"Jackie, Jackieee!" Eztli mewled, calling for the host into the living room. He anxiously paced back and forth and looked for her but she wasn't around so for now he settled for curling on the sofa and emitted short, calling yowls for the host's attention as he anxiously curled and uncurled his tail.
"What's the commotion, mate?" Kroc asked, attracted to the distressed calls as a predator naturally would be but all he found was Eztli calling for the host in a frightened manner.
"M-My medicine is gone! D-D-Do you think Jackie threw them away? She promised she wouldn't!" He cried out in alarm, making a low vocalized call that reverberated through the house. "She promised, but they're gone! I can't find them anywhere!" He softly cried with his ears pulled back.
Kroc tilted his head slightly. He was aware the jaguar took drugs for recreational use but he was surprised he was so distressed about it. "Can't you get more?" Kroc asked with an unblinking gaze.
"No." Eztli whinned. "Ms. Smith is not there to get me my dosages … and I can't sleep without them." He said while kneading the sofa and leaving claw marks before meowling aloud again.
"Enough of that cowardly mewling!" Dumisa angrily shouted as he slithered out of his room and shut the door with an annoyed hiss. His sister Ebele had just barely left some hours ago and he couldn't even get some decent rest with the feline mewling for attention like that. The black mamba slithered over and angrily smacked the couch spilling Eztli onto the ground. "Shut up so I can get some half decent rest! I feel like my ears have been chatted off after Ebele's incessant talking." Dumisa snapped.
"But my drugs are gone and Jackie too." Eztli meowled loudly again like the stressed kitten he was.
"Hmmm I don't have any hallucinogenic drugs but I do have some fugu that, if cut slightly incorrectly, will paralyze you real good. I would take care to not be so incorrect as to kill you." Reza offered, finding the feline's reverberating calls to be pleasant against his fin ears. The vibrations in the air from his calling was very relaxing. "Oh? And Jackie is gone? But today isn't her groceries day." Reza noted, looking out the window. "And it's dark out and she can't see at night. Or maybe she was kidnapped? Nah, we all would have heard it. Maybe she took the drugs to sell? But she clearly doesn't use them and I doubt she'd sell them since that is an illegal hooman activity, no?" Reza pondered out loud.
"The host doesn't leave normally after dark." Kroc agreed with a frown. "But where could she have gone off to? Her smell is less than an hour old." He said, keeping his jaws opened and tasting the air. "Maybe she went to get some extra hooman food?"
"Or maybe out to get us a special snack?" Dumisa suggested with a light blush as he imagined what good would be worth altering her normal schedule to leave at night to go get whatever it could be.
"I doubt host out to get something." Jaska said, yawning and scratching his chin. "She takes the notepad with her when she goes out for things. See? Notepad still here, so host not leave to buy something." He deduced before Eztli leapt over the couch and tightly hugged him while softly calling out in short mewling intervals for the host. His ears were pulled back and his eyes were shimmering, clearly scared of the coming night.
"Is host gone yet?" Aleksey trotted into the living room and sniffed around. "Chert, I took too long to search for condoms and host already left." He growled in annoyance. "What waste." He tossed a box of condoms on the table. "Hope she at least check hooman mate. They can carry sexual disease." He then innocently looked around. "Why everyone here?"
"What are you talking about?" Kroc asked as Jaska stared at the table with wide eyes before narrowing them and turning to Aleksey. "Mate? And host?"
"What game you play at?" Jaska asked with a small growl, baring his fangs slightly at his brother. Who knew what Aleksey was planning.
"What are these things?" Dumisa asked, picking up the box and opening it up to take a look at the little packages inside.
Reza picked a package up and opened it, examining the strange plush disk. "These are weirdly firm but squishy. Are they a hooman product? Considering their cheap make I would say they're a human product." Reza nodded before lightly biting them to test the taste and texture. "Doesn't seem to be a food item. What are they? Why do you have them?" He asked.
"When Lea and Longwei went with host to buy much stuff, Host was told to get some toy and these for herself." Aleksey shrugged while emitting a small growl, swaying his tail. "I knew I saw them but I not remember where, so I search for them but host went out before I found."
"Yes, I remember seeing them in all the things the host bought," Eztli thought about it, finally glancing back at the box before his eyes widened and gasped. "THE HOST IS IN HEAT?!" Eztli shouted in near horror, making everyone in the room freeze.
"WHAT?!" Kroc shouted as his jaw dropped. "H-Hooman sheila's can't get a heat, right?"
"N-No I don't think so." Dumisa said, taken aback. "There's no way, right? We would have tasted it in the air!"
"Hoomans are always in heat but aorusal is random, come on fast, hard and brief." Jaska perked his fur up; at least he knew that much from his encounters.
"Da, that true. Hoomans always in heat, but females very good at hiding so." Aleksey nodded. "Maybe host late bloomer too? Sabre late bloomer … ," he commented. "And first few heats hit very hard." He then looked at the charges. "Maybe host won't be able to control self if that case."
"S-So it's possible?" Reza asked with wide eyes. " … huh. A hooman is always in heat. But if the host is in it, will it be as bad as Sabre's heat was?" Reza asked aloud as there was a collective gasp in the room.
"No, no! We barely survived that feline's heat!" Dumisa gasped in horror. "Is the same thing going to happen with the host?!"
"There would be no safe place." Kroc said with wide eyes as a blush flashed across his face. "H-Her taste in the air is everywhere."
"But if she is in hear we can just help her. We all helped Sabre." Eztli purred, rubbing his chin on a pillow.
"WHAT?! WHAT YOU MEAN, YOU HELPED SABRE?!" Aleksey roared towards the black jaguar.
"Well o-of course we'd help her," Kroc stammered for a brief moment. "She was in heat, mate. All of us helped." He explained, unintentionally leaving his words to be interpreted poorly by the injured tiger.
"Oooh are we going to fight to see who mates the host? I'd join that fight." Reza grinned. "Although the host doesn't have a nice scratchy tongue like Sabre does." Reza hummed with his ears twitching. "Ah~ now I wish Sabre took me up on my offer to help her more when she was in heat." Reza laughed with a light blush. "I bet her tongue would have felt so~ good coupled with the pleasures of mating. Well, at the same time anyways, because I did and do love her licking my ears and fins."
"She didn't need it." Kroc noted. "Cats are best for satisfying a cat's heat."
"Oh don't remind me! Jaska's stench coupled with her heat was unbearable!" Dumisa groaned.
"We took baths, it not that bad." Jaska pointed out with a small huff before looking at his brother, whom looked about ready to try and attack anyone and everyone. "It not as it seem bratja. We did help. I did, in that way at least, but she needed help and heat much strong."
"That doesn't cover up the stence of your sweat on both you and her!" Dumisa hissed at him in annoyance. "And now we'll have to deal with the scent and taste of a strange hooman male on the host!" He hissed, deeply detesting the thought.
Aleksey roared loud in a furious scream that was followed by a small mew of need before he dashed back towards the stairs and all the way to the attic in a much frantic haste to hug his beloved mate and rub his scent on her, leaving behind all the other males to their own distress that he had contributed to create.
"No be ridiculous! Hooman host not go out to mate with hoomans." Jaska huffed. "After all she rarely had the scent of other humans on her at all - we only ones she much socialize with."
"But, wait, if Sabre made Jaska scratch that itch, will Jackie get a human? Or would she use one of us?" Reza asked out loud in thought. "And she signed contract. So she is interested, right? Although the contract does not limit her to us."
Everyone in the room fell silent at once. That was true. The host was in heat and was surrounded by highly capable predator males. Any one of them could fulfill that and it was true the human host did not socialize much at all with other humans - they would know by the scent if she did. She was a very lonely human with only Extraspecies males in her house.
"Do … d-do you think she'd ask one of us?" Eztli asked, hesitant of the answer. "Or would she ask a hooman?"
"She really doesn't know any hoomans." Dumisa noted. "She never goes out to socialize. She focuses mainly on us charges."
"So chances are she'd ask one of us." Reza said, flipping his tail in curiosity. "I have to say I'd be curious. I've seen between her legs and it looks very soft and nice." Reza blushed with a warm hum.
"Her breasts are nice and big … and very soft too." Eztli noted, blushing as well as his tail flipped around. "So, if she does ask, who would she ask?" Eztli asked.
"Obviously me." Dumisa grinned, raising up and crossing his arm while sporting a confident smirk. "She already kissed me since that vacation at the beach. I was her first too, after all." He proudly proclaimed with a smirk.
"Who then bit and nearly kill host." Jaska hissed. "You lost chance. You not even in running." Jaska shot back with a growl and bared his fangs.
"I'll bite you and make you suffer." Dumisa angrily hissed at Jaska.
" … this really going to come down to a fighting match, mates?" Kroc asked, still lightly flushing before he smirked, knowing he had the advantage with fighting. This was not a fight to mate the host - it was a fight to show the host who is strongest and would serve as the best potential mate.
"Oh! Are we going to fight for mating rights to the host? I'll gladly fight to that." Reza smirked, pulling out his throwing knives with a grin. "After all, the host has already agreed that I am the most beautiful charge here, not to mention I can feed her as much sushi as she wants."
"C-Can I join?" Eztli shyly smiled with his eyes glowing. "I'm a big kitty now. A-A big strong alpha kitty!"
"Very well." Naoki's voice come from somewhere around like always, startling everyone for a moment. "Since I am not sure if I ought to participate in the quest to gain the rights to pollinate the hidenka, I shall serve as judge of the contestants strength." The plant spoke. "I should also spread the voice that she, the Hidenka, is seeking a mate. Since she is an important piece of The Great Heika's, may her claws be always sharp, court, then many strong pretenders could come to take on the challenge and gain the favorable position."
"NO!" Jaska roared at the plant. "No spread message like that!"
Naoki hesitated. "Mhh … but I was already doing it since the Hidenka left with hooman mating paint called make up over her." Naoki commented. "Would you like some tea before more pretenders come or would you like to decide among yourselves first?"
Jaska snarled with his ears pulled down. Although Jackie was a hooman, and many predators would find taking a hooman for a mate to be unfavorable, the chance to be in a royal's high graces was too good a prize to ignore. And who knows how far the plant's message will go. The tip tapping of fingers made Jaska snap his head around to find Reza typing furiously on his phone before hitting send.
"There! Message is out. But I'll be the winner of this." Reza grinned. His mother now knew that the hooman who was in Sabre's high favor had made herself available to find a mate. Well, she had been already due to her contract but now she was showing signs of being willing and in need of a mate, so maybe his mother surely would like to get him in an even better position in Sabre's court ... probably. After all, the potential tragedy was just too great to ignore, especially if the hooman host were to fall out of Sabre's favor for some reason.
