HALCYONDREAM.

all her friends had decided to spend their summers away this year, and winnie couldn’t be bothered to spend time at her parents house. not with her perfect-older-brother-whom she hated. not with her overcritical mother, or her fathers infidelity. there’s a reason she stayed away. so she elected to spin some time with her cousins at their beach house, a place she hadn’t visited since her childhood. one summer her mother had gotten into a huge fight with her sister, and after that their beach vacations were spent in the hamptons. 

but she wanted something new, maybe to relive her childhood, or to piss off her parents, or find a new place to get in trouble, she wasn’t quite sure. but she pulled up, taking a second to marvel at the house, not nearly as large as their house in the hamptons, but it had a certain charm, some southern twang. as she got out of the drivers seat, winnie pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head to get a better look. glancing around, she noticed a man standing on the boat, quite fit and quite tan, and she couldn’t help but smirk, raising a hand to wave. “do you know if beth is home? or raymond? or any of their family?” she called out, walking across the yard toward him. 

Carson watched as a small blonde got out of the car, looking like she might have been lost. But to him she looked like she was in the right place. Definitely fit into the figure eight mold. She obviously saw him as well because she started to approach and ask for Beth and Ray.

           Jake shrugged a little bit, he wasn’t really worried about waking or keeping Carson awake, he knew it was likely to happen regardless. “I figured I’d warn you, so I don’t scare the shit out of you if I start screaming or crying in my sleep and…just be careful if you try to wake me up so I’m not like…screaming anymore, I might scratch or bite…it’s entirely instinctive and I don’t mean it…” He hoped that wouldn’t happen, though the likelihood of him having a nightmare whilst he was healing wasn’t likely, but still he felt it was better safe than sorry.

He tilted his head when Carson laughed and he chuckles a little bit at his words. “I wasn’t sure were I was allowed to go, it’s your house after all and I’ve caused enough trouble for you.” He says, glancing over towards the bedroom.

Carson slowly nodded, “I can handle it,” he told Jake. He wasn’t for sure, but Carson thought he could handle it at least. There was no going back now.

Carson had spent his whole life on the cut. His family pretty much scraped by, and ... by family he meant him and his older brother and his fiance. Carson was in elementary school when his father died, and that’s all anyone ever really new about the trauma that went down between his parents. His older brother raised him. His fiance? High School sweet heart. Everyone jokes that they will be engaged for life since it’s been 3 years and still no wedding. As for Carson, he was just happy working the docks and mocking dumb things kooks say.

             Jake sighs a little and he looks down a bit, fingers tracing the top of the bandage he was now wrapped in, he watches his hand fo a moment before he looked up at Carson again and he smiles when he saw him nod.

He tilted his head at the offer and he nods his head a bit, “I’ll heal quicker if I sleep.” He admits and he shifts a little bit and he looked at him again. Jake yawns a little bit. “I was warning you, I react a lot to my nightmares, I’ve been told I get loud and stuff…” He sighs a little and he looked at him again and he smiles a bit. He rests back a bit, “I’m gonna sleep now…” He mumbles, he doubted Carson would try to hurt him in his sleep.

Carson pressed his lips into a small smile. Should he have felt shocked if Jake felt comfortable sharing that information? Probably not after he just told him about before. “It’s okay, it’s important you get some sleep, if you’re worried about it keeping me up.” Carson wouldn’t mind, he only wished he could help somehow, but the night terrors were out of his control.

                Jake nods his head a bit, most poachers couldn’t help themselves, they had to show off their trophy that they’d taken from whatever they’d killed. Then lie about where they got it when authorities came by. He half wondered if his adoptive father went and kicked that guy’s ass, there was no way his family didn’t know what they were. He’d have to ask when he got around to it, but right now he needed to rest and heal completely. “You should ask my dad, he might be able to point you in the right direction.”

He looks up when Carson began to speak, then he tilted his head as he pauses and then he sighs a little, nodding his head. “I get frequent night terrors though, so sleep is…something I avoid, even if it’s not good for me.”

Carson nodded a little bit. Carson could only recall maybe one brief time meeting Jake’s father. But he wouldn’t pass up asking him if he knew where the poachers were.

           Jake didn’t often divulge the fact that he was left to be found by another family in the forest, it was his sad reality, which led to some confusing times as a child and especially as a teenager, when he had his first every shift, the reason a lot of people in this small town gave him a wide birth. At least those who were old enough to remember who he was at the time. The reason Jake went by his middle name, rather than his first name these days.

His gaze turns up to Carson again as he speaks about getting his antlers back for him, he had to wonder if the other knew where they were, at least, where the man who had them went. He doubted he’d stuck in town, or if he did, that he’d been able to keep quiet about the large and unique antlers he had come into possession. Definitely not deer or elk antlers. “Yeah? Did the hunter stick around? Killing the monster in the forest isn’t something I’d keep my mouth shut about if I were like him.”

Carson thought for a moment, licking his lips. “I do remember some obnoxious boasting about it a while back... but I never paid any attention to those hunters anyway,” he admitted. They weren’t Carson’s scene. He always found them rude obnoxious even before the monster thing. He wasn’t even sure which one it was, but how hard would it be to find out? Carson was sure he’d still find any opportunity to brag about his one accomplishment in life.

“i’m not hung up on her. i don’t ever want to think about her in bed either,” he muttered with an unfathomable shake of his head. “i just want you to understand that feelings and i aren’t a thing. i’m never going to fall for someone again and i don’t want to because the pain isn’t worth it,” he continued with a heavy sigh casting a glance to the male. "this will never been anything serious.. thats the bottom line here.” 

              Jake tilted his head when Carson smiled, at least he could ease the conversation a little bit with a few lighthearted comments about himself. “I mean…not a lot? I burn through it too fast, unless it’s got sugar in it then I’m definitely gonna get fucked up.” He laughs, shrugging his shoulders a bit before he rubbed the back of his head.

He pauses at his question and he sighs a little bit. “I dunno, maybe? Things are still a bit hazy from before I woke up…” He shifted a little and he tucked his leg under himself before he looked at him when he asked about his real family. “I…don’t actually know where they are…don’t particularly care either, they abandoned me, if I was human I’d have probably frozen to death during the night. I was only a few days old. I’m assuming they’re the same as me though.” He shrugs a little bit.

The motions Jake made were so human, it was almost hard to understand the extent of what Jake said he was. Part of Carson wished it wasn’t true, but there was no way a human being would survive a bullet wound to the chest like that. Carson was staring at it again, but still listening to him explain his situation.

               A small smile pulled onto his lips when Carson laughed, at least he could still manage that despite the other man’s shocked state. “I mean, I eat it raw, but…I’m not really in my human state when I eat it,” cue him making air quotes with his fingers when saying the word human. Clawed fingers run through his hair, brushing it back from his face again, chuckling a little. “Yeah…and I’m an awful lightweight.” He jokes softly.

He shifted a little bit, “my human father and sister know. But…they’ve seen me…change, thought I was just a normal human baby when they found me…I don’t really make it common knowledge for obvious reasons, but…the hunter….some kind of…cryptid hunter I guess. He wanted my antlers, which I’d very much like back…but I dunno where he is.”

Carson shivered a little, the thought of eating raw meat skeeved him out a little. But it was an animal thing to do. He just smiled at the light weight comment. “So what do alcohol do to you?” He asked, genuinely curious now, before he went on to explain the extent of the people who know.

             “Technically, yes. I wasn’t really dead though, just…in stasis I guess is a good way to describe it. My heart had stopped and stuff…eh…it’s hard to actually explain what happens to me when I’m like that…” He swallowed a little and he sighs a bit, leaning back in his seat, wringing his hands together and his brows furrow slightly. “Human food? You telling me you don’t ea deer meat?” He chuckles, “one of my favorite foods is caramel shortbread, even the sugar in them makes me feel drunk if I have too much…my biology is fuckin’ weird.”

He ran his hands over his face and he sighs a little bit, shaking his head. “It’s…a lot to take in, I know…me being what I am… what I do…”

Okay, so Carson couldn’t help but laugh. It was a dumb way to ask a question like that. He shook his head, “To be completely honest I don’t think I’ve ever eaten deer meat...” he pointed out in a little bit of thought before he looked back at him. “So sugar makes you drunk.... noted.” He nodded his head again and finally sat down in front of him again.

                Jake looked up at him as he stood up, he shrugs a little bit, “it’s alright, you don’t have to apologize. It’s…a lot to take in, I get it.” He says quietly.

He shifted a little and he shakes his head a bit. “I don’t actually know what I am…I call it ‘the Death Beast’…since I have some sort of connection to death, like…I can cause decay in plants and people, I can see ghosts and a couple of other things…I dunno, I didn’t really…grow up knowing what I am, thought I was human for a long time…” He looked up when he asked about his eyes and he nods. “Yeah, my eyes are different colors because of the whole not human thing…”

“And... clearly you come back to life...” He added on, his reaction was tired now. He blinked a few times and starred at the other in the room. His stare seemed like it was a million miles away though until he pulled back to this... strange reality. “So you don’t eat normal human food?” He asked now.

                   Jake was well enough aware that his actions weren’t considered…. good, but from an animal standpoint, they weren’t evil either, he was just protecting his home and hunting grounds. Carson’s reactions to what he was telling him was enough of an indication to Jake that he wasn’t exactly sure what to think about them. He sighs a little and he shook his head a bit, he smiles at him, clearing trying to reassure that despite the information he was sharing, he wasn’t a bad person to be around.

“No, it’s not all I eat, I’m…a scavenger, more or less, I eat what’s left behind, or I hunt deer. I eat the people I’ve killed because it’s…a waste, so to speak…” He shrugs, “I don’t eat people often, only when I feel it’s necessary. I’d be hungry all the time if that was all my diet consisted of.”

Carson stayed seated and slowly nodded as Jake explained. He was so relaxed about his answer but it was starting to make Carson’s head hurt.

life had never been a walk in the park for louis at least when it came to connecting with other people. he always had his art and that had been all he cared about for a long time until he got his first boyfriend. sure, no one knew about them but louis was happy to just be enough for someone. the secret surrounding them made the breakup inevitable whether they wanted it or not. “you were the last person i expected to see here,” he admitted with a soft smile as his light eyes scanned around the gallery where he was showcasing his latest work. “did you see anything that you liked? — you can’t even offend me since i’m the artist behind them all,” he teased giving the other a light nudge. 

                                 @halcyondream· liked T H I S and got a starter !!

                Jake’s animalistic nature meant he could sense emotions, at least in the case of fear, it left a rather distinct taste in the air around him. He rumbles pleasantly, sounding similar to a cat purring, he did catch the little laugh and he tilted his head, smiling a little bit. He ran his hand through his hair again, brushing the ebony strands from his face, he pauses for a moment at the question, he wasn’t entirely sure how he was going to answer that without making that fear/shock that Carson had worse, so he was silent whilst he thought of a good way to put it.

“Forgetting human morality…” He begins, “the people who go missing, the hunters and hikes as they’ve been labeled were damaging my home, hunting for sport, leaving bodies of animals but taking their ‘trophies’…people stealing trees, killing them unnecessarily…” He sighs a little, “I kill and eat them…”

Carson subconsciously held his breath after Jake paused to from his answer. It took Carson a moment to get his breath back when he got his answer. It was a hard pill to swallow hearing the truth even though he had a guess that it was the answer. The only good thing out of it was at least it sounded like self defense or.... like anti hero tactics. Which lead Carson to have very mixed emotions about the answer. He almost felt sick bout it, but also angry about how humans were so reckless and uncaring.

                Jake was more than aware that this wasn’t exactly the best way for his secret to come out, but for now he’d do his best to explain, even if his memory still had some holes in it, he was already doing a little bit better. Jake tilted his head a bit and he sighs a little bit, he could tell he was uncertain of if he should be afraid, or not, he sat back a bit before he looked down.

The barrage of questions made him kinda laugh, he honestly hadn’t minded. “I depends on your point of view on wrong.” He murmurs, “you’ve heard the stories about the local forest, yeah? The missing hunters and hikers…” He shakes his head a bit. “I’m the monster in the forest, he wanted the rights to brag I guess, I dunno….some humans confuse me.” He looked up again and he rose a brow slightly when he asked if he should be afraid, mismatched eyes roll a bit. “No. Why? I was this way the whole time you’ve known me, have I ever given you a reason to be afraid of me?” He shakes his head a bit. 

Carson felt his stomach do a flip. He didn’t want to be scared. But there definitely was a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach once Jake just casually let out the truth like that, followed by a statement about human’s confusing him. Carson wanted to laugh, but only a very small one erupted from his chest, contrasting the shocked look on his face. Carson had definitely heard the stories, but naturally shrugged those off as urban legends or some campfire horror story that got out of hand and spread like the telephone game. He never believed the stories to be true, even given how descriptive they were. Like Jake said, there was never a reason why Carson would feel afraid of him. Even if there were strange antics about him, Carson always passed them off as little quirks like every person had; and Jake had always been nice to him. It was almost hard to believe Jake was what he just said he was - Carson almost didn’t even want to believe it. However, all the signs were there - on top of Jake literally just telling him it was true.