Show Me Your Fire (Callista)

Jagara purred quietly to herself. It was finally going to be a good night out, if nothing went wrong again. The latter half of that statement was the most important part. Previously, she had experienced memorable evenings that ended quite unfortunately. She did not regret anything, of course, but she would have liked it better if her plans went smoother. The snow leopard was sitting at the entrance of her den, the light of the setting sun filtering through the trees and onto her fluffy chest. It was peaceful and quiet, the few nightingales beginning to call as the sky gradually became darker. When it turned to shades of deep orange and some purple, Jagara stood and walked further into the depths of her den. It took mere moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, but she didn’t really need to see anyway. The Auxiliary knew her den like the back of her paw. Ambling over to where her black purse was, she shifted into her human shell and took out her cellphone and her beloved notebook. Jagara flipped through the journal until a small slip of paper was found lodged between the eggshell-colored pages. There was a number scribbled onto it, one the feline kept safe until a time came when she would like to use it. The time, she figured, was now. Jagara stowed her notebook safely away and looked to her phone, squinting her eyes at the bright screen as she unlocked it and opened up her text messages. After inputting the number, she quickly typed a brief phrase.

“Lavender Lounge, 9 pm.
-Jagara”

She looked over the message as it sent, then added the number to her contacts. ‘Callista.’ The woman she met under extraordinary circumstances. Jagara knew how her body looked, which was simply stunning in an objective sense, but she wanted to actually talk to the Beta. It had been seasons since when they first met, so perhaps this would be a nice time to catch up on things. As her thoughts trailed on, Jagara understood that she thought of her as if she were a friend. This was not currently true, and this was the point she wished to correct tonight. With a small sigh, she looked at the time. It was 7:45. Tossing her phone back into her bag, she turned on her electric lantern and stripped off her casual clothes, pulling on a black leather dress instead. Normally, she hated dresses and skirts, but this was perhaps the only one she didn’t detest. The leather fit around her figure in a complementing way, ending around the middle of her thighs. It was neither too short nor too long, and Jagara loved the feeling of leather, so it was the best choice she had for a night out in the city.

Around 8:50, Jagara arrived at the Lavender Lounge, high heels clicking on the pavement. Her blonde locks were straightened and fell along her back. The shifter’s blue-grey eyes fiercely blazed under the rich, smoky eye shadow and mascara; her lips were a bright shade of red that resembled freshly drawn blood. As she entered the club, being admitted by the bouncer, her senses were besieged by the loud music and the mixed scents of humans and alcohol. One of these smells was unpleasant, but the other was quite inviting. The Auxiliary moved along the edge of the mass of people until she reached the bar to sit down. A bartender immediately looked over to her, awaiting a request. “One of your lighter drafts, please,” she said over the pounding music. The man grunted in a canine manner and turned to fulfill her order, sliding her a glass a moment later before putting the charge on her tab. She began to wonder if this was an Inu… Then again, anything was possible in this cultural melting pot. The stench of human flesh would dilute the presence of the other races significantly. With a small sigh, Jagara sipped her beer and looked around for the woman she had invited, hoping she would not be late.

The sun had been setting for a while by the time she took her first step into her cave, the sky painted in splashes of plum, navy and scarlet. It had become a habit to hide away in her den for a few hours to restore some energy and gain some time for herself before going out into the world again, this time to fulfil her pack duties. Truthfully, the routine was rather boring. Her work in the police was quite full of action and adrenaline. But once at home it was the same thing, each and every day. Though she remained diligent with her jobs in the pack, sometimes she longed for something to happen, anything that would make the day different. At other times she was content to just have a predictable lifestyle, after the rest of her life had been something far from it. Suddenly her phone vibrated in her pocket, so she pulled it out and glanced at the screen while she flopped onto her bed. It was a text message from an unknown number, but she knew exactly who it was. Since the day she had met the female and slipped her own number into the other's jeans, she had wondered how long it would be until the shifter would get in contact with her, or if she would at all. A niggling feeling told her that she most likely would, there was a sense of something unfinished between them. She hadn't thought it would take as long as this though, but that didn't matter. Opening the message with a tap of her finger, she scanned the short text. Her first reaction was a heavy sigh, followed by checking the spelling of the woman's name within the message and saving the number under that name, 'Jagara'. Going out hadn't been on her agenda since she had things to do in the pack. Also, it was no secret that she was not a socialite. She didn't enjoy masses of people and conversation, especially in proximity to blood-suckers. But then she recalled meeting the feline woman, and how she felt at ease with her and she had made that day something very unusual. It would be very discourteous to not turn up when the other was expecting her, and one night off could do no harm. She was unique and the beta was curious as to how the evening could turn out. A smirk slowly crept its way onto her lips. Alcohol and the captivating shifter could be a very interesting combination. With haste, she went about tearing off her informal clothes and replacing them with something more appropriate. It would not do to have the lady waiting.

