"I can see that." Deuteronomy lifted a furry brow and kept grinning her wolf grin. "I'm Deuteronomy. Everyone calls me Deuteronomy because I like to inconvenience people."
She was a four-legged creature that went through the trouble of learning to speak and by God everyone else was going to call her by her full name if she could say it. She climbed the rest of the way onto the porch and shoved the bag off over her head.
"So you're the reason sourpuss here's started whistling all of the sudden."
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" JW stuck his neck out and grit his teeth. His ears were turning red--somehow they hadn't during the whole trip uphill.
She kind of reminded him of the Bull when he introduced himself. He wasn't 'Iron Bull', or 'Bull', though people did call him that. He was 'The Iron Bull', because of Qunari reasons, and if he was to name himself outside the Quun, then that's what he'd go with. Krem didn't mind so much, though some part of him still thought it a little silly, his posturing.
"Deuteronomy. Well, any nicknames I can immediately think of would be awful anyways, so I suppose it's safe." Just don't meet his boss.
He perks a little at her comment though, glancing at the baker curiously, "Any tune in particular?"
JW suddenly swung out a leg and planted his foot against Deuteronomy's face. He started to push against her but her sturdy undead strength wasn't allowing it. Her voice was muffled behind his shoe.
The sudden action was a little surprising. Honestly he had seen him grumble about things, but Krem hadn't had much experience being around JW unless they were alone or in the bakery. His social skills were borderline Chargers material, and he kind of smile at that, hoping that would make tomorrow night easier. He'd just have to remind the boys to be super easy on the man's back. No thunderous claps on the shoulder or spine.
He was just about to comment on the whistling when JW asked him if he wanted to go inside, blinking at him a moment before nodding, trying to hide his enthusiasm. "Don't forget about your package, too. I don't want to keep you from what ever it is you were waiting for." Because Jim hadn't told him what it actually was even if he had mentioned it. Rude.
"I just wanted to see if the thing was here or not, I can always open it later." HE removed his foot from the wolf's face. "Is it here?"
"Is it?" Deuteronomy tilted her head.
"Deuteronomy..."
"Jayums?"
"Deuteronomy."
"You're no fun. It's on the table." The wolf huffed and rolled her yellow eyes, turning on a paw to hop back into the grass. "You found yourself a real winner there, Krampus. I'm outie." And with that, she hopped into the jungle.
JW was quiet for a long moment after she was gone. "Well. That happened. Anyway."
Krem covers his mouth on a laugh at 'Jayums', pretty sure that he might say something similar later if he got the chance.
When she departs he looks back at JW though and shrugs, unsure of what to say to that. "So, would it have been rude to offer my hand for a shake? I don't think I've met talking wolves before. Werewolves, yes. But...wolves, no."
"She's only a wolf as much as the yellow gunk they serve at Taco Bell is cheese." JW grunted and opened the door, stalking inside without waiting to hold it for Krem as he'd so nicely done for him earlier.
The house was much bigger than you'd think someone like JW would live. Everything was hardwood--there were stairs leading upwards to a hall. A room off to the left held a guest room and the kitchen was through a door dead ahead. A large hearth and fireplace stood unused to the right and a coffee table holding a tiny TV sat in front of a ratty green sofa. It smelled like weed.
JW passed right on through to the kitchen where his box was.
The answer as to what she actually was, was a mystery to him then. "Shapeshifter? I've met one before, though she was...less cheery." Morrigan was a nightmare and a half really, thought she knew everything, though he supposed that she did at least try to mean well while pushing her own interests at the front of everything else.
The house does surprise him a little though. It's already much larger than his one bedroom apartment, though the space there is far more than enough for him when he doesn't spend all that much time at home. His bedroom and the living room were the only two places he really spent much of his time anyways. "This is nice. Your couch looks well loved." He wasn't being rude, it was a compliment really. His own was an overstuffed old leather sofa with cracks. There was a large dip in the one side where Bull sat his fat ass whenever he came over.
