theattic | THE FLUFF CORNER

[Envy nearly jumps when he feels the vine wrap around his ankle, just because he hadn't been expecting it.]

[That, and just like Envy's own cat-induced touchiness, it has a whole different significance than the few times it's happened before now. But it's not like he wants Henry to quit, and he doesn't want to point it out in case it does make him stop. So he just clears his throat before forging on his story. Telling it should be good and distracting!]

So this is a pretty good, quiet part of town, yeah? Not somewhere you'd expect a lot of excitement. Except then I started passing by this one street and I nearly get my head taken off because there's two screaming goblins rocketing through the air at head height, one after another. I think they were using that...magic they've got. I had to drop to get out of the way, and they just kept going. Hell, they might still be going for all I know.

_{[A couple pansies nearly toppled out of Henry's hand when he whipped his head around to look up at Envy in order to fully process the story he was just told. That grim wobbly line that was usually his mouth warped itself into a jagged zigzag--like bark that had been split by lightning.]

[And then he spluttered out a laugh.]}

What?

[He got him to laugh! A sharp-fanged, immensely pleased-with-himself grin spreads on Envy's face.]

You heard me. Projectile goblins.

You'll have to start watching out.

_{[The phrase projectile goblins got another snort out of him. His tail withdraws from Envy's leg but only so that it can lash in amusement.]}

I wonder if one of them was Mr. Pines. We'd really have to watch out then.

[Being able to get this kind of reaction almost makes up for the tail withdrawing from his ankle. The end of Envy's own tail is curling into a pleased question mark.]

Mr. Pines?

[His expression clearly says 'go on', this sounds like a story.]

He's a goblin I know. He got me arrested once.

_{[His feelings towards Stan are complicated. He doesn't HATE the man. He treated Mable really well after all...but he did very much get him arrested.]}

[Now it's Envy's turn to let out a snort of amusement. The conversation is making him feel a whole lot less nervous and over-conscious.]

Really? What did he do, he must've framed you for something.

Well...I was hitting him with a sign. But he'd tried to set me up as a photo op because my roots got stuck in the sidewalk. He was also trying to sell my leaves he stole from the movie set to fans and...it was kind of a mess.

_{[He turns in place to finally help the little flowers that he'd dropped into their new places.]}

[Envy's ears flick back in annoyance just hearing what this Pines guy did, and he huffs.]

Well, good. You should've been hitting him with a sign.

[He watches the flowers go into place, barely noticing that he's fully settled his chin onto Henry's shoulder. The relaxation brings out more of that seeking of casual physical contact, or at least makes it easier for it to just happen without him thinking about it. He glances back at the nymph, curious.]

Didn't know you were in the movies.

_{[Envy's face just gets closer and closer to his face and Henry's lazy tail wagging turns into another anxious spiral. UH. HELLO. BOYFRIEND??? He flicks his eyes to the side. YUP THERE HE IS. It's not a terrible view honestly. And that not terrible view thinks HE is a not terrible view wow this is. Surreal.]

[Good thing Henry is pretty used to surreal.]}

I--yeah. There's. A reason. All of them were bad. They were very very bad.

[SORRY, HENRY. Envy's personal space boundaries aren't the greatest after all this time as a needy cat monster. Especially not when he's been practically doing this for some time now, minus the dating part. For now, though, it seems like this is as close as he's going to get.]

[He's also still entirely too focused on this brand new interesting tidbit of information to notice what Henry's tail is doing outside his vision. His grin turns smirkier.]

I might have to go watch them anyway. For science, see.

_{[It is finally time to ACT. Henry lifts a hand to plant a wooden finger against the catman's forehead and push him away just slightly.]}

Good luck finding them. The place went out of business and most of the reels were destroyed. By me.

[Envy's face scrunches up into a hilariously offended frown as he crosses his eyes to look at the intruding finger. It's only by the grace of really, really liking Henry that he doesn't try to bite it.]

[But it does work, his head is farther away now.]

Most of them. I'll hunt to the ends of the earth to see your bad movies.

[He lifts his far hand to try batting Henry's finger away, with the other one shifting but still leaning on his shoulder.]

I know exactly where those are and they aren't seeing the light of day again if I can help it.

_{[He reaches out to grab another tray of flowers.]}

Maybe if they're worth a lot of money one day...I think I was one of the first monster movie stars.

[Envy lets out a disappointed whining sound, ears lowering slightly. But after a moment, he speaks up again; he's still curious.]

How'd you get to be one, anyway? I wouldn't think that'd be your thing.

It wasn't my idea. I agreed to play a part for the two men who bailed me out of jail that first time, but the pay was good and there were so many scripts...it got away from me and before I knew it, the director had me wrapped around his little finger

_{[Excuse him while he plants these yellow flowers with more force than is necessary.]}

[Envy frowns, tail flicking. He doesn't really like the sound of that, especially with how Henry's acting with the flowers now. Just what had happened, what had that human done? His ears flatten down to the sides and his tail starts flipping from side to side more forcefully, accidentally whapping Henry on the back.]

[After the second whap, he notices what it's doing and thinks that maybe they shouldn't talk about this right now. So he forces it to hold still again and puts a sly smirk on his face instead.]

So....I'm noticing you've been arrested at least twice now. I didn't realize you were such a delinquent.

_{[That got Henry to puff out another little laugh. It was pretty silly to think about, wasn't it?]}

I guess I'm just a shady guy...

[Now it's Envy's turn to sputter, because Henry did you just--]

Do you have a tree joke for everything?

I be-leaf so.

_{[And the worst part about Henry and his shitty tree jokes is he delivered them in that straight-faced deadpan of his. No wide grins here.]}

[Envy wheezes that time, laughing hard enough that he ducks his head down automatically, part of his forehead against the edge of Henry's shoulder. It was the deadpan, that got him.]

You...you should go back to jail for that..!

No, I don't think I will.

_{[His tail coils again, though this time out of happiness instead of anxiety. Wow, Envy really likes shitty tree-pased jokes. WELP. He turns to more carefully pat down the next flower.]}

I've already served my photosentences.

[Ah, yes, a science pun and there he goes. He can't even respond to that one with words, just more helpless laughing. And it's genuine laughter, too, nothing snide or sarcastic about it, which is a rare thing to hear coming from Envy.]

[It's the stupid jokes, yes, but it's also a release for all the overwhelming, confusing feelings that he's been keeping held back and doesn't know how to process, and he can't seem to stop.]

_{[Henry finally cracks a jagged grin. He hasn't seen Envy give himself over to laughter like that before. If there's one thing the nymph can appreciate, it's joy. You didn't get a lot of that here on the peninsula.]

[He shifts on his knees so he can turn and actually give the manticore a few joking pats on the shoulder.]}

Envy, are you cholrofeeling okay?

[Envy's wings shift with those pats, but he doesn't mind them. It takes a little longer for him to compose himself enough to actually form words, at which point he looks up at Henry, shoulders still shaking and showing all of his teeth in a grin.]

Yeah, I'm--haha--feline fine.

[He's so goddamn pleased with himself that his tail curls.]

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