itp: complete werewolfy gratuity

[itaito]

[he knew, when he came to the city to pursue his singing career, that he'd be away from his pack. he'd thought, at the time, that it would be okay. he was the omega wolf in any case, and he'd been looking forward to the freedom.

(his own proclivities notwithstanding. that was a separate thing, somehow elusively different. he could ask to be beaten or bound, and find someone to oblige him. he'd never asked to be the omega.)

but it was lonelier than he'd expected, being the only wolf he knew here. being out from under the hierarchical bullying of his own pack was nice; the lack of anyone to run with or howl with or just curl up with in a furry heap on lazy nights was rather less so.

the ceaseless busyness of writing, recording, performing, and interviewing is enough to put it from his mind, sometimes. but sometimes not. and especially not during lulls in activity, when he has days free to himself, wide open and lonely.

he sits slumped on a park bench, disconsolately flipping pebbles into a fountain.]

Comments

[was_no_monster]

[it's a nice day out. he can feel the weight of the sun's presence on his skin, dulled to something like the comfort of a warm blanket by his sunblock. ...his absolutely disgusting smelling sunblock. someday somebody would invent a sunblock that did not smell like death-by-poison and chemicals and artifical everything to vampire senses, and that person would get rich very quickly.

in the meantime, though, dealing with it is a sacrifice he is more than willing to make in exchange for being able to keep one foot in the world of the living, and for keeping the sun.

it helps that the park is somewhat busy, too; while normally he's somewhere in between squeamish and resentful about being able to smell far more than he'd ever wanted to know about a person (more than he would ever have a right to know), today it's a welcome distraction from his sunblock, combining nicely with dirt and grass and other green growing things into something that just smells like life. he may not have his father's Shinto leanings, but it's comforting nonetheless to have this concrete evidence that the world keeps turning, regardless of the mistakes he's made in the past, and that it will continue to do so.

he's musing to himself over these and other heavy thoughts (completely aware that he's being somewhat overdramatic, but hell, not only is he a vampire, he's a descendent of Prima's. he is supposed to be overdramatic!) when the wind shifts and he smells wolf.

his first (completely nonsensical) thought is that one of the members of "his" wolf pack has somehow followed him home... but beyond the idea being ridiculous, he would have recognized one of his own even with his sunblock muddling things. besides, a second, surreptitious sniff (made less so by his trying not to sneeze afterward, God damn) reveals that no, it isn't wolf. not quite. a more cautious third inhale, and with a sudden sense of disbelief he realizes it's coming from the man moping by the fountain.

under his breath] ...You have got to be kidding me.

[but after a moment's hesitation, he approaches anyway.]

[itaito]

[the wolf senses are duller, in human form and by the light of day. but never quite gone - even in daylight, one needs to be able to smell pack, rivals, and... other things.

the smell of sunblock is what he notices first, his nose wrinkling at the chemical odor. who even uses that much sunblock, unless they're at the beach or something?

when he smells what's underneath, however, he jerks his head up, unable to quite hide his expression of moderate alarm.

it's something he's smelled before only faintly, left behind in tracks in the dark and - occasionally - in the woods.

but he's never actually met a vampire.]

[was_no_monster]

[screeching to a halt, holding his hands up placatingly and feeling both guilty and more than a little foolish. he's been around wolves (been a wolf) enough to know that any sort of stealth would not only be pointless, but possibly read as hostility.

the guilt, on the other hand... well, he always feels guilty in the face of any sort of fear. it's a reminder that he's part of a race known for being both terrifying, and on occasion terrible— and that by having joined it, he's become both.]

Ah... Sorry. I didn't mean...

[...how in Hell do you tell someone that you came over because they smelled interesting without sounding really creepy. scuffing one shoe against the ground, at a loss]

[itaito]

A-ah, don't worry. You just surprised me.

Er... am I not supposed to be here? I can leave... I'm not actually with anyone...

[that last sentence tastes bad in his mouth, comes a shade closer to actual denial of pack than he'd like. but it's true enough - he is here alone]

[was_no_monster]

Ah— no, it's fine, so long as you're not planning trouble.

