((Phhhew, sorry the quality is still not quite what it used to be. Surgery was monday to remove my pins, so hopefully with some healing I'll be back into my old form. ^_^ Till then, will keep this moving along!))<br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Alura wrote:</cite> "Looooookkiiee Meera, it's a kitty, they have kitties here too!! </div></blockquote><br/><br/>The fact seemed to bring Meera no immense level of comfort, the catgirl backing against the wall and practically seeming to sink into it when the Oni sags over to the side. As clueless as Meera seemed to be, the poor feline was not 'stupid' perse...and even she knew that she was clearly in over her head, with foes that could likely cut her to pieces - or EAT her - without so much as an ounce of effort on their parts.<br/><br/>Needless to say, when the feline briefly affixes Meera with her gaze, more than a little color drains from the catgirl's cheeks. It's not until she looks away that the half-blooded cat breathed a sigh of relief, and - reaching out for Anastasia - brings the little fae into a strong cat-hug, only to start lightly chewing upon her ear in nervousness. It earned a short, curt protest of 'Ewww, Meeerraaaa! Kitty slobbers!" But the little fae doesn't make any attempt to pull away from the friendly catgirl.<br/><br/>Meera, on the other hand, murmurs through her mouthful of pointy fairy ear "Mmpff...yes, is kitties here...but I think I like kitties back where we came from more...! These are scary...mmph, nervous..." True to form, it took all of two seconds for the entirety of Anastasia's ear to be fully engulfed in Meera's mouth, earning another 'Ewwwww!' from the fae, though there is clearly a barely-held giggle contained in there.<br/><br/>With the feline finally standing still, those assembled in the little trench finally get a GOOD look at Veria - or Mistress Veria, as she said she preferred to be called. The feline was a little bit of an oddity - it was clear she was a catgirl, not a full blown anthropomorphic, as her face was largely humanlike, and the entire frontside of her chest and stomach was covered in soft, peachy-colored skin that even made an appearance towards the inside of her thighs. The outside of her arms, legs, and it appeared the majority of her back, however...was completely covered in soft, plush-looking fur that was every bit as pristine as the most well-kept coat one any of the full-blooded cat people. It was not to say she was not pretty, either - even to one who might prefer a fully human partner, the enticing curvature of the lithe feline's body was nothing to balk at, and there was a certain...'presence' about her that made her instantly attractive, even if one could not quite put their finger on just WHY they were drawn to her.<br/><br/>When Veira's attention once more alights on Johan, the cat woman actually smirks slightly, as if rather amused by his ruse - it seems as though she'd caught on, and quickly. However, perhaps because of that very same amusement, she more or less allows herself to be drawn into his banter hook, line, and sinker, which - at least for the moment - diverts her attention from the downed and softly groaning Oni "Yes. I heard your introductions already. However, it does please me to hear them again..." Her eyes, cool and sharp, lock upon Johan's own, the wry little smile that slowly spreads across her lips practically DRIPPING erotic flavor "Oooh, and quite the tongue on you, mm? Careful, little man...I have a fondness for...PETS." She says the word with no small amount of subtlety, leaving very little question as to what, exactly, she might be speaking of.<br/><br/>In fact, rather than keeping it even mildly ambiguous, the flirtaceous catgirl steps forwards and reaches in, grabbing Johan by the crotch. Though her palm is stopped by his codpiece, her fingers nestle themselves around it and past it, lightly stroking his manhood through the material of his breeches "Hmm-hmm...like I said....I treat pets who serve me well...VERY well." The 'touch' is all too brief, and though she lightly traces what she could feel through his pants a single but a single time, Johan could tell instantly - this woman's dexterity in no way stopped at her ability to hide. Withdrawing her hand with a parting pat, Veira smirked and continued "As for who I am, you know. Who I fight - well, I'm more a 'cleanup crew' for the Primals. Make sure noone we would prefer not to fight again makes it off the field of battle. Imagine my surprise when I felt the presence of something i'd not felt in hundreds of years..." Her voice turns into a low, almost reverent whisper, her eyes glittering with delight "...Mortals."<br/><br/>"As for your situation...well, I do not pretend to be an expert on such things..." It was surprising - by all accounts, the catgirl should have been....less friendly. Yet, her voice seemed so casual, so relaxed.. "...but the last time I saw mortals, they were our food source. We simply needed you. Oh, the war raged and raged and raged, no end in sight...well, you get the idea. A world can only handle so much war, and we tend to wage it on a far grander scale than mortals. Eventually, someone will win. Till then....well, I'm not quite sure what happened. But, now we're fighting here. Endless war."<br/><br/>Drawing a fingertip across her slender little belly, Veira casts a sidelong glance towards Cyria as she expresses her more 'academical interest' "...I will admit, I...wish to do other things. Though, there's little more pleasant than filling my stomach with one of the heavens guard, or one of these silly oni types....Mmmmm. Feels so delightful. Pity I ruined this one. Don't particuarly care for the taste of blood in...such heavy amounts. Onis are a little on the spicy side when you pierce their wrapping, you know? Now, my sweet...I know you'll not cause problems. We'll get along well.  I-"<br/><br/>Hardly had she started her next sentence when Alura's voice breaks in, silencing the catgirl instantly. The subsequent hip-check to nudge Johan to the side actually draws a soft laugh from the feline, her tail flicking jovially - clearly in a good mood "Ahh, I was wondering how long it would take you to approach. I could see you bouncing since I arrived. Mm, as for tummy rubs..." Without even the faintest hint of hostility, the catgirl steps forwards and eases her arms around Alura's waistline, drawing her in close against the warm, soft front of her body. Much like Disa's own body, Veira's seemed to be a few degrees hotter than average...and it felt AMAZINGLY pleasant "...I'd love them. From the outside...or the inside..." She adds, curling her tongue suggestively across her lips "...Mm, yes...pity the snake is already...unappetizing now. I'd quite love such a large meal..."<br/><br/><br/>"...And pretty kitty..." Her voice remains amused, her eyes practically glittering with delight "...Is a good choice. Very well, dear. I like this. And yes, I intend to be taking all of you with me, under my protection, to our base of operations. You will, of course, be my prisoners....but Mmm...it's been so long since I've had such lovely and EXOTIC pets. Many, many years since my last...mm...' Again, she taps her tummy with a fingertip, hinting at just might what have been the 'fate' of her previous pets '....pets left me. Oooh how exciting! Mortals. Mm, I shall be the envy. I promise, you cooperate, I'll not even sell you off! OH no - I'll keep you all to myself!"<br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> DC 17 spot check </span><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 brief glance down at the Oni shows something rather surprising - the enormous, vicious-looking holes in her back...appear to be healing shut, and quite rapidly. More importantly, her breathing has started to stabilize...</div></div></div><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> Cyria </span><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;">As you scuttle closer to Johan (stepping over the down dragon mage in the process), you feel a soft tingle course through your body. It's...hard to be certain, but it felt like - ever so briefly - your feet touched wooden floor, not the dirt beneath you. A quick glance downwards, and sure enough - the ground appears to fluctuate from the reddish dirt, to a more wooden flood...then back again. It's doing it quite rapidly as well...<br/><br/>...Much as it had done when you'd come here in the first place...<br/><br/>And noone else seems to have noticed it...</div></div></div>