OTA

[can_fight_ugly]

WHO: Anne and OTA
WHERE: Around the South Village
WHEN: End of April/beginning of May
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: N/A - will add as necessary

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After returning from the caves and rescuing the kidnapped villagers, and soon thereafter finding themselves besieged, Anne is putting her animal transformation powers to use; you may very well see, or be aided by, a large tawny tiger.

She does expend a lot of energy, however, so when she's not fighting or trying to secure the village, she's resting at home or trying to be excited about rationed meals at the Inn. Or, just catching a quick nap at the Inn.

As the month wears on and the ghosts visits become more frequent, Anne spends more and more time at and defending the Inn, but if you need to get to one of the other buildings, she will offer to run escort.

She's used to pushing herself under normal circumstances, doing so as a tiger isn't much different.

Private to Foggy - post-rescue

Anne was ready to be home. While the rescue missions had been a success, they had been stressful, full of fighting and biting the familiar ghost-like enemies, and not everyone had made it out alive. She finally finally - makes it through her front door and closes it behind her, dropping her pack on the floor.

"Foggy? I'm back!"

And she could really use a hug.


Private to Eddie - backdated to mid-April

She'd gotten a crash course in tigering in the caves, but now that she's back and still in possession of the ability, she's eager to see what else she can accomplish with it, and how else she can make it useful to the village as a whole. It's not exactly like her time with Venom, but she figures he more than anyone else has the kind of experience that might be useful in helping her push her skills further.

Still, it'd be polite to ask Eddie first, and so she makes a point to arrive early enough to catch him first, knocking on the door as a warmly-dressed human to start.

Seifer's House, shortly post-rescue

Anne had returned to find the attacks from the ghost-residents increased, and the actual residents ... waning. She was lucky that the two most important people in her life were still here, but not everyone was so lucky.

She makes a point to gather up a small skein of yarn she'd worked up before heading off to the caves, and heads out to see Seifer. Making her way across the village, she's alert and ready to transform into a tiger at the first sign of trouble, but fortunately it's a quick, quiet trek from her house to his.

She knocks onn the door, looking over her shoulder as she waits for him to answer.

Comments

[clouded_heart]

Before this place, Foggy might have struggled, but now he scoops Anne up into a bridal carry to take her down to the living room. "You're unhurt, right? You didn't have to fight anyone? Did you manage to stop Diego from hurling himself onto anything dangerous and stabby?"

[can_fight_ugly]

She links her arms loosely around his neck as he carries her, wincing a little at his questions.

"I am sorry to say we did all of those things. Not so much hurt as maybe bruised and tired, but I did have to maul a few attackers and Diego ... did what Diego does."

Hopefully he won't be too disappointed in her; she did arrive back in one piece walking under her own power.

[clouded_heart]

The fire is lit and stoked, there's tea and there's blankets and Foggy sets her on the couch where he had been sitting and kneels down to start working on getting her boots off. "Oh well, so long as you did more damage to them than they did to you. Tomorrow, we can walk up to the spring, have a long soak, fix up some of those aches and bruises?"

[can_fight_ugly]

The welcoming fire, tea, blankets and delivery to all of that is surprising enough as it is, but when Foggy goes to take her boots off she can only blink for a moment, before smiling warmly at him. "Sounds like a date."

But while he gets one boot, she'll work on the other. "How have things been back here?"

[clouded_heart]

Anne's been out saving people. The least he can do is make her comfortable. "Bit of an odd date, but a date," he agrees.

"Reasonably quiet? There's been some sightings, people who it can't be, or... you know, you say to someone 'I saw you walking back towards the Inn' and they tell you they haven't left that day. I haven't had trouble yet, but it's brewing. It's like... the feeling in the Kitchen before a gang war erupts. Anticipatory violence."

[can_fight_ugly]

"I think 'odd date' will have to do; there's a severe lack of fine dining establishments here, I've noticed." She jokes. Still, anytime spent with Foggy will be worth it - especially after the excursion she just had.

