Braided Crossroad (SP-RP8/9) 01/2017 - 01/2019
Quote from Indy on December 27, 2018, 1:31 amOxer
Five minutes. The stupid guy somehow followed me here, and he wants five minutes.
Five minutes. Can I even give him that?
Slowly, I lower the broken bottle into the dirt. Adrenaline courses through my muscles, makes them feel electrified-- just like when I'm in my other form, when I can go for miles without stopping.
Run, run. You need to run.
"Other... werewolves."
The word feels strange, almost childish, on my tongue. I let out a breath through my teeth, stagger to my feet underneath my heavy pack. My knees shake-- heck, all of me shakes now, like a dumb dog hiding in a bathtub from the fireworks outside.
Just run.
"You've got, like, three minutes before-- before I take off," I blurt, and because I need something to do I go back down and start shoving things into my pockets and bag. Rocks, feathers, anything to give the illusion of moving forward, of getting away.
I'm having a real hard time; my palms are so sweaty that stuff keeps falling out of my hands. But at least it keeps me in place.
Oxer
Five minutes. The stupid guy somehow followed me here, and he wants five minutes.
Five minutes. Can I even give him that?
Slowly, I lower the broken bottle into the dirt. Adrenaline courses through my muscles, makes them feel electrified-- just like when I'm in my other form, when I can go for miles without stopping.
Run, run. You need to run.
"Other... werewolves."
The word feels strange, almost childish, on my tongue. I let out a breath through my teeth, stagger to my feet underneath my heavy pack. My knees shake-- heck, all of me shakes now, like a dumb dog hiding in a bathtub from the fireworks outside.
Just run.
"You've got, like, three minutes before-- before I take off," I blurt, and because I need something to do I go back down and start shoving things into my pockets and bag. Rocks, feathers, anything to give the illusion of moving forward, of getting away.
I'm having a real hard time; my palms are so sweaty that stuff keeps falling out of my hands. But at least it keeps me in place.
Quote from Indy on December 27, 2018, 1:31 amIndy
"Three minutes," he repeated slowly with a nod, as though it was a promise. In reality he was dumbfounded she’d agreed to even that much. Three minutes, 180 seconds… he wondered what he could do with that much time. Then he watched her hands move anxiously over the ground slowly. He’d be lucky if he even got a full three minutes.
"Werewolves," he repeated again, "That’s what most of our kind call ourselves," he smiled a little painfully, as though somehow embarrassed. Again, his eyes were drawn to the way she trembled, "Can we take a walk during our three minutes? I get a little anxious sitting still".
He took a few steps forward, assuming she’d follow behind him. He started again.
"Every full moon… I’m sure you’ve noticed, you turn into something else. It’s scary, at first… but it can be controlled if you know how. And many of us are willing to teach you, because we remember how scary it was once for us too".
Indy
"Three minutes," he repeated slowly with a nod, as though it was a promise. In reality he was dumbfounded she’d agreed to even that much. Three minutes, 180 seconds… he wondered what he could do with that much time. Then he watched her hands move anxiously over the ground slowly. He’d be lucky if he even got a full three minutes.
"Werewolves," he repeated again, "That’s what most of our kind call ourselves," he smiled a little painfully, as though somehow embarrassed. Again, his eyes were drawn to the way she trembled, "Can we take a walk during our three minutes? I get a little anxious sitting still".
He took a few steps forward, assuming she’d follow behind him. He started again.
"Every full moon… I’m sure you’ve noticed, you turn into something else. It’s scary, at first… but it can be controlled if you know how. And many of us are willing to teach you, because we remember how scary it was once for us too".
Quote from Indy on December 27, 2018, 1:31 amOxer
Walking. Good. We're walking now. Walking means I'm moving means I won't bolt means I'll listen.
Try to. My hands shake where they clutch the straps of my bag. My steps into the undergrowth snap like broken bones, and the canopy and birdsong above is suffocating.
"Every full moon," the strange man says. His voice echoes in the mountain quiet."I’m sure you’ve noticed, you turn into something else. It’s scary, at first… but it can be controlled if you know how. And many of us are willing to teach you, because we remember how scary it was once for us too."
My heart pounds. I can't look at him. I have a staring contest with the gaze of a birch tree.
I don't like what he's saying. It sounds like boarding school. It sounds like Columbus School for Girls, where mom number six sent me after I brought home too many books on Mothman from the library and refused to sleep inside.
I still can't sleep inside. Beside the point. The strange man sounds like the teachers at Columbus-- the one that extended a hand to me and told me, with this saccharine smile, that everything was OK now and that I was safe and could breathe. That night I destroyed my dorm room-- and I wasn't even turned-- because I knew I wasn't safe. I spray painted it purple. He was lying. And I was mad that he was lying.
