Felix was shaking. Who had done that to the incubus? Who had cursed him like that...? He couldn't imagine anyone deserving a kind of torture that they'd have to live with all their life. They wouldn't even be welcome back to their clan... They'd be shunned and forced to live with a death-like pain in their chest forever, be restless in their inability to breathe, to run, to even act out their nature. He breathed out as the feeling faded, crawling up and out of the back of the cart and settling beside Darren. But now that he was in a more public area, he wrapped his tail around his waist and pulled his shirt down over it.

"Um... thanks." He muttered, staring at the ground nearby as the cart kicked off again, returning to the road. His hatred of Darren had ebbed quite a bit, but he still felt a bit of resentment toward the man. Especially for ambushing him then pushing him into situations he hadn't necessarily asked for. Regardless of how he'd responded, Felix still felt a bit... violated, though that feeling wasn't as strong as it should have been. He brushed that off to his nature, though.

Darren shifted to the side to give the other man just a bit more room. He didn't want to sit too close, even though he did... The spy had to fight himself, his wants to lean up against Felix. There was already more then enough in the past to make the incubus dislike him, there was no need to add anything else to the list.

"Don't think too much of it." The road swerved, veering towards the town. It came into sight, a well sized village with people bustling about. Soon they had arrived near the market, and the spy jumped from his seat to tie the horse and cart to a conveniently placed post. He murmured a few words, touching markings upon the cart and beads upon the horse's bridle. He couldn't feel if the spells to prevent thievery had activated or not, though he knew that they did indeed work.

As the cart pulled to a stop around the market in this relatively-sized village, Felix slid off the seat and stumbled a bit, quickly regaining his footing but feeling like a fool anyway. People glanced his way, and he sighed, looking back at the cart and feeling like he would rather crawl back up into the quiet darkness instead of bother with people. It had only been about two days and yet his eyes were automatically scanning the crowd, darkly taking in the essence of any strong-looking man that neared him. He avoided eye contact at this time---should he have met anyone's eyes they would immediately have become drawn toward him. Felix had no idea what that first feeling was, but he had to assume it was an overwhelming and unavoidable curiosity that grew even as the human approached the demon.

He didn't need that. So Felix glared at the ground, keeping close to Darren should he accidentally wander a little too far away for the spy's liking.

The spy glanced at Felix, making sure that the other man stayed near. The marketplace seemed dangerously crowded now, as if anyone could simply waltz over to draw his attention away. Shaking his head, Darren scanned the throngs of people and the stalls to try and find what it was they needed. He veered towards a table covered with parchment, scrolls, ink bottles and quills.

"Take your pick." He felt a tug at his belt, but reached out quickly to smack the questing fingers. A slight figure slipped away, crouching down and looking fearful. Though the place was small, thievery still took place. It was good then, that Darren had taken the precaution to stash money in different places upon his person, so he would always have coin.

Felix followed with his eyes turned down relatively enough, just slightly so that he could see where he was going and not have to be led about like a child with an impatient parent. He felt people brush by in the crowd, and gritted his teeth. Damn his demon blood... He silently cursed it as he walked close to Darren, and stopped when he did. A stall fit for a scribe, full of writing material. Biting his lip, Felix stepped forward and studied everything. Quail feathers for those especially tiny, delicate lines. Griffon feathers, thick and hardy but easy to grind down to fit the writer's needs. But rare as well, as griffons resided in high altitude places and rarely drifted downward. Papers made of plant fibers, others made of pressed corn husks, and thick papers made of cotton or animal hide. Inks made of exceptionally high-profile substances, some that were eked out of those trees in certain ugly parts of the forests, trees that looked dead but were full of the stuff, and more than alive---they would protect their assets with swinging branches and roots. Some ink mixed with oil, which took ages to dry. Other inks made of water and dyes---those spread too much, though, for someone that needed extremely precise lines.

So Felix took a multitude of each expensive item. If Darren wanted precision copies, he would have to pay the price, and the price was quite high for hide parchment and cotton paper, Tree-Soul ink, and griffon quills. A few sharpening stones for the quills, a blotter for too much ink, a pair of goggles that he had once, but were also probably cracked, melted, and buried in ash at this moment. Everything was placed into a large sling, separated by cloth, the glass ink bottles placed in individual baggies so they wouldn't shatter over each other. Felix glanced Darren's way, holding the sling tightly---but not too tightly.

He watched as each thing was placed carefully into the bag. There was no need to worry about the price of anything. Darren wasn't even really paying for any of the supplies, the king was. He'd been given more gold then he could ever have spent, and now he handed some of the coins to the man standing behind the stall with an expectant look upon his face.

