cooper hoffman, homosexual, cis gender + he/him/his → isn’t that bowen buckley? the story claims that they're bambi from bambi. i hear they’re twenty three (23). in the cursed town they’re a(n) town hall receptionist and part-time park ranger, but back in the fairy tale realm they were a(n) prince of the forest. they seem to be honest & dependable, but also naive & stubborn. their aesthetics include sleeping in meadows, surrounded by flowers and wildlife, with the warm sun settling over his soft, freckled skin; the smell of honey and wildflowers lingering behind wherever he's been; wide eyes full of curiosity and confusion as he learns more about the world around him, whether he's ready to or not. | A, 32, he/him/his, EST timezone + no triggers
𝑔𝑒𝓃𝑒𝓇𝒶𝓁 𝒾𝓃𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓂𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃…
NAME: bowen buckley; bambi
AGE: twenty three (23)
GENDER: cisgender male
OCCUPATION: town hall receptionist, part-time park ranger; "the prince of the forest"
RESIDENCE: pellar's town, conneticut
𝓇𝑒𝓁𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓅𝓈…
SEXUALITY: homosexual
ROMANTIC INCLINATION: homoromantic
FAMILY: none
FRIENDS: snow, red, the three little pigs, ronno, the seven dwarfs, thumper, flower, faline; open to plots and connections PLEASE. (some ideas: friends with benefits in pellar's town, men that use him for a quick lay but aren't actually friends or close with him, actual friends, rivals, etc...)
𝒾𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓂𝒶𝓉𝑒 𝒹𝑒𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓁𝓈…
POSITIONING: bottom
BEHAVIOR: submissive, switch
SIZE: four and a half inches (4.5")
SWEET SPOTS: the sides of his neck, his collarbones, his chest, his palms, and the top/back of his head to name a few
SOME KINKS: roughness, dominant partners/partners being in control, breeding, knotting, public displays/outdoors, facials, etc...
ANTI-KINKS: diaper play, age regression, vore, gore, scat
BAMBI, 'THE PRINCE OF THE FOREST'; 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝓁𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓉…
considered the “prince of the forest” bambi did his best to not only make a home for himself in the black forest but also a home for any that made their way into the safety of the woods. that was the key part, though. the safety of the woods. everywhere had it's dangers, and it's threats, but bambi did his best to protect his own and any poor soul that found themselves lost among the magic and the thick maze of trees.
despite his efforts he always considered himself to be inadequate. he felt as if the kingdoms on either side of the black forest didn't regard or consider him as an actual prince, as an equal, and he feared that even his own friends, the people that called the forest home, didn't even consider him worthy of his title; that they didn't believe in him. he often put himself in harms way, more than he needed too, in a stubborn and desperate attempt to earn his place and prove his worth despite the fact that no one, aside from himself, was actually questioning him.
when things started to change, and darkness started to involve itself in their world, he did his best to help snow find safety with the seven dwarfs-- he tried to protect the other were-creatures, and all the other's living within the black forest-- but he was naive and had no idea just how dangerous and powerful the magics they were going up against were.
no idea at all.
in pellar's town, the memories of his true self lost to the curse, he grew into a very quiet and reserved young man. he did what he could around town to make sure everyone was taken care of and happy, and he seemed to feel most at home when he was wandering through the surrounding woods, but he was a shell of who he used to be. he wasn't curious anymore, he wasn't playful, he wasn't full of life and spirit; and wonder.
bowen didn't hide himself away, he wasn't a recluse, but rather than having a staple place in anyone's lives or minds he let himself fade into the background. he became someone that was always there, someone that anyone and everyone could rely on, but someone that was never asked for. he was just… there, quietly waiting in the sidelines for people to remember he was around or for someone to consider him useful for once; waiting for people to need him; to want him.
needless to say, it was a bit of a shock to his system when the curse began to crack and his memories came back.
now bowen doesn't know what to believe.
he doesn't know who he is.
he doesn't know what people want him to be.
Sam feels a debate in him. On one hand, he wants to just toss Bowen aside. He's no longer that useful to him. Not when they're trapped in a world where public servants are useless. On the other hand, they might make it back. And who knows who Bowen used to be. He could still be useful.
