Far From Home and Thieving (open)

[ulrica]

<sup>Almost there, two more feet and it's mine! Misae's tanned hand closed around a huge gem. Its crystalline surface shimmered in the security lights of the jewelry shop she was in, reflecting small rainbows into the darkness. Beautiful... The seemingly young shape-shifting dragon would have loved to sit there all night and look at the diamond sparkle in her fist, however, the guttural cries of security guards quickly ruined any ideas of that. Misae groaned, rolling her eyes and running a hand through her hair, dark slender fingers disappearing in a mane of silvery moon-like hair, veined with a pale blue that darkened on the underside of her hair and around the nape of her neck. Well, I suppose it can't be helped...

The dragoness sighed, almost sadly, before giving the room a quick once over. The security guards were on the stairs she knew, but there was one uncovered window. However, it led out onto a dark alley way. Hmmm.... Which to choose which to choose... Misae hated unnecessary fighting, but she also had no desire to reveal herself to any humans that were still lingering in the alley below. Local gangs were a real problem in this town, on top of that there was the occasional street thug seeking some sort of redemption in a doomed city. And what does that make that you? Misae almost smiled...almost. But that stray thought had reminded her exactly what she was: an outsider. Something foreign in a place she could never belong. If only-

Pounding on the door cut off the dragoness's train of thought and she twirled to face the way she had come in with a faint a snarl. Her fangs, permanently un-retractable , poked at her bottom lip as she ran her tongue over one of the tips, thinking of a way out of this mess. Seconds passed and there was already a large dent in the door. She needed to choose her escape and fast.

With an angry growl she spun on her heel and spread her magnificent wings, catapulting herself through the window just as the door opened and an ear splitting blast came. The moonlight cast a shimmery glow on her pearly wings, the thin veins of blue also running through the milky scales as they did through her hair. But there was the ground, coming to meet her all too quickly. The buildings creating the alley were too close, her wings didn't have enough room to fully expand and the cement making up the walls broke away too easily dis-enabling the spikes at the ends of her wing bones from getting any traction as she desperately scrabbled for a hold. But no matter how hard she tried, there was nothing she could do. She was falling. Shift you idiot!

The black tank top, denim blue-jeans, and knee high black riding boots melted away as black fur rippled out across her entire body. A tail grew from her lower back as her legs and arms rearranged themselves into more animalistic positions. As her head flattened and narrowed into a more feline appearance, moon white wings shrunk down and became a part of her shoulder blades. Finally, a large black jaguar was left where a teenage girl had been. Black paws silently hit the ground running, the only sound Misae made was a small yowl of pain as she felt something snap and found she could no longer trust all of her weight to her right fore-leg. But she didn't have time to think of that. Quickly snatching up the fist sized diamond in her jaws, the shape-shifting dragoness loped off into the night, her right leg tucked under her belly.

Sticking to the shadows for her entire travel, Misae finally managed to reach what little wilderness remained on the outside edges of town without any alarming sightings of her by any humans. However, her mad dash into the darkness had taken its toll on her and she collapsed panting, the diamond falling out of her mouth as she hit the ground. Pain blossomed in Misae's ribs as she realized she had fallen on a rock. Great, real great. Can this get any worse..? The dragoness shifted back into her anthro form, her clothes rippling back along her slender figure to replace the black fur. A gasping whimper escaped as she took in the damage, at least two ribs were bruised and one cracked, her wings were fine thank the gods, a bone was fractured in her right arm, and there were numerous cuts and scrapes along her entire body. But the most alarming wound was in the left side of her torso: a single bullet wound. Damn... Misae knew she couldn't heal herself until the bullet was out, but unfortunately that didn't stop the pain. Seconds later the dragoness's eyes closed as her body went limp, her right hand covering the wound in her middle while the other was splayed along its corresponding wing. She would lay like that all night, leaning against a tree with her wings splayed to the side, the last conscious thought that ran through her mind being a desperate plea. A dragon's cry for help... She only hoped it would come before time ran out...</sup>

[Dark Strider]

Lucky for the dragoness, Leon had been in the general area that she had been. He had been out spotting for places for his next job, a small hit against a powerful merchant who was smuggleing illegal weapons to the local underground crime syndicates. Leon had heard the yelling of the guards and the blast that had followed. The door hit the floor and the sound of weapons fire came from below him. On top of a large jewlery shop, reknowned for its collection of large and valuable gems.

Leon had heard the glass of the window splinter and crash against the ground below, the alleys where people of low brow intelligence gathered to "plot" and scheme. Leon continually rolled his eyes whenever he saw a group of people huddleing around a trashcan fire, plotting on stealing something of no real value. But, this time, a figure that Leon didn't expect to appear, came out of the window. Translucent wings popped out quickly, but there wasn't enough room to take in a full gale of wind benieth them. The creature then shifted into a different form and rushed off into the darkness of the night. Curiosity piqued, Leon watched the guards looking out of the window, one saw him and his face bleached. Leon only smiled and then hopped to the next roof, following the creature that had fled.

Leon followed the creature for quite some distance, finally making it out onto the open fields. Soon, however, the creature slowed and shifted again, a feat that Leon had only seen from a few people. The form of a woman with wings changed from what looked to be a large jungle cat. The woman fell to the ground near a corpse of trees. The glint of something caught Leon's eye and he moved over to the from of the girl. A large gem, almost the size of Leon's fist, lay near the woman's body. He looked at her carefully and saw the wet glimmer of blood on her. He sighed and moved over to her.

