Written by the coolest gal ever! Give it up for Luna Silvereyes!
Rated T for Nina's potty mouth XD
The genre is humor and friendship with a slice of drama.
Girls Day Out
It hadn't been that long since the first time and honestly, that was an experience and a half I'd rather have forgotten. Memories of destruction, chaos, and death. Well, that was the melodramatic way of remembering it, anyway. Honestly, ditching the demolished hotel room me and Danny had been staying in hadn't been all that traumatizing on either me, or my kid brother. And if nothing else, I'd gotten a much-needed female ear out of the deal. After talking the brothers into bringing us back to earth for a brief time, I had begun to realize how absurd my need for my homeworld had become. What use did I genuinely have for this place now? We were as good as dead to everyone we knew, the alligator population was now a few hundred shorter than it had been before we left and our house had become Louisiana's own private ground zero. For the first time in my life, I thanked god that daddy wasn't around anymore. He'd have probably made medical history and died twice.
Even so, Osh'ikielle and Uzkielle had been 'sweet' enough to humor my request and looped us back around whatever backwater planet we'd been staying near to return to earth briefly. Our stay had gotten a little hectic with the appearance of more of those black bugs the brothers loved so much, so Danny and I had been sequestered in a local motel against the owner's knowledge. Who knew my mates were so devious? Nah, ignorant was more likely. They probably figured we were safer and less likely to get bored while surrounded by other people. Of course, long story short and two broken windows, a smashed bed frame and seventeen gaping holes in the wall later, and I've got a brand new female confidant.
Said confidant was supposed to meet me at the tiny backwater cafe just a mile north of the Florida-Georgia line. Sitting on the outdoor deck of the little restaurant, I couldn't help but glance out over the wide pond the back of the pub faced, flanked on all sides by thick weeping willows and spruce trees. A grimace covered my face when I saw the telltale signs of one of the trees seeming to follow me, moving stealthily and silently just twenty feet from the road skirting the edge of the water. Seriously guys, for the last time, surveillance is NOT necessary! I screamed in my head, willing the thought to transmit telepathically into their thick-ass skulls. No such luck. Whichever big oaf (I couldn't tell from this distance and with the damned cloak up, but I'd have bet my bottom dollar it was Uzkielle) had decided to tail me only moved closer to my location. I groaned, silently thankful for the concern, partially humbled that they still felt I was worth it, but mostly irritated because today was supposed to be a girl's day. You know? A day without annoying boys? Human or otherwise? Maybe there was an adage to that old saying that males never fully matured, even after they hit puberty. Although, the thought brought up interesting concepts of what Osh'ikielle and Uzkielle might have looked like when they were little and the mental image was enough to cause me to snort into my iced tea.
I composed myself before Thing 1 and/or Thing 2 decided my spasmodic shoulders were cause for alarm. Instead, I checked my watch, making sure I had the right time. It had only been a little over two months since the last attack from an impending outbreak. Honestly, for the longest time, I had suspected I was the only non-Yautja to get involved with the bizarre otherworldly species. So I guess the thought of meeting a hunter affiliated with them should probably have surprised me more than it had. I knew it sounded weird, and it was. But honestly, 'Misty' couldn't be described any other way. Danny had been the one to first greet her once she'd eviscerated the xeno that broke into our hotel room. Standing by the corpse, wearing the traditional armor of the Yautja (at least compared to Osh'ikielle and Uzkielle, anyway) and staring at us menacingly with her spear held rigidly at her side, I thought for sure that we would quickly follow in the unfortunate xeno's footsteps. Of course, leave it to my motormouth, completely fearless little brother to 'break the ice' as it were. Greeting her excitedly, sounding off about how she killed the alien, offering her a KitKat bar I'd bought for him earlier in the day, and all but demanding she stick around, Danny subsequently introduced me to the female who would later become my much needed...friend? Acquaintance? Person I vent to? Okay, honestly, I don't know what to call our weird little relationship. Even from the start, this strange creature who seemed completely comfortable around the brothers and a little put off by us didn't strike me as Yautja. Turns out she wasn't. When Danny finally convinced 'Misty' to remove her mask, we were both shocked beyond belief that, aside from a few key differences, she appeared to be human. No mandibles at all. She had no lips and instead of ears, she had narrow, deep pits on both sides of her head like a lizard's. The brothers had a similar setup, but with them, you had to really kind of know what you were looking for to find their 'ears', if that's what they could be called. I had accidentally discovered this fact with Osh'ikielle during a bit of ahem, 'curious exploration'. Yeah, that was it. 'Misty's' eyes were also different, the pupils a stark white in contrast to her stormy eyes. The effect was surreal and sent a shiver through me even today. What looked like the Yautja's dreads turned out to be feathers covering her head, plunging down her back in the form of a black mane and ending close to her enormous wings whose span easily dwarfed me. The image was completed with a long, feathered tail at least six feet long that, take my word on it, was stronger than it looked. Thinking back, I could see why my brother was fascinated with her, though her obvious affiliation with the Yautja clearly had him baffled. Danny even talked her into kneeling at his level and actually started tugging on the sides of her face in confusion, while I stood there and watched stupidly, as if unable to believe he'd really just done that. Of course, she'd growled at him while he was doing it, which led my brother to dubbing her 'Misty' because she was apparently 'cranky'.
