open post v2.0

[gotup]

action/text/pictures/whatever I'm easy

something less lazy coming in another two years

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[gotup]

Jesus.

[He stares in awe at the pool setup. Out of everything, this is the most ostentatious display of wealth he's seen (although the car collection is a close second). All of this, just for one guy? He can't believe it.

He carefully sets the bottles down at the edge of the pool before unwrapping the towel and stepping in. He wouldn't be too bothered even if the pool was unheated - it's still warmer than the underground springs he has to rely on at this time of year. He does, however, look a little surprised by the warmth, and his eyes close in sheer pleasure for a moment as the last of the chill from the plane is banished.]

Fancy, [is his only comment. He looks at the bottles - while he's familiar with concepts, he's never used things like liquid soap (which he assumes is what the body wash is) or shampoo before. He's pretty sure soap is soap, no matter what you call it.

In spite of his earlier comment, he actually does dunk his mane under the water, running his fingers through it so that the water penetrates the dense layers of fur. He glances over at Tony.]

You mind giving me a hand? I kinda got a lot of hair to wash here.

[myheartglows]

[ tony watches with a pleased smile the whole time. ] Sure. Lemme just pull up a dog-bathing tutorial real quick, [ he says and acts like he's browsing his tablet, mouth almost a V from holding back the shit-eating grin. ]

[gotup]

[He bares his teeth, and a quiet growl - not as loud as it would be if he was truly threatening - rumbles in his chest.]

Asshole.

[It's not something he likes, but he knows that Tony doesn't mean it as a real insult, that he hasn't been around him long enough to know how much he hates being treated like an animal. (He is an animal.)]

How many dogs with manes have you seen?

[myheartglows]

Off the top of my head? Collies. And pomeranians, [ tony lists without a beat missed, but he sets the tablet aside and stands. ] Same principle, right? [ rolling up his sleeves, he walks closer. ]

[gotup]

[He gives him a mildly displeased look.]

Think of it as washing a girlfriend's hair. I'm sure a fella like you has experience with that, right? Your bathroom's sure big enough for a crowd.

[myheartglows]

[ tony kneels on the edge and picks up the shampoo bottle. ] I got more experience getting down and dirty than clean. Now c'mere, boy! [ he calls, patting his knee and whistling. ]

[gotup]

[In one swift move, almost too fast to register, he grabs Tony's shoulder and pulls him over the edge into the water. Underneath the surface, his tail twitches, creating its own local turbulence near the bottom of the pool. He doesn't make any attempt to hold Tony down once he's in the water - he's not trying to drown him - and he waits for him to resurface and get his feet under him.]

No more pet jokes, [he says calmly, holding Tony's gaze.]

[myheartglows]

[ one arm breaks and slaps the surface of the pool as tony instinctively twists. after two seconds of flailing, he finds his feet and shoots into a stand with a loud gasp, drenched head to toe and his arms bent away from his body to hold them above. the pool's surface undulates from the commotion, spreading out, with constant ripples from the water dripping off him. tony stands in the waist-high (for him) water staring at it stock-still save for his quiet, gasping gulps of air.

then his eyes snap over and bear a different wildness, guarded, like someone preparing to fight tooth-and-nail to survive–but quickly he shuts them, and breathes in deep. ] Okay, [ he concedes. ] I deserved that.

[gotup]

[He notes that flash in Tony's eyes, that too-familiar look, and how quickly it disappears, and he worries for a moment that he's done something terribly wrong. He likes Tony, or what he's seen of him so far, and under different circumstances, he might have dunked him playfully instead of out of irritation with his stupid jokes.

He offers Tony a hand to shake, a silent reconciliation, then adds,]

Before you even think about asking about kitty litter, the answer is no. Although- [and he hesitates for a moment out of tact,] I think the toilet might be too small.

[For his ass, he means.]

