Spirits of the Earth

Rated M for future probably not so awesome things and vague references to boners.

Taeo had his mid-morning free like always. Enough time to have a little moment to himself where he could grab a thing from a shop in town or explore a little. Take in the world, as it were. A few moments of freedom before he hunkered down for the evening of being a near literal pretzel. Taeo didn't relish in his life but he knew some people had it much worse than he did on a regular basis. Still, those weren't his lives and he wasn't about to think himself better off if he thought his life sucked too.

Today, he was dressed plainly. His hair was tied back in a bandanna, braided loosely down his back. He wore a plain tunic, pants tucked into boots. He was very nondescript. The way he liked to be when he wasn't bending backwards and forwards for money. Taeo smiled at passerby's as he walked, looking at the random bits and bobs, the loose fabric. He chewed on his lip while he meandered, dragging his fingers over items he couldn't hope to afford one day.

The only reason no one would immediately expect thievery from him was the fact he was clean. Taeo was fresh faced with clean hair and clean clothes; in fact, he was vain enough to even wear a flowery scent on himself. Anything to keep up appearances of being... Normal.

"Hello, Dear," He heard a voice and his eyes darted up to a larger woman standing behind a stall with beautiful fabric and hair decorations. Taeo smiled at her and he nodded his hello, "Looking for something for your lady?" She teased gently and Taeo shook his head in a gentle no before he looked away and waved off at someone in the distance. Bright blue eyes glanced to the woman when she turned her head to look at who he was waving at and quickly, his hand clasped over an intricate hair clip and he shuffled through a few to hide the spot of the missing clip.

"Hiiii," Taeo said waving again and smiling brightly, then quickly enough he was off.

There was no one he was waving to and he was quick to keep his head down while he walked away. The woman looked a little confused at his quick departure but paid no attention otherwise and simply turned back to her work. Taeo put the clip into his pocket, adrenaline pouring through his system at getting away with it so wonderfully. Something better? Maybe... He chewed on his lip, looking up and around, eyes bright and glancing between various people.

A bigger man got his attention. That meant he was slow, right? Probably? Taeo chewed on his lip for a moment, pushed by bravado before he shuffled a little faster. His shoulder bumped into the giant beast of a man first, his hand brushed against thigh to check for a coin purse before Taeo 'tripped' which pressed his whole top half against the gentleman. Hand slipped into a pocket and... It was something and hopefully that something was worth it. Because he slipped his arm behind his back and looked up and smiled apologetically.

"So sorry!" Taeo said, laughing awkwardly, "I tripped and thank you for unintentionally catching me! Real ego saver! Have a good day!" and then Taeo did something stupid. He ran. His heart was absolutely pounding because when he turned around to look the person he just pickpocket'd was giant and terrifying and Taeo knew he'd made a mistake. Run into the crowd, blend in, no problem. Taeo ran until he got to an alley, not even bothering to look at what he'd stolen before he shoved it into his pocket beside the clip from the lady. Cheeks flushed and out of breath, he pressed himself against a wall and waited. Waited to catch his breath. Waited to calm down.

Maybe he could go replace it?

No that was stupid.

It wasn't that he was hot, or sweating, he just felt hot. Too many people, the weather was oppressively pleasant, and it wasn't snowy and cold. There was a reason S'ric much preferred the frozen, blizzard coated cabin up in Hyoite and not this... stinking, humanoid cluster of people, things, and bright sun.

It wasn't that he had problem navigating the crowd either. People parted for S'ric like water around a shark. He didn't even notice they moved, and most did so naturally. He was tall, faintly broad, and those that didn't move were moved. Without thought. Anyone that protested weren't even heard, because no one here mattered. He'd already killed his target, whose hand, rings, and ear were back in his room that he he'd paid for.

Now, he just had to dump off the small envelop of information to Vesd. The damned snow elf couldn't make anything easy, and just come collect it from S'ric. The werewolf knew that it was the elf's way of keeping their relationship... somewhat level. Not doing what S'ric said, making S'ric come to him on occasion. The werewolf didn't care enough to make a thing of it. With nothing but time on his hand, going to a meeting location to turn in some paper was nothing.

That did mean S'ric had to wander through the markets to find the particular stall Vesd was pretending to work at this morning. When someone bumped into him, it was just another bump.

Someone else who hadn't moved fast enough, and didn't even register, until it became more of a thing. An encounter. S'ric's cool blue eyes regarded the tiny man who had run into him, who spouted apologies. S'ric had money enough, and wouldn't have missed the pilfered coins. The letter, however. It didn't even occur to him to check for it until the man, the boy, ran.

S'ric's expression didn't change but his hand slid into his pocket, found it empty, and then he moved. The werewolf didn't have to run to track the thief. He was taller than damn near the entire crowd and they moved readily enough, even when he quickened his pace. In all likelihood, if he had ran, it'd have been harder to move through them.

He tailed his prey and, much to his delight he saw that they ducked into somewhere they might have a private chat. Quiet as you please, S'ric entered the alley. It didn't particularly matter he couldn't be heard, because he was definitely hard to miss. Tall, dressed in a black long coat etched in bright blue thread with matching, shining black boots, and wild, snow white hair. There would be no mistaking him for the very gentleman that Taeo had accidentally run into just moments previous.

Rather than be overly angry that the little human had dare stole from him, there was a faint hint of amusement. Not the best for Taeo. It wasn't every day someone tried, after all, and it didn't even occur to S'ric that someone would be able to get away from him once they'd tried. This one certainly hadn't.

Before his prey thought to dash away, S'ric snatched ahold of his arm. "You have something of mine," he said, simple and straight to the point.

It was about five minutes of nothing before Taeo finally let himself breathe normally. Calm down. Look normal and fine and then high-tail it out of there. Or at least, the five minutes was enough time for the giant motherfucker to meander his way by and into the alley. Taeo's mouth dropped open, getting a good look before he started to shuffle backwards. Cheeks were still flushed and they were all the more red looking by the chill of fear that slipped down his spine like an icy ooze. Act natural.

"Oh, sorry, I was just lea--" But his arm was snatched in a big hand and he shivered at the touch. Taeo glanced up, eyes wide before he swallowed thickly and tried to jerk his hand away. The something - Taeo hadn't even checked to see what it was - rested at his hip, tucked between his belt and pants and pressed tight to skin. Normal company wouldn't be overly handsy and the strange eyed human hoped this man wouldn't do such a thing either.

"Are you sure?" Taeo said trying his best to look perfectly perplexed even though he knew his heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his throat. "Sir," he sallowed, keeping the tremble out of his voice, "I just bumped into you, it's very rude to follow me and accuse me of stealing something from you. Why, I haven't stolen a thing in my life! I was just waiting here for a friend!" Taeo turned his head away, mustering up the courage to frown before he rested his free hand on his hip and turned his head back to frown at the... Particularly giant man.

Damn he was huge. And terrifying. Taeo swallowed his fear and closed his eyes briefly before he shook his arm, trying to get it out of the grip. "Now, if you'll let me go, I need to get back to my trope. Where everyone is expecting me. And knows me. And will know if I go missing." He shook his arm again, made sure to frown more and then did his best to make eye contact. Taeo didn't like much eye contact, with his own unique pupils and colouring it was made clear quickly enough he wasn't as human as he thought he was but still! This seemed like the sort of person that needed eye contact and... Taeo could do it. He'd shoved his hand into a strangers pocket and was now paying the price.

Maybe, a normal person would've bought the lie. Perhaps second guessed themselves. Thought there was a chance that they could've been mistaken. S'ric? Never. He didn't make mistakes, not regarding who he was hunting, and he certainly didn't question or second guess any of his own actions. Everything he did was deliberate, with icy intent. He didn't look away from the blue eyed... human?... that he had ahold of, didn't even bother to look him over, to wonder where he might have put the small letter.

All S'ric knew was that he'd taken it, so it was on his person. Where exactly didn't particularly matter at that moment.

The excuses damn near fell on deaf ears. S'ric heard him, but they didn't matter. Those that were caught tended to ramble, to try to come up with a myriad of reasons why they hadn't done it, how it couldn't have been them.... S'ric hunted people for a living. He'd heard it all.

If the person in front of him was trying to get away, S'ric didn't even register the resistance. Just the verbal complaint. The point about him missing and people knowing also didn't matter. What did S'ric care? He'd either kill them, too, or they'd mind their own damn business. Another reason he preferred Hyoite. The people there kept to themselves. How he preferred it.

Amused, though no one on the planet would've been able to guess given his still neutral expression, S'ric shifted so he could start to lift the other man by his forearm. Moving closer so that he effectively trapped him against the wall and pinned him, not too hard, but enough there wasn't a chance of flailing with his legs. The full length of S'ric's body was pressed to his, which brought his cold, ice blue eyes close to Taeo's. Then, as a last lifeline, S'ric said, "I'm mistaken, am I?" Voice low and riddled with sharp promise should Taeo lie. Granted, the poor soul probably didn't know any better.

Was it too late to back down? Absolutely. If he admitted to stealing then he'd have to admit that he was a thief and who knows what would come of that and his stash of pilfered goods in his bunk back with the trope.

Taeo gasped softly when he was lifted like a piece of paper and pinned against the wall. While he wasn't exactly a heavy individual, being picked up like he weighed little more than pebbles was new and Taeo would be lying if that didn't send some prey like thrill through his guts. Not only was the first time he'd been caught in such a manner but being pressed against a wall like this? But such a large intimidating person? He swallowed thickly and tried to shift his weight so he was more comfortable. This was fine. Taeo closed his eyes for a moment and tried to remain calm.

It failed. His heart was hammering at a mile a minute and he felt just about dizzy from it.

"So mistaken," Taeo confirmed, voice giving a little warble with the lie. It'd be fine. Taeo would be fine. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in slow and deeply before he gave his hips a buck to try to get the giant beast of a man away from him. "If you let me down though, I promise not tell anyone you did this to some poor stranger. Wouldn't want to ruin your great reputation, right?" Taeo made of show of smiling, leaning in with an raised eyebrow like he was offering some great deal that this stranger should really take.

"Sounds like a deal, right?" Taeo moved his arms to press them against the strangers sides, "I bet it's a great deal. Getcher move on, Friend." Fear was making small trembles go through him but... Bravado won out and he wouldn't be caught stealing. Even if he had in fact been stealing. Taeo tilted his head up, offering a smirk.