[sheepishly, sticking his hands in his pockets] ...I was just curious, to be honest.

[and more curious, now, even though it's probably rude of him. "not with anyone?" did he just mean at the park, or entirely?]

[itaito]

Oh, okay! I've never met someone like you before, I didn't know how you felt about territory... No, I'm just a singer.

What were you curious about?

[was_no_monster]

[shrugging, with a rueful chuckle] Not anything specific, really. I... haven't met anyone like you before, either, so...

...ah. Actually, speaking of territory... Do you hunt at all, or...?

in this comment I channel Daisuke

[itaito]

Ah, my pack would, sometimes - we don't really need to hunt to survive, but sometimes a bit of wild rabbit is just what the heart needs, you know?

[he unconsciously licks his lips a little - though his expression is wistful]

... They live farther out, though. I moved into the city for my career.

...c-cute

[was_no_monster]

[headtilt]

...By yourself?

[itaito]

[Kaito stands near the treeline as the sky reddens, hands in his pockets, looking around anxiously.

it occurs to him that he might perhaps look a little suspicious this way, so he starts to amble along aimlessly, ostensibly admiring the trees and the sunset. this doesn't particularly help the racing excitement in his chest, the mounting impatience to drop to all fours and howl.

around sundown, he said. he'll be here. just a matter of waiting...]

[was_no_monster]

[there's a sudden, excited whuffing noise from up ahead— and there he is: a large, shaggy blue-black wolf lying in the shade of one of the larger trees, thumping his tail steadily against the ground and grinning at him]

[itaito]

[omg. rushes over to]

[was_no_monster]

[8D! getting to his feet with a stretch and a bit of a shake and promptly play bowing, still grinning and wagging like an idiot. YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE TO BE EXCITED ABOUT THIS, IT SEEMS]

[itaito]

[he crouches down, grinning back, and then gets up to jog into the trees]

[was_no_monster]

[headtilts, considering

then follows. I wanna see :Da]

[itaito]

[he's out of sight of the park before he stops, and ducks behind a tree to quickly remove his clothes - a different outfit from before, loose and easy to remove for precisely this purpose.

hurriedly, he folds and tucks them under a large rock. and then, while he's close to the ground anyway...

he's a smaller wolf than the other Kaito, but big enough to probably make the other stagger a little bit when he falls upon him, all paws and tongue and excited, wagging tail.]

[was_no_monster]

[he staggers more than a little, seeing as he'd pinned his ears back and looked away as soon as he'd realized Kaito was stripping. it doesn't take him more than a second or so to regain his balance, though, and then he starts giving as good as he gets. gonna roll you overrrr~ >)]

yet another timeskip!

[was_no_monster]

[streeeetching out cheerfully on his old bed, luxuriating in both the pleasant ache of tired muscles and the warm flush of life. what he'd taken from the boar has just about finished becoming his own; and a good thing, too, or he'd be too exhausted and full to move. as it is, though, he looks more bright-eyed and bushy tailed than when he actually was.]

...That was fun. I don't run nearly often enough at night... Or with company, for that matter.

[itaito]

[flopped all over a futon on the floor]

Same here. It's been too long since I spent a night really being a wolf, instead of just curling up at home...

And I can definitely say I've never eaten that well on a hunt!

[was_no_monster]

[laughing]

Me neither, actually... If we aren't careful, we both might end up fatter than that pig!

[itaito]

[laughing] Aaaahh, nooo, my image will be ruined!

[was_no_monster]

[snerk] It would be your manager versus my girlfriend and grandmother over our respective images. I think I should be the one panicking.

[itaito]

Why, what would your girlfriend and grandmother do?

[was_no_monster]

Mmm, well... Miku'd just never let me live it down, but Oba-sama... She sort of... ah, she takes the whole vampire image very seriously. She honestly might threaten to disown me, and then make sure she wouldn't have to by kicking me back into shape herself.

[itaito]

... Scary.