It's true, I don't like things getting in my eyes. Normally it's blood and not smoke, though. [hello????] I do have to watch over the people here, but...
[He glances over at Moder in the distance. That old moose has never seemed bothered by things getting in her eyes, considering how hidden away they are in the first place. Zahliya had, in the past, tried to take them out... it was difficult. That was when she was corrupted, of course.]
...do you think Moder has it handled? She's the omnipotent one, not me.
[What's worse is that Luca doesn't even blink at what Zahliya says. Blood in the eyes? Normal. Happens to the best of them, and it always sucks.]
If the idea makes you uneasy, I will not force it, but... [He cracks a grin as he looks from Moose to Garg.] She does have quite the size advantage, compared to you. Surely she can handle twice what you can.
I did fight her once upon a time, for several hundred years in fact! I can handle things that are four times my size! [zahliya please] I like to believe we're on equal strength levels!
[HUFFS but not seriously.]
...either way, yes. I'll follow you. Are you going to climb down, or are you going to risk breaking your ankles, or do I need to fly you down?
So very brave and strong. [There is definitely a note of sarcasm there, but it's the playful, lighthearted sort. If anything, Luca's charmed by the insistence.]
In any case, my ankles are far sturdier than that. [He sounds very scandalized by the assumption.] And even if they broke, my own passenger would not allow for me to remain injured for long.
[Dumb bird baby has not yet realized how slow his healing is.]
And I would hate to debase such an esteemed guardian by making him carry me about.
"Debase", says the man who has seen me at some of my lowest points. [Zahliya rolls his eyes and stands, balancing much as a mountain goat would on a steep slope. The roof isn't quite as steep, but the principles apply.] Please. Carrying you like a sack of luggage would be as simple as breathing. It would be you who would be embarrassed, not I.
[....no, it would be both of you idiots. What is this.]
[Try as he might, Luca can't seem to come up with anything smart to say. He stumbles over his words, trying to maintain the brevity without mocking Zahliya's vulnerability. Never mind the fact that he doesn't want to up and say something stupid.]
I would not mind spending a few more nights in your presence. [Goddammit, what did we just say, Luca.
No matter. He huffs once at tosses his head to the side. His arms crossed, not unlike a petulant child. With his nose angled upward, he manages:] I would not be embarrassed.
[You know. Inviting the challenge. Very heterosexual.]
[Zahliya has discovered recently that sometimes, you can be a little silly. He's had his head in his own ass for quite a while, after all. "Killing monsters is the only thing I can do" and "I miss all of you from the past" were pretty much his only sentiments, but at least Luca seems to have startled him back to the real world with... that weird fluttery feeling, ugh, what is that.
Point is, he likes teasing Luca. And he knows he, logically, needs to realise that it's okay to just be without thinking he's going to get murdered because someone poked him in the arm. So!
He smirks at Luca. There's a glint in his eyes... and then he bends down and scoops the man bridal-style before he leaps off the side of the roof, catching the air on his leathery wings.
[The rest of his words are swallowed by an echoing squawk. It's a very marvelous impression of a bird, all things considered. Which means it's pretty damn embarrassing for them both. Nevertheless, he doesn't exactly flail or try to get out. he knows better, knows that it'll only end in something broken for at least one of them.
The best he can do is cross his arms, scowl, and pretend that he didn't just effectively yelp and, well. Embarrass himself.]
[Smirking, he circles the treetops for a moment, then leans his weight back and lets the wind catch his wings in a proper stop once they're close enough to the ground. It's a bit of a janky landing, Zahliya isn't used to flying with a passenger (or really at all, since he can only go up about thirty feet), but Luca at least gets set on his feet right in front of the bar doors safely and gently.
[See, that's what you think, Zahliya. But even if his feet are left to hit the ground, Luca remains limp, with his arms wrapped around the Gargoyle's shoulders. While his face remains otherwise blank, his eyebrows lift.]
You won't even carry me across the threshold after all of that? What sort of treatment is this?
[He's just gonna stay dangling there. Don't mind him.]