"It isn't simple," he says, placing a hand on Bowen's thigh. "Magic is never simple, sugar. And unfortunately I don't know what's going on. It's going to take some time to figure out what."
He sighs and looks to Bowen, cupping his face.
"But it won't do to try and deny any of this is happening. Who we were in both lives could help us and we need all our wits about us is we're going to make it back to our homes. Whichever home that ends up being."
“i know-- you're right.” letting out a heavy sigh, he settled closer to samuel-- more comfortable with him than he likely should have been-- and closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to stop fighting himself; as he tried to just take it all in. leaning into the hands cupping his face, a soft smile pulling at his lips, he slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the man with wide, innocent blue eyes; his cheeks pushing forward a bit, squishing towards his pink lips, as he continued to slip into a more vulnerable state with the man; his posture slumping to the point he was practically resting against sam and in his hands.
“i don't know that i'm much good on an island, big open water like the sea has always scared me, but i do know how to live off the land and i'm tougher than i look. if i could keep my people safe, for all those years, in the black forest even when i was still just a fawn and learning then i know we'll get through this. we'll be okay. we have to be.”
“you talk about magic like you know how to use it, or were around it a lot at least. that would make sense. i bet you were some kind of great advisor for a king or something; helping lead their kingdom, and protecting your people, with how much you always seem to know and how charming you are. i mean, you're always making deals with people it just makes sense.”
“then you're lucky you're around someone that loves the open water. i'll protect you from any waves that might threaten to crash onto the coast and take you up.” even though that could have scared bowen at the same time, lisandro was truly trying to help him. he was in good hands. the former captain and fisherman thrived in an environment like this. “i simply close my eyes, breathe in the salty air, and my body is suddenly relaxd. do you want to try that?” breathing didn't help everyone, but it was worth a shot.
“you're going to have to get used to saying that i'm right a lot here, it seems. not that i'm going to stop you. i was a captain who was always out at sea once i got my ship, so unless i was traveling somewhere i find it hard for us to have met.” those that he did know could be counted on both hands. “your forest kingdom? please, do tell me more.” his eyes brightened up a bit as he was getting more and more information of who bowen was in his past life. if there was any hope of all of them making it out of this, then they were going to have to work together and share information. see where their strengths were.
he loved gaining entel on others.
“it's okay if you're not fine, just so you know.” his eyes moved up to the color on the other's face. a smirk formed on lisandro's face as his left hand brushed up against it once more. “you little minx. did you used to frolick naked around the forest when you should have been getting home?” that sounded freeing, so it's not like he was judging the younger man for doing so. hook was simply intrigued.
“i can't say i was much for strolling the woods, but on my ship, the jolly roger, i was known to indulge in some hedonistic tendencies.”
"i really am." the thought of a wave being big enough to crash over the dock and pull him in and out into the ocean's vastness and depth was terrifying but being with lisandro kept him from completely losing his cool and shuddering out of fear in that moment. “right now you're probably the only person i trust to be with around the sea like this. it's just-- i know it's silly but i just feel safer on the ground, where i can feel the earth and know where i'm going, but you help with that.” bowen admitted with another soft dusting of color across his cheek bones and the bridge of his nose as he looked over at the other man.
“i feel safe with you.”
“taking deep breaths might help, i don't think it would hurt anyway, i do prefer the scents and aromas typically found a bit further inland,” he teased with a gentle laugh, his nose crinkling as he smiled over at lisandro; as he took the smallest step closer to the man. “like pine, or fresh wildflowers-- jasmine especially, or honeysuckle? have you ever tried honeysuckle lisandro? i'm sure you have, in all your travels, but if you haven't i'll have to try and find some for you sometime. we had plenty back home, though you wouldn't think so with what home was called. i'm from the black forest,” bowen answered without a second of hesitation; he was always far too trusting, but even now when he should have known to be more cautious since his memories were rife with the dangerous treachery of man, he simply babbled.
he trusted lisandro.
