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Welcome back, my lovely reader~

Being a writer is my dream job but it has full-time hours and doesn't pay the bills. I want to keep writing these stories for everyone to enjoy and your support on Patreon or Ko-Fi helps make that happen. Patrons even get to see stories a week early to avoid all that pesky waiting. I also appreciate non-financial support like faving, voting, and following me here or on Twitter. Thank you so much for your continued support! Please enjoy the episode.

And with that out of the way...

My lovely reader, do you remember when I said I was done with B&C? I_lied.jpg

Welcome to Blood & Carrots: Celestial! This is the third part in the B&C series and uh... I think this goes without saying, but... GO READ THE FIRST TWO! Yes... yes... I know it's an undertaking and my writing wasn't as good then, but you really do need to for maximum enjoyment of this one!

A few things to note!

This series is still kemonomimi-style, not anthro. It's what it began as and it's a little late to change things now, sorry if you're a fur-or-die but I promise it's still worth your time if you liked my other stuff!

Just like with the others, there will be a variety of scenes in this one including, hetero, boy love, girl love, and multiple partners. Also, remember that sex isn't the objective of this series. Sex is there, it's frequent enough, and I hope you enjoy it, it is very important to the story, but it is NOT the primary focus.

Finally, I feel I did all the canine boys of the other B&C entries a disservice, a mistake I will KNOT repeat in this one. Ah fu fu!

Alright, that's enough rambling from me, let's jump- er fall right in!

--*--

Episode 1:

Am I worthy of this?

My teeth clenched and my eyes widened as the ground approached at breakneck speeds, my wings useless right now, what with the slobbering blood-crazed vampire riding me down.

"Say goodnight you feathered-fuck!" The abomination hissed the words into my ears, a knee in my back, both my feathery wings held in its grip. I knew they weren't ancient enough to fly, but I had been careless and didn't expect them to just leap up several stories to grab me in mid-air.

I snarled in anger, cutting my glowing blue eyes back at the vampire, the divine energy in me making them look flaming as we fell. My hand grabbed the blessed silver longsword at my hip in one last desperate gambit.

"Goodnight!" I shouted the word and plunged the sword straight into my own belly, hoping I'd miss anything too vital as the blade pierced through my body and stabbed right into my attacker at my back.

There was an unearthly yowl of pain behind me as I shoved the sword to the hilt, snarling back at the vampire as I ran it through as well. Feeling the monster weaken its grip, I managed to break from it, withdrawing my bloody blade from my own body, the silver now looking white-hot as if it had just been withdrawn from a forge. My wings haphazardly fluttered as the flaming husk of the vampire continued to the earth below.

With a throaty cough of blood erupting from my mouth, I managed to get a few flaps in, just enough to ease some of the force of my fall so I didn't break every bone in my body, only maybe half of them. I slammed to the ground, bouncing from the impact before flopping onto my back, my bloody wings fanned out as I panted in pain. The abomination had just leaped on me mid-flight, managing to tear and bite me several times before bringing me down.

I clenched my bloody teeth, feeling my vision wavering for several moments before an appreciative whistle filled my ears. Wincing at the annoying sound, my black ears folded against the dirty golden locks of my hair as I tried to focus on the other angel grinning down at me.

The lion showed a playful sharp-toothed grin at me, his hair a similar color to my own, but much more curly and robust, whereas mine was straight, also, more on the blonde and less on the 'dirty' aspect of it. Most of our kind tended to have golden or platinum-colored hair though, regardless of what our origins were.

My eyes seemed to shake in their sockets as I tried to focus before coughing up at him. "You going, to heal me, or... watch me bleed out, you fop!"

"That's no way to speak to a superior, Ryder." The lion practically purred the words as his hands pushed to my belly and I felt the healing energies course through my body, the wound closing fairly easily since it had been made with divine silver.

"Stuff it, Ezekiel. You barely outrank me." I showed him as playful of a grin as I could muster through the pain, feeling the various cuts, scratches, and bite wounds the damned vampire had left on me starting to heal.

