Animals Within

Theodemar’s gaze continued to glance between Angeline and the stands, the food catching his attention with his hunger but the girl just by her company. Other features were out on the table too, but he figured polite to leave them be and simply enjoy the day before him. After all, growing close to one person in this town would make it easier to adjust to the rest of it. Atticus may know most of the deer and elk, but Angeline seemed to know more of the details he craved. His eyes shone down to her as her voice lifted to him again, her words never putting a damper on his view of her. “It’s always alright to be excited by a newcomer. I’m sure I have quite the story compared to the life here, and I’m pleased to share it with you and get to know yours, your impact on this little abode.” He hadn’t even realized that his hand was in hers still, and almost wanted to keep it there. But he figured it would be best to nonchalantly slip it from hers, keeping it close to his side in case she needed to rush him off somewhere else. It amused him to think of her doing it again, and played a smile before a new voice entered the conversation. Turning to see the deer, he bowed his head in a solid yet polite greeting to her. “You must be the famed mother Chital. Angeline here tells me your Chickpea Tomato Milestrone is a treat, so I’d love to give it a go. But hit me with your best shot as well, surprise me with an extra dish.” His smile broadened. “If I’m going to get used to being here, I want to get the full experience in every form.”

((Timeskip into future for Atticus and Aaliyah’s side))

The snow leopard hardly knew where she was for a moment upon awakening, knowing her body had fully embraced the pain of her injuries earlier and leaving her sore from head to toe. She really hit things hard it seemed, and she longed to go outside and stretch her muscles to ease the tension. Speaking of the outdoors, her eyes glazed to the window nearest, and although she could hardly see anything, she could still see a hint of light in the darkness. Benefits of a night huntress, she supposed. Though she was realizing she was starving, and frowned to herself as she sat up to wake up more. In a town full of prey that she didn’t even eat personally as her shift, it would be difficult for sure to stay on a diet that would allow her to stay in peak form. She hadn’t even though about it until her stomach pains were beginning to mold into a soft continuous ache. A plan would be needed, but for now, she would survive off of what Aunt Sophie and the village provided. Yawning finally as her body began to awaken fully, she pushed back the covers to her waist to feel the air of the room and observe her surroundings more carefully. She wondered if she should even get up and move around, but it was likely that she would be pushed back down to the bed. If it were someone in particular, she’d have no objections, but that would definitely not be the case knowing her situation. Huffing to herself in a playfulness she had almost forgotten, she busied herself instead with combing through her tangled hair with her fingers.

Theodemar felt content at the quick response he received, and the energy the woman seemed to have. Certainly a difference from the stoic predators he had spent years around, and he enjoyed it. He watched her go before looking to Angeline once again. "You must know the best place to sit," he threw to her playfully, looking within his coin pouch and keeping the sugar glider aside gently as he grabbed some coins and then closed the pouch once more, ignoring the pains that awoke in his hand again.

Aaliyah's head lifted as she heard the movement of the doorknob, and her thoughts began to rise as to who was entering the room. By the light beaming in gently from behind just the slightest, she could tell that it was indeed who she was hoping for, and a smile spread across her face, though it didn't last too long as his voice was somber. She had a feeling this would happen. "As long as you come over here, I can talk as long as you'd like," she murmured softly in reply. Her fingers slowed in their combing, but she continued it nonetheless to keep her hands busy. After all, he wasn't close enough, yet. She had a lot to say to him, about everything that needed to be clear. Even though she wasn't really sure if there was much for her to clear.

Theodemar never got tired of her directing him, and he almost wanted her to continue it, though wasn't still sure how long it would last. But she was practically irresistible to not follow along, with the weather brushing her hair across her face and eyes catching the glimpses of sunlight. He'd never been able to be close enough to any girl to really admire it. He sat in the chair across from her as she seemed to suggest, making sure his pouch was still being held down the side of the chair rather than sitting on it. "He's certainly a character," he replied with amusement, though smiled. "But from my knowledge, I was the only deer. We only shifted when necessary, and I never saw any of my kind there, or any prey at all really, unless it was, well, the obvious." He swallowed down his memories to enjoy the time with Angeline. Positives only, he told himself. She didn't deserve to hear the bad parts right now. "You folk are the first I have seen gathered since I was a boy."

