Chapter Eleven
Kolya watched Karis in private amusement. She was standing up on her hind legs trying to reach the knob that would open the proverbial cookie jar. Yet rather than tasty sweets her goal was much higher. She wanted those medical records. Kolya had to admit he was also a bit curious about them and what they contained, but he wasn't going to do anything stupid. He had done enough all ready.
The darkness on his shoulder had stopped spreading and under Katy's skillful, yet painful, ministrations it was retreating. His fever had broken leaving him a bit weak. The damage Tynan had inflicted were now merely fresh, white scars crossing his coat. Everything else sealed up also. He only had two more days of medical leave before he was required to return to training. All in all he was ready to be pronounced fit. Katy was amazed at his healing rate, but her common sense still reigned supreme. He wouldn't be doing a thing until she said so.
"Reidar, help me!" Karis asked still reaching. Her pads brushed the lock and it swung gently out of her reach. She growled lighting and jumped knocking it further away.
You shouldn't be doing that. He reproved her still content to watch her make a fool out of herself. His eyes slid down her body before he caught himself. Narrowing his pale eyes he snarled at his inner self. 'Don't you even start thinking like that.'
Karis stopped and turned on him with a wry expression. She pasted on a haughty smirk and proceeded to strut up to him. He realized she was doing a fair imitation of Jo. He found that amusing too until she started to rub up against him suggestively. He stiffed and she withdrew, wide grin lighting up her face.
"Now will you help Kiddo?" She asked with a pathetic sultry expression on her face. Suddenly she gave it up and burst out laughing, "Your face was priceless!"
Kolya stared at her in annoyance.
"Don't be like that!" She chided playfully and he wondered what had gotten her in such a happy mood. "I was just kidding with you."
Kolya made a slight face and continued to stare. What was he supposed to say to that? He really didn't mind her doing that…what was he thinking? But he was pleased to see her happy for some obscure reason he couldn't pin down. Which, of course, frustrated him.
He pretended to ignore her and laid his head down on his paws shifting slightly so that his shoulder wasn't jarred. She looked down at him with mischievous eyes for a moment before skipping back to her self-imposed mission.
"Grr, you stupid thing!" She snapped losing patience. Backing up she cocked her head. Suddenly her frills flattened and there was a sharp, swift whistling sound. The next thing Kolya saw was that a single, needle thin sheet of ice had incased the lock. It weighed heavily causing the hunk of metal hardware to slide back down the case into Karis' reach.
She dragged over a small container raided from the sterile, tidy counter and stood on it. She concentrated on the lock and not her paws. Right away Kolya could tell she was going to crash and burn in a few moments. Already she was teetering dangerously on the flimsy box. The question was: What did he intend to do about it?
After a seconds pause he rose to his feet and silently padded closer to watch. She wasn't that far off the ground after all. A slight fall wouldn't do more than stun her, if that.
"Aieeeee!" She screeched at she tumbled off the box as he had predicted. She landed with an ungraceful thump and lay there looking dazed. Her limbs were askew and she was half on her side in the most undignified position. The box has landed on her frills pinning her to the cold floor.
Slowly she regained some sense blinking her purple eyes rapidly. Seeing him silently watching her she righted herself quickly, "Why didn't you catch me? That would have been polite."
He raised an eyebrow, You're not hurt?
She blushed self consciously, "No, I guess not. I'm sorry."
He wanted to reassure her there was nothing to be sorry about, but something held his tongue. Uncomfortable he returned to his makeshift bed and settled in with exaggerated care. She turned her back and finished pawing open the enemy cabinet. A mess shower of papers spilled out slipping and sliding everywhere. Karis panicked and practically ended up on the floor again. Instead, she caught herself and clung tediously. Kolya calmly plucked a paper off his head and looked at her evenly.
Now you have a mess to clean up. I told you to leave it alone. Good, hide behind a shield of cool, impersonal words. What he wanted to do, as absurd as this seemed to him, was help her clean up the mess. Why should he do that? She made it, it was her problem.
Footsteps echoed down the hall and her face was pure terror. She tumbled down and started picking up papers madly.
