"Easy for you to say! You could snap me in half with teeth like that," Kurt jokes, laughing even brighter at the mental image of a human kneeling by a river with a fish in their mouth. It feels so natural, joking with them like this, feeling so relaxed even while naked, even while surrounded and outnumbered by five strangers twice their size. Despite the lingering nerves, Kurt can feel themself blossoming, slowly opening up to the pack. Their new family. It feels so good to let their guard down.
It also proves to be dangerous. Benji stumbles away from Kai, his long awkward arms flailing as he tries to catch himself, smacking little Kurt right between their shoulders just as they turn to carry the bowls back to the fireplace. Startled, they stumble too, losing their balance, losing their grip, falling—
Everything happens all at once. Bowls go flying, clattering to the ground with an awful cacophony of wood meeting wood, sending dust flying into the air. One of the bowls ricochets off a jar of powdered nettle left out on the counter, which shatters as soon as it hits the floor, powder and glass going everywhere. Kurt hits the floor too with a sharp cry, just barely catching themself on their elbows, pain shooting through their body from the sudden impact, skin breaking. Thankfully, as they push themself up, it seems they're largely unharmed, escaping with only scrapes and bruises.
But when they look up to see the damage they've caused, they fear that might not be the case for long. They made such an awful mess. They spilled precious medicine all over the floor. They cracked a couple of Benji's beautiful handmade bowls, one of them split right down the middle. Father would've beat them within an inch of their life if they did this to him.
But they're not with Father. They're surrounded and outnumbered by five strangers twice their size, with teeth that could snap them in half. The stab of fear in their gut at that thought is petrifying, making their blood run ice cold.
"Sorry," they barely manage, unable to look at any of them as they push themself up on their knees, trembling hands trying and failing to sweep up their mess. It's hard to see anything through the vale of tears over their eyes. "Sorry, s-sorry, I'm s-so sorry, please..."
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It also proves to be dangerous. Benji stumbles away from Kai, his long awkward arms flailing as he tries to catch himself, smacking little Kurt right between their shoulders just as they turn to carry the bowls back to the fireplace. Startled, they stumble too, losing their balance, losing their grip, falling—
Everything happens all at once. Bowls go flying, clattering to the ground with an awful cacophony of wood meeting wood, sending dust flying into the air. One of the bowls ricochets off a jar of powdered nettle left out on the counter, which shatters as soon as it hits the floor, powder and glass going everywhere. Kurt hits the floor too with a sharp cry, just barely catching themself on their elbows, pain shooting through their body from the sudden impact, skin breaking. Thankfully, as they push themself up, it seems they're largely unharmed, escaping with only scrapes and bruises.
But when they look up to see the damage they've caused, they fear that might not be the case for long. They made such an awful mess. They spilled precious medicine all over the floor. They cracked a couple of Benji's beautiful handmade bowls, one of them split right down the middle. Father would've beat them within an inch of their life if they did this to him.
But they're not with Father. They're surrounded and outnumbered by five strangers twice their size, with teeth that could snap them in half. The stab of fear in their gut at that thought is petrifying, making their blood run ice cold.
"Sorry," they barely manage, unable to look at any of them as they push themself up on their knees, trembling hands trying and failing to sweep up their mess. It's hard to see anything through the vale of tears over their eyes. "Sorry, s-sorry, I'm s-so sorry, please..."