Migma

[MIIDD]

Jexel slammed the door in irritation as he entered his decrepit apartment. The floorboards were worn down, and some were even missing. Luckily, most of the complex had been abandoned with the settling of the Half-Breeds in the town. A torn up couch and a mini-tv were the only things that could be found within the room. It wasn't anything special, just enough to survive with. More of the drywall crumbled away as he flopped down on the couch to relax. It had been a long day of early spring humidity, and it made his fur cling to his skin in the most uncomfortable of ways. He ran a paw through his hair, letting his claws extend enough to separate individual strands. Turning on the TV to a random news channel, Jexel attempted to take a small nap before his daily walk back into the wilderness.

The half-lynx twenty-one year old had lived in this apartment for a good three years now, and he hated it. He always pursued something more than his meager existence, but had no clue where to look. Only recently had he gotten a job again, and it looked like he wouldn't be able to keep it for long. Just once, he wanted to prove himself as stronger than the humans who looked down on him, but he knew that their influence would simply get him lynched rather than praised. With these thoughts in mind, Jexel allowed sleep to take him for a short time.

 

[Reina]

Isabelle mindlessly flipped the channels on her 52" TV. Her feet were tucked underneath her, her head resting on the palm of her hand as she lay her elbow on the armrest of her parent's new leather bonded recliner. She wasn't a fan of the cocoa color but her opinions didn't matter around the house these days. It seemed as though her parents and her were on opposite ends of the earth and there was no way of breaking the barrier between them. Isabelle had just finished having an argument with her parents over the half-breeds again. Her parents detested them and wanted to make sure Isabelle stood as far away from them as possible but with their home just along the border that separated the two communities, she couldn't see how. Intrigued by the half-breeds, Isabelle would continuously climb the trees along the border and watch the half breeds come and go. Her parents feared the worse as the humans and the half-breeds despised each other.

She pulled a tanned blanket over herself since the vent for the central air conditioning was right where she happened to be sitting. Her parents enjoyed setting the air conditioning to 62 degrees especially on humid days like today. She thought about taking a nap for a while but she didn't want to be home when her parents arrived. The thought of being in the same room with her parents just infuriated her more, she pulled the blanket off, shut off the television and headed for the front door. Her boots were set next to the entrance since her mother didn't want shoes ruining the newly installed plush carpet. Isabelle threw on her boots as quickly as possible, took a black rubber band from around her wrist and put her long hair into bun. Slamming the door behind herself, Isabelle took off running. She didn't want to be seen, let alone stopped, so she sprinted as fast as she could towards the wilderness.

 

[MIIDD]

A good while later, Jexel awoke from his nap to the sound of footsteps outside his door, likely the owner of the complex ready to hound him for rent again. Jexel was already prepared to leave, so he hopped out of his window and jumped down to the cracked sidewalk. Putting his hood on and sticking his hands in his pockets, he began walking to the wilderness. The only thing he despised about his walk was how close it brought him to the barrier between the two communities. Jexel made active attempts to stay away from people who caused him trouble, and most humans were just that.

Finally reaching the wall of trees that marks the entrance to the wilderness, Jexel breathed in deeply to take in his heritage...or what was left of it. He brushed his hair back under his hood and jumped up to a sturdy branch. With excellent balance, he stood and stretched, letting the fresh breeze of spring embrace him. His paws clung to the bark of the branches as he walked along the canopy. Very few Half-Breeds showed up here since settling with...rather, next to the humans. They were all too busy trying to make a peaceful living. Jexel took off his hood to let his ears enjoy the natural sounds around him as he continued on his stroll above the ground.

 

[Reina]

It didn't take Isabelle very long to get to the community border where the wilderness started. She leaned against one of the trees for support and to catch her breath. She was panting heavily but she didn't want to risk being seen at the border. If one of the neighbors caught sight of her, she would be severely punished. With a quick look left and a quick look right, Isabelle darted into the wilderness, zig-zagging between the trees and jumping over broken branches and stumps. The adrenaline pumped her forward and she pressed passed the border and deeper into the woods. When she felt she was a good distance away from both communities she slowed down and came to stop. Making every effort not to lose her momentum she looked up at the trees surrounding her. It was important to get off the ground. She was deep enough into the wilderness not to be noticed by anyone but she never wanted to risk being caught by either kind. The trees were the safest and she needed to move quickly before exhaustion overtook her. She found a branch low enough and climbed to it. She continued to propel herself upwards until the canopies of the trees safely hid her. It would be impossible for anyone on the ground to be able to spot her. She leaned against the bark of the tree and stretched her legs along the thick branch. Her arms and legs began to ache as her body began to finally relax and regain its composure. She ran too hard and pulled herself up the tree too fast but she didn't care. She was finally relaxed and she let her body sink a little onto the tree branch. The birds were chirping and the wind blew ever so softly. The wilderness felt more like home than her parent's house. There were no rules in the wilderness, no human or half breed, just nature, peace and solitude. It was cooler in the trees then on the ground and the day didn't feel as humid. She had a light sweat over her body now that the wind was bringing her temperature down but it wasn't anything to feel too uncomfortable about. The leaves blew gently with the breeze, the sun was shining brightly but the trees kept Isabelle under the shade and cool. It was perfect and nothing was going to ruin this moment for her. She sighed deeply, closed her eyes to listen to peaceful sounds surrounding her and let every sense soak up the beauty around her.