"Katy's going to kill me. She'll take one of those scalpels and… and she's slice me up or she'll shoot me up with some chemical…" She muttered that over and over ripping up the documents helter-skelter.
On one hand the sadistic side of Kolya was greatly amused that her nosiness had earns her more trouble that she could handle, but that other side of him, which he was being to resent, was troubled. It wanted him to help, to become a co-conspirator! And he found himself picking up papers in a neat, unhurried way. Carefully he put them in a stack ignoring the approaching footsteps and Karis' frantic mumbling.
The door opened slowly and a tall creature walked in. Although most certainly not human the creature strode easily on his hind legs, which seemed muscular enough to support his weight. A thick, bushy tail hung down behind him brushing the floor. His whole body was covered in a thick layer of fur that varied in shades of brown. A part of cinnamon brown eyes screamed human as they peered out from beneath his brow. His clothing was richly made, but with simple taste. His face was drawn out into a muzzled and his hands were blunted.
Kolya placed himself between Karis and the stranger, snarling deep in his throat. It rumbled out easily and his shoulder gave him no trouble. His fur bristled and something deep inside him was truly scared. This creature was unnatural. A man-made cross between some sort of pokemon and a human.
"Stand down Reidar." The creature commanded calmly his elongated ear twitched slightly. Reidar stopped growling, but he continued to stare tensely.
"Stand down." This was more than a command. It screamed to be obeyed and Kolya could detect an underlying threat. Slowly he relaxed his body.
"Master." Karis trembled and she gave a deep bow. She was shaking uncontrollably and her tail was tucked between her legs. She cast her eyes downward, "What allows us the pleasure of your visit?"
The were-beast shifted quite unconcerned and pierced Kolya with a bone-chilling stare. There was a ruthless quality hanging around him that scared Karis silly and made Kolya wanted to slink off. Instead he stared back boldly with his pale eyes.
"I was just checking up on my new toy."
It took Kolya a moment to realize that he was the toy in question. Rage burned through him, but he held his ground. Unconsciously the growl started up again practically vibrating him this time. Master looked at him levelly with immeasurable arrogance.
"You don't like my pet name, Toy? Get used to it." He took a seat unconcerned and bore his gaze into the paralyzed Karis, "So what were you doing here, hmm?
"Nothing…" She sputtered almost silently. In her paws were the damning evidence and she did nothing to try and hide them.
"Don't lie to me Toy. I won't tolerate it!" The beast thundered in a loud voice. Curious, his tone held no more meaning that if he were addressing a cantankerous soda machine. Apparently it was the principle of the thing.
"No Master…" She abased herself whining piteously.
Kolya stared between them in growing horror. What had he done to her in the past to get such a radical reaction. Kolya had never seen such pitiful gravelling in his whole life and he would have never pegged Karis as the type to do it. She seemed so proud, confused at times, but proud.
"I suppose I'll have to punish both of you…" The Master sat deliberating.
"Oh no Master!" Karis blubbered quickly, "Reidar didn't do this, I did! He was just helping me clean it up."
"A noble one eh? Still, he was helping. Both of you are off food until Friday with double training. Katy will have to be punished also, for allowing this to happen while she was gone."
Great, another reason for the human woman to hate them and make their lives miserable.
"Master?"
Suddenly Denzel was there. The young eevee had carefully schooled his expression to that of blank disinterest. He didn't so much as look at the other two evolutions. His focus was entirely on his master.
"Yes Denzel." Master asked cordially as if Denzel were an equal. The eevee gave a sketchy bow and replied monotonous, "Master, Damon has filed an official request to remove Tynan from the team. It has been investigated and the umbreon has been found in fault on several occasions."
Master rubbed his chin idly and nodded. Denzel quietly retired himself behind his Master's chair.
"I see. Denzel, are you willing to fill in until I can find a replacement?"
The eevee nodded and Kolya stared in shock. Aside from the fact that he was obviously Master's personal play toy pet he didn't seem like he could stand such a battle. He'd be crushed. Pulverized. Rendered limb from limb.
"Good, you may move quarters immediately and I will have Tynan transferred. Then Master strolled out. Bonelessly Karis sank into a heap on the floor. She slowly stopped quivering. Denzel eyed her curiously, but not with much interesting. He turned to Kolya.
