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Fantasy Code FERAL

" Be a bit more patient. " Eos said.


" They are busy anyway. Probably starving like I do. " Zoe shook her head " I told you we are wasting time here, we have been sitting here for so long! "


" It has been like 20 minutes, you call that long? "


" It's an ETERNITY. " Zoe cried out, throwing herself back in her bed " I LONG for doing something, I want to act! I am getting restless! "


Eos sighed. Just like the child he had to look after in her youth...


" You know despite claiming that patience and discipline are the pillars of fortitude you are one childish warrior. You should learn the value of rest. "


" Yeah right, cut the crap grandpa. " Zoe shook her head " I told you everyone is busy and they will not come - they are probably... "


She stopped as she saw Laohu entering their room. The majestic tiger looked as elegant and as noble as ever - he radiated glory and pride as he stepped next to them, greeting them warmly. Zoe frowned, a faint grin appearing on her face.


" Well what do you know... Welcome to our humble abode, Laohu. I would jump up to greet you properly but as you can see my feet do not work properly just yet - these doctors say that I will need to use crutches for safety at least for a day or two. "


She sat up again, stretching, looking around. In the meantime Eos smiled at the tiger and shook his head.


" No, I wanted to watch over this little princess rather than eating. I could not possibly feast knowing that she might feel unwell. But I am positive that she... "


He felt a shoe hitting his back and turning around he saw Zoe glaring at him angrily - probably because he called her a princess again.


" Well, it seems that she feels better... for now. "


" Speaking of food... " Zoe turned to Laohu " I AM starving to death here. Let us join the others, the things they wanted to feed me here were absolutely terrible. I want to see how fare the others... and this time not even this stag looking animal can stop me! "


" What was that supposed to mean? "


" Well you are more like a barrier right now than anything else! I want to join the others not to rot here in this bed! "


Eos looked at her and then glanced back to Laohu.


" I guess with the two of us by your side... we can protect you... "


Zoe's eyes lit up in joy.


" That's the spirit, gramps! Now fetch me my clothes and let's go! "


" Pardon me? " Eos said, annoyed " I am your companion, not your slave... " but just as he said it he saw Zoe making puppy eyes, looking at him with feigned desperation.


" But I am sick and weak... how can you deny the request of a damsel in distress...? "


Eos shrugged and sighed.


" Ugh... fine, whatever. It seems those medicines did make you a little bit more audacious than usual... You cheeky girl... "


Zoe grinned at Laohu as she watched Eos departing and she leaned closer to him.


" Between you and me I think Eos is just too kind and funny sometimes. I love that old furball - but don't let him know about this, understood? "


After a few minutes of struggle Zoe did manage to get in her trusty suit and with a satisfied grin she took her crutches in her hands and proceeded towards the kitchen as fast as possible. She was eager to see everyone and how they were holding up - and well she was very hungry, wanting to eat some decent food, not the terrible cans of beans they were feeding her. Shadowed by Eos and Laohu they finally entered the kitchen, seeing some people already having some fun.


" Well what have we here? " she said, coughing, with a wide grin still on her face " You are having a party and you did not even invite me? You rude dudes! "


@crucialstar @SilverFlight @zCrookedz @Peaceswore @Flutterby
 
Jimbo shifted in his seat a bit as Beth and Totus entered. The pair looked a bit bewildered but other they just seemed hungry like the rest of them. Jimbo hopped down from his seat as Beth opened the door to the fridge and looked over her shoulder. He could see a small melon inside, and reached over her shoulder and grabbed it.


"Pardon me Beth, but chili dogs and sloppy joes aren't exactly my forte."


He grasped the melon and headed back for his seat. Once there he gave the melon a thump on the side of the counter and the ripped it in twain. As he chomped down on the rime and juicy insides he heard Duik pipe up about his mother comment. He chewed the melon bite before answering him.


"No, I never new my biological mother. I assume she was in the circus like I was. But when Simon and I bonded, his parents took me in as one of their own. Might not be "kosher" to some people, but they treated me as one of the rugrats growing up."


Jimbo chomped down on the melon again thinking about the family. He and SImon should really give them a call soon to check in and make sure everyone was behaving themselves.


As Jimbo finished his mouthful of Melon, he looked up at the sound of Zoe, and he waved to the girl who looked to be feeling a lot better since she collapsed in Paris.


@Flutterby @SilverFlight @Peaceswore @DawnAntalios


Simon raised an eye brow as his intrusion seemed to throw her off balance and send her into a tizzy and then to the ground. Simon tried to look as apologetic as he could as he held out his hand to her to help her up.


"I apologize Leandra. I didn't mean to startle you. Boxing has always been a bit of a hobby of mine, just thought I would lend some advice my Pop's gave me."


Then Leandra mentioned the hard day she was having and he understood. This was her stress relief, her way of unwinding after the mission and the battle in the catacombs. He nodded to her and sighed.


"Yea, I left my bag behind from earlier. Bit scatter brained I'm afraid, a million different thoughts going through a very tiny hole."


He began to laugh off the jest at his thought process. He knew he wasn't the big thinker, that was Jimbo's job. Which is why he kept his plan to go and talk to Darcy to himself, concerned Leandra would think it a foolish idea.


@Lioness075
 
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Beth, at the fridge, rolled her eyes a little and lifted on side of her top lip to form a mildly disgusted face. Well, if a man was cooking, you probably were going to end up with chilli at some point. A large ape hand reached over her shoulder and took an entire melon. Beth looked over her shoulder at Jimbo and smiled, saying, "Mine either, unfortunately."


Totus bobbed a little to the beat that Duik was making, listening quietly to the chatter and clatter in the kitchen. He didnt say anything, until Jimbo mentioned Simon's parents accepting him so wholeheartedly.


"What was that like?" He asked, with a glance at Beth, who appeared to not hear them at all.


Beth gathered some ingredients and stepped away from the fridge, picking a spot on the counter next to an oven. She could hear the conversation between the animals perfectly, but with tension building in her jaw, pretended otherwise. Totus should know how other human parents act. She resolutely set to work making another comfort food- chocolate chip cookies.


When Zoe entered with Eos and Laohu, she turned with a smile. "Zoe! If you had waited I would have brought you cookies in bed!" She exclaimed, as if it were the end of the world that she hadnt. She was already halfway through in a matter of minutes, a blob of dough studded with chocolate sitting in her bowl. Beth was about to load the sheets, and then the oven would be warm enough and they could bake.


@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @DawnAntalios @crucialstar


@Peaceswore
 
Leandra rolled her eyes at Simon's apology and somewhat apologetic expression, but took his hand anyways.


Once she was standing, Leandra sighed and absentmindedly rubbed the back of her neck.


Hearing the mention of Simon's dad made Leandra wonder what it'd be like to have a dad who genuinely wanted to help you and teach you things. Or give advice in general.


Glancing at Simon, Leandra then asked, "Did your Pops teach you how to box? Could you...give me some pointers?"


Maybe, just maybe, Simon could teach Leandra a thing or two. After all, Leandra had mostly taught herself how to fight. She'd never been allowed to go to any professional classes.


At the mention of forgetting his things and being scatterbrained, Leandra half smiled at him before responding, "I'm sure most of us feel that way right now. Even if we aren't all openly showing it."


Blinking at Simon's joke about himself, Leandra couldn't really find a way to respond, as her usual joking self seemed to be suppressed for now. Bad emotions had a way of doing that to her.


Seeing a mixed, yet thoughtful expression on Simon's face, Leandra curiously asked, "Are you worried about Strong? I'm sure the medical personnel here will take great care of her."


@zCrookedz
 
Jimbo looked over to Tutus as he swallowed another mouthful of melon. He leaned a massive arm on the counter and his head on his hand as he thought for a moment. He had never really given it much thought, it was just a normal life for him.


"Hmmmm, I mean it wasn't anything special I suppose. I went to school with Simon, though public schools don't have the best care for animals so I also went to work with Pops when I was strong enough. He worked in a foundry on the outskirts of the city along with his partner Socks. Grumpy old pig, he showed me how to help move metal at the Foundry. Even got paid a little bit."


Jimbo tossed the last bit of melon into his mouth finished off the first half with a crunch. He chewed it thoroughly and then reached for the second half.


"When I wasn't at the foundry or at school with Simon it was usually because another little rugrat had been born, so I helped out around the house with mom. Don't take that the wrong way, the little cretins are just as much family as Simon is. Love 'em all, probably would have been at least one more had it not been for Pop's dying."


Jimbo lifted the second half of the melon and chomped down on it. His expression hadn't changed from the usually easy going attitude he had always had, a sign that he had come to terms with that particular instance a long time ago.


