- and maybe it's unwanted, he wouldn't be surprised but he would take it gracefully this time - he promises himself he will take it well. He will. He waits -
The first claw follows him into place, and then a second.
Lemm's shoulders slacken, he turns his head just a notch down and to one side. It's not a nuzzle. It's not. There is something very interesting on the floor over there.
Memories, in turn, of the Knight looking at him, of the way they err around him, because he doesn't signal right, because he can't say, thoughts of times they touched his shoulder or patted his horn and he didn't know what to do with it.
There are solid claws around him and they're fine. They are fine. There is not a scratch on the Lord of Shades nor the Knight nor any of their Siblings. They're fine and they will get their mask fixed and they will be fine.
Lemm has one hand pressed flat against their palm already. The free one sticks itself unceremoniously through the gap between their claws and holds at the back of their hand, hugging it to him - or rather hugging himself to their hand, really.
(They are huge and could snap him in an instant but: they won't. Lemm knows they won't. He has faced them down in worse moods, Knight or Lord of Shades.)
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The first claw follows him into place, and then a second.
Lemm's shoulders slacken, he turns his head just a notch down and to one side. It's not a nuzzle. It's not. There is something very interesting on the floor over there.
Memories, in turn, of the Knight looking at him, of the way they err around him, because he doesn't signal right, because he can't say, thoughts of times they touched his shoulder or patted his horn and he didn't know what to do with it.
There are solid claws around him and they're fine. They are fine. There is not a scratch on the Lord of Shades nor the Knight nor any of their Siblings. They're fine and they will get their mask fixed and they will be fine.
Lemm has one hand pressed flat against their palm already. The free one sticks itself unceremoniously through the gap between their claws and holds at the back of their hand, hugging it to him - or rather hugging himself to their hand, really.
(They are huge and could snap him in an instant but: they won't. Lemm knows they won't. He has faced them down in worse moods, Knight or Lord of Shades.)