Rory's hands moved to accommodate the shifting gryphon, giving her room to settle herself more comfortably. He envied how easily her lithe body curled up in a small ball, the sound of her contentment rolling through him in warm waves. It was strange, really; so small a body, yet so powerful a vibration. It was a cat mystery he had never solved.
The sound Jigano then made was something he never could've done as a fox, and the realization was.. many things; but one of the things that crept into his mind was something like .. the peace of this moment: the warmth sitting in his gut like a wild and foreign thing. A wildfire waiting to happen, but not today, with Jigano's gentle, light laugh, with the hunger turning his limbs to lead.
He wasn't going to marvel at how he found himself sitting there. Instead, he relaxed further against Jigano, a lopsided smile playing around his mouth. "Good," he murmured, one finger stroking across Isuma's feathers, "I am too."
He wasn't sure he could actually fall asleep, but he knew that he could drift off into some in-between land at the very least. He winked conspiratorially at Isuma (whether she watched him or not) and then closed his eyes and allowed his breathing to slow. His heart pounded forcefully in the dark. The fire warmed his back. Jigano—well, Jigano warmed all of him, inside and outside.
Eventually he fell into the light slumber that one easily wakes from but rarely notices slipping into. He merely drifted, in sunlight and the flicker of fire and with Jigano's voice wrapped around his soul.
A touch against his head. A touch on his shoulder. The warmth against his side; the vibrating warmth in his lap; he somehow avoided waking with a start, as he normally did when not waking of his own accord. Still, a small jolt went through him, barely perceptible if not for how close together they were; surely Jigano would've felt his core muscles clench?
Self-consciously, Rory blinked, and lifted his head with regret. His first thought was to ask how long was I out? but it wasn't relevant. "Mmmmh," he, well, not quite said, and though he wanted to joke about perhaps never waking up if the food hadn't been done now, he didn't really find the words. So instead he put one hand on Jigano's leg, close to his knee, a sort of I very much like sitting here but I have to move before picking up Isuma and standing up.
His knees felt stiff.
He offered the owlkitten his shoulder to get her out of the way, then fetched two clean wooden bowls and two clean wooden spoons. He handed one set to Jigano, then ladled up stew for himself. Despite being hungry he wasn't an idiot, so he set himself down by the table and forcefully kept himself from inhaling it all and burning his mouth up and giving himself a stomach ache. Instead, he took the time to blow on each mouthful, properly cooling it off before devouring it.
The sound Jigano then made was something he never could've done as a fox, and the realization was.. many things; but one of the things that crept into his mind was something like .. the peace of this moment: the warmth sitting in his gut like a wild and foreign thing. A wildfire waiting to happen, but not today, with Jigano's gentle, light laugh, with the hunger turning his limbs to lead.
He wasn't going to marvel at how he found himself sitting there. Instead, he relaxed further against Jigano, a lopsided smile playing around his mouth. "Good," he murmured, one finger stroking across Isuma's feathers, "I am too."
He wasn't sure he could actually fall asleep, but he knew that he could drift off into some in-between land at the very least. He winked conspiratorially at Isuma (whether she watched him or not) and then closed his eyes and allowed his breathing to slow. His heart pounded forcefully in the dark. The fire warmed his back. Jigano—well, Jigano warmed all of him, inside and outside.
Eventually he fell into the light slumber that one easily wakes from but rarely notices slipping into. He merely drifted, in sunlight and the flicker of fire and with Jigano's voice wrapped around his soul.
A touch against his head. A touch on his shoulder. The warmth against his side; the vibrating warmth in his lap; he somehow avoided waking with a start, as he normally did when not waking of his own accord. Still, a small jolt went through him, barely perceptible if not for how close together they were; surely Jigano would've felt his core muscles clench?
Self-consciously, Rory blinked, and lifted his head with regret. His first thought was to ask how long was I out? but it wasn't relevant. "Mmmmh," he, well, not quite said, and though he wanted to joke about perhaps never waking up if the food hadn't been done now, he didn't really find the words. So instead he put one hand on Jigano's leg, close to his knee, a sort of I very much like sitting here but I have to move before picking up Isuma and standing up.
His knees felt stiff.
He offered the owlkitten his shoulder to get her out of the way, then fetched two clean wooden bowls and two clean wooden spoons. He handed one set to Jigano, then ladled up stew for himself. Despite being hungry he wasn't an idiot, so he set himself down by the table and forcefully kept himself from inhaling it all and burning his mouth up and giving himself a stomach ache. Instead, he took the time to blow on each mouthful, properly cooling it off before devouring it.
