middaeg | Semi-closed; Apartment megathread.

[The address that the coven had presented the both of them had been kind of vague. The keys that accompanied them nondescript too- and honestly, all-in-all he was kind of surprised that the Coven even offered housing away. Everything he was used to would've had one outcome. People would've been left to fend for themselves, expected to either take the streets, or pay their way to support some slumlord- but... that's not what's happening.

At least, that's what seems isn't happening. As the both of them make their way on foot to where they'd been pointed, he couldn't help but notice the surroundings get shabbier. The buildings get older; the facades less maintained, and the further and further they walk, the more.... unperturbed people tend to be at the weapons on both of their backs.

Cobbles are missing from the streets. They're not immaculately tidy like the ones around the administrative district either- some rubbish lingers at varying places- but honestly? The lot of it, by his standards anyway, is pretty much better than a lot he's seen. The buildings are tatty, faded, old- but they're nothing like Midgar's slums, made of refuse, garbage, welded together into vague shapes resembling shelters. Nor any of the villages around Gaia- dated, old, in desperate need of renovation.

Even the complex that seems to be the one feels like a damn palace compared to those, actually. Of course, it... kind of smells funny, in the manner that communal spaces kind of did- and as he moves inside, he holds the door open for Nier.

And...]

C'mon.

[A flight of stairs later, and this... must be it. He twists the keys in every door on the floor (...well, the directions weren't that great, and it's been a long walk...) before one finally gives way.

And as he steps inside, it's kind of dusty. It's clear, too- from the amount of upturned things, not as if the place had been tipped upside down, more... quickly abandoned. There's also a smell, too. Nothing terrible, just more like the windows hadn't been opened in some time.

...Yeah. That's the first thing he's doing.]

...Welcome home, I guess.

[The windows are kind of stiff through disuse, but he's just... about... got it. There's a loud creak as the frames themselves seem to tremble- and finally, fresh air floods inside, sending dust up into the air.]

[ the entirety of this experience is foreign to him. the idea of drabby, cramped rooms that were a part of larger communes instead of houses...that were provided without any charge at that — all of it was strange, and terribly unlike the life he know.

of course, the city itself is teeming with different kinds of people and creatures, and they're loud and boisterous in spite of their struggles. the city is alive, and it's modern and weird but he isn't exactly opposed to the nature of what it is either.

as for the area they've been designated, well, it's a far cry from well-off, but they'll make do, even if the pathways begin to fade into concrete and dirt. they're both holding their fair share of boxes stacked to their heights, but cloud manages to barely pry the door open with one of the many keys they'd offered. or maybe it was their means of trash disposal, nier certainly wasn't questioning it.

the boxes unceremoniously fall to the ground with something of a thud. one of his fingers sweeps across the countertop. yep, that is a coat of dust alright. ]

Better than nothing, right?

[ the first thing nier does is crouch before one of the boxes. he fishes out some cozy little mat he'd bought, one adorned with painted leaves and a message that reads "WELCOME HOME".

...it's tossed out in front of their door, straightened with one of his toes. and then he hops back inside and makes a beeline for their delegated "cleaning supply" box. before nier can even think, he's got a cleaning supplies on each fist and meticulously rummaging through their shared living space. ]

We'll make something out of it.

Edited 2020-02-10 16:59 (UTC)

[He's off, glancing out of the window already. The view's not exactly wonderful, it's just a straight, boring view of the narrow, trash-strewn street that they've already walked, but there seems to be a door on the other end of the wall. It's a large windowed one, leading out onto a balcony, which...

Well. Probably was somewhere to sit and smoke if the upturned buckets with still some cigarette ends still pushed around it by errant gusts of wind are anything to go by. Gross. He closes the door again, half-walking to what appeared to be a small, wooden piano- again covered in dust, at the edge of the room. He moves to it- opening the cover, and touching his fingers to the keys. It's out of tune, but a few (hesitant) notes of something soon fill the room.

And then Nier drops the boxes. It surprises him, breath catching in his throat at the sound. But... it's alright. He relaxes immediately; abandoning the piano.]

Yeah. It's not like outside the city's going to be much good.

[Is it his imagination, or does Nier seem significantly less... wilted now they're out of the sun? Probably his imagination. Because that was weird, right? Right. Eyebrows raise at the mat, and then...

He's cleaning? Already?]

Hey-

[He really is.]

Don't you want to work out where you're gonna sleep first? They said this place was two rooms, so-

[He's... kind of used to arguments over rooming arrangements, alright.]

Edited 2020-02-10 23:52 (UTC)

[and in said fridge is a little something to say thank you. Animal, of course!]

Edited 2020-02-27 22:38 (UTC)

[ meanwhile, nier's post its. ]

No need to thank me :)
I hope you slept well
And it isn't embarassing
This kind of thing's a lot more common than you know :O

[ the blood supply's appreciated. there's another note later. ]

Thanks for the game :)
I left you something too

[ and there it is, tupperware filled with...a chunk of flesh, fur intact in all, still marinating in blood. plus side? it's been sliced into flower shapes. ]

[There's a surprising amount of skill that goes into cutting bleeding, peeling flesh into such pretty flowers, huh. He never knew.

But yes that is appreciated, and eaten by the next night. And.]

[That's a hunting request. And a friendship level up.]

[ he swaps out his post its for another pack, this time. different notes for different messages. ]

I am but it won't take long
I'll make time for you c:
3 AM ok?

[ weird jobs, huh? that's a point of conversation he'd reserve for later. tne clock rings 3. it's a little cloudier today, so the moonlight only barely drapes over the city, leaving it darker than usual.

nier's waiting at their apartment door. he's got beastlord braced against his back, as usual. ]

Hey. How's your night been?

[ a simple question, but it's a genuine one. ]

[Uneventful, to be frank. While he found he wasn't exactly exclusively nocturnal like Nier, he was far from diurnal like a human. He slipped between both day and night, belonging to neither designation- making up for it with frequent, short naps whenever he felt tired (mostly night. Mostly because he wanted to be around Aerith in the day)

In short, he'd mostly slept the night away on the balcony, in the cool air, going when Aerith had gone to sleep.]

Alright.

[A brief pause. And a movement of his eyes, away. Similarly to Nier, his Organics is on his back, and he fiddles with the mechanism keeping it there as he speaks, as if there's something wrong with it. Fun fact: There's nothing wrong with it.]

I still feel like I was a pain in your ass a couple nights ago. So you get to eat first, whatever we bring down.

[No question about it. They'd get something. He's confident.]

You sure? [ there's a fold of the arms, and nier casts a questionable glance towards him; his eyes rove over his face like he's scanning for any visible or...not so visible weakness. ]

I had my fill of blood earlier, so I'll be alright. And it doesn't sound like your jobs from earlier were great...

[ and then he pauses to peer at organics. a tic born from anxiety, maybe? regardless... ]

You weren't any trouble. [ an easy smile plays along his lips as he says that. ] But I'm glad that you're feeling better.

Mm, yeah.

[He glances back at just about the same time Nier's eyes search his face- a faint snort leaving his nostrils.]

They weren't hard. Mostly strange. Lots of cats up trees, shopping for people. Escorting a couple more. I'm thinking about taking some further away. Might mean more pay.

[A merc is a merc, after all. And... to say he's financially driven would be... accurate. It's not the be-all and end-all, of course. Going home is everything. Jobs are more like a distraction. And... even distractions can be fixated on. It's hard to spend too much effort on things like rescuing cats.]

I'm fine now. Burned the wolfskin as soon as I could.

[A brief gesture to his legs. Very normal legs. With boots on the end of them, and everything!]

...You don't have to lie. Couldn't have been easy for you to spend that long without anything to do.

[Or without blood. But that's unsaid. But speaking of blood...]

You should've said if you'd already eaten. How come you want to go with me, if you're good?

They’re always looking for people past the wall. But, [ his features harden, just slightly. ] they’re dangerous. You’d be exposing yourself to infection.

[ nier hadn’t been any different; he’d wanted a cottage, one that was properly fortified while still resembling a home, for the two (now three) of them. but jobs were a distraction, a way of keeping more dismal and dark trains of thought at bay.

well, his legs do indeed earn him a lookover. ]

You could’ve made yourself something with it. [ and as they begin to walk, nier’s hand moves to shift his blade into place. ] I got stuck on a fishing boat for 2 weeks once. It’s fine...trust me.

[ as for food... ]

I thought we should both be prepared. I keep blood reserves — but I want to make sure that you’re eating too, Cloud.

Edited 2020-03-09 05:50 (UTC)

Yeah, I guess.

[No use going back as a problem. The town-based jobs are dull. Not that well paid. But Nier's right- there is a risk of infection outside, and he needs to know more first.

...Even if it's tempting to just go, it's probably best to keep his solo stuff local.

And as they walk...]

I'm not good at making stuff. [Destroying stuff? Absolutely.] Let alone curing and tanning a pelt. Wouldn't know where to start- I'd just make a mess.

[No attachment there, then. There's definitely a cultural difference between them. Nier sees the value in things like that- and for Cloud, clothes had always been stuff he just bought, without any thought for who made it, or how. What can be said? Different worlds.

Still though, the stray response about a fishing boat makes a few memories come back. The cargo ship. Red's... disguise. And Barret, in that stupid sailor outfit.
...He misses them.

He lingers on it, just for a moment, before his eyes return to Nier.]

I don't need looking after. So if you're here out of concern, you've wasted your time.

[They're more-or-less in the forest now. And he's aware of something. The last time he was here, as a wolf, he moved silently. Now, it seems he's making a lot of noise as he steps through leaves, over twigs.

Did he always make this much noise? It's microscopic, honestly. As much noise as anyone would make, skulking about. But to him, its almost as if he knows it's no good.

...He moves his arm to his back, taking off his Organics.
Nothing for it. And despite the irony of saying he didn't need help just a few moments before-]

Can you hold this?

I can teach you. [ he offers amiably, the features of his face easing. ] It's not as hard as it seems...all you need is some practice. [ and there's a smile that blooms, small and shrouded in the darkness. ]

Spending time with you isn't a waste of time.

[ the words are earnest — and said without any hesitance either. it's that brazen honesty of his, the one that allows him to keep walking on briskly, trees erecting all around them as he speaks. the grass crunches beneath their feet, and the moon only barely creeps through the canopies forged from leaves. fortunately, he can hear cloud without any issue. ]

Mm. [ and he does as he's asked, allowing organics to settle into his hands. it was a curious little thing — he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to toy around with it a bit. ]

Is something wrong?

[That came out wrong. He half-pauses, a breath of an apology catching in his throat as he stands, dumbly, not giving him the weapon. Except... that's a weird thing to do. A really weird thing to do. So he turns the blade around in his hand, pressing the hilt (perhaps forcefully?) into Nier's.

It's not like the other's said, or done anything to make it awkward. The awkwardness is all him. Thoughts of backpedalling, saying something else, interfere with everything about to come out of his mouth and...

It's not an issue. Nier doesn't even see it as an issue. Instead, he says that, about non-wasted time, and-

...His gaze moves away. It just does.
And.]

I'll watch you make something. Probably safer. I've got a gift for turning things to shit. You've got no idea.

[His eyes move back, unsure. Why does he have the feeling he's just agreed to give over something disgusting? Giving him the next pelt seems less of a gift, and more like handing a bag of toenails out.

...Yeah, that's gross.
He's walking now, away from Nier. And undoing the straps on his uniform.]

I learned how to change after the first transformation. I can change back better, too. If we want something worthwhile, I'll need to track it.

Edited 2020-03-10 23:45 (UTC)

It doesn't matter if you're bad at it. [ or if you think you're bad at it, he's means to aay. ] We'll practice. You're more capable than you realize, Cloud.

[ he was an apt fighter. and while fighting was a practice far, far away from domesticity and craft, there'd be an intersection between them all: precision. something cloud posessed. he would know, from the way his eyes narrow in combat, the way he meticulously picks apart weaknesses and weaponizes the brunt of his energy and skillset to charge at them full force.

this all goes unsaid. cloud was easily overwhelmed — but he would keep the train of thought in his back pocket, for another time. ]

Alright. [ nier agrees, turning around to grant him some privacy. not that he would mind looking, but you know. decency and whatnot. as nier begins to idly...squat, arms moving behind the back of his head, he continues. ]

If you track something, I can tail it with you. Smelling and hearing aren't a problem for me, so let me cover any of your blind spots.

[He's not letting this go, is he? He sighs faintly, his eyes moving to him as he speaks. Not for long, though. His eyebrows lift slightly before furrowing, gaze moving away.]

Your funeral.

[The statement's small. More an indication of him agreeing based on just giving up on arguing than having any actual interest in learning. Anyone else, and he'd likely just say no. But even if it went bad, it's an excuse to spend time with him.

...And that's a good thing.
Even if he doesn't want to dwell on why it is.

He takes a few more steps even after Nier's turned, seeking the cover of a few trees. Mostly because... well, privacy, but also to assist in finding the spot where his clothes would be later. And as he undresses, in said cover...]

I don't have blind spots. Not when I'm changed. [But.] If you can keep up with me, then I'll need your help bringing something down. It's still tough to catch something alone.

[He quiets then, gathering his thoughts together and... well, trying to bring it out. It's difficult to even know how to do it. He couldn't explain it even if he wanted to. It's just something in the back of his head- some form of feeling, rather than knowledge- and really? It's not pleasant. It doesn't sound it either.

As he doubles- abruptly- he can feel, hear his bones breaking, refusing, fingers scrabbling into mud and dirt underneath him as his muzzle bursts out of his face. His cry can't be heard- instead, it's silent. His vocal chords are changed, already. His vision blurs, goes dark- and...

...Finally, the sound of snapping and twisting stops. And its replaced, almost instantly, with the sound of something being eaten. Quickly.

A light-coloured wolf with oddly bright blue eyes trots out from behind the tree after a few minutes. It's mouth and muzzle is coloured with blood- offering some kind of indication for where Cloud's skin had gone.

Eaten. Lovely.

As soon as it sees Nier, its head rises. It's muzzle contorts with lines as if scrunched up, the slightest flash of white, sharp teeth.

It snarls. It pushes its posture forward, the fur on its back prickling, as if standing on end. And for all intent and all purpose, it seems as if it's going to attack- but then it stops.

It sniffs the air.
Or rather, Nier, as carried by the air.

Ears pivot to the side as lips re-cover its teeth, and it moves forward, nose twitching.

Should Nier himself not move, he should find the wolf half a step from him before it rears suddenly, placing both gigantic paws on either shoulder. And it sniffs his face, before...

Sup, friend.

...Please don't tell him this happened when he's back to normal.]

[ nier is a man infamous for his determination. there is little need to respond, but he has every intention of following up. cloud couldn't deadpan or snark his way out of this.

fortunately for him, nier has already turned around, arms folded as his ears perk up at the sound of fabric rustling. an instinct kicking in and nothing more — amongst the leaves, however, there is something more gutural, a series of crunches and snaps grating against the branches. he can make out a few noises: an agressive gnash of teeth, chewing and swallowing, and by this point nier has moved to slowly face the woodsland.

and there is a wolf, gleaming the same pale gold cloud's hair had.

not hard to connect the dots — for one of them, that is.

because suddenly, the wolf bares its teeth, hair sticking up with a trill that lowers into a growl...nier raises his hands dismissvely, as if to indicate that he's far from a threat. ]

Easy boy. It's me, Nier.

[ and just as his fingers wind around the hilt of his sword, the wolf tackles him, knocking him down onto his back. nier looks positively dumbfounded as this happens, letting out a yelp as something wet drags across his face. his fingers thread through the wolf's fur, patting its head before giving him a good ruffle. ]

...It's nice to see you too, Cloud. [ a hand gestures upwards. ] C'mon boy. Let's move.

Edited 2020-03-22 23:56 (UTC)

[Changing was something that affected more than just Cloud's body. Physically, (with the exception of traits nothing close to natural, like his eyes) he was alike any other wolf one might be unfortunate enough to note around places where mankind had little to no claim.

But the extent of his changes were certainly not just physical. One defining characteristic of humans was, after all, their ability to repress urges- something which obviously, was not shared by any form of animal. Least of all a wild thing such as this. And while the human side of him might have shied away from expressing (no small amount of) affection Nier might have earned thusfar- averted his gaze when he felt himself tempted to keep it on him, not lingered on sentiment, put his efforts into doing things Nier might have found helpful rather than showing affection, it...

...well.

Restraint is a human concept, and it's not something that occurs to this creature. Nier, to it, is about the same thing he wasm of course, but a little more as well. He smells of home. Of varying flowers and of sleep and of security, of family even- as smells, to a wolf, are easily what humans would consider emotion. So Cloud's elation, like this, only grows when he feels Nier crumple at his rush.

His facial expression isn't noticed, let alone acknowledged. And the feel of his fingers sinking into his thick, coarse fur causes his tail to wag furiously- muzzle pressing past the long dead, long cured fur of the man's jerkin to press, and lick at his neck. When he's ruffled, he jumps back- not out of surprise- but treating it as a game. His upper half lowers toward the ground, tail still wagging from a few paces away- raising his head abruptly soon after.

...The words don't mean anything.
And it's a good thing- being called 'boy', even if couldn't remember the transformation afterwards, would be mortifying.

And sorry, Nier. Just as you're picking yourself up, you should have the wolf charging you again as part of the 'game'.]

[ the wolf is...eager. more eager than he knew cloud had the capacity to be, truthfully, and it leaves him wondering as to whether or not this had been representative of cloud at his core — unhibited and unrestrained. it's endearing in a way.

that is...until he's sent barreling towards him, snoutfirst, yet again.

nier makes some attempt to pry the wolf off — briskly, of course, so the motion comes across off as more of a nudge. his fingers comb through his fur, palm flattening against his head to give him a good rub. suddenly, he points on over yonder towards some of the shrubbery. ]

Let's go. Come on.

[ annnd here is trial trial #3 of trying to stand up. if he has to carry this wolf with him, so be it. ]

Over—...over there...!

[ he is gesturing, boy. ]

[He's nudged off- more with a brisk motion than anything that would allow him to (playfully, of course!) catch a wrist in his jaws, and turns in a small circle after the headrub, stance immediately moving to a relaxed one. His tail lowers in a small, slow wag, his ears are pointed to the side, and shoulders relaxed- though his expression turns more ...confused than anything at the gesture.

One of his ears points upward, and the other rotates slightly to make out human language, what now seems a garbled noise- before he offers his own vocalisation. It's a half growl, half whine- and it's accompanied by a lowering of his snout to the ground after he's taken a few indignant steps backward.

Then a sneeze.
Hey, the whole sniffing the ground thing was still kind of new.

Then another sniff.
Prey.

Oh- he gets it now.

He trots up to Nier again, this time (mercifully) staying on the ground but tilting his head up to jaw at some of the chains on his boots.

Then he turns around, leaping, and sprinting exactly where 'over there' might be.]

[ okay, the sneeze was adorable, he can't deny that.

nier raises a brow as if to say "what is it?" when the wolf's snout brushes against the chains of his boots; there's the faint clink of metal, and then before he can even count, the guy's dashing straight into a dense thicket.

nier trails behind at a similarly impressive pace, his fingers now tightly curled around the hilt of his blade. with a sniff, the scent of dirtied fur registers immediately. ]

Something's close.

[ ...right. dogs couldn't talk. nier waves a hand, gesturing it to their surroundings. he then points towards his nose, sniffing obnoxiously enough that his nostrils flare.

his finger is directed at cloud again, and his head cants with curiousity. ]

Food.

[For a two-legged thing, Nier's not all that slow. It's quite impressive, really- but there's a large reason why humans, in general, tended to trap more than actually hunt.

He's loud, for one. While for a human he's not half as loud as most, he simply doesn't have the advantages a wolf has. His feet are large, the boots on them cumbersome, slapping along the dirt roots and moss that forms the woodland's undergrowth as he runs. He's tall and awkwardly propped up in bipedal fashion- catching every twig and every branch in his way either on his padded torso, face or arms as he sprints.

That and he's heavy. Very heavy. Of course he makes noise. It's to be expected.

The 'something' is indeed close- but it hears him. Of course it hears him, and as the pair of them burst through another thicket into a clearing, they should just about be able to make out the hindquarters of something large- a deer? as it flees through another one, a good twenty yards away.

The deer itself is too large anyway. Far too large. Wolves weren't exactly known for being able to bring things larger than themselves down. The act was precarious even in large numbers, and damn near impossible solo. If anything, his luck with the boar previously had only been because of the Full Moon- and even then- a risk. A large one that could've been lethal to him, rather than the pig.

But maybe... If anything, Nier's sword(s), his height and his weight would help with the deer. Otherwise, the deer isn't alone. A smaller one- a fawn- is just a hair behind it.
When Nier speaks, he stops, lifting his head to observe the fawn and doe as they escape, tongue lolling out seemingly absently. Yet it's anything but absent. He lowers his snout again, getting more of the scent. Then he moves in a straight three-o-clock, head still lowered- in a walk.

He reaches the edge of another thicket before he raises his head, turning to look at Nier- as if to follow.]

Semi-closed; Apartment megathread.

February 2020

i) setting up (for nier)

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random notes left across the house;

nier;

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note to self: get wolf icons

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