Away from the depths of the caverns he climbed, each paw fall struck the earth with renewed vigor. The earth spoke to him in a manner that changed from the last time, that was even different than the words spoken within the womb of the home cave. There was nothing for the elder Savante to fear, the earth declared and decreed that it would provide as it always had. He was simply different, he took longer to be provided for since he always focused so desperately on the family and not himself.

But his focus was soon broken by the fluttering of wings and screaming of the cavern's residents. Bats. There were thousands of them, all screaming and shrieking both rage and fear at the large lion that peeled from the darkness on his way out from the depths of the cavern. The bats took flight, some panicking and flying out, some flying inwards, and some swooping at him before retreating to a further wall away from him.

But the bats were ignored, he was almost single-minded in his eagerness to continue the trek to rise from the depths of the cavern. The lion was hungry but he was also eager to return to the Hollow's and finally reconnect with the younger generation.


@Bordeaux

Normally Bordeaux would be removed from open territories in the night, carefully tucked away in her modest little den, alone and wary. She would find no sleep this night, and with the chill of the air outside, she decided it would be better to stay in motion instead of sitting still.

It had been awhile since she had come this way, but she knew of some valuable plants here that could be added to her collection of healing herbs. These specific plants were finicky, requiring very specific factors in their growth. One of these factors.. bats.

She had arrived to gather what she could, made more difficult in the darkness of the cavernous landscape. She had been left undisturbed throughout, but it seemed she was not the only one wandering in the night. Bordeaux would not even notice him at first, the sound of the bats drowning out the heavy footfalls. She could smell him though, looking up with a measure of apprehension. Hopefully whoever was nearby would simply ignore her existence, or perhaps not even see her. The latter was unlikely, given the pastel and white that made up much of her fur.

@Vladizmir

code: corvus || art: yumpy

Her scent was there - drifting with the fresh air that blew from the exterior and mingling with the stale cavern air. Molten gaze would cut in the direction of @Bordeaux as his paws changed their course. Through the separation of bodies, wings, and angry chittering the Savante peeled from the darkness - a treacherous unchained wraith.

Hunting inferno gaze would flicker about the environment before resting solely on the lioness. His right brow would raise just slightly in her direction. Eyes casually rove over the lioness. But it hits him in one smooth wave, the scent of herbs drifting off her and around him, her petite frame, the way the shadows bounced off that multi-colored pelt of hers.

Healer.

Beautiful.

Alone.

Some things could not be changed and her scent shot through his system like electricity - car finally getting a much-needed jump. The beast didn't know if she was prone to fear and by-proxy the urge to flee. But he couldn't have that, she couldn't leave, not just yet. The creature would allow his paws to move forward, trying to approach her with a long sweep of his thick tail against the cold cavern floor.

The Shadow heard that voice in the back of his head, instincts riding high - 'pretend to be normal.' How it whispered to him and caressed his mind, she couldn't know what lingered under - not yet, not until he had his hooks into her. Damien, the creature would offer his faux name to her. Jagged breath was released from betwixt his lips as toes spread and pushed lightly against the floor - fluttering wings of bats were muted in the recesses of his mind.

Who are you? He would query quietly almost desperately - that heated molten gaze resting upon her. But how his stomach rolled and pitched, that feeling of inexperience and trying to figure out something new so tangible. A woman this small would be considerably faster than him, if he spooked her the beast knew he wouldn't be able to stop her.

There would be a involuntary and sharp intake of breath when the lion finally appeared to her and spoke. Even in her expectation of an encounter, she had still managed to get startled. Embarrassing, likely making for a bad first impression.

She would collect herself quickly, eyes flickering up briefly to properly look at him. There was something ominous about him, not because of his larger size, as she was used to that. Perhaps it was the poor light, the pallid marks upon dark fur, giving him a skeletal quality. Maybe it was the red eyes or the intensity in which he seemed to stare back at her.

She would glace briefly away, towards the exit, as if contemplating a swift departure. No, she couldn't always run away from strangers, some part of her craved any sort of interaction after so much time isolated.

"Bordeaux is my name sir Damien." She responded gently, trying to appear calm and collected, even as her heart still fluttered in her chest like a caged bird. Eyes would conveniently find other things to look at, never meeting his own directly if she could help it. She would only steal glances when she thought he might not be looking.

@Vladizmir

code: corvus || art: yumpy

He heard it, her breath being dragged back into her lungs as she noticed his appearance from the dank murky encompass of the cavern. Brows carefully knit together as he regards her. As quickly as the shock took over, she managed to master it. But the creature was no closer to mastering his roving mind. There were the subtle vibrations of the earth under his toes, the whispers of the Great Mother filtering through his mind - delusion.

