An Encounter in the Veilgarden, 24th of June

[tolpen]

The lights are still bright and the crowds bustle - although for the Veilgarden, this is fairly low traffic. The air is thick with the wine of yesternight, honey, and a mixture of perfumes.
The Soft-Eyed Mycologist is stalking- no not, stalking, he is loitering on the edge of the area. Biding his time. Waiting. He has a pocket watch. He doesn't check it, not even once.
Unlike earlier today, he is not wearing light blue nor teal. The tailcoat is true apocyan and so are the trousers. The waistcoat is silver and white. There is a lapel pin in the shape of a cross, and there is a pair of comfortable yet dashing shoes. They click audibly on the cobblestones and the occasional spark betrays that the soles are reinforced with steel.
Wherein one would expect him to carry a walking stick, all he holds is a parcel of a modest size, wrapped in brown paper and tied with a piece of twine. It doesn't appear to be heavy.

Comments

Re: Burning the Dance Floor

[ticktopis_observatorium]

"All mine?" They relished the feeling of that wording on their lips. "Very well then. As you asked for seclusion, I can assure you my lodgings are free of preeing eyes-" they had to stop there, blinking away a thought. "But those of my beloved spindlewolf, yet she doesn't take as much interest in my affairs than in other people's so we should be safe."

After dismissing a fond chuckle, the Professor accommodated more of the Mycologist close to them. "Shall we?"

Re: Burning the Dance Floor

[tolpen]

He presses a ghost of a kiss below the Professor's ear. The Mycologist has to stand up to his tippy toes to do so. His lips are still a little cold from the drink.

"Most excellent. We shall then." He hangs himself very decoratively on their arm.
"Spindlewolves are fine by me. They rarely tattle."

A Change of Scenery

[ticktopis_observatorium]

The pleasant lingering sensation or the Mycologist's cold lips already had the Professor wanting more. Soon enough.

"All perfect then, we can go by foot. The Treachery left a very convenient shortcut around here..."

On their way out, closely held on each other's arm, the Professor grabs their cane and starts the stroll. It's only around the equivalent to three streets long, but at the end of the first street they have to do two and a half clockwise turns around a statue, walk the next street and, as they will end up on the same street, walk it again backwards. Then they reach a place not far from the Observatory at Watchmaker's, the target being a somewhat baroque, early georgian two-story house illogically placed on the top of a hill, overlooking London from one balcony and the Unterzee from the other.

"The Fall wasn't kind on this house, probably because it didn't fit with the neighboring architecture. No one claimed it before my husband and I did, and needed extensive renovation but here it is now."

They explain while opening the front door, leading to an austere yet comfortable drawing room. It seems all the budget went to sturdy walls and stable floors and ceilings rather than expensive furniture, and then research ate any further income.

As they stepped in a fully brachiating spindlewolf came excitedly to greet the couple, running all over the wall. After a few delicate headpats from the Professor (minding the eyes, there's too many to find an easy angle) and sniffing interested at the Mycologist, the pet retreated deeper into the house.

"And that's my dear Noa, the fluffiest chitin-skinned beast you'll know."

Re: A Change of Scenery

[tolpen]

"What a wonderful view you both must have here," the Mycologist notes. "Almost and observatory of one's own." He shoots an appreciative look towards the windows and balconies.

He steels himself as he steps over the threshold. Eyes closed for a moment, a deep breath taken. He steadies himself on the door-frame, and opens his eyes only once he has both his feet safely inside.

"Hello, Noa," the Mycologist smiles at the beast. This is not his first spindlewolf, that much is apparent by the lack of hesitation to offering his hand for a sniff.
"Oh, do excuse me, of course I brought a gift for the caretaker of the premise. Pardon me, my dear," the man extracts himself from the Professor's embrace, and from the inner pocket of his attire (How many pockets does this tailcoat even have?) he produces a strip of dried meat, wrapped in brown paper.
He offers the snack to Noa, the Beuatiful Spindlewolf.
He looks sheepishly back at the Professor: "Worry not. 'Tis unsalted. Procured it myself, the animal spoke not."

Re: A Change of Scenery

[ticktopis_observatorium]

The Beautiful Spindlewolf was the first to notice the treat, promptly sniffing it then grabbing it with the finesse of a great lady and eating it slowly, deliberatedly, as if to get all the flavor of it. Once finished she looks for something else a little while on the Mycologist's hand. This not being the case, she shows gratitude by nuzzling that hand gently, turning around him very close to his legs and angling her furred yet too-articulated tail as if to dust the Mycologist while at it, then tip-toeing her way around the house.

The Professor smiled deeply pleased. "Ah, now she'll be loving you more than me. Thank you." They said sincerely while holding his hand, appreciating specially people treating so well the animals, specially their own specialest girl.

"And the view is definitely worth any price, I assure you. There's a moment at night when the Moon-Misers get the most luminous, and the false-constellations so easy to identify... We could get a good look at it."

After a brief thoughtful pause, the Professor asked softly. "Is there something that troubled you in the threshold?"

Re: A Change of Scenery

[tolpen]

The jeky in question was a zee-fish, untouched by peligin.

"Oh please, I do not think she will remember me, unless I visit often. She knows thee as the Purveyor of Daily Meals, whereas I merely try to get into her good graces."