Reaching into his coat, Leon pulled out field supplies. Medical tools and disinfectants, gauze, bandages, and all other sorts of things for field first aide. Leon followed the trail of blood to the wound and found only one bullet entry mark. Leon rolled up her shirt a little, allowing him direct access to the wound and looked carefully at it. His Demon's Eye allowed him to see in the dark perfectly, like a sunny day. It wasn't a deep bullet, Leon could see the bullet itself, but the problem was that it had narrowly missed a major arttery. Leon gritted his teeth and took a field scaple and popped the bullet out. Luck was on his side as the wound didn't gush forward with blood. Only a small welling of blood came with the bullet. Leon sighed with releif and proceeded to clean and disinfect the wound. Then, he carefully dressed the wound and wound a tight bandage around it. Then, being the ever practical one, Leon bound the girls arms and legs together, using steel cable that he normally carried for missions. He took out a small vile from his coat and opened it. It was the military equivalent to smelling salts, used to revive people from sleep and deep sleep states. Then he sat down near the girl and held the vile near her nose. Once an ample ammount of the fumes had been released, Leon closed the vile and placed it back in his coat. He reached over and picked up the gem. He sat there, waiting for her to revive and casually tossed the gem up and down in his right hand.

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[ulrica]

<sup>Dark...

Cool...

Painless...

Misae had succumbed to this black unconsciousness and had found relief. Now, as she was yanked away from it, agony wormed its way back into the dragoness's vocabulary. However, she was smart enough to hide her revival at least for a little while longer. The bullet wound in her side had been bandaged and the bullet removed; Good, now I can heal.. And as the thought formed in her mind, the wound began to stitch itself back together and within a few minutes would be completely closed leaving no trace of its ever having been there save for a small, pale scar. Steel chords bound her legs and arms, the latter in so painful a position it made her head spin. Damn... Guess it really was fractured then wasn't it... The woman mused silently to herself; her entire right arm felt as if the bones had been turned to mush. However, there was something even more important that was screaming for her attention: a man was sitting not far away from her, and he had her diamond.

Anger spread through the dragoness's veins, heating her blood to boiling at the thought of her diamond in some stranger's grubby hands. The fact that he was probably that same stranger who had cleaned and dressed her wound failed to cross Misae's mind, however. Forcing her drowsy eyes open, the young woman gave a glare that would have frozen the blood of some dragons she knew, her violet eyes glinting dangerously in what little moonlight was able to shine through the trees surrounding them. Those same violet eyes then scanned over the strange man who had saved her and now was apparently stealing from her. He was tall and lean, and had at least two weapons-a gun and what appeared to be some sort of blade on his back. Most of his face was hidden by long hair and whatever wasn't covered was shrouded in shadow created by a wide brimmed hat and added to by the current hour. He would have been a formidable opponent even before he had gone and bound Misae. Since he had taken such measures, however, the dragoness overlooked this small detail and instantly started scrambling for some sort of insult. Unfortunately, such things weren't in her nature and none came with the ease or wit she had been hoping for. If this had been any other situation,she probably would have loosed a sigh at her failure, but now she simply curled her lip in a dissatisfied snarl.

For a brief moment, thoughts of her distant home crossed the shapeshifter's mind and she almost regretted her actions. But these memories, like so many others, were quickly shoved away. Misae needed all the anger, and hate she could muster to free herself and possibly fight this man who now held her diamond. "So you help me and then you steal from me? Counter productive is it not..?" The woman growled angrily, her fangs flashing in the slight moonlight as she tried to push herself forward into a more comfortable position with her wings. As she waited for the man's reply, her violet eyes gazed hungrily at the ocean-like diamond he tossed so carelessly in his hand. The crystal's faint hues of green and blue casting discolored shadows on the man's trench coat. Stupid human better not drop it...</sup>

[Dark Strider]

The shapeshifter came too, finally. Leon looked up at the... creature, and his lips curled into a small smile. "Well, I believe that stealing from a thief is a bit of irony that should happen more often. Bring justice where justice is due, I suppose." Leon said. It was getting colder, Leon noted, as his breath was beginning to fog in the air. "Look, m'dear, I don't plan on leaving you here. Not at all. Wouldn't be gentlemanly. All I'm here to do is to nab this, make sure you're gonna be fine, then I'll be on my way. After releasing you, of course. Once I'm gone, we can both mosey on our way." Leon said, bouncing the gem in his hand.

Not really paying attention to it, Leon tossed the gem high into the air, sending multi-shimmering sparkles off in several directions. He stretched and stood up, catching the gem behind his back and placing it in one of the many pockets in his coat. "You seem to not like me much, but I assure you, I'm not here to "exact vengeance for the theft of the gem. All I want is to... you know what? Actually, I don't care if you take the gem or not. All I want to know is... Why? Why take this useless fake gem?" Leon said, pulling the gem out and looking carefully at it. "Yep... genuine fake." Leon said, tossing the gem to the ground. Oh that was going to set her back.

He sighed and shook his head. "Didn't you look for the safe? Crack that and all the real gems would be behind that." Leon said in an undertone. "Oh well..." He said, sighing again. "Here..." Leon said, reaching down and undoing the ties in the steel cord that bound the, creatures, limbs. Leon wound the wire and placed it in one of the pockets in this coat. Then, taking a step back, and using the abilities he was gifted from the Demon's Eye, looked over the girl, though not taking off his shades. It was a weird way of looking someone over, but it worked in sub-light or low light situations. Her arm was in an awkward position, possibly fractured, more then likely bruised and cut. Her wings seemed fairly intact, but it wasn't anything he could tell from here.

