Sebastet had no idea what to expect and was beyond surprised by the kiss, drawing a startled sound from her. It also distracted her from everything she was feeling, leaving her with only the sensations of his hands holding her head and his mouth on hers. Some part of her mind acknowledged that he knew what he was doing, using lips, tongue, and even teeth to dominate the kiss enough to trigger her instincts.
After a brief moment she returned the kiss just as passionately but silently demanding more from him as she nipped sharply at his lips. Her hands had left the laces at her hip without her remembering doing it to cup his head in a mirrored grip, her claws teasing lightly at his scalp. Another brief moment brought one of her legs up and around his hip, letting her press her body into his.
But that final movement brought a deep purring moan from her thanks to the sensations brought on by the fact that she hadn't gotten the leather top on yet. Her brain finally kicked in again, reminding her that this was probably a bad idea.
She started to back off from the kiss but the sensations were overwhelming enough that her mind checked out and instinct took over again, making her deepen the kiss right back into heated passion.
Some sound moved through the house that distracted her, made her pull back to stare into his eyes as she panted for air. She just stared at him for a long moment before realizing what was going on. Her brain checked back in and she moved back from him then turned around to finish pulling the leathers on with her head down.
She got the shorts tied and the top on and even managed to braid her hair before something in her snapped and sent her running from the room. Some instinct made her run, though she couldn't have said what instinct it was.
Did she need him to chase her, catch her? Did she simply need to run?
She had no idea. She simply ran...
Dancer raised his eyebrows at all the news he was given, going just a bit pale at the news that he was in his uncle's house. But the dragon's proposition was enough to distract him from that long enough to consider it seriously. He did think it through for a silent moment.
The hybrid sat up, finally, and adjusted the robe around himself more securely, mainly to hide his body's reaction to the proposition and the sight of the dragon. When he spoke again, he gave the oh-so-tempting dragon what was probably more truth than he could handle.
"I've only ever had two masters, Raphael. The first was my father and I fought being his slave with everything in me until I finally put a golden dagger through his heart and ran. I was only free for about half a century. My second master, I gave my heart as well as my body, skills, and soul. Literally, in three out of four. I think if I could have survived cutting out my heart to give to him, I might have done it. His death freed me but left me adrift even though I was never fully certain how he felt about me," he said with his head down, looking at his hands in his lap as his silver and white hair shifted and partially hid him from view.
"I can't do things halfway. I've never been able to. I don't know why. You're very attractive, Raphael, though I'm pretty sure you already know that. You're very tempting in alot of ways. But especially with that offer. Your proposition offers me everything all at once while your unease makes me wonder if you fully understand what you're offering. Yes, you're offering me the position of taking care of you while still holding my freedom. But you're also offering yourself to me even though I can clearly see that you're uncomfortable with that. So while it's a very nice offer, I'll have to counter it with something a little different," he found that his soft voice seemed loud in the silence of the room before he raised his mismatched eyes to look directly at the dragon.
His eyes showed just how vulnerable he was to such a proposition as Raphael was offering.
"I can offer my skills as a cook and do what cleaning you need, taking your offer of protection in return. But everything else..." he shook his head slightly with a small smile, "Everything else you'll have to show me that you want," he finished his counter offer as he gathered his hair over one shoulder so that it fell in front of him and acted as an extra cover to hide his physical reactions to the dragon then got to his feet.
"For now, I think I'd better take a shower and find something that covers a bit better than a silk robe. Then," he gave a shrug of one shoulder and a small smile, "maybe I can see about finding the kitchen or meeting with my uncle. We've only ever met one time, you know. It might be good to actually talk to him in a full conversation. Last time we spoke, he didn't seem to mind that I killed his brother, so there might be hope for us to have a good conversation," he said with another small smile and started for the attached bathroom with his head down.
He got into the bathroom and under the shower before everything hit him. In that moment, he was more than grateful that he'd long ago taught himself how to lock down what he was feeling.
