December Catch-All

[spiritwalks]

Who: Vyng spiritwalks and YOU
What: Catch-All for December. See comments for prompts.
When: Various
Where: Various

Content Warnings: Listed in subject lines when applicable

Notes:

- Style veers wildly between prose and brackets. Just choose whatever style feels good when responding, and I'll match it ♥

- Vyng is a warmblood.

- Feel free to hit me up at jackets for plotting and general chatter.

Comments

[frogfear]

[Hang on. She hasn't told anyone about hanging out with a talking fire. So that must mean -]

Vyng? Yeah, it's me. Um. Hi?

[spiritwalks]

What! You're a shapeshifter?

[Vyng turns more fully to face her the wolf — Willow — now. He folds his gangly legs beneath himself placing both hands on his knees.]

How come you didn't say anything before?

[He's not angry. Just a little shocked. It'll wear off in a moment.]

[frogfear]

I... guess you could call it that? I mean, it's kind of inconvenient shapeshifting?

[She shifts uncomfortably. She doesn't talk about this a whole lot, but given Vyng was an actual fire last time they spoke, she figures he's probably more likely than most to understand.]

I got bit by a wolf girl back in Deerington - when things were falling apart. It wasn't her fault, it was an accident. But, uh, now when I go to sleep, this is what happens.

[spiritwalks]

[Huh. He's never heard of people turning to animals from bites before. Back home, things like lycanthropy were caused by spirits forcibly possessing a person.]

Only when you go to sleep?

[frogfear]

Yeah, just when I sleep. Weird part is, I'm still asleep at home, in my bed. And when I wake up tomorrow, I'll feel like I slept, at least a little.

[It's nothing like lycanthropy at home - it's a demonic influence in her world, and the poor person afflicted completely loses themselves during the full moon and the two nights surrounding it. At least she still maintains her sense of self like this.]

[spiritwalks]

[Willow's right. That is weird.]

Really? What happens if somebody tries waking you up?

[frogfear]

Unless I'm close enough to get back into my own body again, I just keep right on sleeping, I guess.

[Mebh warned her about that - the importance of being very careful about where she goes to sleep, since she's left particularly vulnerable if she's away from her human body.]

[spiritwalks]

Wow. You've gotta really trust the people you're living with. And you're okay with all that?

[Changing shape at night, regardless of whether you want to? Sounds like it'd get real old, real fast.]

[frogfear]

Yeah. They're good people, and they've helped me out a lot, especially back in Deerington.

[She absolutely trusts the people at Clockhouse.]

I guess it's okay. I mean... There's nothing I can really do about it. So there's no point in not being okay with it if I can't stop it. Not like I can stop sleeping.

[She tried. It didn't work.]

[spiritwalks]

[Vyng would probably feel the same way in Willow's shoes, to be honest.]

So...what do you normally do, then? Go on patrols around town?

[frogfear]

A lot of the time I stay pretty close to home. The first time it happened, I kind of got stuck in my room.

[She lifts a paw to demonstrate.]

No thumbs makes doorknobs kinda hard.

Sometimes, though, it's nice to go for a little walk. Especially when things are peaceful - well, as peaceful as they get here, I guess.

[spiritwalks]

Yeahhh. [He chuckles.] When you've just got toe beans, you kinda have to improvise.

[Vyng has definitely been there before.]

So, what's your favorite part of being a wolf?

[frogfear]

Yeah. I had to change my doorknobs and stuff.

[It's been inconvenient to say the least.

She has to stop and think when he asks what her favourite part of being a wolf is. She's never really thought about it, especially given how terrifying it was at first. Werewolves in Sunnydale don't retain any sense of self when they change, and it took her a long time to stop worrying that she might end up inadvertently hurting someone she cared about.]

Uh, I dunno. It's kind of nice not to have to worry about getting cold at night. I've been able to help some people too, which is good.

[spiritwalks]

Hey, that's great. Sounds like you're making the best of things, at least.

[Not everyone would. It speaks to Willow's resilience.]

[frogfear]

I mean, I guess it could be worse? I dated a werewolf at home for awhile - this is nothing like what he had to go through.

[She figures at this point it's best just to be thankful for small favours and try to live with it.]

[spiritwalks]

You dated a werewolf? Like...somebody possessed by a wolf spirit?

[Not the weirdest thing Vyng's heard, but still pretty unusual. Then again, this is somebody who casually chatted with a bonfire. Willow can obviously take the strange in stride.]

[frogfear]

Possessed by a wolf spirit? No, he got bitten by his cousin. It's, um, less of a possession back home and more like an infection? You get bit, you turn into a werewolf yourself for the full moon, and the two nights surrounding it. He was a totally normal guy the rest of the time.

It's a possession in your world? How's that work?

[Seems bizarre, but she's getting used to the idea that some things - like lycanthropy - clearly mean different things in different worlds.]

[spiritwalks]

[Vyng can't help but wince at that description. Granted, his old world's version of lycanthropy isn't much better. You can't spread it to other people like a disease, true, but...possession doesn't leave any room to be a totally normal guy, either. You're not yourself anymore. Ever.]

Yeah. An animal spirit forcefully takes control of a person. It warps them in both body and mind. Pretty gruesome stuff.

[frogfear]

Yeah, that sounds pretty terrible... Oz was still himself the rest of the time. Just three nights out of the month, we had to make sure he was locked up at night so he couldn't hurt anyone.

[There had been near misses, more than one, but they managed, for the most part.]

[spiritwalks]

Ohhh. Kind of like PMS, but you wolf out instead. That must've been rough.

[At least Vyng can — well, could — technically cure a person's lycanthropy via shapeshifting. But Willow's old boyfriend didn't even have the option.]

[frogfear]

[She made basically just that joke in high school.]

It was sometimes, we had some really close calls. But we got through it.

[spiritwalks]

Gotta be adaptable. No wonder you make a good shapeshifter.

[Even when speaking Wolf, there's a hint of wistfulness behind the sentiment. Still, Vyng understands this wasn't something Willow signed up for, so he tries not to dwell on it.]

What're you up to for the rest of evening? Wanna keep howling with us?

[frogfear]

I don't know if I'd consider myself any good at it, but I guess I'm dealing?

What qualifies being good at this kind of thing anyway? She wouldn't wish it on anyone.

But, uh, yeah, I have no plans. I can stay for awhile. It's kind of nice to be able to spend time with someone who can actually understand me like this.

1/3

[spiritwalks]

Of course. Anytime you wanna talk Wolf stuff — or stuff in general, really — you know where to find me.

[spiritwalks]

[Or does she?]