S'ric stared at the man while he considered. Listening to him tell S'ric he was wrong. Mistaken. That it'd be a grand deal if he was let go and he wouldn't tell anyone. None of which really concerned S'ric. He didn't care about anything he had to say.

Though, it was entertaining he thought any of it mattered. That he lied so easily was also – not impressive – but notable.

S'ric didn't move. He kept Taeo against the wall, though he wouldn't mind if the smaller man squirmed a little more. Rather, it was that little buck and push against the werewolf that really sealed his fate. S'ric didn't particularly want to travel with someone who would be resistant to it. Outside of Hyoite, people tended not to like it when others were held against their will. Breaking in someone new was difficult then.

He'd have to stick to the countryside until he got up into Connlaoth, where he could just... pass off the little man as his slave. They generally responded well enough to that, so long as S'ric kept out of the way. Which was something he could do.

All of those considerations mulled over in his mind while the little thief did his best to convince the werewolf he should be on his way. S'ric, outwardly, hadn't seemed to have heard any of it. Hadn't moved, barely blinked, and certainly hadn't looked away from Taeo's eyes.

Well. Business first. Mind made up, S'ric easily caught both of his wrists and held them up, trapping them against the wall. The free hand started to search for the small letter. S'ric didn't bother asking. The little thief had already made it abundantly clear that he was more than capable, and fully willing, to lie as much as he breathed.

That was fine. For now. So S'ric checked his pockets himself and, finding nothing, started searching under his clothes. Mindful that those with deft hands liked to hide things in none-too-obvious of places. He had absolutely no care or concern for Taeo's personal space. Why would he? The little thief was his now, he'd do whatever he liked.

Simple as that.

A brief pause and Taeo was at a loss for words. Was this guy... Slow? There was a few moments where he felt genuinely bad for the bigger man. How hard could that be? To live in this world as a giant of a man but be so slow and so... Needy. Taeo glanced over the giants shoulder, turned to look down towards the entrance of the alleyway.Watched the regular people meander past like nothing of interest was happening here.

"Whoa, Friend!" Taeo said when his hands were lifted and pinned. This was just getting suggestive now! He swallowed his shock and flushed brightly when the hand went roaming. Pressed against his legs, his stomach. Gooseflesh rose up on his skin when the hand brushed against him and he'd be lying if he said the contact didn't feel nice. It felt nice for all the wrong reasons but a caress was still a caress and one flavoured by a fear of being caught was unfamiliar and a little erotic.

Terrible time to think of that now though. Inappropriate for one. Taeo wriggled again, looking down at the hand before he sighed, rolled his eyes and tilted his hip out, the one with the letter tucked between his pants and his flesh. "You know, Friend, I'm not sure how that got there," Taeo tried to look baffled, he shook his head and looked down at the letter, his shirt pushed up by the giants hand. "I think whoever pick pocketed you saw me bump into you and they must have put it there. What a jerk, right? So, it's nice to meet you," He nodded and continued on like this was a perfectly normal thing that people did on a day to day basis.

"My name is Taeo, performer of the traveling troupe Ar-Eir from Serendipity, and you are?" Taeo gave another helpless wriggle to hopefully make the giant stranger go away or... Do something other than touch him and stare.

S'ric had pretty much tuned out whatever words the little thief was going to say. He didn't have time for lies, he just wanted the letter. Granted, it was still nice to familiarize himself too. S'ric was ever fond of those smaller than him – which was a lot of people – and those that squirmed when he had a hold of them.

The thief was being damned distracting, and not in a bad way. Well, not in a bad way for S'ric.

When his hip was offered, S'ric found the letter and glanced at the thief's eyes. Amused. Not that he'd be able to tell. Still holding him up by his wrists, S'ric casually slipped the envelop back where he had it. He hadn't heard the excuse, or the lie that had been proffered as an excuse, and he wouldn't have been impressed if he had.

He did, however, catch the thief's name. Taeo. Good. Now he knew what to call him. S'ric was about to answer but the little thief – Taeo – did another one of those squirming things that actually made the werewolf's eyes partially close while he regarded the thief, pressing him a little closer to the stone wall. Not to try and trap him, but because the pressure felt good. When S'ric finally did say his name, it was in a lower, almost rumbled voice. "S'ric."

At that moment, he was contemplating whether or not he really had to turn in the letter first. Was it really that important? Because he had traveled a long way, he'd already hunted, fed, and it'd be nice to reward himself since this little thief, Taeo, had made himself a person of interest.

Maybe he'd just linger a moment longer. Pressing against the smaller man, S'ric made a pleased sound – that definitely sounded like a growl – and released his hands so he could jerk the other's head to the side instead, exposing the smooth expanse of his neck. Untouched, unmarked. Too good to pass up.

S'ric bit at him. Not hard enough to make him bleed, but certainly enough to stake his claim. His little thief wasn't going anywhere with his body keeping him against the wall and S'ric hoped he'd squirm now that he was bit.

Was that a word or just a grumbling purr? Either way, Taeo practically felt it and he chewed on his lower lip because he was worried he might have made a strange little sound otherwise. He was under no illusion that maybe he was in a little bit of trouble. This was a big monster guy named S'ric or perhaps even 's'grrgrrgrrc' if he'd heard incorrectly. Taeo swallowed thickly and closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying (but quietly) the growlies.

So. Taeo had stolen an item from a man who was part dog or something. That was fine. A handsy part-dog, which was also fine. Taeo didn't mind. He couldn't remember the last time someone touched him this much without trying to fold him in half and he'd be lying if he didn't like the touches to some degree. His blue eyes snapped open when his head was turned to the side and Taeo blinked a few times, pulse throbbing through him. His mouth opened and he went to talk but then...

Well shit.

Taeo moaned in surprise, back arching and head turning farther to offer S'ric a little bit more access to his neck. If this guy wanted to rip out his throat right now he'd probably not even notice. A different kind of flush pushed through him and he not-so-subtly rocked himself against the beast of a man -s'grrgrrgrrc, he'd said his name was. "What was that for?" Taeo panted, eyes falling closed, hands moving to biceps to squeeze at the fabric and try to pull him closer. His distinct pleasure at having been bit was obvious if S'ric was pressed tight enough to his middle and Taeo was sure he was. An embarrassed blush reached his ears and he chewed on his lip for a moment before he wriggled his legs into a more comfortable position. "That kinda hurt," Taeo admitted, "But I liked it. Nice bit of zing," He smirked, licking his lips again before he ground his hips forward. If this guy was going to do whatever he wanted, dammit, Taeo was going to, too. If dry humping the person who was giant and intimidating was what he wanted to do... Then so be it.

  "You bite everyone you catch pickpocketing you or just is it just me?" He breathed, voice a little shaky and his cheeks flushed a bright red.

First, the little thief had actually taken something from him. Dashed off. Which had prompted S'ric to chase him down. The first way he'd already thrown S'ric's night off its preplanned course. Then, he had to be snippy. Wiggly. Pretty much asking for S'ric to throw him over his shoulder and take him back to Hyoite. The werewolf hardly cared if Taeo had any other future plans for himself because clearly the werewolf's plans superseded those.

But now? Now S'ric was damn near convinced the little thief was trying to tease him. The moan had him growl with want in kind. If he hadn't somewhere to be, he'd have already been tearing at his pants. As though being in public ever stopped him. More than that, his little pet was practically asking for it. Shifting against him, adjusting, intentionally pressing against S'ric – who was very interested and it was very obvious.

S'ric clenched his jaw as he regarded Taeo after he'd bit him, noting the small red mark from the bite. He needed to deliver the letter. That task kept repeating over and over in his mind and wouldn't be ignored. The last thing S'ric would want was for Vesd to show up, at his room, while he was busy because he hadn't shown up as he was supposed to. The damn elf was persistent like that and S'ric wasn't interested in ruining a working relationship just because the little thief was doing a very good job in distracting him.

So.

S'ric let out a long, low breath before he gripped Taeo's hips, firm but not painfully, and stepped back before setting him down. Almost gently. More that he was pointedly setting the thief down and not tearing off his clothes right then and there. "Just you," S'ric answered absently before he put a hand on Taeo's shoulder and started to steer him out of the alley. The grip was to prevent him from running. S'ric was in a good mood and he didn't want it to be spoiled. "I'm going to drop this letter off, like I'd intended before you ran into me, then I'm taking you back to my room." Straight to the point, upfront, and honest. S'ric never saw any reason to lie.

If they were back in Hyoite, he'd have tossed Taeo over his shoulder and carried him that way. However, other places tended to frown on such a thing and he didn't want to attract any more attention than necessary. Having to kill a whole slew of guards just because the thief threw a fit was definitely going to sour his mood.

There was a moment, just a single moment, where Taeo felt a bit like preening. He was unique and he knew it but... This? Getting attention from someone who wasn't interested in his ability to fold over was new.  "You know I usually charge for that," he quipped once he was let down, carefully arranging his clothing to keep attention off his midsection. Taeo was vain enough to want attention. Needy enough to want it on him and stupid enough not to anticipate any potential issues that may arise from someone so terribly possessive already.

Instead he was simply enamored with the idea of being wanted. Taeo was near breathless with anticipation while he was guided along. The hand at the back of his neck was grounding and he calmed some. Who knew stealing from some scary giant dude could turn out so well? Taeo sucked in a breath slowly and continued on, watching S'ric while they walked and anticipating some strange evening of... Strange things. There had been a few incidents where he'd meet up with someone before or after a show to... Loosen up as it were.

S'ric was huge. Probably go for hours and Taeo was a little worried - very briefly worried - that he wouldn't be available for the show. Maybe... Taeo glanced up, looking at his clothing and then his shoulder. His face. A handsome man. Taeo was cute... He chewed on his lip while he shuffled as quickly as he could to keep up with the giant. Maybe this was his out. It was stupid. It was probably a bad choice but...

Taeo moved his hands to grab S'rics and he walked along quickly, "When are you leaving?" He whispered, eyes wide, "When you leave you should take me with you." Taeo said, heart pitter-pattering nervously because what if this guy said no? What if it was a twenty-pump-chump see ya later? He'd been looking for an out for a while and if he was good enough maybe... Taeo blew out a slow breath. "I can't pay you but... Maybe We could arrange something. I can lift. And I can clean and..." Taeo shook his head, desperate because maybe this was it.