Long heavy tail flicks to the right and coils about his left ankle. At the fringes of his mind was the heavy pressure calling for him to halt - wait and see. The shadow of her mix-matched eyes cutting to the exit cemented the notion that he would have to be careful, more patient. The liquid molten of his eyes too would slide towards the exit and watch it for a moment before they slid back to her.

Did @Bordeaux want to run?

The notion of the chase excited the Savante shadow after all the most exciting part of the art of assassination was the time of preparation, of being told the target, finding their scent, finding were they laid their head, leaving small tokens in that place they felt safe, letting them know they where being hunted, planting and sow the terror in them and their family before bringing the target forth to the finality of death.

But he didn't want her to run. Not this time. Not next time. Not ever. The heathen's mind was cooling, the liquid swiftly floating to his brain as a lifetime of training to hunt was muffled under something more dangerous - well dangerous to him. 'Bordeaux is my name sir, Damien.' Those words of hers were so soothing, measured, the appearance of calm being given but the creature would pivot his left ear towards her - hammering heart.

Frustration drifts heavily through the hollows of his veins and tinged every nerve ending. Her mouth said one thing, but her cutting glances at the exit, hammering heart, and refusal to meet his gaze said otherwise. What did he do to spark her fear? Or could she see it? The blood that while long since washed off still stained him. After the hedonistic slaughters he went through in his youth some habits were just too hard for him to break. It was better to be a lingering monster that your enemies feared than to be a soft creature that they would seek to break.

Are you nervous, Bordeaux? Her name fits well upon his tongue, and he allows it to roll off and cavort around the cave. Already the creature had a new nickname for her lingering within the dense space of his mind, but he doesn't say it. Not yet at least. Would he be the thing she saw in her nightmares?

The motion of his tail would catch her eye, a flash of white against the black of the rest of him. One could read a lot into what someone was thinking or feeling in the instinctive language it spoke in wordless volumes. Was he agitated? Excited? There was certainly some sort of conflict in @Vladizmir. She didn't understand how she could stir any sort of emotion in others, she was always careful in appearing as nine threatening and aloof. An agreeable wallflower in which you would soon grow bored.

Being subservient might not always work though, at least not when it came to lions of a darker mind. Her frailty had led to Luther trying to control her through threats and fear. If only she could more easily master fear, the more cruel lions might have nothing to use against her, they would grow bored and leave her alone then too.

In an effort to overcome fear, she would shift into a sitting position. Eyes would even allow themselves to linger for longer periods of time on his face. It was a habit she had picked up from her mother to keep her eyes downcast in the presence of a male. Patchouli has said it was a way of showing them respect, and to show acceptance of their greater strength. All of these behaviors were in appeasement of the lion, that he needn't feel the desire to attack. To run would not help either, as they might feel inclined to chase, might trigger the hunting instinct in which they all had in some capacity.

Her heart would slow a little, though questions like that which he has just asked did not help. "It would be unwise not to feel some hesitancy when being approached by a stranger sir, I have always aired on the side of caution." She explained truthfully. Never let them catch you in a lie, that was another lesson her mother told her.. they would use that against you too.

code: corvus || art: yumpy

Smoldering gaze watches her oh so diligently - he so close to worshipping at her temple but the words do not come, not yet at least. Her eyes flicked to his tail - captured and assessed. The lion grew still perhaps to much so with him appearing more as a hellish gargoyle within the depths of the cave, held still on the perch he was tied to.

@Bordeaux was many things - too small, too quiet, too submissive, too willing to answer his questions with no regard for her safety. It all drove his instincts haywire, the Shadow now perplexed. He was almost positive that she belonged to him but he couldn't be certain with the connection to the earth being muffled by his own rapidly beating heart. How that fleshly thing did rapidly beat within the cage of his chest - drumming away faster and faster still. Why couldn't he control it? The creature was always in control and he prided himself on such. But here he was, untangling on the edges of his own hell-made cage.

She wasn't good for him.

He couldn't think straight.

But maybe that was why she would be but his body would relax as she pushes herself up into a seated position. Head would nod lightly in approval and there was a subtle hint of pride at the way she was meeting his gaze for longer than a few fleeting seconds for it allowed him to take the measure of her soul.

'It would be unwise not to feel some hesitancy when being approached by a stranger sir, I have always aired on the side of caution.' Her words came polite and calm even though he could all but hear the blood rushing around in his own body. You don't need to be, the creature would drawl quietly to the woman who was beloved by the light. I think you are mine to protect, a quiet confession given though these words where not spoken in claimance but broached from a monster that wasn't sure what was going on inside of his stomach.

