The stutter was gone, he'd done his job. It seemed that the creature before him was more relaxed, easier to exist around. He'd settled down considerably, other than the cotton mouth. Poser had gotten so used to it, it no longer truly bothered him. Still, he peels his eyes for a berry bush, nodding to himself as he fixes his gaze on a thicket of blackberries. A yes. Those would do. He's graceful, elegant, as he picks several with gentle teeth and brings them to Spider. "They aren't water, but they'll get your mouth feeling a little more normal." He grins, placing them gently beside the raggedy man. His nose touching briefly on Spider's cheek, coy, playful. Laying down beside the no longer stranger, Poser is at peace. your charged touch poser breathy way of saying my name

He turned over again to keep himself from choking while he ate the berries. He’d eaten blueberries before but these were undoubtedly the best blueberries he’d ever had in his life. Before he knew it they were gone and as promised, his mouth felt more comfortable. He yawned and dropped his head across the shadow’s forelegs. He was sure that would be alright, if it wasn’t he’d move without hesitation, but the other male was being so gentle with him, he saw no reason why he would oppose it. He took a deep, breathing in his scent and relaxing against his limbs. He couldn’t remember the last time was this kind to him, not since his sister died at least. But then whose fault was that? His eyes snapped open at the thought. He remembered how she struggled through her pregnancy, how badly he felt for her, she had always been so sickly, why she had insisted on starting a family with Church was beyond him. His mind was racing, his eyes darting wildly, as he questioned whether he should move or not. Whatever was happening, he didn’t like it, he wanted it to end. But it wouldn’t. He’d only wanted to help her, she could barely stand with those parasites in her belly and every day she ate less and less. He whimpered, his claws digging into the earth as the panic set in. Should he run? He felt like running. Talk

Poser gazes at the stranger for a few long moments, the skinny creature with the shut eyes. He quirks his head to the side, tail thumping in the grass until... huh. Eyes snapping open, causing Poser to jump ever so slightly. Jumping, breath catching, quite unsure of this reaction. This was a new one for the shadow. A new reaction, a strange reaction, things... different. Very different. "Easy, easy dear... you're okay." Eyes gentle on the creature's face, pressed to the ground beside him. Gentle as he reaches out to set his nose on Spider's elbow, and then on his shoulder. "It's okay. You're okay." Gentle. Ever gentle words. "Tell me your thoughts, tell me what's going on in your head." Soft. Ever so soft, watching carefully. Poser was gentle, soft. Everything about him is soft in these moments. Poser feels for the un stranger in ways he can't place. your charged touch poser breathy way of saying my name

He whimpered, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to regain his breaths. He forced himself to focus on the way the other male touched him, and on his soothing voice. He forced himself to shut his eyes and counted as he breathed in, the way she had taught him to. The god asked him to tell him what was on his mind. He wanted him to confess his sins but Spider knew that if he did his soul would be condemned. “No. No I can’t tell you.” He muttered, his ears pinning back, his tail attempting to tuck itself under his laying body and instead coiling tightly at his hip. “Pl-please don’t m-make me tell.” He begged, his voice wavering and thick with desperation, tears stinging the back of his eyes. He didn’t want to leave him, Poser was so warm and gentle to him and had been so kind, it was his own mind that was turning against him and he hoped desperately that he wouldn’t press the question further. Talk

The young god is painfully gentle. Always has been. It's hard not to when you're so used to everyone around you hurting so badly. He would take that pain away, remove the hurt, try to relieve what he could. That's what happens when you're tired of sleeping alone. When you're sick of spending time as a solitary creature. Wolves, dogs, canines, they were pack animals. Social pack animals. He's got no one to be social with, he's just been... to himself. That sucks, you know? It just... blows. So he's here, and he's going to be heart achingly gentle with this Spider. A part of him reminds him of the pigeon he'd bonded with, wherever she had gotten to. Right. "You're fine, you don't need to tell me anything... I just want to help. You're okay." Poser uses a gentle touch, the soft brush of his nose to wipe tears from Spider's face. Painfully gentle with his long eyelashes and graceful face. Yes, Poser could get by just like this as well. He would be soft, he would be friendly. Something about the shadow is more than friendly, the degree of intimacy as he touches the man... he'll pretend that it's not there. At least internally. The nature of the touch does not change. your charged touch poser breathy way of saying my name

His body heaved as he forced himself to breathe normally a small tremor running through him as the other male caresses him. He closes his eyes, counting as he breathes in, his ears flat against his head. His neck felt unbearably cold while his cheeks burned, without a second thought he tucked his head under the shadow’s and presses his head to his chest. His body continued to heave with slow steady movements as he counted in his head, his frame curling closer to Poser as he listened to the man’s heartbeat with sensitive ears. He counted and listened and then counted his heart beats until he no longer remembered why he started crying in the first place. His cheeks ached and his mouth once again felt dry, the dizzying numbness returned and for a moment, peeking out through the forest of impossibly soft black fur, he forgot where he was. He sighed, pressing his head closer to Poser, burying his muzzle in his luxurious fur and managed to squeak a small “I’m sorry.” Although he didn't quite know what he was sorry for. Talk

Poser feels the creature beside him, pressed close, protective. Yes, for now, he's protective. Head tucked over Spider's, stroking softly, snuggled in. It had been a long time since he'd been beside someone in this manner, and... well... the last time hadn't ended in the most fantastic way. Poser won't cringe to the thought, but he'd nearly lost his life that night. His Hatter, he'd nearly been slaughtered by the Hatter's Hare. It was a rough thought, but he stuffed it down. It was easier that way. "Don't be, you're okay... you're fine." Poser licks gently at Spider's cheek, a comfort. Always trying to be the comforting force. All the shadow can do is try, after all. A steady breath in and out. That's all he can do, it's all he can be. POSER the breathy way you say my name

