"Yeah?" He asked, bumping his shoulder into her paw. "Wanna play?
Come on then. Let's rumble," Amadeus told her excitedly, reaching
out to lightly, playfully swat her hip. "You'll have have to get up
to pin me though. Otherwise it looks like I've pinned you, lovely
lady."
Benji rumbled happily, rubbing against her for a bit longer. Then
he moved, climbing up her arm to rest against her neck. His chin
brushed against hers and his tail flicked against her chest and
arm. He hummed, clearly happy with the turn of events.
Purring loudly, Myanna got up to all fours and lowered her
shoulders a little as she got ready to jump at him. When she did,
she was careful and gentle. A quiet growl came from her as she
attacked. Of course I wanna play!
"Such a good boy," Jabrielle whispered as she turned her head a
little to face him a bit more, one hand rose up and gently stroked
under his chin, the other came up to gently pat his tail. "I don't
know how anyone could be cruel to somebody so cute and well
behaved..."
Amadeus laughed, standing his ground as he wrestled with her. He
was careful not to grab too hard or in a spot she may not like but
he was game to rough house. "I take it I'm an okay guy? You'll let
me back in to clean and get your space looking even better? To play
again?" He chuckled, pushing her off him and spreading his arms for
her to come at him again.
Benji puffed out his chest, looking rather smug. Why yes, yes he
was a good boy. He was the best, most well behaved and handsome guy
out there. Rubbing his head against hers, he let out another
rumbling purr.
Myanna didn't use her full strength, knowing that she could easily
hurt him if not kill him if she wasn't careful. Humans were so
delicate. She hopped back to come at him again, her tail swishing
out behind her. She rumbled a playful growl before charging a
little harder to knock him over onto the softer soil part of the
cage, her heavy paws on his shoulders pinning him down. She purred
loudly before laying down on top of him and rubbing her head on
his.
Jabrielle giggled and rubbed under his chin a bit more. "The best
boy," She chuckled before taking a breath. "Now, do you think I
could clean that part of your cage for you? Do you want to stay up
there or hop down?" She had noticed a small mess, but nothing too
hard to clean up.
Myanna rumbled and was careful in how she nibbled at one of his
hands before kissing the spot with her rough almost sandpaper like
tongue. She hadn't really been told that she was amazing, only
cool, and awesome, in the same sort of way that a child looks at a
new toy. This was a different kind of praise. A kind of praise that
she would be very happy to hear and be around.
"I'll take that as you'll stay there," Jabrielle chuckled as she
started working on cleaning and tidying his cage. She planned to
clean the others quickly and come back to spend more time with him
before heading off.
Amadeus ruffled the fur on her side. "You are a big sweetheart,
aren't you? I think you're going to be my favorite...alright, I
gotta do some working. The others probably are in just as much need
of some TLC too."
Benji watched, rubbing against her cheek. He would do it himself
but he had no idea how. Looking around from up on her shoulders, he
learned the layout of his cage.
Myanna huffed and grumbled but got herself up off of him. She sat
down next to the door, not blocking it, but next to it. Perhaps
he'd give her some more scritches on his way out, and if she was
lucky he'd forget the lock.
Jabrielle did her cleaning quickly and was soon done. "Now, the
other fellas are gonna need some help too... But I'll come back
before I leave for some more time with you..."
Amadeus smiled, getting up and brushing off his worn jeans and
black ACDC shirt. "I know. But they are probably in need as much as
you. Tell ya what. I'll come back and play before I go to bed,
okay?" He said, reaching out to give her some scritches along her
jaw and the top of her head. He slipped out, closing the door as
best he could. Amadeus hadn't been told about the faulty gate.
Benji chittered, holding on and hunkering down on her shoulders.
She was leaving? But he...he really liked her, had he done
something wrong?
Myanna didn't hear the usual click and knew that she would be able
to go for a walk. If she had caught the scent of the weather on him
right then it was a clear night. Perhaps she could actually get
out. She would wait for him to be busy with another cage before she
would try and leave.
