Topic: Numero Quatro

Daniel Tej

Date: 2012-07-26 19:45 EST
Jenni and Daniel spent the rest of Tuesday together at his cabin, mostly just lying together on the Kitty Bed and talking. They ate dinner when they got hungry, spent some more time on the Kitty Bed in each other?s arms, and eventually went upstairs to Daniel?s bed. They made love slowly and tenderly, very much the opposite of the wild and athletic sex they'd had so far. Neither of them complained.

Jenni left early the Wednesday morning to go back to her suite so she could shower and change for work. If their relationship continued on the same path it had been on?and there was no reason to doubt that it wouldn't?she would have to ask Daniel if she could have a drawer and some counter space in his bathroom.

They had fallen into a comfortable routine in the weeks after the Fourth. She arrived in his office located behind the restaurant at 7:00 every morning and slowly reorganized it, making it move much more smoothly and efficiently. His sous chef, wait staff, and even his suppliers quickly fell in love with Jenni and her new ways of scheduling things, and she felt a great sense of satisfaction in helping Daniel's business grow and become more successful. For his part, Daniel was amazed at how effective Jenni was in her new role. The Temple was a different place since she took over the organizational side of things. Riley and David noticed, too, congratulating Jenni on her skills.

This was what had been missing from her life in Seattle. Working for her father had been miserable. He never noticed how hard she worked, how much easier she made his life, how much more efficiently the think tank ran after she took over and streamlined it. But here, in just two week?s time, she'd already been thanked and praised numerous times by the owners! Her pride and her happiness showed in everything she did, from her clothing to her mood, even to the way she answered the phone and greeted employees.

Daniel saw the change in her, and understood the source of it. It made him happy to see it, yet also a bit sad that it was such a novel thing to her. The more he learned about her father, the less he liked the man. He had a very special daughter, and seemed to have no idea of that. One evening, an hour or so before they normally left, he walked up behind, allowing his normally silent footsteps to scuff a bit on the ground so he wouldn't startle. He leaned down and kissed the outer shell of her ear. "You're amazing," he said softly.

She shivered at the kiss, his hot breath tickling the hairs along the nape of her neck. Turning her head, she smiled up at him, a blush rising in the apples of her cheeks. "Thank you," she said softly. "What brought this on?"

"Looking over this week's figures for the Temple," he said, smiling. "Expenses are down, revenue is up... I thought we were doing just fine before, but clearly I had no idea."

She chuckled softly and then shrugged. "It wasn't hard to do. You just had to look where you could shave off a little of the expenditures and rework the schedules and stuff. If you had extra time, you could have figured it out on your own."

He shook his head immediately. "No. I haven't the head for that kind of work. I'd just have muddled the same as I've been since we started this hotel."

"I'm glad I could help you out, then. It's the least I could do for you, after you gave me this job and put me up in the suite and...well...you know." She gave him a tiny little smirk that approached the realm of being naughty.

"Mmm," he purred softly. "I do know." His answering smile was entirely in the realm of being naughty. "You've already earned back the first two."

"And the latter?" she asked in a little voice, her brow raised and that little smirk still on her lips.

"That one isn't business," he answered. "It's pleasure." The last word was drawn out, and growled in a tone seemingly designed to make women go weak in the knees.

She took a deep breath and shivered, though this time it wasn't from being tickled. Glancing around the office, she noted that they were alone. "Think we could maybe go home early, boss?"

He raised a brow, then nodded. "I think you've earned an early night, yes." He straightened up, and offered her his hand.

Daniel Tej

Date: 2012-07-26 19:45 EST
She turned off her computer and tucked away her notes and filess and then slipped her hand into his as she rose to her feet. "I have such a nice boss," she commented and stood on tip-toes to kiss his cheek.

"You'll just have to do something nice for him, then," he said cheekily, slipping his free arm around her waist.

"Catnip mousie?" She chuckled softly and snuggled against his side as they left the office.

He laughed loudly as they walked out. "Absolutely." Then he glanced over at her. "Would you like to go out for dinner tonight?"

