Leaving, Conflict, Slumber
#2 of The Other
The tigress jerks awake as the ghost touches her shoulder, letting her know it's time. Her bedmate stirs, forehead creasing as she makes an questioning noise. The feline slips out of the bed, petting the russet mane as she murmurs softly. "Nothing little one. Go back to sleep, it's okay." Slowly, the other relaxes again, curling up tightly, fist tucked up under her chin. The first makes her way to the closet, removing the pre-packed blue suitcase stashed away in there, setting it by the main door. It contains little, mostly generic clothes and essentials. Nothing personal, nothing valued. The white tigress takes a deep shuddering breath, and turns back to the bed. She can't leave just yet, not without a goodbye. Even if the other won't remember it. She kneels beside the bed, petting the exposed cheek softly. "I don't want to do this cub. Really. But it's for the best. For you. You're gonna do great things, be an inspiration. You're gonna make your family so very proud. But I'm only going to tarnish you. You tried so hard to fix me..." She frowns and swallows as tears slide down fur, tickling her grey whiskers. "Kiddo, you can't fix something as broken as I am, not without getting cut yourself. And I vowed to keep anything from hurting you." She stands, pressing one last kiss to the other's muzzle, and takes off her collar, laying it on what used to be her pillow. She removes her house key from the ring, and lays it on the bedside table, next to the other's cell. She turns ice-blue eyes to the room, memories flooding her, the art and sketches and sculptures making the room a home. "This is all yours now, little one." She grabs the suitcase, and closes her eyes, focusing on the burgundy aura to the west and a little south, and wills herself there, teleporting out of the room. As the sparkles fade from her vision, she looks up at the serpent-woman in front of her. "Tell me that I'm doing the right thing, " she pleads of her spirit-sister. The scaled one doesn't say a word, just holds open her arms, wrapping the feline in a tight hug, stroking white fur. "Oh, my baby girl...you know I can't tell you that. You have to listen to what your heart tells you to do." "It's for the best...she'll be so much happier this way...right?" Tears blur the tigress's vision, and the reptilian one squeezes her firmly before stepping back, jeweled eyes full of concern. "She can't track you, can she?" The white one shakes her head, scrubbing tear-tracks out of her fur. "No. I don't think she ever got around to aura-locking me." She snorts a bit. "Too much trouble, I'm sure." "Good. Then welcome, and know that you're welcome for as long as need be." The formal words are spoken as hands are squeezed tightly, offering silent support and comfort. "You'll be alright...just give it some time. We'll help you heal up again baby girl." The tigress nods, and steps back, motioning at her bag, trying to focus on something else. "What should I do with that?" The spirit-sister just shoos at it, escorting the feline to the porch. "Leave it. You need to worry about yourself for a while. Let everyone else deal with their own problems." The serpent pauses, reaching out and tucking a lock of hair behind the other's ear. "I promise, it'll stop hurting so bad eventually." The tigress frowns, and realizes that she's been rubbing at her chest, right above her heart. "Once you let go, and heal up some, it'll stop hurting. We'll help you get through it. I promise." The feline nods, and sinks onto the steps, wrapping her arms around her knees. The other steps back into the house, leaving the lost cat to wonder as the sun breaks over the horizon. Wonder what the day will bring by the end. Wonder if the serpent is right, and it'll stop hurting...eventually. Wonder what will happen when that same sun wakes up the other. Wonder if the other will hurt at all...or just be relieved to be rid of her. * * * She undid the next button on the white shirt, twitching her whiskers against the exposed flesh. As her lover jerked, she pressed a kiss to the spot, fingers reaching to undo the last button that held the shirt closed. Her breath caught as the fabric fell away, the swell of the other's breasts tempting above the lime-green bra. She had seen that faint green under that damned white shirt all day; teasing, tempting, and tormenting. She reached under the arching body to undo the clasp, grinning as the other muttered curses at the lack of movement. Wrists and ankles tethered to the bed posts, she was going nowhere fast. A second later, her lover lay completely exposed. She just enjoyed the view for several moments, eyes dark and hooded, before she leaned down, catching a rosy nipple in her lips and suckling it gently. Her lover bucked, hips grinding against the tigress. The alarm blared in her ear, jerking her away from memories and dreams. She slapped the machine into silence, flopping back onto the bed, covering ice-blue eyes with her arm. Gods. That had been about a week before she had left...her last happy memory of the Other. She clenched her jaw, getting upset and angry again. With a curse, she threw off the covers, swinging her feet to the floor and leaning forward, arms on her knees, head in her hands. She was better than this. So what if the only person that she wanted in the entire world had been silent? She had heard nothing in the month that she had been out at Cinder's. Not one damned word. The door to her room creaked open, and Jesse stuck his head in, dark eyes worried. "Yeah Jesse, I'm up, I'm up." The Akita-Cattle Dog mix sneezed and sauntered off, most likely looking for breakfast. With a sigh, the tigress stood, stretching her taunt form for a moment before slipping on jeans, frowning as she realized how loosely they hung off her hips. She made her way to the