Evening chez Sinclair, post-picking-Lilah-up-'cause-sunset's-getting-earlier, post-dinner, and just barely post-Lilah-getting-thoroughly-jumped. Felix stretches out on their bed, one arm encouraging the kin to stay close, possibly in that using-as-a-pillow way, and sighs. It's somewhat less purely contented than sighs in similar situations have tended to be. Still pretty damn, to be honest, but not entirely.

<OOC> Felix uses up several days' quota of dashes.

There seems to be no trouble getting Lilah to stay close to him, especially as she worms just a tiny bit closer as she hears that sigh. She's seemed happier this week than pretty much anytime since their trip. And it's not as though she looked miserable before. She brought home some plasticware and toast (only toast, but with jam and butter), and it's unclear why the fork was even included. But she seemed to be thrilled to be jumped, and jumpination occurred on both sides. After scooting just that little bit closer, she leans her head up to kiss his cheek, and nibbles lightly at his ear before whispering, "What's up?"

There does tend to be a lot of jumpination, either way. Felix nuzzles at her hair when she wriggles that bit closer, and the nibble gets a little smile. "Mm. Just thinkin'. Various stuff, I guess. Justin went an' challenged that Fang asshole, Marcos, for Fostern today. Told him to do it when I could watch, but 'pparently gettin' punched in the face was The Moment. So, oh well. Him 'n' Benny're both waitin' for the details on their challenges, now."

Lilah kisses his cheek again, propping herself up onto one elbow at his news. Not that this means she's pulling away; in contract, she runs a hand down his chest, loathe to break contact. "I don't think I met Marcos yet." And not Macros, as I first typed... "Why'd the guy punch 'im? I get he's an asshole, but what made-up excuse did 'e have? If'n I don't see 'em first, tell Justin 'n Benny I'm rootin' for 'em." She bends down to place a soft kiss on his lips, and then brushes her fingers through his hair.

Felix half-closes his eyes, watching through his lashes as her hand moves over his skin. "You did -- 'member back that first time we went to Snakes an' Lattes, that one dick that shoved in on our side 'steada sittin' in the empty spot on Justin's? Not that I ever mind havin' you in my lap, but." Shrug. "An' they were Havin' Words, Justin said. Dunno exactly, but some shit involvin' Marcos not thinkin' much of him, that he don't know nothin' 'bout bein' an Ahroun 'cause he ain't never had a packmate die, an' he don't know anguish, an' hell I dunno what else. General shit. Dunno what =Justin= mighta said, or how it got started in the first place." He kisses her in return, the fingers of the arm underneath her playing along her back.

As his fingers trace along her back, Lilah half-closes her own eyes, making a soft 'mmm' sound. She listens to him, and is silent for a few moments before nodding her head. "Yeah, I 'member that. Wonder if he shoved in on our side cuz o' Justin? Not that I'm sayin' it weren't a jerk move, but..." She shrugs one shoulder. "Sorry t'hear it hadda come t'that, but I hope Justin succeeds."

Felix tilts his head slightly, considering. "I dunno. He wasn't particularly bein' an asshole to Justin then. I pretty much just figured it for big-guy bullyin', 'less he really likes bein' across from the dude he's payin' attention to an' don't think much." Coming from him. "Anyway. Yeah, I hope so too. 'pparently Marcos thinks he'll fail, maybe die. So, yeah. Somethin' in the Umbra, that's all J knows yet. An' Benny ain't heard just what Sera's gonna have him do neither. An' then, Benny brought up the question of pack leadership..."

Lilah leans forward to kiss the tip of his nose, apropos of nothing, and then pulls back to watch him speak. "I s'ppose maybe you're right 'bout Marcos." She winces at hearing the bits about Justin's Challenge, shaking her head. "Kinda wish Justin'd Challenged someone who weren't an ass." She wrinkles up her nose, and then frowns as she watches the Galliard. "How'd that go? The leadership stuff, I mean."

Felix wrinkles his nose at the kiss, grinning briefly. "...yeah. He coulda challenged Esther, who actually likes him. Didn't wanna do it the easy way, he said. Not that I reckon anyone'd make it a cakewalk. ...now I kinda want cake. Anyway. That also coulda gone smoother. Justin claimed Alpha, which, y'know, far's I'm concerned he's basically been actin'-Alpha since before I joined, really, whatever the labels say. Benny's challengin', though."

