transformative

farrah toma. 27. shapeshifter.

[sethlarsen-archived]

entertaining/ Farrah & Seth

[farrahtoma-blog]

sethlarsen:

It had been a long time since Seth cared how someone reacted to something he’d said, and at the facility or an employer, was different than the prickle of nerves as he waited for Farrah to consider her opinion and give him her answer. Seth had always been able to trust her to be honest. While he rarely bothered to lie, Seth was by no means above bending the truth if it would make life easier. Her final, slightly hesitant conclusion, was enough to make Seth smile. “You’ll be at it a long time if you just go one by one,” he noted neutrally, raising his glass to hide his grin, but taking a sip anyways.

“I can’t walk Dino without a muzzle,” Seth admitted, nodding over towards where it was hanging on the wall. He couldn’t leave it laying around or the dog would try and destroy it. “He hates it, but he hates other dogs more. Mostly the small ones, maybe he thinks they’re rabbits,” Seth shrugged, speaking almost to himself as he glanced towards the door again the door was behind, then back at Farrah. “He really hates rabbits,” he clarified, fond despite how regularly annoying the dog could be about trying to kill bunnies. “I would have offered to join your walk today if I thought he’d behave.”

“I have time,” Farrah responded, smiling faintly back at Seth. “I would rather be sure.” Though she wished it wasn’t true, her old training returned to the forefront of her mind. She was never meant to contribute to mass casualties, never a piece of a shock and awe campaign. She was the silent partner, an efficient and deadly predator meant to slither in, strike, and slither out undetected. One target, one mission. The idea of allowing that many to die, without confirming their identities first, made her uneasy. It went against every lesson she’d ever been taught.

“Better to muzzle him than have him bite another dog,” she shrugged, “or a person. People would sue for that nowadays, try and put him down.” Learning of Dino’s hatred of rabbits amused her more than she would admit, but imagining what he would do with one if he caught it was less amusing. “Well, Max loves other dogs,” Farrah said, setting down her glass to look back at Seth, “but he can be a bit too friendly. I’m not sure how well it would go.” It was a nice idea, though, so she paused before continuing, “maybe someday we can work up to it.”

[sethlarsen-archived]

entertaining/ Farrah & Seth

[farrahtoma-blog]

sethlarsen:

“Mm. Maybe we just need another mass extinction. I don’t think I’d miss most people,” Seth smirked, maybe a little too amused by his own fantasy of mass genocide against the human race. He shook his head at her next question, raising a hand as he realized he hadn’t been clear. “No, this was back in…Chicago,” Seth frowned, trying to conjure the memory, then slowly nodded as he decided that was right. “A little more than a year now,” he continued thoughtfully, following Farrah’s gaze to his bedroom door. 

“You don’t have to worry, he’s not bothering anyone now,” Seth chuckled, lifting his glass again to sip his wine. In the year since he’d ‘adopted’ Dino, the dog had settled well into Seth’s life, and even though the idea of a guard dog might have made him scoff before Dino, he’d come to appreciate it and the forewarning of Dino’s rather bellowing bark on the rare occasion he had a visitor.

Farrah couldn’t stop her eyebrows from nearly flying off her forehead at Seth’s comment. While a part of her agreed, she doubted very much she ever would have uttered it aloud. “Maybe,” she allowed, taking her time cutting another piece of chicken from her plate. Farrah had always been patient, and even if they were just normal humans dying in this new mass extinction, the thought of innocents dying made her stomach turn. “Honestly,” she heard herself say, and stopped before realizing she might as well finish her train of thought. “I would rather kill those that deserve to die one by one than blow a hole in humanity.”

“Ah,” she nodded, taking another bite of chicken and allowing her eyes to fall back towards her plate. She did consider the benefits of owning such a dog - she had done the very same thing that day that she had gone down to the shelter to find a companion. Naturally, they didn’t have any man-eaters on Dino’s level for adoption, and she had never considered stealing one, so she chose the meanest looking dog she could find. The huge brindle pitbull-Mastiff mix was mostly sleepy and affectionate, but his growls and barks from inside her door and his outward appearance on the sidewalk were enough to keep people away from her. Reaching for her wine glass again, she locked eyes with Seth. “Max is a good dog, but, you know... people have their misconceptions. Most of them cross the street when they see him coming,” she shrugged, with some amusement.

