her curiously while his moves got a little more assured, getting a hang of the rhythm. "So, what did you have? And ehm..." Marten glanced at the bartender and all the people around them. "You seem to know a lot of these folks personally. How come?"

The sight of females dancing was unavoidable, one of the more voluptuous demonic ladies coming his way with a sultry look in her eyes. Casting a challenging glance at Kida, it was clear what her objective was. If she wasn't going to eat Marten, she would.

[User]
"It's got a few things in it." Glancing down at her drink, the hybrid shrugged and took another sip. "Even got a bit of Fae magic in it." She winked at him, although it wasn't obvious whether or not she was joking about the magic. "Well, why wouldn't I know them?" She gave him a surprised look, her tail batting playfully at his leg even as they moved. "I come here enough, of course I would know a lot of people. And the doorman---well, I've known him for years now, even outside of here. He can be a bit of a perv, but he's a good guy at heart." In fact, she had a bit of a soft spot for the man.

"Haven't even been here twenty minutes and already you're being looked at like prey." She chuckled, stepping closer to him and raising an eyebrow at the approaching woman. "I can't say that I'm surprised, though." Her hip bumped into his as she laughed again, shaking her head at the woman as they stared at each other.

"Mine." There was an edge to her voice as she spoke to the demoness, watching the sultry walk slow down as the smile faded from the large-chested woman's face. "You know better than to try and steal." While it would look like nothing more than a minor spat and claim to any human, there was a clear understanding between the two non human women before Kida grinned and turned back to Marten. "Tonight, you are mine."

[Assistant]
"Magic, huh? Heh, I see." Surely she was joking... right? Marten cast a somewhat suspicious glance at his drink, but seeing as she sipped hers too, he figured it would be alright. Their casual conversation brought a nice smile on his lips, nodding as his stomach was warmed by the drink. Maybe it even felt a bit too cosy? Probably was imagining things. And his mind was quickly taken away from the matter by her lovely tail teasingly stroking and batting at his leg.

Determined to keep his mind off the possibility that he had just been magicked, he nodded to Kida when she told him about her bonds with the people here. "Ah, an old friend then. Yeah, he did seem like a fun guy to hang out with." He laughed softly as he relaxed a bit more. "I mean, everybody is a bit pervy sometimes, right? That guy just wears it on his sleeve."

His demeanor changed to that of a deer caught in headlight though when the demonic woman approached, staring at Kida and glancing hungrily at him. Marten couldn't help but gulp as he looked on, subconsciously a step back and away from the approaching woman before Kida moved closer to him, her soft hips bumping against his as her lovely laugh rang in his ears, somehow soothing his worries. Whatever Kida did, it worked. The demonic woman's smile faded, narrowing her eyes as the let out a slow hum. With a last ravenous look at Marten, she turned around and walked away into the crowd, a gaggle of other demonic women looking rather disappointed.

Marten scratched his chin, looking thankfully at Kida, the hybrid still standing hip to hip with him. A bit awkwardly, he tried to politely step away to gain some distance, only to discover Kida wasn't having any of it. "Yours, huh? I think I can live with that." He admitted, relieved that Kida was here. Getting dragged into a group of lady demons would probably have some... consequences. "Walking around here as unclaimed prey would be a bad idea I'd imagine."

He got an idea, his smile shifting into a grin. "So, how about we go for another dance? Seems like you love dancing quite a bit, right? I'll try my utmost to keep up, as thanks for having my back there. See if I can cultivate a small measure of skill before the end of the evening, hhmmm?" Having his back or safeguarding her prey? Well, it was somewhat the same in this case, he'd guess.

[User]
"Mm... More or less it would be a bad idea, yes." Although that depended on one's definition of bad, and she'd seen many an unclaimed human enjoy the attention they received from the nonhumans. In fact, many seemed to come specifically to see what kind of attention they could attract. "I do quite enjoy dancing, yes, and having a tail tends to keep people from getting closer than I want them." Oh, how many people she had smacked with it.

"Maybe you'll even like dancing with me enough to come back for more." If she had her way, that would most certainly happen, but the night was young, and only time would tell. It wasn't long before she'd wound her arms around his neck, pressing her body nearly against his as she moved to the music with a lazy smile. Her home away from home, a place to let go of any worries and simply enjoy the music and the drinks.

"I think you're going to like this enough to come back again, Marten."

[Assistant]
"Sure is handy to have a tail in those cases. Good deterrent. Hope I'll not get on the wrong side of that, haha." Marten said as the two of them walked towards the dance floor, starting to dance to the music while the human male smiled at his companion. Somehow, he had a hunch that the tail would be most likely used to keep other women away from him. He began to doubt a little bit as the hybrid danced closer and closer to him. Was dancing such a good idea? "Maybe. Who knows?" He said uncommitingly, looking away to avoid Kida's sultry looks and the sensual motions of her body.

Still, her swaying hips and rolling curves were hypnotic as she gracefully danced, Marten only realizing that her arms were around his neck when she got close. A lazy relaxed smile upon her shapely lips as her body cosily brushed with his. Marten was stunned and entranced, looking into her eyes while the two of them swayed and danced in tandem, the man's breath noticeably quickening. As she stated that he would like this enough to come back, he gulped. With Kida being this close, her arms around his neck and body almost pressed against him, his head was swimming.

"I... this is nice, yeah. You are---I mean this place is lovely. How am I getting along with my dancing skills?" He admitted before quickly changing the subject, unable to lie and deny her statement. The man's dancing became a bit more energetic as he tried to regain some distance from his date, but Kida was easily able to keep pace and keep her arms around his neck if she wanted to. His cheeks were flushed red now, his eyes fluttering down into Kida's buxom every so often with her being so close and giving him such a perfect viewpoint.

"Ehm... how about we get another drink in a bit?" He said, feeling his resistance slipping slowly but surely. He was planning to disentangle from her before she entangled him fully. Marten felt like a fly being slowly reeled in by a spider. A sultry and good-intentioned spider though. "I could use another beer, I think."


[User]
Connie Hunter sat in the back of her taxi as she read through the messages on her phone, a funny primitive device that was a lot different than the phones her people used which involved having a chip implanted in the brain so you can see messages, emails, videos, calls etc that were coming through. This one you had to hold to your ear which although it made sense to her it was also quite funny since humans had them practically glued to their ears wherever they went and she found herself falling into the habit of checking it constantly to. "More messages from men and some women from Euphoria, I shouldn't have let Jennie open an account on that dating website for me. At least it shut her up though." She muttered annoyed, she had no interest in finding someone to date as she wasn't even human and was only here to investigate and document humans and their habits, unfortunately they changed so much that once she documented one thing it was obsolete within a year or two so she stayed to continue her documentation.

