Video | un: paimon

[emergencysnack]

Uhm, does anyone here know anything about taking care of a cat?

Or... someone who turned into a cat?

Paimon really doesn't know what to do! And Paimon can't just ask him what he needs, because all he can do is meow!

[The camera shifts to a pretty little cat, looking very disgruntled as it sits on what some people might recognize as Aether's signature white and gold scarf.]

[Did you know Kizuna can turn you into a cat?? Consider this an important PSA.]


[ooc: Replies will come from emergencysnack or nyaether!]

Comments

[historicallyloaded]

He's clearly hungry, just...

[ Bricks cants his head, squints, and observes for a moment, honing in more on the mechanical malfunction of his movement than the trepidation that comes from not wanting to get his face dirty. Jaw too small. Food too big. Well then, that could be an easy fix, if that's the issue.

He rummages around the bags hoping to find some cutlery thinking even a cheap knife would do. He gets his hopes up but finds only chop sticks. Not sufficient enough. ]

Where do you keep your cutlery?

[nyaether]

["Huh? Over here! You think maybe he'd eat if you fed it to him...?" Which is where Paimon's mind goes, of course.]

[But Aether? He can tell immediately that he's been understood, and the change in his mood is palpable -- while his tail will stay low, it starts happily wagging back and forth, as he happily meows in thanks, and even sparkles a little for good measure. Bless u, Potty-pervert.]

[historicallyloaded]

[ "I suppose we'll find out."

After finding a knife and fork and refraining from making any snobby commentary about the boorish lack of distinction between said knives and forks, he cuts a tiny cat-bite sized portion from the fried chicken, taking care to try and keep some of that outer crunch and offers it to Aether. ]

Here, say nyaaa~

[nyaether]

[It's the perfect sized bite, and he carefully takes it off the fork to chow down on -- only needing an extra chew or two to get down. The ideal morsel of food!!]

[He's so happy he can't control the tail anymore, waving it in the air as it trembles happily, as he paws at the counter for another bite. He's even started to purr-- and rather loudly, too.]

["Wh-Whoa! Guess he was pretty hungry... now Paimon feels kinda bad." At least she can bring him something to drink! Water, with a straw. Because he can drink through one.]

[historicallyloaded]

[ There's something particularly rewarding seeing so much appreciation and happiness manifest in a situation where words can't be said. There is maybe the kindling of some Kizuna sparkles happening around Brick's head as his heart swells with satisfaction. He's helping!

Another piece is cut and offered and he'll continue to dutifully do this as much as Aether wants. He'll thank Paimon for the thoughtfulness and slide the drink closer.

He'll also cut a piece for himself during a lull where Aether is chewing. ]

See? That's better, isn't it.

[nyaether]

[Much like Paimon, Nyaether still has a pretty healthy appetite despite his size, so he'll be eating quite a bit. Brickston won't be the only one sparkling at this rate -- Aether following suit not long after.]

[It was still a little embarrassing to be hand-fed like this, but using a fork and knife felt leagues better than just offering him a plate to shove his nose into.]

[Still, whether it's because he's just been a cat for so long by now, or whether he's just feeling a little affectionate-- once he's done eating, he walks over and just kinda nuzzles against Brickston's side with his face in an attempt to say thank you.]

[historicallyloaded]

he's so cute i want to die

1/2

[historicallyloaded]

[ He's not sure if it's appropriate to pet his friend but his hand is moving of its own accord, the instinct to return the adorable cuddling and pet the cute fuzzy being nuzzling against him utterly impossible to ignore. He lightly runs the tips of his fingers over Aether's head and behind his ear and cheek. ]

Much better.

2/2

[historicallyloaded]

[ Brickston permits himself one (1) insufferably smug smirk he throws Paimon's way as he looks over his shoulder at her before returning his attention to Aether.

SPARKLING INTENSIFIES. ]

1/2

[emergencysnack]

[You know, it's a good thing they have about the same level of maturity here, because his smug smirk lands exactly as intended -- Paimon pouting because she wanted to be the one to pet Aether!!]

