REMIND ME OF MY DUTY [P]

[grey]

Grey hated it, but the disdain of his "fellow" Carna made him strive to prove them wrong. He wasn't just a deserter. He was a hard worker and loyal when it came down to it. The circumstances that surrounded his departure from Fallen were unique and, in all actuality, the harsher climate of the Carna suited him better. Even the landscape, with the mountainous crags on one edge, forest sprawling in various locations, and the seafront... He felt more at home. Grey was restless that evening. James was still in the process of recovery and couldn't go as far as was necessary for basic patrols. As the weeks had gone by, the Carna had begrudgingly begun to trust him more, sending him out farther and farther. Perhaps this was a direct result of the fact that Grey seemed to apply himself utterly to whatever he did. If he was going to be a deserter, he was going to be a damn good one. He was still distant from the Carna, preferring to take his half-rations to eat with James or alone. He lacked the companionship that he typically relied upon. But he had lacked it ever since coming to the Menagerie. He just ignored his loneliness by working himself to the quick. That said, Grey had taken on an extra patrol that evening to cover for a Carna that had fallen ill. He loped along the southern border, near the Citadel mountains, keeping an easy pace in his wolf form. It had been a hot, sweltering day that led into a hot, sweltering evening. But Grey was unconcerned with it. He merely panted and continued, ducking his nose to gather the plethora of scents. It was mostly what was to be expected. Carna, overlaying the odor of various game trails. That was until he came across something that did not belong. He lingered over it, nose nearly touching the ground where he could distinguish the scuffling of animal footprints. But they did not smell entirely of forest; there was something that bespoke of campfires and... humanity. He pursued the trail delicately, hackles bristling on their own accord. He was certain of one thing. They were not Carna, nor did they have the distinctive smell of the Fallen desert or the Fulsi city. Grey picked up his pace from a walk to a trot until he saw her. He maintained the high ground, moving down an incline, and released a deep bass growl of warning. "You're trespassing." An obvious statement and, with it said, Grey moved to circle in front of the other wolf--he registered that, now. A wolf, and female. Once in front of her, Grey shifted and crossed his arms, striking a foreboding image. "Now, git."

[ROMA|RED]

There was no way Roma was going to let the opportunity for another meal to slip through her fingers. She had seen the hare and followed it until it decided to freeze in the brush. Sister Wolf reined tight in her mind wanting to be freed. As she was not much for the killing side of things, Roma was usually more than happy to let Sister Wolf take care of it. This time was no exception, and without argument she released into the form of a small red wolf. Brilliant golden eyes narrowed as Sister Wolf’s nose sampled the air. Now then, prey. Single mindedly Sister went after the hare, and it was just then that another scent caught her attention. Her large ears flickered in uncertainty as another creature made its presence known, and she whirled as the predator drew near. The scent of wolf hit her nose, but it was not of a like she had ever encountered before. Words jumbled, and instinctively Roma’s consciousness rose to attention. Sister Wolf had no protection against words, and once he had shifted into human form uneasiness trickled through Sister Wolf’s body. Almost soothingly Roma took control, retaining the wolf shape deliciously as she only occasionally got to. The smells the sight it was all so … Now, git. Roma twitched to attention, brown eyes watching him in consideration. Her head tilted to the side as her nose worked. He was …. cuuuuutteee. Especially for a Carna, but he smelled of something else. Roma was too inexperienced to deduce why, not to mention distracted by the very nice example of the human male. Her tail wagged a touch, and she shifted slowly into her human form. It was like a flower unfolding as she stood –whiskey red curls tossing as she stretched, crossed her arms in a mirrored fashion, and cocked a hip. Her curves were generous, her brown eyes mischievous, her freckles impertinent, and her display of sass unnerving. Most in the Menagerie had a sense of desperation about them, however Roma was not one of them. ”Well that’s no way to greet a Lady,” she said in a chiding, playful tone. Her southern accent echoed softly across the short distance between the two of them. Her mouth turned into a small, Mona Lisa-like smile.