Boots off, she settles back against the couch as she listens, tucking her feet under her and drawing the blanket over her shoulders, holding her arm out to invite Foggy in so she can lean up against him.

"Guess we should be prepared for anything."

[clouded_heart]

"Dates are more than just fine dining, but usually don't include mixed, public bathing in my experience. But hey, maybe that's just my American way of thinking." He comes up to settle next to her, arm long the back of the seat to let Anne tuck herself in.

The cats are already up and clambering over them, oddly too interested in being near Foggy.

"I'd honestly be happier if I knew Bobo was living near us, but he's not going to budge from up North. That's a man accustomed to violence."

[can_fight_ugly]

"Yes, I think that's right; open your mind to the possibilities, Foggy! mixed public bathing, hunting outings, fending off vicious mirrors that might look like us or someone we know." She settles in and rests her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes and sighing in contentment for the moment. She'd been glad she'd gone on the rescue; it was something to be able to choose to head out, as opposed to being dragged away at a moments notice, but between her training with Seifer and her current tiger ability, she'd pushed herself, and was now appreciating the chance to relax.

Frowning as Foggy speaks, she spends a moment mulling over the issue. "There's always going to be people like that, dug in with what they're comfortable with. I'm sure you've done your best to convince him, but hopefully he's up for the task?" She curls back to look at him. "If things get serious, I can tiger my way up to check on him, if that would make you feel better?"

[clouded_heart]

Foggy's fingers find Anne's hair and stroke, gently carding through the strands. He's quiet for a little bit, watching Mr Belvedere settle on and against both of them, a warm, heavy lump of purring cat.

"I'm not worried about him in the least. It would be nice to have him down here adding to protection. I pity anything that looks at that man and thinks 'prey'." Foggy was very fond of Bobo, but the glint of madness and rage that peeked through at times was frightening, even to a criminal defence lawyer.

[can_fight_ugly]

"Mm. Offer still stands." She's faced down a lot of things here, in addition to her time with Venom. There's little in terms of monsters or monstrous that frighten her.

Here, now, she's starting to drift off to sleep; between the warmth, the purring cat curled up between them (Lynn joining to curl up against Foggy's side), the feeling of Foggy's fingers sifting through her hair ... she's able to rest peacefully, comfortably, and maybe get some decent sleep.

[clouded_heart]

"Thanks." He kisses her temple and tucks her in against him a bit more securely.

It's warm and comfortable and there's the temptation to doze with them, but instead he picks up his book and continues reading about furniture construction.

[can_fight_ugly]

It was probably one of the most restful nights she'd had in a while. The following morning she's already feeling much better, but is still looking forward to a visit to the spring with Foggy.

As it means travelling outside of the village, once they step outside the house she uses her animal transformation powers to shift into the large tiger form to serve as escort to the spring. She looks back to Foggy to see if he's ready, her tail sweeping back and forth in anticipation.

[clouded_heart]

If they had stayed home, Foggy would've demanded a chance to completely brush and cuddle her like this, because she is magnificent and beautiful and hello? Tiger.

But instead he tangles his fingers in the fur of her ruff, feeling the plush undercoat. "You look amazing."

[can_fight_ugly]

There would be time for tiger cuddles later, for now Anne is excited about the prospect of a good soak.

At his touch she gives him a pleased chuff, and bumps her shoulder against his thigh before starting out. She - loved it; feeling the muscles move with each stride, flexing her claws into the dirt, licking the rough tongue over fangs; it was like carrying Venom except she was in full control.

And now? It was needed. Her ears flick left and right as they make their way to the springs, listening for any sign of interlopers.

[clouded_heart]

Foggy is keeping his own eyes and ears open for trouble, ready to throw up the armour on them both at the first hint of danger.

He keeps pace alongside her, hand on her neck, not gripping, just resting there in case. It's not like walking with a cat or a dog, more like having a small horse there, radiating heat and power.

