[PRP] Hotel California (Melvin/Ever) Trig!

[MoonKitsune]

When Melvin went out on leave, he usually liked to stay the night somewhere new and be able to enjoy a full night and morning as a civilian. It was somehow disheartening to do errands and then return back to Deus, and as a full hunter without someone to lavish his paycheck on like he used to, he had ample funds and time to do such things.

While Ever's trip out was to get him some much needed furniture, Melvin in turn offered Ever a spot in the hotel room he booked in case he too hated the idea of just heading back to a small bed in his dorm. The man seemed used to frugal living, while Melvin had started to grow more accustomed to splurging in the wake of his time with Lawr.

The hotel was comfortable and nicely furnished, though unlike his ex's love of minimalist colors and plain whites, Melvin liked fine wood and warm colors, occasionally even opting for a fur throw here or there more for texture and warmth then for any human show of strength and domination.

The room was higher up with a nice view of the twinkling city but drowning out any outside noise. The TV was on, where Melvin left Ever the remote. After ordering room service, he left for a shower, and returned slightly pinker drying out his hair and in a pair of sweatpants. His hair was slightly darker now wet, curling up in odd ways, and his glasses were left on his nightstand. Bare-chested, a series of scars could be seen, most noticeably the one across his midsection from his unfortunately dissection by Dr. H when he had been a child temporarily.

Sitting down on the bed and still rubbing the towel against his hair, he looked over at the TV. "Anything good on?"

and be blue

 

[and be blue]

Left to his own devices, Ever had made his rounds of the room -- lingering a bit over the minibar in a thoughtful way, abandoning boots by the door, stripping out of a handful of layers until he was just left in a thin undershirt and jeans. He'd found the bible in the nightstand and puzzled over it for a bit before replacing it.

Now he was settled in a big chair with the TV on but quiet, turned to local news -- but maybe that was just because he hadn't exactly figured out how it all worked. He looked up at Melvin as he came out, and slumped down in che chair a bit, looking him over. Ever was thin, without shirt over shirt, all bony shoulders and pointed elbows, knees pulled in toward his chest. Here, too, he looked out of place.

"I don't have a clue." The remote was held up immediately, offered up toward Melvin, to make some kind of decision.

MoonKitsune

 

[MoonKitsune]

It was insulting, maybe, to compare, but the sharp angles and lack of bulk made him think of Ever sharing the same build as Lawr - but only in just that. Deus fed everyone, but he wasn't sure if Ever just didn't like the menu (which wasn't unbelievable considering what was being offered) or if he just ate very little. Remembering the meal at the restaurant, he noticed that Ever didn't each much then either. Was he starving himself?

Offered the remote, he looked it over and pushed a few buttons before figuring it out, turning on TV guide and flipping down. Being that it was October, a series of old Halloween movies and specials were on and he felt himself frowning. It might have been fun but he really wasn't in the mood to be reminded of work right now.He paused a moment on football but he had no info on how the Black Bears to appreciate any of it so he switched from that too. The news just depressed him because it made him feel more and more out of touch with the world around him. "A million channels and months away from TV and still not a thing on."

There were a lot of XXX channels of course but he left it on a nature documentary for now. "Use the up and down arrows to explore if you want."

Looking at Ever curled up in the chair, Melvin considered the remote before looking back at him. "Want me to draw you a bath?"

"You look uncomfortable."

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[and be blue]

A nature documentary appealed to him, apparently; drew his attention to the television, distracted him just faintly. Only the word bath made his eyebrows raise, Ever flickering the briefest glance aside to Melvin.

"It's not a bad chair." Which wasn't what Melvin meant, but it was hard to tell if Ever was teasing or not. At least he followed it up with a flash of a smile.

"I don't think a bath is really my thing. And it's definitely not your job to draw me one, not in your room. I'm already leeching."

moonkitsune

 

[MoonKitsune]

He smiled back. "It's not leeching. It's called company. Hanging out with someone isn't some sort of bill you have to me. If I didn't want you here, I wouldn't have offered in the first place." He pointed out.

