Most of the Keep's grounds had now been covered, but Chloe didn't doubt for a second that a place such as this didn't have locked doors and secret passageways and secrets it would take her much longer to figure out. The forest had also been strictly off-limits after she found out what was inside. She figured she'd have to scope it out eventually, but definitely not while she was alone
( ... )
"I've been warned not to go down there. I don't know why, or what's down there, but... it's best not to take too many risks, right?"
She heads out of the pottery room, making her way toward the barracks, and noting the sky did indeed have a reddish hue to it that did not look normal in the least. "What...?"
"Especially when they involve dungeons." He was more than happy to leave that off of his list of things to explore. At least for right now, anyway. And probably for a pretty long time.
He followed her out into the open, putting an arm around her shoulders when she noticed the sky. "Yeah. It looks really weird."
She shuddered. She couldn't help it. What kind of ghosts and demons and restless spirits would the Keep hold? "Yeah..."
Casting a glanced Derek's way out of the corners of her eyes, Chloe wound an arm around his lower back, still slightly unused to small displays of affection from the surly wolf.
"How long do you think the storm will last?" She focused back on the eerie hue above.
He pulled her closer, arm tightening instinctively in a hug at her shudder. "We'll stay away. It shouldn't be a problem then, right?"
Derek tilted his head towards the sky at her words, though it was mostly just an excuse to scent the air again. "Hopefully not long. Come on, we should hurry up." He quickened their pace a bit.
She pulled a face. It was always like this. They would think everything would be okay so long as they didn't go looking for trouble. The problem was: trouble found them.
"I don't know," Chloe admitted at last. "That's all we can hope for, but until something happens I won't know for sure. I do sense something... off in the forest though, Derek. We need to be really careful during your changes." She'd tell him about the deer and live plants later.
Quickening her pace to match his, Chloe allowed herself to glance up and around the the odd colored sky knowing Derek's arm around her back would guide her and keep her on her feet. It troubled her, yes, but it wouldn't be anything too devastating, right?
Derek saw her face, and returned with one of his own. Yeah, yeah. They were trouble magnets, no matter how hard they tried to stay out of it. He'd been that way since he hit thirteen, really. Didn't mean they couldn't keep trying it. Might work one day.
"Yeah," he agreed as he walked. "There's deer in there, but they're - weird." He didn't really like the idea of having to Change in there, but if they were going to be stuck here for awhile, he didn't have much of an option. Though he'd never admit it, he was - relieved, that Chloe was there. That she said 'we' instead of 'you'.
The sky was making him nervous. It might have anyway, but after his conversation with Alex, he really didn't want to take any chances. Especially not with Chloe. He wasn't exactly relieved when they approached the barracks, but it was better than being outside, with the smell of storm and dust in the air.
"You went in there?" Her gaze snapped to his in question, but she really needn't have asked. Of course he would check out the forest. She had had the very same idea, though she didn't need a safe place to Change like Derek did. Tensed shoulders relaxed. "At least it doesn't look like any of the deer got to you. I heard they have really sharp fangs. And there are plants that move." So much for telling him later. "I guess we will need to scope out a safe place for you to Change. Sooner rather then later."
Walking with him toward the barracks, Chloe had a distinct pang in her chest. If felt normal, them waling together. It was like they were returning to her Aunt, Kit, Simon, and Tori.
Only they weren't.
"Room 2119," she murmured quietly, mind far away--back on those they left behind. Finally she turned to him. "What about you?"
"Yeah." He frowned at the sudden tension, then relaxed when she did. "Aside from looking for a way out, I had to check it out for - you know."
He didn't want to talk about it out loud, not now that they were approaching the barracks. He knew it was different here, that people might not feel the same way about werewolves as they did back in their universe, but keeping it a secret was too ingrained for him to change that now. He was planning on hiding it for as long as possible.
"Couldn't tell how sharp they are, but yeah, it looked like there were fangs." He grimaced. "Plants that move? Great. Guess we will. After the storm, maybe."
He could sense her change in mood, but he stayed quiet, waiting for her to bring it up if she wanted to talk about it.
When she said her room number, he snorted a bit. "Twenty-one eighteen." He paused, then asked, "What's up?"
