Seeking Shelter

[Windra]

OoC
Continued from here.

--

There was no going about it. Lorelei was steadily getting to him. It started with the various hugs and licks and ended now with the kiss to the side of his muzzle. Felix felt the heat rise in his face as his tail wagged a little harder. "Well, I'm glad I found you," the Dhole told his furred companion.

He was positively enthralled to have her within his arms, carting her around like a damsel who's feet were too precious to strike the filthy earth. Yet every step was making his blush intensify. Felix was glad for the bright fur coating his body, concealing raw flesh.

Felix was almost gratefully when the inn finally came into view a half hour later. It was a majesty-in-progress at this point, that building. The outer walls were finally finished, carved from a mix of stone and wood and layered thick to keep in the warmth during winter and the cold during summer. Two stories tall, each wall had at least one window ... but lacked glass barriers just yet. That was something gradually getting worked on, with some difficulty ... since the Reaver in charge of putting most of the inn together couldn't teleport where she needed to for the custom-sized windows. It was fine for now, really. Spring was kicking into overdrive, warming and bristling at times. Some days felt like full-on summer.

Boundary Mountains loomed behind the inn ominously. Coupled with the swamp not eighty feet from the front door, the two sceneries certainly cast a bit of an ominous backdrop. Yet a quaint homely feel permeated the atmosphere. Perhaps it was the dim light emanating from within the building ... or maybe it was that gentle green illumination by the front door, where the jarred-and-mounted Pernglow fungi persisted its natural luminescence despite the daylight.

The Dhole's nose caught the strong odor of coffee and he chuckled, briefly nuzzling Lorelei as they inched closer towards the door. "My friend's home," he told her comfortingly. Large and sensitive ears caught the faintest sound of snoring ... "You'll like her. I think she's asleep though."

[Melody wolf]

deleted

[Windra]

Clearly, Felix did not share the same worries of the Fennec within his arms. He looked at her quizzically at first, gradually breaking into a smile once he realized why she was fretting so. Nuzzling her in reassurance, the Dhole refused to drop te vixen and approached the door with nonchalance. He didn't even bother to knock. The door wasn't closed all the way and he simply nudged it open with his foot.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Felix told Lorelei with confidence. "Normally she's a really light sleeper and'll wake up to anything, but lately ... Well, we've both been putting a lot of effort into the inn. She's done so much more than I have, going days without sleeping until finally she caves. And if I'm correct ... " Peering through the doorway, he spotted the locke of auburn hair on the sofa and heard the snores originating from that spot. Felix chuckled. "She's finally burned herself out."

Indeed, the half-dragon Soul Reaver was in no condition to do anything but lay there. The humanoid lay passed out on the sofa, one hand laying over top of a book, the other hanging at her side. At first glance one might think she was completely human, for her abnormalities were concealed beneath a thin blanket she'd thrown over herself. Well, all abnormalities except for the dragon's tail which peeked through the fabric, its yellow spade-tip twitching furiously in her dreams. Beside the sofa was a fire pit constructed of stone. That's where the coffee smell hailed from, for the cup Naira was drinking out of was perched on its edge.

"When she's like this, nothing in the world'll wake her up. Not even if a stampeded rages through." As if to demonstrate, he procured some kind of coin off a nearby shelf and flipped it towards the sleeping abomination. It landed on her nose. Naira's face scrunched up briefly, but she immediately resumed snoozing. The dhole smirked, looking to Lori. "If you want, go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I'll scrounge us up some food."

Of course by scrounge, he meant ... dig through the cooler and see what had already been made ... but Lorelei didn't know that! Felix disappeared into the kitchen.

[Melody wolf]

deleted

[Windra]

Padded footfalls wouldn't have woken the half-dragon even if they wer slamming heavily into the ground. Naira was out cold. Nothing Lorelei could do would have woken her up. Not unless the kitsune decided to give the girl a rough, rudimentary kick in her sleep. That might stir something. And that would be a bad something.