"She's more of a...project. Somebody made. In the basement," JW called from the kitchen. He was shaking the box, holding it up to his ear, and then turning it over in his hands. Sounded okay. "Thanks. Been here longer than I have--the sofa. Probably longer than Deuteornomy even."
JW abandoned the kitchen and finally plunked down on the sofa. He sank into it and puffed out a sigh, relaxing. He patted the cushion next to him.
"I'll show you 'round once I catch my breath. That was a walk!"
"Oh." Krem has heard of that before, though most of the time, the projects don't survive. A certain Champion of Kirkwall's mother happened upon the same fate with a crazy mage, she didn't live long after they found her. Just long enough to ask for release before it came at an abrupt and awful end. "She seems nice." He managed afterward, setting down on the sofa next to him without much else to say.
Since he had actually kissed him, he feels no need to be shy about leaning against him, shoulder to shoulder, closing his eyes and enjoying the cushion.
"So, be honest. How many times a day do you smoke on this couch?" Not that he was so offended by the overwhelming smell of pot, just it was a curiosity.
"She's alright. Tried to kill me once but it was kinda understandable. Anyway--" Oh! He wasn't quite ready for Krem to lean on him and he's easily squashed against the sofa arm. He doesn't complain, not one bit.
Krem's question catches him off guard but he's quick to turn on his casual, perpetually bored look. "Just whenever I'm stressed."
Krem doesn't put his full weight on JW, just leans and sighs, comfortable, shoulder to shoulder with the other man.
"You're so specific." And that sounds like what his answer would be if he were to ask him how often he drank, though with a stressful job like his? it was easier, more honest to say every day. He shifts his body, so he's not crushing him, but turns to face him more, pulling one leg up onto the couch, looking at him curiously. He supposed now was as good a time as any to ask, and since they were meeting the Chargers the day after... "So, you want to have a fun little talk about boundaries? I figure it's good to have it sooner rather than later."
"I'm not home very often if that narrows it down." Once Krem shifts, JW turns to face him, fully expecting to have some face time but is instead given a question. A surprising but important one. He glances away, flustered in that same way people get flustered when you ask them what their favorite movie is and they instantly forget every movie they've ever seen in their entire lives.
"Boundaries...boundaries...nothin' with live animals."
Krem can't help but laugh, choking on it halfway and looking back up at he other man. "So dead ones, you're into that. Got it. I can respect that." He's not trying to make fun, just tease a little, perhaps get JW to relax just a little.
"You don't have to tell me everything, just..." he swallows, looking down at his own hands, currently holding onto his knee, a defined space between them. "If you don't like PDA, if you're not touchy, if you don't like certain words, phrases." He glances up again, trying to show some more confidence than he felt, "The basics."
JW laughs too and pushes the joke further. "Well you did see who I live with! Guess it rubbed off on me!"
When he calms down, his sheepish smile is in place once again. It's...nice being asked things like this. He's honestly never talked about it with anyone. In past relationships, he and the other person usually just blindly bumped around until they found something they didn't like.
The smile flattens out into a thoughtful frown eventually. "Lavish me with love an attetion all you want, but I wasn't kidding about my back. I don't mind horsin' around but...keep in mind, yeah?"
He hated admitting how frail he'd made himself. And there was one other thing. He felt like an ass asking it of Krem as they sat on his weed sofa.
"I'm gonna be straight with you," he said, letting the weak attempt at a joke hang in the air for a few seconds before charging onward uncomfortably, his mismatched eyes slowly sliding off of Krem. "I know you like to do whatever with your soldier friends. That's fine. You save lives ever day, you deserve to unwind but...if you show up to my place shitfaced, I'm sorry. I can't. I can't do it."
Krem nods seriously, knowing that JW probably wouldn't appreciate being treated like glass, but that was a two way communication issue. "If I accidentally hurt you, if something is too much, then you better tell me right away. I'm not going to walk on eggshells, I don't think either of us would like that, but I'll try and be careful all the same." He thinks that's fair, knows that it's a good compromise, but if JW wanted him to be extra careful, he could do that too.
