The Sight

With a slight tilt of his head, Cooper's brows pull together in balant confusion. "Ah, well, you don't have to do that." He manages stiffly, suddenly very consciously aware that he may have been a little too eager over one cookie when there was quite a sizable plethora of options. "I'm fine with anything, so you don't have to go out of your way…" Cooper quickly adds, his brain mentally patting himself on the back for avoiding what could have been a misunderstanding . As his genetics were far odder than that of a normal vampire or witch, he didn't have the appetites of either. Meaning he didn't need to eat as often as humans -he could even go a full week without a sustainable meal-, nor did he have issues stomaching anything that wasn't drenched in ungodly amounts of blood. He had always seen it as a good survival tactic, but in the present years he had almost dismissed the fact. Finding a semi-amount of joy in a steaming cup of tea or the tin-cans of cookies and biscuits that his grandmother so frequently sent him. To further emphasize his statement he reaches blindly back into the container, almost as equally chomping down into the crumbly cookie with blitheness.
 
Oliver watched the other's brows knit together looking confused and mirrored the confusion. When he heard his reply he worried for a second that the other didn't like the cookies. But he didn't have to worry long before Cooper corrected he meant he didn't need to make specific kinds of cookies. He shrugged before smiling,"The whole point of making cookies it to make people happy, if you like those kinds of cookies I'm happy to make more of them," he smiled kindly at the other,"Plus I never eat the cookies I make usually so it doesn't matter what kind I make. I'm happy making any kind as long as someone will like them!" He always did love baking, it was a passion of his that he didn't tell many about. Small town plus gay guy who likes to bake? Yeah those um, don't tend to mix very well he learned growing up. Seeing Cooper reach into the container to grab another cookie he smiled before going back to his sketching. "So anything interesting happen in the forest this week?" he asked half just joking around since he didn't think anything interesting ever happened in the forest.
 
Thoughtfully, he presses his lips into a thin line, rummaging through the details of the following week. With much surprise, nothing particularly plaguy or even somewhat interesting had happened. Cooper had spent a little less time outside than he usually did, with less than the usual bustle in the forest, he was relatively gifted with quite a lot of freetime. That he found himself quite befuddled on what exactly he was to do with it, the fall and winter seasons weren’t typically as quiet and uneventful as the current one was, and he found that -while relaxing and stress-relieving- he didn’t have much or any of a social life. So he spent that freetime wandering around his house or reading the plethora of books nestled into the bookshelf set up in his office that he didn’t often have the time to go through. “Unfortunately, I have no beguiling tales to share… The week has been fairly uneventful, unless Fingersmith by Sarah Waters could clam up your interests.” Cooper voices after a juncture of quiet contemplation, his lips quirk up into a coltishly playful and goad smile.
 
Oliver was happy to see Copper enjoying his cookies. He didn't really have anyone to bake for right now given his grandma being the only other person he liked here. So if copper liked his cookies he was more than happy to keep making the only he liked. As the other said nothing interesting happened he laughed. "Fingersmith...hm that's the only that's set in the Victorian Era right?" not many knew it but Oliver loved reading. His grandparents had a lovely collection in their house that he was always encouraged to use as a kid. "You should see some of the books my grandma house, some of them are suuuuuper old," he laughed as he carefully sketched. "My week was pretty much same old same old...well except..."he paused," I'm probably reading too much into it but everyone in town has seemed more on edge than usual. I mean they're always testy but the past week...they're been acting odd when I see them."
 
The utterance uncovers the gratuitous feeling of awry that had unpromptedly settled into the back of his mind as the season had started and progressed. While humans, specifically the citizens of Warlington, were strange and had odd ways of going about their lives. Even Cooper could agree that their had been something alarming about the way they’d been acting recently, they’d been more secretive about everything, had stopped whispering to each other on the outskirts of their houses and instead would whisk away into their homes whenever they caught even a glimpse of another person, and they seemed almost alarmingly aware of anything and everything around them.

“What exactly does odd entail?”, Cooper asks after a moment of perplexed contemplation, his brow involuntarily furrowing into a somewhat troubled frown. It was becoming quite clear that he’d probably have to cut his ‘free-time’ short and figure out if whatever was going in town would be more troubling then he’d regarded.
 