[Whatever, get scooped idiot. It's not a cute bridal carry, but rather Zahliya leaning down to throw Luca over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He will, in fact, carry Luca into the bar proper and then plop him down in a seat.
:) ]
Unless you'd rather I park you right behind your counter?
[... The view is nice, at least. Is he scoping the cake? Maybe just a little. He doesn't indicate as much, instead letting out a very annoyed huff. He squirms a few times against his shoulder, but doesn't try to actually get free.
That doesn't keep him from crossing his arms defiantly once he's in a seat. His leg shifts, angling so he can rest his heel against the opposite knee.]
I'm not cooking for you, if that's what you're getting at.
[That's fair, Zahliya has a very round ass. Anyway—
Tail wagging :)]
I've never seen you anywhere else! [He's teasing, of course. He's seen Luca doing other things at the bar! ...mostly cooking though!] But no, I am not hungry right now.
It is my job. And some of us need to stay busy around here.
[He knows he could be contributing more. Investigating, finding answers. Truthfully, though, he's always been a bit subdued like this. Solitude is easier, especially when this place is familiar. The presence of the spirit helps, even if they can't exactly communicate.]
If I'm not cooking, then, what would you like to do? Unless you propose staring at one another for hours on end?
[Only one thing to do about that. Luca reaches out and attempts to cover Zahliya's eyes with his palm. Can't stare if your eyes are hidden, Zahliya! What now!]
And yet you seem to be losing. What a shame!
[This is supposed to be the thread they have sex in and yet here they are. They actually just missed the fighting because they were being stupid. Incredible.]
[Yeah but sex can't be done without foreplay which can't be done without stupidity. Zahliya is... very very good at being dumb, because now that he's pulled his head out of his ass, he's sort of realised it's fine to be dumb and take breaks.
(This will bite him in the ass later.)
He grins and tries to peer around Luca's hand, stopping to grab it and lower it and...
...then he just sort of holds it, adjusting himself into a proper sit as he does.]
When I first met you, I didn't know you'd be so goofy. I thought you were going to be too... [he hums, searching for a non-offensive way to put this,] concerned about the circumstances. Not that they aren't concerning, you understand, but...
I would not have learnt to relax without you. That's what I mean to say.
[Luca is more than ready to continue this little "squabble" for as long as it goes on. What he isn't ready for is Zahliya holding his hand. For the conversation to turn so serious, bordering on heartfelt. Anyone else, and he might have pulled away in exasperation.
But Zahliya's always been a strange one. And try as he might, Luca can hardly deny the growing affection he feels for the Gargoyle.]
I am concerned, do not get me wrong. [But they both know that.] There is just something about you. It... makes me feel -
[Luca pauses, searching for the words. When he fails, he makes a vague motion with his hand, scowling faintly in his frustration.]
When I was younger, I wasn't... like this. Kiera and I were known for terrorizing our fellow nobles with all manner of foolishness. And sometimes - [He pauses, jaw tensing as he chews on the inside of his cheek.] You make me feel like that anew.
Mm, well, it took me quite a long time to adjust to that. Where would I be if we hadn't met? Certainly not bothering you for snacks or breaking into the fridge-thing.
[He is Not letting go of Luca's hand. They're mutually warm, and the touch, for once, isn't something outright scary. Luca is not dangerous to Zahliya specifically, and Zahliya's unnatural heat isn't dangerous to him. It's... nice. It's just nice.
He flips Luca's hand over and traces the lines of his palm with a claw, delicate as a feather.]
It is very funny for you to say you feel young again when you are already very small. [wow] ...and I do like that you feel like a fool around me. I've not been very put together around you, either.
[It's not hard to see that most of the Grove cares for him. Perhaps not as much as Luca, but good luck getting him to admit that out loud just yet. The point is, Luca isn't so certain he's brought all that much good to Zahliya's life. Not that he doesn't cherish the Gargoyle or -
whoa, those are awfully sappy thoughts. Yet it turns out, they go just fine with his steadily thumping heart. He can't help it, when those claws find a way to be so gentle to him. They make him feel... less abnormal. He's long struggled with the burden of his Blessing, and how it makes him stand out. But when everyone else is different..]
