1x1?

[shadow_claw]

The silence that followed was only to be expected. This was all very new to Aedus, and silence was usually his way of soaking things in. Quietly did he walk behind the man, his eyes clouded as he thought. Potential? Mortal body? None of it was...anything he had ever heard before. And it...it made him feel like something was crawling in his mind. Something just out of reach. "Stop...I don't-I-" Aedus stopped walking, a hand pressed against his bowed head. He could hear things...whispers in his thoughts, and it felt awful. Like something was trying to rip his very essence out and replace it. When he finally lifted his gaze, his eyes quite literally blazed. "Help..."

[pudding]

The god turned around quickly, looking at Aedus. Immediately, his green eyes widened in surprise and he darted back to the other man, muttering faintly to himself as he quickly raised a hand to feel Aedus's forehead. What, really? He wasn't even allowed to talk about it without possibly triggering an event? Grunting slightly, he patted his own pockets desperately before frowning slightly. Was there any other way? He needed to be unconscious for the spell to work properly. If he was awake, it was harder to keep the energy at bay and hide it again. "I...I'm sorry," He whispered before drawing his arm back and aiming a punch at the side of Aedus's head, hoping the blow would knock him out.

[shadow_claw]

Although this episode wasn't as nearly as bad as the previous day's, Aedus wasn't faring well. His skin quickly became hot to the touch, his blue skin turning a blotchy purple as he flushed. When the god fussed over him, the hybrid reached out and took him by the wrist. He...was cold. Much colder than Aedus, anyways. But keeping contact with the man...it only made it all worse.

 

What the god didn't consider was how much sturdier Aedus was in comparison. The punch landed sure, but it wasn't enough to knock him unconscious. He staggered, landing in the grass not far from where he had initially been. Knowing he had been attacked, a look of betrayal shone in his burning gaze. Though, Aedus made no move to fight back or even resist. He lay on the ground, whimpering softly into the grass.

[pudding]

As his wrist was grabbed, the god looked surprised and, to be honest, afraid. But the punch fell Aedus and while he didn't knock him out, it did apparently keep him down. But he hadn't been knocked out and the look he gave him sent shivers down his spine. "I'm sorry," He whispered hoarsely, repeating the phrase over and over again. He... he couldn't do this. Turning away, he pulled on his hair slightly, closing his eyes as he did so. But he had to, right?

 

Turning back and apologizing repeatedly, he knelt down next to Aedus and rolled up the sleeves of his tunic, revealing bandages that spiraled up his arm all the way, covering the skin entirely. Pulling out his necklace again, he held it firmly with one hand before placing his hand on Aedus's head. The spell was still there. He should be able to suppress just the memories of the past few minutes, or simply reinforce the spell so it wouldn't be triggered again so quickly.

[shadow_claw]

For a few moments, Aedus shivered as if he had a fever. But as the god worked, he fell still. His gaze clouded over as the spell took effect, before slowly shutting. Whatever resistance Aedus was putting wasn't strong enough to keep him awake. Slowly, the heat from his body faded. The light beneath his eyelids dimmed. It was odd, seeing how peacefully he slept under the effects of a spell. Compared to the previous night, the difference was massive.

[pudding]

As Aedus slowly fell still, the god withdrew his hands. His arms were shaking and he hunched over briefly, his hands grabbing at his necklace. Taking a few deep breaths, he looked down at Aedus then sighed loudly. Scratching the back of his head, he paused then slowly worked his hands under Aedus and lifted him up. They couldn't afford to stay here. He had to get them both back to his home, even if it meant carrying Aedus the entire way. Taking one step after the other, he slowly set off, walking towards his home.

[shadow_claw]

Aedus didn't stay asleep for long. Nor was he awake, however. Half conscious, Aedus nestled into the arms that held him. In this state, things seemed to blur between what was actually happening, and what was hidden in his memories. And in some deep, far away corner of his thoughts, he was safe. The full throb from the side of his head said otherwise. There, in this blue between reality and thought, Aedus was overwhelmed with a sense of foggy joy. He muttered in a foreign tongue, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.

"I missed you."