"How can I trust you?" I ask the strange man now. My voice shakes. I've picked another birch tree to talk to. "How do I know you don't need something from me?"
Oxer
Walking. Good. We're walking now. Walking means I'm moving means I won't bolt means I'll listen.
Try to. My hands shake where they clutch the straps of my bag. My steps into the undergrowth snap like broken bones, and the canopy and birdsong above is suffocating.
"Every full moon," the strange man says. His voice echoes in the mountain quiet."I’m sure you’ve noticed, you turn into something else. It’s scary, at first… but it can be controlled if you know how. And many of us are willing to teach you, because we remember how scary it was once for us too."
My heart pounds. I can't look at him. I have a staring contest with the gaze of a birch tree.
I don't like what he's saying. It sounds like boarding school. It sounds like Columbus School for Girls, where mom number six sent me after I brought home too many books on Mothman from the library and refused to sleep inside.
I still can't sleep inside. Beside the point. The strange man sounds like the teachers at Columbus-- the one that extended a hand to me and told me, with this saccharine smile, that everything was OK now and that I was safe and could breathe. That night I destroyed my dorm room-- and I wasn't even turned-- because I knew I wasn't safe. I spray painted it purple. He was lying. And I was mad that he was lying.
"How can I trust you?" I ask the strange man now. My voice shakes. I've picked another birch tree to talk to. "How do I know you don't need something from me?"
Quote from Indy on December 27, 2018, 1:36 amProgress, this was progress, Zander reminded himself. They were at least on the actual topic of werewolves instead of talking about sandwiches and weather patterns. Now, if he could only keep it on that topic for the next few moments before she ran off into the woods like a frightened deer. He could feel a smile fighting to take charge of his face, like he was going to sooth her like a frightened dog in a rainstorm, but some instinct stopped him.
He glanced at the girl, wondering what that instinct was, before she answered the question for him — trust. They hadn’t moved into the smiles part. They weren’t even in the casual conversation part. She was the feral stray cat and he’d just left out a tempting saucer of milk. Except he didn’t think a can of tuna would be the answer here.
"You can’t," he felt the words settle absolutely in his throat, but looking at that birch as she was, the girl couldn’t see his own self-doubt worming its way on his expression as he said it, "I mean… I won’t ask for your trust right now. I’m just asking that you give me a chance to help you, and if it works, then it's your gain..."
He glanced a little to the side, not quite meeting her eyes but just to the left of them as though somewhat inviting it, "And if not, I’ll still help you pack".
Progress, this was progress, Zander reminded himself. They were at least on the actual topic of werewolves instead of talking about sandwiches and weather patterns. Now, if he could only keep it on that topic for the next few moments before she ran off into the woods like a frightened deer. He could feel a smile fighting to take charge of his face, like he was going to sooth her like a frightened dog in a rainstorm, but some instinct stopped him.
He glanced at the girl, wondering what that instinct was, before she answered the question for him — trust. They hadn’t moved into the smiles part. They weren’t even in the casual conversation part. She was the feral stray cat and he’d just left out a tempting saucer of milk. Except he didn’t think a can of tuna would be the answer here.
"You can’t," he felt the words settle absolutely in his throat, but looking at that birch as she was, the girl couldn’t see his own self-doubt worming its way on his expression as he said it, "I mean… I won’t ask for your trust right now. I’m just asking that you give me a chance to help you, and if it works, then it's your gain..."
He glanced a little to the side, not quite meeting her eyes but just to the left of them as though somewhat inviting it, "And if not, I’ll still help you pack".
Quote from HER HIGHNESS on March 4, 2019, 9:23 pmMemphis
“But you’re still asking me to trust you.”
The words-- harsh, unladylike-- fall out of my mouth before I care to stop them. Typical. I only care about stopping myself from doing the bad thing after I’ve already done the bad thing.
I kneel down again, start to sweep things-- my knife, a leaf, dust an old bean can-- into the sagging pocket of my hoodie.
“You’re asking me,” I say to the ground, “to go walking with a stranger and trust that he won’t try to kill me.”
This guy has obviously never been homeless. First rule of that is that you don’t go anywhere with anyone alone. Ever. That’s like, number one on the list of dumbest ways to die. I’ve seen it happen-- and to kids younger than me.
“And I don’t even know you’re--”
I almost say it: werewolf. But this time, my tongue catches itself, trips up. I only get halfway through the word before stuttering and dropping it. I stand, blush clasp my shaking hands together, glare at the guy’s motorcycle boots.
“That’s not how it works,” I mutter. Outright subject change, but whatever. I’m hardly thinking straight as it is. “If I go with you and it doesn’t work, you could pull a knife on me, you could steal--”
I bite my lip, shoulder my pack. I’m shaking everywhere. My heart is too loud.
“You’ve just-- you’ve never been homeless, have you?”
