The Smell Of Blood

Lucious, who had been watching the entire exchange in stunned silence, cleared his throat awkwardly. "Umm...I did try to warn you." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "My master...He's, uh, very...enthusiastic. About...things."

Julie sighed again, her hand gently petting Aisha's head as the flustered kitten clung to her side, still muttering incoherently about her 'tainted mind'.

"There, there..." Julie murmured, her tone soothing but tinged with faint exasperation. "You'll be fine, Aisha. Deep breaths." Aisha let out a pitiful whimper but relaxed slightly under the comforting touch, her puffed-up tail slowly starting to deflate.

After a moment, Julie's gaze shifted to Lucious, who was still standing there, awkwardly fidgeting with his sleeves. She studied him for a beat, her brow furrowing as she processed everything she'd just heard from Skadi's naive ramblings to Aisha's mortified outburst.