Very few, if any people, had ever earned Jasper’s trust. When he was young, it had been his family and the other servants and slaves. After that, trust wasn’t something he gave out. It was a world where you had to look out for yourself and not let others too close, whether to keep them or yourself safe. Kate had worked her way in though, showing Jasper that she could be trusted and giving him reason to do so. His verbal confirmation of this only proved that.<br/><br/>His ear flicked again as he kept his head down. As Kate rubbed his back, Jasper arched into the touch, purring as she massaged his muscles. The physical attention was something he readily accepted, having grown fond of it since meeting Kate. Some things still had him pausing, such as when his face was touched or when anyone else touched him, but even that was getting better.<br/><br/>The idea of sparring with Lord Lyons caught Jasper’s attention. He knew the lord had experience with the pits, but fighting in the pits and sparring were two very different things. When you were in the pits just about anything was fair game, it was a fight to the death and their was very little not allowed. Fighting dirty and cheating was often encouraged as it provided the audience with a better show. Sparring with Lyons would be more professional, almost formal in comparison.<br/><br/>Feeling Kate’s touch turn from gentle to more rough and aggressive, Jasper turned to look at her, his head to the side a bit in a silent question. As she pulled at his paws he instinctively pulled away, making sure he kept from scratching her with his claws. The last thing Jasper wanted to do was hurt Kate so when she was suggesting that he growl, and even bat at her, the Savannah backed up. She wanted a happy Savannah, but any sort of play could be dangerous. He was a predator.<br/><br/>His tail swung slowly from side to side as Jasper regarded Kate, waiting for her to say or do something, but she seemed set on this. Still a little unsure, Jasper slunk across the room, his eyes never leaving Kate as he disappeared around the other side of the bed. He remained there, unmoving for a few seconds, crouched low to the ground with only his tail dusting the floor behind him. With only a small growl as warning, Jasper pounced onto the bed and knocked into Kate. His paws hit her shoulders and his weight combined with the jump knocked her to the bed, the cat pinning her down. Carefully, Jasper nuzzled Kate’s cheek before rolling onto his back next to her, his paws up and his head turned so he could still see her.