Now that this part of their errand was over, Darren reached out to tug at Felix's arm and guided him towards the food stalls. He bought flour, sugar, and other things they would need to cook. Vegetables on the other hand, he left alone. There was a garden at the cottage, one he'd worked on for a while. It had always been his safe haven in a way, but now he had to bring another there.

Felix followed with a slight stumble, not quite used to this ground in this particular area. He hadn't been out this far before, since people usually came to him from all over so he didn't have to bother with that. His arms held a little tighter to the bundle in them, and his eyes glared off anyone that got a bit too close to him. Darren's hand was exceptionally strong on his arm, as he was pulled this way or that, to food stalls he couldn't help but study hard. He did enjoy human foods, but it saved money since he didn't have to eat on a regular human basis.

Glancing around a bit, Felix spied a clothing stall. It was far larger than a lot of the other open areas, though not quite as much as the train of food stalls that catered to even exotic tastes. He just wanted to get there and get out... Being around so much human energy was far too exciting for him... Felix shivered, staring hard at the ground.

Green eyes lifted and followed Felix's gaze. There was an abundance of cloth, hanging from the awning of the stall. A few glints of metal thread, rare and beautiful, flashed under the sun's light. Such things were too fine for a spy such as Darren, but perhaps it would suit Felix. He shook his head at the thought, sending strands of auburn hair across his eyes, over his cheeks.

"Come on." Once more, the spy used his strong fingers to guide the other man towards their destination. Darren released the pale haired incubus, only to beckon the stall owner near.

A young woman approached. There was an assessing, measuring, air to her features as she regarded the two men. "How may I help you gentlemen?"

"My friend would like some new clothing, most travel worthy, but I do wonder if one of these might not be fitted to him as well? We may have the need to attend more important affairs in the future." He had lifted a hand to tug at one of the very expensive, metal threaded, creations.

((She's an NPC character)

More... important affairs? What did that mean? Felix had thought he was more of a prisoner and not able to go around as he pleased. Indeed, it seemed that way while Darren had one hand grasped very tightly around his thin arm. What high-class affairs would he be needing elegant clothes for, anyway? Especially one metal threaded, silk, satin, or anything else along those lines? The young woman suddenly brightened at the prospect of selling one or two of the most expensive items she had. "Of course!" She said lightly, yet with an air of dedication and professionalism that had people coming by each day, mostly looking for durable clothing. "Let me take some measurements and I'll tailor some clothing to fit!"

Felix set his bag of writing equipment down and was pulled into the floor's center where Darren could still see him. The shop's owner, who quickly introduced herself as Selene, took out a measuring roll and instructed Felix to raise his shirt enough so she could get an accurate measurement of his waist, then chest, and then began running the numbers against the length of his arms and legs. Felix kept his eyes closed and tried to desensitize himself entirely, and was entirely too glad when she stood up straight with the numbers repeated on her breath and didn't see his tail at all. Or at least didn't mention it if she did. "So do you have any preferences for... color? Style? I've got quite a few articles already made that I can change up for you."

"Uhm, n-no, I... I don't have any..." Felix glanced back toward Darren. "Well, if you have anything red..." Red was a bright color, and he did like the color. It wasn't terribly often he wore red, though, and felt like he could change that up a bit, if he didn't have to pay for it.

He watched the seamstress measure Felix with more then just a hint of hunger in his dark green eyes, and a fair amount of amusement. It must have been pure torture for one such as the scribe ... Such a sight was an interesting one, and exciting kind of curiosity which the spy attributed somewhat to his profession. He'd gotten so used to watching others at every moment in their lives, it was no wonder he found watching Felix's discomfort to be ... enticing.

At the mention of red, his eyes brightened a wicked smile appeared on his lips. "Oh I think it would suit you, such a passionate color." And it would make the other man's pale hair and skin simply shine. Darren watched the seamstress, Selene, nod and walk away for a few moments to gather the clothing she would need to tailor to Felix's form.

"You might never have the need to wear such fine clothing, but ... I hope you will accept such things all the same." Clothing. He was trying to apologize for what he had done with such petty things. Darren had to stifle the self-deprecating laughter he wanted to let fly at such an absurd thought. There was nothing he could do to change things between him and the other man, save only to make the situation worse.