"So … are we fighting or not, mates?" Kroc asked before Dumisa smacked his tail against the couch and threw it Kroc's way, initiating the fight rather quickly.
Many wood staked suddenly appeared in front of the competitors. "Remember, no killing because that would diminish our glorious Heika's forces. May she sleep pleasantly." Naoki said, moving himself out of the way and removing any toys the kittens have used. "To make this more even, as a judge of this contest I will give out points per hit. Five points to Dumisa for taking initiative. Now I will count to san for you to start … ichi."
All the charges prepared, giving out a hiss and unsheathing claws, striking tails on the floor or flaring fins, fur and scales to make themselves look more fierce.
"Ni." Naoki began, making sure that his precios plants were getting out of the way of the rumble coming.
Everyone readied, looking at whom they would attack first.
"San." The wooden stakes and vines moved out of the way, allowing the predators to engage in combat.
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With an exhausted huff, Jackie unlocked the door and stepped through before shutting it and locking it, kicking off her shoes in a haphazard way. That guy she went out with was … normal. Completely and utterly so. Literally nothing about him stood out to her and that made the date boring. So much so she was nearly bored to tears. Not to mention he spoiled the movie for her since he read the book. And what the hell did he mean that he was 'gluten free'?! He wouldn't stop talking about it!
Jackie walked looked into hallway, finding a scene of horror in her house.
Eztli was laying over Reza's back and licking his sensitive fin ears while Jaska was slouched over a broken table. Kroc had Dumisa pinned to the ground with the granite island countertop in shambles on the ground along with cracks and splinters in the floor. Curtains were ripped down, the television was smashed to bits and the furniture was gouged out with claws. Nothing was left unscathed. Jackie stared before walking further in and looking into the living room, finding everything destroyed. Just … everything. She stared in silence. Hell, even this horror was more interesting than her d*** date!
"Hello, Hidenka. Be welcomed back to the center of the great Heika's court. May darkness hide her silent steps." Naoki appeared besides her. "How was the hooman interaction activity?" The plant casually asked.
" … honestly?" Jackie asked, looking back at him.
"Of course, your interest and wellbeing are a matter of importance in this court." Naoki nodded. "Would you like some tea? I managed to connect to a fine pine nearby, so I can get either such needles or some other herb. Was it an exciting and energetic encounter or a calm interchange?" He asked, tilting his head and looking over her hands. "I do hope you were wise enough to not tire out your fingers should the Heika demand your pleasures." He spoke, picking up her hand slightly to examine her fingers. Finding them fine and intact, he let them go.
" … he was so boring. So, so boring. I really thought I was going to die from how boring he was. Even the movie was boring because he was so boring." She heavily sighed, disappointed. "I mean, movies for a date, that's fine, it's pretty average and normal. But he stood like 2 meters away from me the entire time. I, I couldn't make any sense of it! And then by the end of the night he tells me he's allergic to cats even though he never even sneezed or anything from all the cat fur on my clothes." Jackie heavily growled in annoyance while rubbing her head.
All the charges looked at her with bright eyes, their hopes renewed.
"I'm so glad your back!" Eztli cried as he leapt off of Reza and hopped in front of her. He tightly pulled her into a hug and purring. He pushed his face into her chest, sniffing before leaning down and sniffing near her legs - and luckily he did not smell one bit of a hooman male on her. "Yay! No hooman male scent!" Eztli happily declared, pulling her back into a hug and wildly rubbing against her to spread his scent on her while muttering 'mine mine mine mine mine' under his breath as the charges let out a collective breath at the fact she did not find the hooman male appealing enough to mate with. Jackie heavily sighed, petting the soft fur on his head before hugging him back and leaning her weight on him. Eztli easily kept hold of her and nuzzled her head.
"What scent? He stood so far away I felt like I had to shout to converse with the moron." Jackie irritably growled, listening and feeling the vibrations of Eztli's purring to help calm herself down.
"Don't worry, Jackie," Eztli hugged her. "It's fine. I know and I don't mind."
"So hooman boring?" Jaska grunted, incorporating himself, thinking on gaining more useful information and before making a better strategy. "Why so boring?"
"From what part? The slow way he talked? How he reacted unamused to everything? I mean, seriously, how are humans are so d*** boring?!" Jackie shouted, running an angry hand through her hair as she stood up from Eztli's hugging. "I thought I was going to die he was so boring! Hell, Extraspecies are so much more interesting than that stupid idiot! They have more interesting things about them in their pinkie than that boring human did in his entire body!" Jackie griped in annoyance.
"Of course we do." Dumisa said, waving his hand. "But what did you like less about such a boring bloke? What did you dislike more of a potential mate like that?"
"Someone who's at least a little more interesting than someone who works at a freaking call center! I mean, seriously, I was more gentlemanly than that moron! Trying to have a conversation with the man was like pulling teeth! It's like he didn't want to talk to me at all and he had the balls to tell me it was the best night of his life by the end of it? I-I don't get it, I really don't! And, and since when did humans get so small? Every time he awkwardly held my hand it felt like I has holding the hand of a small child they were so small! A-And when we hugged? It was like he wasn't even trying to give me a real hug at all, he just awkwardly patted me on the back. I swear, since when have I become like this that I find human interaction so d*** boring and uninteresting?!" She growled, pacing back and forth in annoyance.
"Well, obviously Extraspecies are far more interesting." Reza chuckled. "Better in many ways too, don't you think, host?"
"Yes! A hundred times yes. Any Extraspecies would have been more interesting than that dreary man!" Jackie achingly huffed, taking a heavy seat in the big soft chair that was ripped to shreds and tilted upon her sitting on it. "I couldn't believe just how tiny he was and the boring conversations we had." She growled with rubbing her face, rubbing off the makeup while grumbling.
Unseen and unheard to the rest of the house, a vine grew from the floor inside Sabre's room to open the trap door from inside before Noaki let himself in to find Sabre yawning and awake, looking well rested after having managed to sleep all day. She stretched her leg and arm out far, stretching herself with a satisfied purr.
"Good evening, Heika. I am glad your great fluffy self has rested. I am also here to inform you that the Hidenka seems distressed after her dating encounter with a potential hooman mate." Naoki spoke with a bow. "How shall I approach this situation? Shall I allow her to continue courting hooman males or should I try to convince her otherwise? I could chemically castrate her if you do not desire you hidenka to seek out mates while in your loyal service."
"What?" Sabre finished yawning before perking up and slipping out of her mate's sleepy grip. "Say what?!"
"The hidenka, the hooman host, has returned from her hooman date but did not return with any condoms. I believe she is distressed about her date and I am unsure of how to proceed." Naoki spoke with a tilt of his head. "I wish to ask you now so I know how to better act accordingly at future dates.
"Aleksey!" Sabre shook her mate's arm, waking him up.
"Da?" He yawned, trying to get a hold of her as he chuffed to try and make her come back to his arms.
"I'm going to check on the host, take care of the cubs." She kissed him on the nose fast and then practically dashed off the room.
Sabre sprinted down the hallway before sliding to a stop, finding the host sprawled on the broken couch before Sabre blinked, taking a look around the room and at the destroyed state of the room "The heck happened here?!" She sniffed the air and then looked at all the males. "Fight for alpha again?"
"Sabre? Come here." Jackie growled in annoyance before walking over to her and grabbing her face, making Sabre jolt before Jackie began furiously petting her to help herself relax a bit more. The host didn't want to go to bed upset so she would settle for petting Sabre and ranting to her. "Let me pet your fluffy ears, d***it! I'm going to pet you while I rant." Jackie growled, rubbing her soft ears before stepping in closer and petting her waist.
"Was it that bad? What was that bad?" Sabre was surprised at the aggressive petting attack but she quickly rubbed her face in Jackie's hands before pulling back to grab Jackie and pull her up in her arms bridal style. "Let's go to your room. There's a hidden emergency chocolate bar you can eat."
"Good. Now, for the rest of you." The host said, turning to them and making them jolt slightly, thinking she was going to scold them. "Frankly I'm too tired to deal with the horror of my house right now." Jackie growled, continuing her petting assault against Sabre while Sabre began heading to her room while carrying the distressed host. Sabre stopped for a moment to let the host down, however, not feeling like holding her through what could be a long rant. "I'm going to go into my room for a bit with Sabre so please clean a bit of this up, or at least put all the broken stuff into a corner before I call Smith tomorrow about this." Jackie asked as she hooked an arm around Sabre's waist, petting her chin while she half dragged the kitty into her room.
Jackie walked over to her bed before pushing Sabre onto the bed and huffing in annoyance. " … where's that chocolate bar?" She asked.
Sabre gulped and then jumped towards the ceiling at the corner of the room to get a chocolate bar from behind the wood trimming. "This is here for emergencies, and this clearly is one." The feline said, giving Jackie the bar of cheap unhealthiness, the kind of cheap fake chocolate the host liked, and then laid on the bed besides the host. "Now tell me what happened," she then looked towards the closet. "There are some more bars in the the closed under the hat."
Jackie walked over to the indicated location, pulling out a few chocolate bars before opening one up and taking a bite directly out of it. "Ok, just stay there on the bed, I'll be right there." She said, chewing quickly through the chocolate bar before taking another few annoyed bites and filling her cheeks up with the chocolate bar. Once ensuring her hands were chocolate free, she hopped onto the bed and yanked Sabre into a hug. "The date sucked." Jackie's huff was mumbled through the food in her mouth as she chewed it up before swallowing and letting out a sigh. "I thought I was going to die he was so boring." She frowned before running her hands over Sabre's waist and petting her soft fur.
"W-what date?" Sabre asked, letting herself be hugged, even puffing a bit so her fur would be more fluffy.
Jackie heavily sighed, thumping her head onto Sabre's shoulder. "Jake and I set up a dating profile. After chasing him out of the house I ended up forgetting about the dating app until I had a few guys message me, so I messaged them back. I met up with one at a movie theatre tonight but he was so boring … he wouldn't shut up about being gluten intolerant and he was allergic to cats." She heavily sighed. "He acted like holding my hand was some kind of favor given to him by the gods with how he held my hand and, seriously, I can't get over how tiny and soft his stupid hands were." She growled, annoyed at how pathetic his human body felt. "I mean, my hands don't feel that soft or tiny. Or maybe I've been hanging out with Extraspecies for too long." She huffed, scratching Sabre's back while hugging her.
"Let me see your phone." Sabre said, stretching. "And honestly I agree. Hooman males are very boring in general, or think too high of themselves … I did date a couple long time ago … ughh, I hated the condescending unaware misogynist types most." She exhaled. She had completely forgotten about that; after all, she had been human then too.
