When It Rains, It Pours [Jagara]

The day had not begun with a good start. As the sun had risen the female lycan had awoken and set out on her long journey to work. She had travelled there in her human shell, not being so stupid as to risk revealing her true identity to any strangers that she could possibly meet once out in the unclaimed lands. However, once she had arrived at the police station in the city and undergone the usual routine of dressing into her uniform, wrestling with the Belgian Shepherd Dog that worked alongside her so that she could attach her leash and the other necessities before she went on duty, it was established that she was needed to work longer than the scheduled hours. Of course it was only an option, but the majority of her colleagues were making excuses and complaining they did not want to work the shift. Callista finally snapped, agreeing to work the overtime. Unlike some on her team she was not a slacker, and extended hours were paid more. Although she was not influenced by money, it would be useful should she need to save up for anything in future and she had no plans for doing anything that evening, so extra hours at work it would be.

Five hours later than her normal shift hours, once she had returned the dog to its kennel and changed out of her uniform, it had then begun to rain. Little drops fell at first, like mist as it settled on her warm olive skin, but within a minute the water grew heavier and pelted down hard. Walking the long journey back to home territory, the beta had to endure the precipitation with no hood or umbrella, adding to her frustration. All the way to the forest her jaws were clenched tight, her fingers balled into fists in her leather jacket pockets. Following the longer working hours and the amount of stress during the raid she had been involved in the werewolfess was mentally exhausted and having to walk the great distance to her den was enough to make her annoyed, but being wet and chilled with rain really fuelled the anger. The annoyance was displayed clearly in her gaze, the mere mortals looking startled as she passed them on her journey. Luckily not one of them made any passing comments or intercepted her path, for that surely would have been a foolish mistake for any such human that did so.

Soon the bustling noises and filthy essences of the city were far behind her whilst vast woodland expanded before her. Leafless trees provided poor shelter from the elements, but by this point her hair was so saturated with water and her skin was dripping that it mattered little to her. She walked in an almost dreamlike state as the early evening darkness descended over Lunari, her boots thudding down the familiar trail to home. Her eyes would settle on the sky sometimes as she moved, her gaze meeting the clouds with a glare as dark as they appeared. However, her senses and attentiveness to the surroundings never faltered. Every movement she saw, each sound, was processed and tracked to its exact location. Though smelling was more difficult, with the rain being the main scent that proliferated in her nose.

Something made her halt. Something most would not even register as being out of place. A single auburn leaf flitted across in front of her, and she watched it with her characteristically unphased gaze. The strange thing about it was that all the deciduous trees in the area she knew for certain had shed their leaves long ago and they had succumbed to the rotting and decomposing on the forest floor weeks before this current moment. Silently, she abandoned her route and stealthily pressed onwards in the direction the leaf had blown from, leaving the scent of her pack far behind as she traversed the wilds of neutral ground. At last she exited the jet-black darkness of the trees shadows into the night which was contrastingly navy blue and illuminated in parts by the moon and its less significant associates, the stars. Here there were autumn leaves strewn all over like confetti that had been thrown at a celebration, and water surged violently within the gorge. Callista found the place quite comfortable though odd all the same and positioned herself on a rock far from the water's edge, not caring about the dampness of the stone as she sat on her backside for her pants were already soaked by rain. A rest was necessary before she turned back to head to her den. She dumped her bag beside her and pulled her knees against her chest, her fierce eyes looking around at the various fiery colors around her. The presence of another nearby was apparent, and she grumbled slightly, shrugging off her jacket and holding it above herself in an effort to keep off the rain and effectively disguising her figure under a cloak of darkness so she was not so visible in the moonlight.

The chill of steadily approaching winter blasted against Jagara’s fur as she slunk in silence to the library she was charged with keeping, reaching the doors long before dawn. She never quite understood why the building did not receive many visitors. To her, it seemed that for all written knowledge to be stored under one roof was a treasure, explaining her silent enthusiasm in her job. In the ages of technology, the old, trustworthy sources of literal books were tragically overlooked and underappreciated, when they hid even more secrets than the snow leopardess herself. Every page could be filled with annotations, side-notes, and additions from personal experiences of readers. Like the Chinese literati scrolls, many experienced men and women of all races responded to the great textual art. But long gone was this appreciation for the old books. A sigh escaped the feline’s mouth as she looked around the large building and its rows of mahogany shelves.

Moments to minutes, minutes to hours, time faded quickly as Jagara sat in her study, reading through an old textbook on the subject of werewolves. Her ball-point pen scratched lightly on the parchment in her leather-bound notebook as she noted important information. The small notebook was most likely her most prized possession, containing notes on nearly all of her personal experiences, studies, experiments, and theories. Soon enough, the clock in the main hall struck again, its chime snapping Jagara out of her pensive state and alerting her that it was about time to leave. She ran her fingers through her hair, staring blankly at the books scattered on her desk before her before putting them back into their proper place. Her greatest treasure was hidden into the locked steel cabinet under her desk.  The Epror took the black trench coat she had left in her office days ago and shrugged it on, feeling the end of the thick fabric brush against her as far down as her calves through the fairly fitted ash-grey jeans. With an absent murmur about her office hours and payment, she locked the front doors once more.

She took a stroll along the borders of the territory, black leather combat boots trudging through the unidentifiable mix of stiff earth, dead leaf remains, and dying ground vegetation. Indeed, her favourite time of the year was approaching. The woman grinned, feeling at ease in the cold and now humid air. It seemed that it would precipitate soon, but the air lacked the levity of coming snow. She mentally noted her prediction of rain and continued on her way, heading along the path in the general direction of her den at a slow amble. A light patter of rain began to fall minutes later. With a smooth flick, Jagara flipped up the collar of her coat against the drizzle and began to walk faster.

An onslaught of rain soon came down and drenched her hair, though she remained mostly dry thanks to the coat. Under the heavy mask of water, a small scent of nature and life flittered among the dominant odors of winter decay. Her grey-blue gaze shot towards that direction, picking up a wash of warm hues of orange and red from behind the curtain of rain. With a sparked interest, Jagara turned her path towards the glade that seemed to be frozen in the time of autumn. Boots crunched wet leaves, thumping lightly against the ground as the earth under her gradually gave way to rock. The roar of the water and the weather combined, however drowned the sound of her movements, though she wasn’t quite trying to hide them either.

Another’s presence, or more particularly, their close yet faint scent, was clearly present. Jagara scanned her surroundings, finding a bag to be tossed onto a strange, dark formation of rock a good twenty meters away. But was it really all rock? And where was the owner of the belongings? Suspicious, she watched it with a sharp gaze, but leaned casually against a wet, mossy boulder beside her. With a smirk, she began to recite a song, her voice a little gruff for a woman’s singing voice, but it fit perfectly with Gerard’s for the song, “Well it rains and it pours when you’re out on your own… If I crash on your couch can I sleep in my clothes?” The words rolled off her tongue in rhythm to the implied song by that old band, My Chemical Romance. Her eyes never left the dark, unmoving mass, focusing on it through the blinding  blanket of pelting water and eventually distinguishing a faint figure- a werewolf by the smell of it. The smirk on Jagara’s lips turned into a mix of casual amusement and disguised satisfaction.