Felix stared at Darren for a moment. What was he trying to do? Trying to garner positive feelings...? It seemed like a pretty transparent attempt, though, so he just shook his head and accepted it with a faint nod. He'd chosen red, though, for just that purpose, though Felix had tried to peg it to his not wearing he color often. Perhaps he thought it would tease the human more. As an incubus he could easily hook anyone on him with the right look, the right word, the right disposition. He'd just bottled that up until it was absolutely necessary. It was almost... enticing to bring out that side of him again. But it felt too worrisome. Like he'd lose control. Again.

Instead, Felix glanced back toward Selene and hesitated. "Um, hey... If you would, could you leave the shoulders and chest, and arms a little... loose? It, ah, feels a little too constricting when it's snug..."

"Of course." Selene went back to a paper and scratched something down. Felix sighed, and looked for a seat, finding a stool and curling up on it. He felt a bit weak. An odd type of weak that didn't make it hard to stand, but made it hard to focus, to discern what was happening. And took away from his strength. Hopefully this wouldn't take too long.

Darren watched the woman scratching things upon paper, and then walking away with it to find the clothing he and Felix had requested. A glance Felix's way had the spy frowning, concern flitting across his features before being shut away quickly before anyone could see. He moved, standing behind the pale haired man, and wrapped a hand over one of Felix's shoulders. He squeezed gently, fingers wrapping around the soft skin as he tried to find which words would be the right ones to use, without revealing his worry.

"If you're feeling ill, best tell me now so it can be taken care of here. It wouldn't reflect well on me if you weren't able to do your work, Felix." The woman returned carrying a bundle of clothing in her arms, including an elegant suit of a red so dark it seemed like blood, with golden threads running across the hem and sleeves of the coat. It was dazzling and it would suit Felix so well. Darren forced himself to release his hold on Felix, and returned to his former spot, leaning against a sturdy table to watch the proceedings unfold.

Felix glared at the floor between his feet, and almost audibly gasped when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Strong. So much energy behind that human skin, in his soul. So much energy, surely... he could spare a bit. His mouth watered almost uncontrollably, until he swallowed hard and shook his head. "N-no." He muttered, looking up at Selene as she reappeared with an armful of cloth and clothing. She certainly worked quickly. He lowered his voice so only Darren could hear. "I... I'm not sick, I... just..." He sighed, not looking at the human. "Nothing." Felix had lost quite a bit of muscle these past few days. Usually when it got just close to overwhelming he'd crumble, and go out to find someone he wouldn't kill. Luckily they would forget what they saw when they woke the next morning.

Now, for some reason, he was feeling that. That gnawing ache in his chest and stomach, like he hadn't eaten in ten days. But it had only been three, hadn't it? He'd counted the moon's rises each morning, surely... But now that Darren was so close, he seemed to simply... radiate energy. Too much energy. It had Felix staring pointedly at Selene to keep his head on right, until Darren backed away. But that lack of physical energy had Felix feeling as if the temperature had dropped sharply. Like an early winter had set in.

Something was wrong. Darren frowned as he watched Selene beginning to fuss over Felix, holding up cloth and then shaking her head, then pulling up another until she was satisfied. Then it came time for her to put clothing upon the incubus' slender form. All the while the spy fretted and worried silently, though it showed only in how tightly his fingers dug into his own crossed arms.

This probably had something to do with what Felix had spoken of earlier, with his feedings and needing energy and how he reacted to not having enough. They would need to leave soon, before things got any worse. Darren sighed as he thought of the unpleasant fact that in all probability he would have to capture someone for Felix to drain dry, and that if the person wasn't a criminal .. Oh how the incubus would blame himself! So he would need to make certain that the person he brought deserved an execution. Already, Darren's eyes were roving over the people in the market, searching for prey that fit the criteria.

No doubt Selene was accustomed to seeing people in fewer clothes than normal, but was glad when she only asked him to try the shirt on specifically. He did so, standing as she requested and draping the tailored items over him. They were loose in the chest and arms, and hung very slightly off the shoulders. And though Selene looked disapprovingly at him, Felix assured her they were more than acceptable, and would take at least one like this, though the others could be set specifically to his form. She simply held the pants up and, rather roughly, contested them against the ones he already wore. Her perceptive eyes studied him with quiet assessment as she took the other clothes from him, then went back to her workbench and leaned over the cloth again.

Felix slowly pulled his old shirt back over his had, and looked around to Darren. He was staring very hard at the people outside the shop, with an assassin's watch. What was he doing...? It seemed stupid to ask around so many people, though. Dangerous.

Darren's attention only turned back to Felix and Selene once the seamstress had finished her task.