The little shit, I thought with a smile and a shake of my head. While the name did fit her, the female...whatever she was, wound up taking to me more than to Danny, which seemed to suit the brothers just fine. At first, I wondered why they were okay with 'Misty' hanging around me, but then it occurred to me that it was because she was female. She wasn't competition. Therefore, they didn't mind her presence around me and actually seemed to encourage it, often giving 'Misty' her space when she approached and moving further away from me when she decided she wanted to spend time with me. Their treatment of this clearly threatening female suggested to me one of two possibilities. She was obviously affiliated intimately with their race and perhaps had earned enough respect from them to warrant this aloof treatment from the males, or else that they respected females highly in their society, especially strong ones. The other option was that perhaps she'd handed their asses to them in a fight at some point and they were now understandably wary of her. Or it could be both. How should I know? I don't speak clicking.
On hindsight, what with how she acted and how the brothers reacted to her, it was a bit like introducing a cat to a house full of dogs.
"Yes, the table out by the railing, miss. May I get you anything to drink?"
"Whatever she is having."
My ears perked at the familiar voice and I looked up as she approached my table. I'm quite sure the weird expression on my face clued her into the fact that I didn't fully recognize her. Were it not for the incredibly spiky 'hair' she seemed to sport, there was no way I'd have believed this was the same thingamajig creature that had crashed through the window of our hotel room.
"Hey." she greeted, pausing in front of me, "May I sit?"
I fixed her with a confused stare, "No, you can keep standing there until the waitress comes back to take our order." I said drily. She chuckled and took that as her cue to sit, "My apologies. Did I keep you waiting very long?"
"A couple of minutes." I answered, eying her curiously. I was having trouble believing this was the same...whatever the hell she was supposed to be—that had saved us from the xenos nearly two months ago. For one thing, the armor was nowhere to be seen. She was wearing some kind of black dress with a long, attached shawl draped over her shoulders and flowing clear past her hips. I noticed she wasn't so much sitting on the chair as she was kneeling on it and I figured it made sense since her knees bent backwards rather than forwards. I don't imagine sitting on a chair was all that easy for her and I felt a little bad inviting her to meet me at a cafe where half the experience is sitting and waiting. It was a very hot day and she was dressed like she were walking around in Montreal in dead-ass winter, so I raised an eyebrow, "Okay, where'd you steal the clothes from?" I asked.
"I took them from a shop further north of here, many miles away. I have to blend in." she said with a shrug.
"You look like a fugitive from the 80's. You are not going to blend in with that, especially down here, Luar'ka." I said with a smirk. She glanced down at herself and then looked back up at me with a weird expression on her face before shrugging again.
"You've got to be broiling in that." I told her.
"It is not so bad. Thwei'ja keeps the ship much hotter than this."
The mention of her Yautjan mate got my hackles up and I looked around cautiously, "Crap, he's not with you, is he?" I whispered.
"No. He does not accompany me as frequently right now. In fact, he would prefer his space at the moment. He will return to this sector to collect me in three rotations' time. Why?"
But there was no need to answer. Her eyes flashed and she glanced out across the pond, her pupils dilating as her eyes adjusted to the light. I knew she'd seen them. She grinned, her sharp teeth revealing themselves for just a moment before looking back at me, "Well, how fortunate are we then, that Thwei'ja has such little concern for my well-being."
I slumped a bit, "Jesus, Luar'ka, don't sound so cheerful about that."
"About what?"
"Forget it. Have you thought about what you'd like to eat?"
"No."
I had to keep reminding myself to stop treating her like a human just because she could answer me in English.
"Do you know what a menu is?"
"No."
"Do you know what a sandwich is?" I asked, trying to be patient.
"No."
"Okay, how about salad? Do you know what that is?"
"Yes."
"Will you eat one?"
She grinned again, showing off her incredibly sharp teeth. Her lip-less mouth was relatively tiny in appearance, but her jaw could open surprisingly and frighteningly wider than you'd expect just looking at her. This was a fact she was all too willing to point out to me. Point taken. I'd seen her eating a couple of times and given the fact that I could convince the brothers to try the occasional veggie, while I had yet to see Luar'ka even look at one, I was beginning to believe it was a safe bet that she was probably even more carnivorous than the Yautja were.
"You know, the occasional vegetable wouldn't kill you, Luar'ka." I growled at her.
"I have become bored with tubers over the course of my life thus far. I consumed enough of them when I was a suckling living on my own."
"There's more kinds than just tubers, you know."
She hummed in irritation, but didn't argue. As obstinate as she could be (gee, I wonder where she learned that from?!) she was also reasonable. Maybe I could convince her to at least try something. I perused the menu quickly, trying to find something we could split that we'd both like. I glanced at her as she fumbled with the straw wrapper, struggling to get it out of the paper.
