[GrayGriffin]

(Temporary form)

Really, Franciscus supposed he should have expected this from Deerington. He just wanted to have a normal date with his boyfriend for once, not have to deal with all the weird supernatural things it liked to throw at them. And he thought he was getting good at recognizing that kind of thing.

Which was why he didn't expect it when the two of them took one step forward and ended up in some kind of snowy field, right in front of a cozy-looking cottage.

"...really."

Also, there was some weird weight at his back. Different from the feeling of wings, though. And his ears also felt strange...

[The Cottage - 1]

[galacta]

[temporary form]

Perhaps being in a new place would be a blessing. At least, one would assume so. Once they were out of the confines of Deerington, Osomatsu felt lighter, like he was no longer shackled to something so frightening. Like Franciscus, he also felt a weight behind him, something shifting back and forth, like it was attached to him.

So, after staring at the cottage in front of him for a few seconds, Osomatsu blinked, then turned to look over his shoulder and saw that the two of them were sporting tails. Of course, he screamed.

"AHH! What the heck?!" The large black tail fluffed up in response to his shock. Instead of acting rationally about all of this, Osomatsu began running in circles, trying to catch the tail. "What's going on? Where are we? Why is this weird appendage here?" His screams echoed over the nearby forest.

[The Cottage - 1]

[GrayGriffin]

Franciscus himself wasn't quite sure this wasn't another trick of Deerington's, but it <i>did</i> feel different. Of course, then the peace was broken by Osomatsu's freakout. He glanced back, to see himself sprouting his own pair of fluffy white tails. While he wasn't one for panicking, he definitely raised a cautious eyebrow at that.

"I have no clue," he admitted. "This doesn't look like any place I've seen in Deerington before." As he spoke, he reached out an arm to stop Osomatsu from running in circles more. "This transformation is certainly more sudden than the ones Deerington's inflicted on us..."

[The Cottage - 2]

[galacta]

Ah. The moment Osomatsu felt that hand on his shoulder, he paused and calmed down. He was scared, sure, but at least he wasn't alone in this new place. He was with Franciscus, and his boyfriend was pretty good at keeping him grounded. The dark tail behind him shuffled, almost like it was wagging slowly, and then Osomatsu looked up and noticed Franciscus' ears.

"...There's those, too..." He said flatly, pointing at them. "We're..." No, don't say it, Osomatsu. "Furries." Stop.

[The Cottage - 2]

[GrayGriffin]

Franciscus had noticed those ears as well, and had to resist an urge to nuzzle into them. Then Osomatsu pointed at his own head, and he slowly lifted a hand to scratch at said ear.

"...oh. I wondered why my hearing had apparently improved." Of course, then Osomatsu had to say that word, which made him groan slightly. "Does that count if it's not voluntary?" he muttered.

[The Cottage - 3]

[galacta]

He was just joking, honest! Franciscus' response got him to chuckle, and he reached up to feel his own new ears. Hm. He wondered what other powers they had gained, or if the ears and tails were simply some rite of passage for gaining access into this new world.

"Guess we better find out where we are," he offered, one of those ears flicking as he lowered his hands. Now that he was focusing on it, that cottage in front of them looked pretty inviting. Smelled good, too, but he was still wary, thanks to what Cartesio and Deerington had put him through. His hands were cold, so he shoved them into the pockets of his jacket and started moving towards it. Slowly. In case some monster wanted to jump out at them.

[The Cottage - 3]

[GrayGriffin]

"It will be good to get out of the cold," admitted Franciscus. He did have a coat on at least, but it hadn't been snowing so hard in Deerington. He walked beside Osomatsu, not wanting to let his boyfriend take all the risk. As they approached, he slowly reached a hand out to turn the doorknob, pushing the door open slowly...

"Does this look larger on the inside to you?" he asked, turning back to glance at Osomatsu.

