⚶. 𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙢 » closed

[slaughter beach, dog]

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────────────────────────────────────────── 𝙃𝙐𝙉𝙏𝙀𝙍 ──────────── ─ ─

LOCATION; Hazel's room > town > cafe ─ TAGGING; Hazel, Sao ─ MENTIONED; Caster, Dutch, Sao, Alexia ─ WC; 3,880

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*


Erika looked down at her palms when Hazel turned them over, one at a time. She should have already known that the healer was thorough, but the thin cuts on her palms had not concerned herself all too much. They had stung in the beginning, seeped blood into the wet ground, and she had mistaken that as something from another time, but compared to everything, they had been minor. Yet Hazel's hands were secure in their grip while gentle and warm, so she said nothing and let her pick out the tiny shards she had not even thought to look for. It was clear Hazel knew what she was doing, too, because her inspection did not worsen the pain that was gripping the joint of Erika's shoulder with a steady pressure. The clink of the glass pieces was muted in the cradle of the rag.
indentinHazel answered her question and Erika gave a brooding half-nod, mind lost in the origin of the glass and what she could do to make up for the art now resting on the floor of the hallway, but the cautious probing of her shoulder reminded her of who it was that she was talking to, spurring her to reciprocate a little more. It briefly struck her that she might have made a mistake in asking whether this was the life Hazel had planned for, if it would be a sad story that would merely dig Erika deeper into the trench she had already dug for herself, but she should have guessed it would not be considering where the healer was now. She had not expected this, but she had made something of it, and in the vein of the path Erika had now laid out for herself, stay or leave, it was inspiring in a murky way that was difficult to grasp.
indentinA reflexive flinch jolted through Erika when a hand was placed on her shoulder, but she pressed her fingers down on the knee her hand rested on and grounded herself, caging the instinct inside, because the last thing she wanted to do was hurt Hazel's feelings. She only ever meant well and must have known there would be no damage done, but the overt vigilance Erika had learned had proven difficult to let go. The prickling of her scars under the warmth of Hazel's palm must have been entirely in her head, but the thought was not as comforting as she might have hoped.
indentinWhat did, in turn, bring some tentative ease to Erika's mind were the words Hazel spoke. Erika could still make plans, she wasn't being fair to herself, she should give herself time, and Hazel would be there to confide in. She was not sure whether she truly believed the sentiments, whether she could internalize them, but she wanted to, and that was possibly the most kindness she had extended toward herself in a long time. What her mind seemed to reject was the idea that there were people in the cabin who did not loathe having her around, and even believed in her, but maybe Hazel was the incontestable proof of that.
indentinErika steeled herself at Hazel's words of warning. There was a tug at her muscles and a sharp pain, and the sound was nothing short of unsettling, but it was all soon allayed by how much better her shoulder felt once it was in place. She tentatively moved it, tested the joint, and it was sore, but it did not seem unmanageable. She glanced at Hazel to show she had heard the words of advice, and she was about to thank her as sincerely as she could, then flee to recover the social battery that seemed to drain from very little these days, but Hazel's admission gave her pause. The healer headed for the door to talk to the boy Erika was trying her best to keep out of her thoughts, and finding herself feeling somewhat awkward, Erika stood and trailed after. She hesitated before giving Hazel's shoulder an ungainly pat.
indentin"Thanks. For, um, everything," she announced, and every aspect of the exchange was stilted, but genuine nonetheless. With a final glance and a tug of the corner of her mouth that came close to an attempt at a smile, Erika brushed past the woman in the doorway and absconded into the hallway. The asthmatic roar of the truck's engine outside helped her ignore Yehuda in the hall, and she stopped by her room to rifle through the drawer for her keys and wallet, which someone had thoughtfully recovered ─ from a puddle of blood by the way they had looked before a painstaking scrub.

indentinErika hurried down the stairs in spite of the stiffness in her hip, and her fingers swept along the wall past the place where the banister was missing. She put her mind to what awaited outside and in the town to avoid herself getting stuck in the sight of the mess at the foot of the staircase, because she feared it would deter her from the course she had chosen. She tugged on her boots, pulled the dark handed-down bomber jacket from the hanger, and carefully threaded her previously injured arm into the sleeve whilst shoving open the door. Her old pleather jacket had been shredded by the bear, reduced to something unwearable, but it seemed that plenty of spare clothes had accumulated in this place over the years, because she had been handed a decent enough wardrobe in her reluctance to go pick up her meager things from her aunt's place. She was glad that the jacket was light on her shoulders.
indentinDutch's truck was rumbling in the unpaved driveway, ominous exhaust puffing in wheezing putters into the brisk air, and a glance through the rear window revealed that there was an empty seat in the back. Erika tugged on the handle of the back door and jumped in without a word, as if her coming along had always been the plan. Jun scooted to the middle seat, and Alexia was seated on his right with headphones pressed to her ears. Frankly, Erika did not know much about either of them and had not made much of an effort to find out, but it would hopefully help keep the drive quiet, because she doubted she would have had much to say to anyone even if she had been in a talking mood. What she had to do in town was roiling in her mind and drawing her deeper into a dismal silence.