@Flutterby @SilverFlight @Peaceswore


Simon tilted his head to the side after Leandra asked about helping her out and mentioning pops. Simon smiled and shifted his gym bag a bit.


"Yep, Pop's had a gym membership and loved to train boxers in there. Before he met my mother, he was training to become a boxer so he knew a good bit. I think I can give you a few pointers."


Simon let his bag drop to his hand and set it over to the side. He gave the bag a glance and stood before it, he stood up straight and brought his balled fists up to about his abdomen before speaking again to Leandra.


"So it's a bit different because of our height difference, but the concept is the same. What you want to do is to first find your stance, you want what's known as "high and heavy". Standing up enough to be high enough off the ground, but not so low that you are heavy in your stance. Just put your feet at about the width of your shoulders and rock a bit back and forth. This will keep you solid, able to still reach your attacks at full length, but also able to take attacks aimed for you with better resistance. If your feet should just bearly lift off the ground. Like so."


Simone continued to rock, the back of his heels just barely lifting from the ground. As he did, he listened to Leandra's second question and smiled as he lifted his fists up in front of his face.


"I dropped by her room a bit ago. She is sleeping now, but your right, I'm still worried about her. But I think that my initial worry has changed to something more.......personal......that before."


Simon rocked a bit more until the rock turned a bit more into a bounce, and he threw his first punch at the bag. The bag thudded as his fist collided, rocking back on its chain as Simon stopped to allow Leandra to try the stance.
 
Tilting her head to the side at the mention of a gym membership, Leandra wondered what it was like to be able to use a nice gym like that.


Watching Simon set himself up, Leandra moved over so she could get a better view of his stance and movements.


Leandra was a bit overwhelmed upon hearing Simon's explanation and soon found she had zones out halfway through all of it. Whoops.


Lectures were often lost on her, but Leandra was quick to learn when shown how to do something.


Quickly copying Simon's stance, rocking a bit like he did, Leandra then paused in her motions when Simon responded to her second question.


Grinning at the mention of his worry becoming something more personal, Leandra couldn't resist responding, "So, when do you propose?"


Winking after she said it, having timed it so she said it after Simon had thrown his punch, Leandra then calmly shifted to take Simon's place in front of the punching bag.


Doing her best attempt at a copy of Simon's stance, Leandra then concentrated before rocking back and then lurching forward to punch at the bag, making it jerk back a little, though it was nowhere near the same level of Simon's force.


Making a face at this, Leandra relaxed before sighing and asking, "How can I make up for not having as much power in my attacks like you do?"


@zCrookedz
 
Bael had put off having his wound seriously looked at for as long as he could.


By the time Cedar convinced him to get it looked at the bandages were soaked and the wound inflamed and left on its own for too long, perhaps mildly infected, and Bael was obviously becoming a touch delirious. When one of the doctors got to him, the wound had become painful enough that he could hardly let anyone touch it.


"I could give you something for the pain," a nurse offered.


"No — no, I couldn't really — ow! — it's not —" he jerked away when someone else tried to touch the wound.


"Drug him," Cedar insisted.


"No. I don't..."


"Drug him." Cedar looked at the nurses and, accepting his advice did just that.


The effect they had on the rarely-medicated boy was an odd one. The pain did decrease and he allowed the wound to be properly addressed, but not without several unusual sentiments being shared. It wasn't as though Bael had been drugged out of his mind, he was, however, perhaps a little bit distorted mentally.


He was little better when he was allowed to head to the kitchen where he intended to prepare his own food — he and Cedar were, after all, very hungry.


"...I could have sworn, Cedar bear — Annie and—"


"Bael, that never happened," the cinnamon colored bear replied patiently. "You're thinking of a time when you were giving her a hard time about it. It didn't actually happen. Hello, everyone," Cedar added cheerfully to the others in the kitchen.


"No, Cedar, I'm really certain. They went to Outback, there were cheese fries and bread... I'm sure," Bael insisted, clearly perplexed.


"No, Bael. Anyway, let's see if there's pasta."
 
Zoe grinned with glee as she looked at everyone having a small bonding moment. Previously she would have hated such sessions and she was not someone who would talk about her past easily but she did recognize how strong emotions were. She felt like a fool for locking them away for so long and now that she had realized their importance again she was eager to discover what the others had as a life before joining the Watch.


She chuckled at Beth's offer as she slowly approached her with her crutches in hand.


" After all you have done for me? No way I let you save my ass twice in a row so quickly! " she looked around, seeing how everyone was having a great time so she decided to help Beth - despite the fact that she had little to no knowledge in anything but coffee making in the kitchen " Let me see what kind of cookies did you plan to make then...! "she paused for a moment when she looked at what Beth was preparing. Her eyes sparkled with joy and she felt a drop of drool on her cheek.


" Wait... are you making... chocolate cookies? Like... extra-super-delicious chocolate ones? " she looked at Beth with the same expression as an excited kid does " You are a lifesaver! I would jump around in joy but alas, I am afraid that I can not do that just yet. Nevertheless let me help you do it! If I can shoot with a bow this can't be that much more difficult! "


She looked around, trying to find something useful to do. It was then when she spotted Bael wandering into the kitchen - in a rather drowsy state no less. She waved at him and cheered him and Cedar on.


" Oy, brave boy, over here! " she said " Master-Cook Beth is just about to make us the best cookies in the universe, throw everything you had in your mind away and help us! "


@Flutterby @Sleipnir


Shaking his head while smiling Eos watched as Zoe got mesmerized by Beth's masterful cooking skills - no wonder, whenever the blonde girl heard something about sweets her cold demeanor melted immediately and she turned into that chocolate loving little child she used to be. It seemed that some things never changed, no matter how hard does one try to conceal them they will resurface after a while.


He decided to listen to what Jimbo had to say and he was quite impressed by his tale.


" Your life was clearly very interesting, at least to me it is, it shows how determinate and strong you were even back then - and how much you have grown since. You had a purpose, a loving family and you even found a job for a while - not a small feat I have to say. You, Jimbo, are the prime example of someone who knew how to forge his destiny. "


He remained silent for a bit, then smiled again.


" I remember being lost and frightened when I was young, despair was the only thing I knew for a short while. I was afraid that I would never bond with anyone and that I would have to live my life in solitude - I had no idea what to do. " he chuckled " Fate, however, seemed to have other plans... how whimsical life is... our paths have converged either by fate or by pure accident, we may never know - yet here we are, talking and that is truly a miracle in my eyes. "


@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @Flutterby @Peaceswore
 
Rin opened his eyes, Haku was still resting on his lap. She shifted and slid to the ground as he stood. He stretched out, feeling his muscles pull then contract. He smiled at the tranquil scenery around him. Everywhere else people seemed to be in a rush. But here in the center, in the garden everything seemed to slow down. As if time itself slowed down here. He looked around, there were many people he didn't recognize. The group was elsewhere, he stooped down and scooped Haku up. His stomach wrenched and rumbled. "Hungry?" Haku teased as they made their way out of the garden and to a large corridor. There were people walking in all directions, some just standing their talking. He took a few minutes to remember the layout of the place, or at least a rough mental map of HQ. He remembered how to get to the med bay, and the R&D labs. He turned around "Okay then the kitchen's this way, I think its upstairs." He made his way to the elevator, and found his way eventually to the kitchen. He walked in to see most of the rest of the group mid conversation. He flashed a smile and made his way around everyone. He didn't want to interrupt any conversations going on. He found something to eat and sat down. A brief moment of silence as he gave thanks and he began to eat. Haku slid down his shoulders and coiled herself a short distance away from his plate. "Think they have any Sake here?" She asked him aloud, unlike most snakes, she drank alcohol leisurely. It also to help her replenish her venom, another nod to Takeda Corp. "They seem to be very well equipped. It wouldn't hurt to ask." Rin responded after he swallowed a mouthful.


