The Forsaken Art

He chuckled, "My mother was a Naelashi... I couldn't do that even if I'd wanted to... At least not until I'm married. and I'm still single!" He said, "Don't worry though, I'm not one to harm people out of the blue, not unless they've threatened my baby sisters at least."

"Then I guess you really are as lost as I am." Jenna looked around at the room that was new to both of them. Magic must have done this... it wasn't unheard of. Internally, she was debating wether or not to let him know she was a shapeshifter. "So I guess you've never seen a woman this bare before, right?"

Wait, why did she say that! A slight blush crossed her face as Jenna tried to find a way to distract herself. She felt her back muscles work as she tried to form wings but couldn't manage it, as well as trying to form Mana Spirit fur under the sheet. Unfortunately, that didn't work well either. She could tell how obviously wrong it was just by the feel of it. Giving up, she shaped her sensitive areas back the way they were in case something would happen.

"If you wouldn't mind...." Jenna carefully got up, trying to keep the sheet from falling off of her using the wall. "You seem like a good person. Do you think you could find some way to fasten this in the back?"

Sylas smiled, "You're right there." He said before looking at the sheets once and moving to look through what was around, one cupboard having some clothing in, "Well you could wear these, they appear to be designed for those with one pair of arms and no tails unlike mine. I could avert my eyes, or even leave the room, while you change."

Jenna held the sheet in place with one arm by grabbing the back while she walked over. There was a slight worry that it would slip out of her grasp and fall open, but Sylas seemed more nervous than she did. She grabbed the shirt with her free hand.

"Don't worry. I'm used to doing this, unfortunately." Her eyes stopped and looked at Sylas, awkwardly.... "I mean as an assassin, not like in the other way." A slight smile crossed her face as she tried to explein what that ment. "Not that anyone ever did anything, but well.... If you're caught they don't tend to like you walking around in your normal outfit."

Casually, Jenna slipped the shirt over with one hand while keeping a hold of the sheet with her other one so it was covering her waist. Then, she turned to face him. "It's just one of those skills you learn on the job." Almost gracefully, she crouched a little so she could hold the sheet with her legs instead of her arms in such a way that her front was covered, but her rear was out in the open facing away from him. Then she got her arms through the sleeves and pulled the Shorts up.

"Didn't expose myself once!" She boasted with a grin on her face, quickly pulling the sheet out of her pants and tossing it at Sylas. "And that's for your troubles."

Sylas chuckled, "I know what assassins are, Jenna," He said, easily catching the sheet in his right hands, "But you'd be surprised at how many people take one look at me and run screaming from the place like I'm a monster. Yes I'm not human... but am I really that scary?"

Jenna picked her head at what exactly to say. "Well, you're not a monster, just different." She looked over his body. The multiple arms just seemed so much fun! Who would be scarred of that? It almost made the thought that purple hair was special into some kind of joke. "Maybe the reason I'm not scarred is because I'm not entirely human, either...."

Quickly changing topics, she walked up and couldn't help but pull at his wing a little. Carefully trying to examine how exactly it fit with the rest of his body, but unable to tell due to his shirt. "Would you mind if I took a better look at this? I mean, living with wings must be so cool! I wish I had them." Her new outfit seemed to fit her snugly as she brushed up against him. Her hands moving along his arm to try and coax him into taking his shirt off.

He chuckled, "Go ahead, Jenna... I've only found them a nuisance when trying to sleep, the tail more so given how thick is is, but I've grown used to them," He said then looked at her face with an amused look, "You're trying to get my shirt off aren't you?"

"Yes." Jenna blatently stated, now completely behind Sylas. "Your back muscles must be so intresting with six limbs sticking out." Without much consent for Sylas, she started trying to peek through the holes on the back of his shirt. Putting her face as close to the hole as she could to try and get a good look at how the wing's attatched. In her excitement, her hair turned purple for just a moment before Jenna willed it back to the normal orange.

"I'm never allowed to do anything fun like that...." She blushed again once she started to understand how uncomftrable she was making the poor thing. Gawking at his wings and other limbs like it was nothing. "I mean, I'm not normal either. In fact, I could probably out do your wings if I had enough time."

