Bear Necessities

|Shim Changmin | Bear Shapeshifitng | 20 | Gay | Single| White Tent #1//Cottage #232 Disclaimer: Roleplay blog. Closed Community. 18+.

[freak-changmin]

The Last Straw || Changmin x Kyungsoo

[freak-kyungsoo]

There was ever only one reason why Kyungsoo had decided to practice on his ability in places that are relatively spacious and had access to anything made of earth – they were almost always empty from any kind of living thing that he could potentially hurt with his dangerous ability; they were the safest, he thinks. He never denied that with one simple mistake he could end up doing some permanent damage on someone, that’s why he thought if he could find any place without anything he can hurt it’d be best since he couldn’t even imagine what he would do if that ever did happen – simply because it never did actually happen before. He was almost positive he’d been careful when he’s dealing with his ability when he’s alone – even more so when performing or just generally around someone.

And to say that Kyungsoo was scared is an understatement when he heard felt like he had hit something when he was trying to create a solid wall by carefully breaking down chunks of earth and remolding them and tried to make it move forward. His heart definitely started hammering inside his chest from nervousness as his feet automatically lead him to where he was sure his wall had crumbled down, stopping just a few feet away from the scene. What he saw was a cute cub covered in what he thinks to be what was left of his failed creation and a man fussing over it, sending him the scariest glare he’d ever seen that he cowered silently, all those apologies getting stuck somewhere inside his throat as he felt himself shrink in fear. He was never fond of angry eyes looking at him, it scared the shit out of him, and he was almost sure he had gone pale from how sharp that glare was that he was starting to feel lightheaded.

Guilt came crashing down heavily on Kyungsoo as the man talked to him, making his stomach do uncomfortable flips at the threatening tone.

“I-I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo said as he found his voice again, though it cracked from too much nervousness he couldn’t care. He felt bad because he had hurt someone and had made someone angry at him – and he was sure the guy was one of the freaks.

Kyungsoo didn’t mean to hurt the cub; he even made sure the area was empty before he started doing anything. But realizing how one of the things he’s been trying to avoid all this time unexpectedly happened had made his brain work overtime that he couldn’t think of anything else but to say he’s sorry – because he really is – and make sure that the cub was okay, if not unharmed.

“I-is he okay?” Kyungsoo asked but when he noticed the cub slightly limp he whimpered. The cub was definitely injured.

“I-I’m really sorry,” Kyungsoo said again, allowing himself a step forward and stopping, the other man’s earlier words ringing in his head. “L-let me help you… t-the cub… limping… let’s bring him to Junsu…” he stuttered out, the panic finally starting.

[freak-changmin]

The more Kyungsoo spoke, the more frustrated Changmin grew with him. Why wasn't he going away? Surely he realized that he was the cause of all this and that his sticking around was only making this worse? Changmin didn't want his apologies; they made no difference to him. In fact, they were really only making the situation worse by continuing to remind Changmin of what he'd done--not that it made all that much of a difference, mind, considering Atty was injured and that simple fact was reminder enough. Cub held gingerly in his arms, Changmin turned to Kyungsoo. His face hard, and the fierce rage chilled to a simmering heat, he seethed, "Does he look okay?" 

Changmin rose to his feet, sneering at Kyungsoo. He wanted to help? After hurting Atty? Changmin wanted to laugh and shout at the same time. He wasn't being rational, he knew, but he stopped caring about being completely rational years ago. Being able to turn into a Moon Bear and communicate with others of the same species wasn't rational. Adopting and raising a Moon Bear cub essentially as his own in the wilderness wasn't rational. Joining a travelling circus consisting of other people with equally unique abilities wasn't rational. No, Changmin's life almost anything but rational and he'd long since given up on trying to spin it for himself so that it was. 

"I don't care about your apologies," he spat out as Kyungsoo stammered them out, "they mean nothing to me; they aren't going to fix anything." And indeed, Changmin knew he needed to get Atty to Junsu as quickly as possible. It didn't seem like anything was broken, but he really wasn't a professional. And besides, if anything was simply fractured instead, it was just as important to figure that out so that everything would heal properly. Atty was still young--a fact which was both a gift and a burden at that moment. He was more easily hurt, for he was more delicate than he would be if he was fully grown, but he would also heal more easily and completely than if he'd been older. That being said, if it was bad enough, and injury he contracted now while he was young had the possibility of carrying over and causing him problems for the rest of his life when he was grown. No, Changmin definitely needed to get Atty to Junsu--especially because the cub was, at the moment, unable to properly convey the extent of his injuries. 

When Kyungsoo stepped forward to offer his help, Changmin's protective instincts flared and and growled out a warning: "Don't you come anywhere near him. You've done enough." He quickly appraised Kyungsoo, knowing that the other wouldn't just leave, even if he told him to, and he didn't have time to try to convince him otherwise. "I'm going to find Junsu now. If you're going to come anyway, stay out of my way." 

With that, Changmin set off at a brisk pace to the medical tent, hoping that Junsu would be inside. He dared not run, lest he unintentionally worsen any of Atty's injuries (god, what if he had a concussion?). The idea that Junsu was not, in fact, in the medical tent niggled at the back of his mind. He tried to remember if he'd heard that Junsu would be spending his day elsewhere. When nothing came to to mind, he bit his lip, resolving to at least check there first. It would be a start, anyway, and somebody might know when and where Changmin could find him if his worries proved true. 

