Quote from Indy on September 18, 2019, 8:23 pm

Jackie flashed Ulric a wicked grin, words instinctively rolling off her lips before she’d had a moment to consider them, “I need a joy ride”.

Stupid, smart mouth.  The second they’d passed, she instantly regretted them. Her gaze faltered again to the forest, trying very hard not to think much of anything.  By the time she lifted them again to Ulric, the sharp wit had mollified and the horror was still fading.

“It’s just a hunch,” she conceded at last, “Maybe it means nothing at all… Maybe it does.  But I do know this: Melinda's in trouble, and for some stupid reason, she’s asking for my help”.

Quote from Skyelre on September 18, 2019, 9:27 pm

Saber’s anger was boiling over now, but because of his lack of strength at the moment it was limited in its expression.
“ I won’t kill anyone!” He yelled as his fists slammed into the ground. “ I had control the second time I transformed!! If I didn’t have you triggering my freaking anger, I would’ve had it last night too!!”

Slowly Saber pushed himself up off the ground and managed to stand, taking in a few deep breaths trying to steady his body, but almost every ounce of him shook with utter exhaustion…. Or anger. His next words however came out sounding rather breathless pointing to the former.

He glared at Sabrina seriously as he spoke.“ If you kill me without it being in direct self defense of another, then you’re no better than those dang monsters of men that you spoke of that kill your kind uncaring that they shed human blood in the process.”

With body still trembling, will power seeming to be the only force making it move, Saber proceeded slowly to the door to leave. He grabbed the door knob, now facing away from Sabrina as he muttered his final words.
“ ...Kill my wolf if it dare tries anything, but I need to get back to my family and friends.”
And with that he began to turn the knob to leave.

Quote from Kaqurei on September 20, 2019, 6:54 am

Sabrina closed her eyes in annoyance and breathed a short sigh. One... two... three... he touched the doorknob and her eyes opened again. She approached him and put her hand on his shoulder with the intention of guiding (or pushing, if neccessary) him back to his bed, nimbly scooting the platter of food out of the intended path with her foot. With almost a foot and a half and her full strength over his current state, she did not suppose he had much left to struggle, but she would force him if she had to.

"What you need is food and rest," she said. "Fight or flight, is that all that drives you? If you're not fighting, you're running away. Springing away, with wanton disregard for where you land, just so long as you get away. You must be aware that you ran back out into the storm last night, because you were still human when you did it. If I'd let you be when you opened that door, you'd be an unrecognizable mass of fur and rotting meat right now, and gone by tomorrow at the rate our wolf bodies decompose."

Pushing him back onto the bed she continued, "There are a lot of things in the world that will trigger your anger. Consider this lesson one. If you can't master it as a human, how can you hope to conquer it as a wolf?"

Quote from Skyelre on September 20, 2019, 10:16 am

While Saber was too weak to resist Sabrina at all, he did cling to the door knob for a moment before letting go. The movement towards the bed however started him back to feeling lightheaded, the rush of blood slowly growing terrifyingly loud in his ears making it difficult to hear Sabrina’s words. To try and steady himself from collapsing from fatigue, he kept one hand on the wall as they moved.

With his body trembling just trying to keep itself standing and now his head feeling light, he willingly moved himself onto the bed once it was in front of him, lying himself down gingerly on his back, his legs left dangling off the side. He just tried to breath as the world now seemed filled with speckles of black trying to take out his vision and mind. Breathes didn't seem to be coming easy though. He looked pale and utterly exhausted, his heart beating unnaturally fast.

He stared blankly at the ceiling trying to put together exactly what Sabrina had just said. Not all of it seemed able to be registered. Her last words however were evidently processed as he glanced at Sabrina shortly before closing his eyes and quietly responding, his anger completely drained and now replaced by breathless fatigue.

" It's just you. I was doing fine controlling my anger in town." He said between breathes. " ...But you…  You keep treating me like a child, it's infuriating."
Saber paused as he swallowed. He opened his eyes slowly and tiredly looked at Sabrina, his voice seeming to come out even softer now.

