should've said no.

[Shadow]

I Z A B E L L A

Izabella sighed as she stepped into the outer reaches of the city, eyes lazy as she swept them across her surroundings. She was just so bored. While living alone in the country with her sister was fun and all, sometimes it just got a little lonely. She didn't hate Autumn, no no. It was just nice to change things up every once in a while. Besides, they were getting older now, and they would have to go their separate ways eventually, right?

The orange and black she-cat sighed as she trotted along a sidewalk, head tilting back to follow one of the taller building's lengths into the sky. She hadn't been back to the city since she was just a kit, when her mother was still around. She hadn't exactly missed the place, no, but it was nice to be home again. Autumn had stayed in the country, not exactly sharing Izabella's sudden impulse to visit the city. Oh well, her loss. Maybe Bella would bring her back a tasty city treat.

Bella turned a corner, letting herself aimlessly wander around the city blocks, her eyes scanning the cats she passed. Mm. City toms were nice and handsome, and all the she-cats were just so lovely. Of course, there were the more wild strays, but everyone was just a bit more civilized than what she had seen in the country. The she-cat wandered a bit further before settling down on a street corner that was empty of humans. They all must've been busy doing whatever it was that humans did during at night. The sun's light could still be seen on the horizon, but within the hour it would soon be gone.
The she-cat then settled down, humming as she swiped her tongue across her paw, rubbing it over her ear as she watched the other cats who made the city their home. She contemplated what to do; find a friend to go out and experience the night life? Or maybe even find a nice tom? The second option was a bit more appealing, but she wasn't exactly sure who to pick out. Oh well. If someone wanted to meet her, they would approach her, right? She would linger here a while, and if no one came to her, she would go out and find her own company.
Right.
For now, it was the waiting game.

ooc;; ---

[Jay]

Ares

Ares let out a soft sigh as he sat near the edge of the den he and his sister shared. Lee had had another one of her episodes and it'd taken him nearly three hours to get her calmed down. She was sleeping now, her fits always making her so tired. They made him tired, too. It was hard on the tom sometimes, knowing that you have someone who is dependent on you for their survival. It was even harder because he knew the cat Lee really was and this fragile, timid she-cat wasn't her. But ... there was nothing he could do about it but wait for her mind to heal.

Looking much older than his two years, Ares stood and shook his dark fur, giving it a few grooming licks before silently padding over to where his sleeping sister lay. She'd be out for a least half of the day and after a few moments of debating the tom decided he'd go out for a little while. He moved a small pot that lay near the entrance of their den to let Lee know that he'd left but would be back. It was something they'd developed after Lee started having her episodes.

The large tom cast one last look at the sleeping form of his sister, golden eyes tired but loving before he turned and with more grace than it would appear he had, leapt down the fire--escape that lead to the roof, leaping from one stair to another until he landed on the ground with a soft thud. In the dim of the alley-way he'd landed in, Ares eyes seemed to glow unnaturally bright but as he moved out of the shadows they returned to their normal color once again.

Ares began to make a mental note of everything he'd need to get while he was out and his sister asleep. He'd have to find plenty of food for Lee. Her episodes always left her extremely hungry. He'd have to start scooping out new homes soon, he didn't like to stay in the same place for too long and they'd lived on that roof for moons now. The grey tom was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the she-cat blocking the way out of his alley until he pummeled into her.

'What the ...?' Ares blinked in confusion, his lips turned downwards into a frown before he realized that he'd run into a cat. A she-cat at that. "I'm so sorry. I didn't ... I wasn't paying attention. I promise I didn't try to run you over on purpose. Sorry." The words came out in a rush as embarrassment took over, causing heat to burn the tom's cheeks and the nape of his neck. Ares took a few steps back to give the she-cat room, his ears flattening against his head slightly as he shuffled his paws and waited for her response. His eyes briefly met hers before they flitted away, looking over her shoulder momentarily.