Confidence flowed through her as she walked down the street in her black heeled ankle boots towards the club. On the heels themselves were sharp silver studs akin to those on her dress. The dress was simple, a silky onyx material that hugged her figure and would glisten with a silvery sheen, much like the feathers of a raven, under the lighting of the Lavender Lounge. It was strapless and had small spikes and studs along the semi-sweetheart neckline which was low-cut at the back, the hemline of the dress falling somewhere above her knees. The wolf did not like dressing in this way for the looks that were often given by men, the way that their eyes trailed over her infuriated her, but she was not bothered by wearing more revealing outfits, though dresses were still not her thing. Tonight she could feel the good vibes; excitement, lust and general happiness emanating from the people inside and outside the club, as well as the scent of sweat and other vile things that humans produced after too much dancing and drinking. For a moment she paused, now having just entered the lounge, wondering to herself why she had come here. She didn't like most people and she wasn't a party animal, so why? All she had ever done was to distance herself from others, yet now she was meeting up with someone, and she knew by doing so it would be a silent consent for beginning a friendship. She had nobody that she was close to, that she could hang out with, because she never wanted anyone. She ran her hand through her gelled hair, her fingers splitting the many flicked up strands. Several thoughts crashed between the walls of her mind. The loud beating of the music didn't help either.

Then her dark chestnut eyes settled on her, the one she had come to meet moving around the many bodies to the bar and the apprehension slowly melted away. Chances are there to be taken, and a person who takes no risks does nothing, and ultimately becomes nothing. She was better than that and had lived through too much to just become nothing, with nobody. She enjoyed taking risks and trying new things, and it wasn't very healthy for the mind to be alone. It was like she had become stuck down the deep hole she had dug for herself out of necessity and now needed someone to pull her out, someone to make her realize that isolating herself from everyone was not the right way to avoid disappointment. As usual her face did not betray her by revealing her feelings, her eyes remaining emotionless beneath her striking kohl eyeliner. Moving swiftly close to the wall, she neared the seated shifter from behind and took a glance at her watch. It was 20:57. She was glad that she was still on time. Callista quietly took the seat beside the blonde and leaned over to her, her mouth close to her ear so she would be heard over the music. "A shame about the need for clothes this time, huh?" Her small amused smile lasted for no more than a second before she pulled back and relaxed in her seat, taking a moment to admire the lady's appearance. As expected she looked gorgeous, her dress and everything suiting her perfectly but leaving enough for the imagination, if the werewolf hadn't already known what she looked like naked. Then she looked to the bartender. "Same over here, please." The drink soon arrived and she took a healthy sip, swallowing it quickly then placing the glass down. It felt like she was going to require something heavier later. Shrugging her shoulders back, she placed a hand on the counter and tapped her nails idly. "Well, it's been a while."

