Werewolves (RP14.1) A Precarious Road
Quote from Indy on November 6, 2021, 5:56 pmJackie's posture stiffened to the tone of Sabrina's voice, yet did she did not turn around to look at her. Instead, she brought her arms in more closely to her body, drawing them around herself as though in a hug. Every muscle in her body was coiled as though for an attack...
"Weren't you listening when my sister explained it?" Jackie said slowly, carefully, all emotion in her voice tightly constrained, "I'm a weapon in the guise of a woman..."
She managed a sharp breath. An exhale. She released her arms from around herself, dropping them to the dirt and trying to ignore the tremble in her arms as the mud cooled against the bite in the wind.
"There's something wrong with me, Sabrina, I'm not like you," she managed softly, "I... I knew what I was signing up for when I came to these woods and - I knew I might not survive. But that chemical in that vial, I took massive doses of it before I came to this mountain... and kept taking doses of it several months into my turning. My father told me it was because I was allergic to dogs".
She laughed bitterly to that, "I guess he was right in a way. That concoction is probably the reason I survived the infection".
She turned around, glancing to the briefcase and then, slowly, meeting Sabrina's eyes briefly, "I'm just an experiment gone wrong, a defunct bargain-bin werewolf that can't even turn without a full moon, and my sister just left me the keys to the castle and told me au-revoir till the next life".
There were a few messy words spilling in her head, but her mouth couldn't make the words. She swallowed hard.
"If you were my sister... why do you think she did that?".
Jackie's posture stiffened to the tone of Sabrina's voice, yet did she did not turn around to look at her. Instead, she brought her arms in more closely to her body, drawing them around herself as though in a hug. Every muscle in her body was coiled as though for an attack...
"Weren't you listening when my sister explained it?" Jackie said slowly, carefully, all emotion in her voice tightly constrained, "I'm a weapon in the guise of a woman..."
She managed a sharp breath. An exhale. She released her arms from around herself, dropping them to the dirt and trying to ignore the tremble in her arms as the mud cooled against the bite in the wind.
"There's something wrong with me, Sabrina, I'm not like you," she managed softly, "I... I knew what I was signing up for when I came to these woods and - I knew I might not survive. But that chemical in that vial, I took massive doses of it before I came to this mountain... and kept taking doses of it several months into my turning. My father told me it was because I was allergic to dogs".
She laughed bitterly to that, "I guess he was right in a way. That concoction is probably the reason I survived the infection".
She turned around, glancing to the briefcase and then, slowly, meeting Sabrina's eyes briefly, "I'm just an experiment gone wrong, a defunct bargain-bin werewolf that can't even turn without a full moon, and my sister just left me the keys to the castle and told me au-revoir till the next life".
There were a few messy words spilling in her head, but her mouth couldn't make the words. She swallowed hard.
"If you were my sister... why do you think she did that?".
Quote from Kaqurei on November 13, 2021, 11:00 pmThere were a lot of lines to read between in Jackie's every word. Every breath. Every shudder. Sabrina swiped away that rogue wisp of hair that had gotten free from her ponytail when they'd hauled the case out of the ground. Annoyed. But she hadn't lost her composure. That hair was tucked neatly behind her ear, and she straightened her jacket.
"You knew you'd be turned," Sabrina surmised. "And you know about as much as what's in those vials as I do. He told you to take it, so you did. Good little dog. But remember, Jackie, you're no one's dog. Not here. Not now. You are Calagrathorm, and it doesn't matter how you came to be. Every werewolf has baggage, even Pures. If we're being honest with ourselves, that just comes from being human."
A terse sigh. "Very few first generation wolves can transform without the moon. That is talent. You have it or you don't. But being able to control yourself, to remember your experiences, that takes skill. And practice." She looked seriously at Jackie and added, "Years of practice. You've had months. You're the youngest of us. Maybe not in age, but as a wolf nonetheless. You were born here, on the mountain. Your connections before that ought to be severed, in my opinion, for your own good. Perhaps that is what your sister was thinking. Or, more likely, she wants you to find out exactly what he put into you. In any case, that's what we're going to do."
She knelt down over the case, inspecting its locks and, with her mouth partly open and eyes closed, took a deep breath. She ran the taste of the air over her tongue, picking a part its makeup in her mind. Dirt, soil, leaves, insect dung... these were exterior scents. Too, though just a trace from days or weeks earlier, was the faint scent of salt, sweat... the last human hands to have touched the case before its burial. But it was what was inside that she was most curious about. That acrid chemical smell was intense, even with the case closed.
