Show me your TEETH ( Tag: Kodi )

[Benton Barrett]

So. Dormitory. 

Coming from a place where he'd had his own room, a dorm was not the most welcoming of places. After all, he was, essentially, going to be sharing every aspect of his life with three total strangers. That was definitely one way of making sure that he met people - y'know, living with them. There were only six million ways that could go wrong. Unfortunately, though, there wasn't much in the way of arguing that he could do, so he just didn't. There wasn't much of a reason to bother, if nothing would come from it. 

Scratching the back of his neck through the hoodie he was wearing, he followed the little piece of paper that would lead him to his brand new life. 

He took a deep breath, and walked through the door, doing everything in his power to make sure he didn't look like he was about to cry, panic, or otherwise lose his shit. With a bag on his shoulder, the younger student shuffled his way in, passing absently through what could only be appropriately called a common room, glancing around long enough to see if anyone was there, and giving them appropriate nods. 

Satisfied with one of them, he practically fell into it, dropping the bag on the ground next to him. Yep. He could cope with this. It was completely normal to share a living space with three complete strangers. On the plus side, he did have a door where he could shut out the rest of the world if necessary, so he could have some form of alone time...

A thought that prompted thoughts he'd rather not be thinking, when he was in a room where other people could walk in at any time. The bags with his other stuff would make their way here as well, soon enough, but for now, he had his computer and several changes of clothes, plus the hygiene stuff. He'd be fine. Right? Yeah, he'd be fine. 

He shook his head, from its place firmly pressed into a pillow, and sat back up. At least the bed didn't feel like a cot, or something. ( And wasn't a lab table, at first glance. ) 

Reaching into his hoodie pocket, he tugged out a pair of headphones, that were attached to his phone. Shoving them in his ears, Benny turned on some music, and began unloading the pairs of clothes he had, into the dresser in the room. Satisfied that everything was going to be as put away as it was going to get, he dropped his laptop on his bed, shoved his hands in his pockets, and went back out into the common area, where hopefully, the awkwardness of the situation wasn't going to send him plummeting in to an embarrassing oblivion. He was going to have to find out if he was allowed to turn the heat up in his room anyways, might as well ask one of the guys he shared a communal space with...

[Deleted]

Kodi really didn't know nor care who his roommates were, unless they were hot and he could bang them or they were irritably nosy and tried to get in his shit. Some guy had just moved out recently, which meant he and his other two dormmates were likely to get a new guy soon. The Southerner hoped he wasn't a complete prick.

Sure enough, they were alerted that a new guy was moving in today, and so Kodi made certain to be lounging on a couch in the middle area when he arrived so he could check him out. He heard the creak of the door and turned his kohl-lined eyes to the newcomer, giving him a full up-and-down as he walked in.

Man, he looked young. That was Kodi's first thought; but then again, he was likely newly manifested, which meant he was probably a couple years younger, at least. He was pretty cute too, though a little too innocent-looking for Kodi's taste.

Didn't mean he wouldn't hit on the boy, though. He gave a feral grin as the guy nodded at him, showing his teeth as he allowed the boy to at least escape to his room first and get settled in before he pounced like a cat on a mouse.

He flopped onto his back and waited for the boy to presumably reappear. Unless he was scared shitless and locked himself in his room, which wouldn't be unlikely - still, Kodi would give him a few minutes before he went and tracked him down himself.

Fortunately, he appeared a little later, and Kodi flipped onto his stomach, his grin reappearing. "Soooo, newbie t' Hammel, eh?" the southern boy drawled, leisurely rolling onto his feet and standing with a stretch. He approached the young boy, giving him a judging eye as he walked a complete circle around him, looking him up and down and darting his tongue over his teeth like he was a nice steak. "Awful young, ain't ya? Newly manifested an' all?"

Kodi prodded one of his small shoulders, leading him to the couch. "Why don't ya have a seat, take it easy? I'll give ya the rundown on how it works around here, shorty." He puffed a breath against the back of the poor boy's neck, never once dropping his manic smile.