He stood back up and offered her his hand as a way to get up. "No hard feelin's darlin. Just thought you had stolen something of real value there. Anyway... I'll be off... hopefully we can meet again under better circumstances." Leon said, with a tip of his hat and a flash of a smile. Then, he vanished, warping a long distance off, back towards the busy lights of the city.

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[ulrica]

<sup>The man's breath suddenly visible in the air was a surprise for Misae. How cold is it out her? She wondered, her body to heated for the cold to affect her at all. However, the man's next words only angered the dragoness more. "Look you can leave me tied, even slit my wrists if you so please, but if you think you think you can just take my diamond then you are sadly mistaken." She snarled furiously. "Besides, I'd rip your throat out before you had the chance to leave..." It was an empty threat and she knew it, but she hoped that wouldn't show through to him.

Violet eyes watched carefully as the man tossed her gem again and again, but he didn't really seem concerned with whether he dropped it or not. But then he was talking again. Relief flooded through her when he stated his intentions weren't to hurt her and then again when he verbally relinquished her diamond. Even though his word was meaningless without action, it was the only thing Misae had to go on. But then he told her it was a fake. Fake?! I risked my like for a fake?! She didn't even notice he had so carelessly thrown her diamond to the ground. "What?! That's impossible it can't be fake! It's an oceanic diamond it can't be a fake I wouldn't risk my life for a fake!!" She growled, unable to accept that this gem that reminded her so much of her home was a genuine fake. There was some mention of a safe, but it fell on deaf ears because at that moment, the bonds were falling away from her arms and legs as the man undid the steel cables holding her captive. She would have fixed her arm then and there, if he hadn't then stepped back and continued to study her. His hidden eyes scanning her body brought an unwanted blush to the shifter's face and she turned her head away slightly, absentmindedly bringing a hand to a thin scar directly under her collarbone as if to hide its cause. That's just silly, get a hold of yourself. She mentally reprimanded herself.

Then he stood and backed away, speaking as he did so: "Hopefully we can meet again under better circumstances..." Taking the hand that had been offered to her, Misae raised her eyes to try and see his face. However, all she caught was the flash of teeth as he smiled, and then he was simply gone. Her violet eyes widened. "What the hell...?" She breathed in disbelief. And just like that he reappeared again, but far far away. So you're going to the city huh? the dragoness mused, quirking a brow and thinking of all the ways she could enact her revenge for how he had so unkindly tied her up. He did help you thought. A part of her mind was saying, a part she successfully ignored.

Misae forced herself through a shift, her arm healing through change though it was a hundred times more painful than if she had just let it heal in her anthro form. She scooped the gem into her jowls and took off into night. Still, as the midnight paws of a jaguar carried her swiftly across the ground she bit back a yowl of lingering pain every time her right foreleg hit the ground. She didn't know if she would catch the man before he reached the lights of the city, but her plans would be much more difficultly carried out if she didn't. Maybe I'll get lucky and I'll catch the little snake before he disappears again. Her diamond was safely held between iron like jaws as she ran as fast as she could toward the back of the man who had insulted her pride.</sup>

[Dark Strider]

Leon was on the move, the night's air getting steadily colder as a strange wind began to pick up. Strange,Leon thought to himself. The weather seems to be heralding a storm or something. Leon shrugged the thought off as he returned his attention to the surroundings. Opening the small video screen superimposed onto the lenses of the sunglasses he was wearing, Leon called up a local scan of the area. Marking different locations as way-points on the digital map, Leon continued moving quickly towards the ever growing in size lights of the city.

The encounter had been and interesting one. A shifter, and one of the few that possibly lived in the local area, had broken into a jewelry shop, stolen a fake gem, without realizing it as well, and getting into a gunfight. All of which Leon became a part of due to him spotting for a position for the next mission he was going to embark on in the morning. Curiosity still piqued, Leon called up a scan of the area he had just been in. A thermal scan was taken, thanks to the AI Leon had designed himself, HARVY, from an over passing satellite. Leon couldn't see anything, not even a cold image. So, he widened the scan, covering about four square miles around that area. Two distinct bio-signs popped up, due to the widening of the scan. One was his own bio-signature, the other was that of a jaguar. The jaguar was moving in his direction, closing rapidly at that.

A sigh left Leon's mouth as he figured that the shifter was going back towards the city. Maybe she was going back to her home, maybe she was pissed off at him, he couldn't tell. Whatever it was, wasn't high on Leon's priority list. He needed to get back to that shop, set up a few things for his mission, and then get back home. He needed a nights sleep, even if it was only a slight respite. Whatever the shifter wanted with him or the city would have to wait till he was done with his work. So, closing the screen on his lens, Leon warped the last short distance to the outskirts of the city. Looking up, Leon warped to the top of a near-by housing complex, and began moving quickly and quietly back to the jewelry shop.

Upon arriving on top of the store, more then five minutes later, Leon proceeded to setting up for his mission. Taking a silver plated briefcase that he had brought for his mission originally, Leon diled in the key code. The seal cracked open and allowed Leon to look into the case. Inside sat a totally deconstructed sniper rifle, complete with clips of specially designed ammunition. Leon closed the case and stuck powerful electro-magnets onto the outside of the case. Then, Leon stuck the case inside of a large metal vent. He made sure that it was secure and then turned towards home. Jumping down from the third floor of the building to the ground, Leon landed with a slight grunt and then straightened. Moving quickly, he strode to his parked car and climbed in. Turning the ignition, Leon gunned the engine. The clock on the dash read 11:48 PM. He sighed and shifted into drive. Pushing the engine, Leon roared away from the jewelry shop and towards his mansion.