She nodded. "Is this number four?"

He smiled. "Yes...I believe it is. Number four," he mused. "It should be special, then. I mean, three dates is one thing, but four...that's serious." He was being slightly facetious, but under it, there was a hint of truth.

"You're teasing me," she said with a little pout. "Where are you taking me for this momentous occasion? Shall I change into something different? Fancier? Less dressy?"

"Maybe a little," he admitted. "But not entirely." He looked over, grinning. "Yes, I think you should change. This isn't going to be a business dinner. Something colorful, maybe? How about Chinese? Would you like to visit the restaurant Riley told you about?"

"I love Chinese! The dim sum place? Um. Double Happiness?"

"That's the one," he said, nodding.

"That would be really nice. Can you give me an hour or so to change and get ready?"

"Of course. Take your time." He gave her a sidelong glance. "Shall I come up with you?"

"Only if you can behave yourself," she said and steered them towards the elevators. In moments they were inside her suite. "Help yourself to the minibar. All the chocolate's gone, though. I'll be right out," she called over her shoulder as she headed into the bedroom. He passed up the minibar in favor of the sofa, sprawling on it with the kind of boneless grace that only the feline persuasion can pull off. He listened to the sounds coming from the bedroom with more than casual interest. When he heard the shower start up, he pulled out his cell phone and quickly made a trio of calls. He was done and the phone was out of sight again by the time she came out.

She was pretty quiet as she selected her clothing for that night, stripped off her suit and headed into the shower. Fifteen minutes later, she was done bathing and was blow-drying her hair and putting on make-up. Twenty minutes after that, she was getting dressed. Ten minutes after that, she was standing in front of Daniel in a coral-red dress with a white daisy print, and matching daisy jewelry. She was also wearing heels, possibly for the first time since her arrival in Rhy'Din. "So?"

His eyes traveled slowly over her, from head to toe and back again, their touch almost palpable. "You look gorgeous," he said softly. "Absolutely gorgeous."

She grinned at him and blushed again. "Well, thank you. We don't have to walk, do we? I'm a little wobbly in heels." She stretched out one leg and showed off her shoes.

He glanced at the shoes, though the leg itself stole most of his attention. "Very nice," he murmured, then shook his head. "No, you won't have to walk. I've taken care of that already. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," she said, intrigued by his comment about taking care if transportation. She shouldered her bag and headed for the door. "Have you been there before? To the restaurant?"

He shook his head. "No, I haven't had much chance to visit the Five Kingdoms yet." He took her hand and led her out of the hotel, nodding to the people behind the counter, and the doorman, whom he raised one brow at. The doorman nodded in response, getting a pleased smile from Daniel. Outside, he steered her in the direction of a carriage?a real, horse-drawn carriage?glancing at her to see her reaction.

Daniel Tej

Date: 2012-07-26 19:46 EST
"No way," she breathed when she saw the horses and the carriage. It looked like something out of a Disney Princess movie. She squealed just like a little girl and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Oh, it's so pretty! A real horse-drawn carriage! I've always wanted to ride in one!"

He laughed, squeezing her against him. "Now's your chance, then. C'mon." He led her to the carriage and opened the door for her, pulling down the folding step like a proper footman.

She laughed and climbed in with his assistance. Then she settled into the plush, velvet-covered bench. "This is just so cool, Daniel. Thank you!"

"You're welcome." He sat next to her, sliding one arm around her shoulders. The carriage was cozy and very luxurious inside, with shuttered windows. He reached out and knocked on the front wall, and the carriage began to move.

"I've never done anything like this. Scott wasn't...well, let's just say that he was about as romantic as Elmer's glue." She smiled and leaned her head against his chest, watching out the window as the carriage drove through the streets of the Old Temple district.