[/left]

[Shadow]

I Z A B E L L A

Izabella had finished grooming herself (which definitely hadn't taken long enough) and had instead been watching the busy city with a growing impatience. She wished she knew at least one cat in the damn place, just one so that she could at least have some way to get integrated into some sort of fun event. But no. She'd never traveled to the city alone before, therefore giving her no chance to meet anyone. It suddenly made her feel quite lonely, realizing that her only friend was essentially her sister.
The orange and black she-cat let out a sigh, shifting a little before preparing to stand up. Well she would just go find someone to spend the rest of the day with. Walk up to whoever looked interesting and shove herself right into their life. She wasn't too unlikable, or at least she didn't think so, so her plan shouldn't be too hard, right?

She was just about to commit to this idea and leave her spot in front of the alleyway when somecat practically ran right into her. She stumbled forward, eyes widening with surprise before they narrowed as she felt a rush of anger flow through her. Who the hell..?!
She quickly turned around face the offending cat, her mouth open to snap an irritated response before her jaw promptly shut.
Oh. Hello.

Her eyes scanned the tom quickly, immediately deciding that she liked what she saw. Big, strong, and handsome. Wonderful. She paused to listen to his fumbled apology, a smile turning the corners of his mouth up as she shook her head. "No harm done." she assured him, her voice practically a purr as she spoke. She shifted a little, stepping forward to meet him while her tail moved to wave slowly through the air. Goodness, she didn't mean to act quite so...desiring, it wasn't even in her nature to act this way, but she had wanted some excitement in her life, and well, here it was. She certainly wasn't going to turn it down. Besides, there was a twinge of desire in her chest that she hadn't felt before, and she was curious to explore it.
Too damn impulsive for her own good.

"Really, everything's fine." she added on, smile growing as her blue-green eyes met his own golden ones. "I'm Izabella." she then introduced, standing just a bit straighter as she announced her name, "And what about you, mister oblivious~?"

ooc;; ---

[Jay]

Ares

For a moment Ares was afraid that the she-cat was going to attack him. Her blue-green eyes had blazed with irritation but for some reason it faded and another emotion he couldn't place reflected in her eyes instead. Briefly the tom allowed his eyes to flicker over her form before he met her eyes once again.

A small smile touched the tom's lips as the she-cat, Izabella now, spoke. She had sass, that was for sure. Ares stood a bit straighter, standing to his full height before he flashed Izabella a (rather adorable most would say ... ok, well others might say it was sexy but that was completely irrelevant.) half smile. "Nice to meet you Izabella. I'm Ares. Though, if you prefer you can call me mister oblivious." Ares was taken aback by his response and by how confident he sounded (Dane, his voice practically rumbled with sensuality). When the hell had he become a smooth talker? The heck was going on?

The tom blinked the thoughts away and tilted his head, his golden eyes never leaving Izabella. "Were you headed somewhere, miss Izabella? I was just on my way to go find some breakfast, if you'd like to come with me. We can call it payment for me trying to pummle through you earlier." Ares smiled once again, humor dancing in his eyes as he waited for Izabella's response. This tom was the side that was rarely seen; the confident tom who knew exactly who he was and what he wanted. Around his sister Ares was the picture perfect big brother and father-figure so this side of him was constantly getting pushed back and repressed. Which is why it bleed out without his control at times like this.

[/left]

[Shadow]

I Z A B E L L A

Izabella felt her purr grow in strength when Ares responded positively to her. The awkward, stammering tom she had run into was suddenly gone, replaced with this...well, this sexy tom. Ares, was it? Mm. Even his name was lovely. She gave herself no time to wonder where this was going, to suddenly be heavily flirting with a tom she'd never even seen and to be invited to breakfast with that same tom. Should she be worried? Should she back out now?

But Bella gave those thoughts no heed, instead humming happily at his request as she allowed herself to slid her paws just a bit closer to Ares. "No, no, I had no plans." she murmured, tail curling through the air as she gave him a sweet smile in return to the absolutely lovely one he had just given her. Goodness, he really was a catch. "And breakfast would be lovely." she added, dipping her head slightly as she accepted his invitation. Though it wasn't really an invitation, as she didn't think she could say no even if she wanted to. She felt trapped, but in an absolutely fantastic way, a way that made her wish to stay with this tom and see just what would happen if this continued.