"And who will be paying, sirs?" She looked questioningly from one to the other after naming the price. Wordlessly, Darren thrust a bag of coins forth. Now that the payment was done, he grabbed some of the clothing and all the bags of food he had bought. He expected Felix to follow as he made his way back to the cart with their purchases, or most of them at least. He couldn't wait to get to the cottage, only to leave at night.

Once he and Felix were alone, on their way, Darren finally spoke. "You need to feed, don't you?" He wanted to be the one to offer himself for such a thing, but Felix was so adamant in his refusal that Darren failed to make the suggestion. "I can quite easily find someone who suits your criteria within the town..." It would be easy for one such as he.

Felix was overwhelmingly glad to grab the other bags and be gone from the overabundance of energy and life buzzing around them. He set the bags into the carriage itself and clambered weakly up onto the edge of the carriage, putting a little space between himself and Darren. There was no way he'd be able to handle any form of physical touch right now. Not until he was alone and able to calm down. Not long after they were back on the road, Darren spoke, and the words sent a shard of ice into his chest. "N-no, Darren... I... can go a couple more days. It's only been a few days, I think... I can go at least seven..." But it felt like six days had passed. There was no way he had worked through multiple nights without realizing it... Right? No, no, he couldn't have. Couldn't have gone that long. Surely it would have made his hands freeze up dreadfully. His eyes water and strain after long enough.

He was just dreading it. Dreading it all. What if Darren brought back someone that didn't do anything to deserve death of any kind? What if he just lied about the origin of his captor? Calling him a thief or killer just because it would set Felix's mind at ease? If he could snatch Felix so easily, surely he could do much more. Surely he'd killed before. No, no doubt he had.

The spy's hands tightened around the reins as surprise, pleasure, flashed through him like a flash fire. It overwhelmed Darren's worry for a few moments. He even smiled a little, a quick quirk of his lips, at the thought that Felix had finally said his name. Despite the situation he felt glad. But that did nothing to help Felix, the warm emotion so unfamiliar to the assassin.

"You don't seem so certain, and I would rather," I would rather you fed on me. He shook his head slightly to stop the words from leaving his lips. "I would rather make sure you are well fed and healthy." Darren's eyes darted to Felix. He reached out to brush dirt away from the other man's sleeve, and let his fingers linger over the skin for a moment.

He wanted to be taken, to be touched by someone willing. That never happened without money being exchanged... It had been so long. The spy turned back to the road, to paying attention to the less frequented paths he now guided the horse over with care. The carriage bumped and rattled from time to time, pushing and pulling apart the two men as they traveled towards the safety of the cottage, far from civilization and hidden from all eyes save those approaching it from the ground, with the knowledge of where to find it.

Quickly, without realizing it, he snatched his hands back and clasped them in front of his stomach, doubling over to hide them. The human's energy had hit him like a shot, a slap of lightning that surged through his heart and sped it up to ridiculous movement. He hated to admit it. Hated to admit that Darren was right. If he couldn't focus or keep his hand steady, what good would he be? He'd be expendable... He'd be useless. Darren would have to get rid of him but make sure Felix couldn't breathe a word to anyone. He might collar him like the incubus that had passed their carriage some hours ago. He breathed out shakily, and nodded, though it was hesitant, and looked up to where they were going.

"I... okay, okay, fine... I get it... But you could... make sure he's a thief or something... I just... I don't want to kill someone..." He didn't want to kill them at all, but if he didn't, Darren probably would. They'd have to be killed, and as long as they deserved to be out of everyone's life, some little fool that felt he could take from others or harm others without any repercussions. Then at least Felix wouldn't feel so damn... guilty.

They arrived at the clearing. It was big enough for paddock and stables, and was covered with grass, save for a cleared area before the cottage. Before hopping down from the carriage, the spy leaned his head to the side and twisted around. His hands shot out to grab hold of the other man.

Slowly, Darren leaned forward to press his lips against Felix's. He told himself it was all for the sake of making sure the documents would be completed, but it was more to satisfy his curiosity then anything else. There was something more indeed, but it lay so buried that it hadn't yet reared its head. After a few moments the auburn haired man pulled back with a somewhat dazed expression. He couldn't really be sure why he'd done it ...

"I'll find someone for you, someone you won't have to feel guilty about, I promise."

