open | so make mine a pain in the neck

[burying]

Who: Kieren Walker + You!
What: Kieren returns to Milton after his self-exile. Catch-all for August.
When: Mid-August, onwards.
Where: Various.

Content Warnings: Will be added to specific prompts!



wildcards fine with plotting, hmu! | permissions are here | contact: heolstor / _heolstor for questions/plotting

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[desperate_times_right]

[Chloe is out running around as a wolf, sniffing around familiar places, when she hears noise from Kieren’s cabin. She approaches slowly, hackles up and a growl rumbling low in her throat, but then she smells it. In this form, she’s never seen a human that smelled this way. It must be Kieren.

Hopefully the kid isn't looking out the window, because she changes back right on his front step, quickly dressing in the emergency outfit tucked into the cloth pack wrapped around her torso.

That's how Chloe winds up pounding on Kieren’s door in a faded red t-shirt, yoga pants and jelly sandals, all smelling faintly of dog.]

I know you're in there! My feet are freezing!

[burying]

[ Fortunately for Chloe, Kieren's not looking out his window. He'd probably never admit to it even if he was, for both of their sakes. He's carefully cleaning up, clearing glass is a painstaking process when you can't feel much. He's an idiot.

He jumps at the knock at his door, and the voice that soon follows. Shit. There's a bit of hovering before he sheepishly moves to the door, head already hanging low because this absolutely going to be a riot.

He opens the door, taking one look at her — gaze moving down to look at her feet. ]

... what you doing dressed like that?

[ Chloe, it's freezing out. Probably. He doesn't actually know. ]

[desperate_times_right]

[It is freezing, thank you very much, and she's standing here in it because she cares about you!]

I had to find stuff that would fit in my bag! I didn't know I was going to be wearing it outside.

Kid, I thought you were dead!

[burying]

Wait, you were going about... naked? [ Kieren's confusion is pretty obvious, like none of what she's just said makes any sense to him. He huffs out a sigh and stands to one side to let her in. He just seems... tired. There's a fire going, at least. ]

Yeah, you and just about everyone else. [ He mumbles as he closes the door behind her. ] I.. left a note.

[ Fat load of good that did. ]

[desperate_times_right]

What -? Oh. Shit, you've been gone a while, huh? That woman gave us powers again.

[Because that explains why she would have been naked outside.]

Someone must have taken it, then, because it wasn't here when I looked and Kostya didn't find it either. He was convinced they had you locked up somewhere.

[burying]

Wait— that was... that's what the dreams were again? [ Kieren's confusion lingers, but it's mostly directed at him. He doesn't understand. He did have a really weird dream but he— ] I.. I don't know what I got— I don't... feel any different.

[ Kieren exhales a little, one hand reach up to rub at his eyelid — needing to readjust his contact lens. ]

Yeah, no. I found it. In the fire. It— it got knocked in there. [ He feels so fucking stupid about the whole thing. ] Guess that's why no one found it.

I've seen him. Konstantin. He... he thought I was dead.

[desperate_times_right]

I can change shape, but my clothes don't change with me, so I usually bring a go bag in case I have to change back unexpectedly.

[The fire. Christ. No wonder he'd been throwing things.]

Maybe that's a hint to give one of us a head’s up out loud next time.

[burying]

Yeah, yeah— I'm getting that now.

[ Oof. Don't need to tell him twice. He's majorly fucked that one up. ]

... What do you mean by— 'change shape', exactly?

[desperate_times_right]

Lots of people care about you, you know?

[Too embarrassing. Moving on.]

Oh yeah. Don't freak out if you see tracks outside. I can turn into a wolf now.

[burying]

[ Wow, that's— incredibly heartfelt for Chloe. Kieren, for her sake, doesn't comment on it. He gets it. Not big on the feelings. It's alright, he's cool with it. But there's a small smile, and he nods.

Until she says the next part and he's frowning. ]

... Bullshit.

[ Kieren's going back to the door to check outside. ]

[desperate_times_right]

Do you really think I would dress like this outside of an “I have to wear whatever will fit in my stupid little wolf backpack” situation?

[There are wolf tracks outside his door, leading up to two bare human footprints at his porch.]

[burying]

[ ... Yep. Those are some wolf prints outside of his cabin. And two human ones. And— ]

Alright, alright— point taken. [ He stares for a good minute. ] Holy shit.

[ He closes the door again, turning back around to face her. Okay. So. Chloe's a wolf now. He has no idea what to do with this. ]

So... how's that working out for you?

[desperate_times_right]

It's still pretty new. I don't know if you had the dream again out where you were but it was after you left. It feels great, especially paired with my speed and endurance, but I haven't figured out the downside yet so I'm waiting for the other shoe to fall.

It can be a little weird. Wolf me operates mostly on instinct and some of those are mine and some are hers. I keep rolling in stuff.

[burying]

Yeah, I had a weird dream. Don't reckon I got any wolf powers, though. [ He hums thoughtfully, mouth twisting to one side. ] What, something like the gnarly new diet you got?

[ He cringes a little. ]

Alright, that's gross. [ He considers for a bit. ] Maybe that's the other shoe waiting to drop. Too much wolf brain. Or... something like that.

[desperate_times_right]

Could be. I change back if I start feeling a little too wild.

[Though she might not draw that line in the same place as other people.]

What kind of dream did you have? Mine was really straightforward this time.

[burying]

I dreamt I was trapped in ice. Crushed by it. I'd never felt pain like it. [ Even when he can't feel anymore. In that dream, he could. He's certainly not forgotten what pain feels like. ] There was a voice. It asked me if I knew how to survive the cold, then it gave the answer: 'You become colder than it.'

[ It was... fucking weird. ]

The cold stopped hurting, and the ice started cracking around me. And then I just... woke up.

[desperate_times_right]

…huh. [Her own dream sounds way nicer.] Like the opposite of that fire power, you think?