( well. at first. but only because legosi hadn't known louis' history. and at this point he probably still doesn't have all the details, though a wolf that spent as much time in the back alley as himself probably had a decent idea of what the number on his foot had meant.
so the better way to have said that probably would have included "until the least-expected places became the most-expected places."
but he was happy about this odd, cosmic magnetism. it's plain to see -- his tail hadn't stopped wagging since louis had arrived, perhaps even more fueled into the positive energy by louis' own tail's action. so bizarre... legosi didn't even really appreciate being around his own kind all that much, but he's far more excited to be around a half-wolf hybrid louis than he probably had been for wolves up until this point.
regardless, legosi slowly drags his hands down his face, groaning at louis' suggestion. )Ugh... What's worse, a wolf with fake teeth or a wolf with teeth that aren't even a wolf's?( his hands drop, and he shakes his head, defeated.
though he does squint at his friend. ) Mm... Probably just about as weird as a deer with wolf teeth, though.
[ It's weird, Louis notes. How easy it is for him to be so delighted to be around his friend. For all that he tried to keep his face and body calm every day, the tail he had right now was betraying him. Every moment, every second that Legosi was in his bubble or he was in Legosi's it would wag. Delighted. He wished he could will lit to stop. Make it stop. It was so easy for Legosi understand how he felt now. It was weird, it was nice to not have to say anything or do anything really.
Just stand there, enjoy him, and the tail wagging. The speed progressively increasing. But then -- the mental image strikes. The image of Legosi's mouth now filled with teeth more like his on any other day and the tail slows and he raises a brow. ]
A wolf with teeth that aren't his. A wolf with herbivore teeth.
[ What. What. He opens his mouth a little, showing off the fangs. ]
It's not much better than this. I mean, this is kinda freaky, isn't it?
on legosi's part, it's nice to have some sort of confirmation that his friend enjoys being around him just as much as vice versa. it's always been impossible for legosi to hide that — his tail had so much of a mind of its own that it had drawn undue attention (especially from lions) multiple times. it's ironic, then, that louis would face the same issue. legosi appreciates his wolfish tail betraying him, though. he wasn't necessarily the type of person to point it out or make a big deal out of it, though. there's just a warmness in his expression and a spark to his eye, even though he's still adjusting to louis' new appearance and demeanor.
he tilts his head, peering at the carnivorous teeth. it is chilling. he is reminded so strongly of melon — the herbivorous features with the surprising, clashing feature of the sharp teeth. ) A bit... It's not like it's wrong or anything, ( if some animals have it naturally, it couldn't be wrong, right? wouldn't haru's and his children be like this, with herbivore features and potentially carnivore teeth? ) but just... unexpected.
( as for carnivores with herbivore teeth... that just makes him think of the mayor, who had always unsettled him...
one of his ears flaps. ) You like it, then?
( he hums low to himself, putting a clawed hand to his chin. ) That isn't very shocking... You always seemed kind of... interested...
( you know, like that one time you shoved your hand in his mouth and told him to bite you? )
[ He doesn't really like that it's so easy to read him. He's used to keeping himself buried, his feelings unknown to those around him. To have it be so straightforward and obvious. He lets out a deep sigh, knowing that it isn't like he can stop himself from displaying the joy. Finally, the conversation helps him calm down. He considers that it might help Legosi understand him more outside of this.
Maybe.
Maybe.
At the very least, Louis better understands his friend. ]
In your...teeth?
[ Hmmm...He taps his cheek. ]
Well, a little. I just suppose I want to know how strong a carnivore's jaw and teeth are.
[ He opened his mouth and snapped it shut to demonstrate. ]
And while this already helps... after New Years Eve, I already had some idea.
[ He wasn't going to bring up that night again. Not with Legosi. Because of what happened, and he knows it is a sensitive subject. ...But, it's just a straightforward comment that from the perspective of a herbivore, he gets it. He knows how strong and powerful Legosi's body is. And he didn't need this to show him, but there's nothing quite like this. ]
( legosi's gaze seems a little blank, and he slowly tilts his head to one side. had that not been obvious? one of their first one-on-one interactions had been louis trapping him and shoving his hand in his mouth. it wasn't necessarily the teeth alone, but what they represent — the danger and strength of carnivores, underlining the nature that many herbivores believed to be bred in their bones. not that legosi really agreed, but... it's not as though he could argue against what his own carnivorous instincts inflicted upon him on a semi-regular basis.
anyways.
legosi's eyes light up a little bit as louis continues. his ears perk up, swiveling to the front. )
Y - Yeah, well... ( he seems a little uncomfortable (as he always does) at the mention of new year's, hoping to maybe supplant that memory of how powerful a carnivore's jaws were with something a little less... bloody and painful. ) You know, there's actually this game that carnivores play sometimes. It has to do with that very thing. We could play it, just to show you, but we need, uh... ( his voice drops a little quieter here, ) some rope...
