Welcome to Gaia! ::

Almadel exposed his back to Surtur as if he weren’t the least bit intimidated by him. And why should he be? Surtur’s touch was too gentle.

He might not have been facing the Senshi but the smile on his face was audible in his voice.

“Aren’t you cute,” he hummed. He held the noise for a moment, like he was taking time to think about it.

Finally, he spoke again. “That is a very interesting Senshi. I don’t know if you should be going around talking about such things so freely, though. You can tell me, of course, I love gossip. But there might be those out there who are looking to take advantage of your openness.”

He leaned forward a bit, as if inviting Surtur to continue.

“Velenia’s a sad story, isn’t it? I never got the chance to visit. And Velencya, oh. They’re just so protective of their little world. I thought Caedus died a long time ago. That’s the rumor, of course. But to survive in the Rift for so long, is such a thing even possible? Are you certain he isn’t some clever imposter? …Are you friends with him? You should tell him to come find me, I bet he’s got plenty of stories to tell. Maybe we could make a few good trades.”

Almadel tipped his head back just a bit and a contented sigh fell from his lips. His eyes fluttered half shut and he hummed in thought.

It was far easier to listen than it was to speak, and if Surtur was offering, who was he to refuse? “Again, those sweet words. And sweet hands, too. You’re very good at this.”

How could he focus on Caedus–why would he want to–when he could focus on himself? Just for a moment. He deserved it after all, didn’t he?

“I like a good story.” Or any story, he supposed. Especially if it had information to file away for later, but he hardly seemed nefarious when he was practically purring. “I hope you’ll always have some to tell when I’m in town. I am weak for news of all the recent happenings.”