Octeuril Catch All

[long_live_the_queen]

Who: Kaede and you! And people doing quests.
When: All month where convenient
Where: Within the City, The Slums, Outside the City
What: Another monthly thread container!
Warnings: Goose. Will update as needed.



I. Duck, duck...duck? [River Temese Bridge]

[One of the bridge's occupants doesn't seem interested in an argument, at least for the moment. Nor the lanterns, nor the decorations. No, Kaede's leaned over the rail and staring over the side, her scarlet feathered tail lashing in agitation behind her. She isn't being too mindful of where it's going, and smacking people in the ankles with it is a very real possibility. There's a stiff core to the tail, under all the fluffy feather.

Get close enough—an easier proposition this time, as she's distracted—and one can hear her mildly distressed muttering.]

...those ducks have shells on them.

[What the fuck. How long have they been this way. How long has this been happening.

This is messing her up.]

II. Garden Troubles [Slums]

[Seeing a garden—one that wasn't a mess of weeds, or a vandalized sunflower field—was nostalgic, in a way. As was...seeing parts of it all torn up. At least the pawprints around kept it from reminding her too much of that.

Kaede had split up—the better to flush the wolves out of whatever burrow they were hiding in. She could be quiet when she wished, her senses were sharp despite the rain, and she could get into places someone more human-shaped couldn't.

Something rustled the plants in a row nearby, and Kaede stilled. She couldn't see through to the other side—there was a heavily laden trellis in the way—but she could pinpoint the sound quite easily. The Chimera gathered herself, coiling her legs and back like a cat about to pounce, and sprang up, almost ten feet up, until she could clear the trellis and come back down on the sound.

...and, hopefully, what was rustling on the other side of the trellis was one of the creatures they were after, and not a person. That would just be dreadfully inconvenient, wouldn't it.

At least the Chimera's on the smaller side.]

III. honk [Outside the City]

[Kaede didn't choose this quest. It chose her, with a yank on her tail. And a sharp pain from a few of her feathers coming away, but mostly from the sheer indignity of it. The Chimera roars—a proper one, not a grumbly mumble—and whirls about, but the culprit was already dashing away down the dirt road, a few of her scarlet feathers clutched in a clawed hand.

The goose-feathered Harpy finds this all quite hilarious, shrieking with laughter as he dashes off, the Chimera hot on his heels. He's quite fast, though, even without flying. The Harpy occasionally makes a few fluttering hops when she gets too close, but he doesn't take off.

Occasionally, Kaede's chased the Harpy up onto some building—a barn, a cottage, a stable—and is sitting crouched at the bottom, tail lashing like a frustrated cat. The Harpy looked fairly smug up there.

Sometimes Kaede doesn't make it that far, though. Her knees had been prone to aching lately, sometimes going a bit numb. And this time they crumpled entirely, sending the Chimera toppling facefirst into the road. It wasn't raining today, but the ground was still plenty damp—and mud got on her clothes and once-bright feathers immediately. Kaede tried to get back up, but only pins and needles answered where her legs should have been.

Worst of all, the Harpy was impossibly far away down the road now. His off-white feathers were mockingly bright against the fading summer colors.]

Get back here you little shit—

[Kaede's opinions were intact! She'll probably live. After she gets back up.]

Wildcard

[For prompts or closed threads not seen here! My plotting post is here for ease of use. ]

Comments

[usurpers]

[ the goose is free, now with a lesson to carry that eren hopes won’t be forgotten so soon. the bundle of feathers breaks free and breaks for it, leaving the chimera to quickly swap crutches. eren doesn’t move abruptly, he gives kaede a moment of composure before beginning to lift her with his height, beginning to stand on his more animal feet with precise balance.

feet that, he sees, kaede just gained. ]

You too? [ it isn’t the first person he’s run into this month that have been having leggy problem. ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[The Chimera tried to stand when he lifted her up; if it weren't for how long her arms were, he easily could have swept her off the ground. Her feet...paws, whatever they were now, scrabbled for purchase--but in a delayed, clumsy, not-fully-awake way.

Kaede sighed.]

...looks like it.

[Her bones had shifted, lengthening in places and shortening in others. The change was much more pronounced on the left.

...maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that her legs had gone numb.

Still, it made walking anywhere troublesome.]

