[ his dumb body betrays him because his tail wags when therion laughs. ]
I don't mind a little shade. [ he teases, head tilted. a little more quietly, because he is not shameless enough to allow people to overhear him with this, he'd die: ] And - were those not a given? Surely you don't expect to keep your hands to yourself for however long we're here.
[ lol. he doesn't mind the quieter tone - therion doesn't talk loudly, anyway, really, when he's talking at all, but he sideeyes jiaoqiu from under his fringe, and then looks back out in front of them. all confident, little smirk on his face. ]
It's taken care of.
[ wow? presumptive? or maybe he just already had it. (he already had it.) or more embarrassingly and more likely, it's probably already in the suite, considering what primrose said to him quietly earlier, which was mortifyingly embarrassing but now can be used to flirt with jiaoqiu? it's fine. ]
[ this is so funny primrose actually did go points rainbow flag
as much as he wants to bite therion when he gets all smug, it unfortunately does it for him. he huffs, nose a little pink, and then whaps therion with his tail on the ass. subtle. ]
Then we'll have something to look forward to later. [ he hums. ] Let's get our supplies, and then eat. I'm starving, and I'd like out of these crowds.
[ she had a 50/50 shot of being correct and unfortunately, therion's overly flustered reaction was all the answer in the world, which he realized about the second it was out of his mouth, but. whatever. he will never live this down from primrose, so at least he can bullshit and pretend he was the one who was totally so prepared.
the whap on the ass has him jump a second too late to avoid it, and the smirk breaks into a little grin as he swats back at it. it feels light. it feels like the whole borisin fiasco is lightyears away, in this star-dappled market, watching jiaoqiu get huffy, and though he, like always, is never truly relaxed, there's a brief moment here where he could find a little peace.
so, through the market they go - off to a pharmacy, to pick up a leg brace, some stronger painkillers. some basic groceries. therion steals an apple from this pharmacy too, just because it's practically habit at this point, and they're able to make their way back towards the main inn. purposefully, he leads them down a new aisle of the market, past large drums full of richly ground spices, a stand full of nothing but increasingly heinous varieties of hot peppers, and off to the edge of the market where the food stalls are for whatever incredibly spicy monstrosity jiaoqiu wants to eat. the cuisine here leans towards desert food, flavorful curries and breads and dips and a thousand other different easy to eat things.
he keeps his eyes on him the entire time, watching the way he walks, watching the crowd, and as they're picking up food, therion's the one to suggest: ] 's just take it back to the room.
[ it is getting late, and it's been a long day. jiaoqiu can probably tell, the way the jitter starts, the way he's a little twitchier than before. he's tired of the crowds, too - no matter how open sunshade is, it still gets him feeling itchy. therion also has yet to realize it, but over by the chili stand, he dragged jiaoqiu away by the hand - and standing in front of this little food stand, he hasn't let go. ]
[ purposefully, therion leads him through the stands, and it's such a wild difference between this jiaoqiu and the one curled up in an office chair. he's radiating content, curiosity, happiness. he could spend all day coaxing his nose into working enough to find the best spices, find the hottest peppers. he'll come back to look tomorrow, he thinks. right now, he doesn't want to be distracted. he doesn't want this emotion to stop.
when therion takes his hand, he is so, so like, casual about it. he does not call attention to it, he doesn't try to cling or make much more move to hold it more tightly because he's afraid if he does, therion will let go. he's a little nervous about it himself - again, the public eye has him twitchy - but he likes it. it makes his whole body warm, makes his nose a little pink to match his hair.
he decides on curry and naan and orders enough that they'll have leftovers. and therion's suggestion is just fine with him, because he's starting to flag a bit himself. he's tired after the drive, and this much walking means that his leg is actually starting to ache. there's a general sense of relief on his face when therion says they should go back to the room. ]
Yes. I'd like some quiet.