Time passed with the beta concealed beneath her jacket, now using it not only to attempt to keep herself away from the approaching stranger but also to use as an insulating screen to reflect her own body heat back onto her skin. While the scent grew more intense as the other ventured nearer to the wolf, the force of the rain seemed to lessen until gentle droplets tumbled from the dark sky. Still she did not wish to reveal herself just yet. Humans had their devices which could alert them to what species she was, and she did not want her presence known if this person owned such a thing. Unless they were suspicious of somebody else in the vicinity they would not feel the need to use their technology in a seemingly unoccupied glade, that was her logic. Sure, she could bleed the life out of a single human with one clawed swipe in her beastly form, and she was in a foul enough mood to consider doing exactly that, however this was neutral territory. If the corpse was found, it would be obvious what creature had inflicted the fatal wounds. Only one monster could be capable of puncturing the flesh that deep and tearing limbs off with absolute ease; the furred masses that haunted the worst nightmares of the mortals children, and yet also ignited their most exciting dreams. But on that night, the one particular werewolfess knew she would aim not to murder. Almost certainly it would result in her pack being sought out and that would pose serious danger for them. She would do everything in her power to avoid that.

Her eyes shifted over the deep ochre hues of the leaves around her, scanning over the border of the forest. Obsidian shaded orbs slowly rolled over the trunks of the trees until flicking suddenly to the location of where a lady's voice rung from. Callista recalled the lyrics but the band's name and song title were secured somewhere in the recesses of her memory. Living for thousands of years, some details and events were bound to be lost, or just temporarily forgotten until something jolted forward a memory. It was quite ironic how the first part of the lyrics applied to her situation, being out alone with the weather beating down on her, causing an unnoticeable smirk to form on her lips. As for the second part, that was clearly a rhetorical question in this situation. She then saw the woman against the boulder and her eyes focused solely on her, seeing clearly that the other was looking back. Obviously her bag had been visible and the female knew someone else was there, but it was not clear whether or not she could actually see her. Callista concentrated a little more on trying to remember the song before giving up and studying the female. From what she could determine at the distance they were from each other she would guess they were a similar height but the other seemed to have a more lithe figure and lighter frame. The black trench coat appeared to have kept all of her very dry except for her hair. Finally, glancing to her face she found the woman to have attractive features, other than the smug grin on her face. It also suggested that she either knew what or where the lycan was, possibly both. Inhaling a series of quick, deep breaths she tried to gather information from the lady's scent now that the rain had died down. A brow arched slightly, having discovered that there was something inhuman about the fragrance that radiated from her, something of an animal. Interesting. Shapeshifting humans existed, she knew. Although, she had never interacted with one. But she guessed they would not kill a werewolf without reason, unlike a normal human.

Now feeling only a slight threat, she lowered her coat with a quiet huff and dropped it on top of her bag. No rain greeted her now that she was exposed once again. The moonlight highlighted the edges of her figure softly as she sat, purposely not looking to the other female. Releasing one knee from being pressed to her chest, she let a foot slide lazily along the rock to hang limply over the ground, nonchalantly stirring up some of the soggy leaves with her boot. She placed the palms of her hands behind her and leaned back into them while staring indifferently at the rapids of the water. Lyrics recited over and over in her mind until she began speaking them aloud, "A kiss and I will surrender... The sharpest lives are the deadliest to lead". Then it struck her what the song title was, The Sharpest Lives. She blinked once and then leaned back to rest her spine aginst the stone, arms folded beneath her wet hair while she glanced between the night sky and the woman. To open her posture but not make conversion she was inviting, even daring, the other creature to come closer.

The weather around Lunari, Jagara decided, was perhaps the most bipolar entity she had ever encountered. It seemed that the heavy onslaught of rain which had drenched her shimmering locks in a matter of seconds departed with the same haste it had arrived in, leaving her wet and cool. The latter was not a problem of course, since she was an animal evolutionarily adapted to survive in subzero temperatures. The fair woman glanced up at the sky temporarily, furrowing her brows and casting the clouds a sharp glance before returning her gaze to rest indifferently on the presently stirring boulder.


With the rain no longer inhibiting her view, she could see that this dark mass was originally a jacket, which was quickly dropped onto the tell-tale bag. She had been right. It was indeed a lycan humanoid, more commonly referred to as a werewolf. The smirk on the Epror’s face faded softly, as she was no longer amused by the situation, but neither was she by any means intimidated.  Rather, she found this distant interaction quite dull. The female steadily becoming more comfortable on the wet rock was considerably beautiful in a tough, almost rebellious way, though with a touch of feminine mystique. The only criticism she could find thus far of the werewolf was her disdainful visual ignorance. Not wasting a moment, Jagara moved closer to the other, who was beginning to rustle slushy leaves with her boot like one would do to soggy cereal with a spoon. Her small auditory trail of drenched, crunching foliage from the force of her onyx leather boots ended only a few feet away from the other woman. Her stance was relaxed, hands tucked into her coat pockets; she was visibly at ease. Though always mentally prepared for any hostile situation, Jagara saw no apparent need for physical tension. The one before her was reclined, and regardless of the speed of her movements, the cold, grey-blue eyes would be able to detect a sharp movement and allow instinct to react accordingly. Examining her for a moment, the Epror trailed her gaze up to the other’s, catching the deeper hues of hazel as they landed to glance briefly upon her, then flickered back up to the sky.


A genuine, soft smile curled a corner of her lips back into a smirk, but one of a friendlier nature as this olive-toned woman picked up the song at the chorus. It was rare that someone remembered long-forgotten bands like My Chemical Romance, and even recognized references to the lyrics. Jagara was used to receiving confused stares, not replies. In the voice reminiscent of Gerard Way, she finished the chorus, using casual gestures along with the words. “A light to burn all these empires… So bright the sun is ashamed to rise and be,” she motioned with her head around them, indicating the surrounding territories, “In love with all of these vampires,” she cast a sarcastic glance towards the wolfess and finished finally, “So you can leave like the sane abandoned me…” A true, almost animalistic grin showed on her features as she concluded the chorus, whose words also placed a great opportunity for the werewolf to leave the conversation and be on her way should she choose, though Jagara almost hoped she would stay. With a chuckle, the shifter held her gaze, then finally bothered to introduce herself, assuming the other would follow suit. “I’d say ‘hello’, but I think the song got that bit across. The name is Jagara. I am Epror of the Shifter pack, though with you being a creature with a strong sniffer, I’d assume you’d know my race at the least. And who might you be?” Overall, the shifter appeared rather amiable, or at least more than she would normally.