Lilah smiles faintly at that grin, and then nods her head to the explanation about Esther. Something said suddenly makes her grin as well, though: "You an' yer cake obsession. The question is: if'n you get cake, you gonna let *me* eat cake?" Surely he's not heard this joke a thousand times before! She tilts her head slightly at the Justin bit, seeming unsurprised, and then nods to that last. "An' how do ya think that's gonna go?"

From her the joke gets a smirk, though, and a lifted brow. "Hey, I letcha eat Cake any time you want," he replies, with a gesture vaguely in the ta-da family aimed downward along his body, "You want some more, I ain't gonna stop you." Another grin, albeit of a somewhat different basic quality. It fades with her question, though. "Ain't goin' great. Justin ain't real pleased, go fig. He wanted 'em to throw down to settle it, but Three-Mountains an' Benny both said well, given our kinda pack, an' our totem, make more sense for it to be a test of cunnin'. Which, I gotta say they got a point, an' it gets more to the heart of what =I= wanna have Alphawise, but on the other hand, challenged gets to pick, y'know? An' if he's pretty sure he can win fightin' an' winnin's the plan, could argue that'd be the cunnin' choice. Ain't no one really listenin' to me, though." Slight shrug. "Anyway, kinda don't matter, 'cause Three-Mountains... I dunno exactly, but I think some kinda spirit took him over. Ancestor, or coyote, or coyote ancestor, or somethin'. Anyway, it weren't real impressed, an' told 'em..." He pauses, gaze defocusing slightly, or more accurately, refocusing in the near distance where nothing actually is, "...'Gaia didn't bring you about for your brains, did she? That's Coyote's job. So you wanna prove your worth then prove you got the brains. Coyote brought fire to Man, so bring somethin' of value back to the pack, somethin' to help it endure the dark nights an' cold days to come.'" It's still very much his voice, though something about the emphasis and delivery isn't his. He blinks, focusing on Lilah again, "...plus other stuff, but basically that's the challenge. Which is a pretty cool one. But Justin's pretty pissed, I reckon."

Lilah gets a blush clear up to the tips of her ears, but she doesn't back down. Instead, she worms in close and then begins to kiss downward, starting in the center of his chest, and ending (unfortunately) just below his belly button. "I like Cake," she says oh so innocently, and rests her head on his chest to listen to the rest of the story. When he's finished, she says thoughtfully, "I'm biased 'n all, but I'd say given challenged gets t'pick, an' choosin' a challenge you know you're gonna win's the clever move, that you're right on this'un. Leastways that's how I see it. 'm sorry that ain't goin' well." Cue kiss to the side of his neck.

Tease! Felix isn't currently in the mood to complain about it, however. Though check back in a few minutes. His hand follows her while she applies those kisses, toying with her hair, and when she shifts back upward to rest her head, he wraps both arms lightly around her again. "Well, course I'm right. I'm always right," he declares airily, "...though I reckon spirit intervention trumps always-rightness. An' it does get a little confusin', logicwise, when you start thinkin', okay, the idea is findin' the best Alpha for the pack, which isn't =quite= the same thing as winnin', even if you think you're the best Alpha for the pack, if you see what I mean, but on the other hand, maybe the move that makes you win is..." He trails off, shaking his head. "Yeah, I ain't even gonna try. ...an' to be honest, I don't reckon that's the angle Justin was comin' from, anyhow; way he was talkin', he was goin' tradition. But he's already BEEN bein' leadin' the pack pretty decent, an' I already know he's pretty smart, so, y'know, I ain't so bothered as I guess the others are."

"Y'are," Lilah agrees with him, and then allows teasingly, "Sometimes, anyway." She nuzzles in against him, and listens closely to what he has to say. "Do ya think Three-Mountains wants Benny as Alpha, 'r Justin? An' I'm sorry t'hear all this's goin' on. Cain't be easy, yer pack not gettin' along." She bends down to kiss him lightly, and then asks, "Whatcha think Justin's gonna try to do? An' there any time limit on it?"

"Yup, I'm sometimes always right," Felix declares, lifting his chin slightly and turning his head as if attempting to strike a heroic pose from only the neck up. "...I dunno what Three-Mountains wants. Only things he said -- an' I mean himself, before it went weird -- was that he thought it oughta be a test of cunnin', an' that," a tiny pause, as of someone translating a language they're fluent enough in that they don't habitually turn it right into their main one, "that the right way is for the best, strongest, an' smartest to lead." His hand shifts to idly stroke along her arm. "Deadline's the full, an' I dunno what Justin's gonna try to do. Benny neither, for that matter. An'... yeah. I kinda," he stops, then shrugs, "...ain't like I run from rilin' people up, but I dunno, things just don't feel right havin' my pack all unsettled."