He chuckled. "Everyone should have at least some romance in their lives." He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of her breathing and inhaling her sweet scent. It was very relaxing, especially with the gentle rocking motion of the carriage. Slowly, the scenery changed and they passed under the large torii gate that marked the southern boundary of the Five Kingdoms. Buildings became more run down and covered with ideograms instead of Roman letters. Bicycles and scooters replaced foot traffic and the carriage received wary looks. He wondered if she would remember Riley's warning about the area not being especially safe, and hoped it wouldn't dampen her enjoyment of the evening. A lot of people were watching them go by, but no one looked like they were going to try anything nefarious. They arrived in front of the restaurant, a non-descript building with only the double happiness symbols to mark it. The driver came around and opened the door and reached to help Jenni climb out. Daniel slid out after them, pressing a nice tip into the driver's hand along with the payment. Then he led Jenni into the restaurant, glancing around with carefully masked wariness when they were out on the street. Just in case.

No one paid much attention to them, though. The few people that were looking their way were more interested in the carriage than the people getting out of it. Inside, they were greeted by a small, cute Chinese woman, who lead them directly to a booth at one corner of the restaurant, far enough from the other tables to seem private, while still offering a good view of the place. In the center of the table, a vase held a bouquet of lovely red flowers, from which a lovely, sweet scent was wafting. Daniel pulled out the chair for Jenni himself.

She slid into the seat and inhaled deeply. "Oh, plumeria. I love plumeria," she said softly and smiled at Daniel. The restaurant was beautiful?red and gilt and dark woods, with a large fish tank that took up an entire wall and had been stocked with koi. Soft music played from hidden speakers and the dining room was packed with families and couples alike, all smiling and chatting quietly.

"It grows in the park where I was born," he said. "The Valley of Flowers, it's called. There are more varieties of flower there than most people see in their lifetime."

"That sounds lovely." She carefully reached out and plucked a bloom from its vase and tucked it behind her ear, using a bobby pin that was already in her hair to hold the flower in place.

He smiled at her. "It looks good there." A waiter came over and offered them menus and asked if they'd like something to drink. "Tea?" Daniel asked her. "Or something cold?"

"Hot tea, please. Is it jasmine?" she asked, smiling up at the waiter. Since working for Daniel and getting to know all of his wait staff, she had a new appreciation for the people who did the job and went out of her way to be polite to them.

The waiter nodded. "Yes, jasmine tea." He gave them little bow and hurried off to get the tea. Her politeness wasn't lost on Daniel, and he smiled approvingly. When you worked in a restaurant, it was very nice to be treated like a person?something that didn't always happen.

"It's pretty in here. They did a nice job." She nodded towards the fish tank. "Why are there always exactly nine fish in tanks that are in Chinese restaurants?"

Daniel Tej

Date: 2012-07-26 19:47 EST
"Feng shui," he replied sagely.

"Fung schway," she repeated carefully. "I've heard about that, but I have no idea what it is."

"It's...well, it's the belief that the placement, orientation and composition of everything in a room or building determines how the energy flows through that place. If you set it up correctly, it lets positive energy flow, bringing favorable effects. If you go against the flow, you get unfavorable effects." He shrugged slightly. "If you want a better explanation, I can get David to explain it to you. He knows far more about it than I."

She nodded slowly and then pointed to the fish. "And they help somehow?"

He nodded. "Yes. See how there's eight gold fish, and one black? That number and composition is supposed to bring wealth." Jenni looked thoughtful and wondered if maybe she shouldn?t get a fish tank and fill it with koi.

The waiter brought their tea back at that point and asked if they were ready to order. Jenni glanced at Daniel and shrugged. "I trust you," she said.

He gave her a pleased little smile, then said, "I'm thinking Beef and Broccoli, and General Tso's Chicken." He raised a brow at Jenni. "Do you like spicy food?"

She shook her head a little. "Not really, but if you do, you should get it. Maybe I'll try a little."

"All right," he said, nodding. "It's not extremely spicy, so maybe you'll like it." He ordered the two dishes, along with some house fried rice, and the waiter went off to the put the orders in.

She sipped her tea quietly, blue-blue eyes fixed on his face. "Is there a movie theatre here? In the city, I mean."

"Well, not in the city proper, but there's a place called Stars End west of here that has a very large theatre. It's a spaceport town, Stars End. There are always ships blasting off and coming in, interplanetary trading missions, etc. It's very Star Wars." He chuckled.

