.002 Δ [Voice]

[ratherbelocky]

Okay. Okay.

[York's voice is the soft but urgent hiss of someone who's freaking out but doesn't want to alarm the people around him. The sound quality, for those sensitive to that sort of thing, indicates that he may have, you know. Locked himself in the bathroom. As one does.]

Can I lodge a complaint? I dunno who to, exactly, but I'da hoped this would be the kind of thing that got covered in the rookie's field manual as early as possible.

[He pauses.]

Turning into a werewolf, I mean.

[The pause is practically italicized. Whatever's happening to York, he is strenuously unhappy about it, and the tension rides his voice hard.]

Like, the fact that that's apparently a real possibility in this universe.

Comments

[secondplacing]

This isn't about dignity, York!

[She tries to wedge herself into the space between the door and its jamb.]

You can't just-- hide in the bathroom while everyone else finds a way to fix this!

[WHY ARE YOU BEING SUCH A BABY EVERYONE'S FURRY]

[ratherbelocky]

[SOME ARE FURRIER THAN OTHERS, CAROLINA. SOME ARE FURRIER THAN OTHERS.]

I could.

[...But he won't. He doesn't let up on the door, but he doesn't try to squish her in the jamb or anything, either.]

What are people doing? They got a plan?

[secondplacing]

I would know more if I wasn't spending my day trying to get you out of the bathroom.

[She tries to stare him down through the door gap, heaving a sigh that feels like a blow from a heater.]

The only thing I've figured out so far is that most of who I've talked to were attacked by a fused pokémon of the same species. Like the arcanine fusion we saw, and the... bat... dog.... you faced. Which means there's a probably a lot of people dealing with this right now.

[ratherbelocky]

[His fur twitches when the heat of her breath hits his skin, and he scrunches his eyes a little. That's weird. Everything about this is weird. His gaze shifts away for a moment.

A lot of people dealing with this. A lot of people that need help. She's asking him to be one of the good guys again.

It's been a while since that worked out for him.

York sighs in a much less fire-breathing way and eases back to let her in.]

Okay, okay. First priority, see if we can round up those poor messed-up Pokémon and stop this from getting any worse. Right?

[secondplacing]

[She steps inside and gives him that look, that look that kind of feels like when someone says, "that's my boy". That proud and satisfied look that almost, almost seems smug, but just so happens to be sincere.]

That's right.

[She reaches up to check out some of the fur on his face, trying not to seem amused. And failing.]

Though I guess I could get you some more coverage before we head out.

[ratherbelocky]

Well, my clothes came with a--uh.

[He blinks, and it's clear again how unused he's become to touch, to contact, when he'd always been the one to offer or ask for a hand.

York tilts his head just slightly into Carolina's hand, huffs a laugh in spite of how unhappy he is about his new role as Beast Boy.]

Hff, okay, hey there. What are you doing?

[His fur is so soft. Like stroking the fluffiest puppy.]

[secondplacing]

Oh-hohoohhhno.

[She has to giggle, gently scritching at his face. He really does feel like a puppy dog and it's SO ENDEARINGLY FUNNY oh god she can't wait to show North--]

Ohhh I'm sorry, York, this is terrible.

[SHE SAYS WHILE 'AWWW' LAUGHING]

[ratherbelocky]

Are--are you petting me? Carolina?

[But he's tipping his head even more, smile spreading, giving her access to his ears, and--oh. Oh man.

His plucky little tail is wagging and he doesn't even care.]

Awful. Unforgivable. I can't believe this. Little higher, please.

[secondplacing]

[A little higher as instructed because she CANNOT LET THIS END JUST YET SHES SO SORRY YORK THIS IS SO FUNNY]

Awwwww. Are you a good boy, York?

[Oh this is priceless. Oh. God, where is North]

[ratherbelocky]

[He snort-laughs, and part of him is still embarrassed and defensive and grumpy about being caught up in what sounds like might be another immoral science experiment, but Carolina is laughing (and he knew she would, but he'd forgotten what it would mean to him), and fuck if her fingers don't feel nice in his fur. Oh, oh man, yes, get up there behind his ear, oh yes yes. He's closed his eyes, but he opens his good one halfway, smiling.]

That depends. There a treat in it for me if I am?

[secondplacing]

[There's a rumble of laughter that she tries to suppress to speak, and it sounds almost growly, but at the same time it's still very much her laugh.

She keeps up the scritches when she answers--]

There sure is.

[ratherbelocky]

Really.

[He's a little distracted, leaning into her hand like this, eyes closed again. He kind of likes the growl in her laugh. It suits her.]

I'm listening.

[secondplacing]

[It's a perfect set up, really, for Carolina to lean over and kiss him right on his fuzzy cheek.

Look, if you were in her place, you'd wanna kiss the puppy, too.]

Good boy.

[ratherbelocky]

[Is it surprising to anyone that York's tail starts wagging so hard he smacks the toilet paper roll onto the floor?]

...Okay, but I draw the line at novelty collars.

[secondplacing]

[Carolina's reaction is just a bark of a laugh, this time less like a fox and more like lion. She startles herself a little, but laughs again, and continues.]

Alright, alright. You've got yourself a deal, Spot.

Let's get to work.