But his gaze would watch the lioness for a long moment, head tilting just slightly as he continued to stare through flaming eyes. She was an unseen creature, perhaps he stumbled across her too late.

The lion was watching her with an intensity that never seemed to soften. He must have noticed her glancing at his tail, for it immediately became still, as if he feared it would give away his intentions absent his consent. She had never had someone so fixated on everything she was doing, even the direction her eyes should occasionally glance. She had a strange feeling that the longer she remained in his presence, the more fixated he would become on her. Perhaps he would even make it a point to seek her out once they parted ways.

@Vladizmir would speak then, turning her suspicion into confusion. Protect her? She would find herself staring at him, holding back a small and humorless laugh in sheer bewilderment. She would struggle to find words to say in response, mouth agape and soundless for a moment. "I don't understand.." She finally managed. Perhaps it wasn't as straightforward as it sounded. What could it be that he wanted to protect her from? Did he think she belonged to him? Perhaps he would elaborate.

code: corvus || art: yumpy

He was nothing if not her devotee. His ears were pitched so far forward reverently pinned upon her form as he waited for her to grace him once more with her words - heaven's decree. But the hellion from the abyss didn't get it, not just yet instead the waiting and silence would naturally expand but his gaze would never wander. Anxiety was a feeling the creature hadn't felt in a long time and yet there it was sitting in the pit of his stomach and rolling around in slow waves.

His nostrils would flare again ever so leisurely, dragging that herbal scent into the depths of his chest. It travels up to his brain, striking cords while his eyes close - how he savors it. Out of his reverie, he went with his eyes slowly climbing open as he refocused upon her. Paws would move, and he tried to come closer still to her - he needed to be closer to her scent, to feel her against his skin. Maybe it was that small voice in his head urging him forever onwards, he had to find out but he didn't want to startle her because then he would have to hunt her down.

The thrill of the hunt was always something that he favored. But the idea that he would have to hunt her down and potentially weave fear within her heart more so than what he was already doing almost made the creature sick.

'I don't understand..' Her words finally come and the Shadow finds his gaze dropping to her gaping mouth while ears pivot forward - he longing to listen to her heartbeat. It...doesn't matter, He would drawl quietly as he tried to come closer to her sitting form. The words they hurt to say, the way that clawed his throat in rebellion seething lie for it did matter and it would ruin him.

Stay by my side, the words are freed before he could even think upon them fully - no tact given. The obsessiveness that drove him forward made its home in his mind, rattling around until only her name echoed in his thoughts. Stay with me, and I will never disappoint you. Quiet words rasping and husky - a metaphorical outstretched hand to her. 'Mine?' The words are flirting with his mind inquisitive and filled with need.

@Bordeaux walked into the wrong cave at the wrong time.

A comfortable and relaxed sit became less so. Each inch he took to close the distance between them making her slightly more tense, threatened to leave her immobilized in the looming threat of potential harm. She didn't know what to do in this situation, as what she had been taught came into conflict with how she felt. Her mother had always been content to live within a gilded cage, serving others in exchange for their protection. Bordeaux though.. she relished in her freedom and took pride in the little home she had made for herself. Her trials of surviving on her own could be trying, but they were not ones lived with fear.

She wanted to tell him to stop, to insist he was speaking nonsense and that she would not welcome his company. She ought to excuse herself and make a hasty retreat back to her den, hopeful that whatever spell he was under would clear and he would forget her. Perhaps he was not in his right mind, thought her someone else? What about her could captivate him so? So many things to say and to ask, but her mouth remained closed.

He would go on to ask her to stay, to be with him. She felt a rush of emotions then, in such an array that each blended into the next so seamlessly that she could not decide for herself what she was feeling just then. Her heart did not know, but her instincts spoke with sharp clarity.. 'Leave.. run before he closes in on you like a cat on a mouse.' She almost complied, but her mother still spoke to her, the warning against provoking anger. If she ran he might chase, and if he caught her he might be even more unstable than before. She could just tell him no, but would he take this rejection lightly? Pessimism had its say as well.. She was alone, abandoned by everyone she cared for.. if he wished to be with him what was the harm? Did she not desire that feeling of being wanted by someone?

"Why?" She asked, voice strained as she fought to keep in control of herself. She must be overthinking things, perhaps he was simply toying with her to get a reaction. All she had left was to try and reason with him. "I am just a humble little healer.. a nobody. I have nothing of value to offer you." She insisted in a self-deprecating fashion.

She could always run if there was no reasoning with him.. or was that even an option? At the moment her body seemed outside of her control, locked in place as if encased in a thin sheet of ice.

@Vladizmir

code: corvus || art: yumpy