It appeared to have worked. Her displayed lack of interest in the other woman may have enticed her to come closer just as the she-wolf had hoped. It wasn't often that Callista would engage in unnecessary social conversation, particularly with a different species, however all-in-all she did not mind this female's presence. She was different, having begun their interaction with singing a song. Odd though it was, it was not irritating. Which would be quite a compliment from the beta, who could be irked by many, even if she did not show it. Perhaps it was just that the day had drowned her already dark spirits to such an extent that she simply couldn't feel any worse or find the will to care enough to become annoyed. Possibly, there could be secrets to discover of the Shifter race from this individual, maybe just personal secrets, or otherwise an acquaintance at the least. She looked over calmly from her reclined position as the soft sound of wet leaves being crushed and stirred grew in volume, finishing with the lady stood a few feet before her.

Observing silently, there was nothing threatening nor frightful in her stance, which was definitely good. A bad attitude would not be tolerated by her at all, and neither would someone who appeared to be weak. Weakness was a great hazard and could not be tolerated, it gave room for danger and error, and was one trait that Callista would not accept to any that wished to join Lucian's pack. However, she could sense this creature, shapeshifter, was confident and knew her abilities, yet was calm. It made the werewolfess almost respect her, and quite content to allow the other to talk to her. Their eyes of scorched brown and cold blue met for a brief moment until she concluded that she had completed her physical examination and glanced back to the sky.

The voice again came forth, continuing the song where she herself had left it. Gazing back to the other as she sang, the lyrics which spoke of loving the vile bloodsucking beings which were the Werewolves primary enemy, along with her gestures and glance, made a slyly amused grin appear on the corner of her own mouth to accompany the smile of the other's, while still watching the show quietly. As the shifter female finished the final line of the chorus with a chuckle, the wolf removed her hands from supporting her head and clapped slowly, her smirk only gradually fading from her lips. She allowed her head to rest once again on her arms as she folded them once more, keeping eye contact with the feline as she introduced herself, engraving the details into her memory, and then following with an answer to the question. "Callista, Beta of the creatures with strong sniffers, as you said it" Pausing, she wondered what role she held behind the title of Epror, as the rank names were apparently different between both of their packs. "What responsibilities do you have as an Epror in the pack of Shifters?" she questioned, more curious rather than prying for beneficial information, though still speaking in her usual indifferent tone. Picking up a stone from the rocky platform she laid upon, she threw it a short height above her palm and caught it repeatedly, weighing up its mass, texture and shape each time her fingers closed around its edges. Not once shifting her gaze from the icy irises of the one before her.

Jagara could not help but mentally smile a little wider at the female’s grin, internally disappointed as it began to fade. Given that the corners of her lips began to relax as she clapped, she was not sure if the clap was genuine or sarcastic. By the wolf’s appearance, it could go either way. She was clearly one who did not casually converse too often, and rarely in an open manner, but in this way the female reminded Jagara of herself. Clearly this woman was familiar with the mask of indifference, both in visual and auditory form. The Epror’s chuckle-instigated smirk faded accordingly, finding no need to carry on either. Once more, she allowed the evidence of pleasantry fade from her features and met her gaze evenly, holding it with the intent of an equal living creature. But something flickered in the very back of her mind, so small that it did not make any visible trace on her, yet she could not ignore its tiny, child-like whisper. It told her that this woman interested her, that she was beautiful in a mysterious way. Thankfully, a timely appearance of the images of Aruin and Azeroth silenced the voice.

While holding her gaze, she saw that the brown eyes were observing her, studying her, learning her… It was admirable that one would invest energy to study one such as herself, but not a bad idea at all. Too bad the sniffer had no idea what this shifter’s true form’s advantages and disadvantages were. Jagara at least knew the general criteria for werewolves, though she acknowledged the difference in variation of the individual. The woman was clearly strong, but she had a pack, so this was an inherent necessity, as it was in any transmundane community. The Epror was slightly disappointed however, at how much effort and time the wolf truly seemed to invest in deciphering a clear-cut pose and disposition. Once the brown gaze flickered up to the clouds, the seemingly human leopardess moved over to the side of the rocky platform where there was an almost wall-like boulder that created a small gap between the two masses.

A quick jump into the air later, the woman was gracefully lodged between the two, her back resting against the wall and the middle of her boots supporting her from the edge of the rock, allowing her to effortlessly sit in midair. It was truly comfortable for her, but then again, she was born and raised in mountainous cliffs. If only the rocks were covered in snow and not rain, it would seem like home to her. In this short interval of her speaking, Jagara adjusted her arms to rest calmly along the tops of her bent knees. A Beta… How quaint. The icy stare met the dark amber gaze once again as she continued. What came out of the woman’s mouth was truly disappointing to one who was well-studied. But after a moment of consideration, she reminded herself that a beta wolf was more experienced in controlling the pack and whatnot. Regardless, Jagara answered, “My dear… An Epror is perhaps your equivalent of an Elite. Third in the entire hierarchy, and deemed to be the most superior fighter, as well as personal protector of the leader.  Though I have been requested to train other members of my pack and run evaluations of their skills before. You, a Beta, would be the equivalent of an Auxiliary, assuming your alpha follows the traditional hierarchy.” Jagara gave a few moments for that information to sink in before continuing further, “How do I know this? I run a library and conduct my own research and studies. Unfitting for an Epror, some might argue, but I strongly disagree. My physical form is always conditioned to its peak, but the mind is a knife that is never sharp enough. And you then… What occupation do you hold? Your rank is just a shelf of social hierarchy. And no shelf pays well to its sitter… Except in the fantasy world of vampires, I suppose.” The depth of knowledge in those curious brown eyes seemed dull in the interracial subject, but perhaps she knew more about her own race. Callista was, after all, a Beta. But whatever she provided, Jagara was intent on avoiding the divulgence of any pack-specific information to a stranger.

[Sorry it's kinda long. But I owe you something after taking such a long time, so here you go dear]

Silently, the werewolfess had watched as the woman’s geniality seemed to fade and be replaced by an even expression. Her applaud had for the most part been sarcastic, though it was also a deserving clap, for she had made the wolf smile and that was rare. Only those that had some worth to her unfeeling self, either through belonging to her pack or otherwise earned, would glimpse her softer moments and even affection for only those individuals that would become important enough to reside in the desolate landscape that was her heart. Love was a risky thing. It was like a pit in a forest concealed beneath leaves specifically for some innocent being to fall into the trap. Some knew what to look for and would avoid falling in. But for those who did fall it was so deep that it was virtually impossible to escape. Some would die from their injuries during the fall; others would survive but slowly die from starvation. The unfortunate thing was it was an unexpected fall. And if it happens, you can’t stop yourself falling. The safest thing was to ensure you didn't fall in the first place, and that is what she intended to do.

Indeed there was a sense of equality between them now, standing on the same level as it were. This female resembled herself in some way and for that she could not ignore the shifter like she could so many others. Sure there were differences, very big differences between them in fact. Physically they looked different in various ways, including one having beautiful, long pale locks and the other with short, some would say unattractive, bronze hair. And the werewolf was certainly not one to introduce herself with a song. However there was something unfamiliarly familiar, as if familiar to find in herself but not in other people. Callista would conclude it to be mere curiosity that intrigued her towards a woman of a different species. She had no inkling as to what animal the other had the ability to transform into other than it was not a canine, as she would have sensed if that was the case. That was why she believed there was this aura of mystery and wonder about them, both knowing the other held another form but not aware of exactly what it looked like. More so for the lycan it put her at a disadvantage as the other would know roughly what her primal form was, as most werewolves were similar in appearance. But it was their skill and experience with the abilities of their primal body that made them different.

