Kai Spiegelman (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
siegheulen) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
shamelesshookery2014-05-26 02:11 pm
siegheulen) wrote in shamelesshookery2014-05-26 02:11 pm
Entry tags:
DID SOMEONE SAY STUPID AU O'CLOCK
[because who would make a better werewolf than Kai.]
[ No one in the village bothers to tell Krista to take care when she sets off for her grandmother's house. It's not as if they don't notice -- bright red eyes and a crimson cloak would be eye-catching on anyone, let alone a child -- they just don't care.
Witch, they whisper behind her back, while she buys apples from the fruit seller. Witch.
Krista doesn't know if it's true or not. The other children in the village chanted it over and over and pushed her into the mud when the bird she'd been trying to raise had died and one of the bakers had refused to serve her for a week, claiming she'd cursed his last batch after he'd tried to overcharge her for food.
It'd be nice if she was. Magic would be nice. When she was younger, she'd spend hours running around with a stick stripped bare of leaves, pretending she was casting spells, but she hadn't done that in a while (not since one of the girls she'd played with had fallen ill and her mother had chased her screaming from the doctor's office when she came to visit).
No adult in the village would dream of letting any other child Krista's age travel the forest unattended, but they don't care about the witch. If the creatures in the forest find her, so be it.
Krista doesn't know she has to be careful as she follows the trail. All she knows is that if she follows this path for long enough, and if she doesn't drop the apples in the basket on her arm, she'll reach her grandmother's house.
No one ever bothered to warn her about the wolves. ]
Witch, they whisper behind her back, while she buys apples from the fruit seller. Witch.
Krista doesn't know if it's true or not. The other children in the village chanted it over and over and pushed her into the mud when the bird she'd been trying to raise had died and one of the bakers had refused to serve her for a week, claiming she'd cursed his last batch after he'd tried to overcharge her for food.
It'd be nice if she was. Magic would be nice. When she was younger, she'd spend hours running around with a stick stripped bare of leaves, pretending she was casting spells, but she hadn't done that in a while (not since one of the girls she'd played with had fallen ill and her mother had chased her screaming from the doctor's office when she came to visit).
No adult in the village would dream of letting any other child Krista's age travel the forest unattended, but they don't care about the witch. If the creatures in the forest find her, so be it.
Krista doesn't know she has to be careful as she follows the trail. All she knows is that if she follows this path for long enough, and if she doesn't drop the apples in the basket on her arm, she'll reach her grandmother's house.
No one ever bothered to warn her about the wolves. ]
[...is he smelling things? generally, you do not expect to get hit with a snoutful of apple when you're following the trail of a rabbit. other growables, maybe, if it'd been in the middle of stealing from someone's garden, but...
...but now he's well and truly lost that trail, and his mouth is watering. he hasn't had fruit in ages— too much of a hassle to grow his own trees, and he knows better than to try to nick any from the nearby villages. waaaay more trouble than it's worth, thank you very much. trading for them is right out, too, since nobody wants to swap goods with a scruffy stranger that popped out of the forest. apples in his woods is totally fair game, though, so he abandons the idea of trying to find that rabbit's trail again in favor of tracking down some less meaty prey.
it's a little bit disappointing to find a kid at the end of the trail, and those apples in her basket. not a complete loss, though. she's young, and apparently completely unafraid of being in the woods by herself— the combination means she might be naive enough to not know why she shouldn't trade with him. so why not try? fortune favors the bold, after all, and the worst that'll happen is she'll cry wolf and hopefully be ignored when she got home. and what human would believe a story about a werewolf asking for fruit and leaving the kid themselves unmolested?
that decided, he slips behind a tree to change and straighten his clothes, trying to look somewhat respectable before he pokes his head out from behind it and clears his throat]
...but now he's well and truly lost that trail, and his mouth is watering. he hasn't had fruit in ages— too much of a hassle to grow his own trees, and he knows better than to try to nick any from the nearby villages. waaaay more trouble than it's worth, thank you very much. trading for them is right out, too, since nobody wants to swap goods with a scruffy stranger that popped out of the forest. apples in his woods is totally fair game, though, so he abandons the idea of trying to find that rabbit's trail again in favor of tracking down some less meaty prey.
it's a little bit disappointing to find a kid at the end of the trail, and those apples in her basket. not a complete loss, though. she's young, and apparently completely unafraid of being in the woods by herself— the combination means she might be naive enough to not know why she shouldn't trade with him. so why not try? fortune favors the bold, after all, and the worst that'll happen is she'll cry wolf and hopefully be ignored when she got home. and what human would believe a story about a werewolf asking for fruit and leaving the kid themselves unmolested?
that decided, he slips behind a tree to change and straighten his clothes, trying to look somewhat respectable before he pokes his head out from behind it and clears his throat]
[ The sudden sound in the middle of all the quiet is enough to make Krista jump -- but when she turns around to face the source, she doesn't look at all afraid. Just curious.
She blinks at him a few times, then furrows her brow. A stranger in the woods? Or at least she thinks he's a stranger -- she's never seen him in the village, anyway. Is he a traveller? Is he lost?
With none of the hesitation that a child would usually show while approaching a stranger, Krista pulls the hood of her cloak a little further over her eyes and walks over to him. She stays carefully on the trail, taking care not to tread any further than she needs to, to address him at a polite volume. ]
... who are you?
She blinks at him a few times, then furrows her brow. A stranger in the woods? Or at least she thinks he's a stranger -- she's never seen him in the village, anyway. Is he a traveller? Is he lost?
With none of the hesitation that a child would usually show while approaching a stranger, Krista pulls the hood of her cloak a little further over her eyes and walks over to him. She stays carefully on the trail, taking care not to tread any further than she needs to, to address him at a polite volume. ]
... who are you?
[fucking hell, she's adorable. who the hell let her out on her own like that?]
Name's Kai. What's yours?
Name's Kai. What's yours?
[oh no, she's shy. he drapes himself over one of the lower branches of the tree, relaxed and unthreatening— look, look, he's totally harmless.]
Nice to meet you, Krista.
Ah, so— you've got apples in there, yeah? Don't suppose you'd mind sharing?
Nice to meet you, Krista.
Ah, so— you've got apples in there, yeah? Don't suppose you'd mind sharing?
Edited 2014-05-26 23:00 (UTC)
Nice to meet you.
[ she parrots it back politely, with the air of someone who's had good manners drilled into them.
The mention of apples startles her though and she looks down into her basket before taking a hesitant, half-step back. ]
... They're for Grandma.
[ she parrots it back politely, with the air of someone who's had good manners drilled into them.
The mention of apples startles her though and she looks down into her basket before taking a hesitant, half-step back. ]
... They're for Grandma.
...Oh.
[bugger. but—]
Well, I wouldn't want to take anything from your granny, that'd be rude. Especially if they're all you're bringing her...?
[bugger. but—]
Well, I wouldn't want to take anything from your granny, that'd be rude. Especially if they're all you're bringing her...?
[he has the grace to look slightly guilty]
Not really, but I don't get a lot of fruit. Can't grow an apple tree in a garden, yeah?
Tell you what, d'you think your grandma would mind if I traded you for an apple or two? I may not have much fruit, but the garden means I've got more rabbit than I know what to do with. I wouldn't mind giving some to you.
Not really, but I don't get a lot of fruit. Can't grow an apple tree in a garden, yeah?
Tell you what, d'you think your grandma would mind if I traded you for an apple or two? I may not have much fruit, but the garden means I've got more rabbit than I know what to do with. I wouldn't mind giving some to you.
Edited (HOMONYMS) 2014-05-26 23:15 (UTC)
[biting back a whine. all he wants is an apple is he just doomed to live a fruitless life. is that it.]
...I could? Carry it, I mean...?
[fuck, he could not have sounded any more pathetically hopeful if he had whimpered. GOOD JOB.]
...I could? Carry it, I mean...?
[fuck, he could not have sounded any more pathetically hopeful if he had whimpered. GOOD JOB.]
... you could?
[ she looks surprised by the offer and blinks at him for a moment.
Then she beams. ]
That would be okay! Grandma would get mad if I got dirty, but I'll be okay if you carry it.
[ even as she says this, she's reaching into her basket and pulling out the shiniest, most ridiculously red apple imaginable and holding it out to him. ]
One now and one when we get there? Is that okay?
[ she looks surprised by the offer and blinks at him for a moment.
Then she beams. ]
That would be okay! Grandma would get mad if I got dirty, but I'll be okay if you carry it.
[ even as she says this, she's reaching into her basket and pulling out the shiniest, most ridiculously red apple imaginable and holding it out to him. ]
One now and one when we get there? Is that okay?
[holy fuck he actually did it. COUNTERBEAMING]
Yeah, sure! Ah— lemme actually go get the rabbit first, for all you know I'm just going to run off with that like a jerk or something.
Yeah, sure! Ah— lemme actually go get the rabbit first, for all you know I'm just going to run off with that like a jerk or something.
Sure, sure. Hell, you can even go on ahead, I'll find you.
[turning around to bolt for home, although he waits until he's sure he's out of sight before stretching his gait from a two footed run to a four footed gallop]
[turning around to bolt for home, although he waits until he's sure he's out of sight before stretching his gait from a two footed run to a four footed gallop]
[ She hesitates, but nods after a moment and after glancing back at him, she turns on her heel and begins to head back along the trail, towards the cottage.
Any other girl her age might have been nervous at heading through the woods, knowing that not only were there wolves here, but there was a man, too -- but who'd ever bother to warn the witch about the things lurking in the woods and who would have cared if anything had happened? ]
Any other girl her age might have been nervous at heading through the woods, knowing that not only were there wolves here, but there was a man, too -- but who'd ever bother to warn the witch about the things lurking in the woods and who would have cared if anything had happened? ]
[she might not know to be nervous, but he is, at least a little bit. his presence keeps the woods pretty clear of other hunters, but "pretty clear" isn't the same as empty.
still, he knows it won't take him long. digging out a usable basket of his own and lining it to keep the hare from making a mess takes longer than the actual run back to the path.]
Oi, Krista, I got it!
still, he knows it won't take him long. digging out a usable basket of his own and lining it to keep the hare from making a mess takes longer than the actual run back to the path.]
Oi, Krista, I got it!
[ She hears him calling out to her right away and stops where she is, waiting for him to return with a little smile on her face. It's strange for an adult (for anyone who isn't her grandmother) to be so... nice to her, but she certainly doesn't dislike it.
She walks back to meet him, her smile growing a little more once she sees the other basket and holds out the apple for him to take. ]
Here...!
She walks back to meet him, her smile growing a little more once she sees the other basket and holds out the apple for him to take. ]
Here...!
Thank you~oop.
[deftly pulling it from her hand and biting into it posthaste with a happy groan. berries were good and all, but sometimes you just wanted an apple.]
[deftly pulling it from her hand and biting into it posthaste with a happy groan. berries were good and all, but sometimes you just wanted an apple.]
[ she blinks at him, looking surprised -- but then she giggles, covering her mouth with both hands as she does so. He just looks so pleased to be eating an apple of all things -- they're not that expensive to buy, are they? Does he live in another village where apples are hard to find? ]
You're welcome!
... can you not get apples where you live?
You're welcome!
... can you not get apples where you live?
[in between bites]
Nah. I live by myself, so I have to grow all my own food— and like I said, you can't really grow apples in a garden.
Nah. I live by myself, so I have to grow all my own food— and like I said, you can't really grow apples in a garden.
[ oh -- he must live in the forest, like Grandma does. She's never heard her mention anyone else living here though -- is his house even deeper in the woods than the cottage? ]
... If you want, I can...
[ and then she goes red and drops her gaze. Just because he's being so polite doesn't mean he'll actually want much to do with her. The adults in the village are polite when she's around, but she hears what the say when she turns her back.
Why would he be any different? ]
... If you want, I can...
[ and then she goes red and drops her gaze. Just because he's being so polite doesn't mean he'll actually want much to do with her. The adults in the village are polite when she's around, but she hears what the say when she turns her back.
Why would he be any different? ]
Page 1 of 6