Gabriel / Loki:Gabriel sat on the fence, idly running his fingers through the fur on his tail. It was a strange habit of his whenever he was bored, but it had some purpose. It kept the fur knot-free and it felt good. Not a bad way to pass the time. Now, if only he had a pretty female to do the stroking for him, he'd be in heaven.
But that was why he was here, wasn't it? Back outside the house Kali was imprisoned in. Fight as she might against the thought, this was her prison, even if the humans weren't trying to keep her there.
Honestly, he wasn't sure what he was thinking, coming back here. A white knight he was certainly not. But something in him made him want to try.
Kali:
"Ada I've told you a million times, I want that cat OUT." Came a loud boom from the inside of the house. Kali had been preparing for it though, and she was hiding under a chair. She hadn't really done anything, it wasn't her fault the man didn't know how to look where he was going.. Her tail had felt the brunt of the mishap anyway, why was he the one freaking out?
She waited for the human female's voice to come to her defense, but nothing was said. Golden orbs looked up into the eyes of her human, and her human merely looked away. Ashamed of either what she was doing, or what she was about to do..
Angry hands came at her from behind, and she shrieked, trying to bolt from the chair. The man was holding her, and he was holding her hard. She cried out, and a growl came from her throat. Her tail twitched angrily, and an angry paw came up, smacking him in the face. He dropped her, but she didn't make it to the floor before he had recovered and was grasping at her again. Claws and teeth found his arm as she grabbed on, and curled around it. He flailed, trying to shake her free, but she was holding on for dear life. His other hand began beating at her head, which caused her to let go, and run. Her heart pounded harder than it ever had before. The taste of copper hadf illed her mouth.
"You ******** curr." He cried, and threw a kick her way while opening the back door. She darted out of it, if only to miss his kick. But she didn't run, rather she held her ground, and was ready to go at him again. No one treated Kali like that...
"Get!!" He yelled, throwing a kick out at her, which she hissed and struck out at.
Gabriel / Loki:
Gabe's ears caught the yelling and he knew this couldn't be good. Hell, even the human neighbors could probably hear it. He was quick to dart off the fence and cross the yard, climbing up the rail that surrounded most of the porch. It wasn't big, but it was enough for him to perch on and wait, off to the side of the door. When it opened and Kali came running out, the man's foot trying to kick her, he saw red. Humans were never anything but pain.
When the man tried to kick Kali again, Gabe launched himelf from the rail, without even a hiss. He just jumped, arched through the air, and sank claws and teeth into the man's arm.
Kali:
The man cried out again, Flailing his arm in yet another desperate attempt to dislodge a crazed feline.
"Where are these damn things coming from!?" He screamed, hitting at the cat that had grappled onto his arm.
Kali froze for a moment.. Bewildered, and unsure of why Loki had returned.. and he had been waiting on her porch, which was even weirder still. But the situation had her thankful for him. She wasn't going to stick around though, not after that. Her body ached, and she worried about whether or not she would be suffering long term affects..
She darted up a tree, launching her body as hard as she could, even if she hurt as bad as she did. Throwing herself over the fence, she stopped to breathe.
Gabriel / Loki:
Run, kitten. Gabriel's thoughts were grateful as the man beat him. She ran, faster than he would have expected and he was glad. He hadn't been sure what he was doing, and had been even less certain of what he'd do if she stayed. A distraction he could manage, an all-out fight with a full-grown human was far more debatable.
As soon as she was up the tree, Gabe dropped his hold, falling to the ground with a hard thud. Today was going to leave a mark for sure, but he wasn't going to waste time thinking about that. Like a dusty bolt of lightning, he darted away, scrambling after Kali, up the tree and over the fence.
He landed hard, collapsing to the ground. Just a few moments to catch his breath, then he'd be out of there.
Kali:
Kali didn't have time to worry if he was okay, because he came down the fence into the grass right behind her. She was out of breath, and her body had started to shiver out of shock. She wasn't sure what had just happened, it had all happened so fast.. But her heart was beating in her chest like a rabbit in a cage.
