hold on - okay, hold on. derek drops everything he's doing. he literally drops the rusty, metal cuffs he's carrying and stops pacing around the den, standing in the middle of the living room and staring at his phone. ]
[ okay... so... now what? between biting reggie, getting his own designation swapped - how the fuck is he supposed to bring that up? - and trying to figure out what the fuck to do with his graduation, there's... a lot going on in derek's head right now. tate's not signed to kavinsky anymore, and that's...
he's feeling so many different feelings and worries about that that his brain is just kind of stalling out. he doesn't even know if that's a good thing or not. it should be? it should be, but if tate's still going to stay with kavinsky when he doesn't have a legal obligation to, that's - something. that's a lot. this is all a lot. ]
Okay. Uh. Hold on. Sorry, this is kind of overwhelming. How are you feeling?
[ derek needs to sit down. think. he doesn't - but he starts pacing again. blondie, anxious as she is, stares at him with her ears dropped down from the corner of the room she never leaves. ]
There's a lot that I need to talk to you about. I don't really know how to start. What do you mean - you have to move? From your place with Kavinsky, or - are you leaving the tree house?
kavinsky's. he just got a new place but two doms can't share it i guess the same goes for the treehouse. shit. i didn't think of that? i hid out in there when nobody owned it though, maybe they won't notice or i guess i could buy it from you
not that i have money or anything they're giving out citations like crazy lately, too
[ fuck. fuck, okay, he could lose the house. derek feels sick. he could lose the den. ]
Look - Promise me you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. I need this to stay quiet until I can figure a way out of it. I'm going back to the repair shop, and I've come up with something that might hold me over for a couple of days - but - I need you to swear.
[ there's a pause. a long, long pause. he doesn't want to do this - there's something in his gut telling him he doesn't want to do this - but he doesn't know why. it's just tate. tate's been good to him, lately. he's changing, just like he said he would. ]
It happened to me, too. The card that came with my graduation letter - the ID - it says I'm a Submissive. I thought it was a mistake. Then I checked the mirror - I have the mark. The tattoo, right down my throat. I need to check into orientation, or - something. They're going to want to put a collar on me. Like a dog. I can't do it. Not today. I - shit, okay - I told Reggie that I'd bite him today. I can't let him know I'm not a Dom. I could lose the house. I could lose my job. They're going to send me to the Down.
I'm going back to the repair shop in Insincerity. They might be able to fix this.
[ if they can't - fuck, he doesn't want to think about that. ]
Keep your ear to the ground. Find out if anyone else changed. When it happened at the hotel - it only changed a handful of people. I know it happened to Stiles once, too. Dom to Sub. It was punishment, though. He was the only person affected.
[ he wanted to spend today with tate, before the bite became such an immediate factor. derek replies without thinking, at first. ]
I need to do see Reggie sooner rather than later. The city could repossess the den. They could throw me in the people zoo for being in the Up without a contract. If I'm going to bite him, I need to bite him before he finds out that I'm not a Dom anymore. I can't push this back. I'm sorry. I know it's your birthday.
[ a pause. quickly, he adds - ]
You should come to the den. Now. We can spend some time together. You can meet Blondie. You can take her to the treehouse while I'm with Reggie, or - take her for a walk, if you don't think she would be good with the cats. Reggie's probably going to spend the night with me. He'll probably be in the den for a couple of days, at least. Probably can't keep her around a new wolf. Windex, too.
[Tate's immediately jealous, in a very envious of Reggie way, but he swallows it down. He's got to be - or at least look - the part of an understanding person right now. Even if every particle in his body wants to scream about how unfair everything is despite being handed a city upgrade. He scratches his hands through his hair and takes a moment before replying.]
okay. i'll come just for a little while let me know if there's anything you need since you know, you can't... buy it now for you and reggie
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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i had a couple drinks last night and i think i'm hung over
i don't think i follow the transition. maybe i'm still drunk
something just happened that might interest you though
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Something. I don't know. I've never had a hangover.
What happened?
[ he's - a little busy, a little preoccupied, so his answers are coming fast and short. there's a lot happening on his end right now. ]
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hold on - okay, hold on. derek drops everything he's doing. he literally drops the rusty, metal cuffs he's carrying and stops pacing around the den, standing in the middle of the living room and staring at his phone. ]
What?
