#especially because he feels like things are slipping from his control and ocelot is apart of that

[lostshitpirate]

Where does the idea that Ocelot is bitter and petty and jealous towards Kaz come from?

Maybe I’m delusional and ocelhira-pilled, but to me it never felt like Ocelot hated Kaz.

It felt that he kinda liked him or viewed him as a sort of friend? Like he’s tired from Kaz letting his paranoia and rage overcome him but hate or is jealous? Idk I haven’t finished mgsv yet so maybe it’s in the tapes or something

[blog-sliverofjade]

Hearth Fires 20: Losing Control

Pairing: Remi Denier x OFC

Summary:  Lorel Maddox just wants to live as a human, run her bakery in peace, and forget. Unfortunately, the alpha of the local leopard pack has very different ideas.

Remi Denier doesn’t know what to make of the female Changeling who wants nothing to do with him or the RainFire pack. He does know that he has a driving need to protect her. Even if it’s from herself.

While they’re embroiled in a battle of wills, there’s a war brewing on the horizon. The outside threat could not only destroy everything they hold dear, but tear apart the fragile new bonds of the Trinity Accord, plunging the world into bloodshed to rival the Territorial Wars of centuries past.

Word count: 3330

Hearth Fires Masterlist

Beta read by the incomparable @pandabearer CW for sexual content near the end

The course of true love never did run smooth.

-A Midsummer’s Night Dream by William Shakespeare

They annoyed each other, that was what they did, then Remi had to go and blow that understanding to smithereens.  How was Lorelei supposed to deal with that level of care and affection, especially from a man who sang to the being underneath her skin?  The strange, nameless connection that had formed between them when they first met was growing stronger and she could no longer shy away from it, not when he touched her with heart breaking tenderness.

Why couldn’t he go back to being a jerk?  He was clearly aware of the effect he had on her; no doubt he’d used his good looks to manipulate many a dazzled victim before, but he hadn’t tried talking her into bed.

Inexplicably, she felt safe with him, which was why she let him get away with things she’d allow no one else.  It was why she’d broken down in front of him instead of stifling the panic until she was alone and there was no one to see her break. 

It had been the stark fear for her in his eyes that made Lorelei give in to his demand.  As silly as it was, the thought that he worried made her feel cared for.  The anger and the directive were because he was truly afraid for her.  Oh sure, she was accustomed to orders that were ostensibly for her own good, but she’d always known on some level that they were all about controlling her.  His concern might be nothing more than that of an alpha for a weaker changeling, yet it did something to her all the same.

After finishing unpacking, which didn’t take long, she settled in the hammock-cushion-nest thing with something he’d sent her called “Welcome Module for Submissives.”  Some things were obviously missing, such as maps, and entire sections according to the table of contents.  Even though she knew it was ridiculous, she found herself hurt that he didn’t trust her with the information.  Why should he when she had no loyalties to RainFire?  

While she had no allegiance to the pack as a whole, she had to admit that bonds with several of its members were worming their way into her heart.  But that didn’t mean she was of a mind to go and ingratiate herself with the leopards, if they were even welcoming of a reluctant stranger in their midst.

She forgot to take the curiosity of baby cats into account.

Her acute hearing picked up the small knock at the front door.  Answering it, she found herself staring at open air before remembering she was surrounded by changelings.  Looking down, she saw Jojo in human skin.

“Hey Jojo, I’m afraid Remi’s not here.”

“Lo’el come.”  A little hand slipped in hers.  “I show you.”

“Jojo wants to show you around.”  A teenager crossed one of the suspension bridges that connected to Remi’s patio porch; he smiled in the exasperation of older siblings, but underneath that, she could tell there was a deep abiding love.  Her own chest ached with recognition and yearning for a familial love she’d never known.

“Hi, I’m-” she began and offered her hand, knowing that most youths appreciated being treated like adults.

“Lorelei, I know.  I’m Teo.”  His handshake was a little light, as if he were trying to be gentle and not due to timidity.  There was a leanness to his limbs that spoke of a recent growth spurt and was still adjusting to the new changes.  “When Jojo heard you were here, she wanted to make sure you know your way around.”