[valestclaire-blog]

Time To Think // Farrah & Vale

[farrahtoma-blog]

valestclaire:

He nodded to show confirmation that he had heard her. It was quite hard to have a conversation while running at the same time, you would have to be a master at controlling your breathing and what not. However, for the two it was different, they were trained for most of their lives and it stuck. 

“Good, I’m glad to hear that.” he let out before changing his rhythm once again. Exercising was used as a time for him to think over things and to reflect on what’s happened, it’s helped him get through some tough times when he was just settled down, it was the only thing that would get him through the day. “I’m doing better theses days,” he exhaled. 

It was hard to focus on both the path in front of her and Vale’s words; she found herself wishing she had the ability to angle her ear backwards like her black cat could - it was not the first time she found her human form’s limitations frustrating. Farrah slowed her pace a bit as they approached a break in the path, turning her head to look back at Vale. 

“Right or left?” she queried, breaths coming slower and deeper as she concentrated on controlling her breath. “We could go around the pond, or keep going down the trail.” She was glad to hear her old companion had been doing well; “the cold suits you better than most, I suppose. Lately it’s been freezing.”

[farrahtoma-blog]

dcrlinggs:

“It’s okay.” They said, hands tucking into their pockets as they returned to the spot where they had been standing previously. “Ah,” They said with a nod. That was…more of them than Darling was hoping to see. Especially when it was so sudden. Whatever was happening, they were all being pulled to Cleveland it seemed and none of them seemed to have answers as to why. “So uh…how have the last few years been?”

“I...” she knew the answer to Darling’s question, but to say it aloud sounded embarrassing to her. Odd, if nothing else. A moment later, though, it did occur to her that it was unlikely they would judge her. She couldn’t imagine that any of them had lived particularly luxurious lives over the past years. “I spent a lot of time in the woods,” she admitted, voice low, “as a cat or a falcon. It got too cold eventually,” she shrugged uncomfortably, letting it go without saying that it was almost entirely the inclement weather that drove her back to humanity. At least she always had a backup plan. “What about you?”

[sethlarsen-archived]

entertaining/ Farrah & Seth

[farrahtoma-blog]

sethlarsen:

“Still, it’s a nice touch,” he chuckled, tipping his glass to her in thanks. “I wish it had occurred to me, I guess I’m not much of a host.” Seth shrugged, not honestly worried about something like that. As long as Farrah seemed okay, and maybe if there was a next time they could actually go somewhere other than his kitchen table. He was fairly sure at this point that she wasn’t here by anything but coincidence and Seth supposed an influx of sudden luck.  

“Dino spent most of the time tied up out back,” he elaborated with a nod, not able to help glancing towards the door that was holding his dog behind it. “Not my favorite neighbor. I’m pretty sure he was dealing with his kid in the room,” Seth made a face, not normally someone whose heartstrings were easily tugged, but even he had standards. The decision that ended with Dino in his care had been impulsive certainly, but Seth couldn’t bring himself to regret it.

Farrah returned the gesture a moment later, eyes twinkling. She couldn’t really say anything to Seth’s claims of being a bad host - the dinner had seemed fine so far, and she very much doubted she would have done anything different herself. Her own apartment was just as small, if a little less cramped without the addition of countless houseplants. The only thing she could keep alive was a cactus, and even that looked to be in a sorry state now that winter had set in. 

She paused before taking another bite to listen to Seth, brow furrowing in displeasure at what he told her. In her mind’s eye she could picture the scenario Seth described, and it only made her angry. “Some people don’t deserve pets,” she said softly, laying her fork down, “or kids, for that matter.” She couldn’t help but glance back at his bedroom door, and then at his front door. “Does this neighbor still live in your building?”