[freak-changmin]

The Last Straw || Changmin x Kyungsoo

If there was one thing Changmin could say he had going for himself that many other people did not was that he had an understanding of himself and his actions that a large portion of people did not. Living alone with so few people for company for, essentially, his entire life had given him a wealth of time to really learn what drove his actions and what his thoughts exactly meant. He understood, absolutely, that he was not a patient person. He also understood that, unless he really cared about somebody, he was easily irritated by other people. There were, of course, some people who got on his nerves more easily than others, and his mood prior to a confrontation certainly played a part in its results.

On this day, his mood had been neutral--almost happy, though he'd never admit it out loud--but the person with whom he'd gotten into the altercation was, unfortunately, one of the ones with whom Changmin was easily irritated. Considering Kyungsoo was rather quiet and was not known to be confrontational or particularly arrogant, it was actually surprising that he got to Changmin so much. That being said, it was not so much his personality with which Changmin had issue. Rather, Kyungsoo's ability and his lack of communication were what irritated Changmin the most. That is to say, the boy always seemed to be practicing or performing his ability in the most inconvenient of places; it was quite the destructive ability. On top of that, it unsettled Atty, and Changmin was sure he or--more importantly--the cub would be injured by it one day.

He probably should have expected it by now, but his instinct had been correct on that front. The day had started out normally enough, the weather mild and the skies clear. Changmin and Atty were out, enjoying the weather a bit before they were due to head off to practice their routine a bit. It was not unusual to pass by other cirque members along the outskirts of the grounds or somewhere in the woods, practicing their own routines and abilities if their performance tent was not set up or if they didn't require one. Thinking that he'd been able to pass by the majority of the other troupe members, Changmin had relaxed and let himself enjoy the fresh air. He always kept some of his attention on Atty, of course, but there was only so much he could do, sometimes. Indeed, before he'd been able to pull Atty out of the way or get in between the cub and the incoming slew of dirt and rocks, the cub had been hit and partially buried under the debris.

Changmin wasn't even able to shout before launched himself to where the cub was, heart seeming to have stopped in fear. Had he been badly injured? Had he ingested too much dirt and debris? Was he conscious? He didn't even want to consider the possibility that a too-large chunk of rock had done any permanent damage to Atty.

Faster then he'd done perhaps anything in his life, he had pulled the cub out from underneath it all and was examining him for surface injuries. Gently dusting off the cub, he carefully checked Atty for injures. There were a few shallow scrapes across the cub, though not many, and Changmin guessed he had the cub's thick coat to thank for that. However, Atty was whimpering and seemed to be trying to put as little weight as possible on his right front paw. Changmin hoped it wasn't broken, but instead simply bruised or sprained, but it was impossible to tell as yet. His best decision, he decided, was to take Atty to Junsu. Changmin wanted to scream. Twice now, Atty had been injured at the cirque, and Changmin was once again questioning his judgement about joining.

To make matters worse, he heard the sound of footsteps running toward him. It must be Kyungsoo, Changmin decided, running to check to see if things were okay. Looking up proved Changmin right, and he shot the boy the most furious and poisonous glare he could. He hated him.

"Don't come near me," he growled, voice low and threatening, "unless you want trouble. I don't want anything to do with you right now."

[tohoshinqui]

model-shim

[freak-changmin]

"I want to be your friend."

Changmin frowned and bit back a sigh. It was him again. The one who’d come far too close to harming Atty for Changmin’s liking with his fire ability. He couldn’t for the life of him understand why the other absolutely insisted on pestering him. They hadn’t had that many interactions together, certainly, but it was definitely more than Changmin had had with most of the other members of the cirque. He could only think of his interactions with Junsu and Fei equaling it—which in and of itself greatly bothered Changmin, for he had good reason to at least interact with the latter two; Junsu was the healer and pseudo-leader of the troupe and Fei, well, she and Changmin had quite a bit more in common than he did with this boy.

He stooped to the ground and scooped Atty up into his arms, causing the cub to release a stream of protests. He gently hushed him, and the cub gradually settled. Atty knew Changmin would not have done what he did if he did not have a good reason for it. “Thank you,” he said to the cub before he turned his attention to the person who had spoke.

"Do you," Changmin said, phrasing it not as a question but an acknowledgement that he’d heard what Chanyeol had said. He did not exactly feel the same way but, as he also did not wish to stir up and get involved with more drama than was necessary, he chose not to voice the thought that he did not exactly feel the same way—nor did bother to voice the question about why Chanyeol would even bother. Had he not made it clear enough the last time the two of them had interacted at any length that he wasn’t looking for friends? At least, he amended to himself (for he had posed the same question to Fei as Chanyeol had to him recently), not with Chanyeol. He was annoying and loud and dangerous and for the life of him could not take a single hint.

Now, he thought, what was the best way to get out of this unpleasant interaction while finally deterring Chanyeol from initiating any more?

[freak-changmin]

"I'm trying to flirt with you, okay?"

Changmin didn’t even try to hold back the grimace on his face. It was true that he hadn’t spent much time amongst large groups of people—especially around his age—and hadn’t had much experience with common social situations, such as this one, but he knew enough to know what flirting was. He didn’t think he’d ever been so uncomfortable in his life. It wasn’t that he hated flirting, though it wasn’t anywhere near what he’d consider to be enjoyable activities in which he’d participate often. Rather, the person who was trying to flirt with him made him incredibly uncomfortable. He hated it. He supposed he couldn’t exactly blame her. It wasn’t as if he’d gone around announcing much about himself—let alone his sexuality—to the others at the cirque, and it was possible that she was far more accustomed to and comfortable with flirting, but he agitated and rather irritated with the woman nonetheless.

