Rigid Paradise {P: Valerian}

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    There it was, Auroradweller's terrible humor, earning a look of cringe from Valerian in return. "Yeah, no. Try harder next time, that was just awful." Her brows were raised and a grin was plastered across her sharp features. This had probably been the most she genuinely smiled. And then he joked about refusing to share Hawkclan's babies with him. She contemplated sending a jab his way, but the last time she did that, they ended up in each other's hair. Instead, she replied with a toyful gasp, acting as if she were in deep shock, "You wouldn't? Wait 'til Ravelights hears of this - and from his most trusted member." A paw was pressed against her chest for emphasis as her body turned in the direction of the leader's tall den, her vocals sounding awfully fake and formal. All the while the teacup hung in the air, probably growing cold by the minute.

    Of course the joke was awful. That's how most dad jokes were. Auroradweller broke into a chuckle as Valerian gave his joke her deadpan 'criticism.' He even held back a snort that she didn't say his tea was as bad as his jokes. Then again, nobody touched it in the entire time they were out there. That tea is probably room temperature by now.. Oh well, it served its purpose.


    Instead of deliberately snapping his expression back to the same stern stare he gave everyone, Auroradweller let his mood organically gradient back into neutral anticipation. He didn't want to ruin his own mood, and Valerian was just as well enjoying herself. Mother of God, we're actually having fun... She was having fun playing around with the idea of having him tried for conspiracy against the clan. The tomcat exaggerated a frown at Valerian's threat, complementing it with an unblinking stare. His head lowered on focus, matching his voice deepening into a ominous monotone which seemed to bellow within itself. "If you're going to do that, then I'm afraid that I can't let you leave this hollow alive." Auroradweller gave a beat of pause for the "threat" to sink in, then immediately raised his shoulders and head to chime in with a laugh, "Or, you know, you could not charge about bragging about not sharing a feast nor inviting anyone else to a good ole round of baby-munching." It's only courtesy to think to share. Secretly he wanted to see Valerian tattle if only to see Ravelight's reaction. He wouldn't admit that.

    Secretly, Valerian would probably let the inside joke slip in front of Ravelights at one point in time, but tonight, she decided bothering the responsible leader would be a little rude. Even if it would be terribly funny to see both Rave and Aurora's reactions. "As if you could hold me captive." The tuxedo started, raising her brows in surprise, a playful glint in her eyes. "A vampire - who, might I add, can turn into literal smoke? Get off your high horse!" She didn't dare mention how rusty her abilities clearly were, or the fact that since she'd joined Hawkclan, feeding became harder to constantly do when the hills had eyes; and the trees too, with those pesky hawks keeping steady watch. Speaking of feeding, the thirst within had grown to an uncomfortable point and she figured it may have been time to test this 'tea' of his before she tested his neck without control. "Here." Valerian pushed the floating cup in front of Aurora, "You taste it first." It was a childish sort of act, but Valerian didn't like to try new things. Call her crazy, but tea was something she was even more suspicious about.

    Auroradweller could only keep rolling his eyes. 'Get off your high horse,' says the lady too prim for tea. Still, that was an interesting little explanation for what in the holy fuck she did earlier. "Oh, that was smoke? I thought it was peat. My flowers would have loved that." The tabby meowed as the cup delicately floated towards his direction, without really much more than an ounce of real concentration from Valerian. Auroradweller didn't flinch. Even if she wanted to smash it over his head it wasn't like that was the worst she could do. "And now you think I poisoned your tea? Valerian, I thought we were forming something,but I guess you don't care about my feelings nor my rumbling stomach." Meeting her feigned shock from earlier, Auroradweller acted the sad, estranged character, hurt and betrayed because she wouldn't really share babies nor dirt for him to eat.


    Lifting the cup out of whatever abstract hands may have been holding it, Auroradweller took a small sip from it. He swished it around a bit before swallowing it. "Flavorful, a bit crisp, but needs a little sugar if you ask me." He wasn't exactly doing himself a favor by advertising the flavor of his own blood, but whatever.

    ° Valerian held back a chuckle, rocking onto her hindlegs so she could freely use her paws to cover her mouth. He really tried his own blood, didn't he? It only took a couple words and zero convincing and he downed a sip like it was regular ol' tea. "Aurora, what the fuck!" With all the laughing he was getting out of her, her stomach wasn't only hurting due to hunger, but also due to genuine happiness. The girl almost knocked the teacup out of Aurora's paws when she reminded herself that was a special beverage made just for her and his big mouth was slurping it all up. She took it out of his paws with a simple tug of telekinesis, sending him a playful glare. She brought the cup close for a second, then shut her eyes and chugged it down the next. A refreshing, blissful rush swept through her body and her eyes momentarily turned a bright red at the mere taste. The feeling was so sudden it almost threw her off the edge, but she managed not to ruin the rest of the night with unnecessary bloodshed.


