Tasha did not get any sleep once back in the real world. Of all of them, only Lacci wasn't keyed up (the Vartan was actually very quiet on the flight back to the resort). Even if Tasha wanted to get some sleep, the others wouldn't have let her. It was only hunger that eventually ended the bedroom romp the Karnors threw themselves into. In many ways they were still on the hunt, but it was Tasha who was the prey (and Hakeber to a lesser extent). Gabriel was especially active throughout.
Tasha certainly doesn't mind being prey. If she were being very honest, it's how she prefers things, but occasionally she finds a need and want to take charge. Not this time, for which she is as thankful as she is worn out. Her new body isn't so robust as the last, and certainly not as strong, creating a new experience of genuinely being overwhelmed, even overpowered, and she's sure she squeaked and yelped more than a few times as one or more of her partners put her in her place -- and for Gabriel that meant staying in that place for about half an hour.
Not that Tasha minds that, either.
There are smells wafting up from the ground floor. Breakfast smells. And another vaguely familiar one as well. Even Tasha's sense of smell seems keener at the moment. Hakeber is the first to declare, "Time out for breakfast! And coffee. Lots of coffee."
"Fine, but don't waste any time getting dressed," Gabriel growls.
Tasha's noise is noncommittal, mainly from being well and truly worn in to a heap. She wouldn't have expected this of herself earlier in life, but all the signs were there and had always been, She supposes this is just her being honest with herself. And given her new state, she can't help but wonder which go around will be the one that sees her pregnant. It adds a special excitement and a little chill; her current bet is on the one where Gabriel bit her scruff and held her down for the whole thing.
At least Galactic technology means that her impression in the bed vanishes almost as soon as Katie helps her up. "If we don't hurry Hakeber will wolf down all the sausage!" she exhorts. But at least she lingered long enough to help Tasha up.
And Tasha does need help. She wobbles for a moment, feeling a bit full already from the encounters, but not in any way that would prevent her from eating a breakfast -- and even if it did she'd try anyway. "I'm up, I'm up," she insists, standing a bit funny. She accepts Gabriel's insistence she not need to dress, but does at least grab her bathrobe to sit on as she heads out.
The spread is large as usual, but the only other person at the table is Yue, looking like she just got out of the shower. She's still in a bathrobe as well. "Lapis ran off about ten minutes after you all got back, and Lacci left not long after," the Human informs them. She's the source of the vaguely familiar scent, which Tasha can't quite place.
Tasha just sist on her towel, looking as throughly used as she was. Her hair's all askew, her fur is a bit ruffled, and she looks like what happens to pretty, delicate wolves when big bad ones catch them. Even her left ear is a little inside out. "You smell funny," she notes, grinning a stupid grin at the pun.
"You all smell like sweaty dogs to me," Yue says, filling about half of her plate before eating. She looks tired as well.. and all of the Karnors look no better than Tasha right now, even Katie (although she manages to look less frazzled somehow). "What were you all up to before you got back? I know what you were up to once you did get back."
"Killed stuff with the Wild Hunt," Tasha answers, managing to sound especially teenagerly despite being in her twenties. She begins spearing sausages, which makes her giggle for some reason. They go on her plate.
"Well, didn't see than in the brochure," Yue admits. "I suppose that's why the bunnies fled. Which left me all alone. An empath." She looks accusingly at the the others, but settles on Tasha because the Karnors are too busy stuffing their maws and hogging all the coffee.
Tasha squints her eyes and tries to project all the debauchery she can think of at Yue, which given the night is quite a lot. She even touches the sides of her temples in that classic -- and unnecessary -- manner of Terran holovid psionic users from across the centuries.
"I didn't get any sleep last night," Yue complains, apparently unfazed by Tasha's attempts. "I had so many cold showers and baths I think I've permanently lowered my core body temperature."
"Why didn't you leave with the others?" Hakeber asks.
"I was also drinking a lot," Yue replies.