@anyone/everyone
 
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Reading Alec's facial expression as she gazed up at him into his eyes, she could only read and observe that he was utterly confused and didn't quite know what to think or rather what to say. She felt nervous butterflies forming in the pit of her stomach as she saw his expressions change from one to the next, clearing showing his thought process, however, soon he formed a conclusion to her madness. Listening to him intently, Xiao Hui formed a small smile when he responded to him doing a blind stitching, but, it seemed she'd have a better chance of stitching her wounds than him being blind. However, taken for a slight surprise, Xiao Hui realized she'll always be on her toes whenever Alec's around considering he always tends to do and say the opposite of what she expects. But, even more so, when Alec began to reiterate what she had said in Paris, she gasped slightly, as her eye softened immensely, as he took a hold of her hand, reassuring her once more. He sounded so genuine . . and she believed him. Every word he spoke, she felt reassured and honesty. There wasn't a hint of deceit or lies, in fact, it was an astounding sense of trust within them. Her face flushed, as she couldn't say no or find any more reasons to argue or deny his help. Soon, she saw Alec going to get a syringe before promising to her that he'd never turn back from her, only wanting to help her. Hearing him plead to her once more made her heart ache, as she felt her resolve breaking down once more, little by little. The words he spoke weren't empty as they were full of life and honesty. Xiao Hui nodded, "I'm not turning my back on you either, but the only time I ever will . . will be this time. . so I can let you help me stitch the wound on my back." She said softly, "Don't look." Xiao Hui teased lightly as she waited for Alec to turn around before carefully prying the bloodied fabric off of her as she quickly replaced it with the hospital gown Alec had given her, thoroughly exposing her family's symbol on her entire back. However, the dried blood seemed to have covered some of the sigmas and the watercolored artwork tattoo engraved on her bodied.


"Thank you, " she said, knowing Alec could hear her even if she was speaking low. Soon, she gracefully glided across the medical room and used a stool to get onto the table and sat down, exposing her back towards Alec's direction. Looking over her shoulders, Xiao Hui took her long, raven hair, and pushed it in front of her, showing Alec the slash wound she recieved to get stitched up. "I'm surprised," she began, still speaking softly, "that you remembered that, the words I've said that night when we were dancing. And you're right, you don't turn your back on your friends. You're probably the first genuine person I've met to care so much of other's well-being. You're.. . different." Xiao Hui said surprised, yet her voice full of curiosity yet. . admiration. "Remember. . when you had said you wouldn't think I'd want to know everything about you? Well . . I do, but, when you're ready, of course." Keeping her back as straight as she could as she locked eyes with him, her tone became serious yet whole-hearted, "I accept you and whatever you tell me, it won't make me change what I think of you. And right now, I see you as a gentle and noble person." Xiao Hui said, using the same words he had just told her, wanting him to know, she also felt the same way in the sense that she won't turn her back on him, ever. "I trust you." And she knew and hoped he knew, that there were underlying meanings to those three words she just said to him.

@SilverFlight



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Laohu chuckled at Zoe's sarcasm as he was welcomed to their "humble" abode. He slightly nodded towards Eos as he looked back and forth between the two, "Two days, huh? I'm sure it sounds like a long time from now, but it'll fly by in an instant. You'll see." He tried to encourage as he was starting to get amused by the two duo before him. "Yes, we should get food. Can't help Her Highness waiting, should we? Plus, she has her two knights, oh whatever would happen to her on her way to the cafeteria?" He playfully bantered with the two, clearly seeing Eos' sternness on keeping Zoe in bed while she just wanted to get out as quickly as possible. However, as soon as Eos went to go and get Zoe her clothes, he looked over to the whispering Zoe, hearing ever word she spoke. Grinning, he nodded, "Of course, your majesty. And I'd expect no less from how you feel about him. You're family, despite the arguments. No matter what, you'll still love each other in the end." He spoke sagely as he stayed quiet. Listening to the two duos ramblings and watching their bond. He couldn't help but feel at ease seeing the two banter like children, though Zoe seemed more humane and child-like in such a state while Eos was the older protective brother wanting his sister to be safe and behave. Laohu couldn't help but remember when he and Xiao Hui bantered like little kids. . it seemed as if it was yesterday when Hui was still a teenager, still in her rebellious stages, but even then, she was an obedient child. Just. . when can he see that carefree smile once more? Without the fear of her Father looking over her shoulders or the fear of being vulnerable? Nevertheless, he felt warmth between human and spirit companion, despite the harships they faced, their ties would never be broken, especially seeing how close they were.


Soon, they headed towards the cafeteria as he saw Beth and Totus, Ash and Fie, Jimbo, and Duirk inside. Hearing Duirk's question as Totus even chimed in curiously, Laohu sat next to Duirk, but far from Jimbo, knowing he was still wary of his big cat status. He couldn't help but feel the warmth of the story that Jimbo had been included into the family like another son. Laohu grinned at the joyous moments as he pictured what Jimbo had been explainning and describing. But, hearing his announcement of his pops dying, his tail stopped swaying immediately. Although from the expression Jimbo displayed that he had come to terms with it, Laohu felt for that one moment, he decided to offer up a prayer for their father. After the moment, Laohu spoke up, "Your family sounds like one full of laughters, tears, and happy smiles. It's. . warm but it must not be so lonely or quiet since it sounds like there's been a lot of children running around the house." He said thoughtfully, adding in his input, as he tone was genuine. However, his ears perked at the chipper Zoe as he couldn't believe how much the young warrior had changed. Perhaps it was after this. . mission something stirred in her that made her different than how they first met. Maybe. . people do change. Soon, Bael stopped by the kitchen with Cedar as he nodded over to Cedar, "Good?" He asked, before turning towards his human companion, agreeing with Zoe, "Brave, he is." On the other hand, as Eos spoke of his fate, Laohu couldn't help but feel in a way, more understanding towards how he had felt, wandering through each country just to find the one he was meant to be with. It was in coincidence that he had found Hui when she was around the six, even though they didn't quite connect til she was fifteen. However the warmth and engaging story of Jimbo's was nothing compared to what he experienced. But, he would never want to switch roles with them. "Fate has always been a whimsical thing, hasn't it, Eos? Expect the unexpected."

@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @Sleipnir @Hel @Peaceswore @Flutterby


 
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"Oh." Duik said as he understood, now feeling a bit foolish for making the assumption. He listened to Jimbo carefully, his paws twitching over the silent launchpad as he reviewed another song he was working on in his head. He greeted Laohu, Zoe and Eos as they appeared.


"I'm sorry about your pops." Duik said quietly. "He sounded like a good kind of guy...just like you." The hyena gave him a little smile, the way Jimbo talked he could tell there was respect there.


"You sure sound lucky though, Alec's dad wouldn't let me on the furniture, or eat at the table." He made a face at those memories, they seemed perfectly normal back then, it was just the way things were, it was only after they had left, when Duik had a chance to look at how other companions were treated that he realized it really was not a common thing.


"Alec always said that that was wrong. Even tried to change it once. Even invited me to sit on a chair...after that...he was afraid I'd get hurt..." Duik cut himself off. He realized he had said too much.


"Whoa! You know what? I am starving! Hey Ash! You making chili yet?" Just then he realized what Beth had said and went over to her, sitting by her feet as she prepared the cookies. "Firstly, if you give me cookies I will be your best friend forever. Secondly: You didn't know your mom either? Isn't that like, super rare for humans?" He had asked, but as he did he put a paw against her shin as a gesture that meant 'I'm sorry'.


"...What happened to her?"


He caught sight of Rin and Haku coming into the caf and waved at them, with less of his usual cheer. The subjects they spoke of were a little grey.


@zCrookedz @Sleipnir @DawnAntalios @Peaceswore @Flutterby @crucialstar


Calista looked back at Amber when Luness mentioned her. "Yeah, she's tough if anything. The merc took a bit of a beating in the fight. They'll make sure he's back on his feet before they question him." Her small eyes traced the bruises on Amber's face, neck and arms and she bared her teeth to think of the torture her partner was subjected to. "Sometimes I think we're too good to the monsters we bring in. We'd never go this far for information." She tried to let go of some of the anger in the pit of her stomach. "But he was just a grunt. Paid to do a job. He probably doesn't know much."


She paused as she remembered something. "You know that wolf that Rin brought back last time? Someone from R&D came up here a while ago, they've finished the analysis and found something interesting. Remind me to bring that up at the meeting."


@Lioness075 @andujarprime


Alec's heart sank as he heard her first words, but he smiled when he understood their meaning. He turned around obediently and waited for her to change. When she was finished he brought the tools over to the table as well, telling her to lie down.


The tattoo was magnificent, stretching all the way across her back. The intricate forms seemed to spring to life as he looked at them. "Its fantastic." He breathed, resisting the temptation to run a hand along the inked lines.


"This must have taken weeks to do...but it also must've hurt like Hell." He put on the surgical gloves and began to clean her skin with warm water. "I'd hardly judge you based on a tattoo." He said as he worked. "But I am curious to know why you wanted to have something like that done." He left the question open for her to answer or not as she wished. There was obviously some personal connection to the image she was afraid to share and he didn't want to pry.


"Thank me when I actually manage to line the image back up, this is going to be tough." Alec went to fetch his glasses for the precision task, fitting the gold-rimmed spectacles over his hazel eyes gently.