"And I enjoy drawing baths for people. I'd rather you be relaxed and enjoy what's here that curled up in a chair looking like you are afraid of breaking something." He reached out and touched his hair, short as it was, and rustled it slightly.

"Are you afraid me or something?"

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[and be blue]

"I probably should be, frankly. People tend to have secondary motives around Deus." It could have been hurtful, especially since it was true, but -- his tone was mostly dry, held the edge of something joking behind it. Ever shrugged, crookedly, arms still draped absently around the sharp angles of his knees.

"Plus, you know, everyone tells me you're a bit nuts."

moonkitsune

 

[MoonKitsune]

Melvin sat on the arm of the chair as he worked to dry his hair with a towel.

"A bit nuts is a complinent to the overall mental health standard Deus Hunters seem to collectively share. Cobsidering I haven't killed or maimed another hunter, I'm at least in the upper percentile of slight sanity. I'm nit about to paradr I'm the peak og mental health. I've seen s**t and I've been in a rather bad place for a while. If anything, I'm a walking, breathing work-in-progress just trying to keep it together. If you have questions, ask em. You don't seem to ask much about ither people."

Removing the towel showed a curled mess of hair. "What's the worst you think I'd do? Did you think I asked you to this nice hotel so I could harvest your organs in the nice tub? I hate stains." He joked.

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[and be blue]

"I, uh, genuinely don't know why invited me back here. Organ harvesting wasn't on my mind, but..." He hesitated for a moment, chewing his head tipped to the side -- and then flashed Melvin a smile, quick and somewhat teasing. "In a different life, I would have assumed this was going to be a hook up."

MoonKitsune

 

[MoonKitsune]

Rubbing the towel against one side of his head behind his ear, he paused to look at Ever. "Another Life? You make it sound like we're both married and too old. I thought you liked things direct anyways if anyone wanted you." He said, slightly offended as he huffed and continued to dry this thick mop of hair.

"If that was the case, I'd have drawn a bath for both of us."

 

[and be blue]

It made Ever snort just a little, his head tipped to the side while he watched Melvin try to dry off, still perched on the arm of the chair. He shifted, unfolding finally and stretching a bit, testing the edges of things to see if the alcohol still prickled in his system. Not very much, it seemed.

"I am definitely not married, though looking at the trainees, I do feel old sometimes, I have to say." It was quiet, still, considering. "...but another life has more to do with...I don't know. Before recruitment, I guess. I thought less. And worried less, as a result."

A beat. "And drank a lot more."

MoonKitsune

 

[MoonKitsune]

"Looking at the trainees, I feel like a granddad sometimes. It's startling to think I've been in Deus for years. I'd be graduated by now if I was still in college." And now he really did feel older just saying that out loud.

At the drinking comment, he frowned at Ever. "Well damn. Glad to know I have to get you shitfaced before I could put a move on you." He joked.

"Do I worry you though?"  

[and be blue]

"A little bit, maybe." But he was still smiling back at Melvin, so that couldn't be too bad of a thing. And he hadn't run screaming -- not from any of it, except for maybe the idea of a bath.

"You're definitely not stable, and you've said things that should worry me, probably. But I think I can probably handle you. Probing questions and all."

MoonKitsune

 

[MoonKitsune]

"Oh." Melvin watched Ever as concern and worry slowly started to settle on his features, before he looked away and got up to run a towel one more time through his hair before moving to his suitcase to pick out something to sleep in.

"I.. Wouldn't hurt you. I don't know if I did or said anything that might make anyone think that. You've been nice to me and even at least trust me enough to ask me to take you shopping. To even be here."

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[and be blue]

"Melvin." His tone settled somewhere between amused and annoyed, turned in the chair to watch Melvin poke through his suitcase. Ever folded his arms across the back of the chair.

"Don't worry about it. If I were really concerned, I wouldn't be here." And he paused at that, digging around for something to change the subject a little -- "When's the last time you went on leave?"

MoonKitsune

 

[MoonKitsune]

He shrugged. "Don't remember. Probably to stock up on stuff. Nothing big. Stuff like that." He hadn't bothered doing anything much since everything happened. "Lit of stuff happened so really haven't thought of it "

He looked over his shoulder. "Why do you ask?"

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