kitchen, pulling out a jar of dog food and dumping it into Jesse's stainless steel bowl. As the mutt set down to the task of making his food disappear instantly, she poured herself a mug of coffee...then spat it out in the sink. Jack, Cinder's hawk husband, had made the brew this morning. Thus...it was entirely too strong to drink. Wrinkling her nose, she stepped out the screen door, eyes alert for the serpent woman. Cinder was crouched down in the chicken coop, attempting to convince a hen to relinquish the eggs that she was laying upon, voice low and soothing in the morning. The feline leaned against the rose trellis, watching the scene idly. Jesse had come out licking his chops, and was currently sprawled out in the cool, dewy grass. The day promised to bring a lot of heat, but it was fairly dry still. The large garden was heavy with it's harvest, the tomatoes and peppers bending their stems with the weight of the vegetables, the pumpkins glimmering in the dawn, the leafy herbs and lettuces frosted with dew. The corn swayed in the light breeze, glimpses of yellow promising a tasty harvest soon. The bean plants were limp, most of their produce harvested already. Cinder was talking about uprooting them and laying in the garlic for the winter. The potatoes and carrots lined the walk-ways, tops bright and colorful. Hummingbirds and bees thoroughly checked the flowers that littered the walkways for any nectar that they may find. She smiled, happy to feel the peace of the land seep into her, soothing as it comforted. "You alright, sister-mine?" Cinder called, waving at the tigress. She grinned, waving back. "Just fine. You having fun?" "Hells yeah! I won...as usual!" The serpent held up her trophy, beaming. The tigress picked up a basket and followed obediently, holding it out for Cinder to fill with the eggs that she had found. "Still no word, eh?" She blinked, lost for a moment, before realizing the question. "Nope. It's alright. If she ever listened to me, she'd know where to find me. She wanted space. I'm tired of feeling like a playtoy...something to amuse and entertain when bored, and to be put away and ignored when there's something better to do. She'll have to make the next step Cinder. She knows my cell number. She knows my email address. She should know where I'm at. If she wants me, this time, she's gonna have to put for some effort. I'm not just going to sit and waste my life on the chance that, eventually, she'll maybe possibly want me." Cinder tugged gently on a furry ear, making the bell that dangled from the hoop chime. "Good girl. You deserve someone who wants to see you happy. From what I gather...she wasn't." The tigress pulled her ears back flat, eyes cold and hard. "She made me happy. Insanely happy. Don't mistake that. I just assumed that she felt the same thing. That was my fault." "Child...I'll just warn you now. If I ever meet this chit...I'll likely deck her. If you haven't forgotten, I held you as you sobbed your fool heart out. I listened to you cry out for her in your sleep, begging and pleading for her to stay. And I know that you've been curling around your stuffed snow leopard again when you sleep. She hurt you, and hurt you bad. I can't forgive that. Nobody hurts those that I love." Cinder sighed, and set another egg into the basket. "Honestly child, Kariat and Jack are about the only things keeping me from teaching her a lesson. "Don't you dare hurt her. Don't you even dare. Do you hear me?" Cinder set the basket down, and pulled the unwilling feline into a hug. "I won't. Not unless you let me. That hawk of mine made me promise, and Karait has been protecting her. Did you know how often she astral-projects?" The tigress made a mental note to thank her serpent spirit-brother, and send him another gift-basket. That male was one of worth, and a real life-saver. The serpent pressed a kiss to the furry cheek and pulled away. "Don't worry. I'll be good." She was about to reply when her phone started to chime.
- * * She stretched, feeling the chilly sheets wrap around her ankles before she curled back up, nuzzling closer to the source of warmth under the small mountain of blankets. She foggily blinked, realizing that there was another in her bed. A moment...and she remembered going to bed alone. Something was not right...of this she was sure. If she could just wake up some more, then she would be able to figure it out. She frowned, brow furrowed as she sat up a bit, before the thought entered her brain. Turning to look, she saw a tuft of bright 'fuck me red' hair sticking up from the mass of blankets and pillows...hair that was normally russet. She smirked, and settled back in, wrapping her arms tightly around the other. The female made a snuffling sound, wiggling closer and rolling over in her sleep, burying her face in the pillow. The first trembled, emotions fraying quickly. She was afraid to think anything...so she instead lay back down, shutting her mind down hard and forcibly. She would just enjoy the surprise visit; enjoy the company and the warmth. She wouldn't read anymore into it than that. Tears burned behind her eyes, but she grit her teeth and buried her muzzle in the other's hair, inhaling deeply. The chemical scent burned, but under that was the basic, lovely, soothing, comforting scent of the other. That same scent that lingered for days on the sheets after she left...that haunted dreams and made sleep impossible. She sighed, and burrowed back into the other, enjoying the company. Who knew how long it would last. The reinforced separation was painful, but not as much as when she was gone. She pressed a kiss to the gray muzzle, letting her lips linger for a moment, feeling that steady, strong heartbeat pulse. For now, all was well. For now, peace could soothe her, and let her sleep. It didn't take long for Morpheus to pull her back under.