He waits for more, but when JW opens his mouth again, he feels like something drops in his gut. He doesn't get drunk all that often any more, he drinks too much for that, the wine he likes isn't expensive, isn't perfect, but it's familiar, and often times he used it to help him sleep, or just because he had a habit he couldn't break. The other chargers were...borderline alcoholics, but he couldn't say any of them could suck down wine like he could. But JW was honest with him, and he supposed that meant he needed to be too.
"I save lives for a price. I make my own moral calls when I need to because we can afford to get fired if something doesn't go right, we're good enough we can get replacement work easily enough. But...that's no real excuse for drinking."
He tries to laugh, running his fingers through his hair. "They say the first step is admitting you have a problem, but when you know you do but don't care to stop, you kind of just live with the label." He'll finally look up at JW, really look at him and shrug, "I don't get shitfaced, but I can't promise I won't be drinking. Wine is a daily routine. Don't usually touch anything harder though, if it even makes a difference to you. Just, wanted to be honest."
JW listened quietly and politely with a wooden face. He wished it were easier for him to express how grateful he was that Krem was being up front with him--before their flirting and sneaking kisses off one another turned into something else.
But sadly, in that instant, a wall went up complete with lookout tower. Even with the honesty, an element of trust was lost. JW couldn't trust Krem wholly and completely. He'd been damaged too badly and he felt embarrassed about it. He just couldn't move on.
"Hear you loud and clear. I'm just begging you...don't let me smell it. Not here in this house. I fought too hard for...this."
He gestured vaguely to his house. His shitty, poorly heated castle where his father couldn't ever get him.
Krem swallows hard, looking down at his hands again, and nods. "Your space is safe from my habit," and it's a promise that he's sure he will keep. It's not at home, its not never, just here, and he can do that. It's easy.
His fingers slowly unravel from his knee, shifting slow over to JW's own, "Anything else? I know I got some rules too, but you first."
"Thank you." It came out stiff, but he really did mean it. He was just distracted. There was a lot of mental re-arranging to do in order to compensate for this new wall. When Krem's hand touched his, he didn't draw away though there was the slightest flinch--and another internal swear angled at himself-- before he turned his hand over and wound his fingers through Krem's.
"That's the biggest one." He tried to think of something, anything that wasn't hung up on years of being abused. "Not real wild about having my antlers touched while they're in velvet. If I think of something else, I'll let you know."
Krem was battle trained, he knew tells, negotiated with hard asses and broke them down. It was easy for him to tell when things in the atmosphere changed, but...he supposed now was as good a time as any to work on new problems rather than a larger block to show up if they went much further. It was just...hard seeing it so clearly even if it was obvious to him that JW was trying to make it not obvious.
His eyes will go up to his antlers though, thankful for the distraction and stare at them a moment. "Bull's are different...they don't change ever, harder than anything i've ever seen him hit them against. Can I touch them now?"
"Bull calls them his love handles, though he's got two sets if that's the case," He grins, letting go of Jw's hand to reach both his up to touch his antlers. He was gentle, didn't grab, but was curious. They felt different than Bull's own, the patterns different, not as thick, but not at all weird. He was used to men with horns.
He tested the tips of each end with his fingers, the points just pressing into his fingers rather than cutting into them. Still, if he got one to the eye, he'd lose it. "I bet it's weird when you don't have them. Suddenly you're so much shorter. Don't have to worry about what's overhead..." Bull got stuck in doorways all the time because he always assumed everything was wide enough, tall enough for him even if that was barely ever the case. He could fix it easily, but he could imagine how much worse it would be if he lost his horns every year for a short while.
In any case, he'll pull his hands back, rubbing his fingers together. He had procrastinated enough though, and talking about himself was hard sometimes. But JW had, and he himself had brought it up. He could man up and do it. Just, needed a moment.
"It took some getting used to the first couple of times. But let me tell you there is nothing worse than having a hat that you really really like and knowing you can only wear it for a few months out of the year."