"I could ... Carry some stuff! Like a helper! Or something." He insisted, hand squeezing at S'rics arm, desperation clear as a bell in his voice. "Please. I need out."

S'ric glanced at Taeo when he remarked he charged. For the briefest of moments, S'ric was a little baffled. Charged for what? What had he done that would warrant being charged for? Then he filed that away as something the little thief just said along with all the other things he just said.

The walk through the crowd was easy, as it usually was for S'ric. People just moved for him, generally by instinct. He was tall, foreboding, and if they didn't move, he moved them. They were about to come to the market square, stupidly named because it was more of a circle, when Taeo had a small... panic fit. S'ric didn't have any other word for it. He actually stopped to regard the little, blue eyed man as he asked the desperate, quick questions.

He wanted to go. Well, that was good, because he was going to go. When Taeo started to list things he could do, S'ric actually quirked one brow. The only physical response he'd given the entire time the little thief spoke. It all sounded... well, silly. S'ric could lift things better than he could, what was there to clean..?

First things first. "I'm leaving tomorrow morning. Before sunrise." He could answer that question. As to the other part. "And you are coming with me." There was no reason to lie. S'ric tended not to. Figuring that was settled, he settled his hand back on Taeo's shoulder, near his collar, and guided him through the market toward a slender stall shoved between two others – just like the rest of them. It was draped in silk and displayed a lot of different maps, fabrics, artwork, and gaudy things that S'ric just... didn't care for. Behind the counter was a pale faced, fancily dressed snow elf. He was leaning over the counter, idly chatting up a lady who seemed interested in buying a painting.

S'ric didn't like waiting.

Vesd made the conversation brief, she giggled and bought the thing, and he sent her on her way. S'ric, being the wolf of conversation that he was, put the envelop on the counter then turned to walk away. That's all he had to do and he didn't care to talk to the elf.

"Always a pleasure," Vesd called after S'ric's retreating form.

The sooner he could get out of this crowd, the better. He hated the cluster of people, the press of bodies, and the heat. S'ric was even debating whether or not he'd just take Taeo now and head out to the nearest forest.

Well... That was easy.

Taeo blinked widely, looking up at S'ric, at a loss of words. Was he that good at pleading his case? He looked down at himself for a moment before he snapped his head up as he was lead along, not keen on tripping on anyone. Sure they got out of the tall guys way pretty fast but the odd straggler banged against his shoulder. Quietly he watched  the business transpire and it was... Really boring. He just dropped off an envelope?

What did this guy do?

Was he a runner of some kind? Taeo chewed on his lip as they continued to walk, looking up at S'ric when he could. He was a little concerned, he'd been so quiet and looked so... Stern.

"Are you okay?" Taeo asked quietly, eyebrows up and concern on his face. He was a little out of breath from having to keep up with someone so much taller but... Heck this guy was going to guide him away and that was awesome in Taeo's books. "You look a little tense."

The only reason S'ric had even bothered with a room was his need to stay in the city and hunt. It'd have cut into time if he'd had to run back and forth every night trying to find the person he was looking for. He was anything if efficient when it came to his job. On that thought, he decided he could endure a little more discomfort so he could actually leave the city when there were less people milling around.

Probably easier to carry off a head in a bag too.

Getting off the market street was at least a blessing. S'ric's grip on Taeo relaxed, just a little, though his pace remained the same. S'ric only had two speeds: stop and go. When the little thief asked if he was ok, S'ric glanced down at him. He didn't understand the need for the question, or the reason behind it, so he just answered, "Yes." Ever the chatter box.

The inn he was staying in was nice. Pristine wood and clean windows. A thick door and cozy entry way. There wasn't a common room – it wasn't that sort of place – but there was a plump, pleasant woman in too many layers behind a polished desk in the small entrance. She perked up and smiled at S'ric as though he were some long lost grandson. "Back as quick as you said," she complimented, sliding a key across the desk. She glanced at Taeo but didn't ask about him. Either she was used to the coming and going of visitors or she knew not to open her mouth.

Her smile and expression didn't falter an inch though.

S'ric nodded his greeting. "I'll be leaving in the morning," he informed. Brief and simple. He liked the lady, as much as he could like anyone, because she kept to herself behind her chipper behavior and hadn't asked him any question about himself. Just what he wanted and how long he was staying. Personal questions irked him.

There was a carpeted stairway just off the entrance room, where S'ric led Taeo up. He was barely touching the little thief now, no longer seeing the need to expressly direct him. Considering for a long moment, he led Taeo to the door that was his. Before he unlocked it, S'ric paused to ask, "Is there anything you wanted to collect before you left?" If he wasn't leaving before morning and the little thief seemed genuinely eager to go, the offer seemed reasonable.

S'ric knew that his own needs were very basic, and he could hunt on the way back. The odds Taeo would want to eat raw deer or rabbit, though, were probably pretty slim. And he'd probably want a change of clothes... It was really just better to get all this out of the way.

Without waiting for an answer, S'ric pushed the door open and stepped in. The room would've been a nice size, but S'ric's large frame made it feel small. Cozy. With a double bed, layers of blankets, and small curtained window, and single dresser, it'd have been nice for any visitor. S'ric just looked out of place in his black coat tall frame that nearly brushed the ceiling. He had a small pack tucked away, but beyond that, it didn't look like he'd even been in the room.

Taeo chewed on his lower lip until it hurt while they walked. At least this S'ric guy was quick at to the point? He wasn't out of breath from the quicker than usual steps but he was a little flushed and a little warm. It was a quiet blessing when they finally reached his supposed place he was staying at. He blinked widely at the pleasant woman, glancing between the pair before he followed the taller man up the stairs and along to a clean room.

A too clean room. Did this guy sleep? Neat freak? Maybe he was worried about a mess so he just slept on the floor. Taeo entertained himself with the idea that S'ric was afraid of leaving a mess and glanced down at the floor by the bed, half expecting to see some sort of nest there. There was nothing and the question about collecting things had him snap his head over to blink at S'ric. He liked the way the mans voice made his chest sort of vibrate.

"Collect?" Taeo repeated, eyebrows up and he looked down at himself and plucked at the bottom of his shirt before he slowly peeled that up and off of himself. "If I go back there I don't think I'll be coming back here," Taeo dropped his shirt to the floor and looked down at his bare chest. The white wispy tattoos at his throat extended along his collar bone to each arm, though they were carefully wrapped up in bandages to hide the rest of the intricate tattoos. Would S'ric care? Probably not. This guy didn't seem to care about a lot of things. Taeo rolled his shoulders and meandered to the bed, sitting back on it, propping up his weight on his arms.

"I'll just work a few places the next town and get some clothes," Taeo shrugged like it wasn't a big deal and winked. "So... Do you sleep on the floor or something?" Taeo reached over to grab a pillow, pull it onto his lap and fluff it up, "Or are you just a neat freak?"

S'ric looked odd standing in the middle of the room while he watched Taeo. Monolithic and statuesque. Eerie even while his cold blue eyes traced the thief's movements. He appreciated that Taeo was quick to respond. Generally with more words than he needed to, but some people tended to be overly chatty. That was fine.

When he clarified he wouldn't be able to collect what he needed, S'ric took that to mean he wasn't going to leave. Further verified when the little thief pulled his shirt off.

Good. S'ric wouldn't have to wait until he got back then. He did pause to study the markings on Taeo, something he could notice now he didn't have him trapped against a wall. It was a minor pause though, a momentary study, before S'ric shrugged out of his coat and kicked off his boots.

"We'll pick up things along the way," he agreed, though he said nothing about Taeo working. That was just going to be a waste of time. S'ric had money aplenty. After his coat, S'ric pulled off his shirt while he stalked toward Taeo, the whole of it in one fluid motion.

"Sleep on the floor?" What an odd question. S'ric grabbed his thighs and pushed him further up on the bed, following him, climbing on. The mattress sunk with his weight but the sturdy frame didn't even creak. "I haven't slept in this room." He'd spent most of his time tracking in wolf form at night and sleeping on rooftops. He didn't like how small the place was or how warm it could get during the day. It was just... a place to keep his things.

Now, well. Now it was a place for him to enjoy his new thing.

One hand kept himself up and over Taeo, so he didn't smother the smaller man, while the other touched the cool marks on his collar. Curious, and eager to satisfy as much, he rumbled in a half growl, "Start getting your pants off or I'll tear them off." Only warning. Then, he leaned down to bite at the marks on his collar, just to see if they were colder. That and he wanted to mark his new, little thief.

Woof. Taeo didn't figure the guy would just get right into it. Usually there was some amount of blushing or looking bashful. Perhaps a little ashamed at the purchase of a carnal affair. Nothing from this guy though. Off with the coat, the boots. Something about not sleeping in here - then what was the point of it! Waste of money! And then Taeo gasped softly when that shirt came off and... It was Taeo's turn to flush. He was a svelte little thing, he knew, but this guy was massive. He could probably curl up on his chest and take a damn nap!

Taeo swallowed when he was manhandled up the bed, gooseflesh making his skin tingle and he liked the little primal fear of having someone so much bigger and dangerous crawling up over him. He opened his mouth to retort but instead all that came out was a strangled little gasp because there were those teeth again. Taeo's covered hands slipped at his bucket, layed flat on the bed and unable to look at where his fingers were going.  "Hang on a second, I can't--" Taeo frowned and worked at the knots on his upper arms of the bandages. Used only to cover the rest of the tattoos, they quickly slipped off to reveal an intricate broken glass like pattern of cool white markings, down to his fingers.

"Okay," He brushed his cool hands down S'rics front to his own pants before he undid the buckle and managed to push them down a little bit, "Wait, you wouldn't really rip my pants right? Make me walk around with my ass hanging out? I guess I'm open to that if you are," Taeo gave a little shrug like it wasn't a big deal and seemed to have practically shucked away his old boss for a new one. It was fine though, at least this one was at least attractive. He wriggled again, hissing softly at how cold his own fingers felt against the flesh of his hips before he rolled his pants down over his thighs, though...

