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[Stargazer3000]

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Elias Vasiliev| tagged: | location: Cranberry
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Elias's neck protested as he slowly lifted his head up from where it had been resting on his backpack - it had grown stiff from the awkward angle, yet as he stared out the train window at the mountains drifting past Elias couldn't bring himself to care about his latest small physical discomfort. Sleeping in uncomfortable positions had become a specialty of his, but despite the rumors he hadn't fully anticipated just how slow the mountain train ride would be, and at least twenty hours in found himself woefully unprepared for the seemingly endless, rattling hours of travel. He had resorted to using his unfortunately dusty backpack (a result of hitch hiking) as a pillow just past two in the morning when the consistent rumble of the train reverberating off the window had turned his brain to soup, and so now, in addition to the bit of drool he could feel drying on the side of his mouth he was certain that half his face was covered in a fine layer of dirt.

Just as Elias was beginning to consider scrounging up some breakfast - or throwing himself from the nearest exit just to get off the train, whichever came first really - an automated ding sounded through the train car and a voice rattled off their next stops, one of which was his. Thanking whatever patron gods of travel he could remember, Elias roused himself with a groan, making his way towards the bathroom. As soon as the sliding door slid shut with an oddly satisfying click, Elias regarded his reflection in the mirror, and after a beat gave up trying to convince himself that his haggard appearance was the result of the lighting. Drool and dust had, in fact, encrusted themselves on his face, and his hair was sticking up at several angles that defied his understanding of gravitational laws, but he was a fiction writer, so what did he know, really?

Hastily, Elias turned on the water, splashing it over his face and doing what he could to clean up. The dust and drool were thankfully easy to remove, but a quick sniff check confirmed that he was in desperate need of a new change of clothes, so he unzipped his bag to root around for a clean-ish shirt. Quickly producing one, his hand brushed against the well worn back of a leather journal, which he pulled out along side his slightly rumpled garment. Pulling the shirt on, he returned to his seat, journal in hand, and began to leaf through it for what felt like the millionth time as he awaited the train's arrival to his stop. Ever since learning about his long lost relative, Elias could think of little else but tracking them down, and over the months he'd compiled as much information as he could on them, storing it in his journal for safe keeping. The most information he'd found was buried in a handful of letters detailing his aunt's move to Colorado, and the birth of her child in a town deep in the mountains of Colorado - Cranberry.

--

Four hours and two slightly-stale sandwiches later, Elias was making his way deeper into the mountains, weaving along the narrow road in his newest mode of transportation. After getting off the train in the tiny town of Ouray, Elias had made his way towards the rental car place that he'd hoped would be open only to find that it was, in fact, very much not open. And so, Elias had resorted to wandering around the town looking for food and for travel options. Surprisingly, the local deli had provided both in the form of a grumpy mountaineer who looked like he'd been ripped from the pages of Miners Digest trying to sell his 'old lady's wagoneer because she was long gone and the dang thing was more use to him gone that it was taking up space in his yard' and two aforementioned slightly stale sandwiches.

The road to Cranberry was a far cry from the horrors of the train car, and as the world fell away Elias found himself savoring the quiet of the woods shifting around the car, the pines swaying in a way that seemed to beckon to him. The eyes of the aspens followed him as he drove deeper and deeper in the mountains, and some part of him hummed in deep satisfaction at the taste of the isolation, of the freedom. Eventually, the road turned from rough dirt to gravel to paved asphalt, and then Cranberry emerged from the woods like a shell being spit up by the ocean. Or maybe being devoured was a more apt metaphor - the tiny town was situated in a valley between towering peaks of granite that evoked the maw of a massive beast coming to swallow it whole - the whole scene had an oddly animalistic sense to it, vicious and raw.

Elias thought he might be in love.

--

The first place that Elias saw when driving down the main road was a cheery diner, and despite his initial temptation to drive past it and find a place to stay for the night, a loud growl from his stomach quickly changed his mind, and he pulled into the parking lot in a smooth motion, slipping out of the car and inhaling deeply, the cool mountain air settling in the back of his throat. His search could wait for a couple more minutes, now was the time for fries.