He listened to her as he worked, "That night is going to be hard to forget." He said absentmindedly as he applied the local anesthetic. He smiled at her faith in him, wishing he could have half of that faith in himself. It was comforting to have another human being believe in him that much.


"Well, I'll try my hardest not to let you down." Part of him still feared his anger, what it could do to the people he cared about...and where it came from, the intricacy of the task before him however was an excellent distraction. "Thank you...for trusting me." He said finally before settling into the silence of his task.


He worked slowly and carefully, using small adhesive stitches alternating over the real ones to help restore the image as best he could.


It was a long while before he finally stood back and reviewed the job.


"Right. No extreme movements. No sports and no training for at least a week. You should clean and redress it at least once a day, I can do that for you too if you want." He had slipped into his professional tone again. Then he cleaned the wound one for time and bandaged it.


He pulled of the gloves and cleaned his hands, keeping his back turned to let Xiao put her clothes back on.


@crucialstar
 
Luness curiously tilted her head at Calista, as she spoke of Strong and shifted her gaze towards the resting woman.


As always, Luness continued to be amazed at the bonds that those bonded together shared. It still felt incredulous to Luness that she'd ever ended up bonding with anyone. She'd left where she'd lived most of her life because she had seen the bonds people and animals shared over the years and she'd decided to try and find that bond as well.


Hearing Calista speaking up again about the merc, Luness nodded at her before saying with a small smile, "Dear, if we did the same they did to us, then we'd be no better than they are. We'd be losing if we became that way."


Nodding again at the mention of the man being a grunt, Luness thoughtfully responded, "Well, you could be surprised. Sometimes the grunts can be at the right place at just the right time to overhear something. We may get lucky with this man."


At the mention of Rin's wolf, Luness tilted her head to the side once more before listening intently.


Blinking at the mention of an analysis and finding something interesting, Luness merely shifted her head back to its normal angle before saying, "Will do, dear."


Shifting her attention over to Strong and pausing for a moment, Luness then thoughtfully said, "I continue to find it amazing and even inspiring to see the bonds shared by humans and animals. I used to never believe such a thing could exist in this kind of world. I've seen...so much death over the years. Humans clashing over things that I perceive as meaningless or not, at least, not worth the death."


@SilverFlight
 
After falling from the fan due to the blood rushing to his head he got right back up (having landed on a pillow that he placed their prior to climbing). "I really want to use those paint balls..." He mumbled before getting up and running off now searching for Ash. Luckily for the monkey it didn't take him long at all to find the purple haired man. And when he did his eyes shimmered at the smell. "CHILI!!!!! YESHA!!!" Fie exclaimed loudly as he run over to Ash and climbed up his leg soon ending up on his shoulder. "Please tell me you made a whole pot for just me!" "Greedy much? And no you get a serving size like everyone else." Ash said with a small roll of his eyes as he cooked. "Whaaaaaaaaaa You are feeding them this!? Are they worthy! Do they deserve this!? This is the chili!? Have they past the test!?!??! This is serious man!" "Fie.... How much sugar did you have?" "....................N-None....." "Fie." "Okay a package of gummy bears I found in the lounge room! But it wasn't that much!"


Ash just let out a sigh at this and we to cooking, as he did so he listened to the other in silence as the others spoke. He didn't think he really had much to say on the current topic so he just stayed silent... As he also made sure Fie didn't touch anything while he was in this hyper and very childish state. "No, do not touch matches." "Aawww Can I play with the hot s-" "no." "Stop denying my fun!" "Not so loud." "I WILL GET LOUDER!!!" At this Ash placed a hand over the monkey's mouth who tried to pry it away. "Hush already. Or no more sugar for a month." After a moment he moved his hand and Fie looked at him with puppy dog eyes. "Month? Or end of this month?" "Month." "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Ashy you are a mean!" "Yes how dare I stop you from eating too much sugar and rotting your teeth. What am I thinking?" "Sarcasm!"


Letting out a small chuckle as he shook his head he turned around to look at the people there and gave them a kind smile. "For those of you who like chili it's done, just grab a bowl. I didn't make is spicy just incase someone here isn't on the best terms when it comes hot stuff wants some." He said as he got a bowl out for himself while Fie grabbed two more bowls. Getting a ladle Ash filled each bowl up with the special homemade chili he grew up with and just loved to no end. After filling the bowl he put one in Duik's reach seeing as he was evidently about to starve if he didn't get some soon.


After that he moved to the side to let anyone else who wanted some of it to get it. He had made a huge pot of it and honestly there was more than enough for everyone here. After he moved he got two spoons. Handing one to Fie he leaned against the counter and looked at everyone as he started to eat feeling rather famished. As he ate he also began to pay more attention to what was being talked about since he no longer had to worry about messing up the food. The moment Fie got his spoon he went ahead and retrieved another. Using two spoons he started to dig into the meal with excitement and devour it like he had never eaten in his life.


@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @DawnAntalios @andujarprime @crucialstar
 
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Simon stared at Leandra after her comment with a bit of a bewildered expression. Had Jimbo been there, he probably would have cracked a smile, even laughed at the comment. Simon, on the other hand, had a bit of thicker skull than the gorilla so the comment passed over his head at first. Then after he watched Leandra for a few moments, the questions finally sparked and his face began to get noticeably redder. He ignored the comment as he tried to recompose himself after Leandra's jab at the bag. He began to scratch at his beard and tried to recall the earlier lessons that Pop's had taught him before Simon had grown and gotten bigger.


"Hmm, While it's true that you lack the same amount of physical power that I have, you actually have something that would tip a battle in your favor. Your size and maneuverability make you a hard target to hit, if you learn to use the stance I just showed you to duck and weave in conjunction with your punches, you can hit in vital spots without actually being hit."


Simon stepped back from the bag with his arms crossed giving Leandra a bit of a smirking grin.


"And as for your little comment, I think Amber would probably deck me right here if she ever found out how I felt. So let's not go blurting out things like that huh? Now, do you want to try out some maneuvers for dodging attacks?"


@Lioness075


Jimbo chomped down on the melon once more and watched and listened to the others for a time. Zoe seemed to be feeling even better than he initially realised. So much so she seemed a bit different, at least much more different than the Zoe that had stood up in their first meeting and pointed out the flaws in the team. It was both strange and interesting, but when Eos approached and commented Jimbo smirked at the stag's formalities before chuckling a bit at the stag's comment.


"Honestly Bambi, I don't know about that miracle or fate stuff. Just seemed like life to me."


Jimbo was half way through with his second half of the melon as Duik the piped up about him and Alecs upbringing. It sounded very different to how the Sinclairs had lived. It sounded to Jimbo that Alec and Duik had been a bit more privileged than Jimbo and Simon. Of course, that was saying much considering how tough it had been for the family at times growing up. Though even at the worst of times, when money was tight and 4 people were bringing home paychecks to help support the house of 8 people, Jimbo wouldn't have traded anything for it.


"Alec is a good guy, sounds like he has a way better head on his shoulders than his old man giggles."


Jimbo tossed the last half of his melon into his open maw and chomped down just as Ash announced the completion of his chili. The smell wasn't bad, it actually reminded him of the times Mom would make chilli. She would always make a seperate pot for Socks and Jimbo with different ingredients just for them. The memory brought a smile to his face as he shifted his attention to the someone saying they were making cookies.


"I think I will pass on the chili Romeo, but if someone his making cookies, they better make a ton."


@DawnAntalios @SilverFlight @Peaceswore @Flutterby
 

However, hearing Duirk explain a little of his experience on what life was like with Alec and his family, his curiosity peaked. Those two were the ones that were slowly changing Hui, he didn't know whether he liked it or not but even so, he couldn't hate giggles nor the doctor. But it seems, even he had a different experience when it came to family. He wasn't allowed to sit on couches or chairs, although Alec allowed him but his father hadn't. To Laohu, that sounds eerily all too familiar to his dislike. Alec and Duirk seemed to come from a respectful background, slightly different from Hui. Laohu growled lowly even hearing the words "afraid I'd get hurt" when Duirk said it. However , seeing Duirk's expression after he said it , it seemed as if he wasn't suppose to say anymore than that and scurried over into the kitchen where Beth was. Lost to his thoughts, Laohu, from those little sentences, he picked up more than enough information. Especially since Laohu was treated the same way, however, they were wary of him and couldn't turn him away. They feared him instead although Hui's Father is a different story. Nevertheless, Laohu's ears only perked up when he heard Ash coming out and allowing the others to get their own plate of chili since he had finish his dush. Laohu was pleased to know the man can cook and not just use his words and explosions. Looking towards Ash, Laohu spoke lowly, "Thank you, Ash." He said before trotting over only to be distracted by Fie's messy eating as he attacked the bowl, literally. "Whoa , whoa, there little guy, it's not going anywhere." He teased the little monkey. Soon, Laohu had to agree with Jimbo, Alec sounds like a much better man than his father just like Hui is the complete opposite and she would never be his replica.

