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

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

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.

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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.

[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.]

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.]

[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...

[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!

[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.]

No, it's because I'm the guest that I need to stay out of the way! Besides, uh...your bed is probably too small for me, shortstuff!

[Yeah, that'll tell Atsushi. Calling him short. It's not like Dylas is the freakishly tall one here. But dammit, he will fight Atsushi for the right to sleep on the floor.]

[That's not how it works, Dylas!!]

Well... We can talk about that when the time comes.

[And by the time the cub hatches, Atsushi will probably stick to the bed without much fuss, sharing it with Daifuku.]

But really, you'll already be doing me a favor. I'd feel bad if you did a lot of work on top of that.

[He huffs. His ears settle back into a normal angle. It's tough being a horse.]

Alright. Yeah. I won't drop by without letting you know.

[He'll drop by without letting him know.]

It's not like you're not doing me a favor. We can help each other out.

[Atsushi is fine with Dylas dropping by at any time, really. If he'd prefer to know when to expect him, that's more to give Foster advance warning that a visitor will come than anything.]

I'm always happy to have you! If you'd said something sooner, I would have invited you already.

[He might have done that anyway, but since he's sharing his house, it feels awkward to stake too much of a claim on it.]

...Yeah.

[But that begs another discussion, one he's been putting off. They've been having such a nice conversation. Maybe he can bench it forever? But they really need to talk about it still. He was supposed to come over and talk it out with him once, but...hey, things happen.]

We should probably eat.

[He can shelf it forever, right???]

Or, uh. We can talk about that time I sprayed you in the face. Why don't you choose?

[That's great. He'll just put the responsibility on this young mom's shoulders.]

[Atsushi flinches at the unwelcome reminder of what he did.]

I don't want to talk about that!

[Buuut he's going to anyway, because he can't just say no without explaining himself.]

That was really embarrassing... I still feel bad about it.

But even if I keep apologizing, it won't change anything, so... I'd rather just. Not talk about it.

Nngh.

[It's not fair. He wants to apologize for it, but no matter how much he tries, Atsushi isn't letting him. They're friends, at least, it doesn't seem to have left too big of a dent on their relationship. But Dylas still feels like it isn't right.]

Can you at least let me apologize, too? Instead of acting like it's all your fault. I'll accept yours if you accept mine.

[It's not that Atsushi holds himself solely responsible for what happened, but he sure does believe he did the worst thing. Maybe Dylas was careless and/or thoughtless, to have sprayed him like that, but Atsushi had... humped him. Definitely so much worse.]

Of course I accept yours... It was an accident.

[Or something like it. He'd rather just consider it an accident, anyway.]

What I did was much worse. Nobody should ever do that kind of thing uninvited...

[What happens when two self-loathing people are sat down in a room and forced to confront a situation where many, many mistakes were made? Absolutely nothing, because no progress is ever made.

It's a little annoying. But Dylas feels like he might have to let Atsushi have this one if they're going to get anywhere, even if he believes he was the one in the wrong.]

I don't hold you accountable for that. You weren't in your right mind. No one in their right mind would do that to me. But I accept your apology. So...that's all behind us, right? Good.

[It's just embarrassing, what happened - and Atsushi doesn't handle his own mistakes very well. He used to be punished all the time at the orphanage, even when he wasn't at fault. It's hard to believe that "shit happens" and just let it go. Forgiving others is easy; forgiving himself, not so much.

But he also knows, logically, that he can't keep feeling bad about it. And, if Dylas really forgives him... he just has to let it go. To some degree.

He nods, finally, and forces a smile.]

... Let's eat?

[He feels like this has taken way too long to sort out. At least he knows Atsushi better now? It's almost as if they have something in common. Maybe they're both too hard on themselves?

He can relate to that.]

Yeah, Tiger. Let's eat. Show me how it's done.

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

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