[grey]

Grey analyzed the rogue, concluding that she wasn't aggressive. Yet. That didn't mean that she was harmless; contrarily, Grey trusted her even less because of her demeanor. He had met plenty of men that would have shot him down while making small-talk or grinning like a brother. Her body language bespoke of relative friendliness if not interest and he watched as, after a pause, she shifted into her human form. His expression did not change. He merely balanced on the balls of his feet, prepared for some sort of retaliation, whether it be verbal or physical. His hands rested lightly at his sides, not defensive nor offensive, merely... there. His posture was light and easy. However, the laxness would only fool the blind. Grey had the ample body of a predator, like a lion or a wolf waiting patiently for the hunt to begin. "I didn't know you were a lady," he replied, calmly. But the comment had a barb. "To me, you look like a wolf." Grey stared her down, perhaps a subconscious effort to appeal to the animal beneath her skin--his gaze was heavy, challenging. It did not show how flustered he was by her appearance, so alike and unalike Cole that it hurt. An irrational part of him wanted to put the entire encounter on a stalemate so that he could ask to touch her hair. It was a much darker shade than Cole's, but it still sparked several memories of his hands knotted at the base of his lover's neck, or his voice muffled by the imprint of her scarlet hair against his mouth when he kissed her head. Grey rolled his shoulders, refocusing on the task at hand. Reminiscing got him nowhere; in fact, all it did was cause him to feel like a fool. Nostalgia had that effect, after all. "I'm only going to ask nicely once." It wasn't a threat. He just cocked a brow and waited.

[ROMA|RED]

Roma smiled, waiting him out as he decided to be nice or be an ass. Either way Roma could handle it. When he claimed he’d not known she was female she gave a look of doubt, and she made a noise of disbelief. Of course he knew she was a girl, he had a nose didn’t he? Not to mention eyes, Sister was very small even for a red wolf and it was rare when another creature of even minimal intelligence mistook her gender. With his intense gaze her brow lifted. She knew this game, but also knew better than to get into a dominance match with him. Looking down, her thumb lifted to her mouth where her teeth bit the nail gently and her weight shifted to the other hip before she looked up again. He rolled his shoulders. ”Only once?” she asked, her voice lilting. There was several moments that passed before her teeth released her nail, only to gesture her hand in the ‘go on’ manner and returning to her mouth. ”Well then, better make it good,” her voice said in an almost bored tone.

[grey]

He was getting irritated quickly. Maybe it was the red hair. "Do I really have to tell you what Carna does to trespassers?" There was genuine exasperation in his voice. He really didn't want to hurt her, but he would if she didn't stop. Did she get off on messing with people, or what? "It isn't pretty." Grey took a step closer, taking a breath that settled him. He found her unnerving, even if he would not admit it. Her posture was eerily reminiscent of Cole when she had been younger. Not the broken image of the woman he had seen in the Menagerie, thinner and more desperate than he had ever thought possible. Grey blinked, dispelling the image from his mind's eye, before stepping even closer. The space between them was now scarce; in fact, he could practically feel the heat of her body as he glowered down at the trespasser. He was heedless of whatever danger she may or may not have been presenting. The way she behaved suggested either indifference or overconfidence or both, something that maddened him. "What do you say, rogue?" On his hand's own accord, one of his KA-Bar knives was gripped lightly in his fingers. He raised it to her face, head cocked to the side in a lupine expression of calculation. He would press the blade carefully against the edge of her cheek, a quiet threat. He found it humorous, almost, how quickly he had come to fill the dark role of a Carna.