After about ten minutes of silent driving, Leon pulled into the garage of his home. Climbing out of the car, Leon clicked the alarm and closed the garage door. He walked down the small path through the garden to the front door. Taking his house key, Leon opened the door and walked in, closing the door soundly behind him. He took his hat and coat and tossed them onto the coat rack, popped his shoulder, and walked up the grand staircase to his room. The door slid open silently as he approached and he walked in. Kicking off his boots and throwing his combat harness and his sword into a chair, Leon climbed into bed and picked up a book he had been reading. Leon clicked on a light, kicked Mion, the two tailed fox, rather a kitsune anthro who could turn into a feral, human, or truly anthro form, out of his bed, and reclined, reading deeply into the night.

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[ulrica]

<sup>Damn humans! Misae roared within the confinements of her own consciousness. They're as slippery as snakes! Of course he had disappeared again, and with him his scent. Skidding to a stop at the last place she had seen and smelt him, the female shapeshifter let loose an earsplitting roar. Usually she wasn't one to hold a grudge, but for some reason this human had really irked her and she wanted payback... But maybe she was just hungry... A hollow gurgling noise came from her stomach and the large jaguar gave a rumble of distress. She had no money, and killing really wasn't her forte. She sighed, breathing in deeply and--there it was again! Ha, gotchya now nestling. I'm expecting a wonderful meal and straight out of your own wallet. The young woman schemed gleefully as she set out again.

Upon reaching the outer limits of the city however, Misae ran into another problem. She couldn't very well just go charging into Thor as a large black jaguar with a fake diamond in her mouth. That might raise just a liiiittle bit of a problem with the locals, and problems were something she had one too many of. Finally she decided she would simply rob someone of their coat and use her anthro form. Her wings might make her back look a little bulky, but hey this was the city everyone had some sort of weapon. Quickly choosing a shady looking street corner, Misae set her sights on a small patch of flickering light. She didn't have to wait long before a grubby man was seen limping down the cracked sidewalk, a brown paper bag covering some sort of a bottle in his hand. Well, he may be disgusting but he'll have to do... She complained silently as her paws carried her silently towards her unsuspecting prey. The whole while, thoughts of her homeland bombarded her relentlessly. I would never have to do something like this if I had just stayed there...

A crash sounded as her tail accidentally bumped into a trashcan, sending the lid sliding down and causing quite a commotion. The now alarmed prey spun around, his bloodshot eyes dazed and unfocused as they tried to catch whatever was stalking him from the shadows. Damnit! Misae snarled in her mind before leaping silently and deadly onto the man's chest. He screamed loudly as his body was drug easily back into the shadows. It had been a surprisingly shrill noise that made the feline's ears ring and head ache; it definitely wasn't helping her mood any. "Oh shut up!" She snarled savagely, tossing the man into the dark wall of the alley way. Instantly, the screams stopped along with a sickening thud. Sighing and rolling her eyes, the young shapeshifter phased into her anthro form, stepping forward to investigate the limp body of the street urchin.

"Oh that's just disgusting" Misae whined, covering her nose with a hand at the sheer stench of the man. "First this stuff has got to go." She deftly removed the bag covered bottle and tossed it aside, a shattering of glass sounding about a second later. She then grabbed the man with one hand and pulled him forward so he hung limply in her grasp. If any one had walked by at that moment, they probably would have screamed even louder than the man. At least what he had seen had been somewhat natural looking, but a slender winged woman holding a man three times her size in mid-air was anything but natural. However, Misae didn't have time to think about scenarios right now, she needed to get this man's coat off of him and fast. There was already voices beginning to reach her ears from down the street. A gust of wind hit the young woman with some force, enough to make her stumble and drop the man and enough to make her realize how cold it really was becoming outside. Oh well, there are people coming. They'll help him. She reasoned. Or kill him... Another part of her whispered somberly. Well, that was just a chance she would have to take.

Yanking the coat, that fell about mid-thigh, on before slipping the diamond into one of its pockets and wrinkling her nose at the smell, Misae spread her wings and leaped high enough to snag the bottom of a fire escape ladder and climb the rest of the way up. The buildings were pretty close here so she figured she would be able to leap from roof to roof with relative ease and speed, not to mention stealth. After all, whose ever smart enough to look up? She asked herself with a sly smirk. Once again, time forced her to push on. She took off at a sprint across the roofs until finally, she had followed the strange man's scent all the way to.... The jewelry store? Had he come here to do the job Misae had so cunningly failed at? She didn't have time nor the means to find her answer because just as she crept up to peer over the side of the roof, she saw the man slide easily inside a large metal box. She couldn't see what it was very well because of the shadows this man had parked in -- For one so helpful he sure is a sneaky little isn't he... -- but she assumed it was something fancy judging by the arrogance in his manners from before.

However, he was pulling away down the street and Misae was just standing there watching him get away. Growling at herself, she yanked off the jacket and tucked it under her arm before leaping into the air. She used the clouds for stealth, but that also meant she had to rely on her nose to keep track of the car. Unfortunately, with all the different-and gross-smells in the air, the poor dragoness had found two sewage plants and a power plant by the time she had found the mansion the man apparently lived in. None of which had possessed particularly appealing fragrances, nope, not appealing at all. But she didn't have time to think about smells as she pulled the jacket back on to try and keep the light from shining on her scales and giving away her position. Misae ran around the house halfway before she saw a window that shone with light. Ahh, so that's where you've run to little mouse... She mused, grinning wickedly.