"Sorry I didn't get here sooner, Ry." The lion grumbled the words as he stepped back, then offered me his hand which was a little bigger than mine. That stood to reason, given he had nearly a foot on me and several more pounds of muscle.

I let him help me up, wincing as the world still wanted to spin on me a little, feeling him grip my shoulders, easily holding my smaller body steady. Feeling things settle, I flapped my wings a few times before stepping back. "Thanks, I think I'm okay now."

"You did that abomination pretty good, Ry." Ezekiel looked back at what was left of the vampire, now quickly becoming a pile of ash.

My shoulder popped a few times as I rolled it, feeling things push back into place, then moved to collect my sword that I had dropped as I hit the ground. "Yeah, wasn't a strong one, I just got too careless. Had it been a few hundred years older, it would have just been pissed off from that little trick," I mumbled the words while wiping the blade off on the side of my hip and sheathing it.

"Ah yes, pride before the fall, is that not what the higher-ups say?" Ezekiel flicked his wiry tail while sauntering over to the pile of ash, giving it a kick as the embers and dust scattered in the breeze of the night.

"Come now, Ezekiel, even monsters deserve proper respect in death. Let us pray the gods guide this sinner to a path of redemption," Speaking the words aloud I moved to where the vampire's ashes remained, clasping the rosary at my throat and offering a quick prayer to the gods.

"Tch... you pray for both of us, fox. All of them can turn to dust as far as I'm concerned, " The lion snarled flapping his slightly larger wings as he sprang off his feet and took off into the night sky.

I gave him a frown, but couldn't entirely blame him for his attitude. He had seen some of the worst of the fighting in the outbreak from before my time. Ezekiel entered the services of the celestial family a few centuries before I did.

Undying isn't the same as invincible, just like with their ilk, we celestials may have been given unaging bodies as well as vast power compared to the mundane, but we could be struck down with enough effort. In fact, we had been in droves during that time of the crusade.

The actual time of my mundane death was approximately three decades ago, but I couldn't give you an official year or date. Heck, I might not have even been able to read or write in my mundane life, let alone tell you the date. It can take the powers that be upwards of several decades to call your spirit for service, and of course, at that time you are aware of all your memories. You make the decision then, do you keep your memories and resume the cycle, or do you cast it all away for the chance to be part of the greater good?

My former life must have had some kind of major trauma or regret to make the choice, or perhaps I was already very pious and this was my reward. Nonetheless, here I was and it was the choice I willingly made, as did all of my fellow celestials.

I held no ill will towards the vampires or any other creatures of darkness, I simply did my duty and prayed the gods would help these lost creatures find peace. Most of us were cut from the same mundane cloth after all, only the daemons and fae were outsiders to us, but even they were children of the gods.

Finishing my prayer I looked to the night sky, seeing heavy billowing clouds forming, small flares of thunder outlining the curvatures of them. A few raindrops began to fall, my black ears flicking as they were hit by the falling water.

"Looks like a storm is coming, I better get back to the citadel." I gave the fallen vampire a final thought and wish of redemption, then my wings spread as I launched myself from the earth and soared into the dark angry clouds.

--*--

Celestial Initiate:

Those that answer the call are commonly referred to as Initiates in their first days as celestials. They retain no knowledge of their past lives barring glimpses of their final fate or the actions that made them worthy of ascending.

Initiates receive basic training and education on what is expected of them. Those that are found poorly suited are returned to their rest, those that make it through are soon elevated to the rank of Cadet, the basic soldier class that all celestial's enter service at. Rejection of initiates is exceptionally rare.

--*--

Ezekiel and I walked into our commanding officer's office back at the citadel, each giving a formal salute by clasping our fists and pushing them to our chests before bowing our heads.

"At ease, knights," The tall ram spoke the words cooly in a professional, but slightly irritated tone. His hair was mostly straight like my own, but he kept it pulled back in a high ponytail, with sharp short bangs hanging along the curls of his large horns. Unlike most of the celestial's, his hair was as jet black as my fur. The story behind it was once he ascended to an Archangel, he demanded the original hair color of his mundane form be restored.

We relaxed slightly but kept a respectful position, standing up straight with our hands clasped in front of us. We knew even when 'at ease' Archangel Hagen expected a level of respect in his presence.

