As the morning crept on, their joint peace was broken when Leon was dragged away for [i]something[/i] Temple related. Which left Cass to just chill for the rest of the day. 

Not that chilling was a word in her vocabulary. She jumped between drumming and coding, never quite getting enough into either for it to really hold her attention. Not after what her and Jack had talked about… the thoughts kept wriggling into her mind. 

How easily she’d killed people. How easily she could do it again, even though there’d been a bit of guilt afterwards. Was it even really guilt? She’d felt bad that she didn’t feel bad. She still didn’t really feel bad… The scariest people were the ones who could just kill without thought, weren’t they? Like her. 

As it turned to late evening, she wasn’t able to keep herself distracted anymore. The plan [i]was[/i] to stay up until Leon got back, but what was the point in spending the whole night moping around waiting? She may as well try get in a bit of a nap. But crawling into her empty bed wasn’t exactly appealing either… 

Fuck, she missed him. 

The thought surprised Cass a bit. She wasn’t really the clingy type. She didn’t really tired socially, so she could spend day on day with someone interesting enough… But she didn’t really spend the time apart desperate to see them again. It was a bit odd. Not necessarily bad, but odd. 

The feeling led her downstairs to Leon’s apartment, with a book and record in hand. Enhanced senses told her the whole place was empty… Which was fine. She located his record player- which she was fairly certain now was just for show- and threw on the chill rock record she’d brought down. The plan was just to read in his bed until she fell asleep, or he came home… 

But it didn’t quite feel enough. Led by her nose, Cass gathered a large bundle of clothing that smelt the most like Leon. She pulled on a t-shirt of his that practically swamped her, before bundling the rest around her along with the blankets and pillows to form a comforting nest. The more her senses changed, the more stuff like that mattered to her. Smell, touch… 

Being surrounded by Leon’s scent, even if he wasn’t there, did a surprising amount to calm the clamouring in her mind. So much so that she only got a couple of chapters into her book before drifting off to sleep.

But Green Lux could only pick up so much. Shadows inside themselves twisted into the shape of two massive cats which jittered and vibrated until they came together in a single entity. A paw slipped from the corner, corporal and violently clawed, the beast behind was the size of a grown man now.

Its body hunched, shoulders pressing up and out as it sauntered from the dark corner like a satisfied burglar, it stalked the edge of the bed to take in her scent. Impossible eyes peered at her, examining the curves of her body and cursing its own form in kind. Power be dawned, the pleasures of the flesh had escaped Kable for thousands of years. But the old drive could never be satisfied so long as the hunger was there…

Weightless, those massive paws crept up onto the bed, hoisting the tiger-like beast within six legs up segment by segment until it was curled next to Cass’ face. Then, then mouth opened wide into a Cheshire grin, eyes beaming into her closed lids with a stare that began to luminesce. 
In the darkness of sleep, Cass would be able to feel her consciousness slip away like a body down a waterslide. There was no friction.

Manchester was perfect. Down to the way the smell from the sea wafted up and across the city like a salty breeze, there was no longer indication that it [i]was[/i] a dream. The same noises that had been outside Cass’ childhood bedroom window were perfectly reanimated like denizens of a dead world. 

And her alarm was going off for school…

[color=629c3f]”[i]Fuccckkk[/i]- Just another five minutes-”[/color] Cass groaned, hand lashing out to snooze her alarm. Except the digital clock she kept beside her bed wasn’t there for her to slam her hand into. The alarm just blared and blared and blared until she was forced to roll out of bed and locate it. 

On the floor… She must’ve kicked it in her sleep. Ugh. The time was blurry, so she probably had time for breakfast before getting ready. Rubbing her sleepy eyes she headed towards her bedroom door. If she was lucky, her parents would already be out and she’d be left in the relative ‘peace’ of just her brothers.

With that hope in her mind she pushed open the door. Only for a small pail of water to tumble down and splash across Cass’ frame. It was cold; so cold that it had to be fresh, which meant only one thing…

Someone was catching hands.

[color=629c3f]”Oh you piece of shit!”[/color] Cass shook her head vigorously, water droplets spraying around her. She shot out into the corridor, worn carpet scratching her feet. Whoever had done this couldn’t be far… They always made sure to watch too. 

Enhanced hearing- huh?- picked up snickering a couple of doors down. A curly head popped out, before disappearing again. 

[color=629c3f]”[i]Robert,[/i] you’re in for a real beating- oh, you fucker!”[/color] She ran down the hall before her younger brother had a chance to try to escape- most likely by running downstairs to the safety of mummy and daddy. But she wasn’t going to let him get away with this. 

Her hand shot out to stop the door slammed towards her face. All five-five of her filled the frame, glowering into his bedroom. Robert backed away, hands held up in an attempt to ward her off. 

“I didn’t mean nothing by it, Cass! I’m sorry!” But he was still laughing, a wide grin cutting through his face. Sorry her ass. Sorry he was about to get beaten. 

[color=629c3f]”[i]Ohhh[/i], if you didn’t mean nothing, you wouldn’t’ve done it!”[/color] 
Cass jumped onto the taller man, one arm hooking around his neck as she used her whole weight to pull him to the ground. A tussle on the floor made it much easier for her to properly teach him a lesson… Cause she didn’t have to worry about the height difference! 

But it wasn’t actually serious. Just enough to stop him playing any pranks for the next week… Some wrestling, some punches here and there-

Sharp claws sliced through Robert’s chest, blood instantly spilling from the deep gouge. Red stained a ripped white shirt. It was sticky on her fingers. The smell of iron was overwhelming. 

Cass’ wide, shocked eyes met Robert’s. Dark, initial shock turning to fear. Her heart started thudding in her chest, loud enough she almost couldn’t hear his pained whimper.

“C-Cass, what- Why?!”

Why? It had been an accident. She didn’t start with claws. She hadn’t meant to use them! Not on her little brother! No, shit, shit- she had to stop the bleeding. Still clawed hands desperately pressed his t-shirt fabric into the wound, hoping to staunch the constant flow. 

“Ow- You’re hurting me more! Stop it!”

Her claws were digging into his flesh even as she tried to help. Shit. She hadn’t meant to. But she’d done it. She’d hurt him. And he looked so [i]scared[/i] of her all of a sudden. 

[color=629c3f]”Shit- [i][b]Da, Ma!- Rowan, Jack?![/b][/i]”[/color] She shouted desperately, panic clutching her. She looked back down at Robert’s pallid face. Her hands, covered in his blood. She- she- she-
[color=629c3f]”Someone, please!”[/color] 

Outside the dream, the weaver tasted the first fruits of its latest labour. Passage to Manchester wasn’t easy, but the dreams there were vivid and full of exactly what the city had gone through. He needed the context, unfortunately, as this tart was anything but wracked with nerves. Stalwart, intelligent, moralistic and centered: These kinds of people were juicy coconuts to the Wampus of Shimmer. The effort to drill into the skull, testing concocted dreams like potions in the alchemy lab, getting the formula just right to extract the essence of pain from the subject…

He allowed the shocked family to gather around, and to pass their judgement in sorrow upon her before the entire world faded around her. There was rumbling, coughing, men and women praying. The sound of a thousand thousand boots stomped overhead.

“Private Wallace? Private! Ahead! They’re down there!”

Her uniform was heavy, soaked with water. The sewers under Manchester. Spy Games in the days before the Blitz, saboteurs and German secret agents, supposedly attempting to blow up the parade route of the proud Royal Army. 

Cass didn’t respond, focused on her goal- on treading on as silently as possible. Difficult, but made easier by the constant Green lux dampening the sounds of her body. She couldn’t smell them over the thick scent of sewage, but as she got closer, she could hear. How many… Three, four- no, at least ten. More, maybe.

More than expected, she somehow knew. 

There was a dull ache in her chest, like an emptiness. She didn’t know where it had come from. But [i]killing[/i] would help dampen it. 

She had a gun, but she didn’t need it. Was better without it. It was easy to take the Germans by surprise when you slipped in like a shadow, immediately slitting the throat of the man standing guard. 

There was no hesitation, and no mercy in her slaughter. Bullets hurt, but she was too fast for them to ever hit anywhere that would kill her. Skin like stone blocked most from going through, and those that did were shoved out and the wound healed over. There was nothing stopping her from ripping out throats until her teeth and claws were dripping with blood. 

It was so easy. Too easy. These people… She [i]had[/i] to kill them. But each man was murdered in a more brutal way as it filled her with a sense of sick thrill. It was so fun. But it shouldn’t be fun. She shouldn’t be enjoying it, should she?! Nausea roiled in her gut even though the taste of blood in her mouth was still so sweet. 

But they were all dead, and the emptiness was back. She reached up a hand to an earpiece that probably shouldn’t be there. 
“All dealt with, Sir.”

A career, and a life spent. The sensation of heroism, and a good war spent killing for the sake of “protecting” the innocents. But, it was a lie… Because when feet were planted on the soil of the Fatherland, they waded in blood. Kable’s intention echoed through her, filling her with pride and not much else besides a joy for what was done. And now the war was over… 

Intrinsic knowledge: The last elder Wallace. The only one to return and claim the young boy from the shelter. Only [i]one[/i] left. He was hers to protect now… But, the world was cruel. Berlin had been wretched, and coming home now to the slowly-repairing rubble pile of her home city after the war brought little hope. Little joy. Return to the parents. Return to the crippled older brother. But the holes exist. The holes she made. No Robert. No Rowan.

What [i]was[/i] life? Mounting pressure. A mother whose expectations still loomed, despite everything that had happened. Protecting her daughter only meant finding a place for her to be safe. A place where what had been couldn’t follow her. An argument about leaving. About what was and wasn’t meant to be…

An argument that pushed things to a boiling point. 

She wasn’t going to get married to some ‘decent enough’ fella down the road. She [i]had[/i] a boyfriend. An American she met during the war… it didn’t matter that there was that distance. Cass couldn’t live that normal life. She barely could then, but now? It was impossible. Everything was so boring. So empty. She didn’t want to become some fucking wife who kept the house and looked after the kids. She wanted to be on the battlefield again…

But her mother just wouldn’t listen. 

And Cass really couldn’t take it anymore. 

[color=629c3f]”[i]Shut[/i] up!”[/color] The rage boiled over, and there was an emptiness demanding to be filled. Even after years of fighting, her control over her magic was still so shaky. With the anger came Green Lux writhing under her skin until she became a living weapon. 

It was all she could ever be. Something dangerous. Magic honed in battle, just waiting to be released, and a mind that now craved the taste of blood. She hated it. She terrified herself. But she couldn’t resist it.

[color=629c3f]”I ain’t taking any of this shit anymore!”[/color]

It was like everything turned to slow motion as she got up in her mother’s face, the woman’s blue eyes widening in fear. Cass’ hands wrapped round her throat, claws digging into the soft flesh there. She just needed to keep her quiet. She just needed a moment of fucking silence.

But it was impossible to hold back. Not when she had the hands of a killer, and they did what they’d always done best. As she watched the life sputter out of her mother’s eyes, it was like a dagger stabbed right into her own chest. 

[color=629c3f][i]No, no, no, no- stop! STOP![/i][/color]
But it was too late. Blood dripped onto the kitchen floor, her mother’s body following with a flood. Cass’ breaths came out in short gasps, like she was choking on glass. No. She’d killed her. She’d killed her [i]own[/i] mother. For what? Some demands she could ignore. Why…

Why did she not regret it? Why didn’t she feel satiated? 

“Cassandra? Cass- the fuck you done to your Ma?!”

Cass silently begged for her Father to not come closer. He may be much taller and bulkier than her, but he’d die all the same. [color=629c3f][i]Just run. Please.[/i][/color]

But he didn’t. Instead he came at her with a raised hand. 

It was all she needed. He was clumsy, the years having gotten to him. She ducked underneath his blow, hand shooting up to slice through his throat. Clean. But not quite deep enough to kill immediately, leaving him to choke on his own blood. 

It felt good. She felt empty. This was what she was, wasn’t she? A murderer? Someone to fear, someone to hate? She should stop… But she couldn’t. She couldn’t stop her own nature. 

Her feet took her to her younger brother’s room. Anthony… Not even an adult yet. He wasn’t so small anymore. What was left for him, with dead parents? With Jack wheelchair bound? With her like this? Nothing. Just suffering. It was a mercy, was it not?

