softspokenlandlord | IC Inbox

[Not a word about Ryou's shade face! That's nice, too! That's Atem's second favorite Ryou face, after human!

A few minutes after Ryou's in bed, a nice smell floats into the room. If Ryou's eyes aren't open to see Atem drift in, then he won't have any warning before a warm arm slips around his waist. The air might feel slightly damp; his hair and feathers are as dry as he can get them in a reasonable amount of time, but they'll just have to air the rest of the way out like this.

(The wings are very, very fluffed up. Maximum volume. Including the ear wings.)

He's also got a weird golden cloth loop floating around his shoulders. He can't do a thing about that, but at least it's some kind of weird ultra-light half-tangible fabric, so it dries quick.]

[Ryou's pink nose starts to work almost as soon as Atem enters the room, and he opens one eye lazily--when had he even closed them? Ugh--just in time to acknowledge the arm around him. One ear twitches a little, and he smiles, glancing up tiredly at Atem.]

Mmm, you smell better. You smell like you.

[Well, him as a nephilim, anyway. Ryou likes it a lot. Atem smells like spices and honey, comforting things. Not that he smells awful as a vampire, it's just different. Nephilim are made to smell extra nice...]

...H-heh. Your wings...they're very fluffy.

[He hesitates, as if he wants to ask something very personal. In a sense, he is. But there's something deep down inside of him that really, really wants to comb through the feathers. Not to feel. It's...hard to describe it. He's not sure what he wants.]

May I touch them? The ones on your head?

[What's Ryou going to ask, it looks serious, but Ryou'd just called his wings fluffy, what's comi--

Oh. Oh, what a sweet request.

They flap a little, shifting and repositioning, as Atem's attention turns to his head-wings. He glances to the side, at one of them, then smiles and closes his eyes.]

Yes, you can.

[And, by way of explanation:]

They're not quite dry! So, it doesn't feel right, if the feathers lie flat.

[The big back ones fluff and flutter, making a thpthp noise.]

[Ryou reaches a hand out, passing his fingers gently along the feathers of the closest head-wing, noting that they were fairly damp, yes. He could only hope that it wouldn't give Atem a chill to have the feathers even a little wet like this.

As he strokes the longer feathers, Ryou can feel something nagging at the back of his mind, pushing him to focus on something else, very very important. VERY--

He wants to groom Atem's feathers. He wants to do something abut the moisture, about the fluffed out texture--but no, it's fine. It's fine!]

Oh, is that what it is? I could dry them for you...if you want.

[Groom?

No they're fine. Atem doesn't need to be groomed, or...preened? He's okay. They look fine.

They could look better! You could make it better!!]

They're...cute like this though.

[Dry? Groom?! Groom!!! Atem is pack!!

The argument going on in Ryou's head is comical, and it kind of...shows on his face a bit, a subtle draw in his brows, as if he's thinking particularly hard about something.]

[As Ryou pets along the pinfeathers, the lines around Atem's eyes relax. It's not quite eyes-falling-half-closed, but it's a sign he's relaxing.

Until Ryou offers to--

--dry them?

They're what??

Atem's not one hundred percent certain what's going on in Ryou's wolf brain, but he sees something's on Ryou's mind. What's this about?]

What, with a hair dryer? Now?

No, no. I'd be happy to do it with a towel.

[The insinuation there is that a very sleepy Ryou would dry each individual feather and set them right and even he knows that's ridiculous, but it seems like the Correct Choice right now.]

...But if you don't want that, it's also okay. It's pretty late...

[One of his ears flicks in aggravation, but not at Atem. Shut up, instincts. You can groom Atem later.]

[Atem doesn't think, Ryou should sleep. The fog is already rolling in, and there will be trouble very soon.

Instead, if this is what Ryou wants to do, and it's worth staying up for, for him...

It seems oddly important to Ryou to do it?]

Well. I wouldn't mind, if you're sure you're not too tired.

I'll be alright. It shouldn't take too long, right?

[Famous last words. But he does push himself up slowly, raising a hand to rub at his sleepy eyes. Regrets are immediately had because ugh, the bed was so comfortable, but once again, his instincts are winning out against common sense.]

Mmm, let me get a towel. Or...maybe a couple.