[The Cottage - 4]

[galacta]

Once they got closer, Osomatsu took his hands out of his pockets so that he could hold onto Franciscus' sleeve, just in case he needed to pull him back from danger. He was so paranoid nowadays. He gently moved the other man aside to look into the cottage and see for himself. Why did it look so big? It was like his eyes were playing tricks on him.

But the scent of fresh bread seemed to hook onto him, and he started walking inside to look at his surroundings. There were chairs... a lot of chairs! And couches, and a comfy fireplace. Osomatsu wanted to believe that everything in here was harmless, but he was a little too jumpy to relax. Eventually, though, he walked further into the room, stepping carefully. The fire was roaring and crackling, as though it were waiting for them to sit in front of it.

[The Cottage - 4]

[GrayGriffin]

Franciscus quickly followed upon realizing his boyfriend had been drawn in by the temptations of the cottage. And it was warmer in there. He hesitated, before letting the door swing mostly closed to keep the cold air from getting in.

His ears flicked as he continued listening, paying attention to make sure there wasn't anything about to jump out at them. As he approached the fire, he noticed one of the chairs already had someone perched on it. He blinked a little, lifting a hand to wave at the Myu Reaper, though it didn't respond, simply watching them.

"Do you suppose it's the homeowner's pet?" he asked, gesturing at said feline.

[The Cottage - 5]

[galacta]

"How should I know?" Osomatsu said, not being mean, just thinking out loud. That kind of animal... it looked like a cat, but he'd never seen any like it before. He moved in to get a closer look, and it just looked back at him. "It's cute," he murmured and stepped back to warm up his hands by the fire.

He waited there for a while, and nothing happened. The fire stayed in its place, the cottage remained quiet, even outside, the world seemed to be still. But it was not in a creepy way. It was serene, peaceful. Osomatsu was beginning to relax.

[The Cottage - 5]

[GrayGriffin]

For all he knew, it could be the homeowner, shapeshifted into a different form or cursed or something like that. Franciscus wouldn't put anything past this place by now. Still, after watching it a bit more to make sure it wasn't going to suddenly pounce and tear out their throats, Franciscus moved to join Osomatsu, his tails lifting to curl slightly around the other man's waist, without even really realizing he was doing this.

"I suppose there are worse places to arrive in yet another new world," he murmured.

[The Cottage - 6]

[galacta]

Osomatsu seemed to notice the tails, but he did not move them. Actually, he found it kind of sweet. So he stayed still and simply let them do what they wanted. His own tail wagged slowly while he turned his hands over the fire.

"You're right about that," he said, his eyes hooding. "For all we know, this place is... gonna be more relaxing than Deerington." He could at least hope for that, couldn't he?

[The Cottage - 6]

[GrayGriffin]

Franciscus did notice Osomatsu starting to drift off, but he figured this place was safe enough they shouldn't have to worry about that. And they deserved to relax a little, didn't they? He reached out an arm to pull Osomatsu closer so that the other man could lean on his shoulder.

"I hope so. I think we certainly both deserve some rest after all that..."

[The Cottage - 7]

[galacta]

Osomatsu wasn't falling asleep, not really! He was still standing up, and everything. He was just focused, thinking. At least he was relaxed, that was more than he could say for any of the other places he'd been lately. Still, he did not push away. Leaning against Franciscus on such a cold day was wonderful. He smirked a little, thinking about how far they had come together.

"No kidding! I wonder if we're even still in Deerington. It doesn't feel like it, though." His tail curled around Franciscus' leg a little.

[The Cottage - 7]

[GrayGriffin]

"It really doesn't," replied Franciscus with a growing smile. "There's always been an undercurrent of anxiety there...this place doesn't have that. It doesn't even feel like the safer places in Deerington, a mere sanctuary from the danger outside." Here, the only danger was mundane cold.

"Should we see where that smell is coming from?" he suggested softly. "I admit, it is quite enticing."

[The Cottage - 8]