No. She couldn’t justify it like that. It wasn’t a mercy. It was just what she wanted. She wanted to kill. [i]Needed[/i] to. But why him? Couldn’t she spare him? Not him-

It was like a part of her mind detached from her body as she approached Anthony sleeping peacefully in his bed. The part of her that still had those strong morals. Deep sorrow entwined with horror, but she couldn’t stop it. Even as the tears streamed down her cheeks. [color=629c3f][i]Just make it quick.[/i][/color]

The guilt went away as quickly as Anthony’s life. Neater than her parents, because he’d never hurt her like them. 

And it wasn’t as satisfying. She regretted holding back and making it quick. Where was the fun in that? There was no struggle. No thrill to fill the emptiness. It was just so easy to kill… 

Then, she was outside Jack’s door. It creaked open, revealing the other soldier in the family. But he hadn’t lasted as long. And here he was, stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He looked up at her with a deep sadness, then at the fresh blood coating her hands. 

[color=d0e672]"Don’t do this, Cassi. Please. This ain’t you."[/color]

But it was. It was her, and it was her over and over again. No conditioning necessary, she simply ached for the carnal pleasures. Like any other beast. Lust and blood were never far bedmates, and fear projects the exact same human chemicals as arousal. Joy was the ultimate payoff for the Green Lux adept, and it was a sensation that Kable rarely utilized. Because this wasn’t about a meal now. Though, her immediate abject horror at her own actions within the subconscious steeped his tongue like condensed milk, the time spent now was only the planting of the tree of pain. 

A trigger to the avalanche that would sweep a delectably aged vintage port of agony into his waking maw. Anticipation got the better of it, forelimbs pressing Cass’ shoulders tightly to the bed as she squirmed beneath the weight. Middle limbs curled in, wrapping under her lower back to hoist her slightly. Slightly toward the slowly opening slit in the belly of the beast. Kable’s torso and chest peeled open, and within, a roiling mass of primal energy circulated, pulsing in wait of a fully developed meal.

Wetness dripped from it onto the surrounding clothing, and ultimately onto her as she continued to struggle without consciousness. The dream within was powerful. The mentioned boyfriend: A man with Leon’s face happily greeting her at the airport on her arrival. Her bloodstained hands, invisible to his perception, took his own as he guided her back to his own people. To sisters and brothers of his own whom greeted her like a welcome hero. 

“We’re so happy to meet you!”
“Lee’s told us so much!”
[color=C67C12]”That’s my girl…”[/color]

It should have filled her with Joy to suddenly be surrounded by so much love. People who wanted her and accepted her. 

But they didn’t, did they? They didn’t know. She’d covered it up so well. The tragic slaughter of an entire family. Her family at her own hands. Hands stained red that she hid behind her back as if anyone could see it… 

But she could start afresh over here, couldn’t she? With him, with them. It didn’t matter that Jack’s face flashed across theirs sometimes. She did miss him. But more than that, she missed the feeling of killing him. 

And it couldn’t last. She didn’t want it to last. Because she knew what she was now… And she’d tried her best to always embrace herself. She had to, no matter how much it hurt, or how much the tiny part she’d trapped inside screamed and wailed. There was no Joy in just living. 

It would’ve been easy to kill him in his sleep first. But she didn’t. There was a craving for more than just the easy killings of her family now. Someone who would fight before she got her blood. A final boss, maybe. 

[color=629c3f][i]Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t-[/i][/color]

It all came in flashes. Jumping from kill to kill as Cass picked off Leon’s people- her people- one by one. There was no accident. It was a choice to kill this time. She heard their screams echoing in her ears, their whimpers as they begged her not to do this. Just like Jack had. But she did it all the same. There was such great Joy in the feeling of their blood staining her hands and teeth. It was agonising how much she enjoyed it. 

She hated herself, and how she couldn’t stop it. In the brief flickers of dream where she wasn’t killing, there was just agony and sorrow over all she’d done. The lack of control- no, the purposeful slaughter. 

Hari, Ed, Mia, Casey, [i]Trisha[/i]. 

Everyone she loved, dead at her hands. All but one. One more before the dam burst and all that guilt and despair crushed her. 

[color=629c3f]”This [i]is[/i] me.”[/color] She was in the same room as Leon now. Had he asked or begged? No, she’d gotten so used to it. She explained before he even asked. Before he said a word.

She smiled, eyes filled with joy that only came after watching life leave another’s. Blood dripped from her fingers. It was visible now. It was all visible. Her whole horrible, twisted, ugly self. [i]Murderer.[/i]

[color=629c3f][i]Monster[/i].[/color]

The night had been long. So long. Remnants of the change lingered in his body and tugged hard at his muscles. The tension of holding it all together by a thread was only punctuated by the victory at last. The returning of the Leash at the last possible second. The PRA had withheld it, testing just like they always did. They were just lucky that a common enemy had broken their plans and made the exchange necessary. But, ultimately, this was [i]big.[/i] It meant that what was coming next didn’t have to be so fearful. 

And it meant he had another part of his life back. He couldn’t ask Cass to carry it, of course, but for the interim, he could trust Elise to do so, or even Casey himself. Someone from their immediate family, whose blood linked to the Clan of the Bones and ruled over the mountain and forest from beneath. A seeress, preferably. Though, the most able would wind up being Mia… 

He couldn’t ask her either. It was simply too much.

So wrapped up in thought, no longer burdened by the undesired input of another, Leon could once again lose himself like he always had. Maybe it was ignorant to think that his time with Lelou operating so freely wasn’t a boon. After all, she never would’ve missed the gentle hissing of the Bitter Foe’s wretched powers. She never would’ve let Leon walk down the stairs and open the apartment door without telling him that there was something happening.

But she was gone, and he was alone in his thoughts. The burden of extrasensory abilities no longer beating him in the face, he stuck the key in the lock only to find it already undone. But he smelled [i]Cass[/i]. He trusted his sense in the moment, and assumed what had happened with relative accuracy: That she’d missed him and come down to sleep, or wait.
The thought only turned him on. The possibility that she was waiting naked in bed was titillating. So much so that he was apt to reverse the trick. Not worrying about the open door, he simply tiptoed down the hall as slick as he could, on toes as light as a giant could make, until he came around the corner.

The body of the Wampus had distended greatly, like a tick on a wound. All six paws dug massive claws into her body, gripping by the sides and limbs as it forced its torso upward into a horrific mockery of some medical technology. A giant, fleshy and furry MRI machine whose slit open belly had opened into a putrid, rancid eye socket. Its occupant, the iris of which produced a sickening yellow light while its pupil gaped open into its own gullet complete with greedy teeth.

Teeth which had slowly gnawed through the shirt and the base layer of muscle layered over Cass’ stomach. Her body writhed and rocked unconsciously as the dream reached a frothy climax, and in all the bitter pleasure of a freshly earned meal, Kable was either unaware or unwilling to cease his devouring…
So, the only possible solution was left. The moment Leon urged his powers through the collar associated with the Leash, its temporary holder returned the command code without hesitation. At the same time, said holder broke from what he was doing in a panic to make it back to his own place. 

Not that he’d get there in time. All at once, Lelou’s tortured scream returned to Leon’s mind as the power flooded through the leash and into the five seals spread across his body. Baseline and Unity hadn’t been so smooth in months, and within a matter of an instant, Leon’s massive wereform was gripped atop the distended, ticklike rear gut of Kable. Teeth sunk in and ripped at the soft flesh, releasing a torrent of screams and shouts as nightmares of Manchester still fresh from his hunting expedition spewed forth. 

Wretched air filled the room, sickening Leon and driving Kable to maddening shrieks. The beast ceased its chewing, and altogether ceased its ability to keep Cass in the dream… But it did not cease its clawed grip digging into her body. Now, instead, it seemed that either the pain response or an intentional sabotage was doing its best to rip Cass’ Green Lux-bolstered form in half… While conscious.


Cass woke up screaming. The physical agony entwined with all the mental anguish she'd felt trapped in the dream. But she'd always been reactive and she was waking up in fight mode. She could practically taste the blood on her lips already. 

Clawed feet kicked out desperately with no care for what they kicked, and she fully strained against the beast’s grip. Her skin tore at her waist as it tried to rip her in two, only to immediately heal in a constant agonising process. The pain and subsequent healing was secondary to getting whatever it was off her, magic funnelling into enhancing her strength as much as possible. A monkey tail wriggled out from underneath her, curling round one of Kable's limbs and squeezing as hard as she could. 

Her neck strained painfully, sharp teeth biting down on whatever she could reach with enough power to break through bones.

Leon’s voice wasn’t his own as the chanting started up again. Just like the last time, smoke began to curl up and around the beast as sharp claws dug holes into Kable’s immortal body. Reactively, between Cass’ assault and the decoupling ritual kickstarting on its back, the beast withdrew its inner eye and finally released the woman from its clutches.

Only to rear back fully in order to swipe a massive paw toward Cass. It hit the bed, shredding the first foot of cloth and metal springs to nothingness in its quest for Cass’ head.

Cass didn't have the capacity to really [I]think[/I]. No longer pinned, she could- should- roll away. But it was, in her bleary mind, a fight for survival now. Her legs continued to kick, striking both Kable and Leon. She twisted around to avoid a blow to her head. But there was an overwhelming pain as her shoulder was caught and torn to shreds. 

It didn't matter. It would heal- it hurt- she was alive. The claws on her feet and hands lengthened. Her knees were brought up to her stomach to protect it, before fully kicking upwards to try and tear at the beast's stomach before it could swiped again.

There was a loud, wet shredding noise as flesh rent and sundered under the stress.

[color=C67C12]”V’then ad’aad! Ib urralis [b]oren IMMULMALKUS DEVO CAD NA’D MOORI MEH!”[/b][/color]

He felt the shredding too. His own guts, totally ripped to hamburger as Cass made the ultimate struggle move. A whole clawed paw, straight through the unnatural flesh of the Wampus’ spinal column and into his own stomach cavity. It was all he could do to shout the binding without breaking his concentration. All at once, the struggling ceased. The massive cat shrunk within the blink of an eye, momentum carrying it up toward the ceiling until it smacked off with a loud hollow thud only to crash through Leon’s office door.

Leaving Leon and Cass alone to deal with their collective injuries. He could feel her moving, hear her breathing and her rapid heart beat. His furry body curled up, turning and spilling a large pool of blood onto his destroyed mattress as he shifted to see her.

[color=C67C12]”[b]Cass!?[/b] Cassi, Baby, please… It’s Leon! S-stay with me! Stay w-”[/color]


[color=629c3f]"S-stay back!"[/color] Cass managed to hiss out through the pain. Her blurry vision couldn't recognise him, but she [I]smelled[/I] that it was him. A little strange, a little more like how he'd smelt during that raid. But she could smell his blood too. Even as her mind slowly processed things, she knew it hadn't been the cat. It had been tearing at her flesh, so- 

It was her. 

She scrambled to the head of the bed, knees tight to her chest. A pained moan escaped her lips as the torn flesh on her shoulder and stomach started to rebuild. It was more agonising than the initial injuries, a red hot pain searing through her. Her breathing came in harsh, short bursts. Her own claws dug into her bare thighs, causing shallow wounds that sluggishly leaked even more blood. The enhanced strength sapped out of her frame to stitch her wounds back together, but all of the changed features remained. 

[color=629c3f]"Don't come near me, [I]please[/I]."[/color] She practically begged him. She knew she wasn't in the dream anymore. But she [I]had[/I] hurt him. She could hurt him even more if he came close! She couldn't risk it, not while she was still transformed. Not until the sharp teeth and claws were gone. 

His senses were in overdrive, and a little more pain didn’t matter. A hard signal blasted back to Casey’s end requesting a flooded Water Seal, which he clumsily fumbled to achieve while driving at a hundred miles an hour. But Leon got his wish. While he could smell every freshly birthed cell burning off calories on the wisps of Green Lux, he knew she needed him. Wanted to believe she needed him, and that whatever the Cat had done to her was temporary. That she was still Cass… That he hadn’t been responsible for irreparably fucking the poor woman up.

