singillatim | I need new clothes, I need somewhere to stay

[ Granted, after seeing the note, Bigby first had to ask around where Lalo was even living.. It's not like he's been social enough to exchange names or talk with absolutely everyone in town, after all. But the note drew his attention enough to bother to ask in the first place, likely with some helpful people pointing him in the direction of the other's cabin.

It's how Bigby ends up here, figuring that the person standing outside the cabin likely is Lalo, since he doesn't recognize him as anyone else. ]

.. you're the guy from the note?

[ Talk about starting off with a friendly greeting.. Bigby, think about your non-existent manners!! ]

[ Don't worry, Bigby! Lalo has more than enough manners for both of you. He fixes his sudden, unexpected visitor with his brightest smile, and offers his uninjured arm for Bigby to shake. ]

That's me! Please, feel free to call me "Lalo". And you are?

[ At least he doesn't seem to reject a handshake. Back home Bigby may have, but in a place where his reputation doesn't quite follows him the way it did there, it can't hurt to at least initially be friendly to people.

.. relatively friendly, anyway. It's not like Bigby does very friendly.. But the handshake seems amicable enough, with an edge of something more business-like and professional to it before Bigby lets go. ]

Bigby Wolf. [ Full name on his end, apparently. ] I mostly came here 'cause I was wondering what got you to put up a note like that, Lalo. Not a whole lot of people here looking for other people, unless they've disappeared from town.

[ Businesslike and professional, Lalo can work with; he doesn't seem to mind that Bigby lacks overt friendliness, nor is he deterred by it. Lalo himself remains cheerful and friendly anyway. It's almost like he can't really help it. Like the friendliness is a default setting he can't turn off unless he tries to.

And Lalo, too, is used to his reputation following him everywhere he goes. Back home. It's not so here. Even more incentive to be friendly, he figures. ]

He-e-ey! Nice to meet you, Mr. Wolf! Or should I just call you "Bigby?" [ But his friendliness has limits. Lalo just shrugs loosely when asked what he want with Chloe. He considers telling his new friend "Mr. Wolf" all about how she raided his home while he was traveling with Methuselah, but decides against it; it just seems like asking for needless interpersonal drama, especially if this guy is a friend of hers. ]

Ah - nothing important! I just wanna talk to her. You could say she's a friend of mine. [ He winks. ] But I've been gone for a while. I don't know where anybody hangs out now. You know where I can find her?

Edited 2024-02-08 16:38 (UTC)

Bigby's fine.

[ Which has nothing to do with friendliness as much as Bigby doesn't really care. Even though he's been part of human society for so long now, technically speaking, he still can't really wrap his head around human formalities like that.

Even Bigby isn't his name, after all. Very technically speaking.

He doesn't forget the rest of what Lalo says, though. After seeming to ponder the words for a moment-- ]

Well, your drawing didn't exactly tell me who you were trying to portray. [ Sorry, Lalo. Not to crap on your art skills or anything, but.. you know.. ] You got a name instead?

Ah, yeah! Sorry about that. It's just, you know - [ He gestures to his wounded dominant arm, stitching visible. ]

Her name's Chloe. Indian, I think. Very spunky. Nice girl!

[ The man seems to consider that name for another moment, then shakes his head. ]

Sorry. Don't know her. It's a small town though-- I don't think it'll be long before you run into her. [ One way or another. If Bigby has learned anything - mostly due to his anti-social nature - it's that you just straight up can't hide from people here. It's impossible in a small community like this.

At least he doesn't seem to suspect a thing regarding the other's true intentions here. Instead-- ]

.. what happened to the arm, though? That part of the reason you've been gone from town?

[ Lalo breathes a quiet sigh of relief when Bigby doesn't press any further. He just nods when Bigby says he'll probably run into her soon, and instead, he gives a bashful aw-shucks expression when Bigby asks what happened to his arm. ]

What, this? [ He glances at his wound, and then turns very serious. Almost too serious. ] I was attacked, amigo! Traveling with the old man. Can you believe it? A wolf got me! [ He grins and makes a soft "rawr" sound, mimicking a claw with his good hand. ]

So! I come back, and after everything I've been through [ ;_; woe, woe is he ] now I'm thinking: it's better safe than sorry, eh? So, I've decided to set up some traps to protect my casita. [ Especially when Chloe keeps breaking in and stealing his shit. But he's not going to share that with Bigby. ]

The old man's not so bad, though. He patched me up good. And he told me a few things. Interesting things! [ He hopes that perhaps Bigby will be interested enough to want to hear them, in exchange for helping him with something. ]

Edited (Thought of a better tag/slightly different direction! Hope that's okay. ) 2024-02-19 15:02 (UTC)

[ Sometimes Bigby forgets that he's actually not told everyone in this place yet that he is a wolf.

