What Lurks Beneath The Skin [Asim]

[Raiha]

Closed. Asim, please.

10th of Spring, 510 AV.

Auristics.

Raiha loved auristics – practicing it, using it, discerning details that no one else could. The only problem was how much it tired her out at her level of study and experience. She didn’t practice it near as often as she should, or as she could, because of just how much it tired her out, mentally and physically. It made it easier for Kanikra to come out, to take over. Raiha was never in any shape to be fighting with her twin after she had spent time focusing on an aura, and Kanikra liked to keep her guessing about when she would make a move, if she did… because it stressed Raiha out even more to worry about it.

When she was by herself… it wasn’t such a big deal. But Asim was here, and Raiha didn’t want Kanikra to be able to take a shot at the Kelvic. Maybe that was a bit uncharitable: Asim was a big guy who was used to a hard, physical lifestyle. Short of stabbing him with a suvai, what all could she really do to him? Besides, if Kanikra was that intent on not showing him anything about her… maybe she would stay quiet. Kanikra was very big, after all, on keeping secrets. They hadn’t touched the subject of the ‘multiple personalities’ since that first day on the ship, and Kanikra, Raiha knew, was almost stewing for a fight.

She glanced at Asim in his bunk, considering. She could try reading his aura… but to do so was almost like an invasion of his privacy. He wouldn’t appreciate it, and Raiha wasn’t going to strain a budding friendship by doing so. Even if he wouldn’t even notice. Kanikra, however, had no such foibles. Come on. Use it on him. See what you can find out and what he isn’t telling, hm? Or are you scared?

I’m not scared. It’s impolite, Raiha retorted as she made her way over to the roped-in stall where Yakini came over to greet her. I’d rather see what my horse was feeling, anyway. Yakini was one of those horses that preferred room to move, room to run. And she didn’t exactly have that here, and wouldn’t, for the rest of the trip… some ten days to go. The most Raiha was able to do was to take her out for a bit when they docked, if they docked, and to walk her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth across the wooden floor of their shared quarters. But that wasn’t all that much exercise for a horse that could use considerably more, and was simply getting fat and bored.

When she got to the stall, the mare greeted her, leaning against the single rope that held her in, and Raiha placed her hands on the mare’s head, spreading her long fingers out, her blue skin contrasting with the Firemane’s velvety muzzle. The horse’s aura encompassed everything, from her hooves to the tips of her ears to the ends of her long tail. It was on this aura that the Akontak focused. Everything had an aura, from Diallo at her side to Uzima on her perch to Asim as he grumbled and prowled as he was wont to do. But everything else faded into the background as Raiha concentrated. Without thinking about it, she breathed with the horse as Yakini nuzzled her.

What came out were mostly things she already knew. The mare was five years old. Faint hints of curiosity tinged with lots of boredom. She wasn’t really hungry, but she was restless. She wanted to move. She wanted to run. I know, Raiha stroked the underside of the mare’s jaw. I know. I…! She knew the sensation of being dragged back, forced into nothingness as Kanikra stepped up and took over. It was happening now, and she had no way to warn the Kelvic about it

Kanikra rotated her shoulders then, rolling her head on her neck, and stepped back from the mare, smiling at her as she gave her a good scratching before stepping back in a bit of a pirouette. She stretched her arms up over her head, lacing her fingers as she faced Asim once again on her way back to her hammock. There was the faintest hint of a manic grin on her face before it rapidly disappeared, replaced with an almost radiant smile. “Everything alright?”

[Asim]

Knowing, like all animals do, that something was wrong, Asim rolled over and opened his eyes, looking at Raiha. "No. There's something wrong. And I can't tell what it is," replied Asim, staring at her, his eyes narrowed. Yes, there was something wrong with her. That was certain. "Are you alright? You seem a bit...off," stated the Kelvic as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bunk. He stared at her for a long minute, before standing slowly. He needed a stretch anyways, which gave him an excuse to stand.