[That's a lot of feathers to be drying out, after all.]

[Ryou shuts his eyes to rub at them, and there's a sweet-smelling breeze that floats through the room. When he opens them, there's three towels stacked neatly on top of one another on the bed, and Atem is seated next to them, wings curled high up over his shoulders so he doesn't sit on his own feathers.]

Is that enough?

[Oh.

Ryou needs a moment to recalibrate after that. Did Atem--wasn't he just--

Oh. Oh, this is a nephilim thing isn't it? Ryou still looks a little taken aback, but he at least understands what just happened a little.]

Um. Yes, that's enough.

He reaches to pick one up, then scoots closer to Atem. He looks thoughtfully at the headwings, then at the massive flight-capable ones on Atem's back.]

I'll do the smaller ones first, if you don't mind...

[Atem's not very tall, but Ryou still turns towards him, folding his legs beneath him so that he can get a little extra height. His entire demeanor becomes attentive, with ears turned forward, tired gaze sharpening, nose twitching slightly.]

Okay.

[Atem stretches one of his ear-wings out, spreading the feathers. Present: wing.

He's really not sure why Ryou wants to do this so much, but he's perfectly willing to let it happen, especially since Ryou doesn't really want to sleep, and Atem can't, so the more time they can spend together awake the better...]

[Ryou opens up the towel, then leans in. Gently, he begins to pass it across the feathers while his other hand holds the small wing from the back. He's very gentle about it, starting with the upper row first...then hooking his claw beneath those feathers to push them slightly upward so he can work on the next row. And so it goes.

He's very much concentrating on it, trying to do a good job.

Groom boyfriend. Groom right.

Ryou's so focused that he doesn't offer any conversation. Sometimes your wolf says take care of your pack, and you listen.]

[...something about being taken care of like this stirs up old memories. It's...it's really nice, to have someone put you in order this way...and it's not just anyone, it's someone Atem cares about, a lot.

There's trust to it, in letting Ryou take a wing full of delicate, hollow, easily-breakable bones into his clawed monster-hands, and not pull it back. The kind of trust you need, to let someone in this close to you, to let down your guard around them, to feel safe in their hands....

Atem lets out a sigh, his eyes falling half closed. It's almost odd, now, not to feel the rumble in his chest, the buzz of air meeting resistance on its way out, that signals he's content, that he wants this to continue. The timbre of the sigh, the expression on his face, will have to do, to communicate the same thing. It's so gentle, so unlike what he gave up his last free life in order to avoid...]

[The sigh makes Ryou's right ear twitch forward. He almost expected Atem to purr, except this isn't the right monster for it. But the sigh sounds satisfied, and so Ryou himself is pleased by it. His tail brushes lazily from one side to the other to convey his own contentment as he carries on, going layer by layer, making sure not to hurt a single feather.

It's hard work, but Atem's in good hands. Ryou's fingers are gentle, skilled, and steady, thanks to his hobbies. There's no need for concern.]

...You like this?

[He's not sure why he asked. He already feels like he knows.]

[In a deeper register, one that gives away how relaxed he is:]

Yes.

[Why lie? But, he picks his voice up out of that tone, back to something a little more normal, the feathers of both wings twitching a little.]

It's nice.

[He feels like, by the time Ryou's done with this, he'll have had all the rest he needs.]

I'm glad. I know it was probably weird to ask something like this...when I should probably be sleeping.

[Ryou scoots a little further back, so he can make sure the feathers are properly dried from the back now. It's a little bit of a faster job on that side, he finds.]

I...I wanted to spend some time with you, and fix you up. It must be boring, to stay awake so long.

[Ryou finds the times that he sleep to be a wasted moments now. He's a little jealous that Atem gets to stay awake all the time, because that's time they could spend together!

...Which is a little cringy, he imagines. He doesn't own all of Atem's time. He doesn't want to! But now, especially after finding out that Atem had gone looking for trouble and found it, to the point that he'd died...well. Ryou just needs to settle his nerves. He needs to feel like he's doing enough, wolf instincts or no.]

This side's done. I can do the other one now!

[He's happy about it, enough that his ears are raised.]

All right.

[Atem leans back on his hands, propping himself up a little bit lazily, and turns his head and extends the other wing. He's looking at Ryou with clear, unabashed affection.]

