all the stars jumping in through the window
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Post by Chase Anderson on Aug 11, 2016 3:36:45 GMT
i'm carrying your light Chase is starting to realize that walking around is only giving him more chances to think about his problems, when what he really wants to do is leave them behind. Running hasn't helped either, though- he already tried it, in dog form no less (but not before checking too many times to make sure nobody was around) but eventually he slowed to a trot through the woods. Despite his efforts, his mind keeps drifting back to his mom. He had called her again, earlier that day.
She hadn't picked up. She hasn't picked up for weeks. She used to always pick up, even for strangers. That was just the kind of person she was. He hadn't called her for months before that, no, but she wouldn't ignore his calls out of spite. She's not like that. He needs to go back to check on her, to make sure she's okay.
Even while in his canine form, he's too distracted by his worrying to give in to the instincts begging him to run, to chase every moving thing. The overwhelming scents and sounds do nothing to keep his mind from his thoughts, which makes shifting seem like waste of time and unnecessary risk to take in the first place. Chase makes a sort of scoffing noise, or something as similar to that as a dog is capable of making, and he starts looking for someplace more sheltered to turn back.
What ends up distracting him from his thoughts after all is the scent of somebody else in the woods with him. It's weird enough that he's in the woods, actually, but even weirder that somebody else is too. He pricks his ears, as it's too risky to change into his human form now, and cautiously trots towards the presence, peeking around a tree to steal a glance at the newcomer before he decides whether to run away or stick around. LAIKA OF ADOXOGRAPHY |
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Post by P.J. Herzfeld on Aug 13, 2016 2:08:54 GMT
After 3 days of no sleep, P.J. felt the exhaustion build up. He was frustrated, no, he was infuriated. It drove him insane that he was incredibly tired, but no ability to actually fall asleep. The usual medication didn't work either.
Isolation. That's all I need right now.
He flew over the barrier of the haven, and soon found and landed in a clearing in a forest. Quickly looking around, he made sure that nobody else was around. P.J. only spotted some kind of canine, and assumed it was only an animal. He quickly let himself turn back human and took in a deep breath.
1...2...3...4, and exhale...2...3...4.
Somebody had once told him about box breathing, and how it was supposed to calm you down in stressful situations. You're supposed to breath in for 4 seconds, hold it for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold it for 4 seconds, then you repeat until you're calm again. Unfortunately, P.J. didn't have the patience for that.
It's supposed to calm me down, but why do I still feel like I wanna cry?
P.J. looked up at the stars. The night was pretty, as long as you didn't always feel like someone was behind you. P.J.'s paranoia got the best of him quicker than he'd like. He looked behind him, and saw the same canine before. P.J.'s limited knowledge of dog breeds kept him from identifying whatever species the canine was. It looked like a dog, maybe a mutt.
He turned his body around toward the dog. P.J. gave a small smile, and held out a hand towards the animal. "Don't worry, I won't hurt ya." he cooed, hopefully attracting the dog towards him.
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all the stars jumping in through the window
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Post by Chase Anderson on Aug 13, 2016 7:44:08 GMT
i'm carrying your light For a moment, Chase followed the other man's gaze, looking up to the stars. He broke it off after a moment, though, before he could become lost in it. Now wasn't the time to think of the nights he and his mother had spent looking at the stars. He had more pressing matters.
For example, the guy who had just landed right in front of him.
His first instinct was to approach the stranger. He was holding a hand, right? That meant friend. He took a step forward, then paused, realizing that his canine instinct probably wasn't the best to follow so blindly at that moment. Despite not being close to the man, there were some things about his scent that Chase could pick up. Perks of being a dog, right? He appeared mostly human, but the scent of the sky still clung to him- like what Chase would usually find on birds that just landed, crisp and airy. There was also something leathery on him, and when Chase looked closer, he saw the wings. His eyes widened. Halfblood. He supposed that made more sense than a human being randomly in the forest, but he was still surprised.
The guy was anxious about something, too, clear on his scent. Or maybe he was angry? Whatever it was, it was mingled with something else, but it was clear he was troubled. Chase debated for a moment whether he'd best be able to help in this form or his human one. People liked dogs. People liked talking to dogs, hugging dogs, all that. It made them feel better. But wouldn't that only be a temporary fix? It was nice, but talking about problems always helped Chase more than hugs, as awesome as hugs were. And since the guy was a halfblood, like him...wouldn't it be okay to transform in front of him?
