Dorian Sloan (nullumpotentia) wrote in tukiparadise, @ 2023-01-22 14:22:00 |
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Entry tags: | dorian sloan, fox alder, rex appleton |
Scene
Who: Dorian, Fox, Rex, & Casey
What: Using a Lion to Hunt Kittens
When: Three days after this
Where: Jungle area near the ravine and also the Medical Wing
Status: Complete
Rating: High for violence, blood, and language
It was easy enough to befriend the energetic kid who seemed to be all but bending over backwards for Rex. Dorian gave Fox a friendly smile as he trailed behind him in the lobby. But it didn’t take long for the taller man to pick the other man’s pocket - taking his cell phone.
“Hey…it’s Fox, isn’t it?”
Fox turned and looked at Dorian. “Yeah, that’s me.” He smiled even though he wasn’t sure he’d see the other man before.
“Good,” Dorian smiled softly. “Can you help me? There’s something I need to get out of one of the janitor closets.” He motioned down a corridor. This plan was going well, but he held his breath.
“Yeah,” Fox blinked as he stepped closer. “Let’s go.”
Dorian nodded and led Fox down a corridor and opened the door to a closet filled with cleaning supplies and implements. “It’s in here. There are some parts to the sauna that I need to get for my boss.”
Fox followed along and peeked into the closet. “Okay,” he chirped. “I can get them.” Then Fox stepped into the closet and began to scan the shelves. “Which shelf?”
Looking around Fox, Dorian bit his lower lip and pointed. “It’s on the next to the top, towards the back.” And as soon as Fox became preoccupied with looking, the taller man closed the door and picked the lock to trap Fox inside.
“Hey! What are you doing?” Fox asked as he turned around in the dark and pushed at the locked door.
“Damn, it’s locked. I’ll go find a key or someone to get you out.” Dorian spoke as he walked away and pulled Fox’s phone from his pocket. Tapping it open, he sent a message to Rex.
Hey Rex! Could you meet me on the path to the jungle view?
Rex hadn’t been expecting a text. His phone buzzed on the table where he’d left it while he worked out at the gym. He was a regular on the equipment and while he knew he could break the little machine into a few pieces quite easily, he still enjoyed taking advantage of the amenities. It was arm day. Rex was pumping barbells loaded down with an obscene amount of weight when his sharp ears caught that buzzing even over music. He tipped his head and set the weights down.
Hey! I can be there in ten minutes! Glad to hear from you!
He tucked the mobile into the pocket of his exercise shorts, cleaned up his workstation and put things away, and then he was following the path that would lead him to his destination for the meetup with Fox.
Fox was a good man. Rex liked him a lot. He brought out so much good on the days where he needed a bit of a morale boost and the way he smiled was like seeing the sunshine.
As he approached the spot his nose was already trying to pinpoint the location of his friend. “Fox?”
Waiting, Dorian smiled to himself as the lion man had taken the bait. He flicked the phone to silent and dropped into a planter before exiting the hotel. The lanky and dark haired man stood underneath a tree near the beginning of the path. As he saw Rex approach, he breathed and shifted his posture back to the cheerful one he used with Fox.
“Hey! Are you Rex?” Dorian asked as he walked over.
Rex smiled wide and nodded. “I am! I’m sorry, I don’t think that I know you.” His hand extended out politely. “I was looking for my friend Fox.” He didn’t smell him. That wasn’t unusual, maybe Fox hasn’t arrived yet. He committed this man’s smell into his memory and withdrew his hand once the shake was over. He couldn’t help the purring or the prickle of curiosity.
He was sure that when Fox arrived, things could keep going forward. Maybe this man was a friend of Fox’s and that made him a friend of Rex’s.
Stepping forward, Dorian slipped his hand into Rex’s - shaking it briefly but firmly. “Oh, he’s on his way. While we wait, I need your help with something.” His eyes glanced over the lion man’s frame and smiled at the purring sound.
This man seemed to know Fox and that made Rex smile. He was easy to give his trust away. “My help? Of course! What can I do?” There wasn’t hesitation at all as he volunteered. This man could’ve asked him to do a dance or throw himself off of the ravine and Rex would’ve been none the wiser until the intent was revealed. And, maybe it would pass the time until Fox could get there.
Dorian smiled. Why hadn’t Caspian told him how open and willing the lion man was? “Thank goodness,” he nodded. “I’ve been studying the vegetation on the island and been searching for any native wildlife. And I was told you had a talent that could help me with these small cats I’ve seen along the ravine area.” The lanky dark-haired man had learned how to be subtle and manipulative. But sometimes it wasn’t perfect.