He looked beyond Krem to the actual hat stand that sat near the door. A big puffy coat hung off of it along with one straw hat. A few other caps of differing dark colors hung there as well with holes cut into them and slits on the sides.
"Can't bare to cut up that one...anyway."
He knew he couldn't stay off in the brush forever. He was curious. Where did his limits lay with this soldier boy?
He smiles at that, can imagine. "Chief likes to make excuses about shirts for that reason. Says he can't wear them because his horns would get in the way, but he wears button downs just fine if he absolutely has to. I think he just likes showing off his arms, but if he can pull it off with confidence, more power to him I say."
He himself had things that he liked to wear and yet...some days he didn't.
JW gave him an open though, and he sighed, sitting up a little more straighter, "So, language. I don't think this will be a problem, but try and take care with what you say. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to, but I'd rather you use more masculine descriptors. I'm not going to be mad if you say I'm pretty," He tries to smile a little at that, "Just, I think handsome suits better."
He shifts in his seat again, turning so his back was against the couch again, staring at the ceiling instead of JW, "And while I'm comfortable with my own body, It can get weird with someone else." He swallows, turning his head to look at JW again, "I'm not saying I don't want you to touch, but if it's under my clothes? It'd be nice if you gave a little warning, doesn't have to be verbal, just there."
JW holds still, worried. Krem is a soldier. He's seen Some Shit. JW worries that he was going to have some part of his every day life he would have to keep away too. But when Krem made his simple request, JW heaved out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"You're right, that's not going to be a problem." JW put on a more genuine grin, proud he could so easily provide something that would make Krem comfortable. Up until this point there had been a silent understanding. He'd seen things in the gym and just rolled with it. But here it was, being laid out before him and something JW took seriously.
"How about dashing?"
He lifted both hands and nodded.
"That's fine. Honestly, I'm better off with a tour guide anyway." Anything that would give him hints as to what Krem liked best would be a godsend. And after the man's previous request, he figured Krem would be more comfortable introducing himself to JW bit by bit than with letting him blunder around in the dark. "On that note, if I'm holding a tray of something, back off. Otherwise, go nuts ah--hmm."
Something else he didn't think of before came up and he rolled up his right sleeve to show off the pressure wrap. It went from his wrist all the way up his arm and disappeared into his shirt.
"This is...brain shit. I have a lot of that. You don't have to worry about bumping me or anything, but I can't really take this off except to shower most of the time. I just didn't want it to be a surprise."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
wolfintheattic) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
theattic2014-11-09 07:23 pm
no subject
She was a four-legged creature that went through the trouble of learning to speak and by God everyone else was going to call her by her full name if she could say it. She climbed the rest of the way onto the porch and shoved the bag off over her head.
"So you're the reason sourpuss here's started whistling all of the sudden."
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" JW stuck his neck out and grit his teeth. His ears were turning red--somehow they hadn't during the whole trip uphill.
no subject
"Deuteronomy. Well, any nicknames I can immediately think of would be awful anyways, so I suppose it's safe." Just don't meet his boss.
He perks a little at her comment though, glancing at the baker curiously, "Any tune in particular?"
no subject
"No song that I know but it sure is peppy!"
"Do you want to go inside?" JW butted in.
no subject
He was just about to comment on the whistling when JW asked him if he wanted to go inside, blinking at him a moment before nodding, trying to hide his enthusiasm. "Don't forget about your package, too. I don't want to keep you from what ever it is you were waiting for." Because Jim hadn't told him what it actually was even if he had mentioned it. Rude.
no subject
"Is it?" Deuteronomy tilted her head.
"Deuteronomy..."
"Jayums?"
"Deuteronomy."
"You're no fun. It's on the table." The wolf huffed and rolled her yellow eyes, turning on a paw to hop back into the grass. "You found yourself a real winner there, Krampus. I'm outie." And with that, she hopped into the jungle.
