[Back in Queens, Delmar had been a homebody. Shy, soft-spoken, and generally considered odd by everyone in the neighborhood, he always felt like a hermit crab turned out of its shell whenever he went out for groceries or popped in to the drugstore, and generally tried to keep his eyes on his feet so as not to catch the looks. Yes. He knows the looks he gets whenever he goes anywhere, and he also knows that if he sees those judgmental eyes on him it usual takes the wind of out his sails, what little confidence he had would crumple into a little ball in his stomach, and he'd regret having left the house again.
But so far Hadriel has proven to be different. Despite it being a kidnapping by Gods who have their fun by pushing them around and it being a cave full of people with questionable criminal records, Delmar has found that his attempts to reach out to others have been met with much more positivity than back home. He's even made some friends, and friends who will actually call him a friend. That is amazing!
So it gives him a little bit of courage. And it is this courage that inspires him to introduce himself to his new neighbor. It would be rude of him not to, right?
So gathering what bravery he has, he steps across the hall, raises a hand, knocks on the door--
-And immediately regrets his decision. Oh god. What if this person was asleep. Or they were busy. And now he's bothering him. He should just go back into his apartment, yes that would be good--
No. No. that would be worse. Then it would look like he was just one of those kids who likes to prank innocent people by knocking on their door and running off.
Nope. No, whatever happens now, Delmar must face it. ]
[Tucker's not especially busy when Delmar comes to his door. In fact, that's the problem.
Back home, he had plenty to do. His job, for starters, which kept him busy most of the week, and then his secondary job on the weekends. And when he wasn't working, he and his buddies had stuff to do, places to go out. And he had his cats to take care of, actual food to cook- god. He misses his cramped schedule.
He's cleaned his apartment about a dozen times, unloaded, reloaded, and cleaned both guns, rearranged his furniture a bit- all boring. He's shrugging on his jacket to go out for a run (much less interesting without the crowds, but whatever,) when he hears movement in the hall.
Tucker pauses, listening. Footsteps shuffle over to his side of the stairway and then a hand knocks on his door. Interesting. He hasn't checked out his neighbor yet, and anyway, it's something to do.
He tosses his jacket on the back of the couch and answers the door, trying to put on a friendly air.]
i mean idk about that i'm not tryin to play bodyguard for the whole fuckin city but we do need to stop them from killin our only fucking revival source here also k slow your roll dont make urself a target
[Two things will tip Tucker off to something being terribly wrong here. One, Kyna is actually calling him, and two, her voice is trembling. It sounds like she's been crying.]
[Tucker is running around the city like a chicken with its proverbial head cut off, but the second he sees a message from Kyna, he ducks behind a wall to answer. He doesn't bother with the location. Something's Up.]
[Tucker has been checking his messages constantly, the closest he can afford to come to pacing nervously around and waiting. He sees the ping instantly, and just sort of holds his phone for a second, letting that relief sink in and trying not to think too hard about it.]
on the move easier for me to come to u wtf tho whyd u go and die on me like that?
[ A few days after the move, Wash is feeling brave enough to message Tucker and Harlan. He could call Tucker, but texting means he won't trip over his words... as much. And it seems to be what these guys prefer, anyway. He knows that saving him was probably something they did for Kyna's sake, or the city's, but they still put themselves in danger and he benefited. He has to say something. It winds up being a very similar message, but he's a little less nervous about hitting send on this one. ]
Hey Tucker. I just needed to say thank you for coming after me, for helping get them out of my head. I don't know how much Kyna told you guys, but I've had someone in there before and this ending was a lot better. I was sure I was going to die, but you came. So thank you.
I feel like we've had a rough start and this didn't help. But if there's anything you need, let me know. Whatever I can do. I owe you.