Meanwhile in the closet in the hotel, Fox was waiting. But it was taking longer than he thought it should. Then he reached into his pocket to grab his phone and realized it wasn’t there. “Shit.”
“Small cats?” Rex tilted his head. “Are these cats friendly?” His nose turned toward the tree line to smell. He picked up a lot of things, some familiar and some not. “Why are we looking for these cats, if I might ask?” He was willing to help, he just wanted to know why. If he was putting himself in danger it was reasonable to ask, he felt.
The idea that anything was keeping his friend from attending the meeting was lost on him. He’d forgotten about the request in his curiosity to help and understand.
“Yeah. Uhm, not exactly.” Dorian spoke and stepped towards the trees. Then he frowned a little. “The cats have attacked some guests and I’d like to know if they can be friendly or what they want.” Dorian came out with it. But if Rex could indeed turn into a lion, perhaps he could either communicate or reason with them by force.
What if those little cats were in trouble? What if they were dangerous? Rex twisted himself toward the tree line, working himself out of his shoes. He nodded. “I’ll see what I can find out.” If animals were attacking guests that was a big deal. Rex tilted his head to crack his neck and then marched toward the treeline.
He paused, keeping his back to Dorian, and then in the blink of an eye there was no longer a man but a lion. The shift was always painful but he’d gotten used to it. With the swish of his tail he stalked into the underbrush and put his nose to the ground to smell.
Dorian wanted to be successful in his mission for Caspian. A full report. “Okay. Thank you, Rex, I really appreciate it.” He spoke as he watched the other man. Watching Rex was fascinating! Stepping closer, he watched but kept his distance.
His jaw dropped as he watched Rex go from man to lion. That ability seemed so powerful, so much more elegant…majestic than his own. Dorian stepped closer once Rex wanted the underbrush. Patient, he waited for a few moments before venturing further - tracing the same path as the lion and also Jude and Skylar. Sounds soon came from the underbrush.
Fox pushed against the closet door as he called out, “Hey! Did you find anyone? Is anyone there?” He wasn’t claustrophobic, but he could only remain alone in the small space for so long.
Those footsteps on the foliage weren’t lost on his sharp ears. The lion paused, waiting for the man to catch up, and then they walked side by side. Large paws carried the big frame, claws sliced through underbrush. It stayed on guard while seeking anything that might smell…
Ears would go up and its head lifted. The lion canted its head and listened. Frozen. And then it sank low and crouched, getting into a pouncing position before sneaking through the foliage.
It could only hope that the man wouldn’t follow.
Dorian stayed on the path and out of the underbrush, parallel to Rex. He knew better than to go in there. He had nothing on him that would fend off the small cats that could be lurking around. But he did watch for the lion, curious as to what he’d find.
Fox pressed his forehead against the door of the closet, not hearing anyone. Then an idea came to mind as he tried to ram at the door with the limited room to build speed. No good. He didn’t have enough force. Then the young man tried to use a shelf as a sitting spot and then kicked at the door with both feet. A little, but not enough.
“Okay, okay,” he whispered to himself and closed his eyes. He had another idea. But it frightened him a bit. Yet he was going to try. Fox breathed and flexed his trapezius. Then in that small space, a duplicate of himself emerged from his back and stood naked beside him.
The duplicate’s mind was a clean continuation of Fox’s, having just been made. He didn’t need to speak.
Fox turned and looked at his ‘brother’. Hey Tobs. Let’s break this door down.
Nodding, Tobs moved mirror Fox as they kicked at the area of the door at the level of the door knob and lock. With three total kicks, the door frame cracked and the door opened. Now freed, Tobs nodded as he knew why Fox needed him. And he’d do anything for his ‘brother’.
Thanks Tobs. Fox nodded and Tobs leaned against him, letting himself be absorbed back into Fox.
Then the young man was off down the hall. But he was lucky as he saw something flash in a planter. It was his phone. Picking it up, he shook his head and saw a text from another friend. Then he saw there was a read text from Rex today. Blinking, he looked at it and then a text that was sent to Rex. I didn’t send that. Fox had heard about what happened to Jude and Skylar [[tell me if I am leaving anyone out.]].
Then he began to hurry out of the hotel and towards the jungle path and ravine.
In that crouch, the lion waited. It’s tail flicked. Sharp ambers watched as something scurried past. And then it pounced. There was a feral growl and a bit of tumbling. Some shrill cries, claws and teeth. The lion sent a shockwave of a roar through the trees. And then everything stilled.