[farrahtoma-blog]

dcrlinggs:

“Me too.” They said as they looked at her before shrugging, their body freezing when she reached toward them, time slowing around them as they quickly put space between themselves and her before time returned to normal. “Please don’t touch me.” They said, scratching under their sleeve where she touched. “I uuh, a lot. Um…Sid, Vale, Riley, Olive, Bex…and now you. Have you seen anyone?”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, eyes concerned, “I just... forgot myself. Forgive me.” Knotting her fingers together close to herself, she listened to Darling’s list with a growing feeling of alarm. She hadn’t realized there were four more than she even knew about. “Not as many as you,” she admitted with a breathless, uncomfortable laugh. “Um. Just Vale, Seth, and you.” She remembered the other names they’d listed; all younger than herself, and with promising abilities, but not people she was aware had even escaped, let alone found their way to Cleveland. It made the hairs on her arms rise. 

[sethlarsen-archived]

entertaining/ Farrah & Seth

[farrahtoma-blog]

sethlarsen:

It didn’t surprise him that Farrah didn’t drink, Seth didn’t either. He was rarely relaxed enough for it, and the occasional one or two beers didn’t have much effect. “I think I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had red wine,” he admitted, lifting his glass again to take another sip. He might have worried that the wine was poisoned, but Farrah really did have easier ways to kill him than something so detective novel. “I’m probably not qualified to have an opinion.”

Seth hesitated for a moment at her question, food at least giving him a moment to swallow before he could speak. “Technically, I stole him,” he said, glancing up catch her reaction, “but only from a meth head with a temper,” Seth shrugged, the memory enough to bring a small smile to his face. 

“Me too,” Farrah admitted with an amused look, “I’m pretty sure that bottle came with the place I’m renting.” It felt odd, confiding something so personal to another person, but oddly refreshing at the same time. It was a change of pace, if nothing else; Cleveland had proven to be far less boring than she outwardly appeared. She had visited many places, but hadn’t made any real connections outside of temporary jobs or landlords, let alone found someone she had known for years but had forced herself to forget. For once, she didn’t have to lie about everything that she was.

Halfway through a bite of potatoes, Farrah coughed and covered her mouth, swallowing the food in her mouth and meeting Seth’s gaze again, eyebrows raised. “Really?” she heard herself say, shocked by the admission. When she took a moment to consider Dino’s behavior, though, she tilted her head and allowed herself to relax. “The meth head was beating him?” her eyes were sad, but her face was deadly serious. “Well... then I’m glad you took him.”

[sethlarsen-archived]

entertaining/ Farrah & Seth

[farrahtoma-blog]

sethlarsen:

“You’re correct,” he told her with a small smile, shifting his chair closer to the table. Seth had had some regrets about his invitation from the moment he’d given it, but even if the conversation was a little stilted, Seth was still enjoying himself. Maybe it was just that he was just starved for company, but it was still a lot less painful that he’d anticipated. Farrah and him were similar enough that they understood each other, and already that was worlds above anyone else that Seth knew. 

“It’s been awhile since I’ve done this,” he noted, lifting his glass to try a sip of his wine. He didn’t know enough about wine to tell it apart from any other bottle of red, but it seemed fine to him. “It’s normally just me and Dino,” Seth smiled, expression wry. “Not that I’m complaining, you’re better company.”

Farrah waited until Seth took his first bite before following suit. She doubted very much that he meant to poison her, but every time she was presented with food she hadn’t prepared the thought crossed her mind and niggled her until she could be sure. Her own experience - being the poisoner, as it were - made her very wary of falling into a similar trap. Granted, Seth couldn’t transform into a venomous snake and bite her, but there were more than plenty other alternatives. She really hoped this didn’t turn into some kind of altercation; she was having a nice time.