JW was quiet for a long moment after she was gone. "Well. That happened. Anyway."
no subject
When she departs he looks back at JW though and shrugs, unsure of what to say to that. "So, would it have been rude to offer my hand for a shake? I don't think I've met talking wolves before. Werewolves, yes. But...wolves, no."
no subject
The house was much bigger than you'd think someone like JW would live. Everything was hardwood--there were stairs leading upwards to a hall. A room off to the left held a guest room and the kitchen was through a door dead ahead. A large hearth and fireplace stood unused to the right and a coffee table holding a tiny TV sat in front of a ratty green sofa. It smelled like weed.
JW passed right on through to the kitchen where his box was.
no subject
The house does surprise him a little though. It's already much larger than his one bedroom apartment, though the space there is far more than enough for him when he doesn't spend all that much time at home. His bedroom and the living room were the only two places he really spent much of his time anyways. "This is nice. Your couch looks well loved." He wasn't being rude, it was a compliment really. His own was an overstuffed old leather sofa with cracks. There was a large dip in the one side where Bull sat his fat ass whenever he came over.
"Do you bake at home too, or just at work?"
no subject
JW abandoned the kitchen and finally plunked down on the sofa. He sank into it and puffed out a sigh, relaxing. He patted the cushion next to him.
"I'll show you 'round once I catch my breath. That was a walk!"
no subject
Since he had actually kissed him, he feels no need to be shy about leaning against him, shoulder to shoulder, closing his eyes and enjoying the cushion.
"So, be honest. How many times a day do you smoke on this couch?" Not that he was so offended by the overwhelming smell of pot, just it was a curiosity.
no subject
Krem's question catches him off guard but he's quick to turn on his casual, perpetually bored look. "Just whenever I'm stressed."
no subject
"You're so specific." And that sounds like what his answer would be if he were to ask him how often he drank, though with a stressful job like his? it was easier, more honest to say every day. He shifts his body, so he's not crushing him, but turns to face him more, pulling one leg up onto the couch, looking at him curiously. He supposed now was as good a time as any to ask, and since they were meeting the Chargers the day after... "So, you want to have a fun little talk about boundaries? I figure it's good to have it sooner rather than later."
no subject
"Boundaries...boundaries...nothin' with live animals."
no subject
"You don't have to tell me everything, just..." he swallows, looking down at his own hands, currently holding onto his knee, a defined space between them. "If you don't like PDA, if you're not touchy, if you don't like certain words, phrases." He glances up again, trying to show some more confidence than he felt, "The basics."
no subject
When he calms down, his sheepish smile is in place once again. It's...nice being asked things like this. He's honestly never talked about it with anyone. In past relationships, he and the other person usually just blindly bumped around until they found something they didn't like.
The smile flattens out into a thoughtful frown eventually. "Lavish me with love an attetion all you want, but I wasn't kidding about my back. I don't mind horsin' around but...keep in mind, yeah?"
He hated admitting how frail he'd made himself. And there was one other thing. He felt like an ass asking it of Krem as they sat on his weed sofa.
"I'm gonna be straight with you," he said, letting the weak attempt at a joke hang in the air for a few seconds before charging onward uncomfortably, his mismatched eyes slowly sliding off of Krem. "I know you like to do whatever with your soldier friends. That's fine. You save lives ever day, you deserve to unwind but...if you show up to my place shitfaced, I'm sorry. I can't. I can't do it."
no subject
He waits for more, but when JW opens his mouth again, he feels like something drops in his gut. He doesn't get drunk all that often any more, he drinks too much for that, the wine he likes isn't expensive, isn't perfect, but it's familiar, and often times he used it to help him sleep, or just because he had a habit he couldn't break. The other chargers were...borderline alcoholics, but he couldn't say any of them could suck down wine like he could. But JW was honest with him, and he supposed that meant he needed to be too.
"I save lives for a price. I make my own moral calls when I need to because we can afford to get fired if something doesn't go right, we're good enough we can get replacement work easily enough. But...that's no real excuse for drinking."