[usurpers]

[ looks like she isn’t going anywhere on her own. eren plants at just the right height for her, snaking his arm under and around hers with his hand hooking for her opposite rib, so she’d have one of her own around his shoulder, free to throw most of her weight. eren needs to bend his knees quite a deal, but it’s doable to keep up. the pads of her paws should be on just the right level for her to move, and after a moment, ]

We’ll walk to the barn. [ she’s going to have to walk eventually— and he’ll help her make her better first steps. ] Force the first few, I’ve got you.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede leaned on the offered shoulder a lot more than she wanted to admit, drawing in a breath over sharp teeth. She pressed a foot against what seemed like the ground, but the strength in her limbs wasn't there yet. The long ankle folded and collapsed, and her hand clamped around the Dragon's shoulder. With an irritated hiss, she dragged herself back up with her arms alone.

The next step went marginally better; she didn't fall quite so much. But it took so much effort it didn't feel like walking at all. All these new, untried muscles, the newly restrung ligaments; the adrenaline of tussling with the Harpy had dulled it all, but now all that soreness and aching was coming back.

But she forced herself to take a third step, and a fourth, grateful for Eren's presence. Kaede didn't want to think about how long she'd be stuck out here otherwise.]

[usurpers]

[ eren’s patience would probably seem infinite in how he simply waits for her to move at her own pace, supporting her weight when she fell and refrains from pulling her up when her claws yanked at his poncho. he doesn’t baby her, but he does guide her, until a forth step becomes a fifth, sixth, and seventh.

a drop of rain falls smack dab between his eyes, what startles him into a strong blink, but little body movement in retaliation. his body was protected, with an enchantment still wrapped around the tattoos down his back and across his wingspan, it didn’t bother him. it was only a drizzle for the time being, and they’re nearly at the stable’s doorframe. ]

Just in time. [ the cover is comforting, nevertheless. eren turns his head to face her, his tongue flicking across the branches of her antlers— probably the closest thing to his face, when comparing heights. ] The more you use them, the stronger they’ll get.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Briefly, Kaede had worried about showing this kind of weakness where Eren could see it; it'd been a fleeting thought. He was patient when he didn't need to be, even when her struggling efforts must have seemed irritating and pathetic. But he didn't coddle her, either, letting her walk on her own. When she could.

Kaede wobbled a little as she sighed, still clutching onto the Dragon's arm.]

Yeah.

[The first raindrops hit Kaede's shoulders and her feathers bristled up, as if indignant at the water's audacity. She shook herself off--and that was enough impetus for her to make the next few steps faster, to hurry inside the building.

Kaede was grateful for the shelter too; the cloak she'd brought had long since soaked through, and it always leaked at the shoulder at the best of times. Kaede was looking forwards to drying off, both her clothes and feathers. And...whatever her legs were, now.

There was movement over her head, though she didn't feel much besides a feather-light and flickery pressure. She didn't pay it much mind besides a flit of her ears, neither flinching nor jumping away. Her antlers were only bone, and smelled like it; bone, rain, and a bit like her hair.]

[usurpers]

[ this looked a little familiar, didn’t it? though kaede was the one trying to offer him help as he limped around in the black city all the way to the sewage system. the tables have turned! in an almost pleasant way. eren hadn’t needed help back then, but the concern had not been overlooked.

ah— shaking. eren freezes midstep (and mid scent) for only a second as stray drop find their way onto him instead. at least, there isn’t much drying for him and his poncho. he’s already dry, thank goodness.

she cares plenty more than her standoffish ways uphold, he recalls. the dragon isn’t picky to find a spot to set her down, bringing himself to his knees along with the dip onto soft ground and perhaps some beds of hay. when his arms could be brought back to himself in the dim glow of his runes, his hand sifts through the lower strands of her hair and wet feathers in a flip. ]

It’s not that bad.

[ says the one who is not even wet, but it isn’t said inconsiderately, in which— he’s already removing his poncho and flipping it inside out. ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[The Chimera didn't shake herself off again once they were under the barn's roof, though she did sigh in open relief at finally taking the weight off her legs and new feet. They'd only gone a short distance, and it felt like she had run from here to the city and back again.

This, though, was fine. The straw was warm and dry, the stables quiet save for the occasional bird flitting about its rafters.]

Now it- [Kaede paused, the ear closest to Eren and where she was being touched flicking back. She made a little mumbling noise that wasn't a word and never left her throat.] -it is.

[As if her thoughts were jogged back into place, Kaede started unfastening her own cloak. It was soaked and muddy, her shawl similarly wet, and her vest probably damp too. Ugh.

And on top of it all her hands were chilled and a bit sluggish, and she fumbled the cloak fastening a few times. Double ugh.