[InfiresAddiction]

♆ Bright Malinon ♆
⦉ Second in Command| Location ➵ Hunter's House | Mentions ➵ Jack ⦊
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Bright gave a visible wince as Jack made mention of what happened at the bookstore, slouching back slightly against the table before straightening back up-it hurt. It wasn’t like Bright could throw the blame for the funeral fiasco on Jack, considering that Farris had given them away and Bright had dealt with the problem with too much aggression. “I don’t know where we went wrong, but it doesn’t feel like we’ve been learning from our mistakes.” They had allowed unarmed people to go into dangerous woods and lost a citizen, let alone a sheriff as a result. How could they be so careless? He looked down with a sigh, shaking his head. Although Bright was never one to show remorse, he did feel bad for the sheriff who had lost his life due to their lapse of skill.

Bright was always the type to push on whether with pure determination, or his own unfiltered anger. But now that he was sitting there, he realized that he was tired. Emotionally and mentally. This was the first time Bright had been injured like this, he hated being cooped up inside and feeling useless, calm and peaceful as it was. There had been moments of calm, moments of brooding, and that one time where he had a fit in the corner of his room, shaking silently as to not wake up Harlow or the other hunters. He couldn’t go into town, lest he raised suspicion, and even the woods were off limits in case he got attacked.

Bright looked back up at Jack, about to speak again, but nothing made it past his lips as his eyes met those of the lead hunter. He recognized that Jack, too, had dropped his strong and silent mask, and for a few seconds, his eyes beheld a grateful glimmer. In that moment, the two hunters, both weary and dazed had forged a link, one of mutual understanding. However, it was over much too soon. Bright, feeling like he was too vulnerable, building back up that dull expression he often wore. It was a rather sad image as he sat by Jack’s feet, only allowing him to see how he truly felt for a few mere seconds. He just couldn’t expose himself any longer, it made him feel naked, stripped of his defenses.

As Jack spoke again, Bright’s face seemed to have almost crumbled, as if the leader’s words had had a strenuous weight hanging onto them. Did Bright even deserve his trust? He had barely done anything right, as a hunter and a second lead. He reckoned the leader was wasting such sentiments on him. After all, why should someone trust him when he couldn’t even trust himself half of the time. At least, that’s how it’s been since they arrived at the mountainous village? Silently, he turned aside his head, rejecting the unspoken words hanging in the air. “So what are you suggesting?” He asked quietly, staring at the edge of the outermost kitchen counter.

[azhefa.]

xx─────────┥𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀┝────────────────────────────────

it felt odd to have something willingly strapped around her neck by someone she hardly even knows. yet it also felt right, almost comforting in an odd way. kassie has been surrounded by the pack's scent for several days now and it's permeated her senses to the point that it was no longer unsettling or uncomfortable. it also helps that the pack has enjoyable scents associated with each member instead of the harsh ones of former packs she had joined. gasoline and burnt sugar just wasn't something that inspires loyalty and friendship like tree sap and floral tones.

kassie's tail gives a low fan behind her at johann's words, almost preening at the compliment. she dips her head in acknowledgement of the time limit he set and pads along after him as he heads towards the store. her ears twist and turn as they walk, but her hackles stay down. could it be that having the redhead behind her made her feel a bit more safe? kassie doesn't get to dwell on the thought as her focus turns to the door johann opens and holds for them. she enters slowly, head held low in an uneasy manner, but is quick to follow johann as he traverses the aisles.

when he mentions picking out a few things for herself, kassie hesitates. she's never had to buy something before and was reluctant to do so as to not take advantage of the pack's hospitality. she remains slightly behind the alpha as he grabs a few things and puts them into his basket. her attention, though, wavers as she starts to pick up on the different scents that filled the store. there were so many and they all smelt wonderful. meats, veggies, cheese, even candies. there were a few that weren't quite as pleasant, but she simply ignored those in favor of the yummy ones.