@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @DawnAntalios @Peaceswore @Sleipnir @Flutterby


Listening to Alec, she slowly laid down on the table, making sure her back was properly facing the front as she laid down comfortingly. However, hearing Alec comment on her tattoo made her feel self-conscious, slightly, but it sounded genuine as he said it looked "fantastic". She couldn't help but grin slightly as she allowed Alec to begin cleaning her wounds. It was warm and felt relaxing and nice, especially since she was feeling a breeze on her back. Xiao Hui loves the in between temperature of hot and cold, but even more so, warmth and comfort. However, hearing Alec speak up once more about why she would have done something like that and it must have been painful, Xiao Hui closed her eyes, turning her head to face the front. She hummed softly, letting him know she was still listening and there as she gathered her thoughts. But, when she spoke it was only above a whisper as she spoke of her experience, though nerves shot through her body as an alarm rang in her head, "Thank you, Alec, for marveling on its beauty. But I like to see it as a mark of something deadly beautiful. It wasn't a choice of mine to make, actually. And it did hurt, but it was a process I had to go through." She spoke solemnly, wincing slightly at those horrific memories of not being given any anthestics to numb her pain as she had to go through rigorous hours of torture for the tattoo to settle and the process went over again. As beautiful and though sometimes she loved the symbol, she also hated it. It reminded her of how trapped and locked up she is. Soon, Xiao Hui nodded, as he told her it would be tough to stitch to wounds back without messing the image, itself, "Do as best as you can, Alec, no pressure. What's more important than the tattoo is that the wound wouldn't get infected right? So it's okay, I believe you can make it flawless." She spoke in such belief and trust. At the same time, she hadn't mind it the stitching went over the image, it just symbolized that what she did. . can never be the same , again.


But the blush crept on her face again as Alec said the night is going to be hard to forget. She smiled softly to herself and whispered, "It really is. That night, is and will always be a moment I can't ever forget. A picture perfect memory." Xiao Hui said breathily as she remembered the night, the two of them dancing together, sharing their moments, laughing, and being themselves with each other. She couldn't imagine being here, in this surgery room with Alec, especially when they first met. Hearing Alec thank her for trusting him and that he will try his hardest not to let her down, she couldn't help but feel that Alec didn't have confidence in himself or was rather hard on himself. Taking in that silence, Xiao Hui nodded , "You're welcome, Alec. Anytime." She said before letting him concentrate on his work. Xiao Hui was grateful that he used anthestics to help numb her as he stitched the wounds, restoring as much as he could for the image. Once he finished, Xiao Hui gently sat upright as she changed into her newer clothings that consisted of pleather leggings and a long t shirt. She loved Western clothing, especially how casual and roomy it was. Hearing Alec's sternness as a doctor she moved her body slowly over in his direction, still sitting on the table, as she spoke up, "Yes, Doctor Alec. Thank you for going out of your way for me. For doing this. No one. . no one has ever done that for me before, unless you count Laohu." She said sincerely as her tone turned to one of playful regalness, "I would be so honored if you would be able to help me clean and redress my wounds. Right now, I only trust you with my secret." She said, her index finger on her lip making a "shh" sound for emphasis as she smiled. However, she didn't know why, but she felt like confiding in Alec since he already saw her back, clearly not knowing its mean, which was a big sign of relief on her part. "My father.." she began, taking a deep breathe as her legs kicked back and forth, "he was the one who had the image engraved on my back. He's very traditional, but I'm sure the first time you met me... there was that ounce of traditionalism that you saw. He doted on me, since well, I was his only child. My father cherished me a whole lot, we did everything together. He was kind, patient, and loving. Taught me everything I knew. However.... when my mother...." Her voice shook slightly, as she willed herself to stay strong, "passed....and my little brother..." Xiao Hui said shakily, as she found it hard to swallow and breathe, "died as well, my father changed drastically.." closing her eyes as she tried to stop a tear drop from falling from her left eye, she whispered," I don't know who he is anymore." Looking over at Alec, Xiao Hui felt like a vulnerable animal, as if she would collapse any minute now. She held in her sorrows and her fears for so long now that she's finding herself opening up to the one person she hadn't expected yet wanted to, Xiao Hui felt exposed. It made her scared, she was fearful of how this could happen. How could she trust this man... whom she just met in over at least two weeks.. let him see this state of her? She was confused yet she felt telling this to him felt... right as if he would understand her.

@SilverFlight
​
 
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Beth looked at Zoe with a bright smile as the girl grew excited over her humble chocolate chip cookies. "I dont think theyre the best cookies ever, theyre just chocolate chip." She set out four cookie sheets and put parchment paper on each of them. She deftly pulled some dough off her large glob and showed it to Zoe.


"Step one, take some dough. Its a little sticky, but it sticks more to itself than to you. Step two," Beth held her small glob in her palm, "Roll it just a little. Handling it too much makes it the dough too warm, so just a few passes to make it mostly into a ball." She did so, placing her other palm on top of the ball and giving two quick circular motions to turn it into a smoother ball. "Step three, put it on the pan about an inch from everything else so that the edges dont get messed up. There should be enough room to put a dozen on each sheet, and should be enough dough for four dozen. Hopefully that will be enough for these hooligans." Beth gave a laugh, and placed the bowl with the dough in between the two of them and passed Zoe her own cookie sheet.


Totus listened quietly to the others share about their human families. He would have frowned if he could with a beak. Even Duik, who clearly hadnt had a very good experience with his human parents, seemed to have bonded with Alec through their presence.


Beth set to work filling her sheet, surprised was Duik came over to her. He asked what happened to her mother, and she blanched. Clearing her throat, she placed the rolled dough onto the sheet and looked down at him.


"Well.. Duik.. I did know my mom and dad, mostly.. Um.." She hesitated and glanced around at everyone in the kitchen. "The thing is.. most people grow up with four parents, their two parents and then their companions, but.. my parents.. they were part of a religious group that didnt believe in bonding with animals. So.. I did know my parents, but not all of them. Both of them were missing half of their souls so... I guess I feel like I never really knew them at all, because part of them was never there..." Beth swallowed and glanced at Totus. "I think my father would have been mostly okay not being bonded, but my mother was so unhappy, which made Dad unhappy.. You cant be happy as a half-soul." Beth paused, rolling another cookie and placing it. "Its complicated, I guess. But I could never get past feeling like we were all just strangers sharing a house. And when I ran away and accidentally bonded with Totus, I knew that I would never be their daughter again. I dont know, Ive lost them even though theyre still alive.. and even though we never really knew each other, its not something I would wish on anyone."


Beth took a deep breath, and added, "Last I heard, they got divorced and moved to different towns on either side of my hometown."


@Silveflight @DawnAntalios @zCrookedz
 
Rin smiled when he finished his food. It was pretty good, he looked up at everyone else. "Yess, there's probably enough for you to have ssecondss." Haku answered his unanswered question as she watched him. Her voice came out little louder than Rin would have liked. She made her way to his arm and coiled herself as he moved back to the counter. She had been watching the rest of the group, and she smiled to herself when she noticed Fie alone on the counter. Attacking his food with two spoons. "Don't..." Rin warned her as he made his way to the pot. "Don't worry, I'm just going to say hello." She teased as she slid away and made her way to the small monkey. She let her tail slide loosely around him, then stretched herself up until she was a good head above him and looking down. "How sssweeet, dinner and a treat. All in one day." She said her voice low, emphasizing the Sss from each word. Rin face palmed when he looked over to her. "Oh shit...." He muttered as Haku began to close her tail around the small monkey.


@Peaceswore
 
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Eos smiled and chuckled a bit when he heard Laohu and Jimbo speak. Honestly he was never called Bambi before but there was something awfully sweet in that name and he liked it. In truth he never really had any nicknames so he actually like it for a change. Turning to the majestic tiger he nodded.


" Indeed, fate is strange - but I have to say that though it is not always just everything happens with a purpose. When I first met the little goofball called Zoe... "


" One more word and I will throw a chair at you! " Zoe's voice reverberated from across the room, making the stag laugh.


" As I was saying when I first met her she was not bigger than my hooves. That adorable little girl looked so innocent and cute back then... to think that she had become what she is today... "


" I am maybe drugged and I may have issues with walking but I still have ears you know! "


The stag chuckled and turned to Jimbo.