“i don't know if you ever managed to travel there, on your ship, but my forest-- my kingdom-- was between the kingdoms of strasbourg and kehl. they didn't really recognize me as an equal, in fact i'm pretty sure to both of them the black forest was more or less just that, a forest, but it was so much more. it is so much more. magic is everywhere there and so many-- so many-- shifters call that forest home and i was, well, i, uh, i know it's hard to believe,” he deflated a bit, bowen's lack of confidence bleeding into his posture even as he recounted his life as the headstrong, loyal protector of the forest; of his life as bambi, “but i was a bit of a protector to them. i was their prince of the forest, or i guess i am. sorry, i'm still adjusting to all the memories and, well, remembering which are real and which aren't.” he laughed quietly. “back then i wasn't called bowen. then, or i guess there, i was called bambi.”
“what about you? were you still lisandro? am i going to have to learn another name to call you?” he wouldn't mind, really, but he was a bit partial to how lisandro and mr. marinero sounded on his lips.
giggling as lisandro teased and called him a little minx, his left hand moving against him again, bowen's soft blush darkened in color as he nodded his head in response. “clothing, especially like this, wasn't really a necessity for the most part. don't get me wrong, i like these clothes and dressing like this, but… yeah, thinking back now? i spent more time without any on, or running through the trees a deer. if we ever get out of here maybe i could show you what my home, that home, was like sometime."
“what, uh,” the color on his cheeks darkened another shade, spreading down to the sides of his neck and threatening to bleed onto his chest and his shoulders. “what kind of tendencies would you indulge in? was it always on your ship or sometimes on a dock or-- or a beach maybe?”
the question caught maui off guard because wait, could he talk to birds? he started to explain before he could catch himself or think further, "i think he's supposed to be talking to me." not that it was a great explanation, but it was more than he had wanted to give.
the name jolted him a little, making him more unsure what he was supposed to be doing out here, and he turned fully to face the man who clearly recognized him. actually trying to listen to the finer details proved confusing, and he was mentally whipped back and forth between what he'd been doing and what he was supposed to be doing, feeling like a tranquilized animal. looked like he should have been doing more... "it's cuz i'm important, yeah. i appreciate the feedback, i'm glad you uh...enjoyed my work..." maui's brows furrowed in thought before he cocked his head. "you're like a kinda smart, sensitive type, yeah? you been paying attention? you know something i don't about what's going on here?" maybe he'd ramble in a helpful direction.
“well if he's supposed to be talking to you, and you can normally understand, i think that means you can talk to birds which is still pretty cool. maybe you just need a bit more time to finish waking up before that kicks in,” he answered back with a shrug of his shoulders and a soft smile. “i know there's a few things i used to be able to do, i can remember them now, but i still can't do them. it's like everything is still out of reach but i can, at least, see it.”
“--but it's still cool that you can talk to animals, or that they talk to you and you understand. especially since that bird isn't a shifter, at least i don't think it is." craning his head back, he stared up at the bird circling over head for another moment-- really staring at it-- before giving another shrug as he looked back at the man next to him. “i could normally tell when an animal around me was, seeing as i'm one, but maybe that's another one of those things that i haven't woken up enough for either.”
he wasn't sure if that actually made sense but, for now, it did to him.
“honestly, that makes sense. it's kinda funny-- not ha ha funny but more ironic funny, i guess-- a lot of the guys from pellar's town that are really attractive are all actually really important figures in their real lives, outside of the curse i mean.” he mumbled, a bit of color dusting over his cheeks as he realized he just alluded to thinking the other man was really attractive only to perk up at being given a compliment in return; even if it didn't feel entirely genuine. “yes sir-- well, kinda yes? i still don't know why this is happening but from what i remember, and from what i've come to realize through talking with other people here, pellar's town was a dark curse that pulled all of us from our homes, and our lives, and locked us away in a… normal world… where magic, and royalty, and all of that didn't exist. it made us all… people. then, apparently, this is something else. it's still rooted in dark magic, you can almost feel it, but it's brought us to here-- wherever here is-- and given us our memories back. almost like we're being played with but we don't know what the game is yet, you know? i have a feeling this is just the beginning of something… bigger…"
where: a road in tirulia | when: early afternoon | whom: open to all
To say Conan is struggling is underselling just how bad it is. The sun is too bright, the dirt from the road feels like it's clinging to his sweaty skin, the woods around him are practically screaming in his ears. Logically, he knows it's just his wolf senses being overstimulated after years of not having them, but it doesn't change how miserable he's feeling.