[Hm. Tucker's not used to being thanked. Even when his job has him rescuing people, (usually on accident,) they're always too busy fleeing in terror or being shellshocked to offer up much in the way of gratitude. Which is fine by him, honestly. He's not sure what to do with this.]
hey, yw ig its not a big deal tho not like i was gonna let u be possessed or w/e thats fucked up n its better ppl like us deal w/ it who know wtf were doin instead of randos gettin themselves killed
[And as for the other part. Well. Truth be told, everyone has a rough start with Tucker, they just don't always know it.]
ftr i dont think this shit is ur fault or anything? not blamin u for the null bein dicks
[They made it out- in a manner of speaking. Rome died and Tucker certainly ran into some issues, but at the end of everything, they're alive and Rome hasn't forgotten about their conversation, so he sends Tucker a short message- Shifting tonight. I'll be near [x,y] if you'd like to meet.- and is on his way.
He's forced to shift during the full moon, and there's a certain relief that comes with shifting when the moon is finally visible and he can feel the light on his skin. Rome closes his eyes and lets it happen, falling into his other form like slipping into a warm bath. His muscles always feel looser and less tense like this, and everything seems... calmer, somehow. Like none of this ever happened.
Of course, that isn't the case and it shows- Rome is still missing an eye in this shape, still marred with several cuts and bruises and enough missing toes that it forces a bit of a limp from him, but the pain isn't quite as severe and it's easier to push away in favor of other things.
Rome has already found an empty shop near the outskirts of the city to stash a few belongings in on nights when he shifts and so he keeps close to there, patrols the area and tries to discover what he can about this new place. If James decides to meet him, that's fine- and if not, then there's plenty else for him to do here.]
[Tucker doesn't debate very long on whether or not he'll go. He and Rome are maybe a little rocky still, but they're certainly on better terms than before. They understand each other a little, or they've tried to. Potentially complicating matters is the fact that Rome apparently died- trying to protect Kyna. Some gratitude is owed there, maybe, but Tucker doubts it'll matter tonight.
He needs to clear his head. He's spent too much time dealing with other peoples' problems, which he normally avoids doing like the plague. It's time to run.
He doesn't bother bringing anything with him, not even the medal he almost never takes off. He remembers Rome's leery sideways glances in the dream, the knowledge that silver could hurt him. This is Tucker's peace offering, his little inch of trust. He tucks it out of sight in his apartment before he shifts, stretching into his other skin.
It doesn't take him long to find Rome, and wouldn't even without the coordinates. The wolf scent stands out among all the other, alien smells. He catches up to him not far from the empty shop.
Unlike Rome, Tucker managed to make it out of the Null attack largely unscathed. His black coat is unmarred, and thankfully still in its summer thickness. He approaches at what he hopes is a casual pace, ears up, tail swinging behind him. He's never been part of a pack before, and the dynamics are a foreign language to him, but he knows enough not to look too aggressive.]
well not from here lmfao u mean if we get back home again? probably wouldnt be too hard we know the layout n the people n the security systems they didnt fire us so they probs havent put us on any shitlists u thinkin of usin em to go find ur bf after hadriel?
[Of course he shows up when Tucker isn't there- the scent of him is colder than normal and he's not sure if it's because Tucker has left the city again or if he's just staying over with someone else for... a longer period of time. In an overnight sort of sense. Now that he's more aware of Tucker's proclivities, the lack of him around his normal residence is somewhat expected.
So Rome feels no hesitation about leaving a small bag on Tucker's doorstep. They're friends, he thinks- at least, they've spent enough time together that someone may refer to them as friends. That makes Tucker's safety at least partially his responsibility, right?
Inside the bags are several condoms, taken from back when they were a little more widely available and stowed away for some ungodly reason. There's also thin sheets of rubber, which look suspiciously like- oh, that's a dental dam. There's also a box of wet wipes, just in case he needed those too.
Attached is a note:]
If you were not already doing so, please use safe sexual practices in the future.
-Rome
[Be thankful that you have a friend(?) so selfless.]
[As this is still the day before he'll end up leaving the city to quarantine himself, Tucker isn't actually too far. He drops by his apartment in the midst of his usual keeping-himself-busy routine and notices Rome's lingering scent even before he sees the bag. It's Rome, so it can't be anything too bad- even if a gift is... rather strange.
Maybe somebody put him up to it?
That suspicion rises when he takes it inside and peers at its contents. In a way, he actually appreciates the condoms. His own stash that he pilfered before the Null attack was getting dangerously low. But combined with the note and the fact that it's coming from Rome of all people just makes his eyes roll. God, what did he do to deserve this? (A lot, probably.)]
hey uh saw ur present thanks ig??? v thoughtful of u just wondering tho like where did u get the idea to do that?
hey jt u got a min? a few mins actually. full disclosure this convo is abt to be beyond ur comfort zone. sorry. but theres some shit u should know. its not time sensitive. lmk when ur ready.
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[Action]
But so far Hadriel has proven to be different. Despite it being a kidnapping by Gods who have their fun by pushing them around and it being a cave full of people with questionable criminal records, Delmar has found that his attempts to reach out to others have been met with much more positivity than back home. He's even made some friends, and friends who will actually call him a friend. That is amazing!
So it gives him a little bit of courage. And it is this courage that inspires him to introduce himself to his new neighbor. It would be rude of him not to, right?
So gathering what bravery he has, he steps across the hall, raises a hand, knocks on the door--
-And immediately regrets his decision. Oh god. What if this person was asleep. Or they were busy. And now he's bothering him. He should just go back into his apartment, yes that would be good--
No. No. that would be worse. Then it would look like he was just one of those kids who likes to prank innocent people by knocking on their door and running off.
Nope. No, whatever happens now, Delmar must face it. ]
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Back home, he had plenty to do. His job, for starters, which kept him busy most of the week, and then his secondary job on the weekends. And when he wasn't working, he and his buddies had stuff to do, places to go out. And he had his cats to take care of, actual food to cook- god. He misses his cramped schedule.
He's cleaned his apartment about a dozen times, unloaded, reloaded, and cleaned both guns, rearranged his furniture a bit- all boring. He's shrugging on his jacket to go out for a run (much less interesting without the crowds, but whatever,) when he hears movement in the hall.
Tucker pauses, listening. Footsteps shuffle over to his side of the stairway and then a hand knocks on his door. Interesting. He hasn't checked out his neighbor yet, and anyway, it's something to do.
He tosses his jacket on the back of the couch and answers the door, trying to put on a friendly air.]
Hey. You're the guy from across the hall, right?
SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER FOR ME TO RESPOND
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text
so how are we gonna keep a bunch of people from getting like
murdered?
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i'm not tryin to play bodyguard for the whole fuckin city
but we do need to stop them from killin our only fucking revival source here
also k slow your roll
dont make urself a target
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text again hey girl hey
but you can't do that shitty judging thing you do.
deal?
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does that mean it's something worth judging u for?
deal tho
what happened
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text
r u up to date on this busted ribs situation?
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what should we do abt it
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audio!
[Two things will tip Tucker off to something being terribly wrong here. One, Kyna is actually calling him, and two, her voice is trembling. It sounds like she's been crying.]
also audio!
What happened?
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text
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on the move
easier for me to come to u
wtf tho whyd u go and die on me like that?
glad ur back tho
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tears up the timestream and throws it in the air like heckin confetti at this point
flushes it down the toilet like a goldfish
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text
i'm back
i don't know if you even knew i was
you know
where are you?
text
shit
welcome back
are u ok?
nothin fucked up?
im at my place
assessin the damages
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text; backdated to Dec 7th
dont shoot the messenger but i got some bad news dude
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w/e it is just hit me
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text;
Hey Tucker. I just needed to say thank you for coming after me, for helping get them out of my head. I don't know how much Kyna told you guys, but I've had someone in there before and this ending was a lot better. I was sure I was going to die, but you came. So thank you.