Giving a magnificent leap and a mighty flap of her wings, the dragoness crashed through the window with a mighty roar. The man of course immediately fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness and -- That's just stupid... Misae rolled her eyes and rubbed a palm down her face while giving a disappointed twitch of her still covered wings at her mind's own idiocy. Circling back around to complete a full rotation of the house, she finally came to a gate. There's got to be some sort of buzzer here somewhere right? I'll just bug the guy until he let's me in. Once again, not a great plan by any standards, but it was all the female had to go on as she walked towards the gate to begin her search.</sup>

[Dark Strider]

Never the one to be caught of guard, HARVY had been monitoring the progress of the dragoness since she had first arrived in the general area. He had monitored her progress out during the first confrontation, that was true enough, but he didn't think that she would come after Leon. Oh well... watching the girl walk up to the gate, HARVY signaled Leon to get up. Leon, admittedly, had fallen asleep while reading. Waking with a start, Leon pressed the small flashing icon on the touch screen on the night stand. HARVY quickly filled Leon in on the events that had transpired while he had taken his short rest.

Mumbling a small grunt, Leon got up and pulled his boots on. He fixed his hair which had fallen into his eyes and made sure his sunglasses were on properly. Then, grabbing his combat harness with the pistols still in it, his leg holster, and his sword and sheath, Leon exited his room, walked down the stairs, two at a time, and entered the kitchen. Once there, Leon immediately jumped over the island that sat in the middle of the granite tiled floor and landed in front of the liquor cabinet. He unlocked it with a small key from his pocket, took out a single bottle of whiskey, and cracked the top off. He took a long draft from the bottle and set it down on the open bar counter. Wiping his lips with the back of his gloved hand, Leon left the kitchen and moved to the door.

"HARVY, let our little guest in." Leon said, pulling on his hat and trench-coat. With a smile breaking out on his lips, Leon opened the door, stepped out and looked up into the sky. The moon stood out in the sky, illuminating darn near everything around. With a nod, Leon warped up to the top of his house. Getting a good vantage point, Leon could clearly see down the massive driveway, through the separations in the trees and areas of garden on his massive estate, right down to the gate, perhaps a half mile away. An even wider smile grew on Leon's face as the gates swung open, admitting the "guest" entrance to Leon's home. With a gathering of his feet benieth him, Leon launched himself across the perhaps thirty feet to a grouping of trees, tall oaks that had been there since before Leon had built his mansion.

Landing in a few of the larger and stronger boughs, Leon moved with practiced ease through the trees, causing only slight rustles and movement of the leaves and the branches. A proverbial ghost in the night, Leon moved quickly and quietly to an area where he could look down over the gate and the girl. She had taken a coat, that much was obvious, but Leon could only wonder where she had attained it. Hiding his smirk, Leon moved back up the row of trees and found a relatively low branch in one of the ones framing the driveway. "Little late to be paying visits isn't it, m'dear?" Leon asked, reclining in the branch.

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[ulrica]

<sup>When the gates had open by no apparent force, Misae had become spooked. When the man's voice had come from the sky somewhere, she had questioned her sanity. Would a get a hold of yourself! She chastised mentally, disappointed in her own foolishness. Even so, she plaster a smirk on her lips and glanced around the trees until her violet eyes fell upon the branch the human was resting on so casually. The woman gave a quiet scoff, rolling her eyes and placing a hand on her hip. "I didn't think you would mind." She goaded, absentmindedly wondering if she had woken him up. Serves him right if I did...

Misae's boots made little crunching noises as she walked on the small road leading to the giant house that cast its shadow against the backdrop of a starry night; a scar on the face of nature. Approaching the tree that the man sat in, she paused her senses so delicate at the moment, even the sound of a mouse scuttling through the grass a few yards away came clearly to her ears as if it had been a person walking directly in front of her. "But, I have a score to settle with you." She stated simply before continuing past the male and striding leisurely toward what must be his house. She knew her behavior was more than a little rude, but she was hungry and this coat had made her reek so now on top of the meal, she intended on getting a shower and a clean change of clothes from this pesky human.

The dragoness seemed to ignore the human, but in fact he was her most repetitive point of focus. While she would notice some things and simply scan over them, others she would come back to once or twice if things didn't check out for her. But when her senses scanned over the human, they almost immediately returned. She knew he was heavily armed, she could smell the gunpowder, and the same blade from earlier was again on his back. He may have had more but none she could see or smell at the moment, but he didn't seem like the type to use them on her straight away. At least, she hoped he wasn't. And if he is, he'll shoot you in the back before you even have a chance to think about dodging. A voice in her head mentioned as if in pleasant conversation. Misae quirked a brow, and huffed. Well there's a cheery thought...

Finally, she had reached the door to his castle-like abode where she then turned around with a curious expression on her face. Though if the human took the time to look, he would see the innocence was feigned. She wanted something, and that want hid directly below her curious mask in the form of a nonchalant smirk. "So, what's for dinner?" Misae asked, as if this was the most natural question in the world and one she asked him every night. However, amid the lilting, airy tones of her voice lurked the threat just beneath the surface. She was hungry, and most definitely not human. She was smart, but mercy wasn't something she was easily inclined to. If this human didn't satisfy her, the dragoness would show him just how much his guns would do against diamond-like scales. Come along little one... It's time to play. She dared him mentally, a dangerous glint flashing in her violet eyes as the moon hit them just right. For a brief instant, she looked more like a beast than human, but just as quickly as it had come it was gone, leaving Misae looking, for all intents and purposes, like a human.</sup>

[Dark Strider]

The casual tossing of the threat didn't miss Leon. Simply smiling wider, Leon jumped to the ground several feet behind the shifter and continued along to the house. He kept his arms crossed in front of him, placing his hands within easy reaching distance of his guns. There was an air around her, something that Leon had met before, with one like her, though he couldn't place a definite finger on when and where, more to the point with whom. Leon placed it on the back burner, as he walked in silence behind the girl.

