Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 7:41 pm

Kim

Cherise silently held her hands together and looked at the floor as Mrs. Buttermilk talked with the young man. She could not help but feel bad for him. Awkwardly, she waited with only an occasional glance in the young man's direction. Cherise's mind then began to wander. She remembered the awkward situation she had found herself in the city. 

The shop owner there could not have been more glad that Cherise had tripped over his prize art sale. Though she herself had twisted an ankle, he shouted at her, saying she would now have to pay a thousand grand. Despite her apologies, the man only raised his voice more, announcing to everyone in the shop that that was not enough. However, Cherise's mother, having been shopping with her that day, spoke up. As was her specialty, she brought the shop owner down. She started off with saying how rude the man was, how he ought to have called the doctor for nearly "braking" her "one and only prize which was invaluable." She then began on how much she would have sued him for had that happened. In the end, Jessica had won in making sure the shop owner wanted his ears back and her to stop talkin- er.. raging at him. He just wanted them out of his shop. Cherise was sure he had a bad day before all this.

Cherise was brought back from thought as Mrs. Buttermilk looked to her again with a smile she could not help but smile back at. She then listened intently. For a moment she didn't speak, pondering what now to do. Almost crestfallen, she spoke softly "Oh.. He did not leave any indication of where he is?"

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 7:41 pm

Cat

Mrs Buttermilk shook her head. Nope. The scamps left town 'round midnight a little over 15 years ago. Last thing I remember Scotty tellin' me was that this town was too small for him.The old lady glanced up, recalling a dusty memory from the back of her mind. I'm really sorry Cherise, but your daddy ain't been seen around here since. The old woman ended with a pat on the young lady's cupped hands and a look of sympathy. 

But just know ya' have a good family here, and we're ready to love ya. If you ever want to know somethin'.. I'm here for you. She said softly.

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 7:42 pm

Kim

Cherise sighed in defeat.. I came close.. I gave it my best.. If his own mother does not know where he is, then.. the trail is dead. At Mrs. buttermilk's word daddy, she found she could not hold back. Her eyes filled with gentle tears that soon found their way down her soft cheeks. Quietly, Cherise closed her eyes and lowered her head in sadness, only to feel the touch of her grandmother's hands. She looked up with red eyes and a wet face. Mrs. Buttermilk's ending statement, reestablishing the smile upon Cherise's pink lips. "Thank you so much, dear Grandmama. I'm so thankful I found you." With that and a sigh of acceptance, Cherise wiped her eyes and stood bravely. A thought soon passed upon her mind. Would she know? How would I go about asking? She is the only one I can ask.. It was not long before she spoke again "Grandmama, do you know why my parents separated? I have a hunch but.. I'm not sure." Cherise hoped this was a good start.

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 7:42 pm

Cat

Mrs. Buttermilk smiled broadly, but it was clear the smile was both forced and uncomfortable. Uhm.. Perhaps I do. But I don't think we can talk about it just now, Sweetie.. She said, A wee bit later, perhaps? For now I'd like to know more about yourself. How old are you?... Why did you come all this way looking for your Papa? Come now, let me know you a bit, then we'll go upstairs for dinner around five.

The poor old woman was secretly battling many different emotions right now...

There was excitement: She had a granddaughter! A surprise maybe, but a pleasant one, because Cherise obviously had very good manners. She wasn't tattooed, pierced, painted or disagreeable in anyway, and demonstrated both intelligence and kindness with every breath. Judging by her recent tears and yet her resolve to face disappointment, Cherise was tender but strong-- A good combination. Oh yes, Grammy definitely approved.

But then, there was also bitterness: This was Scotty's pup alright, but why was she standing here a full grown woman? Jessica should have introduced this sweetheart years ago! The nerve of that woman to have had a daughter and never share the news with the family. She had been conniving from the start! But on top of stealing Scotty, she stole Scotty's baby! As if, as the mother of Scotty, Mrs. Buttermilk shouldn't be allowed to know about her first born son's daughter! Well, if Jessica ever expected to see this girl again, she was dead wrong! As the grandma, Mrs. Buttermilk fully intended to hog Cherise until they got back all the years they'd missed.

Intrigue was another factor: Who was this girl? What did she like? What had she done with her life? Was she still in school? Home schooled or public school? Had she graduated? Was she dating anyone? Married perhaps? Did she have any children? What all did she know? Scotty's genes had been strong ones, was it possible this little gal came looking for him because she had... a wolf?.. 

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 7:42 pm

Kim

Cherise's smile brightened, though a small trace of defeat lingered, it was passing. Softly she nodded in agreement to Mrs. Buttermilk's suggestion to wait for that answer. She could not very well bring up her real question with anyone else being in the room. A small and very brief glance towards the young man, hinted to her thoughts. With her attention full on Mrs. Buttermilk, Cherise began to admire her grandmother's face.Yes, she defiantly could and would love this Lady. As her grandmother asked her questions, suddenly Cherise's mind raced with many of it's own. This is my grandmother and I don't know anything about her. she thought. 