[Benton Barrett]

It wasn’t as though he couldn’t handle people. Back home, he was relatively popular, in the sense that he got along with most people, and rarely had anything too detrimental to worry about. The problem? He wasn’t back home. He was in a new place, with new people, and there was no real retreat for him.

So when he came back into the communal area, to see the boy he’d already passed once, he was going to remind himself that he was the new guy, and they knew nothing about him. So there would have to be a warming up period, right?

The boy moved somewhat gracefully, stretching in an almost catlike manner when he was on the floor properly. His question was simple and straightforward, though he moved with a languid smoothness that almost, almost made Benny a bit jealous. He wasn’t uncoordinated, but no one would ever really call him smooth. But there was a little more to that – in his eyes, in his smile. The way he walked around him – it was almost predatory.

Benny remained more or less frozen, as the other boy continued to speak.

“Uh… yeah. Just… um. About five days ago.” He said, kicking himself mentally because his voice was too soft. He cleared his throat. “I’m fifteen.” He added, his voice holding just a bit more solidity to it – so he didn’t sound like a wimp. Fifteen wasn’t young – some people came here at like, eleven, right? Something like that.

The touch on his shoulder – even through his hoodie – made him flinch just a little bit, even as the breath touched his neck.. “I… uh… yeah. Okay. Sounds like a plan.” Frankly, since he’d managed to hit his mom with hypothermia, he actually hadn’t touched anyone. He wasn’t one-hundred percent how his manifestation worked, but he knew he wasn’t a fan of injuring people, and he didn’t want to hospitalize anyone on his first day.

He allowed himself to be moved to the couch. He was trying to be as genuine as possible, while also trying to remind himself that he was the new guy, and if someone was honestly going to give him a hand, he wasn’t going to turn that down. Dropping down into place on the couch, he took the opportunity to look at the other guy with the smile that somehow managed to look hungry. Inwardly, he was trying to tell himself that he was just uncomfortable because this circumstance was new, and not any other Kodi-related reasons.

[Deleted]

Well, he wasn't a pompous little shit, which was a good start. Kodi took in the quiet tone in Benny's voice, the uncertainty in his stance. Of course, anyone moving into a new place was likely to be shy and nervous - Kodi had been, when he had come to Hammel, but he had changed a lot since then. He had broken out of the small, restrictive cage his parents had tried to force him in and started getting bolder by messing with other people and trying to get under their skin. It made him feel powerful, purposeful. And it also helped him forget about just how much he still hated who he was, all the sins his father would say he lived every day.

There was a reason he didn't talk to his parents anymore.

"Eesh, not long at all," he replied, rubbing his chin. "So, whatcha got? Kinetic, mental, physical?" Kodi wanted to make sure he wasn't messing with anything potentially volatile - as much as he didn't mind getting into scuffles, he didn't want to make some little unstable pyrokinetic angry and end up getting roasted alive in a burning dorm room. Fifteen... Not too young, then. Pretty old to manifest, actually. And within Kodi's range of seduction... Or just tormenting the boy with sexual advances.

"Good boy," he purred, his lips curled in a catlike manner as Benny did as he orderedsuggested. He pulled a hand through his white/color-streaked hair, standing with his arms crossed in front of him in a very confident, relaxed pose. "A'right, newbie," he drawled. "Whatever your name is. Here's how it goes. You don't mess with my shit, an' I won't make yer life a livin' hell. That means if ya report any sounds you might hear at night - bangs, thuds, yelps, what have you - comin' from my room, you can expect t' be payin' for it fer as long as yer at this school."

He leaned down, offering a falsely sympathetic pout as he met the boy's eyes. "And we wouldn't want that, would we?"

Kodi licked his teeth and tilted his head to the side, eyeing Benny's neck. "'Course, if you want in on some of the fun, I could always use a nice little sub." He let himself lean in so his mouth was just a whisker away from the smooth, tawny skin of Benny's throat, before letting out a guttural laugh and pulling back.