" You know… When you talk so heartlessly… It makes it really difficult to see the soul in your eyes..”

Quote from Mae on September 25, 2019, 9:43 pm

Ulric lifted his eyes. Defense faded from his countenance and honor replaced disappointment. Jackie's first words had him he calling another 'joy ride' which contrarily ended in misery for himself and everyone in company. The sincerity, however, in her latter words drew his attention, and, his willingness.

"What kind of trouble do you think she's in?" He asked, but for him it was in vain to inquire; for to leave someone wanting help over any matter was an elusive concept. "My parent's car should still be at the cabin, down the road. We can take it without fear of it being missed."

*****

Kratos turned from the kitchen as Bianca ran up and down the stairs. As her footsteps were heard prattling about above his head, Kratos descended the stairs from the kitchen and entered the room by the large red door.  When he returned to the table, Bianca was just sprinting back into the room.

"I won't worry if you have the energy for the venture, as very clearly you do." He said. Then he gave her a hankerchief, oddly folded in the shape of an envelope. Enclosed were a selection of banknotes to the sum of sixty dollars.

"Our moody Briar Rose finds herself one year older today." He said. "I trust you'll know what you're after, and I expect you back before noon."Kratos then placed a roll of paper bills, bound by a rubber band, in Bianca's hand. "This is for whatever you require to fill the pantry. I would advise against perishables, as it is never clear when we shall be away or for how long."

Content with the instructions given, Kratos had a mind to turn to other matters, but he saw the question in Bianca's eyes and felt obliged to answer it.
"Yes," he sighed deeply, and spoke softly. "Take Toby with you."
Then a doubt caused him a second consideration, and he added, "If there should be any trouble... enter a field behind one of the stores, change shape, and call to the mountain. I will answer you, wherever I am. Be careful that no one sees you."

Kratos turned from the kitchen as Bianca ran up and down the stairs. As her footsteps were heard prattling about above his head, Kratos descended the stairs from the kitchen and entered the room by the large red door.  When he returned to the table, Bianca was just sprinting back into the room.

"I won't worry if you have the energy for the venture, as very clearly you do." He said. Then he gave her a hankerchief, oddly folded in the shape of an envelope. Enclosed were a selection of banknotes to the sum of sixty dollars.

"Our moody Briar Rose finds herself one year older today." He said. "I trust you'll know what you're after, and I expect you back before noon."Kratos then placed a roll of paper bills, bound by a rubber band, in Bianca's hand. "This is for whatever you require to fill the pantry. I would advise against perishables, as it is never clear when we shall be away or for how long."

Content with the instructions given, Kratos had a mind to turn to other matters, but he saw the question in Bianca's eyes and felt obliged to answer it.
"Yes," he sighed deeply, and spoke softly. "Take Toby with you."
Then a doubt caused him a second consideration, and he added, "If there should be any trouble... enter a field behind one of the stores, change shape, and call to the mountain. I will answer you, wherever I am. Be careful that no one sees you."

Quote from Indy on September 26, 2019, 7:30 pm

Jackie hesitated to reply. Her tongue clicked against her teeth, and her grim expression suggested she’d rather hug a procupine and shower in lemon juice than answer that particular question. Then the question moved to the next, and her discomfort lessened… albeit, slightly so, as the original dilemma still remained.

“…It’s not just the car,” she finally conceded, “My sister… you’ve never met her, but she never went anywhere unprepared. She could prepare to face off against Godzilla with only the contents of a duffel bag…”

“She never really had an office,” she mused aloud, “Nowhere permanent, no home. Anything important, she’d have brought with her… and I think she left something for me in the car she came in. It’s the only explanation”.

She hesitated again, that same expression as before. At that moment, she wanted to talk about anything else. It was the expression of a trapped animal, viewing its possible angles for escape and realizing it had none.

