The familiar weight of the wooden door against his narrow shoulder as he pushed it aside, ushered his guest into his home with a small gesture of an outstretched forepaw. Two-toned eyes roved over the lines of his figure idly, absently. As though memorizing the sight of him for posterity. The inward curve of nervously hunched shoulders, the slope of his neck as the blond male slipped past, and the sway of his tail against his heels. Every time he encountered Emile, there was something new to catalogue, a tidbit to tuck safely in a chest for later. It was like greed, the way he stole little glances and devoured the scent of him. Was this infatuation? Lust? Hard to say, he'd been such a reclusive figure his whole life that he had yet to allocate much of his time to the whims of impulse and desire.

"Pollux, the kettle please." he crooned to the tamarin that he knew was lingering just out of sight, and slowly eased the door shut behind the other man. "Allow me to give you the grand tour," he said next, turning his attention back to his guest with a soft smile. Just like that, he fell into the familiar paths that took him about the shrine's main building. Just beyond the entrance was the low firepit that he'd finally restored, carefully sculpted clay and mud in a rough circle to contain the constantly burning embers. In the evenings and winters, some of the coals were shoveled beneath the floors to keep the paws warm. "I supposed you would call this the indoor shrine, most prayer and worship happens here." he explained quietly, making a point to walk as close to the male as he could, rubbing shoulders and brushing legs as they moved. He tipped his muzzle towards the dugout shelves full of oils and salves and herbs, alongside a few rescued relics.

He moved them along to the next room, where he (and once, his entire family) slept. "Sleeping area, which you are welcome to make use of if you do not have plans to return home immediately." he cast a carefully neutral look towards Emile, hoping to see some type of reaction that might grant some insight into the other man's reason for visiting. Similarly, it might let him temper his own enthusiasm that he might have a real, proper guest to entertain for the afternoon and evening (.. and night?). He dared not linger in the arch of the doorway for too long, lest he be accused of some manner of lechery.

Turning back from whence they'd come, Pontifex led the way through the central antechamber and back to the entryway. "The storehouses are on the other side of the clearing, but I don't think you'd have much interest in seeing those." he said mirthfully, flashing a grin at Emile. Instead, he led the way off to the right, where the delicate aroma of herbs wafted from a small firepit set against the far wall. A few cushions were scattered about the room, predominantly arranged in a pile near the firepit where Pontifex settled down to work most days. "Ah, a spiced tea today? A fine choice, Pollux." he commented idly, standing aside so that Emile could enter the kitchen-apothecary. "Thank you, Pon." the dark furred primate said quietly, making no excuses as he openly stared at their guest. After a moment, the tamarin scampered off through the doorway, leaving the pair to their own devices.

"This is the kitchen, though I do most of my work here as well. Please, make yourself comfortable." he murmured gently, gliding through the space and rearranging the furs and cushions so that Emile could sit. There was a quiet giddiness in the swift movements of the dark male, an unspoken excitement to have company- and such desirable company, at that. As he collected two of his least-chipped bowls for tea, he couldn't help the slight wag of his tail and pricked ears.

Finally he was settled, arranged neatly on his cushions and pouring the tea. He made a point to keep focused on the task at hand when he asked what had been on his mind the entire time. "What brings you so far from home today, love?" the words escaped him a bit breathlessly, though he endeavoured to hide his curiosity behind an intense focus on not spilling from the pot. Cloves, cinnamon bark, and peppercorns were mixed with the dried tea leaves in this mixture, and it was one of his favourites in the winter when the distinct earthiness was long gone from the woods around him.

"Pontifex" || "Hallux" || "Pollux"

Emile trailed behind the purple man, peering around the much bigger man as he was shown into the structure. Or at least he did when Pontifex wasn't busy brushing as close as he could without directly pressing down on him and each time their fur brushed it was like his brain stuttered the way his tongue did. He didn't know how to handle such direct and obvious interest. Well aside from rapid blinking and flushing. Emile was surprised there was still blood to pump through the rest of his body he was pretty sure all of it was in his face right now. So he settled for nodding as if he was actually taking in the words being spoken, which he wasn't... Too busy trying not to think about the perfumed scent that surrounded him and the warmth radiating off of Pontifex. "Sleeping area, which you are welcome to make use of if you do not have plans to return home immediately." Okay that one he did catch, and as he realized Pontifex was looking at him he tried a few times to give some kind of response but his tongue simply was not playing along. His mind was waaaaay too busy unpacking everything to even try to wrangle words together so instead he opened and closed his mouth a few times before he gave up on trying to actually respond instead he blushed somehow even deeper still and cast his gaze down, giving a little shrug. He didn't know what his plan was. This was so far outside his normal that he was kind of just making up as he went and any sort of implication of that nature had always seemed so out of the equation for him that he hadn't ever considered the possibility. But it wasn't a no. Luckily they started to move on and Emile started trying to get his emotions under control so he wouldn't make himself into as big a fool when the time came to speak. Not that that was proving easy, something about the whole interaction or maybe about being here, about having chosen to be here, well it was like his whole body was a live wire. Every little touch, every little glance he caught... All of it made his heart hammer against his ribs so hard he was surprised no one else seemed to be able to hear it. Worst of all... He wanted more. The air felt the coldest it'd ever been in the moments when their tour meant there was a gap between them. Emile absolutely was not used to this at all. He'd spent most of his life avoiding others he had absolutely no clue how to handle actually wanting to be around someone. Dutifully, more on auto pilot than anything else he did as he was bid and settled himself while tea was poured and he focused almost a little too hard on the drink, avoiding focusing on anything else. Except he'd been asked a question. Emile frowned. That was honestly a great question, he wished he knew. "Yyyyyyou had invit-invited me." He started plainly, obviously. "I ggggguess I was cur.....ious?" That was true, so far in the few times he'd run into the purple man he'd been forced to confront the reality that someone was interested in him. That simple truth shattered so much of who he thought he was, what he thought the world was like. It was in a way intoxicating, and terrifying and devastating all at once. Maybe he'd come because he hoped he might finally understand the feeling of being wanted, or maybe he'd come to prove to himself and Pontifex that he'd been right all along and the purple man didn't actually want to be around him and he could go back home with his world view intact. Emile wasn't sure which possibility was sadder. "Speech"

Art by Rhodasoul

The glee that thrummed in his veins as he noticed how the nerves of meeting here, of being so close to one another, had turned Emile into a blushing mess- too rattled to string sentences together, more so than usual at least. He idly stirred the tea leaves with one outstretched claw as he locked his attention to the blond male's features, taking in each syllable with great interest. The mere extension of an invitation was enough to draw the willowy stranger to his doorstep, goaded at least in part by curiosity. The wraith could not help the cheshire-grin that spilled over his features for the barest of moments, positively thrilled by the revelation. A soft, lyrical chuckle escaped him.

"Well, your curiosity is my boon- I rarely get the opportunity to entertain guests. Even less often do I get to entertain such a lovely creatures as yourself." he admitted, unwilling to tear his gaze away as he lowered his skull to take a small drink of the still scalding liquid before himself. "You are, of course, welcome to stay for as long as you please. The purpose of the shrine is to be a haven for any who step through the doors, for as long as they need. And of course, I will gladly take up as much of your time as you would allow me- with pleasure." there wasn't an ounce of shame in his two-toned eyes as he searched Emile's features for a reaction. Call him a glutton, but the godling craved intimacy regardless of source. He was eager to occupy himself with such a timid, soft creature as the one before him. They had been playing coy with one another for so long, and now was his chance to close in... if Emile didn't cut and run too soon.

"Pontifex" || "Hallux" || "Pollux"