"I didn't get any sleep either, so we're even." Tasha then looks to Hakeber and then thumbs at her, "Do you need to borrow Hake? And why were you drinking?" There's more squiniting, but concerned this time. "Are you okay?"
"I was drinking to try and numb my brain," Yue explains. "Psionic abilities depend a lot on higher brain functions. And I have a therapist-patient relationship with Hakeber."
"Yeah.. that'd be weird," Hake agrees, her mouth full of scrambled eggs.
"Glad that doesn't apply to bosses," Tasha remarks, nodding slowly. She forks a sausage and then has to stare at it a moment until the urge to go join Gabriel again fades away. "I still think you smell funny. Familiar."
"She smells like you did," Gabriel points out, even using a sausage. "Human arousal smell."
"Is that what that smells like." Tasha considers this, head tilted, and then nods. "Huh," she goes, having wondered what her Human self seemed like, and now she knows a little more. "Humans are weird."
"You don't smell the same as you used to," Katie claims. "Not like a Karnor or Vartan now."
"I'm super unique and special. You should all feel lucky to have me," the red woman insists, pointing a fork at the entire table, including Yue because leaving her out would require a level of fork work she hasn't the focus for at the moment. "So what do I smell like? I mena I learned I can roar-bark, and that's fun."
"Different," Gabriel says. "Similar enough to recognize you, but not quite the same... foundation."
"It's a little puzzling, I agree. I'm not sure what I feel like, either. I don't remember anything like me from Sinai or Abaddon, anyway," Tasha admits.
"You still feel alright," Hakeber claims.
"I think I must be softer. I know I'm sighter, but I'm starting to get used to that. I like the cloven feet and the speckles on my legs." And since she is continently not wearing anything, these new features are readily evident.
"Maybe that's why fairies like you," Hakeber suggests.
"Faeries like me?" So far Tasha has found faeries mostly ignore her, which she supposes may be how they like things, she hasn't figured them out well enough to say. "I thought they liked you all and found me a bit boring."
"They talk to you though," Hakeber points out. "The devil introduced himself even."
"Maybe they see me as more like a colleague or kindred spirit," Tasha suggests. "I mean, and I don't want to surprise anyone here, but I do like to mess with people some times and I have a habit of tricking mortals and entrapping them in a weird place."
"You mean Lacci?" Yue asks. "Who have you been tricking and entrapping?"
"Oh you know, various people." Tasha makes an airy spinning gesture with her fork. "Probably crazy people."
"Name two," Yue asks.
"As the boss I can't be ordered by anyone," Tasha insists, and then she starts munching away while smiling.
"She did trick and entrap herself," Gabriel claims with a grin. Just before he gulps down a mug of coffee in one swallow.
"Even I can't escape me," Tasha agrees, nodding slowly and wisely.
"Well.. done eating?" Gabriel asks Tasha. He's already gone through three plates.
"I guess I am if you're asking." Tasha leans back and holds her arms up.
Gabriel grabs Tasha's arms and pulls her up, then tosses her so he can catch her in his arms again and carries her back upstairs. "You girls clean up a bit!" he tells Hakeber and Katie.
Once Tasha was eventually released, and had a nap, she found she was having some difficulty moving. Her limbs and back were complaining, and Yue quipped that her body's new warranty may have just expired. It was the key to her and Miss Necessity's devious plot, however, which involved dragging the women off for a spa day.
And so Tasha, Hakeber, Katie, Yue, Lacci, Liza and 'Felicity Ness' found themselves naked and on their stomachs on massage tables all facing inwards like the spokes of a wheel towards a short pedestal that was producing some sort of calming incense. As usual, Lacci seemed the most ill at ease, even though she got the strongest masseur: a Pan that had to stand on a ledge around the table to get up high enough, but who undoubtedly had the strongest hands. The others were all humans, with Yue and Liza having women while the others got men, save for Necessity who got a Karnor with yellow fur and broad floppy ears who was always grinning.