He pauses for a moment, and then a very soft, very nostalgic kind of smile crowns his features: "Thy knowst, not many call them Moon-Misers. But of course, thy'st been to the Roof. You had to see them up close. Wonderful beasts, aren't they? The Creator truly loves the beetles the most out of all that came from his graceful hands."
He looks aside, and then he says: "Perhaps we can glim-gaze some other time. It'd be most unbecoming of me to think of another while with thee, and I'd be not able to help myself."

A humourless chuckle. "Ah, I hoped it would escape thy notice. A threshold once crossed can never be uncrossed. I sometimes get stuck on such little things."

Re: A Change of Scenery

[ticktopis_observatorium]

The Professor nods, empathizing all too much with the feeling. "Of course, dear. And I thank you for the consideration."

"About that... Maybe I can make certain you'll be happy to have this new threshold behind your shadow. No choice can be unmade, but that doesn't mean they have to be regretted..."

That being said, the Professor lead the Mycologist to the parlor, indicating him to sit on a surprisingly soft if simple sofa, then disappeared for a short while. Once they return they bring a tray with a jar and two glasses of some liquid, the color of creamy milk, but cold, with a slushy texture. They leave it in the coffee table in front of the sofa and sit down next to the Mycologist, confident he will enjoy the closeness.

"May I offer you orxata? Made entirely of chufas from the Surface. It's a priced treasure, thus made even better when shared." Serving the two glasses then offering the Mycologist his, and drinking a bit of their own before once again holding the Mycologist with both arms.

Re: A Change of Scenery

[tolpen]

He sits down, taking in the room. He cannot help but feel a bit exposed at this open concept plan. [Read: Not every surface - be horizontal, vertical, sloped - has been crammed with flowerpots, books and knickknack that "will certainly be of use at a later point".]

"Thou knowst," he leans onto the Professor, a hand on his knee, "thou doestn't have to bribe me to like thee. It is entirely unnecessary," he adds with a chuckle.

But he takes the glass nevertheless and tests a sip, weighing in first the colour and scent, then the taste. Belatedly he realizes he is supposed to swallow rather than remain in the part where he tests anything new for poisons. (But what a novel experience that would be.)

A Nice Refreshment

[ticktopis_observatorium]

The beverage is cold, and has an intense almost-almond flavor, feeling creamy on the tongue and with reminiscent touches of cinnamon or lemon, but very faint.

"Compliment accepted, dear..." The Professor answers starting to caress the Mycologist, running their hands through his shoulder and neck, stopping slightly at his face before letting him drink freely, expectant of his reaction. Meanwhile, they drink of their own.

The embrace doesn't relent, not in the slightest.

Re: A Nice Refreshment

[tolpen]

The drink is a pleasant surprise. Mostly because it is cold, and in the False-Summer, cold has to be cherished. But almonds are one of the Mycologist's weaknesses.

He puts the glass down, and quite boldly scoots closer... and right into the Professor's lap. Despite having an average mass, it is as if he weights nothing.

And then he does what almost no one has seen hem to do before: He takes off his golden pince-nez. Its lenses are large and its rim hard. There are difficulties to nuzzle into someone's neck with that thing on. Fortunately, this obstacle is now gone, tucked safely away in a pocket.

Re: A Nice Refreshment

[ticktopis_observatorium]

The Professor smiles at the Mycologist's visible approval of the beverage, then holds him starting to nuzzle his neck this time.

"Will you see well enough without it? And, I need to ask you... How much do you want from this today?" For there will be more, the Professor knows and hopes, each time somewhat different than the previous.

Re: A Nice Refreshment

[tolpen]

"I shall see well enough."
He doesn't need the pince-nez. He hasn't needed it for a long time. The amber giveth and the amber taketh, and it took a few tries to get it right, but nowadays the lenses in his characteristic adornment are of flat glass.

He caresses one side of the Professor's face and murmurs: "I am a greedy creature. If I get all that I want, nothing will be left of thee when I leave. And as such, I shall take only what thou art willing to give, and repay in kind."

Re: A Nice Refreshment

[ticktopis_observatorium]

"Oh goodness... Had I known where I was getting into~" they say actually excited, as the Professor knows the Mycologist perfectly capable of fulfilling that alluring threat. So perhaps there's a nice way to get them both out of this situation whole... Or mostly whole.

"Then I suggest you start taking, and we'll see how much of me I want left for tomorrow..." it goes without saying that they'll be taking as well, as expressed by their clawed hands gently caressing his face, lips aching for a proper kiss for quite a while.

Re: A Nice Refreshment

[tolpen]

It starts simple enough - with a kiss to the neck. With a caress of teeth along the scales. (Who is to say where the border between skin and scales are, and who is the Mycologist not to cross it.) With a tickle of the tongue along the collar bones, which does not require the Mycologist to bend his head down in the slightest.

He pulls away, briefly, to shed his tailcoat like one might shed skin.
"Oh, thou art a feast," he purrs.

Right Before Dinner

[ticktopis_observatorium]

The Professor leans towards the Mycologist's lips, and teeth, and tongue, their breathing becoming more frequent, warmer, their eyes sharp, their claws gripping tighter on their companion...

"Then partake to your heart's desire, dear" it's the answer purred back-

Right before Noa finds the camera, sniffing it with curiosity, then deciding to lay on top of it, blocking view and sound to any possible onlooker.

Re: Right Before Dinner

[tolpen]

OOC: We thank Noa for her hard work and for saving me from having to age-lock this entire thread. Everyone give good fish jerky to Noa.

Re: Right Before Dinner

[ticktopis_observatorium]

OOC(Noa is a good censor, the Ministry of Public Decency is very proud of her)