This is a stark reminder of it though, really. Just him standing there, watching this other guy imitate a wolf all cutesy. To his face.

It's not the sort of thing that annoys him - please, if something like that would annoy him, he'd probably never stop being annoyed! - but it does get him to just.. stare for a moment. Processing the fact that this is a real situation he's found himself in, somehow.

But when he speaks up, it's actually not about the last part the other mentions. Not yet, anyway. Bigby is kind of interested in that, but he's a little bit too much of the Local Town Protector Uncle to not at least mention: ]

You made sure those traps can't be triggered accidentally, right?

[ Right, Lalo. You're not going to give them dumb trouble when someone clumsily gets injured by one when they didn't even intend to try and touch your little casita.. Are you... ]

[ Lalo is used to people staring at him like that - as if they can't believe they've found themself in the situation Lalo has just injected them into.

Just ask Nacho.

When Bigby asks if he made sure the traps can't be triggered accidentally, Lalo just grins. And snaps his fingers. ]

That's where you come in!

[ He points. ]

Why don't you help me set them up? I hadn't start yet. You can help me make sure they're safe! What do you say?

.. seriously?

[ He looks so unimpressed right now. At least he doesn't look actively angry - which is an accomplishment on Bigby's end when you consider just how easily the man looks annoyed, really.. - but he definitely is looking unimpressed at Lalo's statement. ]

Aren't you just trying to make me do your dirty work?

[ It's one thing to ask Bigby for help, but something about the other's presentation feels.. snazzy, almost. Like he's some sort of game show host, if Bigby really bothered to watch those enough to know what it's like. ]

[ Lalo responds to Bigby's obvious unimpressed face with, of course, more smiling friendliness. ]

Nah, nah! You're thinking about it all wrong. You're helping me not hurt innocent civilians. Think about it!

[ "Game show host" is basically Lalo's vibe. But it's not (solely) a manipulation tactic. The truth is, Lalo is just kind of Like That. He wouldn't know how to be low-key about anything if he tried. ]

I don't know anything about building traps! What if I got myself killed? Or worse! [ That is kind of a lie, but not completely; Lalo really is no expert here. His stalking and surveillance skills are usually put to the test in more urban environments, not the wilderness like here. ]

Then don't set traps.

[ Look, Lalo! Isn't he solving all your problems so neatly!

Granted, it's not like he's forgotten why the other wanted to do so in the first place, but it's not like Bigby is just going to let himself get pulled into doing something for someone else this way, no matter how much he wants to keep this place safe. But it is the latter reason why he doesn't just leave it at that unhelpful remark, actually continuing with: ]

If you're so worried about someone breaking in, just ask Edward to make sure his patrols pass by your house a little more regularly. Surely you've seen him before, yeah? [ It's hard to not notice him with the regularity of his patrols, Bigby thinks.. It's how he noticed the other in the first place, after all. ] Muttonchops, wears a big officer's coat? He's keeping an eye on stuff.

[ Lalo makes a mental note not to share anything of importance with Mr. Muttonchops, who apparently is the kind of narc that goes around "making patrols". ]

I just got back, so unfortunately, I haven't had the pleasure! But I can't wait to meet him. Definitely feel safer now that I know we have somebody taking care of all the ne'er-do-wells, that's for sure!

[ But he grins at Bigby. ]

But I think you know why it's more fun to catch her in the act. Make her pay for it. Eh? [ Lalo shrugs. ] Don't worry! I won't her. I just wanna see her sweat.

You came out to see me for a reason, so... help me set these traps, and I'll tell you whatever it is you need to know, Officer. [ No, Bigby never said he was a cop. He absolutely does not need to. Lalo can smell "cop" from a mile away.

And he's still as cheerful as ever!! Anyway, he's not lying. He thinks there's a chance Bigby might understand why he and Chloe need to occupy their time with this to avoid going stir-crazy. ]

[ He definitely notices the other catching onto something at the end there - but it's fine with Bigby. He's pretty used to this by now. At least half of the people here in town seem to realise he's a cop (or, you know, technically.. a cop..) before he's ever even mentioned it. Probably something about him or his attitude that Bigby doesn't particularly care to fix.

The man is still quiet though. For a moment. It's easy to assume that it's because he is considering Lalo's offer, but apparently he was doing something else. Since when he speaks up again after that quiet moment, it's with a raised eyebrow, and-- ]

Is this some sorta sexual thing between you two?

[ Apparently more than one person is leaping to assumptions here.. Bigby, please, you can't say that to a guy's face!! ]

[ Whatever Lalo was expecting Bigby to say next, it clearly wasn't that. For a moment, he's amazingly stunned into silence. His eyes go wide. If he was drinking something, he'd spit it out.

Then his face spreads out, slowly, into a slightly embarrassed grin. He winks. He's not a good winker, by the way, even though he does it all the time.

