((That's one way to start off a negotiation! x3 30 bluff/diplomacy...haha...XD  See? Anastasia's toe-nibbles have mystic qualities! Need to have her do it before every encounter! XD ))<br/><br/>((It just...makes me laugh to think all the bubbly, happy interaction is something out of Thygor's worst nightmares. XD ))<br/><br/>Shodon's brow lifts slightly at the little 'show' put on by Alura, a soft little whistle escaping the wolfman's lips. Clearly liking what he saw, he once more relaxes against the edge of the house, sticking his spear into the ground beside him, clearly no longer intending to use it "Exactly, lovely one. I doubt you or your little friend there will be much trouble." Honestly, the duo looked DELICIOUS, but however badly he might have wanted to pounce on one and get a good taste of her, if they actually COULD help Litala, it was worth waiting on. Not to mention, eating them would have been such a waste - they were<span style="font-style: italic">gorgeous</span>, and there was MANY other uses he could have found for such beautiful girls...<br/><br/>The neko's enthusiasm even draws a little giggle from Anastasia, stunned into silence from the moment they'd pulled their weapons. Without the obvious threat of those weapons being used on them, she sidles up a little closer to Alura's side, only to give a soft little 'eep!' of surprise when the neko girl ends up practically pouncing them. However, Alura had not drawn her weapons, so clearly, everything was alright. Right "Aah! Hello kitty person!" She exclaims gleefully, an absolutely enormous smile stretching across her face. They were every bit as friendly as she'd imagined! Despite being firmly planted on the ground, Alura can feel her younger sibling's wings flutter furiously beside her, a habit she'd developed when she was exceptionally excited or happy about something "I'm Anastasia! I'd love to help your friend, too!" Honestly, she was curious about the 'fight' they'd mentioned. Who was it against? What ended up happening? There were simply some things she likely didn't want to know, though, and it was situations like this where remaining blissfully ignorant of the finer details was likely a blessing in disguise.<br/><br/>"Alura? Anastasia? I'm Meera!" The bubbly, enthusiastic introduction is followed by a happy little 'Eee!' as the catgirl sees the beautiful, fluttering wings from so close "They're sooooo neat! Aww, I want wings! It would fit our group, too, huh?!" Casting a cheer-filled glance at her companions, Meera waits expectantly for agreement that doesn't quite come - Lucan and Shodan seemed far too occupied with oogling Meera's once-more-exposed backside, and the two gorgeous little fairies, and Yumina....well, Yumina actually looked kinda happy too, for once "Though, our wings are white. Well, um, not that we have wings ,but that's what we're called. We're mercenaries!" The attention brought to her ears and tail has her wiggling them, the furry appendages flicking to and fro as she 'shows off' her more exotic features "Hee! Yeah! Let's me hear sooo good, and a tail is super good for balance! Um, I think. I've never NOT had one, so I assume they are!" Furrowing her brow at the question that obviously poised, Meera settles into temporary silence, at least until Alura brushes a hand over the smooth, soft skin of her arm.<br/><br/>Meera appears pleasantly surprised at the friendly little gesture of Alura drawing so close, but she responds rather well, her tail lifting straight up behind her, the tip curling excitedly back and forth. This, of course, causes both Lucan and Shodan to ever-so-slightly incline their heads, their eyes casually trailing down to the uplifted edges of her skirt. Practically quivering in excitement, Meera continues "Yeah, it was super tough without anyone here to patch us up! I only got a little bruise. Yumina is really, really tough, so she didn't even get hurt. Lucan and Shodan..." She indicates the catboy and wolfboy in turn, each with a little nod of her head " Got a few tiny cuts, but nothing too bad! Only Litala got really hurt, she gets REALLY mad when she fights, and kinda gets...um...in the middle of everything! We thought she was gonna die, it was so sad..." Her ears suddenly wilt, the little happy smile on her face turning into a sad little frown. Even her tail, once lifted high in excitement, drooped, as did the happy expressions on Lucan and Shodan's faces "But...she was okay! Just hurt! And now, you'll make her even BETTER!" Again, the catgirl perks right back up, her pretty face once more splitting into a huge, toothy smile "C'mon! I'll take you to her! She's just inside!"