“Thank you, I get lost easily.”  It wasn’t a lie.  She stuck to the more well-trodden game trails near her cottage since she couldn’t always find her own scent trail again to make her way home.

And that was how she found herself taken on a meandering tour of places her tiny tour guide deemed important, with Teo serving as interpreter when excitement rendered Jojo largely unintelligible.  The youth was incredibly patient and helpful, the qualities no doubt inherited from Tien and honed by running herd on his little sister.  If he found Lorelei’s questions peculiar or something she should have already known, he gave no sign.

The Glade was the heart of RainFire, a network of aeries in trees bigger than anything she’d seen in her life were connected with rope bridges.  There were other buildings, some on the ground and some not.  They even had a cliff face for climbing that they’d enclosed with more panels to keep out the elements.

Her gregarious guide made sure to introduce her to everyone they came across, including people she’d met before.  She thought it was beyond strange that she was allowed to be alone with the two kids, until she realized that they were never out of sight of an adult.  It wasn’t that they were followed, there was no need when Jojo’s itinerary consisted of public places like the playground, where they gathered for meals, and the infirmary in case she got an “owie.”

She was getting used to them, but she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“What you got for me?” Remi asked without preamble as Lark entered his office.

“StormWillow’s also picking up the same subtle tensions we are and are happy to provide support and intel in exchange for our strength,” the sentinel reported, picking up on his unsociable mood.

It wasn’t that the avian changelings were weak, far from it, but when it came down to it, leopards could do far more damage than ravens.  And if the situation escalated, both groups would need to rely on the strengths of the other to make it through.  

He didn’t view alliances as a weakness, which was something Lumas Denier had maintained, even though he would have shattered any coalitions with his intractable attitude.  His father had always been obstinate, it was part of a predatory changeling’s makeup, but it grew worse after his mother’s death.  It was like he decided that he had to sever all remaining emotional ties, including that of his young son.

“You got someone in mind to play liaison?”

“Elijah.”

“Good, that’s what I was thinking, too,” he nodded.  “Make sure we have direct and backup lines of communication with StormWillow.  I want to amend our evacuation strategies at the next meeting in the possibility that areas with dense human populations become hostile.”

“You really think it’ll come to that?”  Her thin eyebrows climbed towards her hairline.

“I hope not, but my job’s to conjure up every conceivable nightmare and prepare for it,” Remi sighed and ran a hand over his face.

“Is that why you brought in the little ocelot?” asked Lark with a tilt of her head.  He shot her a sharp look and she held up her hands.  “Pack is family, and we’re cats.  Sticking our noses in each other’s business comes with the territory.”

“Keep your nose out of this,” he glared.

“Look, you can suffocate a submissive,” she continued on, ignoring him.  “This is a whole new world to her, give her time to settle into it and find her own way.”

“You think I don’t know that?”  His leopard didn’t like being questioned over its ability to care for its mate.

“I think you’re forgetting that if she’s under RainFire’s protection then that includes protection from you if she needs it.”

Dinner was interesting, to say the last.

Rough timbers of the roof crossing overhead contrasted with gleaming hardwood underfoot.  Towards the left and the right, trunks of ancient trees cut through the floor and continued up through the ceiling.  Tables and chairs were scattered along the curve of windows overlooking a steep valley below, the trees a patchwork of green, yellow, orange, and red.

Jojo ran off to join Darin at another table, both of them chattering away to each other and their older packmates.  After Teo got her oriented, Lorelei thanked him and told him to go and join the boy who waved to him from across the room.  He flashed her a brilliant smile, pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, and dashed off with a wink.  She laughed and shook her head; she should have known that there was some mischief under all that good behaviour, he was a cat, after all.

She felt like she was back in middle school all over again with no idea where to sit.  Although she was hungry, she only had a salad and some fruit, her self-consciousness preventing her from eating anything more where people could judge her for her choices.  After her drama earlier, she didn’t want to risk another.  In the end, she found a seat in an unobtrusive corner; however, adult cats were just as curious as baby cats and she soon found herself surrounded by company.

