Werewolves (RP13.2) Many Decisions: Secrets
Quote from Adriana on September 9, 2020, 10:58 amBianca's eyes followed Ulric's to the ceiling, and she nodded. Turning back to the stove top, she took a wooden spoon from beside it and rested it across the top of the pot. Like witch craft, the bubbles never seemed to rise past it. That being done and with time still left on the soup, she made her way to the dining room table and sat.
One hand held up her head and the other cradled her elbow. There was a raw, exposed feeling that came when one allowed themselves to be emotionally vulnerable. The instinct was to cover the spiritual and mental wounds in a shroud in order to hide your weakness and protect yourself.
It might be easier, Bianca reflected, to be covered in scars like Logan. Her face and shoulders, torso and legs, were riddled in scars of every shape and size. Each one had a story. Each one represented another battle overcome. And in spite of them all, Logan seemed calm of character and sound of mine. Contrarily, Bianca's own skin was completely free of blemishes, yet when her own infirmity was unveiled, she felt wretched and foul all over, like oozing sores were made obvious, and she had to withdraw from others to avoid inflicting them with such a burden.
Surely, hers were far worse than anyone else's, and all the more reason to retreat.
And yet.. in a moment, Ulric's eyes had spoken another truth that contradicted her own. It was a fleeting look, and yet conveyed a great depth of understanding. It was as though she had been passed up by dozens of doctors unable to see her troubles, and in a glance Ulric had recognized the injury and said, "I know what's wrong". It wasn't as though he said he could help her - but somehow it had lifted some of the pressure from her shoulders.
Now she stood, and picked up her backpack from the back of the chair and began up the stairs. She slipped into her room and dropped the bag off, then stepped just outside the doorframe and cast her gaze on Ulric, waiting to see what was the matter.
Bianca's eyes followed Ulric's to the ceiling, and she nodded. Turning back to the stove top, she took a wooden spoon from beside it and rested it across the top of the pot. Like witch craft, the bubbles never seemed to rise past it. That being done and with time still left on the soup, she made her way to the dining room table and sat.
One hand held up her head and the other cradled her elbow. There was a raw, exposed feeling that came when one allowed themselves to be emotionally vulnerable. The instinct was to cover the spiritual and mental wounds in a shroud in order to hide your weakness and protect yourself.
It might be easier, Bianca reflected, to be covered in scars like Logan. Her face and shoulders, torso and legs, were riddled in scars of every shape and size. Each one had a story. Each one represented another battle overcome. And in spite of them all, Logan seemed calm of character and sound of mine. Contrarily, Bianca's own skin was completely free of blemishes, yet when her own infirmity was unveiled, she felt wretched and foul all over, like oozing sores were made obvious, and she had to withdraw from others to avoid inflicting them with such a burden.
Surely, hers were far worse than anyone else's, and all the more reason to retreat.
And yet.. in a moment, Ulric's eyes had spoken another truth that contradicted her own. It was a fleeting look, and yet conveyed a great depth of understanding. It was as though she had been passed up by dozens of doctors unable to see her troubles, and in a glance Ulric had recognized the injury and said, "I know what's wrong". It wasn't as though he said he could help her - but somehow it had lifted some of the pressure from her shoulders.
Now she stood, and picked up her backpack from the back of the chair and began up the stairs. She slipped into her room and dropped the bag off, then stepped just outside the doorframe and cast her gaze on Ulric, waiting to see what was the matter.
Quote from Mae on September 10, 2020, 12:19 amUlric's shoulders sagged and his chin fell as he breathed a low sigh outside Saber's door. He looked at the dark crack, then pushed the door all the way open.
"Then what is it?" He said, standing in the doorway.Ulric had left the stranger in his isolation long enough. It was time to intrude and see who this stranger really was.
***
Faraway from the little cabins on Phantom's foot, Kratos and Logan ventured into a quiet glen. On occasion a bird was seen, sitting on a branch, or standing still on a stick, but not a pip or a peep did any of them make as the woman and the wolf passed by.
Kratos walked slowly, looming like a shadow in Logan's footsteps. The crisp white snow cracked under his paws. The crimson red haze of his black mane drifted in a very cold wind. His bright yellow eyes searched the forest as his white-tipped ears swiveled now and again.
The lack of foliage in the quiet wood left gaps between the thin aspen trunks; revealing only a solemn, empty wood. There was nothing to hear, and nothing to see. Yet, a strange feeling lingered - the feeling of being watched by more than the beady black eyes of an occasional chickadee or Black-Eyed Junco. Perhaps it was the trees themselves that created this feeling, for the black spots on the white-skinned trees looked very much like watching eyes.