<br/><br/>Yumina's expression remains unchanged after Alura's little offer to 'do anything else she can to make her happy'. Chuckling softly, Yumina just motions towards the open door of the building, even going so far as to once more resheath the big, nasty-looking blade back onto her back "Oh, I'm sure you'd love to hug me dear. Don't worry, we'll get better 'acquainted' once you tend to Litala. I'm sure we can even work a hug in there somewhere. In fact, I'll come give YOU one, how's that? Then, we'll see what else you can do to make me happy. I'm sure it'll be easy." It was all she could do to keep from licking her lips. After Meera's little bout of gluttony two days prior, all she could THINK about was the missed opportunity for another chance to fill her stomach with the squirms of living, breathing prey. Sure, there was still the elf they'd caught, and by the gods themselves did she look DELICIOUS, but Aniel had made herself quite clear - Actil would be the one getting her, once he'd finished delving into the secrets of the well.<br/><br/>Two fairies, though...well, there was NOTHING saying she couldn't make up for that lost opportunity with the new one that had presented itself. Even as Meera leads them by, Yumina allows her intense eyes to roam across the girl's features, again finding it nearly impossible to resist the urge to lick her lips, and she dared not open her mouth again lest she actually drool in desire - unladylike, and despite her rough exterior, she still preferred to maintain some small measure of ladyness.  They looked so....Mmmm, delicious. Their clothes were simple flowers and leaves, they might as well have been wearing a salad, with a delicious, soft-bodied meaty main course, all wrapped up in a package that would be all too easy, and blissful, to swallow.  Oh yes...her day certainly had got quite a bit brighter. Plus, there's no way Aniel would complain about having some random traveling fairy to stuff her belly...especially if she saved the other for her.<br/><br/>Alura's hug does cause a few confused expressions to be exchanged amongst the mercenary group, but Meera was not amongst them, and happily returns it "Aww, of course we're friendly!" Despite having just met, the catgirl nuzzles back every every bit as affectionately when Alura presses her cheek up against her, those cute ears of her lightly flicking their furry tips against the upper edges of Alura's forehead "I'm excited, too! I've never seen a fairy! And...um, wait..." She pauses briefly, a strange little look crossing her face. Still holding Alura close, he nuzzles herself into the crook of the fairy's neck, inhaling the deep, pleasant scent of her body, her tail once more setting to flicking eagerly back and forth "Mm. Wow. You smell....really good." She admits, chewing thoughtfully on her lower lip "...Oh wow, sorry! Um, that was really strange! You just smell all...foresty and stuff! C'mon, I'll show you to Litala!"<br/><br/>As expected, Anastasia was all smiles, and as she and Alura are coaxed forwards into the farmhouse, she lightly reaches out and strokes Meera's tail, giggling at the sensation of such soft, warm, inviting fur brushing through her fingers "...Soft and warm..! It does feel like a kitty."<br/><br/>"Well, yeah! I wash it ALL the time! Well, I wash everything all the time, cause I hate being icky, but I love my tail!" Meera continues on, using the new shift of conversation to draw her attention away from just how...well, YUMMY her new friend smelled. It wouldn't be very friendly to eat the poor fairy, though, so she resolutely stops herself from even giving in to the urge to lick her. Even once!....even if she REALLY wanted to......!!!<br/><br/><br/>***<br/><br/>With the cheerfully chatting catgirl and the two fairies headed away into the house, Yumina's broad, toothy smile quite suddenly vanishes. Shifting her steely eyes to Shodan and Lucan, she says, quite simply "They're mine."<br/><br/>"Tch..." Shodan clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, rolling the little sprig of sourdock against his teeth "...You really wanna eat those cute lil' things? I mean, I want to, but they're bein' helpful. Plus, they're cute. Naaah. Just let them go, Yumina." For a brief moment, he entertains the idea of following Meera and the two fairies who'd introduced themselves as 'Alura' and 'Anastasia' inside, but he seemed to think better of it. As much as he'd love watching so much bared flesh move about before his eyes, he'd just end up crowding up the room if they were working on Litala. Besides, if they caused trouble, he was confident Meera could handle it - the girl was a ditz, but she was nasty with those mitts of hers when she really wanted to be.<br/><br/>"Yeah..." Lucan picked up where Shodan left off, idly resettleing the sword at his side into it's scabbard with a little *snik* "Sides, Meera wouldn't like it. You know she has this..."<br/><br/>"Brain damage?" Yumina finished, scowling at her comrades "To hell with her. We're not a charity organization.  