It feels much better, now that it's dry.

[A quick flutter of the dry wing, then it's tucked back into place beside his face, just behind his bangs. All the feathers fall neatly into proper alignment, smooth and even.]

I'm glad I get to spend more time with you, too. It's not the same when you're asleep, no matter how cute your sleeping face is!

Edited 2021-11-16 03:58 (UTC)

Oh, stop that.

[Ryou chides, but his ears and tail are dead giveaways, perked and wagging. He doesn't read it as a compliment exactly, but when Atem calls him cute, especially when he's dozy, it doesn't really bother him.

To the point that, since he's finally devoid of a whole wolf snout, he leans in for a quick smooch. That's the one thing about his night form, the snout's no good for kissing, it's just good for nuzzling.

When he pulls back, he's wearing a smile.]

I'll get you set straight soon, don't worry. Wet feathers can't be any fun.

[If there's no interruption...he'll start working on the other wing.]

[Atem smooches him right back, wings curling forward. He's been wanting to smooch, an itch under his skin, since Ryou pulled him in by his waist and told him the thing that would drag him under in Ryslig most was losing Atem, and right now he's feeling cared-for and lazy, like a cat having its fur brushed out. The energy Ryou gets from the kiss is indolent and unrepentant.]

I'm sure you will.

[He re-extends the damp wing, and settles in for another couple of minutes of pleasant attention. Atem really would be purring, if he could...]

[If Ryou wasn't so thoroughly satisfied with drying and preening Atem's feathers already, he'd probably have abandoned it for the opportunity to make out with him. But...he's busy getting involved with the second headwing right now, already beginning to wipe the feathers off one layer at a time.

Besides which, he shouldn't he be aggravated with Atem over the AM thing? Or the dying thing?

...Hm, even as he thinks it, he finds himself too tired and too relieved to have Atem here to still be outwardly annoyed with him. Even inwardly...it was difficult. He cares about Atem far too much to linger on things that they might disagree on.]

If you ever need me to do this more often, I will. It's far simpler than grooming myself.

[Said by someone who is only drying the small feathers right now.]

I might.

[He's enjoying this so much. It's so nice, being in the hands of someone he trusts....it's helping the horror, the fear he did feel at the prospect of being caught by AM, the brief but agonizing pain of going up in flames, fade out of sight.]

The feathers...they don't feel, like skin does. It's like having a jacket on, all of the time...unless you really get in there.

And it's hard to reach the ones on my back...

I can only imagine. Curling them forward might make it easier to reach the flight feathers, maybe some secondaries...but where your wings connect...it's like me trying to run a brush through my mid-back.

[He speaks distractedly as he works through the layers of feathers, drying them. It's a little faster this time since he's had practice on the other headwing, but still careful.]

When you say "get in there", what do you mean. Like if...someone ruffles them? Pulls them? No one's been pulling your feathers, have they?

[There's an errant thought from the wolf inside that if they did, he'd like to bite them, very very hard.]

No, no! Not at all. I mean, touching them near the base of the feather, where they connect. Like you're doing.

[A pause. And then:]

If you'd like me to brush your back, all you have to do is ask.

Yes, well...it's still weird, isn't it?

[He finishes up the last layer, then smooths the towel down the back side of the wing to finish up before pulling away, satisfied.]

I mean, having someone brush out my fur shouldn't be weird, but I'm covered in it. Even like this...it's kind of like a fur shirt.

[It's weird. Asking Atem to brush out his day form fur is even weirder, because his face is more human like this!]

Mukuro taught me to shake it out, and that helps a little.

But...if you wanted to, I wouldn't mind. Even if it is weird.

[Fur shirt gets Ryou a heh heh!]

Not any weirder than brushing your hair. Or drying my feathers.

[He extends one large wing -- it really is big like this, as big as his fog form's bat-wings were.]

Should I lie down?

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, WhiteWizard. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 007.80.751.19 * WhiteWizard has joined 007.80.751.19 <WhiteWizard> Hello, this is Ryou Bakura! <WhiteWizard> Feel free to reach out to me if you need anything. :) <WhiteWizard>** I will get back to you as soon as possible.

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intrusive wolf thought in this house

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