After a few minutes, I finally settled on something, "Okay, lets' try something relatively safe. Uh...you okay with eating...other birds?" I asked carefully.
"Why would I be otherwise? They are not of my species."
I could only raise an eyebrow at this obtuse statement, which actually made sense. I flagged down our waiter, "Hey," I said, "Okay, we've decided."
"Good. Any of our specials catch your eye?" he said with a wink and a chuckle as he looked back and forth between us. I set my menu down, "Nah, we're gonna keep it simple, today."
"What'll you have?" the waiter asked, and I resisted the urge to giggle as he eyed Luar'ka with a mixture of curiosity, amusement and possibly a hint of fear. Of course, it didn't help that she was eyeballing him like a criminal in a lineup.
"We're going to split the chicken club plate, please. Add a side of fried green tomatoes and we'll be set."
"...Okay, I'll get this in for you."
He left quickly, quite unnerved by her blatant stare by this point. I sighed and turned to her, a smirk quickly growing on my face, "Knock it off, you freak." I teased her, "You're going to get us thrown out."
"I do not like his scent."
"His scent?" I parroted in bafflement, "How's that, now? Should we leave him a tip with a coupon for Old Spice or something?"
Her eyes narrowed, " It is disgraceful. You are currently mated and I am not in season at the moment," she snapped under her breath, "What impudence on such a pitiful male."
I felt the blood flush into my face in both amusement and mild embarrassment, both for us and for the poor young waiter. Clearly, one or both of us had caught his eye and Luar'ka had immediately caught onto his interest. Now, we both were stuck with him while he apparently smelled of 'mating readiness' or however they described it on those nature shows, and what was worse was that we were now both fully aware of it.
Can you say 'awkward'? Say 'awkward'. Good job.
"He could never impress me. He is far too weak to fight."
"That's not the problem, here." I groaned, "Luar'ka, you do realize that on this planet, males are, sadly, the dominant sex, right?"
She hissed through her teeth, "Believe me, I am aware. I have already put three males in their places for daring to advance on me out of season."
"...Huh?" I stammered, "And what does that mean exactly? No, wait, never mind. I don't want to know."
"What?"
"So, how about them Seahawks?" I exclaimed with a laugh. As I expected, her head cocked to the side in clear confusion, meaning I'd successfully derailed her.
"Seahawk?" she said, her voice low, "That is my nephew's name."
"Huh?" I said, thoroughly perplexed, "Your nephew's name is Seahawk?"
"Of course. Avians name their offspring after other avians. I dislike my blood brother, but his young is rather likeable, if not somewhat timid for his age. Quite unlike his older sister who has all but demanded I mentor her."
She sipped her iced tea and visibly cringed, "This is very bitter."
"Well, shit, that's supposed to be southern sweet tea. Don't let the chef hear you say that. He'd probably sulk for a week." I warned playfully. I have a feeling that my humor went straight over her head. She didn't react in the slightest.
After a few minutes, the waiter came back with the food and I smiled graciously at him, all the while cracking up inside at the frazzled look on his face as Luar'ka continued to glare at him. I kept praying to whatever deity would listen that she'd keep her mouth shut.
"You know we have to see him one more time to get the check, right?" I told her.
"Pity. So then, please enlighten me on what we have here." she said, eying the food curiously. She sniffed lightly, her eyes narrowed. I just remained thankful that no one else was out on the deck in that instant, or at least close enough to hear her.
"It's a sandwich, Lu. It's got chicken, lettuce, tomato, bacon, cheese and mayo on it. They're really good. Try one."
She fixed me with a somewhat eerie blank stare not unlike the ones Osh would give me whenever I bombarded him with human slang.
"I literally have no idea what any of those things are." she said flatly. However, she refocused her attention on the sandwich without further complaint.
I could see she wasn't quite sure how to handle it, so I reached out and picked up a half of sandwich. The plate came with two whole sandwiches cut into halves, as well as a handful of handmade potato chips and the fried green tomatoes I'd asked for. She watched diligently as I bit into my half of the sandwich, effectively showing her how to eat it. It actually was quite tasty, and a flavor I'd missed dearly since leaving the earth. Now I wonder how many humans get to say that?
I had a feeling that Luar'ka was different, even for a creature sharing such semblance to humans, but so radically different from us in nearly every other way. Even before leaving earth, I highly doubt she'd had much at all to do with my kind. And given her diet thus far into knowing her, it was a safe bet she wasn't sure what to do with a sandwich or 90% of what came on it.
"What sort of meat is this?" she asked, bending the edge of the bread up between her finger and thumb to have a look. It occurred to me how long her claws were and I was glad she had sense enough to keep her hands somewhat hidden. Her claws were longer than the brothers'.
"I told you, it's chicken. It's another kind of bird."
"I do not know what a chicken is."
That made sense. She was technically a wild bird, after all.
"It's a bird raised by humans for food and eggs. Daddy raised a few when I was real little, but mom couldn't stand the sight of them, even less so after Danny was born, so he sold them."
