Bread Bandit

Max: 226

Who knows how much time had passed—- a lot? When Max woke up, it was black in the room. Luckily he could see in the dark. He was about to move when he noticed his arm was pinned under a cooler body. His eyes refocused on the room and he turned his head to see that Jura had completely cuddled up to him at some point. Thank god he was a heavy sleeper. Max decided against moving in the event he woke up Jura…. But then he had a little idea come to mind. He took the edge of the blanket and brought it over. Very carefully, Max inched the blanket toward Jura’s nose. He tickled it gently and see if there would be a reaction. Granted he was fully prepared to be elbowed in the face if things went south.
“Good morning lil bird..” Ah yes, he was a horrible man. It was still night as far as he could tell. His arm was numb under Jura’s giant head. Maybe that’s why he had woken up, or it was the stiffness in his body. Max yawned and gave a little arch to his back, a few pops retaliated. He didn’t mind the cuddling, actually it was comfortable, but… he couldn’t place it. Normally he’d be feeling awkward as hell, but Max just enjoyed the moment.

Jura: 228

Jura might have woken up on his own If the sun had fallen, or maybe he wouldn't have. He'd spent too much energy earlier in the day and neglected his bedtime, so when Max tickled him, he made a little disconcerted noise, waved a hand uselessly in the direction of the blanket and rolled himself slightly in the opposite direction- stopped only by the wall nearby.
Wait, who was talking? Confused, Jura opened his eyes a sliver and looked out into the dark of the room. Not adapted to it in any capacity like his company. At best he could see the glow of the moon through his window and feel the heat of a body next to him. "Huh-?" He half said half yawned, lifting his hands up from under the blankets to rub his face. Ughh. He did slowly remember that he went to bed with Max, but being called a little bird still made him feel weird. In a good way. "Morning..?" What time was it?
He remained quiet for a while save the sound of him breathing, eyes closing again. "You want to get up?" Kind of a question as to why Max was talking to him, and kind of not. He was just saying things while half awake.  Maybe he woke the poor guy up by clinging to him like a wet rat.

Max: 171

Maxin made a snort in an attempt to hide a laugh when Jura batted his hand away. His eyes were large in the dark like a cat looking to run laps around the room. Unlike his companion here, Max had plenty of sleep. Probably too much. His eyes drifted to the pie on the table and a sigh of relief left him when Jura rolled off of his poor arm. Once he regained his limb Max gave a full-body stretch before settling down. He considered rolling out of bed, but he looked over at the dead fire and decided it would be a horrible idea. The bed was warm, the air was cold.
“You were on my arm, couldn’t feel it no more.” Max replied with a bit of humor in his voice. He rolled over to face Jura and put his nose at the nape of his neck before questioning if dozing off was the best option here. Having a second body there was comfortable. “Eh, you wanna get up?”

Jura: 167

Jura had no plans to leave the warm covers and shook his head faintly, "No… thought you had to take a piss-" He took a long inhale before adjusting so he was again facing the other way, away from the moonlight maybe, though Max scooting in closer and breathing on his neck made him shiver.
"Sorry." He mumbled quietly into his pillow, "Push me over next time." He was sure he'd end up on Max if they went back to bed anyways. Not that he would mind that outcome. The guy was a heater, and he was very comfortable to lay on with all his muscle.
He was quiet for a bit before he opened his eyes a little, "Getting up is gonna ruin your sleep schedule..?" Not that Max had one, if he was fresh out of prison and jobless. Jura already knew his was fucked. He'd work on getting it all sorted out in the next couple days. Tell himself not to skip his bedtime.

Max: 164

“Ha- I’m good... Now why would I do that?” His tired voice was practically a purr when he teased. It was so comfortable… this was so much better than sleeping on the ground. He enjoyed Jura’s closeness. There was that urge to grab the man and tug him into a full-armed grip but he didn’t. He made sure Jura had plenty of space to squirm away if he needed to.
“Sleep schedule? Hmm, if that’s the excuse then yes.” He barely knew what that meant, but he had been sleeping at the oddest times… usually in the mine- it was nap for 15 minutes at a time. That was it. Out here- he slept through the coldest part of the night into the coldest part of the morning, then he was up from then on. Some nights he stayed awake. It depended on the weather and how that would have impacted his traveling.
“S’cold in here.” Max yawned and draped his tail over Jura.

Jura: 189

Jura figured Max didn’t have one, not when he ran into the guy in the middle of the night to begin with, robbing that poor baker. He probably would sleep regardless of what time it was, sun or shine, so long as he had the opportunity and it was safe enough for it. Jura’s house happened to be a safe place anyways. “I don’t know.” The man mumbled again in response to Max’s question, knowing he stuck to being awake in the night just so he would run into less people. Less questions, less stares. More peace of mind. It also helped that the night tended to be quieter.

It was certainly cold. Which was Jura’s whole reasoning behind asking Max to share his bed instead of spending another night elsewhere. “You aren’t though.” The man said as he rolled back to face Max, unbothered by the tail and much too sleepy to mind himself or Max’s personal space. In his mind, Max curling his tail over him was his invitation. He just wanted to cuddle up and go back to bed. A contented little sigh heard from him.

