singillatim | awooooooo werewolves of milton

Entry tags:

awooooooo werewolves of milton

Who: open to all, with a special focus on #TeamMoonTouched
What: let's all get together and be a proper pack
When: forward dated slightly to late January/early February
Where: Milton, in and around the church to start with.
Content Warnings: n/a, will edit as needed

The day after the storm clears out, Hickey tacks up a note on the community hall message board. Ever since Raylan mentioned the idea of all those wolf-changed getting together to form a pack, to take down a deer or a moose in a communal hunt, it hasn't left Hickey's mind. There's at least four of them here, probably more. That's enough. They could absolutely take down a moose. They just need to get to know each other, figure each other out, and become more in-touch as a pack. Easy enough, yeah?

So he puts up his notice. And the evening of the meeting, Hickey gets his little soiree set up. He does have food: rabbit jerky, a few jars of pickled vegetables, bottles of water and a bottle of pine wine, all set out on a table he dragged out and placed near the pews. (He's a good host, dammit). The set-up is very informal: it's a place where everybody can chit-chat and get to know each other at the start. Gotta make sure everyone is comfortable before he makes his proposal, after all.

( ooc: feel free to use this as a mingle post! Make your own starters and tag around. While the note on the message board is specifically tailored to the Moon Touched folks, anyone is welcome to crash the party. )

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Something that almost feels like enthusiasm begins pooling in. It isn't a sensation Little's felt in a very long time. He continues his duties towards the community, chops wood and checks in on people and keeps track of supplies, but none of it is really... providing much. It's surviving, sometimes only barely just.

But something like this? It could actually provide a service to the people here, take care of them, feed and protect them. Once, he was a man who took pride in such a concept instead of only wallowed in the misery that he failed to do so.

"It could be the difference between life and death, through the next storm," he nods in agreement. Who knows how much more severe a blizzard like that could be, in the future? This one was already such a horror.

"And we could supply more food for the community on a regular basis," Little realises with another nod, eyes a little brighter, not as dull and sad as they usually are...

Hickey matches Little's enthusiasm with some of his own. Because he's right! They could supply more food (though Hickey would focus on his own over those in the community). And there would be a next storm. Of course there would. Place like this, it won't give you a break. His idea is a phenomenal one and he's just glad others agree.

"Exactly. Gifts like these, we should use them. We should know how they work. If we can get a benefit out of them, if we can do something to keep us alive, all the better."

He gives Little a small nod before musing, "Glad we're on the same page about this. Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure how people would take it."

Isn't he nice and helpful and practical and kind. Don't you want to overlook every single action Hickey might have done.

Keep us alive. Naive as he may be in many regards, Little isn't so naive as to assume the other man truly has everyone's best interests in mind, here. But it isn't so simple as the concept of "Hickey turning over some new leaf". No, it's not really about that. It's far more complicated.

It's... the fact Little knows that Hickey is good with keeping people alive, when he wants to be. He has an understanding of such things, an ability to think quickly on his feet in ways that Little, admittedly, doesn't. Such as when he'd saved him from that sea serpent...

Even the mutiny was an attempt at survival. Little understands that now. He casts a quick glance around the place, relieved that none of the others from their Expedition are actually around. When it's just himself and Hickey, things aren't quite so fraught.

"I know that certain... tensions are still high, from time to time," he finally replies, looking back to the other man. "But I should hope that no one will allow such tensions to interfere with a plan that could save lives. I would personally endorse it." Which is to say, if any of the other Expedition members do try to put a stop to this or something, Little would defend you, Hickey...

This is a very odd yet still somewhat enlightening conversation. Hickey was certain that no matter what happened, he wouldn't be able to reach any nuance with regards to his actions back home with anybody who wasn't Billy. And yet, here's Little. They're talking, they're agreeing about things, and Little says that he won't let others interfere with Hickey's plan. Frankly, that's a lot. It's more than Hickey thought would happen. He pauses for a moment, not sure what to do, before he gives Little a small nod.

"Thanks." And he means it. It's odd having someone on your side that you never expected to be on your side in the first place. "You know if you mention it to them, Crozier and Irving will probably talk you away from the pack. You're in charge of who you want to tell, of course. 'S not like I've been keeping this a secret, what with that notice. I'm just saying."

Tensions will absolutely interfere with this plan. Or at least, try to do so.

There's a slow, tense inhale at the thought — but his expression is knowing, and he nods.

"I know that they might be less than pleased, but if I were to need to explain to them... I believe they would understand."

If he were to need to explain. (Little, withholding information has infamously gotten you into trouble in the past.) But really, there's no need to approach and burden Crozier with such stresses. As for John, whom Edward lives with, he'll likely find out sooner, but he's confident if he explains the benefits of such a situation, even with some lingering discomforts...

Ultimately, if he can keep himself between Hickey and Irving, he hopes he'll be able to stop more incidents from happening. Like brawls or. Death.

"At the very least, I take full responsibility for my decision to assist with this. If we all keep allowing our past to shape us... we'll never progress."

This is...odd.

Hickey, someone who will move forward at the expense of things like 'other people' or 'living under a false name for multiple years', has always been a fan of not letting the past shape them. What happened has already happened. Yeah, there were parts he could have done better but there's no use dwelling on this sort of thing. To hear someone else, to hear Edward Little agree with him in that regard...it's odd.

Nice. But odd.

In between this and everything he's learned about James Fitzjames thanks to that business in the caves and their bear hunt, Hickey is very quickly realizing that he might have shoved his attentions on the wrong sort of person back home.