"Yeah. Most of them just sent sudden and unwanted unsolicited photos of themselves labeled 'like what you see'? It was all very ridiculous. And d*** pics." Jackie groaned in annoyance, handing her her phone. "I don't get it, I'm trying dating Jake's way or whatever but all I'm getting are morons who want one night stands! That's not what dating has become nowadays, has it?" Jackie asked in annoyance while scratching Sabre's back in anger.
Sabre checked the profile and looked at the host. "I see." She then erased the profile and the app. She opened her mouth and was about to say that the app was of the hook up type but then she thought about it. "I know there is a dating app for XS. Do you want to try that one? Of course it's small and I think that it only has official charges from this city. But it may be worth a try. Or why don't you date the guys first? It would be a good experience."
"D-Dating Extraspecies?" Jackie questioned with a nervous frown. "I didn't realize there was an app for that." Jackie said as she sat back and rubbed Sabre's ear. "And, by guys, do you mean my charges?" Jackie asked, sounding alarmed.
"Well, it sort of is targeted to Extraspecies, but hey, I can pull the royal stuff." The clouded leopard winked, although she wondered why Jackie had not gone out with the guys yet. Maybe she was not ready for trying? "And why don't you date the other charges? They would very much like going out with you alone. And you know they are safe and not creeps."
" … n-no, I shouldn't date my charges. I-I don't want to be like that a**hole Werner!" Jackie growled. "Just thinking about how he might have taken advantage of his own charges and their heats disgust me. It's like he was taking advantage of them when they were at a vulnerable part of their natural cycle!" She frowned in anger. "A-And I never want to do something like that, especially to my charges."
Sabre's ears dropped as she laid flat on the bed. "I don't know if he ever did it with his charges and I was the one who asked." Sabre buried her face on the mattress, admitting to that but unable to say more.
"B-But still … his thought process on the whole thing really made me angry." Jackie said before rubbing Sabre's shoulders to help calm her down.
"It's not as if the guys would let you take advantage of them or anything. If anything they would enjoy experiencing a hooman date. It's part of stuff to learn, no?" Sabre's words came out muffled.
"Well I guess that's true. But I don't know a whole lot about dating myself. Most of my life has just been focusing on work." Jackie nervously breathed.
"The better reason for you to date them. Since they don't know they could be taken advantage of easily. You are safe for them." Sabre turned to look at Jackie with big eyes, determined to get her precious hooman to date Extraspecies instead of hoomans. If her hooman took to dating other hoomans there was a chance she would leave her and her territory - meaning Sabre would be without Jackie's pets forever! And that scared her.
"I mean, I guess I could take them all on dates but where would we go?" Jackie pondered, trying to think of locations around New York they might enjoy. "And I guess some one on one time would be good too. Not many of them get that."
"I'LL TAKE THAT AS A YES!" Sabre immediately said. "I'll arrange various great places."
"W-Wait, wait, Sabre." Jackie said, trying to slow her down. "I … I-I need to think about this. Maybe I won't call them dates, just going out one on one instead?" Jackie nervously pondered, trying to think over her options.
"It's all the same. Just call it a date because a date just refers to going out somewhere on a scheduled time. So saying date is fine. Like a date with the dentist." The leopardess grinned, rolling over so Jackie could give her belly rubs.
"Well you aren't wrong about the definition. B-But going out on a date would involve k-kissing them, no?" Jackie asked, now getting fidgety. "Would they expect a kiss while on a date? I have no idea." She admitted, beginning to panic a little bit.
"You kiss us all the time." Sabre rolled her eyes. "A kiss in the cheek at the end is enough for the first date."
"Th-that's different! It's cuddle smooches, not kissing with the thought of dating in mind." Jackie frowned.
"Then kiss first and think about it later." Sabre pawed before rolling again. "For a first date is fine and if you liked it you go out again."
"Ugh. Dating is complicated and weird." Jackie huffed, laying over Sabre's back and petting her sides as she buried her face into Sabre's fur to calm herself down. "How many dates have you been on before and with who?" Jackie curiously asked while petting her neck and jaws.
"Mmhh ... I went on various dates even before meeting Aleksey." Sabre blushed, sort of evading the question. "But I actually did go on a bunch of 'hooman style' dates with Aleksey too." She purred. "We went on dates to get acquaintance with each other even before we liked each other. Libraries, museums, parades and carnivals, anime conventions … ," she of course, omitted that they were doing undercover missions and many were at night when no other hoomans were around.
" … ugh." Jackie sighed, resting her head between Sabre's shoulder blades. "While I'm not so sure about the dates, I will take the charges out on one on one outings. I guess that would include you too." Jackie noted, poking the back of Sabre's neck and lightly itching her fur.
"Of course." Sabre said. "Another girl day out would be nice. Or maybe we can have a double date with certain tiger brothers."
"Nah, I'd rather do it one on one with the others. And yeah, a girl day would be nice." Jackie grinned before hugging Sabre from behind. "You really are ridiculously cuddly though. But I'm glad you are - it's helping me destress."
"Shopping, spa, a club or bar to b**** somewhat." Sabre chuckled.
"Sounds like a great day to me." Jackie smiled before turning them both upright and hugging Sabre. "Let's go to bed. I'm tired and don't want to let you go just yet. I hope Aleksey doesn't mind me stealing you for a bit." She chuckled.
"It will." Sabre yawned, hugging Jackie back. "I'm still tired too, I have no idea just how tired I was until I had a chance to rest … and tomorrow I have to check on too many things and I surely have more meetings." She mewled and then both accommodated to sleep.
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Aleksey's light snoring stuttered for a brief moment as he heard something buzzing. His eyes popped open, started before spotting Antain sitting on his chest, staring down at him through the darkness before clicking on the buzzer. With an automatic snarl he grabbed Antain's arm and slapped the buzzer out of Antain's paw before lifting the little cub into the air to ensure he can't leap towards the potentially dangerous weapon. Aleksey growled, lowering his ears. "Was you who buzz fur?" Aleksey asked, dismayed that the culprit turned out to be Sabre's adoptive little fox.
Antain hissed at him before biting his paw, trying to pull his arm free but Aleksey's grasp did not relent.
"You much bad cub, no buzz buzz fur!" Aleksey hissed as Antain growled back at him, clinging to the tiger's paw while baring his teeth - clearly challenging Aleksey. The injured tiger frowned, flicking his tail back and forth in thought. This cub was challenging him? He could hardly believe it. Antain continued to struggle and growl at him, trying to bite passed the fur on the tiger's knuckles but was unsuccessful. Aleksey, as a new father, was unsure of how to handle this. With an uneasy frown Aleksey pulled over his phone and called Nikita.
"Da? Something happening Aleksey?" Nikita's deep voice answered while much shouting could be hear in the background followed by pained screams of agony.
"Niet, and da." Aleksey frowned. "Fatherhood much strange. I have question about what to do when little cubs challenge authority." Aleksey explained, listening to the background of someone screaming. "You too busy?"
"I no busy for family. Longwei helping right now if you want to say privet." Nikita chuckled but made a roar and one of the screams suddenly stopped. "You nor bratja ever dared challenge authority. Why?"
"Is that Aleksey? Is everything fine?" Longwei spoke from further away, being able to hear with his impeccable hearing.
"I wake to find little fox trying to buzz fur. Few days ago I became much less fluffy because of little fox trick with buzzer." Aleksey huffed. "Now I holding up kit, trying to teach him not to buzz his papa but he growling and hissing and biting. Challenging me." Aleksey huffed. "I not sure how to handle. I not want to hurt, but I must discipline. What you suggest?" Aleksey asked, trying to keep his grip gentle but firm on the kit.
"Bite ear to show dominance." Nikita laughed, liking the spirit of his adopted grandcub although discipline was due. "Sabre no there?"
"She training hooman host. I watch cubs now." Aleksey sighed before leaning over and lightly biting the fox's ear. With a loud whine that quickly became a growl, Antain clawed at the tiger's face and bit his snout, making Aleksey pull back with a huff. "It not working. Little fox only bite nose."
"You alone with cubs?" Nikita sounded serious and oddly excited. "I coming over in few minutes after I clean blood. Meanwhile try smack in rear with cub, and once crying hug and show papa still love despite bad behavior."
Aleksey sighed and set the phone down a few feet away from the bed before he tried laying the misbehaving cub onto his knee. Antain growled and kicked, making it difficult to spank him properly without hitting his leg in a way that might have hurt the young cub. Out of options for the time being, and feeling that spanking Antain while he was struggling so much would injure him rather than discipline him, Aleksey simply held the cub and waited for Nikita to arrive.
Some minutes later, a portal opened. Nikita came in followed by Longwei just in time to see Antain trying to claw at Aleksey. Antain fiercely hissed at him, continuing to bite Aleksey's hand while the tiger held him relatively still.
"I see it not worked." The older tiger gruffled before emitting a call to catch the fox's attention.
The little fox ignored him, continuing his assault on the orange tiger.
"Niet. And I not want to punish too harsh without mother permission." Aleksey huffed. He didn't want to hurt the cub either and if he did end up injuring the fox cub, there was no doubt in Aleksey's mind he might lose his other eye to the mother if she went feal.
"Understandable." Longwei spoke as he stepped past the tiger and immediately located the sleeping kittens. Longwei warmly smiled and sat on the ground by the kittens, watching as they softly breathed while keeping one another warm with their fluffy little bodies.
"Da, angering mother bad idea." Nikita laughed, coming over and sitting next to Aleksey while watching the kit struggle against him. "Little kit be fierce warrior when he grow, no?"
"Or undisciplined monster." Aleksey growled as Antain locked eyes with Aleksey, making sure he was watching before the fox continued to gnaw on the tiger's knuckle in a show of dominance.
"It funny to see you trying parenting. Just last moon you were small cub yourself." The white tiger then sighed and crossed his arms. "You showing too much patience. If you done that then I ground you under log out in cold for hours until you cry for forgiveness. Maybe we do that?"
"Not without mother permission. I understand, I no papa to fox cub - I know that. He need time to adjust to presence by his mother." Aleksey sighed with a smile, leaning over and licking the cub's head in a grooming manner while Antain growled and batted at his cheek before grabbing a whisker and ripping it out. Aleksey jolted back in surprise, hissing as Antain was bounced off his lap. Antain tumbled onto the floor, whipping around and glaring at him while his chest huffed and puffed.
"Bad tipped mena! You steal mama!" Antain shouted at him before leaping onto his foot and biting his ankle, biting where there was little to now fur - and managing to break through the skin.
At the sudden needle-like sensation, Aleksey fell back and accidentally launched Antain into the air and while Aleksey fell off the hammock and smacked his head against the floor. Nikita leapt forward, easily catching the kit in his paws before holding the little troublemaker up with a smirk.