Now, when eating a sandwich, one would normally expect someone to pick up the whole sandwich and eat it as was. Of course Luar'ka would be the exception to the rule as I watched her methodically tear the sandwich to pieces, eating each separate part on its own, starting with the chicken chunks. These she ate quickly and barely chewed at all, swallowing almost as soon as she put the food in her mouth.
"You're gonna choke if you do that."
"I have not had such an instance yet." she admitted between bites. Like a dog with a hunk of steak, I noticed her eyes flitting around cautiously as she ate, as if she were afraid of intruders. I could only sigh inwardly as I forced myself to remember what she was.
"Try the tomatoes," I advised, "They're pretty good. A bit sweet."
I watched her pick up one of the tomatoes, sniff it like a cat would, and then pop it into her mouth. I continued watching as her eyes screwed shut and her mouth followed suit in disgust. Honestly, I expected her to spit the thing out, but she channeled her inner trooper and managed to swallow it.
"I have consumed insects that tasted better." she griped silently.
"Well, this is going to be a fun afternoon." I grumbled.
/ooo/
"I can't believe you." I snapped once we were outside, "Were you trying to scar the kid? It's not like he's aware of our weird lives, you freak."
"I apologized, did I not?" Luar'ka said frankly. It really was hard to believe how insane she could be sometimes, especially when she wasn't even trying most of the time. .
"Seriously, Luar'ka, that was the first time I've had to leave a tip big enough to cover a whole fucking suit jacket."
"Are you angry?"
"Oh no, I'm hunky-dorie A-OK!" I snapped between gritted teeth.
"Your scent is angry."
"That's probably because I'M ANGRY!" I shrieked right in her face. To her credit, she didn't move beyond her head dipping to face mine as she watched my somewhat understandable tirade. I made a mental note to thank my fucking-lucky 'fucky' stars that I trusted her enough not to rip my face off for such an act. Her feathers bristled beneath the heavy outfit she wore and I could hear her wings rustling. Or maybe it was her tail. She was one big bundle of insane and creepy, so what did it matter to me? Oh that's right; she was also an honorary Yautcha...yahtya...whatever the hell my mates were. I still had trouble pronouncing the name of their species correctly, but they couldn't pronounce 'human' correctly to save their lives, so sue me.
"Perhaps this was not a wise idea." Luar'ka muttered as we walked along the trail leading around the lake and away from the restaurant, heading toward the swampy forest beyond.
"No," I huffed, trying to let go of my irritation, "believe me, this was definitely a good idea. Sometimes I need a break from the boys, you know?"
"I do know." she said airily.
"Wha...you do?"
"Yes. I am surrounded by males and I am forbidden to keep company with the females."
"That doesn't make any sense; why aren't you allowed with the females? You kinda are a female. At least I think you are, anyway."
She chuckled, her feathers raising in amusement and I was distinctly reminded of a cockatoo.
"I am female, yes. My existence with the males is the extent that Ki'vei-ta would tolerate."
"Kah-veetah?"
"Impressive attempt. Our Matriarch. Your mates will surely have one as well. I cannot say what she will think of you, however. Perhaps she will not be as lenient as mine."
"Could you sound a little less pleased about that? Jesus."
"My apologies."
"So their society is run by females, then? Well, that explains some of Uzkielle's behavior toward me. It also explains why they avoid you like the plague."
"I find that rather insulting."
"It's a figure of speech, Lu, lighten up."
"Shhksi'hska samanaisah makshesko."
"Right back at'cha, you freak."
"You speak H'ssinnian?"
"No, but I can take an educated guess you weren't complimenting my gorgeous hair with whatever you said." I said flippantly, smirking at her. She grinned a toothy grin at me and chuckled again.
As we walked down the pathway, I suddenly took note of the fact that Osh and Uz had disappeared from the obvious line of sight. The first conclusion that came to my mind was the fact that Luar'ka was with me and had proven she was more than a match for the brothers. Even so, it wasn't like them to just leave me in the care of an imperfect stranger, no matter what the reason. Sure, I knew the featherbrain well enough at this point to trust she wouldn't ditch me or find me comparable to a tasty drumstick, but the extent of what I knew about her was minimal at best. So what was going on?
I sensed Luar'ka had stopped walking behind me. I turned partway, not quite giving my back to the treeline. We were quite a ways from the restaurant, but not far enough away that any commotion would go entirely unnoticed to a certain extent. And I really didn't feel like explaining myself to the patrons should anything go awry: "Oh yes, I'm so sorry for my mates' disturbing you like this. It's a bit out of the question for intergalactic hunters to really understand human etiquette. Oh, that's a pretty white jacket. What's with all the belts on it?"
"Lu?" I asked softly, backing up so I was level with her, "What'd you hear?"
"Do you have any weapons, Nina?" she whispered to me.
"Well, seeing how I'd hoped for a break from territorial ass-whooping, no, I don't. Is that a problem, here?"
I glanced back at her. Her mane had begun to flare and I could see her wings shifting beneath the heavy dress and cloak. It suddenly occurred to me that that dress likely had a sad, tattered fate waiting for it and I dearly hoped Luar'ka was wearing something underneath it.