A movement in the corner of her vision was all that had alerted her that the shifter had moved to rest closer to her. Such grace in her movement had allowed her to land almost silently in the spot, somewhat reminding Callista of the agility of a cat. Perhaps that was her true form, but she presumed it would be something more powerful than a simple domestic feline, for she possessed an air of something wild and untamed about her, in the impression the beta got from her at least. Honestly she knew very little about the Shifter race, being more knowledgeable about humans and vampires when it came to other races. They were her own species’ biggest enemies and so of course she had learned much about them. On the other hand the other shapeshifting creatures did not pose a threat and were scarcely ever encountered by the beta, leaving her with little need to gather information.

Now as Callista held the gaze of the other female she saw her sat in an unusual position in mid-air, though she seemed comfortable enough so the wolf ignored it. Listening to the words that formed from the other’s lips, she continued entertaining herself with tossing the stone in her olive palm, silently not best pleased with how the female addressed her and the superior way in which she seemed to speak. Her agitation did not show except for a glare in her dark eyes for she was intent more on listening to the information than starting a fight. Jagara was very knowledgeable on other species it seemed, she knew enough about werewolf ranks. With the pause, the werewolf took the opportunity to speak from her reclined position. “An Elite equivalent? Not bad. Although I expected as much from you really” It was all explained as she described her job as a librarian and her hobbies in researching. Callista began to realise fully how useful this female could become, perhaps even in ways different to what she intended. As Jagara began on a mini rant that didn’t interest her except for the brief mention of her physical form, Callista identified the question that was asked and replied once she finished talking. “I’m in law enforcement, chasing down the bad guys with my dog and throwing them into jail. It’s kinda funny, if they knew what I really am they’d do the same to me, probably worse” She smirked and pulled her body upright then finally looked away from the shifter’s eyes and across the gorge towards where the water gushed down its course. She extended her arm back and hurled the rock from her hand and through the night sky, listening for the sound of it splashing into the water. It did indeed plunge into the water and she saw the liquid that sprayed into the air under the moonlight. Bored of lying around idly, she stood and turned, glancing over her shoulder to the woman as she stepped off the rock and landed with a soft thud on the wet autumn leaves. “How do you like swimming?”

Jagara watched the werewolf’s movements as she spoke, noticing that she may have irked her by her speech. This did not bother her in the slightest, however. Jagara only spoke in a straightforward way, unless beating around the bush was necessary. Though the leopardess did often like to embellish her words with a little bit of personal flavor if she was in a casual setting as she was now. Had this been a true, important meeting on behalf of her pack, nothing could have extracted any emotion or joviality from within her. Besides, what happiness was there to find in one who has lost everything they held dear? Both mates had been ripped from her paws, and she had nothing left besides her job. From these tragedies had stemmed her views on love: that it is a poison, tasting sweet on the tongue but eating away at the heart. To fall in love was to kill oneself but to enjoy doing so. A self-righteous suicide. For a moment, Jagara wondered if this female had ever taken such a poison. If she had ever been intoxicated with it…

A small smirk crossed her lips as the other mentioned her occupation. Or rather, at the details. It was interesting that this woman was a law enforcement officer, and yes, as she had pointed out, rather ironic. But what caught her attention was the mention of a dog. Perhaps Jagara had been wrong. There was one small speck of happiness in her life, like a snowflake upon an asphalt street. Her Australian Shepherd, Arthas, was the only one who kept the Epror company in her solitary life. It was indeed lonely. Even since her arrival at the pack borders many months ago, she had not made any real friends. Many acquaintances, but none of whom she could really talk to. Jagara was just about to ask further about Callista’s canine companion as the other looked away and suddenly chucked the stone into the air, letting it sink into the water beyond. The shifter watched her hop down gracefully, admiring her form for a moment. There was something about the way she moved that was beautifully wild and dangerously silent, like a flame. She could not shake that feeling of intrigue, but did quickly suppress it within her, choosing to ignore it. Following her, Jagara leapt down as well, just as noiseless as the other.

Very little could’ve prepared her for the sudden proposition. Sure, they were near a lake, but the very idea of swimming was almost random, especially after a drenching storm. Jagara looked to the woman curiously, though her face was still a blank canvas. Her icy eyes shining brighter under the moonlight, she searched the darker ones for any trace of a comedic joke, but found nothing. She then calmly looked to the water and shrugged almost as if without interest. “I am neutral to it. Though honestly, I usually avoid it as not to drench my fur. But if it is my skin that gets wet, I see nothing bad about it. And so…” Jagara trailed off as she began to walk to the water’s edge, shrugging off first her trench coat and then pulling off her shirt, “as this is a great opportunity to, shall you join me on a little night swim?” The shifter had by this time come to the conclusion that Callista was trying to find a way to see her true body, but she was not about to please her by switching forms. She stopped to pull off her boots, stepping onto the cold pebbles and scattered leaves with her bare feet. The heavy shoes dropped to the ground with a thump, followed by a pile of her already missing clothes, then soon accompanied by her jeans and bra, which she unsnapped with one hand and flung onto the mound. In less than a minute, a pair of panties topped the miniature mountain, matching the bra in their shade, as well as the wearer’s eyes. With a quick glance over her shoulder, Jagara said in a relatively low tone, “Allons-y…” and sprung into the water, travelling a good bit in the air before her bare body was shielded from the moonlight’s modeling by the dark waters. The freezing water bit pleasantly at her skin, making the leopardess feel safe and at home. Overall, she was not cold, but rather comforted by the temperature. Coming up to the surface near the middle of the lake after a little bit of swimming, she looked over  to Callista, waiting to see if she would join in. “You coming, or is a wolf more scared of water than a feline?” Jagara’s golden locks sprawled out gently around her as she waded casually, not allowing anything below the top of her shoulders to breach the surface.

As the shifter moved off the rocky seat in much the same manner as the lycan had, the beta arched a brow, still awaiting a reply to her question. She realized then as the pale eyed woman looked to her that perhaps Jagara believed she had not been serious in what she had asked and there was some joke to be had, and so when the female's moonlit eyes seemed to expect to find some amusement within her own dark orbs she met them with the usual indifferent burning gaze, until eventually the icy stare left her own and drifted to watch the water which was assumed Callista was indirectly suggesting to swim in. Her attempt to encourage the other to switch to her animalistic form was subtle, but she did not underestimate the intelligence of the individual that was in her company. Listening as she spoke casually, as if not at all bothered by the random question, it seemed at first as though it might work. However, the shifter explained how she didn't enjoy getting her fur wet, and although this gave her the information that her primal form was likely a mammal it did also mean she wasn't going to shift. If she cared enough to listen closer, she could detect in her tone that Jagara knew what she had tried to do and was therefore purposely not going to show her what she wished to see. A smirk ever so slightly curled her lip into a darkly amused expression, somewhat having expecting her to have figured her plan and now more determined that she would have her way at some point, even if it would be some point in the future that she would get to see her true body. The wolf's deep chestnut eyes trailed after the feminine figure as she made her way to the gorge's edge. From what she had hinted, she predicted that the epror was going to strip off her clothes and enter into the water in her human shell.

