Loap lay sprawled out on the highest roof of the large estate hosting the final contestants in the Ascendant Games. While the sun and breeze were artificial, it was nice to feel them against all of her bare fur. Her fluffel, clan, and nation would be roaringly mad by this display if they knew she was here. But she was in the middle of nowhere with a nobody, and not a single other beast-kin had arrived at this novel event. Eventually, they'd find her and be offended by the nude dolls of her sold at the markets next to Harmonys’. The scry would have no copies.
Gnawing out of the multilayered dress with sharp shears had been the first step to hopping past the protection detail and cottontailing away through the sewer warrens and spell brambles. Those dresses required two people to put them on or take them off; the barbarism of culture was absurd.
Burn… it's not… grow up! Even this far away, she could hear Jessica and her primal keeper arguing again inside his soul. The man's body temperature was rising by the second. With a twitch of her ears, Loap sat up. This bunny-nap was over. She stretched out to give her soft golden-brown fur one last flash of light and hopped over the edge of the roof.
The impact on the roof below was the first of many as she tracked Tyler’s location. Spin her around, plug her ears, shove her nose in rancid stink-wurt, and she’d still be able to find him. To label the primal bond merely a fancy search function was putting it down. [Primal Strength] coursed through Loap’s veins; it was part of five hidden skills granted at the cost of loyalty and dedication to serve her keeper. The bond tied her soul not to communicate this fact, but it was so worth it.
A leap into a soft landing brought her inside through the open library window. Thursday was reading in there; the contestant rarely left her books. It was like she was living in them; if they weren’t only fiction ones, she’d probably get along with Harmony.
Moving out of the stacks of books, Loap twisted through tight turns to get to Tyler’s room, and there she slammed the door open. Tyler raced around the room in a circle, chasing the flaming blue Jessica as his skin flushed redder. His clothes were scorched and full of so many holes they were barely on at this point, while the former maid was giggling breathlessly as the young lord panted after her in an angry manner, screaming profanities. It was an absurd scene, because that form of Jessica could turn insubstantial, was technically not alive, and actually bonded to the inside of Tyler so close they were practically inseparable. He was essentially circling around and being a jerk to himself.
“What in the hopping hills is happening here?” Loap demanded.
“They started it!” They yelled simultaneously while pointing at each other. Which pretty much proved that point.
“Lord Tyler wants to throw the next competition to try to join Harmony.” Jessica blurted out first.
“I was merely saying that if we can’t win, it’s the next best option!” Tyler roared, his temperature going up a degree.
“Who says we can’t win!” Jessica flamed back, shooting him with a spot of flame, burning a new hole in the man’s clothes.
This was an internal debate being played out in the physical world.
That meant Tyler was doubting himself. The way he focused on White, even when there was no winning, consumed him. The lord knew the best he could hope for was proving loyalty to make up for his past.
Loap couldn’t tell him Harmony didn't give two baby hops how he did in the Ascendant Games. The truth would sink him into one of those depressions he's talked about, where he'd eat too much and not move. He might as well throw throw the next competition if that happened. There was no taking great leaps with the truth either, as he could tell when she lied or went too far.
She didn't need [Primal Instincts] to tell her that was a losing route that would end up with them quickly eliminated, and the sooner she left here, the sooner she was sure to face the consequences for this little vacation. There was only one thing she could offer the man.
“If you try to win the games. I will wear clothes. Proper clothes.” Having seen his taste, there was at least some hope that plenty of bare fur would be involved. “Deal?” To accentuate the point, Loap vibrated in place.
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