"That's so cool. My dad would love that." Her smile faded at the mention of her father and she looked away, lowering her eyes to her tea cup to hide the pain she felt over his betrayal.

He slid a hand across the table for hers.? "I'm sorry, Jenni," he said softly.? "I wish things hadn't turned out the way they did."

"Coming with me yesterday and then taking care of me last night was the best thing you could have done, Daniel," she said before reaching across the table for his hand. "I appreciate it so much. I don't think I can ever repay you for everything you've done for me."

"It's not all one-sided, you know," he answered, sliding his fingers into hers. "You've done quite a lot for me, too."

"Like what?" she asked, disbelief plain in her voice as she sipped the hot tea.

"Well, you've helped my restaurant immensely, for one." He smiled at her. "On a more personal note, you've been helping me to recover from a very unpleasant time. And making me quite happy in the bargain."

She blushed deeply and lowered her gaze to her tea cup. "It's selfish," she said. "Making you happy makes me happy."

He chuckled. "Well, we already established that we're both selfish and awful, so that's okay, then." She raised her eyes and flashed him a grin. The waiter brought out their food then and served them, giving Jenni a plate with both dishes and a heaping spoonful of the fried rice before refilling their tea pot, bowing, and leaving them alone. "Oh, wow," Jenni said softly. "It smells incredible."

Daniel Tej

Date: 2012-07-26 19:48 EST
"It sure does," he agreed, reaching for his chopsticks. "I hope you like the taste as much as the smell." He picked up a piece of beef and popped it into his mouth. "Yum."

She stuck with a fork and speared a piece of spicy chicken to nibble at. "Wow," she said. "This is really hot!" She popped the rest of the bite into her mouth, chewed and swallowed hurriedly, and then drank down an entire cup of tea to quench the fires. He tried very hard not to snicker at the expression on her face, and really only managed by taking another mouthful of beef and broccoli. Then he reached over and poured her another cup of tea. "Thank you," she gasped and drained the cup again. "I think I'll stick with the beef and the fried rice." She watched him for a moment with the chopsticks. "How do you do that? I've never learned."

"Well, you take one stick and hold it like you would a pencil," he said, demonstrating. "That one doesn't move much. Then you take the other stick between your thumb and forefinger." He held his hand up to show how it looked. "That's the one you use to pick things up." She tried it, holding them as he did before grabbing at a little bit of broccoli. She fumbled for a few moments but then successfully picked it up and got it to her mouth for a bite without dropping it. She gave Daniel a huge closed-mouth smile as she ate. "Well done," he said, smiling back. "You've got the idea now. We'll have you eating like a native in no time." He pointed to the fried rice. "You'll probably want to stick to the fork for that, though."

She laughed. "Too much work doing it grain by grain?"

"Much."

She grinned and followed his advice, putting the chopsticks down for the rice and picking up her fork. The rest of the meal passed in companionable chatting and short periods of silence as they ate. When she'd eaten her fill?which was a tiny amount?she poured herself more tea and sat back in her chair, watching Daniel carefully.

After he'd eaten for a few more moments with her watching, he paused and lifted his brows at her. "Have I got something on my face?"

She shook her head. "No. I have something I want to ask you." She looked down, her hesitation clear in body language and scent.

He set his chopsticks down and gave her his full attention. "What is it?"

She swallowed her last gulp of tea and put the cup down on the table in front of her. Then she leaned forward. "I would like to see the cat."

While that might sound like an innuendo to anyone listening in on their conversation, he knew exactly what she meant, and was surprised and a little impressed that she'd come out and asked. "I could show you after dinner, if you like," he said quietly.

"I would like that very much," she said earnestly. "Will it hurt or take a long time? Will it be hard for you to do it on command?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't take very long at all. Seconds. As an Alpha, I can Shift whenever I wish." He paused for a second. "It hurts to Shift, but I don't really notice that anymore. I...spend a lot more time Shifted than most Lycans do."

