Slither Me Timbers (Open)

[Cinder]

His gaze had slowly drifted in an unblinking gaze to the window as he sat motionlessly over time on the chair. For awhile he remained completely still watching as the sky slowly began to take on a multitude of color. Night would be arriving within the next hour, if not earlier. Only when he heard movement did his eyes finally flicker to Vyxenne and stay upon the slowly rousing girl. When she finally did wake up he could see the shock wash over her features at the realization of what happened, or perhaps what didn't happen. It was funny how quickly her personality took a nose dive into silence when she had been confronted by a situation that, on her part, could have easily been avoidable.

As quickly as she had awoken she shifted as if subconsciously into the small ball of fur. One brow hooked up in slight amusement, though not nearly as amusing as when she reshifted into a very nude human form. He was a rare Dhani indeed who found others outside of his own species attractive. Though perhaps it wouldn't be so surprising when the only thing he found in his species desirable was their meat. That small smirk that had been there in the beginning came back as the girl moved quickly to hide herself and get dressed. It wasn't before the red eyes had pierced along her back side, devouring the bare image of Vyxenne before it was once more covered. It was tempting, very tempting to have lunged out and grabbed it right than. If he had desired to do so he could have had her pinned on that bed before she had time to grab an article of clothing. Was he in a merciful state of mind today? Perhaps lazy from the alcohol? Perhaps he was just fascinated by the little creature. He still wasn't sure if that was enough to let her leave the room by the end of this night though.

Again his stomach growled, more viciously than before. He finally stood up and walked around to the opposite side of the bed, blocking the door as he leaned against it and stared the petite fox girl down, "Well now, what am I supposed to do with you Vyxenne? There I was enjoying silence with a friendly drink and you decide to make the town squeamish with my presence. On top of that you pass out in front of predator that could devour you whole, and than when you wake up show your nude body in front of me. If I weren't mistaken, I'd say you are lacking the natural instinct for survival." He pushed off from the door and seemed to glide over to her, putting one foot on the bed and pushing himself over it, landing crouched at her side before he straightened up and looked down at Vyxenne. His fingers snaked around her chin as he pushed it up, red eyes staring into amber. "So now that you have ruined my plans for the night, I really hope you'll find it in your little heart to help a hungry beast in one way or another." Cinder tilted his head down lips brushing against her own as he whispered softly, "I think you could turn out to be more useful than you realize little one." His middle finger scraped against her throat as he moved his mouth away from hers and released her chin.

[Vyxenne]

Now that she wasn't expecting. She tried her best to keep her cool, but there was something in his eyes, hunger, that scared her. But she expected that. He was planning to eat her. What she wasn't expecting, though, was a kiss.

He had very soft lips, and even though it wasn't cold, she shivered. But really. Who kisses their food? Him apparently. She wondered how many other young women like her died this way. She knew that anyone else would be smart enough to not confront a Dhani. That's like a chicken running around screaming "Please eat me! I'm delicious!" or someone jumping off a cliff. It means death, whether instant or prolonged.

And she had a instinct for survival. She really did. But there was something about this Cinder person that made her completely ignore what her body was telling her. On top of that, she shifted into a fox and back! Every Kelvic knew that when you change back you're naked. How could she let herself do that? And he said she was intriguing. How was she intriguing? She was just a normal street thief with an excellent sense of smell and the desire to know why a Dhani was in her city. Any other normal person (that could smell snake from quite a distance away) would want to know too! But then again, any normal person would not walk right up to a Dhani and start interrogating them. Ugh.

She was afraid to speak, so she just sat there trembling. Was she scared? Yes. Was she confused? Absolutely. Was he totally hot? Yes, yes he was.

[Cinder]

She looked terrified, smelled like fear, tasted like fear. His fingers flexed as he avoided the temptation. He could see that she was confused and uncertain. There was the fear in the back of her mind of whether she would be eaten or not. Was he just prolonging the uncertainty until her demise, dragging it on to drive her insane? Well... actually he had done that before, tormenting someone for days until they had snapped. That however was not what Cinder had planned for the young fox girl. She had more potential than a bony meal that would be neither completely satisfying, nor fill the void of hunger that had grown over the past few days. His eyes wandered over her trembling form, allowing the silence to stretch as he enjoyed the display of weakness. She really had turned from a wolf to a pup from beginning to end.

Cinder laid down the bed, crossing his arms and folding his arms behind his head. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of fear that coiled around the room, licking his lips as if he might be able to taste it. "Don't worry Vyxenne, I don't plan to eat you. You are far to scrawny, and other than a few claw marks, the fight wouldn't be worth it. I want something a little bigger, something less scrappy and more challenging. However, now that you've put the Dhali alert on this town you've turned my new found hunting ground into an unnecessary obstacle that I think you could help me fix. If your a good girl I will let you go, not... another scratch on that pretty little head of yours." He opened his eyes, the glare of red locking with hers as his lips curved to the side in an alluring grin, "That is, unless you want me to."[b]

He closed his eyes again seeming to relax, as if letting his guard down. If she were to try to bolt for the door though he would be there in a second, ready to drag her away from it. He wasn't done with the little fox yet. While he had chosen not to make her his dinner for the night, it didn't mean he wasn't going to use her to get his much desired meal. [b]"I want you to lure someone to the outskirts of the city for me. Someone with a little more.... meat on their bones, and more challenging." He sat up and grabbed her wrist, pulling the girl towards him, "Do you think you could do that for me little Vyx, or shall I just settle in the end for you? The choice is yours. One filthy vermin infesting this massive city, or yourself."

[Vyxenne]

She knew running would be hopeless. She also knew that she would probably be killed whether she found someone for him to eat or not. She would rather spare the lives of others than save herself, and she knew that even if she was spared she wouldn't be free from this Dhani's grasp. And its not like she had anything to go back to, seeing that her father was in Alvadas and that was the only family she knew.

Him being so close, he was all she could smell. He smelled like clean human and snake, as before. But there was something else there...she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she could definitely tell that there was something else there. She was visibly annoyed of something he couldn't see, and she kept fidgeting from annoyance and being so close to death. His hand was cold, not warm like a human's hand would be.

If she found someone else for him to kill, then lives would be changed. What if that person had kids? What if he was taking medicine to his sick daughter? What if that lady was trying to earn money to support her family? It would be terrible if they got killed. She couldn't let that happen. It just wouldn't be right. "Kill me," she said. "I've been waiting for you to kill me this entire time. I'm sitting right next to you, I've even passed out practically in your arms. You might as well kill me seeing that I've caused you so much trouble." She said that slowly, and she tried to keep herself from slurring the words or stuttering. Then something unusual happened. Something she's only done 2 other times. She started to cry.

It wasn't the sobbing kind of crying, the one that little brats would use when they didn't get what they want. It was the quiet kind, with just tears rolling down her cheek and her lip quivering. It's not like she was trying to cry, either. It just happened. She didn't want to get killed and eaten, but she didn't want that to happen to anyone else. She got herself into this mess, she wasn't going to use someone to get out. She would get out of this by herself, whether it meant getting killed or not.

[Cinder]

What was it about a woman crying that had a tendency to stop men in their tracks. Even a cold malicious man might be taken aback by the salty drops of tears that tagged a woman's cheek's, if not for a moment. He stared up at the young girl as he watched her lip quiver. Deep red pools followed the trail of tears as he frowned and pushed himself up, resting on his elbows as he pondered what to do with her. He could just as easily have devoured her on numerous occasions. He was sure that he could convince her to do what he wanted to if he tortured her for a bit. She might be saying one thing now, but just tossing the little rag doll of a fox around and biting into that supple body might change her mind quickly. He learned that beings, of any species generally would break in that manner. Very rarely would a person sacrifice themselves for the safety of another.

Frustration suddenly peaked up as he growled with annoyance and pushed himself to a standing position. and grabbed the whimpering girl by the hair, tearing her towards him. "Stop your pathetic whimpering, it's sickening. Get it through your little head, I have no desire to eat you, and I wont. I'm not to certain whether I will catch your naivety or not. I was being generous in giving you a choice of what you could do, but I've let this little game extend far to long. You are beginning to bore me." His husky voice began to show the hiss of the Dhani in the deep of his throat. His eyes flashed with a new emotion that he hadn't shown before. Often he held back the silent rage eating at his insides, but Cinder was a different man. The tears that spilled at first had startled him, but the strength that had seeped away into pitiful weakness had begun to enrage the Dhani. It was her stubborn strength and bluntness that had bemused Cinder before, but now that it was gone she was left with a very annoyed, very hungry predator.

His nails combed through her hair, fingers twisting around and pulling it closer as he pulled her head backwards so that she would have to stare directly up at him. His playful grin was replaced by a cold sneer, the canines seemed to glisten at the points. Poison was ready, as if begging to rip into the girl, but he refrained, [b]"I was going to ask you to lure someone out that wouldn't be a loss to the city. Some scum that no one would miss. They were always a more worthy prey in the end when they tried so desperately to fend for themselves to the very end. However, you really have come to annoy me, so if you wont help me, I'm going to do exactly what your trying to avoid. I'm going to find a delicacy in this town. Innocence tends to have a far sweeter taste, and I would like for it to be wracked with your guilt. Let this one be on your conscious Vyxenne. Because you, who stupidly followed a Dhani, would not at least help me rid the world of one lowly being, a pure one will die in their place. Which will you feel more guilty about?"[b] Leaning in closer he let his tongue flicker out against her warm cheek, catching the salty liquid before he released her hair.

Turning around he walked to the chair and grabbed his jacket. Throwing it on Cinder took several long strides to the door, his hand falling to his back as he slid a long curved blade on a handle, wrapped by chains from his back side. He turned his head to the side and glanced over his shoulder at her. [b]"As a bonus I'll make sure she screams with fear tonight."[b] Opening the door Cinder exited and slammed it shut behind him. He was ready to hunt.

[Vyxenne]

There was something about the quick way he went from amused to angry that made her laugh when he left. Should she follow him? No. Would she follow him? Yes. What else has she got to lose? She wanted to die anyway, then her father wouldn't have to be reminded of her late mother. And couldn't he realize that she was just as much as a lowly being as the beggars, or the thieves? She ate rats on a daily basis, and slept in an alley. She knew that she would eventually end up back at the inn room, so she just left her bag with her few belongings there.

She ran her fingers through her hair, her head still hurting from when he pulled on it. No matter. She's felt worse pain before. And its not like she was guaranteeing life by following a Dhani. She was still surprised that she was alive. She had a weapon, but all it was was a dagger her dad gave her, said it was her grandfather's. Nothing to keep it in. But she left it in Alvadas! "Damn." she muttered under her breath. She was pretty good at acrobatics, though. That worked. And if all else failed, she could go fox again. She would have to change back eventually, though. All well.

The smell of snake was still strong here, since he just left. She opened the door and closed it quietly behind her. She ran down the hall and out the door to the inn. Once outside, she tried to find the scent of snake. It was there, but mixed in with everything else. She followed it.

[Cinder]

As soon as Cinder exited the building the frustration melted away. Above him the sky had begun to transcend into night. He watched the people of the busy streets, dark red eyes scanning over the bodies that past by. He had slipped the weapon into a hook underneath his jacket, and now folded his fingers together behind his back as he curiously followed through the crowd. To his right he caught a glimpse of the small fox girl in the background, her eyes seeming to scan for him before he turned the corner. His lips twisted into a grin at the idea of the little seemingly suicidal woman that enjoyed playing with fire. If she wanted to watch than he had no issues with that. Perhaps he could get her to join. She was still a carnivore, even if it were for smaller critters. The thought of that little brash girl tearing into an injured body and into the flesh of a human delighted him. He doubted that fantasy might come true, but perhaps with time if he manipulated her he could turn the little beast into quite a pet. Cinder hadn't thought of the idea of having anyone with him before, but he had known that the Kelvic race was often used as servants or slaves. He did enjoy a challenge immensely.

Turning his attention back on the crowd he finally spotted a woman near the edge of the water, looking over the stone railing. She was petite, perhaps 5'5" in height, with a slender frame. Her dark skin and black hair told him that she was doubtfully from this city originally. Perhaps someone passing through. Those were the victims he would prefer, people who wouldn't be missed right away. In this day and age though, the amount of death was not alarming to people. This city was well guarded though, and he had no desire to leave right away.