"You told me to remove my pants but not my boots," Taeo said, looking up a teasing glint in his eyes and a smirk on his red chewed on lips, pressing his hands to S'ric's sides, fingers spread and cool against the warm flesh. He closed his eyes briefly before blinking and looking up, reaching up to his head and plucking the bandanna off and throwing that to somewhere on the other side of the bed. "Help me out? I have this real cool trick where I can get my knee by my ear but I can't do that with my legs trapped by my pants and boots. It'll be worth it, I promise,"

S'ric was quite fascinated with markings. Scars in particular, but he likes marks. Imperfections on skin. Especially if he made them. They were reminders of sweet pain, vicious battles, and a whole life of writ in blood. He always made a point of scarring, and marking, those that become his favorite. It was a visceral need for him. In time, he'd do the same to Taeo.

There as something to be said about how collected the little thief was. S'ric had been with enough people, experienced the entire spectrum of reactions, so it wasn't unexpected or surprising. He did lean up some when the covering fell of his arms and a growl deep in his chest was the sound of his appreciation.

S'ric really did like marks. These were particularly cool, like the ones on his collar, and felt heavenly against his chest and abs. A nice brush of the cold so far from what S'ric considered home. He would've snatched up Taeo just for this alone if he'd known about it.

He was brought back to the particular clothing mishap when Taeo looked up at him. S'ric was about to help him out in his own way, but he was in a calm, amicable mood. Even if there was the stirring of want and the roughness that came with it, there was no need to rush. His little thief wasn't going anywhere and he'd been nice in asking. Making a sound of unhappiness but still shifting on his knees, off of Taeo to help. Not because he was particularly eager to see what Taeo said he could do – S'ric could make people bend in all sorts of ways – but there wasn't a point in destroying the only clothes he had when he was being so good.

Taeo waited for a moment to feel warm hands on his legs, he'd mentally prepared for it... And then nothing happened. The small man cracked an eye open to look up at S'ric just being there and doing nothing to remedy the pants situation he had going on.

Confused for a moment but not bothered, Taeo sat up to better kick off his boots and finally lay on the bed, nude as the day he was born. The cool markings didnt extend very far on his torso, but when he rolled over to crawl up the bed, it was clear they appeared to be winding themselves down his spine.

Taeo had never been one to feel ashamed about his body, vain attention seeker that he was, so he made a show of crawling up the bed to situate himself in the middle. He crawled up the bed like a cat, each movement calculated and done with the utmost care. Taeo rose up on his knees, reaching back and shaking his long silky black hair loose from its braid before he laid out on the pillows and did his best to look like some sort of offering.

"So... You are on the bottom, right?" Taeo smiled brightly, the barest hint of fang in his mouth before he arched his back and planted his feet on the bed. His tone was soft and clearly teasing and he brushed hair from his face, "Might take a while but we can get to where we want to.be," his bright eyes flickered and glowed with mischief, and he stretched again with a little moan and curled up on his side, looking about ready for a nap. Except naked and in some elses bed.

Though it was Taeo's now, his butt was on it.

S'ric liked to think he was a patient man. Granted, he probably wasn't by most people's standards, but he let Taeo take his clothes off. That was nice, wasn't it? Being patient? Considerate? It was certainly a privilege not everyone that ended up in his bed was afforded. He certainly didn't pay any attention where the clothes ended up, because he didn't give a damn, though he was minorly delighted to see that the marks played themselves out on Taeo's back.

That small distraction was all that afforded the little thief a moment's reprieve. A pause. Giving him that time to crawl up and away. To curl up like nothing else was going to happen.

S'ric grunted a disapproving sound, beyond words at this point – though he wasn't particularly chatty anyways – and reached easily for Taeo's ankle. With a simple tug, he pulled Taeo back to him. S'ric did not chase after people, not unless he had to. Oh no. He'd once put Taeo where he wanted him, afforded him the brief time to take his clothes off, and he was damn done waiting.

One hand on Taeo's ankle to pull him back, easily, while the other made very short, quick work on the ties to his own pants. He'd done this hundreds of times one handed and he didn't need any more time to get excited or ready. S'ric had long passed that point.

It happened pretty quick. One moment, Taeo's comfortable on his side, the next he's flat on his back, in front of S'ric. Legs splayed to either side of his hips. S'ric was done faffing around.

Being made out to be prey had made Taeo's body throb with a weird unfamiliar desire. While he was used to putting out and suffering through people - sometimes gross people - touching him and using him in less than okay ways... Taeo just enjoyed S'ric.

It wasn't all pleasure but the low throb of eroticism spiced everything nicely and he let himself drown in what pleasure he could claw for himself. No one could accuse of Taeo being a giving lover, in fact he was down right selfish and all but clawed for more. In fact, he'd clawed a little bit.

Taeo was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, his limbs felt loose and he let himself drift in an out of sleep. He had a painful throb in his abdomen but it just worked as a reminder of what strange pleasure he'd just experienced at the hands of the blue eyed giant. He'd made no move to get out of bed or get dressed, simply...Remained.

The bed was a mess. Taeo was a mess, and he winced slightly when he turned onto his side, but didn't get up and rush off anywhere. He snuggled in closer to S'ric, cool hands tracing patterns on the larger man's torso before he traced the few accidental scratches he'd left behind.

"Do we sleep now? Or is this a mararhon? I'm okay with either," he quipped brushing his long hair over his shoulder. Taeo propped himself up on his arm and impulsively leaned in to press a chaste little kiss to S'ric's throat. "It hurt a little bit, but if that's what it's like as a common occurance, hoo boy let me travel with you forever."

Cool hand flat on a warm chest before he rolled onto his side to present his back. Despite Taeo's words, he was clearly more ready for sleep.  Taeo tucked his legs up and he snuggled down into the bed in a fetal posotion. "You should spoon me," Taeo suggested, "Keep me warm from myself."

S'ric was a rather base, albeit rough around the edges, creature. His wants tended to be simple and his needs easily met. There were few things in life he needed – a good hunt, a nice fuck – and he was a content werewolf. In that, so long as he was left to his own devices with whomever he'd picked up as his at the time, no one had to get hurt and he remained relatively low on anyone's radar.

He wasn't particularly concerned with tending to any of Taeo's needs, but he didn't mind any what his little thief did to him in kind. The scratches, if anything, seemed to encourage him. S'ric liked a little bit of pain and, if Taeo showed any sort of ability to last around S'ric, the werewolf would probably, eventually, give him a blade to use. Nails weren't ever enough and not all of S'ric's scars were from battle.

Content and spent, S'ric didn't move out of the bed but neither did he immediately drift off. He was alert, but lazily so. Stretched out on his back, cool blue gaze remaining on Taeo. It wasn't that he thought his new favorite was going to skip out on him, but he'd been caught off guard before and he didn't want to have to chase him down now. Not when he was, at the moment, sated in all the ways he liked to be. The werewolf didn't care that Taeo curled against him and didn't mind the touching. Some liked to do that after, others crawled away from him in fear, and others cried. Everyone reacted differently.

So long as S'ric got what he wanted, they could do whatever they wanted after. He acknowledged Taeo's remark about traveling with a soft grunt and one hand possessively, though not with any intent to hurt him, grip his hip. There were some lingering bruises, but that was common enough. S'ric's grip when he was excited tended to be overzealous. Whether or not this was a marathon... Well. S'ric was going to relax for a little bit, let his little thief do the same, and he'd pick up where he'd left off.

He had all night, after all. He wasn't rushed. So, for the moment, he complied with the simple request and shifted against Taeo's back. This would be a great way for him to start up again, when he wanted to. For now this moment, though, S'ric relaxed against Taeo.

OOC

There ain't gonna be no real night's sleep for the little thief >:] Just a series of short naps. Feel free to kick it to actual morning, should you like.

[close]

Taeo couldn't keep his eyes open.

Despite the fact he'd been wrung dry and enjoyed every second of the moments awake during the night, he recalled an instance of begging to let him sleep. It fell on deaf ears. Taeo felt dehydrated and weak.

How did this man function?

Taeo didnt move from the bed in any manner. He sprawled out on it naked, belly first, blankets around his ankles. "Why did you think that was a good idea?" Taeo moaned, rising up on his elbows before quickly tucking his head back down.

"S'ric," He said softly, "Can we leave tonight? I'm so sore and tired," He pouted obviously, making no move to be subtle or sweet about it. Though, to test something, he rolled onto his back, bite marks and finger sized bruises on display. "You could jut carry me," he whispered, eyes falling closed and wiggling his fingers impatiently.

S'ric strectched, long and languid, with a big yawn. Early morning felt different to him. Night always felt lighter. Electric. While the days felt heavier. Always warmer. It used to make it harder to summon the animal in him, but now, the beast lived just beneath the surface. Always there. Pushing at his skin. As much apart of S'ric as whatever was left of his humanity.

He regarded Taeo lazily while he whined about the possibility about them leaving.

Or rather, the time that S'ric planned on it.

There was no way he'd be staying in the city another day. There wasn't any rush back to Hyoite, besides the fact that he wanted to be back there. S'ric ran a hand up Taeo's back, idly appreciating the feel of him before he got up with a reluctant grunt. "We don't have to go far. Outside the city. I don't like so many people." The most words strung together since they'd met. Then, to boot, he added, "We'll clean up outside the city too."

The room, and by extension, the pair of them reeked of sex. It didn't particularly bother S'ric, but if anyone wanted to tail him it'd be incredibly easy. Best to take care of that sooner rather than later. Outside the city would suit.

Slowly, or slowly for S'ric, he started to get dressed. For anyone else, it looked methodical. Movements slow but fluid. Everything about him seemed almost inhuman in how he moved.

He did consider while tugging on his boots. "I can carry you outside of the city. It'll draw attention otherwise." It didn't occur to him that the question might've been rhetorical or sarcastic.

Taeo frowned when S'ric didn't agree to just cart him out of the city like a sack. He was tired and sore in so many strange places. Taeo stretched with a low moan of strange dull pain before rolling from the bed.

His skin still tingled from S'ric's touch and he eyed the larger man with a hunger he'd never quite felt before.

Not that he was interested in doing anything.

Taeo held a hand to his gut and looked down at his clothes, piled on the ground and taunting him with the fsct he'd have to reach down there to get it. He felt like... What maybe wrung out clothing felt lile.

With some struggle and a few hisses of pain, Taeo tugged his clothing on awkwardly, wincing when he buttoned up his pants because god knows what his backside looked like.

"I can't wait to have a nap," he moaned, sitting on the floor with a wince to tug on his shoes.