Jagara continued steadily taking sips while reading the labels on the shelved liquors to pass the time. Honestly, she just wanted to continue with the darker beers, but some of the bottles on display had interesting names and colors. One read ‘Bacardi Big Apple Rum.’ Who would think of that? Another, peachy one: ‘Grapefruit vodka.’ Jagara huffed. “Humans these days…” Her grey-blue eyes trailed down in boredom at her own drink, which was a dark golden hue. It wasn’t bad at all, but it did not surpass her expectations. Indeed, the next order would have to be heavier. The woman glanced at the time, which was 8:57. Only seven minutes had passed, yet it felt like forever. But in the next moment, Jagara saw a woman sit down beside her in her peripheral vision. As the other leaned in towards her, Jagara let her gaze remain on her drink. A small smile of amusement matched the one she could hear in Callista’s voice, revealing a glimpse of her pearly human teeth. The scent of the werewolf flooded her senses momentarily before they faded as the olive-skinned woman drew back and Jagara’s smile disappeared. She would not reply to the question, as there was no appropriate response. Yes. It was quite a shame. It was also a shame that they had to walk in their human shells so often, but that was the world they lived in. And in this world, clothing was a sort of social necessity that distinguished a decent being from a prostitute or whore. Jagara drew her eyes away from the table and finally looked at Callista, pleasantly surprised. Really it was not a shock that she looked stunning from spiky hair to ankle-booted toe as Jagara expected she would, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Despite this, her facial expressions remained neutral, giving away nothing.

Relaxed now that the night would most likely run smoothly, Jagara finished her glass. When she looked back to the werewolf, it was evident that she intended to join the drinking tonight. The female was testing out the ale for herself. Jagara blinked, not having heard the order, but mentally shrugged it off. The loud pulsing of the music and her absent-minded thoughts accounted for that ignorant mistake. She watched Callista as she sat back, focusing on her now as not to miss the next phrase. Perhaps the werewolf’s words hinted that she had taken a while to contact her? It was true; Jagara should have called months ago, but she didn’t, nor did she know why. “Indeed it has.” Her eyes flickered up to the dark hazel ones as she tried on a soft, friendly smile. “So how has life been? Anything interesting happen recently?” Jagara genuinely wanted to catch up with her. It was her fault, after all, that so much time had elapsed between their first meeting and now. The inu bartender glanced at the empty glass, and received it as it was sent sliding over to him. “Another one… But darker.” He nodded to her and brought her a significantly darker ale, setting it down on the counter while Jagara waited intently to hear Callista’s response. So much had changed for Jagara in the past seasons… Could the same apply to the Beta?

It truly had been quite a while since the she-wolf had been in a setting such as this. People enjoying drinks, music and each other's company. It was almost like the times of her human existence, but obviously much more advanced with the electronically played sounds, new alcohol, very different fashion and much more advanced technology. The lounge was actually one of the nicer places that didn't attract mindless drunk humans who only wanted cheap booze, the furniture and the decor being rather sophisticated and expensive looking. As she scanned around her eyes followed the blue and purple hued lights that glowed over the ceiling and walls, giving a very cold yet calm feeling to the lounge, and also was probably the reason that the Lavender Lounge had its name. Lavender was a flower of delicate violet that also supposedly could put one at ease, perhaps the same could be said for the atmosphere in the room. It seemed to sort of have that effect on the she-wolf, but maybe that was just because for once she had let down her guard. No matter what she was always alert, as an officer serving in the police force she was almost programmed that way. But with regards to the company she was with she was reasonably relaxed, aware that Jagara and her both knowing the other's true identity automatically seemed to form a secret pact of trust between them. In a way it was like this with the non-human species, except for werewolves and vampires, as if they were allies since they were all on the humans long list of things to destroy. Friends weren't things that the fiery, cold-hearted female had ever had a need nor want for, yet she was interested in the shifter, much more so than she had ever cared to be with anyone else. Usually she didn't give anyone a second look because she could tell what sort of a person they were from just one glance, but with the feline she could not read her mind nor decipher the meaning behind any expression on her fair face. It was curious to her to find out what had happened to make Jagara unwilling to show any vulnerability, like Callista; to know if there was someone at all like herself. However, she wouldn't consider Jagara a friend, far from it, but time would tell where this curiosity could take her.