[Benton Barrett]

His face reddened a little bit - as the other boy talked about how it hadn't been that long for him. No, it really hadn't... but that wouldn't be a problem, right? It didn't make him a freak among freaks? No, he just had to hope that it wasn't nearly as big a deal as he was assuming, and go with it. The question, though, threw him. He wasn't really sure what his ability would be classified as. Probably not mental... maybe not kinetic?

"Physical, I think." He said, softly. "I... god, it sounds so weird to say it. I like, suck the heat out of stuff." Which, considering the odd connotation that might entail, he added: "I'm not sure how it works." Because he didn't want the other guy to think he would just suck on random objects to steal their heat. Maybe he was overthinking it - no one would just assume he did that.

Right?

He couldn't stop chewing on his lower lip, as the other guy complimented on his ability to follow directions. But it all went downhill from there. What he'd been hoping would be an illuminating introduction to life in a boarding school ( and maybe, technically it was ) was actually more of a veiled threat. Or a threat - there really wasn't much of a veil involved.

Uncertainly, he tried to think of something to say. Normally, he might even have a witty comeback, but - what could he say or do? He as in a strange place, with no one to go to if this guy did start making his life a living hell - and considering they were essentially roommates? He didn't doubt it was possible.

Then, the other guy was leaning in close - far closer than was comfortable. But it wasn't as though he could go anywhere. He tried to ease away from him without making it too painfully obvious that that's what was going on.

"I... - my name's Benton." He started, softly. "I won't say anything, okay? I've got headphones. I can drown you out." Of course, even as the words left his mouth, their effect was immediate - his face was reddening just a bit, his ears burning slightly. No, he was not used to talking about people yelping, moaning, whatever.

"I don't know what that is." He added, just trying to be as honest as possible.

"But... If it involves bangs, thuds, and yelps, I'm pretty sure I can do without, thanks." He added, through the laugh of the other boy. Was this the kind of situation he could expect going forward? An odd sort of... tension that he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to be apart of?

What was he going to do, just avoid his room for the remainder of his existence here at Hammel? Probably not.

[Deleted]

Kodi tapped a curious lip at the boy's explanation to his power. Interesting. Didn't sound too dangerous at least - and required physical contact. He could work with that. "Interestin'," he drawled, picking his teeth with a finger. He'd give Benny a demonstration of his own ability... In a little while. If he was a more curious person, he would ask more about the boy's unique ability but he really just didn't give a fuck as long as it wouldn't get in the way of his torment.

Yes, it was a threat. And a very real one - Kodi had gone through the process with his other roommates as well. He did not want to have to deal with dorm monitors busting in on him and his business, so he made an effort to make sure things stayed quiet in that sense.

Of course, he sensed Benny's discomfort - it was what he was trying to get from him, after all. It gave him a little tickle in his chest to know he was making the boy react like that; another little toy for him to play with!

"Benton," he repeated in his accented voice, letting it run over his tongue. "Bent. I think I like that better." Nicknames were fun, and made Kodi feel like he had an even stronger control over the people he messed with. He watched the boy carefully with his dark-rimmed eyes as he agreed to do as Kodi asked. "Good boy!" he repeated again, giving him an exaggerated pat on the back with a feral grin. "We should get along splen'dly, then." That was probably far from the truth, given Kodi's behavior, but at least he wouldn't hopefully have to worry about the kid ratting him out.

Benton's response to his offer made him chuckle lowly. Ah, poor, naive, innocent little thing. "If ya hang around me enough, ya will," he replied. Sweet thing was so polite! Kodi almost felt bad for wanting to taint him as soon as possible. Almost. "An' if ya ever change your mind, all ya gotta do is ask." He stuck his tongue out the corner of his mouth; honestly, it was likely he would continue to ask Benton about it just to make him more uncomfortable. And the young teen probably could use a little educating from good ol' uncle Kodi.

"Oh, I'm so rude, I never introduced m'self. Name's Kodi." With the introduction, he bared his teeth in a smile again, but this time they were noticeably sharpened and the canines longer than they should be. "Can't say I don't bite, but I blame my ability."