[ He's obsessed with the strength, but he doesn't quite know what it is yet. He considers Legosi's answer. He has had a lot of time to learn about feline carnivores, but despite considering Legosi a friend, most of what he knows about them is from spending time with him or Juno - or from a purely, scientific, educational perspective.
Which doesn't talk about the games quite as much as anything else.
So, he wonders - and he'll even ask. ]
What do you do with it?
[ He can draw some conclusions. He knows he's not as strong, if it's purely jaw strength. If he were honest, he'd be closer to a hybrid than a pure...wolf. But he does have other bonuses, so it may be different. ]
( he feels almost guilty mentioning it. it's not a game that is talked about or done in the presence of herbivores. that would be rude, and not to mention frightening to them. these are creatures that could, just in a lapse of thought or judgment, accidentally tear their limbs off. playing the rope game was all about that carnivorous strength, studded with teeth and snapped jaws, accented and punctuated by snarls and growls...
but louis was at least part carnivore now, so it should be fine, right? )
Well, one carnivore grabs onto one end with their teeth, and the other does so with the other. Then they both sit in a chair. Then it's basically like tug-of-war... You try to pull the other animal out of their chair.
( the last time legosi had played this game, he had gotten beaten pretty soundly. it had been embarrassing, but... living the life of a carnivore abstaining from meat, training the strength in his limbs... it caused his jaw to get far weaker than a normal wolf's might be. so perhaps louis had a shot. )
[ ... ... He can't even imagine himself doing it. That sounds... everything this side of ridiculous. For all of his effort imagining it, there's a small smirk that spreads on his face, filled with amusement. ]
Carnivores are ridiculous.
[ There's no venom there, just purely joy. He shifts his weight. ]
I think I'll probably not, though.
[ As much as his tail wags, or the fangs he has, or the physical strength he has. ]
With Sanguis...I'm not normal carnivore strength, either. It takes a lot of restraint. I'd be pretty mad if I accidentally hurt someone. [ Well, Legosi. ]
( as he explains it, as he tries to picture it... he can't imagine it either. even with louis in his hybrid state, he can't really seem to imagine him with a rope in his teeth, growling and snarling as he tried to vie for physical dominance. louis didn't really need to stoop to such levels. he typically demanded the attention and respect of everyone in a room simply by walking into it.
in a way he feels foolish for even talking about that stupid game, but... louis deserved to get a few different tastes of carnivore life, now that he kind of-sort of is one. )
It... made more sense when we were younger, I guess... It does seem a little ridiculous now...
( he says, having played this game within the last few months.
his lips curve into a small smile. ) You're sounding more like a carnivore already. Though... it'd be fine if you accidentally hurt me. ( fair's fair, right? though legosi had hurt louis on purpose (even if he'd asked him to). ) But practicing self-control is probably the best thing to do right now so, ... okay.
[ It'd be fine, Legosi?! Louis's expression immediately shifts to being totally unimpressed that he says that. Yeah, Carnivore are ridiculous. But it was part of why Louis loved them. Why he spent time with them. He wouldn't actually like carnivores if he didn't like them how they naturally were. ]
Am I? I broke my closet door. I didn't expect to be that much...stronger.
[ Of course he has. ]
And it isn't fine if I'd hurt you, idiot. Value yourself a little bit more.
[ Says the deer who volunteered part of his body to be food. He really has no room to talk, but he remembers having this conversation with Legosi when he was fighting Riz on New Year's Eve. He's a little disappointed to hear it again. ]
Mhm... It's not something a carnivore can really control. That's why you have to be so mindful about it.
( he wonders if, knowing what he knows now of having even half a carnivore's strength, he understands a little more where legosi had been coming from when they first met. sure, even now legosi would admit that he had been a little too active in diminishing himself, but these were simply lessons you learned growing up as a carnivore (and that went double when you were a large carnivore, such as himself). mind your strength. cover your teeth. hide your claws. don't intimidate, purposefully or accidentally —
louis is fortunate they aren't at home; all of these manners will matter a lot less here. )
Oh... That's not really what I meant. I meant more that... I've survived when carnivores much bigger than you actually wanted to kill me. So you accidentally hurting me probably wouldn't be so bad. Plus, we seem to heal a lot faster here.