The werewolf slid her fingers away from drumming on the tabletop and clasped them around her beer to raise the glass to her lips and gulp down what remained of the alcohol whilst she finished her sweeping glance around the room and returned her gaze to Jagara as she began to speak, finding her staring back into her dark eyes with a gentle smile. Callista found it odd that the shifter could appear so welcoming and friendly instead of emotionless and taunting after what she experienced in their first encounter. But then she figured that most people had a softer side, it was just her who was part of the minority that didn't; she got that from her father. Or maybe she did but she just had a hard exterior to crack in order for it to be shown. Her olive hand lowered the empty glass to the counter while she still stared at the blonde for a short moment, still not used to seeing her lips carved into a genuine display of happiness. Smiling looked good on her, the wolf mused to herself briefly before shrugging in response to the question and proceeding to answer it. "Nothing has really changed. I've still got the same job, still got my dog, and I still have the same rank. I'm just having to get to know my packmates better and hope to start training with them more regularly. But I suppose I'm surviving." She almost smirked at her final sentence, as she knew it would be difficult for her to die anyway, at least in the literal meaning of the word. Callista paused to get the bartender's attention and ordered a glass of some cocktail of drinks that she had heard her workmates raving about for its heavy effect. As a thought occurred to her an amused huff blew from her nostrils. "Only very few times have I seen and touched someone naked that I know barely anything about". Casually running her fingers through her spiked hair as she turned her face towards Jagara once again, the beast pondered what else to say while waiting for her drink and also to see if the cat would say anything in reply to what she had already responded with. Her brow arched slightly as she caught her pale gaze again. Now was the opportunity to learn more about her. "How would you describe your life? I'm not just talking about adjectives, I mean your experiences and who or what you care for. That kind of stuff". Her question was deep and personal, but it wasn't her manner to go lightly. She was blunt, but that way there was no uncertainty with her.

Jagara watched her and waited for the response. But as she did so, she found her attempt at a friendly smile futile. She did not know if Callista found it awkward or perhaps secretly amusing, but to the blonde woman, it no longer mattered. The soft curve faded as quickly as it had appeared, her face returning to the neutral mask. The smile was, indeed, nothing but another guise she had tried on. The cat tried to be friendly... It was at least an attempt. But it did not seem to be received well or even acknowledged, so Jagara tossed it aside. Apparently, Callista’s life remained unaltered from when they last met. Despite all rules of polite conversation, the question was not returned. The shifter decided not to let that stop her from replying, trying to imagine as if Callista had bothered to say it. “Well, things have changed a little for me. I am no longer Epror. I have been promoted to Auxiliary, your equal. Other things have changed too, I suppose.” Aruin had vanished. That’s what else had changed. But she did not intend to bother someone with the story they did not care to hear about a mate they did not know she had. In response to her light-hearted jest, she shrugged calmly and continued drinking her beer. There was nothing to say to that. Besides, Jagara was no longer in the mood for her jokes. Her indifferent appearance hid the cloud of increasing darkness that amassed inside of her. Perhaps she should not have called.

Her eyes rested on her drink, studying the bubbles as they soared upwards and the foam residue on the bare parts of the glass. In a moment, the feline’s attention returned to Callista as she seemed to finally inquire her of something. For some reason, the werewolf seemed to want to know of her life. Why? Jagara huffed once, thinking for a moment before responding. “It has been a constant change, a constant process of rebirthing, but each cycle, I think I emerge stronger. I have been abandoned, chased away from my homes, and broken.” Her right hand subconsciously slithered over to her knee, rubbing one of them discreetly. The scars on both legs seemed to burn and itch with the memories. “I have lost my parents, who disappeared when I was a cub. I suppose I cared for them. I have lost my first mate, who was murdered by the bastard race that dares call itself human when it is anything but humane. I lost my home in Basque in the same incident. For two centuries, my life was nothing but travelling, training, learning… New knowledge and new experiences were everything to me. Then I suppose, I settled back down. Epror of a pack didn’t sound too bad. I cared for Eden, my Regina, and I still do since she is my leader. I care for my faithful companion, Arthas. I cared for my second mate very much. But as I said, my life is a cycle. My last mate is now dead. I guess I’m not lucky with relationships… Generally, in my life, I have had many decent experiences, and also many bad ones. But yet here I am, Auxiliary of the pack. What do I care about now? My job, my dog, and my duty to the pack.” Her blue-grey eyes finally left her drink and shot over to the set of dark hazel ones. She was surprisingly indifferent, especially considering having just told some of the horrors of her life. Inside, she pushed away the grief that wanted to rise. There was no need for that here. Not now. Not in front of someone who didn’t care. Her brows furrowed slightly as she looked to the olive-skinned woman. “What of you?” It was her turn to answer. To be fair. To return the sincerity. But would she? Or would she blow it off with another shrug, answering that she did not care for anyone or anything but her work? Though perhaps that was the true answer. Jagara did not know. She waited, quietly, respectively, to hear her. Perhaps indeed, the feline thought, she should not have called.

