Werewolves (RP 8): A Time for Questions and Answers (6/16-4/18)
Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 12:01 pmCat
Toby hobbled back inside the house at the alpha's request, deciding to save questions for never. He could tell just by breathing that there were several strangers among them today, but he hardly knew the faces of those who were actually part of the pack, it wouldn't do him any good to try and discern who was who, or what, or how, or why.
As the group gathered in the house, Toby seated himself on a chair to watch them. Sitting wasn't a picnic, given the fact that one of his legs had practically been dislodged the other night, but the ache would eventually subside if he sat there long enough- Unlike if he chose to stand, then the ache would persist forever.
As Ulric transformed and began to tap on his bongos, Toby found his attention more on the fellow than on the music. Who was this guy anyway? The furtherest reaches of the back of Toby's subconscious seemed to say he was some relative of Kratos'... Maybe. How long had he been here? Toby admired his wolf form: It was a little dopey, given the fact he had four sets of ponytails on the back of his neck, but it was kind of cool too. Many artists had long hair and ponytails, maybe his were significant in someway. The rich rabbit-coloring was what Toby envied the most. Personally, he didn't like his own sandy eggshell pelt, it made him feel like a carpet that had been left in the attic too long to even be valuable-- And that illustration was only furthered when he considered patchy fur that came complete with bald spots, and the freshly acquired moth hole in his ear; courtesy of his loving neighbors..
Toby shook his head to clear his thoughts. It wasn't right to envy. Granny always used to say it would turn him into a green monster when he'd tell her he envied kids who had fathers, and green was the last thing his poor pelt needed-- Not to mention eyeballs. Some kids at school used to call him 'four-eyes' because of his glasses, he wouldn't want to literally have four eyes! That would be horrible!
As two females entered the room and began to dance and laugh, Toby's attention was finally drawn to the music and what was actually going on around him. He listened to the beat for a moment and watched the dancers carefully, trying to ensure they were keeping pace with the music; in so doing, he began to listen to the music more, and found himself smiling and bobbing along with his head.
Cat
Toby hobbled back inside the house at the alpha's request, deciding to save questions for never. He could tell just by breathing that there were several strangers among them today, but he hardly knew the faces of those who were actually part of the pack, it wouldn't do him any good to try and discern who was who, or what, or how, or why.
As the group gathered in the house, Toby seated himself on a chair to watch them. Sitting wasn't a picnic, given the fact that one of his legs had practically been dislodged the other night, but the ache would eventually subside if he sat there long enough- Unlike if he chose to stand, then the ache would persist forever.
As Ulric transformed and began to tap on his bongos, Toby found his attention more on the fellow than on the music. Who was this guy anyway? The furtherest reaches of the back of Toby's subconscious seemed to say he was some relative of Kratos'... Maybe. How long had he been here? Toby admired his wolf form: It was a little dopey, given the fact he had four sets of ponytails on the back of his neck, but it was kind of cool too. Many artists had long hair and ponytails, maybe his were significant in someway. The rich rabbit-coloring was what Toby envied the most. Personally, he didn't like his own sandy eggshell pelt, it made him feel like a carpet that had been left in the attic too long to even be valuable-- And that illustration was only furthered when he considered patchy fur that came complete with bald spots, and the freshly acquired moth hole in his ear; courtesy of his loving neighbors..
Toby shook his head to clear his thoughts. It wasn't right to envy. Granny always used to say it would turn him into a green monster when he'd tell her he envied kids who had fathers, and green was the last thing his poor pelt needed-- Not to mention eyeballs. Some kids at school used to call him 'four-eyes' because of his glasses, he wouldn't want to literally have four eyes! That would be horrible!
As two females entered the room and began to dance and laugh, Toby's attention was finally drawn to the music and what was actually going on around him. He listened to the beat for a moment and watched the dancers carefully, trying to ensure they were keeping pace with the music; in so doing, he began to listen to the music more, and found himself smiling and bobbing along with his head.
Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 12:01 pmIndy
As Ulric went upstairs to grab his bongos, this afforded Theo a few precious moments to familiarize himself with the instrument in his hands. He felt a little awkward playing the girl’s instrument, almost as if he was walking on her grave. It looked well-used but cared for; as he smoothed his fingers over its surface, he could detect a few chips in the finish, yet when he strummed the first string he was delighted to discover it was very much in tune.
He tested the other three, curiously, gathering in the general sound and feeling of the instrument. It was not a loud instrument, but it still was a rich and friendly sound. He tested a few more this time, pressing down on a few strings at a time, but the note was sour. He repeated a few more times – slowly, because his large fingers were clumsy on the small neck – only to discover a familiar note. He smiled. His fingers missed the extra strings, but he decided he liked this instrument.
As Ulric came back, inviting him to play, Theo did not reply verbally but simply nodded. He watched as Ulric transformed and winced, but not because he was in any way uncomfortable by the process. He just hoped Ulric didn’t want him to transform too. If his hands were any larger, there was no way he could play this instrument at all. He might even break it in half if he wasn’t careful. Thankfully, this did not seem to be a requirement, so when no one asked him to he allowed himself a heavy sigh of relief.
After listening to the drums for a few measures, Theo hesitantly began to string the instrument in accompaniment. He only had learned a few chords that sounded okay, and he was still very clumsy on this tiny instrument. The first few notes were awkward, unsure, and lost in the beat. He looked around helplessly around the room, certain everyone’s eyes must be upon him. But… they weren’t... everyone’s eyes had been taken by the beat of the music. He tried a few more notes and this time they sounded stronger.
After only a few minutes had past, Theo was as lost as everyone else in the beat. Suddenly how the notes sounded did not matter, only that they fell in rhythm with the drums, and yet somehow they sounded far, far better than they had on their own.
---
Zander did not greet the morning to the company of friends or the smell of warm food. Instead, the man awoke outside at the outskirts of town in a field, curled up awkwardly beside his backpack and a motorcycle. He sighed, trying and failing to stretch away the stiffness of his muscles that came with sleeping outside for the past two nights. His stomach rumbled, turning in itself, but Zander had not the means to put anything in it. His first instinct was to try and sleep through that discomfort, but he knew the longer he slept in the more likely an early morning jogger might discover him.
So the man stood, and began to rummage through the saddlebag of a very old and beat-up grey motorcycle. He fished out a small mirror, taking in his appearance and sighed. The sky blue of his shirt had been stained and wrinkled from the last two days of use. His hair was a disheveled mess and there were lines under his eyes. If anyone were to see him now, they would likely not take him as a friendly sort. As a man living in this town, he was limited by the money in his pocket; which presently made him very, very limited.
He turned to take in the sight of the woods edge just down from the field. Even as far away as he was, he could hear the murmur of bird chatter, the scurrying of squirrels, and what may very well have been the rustling of a deer. As a wolf in the forest, he’d be the top of the food chain… or would be, had there not been a pack not already living inside them. He debated for the second morning whether or not he ought risk the infraction, but shook his head. He wasn’t hungry enough yet. And there may yet be hope for the man today.
From the saddlebag on the motorcycle, he pulled out his last cleanly ironed shirt, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a washcloth, a water bottle, a stick or deodorant, and a comb. He made swift work of each of these items so he no longer was the mess he’d been when he woke up. Then he brought his metal beasty to a low rumble, and set off into town.
Indy
As Ulric went upstairs to grab his bongos, this afforded Theo a few precious moments to familiarize himself with the instrument in his hands. He felt a little awkward playing the girl’s instrument, almost as if he was walking on her grave. It looked well-used but cared for; as he smoothed his fingers over its surface, he could detect a few chips in the finish, yet when he strummed the first string he was delighted to discover it was very much in tune.
He tested the other three, curiously, gathering in the general sound and feeling of the instrument. It was not a loud instrument, but it still was a rich and friendly sound. He tested a few more this time, pressing down on a few strings at a time, but the note was sour. He repeated a few more times – slowly, because his large fingers were clumsy on the small neck – only to discover a familiar note. He smiled. His fingers missed the extra strings, but he decided he liked this instrument.
As Ulric came back, inviting him to play, Theo did not reply verbally but simply nodded. He watched as Ulric transformed and winced, but not because he was in any way uncomfortable by the process. He just hoped Ulric didn’t want him to transform too. If his hands were any larger, there was no way he could play this instrument at all. He might even break it in half if he wasn’t careful. Thankfully, this did not seem to be a requirement, so when no one asked him to he allowed himself a heavy sigh of relief.
After listening to the drums for a few measures, Theo hesitantly began to string the instrument in accompaniment. He only had learned a few chords that sounded okay, and he was still very clumsy on this tiny instrument. The first few notes were awkward, unsure, and lost in the beat. He looked around helplessly around the room, certain everyone’s eyes must be upon him. But… they weren’t... everyone’s eyes had been taken by the beat of the music. He tried a few more notes and this time they sounded stronger.
After only a few minutes had past, Theo was as lost as everyone else in the beat. Suddenly how the notes sounded did not matter, only that they fell in rhythm with the drums, and yet somehow they sounded far, far better than they had on their own.
---
Zander did not greet the morning to the company of friends or the smell of warm food. Instead, the man awoke outside at the outskirts of town in a field, curled up awkwardly beside his backpack and a motorcycle. He sighed, trying and failing to stretch away the stiffness of his muscles that came with sleeping outside for the past two nights. His stomach rumbled, turning in itself, but Zander had not the means to put anything in it. His first instinct was to try and sleep through that discomfort, but he knew the longer he slept in the more likely an early morning jogger might discover him.
So the man stood, and began to rummage through the saddlebag of a very old and beat-up grey motorcycle. He fished out a small mirror, taking in his appearance and sighed. The sky blue of his shirt had been stained and wrinkled from the last two days of use. His hair was a disheveled mess and there were lines under his eyes. If anyone were to see him now, they would likely not take him as a friendly sort. As a man living in this town, he was limited by the money in his pocket; which presently made him very, very limited.
He turned to take in the sight of the woods edge just down from the field. Even as far away as he was, he could hear the murmur of bird chatter, the scurrying of squirrels, and what may very well have been the rustling of a deer. As a wolf in the forest, he’d be the top of the food chain… or would be, had there not been a pack not already living inside them. He debated for the second morning whether or not he ought risk the infraction, but shook his head. He wasn’t hungry enough yet. And there may yet be hope for the man today.
From the saddlebag on the motorcycle, he pulled out his last cleanly ironed shirt, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a washcloth, a water bottle, a stick or deodorant, and a comb. He made swift work of each of these items so he no longer was the mess he’d been when he woke up. Then he brought his metal beasty to a low rumble, and set off into town.
Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 12:02 pmMae
With a clap and a thump, Ulric lifted his eyes to find Sabrina had joined in. Delighted, Ulric smiled, his rhythm changed until it had adopted her beat, and then again as Chime and Bianca joined in dance. Soon, every step and clap was in sync with the music, and the stage was set for the moment that Theo began to play.
The room was alive, it had come alive like the beat of a heart and the pulse continued to stir things into motion, its lifeblood warmed as Theo's fingers danced over the strings of the lost ukulele. If magic existed anywhere on earth, Ulric was sure that it was here, where hearts became one in the enjoyment of music.
Savoring it for a brief moment, Ulric closed his eyes and concentrated on the sound, his hands pattering to and from across the drums as if to stop was to let a friend die.
Lifting his eyes to the room again there was something more natural about Ulric's smile than had ever been seen.
"You're doing great, man!" He said, looking to Theo and nodding his approval. Ulric looked to the others in the room and watched their pleasure.*****
For a long time after everyone had left the yard, Alpha Kratos neither said nor did anything. He stood staring down into the ditch with his arms folded upon his chest with neither thought nor feeling to be seen on his face.