" Life it was indeed - it sounds that you have had a very active and happy family... your fond memories of your "Pops" is a proof of that. "


His smile vanished, knowing that this topic was probably something sensitive to him - but somehow he felt honored to be able to hear about something like this, to listen to the tales of his companions was something quite enlightening to him. He listened carefully as Duik spoke about how he and Alec was brought up and he started to think about what he remembered about the past.


" In Zoe's home there was but a simple rule - discipline. She needed to study, work and practice every day, her free time was consumed by her studies and she barely had any time for games and such. Her parents were rather rigid, she did not have any friends beside me and Natalie - for a while I was afraid you know, afraid that this will turn out badly... "


He paused for a moment and smiled once more.


" But now seeing how everything is right now I think I am happy that she had to discover everything by herself. "


He took a bowl and thanked Ash after he gave him some chili and while he started to eat he turned his attention towards Laohu.


" So tell me Laohu, how was your life with Xiao? " he asked with curiosity " Surely the two of you have some interesting tales to tell. "


@crucialstar @zCrookedz @Peaceswore @SilverFlight @Flutterby


Zoe was astonished at how professional Beth was at creating cookies. It was maybe easy for the girl to create such delicious food but for her it was miracle itself. With childish glee she watched and nodded, drinking in every word of Beth as she slowly but steadily formed all the delicious cookies with a sleight of hand.


" You are amazing. " she whispered as she continued to observe the wonderful process. But when Duik and Jimbo said that they wanted to eat cookies she turned towards them with a grumpy expression.


" You want to eat all the cookies, don't you? " she said " Beth's creations are not simple "cookies", they are pieces of her masterwork! They must be treated with respect, you can not just munch at them! "


" How much painkiller DID they give you, Zoe? " Eos' voice boomed across the room " You sound like you are high or something. "


" I am fine! But did you see those fire-breathing dragons outside of the kitchen? They ARE spooky. " she said with a grin on her face. Her smile vanished as she listened to Beth's tale - it was sad and touching, something she knew all too well. She sighed and looked down for a moment before she looked at Beth with a hopeful look.


" My parents never valued me as they did my sister. " she said with a sardonic smile " Natalie was always their pride, a prize student - brilliant and clever. She was their dearest child, I lived in but a shadow of her. But I did not hate her, nay, I loved her with passion and vowed that one day I may be able to rise to the heights she did, and that perhaps one day my parents would love me as they loved her. "


She walked closer to Beth, looking in her eyes.


" You have saved me back there, risking your life. For me. " she said firmly " I will never forget that. No matter how difficult our lives may have been or what will come in the future - know that I will repay your kindness in kind and that... and that... "


She paused for a moment, the smile returning to her expression.


" That I consider you a true ally... a friend. " she stepped backward a step shaking her head " Oh my, these medicines make me awfully soft, I will probably throw up if I continue to talk like that. When will these cookies be ready? "


@Flutterby @SilverFlight @zCrookedz
 
Duik gave Jimbo an appreciative look. "He's definitely better than his father....though sometimes he's not as sure as I am...guess it bothers him a little, but hey, as long as we've got friends like you, I know he'll be alright."


@zCrookedz


When Beth began her story Duik clammed up. His ears drooped over his skull and he pressed his muzzle onto her side in a comforting gesture. The chili momentarily forgotten Duik stayed like that for a while, determined to offer some small form of support.


"You've got your other half." He said quietly. "And...you've got us too." He looked up at her through his big, light brown eyes and he smiled for her, his short tail sweeping back and forth on the ground like a large, spotted puppy.


@Flutterby


Calista shifted on the bed. "You must have seen so much." She mused after Luness spoke. "Tell me, how are they doing? Humans I mean, are they getting better?"


Amber began to stir, she shifted slightly and rolled onto her side. Calista watched as the woman slowly opened her eyes.


"Amber!" The civet cried and crept to her shoulder. Agent strong saw Luness and smiled.


"You guys got me out." She rasped, her voice scratchy from the long time she'd been asleep. Her hand went to Calista's soft back and the civet could not have looked happier.


"Ugh, my head feels like someone was using it for a soccerball."


Calista laughed. "Welcome back to the land of the living!"


"I don't feel alive...god why does everything hurt?"


"Don't try to move."


Very slowly the rest of her memories began to return and she sat there a moment in silence trying to put them back in order.


@Lioness075


Alec frowned slightly as he tried to puzzle out her words. Not her choice? Whose choice had it been?


He was just as taken aback when he learned that the night in Paris had meant just as much to her. "R-really?" He said, the hope in his voice was obvious.


The thought of it made him want to grin like Duik. What was happening to him?


When Xiao thanked him again he couldn't resist teasing her a bit. "What? You mean Laohu's stitched you up when you got slashed by a homicidal kangaroo with a stiletto?"


His childish smile told her he wasn't serious. "You can count on my help Xiao, and...your secret is safe with me."


Alec started to clean the tools and set them into a sterilizer. Upon hearing the word 'father' pass Xiao's lips he froze.


Turning back around to face her he listened to the entire story, silently and seriously. He had bristled when he learned that it was her father who had ordered the tattoo. Hearing her speak of her mother's passing felt like someone punching an old wound. He remembered the pain, fresh as the day his own mother had passed. He swallowed hard, trying to push the feeling back and listen. He caught the tear rolling down her cheek. She was crying?! His mind raced for a moment, trying frantically to think of what to do, then he realized it:


He understood. The whole thing, he could relate to it all. Watching her now, vulnerable, frightened and grieving he felt his own heart start to tear, and he knew exactly what he would have wanted, had he been where she was now.


He said nothing, setting down the things in his hands he crossed the room and still silent he folded Xiao into a gentle hug.


For a long while he held her, mindful not to put pressure on the cut he had just stitched. "I'm sorry," He whispered after that while. "I...I know how you feel. I er, well I lost my mom too. When I was eight...she was sick, but I still remember her when she was healthy and bright and full of life and love. I...I know where you are now, there isn't anything you wouldn't give to get them both back, to just...make things like they were before..." He held her just a little closer. "Its okay Xiao, you're gonna be okay..."


Then, very softly he began to hum. The song was barely audible at first, but as he grew a bit more confident the melody took form; it was 'For the Longest Time', the song he sung to Duik at night or whenever the hyena felt low and he hoped it might comfort Xiao in the same way.


@crucialstar
 
Leandra was amused by Simon's reaction to her teasing, though she was a bit more focused on the training now than she was on messing around with Simon.


For Leandra, her humor could only get her so far before simply training would help her keep her mind off of things.


Just as she was beginning to think about Manjano and Falarion both getting badly injured, Simon began speaking and Leandra's focus shifted back to the current focus.


Nodding at Simon's notice of her size and maneuverability, Leandra then wondered how she could put that to her use. She'd have to practice for sure. At the mention of vital spots, Leandra's eyes widened slightly, as she wondered if anyone on the team knew pressure points on the human body. That'd be a brilliant way for her to fight. Move quickly, strike fast, and hit the weak points. Especially if she could learn what each pressure point did specifically. Learn the important ones and all.


When Simon stepped back, Leandra's thoughts were interrupted and she tilted her head at him when he smirked at her, confusion evident on her face.


As he spoke, Leandra slowly grinned back at him, as she remembered what he was talking about.


Laughing lightly at Simon's response, Leandra then responded, "Well, there's only one way to figure out what her reaction or response would be, Simon."


When Simon asked about her trying out some maneuvers for dodging attacks, Leandra's eyes lit up and she excitedly said, "Hell yeah!"


@zCrookedz


Luness nodded at Calista at the mention of having seen so much. It was true, though Luness wasn't entirely fond of every memory she had.


At the question of how humans are doing, Luness became thoughtful, her mind mulling over past memories from years to centuries ago. That was a difficult question to answer. So many things changed over the years and humans did terrible things no matter what day and age it was.


Before Luness could respond to Calista's question, Strong had stirred, causing Calista to leap up and cry out to her human companion.


Seeing the reaction brought a warm smile to the phoenix's face, as she looked after Calista and Strong, her eyes almost glinting in the lighting.


Hearing Strong's raspy voice, Luness merely nodded at her before humbly saying, "We make a pretty good team."


At the mention of how painful her head felt, Luness chuckled before hearing Calista's immediate response. The two seemed vibrant together. Luness couldn't be happier to see a pairing together again after such a terrible thing to happen to one of them.


As Strong became quiet, her expression clearly expressing how deep in thought she was, Luness decided to answer Calista's question.