Leon’s body practically turned to steam as the water seal’s energy flooded into his red hot veins. At the same time his stomach stitched itself back together like watching a computer screen saver, the wolfish appearance melted away to reveal the man beneath. The same concerned, fear-filled face.
But he didn’t stay away. Bite, claw, scratch… She’d not kill him here. Not like this.

[color=C67C12]”N-no! No, p-please, Cass, it’s okay! I’m not gonna hurt you, it’s not a d-re-am…”[/color] he slowly, confidently, stumbled onto the edge of the bed, arm reaching out in quiet desperation.

Cass shook her head, body leaning away from him. She tucked her feet- paws- underneath herself, clawed hands tucked in between her thighs and calves. Trying to declaw herself while she couldn't get rid of them… The pain of her wounds slowly repairing themselves was second to the fear clutching her mind. It echoed the fear on his face- just like the Leon in her dream. All those other people. 

She couldn't control it, could she? 

She wasn't scared of him, she was scared of herself.
[color=629c3f]"P-please, don't…"[/color] 

Her body trembled from exertion and emotion, sharp teeth digging into her lips. She [I]wanted[/I] him close, she wanted the comfort, but she couldn't let him. She was scared that the her from the dream still lingered, somehow. 
[color=629c3f]"I don't want to hurt you, Leon. I can't control it. I can't…”[/color]

[color=C67C12]”I-it’s okay! It’s okay, it’s fine. Look! Look, look-”[/color]

He moved his arms to show his stomach, the gaping hole still completely gone. Sure, the organs inside were still gelatinized for the moment, but they’d be back soon… He was fine! And he’d be fine, so long as everything stayed intact. His fingers tugged at the leather collar around his neck to show it off to Cass.

[color=C67C12]”-Lelou’s Collar! See! You could hit me with a [i]tank shell[/i], Babe, I wouldn’t die. Just giggle as I get sucked back together, it’s incredible! I’m back! I’m back… Nothing’s going to hurt you now, I’m so sorry Cassi… Please, don’t be afraid…”[/color]

He slid off the bed again, letting himself get low to meet her level while keeping his arms outstretched.

[color=C67C12]”Come here! Come on, we’ll get you back upstairs, we’ve got at least an hour. Casey’s gonna be here soon, we’re gonna have to make up a story!”[/color] he half-whispered to her, gently urging her toward his waiting arms.

Cass sucked in a deep breath, just staring at his stomach for a moment. It really did look healed. She wasn't entirely convinced, but if she touched it to make sure she might just rip the flesh out again. Did it matter that it wouldn't kill him? It'd still hurt him! 

But she was herself again. At least mentally. Not stuck in a dream killing everyone she cared about. It had started with an accident… But no matter how realistic it was, or how much it came from her fears, she didn't [I]want[/I] to hurt him right now. That was the difference between the cold blood killer she'd been in the dream… 

Even if it was a future possibility. 

[color=629c3f]"It's an actual fucking collar… that's pretty kinky…"[/color] She weakly laughed, trying her best to push through the fear that has gripped her. It was something she was going to have to sit down and properly process. She couldn't just leave the thought to fester until it was more likely to become a reality. But now wasn't the time. In a couple of hours, maybe. 

She shuffled forward on her ass into his arms, still a carefully curled up ball to keep all the sharp bits covered by her own soft flesh. Her stomach was fully healed now, the sinew across her shoulder and back beginning to properly bind back together. The process was so painful, and she could feel it draining her energy… and forming a pit in her stomach that would need to be filled with food soon enough. 

[color=629c3f]"What kinda story are you expecting to make up to fool him? Ain't he got the lie detection magic- what, we say shit got real outta hand in the bedroom? He ain't gonna buy that…"[/color] She didn't entirely understand why Casey would be there- but figuring out the practical shit helped suppress the horror she felt for now. 

[color=629c3f]"Fuck, I needa shower… and you needa whole new wardrobe, sorry."[/color] All the clothing of his that she'd gathered around her- and the shirt she'd stolen to wear- were torn beyond repair. Whether it was during her struggle in the dream or what had just happened she wasn't sure.

As she crawled into his arms, there was already other voices echoing through the halls. The echoes of feet smashing against the stone floor of the lobby, the laboured breath of half a dozen humans rushing down a flight of stairs until a voice finally called out in the hall outside. Leon’s room was close to the side entrance, after all; easily shout-into-able.

[color=9d33d6]”Praise be, to be!?”[/color]

Before Leon could say anything else to Cass, he had to respond.

[color=C67C12]”God, to [i]thee![/i] To thee! To [b]thee![/b]”[/color]
And he turned his head back down immediately to speak to Cass again.

[color=C67C12]”Cassi, don’t you ever apologize for that. Please… I’ve got everything to apologize for Baby, oh my fucking God…”[/color]

Theo practically missed the door, flinging himself off his feet for his Apparition to catch and right him mid air. There was the barrel of a massive anti-material rifle shoved through the doorway, which swept across Leon and Cass defensively before noting the half-destroyed casing leading into Leon’s office. The Archangel’s sights locked in, and the barrel gently maneuvered to hold point on the doorway.

[color=9d33d6]”Leon! Leon, Miss Cass!?”[/color]

[color=C67C12]”Get the fucking Cats! Call Ed, get her down here [i]now![/i]”[/color] Leon practically howled, instructions followed instantly and without question. 

Norm, and a few other security members responsible for the Cannery, rushed past Leon and Cass and into the room beyond. There was tremendous noise and clamour as the half-conscious Wampus struggled against the binding of a Yellow Adept’s shackles. Theo had already scrambled, and was headed for the security team phone to get a priority call out to the finance office. She’d only be fifteen minutes at most, which Leon was desperately hoping was enough time to get things rolling.

He didn’t need the Wampus being put down, after all… It still had information for him. He [i]needed[/i] Kable. But he needed Cass [i]right now.[/i] With his focus back on her, he scooped her up and immediately pushed his way out of the door and across the kitchen to the Girls’ side of the place. A few more steps, and he was out their door and into the elevator with Cass in tow. His fist almost caved in the button to her floor, but now they were alone… It was quiet for a moment.

Leon’s back hit the wall, and he slid down to sit with her in his lap… And immediately broke down into tears, clinging so tightly to Cass it felt like he may actually break her this time… And it didn’t stop. Not even as the door dinged open and closed itself back up again.

Thankfully, Cass' shoulder was pretty much healed now, creeping of skin to cover the exposed muscle only slightly slowed by the way he held her tightly. With the healing almost finished her magic was naturally withdrawing, leaving only exhaustion and heavy limbs in its wake. Sharp claws and teeth slowly and painfully started to full back inwards. 

She curled in towards him, feeling the wetness of his tears hitting her scalp as she tucked her head under his chin- and not caring to move to avoid it. Her breathing was still harsh even as she tried to even it out, taking deep breaths in to fill her sensitive nose with Leon's scent. It was somewhat comforting… and she just let him cling to her for a moment. She didn't have the mental capacity to comfort him in any other way. Not with so much still going on in her head, that anguish the dream had forced on her dragging itself back up now her Green Lux was slipping away.

[color=629c3f]"You're…"[/color] Her voice was slightly hoarse when she spoke again. 
[color=629c3f]"You're gonna have to stay with me for a bit, ain't you?"[/color]

As if in response, he threw his head back and let it smash against the wall behind him. It didn’t do a damn thing to the stone that was his cranium cap, however. It wasn’t even like he seemed entirely conscious of what was being said to him. His eyes were closed, mouth open without any sound coming out, just leaking tears like a statue in mourning. There was so much to deal with, yet no words to do so with this time. The Farm had already been painful enough, only for him to come home and find [i]that…[/i]


Leon took a long, snorting breath through his nose.
[color=C67C12]”I-if you-you-you’ll ha-ave meeeeeee-”[/color]
Trying to respond only threw him back into the pit. So what if he had his collar? So what if they were going to work out a permanent solution to the problem soon? He couldn’t protect Alizee, couldn’t protect the other Sycamites… And now he couldn’t protect Cass. Only “save”, for whatever that was worth in the end.

[color=C67C12]”-I-m so-o-o sorry Cassiiiiiiiii!”[/color] he tucked her closer still, as close as he could possibly get her until his face was buried in her stomach. His arms held her like the most precious doll in the world. Like she’d break if he breathed wrong, but somehow his squeezing would just keep her safe…

[color=629c3f]"Can- can you please not call me that right now?"[/color] She asked as gently as possible. Not wanting him to think she was upset at him… it was just the flashes of her brothers from the dream. Their voices- begging her to not hurt them. Jack, not even fighting back after trying to talk her down. Just letting her kill him… 

[color=629c3f]"It's alright, it's alright- I'm alright, ain't I?"[/color] At least she was physically now. Mentally… It was there. Something to work through. But it was a fear that had already been blossoming before the cats took a hold of it and supercharged its growth. She curled around to press her face into the top of his head before continuing.

[color=629c3f]"C'mon, Leon, let's get to my place… It's comfier. I'll feel better there."[/color]

Golem-like in instruction, Leon could only stand and surge forth with Cass in his arms. After all, what else was he going to do? She’d asked him not to call her something he’d been refraining from calling her for weeks now. He just liked it better, found it cute, vaguely bubblegum, and oddly comforting. But they’d both had awful nights, and he couldn’t really explain why he was having this reaction without calming down first. There was only one thing to do in that regard, since Ed arriving would extend Kable’s span of unconsciousness long beyond what he’d managed to eek out through his understanding of primal somatics.

But he wouldn’t let her walk, even as she started to wriggle. He just kept adjusting her again and again, letting her open the door and walk in as his laboured breathing turned into something calmer and quieter.
A face without emotion: A walking ball of pain who stooped down to the bed the first chance he could and deposited Cass onto it like the most precious treasure in the world. His knees bent forward, arms stretching and hands clasping onto hers.

[color=C67C12]”I wasn’t able to protect you… Because I was gone doing something awful to people who didn’t deserve it… I’ve failed you.”[/color] he spoke with great sincerity, tears welling in his eyes in spite of his voice remaining steady.

Her hands were caught by Leon's before she could do what she immediately wanted to- tear off the shirt sticky with Wampus saliva and blood. It was all over her too. Most of all she wanted to wash Leon's blood off her foot… but that meant leaving him to go to the shower, which she couldn't do right now. 

So she pushed the gross feeling down and held on tight to his hands, fear of hurting him dampened now the claws were gone. 

[color=629c3f]"Leon, Baby, it ain't like that…"[/color] She didn't feel that he'd failed her… whatever he was doing, was he supposed to be there every night to keep the cats away? Wasn't she the one who'd fallen asleep so unguarded? It had just lined up so well for them to get in… 

And in her mind, she wasn't someone who needed protection. Not like that… Maybe this time, because she was so stuck in the dream. But not generally. As much as she wanted to say that, she knew this wasn't the time. They were both trying to calm down, starting a possible fight wasn't the way to do that. She didn't even want to think about arguing with him right now… 

[color=629c3f]"It ain't your fault. They just… got lucky. Most nights I'm like an impenetrable fortress! Y'know, they ain't got in like that before… But I'll be alright. You didn't fail me or any shit like that… at least, I don't believe that…"[/color]

It was only after a few more moments that his senses took hold. The stench of blasted body and biological hazards, the worst slowly soaking into Cass’ bed… Once his mind caught up with his actions, he practically ripped her up off the bed and looked down at the big, thick moist spot where she’d been.

[color=C67C12]”Awwwww, for fuck’s-”[/color]
And then his mind was empty. Totally, except for him and his frustration that he’d somehow forgotten that she was slicked with disgusting fluids. But, that was just it… He’d forgotten, and now he had nobody in his head directly shoving the worst parts of his psyche back into his mind. It’d been eight months of pure, unbridled madness in his head…

And now, now that the problem had immediately passed, he found himself able to process out all the negative until it was just her. And he stared at her face, and he accepted what she said slowly but surely within his own heart.

[color=C67C12]”-uh… Shower. Right. Bath. Clothes. Lets…”[/color]

Slowly, half awkward in his action, Leon let Cass finally slide down to stand on her own two feet.

[color=C67C12]”Better?”[/color] he asked quietly, arm wiping the snot that was still falling from his nose away.