there was one scent that really grabbed her attention though. a sweet and creamy scent that she's smelt before but has only ever eaten once. chocolate. the divine creation wrapped in cellophane. kassie perks up considerably and wiggles her way past johann to get at the candy section nearby. her tail wags like a flag in a hurricane as she sniffs around the boxes that hold all sorts of chocolate candies. there were so many! how in the world will she ever be able to choose one? the she-wolf gives a soft whine of frustrated indecision and paces back and forth before the shelves of chocolatey delights. it's a good thing she doesn't have thumbs in that moment or else she'd forget her manners and start tearing them all to pieces.

location; store ● mentions; others ● tags; johann, xaviar, lyall

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[azhefa.]

xx─────────┥𝑨𝑳𝑬𝑲𝑺𝑨𝑵𝑫𝑹𝑨┝───────────────────────────────

most days, sasha would be up early and in the kitchen making breakfast for the pack, but unfortunately, today is not one of those days. the hospital she is doing her residency at had called before her alarm went off and begged for her to come in early to help with the sudden influx of patients that had been flown in from the neighboring town who's own hospital was much smaller and unable to treat the fourteen people who had been rushed in after an extreme multi car pile up.

sasha showered and dressed in the dark, not wanting to wake her packmates by turning on lights and making noise. not everyone enjoys getting up before the sun could even break the horizon. she slips back into xaviar's room and scribbles a quick note on the multi-colored note pad on his dresser before stealing one of his denim jackets and slipping out of the house. since she was really the only one with such an early job, she tends to park her car a bit farther from the house to keep the noise down. this time she's very happy she chose to park it farther down the drive. her little junk bucket wasn't the prettiest nor the best car, but it makes it from point a to point b. for the most part. it's been joked many times that it had two wheels in the junk yard and the others were soon to follow. maybe once she finishes her residency she'll be able to afford a better car.

as soon as she reached the hospital and clocked in, sasha was thrown into the chaos that was the emergency room. it felt as if she had been in there for days when it was only hours. with a dozen critical patients and numerous other injured persons walking in throughout that whole time. since she wasn't a true doctor yet, sasha was left to run around and fetch things for other doctors and nurses while also learning all kinds of things. by the time her lunch hour rolls around, the blonde was exhausted and just wants to gorge on a deer and sleep for two days. but it's hard to hunt and eat a deer in only an hour, so burgers at the diner it is.

though it'd be better to get off her feet and just drive, sasha decides to walk instead. it didn't take very long to get to the diner since it was only a dozen or so blocks away, but it felt good to get out in the fresh air. her scrubs were a little dirty from all the morning chaos, but luckily weren't horribly soiled like a few nurses she had seen. the denim jacket she had nabbed from xav kept her pleasantly warm on the walk and also filled her senses with the scents of the pack which overpowered the lingering scent of sterilized hospital and blood.

the bell above the door jingles as sasha enters the diner and makes her way to the counter where she orders her two burgers, side of fries, and a large soda. it wasn't the healthiest of meals, but it's the easiest and quickest thing she can get in the hour limit she has for lunch. her meal takes a minute to cook up and once finished, her name was called out and she goes up to take her to-go bag with a smile and nod of thanks to the cashier. while leaving the diner, sasha pauses to step aside to let a few patrons enter before being able to exit. several of the folks were known to her and she stops to chat with a few before being able to carry on back towards the hospital. she munches on her fries as she walks, waiting to eat her burgers when she gets to the back room where she'll be able to sit and eat in peace.

a few blocks from the hospital, sasha catches sight of a familiar face and lifts her free hand in a bit of a wave as she passes shaw and his dog. if she had known him a bit better, she would have stopped to chat, but she was under a time crunch and she'd like to eat without a rush so she just waves with a smile and keeps on walking. once back at the hospital, sasha quickly makes her way to the back room, not wanting to be grabbed by a nurse or doctor while trying to eat. luckily, no one tries to stop her and she's able to hide in the back room and eat her lunch in peace before getting thrown back into the chaos.

location; hospital > diner > hospital ● mentions; others ● tags; shaw [briefly]

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[Stargazer3000]

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Farris Sannhildr | tagged: leo| location: charlie's
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Farris practically skipped up the steps of Charlie's, her characteristic smile lighting up her face as the cheery atmosphere of the cafe embraced her like a warm hug. The bell chimed merrily as she slipped inside, and for a beat Farris allowed herself to simply enjoy the smell of baked goods and the sound of low conversations; a welcome reprieve from the horror, panic, and bloodshed of the past week. In this building, it would be easy to sink into one of the comfortable chairs and pretend that the world was right again, but the pulling weight of her bag filled with notebooks and freshly cleaned weapons reminded her that for now she'd have to settle for a scone instead of blissful ignorance.