So much emotion in that phrase: desperation, accusation, curiosity. It doesn’t know which one it should land on.
I don’t know which one it should land on.
Memphis
“But you’re still asking me to trust you.”
The words-- harsh, unladylike-- fall out of my mouth before I care to stop them. Typical. I only care about stopping myself from doing the bad thing after I’ve already done the bad thing.
I kneel down again, start to sweep things-- my knife, a leaf, dust an old bean can-- into the sagging pocket of my hoodie.
“You’re asking me,” I say to the ground, “to go walking with a stranger and trust that he won’t try to kill me.”
This guy has obviously never been homeless. First rule of that is that you don’t go anywhere with anyone alone. Ever. That’s like, number one on the list of dumbest ways to die. I’ve seen it happen-- and to kids younger than me.
“And I don’t even know you’re--”
I almost say it: werewolf. But this time, my tongue catches itself, trips up. I only get halfway through the word before stuttering and dropping it. I stand, blush clasp my shaking hands together, glare at the guy’s motorcycle boots.
“That’s not how it works,” I mutter. Outright subject change, but whatever. I’m hardly thinking straight as it is. “If I go with you and it doesn’t work, you could pull a knife on me, you could steal--”
I bite my lip, shoulder my pack. I’m shaking everywhere. My heart is too loud.
“You’ve just-- you’ve never been homeless, have you?”
So much emotion in that phrase: desperation, accusation, curiosity. It doesn’t know which one it should land on.
I don’t know which one it should land on.
Quote from Indy on March 6, 2019, 10:03 pmZander didn’t answer immediately. He let the girl continue, aimlessly shifting his weight instead and watching as she hefted the pack over her shoulder. Instinct told him that he needed to wait.
He was right. He still didn’t want to scare the girl by looking at her head-on, but he didn’t need to. Scared. Hurting. And in the same way he was taking in all the small details that made up her, he could see her doing the same back to him. Her eyes went straight to his boots, as though somehow they stood for something she didn’t like.
As the final notes died somewhere in her throat, the silence settling over, he took that as invitation enough.
"Homeless…." he let her last word settle over him, smiling awkwardly, before glancing to the side in embarrassment, "I suppose I’ve technically been homeless… I had a few rough week when I first came to this town. My bike broke down and I was out of money. It took me a while to erm… find a job. I travel a lot… I’ve had a few times where I didn’t plan very well and wound up sleeping outside"
"But you’re right," he decided, "I don’t think I’ve been homeless like you. I’m not afraid to sleep outside, not unless I’m in the heart of some enemy pack… of course, I’m mindful enough not to do THAT. But the truth is, there’s very few things men could do to me that really scare me. I’ve yet to be snuck up on by one. I can smell, hear, or otherwise sense bad intention well before it’s in front of me. I’m strong. I can survive injuries that would send most to the hospital…"
He sighed, "My point is… I don’t think you know what I have. I know it’s a lot for you to trust someone, so I don’t want to ask for that. Instead, I’m just asking for your curiosity"
He sighed, picking up his head to briefly catch the girl’s dark eyes with his own hazel, "If nothing else, I just want you to see what’s possible. So do I have my permission to prove it to you?"
Zander didn’t answer immediately. He let the girl continue, aimlessly shifting his weight instead and watching as she hefted the pack over her shoulder. Instinct told him that he needed to wait.
He was right. He still didn’t want to scare the girl by looking at her head-on, but he didn’t need to. Scared. Hurting. And in the same way he was taking in all the small details that made up her, he could see her doing the same back to him. Her eyes went straight to his boots, as though somehow they stood for something she didn’t like.
As the final notes died somewhere in her throat, the silence settling over, he took that as invitation enough.
"Homeless…." he let her last word settle over him, smiling awkwardly, before glancing to the side in embarrassment, "I suppose I’ve technically been homeless… I had a few rough week when I first came to this town. My bike broke down and I was out of money. It took me a while to erm… find a job. I travel a lot… I’ve had a few times where I didn’t plan very well and wound up sleeping outside"
"But you’re right," he decided, "I don’t think I’ve been homeless like you. I’m not afraid to sleep outside, not unless I’m in the heart of some enemy pack… of course, I’m mindful enough not to do THAT. But the truth is, there’s very few things men could do to me that really scare me. I’ve yet to be snuck up on by one. I can smell, hear, or otherwise sense bad intention well before it’s in front of me. I’m strong. I can survive injuries that would send most to the hospital…"
He sighed, "My point is… I don’t think you know what I have. I know it’s a lot for you to trust someone, so I don’t want to ask for that. Instead, I’m just asking for your curiosity"
He sighed, picking up his head to briefly catch the girl’s dark eyes with his own hazel, "If nothing else, I just want you to see what’s possible. So do I have my permission to prove it to you?"