"So then, Ares." She practically purred the name, her eyes dancing with excitement and desire as she stepped in to take her place by his side, letting her tail just faintly brush along his flank as she shifted towards him. She practically had to hold herself back from doing any sort of leaning against that muscular side of his. "Where did you have in mind for this breakfast? I hope it's good, since I'm quite sure you almost killed me earlier. It'll take quite a bit to make up for that~"

ooc;; ---

[Jay]

Ares

Ares watched Izabella with an intensity that most would check off as creepy but in all honesty the tom was curious. He wasn't social by any cat's standards so it was rare that he got to meet new cats and generally Lee was so quiet .... It was just nice, to meet someone new. Well, that and Izabella was rather beautiful. Her body was slim and her fur perfectly groomed. But what captivated him the most were her blue-green eyes. They expressed so much emotion and he could practically see the thoughts running through her mind as he watched her. "You're very beautiful, Izabella." The tom said the words without conscious thought going towards saying the words. They somehow just escaped and he felt his cheeks burn as another wave of embarrassment flickered over him like a brush of a feather.

Just as quickly as the embarrassment came, it was gone, Ares having deciding to pretend that he'd meant to say that out-loud. A low, barely audible purr rumbled in the tall tom's chest when Izabella bushed past him, his eyes closing briefly as he caught a whiff of her scent. Simply inciting.
"Fantastic." He purred the words, glancing down at Izabella and flashing her a brief grin. "I have a place in mind that should make any near-death experience float away. If you'll follow me, we'll be on our way." Enter the charming side of the tom; if he wanted too Ares could literally charm almost anyone into doing what he wanted. Flash a smile here, a purr there and 'bam'. But, Ares wasn't 'that tom', it simply wasn't in his nature to use cats like that.

Ares drew himself from his thoughts and flashed Izabella one more smile before he began to trot down the alleyway, his paws leading him to where he wanted to go. Meanwhile, he was going to get to know this sassy she-cat. "So, Izabella, tell me, do you live here in the city? Any mate I should be worried about running into?" His tone was serious but the slight smile that curled his lips and the amusement that flickered in his golden eyes said otherwise.

[/left]

[Shadow]

I Z A B E L L A

Izabella was just briefly caught off guard by the tom's compliment, pausing briefly as she she stared at him for a moment before a wide smile found itself on her face again. Her purr rumbled even louder in her throat now, and she pressed just a bit more against Ares as she stayed by his side. "Mm, well you're not bad looking yourself, mister oblivious~" she hummed softly, tail curling happily though the air. She hardly felt shy or flustered with this tom; no, she was ready to follow him to the ends of the earth if he suggested it. He was a handsome fellow, and quite flattering as well. And to her joy, it seemed like most of her day was going to be spent with him.

She laughed at his next words, feeling her heart give a happy little skip at that grin he gave her. Oh my. That right there was enough to make her forgive him one hundred times over, though going out for something to eat with him certainly wouldn't hurt either. The slim she-cat then stretched into her first step before settling into a smooth gait beside the taller cat, trying just a bit to show off to Ares; a little stretch of a leg here, an arch of the back there, waving the tail a bit for good measure. Any cat who knew her would hardly recognize her by her actions, but she didn't care; this tom playing along so wonderfully, and she certainly didn't want to stop now.

Bella though briefly at his questions, ears flicking with amusement at his inquiries. "Oh, no." she purred, "I don't have any tom holding me down just yet~" She flashed him another smile as she paused before speaking again, "And I'm not from around here. I live in the country. I was just coming in for a visit when you ran into me." She didn't add that she currently lived with her sister; what if he viewed that as immature and broke off whatever they had going right now?
"So what about yourself, Ares? You seem like a city cat. Have a nice city lady that we'll be meeting later?"

ooc;; ---

[Jay]

Ares

Ares purred softly at Izabella's words. 'Good, no mate. This day could turn out to be productive. Hmm.' When the she-cat mentioned that she lived in the country Ares felt memories assault him like a physical blow and he hesitated for a brief moment before he pushed the memories of smoke and screaming away. "The country's a nice place to live. For majority of my life I lived there but ... moved due to circumstances." The tom spoke slowly, carefully trying to avoid mentioning the fact that everyone in his family save he and his sister had been burned to a crisp. Yeah. That was a real good conversation starter.