"I'm not doubting you," He said then said, "Give me a moment." He folded his wings up against his body and with a quick movement of all four arms pulled off the shirt and laid it on the bed, "Honestly. I rarely get the change to do much other than fight... father's a bit... militaristic."

Carefully, Jenna took her fingers and traced the muscles along Sylas's back. The position and area didn't seem that hard to work with. As gently as she could, the assassin put her hands flat on his back and slit the wing between her thumb and index finger. Feeling the muscles that allowed him to fly.

"You have no idea how-" She stopped herself from talking before deciding the information wouldn't hurt. "I've been forced to train since I was young. I don't know how young, but it was longer than I can remember." Jenna started pressing down on the wings as she talked, unsure how else to deal with things. "I don't even know who my parents were...." Before she accidently hurt him, Jenna turned around and walked a few feet away. Her hands now curled over eachother. "They must've been some real basterds to have left me like that."

Then, she looked up and noticed a door. Instantly, she reached over and opened it to find a room with a private hot spring. Jenna stretched her back muscles a little, realizing she couldn't make wings with her shirt on anyways. "Ohh! I love these things!" She almost ran over before turning around to Sylas and giving him a flirty grin. Then she ran the rest of the way into the room and came out with two towels. Handing one of them to the winged man seemed almost like second nature. "Care to join me?"

Sylas chuckled, easily exchanging the pants for the towel and followed her to the Springs, stretching his upper arms as he pauses at the edge, Honestly I technically don't have anything to hide. Naelashi can't procreate because they're adaptable with they're reproductive systems... They don't actually appear until marriage." He said as the towel was removed and he simply descended into the springs, the water getting between his tail scales eliciting a soft murmur of comfort from him, "Never been to a Hot Spring before today though."

"Hmph!"

Jenna leaned her back against the wall. "And I was so worried about that, too.... I guess you're not a real man after all." At first she was going to just strip down and get in but, unable to see his lower half below the water, couldn't do it. Everything else just looked so normal and.... "I don't think it would be bad if you saw me, you know... since you don't have any uhh...." She sighed slightly, "and I went through such trouble changing without you seeing anything, too."

A little shy about what was happening, Jenna turned her back to Sylas and started to take her shirt off. Then her pants. Although it probably shouldn't matter, she crossed her arms anyways before walking backwards and slipping into the spring. Her arms rested on the edge as she turned her head slightly to talk. "Normally, when I do this, there's not any men around. Assuming you are one, I guess...." A question began to enter her mind. "What would happen if you... you know. If someone of your kind would happen to be.... Aroused~"

Her mind was focused on the water as it seemed to clear some of the fog that had taken place in her mind. Things seem so simple when you're not afraid of being killed every moment.

"After marriage it's normal." He said, "Before... I guess it's only the urges that appear." He then added, "And I think you'll find I'm more of a man than most. because there's no many on this earth who has yet to be able to shoot arrows as quickly as I, or be able to best me with the Glaive... Well aside from my old man but he doesn't count... He's the one that taught me."

"That's not exactly what I was talking about."

A smile crossed her face as she turned around and moved to Sylas's end. Her bare body moved so it was right against his. "Even if you wanted to, you couldn't do anything... right?" She wanted to try and flirt to mess with him, but he just looked so.... Backing away a little, Jenna added, "I'm not that type of girl... that just gives in that easilly."

She turned her back to him a little before deciding to have some fun in another way. "I bet you don't even know what color my eyes are." A smile formed as her eyes shifted from blue to green. It didn't matter if he figured it out or not. Part of her wanted to get caught. She wanted him to figure out she was a shapeshifter, but wasn't allowed to tell him. Maybe he'd be able to help her get wings? Then she'd be the object of everyone's affection!

"Blue," He said, "At least they were when you got in. Mother taught me a lot of about observation," He said moving forward a little so he could move his tail to run up her back, "Which means the green they are now isn't the right colour." He smirked, and leaned forward to whisper into her ear, "Gotcha!"