I didn't have much time to prepare as Luar'ka suddenly let out a shriek not too dissimilar to the Velociraptors from Jurassic Park and I jumped at the somewhat predicted sound of tearing fabric. Within seconds, the black dress and cloak lay in ribbons on the ground and Luar'ka unfurled her wings. I barely had time to turn before she whirled and barreled into me, lifting me off my feet. Instinctively, I lashed out wildly, my arms flailing for something, anything to grab onto as I found myself hanging behind her, my hands clasping desperately around her neck. I felt a heavy tickling, shoving sensation under my ribs as her wings unfolded, coupled with the somewhat smooth, but still bumpy feeling I got as she ran easily down the muddy pathway, carrying me like a limp Barbie doll behind her. As she began to beat her wings, increasing her speed despite my not-so-light bulk astride her back and around her neck, it occurred to me what was about to happen and I suddenly remembered I had a dentist appointment downtown that I absolutely could not miss!
"No, Lu! Don't take oooooohhhhfffffffuuuuuuuuuuck!" I yelled as she coiled and sprang into the air in one solid, fluid motion, her powerful chest constricting and unfolding with every beat of her enormous wings. My whole body gyrated with hers as she pushed hard into the sky, now soaring quite easily across the Everglade treetops. I hugged her neck tightly, while trying to be mindful not to cut off her air as she settled into a strong glide, beating her wings periodically to stay aloft. Down below, I immediately saw we were too close to the ground and, more crucially, the fucking park trails where anyone could look up and fucking see us!
Shit. Shit. Fonkeyducker. This was bad.
"Luar'ka! Where the ever-loving Christ are you taking me?" I snapped, sputtering as her mane of feathers dusted my face and I blew a raspberry as one of them went in my mouth. Her feathers were decorated in rings just like the brothers' were and they had a distinctly sour, iron taste to them.
"Safe terrain." she called back.
"It better be, because we're not so safe up here! Humans will see you, you idiot!
I don't know whether she'd forgotten that little factoid, or just didn't care. Knowing the Yautja, I hedged my bets on the latter. They brought the term sociopath to strange new levels of Freudian wet-dreams.
I had judged we were about four miles from the restaurant when she suddenly veered sharply, beating her wings and angling downward. I had a brief reunion with the sandwich I'd eaten before suppressing it with some difficulty, lest I accidentally vomit all over her. Whatever we were as yet, that would not at all help our friendship, I'm sure. I jolted as her tail suddenly lashed as she turned, flipping up between my legs and nearly unseating me entirely.
"When I go to land, jump off before I do."
"What's the rush?" I yelled, my stomach training for the fucking Olympics and making talking somewhat tricky.
But she didn't answer, of course. You'd think I'd have gotten used to that by now. The Yautja were the ultimate plot tools; exposition optional.
We were approaching the ground fast, coming in to land in an open marshy area filled with muddy water and saw grass. My heart thudded a bit when I caught sight of a sunning gator on one of the banks as Luar'ka suddenly angled backward, throwing her wings open and beating them viciously, coming in to land on a small islet. Following her instructions, I released her neck and threw myself to the side. Instant disorientation hit me hard and fast and I thanked whatever insane god was in charge of my cockamamie life that Osh had been training my reflexes. I was able to curl into a ball and roll clumsily to a stop, landing flat on my back with my legs splashing down into the water. I felt more than heard the scratching scurrying of a startled gator scrambling back into the water near me. Always good to know there were more things that scared those little teeth demons. I picked myself up, groaning from the aching shoulder that I suspected was going to turn into a lovely little bruise by the end of the day as I searched for Luar'ka. She was crouching in front of me, tail lashing the air and her wings outstretched, facing something I couldn't see through the grass. Every feather on her tail stood stiff and upright to match the feathers on her mane. Her feathers reminded me so much of the spiky haired Yugioh characters that if the situation weren't so concerning, I might have laughed myself into a happy coma. I raised myself to a kneeling stance and cast another glance at my freaky friend. She'd decked herself entirely in her fur coverings and armor across her shoulders, arms, thighs, crotch, and shins, all concealed beneath that dress in what I could only imagine was the lowest level of discomfort hell. Her wrist blades were drawn and her teeth were bared viciously. I turned my head, trying to see what she was snarling at. I caught sight of something standing on a half-submerged log in the water, that familiar twisting and warping of the air surrounding it cluing me in instantly to the presence of another predator. It wasn't any of mine, and her reaction didn't seem promising to any of hers, either. Yet she wasn't attacking.
I straightened up a bit, eying the newcomer distastefully. He noticed me and stepped down off the log and into the water, the cloak immediately shooting bolts of static across his body as it automatically deactivated. He began to approach us and I realized just how small this little islet really was.