"I am aware of that.” He wondered, briefly, how he would most quickly and effectively get out of the situation. He had no desire to prolong the interaction besides what was absolutely necessary; however, he also wanted to make it clear that he had absolutely no desire for any future interactions with the woman of this kind. Or much at all, really, but that was an entirely unrelated matter and had nothing to do with this woman in and of herself. He decided, finally, that it would be best to be straightforward and to-the-point while giving her enough information to discourage her from approaching him again in the future.

"I don’t like it. It’s making me uncomfortable. I am not and will not ever be attracted to you in any way shape or form." He paused briefly, clarifying further, "You obviously haven’t heard; as somebody who considers himself to be gay, I am completely not interested in women.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked away. He didn’t have anything else to add, and he didn’t particularly care for anything the woman might have had to say on the matter.

[freak-changmin]

"You are adorable."

Changmin did a double take before he turned around to figure out the source of the voice. He’d just been about to return back to his tent, both he and Atty ready for a nap—if not to turn in for the night—when whoever it was had payed him the compliment. Changmin growled, scooping Atty up in his arms so that the cub wouldn’t wander off somewhere whilst Changmin was occupied dealing with the owner of the voice, and turned around. He couldn’t believe he’d actually just heard that. He hope that turning around would show him that the comment hadn’t, in fact, been directed at him but at someone else behind him whom he simply hadn’t noticed, but he knew that was wishful thinking.

"What did you just say to me?" He really didn’t want to have to deal with somebody right now. Indeed, all he wanted was to go sleep. He was tired, goddammit, and he did not have the patience for this kind of thing. However, he wasn’t about to let somebody he didn’t know say something like that to him, presume that Changmin automatically offered such a sense of friendliness and familiarity that comments like that were allowed. It wasn’t offensive, per say, but he was absolutely not adorable and absolutely did not appreciate somebody calling him such.

Why couldn’t he just be left alone?

[freak-changmin]

"That was rude."

Changmin sent the girl a flat glare, unconsciously baring his teeth a little as he spat out, “Do I look like I give a fuck?” That idiot—of whom Changmin, regretfully, didn’t know the name—had frightened Atty. Unfortunately for him, he had caught Changmin on a particularly bad day, and he’d suffered the consequences of Changmin’s wrath. You didn’t mess with the cub unless you wanted Changmin at your throat. He hadn’t physically attacked the other person—as enraged as he got, he’d never turn the anger on somebody else—but he sorely wanted to. He’d lashed out with his words, though, and he was sure his tense and furious body language hadn’t helped. Atty had been held tight in his arms, curled away from the person who’d frightened him; he had learned long ago that Changmin was never, and would never, be truly furious at him.

And then this women had commented that his outburst of anger and the way he’d treated the other person had been rude. Briefly he looked to see if the other cirque member was even around. He wasn’t, and Changmin was glad he was gone. He didn’t want the other around him or Atty, especially Atty. He scoffed internally. He didn’t care about his behaviour around a cub, but he sure knew how to save his own skin. He hoped he didn’t run into the other person again. He turned his attention back to the girl.

"Besides, my behaviour isn’t any of your goddamn business—especially since you weren’t around to see what happened. So if you could kindly mind your own business, I’ll mind my own, and the both of us can be on our merry way." He just wanted to be alone with Atty right now, away from the noise and the people and the smells and everything.

[freak-changmin]

"You are adorable."

Changmin’s eyes narrowed and he frowned, trying—though not much—to  not glare at the girl. In a way, they were similar, and he did not want to make an enemy out of her. Indeed, it was possible they might even become good friends one day. They had a lot in common, and out of everybody at the cirque, they probably would be able to relate to one another the best. Atty enjoyed the girl’s company; she was kind to him and knew how to behave so that he was as happy and comfortable as he could be around her. Changmin appreciated that. He trusted close to nobody around the cub but, privately, he could see himself trusting Fei with he cub one day—and one day soon, if she continued to treat the cub so well.

But adorable?

It was one thing to be friendly with her, even perhaps enjoy her company, but for her to call him adorable was something else entirely. He was NOT adorable. He had entertained the possibility that she was referring to Atty, but he couldn’t stretch his mind that far. She had it about him, to him, looking him straight in the face. So he told her: “I am not adorable. I don’t know where the heck you got that idea. But it’s wrong. He,” he nodded his head to Atty, who was curled in his arms and dozing, “could be considered adorable, if something must be. I am absolutely not.” He growled out and huffed. Fei was lucky he didn’t actually hate her, or she would have been on the tail end of a much harsher response.

Honestly. Adorable.

[freak-changmin]

"I like when you smile."

Changmin blinked several times and shook his head. Had he heard that right? Junsu liked when he smiled. Who even said that kind of thing? The two of them had barely had any kind of interaction with one another. And the one time it had been extensive, it hadn’t exactly been under happy circumstances. Atty had been badly injured. He wasn’t sure about Junsu, but for himself, the situation had been an entirely stressful one. When would the other have even had the chance to see him smile? It wasn’t as if Changmin was the sort to go around with a fat grin plastered on his face the entire day. He only ever really smiled around Atty—.

Oh, that’s where.

When he’d finally been sure Atty was okay. He probably smiled then, or at least some time during his visit in the medical tent. Either that, or Junsu was some kind of stalker and followed him around while he was out with the cub. He was not so inclined to believe that, but with the sort of things he’d heard around the cirque, it was difficult to say. In any case, he hadn’t seen Junsu around much—probably busy attending to those who needed him—and it wouldn’t have been surprising that he’d let his guard down during the tent. He’d just feltso absolutely relieved. 