( he certainly didn't want to get hurt, but... it happens around other carnivores. they were a rowdy bunch. )
And I'd rather you get used to your new strength with me than around anyone else more ... fragile.
[ Mindful. He never considered that he'd have to be, so this is new to him. But, he's always super mindful about how he carries himself and behaves, so he may do it without trying. Not that he intends to really go out in public looking or feeling like this right now. He didn't want to be seen by many people, not to mention his walk is a little...off, thanks to the change in his height. He'd rather not be seen when he's not fully together. ]
I still don't want to hurt you.
[ Louis resists the urge to roll his eyes. Obviously it didn't matter how he did it, but he just didn't want to injure an undeserving friend. ]
( he does think that louis is more suited to being a carnivore than, say, haru, who has just enough willful, capricious, wild energy that it might be dangerous to others around her if she suddenly woke up one day as a wolf (it would certainly be dangerous to legosi, for multiple reasons).
his ear flaps at his answer, a memory and a realization coalescing in his mind. what follows close on its heels is an odd look on legosi: something verging on smugly triumphant, as if he was barely keeping the words, "i told you so," from slipping between his teeth. )
Hm... So maybe you get it now?
( he takes a pace forward, not going so far as to stick his hand in louis' mouth, as had been done to him over a year ago, but at the very least wrapping his fingers loosely around his friend's elongated muzzle. )"Bite me, Louis..." Right?
( not quite content to let him forget exactly where and how their friendship had started...
and then he lets him go, smiling and giving a silent laugh with his eyes. )
[ So different. He's different. He'd had his head in a lion's mouth, part of his leg devoured by the wolf in front of him, and none of those things seemed to deter his affection for carnivores. Admiration, maybe. It's hard to put into words for him, if only because everything he's felt since he got closer to his friend has been felt more deeply, more sincerely, than he ever felt before. And the hatred that molded him before was gone.
When he had taunted Legosi then, it was to prove a point about carnivores, but how he viewed them wasn't the same now as it had been over a year ago. ]
I actually like you now.
[ Said so simply it's almost flippant in its delivery. He shifts, turning on his prosthetic and moving into the kitchen. ]
Sit down, Legosi. I'll get you something to drink, then you can be on your way.
Yeah. Now, when you try to get me to bite you, you're offering whole limbs...
( it's a graceless joke, but it is good-hearted; at this point, legosi feels like they have to accept this between them and joke about it, or their relationship will twist and mutate in the absence of openness and honesty. when he had stood before riz, what had existed between them in that moment — a herbivore willingly giving up a part of his own body to allow a carnivore to fight and keep his own life — had been emblematic of the point that legosi had been trying to prove to the bear. it crystallized into what they represented as well: a shocking new relationship between herbivores and carnivores. legosi would vehemently oppose that all herbivores should give up parts of themselves literally, but perhaps there was something figurative in there that he wishes more animals understood. life was about giving boons to others and picking up burdens from others. that's what it meant to live in their society — or, at the very least, that's what it should mean.
no, there is nothing elegant about this gangly, scarred grey wolf, but he doesn't need to be. he has louis for that. they had their own unique strengths, and why they worked so well together was that theirs complemented one another. legosi could only transcribe his philosophy into the world through artless violence, but louis could stand to be something more.
even as it's posed, legosi doesn't take offense to that. he merely rolls his shoulders in a shrug as he moves towards the indicated seat. ) I didn't give you very much to like, really... ( he had been so focused on making himself (a six foot tall wolf) unobtrusive that he had really not done much at all to make himself likable... he'd called it a victory if he merely wasn't openly disliked.
and even when that happened, well... he'd gotten used to strangers treating him oddly years and years ago.
he sits, folding his hands in his lap. ) Okay. ...You can always let me know, though. If you have any questions about being a carnivore, that is.
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( well. at first. but only because legosi hadn't known louis' history. and at this point he probably still doesn't have all the details, though a wolf that spent as much time in the back alley as himself probably had a decent idea of what the number on his foot had meant.
so the better way to have said that probably would have included "until the least-expected places became the most-expected places."
but he was happy about this odd, cosmic magnetism. it's plain to see -- his tail hadn't stopped wagging since louis had arrived, perhaps even more fueled into the positive energy by louis' own tail's action. so bizarre... legosi didn't even really appreciate being around his own kind all that much, but he's far more excited to be around a half-wolf hybrid louis than he probably had been for wolves up until this point.
regardless, legosi slowly drags his hands down his face, groaning at louis' suggestion. ) Ugh... What's worse, a wolf with fake teeth or a wolf with teeth that aren't even a wolf's? ( his hands drop, and he shakes his head, defeated.
though he does squint at his friend. ) Mm... Probably just about as weird as a deer with wolf teeth, though.