He stumbles to the side of the road. It doesn't help that he's definitely not in the right clothes for walking long distances. His t-shirt and jeans and some boots. Not like his old boots he vaguely remembers from before. No the boots that look cool while he drives around Pellar's Town on his motorcycle. The boots that he got complimented on when he was picking up guys around town. Boots that aren't made for walking.
He curls up in some shade, shutting his eyes and trying not to panic. He's fine. He'll be okay, he just needs to find... someone... to help...
Footsteps on the road but he can't help but flinch away. He's not in a state to talk with anyone but he's wound so tight he doesn't want to move.
all of this was a bit overwhelming. being taken from their homes, in the middle of the night, without so much of a warning all because of a curse was difficult enough to deal with but, on top of that, they had to also grapple with the reality that everything they knew-- their lives-- had all been a lie; another curse.
for someone like bowen that already had a bit of imposter syndrome this was cataclysmic. the human part of him wanted to shrink even further down-- it wanted to hide in the shadows in hopes that, eventually, one of the more heroic types would come along and save the day-- but on the other side of that coin was his old self trying to force it's way back to the surface; someone who defended those that couldn't defend themselves and constantly worked to protect shifters-- and anyone-- that came into the black forest kingdom, as well as the forest itself.
he was clearly a bit conflicted.
finding comfort in the forest, even though this one wasn't his own, he wandered through the trees and tried to make sense of all the memories and lies flipping through his head. was he bowen, was he bambi, or was he both? why were they here? who else was here? what about their homes? how would they get back, and to which ones did they want to return?
it was all too much.
he was starting to break, the panic was starting to seep in again, but as he rounded a corner he caught sight of someone curled up in the shade of a tree up ahead so he swallowed it down as quickly as he could and put on a brave face; the bravest he could muster anyway. “it's a lot, isn't it? all of this.”
chewing on his bottom lip as he approached, everything that seemed to happen to him-- everything he seemed to feel, so far-- had been complicated. part of him was relieved to see conan, to see someone he recognized and knew-- well, really-- but part of him was also hesitant. what does that mean conan remembers.
“i guess running into you out here makes sense,” he tried to tease softly as he offered a weak smile and a soft shrug of his shoulders. “though it is a bit surprising since the trail, here, still looks pretty nice. you normally terrorize them a bit more.”
as he continued to explore the new land, there was only one thing on lisandro's mind. how was he going to make it to the other lands? by that point, he had secured himself a ship, but was going to be strong enough to make it over to the underworld? time would tell. with that out of the way, he felt like he could freely explore the realm by eric's castle again. there was nothing stopping him from getting to enjoy the moment by the water. then, he heard someone running towards him and glanced at the other's direction. it didn't take him long to recognize bowen, but he didn't know the man from before.
seeing him trip and practically fall into his arms made him wonder if the man had always been that clumsy. at least he was sweet. captain hook wrapped his left hand around the other's waist to return the hug. he kept his hook tucked behind his back, not wanting to spook him. “i'm happy to see you too, bowen. although this time you're not welcoming me home, technically.” he was the one that was waiting along the coast. when he straightened himself up again, he brushed the man's cheeks with the back of his fingers. the blush was cute and the touch was a hopeful way to ensure that he remained calm. he didn't know who he was previously, but they were all shellshocked.
“the feeling is mutual. while you're not a familiar face to the old me, the new me knows you quite well.” he winked as the two of them got reacquainted with each other once more. the closeness wasn't something that he was going to shy away from either. “a good homecoming nonetheless. i don't expect either of us know where to go for how we used to do things quite yet. unless you're more adventurous with your old memories back.” that comment was true. lisandro didn't remember bowen at all in his old life. “then let's rectify that distance, shall we?” they didn't have to cut this reuinion short.
there were safety in numbers.
plus, his crew was seemingly missing for the time being.
