~~All Because of a Leather Jacket~~ [[garm]]

[Rune Delacroix]

Tearing apart his apartment, Rune ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He was all ready to go to work, wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, a black t-shirt, he had a black piercing in his ear tonight. He did a turn around. "Where...is..IT!?" Rune kicked some clothing out of the way and let out a breath. He was running late, so he ran down his stairs and walked down to work.

Once he was at work, he promptly tore through the back office. It wasn't anywhere. His leather jacket was no where. Rune ran both hands through his already messed up hair and leaned on the desk. Think, Rune....think...where did you last leave it... Rune took a couple deep breaths thinking...oh yeah...he had crashed at Garms place the other night. He blinked, remembering, then cursed. How could he just leave it somewhere like that?!

Rune took a deep breath, picking up the phone and dialing Garms number. When he heard Garms voice on the line he immediately started talking. "Garm, I left my leather jacket there. Can you please bring it to work?! Please! It is important! Its like a lucky charm for me! Please Garm, I'm begging you!" Rune then heard a voice yelling, getting closer. It was his boss..the big kohona..he looked around. "I gotta go, but please bring it tonight thanks! Your awesome, man!" Rune hung up the phone, quickly moving behind the bar and getting to work.

Some time later, Rune was making a couple of drinks at one end of the bar when suddenly one of the staff came up, whispering to him something about a problem, and pointing at the other end of the bar. Rune blinked. What was the problem now?

[Garm]

Night had ascended upon the earth by the time New Orlando's fiercest resident hellhound rose out of his lair. Today had be a rather peaceful and slow day. After rising early in the morning to tend to his creatures and do his regular chores the hellhound had chosen to go back to rest for awhile. He had not meant to sleep for as long as he did but he couldn't help it. This was what happened when one spent all night till the wee hours of the morning up. Garm was a creature of the night which he was fond of claiming so whenever asked. But he didn't stay up all night. Depending on what he wanted to do for the night he would eventually come home and sleep before dawn came. Who would have thought he would spend the whole night entertaining a guest? It had been a month since Garm had met a shapeshifter named Rune on one of his nightly hunting trips. The young hound had not thought that he would see the feline again after he saved the cats life. But like most of the animals Garm had ever met Rune came back around.

The two got along much to Garm's surprise. It was funny to think that someone like him could be surprised by anything. This mighty beast was after all a friend to most animals. But Rune was different. The man was a cat at heart but he was still not fully a cat. That never seemed to get in the way of things though. It was nice to have the shapeshifter around every once in awhile just to break the tedium of the hellhound's daily life. At worse having extra company over kept him up longer than he would have wanted but it was a price he didn't mind paying. With a hearty yawn Garm got out of bed when the phone rang. “Hello?” almost immediately after he spoke Garm heard Rune's frantic voice over the other side. It took a minute for the hellhound to register what the shifter was saying to him. “Your jacket? Yeah you left it here last night. I was planning to bring it to you when your shift was done.” That had been his plan but it seemed that Rune had other ideas. “Are you sure you need it now?”

There was a hint of hesitation in the hound's voice before he caught himself. There was a reason that Garn wanted to wait until after Rune's job ended for the night to return the man's beloved jacket to him. But the urgency in the shifter's voice made him falter. He knew the jacket meant a lot to the cat but was it worth distrupting the man's business to bring it to him? Before he could persuade Rune to be patient Rune had t leave. With a heavy sigh Garm put the phone down. A tiny squeak caught the man's attention. Garm turned his gaze at Vishnu who had hopped onto his bed to easedrop on their conversation. “Do not look at me like that.” he scowled at the tiny creature. “It's too late to explain now...It wouldn't hurt too badly if I just pay a quick visit and drop off the jacket.” He said, more so to himself than to reassure his minion. It wasn't like he was worried about what kind of reactions he would get in such a small public place, but he couldn't deny that things would get a bit uncomfortable once he got there. He would have to suck it up and just get this over with. Garm after all was a hellhound. It shouldn't matter what the foolish mortals around him were going to act once they saw him.

With a heavy sigh the man got dressed, fixed up his hair, and grabbed Rune's jacket. “Devas.” he called his four loyal minions to him when he was ready to go. “I will be visiting our feline friend at his place of business. My trip will be brief but you are welcome to accompany me if you wish.” He didn't need to wait long for the devas to respond back. The little hamsters quickly crawled up on their master and took their respective spots within his clothes before he headed out the door. It did not take the man long to make it to his destination. The Wandering Mule was packed tonight. It was not much of a surprise since it was a saturday night, but just looking at the crowds of people within caused the hound to hesitate at the door. He did not like this. Not one bit. But he had come too far to turn back now.

Steadying himself Garm stepped through the door inside the bar. The effect of his presence was almost immediate. Silence fell momentarily the moment he stepped inside. He could already see the wary looks on the patrons faces when he came inside. Ignore them. he told himself. The humans did not matter. He was only here for Rune so why should he care what the pathetic drunken mortals here thought about him? Garm kept his head high and his gaze straight ahead as he moved further inside the building. The thick dark aura that surrounded him helped clear a path as he made his way further in the back. The second that a human came too close to him they would curse and move away. The more cowardly ones he could hear them bolting for the door. He needed to get out of here fast before he caused anymore chaos by his presence. Eventually he made it to the bar. The beast's dark gaze went over the other bartenders and their patrons before they settled down on a familiar face.