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Just stand there, enjoy him, and the tail wagging. The speed progressively increasing. But then -- the mental image strikes. The image of Legosi's mouth now filled with teeth more like his on any other day and the tail slows and he raises a brow. ]
A wolf with teeth that aren't his. A wolf with herbivore teeth.
[ What. What. He opens his mouth a little, showing off the fangs. ]
It's not much better than this. I mean, this is kinda freaky, isn't it?
[ "Freaky". ]
I don't hate it, though.
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on legosi's part, it's nice to have some sort of confirmation that his friend enjoys being around him just as much as vice versa. it's always been impossible for legosi to hide that — his tail had so much of a mind of its own that it had drawn undue attention (especially from lions) multiple times. it's ironic, then, that louis would face the same issue. legosi appreciates his wolfish tail betraying him, though. he wasn't necessarily the type of person to point it out or make a big deal out of it, though. there's just a warmness in his expression and a spark to his eye, even though he's still adjusting to louis' new appearance and demeanor.
he tilts his head, peering at the carnivorous teeth. it is chilling. he is reminded so strongly of melon — the herbivorous features with the surprising, clashing feature of the sharp teeth. ) A bit... It's not like it's wrong or anything, ( if some animals have it naturally, it couldn't be wrong, right? wouldn't haru's and his children be like this, with herbivore features and potentially carnivore teeth? ) but just... unexpected.
( as for carnivores with herbivore teeth... that just makes him think of the mayor, who had always unsettled him...
one of his ears flaps. ) You like it, then?
( he hums low to himself, putting a clawed hand to his chin. ) That isn't very shocking... You always seemed kind of... interested...
( you know, like that one time you shoved your hand in his mouth and told him to bite you? )
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Maybe.
Maybe.
At the very least, Louis better understands his friend. ]
In your...teeth?
[ Hmmm...He taps his cheek. ]
Well, a little. I just suppose I want to know how strong a carnivore's jaw and teeth are.
[ He opened his mouth and snapped it shut to demonstrate. ]
And while this already helps... after New Years Eve, I already had some idea.
[ He wasn't going to bring up that night again. Not with Legosi. Because of what happened, and he knows it is a sensitive subject. ...But, it's just a straightforward comment that from the perspective of a herbivore, he gets it. He knows how strong and powerful Legosi's body is. And he didn't need this to show him, but there's nothing quite like this. ]
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anyways.
legosi's eyes light up a little bit as louis continues. his ears perk up, swiveling to the front. )
Y - Yeah, well... ( he seems a little uncomfortable (as he always does) at the mention of new year's, hoping to maybe supplant that memory of how powerful a carnivore's jaws were with something a little less... bloody and painful. ) You know, there's actually this game that carnivores play sometimes. It has to do with that very thing. We could play it, just to show you, but we need, uh... ( his voice drops a little quieter here, ) some rope...
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Which doesn't talk about the games quite as much as anything else.
So, he wonders - and he'll even ask. ]
What do you do with it?
[ He can draw some conclusions. He knows he's not as strong, if it's purely jaw strength. If he were honest, he'd be closer to a hybrid than a pure...wolf. But he does have other bonuses, so it may be different. ]
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but louis was at least part carnivore now, so it should be fine, right? )
Well, one carnivore grabs onto one end with their teeth, and the other does so with the other. Then they both sit in a chair. Then it's basically like tug-of-war... You try to pull the other animal out of their chair.
( the last time legosi had played this game, he had gotten beaten pretty soundly. it had been embarrassing, but... living the life of a carnivore abstaining from meat, training the strength in his limbs... it caused his jaw to get far weaker than a normal wolf's might be. so perhaps louis had a shot. )
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[ ... ... He can't even imagine himself doing it. That sounds... everything this side of ridiculous. For all of his effort imagining it, there's a small smirk that spreads on his face, filled with amusement. ]
Carnivores are ridiculous.
[ There's no venom there, just purely joy. He shifts his weight. ]
I think I'll probably not, though.
[ As much as his tail wags, or the fangs he has, or the physical strength he has. ]
With Sanguis...I'm not normal carnivore strength, either. It takes a lot of restraint. I'd be pretty mad if I accidentally hurt someone. [ Well, Legosi. ]
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in a way he feels foolish for even talking about that stupid game, but... louis deserved to get a few different tastes of carnivore life, now that he kind of-sort of is one. )
It... made more sense when we were younger, I guess... It does seem a little ridiculous now...