He tries to laugh, running his fingers through his hair. "They say the first step is admitting you have a problem, but when you know you do but don't care to stop, you kind of just live with the label." He'll finally look up at JW, really look at him and shrug, "I don't get shitfaced, but I can't promise I won't be drinking. Wine is a daily routine. Don't usually touch anything harder though, if it even makes a difference to you. Just, wanted to be honest."
no subject
But sadly, in that instant, a wall went up complete with lookout tower. Even with the honesty, an element of trust was lost. JW couldn't trust Krem wholly and completely. He'd been damaged too badly and he felt embarrassed about it. He just couldn't move on.
"Hear you loud and clear. I'm just begging you...don't let me smell it. Not here in this house. I fought too hard for...this."
He gestured vaguely to his house. His shitty, poorly heated castle where his father couldn't ever get him.
no subject
His fingers slowly unravel from his knee, shifting slow over to JW's own, "Anything else? I know I got some rules too, but you first."
no subject
"That's the biggest one." He tried to think of something, anything that wasn't hung up on years of being abused. "Not real wild about having my antlers touched while they're in velvet. If I think of something else, I'll let you know."
no subject
His eyes will go up to his antlers though, thankful for the distraction and stare at them a moment. "Bull's are different...they don't change ever, harder than anything i've ever seen him hit them against. Can I touch them now?"
no subject
"Sure, just don't yank on 'em. They're kinda attached."
He'd caught them on way too many things and given himself whiplash.
no subject
He tested the tips of each end with his fingers, the points just pressing into his fingers rather than cutting into them. Still, if he got one to the eye, he'd lose it. "I bet it's weird when you don't have them. Suddenly you're so much shorter. Don't have to worry about what's overhead..." Bull got stuck in doorways all the time because he always assumed everything was wide enough, tall enough for him even if that was barely ever the case. He could fix it easily, but he could imagine how much worse it would be if he lost his horns every year for a short while.
In any case, he'll pull his hands back, rubbing his fingers together. He had procrastinated enough though, and talking about himself was hard sometimes. But JW had, and he himself had brought it up. He could man up and do it. Just, needed a moment.
no subject
He looked beyond Krem to the actual hat stand that sat near the door. A big puffy coat hung off of it along with one straw hat. A few other caps of differing dark colors hung there as well with holes cut into them and slits on the sides.
"Can't bare to cut up that one...anyway."
He knew he couldn't stay off in the brush forever. He was curious. Where did his limits lay with this soldier boy?
no subject
He himself had things that he liked to wear and yet...some days he didn't.
JW gave him an open though, and he sighed, sitting up a little more straighter, "So, language. I don't think this will be a problem, but try and take care with what you say. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to, but I'd rather you use more masculine descriptors. I'm not going to be mad if you say I'm pretty," He tries to smile a little at that, "Just, I think handsome suits better."
He shifts in his seat again, turning so his back was against the couch again, staring at the ceiling instead of JW, "And while I'm comfortable with my own body, It can get weird with someone else." He swallows, turning his head to look at JW again, "I'm not saying I don't want you to touch, but if it's under my clothes? It'd be nice if you gave a little warning, doesn't have to be verbal, just there."
no subject
"You're right, that's not going to be a problem." JW put on a more genuine grin, proud he could so easily provide something that would make Krem comfortable. Up until this point there had been a silent understanding. He'd seen things in the gym and just rolled with it. But here it was, being laid out before him and something JW took seriously.
"How about dashing?"
He lifted both hands and nodded.
"That's fine. Honestly, I'm better off with a tour guide anyway." Anything that would give him hints as to what Krem liked best would be a godsend. And after the man's previous request, he figured Krem would be more comfortable introducing himself to JW bit by bit than with letting him blunder around in the dark. "On that note, if I'm holding a tray of something, back off. Otherwise, go nuts ah--hmm."
Something else he didn't think of before came up and he rolled up his right sleeve to show off the pressure wrap. It went from his wrist all the way up his arm and disappeared into his shirt.
"This is...brain shit. I have a lot of that. You don't have to worry about bumping me or anything, but I can't really take this off except to shower most of the time. I just didn't want it to be a surprise."
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)