“as well as can be expected. trying to get to my roots, i suppose. how are you?”
“no, you're right, technically i'm not the one doing the welcoming this time around. i have to admit, i'm not sure i like our roles being reversed. still kind of scared of the open water,” very scared actually. still, seeing lisandro made it easier for him to ignore how uncomfortable he felt; it made it easier for him to ignore the fact that it felt as if his stomach was caught in his throat from how unsteady he had been while on that boat; it made it easier for him to smile. “i don't know how you do it.” he teased softly under his breath, still chewing on his bottom lip.
“no, uh, wow-- you're right again mr. marinero. now that you mention it, you aren't familiar to me from that place either though i can't say that surprises me. just knowing how you are about sailing, and being out on the water, i can't imagine we would have crossed paths much if it weren't for pellar's town,” sometimes curses had their silver linings, “we don't really have much room for wide open seas in my forest kingdom-- in my home.” he answered softly before a deep blush settled on his cheeks as lisandro made a throw away comment about him potentially being bolder now that he had his memories back.
the man wasn't wrong.
“i--i'm fine enough, still trying to get a grasp on things, but i appreciate you asking; and, well, i suppose i was a bit more adventurous. the forest was so thick, and full, you didn't need to make your way home first; even the meadows were so peaceful, and secluded, that you could just…” he didn't finish the sentence but the way the color on his features continued to darken as he spoke it was clear where his mind had wandered off to.
“--did you ever do things like that, n-now that you have your memories back? were you… wanting too?”
[ open to: everyone ]
[ location: beach outside prince eric's castle ]
maui stared out at the water, his feet in the shore still outside the castle, thinking simple and completely useless thoughts about what to do next. each idea came up and was rejected, there was a barrier he couldn't get around and it was fucked up, none of his ideas had a shot of working and that had never happened to him before. probably. he also couldn't hear anyone bringing him any particular guidance or...just as maui started to wonder if he'd even ever had any guidance or vision at all, a loud bird cawed over head.
he looked up in excitement, arms spread wide, "BIRD! bird i need your eye on this situation if it wouldn't be too much trouble!" brow furrowing, maui shook his head, perplexed. he repeated it louder, clapping his hands a couple times, to absolutely no response from the bird. it continued to look for dinner.
his first few hours after waking up here and wandering around, especially the part where he had to board a ship and get himself from the surrounding, smaller island back to the mainland here, were filled with panic; with fear; with confusion, and self doubt.
now? he had come to accept the truth. he was nowhere near either of his homes; he was caught up in another mess caused by the greed of pour soul blinded by the power that they thought dark magic would give them. but magic never gave freely. there was always a price; and right now, he and the rest of pellar's town were paying it.
wandering away from the castle, finding himself back on the shore despite his unease around the water, someone seemed to be listening to what he needed. rather than having to go out in search for one, a distraction was just standing there waiting for him.
yelling up at a bird.
“i'm not sure it can hear you,” he offered up, his voice a bit soft, as he approached the obnoxiously gorgeous man. “well, actually, it probably can hear you but i think we're all still a little out of whack if you can normally talk to birds so it probably just doesn't understand you.” smiling softly, bowen stepped up next to the man and let his head tilt back as he too looked up at the bird.
“excuse me? can you hear us? makoa needs your help,” he called out, his voice cracking a bit as he yelled the loudest he had spoken in what felt like years only to stop when he remembered pellar's town was technically a lie. “--wait, sorry,” he mumbled with a soft laugh as he dropped his gaze back to the man next to him. “it's not makoa, is it? i'm sorry, that's the only way i know you-- which isn't a complaint, i'm pretty sure you're the only reason pellar's town was as green as it was and i know that wasn't an easy feat. then again, as respectable as what you do-- did?-- was, i always thought, in the back of my head, that you looked like you should be doing more. you just look,” incredible, “important, or something, you know?”