Standing still, she waited to see how many items of clothing would be removed. After she had pulled off her coat and shirt she asked the werewolf to join her, reversing the roles of who had invited who. Callista simply watched on quietly as the other took off more material down to her underwear and bra of a matching blue color until finally she stood naked in the chilled air. Suddenly she was facing a completely nude shifter, and from what she could see with the much appreciated aid of the moon she had a wonderful body. But she was not looking at her in a lustful or desiring way, in fact she had little time to look at her at all before she leapt and plummeted down into the mainstream of the gorge. The wolf crept forward to peer down into the shallow but steep-sided valley, but Callista could not see her as she was concealed beneath the surface of the waters made dark beneath the night sky. Moments later Jagara reappeared at the center of the water and looked up to her from some feet below whilst shouting something of a taunt, to which Callista rolled her eyes and licked her lips slowly, contemplating. It didn't take long for her to make her decision, as she had nothing to rush back to her den for or better company to seek. Honestly, this female's presence was marginally more enjoyable than being alone for the evening. So there was only one thing for it.

Turning sharply, she walked out of view and back to her bag to pull out a pen and notebook, quickly scribbling down only her phone number and ripping out the corner of the paper to slot into her bra for a moment as she returned the stationary equipment to her bag. After that she threw off her shirt, shoes and jeans onto her bag to prevent them getting even more wet than they were already. She then trotted quickly over to the shifter's jeans and picked them up slightly, withdrawing the crumpled paper from her bra with her free hand and tucking it into a back pocket before allowing the fabric back to fall back to the ground as it were before. With the wind nipping at her, she eased her undergarments off her body and returned back in sight of the other female, in less than a couple of minutes than she had disappeared from Jagara's view. Taking a sharp intake of breath she brought her hands high above her head and pushed off with her feet, jumping up and gliding down with gravity towards the water until she hit and broke through the surface, streamlined and with only a minor splash. The fluid was extremely cold and instantly it felt like multiple tiny daggers were stabbing her olive skin, making her feel uncomfortable but in an overall pleasing way. As she swam up to the surface, her body shuddered once her face was visible again and she took a few seconds to adjust to the temperature and take a breath, her eyes closed tight. Her own hot blood running through her veins was all that made the lack of warmth bearable. Callista shook her head smoothly from left to right and ran both her hands through her hair, ruffling it up a little to get most of the water out. She bit her lip and muttered a growl, slowly becoming tolerant to the cold. Reopening her eyes, the wolf looked to the leopardess and began swimming towards her calmly, moving around behind her. "Cave quid dicis, quando, et cui...feline"* she whispered into her ear, her warm lip brushing the lobe of her ear ever slightly, a threatening yet faintly playful tone in her voice. Whether Jagara knew Latin or understood she was talking about the challenge she had given, she wasn't sure. But it was her turn to test now, to see how she would react to the werewolf so close in proximity. She flicked her tongue across her teeth and waited, listening to the sound of the other's heartbeat.

*"Beware of what you say, when, and to whom...feline"

Jagara watched the woman on the ledge as she seemed to roll her eyes and disappear beyond sight. For a few moments, she waded calmly, waiting to see if the wolfess was up to the challenge. Though the absence was not that long, it was not brief either, and furthermore, not in sight. Jagara mentally noted that she would check the hidden inner pocket of her trench coat to be sure that her keys and wallet were still intact. Soon enough though, the bare body of the beta, beautifully bound in olive skin, appeared into the moonlight. Jagara had to admit that she was aesthetically beautiful, especially under the soft light. A smirk crossed her lips as the other lifted her arms into a streamline and then dove off, hitting the water gracefully and with a neat entrance. It seemed that the werewolf was joining her indeed. The slight ripple of water pulsed against her pale chest, then followed by smaller underwater beats as the woman swam closer.

As the surface broke, from below burst the woman, shuddering and shaking her head. The Epror watched with an almost carnivorous smile, suppressing it within her before the hazel eyes opened. Once they saw each other, Jagara was as calm in her appearance as ever. Suddenly, the woman began swimming closer and circling her, an action that was usually rewarded with a clawed face. But this once, Jagara allowed it. The sensation of Callista’s lips grazing her ear and the playful threat was somewhat pleasant. The leopardess’s heart picked up a step, but not out of fear. Jagara was nearly fearless, having been faced with the most gruesome of situations early on in her life; no woman or man, regardless of race, could easily draw fear from her. Instead, she felt hotter throughout her body, a smile rising on her lips. Taking control of the spark, be it emotion or instinct, Jagara immediately suppressed it. Such things did not take much than the thought of a golden, shimmering banner.
The words she spoke… They were of the dead language. Latin directly influenced both French and Spanish-the two languages of Basque. Though she could not translate the sentence entirely word for word, she caught the gist of it. She watched Callista as she circled her and then waited, replying with the usual, frozen and calm tone, “I am fully aware of what I say to you, sniffer.” A small smile, the kind she bore when hunting large animals, crossed her lips. If this was a game of testing and intimidation, she would happily play along. While swimming to the center, Jagara had noticed that the bottom of the lake was as dark as pitch on this night. In fact, Jagara could not see much below the reach of her hand even with her sharpened vision. Now, the pale eyes glanced up at the sky, where post-storm clouds hovered and drifted slowly. “Beautiful moon, isn’t it, Beta? Too bad even its light fades eventually…” As she spoke, a patch of misty leftover clouds drifted across the light source, and immediately, Jagara shot down under the surface by pushing herself down and bringing her hands up against the water. The result was a swift movement into the darkness.

Jagara waited, shrouded in shadows, for perhaps a quarter of a minute. Her hair waved gently among the reeds in the same motion. She then moved over slightly and shifted, smoothly swimming up below her in slow but powerful strokes. Jagara made sure that she was still well beneath the penetration of light as she circled her from below. Then, she slowly reached up with her tail, moving it softly with no more power than a stray piece of kelp. There was little to no risk of exposing her form considering her body was hidden and even her tail was darkened and distorted in the liquid, seeming nothing like its usual, fluffy mass. The spots may have been visible, depending on if and how quickly the other looked down, but there were dozens of species of felines with patterned tails; unless she was a specialist, it would be difficult to determine that she was a snow leopard instead of perhaps a jaguar. The muscular yet soft tendril slid gently along the woman’s skin, trailing from her left hip down her lower inner thigh, then snaking around to her calf. Suddenly, the tail faded, as if vanishing. Jagara swam up behind her as a female of the human species once more. Breaking the water’s surface, she imitated Callista’s original arrival, whipping her long hair from left to right in a smooth motion and then brushing them back away from her face with an almost playful grin. The pall of darkness lifted just as she breached, because she timed the little play perfectly. The stronger moonlight covered her golden locks with a platinum sheen. She focused on the female in front of her, taking in her expression with a grin. Jagara calmly monitored her breathing and heart rate by ear, being pretty close to her. “Cub’s play is not in my interests… Your move, wolfie.” Her hands skulled the water gently, keeping her afloat as she acutely watched the other’s movements, planning to anticipate her next action.

