Transitions (CA - Uno, Mark, & the Shepherds)
Quote from Kaqurei on April 28, 2023, 7:57 pm"Hi Bob. Uh, no, actually, it's just the one suitcase," Mark said, and suddenly felt kind of stupid that he hadn't brought it to the door. If that didn't say "failure to commit", he wasn't sure what did. He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. "Yeah, I'll go grab it."
"Hi Bob. Uh, no, actually, it's just the one suitcase," Mark said, and suddenly felt kind of stupid that he hadn't brought it to the door. If that didn't say "failure to commit", he wasn't sure what did. He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. "Yeah, I'll go grab it."
Quote from Adriana on April 28, 2023, 8:45 pmBob left the door wide open and went into the kitchen to make a third drink. "That's Mark. The uuuh, therapist." Bob admitted from the kitchen.
Bob left the door wide open and went into the kitchen to make a third drink. "That's Mark. The uuuh, therapist." Bob admitted from the kitchen.
Quote from Indy on April 28, 2023, 8:54 pmI watched warily, not saying a word. So that's what Bob had been up to in keeping me around so long. I took a surmising glance as he entered, but decided to hold any preconceived notions about him from what I could sense. It was an unfair advantage, after all - while I could discern quite a bit about him down to his last breakfast, I was just the guy with an eye patch looming in Chapman's house.
And if I were to take an educated guess, he had no idea who I was or Chapman's plans. May as well just assume we were both hostages in the same place with a very accommodating host.
"Hey Mark," I waved from my seat, still holding the rum and coke, "Call me... Val".
I watched warily, not saying a word. So that's what Bob had been up to in keeping me around so long. I took a surmising glance as he entered, but decided to hold any preconceived notions about him from what I could sense. It was an unfair advantage, after all - while I could discern quite a bit about him down to his last breakfast, I was just the guy with an eye patch looming in Chapman's house.
And if I were to take an educated guess, he had no idea who I was or Chapman's plans. May as well just assume we were both hostages in the same place with a very accommodating host.
"Hey Mark," I waved from my seat, still holding the rum and coke, "Call me... Val".
Quote from Adriana on April 29, 2023, 7:41 pm"You know where the guestroom is Mark, make yourself at home. Eleanor gets in late tonight so it's just us tired fellows for a bit."
Bob returned to the living room. "I'm sorry - that was at least a little bit underhanded of me. However, when you showed up I knew the opportunity was too good to pass up..."
Bob taught his kids to swim by throwing them into the middle of the lake and it showed.
"You know where the guestroom is Mark, make yourself at home. Eleanor gets in late tonight so it's just us tired fellows for a bit."
Bob returned to the living room. "I'm sorry - that was at least a little bit underhanded of me. However, when you showed up I knew the opportunity was too good to pass up..."
Bob taught his kids to swim by throwing them into the middle of the lake and it showed.
Quote from Indy on April 29, 2023, 7:59 pm"Mmmm," I replied noncommittally, but raised an eyebrow regardless. Trust me to know Bob's ways well. It had certainly seen me through some bad times, but it still didn't mean I liked it.
When Mark was out of earshot, I turned seriously to Chapman and asked, "How much does he know, Bob?"
"Mmmm," I replied noncommittally, but raised an eyebrow regardless. Trust me to know Bob's ways well. It had certainly seen me through some bad times, but it still didn't mean I liked it.
When Mark was out of earshot, I turned seriously to Chapman and asked, "How much does he know, Bob?"
Quote from Adriana on April 29, 2023, 8:05 pm"Nothing." Bob replied bluntly, taking another sip of his drink. "Maybe an opportunity to practice that finesse you were talking about."
"Nothing." Bob replied bluntly, taking another sip of his drink. "Maybe an opportunity to practice that finesse you were talking about."
Quote from Indy on April 29, 2023, 8:29 pmI starred at my drink, watching the ice cubes descend into their depths. Why did I expect anything less from Bob Chapman?
“I’m not sure who’s going to need therapy more, Bob”.
I starred at my drink, watching the ice cubes descend into their depths. Why did I expect anything less from Bob Chapman?
“I’m not sure who’s going to need therapy more, Bob”.
Quote from Kaqurei on April 29, 2023, 10:54 pm"Great to meet you, Val!"
"Thanks Bob!"
It was all a bit of a blur, bringing in his suitcase and getting it situated in the guest room. He'd been to the house before, and did not need to ask where it was. It'd been years, and the room was more or less the same. Mark didn't bother unpacking yet. But he did slip off his shoes and return to the living room where Bob and Val lounged.
He had, however, already surmised some things in those fleeting glances between the door and the stairs about his host and company. True, he was no wolf, and if asked he wouldn't have been able to tell you what either of the men had for breakfast that morning--well, he'd be able to tell you what Chapman had, as he'd had breakfast with him that particular morning. But no, Val's diet was a mystery to him. Instead, the cues he took were from clothing worn, little microexpressions, postures, movements.
Take Val, for example. The man seemed relaxed, but somehow that was a facade. There was some part of him always on guard, and Mark had the fleeting notion perhaps he'd been military at some point, if not one of Bob's associates from the police station. He had a different air about him than someone who'd been used to wearing a uniform, though. At least, not for a long time.
Mark was observant, these were things he took in and assumed on a glance, as sort of program running in the background of his brain, but he wasn't one to draw conclusions from assumptions. So when he found his way back to the living room he was quick to introduce himself with a friendly handshake before he sat down. "How do you two know each other?" He asked.
"Great to meet you, Val!"