Carl, glanced down a hallway. He had nocteid that aside from the cloths on his body he had none of his belongings. Not his notes, h not his wallet, not his id, not his twelve shooter, nothing. Carl decided, that the first step in profiling this situation would be finding a familler face and comparing notes. He had heard Cress`s name but he couldn`t find the source, and he wasn`t so sure talking to Cress would be the best idea. As he went down the hall he passed three fat lady`s talking bout pg 13, whatever that was. Carl soon spotted Zelcy, and walked up to her brushing some of his hair out of his face. "Hey, any idea where we are, or how we got here?"

Meanwhile Jessie, was looking for her dads bag and a way to figure out where she was. As she walked her rather revealing dress, flowed nicely behind her, as she came across a man and a women, who seemed to be talking bout a man named cress and there next move. She brushed some of her long, silky white hair back, as she asked in her singsong voice. "Hey would ether of you two know where we are, or seen a torn up backpack?"

Jaide opened her mouth to answer but it seemed that someone else, a woman she didn't recognize, came very close. She didn't want to discuss sensitive information in front of her. For a split second, she thought of putting on a farce for the woman but she looked just as confused as they were.

"I haven't seen a backpack around here," Jaide answered thoughtfully, "Everything I had on me seemed to have disappeared as well. I'm guessing, judging by the humidity and the warm pool in my room... Cress' room... whoever's room it winds up being," Jaide said exasperatedly, "That we're at a hot springs. Other than that... I can't say much," Jaide shrugged, "We were about to go look for a few of our friends. You're welcome to join us. Maybe someone else has seen it."

Jack nodded a greeting at the newcomer, then turned to Jaide.
"Whats a hot springs?"

Ret grinned wrapping her limbs around him, "Which one, honey? the one in my stomach or my loins?"

Lauren rolled her eyes, "Put the lamp down, James. If push comes to shove we still go the Spirit Claws and our magic." She said, the last one being slightly forced out. Her body shivered slightly at remembering the day before, "I hope there won't be anyone wanting us dead here... I don't... want a repeat of yesterday..." She then moved to her brother's side, "Come on... let's go. mother and father might be here too."

James rolled his shoulders a few times before turning back into his human form. "Just in case someone tries to burn us at the stake because of how we look," He explained. He figured Mana Spirits weren't well known in these parts. "And don't worry, little sister. If anyone has to be taken care of, I'll tell you to close your eyes while I get rid of them," He said, keeping his words well chosen. He put the lamp down and wrenched the door open. He went first, double checking the hallway before motioning with his hand for Lauren to follow.

His steps were quiet, calculated. He had no idea what type of threat there might be around here. He rounded a corner and...

Groaned, very, very loudly.

In front of the twins was their parents, wrapped up in an intimate embrace. He put his hand over Lauren's eyes and complained loudly, "You guys weren't even worried about us?"

-=-=-=-=-=-

Jaide looked at Jack and laughed. "You're too cute," She teased, ruffling his hair, "A hot springs is a warm body of water. They're said to have healing properties as well. It's a big deal for vacationers. I don't know which hot springs we're at though," She said thoughtfully.

Sylas smiled, "Oh but you do stand out, not physically, but mentally." He replied, "You're honestly the first woman I've met able to shift her form so easily."

"I've heard I had some talent." Jenna mentioned before noticing the stubs on her back. Carefully, she felt them and pulled at them slightly as a wide smile crossed her face! "I can't believe how quickly I figured that out!" She shouted in excitement, turning around to get a feel for the new appendages. They wouldn't move and felt like they would get in the way, but who cared? "I've never figured anything like this out before. Ever!"

In her excitement, she randomly turned around and hugged Sylas. It wasn't like there was any shame in it, they were already alone and he couldn't do anything. Then, a thought came into her mind. Shapeshifting was a partially magical ability.... So if she could begain to form wings.... Jenna gave a slight look down at her bare body half hidden benieth the water. She could use magic to make a bathing suit at any moment. Instead, she turned her gaze back to Sylas's face and hugged tighter.

Sylas smiled, opting to wrap his wings around Jenna, "So I'm the first to see your first go at wings? I feel honoured!" he then softly ran one of his hands long her attempts at wings then said, "Mind if I give a little pointer?"

His hand on her wing-stub felt great. The new structure was working perfectly! "Sure." Jenna responded, "I'd love any advice you could give." She laughed a little, partially from the feel of his wings. "I can't wait to see how jelous Roy is when I figure this out before him!"

