Senecio and Tide

[Mirach]

"That sounds like a bed where you wouldn't have to worry about it pressing on your tail," Senecio said. "Do you want to go there? And is it safe for humans? I would be a bit worried about turning over in sleep and accidentally drowning..."

[VisAnastasis]

" You don't get it, it's not safe because you always float - Alpha literally changed the nature of the liquid. " Hans smiled a little at the thought of the Being they visited that day. " You can press your face against it, but it will just bend as if it was cloth... You really literally can't drown. You don't even get wet, you are dry when you get out. It's the same as when he can sew sunlight into your clothes but they don't burn. His powers are pretty cool... "

[Mirach]

"So it's less like a pool you can sleep on and more like a bed made of water? Okay, that sounds like I could sleep on that without worrying, and it definitely sound like a most comfortable way to sleep for you right now," Senecio said. 

[VisAnastasis]

" That's what I was thinking about too." Janus chipped in gladly." I mostly go there to just reminisce about the past... But it may be more comfortable for you.."
" I was more thinking about how neat it is..."  Hans grinned innocently at the actor." And how I'd like to show it to you..."

[Mirach]

"That's decided then," Senecio nodded. "If it's not too far, I guess I could carry you. What I can wouch for is that I can carry you princess style as far as the stage is wide. Other than that I'm not trained for," he smirked.

[VisAnastasis]

" Good thing I am not a princess, then... Come on, don't worry that much about it.  " Hans grinned a little at him. " Zou never really tried to raise me, sure, but actually, I am not really heavy - another prop of being a Being, fun for lovemaking, terrible in the strong wind. You can freely carry me over your shoulder like a sack of flour, heh! Why not? It certainly seems easier and with less chance for me to stab you with my horns if I begin slipping out of young hands and wiggle in panic. "

[Mirach]

"Well, it would look terrible on stage, but it actually would be safer and without danger of dragging your tail on the floor, so okay..." Senecio leaned to him to lift him.

[VisAnastasis]

It was contra-intuitive to the human mind, and while he did support him before, it was hard to assess Spirit's weight before - but Hans was actually at least half the weight lighter than he should be, based on his appearance. He helped a little with the movement at first, but when actor put him over the shoulder he calmed and took a hold on him so he wouldn't slip.
" What do you think?" He murmured a tease sleepily." Am I a well behaved sack of flour or what?"

[Mirach]

"I would say it's some floor for those who want to lose weight, much lighter than its volume would suggest," Senecio smiled, carrying him easily. 

Svarik did not say anything, having dozed off while they were talking.

[VisAnastasis]

" Damn fine sack of flour, though, right?" Hans snorted and patted him on the back, the movement hurting a little but worth for the hell of it.
" I think you are very fine sack of flour." Janus smiled a little as he took it literally,  however, he was glancing at tired Svarik a little first, and then, with restraint, at the tail on the floor, before turning to them again. " Would you... Mind if I... Stay here and clean up and make sure your companion is okay? Hans knows the path, and the door shall be open for you..."

[Mirach]

"No problem," Senecio said, "if the sack of flour can direct me where to go."

[VisAnastasis]

" I am a magical sack of flour, mind you! I can do anything!" Hans snickered proudly, and directed Senecio toward the stairs to the floor above.

Janus seemed uncertain what to do, unused to those situations - he waved his hand before Svarik's eyes, trying to figure out if he can get his attention, or if he is actually asleep.

[Mirach]

Senecio followed his directions, careful to not jostle him too much when going up the stairs.

Svarik only slept shallowly and woke when he heard someone coming close to him. "Sorry..." he murmured. "Must have dozed off... Did they leave without me?"

