Being Watched

Lara might've spent her days prowling the jungle with rudimentary weapons, but this was the only part of her day when she felt truly "savage".

She crouched in her shelter-- A small cave beneath an outcroppings, barely obscured by vines-- and cooked her latest meal over a simple campfire. Savages weren't exactly known for cooking, but as she crouched there, butt naked, sinking her teeth into animal meat...

She couldn't help but imagine how she must've looked in the moment. The aesthetic of a cave woman came to mind. No class, no decency, just pure instinct.

Unlike your average neanderthal, Lara was selective about what she ate! Fruit, berries, critters. She didn't target any big animals, unless they happened to target her first-- And as it so happens, one such beast currently had its eyes on her. It skulked in the shadows just outside of her camp, eyeing Lara as she ate. The adventurer hardly spared a glance up as she heard a leaf crunch...

"Rather than acting as if you're going to pounce, you could just step out and join me..." She chuckled, tossing a piece of meat into the air.

A black blur, nearly blending in with their surroundings, leapt up and snatched the treat within its teeth! A jaguar, and a fearsome one at that. And yet, this beast served as the sole bit of company she'd had in... Well, a long time. She smiled fondly, and it was long before the beast finished its offering and nudged its head against her heavy tits.

"Yes, yes, my apex predator wants her cuddles." Lara mused, gently bringing her hands along the jungle cat's sides.

This was hardly her first encounter with a jungle cat-- But it was the first time that it went so pleasantly! Seems, every now and then, hunters and poachers ventured deep into these woods. This poor girl had been injured, and despite having next to no supplies, Lara was able to tend to her wounds! Since then, the cat had become a dutiful companion... Especially when meat was involved.

As a gentle rain sent a cold dampness into the air, Lara leaned back against the wall, letting the jaguar nestle against her fully exposed body. They kept each other warm, as they so often did these past few nights. She looked into those brilliant green eyes, as if searching for wisdom, before leaning her head back.

"I'm beginning to wonder what my plan is..." She admitted.

"I'm no closer to finding the temple than I was a month ago. And even if I did-- I have no equipment, no weapons, not even my journal! Here I am, nothing to my name, lost in the wilds... And I'm treating it more like a damned vacation."

Lara sighed, and her jaguar seemed to do the same, as it came to rest its head in the center of her chest. She pet the cat's head, watching it instantly melt with the slightest bit of affection.

"I don't suppose you'd be happy over at Croft Manor? I don't even know if I'd be happy there anymore. The walls, the stuffy decor, the social responsibilities-- And not only wearing, but washing clothes. Constantly! I know I should miss it all, but I don't think I do.

I like being out here. Being... Natural. Whispering all my thoughts to a cat." She shook her head. It's not as if she were terribly social before all this. But the sentiment stood, regardless.

She didn't have a plan. But did she really need one? Maybe it was alright to live like this...