The wind rustled leaves. Overhead the feathers of a bird rustled. A soft caw. And then only the split of air between fronds.
With a massive paw, the lion carried a small cub out. A baby cat. It was caught in his maw and struggling to get away.
Dorian stopped as he heard the sounds and that roar made him still. Even his thoughts were quiet as he stayed there. He hadn’t been around a lion or anything beyond most domesticated animals and run of the mill birds and rodents. Then he blinked as the lion came out with the baby cat in his mouth.
“So…is this the only one?” Dorian spoke softly.
Fox was making short work of getting to the jungle path. And he screeched to a halt as he saw the lion and the dark-haired man who he had talked to earlier, who had said he was going to get him out of that closet. Then he swallowed as he saw the small cat in the lion’s maw.
Biting his tongue at wanting to call out loudly, Fox slowly approached.
The lion shook its head. The small feline meweled and tried to claw its way out of the lion's mouth. Instead, the lion set the small cat down at Dorian’s feet. It was then it smelled something familiar and perked up. Fox.
A leap to the side and the lion barreled toward Fox. It skidded to a halt, rubbing itself against the side of Fox’s legs and hip.
Dorian remained where he was standing. Then as the lion leapt, he turned his head to see Fox running towards them. Shit.
Fox stood there, watching and tensing a little as the lion barrelled towards him and then halted. But he began to smile as the large cat rubbed up against him. “Hey….” Fox greeted him and reached down, offering his hand. But he slowly looked over at Dorian. “So uhm…going to get me help?”
Dorian watched how Rex turned into a happy oversized domestic cat when Fox arrived. Perhaps the infatuation was mutual. Then he shrugged at Fox’s question. “I thought Rex could help us.”
Then the small cat rose back up to its feet and began mewing. And the underbrush rustled.
The lion leapt in front of Fox immediately. Teeth bared, hackles raised. Growls erupted from the depths of its throat and its tail swished from one side to the other. Large claws sank deep into the ground and bit by bit it approached the rustling brush.
Nothing would harm Fox while he was there. Or their new friend. From Amber to blue those eyes changed as Rex regained a bit of control over the beast.
“Maybe...we should get out of here.” Fox suggested as he watched the lion…Rex. Wow. He didn’t move from where he was, wondering what was going to happen and not wanting to leave Rex.
Dorian stepped away from the underbrush and created distance between him and Fox. “What do these cats want other than the one you brought to me?” Caspian wanted a full report and Dorian felt like he was failing in that.
The small cat inched closer to the underbrush, hissing at the lion. The underbrush shook as hissing and angry meows rose in the air. Then eight wild cats sprung out of the foliage - some coming at the lion and three came at Dorian and Fox. All three intruders were threats!
The dark-haired man sidestepped the cats. But Fox stumbled backward, panicking as he fell to the ground. The three wild cats pounced on the young man - clawing, biting, hissing, screeching.
And Fox let out a yelp as those little claws ripped at his open t-shirt and found purchase in his chest, abdomen, and throat.
With a spin, the lion was on those kittens. A paw swiped across one, sending it into the bushes. Another one would be thrown over the edge of the ravine. The lion grabbed up the last kitten, shaking it around. Nothing would hurt Fox. And then he bounded off toward Dorian to help there, too.
Claws, teeth, roars. He’d give up everything to make sure both men walked out safe.
Dorian stepped backward and kicked at the animals, seeing the small cats moving so fast. They were a territorial, close-knit group. What else could Rex tell him?
Fox tried to fight off the kittens. But he held his breath as the lion was there and pulled each of them off of him and sent them away. The young man rolled over and clutched at the ground as Rex’s roars rang in his ears. He was trembling - shocked and afraid of the wild cat attack.
Once the threat was gone, the lion circled. It paced and growled, keeping its maw low. It kept itself between the two men and the underbrush, tail swishing. It released a warning sound, a soft trill that dared anything to approach.
With a toss of its mane, and a swish of its tail, it sauntered back toward Fox. Another brush of its head and it curled around Fox gently.
Dorian had been through volatile situations before and he was still not sure what was worse - these wild cats or greedy humans with guns. He inched up the path back towards the hotel and stopped as he watched Rex give those warning sounds towards the underbrush.
Fox had pulled his legs up close to make himself smaller, still shaking and maybe still holding his breath. But as soon as he felt the lion’s head, he exhaled. His body began to relax as he opened his eyes and rolled to his side as he saw and felt Rex curl around him.
“Hey” came from Fox’s lips in a whisper.