She took a minute to recover, spitting the blood from her mouth. She shuddered, and and then her anger set in. How dare someone have treated her that way.. She'd been kicked, pinched, hit..
"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice strong. Though the words were laced with fear.
Gabriel / Loki:
Gabriel glanced up and held her stare when she spoke to him. His ears flicked back.
"Are you?" He was fine, well enough for what had just happened at least. He slowly reached out and touched her paw with his. She seemed worried about him, which was a first. And not for her, he'd never had anyone be concerned about him before.
His eyes scanned over her, searching for wounds. She'd spat out blood. Damn human.
Kali:
He touched her paw, and she didn't move it. She was grateful for the affection honestly. After all that.. just having someone that felt safe helped her a little bit.
"I'm fine." Lie. "I'm happy to be rid of them." Another lie. Her other paw reached up to her throat, feeling the fabric. She growled, grabbing hold and ripping the fabric off her throat. It hurt, but no more than she was already hurting.
"Thankfully you don't look hurt." She commented, looking at him, and then looking back into his eyes. She pushed a blackened lock out of her eyes,
Bruises were welling under her dark skin, but she looked to have no true breaks or blood that was her own.
Gabriel / Loki:
Gabe finally sat up, one eyebrow rising when he finally beheld her in all her glory. He'd whistle if his mouth wasn't so sore. "Would take more than a few bats like that to take me down."
He stood, a little bit more slowly than he would have hoped, but it was a start. So it was clear he was mostly bravado, he just hoped his earlier heroism kept him in her graces.
They needed to get out of there. Now. Still, he couldn't help but brush his fingers over a bruise forming on her arm.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry." That wasn't what he'd meant to say.
"Come on, we have to get out of here before he starts coming after us or calling animal control." There, that was better.
Kali:
She stood at his request, knowing he had a point. She didn't think the man would come after her, but it was dangerous for a cat to be on the streets. The facility, and people looking to make a quick buck, were always looking for a few strays.
She straightened out her dress, a silky feel like her collar had had. But his touch at one of her bruises gave her goosebumps. He really was handsome, and bruises on his own face made her thankful.. He had saved her.
A hand reached up, touching his cheek. She didn't say thank you, not with words. But her gentle touch and the look in her eyes said it for her.
"Yes." Her hand dropped and she sighed. "Go where?" She knew he probably had a place to go. But that didn't stop her from wondering where -she- would go for the long run.
Gabriel / Loki:
When her hand touched his face, Gabe's eyes snapped wider for a moment before they rolled back slightly and closed. The perfect example of a male enjoying a touch. He mentally kicked himself, hadn't he just said they needed to leave?
Her hand fell and his attention returned to the task at hand.
"It probably isn't what you're used to, but I've got a place. Follow me?" The last part was said as a question and he held out a hand. Would she really come with him? It would be a tremendous amount of trust on her part.
Kali:
Had she had much choice, she probably would have made him work for her attention a bit more than she was. BUt she was literally on her own now. Alone, cold, scared... and hurt. No one had ever tried helping her before. Ever.
Her hand reached out, fingers wrapping around his.
"Okay.." She responded. She went to let go of his hand, but he had a hold of it.
"You probably see me as very weak, don't you." She asked. That display, and then her willingness to follow him without truly knowing him? It wasn't like her. She was a tiger, a force to be reckoned with.
Gabriel / Loki:
Gabe snorted and gave her that half-smile.
"Are you kidding? I wouldn't cross your path on a bad day for all the mice in the world," he replied without missing a beat. How could she think he'd see her as being weak? She'd stood up for the human she'd believed in, even if her faith had been in vain, she'd lashed out at the man with no fear, and here she was, trusting him to help her. Giving her trust to him, when he didn't deserve it at all. For the first time that he could recall, guilt welled up inside him. He'd lied to her about his name. He had secrets, ones he had no intention of sharing. And yet she was trusting him.
A coward recognized strength. And if that wasn't strength, he wasn't sure what was.
