You Otter Not Mess With Her

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

"Why?" Vissica bit in reply, somewhat sharply. She felt the initial clasp release on her armor carapace, and the Selonian turned her shoulder away in a quarter rotation, causing her thick tail to nearly trip up the Nehantite's balance and intentions.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal stumbled for balance, yet his paw still managed to unfasten the second clasp, reaching for the third. "Why?" he chuckled, "Well, it's kind of difficult to really go at it with our clothes on, don't you think? Besides, it's more fun to get the full experience, I find."

As he spoke, his left paw began to unbutton his uniform shirt, his cap tossed onto an empty easy chair.

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

Go at it. Vissica still wasn't sure what Kyle Rayner meant, but she was starting to think this was less about reading epic poetry. She reached a large hand up to swat away his further attempts at negotiating her clasps.

"I am more than capable of undressing myself." she assured with a small annoyed growl. Continuing the work he started, the Selonian unfastened the remaining clasp, pulling the hinged apparatus off her frame. She dropped it to the floor, and the sound of the heavy metal contact left a ringing din in the room.

Once unburdened by her armor, Vissica's muscular back rippled and undulated in a slow wave. A warrior was defined by her arms and armor, but Vissica had no pride to hide behind. She would freely admit that it felt pleasing to remove her armor. She continued the ritual, removing the armored skull plate over her long brow. It too clattered to the deck, allowing Vissica to free the clustered braids of hair she normally wore wound tight. Her brown mane contrasted the lighter tone of her body fur, and Vissica smoothed them to rest at each shoulder.

Still, she was curious at what Kyle Rayner was getting at. He wanted to go at it, and this required the removal of clothing. Perhaps he wanted to wrestle? That had to be it. That would also explain his insistence on privacy. If he insisted on challenging his superior to such feats of strength, he likely did not want his pride to be wounded among comrades.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

As the Selonian's gear came off, so did Hal's clothes. Uniform shirt, undershirt, boots, all were cast aside as his paws worked light lightning upon his garments. Careful thinking and self-control had managed to keep his arousal in check until then, but once his trousers and undershorts came off, there could be no denying it. Standing just as naked as Vissica, Hal let his pink eyes roam over her body, drinking it all in.

"Garfife, Vissica... you're gorgeous," he breathed, drawing close to rub his paws over her hips.

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

Vissica's face broadcast her skepticism at the Nehantite's praise.

"I look no different than any of my sept sisters."

It wasn't modesty. Like pride, she had little taste for such frivolity. And speaking of frivolity, Hal was beginning to close distance, choosing a combat stance that frankly left himself vulnerable in several ways.

"Are you ready to begin?"

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal's paws slid back over her hips to grasp her muscular backside, squeezing playfully. Glancing down between his legs, then back up to Vissica's face, he smirked. "Sure looks that way, doesn't it?"

A gentle pull was his attempt to lead her to the bed, so very grateful she had finally been able to express how she felt for him in return.

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

The visual change in the Nehantite's state of libido hadn't escaped Vissica's notice, though it made only for idle thought. She had only seen nude males in the Overden on Selonia, and rarely paid the useless creatures much mind. They often behaved in such a way when the Queen called for one to service her in mating sacrament. Perhaps it was simply a universal sign of male eagerness to stand out in such a way. Vissica wondered how most alien males seemed to wear pants with such a rebellious anatomical expression.

At the signal of Kyle Rayner's readiness, he attempted to maneuver her by the hips toward the bed. Vissica countered by swallowing up the Nehantite with a two-armed embrace, followed swiftly with a suplex that up-ended him and drilled him onto the floor with a thud.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

The sudden, steely grip of the Selonian's arms should have been a warning sign that things weren't as they seemed. Well, to be quite honest a great many things should have been warning signs, but Hal's higher reasoning had checked out, letting his base impulses and body get exactly what they deserved. Without warning, the floor vanished from beneath his footpaws and he felt gravity perform a complete turn before the floor lurched up to greet him most rapidly and with tremendous force.

I don't think she realizes we were supposed to have sex.

Nah, really? Have fun.

Head spinning from the impact, it took Hal a moment to realize what had just happened, and once he did he used his agility to wriggle free from that incredible grip. "What the hell?!" he shouted, scrambling back to a stand. "Hell of a time to change your mind!"

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

Lady Vissica's long figure rolled fluidly along her flexible spine, depositing the Selonian back onto her feet as her tail thudded the ground. She shifted her weight back and forth on her webbed paws, offering a brief critique during the pause.

"You're right to attack the center of gravity, but you should use your whole body, not just your arms. Like this."

Vissica became a torpedo, leaving her feet in a horizontal leap that caught Hal's waist with her shoulder. She skidded to a halt on all fours as Hal caromed from his feet to the bed, then sprung off the mattress and plastered against the opposite wall in a painful splash.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Yeah, remember that time you wondered what it'd be like to have sex in a pinball machine? Well, this.

You are so not helping.

I know. It's great.

