boxofmisfits | Open Post

Well be still their heart! Those are some really good pets, that they nearly fall asleep. Blinking further awake again, they wiggle in Anders's arms when she leaves, claws carefully digging into his clothes for stability.

It's only once they can't hear anyone else nearby that they speak up.

"Oh dear... I could fall asleep like this..."

"That good, huh?" Anders gently scratches Raine under the chin with a finger, and kisses the top of their head. "I'll stay open for another couple of hours, and if nobody shows up, we'll go explore the city. How does that sound?"

"Yesss~"

Oh this is bliss. Their muscles relax at the attention, pliant and appreciative as they purr loudly.

"Hmm? Yes, that's fine with me. Did you have someplace in mind that you wanted to go?"

"Maybe the docks again, so we can get you that fresh fish. I might also go herb hunting, since there's actually quite a few places in the city where one can find spindleweed and deathroot." He resumes petting Raine. "You can ride on my shoulder again."

"Yes! I'd love that. All of it. I can help you in human form for herb hunting. I can also bring back any supplies I find whenever I wander off on my own."

Pardon them while they melt under his touch, though. They'll climb onto his shoulder later.

"Ahhhh, petting is so nice. The feeling's like when someone you love starts brushing your hair."

It sets their heart alight, too. The warm feeling that they've been relying on for so long, even if only from strangers and relative strangers.

"I'll pet you as much as you like." Anders wonders if that's how Ser Pounce-a-lot felt when Anders petted him.

He gently picks Raine up and sets them down on his lap so he can resume petting them. Once an hour goes by, and nobody shows up, Anders waits a little while for one of his helpers to show up so he can put her in charge for a while.

He stands up, carrying Raine in his arms and leaves the clinic. "I have to warn you, I might head for some sketchy parts of the city while herb hunting."

Raine purrs softly at him, curling up and lounging, relishing in his attention. Belly rubs are happily accepted if Anders tries to when they bother to roll over, across his lap.

They're half-asleep when they finally get moving, and sleepily clings onto his shoulder, yawning. At least no one else hears them talking - only the noises of a very chatty cat.

"Hmm, hello? Local whore? Skulker of shadows and the dark? All me. I've seen a lot, and a lot doesn't surprise me."

Raine curls up against him, purring and trying not to yawn again.

"In other words, I don't mind. Don't worry about me nearly as much as you'd worry about yourself. I'm more than I appear."

"As if that wasn't obvious already," Anders teases. He probably gets a few stray glances at talking back to a cat, even with his reputation as a cat lover.

"Do me a favor. If we see any Chantry sisters asking the street prostitutes for coin for their castle up in Hightown, go up and bite their ankles."

"Oho? I have permission to cause mischief by the local handsome lad? How flattering~

"And of course I will. Chantry sisters have enough coin to build another castle with. Most prostitutes are doing it just to get by."

Raine's not one of them in need of coin, but it's nice to not have to work for it sometimes. And it's no big deal for them to take over a few more unruly clients and then pass the coin to those who needed the opt out.

"Hmmm, although, I could solicit them in turn, all exaggerated-like. If I can get coin from them, then that's more to cycle back to those who need it. Ehehe.... And a fair amount of the so-called "pious" sure like to fuck. Especially the odd Templar or two. Pure devotion to the Maker my ass.

"...And when in doubt, bite the ankles. Sadly, my bites are more sanitary than a real cat's bite."

"No fooling?" Hardly surprising, given how hypocritical the Chantry and its servants are already. "Oh if only I could conjure a magical image of you going to down on a sister and display it tall and wide in front of the Chantry." Even if such a thing were possible, Anders wouldn't want to make life harder for the prostitute by baring all.

"Even if your mouth is cleaner, those teeth are still sharp, I'll bet."

"No fooling. I'm not supposed to talk about it, confidentiality and all. But man, the coin they drop for shit they wanna do and can't get in their gilded towers. And the only reason I go easy on them is because if they keep coming back and spending coin, that's more for everyone else to use to get at least the basics, if not more.

"But oh yes, my teeth are sharp. Very, very sharp."

Raine yawns, but it's more to show off their impressive (tiny) teeth.

"I have some contacts. I can commission one of one of the sisters I've done that to. Although... I'm in the entirely wrong shape to be suggesting what I'm about to, buuuut...."

They curl their tail gently around his arm and gently paw at his arm.

"I'd be much happier giving you prime service than them. For free, too. So if you ever feel interested, please feel free to ask me to help you out in whatever way you need. I'm happy to please. And it doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to."

Even small cat teeth can hurt quite a bit. Mister Wiggums bit Anders once or twice when they were still getting to know each other.