Not an entirely unpleasant trade, Farris mused silently as she approached the counter, hungrily eyeing the baked goods on display. She quickly settled on a scone that seemed to be calling her name before setting out on the monumentally more difficult task of selecting something for her favorite prickly hunter who'd been kind enough to supply her with the funds for this particular outing. After a solid sixty seconds of staring down all the options and finding herself completely at a draw, she decided that it was time to talk to the expert. Making her way to the counter Farris gave a small wave to the man working at the register, a cheery greeting freezing on her lips as she was struck with the realization that she recognized him.

The recognition in of itself wasn't particularly notable - after all knowing the people of Cranberry was her job - but Farris hastily tried to remember why exactly he stood out to her, running through her notable memories of the townspeople. The funeral, she remembered him from the funeral, Farris realized with a start, thankful that at least the surveillance aspect of her job hasn't totally let her down. Feeling more confident with the small bit of information squared away, she quickly steered the interaction toward the matter at hand - food.

"Good morning! Can I have a couple of the blueberry scones, and a bit of advice if its not too much trouble?" Farris paused to glance contemplatively back at the baked goods before continuing, "See, I've got to pick something up for a friend, and let me tell you, he's not a morning person. Or afternoon person. Or....never mind. Point is, he's in serious need of a pick-me-up but I'm just now realizing I'm not quite sure what he likes. He's a big fan of coffee so what would you recommend that pairs well with something bitter?"

[Stargazer3000]

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Johann Vidar | tagged: Xav, Kassie, Lyall | location: town
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Making his way through the store, Johann slowly filled his basket with sensible food that could be used for the pack's meals, occasionally asking his packmates for their suggestions; after all 'Cheerios versus Corn Flakes' was a serious issue that Johann was not going to tackle alone. As the gang made their way up and down the linoleum aisles Johann stole glances at each of them; the constant need to make sure that they were okay was as overwhelming as it was constant, but in truth it had only developed in earnest after his dad's death. Johann found himself wondering, not for the first time, if Lars had felt this way when he was alive, if it was a part of being the alpha, or just a part of living through this nightmare.

The sound of smashing buttons pulled Johann from his intrusive thoughts, and as he placed a small can of soup into the basket, he twisted his head to catch sight of Xav's fingers moving lightning fast over the controllers on his gameboy. Intentional or not, the redhead did always seems to provide a much needed break from the angst that was their waking reality, and with a soft chuckle and shake of his head, Johann returned to the task at hand. As the group continued on their way through the store Johann idly contemplated asking Xav if he could hook up some kind of game night for the pack - the distraction would be nice, and having everyone in one place would be a major bonus - but just before he got the chance to bring up, the new wolf left his side for the first time since entering the store. Johann instinctively tightened his hand on his basket knowing full well that in her wolf form she might be picking up on something that his slightly dulled senses hadn't, but when he saw where she was headed a relieved smile spread across his face.

Johann didn't know if chocolates were the kind of thing that she'd be able to eat in her wolf form, but the change in her demeanor was so sudden and so...earnest, that he just couldn't bring himself to care. Moving to kneel beside her, he chuckled, "Not sure which one to pick, huh?" For a moment he stared at all the options with mock seriousness, before continuing, "Well, seems to me that there's only one solution," and promptly beginning to place one of every kind into the basket. Within moments his small basket began to sag with the added weight, but Johann found himself unable to curb his indulgence - the new wolf was clearly in need of someone to care for her, to make her feel secure for even a moment, and if candy was the key then so be it. Heck, the entire pack more than deserved a bit of indulgence, and if nothing else, Johann could do this.