[Benton Barrett]

Bent? Well, frankly, that was the first time he'd ever been given that particular nickname. 'Benny' was the usual go-to, or 'Ben' from the people that insisted he not have such a childish nickname. But Bent? If that didn't just add a brand new layer of uncertainty or discomfort, nothing would. ( Hint: It completely did. ) His arms were all but rigid against his side, fingers fidgeting in his lap. He was stronger than this - he knew that firsthand. He wasn't the kind of guy to bow to bullies... but this wasn't like anything he'd encountered before. 

If the other guy would just throw a punch, Benton would have a response for that. He could scuffle with the best of them. But this was... more subtle. He doubted that the other guy was the type to get into a fist fight with anyone. So how, exactly, was he making him feel so much like prey? Maybe that was his special skill... the ability to bring out the inferiority in others.

The pat on his back had him flinching again - away from the hand, and closer to Kodi in general, which didn't actually help the situation at all. Get along splendidly? If by 'get along' the other guy meant 'stay in completely separate rooms at all times', then yes, they'd get along fine. 

In this circumstance, he finally took a breath and said: "If you want to call me anything other than Benton, stick to Benny. It's a little less weird than 'Bent.'" He said, trying to reclaim his foothold in this particular conversation. He didn't want to be backpedaling the whole time - yet frankly, that's all he felt like he was capable of right now. "But I will. If I change my mind." Which I won't. Ever. 

Kodi - it was such a friendly, endearing name. So why did it make him want to shudder? 

It wasn't the name. It was the fact that his smile - the one Benny had already deduced as being somewhat predatory, really did look predatory again. He looked almost dumbfounded. So far, he'd never seen a physical display of power by anyone. Even his own didn't seem to look different. But, this..? This was a picture-perfect showing of why there was a special school for people like them. 

"That's..." Nightmare fuel? Terrifying? Strangely interesting, in a werewolf-vampire sort of way? "Uh, cool." Because you didn't try and insult the guy with shark teeth - much for the same reason you didn't stick your hand in a shark's mouth. It just wasn't a good idea to give it the temptation that you might be a delicious snack. 

Perspiration began to appear on his forehead, though it was definitely not from being too hot. That didn't really happen much to him any more. 

"But definitely - no biting." Because ground rules. Right?

[Deleted]

Kodi typically was never the one to throw the first punch. Verbally, yes, definitely. But as much as he liked scuffles, and fighting and bruises and scratches attracted him, he always left it up to the other person first - after all, he could actually get pretty dangerous if he got really into it, and he didn't want to like... Kill anyone. Or leave lasting damage. He was cruel, but he wasn't murderous.

So no, he was not going to fight Benny. The only scuffles he could see them doing were the naughty kind, and Benton was obviously not up for that... Yet. They would see, they would see.

Poor thing, flinching at everything! Kodi would have to toughen him up. He was doing the boy a favor, really. Getting him ready for the cruel adult world that didn't give a shit about you or what you wanted. Something Kodi had learned early but hadn't been able to fight until he came here.

"What, you don't like yer new nickname?" he pretended to pout. "I quite like it. I think it's gonna be around t'stay." And Kodi meant it. Unless the kid did something to earn Kodi's respect (which, honestly, would take a lot), it was gonna stick. He smirked as Benton spoke again, nodding. "Good." Ah yes, he would get him in his bed, someday~!

Ahh, he loved the reactions he got from his chompers. Benton did nothing to hide his bewilderment at the sharp smile, and Kodi parted his teeth for a moment before he let them return to his usual dullness, though he frowned as the canines refused to pull back in quite all the way, and his mouth gave a dull ache.

Whatever, he shook it off within a moment, his smugness returning. "It is, isn't it?" he replied, prodding nonchalantly at the sharpened teeth. "Makes fer great costumes. No need t' buy fakes!" Yeah, like that's all it was good for.

He rose a brow at Benton's 'ground rule', licking his lips thoughtfully. "I'll see what I can do," he finally drawled, flicking his eyes away from Benton and towards the rooms. "Sometimes I just get this... Itch t'sink my teeth into somethin' though, y'know?" He turned around and flopped down on the couch next to Benton, drawing in close to the back of his neck. "'Specially late at night, when the moon's full and I just get the urge..." He made a sucking sound, snapping at Benton's skin harmlessly, just gauging to see his reaction.

