(open) i paced around for hours on empty, i jumped at the slightest of sounds

[mensrea]

Who: Stiles Stilinski and YOU
When: Night of Aereuer 8 (full moon)
Where: Various spots in Aefenglom
What: Semi-feral Arachne party games on a very special 18th birthday
Warnings: Language, animal death

[ After escaping from Sheva in the Wildes and absconding to Aefenglom, Stiles begins his hunt. Honestly, he’s not quite sure what he’s exactly on the hunt for – only that there’s a voracious hunger rising within him, an appetite that won’t be whetted by just any meal. And so, humming the happy birthday tune to himself loudly and offkey, he prowls from district to district from the city skyline. Those eight spider legs carry him vertically up edifices with no apparent effort, even make impressive leaps across significant distances between buildings. The sense of fear that usually holds Stiles back is gone; uninhibited, he experiments with his superhuman abilities in boyish delight, that joy tempered only by the unkind, savage grin stretching his mouth too wide. ]

It’s my party and I can cry if I want to, [ comes one such inspired ballad, interrupted by his sniggering as he swings upside down from where he’s currently perched. ] Cry if I want to, cry if I want to!

[ That’s if you’re lucky. Sometimes it’s – ]

It’s yo birthday, so I know you wanna ri-i-i-ide out. [ There’s a dog howling somewhere nearby in sympathy. ] Even if we only go to my-y-y-y house.

[ During the night, Stiles will make a nuisance of himself. Expect to find him cavorting through the streets doing eight-legged cartwheels, singing obnoxiously despite the hour, spinning webs in inconvenient locations, dropping by homes to pay friends unexpected house calls, etc. ]

( ooc | Full Moon Shift appearance details, CR & plotting comment, and info & permissions page. Stiles will not be hurting anyone. If threatened with violence, his Arachne instincts will force him to flee the scene. If you want to figure out a specific prompt for your character, hit me up! )

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[anbu]

[... then he glances down to find the small, fragile animal crawling over the sheets, in the exact spot his brother was just sitting a moment ago.]

What happened to you?

[Unaware the bat can't answer him, Itachi plants one of his hands on the bed and leans over it, hair sliding off his shoulder.]

[eyeforaneye]

[ He's far too exhausted after the night's events to muster up a reply of any kind, having transformed against his will only once before and he barely retained awareness of his humanity then. Now? He may be conscious but only just so, no words formed with the aid of a tiny tongue.

Instead, there's another soft peep of protest against the world at large, shaky head placed back down against cloth in worn out surrender. This is really not his proudest moment... but at least he didn't get tied up and thrown into his brother's bed. He'll take whatever victories he can find.

Hearing the concern in his brother's voice counts for one. ]

[anbu]

[Accepting this sudden change as another facet of monster transformation, Itachi doesn't hesitate as he extends his hand and scoops his brother's tiny, prone bat body from the blanket. His touch is careful, fingers splayed so as not to close over and entrap Sasuke in case it is inadvertently painful.

As he holds this precious cargo to his chest, he turns his attention to still-webbed legs and begins sawing at the thread with the point of his kunai.]

I can stay with you until you return to normal, Sasuke.

[This is a quiet murmur to the small animal. Perhaps it won't be understood, he's not certain the level of awareness his brother has in this state, but that's fine. Somehow this is much easier protective behavior when Sasuke is not looking him in the eye and can't really respond... hmmm.]

[eyeforaneye]

[ The second he's denied cloth for skin and drawn up and away from the safety of the bed his fight is renewed, wing outstretched for a warning flap or two before it flattens against his hand. Okay... okay, he's steady, he's safe. Itachi's lucky – and so is he – that an attempted bite at his thumb doesn't have enough force behind it to actually puncture skin. The failure is enough to help him regain his senses enough to not try a second time, at least.

Right, it's Itachi showing him caring and concern... Disregarding the spider silk that his brother is still cutting himself free from, when was the last time one of them looked after the other like this? It's a comedically flawed scenario but would they manage it otherwise?

Probably not, he thinks, as he rests his head down securely against one finger, eyes closing. ]

[anbu]

[Even if that bite had resulted in nicked skin, Itachi wouldn't have minded. Tiny fangs are the least of his concerns; if it helps Sasuke get out some aggression and feel better in such a small, vulnerable body, that's a small sacrifice to make.

Once his legs are successfully loosed from webbing, he kicks the spooled pile of spider-silk off the end of the bed and onto the floor. It was his intention to leave as soon as this was done, but instead Itachi sits up and puts his back against the headboard of the mattress. He places Sasuke gently in his lap, on top of his left thigh. A thumb passes over one of those pointy, fragile, petal-thin bat ears.]

So you're missing a wing in this state. [Still unknowing whether his brother understands, he speaks anyway.] It must be frustrating to be restricted to such a vulnerable form against your will.

[eyeforaneye]

[ Almost immediately his ear flicks, its mobility low due to its size but still responsive to the unforeseen touch.

Were it anyone else – anyone else – he would be making his displeasure at being caressed in such a way known. But from his brother... It's so unexpected and such an unguarded tenderness that he hasn't known from him in years. It has him purposefully lowering his head again as Itachi speaks, tiny feet catching on the fabric of his pants as he claws his way into a more comfortable position. That wing is folded back against his body as he relaxes, apparently content to rest here for the rest of the night if given the chance.

Yes.

This is frustrating, but also an incredibly precious moment he selfishly wants to hold onto. Heavy eyes peer up at him, slowly growing more and more tired. ]

[anbu]

[This isn't as he intended to spend the remainder of his evening and the oncoming morning, but Itachi is not displeased, as if there's no better task to consider than guarding this small and fragile version of his younger brother. As he watches those little eyes droop, Itachi leans back and looks around the room. Then he closes his own eyes.

A meditative quiet after a long, exhausting night. An occasional thumb across those soft ears, to a point where he's almost unaware he's doing it. It's fine like this. He'll let himself enjoy this momentary respite until Sasuke changes back.

And then they'll never speak of it again...]