The problem was less the package in his hands, or the strangely vicious liquid making a steady drip from the corner of it to the ground just shy of his left boot, but more so who happened to have left it for him?
To say opinions of him since returning from the war had been dismal was an understatement, Cypris still had to suppress a cringe every time someone took note of him when he walked past them and scrutinized something as simple as walking down the street. He had entirely given up going anywhere for a meal, that was just asking for uneasy glances and it exhausted him. On the plus side it also did wonders for having plenty of time to catch up on his reading when most people side-eyed him; he was running out of books at the rate he was going.
But, the matter at hand, sticky package oozing something that he assumed was either a pointed joke or someone trying to harm him, far more likely the former of course since he tried to be optimistic when it came to people.
Or someone put the wrong name on the package and that was just as likely a possibility.
"Don't even think about it," he warned Gris as the ebony bundle of fur and determination started to creep down his arm towards the brown paper, greedy eyes wide and nose twitching before the reprimand earned a grumble, "What happens if you keel over grabbing for that, huh?"
Well, it would have solved the mystery but not in any way Cypris was eager to as he gave the box a light shake to hear a dull thudding from inside. Too hard, that shake, he blinked with a cringe when the paper tore more and the amber substance seeped from the rip, splattering on the ground around him, including on a hapless passerby.
"Oops," he mumbled with a quick, curious glance at the other person...just in case they were about to burst into flames, choking up or something else interesting.
Bad, he meant bad, not interesting, yes.
Gods, where was his mind lately?
"I'm mostly sure that was entirely harmless," he quickly amended in vague hope of saving himself a potential black eye.