Lilah grins lopsidedly at his heroic pose, and she nods her approval. "Never let it be said yer always never right," she jokes, and then quiets to listen to him. That last has her nodding her head in understanding. "I reckon it's like bein' eaten from the inside out 'r somethin'. It's one thing t'be a Gnawer, 'r a Coyote, but if even the pack don't get along..." She winces at the thought, and leans in to kiss his forehead.

Felix is quiet, hand slipping to rub her back again, and after several seconds he says, "I'm not, y'know, a lone wolf type. Literally, I guess. But even before, I got my people, you know? Just feels Wrong right now. I don't like feelin' like I don't know where things stand." Another small shrug, and he tilts his head to kiss her on the closest spot he can find. "...'least I know =I= don't wanna be Alpha, I guess."

When he goes quiet, Lilah doesn't interrupt the silence, and instead rests her head on his chest again, nuzzling in until she feels comfortable in that spot and looking up at him. "Is there anythin' I can do to help?" she asks simply, and strokes her fingertips over his chest softly. "I c'n listen, distract, you name it." A small smile.

"You already help," Felix says, giving her a small smile. "Bein' around, bein' you. But hey, listenin' an' distractin' don't hurt." The smile widens a bit closer to a grin. He leans his head down to kiss her forehead, this time. "...so. Called my grandfolks the other day."

"I can always listen," Lilah agrees, before immediately teasing, "...now what'd you say? Also, psssst." And of course, this is followed by a quite distracting kiss. When it breaks, she kisses him once more (though softly this time), and tilts her head. "How'd that go?"

Felix blinks once or twice at her, brow furrowing. "How'd what go?" he asks, not quite as convincingly as he might like; tiny twitches at the corners of his mouth are noticeable if one looks. He kisses her, then. "It went okay. They're doin' good. ...I told 'em about you. Well, us. They wanna meet you." A crooked half-smile, "They asked if you were pregnant. I said not as far's I know, but definitely not at the time." He sounds amused, more than bothered. A little less amused, more thoughtful, "Then they asked if you were Gnawer kin. Which I said was kinda a weird question. But yeah. So... now I know more about my parents'n I knew before."

Grinning at him, Lilah shakes her head, and then returns his kiss warmly. She blushes a little bit at all the talk of questions his grandparents asked, and shakes her head again, definitely amused. "I reckon that's a question we're gonna hear a lot," she says, smiling a little. "Whyya think they asked if I was Gnawer kin?" Then she leans in to kiss him, gently, before asking, "So what'd ya learn?"

"Yeah, prolly," Felix agrees, unconcerned; it's not as though he'd likely be that bothered at this point even if the answer were actually 'yes'. "Well. Those're connected, turns out. My mother =was= knocked up when my folks got married. An' she wasn't Gnawer kin. Which I guess is part of why I dunno the other side of the family at all, 'cause they weren't real happy. So, reckon they were havin' visions of a repeat or somethin'."

Lilah idly strokes his cheek while he talks, and her brows lift, just a little, at hearing why those specific questions were asked. "How you feelin' about that?" she asks, and then cuddles up a little closer to him. "An' I'm sorry aboutcha not gettin' to know the other side o' the family."

Felix shrugs. "Shit happens," he says, "an' anyway, clearly they're assholes, so no big loss. Ain't like I didn't figure =somethin'= happened, she ain't no immaculate conception, right? So, yeah. Fianna kin assholes, specifically. Which I reckon makes some kinda sense." Hard to be sure if that's more a response to the question or the sympathy, really.

"Shit does happen," Lilah agrees easily, one of the few times he's heard her cuss. She lifts up one of his hands to her mouth, kissing it lightly. "Tell me aboutcher mom?" she asks gently, placing another kiss on his fingertips. "What's she like?"

