"Forget it. The letters and sounds don't line up. All I'm trying to say is your plan failed terribly."
"So why not just say that? You spent a small lifetime explaining something simple."
She holds her middle digit up at me with a look of murder on her face. As if her tiny pink claw could do anything against me. Plus, murder takes more energy than what she has right now, which she proves by how fast the expression drops from her features.
"If I knew what that meant, it might be one of the few instances of you using quick, effective communication."
"It means fornicate with you... except it doesn't."
"You are the most confounding being I have ever met. Let me see if I understand this. It's an invitation, but not an invitation? An insult."
"Yes. Exactly."
"Well, what if you need to actually extend that invitation, but now it's an insult?"
"You wish,lizardbreath."
"Wish for which, though? Hold. Disregard that inquiry. I've had enough of Kira loops of insanity. We need a better plan."
"That's what I just said, hole in rear."
"No. All you communicated is how delusional you are and how very little you know about communicating that you're in heat."
"What the fornicate? I'm not adog."
Next, she'll be explaining what that is, probably in ways that bring up more questions and confusion. "I don't need to know, Kira."
"It's a— "
"Hold."
" —four-legged, furry— "
"Enough."
" —animal with— "
I finally reach my limit and pounce, covering her ceaselessly flapping, incredibly confusing mouth with its useless teeth.
The fact that she's currently trying, and failing, to penetrate the much thinner skin of my hand with them as she flails in my grip is further evidence, not that I needed it. Considering how loose my hold is, since I don't want to hurt her ribs, she is well past the end of her energy.
I let out a huff and loosen my grip even more, since I suppose I do like speaking with her, even when she is confounding.
I'd also prefer not to be stabbed in my sleep, although that doesn't stop me from taking advantage of my current hold on her to move us farther back into the cave. It is just deep enough to provide protection from the howling wind.
Judging by the cracking and groaning sounds outside, there will be a lot of downed trees once it passes.
Kira continues to bite me as I walk her back, but I can tell she isn't putting much energy into it, otherwise she'd be trying to stab me with that sword. In fact, she doesn't even start cursing me when I let her mouth go.
Instead, she turns her body into my embrace and even makes a contented sigh when I situate her so she is tucked up against me, my limbs and tail ensuring she isn't laying on the cold ground.
The smell of her heat surges, and I take in a long breath of it. It feels like more of an invitation than it ever has now that she's communicating her intent with more than just her scent.
The time is not right, though, and something tells me that she wouldn't be interested in a drakonid version of ending a heat, that she wouldn't just be content with continuing her line and waving me away.
The idea of that both terrifies and thrills me, then I remind myself that I can't have the sort of deep bonds manticorids and humans have.
This moment will just have to be enough.