As the cloak fell away from the new predator, my eyes began to widen of their own accord. This Yautja was pure white, top to bottom. His shoulders were white, his torso was white, his legs and feet were white, hell, even his dreads were an off-white grayish color. I knew albinism was a thing that often happened on earth. I had no idea that it was a universal phenomenon as well, and hell, I sure as shit believed it now. I was looking at an albino Yautja, one who appeared somewhat fascinated with my featherball friend bristling beside me. I caught sight of his eyes through the mask and if I'd had any doubts of his albinism before now, his eyes confirmed it; a sharp, toxic, neon green, the exact same color as their blood. Earth albinos sometimes had red eyes for lack of pigmentation revealing their blood flowing through the backs of the eyeballs, giving the appearance of actual red colored eyes. I guess it made sense for the same concept to occur with a non-pigmented Yautja. I assumed he'd been following us, and it was no wonder I hadn't seen him. With that white skin, he stuck out like a polar bear in the fucking rainforest. His cloak would be an absolute necessity.
Luar'ka's snarling jostled me out of my thoughts and I suddenly registered the fact that he'd drawn uncomfortably close to us. He seemed to ignore me, but focused entirely on her and I watched as his head cocked to the side, his voice a soft, curious trill to her. He reached up and removed his mask from his face, dropping it to the ground beside him as he turned to face her fully. Luar'ka bared her teeth at him and I had the sudden urge to back away before the bomb went off.
And hoo boy, did it ever.
With another piercing shriek, Luar'ka lunged forward and crashed into the newcomer, throwing so much force behind her attack that she disrupted his balance and sent them both tumbling into the water. They vanished for just a second before he reemerged first, followed quickly by her as she continued to launch a barrage of slashes and attacks in his direction, the sheer speed of them forcing him back away from her. He finally gained his footing and plowed forward, crashing into her and snatching her writhing tail, dragging her backward and reaching toward her to grab her neck. I could only watch as she twisted out of his reach and beneath his arm, torquing it downward in an awkward wrench, forcing him to let go as she scrambled out of the water and onto his back. Both of them started snarling and roaring as Luar'ka bent down and sank her teeth into his tendrils, her back claws raking down his back again and again, dying the water around them bright green. The newcomer shifted his weight and threw himself backward, dislodging her and grabbing her arm as she flipped over him, dragging her back into the water with him.
Again, they disappeared. I watched, wide-eyed at the spot where they'd vanished, looking for any sign of movement; bubbles, ripples in the water, anything. I assumed it probably got deeper there and they'd sunk further down. I noticed a small group of basking gators on the other side of the swamp suddenly raise their heads, eyes blinking slowly as a couple of them began to creep toward the water.
"Oh shit." I snapped to myself, turning back to the water, "Luar'ka! Can you hear me? Luar'ka!"
I was just bending down to take off my shoes—fuck it, being eaten by gators is one of the worst ways to go and if anyone disagrees me, I will fight you on the street—when the water began to surge wildly beneath the surface and both combatants finally broke free. To my horror, the newcomer had Luar'ka in an iron hold against his chest, despite her still fierce struggling to break free. Ignoring her protests, he started moving toward the shore, utterly ignorant of the reptilian vultures entering the water a good distance away, lured in by the scent of blood in the water.
Somewhat panicked, mostly incensed, I bared my own teeth on reflex, stamping forward, "Drop her." I snarled, taking a huge chance that he'd actually acknowledge me, never mind listen.
He ignored me (big surprise) and stepped onto the banks of the islet, Luar'ka still clutched tightly against him. By this point, her struggling had all but ceased, though her intense growling couldn't be missed. I could only watch as they started apparently talking to one another, consisting of the mostly familiar snarls and growls interlaced with fast clicking and tapping. Most of those latter sounds came straight from Luar'ka's throat combined with the infrequent clacking of her teeth as she bickered with her captor. Bewildered, I watched as the newcomer suddenly bent his head downward and, making my heart flutter in panic, suddenly flared his mandibles out before clamping them lightly around her head and rummaging through her feathers with them. (Seriously, I thought he was going to bite her!). Luar'ka squealed suddenly, jerking aggressively in his arms before snarling again and wrenching her head backward, smacking him in the face and causing him to drop her. She scrambled out of his reach and crouched several feet away, continuing to snarl softly at him. The newcomer watched her, his shoulders dropping as he marginally relaxed. I unconsciously relaxed as well. This new guy wasn't another Gul'dan. I didn't know what he was, but he wasn't here to kill us. At least, I hope he wasn't.
It was only then that he truly seemed to notice me. He turned his head, tilting it in that classic motion of curiosity that I found both hilarious and endearing. It was all I could do not to giggle at how silly he looked, peering sideways at me like that with his lower mandibles half open. I cleared my throat, holding my ground and meeting his gaze defiantly.
"What do you want?" I said slowly, calmly.
"Rrrrrrrrrrr," he growled, though it wasn't aggressive.
"Who are you?" I tried.
Luar'ka clicked suddenly and moved quickly to stand beside me. Her eyes were narrowed, her feathers still flared and her mouth still curled back, revealing teeth like a piranha that you wouldn't expect to see on someone like her.
He glanced between the two of us, his eyes practically glittering in amusement. It occurred to me that we were very much being played with. As much as this irritated me, at the very least our lives didn't appear to be in danger.