“sorry-- i'm rambling, aren't i. i've been doing that a lot today so far…”
there was an ethereal beauty in the turquoise ocean before him. the soothing sound of its living waves, the way they sparkled underneath the moonlight that bathed the coast. eloi had to find comfort in them, for otherwise, he'd find himself breaking down in tears the same way he had just hours ago.
so many things had happened in so little time. dreams had become memories, names did not match faces any longer. for weeks he had been hunted by visions, fantasies at night... a mystery prince, a royal ball, pumpkins turning into carriages, mice sewing garments. ashton could barely go along with his life as he dealt with the newfound terror of turning the doorknob to his room just to find himself locked again. locked in his attic, as poor little cendrillon did right before he was taken away to live a new life, in a land so outlandish.
for a moment he expected to wake up back in his old attic, with the duke and his one chance for freedom gone for good. instead he awakened in the middle of a tropical woodland, lost and terrified. but the sea, the sea was comforting. his father had promised eloi he'd take him there someday, to the coasts of tirulia. was he there now? he could not tell.
there was at least one consistancy between the memories of his life in the black forest and his life in pellar's town. for whatever reason large, open bodies of water like the sea filled him with a sense of dread he couldn't quite explain or understand; it was one of his more irrational fears, considering he hardly experienced more than a large lake back home in the forest. still, the vastness of an unknown he couldn't control terrified him.
yet this was oddly peaceful.
walking down the an unfamiliar beach, his head still swimming with flashes and pieces of lives that no longer made sense to him-- one fantasical and full of magic and danger and the other so damning with it's mediocrity and boredom but also a cruel taste of comfort to the point he didn't know, yet, which world he wanted to live in-- bowen was at peace. he wasn't panicking.
up ahead on the beach he noticed the silhouette of someone else staring out into the rolling lull of the waves and approached. as he got closer, excitement began to build up in him as he realized he recognized the blonde. it was ashton, the sweet and handsome clerk that worked in the boutique back home; well, back in pellar's town.
“you know, it's kind of unfair.” he spoke softly as he stepped closer, his movements slow and purposeful in an attempt to not startle the other with his approach but also to show that he was harmless just in case ashton didn't recognize him. “even, well, wherever this is you're kind of breathtakingly beautiful.” it was a flirt, in part, but his words weren't muddled down with the dirtied intentions of being charming because he wanted something from the other; because he wanted a compliment back. he just wanted to make him smile.
letting another breath of silence pass between them, staying next to him without crowding him, bowen crossed his arms over his chest and looked out at the waves as they crashed against the beach a bit further down. “you know, in the grand scheme of things, its kind of silly. being afraid of the ocean.” he explained, his voice still soft, as he tried to distract ashton from whatever was on his mind by talking about himself. “granted, before i woke up here i thought the worst thing that might happen in my day would be conan littering on one of the nature trails again or realizing i filed everything wrong at town hall and having to spend the entire day redoing it, i never imagined magic would be real and we'd all be-- well, different. that makes something like being afraid of the ocean feel silly.”
“almost as silly as how afraid i was to talk to you the first day i saw you in the boutique. you were so handsome, pretty really, and i thought i was going to have a heart attack because you were the only one around which meant i had to talk to you. do you know how embarrassing it was, giving you those jeans i had covered in butterflies and flowers, and asking you to hem them for me? actually,” he laughed softly as he remembered the moment like it was yesterday, “i'm pretty sure i was so nervous i practically yelled can you hem these bowen for me, i'm pants.”
“no, now that i think about it, you probably don't remember that. whenever i come in you've always been really nice to me, so you can't remember how silly i was. i am.”
“--and i know it's selfish of me but, uh, i don't know what's really happening or how long we're going to be here… but i'm glad you are here. it makes me feel a bit safer. like this might not be a nightmare after all because, if it was, you wouldn't be here…”
Sam tilts his head, taking in the trembling young man as he enters the cave. It seems a lot of folks from town have ended up in this strange predicament.
"It seems we've been caught up in a right nasty spell, Bowen. Come take a seat."
Sam pats the ground next to him, tossing some wood to make the fire bigger.
"We've been dragged to a new land, and it would seem this isn't the first time."
He looks down at his hand, opening and closing it, remembering the magic he used to control, winding between his fingers. And it's hiding from him for some reason.
