Only one bed

[madmeemey]

there's only one bed!

Two characters have to share a room for the night. Every room is occupied, but fortunately there is one last room available.

There's just one problem — there's only one bed, and the characters aren't comfortable sharing it.

- TV Tropes

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Comments

[educated_wish]

....is it obvious?

[ he hadn't been thinking about all of that at all. He tends to be singular minded in his weapon usage - claws, claws, claws. The only other thing he uses is his fists. ]

We'll use the spears, then. I guess we look for that shit first.

[ That was obvious. He also likes being heard. ]

[alivian]

...Isn't it obvious?

[Alivian's eyes go somewhat innocently wide (and for once, he probably doesn't look as worn out as usual, brief though the moment is,) but nods.]

Ideally, we find sticks or something for the base, something to tie it all with-- I guess that thread is useful after all -- and then something sharp, or something to make another something sharp. Obsidian, for one, if we can find it. It's softer to carve out compared to other materials, but it's remarkably sharp like glass when done right.

[He seems excited about this knowledge, like "did you know?"]

[educated_wish]

...you're cute. You're getting excited about it.

[ He never gets excited about teaching. Never did, never will. He just did it because it was required to stick around the Academy. Maybe if it'd been something he was interested in, but it was first art and then history. Both were really terrible. ]

I'll get the thread.

[ He disappears into the kitchen area, where he's stashed the sewing kit in a cabinet. ]

[alivian]

[Getting complimented prompts Alivian to immediately sputter, surprised -- and embarrassment lingers on his face with the very, very successful flattery.]

It's-- I just--

[From verbose to barely verbal in five seconds.

[He's still trying to recover his vocabulary by the time Logan gets back, face and demeanor alternating rapidly between frustrated and slightly giddy.

[...Yeah, he really liked that and doesn't know what the fuck to do with himself.]

[educated_wish]

[ Logan can't help but laugh and press a little with the complimenting. ]

You just trying to prove me right?

[ He throws the sewing kit at him, unprompted. ]

Here, catch.

[alivian]

No?! I'm not!

[It's like he's trying to be indignant, but can't manage it. He does, at least, catch the kit. His tail gives a few irritated flicks, but he shoves the kit also into his coat pocket.]

Are many humans so bewildering, or is it just you?

[educated_wish]

It's me.

[ Logan laughs again, especially because of the irritated flicks of the tail. It's not a mean sound, but if anything it's at his own expense because he understands how he can be. ]

I'll try to keep it up.

[alivian]

[That gets another tongue click out of him, but, well, time to head for the door.

[He's not upset about this laughter, at least. He arches a brow at him, as a thought occurs to him.]

Assuming we get out today, need anything from the blanket nest? Or, anything?

[Maybe that cognac?]

[educated_wish]

No. Absolutely not.

[ Logan is firm about this. ]

If we get out, I don't want any reminders, other than your presence.

[alivian]

Not an issue. Just checking.

[That settled, out the door he goes, blinking a bit as he adjusts to the change of lighting. He has half a mind to slap the mask back on....

[Though he starts to wander ahead a little, he doesn't wander far, half-turning to regard Logan and seek out his input. He's been here longer than Alivian, after all.]

How much do you know about this place? Anything useful for navigation?

[educated_wish]

If you mean like an instrument, compasses don't work. They just fuck up.

[ He points up at the sun, the one causing all that painful light. ]

Even that's screwed up. It rises in the west.

[alivian]

Okay. So we know where west is.

[So long as the sun's up, anyway.]

Moon activity? Star formations? ...I suppose that'll have to wait until dark.

[Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his notebook and the bit of graphite attached to it by twine. He starts to write on a blank page.]

Anything could be useful with the right application.

[educated_wish]

Wind direction is clockwise, so it's a high pressure system. Despite that, there's always so many clouds. You can barely see the moon or stars at night, I couldn't tell you anything about them.

[ There could be two moons for all he knows. ]

Rain is frequent, I'm surprised it hasn't happened while you're here yet.

[ It's still not at the moment, but there is a dampness to the air and the scent of it. ]

[alivian]

The rain is only a matter of time, by the smell and feel of it.

[A beat.]

This coat takes about thirty seconds to be fully soaked through if you jump into a body of water, and even longer when under rain or snowfall. We can use it as a temporary makeshift cover if needed. It retains body heat very well, so long as you don't take a fall into a frozen lake, like I have.

[Body heat, at least, Alivian has in abundance. He runs warmer than the average human - enough that it would be considered dangerous for a human to reach that temperature.]

If we get caught out at night, I'll try to see if I can glean anything more, too.

[For now? Those notes are getting written down, and then shoved back into his pocket. Idly, he tips his face up a little to take a few sniffs of the air, trying to determine the nearest location of prey. The fish had a certain smell to them-- so maybe other creatures have something similar?]

[educated_wish]

Fall in a frozen lake? That sounds like a story to tell.

[ He notices him smelling for the scent of animals and takes a few sniffs himself. There's a familiar, retched meat smell to the deer and that's faintly off in the distance. He points that way, due north. ]

If you want to risk things with eyestalks, there's something that way.

[alivian]

It's not much of a story.

[With that direction in mind, he heads where the weird bad smell is.]

I was taking a shortcut to work and walked across one of the lakes in the dead of winter. I fell in when the ice shattered underfoot. Likely a warm spot from the sunlight that day.

