Ultraviolence [Open]

Hearing the ringer of her phone go off, Jagara swept it out of her pocket to turn off the alarm. The reminder she had set for herself had certainly worked, startling her out of her thoughts and work. Callista had recommended a massage treatment for, even taking the initiative to set up the appointment so that Jagara would have no reason not to go. The muscles along her lower back were feeling rather tight from the reconstruction work in the Monet Quarter library. One of the bookshelves had collapsed entirely, and so the librarian took it upon herself to replace it. However, when she realized that the newer wooden planks stood in stark contrast to the aged color of the old ones, it was clear that the entire library should soon be renovated. Instead of filling out paperwork and research, of which there were little anyway, Jagara spent the last week staining and building the replacement bookshelves. The library was her responsibility, after all. It might as well look nice and be structurally secure. The shifters should be safe everywhere within their own pack, including their library.

Jagara simply dropped her materials where they were and walked out, locking the main doors behind her before heading off to… What was its name? She looked through her phone again, searching for the name of the business. “Happy Endings,” the feline read aloud to herself. It definitely sounded encouraging. It didn’t take too terribly long for her to get there, since the directions given by the Beta were fairly straight-forward. The Beta… Jagara figured she should probably tell her Regina about their recent development. It was her duty to, after all. The feline figured she would not mind much, but errors in judgment were not impossible. Maybe after the massage, once the feline was relaxed and loose, would be the best time to visit her superior. Opening the glass door, the Auxiliary stared up at the source of the tinkling noise. The bell reminded her of domesticated cat collars. As she walked up to the front desk, she wondered how she would look in one of them, hypothetically; “ridiculous” was her conclusion. The woman behind the counter noticed her immediately, offering their standard company greeting. “I think I have an appointment for a massage… It should be under the name, ‘Jagara.’” Having confirmed that she did indeed have a reservation, the employee directed her to the hallway on the right where she could change into the standard robe in a private compartment. Following the directions, Jagara enclosed herself from the possible view of others, just then noticing a shifter’s scent among all of the oils and herbal smells in the air. It reminded her strongly of Eden, but then again, they all smelled just a bit like Eden. It could be anyone really, and a more specific scent was harder to currently find under the overwhelming aroma of the spa.

Stripping down was no problem for Jagara as she casually kicked off her pants and flung off her top rather carelessly. She had left her most valuable belongings locked up at work, where they would be safe and sound. Heading out into the open with only a thin cloth robe around her, the snow leopardess strode down the remainder of the hallway rather comfortably. Arriving in the room where the massage beds where lined up, Jagara finally saw who that scent belonged to. It was none other than her Regina. Apparently, there had been no other specific scent to locate and decipher; it was her all along. Dipping her chin slightly in a silent greeting, she walked over to the bench to sit beside her while they both waited for their massage. Once comfortably positioned, the blonde woman looked over to her leader and neighbor. “Hello, Regina Eden. Sore muscles bothering you too? I’ve got an annoying ache in my back, and can’t seem to shake it.” She chuckled slightly, “I seem to be growing old.” It was only a jest of course, making light of their centuries of age. More than that, it was a true attempt at beginning a friendly conversation with her leader. Jagara rarely spoke with her anymore. Maybe today would be the day they could both begin to change that. “How’s the young one?”

Sitting there, Jagara knew full and well that they were essentially in the nude besides a thin fabric covering them, but yet she failed to understand why Eden’s cheeks turned a soft rosy color. They were all animals who usually walked around completely naked, and this form they were both in was just a lie they presented to the world. Still, she casually averted her gaze from the Regina and to the massage tables so that perhaps she would feel more comfortable in the presence of her right hand. Her own silky robe was tied rather messily, but the snow leopard could not care any less. Still focused on the tables before them, she listened to her leader’s responses, returning her shrug at the discussion of their causes of muscular discomfort. “The library in Monet Quarter needed renovation, so I am taking it upon myself to do it. I guess lifting so much wood at one time when carrying it from the store was a bit ambitious though. Yet, I still find that to be better than office work.” The ache was minor but still present in her lower half. Jagara knew she should’ve lifted with her legs and not her back, but everyone is always much wiser in retrospect.

Sliding her hand down along the fabric of her garment, the shifter waited for what Eden chose to say about her son. Upon hearing that she was greatly missing him on the account of his training, Jagara tossed her a short sympathetic glance. “You know, it is for the best… As the offspring of two racial leaders, he could easily become a target for those wanting to harm either of you. I think adequate training from Lucian definitely outweighs the cost of lost personal time with you. It is for his, as well as your and Lucian’s, safety. Besides, I’m sure you two will get to catch up in the coming years.” Playing with the ending corner of her robe reminded her of something in its texture. That soft and silky feel, though with a smoother surface than what she was equating it to, brought a little smile to her face. It felt much like her companion’s hair, whenever it was without the gel. Secretly, Jagara liked it better without gel, but if it was preferred by the Beta, she wouldn’t argue about it. Feeling a bit caught off-guard by the following question, Jagara looked over at her, immediately dropping the fabric as well as the smile. “Uhm, well actually, yea-," the snow leopard had begun to speak, but was interrupted by Eden’s masseuse leading her away. With a frustrated and still slightly startled expression, Jagara watched her leader be escorted away from her to a designated table. A soft sigh was allowed to roll out from between her lips, still parted as they were when she was trying to talk. In a patient manner, she shifted her hands down upon her knees, thrumming her fingertips rhythmically while she waited.

