Anticipation [Neph!]

[Draconian]

"Am I well?" Hero repeated, going introspective for a time. He lifted his hands up to examine his nails,feel his palms and bring his hands to his mouth to poke at his teeth. It was a natural thing for him, the transformation. He didn't fully understand how it worked, never had a mind to learn. He'd drugged himself up and slept through them regularly.

"I suppose," he whispered, drawing his finger tips together and resting his hands on his stomach again. "I... Usually I'm more careful. I try to sleep through it, so I'm not... fuzzy. Infact the ingredients are waiting on my desk in my room." Hero cleared his throat, "The full moon transforms me, but it's less aggressive when I'm sleeping and tucked away from view. A blessing I guess." He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that," His voice was a little raw sounding, heartbeat making his pulse near visible, "I appreciate you taking me inside. I'm myself but... not quite myself when I'm like that." Except when they got here, and words were spoken and attention was honed. Hero didn't mention it, didn't mention that he'd never even tried to control his bestial wolf form. An untapped resource to some, likely.

"Thank you," he whispered and then paused, "Why did your kin seem so offended by shapechangers?"

[nephero]

Rhosiris shifted again, becoming more awake the more he heard in Hero's voice, the tone yanking the last vestiges of sleep from him. He moved his arm to provide more pillowing for his head, watching Hero closely as he listened.

"...I was afraid the guards would shoot at you," he said, shaking his head after a moment as if to dismiss the very notion, unable to handle it even in the hypothetical.

"Only very powerful magicians can change their shape," he explained instead, "or it's done through a very powerful curse. In the isles, you don't see it so often, and when it does happen, it's something to be cautious of. ...Another difference, between there and here. You're not dangerous."

[Draconian]

Afraid the guards would shoot him.

Hero paused, a sort of far away look in his eyes while he processed that. A wild wolf in the middle of the barracks would raise eyebrows and the method of dealing with it would depend on who... Dealt with it. If he was skinned as wolf, would it stay as a wolf or would they wake up to having the skin of a man? Something he decided he'd rather not find out. Maybe add chains to the next batch on the off chance he tried to escape his room.

Usually the closed door kept him in there, by virtue of doorknob but no thumbs, but who knew how determined a wolf who didn't want to be in a room could be?

Golden eyes flicked to Rhosiris' when he started to explain shapeshifting. Powerful magicians. Curses. He frowned slightly at the word cursed and then the dismissal that he wasn't dangerous. Was that safe? Was he not dangerous? Hero looked at his hands, flexing his fingers before he moved to sit up and think. Like he couldn't quite get the thoughts out while laying down.

"What if I hurt you?" Hero shook his head and looked over his shoulder, "Please. I don't..." He sighed and pushed a hand through his hair, "I've never tried to control it. I'm never... Conscious like that. Me being myself could have been a total fluke, when we got here and met your kin it felt like I was rising out of water and coming to myself but I was still not fully me." Hero moved a hand like he was reaching out to touch Rho and then pulled it back, "I don't know what I'd do with myself if I hurt you, even by accident."

Standing again he rolled his shoulders and a memory from the night before flicked his through his mind, and he turned around a small playful smirk on his face, a lame attempt to alleviate the tension he'd created, "Am I being snuck out to keep the mystery of who your Wolf Lover is or should I waltz through the room?"

[nephero]

Rhosiris, for his part, listened quietly, just watching Hero move about as he seemed to be figuring out last night same as any of them. He only moved to rest on his other side, still watching Hero from the bed.

Sure, the very rational part of his brain should have been ringing all the alarm bells. A shapechanger who couldn't control himself? Who normally wasn't himself? A truly wild animal that acted as any wild animal would?

But the first thing Hero had done was try to get Rhosiris back where he had belonged - or, well, where the rest of his kin were. Belonged was a very strong word.

The somber thought was broken some by Hero's joke, and Rhosiris gave a loud snort of amusement.

"Please walk, Valys will never believe me, otherwise." He chewed at his lip a bit before continuing, softer and more sincere. "You don't need to sneak."

Rhosiris slowly sat up, thankful that the little one had decided that this morning he didn't need to be horrifically sick, and set his feet down on the cool floor with a sigh.

"When does this happen?"

[Draconian]

A little smirk pulled at his lips and Hero put his hands on his hips, contemplating for a moment of just sneaking away. Leave Rho with his kin and having to explain that the wolf did turn back into a person, they just left early. No, really. Hero sobered up at the question.