He took in a deep breath and sighed softly, finally relaxing now that he was pressed close to the god. He lowered his head across the shadow’s long, slender leg, ears pinned back. He still felt like he should apologize, but for what he wasn’t entirely certain. The past few minutes already felt like a distant memory, like a nightmare he had just woken up from. Relaxed he closed his eyes and listened to the chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects surrounding the garden. More and more it felt like he as in paradise, and why wouldn’t he? “What’s it like to be a god?” He asked, his voice hoarse from the cottonmouth. He had no reason to doubt Poser when he said h was a god, after all what else could he be but divine? Nothing about him reflected the appearance of a wolf, except of course for his eyes. There was a wildness to them that he’d only ever seen in wolves, a likeness that only came close in coyotes and even then it wasn’t the same, not like it had been with him.

He supposed it was something like paradise. An Eden of sorts, in the midst of the chaos. Winter would come soon, but not yet. Never quite yet, and even when it hit it wouldn't be... hard. It wouldn't hit all that hard and Poser would be fine. He would be warm through it all, with the heat in his blood and bones and breeding enough to keep him from freezing off. Poser would fall back on genetics. He was good with that. Spider's question brings a soft hum to his throat, head resting protectively on Spider. Gentle. "It's... it can be tiring. Lives upon lives worth of memories stuck in your head, the ones you can't get away from. A lot of skeletons in your closet... but it's a good life. It affords me the opportunity to meet a lot of lovely company." His smile is gentle, maybe it's even sincere. Hard to tell with Poser in general, but the shadow has wrapped himself around Spider. An interest, as typical. Always an interest. POSER the breathy way you say my name

He took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I know what that’s like.” He murmured, mostly to himself, but he moved just a bit closer to poser when he did. He knew what it was like to have a secret eat away at the soul. He wanted to avoid thinking about it for now, he wanted to just relax in Poser’s gentle embrace but the horrible reality of what he had done remained ever present in his mind. He didn’t react to it the same way he had before but it was still there, nagging, gnawing slowing away at his soul until there was nothing left. He didn’t know how much time had passed since he first ate the cannabis but it felt like a long time. Since relaxing from his meltdown he had been unable to fully open his eyes, the plant still pressed against his gums. He felt thirsty again but he didn’t want to move, didn’t want Poser to move either. For the first time in a long time he felt totally at ease and he wanted to stay that way forever. He brushed off the comment, the reality of being with another man still far from his mind. He had never seen the appeal in women although Yosep commanded that his believers should multiply and deemed any sexual act contrary to that as blasphemy. He had long ago accepted that he would not pass the torch of the name Daser. Whenever females touched him in any way that was intimate it made him feel disgusted, it made his skin crawl just thinking about it. But he liked Poser, he liked the way Poser had touched him, and the way Poser made his heart flutter whenever he spoke in that rich deep accent. Maybe, he thought, his mind still delirious from the herb, he was meant to only be with the gods.

Poser nods, curled in close to the strange creature. It was something that he couldn't help himself over. Gently, he pulls at the burrs and mats that make up his coat. With a little attention, he wouldn't look half bad. Poser knows the feeling, knows exactly how it feels to need to be close to someone. He's close. Always close. Hard not to be. "It really is a good life..." ruffling Spider's ears, melting in close. It hadn't been anything other than his reality since... forever. Since Jett, with his gorgeous smile and brilliant eyes lit up his world for the first time. Those had been the days, and they pull his mind far away. There's no love like your first... absently, Poser picks at his damaged front paw. Though it had healed as best as it ever would, it wasn't pretty. It would never be quite as pretty as the rest of him, but there was protection that came with being a young god. He'd, luckily, escaped with his life. He was the only one. The shadow sighs heavily, head resting on Spider's shoulder. Those thoughts should be far from his mind now, but here he is. Plagued. Haunted. He can't help but be sad, but that's beside the point. Emotions were fickle, and he hated himself for them. But that was fine. Nuzzling ever closer, he simply rests. POSER the breathy way you say my name

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He breathed deep, relaxing, drifting, floating even. Where he was he was warm and comfortable. He had no concerns, no fears, and no shame for simply existing. He could have stayed this way forever. Why couldn’t he exactly? Memory of the slate and cream female filled his memory. Natiel. She was waiting for him, possibly worried and what was he doing? Wait…What was he DOING?! He was wrapped up around a man who claimed to be a god and had fed him a plant he had never heard of. What if someone saw this? What if Toad saw this?! As the effects of the cannabis wore off the reality of what he had done for Yacob only knew how long began to weigh down on him. He spat out the glob of herb in his mouth and rolled away from the shadow. “S-sorry.” He squeaked. “I’m s-s-s-sorry.” He rose to his paws, shaking like a leaf. He opened his mouth to say something more then shut it promptly, his ears flattened against his head. He didn’t look at Poser to gauge his reaction, couldn’t bring himself to see some sort of confused, possibly even hurt expression. “I-I’m s-s-s-s-sorry.” He muttered, and then darted away, praying that the god wouldn’t follow him, praying that his long jaws wouldn’t close around his neck if he caught him, and praying that he hadn’t just damned himself to hell by scorning a god. -Exit Spider- Spider speaking Echo Speaking