The Good Intentions of a Cyborg Werewolf

No Solicitors or Canvassers - XXV

It had been three days since they had returned and Erin was reaching her limit. She had contacted her work, hoping to set up something to get around her current living situation, only to be met with shock and elation that she was even alive. Apparently news of her house burning down had reached the office, and things only got more confusing when Alex had apparently shown up looking for her, deflecting questions and avoiding details as per their arrangement. This fueled worry and speculation that she was actually dead. Luckily she managed to convince Robert to give her some time off, hastily constructing an excuse that she was living with family and that Kyle was with her. The lies were bad enough, especially as they were to good and honest people she had nothing but good relationships with, but it forced Erin to once again evaluate the insanity she was ensconced in. Four people were crammed into a one-bedroom apartment and it was almost impossible not to step on one another's toes. As laid back as Mahi was he and Luke continued to butt heads, namely over their next course of action, with Mercer frustratingly doing little to arbitrate the arguments.

On top of that it simply was hell living with three other men, two of which were complete slobs. Mercer kept his work area generally clean if cluttered, but Luke's eating habits and tendency to lay about when at home frustrated Erin. She understood his recuperating process would take time, but he continued to create mess and never actually clean it. Bugs were starting to collect in the kitchen, and Erin was often the one left cleaning blood-soaked plates that smelled of decomposition. Mahi, while not so dismissive, clearly had no experience living a confined life. When he wasn't sleeping in the bathtub he, too, often did little to clean up after himself. He often tracked water everywhere, either from the tub itself or actual parts of him that he seemed unconcerned about losing. Apparently he rarely used his ability out of water, and was unaware- and seemingly unconcerned about the residue moisture it created. This was especially annoying as the majority of the main apartment was carpeted, and Erin had serious doubts about the last time it saw a vacuum. If they even owned one, of course.

Erin managed to keep her room tidy, at least. She still felt a bit guilty about claiming the only actual bed, but Luke was comfortable on the couch and if Mercer ever slept she didn't see it. It also allowed her some much needed privacy, and she found herself alone with her thoughts often. Sometimes this was nice and peaceful, and sometimes it was a never ending deluge of painful memories and distorted visions in her dreams. Erin was tough, at least she believed she was, but the pain of that night burned. So did her ring, one evening, as she lost track of the days and failed to inoculate herself on time. A simple fix but a literal painful reminder. She wondered often about the end goal, how even if they somehow took down this nebulous entity she'd still be in danger of what she was. Mercer had occasionally inspired hope that a permanent cure may be possible since she had never fully transformed, but his tone betrayed the uncertainty that it was even possible. Even now as she laid in bed Erin couldn't shake the notion that something inside her was there. A foreign, burgeoning aspect of herself she didn't understand or even recognize. The thought kept her restless, so she decided to throw her legs out of bed and sit up. She had applied face cream and thus couldn't eat just yet, but she was a bit thirsty, and left her room to see Luke on the couch watching television and Mercer at his work desk as always. She stretched as she walked up to the side of the sofa, seeing that it was the news that played on their small television. Luke turned to her and squinted his eyes.

"What the hell are you wearing?" He asked with a touch of disgust in his tone.

"Sweatpants," Erin said incredulously.

"On your face," he clarified.

"Yes, well we're not all gifted with eternal youth," Erin said, then examined Luke's perplexingly ragged features despite his apparent age, "or, y'know, eternal kind-of youth."