[ he says, a little ruefully. he can see that the crowds are stressing therion out a bit too, so. ]
[ it's just because he's leading him somewhere. that's the only reason. he likes having his arm more free - he needs to be able to move as much of his body as possible at any given time, so just having his hand is a necessity. it's faster this way. it's easier.
their fingers aren't interlaced - it's a pull along. that's all. it is absolutely not making him fluster any further, except where it is. jiaoqiu's hand is softer than his, because therion is all callouses, dextrous little fingers, and he is definitely not thinking about that, either, as jiaoqiu retrieves the food from the stand. he's got his face tucked back into the scarf, just kind of watching him - expression calm, neutral.
and at 'lead the way', he makes a little noise, a grunt of affirmation and... turns, and will start to pull him along back towards the tavern, too. saying anything about it will make it worse - the back of his neck and ears are visibly red as he walks a little in front of him this time, sweeping the area and looking to make sure there's nothing strange going on as an excellent distraction.
therion does let go by the time they reach the front of the tavern, but that's probably not that surprising. the actual last thing he wants is to give primrose the satisfaction of seeing this - not that they are holding hands for any reason except for the fact that he thought jiaoqiu was just going to wander off, because that's definitely a thing that could happen right now, or anything - but. beyond that, he ushers jiaoqiu up a side staircase, a secret entrance that he is aware of (and so is primrose, thus the no more definitely not hand holding), and opens the door back to the room.
there is of course, only one bed, but that's honestly not that strange - he usually stays here by himself, so. he nudges the door open with his hip and holds it open, then gestures at the room. ]
[ honestly, if their fingers were interlaced he might crawl up a wall, so this is okay. he lets therion guide him back to the tavern, keeping up just fine, biting his lip to stop himself from grinning. he's a little disappointed when therion lets go, but it's okay.
maybe he can take his hand again later. maybe when they're safe and alone, it'll be okay to do.
anyway - they go up the side stairs, and jiaoqiu heads into the room. he puts their food down on the counter of the kitchenette, and then wanders further into the room to give it a better look. the bed gets him to sigh in relief - there's a lot he'd like to use it for but first he's just going to kind of collapse down onto it. he sinks very heavily down, and winces a bit as he rubs at his knee. he really hopes this is not going to be a forever thing, this pain. ugh.
he glances up at therion, and smiles a little. ]
... Much better. [ he flexes his hands, missing the warmth. ] It was much less busy at night, before. Less noisy.
[ it's sort of an out of body experience to be in this room with another person, though it's not necessarily a bad one. therion rarely stays in sunshade longer than a couple of days, but it is one of the few places where he rests his head in majority safety. it is a place where someone has his back. which - if he was smart, he would realize that having someone to have his back is in fact a good thing that makes him feel better most of the time, but haki in chat voice is correct.
therion busies himself for the moment - he sets his old, familiar scarf into his little backpack he keeps, puts the bag full of bandages somewhere they'll be accessible and refills his own tiny first aid kit just to keep his hands busy, to give himself a second to properly absorb the evening's events and push away any lingering embarrassment. his hand is warm, and he wars with himself briefly about how he feels about this, somewhere between fluttery and ready to jump off a bridge at himself. god.
when jiaoqiu speaks up, he glances over his shoulder. the knee rubbing doesn't go unnoticed - he grunts in acknowledgement, at first, never much of a talker. but, eventually: ]
Used to be worse. [ back when it was a brothel. but, well, you know. sometimes horrible men get murked and badass women take over the business and transform it into something incredible, instead.
a pause, and with a little smirk, a glimmer of smartassery as ever - ] No trains.
[ cause the noise at his old safehouse was, you know. terrible for poor jiaoqiu and his ears. ]
[ he watches therion idly, watches him fix up his backpack. thinks about that little box he saw before, but still doesn't ask, because he doesn't want to admit he went through therion's stuff in the first place. his ear flicks as he peeks, like somehow he could spot it and just off the cuff ask.
but therion looks over his shoulder at him and jiaoqiu wrinkles his nose in his direction. ]
No trains, though your constant reminders mean I'll never forget the sound.