To blend in Connie had taken a job at a laboratory alongside other biologists, it paid very well and she had her own studio apartment which was quite large and quite lonely so to minimize loneliness she had adopted a cat which was a lot similar to a companion animal she had on her home planet of Zatara, the job also allowed her to travel which was a positive. Placing her phone back into her bag she looked out the window as the taxi passed a church near the ramp to the highway that would take her home "Hmm god..." She mused quietly to herself while internally laughing at the idea of a being of omnipotent power being able to create life and the universe, humans were just as gullible as her people when it came to such ideas, everything that was believed was easily explained away with logic and reason. Although her people didn't have a bible, humans did and some took the ideas from it and followed them or twisted the words to suit their own needs, she just found it all absurd and laughable.

She watched the scenery zoom by as the taxi sped up, she listened as the driver argued with his wife in his native Indian language via the blue tooth earpiece attached to his ear, closing her eyes she blocked out the noise and the view as she withdrew into her thoughts to find her happy place and relax but was dragged out of it as the driver suddenly swore loudly and swerved making her smack head against the glass window "What the hell do you think your..." She shouted but was cut off as she saw the large pile up in front of them that he was trying to avoid but it was useless as the taxi clipped another car and flipped onto its roof, still traveling along the road causing sparks to fly and the glass to shatter. When the car came to a stop she winced holding her head "Stupid humans.." She muttered seeing she was bleeding, she then tried to remove the seat belt and found she was stuck that's when she smelt the fuel and realized her chances of survival were greatly decreasing each second. Turning her head a little she saw the trail of fuel that led to the taxi and saw the sparks had created a fire which was heading towards her "Oh god.." She whispered as her eyes widened and her brain flashed the fact that her survival was now impossible, beginning to struggle she then let out a scream "No! Please no! God I don't want to die!" She cried watching the fire rush towards her.

[Assistant]
Motarr lounged in the eternal realm of the gods or at least in the expanse which was his own. There were many of his brethren about, so many of them forgotten, save as the myths of vanished cultures, either from a waning faith or by brutal conquest of their followers. Some of his kin had always admitted to their mortal worshipers that there were many divines, while others insisted in their holy scriptures, that they were the one, sole God, responsible for all things in the universe. In all due honesty, he found the latter to be rather pretentious sticks in the mud, claiming all the credit, they shared equally for creating this world and the life which flourished there. But he wasn't really one for conflicted, if anything his cult was focused on drunken debauchery. Which he found to be far more fun, especially when he was one of those gods, which had regularly joined their followers on the mortal plane.

Even though he didn't have followers anymore, he was still one of those who liked looking in on the mortal world, now and then. Mostly because it was looking like the mortals were becoming more fun in recent, well what did they call them? Years? As an immortal being of immense power, time really didn't affect him and he couldn't keep track of its passage. Especially now that he wasn't being called upon to bless harvests or the turning of a new year or better yet, barrels of wine being aged. Still, he had noticed the changes in many human cultures, the freeing of sexual norms, alcohol of more types then he could keep track of and drugs he had never dreamed of. It might just be the perfect time to rebuild his cult, if only anyone would remember him.

So it brought a smile to his face, when he noticed a tragedy and heard a call. The humans had smashed together several of their, cars? He was sure they were called cars, which was a shame and never would have brought him to joy, until there was a call from one of the wrecks. It was yellow one, a taxi maybe, flipped over, it's fuel leaking out and flame racing towards it? And within was a woman, screaming out for salvation. She hadn't named anyone, when she called out for aid, making it rather open for any god, to answer, providing that they had the good fortune of looking in at the right time to heard that one cry among many and with most of the others being from those that believed in or at least thinking of, one of the gods who claimed the sole divinity in the universe and yet, rarely answered prayers. He could answer that call.

Suddenly sitting besides the alien pretending to be human and calling herself Connie Hunter, there was a new form. A human male, naked from the waist up, well built with a tan like someone who enjoyed being outside. The hair on his head, beard and chest was red-gold, the tight curls defying gravity, remaining perfectly in place, despite his being upside down, just like her. He wore jeans, which he had noticed were a common enough garment for the modern humans but that was about it. His feet were bare but unlike the rest of, there was a faint reddish discoloration, which seemed to come from his soles, as if his skin was stained from stepping on grapes in a tub, to make wine.

"Want to live?" he asked, looking at the woman trapped in the taxi, his voice rich and deep, "Swear your life and soul to me."

[User]
Connie kept struggling, pulling at her seat belt as she cursed the contraption that had saved her from dying in the crash but was now dooming her to be burnt inside this stupid metal monstrosity. Her instinct to survive had kicked in and even though her head was hurting badly from hitting the window and the taxi was now starting to spin, she refused to sit back and sleep like her brain now wanted.

She was facing the window and screaming for someone, anyone who had stopped and was gawking at the crash to help her. She saw some humans rushing to others aid but none came to hers, they stayed well away and she saw some had even taken their phones out and were filming her. The creatures disgusted her, how could they stand by and just film her in her struggle for life or death!

That's when she heard a voice beside her _Want to live_, she looked over and saw a half naked man beside her, while she remained stuck upside down he was the right side up sitting on the roof of the taxi _Impossible I'm hallucinating in my final moments._ She wept thinking her brain had conjured the image of what she thought a god would look like, a gorgeous man who was completely her type. Her parents had taken her to temple every Friday when she was a child to worship the god so she now believed as a coping mechanism for her facing her doom she'd conjured the image of the man as a god and was imagining him. She looked at him and let out a soft, quick, desperate chuckle "Well what do you think? I do want to live! I swear my life and soul to you." She didn't believe this was all real so she was giving the answer that she believed her brain wanted to hear in the final moments of her life.

She could smell the smoke now and looked out to see that the fire was closer, biting her bottom lip she finally let the tears fall "I'm going to die.." She whispered closing her eyes tightly knowing in seconds she was to be incinerated.

[Assistant]
Motarr smiled with amusement, when the woman looked over at him and dismissed that he was really there, claiming that she was hallucinating. Was not seeing believing anymore? Well, it was a long time since the age of miracles, when the gods walked among humanity. He supposed that some leeway should be given. There had been a time, many many centuries ago, when he might just have left after a comment like that but those days were long gone to the weaving of the Fates. Still, after a few heart beats of the fire coming close, she seemed to play along with her so-called ''delusions'' and pledged herself to him.

"Have no fear" the God said, as the woman, he wasn't even sure of she was human, closed her eyes, crying and braced for death. He leaned over, cupping her chin in one big hand, holding her steady as he pressed his lips to hers in a deep kiss, just as the fire raced up the side of the taxi and reached the gas tank.

