singillatim | A beautiful fiction I invented to keep out the cold

Who: Chloe Frazer & others
What: Catch-all; open prompts
When: March and April
Where: Around Milton

Content Warnings: Self-injury content related to the echo effects. Descriptions of canon typical violence and murder. Talk about hunting/eating animals.

Chloe doesn't trust Methuselah as far as she could throw him, and a trip through a mine where she's forced to rely on the goodwill of a bunch of cop types does not sound like her idea of a good time. Also, sticking around Milton when most of the people who 'patrol' (imagine her air quotes) are away is a great opportunity to snoop in people’s houses.

Anyone who remains in or returns to Milton may find her either doing her usual wild running in the woods, checking her snares for snacks, or sneaking around newly empty locations to see what's been left behind.

Aurora nights are a different thing, however. Chloe likes to think that she's done her best to do right by the people that she cares about, but the truth is she's cut a few throats in her day, stepped over others to make sure that she would wind up on top. Something about the aurora this month brings every one of those memories roaring back. It has her running faster, drinking until she can't see, and doing risky climbs onto (and jumps between) rooftops, trying to escape the feeling.

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Chloe nods, decisive. "I want to live, too. No matter what I might become, I want to live."

Maybe that's selfish, but it's not like that's an accusation she's never heard before. She wants to live, to go home to her friends. Even if she might be unrecognizable to them, never seeing them again isn't something she's willing to settle for.

"I know a lot of people don't feel like that. About people like us. But I think wanting to live is the most normal thing we're both doing."

Konstantin stares at the other, surprised by the words. Surprised to hear somebody else say them. It goes against everything he represents, everything his culture, his role, is meant to embody. He's meant to be selfless.

But he wants to live, too. At least long enough to... do what he needs to do. To achieve what he needs to achieve. And like Chloe says... isn't that normal? Human? To want to live?

His jaw stiffens in thought, and he looks down at the snow at his feet for a moment. "Then if either of us do end up... getting worse, maybe we can help each other." It's good to have allies, people to rely on. Konstantin's eyes return to Chloe, and he nods. "Someone tries to come for you, I'll stop them."

Chloe looks at him for a long moment, her throat swelling with an emotion that she can't bring herself to name.

“You see me like this and you’d still defend me?”

It's a lot easier to talk about it as a hypothetical.

Konstantin lifts his eyes at that, looking her over — sticky blood drying, the remnants of an act that seems almost inhuman. He's reminded again of Bigby and Kieren. And what he would look like if he fed the way the alien does — if he didn't try so hard to use cups and bowls and pretend like the pulpy mix of brains and blood he has to feed to the thing can be a normal, civilised act.

"I would. It's not your fault. You're doing what you have to do." He does sincerely believe that, and he nods, before risking a little smile.

"Blood looks scarier than it is, anyway. If you smile even when you're covered in rabbits, you're sure to win everyone's hearts."

Chloe smiles again. “Well, I don't know about that, but thanks for the thought. We’ll look out for each other, yeah?”

It's a strange feeling, but she wants to protect them, the people like her. The ones who could be hurt just for trying to live.

“Want me to walk you back? We can see if we can find any good herbs for your cooking.”

"I'd like that." There's some weird persistent guilt, some pressing thing that knows he should tell her more about what's wrong with him, and just how dangerous it can be, but maybe soon. Right now, he has a handle on it; it isn't going to just emerge and kill anyone in sight. It's too smart for that, and he and Vasiliy are keeping it fed.

But... she could be someone to tell it to. Clearly, she's seen her share of wild shit. He'll keep an eye on things, see what... progresses. Hopefully nothing does worsen, but if it does, it's good to have people on your side. Everything could go south around here, fast.

"Please, I could use all the help I can get." Konstantin laughs, holding up his stupid basket in gesture. The company would be nice, too. "I don't want to poison myself if I can help it."

“Yeah,” Chloe laughs at the memory. “I think we all had enough of that at the general store opening. Couldn't feel my arms all night.”

"Your arms?" Konstantin's brows lift as he starts walking slowly back the way he'd come, nudging the basket up on one arm. He'd been at the opening too, but hadn't actually eaten any of the apparently poisoned soup.

"What happened?"

“Uh-huh. I ate some of that mushroom stew and went numb from fingertips to shoulders!” It's kind of funny now but at the time part of her had really believed that poison was going to reach her heart and kill her.

A beautiful fiction I invented to keep out the cold

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