bsumone | Slightly less monstrous boys: prequel

Ah, yes, this was a dangerous time for the wolves. Which led Su-jin to wonder where the rest of this one's pack was. It wasn't like them to abandon one of their own. Did something happen to them? It must have... Which meant this wolf was all alone and injured so near to a full moon.

Oh, yes, Su-jin kept track of the moon. Not because he worried about a stray wolf attack, but for his own feeding habits. He often travelled separately from his partner, but they were never ever apart for more than two weeks. Su-jin would get too weak and sickly if he stretched out his feedings any longer than that.

Instinct had him leaning in to take Silvio's arm, a hand carefully placed by his wrist and the other near his elbow. At his age, he should know better than to touch other supernatural, but he's never heard of a wolf that can harm you just by touching them. Who knows, there's always a first for everything. But Su-jin didn't sense any malice or fear from Silvio.

"My name is Su-jin," he offered in kind. "Can you direct me once we're in the woods?"

Though he could walk on his own, he found he appreciated the support. So he didn't turn it away and just allowed Su-jin to help him out. At least this way if the pain kicked in again before he was ready for it then he could have someone there. It had only been around a decade since he'd started dealing with this so there were still things he was adjusting to.

"Yeah. No one knows the woods better than I do."

He couldn't see anymore but that was one of the first things he'd taught himself after healing. Now even a decade later there wasn't a creature around that knew these particular woods better than him.

"It'll be a bit of a walk. Hope that's okay with you. I know you don't eat what I do because I can smell that. But you can rest there for a bit at least before you head out."

"I can handle it," he assured. The walk wouldn't be a problem. Even approaching his feeding day, he's still stronger than an average human. Getting back out of the woods? That might pose a problem. Hopefully his sense of smell will be keen enough to get him back to town. If he gets a little lost, it's not like the elements or lack of (people) food will kill him. Maybe him very uncomfortable, sure, but a few days lost in the woods wouldn't be the end of him... depending on the timing.

Once they started walking, Su-jin let silence fall between them. Until they were int he woods and his curiosity got the best of him. "Is your injury recent?" He didn't know exactly what the cause of Silvio's pain was, but he guessed maybe his eyes? Or some sort of terrible headache. He couldn't be sure, but he also couldn't help properly if he didn't know.

"It happened around ten years ago." Which already said a lot if he hadn't healed from it yet. "The pain gets worse when it gets close to the full moon. Otherwise I can live with it and not even think about it most of the time."

An ongoing dull ache to get used to.

Sniffing the air, Silvio made sure they were going the right away and became even more sure of his steps when they were in the trees. He wasn't kidding about knowing the woods well. Here he was familiar with all of it after having lived here over a hundred years now and after having to map them blind for ten years.

"There's no healing it. There's silver trapped in my eyes."

Su-jin frowned.

"Hunters?"

If it was hunters, that explained why Silvio was alone. And it tugged more than a little at Su-jin's heart.

"Yeah. There was a string of murders nearby and they thought it was my pack. Wouldn't listen to us when we said it wasn't."

Silvio let out a shaky breath. For him the pain was still so fresh and it ached to think about them. He missed them every single day.

"I'm the only one who made it out."

"They never listen," he snarled. So much derision in his thus far gentle voice. Hunters, in his experience, were fanatics. Most of them were driven to eliminate everything that wasn't wholly human in their eyes. A long time ago, it was easier to reason with them, but now? As far as Su-jin knew there was no one governing body for the group and so they all attacked with different goals and ideals. The worst have always been the ones affiliated with the various religions of the world.

His grip on Silvio's arm tightened, just like the feeling in his chest. It's been a very long time, but Su-jin remembered how afraid he'd been when he was left alone, abandoned by the ones who were supposed to look after him as soon as they realized he wasn't like them.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

It had to be so much worse for a wolf. A creature such as himself could easily live a solitary life. Indeed, his first few decades with his partner were spent very separate. But a wolf? They were communal, social. They relied on their packs not just for safety, but for society.