[Raiha]

"I'm fine," Kanikra smiled at the Kelvic, watching his every move in a way that differed from Raiha's usual methods - where Raiha was quiet and unobtrusive, Kanikra had a well-concealed look of a predator. But Asim, too, was a predator, and he understood these things. He knew what such a glance looked like - she was subtly sizing him up. Besides. You didn't spend the better part of about nine days cooped up with one another and not begin to pick up on certain behavioural ticks.

Diallo allowed Kanikra to scruff his ears, even as he nosed and shoved her hands with his muzzle. Diallo did not seem to be particularly pleased - animals knew when something was wrong, and the blueskin's dog had picked up on it, too. So denying it or not, she was clearly up to something. She watched him even as she crouched near the dog, one knee on the wooden floor, her lips parted slightly as she took in his aura. "It's smooth sailing, and I don't hear anything overhead, though I do of course defer to your better senses," Kanikra smiled at him, using Raiha's smile, pushing herself up to her full height... which was still less than his by almost a foot. "So what's wrong?"

[Asim]

With a tilt to his lips, the Kelvic leaned closer to the blueskin. "You're what's wrong. I don't know what it is, but neither one of us is leaving this room until I find out what it is," he stated, before moving to put himself in front of the only door leading out of their shared room. He thought about changing to his bear form, as it was larger, but he couldn't move as fast in that form, and he wouldn't be able to talk. It was also harder to knock someone out in bear form, as he didn't want to seriously injure Raiha.

Once placed in front of the door, the Kelvic looked at the dog that was sniffing at Raiha. Even if the dog didn't like Asim, and Asim didn't like the dog, they both knew something wasn't right. The Kelvic could tell. The look he had been given from Raiha, and the smell of wrongness, as well as the dogs sudden change from pleasure to something else just told Asim that he was correct in his thoughts. "Now, we can stand here, and you can tell me what's wrong, or I can beat it out of you," stated the Kelvic, leveling his gaze on the woman in front of him. These are the only two options I'm giving her. Either tell me what's wrong, or be knocked unconscious, thought the Kelvic as he flexed his fingers.

[Raiha]

"Oh, not to worry about that," Kanikra grinned at him. There was that grin again. The grin that contained caustic pleasure tinged with malevolence. "I don't plan on going anywhere. But I don't respond well to threats. Just so you know." She watched him block the door, and considered her options. Running had never been one. Asim wouldn't try to seriously hurt Raiha anyway... No, he'd probably beat her up a little bit and see how that fared. Kanikra knew from experience that giving them a thrashing never really helped Raiha push Kanikra back. If anything, the pain and adrenaline that came from fighting helped solidify her hold.

Leave him alone, Raiha warned her. Or else I'll---

You'll what? I could keep you like this, you know. I'm more than strong enough to be the one who wears this skin. It's just much more fun to take it when I want it and let you struggle uselessly without any hope for success. If you think you're going to find some way to get rid of me, if it was possible without killing yourself, I'm sure a number of Akalak would have managed it a long time ago. Kanikra was dismissive of Raiha's protestations. She was firmly in control, and had nothing to worry about from her sister soul.

"I'm not on horseback. Things will be a bit different this time around," she took a step toward him, one hand on a jutting-out hip, her fingers dangerously close to the suvai. Suvai, Raiha had told him before, were poisonous. The blueskin wouldn't threaten him with those. She hadn't drawn them yet, but she looked like she was ready to if he came towards her. Kanikra wanted to see what he was made of - even if he could crack a man's skull like paper, he probably knew that. This could go one of three ways. He'd accidentally kill her, he'd knock her unconscious, or she might actually manage this. One of the three. Decent odds.

[Asim]

The Kelvic glared at her, his fingers curling slowly into large fists. Now he really knew something was wrong with her. Raiha wouldn't threaten him. She was too...kind to do that. So, leaning towards her, the Kelvic let out a growl, his eyes narrowing. "It was a promise. Not a threat," he stated through clenched teeth. He saw her shift a hand towards the suvai, and he crouched slowly. "If you draw those weapons, I will knock you out," he growled.

As he did, he glanced at her once more. It was hard to tell, but there were subtle changes to her. Her eyes were sharper, her movements more of a precise move as well. It was as though she had become a different person in everything except looks.

