Captains (Uno, Lyra, & the Shepherds)
Quote from Kaqurei on August 7, 2023, 10:30 pmThe line was silent for an uncomfortable amount of time. Not because she wanted him to stew on the other end, but because she had a million things to say and her brain was stalling on what should come first. And she had to make sure it was in English.
"I'm not angry, Val," she said. Bit her lip and rolled her eyes at herself. "Okay, yeah, I was angry. I'm still a little angry. Not at you. Not at Chapman. I just--I'm angry at this whole freaking thing. But uh... I'm sorry you had to see me like that."
And on that note...
"How long have you been on the force? When we met, was that some kind of set up? They knew I was looking into werewolves--Reggie's known, I'm sure. I'm sure that's part of why he lost his crap today. Were you supposed to be watching me or something?"
The line was silent for an uncomfortable amount of time. Not because she wanted him to stew on the other end, but because she had a million things to say and her brain was stalling on what should come first. And she had to make sure it was in English.
"I'm not angry, Val," she said. Bit her lip and rolled her eyes at herself. "Okay, yeah, I was angry. I'm still a little angry. Not at you. Not at Chapman. I just--I'm angry at this whole freaking thing. But uh... I'm sorry you had to see me like that."
And on that note...
"How long have you been on the force? When we met, was that some kind of set up? They knew I was looking into werewolves--Reggie's known, I'm sure. I'm sure that's part of why he lost his crap today. Were you supposed to be watching me or something?"
Quote from Indy on August 7, 2023, 10:36 pmI'm not angry were probably famous last words, because my brain always inserted the 'just disappointed' at the end. I could hear it if I looked for it, but I turned it aside. Stupid brain.
I looked too hard for ghosts in the TV static with her next question, feeling something untidy burning inside of me.
"About two days... or something like that," I muttered, "If you'll believe it - and having worked with Chapman I'm sure you would - I had only just volunteered my services and found it escalated quickly. I wasn't actually supposed to meet you. I just sort of.. did... and there went that".
I chewed at my tongue. It was the truth, but not all of the truth. It wasn't like I was as innocent as I was pretending to be.
"I've known Chapman a long time... seven years or something like that. When I knew you were looking into something you shouldn't be, and myself entirely out of my depths... I went to him for advice a few days ago. I'm not sure how much of their knowing was me, and how much was them paying attention to Tyranny's training. Maybe both".
I'm not angry were probably famous last words, because my brain always inserted the 'just disappointed' at the end. I could hear it if I looked for it, but I turned it aside. Stupid brain.
I looked too hard for ghosts in the TV static with her next question, feeling something untidy burning inside of me.
"About two days... or something like that," I muttered, "If you'll believe it - and having worked with Chapman I'm sure you would - I had only just volunteered my services and found it escalated quickly. I wasn't actually supposed to meet you. I just sort of.. did... and there went that".
I chewed at my tongue. It was the truth, but not all of the truth. It wasn't like I was as innocent as I was pretending to be.
"I've known Chapman a long time... seven years or something like that. When I knew you were looking into something you shouldn't be, and myself entirely out of my depths... I went to him for advice a few days ago. I'm not sure how much of their knowing was me, and how much was them paying attention to Tyranny's training. Maybe both".
Quote from Kaqurei on August 7, 2023, 10:57 pmShe let out another held breath when he said it was just a coincidence. He'd volunteered a few days ago. Of course, he'd been helping her train Tyranny for a few weeks now. Maybe she got him interested in police work.
He'd known what she was up to. She felt stupid, remembering asking him about the tracks she'd found. How nervous he got about it. He'd known something, but she hadn't wanted to know he knew then. So she let him lie to her. Bears. She scoffed. But it never seemed like he got in the way of her investigation, even knowing she was tracking his kind--him. And it was just like Chapman to sweep the rookie right off his feet and out of his depth within his first few days.
Only... it wasn't Chapman. It was Delgado. Delago'd pushed things as far as they went that night.
Then Val started talking again, and she sucked in another breath to hold onto for a little while. He'd known Chapman for years. Funny coincidence, wouldn't one think? Who was she kidding... all werewolves probably knew each other.
"You told them?" she blurted. "Who did you tell? Delgado?"
Delgado knowing about her little side project had put a lot of people in danger last night.