Aaliyah's hands slowed further until they stopped while he spoke. For some reason, she had a feeling that this would happen, her deep thoughts convincing her that this village was no good for them. No, for her. She was different, she was the outcast, like every other town she had tried to settle in. She was still just the traitor with a bounty on her head, running from the hunters that wanted her all to themselves. Not even the man she trusted most, the person she put her faith into, wanted her there. All because of the opinions of some deer. Her face turned to a scowl and her arms crossed over her chest. She supposed it was lucky that she could hardly see his expression. Made it all the easier to voice what she needed to say. For once, she wasn't going to back down from a man who thought he had the upper hand. "Bullcrap," she hissed after a few moments of silence between them. From her dull pain to her new awakening, she was in no mood to let this slide on by. She would not be pushed aside again. "As much as I respect your Aunt, you're not a man, Atticus. You helped me escape from a tiger who did things to me I don't speak of to anyone. You trained me and defied his code for months to protect me. You stood up for me after my trial and put yourself through the misery of being with me, even under the eyes of Lythedh. Yet you still think you want to toss that all aside because I'm a predator, not one of your kind?! You should know better than to think I'm going to be a rogue again, fending for myself and being hunted by the same man who will literally rip me to shreds if he sees me again." Her chest burned with the building fury that she had built up for all these years and hid away, deep within her as she thought she would never have to face it again. But here she was, facing the one person that saved her from it only to shove her back in. To think he even had the nerve...he was no man at all. He would stand up to some male who wanted to claim a female, a typical stag maneuver, but when it came to standing up for his own life, he was nothing but a rodent succumbing to their grim future at the claws of the predator. "You're not sorry at all," she scoffed after another moment passed. "You're a weak red deer who can stand up to anything except his own family." She never had much experience with a family, what it was like to feel that bond for years that was unshakable. Perhaps it put her at a disadvantage, but now she did not care. She would be the predator, sure. She would put herself on that pedestal and claim her dominance if nobody else would stand for her. And it took just one step to do so. Mustering her strength within her, she stood to her feet, a hand braced on the bed just for a moment to keep her balance but kept her stance over him. He would not win this battle, if she had any say. "You want this to end, fine. I'll go back to Lythedh, and you can watch all of your work reverse itself. If I'm not wanted here, I'll go to the place where at least I get some forced respect." Her eyes were glared into his, now that she could finally see the outline of his face. The nerve of him.

Theodemar figured she would ask this eventually, or someone else would. But it didn't help the fact that he wasn't quite wanting to share his past, it wasn't something he was very proud of. Yet, it helped mold him into who he was, and he wouldn't have met her or anyone else here without it. He let out a sigh and let it catch in the breeze as he avoided her gaze temporarily, mustering the courage to speak what he wanted to say without startling anyone. "To put it mildly...it wasn't entirely my choice," he said quietly, hoping nobody would overhear. "My family, we were in a bit of trouble concerning the Lords and the manor. But I was just a boy, and I did whatever I could to avoid the punishment by pleading that I was innocent and had nothing to do with what my parents or family had done. So, to mock me and my species, I was placed on the highest pedestal, knighted as a guard and was assumed to be killed." Hmm. This would actually make a good story, if he left out the most gruesome parts of the ordeal that he overlooked. Perhaps it would ease him if he could make it into a more, refreshing, novel. "But I worked against it. If I had to work to prove that I could be as strong as the predator, so be it. I was constantly bullied and I bear scars of the punishments of failure, but I overcame it all. I was eventually placed at the same level as the other guards, more or less, and their pestering faded when they could focus their attentions elsewhere."

Aaliyah could hardly believe that he wouldn't know why she would think of leaving. Of all the things he knew, he should have at least had the decency to remember why she was being held prisoner in the first place by the Lord Lythedh. Seems he was even more daft than she originally assumed. She was ready to throw another tirade at him, when instead he took the upper hand. Her first instinct was to cower, but she held against it and stood firm at her feet. She was the predator, she told herself. He was not. And that was apparent by his words. "So I'm a mistake, aren't I?!" Her jaw slammed together afterwards and made her teeth hurt with the impact. But it didn't hurt as much as his dismissal. "To think that I cared about you was the real mistake here, and that's obvious. You had no intention of continuing anything with me once we got here, because your Aunt would pound you across the head like a fawn and tell you no. What a stag you are!" She huffed in mocking up to his face, her fists curled into her palms. She almost pondered walking out right then and there. If he didn't want to be with her, fine. She wasn't going to spend another second around him waiting for him to step up and take a risk for once. He had done it once, but he would never again. "I have no respect for a man who won't deal with the consequences of his actions. Who gives a shit if I'm oh so different?! I'm even outcast by my own kind! I had no regrets when I pursued you, but now they're overwhelming, if this is the end that I get with you, the boy who cowers at his family and bows down to whatever their will is!"

His face flushed a bright pink as she reached out and took his hand, expressing her sympathies for his past. But he curled his fingers around her smaller ones, keeping them close on the table. "You may pry, it's alright," he said softly, a smile on his face directed only to her. It almost felt like a weight off to tell his own kind of his experience. "Besides, the story is bound to be fully exposed one way or another, you deserve to know firsthand. Who else would be so interested directly, except you? I don't mind sharing my past, though you will have to return the favor if you ask too much." He gave her a teasing wink along with his words, his smile turning to a grin to her.

