Leam sat down, clasping his hands together to avoid doing anything with them. The issue he was presented with was of course that Dinae was beside him, and her skirt was short and her thighs were right there and all he had to do was- Leam stopped closing his eyes and pressing his forehead into his clasped hands as if praying. He tried to calm his errant thoughts as best he could.
`Keep it together, man.`
Behind him Dalton entered, with Viv behind him holding a couple dishes. While she looked for a place to set them down, Dalton moved to his two companions. Though Viv had joined the party tentatively, the core was undoubtedly just the trio until they could judge whether Viv was actually a good fit. Even for Dalton, she was more of a friend and a fling. Dalton casually reached over Leam to place a bowl down in an empty spot. As he did, his groin brushed against the small of Leam's back. As it did Leam shuddered slightly. Playfully, Dalton rested a hand on both of Leam's shoulders and pressed into his sitting figure more from behind. He gulped.
"Sorry, Leam. That excite you?" Dalton asked, bending down to wrap his big arms around Leam's small frame. He was doing it more or less as a playful jest, however. Leam could not take it as anything other than a full on invitation.
"Oi! Don't tease." Dinae smacked at Dalton.
"Sorry, sor-" Dalton began to pull back but Leam gripped his forearm, turned and planted a kiss on Dalton's surprised, parted lips as a hand came up to cup the back of Dalton's head. He pulled away, showing briefly that Leam's tongue was pushed deep into his mouth, and touched his lips in awe of what just happened.
"Woah..." Dalton stared at Leam with wide eyes. Everyone else was incredibly surprised as well. Dinae seemed intrigued, her ears perked straight up with her bushy tail showing movement behind her.
"Uhm..." Leam turned away and stared down at his plate, hands falling into his lap over his aroused, growing bulge.
Viv was the only one who did not seem to understand the significance. "This normal for you guys?"
"Well-" Dalton began to try and explain that there had been hints of it before while hovering a hand over Leam's shoulder.
Leam interjects. "Guy's, I'm losing control. I think I'm out of my mind and it's not getting better." He pauses, exhaling a deep breath before adding a rather important bit of information.
"Hannah cursed me before the events that happened there reached their conclusion."
Dinea stood up suddenly, knocking her chair over in the process as she knelt down beside Leam tearfully.
"Oh god!" She took his hands in one of hers and placed the other at his back.
"Leam, why didn't you say something? With what happened-"
"I didn't know better until you told me, but with what happened to those two you should've been smarter about this!" Dalton shouted, throwing his hands up and walking to the wall. He turned, took a steadying breath and walked back while looking down.
Leam shrugged. "Didn't think it was a big deal, you know?" He smiled weakly. He smiled, flattered by how much Dinae was fawning over him. She nestled her head between his shoulder and neck, hugging him. It was a shameful wake-up call that in the tender moment, all he could think about was carrying out the intrusive thought of grabbing her tail. He shook it off.
"Not a big deal!?" She cried out in frustration.
"Dammit Leam..." She did not stop holding him. He shut his eyes and held her back.
"I know. I know. I'm sorry." He threw his head back.
"Ever since I was young I wasn't affected by this stuff. Lewd stuff, you know?" As he spoke, Dalton and Viv sat down together quietly.
"Yeah... I know." Dinae chuckled, wiping tears.
"I knew that the whole time. It's not who you are..." She gritted her teeth, sharp, pear white canines bared against her own ignorance.
"I should've seen it. I should've put more thought into your change in attitude."
"No. It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault." Leam smirked.
"Remember those lewd stories my dad kept?" Dinae nodded.
"Well... He kept them under double lock in a heavy chest. Keys were hidden. It was more tight than the liquor cabinet and you know why I had no interest in the liquor cabinet." He smiled at Dinae in particular, leaning his forehead against her.
She chuckled and nodded. "I do."
"Why would I bother? It wouldn't be interesting if it wasn't being kept away from me. Under lock and key. So, I thought that the chest and its contents were so interesting that I went about learning how to pick locks. I practised around town, got good enough and one night I finally got that chest open and looked inside. The books. Forbidden knowledge." He rolled his eyes.
"Were... Not that interesting. They were hardcore, for sure. They contained acts that probably shouldn't be brought up in polite company."
"So we're good, then?" Dalton offered with a nervous chuckle. The group followed that with a laugh after Leam did.
"Maybe." Leam winked.
"Don't tempt me. That's the point." He sighed heavily.
"Thinking more and more about that stuff." He shook his head.
"Maybe thinking is the wrong word for it. I feel like that material is surfacing in the things that I do more and more without me even noticing. I want to tie you all up. I want to drp wax on you and gag you at both ends." He shuddered.
"Dinae I wanna push my cock into your ears and-" She slapped him.
"Leam!"
He breathed out slowly. "I needed that. Thanks."
"Of course..." She looked at him sadly. Dalton and Viv exchange worried looks as well.
"So-" He slumped down in his chair with Dinae still holding him. She pulled his head into her chest since he was at the right level.
"-there it is. What I've been feeling lately." He shrugged.
"Not sure what to do."
"Use an ADT." Viv offered frankly.
"What?" Leam questioned. The group looked at her but only Dalton and Dinae held any recognition of what they were saying.
"An ADT? How would we get that?" Dalton questioned.
Dinae's ears wiggled side to side as she cocked her head curiously. "Well... We could order one. Or, you could. It's work related." She rested her hand over her belly. She had not been at work for roughly a week now.
Dalton crossed his arms. "They'd give US an ADT? Not likely. Nothing weird happens in Blackliff... According to Militia Command." He rolled his eyes.
"Guys! What's an ADT?" Leam asked.
"Aura Diagnostic Tool." Dinae explained.
Dalton added to that. "There's a group of odd beastfolk that rolled into Cheshire a month ago. They're selling and developing a lot of new convenient tools."
"The Cheshire Analytical Troupe. I got sold one by a charismatic, sultry saleswoman with gold eyes. I couldn't really resist." Viv chuckled.
"So you're admitting you basically got scammed?" Dalton asked.
"Not scammed! Anymore..." Viv shrugged.
"I had basically no use for such an expensive tool on the job around here until you guys mentioned this. Now it's an extremely apt purchase." The bronze-toned elf smirked.
"Right?" She tussled her smooth red hair proudly as she leaned back in her chair.
"Thank you! Can you get it right now?" Dinae asked desperately.
Viv stood up. "I'll do so promptly. Keep the food warm..." She sighed, staring down at the prepared meal.
"Do you one better." Leam smiled.
"I'm not going anywhere and neither are my... proclivities. Let's eat and figure it out after that."
They exchanged sceptical looks, but Leam seemed insistent. Dalton was the first to remark. "I'm game."
They all gathered around Leam and the ADT after dinner. Viv brought it from her home and set it out on the table. The device was a smooth round golf-ball sized crystal mounted on top of a guard that looked as though it was meant to be strapped to a forearm or a gauntlet. At the other end there was another smaller, more rough crystal held within a directional bowl pointed out. Viv pointed it at Leam.
"Can it be used without mounting it on your arm?" Dalton asked.
"The arm doesn't matter. It just has to be pointing at the target directly, and there can't be anything around him that gives off a strong Aura, or the results will need to be parsed far too much for my meagre understanding to handle." Viv explained, somehow managing to sound haughty even while conceding that she was almost as clueless as the rest of them. She activated it and stepped back, watching closely.