"Are you sure you can't carry me? my ass really hurts. Like... Imagine if a tree fucked you and you might come close to what i feel."

S'ric was dressed quicker than Taeo and watched him whine and wince, even struggle some, to get dressed. Acknowledging, idly, that he might have been a little overzealous. There wasn't any guilt, shame, or embarrassment in that. Just a note that he'd have to take it easy with him until Taeo wasn't as sore.

He didn't want to break his new favorite just as he'd gotten him.

S'ric let out a long breath, akin to a sigh. "Fine." It was early, there wouldn't be that many on the street. How much attention could they possibly attract? Especially since Taeo didn't seem to be the one who was going to protest any of it. Rather, he was asking for it.

When Taeo was finally done, and dressed, S'ric leaned down and scooped him up. Able to easily prop him on a shoulder, quite literally like a sack, though he was nicer about situating Taeo than he might be a bag of grain. He let out another sigh before he stepped out the door, grabbing a bag from the closet along the way.

Checkout went as smoothly as his return from before. The lady behind the little desk didn't pay Taeo any mind and didn't even seem flustered that he was being carried. She wished them both a good day, though.

She hadn't been fazed but the people they passed on the street certainly were. Glancing at them and making the odd comment now and then. S'ric didn't care at all, granted, he'd just not wanted to draw any more attention than he'd had to.

So be it.

Getting out of the city took the better part of the morning. By the time they were out, S'ric was a bit moody. He didn't like attention like that but he'd bore through it because he'd have to listen to Taeo far longer than he would the people in the city. The main road outside the city was surrounded by a forest, but it wasn't a dense one. As soon as S'ric could, he broke off the road. Just started walking away from it and into the trees.

When he was far enough away from the road, and unobservable from it, he shifted midstride so he could actually run toward where he knew, where he could smell, water.

Bliss.

Taeo always loved when his stupid little requests were granted. Being hefted up onto S'rics shoulders was an easily won victory and he let himself relax while he was carted along. Taeo was an opportunist and not having to walk anywhere after the night he had? Awesome. He didn't notice any looks nor did he feel bad for anything he may have been doing since all he could really look at was a nice butt, long legs and boots.

Well, everything was covered up by clothing. Still! He could imagine it.

A soft sigh and Taeo closed his eyes, easily drifting off into a sense of nothing because he was bone tired. Had there been any sleep? If there had been he didn't recall and if there hadn't been he wouldn't be surprised.

The ride was a bit bumping, as were all rides when one was shoulder-riding a grown man. Taeo didn't pay much attention until things moved and shifted and he opened his eyes and... Well.

Clearly this was a nightmare of some kind.

"What are you?!" Taeo yelped, eyes wide, jerking so harshly his balance was gone and he drop (or noodled) to the ground with a dull grassy thump. "Where did S'ric go! Did you eat him?" Taeo stood, doing his best not to wince from the dull pain of sore muscles. "Bad dog!" Taeo knew you were supposed to look bigger when you were around most wild animals. Maybe this was the same?

"uuuh... Drop it!" Dog commands, "Sit!" What else, what else? "Spit him out, dammit! He was my ticket out of this fucking hell hole! Bad dog!" He was terrified. He could feel his pulse hammering everywhere, his throat, his head. Even his tongue. Taeo's face was flushed angrily though and the anger of having his guide eaten right out from under him (literally!) made him angrier than it made him scared.

His grip on Taeo had steadily become loose and more of a hand on him rather than actually holding him. It'd seemed the little thief had fallen asleep at some point, so S'ric wasn't expecting any sort of movement, let alone Taeo squirming and falling to the ground while he was half running.

S'ric came to an abrupt stop and growled his irritation, setting down the bag he'd been carrying. As a werewolf, he was far bigger than he already was. Muscled, furred, with teeth longer than Taeo's fingers. It was easy to see he wasn't quite happy to be stopping either. Ears laid back and canines exposed in annoyance. S'ric couldn't talk in this form – didn't have the mouth or vocal cords for it.

The irritation kicked up when Taeo started telling him rudimentary dog commands. Some might've called the little thief brave. S'ric thought it was stupid, bordering on a complete lack of self-preservation if he really thought S'ric wasn't S'ric.

That always seemed to be a facet of those he picked up. They never had the proper sense to keep themselves alive.

Two strides put S'ric within grabbing reach, so he picked Taeo up. They were nearly at the small lake and he wanted to clean himself off. He could deal with... all of this... once they arrived. It wasn't like his little Taeo could fight him anyway. Any struggle or attempt to didn't even register for the werewolf as he picked up his bag and continued the rest of the journey, quickly, holding on to Taeo so he couldn't get away.

The lake he'd smelt was small, but fed by a river and had an outgoing river too, so it was relatively clean. Surrounded by tall, towering trees and faint scrub brush. Private, in a way, though there was an old dock on the far side that indicated other people knew of it. The grass sloped down to a brown, sandy shore where S'ric deposited Taeo.

Only then did he shift again. A smooth, shedding of the large wolf form and back into his more human self. Other were-creatures wouldn't transition as well, but S'ric was old. He didn't need the moon and called his beast whenever he wanted. He glanced at Taeo, still idly annoyed, while he started disrobing. "You use dog commands on me again, you won't like the result," he warned. S'ric would've enjoyed punishing him now, but he wanted to get them clean.

Priorities. So, he added while turning back to the lake, "Strip and get in."

Shocked was a good word for what Taeo was. Horrified. Afraid. His heartbeat pound in his throat and it almost choked him. Taeo remained quiet and let the beast carry him to water. Maybe he'd be like one of those theif-rodents and wash him before eating.

Taeo had his eyes squeezed shut, giving minute wriggles to get away but they did little. If anything, they just made the beast hold him tighter. All he could do was wait and hope his death was painless and quick.

"Oh, what?" Taeo gasped, watching S'ric come back. He blinked wide eyes, bresth catching in his throat. He knew they existed but he'd never seen one before.

A shape shifter.

Taeo listned to S'ric, enjoyed the shiver that the big mans threat sent up his spine and stood there for a moment. Taeo removed his clothing obediently, not happy about going into a cold river but more than happy to have a chance to tend to the rennants of nocturnal activities.

"Can I give you wolf commands?" Taeo asked, kicking his pants off his legs and walking into the water slowly. He glanced over his shoulder and smirked, walking farther into the water. Once he was waidt deep he started to wash himself. "I probably smell like a brothel," Taeo whined softly, glancing ay S'ric. "You know you didn't have to finish in me every time."

Taeo grumbled and moved from his previous washing spot, a little upstream, he dunked his head and got up gasping. He gave a shiver and closed his eyes, to which, while still shivering, he decided to float on the water, naked as the day he was born. "Do you have any hobbies?" Idle conversation was fun. At least for Taeo it was.

It rarely occurred to S'ric that what he did was odd, or that people might be surprised to suddenly see a wolf where he had previously been. Having been a werewolf for all of his very long life, it was just something he did. As natural as breathing. No one warned anyone else that they breathed, did they? So why should he make mention that he could turn into a nine foot tall wolf?

At least the surprise hadn't rendered Taeo frozen in place. Eventually, he started undressing and  went into the water.

The question, though, made S'ric narrow his eyes in irritation. He didn't understand why wolf commands would be better than dog commands. While wolves were certainly superior to domesticated pets, the implication that changing the word before command would make it better didn't make any sense to him.

He was also really bad at jokes. The smirk didn't help.

S'ric shed all of his clothes and was in the water before Taeo. He went as deep as the small lake would allow, which was only just past his waist. It'd have to do. He dunked himself much like a wolf would, head first, before standing and stretching. At least he didn't try to shake all the water off of him.

Standing just in time to catch the comment tossed his way. Now that, S'ric found amusing, but he didn't make any sort of comment. Just leered a little at the small thief. He would do whatever he wanted with Taeo, but the wolf didn't feel the need to reiterate that either. Thus far, Taeo hadn't put up much by way of resistance and the wolf didn't feel the need to exert any manner of dominance in that moment.

S'ric was reminded of their size disparity when it was easy for Taeo to float in the water. He watched a moment – some might call it admiring – before he resuming rinsing himself. At the odd question, S'ric snorted a little. Hobbies? There was a stretch of silence where it seemed like he might not answer, mostly because he didn't know how to answer, before he said, almost like a question, "Hunting?" Then, after another moment's thought, "I do like skinning things, too."

The word 'hunting' followed by a question mark had Taeo standing up and looking up at S'ric with a raised eyebrow. Those were hobbies? His hands went to his hips and if he hadn't been cold before, the chill of his finger tips to his flesh sent goosebumps over him and he let out a quick gasp of air. It was misty in the morning and now that he was more aware... Damn it was cold!

Taeo shivered and just stared at S'ric for a long moment, making his way over to him, arms swishing the water to keep his balance because while it was waist deep for S'ric, it was nearly tit height for him.

"Those aren't hobbies," Taeo stated like he was the grand king of hobbies, "Hobbies are like..." He eyed S'ric for a long moment while he shivered, dunking back into the water to pop back out with a gasp and wiping the water from his face. "I dunno.. Scrimshawing? You look like you'd scrimshaw. Goes with... Skinning things."

There was another long shiver and Taeo's teeth chattered before he wandered over to some watery-leafy-plant-thing and grabbed a handful of it to scrub at himself with. While actually bathing was few and far between and as much as he'd enjoyed the nights activities, he didn't want to smell like it all day. Taeo scrubbed himself quickly and dropped the plants, looking at S'ric.

"Okay, my cock is about to snap off and I can cut rock with my tits so I'm getting out," Taeo stated between chattered teeth before he rushed to shore to go stand on the shore and hold his arms around himself. Shit. He was soaking wet and he didn't have a second pair of clothing and he sure as shit didn't want to put his dry stuff on. He quickly positioned himself into some morning sunbeam the best he could and watched S'ric.

"You don't have a towel do you? How about you get dressed and then I can dry myself off on you," Taeo shifted from foot to foot quickly like the movement would warm him up.

While S'ric was aware the water was chilly, it wasn't particularly cold to the hot-blooded werewolf. Cold was the frozen north, in the dead of night. When the air was so still, and frigid, that it couldn't snow and the breath froze as it tried to make its way down your throat. This? This was refreshing if nothing else. His attention was drawn back to the short thief when he so boldly approached S'ric in the water, then declared that his answer wasn't a good one. The werewolf regarded him impassively, not particularly concerned whether or not the response had been good enough. The little thief should've been happy that S'ric had opted to speak at all. When Taeo had a suggestion, though, S'ric did frown just a little. A hint of a crease at his brow and tug at the corner of his mouth. "What a waste of time," he remarked while Taeo rattled his way out of the water.

