Ch 5: Budding Blizzards

The heavy door opened to a hiss from their leader, not turning around as River entered. The lizard watched as Lyra stepped back from the dead form, frozen in what seemed like a tortured sleep, bowing her head slightly and kneeling down, hand on her raised knee with a form of respect, "report for you ma'am."

Lyra turned, wiping a drop of venom from her lips, face devoid of any real expression, motioning with her hand for River to get up, "go ahead. We are done here. Rena."

The large woman took the body over her shoulder and slipped down a hidden passage, leaving the two alone. River stood, a frown on her face, "You were right. Something is off with Lux. During training today, his fangs appeared yet I've never seen him around anyone here or in town before. He's been strange since the night we were chased by the rabbit and some strangers. I wish I'd seen their faces for you ma'am."

Lyra seemed to be thinking before a gentle hand landed on River's shoulder, "it's fine. You got away which is more important. You're too valuable to our cause to lose after all. Seems our little pup is growing up."

River nodded, her face seemed angry and concerned. Lyra patted her shoulder, walking around her for the door, "keep an eye on my boy for me River. See if you can't find out who the kitten is that he seems interested in."

She turned, confused, "kitten ma'am?"

Lyra gave her a flash of a smile a bit too dark to seem friendly, her grip on the door white knuckled, making River tense, "yes ma'am. I'll watch him."

Once River was alone, she glanced around the room and nodded, heading out herself. She set herself up outside Lux's room for night watch, unsure what to expect from his new behavior. By morning though when he came out she was exhausted, blinking at his confused expression. She was certain Lyra didn't intend for him to know he was being monitored so she rubbed her sore neck, "I was worried about you is all."

He narrowed his gaze at her but shrugged, "I'm fine River, really. It was just a weird day yesterday."

He was walking past her as if feeling all was fine so she sighed, "I'm going to take a nap. Come grab me before we make our rounds tonight."

She knew he wouldn't go anywhere in daylight. The sunlight made it next to impossible for him to see properly half the time so there wasn't much to worry about during the day. He just waved a hand in agreement but his mind was elsewhere. He had spent all night plagued by dreams of Azure's scent and touch, his inner beast restless. Before he knew it, he was making turns towards the exit rather than breakfast, his beast pulling him this way.

He didn't know where he was going, following the motion of the energy's inner pull, but he was sure it was worth following and didn't resist, sliding on a pair of darkly tinted goggles from a hidden pocket in his jacket before slipping outside. He had kept even Lyra from knowing he had them, finding slipping out in daylight the only real freedom he ever truly had. With his hood pulled up and hands buried in his pockets, he followed wherever the pull took him.

—-

"Gah! No fair! You must be cheating somehow! How else are you winning every single time!?" Autumn whined, dropping the cards in her hand and pouting as she glanced over at Jangri.

The rabbit was grinning kindly, showing off a winning hand while rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly, "I'm just good at it I guess mate. Swear I'm not cheating, I'd never!"

"Again then! I'll beat you this time!" Autumn declared as the rabbit chuckled and started to shuffle the cards.

Azure was sitting by the window but her inner beast was insanely restless, squirming within her like mad. The day was very gloomy out with intense overcast threatening to rain any moment. All the waiting was also killing her slowly. She hated to be so frozen in time like this. It made her feel caged up. Jangri was watching her carefully as Autumn pouted over the card game that was filling their spare time. She had concerns about the cat but wasn't sure how to bring them up or even figure out what they were. Azure's ears flicked and folded at all the noises in the room, her face steadily showing her irritation until she was gripping her own arms tightly, growling, "Ugh! I can't take this any longer! I'll be right back."

She grabbed her coat and stormed out, not bothering to turn back as Autumn tried to call after her. The door slammed shut and Autumn just sighed, fidgeting with her hands and staring at the cards in front of her on the table. Jangri set down the deck, reaching over and placing a hand on Autumn's, her thumb rubbing over the skin in an attempt to give comfort, "Hey, it'll be alright. I think she just needs some air, yea? Doesn't seem like she likes being cooped up all that much and we are being kind of loud."

