well, i got one foot on the platform [open]

[awooligan]

🧙 WHO: Cliff Norman, OTA!
⚔️️ WHAT: Not-so-local teen wolf's first world-hop.
🕒 WHEN: idk, March.
🗺️ WHERE: Typical arrival locations and Camelot.
⚠️ WARNINGS: uh cursing, that's all for the time being.

[ a - aaaargh. ]

[There’s one thing worse than swimming in jeans and shoes, and it’s crawling out of the water in soaked jeans and not shoes -- not barefoot either, just no shoes. Socks. Squishy, drippy, muddy socks. Because the night hadn't been hard enough already. Also feeling a little drowned? Been there, done that. Cliff coughs as he falls back and glares at the sky, trying to figure out what the fuck. He’d been at Oscar’s, and exhausted, but that was more emotionally than anything, and then the next thing he knows? Weird grassy sea cows are bullying him. There’s some shitty staircase, some biker-rancher dude, and a wardrobe apparently named exactly what Cliff would have named it. At least it means he has his shoes now, even if he's reluctant to wear them over his damp socks.]

Okay… Okay. Think. [In an effort to act rather than panic, Cliff peels his shirt up over his head and swaps it out for the red hoodie so he can be at least somewhat dry and warm. He'd pace, but his jeans are squeaky. And his phone…

He has to groan as he imagines Oscar’s stupid grin as he makes the best of it with, ‘No shirt, no shoes, no service! Think they allow dogs?’ Not helpful, imaginary Oscar!] Fuck. I can't even get Eliza…

[Oh. Wait. If he was here -- ]

Kevin! Kev, hey, are you here?!

[Sorry about this panicking, frustrated redhead yelling around! Maybe looking like he’s going to dive off the cliff's edge and search the water instead!!]

[ b - bzzt. ]

Hey, cut it out!

[Having accepted that it was only him brought to this place, as little sense as that made, Cliff had been more than ready to find someone who knew enough that he could berate them. But it seems life had one more surprise for him in the form of a tiny, wispy shadow child that rasps out a laugh and latches onto his shoe -- which he'd finally gotten to put on, thank fucking christ.]

PUPPY-PUPPY!

You -- shut up? Hey! If you’re not going to leave me alone, then find a way to contact that stupid bear and get us out of here!

HEE HEE...PUPPY-PUPPY, SIT! STAY!

Think that's funny? How about this one -- FETCH.

[And Cliff grabs hold of the Thunder Child, rears his arm back, and chucks the thing as far as he can. This results in some instant regret.]

Shit -- watch out!

[Because that's a giggling little ball of darkness and sparks heading towards some stranger, and if it hits them? That’ll be a stinging shock, thankfully more surprising than painful.]

[ c - like three prompt opportunities idk. ]

[He wouldn't call himself any calmer or more settled, even when assured that things back home wouldn't be happening without him and he wouldn't be worrying his family. For once. It does help a little, just like the fact that the stupid Thunder Child had scampered into the woods with a giggle, finally leaving him alone.

...Turns out that being alone, while good for his introverted nature, kind of makes you lonely! And bored! So Cliff decides to try and go around the city with a curious look and his hands calmly in his pockets rather than a glare meant to scorch the path ahead of him. The busy city part feels weird...but interesting, and he watches stores and businesses through windows to distract himself from the sound of families out and about. Happy or arguing, each of them make his chest ache.

But eventually he finds a bench to sit on for a nice little break and scrolls through that weird quest-request or whatever app. It all sounds like things that are not at all his business. His thumb does pause as he reads through one of them, though, brows furrowing.]

What the… Oh, come on. They've got to be fucking with us. Find some horny bunny jackass cheating on his bunny wife? [Who somehow doesn't know about this, despite it being a publicly posted job?

Well. On the offchance, this isn't bullshit, he does have a way of finishing this one pretty easily. A wolf should be able to find a rabbit in no time, right? Once he's had an opportunity to shift without having to worry about anyone seeing or suspecting something -- even with animal magic existing, it felt like a risk -- Cliff sets out to put his nose to work in bunny country.]

Ugh. Why can't I smell anything? It's all just city and food…

[Speaking of which: damn, some of that food looks pretty good.]

[ d - we went off the alphabet theme. ]

[And everything else!! Just getting his foot in the door, so to speak, but if some fun, specific idea pops up, feel free to toss it here or plot with me over on plurk at goblinhood.]

Comments

b

[wolfhunted]

[Robyn has come down to see if there's anyone she knows among the new arrivals, like Mebh or her father. She's accompanied by both her golden wolf familiar and her hunting falcon, Merlyn, who takes off with a startled screech as what looks like a small dark blob comes hurtling towards them.]

Ack! [And it proceeds to hit Robyn square in the face.]

[awooligan]

[Oh, man. He just threw a tiny electric man at a kid's face. Shit, shit, shit. Cliff hurriedly jogs over, concern focused mainly on her, but with a sliver saved for a wary glance at the wolf. Hm...]

Hey, you okay?

[Just gonna...reach out with his foot and sweep aside the giggling Thunder Child with a flash of blue static.]