"Thanks Bob!"
It was all a bit of a blur, bringing in his suitcase and getting it situated in the guest room. He'd been to the house before, and did not need to ask where it was. It'd been years, and the room was more or less the same. Mark didn't bother unpacking yet. But he did slip off his shoes and return to the living room where Bob and Val lounged.
He had, however, already surmised some things in those fleeting glances between the door and the stairs about his host and company. True, he was no wolf, and if asked he wouldn't have been able to tell you what either of the men had for breakfast that morning--well, he'd be able to tell you what Chapman had, as he'd had breakfast with him that particular morning. But no, Val's diet was a mystery to him. Instead, the cues he took were from clothing worn, little microexpressions, postures, movements.
Take Val, for example. The man seemed relaxed, but somehow that was a facade. There was some part of him always on guard, and Mark had the fleeting notion perhaps he'd been military at some point, if not one of Bob's associates from the police station. He had a different air about him than someone who'd been used to wearing a uniform, though. At least, not for a long time.
Mark was observant, these were things he took in and assumed on a glance, as sort of program running in the background of his brain, but he wasn't one to draw conclusions from assumptions. So when he found his way back to the living room he was quick to introduce himself with a friendly handshake before he sat down. "How do you two know each other?" He asked.
Quote from Adriana on April 30, 2023, 8:52 amNo other response was made until Mark joined their company.
Bob relaxed back into the couch and continued to nurse his drink. Mark was intelligent, and tenacious. The older man watched him work, and could almost see the gears turning as he assessed the room.
"His uncle and I worked together a few times on some independent jobs." he spoke steadily. The easiest way to ensure a clean story, was to remove lies. Being a werewolf and a public servant meant Bob was well versed in the skill of redirecting questions and selecting pieces of the truth that would satisfy others.
"Val and his partner were on a mission getting some information on a local drug ring... what was that, Val? Six... holy cow, seven years ago now? Right, Bianca was about eleven." he stared up at the ceiling briefly and sighed.
"Unfortunately.. the job went south and it turned into a search and rescue."
No other response was made until Mark joined their company.
Bob relaxed back into the couch and continued to nurse his drink. Mark was intelligent, and tenacious. The older man watched him work, and could almost see the gears turning as he assessed the room.
"His uncle and I worked together a few times on some independent jobs." he spoke steadily. The easiest way to ensure a clean story, was to remove lies. Being a werewolf and a public servant meant Bob was well versed in the skill of redirecting questions and selecting pieces of the truth that would satisfy others.
"Val and his partner were on a mission getting some information on a local drug ring... what was that, Val? Six... holy cow, seven years ago now? Right, Bianca was about eleven." he stared up at the ceiling briefly and sighed.
"Unfortunately.. the job went south and it turned into a search and rescue."
Quote from Indy on April 30, 2023, 11:16 am"Mmmm," I grunted noncommittally, allowing Bob to take care of all the finesse that he'd been going on about.
I had a sneaking suspicion that this interaction was Chapman's trial run of some bigger idea of his. It wasn't just that he needed to make sure I had a clear head before I played my part as a Shepherd - although I'm sure it was part of it. I'm not even sure it had everything to do with Mark learning about our kind, and what was on the other side. It was something bigger than that. This whole idea of us and them had always been a flawed one.
It wasn't humans against werewolves, nor was it werewolves against humans. It turned out we were all just trapped in the same mess, and somehow someway, we would need to figure out how to work together. Bob was playing a dangerous game here in bringing someone like Mark into the fold to deal with the ample emotional baggage basically every werewolf came with. Could it be done? Would Mark not be cursing Chapman's name in about six months? It was hard to say... but I was the guinea pig of this entire endeavor. As generous as my own issues were, at least I could sit nicely and drink my beverage - which was more than could be said for many werewolves.
It was a bad idea. But with Chapman, somehow bad ideas could become good ideas too. I'd play along with it just to see where it went.
"I've been working on security details since then while I... recovered," I said finally, measuring up the strangely perceptive glance behind Mark's eyes. I probably shouldn't be underestimating what he was picking up from me.
I gave a nod in Chapman's direction, "And Bob here has just convinced me to come back to the fold".
"Mmmm," I grunted noncommittally, allowing Bob to take care of all the finesse that he'd been going on about.
I had a sneaking suspicion that this interaction was Chapman's trial run of some bigger idea of his. It wasn't just that he needed to make sure I had a clear head before I played my part as a Shepherd - although I'm sure it was part of it. I'm not even sure it had everything to do with Mark learning about our kind, and what was on the other side. It was something bigger than that. This whole idea of us and them had always been a flawed one.
It wasn't humans against werewolves, nor was it werewolves against humans. It turned out we were all just trapped in the same mess, and somehow someway, we would need to figure out how to work together. Bob was playing a dangerous game here in bringing someone like Mark into the fold to deal with the ample emotional baggage basically every werewolf came with. Could it be done? Would Mark not be cursing Chapman's name in about six months? It was hard to say... but I was the guinea pig of this entire endeavor. As generous as my own issues were, at least I could sit nicely and drink my beverage - which was more than could be said for many werewolves.
It was a bad idea. But with Chapman, somehow bad ideas could become good ideas too. I'd play along with it just to see where it went.
"I've been working on security details since then while I... recovered," I said finally, measuring up the strangely perceptive glance behind Mark's eyes. I probably shouldn't be underestimating what he was picking up from me.
I gave a nod in Chapman's direction, "And Bob here has just convinced me to come back to the fold".