"The full moon," it was a simple answer, there was more to it, there always was more to it and he shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. "Nothing stops it," a little shrug, "but if I'm not in direct moon light it's less of a... violent transformation. Kind of like this morning." He wiggled his fingers, his once sharp nails now much more normal looking. Hero rubbed his wrists and looked away, chin down. Kin slayer. Dragon tracker. Werewolf.

"I... I'm not sorry I didn't tell you. But I apologize for making you witness that. That was definitely a third or fourth picnic kind of topic. I was careless and not paying attention." Hero was happy though, to a degree, that it came out so soon. If he wasn't attached too much it would be easier to deal with rejection and throw himself into projects.

Though there was something to consider of a bit more serious nature, "I... I don't know if it... will pass on." He stated as delicately as he could, giving a lingering look to Rhos abdomen clearing his throat and wringing his hands. "It's a curse. I think, but it's been so long our family history on paper doesn't go back far enough, passed from mother to daughter.  Except when..." Hero lifted his hands and dropped them back to his side, "Except when there are no daughters, apparently."

[nephero]

"So I should keep the child out of direct moonlight, just in case?" Rhosiris cracked a tired smile, before finally mustering the energy to stand up. After all, why not? Why wouldn't this whole situation be as wildly complicated as possible?

If it was passed down from mother to daughter in most circumstances, then it was fine, right? But if there were no daughters, then it also happened. And, to make it even more complicated, there wasn't exactly a mother here, either. As handsome as Hero was Rhosiris was very sure none in his line had ever included one of the Ztara Vratazi, and the people of these southlands were so... different.

He very well might have a puppy, and wouldn't that be what he deserved? Genuinely, he should have been having the meltdown of the century, just an absolute cacophony of panic and despair, and yet there he stood, feeling rather like someone had only mildly inconvenienced him or made mention his child might have allergies.

It was madness. But, hey, madness ran in his family, now didn't it?

"I'm not angry you didn't tell me. I... am glad I know, though. Imagine, if we'd never seen one another again, and this one just grows up barking at squirrels." He shook his head after a moment. "...I'm starving, and if I stay in here either I will sleep the day away or my kin will think you've eaten me. Do you want breakfast?"

[Draconian]

Hero's breath felt like rocks in his chest and he hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath until Rho just... Asked him if he was hungry.

A little confused, Hero gave a numb little nod and blinked away the weird water in his eyes while he let out the air to take a small breath back in. He hadn't even known how anxious he was, until it was brushed away like just another little thing. Like having a grey hair or something that just... Was.

Hero gave a little smile and offered his elbow to Rho to guide the golden elf out of the room. "I'd love breakfast. I'm absolutely famished," and then Hero cleared his throat, "and for the record I'm pretty sure I've chased more squirrels as a man than I ever have on four legs." He paused again, "and I'd have certainly noticed a tiny wolf chasing a squirrel being chased by a giant golden elf."

A deep breath, and he fixed his hair over his shoulders and turned his head to look at Rho "Do I look handsome? I wouldn't want your kin to mistake me for an animal."

[nephero]

Rhosiris took the offered elbow, stepping close and feeling remarkably well for it. It must have been a very good day, for the little one to be so well behaved, but then again, it was only morning. Plenty of the day left to be wildly uncomfortable in.

Rhosiris turned to look at him upon request, and couldn't help but tilt his head to the side mischievously, feigning true criticism.

"Handsome? Yes, quite, would be led away to the barracks again." Rho chuckled softly, "And for the record, the only one of my kin who would mistake you for an animal, mistakes all of your kind for one another. ...Though I suppose even he would notice a man chasing squirrels."

Rhosiris guided them both through the door, and was thankful to see that there was not, in fact, a collection of elves waiting to pry into his business. Which was at once a blessing and a curse, because he could not also shake Hero at them and go 'see?! I'm not completely insane!'

Still, proving himself was a much lower priority than food was, his stomach twisting in urgency to hurry up and get to it.

"...Why were you chasing squirrels?"

[Draconian]

A pause and Hero looked down at his hands. Sure they weren't golden or blue or something but he still looked regular enough that he didn't look like an animal. All it got Rho was a look with a tweaked up eyebrow of confusion and a curiosity on who exactly this person was. Possibly blind? Either way, Hero kept his comments to himself and let himself be lead by Rho.

He'd been in the castle plenty of times, but never really inside. These were the rooms people lived in. He'd just been in the briefing areas. The war areas. As one of the less socially acceptable people to have, any events where he'd been invited were always on the outskirts looking in. Hero couldn't help how he chewed on his lip while he walked around just the littlest bit nervously. Would anyone ask where the dog had gone?

