◦ kitchen

@seo inguk∘ ᵗᶦᵐᵇᵉʳ ʷᵒˡᶠ The owner found it quite simple to teach the wolf to control his emotions, though he noticed it wasn’t always easy for the hybrid. To give the hybrid a break from the others and give him a distraction, he offered him to help with supper that night, one of the simplest of chores to keep him busy. He was surprised the wolf had agreed but he was also glad; he enjoyed the company in the kitchen since he used to always be the only one in the kitchen. But overtime, majority of the hybrids always offered up help around the building to show their gratitude. He was thankful; happy. They were like kids to him, he loved all of them unconditionally. Taehyung was in the middle of cooking and placing the same amounts of food in each bowl while Inguk helped him serve the bowls. But him being preoccupied, he didn’t pay attention to the conversation in at the table where the other hybrids were gathering for supper. The hybrid that was ‘in the wolf’s seat’ glanced up and blinked with confusion, “I was here first.. I’m not moving. You can sit somewhere else.” He spoke as he gestured to the other empty seats.

@seo inguk∘ ᵗᶦᵐᵇᵉʳ ʷᵒˡᶠ At the wolf’s words, Feiyu couldn’t help but lightly shake his head. “If you only rely on yourself, what happens when you get to a situation where you need help? You might think you can always take care of yourself, but you can’t.” He took a long look at his fellow canine’s ears. “Plus, don’t we come from pack animals?” He shrugged, his eyes focusing on what was coming once again. “19 is pretty young, what happened?” He didn’t take the hint - by choice this time. He was curious. Inguk could always simply tell him to not ask again (and, he probably would). But there was only so long they could chase each other in a circle for, and the river was quick approaching as they closed the distance to the tree line.

@chen feiyu∘ ʰᵘˢᵏʸ That comment was exactly where they differed. Inguk met everyone on the premise that he could rely on no one but himself. Even with Taehyung's support and the home he had been given, the wolf remained apprehensive, voices I'm the back of his head always eager to remind him it could all disappear in an instant, just as his parents had. The wolf's eyes flicked away, "Or you could learn to rely on yourself... no one else will look after yourself or cate for you as well as you can." The wolf raided his eyebrows. He hadn't expected that from the Husky. Frankly, he seemed to be too much of a bimbo to be any sort of criminal-- then again, perhaps that's why he'd ended up caught. The wolf shrugged, "I came here when I was 19... you do the math." He left it at that, no words of his background or story to be found and instead sped up ahead the final meters to the river, the sun just beginning its ascent into the sky.

@seo inguk∘ ᵗᶦᵐᵇᵉʳ ʷᵒˡᶠ The dumb husky’s head dipped into a light nod. “I guess you could say that - I like to look for the positives in meeting new people. You never know which of them will become someone you can rely on a lot,” He said, proud of his wisdom for a moment as they walked. Feiyu’s eyes remained fixed ahead, on the babbling stream waiting for them. “Oh, yeah, a couple of years now. I, you know, tried to rob him, so he offered me a place to stay.” Even in the cool air the husky felt his cheeks warm at the memory. “And what about you? How long have you known him for?”

@kim taehyung∘ ᵒʷⁿᵉʳ The wolf had quietly kept his resolve from his talk with the over zealous Husky the other night: he'd volunteered to help Taehyung with dinner, from cooking, to setting up the table, to now serving the food for anyone that showed up. The job had been easy enough and the wolf felt all the better for helping Taehyung, even if in reality he'd been more of a hindrance in the kitchen with his clumsy cooking skills than the help he'd been hoping for. Regardless, the food was made and ready to serve. The wolf gathered up the plates and began out of the kitchen to head to the dining table, a soft, pleased smile on his lips to present the food he'd helped to make. The smile faltered and then faded all together. Someone was in his seat. Someone. Was. In. His. Seat. The wold paused, jaw clenched. Calm. He had to remain calm, surely the hybrid that had taken up residence in his chair hadn't realized his mistake. No, they didn't have assigned seats, but Inguk always sat there during meals, it was his. The wolf stepped closer and set the plates down, never once leaving the intruder out of his sight. He stopped next to him and mumbled, terse, trying to be civil, "You-- You're in my seat. I'd like it back now. Thank you."