[ teases!! a beat, and he pulls himself up to stand with another little wince. he's going to go unpackage the food, because he actually is hungry now. ]
[ there's no sight of whatever that was... weird.... ]
And I'll never forget the sound of you nagging me about that.
[ therion mutters, sassy as always, because it's true - jiaoqiu nags him constantly about eating, which he rightfully should. the only time he ever actually eats real meals is when he is with jiaoqiu.
therion says this, but pokes around in the drawers in the little kitchen and eventually produces a couple packages of plastic cutlery, sliding them over and then hopping up to sit on the counter. this never changes. he likes to be tall! he'll let jiaoqiu unpack the food, poking around, and eventually takes a piece of naan, tearing off a bit and popping it into his mouth. ]
he looks disgruntled at the counter sitting but he doesn't protest, this time. he's given up, therion refuses to not sit on the counter. so instead, jiaoqiu is obnoxious, sliding closer to lean against the counter between therion's legs with his food in hand. if you're gonna sit up there he's gonna take advantage. he eases right there and eats his curry while leaning basically in therion's lap.
this is better for his leg, anyway, obviously. he's not putting his weight on it like this. hehe. ]
[ obnoxious!!!!! actually, this is fine. he just kind of shifts his leg over so there's enough space for him to slide between his thighs. it's a little point of contact, and secretly, he really likes the sudden increase of affectionate physical contact in his life - talk about touch starved - so he just gives him a reprimand squish with his thighs for the pleased look on his face and lets him stay there.
in response to the continued nagging, he leans back a little, resting his weight on his hands. ]
[ the squish only makes him more pleased. he has so much power. but he settles there, because he's also touch-starved, and now that he doesn't have to be afraid about touching therion so much anymore, he's happy to just soak it in as much as possible. ]
Hm. I'm tempted. [ he jokes, peering up at therion. ] I could threaten you, but I feel as though any punishment I'd give, you would just ignore.
[ still teasing: ]
For instance, if I said I wouldn't kiss you until you ate, you'd make a face at me and say something like, good, I didn't want your mouth near me anyway.
[ so like, yeah, he'd say exactly that? he is not easily convinced.
however, he does like reach over with the piece of bread he stole and dip it in jiaoqiu's curry sauce and take another bite of it which is a slight improvement over Just Bread. it's also stealing his food like a little shit instead of just taking what was offered but what else is new. ]
[ this is the way that he tricks therion into eating, and also how he has, in the past, tricked therion into wearing clothes without holes - he buys things for himself that he knows therion will want, and lets therion steal them. it's worked so far!
he makes a big fuss about therion stealing his curry sauce and flicks therion's arm, but does not make any motion to stop him from doing it. ]
You are ridiculous. [ huff. ] Steal me out of house and home.
[ like he cares, with how he's practically got put his curry down so he can bury his face against therion's stomach and chest. ]
[ hmmmm. well. he's snickering, pleased at the flick even though he has been tricked into eating more food once again. truly he thinks he is clever but he is in fact stupid.
though, as jiaoqiu starts coming closer to him again, he falls quiet. he's allowed to bury his face in him like that with minimal complaining, which might just be the sign his mind's somewhere else. therion glances down at the top of jiaoqiu's head, his big, fluffy ears, the general state of being he's been in, all day. compared to a week ago. compared to months ago. ]
... Kind of did. [ steal him out of house and home. literally. he took jiaoqiu right out of his life, upended the relative peace he must have had and dragged him out on the road. spoken like a thief.
he doesn't sound upset about it or anything - just mulling that over, more thoughtful than the back and forth from before. ] Don't know what you expected.
[ he noses a little at therion where he's tucked away, not pulling his face away. he likes it here. in fact, he wraps his arms gently around therion, loosely, and settles. ]
I don't know what I expected either.
[ thoughtfully, almost. ]
I wouldn't change it. [ not a single second. his tail waves behind him gently. ] I would have never made it here if you hadn't.