Cass' legs felt like jelly. As her feet hit the ground, they refused to stabilise like she'd expected. She grabbed onto Leon to keep herself upright, grimacing with pain and frustration. 

[color=629c3f]"Uhhh, sorta… All'a that healing must've really taken it outta me."[/color] She [I]had[/I] used a lot of magic. Strengthening herself, growing various extras, then all the energy spent on regenerating the stomach muscles and a shoulder torn to shreds. It was an awful lot of Lux use. A lot of energy and calories drained. No wonder her body wasn't functioning great. Especially since… 

[color=629c3f]"I ain't ever healed like that before- lucky I'm so good at spell casting on the fly, right? But my body ain't enjoying it."[/color] She was able to stand properly now, at least, but she wasn't so sure about walking. Annoying, but bearable. A little bit of weakness was an alright price to pay for an injury that would have her bedridden for months at best, or dead at worst, without magic. 

[color=629c3f]"You're gonna have to help me to the bathroom…"[/color] She admitted reluctantly, pulling off the torn shirt that absolutely swamped her and tossing it into the corner of the room. There being nothing underneath made it easier… less gross layers to peel off. They'd have to change the sheets too, but after getting cleaned… Hopefully with better working limbs.

[color=629c3f]"I'll run a bath, though I don't wanna be in there longer than I gotta to get all of this shit off. Ain't even like you can join me, cause I don't think that bath'd fit one Leon, nevermind us both."[/color]

At least the place was small enough she'd be able to hear him wherever he ended up. It'd stop her from dwelling on the dream while it was still too fresh to properly, healthily process. 

Leon didn’t hesitate to let her lean fully against him as he led her to the bathroom and held her until she was able to settle into the tub. 
[color=C67C12]”Do you want some recovery help? Something to wipe the fatigue away?”[/color] he asked, knowing full well there was an assortment of concoctions meant to help with this kind of rapid Lux depletion.

The water was [i]hot[/i], just like it was in his apartment. The heating system for the building, like most things, was magically enhanced thanks to Max IV’s years of tinkering. Water pressure didn’t stop when multiple people used it, and there were never any issues with running out of water at temp.

[color=C67C12]”And, do you want the shower head on? Get you clean faster? You sure you don’t want to relax in the water? We can find a bigger tub for you, maybe we should get you a jacuzzi?”[/color]

He was doting. Too much, maybe, but he felt like death. There was a need to fix what he’d done wrong, even if she already told him there wasn’t. He couldn’t have stopped this. But the guilt was running rampant in his freshly cleaned mind. Plenty of empty space to romp in…

[color=629c3f]"Where the fuck are you gonna fit a jacuzzi, dude?!"[/color] Cass laughed at the suggestion. It would take up half the apartment! Shit, that was the kinda luxury she really didn't need. The bath wasn't even that small… sure, she couldn't fully lie down in it if she wanted to, but that was alright. 

The water was already getting gross with blood and other fluids. She reached up above her head to the little basket holding all of her showering essentials. It was full of hair products… Thankfully her hair had avoided getting hit by anything, cause she really couldn't be bothered going through cleaning it! She grabbed a sponge and soap, putting them beside her as she thought about how best to get clean quickly. 

Yeah, the shower suggestion… 

[color=629c3f]"Yeah, yeah, turn on the shower- one minute!"[/color] She reached up again and grabbed her shower cap to pull over her head and protect her not completely frizzy curls. It was a little ridiculous looking- brown and white with ears, styled after Gizmo from the Gremlins movie. 
[color=629c3f]"Alright, shower away!"[/color]

Normally she'd be a bit bothered by how clingily doting he was being, but right now she didn't mind. She wanted him close too, after all… and was still mentally recovering from the whole thing. 

[color=629c3f]"I dunno about recovery help? Like some kinda magical shit? I probably just gotta sleep or some shit and it'll be fine…"[/color] She waved a hand, before holding out the sponge and soap to him. 
[color=629c3f]"You mind helping with my back and legs? Normally it ain't a problem but yknow… kinda feels like I got hit by a truck."[/color]

Pulling the drain to let the first batch of brown-red water gurgle into the sewer, Leon flicked the switch for the shower head and let the water come rushing down from a second place. Now the bathroom was getting so steamy, Leon had to open the door fully to make sure he could see. Granted, it was a bit awkward trying to get to where she needed him. The back was easy, and he happily included a nice, thorough back rubbing while staying away from the extra tender freshly stitched shoulder socket.

[color=C67C12]”We’re going to go to my Doctor. Not now, but… Later. To make sure you healed everything right, and that there won’t be any lasting issues. Usually, the first big wound a Green Lux Adept heals, they don’t get it right, so the bone grows at a funky angle from then on or something, and it doesn’t get corrected until they do it themselves years down the line.”[/color] he explained, hearing horror stories about bad healing jobs before.

[color=C67C12]”Some don’t make it. Stomach acid leaks from a shitty patch, a vein bursts on accident, there’s a clot of rotten material that gives you an embolism… I’m incredibly impressed, and extremely proud of you for pulling this off: I don’t want you to think I’m not. But, you’re too precious to not double check. Agreed?”[/color] he asked, thumbs sliding out from her spine, the right one sweeping to rub some dead skin away from the shoulder wound.

[color=629c3f]"Yeah, better to be safe than sorry!"[/color] Cass nodded. She'd gone extra limp, flopping her torso forward to rest on her knees while Leon rubbed her back. She stifled a little groan, because it felt pretty fucking good on her aching muscles. Not like she'd been doing anything strenuous with her back just… The stress of all the magic in them. 

[color=629c3f]"I'm curious to see how well I did it, honestly! Cause I wasn't really actively casting again it just kinda… happened. Magical survival mechanism, I suppose! But there wasn't any thought put into it or that kinda shit, so maybe it was all done wrong and I'd never know till my whole arm falls off. Which would suck! I like having both of my arms!"[/color]

While her mind was quickly going back to its normal energetic place, she could still feel the heavy exhaustion in her limbs even after soaking them in hot water. Maybe she should take that recovery help… she'd see! 

[color=629c3f]"So long as the doctor don't get all excited and start dissecting me for just being [I]too good[/I] at self healing!"[/color] she joked.

[color=C67C12]”Doc Nedia learned how to practice Green Lux before she ever bothered learning how to practice practical medicine. If there’s something special about you, she’ll probably figure it out way before you need to get dissected. She’s pretty incredible: She comes from this village in Italy where all the women are healers, so it’s pretty much her life. Hopefully, she’ll even have pointers for you.”[/color]

He continued to rub and scrub at her back until it sparkled, then shifted to the more awkward position of trying to wash her legs without crawling into the tub. But, the small pause gave him enough time to worry about what’d happened all over again. About what it was that the Cats had finally managed to get into her head about… And so intensely? He remembered his own experience with being a true meal.

The nightmare about being abandoned. About being forgotten, and frozen in time while life passed him by. It seemed so distant now, and so silly… But it was a piece of himself he had truly killed. The anxiety of “not being enough”. It wasn’t hard to get rid of in his case, as he’d turned out to be more than proficient as an Adept during his time. But, just like he’d rescued her, he remembered waking up in pain as his father struggled and wrestled Kable to the floor. A man pinning a monster. Lynette’s shaky grasp of the verbal component to the binding spell making Maxwell’s struggle worse.

He remembered waking up for a moment and seeing the eyeball eating his own stomach… Trying to pry the pearl out…

[color=C67C12]”Fuck! The Pearl!”[/color]

Leon’s eyes went wide and he stared at Cass.

[color=C67C12]”It needs to come out… Uh… The Pearl. Catalyzed horror built up in your gut… It’s what, uh… He eats it. It’s what he was trying to pull out. I fucking forgot…”[/color]

[color=629c3f]"Huh?!"[/color] Cass froze, leg midair as she tried to move it into a better position for Leon to get to without hurting herself. A pearl of catalyzed horror… that sounds pretty fucking nasty! And it was inside of her?! 

[color=629c3f]"Where?! How do I get it out?! Do I gotta cut my own stomach open? Or cough it up like a fucking furball- I'll do it! It just won't be fucking pleasant, uh… or is there a less nasty way?!"[/color]

Leon’s face was dire. He only remembered now thanks to the searing pain flooding back to him. He’d passed out as a child, so…
[color=C67C12]”It doesn’t form naturally, so it doesn’t [i]pass[/i] naturally. My only question is if you want [i]me[/i] to do it, or an Adept with healing magic.”[/color] his voice didn’t waver, but he really didn’t look happy about it.

Cass frowned a little bit, staring up at him. The suggestion of healing magic meant it must be pretty bad, but…
[color=629c3f]"What does it actually entail? How fast do we need to get it out? Cause I can't make that decision when I dunno what the fuck you'd be doing!"[/color]

Leon only frowned in response, shaking his head.
[color=C67C12]”I really don’t know how long it can just sit there before it gets toxic, but the only way it comes out is by blade or tooth. Lelou’s magic is the same [i]kind[/i] as the Cat’s, so I can touch it without getting infected, but that still means I’m going in through the point of least resistance to pull it out.”[/color]

His hand gently pressed against her gut. Sure enough, there was a hard lump, like a tumor, sitting deep in the gut between the muscles and the wall of the stomach.

[color=C67C12]”Doctor Nedia could get it out the same way, just with less pain.”[/color] he explained.
[color=C67C12]”She’d have you lower your emotional field, and she’d part your stomach cell by cell until the cavity was open to pluck it out.”[/color] 

Cass winced slightly, feeling the pressure on her gut even with how gentle he was being. She really didn't want a toxic ball of cat nightmares in her stomach for any longer than it had to be there! How long would it even take the doctor to get there?! Then the whole emotional field lowering and stomach parting… well it was about as bad as Leon just tearing in there. Either way, it was pretty bad but… she [I]had[/I] been willing to slice her own stomach to rip it out when he brought it up. 

[color=629c3f]"I [I]don't[/I] wanna wait till it starts poisoning me, no way! Just do it- uh, actually, can you get some of that green goop shit first?! I dunno if I got enough juice left to heal it back up myself."[/color]

[color=C67C12]”Alright… I’ll be right back.”[/color]
He pushed forward on his knees, kissing her passionately before getting up fully and taking off to the exit. 

Cass’ head tilted back to lean against the bathroom wall, closing her eyes for a moment. Mentally preparing herself for what was bound to be a shit ton of pain… But she could get through it. She'd already had a creature trying to tear her in half and gouging out her shoulder. She was tough. And she really wanted the toxic ball out of her fucking stomach.

Leon’s voice, along with others, broke the silence as he pushed back into the apartment.
[color=C67C12]”-o and take care of the damage downstairs.”[/color]

[color=ed145b]”Okay, but what about this!?”[/color]

[color=C67C12]”I’ve got this. Just tell Casey to wait until later, and have Ed and Serenity keep that fucking stupid bastard asleep. I need to move him tonight, but this needs to get handled first.”[/color]
And then Leon stepped into the bathroom, looking down at Cass.

[color=C67C12]”You okay, Baby? Mia’s here too, she’s not gonna stay unless you want her here… But I’ve got the stuff. You’re gonna be okay. Empty the tub, cut the water…”[/color]

As he knelt down, Cass could get a clear shot of Mia staring into the bathroom with tears filling her eyes. She covered her mouth instinctively, then turned her head in panic before turning it back and mouthing “I’m so sorry” without using her voice.

Cass raised a hand to wave off Mia's apology, offering her a genuine, comforting smile. It wasn't like she was in any pain yet… And she was a natural protector. She didn't want to burden those she didn't think could handle it with her problems. 

[color=629c3f]"I'm okay!"[/color] She reached up to turn off the shower with a soft grunt of pain, before pulling out the plug. There was still some dried blood clinging to her legs and feet… but she'd need to wash again after this anyway. 

[color=629c3f]"Uh, probably best if you don't stick around to watch, Mia! It ain't gonna be pretty… but like Lee said, I'll be alright. But before you go… you mind grabbing a clean towel or t-shirt or something from my closet? Y'know where shit is, you helped me put it in there… I'ma need something to bite down on."[/color]

She wasn't sure how her magic would react, and she really didn't want to risk biting clean through her tongue, even if the green goop would heal it afterwards. 