@chen feiyu∘ ʰᵘˢᵏʸ "You do seem like the type that would just ignore it... and plow on." Again, there was a tiny edge to his voice, but as the air chilled around them, the wolf seemed to defrost some. Nature always did that for him-- outside amongst the trees he felt more relaxed, less pressure to do anything other than enjoy himself. The wolf's eyes caught the view up ahead, the gentle gurgle of the water mot far from them. He stuffed his hands in his pocket and looked back at the husky, "Have you been with Taehyung for long now? I don't recall... Like I said I try not to hang around much--"

@seo inguk∘ ᵗᶦᵐᵇᵉʳ ʷᵒˡᶠ With the voice that had been full of sarcasm and what he /thought/ might’ve been upset at being intruded on earlier, the husky was entirely expecting to be left to wander off by himself. He was pleasantly surprised by the wolf coming with him though, and kept pace with him while they walked, excitement delving into his limbs as he felt the cool air on his cheeks. He’d promised not to be a pest however, so he was well behaved. “That’s fair. There’s a lot of familiar and unfamiliar faces around. But I haven’t met anyone particularly unkind yet, or even just generally unpleasant.” He paused a moment before speaking again. “Or maybe I just ignore it. But you’re right, watching the sunrise seems like the best way to have some down time.”

@chen feiyu∘ ʰᵘˢᵏʸ Inguk held back in surprise but let the husky do as he wished. The wolf wasn't new to the place either. He'd been at the home since late into his teenage years, the place with the only space where he felt stability and a sense of belonging, even if he couldn't quite bring himself to call it home-- too much commitment, too much power over him for something that could be taken away at any moment in time. Inguk quickly stepped in pace with the Husky. His warmth breath formed soft, white rivulets in the cool air, eyes taking in the gentle silence. He looked at Chen, "A few times a week... I like the peace-- It's always so busy back there. It's nice to have some time to myself."

@seo inguk∘ ᵗᶦᵐᵇᵉʳ ʷᵒˡᶠ “You’re right, we don’t.” Nodding his head in agreement and very happy that his pushing had worked, the husky hybrid made to get his coat so that he wouldn’t freeze to death outside on a chilly winter’s morning. He shivered, and hastened his coat, stepping out into the cold and glancing across at Inguk. “You said the river, right? Let’s head there then.” With confident steps the husky lead the way. He knew his way around the sanctuary and it’s surroundings. He wasn’t new to the place, and there had always been times he’d taken nighttime wanders to stretch his legs before bed. It helped him relax. “Do you often go out to watch the sunrise?”

@chen feiyu∘ ʰᵘˢᵏʸ Nice. Inguk had to be nice. That was the constant mantra in his head and one of the reasons he stuck so closely to it was, indeed, the human that owned the place. The wolf owed him and keeping out of trouble was Inguk's duty. He had to get along even when he'd rather be on his own. The wolf cleared his throat, "Right... Shall we go? We don't want to miss the sunrise." Inguk didn't wait for a response and instead opened up the door to the outside. Immediately the cold of winter rushed up and around him, welcoming him like an old friend.

@seo inguk∘ ᵗᶦᵐᵇᵉʳ ʷᵒˡᶠ Feiyu could understand the feeling. He was eternally grateful for Taehyung giving him and so many other hybrids a home. It was why he always did the dishes and kept his room nice and tidy. He wouldn’t put the human through more work than he had to. The husky paused a moment longer before he refused again this time. He was sure he detected sarcasm - but maybe he should just ignore it? Maybe the guy didn’t mean to sound like that? He carried his mug to the sink to wash it out. “It wouldn’t be the whole house, it would just be the two of us, and I’m not even that bad when I’m outside!” Did it help him make a good impression, insisting that he could be good company? Probably not.

@chen feiyu∘ ʰᵘˢᵏʸ "I didn't no. I usually keep to myself throughout the day... Maybe next time? Though... I feel bad some. I should help him out more so he isn't doing all the work-- given he's giving us somewhere to live for free already." Fine. He's admit it. To himself, anyway. Taehyung had his loyalty even if he still felt apprehensive around the human. Inguk had nearly reached the door when the offer for company came from behind him. The Husky really couldn't read Inguk's cues, could he? Inguk gritted his teeth, "Sure. Maybe we should invite the rest of the house while we're at it."

