Milo didn't acknowledge Aries at first, anxious. It was just a quick trip. He wasn't used to going in the middle of the day and given his dream there was a pit in his stomach that refused to go away. He was quiet. Thoughtful. The air around him was tense and different and he merely regarded Aries with a neutral expression, indifferent and unreadable. It was like he was trying a little too hard to appear normal. Polishing off his mug quickly he grabbed his keys from their place hanging by the door, putting on sunglasses and throwing a nicer jacket over his shoulders.<br/><br/>"I'll be back in a little bit." He simply said, wondering out into the daylight. The sunglasses helped but everything always seemed far too bright before his eyes were able to adjust. He tried to drown out the ride into town with his radio and it was enough to try and get him back into feeling a better. He hadn't had dreams like that in a while but every time he did it threw him off. It always felt like the world was tilted and not quite right. Muted but too much all at once, his body dissociating from his mind.<br/><br/>Meeting with the client at a nicer restaurant they chatted and Milo pulled himself through the hour or so of interaction and talking about the latest commission work. Another welcome distraction that help put his mind at track. It looked like the day was going well. Milo was ready to spring back even as he went to the store, filling his cart with various snacks and junk food, he felt positive about the rest of the day. He didn't know what kind of ice cream to get so he put three separate flavors in and continued on to get an entire menagerie of snacks, taking a shot in the dark at what Aries may or may not like. He didn't like to come into town often so stocking up was in his best interest.<br/><br/>It happened when he was in line. The bored cashier ringing up his goods. Milo was scrolling through his phone, only slightly annoyed at the loud pair of employees by the customer service desk just across the register. One of them twirled a box knife in there hands, chatting up a storm as they popped it and went to go cut open a box on the counter. The movement caught Milo's attention and he watched, practically in slow motion, as the employee cut into their other hand, yelping as he jumped and held it to his chest, knife clattering on the ground and bringing drops of blood with it.<br/><br/>Milo could feel his body go tense, the scent of fresh blood reaching his nose. The craving was bad when he could smell it, but now that he<i>saw</i>it, it took everything in his not to march up to the man behind the counter and latch himself to the others neck. Dip his claws into soft skin; He could practically taste it and was only shaken back to his senses as the insistent cashier raised her voice.<br/><br/>"Sir?"<br/><br/>Milo whipped his head back to her, realizing she was done ringing up all of her items and he had to pay. He probably looked like a drug addict or something, breath shallow and a sweat breaking on his temple. He paid quickly, not saying a word as he stuck his card in the reader and covering his nose and mouth as he rushed out with all of his items and back to his car. The drive home was agony. He didn't even realize he was shaking until he made it to his front door, hand trembling as he opened it and his throat burning. He couldn't stand to look Aries in the eye- he didn't need any of his shit right now. He simply went to the kitchen, dropping the bags on the ground and making a b-line for the freezer. Heating it up was already too long of a wait so after it was heated up he simply ripped a hole in the corner of the bag, taking out the mouth guard and tipping it into his mouth to practically chug it.<br/><br/>He was frustrated with how flavorless it was.