He laughed again, leaning back against the couch. He would get over being quite so cruel to the boy... Maybe... Eventually. Kodi just wanted to get as good a feel for him now as he could.

[Benton Barrett]

He couldn’t get a read on Kodi. He wasn’t sure if this was an act, designed to throw him off, or if he really was this kind of… person. It was possible that this was one of those pranks you played on the new guy, that eventually wound up with him doing something stupid, and them getting it on camera, and showing the whole world. He didn’t really know how ‘hazing’ worked, actually, but he’d heard of it before.

Of course, Kodi rebuffed his statement of what he’d rather be called, and made no pretense as to whether or not that would ever change. There was recourse – he could just ignore him, stop paying attention all together. But something told him that if he ignored Kodi, things would only get worse for him. He didn’t seem like the type to just let people ignore him.

Thankfully, the older boy just went with it – apparently not getting how that was never going to happen. But so long as it placated the ( possibly crazy ) person with the shark teeth, he’d let him think whatever he wants.

As his dorm-mate dropped onto the couch next to him, his back straightened almost immediately. No idea about personal bubbles? Really and truly, this was getting far more uncomfortable than he could put in to words. His nerves were steadily compounding on each other – and despite his distinct desire to run for his room and lock the door, he remained there, rigidly, listening as the soft, almost-sweet voice came closer to him.

When the moon’s full?

Oh hell. He had heard metas could do crazy things, but… this guy was way out there. He was a werewolf?! How did they even classify that as ‘meta-human’ if he was a wolf sometimes?! The snapping, sucking sound made the poor boy practically dive away from him.

“Okay that’s enough.” He said, his voice not holding near as much strength as he meant it to. He turned back from the other side of the couch, to the laughing boy, trying to not let how absolutely freaked out he was leak through to his exterior. “I don’t know if this is some weird roommate initiation, or if you’re just…” Twisted? Sick? Emotionally disturbed? “…weird – but that’s it. I’m asking you nicely not to play with me, okay? This whole thing is weird enough without having a freaking werewolf sniffing around me.”

Or biting around him. Whatever. He didn’t want to become a werewolf, too.

His hands were shaking at his side, as he tried to make do with what little spine he seemed to have. You defend what’s yours played in his head. He just didn’t know if he could, here. He was positive that if the other guy was a werewolf, he could hear how fast his heart was pounding in his chest.

[Deleted]

Kodi supposed it was sort of a hazing ritual... Although it was just his doing, and all it was meant to do was intimidate, not really initiate any sort of relationship other than being stuck in the same dorms together. Then again, he liked to threaten people he didn't live with too, so it was really more his personality than anything else.

Trying to ignore him did no good. He would chase after and pester poor Benny regardless. The best he could do was follow what the older boy asked.

He could nearly taste the tension in the air as he sat next to the younger guy; he reveled in it, the responses he was getting from Benton, the innocent little thing he knew nothing about. He was impressed, however, that he didn't bolt - he had some backbone, at least. And that would make the game even more fun.

Kodi didn't realize the effect his threat would have on Benton, though. He expected fear and maybe revulsion, both of which he got, but the fact that the guy thought he was a werewolf was just hilarious. Apparently he really was new to this meta-thing - as far as Kodi knew, the only type of 'werewolves' there were might be shape-shifters, and he definitely wasn't that.

Though, his brow rose as Benny began to talk back. It wasn't strong, but it was something, and Kodi stayed quiet and let him finish. A smile slowly crept up the side of his face, until he was positively beaming with malice at the newbie. Like hell he was going to let this opportunity slip him by! "Since ya asked so nicely, I... Might... Try t'leave you alone when I'm feelin' famished," he drawled, pulling contemplatively at his lower lip. "But I can't promise nothin', so it'd probably be best t'lock yer door," he added with a dangerous glint in his eye.

Like a locked door would really stop him - he was fairly certain he could bust one down if he really wanted to.