"As for your question about humans getting better over time, I do not believe they become better as a whole, but we find great and truly remarkable individuals in the mix and then those humans bring out the best in the others. I can't remember a time when there weren't horrible atrocities of some kind being committed by humans. But they still find a way to shine no matter what goes wrong. Their audacity and their belief in hope is what makes them human, I believe."


@SilverFlight


As the heartbeat monitors in the shared room beat in sync, Manjano's eyes fluttered open, his expression quickly becoming one of confusion.


Where was he?


While his heartbeat monitor sped up with his increasing confusion, Manjano only finally relaxed when he looked to the side and saw Falarion resting in the bed beside him. At least, he wasn't alone.


The last thing Manjano could remember was being helped into the helicopter before eventually blacking out.


At that thought, Manjano looked down at his right arm to find it was wrapped up in thick bandages and secured in a brace that kept his elbow at a ninety degree angle, his arm resting across his chest with a cushion to keep it from resting directly on his chest.


Sighing, Manjano tentatively flexed the fingers on his right hand, but began panicking again when they didn't move. That was not a good sign.


Luckily, a nurse stepped in and quickly came to Manjano's side to reassure him, "Hey, hey, it's okay. You're okay. You got out of surgery only an hour or two ago. The numbing is still in effect and you won't be able to move anything until it wears off later tonight. Though, I would strongly suggest you not to try and move your fingers regardless. You'll only feel sharp pain shooting up your arm if you try and do that. We had to fix a severed artery in your arm as well as a few important muscles. You need to resist all urges to move your arm or your fingers for the first few days. Please, sir. Don't test your luck anymore than you already have."


Gritting his teeth in frustration at this, Manjano then made the gesture for walking with two of his fingers before raising an eyebrow at the nurse.


The nurse sighed at Manjano's silent question and responded with her arms crossed over her chest, "Yes, you can walk. BUT, take it easy, okay? You've got a good bit of stitches in your arm and it's already going to leave a scar. We don't need to add anymore complications to your injury."


Rolling his eyes at the nurse, Manjano then nodded before using his left hand to sweep the bed sheets off of him. Luckily, he was dressed. Unluckily, he was in a hospital gown since his clothes from the last mission had been practically ruined by all of his blood, not to mention the big cut on the sleeve of his leather jacket. Damn.


The nurse quickly read Manjano's frustrated expression and said, "We have some new clothes you can wear. They're just a plain t-shirt and some jeans along with some tennis shoes. Nothing fancy, but it'll do the job."


Nodding, Manjano moved across the room and found his new clothes all folded up.


Glancing back at the nurse, who had moved over to check over Falarion, Manjano wondered if he should request her to leave, but decided against it. She'd probably seen her fair share of naked guys working here of all places. Heck, she probably wouldn't even look anyways.


Shrugging to himself mostly, Manjano then quickly changed and by the time he'd turned around, the nurse was already gone and Falarion was still asleep. At least, the maned wolf hadn't noticed Manjano's major struggle to get his t-shirt on over the stupid brace. That was not fun at all.


Grabbing the leather jacket that someone had been nice enough to stitch up the cut on (though it was still a bit obvious that something had happened to that sleeve), so Manjano pulled the other sleeve over his good arm before simply draping the other side over the brace. Close enough.


Glancing at Falarion, who was still sleeping soundly, Manjano decided against bothering him, as he wanted the guy to get his rest. Plus, he wasn't going to be going anywhere this soon.


Exiting the infirmary at a slower than usual pace, as he felt slightly woozy from the remnants of his heavy pain meds, Manjano eventually made his way through the HQ to the cafeteria, or whatever it was called here, in the vain hope of finally getting some proper food. He hadn't eaten anything for a while now and his stomach felt like it was trying to eat itself.


Upon entering the area, Manjano heard voices and soon saw most of the team hanging around with one another and talking loudly to each other about whatever it was they were discussing now.


Not entirely keen on talking right now, especially while still feeling quite a bit out of it, Manjano quickly maneuvered his way around the group until he got to the source of the great smell. Chili.


Dishing out some for himself and then moving to a table a bit away from the group, but still relatively close to them, Manjano then sat down and began struggling to eat with his left hand. As he was a righty, he found it difficult and figured he probably looked a bit retarded, as he struggled to hold the spoon correctly in his left hand as well as use it properly.


@SilverFlight @Flutterby @DawnAntalios @andujarprime @Peaceswore @zCrookedz (figured I'd just tag everyone in the kitchens area so someone could decide to interact with Manjano *shrug*)
 
Beth had blushed at Zoe's high praise of her cookie skills, but rolled her eyes and shrugged it off as the drugs she was on, as Eos did. By the time she finished her story and others began to respond, she had finished her two sheets of cookies. Before reacting to the others, she put both pans in the oven and set a timer. Then, with a sigh, she looked at Zoe as she related her own parent-struggles. Then, she offered her friendship and loyalty. "Thank you, Zoe. Cookies will be ready in 8 to 10 minutes."


Beth looked down at Duik, who had pressed against her to comfort her. She smiled hesitantly and crouched to be at his level. "Thank you, Duik. I think all of you will make a wonderful family for Totus and me." Beth ruffed up one of his ears very gently, and then stood and looked around the kitchen. Her eyes met Totus's, and there was a moment of content, silent agreement between the two. They both knew, now, that somehow, they had ended up exactly where they needed to be.


Beth caught sight of Manjano slinking into the room, and after he took his chilli and sat down, Beth got herself a bowl. She ate next to the oven, watching the timer absently.


Totus watched Beth proudly as she opened up a ligtle to the group, and accepted their acceptance. Maybe this had been a good idea after all.


@DawnAntalios @SilverFlight @Lioness075 (mentioned)
 
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Laohu had been glad to hear Duirk's words from afar as he stared at the monkey in front of him. For some reason, he didn't have much of an appetite since seeing him made him so full. Nevertheless, he knew he needed his energy and some sleep. He hadn't been able to lounge around for so long, he forgot what it was like and needed it. . desperately. No one should be around a cranky tiger. However, hearing Eos speaking to him once more, Laohu whipped his head over as he spared a glance at Haku and Rin, wondering what Haku was up to. But, soon enough, even Manjano had came into the cafeteria taking a plate of chili for himself and sat at a table away from them. Laohu was relieved to see him recovering and walking around, the hit he had received was not a small wound injury. He was just glad to see him up and moving, knowing Hui would probably have been worried for him because of Leandra. Soon, Laohu's attention was back on Eos as he heard his questions towards him. He stepped back a little, feeling a little cautious of the question he was being asked, knowing not only Eos would hear but also Jimbo, and perhaps the others outside of the kitchen such as Ash and Fie, Duirk, and Manjano. Tilting his head, he hummed in response, figuring out what to say. He knew Hui wouldn't have wanted to him to lie, yet at the same time, he can't say everything about them. But, hearing what Zoe had to go through, it was the same as what Hui had to go through, rigorous learning, studying, and being the best of the best. Instead of a shadow of her sibling, she was in the shadow of her Father. "Hui's family. . is a little complicated to understand. They're a little more traditional, reserved, and closed-off. I met her when I was on my journey looking for my companion until I stumbled upon her and her family. From the moment I laid eyes on her, we connected. However, her Father was displeased that she was bonded to a white tiger when she turned of age." He paused taking a little breather before continue, "White tigers are rare in these parts of the world, or rather across the country and its borders. We're seen as. . . albinos, different, a plague. . . as you know, I'm the last of my kind. So, for a narrow-minded viewer, her Father disagreed but nevertheless put up with me. He's quite prideful and he carries and honor his family name with respect. He taught Xiao Hui everything she needed to know." Laohu spoke solemnly, feeling neutral of the situation and what he exposed, relying more on his experience than family. "Her Father is not one to make an enemy of." He finished, not knowing how his comrades would take the information of Hui's family. However, realizing his mistake of saying "enemy", Laohu bit his mouth, but cooly shook his mane and nodded his head. "The food smells good, cookie or chili? Which to get?" He said, changing topics before trotting off over to Majano. Seeing the male having trouble using his right hand, he couldn't help but supress a laugj. Laohu went and sat on the opposite side of Majano. Laohu swished his tail back and forth and waited for the male to take notice before speaking. Thinking of a solution to help Majano, he wondered if scooping with a spoon would be better in a bowl that way the plate wouldn't move and a bowl could be sturdy.