( he says, having played this game within the last few months.
his lips curve into a small smile. ) You're sounding more like a carnivore already. Though... it'd be fine if you accidentally hurt me. ( fair's fair, right? though legosi had hurt louis on purpose (even if he'd asked him to). ) But practicing self-control is probably the best thing to do right now so, ... okay.
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Am I? I broke my closet door. I didn't expect to be that much...stronger.
[ Of course he has. ]
And it isn't fine if I'd hurt you, idiot. Value yourself a little bit more.
[ Says the deer who volunteered part of his body to be food. He really has no room to talk, but he remembers having this conversation with Legosi when he was fighting Riz on New Year's Eve. He's a little disappointed to hear it again. ]
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( he wonders if, knowing what he knows now of having even half a carnivore's strength, he understands a little more where legosi had been coming from when they first met. sure, even now legosi would admit that he had been a little too active in diminishing himself, but these were simply lessons you learned growing up as a carnivore (and that went double when you were a large carnivore, such as himself). mind your strength. cover your teeth. hide your claws. don't intimidate, purposefully or accidentally —
louis is fortunate they aren't at home; all of these manners will matter a lot less here. )
Oh... That's not really what I meant. I meant more that... I've survived when carnivores much bigger than you actually wanted to kill me. So you accidentally hurting me probably wouldn't be so bad. Plus, we seem to heal a lot faster here.
( he certainly didn't want to get hurt, but... it happens around other carnivores. they were a rowdy bunch. )
And I'd rather you get used to your new strength with me than around anyone else more ... fragile.
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I still don't want to hurt you.
[ Louis resists the urge to roll his eyes. Obviously it didn't matter how he did it, but he just didn't want to injure an undeserving friend. ]
Or anyone. Not by mistake, at least.
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his ear flaps at his answer, a memory and a realization coalescing in his mind. what follows close on its heels is an odd look on legosi: something verging on smugly triumphant, as if he was barely keeping the words, "i told you so," from slipping between his teeth. )
Hm... So maybe you get it now?
( he takes a pace forward, not going so far as to stick his hand in louis' mouth, as had been done to him over a year ago, but at the very least wrapping his fingers loosely around his friend's elongated muzzle. ) "Bite me, Louis..." Right?
( not quite content to let him forget exactly where and how their friendship had started...
and then he lets him go, smiling and giving a silent laugh with his eyes. )
yes i think this is coming to a close~ c:
[ So different. He's different. He'd had his head in a lion's mouth, part of his leg devoured by the wolf in front of him, and none of those things seemed to deter his affection for carnivores. Admiration, maybe. It's hard to put into words for him, if only because everything he's felt since he got closer to his friend has been felt more deeply, more sincerely, than he ever felt before. And the hatred that molded him before was gone.
When he had taunted Legosi then, it was to prove a point about carnivores, but how he viewed them wasn't the same now as it had been over a year ago. ]
I actually like you now.
[ Said so simply it's almost flippant in its delivery. He shifts, turning on his prosthetic and moving into the kitchen. ]
Sit down, Legosi. I'll get you something to drink, then you can be on your way.
ok!
( it's a graceless joke, but it is good-hearted; at this point, legosi feels like they have to accept this between them and joke about it, or their relationship will twist and mutate in the absence of openness and honesty. when he had stood before riz, what had existed between them in that moment — a herbivore willingly giving up a part of his own body to allow a carnivore to fight and keep his own life — had been emblematic of the point that legosi had been trying to prove to the bear. it crystallized into what they represented as well: a shocking new relationship between herbivores and carnivores. legosi would vehemently oppose that all herbivores should give up parts of themselves literally, but perhaps there was something figurative in there that he wishes more animals understood. life was about giving boons to others and picking up burdens from others. that's what it meant to live in their society — or, at the very least, that's what it should mean.
no, there is nothing elegant about this gangly, scarred grey wolf, but he doesn't need to be. he has louis for that. they had their own unique strengths, and why they worked so well together was that theirs complemented one another. legosi could only transcribe his philosophy into the world through artless violence, but louis could stand to be something more.
even as it's posed, legosi doesn't take offense to that. he merely rolls his shoulders in a shrug as he moves towards the indicated seat. ) I didn't give you very much to like, really... ( he had been so focused on making himself (a six foot tall wolf) unobtrusive that he had really not done much at all to make himself likable... he'd called it a victory if he merely wasn't openly disliked.
and even when that happened, well... he'd gotten used to strangers treating him oddly years and years ago.
he sits, folding his hands in his lap. ) Okay. ...You can always let me know, though. If you have any questions about being a carnivore, that is.
( or part of one, at least. )