Walking up to the woman slowly he leaned in close over the water, looking across the smooth surface instead of at the woman. "Beautiful city is it not?" He spoke up softly, a coaxing tone that caused the woman to look over at him. In the shade of the dying day the red of his eyes was hidden by the shadow line of his shaggy white hair. He cocked his head and looked over at her, smiling softly, "Sorry to intrude, I'm Cinder. Rather new to this town."

Now closer to her he realized she couldn't have been over twenty, a very young woman. They were always easier targets, and at the same time so much energy. She smiled shyly and responded, "It is beautiful isn't it. I've been here for a few months now and I can't get enough of it." She paused, biting her lip and looking down, "Ahh, I'm Catherine," She added lightly and glanced away.

Shy and meak like a small rabbit. Of course rabbits were always the quickest little devils. Occasionally he would enjoy the thrill of chasing down the fast beating foot fall of a frightened rabbit. "Well hopefully I will find this new home just as enchanting. I wonder though, I'll have to admit I am awful with directions. I've been trying to find help in figuring this cities ins and outs, but it seems that most people are a little to busy to stop and help a stranger." His stomach growled angrily and Cinder gave the young woman a shy, almost bashful smile, "Most of all i think I need to find somewhere quiet to eat. My stomach has a mind of its own."

For a moment she paused, frowning slightly as if trying to assess the situation. She looked uncertain, but than smiled again and nodded, "You know what I'm feeling a little hungry as well. I could help you find a place to get food around here."

"Lovely!" Cinder grinned with delight and turned around, motioning his hand out in front of him as she turned around and began to lead him through the streets. For the moment he allowed the girl to lead him, the two striking up a quiet conversation about their reasons for coming to the city. Of course he managed to spin a web of lies and partial truths to keep her entertained at at ease. He could almost taste the meal that would soon be upon him. Wonderful.

[Vyxenne]

Where was he? She looked around in the crowd. There. Who else would have a bright red snakeskin jacket? And he was talking to a girl... She definitely looked like a foreigner. Not from here. She looked more of a Vantha. She caught a view of him from the side, and she could tell that he had his hair covering his eyes for the sole purpose of not revealing his red eyes. And he was doing a good job of hiding his fangs too. Of course, she didn't want him to kill her, but by the look of the girl, she could tell that she was a lot less bony than Vyxenne herself. If she was a cannibalistic snake-boy, she would rather eat the human girl than the skinny kelvic girl.

Vyxenne shook her head. Why was she thinking like that? Why would she even want to look at it his way? She was hungry. She could hear rats scurrying around the street. She was finally glad of being good at hiding. She tried her best to blend in with the crowd, and tried to get a closer look at predator and prey. She could her snippets of the conversation. Vyxenne would have laughed outright if it weren't for the fact that they would hear her. Now that she thought about it, Cinder probably knew she was there. But she doubted that he cared. She didn't want to be seen by the human though... Or heard.

What he was saying though almost made her laugh outright. He was telling her lies so well she almost believed him. The human was obviously believing everything he said. She was so gullible she almost deserved to die. Wait -- no she didn't. Why would she think that? Pfft. She had to stop thinking like a cannibalistic snake-boy. Haha. No. You can't believe anything he says. But she didn't know that. That was funny. No! What was she thinking? Laughing at other's stupidness. She was the one that walked right up to a Dhani, of all things, and started talking to him. She even knew it was a Dhani! And then she let herself pass out in a dark alleyway practically in the arms of a Dhani. She was one to call someone stupid. But at least she knew what was coming for her, confronting someone dangerous. The human didn't know that the only thing on the menu was her. Hah. If only she had a better sense of smell like Vyxenne, instead of the terrible kind that humans had.

She *almost* felt sympathy for the human. Almost. She would head back to the inn to get her things, but she felt like tailing the predator and prey. Questions kept nagging at the back of her mind, though. But she couldn't think of them now. There was spying to do.