Turning to Xav, Johann shot him the wide, feral kind of smile that used to grace his face in his younger days right before doing something undoubtedly stupid. "Alright, screw it. If there's ever been a time to stress eat, it's now. Grab a basket, and go crazy."

[kanni]

𝕏𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕒𝕣|𝕃𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟; 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕖|𝕋𝕒𝕘𝕘𝕖𝕕; 𝕁𝕠𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕟, 𝕂𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕖
Xaviar had paused in his gaming to watch the new wolf wiggle a bar of chocolate into her maw, half-smile growing into a bemused grin as Johann began piling the sweets into his basket by the handful. Personally, Xav had a soft spot for almond Hershey bars, and reached down with one hand to snag a few for himself before Johann emptied the shelf in his haste to satisfy the wolf's sweet tooth-- and perhaps his own. A low burble of laughter built in the redhead's throat at the mental image that began to grow; Johann with chocolate smeared across his mouth and fingers, no longer the picture of poise, and the once white wolf stained brown beside him. Perhaps it wouldn't be ideal for the new wer to be eating the sweet in her current form, but he didn't have a human face to pair with the canine at that point.
xx
Xav's face morphed into one of mischievous glee at Johann's words, beaming down at the pack's leader. Despite the majority of them having jobs, and everyone pitching in to help keep the house full of food and utilities on, money didn't grow on trees for them. It was rare that they just spent for the sake of spending, and rarer still that Xaviar didn't find some way to make someone regret it.
xx
"You sure you want to tell me to go crazy?" The ginger chuckled, but didn't give the older man a chance to respond before he was off. Xaviar stuffed his gameboy back into the empty pocket of his sweats, having long since lost his level of tetras. He had beaten the game so many times over that at that point it wasn't something he bemoaned. Weaving through the aisles and round display tables of the grocery store, he all but bounced up to a stack of baskets. Eyeing them for a moment, the redhead looked down at his arms and back at the plastic carriers again. There were several ways he could do this, but he only wished to pick the most efficient. Which, as it turned out, was two on each arm and carrying one in each hand. Xaviar was sure that Johann would sift through his collection before they checked out, removing anything absolutely unnecessary or that would sit in the fridge forgotten because it was such a niche delicacy, so he wasn't worried about grabbing too much. It was rather awkward, however, trying to shove the clunky baskets on to his arms. Xav had a wide wingspan, in his opinion, but even this made him feel somewhat immobile in regards to his hands. But, him being him, he didn't let this discourage his plan and continued shuffling the baskets up on to his arms. Satisfied with his collection's position on his person, Xaviar turned to make his way down the nearest aisle and promptly realized a very prominent issue.
xx
He couldn't fit. He was too wide.
xx
Fortunately, the ginger's skull wasn't entirely hollow, and he simply turned to begin side shuffling down the rows of shelving. He mostly relied on his hips and the tips of his fingers to knock butterfingers, easy mac, nutella, fruit snacks and the like into his baskets-- occasionally he used his feet as well to jab at the shelving unit until something gave. It was slow going, but it was still going, and yes, he did eventually find the guava juice. Xaviar was sure that Johann and the white wolf would be pleased with his bounty once he managed to shuffle back to them.

[bee]

────𝐵𝑅𝑈𝑁𝑂 𝐸𝑉𝐸𝑅𝐸𝑇𝑇 𝐵𝐴𝐾𝐸𝑅 !!

pack memberx21 y/oldxxxxlocationxstorexxxxtaggedxxaviar
xxxx bruno couldn't get the ball of anxiety in his stomach to ease. a cigarette perched between the fingers of his swinging hand, every minute or so brought to his lips to take a nervous puff. heavy black boots kicked pebbles across the cracked pavement, amber eyes darting to watch them bounce into the road. the man had been actively avoiding town for the last two days - most of his time had been spent beneath the forest's canopy, enjoying his own company. the drama that had been gripping the little town since lars' death was enough to drive the wolf away. it had been peaceful without the presence of others, something dreamlike and serene, but he was ready to sleep in his own bed. that and his lighter ran out of fluid. priorities.