    "Mmm flavorful, but definitely no sugar needed." Valerian offered her own review up after a moment of silence, nodding her head in agreement and blinking away the unnatural color. The temples on her head seemed to have ceased the throbbing pain almost instantly. She couldn't help but think it was sweet of him to share his own blood, but a bit risky, too. She didn't know what could happen if she wanted another taste and he wouldn't voluntarily give. The vampire side of her would probably take it without any questions. It was a thought she didn't want to think about; not now. "By the way, I don't know what peat is, but your flowers can suck it. That's a weird thing you've got there, I don't want to take any part." She stepped back, lifting a paw to sign an 'x' in the air as if she were crossing him out altogether. "Big hell no."

    Okay, there's the post I'm going to make, and then there's the post I want to make that deep down I know I shouldn't. Consider this bit non-canon.


    Auroradweller's non-canon reaction

    //We now return to the universe where the story is actually taking place.


    Auroradweller didn't like the idea of being told his flowers could suck it. In fact, it kind of annoyed him a bit. Not enough to make him angry, but enough to strike a nerve. The tomcat lashed his tail a bit, shooting back, "That's rich coming from the bloodsucker." Maybe he should have thought a bit more about that, but each time he stopped to think of a way to soften the blow, his eyes kept focusing on that dainty little glass, and the happy tuxedo girl lapping it up. Lapping up a drink made with his wilted, flowery blood and a bit of hot water. "Then again, there's a joke to be made about my flowers, sucking, you, and that cup, but I'm too delirious from laughing so hard that I can't find it." Sometimes the threat was more to focus on than the payoff, and if Valerian could make her own dirty joke out of that, then doubly good for them.


    It meant that he could take a second longer to think about how well their little meeting had been going so far, and how thankful he was for a moment to relax a bit with some actual fucking conversation from someone he wanted to talk to, and a little bit of willpower reserved for holding back a smile. Auroradweller still needed to look cool, after all.

    ° The dirty message was delivered clearly. In fact, it even drew out a wink from the girl herself, shot in his direction. Alas, the moment of lust lasted only a heartbeat when her brain processed the fact that this tea was brewed from the literal blossoms sprouting from in between small spaces of his fiery orange fur. She squeezed her eyes shut, bringing her paws back down to the floor as if she needed to steady herself for balance. "Yeugh, Aurora! This shit is brewed from your weird, cute little flowers, you didn't tell me! I've probably got bits of your fur in my mouth too. Or dandruff!" Valerian stuck out her tongue, crossing her eyes and looking absolutely ridiculous as she attempted to eye the pink thing thoroughly. "Is there anything there? Be honest!" It didn't yet strike her that she was freely being herself - or at least the happier version of herself. Normally, she would be sarcastic and impolite, but knowing Aurora could shoot back the same fire without getting butthurt made it all the more easier to have actual fun with him.

    Auroradweller morphed eyebrows onto his head at Valerian's question. "Why, yes, of cooooooouuuurrrsse there is. What do you think I did while I was waiting" As he drew out the confirmation, Auroradweller creepily leaned towards Valerian, raising and lowering his strange cat-person-eyebrows in a rhythmical dance to a song with the sole, repeating lyric of "get me the fuck out of here yesterday"


    //No. None of that. I'm sorry.



    Auroradweller let out a short snort before cupping his cheek on his paw, rocking it gently. "Aw, you think my flowers are cute after all." He was almost ready to answer Valerian's question with deadpan snark, but then remembered something: she was complaining about hygiene when she was literally drinking a tea partially made from shapeshifter blood. If it weren't for her remembering their game earlier that night, he would have seriously questioned if she had short term memory loss. It was because of this that he lowered his paw before baring a concerned leer. "Well, I did tell you that part of it was my blood. Why do you think my blood tastes like black tea if I don't have my plants constantly steeping it?" If Auroradweller was joking when he said that, he would have laughed. Truthfully he didn't like talking about his powers, but it was what it was.



    The tomcat was perfectly content with resting on his side, letting out a hum. "Guess that's just like you, though.. complaining about sanitation because of hair that isn't in your tea, but yet you'll happily drink a brew with blood, or how you'll go about bragging that you'll wipe the smug look off someone's face, only to turn around joke with him about eating babies." Auroradweller rolled himself onto his back, not wanting to ramble on for too long.

    ° Valerian stared at the tom for a good while, contemplating on whether to let his stupid teasing slide, or give him a good ol' wad of spit to the forehead. It wouldn't be the worst thing she's done to him and he had the small, bloody claw marks to prove it. Instead, she gave him a coy smile, rolling her eyes to what felt like the back of her head. "For somebody who just got onto my good side, you really should be walking on thin ice." The tuxedo lowered herself onto her belly figuring if he was going to lounge around for the rest of the night, she might as well join him. "It's not like I wanted to drink your shitty brewed blood tea, idiot. But thank you." That last part was spoken in a whisper softer than the rustling of leaves under the cool night wind. She didn't want to get too soft with him, not so soon. Her gaze flickered from Aurora's to the dark starry sky.