In the cabin the sound of drums had begun.
Kratos at last turned aside.
"I agree with you, Jackie." The Alpha's voice was like a deep drum in of itself and it carried a contemplative tone. Walking methodically around the exterior of the fence, he continued. "Bianca's statements carried weight in sentiment. She chose her words well. I cannot help but notice how she said people, and not human. That was a wise choice of words...""For of course," Said he, stopping now and looking down into the Training Arena. "We would be in error if we did not acknowledge that in us which is not human."
Timothy shied away in the darkness and his sleek striped coat was seen to hastened from the Alpha in the shadows.
"I value the significance of the words she chose." Kratos said and he continued to walk in a slow, methodical pace outside the fence. "For, as much as we should like to be - as much as I claim that title for myself - we are not human. You are not human. That part of you died some time ago, when you encountered the werewolf for the first time."
The music from the house had picked up and become more lively, but outside the melancholy of nature still resided among the trees.
"Timothy. Yes, I see you. Why don't you change back into a man? Do you think you are stronger in that form than as a man?" The Alpha shuffled the dirt at his feet, which trickled down from the wall into the ditch. He continued as if bored and his words were spoken as a matter of fact. "In physical combat maybe. But I think this is more than that, I think you are intimidated by the world around you. You don't realize what an advantage words have to get what you want better than by acting out; you play by the rules of the creature, and it is a sad disadvantage."
"But he may be disadvantaged in that way." Kratos said, looking through the fence now, for he had come to the opposite side of the Training Arena from where he had stood previously and could now see Logan on the other side. "After all, he cannot remember who that person was, or anything about his life before he was a werewolf - the boy who he was is not only dead but forgotten, not even his name can be recalled. You two are disadvantaged in another way. You think you can keep on living like who you were - that you can resume the life of someone who is dead. You can try... You can try."
Kratos looked between Logan and Jackie, shrugging, and then he continued to walk. As he did so his shape fell away and his massive black body continued the journey slowly outside the fence. How eerily like an animal he appeared, not one possessing unnatural malice and hatred, but an animal that would kill without thinking of a reason or worrying about the way to do it. He had power in his step to seize a life, he had command of the earth beneath his feet, and yet he was as passive as a spring breeze without a blade of grass to sway.
"I have to wonder," The Alpha's voice so much deeper now than it had been before, and all that much more like a great drum. "Would you count yourself fortunate to have Timothy's fate? Would it better to have no memory of that former life? ... You would have less to mourn... But, you would also have less to hold you back."
There was a feeling of danger now, as the Alpha prowled outside the fence, yet it was a danger that would become all the more evident as he continued to speak.
"Oh, it's a great world, isn't it? It drags you into it." A heavy breath fell from the Alpha's lips and he drew in from his nose, smelling the forest around him. "It consumes your senses. There's more to hear... more to smell... more to taste. Yes, much more to taste. It tempts you, and it promises freedom, control, and belonging."
"It wants you to be a part of it, and you know you can do it too. In just a moment, you can let go of everything and become one with it." Kratos' large hands curled around the dirt under his palms, and his fistfuls of earth were lifted into the air - allowed to trickle from his fingers into the wind. Suddenly then, the feeling of danger departed, and the Alpha lifted his head. "But when you do, - the very moment you do - it owns you. You lose yourself and you do unspeakable things ... just because you listened to it once."
The Alpha had come full circle around the Training Arena, his bright yellow eyes flashing over Logan's scars and then he met her gaze.
"You have to choose."
Mae
With a clap and a thump, Ulric lifted his eyes to find Sabrina had joined in. Delighted, Ulric smiled, his rhythm changed until it had adopted her beat, and then again as Chime and Bianca joined in dance. Soon, every step and clap was in sync with the music, and the stage was set for the moment that Theo began to play.
The room was alive, it had come alive like the beat of a heart and the pulse continued to stir things into motion, its lifeblood warmed as Theo's fingers danced over the strings of the lost ukulele. If magic existed anywhere on earth, Ulric was sure that it was here, where hearts became one in the enjoyment of music.
Savoring it for a brief moment, Ulric closed his eyes and concentrated on the sound, his hands pattering to and from across the drums as if to stop was to let a friend die.
Lifting his eyes to the room again there was something more natural about Ulric's smile than had ever been seen.
"You're doing great, man!" He said, looking to Theo and nodding his approval. Ulric looked to the others in the room and watched their pleasure.
*****
For a long time after everyone had left the yard, Alpha Kratos neither said nor did anything. He stood staring down into the ditch with his arms folded upon his chest with neither thought nor feeling to be seen on his face.
In the cabin the sound of drums had begun.
Kratos at last turned aside.
"I agree with you, Jackie." The Alpha's voice was like a deep drum in of itself and it carried a contemplative tone. Walking methodically around the exterior of the fence, he continued. "Bianca's statements carried weight in sentiment. She chose her words well. I cannot help but notice how she said people, and not human. That was a wise choice of words..."
"For of course," Said he, stopping now and looking down into the Training Arena. "We would be in error if we did not acknowledge that in us which is not human."
Timothy shied away in the darkness and his sleek striped coat was seen to hastened from the Alpha in the shadows.
"I value the significance of the words she chose." Kratos said and he continued to walk in a slow, methodical pace outside the fence. "For, as much as we should like to be - as much as I claim that title for myself - we are not human. You are not human. That part of you died some time ago, when you encountered the werewolf for the first time."
The music from the house had picked up and become more lively, but outside the melancholy of nature still resided among the trees.
"Timothy. Yes, I see you. Why don't you change back into a man? Do you think you are stronger in that form than as a man?" The Alpha shuffled the dirt at his feet, which trickled down from the wall into the ditch. He continued as if bored and his words were spoken as a matter of fact. "In physical combat maybe. But I think this is more than that, I think you are intimidated by the world around you. You don't realize what an advantage words have to get what you want better than by acting out; you play by the rules of the creature, and it is a sad disadvantage."