When momentum's hold on him released him from the wall, Hal was thankful for the drop back down to the bed below, where he held his paws out, palms first, in protest. "Woah!" he shouted. "Damn, is this how Selonians have sex? It's... very counter-intuitive!"

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

What?

Vissica blinked, suddenly pausing in her tactical regrouping.

"Of course not." she blurted, righting herself to full height.

"We are grappling. You wished to demonstrate your dedication by martial prowess."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"No!" Hal blurted. "No, I didn't. I didn't wish that at all!" His head shook violently back and forth. "How the hell did you get that impression?" His mouth hung open in shock, eyes wide and wondering.

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

"You did not make your intentions clear, and left me little but to infer them."

Was she disappointed? Somewhat. For a moment, she'd thought that she had reached the unruly cadet.

"Why else would warriors remove their armor, but to trade their protection for better flexibility?"

Vissica snorted in a puff, her whiskers drooping slightly.

"It seems I was mistaken."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal's jaw hung open some time longer, the depth of his confusion being so great that it took some time to swim out of without the help of his actual brain. When at last he did, his own posture drooped. "It seems we both were," he admitted glumly. "I thought I was pretty dang clear. But, hey, if you don't want a hell of a good mating session, whatever," he grunted.

Climbing back up off of the bed, his libido was visibly reduced, and he stood sheepishly before the Selonian. "In that case, I'm sorry if you're offended. Wasn't my intent. Maybe I moved too fast."

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

"I am not offended."

Looking down at the crestfallen Nehantite, Vissica reached something of an epiphany, and a moment of surprise crossed her usually-inscrutable expression.

"Selonians are honor bound by duty. Our queens give us purpose, and we spend our lives in dedication to that purpose. For me, I am a warrior. Others serve their queen by dealing with outsiders, building the den, or by raising pups. For males, their duty is to mate with the queens and to give her offspring."

Was this truly the nexus of Kyle Rayner's strange behavior? He was attempting to show his dedication in a way Vissica had not anticipated.

"I am..."

Lady Vissica looked down at Hal again, seeming to chew on her words to find the most appropriate one.

"...flattered, Kyle Rayner."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

It was all a bit much to take in, and Hal stood there attempting to process it all. He knew of Selonians before meeting Vissica, but knew nothing of their culture. Males were meant for mating? Why was he not a Selonian male?! That seemed most unfair, the more he thought about it. What a job!

A spark of clarity rushed through his brain faster than he could process it, and before his brain could stop him, he smiled and said, "So you've never... mated?"

That devil-may-care smile and raised eyebrow returned, as if he hadn't skipped a beat from earlier in their meeting. "Want to?"

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

"Mating is a sacrament shared between a queen and her harem." Vissica explained as she imagined the pup-nurses explained such things to the younglings. "It is not the place of a warrior to do so. It would be improper."

How different they were. Vissica now regarded the cadet with a spark of curiosity in her expression. Clearly, she could see where the divide lay for her own people, but it was a divide that was not so stark for the likes of Kyle Rayner. Perhaps the Selonians were unique in their dedication to task.

"I appreciate the offer, and I understand it. You wish to show your dedication to me. Unit cohesion is important in battle. You are my subordinate. In time, I hope to count you as my comrade."

A large webbed paw came to rest on Kyle's shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze.

"Continue to perform your duty admirably, and you will prove your dedication."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Well, it had been worth a try, Hal had to admit, and it certainly hadn't been his worst date ever - not by a long shot. Tail swaying comfortably, his everyday smile returned. As imposing as she was, and for all the evil she stood for, Vissica's paw on his shoulder felt good, and he began to understand the big, sexy Selonian more than he had before. Perhaps in time she'd come around, but until then, things at least seemed to be better.

Giving a curt nod, Hal answered, "I'll do my best." The smirk was not long in hiding, however as his body attempted to salvage what it could out of the situation. "But, as long as we're both here, and both naked... think you could give me some pointers in grappling? Maybe a bit gentler, this time, heh?"

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

"Certainly." Vissica replied without missing a beat, beckoning Kyle to stand beside her.

"The first thing to understand is the awareness of your own body in relation to your environment. Your feet, they are too narrow to your hips. Remember, you only assume the threat is in front of your eyes. You should place yourself in a position to respond. Your awareness, it will..."

Vissica finally began to see Kyle Rayner not as a talented but flippant future washout, but as a student with a true opportunity to succeed. Not because she was the one training him. That was only one leg to stand on. The other leg, equally important, was a student ready to listen. To listen and to apply themselves to the task at hand. A student willing to accept a challenge, and to overcome.

True to Kyle's boasting, he proved his dedication to Lady Vissica all through the night. The two spent hours in training, moving from body control poses to practical technique and then into sparring. The Nehantite's quarters suffered through their exertions, but he had probably expected that to happen anyway.

As the evening waned late into morning, the sum of their exertions took their toll. Too tired to spar, the student and the teacher sat on the edge of the bed to discuss what had been learned. It didn't take long after that before Kyle Rayner was lying on his bed asleep...

...and Lady Vissica slept curled up on the floor.