[Raiha]

"I'm sure you would. But you'd have to be able to hit me first," the golden eyes gleamed, the grin still in place. It wasn't cocksure or arrogant... but it was the grin of someone who had some sort of trick up their sleeves, or a trap set, and was looking to work him into springing it. "So," she lifted a hand at him, palm up, and folded her fingers towards the palm in a 'bring it' gesture. "Why don't you try that before you get ahead of yourself?" Her center of gravity moved, crouching slightly, bending her knees, prepared to move and stop at an instant if necessary.

"Besides," the grin twisted into an almost cruel smile as Kanikra started her verbal and psychological warfare in earnest. Fights were rarely won solely on physical prowess alone. There were so many other elements. Intimidation, for one. Raiha may not have been particularly intimidating in herself, and certainly not to a massive beast of a man like Asim, but the mannerisms had changed. "Are you really going to risk crushing Raiha's skull because of a careless blow? You wouldn't want that, would you? She may be a healer, but she's only got one mark from Rak'keli to show for it... certainly not enough to fix a broken skull."

...Raiha's? She?

This must have been that multiple personality thing that Raiha had mentioned, wasn't it? Raiha, by herself, was relatively harmless. But this one was something else entirely - the stakes, name, and rules of the game had changed, and no one was there to explain it to him.

[Asim]

"You don't think I can?" asked the Kelvic, his eyes narrowing even further. His brawling and unarmed combat weren't the best skills, but he could hold his own. And he would be able to connect with this girl, if he had too. Even more so, he knew enough to pull his punches so he wouldn't leave lasting damage.

So, he took a step towards her, growling softly. "I don't know what your name is, but if you don't get Raiha back out, I'll put you out for a few hours. And I don't think Raiha will mind when I tell her why." And then, he stopped, for a minute, to consider, before changing to his bear form, and moving to stand on his hind legs. He was a larger target, yes, but, in an instant, he could change, be smaller, and take her out in close range combat.

[Raiha]

"You've only dealt with her, and hardly even then," Kanikra's smile was blood-chilling. There was no warmth in those gold eyes - they were like chips of ice, and she remained in the lowered-center stance. "You have no idea what I'm capable of... you did advise her not to tell you -all- of her secrets... I assure you she listened." Her eyes flashed as she gauged his movements, considering how quickly he could get over there. Bears could charge, yes. But if she could stick him with the suvai... one or both of them... Well, it might take a while it kick in, but it would slow him down. But she was getting ahead of herself there.

The hammering began in her head, then, something unexpected as Raiha began to kick up a rather unholy fuss. Leave him ALONE! I mean it! Stop it! Stop it NOW! Fake it, do something, just... don't gut him!

Kanikra's fists clenched as she lost that self-assured smile, a storm cloud of a scowl on her face. "Petching bitch!" she hissed under her breath, the tension obvious in her body as her muscles seemed to seize up. He had seen a lesser version of this when Raiha seemed to be arguing with herself, or having an inner debate. And whatever was going on in her head now was clearly a serious internal struggle. Stop it! Kanikra hissed a warning. So help me, I will gut him if you don't shut up right now! You're going to get both of us hurt.

Then pretend to give in! Play the game. Aren't you the one who thinks she's so damned smart? Raiha didn't really think Asim could be fooled so easily. But if she could distract Kanikra... well, she'd have one bad headache and a couple bruises later. Preoccupied though she was, Kanikra drew one of her suvai, gripping it just so, and holding the whalebone blade out steadily, watching, waiting. Let him make the first move and upset his balance. She could wait.

[Asim]

The Kelvic growled softly as he stared at this Kanikra, his eyes narrowed. He lurched slightly, to test her, ready to drop to the ground or twist out of the way if she struck at him. As he did, he flexed his massive paws, causing his claws to scrape against each other.

It was a waiting game, now. He wouldn't move, and she wouldn't give up. So, the first one to make a mistake would be the first one to go down. Though, if he went, he'd take her down with him, because he was planning on landing on her, and she would not be able to move him if he did.