usurpers: (Default)
can a slave do this? *dies and goes back in time* ([personal profile] usurpers) wrote in [community profile] middaeg2019-05-12 09:28 pm

have you ever heard of bad ideas

Who: eren jaeger (+ mikleo in the closed prompt), you in the open prompts!
When: may 7th - may 14th more or less i’m flexible
Where: mostly the coven’s magical creature stables, coven baths, wherever else if you’d like to plan something different! just hit me up 🤙
What: eren jaeger is a mess
Warnings: mild body horror (itching, raw skin, self harm, shedding?? w/e you call it), some nudity, eren jaeger


A. CARETAKING
[ if you’ve heard about some newcomer dingus going into the wilde and coming back mostly unscathed— then you’ve also heard, through the coven’s gossip, that nessie and mhairi have already given them stern punishment! forty lashes!! starvation!! banishment!! torture by—

you’ve probably heard it all and more. the truth is, eren is under stable-arrest for a week after being reckless, working harder than the daily keepers and wearing a closed off, unfriendly frown through most of his errands. either thinking about troubles or punishing himself through tasks.

tiny (many) braids hoist the longer hairs that would usually stick at the back of his neck when he’d start to sweat, despite the moisture and cloudy days of the month— the beginning of his hand, leading to his palm and thumb is disfigured and healing the old fashioned way, victim to a bite (from his own mouth), but laboring through any stings with sharp inhales. catch him working, or resting, or. doing something weird.

he can mostly be found around the horses, picking their hooves, carrying blocks of hay over his shoulders for feeding time, mucking their stables and brushing them with certain skill. he had to learn all of that to ride them back home— he’s tried his hand at the pristine unicorn out back, alas . . .

he has wonderful intentions, but his actions and intent to get there are far from pure. she rejects his attempts at petting often for grazing, but doesn’t turn her back to him completely. she watches him plenty, in fact, every so often coming over to smell his back as he mucks her space— and so does he (watch her), respecting her and making sure the water shines like her coat does.

the cockatrice rooster doesn’t seem to like him. puffing its neck out and stalking eren from behind, the cock asks for a duel with his foot as he scatters feed for them in the mornings. accidentally stepping on a resting hen’s tail doesn’t help his case. a scandalous squawk causes him to jump, the cock to attack— and this to happen. it’s hard to say which one’s screaming the loudest.

or wildcard a mythical creature there are so many good ones. ]


B.Y’ALL DON’T KNOW ABOUT MY KNIFE STICK
[ knives, blades, needles and tools are no novelty to eren! when interest piques as a simple idea, it’s easy to ignore. at most, he’ll pick up whatever it is, give it a once over, before setting it back where it belongs while cleaning out the sheds and organizing utilities.

as his week passes, the idea becomes a desire. the oddity in collecting what has suddenly interested him gradually slips away, and soon enough—

by the end of the day, when the evening colors the sky with purple and murky charcoal, eren can be found going through the tool shed near the peryton for the sharp objects present, and ah.

just looking and testing the edge with his fingers, sharpening any dull things with the stable’s file. nothing more. noticing someone’s extra presence, he’ll look over his shoulder and speak up. ]


. . . I used to use blades a lot. Two at once.

[ it makes sense in his head at the moment, for staring at the edge of a hoof pick and garden sickle and holding back the small urge to stick it into his pocket. it’s the only thing that makes enough sense. ]

C.BATHS (cw: mild body horror)
[ once the days are close to over, eren heads out to wash his clothes and himself back at the coven’s baths, but almost always in a rush, caring not for the company he’d meet or share baths with. near panic flares his nostrils and makes his breathing heard from afar— because his body burns.

it itches day in, day out, he can’t sleep can’t eat can’t do anything with how much its come to drive his mind into a spiral. have you ever had full body psoriasis? once his clothes are discarded carelessly, wading into the waters until they lap at his hips, he scratches wildly at his skin, nails digging relentlessly into flesh until they leave behind streams of even brighter red than what they already were from grating at them all day. his teeth hurt, his mouth aches (another problem) and his skin crawls raw, hell he’s itching, he’s been itching horridly ever since he’s gotten back from his field trip to the wilde, and as a man who has a lot less self preservation than one should have—

it feels like there’s something under his joints, the corners of his eyes, his ears, his neck, the tops of his hands and feet up to his shins beyond the sore dryness and flaking; where the burn and skittering underneath is at its worse.

so he scratches, and cusses, and scratches until skin breaks, until it bleeds in the form of dots of crimson— until he’s picking at it, caring less for the stings it causes, what feels almost like relief rather than more pain to worry about.

slapping salves on him from the offered treatment some bonded have given him helps, and to stop mutilating himself more than he’s already prone to doing, he lathers up even before soaps to rub the excess dirt off him, exhaling a sigh when he could finally breathe. at least. for as long as the temporarily relief that the ointments bring would give him.

fearing that he’s caught by the very disease that overtook the filly pair past the slums . . . he’ll have to talk to mhairi again. perhaps one may want to stop him in the meantime, he’s starting to pick enough at spots that it looks like he’s 👌 this much away from tearing off layers. ]
reenforces: ; manga (it weaves a web over mystery)

[personal profile] reenforces 2019-05-13 01:07 am (UTC)(link)
[It was a simple enough request, and Mikleo was eager to step outside, so of course he hadn't declined. Despite depending on these people for food and shelter, Mikleo isn't one to blindly accept what he's told. He needs to see things for himself and learn the truth that way. In his mind, this is no different from the scouting mission he'd been given by Zenrus in order to dig up information on their first human visitor. It's no different than anything else Mikleo has done, and he's prepared to accept a little risk if it means coming out of it with knowledge-- particularly knowledge that people are reluctant to hand over.

