Into the Woods (CA - Uno, Mark, & the Shepherds)
Quote from Adriana on May 19, 2023, 12:42 pm"HAH!" Bob laughed, pointing. "You DID believe me though. I knew it." he hummed with his success.
He kept his eyes steeled on the trail. Right now it was easy, but it wouldn't stay that way. Nonetheless, it was a much more gradual incline with a lower peak than some of the other ranges. The soil on the path was rich and dark, and the earthen scents were all consuming.
"You know, Bianca had a really bad breakup back in highschool. I brought her out here to get her mind off of it. A few days under the stars can really help you clear your head. Or maybe she just got tired of hearing me talk. Either way, it worked!" he beamed proudly.
"Mark's basically family. Becca and Sarah were practically sisters, and Mark's the closest thing to a son I have." he said the last piece disdainfully.
"I have no intention of letting him get hurt. But if he doesn't get out of this cycle he's in, that's going to happen regardless. Werewolves are the least of his concerns."
Bob was solemn now, his brow knit tight.
"The most dangerous monsters known to man, exist in our heads. It's been that way since the dawn of time. Werewolf or not, if you don't control them, they will control you. You've seen firsthand the consequences that follow when people give into their darkest impulses." his fist tightened on the strap of the bag and around the walking stick, the veins of his hand visible and his jaw twitched.
Not even Rebecca had been able to penetrate the pain so safeguarded in the hearts of Robin and Val, after they had been turned against. The physical wounds were grievous, but the mental games that their tormentors had played for so many years would never be erased.
"I am worried. About a lot. I'm worried about Bianca... they spent the summer in the mountains to avoid hunters, and there are tie-ins - plural - to the werewolves in Pinerich. That could actually be to their benefit. Still. If they can't help themselves or stop their own monsters from consuming them, I don't know how they'll ever form a cohesive unit. Your team is only as strong as your weakest member."
Now he paused and looked to Val.
"You have potential, Val, but I need you to trust my intentions. Don't ever. Ever. Let someone you don't really know see that you're afraid."
"HAH!" Bob laughed, pointing. "You DID believe me though. I knew it." he hummed with his success.
He kept his eyes steeled on the trail. Right now it was easy, but it wouldn't stay that way. Nonetheless, it was a much more gradual incline with a lower peak than some of the other ranges. The soil on the path was rich and dark, and the earthen scents were all consuming.
"You know, Bianca had a really bad breakup back in highschool. I brought her out here to get her mind off of it. A few days under the stars can really help you clear your head. Or maybe she just got tired of hearing me talk. Either way, it worked!" he beamed proudly.
"Mark's basically family. Becca and Sarah were practically sisters, and Mark's the closest thing to a son I have." he said the last piece disdainfully.
"I have no intention of letting him get hurt. But if he doesn't get out of this cycle he's in, that's going to happen regardless. Werewolves are the least of his concerns."
Bob was solemn now, his brow knit tight.
"The most dangerous monsters known to man, exist in our heads. It's been that way since the dawn of time. Werewolf or not, if you don't control them, they will control you. You've seen firsthand the consequences that follow when people give into their darkest impulses." his fist tightened on the strap of the bag and around the walking stick, the veins of his hand visible and his jaw twitched.
Not even Rebecca had been able to penetrate the pain so safeguarded in the hearts of Robin and Val, after they had been turned against. The physical wounds were grievous, but the mental games that their tormentors had played for so many years would never be erased.
"I am worried. About a lot. I'm worried about Bianca... they spent the summer in the mountains to avoid hunters, and there are tie-ins - plural - to the werewolves in Pinerich. That could actually be to their benefit. Still. If they can't help themselves or stop their own monsters from consuming them, I don't know how they'll ever form a cohesive unit. Your team is only as strong as your weakest member."
Now he paused and looked to Val.
"You have potential, Val, but I need you to trust my intentions. Don't ever. Ever. Let someone you don't really know see that you're afraid."
Quote from Indy on May 19, 2023, 1:00 pmTrust Bob to find all the words that had ever been missing in my life and circle me around in them like I was a pig in a blanket. There was a pit of dread in my stomach still, slowly unfolding and uncoiling itself like a snake.