[VisAnastasis]

Hans directed him to a room in the centre of the building, with massive stone doors. However, they responded to the lightest touch, opening up for them. They found themselves in a rather mossy, but pleasant environment, truly a peaceful little centre of an abandoned temple. A small set of stairs let to the altar in the shape of palms of the hands, full of water, and quite above it, there was some kind of floating crystal.
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/2mwxJ 

---

" That sounds... a touch rude. I wouldn't put it like that, little human... " Janus said slowly. " King Hans is just too weak, so they accepted my invitation to spend the night at my inner sanctum, instead of going all the way to the mansion right now. That delightful little human is carrying him. Beings need rest after heavy damage., you see. " He whispered. He hesitated, before, a little awkwardly, rubbing his hands, he whispered. " People usually... I mean... um... Never... Like to stay here longer than necessary. But if you want to stay and sleep I wouldn't mind. I could bring you clean sheets. " He offered, ineptly but hopefully, clearly unused to strangers just feeling chill enough to fall asleep in his presence, but trying to get used and work with it.

[Mirach]

"So where should I put you down?" Senecio asked, looking around. "Those hands are supposed to be a bed?"

"I rather meant considerate," Svarik said. "Letting me sleep instead of waking me. People tend to do that when they want to be considerate... Just like you with the offer. Thank you, but my friend is waiting for me, as well as Sage who is our host. We should return there."

[VisAnastasis]

" They are more like a bed frame. " Hans said with a little smile. " A soft bed frame, actually. Nothing is as it seems, with Alpha's most entertaining work. They look like stone, and were stone, but are as soft as pillows. He usually likes to use that for pranks, like that belt that is so beautiful you have to wear it, but always falls off at worst moments? He can basically work on a different mental level, drawing concepts into four dimensions. Have you ever heard a silly question - what if stones were soft, but tense up when we touch them? He used that concept here to basically make stones that are trustful and never *tense up*, hehe... "

---

Janus looked conflicted, unsure how to feel.
" Could we... compromise? " he whispered then, slowly. " All those smells... I am... hungry. I have not eaten fresh meat for a long while now. And you don't look that good either. I feel irritable... I can't return to kids like this.. " he explained quietly, trying not to look in the direction of the tail, despite seeming highly inclined to, his stomach not making a sound, but something in his essence, deep beneath the first layer, rumbling in starvation. " I don't keep human food here... Nothing but honey. Would you accept to take some of my honey, while I eat a little, and clean up? Then, I can lead you to your friends... "

[Mirach]

"Does that mean that it's true?" Senecio asked, puzzled by that. "They actually are soft when nothing is touching them? Or he just made them to believe that?" He walked to the hands as he spoke, and tentatively touched the stone.

---

"It's fine. I think I can get back on my own and tell the kids that you will join them in a while. Or I can wait and eat with you, if you prefer that," Svarik said. "Some honey would be great, actually. Always helps me regain energy after healing."

[VisAnastasis]

" You can say that in a way, he can channel believes with his powers. Do you know how we use demonic runes woven into objects to code certain behaviour into them? Runes are words, and words are sounds, and sounds are music, so runes can affect the nature of our world made of music. He can basically rewrite what things are, in favour of what they could be, if the concept is clear enough, in the actual physical world, without any runes. Just like stars are actually a giant blaming balls of gas, but in fairy tales, they are little twinkles of light that fall out of the sky, that he can *pick up* and sew into clothes? In that way, he can do anything, within boards of reason. For example, just because someone might believe the moon is a giant wheel of cheese, doesn't mean he can turn the moon into cheese. There are some limits, but certainly not in stones... " he explained, as he curiously observed actor's reaction to the touch - for the texture of what he touched seemed at sight like stone, but it was more elastic to the touch, and it felt as if one would imagine a cloud feels, soft and fluffy.