Autumn blushed deeply, nodding, "Y..yea… she's not really a fan of sitting and waiting like this. She is more the kind to rush into things and try to solve problems by going at them head first. She's like this about her semblance too…"

Her hands drew up to her mouth and she covered it with a yelp, eyes wide. Azure didn't like people knowing she didn't have one yet. Jangri raised a brow then laughed, causing Autumn to swoon some at the way the rabbit's features glowed with her sincerity and smile, "Ah! Well, can't be helped! Best we give her some space then! So… ready for another round?"

She was gesturing to the cards and Autumn's brain took a bit too long to catch up, still stuck staring at the rabbit's face. She grabbed the dealt hand but didn't look down, cheeks red, "P…pretty…"

When she realized what she'd said and noticed Jangri just smiled at her pleasantly, not showing any chips in her resistance, Autumn buried her face in the cards with a groan, deeply embarrassed which only made Jangri chuckle more, "My, you are quite precious aren't ya?"

—-

Azure was stalking in an agitated pace back and forth in the alley, trying and failing to get the cigarette in her lips to light, only furthering her annoyance as her lighter refused to strike. Suddenly, a hand reached out, holding their own light in front of her. Her eyes gazed up and everything in her felt swallowed by that perfect energy fitting into her own, her irritation washing away in an instant as she lit the vice on his light, silver ears perking past his hood.

She leaned back into a wall, with him next to her, trying to calm herself down as his scent filled her nose like crazy, barely even able to smell her own cigarette over the way his scent burned through her. She didn't notice or even care as his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. Nor did she care when he turned into her, pressing into her side and burying his face in the nape of her neck, breathing deeply, his fangs dragging against her skin. She twitched, practically holding her breath at the feeling, body trembling in his grasp. The cigarette was forgotten as it fell to the ground. With him here she didn't even need it, didn't want it. Her face turned towards his, breathing in his smell deeply and feeling his warmth wrap around her down to her soul. Her mind was begging for him to just bite her, wanting it desperately and too intoxicated by his presence to bother trying to even question it at this point. His voice was velvet in her ears, her cat pair twitching and folding as she felt her knees grow weak, "I dreamed about you again… why does this keep happening… I don't understand…"

She reached, running her fingers under his hood through his short locks, letting out a sigh that tapered into a whimper, "Who cares? Does it matter? Lux please…"

He squirmed at how she remembered his name, his beast preening with glee inside. It was so peaceful his eyes closed and he kissed along her skin that wanted his teeth so badly, "Rain…"

She could feel his nose twitch against her skin and blinked in a bit of a daze, unsure what he was saying until the scent hit her nose and droplets were coming down suddenly upon them. She flinched, gripping into him, "Ack!"

He turned, grabbing her hand, "this way!"

She was pulled along, pulling the hood up on her coat to keep most the water off her head though it did nothing to stop the chilling droplets soaking through her clothing as he took her down the alley and around a few corners to an inn, both panting as they stepped inside. The innkeeper grunted, an older man with an upturned face that didn't seem to care about the weather so Lux pulled lien from his drenched jacket, "Just a room for the day please. We will leave when it stops."

A key was shoved at him as Azure watched the water turn to a thick snowfall, too thick to see through. The key jingled in front of her, eyes crossing to focus on it before she turned to him as if it was the most normal thing for them to do, following without even a second thought up the stairs. He didn't make it to the room before she grabbed for him, fingers lacing in the edges of his wet jacket, pulling him down to her and pressing his back into the door. A gasp left his lips with a half assed attempt at a growl but it faded as her energy pressed on him, pushing his beast to submit.

Her lips were pressed against his as if it was needed to live, a groan leaving him against her mouth as one hand held her while the other fumbled with the door, trying to open it desperately. His beast was craving hers like air to breathe and he could feel the same need coming off her beast, her energy clinging to his like two pieces of a puzzle. Azure's lips nipped at his jaw, down his neck, feeling him growl at her sniffing out the right spot.

