Flash Bang!

Tales of Jaycynda Ashleana and her associates.

Moderators: PslyderFTA, Jaycy Ashleana

Locked
User avatar
Jaycy Ashleana
Expert Adventurer
Expert Adventurer
Sassiest

Posts: 864
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 5:32 pm
Location: Dockside

Flash Bang!

Post by Jaycy Ashleana »

October 17, directly after the conclusion of Diamond Quest 63

Swirling ribbons of rainbow light traced over the redhead’s form, kissing her lightly battered body before receding into the ground at her booted feet. Eyelids flitted closed down over her green-gold eyes and she allowed her head to drop back for the barest of moments. The fingers of her right hand curled around the so-important teleportation crystal while she clutched a small box in her left. She took that moment to revel unabashedly in the triumph of the evening, in being the first woman brawler to win the coveted Diamond more than once. Once she walked in the door she would temper her joy - and relief - from the results of the night’s brawling. Her partner had never won the event despite entering several times and she knew that while he would no doubt be happy for her there would be an underlying lingering sense of frustration at his own ineptitude.

The train of thought sobered her elation perceptibly but the satisfied grin remained as she pocketed the crystal and the box before turning the knob and pushing open the door to their home. She stepped slowly into the entryway, blissfully unaware of the strength of the chill that swept in behind and past her. Her nose twitched, her head canted to the left. Something smelled ... delicious. Multiple somethings smelled .... amazing. Either Psly had worked miracles in a very short time or he had begun preparations for a feast a few hours ago no matter the outcome, knowing she’d be ravenous.

Jaycy sniffed the air dramatically, making a show of following her nose to the left - to the kitchen, where all of the tantalizing smells were originating. Hints of mutton, both raw and seared, wafted lazily through the house. Rosemary followed, intermingled with pepper and garlic and oregano. Warmed bread tickled her nose, a solid and comforting base under the richness of the meat. Her eyes widened, a thin line of moisture escaped from parted lips. Her tongue slid out to recapture the saliva and she quickened to her steps toward the source.

She moved through the archway into the kitchen to the sight of her lover bent over the open oven door, sliding the tray of freshly-heated bread from the warm cave. The strings of an apron hugged his hips, a swiftly-tied knot holding them together. He straightened without turning, setting the tray on a waiting trivet with one hand and closing the oven door with the other. She hurried to move behind him before he could face her, sliding her arms beneath the apron and around his midsection. She pulled him back into her even as she leaned forward, pressing her chest close against his bare back.

The former cyberelf chuckled, allowing the much smaller woman to direct his movements. He set the pot holder down before resting both of his hands over hers. “Congrats, love,” he drawled playfully. He managed to contain his surprise as her small fingers began to tiptoe over his unprotected stomach and then lower, over blue sweatpants. It was the first time since the ambush that she’d been so bold - or really, so assertively affectionate at all. She’d responded, of course, when he initiated intimacy, and she clung to him in the night, but mostly she’d remained passive and withdrawn without prompting.

She responded by turning her nose into his flesh and taking a deep breath. “Mmmm,” she purred aloud before adding silently through the link between them, dinner smells almost as incredible as you do. She nipped lightly below his shoulder blade before withdrawing from the embrace reluctantly, fingertips whispering over his skin. He let out a groaning chuckle, his body quivering under the unexpected heat of her touch. “Eat first, m’dear,” he said, taking the warmed bread tray up once more before turning around. “You need to make sure you get something in you to recover what you lost tonight.” His addition was said more soberly; she might have done much better than expected but she still wasn’t a hundred percent and needed sustenance after such a hard workout.

Psly edged past her as she rolled her eyes. “Aye, aye. I know.” She sighed dramatically, following a step behind to the nook table. Little space remained on the small tabletop after the savory dishes and empty dinner plates covered the bulk of it. Cubes of seared, spiced mutton waited, nestled inside a ring of roasted carrots and red-skinned potatoes, a gentle steam rising from the serving dish. A smaller dish held the fresh fruit salad, crisp apple slices mingled with bright cherries and pineapple chunks, plump grapes and dark blackberries. She plucked a grape from the bowl, popping it in her mouth and chewing while he rearranged the dishes to allow an opening for the bread. “Mmm,” she said again - though with less animal interest and more satisfaction in the bite. A large plate of cheesy nachos topped with raw meat added a touch of whimsy and humor to the dinner.
User avatar
Jaycy Ashleana
Expert Adventurer
Expert Adventurer
Sassiest

