YOU'LL COME BACK [DAMIAN] [C]

[Duke]

It was unusual to find Duke so far from home – or what he now called home – in the Bellator meadowlands. Then again, things were gradually becoming stranger and stranger for the Gypsy Vanner. Since the horse had discovered his strange abilities everything had become just a little less surprising. The Menagerie was a shock in itself but since being there for a number of years, he had learnt to cope with it all. The Bellator had been a comfort to him for a long time and for that he was grateful. Things were bound to start getting worse though, and indeed they did. Both mild curiosity and a slight embarrassment led the stallion away from the retromorph territory and into the dwellings of the rings. Mostly he would have been found in neutral territory but it seemed as though everywhere had been taken over by the Fulsi recently. He had heard that even the Fallen had lost some of their lands for a while. The FulsiRing were known for their hunger in regards to land and power, but Duke was yet to run into any of their kind. His quiet and reclusive nature had resulted in his only really knowing other Bellator. There was a small number of creatures other than his own kind that he had met on previous travels – it was hard to avoid such meetings – but he had not seen any since. Duke remained in his human form as he crossed through the gate and into the farms. Not being a Fulsi himself, he was unaware of the rumours that circulated the area. Of course, even if he had known about its haunted status, it would not have prevented him entering. His human mane swayed in the autumn wind but somehow stayed out of his light coloured eyes. The sun had already started to duck behind the skyline, but the orange and pink of sunset still streaked the skies and illuminated the farms. Picking his way through the crumbling tombstones, Duke found his way to the grassier area of the farm. Once there, he found a spot by a tree and sat down, leaning back against it. His hands moved to the back of his head for support and he crossed one ankle over the other. Whilst his human form had once confused him, he was more than comfortable in it now. Since his last visit to the Keepers’ labs, Duke was rarely found in his natural form. He cursed them silently for what they did to him, before finally taking a deep breath and looking out over the horizon, watching the sun dip further and further away. Slowly drifting off, Duke was gradually becoming less aware of his surroundings. The sun continued to fall and darkness gradually took over across the farm. The retromorph was startled awake however by the sound of what he thought was one tombstone falling onto another. It was likely to have happened given the condition of many of the headstones in the cemetery. However, Duke doubted that it could simply have been wind that caused the fall. Green eyes peered around and he slowly rose, still leaning against the tree. His fists clenched, as he peered around in the half-light. “Hey, who’s there?” He called out, his Irish accent slightly tainting the words. His eyes continued to dart along the rows of headstones, whilst he prepared himself for a possible fight. All he had wanted was a peaceful night but it seemed fate was still against him.

[Damian Russo]

The sky originated as a beautiful blue at the beginning of the journey towards the Baranova Farm. As he continued his travels that begun late in the day the sun continued to descend. Orange and pink skies took it's place which was just as glorious as the previous blue. Damian came across a few chocolate bars left by the Keepers as a gift from a small box hidden in a bush near where he lived. This was seriously a rare occasion and the Fulsi Scout planned on using it to his full advantage. In the Menagerie you do not get something for nothing so Damian planned to use the sweets as banter for fresh fruits and vegetables. It was a nice thought how Ira could take a place full of death and despair to turn it into a place growing with new life. The rest of the Fulsi continued to look like a disaster. Certain parts of the street had shattered glass from a broken window originating from one of the many buildings of the Gospel Complex. Grass grew out between the harsh cracks of the cement. Each step he took could not even continue perfectly forward as he would have to avoid trash, blunt objects, and many other things. Reaching the Farm he entered the gates of the iron barred Graveyard looking for the angry peg-legged Russian man. Damian searched within the Farm hoping to find him yet it seemed that Ira was probably out. Even Pebble was not present to greet him in her usual obnoxious way. From not too far of a distance Damian spotted someone sitting under a tree. Speeding up his walk Damian felt anticipation build up in his chest for his "triumphant victory" of finding Ira. Without paying attention Damian knocked over a tombstone onto another by bumping into it with the side of his leg. A voice rang out from underneath the tree. It was definitely familiar, but it was not Ira's voice that he desired to hear. Cautiously moving forward he slowly tried to approach the familiar person. Damian's eyes squinted as he tried his best to see who it was sitting beneath the tree. Once in a good view he noticed it was... Duke. To spot Duke in the Fulsi was surprising. Back during Damian's time in the Bellator he used to be friends with the Retromorph. "Duke...?" OOC - I'm so sorry for the crappiest post of all time. I have a difficult time starting off threads. >.<'

[Duke]

