onebetter | Inbox for daybreakacademy

[ Oh.

Well, that's forward. James resists the urge to check Keith for injuries again, knowing fully well it'd be redundant. ]

Was it a wolf-type by any chance...?

[The question is asked so casually, but it sets virtually every neuron firing on overdrive.]

A what...?

[James saw. They did run into each other and it wasn't just some maybe, hopefully fever dream. After visibly tensing up, he forces himself to move again to pick up his clothes.]

[ Though James notices the tensing, he attributes it solely to Keith's encounter in the mountains today. He certainly can't blame his roommate for being on edge. He is, too. ]

A wolf. I ran into one on my way home, though it luckily ignored me. Not sure what kind of Outland creature it was, but it surely wasn't a normal wolf.

[ There is no suspicion in his tone, mostly because he doesn't actually... harbor any suspicion. ]

Why... do you say that?

[Shit, shit, shit, shit.]

Well, it was huge, for one. Huge and alone this close to the academy. Normal wolves don't raid cities and Soleil never had wolf problems to my knowledge either.

And it... There was something in the way it looked at me.

[ He pauses at that and shakes his head. ]

Or maybe I'm freaking out because I ran into a huge wolf unprepared.

[Keith bites the inside of his lip, looking down and away at the ground. So he definitely had a ru0-in with James and would have more than likely bitten him if there wasn't a dragon rampaging around the mountain. This was...a really close call all around, huh....

But he's been in a lot of close calls in fights and usually he leaves feeling high off the adrenaline. This time? This time he can barely bring himself to hold his head up to look at James again. He fucked up and fucked up badly. Grip tightening on his clothes, he breathes out slowly.]

...oh.

[And for a moment, he struggles to find more words to say. Like maybe he should be coming clean about that encounter, but for the life of him the words stick in his throat.]

[ There's a moment of silence as James waits in vain for Keith to add something else to his 'oh'. But as always, Keith seems to be dealing with his feelings by shutting them up inside. That in itself is at least indicator that the encounter did affect him more than he wants to say - and James really, really can't blame him. The way Keith looked when he came in here... it must have been terrifying, even if it ended up fine. ]

So, was that what attacked you? Or is there something else out there as well?

[His brow furrows, still searching for words, still wanting to believe that he can own up to this one thing to James to at least make him feel better about a nerve wrecking experience. But then he's reminded of little things like beach volleyball and eating dinner together sometimes and fucking toffee, and it chokes the air right out of his lungs.

Maybe he should sit. It's been a long day and he's still vaguely disoriented coming down from all those wolf instincts. But maybe he just deserves to stay standing and uncomfortable.]

...no, I don't know what attacked us. They were hiding in dense fog. The commotion was Kisara.

[And I was the one who scared you. Why is that so hard to say....]

[ To James, this doesn't at all exclude the possibility of the wolf being the same culprit who, scared by whatever this Kisara person did, fled until reaching the Academy. A wolf hunting further up in the foggy mountains at least seems more realistic. ]

Kisara? I'm afraid I never met her, what did she do?

She uh... can turn into a dragon.

[His voice is flat, more distant as he continues, like it's all autopilot.]

Shoot electricity from her mouth. She doesn't have a lot of control over it.

.... oh.

[ Well, that's..... that's sure something. With the variety of absolutely insane abilities and stories at the academy, this shouldn't be surprising, but it seems James has really not lost his capacity for shock just yet.

A dragon? Yeah, that's a new one. He considers it for a moment. ]

Is she... okay now?

[His expression falters -- a look of just intense annoyance crossing his features.]

Not sure. We got separated.

[A beat, then he shakes his head.]

I mean. I left her there. She was going to attack me so I ran. [Hands clenched into fists around ropes of torn fabric, he exhales.] Gotta go looking for her later.

[ James nods softly. ]

I'd been wondering if you'd already met back up at any point, but well.. If she's a dragon, at least not much can functionally harm her and I'm sure there are professors looking into the incident already.

[ After a beat: ]

I can alert one, too, if you want me to. Just in case.

[His reply comes out much sharper than intended.} No.

[Keith clears his throat, then glances up, expression apologetic.]

I... it was my fault this happened in the first place. I can handle it.

[ The snapping does not come as any kind of surprise to James. He already knows that taking too many steps towards Keith will result in this exactly. Which is why the softer expression that follows really throws him off.

Keith must be shaken up badly for this to have such impact on him. For a second, James is silent, chewing his lip, unsure how to proceed best. ]

I don't think a snowball reaction like that can be reasonably 'your fault', but... alright. I won't meddle. You should get some rest.

No, you don't understand it--

[Cutting himself off with a sigh, he gives up on standing and goes to sit on the edge of his bed.]

Never mind. I....

[He takes a deep breath as he scoots back until his back hits the wall and his knees are pressed to his chest.]

... hope you weren't too freaked out by the wolf thing you ran into.

[Yeah, Keith is definitely far too upset for James' liking. Usually when he sees Keith upset, it's anger, not... this. This is genuinely concerning in a way he's not sure he knows to handle. ]

I was pretty shocked, but it's fine. Guess we both learned to be more careful around here in the future. Meeting the wolf just really made me realize how much I wasn't prepared.