Posts: 864
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 5:32 pm
Location: Dockside

Post by Jaycy Ashleana »

Green-golds turned to him and Jaycy grinned, moving swiftly to her side of the table and dropping gracelessly into the waiting chair. It was mayhaps the most alive and open expression she’d had in months and it caused him to return the grin just as widely. “... ‘s good to see you happier, love,” he commented, taking his own seat. She chuckled, leaning forward to take the serving spoon and scoop out some of the meat and vegetables to her plate. “I’m getting close to back,” she responded, the grin fading slowly, humor stilled by the solemnity of her train of thought. “Last week against Harris was a good warm-up test and this showed Caedia’s done a great job.” He nodded, pulling some nachos onto his plate. “She did,” he agreed. He stifled the sigh and mustered another grin for the redhead. “And as a bonus, you get another title and accomplishment.”

Jaycy chuckled a moment, adding some cheese-draped tortilla chips to her pile. “Aye, well, there was a bit of luck involved in that too.” She made a face at him (as if daring him to argue), then snuck a piece of raw meat from the serving dish and slid it into her mouth. Her eyes closed in rapture at the sheer perfection of the bite. Oh gods, I love you, she thought to him, expressing her appreciation at his thoughtfulness in the meal preparation and changing the subject at the same time. “Ditto,” he answered aloud, and tucked into his meal. She followed and a comfortable silence reigned during the rest of their feasting.

They finished swiftly, wiping at the last of the meat’s juices with the final bit of bread. He had made a perfect amount of food; none was left after the pair finished but neither of them felt overstuffed and uncomfortable. She licked her fingers, then her lips, and leaned back with a sated smile, eyes hooded. “That was good. Thank you very much.” He chuckled, pushing to his feet and removing the apron. He draped it over the back of the chair and began to take the empty plates to the sink for cleaning later. “Anytime.” The plates clattered against each other as they settled in the sink and Psly turned to face Jaycy, a brow lifting in silent question. His suggestive smile returned but it never quite reached his eyes.

The redhead watched him a moment, her own brows rising. Finally, she broke the quiet. “Let’s go outside and shoot things. Loser owes the winner dinner for a week. Including deciding what we’re having.” He started, mouth opening slightly in surprise at her suggestion; it was the complete opposite of what he’d expected. Of course, that had been her intent. She meant to brighten his mood by offering to do something that he was so much better at than she was. While it was obvious she was doing it, the underlying thought was that he had professional skills that she valued in him; he had things he could do well that didn’t involve the bedroom.

His smile warmed, grew more genuine in the transparent attempt. It seemed she was coming back in more ways than one. “Alright,” he chuckled, pushing off from the counter and making his way to the archway. “You get the targets ready outside, I’ll get the guns.” She watched him until he disappeared from view and then pushed to her feet, heading in the opposite direction to the door that led outside, shedding clothing as she moved. She hastily tugged open the door and hurried through, steps quickening into a dashing run. Mid-movement, her body changed. Her torso lengthened, grew fur. Arms shifted to legs, hands to paws, and the top half of her body dropped to the ground with a thudding jolt. Muscles rippled thickly under the coat of black-striped white fur as she continued ambling toward the nearby woods.

Reaching their clearing, she swiftly returned to her usual half-elf form and made her way to the small shed that stored all of their practice supplies. Once inside, she settled with a hand on her bare hip and looked around at the various targets available. Most contained multiple holes, victims of her previous efforts of learning to fire guns properly. She had mastered the basics, finally, and had agreed to begin carrying a weapon. Agreed to, honestly, but hadn’t started to. They hadn’t settled on something that suited both his and her needs. For the moment she felt comfortable enough with the Kevlar inserts in her bomber jackets and other clothes. It made things heavier but she’d quickly grown used to the weight and was thankful for the natural strength bonuses she gained with her other forms.