Ulric's shoulders sagged and his chin fell as he breathed a low sigh outside Saber's door. He looked at the dark crack, then pushed the door all the way open.
"Then what is it?" He said, standing in the doorway.
Ulric had left the stranger in his isolation long enough. It was time to intrude and see who this stranger really was.
***
Faraway from the little cabins on Phantom's foot, Kratos and Logan ventured into a quiet glen. On occasion a bird was seen, sitting on a branch, or standing still on a stick, but not a pip or a peep did any of them make as the woman and the wolf passed by.
Kratos walked slowly, looming like a shadow in Logan's footsteps. The crisp white snow cracked under his paws. The crimson red haze of his black mane drifted in a very cold wind. His bright yellow eyes searched the forest as his white-tipped ears swiveled now and again.
The lack of foliage in the quiet wood left gaps between the thin aspen trunks; revealing only a solemn, empty wood. There was nothing to hear, and nothing to see. Yet, a strange feeling lingered - the feeling of being watched by more than the beady black eyes of an occasional chickadee or Black-Eyed Junco. Perhaps it was the trees themselves that created this feeling, for the black spots on the white-skinned trees looked very much like watching eyes.
Quote from Skyelre on September 10, 2020, 1:15 amSaber closed his eyes from the assaulting light that abruptly poured in and washed over him. A small groan could be heard, but slowly he opened his eyes and looked over to Ulric's silhouette. The light reflecting off his skin made it appear so pale against his black hair. Exhaustion could be seen in every part of his body. With brows knit and eyes squinting against the harsh light, he spoke with some level of calmness.
" What was your name?.."
Saber closed his eyes from the assaulting light that abruptly poured in and washed over him. A small groan could be heard, but slowly he opened his eyes and looked over to Ulric's silhouette. The light reflecting off his skin made it appear so pale against his black hair. Exhaustion could be seen in every part of his body. With brows knit and eyes squinting against the harsh light, he spoke with some level of calmness.
" What was your name?.."
Quote from Adriana on September 10, 2020, 10:47 amAn uneasiness was cast over like a thick cloud of fog, leaving a tension in Logan's shoulders. The carved branch she carried was no longer used for support but gripped horizontally at her side. While her endurance remained steadfast, she knew there was a limit to her strength at the time-to take her second skin before it was vital would do more harm than good.
The snow acted to muffle out most sound. She and Kratos' own footsteps were the only noises-breathing and slow movements would be all but undetectable from anything outside of a few yards. The trees were another detriment to accurately detecting sound - with little foliage to isolate noise, it would bounce off the neighboring trees and make it difficult to discern the source.
Scent too, did not seem to percept anything unusual. There was the scent of the clean snow, the bark of the birch trees, and Kratos' own odor. Logan however recalled the beast that had attacked the night before, undetected by sound or scent, and was not put at ease.
Therefore she would rely on her eyes. The forest was a living optical illusion. With the white snow and the white bark, and what seemed like nothing for an eternity to cast contrast on either, it all blended together. Logan had noted the position of her own shadow, and thus used those as a point of reference at the base of the trees. Her eyes were ever on the shadows, near and distant, as they could not lie. Some of the trees were not worth considering, for their width was no more than her thigh, but others could conceal a mans body behind them.
This means of surveying her surroundings gave her some ease of mind. Each shadow was uniform to the tree it was cast by - a long, narrow length of dark against the white of the snow, even with very little to alter its shape. From their angle of approach, the north side of the trees ahead would be the only concealed space..
Then, Logan paused stiffly.
One tree in the distance did cast a strange shadow, but not in the way Logan expected... the odd-albeit subtle-protrusion extended from the southern side of the shadow, facing herself and Kratos. She almost imperceptibly tilted her head, eyes narrowing under a knit brow, and her gaze was drawn to another tree in which this was also the case, then a third...
Just at the same moment, a thick cloud rolled over and blocked out the light, and Logan's methods were for nothing! She exhaled sharply through her nose and hunkered down on the balls of her feet, and shortly after, fur and claws took the place of flesh and nails.
When the cloud had passed, Logan directed her attention to the same trees with ears erect and a steady breath-but the shadows no longer appeared oblique, and she wondered if she had only imagined it.
An uneasiness was cast over like a thick cloud of fog, leaving a tension in Logan's shoulders. The carved branch she carried was no longer used for support but gripped horizontally at her side. While her endurance remained steadfast, she knew there was a limit to her strength at the time-to take her second skin before it was vital would do more harm than good.
The snow acted to muffle out most sound. She and Kratos' own footsteps were the only noises-breathing and slow movements would be all but undetectable from anything outside of a few yards. The trees were another detriment to accurately detecting sound - with little foliage to isolate noise, it would bounce off the neighboring trees and make it difficult to discern the source.
