[OPEN] Straight from the horse’s mouth...

[sullenstallion]

Who: Dylas (sullenstallion) & you! Open to all.
What: Dylas has brand new superpowers! Unfortunately, he did not ask for them, and he does not know how to use them. Life ensues.
When: Early September
Where: Around Olympia
Warning(s): Rated H for Horse.

i. the market district

[That morning, when Dylas woke up, he felt different. His head felt a bit cloudier than usual—like he was interrupted in the middle of a deep dream. It’s that level of grogginess that makes everything seem brighter, louder, a little more repulsive. It’s not unusual for him to wake up in a grumpy mood, so he brushes it off and goes about getting ready for his day. Up first is getting something to eat, so he decides to head to the market in an attempt to wake himself up before his shift at the clinic begins.

It’s while he’s there that everything takes a turn for the worse. Being around so many people kicks what he doesn’t realize are his new senses into overdrive. One moment, he’s inspecting a fruit that looks like a bunch of grapes but with tiny apples instead, and the next his ears are swiveling in every direction, picking up every sound around him. His tail sets to lashing as he turns around to snap at a man complaining about his commute, only to yell ‘shut up!’ at absolutely no one; the sound came from much further away.

He doesn’t quite connect the dots, but soon he’s in need of rescuing. His attempts to get away from a crowd that sounds louder and louder than before (did he drink last night? ...is he hungover on carrot wine?), he bumps into one person, and then another. Eventually, he can’t take it. And while he looks flustered, ears flicking in the direction of every sound and almost tripping every few seconds because of his disorientation, he’ll eventually reach a boiling point if no one rescues him.]

Stop talking! You’re all being too loud!

[By then, he’s attracting so many stares and so much judgment that his face is completely red. Is he making a fist? Yeah, he is. Someone better step in quick.]

ii. somewhere nearby or in the clinic

[So, he’s not going to work today. The smells there are just as bad as the noises in the market, it just took his nose longer to catch up with him. He finds someone to cover for him, if only barely, but with how his body is apparently acting up he can’t stomach to be around the scent of potions and herbs and the surgery room. The clinic and the kitchen he works in are both out of the question, then, as is actually asking Lysa for assistance. Clearly, this is a problem he can handle himself.

Or not.

He can be found seated in a park in the Nobles District looking extremely exhausted and unhappy. Seated at a bench, he’s hunched forward, hand resting on his forehead. The kids who would be playing near the bench while their mothers gossiped nearby are instead staring at him from behind a statue like he’s radiating the most unwelcoming aura they’ve seen in their young lives. He’s already snapped at them once, and he can hear both groups of people talking.

When he hears footsteps getting closer to him, he doesn’t even look up. He knows he looks like a sweaty mess.]

Just keep walking. This entire bench is taken, alright?

[And then he does the most unflattering thing ever: he lifts his hand to his mouth and gags. Yet another pleasant scent hitting his nostrils. Maybe someone about twenty yards away is eating a pungent sandwich. Or maybe a cat pooped. Either way, it’s not a scent he can block out, not without getting used to his new powers.]

D-don’t just stare at me. I told you, keep—ugh—walking.

Comments

[gekkajuu]

[Atsushi almost asks why they're going to the clinic, but with Dylas in an unpredictable mood, he'd rather not. Instead, he just lets himself be guided to the staff area and -... Oh. Well, that answers some questions.

Side-eying that not-a-diary, though... Why can't you just admit it, Dylas?!

Atsushi finds somewhere to sit down that isn't the bed - that just feels too personal! - giving the egg a quick check before he looks around the room again.]

So, you work at the clinic?

["Why was that supposed to be a secret?" is the question he isn't asking, but is definitely thinking.]

[sullenstallion]

Yeah. I've been working here for a few weeks.

[He's not going to elaborate on what he's been doing, but that's pretty par for the course for him. He scoots over on the bed so he can reach the chest, and from there he pulls out a few types of tea bags. It doesn't take him long to get Atsushi's choice of tea and put tea on the stove.]

Both of my roommates weren't around anymore. [His ears droop a little and he looks at the kettle instead of his guest. Again, his nose wrinkles. Ugh. Stupid senses.] I figured I'd be better off here since it's free.

[gekkajuu]

That's definitely convenient...

[Free housing, and all. The institute certainly doesn't offer that. But then, Atsushi's job isn't that important; maybe it does supply for the actual scientist and the like.]

