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 Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 11:46 am
Who: Aric, Konstantin, Alfons, Elias
When: Late May/Spring, early afternoon on a Saturday
Where: A large library (in either Aimes or Amies)
Weather: Warm, sunny with clear skies, a bit balmy
_______________ This was a grand opportunity he hadn't received in months.
Things were calm at home, the pup wasn't being obnoxious or causing disaster in his wake, and for once in his life Alfons managed to find some free damn time. Of course, he wasn't the type to put that sort of thing to waste and decided he had to be productive, oh yes. The library called to him with a siren song he could not ignore, and with some careful deliberation of how to go about it with the werewolf child in tow, the two set off.
Konstantin's wardrobe would normally have consisted of all sorts of layers packed on to hide various parts of his appearance; the long furry ears sprouting from the sides of his head, the wolf-like feet, and of course his fluffy tail, but the weather was far too hot. Even Alfons, one prone to entirely proper and business based attire, had to lose his tie, undo a few buttons and roll up his sleeves. Instead, Konstantin was graced with a long hooded tan jacket that his guardian neatly cut the sleeves from and an old pair of pants that were long enough to cover his beastly feet. Like the boots in winter, walking in them would take a little getting used to but it was better than nothing and the pup didn't seem to mind overly much.
"You've got to be quiet in here," he warned as they walked, Konstantin following obediently behind. It felt silly to try explaining that to him, both because Alfons always felt like he were speaking more to an animal than a sentient child with the Dust but also because, at least as far as speech went, Kon was decidedly closed-mouthed. "Be calm and don't touch anything that looks fancy." Konstantin grumbled behind him, his mismatched eyes rolling somewhat with how often he was given this speech in their home, let alone when they went out. They were just a few blocks away now and he was beginning to get antsy with anticipation.
Still, for him to be able to accompany Alfons on trips like this was a somewhat rare occasion. He could not follow his guardian to work and so usually was to stay home with one of the only other people Alfons allowed in his dwelling, Ezekiel. The two did not communicate often and the psychological doctor was very hesitant to do much of anything with him outside of make sure nothing was broken or peed on and that he got fed. That was all well and good, but it lead to some serious boredom for the pup and in those times he had taken to burying treasures in the backyard. Inevitably, Alfons would come home and see small dirt mounds in his lawn and was furious but there were so few outlets at his disposal due to time constraints and ignorance for all parties involved.
"How long?" Kon mumbled curiously, his voice naturally low and with a slight canine gravel to it.
Alfons did not pause his gait but reached into his pinstriped trousers and retrieved a silver pocket watch, "About an hour. I'd like to stop at the farmer's market on the way back." With that, they turned a corner and began ascending the few large steps leading up to the elegantly crafted doors.
Just the words 'farmer's market' caused Konstantin's mouth to water. Alfons' diet consisted of literally nothing that came from a living animal, byproduct or otherwise. As such, finding meat in their home was a very rare occasion even though the child's diet leaned far harder in that direction. Typically, whenever they were able to get meat, it was by way of the farmer's market. Raw, smoked, grilled, delicious meat of all varieties from fish to chicken to cow. If that was the plan after this visit to the "lie-brary", whatever that was, then Kon could be as quiet and patient as a mouse.
Today was surely going to be a good day for the young wolf.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 5:59 pm
"Aric, are you listening?"
The sand child lifted his head up from resting on his forearm, replying with an easy smile. "...of course." Elias sighed as the boy extended his fingertips to the pages of the book, marveling more on the pictures and feel of the pages rather than Elias' words. The young man knew for a fact that Aric didn't like to keep still, and much more be lectured on the ways and history of the city of Amies. Instead, the blonde shifted in his seat way too much, his eyes wandered around the library as he stared at people and one too many times, he had stopped Aric from slipping away from him--which was usually what the child did.
The guardian was dressed in a simple white cloth shirt with sleeves touching till his elbows, and a dark brown vest over it, buttons properly buttoned. The man wasn't very used to warm weather, hailing from a village that was in the heart of a snowy terrain, hence he always tended to wear layers, however the weather was. Yet on the other hand, Aric wore white cloth draped on his chest with intricate designs, simple brown shorts, barefooted (except for a leather strap that wrapped his ankle and of course he was decorated with many various kinds of jewelry that he refused to give up. Elias noticed that the collection of shells that he wore just kept getting more and more...
