Supernatural AU for Roland

[foundafamily]

[The little hamlet along the forest hasn't had a good time. Surrounded by magical creatures on all sides, they've decided to get a little... proactive in dealing with their problem. When night falls, hunters armed with crossbows and improvised weapons--hoes, shovels, and long hunting knives--come out to patrol.

This time, one of them's squaring off with one of the local werewolves. At this full moon, Firo's completely in wolf form, nearly indistinguishable from an actual wolf when he's not speaking.

The crossbow's been knocked aside, its string broken. The two circle each other, and then the wolf leaps for the hunter's leg to sink his teeth into it.

He's going to make sure that this hunter realizes it's best to leave the business.]

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[ka_sera_sera]

[Following, almost. He's stopped in the middle of the path, one hand-shape turned palm-forward, as if wanting to run its fingers through something. He takes a few steps forward, stretching out his hand, but the sunlight won't touch him. The scene itself won't touch him: at a distance of about a foot from his shape the grass and the sun and the heavy golden mist start to crumble away from him until it seems he's standing in a morning meadow surrounded by a forest at night. He doesn't seem surprised about it. Just moves slow, staring around him.]

I didn't ask where you hunt. I asked where you lived. Wherever was home for all of you. Was it beautiful?

[foundafamily]

[Firo turns to watch the shade in his little island away from the light. He's stunned by the way it fades and wraps around him--or maybe away from him would be more accurate.

He blinks slowly as he stares. It's hard to focus on the question when he's so curious about what else is going on. But he does tear himself out of his daze to fix his eyes on Roland's.]

The place doesn't matter. As long as we're together, then everything's fine.

[They have places where they bed down for the night--the caves during the full moon, places in town otherwise--but those are shelter. Home is something entirely different to Firo; it's more of a feeling than a place.]

Beautiful... I don't know. But everything's better with them.

[ka_sera_sera]

[The shade stares at him a moment after he's finished, expressionlessly. Of course expressionlessly. His thoughts on that particular sentiment, though, might be hidden even if he did have a face. No particular reaction seems required, anyway; he grunts acknowledgement and heads off, the meadow crumbling away ahead of him and failing to mend behind. He leaves a trail of dark forest cutting through the scene behind him and does not, of course, head for the castle at the meadow's edge. No point. Whether he's outpacing the boy or not he moves on, makes his way quickly - maybe even hurriedly - around it.]

[foundafamily]

[Firo had expected some sort of response, so he pouts as he jogs to catch up with the shade.]

So? Why the hell'd you ask, huh?

[ka_sera_sera]

I-

[His movement away doesn't stop but his words do, rather abruptly. In the feeling-thought which comprises his speech in this place, there's an impression of puzzlement. It's an impression says that if the shade had brows, he'd be furrowing them. Then it passes, as the sunlight passes into dark before them.]

Well, I asked because I wanted to know. What kind of reason are you looking for?

[foundafamily]

You don't know me or my pack. What's it to you what kinda place we live in? Or if it's beautiful--what are you, a freak?

[His tone is milder than might be expected with those words. He asks as if that's a normal thing to ask in conversation.]

[ka_sera_sera]

[If it's not a normal thing to ask, he'll be hearing no different from this quarter. It's not spoken as an insult, so it does not occur to the shade to take it as one.]

Suppose I must be. Is that not the done thing anymore? Asking after a man's home? A boy's. Harder to read people than it used to be. Can't tell if I've crossed some kind of line or if you're hiding something.

[foundafamily]

I'm not hiding anything. We don't have anything to hide.

[He looks off into the light, and the corners of his frown cut even farther down his face.]

And I'm not a boy either.

[He's an adult. How could that not be obvious?]

[ka_sera_sera]

Aren't you? Hm. If I can't call you boy, then what shall I call you?

[foundafamily]

[Ever so slightly, he lifts his chin into the air. He thinks it makes him look a little more impressive.]

Firo Prochainezo. What's your name, anyway?

[Everybody has a name, so he just assumes that this guy does too. No matter how strange he is.]

[ka_sera_sera]

[He opens his mouth. A couple seconds pass. He closes it.]

[He walks through the unending meadow, splitting the sunlight apart ahead of him, and thinks on this.]