bruno was well aware that he was running away from the conflict of the pack's problems, and it'd catch up to him as soon as his eyes settled on the face of one of the members. his unease grew with each step deeper into the heart of cranberry. a headache had settled in as soon as the buildings came into view, and now the pain was making him squint as the sun's rays warmed his skin. ugh. he took one last pull of his cigarette then tossed the butt onto the spiderwebbed sidewalk, halting his hurried pace to crush it beneath the toe of his boot.

the wolf ran a hand through his disheveled locks, muttering curses that released his lungful of smoke into the crisp mountain air. his head hurt like hell, a steady throb that squeezed near his temples. to his left was the small market, his right an equally small parking lot. after a few moments filled with silent debating and a foot tapping on the concrete, he opened the glass door of the building. just needed some aspirin, in and out. bruno tucked his hands into the pockets of his dark denim jacket and started his search through the suffocating aisles.

he avoided the candy aisle, well aware that he'd impulsively splurge. amber eyes settled on a row of liquor - his brows knotted and he began gnawing his cheek. after a quick scan, he scooped a cheap bottle of whiskey off the shelf and tucked it under his arm. bruno figured he'd need it for the night ahead, filled with prodding questions and a hurricane of new information. he continued, uncomfortably maneuvering through the tight walkways of the store until he found a bottle of aspirin. the pills rattled as he read the label, rolling it in his hand to read the dosage. it'd do. he rocked on his heels for a moment, contemplating what else he needed. toothpicks would be nice, something to fiddle with and curb his stress.

bruno meandered through the rows of food, unsure where everything was. he stopped momentarily in the snack aisle as xaviar came to mind. the kid would probably press him about where he'd been, why he left. something to shut him up would be nice. he grabbed a handful of slim jims and tucked them into his pocket, silently cursing himself for not getting a basket. he should've known the short stop would end in a plethora of items. luckily toothpicks were close by, and he grabbed a small box of them, too.

hands now full to stop his temptation, bruno started through a center aisle, a short cut to the register. as soon as the wolf turned the corner his eyes snapped up to a shock of flame colored hair. god, just his luck. xav was holding a basket overflowing with unnecessary groceries, it's contents resembling if you let a 10 year old loose in the store. bruno couldn't imagine how he'd failed to pick up the ginger's scent - sometimes the lingering smell of a recent smoke break dulled his nose, but this was just careless. the man stopped in his tracks, color draining from his face. he tossed the idea of slipping away in his head, hoping xav was just as unobservant as he was.

[kanni]

𝕏𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕒𝕣|𝕃𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟; 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕖|𝕋𝕒𝕘𝕘𝕖𝕕; 𝔹𝕣𝕦𝕟𝕠
Xaviar's head whipped up from where it had been pointed rather intensely at a box of peanut brittle as he caught wind of stale cigarette smoke and well-cared-for leather. While the red-head understood that everyone was dealing with stress in their own manner, he had been rather disappointed when Bruno had disappeared into the woods so soon after returning from them. Especially since Xav had gotten his hopes up for a round of super smash brothers or pac man at some point. It had kind of hurt, watching the dark shape of his smaller friend bounding into the darkening foliage, the sun dipping far enough beneath the mountains that he couldn't really see where Bruno was going once fur met tree line. Despite his desire to ignore it, Xaviar was aware that it was a taste of his own medicine, considering he had done the same thing to the rest of the pack immediately following Lars' death. A sharp twang rippled through his heart at the thought of the kind man, too soon gone, and the ginger wer forced the feelings down fast. Now was not the time to mope, or rather it was, but not seriously.
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"Houdini! The man, the myth, the legend! My beloved broski! My-" Xaviar trailed on as he very slowly, very cautiously turned around and began shuffling towards the dark-haired man by the registers. It was certainly quite the spectacle, he was sure, and a long one at that, as by the time he had fully changed directions and made it to a few feet in front of Bruno, he had run out of things to call him. Now, he was stuck with "My black licorice shtick" and "the homie hotdog". Terrible nicknames, he was aware, but he was going off of what was in his basket and there wasn't much left that he hadn't already named. Trying to raise one arm as best he could, Xaviar's cheerful grin slipped into the best puppy-dog pout he could manage, which was hard considering he had to look down slightly at Bruno instead of up, as he was used to doing to Lyall whenever he (unsuccessfully usually) tried this trick on him. Palm quivering slightly from the growing weight of an armful of weighed down grocery baskets, the ginger wiggled it at his brunet friend cautiously
xx
"Highfive and help? I missed you dude. You didn't even play games with me, like, at all over the weekend. I was as bored as dirt. Can dirt get bored? I feel like that's not a great analogy but I don't know what would be a better one. Bored as a slug? A snail? I feel like 'bored as' just doesn't work in general. How about I was just bored and lonely, because that's accurate. Not poggers at all." Xaviar wiggled his hand a little more aggressively, trying to maintain the downward puppy dog look and not let the sweat he could feel beading at his temple drip down. He was obnoxiously strong, even without wolf-enhanced strength, but this wasn't pleasant at all.