"Ryder, explain what led to your injuries and the subsequent use of Ezekiel's healing." The ram set me with a hard look, his dark eyes unwavering as if reading my very soul for falsehoods.

I gave another bow of my head, lowering my perked black ears in respect as I explained, "While searching for the abomination, we agreed to split up to cover more ground at my request. While in mid-flight the vampire leaped upon me. During the ensuing struggle, I received grievous injuries, but was ultimately able to dispatch the lost soul."

Shifting his dark gaze to the lion next to me, Hagen cocked a brow. "And what of you, Ezekiel?"

The lion gave his own nod. "It is as Ryder said. We split up, I sensed his energy change from a distance and knew he was engaged in either battle or flight given the adrenaline surge. When I arrived he was injured and the vampire was a smoking pile of ash."

"You were both careless in this mission, even if it was a success. I will not brook irresponsibility under my name. My knights will not garner a reputation for recklessness, do you understand?" His words came out sharp and cold as he reprimanded us.

"Sir!" We both saluted once more.

"Ryder, why did you not begin mending your own wounds?" The ram clenched his teeth, giving me a half-glare.

"My apologies sir, I've not received the training yet for-"

"Unacceptable, but a bad excuse is better than none!" His hand slapped the surface of his desk as he rose, showing his height advantage to our own, even nearly half a foot taller than the lion.

"Ryder, get your tail to the apothecary and tell them you're there for your lessons on curative prayers, I'll push the order through." Hagen snapped the orders to me and I gave another salute as I turned on my heel.

"And you, Ezekiel, we need to have a refresher on your officer training if you're letting your unskilled members under your command off unattended." The ram snapped out at the lion.

My ears perked and my teeth bared as I looked over my shoulder with a snarl bubbling up in my throat at the 'unskilled' commentary, "Sir! With all due respect, I am-"

"Ryder dispatched the damnable thing single-handedly and his wounds would have healed with time! He is not unskilled and has a better sword arm than I do!" The lion hissed the words out, his own stance shifting to a more defiant one than my own.

There was a loud clap of sound as the ram simply backhanded the lion to the floor, then I felt a wave of force slam into me as I crashed into the wall and slumped down to the floor with a wince.

Hagen narrowed his gaze upon Ezekiel and huffed out, "Neither of you will ever show me such disrespect, if it happens again I'll see both of you as cadets again." He then lifted his chin as the lion wiped blood from his mouth. "Furthermore... if Ryder is a more skilled combatant, perhaps he should be a third-class knight and you the fourth."

I found my footing, wincing as I rubbed at my shoulder, then offered a salute as I spoke as respectfully as I could through the pain. "Sir, please forgive his outburst, it was my fault for getting out of line, to begin with. Ezekiel is a fine commander and-"

"So be it. Knight Fourth class Ryder, you may bear the burden of both of your transgressions since you so readily accept the responsibility. This will be an official infraction on your record, and need I remind you what happens to celestials who gain three such infractions?" The ram offered me a cold look as the lion snarled at the words.

"Understood. Am I clear to take my leave to the apothecary to seek out the bishops for training?" I spoke the words respectfully as Ezekiel gave me a shocked glare while picking himself up.

"You are dismissed." The ram gave me a salute of his own and I exited the room posthaste.

I only got a few paces down the hall before slamming my fist to the wall with a furious snarl, feeling the rage grip me fully as I glared back at the closed door to the office. The bastard was never happy and always had picked fights with me. Still, I'd be damned if I'd see my best friend in the citadel worse off for it, I'd accept the abuse so long as he was safe from retribution.

A few moments after my outburst I felt a strong overwhelming sense of divinity approach and felt my breathing stop as I saw one of the greater archangels, Toroah step around the corner of the hall right before me.

He was taller than me, which was shocking given he was a rabbit, even rivaling Hagen in height. His hair was long and wispy, coming fully down to the small of his back, but in a braid. It was platinum blonde but seemed to radiate with its own energy that made it almost look silver at times.

