londoncallingrpg

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OTA

He liked spring. There was still a chill to the air most days at the moment, but you could see nature slowly waking from its slumber, even here in the heart of the city. It brought the wolf inside him nothing but joy, and left him with an itch to be outside in the sunlight, roaming and exploring. He'd have to plan a trip to the country soon, somewhere he could really roam wild...

For now, however, a jog through the park would have to do.

Dressed in running shorts and a t-shirt, Valentine alternated between jogging and sprinting. Moving slower where there were crowds, then taking off at top speed along empty stretches of the path, the man didn't stop until his heart was pounding hard and he knew he needed a break. Slowing to a stop, he stretched out and caught his breath, before drinking from the water bottle that he had strapped to his hip.

"Sorry, didn't mean to stop in the centre of the path," he said, stepping out the way when he realised someone was attempting to get past him.

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Val was a simple creature, and though he was pleased to know his bed wouldn't be empty later, he was fully focused on his meal until the moment his plate was clear. Only then did his mind wander.

"You're not worried I'm some sort of serial killer then?" he asked with a teasing grin.

"Should I be?" Felix asked, brows lifted, as he toyed with his glass in his graceful pale fingers. "I don't think serial killers typically invite their prey to lunch," he added. Either his confidence in himself was enormous, or he had very little sense of self-preservation. Perhaps both.

"I bet some do," Val said thoughtfully, giving it all a bit more consideration than it really deserved. "Hunters like to toy with their prey after all."

Felix flashed a brilliant smile. "Luckily, I'm not prey."

At least, not any more. He had been so, once. Never again.

"Really? Because you look delicious," Val purred, offering that charming grin once again as he finished his meal and gestured for the check.

Felix finished off the rest of his wine, more than ready to abandon lunch for somewhere much more private. "Taste for yourself, and find out," he murmured invitingly.

The wine made him feel warm and sultry, his eyes heavy and his mouth soft as he paid his own bill and rose from the table. He lifted an inquiring brow to Valentine; they certainly weren't headed for Felix's.

"Alright then, little black lamb. Come back to mine. I'll make you the most exquisite tea you've ever tasted, and then perhaps we;ll find our way to the bedroom," Val replied, with the casual ease of a man who made that offer often.

How could Felix resist such a gracious invitation? The promise of tea, the perhaps, left him faintly bewildered, though. Really, Felix had expected a short walk, a shut door, and an immediate ravishing. Generally, men who wanted to take him to bed weren't as interested in talking to him as Valentine seemed to be. How perfectly unusual; he was on uncertain ground.

Felix gave Valentine a thoughtful look, then inclined his head, and followed the other man's lead out of the restaurant.

Valentine didn't hesitate to offer the other man his arm as they walked, always a gentleman, even when he'd been on the prowl.

"Do you live locally then?" he asked. "My home's just up the road."

Felix tucked his hand under Valentine's arm, only lightly touching while still accepting the gesture. What else was he to do? This man only became more and more inexplicable. "Not nearby, no. I confess, it was only chance that brought me to this part of the city today. Or," he allowed, with a slight smile, "perhaps not mere chance."

"Fate," Val supplied cheerfully, leading them along towards his rather large home. "Or perhaps the tide pulled you this way."

Felix suppressed a shiver at the idea, but even his minute reaction was communicated through his hand on Valentine's arm. "Not the tide, surely. I've never even been to the sea. But if you think we might be fated to meet, well, who am I to argue, darling?"

"Oh, the tide effects more than the oceans, petal," Val assured him. "The sun and the moon pull and push everything, not just waves."

Soon they were standing outside a large and fenced off home, which required a pin code to just get past the main gates. Beyond that was a very old, but well kept home. From the outside it looked quite modern and fresh, but as they stepped inside Val's personal tastes overwhelmed the space. The furniture was all dark woods, done in a modern gothic style. The wallpapers and paint colours were rich and deep- Though it was never tacky or over the top.

The walls held vintage paintings and prints, along with several oddities and unusual taxidermy pieces.

"I'll put the kettle on- Make yourself at home," he offered.

