CoR Desmond & Chloe

[Tiko]

Location

Desmond's House

as written by Tiko and Knosis

The walk had been grueling, the heat had picked up and the humidity was high. Though, Chloe had been oblivious to it all. She had kept walking, eyes glassy until she had gotten to her destination.

It had become routine that the wolf side of her would sort of control her human body to make sure the pair of them got to a safe destination after these events. It was clumsy and tedious and always irritated the wolf quite a bit. How could this silly girl keep getting attacked when she was trying to warn her?

Regardless, the wolf was stuck until the human’s consciousness came back. Until then she was at least at home, sitting where she’d been that morning. She leaned against the stool and was stuck staring at the wall.

Chloe blinked, finally coming to eventually. Panic slowly overtook her, her breathing becoming rapid. She gripped her head and began to rock.

When Desmond arrived home to find Chloe rocking in place atop the stool his demeanor immediately shifted to one of alarm as he rushed to her. He took her chin in a gentle hand to lift her gaze up and get a good look at her. His brows were furrowed in concern, but he saw no injuries.

"'ey, what's wrong? What 'appened?" he asked.

He could hear the racing of her heart and feel the adrenaline coursing through her. The panic rolled over him, but he didn't let it pull him in.

He embraced her tightly.

"Whatever it is, it'll be alright," he assured her.

She was trembling, pure adrenaline pumping through her while her panic attack continued. She barely heard Desmond as he spoke to her, and as soon as she could she clung to him as tightly as she could.

She started trying to ground herself, using his touch and his voice as one of the objects and sounds she needed. She gently touched his shoulders and his hair with trembling hands, listened to his voice and the leaky faucet in the bathroom. After a while, she started taking larger breaths to slow her breathing.

Finally, she tried to find her voice. “I-It.. It's happened again..” Her voice shook and cracked slightly. “I c-can't remember anything f-from leaving the w-warehouse..” She finally looked up at him, worry in her eyes. “T-that was hours ago. I don't remember. I don't remember how I got home.”

She was having to keep herself from panicking all over again, but keeping hold of him helped.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko and Knosis

“Hey, hey hey,” Desmond said as he held her tight with one arm around her, and a hand on the back of her head. “It’s okay. You probably just shifted again. This is good you see? You’re scared, but think about it. Hours. Out there for hours doin’ who knows what in the city, and no one was hurt. Things are gettin’ better. They are.”

He didn’t let her go, willing himself to believe what he was telling her. He had never seen someone with such a strong divide between their human and wolf halves. Initially he had mistook it for how new she was to shifting, but it was proving deeper than that. Weeks later she still blacks out every time. They had yet to recreate the successful harmony they had reached that first time shifting in the woods. She had grown noticeably less volatile though.

“Other than Liam, when’s the last time you had a go at someone?”

Chloe continued to tremble, but more because the adrenaline was dropping than panic. She thought about his question, another deep breathe. “N-not since.. the b-big fight with the S-scions..” She murmured into his shoulder.

She wanted to believe what he was saying. She really did. But there was one question that kept egging her on.

“Desmond.. I've never shifted without being aware and have kept my clothes intact..” She said. “And even if I some how got them off before a shift.. the wolf never brings them with me…” She paused, and pulled away to look him in the eyes. “I'm in the same clothes I left the house this morning…” She left the implied question for him to interrupt, not trusting herself to voice it.

“Shh. The important thin’ is that you are fine, and no one is hurt,” he told her.

He tried to sound comforting, but he couldn’t rid himself entirely of the worry that his words carried.

“Hey, I know. Come sit down in the living room while I look for something real quick,” he suggested.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko and Knosis

She swallowed hard and took in a deep, shuddering breath. Letting it out in a huff, she nodded. “Alright.”

She even gave a small smile. He had enough to worry about, she knew. The past few weeks had been rough on everyone, but it had been exceptionally rough on her normally carefree boyfriend. She didn't need to add her own anxiety and worries to his.

She gently leaned into him once more to give him a hug, sneaking a kiss on his cheek before pulling away to start for the living room.

Desmond followed closely, torn between wanting to hold her tight and his drive to fix things.

“I should just be a moment,” he told her.

He opened the door to a storage closet that Chloe had never actually seen opened before, and for good reason. Inside there was a small mountain of haphazardly stacked boxes overflowing with… stuff. There was no other word to describe the perplexing mix of random objects and belongings that had been deposited in there.

He pulled a few boxes out, and crouched down as he dug through them. Old electronic cables, unmarked CDs, even a relic of a floppy drive got set aside. Whatever he was looking for eluded him though as he dug through the second box. Another box joined the growing pile, this one filled with sketches and drawings that Desmond hadn’t touched in months. Strangely there was a random sock in there as well. Boxes of junk mail joined the pile, along with a coffee maker, a pair of panties of unknown origins, some worn out shoes, a hammer, and multitudes more junk.