I caught myself staring for a moment, I had only seen him a handful of times and never so close. His figure was lithe and tall but in the robes he wore I could easily see the outline of his well-developed chest and arms. The rabbit met me with his own crystal blue eyes and I felt reality crush back around me at his gentle smile as if acknowledging he saw me looking him over.

A sharp bark escaped my throat as I fumbled to give a proper salute, slamming my fist into my chest a little harder than I should have and wincing from it. "S-Sir!"

"At ease, Knight." The rabbit called out in a silky voice that seemed to drip with compassion and dignity.

I huffed at the words but kept myself in a proper stance, only lowering my fist and stepping to the side, giving him clear room to walk by, my tail still rigid. "Y-yes sir, pardon me, High Commander!"

Toroah seemed to more flow past me than walk, the large platinum and blue robes drifting along with his form. He didn't wear proper military dress except at special events, opting to wear more casual clothing in the citadel. The rabbit gave a hum and lifted his two pure white ears, giving me a knowing smile as if he knew the answer to his question before asking it. "Ah, I was simply investigating a loud sound I heard. You know, my office is on the other side of the wall, it sounded as if an angry fox had struck it."

I choked out at his words and offered another salute. "I- I beg your pardon High Commander, I simply uh... s-stumbled and struck the wall."

The rabbit offered me an amused grin and I could see the faint flick of his fluff of tail at his backside. "We all share a bond, Ryder, you are aware of this, I am sure." I winced at him using my name, never a good sign when the brass knew who you were.

Toroah folded his arms, offering what almost looked like a pout at my reaction. "Hagen is too harsh with his knights. I will have to reprimand him once again, later."

A deep frown showed as I shook my head. "High Commander, please do not concern yourse-"

My jaws snapped closed as he simply lifted a finger in a gesture to stop speaking and I swallowed a lump in my throat. The rabbit looked me over for a long moment before giving a nod. "What was your destination, Knight?"

I had to pluck my thoughts for a moment to force my brain back into motion before I stammered out politely. "T-to the apothecary, sir! To undergo curative prayer training, sir!"

"Ah, that is one of my specialties. Why, did you know I am one of only a few of our kind that even knows the trick to restore the wounds of the undying, such as vampires and ghouls?"

"That is amazing, sir! I did not know such things were possible!" I barked the words out respectfully and in shock at the knowledge.

"It is best learned early for it is a difficult thing to do once you have already learned the basics. Come, I will show you how it is done." The rabbit poked his nose up into the air, looking haughty as he trotted back the way he came.

"Sir! I- I am unworthy of such a boon!" I barked out the words and sounded like I had hit puberty again with how high-pitched it came out.

Toroah showed me a grin and kept walking. "That's an order, my brother."

I felt the compulsion as I started moving, my body responding whether I wanted it to or not. A celestial that you were under the command of, could compel you to obey if they chose, it was one of the agreements you made when you joined their ranks. Of course, Toroah had not outright commanded me to do so, but the years of instincts just made me start to move when I heard the word 'order', especially from one of the highest-ranking angels in the citadel.

Toroah's office wasn't nearly as stuffy as Hagens, a very down-to-earth room with a large window that overlooked the city. His desk was a simple polished wood that had a semi-messy assortment of parchments and scrolls about it. The room itself was decorated in a very homely way, with small tapestries and ornaments that hung from the wall.

"Sir, with all due respect. This is a boon more befitting of one of the bishops, not a lowly knight such as myself." I spoke the words as he gestured towards a seat before his desk.

"It is my knowledge to give, I may choose who the recipients of it are, is that not my right, Ryder?" The rabbit folded his hands at the desk as he settled back into the large chair.

I felt my heart thump hard in my chest, filling my ears as I clenched my teeth and looked away from his shining eyes. My mind reeled to come to grips with all of this, I was sitting in the room with essentially the second in command of the entire celestial army, only beneath the Grand Commander and the Seraph. Not to mention he was gorgeous, with ivory skin as well as a radiance that seemed to just make him shine with confidence and beauty.