“you make it all sound so simple mr. baron.” his voice was soft and broken, much like a whine, as he closed off the distance between them and settled to sit next to sam; a bit closer than where the man had originally motioned for him to place himself. “my head feels like it's about to explode and i don't really know what's-- well, what's real and what isn't; what's fake and what isn't.” he explained, his gaze lingering on the fire as he let his shoulder's drop; his entire posture softenting to show just how comfortably he was around the other; how quickly he let down his guard.
“if i trust these new memories, which aren't new at all, then i know we've been cursed but-- but that doesn't help any of this make sense. where are we, why are we here, why now? do--" bowen paused as he turned to look up at the other man with hopeful eyes. “do you know what's going on, why this is happening? you always know something sam…”
one would have thought after his awkward exchange early that evening with matai-- just running up and hugging him despite not having that kind of relationship with the man-- that bowen would have learned to keep his hands to himself for now but after getting off a rickety, small little boat that some stranger had been kind enough to steer to get him off the smaller island of motunui and onto the larger, main island where the castle was-- as bowen stepped onto the docks, his hair still a mess and some of his buttons in the wrong place from hasitly trying to get dressed after, his face lit up again as he saw someone else he recognized. lisandro.
running up to the man, he tripped over a notched piece of wood in the dock, but managed to keep himself from falling as he practically threw himself at the older man; wrapping his arms tight around him and hugging him close. “i didn't think this night could get any better but i'm so happy to see you mr. marinero.” he was practically giggling as he tightened his arms around the man, a blush dusting over his cheeks as he settled against a body he knew well only to find himself a bit overwhelmed as his senses seemed to go into overdrive now that he was a shifter again; his head feeling light as he took a deep breath and inhaled the other man's scent.
“it really is good to see you lisandro. so good.” he mumbled as he finally released the man from his grip with a soft, embarrassed smile and a nod of his head as space settled between them again. “it's not really the homecoming you're used too,” he teased as he began to chew on his lower lip, “but it still feels like i haven't seen you in weeks; years even.” it was in that moment that he realized, as he tried to blink his way through the jumbled memories he had as bambi, he didn't recognize lisandro from that life; from that time. but he didn't care.
he liked the man and that was enough.
what was the worst that could happen?
"how are you holding up sir?"
he wouldn't say he knew the man well, they certainly weren't the best friends type with matching friendship bracelets or drunken matching tattoos, but bowen was at least familiar enough with matai that when he stumbled upon the other man-- on the island motunui, or whatever sam had told him it was called-- bowen ran up to him and pulled him into a hug without a moment of hesitation.
“oh my gosh, matai, i'm so happy to see you.” the man delivered him his mail, at home and when he was working at town hall, and while they talked almost every day-- and bowen had failed at plenty of attempts to flirt with him-- he was just happy to see someone that brought him comfort; even if, at the back of his mind, he was wondering who he was since he had no memories of the man from back home; only from pellar's town.
“if you're here too that means, well assuming you're dealing with the same headache i am-- that means you're not from there; home. i guess it's not home though. pellar's town, i mean. that means you're from somewhere else too? you are someone else? honestly, i don't care. i'm just so happy to see someone i know. i was beginning to think i went crazy, especially after i turned into a deer-- that's a thing i can do by the way, that's actually who i am-- but it was weird.”
he rambled, arms still tight around matai, as he just… unloaded on him.
“and then i ran into sam-- samuel. you know, he's like the big real estate guy back home-- i mean, in pellar's town. but he's here too and that's how i realized it wasn't just me, and that this wasn't some weird nightmare, which was comforting but also not comforting--” he finally remembered people had personal space as he peeled himself off the other man and offered him a sheepish smile and a soft apology under his breath. “sorry-- uh-- a bit of an overload there, huh. you… you okay?”
he wanted to go home-- right now it didn't even matter to which; pellar's town or the black forest.
he just wanted to go home.
nobody seemed to have any answers; nobody seemed to know why they were here, or what was going on, or how to get out. he didn't know what was more frustrating. the fact that everything in that moment just felt entirely hopeless or the fact that despite finding other people here, other people from pellar's town here, he hadn't found anyone from the black forest yet. was he really alone here or was he just so unimportant that they were here, but they weren't looking for him.
grumbling to himself as he moved through a small settling of trees outside the castle town's walls, the closest he'd been to comfortable since waking up here with his head a mess, he kicked at the trunk of a tree out of frustration only to miss and, accidentally, kick a man he hadn't realized was there in the shin.
one day he would learn to be careful what he wished for.