@Lioness075 @SilverFlight @zCrookedz @DawnAntalios @Flutterby @Sleipnir @Hel @andujarprime


Feeling tears drip down her face, Xiao Hui didn't what came over her as her body shook slightly. Gently wiping the tears with her fingers, she stared at the droplets, quite confused. When was the last time she let her tears show? Especially in front of others? This was. . . all too new and raw. However, feeling a presence other than her own that was in her bubble, she looked back up as Alec came and wrapped her in a gentle hug. Shock coursed through her body as her body reacted with a slight jump. She froze, not ever being this close to comfort with someone before. . when was the last time she felt another person's gentle comfort and warmth? Xiao Hui felt herself breaking apart when Alec held her gently in his, as she hesitated. After what felt like a minute, she slowly moved her hands onto his jacked, gripping his shirt as she leaned her head against his chest, allowing herself to be comfort by the kind and gentle soul in front of her. Closing her eyes as she steadied her breathing, calming herself down, she allowed herself just for once to lower her guard. Soon, Alec whispered as she listened to him quietly and intently. Hearing him speak about the death of his mother, how full of life and love she was, and how she and he would do anything to get them back, wanting that sense of normalcy to return, it couldn't happen. Hearing those words, she knew he was right, she never gotten the chance to mourn for them, so now, this was her saving grace , a chance to mourn for her baby brother. . and the mother she misses the most. This time around, despite how broken she was. . she knew she felt a strong and burning flame within her soul as she believed in Alec. "Everything will be okay." She whispered to herself mostly, as she allowed herself to hug Alec. However, her ears soon perked at a humming voice and a low tune as Alec began singing. His voice radiating through the room as she closed her eyes, listening to the lullaby. It was soothing her soul and a calming sensation washed over her as she allowed herself to sink into the lullaby as Alec's voice helped heal her in a way. When he finished, Xiao Hui opened her eyes as she leaned back slightly, allowing herself to look at Alec. She knew her eyes might be a little puffy and red, but she didn't mean. Her gaze softened as she nodded, "Yes, I meant what I said about that night. And I know that now.. that I can count on you. But, know that you can always count on me as well." Xiao Hui spoke quietly, before gently extending her hand up towards his face as she gently the hair that fell into his face aside.


She gazed into his eyes looking for any signs or indications that showed he was manipulating her, but no signs were there. It was just him and her, a boy and a girl, comforting each other in their darkest times. She smiled at that thought, before realizing what she was doing, she quickly moved her hand. Tilting her head to the side, she spoke, "We'll be okay. . Alec." Xiao Hui said, reassuring him this time as her other hand gripped his, squeezing it in comfort. She let silence envelope between them as she sat there, enjoying his company. "We have each other to lean on, right? Plus Duirk and Laohu." She questioned, hoping she had assumed correctly but knowing he's already accepted her as much as she accepted him. "And Duirk was right, your lullaby does work wonders and you're a good singer." She sincerely complimented him as her smile widened, as she gently wiped off the remaining tears as she giggled lightly, "Well, Laohu may not have stitched me up in that scenario . . but he did patch me up when I fell off a horse's back." Speaking fondly, of the memories as she looked over at him. "Are you hungry? Tired? Need sleep? You need to take care of yourself as well too. Has your wound re-open? Is it bothering you?" Xiao Hui wondered, asking him questions a mile a minute, not giving herself to breathe between each question. Soon, Xiao Hui realized the intimate position they were in as her face reddened immensely as she scooted back a little more, giving Alec his space. "A-ah , sorry, Alec. You must want your personal space now." She said nervously as she winced slightly from the sudden movement. "Shouldn't have done that." Xiao Hui whispered feeling embarrassed for stumbling over herself after crying on Alec and now making a fool of herself. But, she hoped Alec knew that as much as he was there for her, she wanted to be there for him as well, through it all.

@SilverFlight
​
 
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Simon began to feel his heart beat a bit faster in his chest as Leandra stepped up and mentioned Amber once again. Whether is was from Leandra's mention of finding out with Amber, or the prospect of a bit of a sparring match, Simon couldn't tell what was getting his heart fired up. After how Calista had reacted to Simons drunken confession, he couldn't imagine Amber reacting much differently. He decided that if he was to tell her, it would be after she recovered, and quite possibly the next chance Calista would not be within earshot. But for now, he tried to refocus his attention on his sparring partner.


Before he started he reached into his bag and grabbed a small roll of tape. Quickly taping up his hand, he tossed the tape to the side and grabbed a pair of large gloves from the wall. Though he had the utmost faith in the girl, if Leandra wasn't able to dodge any of his attacks he didn't want to hurt her so the gloves would help to cushion the blows. Simon let his right leg slide back a bit and he lifted his fists and stared Leandra down. As he spoke to her, he slowly twisted at the abdomen a bit to prepare for his first punch.


"Alright Leandra, first thing is a simple Jab from my right arm. That my dominant arm, so it's going to have the most force behind is. Thought I might be big, with the right use of joints and bends even a big fella like me can be surprisingly quick. So you need to be quicker. Look for the softer places on opponents. Joints, exposed skin, previous injuries; anything that might look like it might cause some damage with the right amount of force."


Simon let the information sink in so she could think. Then after a moment, Simon stepped forward with his right leg and twisted his body while following through with a raised back right arm. The punch was as he said, surprisingly quick for a man of his size but left very vital opening for Leandra to take advantage of if she could sort it out quickly enough and dodge the punch.


@Lioness075
 
As Simon readied himself, Leandra began rocking back and forth while in place, waiting for him and trying to imagine what kind of dodging or even redirecting moves she could use on him depending on what he tried to do to her.


While Leandra hadn't done a good job of showing this during their last mission, she did know several moves to counterattack someone or dodge them. Though, as seen in the last mission, her favorite move was simply hiding from the attackers. Whoops.


When Simon spoke up and interrupted Leandra's wandering thoughts, she quickly shifted into the position that Simon had shown her earlier, while also keeping her fists up in front of her face. Always protect the face, as one of her coaches had taught her in the past.


Listening to Simon's instructions, Leandra's heart began to race at the anticipation of the incoming jab. There was this instinctive nature for Leandra to want to simply turn tail and run when confronted in a physical attack.


Leandra knew it's origin, the bully attack that resulted in the scar on her back, but that didn't seem to help her overcome it. She used to fight back against all of the bullies at school and they actually feared her at one point, but then they all got their animal companions and attacked her without warning. She'd never stood a chance against that wolf.


Biting her lip and staring intently at Simon, Leandra forced herself to focus on his simple jab, which was surprisingly fast, as Simon had warned her about.


Yet, as the jab got nearer and nearer, Leandra found herself frozen and she ended up simply blocking it with her forearms. This bright idea resulted in Leandra gasping in surprise and then falling onto her butt. Great.


With her arms at her sides to keep her in a sitting position, Leandra glanced wearily up at Simon and then said in a tentative voice, "Um, sorry about that. I...got distracted. It happens."


On the upside, Leandra probably would only have small bruises from that attack at the most (it was annoying how easily she seemed to bruise), but on the downside, Leandra had failed to dodge or even counterattack such a simple move.


@zCrookedz
 
Bael at first didn't seem to register his friends' calls. He was too busy with his head in the cabinets, hunting out different things. "Bael? They're talking to you," Cedar pointed out.


"What--? Oh." Bael backed up and turned to address the others, a smile crossing his face as he looked around them. His eyes fell on Zoe and he looked down and away a bit. "Oh, I wouldn't use the word brave." He began to walk over, hitting a chair along the way. He stumbled over it and scrambled to grab it up, placing it back in its proper position before looking around at the group sheepishly. He was more careful the rest of the way, and took a seat near Beth and Zoe. "Thanks for alla the compliments, though. Beth, yeah? I don't think we've really talked much." He frowned, realizing he really didn't know anyone on his team very well, and only spoke to Zoe, Wednesday, and Simon for any time at all, if he recalled correctly. He had worked on Manjano, but he also realized he had never head the other boy speak. He considered the situation in the garden again, and said, half to himself, "I wish it coulda just been the trees. Trees don't... They don't hurt anyone." He frowned, apparently contemplating the concept.


"Bael, I'm gonna go find our stuff. Get your teapot and the tea so you can make some. I think you could use it." Cedar huffed, amused, then looked around the room and called, "Same some of the food for me, please!" He loped toward the door.


He was back in pretty short order, with the bag of tea and little square teapot both in his mouth. Bael took them and put them on the table. "This is Tu, by the way," he announced to the others, putting a hand on the teapot. "My sister bought it for me. And the -- and the mortar and pestle, the one with a pentagram on it. That one was a joke. Couldn't throw it away though. Anyway -- what -- we were talking about cookies?"


@DawnAntalios @Flutterby
 
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