She sighed sharply and ran her hand through her hair. Take a step back, Lyra. She couldn't pinpoint when Delgado had taken any interest in her work. He never seemed interested until yesterday morning. But he'd known exactly what Tyranny's signal meant, if he went off the deep end right after.
She let out another held breath when he said it was just a coincidence. He'd volunteered a few days ago. Of course, he'd been helping her train Tyranny for a few weeks now. Maybe she got him interested in police work.
He'd known what she was up to. She felt stupid, remembering asking him about the tracks she'd found. How nervous he got about it. He'd known something, but she hadn't wanted to know he knew then. So she let him lie to her. Bears. She scoffed. But it never seemed like he got in the way of her investigation, even knowing she was tracking his kind--him. And it was just like Chapman to sweep the rookie right off his feet and out of his depth within his first few days.
Only... it wasn't Chapman. It was Delgado. Delago'd pushed things as far as they went that night.
Then Val started talking again, and she sucked in another breath to hold onto for a little while. He'd known Chapman for years. Funny coincidence, wouldn't one think? Who was she kidding... all werewolves probably knew each other.
"You told them?" she blurted. "Who did you tell? Delgado?"
Delgado knowing about her little side project had put a lot of people in danger last night.
She sighed sharply and ran her hand through her hair. Take a step back, Lyra. She couldn't pinpoint when Delgado had taken any interest in her work. He never seemed interested until yesterday morning. But he'd known exactly what Tyranny's signal meant, if he went off the deep end right after.
Quote from Indy on August 7, 2023, 11:11 pmI felt the crisp of something sharp in her voice. There we go... the other shoe had dropped. But after spending so much time figuring out how to lie to her, I'd rather get burned by the truth. I exhaled, sensing the hurt beneath it all - Delgado - and I'm not sure I blamed her one bit for it.
"No. I told Chapman. And I'm sure Chapman told his Captains... Not sure if that makes a difference, since the result was the same".
Another steadying breath. I leaned back on the sofa, draping my head over the edge of the armrest until I stared at the popcorn dimples of the ceiling. Still holding the phone to my lips, I exhaled softly.
"I guess this isn't an 'I'm sorry' moment in its something I did.. but all the same, I'm sorry about Delgado... I wish it hadn't happened. I wish you could have just gone home to your family and dogs, and not been any the wiser".
I felt the crisp of something sharp in her voice. There we go... the other shoe had dropped. But after spending so much time figuring out how to lie to her, I'd rather get burned by the truth. I exhaled, sensing the hurt beneath it all - Delgado - and I'm not sure I blamed her one bit for it.
"No. I told Chapman. And I'm sure Chapman told his Captains... Not sure if that makes a difference, since the result was the same".
Another steadying breath. I leaned back on the sofa, draping my head over the edge of the armrest until I stared at the popcorn dimples of the ceiling. Still holding the phone to my lips, I exhaled softly.
"I guess this isn't an 'I'm sorry' moment in its something I did.. but all the same, I'm sorry about Delgado... I wish it hadn't happened. I wish you could have just gone home to your family and dogs, and not been any the wiser".
Quote from Kaqurei on August 7, 2023, 11:21 pmShe put up a finger--not that he could see it, but it was there. "Oh no, no, no, no, no, no," she said, shaking that finger now the way her Mami did when someone dun messed up. "I'm glad I'm the wiser. You got that? I just wish you would have told me. About any of this. What, did you think I couldn't take it?"
She put up a finger--not that he could see it, but it was there. "Oh no, no, no, no, no, no," she said, shaking that finger now the way her Mami did when someone dun messed up. "I'm glad I'm the wiser. You got that? I just wish you would have told me. About any of this. What, did you think I couldn't take it?"
Quote from Indy on August 7, 2023, 11:25 pmI laughed without mirth to that. Clearly Lyra felt differently... but she might disagree when a van of Svalnaglas was outside her window.
"Couldn't take it? Never... but violating the secret is a pretty big deal. It's not done lightly. Chapman might have skinned me alive for it," I snorted to that, recalling without effort his expression at my suggestion to tell her the truth, "It's not just my secret, but theirs, and many others".
I stretched my neck back further, feeling the fabric of the sofa catch at my torso so I wouldn't slide. Upside-down, things didn't look as bad.