He frowned lightly, still not sure how to respond to the statement and said, “Well, make sure you don’t forget what it looks like, then, because it is not the kind you’ll see very often.”

[freak-changmin]

Send for my muse's reaction

"I adore you."

"You are adorable."

"I'll protect you with my life."

"I wish you would notice me and maybe develop feelings for me."

"Storm is coming."

"You are cute but we're not going to be a thing."

"Can I kiss you?"

"Give me a sign!"

"I want to be your friend."

"I need you."

"I hate you!"

"Get over it."

"That was rude."

"I'm trying to flirt with you, okay?"

"You are my enemy."

"I like when you smile."

NOTE: reblog only if you will actually respond to ALL asks sent your way. No ignoring people! Para responses (8+ sentences) are preferred but not required.

[freak-changmin]

Curiosity || Solo

Changmin slowly made his way to the edge of the campgrounds, thinking over the situation for the umpteenth time. The cirque had been given a few days off to enjoy the summer festivities occurring nearby. Indeed, with the coming of summer numerous festivals had started taking place all throughout Japan, and it was the same in Asahikawa. Having spent the vast majority of his life outdoors and in the wilderness, Changmin was not all that familiar with seasonal festivals. He did, however, know that they were quite popular in Japan; travelling as much as they did, though the purpose was not to study people, still brought them into contact with a great many different types. Now that he actually had the opportunity to visit one, he was sorely tempted to do so.

Normally, Changmin hated large groups of people, but he had gotten the impression that this festival was not overwhelming in its size. Furthermore, the portion of the festival that he wanted to see was to occur in the evening and through the night—at time to which he’d become accustomed since joining the cirque and also which would, hopefully, draw less attention to himself. He was curious about the atmosphere and what festivals such as this were like, and he didn’t think there would be a better time to find out. And if he was growing tired of being surrounded by the same group of people in close quarters—or what felt like close quarters to him, anyway—the festival simply provided another means of escaping them for a little while.

His biggest concern was Atty. He certainly could not afford to leave the cub here—and wouldn’t, even if he could. He had vowed to never abandon the cub, to take care of him as long as he needed and wanted him to, and this would be no different. Thus, he had spent a good deal of time puzzling over how exactly he would be able to take Atty with him without drawing too much attention to themselves. It certainly wasn’t as if a young man with a bear cub was an everyday sight, after all. Changmin most definitely didn’t want to cause a fuss, and he didn’t want to authorities after him, Atty, or even the cirque if their connection to it was discovered. After much deliberation and digging through hi belongings, Changmin had found a sizable bag that would fit the cub while not looking awkward if Changmin was carrying it around. While it was not ideal (if he had it his way, Atty would be walking on the ground right next to him) it was better than anything else he had at short notice.

After having a brief, but firm, conversation with Atty, the two of them had set off for the festival. Changmin was still nervous about the entire affair, but he did not intend to turn back. It had occurred to him that, technically, he was supposed to leave the grounds only if he had another member with him, but to do so would defeat the purpose of trying to get away from everybody else. It didn’t really matter to him; he knew he could take care of himself if he needed to. And if somebody gave him grief about leaving, he would point out he technically hadn’t been alone, as he had gone with Atty.

Any thoughts that still lingered in Changmin’s mind about the cirque and its rules vanished as soon as he arrived at the festival. Colourful stands filled the area, selling foods, masks and various wares while others still were dedicated to different festival games to be played. Lanterns were strung about the stands, and the entire festival glowed warm reds, oranges, greens, and yellows. The locals, too, were dressed in bright yukata with various patterns painting the material, ranging from plants, to birds, to flowers, to fish. Everybody was smiling, faces filled with joy and laughter, and Changmin felt his own lips curve up, unbidden, into a small smile of his own. The crowd did make him somewhat uncomfortable, but the relaxed atmosphere of the event helped soothe his nerves and he began to make his way to the stands, hand resting lightly on his bag to remind Atty not to peer too far out of the bag.

He did not intend to stay very long—indeed, he could not afford to, for the longer he remained the likelier it became that something would go wrong—but he wanted to at least get a souvenir or two, some food, and perhaps try the goldfish catching game if he had the time (though he was not sure what he would do with the fish he caught). He did not have a lot to spend, but he wasn’t prepared to leave empty-handed. He shut his eyes briefly, taking in the night air and the scents of the festival mingling on the wind, and let himself relax just a little.

"What do you think, Atty? Should we grab something to snack on first? Or do you want to take a look at some of those masks?" He paused briefly, and said before the cub had a chance to respond. "What am I saying, of course we’re going to grab some food first." He sent a quick grin to the cub at his side who grumbled happily, and he wondered how much grilled squid would cost.

[freak-junsu]

Little Bear, Little Bear || Junsu x Changmin

Junsu had only been up a short period of time. He had managed to collapse in his tent from exhaustion after a busy night of healing people the night before and had slept much longer than he normally had. What was worse was that he had fallen asleep in the medical tent instead of going back to sleep in his own cot. When he had woken, he had been disgusted by the fact that he had not yet showered and had run off to take care of his own hygiene. On the way back from his shower, he had stopped at the kitchen tent to grab a bagel before he continued on his way back towards the medical tent.

He was passing by one of the equipment tents when he heard something that worried him. The sounds of a hurt or frightened animal rang out from around the corner and Junsu refused to keep walking without investigating. He turned the corner to see a bear cub next to a machine that had been left out by a careless member, a gash in the fur and blood everywhere. The cub was growling and backed into a corner, doing its best to protect the wound that it had probably gotten while playing and not paying attention to where it was going.