Even from that distance, the coat she wore reeked something fierce. Not making a face, but inwardly gagging, Leon allowed her to get just the slightest bit ahead of her. The stench did dissipate, but only slightly. Still, it was an improvement then before, though Leon knew he would have to do something about it if she decided to stick around. As they reached to door to his house, she spun around and asked him a point blank question, hand in hand with the threat she had thrown at him before. Her face belayed the intent as well. Leon's warrior senses had kicked in the moment he had heard she had arrived at his house. Something about her told him that she was going to be either a good friend, or a persistent enemy. Leon could more then likely handle both situations, but right now, he was at a fork in the road.

Smiling and laughing lightly, Leon moved past the girl and opened the door. "Well... I do have a few things I can throw together for ya. Let's see..." Leon began, moving inside the door, beckoning her to follow. He walked into the main hall and threw his hat onto the coat rack. Soon after it came his coat. Still wearing his sword on his hip, Leon walked through to the large living area. Through that to the open bar kitchen and to the refrigerator. He opened it and pulled out several packs of defrosted meat. Porterhouse, Sirloin, T-bone, New England Cut, all these different kinds of steaks, as well as ground beef. Leon placed the Porterhouse, the New England Cut, the T-bone and the ground beef away and pulled out a spatula for the fairly large grill. An overhead vent sat above it, and began collecting the smoke as Leon lit the grill. Going back to the fridge, Leon pulled out all the materials for a salad and placed them out on the counter. Reaching into one of the pantries, after nudging the door of the fridge closed with his foot, Leon pulled out a fresh loaf of Italian Bread. He placed it on the counter and got out a bowl for the salad. Taking out several knives, Leon began to cut the different vegetables, placing the disposable parts to one side. Soon, Leon had the steaks going on the grill, the sound of the sizzling meat going into one ear, and the sound of the knife cutting through crisp veggies in the other. With a deft flick, Leon tossed one of the knifes into the holder that he had taken it out from before. He had one too many knives, and decided to get that one out of the way. Leon took the freshly cut veggies and threw them together into a bowl. Taking a minute, Leon flipped and doctered to the steaks, making sure they didn't burn on either side. Next, going with a serrated knife, Leon sliced the loaf of bread and placed them onto a plate. Placing it on the table, Leon turned and placed the bowl of salad and a few different kinds of dressing onto the large table that sat in the kitchen. Salt and pepper were already on the table, which were accompanied by two plates, a knife, two forks, a napkin and a crystal glass for whatever it was she wanted to have with the meal.

"I prefer red wine with steak." Leon said, taking his attention for the grill and to the liquor cabinet. Leon opened it carefully and reached in, pulling out a fresh bottle of Paul Masson Burgundy. A vintage bottle, Leon popped the cork and took a small whiff from it. He placed it on the table, and returned to the grill. Within the space of ten minutes, Leon had prepared a three course meal. He indicated for her to join him, as he placed the steaks on both of the plates. They took up a good portion of the plates at that. "Anything I can get you for the steak? Steak sauce or something else?" Leon asked, taking his normal seat at the table.

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[ulrica]

<sup>This house wasn't a castle, it was ten times more extravagant. Misae glanced around with some amusement before following suit and hanging her coat up. Then thinking better of it, she took it back down and tossed it outside as the door shut. Turning back, the shifter was able to catch an eye full of the human as he walked into his kitchen, saying something about making her something to eat. But the eye candy he was giving her was more than enough at the moment. A wry grin spread across her tanned face as she raised a hand to brush some hair out of her eyes. He was quite handsome, with muscles chiseled against his skin and a good face now that she could actually see it. But then she saw something even more beautiful, meat! And he was cooking it...? Oh well, she would give it a try if he was going through so much trouble over her sake. But she wouldn't eat the leaves and other vegetables he was throwing in a bowl. Misae's nose wrinkled at the mere thought of it...or maybe that was just the way she smelled.

Violet eyes glanced around the large room, taking everything. Then the smell of meat cooking hit her. Oh gods... Her stomach growled as the man began plating the dishes, the steaks taking over half of the plates. "You know. I've made it a rule of mine not to eat someone's food if I don't even know their name..." Misae said, somewhat nonchalantly as she fiddled with the steak knife placed by what she assumed to be her plate. It was sharp in the sense that it would create a minor cut but not do any real damage. Huh... Smart boy... She mused silently as the human sauntered over to his liquor storage. She smiled and replaced the knife to its former place as if she truly had been simply playing with it while he returned with a bottle of red wine. The female quirked a brow, curious to see how this beverage would taste. But she definitely would not be eating if she stayed in her current state of stink for much longer.