"But he may be disadvantaged in that way." Kratos said, looking through the fence now, for he had come to the opposite side of the Training Arena from where he had stood previously and could now see Logan on the other side. "After all, he cannot remember who that person was, or anything about his life before he was a werewolf - the boy who he was is not only dead but forgotten, not even his name can be recalled. You two are disadvantaged in another way. You think you can keep on living like who you were - that you can resume the life of someone who is dead. You can try... You can try."
Kratos looked between Logan and Jackie, shrugging, and then he continued to walk. As he did so his shape fell away and his massive black body continued the journey slowly outside the fence. How eerily like an animal he appeared, not one possessing unnatural malice and hatred, but an animal that would kill without thinking of a reason or worrying about the way to do it. He had power in his step to seize a life, he had command of the earth beneath his feet, and yet he was as passive as a spring breeze without a blade of grass to sway.
"I have to wonder," The Alpha's voice so much deeper now than it had been before, and all that much more like a great drum. "Would you count yourself fortunate to have Timothy's fate? Would it better to have no memory of that former life? ... You would have less to mourn... But, you would also have less to hold you back."
There was a feeling of danger now, as the Alpha prowled outside the fence, yet it was a danger that would become all the more evident as he continued to speak.
"Oh, it's a great world, isn't it? It drags you into it." A heavy breath fell from the Alpha's lips and he drew in from his nose, smelling the forest around him. "It consumes your senses. There's more to hear... more to smell... more to taste. Yes, much more to taste. It tempts you, and it promises freedom, control, and belonging."
"It wants you to be a part of it, and you know you can do it too. In just a moment, you can let go of everything and become one with it." Kratos' large hands curled around the dirt under his palms, and his fistfuls of earth were lifted into the air - allowed to trickle from his fingers into the wind. Suddenly then, the feeling of danger departed, and the Alpha lifted his head. "But when you do, - the very moment you do - it owns you. You lose yourself and you do unspeakable things ... just because you listened to it once."
The Alpha had come full circle around the Training Arena, his bright yellow eyes flashing over Logan's scars and then he met her gaze.
"You have to choose."
Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 12:02 pmDeseree
Her eyes never left him. Even as he shifted into a beast, she did not flinch. His words settled deeply in her mind and took root, and she found herself contemplating all that was mentioned while the world around her became a mere backdrop for her thoughts.
Still perfectly clear were his words, and so vividly did he describe that which he spoke of.
Her thoughts moved along, considering Timothy's past to her own life in Blackridge... Then the atmosphere was changed and the life that she tried constantly to suppress stirred within her, reminding her of it's existence."- There's more to hear... more to smell... more to taste. Yes, much more to taste-"
Mmmm.... she could hear the birds in the distance now, and smell the rabbits burrow just outside of the camp grounds. Memphis' unfamiliar scent permeated the air. Most drawing of all was that of blood, and Logan's eyes dilated as she subconsciously considered the source... it was familiar, and she could almost taste the iron on her tongue---it was Jackie's blood.
Her mind had lingered on it for several moments when she was drawn back to the plain of reality, and so astounded was she to find that the beast lay so close to the surface, yet it's presence was unmistakable now.. her chest and shoulders rose and fell with heavy breaths, as if she had been immersed in water, and did not slow until her own gaze met the Alpha's. There was irony in it, that those piercing yellow eyes would be what anchored her at the moment to this realm of reality.
At last when it had grown silent, she broke her gaze from the Alpha and reached into a pocket, slowly withdrawing two objects that she held together in the same hand. A knife, she flipped open with her thumb, and a neatly folded letter. Her intentions could not be read in her expression, which had softened, and was at the same time resolute.
Opening her left hand, she brought the knife to it and pressed it against her palm, drawing a thin line across it's face. The blade was tucked away and returned to her pocket, as she clenched her left hand shut. Drops of crimson fell to the dirt beneath her, and she then brought the letter to her left hand and closed her fingers around it.
Not a word was uttered. She moved forward and extended her right hand, taking the Alpha's left and lifting it so his palm was upward. Then she brought the letter from her still bleeding hand into it, and laid it in his massive palm.
Her jaw was raised and her shoulders squared as she met the Alpha's gaze again, and after a single, slow nod, she turned away and began towards the cabins...
Deseree
Her eyes never left him. Even as he shifted into a beast, she did not flinch. His words settled deeply in her mind and took root, and she found herself contemplating all that was mentioned while the world around her became a mere backdrop for her thoughts.
Still perfectly clear were his words, and so vividly did he describe that which he spoke of.
Her thoughts moved along, considering Timothy's past to her own life in Blackridge... Then the atmosphere was changed and the life that she tried constantly to suppress stirred within her, reminding her of it's existence.
"- There's more to hear... more to smell... more to taste. Yes, much more to taste-"
Mmmm.... she could hear the birds in the distance now, and smell the rabbits burrow just outside of the camp grounds. Memphis' unfamiliar scent permeated the air. Most drawing of all was that of blood, and Logan's eyes dilated as she subconsciously considered the source... it was familiar, and she could almost taste the iron on her tongue---it was Jackie's blood.
Her mind had lingered on it for several moments when she was drawn back to the plain of reality, and so astounded was she to find that the beast lay so close to the surface, yet it's presence was unmistakable now.. her chest and shoulders rose and fell with heavy breaths, as if she had been immersed in water, and did not slow until her own gaze met the Alpha's. There was irony in it, that those piercing yellow eyes would be what anchored her at the moment to this realm of reality.
At last when it had grown silent, she broke her gaze from the Alpha and reached into a pocket, slowly withdrawing two objects that she held together in the same hand. A knife, she flipped open with her thumb, and a neatly folded letter. Her intentions could not be read in her expression, which had softened, and was at the same time resolute.
