theattic | THE FLUFF CORNER

[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.]

_{[Henry was faced with a decision that needed to be made in a lightning flash. He could either give in and snort, appreciating this guy's willingness to play along...or see if he could tease him by acting like he didn't GET the pun.]

[But Henry has never been a sneaky individual, so a laugh splutters forth anyway and he covers his face with a twisted hand.]}

That was awful.

[He got Henry to laugh again. Envy looks as though he's just caught fifty canaries, his ears sticking straight up and his tail curling back and forth at the end, this time in humor rather than anger.]

I know. They'll have to lock me up in bad joke prison, too.

Don't expect me to bail you out.

_{[He turns back to the flowerbed and...oh! They're all planted. He's run out of things to distract himself with. Uh oh!]}

Oh, I don't. You're already there on at least three separate charges.

[The face Henry starts making gets Envy to tilt his head, glancing between the garden and the nymph's face with a puzzled sort of look.]

What's that face for?

_{[Fuck fuck fuck he's out of flowers WHAT THE HELL IS HE GOING TO DO WITH HIS HANDS?]

[In a fit of sudden anxiety he reels his arms back and then plunges them fully into the earth. THERE.]}

Do you want something to drink?

[UH]

[Startled, Envy leans his head back as his ears go out to the sides. Some of his fur frizzes up.]

I...could have something?

[HE HOPES THAT HE'S NOT BEING OFFERED LIKE...WATER OUT OF THE GROUND.]

Sure! Yes. Okay.

_{[Henry, you have to uproot. No, your tail can't reach the house, stop trying.]}

I'll be back.

_{[After a moment that stretches on for a little too long, the nymph finally pulls his claws out of the ground and scurries away inside. Where he stays for yet another long moment. Finally he returns holding two glasses of fruit punch. He didn't mean to pour fruit punch but that's what happened.]

[On his way back, his tail is trying to latch onto everything it passes from shrubs to the side of the house and finally to Envy himself.]}

We had purple and red but the purple tastes like death and I don't understand why we keep buying it.

[Envy waits for Henry to get back, but he's gone long enough that it lets some of Envy's own nerves creep back in. He distracts himself by looking over Henry's garden, trying to see how many of the plants he can actually identify.]

[It's both a relief and a small resurgence of those nerves when Henry comes back outside, but he grins and takes the punch. And tries not to grin too much wider when Henry's tail attaches to his leg again.]

Maybe your housemates just enjoy tasting death, who knows?

[He'd said 'we', he's assuming there are housemates. The first sip of fruit punch gets a surprised look out of him, but not in a bad way.]

Hey, it's really sweet!

[GONNA KEEP DRINKING THIS SHIT. Which is also a great distraction.]

_{[Henry tugs on his tail but nope. It was firmly wound around the cat man's foot. It knew exactly where it wanted to be rooted.]

[The look on Envy's face when he tastes the punch for the first time finally draws that grin back out of hiding.]}

I can bring you more if you want.

[Envy's own tail flips at the end again, seeing that grin come back, and he tries to hide his expression in the cup of punch.]

Nah, c'mon and sit back down, this is enough for now.

[Sit back down with him.]

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