"I am pleased to see you looking so well." He inclined his head. "It seems we will be team mates. How fortunate for us to have met before."
With that he wandered out of the room and disappeared. Kolya stared after him completely baffled. How could he manage such overly polite words, keep his tone bland, and still be slightly patronizing all at the same time? Shaking his head in annoyance Kolya turned to Karis.
She had picked herself up off the floor and was carefully plucking the errant papers from the tile. She felt his eyes and whirled with a smile.
"I'm sorry for seeming like such a baby." She started, the smile never leaving her face. Her paw reached out searching for another clump of haphazard records; however, her eyes never left his face. Then she trembled softly, "Master really scares me. But Tynan is being moved, so I bet you're happy huh?"
Kolya was startled, Why?
She stopped and arched a brow at him, "You're not? After all the stuff he's pulled on you you're not holding a grudge?"
Kolya bit his inner lip lightly with a tip of a canine. Honestly, it had never even occurred to him. His knowledge of emotions and what drove them was obscure. He was certainly getting a crash course now. He wondered, briefly, how Tynan's absence and Denzel's arrive would go over.
Joeyz girl: That's okay, it wasn't blaringly obvious. Oh yes, Master, he's such a joy. Tynan isn't through yet, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Yes, he doesn't scare easy, and Damon's such not going to do the job! Never too many overs!
Coffee Luv: Hehe, maybe, maybe not. Tynan's a slippery devil.
Pheonix Rising: I, personally, would like a non-dysfunctional eevee to train ^^ but they're boring to write about, ne? My choice in characters is so random it's scary. But I do seem to have a thing for secondary males (Brock, Miroku, Sanosuke, Joey, Wolfwood, Jet).
Melchior the Mewthree: I hate grammer. English is a ridicules language. You know what's public enemy number one? Homophones. And sure.
Paladin Dragoon: He creeps me out... wait, I'm not suppose to admit that. I'm suppose to be the great and powerful Author God. Some abnormalities are inside ~.^
Kolya watched Karis in private amusement. She was standing up on her hind legs trying to reach the knob that would open the proverbial cookie jar. Yet rather than tasty sweets her goal was much higher. She wanted those medical records. Kolya had to admit he was also a bit curious about them and what they contained, but he wasn't going to do anything stupid. He had done enough all ready.
The darkness on his shoulder had stopped spreading and under Katy's skillful, yet painful, ministrations it was retreating. His fever had broken leaving him a bit weak. The damage Tynan had inflicted were now merely fresh, white scars crossing his coat. Everything else sealed up also. He only had two more days of medical leave before he was required to return to training. All in all he was ready to be pronounced fit. Katy was amazed at his healing rate, but her common sense still reigned supreme. He wouldn't be doing a thing until she said so.
"Reidar, help me!" Karis asked still reaching. Her pads brushed the lock and it swung gently out of her reach. She growled lighting and jumped knocking it further away.
You shouldn't be doing that. He reproved her still content to watch her make a fool out of herself. His eyes slid down her body before he caught himself. Narrowing his pale eyes he snarled at his inner self. 'Don't you even start thinking like that.'
Karis stopped and turned on him with a wry expression. She pasted on a haughty smirk and proceeded to strut up to him. He realized she was doing a fair imitation of Jo. He found that amusing too until she started to rub up against him suggestively. He stiffed and she withdrew, wide grin lighting up her face.
"Now will you help Kiddo?" She asked with a pathetic sultry expression on her face. Suddenly she gave it up and burst out laughing, "Your face was priceless!"
Kolya stared at her in annoyance.
"Don't be like that!" She chided playfully and he wondered what had gotten her in such a happy mood. "I was just kidding with you."
Kolya made a slight face and continued to stare. What was he supposed to say to that? He really didn't mind her doing that…what was he thinking? But he was pleased to see her happy for some obscure reason he couldn't pin down. Which, of course, frustrated him.
He pretended to ignore her and laid his head down on his paws shifting slightly so that his shoulder wasn't jarred. She looked down at him with mischievous eyes for a moment before skipping back to her self-imposed mission.