A hand held out to get the little packet from Leon so she could have it on hand to stuff into her mouth as soon as he was done… Assuming she didn't pass out. She shouldn't! And she smiled at him, though she didn't let it hide the jittery nerves she felt about the whole thing. He was, after all, ripping a hole in her stomach. 

[color=629c3f]"I know I'll be okay cause I trust you."[/color] She said quietly.

Leon nodded to her as Mia bolted for a cloth. 
[color=C67C12]”This isn’t my first rodeo either. Don’t worry, it’s big: No chance I’ll be fishing around for it.”[/color]

From his back pocket, he produced an entirely different packet along with the green stuff. It was chocolate brown, and looked like a disgusting mess in its package.
[color=C67C12]”Y’like pudding? It’s for recovery; it’ll help you get back on your feet. I’d hate for you to lose your day, y’know?”[/color] he said, putting it down and ripping open the Key Lime. 

Handing her the open pouch, he furrowed his brow.
[color=C67C12]”Fuck, he’s here… Shit. Fuck. Fine… Casey? Come upstairs to Cass’ apartment, God please don’t tell Trisha.”[/color]

He was talking to [i]nothing[/i], but he knew his Brother was already listening. He could feel the presence of White Lux like a person standing next to him, and he knew intrinsically that it wasn’t Mia. In fact, as she came back, she stepped into the exact same spot that the projection was in, muffling Casey’s feed of the situation for a moment.

[color=ed145b]”Fuck, Cass, I… We… We spent last night at a friend’s, but I knew, I knew! I knew I had a bad feeling, and I told myself I shouldn’t go but I didn’t follow it, I didn’t even take a nap to try and figure out what it was, I just…-”[/color]

She had taken a mostly-used roll of paper towels from the day before and stuffed the tube with a cloth to hand to Cass.

[color=ed145b]”-it’s gonna be over so quick, I promise. We’ve all had to go through this, all five of us siblings: You’re gonna be okay, and we’re gonna get rid of that fucking bastard once and for all…”[/color] 


[color=629c3f]"Hey, don't worry ‘bout it, it ain't your fault! They were gonna try [I]sometime[/I], they just got real lucky. And hey, I get to see if it hurts more than when my brother had to snap my broken leg back into position and hand splint it cause've the bombings. Was pretty impressive, considering he really wasn't adjusted to the wheelchair then-"[/color] Cass rambled a bit, taking the cloth stuffed roll in one hand, carefully holding the green goop to the side in the other. She had no idea where Casey was spying for Leon to know and be talking to him but…


[color=629c3f]"Also, I second the not telling Trisha thing! I know none of us want her properly freaking out, right?"[/color] Of course no response, and she wasn't waiting for one. 

Then she nodded to Leon. 
[color=629c3f]"Do it, I'm ready as I'll ever be."[/color] The roll was shoved into her mouth and she tilted her head back, now free hand gripping the side of the tub in preparation.

[color=C67C12]”Oh, no you’re not… Eat the goo. It’s not going to be as bad for me to work through as it would be if I accidentally left something behind in there. Let’s wait for Casey to get up here…”[/color] Leon instructed, turning to Mia.

[color=C67C12]”Go, honey. You’re okay, go downstairs and cover Ed in case the Cat gets up.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Yeah, come on Mia, you already get queasy at stuff like this.”[/color]
Casey’s voice echoed through the apartment as his thick boots clunked against the floor. He was absolutely laden with military gear and equipment, the chest piece hanging half open from a massive slash in it.

[color=577d06]”Cass? Sorry to see you like this Dude, uh… I mean, I’m gonna keep my eyes closed, but I’m used to human anatomy. If you want me to wait out here I will.”[/color]

His eyes were closed tight, though it didn’t exactly matter since he was using his own extrasensory perception to see [i]anyway[/i]. He could just actively censor his vision with one, not the other.

[color=C67C12]”Just wait out there. Juice me for air, earth and water.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Right… Come on, Mia.”[/color]
Casey’s hand stretched out blindly, smacking against a wall before Mia moved toward him and out of the bathroom. Then, without ceremony, he closed the door to leave them alone. 


Cass was absolutely slurping down the goo, drinking the whole packet and discarding it on the floor without much care. There was a little fizzling feeling across her skin, even though there was nothing to heal yet. 

[color=629c3f]"Heh, he probably saved himself from a buncha stings to the eyes by keeping em closed."[/color] Cass half joked, though she imagined Trisha would be far more upset by the whole ripping something out of Cass' body thing than if Casey had seen her naked. Cass wasn't exactly someone bothered by that shit anyway…

[color=629c3f]"Alright, uh… Just try not to get my blood all over the walls, alright, Babe?"[/color] She reached up to rub his shoulder, before moving back into a position where she could properly brace herself in the bath while giving him easy access to her stomach. 


As she braced herself, something beautiful was happening in front of her. The way Leon’s hair slowly, purposefully began to lift itself into the air and dance as all of the darkness in it faded away into pure white. Then, his face began to shift, the bones beneath the skin slowly rolling and tugging at his face until it was no longer [i]Leon.[/i] Softer, fuller lips. Bigger eye sockets. Cheek bones tugging upward and back. Musculature in his body began to fade, until finally he was pale haired and…

[color=a36209]”En’et enii deynu. Ib al hathra’aba n’dyet d’sedsena. N’nat… N’nat argbaga’draduida, N’nat ar alfhatim ib al assiit senasa! An e’centena, nur rimasthrasa bene ne et eget!”[/color]

Leon’s arm lifted, and there was a little grin that split the foreign lips.

[color=a36209]”I’m happy to return the favor of [i]getting into your guts.”[/i][/color]

Unceremoniously the hand plunged into Cass’ stomach like the most dull knife on the planet. Every single bit of it hurt, and it was a downright miracle that nothing ruptured as flesh split open. A spurt of blood surged forth, splattering against the opposite side of the tub before oozing down the pure white wall. Every little movement that Leon’s fingers made, twisting through the tissue until there was a wet [i]thock[/i]. 

Then, the most painful part. Leon’s whole hand grabbed around it, and Cass would be able to feel the flesh from which the pearl developed being ripped and torn at the same time it was trying to form more muscle over the pearl. Having to use a second hand to stop from eviscerating Cass, Leon took a great breath in order to force the claws on his hands to develop into a set sharp enough to cut. After what seemed like an agonizing eternity, however, he managed to snip it loose and rip it out of Cass’ stomach.

What he held was fist sized itself, roughly shaped like a tear drop and colored like a bismuth crystal with every color of the rainbow to be found within. Meanwhile, the goo was working overtime as it closed up the cavity without much trouble. Granted, it still hurt like a motherfucker, but at least the worst was over. 
Though, now there was time to realize that… Maybe this wasn’t Leon. Not with the way it was staring at the pearl, rather than paying any kind of attention to Cass…

The whole process had been excrutiating. It was a shame it hurt so much, cause the initial hand plunge was kinda hot.

Cass gripped onto the sides of the tub so hard that her knuckles turned white. Thank fuck she had no magic left, otherwise she might have broken it. The roll beneath her teeth saved her tongue from being as torn apart as her stomach. Her vision sputtered in and out at the worst point as the pearl was being torn out. Never quite fully blacking out, but getting close. 

White hot, searing pain… Everything healing afterwards felt like a scratch in comparison. The roll dropped from her mouth and Cass curled forward with a groan as her stomach stitched itself back together. At least it was out. She'd be fine, and- 

Whoa! Curled forward as she was, Cass turned to get a face full of [I]breasts[/I]. Holy shit. He had tits! Wait, he had tits?! 

The lack of immediate concern for her probably should've been the first tell, but in the moment her mind was still recovering from the agonising process. But now everything was becoming much clearer and… she was pretty certain she wasn't looking at Leon anymore. Didn't he have the collar or whatever?! Wasn't Casey in control- did this normally happen when he got juiced up by someone else? It was… probably fine, right? 

Cass' hand slid forward for the shit coloured packet, tearing it open and quickly gulping it down as the pain slowly subsided. Her magic flooding back felt painful too, like sharp shocks across her body. But it helped with the exhaustion and the heaviness in her limbs, at least.

[color=629c3f]"Damn, that would've been pretty hot if it hadn't felt like I was dying."[/color] She broke the silence with a slight laugh, eyebrows raising up and down. Her somewhat hoarse voice raised to be a bit louder so that any magical listeners could hear as she stared pointedly at his- her- chest.

[color=629c3f]"Holy shit, when the fuck in the process did you grow tits?!"[/color]

[color=a36209]”Thousands of years ago, silly girl…”[/color]
The [i]not[/i] Leon surged forward, locking lips with Cass for a long moment before pulling away.
[color=a36209]”Your fortitude has impressed upon me. You are graced by a facsimile of the Queen of Wolves, in spite of all reluctance. Yet, your nightmare is mine to devour. Not that stuffed housecat. As payment…”[/color]

 Ooh, great… Presumably Lelou was fully in control right now. Sure, the kiss was pretty hot and left Cass a bit red faced and panting, and she wasn't trying to kill her… But was she going to give Leon back?! Cass really couldn't have her boyfriend turning into a girlfriend and running off into the woods right now! 

[color=629c3f]"Oh, well, I'm very glad you're impressed… My Queen? Your Majesty? Anyway! You're very beautiful, very sexy, perfectly ripped that nightmare outta my stomach, the whole thing but, uh-"[/color] Cass tilted her head from side to side as she tried not to just be fucking blunt like normal in case she ended up as a wolf meal. Which, sure, would probably be pretty hot to start with before it got really gorey… 

[color=629c3f]"What'll happen to Leon when you eat it?"[/color]

There was a facial expression that Leon never really made. A single eyebrow raised up on Lelou’s face, practically climbing up her forehead and into the hairline above.

[color=a36209]”Odd thing to ask… You would presume there were side effects at all? When the precious control has come back to his life? My manifestation is [i]hardly[/i] my choice, you see. Thus, all that goes with it, goes with me into the dark when it’s over.”[/color]

Lelou stared at Cass for a long moment, the sensation of being seen as a meal waxing and waning in that short time.

[color=a36209]”The body isn’t mine. Not like you would imagine it should be. Not like you, living in your head. I have my own space, thus anything I do is isolated until I’m forced to manifest again. And, unlike me, with this wretched-”[/color]

Oddly like the head was [i]not[/i] attached to the rest of the body, she pointed with her chin at the collar around her neck.

[color=a36209]”-leather binding, Leon gets a nice cushy space to wait for his seat. And the [i]Bastard Man[/i] pulling on it makes me wish I could hoist my leg and piss all over the place.”[/color]
She certainly didn’t seem like she was [i]pleased[/i], but at least it also seemed like she wasn’t able to do what she actually wanted to. It was [i]interesting[/i] to say the least.

[color=a36209]”Too bad, you don’t get anymore ghost shows. I can no longer project any part of my psyche past my prison without express permission. Thus, no dancing in the steam around Leon as he cools off… No more whispers in your ear at night. [i]Nothing[/i] of me… Tell me you’ll miss me, Cass…”[/color] she pouted.

It was pretty difficult for Cass to suppress a giggle at the literal Wolf Queen poutily asking something like that. It was strangely cute, similar to the feeling she had whenever Leon acted more clingy- things that contrasted appearance, at least. She did feel pretty bad for her, even though she knew it being this way was the best for Leon [i]and[/i] everyone else around them. Safer… 

It was just shitty there wasn’t a solution where everyone could be happy.

[color=629c3f]”Course I’ll miss you!”[/color] Cass couldn’t resist darting forward to kiss Lelou’s pouting lips, fully prepared to heal if she decided to bite something off in retaliation. No pain no gain!

It was probably pretty bad that her mind was going [i]wild[/i] from the possibility that they could totally, actually, safely fuck. A little awkward cause Casey had to be involved, but still possible! And not really where her mind should be after everything that had happened and then just been said… But-

[color=629c3f]”Wait, does that mean if we fucked, Leon wouldn’t be able to watch?! That’s kinda sad- not that it’d be much less hot- unless pissing was involved cause this place is real nice and new and I don’t wanna deal with cleaning that up- not that it’s even a possibility right now-”[/color] And there it was, the raw thoughts spilling out, skipping past any of the more serious ones she’d had.

