Welcome to Gaia! ::

The jingle of keys int the hall was the first indicator that someone was coming home. Foot steps getting louder before stopping just outside the door, a key sliding into the lock, and the knob turning.

Otto didn't immediately notice the dark figure standing in the middle of the living room when he came in. His head was down, eyes on the screen of his phone as he tried to navigate an email with his arms full of his winter jacket and the bag half sliding off his shoulder. The later was shifted so when it fell it slowed on his arm and wound up resting up against the edge oft he island. His coat was tossed on top of it.

Then he looked up, and damn near jumped right out of his skin. His back hit the door, smacking it shut again, and it was a near thing that kept him from powering up just on protective impulse.

But he recognized this man.

"Ar...Can I help you?" He had to keep himself from saying the other man's name, from giving himself away, because where had Archer gone, and for what reason? There'd been no closure on Archer's disappearance, only questions, and all at once Otto wasn't sure he wanted the answers.

"I..." Glamour kept him from being immediately recognizable, so how was it that Archer knew it was him? There'd been no question in his voice, nothing but confidence in that simple observation that left no room for doubt. Somehow this man, the one that had disappeared two years ago with little more than a note of warning, was not only back, but either had some outside knowledge or saw right through the glamour.

It had the blonde hesitating as he stepped away from the door, slowly walking up to the island to lay hands on the cool granite counter top.

Maybe there was a simpler explanation than that. Maybe Archer had no idea it was him, but had simply let himself into his old apartment to have a look around and Otto was now a stranger to him.

But if that were the case, to what end? Why break in? And how?

There were too many questions and no easy way to get answers without asking directly. But asking directly was telling, would give him away.

"What are you here for?" That, at least, seemed safe.

As many questions as Archer had just answered, it seemed like half a dozen more popped up to replace them. His roommate a an officer in the Negaverse, that much was now very clear, but why had he disappeared to begin with? Otto didn't think it had anything to do with being corrupted from order like he had, or he wouldn't have been able to recognize him. Glamour.

So. What had happened?

The request for privacy was met with a furrow of pale brows and an exaggerated look around the empty apartment they were standing in. "More private than this?"

If Archer had been watching him he might have known Desdemona spent a lot of time there as well, there was evidence of her presence if someone happened to look hard enough for it, but the place was neat and there was nothing overt to suggest they'd be interrupted anytime soon.

Otto didn't know what exactly he expected put of this meeting, but he could certainly admit he hadn't been expecting this. Whatever this was. He didn't immediately recognize what was happening to the other man. Darkness licked up the lengths of long legs, and it was the he realized the change, the uniform. Negaverse, but more than that.

Half a year ago, and before he'd been corrupted Baikal had run into a half-hour captain. He'd asked questions, gotten answers. But he had no memory of that.

Pale eyes widened at the tail, the ears, but most notibly the eyes. Glowing yellow in a sea of black, there was nothing human there looking back at him, and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"And what sort of home visit will this be?" To his credit Otto kept his voice level, posture seemingly relaxed, but a look at his hands would show tensed fingers and molten knuckles. He itched to summon his weapon, to power up himself level the playing field, but he didn't want things to escalate to violence. Especially not if Archer, or whatever his official name might be, had no intention of hurting him.

As Archer, or whatever his name was like this, moved slowly forward it very much felt like an actual wolf was stalking towards him and Otto found himself taking another step back unthinkingly before catching himself, hands tightening on the counter to hold himself in place.

He wasn't going to stand there and cower, not without a ******** good reason.

It had been a long time, and Otto's memories weren't quiet what they used to be, but he didn't recall anything happening between the two of them that would have called for the introduction of pet names and he frowned at being called darling, brows furrowed.

"Yeah, you could say that." Losing half his memories, his family, his name. It'd been a large pill to swallow, but he'd managed to settle in well enough. It'd helped that he hadn't had to give up his apartment along with everything else, and that Rory and Des were still with him. Especially them...

"Color me confused, but you were never this curious about me before you left," he pointed out reasonably, pleased that his voice was steady, almost unconcerned. "Why the sudden interest now, years later?"

He just kept walking closer and even if Otto retreated now there wasn't anywhere he could go. Instead of backing into the opposite counter or further to the wall he resolutely stood his ground, with his head up and features as neutral as possible. Archer wasn't offering him violence, not yet, but that didn't stop the hair from standing along the back of his neck.

He was definitely unnerved. Nervous.

"No, I wasn't." That phrasing had been a little odd, and the crease between pale brows grew deeper. "If you were interested before why didn't you say anything?"

And what did the Negaverse, and him now being a part of it, have to do do with anything?

Movement drew his attention down to the tail he could see flicking idly at the man's back, then back up again to meet those strange, unnerving eyes.

Otto wasn't the least bit surprised when the general reached for him but he'd half expected those clawed fingers to sink right through his chest to curl around his starseed. When they didn't it was a little startling enough for him to put up little resistance against the push of that hand until his hips bumped up against the counter and he realized he was effectively trapped.

At the back of his mind he had to wonder what the man's aura in his apartment might mean for later; if there would be repercussions attached to it. He almost voiced that concern, his lips twitching as the comment slid over his tongue, but he swallowed it back as those dark fingers slid up to loop loosely around his throat.

It tipped his head back until he was staring up at those golden eyes and it struck him then just how much taller the man was than he'd thought. Had he always been? Otto couldn't remember.

He swallowed, his adam's apple moving against the general's palm, but he managed to hang onto that careful neutrality, what was left of it. Were those ears as sensitive as a dog's? Could he hear the blonde's pulse speeding? "Lucrative how?" He wanted to know exactly what the taller man wanted before he was willing to let his guard down even the slightest bit.

There was something familiar in those unnatural eyes, something Otto was sure he'd seen countless times before, but there was something else there as well. Something feral, and hungry, and almost cold. Like looking into the eyes of a wolf.