[center][h1][color=#0080FF]Arthur Pendragon,[/color] [color=D0661E]Arkin Rey[/color] [color=#00FF7F]& James Harris[/color][/h1][/center]
Arthur’s eyes went wide as he could hardly believe what he was hearing. In all his days, never had another man shown such compassion or worry for Arthur’s well being before. The only other person who had ever shown this level of compassion towards him was his mother. Merlin most certainly had never shown him any. It left him speechless to say the least. Sensing the man’s earnestness and hearing that commanding tone stripped him of what little fight he had left in himself. All he could do was nod in agreement. At least he had offered to bring his new friend along with him. Turning to face the oversized canid, he offered a warm smile and nodded in its direction, questioning whether or not it wished to follow. He could only hope it would, as he had few to call his friend, as it were. 

For its part, the wolf gave a simple nod before following James to his motorcycle, that confounded metal horse, and began doing stretches next to it, as if getting ready for a run. Its verbal silence coupled with its clear understanding of Arthur was a bit eerie. Come to think of it, it hasn’t made a single sound since it first arrived, has it? There was that time it growled at James, but looking back, maybe that was just Arthur’s imagination?

Before Arthur could dwell too deeply on this, James waved him over, straddling the motorcycle and gesturing to the sidecar. [color=00FF7F]”Hop in.”[/color]

James seemed friendly enough, but Arthur couldn’t help but feel awkward as he gingerly stepped into the bizarre facsimile of equine life. It had three wheels, unlike any carriage Arthur has ever seen, yet if this was how James conducted his travel, surely it was safe, right?

James grinned at Arthur as he stepped into the sidecar. It was obviously his first time riding in one. First timers were always fun. Pointing inside the sidecar, he gestured towards the spare helmet lying on the ground inside. [color=00FF7F]”Put that on kiddo, safety first and all that.”[/color] Taking his phone out of his pocket, he quickly sent a text to the pizza place down the street from his apartment before glancing back at the wolf. Starting the engine, his Harley roared to life. [color=00FF7F]”I’ll try to go slow, so that you can keep up.”[/color]

Although it appeared to be paying attention, if the wolf understood James, it didn’t seem to react. On the other hand, Arthur was immediately panicked, eye’s going wide at the sound of the engine. [color=#0080FF]“Holy Mother of Christ!”[/color] Exclaimed Arthur as he leapt from the side car. [color=#0080FF]“That be no normal beast! Of that I am assured!”[/color]

Blinking at the sudden reaction from the kid, James calmly patted the side of his bike. [color=00FF7F]”Of course she's not a beast. Harley here is a lady. You don't have anything to be worried about, though, I've been riding her going on almost twelve years now. It's perfectly safe.”[/color]

If it were possible, Arthur’s eyes would have grown even wider at the man called Medic’s words. [color=#0080FF]“You mean to say that you have bewitched a woman and turned her into this metal monstrosity!?”[/color]

[color=00FF7F]”Eh? What? No! Of course not, if I could do that I wouldn't waste it on innocent women. I simply meant that she is a refined piece of machinery and has been in my family long enough to deserve more than to be called an it.”[/color]

Huffing a small laugh, James shook his head. [color=00FF7F]”Jeeze, kid, haven't you ever heard a man talk about his vehicle before?”[/color]

[color=#0080FF]“Nay! In fact, this be the first time I hath ever laid eyes on such a...”[/color] Arthur paused for a moment recalling what had just been said about respecting his ‘vehicle’, before choosing his words more carefully [color=#0080FF]“...That is to say, I am new to this land, and your customs are strange to me. As is your... [i]vehicle[/i]. No offense was meant, my good sir.”[/color]

Under his breath, James couldn’t help but comment to himself, [color=00FF7F]”wow, he’s really committed to this.”[/color] Shaking his head, James said louder, his voice amused, [color=00FF7F]”no offense taken. You feel up for trying her out?”[/color]

Looking between this metal [s]horror show[/s] horse and its rider, Arthur was truly at a loss. He was certain it was safe, after all this man had supposedly ridden it for years. But he still had that nagging feeling in the back of his head that he shouldn’t trust it. Offering up a coy smile, Arthur yet again slipped into the side car. Making sure to fasten the helmet to his head, he gripped onto the side of the car saying. [color=#0080FF]“I think this will be fun. I hope.”[/color]

[color=00FF7F]”You might want to buckle up, first.”[/color]

Turning to face his new compatriot, he wore a confused look on his face. [color=#0080FF]“My clothes hath no buckles.”[/color] He even gestured at his clothes, or lack thereof.