"Thanks," he simply says, with a nod. "I won't start anything. I want this to succeed. I want this to work. But I'm not an idiot. Not starting anything doesn't mean there won't be anything happening. But you're right." There's a moment before Hickey lightly muses, slightly sarcastic smile on his face, "Some of our former crewmates have already moved past our circumstances back on Terror. Glad to see you join us."

The words coming from Hickey are so earnest, it truly surprises Little just as much in return. Wanting this to succeed, to work... and of course, Little, being who he is, takes those words at full value, believing them. But why shouldn't he? The man could have easily let him die those months ago out on the frozen water, but he'd saved his life from that serpent. Perhaps it's time to stop believing Hickey has some nefarious scheme bubbling and brewing under the surface.

Gibson's already made it quite clear that what was done was done because of necessity. So now it's equally clear to Little that his role is to make sure that no one in this community believes it necessary to commit such acts again. If everyone is taken care of, fed.... then there should be nothing like what happened during the mutiny, right? Or other devastating acts that followed it, like the events that led to the town trial...

"I'll keep an ear out for any.... unfavourable reactions to this meeting," Little nods. His word may not altogether be held with much respect in this place, but... he still has some. He could use it for the benefit of such things, to try and help. But he has to smile a little wryly himself, and slightly grim. "It truly has been... a long time since our arrival here. We may never be free of this place, so... we must keep moving forwards. I understand that now.

—Speaking of which. Are you and Mr. Gibson still faring well and safely at your home?" Yes it's still very weird to think about his former steward and Cornelius Hickey being an item, but Little has, perhaps just as weirdly, been one of the few to accept it pretty quickly.

Small talk with the his husband's boss is fucking weird. But Hickey can manage it. Hickey can press through. It helps that this isn't the sort of question Hickey was expecting. It's not judgemental, it's not accusatory, there's not a hint of pity or a hint of 'Gibson can do better' in Little's voice—Hickey's not an idiot, he knows that some of their lot will push back against the idea of two men enjoying each other's company but the vast majority of their lot will push back against the idea of Gibson enjoying Hickey's company.

But this is fine. This is normal. He can make small talk. This isn't weird in the slightest (it's so fucking weird).

"We've been doing well. Stocked up for the winter, so we didn't have any problems food-wise. Both of us stayed with Chloe during that horrible storm." Chloe who's here. Chloe who's enjoying some food and probably talking to someone else at the moment. Chloe who Hickey can unapologetically and 100% say is one of his best friends here.

"Stayed with Kieren as well, though he's not at the meeting."

And it sure says a lot that Hickey, a man who defaults to last names for people in his manner of address, is talking about those two with their first names.

Chloe. He's familiar with the name, but only passingly. Not long after this conversation, Little will meet her for the first time really as humans (they've actually been friends as wolves for a while now, it's going to be very awkward, but that's just the theme of this meeting in general, it seems!)

"I'm glad to hear it. I regretted that I didn't have time to check in with everyone before the storm," he nods with a wince. The last time a storm was going to hit the town, there was time to make preparations. This time... it all happened so suddenly, and it was even more brutal.

But the next name makes him pause, truly surprised. He knows that Hickey and young Mr. Walker are on positive terms, but he hadn't expected this degree of closeness. Does... Hickey know about the boy? The truths about him...?

"Mr. Walker... I've not spoken to him in some time." There's a pinch of guilt in his gut. So much has happened lately. So much has been wrong. "How was he? I was concerned that he might not— that he might lack for resources, for food, through the storm."

....Kieren can't eat normal people food but Little can't just like, come outright and say that....!

Hickey, on the other hand, can absolutely come outright and say that.

"He didn't eat anyone if that's what you're talking around," Hickey bluntly points out in response. Because of course that's what Little is talking about. Of course it is. You kill and eat one person while you're under the Darkwalker's influence and everybody remembers. Nobody shuts up about it.

"I won't pretend like I know backwards and forwards how his whole condition works," says the man who had no goddamn clue what a zombie was when Kieren mentioned it the first time, "but he can survive for a while without eating something's brain. It's different for him compared to the rest of us."

The candid reply startles Little, expression visibly shocked as his eyes cut quickly around the dark room, before nervously settling back on Hickey.

Perhaps it's no surprise that he wouldn't be so averse to speaking openly about such things as.... eating people...... But it makes Little's stomach flop suddenly, unpleasant and nauseated.

"Ah— Yes, it seems— quite a complicated condition that young Mr. Walker suffers from," Little awkwardly says by way of response, because he is floundering for what to say at all. Kieren can survive for a while without eating something's brain... that's... that's good, at least....

"Perhaps in our... hunting expeditions, we might obtain appropriate dietary items for him, as well."

If they do take down any moose, Kieren can have the parts he needs...

As Little looks around the room, Hickey rolls his eyes, a bit over-dramatically. Yeah, he knows that he was a bit blunt. And honestly, if he was talking about his own instances of cannibalism, he wouldn't be as blunt. But it's different with Kieren. Man's got a condition. Besides, he was terrified enough confessing what he was to Cornelius. If Hickey can be casual about it, be calm, talk about this like it's a perfectly normal thing, maybe it will make other people more comfortable around Kieren. And maybe, just maybe, that'll make Kieren himself more comfortable.

"That's a good idea," Hickey muses. "I don't know the ins and outs of his condition but we talk on a regular basis. It'll be easy enough to ask him what he needs."

And to help him worry less. And to reassure him that hey, no matter what these other people say, Hickey's got his back.

"After all, it's not like any of us would prefer to eat that part of the animal anyway. Easy enough to save it for him."

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