Scent too, did not seem to percept anything unusual. There was the scent of the clean snow, the bark of the birch trees, and Kratos' own odor. Logan however recalled the beast that had attacked the night before, undetected by sound or scent, and was not put at ease.
Therefore she would rely on her eyes. The forest was a living optical illusion. With the white snow and the white bark, and what seemed like nothing for an eternity to cast contrast on either, it all blended together. Logan had noted the position of her own shadow, and thus used those as a point of reference at the base of the trees. Her eyes were ever on the shadows, near and distant, as they could not lie. Some of the trees were not worth considering, for their width was no more than her thigh, but others could conceal a mans body behind them.
This means of surveying her surroundings gave her some ease of mind. Each shadow was uniform to the tree it was cast by - a long, narrow length of dark against the white of the snow, even with very little to alter its shape. From their angle of approach, the north side of the trees ahead would be the only concealed space..
Then, Logan paused stiffly.
One tree in the distance did cast a strange shadow, but not in the way Logan expected... the odd-albeit subtle-protrusion extended from the southern side of the shadow, facing herself and Kratos. She almost imperceptibly tilted her head, eyes narrowing under a knit brow, and her gaze was drawn to another tree in which this was also the case, then a third...
Just at the same moment, a thick cloud rolled over and blocked out the light, and Logan's methods were for nothing! She exhaled sharply through her nose and hunkered down on the balls of her feet, and shortly after, fur and claws took the place of flesh and nails.
When the cloud had passed, Logan directed her attention to the same trees with ears erect and a steady breath-but the shadows no longer appeared oblique, and she wondered if she had only imagined it.
Quote from Adriana on September 12, 2020, 4:03 pmBianca noticed the way Ulric looked tired, and the tone of his voice-almost tinted with the faintest of.. fatige or bitterness? She held her arm with one hand, before moving over to the door where Ulric stood, standing just out of sight.
For a noment she almost reached out to touch his arm, letting him know she was there in case he needed backup-but instead she remained leaning on the wall and observing his expressions, and noting what she may about the stranger..
Bianca noticed the way Ulric looked tired, and the tone of his voice-almost tinted with the faintest of.. fatige or bitterness? She held her arm with one hand, before moving over to the door where Ulric stood, standing just out of sight.
For a noment she almost reached out to touch his arm, letting him know she was there in case he needed backup-but instead she remained leaning on the wall and observing his expressions, and noting what she may about the stranger..
Quote from Mae on September 19, 2020, 1:29 amA steady stream of caramel light poured into the room across the floor. The waning afternoon sun dimly lit the hallway, but in the dark room it was a brilliant beam.
Ulric had no expectations for the person behind the door. He met many people in the strange mountain wilderness, all in different stages of life and wearing about them the different experiences of their years. But had Ulric thought he was to meet something new behind the door, he was surprised in an unexpected way. The man laying on the bed wore a style of dress and hair that Ulric immediately recognized. It was the kind of familiar he never expected to find in the mountains, and one which he all too quickly summarized."You're from Pinerich." He said.
*****
Kratos halted in the same moment Logan had. He stood with his ears fixed forward. Then all too quickly the clouds rolled in, obscuring the deformed shadows from view. Though it seemed the most obvious way going forward, Kratos would not have recommended Logan change shape just then. He knew where she did not the dangers for so doing.
"Logan," he whispered to her in the tongue of wolves, which was itself not a spoken language so much as a sound which conveyed meaning. "Your strength is not in your second skin."
Just then, a hundred shadows fled! Kratos neither moved to flee nor pursue them, for it was as if the trees in the cloud suddenly uprooted themselves and moved in the same way a hundred paces! But the trees themselves had not moved. The cloud moved, and the trees were there still.
"... What was that?" The Alpha muttered, finding himself and Logan alone.
A steady stream of caramel light poured into the room across the floor. The waning afternoon sun dimly lit the hallway, but in the dark room it was a brilliant beam.
Ulric had no expectations for the person behind the door. He met many people in the strange mountain wilderness, all in different stages of life and wearing about them the different experiences of their years. But had Ulric thought he was to meet something new behind the door, he was surprised in an unexpected way. The man laying on the bed wore a style of dress and hair that Ulric immediately recognized. It was the kind of familiar he never expected to find in the mountains, and one which he all too quickly summarized.
"You're from Pinerich." He said.
*****
Kratos halted in the same moment Logan had. He stood with his ears fixed forward. Then all too quickly the clouds rolled in, obscuring the deformed shadows from view. Though it seemed the most obvious way going forward, Kratos would not have recommended Logan change shape just then. He knew where she did not the dangers for so doing.