She opened her eyes and focused on Jackie. "I happen to know a guy who might be able to tell us more."
There were a lot of lines to read between in Jackie's every word. Every breath. Every shudder. Sabrina swiped away that rogue wisp of hair that had gotten free from her ponytail when they'd hauled the case out of the ground. Annoyed. But she hadn't lost her composure. That hair was tucked neatly behind her ear, and she straightened her jacket.
"You knew you'd be turned," Sabrina surmised. "And you know about as much as what's in those vials as I do. He told you to take it, so you did. Good little dog. But remember, Jackie, you're no one's dog. Not here. Not now. You are Calagrathorm, and it doesn't matter how you came to be. Every werewolf has baggage, even Pures. If we're being honest with ourselves, that just comes from being human."
A terse sigh. "Very few first generation wolves can transform without the moon. That is talent. You have it or you don't. But being able to control yourself, to remember your experiences, that takes skill. And practice." She looked seriously at Jackie and added, "Years of practice. You've had months. You're the youngest of us. Maybe not in age, but as a wolf nonetheless. You were born here, on the mountain. Your connections before that ought to be severed, in my opinion, for your own good. Perhaps that is what your sister was thinking. Or, more likely, she wants you to find out exactly what he put into you. In any case, that's what we're going to do."
She knelt down over the case, inspecting its locks and, with her mouth partly open and eyes closed, took a deep breath. She ran the taste of the air over her tongue, picking a part its makeup in her mind. Dirt, soil, leaves, insect dung... these were exterior scents. Too, though just a trace from days or weeks earlier, was the faint scent of salt, sweat... the last human hands to have touched the case before its burial. But it was what was inside that she was most curious about. That acrid chemical smell was intense, even with the case closed.
She opened her eyes and focused on Jackie. "I happen to know a guy who might be able to tell us more."
Quote from Indy on November 14, 2021, 6:30 pmJackie had dropped her gaze as Sabrina spoke, feeling the discomfort in being so seen. Instead she starred at the silver key still clenched in her palms - how it caught the late afternoon light, how the cool metal had warmed in her palms, how the last person who had touched it had likely been her sister...
And finally, a single word within Sabrina's phrase - What we're going to do. We. A unit - a single mind - working towards a shared objective. A defunct, bargain-bin werewolf and a psychopathic healer breathing the same air, fighting the same fights, and pooling their resources to discover what poison had been woven in the fiber of her being.
Little by little, knots of tension released from her shoulders and neck. As the strain alleviated, she could feel a sagging exhaustion and stiffness she had not permitted herself to feel until this very moment. Even her fingers had gone slightly slack against the silver key.
"Okay," she whispered, yet there was nothing dismissive in the tone. Quite the contrary, there was a definitive edge to it, a decision that had been made and would not be unmade.
She stood up slowly, and though she felt an almost invisible repulsion as she approached the briefcase, she knelt besides it and starred at the surface. She wiped some of the mud off the top, however did not move to open the lock with her other hand.
"Who did you have in mind?"
Jackie had dropped her gaze as Sabrina spoke, feeling the discomfort in being so seen. Instead she starred at the silver key still clenched in her palms - how it caught the late afternoon light, how the cool metal had warmed in her palms, how the last person who had touched it had likely been her sister...
And finally, a single word within Sabrina's phrase - What we're going to do. We. A unit - a single mind - working towards a shared objective. A defunct, bargain-bin werewolf and a psychopathic healer breathing the same air, fighting the same fights, and pooling their resources to discover what poison had been woven in the fiber of her being.
Little by little, knots of tension released from her shoulders and neck. As the strain alleviated, she could feel a sagging exhaustion and stiffness she had not permitted herself to feel until this very moment. Even her fingers had gone slightly slack against the silver key.
"Okay," she whispered, yet there was nothing dismissive in the tone. Quite the contrary, there was a definitive edge to it, a decision that had been made and would not be unmade.
She stood up slowly, and though she felt an almost invisible repulsion as she approached the briefcase, she knelt besides it and starred at the surface. She wiped some of the mud off the top, however did not move to open the lock with her other hand.
"Who did you have in mind?"
Quote from Kaqurei on December 3, 2021, 8:36 pmSabrina almost grinned. Or smirked. Something like that. "Why, Professor-Adjunct Tobias Buttermilk, of course."
Sabrina almost grinned. Or smirked. Something like that. "Why, Professor-Adjunct Tobias Buttermilk, of course."