Her fangs ached once they appeared. They needed to find flesh, his flesh, the moist layer encasing them ready to press past his skin to mark him in their chemistry. She whined but it became a deeper growl than his, listening to him whimper. The door finally opened and they stumbled through. She let go only long enough to close it behind her, watching him fall back to sit on the bed. Her eyes were full of lust and desire and something foreign he didn't recognize as she stared at him.

She peeled free of her coat, wet shirt pulling up over her head without a word, the air in the room full of the sounds of deep breaths and full inhales of the scent of each other as it melded together into something that smelled totally new and delicious. She kicked out of her boots and slid the wet shorts and leggings from her legs, the fabric clinging to her. Her black cat ears flicking at the sounds of his heavy breaths. Other boots kicked out onto the floor and she looked up, watching those pale eyes searching around her form.

Slowly, she stepped closer, leaning her hands out and reaching over him as she leaned in, back dipped low, grabbing his hand and resting it along her chest, "You're blind aren't you? I didn't realize before…"

He sighed, breathing her in as his eyes shimmered to a pale green, his sense of smell doing its best to paint a sight of her but it was muddy with the smells of all the rain water on her skin, "Y-yes…sorry to disappoint…"

A finger grazed his lips and soft weight crept onto his thighs as she sat upon his lap, nuzzling her face into his neck as her hand guided his along her skin, "I'm not disappointed… I'm not exactly a supermodel… but this just means you'll have to find other ways to see me…"

He gasped lightly as her hand led him to one of her breasts, releasing him and giving a purr against his skin. He felt her teeth dragging on his neck and didn't need any further encouragement, hand kneading the soft flesh and spine tingling at her soft pants of approval, his other hand finding her thigh and massaging up the firm muscle as it flexed into him. Like lightning flashing, he suddenly was swimming in so much visual stimulus from his sense of smell as her arousal rose that he had to shift senses or it was going to be too much. His eyes shimmered over to pale blue, letting her moans and gasps give him sight of her instead.

He would have to disagree with her though, she was absolutely stunning to him. He could see her ears folding and flexing to every touch he gave her, his own lips moving to nibble along the furry traits on her head, brain burning as she whined against his skin. His own arousal was a thick scent mixing in the air with her own and it worried him for many reasons. First and foremost he had never even kissed anyone until they met recently, vastly out of his depth when it came to sexual interactions, but that wasn't the only problem.

Azure was nibbling along a favored spot on his neck, just below his jugular but above his collarbone, where her beast was drawing her to a strong scent point on his body. This was where she knew her teeth belonged. It would be so easy, she could bite him right now and nothing could stop her. The tingling painful pins and needles in her fangs were almost too much as she grazed them along the flat fronts across the skin, feeling his body squirm in her grasp. She wanted him so badly it hurt inside but not in any sexual way. No it hurt in her chest and her entire soul felt like it was on fire with a need for him to put her out.

Her tongue lapped slow drags across the skin as she tried to press closer with her hips, eager to feel him, his hand already working her up as it tweaked nier nipples and squeezed against her breasts, her breaths panting across his skin in hot breaths. Her fingers peeled him out of his wet jacket and let it drop around his waist, fishing for the bottom of his shirt. When her hips got too close to his, she felt his hands both move to grip them, holding her just far enough away that she couldn't make contact with him. She whined, tugging at his wet shirt and nipping along his jaw, "W-why?"

He nuzzled her face, trying to calm his breaths, "Can't do that. Please."