Man/Sub: >>> You rolled 6 dice at 6 diff (8 10 3 3 2 7): 3 successes. <<<
<OOC> Trouble says "..empathy roll?"
<OOC> Lilah says ">>> You rolled 5 dice at 6 diff (9 9 3 6 8): 4 successes. <<<"

Felix generally handles the cursing for both of them. He smiles a little at the kisses, though not at the questions; they get another shrug. "Looks kinda like me, if I was a girl. Only, 'bout twice as old an' a little shorter. Drunk. Screams an' throws shit when she's pissed. Was in labour with me for twelve hours without anaesthetic or nothin', heard about that a lot." He's quiet a moment. Then, "...sings pretty good. Likes detective shows. Stood up for me once in a while. Didn't tell me nothin' about the werewolf thing but once, when she was wasted. Done with me, so fuck the lotta it." He does a damn good job of seeming not to care; it's all the same casual tone, practically a vocal shrug itself, and it's a really good 'whatever' expression as well. Even people who knew him pretty well probably would miss that tiny tension in the joint of his jaw, or the extra blink when he briefly rolls his eyes in that pause between parts. Certainly only someone currently curled up with him the way Lilah is would feel his fingertips tighten faintly against her skin with the last remark.

Lilah watches him closely as he speaks, taking in every word. His fingers are kissed once again, though this time each fingertip is kissed separately. "Fuck the lotta it," she agrees softly, just a total potty-mouth tonight, and then she leans in to kiss him, warm and caring. When the kiss breaks, she leans up to whisper in his ear, "I ain't never gonna be done with ya. Never." It's all she has to say.

WP: >>> You rolled 7 dice at 7 diff (10 8 9 7 2 4 9): 5 successes. <<<
Man/Sub: >>> You rolled 6 dice at 6 diff (2 6 2 1 7 1): 0 successes - failure. <<<

Felix kisses her back, arms tightening around her more intentionally, though they loosen to let her settle back down comfortably afterward. It may or may not be coincidence that he swallows right around the time she's whispering, but there's a tension in his arms that's like the ghost of a few moments before, and he glances at her sidelong, looking fleetingly younger than usual. It's hard to tell whether he really believes her or not, doubt and wariness warring with hope and longing in that look; it's brief, but definitely there. No wetness, though. Not even a hint. He studies the ceiling expressionlessly for a few seconds before saying, quiet but conversational, "I killed my stepfather."

For Lilah's part, she certainly at least looks like she means it. Her expression for him is not pitying, but it's most definitely soft and caring. She doesn't react, per se, to the look of wariness, past the kissing of his shoulder. She makes no move to interrupt his study of the ceiling, and she simply nods to his words. "On purpose or accidental-like?" There's no hint as to one answer being 'worse' than the other. It's all quite conversational.

"First change," Felix answers, and after another moment, "Dunno how it woulda gone down otherwise." He shifts, rolling a little bit toward her, and leans his head to nuzzle into her hair.

Lilah nods her head, seeming to have expected that answer, or something like it. While he nuzzles into her hair, she leans in to kiss any part of him she can reach, and then she murmurs again, "I ain't never gonna be done with you. It ain't your fault, what happened with him. I hope ya know that. An' I reckon... whether ya ever woulda done somethin' on purpose, ya woulda had a damn good reason." She presses in closer to him, running a hand down along his side. "Ya know I care aboutcha, right?"

"He kinda had it comin'," Felix says, a touch darkly, and after a moment more, sighs. He listens to her, and at the last question, smiles slightly against her hair. "...yeah," he answers, "I know. You know I care 'bout you too, right?"

"Like I said... a 'damn good reason,'" Lilah says with a firm nod of her head. She continues stroking her hand up and down his skin, and manages a small smile at his question, nodding again. "'More'n anyone,'" she quotes, and kisses him softly wherever her lips will reach. "I care 'bout you more'n anyone, too. An' I ain't goin' anywhere."

Felix smiles a bit more, echoing, "More'n anyone." He lets his arms tighten more around her again, and kisses her temple, then leans his head against hers. "I'm glad you came with me."

Lilah smiles softly, nodding to that echo. She nuzzles her head up against his, and murmurs, "'m glad I did, too. I thought-- I thought I was just gonna be glad to be outta Alabama. An' glad for the company. An'... well. Glad for the kissin', I gotta admit. But things got a funny way o' workin' out."

"It was pretty good kissin'," Felix grants, and briefly there's the grin, "Still is, I reckon. Pretty good everythin' else, too. Even if you made me wait forEVER." He shakes his head. Tch! "...how you feelin' about Isabella turnin' up here? ...an' about anything else, for that matter."

"You seriously ain't used to people makin' you wait, huh?" Lilah teases, and leans in as though to kiss him-- before pulling back with a bat of her lashes and a too-wide grin. She shrugs to the Isabella question. "Don't really have no opinion yet. Never knew 'er all that well, an' I reckon this's as good a chance as any to *get* to know 'er." Another shrug, and no comment on the 'anything else.' "How 'bout you? How you feelin' about various things?"

