Cerulean Cape hey-- i was doing just fine before i met you

Engel shook his head in answer back to her, he had not been told much else about them. Tine pressed more into him. "Got nothing much from them. Just that they are somewhat east...though so is the unfriendly one. But they'd have a nice view with a cliff."

That was a big cliff that he had known about. "The other place was right by it as well." It was less friendly. Less cliff and more beach. He remained silent for a bit, sighing.

Unexpectedly, Tine felt a little bad for him; he was too much of an idiot to get anything good from the meetings he had gone out of his way to obtain. She nuzzled against his face, seeking his trademark cheeriness-- or his trademark perviness. Either one would assure her that her pet wasn't too let down by the failed experiences, and she would worry no more about it.
I'm glad you came back. She murmured after a short silence, licking his cheek. It was actually true; Tine was the tiniest bit fond of him, and would have hated to have to hunt him down and rip his throat out.

Engel's ear flicked as he heard that. Even though it had not been his original plan to to come back, he had come across her nonetheless. He too was glad as well. "Well...I promised it, didn't I?" he asked, nuzzling back. "I like you Tine" he breathed against her, taking in her scent as he held his head against her. "I do..."

Had she known the thoughts going through Engel's head, well-- it wouldn't have been pretty for him. The shadow remained unaware, though; clearly the male was lucky Tine wasn't a mind-reader. She was possessive enough, demanding enough that it would not matter if he was happy that he had stumbled upon her again. That he had not intended to would have been all she needed to chase him off (undoubtedly with a few wounds to remember her by).
As things were, she was pleased with his response. She made a purr-like noise and pressed into the contact. I like you too. Very, very much.
The Messeda girl was already certain it would be some time before she allowed him to go back to whatever pathetic existence he had been experiencing before her. If he even wanted to go back, she thought a bit arrogantly. If she ever decided to let him go.

Engel smiled with overall gladness at hearing that from Tine. He could feel the hole in his heart shrink, but not close. He felt his tail curl round towards her, flapping around till it would cross over hers if it were there. As it did, he turned to face her. "Do you? And how much do you like me?" he asked, with a sly grin. But truly he wanted to know just how much Tine really liked him. How much she cared. How much she yearned for him.

Tine swallowed hard, genuinely struck by the question. What-- what depth of feeling was appropriate for this? Why would he ask her this? For a couple of beats she was silent, unsure how to answer.
I-- I'm scared to answer that. It was almost a whisper, her voice breaking a little halfway through. You said it yourself... you've been around. I haven't. You're my first. This is special for me, and I want it to be special for you, and I'm scared it's not.
The Messeda girl looked away from him, towards the ocean. She hoped this would work.

Engel tipped his head worringly somewhat. He was worried what she meant by scared. Then he glanced away as she said 'he had been around'. Yes, he had...And he had plenty of experience. "I...if I'd known you felt like this...Sorry, I should have waited." He should have waited for a more special time to share the experience. To share all of this experience. 

"Tine, this is plenty special...You...you just being here! You just being here is special...I want you to know that, okay?" he assured, nudging her cheek with his nose. "You being here, it makes me feel warm inside...and when you aren't, I feel this space in me."

He sighed with a pause. "Tine, you are special to me...Don't let anyone tell you otherwise that you aren't special." Engel let out a whine, he felt such emotion he hadn't for quite some time. How far had he really fallen for her?

Placated by Engel's words, the shadow nuzzled into him with renewed affection. I don't regret anything we've done... it makes me happy to know I'm special to you. You're so kind and fun and handsome, I-- I can't help how I feel...

She moved to plant several kisses on his face before she spoke again. Oh, it did please her that her plan had worked so well. Rapidly she was becoming single-minded in her quest for the red male's heart. I'll always come back to you, if you'll come back to me.
It was a simple offer, almost a request. She wasn't asking him to stay-- or even to make anything official. Tine thought it was a good start.

Engel smiled to her words. "I don't regret anything either. And you are special to me..." He paused, grinning. "Just how handsome am I?" he asked, with a playful teasing tone. "From one to ten." He nipped at her close to her ear, before giving his own answer in a whisper. "You're a ten in my books."

He nodded, he would come back. Now and again, he would return. "I will...I promised I would" he said as he affectionately nibbled at her neck.

PP with permission

 

It was almost an effort to hide the revulsion that bubbled up in the shadow when Engel asked her to rate him. The feeling softened a little when she was awarded a 10-- though she was a little irritated that she even cared. The Messeda girl flashed a mischievous grin and stood suddenly. Without a word she pushed into Engel, rolling him onto his back and standing over him.
Tine smothered him with a flurry of kisses on his face and neck, pausing to murmur: Hmmm... eleven. in an impish tone before she continued. After several beats her attentions became less playful, taking on a different tone.
A familiar surge went through her and she nipped hard at his shoulder. Instantly she regretted the decision; had she drawn blood? Regardless, she licked the area a couple of times and moved back. The shadow whined in, for once, genuine remorse. I'm sorry, Engel! I didn't mean to bite that hard...