As the water poured over him, he dropped to his knees and rubbed a hand over his heart, closing his eyes as he processed the fact that Meno was truly gone. He didn't know any other others that were also gone all that well, so they didn't matter that much. But when his soul had come back to him, he'd known that Meno was gone though it hadn't fully hit him until now.
He had no idea what to do with his uncle, had no idea what to do with the dragon in the other room. By all rights, he should be running on his own, getting away from everyone and everything. Raphael had told him that the Demon Council wanted him dead. He shouldn't be here, his presence here put his uncle at risk. He should be leaving.
Instead, pure instinct had him getting to his feet, finishing his shower, drying off, putting on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, then braiding his hair back. He finally opened the bathroom door but kept his head down as he moved for the other door.
But braiding his hair back had revealed one more small detail that Dancer hadn't even thought of: He was still wearing the modified slave collar that allowed him the use of his magic but still held him bound as a slave to the Re. He'd gotten so used to wearing it that he didn't even think of it. It was almost pure gold and fit him more like a choker-type of necklace, like a piece of simple, if ornate, jewelery. He could still be tracked by that collar if anyone thought to do so, though it wouldn't be likely. He had been a slave, after all...
"I'll head down to the kitchen... See if I can find something to eat..." he said softly, thinking that his absence would give the dragon time to think without his interfering with it.
Then he did just that, escaping before Raphael could stop him and heading downstairs. Thankfully, the kitchen wasn't hard to find. It was usually in the same general area in any building.
The room had an oddly soothing effect on him, letting him do something without having to think, letting his mind simply stop thinking, letting him stop feeling for a bit as he put his hands to familiar work.
Chopping vegetables, preparing meat, the sizzle in a pan, the sharp yet soothing scents of herbs and spices. He'd unconsciously chosen something complicated to make but something he knew well, something he didn't have to think too hard to make but still kept him busy.
It kept him busy enough that he didn't hear his uncle come into the kitchen.
Ash watched his nephew for a long moment before he fully realized what was going on. Then he moved to stop Dancer by standing in front of him, finding himself surprised that he was taller than the hybrid as he raised those mismatched eyes to look into his crimson eyes. In that moment, he could see that brief flash of pain and simply took Dancer into his arms to hold him silently.
After a moment, Dancer put his arms around his uncle, still managing to keep everything locked down. He pushed away after another moment and went back to his cooking. There was a bit more silence before the hybrid spoke softly, "I'm sorry for the danger I've brought here... I'll leave as soon as I know where I can go... They think you're dead and it should remain that way... As long as I'm here, they might find out you're still alive and come after you as well..." he said softly as he added spices and fresh herbs to the pan for a moment then moved them to the mortar and started grinding them.
Ash put a hand over Dancer's to stop them and raised his face again, "You're free to stay here as long as you wish, Dancer... They won't find you here... And I am in no danger if they do find out about me... I would very much like to get to know my nephew..." he said simply then placed a light kiss to Dancer's forehead before heading for the doorway but paused there to glance back, "And I would very much like for my children to know you..." he added then left him alone in the kitchen.
Dancer stared after him for a silent moment before he got back to work, though he was working in shock more than anything else.
He simply couldn't understand why Ash wanted him to stay, or why Raphael had wanted to take care of him... What was there about him that made them want him around? He simply didn't understand it...
He kept working until the meal was finished and set to keep warm then found himself standing in the living room staring at the main door to the house, wondering if he should leave anyway. It would be safer for everyone if he did. But his feet were strangely frozen in place. He couldn't move. He could only stand there and stare at the door.
He didn't know what he looked like right now, he didn't care. Though that might have been a warning by itself. His mismatched eyes were a bit wide, his arms were wrapped around his middle, his face was barely bruised now and showed his true beauty to anyone who looked at him. But it was his eyes that showed the truth.
He looked lost, as if he didn't know what to do, or even how to feel. He'd locked everything down so tightly that he had no idea how to break it open and really feel again. It was messing with his thinking...
He turned and went back into the kitchen then found himself a hidden corner to sit in for a little while, his arms still wrapped around himself as he basically hid from everyone for a bit...