Why do you ask? Do I need one?

[foundafamily]

I told you mine, so it's only fair that you tell me yours. Even a--whatever you are, you've still got a name.

[Because that's just how it is.]

So what do I call you?

[ka_sera_sera]

[There's a moment of silence and of, as far as possible, distinct confusion. Then he makes a noise, abrupt and frustrated.]

Call me Robin Goodfellow for all I care! Call me what you like so long as it moves you onto important matters, like getting us out of this damned sun!

[foundafamily]

...No way. You don't have a name?

[Firo twists around to try to stare up into... not the thing's face, but where a face could be. Those spots of blue.]

Why don't you just make one? Anyway, I don't know how to get outta this sun, so it doesn't matter. Don't you know?

[ka_sera_sera]

Of course I do. But I-

[But he won't. For thoroughness' sake, he takes a moment to figure out why.]

I can do it. But I can't stand to. It'll have to be you. What I don't know is how to make names. You can't make a name. You simply have one, if you need it. Isn't that how it works for your people? For werewolves?

[foundafamily]

The hell're you babbling about? Me? You want me to name you? What's to stop me from coming up with something dumb?

[He shakes his head and plods on doggedly.]

We had names before we turned, I guess. From our parents.

[ka_sera_sera]

If you call me something stupid, you're the one who's going to have to say it.

If you take us somewhere other than this, I'll answer to whatever you like.

[foundafamily]

Somewhere else? But we still don't know what's goin' on with all this.

[He waves his hand at the light around him.]

It's definitely not from my head. Did you make this up?

[He speeds up to try to skip ahead, wanting to see how the light will react when he moves away from the strange shadow man. He whirls around and stares up at the sky.]

[ka_sera_sera]

Make it up?

[The clear derision in his 'voice' doesn't go anywhere. He's stopped, watching, and it doesn't get a chance to. The area of effect isn't large; it won't be long before the boy's out in the sunbeams again. The shade watches and before he realizes it there are boys in the far distance, too, two or three, laughing.]

We have some idea of what was going on with the others, don't we? And none of those were made up.

[foundafamily]

So this isn't made up? This is just a normal part of your everyday life?

[He snorts and looks up at the light all around him. His face softens when he does, now curious instead of skeptical.

His face whips around when the laughter burbles in earshot.]

You hear that? I'm gonna go check it out. Hurry up!

[This guy's no help in sorting things out, so Firo'll have to do it himself. He races off in the direction of the noise.]

[ka_sera_sera]

[The shadow's footsteps drag. Nonetheless, he stays just close enough behind to reply.]

Truly? You think I spend my days like this? My nights?

[He watches the boys ahead. They'll come close enough that their outlines, running around each other, become almost clear. After that they'll be no closer, no matter how quickly they're approached. It doesn't occur to the shadow to tell the other man so; he just knows it.]

[foundafamily]

Haven't you ever heard of sarcasm?

[Firo doesn't realize that he's not making any progress for a few yards. Then he slows.]

Who are they?

[ka_sera_sera]

[There's silence for a few seconds. Then a few more. Or there would be - every so often the silence is broken by the boys laughing.]

I don't know.

I know that sarcasm means you don't believe me. Some could make up a scene like this. I'm not one of them. I never was. A man like that could conjure those boys in such detail you could see the hairs in their nostrils, regardless of the fact that he knows not one of their faces. You'd be able to walk up to them. Have I given you reason to believe that I lie?

[foundafamily]

So... this isn't a memory? But what we saw before this was from my head. This isn't mine, so it has to be yours.

[Firo shakes his head. His voice is contemplative, not angry or accusatory when he continues.]

You haven't given me any reason to believe you'd tell the truth. Anybody'll lie. So if you want me to think you're truthful, prove it.

[ka_sera_sera]

[The reasonable way all that's laid out, its reasonable tones, calms the shadow a little; his 'voice' loses its heat.]

How? You know as much about me as anyone living, I think. Tell me what you'll accept as truth and I'll give it; otherwise all I can tell you is that I don't know. Look at me. You can see I don't belong to this place. Isn't that enough reason to move this along, move me out from it? Even if I can't prove it to you, I've no reason to lie.