In the meantime, Felix dug around for a length amount of time ... Going through their food stores always made him feel a little guilty, even though the Reaver in the living room told him multiple times to take what he pleased. The Dhole always returned the favor by bringing fresh kills, of course. He was slowly getting the impression that Naira was cooking the stuff solely for him. Really, he'd never actually seen he eat anything ... Did she survive off of food like normal people? After all, being undead ... Well there was that time she nibbled on some jerky. Between all the construction and random renovations, it was easy to see why she hardly had time to stuff her face. But that was no reason not to indulge every now and then.

He came across some venison stew and heated it quickly over a fire. It's aroma wafted heavily across all rooms of the inn, even escaping outside. Proper seasoning ... thick, creamy gravy ... all the good essentials plus heavy, meaty chunks. Felix's stomach was full from his earlier gourmet meal but that didn't keep him from picking a chunk of meat from the pot here and there just for the sake of fulfilling that desire to bite down on something. Once everything was warmed to a degree, he spooned it into a bowl, grabbed a slab of bread, and made his way back to where he left Lorelei waiting.

She doesn't need to know I didn't cook it, he told himself and, grinning, he sheepishly held the bowl out for her. "M'lady ... ?"a

[Melody wolf]

deleted

[Windra]

Clearly Lorelei had never met a spoon in her life. She was very, ah ... Well, scratch table manners. They were nonexistent! Felix burst out into laughter, finding her messy behavior both adorable and youthful, and he thought back to his days as a pup. Playfully pouncing on random scorpions that made their way into camp while getting stung to hell. Nipping at the tails of his siblings. The occasional nibble on the odd flower ... many that left him dizzy and needing to be taken care of. yes, his childhood was filled with days of accidents that should have probably killed him. He was a lucky young lad. But he grew up right for it.

They never had to worry about humans the way Lorelei's people had, though ... He wondered how that had gone about. Why was it so difficult for some species to mingle with those who walked upon two legs? But then again, why was it so hard for those who walked upon two legs to accept that which was different? All those he met were fairly indifferent of Felix's appearance. Naira especially, but then she shared some odd quirks.

At Lorelei's amazement, Felix slunk up beside her and gingerly wrapped a furred arm about her waist. He felt lovey, and cuddly ... and wanted very much to pull her close. Which he did, sort of. Not too tightly, giving her plenty of room to move if she wanted to break from his embrace. "It's stew," he explained with a chortle. "Venison - deer meat - with carrots, potatoes, celery, seasoned and salted. All that gravy is basically coked blood. I uh ... I was never fond of raw meat. So everything I eat is cooked really well."

[Melody wolf]

deleted

[Windra]

Movement from the couch would have caught their attention very briefly. Naira rolled to her side in her sleep. The book fell from limp fingertips, crashing to the floor. Above all other noises, it was that clatter of pages upon the wooden floor that woke the slumbering Reaver from her stupor. A single green eye creaked open. It traveled the room in a state of confusion, showering it with that befuddled mystery of not knowing where one was the moment they woke up ... and eventually her iris trained upon Felix and the stranger and settled there. A brown eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Who ... ?" Slowly she gained focus on the situation ... and noticed how close they stood to one another. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. Naira shot Felix a devilish grin. "You dog, when did that happen?"

If Felix wasn't blushing before, he sure as hell was now. An amazing amount of heat flushed the entirety of his face as he awkwardly raised a paw to scratch at the back of his head. "I ... uh ... ," he stammered, tittering a nervous laugh when words failed him. Clearing his throat did nothing to slow the yammering of his heart. So powerful was his pulse that the arteries in his neck jumped visibly with every pump. "This i-is Lorelei, she's uh ... "

The Reaver raised a hand to wave flippantly at the kitsune gone humanoid. Of course Naira didn't know the woman's nature ... but any friend of Felix's was welcome here. "I'm Naira. Go ahead and make yourself at home." It was a warm invitation, followed by the half-dragon rolling onto her other side ... and promptly falling asleep again.

This coaxed a laugh out of the dhole, who turned his attention on Lorelei. She was doing an awful lot to deserve it ... with the way she huddled up to his chest, kissed his cheek ... His face was on fire. But he also noticed how tired she looked and acted and felt great tenderness. With a shake of his furred head, Felix responded with, "No, no ... There are beds here. If I may ... ?" He snuck the empty bowl out of her grip and placed it on the counter before returning to snake an arm around her shoulders. With a gentle nudge, he edges her towards the stairs. "New mattresses, they're very fluffy. I can guarantee you a good night's rest."