Jaycy finally decided on a set of battered, dented and holey aluminum cans. She made her way forward and scooped her chosen targets up into her bare arms. Humming, she wandered out of the shed, pausing to push the door shut with a foot. She carried the cans to a long row of posts of varying heights and set several on the tops of them. She rested a few more cans on the ground between the posts, some well behind the row of posts and some well in front. Overall, it provided a good field to test both angle and distance accuracy.
User avatar
Jaycy Ashleana
Expert Adventurer
Expert Adventurer
Sassiest

Posts: 864
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 5:32 pm
Location: Dockside

Post by Jaycy Ashleana »

Psly dropped from the sky a few seconds after she placed the last can, carrying a hard, square case in each hand. He stood from the landing crouch, folded his wings behind him and padded toward Jaycy, offering the case in his right hand to the redhead. “Thank you,” she grinned, wrapping small fingers around the handle and pulling it close to her side once he released his grip on it. She spun, red- and silver- braid sailing through the air in the turn. Her hips swayed slightly as she sauntered toward their designated firing spot, a spot marked by a wide steel ring set into the ground. She crouched within the ring and set the case on the ground. She slowly opened it, seemingly oblivious to the man that stood rooted to the ground, transfixed by the sight in front of him. He finally shook his head and followed her path to the ring, chuckling softly.

“If I’da known you were gonna cheat...” he drawled, setting his case next to hers. “It’s not cheating,” she retorted. “.... it’s giving you a handicap so I can have a chance.” She winked at him and withdrew a pair of large, protective goggles from its foam bed. He followed suit with an identical pair and they both donned them. As a unit they plucked out neon yellow earplugs and pushed them into their ears. “Since ya put it that way,” he finally said, “... I won’t take mine off.”

“That’s almost disappointing.” The redhead snickered. “Rules, love?” She straightened, glancing down at the pistol nestled within the case. “... this is a new one,” she remarked suddenly, realizing that while it had the familiar shape of the Glock 22, the barrel was shorter. “It’s a Glock 27, subcompact and better for concealing. I just happened to get ahold of one and thought you might be happier carrying that one around,” he explained, drawing his ARES II Predator from its bed and turning it in his grip, examining it. “You put out ten?” She made a sound of agreement to his question and he nodded slightly before continuing. “Two rounds, five shots each. If we tie...” Jaycy rolled her eyes at the very idea. “... then three more shots. If we’re still tied, we both win.” He glanced up from his inspection just in time to see her agreeing nod. “Alright,” she added.

Psly set his weapon into the case once more and then stood, offering the lady beside him a magazine. “After you, m’dear.” She grinned. “Why, thank you.” Taking the magazine, she crouched once more, carefully setting the magazine on the unoccupied lid of the case. She took out the Glock and inspected it. Finally, she stood, pointed the gun downrange and picked up the magazine, pushing it slowly into the well. “Any five, aye?” She snuck a glance at the dragonman behind her. “Any five,” he confirmed. She nodded and turned her green-gold gaze to the line of cans. She pulled the slide back to chamber the first round before hands curled carefully around the grip of the weapon. She took an open shoulder-width stance, right leg leading. Her finger remained outside the trigger guard as she peered down the sight.

He remained back, half watching her movements to critique her form and half distracted by her nudity. His dark-green gaze caressed every bare curve as she prepared to take her first shot, and the memory of her earlier touch only served to enhance his physical appreciation of the scene. “Handicap, right,” he muttered to himself, hands gliding down the outside of his leg, over blue sweatpants. She tossed him a sultry, smoldering smirk over her shoulder and regained her sight. He groaned, shuddering lightly. Her breathing a few feet away came slow, steady, and finally she took her first shot. A can flew off the middle post and bounced on the ground three times before settling. “One,” she drawled, readying her next shot after the recoil. She repeated the process four more times, twice to cans on the ground.

“Three,” she announced, ejecting the magazine and pulling the slide to empty the chamber. “Your turn.” While he readied his gun, she set hers once more in its case. He took his place, loading the Predator and taking aim. Her arms folded across her chest as she stood a few feet behind him. With a little smirk, she thought to him. How did I look? Her words had the most innocent connotation of a discussion of her form but it called to the forefront of his mind exactly how enticing she’d been, standing there. “Now that’s cheating,” he groused, and her smirk grew wider. “Damn right, love. Now shoot.”
User avatar
Jaycy Ashleana
Expert Adventurer
Expert Adventurer
Sassiest

Posts: 864
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 5:32 pm
Location: Dockside

Post by Jaycy Ashleana »

“I think that’s five,” Psly deadpanned, emptying the gun. Jaycy stuck out her tongue in return and strolled toward the target line after she knew it was safe, swishing her hips to send the invisible echo of a tail swinging. His focus narrowed to that subtle movement, staring, fingers flexing. He openly ogled her form as she swiftly replaced the cans on the line and returned to the firing circle. She flashed him a quick grin and silently retrieved and reloaded her pistol, standing and facing the post line once more. She raised the weapon slowly, her joking seemingly at an end. One round at a time she fired, carefully aiming before pushing down on the trigger. One by one the cans flew back with the force of the bullets; all except one. She missed the last one by a hair, swearing as it remained stoically in place. “Four,” she sighed, emptying the gun and lightly dropping the almost-spent magazine in the case.