"You, too much energy. Too much energy make misbehave." Nikita laughed before hugging the little fox to his chest and nuzzling against him despite the little attempted bites against him. He walked over to the injured tiger and looked down at the groaning tiger. "Injured or no, it sad to be taken down by little fox kit." Nikita sneakily grinned as Aleksey twisted around to his hands and feet before he stood up. He staggered for a brief moment before Nikita caught him, helping to steady Aleksey. "Aleksey, let us return to Russia for small while, da?" Nikita casually asked. "Hm, you think Jaska want to come for small few hours?" Nikita asked before perking up his ear and trying to listen to the household. After a brief moment he sighed. "Niet, I know he snoring at this hour." He laughed, in a very good mood as Antain bit his paw and growled rather fiercely.
"Da, most likely asleep." Aleksey sighed before looking over the little cub. "I trying to be good papa but little kit no listen." Aleksey complained as Antain glared up at Nikita and growled at him while biting his paw.
"Bad tipped mena!" Antain hissed, trying to dig into Nikita's fur and bite the skin but failed to get his teeth passed the white tiger's thick fur.
"You fine predator, cub." Nikita Chuckled, then looked at Longei. "Longwei, call coordinate for portal. We going to area S15."
"Shi." Longwei nodded and then took his heavy reinforced phone and made a call, speaking in russian before tossing his phone towards the middle of the room."
"S15?" Aleksey rose an eyebrow and looked at the opening portal. "Very well, uncle. But only for while."
"Well, let him play in Siberian snow, da? Work off extra energy." Nikita chuckled as he stood up and walked through the portal with Antain in his arms.
Aleksey huffed and stepped through as well, stepping into the midst of a small forest outside of Nikita's large fortress of a home. Aleksey chuckled, admiring the hill size of the construction, completely camouflaged under trees and snow, incredibly hard to detect if one wasn't looking for it. "I think you added extra wings, no?" Aleksey laughed.
"Da." Nikita smiled before gently tossing Antain into the snow where he sank down half a meter into the snow.
Very quickly, as expected in a well secured fortress like Nikita's base, a member of the patrol team quickly trotted over to them; Ingebjorg, a female centaur caribou breed carrying a machine gun and heavy saddles full of ammunition, approached them. Recognizing Nikita, however, she lowered her weapon and warmly smiled before looking to Aleksey. She stared at him for a few moments, seeming speechless before seeing the white spot at the end of his tail. "Oh, Aleksey?!" She cried with an excited gasp before she quickly trotted over to him to give him a hug before Nikita put a hand up and chuffed as a greeting to the caribou.
"Gentle. He still hurt." Nikita smiled as Ingebjorg leaned down and very gently hugged the tiger.
"So see good you! How you long staying?" She asked with an excited smile. "And goodness my, scars you much have! You scar more than furry fur!" She said, looking him over.
"I see you still only speak bad english." Aleksey chuffed a hello too and smiled before greeting her properly in Extraspecies language.
"Much I good! Listen, me hear," she said, clearing her throat with a proud smile, "must, very must come must some drinks! Others much be happy seeing you." Ingebjorg sweetly smiled. "And how see I am speaking with the hooman English? Much very fanta, daaa?" She asked, eager for his approval. "English very much gooder, daaa?"
Aleksey smiled. "Da, it better than before." And it was true that she had improved.
"Ah~ such a hard tongue." Ingebjorg sighed, "and where is Jaska? Is he here too?" She asked in their Extraspecies language, looking amongst the trees before suddenly looking behind herself. But seeing no Jaska stalking her, she turned back to Aleksey with a confused smile.
"My brother is not here. I have come in company of my uncle to provide a fruitful play environment for my new adopted cub." The tiger said fluidly in the tongue of the Extraspecies, which was indeed far better than his english while pointing at Antain. "I have a permanent mate currently and she deemed to adopt him before our cubs were to grace us."
"How lovely! I am shocked you have a mate with your current looks." Ingebjorg spoke honestly with a smile on her face. "Perhaps there is a way to groom your remaining fur over your wounds?" She suggested, gently pushing some fur over a wound but it did not hold. "Maybe not?"
Aleksey's ears dropped. "I'll heal." Was all he said, once more reminded how bad he actually looked at the moment. Later on he would probably cuddle extra time with his great mate that didn't mind his patchy fur.
"You'll be more scars than fur." She bluntly spoke. "Are you not cold? You should wear something to replace your fur." She worriedly spoke before hugging him to help share some of her body's warmth with him.
"I am fine. I may be slightly wounded and my fur looks more roughed up than it really is, but I'm still the same tiger and nephew of the white fang of winter. A siberian tiger does not fear cold." Aleksey of course had been trained enough by Nikita to survive even the hardest of siberian winters but to think that anyone would think he was so bad that he'd feel cold? Prospentuos.
"Maybe, perhaps, a sweater?" Nikita suggested with a laugh, listening to Antain crawling around in the snow within the hole he was in.
"NO!" Aleksey shouted as a knee jerk reaction before quickly recollecting himself, "niet, I do not. I plenty warm." He said with a huff, secretly mortified at the thought of wearing a sweater just to keep warm.
"For now." Nikita chuckled before turning to Ingebjorg, "continue rounds, Ingebjorg." Nikita spoke as she nodded and happily trotted off while Nikita and Aleksey settled in the snow.
Finally having enough of the snow he was thrown into, Antain whined in alarm and messily climbed out of the hole before he looked around all tense at the snow all around him. His tail flickered, seeming confused before he slowly crawled around, hearing the snow crunching under his paws. He sat down, picking up handfuls of snow and squishing it, watching it melt in his paws before he walked in a small circle and listened intently to the crunching sounds. He explored slowly but cautiously while looking around for his mama.
"M-Mama? Mama misa? Mama ishi?" Antain called, pulling his ears back rather nervously. "Mama ok? Ma-ma?"
Nikita got on all fours to be on a more even level with the pup and gave a couple calming gruffs. "It ok, cub. You safe with Grandpa Nikita. It safe here for you to play."
Antain stared at him, appearing unsure of what to do before he reached up and gently patted Nikita on the nose before tugging on his whiskers while paying very close attention to the tiger. "Where mama?" Antain asked, keeping his ears attentive. He was no longer scared; just curious and perhaps a bit apprehensive.
"You with grandpa and papa. Mama sleeping and need rest." Nikita purred, leaning in and nuzzling his snout against Antain's torso while chuffing - the tiger's head was as big as Antain was. "Let us go inside for warm clothes before you play longer." Nikita grinned before walking over to a hidden wooden door that covered a reinforced entrance and opened it. "This home." He said to the pup before gently licking Antain's head, feeling him shivering. "Little kit cold already? Come, come I get you warm clothes." Showing Antain the ample interior that looked more in place in a mansion or palace than in the hidden fortress it was.
Aleksey stepped in behind them, looking around and smiling. "It still same. Even squeaky floor."
The place was the size of castle or even bigger even in its overground structure, full of terraces and with high window panes but all under the form of bigger earthy mounts and living trees that reinforced the structure and made it camouflage on the terrain like a hill. Instead of going upwards, the building had grown underground, with complex systems of mirroring walls and roofs on its ample corridors that let light and air illuminate and ventilate the place originally even without the great technology added.
"Squeaky floor for intruders or little cubs who forget where they supposed to step." Nikita teased, stepping in a manner that was silent before, after some time they reached a room in the center of the building, where Nikita opening up the trunk of a large chest. "Ah, here is." He grinned, pulling out a small knitted sweater Aleksey was forced to wear whenever he went outside as a cub.
Aleksey's eye widened as his ears pulled back, feeling his heart stop for a full second before picking up in speed. The sweater, that sweater was the source of his insecurities all the way back to when he was a cub. Many other cubs made fun of him and rightfully so - a tiger cub without enough fur to keep him warm in the winters? And now he was just like that with only half his fur left. He nervously gulped, hoping Nikita was not planning on getting that sweater he made for him.
"There. Now little kit be warm." Nikita smiled before sliding the sweater onto the little kit who shivered a small bit before looking down at the sweater and lightly picking at the fibers of the well taken care of sweater the old tiger had knitted many years ago.
"Y-You still keep?" Aleksey asked with a slight tremble to his voice, remembering the times he was always forced to wear it. The extra warmth was needed but he still hated it with a burning passion. At least Antain will be warm playing in the snow now.
"But of course. Material last long while, good for future grandchildren or as keepsake," he grinned before getting little tiny shoes onto his bottom paws to keep his toes warm too. "I no think it you who have cubs. No out of female temporal heat, much less with permanent mate." He laughed. "Jaska more likely but he too clumsy too."
Antain let him strap them on before he fell onto his bum and stared at the little shoes and wiggled his feet with the colorful knitted shoes on them. The little fox stood up while looking down at his feet and walking around, seeming unsure if he liked the strange attire on his feet. He took big, long steps, testing out the material before awkwardly walking back over to Nikita and grabbing at his fur. "Off, off." He said, pointing down at his shoes and lightly pulling on the sweater.
Aleksey's ears pulled back and he shuddered, remembering the traumatic time when he too once asked the older tiger to take off the uncomfortable wool that felt uncomfortable on the pads of his feet. Aleksey found himself stepping from side to side as the memory of the wool against his paws made him feel very uneasy.
"Niet, little fox; leave on, keep warm." Nikita purred before picking him up and heading over to a cabinet and pulling out an expensive bottle of catnip vodka. "You remember, Aleksey? You and Jaska, manage to steal one as cubs. But now I give as gift." Nikita chuckled, handing him the bottle.
Aleksey surely remember although not as fondly as Nikita did, after all, when his uncle caught them all drunk and stumbling he beat the crap out of them and punished them for days straight, even letting Kuna help before praising them for managing to be stealthy enough to actually managing to steal that. "Thank you uncle." Aleksey took the gift. It actually meant a lot. "I will keep for when we drink together."
Nikita headed out of the building and back into the snow, going into the woods a small bit before setting Antain down into the snow. As soon as Antain was in the snow he froze, hearing little sounds underneath the frozen water. He blinked, puzzled as he listened closer to the noises. "Aleksey, why not be good papa and show how hunt mice hiding under snow? Then we drink and make merry." Nikita grinned.
"Da." Aleksey approached Antain and then stopped, remembering how Nikita had taught him and Jaska, listening to what lurked under the snow and once he located where the noise came from he turned to Antain. "Listen, cub. You turn head and ear to know where noise come from. That noise is small prey. And once you know, you jump to get it. Use claws to trap prey and mouth to catch prey." He then demonstrated, catching up a small mouse that he showed to Antain before letting the prey go back under the snow so the pup could practice.
Nikita purred at the sight of seeing his nephew becoming a father himself. "Go play to heart's content. Grandpa be watching. Let see how many mice you catch." Nikita grinned with a deep purr rumbling in his chest.
