[IC] When the Roar Falls ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

[Merule]

It does Autharyx well that Viltez seems to be on guard in the town- a sign that he might still care about his own wellbeing at least a little. Viltez might not want to harm humans that come at him, but perhaps he will act on instinct when push comes to shove. At least Autharyx is planning to be there as well, so Viltez is perfectly safe.

The drake pays little attention to the humans milling about in the town, though he does spare a small glare for the shopkeeper that had treated him so rudely the day before. He can feel the prickle of their eyes as they make their way past stalls and stores, but as long as no one approaches them Autharyx honestly couldn’t care less about them. Viltez’ company is more than enough to keep him interested, even if he like to think of himself as similar to the humans that inhabit the town.

The piece of fruit Viltez throws at him takes him by surprise, and he looks it over with a small smile until Viltez encourages him to eat it. The fruit is sweet on his tongue, and he munches away happily as he keeps ignoring the stares and whispers of the townsfolk.

His good mood is not diminished by the time they return to his host’s house, and he chuckles as he can hear his stomach. Even with the fruit, he can also feel the unfamiliar sensation of hunger in his stomach, and it isn’t long before the scents of cooking food encourage that feeling even further.

Last time he’d been content to sit and look through the house, but this time he moves into the small kitchen as well, curious to see how this ‘cooking’ thing works. He tries to keep out of Viltez’ way for the most part, but with the limited space there is a limit to how well he succeeds at that. It’s not entirely on purpose, but Autharyx can’t deny that he enjoys the little brushes of contact he doesn’t try very hard to avoid. It was strange to feel a small thrill shoot up his spine every time from something as basal as a brief point of warmth where he was touching another mortal body, but he supposed it was just the novelty of the whole thing that appealed to him.

"What are we eating tonight?" he asks, trying not to look too hopeful as his tail moved ever-so-slightly in his direction.

[PopeAlessandros]

His hands move smoothly over the stove as he lights it and begins cooking. The meat is lightly seasoned, some of the fruit soaked in honey and fried along side the meat causing the two flavors to mix. They've just begun sizzling, the smell permeating the room, when suddenly Viltez feels the presence behind him approaching. He tenses for an instant, then relaxed. 'I'm just not used to people walking up like this without naturally moving out of the way. . . .Though in this position, I would be unable to go far' He glances to the side where the counter meets the wall. 'I would be trapped really. . . .It's kind of why I've never let anyone into my house. Too easy to be cornered. . .'

Sighing softly he glances over his shoulder at his guest with a smile. Aryx remains quite however, trying to peek over his shoulder as he goes about his work. The halfbreed's smile warms and he returns his focus to the meal. He moves carefully around the kitchen, trying to not bump into his guest but every so often he doesn't squeeze in tight enough, or Aryx doesn't move aside fast enough, and they brush up against one another. Viltez does his best to ignore these, after all, it's natural right? He's trying to see what the tailed man is doing, and in the small kitchen they are bound to run into one another on occasion.

After a while however Aryx asks what's for dinner and he turns a bit of his attention on to the man while chopping up the remaining fruit. “Just some lightly seasoned meat, some salt, some dill, and honey soaked pauma fruit, fried with the meat so they share flavors.” As he says this he moves back over to the sizzling pan, his smile tweaking slightly as he feels his tail once more attached to Aryx at the wrist. Quickly he flips both meat and fruit before returning to the chopping board to continue what he was doing.

“And here we have a mix of a few fruits. Chop them up and then put them together in a bowl with one another will mix the juices and we can have them for an after dinner treat!” He knows he should just ask the man what else he likes to eat, but as he's gotten the impression that sweet, meat, and fruit is okay, he begins planning out more meals with combinations of those three flavors in mind.

[Merule]

Autharyx nods along with the explanation as if he actually understands it. He’d been hesitant about bought meat the day before, but if this meal is anything like the food from yesterday, he’s sure he will enjoy it. Do all mortals cook their food like this, or is he just very lucky to have found one that does? He can’t remember the food humans sometimes brought into his cave as having been anything like this, but then he supposes it’s different when you don’t have a mortal body to appreciate it.

“It sounds good,” he says earnestly, breaking into a smile when the tail fastens around his wrist again. He doesn’t know why he feels so… flattered when it happens, but if it feels good it’s probably not a bad thing. Viltez doesn’t seem to mind it any more, not as much as he did at first. His explanation of why it was ‘inappropriate’ still doesn’t really make sense to him, but he’s fairly certain he managed to assure the half-breed that he didn’t mind. In fact, he finds himself looking forward to each instance where he’s able to touch it. He doesn’t know why, but he thinks it has something to do with the sounds his host had made when he’d touched it for the first time. The breathy gasps had been unlike anything he’d heard before, and he still doesn’t know what about it fascinates him so much.

He absent-mindedly runs his fingers over the soft fur a couple of times, before gently extracting himself so he can go set the table. Normally he would prefer being waited on, but it only feels natural to help out a little when Viltez is being so accommodating to him. It’s simple enough to stay out of Viltez’ way now that he is actually trying, and by the time the food is finished, Autharyx has plates set up, as well as some water to go with the food. He even helps carry the food to the table, after which he sits down at the same spot as yesterday. Now that he spent the last meal observing and copying table manners, he feels confident to try and keep a conversation going for this one.

“The forest here is beautiful,” he says after they’ve both filled their plates. The forest falls within Viltez’ territory after all, and it is indeed worth a compliment.