I'm going to choose to ignore that comment - [Said with a soft grin.] and simply say that I... think I rather like when you aren't put together, Zahliya.
[He feels warm and light, content despite the way his heart rabbits within his chest. He meant what he said about feeling young again. This feels like his first crush, like how he used to write his own name with various last names of the boys he fancied around Aerea.]
It feels like a gift. Something secret for the two of us to share.
[The logical next step is to kiss the boy but Zahliya has never read a romance novel in his life (he cannot read) and not understanding traditional romance tropes is killing this discussion.
...but his tail is wagging behind him, so maybe that counts for something.]
You are embarrassing, [he says, despite being the one holding Luca's hand here,] my clownery is not a gift.
[But.]
...though, if you would consider it such, then I don't mind giving it to you freely. I do... [Deep breaths, little garg, it's okay.] ...I am rather fond of you. More than I think I am fond of the others. Do not tell them, I can't handle when Mizuki cries.
[When is Luca going to romantically read him a bedtime story then, huh, Wolfie? Where is this?
Anyway. Luca glances toward that tail, watching its twitching back and forth and feels... emboldened. Maybe it's the words that Zahliya speaks, or the atmosphere. Perhaps, still, it's the confession that they've shared, however much they might have ducked around actually admitting anything.
Either way...]
I assure you, I do not kiss and tell.
[But they haven't - no shut up. Luca leans across the bar, almost hurriedly attempting to steal a kiss from Zahliya. It's little more than a peck before he ducks back and pretends to look for something. Just don't ask him what.]
Zahliya has that same thought. "But we haven't???" and then Luca quickly closes that gap, though not long enough to really give a proper kiss. Like hey. Wait a second, come back here??
He is not a forward person unless it comes to a battle or wanting food to eat. Not normally. Luca is a lot different, though, in many good and glorious ways, and Zahliya feels pretty strongly that he was not done there. It helps to have an outlet for all the strange, fluttering feelings besides.
So:]
That was hardly a proper kiss. [And then he gets up and swings himself over the counter, hopping down at Luca's side.] I think it's supposed to last longer. I'm giving that a two out of ten stars, try again.
[There isn't even a chance to complain about Zahliya clambering all over his bar. He opens his mouth, and then suddenly he's there. They're so close to one another, too, and it's not like Luca was exactly satisfied with the peck either.
Nevertheless, he has an image to keep. And that image forces him to press his lips into a thin line and cross his arms over his chest.]
It was a perfectly amenable first attempt. Especially when I was testing the waters. [He rolls his eyes hard enough that his head hurts.]
If you want another kiss so bad, why don't you show me how it's done?
No, I know you must have an idea how to kiss like how I have an idea how to kiss. You've seen the others do it before, haven't you?
[No, Zahliya, you just have a weird vantage point from on high.
Either way, he's going to shake off his nerves, go away nerves and let him put a name to these emotions finally, and surge forward and grab Luca's face with his hands to give him a proper kiss. ...his definition of proper, anyway, it's sloppy and uncoordinated and he has no idea what he's doing but it's a kiss!!]
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[He glances over at Moder in the distance. That old moose has never seemed bothered by things getting in her eyes, considering how hidden away they are in the first place. Zahliya had, in the past, tried to take them out... it was difficult. That was when she was corrupted, of course.]
...do you think Moder has it handled? She's the omnipotent one, not me.
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If the idea makes you uneasy, I will not force it, but... [He cracks a grin as he looks from Moose to Garg.] She does have quite the size advantage, compared to you. Surely she can handle twice what you can.
[That's a playful little elbow for him.]
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I did fight her once upon a time, for several hundred years in fact! I can handle things that are four times my size! [zahliya please] I like to believe we're on equal strength levels!
[HUFFS but not seriously.]
...either way, yes. I'll follow you. Are you going to climb down, or are you going to risk breaking your ankles, or do I need to fly you down?