[can_fight_ugly]

As they leave the village proper, Anne bends down to sniff the trail periodically, noting the creatures that had passed over it earlier in the day. It's all fairly innocuous. Eventually, though, her ears catch a crunch of twigs and now. She stops, raising her head and focusing her ears forward, chest rumbling with a low growl.

They're currently upwind; she tips her head up and sniffs the air but she can't tell what's past in the brush. It could be nothing, maybe a deer, but she doesn't want to chance it, taking a couple steps to place herself in front of Foggy just in case.

[clouded_heart]

There is a small number of animals following them. A few of the squirrel dogs were following at a discreet distance, apparently enchanted by Foggy's presence and a few peacats were flapping into trees to watch them pass.

When Anne pauses, Foggy does too and then he thinks. The armour ripples out over his skin and then out wards to enfold Anne as well, hidden by her fur though.

[can_fight_ugly]

Anne has not experienced Foggy's particular brand of power, so when the armor ripples against her skin under her coat, she flinches and takes a step back, looking down at her paws and legs before figuring out what's going on. She looks up at Foggy with an appreciative sway of her tail and then pads into the woods to stalk whatever it was that was stalking them.

[clouded_heart]

Foggy gives her a small, quick smile and steps back a little. He can fight, but he's not going to be as effective as an enraged, armour plated tiger. "You go get 'em, Anne."

He can give encouragement from the sidelines.

[can_fight_ugly]

She disappears into the woods, quietly thankful that it's far enough that Foggy won't have to watch her track down and dismember Village Resident lookalike.

Anne likes the power, likes the feeling of being in control when she inevitably confronts the thing - taking a moment to make sure it wasn't actually the person it looks like - and then ensure that they don't live long enough to bother the rest of the village.

It's a few minutes of silence followed by some distant growling and sounds of a fight, and then tigerAnne is padding back to Foggy, lapping blood from her muzzle and hoping the internal moral monologue she's got going on doesn't translate on her feline face.

[clouded_heart]

Foggy stays away.

He's mostly spotted the imposters at a distance. Glimpses of people he knows are gone, or wearing scrubs when they never do so. He hears things though, in the woods with Anne, and he ends up gathering up one of the squirrel dogs that comes over to him, apparently moved by his distress.

When she comes back, the little animal cowers against him and then flees at the scent of blood and predator, but he's more concerned with his girlfriend. "You okay, there?"

[can_fight_ugly]

Anne lopes over to him and tips her head down, leaning into his legs with a chuff in reply.

She liked the power. She liked the upper-hand, but killing? Mauling people that looked like people she knew? It's starting to weigh on her. It was nice to have Foggy here, and once they make it to the spring and she's able to change back she may ask him to weigh in.

For now, though, she's sticking with tiger until they get passed the dangers of the forest.

[clouded_heart]

Foggy pauses and kneels down, scooping up a handful of snow and beckoning her close, to rub the blood from her muzzle. "So you don't have to deal with that when you shift back," he says quietly.

Then he continues on with her, hand on her shoulder blade as they walk.

[can_fight_ugly]

Hazel eyes watch him as he cleans her up, she's patient and still. As a tiger, sometimes she forgot about the human details, and she's glad he thought of this one where she hadn't.

The rest of the trek is uneventful; a quiet, almost peaceful stroll through a winter wood. It'd be relaxing in and of itself if she weren't constantly twitching her ears at every sound, sniffing the air for intruders. No more come by the time they reach the spring.

Once there, she sets off from Foggy' s side and makes a quick circuit of the springs, sniffing the ground and stopping to listen, rubbing against trees to leave her scent and claim this territory. Content that these wards have been set and the space is clear, she pads back to Foggy and finally shifts back to Anne the Human.

"There, that should do it. "

[clouded_heart]

While Anne is patrolling, Foggy sets his pack within reach, so nothing can be stolen by either the dopplegangers or the local wildlife. He's removing his boots when Anne shifts back and he smiles up at her from where he sits on the ground. "With any luck we'll manage to fend off the hostiles and the locals."