[PopeAlessandros]

The host is overjoyed to hear that his guest likes the sound of his chosen creation and begins humming softly as he moves back and forth, keeping his hands busy while his tail remains attached to the colorful character standing behind him. He pauses however, a sharp intake of breath followed by a shudder proving once more that his tail is beyond sensitive and should really stop seeing out contact when the man himself has no such intentions towards his guest.

'I don't right?' He questions, slowly getting back to work as Aryx extracts himself and begins helping out with dinner preparation. Glancing over his shoulder he berates himself harshly. 'Come one Viltez, you can't get attached to the first person who knows about you just because he didn't freak out, and actually seems to like your abnormality, and seems interested in keeping you safe, and. . .' It occurs to him for an instant that his tail may not be completely wrong in seeking out the other male, his own feelings may very well be behind the wandering appendage as of late, but with another sharps shake of his head he lets out a huff. 'Besides, he beautiful, he could have anyone, he'd never. . . Never be. . . .'

His mind drifts over how Aryx continues to touch his tail, knowing, or so it seems, how it affect the man and his cheeks grow a bit flushed, his teeth coming out to bite his lower lips. He continues working, and he's careful not to mess up the meal, but for a time his brain wanders over many little moments, wondering, arguing, and even perhaps hoping in some deep dark part of his heart that he can't be completely pulling all the little kindnesses out of context and fitting them to what he wants. Hoping that maybe, Aryx's fascination with him goes beyond the academic.

He has to push these thoughts aside, composing himself best he can, before serving the meal on to the readied plates and helping Aryx carry them to the table. 'Yeah, there's nothing about me that's nearly as amazing as him. . .' This thought crosses his mind as he gazes up at the other man from across the table, his tail deciding to settle in front of the warm fireplace for now while he smiles at his guest. Nodding in agreement he takes the first bite of his meal and closes his eyes with a soft noise. 'It turned out perfect!' Opening his eyes he grins. Not wanting to toot his own horn he focuses instead on what the other said about the forest.

“Yes, it is. I like going out there every once in a while to see what flowers are in bloom. Not as deep as we went mind you.”He takes another bite, savoring it before speaking again. “Also, I've had some odd jobs out there for people. There's a little girl in town, she was. . .Born sick, and her older brother often contracts me to fetch her the flowers she likes best.” He smiles a little sadly. “They are the blue ones that grow only in the patches of sunlight. . .” His look goes from sad to glad again as he thinks about what they had done earlier. “Today was fun. I can't recall ever having more fun before.” He looks up delightedly at his guest. “And I have you to thank for that Mister Aryx. Thank you, so much.” He nods, his flush returning, but he hopes being back lit by the fireplace will hide most of it. His tail has drifted forward again, coming to rest on the table, but he focuses on his food while he waits for the man's response. He hasn't said anything forward, or untrue, but for some reason he still feels he overstepped some bounds, somewhere.

[Merule]

Autharyx feels his face break out in a grin before he makes the conscious decision to smile back, but he doesn’t mind. Everything seems to be so… simple with Viltez that he’s less worried about the reflexes his mortal form might or might not have than he’d originally expected. Although, perhals simple wasn’t the right word. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but sometimes he felt like there was something between them that he was missing- something either or both of them seemed to react to but without him knowing exactly what it was.

It had been like that during the dinner preparations as well, now that he thinks of it. Several times he could have sworn he felt a prickle of attention at the edge of his awareness, but when he turned to look Viltez had been focused on cooking. It’s probably just another thing that’s different about inhabiting a mortal body, but it still put him on edge a little. Not in a bad way, even though that would probably made sense. He just feels… restless in a way that he often did when thunderclouds were gathering just outside of his reach. As they settle down to eat he pushes it to the back of his mind like the insignificant thing it probably is.

The food tasted even better than yesterday, and he hums appreciatively at the sweetness of it. He hadn’t though he would like the taste of old and burnt meat, but the sweetness of it was even better than the sharp tang of blood in his mouth when he hunted in his true form. He couldn’t say anything like that, of course, so he just sticks to a generic compliment as he digs into the rest of his plate.

“It’s really good!” The story his host tells is also good, although he doesn’t so much care about the woes of mortals as he does about the obvious joy the other finds in the beauty of the forest. It’s something he can relate to: he is exceptionally proud of his lake and the surrounding woods after all. From what he has seen so far, Viltez has the right to be proud of his territory as well. He knows the half-breed can’t be as connected to it as Autharyx was (is?) to his own lake, but it still feels proper to pay his respects.

“I’ve had a lot of fun as well,” he says with a genuine smile. It feels really easy to relax around Viltez, even after only knowing him for such a short time. It’s almost sad that he hasn’t told him his proper name. It’s probably silly, but there is a part of him that wants to hear it from the mortal, in spite or perhaps because of the power there is in a name. It’s an insignificant urge, of course, and he discounts it as such. Besides, he doesn’t want to tell Viltez that he… misrepresented the truth a little.

“It’s been… nice,” he continues, slightly distracted by the way Viltez is deliberately not looking at him. The restlessness from before had come back full force when he had caught the half-breed’s eye over the last comment, buzzing under his skin as if there was something he ought to be doing. The tail is back as well, flicking just enough to catch his attention whenever he looks away from it. Or, so he’s probably imagining. It must be because he still has that inconvenient urge to drag his fingers through the soft fur every time it comes close, but he’s determined to be a good guest so he just keeps eating his food.

“You’re very light on your feet,” he says instead. Complimenting physical prowess is nearly as good as complimenting his territory after all, and he wants to make sure Viltez knows he is being respectful.

“Your tail too- it’s hard to believe you never let it out with how well you can use it.”