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In any case, my ankles are far sturdier than that. [He sounds very scandalized by the assumption.] And even if they broke, my own passenger would not allow for me to remain injured for long.
[Dumb bird baby has not yet realized how slow his healing is.]
And I would hate to debase such an esteemed guardian by making him carry me about.
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[....no, it would be both of you idiots. What is this.]
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I would not mind spending a few more nights in your presence. [Goddammit, what did we just say, Luca.
No matter. He huffs once at tosses his head to the side. His arms crossed, not unlike a petulant child. With his nose angled upward, he manages:] I would not be embarrassed.
[You know. Inviting the challenge. Very heterosexual.]
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[Zahliya has discovered recently that sometimes, you can be a little silly. He's had his head in his own ass for quite a while, after all. "Killing monsters is the only thing I can do" and "I miss all of you from the past" were pretty much his only sentiments, but at least Luca seems to have startled him back to the real world with... that weird fluttery feeling, ugh, what is that.
Point is, he likes teasing Luca. And he knows he, logically, needs to realise that it's okay to just be without thinking he's going to get murdered because someone poked him in the arm. So!
He smirks at Luca. There's a glint in his eyes... and then he bends down and scoops the man bridal-style before he leaps off the side of the roof, catching the air on his leathery wings.
Get carried idiot.]
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[The rest of his words are swallowed by an echoing squawk. It's a very marvelous impression of a bird, all things considered. Which means it's pretty damn embarrassing for them both. Nevertheless, he doesn't exactly flail or try to get out. he knows better, knows that it'll only end in something broken for at least one of them.
The best he can do is cross his arms, scowl, and pretend that he didn't just effectively yelp and, well. Embarrass himself.]
Hilarious. Very much so.
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[Smirking, he circles the treetops for a moment, then leans his weight back and lets the wind catch his wings in a proper stop once they're close enough to the ground. It's a bit of a janky landing, Zahliya isn't used to flying with a passenger (or really at all, since he can only go up about thirty feet), but Luca at least gets set on his feet right in front of the bar doors safely and gently.
There you go, you're free now.]
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You won't even carry me across the threshold after all of that? What sort of treatment is this?
[He's just gonna stay dangling there. Don't mind him.]
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[Whatever, get scooped idiot. It's not a cute bridal carry, but rather Zahliya leaning down to throw Luca over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He will, in fact, carry Luca into the bar proper and then plop him down in a seat.
:) ]
Unless you'd rather I park you right behind your counter?
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That doesn't keep him from crossing his arms defiantly once he's in a seat. His leg shifts, angling so he can rest his heel against the opposite knee.]
I'm not cooking for you, if that's what you're getting at.
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Tail wagging :)]
I've never seen you anywhere else! [He's teasing, of course. He's seen Luca doing other things at the bar! ...mostly cooking though!] But no, I am not hungry right now.
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[He knows he could be contributing more. Investigating, finding answers. Truthfully, though, he's always been a bit subdued like this. Solitude is easier, especially when this place is familiar. The presence of the spirit helps, even if they can't exactly communicate.]
If I'm not cooking, then, what would you like to do? Unless you propose staring at one another for hours on end?
[Wait why did that make his heart skip. Gross.]
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[Perches on a chair.
Just fucking. Stares at Luca. Those green eyes are Open baby they ain't goin nowhere.
This is how we flirt yes yes, Zahliya might be stupid.]
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And yet you seem to be losing. What a shame!
[This is supposed to be the thread they have sex in and yet here they are. They actually just missed the fighting because they were being stupid. Incredible.]
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(This will bite him in the ass later.)
He grins and tries to peer around Luca's hand, stopping to grab it and lower it and...
...then he just sort of holds it, adjusting himself into a proper sit as he does.]
When I first met you, I didn't know you'd be so goofy. I thought you were going to be too... [he hums, searching for a non-offensive way to put this,] concerned about the circumstances. Not that they aren't concerning, you understand, but...
I would not have learnt to relax without you. That's what I mean to say.
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But Zahliya's always been a strange one. And try as he might, Luca can hardly deny the growing affection he feels for the Gargoyle.]