[wolfhunted]

I-I'm fine, it's just...it stung for some reason.

[She certainly wasn't expecting to feel that when whatever that thing was collided with her face, though at least the sensation is already fading away.]

What was that, anyway?

[awooligan]

Uh, yeah... It's some...forest spirit. A Thunder Child.

[The little wisp makes its return, first hiding behind Cliff's shoe, then zipping over to crawl up Robyn's leg. This time the contact doesn't cause any electrical feeling, though the spirit itself does have a certain...buzz to it. Energy. An awful little lifeform that tugs at Robyn's clothes before cackling and leaping to the wolf.]

APOLOGIZE TO LITTLE-GIRL AND BIG-WOLF!

God, shut up, seriously. You apologize.

PUPPY-PUPPY THREW --

Yeah, okay! What are you, my mom? I get it... Sorry. I wasn't looking when I chucked the little guy.

[wolfhunted]

[Robyn yelps as the Thunder Child climbs up her leg, though at least she doesn't feel that weird sting this time. Her wolf, who's normally rather quiet and isn't fazed by much, shakes herself and bares some of her teeth in irritation when it leaps onto her.]

You threw him? [Robyn would ask why on earth he would do such a thing, especially if that creature's his familiar, but given what's happening right now...]

Well, if he's going to go around stinging people, maybe he deserves it a little.

[awooligan]

[The Thunder Child is apparently delighted by this, giggling as it weaves its way like a toddler made of smoke and a bright blue glow to the wolf's head, intent on sitting on her nose.]

That, uhhh...is actually because I threw him. It? [Whatever. It wasn't keen on correcting anything, if it felt a certain way.] I think the shocking might be a speed thing. Anyway -- Thunder Children go around tricking people, so don't feel bad for it. It's just being a pain.

[See? Look at your poor wolf!]

[wolfhunted]

[The wolf bares more of her teeth at the little troublemaker on her nose...though that also causes her to sneeze.]

Well, I suppose I should be used to that by now. The fairies here already like to go around trickin' people...

a;

[doublecenter]

[The yelling is what catches Haruka’s attention, and it doesn’t take much to find the source. His lips purse as he watches the redhead, before it stretches into a grimace.]

Whoever you’re looking for isn’t here.

[...Which, okay, he doesn’t know that for certain, but. Seems the most likely scenario.]

[awooligan]

[Someone trying to be helpful has the unfortunate effect of Cliff thinking they know anything at all -- and even if they know more than him, the reality is that they can't answer all his ill-tempered questions. You know, the ones like:]

And how do you know? He was just with me! How is that supposed to work?!

[doublecenter]

[Truly, there is no way this can get any worse. It’s not like Haruka is going to sneer or anything, and very matter of factly say -]

Why do you think him being with you matters? Were you planning on showing up here?

[awooligan]

[That's...sort of a fair point? He's not a fan.]

Because he's -- ! Look, I'm not an expert on magically being kidnapped just because this is the second fucking time!

[Last time he at least got to remember the circumstances leading up to that! He's going to leave a bad review on some witch's Yelp.]

[doublecenter]

[He's hear to make all the points that nobody else wants to make.

His eyebrows ratchet up, and he scoffs.]

Was he there the first time you got kidnapped?

[awooligan]

[It's tempting to throw his hands up, gestures as big and wild as his feelings, but he's much more used to crossing them defensively in front of himself and holding right. So that's what he does.]

No. But he wasn't with me before that! I was alone, that time. I can't just go from with people to not with people!

b

[intrapid]

[ -—!!

Karma doesn't get hit square in the face, pulling back at the very last moment but, not knowing what it is that's been thrown at him, reaches for it as if to grab it mid-air and hurl it back at his offender. The resulting shock makes the muscles in his arm lock for a moment as he swears out loud, grip tightening around the Thunder Child instead of letting go- and despite the prickling in the palm of his hand, he keeps a hold of it. His other hand digs around his coat pocket and produces a jar, something thick and red coating the bottom of it, and he loosens the lid with one hand.

Can a Thunder Child fit inside a mason jar? Doesn't matter. It'll fit if he tries hard enough. ]

[awooligan]

[Oh, it will absolutely fit. A mason jar is pretty much the perfect size for one of these terrible little wisps. It makes a noise of displeasure, blue pulsing from some internal glow while it strains to cling to the jar's lid so it can't be pushed in.

Cliff, meanwhile, is stunned as if he, too, has been shocked. What...is happening. Does this person play baseball? Is this what sport people are like, fearlessly snatching things out of the air?]

Did you really just -- ?

[????? gestures!!]

[intrapid]

[ No way, little Thunder Child. Karma clamps the jar between his hands, one palm on the bottom and one on the lid so he can at least keep the thing contained even if it isn't letting him screw on it on. ]

...Yeah? What's it to you?

[ With a question like that and the wild ???!!? gestures, Karma leans back slightly, as if on the defensive. It makes him look a little more like the 14-year-old he's supposed to be, even if he is fake tall like Cliff is. His voice at least gives a clearer indication of his age. ]

Is this thing yours?