[PopeAlessandros]

Flushing a little deeper as Aryx compliments his cooking, Viltez looks down at his own meal and eats slowly, his eyes wandering back and forth over the plate as he tries to think of something else to talk about. Luckily, his guest provides him with a short reprieve as he expresses his enjoyment of the day's activities. “I'm glad you had fun too. I've never been able to do anything like that before, and. . .somehow it felt almost natural.” He looks down at his hands, then up at the man across from him. “I know my kind tends to live in the woods, but until today I had no idea how much it actually seems to be in my blood to run around like. . .Well, almost like an animal. . . .The freedom. . . .” He looks back at his hands, embarrassed.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you were animalistic or anything. We were just having fun, like kids. . .Not that. . . .” He trails off, feeling like he needs to stop digging himself a hole while he can. 'What can't I just stop talking? Why do I go on and on around him, like a chattering bird in the high branches, babbling at the world just because I can. . .' Aryx's reply is not what he expected and as he looks up at his guest wide eyed he can feel himself swell a little bit, a strain of honest pride wrapping around his heart.

The pride is tempered by a slight ache as he thinks of having to keep his tail hidden all the time, but instead of expressing this he looks down at his food and takes a few bites. “Sadly, having nowhere else to turn, no other place to call home,” he murmurs quietly, “leads to the necessity of keeping it hidden.” His tail sides across the table and wraps around his arm, settling it's blade on his cheek comfortingly and for a moment, a crazy little moment, Viltez imagines it saying 'it's okay', or something like that as it pats his cheek.

Chuckling softly he gives it a light squeeze and slither back out on to the table, scratching to wood lightly as the furry length twists and writhes, reveling in it's freedom. In the past, when it would wander about, the beastman would never really pay attention to it, simply letting it do what it wants and occasionally grunting at it when it would hook on a door frame and refuse to let go. This usually happened when it was cold and the room that he was walking out of had the fireplace. 'Almost like a cat' He would think, then shake off the silly thoughts.

However, now, as he watches it, he tries to actually feel it, to understand it. He knows now that it's intentions are on par with his own, for the most part at least, though he will not acknowledge the desire to attach to his guest, and so as he watches he wonders why it's doing what it's doing. What is the equivalent with his other limbs. It doesn't have fingers, so it can't do what his hands do, so why? Why does it scrape, why does it twist? Shaking his head at it he looks up at Aryx and smiles softly, his flush settling as he finishes most of his meal. “I think, after you go, I'll miss you Mister Aryx, but what you've done for me is something I can never repay, so, feel free to return any time.” He nods slightly, then tilts his head to the side. “And of course you're free to stay as long as you like now, I'm not trying to rush you on your way or anything. I. . . .Like, having you around. . .” He flushes again but ignores it, determined to look at the man this time. To actually see the effect of his words on this exotic stranger, and to perhaps learn a little more about just what is passing between him and the traveler.

[Merule]

It doesn't insult Autharyx to be compared to an animal, and it only occurs to him that he might need to act like it does when Viltez starts to backtrack on his own words, and by then it's too late to pretend.

"I think I would rather be likened to an animal than a kid," he says instead, a small smile on his face to show he's not being very serious. "Don't we all look at them and envy their abilities? The grace of the mountain lion, the flight of birds... Humans might be capable of many feats, but those are still beyond us." He hopes he is projecting and air of awe towards the natural world rather than disdain towards humans- which he was supposed to be a part of after all. He doesn't really hate humans of course, otherwise he wouldn't chose to spend time amongst them. But while they are able to make many a beautiful thing, they are also the creatures that have caused him the most trouble over the ages.

He should probably try to hide how much he's observing the beastman, but as he's being watched in return it might be okay after all. It's still difficult for him to read the quick succession of emotions over Viltez' face as he glances at his own tail, but it is fascinating to look at the man regardless. In his true form he'd found humans hard to keep apart - their little faces had all looked much the same to him and they kept changing clothes to look different from day to day.

It is different with Viltez - or perhaps it's different now that he's the same size. Whatever the cause, Viltez is very interesting to look at. Not just his tail, the appeal of which could be explained by its novelty, but even his face. For someone who until recently was hard pressed to keep males and females apart on looks alone, he's spent an awful lot of time just looking at the shape of his eyes, the curve of his jaw and the colour of his lips. Even without spending much time as a human, he can guess that staring at people's faces might be considered rude, so he tries to be at least a lttle subtle about it.

Trying so hard, in fact, that he is caught off-guard when Viltex mentions he's free to ' return any time'. His face falls as he catches the implication - he's supposed to leave soon? - but it quickly morphs into relief when the his host mentions he's free to stay as well. A relieved smile is on his face by the time he catches up with his own emotions and his cheeks colour slightly as he realises how much of his emotions are on display. He's supposed to be a traveler, isn't he, not some kind of ... lonely soul who gets to attached too easily. He can only hope Viltez will take it as a compliment that he doesn't want to leave, and not a reason to doubt his cover story.

"I would very much love to stay." he says without thinking, hiding a wince at the earnest warmth in his voice. " Er, that is to say, it would be kind of you to allow me to stay. I can... offer compensation for your troubles of course." It feels... wrong somehow to try and treat this thing as a transaction, but that is what humans did, right? Autharyx much rather wants to... he doesn't actually know. It's novel enough for him to actually care about hte opinion of an individual mortal that he hasn't had time to figure out much beyond that. Best if he just follows Viltez' lead rather than try something and mess is up, though, Viltez-proper, that is, not Viltez' tail. The man seems disturbed anough by the appendages' tendencies that Autharyx is fairly certain it will not be well-recieved if he starts draping himself all over the beastman.

