(no subject)

[kayip]

Righteous indignation isn't a feeling Behrooz has much experience with - he's seen it a lot, given as it seemed to be the default setting of his parents, or any government agent who talked to him for more than ten minutes. But Behrooz himself usually couldn't understand it, or was discouraged from it, or felt it with the need to keep himself alive. But now he wasn't worrying about himself. Weirdly, he wasn't worrying about much of anything, except what would happen if he said what he knew when he returned to the outside – they couldn't exactly suspect Kim, there's no way he could've spoken to her or anyone they didn't know about. They'd have to think he'd overheard it, wandering around. Maybe they'd lock him in the room because of it.

As he tried to fall asleep, Behrooz wondered if it'd be worth it. It'd been a long time since he'd had thoughts like that; a willingness to live for more than scraping up whatever good could come of it.

When he opens his eyes, he's looking at the camera lens again – but his reflection, always easy to see with his bright gold eyes, wasn't there. Instead, there were shadowy forms of trees, lit by a rising light, and Behrooz knelt closer. The movement makes him realize the small digital screen of the camera had been toward him, so he could supposedly see himself. But he's so close to the lens as it is that when he glances over at it, he can only see eyes – not his own, these are blue though they glance to the side like his must, and blink as he does. Startled, Behrooz looks back to the lens – but it still shows only the forest.

He blinks, and there's a rustle of leaves and the dim sound of birds, and he's not staring at darkened images in the lens anymore – the apartment is gone, replaced by the forest, and Behrooz can't help feeling warily grateful for it. He walks a short distance as the sunlight rises farther on the trees, and he easily senses the wolves before they come into view.

Small Flame is distracted with what looks like was a rabbit, while Rain Cloud is treading along the others – Behrooz can tell she's telling them something – before she heads over to him. When they meet eyes, he feels something like an approving gaze.

You're different again.

Behrooz almost thinks to respond with something sarcastic, and it's almost a comfort when he thinks she wouldn't understand it. Instead, it's something more like, I guess I do that a lot.

She watches him with bright eyes for another moment, then it comes into his mind forcefully – You'd be better off like that.

Something seems to distract her after this, as she heads off, ignoring him completely to head east. Behrooz looks to find the younger wolf had looked up to watch this, and now glanced at him with what made Behrooz think of an uncomfortable shrug. Behrooz is about to respond, but a voice – a human one that cuts uncomfortably through the air –

"Are you so sure you know who you are, then?"

He starts to turn, but wakes up with a start, his neck twisted painfully and the feeling of a lump forming as he pushes himself up the floor, eyes barely taking in his darkened room.