[Sorry it's so long >.< This is what happens when Calli actually wants to speak.]

As her second drink arrived she picked it up and sipped it calmly, listening to the feline talk about how things had actually changed for her whereas it hadn't for the Beta while her eyes wandered around the many bottles behind the bar that reflected the colors and the lights that shined in them. These changes she didn't go into detail of except for a promotion in rank, and although one could wonder why she mentioned that there were changes in her life but did not describe them, maybe they were too personal to discuss. The she-wolf did not know her well enough nor particularly care to any considerable extent that she would question her further. Instead she slowly withdrew the glass from her lips and raised it slightly to toast her achievement, looking to the pale figure sat beside her, a smile quirking one corner of her mouth. "Congratulations" was all she said, simply and sincerely. Perhaps Jagara would think the alcohol was taking effect on her mind already and making her a tad more considerate and pleasant by removing any sarcasm, maybe it was, but really as a werewolf and a social creature living in a pack she was attuned to reading body language, facial expression and those such things, and it didn't take much to see that the return of Jagara's indifference was due to her own actions. The mumbling of her small comment wasn't taken well, yet Callista wasn't bothered as she had murmured it only to herself as the thought had occurred to her of how unusual their acquaintance with each other was so the feline's reaction was irrelevant to her. Even as aloof and hostile as she often was, she knew to draw the line when the other didn't appreciate her attitude and their smile faded as quickly as the shifter's had, granted she did like to cross that line sometimes just to push their patience. But in this case she didn't want to do that to Jagara, because she could sense something of regret and depression from her, plus she actually wanted it to be a good night and for them to enjoy themselves, relax a little. They had already had the chance to tease and test each other during their time at the gorge. Now she wanted to understand what the Auxiliary had been through, and it wasn't for her own benefit, not in terms of gaining information anyway. It was even possible that she wanted all this because only then could she consider her a friend.

She had seen this happen before. When she had to make an effort with a relationship with someone and she didn't return the geniality they gave to her they always became offended, regretted meeting her and eventually it turned sour and awkward. Really it wasn't completely her fault. She hadn't been socialised as a child and little love had been shown to her in all her years of life, so in turn she didn't particularly know how to interact with people nor how to receive and give love to others. If people were aware of that then maybe they would be more understanding, but she didn't want their sympathy, it was an interfering feeling that would only blur their vision in the way they saw her and create an artificial kindness towards her, although it would probably be nicer than just being seen as a bitch. Regardless, she had gotten used to it, as sad as it was when one came to actually think about it. This time she was determined not to let history repeat itself, she'd had enough of that. At the sound of a huff, she focused on the other woman and listened to her, respecting that she actually wanted to answer the question she had asked. Within those first two sentences she was already hooked. Silently, the dark eyes of the predator watched as the lady spoke, so quietly focused on that fair-skinned face as if it were the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. She searched for emotion while the blonde revealed her past, but found her to be a reflection of herself, showing none. Jagara told of how her first mate was killed by humans, how she had been forced from her home and moved around gaining skills and experiences until finally settling in her current pack and acquiring a dog for company but losing her second lover. In hearing that she had travelled for two centuries she began to wonder how old the shifter truly was. Many things about their histories were similar: pain, wandering and loss being key features of them both, but eventually they came out stronger in the end.