“I... don’t drink either,” she admitted with a shrug, lifting the glass and taking a small sip. “It’s... not bad, whatever this is.” She peered at the label, but when confronted with a name she knew she would butcher trying to pronounce, she accepted defeat. “It’s usually just me and Max too,” she smiled faintly at him, “so I understand. Did you, um... rescue him?”

[valestclaire-blog]

Time To Think // Farrah & Vale

[farrahtoma-blog]

valestclaire:

He let out a small laugh that interrupted his rhythmic breathing. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” he huffed trying to get his breathing back under the same rhythm it was before. He hadn’t really seen Farrah during his morning runs because he liked to change up the routes he would take. 

“How you doing?” he asked the other while watching the trail in front of him. He once tripped on a pot hole that he didn’t see and felt like such an idiot after he scraped his knee and roughed up his hands. It was not good in the sense that he couldn’t work because of the scratches and it was a rough two weeks of not being able to work.

“I, uh... you didn’t,” Farrah huffed, her speech somewhat broken between her breaths. Vale was another she had ran into recently, much to her surprise - at this point, the next time she saw a familiar face, it couldn’t possibly surprise her. There had to be a reason they were all here, clustered so tightly in Cleveland. She had seen neither hide nor hair of any of them over the past five years, and she had traveled many states. Naturally, she was suspicious of this odd phenomenon. 

“I’m well,” she exhaled in one breath, skipping over a patch of thick ice and landing gracefully on the soil on the opposite side with a natural dexterity. She always felt closer to her other forms when her muscles were burning and her heart beating fast. She could transform in an instant right now - not that she would. That could only happen in private. Her eyes darted to the side to take in Vale’s face and fine physical form, “how about you?”

[farrahtoma-blog]

dcrlinggs:

“Yeah,” They said with a small nod as they looked at the familiar face. Another person that they hadn’t seen in years, since before the facility escape. “I uh, I live here.” They said with a shrug before petting the dog again. “I’ve only been here for a little bit now though. But there have been a lot of us around here.” They said, looking back at her.

Farrah’s brows drew together in confusion, dark eyes abruptly more suspicious. “You, too? I...” she trailed off, casting a wary look around the two of them before her eyes returned to Darling’s face. “How many?” she asked insistently, reaching out to grasp the end of Darling’s sleeve, surprising even herself. “I’m sorry,” she said immediately, pulling her hand back. “Who have you seen?”

[sethlarsen-archived]

entertaining/ Farrah & Seth

[farrahtoma-blog]

sethlarsen:

He felt worse when he realized he’d startled her, her reaction more familiar than not. “Cleveland does seem exactly the right kind of boring doesn’t it?” Seth agreed, smirk tugging at his lips.  “It wasn’t really a place I felt like taking things lightly.” It wasn’t really a joke despite his tone. Seth didn’t think he would be so different if he’d never entered the facility, but he had always been a serious person, even before. 

Seth enjoyed the moment to distract himself with something other than speaking, and busied himself putting together something resembling a meal, and trying to find the bottle opener he thought was buried at the bottom of his cutlery drawer.  Triumphant, he grinned and handed Farrah it and the bottle, then turned around to also place two glasses on the table. “Do the honors?” He requested, turning back to get the plates as well, setting one at both places. “It’s not fancy, but it was short notice,” he told her with a small shrug, sitting across from Farrah.

“It does,” Farrah agreed with a slight smile, eyes glittering with more amusement than her face really showed. She had never liked - or really approved of - showing more emotion than necessary. It made you too easy to read, she had decided years ago. Despite the fact that she had broken away physically from her trainers, she had spent most of a lifetime with them. It was nearly impossible to resist using the trades and techniques she had been taught. It didn’t please her, thinking about still being their tool - but how could she be, now that they were free?

She roused herself from a long train of thought when Seth returned to the table with the wine and corkscrew, which she took from him gratefully, thankful for something to distract herself with. More automatically than anything, she stuck the corkscrew in with laser precision and twisted it, pulling the cork forcefully from the bottle a second later and setting it aside carefully beside her plate. Farrah poured half a glass for both of them as Seth set the table. “No, it smells good,” she nodded, peering at the dishes in front of her. “Chicken and potatoes, if my nose is right.”