[pudding]

Holding onto him carefully, the god walked briskly through the forest, remaining quiet as he tried to focus simply on walking and not on the one he was carrying. But when he muttered something softly, the god glanced down briefly, surprise filling his expression. No, surely not. This was probably just a result of the spell. He couldn't force Aedus to be the one he wanted. It wasn't right. "Shhh," He whispered, slowly down to a slow walk as they came across the house. Well, house wasn't the right word. Too much time alone and the realization people would leave him alone more if intimidated had led to him slowly building a large building made of stone. It was too small to be seen above the tree line but it was still scary looking fro the outside. It was probably a good thing Aedus wasn't quite aware of himself yet. And hopefully, he would stay that way until they got inside. The inside was much more comfy.

[shadow_claw]

Although he had been silenced, Aedus mumbled for quite some time before finally settling down. Most of what he said was completely incoherent, but a few, clear words could be heard.

"Took so long...new form...couldn't find you..." He sniffled, though made no action to wipe his eyes. "Can't...return...need...need sleep..." As soon as it seemed like he was at least partially conscious did Aedus fall silent. Lulled by the gentle rocking of the Night's movements, his eyes slowly closed once again.

[pudding]

The god looked down at Aedus in surprise but bit his lip and continued onward. Gently carrying him up a curving flight of stairs, he opened up a large set of doors that led to a bedroom. Setting him down on the bed, he pulled one of the blankets over his body before waving the flames out of the candles in the room one by oneso that the room gradually fell into darkness. Sparing a glance back at him briefly, he frowned slightly then inched the door shut. When he woke up, he would need to see what happened. He couldn't do anything until he knew Aedus was alright.

[shadow_claw]

((Poor Aedus, I'm just giving him hell.))

 

Quite some time passed before Aedus was conscious again. There was a great deal of restlessness, and the young hybrid tossed and turned without rest. A pained, possibly distressed expression creased his face, and his lips parted in a silent grimace. Something was wrong. It was only when dark blotches appeared on his skin did it become visible. He wasn't just struggling with his identity, something else lingered as well. Dark lines ran through his body, spreading across his face and torso. When Aedus opened his eyes, it was clear something was wrong. His good eye was pitch black, which his blind one glowed a fierce golden.

 

The boy hunched over, a spasm of pain causing him to fall from the bed. Something was trying very desperately to kill him. He could feel it. Another something was trying to do the exact opposite. He opened his mouth to try for help, but it was not his own voice that sounded.

"You CAnNOt hAve ThIS oNE aGAiN."

It was not in a language he understood, either. But he could feel just how awful its intent was. The hatred in its presence was suffocating.

[pudding]

((It's okay, my character has been equally screwed with.

He's just hiding it))

 

While Aedus slept, the god did his best to make his home more hospitable. While the papers lying about and dust scattered across nearly all surfaces didn't bother him that much, he needed to make his home much more clean for when Aedus woke up. So he swept the papers into a pile, carrying them into the far room in the back before locking the door. As he returned to take care of the other various things scattered around his home, the god suddenly paused, a shiver passing through his entire body. Stopping short, he turned his head sharply around, staring upwards in the direction of the room he had left Aedus in. Grinding his teeth, he quickly made his way to the kitchen, rummaging through the cupboards quickly.

 

Several moments later, the god threw open the door, holding a small vial tightly in his right hand. Swiftly approaching the side of the bed where Aedus had fallen, he rolled him over, flicking the top off of the vial he was holding. The dark, murky red liquid inside sloshed around slightly as he attempted to pry apart Aedus's mouth so he could make him drink whatever was inside. "YoU CaNnNot hAVe hIM eIthEr," he replied, the bitter language bitting it's way past his either. "Go BAcK tO SLeeP yOU MiSEraBLE BeASt."

[shadow_claw]

By the time the god appeared, Aedus was foaming at the mouth and writhing. Blood ran freely from his nose and down his face. It wasn't likely he could've held on much longer if the owner of the house hadn't arrived. Aedus was rigid in his arms, the unknown liquid pooling in his mouth. There were a few seconds where he struggled to choke it down, an involuntary hiss gurgling in his throat. He swallowed after a long while of struggle, sucking in air through his nose in a panic. By the time the struggle had ended, he fell limp in the god's grasp.