Silvio was quiet for a time as they walked. He could hear and smell the anger from Su-jin. That told him so much about what kind of person he was more than anything else ever could have. And it honestly meant a lot to him. He just...needed a moment to gather himself. For immortals, even one as young as he was in comparison, a decade was barely any time at all to heal from such a loss.

"They were good people. I was orphaned when I was barely able to even walk. The pack took me in and raised me until I was old enough to decide what I wanted for my life. I chose them. We only ever helped travels lost in the woods and hunted forest animals..."

He didn't need to tell Su-jin that but he wanted to. It felt...right.

It's always the decent ones who end up getting wiped out. Nearly any socialized wolf could live safely near humans. Yes, there were those who delighted in destruction, but wasn't that true of any type of creature, human and otherwise? Ah, this poor wolf. To have lost his family not once, but twice.

"I hope, with time, your fond memories of them will make the pain less."

"I keep pieces of them on an altar I made. I...I can't see it. But I have to hope it's decent enough for them."

Letting out a sigh, he nodded to a tree that had fallen across a river to say they'd have to go over that. But before they got all the way across, he ended up having to reveal something he'd been doing the whole way as he made them pause so he could tie some fabric to a branch. Because that was what he'd been doing, subtly cutting off pieces of his own shirt to get stuck to things to give Su-jin a trail back when he had to leave.

"...you'll get lost without me and it probably won't be good for me to lead you out. This is the best I can do for you," Silvio offered in quiet explanation.

This wolf was sweet. Su-jin had a soft spot for a little sentimentality. Especially when it came to the ones people cared about. Really, was there any sentimentality that mattered more? He didn't expect to be shown the altar, but if he caught sight of it, the vampire would pay proper respect to Silvio's people.

Those dark eyes blinked when he noted what Silvio was doing. A soft smile touched his lips. "A few days in the woods won't hurt me. I'll find my way out eventually." A pause, then, "Thank you."

"Now you don't have to get lost. You strike me as someone who doesn't like when you go feral. Most wolves don't like that moment either."

On the other side of the river, he paused to breathe then nodded in the direction that they needed to go. It was a bit more to go but they were making good progress. Likely because Silvio was the one that was guiding them. He doubted he'd have much shirt left when they go there but that was fine.

"You have a good nose I bet. You can follow my scent back out this way."

The comment made him uncomfortable for a fleeting moment. His feeding habits weren't something he enjoyed discussing, even with Tiras. It took quite a while for them to settle on a feeding schedule that 1) didn't leave Su-jin half-starved and 2) didn't leave him feeling immense and crushing guilt.

His voice softened and it was clear he'd dropped his head when he answered with a weak, "Others get hurt when that happens..." The same was probably true with wolves, too. Being maddened by some external force wasn't a fun thing for anyone.

Su-jin wouldn't insult Silvio by insisting he stop trying to make a path for him to follow out of the woods. If he was able to move through the trees and underbrush without enduring knicks and cuts from the branches, well, he knew his limits and abilities better than any stranger.

"Not as good as yours, I imagine."

"Yeah. Yeah they do."

Because people got hurt when he went feral and he couldn't even control his. He just had to live with it. But Silvio didn't bring that up because this wasn't a competition. Being any kind of supernatural creature had its drawbacks just like being human did. There was no point in trying to claim one was worse than another. It wasn't fair.

He did let out a soft laugh at the comment about his nose though. "Good thing you smell good then, huh? For the sake of my nose?"

Su-jin chuckled in turn. He could only imagine what he smelled like to others since he was basically, like most creatures, nose-blind to his own scent. Blood, probably. And those floral soaps and lotions he buys for Tiras. No doubt more than a little of Tiras' scent is on him. Beyond that, Su-jin has no idea how he smells. Clean? He didn't use a lot of the lotions and potions that modern people did. A little moisturizer, some deodorant. That was about it.

