do you think God stays in his heaven because he, too, lives in fear of what he has created?
He watches her outline change from feline to something more equine like him. Honestly, it hadn’t occurred to him that she might have another form, and so he is surprised to see her new shape. Ghaul does not writhe or squirm away when she leans down but he does expect a punishing bite from her once again. But she only smears blood across his face and laughs. A poor meal? Perhaps, but anything worth hunting was rewarding enough on its own, he thinks.
Slowly, his world stops spinning and he finds himself able to focus on Sochi for the time being. He carefully rolls onto his stomach and then stands, talons gripping fiercely at the ground to keep his balance. His wings remain drooped by his sides as he stumbles closer to her, leaning his weight against her shoulder a bit to help keep him up. She smells like burnt hair and drying blood but he doesn’t seem to mind, judging by the way he traces his lips up her neck. Though the gesture is platonic and only so that he might find his way to her face, the gesture comes off as something gentle and wanting.
“I admire your strength,” he says in a voice weighed down by exhaustion. He moves his lips gingerly across her face to chart her expression, tracing the outline of her brows down to her lips. “Do you submit to no one, then?”
Slowly, so as not to make himself dizzy again, he retracts his touch and observes the blur of her face for a while. Ghaul dreams of a day when he will submit to no one. For now, though, he is overruled by Anaxarete until she deems him worthy of his throne. Her rule carries the promise of her tutelage and so he is content to bide his time for now. She even lets him run amok as he pleases and doesn’t scold him when he’s torn someone open or set fire to anyone’s home. In fact, she seems pleased whenever he grows stronger and more in control of himself.
“I am Ghaul, by the way.”
And then he leans his tired head against her neck, unconcerned with any desire she might have for personal space.
@[sochi] he's gonna touch her butt next.