School of Hard Noc-Ups

Sipping at her drink, Teilun leans back in her chair with a heavy sigh, her eyes glancing over at Bracken from across the table. Peacefully partaking of her tea, the refined Nightvar appears chipper this morning, earning a raised brow from Teilun.

"So, why are you so happy today? I know you like these outings, but you're never this cheery for no particular reason," Teilun points out, slugging back more of her usual order and folding a leg over the other as she shoots Bracken a teasing smirk, "You look like you got laid or something. You finally find someone to chase after besides Riktor?"

"Ha! The exact opposite, in fact. I happen to have convinced him to bed me last night," she claims while lifting her nose in the air with a smug smile, her teacup held by the handle between two delicate fingers, "He and I had quite a fun time, plenty of excitement between the three of us."

"Three!? Who the hell was the third?" Teilun demands with an astonished gaze, all traces of teasing gone from her features, placing her drink down onto the table and narrowing her eyes in suspicion, "You didn't take any weird drugs that night, right? My brother said yes and brought a third into that?"

"Stone-cold sober, my dear friend. Felt everything," Bracken purrs, lidding her eyes and shifting in her seat. Finishing her cup of tea, she licks her lips before meeting her friend's gaze again, her smugness only growing as she continues, "And so did his wife, for that matter. She did invite me, after all."

"Ah, that explains it," the muscular noblewoman says with a shrug, chugging the rest of her drink and practically slamming the wooden mug onto the table with a satisfied sigh, "Good stuff, as usual! What's wrong, Bracken?"

"Just...you accept it that easily?" she asks, drained of all the wind in her sails and practically deflating in her seat, seeming to have wanted to rub this in Teilun's face since it happened.

"Hey! Teilun, what did I say about slamming the tables!?" the building owner, a trim Panthar male, shouts from behind the counter, a blushing Nightvar server clearly doing his best to ignore what's happening around him while working beside his boss, "You already broke a table, remember!? I will bill you if that happens again, understand!?"

"Shit. My bad, Talis! Won't happen again!" she calls out to the huffing cat-folk, his arms crossed in a display of irritation, though he seems satisfied with her answer. Returning her attention to Bracken, Teilun gives an innocent smile and tilts her head in curiosity, ignoring the glare leveled at her from across the table, "Yes? Is something wrong, my friend?"

"Nevermind..." Bracken groans with a roll of her eyes, pouring herself another cup of tea from the pot that she ordered earlier before shaking her head softly, resisting the urge to sigh, "I do have another reason for my good mood, though. An old colleague of mine that I ran a few missions with went missing several years ago, but he was found about a week ago."

"Oh? He alright then? Nothing too bad happened to him?" Teilun asks, leaning back in her seat and resting her hands on the table before her with a curious gaze, "He isn't dead, right? Please tell me this isn't something where you're happy cause someone you hated is gone."

"W-what? What kind of barbarian do you take me for? No, he is alive and very much well now. The poor soul was under the effects of slaving ink, so he had no control of his own actions until someone on your team subdued him," Bracken explains, waving a hand dismissively and blowing on her fresh tea to cool it, "I don't know who knocked him out, but he was somehow taken alive and mostly unharmed. Surprising, that an Obsidian Corps field agent would be able to be taken alive under those circumstances."

"Really? Huh... I didn't notice anyone who was acting unusually," Teilun says with a hum, glancing away from her friend and towards her MTC as it gives a soft ping, the display lighting up in a soft blue, "Is that...? Ugh, dad says I need to head home. I hope there isn't anything wrong, I don't usually get called back this early unless something happened."

"I would not worry about it, my friend. He likely needs to talk about something with you. Perhaps he's going to give you a gift for your birthday and wants some input," the smaller Nightvar suggests with a soft shrug, sipping at her tea and waving her friend off with a hand, "Do not worry about leaving me alone for today, Teilun. I must depart soon regardless for some Corps work. So much overtime after the Red Beryl Corps brought back all those documents and drives for us to sift through."

"Sorry about that, Bracken. This should be enough for today's bill though," Teilun states with a chuckle, taking three silver Howlers from her pocket before depositing them on the table as she heads towards the door, sparing a glance back at her friend as she walks, "See you next week! I promise not to break any tables next time, too!"