Max: 136

Even in their tired state, Max was awake enough to see just how… cute, Jura was when he was tired. He kept his eyes on the back of the man’s head for a moment until he rolled over. Max’s ears came forward when their gaze met, and Jura cozied down to sleep again. Well, he couldn’t deny that. The air was cold, so he didn’t blame the man for scooting back down but underneath all of these blankets, his legs were hot. Max was half tempted to kick them off but knew that it was a bad idea.
He put his chin on the top of Jura’s head and wrapped his arms around him, remembering what was said before he drifted off.
“Goodnight.” Max sighed, hoping it would be light out next time they woke up.

Jura: 341

Night passed quickly once Jura had fallen asleep for a second time, and barring any interruption, remained so until the sun rose the following morning. Birds calling outside and the oh so awful beam of light brightening up his small apartment. He shifted and found himself unsurprisingly half sprawled across Max. Of which, was thankful to find sound asleep.
Jura made a nervous little noise while he detangled himself from the man and sat up as slowly as he could, shifted over Maxin's body and out from under the multitude of blankets. The room was freezing in the early morning. Something else that didn't surprise him. He just sighed, looked at the dead fire, his lack of kindling, then down to himself. Feeling a little sweaty from his proximity to whom he was sure to be a furnace. Even if it was cold, he hated feeling dirty.
So, cold water or not, Jura went about setting up a bath for himself in the side room. Tugging the basin into place so he could fill it with water from the spigot. He even located the towel, his soap and a washcloth, draping that across the edge of the wooden basin. It would take a minute to fill and gave him time to go pick out some clothes. Normally when it was cold he chose his grey coat, but he'd slept the night before in the shirt and pants that went with it, so they weren't suitable until he had the time to wash them again. Not having much in the way of plans for the day, he selected the black body suit he wore on his nights working, the scarf Maxin had got him, and some black boots in addition to undergarments. If they went out, he'd get his mask from the table.  For now though, his clothes were set out and he went about undressing and climbing into the tub to start washing his hair.
If Max woke up soon, he'd hopefully go looking for dinner and leave Jura to himself.

Mac: 269

Maxin woke this time to the sound of running water. He looked over and saw Jura’s spot was now empty which left him with more than enough room to stretch out in every direction. His joints made noises, the usual. His back popped on one of his luxurious cat stretches and made him wince. Maxin was reluctant to leave bed, but eventually he got up and sat on the edge of the bed. He felt weird. He knew he had plenty of sleep but he still felt tired. Whatever
Standing was a whole different trial. Once his feet hit the floor his knees almost said Good riddance. Gods, getting old was fun. He went over to where his boots were and groggily slid them on his feet. Now that he was slowly coming to, he thought he heard a faint splash of water. Jura must have been bathing. That was fine.
Maxin went over to the table and took up an apple and stared at the chicken pie that they never cut into. But what was he supposed to do with that? There’s no way he could eat that thing the way that it was. Jura would probably help when he was done. Max went and sat back down on the bed while he ate the apple and thought about last night. It made his heart ache to relive that experience again. They did nothing but stay close, it was pure. He liked that.
Drawing out a sigh, he finished up the fruit and fought to stay awake. He’d need a giant glass of strong coffee for that.

Jura: 327

Max leaving the bed made a creak, which Jura heard. He paused washing his hair to look towards the doorway, listening as the footsteps receded. Eventually he even heard the crunch of an apple. How that man had space for more food in his belly was an absolute mystery to Jura. If he took three bites of something he could say he was full. Maybe that was just his body threatening him with nausea, but still.

"Good morning." He called as loud as he could manage, which really wasn't much considering how quiet his voice was, and resumed washing out the soap in his hair with some scoops of water in his hands. He planned to hurriedly scrub down the rest of himself just so he could get out of the water and dry off before the cold really soaked into his bones. "After you eat, do you want to go back to the market?" Or perhaps, Max would rather look for work. He remembered the man saying he felt restless doing nothing. Jura had the opposite problem now, but in the beginning, when he was trapped in a bed for so long, he felt similar.

Though the idea of Max going off so soon made him frown. He couldn't keep him here even if he wanted too, knowing it was selfishness at play. "I'll be out in a minute."  

And he was, the sound of water sloshing into the tub was heard when he stood and stepped out, drying himself with his towel as best he could. He wrung the washcloth out and set that on the rim with the bar of soap. Redressing in his simple clothes took even less time. So Jura could join Max in the main room with everything except his boots, hair still wet as it clung to him instead of sticking up wildly. "Did you want some of the pie? It's probably better warmed up but I'm out of firewood."

Max: 208

Max went to throw the apple into the empty fire when a familiar voice surprised him and called out.
“Good mornin’.” He replied but didn’t need to raise his voice with its depth echoing off the walls.
“Aye, prolly should get ya wood. Ya said ya needed it last night.”
His eyes drifted upwards to the sound of approaching footsteps while he fiddled around with a few buttons on his shirt. Jura came out dressed in what he could be best described as dark wrappings of an outfit, but he pulled it off really well. Max noticed the Royal purple scarf with the gold embroidery and smiled.
“I do, but we can get firewood first. I ain’t starving after yesterday’s meal.” Max’s tail coiled, giving away emotions beneath his cool-outer display. His tail was always giving him up. It’s why he rarely ever tried to hide anything. If one really paid attention, sometimes his ears would too.
A sweet floral smell followed Jura, one that clung to the entire house and probably had drenched Max already. The smell of the Lavender was strong, and he was grateful that he liked it.
“That okay with ya?” He coiled and uncoiled his tail like a lion cub ready to play.