Probably not. Surely the guard would have changed by now and while 'watch out, the big orange one has a dog' was probably mentioned, the big orange one clearly did not have a dog now. "The squirrel stole my food," Hero shrugged, like that was obviously why he'd chase a squirrel. Did he count as a guest? Hero felt his heartbeat pick up and he had to control his breathing so he didn't just panic himself into oblivion. Even if they just stayed in the Star Striders suites, it still felt like he was in some sort of forbidden area.

Outside was home. The training grounds were familiar. The stables where Sunshine lived while he was back on the grounds were comfortable. Hero always felt odd inside the walls. No one ever gave him dirty looks, but they were never overtly friendly. Not that Hero had ever tried to endear himself to anyone to begin with.

Maybe it was because he wasn't in his armor. Sneaking into the kitchen was one though but being in the halls was something else entirely. He was thinking too much, "What's an Opo?" Hero finally asked, the word slipping into his head and out his mouth while it was trying to grasp at anything new to mull over.

[nephero]

Rhosiris, for his part, looked perfectly at ease walking through the halls. It was different, certainly, than the grand Halls of home, with their labyrinthine wings and steep ceilings lined with banners glittering in lamplight. But really, a noble house was a noble house, and Rhosiris carried himself with all the sense of Belonging as any other guest of the Regent.

He paused at the banquet hall doors, open and lightly guarded as they were during the breakfast hours, and considered how best to answer Hero's question. Not for lack of wanting so much as lack of knowing how to explain it without speaking the... dirtier details in front of strangers.

It was a natural act, it was perfectly normal, but enough months in the southlands had taught him and all of his kin just how readily embarrassed these humans could be about how they each had been made.

"Opo is... our word for the one who does not give birth." He finally settled on, simply, before finding a seat at one of the lesser tables, gesturing at the seat beside him for Hero to take.

[Draconian]

The silent lingered and Hero smiled at the quiet way Rho tried to politely word what the word was. The one who does not give birth. He sat down beside Rho as offered and made sure to sit so that their legs were pressed together under the table. More for himself than anything, while he wasnt transformed anymore he was still feeling territorial. Rational Hero knew that was impolite, maybe a bit weird. Recently wolfy Hero didn't give a fuck.

"I see," he paused and glanced down at Rhos stomach before he pushed his long black hair over his shoulder and rested his hands on the table. Mornings in the grand hall were buffet style to accommodate the guests and workers. Dinners were seperate but mornings, everyone got the same food (mostly). Hero stood up again, resting a hand on Rhos shoulder before he gave it a squeeze. He gave Rho a look and smiled, "I'll get us breakfast. It's just over there. No bread things, right?"

[nephero]

He had to admit, he was more than a bit surprised. When had he mentioned bread? The previous day had had so much happen in it, he wasn't quite sure what all they had talked about. Well, it wasn't some great secret, anyway, and stars knew how often the Starstriders had grumbled and griped in private at the southern obsession with bread. Perhaps Hero had simply heard enough rumors to just know better.

Still, the fact it was remembered, known, at all was enough to give Rhosiris a very pleasant warm feeling, amplified by the touch to his shoulder. The emptiness left behind when Hero pulled away was markedly more pronounced, as if a chill draft had sprung up in exactly that spot. Rho was tempted, just for a moment, to follow Hero to the food table just to be rid of the chill.

"I... yes, no bread, thank you." A far more sensible response, despite that temptation only growing by the minute. "I'm not especially familiar with local cuisine, I'll just ask you to bring back what you think is good."

[Draconian]

Being back what he thought was good. For some reason that made Hero terribly nervous. What if Rho didn't like the things he liked? What if the elf just full on upchucked at the choices Hero made? Of all the things to be nervous about 'Rho may not like what I pick,' was so high on the list he felt butterflies in his stomach.

Maybe a bit of everything? Minus the bread. His own plate had bread and butter, some eggs and some veggies with potatoes. The plate for Rho was what he assumed was good for ... expecting... people. There was some sausages, eggs, a few slices of tomato, a couple wedges of apple and potatoes. This was breakfast right?

Heros stomach grumbled and he turned back to the table, placing Rho's breakfast down in front of the golden elf before sitting and digging into his own. "I didnt actually knew what you liked, just stick what you can't stomach onto my plate." He said softly, buttering his bread, Hero paused and leaned back, chewing while he thought. "What do you like? Anything in particular? Fruit? Vegetables?"