Determining that his position as the dominant one of this dorm was complete, he stood with another stretch, ruffling Benton's hair with mock pity. "Don't worry kid, just do as I ask, an' no-one needs t'get hurt," he told him.

[Benton Barrett]

The other guy was silent during his little tirade, and Benny took that for a good sign. After all, he was not the most imposing of people, so if Kodi was at least listening, it meant there was something holding his attention. He would just go with the assumption that it was him, and his incredibly convincing speech. Not the desire to eat his insides or something.

The smile he'd earned himself, though, was not reassuring. 

How on earth had the administrators here thought putting people in a room with a werewolf was a good idea? The guy was even blatantly admitting that he had problems controlling himself. Did they think that he had the power to steer off a wolfperson who was hungry? Sure, maybe, if he could figure out how the hell to do that, but right now, he was essentially a freaked out teenager with nothing special about him except how hot he was in comparison to normal people.

Not really much of a deterrent. It probably made the meat taste better, he didn't know.

"I will." He said, seriously - he would be locking his door. Not that that hadn't already been in his plans, because frankly he didn't know anyone here, and because an unlocked door was an invitation. The catlike ( wolflike? ) demeanor of his dormmate was not unnoticed, as he stood back up, stretching as though he were either incredibly tired, or quite stiff. 

He hated himself for flinching again when the older boy reached out to fluff his hair. He wasn't doing himself a good service in the least. The more he made himself look like a wimp, the more everyone looking on would think he was, indeed, a wimp. 

His jaw tightened, and he shook his head. "Sorry, I'm not exactly the bend-y type. It'd be better in the long run if we could just get along, since I have no clue how long I'm going to be stuck here." A desperate plea - the 'can't we all get along' plea? Yeah, that was the last ledge of a man clutching the edge. He had no idea what he was going to do. 

[Deleted]

The staff at Hammel really did need to do a better job of putting people in dorms with students that wouldn't absolutely torture them - though in Kodi's case, it could have been anyone, and he would have given the same introduction. But poor Benny was going to have to put up with this now unless he got the nerve to ask for a dorm change, which Kodi would likely torment him more about, even if he did move somewhere else.

So really, he was trapped until Kodi perhaps, someday, decided he liked the kid. Which, in Kodi's opinion, was unlikely, unless he managed to wrangle him into his bed and really get to know him.

And Kodi sure as hell wasn't going to change his thoughts about him having a taste for human flesh. Because he was a freak and that made him full with mirth.

"Good, good," he replied, yawning. A locked door would give him a nice challenge, yes. But he'd let the boy fall into a false sense of security for a while. And d'aww, that flinch~! It was enough to make Kodi chuckle and shake his head.

Though, his eyes narrowed as Benny disagreed with him, and a hint of his longish teeth were shown again, obviously not amused. "We'll see, Bent," he growled. "Here's a kicker - I can mess with other people's teeth too. So you go mouthin' off t'me about anythin', an' I'll seal yours shut." It was far from permanent, of course, but still pretty frightening.

Deciding he had made a firm establishment between them, Kodi twisted around and stalked back to his room, leaving Benny to get a little bit of downtime to actually settle in before the wolf pounced again.

[Benton Barrett]

He... didn't know what to make out of this whole thing. What had he done, other than be brought here, to be immediately subjected to this whole... posturing, teeth-showing, thing that he was now apparently a part of? He couldn't handle this - he wasn't exactly a high-maintenance kind of guy. He fought when he needed to, but this... this wasn't fighting. This was something deeper, that he couldn't find the edges of to put the puzzle together. What should he do? He wasn't unpacked, not really - he could go and demand a move. He didn't know how effective demanding was, but... well, maybe it was worth a shot?

But that threat - mess with other people's teeth? 

It made his jaw hurt just thinking about it. Letting out a sigh of relief, as Kodi finally left him alone, he slumped in the sofa. 

He really needed to invest in another lock - the padlock kind, where he could deadbolt his door shut. Would they let him drill holes? Ah well, if they didn't want him to buy extra locks, they shouldn't have put him in the same 'room' as a freaking nutcase. 

A werewolf nutcase, at that.