Animals Within

The tiger growled under his breath as the scent faded in and out. Was he going mental?! Probably, if he couldn't track a trespasser. He would have to be out here more often to keep his skills up, or he would never keep his reputation among the Lords. He followed the tracks he could pick up, minutes passing as he searched the one area until he ran across a tree that had the rich-and absolutely wretched-stench of the cat that decided to come across his territory. His face wrinkled in disgust as he saw the claw marks, and he lifted on his hind legs, ripping through the bark with his own claws to mark his own handsome scent overtop of the disgrace. There. That would show them, for certain. They must be nearby, with how fresh it was, but he was wondering how far he had gone. Where was the pathetic morsel? He probably ran, the coward. His tail flicked in annoyance as he thought, looking around. No paw prints, so he was probably lightweight. An ocelot, maybe? A fisher cat? Obviously not a snow leopard, sadly, or he'd have the best drink of blood that he would have had in a long time. Speaking of which, wasn't there a pint of blood in the kitchen? Maybe it burned. The Lord's brows furrowed with utter exasperation. Everything was against him, he was certain.

The tiger Lord was ready to follow another path when a voice slithered down into his fur, chilling his spine. A.....female. A female?! What was any female doing here, other than the leopard? He backed up a step and looked into the tree, but he only saw a shadow, not a full figure. Would have been nice if she didn't hide, he thought to himself, but bared his teeth in warning, having a feeling she was watching nonetheless. "As much as I appreciate the bribing compliment," he began, "yes, you are trespassing on my territory. You would make an extraordinary addition to my dinner, but I can only assume that you would rather not end up on a silver platter." His tail lashed from side to side now, rather than the calm flicking of the end. Even his pelt seemed to ripple with the anger that flowed through him. "I am the Lord of this territory, and have every right to hang your head on my wall, like many other delightful prey I have captured over the years. So come down, kitty, and maybe I'll spare your precious hide." Was she behind the capture of his mate? A thought flashed through his mind that maybe this was her replacement, and the thought amused him, but he didn't let it show. It was never really the leopard he was after anyways in the grand scheme of things...

Lythedh continued to lash his tail, but the girls words played intriguingly in his ears and he enjoyed it, beyond his better nature. He was sure no Lord could resist being told the obvious however. “I don’t know whether to accept your apology or not. I’d have to see that cowardly muzzle of yours to really know if you’re sincere,” he said with a slight sneer. But all of a sudden, she leapt down more, and he paused as he gazed over her. Interesting...a black panther. Something he had always wanted within his guards, but nobody ever seemed to find one. Pathetic beings, the more he thought about his worthless protection the more he wanted to be rid of all of them. But perhaps she had some skills hidden beneath that skin of hers that would prove useful to him, one way or another. “I tend to not trust anyone I come across for the first time, comes with the title.” He closed his mouth, his teeth being hidden once more but his eyes still narrowed as he watched her for any sudden movements. He was probably twice the size she was, but he wouldn’t take any risks nonetheless. “If you’re so bold as to banter with a Lord though, come and meet me face to face. Then I’ll judge for certain whether you’re even worthy of blessing my wall with that skull of yours. Maybe you really are better between my teeth.”

“It certainly will not be the last.” The tigers gaze was locked, as though to rid himself of the world around them to make sure she would not play any tricks. Probably a bad idea, he also thought, considering she probably wasn’t alone. But if she wanted him to trust her so badly, like she seemed to proclaim, then she wouldn’t dare step over her boundaries. Ironic, since they were on his. She continued to leap around, one branch to the other. The annoyance of it rose in the Lords chest and he almost let out a growl, his tail practically whipping the grass below it. He would not let her toy with him for too long, but his prayers were answered when she eventually dropped down in front of him. The breath was stolen almost right out of his lungs. A powerful cat now stood before him, the capability of ripping any prey to shreds that she wanted. He instantly grew a respect, knowing how well she would likely compare to his guards. Why was he so focused on the snow leopard again? She was his property, sure. But here was a panther that would provide such a more...interesting result in his progress. He allowed his teeth to pull into a grin as they stood in the foliage of the forest, a sly, curious look rather than anything on the other side of content. “It would be more impressive with your introduction,” he purred, the thought of her standing proudly in his hall to show his strength almost boosting his confidence higher.  Yet so many possibilities were before him that it was hard to choose what would satisfy him most. His tail lessened it’s anger until it was back to the soft back and forth tip it was before. “I could eat your organs and stuff your fur, or use you for a more personal purpose. After all, my guards would find you and kill you on the spot even if I didn’t. But I’m sure you have a choice in mind for your eventual overthrowing, considering you know the consequences of landing yourself on a Lords hunting grounds.”