Which wasn’t anything Lelou wasn’t used to at this point. As equally as Leon was conditioned to deal with her thoughts uninhibited, so too was she with his. It was a painful exchange of a modern man’s anxieties and an ancient woman’s proclivities. Not the same, not similar, and in her mind, certainly not equal. But, not equal meant that [i]lesser[/i] issues rolled off her back like water off of a duck.

[color=a36209]”No. But the Brother would. Or, whoever holds the leash.”[/color]

Lelou leaned forward, practically sticking her nose into Cass’ mouth and sniffing before pulling back.

[color=a36209]”You’re sick. There are beans that would help you, but I don’t know where to find them. The Doctor will know… Now-”[/color]

Her hand pulled the bismuth colored stone up into the light again. In doing so, one would be able to see Cass’ dream surrounded by the dreams of all the people it took to put Manchester together…
Including dreams of her entire family, which bubbled up to the surface as Lelou stared into it again. Of loss, and mourning, and of ill-gotten goods and [i]things that had to be done.[/i] The war never truly left any of them.

[color=a36209]”-cheers, Immulmalkus. I win this round.”[/color]

Lelou let her entire jaw unhook from its seating, then swung her cranium backward to open her mouth as wide as possible. Like a pelican swallowing its catch, all the musculature clamped down on a [i]massive[/i] wall of emotional energy. Its invisible sides held the little stone in midair, and Lelou slowly but surely massaged this mass of invisible material down her gullet and into her waiting stomach.

There was hardly a moment of time before she belched, releasing a sauna’s worth of steam that carried the screams and cries of Cass’ victims in its tendrils. Lelou rolled back on her knees, letting her ass hit the floor and her torso tilt back as she digested the memories in absolute ecstasy. 

[color=a36209]”Ohhhhhhhh… You’re [i]so[/i] worried about something [i]impossible.[/i] Clearly, your immediate revulsion at the implied loss of your morality should tell you all you need to know about yourself, Little Wolf. You are a righteous one: We would’ve called you Packguard. You would’ve protected the pups and the old dogs. Brought peace to the clans. Instead, you live in a time where you’re forced into the bubble of [i]girl.[/i] And yet, you continue to worry about others.”[/color]

Her body listed forward again, once more staring directly at Cass through the crying smog.

[color=a36209]”You’re doing the right thing. Find your beans. Shape your clan as you see fit. Kill those who deserve it, and only those.”[/color]

Cass tensed again at the escaping screams, fingers reactively curling into her palm and squeezing. Sure, what Lelou said made sense. She didn’t want to become something like that. It horrified her. But how could she guarantee it wouldn’t happen when she killed so easily, even if it was those that deserved it?

She wasn’t entirely sure she could trust moral advice from a Queen of Slaughter… 

And what did Lelou mean about her being sick?! Was she coming down with a cold? Was it something worse? Shit, was this like how dogs sniffed out cancer. Did she have cancer?! But what kind of fucking bean helped with cancer?! Unwittingly she thought about baked beans, and her stomach grumbled in response. The Green Lux demanded being fed… 

[color=629c3f]”Well… I’ll try my best to only kill those who deserve it! And I [i]do[/i] like the sound of ‘Packguard’. Not that there’s any kids or elderly around me to protect- anyway. Thanks! Ain’t many who put it so bluntly, heh. That I’m doing shit right…”[/color] Her balled hands unclenched, reaching up to scratch the back of her neck.

Did she ask if she was dying? No, no, she didn’t have to, if there were some strange beans that helped. Strange, deadly disease curing beans… Or it was just a cold, and Lelou really meant baked beans, which were the cure for everything… Fuck, she was hungry. 

[color=629c3f]”Right now I could kill for a fucking burger. All this talk bout beans and watching you eat that very inedible looking crystal nightmare’s got me fucking ravenous…”[/color] Cass half mumbled. There was so much to do before she ate. Namely, cleaning all the new blood off of her. 

She leaned her head a bit forward, properly meeting Lelou’s gaze. She hadn’t been purposefully avoiding it, just her mind flying to a million different places. 
[color=629c3f]”I know it wasn’t your choice and all, but thank you, really, for digging that shit out.”[/color]

[color=a36209]”A Queen does for her consorts what she would do for herself. Occasionally, a Wampus Cat slips in: This is a fact of life.”[/color]

She twisted her body in an incredibly inhuman way, and the sound of bones snapping meant only one thing… Her time was limited now. 

[color=a36209]”[b]Damn this collar![/b] Get him to take it off when you fuck! Please! If you miss me, if you’re grateful, you’ll let me g-eKLAAGGGRRRRRRR-”[/color]

There was a terrible moment where the body hung in the limbo of death as the prisoner was shuffled away. In that span, the most painful parts of the subtle transformation rescinded. The facial bones constricted, tightening and becoming angular like the grill of a luxury British car. Before her very eyes, Leon was reformed bone by bone until all the eumelanin flooded his hair with darkness once again.

[color=C67C12]”[b]-RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA FUCK![/b]”[/color] Leon shouted, arms flailing around despite his torso seeming to be stuck in a half-broken position.
[color=C67C12]”NO, NO, FUCKING BITCH, GODDA-”[/color]

Leon pulled himself up to one knee, both arms wrapping around him like a straight jacket. Then, with a single hard jerk, he used all the control of his body he could muster to fully reset his spine. The pop was [i]deadly[/i] in the echoey little bathroom, and he gasped like his lungs were an old leather bag. But, he was breathing, and his torso seemed fully animated now as he rotated his shoulder cuffs and finally looked up at Cass.

[color=C67C12]”Holy… Fuck… He can’t run that fucking thing. [b]Casey!?[/b] We need to find a replacement, like, yesterday.”[/color]
He looked in disbelief, and shook his head frustratedly as he looked at Cass.
[color=C67C12]”He nearly just killed me, Babe; that was [i]not[/i] how that was supposed to work, holy fuck…”[/color]

[color=629c3f]”Awww, that did look pretty fucking painful!”[/color]

[color=C67C12]”No! Like… That was [i]way[/i] too far toward the [i]she’s getting out[/i] side of the spectrum. Like, I didn’t mean… I would’ve [i]told you[/i] to expect her if I thought for even a second that was going to happen… I’m so sorry…”[/color] 

[color=629c3f]”Oh, it’s alright, I managed to stop her from pissing all over my apartment!”[/color] Cass waved a hand at him over the tub, which she was still sitting in. Naked, still, aside from the shower cap. Stomach covered in blood. But certainly no worse for wear overall. 

[color=629c3f]”Sure, I was pretty worried for a moment that she was like [i]properly[/i] in control, but it was fine! She didn’t do anything. Actually she started pouting and asking if I was gonna miss her [i]after[/i] complaining about the collar and threatening to piss all over everything…”[/color] The whole thing hadn’t really bothered her, and she didn’t want Leon worrying about apologising to her… Especially not if it could’ve actually killed him. Or presumably let Lelou out. 

If anything, it had been kind of useful. At least the whole Cass being sick thing… Though she didn’t really feel it. Really, she felt perfectly fine thanks to the various magical goops she’d drank, which was pretty amazing considering all her body had been through. 

[color=629c3f]”It’s all okay, Babe. I ain’t gotta toxic ball in my stomach, you ain’t trapped in a cushy mind prison, nobody’s dying unless the cold Lelou smelled on my breath is actually cancer but there’s [i]no[/i] way that’s the case-”[/color]

Leon immediately rushed forward, doing much the same as Lelou had previously. His nose stuffed into her mouth, he sniffed around for a moment before pulling back and narrowing his eyes: His skeptical face. Perfect, and clearly back in full control.

[color=C67C12]”I… Don’t smell anything weird, but Dumbo opened the air seal wide so she was probably running close to full power. She can practically smell genetic deformities, it’s so accurate… So, I guess we’ll mention that to the Doc today. Yeah?”[/color] he asked, reaching toward the tub faucet to turn it on.

[color=629c3f]”Yeah, guess it’s best to get checked out… But I bet it ain’t much, cause I feel great! Aside from all the blood still sticking to me. [i]And[/i] I gotta real craving for baked beans after Lelou talked about some beans that’d help.”[/color] Cass let out a quiet pained groan. She wasn’t particularly worried about the sickness thing right now because, as she said, she hadn’t really felt anything. She really was sure it was just some small thing, and the Doc would agree. Certainly not a genetic deformity!

[color=629c3f]”Actually, I gotta craving for a lotta food. We gotta order something after I’m actually clean… Uh, is Casey gonna be hanging around for a while? I assume he’s gotta do some security head questioning shit?”[/color]


[color=577d06]”I mean, I’ve got a good idea of what happened… I think we’re all square so long as nobody tells the Queen in the High House, right? Like, just, y’know none of us need the trouble. Leon, I’m gonna fix the apartment, and you, me and Mia are gonna have a conversation about this whole leash thing.”[/color] Casey spoke clearly from [i]right[/i] outside the door.

[color=C67C12]”Alright. I’m taking her to Andrade’s.”[/color] is all Leon replied with, doing his absolute best to hold back any reaction as he could [i]feel[/i] his brother’s stare. It was just like their Mom; that same feeling of two eyes in the darkness. A predator being watched by something ethereal… 

[color=577d06]”After the night we had, you deserve a break. I’ll call some of the girls, have them take Layla for the day.”[/color]

[color=C67C12]”Thanks…”[/color]

There were a lot of things neither of them were going to be able to talk about for a while. Too much pain. But Leon wasn’t going to let it reach Cass; not like that. And especially not after what had just happened… There was no way he was going to let her feel anything but joy for quite some time. She didn’t deserve anything else.

[color=577d06]”Cass? If Trisha asks, like oh, I don’t know… ‘Did anyone tell you the building was on lockdown?’ Just say you were sleeping, please? Or, whatever she’ll believe: You know best. And feel better, you really handled this like a champ. All of us know what this is like: The whole process… I think they’ll all tell you I had it the worst.”[/color]

Leon nodded.

[color=C67C12]”No Emotional Field. We all learned where the pearl formed because we [i]all[/i] had to get it out of Casey at one point or another.”[/color] 

[color=ed145b]”Just… Don’t worry about that. Get a big meal, and go see Doctor Andy. She’ll be thrilled to meet you.”[/color] Mia’s voice broke from the other side.
[color=ed145b]”We’ll be here when you get back. And the Cats won’t be!”[/color] she sounded cheerful at least… Hopeful.

[color=629c3f]”They better not be, or I’ll beat their furry asses!”[/color] Cass declared with far too much confidence for someone who’d almost been eaten by them. She was relatively confident she wouldn’t let them get to her like that again… At least, not if they couldn’t try for the next few days. She’d need time to process it, remember all those techniques her therapist recommended, then she’d get through it. 

Not something to think about right now. Or today at all. For once she really wanted to push it down for just a little while.

The bath was properly filling up again, hot water relaxing her still aching muscles and soaking off the fresh blood. It felt nice. 

[color=629c3f]”But thanks, Mia, I’ll enjoy the meal and suffer the doctor’s trip- And don’t worry, Casey, I’ll make sure to give Trisha the [i]most[/i] convincing lie ever. It ain’t gonna be good for [i]anyone[/i], her included.”[/color] She nodded, sinking further into the water with a soft sigh. 
[color=629c3f]”And it’s all fine now. Leon can confirm I’m in one very sexy piece.”[/color]

Casey’s laugh was audible through the door, as was his vocalization of shuffling Mia out. The only thing left was the two of them, and a second bath… Plus, Leon’s arm up to his mid-forearm was coated in Cass’ blood… He took a long, deep breath, then stuck his hand into the water. There was a long silence as Leon tried to drum up a way to talk about how tired he was… But it all seemed dumb. Why mention it? There was no time. It wasn’t worth it.

He dipped his arm into the hot water to gently rub Cass’ thigh. It moved upward to her stomach, thumb pressing to scrub away lingering scabs.
[color=C67C12]”I don’t think I’m ever going to find out about Dad at this rate… Not that I made much progress to begin with. I can’t believe I let this shit perpetuate… Oh, what am I saying? Of course I did this. Of course. I didn’t do it when Casey brought Trisha home, but now that you’re hurt I can’t-”[/color]

He shook his head turning his face away from her but leaning in to put his head on her shoulder. He really couldn’t excuse himself. He’d ignored someone else’s problem, and now couldn’t stand for it when the problem came back home. Trisha was just lucky her pain was [i]exquisite.[/i] This, Leon was sure, was petty revenge on Kable’s part. Simply to show her that he [i]could[/i] get her. 
But he’d heard the cat describe Trisha as a tree, rather than something like a tuber. The implication, he always came to at least, was that she was a long game. Someone worth cultivating. 