He placed two fingers on her back, right where her attempts at the wings became flush with her back then said, "You'll want a joint here, with the muscles, if you want to have a full motion range. You'll also want to make the wing bones hollow, saves weight after all." He said with a smile.

As Sylas touched the spot, Jenna tried to move her wing stubs. They twitched some in an odd manner, but didn't seem to be able to move on thier own. "I don't have any idea how to form bones, just alter them slightly."

She mentally noted where the spots were that he pointed out. "I just know that's going to help me alot!" A blush crossed her face as Jenna ducked under the water a little more so it went up to her collar. "I just know I'm going to really enjoy them..." before she stopped herself, the shapeshifter added, "and you~" Then, she decided to tell Sylas something that could ruin her as a shapeshifter. "Something tells me I can really trust you."

Jenna held her hand above the water and put it on his firm cheast. A red floral pattern appeared on the back of it. She took her hand off of him and showed him the back so he was sure to see it. "It's the same kind of mark my mother had before I had to leave her.... I remember seeing it and immitating it when I was still around her. That's when they sent me into the orginazation...." A friendly expression crossed her face as she continued to confess. "I always keep it on my body somewhere. I just have to. Otherwise, I get really nervous. It sounds stupid, I know, but that's just the way I remember her wherever I am.... Shapeshifters are never under any conditions ment to have a defining mark."

Sylas smiled softly, "I don't see why that's meant to be a problem," He said, "At least I know that I'm talking to you if you change your form and I see that. Granted I can see how it can be harmful in your line of work but really... it's just another part of you like your abilities are." He then softly pulled the shapeshifet into a hug, "If you want, though, I'll keep it secret. Not even the divine will find out through me."

"I- uhh...." Jenna just accepted what he said. "Thanks...." If someone had told her that she would try to pull a knife on a man and be hugging him while naked in a hot spring within the day, she would have never believed them. And this was the second hug of the day, too. Deep inside, she knew he was the right one. That something about this was ment to be. Jenna desperately wanted to lean in and kiss him to complete the moment, but knew better than to do it so soon.... She wouldn't have even got in with him if he had propper man parts. Or would she?

Her face blushed as she went back to when she spotted the spring.... Good gosh, she would have gotten in! It was on her mind before even knowing about the lack of that area!

"It's hard to believe this is entirely by some chance. That we just happened to come here and be put in the same room...." Unknown to the shapeshifter, the hot spring was having subtle effects on her mind. "You don't think I... you know... gave myself up too quick, do you?"

He blinked, "I... don't actually know..." He blushed, "I've honestly not had much interaction with women... the only one I met who'd had a relationship was my own mother."

Jenna put her arms on the edge and hopped onto it to get a better feel of Sylas's wings. The water seemed to have been throwing off her concentration a little, but she kept her feet dipped in the hot spring over the edge right next to Sylas. As the shapeshifter massaged and felt his wings, she could tell her own were growing a little. A sharp pain came over her as she tried to form some kind of structure within the growing wings as she tried to focus on Sylas's back to ignore it....

"What was she like?" Jenna asked, trying to distract herself with his words. "Your mother. Didn't you say you were fighting since you were born?" She gritted her teeth to get through the process of growing bones. Somewhere inside, she felt she just had to impress him by mastering the new form. The humps on her back grew to what seemed a good length for the joint. Now, she had some basic movement to them.

Jessie nodded, as Jadie ruffled Jacks hair. "I`d love t to tag along with you as you find some friends. I`m looking for some of my own. She breathed in the air, and smiled "So what are you`r names?"

Jack smiled a little when Jaide ruffled his hair, before turning to the other girl.
"Well, im Jack, and this is Jaide. Were members of CO..." he stopped there, remembering that CORE was supposed to be kept a secret.

"So...whats your name?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Hot Springs by the smell of it, Carl," Zelcys said with a shrug, "I guess someone moved us here in the night..."

Cress pulled himself out of the hot spring. After drying himself off with a towel and changing into some fresh clothes, he went back over to the bed. He began making it, when he a strang piece of paper.

A few minutes later he found Jaide in a hallway with the guy from before. "Hey..." he said in a low voice. "So, can we talk?"