“Little cub,” Junsu said softly, squatting down. He recognized the cub as Atty, the cub that Changmin always had following him around. “Atty, where is your brother..?” He asked softly, careful not to move too quick so he wouldn’t frighten the cub even more. No matter what he did or how slow he moved, however, the cub backed away and continued to act defensively.

Junsu pursed his lips before pulling out a small knife that he carried with him so that he could demonstrate his ability if someone did not trust him. He pressed the blade of his knife to the palm of his own hand and blood started to pool. “Look little one, I can help you,” His voice was calm and soothing. He placed a finger over the cut he inflicted on himself and the area began to glow as the skin started to knit itself together. Slowly, the cub stopped growling and his fur went down as he realised that he could trust the blonde man to help him. A whimper escaped the cub and Junsu moved forward slowly, pulling the bear into his hands.

“Atty..?” Fei’s voice rang out behind him and Junsu turned to look at her, face urgent.

“Fei, go find Changmin and tell him Atty got hurt and he’s with me in the medical tent. Tell him to hurry, I’m not sure how long I can keep Atty calm enough to clean the area and heal him up,” Fei nodded quickly and took off to find the bear shifter, wolves on her heels to help make her way through the people who were walking around.

Junsu moved swiftly to the medical tent and placed the cub gently on the table before he pulled out the instruments and cleaning supplies to clean out the wound. If he didn’t clean atty up and make sure to take anything out of the wound, he could heal wrong and still get an internal infection. He had to do this right or Changmin wouldn’t let him live through the night. “We will take care of you, little one,” Junsu soothed, taking a damp cloth gently to the other to try and clean it off so he could see. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to do much until Changmin got there and oh how he hoped that he would hurry.

[freak-changmin]

Changmin didn't think he'd ever been so terrified in his entire life. Not when the poachers had come and he'd hid to save his own life while his parents lost theirs and not when he'd found himself lost and without shelter in the middle of winter the first time he'd been on his own. No, this was worse than both of those times and any other that his mind might conjure up. He hadn't realized how much Atty had become part of his life, how much the cub meant to him until now--when didn't have the faintest clue about where he'd gone or if he was okay. Briefly, he wondered if this was what his parents had felt like when the poachers had arrived to their location, hoping desperately that their son was safe and out of harm. The thought crossed his mind that this wouldn't have happened in the first place if he hadn't decided it was a good idea to join this godforsaken travelling circus, but it was pointless to get worked up over that now. 

He tried to calm himself down. He wouldn't get anywhere if he couldn't think straight. The two of them had been outside, walking about and playing around when Atty felt like it. The day had been warm, and the tent had steadily grown stuffier the longer he stayed inside. He knew from experience that it would have been even worse for Atty so he'd taken the cub outside where the air was fresh and to maybe find a stream where the two of them could spend a few hours. If they were lucky, there might even be some spawning fish they could catch--particularly Atty, who both needed the practice and got immense amount of joy from the activity.

As they were walking through the campgrounds, Atty had caught sight of a rabbit on the grass and broken out into a run. Rabbits weren't exactly staples in their diets, but when they'd had them before the creatures had tasted well enough and Atty enjoyed trying to catch them. It was all a game for the cub. Normally, Changmin had no issue with this. If the cub wore himself out playing all the better; there would be less work for Changmin later in the day and, besides, it was good for the cub's health. Of course, normally Atty took off in the forest--making enough noise and damaging enough vegetation that it was simple to track where he'd gone--or in the middle of a plain--where it was easy to track the cub's movements on sight alone. This time, it had been in the middle of the grounds and so the combination of people milling about everywhere, tents blocking his view on what was otherwise an open field, and how abruptly the chase had begun meant that Changmin had lost track of where the cub had gotten off to. To make matters worse, nobody had paid mind to creature, assuming that Changmin was not far behind and would know where to look. 

Except he didn't. 

He wanted to be sick. 

Just as he was about to keep going in what he'd thought was the same direction Atty had disappeared, another cirque member came running up to him--Fei, he thought, the one with the wolves always following her about. Indeed, the creatures were at her side. She looked distressed, which only served to make Changmin feel worse about the entire situation. He almost didn't want her to tell him what she knew of Atty. He didn't think he'd be able to handle it. Nonetheless, when she said the cub had been found and taken to the medical tent he was relieved--if briefly. Atty had been found, heavily injured, and Junsu, the medic, was taking care of his wounds now. He felt the world sway, and he resisted the urge to fall too the ground.

"I need to see him." He said, voice harsh and squeezing past the lump that had formed in his throat. 

He'll be okay,he tried to reassure himself. It didn't seem like Atty had been left unattended for long. He didn't dare ask Fei about the cub's condition. 

Arriving at the tent he burst through the entrance and rushed to the cub's side. His heart pounded in his chest and his entire body shook--with fear or adrenaline, he wasn't sure--and he took in the sight of the cub. He hated the smell of the medical tent; the sterility burned his nose, and he was sure it was the same for Atty. The cloth Junsu had been using to clean up the cub was stained red, and Changmin could see the blood matted in the cub's coat, but he knew that injures often looked worse than they were simply because blood got over everything. Furthermore, Atty was conscious. That was good. It hadn't been so bad that his body had shut down. 

Before he even acknowledged Junsu, Changmin reached out to the cub with his quivering hand and pet Atty's head. "Shhh," he said, "I'm here now. Everything's going to be okay." His voice came out choked and weak, but he didn't care. He turned his attention back to Junsu, not lifting his hand from the cub. "He's going to be okay?" 