[Keith brings his arms around his knees, hugging them tight to himself. It feels as though his body is being pricked all over as his "concern" spills over into lies and cowardice. He doesn't like the person it implies he is, doesn't like the fact that he's willfully letting James be afraid of him unknowingly.

But he also doesn't like the idea of James deciding that they can't be roommates anymore. Or that he has no right to be at Daybreak Academy at all. Doesn't like the fact that maybe James is right to think that.

But then again despite everything that James had said about wanting to be friends, he always knew that would come with massive footnotes and exceptions. So what idiotic thing is he even holding onto here?]

...You won't see it again.

[His voice is quiet, stress written into every line of his tense body language.]

But being prepared is good.

Edited 2019-05-31 01:11 (UTC)

[ This isn't normal, this isn't normal at all. The air in the room is heavy and oppressive with whatever negative emotion is practically oozing off Keith with every word and movement. James finds it suffocating. He's a person who likes knowing what's going on, he likes understanding people and interacting with them based on defined social rules. Keith has thrown these rules out the window long ago, but now even the makeshift Keith-only ruleset that James has made for himself doesn't seem to apply.

And on top of all that, Keith isn't even making any sense. ]

What exactly do you mean by that?

[Fuck. So James is really going to make him spell this out for him, huh? Tense, anxious and feeling dizzy, Keith grips his knees tight, trying to suppress the burgeoning desire to scream. He can still walk away and take all of it back, and for a split second he doesn't know how to deal with this choice that James has given him than to be consumed another burst of anger for making him fucking walk off the metaphorical cliff himself.

He looks up, teeth grit, eyes narrowd.]

YOu're not going to see the fucking wolf again, alright? What else is there to explain here.

Yeah, how do you know tha---- that...

[ The other shoe drops while James is in the middle of a slightly annoyed retort and then James finds himself unable to say anything for a moment. Earlier in this conversation, he'd caught himself thinking that a were-dragon is way weirder than a werewolf. He'd also caught himself thinking that the werewolf must have been on the run from the dragon. On the run, like Keith was on the run. Keith who seemed to know about the wolf, despite apparently not having met it in the mountains...

His throat goes dry as the pieces all click into place. His brain is still protesting, still calling to him that he is jumping to conclusions too fast, but his heart... His heart is registering in an instant that it had been Keith to look at him that haunting, terrifying way.

And of course, it'd be Keith.

It could almost be hilarious that every time, every single time, something gets under his skin, it turns out to be Keith. ]

You're... There's a lot to explain here actually, but... [ James tries to take a calm and steady breath and he fails, but... the attempt is still helpful at collecting himself. ]

Are you really alright?

Edited 2019-05-31 01:43 (UTC)

[Calming breaths are an excellent idea, though not something that really seems to help lessen the intensity of that prickling on his skin. Keith swallows back a hard lump at the question, surprised that James, even now, is inquiring after his welfare and--]

Are you kidding me? You're the one -- [A sharp intake a breatth, fingers digging in harder into his legs.] You're the one who got scared by running into me! You're the one who -- I should be asking you that question, idiot.

[Never mind the fact that he feels like if he lets his legs go, that his whole body might break apart.]

I-- just stop. Okay? You can be as mad as you want.

Edited 2019-05-31 01:53 (UTC)

[ Mad...? That's further than James had gotten in his thoughts so far. Really, it feels downright bizarre that Keith would feel so apologetic for having startled him, when in the past he'd pulled a flaming sword on James. That had been worth apology, but now... ]

I'm not the one who got attacked.

[ He's just putting the thought out there, cautiously, keeping his voice matter of fact. The wolf had scared him, yes, but in the end... nothing had happened. Keith merely ran past him. James would be pretty pathetic to be in worse shape than Keith is, just over that. ]

You... I don't like that you hid this from me, but right now... You got attacked by two types of creatures and ran for your life down here. That seems to be of higher priority to me.

[ While talking, James slowly gets off his bed and walks over to Keith's. Cautious, just waiting to be rejected again. ]

Edited 2019-05-31 02:00 (UTC)

[Perhaps to James' surprise though, Keith doesn't comment on his approach and instead stares up at him warily.]

I already told you. I wasn't hurt. [A beat.] And I wasn't scared either.

[It's stated with grit, but not hostility.]

We went looking for trouble, alright? I thought -- she said some things that reminded me of [My life.] ... She said she blanks out whenever she's threatened. I thought she might've been like me is all. Wasn't expecting.... [Keith shakes his head, looking away.]

I already know it was dumb, so you don't have to beat me over the head with that. I didn't mean for you to.... [Deep breath, deep breath.] Look, I'm sorry, ok? I'm sorry.

[ Not being rejected in his approach is... nice, really. A good change of pace. Emboldened by the lack of hostility, James climbs onto the bed and sits down next to Keith. He keeps a reasonable distance, as if dealing with an easy to startle animal (and isn't that quite the comparison now?), but some conversations are better had in close proximity instead of across a room.

The story sounds, well, very like Keith. And James would indeed be scolding him for being stupid and putting someone else in danger, but... Not now, not like this. ]

Okay. [ It's James' turn to take a deep breath. ] It's okay.

[ That seems like the most important thing to get out first. ]

You just ran past me. Nothing happened. You don't need to be sorry for that.

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