He wouldn't tell...right? He was another halfblood, just like Chase. At least, he was really hoping that was the case when he let his dog form bleed away until it was just him, half squatting like he was prepared to run for it again. He stared at the man, waiting for a reaction, then glanced to the side for a moment, then back at the man.
"...hi," he said. "Not a dog- or...ehm, not really...completely a dog. Partly a dog, though. Like, half a dog...because I'm a halfblood. Haha." He paused. "Or...quarter-blood? I guess? Since my dad was hu- oh wow, I should probably stop talking. Hold on, give me another try." Chase shook his head and started again, this time with a smile and a small, yet still slightly nervous wave. "Hi. I'm Chase, half-quarter-blood...though that's fairly obvious at this point. Uh...don't tell?" It would suck if the guy told, but Chase was sure he wouldn't...well, kinda sure. He had no idea. LAIKA OF ADOXOGRAPHY |
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Post by P.J. Herzfeld on Aug 13, 2016 17:12:49 GMT
The dog had only came a few steps closer to him before he stopped, and started to what seemed like analyzing. P.J. dropped his hand, but still smiled. "Come on," he continued, "I promise I won't do anything weird." P.J. chuckled to himself. He realized that the dog had every reason to be staring at him: Nobody would really be in the forest at this hour, he had bat wings, and while he tried giving off a friendly aura, P.J. was far too stressed for that to happen. That didn't stop him from wanting a companion to talk to.
I could rant in front of a tree, if I need to. But here, there's an actual moving specimen, a dog, that could let me rant in front of them. Aren't dogs supposed to be friendly when they're not put on governmental duties?
Then the dog transformed into a human. A boy. P.J. felt blood rush to his cheeks as he looked at the half-blood.
"...hi,"
P.J.'s small smile turned into a smirk. He half-heartedly waved at the boy, listening contently at what he had to say.
"Not a dog- or...ehm, not really...completely a dog. Partly a dog, though. Like, half a dog...because I'm a halfblood. Haha." He paused. "Or...quarter-blood? I guess? Since my dad was hu- oh wow, I should probably stop talking. Hold on, give me another try. Hi. I'm Chase, half-quarter-blood...though that's fairly obvious at this point. Uh...don't tell?"
The bat half-blood's cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink as Chase stuttered and ranted on. "P.J. Herzfeld." he introduced, "Bat half-blood." P.J. went over his words again. "Uh, don't tell?"
Man, this guy has probably gone through a bunch of bull crap.
"Oh, um, I-I won't tell anyone. Since, we're both...half-bloods, I guess." P.J. assured Chase, "So, uh, what're you doing out here at this hour?"
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all the stars jumping in through the window
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Post by Chase Anderson on Aug 17, 2016 9:10:30 GMT
i'm carrying your light Immediately, Chase relaxed when P.J. confirmed that he wouldn't tell. He stood up to his full height, and suddenly realized that he was a fair amount taller. Probably older, too, actually.
"Right, right, part-bat. I kinda guessed that part," Chase nodded, "y'know, 'cause of the wings. Pretty easy to tell. I'm a dog." He facepalmed. "But that's pretty easy to tell, too. I'm sorry I'm just- I'm very frazzled right now." He paused, again. "Huh. Frazzled. Not a word you hear everyday. Nobody says it, but I say it, and mom says it and- wow, ranting again. Yikes. Not everyday I meet another half-blood though. It...never happens actually." He smiled and shrugged, laughing kind of nervously.
"I didn't mean to assume that you would tell or anything," he tried to justify himself for asking in the first place. "It's just that...well, you never can be too careful these days. Last time I slipped it...didn't really go too well." His eyes and his smile fell for a moment, before he shook his head and regained his pleasant attitude. It wasn't the time to dwell on any of that.
"What am I doing out here?" he echoed. "What are you doing out here? It's late, and you're a kid, and- wait, where did you even come from? I'm pretty sure the town I came in from would have noticed a guy with bat-wings flyin' overhead. And they would not have taken all too kindly to it, either." He gasped, suddenly. "Do your parents even know that you're out here?" Then he winced, realizing a moment too late that the subject of parents usually didn't end too well for half-bloods. "Are they even still...?" LAIKA OF ADOXOGRAPHY |
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Post by P.J. Herzfeld on Aug 19, 2016 4:03:41 GMT
"Right, right, part-bat. I kinda guessed that part, y'know, 'cause of the wings. Pretty easy to tell. I'm a dog. But that's pretty easy to tell, too. I'm sorry I'm just- I'm very frazzled right now. Huh. Frazzled. Not a word you hear everyday. Nobody says it, but I say it, and mom says it and- wow, ranting again. Yikes. Not everyday I meet another half-blood though. It...never happens actually. I didn't mean to assume that you would tell or anything, It's just that...well, you never can be too careful these days. Last time I slipped it...didn't really go too well."