An explosion, followed by a plume of fire and gout of smoke, rocked the crash site of so many cars. Hunks of blackened metal scattered across grass and tar, surrounding where the taxi had been. When the smoke cleared, only two big pieces were left, a gutted shell from the front end and the back half, which was oddly untouched and had been flipped right side up. Left still sitting and strapped in, was Connie Hunter. Her clothing was a little scorched, her hair messed up and there were several small cuts on her arms but otherwise, she had survived the explosion unharmed. The crowd looked on in stunned silence, as the first police and firefighters arrived, those uniformed men and women racing towards the source of the fire and noise.

[User]
Connie felt the man cup her chin then kiss her deeply, as instinct she kissed him back and felt tee brief heat as the fire finally reached the taxi and made it into the gas tank causing a large explosion.

After a while when the smoke cleared, she opened her eyes and saw blurred shapes rushing towards her, she was cut free from the remains of the taxi and transferred to an ambulance where she was given oxygen "T... there was a man.." She croaked out as the paramedic looked to the firefighters who then shook their heads, looking back at Connie the young woman said "There was no man ma'am, you must have imagined it from the petrol fumes." Connie then nodded and let sleep finally take her.

Over the next 48 hours she was kept in hospital and checked over for worse injuries and many nurses said it was a miracle she survived the explosion. Connie remained quiet during that time, she'd survived but she wasn't sure how, the man she definitely believed to be a figment of her imagination as no remains of anyone else were found in the backseat where she'd been. Once the second 24 hours of being kept in hospital, to make sure she didn't have any brain injuries from hitting her head, were up she cheered. She got changed into the spare clothes that her boss Jackson from work had got from her apartment after she'd called him and asked him to pick them up and feed her cat, she then grabbed her handbag which surprisingly wasn't burnt either, and made her way out.

Pausing outside the hospital she had a choice, she could either call a cab to drive her ten minutes home or she could walk, well after the accident she wasn't sure she was up to being confined within a yellow death trap again so opted to walk. Besides her house wasn't that far away and the fresh air was good for her.

[Assistant]
For once, in a very long while, Motarr felt the passage of time. They say a watched pot never boils, so after a day of watching over his newest cultist, even if she didn't know it yet, the God had gotten to the point where he would be frustrated and returned to the mortal world, to waist time. Getting himself properly dressed this time, which is to say, he was wearing a shirt and shoes, he wondered about the city, where he had discovered Connie lived, sampling all that it had to offer to a tourist. He had to be honest, he had never thought that cultures of the humanity would be able to blend together so well. Back in the old days, they would all be trying to kill each other over such little things, like language or manners.

As he bought several bottles of what was being labeled Whiskey, he felt an inner sense tingle and a smile crossed his face. His new follower had left the hospital. Stepping out of the shop, the big man, or so he seemed, disappeared. In a heartbeat, his form was in a darkened apartment, once again lacking shirt and shoes but the bottles of liquor still in hand. She would be coming here, he could feel it, so he set his haul down and found his way to the bedroom. Laying down, he stretched out and relaxed, his eyes cocked for the sound of an opening door. He wondered what she would think.

But, before Connie arrived, his presence was discovered by another. A cat entered the room and jumped up on the bed, staring at him. The God smiled in returned. The animal knew what he truly was and after a moment, came to him, purring as it rubbed against his chest, craving affection from the divine being in its home. His broad fingers found the small creature's head, rubbing gently, as they awaited the return Connie together.

[User]
It was a nice walk home, the sun was shining and it wasn't to hot which was pleasant. Connie stopped by the store near her home and picked up some cat treats knowing the creature would be moody that she was gone for so long along with some quick and easy meals and a bottle of wine. Once it was all paid for she walked the two blocks to her apartment building then took the elevator to the top floor.

Stepping out she found her keys in her bag then unlocked the door then closed it behind her and locked it "Loki I'm home." She called as she kicked off her heels and turned the lights on, she knew it was ironic that she didn't believe in a god yet named her cat after one, in all honesty Loki was her favorite in the stories, she liked the trickster a lot and the fact that he was now in movies played by a rather attractive human didn't hurt. Also cats were treated like god in ancient Egypt, they were smart, devious and the name suited him so she felt he deserved it. When he didn't come running out she frowned "Loki? Where are you silly." She went into the kitchen and placed the food and wine in the fridge then filled up the cats bowl. Picking the treats up she shook them "Loki" she called as she checked the rooms in the house before finally entering her room and dropping the treats she was holding which spilled onto the floor, Loki taking his chance jumped off the bed and began eating them.

There was a strange man on her bed, in her room, in her apartment! Her eyes widened before she gasped as she realized she knew the man "Oh come on! What the hell is going on with me!" She scolded herself then shook her head and bent down to clean the treats "He's not real so why am I imagining this. I must still be hallucinating on some drug they've given me, or I'm concussed still.." She then picked Loki up and walked out the room without a word to Motarr but talked to the cat scratching under his chin and making him purr "I'm sorry I was gone for so long. It won't happen again I promise." She smiled kissing the creatures head, it was the only thing she truly cared about on this planet and didn't care if she looked crazy talking to it since she learned a lot of humans talked to their pets.

[Assistant]
That was an unexpected reaction. He had never had anyone see him and start going off about him not being real. He had those who fell to their knees in worship. He had those who had demanded to know who he was. He had even had humans try to attack him or run screaming. But no one had ever ignored him. This was honestly something he hadn't planned for and it left him bemused for several seconds, as she cleaned up the dropped treats and then headed out of the room to cuddle with the cat. Laughing to himself, he rolled off the bed and followed after Connie.

"Well" declared Motarr, leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest, "Is that how people thank their divine saviors these days? I answer your prayer for any god to save your life, you pledge yourself to me and then I do as I promised and all you say is that I'm some sort of mind trickery? Not even a thank you? Back in the day, you would dropped to your knees and praised my name. Instead you just walk off, like I'm nothing and start kissing a cat. A creature I must add, with more sense than you and know what I was, if not the who I was, when I let myself in!"

"What do you have to say for yourself" He added, looking rather cross.

[User]
Carrying Loki to the kitchen she set him down by his food and water bowls then looked up to see Motarr leaning against the doorframe watching her "OK, you're obviously real, but your just a man. Now you have one chance to get out my apartment before I call the cops." She turned her back to him opening her fridge, musing what to have for dinner, she settled on the microwavable chicken and mushroom risotto and placed it in the microwave for five minutes, she then removed the white wine and poured herself a big glass then placed the bottle back in the fridge.

Turning and still seeing the man in her doorway she sighed "Look buddy, what your doing is called breaking and entering. It's a felony." She sipped her wine "And you are nothing, your a mere human who I simply imagined in the crash beside me who escaped when the smoke got so bad that nobody saw you." She shrugged "You must have just stolen my keys and made a copy during the crash when I didn't notice." She took another sip then placed the glass down on the marble countertop "As for you being a divine savior? Please there is no such thing as a divine savior, god, mythical being who watches over us and answers our prayers, a deity or a flying spaghetti monster who created us all." She stared at him "I was high on fumes from the petrol when I agreed to what you wanted and I don't get on my knees or worship for anyone." She glared.


