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The Gift

Richard's Storyline, Chapter 5.3

copyright comidacomida 2018

Jack nodded as well. "I am unbothered by being without clothes... dost thou find it a disturbing prospect, Richard?"

I stalled for time, answering his question with a question before providing a half-answer. "Does what? Being naked? I'm studying to be a nurse, Jack-- the Human body isn't something to be uncomfortable around.

He pointed out the obvious. "Of course, but I worry regardless. After all, he and I are not Humans. If thou art hesitant, I do not take offense. I know nudity can be a problem for thy kind."

The Jaguar interrupted the exchange, calling to me from the position he had taken and from which he had not moved. "Seer?"

Looking back to Balam, I swallowed my hesitance and moved to his side, attending him as I removed his clothing piece by piece in reverent fashion. Although it was made up of the same spiritual stuff as his body I found it surprisingly accessible and physical-- not unlike him at that moment. Even as I loosened the simple knots holding his leather armband in place I marveled that I could feel his fur-- lush and soft. Glancing around the room, I saw that my desk was closest, and I set the armband atop it; the leather disappeared in a wisp of yellowish smoke.

As it came free I looked to him, only to realize that he was watching me intently, his Golden eyes gleaming as he observed me work. Although I didn't need the direction, he offered it regardless. "And now the bracelets."

His three bracelets were, I came to realize, one single piece of jewelry. The semi precious beads were held together by cords and each of the cords were each connected at two ends where they joined the separate parts of a clasp which appeared to be golden. The bracelet came off easily simply after I unhooked it. Like the armband, once I set it on the desk it disappeared, seemingly dematerializing into golden fumes.

At that point Balam had a head dress, necklaces, an anklet, and a loincloth. When I moved to take the headdress from him he held up a paw. "No... this stays... as does my ajorca para el tobillo."

I wasn't completely sure what a 'aljorca para el tobillo' was, but I knew 'tobillo' meant ankle so I assumed he meant his anklet. Nodding my understanding, moved to his necklaces next. "Alright..."

Like his bracelet, his necklaces were all connected via a singular clasp. There were five bands in total, all made of surprisingly fine bands of gold linked together and covered in a variety of semi-precious stones, shells, and geodes. Balam freely presented his throat, allowing me to reach around behind his neck to loosen the necklaces and, as I leaned forward to put my arms around him, he touched me on the forehead with his nose. His whiskers tickled my hairline as he spoke quietly "Il. U'uy."

I felt my entire body tingle as the words ran through my mind and, strangely, I felt as though it weren't for the first time. His words echoed in my skull as I set the necklaces on the desk, not bothering to watch them disappear as I looked back to the Jaguar, who remained right where he was, unmoving except for his eyes, which monitored my every move. At that point, all Balam wore was limited to his headdress, his anklet, and his loincloth. Of those three, only one of them was supposed to come off, which meant there wasn't a lot of guess work in what came next.

As I moved back to Balam his posture finally changed. His arms, which had been held out from his body lowered to a more casual position, but still out of the way enough for me to access his loincloth. I rolled the idea around in my head as to whether I was supposed to walk around him to undo it from behind or if I was supposed to stay in my position as part of the triangle created by myself , the Jaguar, and the Gryphon. I chose not to read into it too heavily and went with what felt 'right', and that was maintaining my position in the ritual, so I went about it from the front.

With my arms slid against his ribs so my hands could access the cord holding his loincloth in place; Balam once again leaned forward as I did so. With my arms wrapped around him the Jaguar pressed his muzzle to the top of my head; I felt and heard him inhale deeply through my hair. Although the action was something of a distraction I still managed to undo the loose knot and pulled his loincloth away even as he addressed me, speaking softly in Mayan. "Yum botic."

I recognized the words, and repeated them in Spanish. "Thank you?"

The faintest hint of a smile appeared on his muzzle as he nodded, addressing my question with an explanation. "Many rituals of the Mayans involve giving thanks. In this age many consider giving thanks to be a sign of weakness, but they are not correct. Giving thanks is a sign of strength."

