Chapter 15: Mirage
Pan walked into the main hub of her new den, nodding towards the insect matriarch in greeting before plating herself a light first meal of ‘rock-worm’. Joseph had assigned her the task of surveying the den for potential oversights that they she may encounter during their investigation. An objective that had to be obtained via, politely, demanding for a task before he would relent to give her anything to do.
She understood; as a newcomer, it was risky to entrust any of the skilled labour until their specialty could be utilized or more general labour became available. Given the lack of need for unspecialized construction or resource gathering, save ‘trap checking’ that Joseph escorted her during, there really wasn’t much for her to work on.
It left her confused.
When he had offered her an elevated status above being a servant, she had assumed he would be taking her in as a mate, yet several suns had passed and he had not made any attempts or demands of her person. She assumed, once offered the bathing facility, he had preferred her clean before he acted or that it would be where they would intertwine. The assumption seemed to be incorrect as he quickly attempted to leave her to bathe without showing any interest in the idea. As if it had not occurred to him that he had implied as such.
Her attempt to confirm this suspicion by asking him indirectly to bathe her proved just that. Although he did indeed seem to lack the olfactory acuteness to detect her condition, he refused to pursue his base instincts. His touch was thick with heat as he had worked his claws over her back and hips, but also rife with uncertainty and restraint, as if he wouldn’t humour the urge without catalyst despite its intensity.
She noticed during his close proximity that his scent was intoxicating. Potential bonds are said to muddle the senses as the body hyper-focuses on its match, the lines between desire and dependence blurring while in their presence. Given that she would never meet her bond, this was shelved as only a nebulous possibility, alongside the perhaps chemically induced euphoria due to the foreign soaps she had been using. The speculative chance for a Lilhun encountering one’s bond was approximately six-percent. Being saved by, and then taken under protection of, one was exceedingly unlikely.
Even if he was somehow her bond, he had an unclear relationship with the ‘Atmo’ he resided with. She had seen the mother and himself laying against one another while watching the fire burn outside, the moment intimate in an indistinct way. He also treated the kit as his own; often tenderly guiding her through combat training or giving her abundant positive physical attention and encouragement. Indeed, his relationship with Violet was clear; he was a father in all but genetics.
That still left the question of him being bonded to Mama, if not just mates. It wasn’t of any importance if they were involved in that sense, plenty of dens were polyamorous in nature and often involving many den-mothers and several close den-fathers whom may intersect to varying degrees. She also held no qualms with her likely low position in such an arrangement. The issue at paw lay with herself and the lack of markers that declared they were such, or if Mama would be receptive to her inclusion to their den dynamic to begin with. Given Joseph’s proclivity to not use his authority for the purpose of demanding anything of her, she would have to muster her courage and risk inciting his wrath to ask.
There were no delusions that she could best any of the den in combat or trial should it be required to contest a position as a mate. Violet possessed no combat experience but was being guided by a Grand Hunter whom seems to have seen many a foe, his reactions when surprised or tense exuding a threat of violence with every glance until he has had time to settle back into his carefree nature.
Mama, however, was a wild card for Pan. She had never seen the Atmo even so much as feign interest in learning the combat style Joseph had offered her daughter, but those blades would prove difficult regardless. As a seamstress by trade, and only recruited to assist in such work as logistics, her personal combat experience was as sparse as her training in the field. If she were to broach the topic of securing a place as a mate against the two, assuming they held a connection in which their physiology did not mark via obvious means, it would likely lead to her demise, if not being assigned more dangerous assignments that assured as much. It was a difficult decision to make. One that she would need more information before making.
It was woefully apparent that she would require sparring on top of her admittedly awkward training in order to not be a hindrance to this pack as well. She must simply wait for Mama to assist Violet in creating something that does not, in Joseph’s words, ‘crush bone like a sledgehammer’.