Kali:
She smiled, her eyes gleaming for the first time. He had a way of making her feel.. happy. She'd never encountered that in someone else. She'd turned down champion cats, she'd ignored the advances of any cat that had ever shown her attention. Though she liked to flirt, it never got them anywhere,
"So you are handsome, brave.. and smart. Seems you are quite the cat, Loki." Her voice was curious,
Gabriel / Loki:
Gabe grinned and gave her hand a small squeeze.
"Keep that up and I'll start to think you actually like me," he teased and tugged her into a run. Or, at least a jog.
They moved through streets and alleys for a while, mostly sticking to urban areas. He'd been thinking about heading to the park, away from huge groups of people, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. He wasn't one to settle down into a territory, but he did like some level of consistency, so he tended to stay in one place until something drove him away.
He brought her to a middling building, somewhere between new and condemned, with faded paint and windows that probably needed a cleaning.
"Home sweet home," he'd said, his tone a little mocking as he slipped into a basement window. The large open room was chill, but dry and for the most part clean. It was full of... things. Old furniture, statues, rugs, there was even a phonograph in one corner.
Kali:
"Takes a bit more to win my affections, pussycat." She purred, though a grin was plastered on her features.
She followed him, keeping up with him easily though he never let her hand go. She was thankful for the contact..
She hesitated when she saw the building.. It was all more real for her right now. But she was tough, and she'd push through.
She walked through to the basement, and started looking around. It definitely needed a female touch, and it was far from what she had been acustomed too. But the company wasn't bad.
"Nice place." She said, walking over to an old sofa, and stretching out on it.
Gabriel / Loki:
"Don't look at me like that," Gabe shot back, before he started rummaging in a bag by an old chest of drawers. His words became muffled, but still loud enough to hear when he said, "Place upstairs is an antique store. This is all the junk that they haven't been able to sell."
He straightened and pulled out two smaller bags. One was jerky bites that he'd stolen from some tourists, the other was a bag of cat treats that had fallen off the truck. He'd been saving those for a special occasion, but this seemed like a worthy enough cause.
Setting the foodstuffs next to the sofa, he settled there, folded his arms on the couch, and rested his head upon them. He couldn't resist just staring at her for a bit.
"Hungry?" The word was low, his tone rougher and deeper than he would have liked. This female was wreaking some kind of havoc on his senses.
Kali:
He dug into two bags, and she felt her stomach growl. She hadn't eaten in two days, her human had forgotten to feed her.. Or so she had thought at the time. Now she wasnt so sure it wasn't intentional.
"Very.." She said, and then smiled. "Do you invite all the girls back here?" She asked, looking it over. She rather liked the vintage look. It wasn't what she was used to, but she really liked it..maybe because it had him there. What was wrong with her?
She needed the companionship, that's what. She reached out for one of the treats, and ate it slowly, her eyes still on him.
"Thank you Loki.. For everything. I don't know why you helped me.. But I'm glad you did." Her tone was purred. She couldn't help herself. Maybe he was different, because he actually seemed genuine.
Gabriel / Loki:
He didn't answer her question immediately, he wasn't even sure that he should. Gabe took the opportunity to dig out one of the jerky tidbits and chew it thoughtfully. If he told her a lie, he knew he'd just feel guilty again. But he wasn't sure he wanted to tell her the truth. He didn't know what he was doing with her, why he was going to these lengths. And despite that he was, he balked at letting her closer in.
He turned and slid to the floor, resting his back against the sofa.
"No, no one else knows about this place. I like to think I'm pretty good at keeping my sleeping holes to myself." Until now.
It didn't matter, though. He was thinking of leaving soon anyway, heading somewhere new, wasn't he? She could have this place, it would keep her safe, warm and dry.
Kali:
She creeped closer on the couch, her hands absentmindedly brushing through his hair. She did what she wanted, and sometimes that meant she didn't really pay much attention to personal space. But she didn't think he'd mind.
"So you only told me, huh? A girl could feel special." She said softly. She had been raised that she was special. She was very special.. BUt her life had been far from a life of something that was special. For the first time ever, she was doubting herself.