[ROMA|RED]

As he neared, her finger dropped from her mouth and Sister Wolf whispered caution. The moment the knife showed a slam at the walls of her control caused her gaze to drop as Sister Wolf’s overwhelming presence lightened her eyes to a brilliant gold. She bit the inside of her cheek –hard. Internally she shoved Sister back, knowing the moment she took control they’d be dead. She knew posturing better than Roma did; they both knew a quiet wolf was more deadly than one giving warning, and this man was very clearly growling. He had to know better. If she ran he’d chase her. The dominant predator in him couldn’t help it. If she pushed him any farther, he might decide to display that dominance. Catch 22. Slowly she looked up, fixing brown eyes to the man’s in consideration – almost incredulity. ”You were gonna ask me nicely … once,” she stated then smiled before looking down again and shaking her head. A light chuckle trickled from her to release tension and found the knife at her cheek, the sharp blade causing her to freeze. Looking up in surprise, her gaze widened. A loose curl fell across her face into her vision but she ignored it. He had pressed close enough that she had to look straight up. Roma was not a tall girl, but he was a tall man. ”Mister I don’t know where you come from but where I come from when a handsome man threatens a pretty girl he better buy her dinner first,” she couldn’t help it. When she got nervous she turned to humor. Sister Wolf paced like a prisoner behind her fence. Roma reinforced everything she had to keeping her behind that fence. As the knife pressed a touch more she turned worried eyes to the man. They spoke of rescue. Which was strange. Usually when one was threatened they didn’t look to the attacker for rescue but Roma would not grovel. Never in a million years. The plea was in hopes that he wouldn’t hurt her, because if he did Sister Wolf would take control and regardless of whether they fought or not she was going to be killed. It was simply a fact. She licked her lips and stopped breathing.

[grey]

He hoped he had startled her, but it was difficult for Grey to tell when she did not meet his eyes. "I did," he murmured, almost in a lover's tone rather than a killer's. "It was the first thing I said you to." He was referring to the moment he had shifted into a man and told her, quite clearly, to git. The proximity was one that made it easy to lock her gaze. She appeared to be on the verge of laughing, but Grey was not the sort to find humor in this kind of situation. The knife was a threat between them as he pushed to the very back of his mind thoughts of her stray hair. He was not normally one possessed by fool urges, but in that second she looked young and vulnerable and-- Everyone in the Menagerie is a threat. Whatever pity he had been feeling was gone in an instant. Her comment caused him to snort, a short breath through his nose. "Do you want me to buy you dinner, darlin'?" It was difficult to tell if he was mocking her accent or if the term was typical of him. He arched his brows and, as abruptly as he had initially pressed it against her, Grey dropped the knife. It was not due to her expression or any other reason, really. It was just that he was not in a killing mood. He shifted the knife to his left hand and went to seize Roma by the arm, twisting it at angle that would be painful if she were to struggle. Without delay, he began to trek in the direction of the border. The way he held her made it easy for Grey to lean his face closer to hers, inspired by some... urge. He did not know if it was malicious or if he was just starved for human company. "Because I will." He knew that too much time had elapsed for the comment to be truly appropriate but it was impulsive if nothing else, something that the soldier in him protested. But Grey had to remind himself that he was no longer a soldier.

[ROMA|RED]

The intimacy of his words heated over her body, causing her to tremble. The reminder that love and hate were almost identical emotions trickled through her mind, and in that second she wondered when she’d learn to keep her stupid mouth shut. It was an impulsive and anxious comment, but she’d rather apologize than ask for permission any day. It was this moment, right here that reminded her of her father, and she shut down. His snort caused her eyes to narrow and his query caused her chin to rise defiantly. The fear drained out of her all at once as her chest tightened. He dropped the knife, but in the same moment twisted her arm around painfully and she gasped a noise between pain and pleasure. It was useless now; she settled into her old habits of simple survival. She’d learned a long time ago the adage ‘that which yields is not always weak’ and had always kept it close. Her manner had gone from bright and sassy to cold and seductive, a side born out of necessity and used in reflex. When his lips lingered close and whispered the three words, her body pressed against his and she dug her feet into the dirt. Leaning into the pain she turned her face towards him her lips parted slightly as her brow arched. Her face was flushed beneath her multitude of freckles as she whispered with competitive familiarity, ”Well I’ll be damned. That’s the first dinner invitation I’ve gotten since bein’ in this dust bowl.” He twisted her arm harder, causing her head to tilt back and expose her neck in another strangled gasp. Her head was against his chest and she bit her lip against further noise as he marched them toward the border (which granted was not far away.) If he was just going to kill her, he would have already – but the assurance was intuitive from that cold part of herself. Sister Wolf had begun to pace worriedly in her mind, uncharacteristically meek and quiet. Part of her was thankful, the other part begrudging. "Maybe another time when you're not so full hog" she said as if she'd been considering his ... offer. "Jes' now I don't think we'd get too far into the meal," she countered just as suggestively.