[PopeAlessandros]

A small shot of relief passes through Viltez as his guest expresses that, rather than being offended by being likened to an animal, he actually feels it almost an honor. Or at least does not look upon the idea with disdain. He tries to smile back, the act not too difficult as he's learned to relax around the other. Something about Aryx is just. . . .Calming, despite all the little things Viltez done himself to put himself on edge. As he interacts with his tail he can feel his guest's eyes on him, though not in a creepy way. It feels more scientific almost, and perhaps something else, but he doesn't let himself think about that.

The put-out look that crosses the man's face as he mentions Aryx leaving is not only adorable, but also a welcomed sight. 'It means he wants to stay, right? That he doesn't like the idea of leaving?' As he thinks this he watches relief spread across the man's face, his expressions so open and clear, rather odd for how guarded he seems half the time. 'It's like, half the time he just sort of forgets that he's suppose to be mysterious' He suppresses a giggle at the idea and continues speaking. The color in Aryx's cheeks take him by surprise and he finds his own flush deepening. 'Look at us, like a couple of school boys just tickled pink with one another. . .'

Shaking away the idea mentally he smiles softly, listening to Aryx speak with rapt attention. His heart flutters as he expresses a strong desire to stay, going so far as to say that he would “love to”, but as he goes on it's clear he's embarrassed at his own words and Viltez finds himself once more having the word adorable float to the top of his mind to describe his guest. Aryx is anything but, his hansom face and strong demeanor very much on the masculine side of things, however much he lacks the sharp angles and chiseled look that so many men prize. As he thinks about it however, with the long hair and the rather light frame, Aryx could very well be considered less than manly, but as these thoughts don't matter, he lets them go.

Much to his dismay his tail takes it's cue from that floating word and without hesitation slides forward and slips all the way up Aryx's arm and settles it's blade on the man's shoulder. He doesn't try and force it away, that action taking too much concentration. Instead he contemplates his guest's last words and tries to figure out how he feels about them. 'He seemed sincere when he said he wanted to stay, but then he pulled back, embarrassed, and tried to offer compensation, like bartering for a room at the inn, and that felt so. . . .Distant' Looking Aryx over he lets out a breath and tilts his head to the side. He knows he'll be embarrassing himself even further than he already is with his tail being very up close and personal with his guest, but he'd rather give the honest answer than try and find a way to go along with the innkeeper thing.

“I, um, don't mind you staying, and you don't have to compensate me or anything. I've always made more than I need working my odd jobs, my savings is considerable at the moment. I normally donate it every few months to one place or another, but I think. . . .I think I would rather use it to make us both. . .Um, comfortable.” He blushes deeper at the word, but manages to plunge on. “Th-the only thing I c-can think of, is that, I, um, I don't think I should keep sleeping on the couch. It's comfy, but if you're planning on staying longer, the idea of which is very appealing to me, obviously,” he points at his tail sheepishly. “then I. . .I think we should share my bed.” He can't believe he said it, aloud, to this man. He knows that he doesn't really mean anything inappropriate, but he can see quite easily how it could be taken that way.

As such, he is compelled to explain himself. “I need to be well rested and not stiff if I'm to keep doing my jobs around town, and after only a couple nights I can tell that the bench is not conducive to this, and I would never forgive myself for forcing you to sleep on it, given how I've begun to ache from using it, so I think the best solution is for us to share for now, and maybe I could make a cot some time this week for myself so that we don't have to any more, but for now, it's the best solution I can think of, and I just. . .I just don't want you to take it the wrong way and be offended or anything, I know many people find the idea of sharing a bed, even platonicly, somewhat distasteful, but I should give you a chance to talk, so I'm shutting up now.” As his explanation comes to an end his face is a brilliant shade of crimson and hi eyes are locked on his hands. He's clearly nervous, but the tail on Aryx's arm simply gives it comforting squeezes as if trying to assure the man he'd done nothing wrong despite it's owner's mini freak-out.

[Merule]

Even though he has a suspicion that there are layers beyond the surface conversation that he is missing, Autharyx is feeling pretty good about it all. Viltez has given no indication that he has been offended by something Autharyx has said, and now his host’s tail even makes his way around his arm again. It is weird how comforting the press of the appendage is, given that it is just about as novel to him as the rest of this venture into humanity, but as long as Viltez seems okay with it he’s not going to press his luck by questioning it too much. At least he knows not that trying to pet it will make Viltez pull away, so he just enjoys the contact as he waits for the beast man to speak.

When he does, the sense that he’s missing something grows, especially when Viltez starts blushing and stumbling over some of his words. Autharyx tilts his head a little as he listens and tries to project a polite sort of attention rather than the concentrated focus he’s currently applying. The bed thing seems to be a bit of a tender issue with his host, and Autharyx supposes he should treat it as such if he wants to come across as a well-adjusted human, instead of reveal that he actually really likes the idea of sharing the bed.

If he was in his natural form he would have preened at the thought. Back home he spent most of his time slumbering on top of his most precious possession, ranging from gold and gems to tapestries and gifts he’d gathered over the ages. It is probably… disrespectful to want to gather Viltez up for his treasure trove, though, so he does his best to banish the image from his mind and keep from looking too eager.

“That seems… very practical,” he finally says, careful not to fluster Viltez any further, even though there is a certain appeal to watching the spread of red across his face (and down his collar? Can all the skin on a human body blush like that or is it confined to the head?).

“I really like the idea of staying longer,” spending more time with you, “and I’d hate to think my presence would be cause for your discomfort. In fact, you being stiff and not well-rested would be far more distasteful for me than the idea of sleeping together. I was very fortunate indeed to happen upon so kind a host, and it would be terribly impolite for me to repay that favour by providing you with sleepless nights.”