Chloe nodded. She did know. "Speaking of... that...I made a new friend," Chloe murmured happily, glancing at Derek to see his expression. "He's really great. Reminds me of you and Simon, really, along with some kids at my old school." She decided to wait and garner his reaction before telling him this new 'friend' of hers was a were-leopard. She waited with baited breath, knowing she wouldn't get an all out enthusiastic reaction, but hoping there was a chance Alex and Derek could be friends, at least
( ... )
He snorted. Of course she'd made a friend. She couldn't have been there longer than him, and yet she'd already made a friend. Derek was almost tempted to say 'no, you didn't,' because it wasn't possible to make an actual friend that fast. A potential friend, maybe. Someone you didn't dislike or distrust and wouldn't mind talking to again. Derek'd talked to a few of those himself, but they weren't friends.
But he knew Chloe and Simon thought of friends differently than he did. They had lots of them, in varying degrees of close-ness. So he just said, "Huh." Well, 'said' might be a bit of an overstatement. 'Grunted' was probably closer to accurate.
"Oh." He didn't buy the shrug, and instead looked closer at her. "I miss them, too." It was the longest he'd ever been without Simon, actually. He'd been able to ignore it so far, but he had a feeling it'd start creeping up on him soon.
"Yeah. Saves me the trouble of having to kick someone else out to be by you." He gave her a bit of a grin, then started them walking again.
She knew his response wouldn't be overly enthusiastic. for Derek, though, it was at least something. "I'm sure you'll meet him sooner or later, if you haven't already. I don't think it'll be very easy to stay complete strangers for long while we're all trapped here
( ... )
"No, it probably won't be. Especially with these journal things." He was still trying to decide if he thought they were weird, or really interesting. Right now, he was settling for both, with an added bit of really wanting to know how they worked. "There's a couple of people I've talked to."
He wasn't buying the nonchalance either, and he gave her a very gentle squeeze back. When she apologized, he ducked his head slightly. "Not your fault," he said gruffly. And then, before she could take that the wrong way, he added, "I know. Me too." He hadn't meant to make her feel selfish, just wanted to let her know he understood.
"We'll get us both home soon," he corrected. He appreciated the effort, in any case, and he snorted slightly at her last statement. "Normal's boring, anyway."
He raised an eyebrow at her, amused. "What do you think?" Of course he would. In about two seconds flat, actually.
Pursing her lips, Chloe reached back for hers. "I don't really have the hang of it, either, yet, but I figure it can't be harder to use than a computer or a camera. I was thinking of turning my entries into a horror story about experimentation on supernaturals and--" She cut herself off. Maybe it was too soon. "I don't want to sit idly by until someone decides what to do with me. With us. It reminds me too much of seeing our names in Dr. Davidoff's computer. The question marks there." Goosebumps rose over her flesh, and she scowled. "And that's another thing! I haven't seen any gh--!" Cutting herself off, she quickly looked around, pressing her lips together and forcing nerves to calm. "We can talk inside. We're all in the same boat here, though, more or less. We'll need to work with others to get out of here, Derek." They might be able to do it alone, but she couldn't leave others trapped here
( ... )
"That's - a good idea. If you want. Sometimes it can be helpful to write up stuff like that." That's what he'd read, anyway. Derek was never any good at the whole writing thing. He scowled a bit. "Just maybe not in these things. Everyone can read them."
He started to agree with her sentiments on just sitting around, but then nodded when she cut off. They were at the barracks now, they'd been in the room soon enough. Still, he couldn't resist adding, "I know, Chloe. I know how to work with people when we need to." Like Tori. Or Chloe herself, way back in the beginning.
Derek smiled hesitantly at her. "Good. Because normal's never really been part of my life. I-"
He cut off as she started stuttering. Oh. Uh. Yeah. But then he grinned at her when she laughed, pleased. He liked making her laugh.
She smiled, feeling a lightness in her chest as Derek's words. It was all the support she needed. "I think I will. One day." She smiled up at him. "What do you think would happen if I turned a few of my entries into screen shots with dialogue? About what really happened to us. Strangers--most of us--arriving here and reading that letter and not knowing what to believe? If I have to make an entry, I want it to be fact, at least. Maybe embellish a few things for artistic talent." She trailed off. If was something she felt strongly about, but if Derek didn't think it a good idea, she would listen, no matter the disappointment.
"I know you know, Derek. I'm just saying... there may be people here worse than Tori. Or people content with the situation, like Rae. They should all have the option of leaving once we find a way out. That's all I meant." She waited for his own opinion, knowing he would most likely support her in this.
Laughing, Chloe shook her head. "Normal had been a part of mine. I'm... kind of glad it's not, now, though." And
( ... )
Reply
She heads out of the pottery room, making her way toward the barracks, and noting the sky did indeed have a reddish hue to it that did not look normal in the least. "What...?"