Oliver was surprised the other was interested in the townsfolk being odd. But then again there wasn't much to do here other than pick up on the habits of people. Plus he wouldn't lie he had been dying to talk to someone about the odd behavior but his grandma wasn't exactly the best observer. "Well...like not their usual nosy selves. Usually when I come in for groceries they're all watching me and whispering like old ladies at church. But now...they don't even go near each other, let alone pay attention to me. They come into town and shops less than usual, just buying groceries and hurrying out. Even at the cashier they're not gossiping. I'm so used to them be out and about at all times, like they usually do. My neighbors have also be reclusive, I'm pretty sure I could throw a party and they wouldn't even crack a blind to look,"he stopped his sketching as he realized things had been alot more than just a little weird. He never thought he would say it but he was actually missing their normal nosy behavior, it was unnerving seeing them reclusive. "They're all acting like...like there's a murderer or someone among them. Or like there's something going on but God knows they won't tell me a darn thing. I know I haven't been home in a few years but I don't remember the townsfolk acting THIS weird," he sighed," Do you have any idea what's freaking them out? I mean I know Halloween is coming this month but surely a bunch of naggy adults aren't spooked by a children's holiday, right? "
 
The observations shared with him dig deep into uncomfortable parts of his brain, lighting a flame to a candle he had thought -hoped even- had ended decades ago, but it seemed humans always had odd and unpredictable patterns of life. Barely able to hide the unsettling look from his face, Cooper audibly gulps, his saliva almost feeling too thick for his own tongue. God, he fucking hated this town. "Yeah, I do agree, their oddities are becoming increasingly concerning…" He attentively provides , not quite understanding how exactly he was supposed to respond without somewhat revealing his even odder placing in the world. "But, it could just be the yearly festival, it always seemed to spook out even the oldest soul's here. I recall it having to do with some demonic things the earlier generations liked to spew about, I'm sure it's nothing.." Cooper explains, his lips titling into what he could only hope was a reassuring smile. While he wasn't entirely lying, it was with obviousness that he was keeping something. And he might have an aggressive suspicion behind the townspeople behavior, what he wasn't entirely sure of was the importance of keeping Oliver in the dark about it.

Grinding his teeth down to keep from expressing his worry about the boy, he rustles the fabric of his overcoat to try and somewhat calm his increasingly frazzled nerves.. "You should be careful," He blurts after a stiff moment of battle between his inner self, "I heard there's been a sudden increase in the wild wolves sightings in town.. " He says, awkwardly fumbling with the lie, and praying to god that Oliver didn't notice the underlying message his conscious had troubling provided. Worry, it was such a fickle and honestly annoying feeling x and it was even stranger feeling worried for a boy he merely met less than a month ago. Cooper muses to himself, eyes drifting away from Olvier's face and towards the thickets of trees surrounding them.
 
Oliver could tell that something seemed...off about Cooper as he explained the oddness of the townsfolk. Then again the other wasn't a people person so maybe it unsettled him when people started acting odd. It certainly weirded him out to see everyone acting out of character. Don't get him wrong he didn't enjoy their normal gossipy nosey attitude but the sudden change was unnerving. "The yearly festival? Hm my grandparents would never let me go to that when I lived here, made me stay home all day," he shrugged,"Probably since they knew most of the town didn't like me and were worried I'd be bullied or something." He used to want to go to the festival but after a few years he lost interest in being anywhere near the townsfolk. Cooper was still acting...very odd, almost like he was nervous. Which Oliver hadn't seen much emotion out of him at all since they met so a display like this was worrisome. When he suddenly blurted out that he should be careful because of more wolf sightings in town he paused. "Wolf sightings? Hm...wonder what could be drawing them into town," he always thought wolves were beautiful but dangerous,"Well then I'll be extra careful getting groceries and stuff. Maybe I'll carry a stick or something when I come this this clearing." He hadn't seen a wolf or anything dangerous so far in the woods. Oliver always assumed it was because this clearing wasn't too far from the road and maybe animals just steered clear of it. But if wolves were coming closer he was a bit worried about the clearing..
 
Cooper nods stiffly, somewhat pleased that he is relatively able to concort some sense of alert in Oliver. Though his own worry stills seemed unsettled and it was unnerving how uncomfortable the air around them had gotten. Well in his area anyway, mindlessly fiddling with the fallen button of his coat, he keeps his gaze intently trained at the swaying trees surrounding them. The clearing was a pretty unpopular area with most wild animals, because it left them exposed and just out in the open. Which is why most animals usually drifted away from this area, especially prey, yet predators on the other hand were a tad bit more aggressive and less caring. Thankfully though, Cooper was sure he wouldn't actually have to worry about wolves bothering Olvier, the ones in the forest seemed a lot more cautious of humans. The thought helps to ease out some of the stiffness in his shoulder, his eyes half-lidded as the cool breeze brushes through the unruly strands of his brunette hair. The air seemed to be turning chillier with every passing second, and he wasn't entirely sure if it was just the dread of what he'd was expected to do or if the fall weather was really settling into town.
 