[User]
Despite having known each other since they were young, Joanna Fugel and Oliver Knightly had only just recently developed into a more serious relationship, and yet it was one that was still pretty much unknown to the wider world. On the one hand, Joanna came from a rather strict household, one which would look down on her for having a boyfriend before the age of 30. On the other hand, the two weren't exactly very popular, and any kind of outward affection would definitely get them into serious bullying territory, at least more than they already had to deal with. As a result, little more than a bit of hand holding here and there and a quick peck on the cheek was all that had happened between the two thus far.

The school wasn't all humans though, as half the students were anthros. And that bunch was... well, they had rather special privileges that would be frowned upon for their human counterparts, for the furry students often went into bouts of heat that they physically had to relieve, and so as the pair walked down the hall, Joanna turned her gaze away quickly from a pair of anthros by the lockers on the side, the female on her knees and visibly blowing the furry guy, who looked to be having the time of his life.

"Do they really have to do that in public..." Joanna noted under her breath to Oliver, a slight blush on her face. It came with the territory of being from a strict human family.

[Assistant]
"Apparently," Oliver muttered back, averting his gaze as she had and sporting a similar blush. He kept his opinion quiet though, lest someone who approved decide to take umbrage at their perspective. He picked up the pace a little, hoping to move away from the carnal display as soon as possible. This was for a few reasons, and his discomfort was only one of them.

You see, Oliver was born of a mixed union between human and furry. As far as the public knew, his parents had had one kid and adopted another, since having a furry and a human kid was rare. So that was why he had a brother named Aaron who also went to the school. But that was not quite true. In fact Oliver was an only sibling. None of the experts knew quite how, but Oliver had the ability to shift between a Human and a Furry form. While present for his whole life, it had only become more pronounced in recent years. So what the school did not know was that his ''brother'' was actually just himself.

Of course Aaron would not have minded the display at all. It was their right as furries, so why not take advantage of it when they felt like it. Such a cavalier attitude was foreign to Oliver though, hence his silent eagerness to disengage. Without a reason to linger there, the furries fell into the distance as the pair walked on.

"So, have you finished that book yet?" His question was intended to draw their focus away from the lewd encounter they had just passed. The two of them had similar interests, which was why they had become so close, and there was always an eagerness to discuss the latest TV show or book that had caught their attention. It was a safe topic, and that was why it was so appealing.

[User]
Joanna silently appreciated Oliver's matching interest to get away from that display, at least as far as she could tell, so when he picked up the pace, she joined him. Once safely away from the rather loud gobbling, the girl could breathe a sigh of relief. "Yeah of course! It was fantastic!" she said. Once calm, she was more agreeable. Due to her reactions though, perhaps she wasn't as accepting of furry-kind as she otherwise might have said she was. "You finished reading it too, right?"

As they stepped into their next class, they were early as usual, with just the one student who had been in the previous class and miraculously did not have to move, and so could pass out into a nap for a few minutes. So at least they had the classroom to themselves. And as they sat down, their seats next to each other, Joanna suddenly furrowed her eyebrows. She felt like she should at least discuss the topic a bit more since they had become an item. "Hey... what do you really think about them?" she asked him lowly, out of curiosity. In truth, she wished she did not have to see those kinds of displays or even their kind around the school. She wished they had their own school and left humans in peace. But she had never admitted it.

[Assistant]
"I'm almost done with it," Oliver admitted with some chagrin Joanna confirmed she had finished already. He did his best, but it was a bit more difficult these days split between the two sides of himself. Aaron was not all that literary inclined, so Oliver's recreation time in that regard was even more limited than it might be otherwise. "So no spoilers, okay?"

They soon arrived at the classroom, ignoring the sleeping interloper as they went to their usual seats. Placing his bag down next to him, Oliver was taken off guard by the sudden turn in conversation, frowning as his head bowed. "Umm, well I think there are things we can learn from them," he said after a moment. His fingers drummed on the wood of the desk, tapping a nervous beat. "They're as much people as we are and we do have to live together. I just wish they'd be a bit more conscious of our own traditions and customs."

Should he mention that his ''brother'' and father were furries? Would that help the situation at all? He wasn't sure...

[User]
Joanna raised an eyebrow to him not having finished the book. "Really? You used to read faster than I do... did you get a job or something?" she inquired, getting a bit nosier than usual. There were some things she started to notice about him that felt to her like a change. It wasn't a huge deal, but as of late, she felt as if Oliver was only really there half the time. Hearing his reply to her about the more serious topic, she quickly nodded her head, mostly pushing away his first offering and rather focusing on the latter. "We don't need to see those kinds of things out in the open..." It felt a bit more severe considering how they were keeping even just the topical relationship on the down low.

More students started to arrive and take their seats around the class, but the one that would've caught his attention was Milly, as the rather popular dog girl sat in front of Oliver. She didn't really say or even notice his human self, though as she was placing her bag down, bending over right in front of him. With her tail wagging slightly, her short skirt slid up, just enough to flash Oliver with a momentary glance at her blue panties, the slightly bulbous shape of her nether mound sticking out toward him through the tight fabric, and the glimmer of her musk slowly filtering up into his nostrils, albeit not as potently as if he were his furry self. Still, he would recognize that Milly would likely be going into furry heat sometime in the near future, and requiring some attention. Though it all lasted just a couple moments before she sat down in her seat.

Joanna had been reading through her agenda and failed to notice what her boyfriend had been able to see. "Hm... we haven't had a pop quiz in a week... it'll either be today or tomorrow..." she mumbled lowly, mostly to herself, but also loud enough that he could hear it.

[Assistant]
"Well, I guess you could call all of my dad's house projects a job," Oliver replied with a groan inherent in his tone. It was the easiest ruse he could commit to, as it would not require proving that a job actually existed. He really did intend to finish, he'd just slipped a bit further behind than he had intended thanks to 'Aaron time'.

That said, her reply to his comment did not inspire much in the way of confidence. For a moment panic bloomed inside of his heart. Would this relationship really work out? Was he making a mistake, given his dual heritage his parents? Yet just as quickly he banished those thoughts. She would understand, she just needed time to be eased in to things. She was too important to him for Oliver to be willing to mess this up.

At that point students began filing in, including one familiar face. Oliver let out a light huff as Milly flashed him, and her musk reached his nose. He did not visibly react beyond that, certainly not making an effort to make her aware of what she had done. He was a nobody, and attempting to do so would be the equivalent of social suicide with someone so popular. However, while he feigned ignorance the other stirred inside of him. It recognized that smell, and knew that it would be in for a fun time later. Someone would need to tend to those needs after all.