[ eloquent. ]
no subject
i've gotta move and do all this shit apparently
just like that. it's different.
i don't really understand
[Doesn't really remember making that wish, at least not yet.]
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[ okay... so... now what? between biting reggie, getting his own designation swapped - how the fuck is he supposed to bring that up? - and trying to figure out what the fuck to do with his graduation, there's... a lot going on in derek's head right now. tate's not signed to kavinsky anymore, and that's...
he's feeling so many different feelings and worries about that that his brain is just kind of stalling out. he doesn't even know if that's a good thing or not. it should be? it should be, but if tate's still going to stay with kavinsky when he doesn't have a legal obligation to, that's - something. that's a lot. this is all a lot. ]
Okay. Uh. Hold on. Sorry, this is kind of overwhelming.
How are you feeling?
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this happened to a girl i know
i think i'm gonna ask her how it went for her
it's not normal for graduation, i think
but what's normal around here, anyway?
i don't really know what to do now.
[Because he wants to appease Derek a little by reminding him of his loyalty:]
now you and i can't sign
i have to find someone else
eventually.
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[ sharp and quick. ]
No. Hold on.
Don't find anyone else.
[ derek needs to sit down. think. he doesn't - but he starts pacing again. blondie, anxious as she is, stares at him with her ears dropped down from the corner of the room she never leaves. ]
There's a lot that I need to talk to you about.
I don't really know how to start.
What do you mean - you have to move? From your place with Kavinsky, or - are you leaving the tree house?
no subject
i guess the same goes for the treehouse. shit. i didn't think of that?
i hid out in there when nobody owned it though, maybe they won't notice
or i guess i could buy it from you
not that i have money or anything
they're giving out citations like crazy lately, too
no subject
Citations.
[ fuck. fuck, okay, he could lose the house. derek feels sick. he could lose the den. ]
Look -
Promise me you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. I need this to stay quiet until I can figure a way out of it. I'm going back to the repair shop, and I've come up with something that might hold me over for a couple of days - but -
I need you to swear.
no subject
[what the fuck, derek?]
what is it?
no subject
It happened to me, too.
The card that came with my graduation letter - the ID - it says I'm a Submissive.
I thought it was a mistake. Then I checked the mirror - I have the mark. The tattoo, right down my throat.
I need to check into orientation, or - something. They're going to want to put a collar on me. Like a dog.
I can't do it. Not today.
I - shit, okay - I told Reggie that I'd bite him today. I can't let him know I'm not a Dom.
I could lose the house. I could lose my job. They're going to send me to the Down.
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[That's - weird? That's weird.]
does this mean it's happening to a lot of people?
or just new graduates? i haven't heard anything from anyone else
what are you going to do?
there's gotta be something we can do about it all
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[ if they can't - fuck, he doesn't want to think about that. ]
Keep your ear to the ground. Find out if anyone else changed.
When it happened at the hotel - it only changed a handful of people.
I know it happened to Stiles once, too. Dom to Sub.
It was punishment, though. He was the only person affected.
no subject
do you want me to come to the treehouse or
[Rewind:]
do you want me to stay away
if you're
biting him. today.
no subject
I need to do see Reggie sooner rather than later.
The city could repossess the den. They could throw me in the people zoo for being in the Up without a contract.
If I'm going to bite him, I need to bite him before he finds out that I'm not a Dom anymore. I can't push this back.
I'm sorry. I know it's your birthday.
[ a pause. quickly, he adds - ]
You should come to the den. Now.
We can spend some time together. You can meet Blondie.
You can take her to the treehouse while I'm with Reggie, or - take her for a walk, if you don't think she would be good with the cats.
Reggie's probably going to spend the night with me. He'll probably be in the den for a couple of days, at least.
Probably can't keep her around a new wolf. Windex, too.
no subject
okay. i'll come
just for a little while
let me know if there's anything you need
since you know, you can't... buy it now
for you and reggie
[ugh.]
during the bite or after
whatever
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For now, at least. Don't know how I'm going to eat from now on.
Theft, maybe.
[ it's been a long time since he first brought Tate something to eat in the treehouse. derek's stomach flips, and he tries not to think about it. ]
Make sure you come around the front. Don't come up the side.
[ and with that, derek will meet tate soon. ]