... Why did you tell me you didn't have a job?

[Yeah, he's gonna ask after all. There's a lot that he'll put up with, but at this point, it's starting to feel like getting jerked around. If there's a reason, that's fine, but otherwise? It doesn't feel nice to have secrets this big.]

[sullenstallion]

It must have slipped my mind. The, uh...last time we met in person...

['You humped me.' Dylas averts his gaze, that slight shade of pink crawling onto his cheeks. He scratches his neck while the water boils. He's going to have to start the rice, too, but that can wait a moment. Never mind the fact he didn't want Atsushi to know, he finds his job kind of embarrassing.]

So, it's just tea on rice, right? Was it a specific kind of tea?

[gekkajuu]

[Well... Yeah. There is that. It's not as if Atsushi needs any details, anyway, but the flat-out denial? It doesn't feel right.

Still, there's not much he can do except trust that Dylas has his reasons.]

Oh! [Finally, he realizes what Dylas was going for.] It is, but... it's usually made with all sort of left-overs. Rice, chicken, nori... Pouring tea or hot water over it heats it all up again.

[sullenstallion]

Right. I'm gonna go get the rest of the stuff from the kitchen. I can breathe through my mouth long enough for that.

[It should only be a short trip. He has fish he can use. Rice, too, actually. He does not know when nori is. Whatever the case, he's already standing to leave.]

You can watch the water for me while I'm gone. I'll be right back.

[gekkajuu]

Okay!

[And he's gone... Oh, well. At least there are no hard and fast rules for making chazuke, even though some ingredients had definitely become common. Atsushi will like it, regardless: he enjoys food, and he's not picky.

Carefully putting away his bag, he checks on the water, making the tea while Dylas is off gathering ingredients.

But apparently "carefully" wasn't careful enough. Just as Atsushi has gotten to the stove, he hears the shift of fabric as his bag falls over. The egg! Transforming his legs, Atsushi dashes over, sighing in relief as he catches the bag in time to save the egg. The shifting air in such an enclosed space makes the table tremble, though, the diary falling off and landing open on the ground.

Ahhh, what did he do?! Atsushi puts the bag down again, in as safe a position as he can think of, and hurries to clean everything up. (Just, nevermind some claw marks on your floor.)]

[sullenstallion]

[Someone is going to have to work those clawmarks out of the floor somehow, but Dylas isn't too likely to notice. He takes his time coming back; the kitchen is a little overwhelming for his shifting senses, and it takes him a bit longer to gather everything as a result. That's mostly because he's covering his face with his arm and gathering ingredients with the other.

He looks a little ridiculous.

But because of that, there are no footsteps for a while. If Atsushi investigates the diary, he'll see that there's a page about him and his egg! There are a lot of question marks on that page. It's dated to a few days ago, though it appears to have started on the previous page, and the diary seems to be about a quarter-full.

There's also a cookbook on his desk upon closer inspection, and there's a long case under his bed. Given the length of it, it should be a safe guess that Dylas spent his first paycheck on a fishing rod.

Are there any further investigations, Tiger?]

[gekkajuu]

[Atsushi definitely isn't going to dig around in the diary, but if those are the pages it falls open on, he can't exactly avoid seeing them. It's a little surprising to see himself mentioned... but then, that egg suddenly appearing was definitely a Thing.

He's not going to dig around anywhere in the room, either. He's way too polite for that! But a cookbook is interesting and neutral enough, so he may poke around that for a bit if Dylas is gone long that long.]

[sullenstallion]

[The comments on that page are mostly neutral. Questions about where it came from and what it might hatch into. There's even a list of ways he might help! But those are all crossed out except for the last one—babysitting. He did make that offer, though finding the right time to meet up and pitch in has been difficult. Everything is written neatly and in complete sentences, but he does mention making a mistake.

The cookbook is about making sweets. There are a few dog-eared pages, and there's special attention to dishes that involve lemon and honey. One note he's written in the cookbook is 'Will they eat this?' on a page about lemon tarts.

But there are footsteps, and soon his small table is topped with ingredients. Leftover fish (surprise), rice mixed with lemongrass and bamboo shoots that's about a day old, and chicken. Looks like he remembered after all, though there's no nori. Only some mushrooms.

Once he's safely in the room and the ingredients have been unceremoniously dropped on the table for inspection, he uncovers his nose and breathes.]

Sorry that took so long. I only had one arm to work with, as you can see. These all work for you?