When she asked if he believed he could best her in a friendly match, considering his high opinion of her destructive capability, he simply laughed and stated that they wouldn’t be able to keep it ‘friendly’ for very long. The implication startled her, but she decided to assume he meant to say that any combat involving the two would likely be to the death, as unlikely as it was. It didn’t fit with her assessment of him; the male struck her as one who was fiercely protective of his pack, a classification that the somewhat recent perfume of wildlife blood which coated his scent supported.
The peculiar lack of passive caution and aggression to accompany it was jarring, however. Normally those who have bathed in the blood of war carried anything from traces to thunderous amounts, yet his lay dormant. Either it means that he did not feel it a sufficient enough threat to incite his wrath and as such did not wear a scar within him, or that his wrath burned like a black inferno; it merely waiting for its release to consume all in his wake. Both options terrified her, yet was utterly captivating. Should she manage to fall under the all-encompassing protection of his mark, she would be protected by the fury itself should anything dare to bring her harm. Should she be the one to incite it, however...
So many considerations.
Stirring herself from her thoughts, she toured the den, inspecting each room for possible improvements. Several bedrooms now held a bed and a shelf, perhaps needing additional storage or sheets whenever they were able to make them. She would make a mental note of this to be addressed in future, though there was no telling when they would have access to the materials required to do as such. The bathing facility was about as well furnished as she would expect from something of this calibre, having nothing she could think of to improve the functionality. She tested each dispenser, noting which ones seemed to be compatible with her needs before concluding that a white and somewhat oily substance may improve the sheen of her fur or perhaps soften its touch. She would ask about it later and request if she could use some the next time she bathed.
As Pan exited the bathing area, she met Violet who was just exiting the bedroom across from it. Pan didn’t interact much with the others in the den, finding that her inability to speak their language had dissuaded her from it. She was aware that they had learned Joseph’s language through one means or another, very rarely requiring him to explain himself, but the Lilhun struggled to use that awareness as confidence to speak to them in his tongue. Perhaps now was as good a time as any.
Pan assumed a respectful posture, addressing Violet as a politely as she could. “Hello, Violet. I am doing my inspections to accrue a list of possible improvements to our facilities as instructed by the Grand Hunter.”
The Atmo tilted her head, the gesture was familiar but Pan couldn’t risk her position in assuming. At her lack of speaking further, Violet simply stared. Pan, unsure of the expected extent of such interactions, decided to continue with the only task she had been given. A cursory farewell was given as she nervously walked towards the ‘facilities wing’ of the building. Soft clacking followed behind her belonging to the young one whom had apparently grown curious.
Unsure of her intent, Pan nervously opted to ask about it, holding her hands behind her as she gently leaned forward to match Violet’s eye level. “Would you like to accompany me as I do my inspections, Violet?”
The insect nodded, a response that Pan could safely relate to her own. “Then we will look at the assortment in the facility wing.”
Violet purred in response, dancing in place for a moment before looking at her expectantly. So cute. Violet may be a ‘wielder of death’ in-training, but she always acted so full of energy and joy that it was hard to relate the being in front of her with the focused blur of natural steel she often observed in the ‘gym’. Pan suppressed a smile at the spectacle before moving through the hub towards their destination.
The two entered the first room of the wing, the aforementioned ‘gym’, that lay to the left from the entrance. It was mostly unoccupied, save for two ‘sheaths’ that Violet used to cover her blades. Pan mused her observations aloud so that Violet could follow. “I think some seating and water accessibility would be beneficial here. Perhaps I should mention the possibility of constructing some equipment as well. Do you have any suggestions?”
Violet peered around the room before stepping into the centre to feign combat against an unknown adversary. Only a few moments were mimicked until she ceased her motions and looked at Pan.
“You wish for there to be sparring?” More dancing and enthusiastic nodding. “I will ask Joseph to expedite the process of procuring proper safety equipment.”
Violet responded by approaching Pan, nuzzling her under the chin as she purred deeply. An unexpected laugh escaped her as she began petting Violet, her forced wooden demeanour melting. The scales were broken by carapace forged stripes and softer flesh between them, both pleasing to the touch as they gave way under the light pressure applied by her paw. “Okay, we’ll spar as soon as it is safe to do so. We should move on.”