At Mrs. Buttermilk's mention of having dinner, Cherise noticed how hungry she truly was. Already she felt like a granddaughter."I'm twenty four." a meek giggle of joy escaped her. Taking a moment, she continued "At first I didn't think much of him. The question sprang up when my friends, in kindergarten, were talking about their fathers and what they did. I soon found out that, that topic really upset my mother bitterly. So, I left it at that. But... around my twelve birthday, I noticed... I mean, the question became more urgent and important to me."Cherise stumbled over her words. How else could she say it?

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 7:42 pm

Cat

Mrs. Buttermilk listened intently and nodded as he grand-daughter spoke. Twenty-four.. Yes, that sounded about right. As the young woman mentioned her mother's reluctance to speak of her ex-husband, Mrs. Buttermilk found herself biting her lower lip. The temptation to bash Jessica for all she was worth was overwhelming, but there was no doubt in the old lay's mind that Cherise loved her mother very much- Undoubtedly more than she loved the father who was never there for her, or the grandmother she never met. It was probably best for Mrs. Buttermilk to let her hostility suffocate rather than rear it's head and scare her grand-daughter away. 

But the lady was not so consumed with her own thoughts as to miss a trick. She noticed Cherise fumbling for words and taking care to say the right thing. This could only mean she had some secret on her mind, and Mrs. Buttermilk had a good idea as to what that secret was... But she had to be sure. No sense in pulling someone into something they were never meant to be apart of. 

Oh how frightfully awkward a family reunion was with a stranger present. Mrs. Buttermilk wished she could just tell the gentleman he was dismissed, but she would not stand for her sweet grand-daughter getting cheated out of her money. Very good, dear. Well, perhaps you can ask me about it later. For now, I have some inventory to take. Why not see to that young man about getting your pay? She said, hobbling around the desk and heading back through one of the aisles.

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 7:43 pm

Indy

The slap hit her cheeks like a sonic boom, quickly sending the surprised redhead stumbling on her butt and trying to shake the ringing in her head. When Jackie managed to process that, yes, she had indeed been slapped by a werewolf, Logan was long gone. She squinted through the brush, trying to detect a trace of the hulking beast but to no avail. And it was just as well-- Jackie wasn't entirely certain what she might have done if she'd been given the opportunity to return the favor...

After swearing profusely and swatting off leaves, Jackie returned to her path in the woods as if nothing had happened.

---

The color in Theo's face seeped into the tips of his ears. His hands quickly swept up the odd necklace, shielding it from view.

"N-no... not usually. I'm not too good at crafts. I just-- well, you know, I... uh"

He shook his head. While he still seemed a good deal flustered, the thoughts in his head had finally aggregated into something concise enough for communication.

"It's... a thank you gift. Someone helped me a lot, a lot a lot, and I just wanted to say. Thank you."

He bowed his head deeply, either taking a moment to contemplate or else too embarrassed to look Toby in the eyes. With what seemed a great effort, Theo replaced all the contents of his bag and slowly stood. At that instant, a thousand thoughts were lingering in his eyes but none was more pressing than--

"Hey, do you hear that? I think we're close to the birds"

---

Fix it? Fix. It? The moment Cherise said it, Zander had looked at the poor woman like she wasn't entirely human. The vase was in ruins. Shattered into a thousand pieces, even. You'd have better luck piecing together sand back into a coral reef than trying to recapture the intricacy of this vase. And while Zander would like nothing better than to pepper the young lady with a dozen questions, the sharp look in Mrs. Buttermilk's eyes held his tongue. That old, short woman terrified him and not even the answer to every question in the universe would have persuaded him to disobey. 

Zander sat his butt in the chair she had directed to, despite his crippling desire to run and his burning desire to interrogate Cherise. He spent every effort being perfectly quiet. He was so still, in fact, that he might have been a wax figure.

When Mrs. Buttermilk spoke of him again, Zander's resolve shattered. He visibly flinched, as if the old woman had struck him across the cheek. When he noticed she wasn't glaring at him with anger (or for that matter, paying him any more attention than she need to), he relaxed. Although only slightly. He still lingered in the cave of the beast, so to speak. 

He cautiously stood, taking care not to hurt the antique chair in any way, and timidly approached Cherise and Mrs. Buttermilk like a rabbit might approach a cat.

"Ah. Erm. Yes," he nodded meekly, before falling silent and looking guardedly at Cherise's reaction.