Felix gasped, trying to pull his hand away but immediately freezing when the human acted. Why did he have to do that? Felix's gaze was blurring, creating waves in the air like a mirage that was just starting to fade from the eyes of the one hallucinating. It wasn't a mirage, though, not to him---it was his own power sensing the energy of the human and reacting appropriately. Felix pulled back quickly, though, shielding his eyes and breathing quickly, as if he'd run a mile and was terribly short of breath. The moment his legs stopped shaking and feeling as if they were full of gel, he jumped to the ground and stumbled to the back of the carriage, putting distance between himself and Darren as he grabbed the bags.

"Uhm, y-you might... m-might want to g-go now. I won't run off. I..." He paused to catch his breath. It felt as if Darren had stolen half his life in that second and wasn't giving it back. When he left, though, it would be easier to handle. "I... I'll s-start on my work..." He pulled all the bags into his arms and set them on the grass to rearrange them, so that his writing material wouldn't crack, break, or crumple.

He didn't bother unpacking anything from the carriage. Instead, Darren simply unhitched the horse and plucked a saddle from near the seat. Once the spy had cinched the leather around the horse, he clambered up and began to guide the stallion back the way they had come. There was a sense of urgency driving him, one that didn't seem quite like his own.

Once at the market, he slipped from the horse after hiding it and crept forward stealthily. He climbed to the top of one of the buildings and simply watched. He dismissed a lot of the petty thefts he saw, the usua kind of mean anger, but oh the moment he saw a man beginning to drag and unwilling girl away, he leaped into action and knocked him squarely on the head. As the girl ran, he slipped one of the man's arms over his shoulders. Darren made believe the man was a drunk, and wandered away that way with no one the wiser.

The trip back seemed like it took forever.

Felix sidled into the cottage and looked around. It was larger than his, and in a way, he felt jealous. Well, he might as well feel jealous rather than some sick wanting for Darren that shouldn't be there at all. The spy was just toying with his obvious emotional instability, no doubt. Seeing just how far he could push Felix until the incubus broke. But at least now, he could untie his tail from around his waist and let it go free. Now he was more curious, though, and took the bags he'd grabbed to one of the doors down a hallway away from the den and kitchen in through a left doorway. The second one he came to had a single bed and a desk, and Felix assumed it was supposed to be his. Sighing, he set his writing bag on the desk and unpacked everything. There were a few drawers on either side of the desk and he opened all of them. In the top drawers he put the paper and scrolls and ties he would use to tie the papers shut. In the middle drawers he placed the quills, based on size, and in the bottom he placed the inks.

Focusing on his craft took his mind off the present situation, but soon enough he had only managed to finish one character. The ink, at least, spread evenly and didn't blot at random intervals. And the griffon quills were much more useful than the weak peasant quills. After forcing his way through one more character, he slammed the quill down and blew out most of the candles, forcing himself to stand and wander the cottage.

He lugged the groggy man into the cottage, leaving the horse to roam as it willed. It would come back if Darren whistled.
"Felix! I kidnapped a kidnapper!" He found the irony of it so amusing, he couldn't help but laugh as he dropped the man to the floor and turned to lock the cottage door. Darren smiled slightly and kicked the man down when he tried to rise. He ended up standing with his foot permanently on the brute's back as he waited.

Brute wasn't quite the right word. The man was nearly handsome with rugged features, but they were bloated by alcohol and dirt. He felt bad for the fact that Felix wold have to deal with such a stench.

Felix had wandered into the kitchen and was swirling his hand lightly in a bit of standing water in the wash basin when he heard something. A thud, and another thud, and a human sound. Darren was back, and not alone. He lunged into the other room. A kidnapper? Those were low, filthy little creatures, he wouldn't mind a kidnapper. And especially not this one. An obvious scent of stale beer wafted off his clothes and his hair was a bit dirty, though he'd crawled about for much lesser individuals. He waved Darren's foot away and quickly pulled the man to his feet, supporting him with a hand grasped the front of his shirt. "Ironic." He said in a drifting manner. Now he didn't care that Darren was around. His focus was on this stranger. A kidnapper. His eyes were focused hard, boring into those bloodshot ones that grew a little brighter with some strange form of understanding. Like he knew what was going to happen but couldn't quite find the will to do anything about it.

Felix smiled though. He felt a hand on his shoulder and took it as a cue to move back, which he did, and the would-be kidnapper followed obsessively. "Darren... I'd rather you not follow..." What if the human opened the door at a most unfortunate time? At a certain point Felix wouldn't be able to control himself anymore, and he'd have nature take its course. He wouldn't even remember most of it. But he couldn't stop now to make sure Darren understood---he pushed the man, directing him down the hall and through his door, closing it and pushing the desk chair up under the door knob. His vision was waving again, but this time it grew even stronger as Felix didn't force his nature back.