I feel like we've had a rough start and this didn't help. But if there's anything you need, let me know. Whatever I can do. I owe you.
text;
hey, yw ig
its not a big deal tho
not like i was gonna let u be possessed or w/e thats fucked up
n its better ppl like us deal w/ it who know wtf were doin
instead of randos gettin themselves killed
[And as for the other part. Well. Truth be told, everyone has a rough start with Tucker, they just don't always know it.]
ftr i dont think this shit is ur fault or anything?
not blamin u for the null bein dicks
Re: text;
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action | 23rd
He's forced to shift during the full moon, and there's a certain relief that comes with shifting when the moon is finally visible and he can feel the light on his skin. Rome closes his eyes and lets it happen, falling into his other form like slipping into a warm bath. His muscles always feel looser and less tense like this, and everything seems... calmer, somehow. Like none of this ever happened.
Of course, that isn't the case and it shows- Rome is still missing an eye in this shape, still marred with several cuts and bruises and enough missing toes that it forces a bit of a limp from him, but the pain isn't quite as severe and it's easier to push away in favor of other things.
Rome has already found an empty shop near the outskirts of the city to stash a few belongings in on nights when he shifts and so he keeps close to there, patrols the area and tries to discover what he can about this new place. If James decides to meet him, that's fine- and if not, then there's plenty else for him to do here.]
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He needs to clear his head. He's spent too much time dealing with other peoples' problems, which he normally avoids doing like the plague. It's time to run.
He doesn't bother bringing anything with him, not even the medal he almost never takes off. He remembers Rome's leery sideways glances in the dream, the knowledge that silver could hurt him. This is Tucker's peace offering, his little inch of trust. He tucks it out of sight in his apartment before he shifts, stretching into his other skin.
It doesn't take him long to find Rome, and wouldn't even without the coordinates. The wolf scent stands out among all the other, alien smells. He catches up to him not far from the empty shop.
Unlike Rome, Tucker managed to make it out of the Null attack largely unscathed. His black coat is unmarred, and thankfully still in its summer thickness. He approaches at what he hopes is a casual pace, ears up, tail swinging behind him. He's never been part of a pack before, and the dynamics are a foreign language to him, but he knows enough not to look too aggressive.]
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do you think we can steal them back?
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u mean if we get back home again?
probably wouldnt be too hard
we know the layout n the people n the security systems
they didnt fire us so they probs havent put us on any shitlists
u thinkin of usin em to go find ur bf after hadriel?
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[action sorta]
So Rome feels no hesitation about leaving a small bag on Tucker's doorstep. They're friends, he thinks- at least, they've spent enough time together that someone may refer to them as friends. That makes Tucker's safety at least partially his responsibility, right?
Inside the bags are several condoms, taken from back when they were a little more widely available and stowed away for some ungodly reason. There's also thin sheets of rubber, which look suspiciously like- oh, that's a dental dam. There's also a box of wet wipes, just in case he needed those too.
Attached is a note:]
If you were not already doing so, please use safe sexual practices in the future.
-Rome
[Be thankful that you have a friend(?) so selfless.]
action -> text
Maybe somebody put him up to it?
That suspicion rises when he takes it inside and peers at its contents. In a way, he actually appreciates the condoms. His own stash that he pilfered before the Null attack was getting dangerously low. But combined with the note and the fact that it's coming from Rome of all people just makes his eyes roll. God, what did he do to deserve this? (A lot, probably.)]
hey uh
saw ur present
thanks ig???
v thoughtful of u
just wondering tho like
where did u get the idea to do that?
text
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this a booty call?
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why can't you turn into anything else?
like idk
a lion or a goat or some shit.
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text
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a few mins actually.
full disclosure this convo is abt to be beyond ur comfort zone. sorry.
but theres some shit u should know.
its not time sensitive. lmk when ur ready.
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be in person to talk abt?
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text!
text also
is everyone back now?
who tf r we still missin
anyway yea im ok
im at my place
[Because of course he is? What do you take him for? Someone who hasn't prepared for the apocalypse?]
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text; night of oct 21
first of all dont panic.
but if ur available can i take u up on ur offer?
i need a distraction.
[And a minute later:]
u can tell me to fuck off.
text;
stop it im not gonna tell u to fuck off
where u wanna meet?
my place, urs?
somewhere else?
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