And so, he finds himself at Eren's side with his staff in hand, still unaccustomed to having this kind of magic but nevertheless ready to step outside the Wall.

There's too much at stake if I can't, Eren says, and Mikleo looks at him seriously.]


You have to prepare yourself for that possibility, Eren. If I'm basically human, then whatever powers you had might be gone too.

I don't think it's permanent. I think it's just because we're bound by the laws of this world while we're reflected in it.
reenforces: ; anime (i don't care if it hurts)

[personal profile] reenforces 2019-05-13 02:12 pm (UTC)(link)
You're right.

[Mikleo can't argue that second point. In order to help themselves they need information and that's exactly why Mikleo came with. That and he felt he owed Eren some kind of favor, dream or not. Admittedly a not insignificant part of him fears what he'll do by himself if he isn't watched.

He glances at the tiny braids in Eren's hair and he's reminded of the kid with the dragon. Boy had that been an awkward conversation.]


Then let's go. I'm not a fan of being told to stay put, if I'm being honest. It hasn't worked since I was a kid and it's certainly not going to work now.

[His expression is almost mischievous. He likes exploring. A lot.]
reenforces: i would buy it twice ; anime (if i could buy forever at a price)

[personal profile] reenforces 2019-05-13 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
[In contrast, Eren's thanks earns a recognizable smile that he tries to hide by looking away.]

Don't thank me. I have my own reasons for wanting to come out here.

[Mikleo lets Eren do the talking this time. He's surprised by how easy it is to get through. No bonding? No passport required? Nice.]

There were some seriously extensive ruins by our village. They're a couple thousand years old. We started mapping them out and exploring as soon as we could climb.

It was dangerous, of course, but there was always something new for us to find. Risk and reward. Sometimes the risk was Sorey breaking an arm but that never stopped him for long.
reenforces: ; anime (love can never be)

[personal profile] reenforces 2019-05-14 01:25 am (UTC)(link)
[Tsunderes, man.

Mikleo knows how rare his and Sorey's upbringing is. They were raised like that on purpose. Had things gone just a little differently, they would both be dead a hundred times over, and the world would be overrun.

Destiny is a heavy weight indeed.]


Calculated risk. Though I'll admit some of our best discoveries were made accidentally.

[Eren really is too young to be saying things like that, yet Mikleo knows people who saw war at the age of sixteen. It's an unfortunate truth of being alive: innocence isn't forever.]

Yes. [Friend seems... inadequate a word, so he goes on to explain:] Sorey and I were taken in by the elder of a seraph village. He was the only other person my age, so we were pretty much inseparable. We've been together our whole lives-- at least until recently.

[He pauses.]

He's here too, actually. I'm sure he'd like you, though admittedly that's not a high bar since he likes everyone. [He glances at Eren up and down.] You can't be older than twenty, right? He's seventeen, maybe closer to eighteen now.
long_live_the_queen: (guess she doesn't need a nose)

A, well fuck you too mouse

[personal profile] long_live_the_queen 2019-05-14 01:34 am (UTC)(link)
[Kaede had been feeling better lately. She'd settled into her limbs belonging to herself again--they'd even started to itch and ache, like a milder form of pins and needles that came from a limb that had woken back up.

Still, she tended to keep away from people. The library had been a good respite, but she couldn't stay in there forever. The gardens usually had people in them, this time of year. But the stables were close by, relatively quiet, and had...interesting animals to look at.

Well, usually quiet. Kaede had been distracted by a peryton who'd been wandering loose and accepted scratches between its budding antlers. The screaming made the creature snort and stamp its front foot as it snapped its head up, The impact mashed Kaede's fingertips into its head, which...didn't feel nice, but she could tolerate it. Not like it was the animal's fault.

With a frown, the horned woman went over to investigate—the peryton stayed sensibly back in the yard.

There seemed to be quite a tussle coming from the yard with the not-chickens, and not all those flailing limbs seemed avian. Kaede approached slowly, but steadily.
]
reenforces: ; manga (one breath)

[personal profile] reenforces 2019-05-14 06:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[Mikleo is definitely paying attention now, his grip on his staff strong and confident. He might not know a lot of spells but he can still hit hard.]

I think he'd like that. He... doesn't have a lot of human friends, though he never complains. Everyone always treated him differently because of his powers. At least here he has a chance to be treated like everyone else.

[The seraph snorts ]

He's not boring-- he can barely sit still! Kind of like you, huh?
long_live_the_queen: (ha ha oh wait you're serious)

[personal profile] long_live_the_queen 2019-05-14 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[Goodness, the marvels never ended here. Kaede just leaned on the fence, watching. She'd never seen chickens in person before, let alone what these were. So this was some brand new fascinating animal behavior.

By now she'd realized there was a person under there, but there were too many feathers and bird-things darting about to make out much more than kicking boots and thrashing arms. It wasn't until he spoke that the horned woman tilted her head slightly--did she know that scream?

Oh--someone from the festival.

...she supposed she owed him for not letting her pancake into the ground. Kaede swung herself over the fence, tugging the end of her skirt in annoyance when it snagged on a splinter. A far cry from something three-quarters dead. Some of the hens pecked at her shoes inquisitively, found nothing, and went back to their feast--until Eren screamed, kicked like a cat mauling a rat and sent the hens scattering with distressed squawks. The unexpected noise made Kaede flinch too, but she didn't back off.

Neither did the rooster, coincidentally. The cockatrice jumped at Eren again--Kaede seized the creature under the wings as it did so. It immediately took issue with this, kicking and squawking and flapping its wings, so Kaede clamped it to her chest, curling her arms over its torso to stop its flailing wings from smacking her. Some of its claws had poked holes in her shirt anyway before it got there, but now its feet kicked uselessly at empty air. The most the cockatrice would do now was snap irritably at her face--its neck was just too short to reach.
]

Having some problems?

[She was ostensibly talking to Eren, not the wriggling cockatrice in her arms.]
reenforces: ; manga (with night still before us)

[personal profile] reenforces 2019-05-15 01:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[Mikleo looks at the slums with some concern. It reminds him of the less shiny parts of Ladylake, the parts that had outgrown the moat and remained separated by water feature. That made it harder to defend from the really big threats but Alisha and her family did their due diligence on offering prayers for a safe city.]

I can see it. To me, you've never seemed like the kind of person to just ignore an injustice. I could be wrong, though.

[But he might not be. Mikleo peers at Eren's face, though he's mindful of their surroundings.]

There was a law against being a kid?
long_live_the_queen: (guess she doesn't need a nose)

[personal profile] long_live_the_queen 2019-05-15 09:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[Kaede doesn't respond with 'you're welcome,' just tilting her head a little. The rooster took this as an opportunity to snap at her chin, and she promptly stopped doing that.]

Thanks...?

[Was that a jab or a compliment...?]
reenforces: ; manga (the ebb and flow of the ocean tides)

[personal profile] reenforces 2019-05-16 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
[That's a curious answer, and Mikleo gives him a similarly-curious headtilt. His brow furrows.]

... Maybe.

[That is a seriously concerning answer, Eren. There's some things that don't need human law or human justice, like the murder or sacrifice of innocents. Mikleo will testify to that. He's lost friends, family-- and none of it was fair or just. His life as a seraph began because of that.

He's surprised to hear that Eren lived behind walls, eagerly absorbing information about the outside world. In a way, it sounds familiar.]


I can understand walls like this for protection, but to forbid knowledge? Though Sorey and I weren't allowed to set foot outside Gramps' domain, we always had books. There weren't walls.

[... In fact, that's the most insulting thing he's heard all day. It's an affront to his soul.]

People who control others through whitewashing the world are the worst kind of criminal. Absolutely insidious. There's no justification for it. Everyone, especially children, should have the right to dream.

[He's getting a little fired up, actually, his voice slightly sharper than usual. He seems to catch himself when his voice bounces back off a slum wall.]

Did you... run away?
reenforces: that's what we do it for ; anime (it's just another part of the human race)

[personal profile] reenforces 2019-05-16 05:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[Mikleo can feel it. He remembers this from the dream. That pressure, weighing him down, a sort of burning... It's not as bad as it was, but he notices, and glances around too. What if one of those zombie things pops out? He breathes out slowly. It's fine. He won't mention it until it really starts to hurt.

He looks at Eren again, lavender eyes attentive and sympathetic.]


I understand.

[He needs to get back too, with Sorey in tow. But for now-- for now they have to survive here.

He hesitates, and very carefully reaches out to touch the back of Eren's hand.]


I'll do everything I can to make that happen.

It starts with this-- coming all the way out here.
Edited 2019-05-16 17:04 (UTC)
reenforces: ; manga (a voice from down the ages)

[personal profile] reenforces 2019-05-17 01:38 am (UTC)(link)
[The arm clap is different from what he's used to, but he doesn't flinch at Eren's touch or anything. That part is familiar, too, the way that Zaveid usually showed affection (that or draping all over him). But having the touch returned, small as it is, brings a sort of undeniable light to Mikleo's eyes and a brighter smile.]

Calculated risks, [he agrees.

He takes in the sight of the slums fading away and the feeling of corruption getting just a tad stronger. He rubs at his arms like he's getting cold, and maybe he is, a little.]


Okay. Stay in sight or I'll have to chase you, and I really don't want to chase you.

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