Aaliyah's anger seemed to be slowly subsiding when his words argued against hers, rather strongly and with determination she wasn't expecting. She struggled internally to find a strong argument, to stay the spitfire leopard that could pursue through any storm. But when it came to Atticus...she growled to herself and her eyes lowered from his to gaze at anything, everything beyond him. What was he to say? Nothing she could even say anymore would really truly be a foundation against him. But, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her nails slowly removing their deep embedding in her skin that instantly hurt when she did. She needed to calm down. Anger wasn't getting her anywhere, and she was too tired to continue it anyways. Her body was sending many signals to stop, so she let it. "If you really made this decision on your own, fine. You won't ever see my face again. But if it's your Aunt making you think we can't make this work, then I have some claws I can put into some unpleasant places. She doesn't know crap about anything, and I'm not having some little brown-furred creature dictate what we can and can't do. Nobody is going to find us here, you've made that obvious from the fact that nobody has found you. Us being together isn't going to change a single thing here, and frankly I don't give two swings of my furry tail what their opinions are, out there." Her eyes met his again, and she tried her best to keep her head high, no matter how badly her own inner argument was. "The only reason I'm still here, is you. I'm not abandoning that because someone doesn't agree. After all I've been through, they don't have a say in my life, or yours."

Champion. The nickname warmed in his chest in a strange way, and he had to straighten his back just a tad. He'd never been called anything even close to such a word, but to hear it from hers was another world entirely. "Even if it were just for you, I'd still stick around." His grin stayed, and he took in the scents as well, trying to find the direction of such great aromas for a moment but still wanting his attentions on her. After all, she was more interesting than food, while it wasn't there before them. "But apparently so, it smells delicious. Everyone here is certainly spoiled with the culinary talent present here."

Aaliyah's insides felt like they ripped to their outsides as the slamming of the door shook the room around her, which now only seemed to close in around her. Her knees finally took a cue and knocked her down to the bed, the anger completely fleeing from her once and for all as it was replaced with internal pain, feeling a massive block in her throat preventing her from doing anything but allowing her vision to blur. What was there even to discuss? He no longer wished to pursue her. Ever since he had arrived at the manor, he was no longer the man she had longed for previously. What happened to him, what happened to her? Why was there such an invisible obstacle keeping them apart? The questions that rattled her brain she could not answer. He had made his opinion clear. He cared more about other people's opinions than his own, and would not fight for the both of them. The drawbridge had been pulled, and now a grand moat stood between them with no way of crossing. At least, not that she saw. Perhaps she would have been better off staying with Lythedh. For a split moment, she pondered on the fact, sitting upwards and staring out to the window diagonal from her. She could make up some grand story, return to him and at least manipulate her way around the manor to prevent seeing him and still keep her somewhat respected title. But from what she knew...things would only go downhill when he would continue to force his lineage. Her gut squeezing at the memory, she stood finally and had enough. Staying in this room was clouding her thoughts, and she no longer wanted to stay in a room where her - well, the it seemed now - stag spent his days. She walked to the said window and gave herself one final mental push before opening it and fleeing out into the wild, keeping along the trees of the forest. Her muscles ached quickly though, and she stumbled, gasping with the sudden pain that arrived but finally giving up and laying there on the ground when she stopped her tumbling, her tears soaking the ground adjacent to the rest of the town which had not a care in the world. A world she would never be accepted into, not any longer. She could stay here all evening for all she knew, starve to death and allow everyone to forget her. Finally leave a society that never wanted her in the first place.

((Timeskip - Some time in the future? Probably a day))

Aaliyah found it quite difficult to stay hidden within the town. She stayed outside of the village for the most part, perusing the buildings or carts or stands and keeping out of the limelight. Some had noticed her, and had struck up conversation, but she preferred her solitude life, at least for now. Nobody would live up enough to give her contentment in any conversation. Now patrolling the territory of the deer in her snow leopard form, she kept her head in her thoughts, making sure that small calves and fawns didn't stray too far for the most part. She didn't have anywhere else to go, or anything to do.

Theodemar sat outside one of the buildings of the town, making sure his sugar glider "captive" was within the coin pouch he had adorned earlier. He had been so focused on Angeline that he hardly had the time to talk with her or figure out anything. Letting out a sigh, he flipped open the top and glanced inside. "You still there, fluffbutt?" he asked, mostly to himself than anything.

The elk shift raised a brow, but was not surprised, by her attitude, chuckling softly as he picked her up and set her on his bent knee. By what she was eating, he was sure she was hungry. Perhaps there was a stand nearby, he was sure there was fruit or bread he could buy for her. "Hey, guards don't get permission to go off with the ladies when it comes to the Lords. I want to have fun. But I guess you make a point, I've abandoned my little captive." He grinned cheekily. "I could always ditch you far outside the town, make you find your way back to your tiger master that you seem obsessed with. But what does a creature like you even do for fun?" Closing his coin pouch, he pushed it off to the side of his waist again as he greeted a passing citizen with a wave of his hand. Such a quaint little town, he would enjoy staying here. The only obstacle so far was the pesky, loud-mouthed critter before him.

Theo was amused by her incessant hatred. Normally, negativity would roll right off his back when he came to the gigantic predators roaming the Estate, but this little critter had such a way about herself. He flicked her ear gently with a finger, just the tip. "You really want to be alone that much? I will arrange it then. Perhaps I'll make it torture for you, take my Angeline along on a walk and see how much you gag before I finally toss you out." His tone was lighthearted, his eyes seeming to smile at his prospect however. "I'll be sure to give you a couple torches to aid your arsonist desire. Oh wait...you're a bit too small for them, aren't you?"