The retromorph heard a reply and cautiously peered into the surrounding darkness. At first, he couldn’t see anything, but slowly a figure moved closer, and Duke could make out a face. His breath stuck in his throat and he felt everything begin to shake, falling down around him. It was impossible. Was he dreaming? That was the only possible explanation. Perhaps the Keepers had captured him again and this was their idea of a sick joke. Duke wouldn’t put that past them. They had done some horrendous things during his stay at the labs, and even his time in the Menagerie itself. To Duke, the keepers truly had no hearts. They only cared about destroying things. Standing up, Duke’s head tilted in a curious expression. He blinked a few times, resisting the urge to pinch himself in order to determine if he was dreaming. That’s what Layla had said you were meant to do; pinch yourself and if you’re dreaming you wake up. Somehow though Duke knew this was no dream. This was Damian, through and through, alive and in the flesh. Duke had always had a sense that his friend wasn’t dead, but it had simply been more realistic to assume him to be. In the Menagerie people disappear and die all the time and often you never find out what happened to them. Now perhaps Duke would have a chance to find out what had happened to his friend. However, the retro couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of anger well up inside him. Perhaps it was all the feelings from the past few years that had just been lying about, not being released. Whatever it was, it caused Duke to clench his fists and run at the shifter. He raised his hand ready to strike, aiming straight at the shifter’s face. At the last second though, he changed his trajectory and his fist rammed into the tree beside Damian’s head. A loud crunch sounded and the tree snapped, its thick trunk splitting right where Duke had hid it. The top section seemed to sway before completely bending, and landing with a loud thud. “I thought you were dead,” Duke growled, using the human tongue that Layla had taught him, instead of his usual shiftertongue or equine language. “I thought you were f***ing dead.” Raising his head, and breathing heavily, Duke looked Damian directly in the eye, his fist still resting on the tree trunk. “What the hell happened to you? Why the hell did you let me think that?” The retromorph fought back tears, not sure whether they were of rage for his deceit or joy for his being alive. Damian definitely had some explaining to do, but Duke was not quite ready to just forgive him yet. “Friends don’t let friends think they’re dead.” OOC: Sorry for the wait Dio! And also sorry for general 'bleh' of this post...

[Damian Russo]

Everything came as a blur when Duke came straight at him with a fist. The cracking sound of the tree behind him was so loud it made Damian's ears ring. Tension filled the air as Damian locked eye's with Duke's. A mixture of rage and fear let out heavy breaths from the Fulsi Scout. Duke's voice got louder and louder causing Damian's head to stir as he instinctively pushed his friend to the ground. "Don't attack me if you're expecting a friendly reply," he barked. His chest heaved up and down as the adrenaline rushed through his veins. This was not how Damian expected their reunion to be which saddened him. Even if Duke was a friend there was no way Damian would allow someone to intimidate him. "I didn't belong in the Bellator and you know it!" With one big sigh Damian rested his head down and went limp with a defeated look from his body gesture. "Things happened so fast. I ran into Casey... the guy I told you about briefly," he murmured." Lifting his head back up to look Duke in the eyes again, "I never meant to hurt you or leave you thinking I was dead. My entire time here in the Menagerie and beforehand I've never truly had a friend." He paused a moment before he continued speaking, "I found out that I had a second chance in the Fulsi and ran as fast as possible." Damian shook his head side to side, rested his body on his hip, closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair with an amused smile on his face. "This is all new to me," he laughed. "Sorry for being a shitty friend." Slowly walking forward Damian stood next to Duke and casually sat beside him. Leaning back he put his arms behind himself to stay up and looked towards the sky. "It feels nice that you care about me. Thank you." Tilting his head towards Duke he smiled again, "Maybe one day I'll find a guy like you to date. Well, without the whole hitting trees and shit part." ------------------------------------------------ OOC: Sorry for poop post reply. ;~;

[Duke]