I am concerned, do not get me wrong. [But they both know that.] There is just something about you. It... makes me feel -
[Luca pauses, searching for the words. When he fails, he makes a vague motion with his hand, scowling faintly in his frustration.]
When I was younger, I wasn't... like this. Kiera and I were known for terrorizing our fellow nobles with all manner of foolishness. And sometimes - [He pauses, jaw tensing as he chews on the inside of his cheek.] You make me feel like that anew.
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[He is Not letting go of Luca's hand. They're mutually warm, and the touch, for once, isn't something outright scary. Luca is not dangerous to Zahliya specifically, and Zahliya's unnatural heat isn't dangerous to him. It's... nice. It's just nice.
He flips Luca's hand over and traces the lines of his palm with a claw, delicate as a feather.]
It is very funny for you to say you feel young again when you are already very small. [wow] ...and I do like that you feel like a fool around me. I've not been very put together around you, either.
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[It's not hard to see that most of the Grove cares for him. Perhaps not as much as Luca, but good luck getting him to admit that out loud just yet. The point is, Luca isn't so certain he's brought all that much good to Zahliya's life. Not that he doesn't cherish the Gargoyle or -
whoa, those are awfully sappy thoughts. Yet it turns out, they go just fine with his steadily thumping heart. He can't help it, when those claws find a way to be so gentle to him. They make him feel... less abnormal. He's long struggled with the burden of his Blessing, and how it makes him stand out. But when everyone else is different..]
I'm going to choose to ignore that comment - [Said with a soft grin.] and simply say that I... think I rather like when you aren't put together, Zahliya.
[He feels warm and light, content despite the way his heart rabbits within his chest. He meant what he said about feeling young again. This feels like his first crush, like how he used to write his own name with various last names of the boys he fancied around Aerea.]
It feels like a gift. Something secret for the two of us to share.
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...but his tail is wagging behind him, so maybe that counts for something.]
You are embarrassing, [he says, despite being the one holding Luca's hand here,] my clownery is not a gift.
[But.]
...though, if you would consider it such, then I don't mind giving it to you freely. I do... [Deep breaths, little garg, it's okay.] ...I am rather fond of you. More than I think I am fond of the others. Do not tell them, I can't handle when Mizuki cries.
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Anyway. Luca glances toward that tail, watching its twitching back and forth and feels... emboldened. Maybe it's the words that Zahliya speaks, or the atmosphere. Perhaps, still, it's the confession that they've shared, however much they might have ducked around actually admitting anything.
Either way...]
I assure you, I do not kiss and tell.
[But they haven't - no shut up. Luca leans across the bar, almost hurriedly attempting to steal a kiss from Zahliya. It's little more than a peck before he ducks back and pretends to look for something. Just don't ask him what.]
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Zahliya has that same thought. "But we haven't???" and then Luca quickly closes that gap, though not long enough to really give a proper kiss. Like hey. Wait a second, come back here??
He is not a forward person unless it comes to a battle or wanting food to eat. Not normally. Luca is a lot different, though, in many good and glorious ways, and Zahliya feels pretty strongly that he was not done there. It helps to have an outlet for all the strange, fluttering feelings besides.
So:]
That was hardly a proper kiss. [And then he gets up and swings himself over the counter, hopping down at Luca's side.] I think it's supposed to last longer. I'm giving that a two out of ten stars, try again.
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Nevertheless, he has an image to keep. And that image forces him to press his lips into a thin line and cross his arms over his chest.]
It was a perfectly amenable first attempt. Especially when I was testing the waters. [He rolls his eyes hard enough that his head hurts.]
If you want another kiss so bad, why don't you show me how it's done?
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[No, Zahliya, you just have a weird vantage point from on high.
Either way, he's going to shake off his nerves, go away nerves and let him put a name to these emotions finally, and surge forward and grab Luca's face with his hands to give him a proper kiss. ...his definition of proper, anyway, it's sloppy and uncoordinated and he has no idea what he's doing but it's a kiss!!]
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