"Logan," he whispered to her in the tongue of wolves, which was itself not a spoken language so much as a sound which conveyed meaning. "Your strength is not in your second skin."
Just then, a hundred shadows fled! Kratos neither moved to flee nor pursue them, for it was as if the trees in the cloud suddenly uprooted themselves and moved in the same way a hundred paces! But the trees themselves had not moved. The cloud moved, and the trees were there still.
"... What was that?" The Alpha muttered, finding himself and Logan alone.
Quote from Mae on September 19, 2020, 3:12 amUlric continued to stand in the doorway unmoved. At the stranger's word, he closed both his hands and took a long, quiet breath.
"I'm not doing this." He said at last. "You act like a loner. But you talk of alphas, wolves, and packs like you know it all and then you throw it up in the air like we shouldn't exist. You don't talk like someone who learned about us yesterday. So tell me what pack you come from, because if its the werewolves of Pinerich I don't want anything to do with you or them."
Ulric continued to stand in the doorway unmoved. At the stranger's word, he closed both his hands and took a long, quiet breath.
"I'm not doing this." He said at last. "You act like a loner. But you talk of alphas, wolves, and packs like you know it all and then you throw it up in the air like we shouldn't exist. You don't talk like someone who learned about us yesterday. So tell me what pack you come from, because if its the werewolves of Pinerich I don't want anything to do with you or them."
Quote from Skyelre on September 19, 2020, 7:58 amSaber released a long frustrated breath, as he closed his eyes trying to suppress his growing anger. Another moment of silence followed, until he finally spoke.
" I became a werewolf three months ago," he said, restrained anger in his voice as he now stared into the dark side of the room. " The Pinerich pack chased me out of my home my second full moon."
Another ragged breath was released in anger, as he fought the feelings trying to overtake him. Slowly he loosened his fists that had grown unconsciously, his tight brow softening ever so slightly. He carefully turned to Ulric, looking at him wearily. " I hope you can forgive my anger towards your kind, I didn't mean my words. I just…"
Another sigh was released as his brows knit, his eyes closing once more." Haven't been able to control my anger since coming up this.." He paused, swallowing down a swear before it could slip out. Somehow despite the anger twisting on his face now he found a softer substitute." …-Stupid mountain."
A few evenly paced breathes helped release the anger on his face and body, even if only slightly.
Saber released a long frustrated breath, as he closed his eyes trying to suppress his growing anger. Another moment of silence followed, until he finally spoke.
" I became a werewolf three months ago," he said, restrained anger in his voice as he now stared into the dark side of the room. " The Pinerich pack chased me out of my home my second full moon."
Another ragged breath was released in anger, as he fought the feelings trying to overtake him. Slowly he loosened his fists that had grown unconsciously, his tight brow softening ever so slightly. He carefully turned to Ulric, looking at him wearily. " I hope you can forgive my anger towards your kind, I didn't mean my words. I just…"
Another sigh was released as his brows knit, his eyes closing once more." Haven't been able to control my anger since coming up this.." He paused, swallowing down a swear before it could slip out. Somehow despite the anger twisting on his face now he found a softer substitute." …-Stupid mountain."
A few evenly paced breathes helped release the anger on his face and body, even if only slightly.
Quote from Adriana on September 19, 2020, 2:45 pmLogan acknowledged the Alpha’s words with a flick of ear, while her eyes remained forward. She could no longer trust her eyes, which darted from one tree to the next looking for the phantoms.
A single shudder ran through her muscles and she shook her head, muzzle twisting up, “Agh, like roaches...”
Her second skin would not hold long, and it would require the bulk of her strength.. as quickly as she has taken it on, she relented, but stayed for a while near the ground, sweat rolling off of her forehead.
When she stood again, she rested a hand on Kratos’ mane and put the weight of her side against him briefly. Instinctually and knowing that the odds must be against them in this place, she would be compelled to turn around, if not for the thought that the young and more vulnerable of the pack were lost somewhere in the woods..
Logan acknowledged the Alpha’s words with a flick of ear, while her eyes remained forward. She could no longer trust her eyes, which darted from one tree to the next looking for the phantoms.
A single shudder ran through her muscles and she shook her head, muzzle twisting up, “Agh, like roaches...”
Her second skin would not hold long, and it would require the bulk of her strength.. as quickly as she has taken it on, she relented, but stayed for a while near the ground, sweat rolling off of her forehead.
When she stood again, she rested a hand on Kratos’ mane and put the weight of her side against him briefly. Instinctually and knowing that the odds must be against them in this place, she would be compelled to turn around, if not for the thought that the young and more vulnerable of the pack were lost somewhere in the woods..