Beneath her calm exterior it seemed as though the feline was not so emotionless as she aimed to portray, as Callista heard the rhythm of the organ under her ribcage increase in speed. The sound of the heart stole her focus, the pupils of her eyes dilating with the instinct to kill as more of her irises became consumed by onyx than they were already to allow her vision to be enhanced in the dark. It made the wolf within her want to break free, for her true form to reveal itself and devour the creature whose heart she heard pumping. But she would not allow her human skin to unravel and show the beast inside, as it was not safe to do so in neutral territory and with someone who was only an acquaintance. It seemed as though the shifter was tense, as if she was not quite content with Callista being so close however she made no move to object to it, but she could sense from her scent that Jagara was not afraid. In fact, she saw a smile creep across the other's mouth, and it would seem like she was enjoying this contest, seeming excited by it even, or perhaps it was the brief contact between them that had aroused her feelings.

Latin had not been spoken upon the tongue of mainstream society for many years, so when the she-wolf ever spoke it she expected her words to fall upon deaf ears, though it was not the case with this female. Impressed in the slightest by her understanding of the old language, she arched a brow at what she said in return. Something about the way she put emphasis on pointing out she was completely aware of what she had said to Callista made her seem defensive, and although it could possibly be because she felt intimidated by Callista's previous action and words, it was more probable to be a tease masked by the cold tone in her voice. This was supported by the following upward turning of her lips, and it suggested one thing; the game was on. A glint shined in the canine's dark eyes, her eyes of which did not stray from observing the shifter who glanced up at the sky. From her intonations of her speech it didn't take much to know she wasn't just making conversation about the moon simply because she was conversing with a werewolf. No, it was leading up to something she would say or do as her words trailed off. Callista couldn't figure out what she meant by her words. Furrowing her brows, she scrutinized the moon herself before suddenly its light did indeed fade, gloomy clouds from the aftermath of the storm gradually cloaking the ivory globe and everything below it in an even more intense darkness. A disturbance was felt in the water from the direction the feline had been wading around, but when the wolf lowered her eyes from the moon to scan over that area of the gorge once more the cat could not be seen.

Obviously she knew Jagara had dived underwater, because there was no way she could swim back to dry land without causing tangible ripples in the water and she could not just vanish. Her face was characteristically blank and unreadable as she awaited her reappearance. It got to the point where the werewolf was conscious that she would have been submerged for longer than most people could hold their breath. She looked down into the depths and studied whatever could be seen within the flow of the freshwater due to the spots of light provided by breaks in the clouds. Seeing nothing at first, it took a few seconds until eventually she saw flashes of something long and spotted. Initially she thought it could be a fish or plant even but then her thigh contracted in a pulsing sensation as it weaved gently around her upper leg and slithered down to her calf before losing contact with her skin. Unmistakably it was the feel of fur, soft and splayed with the density of the water. Callista growled, a deep and quiet guttural noise starting in her throat, frustrated at how the gentle stroke of the tail along her body had been almost enjoyable but still unauthorized. Her heartbeat had not changed pace but her breathing had become momentarily slower and deeper after the unexpected touch, silencing her growl and trying to restrict her anger for the teasing that was yet somehow pleasant. Now the animal surfaced behind her as a woman once more, grinning slightly impishly and flicking her long locks away from her face. The wolf turned casually to face her as the clouds drifted on and light returned, illuminating the one with pale blue-grey eyes and blonde hair. Taking in the sight of the attractive lady, her smug expression and how the entire thing had been timed perfectly, she snorted slightly, entertained by the whole situation. She knew how the other attempted to show her lack of fear of the werewolf, to mock her by preventing her seeing her primal form like she wished, but it wouldn't work. On the shifter's part she felt this wasn't simply intimidation anymore either. A mirthless sneer surfaced as she swam closer, eyes now glaring and resembling two endless pits into hell. "It has been several millennia since I was anything of a cub, shifter. I don't play nice." She paused and breathed in the female's scent. "So if it is my move, I suggest you start swimming now." She spoke in a sarcastically hostile tone, not currently having any intention of hunting Jagara or doing anything physical to her in particular. However, she would enjoy her reaction, expecting it to be witty as always. She stayed where she was, keeping herself afloat inches from the other, and twisted her head sideways to crack her neck. Out of the corner of her vision she eyed her, a predatory smile on her mouth. It was unusual for her to play along even this much, but it was rather fun.

It seemed that no matter what Jagara said, the wolfess would reply verbally with an increasing playful hostility. The shifter found this quite entertaining, but also a little dull. She already made things more interesting by her little tail-game, toying with both the physical sense of her touching the other woman and also with the mental goal of this other. Jagara would eventually please her in that sense, perhaps upon a later day, but for now her true body would remain a bit of a mystery. Did that by any means suggest that she would stop participating in this game of theirs? Absolutely not. Pale eyes shot to those of the other woman, requiring mental strength to keep themselves afloat in their dark depths. The sneering smirk that paraded its way to her lips was perhaps the only unattractive thing upon her form. It almost ruined the canvas, and much to her disappointment too. The blue hues watched with an evident boredom. As her voice sounded the first time, Jagara almost ignored the information other than mentally noting the approximate estimates for Callista’s age to be correct. Instead, the leopard studied her features up close, being only inches away. The slight flare of her nostrils indicated that this Beta was taking in her scent. While the second sentence rang in her ears, Jagara visually traced the structure of her face, following the contours of her cheekbones and brows, then noticing the bridge of the nose and her lips. They were not unseen by her, but rather previously unstudied. There was something aesthetically pleasing to her visage… But she could not identify if this was the work of her own personal preferences or the generously soft lighting of the moon.

The final words however, brought interest back into the lighter woman. Another challenge and yet again, verbal. Jagara waited for the creature to cease cracking the joints of her neck before she replied with an equally fatal tone, “Here’s something you should know about me, dear. I don’t run away from anyone…” She trailed off for a moment, her voice low with purpose. Jagara gently moved a relaxed right hand towards the olive cheek, barely avoiding touching the skin. From there she could sense the innately high body temperature of the woman surrounded by freezing water. Her eyes followed her own outstretched limb but watched the other’s reaction. After a grueling couple of seconds, the fingers stopped grazing the gentle fuzz of her cheek, and the lighter hues dashed back to the dark ones evenly. She picked up with a slight chuckle, one that might be heard from death as he watches a dying man, “I only allow the other to flee…” This time she paused flatly, not trailing off but truly halting her speech and mock allowing the other to back away. There would not be enough time, however, for the Beta to move away entirely before she finished. She would have the opportunity to move her head away from the pale fingers, but little else. The blue orbs suddenly flashed with a wildness Jagara only sometimes allowed herself to indulge in. This would be fun- for her. “And if they refuse, I enforce their departure.” Instantly, both hands were on Callista’s shoulders and a brute force shoved her down under. Jagara always kept both forms in their top physical condition, so even her human shell’s strength was rather formidable. It was, of course, nothing matched to the strength of the werewolf or even her own true body, but it was still impressive.