Just look at her - she had no problem digesting four people ALIVE. You think she was all 'we're all friendly' when she was stuffing them down her greedy gullet? Think she cared they were all melting in that rapacious stomach of hers? Uh, no. She needs to grow up someday, might as well be today. Oh boo-hoo, the two fairies she JUST MET got eaten. She'll get over it. Maybe she'll learn that we're not some goody-two-shoes knights in shining armor. We're mercs. We kill people for a living." Tapping a finger against her stomach, she smirked at the pair, chuckling gently "Only way those two are getting out of that house is after they've had a nice, long stay in my stomach.  So, you two in, or out?"<br/><br/>"Tch. Pass." Shodan replied quite simply, spitting the little sprig out onto the grass "Nah, they patch up one of our own, I'm not messin' with them. Oh, I WANT to, but there's some things ya don't do, Yumina. That's one of them."<br/><br/>"Pass." Lucan echoed, affixing Yumina with that intense gaze of his "I'm with Shodon on this one. Geh, it's been a couple of months for me, too, but if they're gonna be patchin' up Litala, it's worth letting them go. Long as they don't interfere with the well, and we get our payday...meh, I can buy a nice dinner when we get back. Steak and potatoes, that kinda thing."<br/><br/>"...Steak and potatoes...?" Yumina practically hissed, her tail twitching in aggrevation "You...are both just...idiots. Fine. Whatever. More for me. You'll be wishing you'd taken the chance when you see me parading around my food-filled tummy. I bet they're delicious. Only one way to find out..."<br/><br/>*******<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"> Inside the house...</span><br/><br/>The interior of the place is really in much better shape than the exterior, and once more, Alura finds quite a bit of evidence that nature itself was reclaiming this place, and at a rather accelerated rate. The windowsills were coated in ivy and moss, and there was a very distinct smell of pollen filling the air inside. Despite it's somewhat rundown state, it was still decently well furnished, with a table and assorted chairs, a cupboard no doubt filled with cooking supplies, and a chimney and fireplace, of which was not being used.<br/><br/>More interesting, though, was that the room was not completely devoid of life. Sitting in the corner of the room furthest from the exterior door was an elf, clearly bound up with her wrists clamped in wooden cuffs, and her ankles tied tightly together. Her manner of dress was simple to the extreme, a leather top and bottom that clung to her body like it was practically painted on, and the clothing left very, very little to the imagination. More interesting, though, was how...well, 'thick' she was, to put it politely. Most elves tended to be slender creatures, and even the wild elves of whom were known to be larger than average in all respects, were rather slim and often had incredibly pleasing figures. This elf, while still beautiful, with dark skin and long, well-kept white hair that reached down to her mid-back, but was actually...well, just a tiny bit on the pudgy side, if only just slightly. It was a surprising sight, to say the least.<br/><br/>"Hellooooo elf!" Meera exclaims happily upon entering, waving her hand gleefully at the bound elf "Still okay? Not hungry or thirsty? Don't need to go to the potty?"<br/><br/>If looks could kill, Meera would have likely exploded into a thousand bits at that moment, as the elf's gaze was nothing short of utter and complete hatred. Even Alura and Anastasia are not spared that hate-filled gaze, and it actually makes Anastasia recoil a little bit, slipping behind Meera's back and pressing up against Alura's side "Mmph...she, um...she's kinda scary."<br/><br/>"Oh, her?" Meera says with a little flick of her wrist in the elfs general direction "She's just mad cause we tied up all her buddies! I, um, might have also kinda ate them too. It was accidental, though. Well, it MOSTLY was. I was just nervous, see? I eat when I get nervous, and this is my first time out in the field, and we'd just FOUGHT, and there was all these PEOPLE just laying there, tied up, and I...well, it wasn't completely my fault. One of them said 'bite me', so I did, and they tasted good, so I just went with it."<br/><br/>((I'll pause forward progress here, in case you care to do anything/ask anything! ^_^ That bluff/diplomacy helped you out in spades, haha! XD ))<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> Bound elf </span><br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;"><a class="postlink" href="http://s36.photobucket.com/user/CassyInko/media/Bound%20Elf_zpsgxcm6uqp.jpg.html"><img alt="Image" src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e42/CassyInko/Bound%20Elf_zpsgxcm6uqp.jpg"/></a></div></div></div>