zoomingupthathill | RYSLIG; ic inbox

[ ...oh god she's gonna be his teacher-

Give her a second. Okay, she can do this. Ain't too different from the mall. It's just being an undead- no, scratch that, it is wildly different. ]

M-maybe I can...direct to you one of the...people who's been one for longer. I don't think I'm a great mentor.

[ But. But okay, she motions for him to lean on her, she's going to get him to the couch. ]

[Couch he can do. Honestly he might just sleep on the couch until his legs decide to work properly again. They can explain what's going on to questioning housemates just trying to get their morning coffee later.]

I'm not really sure if any of us are, to be honest...

[Like, he's been a Gargoyle for some time now, and he's still to this day learning new and horrible things about it.]

I-if you want to! I mean...I...I just thought it might be easier since...since we live together, and stuff...

[And maybe he wants to hang out with you more-]

[ Since they live together. Right, no, that makes sense.

And...if she did, she could spend more time with him...

Max pointedly does not look at Basil, as she realizes that thought's passing through her head. ]

...Yeah. Like... You've got a point, so, uh, sure, I can show you the ropes.

[Basil notices the way Max averts her gaze, and he tries not to think too hard about it. He didn't push too hard, did he? He didn't want to make her change her mind on his behalf or anything...

But still. The idea makes him happy, and he can't help it if his tail wiggles a little at the thought, his hooves tippy-tapping in place.]

Thank you! It'll be better than, just...stumbling around...not reallly knowing what I'm doing.

[ Max is trying...very hard not to read into anything. It's just because they live together. And- and she's not trying to make anything else happen, so that's fine! That's absolutely fine!

Her tail swishing idly has nothing to do with this. The way she feels compelled to bump her head against Basil's lightly—which she does not do thank you very much—has nothing to do with this. The contentment flooding her body at every little bit of physical contact...has nothing to do with this.

She lightly elbows him. It's a friendly gesture, nothing more. ]

What'd I say about thanking me? Besides, I bet you'll be fine. No one expects you to get it right away, they say- like, it's called walking like a newborn deer for a reason, isn't it?

[ ...Sure, Max. ]

[Oh don't worry Max, Basil is in the same boat. He's! Trying very hard to not make it a thing!! But it's already becoming a thing in his head, and there's not really much he can do about that. He's just going to have to blame the instincts on this one, he thinks.]

Hehee...yeah, I guess so! I'm just glad...we can be deer together. It does make it feel a little less lonely.

[ Blaming the instincts. That's a great idea, it's just the instincts. ]

...It, uh... Yeah, I...guess it does.

[ She's a little surprised to say that; never would she wish this fate on someone else, but...it feels nice knowing she can help Basil out. ]

...I'll make sure you get the right kind of food. So it's not harder on you.

Edited (cant get me small text) 2023-08-04 23:37 (UTC)

[The right kind of food...right. It's hard to forget how Max has to live these days, unable to eat anything but meat. And for Basil, someone who actually probably wouldn't eat much meat at all unless he was forced to...the idea makes him a little queasy.

He nods though, shuffling his hooves just a little.]

We still have...jerky, right?

[ A moment, where she hums quietly in thought. ]

Yeah. Got a lotta that, but... Some of it's gonna need to be fresh, or... I mean, if you're like me it'll really mess with you.

[ Max doesn't feel compelled to elaborate. ]

They, uh, don't really tell you that in the guide.

No...not really.

[He gets why not, but at the same time it really does a disservice to new monsters who aren't yet familiar with the instincts they'll be dealing with.

Fortunately, she won't have to elaborate. Basil understands.]

Won't be...that much different from when I was a Gargoyle, I guess.

We can work it out, [ Max reassures quickly.

She doesn't want him to think about that, needing to get his own...fresh meat like this.

If he's like her, then... He doesn't have a hunting instinct. If possible, she wants to save him from that experience this month. ]

I just wanted to make sure you knew. We can...talk to Fugo about it.

[Basil nods, reaching a hand up to tuck a lock of hair behind one of his ears. It feels so weird now when it shouldn't, to have hair that he can manipulate. He almost forgot what it was like, and now it feels like it's tickling his face excessively. ]

Mm...yeah. That's a good idea.

[It's a problem for future Basil anyway. Right now, he's just now realizing how tired he is...his limbs feel heavy, and even just standing here is taking a toll on him.]

Um, I...I'm going to go lay down I think...I should be able to get to my room okay.

Oh, uh, okay.

[ Max glances toward the staircase. ]

You sure? I can help you up, if you...need it?

[ The deer brain's...weirdly desperate to not leave him alone. Even though the girl needs to, uh, perhaps take a metaphorical breather herself. ]

[Yeah, no, that's exactly how Basil is feeling too. Even when Max suggests that, he feels a weird little swooping in his chest that he assumes would have been his heart, if it could still beat. That, and his brain is trying to convince him that he wouldn't be inconveniencing her since they're probably going to be headed in the same direction anyway......]

Um. W-well...you're going to your room too, right? Maybe we can...go together?

[Since, you know, Max is just down the hall and all.]

Together. To—

[ For a moment, Max misinterprets. She recovers quickly enough, eyes going just slightly wide. ]

—Yes, great idea. I can pull you up if it looks like you're gonna wipe out and break your nose, or something.

[ She lets out a breathy laugh, trying to inject levity so she can quiet the urges inside her. ]

[Basil, meanwhile, does not catch the misunderstanding at all. He's too focused on getting upstairs so he can lay face down in bed and die for a little while.

He nods, and- again without really thinking about it- reaches for Max's hand.]

C'mon. I bet you're probably as tired as I am.

[ A warm, comfortable feeling floods Max.

It's...a little unnerving, at the same time. ]

...Y-yeah. I... Probably.

[ She'll hold his hand all the way up the stairs. To make sure he doesn't fall, of course. ]

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