[Melody wolf]

deleted

[Windra]

Once they got into the room, Felix leaned down to not lick, but kiss her cheek with his furred lips. A smile crossed his face as he gently slid his arm out from behind her neck. "I'll let you get your beauty sleep, not that you need any more than that," he teased lightly, tone coy and somewhat provocative. "Goodnight until tomorr ... ow?"

The dhole had intended to leave Lorelei alone so she could get her privacy. Evidently the fox had other intentions, for she reached behind them to close the door. Both canines were alone together in an area of great privacy. Felix's bright yellow eyes went wide when she grabbed his hand, luring him towards the bed ... Stammering protests did nothing to halt her from climbing onto his lap, curl all up around her. Close proximity and sensual touchings be damned, if she kept this up his primal thoughts would no longer be limited to the mind! His arms found their way to her waist and he wrapped around, pulling her in close and holding her tight ... slowly leaning backwards until he was laying on his back with the kitsune clambering onto his chest.

What are you doing?! demanded his subconscious, meticulously searching for any trace of common sense in the lust-imbued synapses firing off within his brain. One was found and given a sharp tug. Felix jerked involuntarily beneath the nine-tailed mass above him. He rolled, still holding her, until he lwas on top ... gently licked her cheek ... and eased off to lay beside her. And ... ack! He was still very much naked! Clawed fingers sought a pillow and shoved it quickly between his legs, praying his movements were uick enough to avoid unwanted attention to awakened nether regions.

"That's, ah ... " He wasn't stammering because of anxiety. Instincts like that weren't fought off so easily. Every muscle was wanting to lunge back into the game/ It took an amazing amount of mental strength to keep the animal under control. "I like you," he explained, doing his best not to hurt her feelings while remaining very firm. "But I just met you ... This is ... going a bit fast." The dhole found another pillow to cover himself up a bit more, suddenly feeling modest and shy. A brief smile dissuaded any negative thoughts. Felix sat upright, preparing to take his leave ... but stopped before he could stand, looking at Lorelei over his shoulder. Concern swelled in his features. "Why ... do you need somebody to sleep alongside you?"

Certain thins connected. What she'd said earlier ... His brow furrowed.

"Nightmares?"

[Melody wolf]

deleted

[Windra]

Felix didn't move from where he sat, back facing the kitsune. Fingers dug into the sheets. Ears twitched, alert and attentive to every gut-wrenching word Lorelei spoke. He was really beginning to wonder if leaving her to her lonesome was the best idea right now. She was obviously terrified of drifting to sleep, taunted by the ghosts of her past that fed from overwhelming guilt. The kitsune was fighting tears back. It was ripping at his chest, burning his heart. The dhole leaned forward, tilting his head to stare pointlessly at the floor. When Lorelei was done speaking he said not a word, lingering instead for a moment longer. Enough time passed for five heartbeats before he quietly stood ... and walked out the door.

But ...

He came back.five minutes later. Sheepishly grinning, Felix gestured to his lower body which was now covered with rough brown trousers made of some very soft material. "I can't very well sleep naked next to you, now can I?" he told her with a chuckle, the twinkle in his eyes jolting with amusement. "It would be reaaaalllly awkward for me ... I mean, you're very ... ," he paused, stumbling to find the right words. Cute? Yes, but .... "beautiful. And my body speaks when I won't."

The flesh beneath his fur was positively cherry red at the moment. He was grateful one again for the brightly-colored fur coating his entire figure. Felix crossed the distance separating them and sat upon the bed. He lay next to her. Eyes widened to give a puppy-dog appearance and he longingly opened his arms towards her, gesturing the Fennec to curl into his arms in a 'come hither plz' fashion.

"I won't pretend to know what you're going through," he admitted to her softly. "But I can at least promise I won't leave you're side tonight. And hopefully no phantoms will plague your dreams."