"Eliaaas, can't I go out to the docks or back home at the beach .." he pouted, lifting those bright blues up at Elias as the man felt an pang in his chest. The was Aric looked up at him this way reminded him so much of a lost little pup, a curious and hopeful stare that were fixated on his gull greys. No--no, he would not be fooled by this! He shook his head, eyes darting back to the library book, speaking in his hushed raspy voice, "You have to learn these things sooner or later, how to read, to write--" Aric then leaned his head on the pages of the book, trying to catch the dark-haired man's eyes again. "But I wont do anything bad! We can go to the docks to watch the sea, or talk to people in the marketplace, back at the house I can play with Nolan, we can go to the shore and collect more seashells and swim--- the boy was rather enthusiastic, his voice becoming louder and louder as he spoke, which prompted Elias to place his hand gently on the blonde's mouth. "Aric..." he said in a hushed voice and was replied to with a small nod of the head and a little smile that the man felt beneath his palms. Elias had absolutely no idea how to handle a child, he did want to discipline Aric, to teach him things--yet the youth was more interested in when Elias decided to show him how to hunt a little bit, yet at this intellectual lesson, the dust had zero interest.
"...If you sit still for about an hour more, I will bring you to the marketplace and buy you something, then we can go home together." his voice was more gentle, yet his face still had that usual stern expression. Yet this didn't seem to faze Aric, he was more than excited at Elias' words. "Okay Elias!" he beamed a smile at the man, lifting off of his seat to wrap his arms around the other. A--ah-- yes, sure. The man awkwardly lifted his arm to wrap around the other, softly patting the boy's back in response. He had a lot to learn.
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 3:28 pm
The two stepped into the large, book filled building and the difference in atmosphere was nearly deafening to the Dust. He paused, the action going unnoticed by his guardian who continued on without a thought, and his eyes swiveled all around his head as he tried to take in everything. Beneath the tan hood, his wolfish ears twitched amid his hair, the quiet sounds of rummaging and hushed voices even more difficult to pick out thanks to the sound buffer his hood created. It was eerie to him, and a look of discomfort washed over the boy as he folded his arms and padded after his alpha, canine claws tapping against the tiled floor beneath his long trousers.
Konstantin watched Alfons carefully as they walked, their distance lessened now that he had his wits about him once more. The werewolf child was somewhat uneasy here, such a stern feeling encasing the area with forced silence. His guardian stepped lightly, a subtle change in the man's posture showed a more relaxed and comfortable demeanor in this place that directly contrasted his own. Kon brought his dark arms up to his chest and folded them, rubbing his lean muscles as though he were cold but temperature was not an issue in this place.
"I'm trusting you with a big responsibility here," the blond whispered to his child companion, voice a low whisper that Kon barely caught the end of. His attention lifted immediately, large hood flopping haphazardly so that one side of his face was covered while his blue eye widened attentively. "I know how excited you get. Just remember; stay quiet, don't touch anything that aren't books, if you need to relieve yourself do it outside for Aevah's sake," the list continued and Konstantin nodded along, mouth slowly opening into a loose frown that revealed his sharp white teeth.
While his alpha listed more and more rules for their trip without cease, a young and boisterous voice rang out nearby, singing praises to the beach. It wasn't exceptionally loud, but loud enough for it to call attention from a few people nearby, himself and Alfons included. While the older man gave a look of incredibly distaste, even cringing, Konstantin gave the parent and child a gaze of rapt attention. Though covered by his pants and the long hooded shirt, his tail reacted as a small surge of excitement shot through him.
There was another male here, roughly his age, that also didn't seem very keen on staying here. Better yet, there was a distinct air about this child that was completely indescribable to the wolf save for what it meant: this kid was doubtless another Dust! Few and far between were the number of Dusts Konstantin had come in contact with since birth, the number of which could easily be counted on one paw. For another to be trapped within these paper laden walls was entirely unprecedented as well as a huge relief.
