Blur the Lines

The jaguar collided with Aliana so hard that the tiny fae was thrown from her feet, landing on her back with the murderous feline atop of her. She yelped as sharp claws bit into her shoulders, the cat using its superior weight to pin her down as lethal fangs came for her face and throat. Ali pressed her paws to the jaguar's chest and neck, pushing with all her might. She wasn't strong enough to dislodge the predator, but she was able to just barely hold it back, feeling snaps at her fur far too close for comfort. She grunted and struggled, doing all she could to buy herself as many precious seconds as she could while she growled in an attempt to make herself appear threatening, though its effect was entirely lost on the dainty woman who was currently on her back. Just as she was beginning to feel her muscles weaken beneath the continued strain of holding the cat at bay, the weight of her attacker disappeared in a blur of black and white.

Ali gasped while she hurried to right herself, watching Chimera tumble and scuffle about with the jaguar. Between the snarls and growls it was hard to tell what was happening, but the fight lasted only about a minute before Chimera had the jaguar on the ground with his wicked teeth tearing its throat to shreds. The feline gave a panicked yowl that faded into a choking gurgle as it died beneath the behemoth's paws, and just like that she had been saved. Ali panted, each hard breath trying to pull more air into her lungs while her head spun. She looked up at Chi with wide eyes when he approached her soaked in the jaguar's blood, but it wasn't his appearance that panicked her. In fact, she felt far safer knowing he was here now and had saved her life. Ali slowly got control of her breathing again while he helped her to her paws with a gentle kindness uncharacteristic of him and asked if she was all right. Ali took a moment to look herself over, finding only pricks of blood on her shoulders where the cat's claws held her to the ground. Otherwise, she was unharmed.

"I-I'm fine. Thank you." She looked at her shoulders again; they'd be fine after she covered the bleeding enough for them to clot. Her worried aquamarine eyes turned to Chimera then, looking over his body and noting that some of the blood covering him was his own from where the jaguar's claws had rent into his flesh. Her ears folded back, taking a slow step closer to him. "Are you all right...?" she asked him in turn, peering up to catch his gaze. If he was hurt, she wanted to tend to him. He’d saved her life, it was the least she could do for him.

"Aliana"