"Grr, you stupid thing!" She snapped losing patience. Backing up she cocked her head. Suddenly her frills flattened and there was a sharp, swift whistling sound. The next thing Kolya saw was that a single, needle thin sheet of ice had incased the lock. It weighed heavily causing the hunk of metal hardware to slide back down the case into Karis' reach.
She dragged over a small container raided from the sterile, tidy counter and stood on it. She concentrated on the lock and not her paws. Right away Kolya could tell she was going to crash and burn in a few moments. Already she was teetering dangerously on the flimsy box. The question was: What did he intend to do about it?
After a seconds pause he rose to his feet and silently padded closer to watch. She wasn't that far off the ground after all. A slight fall wouldn't do more than stun her, if that.
"Aieeeee!" She screeched at she tumbled off the box as he had predicted. She landed with an ungraceful thump and lay there looking dazed. Her limbs were askew and she was half on her side in the most undignified position. The box has landed on her frills pinning her to the cold floor.
Slowly she regained some sense blinking her purple eyes rapidly. Seeing him silently watching her she righted herself quickly, "Why didn't you catch me? That would have been polite."
He raised an eyebrow, You're not hurt?
She blushed self consciously, "No, I guess not. I'm sorry."
He wanted to reassure her there was nothing to be sorry about, but something held his tongue. Uncomfortable he returned to his makeshift bed and settled in with exaggerated care. She turned her back and finished pawing open the enemy cabinet. A mess shower of papers spilled out slipping and sliding everywhere. Karis panicked and practically ended up on the floor again. Instead, she caught herself and clung tediously. Kolya calmly plucked a paper off his head and looked at her evenly.
Now you have a mess to clean up. I told you to leave it alone. Good, hide behind a shield of cool, impersonal words. What he wanted to do, as absurd as this seemed to him, was help her clean up the mess. Why should he do that? She made it, it was her problem.
Footsteps echoed down the hall and her face was pure terror. She tumbled down and started picking up papers madly.
"Katy's going to kill me. She'll take one of those scalpels and… and she's slice me up or she'll shoot me up with some chemical…" She muttered that over and over ripping up the documents helter-skelter.
On one hand the sadistic side of Kolya was greatly amused that her nosiness had earns her more trouble that she could handle, but that other side of him, which he was being to resent, was troubled. It wanted him to help, to become a co-conspirator! And he found himself picking up papers in a neat, unhurried way. Carefully he put them in a stack ignoring the approaching footsteps and Karis' frantic mumbling.
The door opened slowly and a tall creature walked in. Although most certainly not human the creature strode easily on his hind legs, which seemed muscular enough to support his weight. A thick, bushy tail hung down behind him brushing the floor. His whole body was covered in a thick layer of fur that varied in shades of brown. A part of cinnamon brown eyes screamed human as they peered out from beneath his brow. His clothing was richly made, but with simple taste. His face was drawn out into a muzzled and his hands were blunted.
Kolya placed himself between Karis and the stranger, snarling deep in his throat. It rumbled out easily and his shoulder gave him no trouble. His fur bristled and something deep inside him was truly scared. This creature was unnatural. A man-made cross between some sort of pokemon and a human.
"Stand down Reidar." The creature commanded calmly his elongated ear twitched slightly. Reidar stopped growling, but he continued to stare tensely.
"Stand down." This was more than a command. It screamed to be obeyed and Kolya could detect an underlying threat. Slowly he relaxed his body.
"Master." Karis trembled and she gave a deep bow. She was shaking uncontrollably and her tail was tucked between her legs. She cast her eyes downward, "What allows us the pleasure of your visit?"
The were-beast shifted quite unconcerned and pierced Kolya with a bone-chilling stare. There was a ruthless quality hanging around him that scared Karis silly and made Kolya wanted to slink off. Instead he stared back boldly with his pale eyes.
"I was just checking up on my new toy."
It took Kolya a moment to realize that he was the toy in question. Rage burned through him, but he held his ground. Unconsciously the growl started up again practically vibrating him this time. Master looked at him levelly with immeasurable arrogance.