[Cinder]

Cinder didn't have to glance back to know that he was being followed. While he might not have had the sense of smell that was as strong as the little fox girls, he had that itching sensation that she was still among his presence, following quietly through the crowd. Now what intrigued him the most was why she followed him. If it were a good civilian she would have grabbed the woman in broad daylight or perhaps searched for some guards to stop him from his inevitable plans. Instead she was spying on him, wandering like a ghost through the crowds. He made sure not to space off about the girl trailing behind him and instead kept his attention honed on the woman. From his guess in her attire and looks she was more than likely a Vantha, which meant that she more than likely was a deeply religious woman rooted with her worship in the goddess of winter, Morwen. One thing Cinder had learned through his travel, was begin to speak about someones religion with them and their guards will drop. Often people will get so wrapped up in their conversation and praise of a higher power that they wont notice their surroundings. It was interesting how similar the many species worked. Different gods and goddesses to different species and yet they all act the same in their different and similar beliefs. While he did not worship any god, he had desired the knowledge of learning about the many Gods and Goddesses of this world and had taken to soaking up the information of each region he visited. Sadly he had only heard stories of the Vantha's region with their god and goddess. Such a treacherously cold climate would surely put him into a state of hibernation and perhaps starvation. Of course to Cinder a few days without food was like starvation... he truly was a glutton.

The young woman looked up at him curiously, "You've grown quiet." She snapped him out of his calculating thoughts, bringing him back down to the present moment. Cinder looked down to her and gave her a small smile. "My apologies Miss Catherine, I was just thinking. You are a Vanthra are you not? If so which do you pray more to, Morwen or Rhaus. I'm rather fascinated by your gods, but I have been unable to learn much about them. Your climate is rather harsh for me."

The woman's eyes sparked at his guess and conversational turning point. She began to throw herself into a deep explanation of her love for the Goddess and her younger years of visiting the temple of Morwen in hopes of catching a glimpse of the beautiful ice queen. Deep in her conversation she seemed to not notice that he had led her instead of her leading him. On occasions Cinder's eyes would flicker to the corner to catch a glimpse of the young girl. He had caught her at the corner of his eyes a few times, if only for a split second, but he was somewhat pleased that she had continued to follow him. While he had been keeping the conversation up, though the woman was doing most of the speaking he had been looking for an opportune place, and it finally came in sight near a large bridge that led out to the edge of the lake. Near the bridge was a small open vendor selling fresh fruit. His stomach recoiled at the thought of trying to digest such a sickeningly sweet object, but none the less he walked over to the vendor and paused looking down at the girl.

"Rather than going to a loud, crowded hall to eat would you rather enjoy sitting out near the lake and enjoying the continuation of our conversation in private?" He asked motioning to the Vendor as an idea for what to eat. She paused momentarily seeming to think about what she should do. Clearly she was contemplating whether it was a smart idea to head out alone with a stranger, but it seemed that attraction got in the way of natural instinct.

"That would be lovely." She finally agreed, nodding. Cinder grinned and walked up to the man, pulling out a few small coins and buying a handful of fruit. He didn't bother to see what he was buying, as he had no plan to eat the toxic waste.

They headed towards the bridge, throwing themselves back into the conversation about where Catherine was raised, and the beauty of such a horrible ice land. He was only now half listening to the young woman as she seemed to wrapped up in talking to really notice his own attention. As they walked over the bridge, Cinder turned his head to the side, scanning the area momentarily until the red slit eyes spotted the girl. He smiled maliciously, the sharp fangs showing for a split second before he turned his head back to the young girl. He was inviting Vyxenne to continue following him, challenging her. He was beginning to grow less patient, but Cinder needed the opportune time to take the girl. What he wanted was a good chase. He wanted to taste the fear erupting from every pore of her body. Like a delicious marinade it always made the flesh more satisfying, leaving an erotic sensation that went beyond merely sedating the need to feed.

They exited the bridge and continued to walk down and away from the city, farther and farther away from human ears until he came to a nice area with a small grassy clearing and a thick wooded area behind them. He had averted his attention entirely away from Vyxenne for the time being as they made a spot on the ground. Settling on the ground he folded his legs and sat next to the girl. Setting the fruit on the ground he handed one piece to Catherine and leaned back on the palms of his hands. She had fallen silent as she bit into the juicy fruit. The smell curled his stomach, causing it to make an angry growl of protest.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Catherine voiced finally seeming to realize that the man who had been looking for food had yet to touch his meal. Cinder had grown quiet for quite some time, his attention on the surroundings, making sure that it had been made into a safe hunting ground. Now that he was away from the city, away from all hearing ears... almost all, he was ready. He cocked his head to the side, bangs falling away from his eyes. The dying sun had one last splash of light to give across the lake, illuminating the red, slit eyes to the girl. The predatory glint that flashed through his eyes made the lazy smile far more menacing. His lips parted in the smile slowly as the sharp canines lay light to his true nature. "Actually I don't eat... fruit."

