Creepy Old Mansion on Phoenix Way, Tuesday Morning

[newroutines]

Mike had made himself scarce last night He'd been busy, anyway, calling up Brooke, to check she was all good, and to talk about getting his shit sent up to him at some point. They'd ended up talking about a lot more than that, and for pretty long, too. It'd been kind of nice to talk to someone so utterly level-headed after spending a few weeks getting used to Fandom style crazy. He missed her, more than he'd realized.

But he was back at the house this morning, coming in with takeaway coffee. "Yo, everything good in here?"

[ooc: For thems that are here! Or random visits too. We're easy here.]

Comments

[justlurkinghere]

Derek had issues with sneaking up on people. In his defense, it wasn't always on purpose.

So, sorry for suddenly appearing behind you as soon as you were inside, Mike. "You brought coffee."

[newroutines]

Coffee which almost ended up on the floor right then.

"Motherfu-- !"

Mike spun around, clutching his chest with his free hand. "Jesus, how many times do I have to tell you, man? Don't do that."

[bitten_notshy]

Down in the basement, Jack woke to the sight of slugs mating inches from his eyes. He had the most exciting life. (Sometime, he was going to need to talk to Derek about maybe not chaining him in every night.)

But for now, he harrumphed and called up the stairs. He heard Mike, but he was perfectly willing to let Mike assume they'd been playing Dungeon of Terror if it mean he got out of here.

"Is there breakfast?"

[justlurkinghere]

"Coffee, not breakfast," Derek replied, giving Mike an amused look before going down to take care of Jack.

Hey, at least pants had been left close for the morning?

[newroutines]

"Who the fuck was that?" Mike asked, frowning at Derek...'s back. Before following him, because what the fuck, seriously. "Was that Jack?"

Even knowing Derek was a werewolf, he was so out of the loop.

[bitten_notshy]

"Yes, hi, I find your basement an excellent place to observe slug orgies. It's a hobby of mine."

Jack was cold and damp, and the zipper on his pants was sticking. He was not at his best.

[justlurkinghere]

Derek tossed a grey henley at him that would probably be too large, but at least it would be warm. Then he set to work on quickly unlocking the chains. "Slug orgies?"

[newroutines]

Mike was just going to frown at both of them, now, if that was okay with everyone.

"Would someone maybe please care to explain? And not about the slugs, though we should probably get rid of those."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack sighed. With the henley's sleeves flopping about the ends of his arms and the neckline resting on his collar, he looked perhaps 16.

"I have a medical condition that can be dangerous. I stay here for the safety of everyone," he said, and looked to Derek to see if he should say more or leave it at that.

[justlurkinghere]

Jack just wanted to be part of the shirtless party. It's okay, we understand.

"I told him about me." Just him.

[newroutines]

Mike looked from Derek to Jack and back again. "So, what, is this the same deal?"

He'd actually prefer it to having to learn about anything new and weird.

[bitten_notshy]

"Essentially," Jack said, pressing his fingertips to the bridge of his nose. "I'm from a different universe, so there are some changes, but -- basically, yes. I'm a werewolf."

He still hated saying it with those three words. It sounded so bald.

[justlurkinghere]

Heeeeey.

"Coffee." Repress those emotions, Derek! Repress like the wind!

[newroutines]

"I only brought two." This was what happened when he wasn't properly informed of things! "It's cool though, you can have 'em."

So, his helpful streak had kicked in, in the face of dealing with this werewolf crap again.

[bitten_notshy]

"Thank you," Jack said with genuine gratitude that was as much due to the lack of freak-out as it was to the delicious caffeine. "I'll -- buy a coffee maker as a housewarming gift."

They needed one, anyhow.

[newroutines]

"Not really necessary." Though they did need one, and he wasn't sure if his old one was going to be in the stuff Brooke was supposed to send over. "I'm just doing the... good houseowner thing. Or something, whatever."

[bitten_notshy]

"If I'm staying here a few nights a month," Jack reasoned. "I should at least pay some kind of rent. You really didn't hear anything?"

He was grateful for that, though he knew the storm could have swallowed most of his roars.

[newroutines]

"From across town? No." Hey, Derek had been warning him about the full moon just about since the first five minutes he'd even showed up. Mike wasn't stupid. "Nah, I was at the hotel."

[bitten_notshy]

"That would be another way to stay out of our way," Jack smiled. "I promise, I'm not always in your basement."

Sometimes he was in the living room!

[newroutines]

"Good, because that would be creepy." Notice how he very pointedly did not glance at Derek when he said that, though he did cast a glance around. "I'd barely paid attention to us having a basement, really."

Because the rest of the house was horrible enough.

[bitten_notshy]

"It's not much of one," Jack said, wrinkling his nose slightly. "It's all boxed holiday decorations and insect life. Hardly the best place to spend the night -- though it did keep me dry and contained."

[newroutines]

"Which is more than can be said for many other folks along the coast," Mike agreed. Valiantly resisting the urge to go poke at some of the stuff around. It was all going to be gross, anyway. "Glad that it helps, though."

[justlurkinghere]

"You won't need to be contained if we can get you in control," Derek chimed in from his shadowy corner of social awkwardness.

[bitten_notshy]

Well, if nothing else that was proof Derek hadn't died on his feet in the corner.

"I'm still not sure the kind of control you have is even possible for me," Jack returned, with a slight glance to Mike. "But we can talk about it when we don't have company, hmmm?"

[newroutines]

Mike held his hands up. "Hey, I'm doing my best to stay out of your... wolfy business, no problem. In fact I can go on my way right now, to call some people about the water issue. And the whole upstairs situation."

Despite how much Derek liked looming at the top of the stairs, Mike was not all the way convinced the upstairs were entirely safe, no.

[justlurkinghere]

Way to make them sound like an old married couple, Jack.

Derek just frowned, sticking to his corner. Where he could look threatening instead of awkward. Aww yeeeaaah. Like a boss.

[bitten_notshy]

"Running water," Jack nodded, rather idiotically, "would help with making coffee at home."

And then he glanced at Derek uncomfortably, as if trying to decide whether he had anything to apologize for or not.