[grey]

Grey had fallen in love with violence not because of the sheer savagery of it--that had its part, of course--but because of the occasional, personal delicacy. Even as he twisted his arm, he was closer to her than he would have been otherwise. That, and he could tell a lot about a person from how they handled pain of any sort--she took it well, without too much of a grimace or too much complaint. This made him distrustful but intrigued. She either had something up her sleeve or her mischievous humor was truly her only defense. Grey couldn't decide which might be more plausible. Ah. Her feet dug in, stubborn as a mule's. The brunt of Grey's chest pushed up against her shoulders and, inspired by her previous behavior (which bordered on flirtatious) he took an extra half-step forward, pressing the angles of his hips against hers. There was no space between them, save for the crevice where their arms remained entangled. If she wanted to play this game, Grey wasn't the kind of man to back down from the challenge. "Is it because there's a lack of suitors or a lack of dinner?" His tone was clipped and it was difficult to tell he was making a joke; what it was not difficult to tell, however, was that Grey was not softening toward her. She may have been hot--hell, he could admit that--but he wasn't about to become lax for a pretty face. Her silence was loaded and he waited for her reply, lacking surprise when it came with just as much sass as prior. Grey snorted and twisted her arm for good measure, although he only did it to add a tweak of pain before loosening his hold. "You don't want to know what I would do with you," Grey replied frankly, lacking any sense of abashment. He let his gaze slip from the back of her head, going to the serene forest around them. The hot summer day broke through the treeline, mottling them with light. But he remembered that when she had first shifted that she had been all supple curves, a nice contrast to Grey's harsh angles and planes. He pushed her forward, impatient with their stillness as well as her sass. She no longer reminded him of Cole, who had always possessed an innocent mischievousness. Grey knew that this woman was dangerous merely because he had feeling that she could cut his heart out nice and neat if she wanted, and he meant that she would do it without a knife but with words. There was something to be said for redheads. Damn evil, he thought, with both affection and malice, as enigmatic as it may have been. His eyes fell to her again, breaking from the forest to settle on the delicate arc of her neck. It might be less effort for me to just kill her now. But the memory of her back pressed into the contours of his abdomen had been burned into his brain. All the more reason to do it, he added silently, but did not reach for his knife.

[ROMA|RED]

His hips drew close and she clenched her teeth, her eye rolling back to watch him as best she could out of her peripherals. Suitors or dinner? He relaxed his grip. It was her turn to snort in contempt. ”Both, but I’m use to a lack of decent men. Usually I can scrounge-“ she sucked air through her teeth in pain but released a pleasured chuckle before continuing her sentence, ”up something to eat pretty good on my own.” What he’d do to her. She bit the inside of her cheek until it bled. It was funny. Funny. It was the only practical response from someone stricken nightly –daily by … her thoughts cut off coldly. Always they demanded respect with no offer of respect in return. He was no different than any other asshole she’d dealt with. No different. There was a quiet giggle that escaped from her. So silent anothers ear would never catch it, however her form bubbled against his and there was no denying her body’s vibration in humor. She sobered quickly as he pushed her forward and she complied without fight and walked obediently forward. It was a fascinating trick she had learned. Her body would yield, but her mind would not. Whichever direction he moved her, she went willingly (surprisingly contrary to her previous behavior). With her head down Roma’s eyes shone a brazen gold, staring at the terrain as she traversed with care. It was a while before she realized they were well over the border, and they had stopped. For several moments they remained interlocked, unmoving aside from hot breaths expelled from hot bodies. Before she had time to contemplate why he held her so long, he shoved her forward and released her. Roma’s hands flew out to catch a fall that her feet had already compensated for, and she turned to face this man. In her many years in the Menagerie there were few that infuriated, and intoxicated her so much. Hot damn she needed a shot of whiskey. Uncertain of her eyes, she raised them slowly. Hopefully they were back to normal. His face was hard, unyielding – but something in his posture, in his eyes spoke of a personal anger, as if she told him she’d slept with his wife.