Just as Callista’s eyes crossed the water line, surprisingly large paws shot her further along to provide the final downward momentum. Jagara knew she had nothing to fear about discovery, acknowledging the speed and surprise factor of her playful ‘attack’ and also the bubbling of the already dark and distorting water as the mass was shoved below its surface. Her primal form was exposed very briefly and hidden as rapidly as it had appeared. Jagara eased back a few inches to give the beta room to come back up and breathe without fear of running into the shifter’s lower half. Waiting for the lovely woman to reappear, she gave an innocent-looking smile and hoped to avoid any lashing anger. All was meant in playful humour, after all. A rumble, resembling the hybrid offspring of a laugh and an amused purr, sounded from within her, “I never said I play fair…”

Callista was aware that this shifter wanted physical play and teasing, and that was exactly why she had not participated in taunting her in such a way. She found it vaguely entertaining seeing the shifter bored and frustrated at Callista for not playing along with her in the physical aspects of their game, though subconsciously there was an aspect of trying to prevent the play from getting so intimate that it would become too personal or to a level where Callista became bothered by it and struck out as she often could when her werewolf blood boiled to extremes of high temperature, which would not end well for her new acquaintance. When their eyes met once more and the unamused look within the pale orbs could be seen the smirk on the werewolfess' face remained, though slightly fainter as she focused on observing what the feline would react with, as she was sure to do something else towards the canine. Watching her quietly after her speech had been heard, she saw the other studying her visage, much like she had done when they had been on dry land. But this was much more of a thorough analysis of her face, whereas the werewolf had been mostly inspecting the structure of Jagara's body. Nostrils still flaring as she learned the scent of the leopardess, she did nothing but follow the pale irises that scanned over her face, curious to see if any of her thoughts or feelings displayed through her eyes. After all, the eyes were supposedly a window to the soul, which also could perhaps explain why her own were so very dark and emotionless.

However Callista found no signs of anything in the cold stare except for maybe a mild gleam of intrigue and then interest when the end of her second sentence seemed to sink in. Straightening her neck after crunching the kinks out of it, she listened to what Jagara said first, hiding the amusement from her facial features and presenting a mask of indifference instead. Her words had provoked the desired reaction. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled with the low and threatening tone, out of instinct, and she was enjoying the reaction. When her sentence did not have a distinct finish Callista knew by now to expect some form of touch to be received to her body. Her eyes flickered to the palm soon approaching her cheek, recording its journey till it halted just above the surface of her skin. From its closeness she could sense the cold of the hand near her own naturally warm body, but it didn't affect her in comparison to the freezing water of which she hovered within. She gritted her teeth tightly, her jaws clenching tighter and consequently making the strong jawbones of her face jut out to become more visible. Meanwhile her eyes drifted along the other's outstretched arm, to her shoulders, up her neck, and finally to meet her gaze. "Anyone would think you just like to touch me, Jagara.", she muttered coolly just after the epror's dark chuckle sounded. At the end of the next rising of Jagara's voice there was a blunt finish to her speech. Callista continued keeping herself from drowning in the cool waters and nothing changed in her facial expression or body language, wondering silently what Jagara had intended from the implied meaning of her words, because she surely knew that the werewolf was never one to flee and there was no way she would be doing so now. Her fully dilated pupils searched the blue-crystal orbs before her for some answer to her confusion, suddenly catching the brief dangerous spark within them until she felt fingers clasp around her shoulders and she quickly held her breath, unsure what was going to happen in that spilt second. There was no time for her to twist and fight off the feline, as she was immediately pushed forcefully below the water line.

Down she went, eyes closing gently as she went below the surface. She felt the hold on her shoulders shift to that of one that lacked fingers and thumbs to grip with, so unsurprisingly the shifter had transformed again, this time in order to shove her down harder. The further below her body glided in the water the slower her downward journey became as the water added more drag to prevent her fall than the air above was capable of, and so although Jagara's strength was much greater than that of an average human it took only a handful of seconds for her to completely stop altogether and be momentarily suspended and still. It was so dark and silent in the depths that she could still faintly hear the world above, and it was pleasant except for the inability to breathe. The stream of fast-moving liquid and bubbles from the release of her held breath still existed around her as she reopened her eyes; a glint of determination in them now as she looked up to see the lighter water above and the cat lady reversing to give room for her to resurface. Instead of surfacing in-front of her like it was presumed, she slowly swam so she would resurface behind the shifter, and could hear what the epror was saying as she came a few feet below the surface as well as a distorted echo of the cat's slightly amused chuckle, but she failed to see the attempted harmless smile from her being positioned underwater and at the lady's rear. From there she swiftly shot up at great speed towards the floating body and grasped the woman tightly by the back of her thighs, simultaneously continuing to kick powerfully with her legs and thrust fast to fully extend her coiled arms and release the contracted biceps, resulting in Jagara being propelled high and far out of the water and Callista rising to take her place, all before the feline could have known what was going to happen and prevented it. She cared little for where the shifter was thrown to as she finally got air back into her lungs, though preferably she would not land in shallow water where she could face getting injured on the bed as she sank, as then the beta would be faced with a brutal decision of whether to assist her healing or not. But cats have nine lives, don't they? With a huff she turned and swam towards the closest bank, fighting rapid currents and approaching masses of auburn leaves as she went. There was little more excitement to be had in the water, and the night was progressing fast, so next on her agenda was to get a fire going and dry off.

Jagara skulled the water, anticipating some sort of interesting resurfacing from the wolfess. Her intrigue grew steadily with every delayed moment, willing to be surprised. This was, after all, a game. What was the point of trying to guess the action and lose the fun? Instead, she remained relaxed and loose as she waited, still chuckling innocently. In a sudden moment, the result the Epror had been waiting for presented itself by a tight grip of warm hands on her thighs, followed by the propulsion on her human shell out of the water. The biting chill of the water was replaced with a pleasant buffeting of night air as she flew up high, but not as high as she could naturally jump. Though it was, for a moment, commendable that Callista could shove her this high and from a swimming setting, Jagara realized that she was slightly disappointed. As a snow leopard, she was used to jumping at a range of thirty feet into the air… This facilitated leap did not break her personal record. Nonetheless, a wild hoot sounded from her throat as she travelled almost weightlessly. The initial force had been provided at a primarily upward angle, and so, with a bit of graceful maneuvering that she so excelled in, the cat lady landed not far at all from her initial resting point… Perhaps ten or fifteen feet away.