[freak-changmin]

Not Quite Alone || Changmin x Fei

[celxfei]

While not an animal herself, Fei had been raised by wolves and had been taught to easily identify when an animal, especially a potentially dangerous one like a bear, was scared. Animals could do so much more damage when they were afraid than if they were angry or even just hungry. So when the little bear started making noise, Fei took a slow step back, allowing the bear to run up the tree on his own instead of trying to follow him. She kept crouched, making herself seem as small as she could so that she would still be able to run if needed, but at the same time there was a chance that she could possibly get the cub to interact with her.

She hadn’t forgotten that An had smelled a larger bear nearby, but that didn’t stop her from being curious as to why the larger bear would let the cub out of sight. Even if it was dangerous, it was safer for the cub for her to stick around until its mother came for it. “Little one, what is your name? Are you lost?” She called out once more, her words once again in that strange animalistic language that she knew he could understand. She didn’t really expect him to respond, being able to understand something did not mean that you did not still fear it, but she knew that she should, at least, try.

It didn’t take long for the noise of a larger animal crashing across the nearby clearing sounded and Fei found herself backing up. She was not as scared as she could be, but she did respect that this animal was most likely much larger and much stronger than she was.

A wolf growled in the brush behind her and stepped forward, and she turned and shushed him, gesturing for him to back off. “You’ll only make the situation more tense,” She hissed. He whimpered and stepped back to where he was at a distance and yet would still be able to help her out if the need arose. She could only hope that wouldn’t happen. She had met many a bear who had stopped and spoken to her instead of attacking on sight. It was amazing how many of them were really more frightened of her than she was of them.

What she didn’t expect was the animal that did come crashing through the trees towards her. It was a large bear, sure, but what it was wearing made it hard to take seriously. A lopsided frilly collar sat on its shoulders. It looked like it had tried to rip the thing off and yet had only succeeded in making itself look even more ridiculous. The hat that it was wearing only added to the humor. Instead of turning back and running, Fei fell backwards onto her butt and kept her ground, blinking.

Being so close to the circus, there was no way that a bear like this was not one of the members that could shapeshift.

“Hello? I don’t mean to hurt you, or the cub..” She called out once again in her own, strange language. She knew that the words would sound strange to the shifter and yet his animal ears would be able to understand while in that form. “I was just making sure that he was not lost or on his own,” She explained, biting down on her lip to keep herself from openly fawning over just how cute the large bear in front of her looked. She needed to make sure that she hadn’t wrongly assessed the situation first.

[freak-changmin]

While not an animal herself, Fei had been raised by wolves and had been taught to easily identify when an animal, especially a potentially dangerous one like a bear, was scared. Animals could do so much more damage when they were afraid than if they were angry or even just hungry. So when the little bear started making noise, Fei took a slow step back, allowing the bear to run up the tree on his own instead of trying to follow him. She kept crouched, making herself seem as small as she could so that she would still be able to run if needed, but at the same time there was a chance that she could possibly get the cub to interact with her.

She hadn’t forgotten that An had smelled a larger bear nearby, but that didn’t stop her from being curious as to why the larger bear would let the cub out of sight. Even if it was dangerous, it was safer for the cub for her to stick around until its mother came for it. “Little one, what is your name? Are you lost?” She called out once more, her words once again in that strange animalistic language that she knew he could understand. She didn’t really expect him to respond, being able to understand something did not mean that you did not still fear it, but she knew that she should, at least, try.

It didn’t take long for the noise of a larger animal crashing across the nearby clearing sounded and Fei found herself backing up. She was not as scared as she could be, but she did respect that this animal was most likely much larger and much stronger than she was.

A wolf growled in the brush behind her and stepped forward, and she turned and shushed him, gesturing for him to back off. “You’ll only make the situation more tense,” She hissed. He whimpered and stepped back to where he was at a distance and yet would still be able to help her out if the need arose. She could only hope that wouldn’t happen. She had met many a bear who had stopped and spoken to her instead of attacking on sight. It was amazing how many of them were really more frightened of her than she was of them.

What she didn’t expect was the animal that did come crashing through the trees towards her. It was a large bear, sure, but what it was wearing made it hard to take seriously. A lopsided frilly collar sat on its shoulders. It looked like it had tried to rip the thing off and yet had only succeeded in making itself look even more ridiculous. The hat that it was wearing only added to the humor. Instead of turning back and running, Fei fell backwards onto her butt and kept her ground, blinking.

Being so close to the circus, there was no way that a bear like this was not one of the members that could shapeshift.

“Hello? I don’t mean to hurt you, or the cub..” She called out once again in her own, strange language. She knew that the words would sound strange to the shifter and yet his animal ears would be able to understand while in that form. “I was just making sure that he was not lost or on his own,” She explained, biting down on her lip to keep herself from openly fawning over just how cute the large bear in front of her looked. She needed to make sure that she hadn’t wrongly assessed the situation first.

When Changmin had heard Atty call for help, he’d been prepared to tear to pieces whatever—or whomever—it was that had spooked him. Atty was young, but he wasn’t the sort to be scared of his own shadow; however, the cub was not yet old enough to determine what a real threat was and what was simply unsettling in its foreignness. Of course, it was because of that Changmin had to get to him as quickly as possible. Who knew what the cub might be up against? Changmin refused to let his mind wander through all the different scenarios.