[grey]

Grey found himself reluctant to release this red-headed vixen, this she-wolf. He was reluctant to call her a fox, despite the fact she seemed all too eager to steal the metaphorical eggs from Carna's figurative chicken coop. Fox. It was what he had called Cole, affectionately and teasingly. That thought in mind, Grey wanted to make sure that she was far from Carna's border by the time he released her. I never want to see this girl again, his mind said, even as his body said otherwise. How long had it been? Grey knew, of course. The last time he'd been with someone like that had been Cole, before she had learned to hate him. Months and months ago. He cursed himself for letting his thoughts get on that tract, but it was difficult to keep them straight with her pressed so firmly against him. He was unaware of it but he had paused, his eyes half-closed. It would easy to think of her as Cole, with that impish flirtatiousness and those pointed features. Before he could think more on it, Grey shoved her away abruptly, as though she had burned him. Looking at her there, on the ground, he knew that this woman could ruin him as surely as Cole had. And he hated himself for such a romantic thought--it sounded like it was out of a book, or something akin to that. He was not preemptive, he was not a seer. Grey kept his expression cool and emotionless, no matter the turmoil within. "Stay out of Carna territory," he told her. "Or next time, I will kill you." With that said, he shifted and stood, much closer to eye-level now that she were on the ground and he was an animal. It would be easy to kill her, really. He would merely have to lunge forward, teeth aimed for her throat. Even if she shifted, she was smaller than him and, with Grey's mutations, he could not help but think he might even match her in nimbleness. His lip curled, a silent snarl, before he turned in a flourish and made to lope back to Carna territory. Although the threat was behind him, his hackles remained bristled. She had gotten under his skin without even trying. Grey hated her for it.

[ROMA|RED]

The red head stole a breath. Dirt from the ground smudged her face, and her lips developed an impish smile. Stay out of Carna territory or next time I will kill you, she almost grinned. It sounded like a challenge. Sister Wolf was uncharacteristically quiet, seeming to watch from beneath with baited breath. The man shifted again into a striped wolf, the crags of color those of a tiger, or a sunset against his primarily dark coat. His breath hit her face, sending her curls back like a gust of wind. His teeth were large, and he turned on his heel to hurry back across the border. Roma remained on the ground for a good few minutes. The moment his back had turned her eyes shifted into a brilliant gold and Sister Wolf’s anxious presence took over. Close call. However it seemed Sister Wolf was more concerned with Roma and her current state than any outside threat. Close call indeed – and gently she coaxed Roma to release and the girl slowly shifted into a small red wolf. Sister Wolf turned and began on a path that would take them on the skirts of the boundaries, and deep into the plains. It wasn’t but a few strides before Roma came to the fore, ripping control away so quickly that the red wolf almost tripped as the girl dashed their wolf body almost to the Carna border. Her paws scraped the dirt as she ground to a halt and she threw her head back, her cream maw rising high to release a loud and long howl. It echoed through the landscape, no doubt catching the Carna’s sensitive ears. Another belted from her, a more earnest howl. Her large ears flickered forward, the golden hues scanning the distance. There was a level of what the howl meant a human’s mind could never understand, but any wolf would have received the message without mistake. She had not expected a return, and slowly turned - and all at once vanished. Sister Wolf conscious slipped past Roma's to take control and pick up a hasty trot along their previous route. It had been a stressful encounter in more than one way, and would be days before Roma again came to light from the depths of their mind.

END OF THREAD