calling_logs | (no subject)

WHO: Steve and OPEN, Steve and Sam.
WHAT: Apartment hunting.
WHEN: Nowish?
WHERE: City of Tomorrow, City of Nightmare
NOTES/WARNINGS: Probably none. Maybe some schmoop and angst.

Thus far, Steve's resisted doing more than making occasional visits. He knows plenty of people have found an apartment, moved in on more or less permanent basis depending on who they are and what they are. Some (like Thomas) who have started businesses. He hasn't done it himself because it felt like abandoning his duty - his responsibility, his commitment, his purpose. People who count on him and need him and have expectations of him.

It's been months.

He's finally cracked.

He needs somewhere he can let his... fur out. Somewhere he can run, somewhere he doesn't have to keep the wolf locked under his skin and keep who and what he is secret, all the time. Somewhere, maybe, that he can even choose what he's responsible for and where everyone who looks at him doesn't immediately see Captain America, and have a comic book or trading card collection featuring him. He just -

He doesn't know what will make him happy, he doesn't know what he wants, but he's starting to get a guilty idea about what maybe he needs. Doesn't want to need it, but does anyway.

He can't quite decide where to look for that 'vacation home'. He knows he wants something small and basic. Whether he fits, he doesn't know. He knows his favorite two places, the ones he's most comfortable in, are Nightmare and Tomorrow. So those are the places he looks - walking the streets, head tilted up to look at buildings, checking properties and stopping for a meal here and there. Tracking to people he knows via scent along the way.

And, eventually, wearing fur and on four feet, making his way back to Sam's apartment and clawing at the door.

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"Wanna pick up lunch and then I'll take you by?"

Nice and chill. Thomas is apparently in a good mood.

"Though, uh, nothing against dragons, right?"

"Sure, I was just about to stop roaming around and see if I could find something to eat, anyway." Though - Wait.

"...Dragons?"

"He's like... tiny," Thomas explains with a sweep of one hand. "Like, cat sized. And just the one. Just didn't feel like surprising you with him."

"Why." He starts, stops and just seems baffled. "Why do you keep turning up with reptiles? Where did you get a dragon?"

What.

"I was in Adventure during that hatching thing, looking into something," he explains, "and he kinda came home with me." A shrug comes along with that. "Besides, I like pets."

He's missed Mouse more than a little since he moved out.

"Remind me to never go on any kind of Adventure with you." He nudged Thomas's shoulder to show he was joking, but mostly just walked. "I don't need anything following me home." He had enough animal in his life.

...He was absolutely drawn to animals.

"Falcor's pretty set where he is now."

He occasionally joined Thomas out of the apartment, but mostly he liked to hang out there.

For his part, Thomas nudged back, grinning.

"And I totally disagree. You could use..." he was clearly thinking it over before-

"Ducks. You should adopt ducks."

He didn't get the reference to the name, but it didn't matter. He was mostly teasing Thomas about his ability to go out and come back with a stray.

Which occasionally, apparently, included him.

"You know I'm not actually a dog, right?" Ducks? Didn't dogs... herd ducks or something?

"Oh yeah. No. You're a guy." And that was definitely a thumbs up that came with that. "But I'm still sticking with ducks."

Why? It made sense to his brain for some reason. Possibly just because it was neither a cat, dog, nor rodent. Or a lizard.

"I'll tell you what: You can find a duck pond to take me to and we'll feed them." He wasn't taking ducks home? Where would he even put them, his shower?