[Closed!] Well, This is Awkward (Vyn, FP)

[Vyn]

The canine couldn't stop his trembling. Even the warm water couldn't soothe the cold from his body. For the first time in such a long time he realized that his life was far from the way he wanted it.

Acher's stiffness in his grasp, his refusal to answer... The canine slowly released the other male, recoiling ever so slightly. Did they not always say that silence could say more than words? This time is surely did.

"I... I understand." Trembling and wet, he pulled away from Acher and stepped onto the cool tile of the bathroom floor. It was Anatolius's turn to feel sick, his stomach churning with dread and his heart pounding within his chest. "I should give you some time alone." His voice quaked as badly as his body did. So stupid. "You can have the bed tonight, I'll take the couch." He murmured lightly, though he knew it was a lie. How could he sleep after any of this?

Why couldn't Acher be angry? Why couldn't he yell and scream? Show some passion that might mean everything would be okay? Why did he just leave him in that baleful and empty silence, like he'd been struck dead but his body had kept on moving. Why, after everything, did it feel like everything was over?

Anatolius didn't have any answers for himself or anyone else, he just...had to get out of there. Away from the gut-wrenching sight of what he'd done.

[FlyingPanther]

He knew on some level that Anatolius did care about him, Acheron wasn't blind. He had taken comfort in that fact, and it had saved his life in the past, the piece of his heart that Anatolius did have for him. It was the thing that made giving the silent treatment to him so unbarible, but in the longrun...it was nicer then any other alternative. Acheron didn't have the right to make him feel bad...he really didn't. Anatolius should be celebrating the birth of his first borns. In his heart he knew the wolf would make a great father, but he tried not to think on it to much. The thought only made him more upset. "Don't leave Tavor waiting..." he said finally, turning his head to look away from the wolf. He wanted to pretend like he was already alone.

Things had never been this difficult when he had been homeless. Sure...there was the lonliness, and the starving, but those pains were nothing compared to this. They say it is better to have loved and lost...then never to have loved at all. Acheron could only imagine what they might say if they were in his shoes. The phrase would have the be changed. He wished he could go back to being homeless. Wished he could take away the last few happy years...so that this moment wouldn't hurt as much as it did. He finally remembered his body...and how much it ached. He couldn't stand any longer, so he slowly laid down on the tile of the shower...letting the water run over him. He didn't want to check to see if the wolf was still there.

[Vyn]

Without saying a word, Anatolius grabbed a towel and dried the wetness from his fur, the tears from his eyes. He couldn't look back, didn't want to know if Acheron was staring or ignoring him entirely. The antelope seemed in another world, just a ghost. The canine hurried out without pause, trembling and sick, to deal with the mess that had been made in the hallway.

Concern for having neglected Tavor for so long already was the only thing that kept Anatolius from being ill himself.


When he at last returned to Tavor, it was with lies in his eyes and a sheepish smile on his muzzle. For as long as he could, he would pretend everything was alright for Tavor's sake.

"Sorry about that Tavor, poor love didn't make it to the bathroom." Acheron's silent treatment remained fresh in Anatolius's mind, causing the canine to tremble a little again and for his mask to slip ever so slightly but he managed to sit down once more without any severe breaks. "So you were sayin' we've got kids, eh? Not the way I expected to become a pop..." The canine attempted to laugh but the sound came out foreign in his own ears. He stopped as quickly as he started, getting out little more than a 'heh'. He did, however, manage to warm his smile a bit. "Where are they right now? I'd love to meet them, yeah?"

And get out of the house, away from the misery of knowing what he'd done.

[Kitty]

It was comforting being under his cloak and it made the edge of his worry and guilt not quite as sharp as he took the time that the pair of them were gone to collect himself so he wouldn't simply burst into tears the next time he saw the wolf. His ears twitched as he heard someone coming back down and he stuck his nose out from under the cloak, twitched his nose a bit and then tossed his head so he could watch the canine join him once more.

Dark eyes narrowed ever so slightly at what the wolf said ... he was lying to him and he didn't appreciate it but ... it was probably for a reason ... and at least partially for the canine himself so .... he wouldn't say anything, but his ears wouldn't come forward quite yet either. However, the tone of his voice wasn't entirely pleasant either.

I'm not forcing you to meet them, or be any part of their lives ... I just thought you should know. If you just want to forget about them ... I'll understand.

He couldn't help but tense up his toes and dig his claws into the cushion he was sitting on ever so slightly, thankful that the fact that he was still wrapped in his cloak would most certainly hide the action.

[Vyn]

Anatolius's expression fell a little in response to the other male's words, his ears dropping back and his smile taking on a more half-hearted quality. He looked like he wanted to fall apart on the spot. Lying wasn't his best quality, especially not about something so personal. Work was a different story, this was part of his real life.

"No worries, Tavor... I want to be a part of their lives." Once again that half-hearted chuckle and a weak attempt to flash a genuine smile. "What damage that can be done is done, forgetting will just make them worse." He shifted a little in his seat, hands moving constantly as he tried to think of a productive way to expunge his distress. "Something like this was long overdue, I suppose. I guess the gang is right... You really can't love a whore."

Suits, that sounded weird coming from him. He could've sworn he heard a bit of Eros's bitterness tainting his own voice. Anatolius shuddered, his expression momentarily bleak.