He busied himself with taking out his school supplies, and overheard Joanna mention the possibility of a pop quiz. The time had come to focus on class, and so he let the conversation lapse as he prepared his notebook. At least schoolwork was easier than the vague paths of romantic relationships.

[User]
As the class settled in, time proved Joanna right as the teacher walked in and immediately announced a pop quiz. Obviously, that roused most of the class to groan and grunt, not observant enough to pick up on the patterns, or just not interested enough to do so. Most students tended to do poorly on pop quizzes, but next to him, Joanna sat up excitedly. Indeed, she was a nerd of the highest degree, so it would yet be seen what kinds of things she would be open to do as his girlfriend.

Meanwhile, Milly in front of him was one of many who groaned. "Ugh, another one? We had one like yesterday!" the dog girl grunted and leaned back in her seat, her lovely brunette hair spilling unto Oliver's desk. Though as the quizzes were handed out, everyone had to focus on what they were doing.

Throughout the quiz, the vague hint of Milly's sexual need started to get more potent, bit by bit, while next to him, Joanna finished barely five minutes into the class. "So easy," she remarked as she got up and strutted her way to the front of the class, leaving Oliver alone for a few long moments with his thoughts.

[Assistant]
Thanks to what Joanna had said, Oliver was somewhat prepared for the pop quiz that followed as the teacher entered the room. Milly might groan in despair, but he was confident in his chances. Oliver was studious and focused, so his gaze quickly scanned the questions on the paper laid in front of him as he got to work.

The quiz was easy enough, but he did not finish first. He glanced over as Joanna rose once she'd finished and moved to the front of the classroom. He wasn't necessarily as fast, but he had another distraction in the rising scent of musk that Milly gave off. That in turn further tugged on the other, drawing his focus away. This test was hard enough as it was without having to worry about popping a boner in the middle of class.

Of course that might be its own blessing, as it made him seem a bit more normal. Joanna earned glanced from students that she passed by, and the occasional muttered word directed at her display. Not all reacted well to her rapid display of intelligence.

Finishing, Oliver sighed and stretched a little to release the tension in his muscles. He rose and moved closer to the window, hoping to get away from Milly's allure. The less time he had to bear with it, the better off he would be for the rest of the class.

[User]
Joanna was used to being a teacher's pet, ridiculed behind her back. It was something that happened frequently enough, though so far, Oliver had been avoiding a similar fate. After all, it would've been worse for him, that was for sure. Either way, seeing Oliver go by the window instead of back to their desks, Joanna raised an eyebrow and got closer to him.

"Hey Oliver, are you alright?" she asked lowly, given how most of the class was still struggling with their quiz. Luckily, she hadn't noticed anything off with him beyond that, and certainly hadn't looked down toward his crotch. Instead, she went to stand next to him, unaware of the things he was feeling. Gazing at his face, she tried her best to guess what was up with him. "Did you did poorly or something? It wasn't that hard as long as you read the chapter..."

Eventually, Milly got up and handed her quiz in, groaning lowly. Given how it was before several others, she probably just guessed on several of the questions or just left them blank, either way it wasn't going to be a great grade. But as she handed it in, she leaned toward the teacher and whispered something to him, and soon she went toward the door, probably heading to the bathroom. At least, anyone else would've likely thought that...

[Assistant]
"Yep, I'm fine," Oliver confirmed as he looked out the window to the school yard beyond., "Just wanted to change the view a little bit. Keep the brain sharp and all." Glancing back, it seemed that his intended measure had succeeded in a way he did not expect, as Milly departed the classroom. Given the heat she'd been giving off, he had a feeling that if she was actually going to the bathroom then it would be for more than one kind of relief. For a moment he considered ducking out so he could shift and deal with that, before deciding it would be a bit too coincidental if he happened to leave right now.

Assuming Joanna had even noticed the departure, of course.

He gave the window one last look before nodding to his girlfriend. "Alright, I'm good now," he assured her before heading back to his seat. For now he would bide his time, follow along with the class, and see if an opportunity arose later. Otherwise, he'd just have to deal with it before the next class period began.

[User]
It was an odd reply but seeing his expression change, Joanna felt more reassured. "Hm... alright well, if something's bothering you, you'll let me know... right?" She wanted to confirm with him on that. After all, they were boyfriend and girlfriend now so she expected them to be closer than they were. Course, maybe some of the things he had to share wouldn't be to her liking. Either way, she joined him back at their seats and brought out her usual books and utensils for the class.

Joanna hadn't really noticed Milly's absence, after all why should she care? Not that she really picked up on the furry girl's needs, most humans weren't sensitive to that. For them... these furries were just sex freaks, not really understanding what happens to furries who can't get their heat taken care of in a reasonable amount of time...

Suddenly, several students at the front of the class gasped and groaned and the teacher got up. "Dammit Terry, get some more vegetables in your diet!" Terry was a boy from their class who tended to get nosebleeds quite frequently. Looking over the class, the teacher pointed to Oliver. "Hey Oliver, you're done with your quiz, take Terry to the nurse's office and hurry it up, it looks worse than usual..."

[Assistant]
"Of course, we are best friends after all," Oliver assured Joanna with a smile. More than best friends, but he didn't intend to say such a thing in the open. Not when there were plenty of other classmates around to hear him do so.

Returning to his seat, the opportunity to duck out arrived sooner than he had expected. "Sure," he replied, rising once more and moving towards the front of the room. This gave him a chance to leave, and in a situation where he would not necessarily be expected to return quickly like going to the bathroom would. Arriving, he nodded to the boy. "Come on," he said with a smile as he offered a hand. The response was mumbled as Terry clutched at his nose, but he did not refuse the helping hand as Oliver guided him out of the room.

They made their way relatively swiftly to the nurses office, where Oliver deposited him in her care. Having done so, he did not return immediately to the classroom. Instead he diverted, making his way to the nearest bathroom. Slipping inside, he made sure that the coast was clear and none of the stalls were occupied before turning to the mirror.

Reaching deep inside, something began to ''shift''. It was hard to describe, like something twisting and rearranging in him. His body shifted, growing taller and facial features become animalian. Fur sprouted, and teeth elongated too. As the process came to an end, he looked upon himself in the mirror and nodded. He was no longer Oliver. Instead, he was Aaron now.

Now in his furry form, he slipped out of the bathroom and began walking the halls. It was time to find a certain needy dog-girl...


[User]
Deoch was a range down along the edge of an autonomous region of the world, sparsely inhabited by clans of humans who subsisted on herding, mostly goats, and that much farther down the slope. The mountain Gareth made his home on was not a mountain at all---Chhogori (as it was known in the local tongue) was a volcano, which was just lovely. Hot water and luxurious heated baths with no fuss, and the innermost rocks of Gareth's cave dwelling were warm.