Opening her left hand, she brought the knife to it and pressed it against her palm, drawing a thin line across it's face. The blade was tucked away and returned to her pocket, as she clenched her left hand shut. Drops of crimson fell to the dirt beneath her, and she then brought the letter to her left hand and closed her fingers around it.
Not a word was uttered. She moved forward and extended her right hand, taking the Alpha's left and lifting it so his palm was upward. Then she brought the letter from her still bleeding hand into it, and laid it in his massive palm.
Her jaw was raised and her shoulders squared as she met the Alpha's gaze again, and after a single, slow nod, she turned away and began towards the cabins...
Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 12:02 pmIndy
Jackie looked away from Kratos as he began to speak in the same way her gaze avoided the wall where Timothy lurked. Her head stooped so a shadow crested over her brow and no expression could be easily deciphered beyond a faint grimace on her lower lip. Yet even this was not a reaction to the words the alpha spoke, but to a stitch of pain running from her side to her abdomen. A small spreading warmth there told her the wound had reopened from the morning’s chaos. She clutched one arm to the wound as she waited for it to coagulate.
As Kratos’ final words settled in the air, Jackie did not as much as twitch. It was only as she heard Logan stir from behind her that she spun around, catching a strange expression in the woman’s eyes. It was a hunger or perhaps a longing that seemed to bore into her… the scent of her blood, no doubt, had carried on the air. What did Logan make of the beast in her eyes? She watched her pause, catch the alpha’s eyes, and progress towards him. Then before Jackie could think much of the flash of silver sliding across Logan’s hands, a new blood scent hit the air. She took a few steps backward and jerked her head backward, as though slapped in the face, and the palm pressed to her side slackened.
She moved to reapply pressure, yet curiously, the injury had already stopped bleeding. Even the sharp edge of pain had subsided. This was a matter of minutes… in days would it be gone almost entirely? She tugged at one of the wraps along the length of her left forearm, where she had remembered an especially nasty set of garish red lines. Yet this was not what she saw. The skin was completely closed, the scabs nearly fallen away, and a few had faded to white lines. She ran her hand down the lengths the newly exposed skin, but felt no pain, only tenderness. In a few days time, even those deep ugly gashes on her back might be just a memory.
She wasn’t human anymore.
But she knew that one, didn’t she?
A broken elbow, an attack in the woods, a severe allergic reaction, and loosing half her blood the other night in the hunter’s net… no ordinary human would survive such abuse. And she knew this. Relied on this. Watched as her body knitted itself together in a way it had never done before, and took it as opportunity to find pain again.
“What? Do you pity me?” she sneered, looking at last to the dark silhouette against the fence.
She turned away without inviting a response, and ambled the confines of her prison until her gaze settled at last on the yellow glint in the shadows. She met the gaze, unflinchingly.
“And you? You think I’m weak because I’m not like you? Or hate me because I am…”
She broke the eye-contact, turning her back on both. She focused instead on the soft blue color of the new day.
“I didn’t die in the woods that night,” she murmured, in a candor rarely expressed beyond one’s own company. She very well could be speaking more to the clouds of the day than those behind her.
“I was already dead. The human died years and years ago”
Her shoulders sagged and her palms came together so her fingertips touched, the pressure reassuring. When the silence that settled on the air had begun to feel permanent, the woman spun around so fast that the thick red tendrils of her ratty hair flew out beside her. Finally, she met the alpha’s eyes. Even when looking upon him fully, there was still a quality of her expression that remained unseen. As though despite her hardened expression, the wrong word might pierce through that thick armor.
“Now you expect me to live again,” she growled the words, but there was something soft in them, like she was asking a question,”and I don’t even remember how I did it the first time. How do I choose what I don’t know?”
Indy
Jackie looked away from Kratos as he began to speak in the same way her gaze avoided the wall where Timothy lurked. Her head stooped so a shadow crested over her brow and no expression could be easily deciphered beyond a faint grimace on her lower lip. Yet even this was not a reaction to the words the alpha spoke, but to a stitch of pain running from her side to her abdomen. A small spreading warmth there told her the wound had reopened from the morning’s chaos. She clutched one arm to the wound as she waited for it to coagulate.
As Kratos’ final words settled in the air, Jackie did not as much as twitch. It was only as she heard Logan stir from behind her that she spun around, catching a strange expression in the woman’s eyes. It was a hunger or perhaps a longing that seemed to bore into her… the scent of her blood, no doubt, had carried on the air. What did Logan make of the beast in her eyes? She watched her pause, catch the alpha’s eyes, and progress towards him. Then before Jackie could think much of the flash of silver sliding across Logan’s hands, a new blood scent hit the air. She took a few steps backward and jerked her head backward, as though slapped in the face, and the palm pressed to her side slackened.
She moved to reapply pressure, yet curiously, the injury had already stopped bleeding. Even the sharp edge of pain had subsided. This was a matter of minutes… in days would it be gone almost entirely? She tugged at one of the wraps along the length of her left forearm, where she had remembered an especially nasty set of garish red lines. Yet this was not what she saw. The skin was completely closed, the scabs nearly fallen away, and a few had faded to white lines. She ran her hand down the lengths the newly exposed skin, but felt no pain, only tenderness. In a few days time, even those deep ugly gashes on her back might be just a memory.
She wasn’t human anymore.
But she knew that one, didn’t she?
A broken elbow, an attack in the woods, a severe allergic reaction, and loosing half her blood the other night in the hunter’s net… no ordinary human would survive such abuse. And she knew this. Relied on this. Watched as her body knitted itself together in a way it had never done before, and took it as opportunity to find pain again.
“What? Do you pity me?” she sneered, looking at last to the dark silhouette against the fence.
She turned away without inviting a response, and ambled the confines of her prison until her gaze settled at last on the yellow glint in the shadows. She met the gaze, unflinchingly.
