I'm fairly local; I've been around (OPEN)

[viduation]

A. DAY:

[ creature of the night he may be, Derek's life is far from nocturnal. admittedly, this is partially because he sleeps less than he probably ought to, especially these days. however, it's also because even in London, there are places that aren't 24/7. yet. a bank. a decent mechanic. somewhere that sells smores flavoured pop tarts. combined with his own restlessness, and a sense that he still doesn't quite belong, Derek is unable to hang around at the den all day.

when he's out, he's watchful. even on the streets of the city centre, Derek has come to learn that he can't afford to overlook anything. perhaps it's an inhuman kind of scent that has his gaze catching, lingering, or perhaps a face he recognizes from the Redbright ball has him staring in heavy, curious scrutiny. maybe he simply has to squeeze past the same PETA collector on the street, muttering something about no goddamn escape. ]

B. NIGHT:

[ after the sun sets, Derek retreats to his own territory. generally speaking, he's not looking for a fight, and lurking around other areas of London at night is sometimes as much a provocation as is necessary. he keeps to the east end, hemming along every county line like a sentry, watching - waiting, maybe - for any suggestion that things are not as they should be on his turf. his. he'd never considered it in those terms when he'd been following Laura's lead, when there had been another alpha running things. aside from an inherent wolfish sense of territory, he'd felt little investment. now, his position has changed, but the disconnect here lingers. in the wake of his own hasty decision making, he still feels like he's standing in. that only makes him all the more tense.

and all the more eager to work. he covers a surprising amount of distance on foot, keeps his ear to the ground to keep track of what's going on. maybe it's quiet. maybe it's not. but he stays out late.

if, on his unofficial patrol, he comes across something or someone that seems like they shouldn't be here - well, Derek follows. ]

C. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE!

( catch all! feel free to tag in with your own starter - just give me a heads up if you're looking for anything in particular - or let me know if you'd like a specific heading! 8] )

Comments

[titanocidal]

I hate the basement...

[Eren quickens his pace as requested but continues to sulk, glaring downwards at the steps as they make their decent. He knows that this monthly routine is necessary, but that doesn't mean he'll ever grow to like it.

For the past two days, there's been a stiffness to his shoulders and a tension to his brow more prominent than what's even normal for his standards. The moon might not be out yet, but if his alpha wasn't around right now to help center him, Eren would have already given in to his rawer, more violent emotions.]

Last time, I almost broke out of the cage, you know. I thought as I got older, I was supposed to get better at handling it, but it's like the opposite is happening.

[viduation]

[ Derek gives him a withering look. ] Yeah? You're not the only one.

[ still, it's good-natured enough that he doesn't follow the sentiment with a shove. he understands too well to be too disparaging, at least in this case. Eren tends to get particularly wound up - Derek's the same. but their other options are non-existent.

instead of arguing, Derek listens. the longer he remains alpha, the more it's beginning to feel like the least that he can do. ]

Are you talking about the shift, or the anger? [ there's a lilt to his voice that might suggest teasing, but Derek is wholly serious. ] You know it's making you stronger.

[titanocidal]

[Lately, Eren's gotten pretty good at picking out the different nuances of Darek-isms. He knows well enough to take the question seriously, giving it a bit of thought before answering.] The shift? No, maybe both.

[The last step is just up ahead now. Once he reaches the bottom, Eren will move to the side and wait for Derek to pass. It just feels too weird to walk on ahead of him now that he's an alpha.]

All I'm saying is that I don't want to break free tonight and hurt someone who doesn't deserve it.

[viduation]

[ well, maybe that's something that Derek can understand - all of it. although noting that Eren waits to fall into step with him, it doesn't occur to him as being much to think about, not when he's faced instead with a problem, a worry, that he's known well. fixing Eren with a considering look, he closes the doors behind them, and then turns away to start going over the locks, one by one. ]

You won't. [ of this much, at least, Derek is absolutely confident. ] You are getting stronger. You'll probably keep getting stronger. You shouldn't be afraid of that.