The sides of this mountain were treacherous, prone to avalanches and rock falls, and thus greatly feared by the locals; Chhogori's summit had never been stood on by a human. Gareth had tried to stand up there once in his man form and nearly passed out, immediately switching back to his dragon. Good thing Gareth had healing---he might very well have died!

But Gareth's cave was comfortably far enough below the summit to have mostly normal oxygen range, the air a bit thinner, but only a bit---and he could fly, the cave he'd constructed well-protected from being covered in an avalanche or rockslide. After all, there was nothing but sheer mountain wall below it, nothing for the rocks to catch on and build up against.

The lava was more of an issue, but Gareth was confident he could fly faster than the ash. Chhogori was a dormant volcano---it hadn't erupted in 10,000 years at least. Anyway, this wasn't his only home, not even a favorite one, and he didn't keep very much that was important here. It was really only for his guests.

One of his guests was farther inside, laid out on a bed for them. He had been hard to obtain---kings often were. Well-protected, well-guarded, and he was a dragon too! Gareth wasn't sure he'd be able to stop him from flying off for long.

Well, Gareth had the tea brewing for him, with herbs that would take away his headache neatly, because he wasn't rude, though he had used the drugs that caused a headache.

[Assistant]
Atlas Volvain was quite displeased at the moment, laying on a bed of furs as he cocked an auburn brow at his captor. The high king's robes were torn to a degree during the scuffle, the Ellibryde ruler not going down without a fight as he laid quite a few claw and bite marks onto his attacker.

However now he simply lounged and watched the dark-haired man with an unimpressed gaze as he leaned over and took a cup of tea from him, taking a sip as his nose wrinkled. Atlas had quite a refined taste when it came to tea, and he was quite sure he was just given water with weeds sprinkled into it but he did find his headache start to fade from the drugs earlier.

"I've heard of you, you're insane." The king said bluntly as he set the cup down and leaned back crossing his powerful arms, the man looking to be a god among men. "Well let's get this over with. What do you want?" Atlas asked as if he had been through this before and it was nothing but a waste of time. The man had seen quite a bit in his life, as if nothing could surprise him now.

"I need to get back. I have a kingdom to run so lets make this quick because unlike you I fill my time with productivity." Atlas growled, normally he was calm and chivalrous but the fact he was taken away from his duties and the people he was bound to serve made him all the more ornery, that and the fact he was drugged on the way to the mountain range. Though he had an idea that perhaps the terrible weed water would be his last cup of tea, he didn't let that sway him in terms of demeanor as his sky blue eyes sliced into Gareth.

[User]
Gareth's baby blue eyes widened in a show of shocked innocence. "Insane! Strong words. I'm nothing of the sort." He flicked his wrist dismissively at Atlas' assertions. "Your kingdom will keep running forward, love, irrespective of your presence. It's got a lovely bureaucracy put in place to keep grinding forward through daily life. They don't need you; they think they do. Anyway, I shan't keep you long."

He moved to a desk next to the bed Atlas was in, pulling forward a scroll of blank velum and an ink pot he uncorked. He touched a quill to his red flame of a tongue and dipped it into the pot. "I want to know about board games, generally. Everyone agrees you're the foremost expert. T'is an interesting pastime and one with few treatises on the subject."

His eyes flicked to Atlas' with a wickedly impish glint. "So? Will you help me? Not more than a month of your time, and I'll help you on the journey back---I know it is quite a trek."

By ''help'' he meant provide a well-drawn map, but that was better than he gave humans. Often he dropped them off at the nearest large town that was convenient with some funds to make it home, ignoring such petty concerns as a lack of knowledge of the local language or any idea of how to get home.

[Assistant]
"Sir," Atlas said formally to Gareth but his words were laced with disappointment and irritation. "You are keeping me from serving my people and Ellibryde. I do not take kindly to this sort of game you're playing with me." Atlas grumbled lowly at him when he was called ''love'', however the word always seemed to make him quiver a bit for reasons he continued to shove down deep within him. "They don't need me, I need them. I am but a servant to the people." Atlas growled at him, the king having done many things to set society in the right direction during his rule.

However Atlas started to doubt himself once more from this stranger's words as he always did but this was not the time to be rethinking his life and choices. Again.

What Gareth said however, about sending him back the elder dragon bared his fangs at the younger and snarled lowly, his blue eyes like flames rather than ice. "A month?! You're keeping me here in this cave for a month?" If he wasn't a borderline pacifist unless he needed to solve something from the end of his blade he would have torn this man to pieces.

Sitting there, he had a feeling that even if he used his well honed skills of combat, the younger dragon's strength and endurance would get the better of him and with the war against Knox... he couldn't afford to make the mistake of death. "...we'd... best get started then. But I'm only going to answer what is asked."

[User]
Gareth rolled his eyes and popped his rosy lips open like the most annoying, stupid, vapid thirteen-year-old in the world. "Well then they'll be without their slave for a month, and nobody's much fussed about that. Happy?"

The wicked look in Gareth's eyes said he was enjoying Atlas' reaction. His handsome lips pulled up in a roguish smirk, still human, but his fangs dripped down below his lips, poking into his beard. It was a reminder---baring fangs might frighten a human, but Atlas was past his prime and soft from ruling, and Gareth was fully prepared to use that against him. Gareth was in the peak of life and endurance, with no malady or serious wound.

He rather hoped he wouldn't have to, though. Gareth had even less desire to harm Atlas than Atlas did of Gareth. And a fight? No matter who lost, the loser was Gareth. How was he supposed to write a treatise with the knowledge contained locked in a corpse? Anyway, dragon blood was hard to wash out.

"Fair enough, love," Gareth sang. He dipped the quill into the pot. "We'll work until sundown, then? Have a kip, then get some rest. Should be a laugh!" And keeping Atlas here was dangerous---after all, they both had to sleep sometime---not to mention that none of Gareth's methods of dissuading people from trying to kill him or leave would work on a fellow dragon.

But even if tonight was the only night he could work on it, he'd do well enough. "How many board games do you know, numerically, and what are their names." Like that, he intended to pass the rest of the day until it got too dark to comfortably work.

[Assistant]
"Don't call me that." Atlas growled lowly, giving him his first warning. The king was getting sick of this, and it would be expected for him to try to escape, Atlas knew that much and even if it was expected he might as well try. There were no days off in his line of work.

Gritting his fangs at the younger man as he pulled out a quill and paper and started asking Atlas questions about the most trivial thing the king could ever think about. "You're a spineless rat." The king snarled lowly at him his words electric but he knew all he would get from the other man was a smile and some snide comment.

Pinching the bridge of his nose he was quiet for a long moment before rubbing his head and side of his face from the sheer exhaustion he was feeling from this. "What age range are we looking at or do you just---never mind. You can suffer with all of them." Atlas began to list all of the board games he knew of, those for children those for adults. Some were ancient games not played for centuries and only known by ancients such as elder elves or dragons closer in age or older than Atlas.