By the time Jagara had ended, the werewolf had almost finished her drink and she raised her voice. "I believe we're not so different, you and I. But from where I see, you've not been unlucky with your relationships. You've had mates whom I assume loved you dearly. You're lucky to have found love, twice even, although very unfortunate to have lost it each time. Your life does seem to have been difficult in the least, yet you've had people who cared about you along the way. So it's not all bad." She stated her opinion calmly and took her time to find the right words as she went along, minding not to say that she herself had never had anyone, yet that underlying meaning was still there if one was only to look for the inference. And then as their eyes met again, it was her turn to answer. She'd known all along that the question would be flipped on her. "I suppose I've had two lives. In the beginning I was a mere human, born 3,422 years ago. I grew up with my mother, disowned by my father for not providing him a son. I was meant to stay away from everyone, other children included, and not be noticed. But I loved watching the gladiators training, as I worked in the kitchens of a gladiator school since my father was the lanista. They taught me the ways of fighting and I enjoyed it. As a naive young child my dream was to be one of them, ignoring my knowledge that females could not do such a thing. I was determined. But my father found out and was furious and ashamed, he wanted rid of me. So he arranged a marriage to a much older man as it was common to do at the time. And my mother was too scared to speak against Ambrosios so she just let it happen, and I learned to hate her for it, for her weakness and how she supposedly loved me but did nothing to help. Back then my life was exciting, isolated, but overall pleasant enough for an innocent, strong-willed teenager. Until my dream was crushed and my life was ruined by a man who barely knew me yet had complete power over me." Pausing, she stared down at her glass and swirled the contents slowly before chugging it all down her throat. "However, his plans failed. I made sure I had no appeal as a wife so the man did not marry me. Eventually I grew to be a twenty-eight year old woman working as a slave for my father and met the man who is now my Alpha, Lucian. It was then that he allowed me to start my second life. But at the time I didn't know, I only knew a few weeks later that I had become excruciatingly ill, and thought that he had given me some poison or something when he had promised to help my life. I thought that I was going to die. But really I had nothing to lose." Realizing she was seriously rambling now and probably saying things of little relevance, she stopped and changed to a more brisk tone. "Anyway, things happened quickly. The first time I shifted, I killed my father and after that I didn't want to harm anyone so I fled. I roamed the world, confused and with a hatred burning inside from everything that had happened to me. I loathed the power of men and I refused to conform to society's expectation for women. I stayed away from civilization as much as possible and didn't trust anyone, except one. And among all this I still didn't know what I had become, before I learned to restrain my emotions and the shifting I was just some uncontrollable monster that craved flesh. But I was free from my father and my depressing old life as a slave. The only thing I knew I had to do was to find Lucian again. After about a thousand years, I finally did. I discovered what I am now.Sometime before I had already trained as a cop and only had to be transferred and retrain with the dogs. And now here I am." A sly, almost triumphant smile crept its way across her lips like deadly wildfire. "Make of my life what you will, I only know it has been challenging. You still don't know everything as I was summarizing over three thousand years as quickly as possible. Now I care about the same things as you do, but also I care to challenge myself, improve on some personal things." Inside she knew she'd become isolated out of choice as it had kept her alive and given her a reason to never marry or reproduce, or have friends, but she knew that could change too. The wolf blinked and cleared the thoughts from her head, slipping out of the bar stool to stand tall on her feet. "Enough of that. Isn't the whole point of these places to dance?" She reached for Jagara's feminine hand that was clasped over her knee without thinking about it and held it with a careful firmness, pulling the feline towards her in an action to request her to stand also. Perhaps she was tipsy. "Shall we?" Her dark brown eyes trained on her, fiery as ever in the glowing lights.

