Job 13:5

Lark had a big ol grin on his face after that, though he shrugged a shoulder at the question.

"Eh, kinda depressed t'be honest, but that helps!"

And of course, opportunistically, he took Miles' face next and gave HIM a kiss on the forehead. It's nice and you should also get one! "How 'bout you, how's Miles?"

Now, Miles' initial, internal reaction is offended (because how dare Lark feel depressed after receiving a smooch!) but it's swiftly followed, upon realising what the cat-man had said, by concern.

But then he's getting smooched! "Oh, uh, thanks..." A little blushy now, because affection still does that too him. "M'sorry t'hear that, though. I'm.. glad I could at least help ya feel a lil better."

Then, it was his turn to shrug, "Miles' is doin' alright. Could be better, but tha's only because it's startin' to get hot, but other than that, no complaints."

Nice. A good hug. 10 outta 10.

Picker her chin back up off his shoulder to the question. To look toward the cooling garlic cloves. "Oh, uh, nothin', really. Preppeing roasted garlic for different things. Some'll get dehydrated for powder and some'll be pasted or minced or jarred with olive oil and salt. For makin' other stuff."

It was definitely a hug to write home about.

"Ooh, gottcha." He would eye the garlic, then her, still holding her, "You wanna hand preppin' it?" Then, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial stage whisper, "M'askin' 'cause I want an excuse t'hang out, but also be useful. No pressure if ya want me t'dip, though."

"You're gonna look gay!" Lark chirped, still waiting, and shutting his eyes, even. He set down the spray bottle and rag and clasped his hands behind his back.

KISS HIS FOREHEAD, DAMMIT!

Okay, alright, that has him snorting and shaking his head.

"Thought I already did..." He would roll his eyes before conceding, stepping close enough to gently clasp Lark's face and plant a big ol' smooch to his forehead. "There; happy?"

Oof, especially treacherous with his father. Allowed herself a tiny grimace while opening oven and placing tray of roast garlic cloves in oil on the stove to cool. While he was speaking.

Not too long after she came over to pull a stool up next to him and sit.

Devang didn't have a ton of words for that one. She didn't exactly have parental experiences. Just empathy and sympathy. And care about Miles himself. So she turned a little in the stool to pull him into a real hug. Not a grab and rub-her-face on him. Snug arms and a squeeze.

Treacherous was a good word for Miles' relationship with his father. Tremulous was another good one, though if pressed to provide one himself, Miles would settle on complicated.

He would at perk up and become a bit more present again as the smell of garlic grew stronger, and he found himself leaning slightly to get a better whiff of it before he's able to shift his attention back onto Devang and her stool.

"What-" He really doesn't expect the hug, it stops and stills him and takes him a split second before he returns it, giving a squeeze of his own. He would stay like that, silently for a long moment, before letting out a soft, albeit shaky sigh, "So uh, what.. What're you cookin'? Y'made enough for me? Heh..."

"What, like--all the way back to the home island 'home'?" Allowing herself to be more expressive with her voice, brows hiked up. Concerned and curious. "How'd that go?"

Her memory was having a bit of fuzz, but she was pretty sure there was some...treachery to Mile's family emotionally.

"Heh, yeah." He gave a little snort and nodded.

Though, with the latter question, he would give a noncommittal hand wiggle and struggle a moment to answer; his relationship with his family (well, some of his family) was complicated.

"Eh, it coulda gone better... Coulda gone a lot worse too, so uh, it went okay, I guess." Snuffed, hesitated a little, and spoke again, softer. He wouldn't really be able to meet Devang's eyes, but he was at least offering a small smile. "M'dad had a lil health scare, so it was... kinda scary, but he's okay now, though, so. Y'know."

sodoffyabuggers

The uncomfortable face Miles was making would just be met with another frown-- but turned upside down! Kind of. Really more... slanted slightly up and to the left. And a big shrug!

"Oh, only if I like ya. Look, if ya really don't want anyone seein' how much better ya look beside me, I'll delete th' picture. But first--!"

He stood back and gave Miles some space, just enough to stick out a hand for a good old classic shake.

"I'm Worth. Th' cat thing is new. An' temporary. I think."

If Miles didn't remember him by name either, then that was okay. This would just be the first time they met again. They'd really only met once before, and it had been a long while, but it was hard to forget a guy who'd introduced himself by nosediving directly down some stairs.

#sodoffyabuggers #((iconic...... i wouldn't want him any other way lmao))

"Oh, yer one o'those kinda people." The being an asshole to people you like kinda person. Which was the kind of person Miles was and was typically surrounded by, which was fine, but this fella was still a stranger! He couldn't do it in an endearing way!

But then he's giving Miles whiplash by complimenting him and being all polite.

He would blink at the outstretched hand, fingers twitching before he huffs and gives Worth a big hearty handshake. Demeanour mellowing out slightly, he would still frown--why did the name sound familiar?

"Miles..." Blinked again and couldn't help his face from scrunching up a little. "The cat thing ain't contagious, is it?"

Lark grinned up at Miles, eyes narrowed; yes he IS a little shit and he knows it!

"Nah!" He popped up onto his feet, but still without standing as tall as Miles. "All I ask is y'gimme a kiss. Right 'ere!"

Lark pointed at his forehead. Give him a lil kiss for his labor! Right between his ears!

Hm.

Hmmm.

Miles' brows would draw together, eyes flicking up to look at Lark's forehead, then back down to his eyes. Repeated the action, then tilted his head slightly as he squinted.

"Why do I feel like this is some sorta trap?"

Lark grinned up at Miles innocently, still crouched. Then he shook his head and pointed at the bottle of glass cleaner.

“Nah, I’ve got it!”

Lark held his finger BEHIND the trigger, pointing the bottle at Miles and miming spraying his face. Then he held the rag up to do circles in the air like he was cleaning him. There you go! You’re welcome!

"Wha-" Oop! Miles is gonna flinch and turn away as Lark lofts and points the spray at him, before he relaxes, shoulders drooping as he side eyes the cat-man.

"Yer a lil shit, ya know that? Next yer gonna be sendin' me an invoice for cleanin' the windows, aren'tcha?"

Yes. She'd peeped him just then.

"Nah. I am roasting garlic." Sure enough, stepping inside introduced him to strong roasting garlic smells. It also exposed him to her leaning down, scooping him in close with an arm for a moment, to rub her cheek and nose around his cheek and hair. Then let him go just as fast. He'd been gone too long. Needed to smell right again.

"Where you been?" As she made her way back toward the kitchen.

Ooohhh boy, his head will tip back slightly, eyes closing, as he takes a big ol' sniff and lets out a very pleased hum. Ready to ask what she was cooking (other than garlic, of course), the question dies before it's fully formed, as he's held and nuzzled.

Even though it was brief, it would still bring colour to his cheeks and a smile to his face.

"Eh, y'know..." Popped a shrug, looking a tad bashful. "Workin', mostly. I uh, went back home fer a few months, too. Sorry I haven't dropped in, or kept ya posted, it's been a lil hectic."

sodoffyabuggers

Yes he was a huge cat man! Yes, his weird paw hands were practically bare of fur and half his face was covered in thin peach fuzz. His ears were fucking huge! Look at Worth funny all you want, it was always the best part of his day.

"Oh, none taken Meters. I mean Miles!"

It probably would have been more awkward for him if he had more shame left in his body, but he'd been running low of that for years. Plus he'd gotten used to the looks by now anyway. He broke the silly pose only to fish his phone out of his pocket and open the camera app.

"But if ya don't mind, I'd like a piccie of that handsome mug. For th' road, yanno?" He went over and slung one whole arm around Miles' shoulders before snapping a quick selfie of the two of them, sticking his tongue out for the picture.