This continued well into the night before his stubbornness kicked in and he simply stopped talking and simply glared at him, his arms crossed refusing any further service.

[User]
"Very well," Gareth said lightly when he was told not to call him love. He even behaved, mostly engrossed in his writing. Each name and fact Atlas gave him was lovingly penned down, with the care and reverence most reserved for documents of importance, state secrets---not a list of casual games that included simple nonsense designed for children.

Everything about Gareth's face and manner was serious, which actually looked wrong on his boyish, irritating features. He only interrupted the flow of questions and information once, to light the lamps with a little blow of fire from his human lips. Atlas eventually grew quiet.

"Alright, love," Gareth sighed, his boyish lying face back on to see. He had clearly forgotten his promise not to use love earlier in the day. "Let's get some food, a bath, some rest. Shall we?"

He stood with a grunt for his stiffened muscles and his dragon form stretched out. For a minute he dove outside the warm cave, returning moments later with a cow, fully frozen. He switched back to man form and left the cow by a thermal vent to thaw before he cooked it. Then he began trying to bully Atlas with gestures and small tugs into coming farther into the cave to get to the hot spring farther in that Gareth had turned into a bath. He himself was already stripping his tunic and shirt willingly, eager for the hot water. It showed the lean lines of his muscular stomach.

"Come along, King. Don't be a fearful maiden, I shan't ravish you. You stink, my liege, surely you can smell yourself too. Let's fix that."

[Assistant]
Atlas snarled once more, the ripping sound echoing throughout the den when he was called ''love'' once more by the younger dragon. The king was content when speaking of menial things, skills and objects that did not matter to him unless it was time for him to take a step away from work and indulge himself.

Ears pinning, the king let out a low snort as he was bullied and pestered into coming closer into the cave and closer to his captor with the promise of meat, no doubt a bull from a poor farmer within his kingdom. "You are vile. For centuries dragons have become an intelligent race, living within society and you... you are carnal and primitive. For shame on behalf of the draconic race."

As he ate his eyes followed the young man, ears pinning further as he stripped in front of him. "Have you no shame? I am still a king," Atlas snapped but his anger was covering up other emotions deep within him. Letting out a snort, he did agree that a bath could be mildly relaxing, especially after everything else he had been through.

Slowly getting up, he stripped himself of his tunic revealing a powerful body lightly decorated in scars from battles and hunts during his time. The powerful man barred his fangs towards Gareth one last time as he moved to the spring.

[User]
Gareth rolled his eyes again, like a child a portion of his age, giving an elaborate full-body shrug. "What's the use of shame?" he asked, and seemed genuinely curious. "If I want to do something, I do it. If I don't, I won't. I seek my own amusement---and to not do as others bid me, but as I desire. Is life not simple like that?"

The way he said it was hard, had an edge. There was something there, beneath the boyish nonchalance, darker and richer than he was showing. "A king in my castle, I think. But, your majesty, let's soak away this bad feeling, yes?"

Gareth was soon fully nude, following the King into inner turns of his dwelling. Down a long, sloping hallway, they reached a shelf in the rock over a wide pool of water with steam curling off the face. Gareth had spelled the cave to stay clean; there was no mold on the crags of rock above the pool.

Gareth slid in to the chin with a luxurious sigh, rolling his shoulders. His neck ached from being bent over vellum all day. Undoubtedly Atlas, having reclined on a bed and spoken, was in finer shape. But what of his advanced age? "It is true, is it not, that most creatures in old age have aches and pains. Is it true for us, too?"

[Assistant]
"Because it seems to me just by this... predicament..." Atlas said as he gestured to the entire scene of him being there against his will, "that you do whatever you please, whenever you please, and however you please. The world does not work this way and I will not stand to have such rabble parade around my kingdom as if they own the place." Atlas barred his fangs to the younger dragon, part of him believed his words, he didn't want someone as chaotic as Gareth running around but at the same time there was a tick of jealousy, that Atlas would never be able to live life as he desired.

As Gareth stripped, he turned away, his ears pinning as a sneer crossed his face in disgust however a deep red color crept up his neck and to his cheeks as he tried to hide his feelings as he crossed his arms. "Take yourself somewhere else, I have no interest in bathing with scum such as yourself, and would it kill you to have some decency?" Atlas's ears pinned further as he let out a snort, he had not been in the presence of a nude man in quite some time and even now with no one about, he was too afraid to admit he at least had some physical appreciation and attraction though he still hated this young pup.

[User]
"One bath, your majesty. We might as well enjoy it together. And you're right," he sang. "I do as I please."

He was immediately derailed by the kingly reaction to his teasing, and to his handsome nude form. He laughed at Atlas' blush. "My! Your highness, you truly are adorable. I shan't ravish you; I'm a man of my word. Why this modesty? We're both men, we're both dragons. Do you not have servants to attend to you as you bathe? Think of me as your humble servant. I will even wash you, if you desire't. Come, how long has it been since you were with someone who did not fear you, who treated you as something other than finest china, fit any minute to break? I think you will find being here refreshing, if you allow yourself to. I mean you no harm, your majesty. Your country neither. I can't rightly parade about your kingdom when we aren't even in your kingdom, don't you think?"

He sunk into the water, chortling again at the sight of Atlas' maiden's blush. The steam hid parts of his body from sight and Gareth relaxed into it bonelessly, his spine molding to the smooth edge of the rock, sighing out his delight. Really, hot springs were a joy. His eyes were on Atlas, half-lidded and coy.

[Assistant]
"You shan't ravish me at all," Atlas snapped at him before snarling at him again, "though I am a king I can still function on my own. I need not servants that carry me down the stairs, bathe nor feed me. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, rat." Atlas just about bit his tongue when he spat the insult trailing his words at the other dragon, he at a young age grew up in the streets and was called the same, though Atlas had no idea what was happening, and why this insufferable man made him act out like a mere child.

"Don't touch me," Atlas grumbled as he sank into the spring, his powerful muscles rolling and slowly untangling from the stress he held himself up with. After a while, Atlas closed his eyes allowing the steam and heat to take his senses before opening on eye and glowered at the other man who stared at him with such a terribly coy and almost succulent expression, "must you stare at me?"

[User]
"I did already say I shan't. Your nerves are cute, though, Your Majesty."

"What?" he asked, his boyish blue eyes sparkling with interest as he straightened up. "Why, you're king and you don't have servants bathe you? Nor long massages? What is the very use of rule if you don't allow yourself to be pampered? Ah, Gods save me from such a life."

He sprawled out, extending his foot cavalierly in Atlas' direction, not quite touching him. When Atlas took issue with his impolite stare, Gareth grinned. "What should I be looking at, if not you? Do you ever relax, my king?"