[ ooogoghghgh.... not the feelings...... not the Emotions....
he lets this happen, still kind of looking off into the distance. jiaoqiu has a point. he's more than practical enough to know that he would be miserably trapped with hoolay - or worse, in his stomach - so. that helps. that tail is wagging in his peripherial. he'd done nothing but look happy all damn day.
who knows if it will last. but, in his life, nothing ever does. so - therion snorts, though, dry. it lacks any heat. ]
Masochist. [ yeah. and after a second, therion lifts his hand, and sets on his head, between his ears - a little acceptance of this cuddly gesture. okay. yeah, you can stay there. his gaze drifts to his bag, and thinking about it makes his ears pinken, but he doesn't say anything about it beyond that. ]
[ it's nice. it's... life changing, actually, to feel happy all day. it's been so long since he has been. and he knows it won't be forever, he knows there are going to be ups and downs, but the thing is, he'll feel them. he'll be present for them. and that matters more than paradise, to him - having someone, something, to be present for.
he makes his little buzzy purr sound when therion rests his hand between his ears on his head. normally anybody trying to touch them gets batted away - therion's seen it, when sushang reaches to pat his ears and jiaoqiu leans away like liquid. but he's happy to let therion touch, to pet them if he wants. ]
Not entirely false. [ he muses, and lifts his face to rest his chin on therion's chest, peering up at him. his tail is still going, which makes him look like a stupid puppy instead of the elegant fox he usually is. a beat, and then: ]
Something wrong? [ curiously... why you looking at your bag, huh. ]
[ therion mutters, and then its his turn to be liquid, slipping nearly effortlessly out of jiaoqiu's grip. no more cuddles. however, it's because he's wandering over to his bag, pausing in front of it briefly like he's reconsidering whatever he's doing.
it's a fairly long pause. but eventually, therion digs through it and pulls something out - an item that jiaoqiu has seen before, that long, kind of thin black box. he glances at it in his hand, and then shrugs, tone all casual, disinterested. ]
Just remembered something. It's useless now, so I'll probably pawn it, unless you want it.
[ as he tosses the box, underhand, to jiaoqiu! he can finally open it if he wants.
inside of the box is paring knife - a really, really high quality, nice one, set in a little bit of velvet fabric because it is Fancy. there's a thin, decorative golden line that swirls around the handle, and the blade is very, very sharp. it was clearly chosen on purpose, it clearly was not just a random trinket he picked up, considering he's been carrying it around (as jiaoqiu now knows) for at least a little while. how therion even managed to get his hands on it is a mystery, but there it is, nonetheless.
therion's very busy not looking at him as he does this? wow. let him go busy himself doing literally anything else. ]
he makes a huffy sound, but he allows it. caps his food, puts it away, and then goes to sit on the bed, honestly, because he doesn't want to stand like a dingus in the kitchen by himself until therion figures out what he wants to do. it means that he's in a little better standing to catch the box when it's tossed to him - he still nearly fumbles it because he sucks, but he manages.
when he opens the box, he actually gasps a little. holy shit!! what a fancy knife... a paring knife, too, and he very obviously knows that it's not the type of thing a thief would use as a weapon. he pulls it from the box to look it over, twirling it a few times, getting a sense of how to hold it and how sharp it is. and then carefully, he puts it back in the box. ]
What do you mean it's useless? It's perfect. [ he says, fussy, scolding a little. he puts the lid back on the box and holds it to his chest, ears laid flat against his head, expression scrunched. ]
... I'm keeping it. [ a beat. ] Thank you.
[ he very kindly does not mention that he saw it in therion's bag ages ago, but the thought that he's kept something like this for so long makes jiaoqiu feel a whole lot of things all at once. ]
[ the scrunched reaction is kind of funny, which is good because he just looks over his shoulder in time to actually get a look at him from where he was very busily doing something (nothing) to try and not look at jiaoqiu.
it's been a while since he lifted the knife - it's been sitting in his bag for at least a month, maybe longer. he's watched jiaoqiu cook about a thousand times, watched how expertly he wielded his chef's knives the way that therion wields his switchblade, his lockpick. so, when his travels led him somewhere he could find fancy equipment like this, his first thought was not to steal things to sell them, but... to take this back to jiaoqiu. as a thank you, as something he could use, the kind of wordlessly thoughtful thing that he's very capable of doing when the conditions are right.
for the past month or so, he's debated over giving it to him and thought about his embarrassing reaction, and then considered selling it and saying fuck it all together, rinse, lather, repeat. and by the time he finally settled on a plan - to put it in his kitchen and say nothing about it - hoolay happened. and here they are now.
jiaoqiu said he stole him out of house and home. and he did. it reminded him of this little knife, a gift that was supposed to be hidden at jiaoqiu's home when things were calmer. that's gone, now - or at least, for a while, it's gone. the least he can do is give it to him, and if jiaoqiu doesn't make a big deal, they can just toss it, only - only he does. of course he makes a big deal out of it. the little gasp, the flat ears, and therion immediately looks away again, folding his arms. ]
Do whatever you want. [ hmph. his ears are red. (baka) ]
[ insistent. he puts the knife down very gently on the bed. a little reverent. it means a lot. it means that therion knows what he likes, that therion knows what is useful to him and was looking for some way to give it to him, and look - while jiaoqiu would never say no to flowers or other things like that, the practical gifts are always going to be something he loves the most. he'll use it here. he'll find some sort of dish that he needs a paring knife for and he will make it, and he will make sure that therion sees him using it every second that he does.
it doesn't matter that they're somewhere else. it doesn't matter that he left his apartment behind. he doesn't really care where he is. he likes it here.
he holds out his hands. c'mere. don't be embarrassed. don't be grouchy, just c'mere. ]
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Oh, I write all my own notes.
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Shady doctor. [ lol!!! lmao!!!!! ] Were those the kind of supplies you meant, medicine man? My bad for assuming.
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I don't mind a little shade. [ he teases, head tilted. a little more quietly, because he is not shameless enough to allow people to overhear him with this, he'd die: ] And - were those not a given? Surely you don't expect to keep your hands to yourself for however long we're here.
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It's taken care of.
[ wow? presumptive? or maybe he just already had it. (he already had it.) or more embarrassingly and more likely, it's probably already in the suite, considering what primrose said to him quietly earlier, which was mortifyingly embarrassing but now can be used to flirt with jiaoqiu? it's fine. ]
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as much as he wants to bite therion when he gets all smug, it unfortunately does it for him. he huffs, nose a little pink, and then whaps therion with his tail on the ass. subtle. ]
Then we'll have something to look forward to later. [ he hums. ] Let's get our supplies, and then eat. I'm starving, and I'd like out of these crowds.
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the whap on the ass has him jump a second too late to avoid it, and the smirk breaks into a little grin as he swats back at it. it feels light. it feels like the whole borisin fiasco is lightyears away, in this star-dappled market, watching jiaoqiu get huffy, and though he, like always, is never truly relaxed, there's a brief moment here where he could find a little peace.
so, through the market they go - off to a pharmacy, to pick up a leg brace, some stronger painkillers. some basic groceries. therion steals an apple from this pharmacy too, just because it's practically habit at this point, and they're able to make their way back towards the main inn. purposefully, he leads them down a new aisle of the market, past large drums full of richly ground spices, a stand full of nothing but increasingly heinous varieties of hot peppers, and off to the edge of the market where the food stalls are for whatever incredibly spicy monstrosity jiaoqiu wants to eat. the cuisine here leans towards desert food, flavorful curries and breads and dips and a thousand other different easy to eat things.
he keeps his eyes on him the entire time, watching the way he walks, watching the crowd, and as they're picking up food, therion's the one to suggest: ] 's just take it back to the room.