Antain stood very still, looking around with a confused frown on his face as he perked up his ears and began very slowly walking, trying to minimize the crunching sound of his feet while keeping his ears alert and listening to where the movement under the snow was.
Aleksey walked a bit in front Antain how he walked. "You need be more silent. To do so move paws slowly and let fluff cover sound." He demonstrated with a few steps that were incredibly silent for such a big predator.
Antain watched him make the movements before he hesitantly began imitating the tiger's footsteps. He was unsuccessful at first but managed to get it after a small while. They heard a sound and Aleksey pointed at where it the prey was, signaling Antain the exact spot.
Antain jumped and he found the mouse but it escaped, so Antain tried searching for it again while Aleksey stepped back and let Antain run around and try to find it again.
Nikita watched from the side, letting Aleksey teach his little cub while the older tiger warmly purred. Some months ago he never would have thought he would have been able to see his nephews again, but now they were back and he had grandchildren as well. The thought made him warmly purr.
Aleksey silently went back to his uncle and stepped besides the white tiger. "Uncle, thank for help with rowdy cub." He then chuckled. "I hope other kittens wont be as troublesome."
"Given family history, they be much rowdy." Nikita laughed in amusement. "There no such thing as not rowdy cub. And if there is, they die soon. I here to help with adorable grandkittens. Have questions, just ask." Nikita grinned.
Aleksey decided to take the chance. "Actually I have many … "
While the adults spoke, Antain kept on hunting around the snow, following the noises hidden under it. The little fox kept his ears up and attentive as he very slowly stepped through the snow trying to listen to the quiet squeaking of the mice hidden beneath the snow. He concentrated very hard as he wobbled a bit on the loose snow and fell onto his side before shaking himself off and stubbornly continuing to listen to the mice. He wandered into a small opening, circling the snow a little bit before he suddenly gasped and plunged in head first into the snow and began wildly digging to try and find the little prey.
From above, a team comprised of Berg the firebird and a few male birds flew overhead, spotting a wriggling orange tail from the hole as something dug into the snow. The color was too much noticeable in the whiteness of the landscape
"Confirming visual detection of an intruder." The crane, Gavriil spoke as the group flew down and deftly landed in the snow around the hole.
"Shouldn't an arctic fox's fur be white by now?" The Golden Eagle, Lev, asked with a frown. "Too small to be an Extraspecies intruder."
"Clearly." Gavriil rolled his eyes in annoyance before leaning down and watching the fluffy tail wildly move around in excitement. He blinked, tilting his head before some snow was dug out and smacked him in the face, making him huff as he shook it off. "Looks like a red fox Extraspecies kit." He said, frowning in puzzlement.
"A red fox here?" Dmitry the harpy eagle questioned in confused, peaking into the hole only to get a face full of snow
With an excited growl the little red fox backed out, holding a wiggling mouse in his jaws. Before he shook his head and ended the small life, Antain paused, looking up at the large bird Extraspecies while he held the mouse securely in his jaws. His eyes grew wide with excitement as his tail began wagging, seeing so many birds around him. He jumped up to his feet, stumbling over to the harpy eagle and hugging his leg before pointing to his mouth.
"A fox kit? The nursery is kilometers from here." The Harpy eagle huffed before leaning closer and checking the little tyke's neck. "No identity collar either." Dmitry frowned. "Maybe he took it off?" He suggested, glancing back from the direction where some sloppy tracks were leading right to the small fox.
"I doubt it. And I doubt he's from the nursery - that's almost 20 km away from here." Gavriil frowned. "And you know those nursery workers see just about everything. Nothing gets by them."
"Apparently this one did." Lev the golden eagle chuckled before crouching down to the little fox. "Can you speak, little fox? Where did you come from?" He asked with a friendly smile.
Antain stared at him before looking to the others and froze when he spotted Berg. He gasped in excitement before running over to Berg and grabbing her shin while whining and pointing at his mouth with his tail wildly wagging.
Berg stared at the odd behavior before she gasped, recognizing the small fox. "I-I know who this fox belongs to." Berg said, frowning in discomfort as she looked over her shoulders and around the area for the Amako Sabre.
"What's wrong, Berg?" Gavriil asked.
"This young kit is the adopted son of the new royal bastet. And Nikita's adopted grandkitten." Berg explained, not wanting to pick up the excited pup.
"Does that mean she's here now?" Dmitry asked with a quick glance over his back, wondering if the royal was stalking them. And if so, they would be dead soon then.
Antain hits Berg's shin for her attention, huffing loudly but she continued to converse with the other birds. Antain growled, lightly squishing the mouse in his jaws before the the squeaking mouse bit Antain's lip. Antain screamed in fright and fell back as the mouse dug into the snow to hide as Antain held his mouth and, scared, screamed, "MAMA KITAAAAAAAA!" Antain cried, hiding his head all scared.
A terrifying roar immediately followed the fox's scream before a rush of white angry fur burst out of the woods. The squad barely had time to shriek before they all quickly leaned back and laid on the ground with their vulnerable throats exposed. Running from Nikita, alley or not, was an immediate death sentence. So instead of moving or explaining the situation, the birds remained deathly silent and showed their complete and immediate submission to their alpha.
Nikita hissed in a threatening manner, finding no other threat in the area other than the submitting birds. The older tiger picked up the small kit, seeing him crying with blood on his lip while hugging his tail for comfort. His chest huffed and puffed, startled and scared before he reached out to Nikita to hold him closer.
"Ma-ma-mama kitaaa!" Antain hysterically cried before Nikita hugged him.
"There there, little kit. Danger not here any longer. Grandpa Nikita will break spine of whoever hurt you; promise." Nikita comforted before lightly sniffing the bleeding wound and finding the scent of the culprit. Nikita huffed before looking at the snow, sniffing once and listening before his claws shot into the snow. When he pulled his hand back, his claw had pierced the mouse's spine, paralyzing it as it squeaked in terror - with the scent of Antain's blood still on its fangs. "Niet, little kit, you hunt mouse wrong. Little mouse not suppose to injure, you injure little mouse." Nikita chuffed, trying to calm down Antain as he clung to Nikita's fur and shakily breathed with his ears pulled down.
Aleksey came in roaring to to the scene although he was breathing hard. "What happened?! Cub alright?" He demanded.
"Seems little kit not kill mouse completely, so little mouse bite kit." Nikita sighed as Aleksey came over and tried taking Antain from Nikita.
"Ah … I see. It okay, little Antain. Now come to papa and I show how to hunt little mouse proper." Aleksey chuffed but just as Antain was being exchanged, Antain looked up at the orange tiger with screamed.
"NOT PAPA!" Antain screamed, kicking Aleksey in her chin before he used the momentum to leap back into Nikita's arms and clung to his fur, "not papa, not papa! Mama Kita-! Mama Kitaaa!" Antain cried, too scared to properly form words other than to try out for mama Kita's comforting hugs.
Deep belting laughter erupted from Nikita as he held Antain closer, nuzzling and rubbing his head on Antain's while Antain sniffled and cuddled closer to his chest. "Niet, little kit. I grandpa Nikita, not mama Nikita." Nikita snickered in amusement before licking the fox's ear and rubbing his back while Antain continued to tightly hang onto the large white tiger.
"He too confused," Aleksey huffed. "It seem 'papa' have bad meaning for Antain but mama is positive." Aleksey noted, flicking his tail in thought before chuffing. "Little fox, come to mama Aleksey." Aleksey purred, wondering if calling himself 'mama' would help trigger Antain to trust him more than calling him papa, which seems to have become a derogatory name somehow in the fox's mind. Aleksey leaned in, lightly licking Antain's ear but Antain whipped around and bit the tip of Aleksey's tongue. Aleksey let out a shout of startled pain but held still as Nikita reached around with his claws and very gently pried the fox's mouth open to release his nephews tongue.
"Tiny predator much good, taking advantage of papa's well meaning grooming." Nikita snickered before Antain turned away from Aleksey and hid his face in Nikita's soft thick fur.
"I see kid still rowdy." Aleksey complained, thinking on what kind of punishment could be applied without causing too much resentment in the pup.
"I sure he come around soon. Give time." Nikita chuckled while wiggling his finger and letting the mouse squeak in alarm.
As the gentle family moment was occurring, the birds did not dare move a muscle staying on their backs in the snow. The only way they would move was if Nikita gave them a verbal command to do so - and until then, they did not make a peep. Not even Berg with her considerably high ranking status dared make a move in fear of offending the alpha of this territory.
"Bite prey with teeth and give shake to break spine like good predator." Nikita purred before taking a seat and laying the mouse down on his leg while trying to urge Antain closer to his prey.
Antain whined and hid his face deeper in Nikita's fur before shaking his head no. "Hurt! Hurt!" Antain whined with his ears lowered down.
"Come now, little kit." Nikita smiled, setting the mouse in the snow while nuzzling Antain. "Little mouse bite because you left alive too long. Once you have prey, you kill quick." Nikita purred, licking the top of Antain's head before setting him down. Antain glanced at the mouse, nervously frowning with his back to it. "It easy. Give few paw pats before attack if you not sure. Now, kill quick, da?" He grinned, giving the mouse a few gentle paw pat before pulling his hand back and letting the fox take over.
Antain slowly turned towards the mouse and nervously pawed at the limp body, watching it weakly breathe. The kit held his breath and leapt onto the mouse, pushing it into the snow before reaching his head in and taking a big bite of snow, startling him as he fell back and spat out the snow before looking down and seeing the mouse gone and buried. Antain frowned and dug around for the mouse before finding it, hesitating before biting it and shaking it head so hard that he fell onto his back in the snow and continued to shake his head before he quickly spat it out and checked on it, finding that it was dead now. Antain stared up at Nikita, seeming unsure if what he did was right.
"Da, much good, Antain. You big predator." Nikita purred, picking up antain and rubbing his head against the little fox. "You did much well."
Feeling praised, a slow hesitant smile pulled up Antain's lips as his tail wagged and licked the top of Nikita's head in return. Antain's chest thrummed with his foxy purres as he held onto Nikita's head and nuzzled into him.
"You did much good hunting in unfamiliar land without you mama. Much good, little hunter." Nikita proudly grinned.
Antain, now full with confidence and pride at his kill. He then looked at the still bird Extraspecies around and spotted Berg. With an excited gasp he went to her and pawed at her beak before trying to place the mouse inside her mouth. She looked at Nikita out of the corner of her eyes and opened her beak just enough for the kit to put the prey there. Seeing her taking the mouse, Antain moved back with a giggle and a tail wag, pointing to his own mouth eagerly.
"You may get up now." Nikita chuckled in amusement before seeing the birds quickly leap to their feet. Berg however only sat up while Antain sat on her lap, pointing eagerly into his opened mouth while looking up at her with shining eyes.