He stepped closer and blinked slowly at me, loosening his mandibles and clicking them a few times, "Warkha." he rumbled, his voice like a distant peal of thunder.
"That's his name?" I whispered to Luar'ka, who nodded. She stepped forward, eying him viciously. Yet again, more speaking that I couldn't understand. Luar'ka seemed more annoyed than angry, so much so that when he seemed to say something rather unsavory to her, she nonchalantly whacked him with her tail and he immediately started laughing, a deep, thunderous, raspy sound at the back of his throat coupled with rapid clicking.
"So let me get this straight," I said, "Does that mean he just stalked and attacked us just so he could screw with you, Lu?" I asked with a slight pang of irritation in my voice.
"In a manner of speaking, that is correct." she said, though the tone of amusement couldn't be missed at how I'd phrased that. I guess human slang wasn't entirely lost on her after all.
"Great. You've got a stalker and I've got a hernia and a bellyache from that breakneck flight over here!" I yelled.
Warkha blinked and grunted, tilting his head. By this point, I was so pissed I'd completely forgotten who and what I was yelling at; "Maybe next time give us some fucking warning! I don't fucking care if you want to kill each other, just leave me the fuck out of it!" I practically screamed in his face. His head was down-turned entirely as he watched me, looking for all the world like he was watching a chihuahua yap insanely at his feet.
All three of us jumped at the sound of a booming roar just across the pond. Luar'ka's feathers raised and she whirled as this was met by an answering roar in the other direction.
"My pack." she said, and I'd never been more afraid by two other words in my life.
And I recognized the other roars as those of my mates.
"Fucking hell." I snapped, glaring at Warkha, "This is your fault."
Luar'ka spread her wings, fanning them outward as the first shimmering, translucent shape materialized on the opposite bank. I relaxed marginally when I recognized Osh. Uzkielle would have sprung into battle the very second he caught sight of another male standing within spitting distance of me. However, this by no means meant that he was perfectly okay with this, since he immediately snarled and began advancing into the water, utterly oblivious of the gators scattering before him. I guess they could tell they were outmatched.
Luar'ka clicked softly and I turned in time to see an extremely tall silhouette appear in the treeline on the other side. I swore under my breath as I realized we were entirely surrounded by seven plus feet intergalactic hunters dead set on killing each other to protect their perceived territory.
"Who the fuck is writing this!?" I screamed as Uzkielle appeared out of the trees behind Osh and, as I predicted, charged headlong into the water the second he caught sight of Warkha.
"What?" Luar'ka asked.
"What are the goddamned odds that Osh and Uzkielle would appear at the same as your whatever-he-is-to-you and...and this guy!" I bellowed, flailing an arm toward Warkha and accidentally whacking him in the arm. Fortunately, this only seemed to amuse him further and he clicked sharply before turning to face the closer threat as my mates drew nearer in the water.
"Strange things occur, Nina," Luar'ka said, "No one writes anything."
She glanced up as her packmate crackled into view halfway across the waterway, his cloak falling away and revealing his enormous red body, riddled with scars and healed injuries, his exceedingly long black tendrils decorated with dozens of rings and trinkets cluing me into his age. He was obviously older than the twins and I really didn't want to see a fight erupt.
I turned sharply, facing the brothers, "Guys, stop! I'm not in danger! He's a friend of Lu's! Don't attack him!"
To my relief, Osh paused in his stride and inclined his head, seemingly believing me. Uzkielle, however, shoved past him, flat out ignoring me. Surprise surprise, the hothead is still a hothead.
Luar'ka's incensed packmate let out a deep roar and I glanced back, my heart hammering in my throat when I saw just how close he now was. Luar'ka croaked softly, her eyes widening as she tensed up beside me. I don't know what she was sensing from her packmate, but it likely wouldn't help our situation.
"Uzkielle, for fuck's sake, stop!" I yelled. He made no motion to indicate he'd heard me and I was starting to get desperate enough to actually tackle him when suddenly it hit like a freight train; A piercing shriek that my ears didn't quite register at first until it plowed through me like an electric current, causing my hair to stand on end and my head to pound furiously. The predators around me suddenly crumpled, their far more sensitive-by-comparison ears blasted far worse than my own as I turned, my hands clamped over my ears as I stared squinty-eyed at Luar'ka. Her back bowed from the force of the scream, echoing from tree to tree all across the water and bouncing back, reverberating all around us until it became nearly unbearable. All four predators ceased all movement as the scream finally died. Osh shook his head roughly, his fists clenched while Uzkielle visibly swayed, his senses positively hammered from the force. Warkha and what's-his-name both stood stock still, though Warkha's eyes had gone crossed and the other one had his head bowed, his hands clenched at his sides. Clearly, these two were no strangers to Luar'ka's formidable vocal cords.
I jumped when Luar'ka's feathers fluffed out entirely and she let out a sharp bark, again sounding just like a fucking Velociraptor as she charged forward and head-bashed Uzkielle, colliding with his sternum and knocking him back. Uzkielle recovered quickly and let out a snarly bark, lashing out to grab her as she flipped up over his head and raked her foot claws down his back, kicking him face first into the water before he could react. I knew he was fine; she'd barely drawn blood and he'd heal within hours. But watching her move, it honestly felt like someone had transplanted a predator brain into a Xenomorph.