Ares chuckled at Bella's question and he glanced down at his new female companion, "If by nice city lady, you mean mate, then the answer is no. I do have a younger sister who is living with me though. She's ... She's had a rough few months so I'm trying to get her better. The only reason I'm not with her right now is because she's asleep and likely will be for a while. Not that you asked to know all of that." Ares chuckled softly at this, a sad smile curling across his lips as he thought about Lee and her current condition. His golden eyes darkened momentarily with worry before he pushed it away. Lee knew that if he wasn't there to stay put. And besides, he needed to spend time with another cat who wasn't his traumatized sister.

The tall tom was silent for a few moments as various thoughts rushed through his head and he was thankful when he scented the mouth-watering smell of roasting chicken. He turned to Izabella, his golden eyes alight with the same humor they'd held earlier and half grinned. "We're here." Ares trotted closer to the small square shaped building and circled around it so that he was at the back door. He parted his mouth slightly to let the air and the scents it carried wash over the special glands in his mouth before trotting to what used to be a silver trash-can and with one good shove knocked it over. Thankfully it was early in the day and the can was relatively grime free, not that it mattered as Ares pulled out a grease-spotted brown paper bag.

After give the bag a few swipes with a paw with claws unsheathed the tom stepped back to show the carcass of a roasted chicken inside. "I know it's not a lot but it's still warm. The humans never use all of the meat. It's quite good." As if to prove his point Ares leaned forward and bit off a thick piece of meat and held it out to Izabella, his golden eyes meeting and holding her blue-green.

[/left]

[Shadow]

I Z A B E L L A

Izabella smiled as she padded smoothly beside the larger cat, her ears flicking curiously at his mention of his life in the country. She almost asked him about it, but he didn't exactly seem like the place held good memories for him, so she held back her words. Besides, she wouldn't want to darken the mood of this wonderful day, right? Better keep the subject on happier things. Happier things like Ares' lack of a mate.
Bella felt her purr grow in strength at those words. Very good. It definitely would not have been good if she had to look out for some she-cat that already belonged to her new companion.

Bella glanced over at Ares' mention of his younger sister, unable to smile faintly at the way he talked about her. The tom obviously cared for his family, and Izabella briefly felt the desire that clouded her thoughts raise a moment so she could admire that about him. "Mm. You're a good guy, Ares." she complimented softly, truly meaning the words. Not like the flirty and teasing banter they had been having.
Of course, all thoughts of what a nice cat Ares was quickly vanished and were placed with her earlier desiring thoughts, and as the smell of chicken filled the air and he turned to look at her with those lovely golden eyes, she couldn't help but arch her back a bit to rub against him before pulling away so he could grab their meal.

She then paused for a moment, watching the tom before following a bit more slowly, eyes wide as she watched him drag out the bag and tear it open to reveal the chicken. Goodness! City cats sure ate well! The brown and black she-cat marveled over this discarded feast before glancing back up at Ares as he offered her some of the chicken. A smiled curled across her maw, eyes gleaming as she reached forward, her heart skipping a few beats before racing in her chest as she moved so close to the other cat. She let her nose brush his before she carefully picked the piece of meat away, settling back to chew on it while her eyes never left the tom's own.
"It's delicious~" she then purred, "Really does make up for that near death experience you caused." She paused briefly, eyes filled with amusement before she spoke again, "Thank you for this Ares~ You have no idea how grateful I am." She then gave him a sweet little smile, tail lightly waving through the air before she reached forward to pick off a careful bit from the bird carcass, her soft purr never once fading.

ooc;; ---

[Jay]

Ares

Several emotions flickered across Ares' golden eyes, dancing between happiness and lust before deciding on a nice blend of the two. He didn't know why he liked this she-cat as much as he did; sure she was pretty but there were bound to be others prettier than her. But as the tom gazed into her eyes he knew it was her personality that intrigued him. And she reminded him so much of Lee. The would've gotten along before the fire, he thought, an ear tip flicking back fractionally.