"I feel like this is a round-a-bout way of beating me up for something. Many things. I lose count sometimes," Tasha mock-complains, feeling both sore and sorely abused, now also by her supposed spa day. She wonders how it is that when her employees want something they end up steering her around so that she'll chose it; it's what she gets for having so many sneaks.
"Have you been running around on all fours?" Tasha's masseur asks, as he tries to stretch out her calve muscles.
"Katie probably has," Hakeber claims with a grin. Part of her tongue is hanging out though too - apparently her massage isn't as painful.
"I've been doing something on all fours, certainly." Despite herself, Tasha's tail wags. It's very sinuous when it wags, too many muscles and too much articulation, too precise, but it's a wag none-the-less.
At least her tail isn't sore! "You could do with some forest training, Hakeber," Katie counters. "Work off some of that pizza."
"This is actually my first professional massage," Necessity notes. Lacci.. squawks.. something as her chimpanzee works her shoulders.
"I agree. You should attack the forest and go with Katie." Tasha has her own plans for Hakeber, something to try and break her out of whatever mental prison her wolf-side is on, but she's still working it out. Perhaps running with Katie will do what she can't, not yet. "In fact I think I'm going to suggest you join Shojo for a bit."
"Aren't you a professional massage-er, Miss ... Ness?" Tasha is unused to Miss Necessity's real name. "I just assumed the two of you did all of that."
"Not professional," Necessity claims. Katie notes, "She's still pretty good, after lots of practice though. Yeah, you should come out with me and Lacci, Hakeber. Don't you want to know what the guys are up to on their nature walks?"
"Urf.. you could just tell me," Hakeber replies.
"No, no I could not," Katie claims.
"Yes you should. In fact, I'm going to have Gabriel order it. You clearly want to let go in a better way, and now it's time." Tasha reaches to her left arm and punches in the request to Gabriel, sending it off along with a hand-drawn heart. "I will forgo spying on them. I can't risk Shojo thinking I doubt his ability."
"He can be scary," Lacci notes. Her feathers are puffed out at the moment.
"Nature is good for the soul," Yue says. "I plan to head out as well and soak up some serenity."
"Do you want company, Yue?" Liza asks, and only-slightly-taller human agrees.
Tasha nods to this, if mutedly. "Yes he can, but he has a good heart. And, I want to trust him to do his job without me showing up to look over his shoulder. Which, conveniently for me, means no forest trips unless I feel like, well, communing with the wildlife." Also known a faeries. "And since you two are heading out, I suppose I'll do the same. I can paint and rest."
"What are you going to paint?" Necessity asks. "I know there are both life-model and body painting courses available here."
"Oh you know, my own sort of thing. Experiences. All in the cards," Tasha replies airily, and thus, dismissively. She waves it off. "What matters is I get my thoughts on canvas."
The masseur tries to tackle the tension in Tasha's rear, which has seen a lot of strenuous action lately. "Miss, your tail keeps grabbing my arm," he tells her.
"I prefer poetry for capturing my thoughts," Liza admits.
Tasha rolls her shoulders. "It does that when people grab my butt. Just wrestle it out of the way," she insists.
Hakeber's attendant hasn't complained about getting whacked by her tail so far, at least. "Ma'am, you have to stop tensing up," the ape tells Lacci. "The idea is to relax."
"I can relax!" Lacci squawks in alarm.
Tasha's laugh is musical. "If you can figure out how to get Lacci to relax I'll pay you ten times the service, because you'll have performed a miracle."
"Maybe the manicure will work better for her," Necessity suggests.
"Or the sauna," Yue points out. "She's got at least half of her than can sweat."
"We can only hope." Tasha exhales, melting in to the bed and reaching ineffectually towards the ground. "Well, now that you all have me here, is there anything you need or wanted to ask?"
"I want ice cream," Hakeber says.
"Do you have anything you need scheduled?" Liza asks.