Felix had only half-believed Valentine that he would be welcomed with tea and not immediately coaxed to the bedroom. In fact, he wasn't entirely convinced until the man released his arm inside the venerable old estate -- impressive and unexpected -- and allowed Felix the freedom to explore his surroundings.

His attention was arrested by the art as soon as his eyes adjusted to the change in light, and he drifted to examine the paintings as soon as Valentine had stepped away. As he studied the themes and subjects in the artwork, he lost himself quickly in his own thoughts.

A tryst with a near-stranger certainly wasn't unusual for Felix, but in his experience, those men willing to take him home were hungry and ready to devour him the moment they were alone. What was it that made Valentine so different? It wasn't an unpleasant situation, just... strange.

Felix quickly lost track of the time he'd spent wandering around the nearby rooms, absorbed in the wealth of interesting, unexpected information about his host.

The truth was that though Val wasn't keen on commitment, he did like to befriend people. He was a social creature, and as eager as he was to share his bed, he was just as hopeful to add a name to the guest list of his next party- Or find someone who he could trust and grow fond of.

"Here we are. A special blend of orange and mint from my cousin's cafe," he said, setting a tray on the coffee table and taking a seat.

Felix started a touch when he heard Valentine's voice again, but left off his interest in the paintings in favor of the man itself. "You have quite a collection here," he noted as he crossed the room, drawn by the bright scent of the tea. "Did the museum grow out of it, or the other way around?"

"Bit of both really," Val said, looking around the room as he spoke. "Many of the items here pre-date the museum. I started collecting old medical texts when I was only a boyl- That soon had me collecting medical devices as well, and even specimens trapped in jars from eons ago... You see, I suffer from a somewhat rare condition, and I was convinced I might find a cure if I looked in the right places. However, I soon realized that what I had was not only manageable, but a part of who I am, and the collection became less of a hunt, and more of a curiosity. It was that turning point that lead to the museum,a nd the museum in turn found me collecting new things- Things that eventually crept into my home as well."

"A self-nourishing cycle," Felix observed with a slight smile, finding a seat for himself near Valentine, close enough to touch if he desired. He reached for the tea only, though, glancing to his host for permission before pouring himself a cup. Rarely did one hear a life's story encapsulated so succinctly from a fresh new acquaintance, and the tale only heightened Felix's ravenous curiosity about the man. It was terrible manners to inquire about a health condition, sadly.

Instead, he observed, "You went in search of a way to better your life, and you found something that gave your life more than you hand. Symbolically speaking, perhaps you did find a cure -- not for the condition itself, but for its weight in your life."

Val considered that for a long moment, and then smiled brightly as he nodded. "I suppose that's very true," he agreed. "What about you though, Felix? Do you collect anything? What in your life offers you joy?"

Joy was not an emotion that Felix sought in his life. He was not, in fact, very certain that he had ever experienced it. Security, control, pleasure, the deep satisfaction and comfort of learning -- those were the prizes of the heart and mind he pursued.

Still, Valentine expected an answer. "Books, I suppose," he said easily, taking his tea without anything in it. "I read, possibly more than is strictly healthy. I like learning new things, exposing myself to new ideas. There is so much in the world, and most of it happened long before I arrived."

"Well, the pursuit of knowledge is certainly a noble one," Val smiled. "Does that tie into your work at all?" he asked curiously.

Felix shrugged noncommittally. "At times. In sociological research, nearly anything has a parallel in some other culture, some other time, somewhere in the world. My work allows me to indulge my habit, but without it I'd be only half-buried under my library, rather than wholly submerged as I am," he explained with a sparkling little smile.

Val nodded, a smile still resting on his lips.

"It sounds as if you love your work very much. I can't imagine a fate worse than hating ones job."

"It's less a job, more of a... well, a calling sounds too dramatic, but it's expressive at least. Essentially, I'd be doing this anyway, it's merely convenient that I'm given a stipend for it," Felix explained, settling in to his seat, his own smile small but inviting.

"I might merit a place among your collection of oddities, darling, if you keep me talking about this. I'll end up in a jar full of creatures that bored themselves to death."

Val laughed softly at that, then leaned in slightly, whispering in the other man's ear.

"That's alright, we're all a bit odd, aren't we? Strange specimens, hidden out in the open..."

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