The only option is to wrassle

[kit_kat]

Zane knows his sister's got pretty good reasons for not coming to school much anymore, but he does genuinely miss her. There's no one to tease about the upcoming dance, or to beg for notes on the latest thing in class, or just someone that's reliable conversation. She shows up to math class sometimes, but Zane isn't even in that one, and Adanya's long stopped showing up to the others. Busy, and all.

But Zane isn't. And there is a dance coming up. He wants to go, but doesn't have a date - it's time to fix that. Unfortunately just asking people hasn't seemed to be working. He's been doing it a while, but either his personality, his daemon, or his sister have been putting them off and Zane continues to be without a date. That's cool, he's not going to get broken up about it, it's just kind of annoying. Because really, he's super fucking gorgeous, who the hell wouldn't want to go with him to a dance? Whatever.

School lets out, and Zane is expected to walk home, but he is of the opinion that he needs to let off some steam first. Staying indoors in classrooms for hours is bothersome, and he dislikes it immensely.

"Hey, Kit-kat," he says, to the jaguar beside him. "Want to wrassle?"

"Are you kidding?" snorts his daemon Nakitarine. She flicks her tail. "Of course I do."

And that is how Zane ends up wrassling his jaguar daemon just outside of the school, both of them laughing all of the while. Yeah, this probably doesn't help him get a date, either.

Comments

[aeskhyne]

"Aww! If it's comfy and not very far, might as well be your place."

Mahal turns into a beautifully patterned python and coils himself around Kit-kat like a snuggly scarf.

[kit_kat]

"All right!"

Nakitarine stretches, rubs against Zane's leg like the oversized housecat she isn't, and off they go, to Zane's house.

"Hey dad!" he calls inside, when they get there. "I'm home, bringing someone I really like, going to need some alone time!"

[steppingup]

Zane's assumed father pokes his head out from the kitchen, makes an amused noise, and says, "Hello to you, too, Zane. I spontaneously want to go see a movie. Be back in, oh - two hours? Maybe three. I'll drive real slow. You good with feeding yourself and your - are you dating, or should I just go with 'friend' or his name?"

Interestingly enough, Zane's dad looks nothing like him. It appears Zane is adopted.

[kit_kat]

"I can feed myself and him," says Zane, brightly. "Dad, this is Rava. Rava, dad. Thanks dad, love you!"

[aeskhyne]

"Your dad seems all right," Rava observes to Zane.

[kit_kat]

"He is really great."

[steppingup]

"Aww, flattery," says Zane-dad, smiling. "Thanks, love you, too. Be responsible and - other parental stuff I've already talked about. And now I'm leaving before things get awkward."

He retrieves his coat and his daemon (a possum that leans down to nuzzle Kit-kat) gives a little wave to them both, and off he goes. To spontaneously see a movie.

[aeskhyne]

Yep.

"So, privacy," says Rava. "I've got ideas, do you have ideas? And, say, a bedroom? Not that I'm super picky about the bedroom part."

[kit_kat]

"I have so many ideas," laughs Zane. "I have a bedroom, Adanya would probably make a face at me later if we banged on the couch."

[aeskhyne]

"Your sister seems cool, let's not piss her off. Bedroom it is."

Mahal turns into a linsang and climbs up to Rava's shoulder to nuzzle him and be petted briefly, then jumps off and returns to being cuddly with Nakitarine. Rava kisses Zane.

[kit_kat]

"It wouldn't piss her off," he muses between kisses as they head off to his bedroom. "Just not be something she would appreciate."

Nakitarine returns cuddles, happily carrying Mahal off to the bedroom. There's a nice corner in it with fluffy blankets arranged in a sort of nest. It is her nest. Is is soft and warm and cuddly and good for a pair of daemons while their humans are busy. She curls up there invitingly and purrs loudly.

Meanwhile: kisses. Kisses, kisses, kisses. It's a nice bedroom, with only one bed (Adanya sleeps elsewhere) and only a little messy. If Rava's paying attention, there are a few daggers around, but they're all sheathed and neatly put away to the side.

[aeskhyne]

"Cool, you have knives," observes Mahal. (Rava is too busy kissing to do much of the words thing.)

Mahal shapeshifts again, this time to a long snaky dragon with little scaly paws and a fluffy crest running from the top of his scaly head to the tip of his scaly tail, where it ends in an extra floof of fur. It is an excellent shape for coiling around big sleek snuggable kitties like Nakitarine.

[kit_kat]

"Yeah," agrees Nakitarine with a purr. "Zane likes 'em. We like being a little dangerous."

Snuggle, snuggle, with some nibbles, to keep things interesting. Gentle ones.

[aeskhyne]

Nibbles! They're so nibbly. Mahal approves of nibbles. He nibbles Nakitarine right back.

[kit_kat]

Oh, good! Nibbles are warranted. Nibbly, nibbly, nibbles.

They are probably going to be here a while.

[aeskhyne]

Yes. Yes they are. Possibly even in excess of the uninterrupted few hours Zane's dad has promised them. At least, Rava and Mahal certainly aren't watching the clock.

[kit_kat]

Zane and Nakitarine aren't, either. That's okay, though. Zane's dad will not interrupt, and if Adanya's even present in the house she hasn't made it apparent. So they can have aaaaaall the time in the world.



But, predictably, they are not immune to hunger. Or exhaustion. During a lull, Zane asks, "Hey, I'm hungry, are you hungry?"

[aeskhyne]

"Ooh. Yeah, I'm hungry," says Rava. "Is there food around? Can we have some?"

[kit_kat]

"There's food in the kitchen, we can definitely have some. C'mon, let's go look."

They don't have to look very far. Literally, on the other side of Zane's door. Two plates of food, neatly wrapped in plastic wrap. A bit cold by now, but hey, food.

[aeskhyne]

...Rava giggles.

"I like your family. Your family is great."

Food! Om nom!

[kit_kat]

"They are pretty great!" agrees Zane with a laugh, attacking his own food. "I think Anya was the one responsible for this, but it might have been dad."

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah? What makes you guess her first?"

[kit_kat]

"Dad would have left a snarky note. No snarky note, so, probably my sister."

[aeskhyne]

"Gotcha." Nom nom. "Your family's cool, I wanna be friends with them."

[kit_kat]

"Go for it!" laughs Zane. "There are actually non-cool members of the family, but we ejected them, they aren't family anymore. Just people that Adanya and I happen to be related to."