“There you are.” Garm walked over to Rune's corner. An older looking human that was sitting nearby jumped the second that the hellhound had came too close, spilling his drink before bolting from his seat. Garm watched the man run with distaste. This was why he did not want to come here. “I've brought your jacket.” An awkward moment of silence passed, he wanted to keep things civil but it was hard to act like everything was fine with the chaos surrounding him. “You might want to clean up the counter a bit so it doesn't get dirty....sorry.”

[Rune Delacroix]

Right when Rune was about to go handle the problem, he turned and saw Garm walk in. He barely took note of the people fleeing from Garm's proximity. He nearly jumped across the bar and kissed the man when he handed him the leather jacket. He put it on, rolled his shoulders and sighed. "You are a lifesaver, man!" He had a rag out, wiping up the mess and discarding of the glass quickly and smiled at Garm. "Now..>I know you are only 18 or whatever but have a drink, on me." Rune winked, mixing up a rum and coke, light on the rum, and handed it to Garm. "No worries, I barely poured anything in ther, its basically a soda."

Rune wiped down the bar, moving down and making people their drinks, mostly girls batting their eyelashes at him. He took no notice as he continued working. He had his eyes down, making a drink that was called out to him. When he went over to the sound of the voice, there was a guy there who looked almost like an older version of Loki. He had the same pretty boy face of Loki, and Rune fumbled the drink on the bar, breaking the glass.

He frowned and shook his head. "Oh..I am sorry man, let me clean this up and the drink is on the house." He quickly cleaned the glass off and mopped up the spilled drink, making another one, setting it down, and running to the back as fast as he could go. He felt his breath come short. The guy was hot. Rune felt his face turn red and went out to the bar, ignoring Garm's questioning look, pouring himself a shot and downing it quickly. His face was red, but he felt his heart stop pounding so hard.

Rune took a breath, glancing at the guy and stopped mid-exhale. Man...he was gonna be the death of Rune if he kept coming in here. Rune looked down, letting out his breath and staying in front of Garm. He looked up, noticed a lack of people on this end of the bar, but was still trying to calm down so he didn't really care. He did another shot, he had to get a grip. Seriously.

[Garm]

Though Garm would never openly admit this, he was a little worried about what would happen if he visited Rune's work place at this hour. There was no telling just how badly his presence would be taken in such a closed environment. How many times in his life had he entered public buildings when he was younger and had people run from him? It was always a pain to go anywhere with the hostility that followed this terrible beast in his wake. It wasn't that he was afraid of what others would do to him if they spotted him. There were always a select few humans that would try to strike him out of fear. It was rare for him to get attacked, the older he got the less frequent those kinds of reactions came, but it still happened. Yet they did not bother him. They did when he was a little boy, around the age of six or so, when he didn't understand why they did it and he was more afraid of death then. But the pain that came with the beatings wasn't as bad as he expected. The boy's hellhound blood gave him the gift of thick skin. He could take a good beating before he suffered the physical consequences. Humans could punch him, kick him, throw stones, even stab him and it would do little to him. That was how weak mankind was for him.

What he worried about was not being attacked, or the hateful gazes he would have to endure, but how his presence would affect the feline's business. Having people leave in droves was not good for a bar. Garm knew that it could cause some trouble if he suddenly showed up like this. But he did it anyway. Rune needed his jacket, and Garm was here to deliver it. That was all there was to it. Things turned out as bad as Garm expected them to once he stepped into the building. Utter chaos erupted in the hellhound's wake as he made his way into the bar. He could feel every humans wary looks burrowing into his back, he could see some of them already heading for the exit just to get as far away as they possibly could from him. This...was not going to end well. At least no one had called the cops yet so the worse possible outcome had yet to come. After a few uncomfortable minutes Garm found his way to the main bar where Rune was working. Much to his surprise Rune didn't seem to notice the strange behavior that had befallen his patrons. The feline only had eyes for the jacket he was bringing.

“You are a lifesaver, man!” Rune exclaimed. Garm didn't know how to respond to that. It seemed like this leather jacket really meant a lot to the shifter. The hellhound didn't really understand it but he didn't bother to question it. The hound gave a quick nod in response and handed the jacket over. He apologized for making one of Rune's customers spill there drink. Rune didn't mind at all, he might not have heard what Garm was saying at all in fact. For that, Garm was grateful. Now that the deed was done it would be a good idea to go. He was about to say his goodbyes when Rune offered him a drink as a reward. The hound tilted his head as he looked at the shifter curiously. “Are you sure about that? Would you not get in trouble?” It was no secret between them how old Garm was. At eighteen years old the hellhound was no longer a pup, but he was still under the legal drinking age. He would get in trouble for doing something like this right? Well, if he would Rune didn't seem to mind. He was already pouring some alcohol in a glass for him. With a wink Rune served Garm something to drink, promising that it was light before going about his business.

Garm watched the cat wander off before turning his attention to the glass before him. This wasn't what he had in mind but it was a little too late to decline the offer. One drink wouldn't hurt would it? Garm pulled up a seat and took a little swig of his glass. It really was light on the alcohol. He could taste a hint of it but it wasn't that bad. It was strong, and left an interesting sensation of warmth on its way down. Whatever kind of booze would be perfect during very cold days. Garm drank slowly as he watched Rune working the other side of the bar. Even with the terrifying hound's presence Rune was busy. He was pretty popular from what Garm could see. There were plenty of people calling out to the cat, some of them (the females) were even flirting with him. But the man was too diligent in his job to pay them much attention. Seeing the cat at work brought a small smile to the hound's lips. It was nice to see someone so dedicated to their job, he looked like he was enjoying himself too.