[myheartglows]

[ tony stares at simba's proffered hand for too long, uncomprehending almost, before he halfheartedly shakes it and pulls back too fast. ] Fee-fi-fo-fuminize your toilet, got it, [ he mumbles. he flicks his eyes across the water. ]

[gotup]

Just as long as I don't have to climb a beanstalk to get there.

[He offers Tony a small smile, testing the waters, so to speak.]

I was serious about you helping, by the way. If you don't mind.

[myheartglows]

[ tony's bangs lie flat, dripping over his eyes which are locked on the water. ] Yeah, [ he croaks distantly, then finally slicks his hair off his face and straightens. he hasn't smiled back. ] Maybe not in the pool.

[gotup]

[He hesitates for a moment before he wraps his hands around Tony's waist and picks him up, setting him on the edge of the pool. Stepping closer, so he fills Tony's line of sight, he gently puts his hands on his shoulders.]

Hey. I didn't know, okay? I'm sorry.

[myheartglows]

[ "what're you–whoa! whoa," tumbles out of tony's mouth as he's picked up and moved, his hands clamped around the gion's arms. once he's put down, a puddle on the asphalt immediately spreads around him, stretching out far.

hands still on simba's arms, tony sits, befuddled and wary. ] It's ... fine. It was fair retribution. [ he awkwardly pats simba's arm. ] No harm done. Promise. Just a ... thing I have.

[gotup]

Then we've both got our things.

[He grins wryly at Tony, squeezes his shoulders softly, like he's still trying to reassure him.]

I'll be more careful in the future.

[Because if he has issues Tony doesn't know about, there's a pretty good chance the reverse is true, and he doesn't want to inadvertently do anything that might hurt him again.]

[myheartglows]

[ tony drops his eyes. they pause before they swing back up above simba's head. right. naked gion. ] Navigating social land mines with a new roommate, yaaay, [ tony jokes weakly. ]

[gotup]

[He pats Tony's shoulder before he lets go.] You didn't kick me out for dropping you in the water, so I think we're doing okay so far.

[Taking a couple steps back, he holds his breath and squats to dunk his head in the water again, staying there longer this time. When he comes up, his fur is soaked, and he grabs the bottle labeled body wash and starts lathering up his body, politely turning away from Tony.]

Never had a roommate before, [he adds over his shoulder.] So you'll have to tell me when I do something wrong, okay?

[myheartglows]

Okay, [ tony whispers, uncharacteristically quiet, now unabashedly watching simba's face. he clears his throat. ] Shampoo's makin' a break for it. [ he motions to the bottle that fell in with him drifting away. ]

[gotup]

[He reaches out and snags the bottle of shampoo, setting it back down on the concrete with one hand while he keeps lathering. By now, fluffy piles of foam are starting to appear on the surface of the water around him. Right now, he seems blissfully happy at the prospect of finally getting clean.]

What's that glass thing you had back there? [he asks, just to make conversation without falling into awkward silence.]

[myheartglows]

[ tony grabs the bottle, holds it between his legs, his feet and calves still hanging in the water, and flicks the cap open and closed with his thumb and a frown. ] Glass thi... Oh. Tablet. It's like a ... handheld computer.

[gotup]

[There's a break in the conversation as he drops down to rinse the first batch of lather off, and then he starts a second round of scrubbing.]

...You're gonna have to go more basic than that.

[myheartglows]

[ the look of longing on tony's face when simba reemerges is wiped out by another frown, this time stumped. ] Uhh, tiny smart machine? Touch screen to do stuff? About as basic as it gets.

[gotup]

But what kinda stuff does it do?

[He furrows his brow, confused.]

[myheartglows]

Whatever it's ... programmed to–you really have been living under a literal rock, haven't you? [ tony studies him, thoughtfully squinting. ] How long were you lone-gunning it?

[gotup]

Years?

[He shrugs.]

Didn't keep track. Sometime before the guerrillas started hiding from the Russians in the mountains.

[In other words, more like decades.]