“oh my gosh, i'm so sorry. i didn't mean to do that, are you okay? you're probably okay, i didn't kick you very hard-- i'm not really known for being strong, or anything like that, but i still shouldn't have kicked you; and i know i already said it but i really am--” taking a step back as he rambled, his words cut off just shy of the end of their downpour as he realized he recognized the man he had kicked. he was from the black forest.
the big. bad. wolf.
“…sorry…”
he was bambi. he was the prince of the forest. his home was the black forest, a vast kingdom of shifters and magic full of lush trees and greenery, between the kingdoms of strasburg and kehl… but he was also bowen buckley. a quiet, well mannered, background feature that called pellar's town home. his memories were blurring together, making it hard for him to pick out which were real and which were just a by product of the curse that had wrapped itself around him-- and so many others.
to make matters worse? they were nowhere near home, with no explanation as to why.
as beautiful as magic could be it was also damning.
it was dangerous.
innocent people were always paying the price for it.
right now? honestly? he was just glad he'd gotten off the smaller island-- montunui, or something like that-- and back onto the main; his movements were still a bit uncoordinated, it was taking him longer to find his land legs despite barely having been on the water. making his way through the town, towards the castle on the cliff, he hoped someone would come along with an answer-- or maybe a memory would come back to him that would help all of this make sense-- but so far there was nothing.
he was just alone.
and confused.
“h-hey!” with a bit of life returning to his features as he spotted someone up on the path ahead of him, bowen picked up his pace and began jogging after them; hoping to catch up with them. “hey-- wait-- d-do-- do you know where we are? wh-what is this place?”
where: motunui | when: evening | whom: open to all
Samuel can feel his magic somewhere. Just out of reach. He just needs to take it.
He settles himself in a cave on some island he doesn't know anything about. The fire he starts is small, mostly just to keep warm but also to make the shadows around him deeper. He just need to commune with the darkness. Establish his connection with it after all this time.
He feels like he's on the cusp of finally getting it when the snap of a twig outside takes his attention away and... it's gone again.
He sighs, frustrated.
"You might as well show yourself," he calls, gritting his teeth as he tries to find that edge again but it's gone. He looks out to the mouth of the cave where he can make out a figure in the darkness. "You've already made yourself known.
he was lost; losing his mind. this was terrifying. fumbling around like a newborn fawn in a world that felt entirely foreign to him and yet somehow more natural to him than pellar's town-- a place he never thought he would leave, so it was a place he never thought he would miss-- things he had thought were mere dreams started to feel like memories; fact and fiction seemed to be switching place.
and then he shifted.
right then and there.
like some cosmic, magic sneeze.
for a brief moment he was a young buck again; for a brief moment everything seemed to make sense. he could taste the magic in the air. he could smell it-- god, the things he could smell. he could feel it in his fur and it felt so right. for the first time in, well, forever he felt like himself again.
and then it was gone.
he was laying naked in the dirt, his clothes next to him, wondering if this, too, was just a dream.
getting dressed, his hair a mess and his eyes wide with confusion and fear, he tried to find his way towards a town-- towards something familiar.
standing in the mouth of cave, he began to worry that this might be more of a nightmare when he stepped on a twig and heard a voice, a familiar one, calling out to him from the shadows.
one day he'd learn to be careful what he wished for.
quickly shuffling into the cave, slipping on the rocks but catching himself before he fell, his chest swelled with a gasping breath as his eyes settled on a man he knew from home. A friend. “Samuel? S-Sam-- it… it's me. W-what are you doing here? What--” he hesitated with a lick of his lips and a furrowed brow as he took a slow step towards the other man. “Do you know what's going on?”