"H-Hurts.." Aedus whined, the hiss in his throat fading to reveal his actual voice. The color in his eyes diminished after some time, leaving him to his own devices. "Wh-What..."

[pudding]

As soon as Aedus swallowed most of the vial and collapsed into his lap, the god sighed faintly and gently held onto the man, supporting his head with his arms so that his neck wouldn't hurt from strain. "Shhh," He whispered, leaning over Aedus slightly. Despite the fact he had changed earlier, his new outfit seemed exactly like his old one. Even inside, he had never removed the scarf that covered his mouth from sight or the bandages that wound up his arms, keeping the skin entirely covered. If anything, he had actually added more bandages so that on his hands, only his fingertips were visible. Since he had removed his boots, his feet were once more visible, but they too were wrapped with the exception of his toes and the balls of his feet. "Rest," He whispered, his voice no longer hoarse and biting like when he had spoken in that disgusting language. "You need to regain your energy before you try to speak."

[shadow_claw]

If he wasn't exhausted, Aedus would have likely tried to get answers out of his savior. But he had just evaded death. His throat burned and his whole body throbbed with pain. Not having to move or talk didn't sound like a problem at the moment. So instead, the fish hybrid stared into the darkness. Although physically exhausted, he wasn't tired at all. The pain that still plagued his being would keep him awake even if he wanted to sleep. But resting, that sounded just fine.

[pudding]

After some time had passed, the god gently patted Aedus's shoulder, looking down at him with his head tilted slightly to the side. "You need to eat something," He informed the hybrid, his voice soft and gentle. "Do you think you can stand up? The kitchen is downstairs. If you don't think you'll be able to make it, I bring food back up here." It shouldn't resurface so easily but he would need to start giving Aedus daily doses of medicine. He couldn't risk it getting any worse than it already was. Every other morning would probably work best for him if this was the stage he was at.

[shadow_claw]

Food...The very notion of eating had Aedus's stomach growling. He struggled to sit up, lurching into an upright position. One he was up, however, he seemed alright. "I-I...I can walk." Standing was another issue all together. Using first the god's leg, and then the side of the bed, he was able to stand. "Do I have permission to bathe myself first? Unless you would like me to eat first, which in that case I can." Aedus had been trained well by the Fae that raised him. Having only just left that life, he was far more used to taking orders than doing anything on his own free will. If told otherwise, he would eat even when soiled by both ash and blood.

[pudding]

After Aedus was standing, the god stood up as well, tilting his head to the side and offering up a small, confused smile back at him. Even with his mouth hidden, the slight rise of his shoulders and the way his smile affected his eyes clearly communicated the expression. "You don't need to ask permission," He replied. "This is your home now too. You don't need to ask permission to bathe or eat or sleep. Go bathe. We can eat once you are done." Pointing a finger towards a small door connected to the bedroom, he nodded. "Your bathroom is in there. Since this place is large, I can wait until you are done until going downstairs. I wouldn't want you to get lost."

[shadow_claw]

Although unsure at first, Aedus's expression brightened at the idea of making bathing. Blinking multiple times, he nodded. This was all a shock to him. It would take quite some time to be used to making choices entirely on his own. Bathing was something he could manage. The young man walked to the door, where the house's owner had been pointing, and found his way to the bathroom.

 

This man...must be a noble of some sort! The washroom was gorgeous, or nicer than anything Aedus had ever used. Then again, Aedus had always bathed in the creek near his shed. The young hybrid wandered inside, examining the stone tiles and water reservoir with interest. This was all very new to him. A few buckets of water were emptied into the tub (cold, as Aedus knew little of hot water), and he began to peel off his clothes. It would take quite some time to get clean again.

 

((Imagine your poor character walking in on the booty))

 

 

[pudding]

((Oh god he'd lock himself in his study and not come out for several hours. As someone who dislikes people being able to see his body, he would feel so horrible walking in on Aedus.

We need to have this happen eventually))

 

While Aedus disappeared into the bathroom, the god took a seat on the floor next to the bed. Pulling out his necklace from under his shirt, he rolled the green stone. It was perfectly round and composed of several different shades of green that matched the color of his eyes with ease. The unnatural, emerald green color glowed faintly as he rolled it over in his hands. A thin but strong line of black ran across the center of the stone, making the stone almost look like the eye of a dragon or some other beast. Running this thumb over the line rather absentmindedly, he began to zone out, waiting for Aedus to finish while sinking into his own thoughts.

