Small Kalmin and Cortez Meet

Having done his best to help give only the biggest red and black eyes when he picked up that this was the man to pout at if he wanted to stay, Cortez was now happily splashing in the bath. Quickly going from cold to warm, he couldn't be happier, rapidly twirling in the waters like a chinchilla in dust. Something he quite needed, as dirt was dislodged from between the cracks in his bones. Usually he took a special toothbrush to them every day before bed, but right now he was improvising.

There was another strange person here too now. A big snake that was apparently there to help the pair bathe. It was someone Cortez was trying to secretly stare at when they weren't looking, quickly not looking if they ever glanced back his way. The question going through his head however wasn't of a maiden crushing or anything like puppy love, no, he was more so wondering if he would have ended up like them. A servant to help what was a very important demon through life.

There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but was slightly intimidated by the serpent. So instead, he stuck close to and splashed around the one that had brought him in from the harsh outside. 'Is he Denzil?" he decided to ask instead, still young, yet still a quiet child that didn't want to bother people with his curiosity too much.

Slapping his flipper hands around in the water that was so warm and bubbly, Kalmin was having a good time with his new stray! It was a pretty cat snake, or, er, stout was it? He knew the maids and butlers called Cortez all sorts of things as he waddled on up to his room. Wanting to get his new guest all washed and dried before he caught a cold and would have to be away to get better. He also liked baths, though was more partial to the slightly cold one he got when outside and the snow melted just a little. But that couldn’t be had, he was distracted by the new stray that his father agreed to let stay, or at least hadn’t told him now when he brought him in.

‘Make sure he gets washed up too, just like the king said.’

‘Of course! Cortez is doing a fine job of that on his own!’ The pair of prince and servant chattered away, less like royalty and a knight and more like best friends. It was after all what they were as far as Kalmin cared. He grew up with Denzil and considered him a dear friend he wanted to have until his end, which might as well be forever.

‘Alright...’ Sticking his head back into the water, Denzil went back to blowing bubbles in the tub that was large enough it fit the other two in easily. Kalmin had his attention on Cortez as he whispered, he looked back at Denzil who was ‘busy’, and then nodded as he leaned in to rub his penguin cheeks on Cortez more.

‘That is right, he is my knight. I’ve grown up with him. Father said I need someone to keep me safe. He also keeps me company.’

Tilting his head slightly at the other warpa looking like they were having fun blowing bubbles under the water, Cortez blinked when Kal leaned in to rub on him. Blinking up at the tall bird, he washed himself off once more in the water before climbing his way up the prince of cold to wrap his noodly self around their shoulders again. It being the easiest way for those nice full body rubs in return, he also booped Kal with his snoot. 'Oh, he's not a servant?' That was a little disappointing.

Part of him had hoped that was more what it was like to have a young master. Someone to help, play in the bath with, blow bubbles, it sounded like a lot of fun. He wouldn't mind going back home if it meant he'd be like those two with his new master.

Going stiff as the wet noodle climbed out, Denzil noticed the distress easily enough and wormed over with towels. At first wrapping Cortez up in them as if he too was a snake until he was drier and was easily resting around Kalmin’s shoulders like before. Denzil was currently the more responsible one though, leaving Kalmin to his stray care as he usually did and told him wouldn’t end up well as animals kepting coming around more often. Kalmin loved it, but sometimes the other stayers didn’t as it startled the life stock and then when suddenly headbutted for shooing them off or stepped on a stray tail.

‘He is, he’s my knight. Knights too are servants, he’s more of a bodyguard but he helps me with everyday tasks too. Like washing you or doing chores after school.’ Drying Cortez’s head a little more as Denzil wiggled off the wet, he had been listening to the pair ramble as the snake warpa squinted at the stout, not as nice as he’d usually be but Kalmin expected as much.

‘Kalmin is a very good prince, it’s not always the case when it comes to royalty. Why is the guest so curious about our relationship?’

‘I’m not sure, maybe he just wanted to know what sort of relationship we shared. You don’t seem like my blood brother and all. You look nothing like mother and father.’

‘Fair enough...’ Trailing off as he followed, he wished Kalmin thought more about this, but he adored his new friend who seemed so sweet. Even if Denzil was on higher alert.

Much like a young kitten, not minding who picked him up, Cortez was a soggy limp noodle as he was put in the towel. He still squirmed uncomfortably, but didn't lash out at the other. If anything, the little noodle rolled over on his back to keep away the poisonous spikes that poked out of his fur slightly. Hell was a dangerous place where many warpas adapted and mutated, but he had been born with them from the start. They weren't deadly at least, merely causing hallucinations to those pricked.

Shaking his head off after it was dried, Cortez's mane fluffed out like a damp cat before slowly starting to settle back down. As soon as he was free, he'd try to immediately wiggle his way back over to crawl right back up to Kal's shoulder. He wasn't overly fond of squinty snake, thinking they would be one of the servants that would happily throw him back outside instead of the ones that cooed about him being a cat noodle.

'Yeah!' he nodded in agreement, though the next words weren't supposed to be taken as they sounded. 'I wanna be like you too!' What he meant, being that he wanted a relationship like theirs if he did ever get caught and have to return. Though Denzil did say not everyone was like that... he had no idea what his own prince would be like. It'd be horrible if he ended up with someone mean.

Waiting for Denzil to hand back over his new friend stray, Kalmin was still and watched as Cortez was dried off and made less wet for everyone's comfort. The towels were very large, meant for the bigger warpas of the house like himself and Denzil, so the small cat noodle vanished into the towels like a small kitten that needed to dry off. A good comparison if he did say so himself, as soon the noodle was returned he was a child happy to have his new pet back. Waddling off towards the bedroom with his happy coos, it really did show how young he was mind wise when it came to things like this.

‘I don’t think you can be like myself, but maybe you can be like Denzil. He’s a very good knight, even if he is younger than me.’ Wiggling onto the bed that took up only a fraction of the room, Kalmin let Cortez make himself comfortable on the bed as he rested his head on him, ready for nap time as it had taken some time to get the guest clean and time flew by.

‘Thank you, young master. Get some rest...’ Waiting until both settled down, Denzil clicked off the light. Laying on the bean bag that was on the floor even if there was plenty of room on the bed, he wasn’t going to sleep quite yet so this was the best spot he had for laying but not sleeping.

‘You as well, Denzil. You get some sleep too, Cortez. After our nap I can show you around more, it’s a very big castle after all.’ Rubbing his face against the other male once more, he wiggled a bit as he settled down, drifting off on the rather soft bed and ready for the next day to come.

Looking between the two, it was hard to tell which one was younger size wise at least, but Cortez was surprised to hear Denzil was the younger one. Especially since they were the one put in charge of and supposed to be protecting the prince.

It took him a moment of going around in circles before he was satisfied with his kneaded spot on the bed. Eventually however, the stoat warpa was settled down exactly where he wanted to be. Comfy, warm, and maybe just a little nervous about finding himself in a new place anyway- at least he wasn't in the house he was sold into. He was totally just a stray guest that had been brought in from the cold. He could live with that. 'Alrighty, goodnight Kal, goodnight Denzil.' While he didn't feel particularly liked by anyone but the penguin prince, he still wasn't willing to leave the grounds for the outside world again.

Still, it took awhile before Cortez could drift off to the sound of the pouring rain.