Oliver could feel the air around them was alot different to before. Way more stiff and uncomfortable which made him worried. He couldn't figure out why Cooper was so on edge, sure wolves were bad but the chances of him running into one had to be low right? The shorter male played with his pencil as he tried to figure out something to say. Cooper hadn't been this quiet since the beginning of when they first started talking. "Why would the yearly festival put everyone on edge? Especially so on edge that they avoid gossip, which is like the town sport here!" Cooper seemed to know more than he was letting on.
 
Cooper stiffens for a split second, but it's almost unnoticeable as he shakes the stiffness out as quickly as it settled. With a small shrug of his shoulders, one done so lazily that it can barely even be called a shrug, "That's beyond me, if they've taken to relatively lowering their gossiping, I would have thought it would be a good thing for you?" He says, it's a half-assed diversion of the subject, turning the obvious blunt of the doubtful knife towards anyone but him. He can't completely say it's the first time he's ever lied, it unfortunately came with being what he was, yet it seemed that time had the lies come out with less effortlessness.
 
Oliver just couldn't help how everything about Cooper felt off. It felt like there was something the other wasn't telling him but he didn't know the first thing about bringing that up. When the pointed out he should be happy they weren't gossiping he shrugged. "Well yeah in theory it's a good thing but it's also very unnerving, like in school people never stopped gossiping unless they were planning something or something happened to make them not want to talk," he tried to explain,"My point it it's super weird that they've randomly completely changed personality wise and it's freaky!"
 
Cooper opens his mouth to reply, but finds that words refuse to exit, and he's left awkwardly gawking with the abrupt loss of words meant for the situation. "I-I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to say to help aleve your worry…" He prompts after a momentary pause, eyes burrowing slightly in consideration and modert confusion, though he is anything but -it comes off as if though he was slightly agitated. The exchanges gradually becoming more and more tense, hanging the two was a heap of doubts that Cooper was never allowed to clear. It was one of the many baggages he was born to carry from his opposite side of the line, a line that physically kept humans and the supernatural separate, and even his own attractions or interests couldn't erase. It was just the way the world would have to be, even if he wished it not.
 
Oliver was confused by the other's sudden change in demeanor and everything when he questioned the townsfolk changing. Apparently even Cooper wasn't immune to whatever was freaking people out. Hearing his words and seeing his expression he incorrectly assumed he had annoyed the other. With a quiet exasperated sigh he went quiet, looking away from the other and at the trees. "Well hopefully after Halloween everyone will go back to being normal and stop acting all freaky," he started packing up his things, able to sense the tense air in between. It was frustrating because he had come to really like Cooper and their talks bit this weird thing that had fallen on everyone else apparently changed Cooper to. "You can keep the cookies, I'm not really hungry,"he said as he stood up, everything all packed," See you later then." He waved as he left but it was clearly a much different type of goodbye than their usual one. With that Oliver left the clearing, taking his time as he walked home, feeling frustrated. He just wanted to ask people what the hell they were so freaked out about but he also didn't want to stir anything up.
 
Cooper presses his lips into a thin line, a look of distaste and hurt flickers across his face for merely a second. Words that could clear the air between them are stuck uncomfortably in his throat, and he can't bring himself to squeeze it out. He can just manage a curt and very stiff farewell of his own, his brows seemingly stuck in the same furrow of discomfort and crosseness. He lets the minutes fly past him in a manner that feels all together too slow yet too fast. Even though he tries not to, he finds his eyes following the other boy as he disappears out of sight and smell. Not quite trusting himself to not go after the boy and spill the truth, he digs his nails into the rock beneath him. The rough stone leaving his nails and already calloused palms rough and bleeding.

Cooper stays in the clearing until the sun has already started it's leisurely path down the horizon, his pale skin being softly kissed by the somewhat warm rays of sun keep him leveled in the earthly planes that have been roughly shaken by the appearance of Oliver. And in most cases he may have been peeved by that, he can not find even an ounce of negative emotions directed towards the younger male, and he feels that the fact should be a bit more troubling to him than it is.
 