"Annnd no, I don't want Jonas giving me the frowny face because I let you eat too much ice cream. You can have some after you run with Katie." Tasha taps her chin, thinking, then shakes her head. "Other than my forest exploits and mentor-time, no. There are a few Karnor teens I think we'd benefit from meeting, though. I'll forward you her contact number and information. I think it's important to remember who we're helping." And so Tasha does just that, swiping her finger across her arm and over to Liza.
"I hadn't realized we were meant to be helping people," Necessity says. "But I suppose we aren't hurting any either."
"We help indirectly, which I think is important to remember. There are consequences to failure, and even if people don't know what we do, they still benefit from it. I thought it'd help peoples' sanity to remember that." Tasha holds up a hand. "It's also very grounding."
"Wait.. we have to be sane now too?" Hakeber asks. "Won't that interfere with our work?"
Tasha's chuckle is light but dark. "Well, there's a threshhold, Hake. We try to stay in that." And so she spreads her hands. "But shouldn't we be relaxing?"
"Maybe we should skip the sauna and go for a hookah," Yue suggests. "Even Lacci will relax then."
"Does it come with lunch?" Hakeber asks.
"Fondue is available," Yue's masseuse says.
"I think I prefer the sauna. Hookahs remind me too much of places I left behind," Tasha admits. "And Hake does not need fondue. Fondue is for post Katie only. Lacci's not the only one that needs to toughen up. I spoke with, um, Grandfather Wolf and he was quite clear about it."
"I'm tough!" Hakeber claims. "I hung out with mercenaries.. for my studies.."
"You will not convince the Mighty Tasha so easily. Mighty Tasha accepts only action and deeds," the red woman insists. She then stretches as much as she is able to, and lays her head on her hands. "More toughness is required. Yue, martial arts for Hake. We'll figure this out."
"Well, I suppose I can teach her," Yue says, looking thoughtful. "Probably more useful than Aaron teaching her to box."
"I don't want him fighting anymore," Liza says.
"Please do. Katie can handle the forest. I'll think of something, myself." Tasha glances at Liza and explains, "It's not fighting, but training."
"And you can join in the lessons as well, Tasha.. although I'm not sure how to work with hooves. Lacci, is there a Vartan fighting style?"
"I don't have that sort of training, but Shojo has a style.. that may just be his, I'm not sure."
Tasha turns to Lacci. "Yes, is there a style for as intimidating a figure as mine?" She smiles.
"Hmm. Tail wagging?" Lacci suggests.
"I think that's a Karnor style." But Tasha exhales huffily, so Lacci feels like she has got her somehow. "I suppose I'll just have to rely on my other talents."
"Fluffy wings?" Lacci asks.
"Well, you could work on your sex appeal," Katie suggests. "But.. I don't know that you'd really get much use from it in practice."
"Just one of my many talents," Tasha insists, and bats her wings in display. She then glances in Katie in askance, actually looking -- and smelling -- surprised. "I'm not sexy enough for you? Is this a personal request, then? I had thought I'd done well enough there, although I know I'm not a professional. I have been trying to rely on talents other than my raw ... physicality."
"I mean what would you use it for?" Katie clarifies. "It's a skill, a sort of weaponized, directed form rather than just something raw."
"Like how Mr. Yves uses it," Necessity says. "Maybe Gabriel, in a more subconscious way."
"I think that'd make me uncomfortable. Whatever I am, I'm not comfortable with using my looks and teasing to get my way. I'll just brow beat them with charm and confusion like I always do." And so Tasha shakes her head. "I think I'm deceptive enough as it is."
"Don't worry, you've got me for weaponized sex-appeal," Katie claims. "That should be plenty."
"That is very true. Why would I do it when I already have an expert? I should stick to what I'm good at," Tasha agrees.
"You're best off cultivating your professional persona," Liza says.
"Not to mention my rare fanciness," Tasha agrees. She wags her tail again, then holds her arms out before letting them flop. "Okay, enough talking. I am going to relax now; we should all try and do the same while we can."