"You don't like my pet name, Toy? Get used to it." He took a seat unconcerned and bore his gaze into the paralyzed Karis, "So what were you doing here, hmm?
"Nothing…" She sputtered almost silently. In her paws were the damning evidence and she did nothing to try and hide them.
"Don't lie to me Toy. I won't tolerate it!" The beast thundered in a loud voice. Curious, his tone held no more meaning that if he were addressing a cantankerous soda machine. Apparently it was the principle of the thing.
"No Master…" She abased herself whining piteously.
Kolya stared between them in growing horror. What had he done to her in the past to get such a radical reaction. Kolya had never seen such pitiful gravelling in his whole life and he would have never pegged Karis as the type to do it. She seemed so proud, confused at times, but proud.
"I suppose I'll have to punish both of you…" The Master sat deliberating.
"Oh no Master!" Karis blubbered quickly, "Reidar didn't do this, I did! He was just helping me clean it up."
"A noble one eh? Still, he was helping. Both of you are off food until Friday with double training. Katy will have to be punished also, for allowing this to happen while she was gone."
Great, another reason for the human woman to hate them and make their lives miserable.
"Master?"
Suddenly Denzel was there. The young eevee had carefully schooled his expression to that of blank disinterest. He didn't so much as look at the other two evolutions. His focus was entirely on his master.
"Yes Denzel." Master asked cordially as if Denzel were an equal. The eevee gave a sketchy bow and replied monotonous, "Master, Damon has filed an official request to remove Tynan from the team. It has been investigated and the umbreon has been found in fault on several occasions."
Master rubbed his chin idly and nodded. Denzel quietly retired himself behind his Master's chair.
"I see. Denzel, are you willing to fill in until I can find a replacement?"
The eevee nodded and Kolya stared in shock. Aside from the fact that he was obviously Master's personal play toy pet he didn't seem like he could stand such a battle. He'd be crushed. Pulverized. Rendered limb from limb.
"Good, you may move quarters immediately and I will have Tynan transferred. Then Master strolled out. Bonelessly Karis sank into a heap on the floor. She slowly stopped quivering. Denzel eyed her curiously, but not with much interesting. He turned to Kolya.
"I am pleased to see you looking so well." He inclined his head. "It seems we will be team mates. How fortunate for us to have met before."
With that he wandered out of the room and disappeared. Kolya stared after him completely baffled. How could he manage such overly polite words, keep his tone bland, and still be slightly patronizing all at the same time? Shaking his head in annoyance Kolya turned to Karis.
She had picked herself up off the floor and was carefully plucking the errant papers from the tile. She felt his eyes and whirled with a smile.
"I'm sorry for seeming like such a baby." She started, the smile never leaving her face. Her paw reached out searching for another clump of haphazard records; however, her eyes never left his face. Then she trembled softly, "Master really scares me. But Tynan is being moved, so I bet you're happy huh?"
Kolya was startled, Why?
She stopped and arched a brow at him, "You're not? After all the stuff he's pulled on you you're not holding a grudge?"
Kolya bit his inner lip lightly with a tip of a canine. Honestly, it had never even occurred to him. His knowledge of emotions and what drove them was obscure. He was certainly getting a crash course now. He wondered, briefly, how Tynan's absence and Denzel's arrive would go over.
Joeyz girl: That's okay, it wasn't blaringly obvious. Oh yes, Master, he's such a joy. Tynan isn't through yet, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Yes, he doesn't scare easy, and Damon's such not going to do the job! Never too many overs!
Coffee Luv: Hehe, maybe, maybe not. Tynan's a slippery devil.
Pheonix Rising: I, personally, would like a non-dysfunctional eevee to train ^^ but they're boring to write about, ne? My choice in characters is so random it's scary. But I do seem to have a thing for secondary males (Brock, Miroku, Sanosuke, Joey, Wolfwood, Jet).
Melchior the Mewthree: I hate grammer. English is a ridicules language. You know what's public enemy number one? Homophones. And sure.
Paladin Dragoon: He creeps me out... wait, I'm not suppose to admit that. I'm suppose to be the great and powerful Author God. Some abnormalities are inside ~.^