...well, looks like you're the cat professional here! So how about you stay until he turns back? As much as Paimon doesn't want to admit it-- Paimon will need help taking care of him.

[Oh, but surely Brickston has a very busy life to get back to, right? There's no way he can just stay for some indeterminate amount of time until Aether turns back into a human again!]

[nyaether]

[Which is why Aether's going for the kill with some big sparkly kitty eyes.]

[historicallyloaded]

[ Oh nooooo he's dead again. Done in by adorable cat sparkles. He is very busy but had the forethought to flip the Tinker Emporium's sign to closed, may any of his current customers be ever understanding. A great sacrifice he's willing to make for a fellow plant fucker friend. ]

I suppose it can't hurt if I stay a little while longer... at least until you learn a thing for two.

[nyaether]

["Thanks, Potty-pervert!"]

[Yeah, that name is still there. The price he pays for his smug grin.]

[But at least Aether looks happy. And after a big meal and a busy day of having to leap up onto everything (and forgetting that cats do need to sleep for like 18 hours of the day), he's a little tired. And so he yawns, leaning against Brickston.]

[If he's inclined to scoop him up into his arms, Aether won't seem to mind.]

[historicallyloaded]

[ A STEEP PRICE. He's willing to pay it since Aether looks so happy. The little yawn and lean does not escape him. ]

A full belly does make one tired.

[ Bricks is book smart but his actual friendly close animal companion experience is, again, largely limited to a stoat—Apollo—that wasn't even his own. He's aware felines sleep many hours. Proverbial cat naps and all. Apollo slept a lot too when she wasn't being Hunter's, well, hunting partner. The very rare times she ever decided to curl up on top of Bricks was always a privilege and delight. Usually she preferred someone... with a significantly beefier chest to sleep on. Would a little cat feel just as nice? It somehow feels incredibly selfish to even imagine it since he's still Aether, but...

He scoops him up gently in both arms and proceeds to scan the room for a couch or bed or anywhere cozy looking. ] Should I ferry you somewhere nice and cozy so you can rest?

[nyaether]

["Oh, his bedroom is upstairs on the right! Since he woke up like this, his futon is still rolled out if you wanna take him there. Paimon can clean all this up!"]

[And by clean, she 100% means eat it all. Or at least most of it. Where does it even go?? She's so small...]

[For his part, Aether seems pretty content. You really bond with a guy after being fucked by a plant together -- so he's already relaxed just being held in his arms.]

[historicallyloaded]

[ WHAT EVEN IS PAIMON.

This little teapot is much larger than he imagined. Bricks tip-toes up the stairs and tries to fight off the off simultaneous apprehension of feeling like he's intruding in the private space and wanting to be nosey and snoop around. Aether is his priority however so he's good; kneeling down besides the futon and quietly and carefully he sets the small furry food filled feline down the futon and moves to pull the edge of the blanket up over his body. ]

[nyaether]

[Aether perks up again when he feels himself being set down, but then easily settles down under the blankets. For all that he wouldn't mind it, there's no expectation of cuddling -- he's not actually a cat, so that would would be weird, right?]

[But even as he settles in to nap, he reaches one paw out towards Brickston, patting the side of the futon. A request for him to stay -- at least until he falls asleep!]





[Of course, he has no idea that this particular Kizuna effect is only in effect when he's awake.]

[historicallyloaded]

[ The feeling of having those tiny little paw pads touch his arm is enough cause for more bonding sparkles to flourish around his head. He nearly can't stand it, it's so adorable. ]

Alright fine, but only because you asked so nicely.

[ Bricks does not sound terribly begrudged but he still feels like he's imposing as he shifts his legs out from under him and wiggles on the futon, electing to lay on top of the blanket but hooking his arm over Aether's body to coddle him. Getting horizontal is immediately comfortable. ]

You'll tell Paimon to come up with a better nickname, won't you?

[brilliantdiamond]

[He sparkles in turn when Brickston lays beside him, arm wrapped around his tiny form... he could get used to this, honestly. Or maybe he just has a thing for people who are bigger than him -- it's hard to say.]

