awashlogs | Event Six.

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Event Six.

If you see this hairy creature
Your first choice should always be to run
Otherwise you had better hope
You have silver bullets in a gun.

he full moon hangs brightly over the Town, hovering so low that it almost feels as though you could reach out and touch it. It should be comforting.

But as the howl of wolves fills the air, it's anything but.

There are werewolves on the prowl, and their target is very clear -- the Town won't be able to last without your help.

Welcome to Awash's sixth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post.

You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

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...Sorry.

[That's open enough. He slides his foot right in, one hand on the door and the other on the frame. No matter how strong Dextera is, Guren doesn't think he can physically hold him out.

He's forcing his way in.]

You don't get to say no. I'll show you I'm not bit anywhere, if you really want, but staying on your own like this is just going to make you upset.

[ dextera tries to keep guren out, but maybe he’s not really trying as hard as should be expected—guren easily forces his way in, and dextera cowers away from him. ]

Stay back.

[ signed, quickly. he can’t help it—no matter how many times he tells himself guren is safe, his mind is filled with the paranoia that anyone could be one of those monsters.

his hands are shaking. ]

I can't do that.

[He shuts the door behind him, and it hurts to see Dextera this way. Of course it does. But he can't blame him. He lifts both of his hands, showing them front and back as he steps closer.]

Look. No claws. No sharp teeth. The moon is out but I don't have a single sign that something is wrong.

[His steps forward are slow, at least.] What do I have to do to put you at ease?

[ guren is right. there’s nothing about him that looks lupine in the least, and dextera trusted him anyway without seeing it—it’s just hard to reconcile his heart and mind, like this.

he shakes his head, wrapping his arms around himself. he can’t stop shaking, and he’s terrified of his own violent thoughts of getting a group together to go stop the beasts once and for all.

protect the town. ]

…

[ he exhales, looking up at guren. every now and then, there’s a nervous twitch of his fingers, or a wild glint in his eyes like a trapped animal. he’s having a bad time. ]

I hate them.

[ they’re his friends, he knows—he knows, but he can’t make himself stop. ]

It's because they're not themselves.

[Guren steps closer still, reaching out slowly, putting his hands on Dextera's shoulders, testing.]

Vampires are exactly the same. You lose your sense of self, your humanity, and all you want to do is feed. It's horrible.

[ it’s true. no one is acting like themselves at all—at least when a baroque takes over, there are semblances of their personalities still shining through. the bagged one is a cheerful, helpful girl. angelicus is compassionate, despite everything.

his friends now just seem like animals, when the moon is high enough. ]

…scared.

[ slowly, he relaxes under guren’s touch, even if he flinches at first. ]

It's okay.

[The flinch is fine, and the relaxing is even better. Once he gets to that, he pulls him into a hug, hoping it'll reassure him somewhat.]

I'll stay here with you until things are back to normal. A lot of people have turned, but we're well on our way to a cure, and it's only at night that we struggle with this.

Sorry.

[ when guren mentions the cure, he frowns guiltily, because he knows he hasn’t been helping an ounce. he’s been trying to assist in his own way, of course, but gathering ingredients, mixing them together—he’s avoided all of it. ]

Useless.

[ he is, that is. he knows it. ]

I'm gonna smack you if you try to say that again.

[Say, sign, spell, it doesn't matter. He keeps Dextera close, his mouth maybe too close to his ear, but he hopes it's reassuring in some way. This is all he can do.]

You've helped plenty of people, but it's too dangerous to go out there right now. Even I can't stay out there waiting for them to come at me. [It'd be foolish! He doesn't want to end up a furry.]

They've got it under control, no matter how it looks. This'll pass.

[ it’s impossible to tell when being harsh with dextera will upset him or motivate him, but luckily this time, guren’s quick anger gets dextera to cut that shit right out. ]

…

[ he squeezes guren, sighing out a heavy breath as he nods.

one of the chickens struts by, clucking, apparently thoroughly unconcerned with anything that’s happening around her. she doesn’t understand why she’s in here?! ]

[It's when that chicken walks by that he breathes out a laugh.]

So, let's get your mind off things. If people come by, you can leave it to me, or have me hang back. Whatever you want. But I'm here. Got it?

[ dextera pulls back, and he’s clearly not completely comfortable, but he’s much better than he was when he tried to keep guren out of the house. ]

…Estelle, Joshua, Prompto.

[ that’s half the house, turned, and it’s hard to keep away from them when all of them are usually so comfortable, so cozy, in this little house. ]

[...Ah. That's not good.]

Are they still staying here?

[Because that changes things, but either way:] Together, we can take care of them without having to hurt them. It'll work out.

Not tonight.

[ the longer it goes on, the less time they spend here, and dextera feels guilty for being grateful. the quieter the house, the safer he feels, even if they’re his friends.

he slides his hand down guren’s arm, tangling their fingers together. ]

I’m hiding.

[Just two bros, good pals, tangling their fingers together. Guren doesn't mind it at all, apparently, even giving his hand a light squeeze of reassurance.]

That's the smart thing to do. If we don't keep ourselves safe, we add to the numbers. Besides, when this all blows over, I'm going to need your help. You better stay safe.

[He'd mentioned the bogeyman in passing by now, but then this came up, and it's really such a pain.]

I'll hide with you. Where's Leliel?

[ dextera nods. he knows what guren wants his help with, and he’s not opposed to that. people have tried to chase it off and failed, but it seems like it’s going to be time soon to find a way to slay it. ]

Upstairs.

[ all the animals are, except for this one chicken that he had been trying to feed when guren pushed his way in.

he lifts guren’s hand to his mouth, not touching, but guren can probably feel dextera’s breath on his fingers. ]

[It's... hard to stay focused like this. He wants to keep him safe, to reassure him that he won't let anything bad happen to him. He doesn't want to make the same mistakes he made back home.

But he's also so much closer, already. There's breath on his fingers and he can't stop himself from stretching them out, touching Dextera's bottom lip as he holds his breath. It's too much.]

Do you want to go up?

[ dextera swallows, giving everything he has to avoid acting on the sudden desire to press back, to lean into guren’s touch—something’s got to give sooner or later, but it won’t be now. he steps away, forcing guren’s hand away from his mouth with a little more pressure than is necessary. ]

…

[ a nod, and a smile that almost looks like he could be sorry, before he stoops to pick up the loose chicken and carry her upstairs.

he expects guren to follow, and he hopes that things won’t be strange. ]

...Sorry.

[That was a little too awkward to just leave in silence, and at the shove, he pulls his hand the rest of the way back in shame, averting his eyes. He needs to stop, to control himself. Dextera likes physical contact, but that doesn't mean he should take advantage of him.

He has to keep that in mind, no matter what.

But he does follow him up the stairs. He shoves his hands into his pockets to keep them there.]

You haven't been hurt by any of them, have you?

[ guren apologizes despite dextera’s wish that he wouldn’t, and he’s glad that his back is turned so guren can’t see his expression change—even for a moment, he wants to pretend that everything is fine. he’s just tired. they both are.

he shakes his head, and when he pushes open the door to his room, there’s at least a moment of levity between them when it becomes obvious just how much he prioritizes the comfort of the animals over himself.

the chocobos are snoozing together, and the chickens have piled up for warmth next to each other, using all of dextera’s blankets and his things, as well, as a makeshift roost. there are feathers everywhere.

he likes birds?! ]

[Well, this definitely pulls him out of his own thoughts. He stops dead in the doorway.]

...You're going to make yourself sick, living like this.

[God!! Stepping inside, he leans his sword against the wall near the door and moves to start gathering the feathers scattered all over.]

Do you even stay warm when they're the ones using your blankets?

[ dextera trusts the birds not to hurt him, and he feels better about their safety when they’re huddled up in his room at night. what if someone tried to nab leliel? he’d never forgive himself. ]

They’re warm.

[ it’s hard to tell if he means that they keep him warm, or if he considers it more important that the birds are comfortable over himself. ]

You have to really make sure they're clean so you don't end up sick yourself.

[He's sure he does, but at the same time, a bunch of birds inside just seems... like too much to this rich boy. Ah well. He's gathering feathers.]

Especially when there's so many in such a small space.

…

[ dextera almost feels indignant that guren seems to think his birds aren’t clean, but indignity is better than the paranoia that was wracking him earlier. if he catches a glimpse of the moon, he’s going to remember, but for now—he feels the need to defend the honor of his living space. ]

Clean. [ insistent... dextera is helping with the feathers now, but mostly he’s trying to convince guren it’s fine. ] They go out, in the morning.

[ they sleep here, okay! and then he lets them walk, but not too far, because he doesn’t trust the town even when the sun is up. ]

Yeah, well, it smells like bird in here.

[HE'S SO NICe... but now he's just trying to see if Dextera is going to get mad if he keeps it up, because he thinks that'd be funny... He's horrible.]

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