Cat & Mouse

Something's Off

Claire stared at him in disbelief. Blade didn't budge, he just looked into her eyes. "You... Love me?" She repeated in shock. Blade nodded once. "The sweetest and biggest badass... And you love me?" She said mostly to herself. Blade stared silently and let her process everything. When she finally got back to reality she looked at him for the first time. She already knew biologically he was beautiful. Like how tigers, lions, wolves, and all other animals of the sort were beautiful too. However, now she was seeing him more than that. She was viewing him as a boyfriend, a man, and an individual now. She no longer saw him as just an undiscovered and mysterious species to learn inside and out. Still though, he was not human. By human standards, below the masks they were horrifying and grotesque. Claire reached out to touch his face, but Blade moved his face away before she could, seeming uncertain. She would never understand how or why herself, Roxy and Nadia were all drawn to them. They just were. "Don't do that. Just let me get used you." She told him. Blade just looked at her questioningly. "You're not human, Blade. Honestly you guys are kind of scary. I've only ever been with people that looked like me. So I need to get used to this." She answered. Blade still only stared at her. "I'm not trying to hurt you. This is another way we show affection." She explained. Blade was reluctant still, but he pressed the side of his face against her hand. Claire smiled as she gently traced and caressed his face. In some ways, where Blaze and Archer seemed understanding and open, Blade seemed more like a wild animal. This scene just made Claire feel like she was taming some kind of wild stallion. It was odd, she thought he was the sweetest of the trio, but he was also the most unpredictable and unreadable. She was beginning to think that maybe Blaze was actually the sweetest and easiest one. Considering she and Blade had hugged and felt each other's hair, she was a little surprised at how unsure this gesture made him feel. He seemed to enjoy it though when he got used to it, based on the trilling coo he made when she touched him. Claire smiled. She took one of his hands, and the pair left the training center. Eventually they arrived back at their rooms. Blade took her to hers before he went back to his own. Claire, however, caught his arm before he walked away. Blade looked down at her. "Wait here for a second." She instructed and Blade nodded once. She went inside her room and emerged a few minutes later, carrying a pair of clothes and shower supplies. "OK ready." She said. Blade looked at her belongings and then at her. "I'm going to clean up in your room." He arched a brow but didn't question it and just walked to his room with her. Claire was humming quietly as they approached his room. He typed in the code, and when the door slid open he motioned with an arm for her to go first. She walked inside followed by Blade. Once inside Blade pointed to the bathroom. As Claire went into the bathroom, he sat in his usual spot to begin his meditation. He bathed after she was finished with hers, while she took the time to look at his wall of trophies. She saw the skull of the queen serpent. It was massive, seemingly even larger than the one they encountered.

Once Blade came out Claire turned to look at him. He was the same height as Blaze and Archer, but he was leaner. He still had their rippling 8 pack of abs however. Claire walked over to sit on his bed and pat the spot next to her. Blade walked over and sat next to her trilling lowly. She gently took his hand, interlocking their fingers as she held it. She then kissed what would be his cheek if he were a human. Blade seemed confused, but he didn't do anything. "Have you ever watched a movie, Blade?" She asked. Blade tilted his head. She took that as a no since he didn't even know what it was. She started going through her wrist device to the movies she had downloaded. She really had no idea what he would like. A musical? Romance? Action? A bit of everything? She held her device to his face as she scrolled through. "If any catch your eye just, trill I guess." She said. He trilled on an animated movie known as Brave. Claire couldn't help but giggle knowing full well it was because she looked like Merida. He even showed some interest in Titanic. Roxy was right, he liked red heads. She decided to start with Brave. There was some form of hunting in it so he might be entertained. She pushed all the buttons so the movie played on the view screen. Blade was enthralled from just the opening music. Did they not know what music was either? He got even more interested when all of the red haired characters made their appearance. Claire was switching between watching him and the movie and smiling the whole time. After they finished Brave they watched The Titanic too. While Blaze sat and watched, Claire was laying down using his lap as a pillow. She also had his arm draped over her. She quite enjoyed watching his eyes scan all over the screen to pick up every detail. She didn't know she had fallen asleep until she woke up. When she woke up, she was in Blade's arms and her head was on his chest. She glanced up and saw that his eyes were closed. At some point he had fallen asleep as well, but the movie seemed to be long over. She just snuggled against him. She hadn't fallen asleep with one of them before. Even sleeping, where a human may snore, Blade only had a soft growl. It was oddly soothing, and so she managed to push herself even closer to feel the vibration as he growled. He was also very warm, and large. She had never felt this safe in her life. She smiled closing her eyes and allowed herself to be lulled back to sleep by his steady breathing, the growl, the warmth, and the vibrations of the growl. The next morning the pair woke up together and prepared for the day. Claire had gone back to her room to change into clothes for training. Training proceeded the way it had the day before. This was their routine for a month. That was when Blade had decided the girls were ready to move to the next level. The level they worked on for another couple months after that was athleticism and parkour. The ability to move the way Yautja did. They were drained twice as fast naturally. They also fell a lot. Fortunately the Yautja always caught them before they broke something. When Blade decided they were proficient enough that way, they began learning combat and weapons. The combat was what they were working on now. It had been seven months since the girls joined them on their vessel, six months of which they had spent training.