"Oh buddy," Jabrielle reached up with one hand, not to remove him,
but to rub under his chin. "I gotta go help the other animals...
I'll come back to play more after I'm done with them."
Snagging some more food and some supplies to clean up any messes,
Amadeus set off to see what he was working with in the other cages
and enclosures. He spent time checking out the komodo dragon that
had been mentioned before feeding the fish and the shark. He didn't
have the feeling anything was off or different.
Benji leaned into the pets, enjoying the attention. He sighed,
climbing down her back and watching her from the ground.
Chittering, he told her she had to return. And asked fot mangos
before laying down on the ground.
Myanna carefully put her paws up next to the door and opened the
door utilizing one paw and her mouth to open said door. Once it was
open all she had to do was walk through and make sure she didn't
make much noise, which she didn't. The door was left ajar as she
started walking away towards the back of the building. She knew her
owner would be somewhere upstairs or out front.
Jabrielle told him that she'd bring a plate of different fruits for
him when she came back. She brought the plate out with her, but
what she forgot was a clip that went on the latch for the door. The
clip would keep the clever little panda from undoing the latch. She
busied herself with cleaning the other cages and interacting with
the other animals albeit a bit more carefully until she got to know
them and they got used to her.
The only reason Amadaus found out about her stroll was because he
noticed the ajar cage door when he went to put away some supplies
and get new ones. Swearing softly, he ran to check the cage. Not
seeing her, he hurried out to check the hallway. That's when he
remembered the door to outside for emergencies.
Benji, on his hunt around the room, noticed the missing latch. This
could be his only opportunity. Darting forward, he opened his cage
before heading out. Treading lightly, he hoped there would be some
sunshine. Otherwise he was in some serious trouble. He heard dogs
barking, probably smelling him. And humans in another room. But so
far he had found no one.
Myanna had left the emergency door partially open as well, and was
just getting to the tree line at the edge of the property when she
heard a noise at the door she had come through. She glanced back to
see Amadeus there, but she knew he wouldn't catch up to her for a
while. She needed to stretch. She then trotted off between the
trees and underbrush, her white fur standing out stark against the
dark foliage.
Jabrielle was on her way back to grab some supplies when she
noticed the panda's cage open and she heard the dogs barking. That
must be where he went. She walked quickly, not wanting to frighten
him should she come upon him.
"Oh no...oh no!" Amadeus groaned, taking off after her. "Come back,
girl! Please, come back! You can't be out here. Someone is going to
see and call the police and they'll hurt you! Oh god...come back,"
he hissed, keeping his voice low so as not to alert someone. His
arms and legs were pumping, eating up land as he tore after her. He
didn't pay any attention to the bushes, branches or rocks that hit
him. He just wanted to bring her back in.
Benji was so focused on the outside and the barking dogs that he
didn't notice the brunette coming up behind him. He was searching
for a door or a window. If he could find a window, he could open
it! And if the sun was out, he could change! And hopefully stretch
and run.
The moon began pushing its way out of the clouds and it provided
light for Amadeus to see by. Further ahead of him a figure moved in
a beam of light that came through a break in the canopy. In it
stood a woman with white hair that came down past her rear, hiding
that she was bare as the day she was born. She had one hand held up
in front of her and it seemed she was studying her palm. "It's been
so long..." Came her voice, soft and light. Myanna knew that she
had been followed, but, she had shifted back. She needed at least a
few minutes and now that he knew, perhaps he could help her get out
more often. First he'd have to figure out that she was the same
feline that he had played with.
Jabrielle was looking for him and she spotted him, but he was right
near a partially open window and she didn't want to startle him
into going through it. "Hey buddy, come on and come back... I'm
gonna get in trouble if you get out..."
Amadeus was struck by her beauty and the fact she was, well,
standing nude on his employers property with a Bengal tiger on the
loose. "Excuse me, miss? I need you to go inside. I...sort of
accidently let a tiger out. She's friendly, from what I can tell
but she is still a tiger and I need to know you are safe inside.