Right after she had finished, Jagara moved her free hand to her small bag, digging through it to find her wallet. In a quiet whisper, she told the bartender that she would pay for both of their tabs. The shifter was careful not to speak too loud, not wishing Callista to hear. Perhaps she would find out when they were about to leave, or maybe she would know on a later day. But for now, she would not know. Jagara then turned her attention politely to Callista, focusing on her own story. Her blonde brow quirked at the wolf’s view on love. The olive woman seemed to imply that she had never experienced love, and therefore Jagara was luckier than her. What bothered her more than the fact that she had never loved was her idea about love and loss. Furrowing her brows momentarily, she put in her thoughts. “It is better to never have loved at all than it is to watch your love die and see his bloody corpse. Or worse – never see it at all. To lose the love of your life is to have the ground pulled from beneath your feet. It is better not to have stepped on that mortal, moveable earth in the first place.” Her opinions expressed, Jagara returned to her neutral state, listening to the Beta with renewed interest. The woman’s story of rebellion and perseverance did not surprise the shifter, but she followed through the entire story, smirking slightly in amusement when Callista stopped herself from rambling on. It was cute when she did that. Actually, Jagara wouldn’t have minded her rambling because she was quite interested in the details as well, but she wouldn’t press. She was just relieved that the werewolf appeared more amicable now. When she finished her speech with a smile, Jagara could not help but smile in return. The curve of the woman’s lips was radiant, echoing the fire in the depths of her pleasantly wild eyes. The apprehension about this night faded away as quickly as it appeared. No, she thought, she was glad she came.

Jagara blinked as her hand was drawn from her knee. A moment later, she was gently pulled to her feet with an invitation to dance. The smell of alcohol was fairly strong from them both. Jagara was definitely tipsy, but not drunk. She still remembered very well that she could not dance in any modern form. The leopard had been taught ballroom, not contemporary styles. But there was no way she would show intimidation, so she shrugged apathetically in response. “Alright.” She held the hand with delicate strength as they moved out into the moving crowd. When they eventually stopped at a decent space in the crowd, Jagara glanced back at the bar where they previously sat. Immediately, her heart dropped to her stomach. The violet and blue lights shone upon the keys to the shifters’ library and other buildings in the Monet Quarter. “Fuck.” She must have left them out while she was looking for her credit card. A quick apologetic look from her blue-grey eyes was thrown to her companion. “I’ll be right back.” Jagara smoothly moved through the mass of bodies, catching glimpses of her shining keys as she made her way through. Drunken idiots, couples, and friends were dancing around the determined female, but they did not slow her.

Mere moments later, Jagara reached to shove her keys back into her bag and zipped it with a sigh of relief. If she lost those keys, there would be no way for her to open the library the following morning. Cursing her own stupidity under her breath, she turned and began to make her way back. Amongst the dancing people she went, dodging their movements that seemed more to her like muscular spasms. Jagara tried to pinpoint the werewolf’s scent, but to no avail. The mixture of all of the races made tracking one individual close to impossible. It did not take too long to spot her, however. Nor did it take long to see the clearly smashed male who was approaching Callista from behind and beginning to grind on her as he moved to her side. Anger arose within the shifter, but she calmed herself, striding up to the poor woman from her other side. She knew that if the werewolf, or herself for that matter, was to react in a violent fashion, they would quickly be kicked out of the club. Preventing this situation from occurring, Jagara put on the smile of a lover and wrapped her arm around the beautiful olive female, giving a soft, affectionate kiss to her neck. The man was stupefied, frozen in confusion where he stood. In a caring voice the shifter purred, “Hey babe…” Then her focus shot over to the man, her cold eyes glaring at him. In a significantly more powerful tone, she continued, “This guy bothering you, sweetheart?” The human blinked, as if surprised that he was the one being spoken of. Jagara’s brows furrowed, her nose crinkling as it would if she was snarling in her primal form. “Scram,” she commanded in a low growl. The male obeyed the order, edging away from them at an increasing speed. In no more than a few seconds, he was gone, his figure engulfed by the crowd. Immediately, Jagara let go of her hold around her faux lover as the role was no longer necessary. A soft chuckle escaped her as her features softened, looking to Callista. “I bet you ten bucks that bastard pissed himself just now.” She hoped her playing the lesbian card would not offend her companion. After all, the shifter had resorted to it for Callista’s own sake.