He smiles in what he hopes is a reassuring manner, ignoring the thread of anticipation curling in his gut. It will be nothing like curling around Viltez in his natural form, of course, but that doesn’t stop him from looking forward to it. He continues with his meal as he observed Viltez to see if he handled this well. He feels he’s gotten better after startling him badly in the forest that afternoon, but he’s running blind here in regards to ‘normal’ human reactions so it’ll always be a bit of a gamble.

[PopeAlessandros]

It's one of the hardest things he's ever done. Sitting and waiting for his guest's verdict on his outrageous request. He knows it's the best for both of them, and that he doesn't intend to do anything that will make Aryx uncomfortable, but for all he knows he's had bad experiences in his home town, or maybe he grew up being taught to hate such things as sharing bed space. So many things race through his head that would have the man reacting badly that he almost misses Aryx's real reply. His eyes light up as the first thing he has to say about his idea is that it's practical. He nods vigorously in agreement and smiles at his guest, his tail squeezing the man's arm again.

He lights up even more when Aryx expresses that he really wants to stay, but moments later he can feel his face lighting up again. 'I honestly an not tell if he's doing this on purpose. . .If he's really, saying these things out of pure innocence, or if he's trying to make my blush. . .Is he teasing me? Is he!?' he bites his lips, keeping his eyes on his guest as he speaks, trying desperately to come to terms with all the possibilities of the man's words. When at last he is finished he goes back to eating, and Viltez follows suit. He keeps his eyes down for a short time, watching himself eat as if it's the most fascinating thing he's ever done.

'He seems a very straight forward guy. I bet he was just speaking truthfully. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time he's done or said something that was suggestive, and, and he didn't sound sarcastic, so even if he meant it, he actually meant it, as in he has no inclinations towards such things. . . .' That last thought makes him sad more than anything else, but with a calming breath he looks up at his guest with a smile and says, “Well then, that's good. Glad we got that settled!” Humming softly he finishes his meal, waiting for Aryx to finish as well before gathering up the dishes and heading for the sink. His tail obliges the action and slips from the man's arm as he moves too far away to be connected and Viltez silently thanks the appendage.

As his hands work to cleanse their evening meal from the dishes however he nerves begins humming again as he realizes: it's almost bed time. 'It's okay, we worked it out. We'll just be sharing the space, no big deal!' Even inside his own head he doesn't sound very convincing. His hands tremble ever so slightly, but he manages to relax them enough to not drop his dishes. He works carefully, methodically, until at last they are all done. His tail curls and coils as he works, reflecting his high emotional state, but he doesn't notice it. Turning to face his guest once more he smiles warmly, tilting his head to the side. “So, anything you want to talk about, or sh-should we head off to bed?” He silently smacks himself inside his head at the stutter but shows no outwards sign of finding himself silly. . . .Other than his tail with is twitching in irritation.

[Merule]

At first Autharyx feels like he has made his point well, but when Viltez turns his focus on his food without talking, doubt starts to creep in. His host’s face is red again, which is an indication of shame, right? Was he not clear enough that he wanted to stay? Or did he say things that were ‘inappropriate’? Viltez had seemed worried about his reaction, so he’d tried to make it clear that he thought it was a good idea and that he was only thinking about his host’s comfort, but perhaps he should have pretended to be more conflicted about the idea?

With every passing moment of silence he is more and more certain he’s said something wrong, but when Viltez finally answers it sounds positive enough. Autharyx looks up with an expression of slight surprise, but turns it into a smile now that everything seems to be okay. The rest of the meal occurs in silence, but to Autharyx’ inexperienced ear it seems to be a companionable one rather than an awkward one.

When Viltez stands up to put the plates away, the tail slips from his arm and he is free to stand up and do his own share of helping. Viltez seems busy in the kitchen, so Autharyx uses the time to tidy up the living room further. From the corner of his eye he can see his host’s tail wring and twist itself, and he once again wonders whether he’s said something wrong after all.

When the man turns to him with a question, though, there is a smile on his face even though he stumbles over his words again. Autharyx’ eyes dart to the tail that was still moving in a far more restless way than usually, but perhaps that doesn’t mean anything?

“Um, yeah, bed is fine,” he says, cursing himself for the hesitation in his voice. If Viltez is smiling, surely he didn’t want Autharyx to act like something is wrong. If anything, he is probably covering for something Autharyx said earlier, right? Best to just go along with the cues his host was giving.

Mind made up, he feigns a casual air as he walks to the bedroom, in the meantime still trying to go over what he might have said wrong. It must have been the eagerness, right? Apparently humans had a thing against sharing beds and he didn’t show that clearly enough. Should he try to do it after all? Or would any more talking only make things worse?

He is already in his (Viltez’) sleeping pants with his (Viltez’) sleeping shirt in his hands, when he decides the uncertainty of maybe having done something wrong does not sit well with him. He already told Viltez he was from a different culture, right? So he might as well figure out if or where he’d gone wrong.

“Viltez,” he says, looking at the other man with just a hint of a frown. “Is there something I did… wrong?” The word feels distasteful in his mouth as a means of referring to himself, but ‘rude’ would imply that he’d done it on purpose and that would be worse.

“I assure you, I did not mean to offend, and if I did it was an accident…”

[PopeAlessandros]

His eyes roam over the room, spotting it in more order than when he'd turned his back and his smile becomes a little less painted on. He really is happy to have the man as his guest, and his insecurities aside, he looks forward to sleeping on his bed again. Looking back at Aryx he smiles a little wider as the man agrees it's time to head to bead, the slight hesitation his his voice oddly comforting. ”I'm not the only one here a little unsure. That. . . That makes me feels better, even if it mean he's uncomfortable. . . .This is all so confusing' The two wander to the beast man's room and it isn't until Aryx is about to take his pants off that Viltez comes out of his little thoughtful daze and, flushing deeply, he turns around so his back is to the man.