How anyone smaller than S'ric didn't freeze, or starve, or just break in general, he'd never know. Everyone seemed so fragile to him. Touch them too hard, squeeze too much, expose them to too much outside and they'd die... Everyone seemed so breakable.

S'ric scrubbed himself down pretty quick and would've lingered if it weren't for Taeo's shout at him. While he normally did not take well to being told what to do, and was about to tell the little thief as much, he just looked too pathetic to say so. Shivering and wet just at the edge of the water, S'ric's expression was less than impressed - if anyone could read the faint way he regarded Taeo as such - before he started making his way out of the water. He'd just acquired the little thief, it'd be a huge inconvenience if he then froze... or something happened to become useless because he was too cold.

Once S'ric was fully out of the water, he shifted fluidly into his larger, furred self. While he was still wet, the amount of water previously covering his body didn't cover nearly as much of his wolf and didn't affect his fur nearly as much. Even so, he shook some before approaching Taeo. Even if he was damp, and smelt of wet fur and dirt, he was quite warm. Which seemed to be the problem his tiny thief was having an issue with. It wasn't like Taeo had much of a choice, anyway. S'ric snagged a hold of him with clawed hands that could almost encircle the smaller man's waist - if he squeezed hard enough and didn't care if Taeo survived the process. Sitting int his form was more like a crouch, resting back on his haunches while he held Taeo close.

S'ric wasn't exactly amused doing this. His ears were nearly pressed back against his skull and his attention was on the forest around them, almost like he was intentionally ignoring the needy thief. The faster he wasn't freezing, the quicker they could move along and S'ric wouldn't have to hold him. He didn't mind carrying Taeo, but he didn't like just sitting there, doing nothing.

That would never become normal.

Taeo watched S'ric grumpily move out of the water, taking in the sight of a well built man like any regular person would. He chewed on his lip to keep his teeth from chattering and the only sound he could manage to make was a soft hiss and he backed up slowly, watching S'ric melt into some strange beast creature. The one he gave wolf commands to. A different shiver shook his form and he swallowed slowly, doing his best not to look afraid. Taeo let out his breath slowly before he watched S'ric move and...

Touch him.

Taeo's skin crawled but it was warm. He'd whined and complained about being cold and now there was a solution. Sure, the solution was giant had claws, fangs and fur and wasn't quite the cuddle session he'd imagined for a second but... Taeo leaned against the warm chest and sighed, eyes falling closed. He gave a pleased little noise and snuggled back, his fingers pressed into fur and he stroked at the strange bestial arm.

"You're kinda fun to pet," He said sleepily, voice sounding tired and far away.

It didn't take much 'cuddling' to get Taeo warm, he snuggled back, head leaning to the side and his cheek pressed to S'ric's chest. Warm, not as achy. It wasn't a lot of time between being wrapped up in warm arms and the rhythmic movement of his petting the arm around him that Taeo fell asleep, still exhausted.

He should've known that Taeo was going to fall asleep. Frail, fragile thing that he was. It might've bothered S'ric if he didn't think that everyone was frail by comparison to himself. The werewolf never expected anyone that he decided to keep as his own to really be self sufficient. That wasn't the point he'd picked them up for, after all. S'ric was quite capable of taking care of himself in that particular regard - he just wanted someone to fuck. It was far easier to keep someone on hand for such a thing then it was to have to raid a village every time he was in the mood. There'd been a time in his life he'd done just that, but such actions tended to piss off the local populace and result in more people coming after him then he wanted to deal with.

People hunting S'ric wasn't a bother but he didn't want to be an pariah wherever he went. Having to slaughter villages got in the way of getting to hunt down things that were actually fun. All in all, it was a mixture of laziness and convenience.

After a deep breath, he stood, stretched his legs, then began to gather up both their clothes. He could travel like this, Taeo held to his body and the rest of it all in the other large hand, it was just incredibly awkward. It'd do, for the rest of the afternoon, though. The alternative being he woke up Taeo, waited around for the thief to figure his shit out, and then they loped around. While S'ric wasn't in a hurry, he didn't want to dally anywhere longer than necessary.

When it became too much of a pain in the ass to hold Taeo against him in such a way, he tossed the thief over his shoulder. His ass might have been decidedly exposed, but he was still draped across a warm wolf. There he remained until S'ric decided to stop for the evening, having put plenty of distance between the original town he'd collected Taeo in their new place he'd decided to stop in. Which was quite removed from people. No bed for either of them tonight.

Unceremoniously, he damn near dropped Taeo from his shoulder while dropping their things next to him. S'ric used pressure on the small man's shoulder, forcing him to sit, before pointing to the ground with a rough growl. The implication was to stay. Not necessarily sitting, but in the spot he'd dropped all their things.  He loomed just a little over Taeo, to emphasize the suggestion, before he turned so he could go do some hunting. S'ric was hungry and he wasn't going to go dashing through the woods with a naked thief tossed over his shoulder. Whatever Taeo decided to do while he was gone in the slowly darkening forest, S'ric didn't really care. It wasn't like he could really run from the large werewolf, and if S'ric had to hunt him down once he was actually done hunting, he was going to be quite pissed.

Thus far, though, Taeo seemed to be quite willing to go along with whatever was done to him. Complacent and obedient, save for when his mouth opened.

Hunting was never a long endeavor for the werewolf. He picked up the scent of something, tracked it down, ran it down, and tore it apart. There was no thrill of the hunt for S'ric. Chasing down fleeting deer was as mechanical and uncomplicated as most would find ordering at a restaurant. There was no challenge, no skill, almost no thought involved at all. It was something to do because he was hungry, and it could be quickly done where they were.

He wanted something that felt fear, something that screamed, something that squirmed and pleaded, or fought back.

So while S'ric wasn't hungry when he returned to Taeo, he was still quite unsatisfied. That was why he'd been carrying the little thief all day, though. The deer was the appetizer.

There were far worse ways to travel naked.

Taeo hadn't experienced many, but for the few times he'd been out and about in naught but what he was born with this was definitely the top tier of transportation. The tender-bits were pressed against a shoulder and except for his exposed skin he was deliciously warm. Taeo cuddled into the fur this time around. He'd seen it happen. Seen S'ric turn from a man to a weird beastie and aside from the distinct smell of animal which wasn't worse than an unwashed patron, Taeo didn't really have any complaints.

Warm. Moving faster than he usually could with no physical exertion of his own. It was boring, being up and carted around but he wasn't about to bitch and moan about being taken away from the people who'd kept him in debt and a slave for as long as he could remember.

Training cost money. Housing him cost money. Taeo was left to his thoughts while they traveled and between boredom caused sleep he was left to think of all the things he couldn't bring with him. Various trinkets and things from his supposed family. Worthless in regards to wealth of things but priceless in meaning.

"Gyah!" Taeo yelped when they'd finally stopped. He'd been thinking of another performer, a lovely girl about his height with hair like moonlight. She'd be there still. She'd hate him for disappearing. Did that make him feel bad? Taeo blinked up at S'ric, panic clear on his face, eyes wide and his once warmth caused flush going pale and cold. "Wa--" Taeo moved to get up before he saw that the beastie-S'ric was ... pointed at the ground and... "Stay?" Taeo frowned and looked down at the ground, down at his clothing.

If S'ric had been holding those they must be warm.

Quickly he changed, pulling on his pants, shirt and boots before he folding S'rics clothing - he could use it as a blanket they were so much bigger than his own- and placing them beside a tree. Taeo wished for the briefest moment he knew how to set up a camp. Be helpful somehow. Start a fire and warm himself up.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so cold for so long.

Maybe the mode of transportation had spoiled him.

When S'ric returned, Taeo perked up, looking at the beastie eyes and while he knew the beautiful terrifying man was in there somewhere, he wanted to go on about what a good doggy he was and how cute his ears were.

"I'm hungry," Taeo said, eyebrows up. He hadn't sat the whole time. Taeo had paced and he was on his way back around to his 'spot' when S'ric had returned. Hands on hips, head tilted back, "Do we have... Rations? Or something? Or do I have to go hunt my own food because if that's the case, we're gonna be here for days. I only know how to hunt bread at a market." There was a pause, "and only when it's fresh."

Logically, S'ric was aware he would need to get Taeo something to eat. Every one needed food and the small, breakable thief was no exception. However, Taeo's wants and needs came heavily second to the werewolf's. The deer had been a snack to the tall, nine foot, black furred monster. He would need to hunt again tonight, but it cut the edge off of his hunger and made him wanting something more exciting. His day had been monotonous and long, with a bland hunt. His wolf wanted something more. S'ric wanted something more.

Beast and man alike knew exactly where to get that. The very reason he'd put up with hauling Taeo around, carrying him like a breakable sack of potatoes. Cared about whether or not he froze. Why he would bother hunting for the little thief later.

S'ric entered the small space he'd left Taeo in with a quiet energy about him. Ears upright and pale blue eyes catching the faint moonlight that cut through the canopy. An inky black monster that crept toward him. Slow and purposeful, because he liked savoring the stalking of his prey as much as he did the claiming of it. Taeo would react far more than the deer would. The little thief's remarks about being hungry fell on deaf ears and an uncaring mind. What Taeo said in that moment didn't really matter, didn't register at all.

A low rumbling growl reverberated from S'ric before he snarled. Not viciously, just revealing his long, white teeth to Taeo in what might be a very macabre werewolf smile before lazily licking his teeth so they glint, wet. He hadn't really tasted or marked his little thief yet, had he? Couldn't have made too much of a mess of him in that small, cramped room. But now... they were in the middle of a dark wood and no one was around for miles to hear any sounds that Taeo might make.

When S'ric pounced, it was quick. Taeo wasn't going anywhere. This wasn't about hunting the little thief, it was about eliciting all manner of responses that no animal would ever produce. Shame he'd bothered getting dressed. His sharp, black claws threatened to rip his shirt if Taeo was not mindful or quick about helping S'ric get it off. While it might have been chill outside, and the ground would certainly be, Taeo had a massive mound of heated wolf over him. Radiating warmth. Creating conflicting, extremes across the skin that would become rapidly exposed to the air.