He took a moment to compose himself. The sight of Jaycy taking her shooting seriously was, in fact, more enticing than any sexy look she could throw at him. It reminded him that she was an honest student and took his tutelage to heart rather than just playing cute to keep his attention. He loaded his weapon and took his place, expertly shooting at each of the five remaining cans without missing once. “You did well, love,” he praised as they settled within the ring, disassembling and cleaning their guns. “Still lost,” she chuckled. She’d recovered her good mood easily after the second round and smiled up at him. “What do you want tomorrow?”

“Nuh uh,” he chided, tsking. “Loser has to decide.” She grumbled nonsense playfully under her breath, reassembling the Glock and stowing it in the hard case. She closed it and handed him the almost-empty magazine. Together they hefted their cases by the handles and she passed hers off. She plucked spent shells and unfired bullets from the ground around them before turning toward the target line once more. “I’m going to the lake to wash up; meet me there?” she called back over her shoulder as he walked. “I’ll put these away and hop over,” he confirmed, crouching lightly. His wings snapped open and he took off into the air and toward the house. She gathered the beaten cans, carried them back to the shed, and tossed them onto a table. She dumped the shells into a bucket, nestled the live bullets in a box, and exited the shed, closing it up behind her.

She shifted once more and ambled through the crunch of fallen, decaying leaves. A gentle, content rumbling purr tumbled from her throat, emanating from deep within her chest. Soon enough she broke through the treeline to the clearing around the lake. She drew to a halt at the edge and returned to her two-legged form. Psly had arrived a few moments earlier and was already submersed in the chilled water. She stopped at the edge and raised her arms above her head. Taking a light leap, she dived in headfirst and sliced through the water underneath the surface toward him. She came up a few feet away and playfully swatted at the water, splashing him. He growled, lunging for her, but she swept away before his grasping hand could find purchase.

Laughing, she swam to the edge and reached down, digging her hand into the mud at the bottom. A moment later she drew a handful of natural sand soap. It wasn’t the softest of cleaning materials but it was natural and it was there. She scoured her body with the sand, washing off the remnants of gun powder and gases. As he followed suit, she glided through the water toward him. Quietly, she took more sand and brushed it down his back, cleaning as gently as she could with the gritty soap. He murmured a thanks, finishing and rinsing off before pulling himself from the water. She floated away, reveling a few moments in the frigid lake, then ducked and dove under the water, cutting through it like a fish safe and secure in its home.

You’re going to become a prune if you stay in there much longer, he commented, watching her weave up and down. Come join me. He sprawled on a solid blue blanket, resting back on his elbows. She surfaced, smiling softly, and swept her sodden hair back and off her forehead. You’re just trying to get me into your hands. I know what you’re thinking. He shrugged and grinned brightly, admitting her assertion without an ounce of shame. Can you blame me, after what you did earlier?

No, she finally answered. Nor can I blame you after I do what I’m about to. His grin faded as a brow simultaneously rose in silent question. Slowly, step by step, she left the water. With each movement, another layer of the shields between them faded away, whispering into nothing, strings floating through the air behind her and carried off into the ether. His senses filled with her, wrapped him in invisible gossamer sheets that sent every nerve afire. Reality dwindled with every inch lost between them, his dark green eyes frozen on her. His breath caught and then he ceased breathing altogether.
User avatar
Jaycy Ashleana
Expert Adventurer
Expert Adventurer
Sassiest

Posts: 864
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 5:32 pm
Location: Dockside

Post by Jaycy Ashleana »

The air stilled and hung thickly between them, warm and palpable, as she knelt at his spread feet. His own shields disintegrated in reaction to Jaycy’s; a small part of him knew one of them should keep basic protections coiled around their minds and between them but he couldn’t bring himself to do it when faced with the prospect of the infinity of intimate sensations, physical and emotional, that came with their unshielded joining. It seemed, too, that Jaycy found the moment significant enough to warrant baring her soul to him equally with her body.