[gekkajuu]

That's fine! I'm sure it's difficult, getting used to an increased sense of scent in particular.

[The rest, too, but that's more headache-from-overload material. Scents are impossible to ignore.]

Yes, anything at all will do... It's just a matter of putting everything in a bowl and pouring tea over it to heat it back up. As long as the flavors work together, it's fine.

[You could do it with only tea and rice, but... that would also be bland, and not very filling.]

I didn't realize you were so into baking, too!

[sullenstallion]

As long as we're up here and away from the potion stuff, we should be fine. It's quiet here, too.

[So, what does he now? The food is all leftovers like Atsushi suggested. Is the lemongrass too much? He doesn't cook with rice often, so adding a few herbs is the easiest way for him to make it tasty aside from adding milk, and he's overthinking it a little.]

Sometimes, it's too quiet.

[He pulls two porcelain bowls out of his chest next after mumbling that, setting them on the table. He's borrowed them from the kitchen, of course, since he spent all of his money on a fishing rod.]

Oh...yeah. I'm the baker here. One of them. Do you need any bread?

[gekkajuu]

I suppose that's what you get in the better part of town... [Quiet, that is.] Are you considering moving back at all?

[It's a little hard to imagine Dylas wanting company, but the hustle and bustle of somewhere more lively? Sure, he could miss that.]

Not directly... oh - but I'd love to try your bread sometime! Maybe I can get you the ingredients and you could make something for yourself and me?

[sullenstallion]

Uh... [He pauses, and then he stammers.] I...I dunno. It's a little complicated. I don't know what to do.

[Atsushi is wrong. Dylas wants to live with people again so badly. Every night, he goes to bed missing Porcoline and Arthur saying goodnight to him. Every morning, he misses seeing Margaret come to help in the restaurant. He's so lonely, but how he can force himself on roommates again? They probably all left because of him.]

You don't have to worry about buying me the ingredients. I'll make you something I learned how to make back home. The person who took me in was a chef...I told you that, right?

[His dad, kind of. So, there's rice...now he just has to sort of arrange the ingredients, right?]

[gekkajuu]

You're clearly not happy here, right? Then you should give it another chance.

[At which point Atsushi would blatantly invite Dylas to live with him, except there's only two bedrooms in the house, and... that might be weird? Sure, they could add another bed - he knows other people have done that - but it feels a little invasive somehow, just asking when moving in would mean that kind of thing.]

You did! I didn't realize how much you'd learned from him, though. [Or he forgot. A genius, Atsushi is not.] Is that really okay?

[sullenstallion]

Yeah. I didn't know anything about cooking when he took me in, but I didn't want to live there without paying him back so I picked up of some of his skill. I'm nowhere near as good as he is. He's a pain in the ass and hides food everywhere so he can snack whenever he wants, but at least he's got skill to back it up.

[But as for the first subject...he's deliberately putting off talking about that for a moment so he can think of what to say. He likes Atsushi, he doesn't want to be secretive or trip over his words around him.]

I don't think what I'm missing is going to be easy to find. [Maybe that's too vague?] I'm not great at talking about myself, but...I'm not used to living by myself. Pretty pathetic, right?

[gekkajuu]

[It's always nice to hear Dylas talk about his past, if only because it makes him a little easier to understand. Atsushi can put up with the horse guy's idiosyncrasies well enough, but they don't always make it easy to bond. That would never keep Atsushi from trying - but if Dylas doesn't open up, Atsushi can't get in.]

I don't think that's pathetic. Nobody can manage all by themselves, and having company... is nice.

[Should he offer after all? He wants to, but it's also not much to offer.]

... If you're looking for roommates, you could always move in with me? Mr. Foster would have to okay it too, of course, and there's just the two bedrooms, so you'd have to share with me...

[Augh, now he feels kind of dumb for offering. He's really not sure what Foster would think - and why would Dylas ever want to share a room with him?! It's one thing to want housemates; it's another to share a bedroom.]

I-I know it's not a lot! So please don't feel pressured if it doesn't appeal to you... it's just all I can offer at the moment!

[sullenstallion]

[It's hard to talk about himself more openly without his friends and family around. It had taken a long time to warm up to them enough to start talking about himself, and starting from scratch with all these new people is...it's just difficult, especially since he knows he's not a likable person.]

I used to think I could.

[But he doesn't need to explain that any more, right? It's embarrassing enough to admit as it is. He likes feeling strong and capable, but it's a lot better having people he trusts and enjoys.