[bee]

────𝐵𝑅𝑈𝑁𝑂 𝐸𝑉𝐸𝑅𝐸𝑇𝑇 𝐵𝐴𝐾𝐸𝑅 !!

pack memberx21 y/oldxxxxlocationxstorexxxxtaggedxxaviar
xxxx how does this goober expect to fit anything else in that basket? bruno thought as he watched the ginger eye down a box of peanut brittle. he was fairly shocked that xaviar didn't morph into a golden retriever when he shifted. he was simply a ray of sunshine, always bouncing off the walls and offering his goofy smile, and he didn't have a mean bone in his body. chances are if you punched him in the face he'd apologize to you. if you gave him a candy bar he'd be your best friend for life. bruno somewhat envied his beaming positivity, and figured that's why he was so drawn to the other despite the black and white differences between them.

the head of flaming hair popped up. bruno grimaced and took a painfully slow step back, trying to be as quiet as possible. oh, no. the bloodhound was already on the scent. "houdini! the man, the myth, the legend! my beloved broski!" oh, come on. he hadn't even seen him yet. bruno released the breath he hadn't meant to be holding. at least, of all of the pack members he could've run into, he'd managed to find xaviar. the redhead started to slowly shuffle around to face him, the basket and his broad shoulders stopping him from whipping around and tackling bruno in a bear hug. he couldn't stop the small smile that snuck onto his lips. xav was truly the embodiment of a big, clumsy puppy. he continued to list off a number of childish names as he tiptoed towards bruno.

xaviar put on a dramatic pout and, with great effort, lifted a hand for a high five, fingers wiggling in the air. bruno preemptively rolled his eyes, aware of what was to come. the expected ramble ensued, upset that he'd been gone for the weekend, leaving xaviar to entertain himself. bruno crinkled his nose at xav's use of words. big puppy. a child in a twenty-six year old's body. the fingers gave a more intense wiggle, big brown eyes staring down at him pleadingly.

bruno sighed and pulled the bundle of slim jims from his pocket, shoving them into xav's hand to substitute for a high five. "hold this, you idiot." the crude language held no malice, only warmth for his friend. bruno reached up and carefully placed his whiskey and aspirin in the overflowing basket, nestling them between fruit snacks and...guava juice? such a weirdo. then he pulled the basket from xav's hands, giving him no time to refuse. the groceries were heavier than he expected - bruno lurched down, then quickly raised a knee to balance the basket on while he adjusted his grip with a huff. "i ah," he muttered, his eyes flicking between items in the basket, "had some stuff to deal with." he couldn't play it off, not with xav. the kid stared into his soul with those big dopey eyes and demanded truth. bruno's gaze rose to meet it, brows furrowing. "you did it too. you don't get to complain." what the hell was in this basket? rocks? bruno strained under the weight, adjusting his grip again to try to distract the other from his struggle.

"we can game tonight, okay? i want to avoid the others anyway, i doubt lieutenant furball is gonna be happy i was gone." he hadn't sat down and talked to johann since their incident, and he intended to keep it that way. he shuffled his feet, the burn in his arms starting to get to him. "grab a lighter for me, will ya."