Gabriel / Loki:
The purr that escaped him sounded more like a groan when Kali brushed a hand through his hair. He let his head fall back against the couch and closed his eyes, praying to any god that was out there that she would keep that up. His right ear twitched once, twice, and his the tip of his tail flicked in time.
"You are special," he murmured, feeling more relaxed than he had in a very long time. No doubt he'd lost his mind, swept up in a pair of golden eyes. But damned if he didn't mind the island he'd been shipwrecked on.
Kali:
When he purred, she continued the motion, her nails scratching his scalp in a relaxing, calming way. She was a sensual cat, that was true. Though she'd never really had a reason to be. Lifting up his chin, she pressed her lips to his forehead.
"Careful pussycat. Keep that up, and I might think you like me." She teased, and then her hands went to his shoulders, pressing and kneading. It calmed her to knead her hands into him.. She was as lost in him, and she wasn't sure why. He was a handsome.. okay he was a gorgeous cat. But beauty did little to sway her much. Her own tail flicked behind her, and she smiled softly.
Maybe he was special too..
Gabriel / Loki:
He was actually finding it difficult to smile like he usually did. All he seemed to want to do was grin. And growl and pull her down into his lap, but that was another story altogether.
"And I thought I was making that point obvious," he whispered back, hissing a little in pleasured pain when she hit a particularly tense spot on his shoulder. Gabe forced his eyes to open, though he only managed thin slits through which to look at her. "I guess I'll have to try harder."
Kali:
She leaned over, her voice next to his ear.
"You'd better," She half purr half growled. While she didn't want to seem weak, she also didn't want to sleep alone either. The idea of it made her remember how sore she was, and she made a small sound at the feeling. Then she cursed herself. She may not want to be alone, but she could handle a little pain.. and it was only bruises anyhow..
"Stay with me tonight.." She said, her voice genuine. Where she may have had a purr normally, it was a vulnerable one.
"While normally I'd relish the idea of being alone.. tonight is not one of those nights." She was probably leading him to believe that she was a softie.. While she felt badly, she was okay with that. However eventually, he'd probably see what a wild cat she truly was.
Gabriel / Loki:
He stood, movements a little slow and perhaps even labored. But then, they'd both had a rough evening. Her bruises made his fur stand on end.
Gabe gently took her hand and brought it to his lips.
"As my goddess requests," he purred and kissed the knuckles. Without another word, he pulled his jacket off and carefully drapped it around her shoulders. "Don't argue with that, Kali. It's cold and..." he trailed off and shook his head before joining her on the sofa. He slipped between her and the back of the couch, stretched out on his side, and held out one arm as an invite to cuddle close. What would it feel like to fall asleep with someone, with her next to him?
Would he even be able to fall asleep?
Kali:
She purred a little sound of delight. He had called her a goddess.. Well.. Damn straight, she pretty much knew she was. One human man couldn't take that away from her.. So long as she had Loki around to remind her.
She pulled the jacket tighter over her shoulders. He knew her already, she was ready to shrug it off before he had even given it to her.
She accepted his invitation, cuddling up against him. Enjoying the warm solid feel of him. It made her feel safe. She liked this feeling. She'd curse herself tomorrow.. But she was going to appreciate this tonight.
Her tail lay over his thigh, and she purred softly..
"Good night, Loki."
Gabriel / Loki:
Gabriel curled his tail over hers and rested it on her leg, trying to add something of a blanket to his warmth. It sucked pretty hard in the summer, having a thick coat like his, but it was times like these that he wouldn't trade it for the world.
When she said his name, the false name he'd given her, it cut him. Deeper than what he'd expected it to, even. It didn't matter that a part of him hated his name, that it had been what they had called him. But it had been the only name he'd ever had, the only thing worthwhile a human had ever given him. So knowing that he would probably never hear her call him that hurt far more than he would have thought.
But just as he always did, he pushed the pain away to a small, forgotten corner and brought himself back to the moment. He pulled her close against his chest, his arm wrapping snugly around her.
"Good night, Kali," he whispered back, gently nuzzling her neck and jawline.