Long distance to Lilah: Trouble attempts empathy! Mostly on the anything-else, but y'know, in general. >>> You rolled 3 dice at 6 diff (10 2 6): 2 successes. <<<
Lilah pages: A TIE. :D I'll do a whisper-pose.

You sense Lilah is not fussed about Isabella, as she says, and isn't excited, either, but at least she's not... NOT excited? It really is like she says: no strong opinion. The 'anything else' is definitely being glossed over, and it's no accident of conversation.

Felix gives her a mock-glare when she pulls the kiss. "Tease!" he accuses, "An', well... no." He moves one hand to the back of her neck, to keep her there while he leans in to kiss =her=, instead. He nods to the bit about the other kin, but the evasion of the second bit gets a faint narrowing of his eyes -- not angry, but noticing. "I dunno, I kinda feel like we been talkin' 'bout me all night," not that he's generally complained about that before.

"Why not?" Lilah asks, seeming genuinely curious. As he leans in to kiss her, she shivers lightly, and then returns every bit of that kiss and more. When the kiss breaks, and he narrows his eyes, she glances to the side before returning her gaze to him. She notices him noticing, clearly, but makes no mention of it. Instead, she leans in to try and kiss him again, saying, "I like talkin' 'bout you."

"...why ain't I used to people makin' me wait?" Felix asks, tilting his head. The attempt to kiss him again is successful, though the look he gives her when she says she likes talking about him is Actively Unfooled. "Well, maybe sometimes I like talkin' 'bout you too."

"Yeah," Lilah says with a nod of her head. "Ain't nobody ever made ya wait b'fore?" She kisses him again, and then gives a very faint sigh, barely heard, before shrugging. "A'right. If'n you wanna talk 'bout me so much, then talk about me. I reckon I'll survive." She gives a small, lopsided smile. "...but I really do like talkin' about you better."

Felix pauses. "Well, generally speakin', I was mainly lookin' for girls who were lookin' for the same thing I was. Which didn't involve a lotta anyone makin' anyone wait. Wasn't lookin' for a girlfriend or soulmate or nothin'." There's another brief pause, and he shakes his head. "See, now we're talkin' 'bout me again."

"Fair 'nuff," Lilah says, to him and his looking-for, and then she laughs lightly at that last bit. "I'd ask whyya ended up kissin' on me if you were lookin' for girls lookin' for the same thing you was, but that'd mean you'd have to talk more about yerself." She grins. "Whatcha wanna know about me, then? I'm an open book."

Felix smirks, arching a brow. "You gonna look me in the eye an' tell me you didn't want it?" he challenges, and goes on more gently, "...plus, you were the most beautiful girl in the place, an' for some reason still dancin' by yourself. Well, too. And you're real kissable." He demonstrates. "...ha, answered you without havin' to make it 'bout me."

After biting at her lower lip, Lilah teases, "Nah, but I might look away an' say it." She's grinning, especially at hearing she was the most beautiful one there. "Yer a charmer, for sure. I was dancin' by myself cuz... well, cuz there weren't a lotta non-taken fellas around that I didn't think of like fam'ly. Plus, I reckon I didn't-- didn't really wanna be with someone from Fairhope." She shrugs, and returns his kiss before saying, "So ya did. It was a good thing we met," she decides.

"You'd be lyin'," Felix says, seeming absolutely confident, and being called a charmer makes him grin more as well. "'s just the truth, in this case. I thought you were gorgeous an' looked like fun. An' I was right, even if you kept insistin' on not bein' all the =kinds= of fun I was hopin'." Again the 'disapproving' head shake, and then he catches one of her curls, twining it around his finger. "...yeah," he agrees, "I reckon it was."

"Would I?" Lilah teases, and then smiles broadly at hearing she's fun. Even at the 'disapproving' head shake, she's still smiling. She closes her eyes briefly as he curls her hair around his finger, and then murmurs, "I reckon it was, too." Her eyes reopen, and she leans in to kiss him softly.

Felix's faith is unshaken! "Yup," he replies to her tease, more smugly than strictly necessary. He returns the kiss, still playing with that curl, and after a bit his side of things gets a bit less soft. They have been talking a while, after all. Still, when it breaks, he snuggles her in a bit closer and says, "...so, we were gonna talk about you. Everythin' goin' okay?"

"I reckon you might be right," Lilah finally allows, and certainly doesn't seem to mind that kiss going less soft, given the way she responds in kind. She strokes his chest lightly, and wrinkles up her nose when he brings things back to her. Still, her reply to his question is an emphatic nod. "Yeah. Things're pretty good," she says, and leans in to kiss his cheek.