He half-points, half-shakes a finger at Bigby. ]

You know, I didn't want to admit it outright... but you caught us. Yeah. It is.

So, what do you say? Wanna help me win over a pretty lady?

Edited 2024-03-15 04:02 (UTC)

For the record, this is the most fucked up thing anyone's ever asked me.

[ And apparently Bigby is more than willing to believe it. It makes sense in his head to him, after all. With the way Lalo is talking about all of this, it definitely sounds like some weirdass thing going on between him and this woman.

And the dry, yet exasperated tone he says that with makes it completely clear Bigby is definitely believing this story. ]

Look, if it means neither if you is going to get yourself killed doing something fucking stupid, then sure, I'll help. Just make sure I don't actually have to think about what you're going to do.

[ Wait, he believed that???

Truthfully, Lalo wasn't expecting that to work, and he said it almost as a joke as much as a real attempt at deception. Imagining the disgusted, horrified reaction from Bigby and Chloe's irritation when she realizes what he'd told someone had been entertainment enough for him, but now...

Now...

This is, frankly, way better.

Lalo beams and plows full steam ahead. ]

Wait. You're gonna help? You're not just shitting me? Thanks, man! I owe you. Hey, if you ever need a wingman, I'm your guy.

[ Look at that bright smile, Bigby! You made him so happy! ]

Yeah, yeah. Don't make me rethink this one.

[ Because he will, Lalo!

.. well, not right now, but maybe if he's pushed. Right now he's definitely planning on going ahead and helping out, regardless of his own grumbling about the entire thing.

Though there's one thing he can't help but feels he needs to make very clear: ]

And don't get any weird ideas about the wingman thing. I'm not interested in anyone here that way. [ Especially not any way that involves.. well, the weird sexual games Bigby now assumes Lalo and Chloe are having. ] And I'll never be.

Suit yourself!

[ Lalo shrugs, happy to let the wingman thing go. But hey, Bigby... if you ever change your mind about that... you clearly know where to find him!!

With his new "friend's" assistance, Lalo starts to get a foot snare set up. Of course, he's more than willing to listen to Bigby's expertise here. ]

Hey! I didn't forget, you know. I said I'd tell you what the old guy told me, didn't I?

[ Granted, this stuff isn't.. fully Bigby's expertise, given that his own style of hunting doesn't really rely on traps or anything of the sort. But as a creature of the forest, he has seen enough traps that he's able to give some guidance here and help Lalo set up.

He actually gets kind of into it. Enough to forget for a moment why they're doing this - or why Bigby assumed they're doing this, anyway. Instead he's just focused on the snare itself, until Lalo speaks up with those words.

There's a little bit of surprise in Bigby's eyes when he looks over at the other man. ]

.. right. [ He even forgot about that part for a moment, apparently. Even though Bigby actually wanted to know! ] So what did he say?

[ Hey, Lalo doesn't forget a deal. He makes good on his promises. ]

To the East, past Milton - Methuselah told me there lies the Timberwolf Mountain and Bittermarsh Muskeg, even further past that lies Keeper's Pass — and then the wilds of Blackwood and the nameless places. There are wilder areas of the Northern Territories than the wilds of Milton.

He told me about the Darkwalker, too. He says the call it the Devourer. The "end of everything". Kids used to scare each other with stories about it.

[ He seems to take in the information for a moment. Bigby isn't sure if he'll be able to remember all those names of places at once, but-- hey, he'll try.

There's something about that last point that sticks out to him more than even the rest, though. ]

You can find legends about that stuff pretty much anywhere. [ He points out. ] They just call it different things. The Boogeyman.

[ Or, more importantly, and what Bigby is definitely thinking of-- ]

The Big Bad Wolf.

"The Big Bad Wolf?"

[ Lalo's amusement is obvious. He lights up like a child. But he's wary, too, uncertain. He was just attacked by a wolf, after all, and while he's not afraid of them, he's very aware now of what claws and teeth can do. ]

So, now I gotta know. What do they say the The Big Bad Wolf does where you're from, Officer?

They sent entire armies after him. [ It might be strange to anyone else, talking about yourself as if you're speaking of a different person entirely, but.. It's not so strange to Bigby anymore when it's been centuries since that time for him by now.]

But he killed them all. They couldn't even get a scratch on him. Even ate most of them, they say.

[ You know, Lalo.

A very normal story.

Bigby sure seems to share it relatively casually, anyway. ]

Considering that Darkwalker only took once of us, it seems like it's working way slower than that.

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salamanca - 2024-04-29 18:51 (UTC) - Expand

I need new clothes, I need somewhere to stay

A

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header: totally fine, don't worry! <3

<3

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warning that this is semi-nsfw, i'm sorry!!!

don't be sorry lol it's perfect

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