---

" I don't feel like leaving my bag unsupervised, or for you to carry it to them. They are nice children... but curiosity is curiosity. I can't have them come here yet. " Being explained, and reached into the air, and a big jar of honey and a spoon floated to him. " Please, have as much as you like... I earn human money now, so I can replenish it, and I would like to give you at least that, for the service, you have done me," he whispered, and he put the jar and spoon on the floor in front of Svarik who sat on the bed, taking a step back to safe distance, as he whispered, embracing himself vulnerably. " Thank you... for helping King Hans. I do not like, being a villain of my story. But a creature must do what a creature must do, to eat. It's better to earn food however you must than to hope for a charity that will not come. "

[Mirach]

Senecio tested the stones and then the water - partly to satisfy his curiosity and wonder, but also to assure that it is indeed soft and safe and he can lay Hans down on it without pain. Only when he assured about that, did he put him down.

----

"Nobody is a villain for the simple need to eat," Svarik murmured. "It would actually be much easier for you, if yuo would be one. But you are taking the harder way. I respect that. And you must be really hungry. Will you eat with me? Or would you rather prefer privacy?"

[VisAnastasis]

Hans was generally weak and in pain, but the balm seemed to soothe his suffering quite a bit, so once he was lying down, he sighed with relief, feeling much better in the strange floating but a stable state of enchanted water. He closed his eyes for a moment, but then he opened them and patted the water, and it bent like a blanket under his light tap. " Come here, you big goof... You've earned some rest," he whispered. " Obey me and hop in... The power of the magical talking sack of flour compels you... "

---

Whatever creature was feeling couldn't be seen upon its face, as it looked at Svarik intently with those words, its big intelligent eyes flashing a little thoughtfully.
" My life is in a lot of turmoil right now... So much... is happening at once. Too much for rational decisions. But curiosity is curiosity. " he whispered. " I would like to see... if you really mean those words. If your offer still stands, I would like to eat here alongside you, little human Svarik. But if the sight of me makes you ill instead, then you have to say it, so that we do not share time in a lie. "

[Mirach]

Senecio smirked and lied down slowly, testing if the water would really hold him, although rationally he knew it would.

---

"I have friends who are vampires and I have a friend who is literally a pond that will eat whatever you feed him, finding bloody and raw things especially nourishing. I dare to say that it shouldn't make me ill, but I'll let you know in case I'm wrong," Svarik assured him.

[VisAnastasis]

It indeed was able to hold his weight, and it felt alluring like the flowy sea, but warm and comforting. It seemed Alpha took extra care to weave a soothing environment for Janus here. The mysterious crystal above them shone with faint softness too, the light fracturing around the room as it was rotating.

---

Creatures eyebrows raised a little at that. He did not pry, but did seem interested.
" You... seem to be leading an interesting life... " he whispered in reply, and carefully, he slowly picked up the tail in his arms. His hands were shaking a little from hunger that was all the more stronger in the presence of the food he was struggling all this time not to touch, but he kept his composure, as he hesitantly sat down on the bed, next to Svarik, but still with a safe distance between them.

[Mirach]

Slowly, Senecio relaxed on the strange bed. "Don't you need anything?" he asked after a moment as he was watching the floating crystal above,

--

Svarik started to eat the honey, so that Janus could feel safe to eat as well.

[VisAnastasis]

" Honestly? I am dying from thirst. But I am just sort of dying in general and eating myself for not asking Janus for water before. " Hans murmured, sleepily watching the crystal absently and sleepily too. " So I just resigned to the thirst. "

---

" Janus was glancing at him for a moment longer, as if gathering the social norms and when it's okay to eat, seeming to prefer to copy customs of others than to act on his own and offend them. But once Svarik began eating, he could not bear to wait any longer. He opened his jaw widely, and buried his teeth into the bloody end of the tail, making few more drops drip, as he began to eat the raw meat. He was chugging and tearing it off, gulping quickly, within moment seeming lost into it, with an animalistic, deep hunger and need that was blind to anything else.

[Mirach]

Senecio bit his lip. "Should I go ask him for something to drink? I'd have to let go of your hand for that, though. Well, we have to part sooner or later, latest before Tide sees us..."

---

Svarik was unbothered by that (6) and focused on eating the honey, which was indeed a good source of energy for an exhausted Listener.