Jura: 323

"Oh I don't remember bringing it up-" He said while he raised his hands to comb through his damp hair, "There's a vendor not far off who brings in wood from the forest. If you could help me carry a couple bundles I'd really appreciate it." Otherwise, Jura would buy maybe two bunches of firewood to bring with him, knowing by the time he got home he would be worn out from the effort. It was a similar situation whenever he carried boiled water to and from his bath, which he was reminded he still had to empty, his eyes drifting that way as opposed to staying in Maxin. Of course he wasn't particularly dirty, so it could wait till he got back.

Looking back to his company, he gave a slight nod, "If you aren't hungry yet, going to the market first is fine with me. We can eat when that errand is done." Or, maybe they'd find something out in the market, at least for Max to try. Jura didn't want to deprive the man of any new experiences after all, though he was more than happy to eat that meat pie for his breakfast.

"Let me know if you see something you like while we are out." As he said thjs, Jura moved across the room to fetch his boots from under the edge of his bed, sitting to pull them on. They matched his gray outfit, but it wasn't like he cared. Most of himself would be covered with his coat after all, of which he grabbed next and tugged into place over his head. Like most of his outerwear, the coat included a hood that would hide the straps of his mask and did well to keep him at a comfortable temperature.

Jura stood from the bed and picked up his mask from the table, affixing it before he pulled the hood up, "Alright. I'm good to go."

Max: 157

“I’ll carry whatever ya need.” Maxin said rather enthusiastically, he was excited to get moving for the day. He was down for some sort of physical labor and carrying wood sounded perfect. Hell he’d even chop it if he had to. Granted he’s never held an axe… how hard could that be anyways?
His mind wandered away while Jura finished getting ready before they drifted back to him. Max popped right up and followed behind the man to the door. Outside the sun creeping across the sky to mid-morning. So they hadn’t slept too late. That was good.
Maxin swished his tail and rolled his shoulders back. How many markets did this place have anyways?
“Are we going to the same place as yesterday?” If so, he already had an idea in mind with what he wanted to look at, maybe they’d be going somewhere else. Whatever, as long as he was with Jura he didn’t mind.

Jura: 225

Jura gave an appreciative smile as he walked to the door, though he realized a bit late that he was wearing a mask, and poor Max certainly couldn’t see it. “Thank you. I’ll still carry a bundle or two, I just can’t handle more than that.” Oh how weak he was, there wasn’t anything to do about it. As the both of them left the building, Jura had to squint in the sun. Ew. daylight. He much preferred the night. “Ah.. it's still early.”

“We can, but there are more than one here in Faline, with it being such a big city and all. I’d stay in the Mar myself-” He paused to turn around and lock the door, “It’s safer for people like us.” Mages, anyways. Jura still wasn’t thrilled despite saying he was going to stay nearby. “Why, was there something you saw that caught your eye?” He really didn’t mind paying for anything the man wanted, and maybe they could pick out some clothes for him outside of the simple things Jura had gotten him.

Walking down the steps, Jura headed out from the dead-end of where his own dwelling was. Glancing to the side at some of the houses, belonging to a few older ladies he sometimes saw and mostly overheard talking in the evenings. Great gossip, if one asked him.

Max: 221

“Nah, the Mar is fine, ya know how I am though. Always lookin’ for trouble.” Max joked and straightened out his shirt before they took off. Max had quite literally rolled out of bed and…. That’s where they were left. His dreads didn’t require fixing, neither did anything else. He had slept in his clothes because he was too tired to take them off. Maybe he was a mess but after he straightened out his shirt he seemed to be decently set. And then there was his overdressed friend. Quite the combo walking down the street.
One looked ready to beat your ass and the other ready to knife it.
That thought made Max smile briefly. It was a good plan in case they got mugged… but if this was a safe area he didn’t need to worry about that, right? Right. So instead Max relaxed and shoved his hands in his pockets. No fighting. No stealing. He was going to behave. Especially if they’re headed to the Mar where that Enn guy must oversee or something.
The buildings they passed didn’t hold much interest and he kept his eyes peeled for a place with wood everywhere. Jura mentioned it hadn’t been very far…
Max was more in his head rather than up for holding conversation. It was a quiet walk.

Jura: 290

“Right, Just don’t look for trouble here or Enn might skin the both of us.” Maybe not… that specific type of punishment, but he was still sure they’d get something as retribution. Not that Jura planned to do any sort of crime in the area. “Keep your hands to yourself while you are in here too. If you ever want to go pickpocketing I can show you some places.” Not that Jura spent much of his time sticking his hands in other people's clothes. He only did that when they were aware of it and he was looking for a different kind of fun. The risk in general just didn’t seem worth it when most people could have a couple coins to their name or.. Paper? If he was going to be stealing, the risk of breaking into a house or building seemed more worth it, and offered him different avenues should the theft go bad.