One of the first things we learn as celestials is that we all have a natural grace to us that can straight up enchant a mundane that may be in tune with the supernatural. Love at first sight can be a real danger when we interact with our followers and being creatures of divinity, our raw emotions can sometimes reciprocate that gesture. We've had more than a few stories of celestials falling in love with others when they met, just from the feedback loop that was created. It sounds more complicated than it really is, but suffice to say we fall in love quite easily at times, this is why some of us choose to straight-up close our emotions and kindness off, making us hard like Hagen.

All that being said, I had trouble keeping my eyes off him, he was stunning and his lips looked so soft. But, the worst part was that knowing smile he kept giving me as if he knew right where my mind was and found it endearing.

"So, why not tell me about what upset your commanding officer?" Toroah hummed the words conversationally.

I frowned and shook my head. "I can, but what does that have to do with healing prayers, sir?"

"Sometimes, getting woes off your chest can be very healing indeed. Also, maybe I just like to gossip from time to time, yes?" Toroah cooed the words in a playful tone as he leaned back.

I ended up explaining the situation in detail to him over the next several minutes. Then, before I knew it we had been talking for a few hours, my anxiety of speaking with the rabbit slowly faded until we were talking like just regular guys.

Toroah sighed in relief as the conversation got to a slight lull. "Oh, Ryder, this has been nice. I've not been able to let my hair down and relax with someone in years."

"But your hair's still up in that braid," I quipped back dryly, showing the rabbit a grin.

Toroah snorted out a chuckle at my words and flicked his ears. "This thing is a pain to get put in each day, I half the mind leave it down somedays."

My own ears lifted and I tilted my head. "Huh, I wouldn't mind seeing your hair down like that some time."

"Is that right?" Toroah showed me a surprisingly playful grin as I watched him start to undo the braid in his hair. "Maybe I should braid yours sometime, I wouldn't mind seeing how it looked."

I blinked a few times, watching him undoing his hair for me, feeling my heart thump hard in my ears at the thought of him braiding my hair. It wasn't nearly as long as his, but it did come down to about the middle of my back, as to where the rabbits went all the way to his tail.

"I- I mean I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to," I spoke the words softly, then watched as the rabbit casually ran his fingers through the unbound hair, the strands having taken on a naturally wavy look from being trapped in the braid for several hours.

Toroah gave me a purposeful flourish and turn after standing, his large wings folded against his back, the tips clearly dragging at the ground as he looked over his shoulder at me. "How's that?" He hummed the words, his little fluff of white tail flicking at some of the curled strands, giving me a good look at his backside.

Even through the robes, I could make out his firm-looking rear that pushed out slightly. His back looked strong and broad, and he gave me another knowing smile, seeing I was clearly looking him over with a hunger in my eyes.

"Y-you look great, I think you should wear it down more often." I stammered the words, recognizing the look on his face as acknowledgment I was staring, my blue eyes shifting away as my heart pounded in my chest harder.

"Oh, maybe I will then." The rabbit casually pulled his hair between his wings, then took a seat once more, giving me a smile as he folded his hands on the desk. "This has been nice, Ryder. Can you come to visit with me again tomorrow around this time? We'll even actually get that prayer training in."

My ears sprang up at his offer and I nodded without thinking. "Y-yes sir! Absolutely sir!"

Toroah showed me that dazzling grin again and waved his hand. "You don't have to use that sir stuff when it's just us. Just keep it for outside of the office, understand?"

"Okay, Toroah." I offered the rabbit a smile and looked away awkwardly after our eyes lingered upon one another for a few moments.

"I'll take care of explaining why you didn't get to the apothecary, and I'll take care of that little infraction on your record as well," Toroah spoke in a tone that sounded all business.

I gave him a surprised look and frowned. "Are you sure, si- erm, Toroah?"

"Very sure." He cleared his throat and then gave me a polite nod as he seemed to compose himself. "I'll see you tomorrow, you're dismissed, Knight."

My body responded to the words and I stood before offering him a formal salute. "Thank you, sir!" I turned on my heel and quickly exited the office. Once outside I slumped back against the wall near the door, pushing a hand to my chest as I tried to process everything and calm my heart.