“And you? You think I’m weak because I’m not like you? Or hate me because I am…”
She broke the eye-contact, turning her back on both. She focused instead on the soft blue color of the new day.
“I didn’t die in the woods that night,” she murmured, in a candor rarely expressed beyond one’s own company. She very well could be speaking more to the clouds of the day than those behind her.
“I was already dead. The human died years and years ago”
Her shoulders sagged and her palms came together so her fingertips touched, the pressure reassuring. When the silence that settled on the air had begun to feel permanent, the woman spun around so fast that the thick red tendrils of her ratty hair flew out beside her. Finally, she met the alpha’s eyes. Even when looking upon him fully, there was still a quality of her expression that remained unseen. As though despite her hardened expression, the wrong word might pierce through that thick armor.
“Now you expect me to live again,” she growled the words, but there was something soft in them, like she was asking a question,”and I don’t even remember how I did it the first time. How do I choose what I don’t know?”
Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 12:02 pmIndy
Meanwhile…
“Pleasure,” Melinda smiled quickly. As the smile faded, her posture relaxed so subtly it was almost undetectable.
“Melinda,” she answered. The chair Tammy had taken a seat in was too far away for Melinda to comfortably offer a handshake, so she merely waved her hand briefly in mere suggestion of the gesture. If Tammy wished to get up to exchange a proper handshake, then it was an invitation, yet it was not a requirement either. She held the motion for a few seconds before allowing it to settle back down.
“I was brought here, much like you” she replied seriously,” Maybe I saw something I shouldn’t have”.
“You know a lot about them, don’t you?” she mused as though thinking out loud, but of course there was nothing spontaneous about what she was saying, “You knew I wasn’t one of them”.
Melinda shook her head slightly and sighed heavily, rubbing her temple like she was struggling with a weary thought. “Maybe if I’d known what to look for, I wouldn’t be here right now…”
---
Theo grinned wide as Ulric complimented him, his eyes bright with the sound of the music. His chord progressions still weren’t perfect, but the instrument didn’t feel small anymore. His fingers were gliding across the frets with remarkable ease. The happiness was infectious. The new girl was dancing with Chime with such joyful abandon that there was nothing foreign and unfamiliar left to her. Sabrina clapped, synchronizing perfectly with the beat. Even Toby, who Theo had feared was still cooped up in a room on death’s door, let his head swing to the music.
The only lingering trace of sadness was that Levi could not join in the fun. He wondered what sort of harmony he might have added to the mix. Singing? Dancing, even? But of course, this was a pack activity. And Levi was not pack. His fingers missed a note in the beat and suddenly he shook away that thought, determined not to let the music die on his account.
Indy
Meanwhile…
“Pleasure,” Melinda smiled quickly. As the smile faded, her posture relaxed so subtly it was almost undetectable.
“Melinda,” she answered. The chair Tammy had taken a seat in was too far away for Melinda to comfortably offer a handshake, so she merely waved her hand briefly in mere suggestion of the gesture. If Tammy wished to get up to exchange a proper handshake, then it was an invitation, yet it was not a requirement either. She held the motion for a few seconds before allowing it to settle back down.
“I was brought here, much like you” she replied seriously,” Maybe I saw something I shouldn’t have”.
“You know a lot about them, don’t you?” she mused as though thinking out loud, but of course there was nothing spontaneous about what she was saying, “You knew I wasn’t one of them”.
Melinda shook her head slightly and sighed heavily, rubbing her temple like she was struggling with a weary thought. “Maybe if I’d known what to look for, I wouldn’t be here right now…”
---
Theo grinned wide as Ulric complimented him, his eyes bright with the sound of the music. His chord progressions still weren’t perfect, but the instrument didn’t feel small anymore. His fingers were gliding across the frets with remarkable ease. The happiness was infectious. The new girl was dancing with Chime with such joyful abandon that there was nothing foreign and unfamiliar left to her. Sabrina clapped, synchronizing perfectly with the beat. Even Toby, who Theo had feared was still cooped up in a room on death’s door, let his head swing to the music.
The only lingering trace of sadness was that Levi could not join in the fun. He wondered what sort of harmony he might have added to the mix. Singing? Dancing, even? But of course, this was a pack activity. And Levi was not pack. His fingers missed a note in the beat and suddenly he shook away that thought, determined not to let the music die on his account.
Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 12:02 pmMae
"It's better if you don't." Tammy replied.
Knowledge was a blessing and a curse, for once something was known, it could not be unknown. One understanding will lead continually to another understanding until you are a part of a secret that was never meant for you to discover, Tammy had learned that a long time ago.
"They shouldn't have brought you here just for seeing." Tammy voiced the thought out loud and glanced around the room.
Furrowing her brow slightly Tammy looked at Melinda. "Did you bring a weapon with you?"
****
The hand that Logan took in hers was a massive club, broad, heavy, and strong. It was given to her freely, otherwise she would not have been able to take it, but when Logan had wanted to go, his hand prevented her retreat.
As Logan turned back toward the dens, the large, warm hand of the Alpha enclosed around hers and practically consumed it like the hand of a parent on a child. Although his hold was gentle it was also firm, he took the note from her and with a small cleansing wipe he cleaned the blood from her wound. The cloth was no bigger than the pad of Kratos' thumb, yet neither his claws nor the size of his fingers hindered his gentleness as he moved from her palm to each of her fingers.
A strip of strange, elastic cloth was produced from the Alpha's attire, and with it Kratos wrapped Logan's hand. Then Kratos' eyes leveled on her features, and silent meaning was conveyed before at last Logan's hand was released from that great mitt which had held her bound.
Kratos turned his back on the cabins in the very moment Jackie looked to meet his eyes, and her gaze certainly was met.
The Alpha raised his head and approached the fence hearing her last few words, and now said in reply, "It is time to breathe your first breath, Jaqueline Ryder."