Felix lets the curl boing away from his finger, and lightly pokes at her wrinkled nose instead. "How come you're so not wantin' to talk about you, huh?" he asks, "...I like you. I wanna know what you're doin' an' thinkin' an' feelin' an' all that, you know? And just random stuff I don't yet. But, I reckon pretty good is pretty good, for Things."

Lilah blushes at his words, shaking her head, and runs a hand through her hair. "Ain't nothin' wrong with talkin' about me, I s'ppose," she says, "...s'just there ain't much *to* me. Ain't much t'tell 'r not tell, I reckon." She leans in to kiss him again, briefly. She pauses, just for a breath of time, as though she might add more. But instead, she smiles and leans in to kiss him *again.* Longer, this time.

Felix is all about the kissing, as usual, and not in any hurry to break that last one, either. "...mm," he says when it does, giving her a look that very much suggests he's thinking about adding some everything else again, and is corroborated by all other evidence, as well. His hand slides along her side, but he says, "I dunno. I reckon there's at least as much to you as there is to me. ...an' okay, given I told you before I ain't really all that deep, maybe that ain't sayin' as much as it oughta be, but all the same." A slight pause, and, "You were thinkin' a thing, I think."

Kissing is achieved! And achieved. And achieved. Lilah is, in fact, all *about* that kissing, certainly not minding that look, nor his hand on her side. She kisses his shoulder as he speaks, and rests her head on his chest at that last bit. "I dunno," she says. "Sometimes I think stuff, an' sometimes I don't. An' sometimes... I cain't really say what I wanna, or figure out how to get those thoughts in workin' order." That said, she leans up for another kiss, probably just for its distracting qualities. Women, amirite?

Felix watches her -- and of course achieves more kissing. Or possibly Lilah does, depending how one looks at it. "...well," he says, sounding slightly distracted but, alas, not so much as to save her from the topic, "that's pretty familiar. Get that sometimes too. But, y'know. If you wanna try, I'll listen an' shit. An' you can always take your time, an' warn me you ain't sure it's gonna come out right or whatever."

Kissing, yay! His ability to stay on topic definitely is not the best thing acording to Lilah, and her cheeks flush, predictably. She glances off to the side, her post-kiss smile fading, and nods to what he's said. Naturally, she warns, "I ain't sure it's gonna come out right." Because of course she does. She's quiet for a time after that, and eventually she murmurs quite hesitantly, "I. I reckon I dunno how to feel about some stuff. I like you. 'More'n anyone.' I-- ain't never gonna feel that way about anyone else." She falls silent again, and eventually adds, her voice going much smaller, and her tongue darting out to moisten her lips, "I know ya like Andrea. An' that's-- it's confusin'." She's definitely not meeting his gaze, now. "I don't... wanna come between y'all. But it's. I cain't think of any other word than 'confusin'.'" She swallows, shrugging, keeping her gaze downward.

Felix's arms stay around her, and when she finishes, he sighs softly and uses them to pull her back down to him, her head on his chest again and this time tucked just under his chin. He doesn't say anything for a little, and then, very quietly, "I don't like her how I like you. ...I don't like no-one how I like you." Another couple breaths. "I ain't sure this's gonna come out right. I ain't even entirely sure there's a right for it to come out."

Lilah makes no move to pull away from him, and if anything, seems grateful to be pulled in. She kisses his chest, listening to him closely, her body just this side of tense. On the plus side though, his words do seem to have an effect, judging by the way she strokes her fingertips along his chest, and the way her muscles relax slightly. "Ya know you can tell me anythin', right?" she asks, and adds, "I ain't one t'judge."

WP: >>> You rolled 7 dice at 7 diff (2 9 6 7 3 3 6): 2 successes. <<<
Man/Sub: >>> You rolled 6 dice at 6 diff (8 10 4 1 1 6): 1 success. <<<