While the man sat down in a chair with something like practiced ease Misae chose to make her move, her smell would only help her cause. With her athletic body clothed in only her black tank, some tattered jeans that showed off her curves, and black riding boots that hugged her calves, the dragoness was already naturally quite beautiful. But add her elfish features, violet eyes, and white hair streaked with blue and purple, and most would find her gorgeous. And after almost a century of practice, the female shifter had learned how to use that to her advantage. Trailing the fingers of her left hand along the table until she reached the human, she walked around his chair while allowing her fingers to trail up his arm to his shoulder and then to tease his hair. Misae bent over the back of his chair, lifting her wings so that the first hook rested on the edge of the table and placed the man in a sort of confinement to make sure he wouldn't scamper away, she curled her arms around his head and slid her palms over his muscled chest. "Let's face it darling, I could be your enemy or your friend." She began, unknowingly echoing his thoughts as her lips brushed against his ear. Her voice took on a seductiveness she hadn't portrayed since the pair's unusual meeting, and she even picked up the habit of using a casual pet name. "But, both of us know that neither of those things are going to happen as long as I smell like this. So, how about you help me out with a shower and we can finish our supper without gagging." As she spoke, her fingers had traced circles on the man's chest while her left hand had trailed up to softly stroke his cheek. Now as her whispers ceased, she planted a gossamer kiss on his temple and another lower down on his jaw. "So what do you say sweetheart? Help a girl out?" She asked softly while pulling her wings back to lay them against her back and walk around to face the man, leaning back against the table to wait for his answer.</sup>

[Dark Strider]

Though the "seduction" would have worked on any other man, Leon's hardened training and time in the extremely tough environment that only the Marines could supply, made him darned near impervious to the temptations coming from people or, in this case, a creature. He did smile, and didn't make a move as the girl sauntered over and kissed him twice. "Sounds fine to me, m'dear. Just... if you don't mind, cut the act. I know this is just some way to get me into dropping my guard. I'm not stupid, sorry to say. If I was, well... I probably wouldn't have any of the things I do today." Leon said, placing his left arm on the table and resting his chin on his knuckles.

"Now... about that shower. Right this way. There'll be clean clothes for you once your done, I can assure you of that." Leon said, standing up and away from the table. Leon walked casually around the table and out of the kitchen. He led the way up the grand staircase and to one of the several master guest bedrooms. The door opened as he approached it, and walked into the instantly light filled room. "Right over there, m'dear. A fully stocked bathroom with a grand shower. Everything you'll need is in there, as well as clothes. Don't ask where I got them, because it would take a while to explain, as well as to introduce the person who has procured the clothes." Leon said, pointing to a large marble tiled bathroom. "Oh... the name's Leon. Leon Deltova, like you asked." He added before winking out and back to the kitchen in an instant.

Sitting back down at the table, Leon pressed the center of a small touch screen that rested in the counter next to him. "HARVY, keep an eye on that one, just not in the bathroom. Do a scan of her and see what she is. I'm curious." Leon instructed. HARVY simply sighed and went about doing his work. Sitting back and smiling, Leon took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Placing on in his mouth, Leon lit the end of it and took a small pull. He let the smoke sit in his mouth for a few seconds, before he let it slowly roll out of his mouth. He watched it swirl up to the ceiling. Satisfied, Leon helped himself to the salad, taking the oil and vinegar and sprinkling it on top of his portion. Then, pouring himself a glass of the wine, Leon sat back and took a sip, enjoying the rich taste. Now, all he had to do was wait until his guest re-joined him at the table... or wait for her to make a move against him.

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[ulrica]

<sup>Hmm...Not as dumb as you look soldier boy... The dragoness thought at the human's words. Outwardly she only pouted a bit, her gemstone eyes even watering a little giving the young woman a more doe-like appearance. "Oh come now, who said it had to be an act?" She teased, the fang revealing smirk on her face anything but flirtatious now. But the man was already standing and leading her up a very large, very expensive looking staircase. She walked up it, slightly in a daze as her hand slid across the smoothly polished banister. So this is what happened to the forest here... Industrialization... A small sigh escaped Misae's lips, there was too much industry and not enough wild to support it. You humans... You're so young but already you've changed so much in your short amount of time... If only you could see what we see... The dragoness shook her head slightly, shame coming across her face as thoughts of a more medieval time filled her mind. When humans were first rising, and dragons still ruled from afar. We should have guided you better... Her violet eyes watched the man's head bobbing as he strode easily up the stairs, talking about her room and a change of clothes as they reached a floor with many different rooms coming off of it. Her violet eyes lit on each extravagantly carved door as they passed it until they finally stopped before one. The door opened and the human led her inside.The suite was enormous. There was a four poster bed standing with its head rest against the wall, and a very thick, very warm looking comforter spread over it. Misae's eyes widened and her exhaustion began to set in. When was the last time I slept again? She wondered as the man rambled about clothes. The female dragon walked toward the bathroom, trying to look at everything in the room at once and failing. She finally settled for taking her concentration off the human and letting her eyes and mind wander over everything in the room. This man truly did live an extravagant - "The name's Leon. Leon Deltova..." Hmmm... Interesting... The shifter mused, her mind once again flashing back to a more feudal era. "Well Leon-" She began, turning as she spoke only to find the man already gone. Misae groaned and rolled her eyes, shuffling the rest of the way into the bathroom and stripping off clothes as she went. Impolite whelp... The woman muttered under her breath as she reached into the shower to turn on the water.

Steam instantly rose at the heat of the liquid, but to the dragoness it was simply lukewarm. Oh now that won't do... Laying a hand on the wall, Misae searched with her senses until she found the temperature aura created by a water heater. With a smile, she instantly heated the water to boiling, hoping the pipes would be able to take it. She then stepped into the shower, the liquid washing over her sore muscles and aching joints like a month of physical therapy. A blissful sigh came from her mouth and she almost laughed with the luxury of such a mechanism. I suppose humans can't be all bad if they've invented something this amazing. The seemingly young woman washed her hair and then conditioned it. Hesitating for a few more moments in the relaxing water, Misae reluctantly turned off the water and returned the water heater to its normal temperature.

