Players: Karis and Azâzêl

Karis:
What a fine morning in late spring. Karis had managed to convince Kazu to go hunt by himself. That she didn't need anyone to stay and watch her. She was a big girl after all. It was so hard to get a break, and for her to have time to herself. She stretched out on her little bed spot she had that was a small pile of furs. Having the cave to herself. Noone to bother her. She felt like she might almost start to talk to Yukii in case he was nearby to hear. Well, until she heard a sound. Kazu wasn't back already right. Well, it definitely wasn't Kazu. That boy usually announced himself long before she saw him. He was often a little too loud to go unnoticed.

Azâzêl
The cave was not a difficult find. It was neither in an obscure location, nor was it concealed. The scent of the two Ulaya who had taken residence within was all too potent. It almost made the large, silver Moto'undil wonder whether or not that other foolish snow leopard lurked about. A tracker should have had less trouble than he when it came to locating the cavern. However, Azâzêl did not care. In fact, he reveled in the idea of that Chiyuki seething in the shadows while he unabashedly sauntered into his female's dwelling, neither invited nor unwelcomed. As if he belonged in that cave with her. His long tail twitched with the thought, eyes widening ever so slightly as a smug smile tugged at the ends of his lips as his more malicious side flared.

He strode confidently, making surprisingly little noise for one as large as he. He could go unnoticed if he wished, but he did not care to silence his arrival. Karis certainly did not seem to mind. He knew she missed Chiyuki, but this did not faze him. He did not care for the other Ulaya's petty longings, only pretended to comfort her as she pined for he who treated her so poorly. She fell for the act, lapping it up like a thirsty dog. She was too naïve to know any better.

And he didn't care.

"Karis?" He called as his shadow darkened the entrance of the cave. His smile would have been welcoming, were it not for the elongated canines protruding from his mouth, glistening in the faint light. He
placed his paws at the entrance of the cave, gleaming crimson eyes fixed on the smaller female. "How are you today?"

Karis
Really, she wasn't too surprised to see him. It wasn't like he never came around. He seemed to come often enough that in some unspoken way made her feel like he might always come around. How did he seem to know when she was alone though. Still, she gazed at him with her normal mixed well of emotions. On the one hand, she had felt a little hurt towards him ever since that event. She couldn't prevent herself from wanting to blame him for Chiyuki's never coming around anymore. Then, she'd blame herself inwardly and feel guilty for wanting to blame him. Of course it wasn't his fault. Chiyukii was grown, and if had truly wanted to see her or be with her, what could stop him? If he had been so jealous as to never talk to her anymore just because Az came to her; well that was just silly. It's not like she had ever been too close or intimate with Az.

Still, Azâzêl offered her a variety of company that was a stark contrast to Kazuhiko. His presence always seemed to unlock or open up a part of herself that she didn't know existed. Sadly, she couldn't see that it was a darker side. Perhaps its end result could be something she couldn't foresee nor desire to come to pass.

She pushed her front side up on her paws. "Hello Azâzêl. You've come to see me? Do you want me to come out? or are you coming in?"

She couldn't deny that though his size was intimidating; something about him was also attractive. Unfortunately, she was in fact too naive. Too naive to realize that his attraction was possibly like that of a venus fly trap drawing in its prey.

Azâzêl
He craned his neck, looking back over his shoulder, eyes scanning the area. "Yes..." he began, then turned back to her, satisfied with the seemingly empty landscape [not that he truly cared if it was empty, rather, he only wanted to continue the facade that he cared]. "I just came by to check up on you." He entered now, bowing his head as he stepped through the threshold between the inner cavern and the forest outside. His approach was even, eyes level with hers as he strode towards her, following the curve of the cavern wall rather than make a direct line to her.

"It's been a fair time since that incident." he came to a stop just a couple feet away, slightly off to the side, turning back towards the entrance of the cave as sat down. "However," he continued, "I want to make sure that you and Kazuhiko are faring well." He paused. "I don't want his brother coming around and causing you two more grief."

Karis
She listened and believed him. Hopelessly trusting him as the naivette she was. Her heart wanted to believe that Azâzêl had not really caused that confrontation or at least not intentionally. She wanted to believe that his intentions were just what he said. Because she wanted to believe it so much; she did believe it. Fool or not, that was just how she was.

She made a face about her and Kazuhiko. "Well.. I mean... He's better. Sometimes, I really wish he'd just give me more room to breath. He seems to be rather concerned about Chiyuki coming back, so he's almost always here. It's almost stifling." She then blushed a little bashfully. She also felt guilty and bad about not fully appreciating that boy's desire to protect her. Maybe she didnt' want to be protected. Maybe she had been perfectly ok with the way her relationship was with Chiyukii even if it was slightly codependent.

"Thank you so much, Azâzêl. Do you wanna come and sit with me? Of course, you're always welcome here. You seem to pop up when I'm either very lonely or just really need a change of face. It's pretty amazing. It's almost as if you just know."