Engel didn't think too much of how she stood up, not till Tine bumped him right over. He let out a shot of surprise, now on his back. "Hey, what are-" he stopped as Tine got to smothering him with kisses.

He gave her a bit of a skeptical look as she paused. Ten was the highest, and he know eleven was an exaggeration. "Okay, now really. No one is an eleven" he said, though he could not help the grin. She sure knew how to get to his heart...and his ego. He was about to add on till she got a hard nip, and it hurt. He wasn't sure if it broke the skin, but it still hurt.

She moved back, and he just stood up, a blank look on his face. She apologized profusely, but he approached...then delivered a nip to her ear, tried to make it as hard as she did, but he was too kind to do that. "That's payback" he said, with the same tone she had before.

The shadow was actually worried for a moment at Engel's blank expression, but it turned to confusion as he approached. At the nip, she nearly flinched-- but didn't, and found there was no reason to anyway. It wasn't as hard as she had expected... and that was a little disappointing.
Deciding to take a chance, to aim to get something she actually wanted from Engel, she leaned forward. Tine licked his cheek and pressed her muzzle near his ear, nearly whispering the words that followed: Hmmm... I don't think we're even yet. You should try again.
She hoped this time he would make it worthwhile.

This thread too an odd turn...

Engel waited for a response, and he got just that. She leaned forward, whispering into his ear. And that got him a bit tingly. He had no idea that she was actually into this, but now that he did... He pulled his muzzle to her other ear, and this time nipped down harder, being careful not to draw blood but enough to cause a reaction. "How's that?" he whispered back.

And then, she got her way. As always, the shadow thought triumphantly, another purr-like noise slipping from her in response to the action. She moved to rub her head against his neck affectionately-- though it wasn't visible to her companion, her expression was perfectly smug. If she knew how to get to Engel's heart, well, he knew how to get to the hole in her chest where there should have been one.
The feeling sat comfortably in her; when her pet was around, she was adored and obeyed, and she was pleased by this. Not satisfied, for when was she ever truly satisfied? Tine would consume every part of him and still long for more. She looked forward to every moment of it.
Perfect. She murmured, eyes half-closed. After a few beats she lifted her head, not breaking contact with Engel, to glance again at the ocean. Struck by a sudden urge to find something she could genuinely relate to him on, she spoke again: Do you like the ocean, Engel?

He rumbled back as she purred to him, Engel was very much glad to hear and see her reaction to him. Tine seemed most satisfied in his eyes. "You know, I haven't really met anyone who likes that" he said. Though, in all honesty, he had. He usually didn't follow along with it however, at least not always. Now that he did know, he could use it to his advantage, and worm his way more into her heart as she did with him. The irony of that, he did not see.

"Yes, I do. It goes on and on, like love...it keeps going, no matter what. Even if your heart is broken, it will be like a wave. Love pulls you back out there one day though..." He blinked, surprised at himself from saying that. "Ah...nevermind that."

Tine wasn't sure how to feel about the red-cloaked male's comment; was she alone in these desires? The thought bothered her.

The shadow didn't have the chance to think on it longer-- at first she welcomed it. That changed rather quickly. A cold bitterness grew in her at Engel's response; how was it that he, such a pathetic and lowly creature, could experience love but she could not? As if trying to force herself to feel the emotion, she pressed closer to Engel. Please, she begged silently, make me feel something.
But nothing came. Nothing but an unfathomable rage at her own inability. Softly, voice shaking a little, she murmured. That was beautiful, though, Engel.
It really would have been, if she could only understand it.

Engel smiled lightly to himself. She pressed closer to himself, and he could have sworn he heard a shake in her voice. He glanced down at her, taking in her beauty. Was she...upset? Nervous? He was not too sure. He nosed at her head, softly nuzzling. Then he pulled up, looking over the ocean. 

And slowly, he pulled into a song. But unlike most songs, this one...it had a more somber tone to it. "I gotta take a little time, a little time to think things over. I better read between the lines, in case I need it when I'm older. In my life there's been heartache and pain. I don't know if I can face it again. Can't stop now, I've traveled so far to change this lonely life...

I wanna know what love is! I want you to show me! I wanna feel what love is! I know you can show me!

I'm gonna take a little time, a little time to look around me. I've got nowhere left to hide, it looks like love has finally found me. In my life there's been heartache and pain, I don't know if I can face it again. I can't stop now, I've traveled so far to change this lonely life."

The song instantly gave the shadow a target for her rage: Engel. For a few beats she seethed silently, not moving an inch, but then-- then something snapped, in a quiet way, like the breaking of the last thread holding a rope. She was so tired of being irritated by him. The Messeda girl wanted to keep her new pet more than she wanted to be angry-- and just like that, she wasn't.
Tine relaxed, quietly let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, and tried to focus on the words of the song. Engel's singing still wasn't particularly pleasant to her, but she couldn't find the will anymore to hate it so fervently. She wondered if this would last, or if it was only a temporary break.
But her pet was here to be enjoyed, wasn't he? Presently it seemed that he got more enjoyment from this than she did; the Messeda girl knew that would change eventually, she knew she had to be patient with this game, but... she did want to enjoy the ride. At least a little. It would be an effort with Engel, but Tine was far too stubborn to give up so early.