Luar'ka leaped to her feet, ignoring Osh'ikielle who wisely had acknowledged my pleas to halt his attack as she turned to her own predator. I'd finally remembered his name from our conversation earlier at the restaurant. This was Thwei'ja, her own mate. Although from the looks he and Warkha were shooting at each other, I had to wonder just how concrete that was. As Luar'ka approached them, the tension became almost tangible and it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. After spending so much time with the twins, I had to wonder if Luar'ka had a similar situation with two twitchy males and just hadn't told me.
But never mind that, I had to remind myself that I'd just watched her completely halt a potential all-out war between four Yautja. Watching her size up the two males from her own team, I reminded myself that I was glad she was on my side. She issued a short growl to both of them, flared her feathers and stalked between them with purpose. Maybe she was letting them know who was really the dominant one around here, but I honestly didn't care. I'd had enough conflict to last a whole month by this point.
Thwei'ja broke away from her suddenly, moving steadily and slowly toward my mates. I watched warily; he walked with his posture relaxed, his head slightly dipped. He was approaching with relaxed caution, alerting Osh and Uzkielle to the fact that he had no interest in fighting them. Uzkielle stayed back, watching warily, but Osh'i'kielle moved toward Thwei'ja, accepting the invitation to talk. Osh was noticeably shorter than Thwei'ja by a couple of inches, but they spoke in hushed tones, discussing something in seemingly mature calm. Osh glanced at me periodically, and Thwei'ja let out a soft snort, but said nothing else as my mate continued speaking.
Warkha grunted something to Luar'ka and she responded with a sharp slash of her tail and a gutteral scream of something in their language. He clicked rapidly in laughter, but said nothing more from there.
"What the hell..." I grumbled, "Lu, seriously, this was the worst day, yet."
"I am sorry for this," she said, "I did not know that Thwei'ja would come for me this early."
"And what about him?" I asked, gesturing to Warkha, watching both of us with intrigue.
"He is interested in me," Luar'ka said, "And I am annoyed with him."
"Interested in you? What the hell does that mean?"
"As I said, I am not in season."
"Okay." I said, rolling my eyes. I'd just finally had enough.
Thwei'ja and Osh seemed to finish their conversation and Thwei'ja turned to me, staring down at me through the black slits of his mask. I couldn't see his eyes and I'm not sure I wanted to. There was something unnerving about him, and the same went for Warkha. I was so used to Osh and Uz that I realized I may have unintentionally humanized them during my time with them. I knew nothing about Yautja outside of my interactions with them and the few Bad Bloods I'd encountered.
Luar'ka stepped between me and Thwei'ja, eying him with a stern look that seemed to say more than words could. Thwei'ja backed down without any further trouble and turned, facing away from us. He let out a deep rumble toward Luar'ka, glancing back behind him at Warkha watching us unnervingly. As for Osh and Uz, they hung back, clearly nursing their bruised ear drums. (Did Yautja even have ear drums?)
Luar'ka fluffed her feathers and chuckled, "This was a very pleasant outing, Nina. I quite enjoyed it."
"Your outfit would disagree with you." I pointed out, looking down at the sad, tattered rags of what remained of her dress. Luar'ka shrugged, "Cannot be helped. I am more comfortable in this attire anyway."
I eyed her fur halter and loincloth, clothing that would be considered risque and skimpy by earth standards. It was clearly more practical for her lifestyle since the Yautja sported very similar looks, though I wondered about the halter top's existence when, being raised by males, why would a sense of modesty occur to her? I made a mental note to ask about it later on. I had bigger fish to catch and fry; the idea that as my collection of earth clothes began to dwindle as a result of my mates' innate lack of patience, I would perhaps soon be forced to adorn such strange tastes for myself. Getting in good with a female in their world would probably make the process a little easier.
"We're meeting again soon, Lu," I told her, "I'm not finished with you yet."
She shot me a toothy grin, her tail lashing, "I quite look forward to it. Perhaps I can convince D'ka-vi to join us."
"Who?"
"A good comrade of mine in the clan. She is very amiable. No need to worry."
An actual female Yautja. Hoo boy...
"One crisis at a time, Nina." I told myself as I watched Luar'ka follow Thwei'ja and Warkha back into the woods, disappearing within the treeline. I glanced back as my mates approached and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife between the two of them. I squared my shoulders, indicating they give me space for the time being. First things first, Danny was going to demand a full recount of the day's activities with 'Misty' and a subsequent demand to bring her back to the ship to visit next time. Despite what Luar'ka had said, there was still plenty to worry about in the meantime.
My still very ruffled mates and their berserk needs could wait.
Note: This story was written by LunaSilvereyes. Luar'ka, Warkha, and Thwei'ja are characters from her fucking-tastic story A New Hunt- so read it! This story was also a crossover using characters from my story Can I Keep Him. Thank you, Luna! Show her some love people!