Remi didn’t make an appearance.  Then again, not everyone was present, either; people came and went according to their own schedules.  Not that she was disappointed or anything.

People laughed and chattered, a thousand scents mingled, children giggled and ran underfoot.  It was all too much.  The cat felt claustrophobic, it wanted to rend and claw and maim until it was free.  

That terrified Lorel.  She’d worked to keep her angry ocelot imprisoned, contained by sheer willpower while remaining sane.  According to Remi, that was the opposite of what she should be doing, and he appeared to be right since she seemed to be getting worse, but she didn’t know what to do nor did she trust anyone other than him enough to admit her problem.

Ghost images of blood and flesh and bone flashed through her mind like a grisly movie.  They were memories, but they weren’t hers, weren’t human.  The remembered taste of blood coated her tongue and was a bucket of cold water to bring her out of the rage.  Bile rose at the realization of how badly she wanted to tear into something living.

The beat of her heart thundered through her, strong enough to drown out all other sounds, and she quivered under the force.  She bit her lower lip and took a deep trembling breath.  

Murmuring a good night to those who’d joined her, she made her way back to the aerie in the soft darkness before she could harm the wonderful people who’d brought her into their home.  She was the monster under the bed, her own personal bogeyman.

Remi quietly entered the aerie, not wanting to wake Lorelei.  He’d taken an extra patrol, not that it was necessary; it was merely a precaution and not at all because he’d avoided being alone with a sexy little ocelot.  He loved having her in his space, picking up his scent, even if it was only a superficial layer.  The leopard rolled around in her sweetly sexy scent like a housecat in catnip.

His leopard purred.  Bastard was smug now that she was in his territory, in his aerie.  Poor baby didn’t even realize she was following the instinct to explore, to mark the place as hers.

The rustle of blankets and a faint moan froze him mid-step.  When it seemed no other noise was forthcoming, he continued padding into his bedroom.  A tiny whimper, the helplessness of it stripped him to the one.  The security system hadn’t been tripped nor did he smell an intruder, only the deliciousness of Lorelei, albeit deeper than usual.

The animalistic need to visually confirm she was all right overrode the civilized notion of privacy.  Sliding the door to his office-turned-guest room open, the scent of her reached out and ensnared him in silken ribbons.  His brain needed a minute to confirm what he was seeing and when it did, he went painfully hard in a single pulse.

Small feet shifted restlessly on the sheets, her hips rolling as she worked her core over the pillow squeezed to within an inch of its life between her creamy thighs.  Her tank top was twisted, one breast spilling out, the nipple tightly furled.  He wanted to rip back the covers, throw her legs over his shoulders, and sink balls deep into her; he wanted to leave his scent all over her, in her.

Her brows knitted together, and she whined again, that luscious mouth settling into a pout.  A slight snore told him that she was still asleep.

“What’s wrong, ma joli catin?” he whispered.

“Can’t.  Need,” she mumbled, her face screwing up in frustration, and continued to rub herself on the pillow.  In her semi-asleep state, she couldn’t find her release.

“Come for me.”  He laced the order with his dominance.

The throaty cry as she fell apart, spine bowing and head thrown back, had him nearly spilling in his jeans like a boy seeing a naked woman for the first time.  

“Good girl,” he purred.

Her breathing evened out and her face relaxed into the slackness of sleep.

Appalled at himself, he stumbled back, barely remembering to slide the door shut.  Remi had never, never used his dominance to enforce submission from a woman sexually.  Until now.  Head hanging between his shoulders, guts knotting, he braced himself over the sink.  Even his erection wilted in shame.

The animal inside him wanted her on the most primal level and struggled against the morals of the man.  The beast only understood that she was his, couldn’t understand why he wasn’t exchanging naked skin privileges with its mate.

Just because she was his mate didn’t give him the right to take what he wanted.  Until she approached him, he would wait.  To do otherwise would be taking advantage of his position like she’d accused him of.  It would be another step towards the poisonous stew of aggression he grew up in, and one there was no coming back from.

ma joli catin - my pretty doll