He's already gotten a taste of the cavalier way his people walk around half clothed from the morning incident and he has nothing against the man for his actions. After all, they are both men. 'It's normal, right? Not to be embarrassed?' Quickly he peels off his own shirt, hesitating for only a moment before following suit with his pants, his cheeks glowing. Quickly as he can he slips on a pair of shorts he likes using for warm nights – with Aryx in the bed he figures the rather tepid night with be far warmer than usual – and turns to face his guest with a half smile. 'That heavens he wears clothes to bed. A part of me was convinced he would just be nude. . .. Or maybe I was hoping. . . .'

Mentally shaking his head he tilts his head to the side as he listens to his companion. His stomach clenches painfully at the sight of the frown on his face, and what he has to say doesn't make it feel any better. Waving his hand he does his best to quickly wipe away any feelings of wrongdoing. “N-No, no, mister Aryx, you've done nothing wrong. I mean it. It's simply that. . .That I've never. . .” His voice trails off and he looks at the bed. “Being alone most of my life, I've never slept beside anyone before. . . .” His voice is soft, coming out smoothly as if he's trying to get it all out at once. “And, I-I'm kinda looking forward to it, and I feel like that should be weird, but you're completely okay with it, or you seem to be, and that just. . .”

Looking at Aryx with a pathetic expression he says softly. “Like just having my tail roaming free, and having it hug you, and having it pet, and being okay around someone with it out, it's all just new and different to me. . .” Looking back to the bed he flushes lightly again. He's not quite sure how to phrase the rest of what's going on inside his head so he does his best to sideswipe the issue rather than stating it head on. “And, you know, it's not like there's much room on the bed, and while I don't move much I'm just a little worried that you may feel a little crowded. I-I won't mind, I sure, I w-was just worried about you a bit, that's all. . . .” His gaze goes back to Aryx as his tail begins coiling more slowly behind him. Having spoken his troubles, he feels a lot better now.

[Merule]

It does Autharyx a world of good to have Viltez assure him he did nothing wrong. Now that he knows his host’s nervousness has nothing to do with Autharyx’ manners, it becomes a little easier to enjoy his flustered state. He makes a fair attempt to hide a smile- no need to be impolite after all- but his eyes aer still glued to the beastman as he stammers through his explanation.

He can’t help but see a bit of fear as a compliment, especially when it is coupled with the admission that he is looking forward to it. Autharyx is thoroughly unfamiliar with the concept of being nervous when thing are going well, but he is very well acquainted with his presence invoking fear or nervousness, so he can work with this.

“Thank you for telling me, Viltez,” he says solemnly. There is vulnerability in admitting to weakness, and AUtharyx never knew he could feel flattered by such a thing rather than feeling the smugness such a realisation usually brought him.

“It seems that what ‘should be’ is not something that applies to our situations as often as it might to others. I propose we have both grown up to be… different-” he very carefully did not say ‘better’ “-from most people, and as such I propose we ascribe more value to what feels okay to us rather than what everyone else has decided ‘should be’.” It’s not like he ever had any intention to pay attention to the opinions of insignificant little humans, but he doubts saying so will go over well with his host. And if letting go of ‘should be’ might entice him to say more about how he likes the idea of sleeping together or having his tail pet, Autharyx is more than happy to listen to those admissions.

“As it is, I also find myself looking forward to the new experience of spending a night with someone other than myself.” He tried for a smile, hoping it wouldn’t come over too eager. “If you are worried for me, I would appreciate to hear it so that I can assuage your worries. I can assure you I am quite sturdy.”

After those words he considers the shirt in his hands for a while, before discarding it with the rest of his clothes. It was going to be hard enough to sleep with pants on, so he might as well not make it any more difficult for himself. He made sure not to move into Viltez’ space as he walked over to the bed, and just made himself comfortable on one side of the bed while still leaving room for his host. The instinct that wanted him to gather his possessions close so no one could try to take them away, was one better left ignored in this case.

[PopeAlessandros]

Relaxed slightly from getting out his worries, Viltez is able to look at Aryx as he speaks, taking in the man's words fully so he can turn them over and over in his brain. 'I suppose he's right. I mean, I feel I am different, and that means I will be different, but, does he really consider himself different too?' Tilting his head to the side he tries to imagine anyone finding Aryx anything but enchanting and the only thing that comes to mind is the incident with the vendor when they first met. 'However, that was just a cultural different, I'm sure. . .Though, there is the not caring about pants, and the shiny things in the hair, but again, is that not just a cultural thing? He looks perfectly normal to me, and pretty. . . .'

He flushes at that last thought and moment later his mind is waylaid by his guest's admission that he's is also looking forward to sleeping in the same bed and his heart skips several beats. His faint flush burns deeper red but he doesn't let himself respond by hiding his face or anything. They're just talking here. Aryx is just curious, that's all. He would be interested in sleeping next to anyone. . . Or so Viltez keeps telling himself to keep his hopes from getting too high. He nods slowly. “I-I understand, Mister Aryx.” he curses his stutter silently, wishing he would stop that. “So, um, yeah, we should. . .We should get to sleep. . .” He waves an arm towards the bed. “You can, um, take what side you want. I'll w-wait for you to get comfy. . .”