 

[MIIDD]

As Jexel walked on, he heard the rustling of underbrush quickly approaching. Frustrated at the interruption, he decided to see what was going on. Using his claws to cling to the tree, he climbed upward and turned himself around to get a good vantage point. He held back a gasp as a human girl careened through the trees as if trying to escape something. Against his better judgement, he decided to follow, curiosity overwhelming his already confused mind. As he watched her launch up to the level of branches that he occupied, he hid himself in a grouping of leaves nearby, peering at the strange human. Jexel began to relax when he saw her relax into an almost slumber-like state, so he decided to get a closer look.

Taking great care to stay hidden and silent, Jexel climbed up a little bit higher and began hopping from tree to tree until he reached his target. Noticing her eyes were closed, he began to descend vertically from the tree to get a closer look, using his claws to stay hooked to the tree. He stopped nearly a foot from her face, wondering if she had passed out. He took note of her arms and feet and determined that she truly was a human, but many more questions replaced that doubt. He didn't intend to find out, but Jexel, once again against his better judgement, decided to stick around a bit longer. He assumed any human careless enough to run into the wilderness couldn't hate beast-kin THAT much. So he stayed, locked in position only a foot from the human's face, staring intently at her closed eyes.

 

[Reina]

Isabelle was enjoying the beautiful day when suddenly she began to have a sinking feeling in her stomach and started to feel uneasy. It was an inexplicable feeling for her because she always felt safe in the wilderness but for some reason she was unsettled. She tried to dismiss the thought but she crinkled her nose a bit when she caught the light scent of... an animal. She thought for sure it must be a squirrel or a chipmunk scurrying around yet she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. None of the other humans in her community could have possibly been able to follow her. She made sure she was discreet, plus they couldn't climb up this high as far as she knew. She became a bit tense but had to ease her anxiety. Slowly, she opened her eyes and within a second her emerald green eyes met golden-amber hued cat-like eyes. Isabelle was taken aback and gasped loudly in complete shock. Hanging just a foot away from her face was a half-breed. Her thoughts raced a million miles a minute and a slew of emotions came over her, from curiosity to sheer terror. Not knowing what else to do and letting the terror consume her, Isabelle let out the loudest scream she could muster, putting the mythical banshee to shame. Upon letting out the ear-shattering wail, Isabelle lost her balance on the tree branch. She tried to hold on to the bark but her nails were not long enough to hold her weight. She began descending at an alarmingly fast pace, branches breaking before she could properly grasp them.

 

[MIIDD]

Despite the ear shattering scream that the human unearthed, Jexel broke out into a sprint to catch the rapidly descending woman. His cat-like agility came in handy, allowing him to reach the ground and catch her before any serious injury could occur. Never letting his eyes leave hers, Jexel spoke cautiously, not wanting another unholy wail to come from the stranger he held in his arms. "...Hi." Was the only thing he could muster, his shyness quickly sending him spiraling into an abyss of silence. His snowy face began turning a bright red at the current predicament, and he wasn't sure what action to take next. Never did the thought cross his mind to put the woman down, but rather he just stared at her with his big kitten-esque eyes.

 

[Reina]

Isabelle braced herself for the fall. She thought for sure this would be the end of her as no human could possibly survive a fall from that height but before she hit the earth below, she was suspended in the arms of the beast. The beast had caught her in it's arms and was staring directly into her eyes again. She was enthralled by the half-breed and as much as she wanted to, she couldn't look away. Their eyes were locked together when the half-breed quickly and cautiously spoke to her. Isabelle didn't know what else to do but return the salutation with one of her own, "...Hi." Isabelle was paralyzed but she wasn't sure if it was from fear, fascination or both. Unsure of what else to do, she debated screaming, crying and fighting but even with all those thoughts running through her mind, she couldn't bring herself to withdraw her arms from around it's neck. She clung to the beast and gave it a simple smile.