That was until a certain man showed up. At a glance there was nothing that seemed out of the ordinary about the new customer. He showed no signs of hostility or gave off any uncomfortable vibes from where Garm was sitting. But the moment that Rune's eyes locked onto the new man he faltered. The normally graceful feline had quickly transformed into a clumsy oaf. This strange turn of events even caught some of the deva's attention. Vishnu and Shiva poked their heads out of their hiding spots to watch Rune's strange behavior. By the time Rune returned to him the shifter's face was a brilliant scarlet. He wouldn't even look the hellhound in the eye. “Are you alright?” Garm asked, the beasts watched the shifter intensely for any signs of a problem. “You seemed fine until that man showed up. Do you know him?”

[Rune Delacroix]

Rune stopped cleaning when Garm asked him what happened. He let out a breath. He couldn't very well lie to him. He looked up at Garm finally, fixing him another drink. How could he tell Garm he choked when attractive men came around. It was so embarrassing. Rune ran a hand through his hair, leaning against the bar, glancing over at the man at the other end. He sucked in another breath, let it back out and ran a hand through his hair again. Glancing over he saw the hamsters poking out of Garm's clothing and let out a chuckle.

"Your furballs are poking out, Garm." Rune went back to cleaning the bar when he heard a voice behind him. He dropped the rag, turning around. "What's wrong, boss?" Rune looked at his boss, an older guy with a full beard and a beer belly. He saw him look around and throw his arms up. "Where did everyone go? This is our busiest night Rune!"[/font] Rune looked around, finally noticing how the bar was only half full from earlier. He sniffed, recognizing Garms aura and putting on a smile.

"Boss, you know sometimes there is a lull, just go back and have a beer, I'll pay." That earned a laugh from his boss as he turned around. "I trust ya, Rune. But man...I swear there is no lull usually." The owner left, scratching his head and Rune smiled at Garm. "Here, lets go." Rune grabbed Garm's drink, going around the bar. He brought Garm outside, handing him the drink back. "I guess you get an explanation. I mean...you let me crash at your house, I consider you a friend and I don't chase your furballs around."

Rune let out a breath. "That guy....I didn't know him." Rune let out a laugh. "He looks like a guy I used to know. Oh man..how do I say this." Rune hesitated, pausing on the corner, running a hand through his hair. "Used to know is a strong term. I met him once and it ended with me....trying to make out with him." Rune shook his head. "I am attracted to guys, Garm. Attractive guys...apparently pretty boys." He let out a breath.

Blinking, Rune suddenly started laughing. He didn't think he had ever said that out loud. He leaned against the wall, stealing Garm's drink and taking a swig before handing it back. "Oh man Garm. I'm messed up...I can't handle how I am attracted to men." Rune put his hands in his pockets. "I get all sweaty and I can't breath...like a fucking teenage girl." Rune laughed again, shaking his head. "This is why Rum is good." Rune stole another swig of Garm's drink before handing it back. He had a stupid grin on his face, just marveling at his own pathetic mess that he put himself in.

[Garm]

Who was this man that had Rune so riled up? Garm kept a close eye on the blond stranger at the further end of the counter, burning a mental image of the stranger's features and mannerisms for later use. There didn't seem to be anything about the man that screamed dangerous but Garm was a smart enough hellhound to know that looks could be deceiving. If that man had done something, or was threatening to do something to Rune he would be getting a visit from a real monster soon. For his mother's sake Garm had sworn not to use his abilities on humans. He knew just how fragile those creatures were compared to him. While Garm could take a lot of physical abuse without batting an eye they couldn't. Every time he had to defend himself from attackers he always caused them serious harm. He had been kicked out of school after school in elementary for the crazy things he did. Eventually he stopped acting in self defense and learned to take the abuse without lashing out. As bad as it was doing so prevented him from killing others. To this day he still kept to that code. But it was a different story when it came to protecting others. Garm didn't have many people in his life that he felt the need to protect. With most of the world shunning him, and the harsh destiny that awaited him he didn't have any friends or family to care about.

That was beginning to change with Rune. Garm was unaware of the change the shifter was bringing with him. His bond with Rune had grown during the time they had known each other. He had dismissed this as his natural ability to gain the trust of his fellow beasts but perhaps there was more to this. It certainly was enough to make him consider harming a human he thought might be picking on him. Even some of his minions expressed a similar concern. Vishnu and Shiva peered out from their hiding spots to investigate the situation, causing the feline to laugh. “I know, they are as concerned as I am.” he put it bluntly. He might've pressed the cat further if Rune's boss didn't show up. Garm didn't know who he was at first until he heard the older man spoke. His hamsters treated back to their hiding spots while Garm pretended to not hear the conversation Rune and his boss were having. Garm kept most of his focus on the new drink he had than what was going on around him until Rune turned back to him. When got up he followed closely behind. Garm muttered a quick thank you when Rune handed his drink back.

Now that they were outside it was time for Rune to tell him what was going on. The hellhound did not speak while Rune tried to explain things, choosing instead to drink while he listened to what the other male had to say. Based on what he said it was clear that the man at the bar was not someone that he knew, but looked like someone that he used to know. “Did that other man do something to you?” that was the first thought that came to mind with what Rune said. It was the one thing that made sense to him at the time. Why would Rune look so nervous dealing with the man other wise? Garm had been watching closely at the time and knew the human had done nothing out of the ordinary for Rune to get upset. Maybe the man this new stranger resembled had. But as Rune went on Garm quickly realized that wasn't the case. Garm blinked in surprise, rewinding what Rune had told him in his mind about what happened. He had done what?