Please, please don't alert anyone she is free yet...I don't want
her to get hurt," he said, pulling his shirt up over his head. The
tall youth was heavily muscled, working with strong animals all
day. But he took his shirt off to give her something to wear. Not
as an advance on her. "Here. So you've got something to wear."
Benji was sitting up on his hind legs, preparing to jump up when
she called out to him. Frozen, he stared up at her with his big
brown eyes. After a moment, he pulled back, his hands curled
against his chest and tail curling around him. He didn't want her
to get in trouble. Certainly he was in for it now. So close! Yet so
far...the sun was just starting to rise. He could run, sure, but
all the doors were probably locked anyway. She'd probably see him
if he attempted to jump out. Then where would he be? All it would
take is someone catching him and her telling for him to wind up
back where he was. Only, probably in a zoo and surrounded by
strange people. He so did not want that!
Myanna chuckled softly and turned to accept his shirt putting it on
before looking him in the eye. Her own mismatched eyes staring into
his. "The tiger and I are most definitely both safe... Though she
is most definitely not free... You are a very sweet man for being
so kind and thoughtful to me... It had been far too long since
anyone actually played with me..." She had taken a step towards
him, even though she was more than half a foot shorter than him,
her body language screamed predator. The way she held herself, the
way she seemed to tear things apart with her eyes, and even the way
she spoke. She looked like the cat that got itself out of the bag.
All she needed now were ears.
Jabrielle let out a slow shaky breath and she held out her hand.
"Here, come on... I can talk to Maggy and see if I can find a way
to get you outside for a while, but until then, I need you to come
back before anyone finds you over here... I don't know what could
happen to you if you got out in a place like this... This place
isn't like where you're from..." She wasn't angry, but she seemed
worried about his well being and her own.
Amadeus stared, putting two and two together but unable to
comprehend what his senses were telling him. This was a predator.
His mind screamed tiger. Her eyes, her hair, thr fact she was naked
and referenced playing, all of it kept pointing to the fact she was
in fact the tiger. "...but...but...you are human...I don't
understand. You..." He blinked, then rubbed his eyes before
reaching out to touch her cheek. "...what's going on? Am I being
pranked? Is this a stunt? Are you really a tiger?" He whispered,
less in disbelief and more just to confirm the fact.
Benji rolled onto his side, baring his belly to her in an apology.
He wasn't so sure how well him goijg outside would be. He didn't
want it to be at night. Night got him no where. But during the day,
they would watch him like hawks, making his change impossible. He
couldn't control it. And being watched...he didn't want to be hurt.
A whimper escaped him. Sure he was a cute, cuddly panda now. But
would she like him when he revealed be was a five foot three,
skinny red head too? His mother had warned him. Why hadn't he
listened? Because he thought himself hot stuff? He would be careful
next time. If he got a next time.
Myanna leaned her head over to rest it in his hand. "I am a tiger,
and if my owner finds out about this, he would make my life
hell..." She had a feeling he wouldn't say anything. Now that he
knew, he could help her get outside once in a while. The moon began
to duck back behind thick clouds and the woman before him began to
grow and change. It didn't seem painful, and it wasn't. In mere
moments the slim woman had become the large tiger. She still had
his shirt on, and it looked quite funny, very much like putting a
shirt on a dog. She sat down and looked up at him with her blue and
yellow green eyes. What would he do now? Run? Faint? Yell? Fall on
his ass? She cocked her head to the side as she studied him,
waiting for his reaction.
Jabrielle smiled slightly and reached over to pick him up. "You're
okay, I can probably find a way to get you outside at some
point..." A breeze moved by the window and it made it as though the
outside was calling to him. A ray of sunlight poked its way through
a different window and it landed on the wall above him. The
sanctuary was at the edge of the town so there was a decent sized
patch of woods behind the buildings.