[shadow_claw]

((Especially since Aedus, having been basically raised on his own, likely lacks the concept of indecency and wears clothes so he won't freeze to death.))

 

Aedus has never been happy with his natural form. It was a mark of shame, as hybrids of any sort had always been looked down upon (or, that's what he had been told). Instead of skin, he had all these pesky scales. So with each scrub of the cloth he had found, more layers of gray-stained scales peeled off and floated in the water. It was disgusting.

 

Although the luxuries of a bathroom were new to him, Aedus quickly took a liking to towels. He wrapped one around his waist and torso, and walked out of the bathroom with his soiled clothes in hand. Now that he was clean, his skin had a much healthier tone to it. A few dark veins were still visible, but whatever he had consumed seemed to have helped.

 

"Thank you...I do not enjoy the filth I have accumulated from today." For the first time in their brief time together, Aedus smiled. Of course, he was still smiling even as his towel slipped from his body and onto the floor. For the god's sake, the ball of soiled clothes served for a decent censor. "My clothing is unsuitable for wear at the moment...Could you possibly lend me some garments?"

[pudding]

The god quickly stuffed the necklace back under his shirt when the door opened and Aedus walked out of the bathroom. While he started to stand up and open his mouth to reply, both of these actions halted immediately when the towel slipped away and fell to the floor in a pile. His entire body froze immediately as he did his best to avoid looking down at all, instead making it a point to look away from Aedus and instead stare at the ceiling. His tensed body began to shake, especially his arms as he lifted his hands to his scarf and pulled the fabric more tightly around his face. "O-of course," He replied, red creeping up his face from under his scarf. His ears especially were a very dark color by this point. "Just..wait in the b-bathroom." He awkwardly made his way to the door, trying to avoid looking at Aedus but finding his eyes occasionally drawn back to him anyway. During one such instance, the god clumsily walked right into a small table and nearly fell to the ground, bringing the table down with him. Fumbling to keep the table upright, he looked back at Aedus with wide eyes then quickly exited the room, stumbling down the hallway very quickly and nearly crashing into several more things on his way to his own room.

[shadow_claw]

Although unsure of the cause of his host's distress, Aedus was most definitely concerned. Assuming the fuss was over the towel, he knelt and picked it back up. "Is...everything alright?" He asked, tilting his head slightly. "I can return the towel to the bathing room if it bothers you s-" Aedus started immediately forward when the god fell over a table, dropping everything he was holding to instead help the man up. But the god fled from the room at such a speed, Aedus hardly had any time to help. Confused, and feeling slightly rejected, he wandered back into the bathroom as he was told. All that over a towel? It made no sense.

 

((You wanted butt (◕‿◕✿)

(☉‿☉✿) you get all the butt))

[pudding]

Several minutes passed before the god poked his head back inside the room. Glancing around to make sure Aedus was still in the bathroom, he quickly walked inside and placed a few articles of clothing on the bed. They were neatly folded and, largely dark colors, like gray and black. Keeping his head turned away from the bathroom, he shook his head slightly. "Aedus?" He called out, moving towards the door leading out of the bedroom. "I've clothes for you out here. As soon as you get dressed, we can go eat something. I'll just wait in the hallway for you."

[shadow_claw]

Like anyone who wasn't used to waiting, Aedus exited the bathroom as soon as he was told. The clothes on the bed were exactly what he was looking for. All Aedus had been looking for were clothes. And here were some! The dark clothes were pulled on, only for the man to discover something in his pocket. When he pulled the object out, he was surprised to find a rather large, solid gold scale. When held to the light, words shimmered across its surface.

The Great Wyrm So'reth calls upon your presence.

 

Slowly did he open the door leading to the hallway, scale in hand. "Um..." Aedus glanced at his bare feet, his webbed ears angling downwards. "I don't believe I ever told you my name. How...did you know it?" He stepped forward, extending the scale towards the god. "You...left this in your trousers."