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[swordfucker]

Guren Ichinose | Red | #A5211F

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[passio]

[ dextera does as he's told with the potion, and as soon as he hears guren enter, he greets him from the top of their rickety old stairs with a little wave. it's like they were never apart for very long at all, and dextera is glad to see that their routine is still in place.

of course, when he remembers, he adds one little extra flourish: a sign! technically, "ciao," since he's learning italian sign language, but it's understood all the same. ]

Hello.

[swordfucker]

[Oh... He's learning so much, Guren has to stop at the bottom of the stairs to appreciate it, smirking as he starts walking up.]

Hey, Dex. [Is that sign hello? He assumes so, but he'll probably have to start learning a little from Caramia too, just to keep up. Despite these pure thoughts, though, he's straight to the point:] You must be really curious about things like these. Are you sure you want to watch me try it?

[It could be straight up poison, he knows now, and Dextera had been so alarmed when Guren tested other drugs on himself. But... this will probably be a lot easier on him. The drugs are meant to push bodies. These potions are more... straightforward? In a way.]

[passio]

[ dextera is prepared, this time, for whatever the potion might do—and it’s not like he’s any stranger to what a weird, unlabeled liquid could do to someone. he has a natural curiosity that won’t let him just leave the bottle untouched, and guren has made it clear that he’s better equipped to try things like this.

when guren reaches his room, dextera nods his answer. there’s a part of him that’s still a scholar, still a scientist, after all—he would try it himself, if he didn’t know that guren would get angry.

leliel had been outside, enjoying the weather with the rest of her flock while dextera went to slay the jorogumo, but he brought her inside when he got home. he’s careful to give her a lot of time outside every day to forage...! but he loves to have her inside, too. ]

[swordfucker]

[Guren leans his sword against the wall, and then moves across to Leliel, where he crouches down for a quick few strokes of her neck. It's so casual, it's almost like he's naturally this affectionate. If people didn't know better...]

Alright. [But with that done, he stands up, and holds out his hand expectantly.] Hand it over.

[passio]

...

[ dextera could watch guren and leliel interact all day, but they have some business to attend to. he retrieves the vial from his pocket, and offers it to guren—the cork is slightly misplaced, making it quite obvious that he did sniff it, but the potion itself is still full enough. he didn't drink anything!

leliel clucks softly, trying to follow the potion exchange. snack? snack?? for leliel??? ]

[swordfucker]

[The first thing he does is sniff it himself, which was the biggest mistake he could have made, because smelling like barn animals is not appetizing at all. He makes a face, but otherwise seems completely fine as he tips his head back and tries just enough to be his sample size.

He corks it immediately, letting it settle down as he waits. And waits...

And then glances down at Leliel's clucking, trying to figure out if he just imagined something or if it actually happened.]

Trust me, you don't want any of this. [It's GROSS. But look, Dex, he's fine!]

[passio]

...?

[ but what does it do? it smells very... natural, which would be pleasant in any other context for dextera, but it's just kind of musky as things stand. he tilts his head, and leliel pecks at guren's legs. the important social hierarchy is clearly dextera > leliel > guren.

food?? water?? please?? dextera brought her in without replacing her water from joshua's supply, and she's a little annoyed that it's been sitting for a while at room temperature. how cruel. ]

[swordfucker]

...

[Alright. This is beyond him guessing what Leliel wants because of her actions. Those clucks are words, and Guren is ignoring Dextera just for the moment to crouch and move his free hand to pet her. Stop pecking him!!

He has to think about this, make sure there are no other side effects, but this seems so harmless. If he tells Dextera what it does now, he'll want to drink it immediately, but if he doesn't... he'll be upset. Probably.]

She's mad that you haven't changed her water out. [It's fine like this, he guesses.]

[passio]

...?!

[ wait, how does guren know? somehow, dextera doesn't connect that it was the potion's doing to guren's apparently sudden comprehension of leliel's thoughts and feelings, but there's an urgent look on his face that demands guren tell him as soon as possible. ]

I forgot. [ a small defense... but he'll change it soon. ] How?

[ leliel stops pecking guren, but the way she moves her head under his hand suggests that she might still want to. she's in... a fowl mood. ]

[swordfucker]

[Stop that right now]

She told me.

[He sounds INSANE and he knows it, but that thought earns a short laugh from him as he continues to pet her.] Come on, Leliel. I'll get you some food, so cheer up.

[Then, he's pulling back to stand, again, and he's offering Dextera the potion.]

It looks like this is letting me understand Leliel, at least. It could be all animals, but we'll have to find out. I don't know how long it'll last, or if something painful might come as a side effect later, but this is what it is for now. It's perfect for you, so far.

[passio]

...!