What he came across, though, this was not something his brain could have conjured. No, where his thoughts had gone to poachers and wild beasts, reality had presented him with a girl and a couple of wolves—giant wolves, bigger than any normal wolf had the business to be. She looked vaguely familiar, and Changmin wondered if he’d seen her around the cirque before. It was quite likely, given that she was wandering rather close to where they’d set up camp for somebody who had just been going for a walk. And there were her wolves. No regular person would own a pair of wolves, and definitely not wolves of that size. Furthermore, they didn’t look or act like pets. Rather, they seemed closer to friends or companions with the way they hovered, not waiting for the girl’s command but watching the situation carefully to determine what they should be doing.

Whatever the relationship between the three of them, they didn’t seem aggressive. At least, they didn’t seem like they’d come looking for Changmin and Atty. This only put Changmin marginally more at ease. After all, who was to say that these people wouldn’t harm them—especially Atty—anyway? Until he was certain they meant no harm, Changmin didn’t have any plans to let his guard down even a little. He moved to the base of the tree into which Atty had climbed. He didn’t risk turning his back on the newcomers, but he could at least add another barrier between them and the cub.

In his panic the words that the girl had spoken hadn’t registered to him. In his bear form, he was still able to understand humans just fine, though it took perhaps a little bit longer to completely understand them. Atty understood Changmin well enough when he was in his human form, but that was because of his ability to turn into a moon bear and, he suspected, how much time they’d spent together. For everybody else, Atty only understood a few words of their speech, much like a regular toddler would or a dog. Now that Changmin was marginally more composed, it occurred to him that he’d understood the girl perfectly. There was no delay for her words to get through completely. It was as if she’d been speaking the same language as he did while he was in his bear form.  If she was part of the cirque, was this her ability?

She said that she didn’t mean them any harm, but how could he be sure? No, he wouldn't trust her--not yet, anyway. Not until she proved that she meant her words. Her body language was not aggressive, but that meant little. It wasn't as if he and Atty could run away right then; if she did turn out to be a danger, then she would certainly attack them when their backs were turned. Changmin decided that the best thing to do know was to talk--if she mean harm, he would be able to delay things until he thought of a plan. If she was not, he would find out.

 "So you say," he growled. She seemed to be able to communicate with them, so he spoke with her as he would with Atty. "But what have you done to prove that?"

[gndname]

Taking Risks || Dongwoo x Changmin

[gndname]

"You can start with anything you see fit." Dongwoo waved a hand dismissively, before moving to find the cleaning supplies. He didn’t clean up much, so to say the least, it was a bit of a mystery to the man. 

"Just do what you can and I’ll finish the rest." He said simply, tossing a cloth at the other. "I’ll be right back, I’m just going to get some water." And with that, Dongwoo left with a bucket in hand and returned no more than five minutes later with it filled from the river nearby. 

[freak-changmin]

Changmin caught the cloth and surveyed the room before him. It wasn't that dirty, fortunately, but it would take a bit of work. He eyed some of the sparse furniture on which Atty got his dirty paws. He decided it would be best to start with those so as to avoid any permanent damage. Of course, he couldn't actually start until the guy came back with water. He hoped he brought enough to last. It would quickly get tedious having to run back to the stream all the time to refill the bucket.

Fortunately, the guy came back within five minutes and they were able to get to cleaning right away. As Changmin scrubbed at the dirt on a small cot-side table, Atty ambled toward him and sat down, wanting to be near him. "You," Changmin said, pretending to threaten the cub, "are going to get the mother of all baths as soon as we're done here. I am not going to have you muck up another tent.

I ought to just toss you into the creek and see how well that washes off the mud." He ruffled fur on the cub's head. "You're lucky I'm too nice for that. Now," he said firmly, "don't move around so much. You'll just get things dirty all over again." The cub warbled in agreement, and Changmin let a small smile grace his face before resuming cleaning.

[eggselent]

[freak-changmin]

Not Quite Alone || Changmin x Fei

[celxfei]

Fei had, more often than not, kept to herself these past few months as she tried to figure out her own place in the circus. At first it had been a home to her and yet now everything seemed so strange and so distant. When performances weren’t going on or she wasn’t patrolling, she had taken back to the trees that had sheltered her so very long ago. That day had been warmer than the last few and the melting snow held promise of the ability to move freely through the trees without slipping on any ice. For the first time since fall, Fei had ditched her shoes before taking to the forest in a full sprint.

She heard the wolves padding after her — not quite at their fastest pace as they were extremely large and could overtake her in just a few short strides — and her smile only widened. She ignored as the wind stung her face and whipped through her hair and focused on the dirt the moved under her feet. The freedom she felt was so very welcome, it was something she hadn’t felt since the day that Tao had died.

Fleeting images of time spent with Yoochun rushed into her head and her running slowed, a pink hue taking to her cheeks as she realised that her previous thought wasn’t completely true. Yoochun seemed to be the only light to her otherwise dull existence. His smile was all she had to think of to bring herself out of moments where she felt lost and alone. Her heart thudded hard in her chest and she stood still, looking down at her now dirty feet. She knew that he was the only reason she hadn’t left like so many others had recently done.

A nose nudged her hand and Fei’s golden eyes moved up, head moving to the side to look at Jiao who was now standing next to her. The wolf’s head was at the height of her shoulder now. Fei had a feeling that because they were so closely bonded with her it was her power causing them to grow. Jiao, however, was not looking at her and instead to a bear cub that was playing around nearby. She frowned. Why was a cub out there on its own?

I smell a bigger one nearby… An huffed behind her, prancing a bit in place. He had never cared much for bears because he had managed to find himself in a fight with one several years before.