Berg caught on on what the pup wanted rather easily. It wasn't the first time after all and luckily for her, her red and golden feathers covered her blush. Still, her whole team was around and it was embarrassing. So, she let the mouse drop to take the chance to ask Nikita something they were all wondering. "Nikita. May I ask about the traitors? We all would like to participate into ripping them apart if possible."
Meanwhile, Antain was huffing the firebird's attention, grabbing the mouse again and smacking it lightly smacking against her beak.
As amused as Aleksey was of Antain trying to get the proud and mighty Berg to feed him, Aleksey's eyes gleamed at the mention of a traitor. "What about traitor?" Aleksey asked, looking to his uncle as his tail slowly curled and unfurled.
"We find traitors who sold Jaska to company - gave his whereabouts and condition, limiting team to novices of those who went with him - everything. Human and Extraspecies." Nikita growled, narrowing his blue eyes. "Some traitors you know - Remember last team? 3 of them traitors. Kirill, Makari and Zakhar."
Aleksey's eye widened. He knew those soldiers; faithful soldiers. "I shocked." Aleksey spoke while baring his fangs angrily. They were the reason his brother disappeared, the reason why Jaska was now handicapped for the rest of his life with wolf genes being separately infused into his DNA.
"They sell for money and assurance for fellow kin." Nikita growled, "petty reasons for betrayal. They weak willed in end." He frowned.
"Yes. However, the kin were unaware of their betrayal. After we finished 'speaking' with them, they were appalled at what happened. They agreed, of course, to whatever punishment Nikita decides for them." Berg explained, clearing the families before Aleksey thought to go question them.
Aleksey's eyes glowed with anger as he irritably hissed; his pupils contracting to slits and his ears dropping back along his snarl. Such petty reasons indeed for selling out his brother - Nikita's nephew, no less. Nikita leaned in, bumping his head against Aleksey's to help soothe his rage. "I take care. You think of mate, cubs and growing territory. After all, exciting news; council acquired much land around Sabre's territory and give to her soon. Officially in the council eyes, they accept Sabre's territory and are helping expansion. You have much work ahead." Nikita chuffed, trying to take Aleksey's mind off of the traitors.
"I want to see them, uncle." Aleksey calmly said, with the type of calm that held death at night. "I no kill them."
"They are Kuna's toys now." Berg sighed off to the side. "She will not allow you to interrogate them yourself. Wait, Aleksey, have you gone to see Kuna yet?" Berg asked, sounding almost troubled as Antain huffed and pawed at her beak for her attention.
"Niet." Aleksey spoke with a growl before smirking, "so I go see old teacher now. I talk much smoother now than before. I will get to speak with prisoners." Aleksey stated, daring Berg or even Nikita to challenge his decision.
"You talk to Kuna. If she let you, then I allow it. But not kill them; I personally need interrogate some more. So, leave ears and tongue be." Nikita chuckled, "I prepare medic for after you speak with Kuna. I sure she no take kind to you disappearing and no contacting." Nikita teasingly grinned but was serious on getting a medic to stitch up any new slashes Aleksey would undoubtedly get after visiting his old teacher.
"Da, I sure too." Aleksey nodded, "in meantime Antain can play with grandpa Nikita." He then curiously looked at Berg's predicament with Antain and winked playfully but said nothing.
"The rest of you continue patrols. Berg, walk Aleksey to Kuna and then get medic for Aleksey once Kuna done with him." Nikita chuckled but was serious - in fact, the reason he was sending Berg was because Berg could soothe Kuna's wrath should she get upset with Aleksey trying to take her prisoners to interrogate.
The birds nodded silently and quickly flew away before Berg stood up, making Antain huff in annoyance. She carefully took the mouse out of her beak, confusing Antain before she set it on the ground and began walking away with Aleksey. Antain gasped, shocked that she wasn't going to feed him before he grabbed the mouse and tried to follow but Nikita picked him up. Antain tried climbing over his shoulder to go after Berg but Nikita held firm. Antain could only watch as the firebird who rejected to feed him walked away with his not papa, making Antain let out a vengeful growl towards the bird and even a more resentful one against the not papa taking the bird away. Taking not only his mama, but the bird as well … the not papa was definitely at the top of Antain's s*** list.
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Aleksey and Berg walked through the familiar corridos, checking all the hidden signs that denoted the direction of traps while greeting everyone and receiving welcome backs from all those who knew him. He walked towards the lowest floor and eventually reached the sole entrance from the 'prison', although the word 'dungeon', or even 'torture chambers' might have been more appropriate. Berg stepped in front of Aleksey, holding up a wing to signal him to stay back while Berg handled his introduction - too much of a shock and Kuna, the head torturer and interrogator, master of the prison and a very scary marten might leap right for his throat.
The continous happy chatting of the head torturer herself indicated she was in, surprising Aleksey as he grinned. Berg fluffed up her wings, hiding Aleksey for the moment as she stepped inside. Clearly hearing someone enter, Kuna held up her paw, continuing to chat away into the phone without even looking at them.
"Kuna." Berg spoke as she stepped forward. Kuna stopped talking into the phone and turned towards her before her eyes gleamed and viciously smirked up at the firebird.
"Hello Berg, nice you are visiting. Want to go to my room and let me ruffle your feathers?" The marten smirked as she hung up the phone without so much as a goodbye. "I'll tie you down real tight and make you scream my name until you scream for more." She grinned with her small but very pointy fangs.
"Your professional manner needs improvement." Berg signed, already exhausted by the fierce female marten's antics.
"I'm very professional. That's why I'm chief here, I decide what is professional in my department. But if you want to roleplay … ," Kuna snickered.
"I doubt you would allow your other workers to speak to comrades the way you do." Berg countered, twitching her tail feathers slightly in discomfort.
"Oh, they can if they want. It's their fault if they get corrected … hey, what's that scent?" The marten stood up, sniffing the air. "No f***ing way."
Aleksey grinned, stepping out from behind Berg and smiling down at her marten, ready to defend his neck. "Still taking females, Kuna? Not settle with any male? How many female you take from other male, naughty marten." Aleksey toothily smirked with a bit of a nervous twitch.
"Aleksey!" She shouted in adornment before she leapt over to him and hugged him around the neck. Before he could return the hug she pulled herself up, leaning her feet on his chest and biting what was left of his ear and making him bleed. "You irresponsible cub! Do you have any idea how worried we were?!" She demanded with her teeth clenched before grabbing his snout in a slightly dangerous manner, lightly pressing her claws into his nose. "Why didn't you call as soon as you were able to?! I heard you hid out for months before letting Nikita know you were alive, you selfish f***ing brat of a cub!" She angrily hissed, biting him on the head once against with a fierce growl.
Seeing Kuna preoccupied with Aleksey, Berg snuck away to fetch a medic and escape the highly aggressive flirting of the marten before she got too graphic again. After Kuna was through admonishing Aleksey, he would likely need medical attention.
"Kuna, glad to see you too." He purred despite hs considerable pain, "I incognito, so I could not contact. And then I blew place before I could contact. After I too hurt to dare contact until I knew I would survive."
"No excuses, you runt!" Kuna fiercely hissed back at him, with a glare. "I've hardly had any sleep torturing those b******s so much trying to figure out your damn location, and as soon as one was about to break, I suddenly get the message you were alive! What the f***, brat?!"
The pain was starting to get to him, so he changed target. "Also while I undercover I found something very special." He grinned. "Want to see photo of mate and cubs? I found permanent mate, and now I papa."
"I've heard, and of course I f***ing do! Email them to me at your earliest convenience - f***ing d*** it I'm still pissed at you though!" She hissed. "I should bite off the tip of your tail for being so rude! Or at the very least take off the rest of your ear!"
"If you get down from chest I show you the photos now." He said, knowing better than to try and put down the vicious marten himself.
Kuna growled and leapt back down before looking up at him expectantly. "Hurry up. And I expect to be given hooman candy in exchange for not doing more damage to you." She hissed.
"Da." Aleksey said, holding back from exhaling. He then passed her his phone on a preselected folder he had that he could show others. "Check photos. My mate adorable and fluffy. And da, I send hooman candies as soon as I get back. Mate's new territory is near very big hooman city, so if you nice I can send much candy."
"I heard. You better not disappoint." She smirked, looking through the photos before sighing in adorement. "Those little fluffy babies are going to be so fierce." She grinned, scrolling through the photos. "You will have to tell me how you met over a drink. You look like you could use one." She wickedly chuckled.
Aleksey laughed and took a seat in front of her desk. This wasn't the first time they shared a drink. "Da, I need one. Let's share drink while I tell about mate. You crazy aunt too like wei-wei." Aleksey purred, planning to try and soften her up.
"Tch, s***face." She grinned before taking a seat and pulling out some tasty alcohol for the both of them. She poured Aleksey a decent sized glass full before she tipped back, taking a swig right out of the bottle. "So what kind of mate did you get?" She asked with a grin.
"You know not? I surprised." He flickered his ears and then curled the tip of his tail, smiling genuinely. "Well, it better if I tell personally." He purred. "I got a wonderful mate. She very smart and very fluffy, her fur very soft and ears even softer. Fur pattern very designed and she very skilled."
"Stop the love struck rant! I've been stuck down here interrogating some real f***heads. I wasn't about to leave and have fun until I got the location of where you both were sold at or to who, but of then you f***ing wastes of striped skin appear out of the blue! I was raging pissed off." She growled before taking another swig. "Now tell me more about your mate and stop avoiding the question. I only have so much f***ing patience." She growled, baring her teeth.
Aleksey laughed. "I do rant because it all true and you want to know, but da, I tell." The tiger took a big gulp of his glass before looking more serious in his gaze as he rounded the alcohol in his hands. "Mate also very special. So much certain attack on snow lodge in Canada I sure you know about was to capture or kill her and cubs. "
"I've got some of them here now still alive." She said but huffed. "Most are mere henchmen that knew nothing about whoever ordered them to do the attack. They just took the money and, upon success, get the rest of the money. But that trail has long since gone cold." She huffed and took another swing of from the bottle. "Now tell me what so f***ing special about this mate of yours."
"First I have doubt of my own, Kuna." He now would try to use one of the negotiating techniques Kuna herself had taught him long ago. She wanted to know about his adorable mate and he had a question he could trade for that information. "The traitors that sold bratja … what real reason? Uncle could not tell at moment, but I sense there real truth behind."
"It's sensitive information. For a decent price I'll tell ya." She smirked, twitching her tail back and forth with a teasing grin.
"I tell about mate and of course I get you that cheap chocolate you like. Mate's den near hooman infested city, so I can send easily." He grinned, knowing Kuna absolutely adored hooman sweets.
"What kinds? I heard over in the hooman countries at other side of the world they got some crazy flavors." She asked with her eyes glowing in anticipation.