The invitation was spoken, deep and bold, the soft blue color of a new day still looking down from the skies. The choice truly belonged to Jackie; Whether she would choose to abandon a miserable past and live again starting in this very moment, or if she would set the chance for naught and continue her present existence, the choice was hers.
*****
All this time the creature in the shadows let no thought be known, and remained a figure unmoving against the wall of the ditch.
Mae
"It's better if you don't." Tammy replied.
Knowledge was a blessing and a curse, for once something was known, it could not be unknown. One understanding will lead continually to another understanding until you are a part of a secret that was never meant for you to discover, Tammy had learned that a long time ago.
"They shouldn't have brought you here just for seeing." Tammy voiced the thought out loud and glanced around the room.
Furrowing her brow slightly Tammy looked at Melinda. "Did you bring a weapon with you?"
****
The hand that Logan took in hers was a massive club, broad, heavy, and strong. It was given to her freely, otherwise she would not have been able to take it, but when Logan had wanted to go, his hand prevented her retreat.
As Logan turned back toward the dens, the large, warm hand of the Alpha enclosed around hers and practically consumed it like the hand of a parent on a child. Although his hold was gentle it was also firm, he took the note from her and with a small cleansing wipe he cleaned the blood from her wound. The cloth was no bigger than the pad of Kratos' thumb, yet neither his claws nor the size of his fingers hindered his gentleness as he moved from her palm to each of her fingers.
A strip of strange, elastic cloth was produced from the Alpha's attire, and with it Kratos wrapped Logan's hand. Then Kratos' eyes leveled on her features, and silent meaning was conveyed before at last Logan's hand was released from that great mitt which had held her bound.
Kratos turned his back on the cabins in the very moment Jackie looked to meet his eyes, and her gaze certainly was met.
The Alpha raised his head and approached the fence hearing her last few words, and now said in reply, "It is time to breathe your first breath, Jaqueline Ryder."
The invitation was spoken, deep and bold, the soft blue color of a new day still looking down from the skies. The choice truly belonged to Jackie; Whether she would choose to abandon a miserable past and live again starting in this very moment, or if she would set the chance for naught and continue her present existence, the choice was hers.
*****
All this time the creature in the shadows let no thought be known, and remained a figure unmoving against the wall of the ditch.
Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 12:03 pmKaqurei
Meanwhile, Levi continued down the hallway. Subconsciously, his body had assumed the lightness of foot and subtly in movement that he usually donned as a spy traversing through territory not his own. He was practically soundless as he tread carefully upon the wooden floors. Still, he wasn't sure why he was there.
No, wait.
Yes, he was.
He had been lured up the stairs by a scent only part of him had noticed. It was strangely familiar, though he could not place where he had smelled it before. Taking in this recognition, he paused mid step. To sniff for the scent would be tacky - years of experience had taught him this. Instead, he merely took in a breath, as soft as any other, but took longer to draw it in, deep, and held it. He released it as softly and slowly as he had taken it in. Both the inhale and the exhale had granted his senses information that was quite beyond human ability.
They told him the history of this hallway, the wood it had been crafted of, what the weather had been like since that time, who had passed through it, and when. He smelled Toby's footsteps, and the meat he had smuggled to his room. Theo had been here quite recently, as well. He had spent some time near the room where the woman, Melinda, had been instructed to stay. She had not left it. There was another who had left her quarters, however, and Levi recognized that it was her scent that his mind had found both elusive and curiously alluring. She had gone into the room with Melinda. She had been afraid. The smell of fear was unmistakable--perhaps the strongest part of her scent that he could detect.
Continuing to exert the stealth of a spy, he slowly approached the doors of Melinda's "guest chambers" (or "prison", however she should like), stopping just before it so that he would not cast a detectable shadow to the crack under the door. There, he waited and listened.
****
Sabrina had observed Levi's retreat up the stairs, but dismissed it as unimportant. After all, a howling was a symbol of pack unity--even kinship. His retreat from it was, either consciously or unconsciously, a form of rejecting this pack as not his own.
Though that was natural response, it caused Sabrina some mixed emotions. Her mind, after all, accepted Levi as a member of her pack. Too, this pack was her own. While the pack from which she and Levi hailed and the Calagrathorm were different, the concept was almost one and the same in her heart. To see him withdraw from the howling only deepened her previous negative feelings for him.
A genuine, though still somewhat reserved, smile slid onto her face as she looked about the others engaged in dance. She honestly could not think of a time that she had observed them all so comfortable at once, let alone in each other's company. Even Toby bobbed along to the music.
She looked at Theo when she noticed the subtle missed note, and regarded the way he shook off some unpleasant thought. She wondered what he was thinking about.
The beat was picking up to a crescendo as the energy in the room increased.
Kaqurei
Meanwhile, Levi continued down the hallway. Subconsciously, his body had assumed the lightness of foot and subtly in movement that he usually donned as a spy traversing through territory not his own. He was practically soundless as he tread carefully upon the wooden floors. Still, he wasn't sure why he was there.
No, wait.
Yes, he was.
He had been lured up the stairs by a scent only part of him had noticed. It was strangely familiar, though he could not place where he had smelled it before. Taking in this recognition, he paused mid step. To sniff for the scent would be tacky - years of experience had taught him this. Instead, he merely took in a breath, as soft as any other, but took longer to draw it in, deep, and held it. He released it as softly and slowly as he had taken it in. Both the inhale and the exhale had granted his senses information that was quite beyond human ability.
They told him the history of this hallway, the wood it had been crafted of, what the weather had been like since that time, who had passed through it, and when. He smelled Toby's footsteps, and the meat he had smuggled to his room. Theo had been here quite recently, as well. He had spent some time near the room where the woman, Melinda, had been instructed to stay. She had not left it. There was another who had left her quarters, however, and Levi recognized that it was her scent that his mind had found both elusive and curiously alluring. She had gone into the room with Melinda. She had been afraid. The smell of fear was unmistakable--perhaps the strongest part of her scent that he could detect.