I fell pretty far under, and had to save myself. Fortunately...

[He pats his chest.]

I'm pretty well-padded, so I had more time than someone else might have, and enough sense to make sure my limbs moved as soon as I was physically capable of it. Climbed out looking like a drowned rat, soaked to the bone.

Had to go dry off in the nearest jacket shop and buy new clothes, since I was much further from home than to that place.

[He opts not to mention what kind of jacket he picked up.. if only for now.]

I don't touch frozen lakes anymore, except to catch fish. That's basically it.

[educated_wish]

[ Logan follows. He thinks the deer are pretty bad to eat, but he's never actually tasted them properly. His tastebuds are too messed up at this particular point, so he goes by how they smell and that isn't very good. He's still not going to discourage if they're the only thing - he's eaten them before. He knows they solve hunger. ]

Sounds like a good decision not to risk it again. Were you in a hurry?

[ They soon come across a herd of the deer, who are standing in the distance on a grassy hill, many of their eyestalks peering in a different direction than the front of their heads are facing.

Yes, many. They each have more than two. ]

[alivian]

Yeah. Workaholic. In a hurry to tune out more of my remaining life. Even with the enjoyment of my job in mind. If I'm working, I don't usually think of much else.

[He hears the deer before he sees them, and carefully ducks down a bit to minimize the chance of being seen without making a lot of noise. He focuses intently on one of them.]

...How did you catch one before?

[Alivian's voice is a hushed rumble, his eyes skimming the herd again to try to confirm one that might have a harder time escaping them. His (slightly knotted) tail curls firmly against his hip to minimize brushing into things.

[With their position high on the hill, their prey has a high chance of spotting them if they make any overt moves....

[The deer do have a distinctly gamey smell to him. The "stink" aside, it's far more enticing than stinky fish.

[His ears perk up and tip towards their prey, listening for any sounds that he can even remotely understand. If they make a sound intended as language? That's more he can use to their advantage.]

[educated_wish]

...threw myself into the herd. They got pissed, I fought them. Took one down and dragged it off with me.

[ It's not the best story, it makes either him or the deer sound stupid - or both. But it's how he managed it and it's pretty typical of how he hunts. ]

We probably shouldn't do that. But there's got to be other ways to take them by surprise.

[ The deer are deadly silent of any sound, except for their breathing, which rattles in their chests. ]

[alivian]

[So they meet aggression with aggression.

[Nodding, Alivian slowly looks around for a stick and something to use as a spearhead. Throwing one shouldn't be much more different than using a similar technique to spear fish.

[The deer clearly have vision on their side, but their senses of hearing are probably up in the air unless Logan chooses to enlighten him.

[Alivian's hearing also isn't as keen as Logan's; aside from the faint rattling, he can't tell what's causing it - if it's breathing or not. It doesn't register to his ears as language, however.

[Without another word, he shifts to put the mask back on as a precaution. Taking a breath, he cups his hands around his mouth, and lets out a very, very quiet howl of sorrow and distress, mimicking the sound of a wounded wolf. It's a child's trick these days, but...

[If they're predators, at least one might want to investigate for a free meal....

[Hopefully! And... hopefully Logan doesn't take him to actually be in distress...]

[educated_wish]

[ They're not exactly predators. Another type of creature entirely - but still not submissive, or prey. One of the deer perks its ears and swings every single eyestalk the way of the howl.

And starts trotting towards them fast. Logan crouches a bit, ready to fight if necessary. He's not looking at Alivian at all - he understood the howl was for show, so he wasn't in danger.]

[alivian]

[Alivian slightly shifts his position to be a little closer to Logan, one hand braced on his mask to take it off as soon as the creature is close enough.

[They need to eat, he reminds himself. It repeats in his head as it gets closer and closer, and he makes absolutely sure that Logan is NOT in any direct line of his sight--

[His heart starts to pound, anxiety working its way up every nerve and into his scent. But it's not for the reason anyone would think at a glance.

[No. The moment the deer is far enough away from the herd, and in their clutches, the mask comes off and pocketed.

[The Glare that he floods the area with feels as heavy as steel cinderblocks, choking and blinding as he levels it at their prey. Though devoid of anger, it is full of murderous intent.

[This creature will die so that they can live.

[...But hopefully, this deer isn't immune.]

[educated_wish]

[ The creature stops in its tracks and just simply drops to the ground, utterly dead. ]

What...

[ Logan knows that Alivian has warned him about the power his Glare can have, but he hadn't actually taken him seriously, since it doesn't impact him in that way. He's staring at him now, but in an impressed sort of way. ]

[alivian]

[With shaky hands, Alivian quickly shoves his mask back on to give himself time to calm down, dizziness and dread and remorse -- and nausea -- all colliding within.

[Alivian eases himself to the ground next, breath and words shaking.]

I... willed it to die, so it did.

[Fuck. It really did fucking die. He's really-- he's really as dangerous as everyone else says. As they fear. He killed a living being without touching it--

[He can't think. Ringing and static fill his ears. He killed something with his Glare--]

[educated_wish]

...you don't like that.

[ Logan puts his hand on Alivian's shoulder. He doesn't understand being upset by this, but he perceives the fact that he is. So he's trying to comfort him in the best way he can. ]

I'm - I'm here. Are you okay?