"Many." Aleksey took another gulp. Curious how checking the host's stash of hidden snacks gave him useful information. "Salted caramel chocolates, hot chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, pumpkin bark chocolate, chocolate orange slices … many really."
Kuna swallowed her drool as she groaned in pleasure at just imagining all those delicious candy treats. "Well, since Nikita would have told you anyway in private, we know that a council member is responsible for the attempted murder of a royal and her cubs. Financed and helped plan the attack to start a war against the hoomans." She explained with a cheeky grin, "If I were a mermaid, I would love hearing how much juicy potential tragic details these traitors are holding." She said, giggling in a higher pitch with a blush on her face, "but, I am not. I only love the torture and that is what I'm best at. No one can hide information from me." She wickedly smirked.
"Then you already figured out what special about my beloved mate." He smiled.
"Of course. No f***ing way. You, Aleksey, are permanently mated to a royal?! Ha! No one could see that coming." The marten let out a loud barking laugh. "What kind of swindling did you do to make that happen?" She teased with another swig of the drink being gulped down.
"Neither of us knew until recently that she a royal." Aleksey carefully shrugged.
"So she kept it secret from you? I taught you better than that." Kuna growled at him. "You should have been able to tell if someone was hiding a secret that f***ing big."
"Kuna … all bastet royales dead. That no secret. You need to go out above more often." The tiger lightly laughed. "Mate no knew either, and she barely awoke veil barely too. We could not know."
The marten growled and leapt over the table before grabbing his ear and lightly twisting it, making the tiger turn is head a little painfully. "Then you should have smelled it! You've met a royal bastet when you were a cub, you should remember what a latent veil like that feels like, you irritating brat!" Kuna hissed, biting his cheek and growling.
"I did?!" He pushed Kuna away very lightly. "That no possible. I told, royal bastet dead or disappeared."
Kuna bit his hand, glaring at him as she stood on the table. "There was a snow leopard, like 8 or 10 in hooman years who was brought here - a cub who awakened his veil at a very young age. His blood was latent and he was being chased by assassins. Nikita was already a council member so as representative for you cats, he had to deal with the issue." Kuna then laughed. "When you two felt his veil, you ran and hid behind Jaska while you both cried."
"That was royal?" Aleksey was stunned. He vaguely remembered something like that happening. He was very young, short of when he came under Nikita's care. There was a snow leopard cub to play with and somehow suddenly he had felt a very opressign sensation. It had been something so harsh he remember it better than he could remember his own mother, especially because Nikita had come to get the snow leopard and had told Jaska and him to never ever mention the snow leopard cub to anyone. Now he knew why. "How you know?"
Kuna bit him again. "I'm obviously the one that tortured the assassins sent for that cub, idiot! I was also checking when that lioness came to get the cub. It's not everyday that you see Nikita being defeated and then acknowledged." She priced Aleksey with a new hit before going back to her seat. "You should remember some of it that least. Especially how you hid behind Jaska because he was fat and bigger." She mocked.
"I do remember bratja was fat cub." He said, not wanting to acknowledge that he had been a bit of a crybaby. "But we too young to remember scent or sensation of latent veil anyways. And mate no knew either. She no grew with Extraspecies. Much less bastet."
"Hardly an excuse." Kuna huffed before smiling. "Got any better pictures of your mate?" Kuna asked with a cheeky grin.
Aleksey complied, not wanting to get another bite or scratch and thus handing her his phone while on a very harmless folder. "She very cute. She a very beautiful and smart mate."
"Heh. I'm impressed, Alekey. And what a royal treat you have. But a stressful one." Kuna breathed a laugh. "I do hope you're prepared to take on such a sexy feline. I saw her photo on Nikita's office on that new digital frame he has on his desk. Very soft looking paws and big eyes, very fluffy and rounded a** - not to mention her soft looking fluffy ears too, but I bet the best part is that nice, long fluffy and curvy tail of hers. Her fur indeed looks silky soft and her pattern is well defined; such nimble but strong muscles too. I got to say royal or not I would enthusiastically f*** her into submission." Kuna longingly smiled with a grin on her face.
Aleksey laughed aloud but it was slightly strained. That was a very clear red flag - he needed to be wary letting Kuna, the infamous female stealer, meet his mate. "She no submissive at all. She even tied injured me on bed with belts and she commanding. All a royal should be."
"Go on." Kuna spoke with a grin. "Hot wax? Whips? Maybe even a small chain whip?" She asked, leaning forward on the table and looking up at him with big dreamy eyes.
"No yet. I unfortunately too damaged still." Aleksey took another gulp, almost emptying his glass. "But I'll heal and become alpha. What you think?"
"Heh. Starting soft … got it." Kuna grinned, enjoying Aleksey's slight unease. "Don't worry. I'll return her once I'm done." She teasingly smirked, enjoying Aleksey's discomfort. Hide it as much as he tried but nothing got past Kuna's well tuned senses. "And I'll be damned if you try to become alpha in this sorry a** state. Hell, I might train you myself, after all I'm an alpha of alphas too." She crossed her arms behind her head. "I would return what's left of you to Nikita after I'm done of course, or go play with that pretty firm a** of a mate you have."
"No tease with mate, Kuna." Aleksey tried, knowing that was just the crazy marten and even if she was serious she was a female and not competition for his adored Sabre. However, if Kuna had even mentioned training him more … that was a serious consideration. She never spoke unnecessarily of her being an alpha of alphas and not just an alpha like many thought.
"If you're lucky I'll let you watch." She snickered. "But, no need to worry too badly. My eyes are currently on that sweet a** firebird." She dreamily hummed. "Oh what I would do to that fine mess of feathers." Kuna smiled, licking her lips in anticipation. "Usually it's the ones that resist the most that end up being the sweetest reward." She cheekily laughed.
"You have tough challenge in Berg." The tiger then emptied his glass and left it on the table.
"Of course I have. That's why I need to bed her before she finds a suitable male. I can take my time - most firebirds around here are taken and those that are not are not Berg's type." Kuna smirked, "so I still have time."
"Kuna … back to topic. I want to see traitors and any living prisoner from snow lodge." He said. "Those assholes threatened my bratja, my mate and my cubs."
Kuna's soft expression suddenly hardened as she turned to glare at him. "They are my prisoners, cub. Don't think that being the nephew of Nikita will give you special access to interrogate my prey." He defensively hissed. "Even being mated to a royal does not grant you the privilege of messing with what's mine." Kuna growled. "This is not something you should fight me on, Aleksey. I might actually end up killing you sorry a**." She was genuine in her threat.
"Da, I know. But I only want to visit them, with your supervision." He said, testing the waters with the explosive alpha of a marten.
Kuna stood up, knocking her chair over and more fiercely growling at him. "They are my prey, Alekey. Back. Off." She irritably growled, looking like she was about to lunge at him.
"I no meant to take prey, I won't kill because I want Kuna to entertain her guests for many, many years of horrid torture." Aleksey spoke with deference that hid his internal rage from being heard in his tone but be understood in his words. "I of course know Kuna would like many chocolate for when she is stressed, so I can give Kuna many chocolate of types she not even knew existed."
"Delicious chocolates are one thing, Aleksey, but my prey is different." Kuna hissed.
"Much chocolate be only for traitors. After all, I and bratja victims, and under Extraspecies custom we entitled to their punish." He spoke the truth even if he was stretching it a bit. "For prisoners from attack on snow lodge I can trade something you'd want." He grinned. "I have photo of certain firebird. Very embarrassing photo."
"You are putting an awful lot of confidence into a single photo of that precious birdie." Kuna chuckled, curious. She knew that if he was using it as bargaining chip it was a good one.
"Well, I can either give photo or arrange date with Berg," Aleksey cheekily grinned. Knowing how much blackmail he had against Berg, she would have to endure a date with the marten if his hand was forced.
"Let me see the photo so I know if it's worth my time. I have confidence I'll get that fiery birdie beneath me in bed in due time myself." Kuna smirked as her tail flickered in anticipation. "Perhaps even in time for my retreat week this year with all my beautiful lady lovers. Better than the other normal vacations."
"Careful, Kuna. It like you in heat all year round, much like hoomans are." Aleksey lightly teased, prepared for a well placed bite on his ear as a price for his teasing.
"I simply have a thriving appetite." She wickedly smirked. "Now let me see the photo. It must be something good if you think you can use it to negotiate for time with my prisoners."
"Niet." He grinned. "Kuna taught well to negotiate so I must ensure deal first."
Kuna's eyes narrowed, annoyed at the pompous cub before she stood up straight and thought it over. "Fine, Aleksey, but I will not f***ing leave you alone with them. You may only torture them as per my instructions. If you kill any of them, I will send you back to Nikita broken and bloodied." She aggressively threatened. "So make any poor incisions and it is you I'll be cutting into." She said, standing up and walking towards the depths of 'her' territory.
They soon arrived at the place. A dark dungeon deep in the earth and that smelled like blood, suffering and despair. No 'guest' that entered under Kuna's 'care' this far in the prison had ever left alive.
Aleksey's pupils constricted and his ears pulled back. The traitors were in front of him. A hooman and two Extraspecies. His face gets convoluted with rage for less than a second before the tiger smiled.
Kuna opened the door for him and followed inside. Aleksey went to get the smallest scalpel he could hold.
"Glad to see you haven't lost you touch. But I want to be sure you are not too rusty." Kuna sadistically smiled. "So start while I check more photos of your mate and cubs." Kuna smiled as she jumped to another file labeled XXX. With an evil grin she began trying some passwords to try and get the juicier photos of that sexy looking feline.
Aleksey paused, hearing her tapping away at the phone before he walked back over to her and took the phone away. "I send photos once done." He said, not wanting her snooping around on his phone. Kuna sighed and shrugged, clearly not remorseful before Aleksey turned towards the prisoners.
"Let's start this reunion, da?" He said with cruel intent as he approached the first of the captives.
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Longwei kept his eyes closed, listening to the little kittens softly breathing in their sleep, close to their exhausted mother. The smell of the host's scent within Amako Sabre's room both annoyed him and made him recall the rather delicious food he consumed not too long ago within the house. The memory of the tasty meat made saliva build up in his mouth as he swallowed it down, bothered that he found himself desiring the hooman's tasty food. He knew how much hoomans liked to store their leftovers so maybe he could get those and surely the hooman likely had the meat restalked and likely had the seasonings she used for such meat somewhere in the kitchen.
The thought of being able to fill himself with that delicious meat made him swallow down his desires before he glanced at the trap door. Surely the cubs would be fine for a few minutes. He stared at the door, weighing his options before he let out a quiet sigh. He was still a bit peckish and that seasoned meat she prepared would satisfy his cravings.