Duke didn’t put up a fight as Damian’s arms moved him downwards. He felt his hand slip off the tree and slowly uncurl, his whole body slumping in defeat. It wasn’t that he was angry with Damian, it was more that he was upset. He’d spent so long after Damian disappeared worrying the worst; perhaps Keepers got him, or some Carna or all manner of other things. There were so many possibilities and Duke had only been able to come up with the worst. Some small part of him had hoped that Damian had found his way back to Casey, and that somehow they’d patched things up. As each of these thoughts welled up inside him, the retro shook his head slowly, trying to come to grips with the past few moments. As Damian spoke, the young retro took in every word, slowly analysing it and committing it to memory. Something about his old friend seemed so sad and dreary that it made Duke want to cry. Generally, he wasn’t one to be easily moved, but everything was so different now. Since his most recent trip to the Keepers’ hell house Duke was a changed man, in more ways than one. The whole ordeal had been petrifying for him and he wasn’t sure how to proceed. At least finding Damian was one positive thing occurring in his life; one positive in a whirlwind of negatives. But it was enough for now. Placing his hands behind him, Duke leaned back casually, watching as his friend moved to sit beside him. Duke made no move to protest and instead leaned in slightly, trying to show Damian that he was on his way to forgiving the shifter. A smile crossed his face for a brief moment but faded softly as the words repeated in Duke’s mind. “It’s okay,” he murmured softly. “I understand. The Fulsi were important to you, just as Bellator are important to me.” To Duke, loyalty was an important part of his life. If he was in the same position as Damian he wouldn’t hesitate to run back to his herd. How could he possibly be angry at his friend for behaving in the exact same way he himself would? “That doesn’t make you a shitty friend. It makes you a loyal man. Not telling me when you left was being a shitty friend. But I guess –“ pausing, Duke looked away for a moment. “I guess me waiting so long to look for you makes me a shitty friend.” Turning back, Duke threw his friend a genuine grin. “I suppose that kinda makes us even then.” Looking back to the sky, Duke remarked to himself how wonderfully blue the night was. It was quiet for what seemed like an hour to Duke, though in truth it was probably much less than that. Eventually, he managed to turn to look back at his friend and take a deep breath. Perhaps it would be easier if he confided in someone. Perhaps if he accepted the truth he wouldn’t be so ashamed of his new curse, courtesy of the Keepers. “Damian, something happened to me. The Keepers, they…” he drifted off, trying to work out how to phrase such a thing. “They did something to me. And I’m not sure what to do now. I need help.” ooc: idk why duke's so ashamed of his wings... they're gorgeous and he's just being silly

[Damian Russo]

To hear his Retro friend say it was okay took a burden off of Damian's shoulders. Most of his life Damian had made mistakes over and over and over again. This just happened to be one of the rare occasions that someone forgave him for his actions. The fact that Duke also understood his motives was a pleasant surprise. "I'm not sure why the Fulsi is so important to me. It's just become home. Wish we could have the same home, but we don't live in a perfect world," he responded with a sigh at the end. When he finished his words Damian leaned in slightly back toward Duke. It was comforting to have somebody so close. 'A loyal man?' he thought to himself. Not too often did he receive compliments along the other things the Retro was saying. With only negative reinforcement his entire life it explained why Damian's walls are so sigh, his hostility, and stand-off-ish attitude. "It's not as if looking for me would have done you any good. A dead man is a lost cause. Not gonna say we're even, but it's really nice for you to say that." To show his understanding in return Damian knocked his shoulder against Duke's in a playful way. "You're too kind to me." Following suit Damian looked up toward the sky. For some odd reason the Fulsi man began to think about his parents up in what he believed to be a Heaven. The energy shifted as he could feel Duke become slightly nervous. Damian did not have any kind of Empathy mutation skill, but his animal instincts helped him get by. Right at the same moment Damian turned his head toward his Retro friend. When Duke said the word 'Keepers' it left a tightening feeling in his chest. Now, it was Damian's turn to think only the worst of fates had fallen upon his friend. "You need help?" Lifting himself up Damian positioned himself in a proper sitting manner, scooted himself in front of the Retro and placed his right hand upon Duke's left shoulder. "I'm here for you, man," he said in a reassuring tone. "Did they do anything damaging? Please tell me they didn't." Anxiety continued to fill up Damian's chest causing him to breathe a little louder. Duke did say that he was a loyal man and Damian wanted to make sure to play that role. "What can I do for you?" The Fulsi waited for Duke to say the most horrifying words about the experience they put him through. -------------------------------------- OOC - I FINALLY DID THE THING! :D

[Duke]