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 7:43 pm

Kim

Cherise watched as her grandmother walked off. There was such fondness in her eyes and a smile of delight on her lips. For some reason or another, she felt as though she had walked right into her own home. Comfortably, Cherise once again turned to face the young man. The soft smile stayed on her face and a new glow was in her eyes. "Oh yes," she giggled, lifting her hand to her mouth trying to quiet herself with her curled forefinger and thumb. "Forgive me, I did not catch your name?"With that Cherise held out her gentle hand "I'm Cherise Johnson.. er.. or Buttermilk."She quietly giggled again, though shorter then the first. 

Although subtle, Cherise's nose caught the faintest smell among the many of antiques. There was something else.. However, it was soon lost in the many smells of the shop and Cherise brushed it aside.

Quote from Indy on August 21, 2018, 7:43 pm

Mae

Ulric had fallen silent, a silence that prolonged itself as he walked. Kratos did not incline his eye toward his brother, but continued to look straight forward. His gaze was set on the ranch and the people there while the sun cast deep shadows down under his brow and chin.

"I would like to give you a rank," the Alpha said at last, and the words brought Ulric's eyes up from the ground. 

Ulric watched the Alpha's face for a moment as he began to understand the cause of the heavy cloud that had overshadowed him earlier. But he found nothing else to say except, "What would you have me do?"

Kratos stopped and without hesitancy turned toward his brother and said, "Safeguard the welfare of those around you."

Ulric furrowed his brow and looked grave. "I don't understand," he said.

"I need you as a mediator." Kratos replied, and he lifted his eyes to look over Ulric's head while he continued. "The people here are different and strange one to the other, they have walked separate roads in life and peace does not impart itself easily among them... There is pain and anger here, and where there are these, there is also a very real danger."

A warm wind passed over and fled toward the woods, and almost in recognition of some unseen fact, Kratos' eyes turned in the direction of the mountain. Ulric thought he saw something pass fleetingly under that mighty gaze, but it did not linger, and it seemed like there was some queer feeling growing in the air. 

However, there was not a moment to question the Alpha, and once again Kratos looked down to meet the eyes of his brother. 

"I know it is not a task others would set upon you," he said while his voice continued in deep seriousness, "But it is a position you are well suited to fill, and one that is necessary in seeing to the survival of our pack. I am not ignorant of the life you left behind, one you will shortly find has followed you; The past always comes in pursuit of those who belong to it."

Ulric swallowed hard and felt his heart beating in his chest. His mind trailed back to the moment following the race with Logan and he knew that Kratos was not speaking falsely concerning this thing. But out of caution he retreated from the memory, not wanting it to presently be revealed. Thus he considered that there was certainly wise council in the Alpha's words, and this much was clear, that Kratos knew more than he would ever say to anyone.

Feeling his breath catch briefly in his throat, Ulric opened his mouth to speak but paused to think about how he should proceed. He found it impossible to conceal something should it already be known, and yet he did not know if the Alpha knew enough to understand the question he had on his mind. Still, honesty and now some trust and respect, encouraged him at last to reply. "What should I do if they come to find me?"

"That is a decision you will have to make." Kratos responded without delay. "It was not easy for me, and I cannot imagine it will be for many others. So determine now what you want, and be prepared for the battle you will have to fight for it."

Following these words, the Alpha slowly turned aside and again began walking. 

There was a lot to think about, but Ulric quickly followed after Kratos and looked again to his face as he inquired, "So what is my responsibility?" 

The Alpha sensed the resolve in which Ulric had asked this question, and perhaps that was what lifted the mood as the cloud seemed to pass.

"Be a peacemaker and friend. As a pack each of us has a part in the whole, and I have seen the purpose of your part; if any piece in a complex unit does not work with another piece, than the machine fails to function. Our pieces were not custom-cut for what we are building, but we need them to work together. I have seen that you have already begun to play your part, and Chime also has a gift in this area. I do not expect you will need to go too far out of your way to accomplish what I have asked..."

At this last part Kratos turned a slight smile down toward Ulric before looking up again and looking once more altogether serious. "But I do have a request, and that is, I will need to know certain things as they arise... Often enough the members of our pack do not speak to me openly, but I need to know their hearts if they are to follow me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I believe so." Ulric replied solemnly.

"Good." Kratos said, then he lifted his chin and looked for Chime. The two men had come now directly up to the ranch and Kratos stopped alongside the shed near the corn field.

"Zeit. Chime. If you have a moment, I would like to speak with you," The Alpha called, then he glanced down at Ulric and spoke near a whisper. "Jackie was up in the orchard a moment ago, though I wouldn't wonder if she has wandered off by now. And Logan also seems to have vanished... Would you find out where the two have gone, because I will be very disappointed should they be absent for too long."

The matter was well known to Ulric, so he nodded swiftly and headed off on his appointed errand, trying to recall the area he had seen Logan enter the woods by...