Are's eyes darkened with want when Izabella brushed her nose against his, her close proximity causing feeling he hadn't felt in quite some time stir. The tom smiled faintly when Izabella took the meat from him, the smile turning to a grin when he saw the surprise light up her blue-green eyes. "Pretty good huh? He asked in amusement, leaning forward to lightly touch his nose to her forehead affectionately. At her comment about the food making up for him running into her earlier he let out a soft 'heh'. "I'm glad I could make up for that."

The tom watched as Izabella walked over to the bird carcass and began to eat more. It pleased him that he was able to provide another cat with a meal. He knew how hard it was to find food; when he and Lee first moved to the city they would have to go days without eating due to Ares' inability to find food. He'd sworn that his sister would've go hungry again, nor would any other cat who was incapable of providing for themselves.

Shaking himself from his thought Ares silently padded up beside Izabella, brushing his flank against hers before he leaned down so that his muzzle was just above her ear. "Dane knows a pretty she-cat like you couldn't die so early in life." His tone was flirtatious, his eyes teasing. Ares debated on saying something else but decided against it and reached forward, his cheek brushing against hers slightly as he went to grab himself a piece of chicken.

[/left]

[Shadow]

I Z A B E L L A

A shiver lightly ran through Izabella's form at the light touch to her forehead, the she-cat unable to help herself. Goodness, he more than made up for that little run-in, just by existing. But of course she wasn't about to blurt that out. That would just sound silly, despite it being so damn true. If any other cat had run into her, she would have snapped at him and sent him running home. But nope, she had the loveliest tom in the city, and she certainly wasn't going to protest that, especially with where this day was going.

She ate a bit more from the chicken, allowing herself the brief distraction from the tom beside her to simply focus on getting some delicious food in her belly (field mice certainly did get bland after a while). After all this, she would certainly have to come to he city again, whether or not she came to see Ares. She couldn't go through life without having more of this left-over people food.

The she-cat chewed for a moment on a piece of chicken, her mind racing over thoughts of food and eating before Ares brushed up against her, and she looked up at him with a flirtatious smile. "Oh, is that so? You're too kind~" she purred, shifting her weight to lean against the other cat as she watched him reach for his own bite of chicken, "Mm, and I certainly wouldn't go down so easily. Not without taking down a handsome fellow like yourself with me first." she added, head tilting lightly to brush her nose across his cheek before shifting back to nibble on some more chicken. Though her attention was steadily moving away from the meal in front of her, and instead setting itself fully on the tom by her side. Which was perfectly fine with her. "Goodness, you're just gonna spoil me rotten with all this~" she then murmured, smiling at the tom with affection as her tail shifted behind her to brush and lightly curl against the tom's own.

ooc;; ---

[Jay]

Ares

Ares purred softly when Izabella leaned against him and the tom briefly rested his chin on the top of her forehead, a soft smile curling across his lips. The tom chewed his chicken slowly, savoring the delightful flavors and juices. As long as you knew where to look food was easy to find, it's the 'finding out where to look' part that was difficult. "I dunno, I think you'd find that there's more to me under the surface." He meowed, looking down at his smaller companion, lightly nipping at her ears.

Ares took a few more bites of chicken until he felt satisfied, he'd had to take a leg or something back to Lee, when he left. But he wasn't too keen on leaving Izabella's company. He enjoyed Bella's company, she was sassy and beautiful. What more could he ask for?

When silence fell over them Ares didn't try to break it, though a purr rumbled in his chest when Izabella curled her tail against his. He felt his heart begin to beat faster as he looked down at his new she-cat friend; emotion-darkened golden eyes meeting her beguiling blue-green. Not really considering his actions Ares leaned down and softly licked Bella's cheek, pulling his head back and hesitating momentarily when their faces were but inches apart and, again acting impulsively, Ares touched his nose to Bella's before he pulled away all together, standing and taking a few steps back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean ..." the tom trailed off, unsure of what he didn't mean.

[/left]

[Shadow]

I Z A B E L L A

Izabella smiled as she relaxed against Ares, her attention completely diverted away from the chicken before them. No no, she now had her sights completely set on this handsome tom by her side. She couldn't help but snort with amusement at his words, rolling her eyes as she smirked at the tom. "Is that so?" she mused softly, eyes gleaming as they met his own brilliant golden gaze, "Well you'll just have to prove that sometime, won't you~?" Her purr grew at the nips to her ear and the positive reaction from Ares when they tails met. While all these little little touches and brushes were nice, she was surprised when Ares suddenly licked her cheek and touched his nose to her own. Surprised, yes, but not put off, not at all.