The pale woman brought her hands up and locked them in a stream-line position, creating a graceful point of reentry. With a minimal splash, she sunk further below the surface at a rapid glide, suddenly bumping into slick, startled forms. In a flash, claws and teeth sunk into two forms, rendering them both motionless. It was mostly a lucky catch, having been literally dropped on top of the fish, but Jagara’s feline reaction sealed the dinner’s fate. Taking both fish gingerly into her jaws, she began stroking towards the shore with powerful thrusts of her heavy paws. As much of the journey that could be made under water was completed in her primal form before she shifted and shoved her right hand into the gills of one catch, holding the other’s with her thumb. When her pale-haired head broke the surface of the dark water, she was mere meters from the shallows and noticed Callista just exiting the lake. With a huff, Jagara turned onto her back and, placing the large fish which she now identified as tilapia on top of her for transport, began to swim via backstroke until her left hand touched the base gravel. She then flipped around onto her feet and suavely walked after Callista after picking a few autumn leaves out of her blonde locks. Fish still swinging in hand with precise puncture wounds at the head, she raised the prizes slightly and gave a soft but dark laugh, “Throw a cat into water, and she comes back with fish…”

Grey eyes glanced around, looking to the site of her clothes up above them on the ledge they began on. Staring at the spot thoughtfully, she proposed to the other, “Look, I don’t know how your personal tastes are, and though I don’t usually appreciate fish, Tilapia is quite pleasant to the taste when properly prepared. And as it seems to be, I am on a lucky roll tonight because, if I am not mistaken, I have a small vial of spices in my trench coat up on that ledge. I know it seems random, but I always prefer proper seasoning on my lunch if I am preparing it professionally.” Jagara glanced to the werewolf, wondering if she was acknowledging her words at all, but soon looked back to the cliff without bother. If the woman chose to ignore her, that was her loss. Fire-grilled tilapia was most delightful, especially when the fish were this big. “My proposition is such… If you can gut the tilapia and get a little bit of a flame going, I’ll go up and retrieve our belongings so that we could both dress and season the fish. On my way down, I could also grab some wood for the fire…” Her voice trailed off in a reconsideration, realizing that Callista had nothing to gut the fish with. To do so, one of them would have to shift into their other form, but as neither would be willing to, they were stuck. A small huff escaped her as she resumed, “Scratch that. You don’t have a knife on your bare body to gut the fish with… Well, I suppose I could still grab the clothes and some branches anyways. I should have my swiss pocket knife on my keys, so I could gut the catch when I get back down. And even if you don’t agree to eating tilapia for dinner, we still need our clothes. So, I’ll be right back.” Not waiting for a reply, she began to move, though she still anticipated at least something verbal in response. Jagara began to make her way through the brush that led to the way up the ledge, soon disappearing away from sight. Her movements over the loose stone were innately graceful, each step seeming natural and effortless.

Echoes of the shifter's exhilarated scream still ricocheted off the stone walls of the gorge while Callista continued to swim her way to dry land. She knew that Jagara must have sank into the water by now, but she must have re-entered the liquid in such a neat and quiet fashion that the werewolf could not hear her contact with the water over the noise of her own movements in the cold fluid and of its own gushing down its course. As the water depth became shallow and calm enough for the beta to stand on her feet and walk the rest of the way out she stole a glance behind, only to find that the feline was once again not able to be seen. The short-haired female scowled, her eyebrows dipping and dark eyes glaring should Jagara try any surprise assaults of her own. But the canine's silent aggression proved to be unnecessary as Jagara was brought back into view much closer than expected, and with two fish carried upon her body. Her facial expression dissipated to its normal emotionless state, her body also relaxing now as she understood that the shifter had only taken so long to reappear due to her underwater fishing mission. Continuing to walk out of the shallows, Callista kept her gaze fixated behind, watching the feline's humanlike body swim backstroke to the shore. Not much could be seen of her figure from this position, but all of what she was able to see captivated her enough to keep staring. That was, until she knew that the shifter would flip around and move on the soles of her feet instead. At that point she turned her face forward again and situated herself beneath the shade cast down by the gorge's sides, so her naked body was engulfed by the raven shadows meaning she would be almost completely unseen by the other.

The wolf eyed the tilapia from her dark corner as they were presented, ignoring the leopard's comment and chuckle as she realized how many hours it had been since she had last eaten. Seafood and aquatic animals in general weren't her preferred meal, but there wasn't much she wasn't willing to eat, innards included. She had, after all, lived through some quite primitive and savage eras where some things which were now considered disgusting to consume had been common delicacies. From this distance she could see the tooth marks to the heads of both the sizeable animals, though it didn't surprise her that Jagara had shifted as it seemed to be a common occurrence with her. If there was one thing Callista would rather change about her kind it was the immense pain of shifting. She had learned to deal with it after a few hundred years, it was still excruciating every time but it was a familiar pain that she could live with. In a way it was an advantage to the Weres, to teach them to tolerate the very worst of physical pain. So she was grateful in that way, but still she could not shift so spontaneously as Jagara could, not least because she wouldn't be able to hide her bulking true form so easily either.

Watching the female explain what she wanted to do, the werewolfess took in all of what she said, standing and silently paying attention to her even if her acquaintance did not know it. For a moment she imagined the smell of the grilling flesh and spices, her stomach grumbling at the thought. As she did so a small smirk rose on the wolf's lips as the cat noticed a flaw in her plan and had to rethink again. It perhaps amused the wolf, but it faded soon enough because she was becoming increasingly hungry and needed to rest her eyes shortly. Soon the problem was solved by Jagara and she moved to put her plan into action. Callista waited to watch the golden hair and fluid body slip away from view before following her to set about her own task. There was certainly something mesmerising about the style in which she moved, so graceful. "Alright. I just thought there's no point in you coming back down. It would be better to have the fire up here where there are trees for firewood and shelter" She called out as she moved up the ledge on her bare feet, using her strong hands to pull her body up where there were levels of rock jutting out the cliffside. What she said had been true, but also a part of her didn't trust Jagara to handle her belongings, even though there wasn't anything really valuable she wasn't sure if the feline would return her clothes to her, hide them, or steal something. She watched Jagara closely as she moved over to the timber that she hoped to be fairly sheltered and dry once at the top of the ledge, well away from the edge of the gorge. The previous wet weather wasn't going to make it easy to start the fire. The beta knew she had a device in her bag, a sort of laser that was able to burn and start a flame and was meant to work on even damp wood which she had bought to help her start the fires back in the packlands if there had been a lot of rainfall. Hauling fallen branches and smaller twigs and grasses into a pile, she soon built up a decent amount of material to burn after she had cleared an area out to prevent the fire spreading and getting out of control. Afterwards she moved away from the site she had set up and sought out a large log amongst the forest, finding a nice smooth one after several minutes and lifting it over her shoulder to carry it back to the impromptu campsite. Under the autumn foliage of the boughs it wasn't overly dark, which was disappointing compared to the dark comfort of her cave back in her territory, but it was enclosed while still allowing a view of the stars. Callista threw the log down to the ground close to the pile of wood to set alight, purposely making a loud thump to signal to the shifter where she was located in the woods so that she could find her. It would be comfortable enough as a seat for the two. Peering out from her spot, she looked out towards the open space and scented the air, hoping to find out where Jagara had got to with their meal and more importantly her clothes. It smelled as if showers could be expected again soon so it was good that they had the wide tree trunks for protection from the elements.