[color=00FF7F]”...”[/color]

Stunned into silence, James simply reached over and put the seatbelt on over Arthur for him. He opened his mouth to say something afterward, but couldn’t find the words and decided to simply start driving instead.

With the logistics of getting Arthur into a modern vehicle out of the way, the three began the trip back to James’ apartment. On the way, the large wolf seemed to have no trouble keeping up with James’ motorcycle, freely passing it at times before coming to a demure stop at red lights or upcoming turns. James got the message and began speeding up a bit, which in turn caused the wolf to speed up. It didn’t show any signs of tiring, so the cycle continued until the two groups ended up having a full-blown race. At some point a speed limit law was probably broken and Arthur let out a scream. A concerned hero even flew down to check what was going on, since a large wolf following a motorcycle through town at high speeds while emanating screams has a way of turning heads, but as soon as Arkin and James heard Arthur scream, they slowed down and came to a stop, conveniently coming to a red light, with the wolf sitting calmly next to the motorcycle and its occupants. Since evidently there were no ongoing issues demanding his attention, the hero simply had to shrug and move on.

Arthur, never having experienced such speeds before, had no recourse but to hold on for dear life. [color=#0080FF]“By the grace of all that is holy, please stop! I would like to ride the wolf! Tis much safer than this!”[/color] James and the wolf both looked to him and back at each other before tacitly agreeing to slow down.

[color=00FF7F]”Are you sure you don’t want to ride in the sidecar? It should be more secure, what with the seat belt.”[/color]

[color=#0080FF]“Yes.”[/color] Arthur responded immediately, almost before James even finished asking.

They made the quick transfer before the light had turned green, Arkin leaning down for Arthur wordlessly. Although there was no saddle, and the rest of the ride wasn’t quite as smooth, at least he didn’t have to deal with the fiery growls of that infernal contraption.

Rather than going back to James’ apartment immediately, they first came to a stop outside of a pizza place. Despite, or perhaps [i]because[/i] of the distractingly large wolf looming outside of the restaurant, James was in and out pretty quick, putting five large boxes of pizza in the sidecar before starting the bike up again and turning the corner. It was a mercifully short drive from there, and James soon came to a stop in front of an old red-brick apartment complex.

Dismounting his bike, he took off his helmet, running a hand through his hair. Turning to Arthur and the wolf, he gave them both a smile and gestured to the building. [color=00FF7F]”Well, here we are. Mi casa es su casa. I'm James by the way.”[/color]

Arkin thought he should give him a proper response, but still didn’t feel like playing charades, so, for the first time all night, he finally made a small sound. [color=D0661E]”Arf.”[/color]

[color=#0080FF]“Well said. You both already know my identity; Arthur Pendragon, one true king of the holy land of Britannia. Protector of the weak and downtrodden. ‘Tis a pleasure to finally be acquainted by name.”[/color]

[color=00FF7F]”Yeah… Welcome, Arthur and… Arf.”[/color]

Taking the pizzas out of the sidecar, he gestured at them to follow him as he opened the - thankfully knobless - double front door, leading them up the stairs to the fifth floor. They passed his neighbor, Mrs. Kowalski on the way up, but while she raised an eyebrow at the giant wolf, she simply winked at James and went back inside her apartment where nine cats could be seen. (Screw their super's no pets rule. The guy is a jerk.) Arkin loves cats, and was tempted to barge in to pet them with his freakishly big dog paws, abusing his status as a wild animal with allegedly no self-control, but they seemed to shrink away at the sight of him. No! Don’t go, kitties! Please!

The door shut on what could have been, and may never be. The door to her apartment, that is. Infinite sorrow befell Arkin at that moment as the weight of direct social rejection pressed upon him for the first time. But, as the saying goes, when one door shuts, another door opens. 

James' place - while not big - was nice and cozy with wooden floors and warm brick walls. A [s]tiny[/s] kitchen took up the space to the left of the door while the main area contained a decently sized couch, a desk, and a chair with his laptop on it. There was a small television mounted on the wall, opposite the couch, with a coffee table in between. A couple of bookcases lined the walls, filled to the brim with several books, almost all fictional.