--*--

Bloodstone Fledgling:

The greater council of vampires consider their newly turned as 'fledglings'. The term is regarded as a position but several consider it a derogatory insult as well. It is an ironic term since only the truly powerful of their kind can achieve any sort of flight.

Members are assigned a patron house to stay with for a six-month period of probation if they do not already have one, followed by an evaluation. Evaluation is made by the head of the council, the sponsor homes master, and three other house leaders. If any of the five members find the fledgling unfit, they are summarily executed.

--*--

Later that night I found myself at one of the taverns the knights and cadets regularly frequented when off duty. Calling it 'night' is a stretch, given the celestial realm is bathed in perpetual light, but nonetheless, it was evening, despite looking bright and sunny out.

"How did things go with commander overcompensation?" I asked with a grin towards the lion who now sported a decent shiner on his left eye from the 'reprimand'.

"Bastard ordered me not to heal it, said to keep it as a memento for a few days to remind me not to speak out of turn," Ezekiel growled the words, holding a compress to his face, one of the enchanted ones from the apothecary that would stay cold for days.

He took a pull from his tankard of mead and gave me a frown. "You didn't have to take the infraction, Ry."

"You didn't have to stand up for me." I gave him a nod before taking a sip of the ale I was working on, then continued, "Look, Ezekiel, you're climbing the ranks faster than me for a good reason, you're a natural leader and I'm not. I'll always stick by your side and support you, but don't sacrifice your future for my tail."

The lion snarled and looked away with his one revealed eye. "Ry, you're going to be a fine leader and you're the only reason I even made it through basic training as a knight. You're not just some soldier-buddy to me you-"

"Is this a confession? I thought you weren't into other males, Ezzy?" I cooed the words, showing him my sharp teeth as my tail flicked.

The lion grunted at me and gave me a hard glare. "I'm not! But... I mean I'm not into females either okay? I don't care about relationships and would have to abstain from it anyway if I ended up with the Bishops. Still, you know, if I gave a care about it, it would be with you, ya know? Also, don't call me Ezzy!"

I gave a nod, seeing the mead had gotten him a little more open and talkative, it was his third tankard after all. "I get it, I like both, not sure if it was that way when I was mundane. Either way, I get it and I feel the same. We don't need to be rolling around in the sheets to have one another's backs, and I'll always have yours." With a cocky little grin, I lifted my fist.

The lion knocked the back of his fist with mine and gave a growl that almost sounded like it had a purr mingled in, then lifted his slightly drooped ears. "Hey, how did the apothecary go? Did you talk to that cute fox in there? I know you've been eying her tail for a while now."

With a frown, I looked down at my own tankard and coughed out awkwardly. "Ah, I didn't uhm... I didn't make it to the apothecary."

"You what?!" Ezekiel clenched his teeth and gave me a hard look. "Ry! You can't just disobey orders like that, do you have any idea what Commander sod-for-brains is going to do to you?"

I couldn't help but feel a smile at the corners of my mouth. "Ah, well... Given I was in a meeting with his superior, I think I'll be alright."

Ezekiel had started to take another drink of mead and nearly spit it out before forcing it down and snarling out in a low whisper. "His superior? Ryder, what in the gods' names were you doing in Toroah's office?!"

Rubbing the back of my head I thought back on it and shook my head. "I'm not sure... at first he said he was going to show me the curative prayers and a special way only he and a few others could do it, but then we just sort of started talking."

"Talking? You and the High Commander of the entire celestial army, just started... talking?" The lion cocked a brow at me, looking dumbfounded at the words.

"W-well yeah! We just talked about nonsensical things, you know like you and I do. Girls, drinks, and our hair." I gave a toothy smile as I shrugged.

Ezekiel snorted out and glanced over his shoulder at his own fluffy locks of hair. "I don't think you and I have ever talked about our hair, Ry. So, you learned some new healing powers or something?"

I shook my head. "We kind of lost track of time talking, he told me to come back tomorrow and he'd show me." Leaning in I whispered out to the lion softly, "He even said he'd take care of the demerit on my record. He also said he'd talk to sod-for-brains about his attitude towards us and the rest of the knights."