[sethlarsen-archived]

entertaining/ Farrah & Seth

[farrahtoma-blog]

sethlarsen:

Seth supposed it could be assumed that he’d have plants in his apartment. Most of them were practical, but some, like the fly trap that Farrah gravitated to, were a little more ornamental. He’d never got them to work well for larger, they were always a little tender, but they had such charm it was hard not to keep one. Especially since for him, it was easy to keep it alive. “It doesn’t catch many flies,” he offered, watching Farrah while her back was to him.

Her explanation was so similar to his own reasoning that Seth surprised himself with a laugh, the noise loud enough that he almost jumped. “I guess there was a reason we were friends,” he mused aloud, raising a hand to rub his fingers into the meat of his shoulder. It was a little odd to think of her that way, he doubted at the time he’d had freely categorized her as that, but in hindsight they’d been closer than he’d been to anyone. The oven dinging blessedly distracted him, and Seth nearly sighed with relief. “Do you want to sit down?” He nodded towards the table, heading into the kitchen to take the food out.

Farrah’s eyebrows both jumped suddenly when Seth laughed, and she turned sharply, brow furrowed in confusion and hands held awkwardly in fists by her sides. She dropped her defensive stature a moment later, embarrassed that she had even snapped into it, and mumbled apologetically. “Did I... say something funny?” It occurred to her a moment later that what he’d meant is that he thought the same thing, so she coughed and smiled awkwardly. 

“I suppose we did take things more seriously than other people,” she admitted with a soft laugh, remembering the dry looks the two of them had shared while watching other facility kids participate in nonsensical games and pranks. The oven’s chime was a perfect segue, as Farrah wasn’t exactly what to say next, so she nodded gratefully and padded into the dining area. She paused momentarily before choosing one of the seats against the wall, facing the kitchen and the door - she couldn’t help herself. 

[sethlarsen-archived]

entertaining/ Farrah & Seth

[farrahtoma-blog]

sethlarsen:  

“He’ll calm down and I’ll let him out,” Seth glanced back at the door but as long as it was quiet he wasn’t too worried. He was more concerned for the moment with having someone else in his apartment, it was an odd feeling and not one Seth was used to. He tried not to fidget as she took stock, finding himself unconsciously rubbing at his dog bite before he realized and forced himself to stop. It was itchy, more than it hurt.

He was stopped short when she presented him with the bottle, coming to the stark realization he should have considered that earlier when he was shopping. At least Farrah seemed more on top of things than he was, not that Seth was usually one to drink. “Thanks. It never occurred to me,” he told her, considering for a moment if it was supposed to go in the fridge before setting it on the counter instead. He hoped he had a bottle opener. “It’s okay for the price,” he agreed a little stiffly, conversation never coming easily to Seth. “Why move to Cleveland?” He asked suddenly, the question had been biting at his heels since he’d run into her outside his place.

Farrah heard Seth’s dog chewing on the Kong from the other room, rubber squeaking under the enthusiastic attack, and couldn’t stop a small smile from forming on her face. As she’d taken in Seth’s apartment looking for potential weapons and exit routes, she had hardly registered the number of potted plants crammed into the small apartment. His bookshelf had been overtaken by the creeping vines of one; another’s long tendrils brushed against her arm from where it hung on the ceiling. What looked like a small sapling was sat by the window, surrounded by a couple ferns and a squat cactus. Everywhere she looked, more leaves looked back at her. She couldn’t even name them all.

“Is that... a venus flytrap?” she moved towards a small clear case on his coffee table, fogged with condensation, and knelt slightly to peer into it. Sure enough, she saw the plant’s distinctive reddish hearts and eyelashes looking back at her. Farrah was glad he seemed pleased with the wine - she hadn’t been sure, but guests in television shows always brought wine with them. Her dark eyes moved back to his face at the question, hesitating and pacing a few more steps around the room, trying to find the right words. “Where I was before... didn’t work out,” she explained vaguely, “and Cleveland is so... bland, I guess is the word, that I think they would stand out.” She knew Seth would know exactly who she meant by they. 