Her whimpers were like stabs into his heart, his body screaming against his judgment but he just couldn't let that happen, biting his own lower lip to try to gain his senses and feeling his own fangs piercing into himself, yelping lightly and catching her attention. Soft hands held his face, her tongue running along the injured lip lovingly and slowly, his body trembling in response with a low groan leaving him as she pressed her chest into his, "Relax… can you lose this? It's stuck to you because you're all wet… I want to feel you…"

She was giving his shirt a tug but he stared blankly at her, unsure, "I… rather not…"

Her painful sounds as she slowly let him go and started to back away shattered the beast within him, quickly grabbing her hand, "N-no… don't go…"

Azure couldn't understand. Why didn't he want her? Was something wrong with her? Did she not feel right at his touch? Was her scent wrong? Had she misread the situation? He could tell she wasn't ok, eyes shifting to a pale yellow as his hands felt around her skin, trying to see every inch perfectly. She seemed to recoil when he got to her face and he whimpered, "Please…"

He reached, tugging out of the wet shirt to try to show her more comfort even though beneath was a very tightly worn material in the form of a tank top, giving her more of what she needed before he reached out again, touching her face gently. His own expression fell and his ears lowered as he felt over the contours of her sad expression. He gently pulled her face to his, skin to skin to try to ease her mind before his lips found hers and his brain exploded with the visual of her mouth and lips and tongue, everything he touched with his own was in such vivid overwhelming imagery in his mind. Her hands reached, running up the taunt material from his stomach to his chest, making him shiver in places he was so not used to feeling anything, "unf… Azure… w-wait…"

Her eyes took him in, every quivering muscle under her touch, every inch of skin to explore, every smell coming off him, but she was confused as her eyes fell to his waist. He was practically drowning her in the smells of his own need and yet she couldn't tell by looking. Granted she was too invested to care if it was just because he was small but with the pants he was wearing she highly doubted even something small could hide from her. As her hands dragged back down, watching him twitch under her touch and reeling at the sound of his pleasure at her touch, she got closer and closer, but before she could grasp for his sex, he grabbed her wrists tightly growling more forcefully, "Please no."

She removed her hands and he could tell she was trying to calm herself down the way she was breathing against his skin, "I… I don't understand… what… did I do wrong?"

The words once again crushed him inside. His inner beast was a mess of rage at him for denying her and making her feel this way. He was so consumed with it he couldn't speak at first, finally finding words, "Just please… I can't…"

He gently pulled her against him, trying desperately to soothe her but she had gotten very quiet and all he could feel coming off her was insecurity and pain. It hurt knowing he was causing this but he was afraid to say anything to her. It all felt too late now to try to be honest and there was no way he could bear her rejection, he was certain it would kill him. Fangs teased the skin of her neck, her sweetest scent coming from just below her ear on the expanse of skin there, trying to make her feel better by showing he still wanted her spiritually. In a way it seemed to help and she was calming into his arms, melting against him.

That's when he felt her shiver and in moments, the silence was broken by both of them lightly laughing, "We should hang them to dry and get warm while we wait."

She nodded but only cuddled into him more, "But… you're so warm… don't wanna get up."

It made him grin stupidly at her comment, ears flicking as she covered her mouth to hide a laugh, a whimper leaving him and he rolled her to her back, leaning over her close, her face reddening and a light gasp cutting off her laughter, "Not fair…"

He licked her neck across the favored spot, letting his fangs scratch at the skin, "Nothing about you is fair so we're even."

He pulled away and took up all their wet discarded clothing, refusing to remove his pants, and hanging them with the heater on in the bathroom before returning, returning and letting out a yelp as she grasped him and pulled him down into the sheets, flopping the warm blanket over them and clinging closely into his side, "mmm so warm…"

His need spiked again feeling her pressing in so little against his arm and side but he swallowed it down, trying to calm himself. Of course it didn't work, leaning closer and finding her mouth with his, tongues dancing as his hands roamed the expanse of her bare side down to her hip, tugging her against his chest and panting when lips parted, her whine and shifting against him making him struggle to breathe, "If you do this… you will only upset me when you reject me…"

Her words fluttered against his ear and he whimpered, squirming in his skin. He wished he could just tell her and know she would understand but he just didn't know her enough to be sure and it terrified him, "Or… I could find other ways to make you feel accepted."