"I do trust you," I said. There was a weight to those words, a heaviness I grappled with.
"And I am afraid. I've been afraid for a very long time - and all I've found are the cheat codes, but that doesn't make me less afraid..." my fingers were flexing in my palm, looking for something to do but I didn't have a nice walking stick like Bob to play with.
"You don't always make sense to me... but that's okay. Maybe it's good you don't, because honestly I wouldn't have taken a chance on me seven years ago and you did, so don't take my hesitation as mistrust..."
My fingers were a fist, and I ran my thumb along them till the knuckles cracked, "I wasn't trying to mess up your plans, but my instinct when I see a perfectly good human is to protect him and keep him as far away from this side as possible. He said something about a summer camp, and last time I was up there I found a half-dead Svalnaglas kid full of bullet holes, a bunch of hunters, and pack turmoil. Mark saw my reaction. But. Doesn't he have a little bit of a right to know? A right to choose before he's all the way in?"
Trust Bob to find all the words that had ever been missing in my life and circle me around in them like I was a pig in a blanket. There was a pit of dread in my stomach still, slowly unfolding and uncoiling itself like a snake.
"I do trust you," I said. There was a weight to those words, a heaviness I grappled with.
"And I am afraid. I've been afraid for a very long time - and all I've found are the cheat codes, but that doesn't make me less afraid..." my fingers were flexing in my palm, looking for something to do but I didn't have a nice walking stick like Bob to play with.
"You don't always make sense to me... but that's okay. Maybe it's good you don't, because honestly I wouldn't have taken a chance on me seven years ago and you did, so don't take my hesitation as mistrust..."
My fingers were a fist, and I ran my thumb along them till the knuckles cracked, "I wasn't trying to mess up your plans, but my instinct when I see a perfectly good human is to protect him and keep him as far away from this side as possible. He said something about a summer camp, and last time I was up there I found a half-dead Svalnaglas kid full of bullet holes, a bunch of hunters, and pack turmoil. Mark saw my reaction. But. Doesn't he have a little bit of a right to know? A right to choose before he's all the way in?"
Quote from Adriana on May 19, 2023, 1:23 pm"Val." Bob put a large hand on Val's shoulder, engulfing it, and giving it a firm squeeze.
"You are allowed to have fears. We all do." he loosed his grip and drew his hand back to the strap of the bag.
"That's part of the reason I wanted you to interact with Mark. I didn't expect it to be a perfect. I needed you outside of your comfort zone." he smiled reassuringly.
"I'm only asking that when you do have those moments of fear, you do everything you can to conceal them. You find someone you trust to bring them to-in this case, you could have spoken with me. Not everything deserves a reaction in the moment. You never know where there may be an enemy, ready to act on that weakness, or even how your fear will project onto another. You've been putting on a brave face for Robin this whole time - she was completely willing to call you out for it, too, by the way. You were both surviving in the only ways you knew how."
He tilted his head a bit, "You're part of a pack. You have resources. You don't have to live in survival mode all of the time."
Now he straightened and began walking again.
"Besides, this isn't about Mark or Bianca. You're trying to focus on anyone other than yourself. It was Robin before. Face it, Val - you're going to have to think about you for once, and I'm not sure you're entirely comfortable with that."
"Val." Bob put a large hand on Val's shoulder, engulfing it, and giving it a firm squeeze.
"You are allowed to have fears. We all do." he loosed his grip and drew his hand back to the strap of the bag.
"That's part of the reason I wanted you to interact with Mark. I didn't expect it to be a perfect. I needed you outside of your comfort zone." he smiled reassuringly.
"I'm only asking that when you do have those moments of fear, you do everything you can to conceal them. You find someone you trust to bring them to-in this case, you could have spoken with me. Not everything deserves a reaction in the moment. You never know where there may be an enemy, ready to act on that weakness, or even how your fear will project onto another. You've been putting on a brave face for Robin this whole time - she was completely willing to call you out for it, too, by the way. You were both surviving in the only ways you knew how."
He tilted his head a bit, "You're part of a pack. You have resources. You don't have to live in survival mode all of the time."
Now he straightened and began walking again.
"Besides, this isn't about Mark or Bianca. You're trying to focus on anyone other than yourself. It was Robin before. Face it, Val - you're going to have to think about you for once, and I'm not sure you're entirely comfortable with that."
Quote from Indy on May 19, 2023, 1:34 pm"So this isn't just about telling Mark last night about werewolves..." I trailed, watching very very closely to Chapman's reaction.
Because yeah. Maybe it made me a little evil. Maybe I didn't want to think about the squeeze on my shoulder, about Robin, about being not feeling alone. Maybe I just wanted to see if Chapman could walk what he preached.
"So this isn't just about telling Mark last night about werewolves..." I trailed, watching very very closely to Chapman's reaction.
Because yeah. Maybe it made me a little evil. Maybe I didn't want to think about the squeeze on my shoulder, about Robin, about being not feeling alone. Maybe I just wanted to see if Chapman could walk what he preached.
Quote from Adriana on May 19, 2023, 1:41 pmBob blinked. Then grinned. "Man, that makes my job a lot easier." he said, slapping Val on the back. "Hahaha! Catching on quick. I like it."
He continued to chuckle to himself.
"So, who is Val, really?"
He asked over his shoulder. "It's your turn to talk." there was a serious tone to his voice-a no nonsense tone that was perhaps a little uncomfortable to hear from Bob.
Bob blinked. Then grinned. "Man, that makes my job a lot easier." he said, slapping Val on the back. "Hahaha! Catching on quick. I like it."
He continued to chuckle to himself.
"So, who is Val, really?"
He asked over his shoulder. "It's your turn to talk." there was a serious tone to his voice-a no nonsense tone that was perhaps a little uncomfortable to hear from Bob.
Quote from Indy on May 19, 2023, 1:49 pm"Well that's a question..." I mumbled, blinking twice. I wasn't sure if I'd actually catch a reaction out of the man, but it didn't hurt to try. Had I made a point? Possibly. Maybe. What Chapman was trying to get out of this exchange was beyond me.
I settled to listening to the sound of my footsteps on the walking path, the smell of earth, the evening wind on my skin, and the first stars glimmering through the foliage. I expected Chapman to jump in. He didn't. I turned to him, but surmised he'd once more taken to playing my own cards against me. It turned out I was just mediocre at pitting his own tactics against him, and he was far more equipped to handle my sarcasm and awkward silence.
"Given that is an open-ended question, I'm going to assume I can answer whichever one I like. I'm not even sure I could explain you in words, Bob..." I sighed, "But let's say I want to be more than just scars, trauma, and an obsession for coffee. Let's say I want to actually imagine I have a future rather than just a picture of blackness. Let's say I want to maybe give back some of the good that was given to me. I'd say that about sums it up".
I cleared my throat, "Can we go back to the part where you said this is a 'pack'? What happened to force, movement, modern new assemblage of lycanthrope-afflicted peoples...?"
"Well that's a question..." I mumbled, blinking twice. I wasn't sure if I'd actually catch a reaction out of the man, but it didn't hurt to try. Had I made a point? Possibly. Maybe. What Chapman was trying to get out of this exchange was beyond me.
I settled to listening to the sound of my footsteps on the walking path, the smell of earth, the evening wind on my skin, and the first stars glimmering through the foliage. I expected Chapman to jump in. He didn't. I turned to him, but surmised he'd once more taken to playing my own cards against me. It turned out I was just mediocre at pitting his own tactics against him, and he was far more equipped to handle my sarcasm and awkward silence.
"Given that is an open-ended question, I'm going to assume I can answer whichever one I like. I'm not even sure I could explain you in words, Bob..." I sighed, "But let's say I want to be more than just scars, trauma, and an obsession for coffee. Let's say I want to actually imagine I have a future rather than just a picture of blackness. Let's say I want to maybe give back some of the good that was given to me. I'd say that about sums it up".
I cleared my throat, "Can we go back to the part where you said this is a 'pack'? What happened to force, movement, modern new assemblage of lycanthrope-afflicted peoples...?"
Quote from Adriana on May 20, 2023, 8:29 pmBob didn't seem to be amused with Val's current trajectory, the change of subject being met with an audible sigh.
"I've been meaning to ask for a while.. how was it that you ended up working for Steele?"
Bob didn't seem to be amused with Val's current trajectory, the change of subject being met with an audible sigh.
"I've been meaning to ask for a while.. how was it that you ended up working for Steele?"
Quote from Indy on May 21, 2023, 2:00 am"Bob," a sharpness settled in my voice - a warning? Or was I pleading? I couldn't say, because I didn't even know what he was looking for from me.
I always kept my thoughts sorted into boxes. This box held embarrassing memories. This box held the time I worked for Steele. This box held what I ate for breakfast last Tuesday. The box I rarely liked to open was the before box. Before what? Before it all went wrong.
But something told me Chapman wouldn't take silence as an answer, nor my usual snark. I struggled to unearth the box from the dusty corner I left it in most times. My voice struggled in my throat a moment, until what came out was constrained and clipped.
"I was twelve... and Steele saved me from - well, you know, our untamed counterparts. I followed...and he let me".
"Bob," a sharpness settled in my voice - a warning? Or was I pleading? I couldn't say, because I didn't even know what he was looking for from me.
I always kept my thoughts sorted into boxes. This box held embarrassing memories. This box held the time I worked for Steele. This box held what I ate for breakfast last Tuesday. The box I rarely liked to open was the before box. Before what? Before it all went wrong.
But something told me Chapman wouldn't take silence as an answer, nor my usual snark. I struggled to unearth the box from the dusty corner I left it in most times. My voice struggled in my throat a moment, until what came out was constrained and clipped.
"I was twelve... and Steele saved me from - well, you know, our untamed counterparts. I followed...and he let me".
Quote from Adriana on May 21, 2023, 11:27 pm"Just a kid." Bob muttered. He had other questions on the subject, but discerned it was one broached cautiously and in small pieces.
So for the time, he had no other questions, and continued trekking the soft earthy path in unusual silence.
"Just a kid." Bob muttered. He had other questions on the subject, but discerned it was one broached cautiously and in small pieces.
So for the time, he had no other questions, and continued trekking the soft earthy path in unusual silence.
Quote from Kaqurei on May 22, 2023, 8:21 am"That's Bob speak for "we should hang back for a minute"." Tara said knowingly. "How do you know him, if you don't mind me asking?" she went over the truck and pulled out a pack, offering it to Mark, before climbing up onto the tailgate and working to french braid her frizzy hair, made worse by the recent humidity.
"Friend of the family," Mark said, pulling on the pack. "My sister works with his wife, at the hospital. But they've been friends longer than that."
He took a look around at the camp ground. If it had been a restaurant, it would likely be one of those hole-in-the-wall places only the locals knew about, with the the best food and the most meagre of space.
Not that the grounds themselves were small. It was glorious, gazing out over vistas of nothing--no human dwellings as far as the eye could see, just fields and hills and completely unbothered wildlife. The accomodations for human visitors were small and humble, but that, too, lent to the atmosphere that this was a special secret place somehow.
His eyes wandered back to Tara's camper. "You come out here often?"
"That's Bob speak for "we should hang back for a minute"." Tara said knowingly. "How do you know him, if you don't mind me asking?" she went over the truck and pulled out a pack, offering it to Mark, before climbing up onto the tailgate and working to french braid her frizzy hair, made worse by the recent humidity.
"Friend of the family," Mark said, pulling on the pack. "My sister works with his wife, at the hospital. But they've been friends longer than that."
He took a look around at the camp ground. If it had been a restaurant, it would likely be one of those hole-in-the-wall places only the locals knew about, with the the best food and the most meagre of space.
Not that the grounds themselves were small. It was glorious, gazing out over vistas of nothing--no human dwellings as far as the eye could see, just fields and hills and completely unbothered wildlife. The accomodations for human visitors were small and humble, but that, too, lent to the atmosphere that this was a special secret place somehow.
His eyes wandered back to Tara's camper. "You come out here often?"