Felix's fingertips move against her skin; small, light movements without moving his hands, and there's still another good pause before he speaks. "Once upon a time," he says, still quiet, "there was a girl. An' there was a boy. An' he liked her different than he ever liked anyone, an' she liked him too. But she said, if they were gonna be together, it had to be just her. So he tried. An' it was really hard, 'cause it don't come natural to him, but he tried. An' he managed, barely, for... I dunno. A month, month anna half. Mighta been able to manage longer, might not, but it was a moot point 'cause that's about when she decided she was done with him anyhow. An' he said, well, fuck that. I ain't never doin' that again, not for nobody. An' he went back to bein' who he actually was an' he was happy." Which, assuming as one might that this isn't a fairy tale despite the opening, is a descriptor one might fairly be dubious about regarding said point in time. Another breath, one that avoids being a sigh only by its silence. "An' then a while later the boy met another girl. An' after a while he realised he liked her different'n he ever liked anyone, even the first girl. Better. More'n anyone. An' she didn't even ask, but he reckoned he was pretty sure she wouldn't like it real much if he was messin' around with other girls, so... he tried. Again. Made it... I dunno. Two anna half? Nearly three months this time. Even when--" She can probably feel a tiny movement of a headshake. "Anyway. Reckon you more or less know what ended up happenin' from there. I just. I just... I ain't any good at it, Lilah." It's even quieter, and there's that faint regretful note sneaking in, just at the edge. "I want you to be happy. I wanna =make= you happy. I can like you more, an' want you more, than anyone else, anywhere, ever. That's easy, don't even hafta try. Don't even hafta think about it. But I can't not want 'em also anyway. I just ain't made that way. An' keepin' from doin' anything about it, I just. I tried. If..." He swallows slightly, "...if you want me to, I'll try more." He means it, that's clear enough, but although he really is trying to, he can't entirely hide his unhappiness with the idea, not from her. "I'd try to do just about anythin' for you. ...an' if you were messin' around with some guy, I dunno, I might try'n kill him. Which I know ain't fair at all. But I guess I ain't really all that good a person, some ways."

Lilah sighs softly as he touches her skin, liking the feel of it. She doesn't make any attempt to interrupt when he pauses, nor as he talks. When he tells how things went with that first girl, she places a soft kiss on his chest, and as he goes on, she continues placing soft, tiny kisses on his skin. He can't get more than a sentence or two out before his skin is being kissed again. Even when he's talking about not being made that way. She glances up at him at his offer to try harder, tilting her head as she watches him closely from then on. She doesn't even wince at his admitting he might try to kill anyone else she might be with. She just watches him, head very slightly canted to the side. It takes her several moments after he's finished talking to get her thoughts in order, and what she ends up saying is spoken softly, hesitantly, as she watches for every hint of reaction. "You ain't a bad person, any more'n I am. We just got... a different outlook, let's say. I-- I ain't askin' you to try harder, or even to stop... 'things,' with Andrea. But I'd be lyin' if I said I liked it. I'd be lyin' if I said it gave me the jollies, or that I wished it'd continue. I don't-- I don't wanna be there when it happens. If that's okay." For once during her mini-speech, she lowers her eyes, not wanting to see his expression. She chews at her lower lip, and then goes on, lifting her eyes to meet his again, "If that ain't how you're made, then that ain't how you're made. Ain't nothin' can change the nature of a man." She pauses, then adds thoughtfully, "You ain't gonna have to kill nobody, or try to. I don't *wanna* mess around with nobody but you. Not Andrea, not some movie star, not even the second comin' o' Christ." Another pause, and then she licks her lips before going on, "I know you're gonna keep carryin' on with Andrea. Maybe others. Ain't nothin' I can do about that. But I ain't goin' nowhere. Leastways not unless ya want me to. I dunno about you an' that other girl. I dunno why she left. But I ain't her. I ain't goin' nowhere."

WP: >>> You rolled 7 dice at 9 diff (7 2 8 3 3 1 7): -1 success - BOTCH! <<<
WP: >>> You rolled 7 dice at 9 diff (7 1 10 5 7 8 9): 1 success. <<<

He keeps petting her gently while she talks, and again he doesn't reply instantly. "Didn't even actually fuck up for once," Felix says after some moments, a bit wryly, "...but I reckon it was just a matter of time." And that seems to be that on that topic; there's a definite sense the door is now closed again on that particular girl. The rest, though... while she's speaking, the parts about not liking it, he glances away, one hand unwinding from her to rub the back of the lower knuckles across his mouth and back before the arm wraps around her again. After he manages to meet her eyes again, there's a certain amount of pain in his, and his mouth opens slightly as if to say something -- maybe apologise, maybe promise to try again even if she isn't asking, maybe at least stop 'things' -- but whatever it is, the flash of frustration and even briefer flicker of guilt that follows implies that whatever it is, he just can't actually bring himself to do it. What he does say after a moment is, "I don't want you to hafta do or be around for anything you don't wanna. I don't... I don't wanna ask you to do that. Though, well, you gotta tell me when there's things. If things come up. Okay?" He glances from her eyes to a curl, twining it around his finger. "...I don't ever mean to hurt you. An' I ain't... I mean, I ain't gonna be goin' nowhere. Leastways not unless you want me to." He's quiet for long enough that despite the aura of not quite being done, one might well think there wasn't anything further coming. She can feel a tension through his shoulders and core, though, and a certain set to his jaw as he studies the curl. Eventually one breath is deeper than the others, his eyes closing, and he just manages, barely audibly, "'m sorry I can't be a better man for you."

