PSL for Renart

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Comments

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Most of the other humans were smart enough not to fall into obvious traps, but not John. The only thing anyone had to say to get him to come haring out, alone, to some abandoned place was just that you needed a doctor.

[If he sounds irritated, it's because he was. John was an idiot, and highly stressful to have as a friend.]

Lured him out that way myself once.

[aigue]

[Ugh, part of her wants to keep up being sulky, but another part of her is getting curious. And with Renart, curiosity usually wins out.]

... Why did you need to lure him out, exactly?

[advanced]

[That’s pretty much what he’s banking on, her curiosity breaking through this bad mood and the awkwardness around them both. It’s why he’s willing to share things he doesn’t usually.]

I just found out that he’d been lying to me, he knew who I was from some movies back in his world. I was scared about what he might know, and mad at him for lying.

[His voice and expression flatten.]

I tortured him for information.

[aigue]

[Oh.

She can't stop herself from staring at him. That isn't entirely surprising, but it's still hard to hear. He's always been a sweetheart around her, if a bit awkward, but with his past....]

Goodness, and you're friends even after that.

[advanced]

Yeah, he's kind of a moron like that.

[There's a fond smile at his lips as he says it.]

He tried to tell everyone that an aquarium fell on him to keep people from being mad at me.

[aigue]

[She frowns a little, looking away.]

He's a good friend. He was protecting you.

[advanced]

He was an idiot, and that wasn't his choice to make. I didn't want him to lie for me, I never want anyone to lie to cover up my mistakes.

[John still doesn't always get that.]

Besides, nobody came after me. I just got my name put on some guide as a dangerous individual, that's it.

[aigue]

[Oh, she understands what he's getting at, but part of her still wants to be petty, so she huffs.]

You couldn't even be happy that he tried to do something nice for you?

[advanced]

Not then, no.

[He raises an eyebrow at her huffing, as if to ask if they're really still playing this game. When he replies, it's with the tiniest hint of a smile and a dryness to his tone.]

I was confused and angry and I felt guilty, nothing like the emotionally stable person I am now.

[aigue]

Mmm, you're the picture of emotional stability now.

[She wants to push him a little more.]

[advanced]

Hey, you don't see me tying people to chairs any more, do you?

[Not that he doesn't want to sometimes.]

[aigue]

I assume you're smart enough to not do that in public.

[So of course she hasn't.]

[advanced]

[He gives her a slight scowl and edges closer to the fire.]

I don't do it in private any more, either. And believe me, sometimes I want to.

[aigue]

[Hah, she's winning.]

Do you want to right now?

[advanced]

No. I already know how to deal with you when you piss me off.

[And it definitely wouldn't be to tie her to a chair and torture her.]

[aigue]

[She looks so skeptical.]

And how do you do that?

[advanced]

[Without letting his scowl ease up for even a moment in case he gives himself away, he reaches over suddenly to try and give her tail a swift and sharp (but not too sharp) tug.]

Pretty much like that.

[aigue]

[It was a mistake to ask.

Unsurprisingly she's affronted that he's doing that when they're sort-of-fighting, and yelps loudly.

Aaand because she's being totally pissy, she moves to tackle him in response.]

[advanced]

[With literally anyone else, even John, he would take a tackle as an act of true aggression and fight back. He's not sure why he doesn't with her, it's not like she isn't strong enough to make it an actual threat if she wants to.

Either way, he just ends up huffing with quiet laughter underneath her.]

You sure you want to be putting your tail in reach again?

[aigue]

[She's just huffy, and if that isn't clear during the tackle, then it should be by her expression when she pins him down.

Which... is not something she's actually expecting to manage, not with him.]

Do that again and I'm biting you!

[Said tail happens to be fluffed up to twice its size.]

[advanced]

[Huffy is better than sulking, it's also better than sinking into sorrow or making bad life choices by seducing him. They've sparred before and he knows he's stronger, so he could probably throw her off if he needs to, but he doesn't think that she's going to genuinely keep trying to pin him down.

He attempts to sit up and gently dislodge her, a tiny worm of guilt in his chest even if she's obviously not actually hurt.]

You asked.

[Not that he's scared of her biting him.]

...did I hurt you?

[aigue]

[She gives a chittery little growl, but will let him sit up and detach her. Her eyes are narrowed and her tail is lashing back and forth, but she isn't going to actually attack him.]

No. I just don't like having my tail pulled, you know that.

[advanced]

Yeah, it wouldn't be much of a deterrent if you enjoyed it, would it?

[Though that depends on how much she doesn't like it, and there's a tiny worm of guilt threading through his chest in case tail pulling is worse than he thinks it is.]

...is it really that bad?

[aigue]

[She just grumbles at him. No, no it would not.]

It's disrespectful.

[It's a blunt answer, and after a moment of thought, she adds:]

Most of the time. I know you aren't like that.

[advanced]

[It’s nice to hear that she knows he wouldn’t deliberately abuse something like that, it’s a measure of trust he doesn’t want to break.]

Why? What makes it more disrespectful than mussing your hair or tweaking an ear?

[Is this a fox thing or a Renart thing?]