Arthur was amazed, to say the least. Never before had he seen a place so neat and tidy. The combination of wood and brick, somehow leaving no traces of dirt. It was almost as if he had stepped into the home of royalty. [color=#0080FF]“Dare I say it, this is magical.”[/color]

James gave Arthur a warm smile and a friendly pat on the shoulder as he ushered the two inside. [color=00FF7F]”Thanks kiddo, I like it too. Feel free to make yourselves at home. Kitchen is over there, if you want a midnight snack later. That’s the couch where you’ll be sleeping, and over here is the bathroom.”[/color]

Next to the kitchen, a hallway led off towards two doors. The one on the left led to James’ bedroom, and the other opened up to a bathroom - which was where James [i]led[/i]Arthur to after putting the pizzas down on the kitchen counter. [color=00FF7F]”This is a shower. I recommend you… take… one…”[/color]

James was about to demand Arthur to take a real shower, when Arkin casually wandered in and sat down in the tub. He stared the other two straight in the eyes as he lifted one paw and turned on the water. Struggling to keep a straight face, James simply nodded in concession. [color=00FF7F]”Alright, you first then. You two got this?”[/color]

[color=#0080FF]“Well, my friend here seems to know the ins and outs of your magic fountain.”[/color]

[color=00FF7F]”I'll leave you in his capable paws then. Feel free to help yourself to anything in there. I'll put some clean clothes outside the door for you.”[/color] James exits the bathroom, leaving Arkin alone with Arthur.

This wasn’t part of the plan, Arkin thought. He just wanted a hot shower, immediately, for the first time in a long while, and now Arthur was expected to strip down and get in with him. As for Arthur’s thoughts, they were muddled for other reasons. He was just staring at the canid in stunned silence. Not only had the wolf figured out how to use this magical ‘shower’ but he was also locked in a room with what he could only assume was a magical font of never ending water. Taking a step away from the tub Arthur felt a wave of panic hit him. He did not like tubs, bad memories from a time better left forgotten. But seeing how comfortable his companion was, at least outwardly, and given the lack of other people present, he could at least try to clean up.

Kicking off one of his boots he began speaking to the wolf, moreso to himself to calm his nerves. [color=#0080FF]“You know, I hath told myself long ago I would never set foot in a tub again…”[/color] As his other boot slipped off he picked them up and slid them in front of the door as a safety warning. [color=#0080FF]“...If you’ve ever been in a brothel, you’ll know bathing is a mainstay.”[/color] Dipping his thumbs into his waistband he nervously ran them back and forth against the hem [color=#0080FF]“In fact the worst part of the brothels in my opinion is cleaning the tubs and filling them after every patron.”[/color] With a huff, he finally pulled his pants down and off, tossing them atop his boots as he stepped toward the fountain. [color=#0080FF]“But worse than that was dealing with the drunk and belligerent. They could be truly violent when they wanted”[/color]  Arthur stopped himself just at the cusp of the porcelain tub, feeling a pang of anxiety wash over him as he stared at the falling water. [color=#0080FF]“But you’re not going to drown me, will you boy?”[/color] Knowing he could not respond, Arthur let out a nervous chuckle before stepping into the now crowded tub, tensing instantly as he felt the water crash down over him. [i]Tis ok, you are just fine. Tis nothing to fear.[/i]

[i]He can never know[/i]. It was one thing to be mistaken as an animal and take a shower with a hot, naked muscular dude, but it was another thing entirely for him to intrude on something so personal as a recounting of a past traumatic event. Or, perhaps [i]events?[/i] Arkin wasn’t sure what brothel he was talking about. He didn’t even know that there were establishments in this part of the U.S. that could be called ‘brothels’, but evidently he grew up in one, was almost drowned, and was potentially abused in other ways that Arkin frankly does not want to try to imagine.

All he felt he could do, for the moment, was nuzzle into Arthur’s neck from behind, a nonverbal confirmation that he is not going to be drowned today, not by Arkin and not by anyone else for that matter.

…Okay, wow, he really does smell.

Sobered by the weight of serious childhood trauma, Arkin ignores the full view he has of Arthur’s distracting [i]assets[/i] as he reaches for some soap. Thankfully, James stocks body wash instead of just powder soap, so he isn’t forced to bite into a bar of it as he tries to hand Arthur it before going for the shampoo. Arthur did his best to wash himself thoroughly, but between his discomfort under the water, and his confusion at how much the English language had changed, he was left completely befuddled. He was certain he could have scrubbed a few places a bit longer but he had had enough [i]fun[/i] with water for the night.