Lythedh was rather impressed by her continued bold nature, but his grin curled into a smirk as she continued to speak, allowing him to observe her movements as well as get a view of how she really was. Seeing those muscles move was quite a show for him, and he was tempted to see how they would really work and compare to his own, but it was best that he got her loyalty beforehand. At least she was compliant with introducing herself. He huffed a gentle breath from his maw, twitching an ear as well with the sudden motion in the bushes nearby. “I am the only landslide you will come across here. I will say your name as I please, Persefoni,” he stated, exaggerating the name with amusement. Quite an unusual name, but much easier to pronounce than Aaliyah. He could definitely work with a Persefoni. Beginning to walk, he stepped in a circle around her, getting a view of all she offered while he had the upper paw. Quite the specimen, he observed. One he would be pleased in exploring. “You may call me Lord Lythedh of the Forest, or Lythedh, or anything that suits you. It all depends on where you want to end up.” He smirked wider at the insinuation, eventually ending back up in front of her after a few rounds of circling. He had a clear vision of what she could potentially serve to him now. “Now, to ensure where you will be...hm.” He stared into those blue eyes of hers, as though a test for the both of them, but felt the discomfort in doing so. Yet he liked the dominance he could show from it, and continued. “You will do very nicely with my bloodline, yes. I believe you will be a fine replacement for my seeming missing piece. I doubt you have many objections?” The question was more of a command than anything. He could still make her bleed if she was not compliant, but for now, he trusted she would not make many moves against him.

The tiger was pleased by her resilience, proving more that he was right in thinking of what she could do for him. She was not weak, and even though his leopard stood tall, her head always hung a little too low in submission for her. Not the panther however, no. She would put up a fight if he offered it. The thought thrilled something within him, and his eyes stayed glued to only her in continued intrigue. “Hmm, Persefoni, you seem to enjoy detail. You can always stare at me up close. I’m even better in dim lighting.” His muzzle pulled to another small grin, amused by his own words. “I can show you many universes in which you are the center.” She certainly would be the center, center of many things, but that included his bloodline. After all, it was of the utmost importance for his life that he was not the last. He was knocked out of the plans he began to create however, as her pelt brushed against his and singed the stripes alongside his side. It was a very unusual feeling, one he was not too used to, and he bristled as a reaction. Yet it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. It would not be the last time, if the panther continued this. He opened his jaw when she finally spoke again, more teases, but her tail against his neck sent pleasant electricity down his spine and to the end of his tail, which twitched from side to side. Where was this coming from? This entire interaction with her was unfamiliar, and the thoughts swarming his head kept him from staying on his goal. He fought hard to change his mind, and he let out a very quiet growl of a purr, knowing he couldn’t do the action himself. “Good, good,” he murmured, his eyes narrowing with interest towards her once more as his own tail moved to brush against her legs as she walked. “When it comes to me, I can take most whatever I please. If I lay claim to you, so be it. I own this land. But I suppose, if that is your only objection...I wouldn’t mind you sticking your tail into my Estate.” What a prospect that would be, though he would need to make quick work of more...legal papers. But he was a Lord. He could hide whatever he felt like, with all his access to the files within his mansion. As long as the guards kept their mouths shut, he could do whatever he pleased. And that’s thrilled him more.

Courting? The tease sent a chuckle spiraling through his throat, though he controlled himself enough to not let it exit. He was never interested in such a thing, he was a Lord. Anything he asked for, he would receive instantly. He would not need to wait to claim what was rightfully is, and the panther was no exception. “I don’t believe I have any use for that if you have already accepted your fate,” he murmured slyly, his claws digging slightly more into the ground. He did find however that his returned brushes caught her off guard, and it pleased him to see her reaction. He would certainly be able to keep her around if he knew how to get under her skin. As she passed, his whiskers lightly bounced off of hers, and another shot was sent down into the pit of his stomach. He almost did not hear her words, but as he did, he grinned once more and began his walk to the Estate, walking slightly ahead of her but not by much. She was his prey after all, his entertainment and capitol for now. Soon enough she would be doing much more than prowling around his land. Watching her carefully and beginning to gain some of his senses with the walk, he leaned over his head and nipped the edge of her ear gently with his teeth. She was far too persuasive, but he could play her game for now. “I do wonder how you will perform in all matters though...in both of your forms. I sincerely hope you will not need training like my failure of an investment?” He eyes her curiously, still glancing over to watch her muscles dance under her fur with their walk. “I can imagine you hold much power within you, but I want to be certain before I turn to invest in you.”