At least she’d never been hurt for real. Not like Cass.

[color=C67C12]”-Fuck it… Your shower cap is [i]really[/i] cute, Babe… Let’s watch that later, after we get home. All six of them.”[/color] he said with a pouty intonation, similar to Lelou.

Cass turned her head to nuzzle into Leon’s hair. She considered for a moment whether she was going to say that yeah, it [i]was[/i] pretty fucked up he’d kept the Wampus around to torture everyone for some information, and was only thinking about getting rid of it [i]now[/i] that she’d been hurt. But he was clearly already pretty torn up about it… And her lack of any comforting denial was basically an agreement.

[color=629c3f]”Babe… I don’t have a TV yet! We ain’t watching shit unless your place is fixed enough. Which, I guess it might be, cause magic?”[/color] Her head tilted from sided to side in thought.


He wordlessly nodded in agreement.

[color=629c3f]”Oh, right, well then… sure, we can watch all of em! You don’t have to pout like I’m aboutta spit in your face and say no or some shit.”[/color] She let out a little snorting laugh, head moving around to try and force her face into his. It was a bit of an awkward angle… Her arms swished in the water, unable to really keep still even in a hot, ‘relaxing’ bath now that her magic and thus energy was back. 

[color=629c3f]”You [i]should[/i] apologise to Trisha and Casey and Mia and Ed and Hari and anyone else the Cats’ve tormented, though, cause yeah keeping ‘em around when they’ve been doing that shit is pretty fucked up! I mean I assume they ain’t gone so far with Trisha, but she clearly got all tense and touchy when they were brought up before… ‘Specially if you grew up with ‘em! Like yeah, I can’t [i]really[/i] say it was alright even knowing why.”[/color]

The plan to [i]not[/i] talk about it went out the window, even though she’d only meant to say the first bit… 

Leon knew not to protest at this point. Frankly, he barely had the will to. Besides, [i]this[/i] was frankly something he could take being yelled at over. The [i]other stuff[/i] was going to be his burden to live with. His scar to heal. He felt the welling of a question, but let it fade just as quickly. Only nodded once again, taking a deep breath.

[color=C67C12]”I will. I am… It’ll be fine. Trisha won’t forgive me, I won’t expect it. Don’t deserve it. Again.”[/color]

With a glum expression, Leon lifted his arm out of the water unceremoniously and stood.

[color=C67C12]”Finish up whenever you want. I’ll be right here.”[/color]
His large body turned and stuck itself in the doorway, slowly swinging it closed behind him.

Cass tilted her head with a hint of confusion, but didn’t stop him from leaving. If he wanted a bit of space, that was alright!

Not that she was… actually going to give him much alone time… 

She’d never been a big fan of the whole lying still in a bath thing, especially not one turning red with her blood. But she had to make sure everything was properly clean. The worst thing would be to find a patch of blood somewhere and get it on [i]more[/i] clothes and have to wash [i]again.[/i]

It was only after scrubbing the foot that had kicked through his gut for a solid five minutes that she realised maybe, just [i]maybe[/i], pushing all the shit down wasn’t working. At least, not when she was alone. 

Sure, Lelou said it was impossible, but it was honestly really hard to believe a moral judgement made by a murderous ghost. And there [i]was[/i] truth in it. She really fucking struggled to control her magic! She’d kicked through Leon’s gut! Sure, he could take it, but could the other people she cared about?!

[color=629c3f]”Fucking Wild Witch bullshit.”[/color] She muttered under her breath, finally stepping out of the bath. She grabbed the towel she’d had hanging up, beginning to vigorously dry herself. There was still a dull ache in her joints, but it was pretty easy to ignore. Like she’d done too much strenuous exercise… She’d be right as rain tomorrow. Drying herself didn’t take long thanks to not having to deal with her hair. Both the towel and shower cap were discarded onto the floor to deal with later. 

Cass popped her head round the door to locate Leon first before shuffling out, heading straight for him rather than bothering with going for clothes. She’d get to that in a moment… And she was still pretty warm from the bath, skin flushed from the heat. 

[color=629c3f]”You, uh, doing alright, Leon? You ain’t been in here spiralling or something while I was finishing up? Took longer than expected, really needed to scrub that foot raw to get all’ve your blood off’a it.”[/color] She laughed with a hint of discomfort behind it. 

Then she somewhat dramatically stretched her arms out, leaning her body to perfectly fall against him with her arms wriggling right under his.
[color=629c3f]”God, [i]I[/i] need some comforting cause my perfect plan of lying sexily in wait in your bed got fucking cockblocked!”[/color]

She sure did need comforting… His problem, however, was who was going to comfort him? It almost seemed worth taking the collar off just to hear her say he was being foolish and emotional. That it wasn’t behavior becoming of her vessel, and that he should prostrate himself upon a bed of coals as punishment. 

How healthy could [i]that[/i] be?

He had deposited himself on the floor outside the bathroom, head and torso tucked in between both of his long legs and arms wrapped tight like a human sushi. But as Cass emerged, he tightened up. Muscles tensed him into a standing position, one hand grabbing hers and pulling her close into a tight hug. 

She needed comfort? Fine. But he didn't have words to go with the action. Words would've turned into regret far too quickly as he once again sought this woman's approval. He wanted comfort too, and validation enough to get over the feeling of failure… But she had confirmed his feelings by way of her moral instruction, and there were just some things you didn't get to crawl away from.

Apologize? He'd apologized over and over. Was he really sorry? At this point, even that was debatable. Incident after incident proved, at least, that there was some level of disconnect between his emotions and his actions.

[color=C67C12]”We'll just hang out as long as you want… You probably don't want to go anywhere after that whole debacle, do you?”[/color] he asked with a real streak of sincerity as he rubbed his hands up and down her bare back.

Cass rubbed her face into his chest for a moment before tilting it back to look up at him. 
[color=629c3f]"Yeah, I ain't really feeling up to going out and pretending to be human… But if you'd rather go to Andrade's cause the food’s better than takeaway, I can deal! And we should probably still go see that Doctor just to make sure I ain't actively dying from bad shoulder job or disease."[/color]

As she stared up at him, her arms wriggled up until her hands were holding his face. It was pretty obvious he wasn't so alright, from the tension and the general dour look. If anything he was taking it all worse than her. This was one of the few times something was really lingering for her, showing all the signs of what could be a real long term problem. An internalised fear that had spiked when she was left alone in the bathroom. But she wasn't going to become what she feared right there and then. 

Her thumbs rubbed against Leon's face, before a finger tapped against the side of his head.
[color=629c3f]"What's going on in that big noggin of yours? I can tell that it's real noisy in there, and it's, like, all across your face. Maybe it's just what happened, but…"[/color] She trailed off, staring at him with a mixture of encouragement and expectation. He [I]could[/I] brush it off if he wanted to. But she also didn't want him stewing if she could help it. 

Or god forbid thinking he had to keep shit in cause of everything [I]she'd[/I] just been through.

He [i]was[/i] awful at hiding his expression in a resting position. Unable to avoid the explanation, he tried to think of ways to minimize without making it sound like he was trying too hard.

[color=C67C12]”It’s been a lot of months since it was [i]just me[/i]. With the collar on, I can close the door. I don’t hear all the whispering, and all the yelling. So, I… Forgot that when it’s just me, I get stuck on things. Hung up. I feel like a failure right now, and all I can do is make it up to the people who need to be made up to. I just… Don’t do failure well. I wasn’t raised to do well with it, I don’t fail often-” in my own eyes. “-and it’s just… Something I need to struggle to get over. Last night was an awful thing, and to come home and find this happening?”[/color]

As he held her, he brought one arm down to scoop her up, bringing her into her room and sliding her down onto her bed before moving to the dresser. He could get all the things outside brought in, including Nedia who was always willing to get out of the office for an emergency. [i]He[/i] just didn’t want to be there. Not where Trisha could come down at any minute and ruin his entire fucking life.
So he started rummaging through her drawers for nice comfortable home clothes. Simple panties, pajama pants, a tank-top.

[color=C67C12]”It felt like the Cat knew. Like, someone told it that I wasn’t going to be here, or it found out somehow. My brain keeps coming back to it being my fault, which is only making things worse because its true on multiple different fronts. And, you’re being real cool about it. [i]Real[/i] cool. Like you didn’t just go through something that you never should’ve had to. Like you’re not pissed. Which, again, is just… Making me more crazy! Because, y’know, how’s she not mad? Right? Like how’s she not just packin’ her shit up, like you fucked up dude! You lose this one, because you continue to-”[/color]

He turned, handing her clothes off to her before flopping down face first behind her.

[color=C67C12]”-Aw fuck it. I’ll just keep going in circles. We’ll fuckin’... I’ll call Nedia in a few minutes, she’ll probably scream all the way over here. And I’ll call the restaurant, request a meal delivered. I don’t even fuckin’ care, I’m eating what I want today, fuck the g-”[/color] he trailed off, stuffing his face into the bed and continuing to babble incoherently. 

In spite of this, his hand still reached out and pressed up against Cass’ back, fingers gently rubbing up and down. [i]She[/i] needed comfort. [i]Fuck![/i]

[color=629c3f]"Whoa, we ain't just jumping past that one to calling people and shit!"[/color] Cass wriggled into the clothes he'd pulled out for her as quickly as possible without actually having to get up. It was a lot to take in, but she kinda got where it was coming from… A bit. She remembered one argument, ish, she had with Trisha a long while ago… when her friend fucked something up, and Cass was super chill about it after. Trisha actually got upset that she wasn't angry. She thought it meant Cass didn't care… Course, Cass wasn't sure if it was the same for Leon… 

But the two did have a surprisingly similar reaction to things. Probably why they struggled so much to get on. 

She reached around to capture the hand on her back, flopping down onto her stomach beside him. She pulled his arm around her and wriggled close until her face was right next to is, staring at him trying to practically suffocate himself in the sheets. 

[color=629c3f]"I ain't gonna leave over something that… Well, sure, you brought the cats into the building. But they're some kinda ancient monster who I bet'd get what they want however they could. They just happened to have something to dangle over your head. So yeah, that was a fuck up. But it ain't a fuck up of leaving proportions."[/color] 

She flipped herself onto her side, just about managing to shove one arm under him so she could hug him from the side. 

[color=629c3f]"Would you… rather I was pissed? Do you think I ain't feeling anything over it cause I ain't?"[/color]

He took a long, deep breath.

[color=C67C12]”No. I know you feel over it. I feel shamed by your good nature; that I don’t deserve your evenness. Your temperate nature inadvertently reminds me that I’ll never be [i]that[/i] good. And so, selfishly, I wish you were worse. Vindictive, or withholding some kind of motive, so that I could re-justify my own poor choices. I feel like a fucking psychopath, especially when I’m not even…-” telling you the whole truth. “-I’m not even sure how to bring up the context for what the fuck I had to do last night. I really just… Want to comfort you. So, maybe I can just stop talking? And listen to you?”[/color] he finally looked up from the bed sheets back into her eyes.

Cass stared back, trying to make sure if that was actually what he wanted or if he was just brushing off the problem. But she couldn't [I]really[/I] tell. 

[color=629c3f]"Sure, if that's what you want… but comforting can go both ways! And… [I]I[/I] really don't think you're a psychopath, or anywhere near it."[/color] She responded genuinely, leaning forward to rub her nose against his. 

It wasn't like she was perfect. Sure, she tried to be a good person. She'd done a lot to work on real anger issues she'd had as a kid, along with getting them shouted out of her by her parents. But when something [I]did[/I] manage to piss her off… It was bad. Really bad. He just hadn't seen it yet. Hopefully wouldn't have to! 

[color=629c3f]"They really were super lucky. The cats, that is. I was feeling off all day yesterday! Cause've the call with Jack. Both the whole Mum thing and, y'know, the whole ‘people who can just kill people without thinking are the scariest’ thing. Really got me thinking. My mind was real fucking crowded, even programming and drumming didn't help."[/color] She shrugged one shoulder. 