 

[MIIDD]

Jexel blushed harder at her smile. It was oddly beguiling for a human. He smiled back, unsure of how to react. He had never dealt with a human firsthand before, so just about everything he did was slightly awkward. "Um...w-would you like me to set you down?" He asked shyly. He only just became aware of the girl's arms around his neck, and it made him tense up slightly. It was an unknown feeling, the human's hand. As he held her, he made another quick observation of her. She was light, and easy to carry. Used to doing heavy-lifting most of the time, she hardly altered his back's position at all. Jexel also admired her thumbs for a brief second, wondering what purpose they could possibly serve. His final observation was that she had no tail that he could notice. Jexel always hid his away, but many half-breeds wore their tales with pride. After taking note of their differences, Jexel once again locked eyes with her, curious at what her response would be.

 

[Reina]

The half-breed's smile and shy disposition was oddly comforting and eased some of Isabelle's anxiety. "Oh...oh, yeah, I mean...yes please." Normally Isabelle was a bit boisterous and energetic when meeting someone new but she had never been so close to a half-breed before and it made her a bit shy, nervous and jittery. Noticing their differences more closely, she observed the prominent ears on the head and the paws where hands and feet should be. She was beside herself, it was a remarkable feeling to be so close to a half-breed. She always observed the beasts from a far, too fearful to approach. She unlocked her arms from around the neck of the half-breed, their eyes locked once again as she waited for beast to put her back down on the ground.

 

[MIIDD]

As Jexel gently set the girl back on her own two feet, he wondered what she was doing out in the wilderness. Frankly, he thought that it was his own private domain. Stomaching his nerves, Jexel began to talk. "So, uh... what are you doing way out here? I thought humans were disgusted by places like this." He began to circle the girl, as though he could view her thoughts from a different angle. "I don't mean to offend, but... you are a human, right? I've never seen one up close. I guess it's obvious, but I just want to make sure. You all just seem so...similar." Jexel continued, his curiosity overtaking his shyness. There was so much he wanted to know, but he was downright confused as to what to ask. He stopped circling the girl and peered straight into her eyes, this time coming inches away from her face. "...Do...do you have a name?" Jexel asked expectantly. His complete lack of social boundaries was obvious, as he seemed unfazed by how close they were to each other.

 

[Reina]

Finally back on her own two feet, Isabelle was able to get her bearings back. She listened to the half-breed as it spoke but she became increasingly more nervous as it began to circle her like a predator about to pounce on its prey. When the beast came within inches of her face, she gulped loudly. She began to fear the worse and thought for sure she would never make it back home again. Her parents were right, half-breeds were bad news and she was about to find out just how bad. Surely, answering it's questions might at least buy her some time so she could think of a way out of this situation, for the beast would not have saved her if it intended to kill her afterwards.

Nervously she answered, "Um, the name's Isabelle, my friends call me Belle or Izzy for short." She breathed heavily and continued answering it's questions, "Most humans don't like the wilderness but I find it to be very relaxing and peaceful. It gives me a chance to...um... get away from everyone for a while. Oh, and yes I am a human, a woman to be exact. You?" Isabelle continued following the gaze of the half-breed, if she could keep it interested than maybe it would let her go free. "What's your name and what are you? I know you're a half-man right?" She waiting nervously for a response.

 

[MIIDD]

"Isabelle? Thats a nice name..." Jexel mulled over her reactions in detail, and noted her nervousness. In an attempt to make her feel more comfortable, he backed up a few steps and sat on the ground before continuing. "It is pretty out here, but who are you getting away from? Is someone hunting you? I thought humans were hunters of those they saw as weak. I've never heard of a human hunting another human before... Ah, so you are a she-human. I am a male errr... I believe your kind would call me a Half-Lynx. My name is Jexel...I don't have friends..." The half-breed let his gaze drop to his paws, clenching and unclenching them to distract his depressing thoughts. "Sorry if I, uhhh... seemed threatening. I was just...yeah..." Jexel, quickly losing his curiosity-high, began to retreat into his shell of introversion once more.

 

[Reina]

When the half-breed sat on the ground, Isabelle's tension and nervousness subsided slightly. "Thanks. Jexel is...an interesting name." She was still too apprehensive to sit on the ground herself so she stood standing against the pain-filled pleas of her muscles, arms and legs. She took notice of the scrapes and bruises beginning to appear across her body but purposely ignored them. She didn't know how she was going to even begin to explain them to her parents but she would worry about that later. She still wasn't sure about Jexel and wanted the ability to make a run for it if necessary. She crossed her arms across her chest to shelter herself and to hide the pain before continuing. "I'm not running from anyone in particular but everyone at the same time. I know it might be difficult to understand. I'm different from the rest of my...kind. I like to get away and the wilderness is the only place I can do that. The wilderness doesn't pass judgment, does not discriminate and does not punish you for having a difference of opinion....yeah....what are you doing out here?"