[color=#0080FF]“I dare say boy. The people of your time hath completely changed the English we speak. I’m not sure if I even understand some of these words.”[/color] Staring at the back of what was called ‘shampoo’, Arthur found himself seated on the floor as he air-dried. [color=#0080FF]“For example. What doth this word mean?”[/color] He even points at the bottle while glancing back at his new friend, as if it could articulate the words to explain.

[i]Sodium lauryl sulfate.[/i] Even if talking was on the agenda, that one’s a bit of a mouthful. [color=D0661E]”Arf.”[/color]

[color=#0080FF]“I know, right!?”[/color]

After getting over his confusion Arthur let out a deep sigh as he stood. Reaching for a towel for himself, he noted that his friend was still wet. Without thinking he began to gently wipe down the wolf, making sure to get him as dry as possible, but alas, there was only so much towel, and so much more wolf. [color=#0080FF]“I’m sorry boy, but that is the best I can manage.”[/color]

Grabbing the clothes James had left outside, he quickly dressed himself before collecting his soiled clothes from in front of the door. [color=#0080FF]“Come along boy, I smell something delicious awaiting us.”[/color] With that, he led the way, his thoughts wandering back to how he had just bathed with a wolf. Merlin would be proud.

While they were busy, James moved the coffee table to the side and turned the couch into a bed, piling almost all of his spare blankets on it for extra comfort. There were enough blankets there that if the two of them didn't want to cuddle, they could build a little bed on the ground for the wolf, which James was starting to think wasn’t a transformed superhero. 

He had also taken the pizza out of the boxes - three meat lover’s for the wolf as well as one chicken and pineapple and one pepperoni for the two humans.

With Arthur out of the bathroom, Arkin had time to quickly transform the rest of the water off of him while in the tub. He was a civilized human and he was above shaking it off like a dog, dammit. Plus, this was way more effective. When he rejoined Arthur in the kitchen, James was already passing him a slice and biting in to one of his own. Also, a welcome surprise, apparently three whole pizzas topped with extra [b]schmeat[/b] had been set aside just for him.

Arthur, having dug straight into the pineapple and pepperoni pizza, could not conceal his face full of childlike delight and wonder as he experienced a decadence unlike anything he has ever tasted before.

Arkin was hesitant at first. He could eat seemingly anything in his caterpillar and moth forms, but he wasn’t sure if the same applied to his wolf form. Nonetheless, he dug in, because some cooked venison earlier in the day was not enough to sate his hunger, and he’d be mad to turn down some pizza. Besides, it wasn’t worth it to squirrel the pizzas away just to eat them in another form. His insectoid forms have a rather warped and muted sense of taste, and god, he missed pizza. Although it doesn’t quite taste the same, it was a much-needed dose of normalcy for him. Something he’s missed dearly, something he worries he may never fully reclaim. Tears might have escaped his eyes if wolves were capable of crying, but instead the lack thereof just served as a reminder of how much he’s changed. He doesn’t want to reveal himself to the other two anyway, at least not right after that shower, but luckily he has another coping mechanism readily available: three whole pizzas worth of comfort food and a ravenous wolven stomach to put it in.

Somehow Arkin manages to finish them all before either human is able to finish their own. Tired after the long day and full of pizza, he stalks over to the bed-couch, flopping down onto one side of it, making sure to leave room for Arthur, then passes out relatively quickly.

James simply watched, amused, as the giant wolf made himself at home on the couch. As it appeared to drift off to sleep before his eyes, he turned back towards the blonde. [color=00FF7F]”Okay, so, once you’re done eating, I expect you to follow your friend’s example and get some rest. My room is right over there, if you need anything. Don’t worry about cleaning up, alright? I’ll get everything sorted out in the morning.”[/color] With that, James stood up and retrieved some clean clothes from his room before cleaning himself up as well. Taking the chance while in the bathroom to inspect the injuries. They were looking good. His chest still hurt - removing the duct-tape he had stuck on it previously did not help - but none of the injuries were bleeding anymore. Finishing up in the bathroom, he reentered the main area seeing both Arthur and Arkin cuddled up together. Only intruding long enough to put any leftover pizza in the fridge and to turn the light off, he retreated to his room quietly - careful not to disturb them.