The one on the left had golden hair pulled back in a messy man bun, a few loose strands framing his face. Fair skin that looked like it had never seen a blemish, and bright green eyes that currently looked like they'd just witnessed a miracle. He was shirtless, because apparently that was just a thing here, with tribal markings swirling across his chest and arms in golden ink. A fur pelt hung low on his hips, and perched on top of his head were two golden leopard ears, twitching and swiveling as he stared at her.
The one on the right had long black hair that looked perpetually windswept, lightly tanned skin, sharp features, and red eyes that looked like they could set things on fire through sheer force of will. Also shirtless. Also covered in markings, though his were darker, more angular, done in black ink. Gray fur pants. And sleek black panther ears on his head, flicking back in what looked like surprise.
Both were easily over six feet tall.
Both were staring at her like she'd just materialized out of thin air.
Which, technically, she had.
'Okay so those are definitely not holograms. Or actors. Or anything from my world.'
'Those are EARS. Actual animal ears. On their heads. Moving. Twitching.'
'This is really happening.'
'I'm really in another world.'
'Fuck.'
Faelyn stared back, acutely aware that she looked like an absolute disaster. Torn modern clothes that make no sense in a fantasy forest. Dirt smeared across my face. White hair tangling everywhere. Probably some leaves stuck in there for good measure.
'Great. Fantastic. Die via deer, wake up in front of fantasy supermodels with actual working animal ears. This is fine.'
The golden-haired one opened his mouth first.
"Who..." His voice was deep and warm, like honey. "Who are you?"
The black-haired one's eyes narrowed, sharp and assessing. "Where did you come from?"
Faelyn's brain scrambled for an answer that didn't sound completely unhinged.
"I... uh..."
And then something snapped inside her head.
Like a door unlocking. Or a radio suddenly tuning to a station that had been pure static before. Or someone flipping a switch labeled INSTANT REGRET.
Suddenly, she could hear them.
Not their voices.
Their thoughts.
Roshan's mind: ฅᨐฅ'By the gods. She's beautiful. Look at that hair. Those eyes. I've never seen eyes that blue. Is she injured? She looks hurt. Why is she sitting in the dirt? Should I help her? I should help her. Wait, what if I scare her? I don't want to scare her. Maybe if I smile? Do I smile? I'M SMILING TOO HARD, STOP SMILING.'ฅᨐฅ
Nyx's mind: ฅᨐฅ'White hair. Blue eyes. Torn clothing. She's not from any clan I know. Outsider? Rogue? She smells different. Strange. But gods, she's... focus, Nyx. She could be dangerous. Or a spy. Or... why is Roshan staring at her like that? If he touches her, I'm going to rip his arm off.'ฅᨐฅ
Faelyn's jaw dropped.
'What the fuck?'
'What the FUCK?'
'I can hear them. I can hear their THOUGHTS. Inside my head. Clear as day.'
'Is this the ability? The weird symbols? Is this what Puffball meant?'
She wanted desperately to look at Puffball, to ask, to confirm, but she caught herself just in time.
'Don't react. Don't tell them. That's information. Information is power. Stay calm. Act normal. You've handled angry hippos before. You can handle this.'
'Who am I kidding? I can't handle this without my gears. This is insane. I'm hearing voices. Thoughts. I've officially lost it.'
She snapped her jaw shut and forced her expression into something she hoped looked neutral, though her heart was hammering hard enough to hear it.
The golden one, Roshan apparently, stepped forward cautiously, hands slightly raised in a non-threatening gesture. "Are you alright?"
Roshan's mind: ฅᨐฅ'She looks shocked. Did I do something wrong? Say something wrong? My face is doing something weird, isn't it? I knew I should've practiced a better greeting. Why am I like this?'ฅᨐฅ
"Don't move," the dark one, Nyx, growled, shooting the other man a death glare.
Nyx's mind: ฅᨐฅ'If he takes ONE more step toward her, truce be damned, I'm throwing him into the river. She's clearly startled. The last thing she needs is him crowding her with his overly friendly nonsense.'ฅᨐฅ
Faelyn's brain was screaming, but she kept her face carefully blank.