Man, this guy is all over the place. He must've really had a rough time.
"Oh, um, I'm sorry to hear that. I guess you can never know, huh?" P.J. replied. He started to realize that he never had any friends until he had reached the Haven. I guess that has its ups and downs: You can never be betrayed, but you'll be introverted most of your life. The only "friends" he ever had were made up in his head or doodles on loose leaf paper.
"What am I doing out here? What are you doing out here? It's late, and you're a kid, and- wait, where did you even come from? I'm pretty sure the town I came in from would have noticed a guy with bat-wings flyin' overhead. And they would not have taken all too kindly to it, either."
As much as P.J. didn't care about most anything, some kind of disappointment filled him as Chase called him a "kid". He never thought much of his appearance, and he was never one to think he had a baby face or something like that. Soon he realized the one feature that might have given it away: his height. P.J. knew his INSANELY TALL 5'4" stature was SUCH a BIG thing to point out, but being as tall as a seventh grader wasn't such a great thing to be proud of.
"You're right. What AM I doing out here? Oh boy, I'd love to know why I'm not asleep right now! Maybe I should ask my bad insomnia that. Maybe they're the reason why I haven't slept for 3 days." P.J. sarcastically remarked. "I'm not really a kid, I'm sixteen. I know, I'm SUPER short. Where did I come from? Oh, you're not from the Haven, huh? I think you have to be invited in? I dunno, I fell into a tree and landed there, I think they have some kind of portal system...it's weird magic stuff."
"Do your parents even know that you're out here?"
Parents. That's the only thing P.J. wants most. Even more than sleep. It has only been a few weeks since it happened. It's odd to not see your parents for so long when you're used to seeing them every day. Sure, they were both a nervous wreck, but they were only trying to live safely. They never got mad at P.J., he was such an obedient kid. I guess if you say: "If you go outside into the city without a jacket, you'll die." for every time he wanted to go out, you'd want to stay inside. He loved them, he truly did. So why did the government make him watch them shoot and slice his mother to death? Why did they have to kill his father while he was trying to get to safety? Why did he have to watch the blood drip from the corner of their mouths, and to see them fall to the ground motionless?
Why does the world get to decide who gets to die before they're ready?
P.J. looked down at the forest floor. He didn't want to talk about it.
"Are they even still...?"
He took in a deep breath. "What's done is done," P.J. said as calmly as possible. "It's nothing I can undo. But...anyway, what are you doing out here again?"
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all the stars jumping in through the window
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Post by Chase Anderson on Aug 21, 2016 21:26:46 GMT
i'm carrying your light Yikes. Kid had problems. Honestly, Chase didn't think the P.J. was a kid just because of his height- there was a huuuuge difference between the face of a 16 year old and an adult, and Chase simply happened to notice that P.J. did not have the face of a grown-up. He was getting there, but slowly. He had a little ways to go. The height did help confirm his suspicion, though.
"Settle down, man, I didn't say you were a kid because you were short," Chase raised his hands in a sort of, I'm backing off kind of way. "And I hate to be the one to bring this up, but you are a kid. 16 isn't that old at all. Until you start doing your own taxes, you're gonna stay a kid in my eyes. Just the way it works."
He realized immediately that he had made a mistake asking about P.J.'s parents. The way the kid's eyes went all distant made it obvious. "I'm...sorry," Chase apologized. "I shouldn't have asked."
"I'm out here because even though I am an adult, I'm trying to ignore my problems like a kid," he admitted, being brutally honest about it, but even so he said it with a smile. "Dog-me likes to run around. Relieves stress. 'Cept it's not really working this time, but I'll figure it out. I live in the city nearby. Not Haven." LAIKA OF ADOXOGRAPHY |
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Post by P.J. Herzfeld on Aug 23, 2016 4:20:21 GMT
Oh. Not a kid cause I'm short. I guess I might have a young face. Jeez, why am I so damn immature? I should stop jumping to conclusions.