It was quiet while they walked, which seemed to get to Jura more than it did to Max, “Did you want to look for more clothes while we are here? You could try some stuff on. I had to guess your size when I got you the shirt and pants, but it’s easier to find stuff that fits when you are with me.” He paused only briefly to turn his mask towards the man, clearly looking over his clothes and perhaps thinking it would be best if Max had at least two sets. Sleeping in his own clothes didn’t sit well with him anyways, though Max was fresh out of prison and probably hadn’t gotten a taste for such luxuries. “Maybe a coat. Spring is coming soon, but it still gets cold at night.”

Max: 144

“Yeah- I get it, Enn would have my head. We had the talk.” He rumbled a response out. “Keepin’ my hands in m’own pockets.”

While his eyes wandered, Max let Jura lead the way to rough the streets as in he’d follow along if he turned. People were beginning their daily activities which meant that the streets were filling. Max didn’t like more than three people, there were too many here he'd have to watch his back from. A taller man walked past which Max locked eyes with. He looked away. Intimidating people was always entertaining. Maxin relaxed and looked around the faces and items being toted about. While Jura waited for an answer, Max played with the lint in his pocket.
“Where would I put more clothes?” Max asked, having a second outfit sounded absurd. “S’pose we could though… the coats look warm.”

Jura: 294

‘The talk’ made Jura chuckle, muffled somewhat by the mask he wore, but he certainly found it funny. “Well good to know, I just want to be doubly sure is all. It would be a shame if you got kicked out.” Jura hoped Max wouldn’t do something to land himself on Enn’s shit list anyways.

Jura held a similar sentiment towards large groups of people but tried to keep his eyes ahead, a goal in mind. Firewood, clothes. Good stuff. “I don’t know, you could get a bag. Its always a good idea to have a change of clothes in case your first gets wet, dirty or worn out.” He paused to take a slow inhale, turning down another road that went to the market. A few stalls lining the walls between buildings, most were still in the process of setting up, with people running here and there carrying their goods,he figured they could still find some firewood. “Even just a coat. Wouldn’t you want one of those if you go back to sea?”

From his experience, the vapor that clung to water tended to be cold and chilled him, but maybe that was just Jura’s problem. He figured Max was warmer blooded in general, “Here-” He said after another minute or so of walking, pausing in front of a covered stall with piles of chopped logs, bunches of the wood bundled together with a bit of rope each, looped in a way that one could hold it like a handle. He shifted past the piles after inspecting them for a moment. “Let’s get you a coat before we burden ourselves with all that. The merchant has plenty in stock and its early enough that I don't think he’ll sell out.” Hopefully, anyways.

Max: 198

“… Right then maybe I do need clothes. And a bag.”
He never thought of having multiple outfits for being out on sea- maybe that was why the men tended to avoid him on that smaller vessel. Yeah- more clothes was probably a better idea. He thought about the fancy outfit Enn was wearing and… well whatever the hell Jura picked to wear, he couldn’t imagine himself in something similar. Maybe they’d find another linen shirt.
“Okay.” Max replied. “So wood last, coat first. You know any good places?” His tail went into a frenzy of little flicks for a second when he swore he heard a voice behind him, but no one was there. If Jim appeared again, he’d lose his ever loving shit.
His eyes traveled over the piles of wood, it didn’t look like it would be too heavy. Then he let Jura chime in an option before falling in-line or walking beside him to wherever. Shopping for… clothes made him nervous. What if they only had fancy expensive things…
Jura held out a handful of coins he still had, solid gold.
“This is all I have left. I don’t think it’s enough.” He muttered.

Jura: 240

Awesome, at least Max kind of agreed to clothes, though he figured the guy wouldn’t be into anything Jura enjoyed… “Those are pretty cheap. I saw a guy a block down selling some shirts and things a week ago. Plain stuff-” He interjected, “Don’t worry about having to be all fancy, just look for something you think will be comfortable and practical for you.” Jura spoke as he caught the man’s tail flicking about quickly, wondering if he was nervous at the prospect of getting himself something. Maybe it was also the market, as his own eyes flicked forward to watch the growing crowd of people. He just reached out his hand to take Maxin’s in an effort to lead him there.

“No, keep your coins. I have plenty on me.” In his coat pocket anyways, which he knew better than to indicate in a public place, lest some other petty thief decided to try his luck. Not that Jura thought he was going to get robbed. It was just a little common
sense. “He might have coats, but if you don’t see anything you like, there are other markets. Outside the Mar of course.” Jura wasn’t entirely excited to go visit one of those during the day. The people here looked out for one another, mage or not, but the same didn’t necessarily hold true elsewhere. Guards also frequented those places, where Jura would certainly be watching their backs.