[ it is getting late, and it's been a long day. jiaoqiu can probably tell, the way the jitter starts, the way he's a little twitchier than before. he's tired of the crowds, too - no matter how open sunshade is, it still gets him feeling itchy. therion also has yet to realize it, but over by the chili stand, he dragged jiaoqiu away by the hand - and standing in front of this little food stand, he hasn't let go. ]
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when therion takes his hand, he is so, so like, casual about it. he does not call attention to it, he doesn't try to cling or make much more move to hold it more tightly because he's afraid if he does, therion will let go. he's a little nervous about it himself - again, the public eye has him twitchy - but he likes it. it makes his whole body warm, makes his nose a little pink to match his hair.
he decides on curry and naan and orders enough that they'll have leftovers. and therion's suggestion is just fine with him, because he's starting to flag a bit himself. he's tired after the drive, and this much walking means that his leg is actually starting to ache. there's a general sense of relief on his face when therion says they should go back to the room. ]
Yes. I'd like some quiet.
[ he says, a little ruefully. he can see that the crowds are stressing therion out a bit too, so. ]
... Lead the way?
[ you don't have to let go, he thinks. ]
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their fingers aren't interlaced - it's a pull along. that's all. it is absolutely not making him fluster any further, except where it is. jiaoqiu's hand is softer than his, because therion is all callouses, dextrous little fingers, and he is definitely not thinking about that, either, as jiaoqiu retrieves the food from the stand. he's got his face tucked back into the scarf, just kind of watching him - expression calm, neutral.
and at 'lead the way', he makes a little noise, a grunt of affirmation and... turns, and will start to pull him along back towards the tavern, too. saying anything about it will make it worse - the back of his neck and ears are visibly red as he walks a little in front of him this time, sweeping the area and looking to make sure there's nothing strange going on as an excellent distraction.
therion does let go by the time they reach the front of the tavern, but that's probably not that surprising. the actual last thing he wants is to give primrose the satisfaction of seeing this - not that they are holding hands for any reason except for the fact that he thought jiaoqiu was just going to wander off, because that's definitely a thing that could happen right now, or anything - but. beyond that, he ushers jiaoqiu up a side staircase, a secret entrance that he is aware of (and so is primrose, thus the no more definitely not hand holding), and opens the door back to the room.
there is of course, only one bed, but that's honestly not that strange - he usually stays here by himself, so. he nudges the door open with his hip and holds it open, then gestures at the room. ]
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maybe he can take his hand again later. maybe when they're safe and alone, it'll be okay to do.
anyway - they go up the side stairs, and jiaoqiu heads into the room. he puts their food down on the counter of the kitchenette, and then wanders further into the room to give it a better look. the bed gets him to sigh in relief - there's a lot he'd like to use it for but first he's just going to kind of collapse down onto it. he sinks very heavily down, and winces a bit as he rubs at his knee. he really hopes this is not going to be a forever thing, this pain. ugh.
he glances up at therion, and smiles a little. ]
... Much better. [ he flexes his hands, missing the warmth. ] It was much less busy at night, before. Less noisy.
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therion busies himself for the moment - he sets his old, familiar scarf into his little backpack he keeps, puts the bag full of bandages somewhere they'll be accessible and refills his own tiny first aid kit just to keep his hands busy, to give himself a second to properly absorb the evening's events and push away any lingering embarrassment. his hand is warm, and he wars with himself briefly about how he feels about this, somewhere between fluttery and ready to jump off a bridge at himself. god.
when jiaoqiu speaks up, he glances over his shoulder. the knee rubbing doesn't go unnoticed - he grunts in acknowledgement, at first, never much of a talker. but, eventually: ]
Used to be worse. [ back when it was a brothel. but, well, you know. sometimes horrible men get murked and badass women take over the business and transform it into something incredible, instead.
a pause, and with a little smirk, a glimmer of smartassery as ever - ] No trains.
[ cause the noise at his old safehouse was, you know. terrible for poor jiaoqiu and his ears. ]
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but therion looks over his shoulder at him and jiaoqiu wrinkles his nose in his direction. ]
No trains, though your constant reminders mean I'll never forget the sound.
[ teases!! a beat, and he pulls himself up to stand with another little wince. he's going to go unpackage the food, because he actually is hungry now. ]
Do you want some of this? You should eat.
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And I'll never forget the sound of you nagging me about that.