Her small hand trembled as it lifted in the air, toward him. Green-gold eyes, widened, turned up to meet his darker ones and she stopped inches from his calf. She waited for his permission, waited for him to sift through the tangled matted mess she held within for so long. Primary was the guilt; she was solely responsible for what had happened. It had been her stupidity and arrogance that had caused the injury, the worry. He’d known it was there, of course, but she allowed him to see how much it gnawed at her, consumed her, was slowly destroying her. A million metaphysical termites chewed through the fragile stumps of confidence in herself and the others’ trust in her.

Fear weighed her further under the guilt; a cold, incoherent chain that rattled angrily in her head. Psly must hate her for what she did - what she didn’t do. She’d failed, miserably, and almost been lost to him - had almost lost both of them. He knew how strong she wasn’t, now, how much he had to protect and care for her. It was only a matter of time before he grew tired of it, grew to resent her, and walked away. It didn’t matter they were linked, still linked after close to a year. There wouldn’t be anything worse than knowing just how much he hated her and being unable to do anything about it.

Finally, anger hissed deep within her, a fiery, spitting dragon ready to strike. It was the most hidden of emotions but strongest - a seething bed of hate for whoever had done this to them and the vow that the person would pay, and pay harshly. She wouldn’t simply kill that person but rather would destroy him or her, or them, beyond anything recognizable. And then she would destroy the scraps and dance upon them before feeling sated. She knew, too, she was likely to die in the process but that she cared little if it happened.

He knew, of course, how she felt in the most general terms. The depth of the hurt, the pain, he hadn’t quite understood. She kept herself so tightly away from him and he hadn’t wanted to pry. He hadn’t expected the intensity of the combined emotions, though, and a single tear escaped, sliding silently down his cheek. The last vestiges of his own protections fell away and warmth, acceptance, and forgiveness for her presumed sins enveloped her, encircled her, spun and pulled her into the safety of his mind. Within, love reigned. Love, above all. Wordlessly, he soothed the restless dragon, washed away the fear and rebuilt infested branches one hand-span at a time. He didn’t push her hurts into a cramped box but rather melted them away until not even a speck remained. They sighed in tandem, bodies connected and one despite not touching.

Seconds masked as hours passed in their exchange and finally her hand continued its path to his flesh. Dual sighs turned into gasps as palm met leg. Touch, feeling, sensation multiplied exponentially with even that faint, innocent contact. Minute sparks flickered between them, lapping at their naked bodies, arcing over and around them. One tear became many with the hesitation, the shyness and the contrasting electricity that echoed between them. His hand wrapped around her wrist and he pulled her forward, along his body until she pressed against him, fully stretched. He shifted slightly and they came together at both hips and lips, slick from the lake.

Their movements gained in urgency swiftly, twin dragons riding the winds to the clouds. The miniature lightning storm thickened around them, bolts lashing into the sky haphazardly. Each second they remained joined, the echo from one to the other intensified; every stroke brought the mingled pleasure to a new peak. Higher, faster, they urged each other, unable to control the pained heat that came. Backs suddenly arched, crashing together, and screams tore from their throats. Simultaneously, wings ripped through their backs, azure- and silver-striped appendages snapping out around them and deep furrows in both their arms were rent from claws sprouted.

Lightning came to a crescendo around them, bolts as wide around as her forearm leaping over and through them. The pair fed off each other, rose and tumbled together over and over. Jaycy screamed again, jolting, and Psly howled in shared true pain. He quickly came to his senses, drawing shields protectively around him while his lover continued to cry in agony around him. Her body twitched, bolts kissing her body uncontrolled. He held her, only to protect her from physical harm, as convulsions slowed.

She finally slumped against him, aftershocks rocking through her, whimpering with the damage done. She was raw, bruised, and not yet recognizing her lack of shields. Minutes passed before she could breathe again and she looked up, green-golds meeting darker green. An image flashed between their eyes, brought out at the first painful lightning strike but not comprehended until now.

A red- and silver- haired woman with a face exactly like Jaycy’s leaned over, next to that of an old man in a white lab coat. Electricity. Horror, and pain, and an all-consuming fire.

They gaped at each other, shuddering once more, wings weak and limp behind them. Finally, she gasped, “what the hell was that?!”
Locked

Return to “Eye of the Tyger”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests