SELKIE AU FOR SHUTSDOWN

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

oops, I did it again

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[shutsdown]

It's... something about a signal? Is what he said.

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

Signal... A weak signal? I wonder if I might not be able to... no, no, this isn't the time for that. So he can speak— ah, where are you?

[shutsdown]

...I don't know the name for it. I'm south of [says the name of the town his father lives in, without clarifying, like it's the only place with that name ever.]

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

Ah— one moment, just a—

[ mutters the name to himself a few times ]

—now, which— oh, the one near [ COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PLACE NAME. namely the town that Chris had been visiting, but Kieran wouldn't know that even if he did recognize the name ]?

[shutsdown]

...I don't know. I'm sorry.

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

You don't...? ...Well, I suppose there's no helping that...

...oh, but I'm sorry, I haven't even said so much as "thank you"— I've been so worried—

[shutsdown]

It's fine.

He's- healing well, so he'll be back to you soon. The energy is running out. I have to go.

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

The— oh, of course...

[ sad seal eyes, meet audible sad puppy eyes. ]

Might I get your name before you go...?

[shutsdown]

[there's a long silence.]

Kieran.

[click.]

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

[ ... :(

well, at least he kept him on long enough to get some usable information, if not to start a trace...

and his son most likely is alive. that's the most important thing of all. ]

[shutsdown]

[Kieran gives himself half an hour to CALM DOWN after that bucketload of... whatever it was. Then he painstakingly rewraps the phone, and makes his way back to the cave.]

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

[ so it turns out "I'll try to clean up a bit" meant "I'll shift wolf and try to dig up half the cave to make sure all the rotting things get washed out properly." raising his head from his latest hole and wagging with a half-bark ]

[shutsdown]

[oh

drops the phone and half-barks back.]

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

[ gives him a BIG DOGGY GRIN, tongue out and teeth concealed. padding carefully over (digging up half the cave with a hole still in his chest was not actually a good idea) to touch noses ]

[shutsdown]

[NOSETOUCH. EXCITED SEAL HUFF!!]

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

[ ha ha, he knew this was a good idea. even if the physical activity part wasn't.

snuffling his face all over, wagging furiously ]

[shutsdown]

[stretching up a bit to do the same, whiskers colliding with Chris's a little.]

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

[ he still smells like Kieran. but also of wet fur.

crouching down into a playbow to make face snuffling easier and then just sort of. falls over. look at this majestic flopsprawl. ]

[shutsdown]

[!! EXCELLENT

scoots up to press against his side.]

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

[ guess who is still warm! only lukewarm but that's still a hell of an improvement.

also he is losing his willsave. whining and licking Kieran's face ]

[shutsdown]

[PROPRIETARY PAWFLIPPER OVER CHRIS'S SIDE, cuddling closer and accepting the doggy kisses.]

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

[ how are you so cuddle. it's beautiful. he settles down, still thumping his tail steadily against the sand. ]

[shutsdown]

[well, he's falling asleep now, so.]

[bitethehandthatfeeds]

[ SUCCESS ALL AROUND. it takes him a little longer—wolf isn't a shape he often sleeps in—but he's worn out enough from the shifts and the digging that it isn't overly long before he falls asleep, too. ]

[shutsdown]

[True to his word, Kieran sleeps until the next evening, utterly worn out from days of stress. but he does eventually wake, realize he's still wearing his pelt, and sleepily shed it.]