Without wasting another second thinking or pining over this grand opportunity, Kon reached his clawed fingers out and tugged on the side of Alfons' pinstriped pants. "What?" he murmured without looking away from the bookshelf he was currently occupying his search with.
"Can I look around?"
Kon worded his question carefully, articulating this special request with unusual precision. Furrowing his brow, Alfons finally turned and stared down at his charge, confusion the most obvious expression on his face. "Look around? You mean you want to look at books?"
The Dust child offered a noncommital shrug, puffing his cheeks out slightly while his round eyes remained attentive. Wary as he was, his guardian was here on business and the sooner he was able to concentrate with no interruptions the better. After a mere few seconds of thought, Alfons waved him away with another warning, "Just remember what I said. If you get us kicked out of here, it'll be your tail on the line."
Konstantin wasted no time after that, holding up the sides of his large trousers carefully so as not to trip over them while he jogged in the direction he remembered the other Dust being. There was no telling just from looking what sort he was, but like the fish boy and Meryl, Kon knew he was the same as he. Slowing to a cautious stride, he rounded a corner and there at a table still sat the man and Dust. Covering himself with an aloof demeanor, Kon stepped out and past the the table as if he were searching for something -- an act meant only for the adult. As soon as he was near enough to the tanned, blond child, he made firm eye contact and a taut, toothy grin wrapped around his face, beckoning Aric for attention and for his company. With the bait set, it was only a matter of seconds before he would know whether it worked or not and once again, the tail trapped in his trousers threatened to break free in his excitement.
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 5:24 pm
Aric was a fairly new dust, only coming into fruition for a few months yet--it seemed that the boy was wide eyed and amazed at every little thing he saw, heard, smelled and tasted. Yet out of all the adventures he had had since he was out of his bottle--the library was very much low on his list of exciting places. There was merely some kind of musky smell that hung in the atmosphere, the talkative boy wanting to talk, to ask more questions to his guardian yet being told to keep quiet and behave. And to him that was the most difficult thing to do in the world. He wanted to feel the sand on his feet! To breathe in the salty scent of the sea, or even the exotic fragrances of the marketplace, to see the array of beautiful colours.
Yet this place was far from all that.
The brunette man shifted his eyes at the blonde boy, frowning slightly as Aric continued to pull his feet up on the chair and played with the chains of seashell around his wrist. He opened his mouth to speak once again but decided it was no use--the boy had more pressing things on his mind and as much as he wanted Aric to be learned, he couldn't force it upon him. And again he sighed to himself, shaking his head at himself. Children were terribly difficult to understand.
He pouted to himself, this time swaying his feet on the chair, lifting his head up to look around for anything interesting. It was a subtle feeling, yet he knew there was something distinct in the air--something familiar to him as he felt with the first dust child he had met. He was about to dismiss it but something--someone caught his eye. Bright blue eyes locked with the two-toned stare, a smile immediately appearing on his face as he realized that he was being 'invited'. And even if he didn't feel the sense of familiarity, he would have gone to the boy anyway, so curious of the other's strange attire and--and those teeth he saw briefly! But above all, eager to do something.
"Elias, may I walk around?" he asked the hunter who was very much focused with a certain book. This made Elias give Aric a strange look, lifting a brow. "In the library?" The tanned boy nodded his head and gave the man the most innocent smile he could muster. That made Elias pause, taking a few seconds to dwell on this before he gave an answer. "Just be close, around the library, don't go out, don't break anything, don't---"
"Yep!" he answered immediately, not even letting Elias finish as he bounded off his seat, a bright smile in place of his bored expression.
Aric skipped over to the hooded figure without a care in the world, wide eager eyes as he spoke in a quieter tone than he was definitely used to. "Hello! I'm Aric, who are you?" Smiling enthusiastically he took a moment to examine this new companion, tilting his head to the side. "Why are you dressed so warmly?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 10:04 am
When he turned the corner, Konstantin ducked against one of the bookshelves and perked his ears. Though he had to hold the hood back for a moment so the voices weren't muffled, an eager grin formed on his face as the other boy asked for permission. It was granted easily and his mismatched eyes brightened. Tucking his hood back into place, the child peeled himself off the side of the book shelf and tucked his thumbs into the sides of his pants, wandering leisurely within the immediate area until the other turned the corner as well. Their eyes met and the light haired one initiated conversation, for which Kon was thankful for.