Quote from Indy on December 4, 2021, 12:45 pm"Fine, don't tell me," Jackie grumbled, noiselessly picking herself up like a puppeteer pulls the strings of a puppet. She cast one final glance at the muddy briefcase, then disregarded it entirely and starred at the muddy hole it had come from.
Without explanation, she began to pile the damp clods of mud back into the hole where it had come.
"Fine, don't tell me," Jackie grumbled, noiselessly picking herself up like a puppeteer pulls the strings of a puppet. She cast one final glance at the muddy briefcase, then disregarded it entirely and starred at the muddy hole it had come from.
Without explanation, she began to pile the damp clods of mud back into the hole where it had come.
Quote from Indy on December 8, 2021, 5:45 pmJackie didn't say another word until she was done -- all the rich dark earth returned to the gaping hole, the underbrush replaced on top, and even the blue car fender right as it had been. To the cursory glance, it might have appeared as though nothing had occurred at all, yet Jackie could see the slight unrest in the soil still.
And the briefcase sitting besides the car, somehow larger than it had been when it was first removed from the ground. As her eyes looked upon the monolith, she simply let her knees buckle out from under her until she was lazily leaning her back against the rear wheel of the small beetle. Her expression was vacant, every inch of her covered in mud, and her copper hair lay in matted lumps.
Jackie didn't say another word until she was done -- all the rich dark earth returned to the gaping hole, the underbrush replaced on top, and even the blue car fender right as it had been. To the cursory glance, it might have appeared as though nothing had occurred at all, yet Jackie could see the slight unrest in the soil still.
And the briefcase sitting besides the car, somehow larger than it had been when it was first removed from the ground. As her eyes looked upon the monolith, she simply let her knees buckle out from under her until she was lazily leaning her back against the rear wheel of the small beetle. Her expression was vacant, every inch of her covered in mud, and her copper hair lay in matted lumps.
Quote from Kaqurei on December 21, 2021, 10:48 pmEver the patient hunter, Sabrina waited. She waited until she saw that furious sparking ember fade, Jackie's fight was gone. For now. It was time to bring her home. Methodically, Sabrina gathered the suitcase, hefted it up and secured it into the trunk of the vehicle. Then she came to Jackie's side, guided her up to her feet, then led her 'round to the passenger side of the car. There she gave her a surmising look up and down, gently swept her hair from her face, and brushed some of the mud off.
"You need a bath," a simple, motherly statement. She opened the back door of the car, produced a folded blanket and pillow from under the seat--as if by magic, though, clearly she had stowed them there ahead of their journey, perhaps for this very purpose. She propped the pillow on the seat and eased Jackie into the back, to lay down as though on a bed. Then she placed the blanket over her. It was gently scented with lavender.
The rest of the drive wasn't very memorable. When they arrived at the cabins, it was dark. Sabrina went inside, not bothering to wake Jackie until she'd finished drawing her an herbal bath and laying out fresh, clean pajamas for her to change into. Then she went and fetched her, to ensure she would be clean and comfortable. While Jackie washed, Sabrina prepared a simple soup, and brought it to her in bed. No words were exchanged, just simple gestures to care for her until she again fell asleep.
There was a candle on the dresser, across from Jackie's bed. A small, comforting flame, flickering gentle shadows on the wall.
Sleep, little wildfire. Sleep...
Ever the patient hunter, Sabrina waited. She waited until she saw that furious sparking ember fade, Jackie's fight was gone. For now. It was time to bring her home. Methodically, Sabrina gathered the suitcase, hefted it up and secured it into the trunk of the vehicle. Then she came to Jackie's side, guided her up to her feet, then led her 'round to the passenger side of the car. There she gave her a surmising look up and down, gently swept her hair from her face, and brushed some of the mud off.
"You need a bath," a simple, motherly statement. She opened the back door of the car, produced a folded blanket and pillow from under the seat--as if by magic, though, clearly she had stowed them there ahead of their journey, perhaps for this very purpose. She propped the pillow on the seat and eased Jackie into the back, to lay down as though on a bed. Then she placed the blanket over her. It was gently scented with lavender.
The rest of the drive wasn't very memorable. When they arrived at the cabins, it was dark. Sabrina went inside, not bothering to wake Jackie until she'd finished drawing her an herbal bath and laying out fresh, clean pajamas for her to change into. Then she went and fetched her, to ensure she would be clean and comfortable. While Jackie washed, Sabrina prepared a simple soup, and brought it to her in bed. No words were exchanged, just simple gestures to care for her until she again fell asleep.
There was a candle on the dresser, across from Jackie's bed. A small, comforting flame, flickering gentle shadows on the wall.
Sleep, little wildfire. Sleep...