“So you aren’t alone,” She smiled, slowly dropping down so that she didn’t seem too large. She looked back at Jiao and An. “Go back a bit into the trees so you don’t scare him,” She urged.

But the bigger one.. An whined, stamping his paw. Jiao nipped at his neck before pushing at him with her head.

Do as she says or she’ll get angry again. Jiao’s growl seemed to get through to the larger wolf and An whimpered a bit as he looked at Fei with worried eyes before turning. In only a few seconds they vanished into the trees.

Fei turned her eyes back to the cub. “Little one, are you alone?” She asked it, voice soft and a smile on her face. It was all she could do to hope that he didn’t run off in fright.

[freak-changmin]

Atty swatted at one of the leaves that had fallen from the tree. It was light and thin, and it looked like the ones that crawled out from under the snow after hiding away all winter. Changmin had told him they were very delicate because they'd used up all their energy to not fade away all winter, like how Changmin sometimes used to hibernate before Atty came along. Atty liked playing with these leaves because they were lighter than the other ones, like feathers. They were easier to find, though.

They hadn't hibernated this past winter because Atty was too young and thin and Changmin didn't have the milk mama bears did to feed their cubs. Instead, they'd come across the travelling circus and were living there. It was warm and there was enough food for them to rarely ever need to go out to find more to eat, so they didn't need to hibernate. Besides, Changmin often had to go out and perform in front of other people what he was practicing right now. Changmin called it his 'job', and it was what allowed the two of them to stay here. He didn't seem to like it very much, but Changmin had never really liked being around too many people.

Sometimes Atty joined Changmin and helped him perform; those days, Changmin seemed to enjoy performing a little more, but Atty guessed it was because it just seemed like they were playing a game together. Changmin liked to play with him. Right now, Changmin was practicing on his own, focusing very hard on what he was doing. He was so focused, in fact, he didn't notice that the two of them had accidentally strayed a little bit too far from one another. He didn't notice the group of three that had approached the clearing. Atty didn't, either, until the human dropped down and spoke to him. For the large group of three that they were, the human and her wolves were surprisingly stealthy and quiet. 

Atty was frozen in fear. Who was this person? What was she doing here? What did she want with them? Why were there wolves here? Changmin had told him to stay away from wolves. They were predators like them, and bears and wolves didn't get along. They wanted too many of the same things, Changmin had said, and it caused the two species to fight a lot. Changmin had also told him to be careful around strangers, since lots of people would be interested in taking him away; he was a cute and, due to his young age, relatively harmless. They would take him away from Changmin and wouldn't be nice to him. 

Changmin had been very serious when he told him about all this--even a little bit scared. Changmin didn't get scared, so Atty knew it was very serious. So he did what Changmin had told him to do if he was ever confronted by danger: he made as much noise as possible and scrambled up as high and far away as he could into the treetops. Only after he was well out of range did he register that the girl had spoken to him in a way he could completely understand, like when Changmin was talking to him.

On the other side of the clearing, Changmin heard Atty's cries for help and felt his heart freeze. He launched himself away from all the practice tools, wrenching the frilly neck-piece and pointed hat as best as he could in his bear form. They would not do if he wished to intimidate whoever it was who had attacked Atty. He let out a great roar and ran toward the location from where he'd heard the cub. 

[ccxjaejoong]

Ghost Trip || Jaejoong x Changmin

[ccxjaejoong]

Jaejoong hated it when people claimed that they were all that in silent ways. He made a face of annoyance. “You have ghosts surrounding you, you kid,” he said. The spirit medium adjusted his position and flopped down next to the guy. “You know what that means? It means that you carry the burden of people’s deaths,” he said. He crossed his legs and looked pointedly at the other.

"Now, you can tell me about those deaths or something or I start talking to the ghost and look weird, since to people like you, it looks like I’m talking to air," he stated. He turned his head to the ghost and began casually conversing with the ghost, thus proving his point. Looking back at the boy, he smirked. "You know I won’t leave you alone, since it is my job to get rid of ghosts and allow people that necessary room to move on with their lives," he stated.

Deciding that he wasn’t intending on leaving the other alone, he simply settled on the ground and stretched.  “By the way, I’m not leaving you, ” he added. He was going to be that one annoying barnacle that could not be shaken off.

[freak-changmin]

Changmin glared at the person who had interrupted his day, scoffing at him. "I'm no kid. And ghosts? How do I know you aren't just making that up to screw with me if I can't see them myself?" It wasn't that Changmin didn't believe in ghosts, per say, but the fact that he apparently had a ghost haunting him--though he'd never had any indication of that before--and the newcomer just showing up with, apparently, the ability to see them just didn't seem like it could be a coincidence. It was just too convenient. 

"And besides, why should I have to tell you about the deaths of people who have died around me? I don't know you and I have no reason to trust you. Besides, there's nothing for me to move on from. There haven't been any deaths in my life. Hell, until recently I spent most of my time living on my own in the woods. The only things that ever died around me were what Atty and I had for dinner." He wasn't lying about that, either. He hadn't grown attached enough to anybody to be bothered by their deaths. The only deaths that mattered to Changmin were of people who had passed away many years ago.

Mom, Dad, I mourned you both already. There's no way it was about that. He was over it. He was sure of it. 

"Not leaving? Well, we'll see about that." Changmin doubted the other would still be around when night fell. He and Atty would be able to get around just fine. They'd even be able to sleep out here if they needed to. He didn't think the other man would be able to do the same. Changmin was certainly mad enough to pull through with staying out all night. He never talked this much. It just went to show how pissed he really was, he supposed.