'Professional face. Customer service face. The face I use when dealing with difficult zoo patrons who think they know better than me about animal behavior.'
'Except this time I can literally hear what they're thinking and this is definitely the worst ability ever.'
"I'm..." She looked down at herself. Torn modern clothes that scream wrong world. Dirty skin. 'I need a story. Fast. Something believable.' "I was traveling. There was an accident. I don't remember much."
'Not technically a lie. I was traveling. Through the fabric of reality. Against my will. But they don't need those details.'
Both men exchanged glances, some kind of silent communication passing between them that involved a lot of pointed looks and twitching ears.
Roshan's expression immediately softened, concern flooding his features. "You're hurt?"
Roshan's mind: ฅᨐฅ'She needs help. She's clearly been through something traumatic. I should bring her back to the village. Get the healer. Make sure she's safe. Maybe offer food? Shelter? She looks so lost. I want to help. Please let me help.'ฅᨐฅ
Nyx remained suspicious, red eyes tracking her every micro-movement like a predator. "Traveling from where?"
Nyx's mind: ฅᨐฅ'Her clothing is strange. Nothing like any clan I've seen. Material I don't recognize. And no beast ears for someone who can't remember much. Is she... no, that's impossible. Females from other clans still have ears. Unless she's...'ฅᨐฅ
Faelyn's hand flew to the top of her head instinctively, fingers brushing through tangled white hair.
Smooth. Completely smooth. No ears.
She glanced at their heads again. Leopard ears twitching. Panther ears flicking. Both expressive and mobile.
She had nothing.
'Of course, no ears.'
[Beastmen can shift between human and beast forms!] Puffball chirped helpfully in her ear, bouncing in excited circles that neither man seemed to notice. [Females are super rare and can choose to have beast ears in human form! Males keep theirs to show clan identity! Isn't that neat?]
Faelyn's eyes widened slightly before she caught herself and forced her expression back to neutral.
'Wait.'
She looked at Puffball. Then at the two men.
Both were staring at her. Not at the floating furball doing loop-de-loops right next to her head.
'They can't see it.'
'They can't see Puffball.'
'Only I can.'
Her stomach dropped.
She cleared her throat, pushing down the rising panic. "I... don't remember where I came from. Everything's foggy."
'Vague. Non-committal. Impossible to verify. Perfect.'
Roshan crouched down slowly, still keeping a respectful distance, hands visible. "I'm Roshan. That's Nyx. We're not going to hurt you."
Roshan's mind: ฅᨐฅ'Please don't be scared. Please don't run. She's so small compared to us. I just want to help. She needs protection. Food. Warmth. I can provide all of that. Please just... let me help.'ฅᨐฅ
Nyx's eyes narrowed further, suspicion radiating off him in waves. "A female with no memory. Convenient."
Nyx's mind: ฅᨐฅ'Too convenient. But if she's telling the truth... a female alone in the forest is dangerous. Especially one this beauti... no. Focus on the problem, not her face. Or her eyes. Or the way her hair catches the light. FOCUS.'ฅᨐฅ
Faelyn forced herself to stand, brushing dirt off her ruined pants with as much dignity as she could muster.
Both men tensed immediately, bodies coiling like springs ready to react to any sudden movement.
She was maybe five-foot-six on a good day. They were both easily over six feet, broad-shouldered, and built like they could bench-press small cars. The height and size difference is almost comical.
"I appreciate the concern," Faelyn said carefully, keeping her tone even and non-threatening, "but I can manage."
Roshan's mind: ฅᨐฅ'She's brave. Or stubborn. Probably both. I like that. Wait, focus. She needs help whether she admits it or not. Females are rare. Precious. She shouldn't be out here alone.'ฅᨐฅ
Nyx's mind: ฅᨐฅ'Manage? Alone? In the forest? She'll be dead by nightfall. Stubborn female. If she won't accept help, I'll just... no. Can't force her. But I'm not leaving her out here to get eaten by something.'ฅᨐฅ
"You can't stay in the forest," Roshan said gently, concern thick in his voice. "It's dangerous after dark. Feral beasts hunt at night."