A soft grumble left his throat as he pondered Aric's question. Alfons referred to him by his full name without fail, but it was such a mouthful. Was he meant to introduce himself as that to everyone he met? No, that would be silly. Straightening his posture, the wolf child nodded to the child of sands and offered a friendly flash of his sharp canines. "Kon," he stated simply.
Now that they were before one another, he took the time to glance this Aric over, just as he seemed to be doing. Their skin tones were similar, they shared the same intense blue eyes -- well, eye in Konstantin's case -- and this boy even had pointed ears! His heart thumped excitedly in his chest. The scent of the desert, one the wolf boy had never known, was encompassing Aric and it gave an air of mystery to the other child.
His question wasn't wholly unexpected, just worded in a way that took Kon a moment to understand. The clothing he wore, though it covered a great deal of him, was light and airy. It breathed very naturally and, though today was a hot one, he had managed not to work up much of a sweat. The hooded vest was completely sleeveless, leaving his dark arms exposed. It was only tied partially down his chest, leaving the rest to hang at his stomach and allow air to reach his abdomen. His legs, however, were completely covered to the point where his feet were concealed. Looking down at himself, Kon reached up and pulled at the limp edges of his vest, further exposing the skin around his middle, before looking back up at Aric.
Again, he grinned.
"Can you keep a secret...?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 1:29 pm
It was when he took a closer look at the other boy that Aric brightened up much more, his markings on his covered arms shifting excitedly in reaction to his own eager emotions as well as the air of familiarity that the other dust brought. "Kon," he repeated with a smile, now just spotting the show of sharp teeth appearing briefly. It reminded him of Nolan's--yet this new friend felt so much different, it excited him. "It's nice to meet you! Are you like me?" he said bluntly in a not so hushed tone, yet settling down as he remembered he was sneaking away from his guardian.
Aric was not shy at all to examine the other, looking at him from his covered feet up to his bright different coloured eyes, mostly covered in places that it took Aric all of his resistance to not uncover what the other was hiding immediately. In contrast, the desert child wore airy clothing, even with his long sleeves they were light and easy to fold up (and it's not like he would have worn anything else). His arms and neck were adorned with little shell trinkets he had found and been given to in the beach and it certainly wasn't hard for anyone to figure out that he spent most of his time out in the sunny and sandy shores. His pointed ears were rather exposed, yes, yet mostly covered with his hair--and he'd soon discover that it wasn't much a concern as compared to the werewolf boy.
Sky-bright eyes followed Kon's sharp fingertips, his mouth slightly slack as he was asked that question. "Yes!"
What was the boy going to reveal to him? He didn't know at all yet he felt a rush of adrenaline in his body, this boy did feel similar to Nolan and Ziya-- could it be he had magic like he? Maybe he was to reveal an extra limb? Whatever it was, Aric was at full attention for once.
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:55 am
The sound of his name on the desert child's voice caused his hair to prickle with excitement. It was a rare thing for him to meet anyone, let alone someone that could be, as Aric asked, like him. To that question, Kon grinned and mumbled "Maybe,", unsure himself but hopeful. In contrast to the sandy markings upon the others' arms swirling and shifting with his increasing enthusiasm, there was a muffled, rhythmic sound of moving fabric from behind Kon that he gritted his teeth against until it quieted and stopped all together.
Aric's positive response caused Kon's eyes to light up and he was immediately back to grinning. His dark fingers moved quickly in agitation, arms reaching up to tug at the sides of his hood. "Promise," his eyes narrowed, grin becoming more mischievous, and he waited for the other child's acceptance before tugging at the sides of his hood. Through his messy mass of black hair, there were two long and fluffy protrusions where his ears would be. Aric's own were pointed, but Kon's were longer and covered in black fur. They twitched, swiveling the tiniest bit as the air of the library hit them and its sounds were no longer masked by his hood. When Aric showed a suitable amount of surprise and awe, the dust quickly bent over to pull up one of his trouser legs. Hidden beneath the longer than average cut of fabric was a black paw. For effect, Kon stretched his dog-like toes and the dark nails clicked against the polished tile beneath.