 

[MIIDD]

"You're hurt" Jexel said, ignoring her question entirely for the moment. He got up quickly and approached Isabelle again. Grabbing her arm to reveal all the scratches and bruises, he began to speak again. "We should get you back to your home. You need to treat these scratches before they get infected." Without a second thought, Jexel began dragging the woman back towards the community without thinking. "Oh, I come out here daily, to stretch my legs and get a breath of fresh air. And it's nice to hear a human who appreciates fairness over judgement. How are you different from the rest of your kind? You look exactly the same, and sound like them too. You humans are rather difficult to understand. On TV, you always seem to beat around the bush. Its always about the statistics and probabilities now. Just like your answer. You are 'running from nobody, but running from everybody'? How does that work? If you don't like my name, you can call me something else. I don't mind." His streams of comments, questions, and answers continued seamlessly as he continued to drag Isabelle toward the community, as though they were still standing still in the wilderness. Once again, his social faults practically glowed about him.

 

[Reina]

"I'm fine!" Isabelle yelled as she pulled her arm out of Jexel's grasp bringing both of them to a halt. "You can't do that! You can't just drag me around! I don't know how things work in your community but you cannot drag a human girl around like that!" She took a few steps back and tried to regain her composure. She didn't mean to lose control but she was not going to allow anyone to man-handle her or beast-handle...whatever. She leaned up against the nearest tree and took a few deep breaths, sighed before continuing again calmly, "Sorry, I just can't go back so quickly and I especially cannot be seen with you. The community would have my head for sure. And to be frank...you terrify me." Isabelle let her back slide down along the trunk of the tree and let herself sit on one of its extended roots. She didn't know what else to do. Certain he would pounce and kill her now for what she said, she stared into his eyes and waited for his next move.

 

[MIIDD]

Jexel took a pause to think about his reaction and her reaction, taking into account these new social tropes. He then sat down next to her without a word. After a brief interlude of silence, he spoke. "You shouldn't be so pent up around me. I can feel your anxiety in my fur...but I'm sorry I kinda dragged you away like that. I guess it was pretty 'sudden' of me." Jexel's embarrassment showed as he spoke. "Why are you so afraid of me? You are a human. If anyone ought to be afraid, it should me...Frankly, I am. I've never seen a human so close before. I thought your kind killed us beast-kin for fun...at least, that's what I hear on the news." Finally finding a balance between his hyper-curiousness and introversion, Jexel was able to calmly state just what he wanted to know. In shame, he looked down to his lower paws as he awaited an answer from Isabelle.

 

[Reina]

Having Jexel sit next to her made Isabelle tense up a little but it was clear he meant her no harm. She paused for a quick second and responded to him "Well, for starters, I'm unarmed and alone in the wilderness. Normally we travel in large numbers and are heavily armed." She sighed again and looked at Jexels arms, "And you...you have natural weapons. Your claws could easily kill me." Isabelle scanned his arms to where his paws ended in claws, taking notice of how long and sharp they were. She returned her gaze back to his eyes and softly said "So yeah...there's definitely a reason to be afraid Jex." After saying his name, Isabelle was able to relax a little more as the anxiety and tension began to pass. She leaned her head against the trunk of the tree and pushed the strands of hair that came lose from her bun back into place.

 

[MIIDD]

'Hm... I guess so." Jexel said as he looked at his claws. After retracting them, he continued. "Jex...I like that. I haven't heard anyone say my name in a long time. As for the whole prospect of killing you, please don't think that. Murder is not a thought I entertain, especially amongst humans...besides, it makes me sound more untamed. Being seen as a beast can hurt, ya know?" At this, he got up and stood in front of Isabelle, then kneeled down to her level again. His eyes flashed a golden hue as they locked on to her glistening green eyes. "I want you to look me in the eyes, and say you aren't afraid of me." His tone became serious as he said this, but he smiled peacefully, allowing a bit of his fangs to show. He rested his paws on his knees, awaiting eagerly for Isabelle to speak again.

 

[Reina]

Isabelle smirked, "Did you just flash your fangs at me and ask me NOT to be afraid of you?" She couldn't help but giggle. He really wasn't as menacing as she thought and was more human than her people gave him credit. With her muscles still aching a bit, she adjusted her position, shifting from where she sat to match Jexel's kneel. She placed her hands on her knees just as he did, looked him directly into his golden eyes and said seriously, "I...am...not...afraid...of...you." It was her turn to flash a smile right back at him, she found it mildly entertaining to tease him a bit. She wasn't a girl who enjoyed too many serious moments, they happened all too often at home. She was finally in the presence of a half-breed, a breed she defended endlessly at home. She was face to face with one and it was a moment she was not going to let pass her by. Her anxieties and fears were gone now and she was becoming increasing more curious. She studied him as she looked him up and down until her eyes fixed back on his. His eyes...such beautiful eyes...she thought to herself.