The lion nuzzled at Fox, a swipe of its long nose against the man’s cheek, and then it began to nudge. They needed to get out of there. Gently but firmly the lion pushed at Fox’s shoulder. For now, retreat was the best way to assess what happened.
Once Fox was on his feet, the lion stayed close and padded after him. When he felt as if they were safe, a man took the place of the beast. Rex stood up, immediately checking his friend for major damage.
Dorian backed away more, watching for any of the wild cats to return and also Fox and Rex’s interactions. Fear rose up his spine as to how injured the younger man was. Caspian was liable to have his head for it.
Fox nodded, breathing deeply at the nudge and the firm push. Without a word, he shifted and got up to his feet. His body still lightly trembled with adrenaline and fear as he began to walk away from the jungle and towards the path. He let a hand drop, fingertips lightly touching Rex’s mane. His other hand reached up to press at his throat where it burned and hurt.
There were scratches, ripped fabric, but the deepest wound was the one Fox was trying to cover.
Blood. He was smelling blood. Seeing blood. In a frenzy, Rex scooped Fox up into his arms. “We need a medic!” He shouted. The request boomed enough to cause a few residents to turn and behold them. “A medic!” He rushed into the pavilion with Fox cradled in his arms, clutching him protectively. He was trying his best to keep control of the lion.
By the time he reached the medical wing, those blue eyes were amber and he swore he felt a bit longer in the tooth. “Help!”
Seeing that things were definitely out of his control, Dorian began running towards the pavilion and medical wing. Better make good on anything he can.
“Whoa,” Fox gasped and gripped at Rex’s shirt as he was scooped up. The adrenaline high was starting to fade, creating a duplicate after not doing so for so long has been a work out, and he realized there was more blood than he first realized. “Rex…” Was it his heart or his friend’s that was beating so hard, so loud?
A doctor and a couple of nurses came running from around a partition with a gurney and saw Rex and Fox. Dorian was standing near one of the stations, having arrived just before them and alerted the staff.
Fox blinked as he looked up at Rex, seeing the change in eye color. Then he felt as if someone turned off the lights. Fox passed out.
Based on the brief overview Dorian had given and one look at Fox, Casey knew he had his work cut out for him. Again. It had been what, two weeks since Skylar and Jude were wheeled in in a similar state, though it looked like this one didn’t go for a swim right after. He helped Rex lay Fox out on the gurney before pointing the nurses into a room, “Trauma 1, have the pharmacy send up a rabies panel and two pints of blood just in case. Whatever blood type we have on file for Fox Alder.” Thank goodness for that little squad of babes that hung around or else they’d have to actually waste time looking things up.
“Waiting room for you two until we know how bad it is,” Casey said to the pair that weren’t actively bleeding. Those cats had done a number on far too many people, but at least they were prepared to handle it. No one had actually gotten their hands on one yet to figure out what the deal was with the little, adorable, bloodthirsty kittens. Seriously, who would have expected the biggest hazard to a bunch of supercharged people were kittens?
He moved back into the room and shortly after a sharp ‘Fuck, we gotta move’ was heard before that gurney was rolling again. This time, there was a nurse literally balanced on the front putting pressure to Fox’s throat as they moved “Moving into Surgery 1! All hands on deck, ten bags now, get Drake off lunch and scrubbed in.” Casey was pulling off his gloves as they went, tossing them into a bin, eyes meeting Rex’s, “We’re going to do everything we can.”
And he moved into the operating room to get cleaned up to assist.
It took Rex a long second before he could surrender Fox to the gurney. He’d called for help; clutching his friend against him felt safer. It was with a bit of coaxing after bearing his fangs in a snarl did he finally lay his friend out. He already wanted to pace. His feet were moving in place and it broke him to not be allowed to go with Fox. He had to see this through, it was his fault this happened. “No, please I have to go….” The nurse kindly grasped a large forearm and led Rex into the waiting room.
He slumped into a chair, hanging his head in defeat. Those sharp ears could hear everything. He wore the blood of his friend with honor but also with a deep sadness. When the Doctor came back he lifted his head up.
“Please save him,” was all he could manage. Moisture welled up in his eyes. He pawed at them. Fox would be okay, he knew it. Fox was strong and he loved him and … Rex heaved a heavy sigh.
Dorian kept to the back of the waiting area. With his whole plan ending up in shambles, not producing one of those kittens in order to determine what exactly was going on with them, he was sure it would be a good idea to just disappear if or when CAspian and he went back to NYC. Crossing his arms over his chest, he stood and waited instead of approaching the weeping lion man.