He blinked his blue eyes wide at my words and hissed out under his breath. "Ry! You don't just go spilling info like that, imagine what the-"

"He didn't give me a choice, it was almost like he was in my head." I snapped back with my own growl.

"Higher-ups can sense our emotions, but they can't read our thoughts," Ezekiel grumbled back as he leaned away to take another pull from his drink.

"I know that, but he just seemed to know. Maybe he heard the commotion before we even bumped into one another. He is a rabbit after all, those ears aren't just for show."

"Sure, but if that's the case, every fox, wolf, and other canine in the vicinity would have heard it. I'm pretty sure the commander's offices are enchanted to shield sounds."

"I don't know, but that's where it is. I can't do anything about it now, Ezzy." I gave him a playful grin at the nickname.

"Mmph... I told you to lay off that name, Ryder." He snarled and I saw his eyes were slightly out of focus from all the mead.

"Yeah yeah, C'mon, I'll walk you back to your quarters before it starts to get to you, I think you've had enough." I finished the last of my ale, the only tankard I had put away tonight. The lion growled his protest but downed the last of his drink, doing that thing where someone stands up trying to look normal from too much drink, then wobbling slightly.

I moved to him and tucked my head under his arm, letting him lean against me as I grinned, his scent feral but familiar and comfortable, now mixed with the smell of the honeyed alcohol. "Let's go big guy, I'll drop by the apothecary and get you something preemptively for that hangover you're going to be sporting tomorrow."

"I'll be fine, I don't need... your help to walk, Ry." He huffed out but didn't resist as I gave the tavern keeper a nod while walking him out the door.

The barracks were only a few blocks away and the lion was still stable enough to mostly walk, but there had been nights I practically carried him on my back, so this wasn't so bad. Getting him into his quarters I let him flop in bed, then gave a snort through my nose as I rolled him over onto his side. "Don't sleep on your back."

"Don't boss me around, fourth!" He snarled back but already had his eyes closed.

"Yes, sir." I drolled the response out playfully as I tugged his boots off then stood to exit his room.

"Hey, Ry?" He growled out and I looked back at him with a smile, seeing him looking at me out of his one blacked eye.

"What is it?" I called out in a gentle voice.

"I love you man, you're like my brother. If I ever start liking males, you and me versus the world, got it?" He slurred the words and I rolled my eyes.

"Get some sleep, Ezzy. I'll see you in the morning." I slipped out of his room, pulling the door to, and smiling at the words. It wasn't the first time he had said such a thing when into his mead, so I didn't hold it against him.

It was late, but there was always at least one healer at the apothecary at all times, so I made my way there to get something for the lion's morning after issues he would no doubt have. Walking in from the archway I could smell how clean and sanitized the area was, but it also made her own scent stand out all the more since there was nothing competing with it.

The fox no doubt smelled me as well, her dark brown ears lifting as she sorted some linens with her back to the entryway. "Ryder, I can smell the ale on you, been out drinking with Ezekiel again?" She called out in an almost amused voice, her large tail wagging, showing she was happy to see me.

"I only had one tankard, you know I'm not a heavy drinker, Rachel," I called back and folded my arms, poking my nose up slightly as I straightened my back, showing my own thick black tail as it lazily swayed, trying to look more impressive for the vixen I'd been fancying for years now.

She closed the hamper doors and turned to me, her eyes shining in the light, thanks to the glass skylights that dotted the apothecary, giving it constant optimal lighting. I could see the flecks of gold that danced in her blue eyes and watched her give me a gentle smile. "It's good to see you, is Ezekiel in need of something for his drinking again?"

I showed her a smile and simply tapped my finger on my nose in response to the question. She gave an amused roll of her eyes before turning to move over to the shelving that had various potions and ointments on it, all meticulously labeled for easy access. As she reached to a higher shelf, I could see she was barefoot under the flowing robes she wore, catching just the faintest glimpse of her ankles, the robes briefly showing the curves of her hips.

"Tut... I'm almost out of ginger, I'll need to put in a request for more." She sighed as she brought down a small wooden jug, looking down into it after removing the lid.

"Sorry for the trouble." I gave an appreciative bow as my ears folded.