Her eyes widened, and before she could drop the fruit in surprise Cinder was on her, slamming the girl against the ground, hear smashing into the cool grass as his hand wrapped around her throat, sharp nails poking in. "It seem's this is my day for gullible women. I can't complain though, I've been living off of unsatisfying rodents and birds for a month. I've been waiting for quite some time to find such a perfect and rare meal as you."[b] She was stunned at the moment, amber eyes widened with terror. Her lips parted to scream and he squeezed tightly, sharp nails digging into the fragile layers of flesh, breaking in until he could feel the warm trickle of blood, her voice choking off. He let go slowly and brought his hand up to his lips, running his tongue across the middle finger, tasting the sweet copper. A hiss of delight slipper from his lips as he looked back down at her.

Something seemed to snap in the girl and she finally began to thrash, her hand coming up and slapping him with full force against the face, causing his head to jerk to the side. Cinder snapped his head back, the sting of her fingers only causing a laugh to erupt from his throat. Pushing himself up and backwards he landed several feet in front of her, crouched down, staring her down. [b]"I'll give you to the count of ten to run. If you true to run towards the city I will rip you apart in a second. Your only choice... is the forest." She looked stunned for a moment, still on the ground, "Run little girl Run. Ten... nine... eight... Seven..." That snapped her out of shock and the woman was up on her feet, turning for the woods as quickly as possible and running for her life into the rapidly growing darkness. His vision was shifting into the night as he watched her body illuminated by the heat. "Six... Five... four... three... two... one. Ready or not, here I come." Pushing up off the ground, he pulled the weapon out from under his jacket and disappeared into the dark woods, adrenaline rushing through his veins as the hunt began. At the corner of his mind he wandered if the little fox girl was still there, if perhaps, she might like to join.

[Vyxenne]

She could smell the fruit from where she was. It smelled terrible, and just that was enough to make her gag. Why do humans eat that kind of fruit? Doesn't it taste terrible? She ate fruit, but only the kind of fruit you would find in a desert, and not very often. So this fruit looked and smelled terrible to her. She could see them going over the bridge, when Cinder turned around and looked at her for a split second. She had no idea what it meant, but she kept following them.

The kept walking through the forest, and the woman was completely oblivious to her surroundings until they stopped in a clearing. The vantha was perfectly fine until Cinder decided to show her his fangs. Well, he was giving her 10 seconds to run, but Vyxenne wasn't.

Something must have snapped in Vyxenne because she started sprinting after the immediatly after the vantha started running. It was as if Vyxenne was possessed by some predator of some kind, because she just chased after tha vantha like she was a rabbit. Vyxenne was definitely faster than her, and she was able to move through the forest as if it was a field of grass or an empty street. She ran ahead of the vantha, and then sprinted straight towards her and knocked her over. With her slight weight she was barely able to keep the vantha down, but the vantha was too tired and scared to try to escape.

"Who...are...you?" The vantha said, each word interupted by her heavy breathing. "I could be your salvation...or your death." replied Vyxenne, unsure where she thought of that. "Look, but we have to move quickly or we'll be killed by some monster!" the vantha said, her eyes growing wide. "Ah, so you've met Cinder. He should be here any second now." The vantha grew even more terrified, and asked in an almost whisper, "You know him?" Vyxenne laughed loudly at this, a laugh that was malicious, dangerous, and not her own. "I suppose you could say that. Why I'm still alive is because I'm too bony for him to eat. You, on the other hand, are not. And how you were completely oblivious to his red eyes and fangs I don't know. He wasn't hiding them that well. And you actually believed the string of lies he was telling! Hah. I almost laughed outright at you, but then you would have known I was there. See, I've been trailing you two the entire time. Of course, Cinder knew I was there. He knew the entire time. And I knew his intentions the entire time. And why do you eat something as disgusting as that fruit? It smelled disgusting." Vyxenne knew that the vantha was confused at this. "And you have probably guessed by this time that I am not human. More of, a fox with the ability to shift into a human. But that doesn't matter to you anymore."