She sighed, “… Ulric, I don’t know what I’m going to find at the end of this. It could just be a busted car and a lifetime’s supply of Kublis. Or it could be… something else. You’re a nice kid. Don’t let people take advantage of you for it”.

Then just as abruptly, the solemn air fell away with a brisk snap! All at once she was glancing behind her towards the cabins. A quick grin of delight stole her expression for a moment, and though it vanished rapidly, her eyes still glowed.

“The cabins.. remember, we haven’t been here in months right? Not since she played hostage with us. I wonder…”

Quote from Adriana on September 29, 2019, 11:59 am

Bianca eagerly took the funds in hand. She slipped a black denim backpack off her shoulders-something out of place against her typically bright attire and girly charm. Not only was it an old and well worn backpack, should one care to afford it a glance - they would find it covered in perhaps unexpected pins, patches and buttons of various pop culture artists and fictional characters. Bands such as Pink Floyd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Daft Punk and the like had their names displayed on different shiny badges, while patches and pins boasted things such as Star Wars, the X-Wing Fighter, Marvel - particularly X Men, and generic comic texts... It looked more like it belonged to a teenage boy. Nonetheless, Bianca easily navigated the zipper on the front and tucked away the money before situating the bag over a shoulder again.

"We'll be safe!" the girl exclaimed, bouncing up to her full height-over two feet shorter than Kratos' own.

Stepping down the last step and beginning towards the front, she stopped and turned on a heel before the Alpha would have a chance to leave. She caught his hand in one of hers and rested the other on the top of it.

"Thank you, by the way.." she said softly, seriously. "You saved my life in more ways than one on the Mountain.. you're a good Alpha. And what you're doing isn't easy. You're strong for a lot of people when they can't be strong themselves." she gave his hand a squeeze around the side of it where she could do so, "I'm here for you, too, if you need me." she said, then with that, let go and turned away to the door, smiling back at him and giving a small wave as she let the screen door shut behind her. For a second she paused outside and flinched mentally, her face following in a grimace.  As if I could even begin to understand what he deals with, ugh. Why did I say anything? she reflected in brief regret, before inhaling, exhaling, and making her way to the second cabin.

"Toby!" she called out from the bottom of the stairs, announcing her presence. She quickly bounded up them, holding the straps of her backpack.

She tapped her knuckles on the first door she came to, "Hey-Toby? You in there?" she asked. Her voice was still congested and her nose was useless to her for the time, thus  she was unaware to the stranger behind the door with Sabrina.

Quote from Kaqurei on September 30, 2019, 9:35 am

When it seemed Saber was done talking, Sabrina half smiled. "Who are you talking to, Saber? Me, or your past?"

But then he surprised her and went on. She was silent a moment. Her brows lowered slightly and her eyes darkened, as though there was a whole storm of issues to address but she was yet holding it back, biting on the tip of her tongue. A vulnerability was there, if only for a second, as she debated whether or not her words would once again fall uselessly on deaf ears. Who was this man to her, anyway? He was nothing. And if words meant for his own good had not made it through, how could he hear her when she spoke of her own? A decision was reached, and the vulnerability was gone, replaced by her usual coolness, and bandaged by the pride that held her together. She had always stood well enough on her own feet, be it two or four.

And then there was a knock on the door. She turned from Saber's bedside and went to answer it. She touched the doorknob, but did not yet turn it. "Toby is not here, Bianca," she said, and waited to see if that would satisfy her or if there would be further inquiry to warrant opening the door.

 

Quote from Skyelre on September 30, 2019, 12:36 pm

Saber might’ve been dead tired, but he still didn’t miss the nuances that passed over Sabrina’s face from his words. It was exactly what he was looking for.

Now as Sabrina retracted to the door, Saber exhaled, his body relieving the stress that had been building up in his aching muscles. He was dealing with a human, not a monster posing as one. That was all he needed to know.

Presently, he closed his eyes and seemed content to stay where he was and just let his body rest.