When she was finally greeted by her own masseuse, Jagara requested in a quiet tone, “Would you mind setting me up over there?” The man replied that he held no preference and escorted her to the table next to Eden. Reaching the spot, she calmly slid off the robe and laid down as directed, folding her arms on top of each other to provide a cushion for her rather angular chin. A heavier fabric, which the feline identified as a towel or thick cloth, was laterally draped over her rear and thighs. A pleased purr slowly rose from her throat as she felt oil being spread across her back and strong, professional hands work down along her spine. It felt wonderful and relaxing to have her aching muscles soothed and tended to in a manner that she had never experienced before. Of course, both Aruin and Azeroth had given her backrubs in a loving manner, but she now realized that neither of them had been any good at it. Jagara almost forgot, for a moment, that Eden was just to her left. Opening her eyes slowly, she wondered for a moment about whether she should tell her superior the information she wanted to share now or wait until later. Undecided, Jagara stalled for a bit with other news. “My Regina, I expect the library to be fully renovated by the end of the month. Everything in the pack seems to be running smoothly, though our Mender has been looking a little blue. I’m sure Niko will take care of it though. The last time I saw them together, he couldn’t get more than five feet away from her.” She paused to give a little sarcastic huff, “Felines… While I’m on the topic of relations, I am inclined to inquire of you the current political situation between you and Lucian, and what that means for the rest of the pack. Where are the boundaries, in multiple senses? I mean, I am sure we’re keeping the borders set in stone for now, as I have not been informed otherwise, but will that change in the future? And for another example, what of other interracial relationships? I should have seen you for this earlier, and I apologize for having not found the time, but I feel that I should know in order to effectively deal with any questions our pack members may have towards the matter.” Acting as casual as possible, Jagara spoke in a calm, warm tone that was slightly distorted by her purr and blended in well with the ambiance established by the music. The subject matter being fairly important naturally called for a hushed tone, but it was also partly the result of the blissful state her human body was in. The tightness of her muscles began to ease and unknot, bringing a slight grin to her face as she waited for the response with secret eagerness. What Eden had to say concerning the last question in particular would greatly influence the Auxiliary’s decision to speak now or wait until further notice. Deep within herself, Jagara held a strong hope for her Regina’s acceptance of other interracial couples, but she did not absolutely count on it.

Jagara listened with interest to what her leader had to say about the uniting of races under love. So their lands would remain closed, as she expected, but interracial relationships were formally open. Not that they had really been closed by any official records, but neither had they been generally accepted. She smiled a little grin as the professional’s hands undid the knots in her muscles and soothed the rest of her back. It was pleasant, almost more so than the news. So Jagara and Callista could easily be together and live happily ever after. The end. As for the other matters, the Auxiliary replied in a calm, confident tone, “Regina, I assure you that I am aware that danger lurks behind every corner of this forsaken world, and am working to ensure that no harm comes to any of us. Patrols are running regularly, and I have personally noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Darkness will not be allowed to pierce our defenses in the pack lands. Unfortunately, I have little means to regulate anyone’s choices outside of the pack, meaning that they should also rely on their own judgment like the adults they are. I would not be so worried as of yet though. Everything seems to be running smoothly.” Jagara lay there, purring in the softest of tones as more oil was added to her back and another masseuse approached. Callista had been right: this place was amazing. In fact, the feline figured she would have to come back with her sometime. She would love to see her laying in the nude right beside her, enjoying a wonderful massage. Maybe it would help her relax a little.

The snow leopard had closed her eyes in pleasure and comfort, enjoying the moment. It had been days since she had seen her partner, and so, the first time in days she was truly happy. Perhaps things would change when they finally moved in together in the neutral lands. They would both be investing in a house fairly soon. The question brought up by her leader pulled her right out of her little daydream of playfully chasing Calli around the house. Jagara looked to her Regina in a glance before resting the lids of her eyes again. She replied in a nonchalant manner, “Well, I meant all shifters who might need the information, but yes, it includes myself as well. Relations between the werewolf Beta and myself have recently escalated. With your approval, we would like to be mated and are currently looking at a house in the neutral territories for some alone time, when our duties can allow it.” She paused, unleashing a soft sigh. It was indiscernible whether it was from the massage or from her feelings. Casting her ashen gaze over to Eden, she continued with a more serious and sincere tone, “I truly have fallen for Callista, harder than for either of my previous mates. I know that because I have tried to resist it for ages now, knowing how all of my relationships end… But I have hope that this one time will be different, since I am unable to shake the feelings. I mean, it has to be different. I don’t know if I could handle another loss like that.” Jagara hid her frown that attempted to rise. Focusing more on the positive, she added, “Calli’s a wonderful woman, really… I am lucky to have her.”