Making her way out of the building and glancing up at the sign above the doorway, Teilun chuckles to herself and shakes her head before continuing on her way home, deciding to walk the distance herself this time and enjoy the time alone, "I still can't believe this place is named 'Kat Café.' Talis and his wife really came up with a punny name, didn't they?"

=====

Opening the door to her family's home and stepping into the large lobby, Teilun takes a quick glance around in search of Lucian, the head of her family. The middle-aged Nightvar is many things, but being someone who accepts tardiness is not something the patriarch of the Bloodfang family is known for.

His brows furrowed in annoyance and his arms folded across his chest, Lucian taps his boot-clad paw against the floor as he awaits his daughter's return, the two noticing each other at the exact same moment. Allowing her father to speak first, Teilun approaches him before giving a respectful bow, the expression on his face implying the need to discuss a serious matter.

"Greetings to you, father. You wished to speak with me?" Teilun asks before standing back to her full height, forced to look up to maintain eye contact with the larger male standing before her, "I don't recall doing anything that would earn a formal meeting, so I can only wonder why I was needed back so early."

Lucian shakes his head, refusing to speak for the moment and gesturing for his daughter to follow him with a wave of his hand, moving to walk down the hallway and further into the building. Walking past servants, nobles, and foreign investors alike, Teilun's confusion only grows as she is led into the guest wing of the castle and towards the reception room used to greet visiting guests.

"Father, where are we-"

"Not yet, Teilun," he says with clear authority, his voice carrying weight and compelling her to listen to his words as he cuts her off, not breaking stride for a moment, "You will see soon. We are close."

Feeling like a child about to be lectured, the brown-furred wolf-kin huffs softly to herself and remains quiet until they reach their destination, the tall doorway into the reception room seeming imposing to her. Lucian grasps the brass handle with a furred hand, twisting it and pushing the door inwards to enter the room, gesturing for Teilun to follow behind him.

"So because of the extent of my magical brainwashing, they want me to remain behind for a- Oh! Hello again, Lord Lucian," Teilun hears, the voice causing her to freeze in place as fear grows in her mind, hesitantly peeking into the reception room and practically crushing the doorframe as she recognizes the male sitting beside her commander inside of her home, "We were just finishing up our discussion. Has Teilun arrived yet, sir?"

"She has. If she would get in here, I could start the conversation about why this male is here, claiming that he did something to her and why he is here seeking punishment," Lucian says with a slightly raised voice, his no-nonsense tone overriding her nervousness and compelling her to quickly head inside, closing the door behind her, "Good. Now...you clearly recognize him, I don't even need to ask. Why is he here?"

"I don't know!" Teilun squeaks out with confusion, just as in the dark as her father seems to be, her eyes darting from individual to individual as she attempts to process what is happening, "Captain Whitefang, why is he here? Ma'am, I thought he was going to prison! He tried to rape me!"

"I apologize for this coming out of nowhere, Bloodfang. Ren is a member of the Obsidian Corps, it turns out. Somehow, he managed to continue working in military operations after a particular incident left his reputation smeared," Whitefang says with a sheepish smile, gesturing to the large Dire Nightvar next to her and intentionally ignoring the pointed glare that Ren directs her way, "Regardless, he is here to apologize and to inform you of a few matters between the two of you. I had no say in any of this, before you ask."

"We agreed not to bring that up, Hunny. Need I remind you of just who spread that misinformation?" Ren retorts, waving a hand in annoyance and scoffing at the glare returned at him by his ex-lover.

"As nice as it is watching you two go at it like an old married couple, I need some clarification on something. What exactly happened that makes Teilun say that you almost raped her?" Lucian asks with a level tone, eyes locked onto the large male and not seeming to care about the difference in size between them, ice practically felt in his words, "I hope that you did not do anything untoward, or you may find your stay here lasting a lot longer than you planned."

"That is why I am here, sir. I was under the effects of slaving ink, along with mind-altering magics that caused me to behave in a way that was not suitable for pleasant company," Ren explains with a soft bow from his seat, his hands resting on his legs and allowing him to brace himself as his eyes lock onto the floor, "I am a Paladin of Solar, and this means that I must right any wrong I commit intentional or otherwise. At least, if it is within my ability to do so.