[Melody wolf]

deleted

[Windra]

Lorelei nestled up against Felix's chest. To the dhole, it was a show of trust that he was actually surprised to see. She'd come off as a prideful little minx when encountering Ranger for the first time, standing up to him despite his rank. With an ego like that, one would not easily succumb to ordeals of the heart ... yet she was proving that ideal wrong with every minute they spent together. Kisses here, nuzzles there ... the sudden intense seduction that took place mere moment prior ... His arms wrapped tightly around her, fingers rubbing gently against the indent in her back where the spine lay beneath the skin. He could't describe the elation he felt with her close to him like this .. but he felt ... full? The strangest sense of completion, like all was right in the world.

Her face was practically buried in his chest while her hands roamed. He tried not to think about it too much, simply relishing in the contact and denying his mind the right to lurk in other places. Felix's eyes found themselves closing against his will. Half-lidded, the yellow irises lazily watched Lorelei's tail (when did that happen?) curl about his hip. He didn't break his gaze when answering her question.

"You'd like them," he told her with a croon dancing upon his voice, soft and musical. "My older brother is a bit of a bully but he gets his ... Younger brother is fascinated by human technology. Brings some home every now and then. My folks are very old-fashioned, but won't pass up a chance to check something out ... even if they don't fully understand it. And my sister ... " His jaw split into a grin. "She was wed some years ago and has several pups of her own. Full of energy. I dunno how she does it. There are aunts and uncles ... tykes here, grandparents there ... We take strangers in, too, so there are others like us living in the colony."

He squeezed her tight, fighting off sleep with his last bits of strength.

"You'd like them." Perhaps he should have thought that last part out better ... because that sentence implied a lot of things. But he was too tired to realize it, and too happy to care.

[Melody wolf]

deleted

[Windra]

It was probably an unfortunate factor ... Lorelei's words of solace and comfort, adoration, found their way into Felix's mind just as his eyes finally slid shut, beckoning him into the realm of dreams. Those three words intermingled with happenings that were not real. Fantasies of the past, hopes of the future ... Clambering pups, a beating heart, extreme happiness within the comfort of family and a warm embrace awaiting his return home, wherever home happened to be at the time. Multiple tails would constantly appear out of the corner of his vision. When he turned his head to see who it was the figure disappeared, replaced by a thoroughly comforting sensation againt his chest. Unconsciously he pulled the kitsune nice and close in his sleep, chin resting upon the top of her head. It would have been an unusual sight for anybody who stumbled upon them unwittingly: a human with tails coiled with a being of fur and ears. A nightmare for furry haters everywhere!

The night came and went. They had no blanket but there was no need. It was a warm evening ... and even if Lorelei grew cold through her sleep, Felix's fur would more than make up for what she lacked. Midnight's umbra passed quietly and they both snored on. Neither awoke to the sound of clattering pots and pans downstairs, although the stench of brewing coffee and tea was enough to make Felix's nostrils twitch. That was an hour ago. What finally stirred him was something soft brushing against his muzzle and honeyed words breaking through his cloud of nostalgia. Yellow eyes cracked open just barely ... and lit up with surprise to find the figure still entrapped within his embrace. Truly, he wondered if she had been a part of his dream. A mere fantasy. But no, the firmness of her body indicated that she was, indeed, quite real.

A smile burned his expression. Dazed and barely awake, Felix stretched with the aloofness of a milk-fed cat in a sunbeam. It was brief. His arms looped around Lorelei again and he held her there, content to keep her nearby for a few more moments. Really, this was too comfortable of a position to move from. He chuckled a little. "Morning. Sleep well, I hope?"

[Melody wolf]

deleted

[Windra]

While Lorelei hitched her leg over his thigh and peered up at his slumbering face, the dhole opened his sleepy eyes slowly. They felt weighed down by lead, dragged against his incessant pulling with an obvious refusal to part and pave way for sight. The fox was growing alert by the second. He'd best push himself towards being more awake, as well ... What kind of a host slept on through the day while the guest ran about?

Felix pulled her close. He felt her touch and returned it in kind, allowing it to fuel the growing smile on his face. "If you did, I didn't notice," he told her in a whisper, slowly releasing her from his grip. The dhole attempted to lift his head. After several tries, he gave up with a groan. Felix's stomach protested this lack of movement, joining in the song voiced by Lorelei's stomach. "I don't ... want to move."

[Melody wolf]

deleted