[ therion mutters, sassy as always, because it's true - jiaoqiu nags him constantly about eating, which he rightfully should. the only time he ever actually eats real meals is when he is with jiaoqiu.
therion says this, but pokes around in the drawers in the little kitchen and eventually produces a couple packages of plastic cutlery, sliding them over and then hopping up to sit on the counter. this never changes. he likes to be tall! he'll let jiaoqiu unpack the food, poking around, and eventually takes a piece of naan, tearing off a bit and popping it into his mouth. ]
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he looks disgruntled at the counter sitting but he doesn't protest, this time. he's given up, therion refuses to not sit on the counter. so instead, jiaoqiu is obnoxious, sliding closer to lean against the counter between therion's legs with his food in hand. if you're gonna sit up there he's gonna take advantage. he eases right there and eats his curry while leaning basically in therion's lap.
this is better for his leg, anyway, obviously. he's not putting his weight on it like this. hehe. ]
Eat more than bread.
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in response to the continued nagging, he leans back a little, resting his weight on his hands. ]
What are you going to do, make me?
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Hm. I'm tempted. [ he jokes, peering up at therion. ] I could threaten you, but I feel as though any punishment I'd give, you would just ignore.
[ still teasing: ]
For instance, if I said I wouldn't kiss you until you ate, you'd make a face at me and say something like, good, I didn't want your mouth near me anyway.
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Haha. Not a bad imitation, fluff. Half credit.
[ so like, yeah, he'd say exactly that? he is not easily convinced.
however, he does like reach over with the piece of bread he stole and dip it in jiaoqiu's curry sauce and take another bite of it which is a slight improvement over Just Bread. it's also stealing his food like a little shit instead of just taking what was offered but what else is new. ]
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he makes a big fuss about therion stealing his curry sauce and flicks therion's arm, but does not make any motion to stop him from doing it. ]
You are ridiculous. [ huff. ] Steal me out of house and home.
[ like he cares, with how he's practically got put his curry down so he can bury his face against therion's stomach and chest. ]
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though, as jiaoqiu starts coming closer to him again, he falls quiet. he's allowed to bury his face in him like that with minimal complaining, which might just be the sign his mind's somewhere else. therion glances down at the top of jiaoqiu's head, his big, fluffy ears, the general state of being he's been in, all day. compared to a week ago. compared to months ago. ]
... Kind of did. [ steal him out of house and home. literally. he took jiaoqiu right out of his life, upended the relative peace he must have had and dragged him out on the road. spoken like a thief.
he doesn't sound upset about it or anything - just mulling that over, more thoughtful than the back and forth from before. ] Don't know what you expected.
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I don't know what I expected either.
[ thoughtfully, almost. ]
I wouldn't change it. [ not a single second. his tail waves behind him gently. ] I would have never made it here if you hadn't.
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he lets this happen, still kind of looking off into the distance. jiaoqiu has a point. he's more than practical enough to know that he would be miserably trapped with hoolay - or worse, in his stomach - so. that helps. that tail is wagging in his peripherial. he'd done nothing but look happy all damn day.
who knows if it will last. but, in his life, nothing ever does. so - therion snorts, though, dry. it lacks any heat. ]
Masochist. [ yeah. and after a second, therion lifts his hand, and sets on his head, between his ears - a little acceptance of this cuddly gesture. okay. yeah, you can stay there. his gaze drifts to his bag, and thinking about it makes his ears pinken, but he doesn't say anything about it beyond that. ]
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he makes his little buzzy purr sound when therion rests his hand between his ears on his head. normally anybody trying to touch them gets batted away - therion's seen it, when sushang reaches to pat his ears and jiaoqiu leans away like liquid. but he's happy to let therion touch, to pet them if he wants. ]
Not entirely false. [ he muses, and lifts his face to rest his chin on therion's chest, peering up at him. his tail is still going, which makes him look like a stupid puppy instead of the elegant fox he usually is. a beat, and then: ]
Something wrong? [ curiously... why you looking at your bag, huh. ]
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Move.