She showed her slightly sharp teeth in a grin, her tail flicking a little harder as she took down an empty bottle, filled it, then corked it tightly. "It's not your fault he loves his drink so much." Rachel hummed the words and brought the small vial of tonic over to me, placing it right in my palms, her fingertips lingering before pulling away.

My heart began to beat hard again like it did when I was with Toroah earlier, but then again, Rachel had always done that to me. I had known her since initiation, and while Ezekiel said I had a better sword arm than him, Rachel simply became one with the blade, seeming to dance with it, and when she did I always found myself entranced by her, not that she didn't do that to me already as well.

She stared at me for a long moment, her eyes faintly shifting to gold before she averted them and gave an awkward huff, her cheeks looking darker. "Was... there anything else, Ryder?"

"Well, when are you going to join me for that drink?" I barked out playfully, pocketing the tonic as she glanced back up at me. She was a little shorter than me, but as far as foxes go, she had more height than most females.

"Y-You know the commander doesn't allow in-unit fraternizing, Ryder." She folded her ears and glanced away once more, looking small and almost annoyed as she spat the words out.

"Yeah, he's a real piece of work, that's for sure." I sighed and rubbed at the back of my head. We both grew silent for a few moments and I huffed out before averting my gaze. "Sorry..."

"Don't be. I want to, I do, Ryder. I just... we both have our positions to think about, right?" She frowned and looked up at me, her drooped tail wagging slightly.

"Positions... right..." I huffed as I stared into her eyes, biting my lower lip. My brain wasn't on any positions but ones I could share with her, and she knew it, being a seer and all.

Rachel grit her teeth, her eyes flaring gold, reading through me instantly and jerking her head away with a huff. "Ryder! Don't think of me in such ways! Gods... that's so embarrassing!"

I barked at her words and bowed my head. "I'm sorry! I- I didn't mean to, I just... You know I like you, Rachel, you're so pretty, and such a good fighter, plus so kind and-"

"That's enough!" She barked out in a tone of command and I snapped my jaws shut. She was a second and had full authority to levy a command against me if she chose to do so.

She frowned and stepped closer, leaning in and brushing her lips to mine, giving me just a quick peck of a kiss. It was a token of affection we had shared a few times over the years, a bandage if you will, to show our feelings even though we couldn't act upon them. I tried to kiss her back but she pulled away, taking a step away before shaking her head.

"You smell like you're in a rut, Ryder. You always do when you drink and you get more... eager, as it were." She sighed out and put a hand to her chest, and I could see the faint show of her breasts in the robe from the motion.

"I'm sorry, you know I really like you though, I couldn't help it." I bowed again and turned on my heel, not wanting to cause her any more grief.

"You know very well that I enjoy your company too, but we both have duties and obligations to consider. Were it different..." She shook her head as I looked back at her over my shoulder. I watched the vixen compose herself before giving me a nod. "Tell Ezekiel I hope he feels better."

"Thanks Rachel, I'll be seeing you." I huffed the words out, not bothering to hide my frustration or depression over the rejection, a moment of sulking I felt the need to revel in. The vixen gave me a frown at the words, but snapped her wings together before offering a quick bow, then returned to her linens.

I gave a frustrated growl as I walked back to my quarters, wishing I could draw a cold bath. I and Rachel had been dealing with this issue for years, but it seemed all the worse tonight, what with the sexual tension I got from Toroah earlier.

Popping the vial of tonic onto my bed stand, I collapsed into my own blankets, I'd just bring the medicine to Ezekiel in the morning. My tail smacked the fluffy down bedding in agitation while I kicked my own boots off, letting them hit the wall before flopping over onto my belly, growling into my pillows. All I could think about was that damn rabbit and the quick kiss I got from Rachel. Did she really think it was enough? I was grateful for the token of endearment but I was also sick of not getting more.

I shook my head, growling at my own line of thoughts, she was a good fox, and I was lucky to even get that, given it was still enough to land us both into hot water with the commander. With a snarl I pushed the self-pity out of my head, making a note to apologize to her tomorrow for being so childish, and tried to find some sleep.

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