"So, yeah... I'd love to meet 'em, y'know? Acher needs time to ...cool off, I guess." It wasn't Tavor's fault, nor the kids. Toli didn't blame either of them. It was no one's fault but his own. He didn't have what it took to give Acheron the faithfulness he deserved.

[Kitty]

His tail was twitching idly as he listened to and watched the canine, still not entirely sure how he felt with this situation as a whole. And then the canine said something that .... surprised him a bit and most definitely brought his ears forward ... he was a ... what?

You're a ... whore?

Until that point that specific thought hadn't even crossed his mind, but now that it had, well .... uncomfortable wasn't quite a strong enough word to cover what he was feeling. And he couldn't help but speak without thinking either ...

Great ...

His ears shifted back in surprise and he ducked under his cloak once more so he wouldn't be able to see the canine's reaction, he really didn't need to be making things worse then he already had. He sighed from beneath the green fabric and toyed with claws for a moment.

They're back where I'm staying in the Capitol, got someone to watch them while I came here ... we can ... go there ... if you ... want.

[Vyn]

Anatolius hesitated for a moment, realizing the words that had just escaped him. F*$#! Today was just his day to screw up, wasn't it? Tavor hadn't known he was a whore...even if they had met in the Red Light District of the Capital. The canine cursed silently once again, his entire form only sinking further down into the couch.

"S-sorry..." He laughed miserably, lowering his head to his hands for a moment. He just wanted to disappear for a bit, make everything go away. "I... I thought you knew."

Slowly Anatolius pulled his head from his hands, peering awkwardly at the rat mix. Oi. He was far too emotionally drained to hold a grudge over something like that. Pushing it out of his mind, Anatolius lifted to his feet and flashed a weak smile down at the concealed male.

"Yeah, of course I'd like to go see them. Just give me a moment to write Acher a note." He slipped away then, quickly scribbling out a note to his lover before returning to tack it lightly onto the pillow that he had originally intended to use that evening. Acher could do what he wanted once he found it and, hopefully, the time alone would give him a chance to cool down about the situation.

If he did.

Suits, Anatolius had screwed up royally.

"Ready?"

[Kitty]

He didn't add anything after that and simply let the canine go about his business. By the time the wolf got back to the room he'd be in his bipedal form again, waiting. He still felt bad, and knew nothing was going to get better tonight, but ... he did have one last thing left to do it seemed.

Yeah ... come on.

He twitched his tail as he stepped toward the door, suits ... this really sucked ... there was no other words to describe it. He glanced up the stairs once before heading out the door and leading the wolf to the inn he was staying at for a bit. When they got there they'd be greeted by a biped, full lowlander, he had ... reasons for picking one to watch the kids, and she hurried off telling him that she'd be back tomorrow as they'd planned. He waved her off and, as soon as Toli was inside, shut the door behind him.

They're probably asleep ... but I don't mind waking them for you ...

He peered over at the canine, his ears half way back and his entire expression would be easy to read, he was unsure. He wasn't leery about introducing the canine to his children he just still didn't know if this was what the canine really wanted ... and he was giving him a final shot at backing out if that's the way he wanted to go.

[Vyn]

Anatolius lingered in the doorway for a moment, peering reluctantly up the stairs as if he wished Acheron would open the door again and hurry down to him... That he would forgive him and they could all go together.

And nothing happened.

He sighed for a moment, closing his eyes briefly as he pulled the door shut and locked it. Acher would be able to get out just fine, of course, but Anatolius didn't intend to leave it open and risk someone coming in and causing the antelope further distress.


Silent throughout the walk, Anatolius did everything in his power to gather his mood and make himself more presentable for children. The last thing he wanted to do was greet them as an emotional wreck.

Upon reaching the Inn and the subsequent bedroom, Anatolius flashed a brief smile to the young Lowlander woman and then followed Tavor inside. He didn't question the choice of sitters -- with Tavor's mixed heritage, it simply made sense to have the most tolerant of sitters for mixed, or possibly full-blooded, Lowlanders.

"If you wouldn't mind waking them, then you're welcome to." He smiled a little, looking a little nervous but also quite hopeful. He hoped they liked him... If nothing else he could turn that into the plus of the situation.

[Kitty]

His ears moved forward again at that, well then ... he'd be waking them. He turned, forcing a smile onto his face, wouldn't due to make any of think they were in trouble after all, and stepped over to a closed door and placed a hand on the knob and paused for a moment before opening it and peering inside. They were, of course, sound asleep and curled up with one another as best the three of them could manage. He made their bedding as comfortable as possible ... but it wasn't entirely possible, not with having to make sure the materials were either fire proof, over covered with some that were.

He missed the twitching of Nova's ears, but didn't miss the puppy starting to stir at just the sound of the door opening. He opened first one eye, then the other and, upon seeing his mother standing in the doorway, began to wag his tail back and forth, accidentally swatting his siblings with it over and over again... so much for Tavor having to wake them ...

Brokat shifted after getting hit in the face with that fluffy tail and then covered his face with his paws, but it still kept hitting him. Using his paws as a shield he peeked out and saw that his brother was awake, and happy to see something, and followed his line of vision to see what it was, and then his own fluffy tail gave the slightest of wags.

Tavor rolled his eyes before peering over his shoulder and gesturing Anatolius over.

They were asleep.