"More time as a cat?" she asked, sitting back as the waiter came to clear away their empty plates and box up the leftover food. He also discretely laid the bill down at Daniel's elbow.

He nodded. "Yes. That's why my voice sounds like it does. And why my teeth are sharper than a human's." He glanced at the bill, then paid it, leaving it a generous, though not extravagant tip.

Daniel Tej

Date: 2012-07-26 19:48 EST
"Is it dangerous for you to do that? Spend so much time as a cat, I mean?" She shouldered her bag and picked up the vase her flowers were in before rising from the table.

He stood, moving up to her side and slipping his arm through hers. "Some Lycans have been known to get lost in the Beast," he said truthfully. "They spend so much time Shifted that they forget how to act like people. It happened to my mother."

"Oh. Please don't do that," she said softly. "That would really suck."

He glanced over at her, smiled. "I won't. I've been tempted before, but I won't."

She gave him a soft, grateful smile and then they boarded the train that would take them from Chinatown to New Haven. "Will you know me when you're a cat? Will it be safe?"

"Certainly," he replied, settling into the seat and taking her hand in his, running his fingers over the back of it. "As I mentioned once before, Alpha Lycans retain their intelligence when Shifted. I won't be able to speak, of course, but I'll still be me." He smiled. "And I would never hurt you."

"Good. 'Cause that would seriously suck." She cuddled against him for the rest of the ride to New Haven and was quiet as they walked from the station to the cabin. "Did... Did Lelah ever see you as a cat?" she asked softly once they were sitting on Daniel's back porch, the one that looked out over the lake.

"Yes, I Shifted for Lelah. First my hand, much like I showed you, and then the whole cat, sometime later." There was a little catch in his voice when he said the name, but his voice remained steady.

She was aware that she was treading on dangerous ground here but asked the next question anyway. "Did she... I mean, was she like...okay with it? Did it freak her out at all?"

"She thought it was amazing." His lips curled up at the edges as he remembered. "She called me beautiful, and asked if she could pet me."

Jenni nodded thoughtfully and settled down on the Kitty Bed, slipping off her shoes and getting comfortable. "And you let her? Pet you, I mean."

"Yes. It felt good." He chuckled softly. "I told you, we like to be touched."

"Good," she said, nodding her head thoughtfully. "Could I paint you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Paint me?" He lifted his head, watching her, curious. "A picture of me, you mean? Shifted?"

"Yes. Would that be all right?" She reached into her bag and withdrew her journal, a box of watercolors and a paint brush.

"Sure. I don't mind at all." He tilted his head, thinking. "I don't think anyone has ever done that before."

"There's gotta be a first time for everything, right?" She smiled softly and slipped off the Bed before going into Daniel's kitchen to fetch two glasses of water. She brought them outside and set up a little spot for her to paint. "Okay. I'm ready whenever you are."

"All right." He slid his legs off the Kitty Bed and stood. "Where would you like me to be?" He figured she would have a specific place in mind. Something to do with the light or something.

She shrugged a bit and then pointed to a particularly sunny spot in the grassy lawn that lay between the house and the shoreline. "Anywhere in the grass is fine. Wherever's most comfortable for you."

Daniel Tej

Date: 2012-07-26 19:49 EST
He nodded and went down to the lawn, standing right in the spot she'd pointed at. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it back onto the porch, then moved on to his pants and boxers until he was naked in the sun.

Jenni watched intently, her fingers curled around a pencil. "Wait, wait," she said. "Turn around and stick your left leg out and flex your calf muscle and then turn your head to the left and...um...bring your hands back and rest them in the small of your back." He raised a brow, but did as she asked without complaint, turning his back to her and assuming the pose. He didn't mind the attention--in fact, he rather liked it. He knew he looked good. She quickly sketched him, eyes and pencil following the lines and curves and plains of his body, loving the way the fading light highlighted and cast into shadow the well-defined muscles of his nearly-perfect body. She captured his profile, including those lush lips that she enjoyed kissing and nibbling on, and that incredibly gorgeous butt that caused her to stop and stare every time she saw it. "Okay," she said when her initial sketch was done. "I'm good. You can continue." She flashed him a somewhat cheeky smile.

