A Wicked Gift (Yuki&Chesh)

[YukiBlue]

The wind seemed to be colder than normal and with the sun slowly setting to the east, it was only bound to get colder. Alira pulled her cloak in tighter, her dark hair whipped around her face as she stepped in closer to the balcony. She couldn't help but yelp as another breeze nearly swept her off her feet as she stepped outside. She wasn't sure which was worse. The cold of the wind or the cold of her own heart as she was forced to swallow her own pride for her father. She didn't want her coming of age celebration to be large. She simply wanted her party to be small and simple. Of course her father was king, so what he said as nigh law. She wanted nothing more than to lock her self in her quarters and not leave if he refused to see things her way.

Alira leaned over her balcony and sighed, allowing the wind to blow the hair out of her face. She wondered where her beloved friend had wandered off to. Her loving companion had run off earier that day and she had been half tempted to follow the feline. She thought better of herself and went back to her quarters. She only hoped that her friend would return to her soon. She looked off of the edge to gaze into the courtyard. The wind blew petals and leaves all over, and it left Alira pondering the true beauty that it held.

 

[UltraMechaStalin]

The thrill of the kill; it was something the demon rarely found himself able to delight in. And so, in almost meditative silence the great panther had it's meal, unconcerned of whether the once glorious stallion belonged to some gallant knight. Now, it was little more than dinner. After roughly ten minutes the beast was sated, and so it stepped into the shadows, dark body dispersing into wisps of darkness. Those long tendrils of shadow-matter rematerialized on the balcony, twisting and shaping themselves into the form of the panther.


With a resounding growl Vallios announced his presence, before he came slinking into Alira's chambers. With a low murr he sprang up onto her bed and settled down, waiting for the girl to come and do her usual routine of showering him with affection as if he was a giant puppy dog. He found it rather distasteful, but he tolerated the actions because he knew it was a sign of trust...And trust was vital to his devious plans.

 

[YukiBlue]

Alira spun around quickly, spotting her friend on her bed. She ran back inside, tossing her cloak to the end of her bed before wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling the large cat. She couldn't help but smile, her blue eyes bright with happiness that hadn't displayed itself in days. She laid back on her bed, her hand idly petting the feline's large head. She took a deep breath and spoke to the cat with a lighter tone.

"Where have you been, you silly cat? I've been lonely. And you weren't here to save me from father's ranting again. Why can't he just leave me be?"

She sat up, her eyes running over the feline. She patted the bed next to her, hoping the cat would understand and lay down with her. She nuzzled into her pillow, wishing that she could simply escape from the horrid position she thought she was in. In her oppinion, things couldn't get worse.

 

[UltraMechaStalin]

Vallios obliged, but decided to do so in his own manner. He rolled over, laying atop of Alira, on his back with his large paws facing the ceiling. A feline yawn and then he went dead weight, trying his hardest to make those feline lips smirk at the situation. When Alira strained Vallios would shift, allowing her to wriggle out from beneath him. The playful action was typical of the feline, being as mischievous as a kitten despite his intimidating size.

"Mrow mrow mrow grrr mrow mrow."

He yowled back, acting as if he was answering Alira's inquiry regarding his daily activities. Little actions such as those were things that Vallios knew endeared him to Alira. She lead a rather solitary life, and he was often times her only companion. As such, it was obviously appreciated if he could act as close to human as possible, and seem to understand her needs.

 

[YukiBlue]

Alira struggled and groaned for a moment before the cat shifted. She scooted her way from under him before kissing his snout and laughing. It seemed to be a nightly ritual between them. There were nights when she wished he was human so she could have someone to hold her in her sleep rather than the other way around. She petted his head, listening to his reply and curling against him. She became content just lying there, feeling the cat breath. She wasn't sure what it was, but she had the feeling that the cat was still restless even after his time away. As if he still wanted to wander around. She leaned in next to the cat's eat and whispered.

"If you still want to wander the grounds, you can. I won't force you to stay here. I will be fine until you return, really."

Alira sat up quickly, hopping over to her dressing table and grabbing a few pins to pull her hair out of her face. She remembered the fact that she could sleep in that morning due to her going to the fitting for her dress for her coming out earlier that day. She couldn't wait to get away from this place when her father found her a proper suiter. She didn't care if he loved her or if she loved him, just so long as he got her away from this terrible place.

She turned around to her bed, wandering back to it and laying on her left side, facing her balcony. Alira spent most of her night tossing and turning from nightmares. All she could remember was the shadows. While they were terrifying, they felt familliar. She kept hearing a distinctly male voice, she could almost place it but not quiet. It was like something she had heard in her dreams before. She felt like she missed it. She wasn't sure why. But she just knew that this person was neither good nor bad. They were just trying to find her.

 

[UltraMechaStalin]

Vallios lingered throughout the night, pondering how he'd continue. Tomorrow was the ceremony, and he was going to sweep her from her feet and win her heart...Or, at the very least catch her desperate attention. Vallios settled down, waiting for the sun to rise. Sleep was a luxury, his body was only nourished by mortal essence, and he'd fed earlier in the evening.

Vallios could feel Alira's fear, and so he rested one paw on her side, siphoning the negativity away from her to both nourish him, and so she could rest peacefully in the waning hours between now and the chaos before her ceremony. This entire gambit would take patience and perseverance, for 14 long years now Vallios had bided his time, waiting for the moment to strike.