"And the other piece, of course, was the imminent danger it places you in. Survival rating of humans in the know isn't high, Lyra. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, least of all you".
I laughed without mirth to that. Clearly Lyra felt differently... but she might disagree when a van of Svalnaglas was outside her window.
"Couldn't take it? Never... but violating the secret is a pretty big deal. It's not done lightly. Chapman might have skinned me alive for it," I snorted to that, recalling without effort his expression at my suggestion to tell her the truth, "It's not just my secret, but theirs, and many others".
I stretched my neck back further, feeling the fabric of the sofa catch at my torso so I wouldn't slide. Upside-down, things didn't look as bad.
"And the other piece, of course, was the imminent danger it places you in. Survival rating of humans in the know isn't high, Lyra. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, least of all you".
Quote from Kaqurei on August 7, 2023, 11:41 pmHer hand was in her hair again, clutching a handful of it at the back of her head. She squeezed her eyes shut. Then a question popped out of her mouth even she wasn't expecting. "How long?" she asked. "How long have you been a werewolf?"
Her hand was in her hair again, clutching a handful of it at the back of her head. She squeezed her eyes shut. Then a question popped out of her mouth even she wasn't expecting. "How long?" she asked. "How long have you been a werewolf?"
Quote from Indy on August 7, 2023, 11:45 pmIt wasn't that I thought I was particularly good at presenting myself as a man of mystery, but I hadn't expected her to see through me that quickly. Cut straight through the words, and she'd already seen it in me somehow. Probably from the way I walked.
Or you know, the eyepatch.
"About seven years..."I exhaled and let her do the math from that.
It wasn't that I thought I was particularly good at presenting myself as a man of mystery, but I hadn't expected her to see through me that quickly. Cut straight through the words, and she'd already seen it in me somehow. Probably from the way I walked.
Or you know, the eyepatch.
"About seven years..."I exhaled and let her do the math from that.
Quote from Kaqurei on August 7, 2023, 11:57 pmLyra nodded quietly. So he met Chapman around the same time he became a werewolf. After tonight, she was pretty sure changing people wasn't on the to-do list. It wasn't someone on the force that had done it. But she didn't ask any more questions about that. Seven years, and the pain and the fear was still raw in his voice. His concern for her. His wish it never happened.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, sitting down on the couch and putting her hand in her lap.
She breathed a laugh, though nothing was funny. "Nothing was going to keep me from finding out after that night. You know that. Que sera, sera, as the saying goes. Don't blame yourself for any of this."
Lyra nodded quietly. So he met Chapman around the same time he became a werewolf. After tonight, she was pretty sure changing people wasn't on the to-do list. It wasn't someone on the force that had done it. But she didn't ask any more questions about that. Seven years, and the pain and the fear was still raw in his voice. His concern for her. His wish it never happened.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, sitting down on the couch and putting her hand in her lap.
She breathed a laugh, though nothing was funny. "Nothing was going to keep me from finding out after that night. You know that. Que sera, sera, as the saying goes. Don't blame yourself for any of this."
Quote from Indy on August 8, 2023, 12:09 amSmall mercy that she didn't ask more. I wasn't volunteering, either. I let the moment pass, counting popcorn on the ceiling, until her voice shifted a beat.
I exhaled a laugh, grateful, "Yeah, don't I know it. If it hadn't been Reggie, I think you and Tyranny would have had it all together in a week. I certainly couldn't figure out how to slow you down".
The static in the phone was palpable. A small dimension in the silence. The part where I could end it, right here and now, and we'd never talk about it again. Never talk like this again. The air in my lungs was breathless, dizzying.
"Where do you want to go from here, Lyra?" I asked plainly - ever so dubious she'd throw me the life raft.
Small mercy that she didn't ask more. I wasn't volunteering, either. I let the moment pass, counting popcorn on the ceiling, until her voice shifted a beat.
I exhaled a laugh, grateful, "Yeah, don't I know it. If it hadn't been Reggie, I think you and Tyranny would have had it all together in a week. I certainly couldn't figure out how to slow you down".
The static in the phone was palpable. A small dimension in the silence. The part where I could end it, right here and now, and we'd never talk about it again. Never talk like this again. The air in my lungs was breathless, dizzying.
"Where do you want to go from here, Lyra?" I asked plainly - ever so dubious she'd throw me the life raft.