Aryx walks over to the bed, discarding the top he had been holding before climbing on to the small sleeping area, settling to one side with his front facing the middle of the bed. Viltez tries to ignore the images in his head about how this will look, them sleeping so close like this, and follows his guest on to the bed, turning so that his back is to Aryx. A part of him had been positive they would be sleeping back to back, and somehow that seemed less blush worthy a position in his mind, but as he carefully settles in, touching Aryx as little as possible as he does so, he figures this will actually give them both more sleeping space and may even keep them from having to smush together to fit right.

After finally getting as comfortable as he can, Viltez lets out a long sigh, the feeling of the plush mattress and fluffy pillow beneath him a very comforting one, the familiarity of it all tainted only slightly by the scent of Aryx emanating from the pillows. 'Not that I mind the smell. . . .I've been smelling it near constantly since he arrived. . .It's hard to believe it's been such a short amount of time that he's be-' His thoughts are stopped cold as his tail slithers about under the covers. He can feel it slipping over the warm body behind him, and, much to his embarrassment, sliding up Aryx's back, tightening as if to draw him closer. Bitting his lips, Viltez stays very still, waiting to see his companion's reaction before either pulling it back, or letting it be. At this point, he's honestly not sure which he would prefer.

[Merule]

It doesn't take long for his host to settle in, and Autharyx is aware of every little movement. Even though it is pretty clear that Viltez is making an effort to keep contact to a minimum, Autharyx still enjoys the proximity. This room might not be 'his' in the way his cavern is, but the bed smells of him and that is enough to feel at least a bit at home.

The sheets also carried the beast-man's scent the night before, of course, but it is still different to have the man next to him for real. Apart from their brief contact after the collision in the woods, his host hadn't been terribly tactile. This quiet togetherness is a welcome change from the more... hectic nature of his dealings with humanity so far. The bed is meant for sleeping, of course, but for now Autharyx doesn't feel all that tired. Not bored either, though, as he takes a simple joy in simply feeling the slight warmth coming off the other man and breathing in their slowly entangling scents.

Viltez seems to settle down a well, as his body relaxes further into the mattress with a sigh. Or is he? As Autharyx feels the silky fur of the beast-man's tail slide past his skin and over his back, he feels equal parts surprised and delighted. He might have decided not to touch Viltez' tail on his own accord any more, but that doesn't mean he doesn't welcome the touch in return, especially when it seems to be an invitation to come closer.

He starts to curl in closer with a contented hum, but stops when he notices the line of tension in Viltez' back and shoulders. Right, he was talking earlier about his tail wanting something else, right? Or was the problem that he thinks Autharyx is the one who wants something else?

"Um... is this all right?" he asks quietly. He still doesn't like admitting he doesn't know things, but it is better than inadvertently causing his host discomfort.

[PopeAlessandros]

Without the slightest hesitation, Aryx moves closer, and Viltez once more feels a thrill run through him. A myriad of possible responses to the action of his tail passed through his mind as it happened, but the actual reaction blows them all away and settles in him into a very comfortable place. In his mind at least. He still feels a little tense, the proximity still something he's not used to, but as his insides shiver at the sound of that hum from the other man he knows that he could get used to these. Maybe even enjoy it.

He starts trying to relax, but then the body pauses. There's a moment of fear, a shock of hurt, but then he hears his guest asking if it's okay for him to move closer and he smiles faintly at the dark wall across from him. Nodding slowly he murmurs, “A-as long as you are comfortable, anything is fine really. . .” With those words said he lets out a long exhale and forces himself to relax. With all the practice of making his tail stay still, convincing his body to relax is considerably easy. Especially given how a pleasant warmth rushes through him as the man settles in rather close behind him.

His tail coils tighter before relaxing into a gentle grip over Aryx's shoulder, the blade settled against his back and the bulk of his tail settled along the man's side and looped under his arm. Once it relaxes he's able to fully relax and he settles more comfortably into the bed, his back warming against the other man's body. He tries to ignore the implications, to ignore his body's joyous response, and most of all, to keep his hopes and imagination from rising and leading him into fantasies that will never come true. 'He is giving me a lot. I should stop trying to convince myself that there's more. There is not, and I should stop insisting. . .' Letting out a slow breath he stretches his arms out a little before pulling them tight against his chest for comfort.

[Merule]

At 'anything is fine' an image raises to his mind of him in his true form, curled up nearly all the way around his host while his tail hangs over the edge of the bed for lack of space. It's just a baseless fancy, of course, but the image still gets a slight chuckle out of him, breath puffing against the skin of Viltez' neck as he settles in closer. True to his words, Viltez starts to relax almost immediately and Autharyx is surprised by how easy that makes it for him to relax in turn. Is this a mortal thing or a Viltez, he wonders briefly before deciding it matters very little.

He is both mortal-shaped and with Viltez at the moment, and if that feels this nice he's not about to question it any further. As the beast-man's tail drapes itself over him, Autharyx reaches his arm out to rest on Viltez's side, careful at first and relaxing when it seems Viltez doesn't disapprove. His nose is nestled very nearly into the crook of his host's neck, and he is pleasantly surprised to find the beast-man smells even better up close. With another body next to him, it's easy to focus on that rather than everything pressing at his own body, and it doesn't take long for him to drift off, lulled by Viltez' steady heartbeat.

Now that he hadn't spent half the night tossing and turning, he slowly drifts back into consciousness while the sky outside is still dark. The feeling of lost time that comes with sleeping is still a bit disorientating, but far more manageable now he had something else to focus on. Namely Viltez. Even though he has no memory of it, they had somehow managed to shift around during the night, so that they are now facing each other. Viltez seemed to have scooted up a bit, leaving Autharyx with his head curled in against the top of his host's chest. Their knees are tangled together and Autharyx can feel a warm presence around his lower leg that can only be the beast-man's tail. It will be nigh impossible to untangle himself without waking Viltez, which is as good an excuse as any to close his eyes and simply enjoy the proximity some more.