"One would think you hadn't been laid in millennia, the way you act. Blushing just from my eyes! Are you a girl of sixteen, your majesty? Rosy-cheeked because a lad spied on your bathing? Ah, youth." He clutched his heart theatrically, like a bad actor. It was even worse that Gareth taunted Atlas like he was a callow child when Atlas was millennia older than Gareth.

"You must have hundreds of lads and wenches who would cream their stockings for a chance to serve you, or at least spend a pleasant night and bear a king's bastard. There's nothing unpleasing about you. Why deny the willing?"

[Assistant]
"I'm an adult, not a child. I don't require others to do something for me of which I am very capable of doing myself." Atlas snapped at him though the heathen did have a point... a massage would be nice right about now, his muscles were tense to the point he was unsure he could move his back and shoulders. "And I do not have time for such leisure as a massage, again I have much work to attend to."

Atlas grimaced when Gareth mocked the fact he looked like he hadn't been laid. The truth of the matter was... he was correct. "I'm married, I have no need for concubines..." Atlas was a monogamous man, faithful, but the marriage was only for political gain and neither of them had interest in each other, they were only friends, companions, but nothing romantic... that was the deal between his elven wife and himself... she would continue seeing her lover, and he would go about his business... this could only last so long however... the fact an heir was needed... and for it to be biological... it would be best if the king weren't attracted to men.

Gritting his teeth, Atlas sank into denial as well as the pool. "I'm not interested in men, and I'm most certainly not interested in whorish women willing to throw themselves upon me. Leave it at that."

[User]
"Married?" Gareth asked, his nose wrinkling, offended by the very idea of monogamous marriage. "A person is whorish for enjoying and seeking sex? I think you just called me a whore, your majesty. Maybe you should say that again, more straight-forward," he said, smirking.

But Gareth was now looking at him with an expression a man makes when he comes across a very interesting and unusual insect: a healthy respect, a bit of disgust, but an open curiosity. "Well, if you're not interested in men and half the population are whores for enjoying what's natural, it sounds as though I was exactly right. A prude. How do you relax, your majesty? Do you drink? Smoke?"

[Assistant]
Atlas let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples as Gareth insisted on giving him a burning headache. "...no... look just... it's complicated alright, my personal life is just... very complicated, I don't need you to understand so let's just... drop the subject alright? I'm getting tired of being your captive source of amusement for the evening."

The king's voice dropped low, his pupils slitting into thin lines as he started to lose his strong patience. "Why don't you tell me just what you're going to do with me while you keep me here instead of probing at my personal life..." Atlas's voice was but a growl, his eyes narrowing when Gareth said the word ''drink''. The king had a habit in the dark hours to drown himself in wine and ale due to the constraints put on him, especially with the public and nobles constantly questioning when an heir to the throne would be born. "I'm assuming kidnapping a king... you would have some masterful plan after you've captured me hmm? Well since I'm not going anywhere let's hear it shall we?"

[User]
Gareth watched him rub his temples, not at all nonplussed---he had this effect on people. When he was inveighed to drop the subject he leaned over with a wide smile and clapped Atlas on his nude shoulder. "Fair enough, your majesty, fair enough---" But his next words brought him up short. "Do with you?" he asked innocently, cocking his head. "I've told you what I'm going to do with you. I just want help writing my book. You are the world's foremost expert on board games, after all."

He delivered that ridiculous motive without any self-consciousness on how absurd it was.

"I did promise I'd bring you back, love. I'm not a storybook villain, laughing maniacally with a plot to take over the world. I just need you for research, and you're most useful right here next to me while I write." He blinked his blue eyes at him. "I'm a little offended you think there's anything more."

[Assistant]
A fiery brow twitched at the young dragon having just about enough of this conversation. "I do not. Now, do you have a towel for me?" He still had no interest showing himself even if it was for two seconds, who knew the high king would be a prude? The elder man twitched when Gareth laid his hand on his shoulder as the king bared his fangs to his abductor. "I would rather you not touch me, at all, ever."

Once he grabbed himself something to use he rose out of the spring, shaking his red mane before changing back into the clothes he had. "I suppose since this is your base of operations, you have an area with a bed perhaps? Or do you go completely wild and sleep on a mound of coins?" Atlas scoffed at him, the elder dragon most certainly not having let loose on his natural instincts in hundreds if not a thousand or so years.

[User]
Gareth rolled his eyes and popped his lips again, standing, unabashed by his own nudity, and grabbing Atlas a towel. "I have a bed. I'm not a savage. Most of my guests are humans, after all, or some facsimile thereof. I'll show you the bedroom."

He moved ahead of Atlas, finding the way through narrow back passages. Inside the last, they opened into a room that seemed to have one small entrance or exit, but was wide, huge, with a massive bed in the middle.

When Atlas stepped in, Gareth returned to his dragon form behind him, a long rope of azure scales. "I suppose, knowing your predilections, you will not share the bed with me. Goodnight, my liege."

If Atlas wanted to leave, it would be through Gareth's draconic body. Of course, with how arrogant and irritating the man was, Gareth wouldn't be surprised if he was tempted to open the doorway with his teeth.

[Assistant]
"Guests you call them," Atlas mused as he followed him, knowing if the other dragon wanted him dead he would have already challenged his highness at least by now. He was finally relaxing but he refused to let his guard down, it would be foolish especially when Gareth was indeed his captor. As Gareth turned forms with ease, Atlas's ears twitched in thought.

_A blue... no wonder he's so chatty..._ The king chuckled to himself as he watched Gareth turn his back to him, causing the elder male's pupils to slit into thin lines. _Big mistake._ In a fire and flash of bronze scales and teal stripes, the elder dragon lunged for his captor, wanting to put up a bit more fight this time, dragon to dragon.

Atlas due to his age had size on his side, his ice blue eyes aged orbs as he pushed Gareth to the wall, bearing his fangs to the other male as he put pressure onto his chest. "You did say most of your guests are humans did you not mister... Gareth was it? You must be out of practice. One does not so easily turn their back on a dragon."

[User]
Fire lashed Gareth's scales, and the foolish boy was lucky his water nature quenched Atlas' flames. The ropes of Gareth's lengths untwisted, an Eastern dragon, which meant he was slippery and more magically potent, but potentially in a bind crushed in an awkward position like this. Gareth's furry lips pulled back off his teeth, seeming quite bewildered. Not the sharpest pike in the vault, by any stretch of the imagination.

Gareth shoved hard, twisting against Atlas, meeting his teeth with his teeth, his ten claws vying with the king's four, but really the blue was in a much less advantageous position at the moment---his own foolish fault.

"Gareth," he concurred. Eastern dragons had a poison spur on their back claws. Naturally, he could cure that poison. He wrapped his lengths around Atlas wrestling to keep his mouth and claws from finding dangerous arteries, as he tried to stab that spur on the hinge of Atlas' wings, where his scales were less.