There was a sink with a small cabinet beneath it which is where the dragoness looked first for a towel. Ahhh, perfect. A small smile curled her lips as she wrapped one towel around her torso directly under her arms so it would fall to about mid-thigh, and then another smaller one she used to keep her hair from dripping everywhere. She vaguely smelled the scent of what she thought to be a cigarette, but it wasn't something she was worried about so it wasn't given a second thought. The feeling of eyes on her came when she was walking out of the bathroom to look for some clothes. She dug around in some of the drawers finally finding a pair of jeans and a tank top similar to her own but with thicker shoulder straps to it. Huh... Oh well, it'll do. She dressed quickly, the feeling of someone still watching her making her wings stiffen and the small hairs on the back of her neck stand up. After she was dressed, she found a brush on a bed side table and set to detangling her long hair. That didn't take as long as she had expected it to since she had used the conditioner, but it had still been relatively knotted up.

It was about forty-five minutes later when Misae walked back down the stairs, her hair still wet though she had shaken it out some upon finishing with her brushing. Her bare feet were silent on the floor, the only noise she made being the soft swish of cloth rubbing against cloth. When she reached the kitchen again, the woman smiled and did a quick spin to give Leon the chance to examine her after she had been cleaned and no longer covered in dirt and dried blood. She then gave a playful bow in which she spread her wings out slightly to keep her balance, folding them against her back again as she stood upright. A fanged smile played on her lips-not a fake one brought out by an act or as a game, simply a smile to show her mirth-as she placed a hand upon her hip and cocked her head to the side. "So, what do you think? Any improvement?" She joked, her violet eyes watching Leon with curious interest as she waited for his answer.</sup>

[Dark Strider]

((oOc: Sorry for the shortness of the post... Not a whole lot of time to work lately.))

Leon had gotten onto his third cigarette when he received a note from HARVY that the girl had finished with her shower. He smiled and reclined in his chair. He had placed the steaks in the oven to keep them hot and ready. Bored out of his mind, Leon pressed several different symbols on the touch screen next to him. Slowly, the lights dimmed in the room and soft jazz began to play. It was relaxing, putting Leon into a better state of mind. He stretched his arms and crossed his legs, putting himself into a better position.

It was then that the girl walked in. Leon's jaw almost dropped when he looked her over. His eyebrows went up and he whistled an impressed tune. "Well, well! I didn't expect such a diva to walk into my house. My dear, you look absolutely lovely!" Leon said, the cigarette bobbing up and down in his mouth. Though she was still an anthro, Leon was very much impressed by her looks, the wings giving her a kind of presence over other women. Though it was an obvious presence, Leon knew that there were different interpretations to it.

Leon quickly stood and moved around the table, placing the cigarette into an ash tray. He pulled out a seat for her and smiled widely. "Please, m'dear. Let's continue our meal. And, I'd like to apologize for any impoliteness that I might have given off before hand. Strictly business, I can assure you. Now that I'm outside of work, I'll be more gentlemanly." Leon said, bowing slightly.

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[ulrica]

<sup>The man's reaction almost brought a blush to Misae's tanned cheeks, but she was a master at concealment and successfully slowed the rapid thumping in her chest and shoved away the satisfaction that she had impressed him. An involuntary snort came from Misae at Leon's diva remark, her eyes narrowing slightly. However, the corners of her mouth turned back up at his opinion of her looks. "Diva? No, Sir, not I. However, I will accept lovely as a fine compliment." She replied somewhat absently as her thoughts had registered the music playing. Jazz by the mellow tones and rich chords. Musical chocolate... The dragoness mused silently, laughing a little at her metaphor.

Misae was humming softly with the music when Leon stood and strode around to her side of the table, depositing his cigarette in an ash tray before doing so. Her eyes remained glued there for a while, watching the twisting dance of the smoke as it curled upward. Mesmerized by the glowing ember that kept the cigarette lit, she almost missed it when the human pulled out a chair for her. "I'd like to apologize for any impoliteness that I might have given off before hand... Now that I'm outside of work, I'll be more gentlemanly." He said, the smile still on his face and a slight bow bending his back. A wry smirk lit upon the woman's lips at that sight. It was familiar and yet foreign all at once. The respect his gesture was identical to the treatment she had been given while under the care of her foster father, and yet this man was so different from the vassals and knights her beloved mentor had commanded. For one, he bore no wings as they had, and the weapons he used were not of the same make as those used by her 'father's' men. He was different, and yet the same. It was somewhat comforting.

With a slight shake of her head, Misae snapped herself back to reality and dipped her head slightly in the manner she would have used while holding residence at her mentor's castle and slid gracefully into the waiting chair. "Thank you, Sir." She said, surprised and slightly embarrassed when her voice came out as little more than a whisper. Oh get a hold of yourself girl. Stop acting like a fool. A voice chastised in her head which Misae quickly obeyed, taking a deep breath and locking up any thoughts of her past within a mental box before throwing away the key. "Please don't apologize, I acted a bit...rashly myself..." The winged girl replied with a stronger and surer voice, her violet eyes now watching Leon with something like...guilt? "I'm not usually so-" she paused as if searching for the right word "-rude I guess you could say. I should be begging your forgiveness for my behavior, but I suppose that's in the past now isn't it." She shook her head, something about her apology seeming two sided as if it wasn't completely meant for him... But such an attitude quickly disappeared with the smile that came upon her visage then, the tip of her fangs just visible between her lips. "Now, if you don't mind my asking, what exactly is your business?" The shapeshifter asked, a curious note to her voice.</sup>


((OOC: It's cool, no problem. ))