[PopeAlessandros]

Viltez manages to suppress a shiver at the feeling of the man's breath on his neck and he keeps his eyes closed as the feelings running through him make relaxing harder and harder. He manages however and soon enough Aryx settles against him and begins to drift off. 'There's a hand on my side, and I can feel him breathing against my neck. . .He's so, so close, and. . . .And I'm okay' He lets out a slow breath, keeping himself relaxed as the breathing behind him evens out into a steady sleeping rhythm. As close as they are he can see some flyaway hairs from the man's long mane drifting over his shoulder as he sleeps and the beastman takes to watching them tickle his shoulder as a way to focus on something other than his own errant fantasies.

'He is here, we are comfortable, he accepts me for who and what I am, and. . .And he is comfortable enough with me to use me as a giant doll while he sleeps. . .I could not ask for more' He repeats this to himself, over and over, and eventually the warmth and the gentle feelings running through his chest allow him to follow the man into the dream realm. In the night he dreams of his father, of the days before he was forced to hide himself away like a diseased ridden creature and deny who he is. He's never resented it before, not before, but as he feels his father holding him tight, keeping him warm and safe, his longing for the days when he was just a child traveling at his father's side makes his current life bring an unpleasant taste to his tongue.

The taste is not there long however as a new scent filters through his mind, sweetening the air unbelievably so. His hand flexes against something warm in his grasp and he takes a deep, slow breath. The sweet scent fills his lungs once more and softly his lips let out the unmistakable sound of the source's name. “Aryx. . .” he murmurs, the waking world coming to him slowly. He can feel breath against his chest and for a moment he's quite sure it must be his own. After all, he lives alone. There's no one who would be. . .

His eyes drift slowly open and he swallows hard at the sight of thick black hair mussed with sleep resting under his chin, and the feeling of warm flesh beneath his fingers. He glances at his hand, thanking anyone who will listen that it's only on the man's shoulder, and moves ever so slightly to try and figure out just how much of a mess he's in. His body heats as he realizes that he's got one of his guest's legs between his knees and shivers slightly as the movement causes a slight rubbing against his tail.

'Well, this is a fine mess you've gotten yourself in. . .' He scowls grumpily at himself, however, after a moment, he relaxes. 'We were asleep, he can't blame me, and, it's not like I was the only one who moved. We're like this, it's a fact, and fretting about it's just going to make us both uncomfortable. . .' Just as he begins thinking about being uncomfortable he realizes that being awake in this position is leading to some physical reactions he's rather not have to explain away. Wallowing, he decides it's time to face the music, before his instincts drive him to make an actual conscious mess that he's quite sure will drive his guest away.

“Mister Aryx. . .Aryx. . .?” He calls softly, shaking the man's shoulder ever so slightly as his tail tightens and relaxes around Aryx's thigh. The sun is barely beginning to light the sky, but for Viltez, there's always something he can be doing, and right now, he feels like making breakfast for the both of them as a good distraction for his overwhelming joy at waking up next to someone so accepting and kind.

[Merule]

Up close, Viltez is fascinating even in his sleep. For a while his breathing is deep and slow, but then it starts to gradually speed up a bit, which Autharyx presumes is a sign of waking. Surely enough, his host's fingers flex where they are warm against his shoulder, followed by a slightly indefinable murmur that might be his name. Autharyx hums a little in reply, turning his face a bit more into the other man's chest as he subtly shifts around.

Something sends a small shiver through Viltez' body, but he soon relaxes again, to Autharyx' approval. He was afraid he missed all the cuddling by sleeping all night, but this is nice too, even though he feels his brain might be a bit too foggy to appreciate it properly. He breathes in deep through his nose in an attempt to clear his head of sleep, but only succeeds in getting distracted by Viltez' scent. He's not sure if he had just not been paying attention earlier, but it seems like there is something... heavy and warm about the beast-man's scent that hadn't been there earlier.

Before he can try to find out though, Viltez is shaking his shoulder gently and calling his name. Right, he got up early yesterday as well. Of course he wouldn't be interested in lazing about in bed with him. He somewhat reluctantly starts to pull away.

"Yeah, yeah, 'm aw- ah~" the tail flexes around his thigh, and Autharyx makes a noise somewhere between a gasp and a moan at the sensation.

"Heh, that... tickles," he says a little uncertainly, as if unsure 'tickling' is the word that fits the best for the sensations skittering under his skin. It's helping him wake up a bit more, at least, even though it is starting to get a little warm with the both of the beneath the cover.

[PopeAlessandros]

Smiling slightly as Aryx begins to respond, moving back a little, a shot of liquid fire races through his system at the sound that cuts off the end of the man's sentence. He swallows hard, his body reacting readily to the sound, but his mind screaming that he needs to get ahold of himself. Impulsively, his tail flexes again and he whimpers slightly, feeling absolutely no control over it at the moment.

'I've got to pull myself out, I can't stay this close. My body, I can feel, and it's too warm, and. . .' Aryx speaks again, the uncertainty in his voice forcing the beast man to swallow a whimper before trying and failing to reply with a steady voice. “Um, hey, looks like we got a little tangled up huh? I hope it didn't wake you up or anything. We should, um, y'know.” A shot of fear runs through him as his tail wraps a little tighter around it's prize, sliding against Aryx's smooth skin, unwilling to let go willingly. 'Oh, this could not get any worse. . .' He lament silently, his heart now racing to match the “tickle” rushing around under his own skin.