Reply
He followed her out into the open, putting an arm around her shoulders when she noticed the sky. "Yeah. It looks really weird."
Reply
Casting a glanced Derek's way out of the corners of her eyes, Chloe wound an arm around his lower back, still slightly unused to small displays of affection from the surly wolf.
"How long do you think the storm will last?" She focused back on the eerie hue above.
Reply
Derek tilted his head towards the sky at her words, though it was mostly just an excuse to scent the air again. "Hopefully not long. Come on, we should hurry up." He quickened their pace a bit.
Reply
"I don't know," Chloe admitted at last. "That's all we can hope for, but until something happens I won't know for sure. I do sense something... off in the forest though, Derek. We need to be really careful during your changes." She'd tell him about the deer and live plants later.
Quickening her pace to match his, Chloe allowed herself to glance up and around the the odd colored sky knowing Derek's arm around her back would guide her and keep her on her feet. It troubled her, yes, but it wouldn't be anything too devastating, right?
Reply
"Yeah," he agreed as he walked. "There's deer in there, but they're - weird." He didn't really like the idea of having to Change in there, but if they were going to be stuck here for awhile, he didn't have much of an option. Though he'd never admit it, he was - relieved, that Chloe was there. That she said 'we' instead of 'you'.
The sky was making him nervous. It might have anyway, but after his conversation with Alex, he really didn't want to take any chances. Especially not with Chloe. He wasn't exactly relieved when they approached the barracks, but it was better than being outside, with the smell of storm and dust in the air.
"What room were you in when you got here?"
Reply
Walking with him toward the barracks, Chloe had a distinct pang in her chest. If felt normal, them waling together. It was like they were returning to her Aunt, Kit, Simon, and Tori.
Only they weren't.
"Room 2119," she murmured quietly, mind far away--back on those they left behind. Finally she turned to him. "What about you?"
Reply
He didn't want to talk about it out loud, not now that they were approaching the barracks. He knew it was different here, that people might not feel the same way about werewolves as they did back in their universe, but keeping it a secret was too ingrained for him to change that now. He was planning on hiding it for as long as possible.
"Couldn't tell how sharp they are, but yeah, it looked like there were fangs." He grimaced. "Plants that move? Great. Guess we will. After the storm, maybe."
He could sense her change in mood, but he stayed quiet, waiting for her to bring it up if she wanted to talk about it.
When she said her room number, he snorted a bit. "Twenty-one eighteen." He paused, then asked, "What's up?"
Reply
Reply
But he knew Chloe and Simon thought of friends differently than he did. They had lots of them, in varying degrees of close-ness. So he just said, "Huh." Well, 'said' might be a bit of an overstatement. 'Grunted' was probably closer to accurate.
"Oh." He didn't buy the shrug, and instead looked closer at her. "I miss them, too." It was the longest he'd ever been without Simon, actually. He'd been able to ignore it so far, but he had a feeling it'd start creeping up on him soon.
"Yeah. Saves me the trouble of having to kick someone else out to be by you." He gave her a bit of a grin, then started them walking again.
Reply
Reply
He wasn't buying the nonchalance either, and he gave her a very gentle squeeze back. When she apologized, he ducked his head slightly. "Not your fault," he said gruffly. And then, before she could take that the wrong way, he added, "I know. Me too." He hadn't meant to make her feel selfish, just wanted to let her know he understood.
"We'll get us both home soon," he corrected. He appreciated the effort, in any case, and he snorted slightly at her last statement. "Normal's boring, anyway."
He raised an eyebrow at her, amused. "What do you think?" Of course he would. In about two seconds flat, actually.
Reply
Reply
He started to agree with her sentiments on just sitting around, but then nodded when she cut off. They were at the barracks now, they'd been in the room soon enough. Still, he couldn't resist adding, "I know, Chloe. I know how to work with people when we need to." Like Tori. Or Chloe herself, way back in the beginning.
Derek smiled hesitantly at her. "Good. Because normal's never really been part of my life. I-"
He cut off as she started stuttering. Oh. Uh. Yeah. But then he grinned at her when she laughed, pleased. He liked making her laugh.
"Setting the scene?"
Reply
"I know you know, Derek. I'm just saying... there may be people here worse than Tori. Or people content with the situation, like Rae. They should all have the option of leaving once we find a way out. That's all I meant." She waited for his own opinion, knowing he would most likely support her in this.
Laughing, Chloe shook her head. "Normal had been a part of mine. I'm... kind of glad it's not, now, though." And ( ... )
Reply
Leave a comment