Max: 205

”Nothin’ is comfortable.” Max declared. “Pants are sometimes… hate shirts. Pants get all wadded up in the crotch. Y’know the deeper to the mines ya g-” He stopped himself, he really needed to quit about the mines. “Anyways, ya let’s give that place a look.” His eyes passed to Jura when he took his hand, but Max didn’t interject. He followed him through a small handful of people through the street.
“Ya sure? Okay… Sounds like a lot o’ effort for a jacket.” Maxin commented when they came up to a few stalls of clothing. Max wasn’t quite sure where to begin and seemed to be a bit reluctant on approaching the vendors. Clothes were not his thing. Sure they had plain linen shirts and what not but, what was he even looking for? They had shorter looking jackets, some clothing was more feminine and other divided into not…feminine… How the hell…
Max raised an eyebrow at a black leather corset, then he gave a cheeky grin to Jura. It was a joke and he hoped to the Gods Jura wouldn’t publicly acknowledge it, Max didn’t want to be caught dead standing by that thing.
“Ah- I ain’t gotta clue Jura. Need some guidance here.”

Jura: 248

Well being without a shirt was more acceptable in public than going without pants, the latter surely to end Max in jail. "I mean, what they gave us to wear there didn't fit well to begin with." He said, clearly puzzled over what Max seemed like he was going to say about the mines and pants. Alas, his curiosity would have to wait, as they approached a vendor selling shirts. Most items seemed casual and plain. Though sadly much too small to fit someone of Maxin's size. Curse him and all his wonderful muscle.

He perused for a moment or two and caught quite a few riskier garments scattered among the more mundane stock, and when he side eyed Max he unexpectedly caught a grin on the man's face. In his usual whispering voice, he brought it up. "That one catch your eye? I don't think you'll fit. Unless you're into seeing other people wearing it." He had his own horrible little grin, but Max couldn't see that, only that Jura's eyes narrowed. It would definitely fit him, as he was a twig compared to his friend. Alas, they were here for Max so he wouldn't go home with it.

"Well, you want something well fitted… just a coat, or extra shirt too?" Jura changed the subject, having caught the weary look from the vendors face at his not so straight comments. Poor guy. He nodded at the man attending, "have anything you think will fit this brute?"

Max: 157

His eyes had already focused on something else when Jura nearly made Max choke. His tail coiled and he let out a loud laugh, to the vender’s disgruntled delight.
“HA- right... Maybe later.” Maxin tried to keep a cool expression and not crack a horrible smile, especially when they were now talking to the poor guy trying to sell. He looked like he just wanted them gone, Max didn’t blame him.
“Ah, I did a day or so ago- sorry, mate.”
“Well, too bad.” Max started and turned away. His tail was still trying not to giggle at Jura’s comment, and the fact that he knew there was a shitty smirk under that mask that he couldn’t see. “I don’t know clothes, Jura. Judgin by yer chest at yer place, I’d say ya sure do.” He paused and looked at Jura’s outfit for a second. “I like the black, dark stuff… otherwise anythin’ to cover my back.”

Jura: 235

Jura tried not to chuckle, especially since he was now trying to talk to the vendor. He reached out a hand to swat at Max and held his breath for a moment or two, clearly amused based on the look in his eyes. “Ok, thanks for your time then.” He did eventually manage to get out, sounding a little breathless. Jura turned with Max after that and took a few steps away from the stall, looking around for any other prospects.

“Aw it's alright, I didn’t know anything either and just kind of figured things out as time went on.” He said as he tapped Max’s back lightly and pointed down the way to a stall that was being stocked, “Look, that one has coats, one has got to fit you.”

The rogue gave one last look back to the vendor with his mingle of normal and spicy items. Perhaps he’d have to go snoop around here for some things to add to his wardrobe later. Leather always interested him anyways, as well as things with dark muted colors that were accented by gold or other metallics. He even enjoyed the brighter purple of the scarf Maxin had picked out and found himself fiddling with the tassels absentmindedly.

“So, dark shirts? Or are you into leather too-?” He asked, glancing back to his friend and his mood betraying tail. The man was like a cat.

Max: 162

Enjoying the now lighter mood of the situation, Max recoiled his hand after he was smacked and snorted out a laugh.
“Right, because apparently things I like, I’m too big for.” It was unknown if it was about the corset still, but that was true. It wasn’t just that big shirts didn’t exist, but shirts that wouldn’t be tight around his arms. Apparently giant built men in the area were rare. Max’’s attention was turned to racks lined with dark clothes on one side and light things on the other. It looked promising. When he heard Jura’s voice, he lifted his chin and cast a side-eyed gaze over. It was difficult to tell if he was being serious at the moment, but he must be.
“Dark is good ‘nd…. I‘ve never worn leather. But there’s always time for a first.”
They walked down to the stall and Max’s eyes traveled while he looked around, not sure which jacket to look at first.

Jura: 167

“We might have better luck trying places closer to the port. Where all the sailors go.” He added as they approached the merchant with a stock of coats, each side divided by color. It was an amusing arrangement, “Oh I think you’d look good in something like that.” It would definitely accent the man’s muscles. Maybe some pants?

Jura paused at a coat, pulled it out by the sleeve and inclined his head towards Max, clearly trying to size him up in comparison. The coat was a dark navy with gold thread, and by a glance at the tag hanging from the collar, quite expensive. Worth a try though. “How about this one-” He asked before looking to the vendor, “Can he try this one?”

His question was greeted with a nod, so Jura pulled it from the hangar and held it up to Max, seeing how the color of the fabric would work with the man’s darker skin tone. Hm. Not bad, but did it fit?

Max: 172

Max was to Jura’s disposal as his dressing doll, and he was happy to have a friend who seemed to know just what he was doing. Max looked at the coat and immediately thought enjoyed the darkness of it, it was like a naval coat but less fancy. He took the overcoat and slid his arms through the sleeves. So far so good- when he finished putting it on, it was a bit fitted in his broader shoulders. Max felt a little stiff in it, as if the seams would start to act questionably if he was any larger of a man. The material was cold from the chilly morning air which sent a shiver down his spine, but it was heavier and would probably keep him warm.
“Fits ok, snug in the shoulders- Dunno how it’s s’posed to fit.”
There were buttons, quite a few of them, but Max wasn’t about to stand there and stupidly try to figure them out infront of the vendor who was casually eyeballing the two.

Jura: 207

Jura watched patiently as Max tried the coat on, "if you bring your arms forward and flex, does it feel like the seams with pop? It's supposed to be a little snug but not so much that it keeps you from moving easily." Jura explained as he circled the man and minded how the coat handled him. Something a little bigger would probably be better. Of course the man selling the coats heard Jura's words and produced a similarly patterned coat for Max if a larger size, holding an empty hangar to take the one he currently wore.

"Oh thank you." Jura bobbed his head at the man, turning back to Max to help him get the coat free without potentially damaging it and being forced to pay the repairs or for the garment in its entirety. "Here, try this one. It should fit well on the body and reach your wrists, if you raise your arms it should be comfortable…and not too bunched." Hopefully anyways. If this fit, he'd buy it and ask the man nearby If he sold shirts or pants that complimented.

"What do you think?" If Maxin needed the help, Jura was more than happy to button the second one up for him

Maxin: 184

“Yeah- might bust it if I did that.” Max muttered, but his hope lifted as a larger coat came forward from the vendor. “Well look at that.”
Carefully, as to not rip anything, he let Jura assist him out of the one that was too small and gently handed it back to him. He let out a little sigh and slipped his hands through the armholes of this newer jacket. The material already felt a little heavier from the size difference, and it fit like it was supposed to. The length was right as well, and it didn’t get stuck on his forearms but instead reached his wrists.
“Ha- think it’s actually s’posed to fit like this.” Max raised his arms and felt the jacket move along easily, it was comfortable. “Thinkin’ it works.”
He turned to Jura and shrugged.
“How do I look?” He felt funny like he looked like a giant in this thing. When he was young he had worn coats full of holes but that was about it. This was a little exciting to him, he liked the golden threads.

Jura: 186

Oh wasn't he handsome? Jura was grinning like a little fool under his mask as he passed the other coat back to the vendor, watching for a moment before he turned back to the man and asked him for any shirts or pants. The fellow gave a little nod and turned away to go fetch a set from behind the rest of the coats on the racks. In the meantime, Jura turned himself on his heel to admire, "I think you look wonderful, and if it fits, we have one problem solved for the day."

Jura walked about Max again to eye him and how the coat hung on his frame. Looked good enough to him, and when he stopped his pacing around Max like a wolf, the vendor reappeared with a shirt and pair of pants in hand. This accented in some places with a similar thread, and rich colors. "Oh look, I think I trust him to know what would fit you max, but I'm sure trying it on later at home would also be acceptable. if it's not fitted correctly, I'll return it."

Max: 131

Maxin scratched the back of his head and grinned. Good- that was easy then… maybe clothes shopping isn’t as horrible as he initially imagined it to be. Max tried to move his tail around and found that there was a slit up the back of the coat that actually allowed for him to slip through and wiggle it about still. He turned his head around to find Jura looking him over and nodded.
“Okay- best to do that unless the crowd wants a show…. Are ya sure I can’t pay for it, Jura?” He asked, feeling a little odd to have Jura getting the clothing for him. Though he appreciated it- he wasn’t sure how much any of it was. Max sighed but then wondered where they’d be headed to next.

Jura: 222

"Oh no, it's my treat." Jura replied again casually, looking around them for a moment to survey, particularly to the nearby stalls that had been set up in the meantime. Similar articles for sale- clothing, boots, accessories that Jura had to tell himself to ignore, "I suppose we could look for a bag for you, and then get the wood." Of course first he had to pay, fishing a hand into the pockets of his own coat to locate his money. He turned from Max then and paid the man the price he said, with a caveat that Jura could return anything that didn't fit, if that so happened anyways. Though the man before him assured he had a good eye on such things.

With Max's clothes paid for, Jura took the other two items from the vendor, folded them and tucked them into the crook of his arm. "Unless you are hungry, anyways?" Max always seemed to be after all, and even Jura could said he felt some pang of hunger himself. He'd look forward to warming the pie on the hearth, or even just eating it cold. As chicken tended to be good in many ways, provided it was seasoned. Bland, cold bird didn't sit well with him unless he was feeling partially Ill and wouldn't mind it either way.