Lilah kisses him gently once he's spoken about the other girl, just a brief little thing. She runs her tongue along her bottom lip thoughtfully, frowning just a touch when he doesn't manage to say whatever it is. But she doesn't interrupt, not to ask about it or to protest. Her thumb traces down his cheek, and she doesn't immediately answer his request for her to tell him if things come up. She chews at her lower lip when he goes silent, watching him closely, and what he eventually says seems to surprise her a little. Rather than say anything in response, she leans in to kiss him, a lengthy one that might seem as though it's going to last forever, albeit a soft kiss. She rests one hand on on his cheek adoringly, and when the kiss eventually breaks, she murmurs softly, "You don't gotta be a better man. I like the man you are." There's a hesitation, and then she murmurs, "If you weren't the man you are, you might not've asked me to come with you. Or kissed me like there wasn't gonna be a tomorrow. Might not've asked me in Vegas. An'... and I like that you. I like the you that's spontaneous an' passionate, the you that likes me readin' to 'im, the you I got *right goddamn here.*" She pauses, wiping at the edge of one eyelid, and her eyes are suspiciously wet at the moment, even if they're not overflowing. She purses her lips, and then tilts his chin up for another kiss, briefer this time, before she frowns again. "...what ain't you sayin'? What were you gonna say? I promise I ain't gonna slap you. An' I promise if it was some promise to change, I ain't gonna hold you to it."

Felix kisses her back, as long as she wants, and doesn't make it any less soft or try to lengthen it when she does finally pull away. There's an awful lot of him in it even so, and her murmurs get a little smile, and possibly the most smitten, adoring look in his eyes she's ever seen. And there've been a few, at this point. He leans in and kisses the edge of her eye, where she's wiped it, and then the other one for good measure. He pulls her in closer against him when she kisses him again, or tries. Her question makes him hesitate, though, eyes on her face and then glancing away, quiet again when he answers. "...wanted to say I'd change. But I know it ain't true. Even if I meant it." A hand leaves her to rake itself though his hair, instead, and then returns.

Lilah blushes not at all faintly when he gives her that look, and her expression is no less adoring than his. She's more than happy to be pulled in close to him after that kiss to the edges of her eyes, and it makes her blush go just a tad redder. When he looks away, she doesn't try to force him to look at her, just waiting patiently for his answer. And when that answer comes, she moves her head so she's in his line of sight, giving him a soft, encouraging smile whether he looks directly at her or not. "Ya don't hafta change f'r me. If I needed you to, I'd've asked for it, an' I didn't." She pauses, then adds, "An' I reckon you bein' honest about how you're feelin', an' your limitations 'n suchlike, that's why I like ya so much." Her smile returns. "More'n anyone."

"Well, I ain't never claimed I was perfect," Felix says, giving her a half-smile, "...Awesome, sure. But not perfect." He shifts position a little, leaning to nuzzle into the side of her neck, staying there a second or two before he plants a kiss on the skin and lifts his head to look at her again, then kiss her mouth. It's a bit more passionate than the more recent ones, and just as long. When he breaks it, there's a smile in return, quirked up a bit higher on one side than the other. "More'n anyone."

"That y'are," Lilah agrees easily, and closes her eyes for a moment as he kisses her neck. When that kiss starts, she returns it in kind, and as it grows deeper, she presses her body against his, one hand stroking his arm. She actually looks faintly disappointed when it finally breaks, but his additional words clear that up quickly. Still, she leans in again, her lips moving to press against his, and her teeth nibbling at his lower lip. Her hands lift up to cup his cheeks, and no coincidentally try to keep him close to her.

Felix makes a soft noise at the nibbling, and his arms wrap even tighter around her. Nearly painfully, although that's brief and explained when he shifts their weight to roll onto his back and bring her along on top of him. One stays fairly snugly around her waist, the other hand moving up her back until it reaches her neck and the base of her skull. He steals his lip back and the kiss gets more insistent, drawing her tongue in to dance with his; it would seem as though the time for talking is done.