A hearty laugh left the hound as he offered the shifter his drink for a moment. “So that is it. I was worried it was something much more sinister. I am glad I was wrong.” Now Rune's actions made more sense. “I am surprised that is the answer. You do not strike me as the bashful type.” In the short time that Garm had known Rune he seemed to be too straightforward to be the kind to shy away from someone he found attractive. There was a lot more that he had to learn about this cat by the looks of it. “There is something I do not understand.” Garm looked at the shifter seriously this time. “Why can you not handle it? There is nothing wrong with the feelings you bare. You do not seem like the kind of man that would be phased by your attraction to another. With your good looks and personal charm it would not be hard for you to find a suitable mate.” Garm breathed a heavy sigh as he crossed his arms and looked out into the empty street ahead.“I wish I could offer my assistance here but people generally are not my line of expertise...You might have noticed earlier tonight the depth of that. Romance is not my strong suit either.”

[Rune Delacroix]

When Garm laughed, Rune felt a blush creep up. He was about to just start yelling at himself about how he shouldn't have said something when Garm started explaining. He chuckled. "That's it Garm. I'm not bashful...except around pretty boys." Rune let out a sigh, finishing Garm's drink. "I don't know what it is." Rune reflected on the question Garm had posed.

He was right after all, his charm and good looks were more than enough to find a suitable guy to be with. But that wasn't it. Rune shrugged, crossing his arms. "I mean, I just flip. As long as I can remember I am supposed to be a certain way. I mean...I can't explain it. I can't remember anything before coming to New Orlando, but its like this ingrained thing in my head that I am not supposed to be like this. But I am, and so its like this switch, I guess." Rune blinked. A switch? "It doesn't matter that you are not a people person Garm, you helped. A switch. That is it. I just need to learn to turn it off and I will be fine right?"

Rune had practically jumped off the wall. He had all but given up at this point and to find a solution...he groaned. "It will never work....Garm, I am just pathetic. I would never be able to be around someone I'm actually attracted too. Like Loki...man Garm." He laughed when Garm had told him romance was not his strong suit. "I got the romance covered....its the whole 'I can't even get close to the guy' thing."

Looking at his watch, he sighed. It was only 11. He still had technically 4 hours of work. He whipped out his cell phone, calling in the other bartender on shift, asking him to clock him out and making up an excuse about a family emergency. His mind was running too fast to concentrate anyways and he looked at Garm, putting his cell phone away. "Here, I'll walk you home." He blinked, laughing. "Not like that, more like lets just go home, I can't concentrate enough to work tonight anyways." He put his hands in his pockets.

What if he could fix the way he was? Like a switch he could turn off? He let out a breath. It was probably impossible. "Lets stop and grab a bottle and I'll make us some drinks and we can chill since it's so early. That is if you don't have anything to do." Rune was surprised at the friendship that had developed between him and Garm and he honestly didn't feel like going home to his empty apartment tonight.

[Garm]

The secret was out. Garm did not know just how much it meant to Rune how accepting the hellhound was about his attraction to men. In his mind he didn't see anything wrong with it, and why would he? He was not some ignorant human stuck in their religious beliefs or own narrow minded views. He did not see a problem with Rune being drawn to other men. What puzzled him the most was why Rune was having trouble with it. There was nothing wrong with the shifter physically, by society's standards he was attractive, he was charming, confident, and he could even handle dealing with a hellhound as complicated as he was. So why didn't he have a mate? The answer to that was not a simple one. Garm remained silent as he pondered over what Rune had told him. “That seems to be a common problem with those like you. The world has an unfortunate habit of frowning upon those attracted to the same sex. There is no way of knowing if you have been spurned for your feelings in the past that still lingers in your subconscious if you can't remember your past.”

“What matters now is what you do about it. There is no sense in denying what your heart desires. The only thing that matters in life is what you desire. If you allow the world to stop you from getting what you desire what reason do you have left to live for?” Garm wasn't sure how well his would register with Rune but he hoped to at least put those thoughts into the shifter's head. This might hound would never claim to be the wisest beast of his kind. He still had a long life ahead of him and a lot to learn along the way. But in all the time he had lived up until he realized just how cruel the world could be. There were so much obstacles in the way to the road of happiness. There were some things that were impossible to change, the only thing that anyone could do was work with the limitations they had and forcefully break the others. There was hope for Rune yet even if the cat was unable to see it yet. This struggle he had was not as complicated as he saw it.

But that didn't mean it wasn't a problem that needed to be dealt with. The hound nodded in agreement of the feline's words. “Your problem wouldn't be as easy to change like one does to flip a switch, but it can be destroyed. Think of your problem like you would any opponent. You must learn its weakness and turn them against it. Tear it down until nothing is less so it can never harm you again.” Garm fixed the shifter with a hard steely gaze when he started insulting himself. “No. You are not pathetic. Until the day comes when your very presence repels all those around you don't tell yourself that you will never be able to be around those whom you have come to like.” How could Rune get over his issue though? As much as Garm was pushing him to see the light he didn't have much to offer on how to do that. This was not Garm's area of expertise at all. But maybe he could think of something. He might not be able to help guide the shifter through his issues but he could at least offer something.

That would have to wait though. Rune was busy checking the time. The night was young and the cat did still have a job to do. Garm thought Rune was going to go back to work but he asked if they could go to his lair instead. “Heh, I am the last person that needs an escort home but alright. I have no nefarious deeds planned for the night so I would not mind the company.” With that Garm would lead them the way back to his place.

((And the author's mind will derp so hard she can't add more here sorry x.x))

[Rune Delacroix]

Rune followed Garm back to their place, chewing over his words. He glanced at the younger man in front of him, chuckling. "Now Garm, friend, you do not need to worry about repelling people away just because your aura is a little scary and normal humans can't handle all the awesomeness you pump out." He offered Garm a grin, stopping at the liquor store on the way and picking up a bottle of vodka (which came in a bottle shaped like a skull) and a bottle of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, then a two liter of coke and a pack of red bull. He paid for it, and not long after that they were in Garms apartment.

Rune heard Garms little furballs making themselves comfy and just shook his head. He didn't care what the other guy called them, they were still little furballs that Rune had somehow bonded with a bit, though he would never show it to other people, Garm was their master so he couldn't hide it. He still liked to try and chase them sometimes and he had to admit he had been outsmarted a bunch. It reminded him of a cartoon he saw once on television, Tom and Jerry. He pulled down some glasses from Garm's cupboard, unpacking the bag.

"I'll bring out the drinks, Garm." Rune mixed Garm a vodka redbull, pouring maybe a touch more vodka than he had when he had made Garm's first drink. Maybe a bit more than a touch. Rune poured about 3 fingers of vodka and then filled the rest of the glass up with red bull. This stuff mixed well, but you could smell the vodka in the drink. He made himself a straight rum and went back into the living room, handing Garm his drink and setting his drink down.

Rune then went and grabbed the stuff to continue making them, setting them down in the living room like he should have done in the first place. He would just continue here. He downed his drink quickly, letting the warm rush from it settle in his belly. He poured another, finally relaxing and taking off his leather jacket. He methodically placed his wallet, keys, and cell phone on the table in the corner. It was the only way to not lose them when he was sloshed, and he had always done it this way at Garms place.

"You are right Garm. I shouldn't let life get in the way of what I want. I should be able to just take it. I mean...maybe the problem is I have never met someone who is attracted back to me. All the stupid pretty boys are straight!" Rune down his drink, pouring himself more. He waiting until Garms first glass was empty then taught him the way to make his. He nodded. "I'll just take life by the dick and squeeze till I get my way! Haha!" Rune stood up, accentuating his point, with a fist raised in the air. He was feeling good. Good and perky. He was good and perky.

Sitting back down, Rune sipped his drink. "Now..to talk about how you hate how people avoid you. I have no idea how to calm that creeptastic aura of yours down but buddy...we can get you some help! Maybe. Depends." Rune chuckled. His brain felt warm. "I know there has to be a way to contain it. Oh! I forgot to tell you -- alcohol helps." He laughed. "I think. Last time I drank when I was with Loki..ok the only time because whoever knows that poor kid will never lay eyes on this beefcake again! Anyways.." Rune leaned closer to Garm, gulping down half of his glass. "I got all nice and calm and I bled everywhere." Rune laughed, finding himself hilarious. "So why are you worried about people avoiding you? I thought you liked being alone anyways...or with the furballs?"

[Garm]

It took a little bit longer to get back to Garm's apartment than it normally did, but once Rune was done making a quick stop at the local liquor store the duo made it back home with no trouble. The moment that the men walked through the door Garm's minions jumped out of his clothing and scurried off through the rest of the apartment. Garm let the tiny creatures go about their business and headed to the living when Rune told him he'd setup the drinks and bring them out later. It looked like they would be getting drunk tonight. Garm did not know how he felt about that prospect. He had never drank until tonight. All he knew about the stuff was how bad it would be for him to drink while underage. But that was with his mother, of course the woman did not want her underage chaotic son to indulge in such activities. She was no longer with him. It wasn't like he would be doing this alone anyway. He trusted Rune enough to not allow him to do something reckless even if he did lose all his common sense.

It didn't take Rune too long to come back with the drinks. Garm gave the shifter a quick thanks when he was handed the beverage made just for him. It was easy to smell the alcohol in this one with his sensitive nose. Whatever Rune had given him this time was much stronger than the rum and coke he had tried before. That did not stop him from trying it out though. Garm drank the mixture down like he would have any other drink. It was strong but it wasn't bad. “You are good at your craft, Rune.” the hound complimented the feline. The hellhound finished the alcohol off before Rune showed him how to mix the thing himself. Garm tried his best to follow the instructions carefully, mixing the drink for himself before giving it a try. It was surprisingly good for his first attempt. While drinking Rune began to talk. It looked like the hound's words were starting to register with Rune after all but he was still unsure of how to go about changing himself.

“Surely there has to be some way to find a good match for yourself. If it was so hard to find someone else like you then there would not be as many same-sex couples around as there is now.” Garm contemplated. “I may not know much about this but there are certain venues that cater to the gay community. Perhaps you could start by going there and trying to get used to socializing with others.” That seemed like the logical way to go about such a thing right? Garm laughed at the other man's antics. It seemed that with a boost of confidence and alcoholic influence Rune was a little more wild. This was nothing new to the hound but it was always amusing to see. “Yes, that's the spirit!” the hound raised his cup in salute before drinking from it once again. Things quickly grew serious when Rune brought up Garm's issues with his terrifying aura. Garm tore his gaze away from the shifter as he thought about how to respond.