#voxtekcrown #;;ask #((vox... no... don't do that... taking over heaven is like dangerous and stuff...))

It was upsetting. Looking at Worth. If he had not been raised right, and weren't actively engaged in conversation with the guy, Miles would be averting his poor, virgin eyes.

But then the motherfucker calls him Meters, and his attention becomes laser focused, framed by intensely squinting eyes and furrowed brows. He's so annoyed by that, that it doesn't even register to him that this fella knew his name, and then he's being distracted by having his personal space invaded!

"Yeah, no-" Nope, even as he tries to protest, hand and face moving, it's too late to stop the selfie. His frown would deepen more, "Bit of an asshole, ain'tcha?"

#sodoffyabuggers

"Welcome back. You didn't miss much." Vox definitely didn't fail to take over Heaven or anything. Shhh.

Oh! Hey! It's Vox! Little bit startled at the very casual, and almost nice, greeting, Miles would blink before offering a lopsided grin.

"Hey! Uh, thanks, man. I think m'glad to hear I didn't miss much but also uh, a lil shocked, yanno? Always seems like there's shit goin' on around here..."

@mr-pulvis from x

Lark SLAPPED BOTH HANDPAWS and his cheek on the window, and slowly slid down it until he disappeared beneath.

He is dying. He is dead.

All the evidence is on your now-smeared window.

Then his hands rose up with a spray bottle and rag, cleaning it again sloppily with his head still hidden, as if Miles couldn't see his hands. As if he was being so super slick about it.

Then he slapped a pawprint onto it. Muahaha. No perfectly clean window for you, only chaos.

Miles frowns as Lark drags himself down the window, his handpaws making the squeakiest of squeaks as he goes. Oh. Oh, no, don't do that...

He opens his mouth to protest, or scold, or maybe both, only to be cut short as the handpaws reemerge to fix the smears. Oh, well, he couldn't be too mad about--

OH. MOTHERFUCKER.

He would stride over to open the window, poking his head out to give him a stern look, "Do I gotta get the spray bottle?"

sodoffyabuggers

It had been a while since he'd seen Miles, but he remembered that face!

He'd let the man stare for a moment or two, before the urge to STRIKE A POSE had him propping one hand on his hip and the other behind his head. His big ears were pointed confidently forward and his furry tail hooked at the tip behind his back.

Yes, he was a catman right now! Yes, his fur made him look a little bit like a plucked chicken. What of it?

"I do picture for picture, by th' way. If ya want one, I get to snap one of you too. Only fair~"

That didn't explain aNYTHING!

It takes a second to register that the guy was a (partially) hairless cat man, which did make his face scrunch up a little. Cats shouldn't be naked, it was weird.

He startles, ever so slightly, at the suddenness of the POSE, before he realises they are both making eye contact and Miles is consumed by the embarrassment of having been caught staring. It was obviously too late to avert his attention elsewhere or pretend he was looking at something else.

At least the guy was... kind of defusing the awkwardness by.... introducing a new kind of awkwardness.

"Uhh... Y'know, I think m'good, I think I can live without havin' a picture of ya. No offence, o'course."

#sodoffyabuggers

A blind lifted a moment in a window. A glowing ball of purple light occupying the space before the blind shut again. Took a few moments for the door to open. There's Devang. Using a cane. Some pajama pants and a goofy decal shirt fit three sizes too large.

"Miles." She greeted while stepping out of the way to let him in.

His eyebrows raised a touch as he stares at the purple ball of light when it appears, only to blink and purse his lips with a little "Hm." when it disappeared, and he was left to wait. Was that Devang's version of a Ring doorbell?

Didn't have time to ponder over that though because there! She was! Miles would grin at the sight of her and open his mouth, pausing very briefly as he took notice of the cane, before speaking,

"Dev, hey!" When given the queue, he would step inside, "How's it goin'! I ain't interruptin' anythin', am I?"