He turned, catching that smile, and winked at her. "Saw what you wanted to see, eh?"

The cheeky smile got toothy and she nodded and held up her sketchbook. "And I recorded it for posterity. Or posterior. Whichever."

He snickered softly. "You're terrible." Pause. "I like that." She laughed and flipped the page, her pencil poised once more, eyes sharp and glued to his body. He crouched, since it was much easier to Shift that way, and willed the Change. Black, white, and grey fur burst from his skin, rapidly covering his body. His limbs shortened with a series of audible pops, even as his face lengthened into a muzzle. A tail extended from the posterior she'd just been looking at, while his body compacted itself and thickened. It was over quickly?he was very adept at Shifting. Leopard stood in the sunny grass, looking up at her with large, grey eyes. Their shape had changed, but the color was exactly the same as before.

She gasped, more a soft inhalation of breath than a noise of fear. "Oh, my goodness," she whispered, her own blue-blue eyes wide with wonder, like a child looking at a carousel for the first time. "You're beautiful," she remarked. "Can you understand me still?" He nodded. The motion looked out of place when performed by a Leopard's head, but it was unmistakably agreement. His hindquarters sank, and he sat motionlessly on the grass, waiting for her to pose him. She grinned with delight. "Oh, wonderful! Could you just...um...lay down and get comfy? And then turn and look directly at me? I'm gonna come closer, okay? I want to get the color of your eyes perfect." She gathered her things and crept down the porch steps. Intellectually, she knew that the beautiful, wild cat in front of her was her kind, generous, gentle lover, but instinctively, her brain was screaming at her 'DON'T GO CLOSER! RUN AWAY!'

He could smell the fear on her, and it him slightly restless. Leopard, obviously, was far closer to the surface when he was Shifted. He didn't want to scare her any further, though, so he stretched out on the grass, making himself look as relaxed and friendly as a hundred-and-fifty pound Snow Leopard could look. He positioned himself so that his body was parallel to her, long tail stretched out along the grass, but with his forepaws and head pointing in her direction so she could get a full view of his face. When she got closer, she'd hear that he was purring. His eyes sank closed slightly?not so much that she wouldn't be able to see their color, but enough to give him the Happy Kitty look.

She sat down a foot or so away from him and crossed her legs tailor-style to prop up her sketchpad in her lap. She arranged the box of watercolors, brush, and two water cups next to her and stared at Daniel for a moment or ten. "Gosh, you're beautiful," she whispered, her voice full of awe and wonder. Then she began drawing him, pencil moving quickly over the page, roughing in the outline of his head and eyes, ears, and spots. He held still as she drew, resisting the urge to run off into the forest and hunt. His eyes followed her pencil intently. That and the slow rise and fall of his side were the only movements he allowed.

When she was done with the sketch, she held it up for him to look at. "What do you think? Does it meet with your approval?" He rose and walked over to her slowly, rubbing his flank along her side and purring loudly. It was a clear 'yes'. He circled around her body, pushing against it at every chance, coming back around in front of her again and flopping to the ground with a tiny little whuff. She giggled when he pushed against her as he wasn't particularly gentle about it and almost knocked her over more than once. "So, I guess it's okay, huh? Can you sorta...tilt your head and look up so the light hits your eyes more? I'm gonna do those first so I don't lose the light."

Daniel Tej

Date: 2012-07-26 19:50 EST
He put his large head on her thigh, right next to the sketchpad, and looked up at her, eyes wide. There was a very un-Leopard-like twinkle in them. "Nice. Thank you," she said distractedly as she mixed her paints and began painting his eyes. She used mostly grey and black, but since his head was tilted up, she used a bit of blue as well. Once she was done with his eyes, she began painting in the rest of his spots and the highlights and lowlights of his fur.

Now that she'd finished his eyes, he let them sink closed. The purring remained, but grew softer. He looked like he might be planning to fall asleep right there with his head on her lap. She painted in silence as the sun crept closer to the horizon behind them, casting long shadows across the lawn. "There," she said at last and reached out to tentatively touched the wide spot between his ears atop his head. "I'm done."