Engel came to the end of his song, even though it was halfway through it. He wondered if one day he would find someone that knew a song he knew...but that day seemed very far away. Then, a thought struck him. "Have you ever sung something before?" The question may have seemed out of nowhere, but now he wondered how her voice would sound in song. 

"If you sing something...I'll return the favor" he said, moving his muzzle close to her ear with a small nip. Now that he knew, he planned to use it in his favor.

Tine resisted the urge to grimace at Engel's question. She shook her head slightly-- no, she really hadn't. At his request, she could feel herself freeze a little. Oh no. The shadow hated the idea of singing, but-- but then he nipped her ear and she shivered a little.
The Messeda girl was a bit impressed; so Engel had found a string to pull. For some reason, she was content to let him have it. It did benefit her in the end anyway, so there was no harm in it, right? Right, she assured herself without missing a beat, not bothering to wonder if she was being truthful with herself or not.
Alright, I'll try. Tine murmured, trying to think of a song. Only one came to mind-- perhaps the only one she knew at all. She decided not to tell him that, though. The girl took a deep breath and a single step back before she began, entirely unsure how this would turn out and hoping she would not make a fool of herself.

Even if you were upside-down--
I would be beside you,
And your world were a strange thing found--
I would be beside you,
In my symbolised world I'm a beautiful girl,
In my house on the hill, there is room for you still
When there's nothing but dark and sound--
I will be beside you
When there's nothing but the long way 'round--
I will be beside you

Engel smiled, or more like grinned back at her. Victoriously. He couldn't get rid of the smirk either, and kept his eyes and ears turned to Tine. Then, she began to sing after taking a step back. And he listened...And right away, he fell for it. He fell for her her song, for her voice, for the emotion he thought he heard in it. 

But he let her finish, waving a paw to allow her to continue, eyes pleading her to continue.

In my simplified world,
We're a boy and a girl
In my house on the hill, there is room for you still

I'll be everywhere you go, you go, you go...
I'll be everywhere you go, you go, you go...

The shadow realized there was some small amount of truth to this song-- perhaps not in the most romantic way. There was no way she'd leave Engel alone after this. He was the only being to ever hear her sing, and she had come to realize... the only one she had ever slept next to. It had taken her this long to both realize and admit the fact, but she remembered that night rather well. She remembered drifting off against him, warm and comfortable enough to almost forget what she had done with him. It didn't feel significant, but she felt it had to be. The most obvious answer (that she thought of him as a pet in an even more complete way than she had initially thought) had not come to her yet. For now, she thought it might be the beginning of... something.
Too bad she was wrong.

In my symbolised world I'm a beautiful girl
In my house on the hill, there is room for you still

When there's nothing but roaring sound--
I will be beside you
When there's nothing but the long drop down--
I will be beside you
As she came closer to the conclusion of the song, Tine tried to remember where she had learned it. She couldn't really recall... oh well. It was serving her purpose now, wasn't it?
​
When your fears are a swarm in the hive of your mind--
When the tears of your love and your loss are entwined...
I'll be everywhere you go, you go, you go...
I'll be everywhere you go, you go, you go...
The Messeda girl drew closer to Engel again as she finished, burying her face in his neck fur once she was definitely, completely done singing. Hopefully forever. She ignored the nagging thought that there was no way Engel would let this be the last time.

He listened more intently as she continued with the song, slowly leaning towards her. This he did not realize he was doing. He fell for the words, the meaning he sought behind them. How she sang of always being beside him, and he found meaning behind songs. By the time she was done, they were close together now. 

"That...that was beautiful, Tine. As beautiful as you...you should sing more." Engel was so enraptured by her song, he almost forgot his promise till he caught sight of one of her ears, then made a quick hard nip on it. "As promised" he whispered, smirking to himself. He thought he had Tine around his paw...how wrong he was.

One of her ears flicked at the compliment, and despite herself she was pleased. Apparently she was good at everything she did.
Only for you. The shadow announced a little playfully. The unexpected nip sent a sharp thrill through her, and automatically she nipped him back on the neck. She didn't bite down hard enough to hurt this time, finding more restraint now. Honestly, though, Tine really wanted to. Instead she lifted her head to press several gentle kisses along Engel's cheek and jaw. The Messeda girl took her time with this, trying to find some enjoyment out of the action and hoping that her red-furred companion did.

Engel smiled back. And this time instead of a rumble, he purred at the kisses. She was good at what she did. "I can't say how many times I find you beautiful" he whispered as she kissed upon him. "It would be too many to count." Perhaps this was becoming more, but how could he say that? Yes, there was...something there. But what? They both seemed to like each other, but how far would this go. "I love-" he purred again as he cut off before saying 'this'.