S'ric wanted him naked and if Taeo didn't help in that process, his clothes would be ripped. The werewolf wasn't the most patient when he had his mind set on something. He wasn't particularly careful with his claws either, catching some on Taeo's skin - then licking at him. A tease of sorts. Not biting, not yet. Just getting a taste.

This wasn't food!

Taeo jerked away the best he could when S'ric pounced, if only because of a deep primal fear of giant black furred beasts. Taeo was stupidly confident that he wasn't going to be eaten and he slowly registered the claws. The sharp bite of pain when they got too close and caught skin.

"Okay, okay, hold on." Taeo peeled off his clothing, pushing S'rics sharp claws away so they didnt snag on anything. "These are the only clothes I got so you better not rip anything,"  he quietly chastised, though he knew it would fall on deaf ears.

Taeo stood naked, heart pounding so hard in his chest he could feel his pulse in his throat. He wasn't sure if it was excitement or fear but he was more than rising to the occasion. Anticipation of what he assumed was coming.

It made sense. This was the only currency Taeo had and S'ric wanted his payment.  It wasnt a huge deal. "You're not gonna stay like that are you?" Taeo couldn't keep the disbelief from his voice or how surprised he felt. Then he paused, he'd followed the man and... He wasn't good for conversation, but he was warm and while Taeo was starving he was pretty sure S'ric would feed him. Eventually. Hopefully.

"Alright, alright, just not really deep scratches or something," Taeo nodded to the nails before he lazily opened his arms and looked a little done with the situation already, "It might get gross and pus-y and i don't have anything to clean that with."

Taeo reached forward to sink a hand into dark fur before he closed his eyes and sighed, "You're so warm. It's really nice."

S'ric wasn't good about the hold on. Especially because he was stronger and if he wanted to, he could have just ripped them all of and done whatever he wanted as quick as he wanted. No fun there, though. There was a dark part of him that enjoyed the submission though. So while he didn't entirely pull away when Taeo pushed at his claws, he spared the little thief's clothes. Mostly. There'd be some tears here and there, but that couldn't be helped. No matter how Taeo might push S'ric away, he was always touching him. Running the points of claws across smooth skin with the promise of almost cutting. The potential was always there.

It'd be so easy to break Taeo.

When asked if he was going to stay as he was, S'ric growled a little more. A rumbling irritation, but as much of an answer as Taeo was going to get. S'ric didn't see much of a difference between one form and the next. Obviously there were some physical differences, but each were S'ric. One was just more acceptable in a city.

It was cute that Taeo thought he could set any sort of rules. S'ric wrapped one hand around Taeo's thigh and the other gripped his side, right under his arm. Like Taeo was a plaything - which wasn't far from the mark. It was no effort to lift the much smaller thief and pin him to a large tree that would be able to withstand S'ric applying some pressure. This placement put Taeo higher up so S'ric wasn't looming over him, but standing at a more comfortable, fuller height. Taeo was a bit off the ground this way.

Rough bark bit into his back as S'ric sunk his teeth into Taeo's shoulder. He couldn't fully bite the thief's shoulder - he'd break bone and rend muscle, likely turning Taeo's left arm utterly unusable, but his long canines pierced flesh and caused fresh, hot blood to run down Taeo's smooth skin. The bite itself didn't last long, just enough so S'ric could really get a taste of him and create a wound that would likely scar. Rather than actually taking a bite out of Taeo, he liked lazily, enjoying the taste of his thief while adjusting Taeo's legs in a more comfortable position. Well, more comfortable for S'ric.

Eventually, it was the pressure of S'ric's body against Taeo's that kept him in place. The werewolf wasn't entirely wolf in all aspects, so while his cock was normally safely sheathed, his own excitement was becoming quickly apparent now. It would likely be a little rougher for Taeo this way. Just as S'ric was larger in his wolf form, he was likewise thicker and longer.

No rush, though. He was still licking at the bite while idly gripping Taeo's hip to hold him where he might grind, just a little. Even dragging him down the tree, scooting him down into a better position. A hint of what was to come.

It was kinda hot.

Taeo sucked in a sharp breath, his cheeks brightening under the contact. It wasn't that he liked being man-handled into positions but Taeo was small and S'ric was big and apparently super duper horny so... What ever. Was it just... Eating that did it? Well, he hadn't eaten last night from what he could tell and that guy just went at it for hours.

He breathed slowly, not panicked. Not worried. He'd be fine because it wasn't like this was the first time within twenty-four hours and --

"What the fuck!" Taeo yelped loudly, turning his face and going pale. Oh fuck, oh fuck. He was going to get eaten. He struggled a bit, his hands moving to large shoulders to push at them. It was futile. S'ric was made of rocks covered in flesh and Taeo felt tears of pain in his eyes. His legs were spread, he was vulnerable and he felt more naked now than he did a moment ago.

"Please," He whispered, turning his head away, not having fun anymore.

Then S'ric let go. Lazily licking and... Not going to eat him? Oh god, he was going to fuck him while he ate him? Taeo's heart pounded in his chest, the blood ooze from the wounds and he could feel each puncture throb with his pulse. On impulse, Taeo leaned in, opening his own mouth and clamping down hard on S'rics bicep. His own teeth were sharper than a mere humans and he ground his teeth down to puncture skin.

If S'ric was going to bite him then, dammit, he was going to bite back. Taeo leaned back, licking his lips and giving a perturbed glare. "Warn me before you bite me!" He barked, wiggling his legs to get into a comfortable position. He wasn't worried about the impending sex but damn did his shoulder hurt. Taeo frowned, turning his face towards S'ric, "Are you going to eat me?"

The screeched yelp was a delight to S'ric's sharp hearing. The sort of sound that no animal could make. How his little thief's breathing quickened, his heart kicking up when he thought something bad was really going to happen.

Granted, S'ric had taken a substantial bite out of his shoulder.

The attempt at a struggle was noted, but Taeo wouldn't move S'ric unless he wanted to be moved. Which he didn't. Especially not when he had something so deliciously bare to entertain himself with. The whispered please made the werewolf shiver with pleasure and growl, low and eager. Such sweet sounds.

He was contemplating biting at Taeo again, prompting more blood to flow, but then his little thief surprised him. He actually bit S'ric. It didn't hurt, not really. It was like a kitten scratching at a tiger. It was something, no matter how ineffective.

S'ric licked at the blood remaining around his muzzle and, in an answer to Taeo's question, pulled him down on S'ric's thick cock. Dragging him down the tree to do so. He didn't want to eat his little thief, but he certainly intended on using him in a way he hadn't before. Rather than biting into his other shoulder, and likely making the little, breakable thief too delirious in all that pain, S'ric kept his teeth and attention on the wound he'd already made. Licking and nipping at the wound while he slowly, roughly fucked Taeo against the tree – which protested some from the force.

It was one thing to take his little thief while he was a human. S'ric was at least proportioned decently. But like this, as the large werewolf he was, Taeo would be stretched anew.

In his heated moment of revenge, he'd forgotten S'ric was a horrific dog-beast. Taeo was unconcerned for a moment about his situation. Ignored the fact he was splayed out like a gutted deer set to dry and carefully spat out loose fur that had gotten stuck in his mouth. His shoulder hurt, his hips hurt, his back hurt.

Taeo frowned at S'ric, not really having fun anymore. He turned his head to lick his not destroyed shoulder in an effort to get the fur out and while he was distracted with that... "S'ric!" Taeo yelped loudly, head thrown back in a sharp gasp, a breathless scream escaping his lips while his fingers dug into what flesh and fur he could grab hold of.

"S-Stop!" He gasped, tears springing to his eyes at the sudden sharp jolt of pain of moving too fast too soon. Taeo's fingers dug in and he concentrated on the pain at his back. The pain centered between his legs. It shifted quickly in a strange warmth. It pooled in his gut and climbed up his throat, setting his face on fire in a heated flush and down to his finger tips.

The strange markings started to glow faintly and his fingers clutched at fur while Taeo gasped and mewled. The warmth snapped to freezing cold in an instant and Taeo gasped and his eyes snapped open, looking worried and panicked. He moved one hand to the tree, reaching up over his head - the non-injured arm - to dig his fingers into the bark. There was a strange hiss as the bark started to freeze, a few pops as the bark snapped.

"S'ric," Taeo moaned, the pain had turned into a strange pleasure and he was rocking along with the harsh movements. It hurt but each sharp jolt of unimaginable pain sparked something different in his gut and he simply clutched at the tree harder, causing it to freeze more. His voice came out in high pitched whines and gasps, noises marked each movement and they were a strange blend of pleasure and pain.

S'ric wouldn't have stopped if Taeo had continued to beg. He liked the gasp, though. The minor resistance, the way his little thief seemed so helpless – and he was – caught between the tree and S'ric. So much smaller than the large wolf that had caught him. He especially liked the sound of his name. The panic, the surprise.

The faint scent of tears mingling with the thicker, headier smell of sex.

When Taeo started to glow, S'ric took note but he was far too interested in fucking Taeo to really stop and consider what that might mean. It hadn't happened before, not that he could recall, but he didn't think it'd mean too much now.

The werewolf did growl, low and eager between hot breaths, when his name was moaned and the attitude of his little thief changed. Gone was the tense resistance and desperate panic. Instead, Taeo was faintly glowing and... he could smell the ice cut through the tree as readily as he could see it. Such a thing might've concerned another, but it was oddly encouraging to S'ric. The clawed hand not gripping Taeo's thigh braced on the tree, over Taeo, cutting into the wood, as he put considerable force into his thrusts. Driving as much of his thick, now slick, cock up into Taeo's body as the small thief could take. Damn near hilting himself each time.

There wasn't a smooth rhythm and the tree groaned in protest every time S'ric's body surged forward, pressing Taeo back into it. Blasting hot breath against Taeo's injured shoulder, where he was tempted to take another bite, but he instead licked at it to taste him again while fucking him. So many ways to sate himself on the thief...

The rutting was rough, the coppery twang of blood mingling with the musk of sex, as S'ric's thrusts slowed until he finally emptied himself, buried, in Taeo. There was a long, low growl as his large frame shuddered, trapping Taeo against the tree – impale as he was – even once S'ric was fully done. He liked lingering there, with his thief caught, and saw no reason to immediately grant him any sort of relief.