[sethlarsen-archived]

entertaining/ Farrah & Seth

[farrahtoma-blog]

sethlarsen:

Seth couldn’t blame Farrah for being wary of Dino, he’d have been probably more uncomfortable than she was with someone’s dog behaving this way. He was stunned when she keeled, offering a hand to his still growling dog. Dino seemed curious and surprised, so Seth gave him enough slack to sniff, and then hauled him back before he got any other ideas. At least the barking had stopped, and his tail had started, but he was still worked up enough that Seth didn’t trust him. 

“He’s going to take a time out till he’s calmed down,” he decided with a huffed laugh, leaning down to fully lift the dog, who squirmed but was mostly used to being manhandled, and let Seth carry him over to and lock him in his bedroom. He barked a few times, until Seth fetched the kong he’d frozen earlier and tossed it in after the dog, and he could hear him skidding after it on the floorboards. 

“We don’t get a lot of guests,” Seth explained, shrugging a shoulder. She could probably guess as much. “You can hang your coat up behind you. Food’s almost ready.”

When Seth’s dog’s tail began to wag, her tense frame relaxed noticeably. “He seems fine,” she said honestly, with a small shrug, “I can’t blame him for not liking a stranger.” She watched with some amusement as the large dog was lifted and carted away into another room; she stepped further into the apartment and gave it a searching look. Try as she might, she couldn’t bottle her need to have a quick exit strategy. It was too ingrained in her.

She unbuttoned her coat and hung it up on the hook behind her and pulled off her gloves to stuff into the pockets, rubbing her numb palms together. She kept her boots on. Following Seth into the kitchen area, she pulled the bottle of red from her purse and offered it to him. “Here,” she said, without so much as an explanation. She gave the room another searching look, eyes lingering a moment on Seth’s knife block, before turning back to him. “Nice place,” she offered, unsure of what else to say.  

[sethlarsen-archived]

entertaining/ Farrah & Seth

He regretted his invitation the second Farrah had turned her back. Dino practically howled as he stepped inside, jumping up to stick his nose in Seth’s groceries and investigate him for the strange dog scent he’d tried so hard to avoid. He put his groceries away, ignoring Dino as best he could, then got out the liver treats to try and fight the mutt into it’s muzzle.

How well that went always depended on their day and both of their moods. Today, with Seth on edge and Dino keenly aware of it, he ended up with teeth in his arm before he managed to wrestle it over the dog’s head. The battle over, he let Dino eat his treats and washed his arm, then put his winter clothing all back on to finally give Dino his walk. 

They cut a wide berth, other owners walking their dogs across the street to avoid them despite or because Dino was muzzled. Seth spent longer than he’d meant to out with him, nearly running the dog to try and work some of both their energy out. The dog slumped into the house without complaint when he finally got them home, slipping off Dino muzzle and leaving him inside before running again to the store. He still needed a few things if he was going to cook dinner for someone other than himself. 

By the time he got back Dino had napped off whatever exhaustion he’d accumulated, and Seth was forced to feed him early to get the peace to make dinner, and filled the kong he’d bought with peanut butter then put it in the freezer to set. He didn’t have time to make anything too complicated, so it was roasted sweet potato with garlic and olive oil, salad, and chicken fried in what the bottle had said was a jerk sauce but tasted disappointingly of barbecue to Seth. At least it tasted okay.

Time slipped away from him quickly, and Seth only just managed to get the food started before he had to shower, and dress, and then choose a longer sleeved shirt rather than let her see the bandage covering his dog bite. The green sweater was nicer anyways, if a little wrinkled from how long it had been stuffed at the bottom of his dresser. 