@seo inguk∘ ᵗᶦᵐᵇᵉʳ ʷᵒˡᶠ As he poured himself a mug, he looked back over at his fellow canine. “He does. Did you try the waffles the other day? Covered in syrup they were just-” He paused, to let out a sound of approval, “-incredible.” Feiyu took a few comfortable sips from the drink, moving away to let Inguk wash up the pot and mug, and leaning on the counter safely out of the way for a change. He followed the wolf’s gaze to the window. He could do with stretching his legs too. Maybe it would save him bothering more people later. Unless he took an unneeded power nap. He’d get to it when he got there. Downing his mug as quickly as he could without spilling it down his front, he stood up to attention. “Would you like company? I think watching the sunrise would be nice.”

@chen feiyu∘ ʰᵘˢᵏʸ Inguk nodded, fingers tapping along the warm mug in his hands, the last sip of it only seconds away. He glanced back at the husky, "Taehyung usually has a knack for making good meals... Perhaps you can ask him for something good for breakfast later." The wolf took the last sip of his cocoa then turned to the sink to wash up his mug and the pot he'd made the hot chocolate in. The darkness outside was quickly fading into a clear sky, but Inguk wasn't ready. Not yet. He picked up his coat, "I think I'll go on a walk before the sun comes up. Maybe I'll catch the sunrise by the river."

@seo inguk∘ ᵗᶦᵐᵇᵉʳ ʷᵒˡᶠ The fridge was always full, and yet he still couldn’t quite find anything that satisfied him. The owner of the sanctuary kept everything in order, so they wouldn’t go hungry. One of his fluffy ears twitched. Maybe he was thirsty, not hungry? He closed the door, eyes shining at the offer. “Really? Thank you, I’ll take some.” Delighted, he pulled a mug from a cupboard. He could eat chocolate, though he was advised not to eat too much. But that was the same for anyone - anyone would get a sore stomach from eating too much chocolate. “I was hungry, but I don’t think I am. It’s not breakfast time, anyway.”

@chen feiyu∘ ʰᵘˢᵏʸ Inguk knew dog hyrbids to be quite dense, but for the husky hybrid to miss the more-than-slight annoyance in Inguk's voice, either he had no sense of communication or the husky was simply choosing to ignore it. Inguk brought the warm mug to his lips for a sip, the warm drinking spreading a tender blanket of comfort over him to soothe him, even a little, away from his discomfort. Nice. He had to be nice. The wolf shook his head, eyes forward now and looking out onto the early morning dawn, "Something like that. What are you looking for in there? There's... some extra cocoa on the stove if you'd like it." There was the whole bit about dog hybrids and chocolate, of course, but perhaps Chen was unaffected as he was and so he laid the offer on the table as a peace offering only he was aware of.

@seo inguk∘ ᵗᶦᵐᵇᵉʳ ʷᵒˡᶠ It was a good thing that it was difficult to deter a husky from something it wanted to do, otherwise the hybrid might’ve paused or flinched at the tone he was faced with. A social creature, personal space meant nothing to Feiyu, and he was more than happy to step into the kitchen and upset the tranquility of the space. “Bad dreams?” He turned his attention from the wolf to the fridge, pulling open the cool door. “I couldn’t either, and I couldn’t be bothered trying to get back to sleep.”

@chen feiyu∘ ʰᵘˢᵏʸ Inguk hates being awake so early, but there was a downside-- the house was quiet, empty, peaceful and he didn't have to deal with the constant pressure to socialize and be amiable to those around him. The wolf had indulged in a cup of warm cocoa, held between his hands now to warm him in the midst of the chilled morning. He was... enjoying himself? Until, much like in the lobby, a voice suddenly rang out. The wolf groaned internally. He really had the worst luck, didn't he? His eyes, as frozen as the tundra, slid onto Chen, "Couldn't sleep. And why are /you/ here?" The question slipped past hisblips, more unpleasant and accusatory than he'd meant, but he was still reeling from having his lonely peace interrupted.

@seo inguk∘ ᵗᶦᵐᵇᵉʳ ʷᵒˡᶠ It tended to be the case that when Feiyu was up, he was up. Usually, he would take it out on the rest of the house by sharing his early morning frustration at being awake by saying everything that was brought to mind out loud - but for now, he was quite happy to plod along to he kitchen. He was hungry. Stopped in his tracks by the figure of another person however, he blinked, then chattered a quick, “What are you doing up so early?”

It was too early- way too early to be alive, but Inguk had awoken and found himself unable to sleep. His mind reeled in a million different directions and try as he might, the wolf was unable to quiet the buzzing thoughts. And with his inability to sleep, the wolf hybrid ended up in the kitchen in search of a warm drink.