Thunk!

The sound of something wooden hitting the floor rebounded through Aesior's achingly empty home. Harsh breaths followed the sound as it echoed a short while as the fallen object rattled until it came to a stop. "Shit ... shit ...", he struggled with his words, paw pressing to his chest as pain ricocheted through him. There was so much happening on a personal level that he didn't know how to handle or react to.

For one, Corrupttimelines had returned right after the male had just accepted that he would never see him again. Second, there was no sign of Solsken after his collapse and Cory's return, his adopted son was effectively MIA. Third, he'd gone through one hell of a series of dreams and nightmares relating to his life and to his past. He'd been enlightened as to who the other soul he lived with was - and that within itself had been a revelation. Thedes. The former God of Death, a cannibal who wanted to see every God fall. A God he couldn't let free into the world again. A God he struggled to fight against, to keep under his influence.

Breaths shaking out into the air as the lion sat himself down, head spinning. What ... what was even happening? What all had happened during the week he was out? So much had happened already and he felt overwhelmed. He wanted to be back in his dreams, back in that field of lavender, back with his children when they were a few months old and running around being children. He wanted a reality he would not have for himself again.

Sitting there with head hanging and stomach acid burning at his throat, he felt his stomach snarl. Swallowing roughly, he pressed a paw to his gaunt stomach before it reached out, searching for the fallen object from earlier before finding its edge with his paw, eye closed. Drawing it towards himself, he would pry an eye open and stare at the mask held in his paws before lifting it up and sliding it over his face. It felt right, replacing his usual veil for the day. It hid his face, and it allowed his aching head some peace, the darkness heaven for his eyes.

Sitting there as he swept his tail over his paws, taking into account just what he could do. The first thing that came to mind was cleaning up his house, a small space that he could control. Huffing as he got to his paws, the lion would feel his way over to the window and open it, tail swishing as dust was disturbed and he sneezed. Cracking his good eye open, he peered through a slot in his mask for his gaze, humming softly to himself as he found a rag. Summoning some vines, he began to twist them this way and that, using his fine control over the plants to get them to move furniture in his way or to move dust rags around his immediate foot circumference. Pausing as he thought he heard a creak, lifting his mask with a pained hiss, "Who is there? And would you be opposed to helping me out with some cleaning?"

[ f l o w e r  g u i d e ] & [ t a g s ]
[align=center]"speech" | thoughts / writing

The now domestic feline had expected Aesior would be jarred by his return. He had done well on his promise to come home, but he had been far too late. Cory realized this. He realized he kept making one mistake after another. He knew that he should’ve told Aesior more about his dreams and what he was feeling. That was one of his worst flaws in life, he was a shell of a man who couldn’t face his own thoughts. It really shook the feline to the core to even consider it. Yet, if he would have just done as he knew he should, he wouldn’t be in this mess. Aesior probably would’ve never went into this coma he was forced to wait through. Cory could’ve stopped it.

He could’ve saved everyone.

Trying not to dwell on it while still accepting Aesior’s nervousness about his return, Cory figured he would try to help the blind male more often. As such, when he crept up to Aesior’s house, he was very surprised to be noticed instantly. Jumping a bit, he blinked and smiled. “It’s me. I wouldn’t mind helping, if you’ll have me that is,” he offered, standing in his doorway gingerly.

code by spacexual

Cory's return had come at a delicate time for the male, at a time where his mind was enraptured in a battle between a mortal and a God of Death, where the mortal had no knowledge he was even fighting a battle let alone a God. His dreams had been enough to show him that he was indeed caught in a one sided war with a God who also lived inside his body, who was trapped and the chains were coming loose. He now knew that the other was a threat, that in turn made him a threat, a lit fuse, a ticking time bomb that had no countdown. He knew just what Thedes was capable of and it scared the shit out of him.

Yet some part of him wanted to know what he had done to warrant the punishment of tethering his soul to another's. What was his crime? What had he done in his very first life? He only remembered that it was short and filled with chaos and danger. He remembered the week of pain he experienced, before he had finally been able to die. All because of the Gods and their War. All because of Thedes. His lips would curl back every time at that unpleasant thought, that the Gods' largest and worst criminal was locked up in the same bodies as him. Just what had he done to deserve this? He had no way of knowing. Yet it couldn't soothe his mind even if he knew, because he knew that he was a danger to his family and friends, hell, even to his enemies.

Stirred from his thoughts as he had begun to drift after demanding the announcement of a presence, he exhaled wearily. Cory. Was he part of his punishment? Some days it felt like he was, like the nights he cried himself to sleep because he missed his presence. It was strange, to be so emotionally connected to someone who didn't feel the same, who didn't know how he truly felt. He hadn't gotten that far and before he'd left, Cory had been wrapped up with Firefly. It was wrong to be jealous but he'd been jealous of her and the attention she received from Cory, and he knew that was a horrible thing but he hadn't been able to help it.

He had been terrified to acknowledge that so long after his husband's death, he was able to develop feelings for Corrupttimelines. He had been terrified to admit it to himself let alone to the other. When he had confided he was leaving, he knew he should have said something then but he'd bit his tongue in fear and refusal. Distance had only made him fonder, for so long. He never knew if the other would think him disgusting for his favour of him and his craving for his attention. Corrupttimelines, the object of his desires, or he had been for so long, one of his weaknesses.

"I won't turn away a helping paw." He responded, orange eye taking in the domestic tom for a while before skirting away from him, turning his back perhaps a little quickly, "I want to have my herb garden indoors again, put some life in here." He mentioned, trying to make small talk when different parts of his mind gave him different reactions. "Could you please help me move some furniture? Now that it's just me in this house again, I should get rid of what I won't use." Perhaps there was an unspoken metaphor there. An invitation despite his better sense?

[ f l o w e r  g u i d e ] & [ t a g s ]
[align=center]"speech" | thoughts / writing

Cory, too, wondered if Aesior was some form of punishment. He was always a step too far away from Cory. Even when he was entangled with Firefly, it never took off. It was a fever dream in which Cory could never told. Intangible, painful even, to think about. Yet, Aesior had been there. The afternoons they shared tea and talked, the days in which they reminisced over what Cory hoped to be a shared garden, all of it whirled around in his head in almost a painful plight.

“Sure,” Cory told him, a meek smile upon his face as he ushered to do whatever Aesior wished. It was nice to be back by his side, even thought it was a bit awkward. When he realized Aesior was living alone, it was a sigh of relief for him.

“Vintara and I have been alone as well, he told me he stayed there every night by himself,” he replied, a sorrowful look in his eye. “I wish he would’ve just come to you, honestly,” he told Aesior, eyes soft.

code by spacexual