Oliver hated ending their meeting on such a not happy tone. They'd usually left the clearing smiling, well at least he was smiling. Cooper was more tiny smilies but Oliver could still tell he left happy. So leaving like this was not a very fun situation for him. He was quiet as he headed back to town and his house. Just like the past few days it was deathly quiet as he walked back. A fact that unnerved him greatly, he still felt like he was being watched but only this time he couldn't see who was watching him. That was definitely worse than the townsfolk flat out watching and gossiping as he walked past, at least in that case he knew they were there. The next few days his visits to the clearing were similar to the last one, Cooper clearly didn't want to tell him what was going on. And the fact usually left with Oliver leaving early, and in a less than happy mood. Today was the day before Halloween as he walked to towards the forest. He had cookies again, this time they were Halloween themed. He had hoped maybe cookies would make cooper talk more. Though he doubted it and sighed as he walked. The people had gotten weirder and weirder the closer to Halloween it got and the fact was seriously freaking him out. He was still deciding if he should just stay him tomorrow and not visit Cooper with how weird it all was.


(just curious what the plan going to be for Halloween since idk how to start it)
 
The following days slide by in perpetual peculiarity left by the occurrences of the days before, they still happen into the forest. Making small talk that seems to dwindle with the heavy weight of the contingency that has carved itself unwillingly into parts of Cooper's mind, he’d never been one with a good hold on his emotions, and he’s positively sure that Oliver has already caught on to his odd behaviour. But he still attempts to keep up some modicum of normality, yet not quite truly knowing if it was working or not. He talks to the extent that he’s frazzled brain can provide, but even that seems to fall flat, Oliver still leaves early and still does his nights end with him restlessly pouring through books to no avail.

As the dreaded day of halloween pulls into the present, Cooper finds that he has still not made any progress as to what was going on. And the situation was becoming more and more frightening, that even he didn’t know if he alone would be able to handle it. He lets out a small huff at the sudden falling of his semi-good mood, his thoughts once again succeeding in unmanning him to a great expanse. With his hand that was not comfortably tucked in his coat, he pushes a failing out of his way, the same scenery that was always in the sense of calm and definitely greets him. The same boulder looming in the distance, almost beckoning him closer. His feet feel heavy as he walks towards it, a visible slump in his shoulders as he does so. Today was not his day, and he had an intuit that the days to follow would be the same.
 
Oliver hummed quietly to himself as he walked, the air chillier for more than just the season. Everything about everyone had him on edge recently. It was unnerving how they were acting and he wasn't comfortable. He didn't really have anyone to talk about it with either. His grandma couldn't remember what she did five minutes ago and cooper was stubbornly attempting to act like all was normal with everyone. Even though it was obvious that it was far from normal. Seeing the familiar path into the forest he ducked down to avoid some branches and kept walking. Reaching the clearing he noticed Cooper was there first, which was odd but he didn't think anything of it. With a quiet sigh he made his way over to the boulder, sitting down when he reached it. Their greeting was far from chipper or happy, mostly just a small smile from him and little reaction from Cooper. "I brought cookies,"he placed the container down between them," The totally not extremely off employees at the grocery store had just gotten in some Halloween themed baking stuff so I figured I'd make Halloween cookies." He could tell Cooper liked the cookies even if he didn't admit it himself.
 
“Thank you..” Cooper breathes underneath his breath, his hand already reaching towards the container as he fairly succeeds in trying to hide the flinch that almost visibly rides itself through his body. His perfidious and adventitious mannerism may have also unknowingly played a huge part in his ever changing conflictions, the thoughts grow into an internal storm as he nibbles slowly at the cookie between his teeth. The cookie is delicious -without surprise- but it’s texture unfondly flumps against his dry tongue. Even when he swallows, he can faintly still feel it in his mouth. Taking a shallow breath, he speaks after a moment of collecting his words so that he doesn’t give too much away, “If it was to make you feel somewhat better, I have been doing a little digging to see if there may have been something more connecting to the oddities.. So far I haven’t made much progress.” Taking another brittle inhale, he continues, “But I’ll keep you apprised.”
 
His cookies this time were a bit different to the last ones. These were just your classic shaped sugar cookies with icing on top for decoration. There was a pumpkin, cat, ghost, witch hat, etc. Since he liked sugar cookies he did grab one and started eating it himself. He could tell something was off with cooper but he also knew it would be pointless to ask what was wrong. All he would get is a dismissal and redirect so he didn't bother asking. His next words thoroughly surprised the other, he didn't expect the other to look into anything for him since he was adamant nothing was happening. "Well whatever it is hopefully after tomorrow everyone will be back to normal," he sighed,"Reminds me, I won't be coming out here tomorrow. With everyone acting so freaky I think I'm just going to lock my doors and stay inside for the day." He already made sure he had absolutely everything they needed so he would be fine holed up for one day.