Azâzêl
His ego stirred, eyes flickering briefly. Of course he knew... he knew others better than they knew themselves. Though, she did not need to know that. The fact that she welcomed him into her home was better yet. She had never stated outright that he may come by whenever he pleased; he just knew she longed for some company in the absence of that snow leopard.

He flexed his claws and smiled, standing up and ambling towards her. He took his place behind her, laying down, body comfortably curving around her own, though a couple inches kept them apart. He waited to see her reaction, testing. More comforting words couldn't hurt, either...

"Why don't you go out on your own, without Kazuhiko? Or, better yet, tell him how stifling you find him at times?"

He paused, allowing her to consider his questions before he continued. "I'm glad I can help you... I hope you don't think Chiyuki is staying away due to my presence... though I probably don't help the matter much." He chuckled. "If he's not willing to confront his fears for you, do you really believe him to be worth your time?"

Karis
His moving close to her that way. She didn't mind it. It was strange to her the sensation it gave. It was familiar from a way she had been with Chiyuki before, but it had been quite a long time. A long time indeed. Part of her felt disturbed if she should find it comforting even though it wasn't yuki at all with her. She listened to him. Her tail fluffled up and her ears laid against her back.

Yes. Going out on her own. It's not like she hadn't already lived a whole life on her own before either Yuki or Kazu came into her life. "I guess I'm just too nice. I can't just tell him to go. I guess I still feel bad that he got hurt on my account. If I were to try and go, I just have a feeling he'd follow me anyways. They are both a little stalkerish. I think Kazu keeps hoping that he'd be able to connect with me. I just... I've not had any spark with him. I really don't think it'll happen between him and I."

She also decided to not answer right away about Chiyuki. She knew there was more truth in his question than she dared to look at herself. Truly, Chiyukii had so much to confront if he were to come back. Would he? with all his pride? She couldn't say, and that made her feel incredibly sad.

Azâzêl
He nodded. "Perhaps it might be worth giving Kazuhiko a chance? He does care about you, Karis. I don't believe I need to tell you that for you to realize..." He wondered. If Karis did get herself involved with Kazuhiko, that would only widen the rift between the two of them and Chiyuki. A part of him wanted that to occur, but Kazuhiko and Karis would be a harder couple to ruin. Azâzêl would have only wholly ruined Chiyuki and strengthened Karis and Kazuhiko... and Azâzêl was not the charitable sort...

No matter, instilling the thought in Karis' mind may have been enough. Her irrevocable love for Chiyuki would linger no matter what relationship she found herself in.
Though, she never answered his final questions. This amused him. He turned his head towards her, and gently nosed her shoulder. "Something the matter, Karis?"

Karis
The nudge on her shoulder was something she had long not felt. It was almost unsettling to her just how much she found an inner part of herself respond to that. She thought it best to not let her body or her mouth answer that feeling. Should she let her friend make her feel like that? She wasn't sure that was a good idea either. Though despite her misgivings, she didn't make an attempts to move away either.

"yeah.... I dunno. It's just not there. There needs to be some kind of chemistry there. I just... I don't have it with him. I don't think I'd wanna be romantic with him. I mean.. I absolutely never lead him on." Though interestingly enough, anything that lacked between her and Kazu. She found it curious that something was there between her and this Moto with her now. Maybe it was just her imagination. It had in fact been a long time since her last time.

Azâzêl
He flicked his tail, the tension resonating from Karis all too evident. It pleased him, that he could make her feel this uncertain about herself. "You sound uncertain..." he stated, allowing the sentence to linger in the air, sinking into her psyche. "Just remember, you may not think you are leading him on, but males are... different. They require more direction than females. What you may consider playful innocence may read entirely different to him." His tail swept over the ground, very faintly brushing her flank, which was all but accidental. He had no attraction to this female, for was not one to succumb to temptation. He was the tempter.

He wanted her to feel comfortable with him, to show her that Chiyuki was not the only male out there for her. While he realized he could not convince her to relinquish her affections for the other male, he could instill doubt within her. Cause complications... He was very good at causing problems.

"What of you and Chiyuki, though? Do you really think he is worth your lingering affections?"

Karis
Topics such as self worth and other's worth of her were something she didn't often ponder. While thinking and considering his questions, she found herself almost unnoticably moving just inch by inch closer to him.

"My situation with Chiyuki is pretty awkward. It's also a little strange. He only will come speak to me if i talk to him in the forest. It's like praying to the trees. Sometimes they answer with his voice. I guess I've come to terms with the fact that he probably follows me everywhere. I just can't understand why he would follow me all the time and yet want nothing to do with me. That's really confusing. I think it is unfair to me."

She rolled over to lay facing towards him. "Do you think..... It'd be ok if...." She stopped and chewed her lower lip for a moment, almost too shy and embarrassed to ask. "Could.. I come and cuddle with you for a little while? You don't owe me anything, but you're being here is rather comforting."

tbc'd