She gasped when his hand grasped her thigh and pulled it up over his leg, his own thigh pressing tightly into her core as his teeth nipped along skin down to her neck and shoulder, growling against the skin with as much dominance as he could muster against her energy. The way she seemed to melt was enough to tell him she was surrendering to him, her nails digging into his shoulders as her hips pressed and grinded down against his leg. god he wished he could actually have her and feel that against himself but he just couldn't, wouldn't. Didn't stop him from craving it though as he moved lower, another hand tugging at her bra to shift it out of his way, nipping the flesh until he found a stiff bud, the flat of his tongue running against it and loving the noise she made as she moaned, her hips moving faster against him.

It was overwhelming the way he was moving against her skin, gripping him tightly as his lips locked around her nipple, tongue still stroking it as he sucked on the tender flesh, her body jerking in response. It wasn't going to be enough and she knew it, she could feel the frustrating wall in her pleasure she was hitting that wouldn't let her go past it to bliss, too desperate for him and not this tease but she rode through it anyway until it was too frustrating, pulling away too sensitive to let him try to continue, "S…stop… please… j-just hold me…"

He nodded, fixing her clothing and snuggling into her as she buried her face in the favored spot of his neck and he did the same on hers, the scent calming to each of them even if it was making them twitch and squirm in need to be closer and intimate. The storm raged harder outside.

They must have fallen asleep, the next thing he knew it was dim out and the storm was slowing though it was still snowing. He blinked, trying to kick his semblance back in to get the darkness swallowing him to fade. When gray shapes swirled into his vision, she was still asleep in his arms, her face so peaceful he didn't want to wake her but he had to. A glance at the time showed if he didn't get home soon River would know he had left.

He pulled from her grasp gently, watching her face scrunch and eyes open, her body slowly rising upright with her hand holding herself up as she groaned. He nipped at a black cat ear that fluttered at his touch, "I have to go. If I don't, someone will know I was gone."

It was the first time they had really acknowledged he was with that group verbally between them. She felt him leave the bed and watched as he walked and gathered their dry clothing, throwing on his shirt and jacket before bringing her own clothing to her. As she got dressed, he was closing the blinds and turning off things in the bathroom, "Why are you with those faunus anyway? you seem… kind…"

He chuckled, rubbing his head, "You could call it obligation I guess. The leader took me in and gave me everything. She found me that day… that day I touched you…"

He didn't have to be specific for her to know he meant spiritually. She wasn't stupid enough to deny it anymore. Their beasts had joined and touched in that alley as children and her beast had never let her forget it. She knew his beast hadn't let him either. She didn't understand it and had never heard of such a thing but she knew what she could feel and what her beast was wordlessly telling her was real. Somehow, he was hers and she was his even without marks or intimacy. They had bonded on some other concept and her beast wasn't letting go of what was hers. The mere idea made her feel a feral sense of possessiveness for him that she couldn't deny.

And yet, she knew until she actually bonded with him she was going to continue to ache and drown in her beast and its needs. This spiritual, soul bond wasn't going to be enough to sate it. She could tell the same was true for him by the way they always seemed to be when they found each other since she got here. It only made her even more confused and insecure about his resistance of her but she didn't have time to worry about that, "But… Ouroboros hurt people… and people have disappeared… how… can you be ok with that?"

He sighed heavily, shoulders sagging, "It's… for a good cause… and I've never hurt anyone! No one disappears! We don't just hold people forever and we have only ever taken people trying to stop us. We are trying our best to help make the world better for faunus… you don't know how many of the members are faunus who have been cast out by our own kind… treated poorly or abused because of things they can do nothing about by their own people all because of old ways of thinking. She's trying to help…"

She watched him. He seemed sincere in his words and it confused her. She had not heard about any of this. The only knowledge she had about the group were all the darker things reported. She didn't know what to say but he leaned in, nuzzling her face in such a sweet way she couldn't stop the purr rolling up from her chest, "I really have to go. They can't know I was with you…"

Before she could protest, he was leaving, "Take your time, I paid enough to have the room until tomorrow. LEave when you are ready."