“‘It’s in ‘ere somewhere…” he muttered as he continued his search.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko and Knosis

Chloe stood and stared into the precarious closet with a look of awe. How could anything in that closet remain in said closet?

She sat nearby, fearing she’d not be able to find Desmond if she didn’t when the closet decided to spill its guts onto the man. Watching as he pulled out the items of the first box, she made up her mind that there would be a cleansing. He wouldn’t know it when it was done, but the closet was obviously a hazard.

The second box seemed filled with more personal items. Her eyes were caught on the sketchbooks and drawings, and she pulled the box closer to her started looking through them. “Did you draw these?” She asked. “They’re really good.”

“Hm?” Desmond asked and looked up. “Oh, those. Brendan always said the same. I apprenticed with a tattoo artist back in Iveria, years ago,” he said.

He resumed rummaging while he talked. Chloe would find the occasional photo of finished tattoos tucked haphazardly amongst the pages of sketches. Like the closet, there seemed to be no sense of organization to the box.

“Can’t remember when I last did anythin’ with those. Unless you count the doodles on Ziessel’s paperwork. Thought she might bite me ‘ead off fer that one. If there’s anythin’ in there you like you’re welcome to it.”

She continued to admire the drawings and the photos of finished tattoos. There were several she put to the side and kept out on purpose.

“Do you still have the tattooing gear?” She asked out of curiosity.

“Aye, it should be somewhere. The inks will be no good anymore though,” he said. “Why do ye ask?”

She bit her lip and went back through the second pile of drawings and photos she had set aside, carefully looking over each design with consideration.

“Well for one, I think you're good at it. You could do this as a career or something. I don't know if there is a tattoo parlor or something similar nearby, I'd only looked for one once before. The Society said it was against the rules to get new tattoos…” She said, ending in a mutter as she picked two designs.

“Second, I was wondering if you'd be willing to tattoo me. I don't have a lot of cash left though, so I can't afford the inks right now. So maybe you would be willing to design one for me instead?”

She handed him the two designs. One was of a wolf and moon design he had drawn once. The other was that of a small dragon. “Pleeeeease?” She grinned.

“I don't know, I ‘aven't in years…-” the grin on her face won him over. She didn't smile near often enough. “Oh alright, I'll see what I can do. In the meanwhile if you're still up for it, I told Ragenard and Baron that I would be outside the city for a while tonight. No reception,” he added with a wink.

She did a little dance when he agreed, her earlier concerns having slipped her mind now.

She had -not- forgotten about the plans they had for the evening, but her nerves were on edge.

“So I get you all to myself then, hm?” She stood and picked up the box with all the sketches. “Good. Maybe I can show you all the places I'd like a tattoo then-” She flashed him a cheeky grin before moving the box back towards his room. She wasn't going to drop that subject now, nor was she going to let him not use his talent to his benefit.

She plopped the box just inside the room before returning.

“Alllll to yourself,” Desmond reaffirmed “And it would be good to see what I’ll be working with…” he added with a wink.

He stood up with a sigh.

“I can’t find it. Used to have this little uh…” he held his fingers up to indicate something small. “What do you call it? Like a security camera that you wear. Just uh, don’t ask what it was for. I was thinkin’ maybe we could use it to try and help you see what’s goin’ on when ye shift. Maybe it will help you remember.”

 

[Tiko]

as written by Knosis and Tiko

Chloe raised an questioning eyebrow. “A body cam? I have one from when I worked as a cop back in my old home city-” She blinked as she remembered and rubbed the side of her neck before adding on. “Had. It’s still in the old apartment The Society had me stay in.” A sort of realization kicked in then that all of her stuff from her past life was left behind. She had taken nothing with her.

She shook her head and forced a smile on. “It might work if wolf me doesn’t eat it. I don’t want to have to shit that out. Might be able to pick one up cheap from BeBay.”

“Aye, one of those,” Desmond answered. “I think if we rig you up somethin’ you can wear around yer neck, so you don’t lose it when ye shift, it just might do the trick. I’ll see if I can find it later. If not I’ll pick somethin’ up tomorrow. For now, why don’t we get goin'. The fresh air will do ye good to clear yer head,” he said.

 

[Sune]

Chloe nodded. "Alright." She said, walking over and leaning against him. "You probably should uh... 'Forget your phone' at home, just for good measure though. Because I'd really hate for our date to be interrupted.. I really have been looking forward to just having time with you again for a while now.." She whispered some sweet nothings in his ear before heading out the front door, giving him a mischievous grin before walking out.