The soft light from the runes on his skin caught her attention, and Kaede covered over her awkward moment by glancing at them, openly curious. She didn't remember seeing those before.]

[usurpers]

[ a little clumsily, when eren scoots over, his poncho gets draped over her shoulders— gets caught in one of the branches of her antlers, and then her ear, all of which he has to gently yank until the fabric is snug around her neck and covers the chimera’s frame. she’ll find that the inside is very warm, as warm as his body had been when he wore it, like standing close to a kindling fire. the curious state doesn’t go unnoticed, either. ]

They’re enchanted, to keep the water off me. [ eren helps her stretch her clothes out and pin them up to dry faster. it wouldn’t take long, perhaps even less if he breathed on it. ] The cold, too.

Maybe you can get something.

[long_live_the_queen]

[The Chimera made another stifled little noise when the cloth fell on her head, freezing up so she didn't reflexively flinch away. Undoing that kind of response would take time.

...she hesitated before taking her vest off in front of him. Modesty was never a terribly big concern of hers, but for a split second it seemed that way. But Eren's hands attached the poncho faster than her claws, and neatly removed that quandary. Kaede's shoulders relaxed before she could consciously think of doing so, and she sighed quietly again, appreciating the warmth. The feathers in her hair even fluffed out, damp as they were, like a contented bird's.]

Even water for baths?

[Kaede told a joke! Be proud of her.

Her nose might have been the weakest of her senses, but she could still tell Eren didn't smell bad. Just like scales and leather, and--now, a just-quenched campfire.]

Don't suppose they go through feathers.

[She could easily see how far the runes went on Eren.]

[usurpers]

[ haha, kaede. ]

Even for baths.

[ but, the good news!! he could clean himself off, there were actually no problems! only if they ran out of power, which would call for another enchantment. he doesn’t mind dust baths, though. he doesn’t mind her removing her vest, either, and is rather content with the spectacle. kaede covered in his clothes and fluffing up.

it’s cute, and he can’t help the little wiggle at the tip of his tail when it slinks to circle their vicinity. ]

You can try an object. [ while it wasn’t particularly made for water protection— it was an example. he pinches the hanging sphere of his pendant from his neck. ] Like this.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Baths were important!!

...there were still a lot of times Kaede felt tempted to fling water all over herself (and her feathers and the entire bathroom) like a bird might. She didn't give in to that temptation often but it was still something she considered. And did, sometimes, when no one was looking. And she had plenty of towels.

The Chimera glanced at the movement she spied in the corner of her eye, ear flicking towards it. But it was just Eren's tail, curled around them both. Her feathers remained as they were, still contentedly puffed up.

Kaede glanced at the pendant now that he brought her attention to it, her own tailtip twitching in curiosity.]

What's that do?

[usurpers]

Nothing, really.

[ but eren does look at it fondly when the locket is held by the middle of his palm. it’s so small in comparison, like a speck, but it’s meaning was everything but tiny. his tail is slinking closer to hers, until the tips brush. ]

It’s a gift. I got it enchanted to grow when I do. [ so he can still wear it, even when his frame and bones rip out into a tremendous size. ] So you can enchant any other on next for yourself.

[long_live_the_queen]

[The feathery tail paused when it ran into something unexpected, and with a half-thought Kaede laid it over top of Eren's. Her attention was mostly elsewhere.]

Who did made them? The pendant and the tattoos.

[do they accept commissions]

[usurpers]

[ it might’ve been involuntary at first. eren’s tail makes a habit of curling around things, either when he’s comfortable or in rare cases, uncomfortable, and sooner rather than later does he realize where it goes. tip to tip, the pin needles flatten and brush along feathers until there seems to be a very neat hook between their appendages. he’s alright with it if she is. ]

My first bond made this— it’s too late to ask him how. [ he was gone, back to his world. eren could only be thankful for that. his words are of warmth, not of sadness. ] The tattoos are from a witch in town. Someone named Hiccup did a few, too. [ this one, a pointed claw gestures at his outstretched wingspan at the anti-command runes squeeze between his other enchantments. ] Would you get them?

[long_live_the_queen]

[Oh. That...was a sobering thought. Though Eren's explanation was fond, that pendant went from an idle curiosity to an unpleasant reminder that her Bonded could...vanish, too.

The touch of Eren's tail was a distraction--a welcome one. She made a little noise in her throat like a distracted bird, glancing at the Dragon's tail. It--were those spikes? They didn't hurt. Cautiously, the Chimera threaded her tail around and against his; most of it was feather, but there was a solid core underneath that would definitely feel it if jabbed. But there was nothing to worry about, at least here. It was...a strange comfort, like a touch at her shoulder or a thumb stroking her palm.

After a long moment of considering and...rather morose thoughts, Kaede's gaze flicked to his wing--towards the runes burned into her mind from Dorchacht. The ones to shatter the chains. The sight stirred her back to life somewhat, and with an emphatic shake of her shoulders Kaede sat up straighter.]

Yes. I would. [A quiet exhale, and a few notes of a dry chuckle.] Don't have as much canvas as you, though.

[usurpers]

[ his spikes and needles shift around almost like feathers do, though they’re rigid, and the points could hurt depending on the angle. not this one, at least— he isn’t stabbing her anywhere, and hugging the needles was like hugging harmless hairs.

eren looks at her, and she’s possibly correct. scales and membranes were still easier to paint compared to fur and feathers, but . . . the pads of his fingers choose the inside of her arm, running up gently where skin still stands, down to her hands, thumb to her scales and fingers under her palm in a showing hold. ]

These still work.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede stopped worrying about the spikes once they failed to do anything she didn't want them to, tailtip flicking once more before going still in its new resting place.

The Chimera let him move her arm--and on second thought her tail did twitch, a jittery shivering motion. His fingers were warm and tickled wherever they touched. Kaede's hand remained open, and she looked at the palm as if it was the first time seeing it.]

What about my back?

[She's not. Thinking of the implications there. She's asking(!) for his opinion(!!). The stripes (and their attendant fur) didn't go all the way up her back, she thought. There were some deerlike spots in amongst the stripes too, but it was mostly bare skin until her feathers trailed from the other direction.]

[usurpers]

[ don’t worry about implications . . . most go over eren’s head unless he’s focused on it, and right now, he’s just worrying about looking at places for kaede to get her ink. the moment he does realize he’s lifting his head to look exactly where she’s indicating, he’s— perhaps a little more careful.

his tongue flicks, and eren takes the look necessary to check her back, keeping his fingers curled and the pads of them loosely against kaede’s arm, one he uses to hold rather than inspect. it’s pretty crazy how her traits mesh and mold. three animals. he’s soon two more often. ]

It works. [ the touch he uses now is for showing her through sensitivity. light and modest, he points out where she could get them. ] I’d say it’s more than enough.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede had her head craned back as far as she could to look over her shoulder, the poncho held bunched up in one hand. His touch tickled again, making some of the downier feathers fluff out.]

Mm. [A thoughtful tail flick--that paused in the middle, her thoughts distracted by another touch.] Who did you say does the tattoos?

[usurpers]

[ her pauses are even becoming distracting to him, believe it or not. kaede’s feather fluff can easily be stroked by the drag on his knuckles, and the tip of her tail wouldn’t go far without the weight he exerted. touch turns to gaze, as eren’s hand falls back to his lap, and takes her arm with him rather than letting go. ]

I’ll give you the place. [ sometime. on paper. he’s preoccupied now, with the sounds of rain pelting the roof of the barn and bringing with it crisp tranquility and the sight of her back, stripped and crimson, still behind his eyes. the temperature drops to refreshing, not enough to leave eren uncomfortable yet. he has back up, anyway. he just won’t stop staring at her any time soon. ]

[long_live_the_queen]

[The Chimera nodded, eyes blinking closed a moment as he stroked her feathers. It created a bit of a feedback loop, Eren brushing the feathers on her back, them immediately fluffing out again as his touch passed--and the entire process repeating.

Now that any purely academic interest in potential tattoo placement had passed, Kaede let herself acknowledge just how nice that felt. And at first, she did tense--someone was close, very close, what were they planning?

But the moment passed. This wasn't some faceless threat, this was Eren. He was trustworthy. The Chimera leaned back against his hand, tail flicking as far as it could without dislodging his. That seemed rude. And she didn't want to, more importantly.]

Eren?

[Her voice was soft, despite the drumbeat of rain overhead. Being so close to someone she trusted in the rain, someone warm, was achingly familiar. Speaking too loud might chase the memory away.]

What are you looking at?

[It's not a chiding question, but genuinely curious.]

[usurpers]

[ it was cute in a way that he wouldn’t verbally say was cute, but he recognizes his own endearment. nice, warm, yes— it felt so. from one moment to the next, he was no longer so distant from her. his legs adjust, as do his arms, as if she could fit right into them. kaede could, if the rest of the space was closed, only inches left in between. he wouldn’t mind it. you could even say he welcomes it.

eren thinks about this from time to time, and when he does, it lingers. what was he doing here? and why was it easier, to open up enough to get this intimate here? most of his friends, bonds, partners— they knew the minimal of his history. at most, elliot knew about sasha, perhaps his disastrous and current living status up in the air but not complete enough for him to affirm death. eren has never uttered another familiar name, a story or experience. it’s all a mystery to those who seek his company, and eren doesn’t prod into other’s lives, either. when he stops to think of it, he knew nothing about kaede.

but did it really matter? that very distance is what brings them together. it wasn’t their stories that brought them here, with eren’s fingers gliding through locks of pink hair and his remaining arm wing around her like a second cloak— it was their own person. there was no outside interference, only a chance to do and breathe and be without the restraint of fate, as temporary as it was. was it dangerous to become so emotionally attached? yes. it’s why eren always keeps what he feels in check, and he’s fine with that. he’s okay with leaving this all behind one day, he wants to, needs to, even. the small possibilities of those from his home arriving here plague his nights sometimes, where he stares up at ceilings or dirt walls and realizes, he doesn’t have a plan for that.

he doesn’t even know if he could face them, now.

just live the here, the now, without forgetting about tomorrow. he was free. there were certain things that he’s detached from, and he’s glad for it. it’s what he tries his best to balance, and what he could offer to the social need and contact the dragon in him needed, in stark contrast to the behavior and path he chose when he was home: pushing those dear away and hurting them, if only to soon keep them safer than anyone was capable of. ]

—You. [ it’s so much of an incomplete and stagnant answer for the longing gaze on her. for so long, even. what comes past his lips as a question, though— is sudden. ] Would you call this your home?

[long_live_the_queen]

Oh.

[It's a soft noise, Kaede's voice before any sullen bitterness could catch up. Like a child finally being noticed after being passed up for so long she'd forgotten how to react to it.

Kaede blinked, jaws slack like she was going to say something else, but forgot what the words were. Another blink, and she glanced away, as if embarrassed. The Chimera didn't pull away from him, though, her tail and hand even curling marginally tighter, unconsciously seeking something comforting and familiar. She needs some more guidance for hugs. Please advise.

And then—then. Then she had more to think about. More solemn, distracting things.]

I—

[Was it?

This place—this world, was a fresh start. No one knew who she was unless she told them. They didn't know how many victims she'd killed, people she'd maimed, the families she'd torn apart, the torment she'd wrought for single-minded cruelty. They didn't know how miserably she'd lived, or how wretchedly she'd died. They didn't have a reason to be afraid of her. And Kaede was too tired to give them new reasons, for the most part. The guilt of not telling Ursula what she was tore at her mind still—the one thing she still worried for.

Some people, native here, did become wary of her when her horns had started growing again. But by that point, she had found others. Other people. Others to care for, though just a few. And that was fine, by Kaede's measure. She held them close to her chest, that little handful of intense, bright connections, like a child marveling at the piecemeal knickknacks and trinkets that were treasure to her and her alone. And there was no one to snatch them away from Kaede this time. No one—but herself.

The changes this world had twisted her body into were a small price to pay for that. The lunar presences warping her mind were...unpleasant, but just another currency.

...but. This world did lack for some things. It didn't have those old memories, those old faces. An old house full of laughing voices and bright lights.

A home she was no longer welcome in.]

...it's the only one I have now.

[usurpers]

[ he wonders if it’ll be the same for him. eventually, yes, everyone dies, though eren hadn’t actively planned to live for long (the opposite, in fact). would he cease to exist, go to hell or paths or whatever, or would he end up here again, in aefenglom? one more place he’d selflessly protect, though would he have to do worse to?

they’re passing, fleeting thoughts that he can’t help to think, as quick as it is. because that he would actively keep it safe— for him to have his chance to return, and to assure that kaede had a place to still call home. she doesn’t have to worry about her hugging. eren completes his embrace on her fully, considering the smell of her hair now pressed so closed to his lips on her head. ]

Things cycle. Differently. [ there may be things they don’t have here, but definitely things they do. he exhales, softly as his cheek pushes onto her. it’s— alright. ] Whether here or there, your right to live is ongoing.

[ and he’s— glad, for that. worries come and go. things change. cycle. he’s just glad that it could be here in the same place as he ended up. ]

I’d want to see you keep living here.