It was understandable that the man would have such strong ties to FulsiRing. Duke could understand it and therefore could accept it. Sure, he would’ve loved to have Damien back in Bellator with him, but he knew that it would only make the shifter long for something else. “It’s the memories. Nostalgia is a real killer, I get that. It’s the same reason my home is in the meadowlands and nowhere else,” Duke mused, his figure turned towards where the shapeshifter was poised. The two species may be different but they were also similar in many ways. Laughing slightly, Duke nudged Damien back, a playful smile curling his lips upwards. “Ah true, my friend, quite true. But I’m never too kind, don’t forget that. There’s really no such thing as too much kindness.” That was something Layla had taught him a long time ago at the farm. He’d called her too kind many times and every single time she would correct him. After so much repetition Duke just took that thought into his own life, reflecting it in how he lived. Of course, kindness did often help one get where they wanted in life. Sometimes, however, one had to be a little more cutthroat in nature. Duke knew that all too well. Duke’s gaze drifted to Damien’s as the latter put his had on the retromorph’s shoulder. He breathed in deeply again, shaking his head slightly at Damien’s questions. “It’s not… damaging per say but it’s just… not quite right,” the words were difficult to form and Duke’s brow furrowed as he thought about what had happened. The testing had been painful but the result was simply strange to him. Duke wasn’t sure what it all meant. He knew Keepers could do that to their subjects but why did they have to do it to him? And why that splice? It was some kind of sick joke surely. “It’s easier for me to show you I think,” he decided, pushing himself up off the floor. Still frowning, Duke felt his body shake slightly, changing its form. He bent down as his arms became powerful forelegs and he felt his main fall across his neck. The last things to change were the intricately patterned wings, sprouting from his shoulders, fluttering softly in the wind. Concentrating, Duke moved them so they were close together, straight up above his back, exposing the underside to his friend. Whinnying, he blew wind out of his nostrils and turned to face Damien. “Look at me. I look like an idiot,” he complained in shiftertongue, shaking his head. Hopefully Damien had some kind of plan to deal with the embarrassing appendages now melded with his DNA.

[Damian Russo]

Seeing gigantic butterfly wings on a horse looked absolutely ridiculous to Damian. Without meaning to he laughed out loud at the sight before him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he exclaimed. "Wouldn't say you look like an idiot. Just more... flamboyant... That's not a bad thing I swear!" Never was Damian's strong suit to be useful at comforting another person which still showed in present day. The Fulsi Head of Border Patrol wanted to find a way to make Duke feel better, but he was not quite sure how to do that. "Maybe girl horses like butterfly wings? Think of them like a decoration." Damian stood up to be more face to face with his Equidae friend. With his left hand he patted Duke on the head. "In a positive light, at least they didn't turn you into a weird horse butterfly anthro hybrid," he stated with a big grin on his face. Damian wanted to stay around Duke as long as possible while there was still time. Even though the Fulsi accepted him back without a problem he still wanted to not look like a traitor in any way. "You'll have to leave soon before Ira gets back. Not sure when he'll be here again." The grin that was once on Damian's face became a bit sad. Duke is literally his only friend and Damian did not want to feel lonely again. As long as he did not run into anyone he did not like the Fulsi knew he could be strong. "I wish I could help you with your wings, but it's now apart of who you are. Gotta embrace it and be the best man... horse you can be!" ---------------------------------------- OOC - Evkav, sorry for the awful, awful post. Damian muse is garbage. Up to you to write the final post!

[Duke]

Not realising he had been holding his breath, Duke exhaled in an exasperated fashion as his friend laughed. To the retromorph, what had happened to him was simply no laughing matter, though as Damian spoke it calmed him somewhat. Perhaps he was just being too hard on himself and his new accessories. Still, the appendages were a little strange, and he fluttered them slightly, feeling the new muscles move at his will. He was unsure the paper-thin wings would ever be able to support his body in flight but Duke had never been a fan of heights. “Haha, thanks man. Who knows, maybe someone in Bellator has that sort of strange fetish,” the shiftertongue rolled out jokingly, and Duke shook his head, giving his best horse-smile. He calmed a little at Damian’s touch, closing his eyes for a moment to soak it in. It had been a long time since he last felt his friend that close. Damian was among the only creatures Duke knew he could trust, even if they were now in separate dome groups. And Duke could never leave Bellator – his position was now too high, too important. Likewise, he could never ask Damian to leave. He nodded slightly at the thought of becoming an anthro. “Anthromorph life would not suit a creature like me,” Duke murmured softly. His thoughts were turned quickly as Damian mentioned a name. Ira. He hadn’t heard it before but he figured it was another Fulsi member. “I should get back to the Bellator anyway. I’m sure I will find time to visit again, old friend.” He began to turn and trot away as he heard Damien’s last few words. Still moving, he turned his head and nodded at the Fulsi. “That I shall try. Until next time Damian.” With that, he looked forward and broke into a gallop, his wings folding beside him to keep him streamlined. Perhaps Damian was right, perhaps they were not such a bad thing. *END THREAD*