He heard Dino go off before he heard the door, and Seth regretted not warning her but at least took comfort that she had a dog of her own. Still probably better behaved than his was. Seth had to physically dragged Dino off the door before he could open it, and slid a hand firmly in his collar before he did. The dog still tried to lunge when he saw an intruder, and Seth winced, readjusting his hold and ignoring his snarling.

“Hi, come in. Sorry about him,” he apologized, stepping back and dragging his dog further into the apartment with him. “He’ll calm down in a minute, he’s just bad with strangers,” Seth continued a little awkwardly, not used to the feeling of having someone else in his home. Dino’s barking wasn’t helping, but it least it gave Seth a good excuse to be distracted.

[farrahtoma-blog]

From the moment she stepped away from Seth’s door with her small herd of dogs, Farrah was unsure about why she’d accepted his offer. Her method insofar in life had been to pretend that her time at the facility had never happened; that she was raised in a normal family, went to school and got a job. There was no room in that delusion for another trained killer with the ability to manipulate plant life. 

Shaking her head, she tried to put it out of her mind. She hurried towards the end of her route, Sally the bulldog’s home, extremities getting number by the minute. After dropping off each of the dogs and leaving them with food and water, Farrah slipped into a jog alongside Max and ran the mile back to her own apartment. By the time she arrived, her cheeks were flush and her breathing was rapid, trails of sweat glistening on her temples. Max’s tongue was lolling and his sides heaving, and she gave him an enthusiastic rub and showered his face with kisses before unlocking her door and letting him bound past. 

As Max lapped at the water in his bowl vigorously, Farrah dropped a scoop of food into his other bowl and pulled off her running jacket with a sigh, tossing it onto the hook by the door and proceeding into her bedroom to undress fully. She slipped into her shower, water lukewarm, and enjoyed the feeling of it sluicing down her face and shoulders before reaching for the bottle of shampoo.

Fresh and damp, she padded back into her bedroom, hair wrapped in a towel, and went to survey her closet with a critical eye. She needed to do laundry, and sighed when she saw the full wicker basket and sparse row of hangers. She knew most of her clothes were similar anyway - long-sleeve garments in muted or dark colors, a row of identical black jeans, and her two different work uniforms - and accepted this, pulling out a beige knit sweater and jeans with a shrug. This wasn’t a date, she reminded herself, she didn’t really need to dress up.

By the time she was ready, the clock on her bedside table read 5:28 PM. Tugging on her black work boots - complete with a small knife wedged into a small sheath on the inside - she hurried to her kitchen. Ducking under the counter, she grabbed the first wine bottle she saw and tucked it into her purse. She had been told it was polite to bring something when invited for dinner. Pulling on her jacket and giving Max a kiss goodbye where he lay on the kitchen linoleum, she darted for the door.

Seth’s apartment was close enough that she could enjoy the walk at a more leisurely pace. Farrah arrived and hesitantly knocked on the door, wincing when she heard a tumultuous series of deep barks. The door opened to reveal Seth clutching the collar of his dog, and Farrah gave an awkward smile and cautiously stepped through the threshold. “Hi, Seth. Thanks.” Her dark eyes were locked on his dog rather than him, try as she might. She had always prided herself on being something of an animal whisperer, especially with dogs, but wasn’t entirely certain if she could manage this on his home turf.

Forcing her breathing and heartbeat to slow, she knelt slowly and offered him a hand to sniff - or to tear to pieces, she couldn’t help but think - and said hello in a low, soothing tone, careful not to lock gazes with the dog directly. Rising slowly back to her feet, she looked back up at Seth with a faint smile, “it’s okay. I deal with plenty of unfriendly dogs.”

[valestclaire-blog]

Time To Think // Farrah & Vale

Just like clockwork Vale opened his eyes slowly and extended his limbs as far as he could to stretch and begin his day. But, before he would begin his morning routine, he always just laid there thinking about whatever came to his mind. This would usually set the mood for the day, but this time was different. He had thought about someone he hadn’t in a what seems like a millennia ago. 