“I...don't think that there is anyway to fix it.” He replied after a moment of silence. “If willpower was enough to control it then I would have nothing to worry about. The blood flowing in my veins bares a terrible curse.” He could not say with certainty if any of the things he was about to say were true or not. Until recently Garm had never met another hellhound to learn all the details about his kind from him, but he had done enough research on his own to safely say that he knew some things. “I have done intensive research in my own kind to look for the answers to my abilities. In that time I have discovered that my kind are not mere demons. Hellhounds were originally created by demons to serve them. Their abilities, appearance, and to some extent their personalities reflect the purpose their creators made them for. Certain traits can be passed down biologically but typically no two hounds are alike...I do not know what kind of beast my father was, for he had left my mother some time after my conception but I know that this aura I have comes from him. He must have been designed to instill fear into the hearts of man, as his son I carry the same ability. There is a chance that his design is such that he too cannot control it. Even if he can there is no guarantee that I will have the capacity to do the same. I might be strong but I am still part human. There will be things even I cannot overcome because of my blood.”

Rune was being rather talkative now that he was drunk (which was always the case when he had a few too many drinks). After Garm had finished explaining his issue the shifter jumped on to his incident with some guy named Loki. The hound blinked in surprise from the things he was blurting out. “Wait...you were what? Why were you bleeding?” Before he could get an answer Rune brought the topic back around to his aura. “I am not worried about how those foolish mortals avoid me...well...as a child it bothered me. I have come to terms with it long ago. That doesn't mean it still isn't a nuisance. If I wasn't a breeder I would not be able to financially support myself. Going out in general can become a pain. Its more than just humans running away at the sight of me. I have been arrested in the past for no reason other than bystanders felt I was up to something."

“Then there are the few humans that attack when they are afraid. I was attacked a lot as a child by both my peers and adults. The violence was not enough to threaten my life because of my demonic blood. Those incidents are fewer now than they had been in the past but that doesn't mean they have stopped.” Just to prove his point Garm rolled up one of his sleeves and unwrapped the bandages on his arm to reveal the long gash across his arm. “Last week I had accidentally bumped into a human in the street, in his panic he tried to attack me. He didn't do much damage beyond this. Kali attacked him for his insolence and that gave me the chance to knock him out. It was easy enough to stitch and patch up afterwards, but the blood loss was still a pain to go through.” The hellhound picked up his bandages once again so he could re-wrap the wound. “Do not be mistaken. I have no fear for my life when it concerns attacks from humans. It takes a lot more than what most of them can accomplish to kill me. Its just...an annoyance to deal with.” Even as he said this a sharp pang in his heart betrayed the truth. He told himself time and time again that he had come to terms with the scorn he endured from the humans around him. He accepted the fact that he would never be able to connect with the side his mother had been a part of. But somewhere deep down it still did hurt. He would never admit this, not to anyone that knew him, or to himself. There was no use feeling sorry about it. This was just the burden he had to bare. He just had to accept that.

[Rune Delacroix]

Rune scratched his beard, chewing over what Garm had told him about is aura. He leaned forward, mixing some rum with coke, taking a sip before setting his glass back down. His brain was too fuzzy to really think in depth about it but he made a note that he hoped he would remember to figure something out to help out Garm later on. They were friends after all.

Nodding, Rune agreed the gay bar would be a good idea. Sort of. His brain was fuzzy and it sounded like a good idea but something was nagging about it. "I think I tried to go into a gay bar before...and it didn't end well." He laughed, nodding. "I got mauled and managed to start 3 fights!" Rune felt proud of this somehow and he was pretty sure he won at least one of those bar fights. He grinned, leaning back.

His grin faltered a bit, hearing about Garm's past and frowned, looking at the cut on his arm. He jumped up. "I'LL KILL THE BASTARD!" Rune's tolerance for alcohol was strong but he had lost count of his drinks and you could hear his words start to run together. His face was slightly red and he laughed. "But first! Sustenance!" Rune stumbled to the kitchen, surprisingly not sloshing his drink anywhere, pulling out pop tarts. It was a drunk guilty pleasure for him and he had started keeping a box stashed here for when he came over on his more sloshed nights.

Rune ambled his way back into the living room, sitting down and taking a bite. "Garm. Buddy. Friend." He put a hand on Garms shoulder. "You need a girl, mate." Rune chuckled, leaning back. "Or we can get a bunch of supernaturals together because your aura wouldn't bother them nearly as much! It would be fun, we could throw a party!" Rune laughed, thinking about it. It was a crazy stupid idea but one that might work. If he could ever find other supernaturals, everyone always kept their identities close to heart because of rumors but Rune shrugged it all off, sipping on his drink.

Looking at Garm, Rune gave him a grin. He was feeling so good tonight, and he was determined to show Garm a good time. He gulped down his drink and stood up, moving over to Garm's simple stereo system. "Anything particular you want to listen to?" Rune asked, tuning to a rock station.

[Garm]

The more that Garm drank the stranger the hound began to feel. It was taking longer than one would think for Garm to start to feel at the very least tipsy with the amount of jagar bombs he had been consuming. Perhaps he just had a high tolerance for alcohol. It would not surprise him, Garm already had a high tolerance to pain among other things because of his hellhound blood. Did hellhounds have a naturally high tolerance to things like this? Maybe they did, maybe he was just different. But that tolerance was being put to the test here. After his second shot the young man's head was starting to feel fuzzy. Despite the strange sensation he was getting he was still coherent and competent enough to understand what was going on around him. He was still able to give clear answers to the questions Rune had been asking him.

Then again, it could just be because of the subject matter. It was hard to loosen up even while drinking when he was thinking about his cursed blood. A weaker being would be more upset having to live the kind of life he did. The crushing solitude, the constant shunning, and confusion on where one stood in the world was hard to deal with even for him. Growing up Garm had to make two choices, he could either fall into despair over his fate, or find a way to deal with it. He had chosen to deal with it. Instead of trying to distance himself from his demonic blood he embraced it. He knew better than to try and play at being human when he constantly exuded such an evil aura. The loneliness he had accepted as his destiny. He could never bond with a human, and the chance of him running into any other hounds other than Alierah and her subordinate were slim. He had his minions though, and now he had Rune.

He still did not know what he should think of the relationship he was forming with this cat shapeshifter. There was no doubt in his mind that he liked Rune. They had only spent a bit of time together but Garm had already had grown to enjoy his company. But...was that a good thing? He had not forgotten what had happened to the one person in his life that ever loved him. She had died trying to protect him from the demon that had come to claim him. His true powers had woken up too late to save her that day. He was not the same person he was the day that he had lost her, but he had made a silent vow that he would never let the same thing happen again. It was easy to declare to never let anyone close to him die when he had no one he cared for. But now that he had Rune he ran the risk of repeating his past mistakes. Garm still had a destiny he needed to fulfill. One day he would raise the status of his breed to the same ranks as the other demons of hell to earn himself and all those like him the freedom they so desperately deserved. How well would he be able to accomplish that if he had to worry about putting Rune under fire from his own ambitions.

This was something that greatly concerned him from time to time. Right now though he was too focused on answering the questions raised to him to try and brood over his next move. Rune didn't understand the full depths of the chaos his demonic aura caused him so Garm decided to show him. The fear that Garm's presence caused did not just make humans run, there were always those few that reacted violently to him. It didn't bother him as much as it did in the past so when Rune reacted the way he did Garm was genuinely caught by surprise. The hound's shock quickly gave way to laughter when Rune left to go fetch himself a pop tart. “There is no need for that.” Garm called after him. “Its not the mortal's fault that he reacted the way he did. Knocking him out was punishment enough.” His mother always warned him to becareful with other humans. Not everyone is as strong as you are Malakai, for your sake and their's hold back unless you have no choice. she might be dead now but he still kept those words to heart. It wasn't easy, it never was. But Garm was a big enough person to keep his promise to her.

When Rune returned and spoke again his words made the hellhound's face turn a bright shade of scarlet. “N-no I don't.” Garm said, turning his gaze elsewhere as he tried to compose himself. It was surprising for the young man to get so flustered over something so simple. Maybe it was the alcohol messing with his ability to keep himself composed or his inexperience in this area in general. “The path I walk does not require me to seek such....companionship. Until I accomplish my goal a female would only...get in the way.” He did not want to admit that he had doubts he could get one even if he wanted to. Just like Rune's luck with men, Garm did not have a lot of luck with the opposite sex. He dealt with them more often but that didn't mean he knew how to handle them. Most women, like everyone else that met him were terrified of his presence. The others did not seem drawn to him. Except the hellhound female he had met awhile ago. He was not so blind to not notice her advances but the way she acted with him was more like a feline playing with a new toy. She seemed more interested in testing him than laying with him...not like he would have laid with her if she invited him to her bed or anything!

Garm was not too keen on the idea of finding a mate for himself but Rune's new proposition did give him some pause. “A party...” He wasn't sure how well he would be at making friends, or if he should make more friends than the one he had now but this idea was tempting. Garm had lived his whole life watching others fear him, for once he could witness what it was like not having to worry about the affect he would bring to others. Even if he did not want to make friends he could not deny that learning how to socialize a little would be helpful in the future. More importantly he should help set an example for Rune who was having a bit of trouble. “That sounds like a good idea. Perhaps we can find you a mate in the process. Knock out two birds with one stone as it were.” The hound raised his glass in approval then downed it again. Now he was really starting to feel the alcohol. He poured himself another glass while Rune started to mess around with the stereo. “I am fine with anything.” garm stumbled a little bit with his words in his response. “If you can't find anything you can pop in a CD.” Garm pointed to the stack of CDs he had near the stereo. Garm only had a handful of bands that he liked to listen to at all. His main collection was Nightwish (Because Indra was fond of them) and Disturbed, as well as a few others strewn about.

[Rune Delacroix]

Laughing, Rune sipped his drink as he looked over the music. Lots of heavier stuff but Rune could roll with that. He turned, giving Garm a grin. "Mate, if you got laid, you wouldn't be worrying so much about people! A relationship not quite yet but a good lay might help you out." Rune laughed, choosing a random CD at last, sticking it in and moving back to the couch. He stumbled a little bit, saved it with his drink held in the air, finally sitting down on the couch. Garm was agreeing to his party idea. 

Rune downed his drink. "Garm..you won't...r.regret it!" His words slurred out as he leaned back, his body relaxing. The music pounded through the room and Rune ran a hand through his hair. He was feeling super tipsy, almost completely drunk, but not quite there yet. A party for Garm. This was going to be the best. "We can have it at the bar, you will make some friends, and quite possibly a girl to have some fun with." Rune winked at him. Finding him someone might be a little harder though and he shrugged.

"I don't know Garm. Finding me someone, even just a lay, would be a bit harder. Maybe not if I was super drunk. I can relax a bit with some rum in me." He sipped some more of his drink, his body was starting to feel hot from the amount of liquor that he had poured into himself and he stood up, shrugging his jacket off. That felt better and he stretched out, grabbing two shot glasses and pouring them both shots of vodka. Rune was unique in the fact that he could mix his liquors and not get sick like most people. He raised his shot glass, looking at Garm. 

"Here is to good friends, and hopefully more adventurous activities next time we get drunk at the party!" Rune downed his shot, laughing about his silly, slurred toast, collapsing back down on the couch before the room started swimming. They should have eaten something, he was starting to feel hungry again. "We should order food." He picked up his cell phone. "Pizza? Subs? Watchya want, friend?" Rune leaned forward at a diagonal angle, making the room stop swaying, his face slightly red from the alcohol as he looked at Garm.

[Garm]

The more Garm drank the weirder his head felt. This must be what it was like to be drunk wasn't? The beast did not know for sure if he truly drunk or not yet but he certainly was getting there. It was a good sign in a way. Garm was naturally resistant to a lot of things. He had an abnormally high pain tolerance, completely fire resistant, medicines were trick to administer to him too. The few times that he needed take medication for anything he always needed an extra dose or extremely powerful medicine just for it to take effect. It wouldn't have surprised him if he couldn't get drunk at all. But it looked like he could. The hound had no idea just how powerful the stuff that Rune had given him but it was doing its job at loosening him up. Perhaps a little too well. Garm always thought he had a great control over the emotions he showed. Being the fearsome creature that he was he could not afford to show weakness like others did. He could not show fear, or sadness, and above all he could not express shame over anything.

Yet when Rune started to suggest to him that he should get laid his face turned red instantly. This...this was not suppose to happen. In all the years Garm had walked this dreaded earth he did not expect to have this kind of conversation with anyone. This was something that Garm was ill equipped to handle. Garm was a warrior, not a lover. Up until now he never thought about getting with a woman. It wasn't like he wasn't attracted to the opposite sex or anything like that it just...it never occurred to him to even try his luck. He would be terrible at it anyway. Most women were humans, and humans feared him on instinct. Even with the one instance that he had met a woman, a female of his kind that did not tremble at the sight of him he had no clue where to go from there. Getting laid required some level of social interaction that Garm for all his wits and power he had none. “I-I don't know.” Garm hastily tried to cover his face a little with the scarf around his neck to hide his shame. “Women are...complicated. M-my focus in is greater than such...um....s-simple desires.” He was not about the admit the truth that he had no clue how to woo a woman to anyone, friend or not.

The hound was quick to change his tune when it concerned Rune's love life though. “You might be surprised. Unlike me you are more used to dealing with people. You just have issues with a particular group of people. If you can figure out a way to handle that you will be good to go.” Rune could do it, that Garm was sure of. He just needed a little help. Garm raised his glass for the toast and downed his shot. How would he help the feline out with this though? Garm was all for staying by Rune's side to offer some emotional support, but wouldn't he staying so close to the shifter make things difficult for a romantic atmosphere? Garm might be inexperienced in this area but he at least knew that. “Perhaps you need a change in approach to this....” The hound stopped to think about this for a moment. “I got it!” Garm slammed his fist on the table. “Approach the man you like, as if he were your opponent! In a battle between men you can not falter, you can not show weakness. You need to stand tall and firm, assert your dominance before you go in for the kill.” It was the perfect plan! By changing Rune's way of thinking he could gain the confidence to approach any guy he fancied. How could things go wrong for him after that?

Unless he didn't know how to handle a fight. Now that he thought about it Rune was not much of a fighter. He had a nice enough build that he could pass off as a fighter but he had never seen the man fight in his life. The first time they had met it had been after Rune had been beaten by some humans. That fight had no ended well for him. Rune did have a gun, but he didn't use it that often. This might be a bit harder to pull off than Garm had initially thought but he had not lost hope yet. If Rune didn't understand the basics of asserting dominance with his opponents he could easily teach him that. But for now there was another matter that needed to be taken care of. And that was food. “Pizza sounds good. Get a meat lovers one. At least on one side of it.”

[Rune Delacroix]

Blinking, Rune leaned forward. His face was contorted into a more puzzled look. A battle? A fight? Go in for the kill? Garm leaned back, rubbing the scruff on his face. In a way, Garm had a good point. If he went in, looking at it like a different thing, it might not be so bad. If he could go in at all. The problem really was that as soon as Rune saw the person he found attractive, the freak out began. His face turned into a confident grin, thoughts turning to mush as he drank more of his drink and he nodded eagerly, standing up.

"Garm. You got a point man, and don't hide behind that scarf of yours. Laying with a woman is nothing! We just have to find you a cute, supernatural one! It will be perfect." He downed the rest of his drink, stumbling a little and falling onto his back on the floor. He laughed. "Garms so shy!! We all thought he was a big, baddy doggy but he is really shy and adorable!!" Rune said the last sentence in more of a sing songy voice. Feeling deliciously warm and drunk, he raised his hand in the air, which held the empty glass, like he had saved the last drop of rum.

Sitting up, Rune placed the glass on the table, sideways and when he went to actually get up, he stumbled and fell back, just laughing away. His laugh was deep and full as he finally gave up. With a grin at Garm, Rune shifted into his cat form, leaving just a pile of his clothes on the ground. He did a weird stumble over to where Garm sat, half hopping onto his lap, not being so graceful and having to struggle the rest of the way up, his tail flicking away. Now where are those furballs!? Rune just wanted to play with the furballs and he started pawing at Garms scarf, where he knew they liked to hide at, if they were even there. Rune never quite knew where they were, their scents were all over the apartment, and he was drunk right now so he didn't care to actually try to look for them. He mewed at the scarf, switching paws and nearly falling over as he did it, his tail flicking left and right.