Carefully folding the loincloth (despite knowing it was only going to disappear), I turned to the desk and set it right where everything else had been placed. True to form, the moment my hands left it, the cloth and cord evaporated in a shimmering Topaz cloud, blown away by an unseen wind. When I looked back to Balam he stood before me as naked as any furred being could possibly be, and he was still as amazingly and exotically handsome as before. As perceptive as ever, he didn't fail to notice my gaze. "I am glad you like what you see, Seer."

Unable to pass up the opportunity, I couldn't help but smile. "Right. Yum botic."

He nodded. "Good. You are done."

I saw Jack's ear tufts raise at the words; he knew a few words in Spanish, so it only seemed to make sense that he understood what Balam had said, but he asked for clarification regardless. "He keeps his headwear and anklet?"

As if to acknowledge the Gryphon's question, Balam gestured almost ritualistically toward Jack. "And now the Cat-Bird."

I glanced between the two before looking back to the Jaguar. "Everything, or should he have something still on?"

As if intent on ignoring my question, Balam just remained where he was, staring at Jack for long enough that the Gryphon seemed to get as uncomfortable as I was with the silence. Just as I was about to speak up and re-ask the question, the Jaguar answered it. "He should keep his medallion."

To be honest, I didn't know the Spanish word for 'medallion' but, interestingly enough, it sounded almost like the English version. I offered a succinct nod and turned to Jack, taking a step closer before I announced my intention. "I'll take off your cloth thing first, then your armor."

Jack ran his talons down the cloth that hung down the front and back of his armor. "Tis known as a tabbard, Richard, and thou art welcome to it."

He lowered his head, bowing it forward to make it easier for me to draw it off of him. I folded the tabbard as neatly as what I'd done with Balam's clothes and set it next to my computer on the other side of the desk; like the Jaguar's clothing it too disappeared. Turning back to the Gryphon, he held out his arms and I worked on his arm guards next, then his gauntlets. He was much more thoroughly dressed than Balam, and so undressing him too much, much longer.

In time, however, Jack was as naked as Balam or, to be honest, a step further; while the Jaguar wore a headdress and an anklet, all the Gryphon had on was a single copper chain adorned with a copper locket. Wearing nothing else, his body was laid bare before me, giving me a perfectly clear view of his athletically fit and aesthetically pleasing form. He was built almost like a mixed martial arts fighter, with a distinctively athletic solidity to him, but not so massive as to be bulky.

Although his head and neck were covered in feathers, Jack's chest and belly fur continued down to his groin and the insides of his thighs. Between his legs was a furry sheath, not unlike Balam's. Hanging beneath it was a hefty, velvety sac furred and of the same color as Jack's belly fur. The testicles within his scrotum each had to have been easily larger than golf balls. The fur of his inner thighs matched the color of his groin while the outsides matched the fur on his arms.

Even as I stood there, absorbing my view of Jack's body, I hadn't realized that Balam had stepped closer until I jumped, feeling his paws on my hip. He gave the end of my shirt a gentle tug, reinforcing his action with a reminder. "It is your turn, Seer."

With nothing more than a 'come here' motion from Balam, Jack realized what his part in the activity would be and he moved to my other side. I lifted my arms over my head as each spirit raised my shirt, pulling it up and over my head. Closing my eyes at the surreal experience, I stood still as a statute as each spirit knelt to loosen the laces on my shoes. To my left I could hear Balam rumbling in a faint purr, while Jack's quickened breath was so very evident to my right.

I opened my eyes after stepping out of my shoes and lifted one foot then the other, letting each spirit remove one of my socks. After that there was only one other direction to go and I took in a deep breath when sharp claws and sharp talons moved to undo the button and unzip my jeans. Thankfully there was no injury as my pants came loose; Balam gathered them up and folded them carefully much in the same way I'd done with his raiments and set them on the desk next to the rest of my clothes. My underwear came next, and I found myself holding my breath again.

As the three of us returned to our places around the circle I noticed in the back of my mind that I was actually the only one of us who was actually wholly and complete naked-- not that something like an amulet or a necklace or a headband made that much of a difference. Glancing around the room, I suddenly felt just a little more surprise when I--