"Maybe like you," he reiterated before dropping the leg and hiding his paw once again, "Maybe not. You... came from glass?" Kon cupped his hands in front of his chest, attempting to emulate the general shape of what he remembered his own bottle to hold. Once more, the soft sound of fabric behind him came. He couldn't help it, his tail chose on its own how it reacted to his emotions and with it tucked into his pants instead of set free it was both embarrassing and somewhat uncomfortable.
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 9:48 am
"Maybe?" Even the possibility of finding another like he was exhilarating, trying to keep himself calm even though his body showed otherwise.
He was completely at attention at the reveal, bright blue eyes staring at each inch of the other was shown to him. Aric had missed the word of promise, the huge grin on his face taking over. "Ahh!!" he cried out with glee, a little louder than he intended as he forgot where he was momentarily. "Amazing!" the desert child said a bit more quietly, bowing his head down to take a look at the long legs that were very much reminiscent of his other friend. The blonde was slightly jealous, slender ears covered by his long hair twitching while he took all of this in.
At this, Aric was sure Kon was a special one like him. He did not understand the concept of the glass home from the other boy but when he started forming the shape with his hands he nodded his head in conformation. "Yes! In that glass home, I remember it somehow-- but when I woke up I was suddenly in Elias' bed." The blonde reasoned, trying to recall those odd moments in time, his excitement getting the best of him very much like the werewolf child yet on his side, the grains of sand started to dance along his feet, the two shielded for now from others yet probably not for long.
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Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 12:25 pm
Though his request for a promise was overlooked, Konstantin felt confident that this child would adhere to it regardless. He knew of the glass home, though at the time it felt more like a prison. It could barely be recalled, only a sensation of being cramped and trapped, looking out but never able to experience anything. He saw the man whom he now knew as Alfons, his caretaker and pack leader, and he felt strangely drawn to him all the while. Before the bottle knew his touch, there was only a still coldness and darkness. Only after some time with the man was he able to see, to any degree, but Kon knew this had frightened him. It was strange, as if he had no control over himself while trapped in there, and as if there wasn't even a "him" to think of yet.
Then, suddenly, he existed.
"Yes," Konstantin repeated, his own dark-yet-vibrant eyes alighting with excitement at finding another. He listened to Aric's short story, nodding eagerly before recounting his own. "Same for me. Remember it, but more like it was the glass' memory. Woke up trapped again, under a big dead thing. Hurt my foot. Alfons helped me." Kon didn't quite notice the sand, but the scent of desert strengthened suddenly and he took a hearty breath of it, a triumphant and content look on his face.
"Aric," he said the boy's name for the first time, a toothy grin presenting itself against his dark skin, "What should we do?" Suffice to say, he didn't want to stay trapped in this book prison as much as he didn't want to go back to being in a bottle. Alfons told him to be on his best behavior and not to touch things, but he didn't say anything about staying inside the building.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:25 am
Aric's memories of the glass 'prison' as Kon had put it was much different. He had remembered being -- limited, not being allowed to explore what he was already feeling outside the confines of the bottle. But one memory that stood out from all the rest was a certain warmth, an immense feeling of comfort despite everything.
And yet they were both here now -- free but somewhat not. The knowledge that they were different and unique making Aric feel proud that he was special but at the same time a little lost. But meeting those who were like him made it less lonely. "But we're out now, and free --" he said the world happily, though the predicament they were in wasn't exactly all the freedom they could ask for. But the blonde already sensed it even now, that he and the werewolf were on the same page.
"Outside," the boy grinned immediately, he as well didn't like this building, it felt stuffy and it had a strange distinct smell that made him feel uncomfortable. "There are loads of shops and things to see but ---" Taking Kon's hand already in his he nudged him to the side, looking around for his guardian. "We have to avoid Elias!" He urged Kon though his smile was still in place, after all, he liked the idea of adventure.
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