She was trying to figure out how much she wanted to get into it. The dream. She could kind of tell what Leon would say… he'd think it was impossible just like Lelou did, probably. But it was one of those things where external validation wouldn't [I]really[/I] help. She had to believe it internally. 

[color=629c3f]"Couldn't sleep either! Which is why I was down in your place… It, uh, helped being somewhere that smelt like you- Well I missed you!- but anyway! They really wouldn't have got in if it wasn't for me already kinda dwelling on that stuff. The… Killing stuff…"[/color]

Having zero recollection of the nightmares which his physical form had only just consumed, he’d only had a cursory idea of what the nightmare could’ve actually been. He’d first assumed that it was more like what Mia had gone through, and that there may be some kind of hidden sexual trauma that needed to be gone over. He was selfishly pleased that wasn’t the case, finding that her dwelling on the fact that she’d been blooded was far easier to deal with.

Not simple, of course. Just more familiar. He hadn’t known how to comfort Mia then, and he still didn’t now. But killing? Granted, there was little comfort [i]for[/i] it. What, ‘You’ll be okay’? She may never be. The screams may haunt her forever. Good. She’d never become what she was afraid of at that rate, and maybe one day she’d wind up desensitized entirely to it. Like him. He didn’t lust for blood, he didn’t crave fatal action. He liked to sleep around, eat lots of food, and strut around like a peacock in the ring. Occasionally, the urge to commit violence came as naturally as any other wave of testosterone, but he was tempered. 

He’d been taught how to live with violence. How to [i]be[/i] violent without being evil. You couldn’t be evil in the boxing ring, or shit like biting someone’s ear off tended to happen. You punched harder than you needed to. He couldn’t afford that as who he was. Especially when he had to take the collar off in the ring. The sedatives were just enough to make it so he had to put effort into killing someone, but he still felt it in every single swing of his arms. The force never really left.

[color=C67C12]”It’s hitting you hard. There’s nothing wrong with that. The action isn’t supposed to be natural for us; we’ve evolved out of that instinctual comfort with killing that we had as apes. But, think about the world we live in… Whatever media we intake, daily thoughts and emotions unexpressed; it’s a shitshow. Practically sets your mind up to see the act as another part of entertainment. I wouldn’t doubt, at least, that the lack of hesitation is just that sensation manifest. And then, all this is just your brain reminding you that it was actually wrong…”[/color]

He slid his head forward slightly, pressing it against hers.

[color=C67C12]”I don’t know who you’ll be in a year. I don’t really know how much the last few weeks will affect the rest of your life. But I promise I’ll always give you exactly what you give me. Love, kindness, tenderness and fairness. That’s uh… Who I see you as. Someone who is kind, tender, fair, and loving. And none of these necessarily mean you’re incapable of being the opposite, just… I see who I see.”[/color] he admitted, hoping his honest feelings may help [i]actually[/i] comfort her in some way.

Cass' lips pressed together into a small frown as she thought about what he said. Maybe that was it. But it didn't particularly feel like it was her brain reminding her that it was wrong… Because she was having to force herself to think about it. Even now, she didn't [I]really[/I] feel any guilt about the people she'd killed. Fear that she had the capacity to hurt and kill her loved ones, yes. But very little guilt… 

[color=629c3f]"That [I]is[/I] who I try to be… And it does come pretty naturally! But it feels like I put people in two boxes. Those I love, and those I don't. You get the me that you see… And it's not like I'm an asshole to other people! Not at all! But if someone hurt you, or Trisha, or Casey, or the girls, or my brothers, or any friends of mine… I don't think I'd hesitate to hurt them back. Because I still don't actually feel [I]guilty[/i] about killing. [I]That's[/I] what scares me! And I'm worried that one day I won't be able to tell the difference between people I love and don't."[/color]

She let out a little huff, mostly at herself. 
[color=629c3f]"It probably sounds a bit ridiculous, right? Like, with how you see me… But in the dream it started as an accident. I killed my younger brother because I couldn't control my magic. Then, it was enemies. [I]Then[/I], the rest of my family. Because I couldn't cope- with my mother's expectations and with the boredom of life at home. It was kind of a mercy kill then. But… then I killed everyone you loved too. Until it was just you left, and I woke up before I could finish that. And I [I]know[/I] it was the cats. But it's true that my control of my magic isn't great. And I really think I have that capacity… I don't think I'd ever let myself get that far, but it doesn't make it any less scary."[/color] 

It all came spilling out when faced with him trying his best to comfort her. It was difficult, because there was a complicated mix of incredibly possible and unlikely. The very real fact that she couldn't always control her magic. But she was unlikely to ever get as far as she did in the dream. She was too aware. But, she shouldn't be alright with killing [I]anyone[/I]. And if anything she needed to keep that fear in the back of her mind to stop herself from ever stepping over the edge.

[color=C67C12]”I… Mean… I’ve dealt with this. I thought it was different, honestly, because I was already so used to being violent. Used to killing with my magic. I never had a fear of it like that. But, when I took Lelou on, there were a few Full Moons before the bindings were complete. Full moons that I… I really did hurt the people I love. Furio, Clarissa, Andrade, Hell even ex-Sycamites who were still willing to throw a helping hand in now and again. People are dead because of me. And, yeah… I was really worried about when the next time I was going to freak out was.”[/color]

But it was a monster inside him, ultimately. Not [i]the[/i] monster inside, but an external entity bent on carrying out its own will through his physical form. [i]Not the same, dumbass.[/i]

[color=C67C12]”It… Was the girls. Well, just Mia and Ed, really. Both didn’t want to live where they were at the Temple dorms. So, I cleared out the other side of the apartment, and gave it to them. And they stuck around, and didn’t leave me even on the nights that I thought I wasn’t going to have control. Ed wasn’t even Adjoined then. But they both just… [i]Stuck around.[/i] Ready for anything. So, I’ll follow suit. I’ll be right here with you, whether you think you’re fine, or you think you’re gonna freak out. I’d rather you kick a hole through my stomach than get to someone who can’t heal through it.”[/color]

He let his body shift up onto one side, both arms slipping fully around her to pull her close.

[color=C67C12]”I’m here. And we’ll take steps to improve your knowledge and ability, so you’ll have the chance to gain the confidence you need. Sound about right?”[/color] he asked gently, voice rumbly in the low tone.

Cass nodded slowly. 
[color=629c3f]"That does… help. I don't [I]want[/I] to hurt you at all, but at least you can take it… Which sounds really bad outta context! But when I was finishing cleaning up I just kept scrubbing the foot I shoved through your gut thinking how fucking shit that was but also, what if it had been someone else? Because it would've killed a lot of people…"[/color]

She pressed her body against his, taking a deep breath. It did help. The fear and frustration was still there, but she knew that if shit happened Leon wouldn't let her get to anyone else. There was real comfort in that. 

[color=629c3f]"Hopefully with more training and practice the uncontrollable bit won't be a problem, at least! It's tough cause so much of that shit comes naturally, and then I ain't sure how to do it… by choice? Like if I hadn't ran outta magical juice then I'd probably still be stuck with a bunch've sharp bits. But! You're right about just needing to take steps to improve all that… It ain't gonna be like this forever. And I ain't dealing with it alone! It'll be in the back of my mind for a while, and honestly I still gotta do some processing myself, but knowing you'll be here helps an awful lot."[/color] 

Leon brushed Cass’ curls around gently with his fingers, taking one around the index and playing with it slightly.

[color=C67C12]”Even if I’m not here, I don’t mind bringing you wherever I will be… I’d rather you dealing with shit around me than dealing with it solely by yourself. The world of the Paranormal isn’t one that should be learned listlessly, and we shouldn’t leave shit up to chance. Because you have a terrible habit of casting without your Channeler, and it’s gonna fuck you up before you end up hurting someone by accident, I promise that. Like, fuck it, we’ll get you a private Green tutor, I know someone honestly, I think they’d be perfect.”[/color] he explained, shrugging his shoulders at the end.


[color=629c3f]"Terrible habit suggests it's on purpose! Whenever I cast without it, it ain't on purpose! It's always that accidental casting shit… And it ain't hurt me yet…"[/color] Cass protested with a little pout. Maybe she needed to figure out a spell to shove her channeler inside her skin, then she'd never have to worry about casting without it anyway… 

[color=629c3f]"But who is it that you think'd help?! Not that I'll know em… But y'know! I'd like a name!"[/color]

[color=C67C12]”There’s this guy, Temple Member, runs a big bar down in the Waterfront. Comes from a long line of Green Lux Adepts. He’s got this cousin I met once, she’s a part of our charter in the Congo. I’d call her back in a heartbeat if it meant  that you’d feel more comfortable than what we’ve been doing thus far. Her name’s Naomi.”[/color] Leon explained, recalling that they’d hit it off well when they’d met. 

He remembered being incredibly impressed by her fundamental grasp of Luxal theory, as well as her emotional well of Joy that Green Lux required.

[color=C67C12]”She’s definitely another [i]actual[/i] Green Adept. Just like you; always way more happy to be alive than anyone else. The joy you walk with is honestly impressive as Hell.”[/color] 

[color=629c3f]"Hehe, well, someone's always gotta be happy when everyone else is so glum! It wasn't even fueling any magic for me for a long while…"[/color] Cass grinned. She really did love living. There was a lot to be happy about around all the bad shit. 

[color=629c3f]"But… from the Congo?! That's a long fucking way for someone to come just to help me with magic! I ain't sure it's that bad?! Okay, I mean, my control is pretty bad and I do keep wildcasting and shit but… that's a really [I]really[/I] long way for someone to come!"[/color]

[color=C67C12]”I won’t fault you for forgetting that there’s a whole school of magic that lets people teleport.”[/color] he said, grinning for the first time in a couple of hours at least.
[color=C67C12]”She could be here in an hour and be back in time to catch lunch.”[/color] he giggled to himself, brushing his finger against her cheek.

[color=629c3f]"Ughhhh… Fucking magic! I'm still getting to grips with what everyone I know can do, nevermind all the other types! Takes a lot more than a couple of years knowing about it to get over a lifetime of not…"[/color] Cass good naturedly grumbled, putting on an exaggerated grumpy face. 

[color=629c3f]"And here I've been wasting all my money on planes and petrol… I do love my magic, but Teleportation would be so fucking useful!"[/color]

He shook his head immediately.
[color=C67C12]”Purple Lux is based on the user feeling anticipation. Pretty often, that makes purple Adepts totally neurotic. Jumped the fuck up, honestly. You’re excited and fun, they’re usually just [i]excited[/i]. High strung, or just plain kooky.”[/color] he explained, thinking about all the cool shit they could do.

[color=C67C12]”But if you master that shit, it’s the gateway to Chronomancy. Time magic. They’re in the same school if you can imagine it.”[/color]

[color=629c3f]"Shit, really? Time magic is [I]way[/I] beyond me. Like that's the kinda shit I wouldn't wanna touch… imagine how much you could fuck everything up! I'd totally cause a Back to the Future scenario if I could mess with time!"[/color] Cass wriggled a bit as she thought about it. 

It would be cool… But also pretty insane. Teleportation and time! Damn, she wasn't gonna be messing with a purple adept anytime soon. 
[color=629c3f]"I take it back, I'm happy with my nice, practical and totally understandable magic."[/color]

[color=C67C12]”We have this whole facility outside town that uses portal magic to break physics and… Like… Synthesize magical materials from the edges of spacetime. It’s this crazy complex process, I’m not sure they’re going to keep it running after uh… Everything falls down.”[/color]

Taking a deep breath, Leon closed his eyes. Thinking about that, then the Farm last night… The PRA stepping in…

[color=C67C12]”We should… I should at least call the Doc. I need to go get my phone… I think it’s-”[/color]

He reached one hand down, stuffing itself into his pocket and fishing around for the broken piece of technology. It’d been smashed against the stone floor when Kable flung him off.

[color=C67C12]”-fuckin’ broken… Right.”[/color]

Rather than move to get up, he just curled up a little closer to her.
[color=C67C12]”Whatever, I’ll get my book from downstairs. Soon. Not now.”[/color]