[ He gives the jar a shake— maybe he can, like... dislodge the Thunder Child and get it stuck on the bottom. There's leftover jam inside. ]

[awooligan]

[Oh yeah!!! Well! What if it just gives a few more tiny little zaps!! This does nothing, thanks to the jar, but it's the thought that counts. The Thunder Child wants Karma to know that it's not happy at all with its treatment, whether or not it's what it deserves.

Cliff pauses a moment longer, then starts heading over with a frown.]

Not really.

YES, YES! PUPPY-PUPPY, TELL THE MEAN BOY TO NOT TRAP LITTLE THUNDER BABIES!

[That's rich, coming from something that tricks people into getting lost and then eats them, but Cliff only glares at it because telling it to shut up and throwing it certainly hasn't worked.]

It's just something from where I came from. If I could keep it jarred up like that, that'd be great.

[intrapid]

[ Karma sticks his tongue out at the Thunder Child, screwing the lid on tight. That's what you get for, you know. Being thrown by someone else, zapping someone before you're ??? made of thunder? Nothing that its fault or what it deserves, if Karma cares about that. ]

If you brought it here with you, it's yours, Puppy-Puppy. Is it really made of electricity? If you could get it to shut up, it'd be really useful.

[ Even jarred up like this, he has so many bad ideas already of what he could use a portable battery for. ]

[awooligan]

[Nice. Until Karma opens his mouth again and gets Cliff to frown.]

Cliff. Don't listen to that thing, they're no good. That's all I really know about them. [So no 'Puppy-Puppy' here, and electricity is a mystery.] Do you think I'd be throwing it if I could get it to shut up?

c for cute doggo~

[sulit]

[The best thing about cities is always the food. This is a indisputable fact that Klaudia has learned during her short sailing life. There is absolutely nothing that she doesn't love about living on a boat--except for the lack of fresh meats.]

[That said, enter: one tiefling girl munching on a spiced turkey leg that's almost as long as her forearm. She's supposed to be checking the bunny cafés for a wayward rabbit, but like... She can multitask. Probably.]

[At least until she sees the wolf wandering about. She stops to watch it wandering around, apparently searching for something...? It's not acting in a way that's normal for wild animals in populated animals, so it's probably either a familiar, a pet, or a person.]

[...Wow, does she hope it's a person. She hasn't gotten to see animal magic yet!]

[Leaning her forearms on the back of a bench, Klaudia calls over to the wolf.]

Hey puppo~ Looking for something?

c for cut it out, you mean

[awooligan]

[His ears stick straight at being addressed, but pin as he whips his head around. Puppo?! Yep, that was definitely meant for him, even though mistaking a wolf for a dog seems offensive to him even without the whole going around as one thing. That was the bigger problem, though: not being seen as human. Good thing there's that weird magic here so he can actually snap at her.]

I'm not a --

[wait]

What the fuck are you? [THAT'S? A DEMON??]

[sulit]

[Okay, animal-people have no right to be demanding that question of her. At least she looks vaguely humanoid enough. She gives the wolf a flat look and pointedly takes another bite of her turkey leg. After a moment to chew and swallow--while not breaking eye contact, she replies:]

A person. And you're a very rude dog. Who taught you manners? Because you suck at them.

[awooligan]

[She's a demon????????]

Fuck you! I'm not a dog, I'm a person, too! And anyway, this isn't even a dog, I'm a wolf!

[gestures in teenager, except he can't, on account of the quadrupedalism. The wolf huffs and grumpily starts to pad over to her, but he doesn't take more than a few steps before he's back on two feet, suddenly a boy all over again. No point of transition, blink and you'll miss it -- wolf one second, human even before the next one. While he isn't getting ready for a fight or even looking for one, his hands are balled into tight fists.]

You're the one that sucks at manners.

[never mind that she hasn't been anything but pleasant and curious, let him be angry.]

[sulit]

[Wolf, dog, same difference really. She would gladly educate him on the exact relation between wolves and dogs, but he's being a jerk, and she can't have that. She does not suck at manners. He's just a terrible, rude wolf boy.]

[The turkey leg gets transferred to her opposite hand as he comes over to her, and she cleans off her fingers on the napkin that's wrapped around the bone. The transformation back to human seems to surprise her, but not in a bad way. She looks intrigued, but also still annoyed at him.]

You're the one who starting shouting What Are You without even so much as a hello. [She lifts her chin haughtily at him, straightening her shoulders.] Do you always go around demanding personal information out of people without even asking their names? If we're going to talk about manners, then that should be the first thing you do. So--

[She lifts a hand, holding it out to him, palm down like she expects him to take it. Maybe kiss the back of it. Something like that.] My name is Klaudia. You can give me yours, now.

[awooligan]

[It's...not... As a parttime wolf, he's the authority on this, not some snooty know-it-all demon chick. It's so sad he can't even appreciate her taste in food right now -- though it smells good even without special wolf nose powers -- because he's already decided he's angry about this.]

You were calling me puppo! [CLEARLY A SHITTY THING TO DO, GOSH] It's not like I asked for your name... That supposed to make me want to give you mine even after you told me I suck?