Continuing to exert the stealth of a spy, he slowly approached the doors of Melinda's "guest chambers" (or "prison", however she should like), stopping just before it so that he would not cast a detectable shadow to the crack under the door. There, he waited and listened.
****
Sabrina had observed Levi's retreat up the stairs, but dismissed it as unimportant. After all, a howling was a symbol of pack unity--even kinship. His retreat from it was, either consciously or unconsciously, a form of rejecting this pack as not his own.
Though that was natural response, it caused Sabrina some mixed emotions. Her mind, after all, accepted Levi as a member of her pack. Too, this pack was her own. While the pack from which she and Levi hailed and the Calagrathorm were different, the concept was almost one and the same in her heart. To see him withdraw from the howling only deepened her previous negative feelings for him.
A genuine, though still somewhat reserved, smile slid onto her face as she looked about the others engaged in dance. She honestly could not think of a time that she had observed them all so comfortable at once, let alone in each other's company. Even Toby bobbed along to the music.
She looked at Theo when she noticed the subtle missed note, and regarded the way he shook off some unpleasant thought. She wondered what he was thinking about.
The beat was picking up to a crescendo as the energy in the room increased.
Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 12:03 pmDeseree
To and fro she went. The style of dancing was akin to Irish folk dancing, lively and still methodical, keeping perfectly in time with the beat of the drum yet not so strict in posture as to totally disregard the friendly notes of the ukulele. Bianca gave a hoot and a laugh and it seemed she could not be more pleased at the moment.
"Faster," she uttered playfully to Chime as they passed by each other.
She cast her eyes on Sabrina and in turn followed her gaze to Theo, then to Ulric....
One step forward, four steps back, thmp, thmp, thmp, thmp...
Logan stood in the doorway now, watching with a glazed expression. She leaned with her shoulder against the threshold, her arms tucked neatly so the bandages would be concealed. The heartbeat of the drum and the twang of the dainty instrument, the resounding thump of feet hitting the floor and a steadily timed clap - in the midst all of the noise, she considered a silent conversation.
Deseree
To and fro she went. The style of dancing was akin to Irish folk dancing, lively and still methodical, keeping perfectly in time with the beat of the drum yet not so strict in posture as to totally disregard the friendly notes of the ukulele. Bianca gave a hoot and a laugh and it seemed she could not be more pleased at the moment.
"Faster," she uttered playfully to Chime as they passed by each other.
She cast her eyes on Sabrina and in turn followed her gaze to Theo, then to Ulric....
One step forward, four steps back, thmp, thmp, thmp, thmp...
Logan stood in the doorway now, watching with a glazed expression. She leaned with her shoulder against the threshold, her arms tucked neatly so the bandages would be concealed. The heartbeat of the drum and the twang of the dainty instrument, the resounding thump of feet hitting the floor and a steadily timed clap - in the midst all of the noise, she considered a silent conversation.
Quote from Adriana on August 25, 2018, 12:04 pmIndy
Melinda smiled, however subtly, as Tammy’s voice rose sharply in answer. The girl was not as docile as her earlier terror presented her to be. Accordingly, her own demeanor changed. She was still sitting calmly on the bed, yet shifted so she was sitting straight and her gaze pinned down steadily on the girl’s eyes where she had avoided direct eye contact before.
“Then maybe,” she replied slowly, almost casually, yet with an awareness she did not try to hide,” I know something I shouldn’t”
As the girl mentioned something of a weapon, Melinda took a moment to consider it.
“It would not do us much good,” she replied finally, her eyes suddenly watching the door,”Even if I had a gun in my back pocket and when I walked out, hit everything that moved, I would be dead before I made it to the front door. And if I tried to use it as a threat for my safe passage, then it would likely be knocked from my hands before I had much use of it. There are too many, and quite frankly, bullets are no guarantee against them anyways.”
Melinda curled her back in a stretch,”If you mean to escape, then I might recommend a less dramatic approach”
---
Jackie sagged under he own weight. All the air had been pushed out of her lungs in hard choke of air. She sank to her knees, her hands just barely resting above the ground to support her weight. Her expression was vacant as she contemplated the path of an ant on the cement.
When she could hold her breath no longer, she gasped and filled her lungs again just as swiftly as it had left her. She held the fresh hair in her chest, considering the taste and the flavors of the morning. She released it slowly in a subtle sigh.
“ Melinda is here, isn’t she? ”
She stood back on her feet. “ I want to speak with her ”
Indy
Melinda smiled, however subtly, as Tammy’s voice rose sharply in answer. The girl was not as docile as her earlier terror presented her to be. Accordingly, her own demeanor changed. She was still sitting calmly on the bed, yet shifted so she was sitting straight and her gaze pinned down steadily on the girl’s eyes where she had avoided direct eye contact before.
“Then maybe,” she replied slowly, almost casually, yet with an awareness she did not try to hide,” I know something I shouldn’t”
As the girl mentioned something of a weapon, Melinda took a moment to consider it.
“It would not do us much good,” she replied finally, her eyes suddenly watching the door,”Even if I had a gun in my back pocket and when I walked out, hit everything that moved, I would be dead before I made it to the front door. And if I tried to use it as a threat for my safe passage, then it would likely be knocked from my hands before I had much use of it. There are too many, and quite frankly, bullets are no guarantee against them anyways.”
Melinda curled her back in a stretch,”If you mean to escape, then I might recommend a less dramatic approach”
---
Jackie sagged under he own weight. All the air had been pushed out of her lungs in hard choke of air. She sank to her knees, her hands just barely resting above the ground to support her weight. Her expression was vacant as she contemplated the path of an ant on the cement.
When she could hold her breath no longer, she gasped and filled her lungs again just as swiftly as it had left her. She held the fresh hair in her chest, considering the taste and the flavors of the morning. She released it slowly in a subtle sigh.
“ Melinda is here, isn’t she? ”
She stood back on her feet. “ I want to speak with her ”