Well, until Ares suddenly yanked himself away. A frown appeared on the she-cat's face at the sudden absence by her side, and she shifted her weight now that the other's body wasn't there to support her. What in the world was wrong? Had she done something wrong? No, that wasn't right. He was the one who had performed the action, not her. So why was he pulling away and meowing stupid stuff?
"What the hell are you apologizing for?" she demanded, obviously just as unsure of his meaning as he was, "There's nothing wrong. Get back over here." She didn't mean to sound so demanding and needy, but everything had been so nice and suddenly Ares seemed to think he screwed up or something. Which he certainly hadn't.
So she frowned at him for a moment from her place on the ground before standing with a sigh, taking the time to smooth some fur on her chest before padding over to him, rubbing her head against his jaw before swiping her own tongue across his cheek in return. "You've done nothing wrong." she assured again, her voice a soft murmur as she nervously waited for his reaction.

ooc;; ---

[Jay]

Ares

Ares felt his heartbeat quicken when Bella snapped at him and for a brief moment the tom thought 'She looks beautiful when she's angry.' then the tom berated himself for thinking such a cliche though. Besides, right now was not the time to be thinking of that.

When Bella stood Ares braced himself for a sharp slap to the face and as such was completely unprepared when she rubbed her head against his jaw, his eyes darkening with want when her tongue rasped across his cheek. He didn't know why but he wanted this she-cat with a desperate passion and for a few long moments he stared deeply into Bella's blue-green eyes, a battle of control waging in his lust darkened golden ones.

After a few long, tense moments the tom swallowed and offered Bella a soft smile. "Ok, Bella. I just didn't know if I'd overstepped my boundaries. It's ... It's be a long time since I've had company other than my sister." 'And I've gotten so lonely.' The tom didn't say the thought out loud but it was expressed in the slightly sad tone of his voice and the slump of his shoulders. Ares didn't have many friends, and in all honesty he didn't get out much unless it was to find food for Lee and himself. Then there was the fact that Bella was simply stunning and he absolutely loved her personality. She didn't appear to have any fear, and some part of him respected that fire inside of her.

Ares cleared his throat when he realized that he'd been staring at Izabella once again, "So, milady. What would you like to do now? The tom's voice was light-hearted with a hint of teasing, but his eyes belied the raging emotions that the tom was still battling.

[/left]

[Shadow]

I Z A B E L L A

Izabella rolled her eyes at Ares' words, amusement replacing her earlier annoyance at the tom. "Idiot." she mumbled, but her voice had taken on an affectionate tone, and she sighed with relief, shifting to lean on the tom again. She didn't know whether her liked her leaning all over him all the time, but frankly, she probably wouldn't care either. He was just so big and muscular, how could she not want to get closer? She relaxed against him for a ew moments before her ears flicked as he spoke again, and she tilted her head up to look up at the tom as he spoke.

For a moment, Izabella was disappointed. What to do now? Did he just want to spend the day with her? Not that she minded, he really was a nice tom and she wouldn't mind just taking a day to hang out, but there was that nagging feeling throughout her whole body which assured her that she wanted a bit more from this tom today. The she-cat frowned a bit, though when she looked up and met the tom's gaze, she found that he reflected those same desires, not at all trying to hide them. And a pleased smile appeared instead on Bella's face, and a soft purr filled her throat. But how to move on from here?
"Mm." she paused for a moment before stretching up against the tom, letting her purr grow in strength as she smiled up at Ares. "I think you know. And you want the same thing, hmm?" she murmured, tail waving through the air as she let her eyes stay locked to the other cat's, "So let's skip these pleasantries, shall we?"

ooc;; PHEW BAD REPLY BUT HERE YOU GO
FINALLY
i guess we could just wrap this up real quick so we can move on to other stuff LOL
so i guess you could finish it with ares? AND WE COULD JUST IMPLY SEXY TIMES LOLOL