"I'll be fine."
"You won't," Nyx said flatly, leaving no room for argument.
Faelyn bristled despite herself, but kept her tone measured. "I've handled dangerous threats before."
'Understatement of the century. I've worked with everything from venomous snakes to territorial big cats. I know animal behavior inside and out.'
Roshan's mind: ฅᨐฅ'Dangerous threats? What does that mean? She's clearly not a warrior. Look at her hands. Soft. No calluses from weapons. She's never held a blade in her life. How has she handled dangerous threats?'ฅᨐฅ
Nyx's mind: ฅᨐฅ'Handled animals? Interesting. Still doesn't change the fact that she's unarmed, alone, and clearly lost. I'm not letting her wander off to die in the forest. Even if I have to follow her from a distance to make sure she survives.'ฅᨐฅ
[They're both totally worried about you!] Puffball giggled, doing a barrel roll. [Isn't that sweet? They just met you and they're already planning how to keep you safe!]
Faelyn resisted the urge to swat at the floating menace.
She glanced between the two men again.
'Still staring at me. Still not reacting to Puffball at all.'
'Definitely invisible to them.'
'Great. So I have an invisible magical companion that only I can see, and the ability to read minds that I absolutely cannot tell anyone about because that seems like the kind of thing that would get me in serious trouble.'
'Just great.'
'Fantastic.'
'Best day ever.'
"Is something wrong?" Roshan asked, tilting his head slightly, leopard ears swiveling forward with concern.
Roshan's mind: ฅᨐฅ'She keeps looking around. Is something there? Did she hear something? Should I check the area? What if there's a threat I'm missing?'ฅᨐฅ
"No," Faelyn said quickly, maybe too quickly. "Just... taking in my surroundings. You know. Being aware of my environment."
Nyx's eyes tracked her movements like a predator watching prey. "You're injured."
She glanced down. Her right arm had a nasty scrape she hadn't noticed before, blood dried and crusted along the edges.
"It's nothing."
Nyx's mind: ฅᨐฅ'Nothing? It's bleeding. Stubborn. Definitely stubborn. Fine. If she won't come willingly, I'll just have to... no. Bad idea. Can't kidnap the strange female. That's how clan wars start.'ฅᨐฅ
"Our village has a healer," Roshan offered, voice soft and coaxing like he was trying to lure a spooked animal. "It's not far. You can rest, eat, figure out what to do next."
Roshan's mind: ฅᨐฅ'Please say yes. Please. I can't just leave her here. What if something happens? What if she gets hurt worse? What if a feral beast finds her? I'd never forgive myself. Come on. Please.'ฅᨐฅ
Faelyn hesitated.
'I need information. Shelter. Food. A plan that doesn't involve dying in a magical forest on my first day in a new world.'
'And these two, chiefs apparently based on how they carry themselves, seem willing to help.'
'Even if one of them is currently mentally plotting kidnapping contingencies.'
Nyx's mind: ฅᨐฅ'If Roshan tries to take her to HIS village, I'm intervening. She's clearly in need of protection. MY clan is closer. Better defended. Safer. His clan is full of softhearted idiots who'll smother her.'ฅᨐฅ
Roshan's mind: ฅᨐฅ'She's looking at Nyx. Don't look at Nyx. Look at me. I'm friendly. I'm helpful. I'm not going to glare at her like she's a threat to national security.'ฅᨐฅ
[This is going SO well!] Puffball sang, spinning in delighted circles. [They both want to help you! Well, kind of! Nyx is being suspicious, but that's just his personality! He's like a grumpy cat!]
Faelyn took a slow, careful breath.
"Which village?" she asked, keeping her voice neutral.
Both men spoke at once.
"Mine," Roshan said.
"Mine," Nyx said.