"Do I?"

"Yeah. Your skin naturally picks up on things around you. It's nice. The trees are already clinging to you."

Probably a predator thing but he didn't care. He could like it anyway. After all he was a predator too so maybe that was why it made him feel so comfortable. It didn't matter what it was really. There was that underlying scent but it was the world clinging to him that he liked the most.

"Here."

He nodded a head to a cabin that had just come into view for Su-jin. It was nothing special but it didn't have to be. Silvio was the only one who lived there.

Perhaps it is a predator thing. Well, at least he smelled good! Small victories!

Su-jin's eyes fell on the cabin and he gave the exterior a quick once over. It didn't look like there was any immediate danger to him. It wasn't even a conscious thought, just something he'd learned to look for over the centuries. It was small, suitable for a lone person. His lodgings were usually a little larger due to his fondness for fashion. He could imagine himself in a little getaway like this, but not as a primary home. He's too spoiled for that.

"If you like, I can come check on you in a few days." And probably bring him some fresh clothes.

"You don't have to. I'm not going to be any kind of a host." To put it...mildly. He'd still be healing from silver burns and then gaining the energy to feed himself. It never looked good. No point putting someone through that. Wolves were used to it but it was a sorrowful sight for anyone else.

As it turned out the door wasn't even locked and Silvio let them right in. He had them go to the couch where he slumped onto it and got out the bottle to take more of the drug he'd been given.

Shuddering a little, his eyes closed.

For Su-jin he'd see the altar to the pack on one side of the wall. A piece of something for every single member of that pack as well as candles that hadn't been lit yet. Otherwise the cabin was largely bare save for some furniture here and there. Nothing that matched since Silvio had gotten it all while blind.

"You can help yourself to food or drink if you want. I know it won't give you anything but sometimes it's nice to eat something that doesn't give you nutritional value. Just for something different."

"You wouldn't have to treat me as a guest," he assured. It was concern that drove the offer, not some burning need for hospitality. He knew the moon was coming up and without the pack to look after each other after... Silvio would probably be tired and weak. A little extra help couldn't hurt his recovery.

The offer for something to eat or drink was tempting, but he didn't often indulge in that. Su-jin had a deep-rooted concern that eating for pleasure rather than sustenance would lead to eating for pleasure... Even after all these years with a partner who not only could tolerate his needs, but enjoyed them, Su-jin still couldn't shake the guilt it brought him.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Then you can make yourself comfortable. But I get if you're in a hurry. I'll be okay."

He had been for around a decade now by some miracle. Lonely and in constant pain but that wasn't anything he couldn't live with. He'd get used to it given more years in his life. Of that he was certain. Mainly because he had no other choice.

This was Silvio's life now.

"Can I make you something to eat or drink?" Maybe some tea or coffee, whichever happened to be Silvio's choice, would help with the pain? Or maybe help to take the edge of it off, along with the drug. He offered the wolf a soft smile even though he knew Silvio couldn't see it. "I may as well be useful while I'm here, no?"

That made him tilt his head and turn to face Su-jin. His eyes opened but he didn't direct them to the man. For, well, obvious reasons. But he did listen to his movements. "You don't have to..."

He hadn't had someone there for him in a decade. Having it so suddenly? Silvio wasn't sure how to handle how good it felt.

That's not going to stop Su-jin from padding to the kitchen. His steps were light, but he made sure they were heavy enough that Silvio could keep track of him. It wasn't always the most comfortable thing to have someone in your space after a long time alone.

"I don't mind." He liked being able to help take care of others.

"I..."

Then he remembered that he should accept help when it had been offered. That was how he'd been raised. If there was someone who genuinely wanted to have your back then turning them down was foolish. Silvio sighed a little and gave a soft smile.

"...thanks."

That pulled a smile across Su-jin's lips.

"Are you hungry? I can cook something for you."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject