at the feet of untamed things

[amistillenough]

Barnaby is restless. At first, he thought it was maybe boredom, just a moment of not being able to focus on anything, but no. He can feel an itch to do something, anything, that has him moving.

He'd tried playing music, which didn't really get him anywhere. It felt good for a few minutes, but then it only seemed to build up the restlessness even more. So he put down his violin and traded it for pacing the length of the livingroom with a book in hand.

It also doesn't really help, but doing two things at once makes things settle a tiny bit more. He needs to do something though, something that makes him move and keeps his attention.

Putting down the book, he digs up some of the rope they keep around, running his fingers over it before he starts to tie and untie it until he finds himself doing a series of ties on himself. It's at least posing enough of a challenge to keep him occupied, which is all he wanted.

The thought of going to get Jeremy had crossed his mind, as had going to go talk to Birch to see if they would be a good distraction, but this would do for now. He can pivot to something else when it stops working.

only then will we be free

[awakeninwonder]

They had planned to have another form before now. Of course, they're coming to understand that plans don't always go the way you expect, even if they've ended better than anticipated.

They had stayed with him in the apartment until the time came to return the body to its original owner. Even if they did put it off for a day or so, they knew not to push their luck and really did want to leave the person with no issues when they returned control.

Still, before they did, they picked up a collection of sweets and left it for the person to find when they were properly conscious again. It seemed polite.

They find another body quickly and decide that this time they're going to go through with their plan of finding something of their own before the time comes to give this one back. It's going to make things easier in the long run, and they'll be able to have exactly what they want.

For now, though, they walk through the door of the apartment in a small, lean body. One that seems like it would be both swift and able to get through all kinds of hard-to-reach places. They might go for something like this when they select their permanent form, but they're not entirely sure, so they're taking the chance to try it out. At the very least, they know this body will be able to pose a challenge for their companion if the two of them choose to go on a chase before they find a form of their own.

“I think this will do for now,” they say without preamble. “Though we need to find something more permanent before this one needs to be brought back. I'd prefer to not have to borrow a third body. Hopefully, we can manage that if we're less distracted.”

some things will never change

[softlyandsuddenly]

Greta has been quiet as of late. Not distant exactly, but more as if she's had something on her mind. She has, for the most part, been herself but there are flashes of frustration that show themselves when she's not careful.

Daye has been keeping an eye on her and sticking close. He knows what has taken up her thoughts, but he knows she would rather not talk about it until she's ready. He respects that and wants to let her bring it to the table, even if it's starting to reflect in his actions too.

It takes time for her to do so, but Greta finally tells Ash and Barnaby that she wants to talk to them about something and she'd rather do it in the bedroom she and Daye have claimed. The blankets from when they had first arrived are still there and have been added to, as well as many pillows for all four of them. Despite what she had expected, she feels comfortable there and wants that comfort when she speaks to them.

She has actually settled in Daye's lap, something she doesn't often do, and his arms are around her when the other two arrive. She gives them both an apologetic smile and gestures for them to sit down.

“I wanted to apologize for how I've been lately,” she starts when they've sat. “I've had a few things on my mind.”

Barnaby takes up a spot facing the two of them, bunching up several blankets and pillows and curling his body around them as he listens.

(no subject)

[amistillenough]

Barnaby has been spending a lot of time with Greta and Daye. Often they're doing it in the penthouse, but sometimes they go down to their apartment. Sometimes they're just spending time together, but often Greta and Daye are helping him understand what he is now capable of. While they don't carry all of the same abilities, they have a few in common and want to help him understand these new parts of himself.

It's been strange for him if he's honest, but not bad. They've helped in learning how to both shapeshift into human and non-human shapes and that has been a true joy. He's gotten mostly comfortable with the cat shapes he takes on, but they've taught him how to explore other forms, and he enjoys those too. They've also let him explore taking on different human characteristics, mostly by letting him take on theirs as practice. More than once Todd or Mikael has walked in on two people shaped like Greta or Daye.

Today had them working at the apartment. It was a good time, and both of them were always so kind, but he found himself more worn out than usual and finally getting to go back to the penthouse was a relief. They hadn't pushed him any further than he wanted to go, the three of them had Barnaby build a mental connection with them as practice while they worked on the shapeshifting, so they saw when he was starting to get tired.

So, they both gave him kisses and sent him on his way. Greta told him to text them if anyone was interested in having dinner, and he gave both of them hugs and kisses in return before heading back upstairs.

He's listening to see if anyone is around, but he's already heading to Todd's room. He'll pivot if there's someone home though. If he's alone though, all he wants is to go under the bed for a little while and rest. And hey, if he does that, he can practice getting smaller to make that goal easier.