Violet separated herself, the two moving to the next room on the left. Opening the door, Pan found it to be a workshop area that Mama likely set up for herself. A crude work table lay against the left wall of the room, next to a large covered tub. The right side of the room consisted mostly of unfinished furnishings and logs of wood that had yet to be processed.
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“Given that Mama doesn’t need much in the way of tools, if any, I think this room should be suitable as is.” Pan summarized. Violet walked over to the round tub and gestured to it.
“Is there something I should inspect in there?”
Violet danced, excitedly pointing to Pan then the basin. A smile crept onto Pan’s face as she approached the tub, lifting the cover to find a plethora of hides that would soon be suitable to begin the tanning process soon.
Pan’s jaw slackened. “Were you trying to help prepare clothes for everyone?”
Violet nodded, seeming sheepish at not having already done so. The fact that Violet had the foresight to even prepare a project of this scale before the need was apparent impressed her. The only issue was that several components were missing to complete the work.
“Violet, we need to get a source of lactic acid and something rich in tannin... We must ask Joseph. It should still be a while until these are suitable to be made into clothing. We’ll need to rend sinew for binding everything... Using the tree fibres may work with some processing. We could use the spines from the creature we caught recently as a needle...” Pan began pacing the room as she recalled every scrap of information a leather-worker she had met once had told her. The Lilhun’s concentration only breaking as Violet nudged her stomach in excitement. “Yes, I'll help you make clothing. It would be nice to wear some again with the weather becoming colder.” Pan responded with a chuckle, resting her paw on Violet’s head. “I’m sure Joseph could use it as well. As far as I'm aware, he only has garments for moderate temperatures.”
This was a wonderful development, a job that the others seemed ill suited to doing. It wasn’t her area of expertise, her skills lay in working with fabrics rather than leathers, but she would learn to be useful. Joseph was likely to be okay for now but the lack of any substantial fur on his person would soon to be a bane of his as the climate shifted. The two replaced the cover on the tub before leaving to inspect the last room they could reasonably improve; the ‘med bay’.
The medical ward was the first door on the right from the entrance, it being across from the ‘gym’ and designated as such so as to be swiftly utilized in case of an emergency. The room was simple; a single large bed against the back wall, a shelf laid next to the door which held several advanced medicines next to a large bundle of the glowing plant Joseph calls ‘Healroot’. The synchronization doesn’t extend to written languages so she couldn’t read any of the labels on the syringes and bags, but a brief look inside one of the bottles revealed a purple powder that filled about half of it.
Violet pointed to the bottle and gestured that you were to consume it. A curious powder that was ingested. Interesting. She placed the bottle back on the shelf. “Perhaps additional beds, possibly more water access. I know not what most of these compounds or chemicals are nor even do, so I find myself at lack of comment for those.”
Violet looked around for a moment longer before nodding in agreement. She seemed satisfied by the inspection and proceeded to nuzzle back into Pan before leaving to do something else, likely report their findings to her mother.
Mother... She rubbed over a faint scar under her navel, the torn skin long since hidden by the fur she purposely groomed over it.
She would like to be one some day. Not that it was possible, but it was nice to imagine. She hoped they would be as energetic as Violet.
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The morning was quiet; Mama was using the opportunity to lounge in the hub on a new larger bed designed for her and her daughter that was closer to an Atmo couch than any sleeping arrangement in purpose. Violet had collected enough skins to continue processing them in earnest, scraping the pelts and placing them in a large wooden basin of water she had Mama make for her. Joseph was proud of her.
He wasn’t sure exactly what she was doing with everything, but she set herself out with a purpose and occasionally consulted with the mother who was currently watching what her child was doing from the comfort of her resting spot. It made him feel like he was the only one not vastly contributing to their living accommodations, but he would have to be happy with simply providing the cold-weather food supply and electrical work.
If the temperature was anything to go off of; he must have crashed early to mid-autumn. The once mild chill had shifted even further into the cold, the grass starting to frost over as leaves slowly littered the ground. The cutting wind was starting to outpace his clothing, causing it to take some time for exercise to warm him beyond what the air was stealing. It would have been nostalgic if not for the landscape being dominated by the silver sheen of the trees here instead of the dark browns in which he had grown accustomed. It was also unpleasant for the two Atmo to bear the drop in heat, leaving only him and Pan to be mostly unbothered. He wished he had packed slightly heavier clothing but the internals of the building heated everything just fine for now, so he wouldn’t have to worry about that, luckily.
After her bath and apparently satisfying nap, Pan had requested a task to help keep her busy as he had not given her any specific directions or expectations in the time she had been here. It seemed to genuinely distress her to have so much free time. Feeling slightly guilty, Joseph merely asked her to do an inventory check on all their items as well as look through all the rooms to see if there were any furnishings that should be made. He thought it would give her something to do and potentially catch any blind spots that he had missed. He could already suggest quite a few improvements for Mama to work on, but he didn’t want to force the mother to work on what seemed to be a well-earned day off. Night stands and drawers could wait until she was sufficiently bored. He wished he had more for Pan to do, but with their main needs easily met, it was mostly just busy work to be done.
Joseph himself decided to further study their surroundings. They had little idea about the terrain outside of what he passed while setting his snares since he had been preoccupied with trying to rewire an entire power grid. He still had to do that, but a change in pace was needed to keep him sane. There was only so long someone could stare at a literally alien diagram of wires that all carried very slight colour differences only obvious to those who could see in a different spectrum than him.
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The crunching of dried leaves under his shoes was a welcome sound, the small comfort of being able to hear if anything was approaching him eased the stress that his status of being alone out here invited. Trees of grey reflecting the sun off the thin ice left a magical feel as he traversed up a hill, the amber ground glimmering as the light danced in time with his steps. It was soothing to be so immersed in nature without needing a crutch or traversing with hostile wildlife tracking him. If he ignored the colours, he could almost place himself on a hiking trail on Earth, following his parents and brother to their favourite picnic spot under a willow tree. He revelled in the memory as he walked, associating each crunch underfoot with one belonging to a long gone moment.
He had mentally mapped out a good quarter of their perimeter, the need for some sort of paper or parchment to delve into cartography in the near future rearing its ugly head. It would be nice to have something interactive in a way, perhaps wooden markers they could place on a larger map to indicate where they had found traces of animals recently and more lasting markings for resources or features one may use as a landmark. A wooden sheet could suffice as the map as well, if pressed, and would likely end up their selected option. He had no idea how to make paper, nor if the trees here would work for it if he did. It would require constant scouting on behalf of himself or Pan throughout the colder months but it was certainly something he should start doing. Knowing what lay beyond the trees would be useful for planning snares and marking their locations, as well as defence should the need arise. Perhaps they could use a section of the hub as a place to track such developments.
He crossed another fallen tree, taking his time to step over it without slipping on the surface, and was met with a larger rock face. Being in a section of the forest that he had neither come from nor went trapping in, the stark difference in elevation had taken him by surprise. Cupping a hand to block the sun, he estimated it to be about half the height of the cliff he had fallen from. Far less impressive in aesthetic, though still interesting. He stared in awe for a moment before moving along the face of the hill, stopping once he discovered a cave. It wasn’t like the shallow yet large maw that Mama had once claimed and rescued him in, but instead quickly obscured into the darkness as it continued long beyond what the one he had once considered his home contained. Not wanting to fall into a pit with nobody to get him out, he maintained only scouting out the parts he could easily see, aided by the reflections of light behind him.
Stalactites formed above him, spikes threatening to fall down should he strike them, but sturdy in their placement. Stalagmites littered the ground in less frequency, only mildly inconveniencing him by snagging on his shirt and pants leg as he looked around. The rust colour of the stone was occasionally broken by more muted browns of dirt and greys of potential minerals.
A quick step into the dark he could still perceive the floor of revealed that the path quickly swerved and dove downwards, inviting him lower into the cavern. He lacked any light source to delve too deeply, so he returned to a lighter section to survey it more thoroughly before continuing.
Given that he had no experience with identifying metals or minerals, he couldn’t tell if any of the walls told of what gains lay within them. He crouched down to inspect a whiter section of the wall, leaning in in a vain attempt to determine if the coloration meant that anything useful was before him, when he felt a presence behind him. He brushed it off, not having heard anything approach from either in the cave nor from the crunchy forest outside, only to feel something slowly approach his throat. It was a careful movement, too consistent to be a natural source of unease nor a beast that had escaped his notice.
His body processed everything faster than his consciousness could track as he bolted towards the right, where the opening of the cave lay, sliding into a spin to face whatever had triggered his response and have the glinting light behind him so as not to distract him.
He stared down a grey humanoid, the intruder still leaning over with their left arm extended and a single clawed finger cupping where his throat had been. Their eyes were wide, reflecting the illumination he stood in front of, their body frozen in surprise for a moment as they glanced between him and where he had been. They slowly righted themselves, placing both hands behind their back as a tail lazily performed figure eights behind them, swaying side to side in a loosely rhythmic fashion. He readied his fists, arms in front of him as he took a familiar stance.
They walked towards him, casually shifting from a featureless dark silhouette in the shadows into a species he had met. The new Lilhun observed him, their posture almost completely at rest as they bathed in the light one step at a time. It was a she, that much was obvious. Her trim form much taller than Pan, matching his height, with fur that was more subdued and laid gently to her skin in a short coat. Her colour was dominated by a dark gunmetal-grey and further supplemented by slightly darker stripes. Her lean body, not obscured by any excess fluff, was that of a female athlete; toned and chiselled. Petite and defined chest and hips, both free of any excess weight. Her whimsical smirk, though casual, sent a shiver down his spine, as if he were prey to be toyed with. He tightened his guard as his hairs stood on end.
Her eyes were devoid of malice, instead filled with satisfaction and cold professionalism. Her pupils threatened to overtake the entirety of the organ, only slightly curved to allude to their original vertically oriented slit. She leaned heavily as she took each step, as if to inspect him from every angle, her nose twitching as she absorbed his scent. He tightened his fists, shifting his rear leg slightly and leaning into his lead foot to switch from a defensive position to a more reactionary one as she closed into a distance that he could do something about at a moment’s notice.
She stopped just outside of both their ranges, straightening up her posture, her smile changing from a predatory interest in its prey to a more confident one. She eased the tension in her legs, lowering herself several inches, her tail taking wider paths as it traced the air behind her. Joseph stared her down, glancing at her shoulders and thighs for hints of a building tension that might betray any intent to attack. Finding none, he relaxed his shoulders, dropping his guard slightly to communicate that he was open to discussion but still ready to retaliate if required.
Seemingly thrilled, she lit up as she approached him with more measured stride, placing one foot directly in front of the other to sway her hips, each step silent as if she were merely a mirage. He kept his composure as she passed him, matching her eyes all the while without turning his head as her tail caressed his cheek, sliding down to his throat before slipping off of him entirely. She stopped once slightly behind him, lazily swinging one foot to turn herself towards him. He watched out of the corner of his vision as she leaned in to say something into his ear, each word foreign and airy, the heat of every syllable burning into him. He felt her nip his ear playfully, tongue tracing his lobe and causing him to flinch. He spun on reflex to find nothing, just the forest peeking in from the mouth of the cave.
He listened for a long moment, absorbing the interaction and surveying the environment. His thumping heart dominating his hearing as he strained his ears against the rushing blood. When nothing followed, his senses released their silent alarm, signalling that the threat had likely left the area. He maintained his mild tension as he exited the cave, scanning the surroundings just in case she was still nearby. Finding no trace, he decided to head back cautiously. He would discuss this with Pan to find out why in the hell she had sneaked up on him like that.
He would leave out the part where it felt like she was trying to seduce him.
And that it had worked a little.