"Oh. Aw, guy, I'm sorry to blow up like that. I've been having a rough week. Well, I guess you know that now since I blew up, which I'm sorry again about," P.J. apologized insistently. "Heh, I guess I'm the one ranting now." He awkwardly laughed and shrugged.
"I'm out here because even though I am an adult, I'm trying to ignore my problems like a kid. Dog-me likes to run around. Relieves stress. 'Cept it's not really working this time, but I'll figure it out. I live in the city nearby. Not Haven."
Nice to know that this guy is open to be vulnerable. Guess that's something I need to learn.
"I'm really sorry if this is an uncomfortable question to answer," P.J. started, "But, what problems are you running from?"
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all the stars jumping in through the window
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Post by Chase Anderson on Aug 23, 2016 7:44:02 GMT
i'm carrying your light Chase paused at P.J.'s question, surprised at the sudden change in his attitude from defensive to inquisitive and curious. While Chase usually didn't like to give anything away so quickly, he could tell that P.J. was genuinely wondering, and he wouldn't deny the kid a proper answer. "Not really sure why you'd wanna know, but," he started, raising an eyebrow at the teen before shrugging, "uh, my mom, I guess."
"That's not to say that my mom is a problem, because she's not-" he immediately scrambled to correct his error in phrasing. "Or that I'm running from her- but...I kind of am...and that's the problem. Um." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, nervously, and his smile, which had already become strained, fell. "I messed up. Big time. And I didn't want to put her in danger so I just...ran away. Disappeared. She doesn't know where I am, or if I'm okay, and she hasn't for weeks- months. I feel bad about it- I keep trying to call her but-" He cut himself off. "Nevermind." He didn't want to give P.J. any more reason to worry about him, even if he didn't particularly seem to like Chase in the first place. "I'll be heading back soon, anyway. She's fine." He smiled again, but it didn't reach his eyes, since he didn't believe his own words.
"That, my friend, is enough about me and my mom problems," he decided out loud. "You said you had trouble sleeping, right?" he asked, having caught that in the teen's earlier rant. People tended to underestimate Chase. They assumed he was an airhead, and he could admit, with good reason, but he caught details about people that they usually didn't expect him to. He knew people- he was good with them, he could figure things out about them just by the way they acted or by the way they spoke. His mom hadn't always been honest with him about everything- there were a lot of things he had picked up on his own, and he'd never forgotten how to do it. "I don't really have insomnia or anything-" he started, conveniently leaving out the fact that he hadn't exactly been sleeping well the past week. "-but hot tea or milk before bed always helped me. I don't know if it'd work for you, but maybe it's worth a try. I also had the little glow in the dark star stickers on my ceiling- whenever I had trouble sleeping I'd count those. I still like to do that, actually." LAIKA OF ADOXOGRAPHY |
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Post by P.J. Herzfeld on Aug 30, 2016 0:11:09 GMT
"uh, my mom, I guess. That's not to say that my mom is a problem, because she's not-Or that I'm running from her- but...I kind of am...and that's the problem. Um. I messed up. Big time. And I didn't want to put her in danger so I just...ran away. Disappeared. She doesn't know where I am, or if I'm okay, and she hasn't for weeks- months. I feel bad about it- I keep trying to call her but-Nevermind. I'll be heading back soon, anyway. She's fine."
I guess I shouldn't have asked. Moms are kind of a sensitive subject, huh.
"That, my friend, is enough about me and my mom problems,".
"I'm sorry, I guess I shouldn't have asked about such a touchy subject in the first place." P.J apologized. He knew that he was always one to act before he thought about what actions he should take. P.J. was a curious kid, and it wasn't odd to hear him ask questions that often were too personal.
"You said you had trouble sleeping, right? I don't really have insomnia or anything-but hot tea or milk before bed always helped me. I don't know if it'd work for you, but maybe it's worth a try. I also had the little glow in the dark star stickers on my ceiling- whenever I had trouble sleeping I'd count those. I still like to do that, actually."
Hm, hot tea or milk? I could give it a try.
P.J. was always more of a coffee person, and even then he locked his coffee black and sweet (so without creamer). Coffee wasn't the best choice for him to be addicted to. Sure it kept him awake, but then after it left him feeling gross and tired.
Then there was counting sheep, or stars in Chase's case. P.J.'s highest was somewhere around 200, until he got bored and realized there were better things to do. He still smiled at Chase's comment about stars.
"You like stars?" P.J. asked. "I do too, it calms me down a bit."
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