"Under said effects, I made inappropriate advances on Lady Teilun that were both brutish and abhorrent. As such, I am here to make reparations in any way that Lady Teilun sees fit. Name it, and it shall be so," he finishes, rising from his bow and glancing towards the wolfess in question, locking eyes with her and allowing her to see the regret in his features, "Even if that means my death. I am oathbound."

"Why the hell should I believe you? You could just be lying to cover for yourself and make sure you finish what you started this time!" Teilun accuses with a scowl and a glare, her body tense and her breath quickening, "I won't let you do anything like that, I don't care if you convinced the authorities that you're innocent!"

"He can't lie. A Solarian Paladin's oath means that doing so would cause him excruciating agony, and even death if the lie were severe enough or made with intentional malice," Lucian speaks up with a lifted hand, drawing everyone's attention and allowing the exasperated household head to continue, "The fact that I can feel divine power within him leads me to believe he is telling the truth. I can recognize some blessings and curses thanks to Empress Starlark's blessings and her patronage. It is indeed Solar's power."

"So...that means he really is here to apologize?" Teilun questions as she begins to slowly calm down, the guilt on Ren's face bringing a twinge of regret to her as she contemplates what to do next. After a moment, she takes a deep breath to steady herself and begins to approach Ren, earning a raised brow from her father as he and Whitefang watch her, "Anything I want you to do, huh...? What if I said I wanted a new servant?"

"Then I would do so," Ren answers without hesitation, glancing up at Teilun before giving a deep bow towards her, the back of his neck bared to her and allowing her to end him if she wished to. Raising a hand, Teilun rests her thumb and pointer finger against her muzzle as she watches him in silence for another moment.

"If I said I wanted a pet?" she tests, wanting to see his reaction and take some more time to come to a final decision, "The Solarian Paladin, all mine."

"Then It would be so. What I did must be repaid," he says without skipping a beat, deepening the bow and practically folding himself in half to do so, not noticing the judgemental stare that Lucian levels at his daughter, "If you wish me to kill someone who wronged you, I shall. If you wish that I gather riches for you, or humiliate myself, or end myself, then it shall be. You need only decide."

"...gods, why do you have to say something like that while staring at the ground? Get up, you big jerk," Teilun demands with a pat on his shoulder, sighing to herself and gazing into Ren's eyes once he has sat up again, his confusion from her casual behavior towards him evident in his features, "You were being forced to act like a dick, so I wouldn't ask for anything too extreme. Just...stick around here for a while, and we'll find something for you to do. Alright?"

"Lady Teilun is very generous," Ren says with another bow, though this one is shallow in comparison to earlier, his earlier guilty expression growing into a soft smile, clearly happy to hear that she will not refuse him entirely, "I will remain here until you decide I am no longer needed, then. You will not regret granting me this mercy."

"Yeah, yeah... Just stop talking like that and get up. If you're going to be staying here for a while, you'll need a room," she says with a roll of her eyes, turning her attention to her father, the same judgemental expression still on his face, "What? The pet comment was a joke, dad! Can I bring him to where he'll be staying?"

"That is normally a servant's job, but given the nature of his stay... Alright, I shall allow it. However," Lucian continues, glaring at Ren and stepping closer, grasping his shirt and pulling the Dire Nightvar down to glare into his eyes on the same level, "If you hurt my daughter, or try any shenanigans that she doesn't want, I will personally kill you, skin you, and turn you into a throw rug before throwing what is left to my wolves. Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes, sir. I won't do anything that she doesn't permit me to," Ren promises, lifting his hands in surrender and doing his best to ignore the shaking in his voice, unused to being manhandled by anyone else, "I swear on Solar himself, she will be safe from me."

"Good. Good boy," Lucian says as he lets go of the larger male and pats him on the head before he steps away, turning and approaching the door with even, measured steps, "Unless he causes an issue, this isn't my problem anymore. If anyone needs me for something important, I'll be on a date with Orchid in town. I'll be sure to mention your new 'pet' to her, Teilun."

"Hey! Don't tell mom any weird shit about me!" she calls to Lucian as he exits the room, her eyes narrowing as her arms are folded over her chest, grumbling in irritation and accidentally pushing her breasts up in the process, her red dress not hiding many features, "Why does he have to be like that? I was just teasing."

"I think I'll take my leave as well, Bloodfang. I'll see you the next time we're on duty together," Whitefang says with a smirk, getting to her paws and approaching the open doorway, glancing back at Teilun just before slipping out of the room, now wearing a shit-eating grin, "Oh! By the way, your dad's kinda hot."

Sputtering in indignation, Teilun shoots her commanding officer a glare through the wall and growls softly to herself, her teeth bared for a moment. Ren carefully stands from his seat and rises to his full height, his shadow growing to encompass her body and blotting out the sunlight through the reception room's windows. Slowly turning her head, Teilun realizes that Ren is practically right behind her, making even Kura look short in comparison.

"Shall we be off, Lady Teilun? I can find a way to make myself useful after being shown my quarters, yes?" he innocently asks with a tilt of his head, Teilun feeling almost like she has adopted an overly sized puppy from the expression on his muzzle, "I wouldn't want to get in the way, and someone my size stumbling through the hallways in search of an empty room would likely be...counterproductive."

"You don't say. Please stop calling me that and just follow me, big guy," Teilun says with a deadpan up at him, though she blushes softly as she realizes that his chest ends above her head from the height difference, the feeling of being a child only growing from his sheer size, "You, u-uh...work out? We got a gym."

"Yeah, I do. Not anytime recently, but yeah. Want to head there, Teilun?" Ren asks with a complete change in speech, though his polite tone and soft voice remain the same otherwise, "Wouldn't be the worst thing for me, actually. The doc says I need some exercise to make sure that I haven't fallen out of practice after I got captured a few years ago."

"Wait a second... Do you know someone named Bracken in the Obsidian Corps?" she asks with a raised brow, turning to fully face Ren with a bewildered expression, "Nightvar about my height, likes to act like a princess, drinks so much tea that she shouldn't be able to sleep at night? Sound familiar?"

"We went on a few missions together, yeah. We used to meet up as friends with benefits every so often in-between missions. This was after I was dumped by Hunny, just to clarify," he explains with a sheepish smile, realizing how his words could come across and giving a hesitant chuckle, "Hunny already knows about her and I, and It's been years since I've seen Bracken anyways. How is she doing these days? Found a husband yet?"

"Not yet, but she wants to get with my married brother for some reason," Teilun casually states with a chuckle, starting to lead Ren towards the still-open door as she turns away from him, her tail brushing against his thighs in the process, "Now that I know that you're her ex, I am going to mercilessly tease her for never telling me about you before now. Let's get you to your room before we head for the gym. I could use a workout too, so this works out fine."

=====

Once Teilun shows Ren where his room will be and they get changed into their new clothes, they make their way towards the manor's gym with a skip in Teilun's steps, now wearing form-fitting exercise gear.

Adorned in a tight black sports top and a pair of similarly colored skin-tight pants made with a flexible fabric, Teilun's toned abs on full display for Ren as he follows behind her with a simple t-shirt and a pair of shorts worn on his person, both colored red and having been borrowed from Riktor's closet.

Ren takes the opportunity to look over her body as they approach the door to the gym, off in a secluded part of the manor that few servants seem to frequent, his mind quickly turning to more graphic thoughts about his new host. Unable to help himself, he stares long enough in the silence to realize something very important about her current state; she is not wearing anything underneath her pants or top, her body practically bare before his eyes already.

"So, erm...do you think anyone else will be joining us?" Ren asks with a glance between Teilun's legs, gulping and blushing as he realizes that the curves of her lower lips are visible through the thin fabric, "I wouldn't want to startle anyone that finds us, after all. Someone my size that no one else recognizes? That could cause some problems."

"Nope, it's just going to be us. The servants and guests aren't allowed to use this room without a direct escort from me, my father, or my siblings. Alira and Corlo never use the room, while Kura and Riktor are off on adventures I guess," Teilung replies with a shrug, not noticing Ren's ears perking up at the mention of her youngest sister, a relieved smile growing across his muzzle from the implications, "You never said why you wound up in that situation, to begin with. I guess a mission went wrong or something?"