Max: 160

“Mm, okay- thank you, Jura.” He fiddled with the buttons on his new long coat for a moment before Jura returned with the bag comment. Max left the fabric alone and smoothed back a few of his dreads that had fallen across his face when he put the coat on.
“Hungry? Hah yeah, but I’m waitin’ for that pie, smelled amazin’ yesterday.” Max curled his tail around his feet and felt the new coat warming to his temperature. It was heavy, cozy, he liked it. Why had he never had one before?
“Off to, whatever else then? Do you need anything?”
His ears caught the sound of a child whining then growing silent. His eyes turned just in time to catch the youngster’s gaze staring at the pair. Their eyes met for a second before the kid immediately shied into their parent’s coat. Maxin returned his crimson stare back to Jura waiting patiently for the man to lead the way.

Jura: 202

"You are welcome!" Jura replied as he tucked the rest of his coins back into a pocket. Adjusting the pouch somewhat so it wasn't visible against his silhouette. "Ok, keep your eyes peeled then-" he started to say when he also heard the whine, turning his head to find a child gawking, quickly moving to hide behind their parents. Must be nice. He just gave a little sigh, stepped closer to Max to help him with the buttons and soon pushed him the opposite way, away from people who might be staring. "oh, not really. Just firewood is fine for me." He really didn't need to waste money of anything else right now save necessities, nor did he want to come off as vain in front of Maxin. Though, if he was being truthful, his clothes did make him feel slightly better about himself. A little bandaid, so long as he didn't look in a mirror.  

"We'll look for a bag on the way back to the firewood, but if we don't find one, we can look another time." Hopefully, if Max was still around. He didn't know how long that would last. "What about you, did you see anything you wanted?"

Max: 179

Happy to plod along, Maxin went the direction he was guided toward and swished his tail around contently now that he got to experience what it was like to be warm.
“Only seems fair for ya to get somethin’ too but, if not then wood it is. And pie.” He rubbed his stomach as he said that, already completely forgetting about a bag.
He walked past more vendors than had been there earlier and began to eye things a little more closely. Sparkly items caught his eye, the shiny jewels and bright necklaces. He paused and ran his hand over a large plume feathered hat, then continued along the way. Max paused when he saw that vendor from earlier, the one they might of have scarred already.
“Ey- Y’know I been thinkin, ya should get that corset. It matches, right?” He was partially joking but a little serious- leather seemed to be Jura’s thing. His tail coiled at the idea of it going over one of the outfits, Max kind of took a liking to it after a while.

Jura: 164

He didn't plan to get anything for himself, at least, that wasn't on his mind till Max voiced his thoughts. The suggestion caught Jura off guard. He was glad he wore a mask to hide his expression, "It does…" he said a bit quietly, eyeing the plumed hat Max had touched. He wasn't sure the man could manage something like that with his horns, but it was nice to look at.

As they continued on, Jura couldn't ignore the thoughts in his head and spoke up, "if you like it, I'll get it. I can wear it under my coat." Or just wear it over his shirt, if he was sitting at home. A little excitement for an otherwise boring activity. Maybe Enn would enjoy it too, though Jura wasn't sure he was ready for any teasing.

That stall was on their way back to where Jura usually bought his firewood, so they had the opportunity to pester the poor guy manning the stall.

Max: 178

With a grin he gently elbowed Jura in the ribs and nodded., making an ‘uhh yea’ face as they walked.
“Listen,” Max started. “I ain’t no expert but… yeah. Yeah ya can pull it off.” Max chirped his words with a side-eyed glance towards Jura and another creeping smile. “I remember one red-haired lad at the tavern wearin’ em, he sure was a looker.” They had stopped from their day of fishing and oftentimes found themselves bellied up to the bar. He seemed to be lost in the memory for a moment.
“Yeaaah kinda looked like ya a bit, bright eyes, short hair--  but he was much shorter ‘nd… Loud. Gah, made our ears ring.” Oops… he shut his mouth after realizing he must’ve spoken a little too much.
The vendor was creeping up on them and Max’s eyes wandered to a few other items they had. Nothing new or too spectacular, he had seen it all earlier. Max quit bugging Jura about it, pressuring people wasn’t his thing.. His tail coiled and he released a little sigh.

Jura: 248

Well, he figured that was a compliment towards him being a skinny little shit that could put the thing on in the first place, but the following mention of a whore that looked similar to him did make him frown. “Is that a good or bad thing, cause…” They shared two things in common he guessed, but Jura lacked the loudness. He was just very gay and very into little spicy leather things. Of course, maybe also being equated to a whore was a… thing that he shouldn’t be all too proud about. Good on them for making use of themselves in a way that was hopefully consensual, but he wasn’t for it himself nor all the touching they probably endured. Perhaps if he hadn’t been left on the street and picked up by one of those places, he would be the same kind of person Max talked about in passing. Probably incredibly annoying too, for lack of anything meaningful happening in his life.

Alas, Max’s smile made him think he was trying to say that positively. He waited a moment before calling the guy over, well aware of his looming nearby, “You still have that thing we were looking at?” The man supplied a nod, mentioned the price and fetched the corset, handing it to Jura as he exchanged coins. That too was tucked with the other clothes on his arm, between the two he’d gotten for Max lest he get more weird looks from passers by.