Wait. What?]

H-hey. I can't just share your bed with you! What are you—

[That's not what Atsushi meant, is it? Dylas almost knocks the bowl he's been arranging the ingredients over as he rushes to hold out his hands in front of him.]

You've got a baby on the way, too!

[gekkajuu]

I wouldn't -... It's not..!

[Too much denial to capture in words. Suddenly this is beyond awkward, literally nothing about the entire situation is right, and eventually Atsushi just gives up.]

It... was a dumb idea. Nevermind.

[sullenstallion]

It wasn't dumb! I just...don't know how to answer! You've got a lot going on!

[It was actually a really sweet offer! He's not sure what he's done to deserve it, actually...he's still upset at himself for spraying bug juice all over Atsushi.

His tail can't stay still, and his ears can't seem to decide between staying up or down. At times, their position don't even match.]

I, uh. Might've said yes. Maybe another time.

[gekkajuu]

[It was supposed to put an end to the awkwardness, but things are only getting worse, somehow. While Atsushi has long since forgiven Dylas for the bug spray incident, he'll never forgive himself for it, and... well, combined with him being an egg mom, it just gets extra weird.

Which is fine - it's his own suffering of his own making - except for the fact that Dylas is getting caught up in it.]

It's true that I have a lot going on, but... that's going to be the same, whether you move in or not. If you're not happy here, then I'd much rather you move out. It doesn't have to be with me, but... that's all I can offer.

[It's not much, not on any account. His house isn't; he isn't. Nobody in their right mind would say yes.

Clearly Dylas is just being nice.]

[sullenstallion]

Hngh. You're really sort of a sap, aren't you?

[But it's a little endearing.

Really, how long are these leftovers going to sit out? The tea has probably already whistled once and been set on a coaster to cool. He knows they should be advancing the meal, but instead they're having a moment. But he kind of wanted to have a moment with Atsushi, anyways. He still hasn't fully apologized for the bug juice incident or tried harder to get Atsushi mad at him over it.

He taps his fingers on the table and glowers at Atsushi. It might be a little intimidating, but eventually Dylas can't keep it up anymore and averts his eyes. Dammit.]

What if you...have a lot going on? My baker's work isn't too hard. It's a lot of staying in one place. [Just where is he going with this? He doesn't know. Word vomit is a thing that happens.] So, between your egg and your job...if you needed me to come over and babysit or make dinner or clean or something, I could probably stay the night after. Maybe.

[Ah, shit, he sort of wants to die for saying something so embarrassing.]

[gekkajuu]

[He is a sap. He's all sorts of dumb things; he can't really argue with that. Still, at this point, nothing could be worse, so Atsushi just lets it go, wallowing in his self-hatred a little. Even if Dylas is glaring at him, that only confirms what Atsushi already knew.

Except that Dylas suddenly changes his mind, and Atsushi is blindsided.]

You could...? [That's not the question he means to ask, not really, but the words spill from his lips anyway, like unintentionally thinking out loud.

And only then does it really sink in.]

Please - you wouldn't have to clean or anything! But if you could babysit sometime, that would be a great help... [Still kind of awkward with the one bed, though.] You can take the bed! I'll get a sleeping bag - or maybe I could move the couch over...

[sullenstallion]

[Poor Atsushi. Always wallowing in his salivation.]

Y-yeah. I could. It probably wouldn't be too much of a pain.

[Ugh. He hates himself for using that wording. He clears his throat and tries again, this time trying to sound more sincere. His voice almost always has the same deep, monotone quality to it, but somehow he manages to sound a bit softer this time.]

It'd be fun. [THREE WORDS. So immensely difficult that his cheeks are feeling pretty hot. And then the flailing can resume.] H-hey, if I'm staying over, I'll at least pitch in with the cleaning! And I'd be the guest, so I'd take the floor. I don't need to sleep comfortably! I'll even sleep in the bathroom if that's easier!

[gekkajuu]

[Gotta salivate over something.

'Fun'...? Atsushi looks at Dylas with a bit more attention. That's quite something, especially coming from the nag.]

It's because you're a guest that you should take the bed! And you really don't have to clean at all. Just looking after the egg would be more than enough.

[Strange, the way this has suddenly happened, from a complete block to this sudden fast track. But it's... probably okay? Atsushi does want Dylas to sleep over, and they can work out the details somehow.]