Guiding her through the crowd of creatures solely by the strength of her hand, she lead Jagara through the mass of people to a spot where there was some open space where humans would not be colliding with the pair as they all writhed their drunk bodies about. The werewolfess mulled over what Jagara had said, about not having loved being better than having loved and lost. She could understand what she meant, it was said to be a terrible thing to have a 'broken heart', yet still she disagreed. In her mind the shifter evidently didn't know what it was like to feel unwanted for so many endless years with extremely few nice memories that she could recall which genuinely made her nostalgic. The loneliness had perhaps made her see the world from a sinister angle, and possibly made her cold and a social outcast as well. At least even a short amount of time with a lover had brought Jagara affection and love, and provided her with fond memories no doubt. Even when she was alone, the feline would be able to think back to better times, whereas Callista could not, even if that was partly due to her memory of events degrading over time. However, those thoughts were left unsaid and pushed into the recesses of her head as she allowed herself to sway and move with the music. Dancing was not an area of expertise or interest for her, but with the alcohol in her veins and the noise so loud it was just so easy to let the beat vibrate through her and take control as if it was her own heartbeat. Her eyelids closed as the lights flashed around and illuminated her spiked hair and dress, the black material shimmering in purple from the lighting with also a silvery hue similar to sunlight dappled raven feathers. For a moment she wondered what her company thought of her, whether she thought of her as insane or 'evil' for killing her own father, or foolish for not changing her ways despite how her attitude landed her into trouble. Would the lady ever think of her the same now that she knew quite a lot about her past? Would she respect her more for that or simply pick apart everything she may have done wrong? The wolf didn't know, and for now she didn't care either. All she could evaluate from the shifter's response was that she had smiled, and the smile had stuck in her mind for whatever reason. She seemed accepting. But all thoughts were dismissed as her dark orbs were revealed once again.

Looking to the blonde, she caught her pale eyes and the apologetic look, and only watched silently and nodded once as she turned to retrieve something she realized she had forgotten back at the bar. Her body moved so fluidly over the floor in the same grace as a feline, but Callista could still only wonder what feline exactly that her companion was. She watched from her position only to keep her eyes on what appeared to be a bunch of keys on the bar counter to make sure nobody touched them before Jagara could reach them, whilst also ensuring that the woman herself was not bothered by anyone. Her protective instinct did, however, fail to alert her of the wasted guy approaching from behind. The wolf's gaze was concerned with keeping watch of her friend that she did not notice the male until she felt him against her, his figure beginning to press against hers. Callista was a loaded gun ready to fire when something only had to pull her trigger, and this would've been it. But something distracted her, feeling a presence and an arm embracing her from the opposite side. At this she was sufficiently frustrated that she would've snapped, had it not been for the second unwanted presence delicately placing their lips on her neck. By kissing her there right under her nose, the scent of the kisser was immediately detected and recognized by her, and with hearing her words the short-haired lady quickly looked to her and soon understood what Jagara was doing so she relaxed, even to the point of going along with it. "Hey sexy." She replied with a small grin, attempting to sound smooth and naturally pleased to see the cat while it glared at the man and growled at him to leave. The plan soon worked, as only a matter of seconds later he was gone and Jagara was removed from her warmth. She kept her smouldering eyes on the Auxiliary as she laughed gently, smirking in response. "Yeah. Well guys like him are one of the reasons I don't visit places like this often." She moved her body slightly to the rhythm, a bigger smirk surfacing. "Thanks for the kiss, by the way. So now we're 'friends with benefits'?" Her sarcasm was only meant to amuse, her smirk slowly fading. "But seriously, thanks." Inwardly she was glad that the shifter seemed to care about her and was willing to 'have her back' when something happened even if it was only small. She began to believe that she could begin to trust and support her in return.