Theodemar raised a brow with surprise at her sudden words, before he recoiled at her bite. What in heavens name...he scowled and held her gently by the scruff of her neck with his large fingers. “Take you seriously? I’m offering you a chance of freedom and suddenly you’re so mad that I’m in a good mood.” He huffed, but smiled a bit as he calmed. “I could always take one of those wooden boxes and nail you into it. I would be careful. If you can’t shift, I can make sure you never get back to Lythedh.” Standing up with a grunt, he shoved her back into his pouch and let out a long, exasperated sigh. “I’ll gather you the materials, and tonight I’ll dump you somewhere...not sure where, but I’ll find a place that is perfect for a little rodent like you. I don’t want to hurt you, but you need to stop being so pissy if you want to end up alive.”

Keep thinking that way? He would have expected the subtle threat to annoy him, but rather...he loved her fight. It was something he knew would greatly improve his Estate interiors, and various other interiors as well. Nobody was so confident as to toy with his own words. Continuing to follow beside her and take in what she offered, he was intrigued once more by her upbringing. It sounded like perfection, a land where those that did not succeed would not live on to spread their worthless genes. This made her his perfect candidate. He was rather annoyed at his guards though, and her offer was amusing. “Kill off one of my own? They betrayed my trust the other day, I wouldn’t mind you taking one on as a final test. I will choose your opponent, and tomorrow, I hope to see blood splattered on my wooden floors.” He smirked at the image, her standing over a body with blood coating her front. His heart thudded loudly in his chest at the sheer impression he would be getting from her if it became reality. He was going to comment, yet she once again knocked him out of his own head with the sudden flash of pain in his ear. It turned quickly into adrenaline though, and he finally allowed his chuckle to escape his maw, his teeth gleaming. “No, I did not. But I wanted to see if you would persevere. And so you did. I’m pleased, Persefoni.”

The elk couldn’t help but laugh softly at her protests, and he smiled down at her still, patting her while she was in the pouch. “So adamant. You won’t be there much longer, I’ll tell you that. Perhaps my Angeline has some supplies I could borrow to get you out of of my hair.” Rubbing his earlobe as he thought, he looked around the street. He had walked her home the previous night, but where was her home? It had to be somewhere, obviously, but where exactly he couldn’t be certain. At least looking would give him an excuse to see her again, if she was around. “Come on, snippy. The sooner we get this done, the sooner you’re floating down a river,” he teased, closing the top of the pouch to secure her, he began walking, gazing along the homes and tying to remember anything specific about the girl’s house.

A trophy? His teeth fully showed now, his whiskers lifting. “Why yes, my panther,” he purred to her as they walked. “It would please me exceptionally if you wore your prize. Especially in your other form. I give great favor to those that show what they can really do.” Flicking her flank with the tip of his tail, he held his head just a bit higher in pride. What a spectacular cat he managed to wrangle. “That includes your strength. I am not expecting gentle, nor do I want it. Weakness is cowardess, something I will weed out in my lineage.” The silent pause allowed him time to think once more, plan. His guards would no doubt be shocked by the brutal murder of one of their own, but it gave him great pleasure to imagine their faces. They would never betray him again, a perfect way to prevent treason. His sugar glider would need to wait, but he would conjure a punishment for her as well. A week without food? The thing wouldn’t last. As much as he wanted to see her get what she deserved, he didn’t want her dead. Speaking of his glider, the panther spoke up again, and he nodded his head once. “I happen to have a scheming companion, or used to. Little rat hasn’t been found since it was rumored she lit my kitchen on fire...however, she still belongs to me. I tolerate pets within my abode, now yours as well, but they will never be eligible to shift in my presence, unless requested. I am also not afraid to kill at a moments notice.” He made sure to enunciate his words clearly with his last sentence, but was gentler with his next. “However, I don’t believe that will be a problem, with your bloodlust as well. It will come in great use at my Estate.” His lips folded over his sharp whites, but left a content look on his face.