Taeo went far away.

Despite the thrum of pain and pleasure that spread through his torso, his head lolled to the side and his mouth was made dry from his panting. Taeo kept his eyes closed, trying to imagine himself where he was the previous night. How beastial it had been without the man around him and inside him actually being a beast. At least with his eyes closed he could imagine the handsome man from the day previous.

A guttural moan was torn from him and his eyes snapped open. Taeo's fingers curled around fur and his hand tightened into the frozen bark, feeling it snap from being so cold. Frozen. His hand jerked away from the tree, frozen bark in his hand. Quickly it was dropped and his arm curled around S'rics fluffy head. The pain was so keen and the pleasure enveloped it. His pants turned into keens and Taeo tossed his head back and yelled over come by the strange blend of pleasure and pain, quickly turning his head to muffle his cries against S'rics furred neck.

It was relief enough when S'ric was done with his rutting. Taeo's back was sore, no doubt scratched from the bark, his thighs hurt from the strange position and he snuggled in close to the warmth S'rics form offered and panted. He moved his hands from around his beasts neck and curled them in against his chest, pressing the cold limbs to S'rics sides while he tried to find a comfortable position, still impaled as he was. Of course, it was difficult and he simple made do with 'not as uncomfortable as before.'

"I came all over your fur," Taeo panted, licking his lips and closing his eyes. He brought his hand to his chest, aware of the strange feeling and flexed his hands. "You gonna spend all night in me or what?" Taeo breathed impatiently, jerking his hips back and forth in some strange effort to get S'ric to move, keen on getting down and moving so he could stretch and try to hobble a little bit. Check out his hands. Turning something into ice was an interesting development but being fucked against a tree was the more pressing issue at the moment. Taeo would - hopefully - always have his arms.

There was cold, and then there was cold. Taeo was a bit of the latter. A chill that wasn't expected, but was noted. S'ric, made quite lazy, grunted a little when Taeo curled in against his furred chest. Seeking warmth, he assumed. It was only then, in that hazy state of aftermath, that S'ric studied the frozen tree.

It was an idle study. Not expressly concerned with what Taeo had done, but he knew it was... significant? Not something he'd expected, that was for certain. It would be something he'd ask about later on, when he could think proper and formulate a logical string. At that moment, he was barely coherent enough to care that something different had happened at all.

What did a sated wolf care about ice on a tree?

It was Taeo mentioning the cum on his fur that brought S'ric's attention to the little thief. He grunted an acknowledgement but didn't particularly care. Messes could be cleaned up and, at that moment, Taeo could've been stabbing him and S'ric would've just flopped on the ground. Content and lazy. It wasn't like pain bothered him, so a bit of cum wasn't going to either. The question about staying in him though.... S'ric rumbled a growled, rough laugh, jerked his hips against Taeo, then slid away from his little thief.

The action made him snarl, just a little. A mess indeed. At least he was considerate enough that he didn't dump Taeo on the ground. One of his large, clawed hands ensured Taeo would remain upright while he sat back on his haunches, eyes partially closed but watching him. His attention was invariably drawn to Taeo's arms, his markings, then back to the tree.

As lazy as he was now, he was almost annoyed he was going to have to talk to Taeo about what happened. S'ric hated talking.

With a soft grunt and a wince, Taeo did his best to ease S'ric slipping away. His face and chest were flushed and he was slow to finally, finally, let everything settle in. Taeo moved his cold hands to S'rics forearms and he squeezed them tightly for a moment while the scene caught up with everything else. While his flesh processed the events that had just transpired and his brain slugged along.

He was trembling like a leaf, though unaware of it.

Once the pleasure ebbed away, it left a S'ric sized hole and that hole hurt like a motherfucker from a number of sides. His neck hurt from the bite and Taeo could feel the blood. His ass hurt and he could feel what hopefully wasn't blood. He was a simple man and bleeding from his ass was hardly something he wanted to deal with the next few days. After taking stock of his situation, Taeo decided that yeah, he still wanted to get down to stretch and see how bad his back got ripped up.

A few futile wiggles and he looked down at S'ric. His eyes were hooded, his lips were red and swollen from biting them. "Well," Taeo huffed out, his arms slowly turning back to their chilly but non-freezing-things state, "thanks I guess." He relaxed a little, which he regretted immediately because it pulled just about everything that'd be freshly scraped, bitten and fucked raw.

"That was a wild ride," Taeo couldn't stop his mouth. He needed a distraction and talking helped him not think about the strange feelings that were lingering in his gut. "Do you do that, but slightly gentler, for payment? I'm sure some weird-ass people'd be into that." S'ric could make a killing doin' that. Maybe not the hurty parts, but the actual doin' it parts, sure. A little wiggle and he leaned forward, looking S'ric in his... Weird wolfy eyes. "Can you let me down now, Big Guy? Or are you a cuddler? I'm okay if you're a cuddler, you're nice and warm."

S'ric should've known that the aftermath would be filled with the little thief talking. He was beginning to suspect Taeo hated silence or at least had a personal problem with it. Couldn't let things as they were, couldn't just enjoy the quiet.

The wolf huffed but he wasn't really annoyed. Of all the people S'ric could've had talking to him, at least the sound of Taeo didn't grate on his ears.

It wasn't until he realized what Taeo was saying that his ears pricked forward and a lazy snarl flashed his teeth. Fuck for payment? Why would he do that? He far more preferred the hunting jobs he took now. But then Taeo skipped along to... cuddling? A ghost of the snarl remained as S'ric considered the thief but ultimately released Taeo to do whatever... it was he wanted. He did run one of his large, clawed hands down Taeo's arm, though, and briefly squeeze his forearm. Not hard enough to hurt Taeo, but enough to draw his attention.

Then gesture with a nudge of his snout toward the tree. Maybe he could get Taeo to explain without having to say anything. Wouldn't that be something?

Whether or not Taeo wanted to be close to him for the aforementioned warmth, S'ric didn't care. He had no plans, at the moment, except to vaguely ask about the broken tree.

Still a little dazed, Taeo licked his lips and let the stinging sensations ring through his body. After S'ric released him, he sort of just melted into the fluffy beast of a man. He felt his eyes close and he sighed deeply, head slightly dropping off to the side. The movement of the large clawed hands got the primal instinct to get away and be safe snap him into alertness and Taeo blinked owlishly when it moved down his arm, gave it a squeeze.

It occurred to him then that S'ric could probably tear him limb from limb, toss his body up into the trees. Maybe even eat him. Of course Taeo knew that before, but being so... exposed and vulnerable in S'rics arms sent a strange thrill up his spine. A prickling curiosity. Not the curiosity to be ripped to shreds, no, but a strange curiosity on just what it would be like to stand toe-to-toe against such a beast.

Taeo was so wrapped up in his head he almost missed the gesture S'ric gave. "Can you not talk like this then?" Taeo pursed his lips, reaching a hand forward to press it against S'ric's throat. Fingers delving into the fur to scratch at him like one would scratch at a dog or a beloved furry pet. Remembering the gesture, Taeo pulled his hand away and looked at it frowning at it. Looking up at the tree.

"I don't know," he shrugged, "they just do that sometimes. I guess I got a little excited. Usually they're just cold," Taeo frowned at his hands before he made sure the wrappings were still on correctly. They were cold now, the backs of his hands were covered in frost caused by making the air cold and the not-condensation.

"I didn't hurt you or anything did I?" Taeo whispered, lifting his hands up and away from S'ric. He was sort of worried about it. Sort of. Then, in true Taeo fashion, he was immediately distracted. "Can you purr?"

When it didn't seem Taeo wanted to pull away, S'ric reflexively held him. Better that then let him crumple to the ground, right? The least he could do, given he'd likely bruised the little thief. At least a little. That and the wolf was pretty pliable when it came to what could be asked of him in that moment.

When asked if he could talk, though, S'ric let out a low rumble and rolled his thick, muscled shoulders in a lazy shrug. "Can," he growled through his muzzle. The sound was thick and hard to decipher. The teeth got in the way. "Don't want to." The scratching made his ears wilt a little and, if he were a prouder monster, he might've objected to being treated like a dog. In that moment, though, S'ric just didn't care.

When he asked if he was hurt though, S'ric just laughed. The idea of it. Of the thief, hurting him? Even if he had, even if the cold had been intensely painful, it would've only been a moment. The wolf healed so fast, given his age, that the pain would've just been... Well, knowing S'ric, he'd have enjoyed that too. Even thinking idly about it had him shifting some with interest while his large, clawed hands slid down Taeo's back and held him just a little closer. He answered absently, "Not cat. Don't purr." His ears laid back and his growled words were a little lower, a little darker. "Wouldn't mind you hurting me."

The words uttered - growled out? - were more shocking than anything else that happened this evening.  Taeo hurt-throbbed all over but his insides stirred anew at the growl-words. "If it makes you talk more, I will hurt you all over." Taeo confirmed, running his fingers through the fluffy fur and taking a few moments to steal away and, more or less, snuggle deep into S'ric's fur.

Despite the fact that he hurt in so many places from bites and cuts and being roughly banged up against a tree, he was exhausted. "It'd be pretty great if you could purr," Taeo mumbled, snuggling closer and practically curling his legs around S'rics middle to keep himself situated. There was only a few minutes between being quiet and going limp, head rolling to the side. Taeo snuggled in further, holding S'ric like he were a giant teddybear.

A giant scary teddybear.

S'ric let out a scoffing huff when Taeo mentioned he would hurt the werewolf more if it meant he would talk more. Of course. He didn't say anything more, though. Just shifted to accommodate the way he attempted to snuggle into his fur. S'ric didn't mind the closeness and yawned wide, for a moment flashing long, white teeth before he turned so his back was to the battered and splintered tree, resting against it.

There was no time limit for how long he could be a wolf any more than there might be a limit to how long he had to be a man. He'd long ago gained control of his shift: when and where and how long.

Since there wasn't anywhere they had to be, he drifted off for a little. Letting full night descend on the forest. It was an obnoxiously loud owl nearby that woke S'ric. He stretched and yawned once more, standing and depositing Taeo near his hastily removed clothes. He still owed the little their dinner.

Better late than never.

"Stay. Food." S'ric rumbled absently while he turned from the thief. He'd likely dunk himself while out and about since Taeo had made a bit of a mess himself.