—-

When the storm had gotten intense, Autumn was so worried about Azure out there Jangri was unable to stop her from getting dressed and going after her cousin. The rabbit got geared up and followed to make sure the girl was going to be ok, the two of them checking all over town for the cat. When they didn't find her, Autumn was distraught, crying as she refused to come back to the inn even as the storm was so thick you couldn't see in front of you.

"Mate if we don't get out of this we won't be able to find her! It's too much! Come on, you are shaking and your nose is running! It's just too cold!" Jangri spoke loudly over the roar of the storm, trying to tug at autumn.

The red head resisted, cupping a hand to her face, shouting, "Azure! Azure where are you!? Please… please be ok…"

Jangri sighed, tugging the girl until Autumn fell back into her grasp, gripping the girl tightly as she triggered her semblance over and over until they were back at the inn, "Sorry mate but if we stay out here much longer you'll catch your death! We have to hope she was smart enough to find shelter. We can look more when it's over."

Autumn was struggling, shouting to be let go until she was pulled back inside, rubbing her face, "I hope she's ok. I'm so worried…"

Jangri got a thick blanket and held it up like a curtain, "Come now, off with the wet clothes and wrap up yea? We'll find her when it all comes down. She seems smart, I'm sure she's ok."

But there was no response except a thud as Autumn collapsed, tired and freezing and clearly having gotten sick. The rabbit peeked around the blanket and her ears shot up in alert, dropping quickly to grab Autumn. Her skin was on fire and she was sniffling, unconscious, "Poor thing you're burning up and I bet you worked yourself up. Hang on, I got cha."

She stripped Autumn of her wet clothes as politely as possible and wrapped her in the blanket, getting her into bed and gently getting some medicine down her throat, rubbing softly at her neck just below her jaw to get her to swallow. Jangri generally carried around a tonic for such occasions when it was winter time, having seen many humans collapse to Mistral winters over the years working here. It would trigger Autumn's aura to help her, infused with a bit of ground dust that would help tackle the fever. She slipped from her own wet clothing into a shirt and shorts that she usually slept in, sitting at Autumn's side and stroking her hair softly, "Don't worry. Your cousin's gonna be fine I promise. Get rest little flower. I gotcha."

—-

When Autumn woke again, her fever was gone and had left her with the most minor of headaches though her body still had shivers and she was sneezing. Though she could swear she was burning up the way her face boiled at the sight of Jangri next to her, fingers in her hair, smiling softly, "Oh good. You're awake. Gave me a bit of a scare there yea? How are you feeling?"

Autumn shifted, noticing under the blanket her lack of attire and squeaked, unable to find words, a string of gibberish leaving her instead. It made the rabbit chuckle lightly, poking her nose, "Yup, definitely precious. Glad you seem to be doing better. It's dying down too. When it gets a bit calmer out I'll go take another look for your cous…"

However, before Jangri could continue, Azure walked through the door. Her face seemed to be struggling with thoughts as the other two stared at her. Autumn could kill Azure for ruining a moment but was also so thankful to see she was fine, sitting up quickly, "Azure! Where were you? We were so worried!"

Azure just grunted, the smell of smoke thick on her telling Autumn she must have smoked before coming up as the cat went over to their bed and dropped herself into it after dropping her boots and coat, back to the others and hissing anytime they tried to talk to her any further. Autumn was about to get up and demand an explanation when Jangri's nose twitched and she grasped Autumn's shoulder, "Let's leave her be mate. I bet it was rough for her too."

Jangri could smell the unfamiliar scent coated all over Azure and she didn't need anyone to tell her to know Azure was in a dangerous mood right now, her beast clearly upset. She had already learned Autumn was fully human and thus oblivious to any faunus warning signs so keeping the girl away was a priority until Azure wore down herself. What really worried Jangri was that the scent was unfamiliar to be on Azure, but she definitely recognized it as that strong scout that always caused her problems. She wasn't sure why Azure smelled that way but she couldn't think it was anything good.