Max: 172

“…. Is what a good or bad thing…?” Going back to his words, it was really difficult to pick apart what might of have been taken wrong. Was being called a looker something bad? He didn’t want to blurt out that Hey, you look like this hot guy I met- that would have been way too blunt. Max was really trying to pick his words around Jura, but also to find a balance of being bluntly honest, and not being so harsh.
“Is it… bad to be comparin ya to others..? I meant it in a good way…” Maybe that was it.
Max quieted down when Jura approached  the vendor and watched the transaction take place, he was tempted to ask how they paid and figured out how much the cost of the item was and what coins were needed. What they were called. His eyes could only learn so much.
His tail still flicked in annoyance at himself, trying to figure out how he had soured the light-hearted mood so quickly.

Jura: 196

Oh. Had he misheard what the man had said? Jura turned back to him after he obtained the corset and looked at him with wide eyes. Rethinking the conversation himself, and maybe feeling a little like an idiot. “I’m sorry-” He started, eyes narrowing as he looked elsewhere in the growing crowd; surely he was just being dramatic, as Maxin explained he meant it as a compliment. Was he pretty? No, not really. Too many scars to feel that way, anyways. “No it’s not bad, I thought…” That max was equating him to a hooker, which… probably wasn’t actually what was said now that he thought about it. He took a slow breath to settle his nerves, trailing off before he resumed in a brighter tone, “Nevermind… let’s get the firewood?”

If Max said he could pull off a corset, he’d still wear it. Without anything else he wanted to fumble with his shitty hearing, he just started walking down the road towards the beginning of the market, back to where the merchant who sold firewood was waiting. By now he’d completely forgotten about getting a backpack and just had getting back home in his head.

Max: 122

“Haha- okay.” Maxin chuckled and followed Jura into a small wave of bodies. They passed a few vendors and he was no longer interested in stopping to look at things, probably for the same reason that Jura kept chugging along. Too many people.
They walked along and quickly arrived at the stall. Max looked at but how much was sold already, a few people were there and busying the vendor with their purchases.
“I could carry… five, maybe seven bundles? If you have a rope to loop them through. I don’t know how many you want to bring back…” Max said while he eyeballed the wood piles.
His eyes only briefly fell upon Jura, waiting to be told which ones to snatch.

Jura: 156

It probably would have been better to get their wood earlier, considering how much had sold already by the time they reached the stand, but even if he had done that, Jura still wouldn’t be able to carry much. Two bundles was bad enough, if anyone asked him. He even snorted when Maxin said he could carry five or more of them. “Gods, I guess you make use of all that muscle. I don’t have a rope, so I guess whatever you can carry?” He’d try and carry one himself, just because his arms were already occupied with clothing items.

“Yeah, just find one with dry pieces, not too small of a bundle.” Most that Jura eyed seemed good enough to him. He shifted over to the pile to pick out a few, or at least point at some of them so the vendor could pull them out of the stacks and save Jura some effort.

Max: 218

“Well, maybe he does…?” Max waited for Jura to get his attention and stood patiently as the wood was retrieved and stacked into piles. “Ya got a solid rope?” The vendor grinned and nodded, then moved behind him where he came from. There on a metal bar we’re lots, of ropes. “Oh.”
He brought one out and Max started threading it through already premade bundles that were tied together. He got six sizeable stacks and put a special knot through it. The knot looked simple but he knew it wouldn’t break. Then he turned around, crouched down, and lifted it all to his back with little effort. It was a lot lighter than the rocks he’d moved in the mines.
“Alright, ready then?” They sure won’t be going cold anytime soon.
Maxin swished his tail and followed after Jura through the crowd and flicked his ear when he heard the volume of voices raise in laughter. Now he had a firm understanding why the man moved more at night. This city was loud. Actually this was his second time venturing out in the daylight, and he had forgotten how busy it had become. He wished Jura would’ve let him tie a string to him or something so he could follow after him without getting lost in the people.

Jura: 291

“I’m good.” He said, moving to get a bundle for himself to carry so he at least participated in the labor, though not by much. The bundle he selected was tucked under his arm, quietly lamenting how he’d have to pick wood chips and splinters from his coat later, but thats how it was sometime.

Maybe if Jura had a spine, he would have asked about a rope for what Max aimed to carry by himself, but well, Max solved it. He paid the vendor a couple gold for all the firewood and walked, or led the way back through the crowds. Stopping frequently to double check Max was still tagging along after him. It wasn’t like he was hard to spot, tall and lanky, dressed most of the time in black. Not many other people in Faline wore masks either, and if the common people on the street saw him, they’d be looking his way. Gawking, he was sure, but he tried to ignore them.

As the walk to the market hadn't taken long when unburdened, the return trip took slightly longer. Enough to wear Jura out a little more than he liked to admit to people, so when they stepped down the road to his house, he was oh so glad to see his door. Not so much the steps leading up to it. “Can you carry that up-” He said a little wearily, shutting himself up before Max could notice how winded he was sounding. If Jura wasn’t such a wuss, he could have finished the sentence. Suggested they break the larger group back into the single bundles. Either way, he waited a moment before  tackling the steps, unlocking the door, and dropping his burden by the fireplace.