[He nods slightly and then yawns, settling down and closing his eyes. For the first time today, he finally feels relaxed. So maybe he can just fall asleep and hope that he'll be back to normal when he wakes...]


[But now the question is: Will Brickston fall asleep within the next twenty minutes? Because if not, he'll be awake to see Aether abruptly turn back, completely bare save the blanket over his waist, and probably cuddled up a bit too close to Brickston.]

[historicallyloaded]

[ Sleep is all or nothing for Brickston; either his busy mind trips over itself and keeps him awake, or he studies or works himself to pure exhaustion and sleeps deeply and immediately. To his credit, he does replay over the strange sequences of events that have led him up to this very moment; meeting Paimon, her nickname, the contrast of his previous memories of the teapot, the surreality of Aether in his current fuzzy form, how he wished he'd snuck more bites of chicken...

but even that deaccelerates into a nice haze of relaxation, spurned on by the comfort of having a warm body curled around him. He closes his eyes and yes, does manage to doze off.

The other thing about him is he, thankfully, doesn't snore... but he does murmur in his sleep and drool. ]

[brilliantdiamond]

[Well]

[That means when Aether wakes up, totally bare, he's all cuddled up under Brickston's arm, face immediately growing red when he sees just how close they are.]

[He really shouldn't be embarrassed, considering everything that happened between them and what they did after-- but he's pretty flustered to have found himself suddenly back to normal, and thus ends up flailing a little as he tries to dislodge himself from Brickston without waking him up--]

[Is he successful?? Or will Brickston wake up just as Aether pulls the covers off to get up, baring himself?]

[historicallyloaded]

[ Astonishingly, he doesn't wake up right away. Murmurs something that sounds like No don't... that's how the last ten millimeter socket went missing... and rolls over to embrace Aether tighter, wrapping his arm over his chest and burying his face in his shoulder.

Any further disturbance will likely get him to wake up, however. ]

[brilliantdiamond]

[A h]

[...]

[Well, this is fine, but he'd rather be clothed in case Paimon pops in to check on them (boy sure would be a shame if she does that at an inopportune moment). Which means it's time to tap Brickston on the shoulder to wake him up.]

[Of course, Aether hasn't noticed that as the Kizuna effect wore off, a new permanent one took its place, leaving him with a pair of cat ears and a fluffy tail hidden under the blankets.]

Brickston...?

[historicallyloaded]

[ That would be terribly inopportune for Paimon to check in on them—hopefully she's just eating all the food he brought over instead and leaving none for them.

He wakes up and blinks, slowly processing 1) the immediate closeness of Aether and 2) that Aether wasn't a small cat anymore. He doesn't roll back but lifts his head to take in the sight a bit better, tone still sleepy. ]

Oh did you turn back? [ And his gaze does settle on those cat ears sticking out of his hair. He reaches up to touch them, not quite processing the rest of Aether's nude state yet. ]

Sort of went halvesies on it, didn't you Aether? [ He looks down and it's very easy to pinpoint when he registers that from the furious blush on his cheeks. He wiggles away, hands held up defensively. Maybe the blanket gets pulled a little under his body. ]

Oh I'm so sorry I-I didn't...

[ WAIT... ]

It—it was just an innocent nap, was just out for a wink and now you're starkers— WAS THAT WHAT FIXED IT?

[brilliantdiamond]

[He nearly jerks back back when he feels him touching the ears -- it felt very strange to suddenly have sensation on an appendage you didn't realize you had?? But when Brickston wiggles away, Aether moves to sit up, keeping himself decent with the corner of the blanket.]

[There's a matching blush on his face of course, though it has far more to do with how comfortable it felt cuddling up like that. And seeing as he was a cat and all, his hair is down over his shoulders -- and probably more than a little unkempt from nuzzling against Brickston in his sleep. This is fine.]

It's fine, I think I just turned back in my sleep! But... maybe laying here together helped?

[Cured through the power of snuggles.]