[ dextera takes the potion, holding it like a treasure, especially because leliel eyes guren suspiciously—as if she could understand him. does it go both ways? is this about to be the best day of his life?

leliel clucks, and dextera can’t stand not understanding her for a moment longer, so he takes a sip of the unpleasant fluid and is immediately crouching in order to look at his pet.

a bok. she wants to know why he’s looking at her like that. dextera inhales. ]

[swordfucker]

[ This is probably the definition of purity. Guren watches, waiting quietly for a moment before he nudges at Dextera with his leg. ]

Maybe she’ll understand your signing better? Either way, she’s impatient.

[ to be honest, he’s still worried that Dextera took it with him, but he knows he’s paranoid. The potions like this have zero or tiny side effects if they’re not immediately terrible. ]

[passio]

[ dextera tries signing to her, but he doesn’t get very far before she’s sticking her head between his fingers in a gesture that clearly demands she be fed and watered now, even without speaking.

she has a strong personality!! ]

Sorry. [ is what he says to her, and she blinks, regarding his apology with some mild surprise, and bobs her head in something that could be a nod. dextera turns to look at guren immediately, eyes practically sparkling.

DID HE SEE THAT ]

[swordfucker]

[N...no... He can't look at this! Guren is trying to look unimpressed by it all, a hand on his hip and glancing half away, but he keeps looking back, and he definitely meets those almost-sparkling eyes with his own.]

I hope you're remembering that only some of the potions end up like this. It was good that you came to me first. Don't forget that.

[Guren...... let him be excited in peace...] It looks like she can understand, too.

[passio]

[ dextera nods. he really did learn his lesson, after the first one, but now he’s so happy that even guren’s slight chiding can’t bring him down.

he stands, though, gesturing for leliel—and guren—to follow him downstairs so that he can change her water and give her some food.

her little sounds are pretty straightforward, but dextera is delighted to hear them anyway. he’s already going to miss her questions of food? food? drink? ]

[swordfucker]

[This warms his heart, which he can always use, so he hangs back behind Dextera and his chicken and follows after them.]

Come to think of it, your house is filled with animals. It's probably going to be noisy. [But like, good noisy.]

[passio]

[ dextera doesn’t mind the noise, and it’s with a good mood that he reveals something that might otherwise make him sad. ]

Neuro Tower, so quiet. [ guren may not know what the neuro tower is, but context clues are helpful enough. ] Sounds of life—good.

[swordfucker]

[Neuro Tower is an odd name, but he can guess what he means. He'll just file that away rather than interrupt everything to ask small questions.]

Yeah. I forgot, you were the guy who was about to cry over seeing grass.

[Light teasing, and a fond memory already. He can't believe it's been over two months now.] But I don't disagree with you. It's a nice sound.

[passio]

[ strangely, it's nice to be teased about something like that. it's a reminder of how far he's come—from crying over the grass to actually tending to it himself, planning to grow any number of things for however long he's allowed to be here.

that's how he thinks of this place, after all. despite everything that's happened, it's a gift to be a part of the community. ]

Want a cat.

[ an incredibly brave statement from dextera, and as soon as the potion translates that word—cat—for leliel's little chicken brain, she squawks angrily. what does dextera MEAN he wants a CAT ]

[swordfucker]

[He has to laugh at that little exchange.]

A cat? When you've got your own chicken? You've gone and offended her now. [He pauses, glancing down at the water, thinking.] Besides, aren't you kind of a cuddly guy? Cats don't really dig that, I think.

[He doesn't know... and I hate that he said dig]

[passio]

[ ...is he cuddly?!

he's never thought of himself like that, and between leliel's anger and guren's sly little comment, he finds himself embarrassed. ]

Ngh...

[ he wants to protest, but deep down, he knows it must be true... so he crouches instead, cuddling his chicken as if to prove that he isn't cuddly. leliel ignores him, drinking her water. ]

[swordfucker]

[lol]

See? Do that to a cat, and it'll scratch you in the face. [This is his impression of cats, it's probably Shinya's fault.] Something that suits you would probably be a puppy.

[passio]

[ no!! this hypothetical cat that dextera has only in his imagination would never scratch him, but he's also judging every single animal by leliel's extremely chill standards. she's got a bit of a haughty personality, but she isn't violent in the least. ]

... [ he pauses. ] "Cuddly"?

[ assertively questioned. that's the reputation, right? that dogs love people... dextera is still thinking about how apparently he loves to touch. ]

[swordfucker]

Dogs are cuddly, just like you. You're kind of like a puppy, yourself.

[GUREN]

[passio]

...!

[ GUREN

leliel isn't even helping him out here. even if she understands guren, she's busy with her nice, cool water, and pecking at the food that dextera set down for her. he shakes his head! vehemently!

if dextera is a puppy then guren is a donkey because he's an ass ]