Adjusting his position in bed, he faced up toward the ceiling and was sent into a trance like state. He heard the voice of his friend, Farrah, echo through his mind. It wasn’t that he was infatuated with her, it was just that she was part of the reason that he was able to get through being at the base without wanting to end it all. Her and so many others were there for each other when they thought all else was lost. But, with Farrah it was a different kind of dependency. They kept each other motivated to get stronger so that they could eventually get out and live their lives free. Fortunately, they got their freedom sooner than they thought. 

He remembered all the times that they would train together and be each others sparring partners. She had always been one step ahead of Vale and even one time she had broken his hand because he tried to stop one of her deadly punches straight on. Vale raised his hand, open palm facing him, he glided the tips of his fingers across where the scars were from that very incident. He smiled and let a small laugh out. 

Vale stretched one more time and then turned his head to the side to face the window that had a not so clear view of the gloomy sky, some snow had begun to fall a bit but, it stopped as soon as he noticed. He got up off his bed and looked for a t-shirt and pants to put on so that he could go for a run. The man walked out of the bedroom and continued with his care for hygiene. Soon he was out the door with his running gear on and began to run the same trail he always did. 

With some luck, he caught the glimpse of a brunette also taking the same trail as he did. It wasn’t uncommon for folk to be seen there but, in this side of town where you could get robbed for even looking like you have money, not many people could get by. As soon as he caught up he slowed his pace and breathing to match hers, “Morning, Farrah.” he said with a deep tone. 

@farrahtoma

[farrahtoma-blog]

Farrah had risen before the sun like she did every day, silencing her alarm and groping under the covers to find Max, who woke with a start and lapped at her hand with a warm tongue. Slipping from under her blanket and stumbling into the bathroom rubbing her eyes, she washed her face and brushed her teeth and hair still in a sleepy daze. She padded into the kitchen and scooped Max’s breakfast into his bowl; at the sound, the lump beneath her covers finally jerked and leapt off the bed, taking half the covers with him.

Undressing and redressing in her running clothes, Farrah grabbed her phone, keys, and water bottle before heading for the door, giving Max a good scratch behind the ears as he wolfed down his kibble. Like most days, she would wait to walk him until it was time to pick up her other charges from nearby homes. “Be good,” she reminded him before opening the door and locking it behind her. 

The sun was slowly rising on the horizon by then, and Farrah slipped her things into her running jacket pockets and took up a light jog down the sidewalk towards her favorite trail. The cool winter air was hitting her face and making her chest tingle, immediately waking her up. One of her favorite things about winter. She made her way to the trail head, breath blossoming in white clouds around her head. From behind her, she heard swift footsteps - assuming it was another runner, she dipped to the right to make room.

When she heard her name, Farrah almost stumbled. Her head snapped around, still running, but she relaxed at the sight of Vale, slowing her steps to a more sedate jog. “Oh, Vale. Good morning,” she huffed breathlessly, taking a quick swig from her water bottle. 

[farrahtoma-blog]

sethlarsen:

Seth nodded, glad to be headed home if only to get away from the cold. He’d only been planning a walk down the block and back, and Seth hadn’t bothered to layer. He only hesitated a moment before answering her question. “As a friend. I don’t run into people from the past every day,” he offered, his expression considering when he turned to glance at Farrah.

“I need some time anyways,” he assured her, finding himself pleased she agreed, so much so that he almost didn’t realize he was walking past his place and stopped short suddenly. “This is me,” Seth told her, probably unnecessarily. "Six?”

His response soothed her nerves somewhat, but she hadn’t really expected the evening to be romantic. Try as she might, she couldn’t picture Seth asking anyone out on a date, let alone her. That would be a quiet night, she thought with a niggle of amusement. “Okay,” she heard herself say, “that sounds okay.” Being with another person from the facility made her wary, but he was right - it didn’t happen every day.

“Good, me too,” Farrah responded, tugging one of the curious dogs away from another passerby. She looked up at Seth’s apartment door and looked for the street sign to be sure of where to go. “Six. I’ll be here,” she gave him a faint smile. “I’ll see you then.”