He pauses and stares at Raine for a minute, before continuing on, stepping onto the lift to take them into Lowtown. They're the only ones on board, so it won't look weird to see Anders talking back to a cat.

"Obviously I'd rather not do that to you in this form. But I must admit that your humanoid form is rather attractive. Though, I haven't really been with anyone in over a year."

"Eh?"

Raine's eyes widen in surprise, tiny mouth going briefly slack and fur slightly poofing out.

"L-like I said, I have no intention of doing anything in this shape, anyway."

But, as they go, Raine lightly taps Anders with their tail and stretches their forelegs out with a grunt and a tiny yawn, back feet anchoring carefully onto his clothes.

"Even though my ears are pointed, would you believe that I'm not of elven heritage at all? I'm actually part human, from my dad's side. Just. My mom's side put these ears across the family line."

Their ears tilt back a bit, and they carefully move to sit up properly on his shoulder. They look away to see the movement around them outside of the lift.

"There's always more to it, but-- anyway. I'm flattered you like how my other form looks. Even though I'm rather small and I look pretty young, I think."

Anders gently pets Raine's back and kisses the top of their head, the way he would do to a non-sentient cat, before they climb up onto his shoulder. He then starts scratching their neck.

"I mean, lots of people look younger than they are. Some even look like teens despite being in their late twenties. Still, I don't see what's so special about me that you'd give it away for free."

Raine gently bunts into the affection, purring, and melts into the scratching, mouth parting just enough to make their happy noises even louder.

"I can't do it because I want to and it's fun?" Raine retorts mildly.

Which, to the naked ear, also sounds like happy trilling and "prrrt"s.

"And I don't mind that you haven't done it in over a year. You do a lot for a lot of people and pretty much take only gratitude for payment, if that, and... well, who takes care of you when you need it? Your body, your mind, your aches and pains and worries?

"I'm rather skilled with my hands and with simple elemental magic combined. Anything I offer you need only be what you wish for to assist yourself. Be it a thorough massage, or more carnal pleasures, or both.

"I don't usually feel inclined to do anything for free, so the fact that I'd like to do this for you is a bit of a mystery to myself as well."

The world is definitely easier to process as if through a series of transactions, where emotions needn't get in the way of mutual gain. For the long-term emotional repercussions, especially.

"You also treat me just like a cat even knowing I'm humanoid too. And I like that. Lots of people who I reveal myself to change their minds in some way. They see me as less animal than I really am."

As they get comfortable, they hug his neck with their soft tail.

"Usually if I need release I just use my hand. Or Justice takes possession of my hand and takes care of it." That took some figuring out when Justice decided that he wanted intimacy.

"But, I wouldn't say no if you're so inclined to give me freebies."

He kept gently scratching at Raine even as the lift came to their stop in Lowtown. Anders stepped off and began walking towards an area he knew contained elfroot and other herbs that grew like weeds.

"Hm? Justi...? Oh."

That's a revelation.

"Justice takes care to hide enough that I never noticed. Well. That's a bit embarrassing for me."

Raine's ears tilt to the sides in thought, listening to their surroundings as well. The scents of herbs and other plants fills their nose before long.

"I used to live with someone who is host to Hunger. They made it work. Her light curled around the demon's pain and they do well together. The spirit was overwhelmed by the world, by... everything, so she gave them a home. A way to exist and process the world without continuing to lose themself to the ever-changing world.

"But I've never been near a spirit with a more positive twist before. That's rather exciting."

Hopping off of his shoulder as they spot some more elfroot, they carefully use their teeth to tear it away safely so the plant can still regrow well, and then trots each one they find back to Anders.

"So, yes. I'm still open to that. Spirits in general, I think, should be judged by their actions, and not their namesakes."

In other words, even Justice as a concept, Raine knew, can be cold and cruel. Or it could be warm and understanding, balancing the weight of written rule versus morality. And so on.

Just as Raine's mother and Hunger could use those traits for knowledge for the sake of it, to accomplish whims while remaining satisfied with what they have. A vampire's existence is a lonely one, so who better to spend the years than with an ageless spirit?

It's something Raine's thought of, but mostly only prompted to like this. Her being possessed, or cohabiting, as it is, simply was, after all.

It's a shock considering the views of the Chantry. And even with one like Anders here, Raine can appreciate the threat they pose to him all the more keenly.

Of course, persecution was everywhere in Kirkwall, and the well-deserved resentment from the hearts of mages as deep as the infinit abyss and thrice as cold.

"Oh, I neglected to mention him, didn't I?" Well, it probably means that Anders trusts Raine, if he just blurted something like that aloud to them. And he was right to do so, since they just immediately accepted it and even spoke like it was something to be proud of.

He kneels down to gather up the elfroot at Raine brings it to them. "I must say, I've never heard of a symbiotic relationship with a demon. You'll forgive me if I immediately jump to the conclusion that said demon was just using their human partner to sate their own needs and desires."

"Not human, actually." Raine doesn't elaborate, but does zip off to gather more elfroot.

"Vampire, as a result of that merging. The whole "needs to drink the blood of the living to continue their unlife" and "can't walk around in sunlight" kind. She's a good person. Goes hungry if she can't find a willing donor or something to hunt, like bears."

They periodically give him more elfroot and other herbs that they can safely go near, but point out anything that they can't touch.

"Her husband was human, though, she says. Didn't consent to being changed like her. So she let him go of old age. Even though she hungered for him to stay."

There's a muted melancholy in their voice, but they don't linger on it. They feel bad for these lies of omission, but... Anders trusts them, and they don't want to ruin that trust by being perceived incorrectly. Or as less than.

"Coexistence is just as possible. Not for the faint of willpower, though, so I was told. I imagine it's just as varied between spirits as it is between individuals as a whole, including the relationship between Justice and yourself. And my range of study doesn't really include the Fade overmuch. Only my elemental magic relies on it, so I've never had the need to delve too deeply, nor for long enough to attract spirits. My magic just draws on my very being. And is also my area of expertise."

"Vampires? I thought they were just stories." He always figured that vampires came from stories of blood mages that got lost in translation along the way.

He checks his elfroot satchel, to see how much more he can fit in there. Maybe a little more won't hurt. He'll have to take Raine up to the Wounded Coast for herbs that he can only find up there.

"So it's like you carry the Fade around with you?"

"A version of it, yes. I'm not sure it's completely compatible with much, but my energy can be drawn upon by Fade-fueled spells, like any other magic. And I can share it, too. If we touch any way, I can give some to you. Intent can change how it reacts with you.

"It's the same magic that lets me make traps and wards. Or, say, do this."

Pawing at their shadow, Raine pulls not one, but three cats out of it. Each is pitch black from head to toe, eyes white as moonlight and round and wide.

"Semi-corporeal 'scouts'. I see through all of their eyes at the same time. Share their senses. I use them to figure out safe places, find new locations, avoid active dangers, and spy for information. But they have enough intelligence to make their own decisions."

They make biscuits, briefly.

"And you can pet them. Gently, though, or your hand will go right through!"

Up close, two of them openly approach Anders, their fur looks insanely glossy, dotted with small speckles of gray. It's possible to look right through them and into the surroundings beneath.

But they're soft to the touch, should he pet them.

The third wanders off, trotting into the shadows where it seems to completely disappear from view.

Edited (accidentally a, a word) 2022-01-17 00:27 (UTC)

Anders's eyes widen, having never seen any magic like this before, then he breaks out in a wide grin. He gently pets one of the shadow cats. "Well aren't you a sweet little shadow cat? Yes you are, yes you are!" He would pick it up and kiss it, if he could.

He looks back at Raine. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"Oh, I have more. But, one at a time. I don't want to erase all of the mystery about me. I'd feel horribly exposed, darling~"

Sensing his intent, one of the shadow cats starts to climb onto Anders. It doesn't have any tangible weight to speak of, but there is a subtle pulling sensation where the tiny claws hook into his clothes. It peers up at him, a hint of wide pupils visible when looked at indirectly.

The other rubs against his legs, purring.

The third trots back with a few more sprigs of elfroot and chirps at his feet for recognition.

Anders's grin widens, and he kneels down to take the elfroot and pet the shadow cat. He even gives a feather-light kiss to the one climbing up his body. "Well aren't you an adorable little group." He alternates between petting and kissing the three shadow cats, cooing at all of them. He gets a little carried away and his hand goes through one of them.

"How long can you make these things last?"

As it is, Raine feels every touch and kiss to their own body - and even the odd, shivery feeling of a hand passing through. The shadows happily lap it up; Raine's just glad that they have no way to blush, let alone have it visible.

When they speak, their meowing is very slightly strained for a moment.

"With my reserves, unless I'm suddenly drained? My longest streak is a few weeks without cessation. I haven't pushed for longer, so I probably could."

A thought crosses their mind - what would happen if they poured enough in? Made at least one of them, well.. completely autonomous? An experiment to take care in later, including looking over if it's ethical to do that or not, and so on and so forth, including thoughts of the future, and things that could go wrong.

Downright, if it would constantly rely on their magic, it certainly wouldn't be ethical to have their lives tied together, only for a freak accident to disrupt the magic....

Deeper thoughts for another time.

"If you'd like their company for when I can't be there, that can be easily arranged. And they have some access to my own magic."

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rebelhealer - 2022-03-20 05:19 (UTC) - Expand