His eyes opened to slits when she touched him, and he lifted his head just a little, pushing it into her hand. She petted him then, as if he were a tame little housecat, pushing her fingers through the warm, slightly stiff, and dense fur of his neck and head. "Do you like to have your chin scratched?" she asked. "My grandmother's cat loved that." He made a little chuffing noise that sounded remarkably like a laugh, and looked up into the sky, exposing the underside of his chin for her. "I take it you do," she said as she used her nails to scratch his chin and throat. The rumbling purr vibrated strongly against her hand, delighting a giggle out of her. "Hang on a second. Don't move." She stood up and went back to the porch, carrying her paints and her journal with her into the kitchen. She took a moment to quickly clean up the two glasses of water and her brush and left the journal lying open on the table so it could dry. Then she returned to her spot next to Daniel in the grass and used both hands to scratch his head, chin, and neck.

He closed his eyes again, purring like a powerful engine. His powerful paws flexed slowly, sharp claws digging into the ground under them. She laughed again. "You're making biscuits! Oh, gosh, that's wonderful! You're just a big p*ssy cat, aren't you?" She leaned forward and without thinking, planted a kiss against the broad bridge of his nose, right between his eyes. His eyes flicked open, only a few inches from hers. From that proximity, they were very large, and very grey looking. His rough tongue darted out and rasped briefly against her chin.

She wrinkled her nose up and giggled, pulling her shoulders to her ear and shying away from him. "That tickles!" she said with a giggle. She sighed happily and moved closer to him, allowing him to put his head down in her lap as she explored the rest of his body through his thick fur, touching his back and sides, legs and paws, examining the claws carefully. Finally she leaned forward again and rested her forehead against the top of his head as she continued to gently stroke his neck. "This is nice, Daniel. Really, really nice," she said softly, the contentment and happiness that flavored her scent as strong and sweet as the honeysuckle perfume she wore.

His muscles were relaxed and pliant as she touched him, letting her shift and move his limbs without resistance. It was nice. The strong and steady purr continued. He would gladly have stayed that way for the rest of the night, though he imagined she would have other ideas. Eventually, he shifted carefully, rubbing his cheek along hers, then stood.

She watched him carefully, brows raised in question...until she saw a great black cat slink out of the treeline. "Daniel," she said carefully and pointed, feeling as though an ice bucket of fear had been thrown over her head, erasing her happiness and contentment. He'd smelled Riley approaching long before Jenni spotted her, of course, so he wasn't surprised at all. He brushed his shoulder gently, reassuringly against Jenni, then turned and trotted over to Riley, bumping his head against hers.

Jenni was shocked when Daniel greeted the other cat and even more shocked when the other cat reached out and swatted Daniel before it butted its head against his shoulder, shoving him back a pace. "Riley?" Jenni asked carefully. Daniel had told her that the pretty dancer was a cat just like him, though he'd never mentioned the kind. The cat's head swung towards Jenni, eyes a cold, alien amber, though sparkling with almost-human intelligence. Its huge head nodded and then it sat down, yawning enormously and displaying frightful teeth; the canines?or would that be felines??at least three inches long. Jenni shook her head and laughed with amazement. "You're both so beautiful," she remarked. "Like negatives of each other, though Riley's much bigger than you, Daniel." That made her grin?even when they were in their human forms, Riley was taller and longer of limb than Daniel.

He stuck his tongue out at her, a gesture that didn't need any explanation. Then he lifted his head, aiming his nose at the rising moon. It was full. He walked over and rubbed himself against Jenni again, then turned and went back to Riley. The two of them turned in unison and trotted off towards the treeline, though Daniel turned and looked over his shoulder at Jenni before they vanished into the forest.

She figured it out then. It was the full moon and they were obviously going hunting together. She smiled and waved at him once he turned to face her. Then she went up the stairs to cross his porch and slip inside. Surely he wouldn't mind if she hung out in his cabin while he was gone.