[ therion mutters, and then its his turn to be liquid, slipping nearly effortlessly out of jiaoqiu's grip. no more cuddles. however, it's because he's wandering over to his bag, pausing in front of it briefly like he's reconsidering whatever he's doing.
it's a fairly long pause. but eventually, therion digs through it and pulls something out - an item that jiaoqiu has seen before, that long, kind of thin black box. he glances at it in his hand, and then shrugs, tone all casual, disinterested. ]
Just remembered something. It's useless now, so I'll probably pawn it, unless you want it.
[ as he tosses the box, underhand, to jiaoqiu! he can finally open it if he wants.
inside of the box is paring knife - a really, really high quality, nice one, set in a little bit of velvet fabric because it is Fancy. there's a thin, decorative golden line that swirls around the handle, and the blade is very, very sharp. it was clearly chosen on purpose, it clearly was not just a random trinket he picked up, considering he's been carrying it around (as jiaoqiu now knows) for at least a little while. how therion even managed to get his hands on it is a mystery, but there it is, nonetheless.
therion's very busy not looking at him as he does this? wow. let him go busy himself doing literally anything else. ]
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he makes a huffy sound, but he allows it. caps his food, puts it away, and then goes to sit on the bed, honestly, because he doesn't want to stand like a dingus in the kitchen by himself until therion figures out what he wants to do. it means that he's in a little better standing to catch the box when it's tossed to him - he still nearly fumbles it because he sucks, but he manages.
when he opens the box, he actually gasps a little. holy shit!! what a fancy knife... a paring knife, too, and he very obviously knows that it's not the type of thing a thief would use as a weapon. he pulls it from the box to look it over, twirling it a few times, getting a sense of how to hold it and how sharp it is. and then carefully, he puts it back in the box. ]
What do you mean it's useless? It's perfect. [ he says, fussy, scolding a little. he puts the lid back on the box and holds it to his chest, ears laid flat against his head, expression scrunched. ]
... I'm keeping it. [ a beat. ] Thank you.
[ he very kindly does not mention that he saw it in therion's bag ages ago, but the thought that he's kept something like this for so long makes jiaoqiu feel a whole lot of things all at once. ]
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it's been a while since he lifted the knife - it's been sitting in his bag for at least a month, maybe longer. he's watched jiaoqiu cook about a thousand times, watched how expertly he wielded his chef's knives the way that therion wields his switchblade, his lockpick. so, when his travels led him somewhere he could find fancy equipment like this, his first thought was not to steal things to sell them, but... to take this back to jiaoqiu. as a thank you, as something he could use, the kind of wordlessly thoughtful thing that he's very capable of doing when the conditions are right.
for the past month or so, he's debated over giving it to him and thought about his embarrassing reaction, and then considered selling it and saying fuck it all together, rinse, lather, repeat. and by the time he finally settled on a plan - to put it in his kitchen and say nothing about it - hoolay happened. and here they are now.
jiaoqiu said he stole him out of house and home. and he did. it reminded him of this little knife, a gift that was supposed to be hidden at jiaoqiu's home when things were calmer. that's gone, now - or at least, for a while, it's gone. the least he can do is give it to him, and if jiaoqiu doesn't make a big deal, they can just toss it, only - only he does. of course he makes a big deal out of it. the little gasp, the flat ears, and therion immediately looks away again, folding his arms. ]
Do whatever you want. [ hmph. his ears are red. (baka) ]
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Come here.
[ insistent. he puts the knife down very gently on the bed. a little reverent. it means a lot. it means that therion knows what he likes, that therion knows what is useful to him and was looking for some way to give it to him, and look - while jiaoqiu would never say no to flowers or other things like that, the practical gifts are always going to be something he loves the most. he'll use it here. he'll find some sort of dish that he needs a paring knife for and he will make it, and he will make sure that therion sees him using it every second that he does.
it doesn't matter that they're somewhere else. it doesn't matter that he left his apartment behind. he doesn't really care where he is. he likes it here.
he holds out his hands. c'mere. don't be embarrassed. don't be grouchy, just c'mere. ]
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