Longwei gently tucked the little kittens into a small hiding spot in the room, making sure they were save before he opened the trap door and floated down into the hallway. He shut the door in silence and started down the hallway before he smelled something in the air. He paused, disliking the faint but clear scent of a sleep inducing drug. Longwei floated back off the ground, keeping his presence wrapped in silence before floating towards a noise. He peeked into Jaska's room, finding a tall black male spider tightly wrapping the tiger up in blankets, sealing Jaska's movements.
Longwei's eyes dangerously glowed as he floated inside, staying behind the spider and watching him tuck Jaska into his blankets tightly. Seeing the spider not harming Jaska, the dragon waited until the spider had started for the door before Longwei landed on the ground in front of Jaska to protect him from potential harm. "Halt, spider. Who are you and what are you doing here?"
Err jolted and whipped around, frozen in place before he darted out into the hallway screaming in terror. Longwei easily kept pace with him, tackling the spider onto the ground and using his overwhelming strength to subdue the spider's arms. "N-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Let go, let me go!" Err cried in terror, struggling to break out of the dragon's hold.
Vines came from above and held onto the spider and the dragon's arm, holding them firmly while trying to loosen Longwei's hold on Err. No matter how hard the vines pulled, Longwei remained over the spider and kept his red arm gripping the spider's neck. "Release me, Naoki." He warned, turning up the heat on his arm and lightly burning Err's neck, making him scream in pain.
"Mengyao Longwei, I will politely ask you not to kill my bug catchers." Naoki spoke, curling some vines around Longwei to try and lift him off the spider but the remained over the arachnid, too heavy for Naoki's current vines to move. So Naoki contended with covering the spider's precious bug eating mouth to protect it. "They are my designed assistants in whatever endeavor I may require of them for the greatness of my Heika's territory."
"That is more so a reason to conduct an interrogation. Any unapproved Extraspecies requires a selection and approval process to be allowed in the premise of the royal." Longwei calmly stated, already knowing this was not going to be so easy. "For the sake of your Amako, I shall ensure they are worthy of trust."
"I have assured their trust; but I will allow you to question them both. Leave their bodies unharmed so they can perform their duties. Especially their fingers and mouth." Naoki spoke, loosening the vine's hold on him and pulling the vines back.
Longwei looked up and looked around, his senses sharp. "Both?"
"Yes. I accept both spiders. They go by the names of Arr and Err and, for the Heika's precious territory, they are to assist me. Such has been approved by the Heika's pollinator."
Being exposed by the very plant who promised them protection, Arr slipped out of hiding, clinging to the ceiling with a nervous frown. "Let my stupid brother go and I'll tell you whatever you want. Err gets stupid when he's scared." Arr said with a nervous frown before glaring at the plant. "And you betrayed us, you stupid plant. My brother is getting choked out by a lizard and you're not stopping him. We are doing our part, now do yours." Arr hissed at Naoki, remaining where he was on the ceiling.
"The bigger spider is not being harmed. Bark grows back." Naoki stated. "The dragon will move as soon as the information he demands is given."
"That a**hole burned his neck, you useless plant! How is he supposed to do his job right unable to turn his head? Idiot!" Arr hissed at Naoki before turning back to Longwei. "Let him go, d-dragon. My brother can't think straight when he's like that. I-I'll answer what questions you want." Arr spoke, remaining safely on the ceiling while nervously watching his brother. He was terrified but he tried his best to be brave for his stupid brother.
"I'll take your word for it, then." Longwei spoke before releasing the black spider. With a prolonged scream Err jumped onto the wall of the kitchen and crawled inside the hole there, crying in terror while inside the safety of his home. With a quieting cry of pain Err peeked over the edge and nervously watched Longwei while holding the back of his burnt neck.
"I'll first ask who you are, where you come from and how is it that you are here." Longwei questioned with a hard gaze. He then turned to Naoki. "And why is it that the charges were put to sleep? I can smell it in the air."
"The charges found out that the host was planning to take them on dates and thus began fighting over who shall go first. They were causing unnecessary damage so I put them to sleep." Naoki answered, "I then asked the spiders to help clean the heika's home, seeing it was damaged from the charge's earlier fight.
"My name is Arr, and my brother is Err. We were born in this hooman city a-and the plant seeked us out." Arr answered, remaining completely still. A dragon was very scary - this was his first time seeing one. Those were on the legendary level, impossibly powerful. He had no idea they could burn something just by touching them. He'd have to help mend his brother's injuries once the dragon was gone.
"The spiders were in need of sustenance and a territory. So far they have proven to be excellent bug catchers. So I'm keeping them for the sake of the Heika's garden and future greenery." The plant confirmed.
"The spiders were born here in this hooman city?" The dragon narrowed his eyes, examining them. Arr, the white small spider seemed quite small even for a male arachnid, and both of them looked quite malnourished and thin. "How is it that you were born in a hooman infested territory?" Longwei asked. By their age it was clear that had been before the contracts existed in this infested land.
"Obviously because our mother nested us here." Arr frowned, pressing himself against the ceiling as an automatic reaction to try and hide himself. "We were born, she ate the others and we got away; Err, me and … Urr." Arr frowned, pressing his lips together in a hard line.
Longwei looked straight at them. If that had been the case, then their mother had been a rogue Extraspecies or a smuggled one, and the fact it had been during those years meant there was a far bigger problem of stray Extraspecies in this forsaken hooman land. "Chamberlain," Longwei addressed Naoki after making a decision. "I will allow this for now. A psychic will be sent to evaluate them but they are not to get close to the cubs or the charges. Also, please fed them properly. Such is for the safety of the royal and her lineage."
"Are the bugs not enough to sustain them?" Naoki asked, a bit unsure.
"Of course we need more food, idiot! I thought you were starving us as punishment for something, you a**hole!" Arr shouted at him before hissing in annoyance.
"I see. I saw the hidenka stash away the leftover meat. I'll give those leftover to you." Naoki spoke, a bit uncertain, "do come to the kitchen." He said, stepping aside and keeping a vine near Longwei while the spiders crawled fast out of the room and into the hallway's rafters and ceiling.
Longwei followed, remained at a distance, observing.
Naoki thought before walking over to the refrigerator. He pulled out a large bowl of pre sliced meat chunks coated with flavors. "Here." He said, setting it on the counter. Arr immediately jumped down into the kitchen, sniffing the food before tasting it. Once ensuring it was good and not poisoned, he leapt up into the little hole Err had gone to hide in before crawling inside for them both to eat a full and real meal.
"If you require more, tell me." Naoki said, watching the hole as they hungrily ate the host's cooking.
Longwei slightly frowned as he watched them eat the precious meat he was going to consume for himself but he understood that they were starving. He had no idea how they had survived in hooman infested territory for so long but by their current state, it seemed they barely did. Perhaps were it not for the plant they would not have survived this winter. He would send a psychic and a medic later. Now without a meal he walked back to Sabre's room to continue his observations of the kittens.
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Out in the siberian cold, Nikita watched Antain get better at spotting and hunting mouse, getting tired after having spent that accumulated energy for a few hours. The white tiger was enjoying watching his adopted grandkitten when he caught wind of Aleksey's scent approaching. Once Aleksey was behind him, he spoke. "Want to kill traitor? Kuna already got all information they had." Nikita offered.
"I had fun meeting." Aleksey responded, standing by the side of the great white tiger. "So fun I wait until bratja can come for training and after it if he wants we end them together or he can finish them himself. They hurt him more than me and bratja is entitled to revenge. Meanwhile Kuna keep them alive and reminding them of big mistake. "
Nikita deeply laughed and lightly nuzzled his nephew. "Cruelty proves we related." Nikita murderously grinned, placing his big clawed hand over Aleksey's shoulders in approval. "You learn well. I proud." Nikita grinned.
Aleksey was stoned for a second, he then hugged his uncle briefly but firmly. "I glad I make great fang of winter proud." He pulled back. "I do more to keep expectations up." He then grinned. "Once I alpha I'll be one to give uncle bottle of vodka. And if Kuna still have other traitors then we can have family fun with then, like when she angry at uncle for taking some prisoner for exchange. Uncle made us distract her and she ended up chasing." He laughed.
"I glad Kuna did minimal damage to nephew this time." Nikita chuckled.
Their bonding moment ended when Antain began making calls of distress stuck inside the snow. Aleksey walked over, looking into the tunnel the cub had made as Antain reached up for him and whined, shivering from the cold despite the clothes Nikita gave him. Aleksey picked him up, holding him to his chest as Antain snuggled close and huffed, getting warm in spite of it being with the not-papa mena.
"Siberia too cold for little fox. Even with sweater." Aleksey sighed before rubbing Antain's back to warm him up.
"Only until I train grandcub to resist it." Nikita purred, placing his paw on Aleksey's shoulder . "But now we need go back before mother finds pup gone."
Nikita had a portal be opened for them and they returned to the host's house. They greeted Longwei and Aleksey went to get a towel to dry Antain off from the snow while he went into the bathroom to get dry.
Antain shook himself off and hopped over to the kittens. He tried to lay on top of them sprawled out but Longwei righted him to sleep comfortable by his siblings, but Antain huffed and tried to stubbornly sprawl himself out again before Longwei huffed and tried again.
"This cub is as rowdy as you were Aleksey." The dragon said loud enough for Aleksey to hear.
"I no rowdy! Wei-wei merely no patience." Aleksey called, coming back along Nikita.
"You consumed all my patience, cub." Longwei responded while smiling. "And yet I still have the most patience out of most Extraspecies."
"But still small cub best patience of mighty dragon?" Aleksey chuckled and Nikita laughed.
"He got you, Longwei." Nikita chuckled before he and Aleksey both laid down sleeping with their backs just barely touching.
Aleksey felt very safe with Nikita around. It almost made Aleksey feel like when he was younger and weaker. The big white tiger would let him sleep in the same den area as him and just having his presence nearby was very reassuring that nothing could hurt him. He lightly purred, feeling very safe and happy before Longwei set Antain down by Aleksey.
"Take care of this, Aleksey." Longwei stood over them for a moment, watching Antain nuzzled up to Aleksey. "I'll keep watch."
Antain, completely exhausted, finally to sleep against the not-papa and mama-kita. It wasn't so bad and it was warm. They were all ready to take a little cat nap with Longwei watching over them.
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Peeko: As promised, here's the next chapter! So sorry for such a long wait so here's the next chapter right away as a treat :3 10 REVIEWS and we'll get started on the next chapter 3 and don't forget to check out A-theist in chaos-dark-lord's account :D
Chaos: Indeed, although our next release will be in 'Duty of the red hood'. And if someone plays or played pokemon go and wants to help with a survey (its in spanish, english and french) for my doctorate just send me a message. As for the ending of this story … well, we ARE making various endings besides the canon ending, and for the game there will be extra scenes not included in the story too depending on your choices D