indentinThe gravel complained under the tires of the truck as it leadenly rolled down the road, eventually picking up speed once they had rounded the first bend away from the cabin. Erika turned her head to look out the rain-lashed window and allowed the cold radiating from it soothe the dull throbbing in her shoulder in lieu of the ice pack she had forgotten. The rain distorted the view outside, but she had always thought that all of the roads in Pine Knob looked the same; faded from the sun and cracked if they had ever been paved, muddy and filled with potholes if not, and lined by dark trees standing in dense rows no matter the surface. Engulfed in the rumble of the truck, a sense of exhaustion crept upon Erika, an unshakable reminder of the sleepless night and her fit of visceral rage, but her nerves pricked at her all the same.
indentinDutch was driving, shifting the loud and sticky gears with some sort of learned care, and that should not have come as a surprise, as it was his truck after all. The impression Erika had gotten from him and his presence had been hostile, somehow averse to her being there, but it was not as if she had ever tried to be anything close to sociable with him ─ or any of them. And Saorise ─ Saorise tended to send Erika into a spiral of anxiety and what-ifs, which seemed to be entirely her own fault rather than anything the woman could have been held accountable for, but it was possible Erika had found herself avoiding her company either way. Had her life as a werewolf put her in a wheelchair? It did not have the sound of something one could simply ask. The smell of Dutch's breakfast sandwich began tipping Erika toward nausea.

indentinDutch pulled the truck into park in front of a familiar cafe on the corner of Main. The place was further from her aunt's house than she had hoped, but she did not think she was in a place to ask for a ride and she knew the way to get there regardless ─ it was not easy to get lost in a town the size of Pine Knob, and oftentimes, that had made it feel just a little more like a prison. Walking would allow her to stretch the time before the inevitable for a while longer, and the thought of being drenched in the rain strangely did not seem as repulsive after she had already done so once. Maybe showing up in dripping clothes would lead to her aunt lending her some more pity than her spent-up goodwill would otherwise allow.
indentinErika was uncertain how long the trip would take considering the thousands of hazy variables awaiting her at the end of her walk, but she doubted it would take longer than an hour and a half, and in any event, she did not know whether she would be coming back at all, or possibly ridding herself of Pine Knob for good. Finally showing her face to her aunt would hopefully provide her with some clarity on where she would be spending her next night. Dutch was fiddling with Saorise's chair by the truck bed when Erika pushed open the car door and planted her boots on the wet pavement. The fresh air was a blessing, but it only managed to clear away one of the causes to the uncomfortable feelings nagging at her.

indentinErika took off on her own before anyone would have a chance to ask her to run errands. Her boots sent rainwater splashing as she hurriedly crossed the street, where a set of power lines hung precariously from building to another, and dodged the rain by diving for the dry pathway created by storefront awnings. Where the trees began to intrude on the paved streets of the town, the steeple of the church loomed above the roofs, a few blocks away from Main and in the direction opposite from the road back to the cabin. A block or two from there she would find her aunt's house in the area where the suburbs blended into the forest and turned into scattered houses enclosed by trees.
indentinThe desolate streets led Erika past the town hall, where she would have otherwise expected to find her aunt at this time of day, but she had guessed correctly that the office would be closed with the news. No one would be going hiking, and so the head of local outdoor recreation would be having a day off. Said head was also the sole reason she had held the job she had for as long as she did in spite of all the stupid, ungrateful things she had done.
indentinA flash of red and blue reflected from the windows darkened by closed blinds, and Erika's head whipped toward the other side of the street to review the front of the local police station. A familiar figure emerged from the patrol car stationed in a parking space, raised a hand and lifted her brows. Past Erika might have crossed the street and asked when she would be lending that navy fur-collared police jacket to her again with a smirk, but this strange and unfamiliar Erika ducked her head and settled on pretending that the red rising to her cheeks was the doing of the brisk weather. She showed her hands into her pockets and disappeared around the corner. Guess this is the day I stop flirting with cops.

indentinThe rain was hardly a trickle by the time Erika had to step out from beneath the awnings and take a small dirt road branching from the paved streets into the depths of the woods. The tall trees sapped away what light passed the grey clouds in the sky, leaving the way gloomy and emanating a promise of every sinister scenario that had crossed her mind on the walk over. Next to a mailbox with the name "Seaver", steps of weathered hoary wood sprouted from the dirt and up a grassy elevation, where a white single-story house rested in the shade of the evergreens. The windows were suspiciously dark, and with the flowers wilted, the entire yard seemed to lack its usual welcoming warmth.
indentinErika rested her palm on the railing beside the steps ─ lightly, or else she would gain a splinter or two ─ when a gruff voice called out from across the street. She turned around to see their neighbour, Clint, standing on the porch of his house in his usual flannel shirt and grizzled beard. He was the rugged and gritty type, a retired hunter. But in his feet stood a black dog, Kody. Her dog. Dread ran down Erika's back like a bucketful of ice poured into the collar of her shirt. She took the few steps across the road, but the edge of his lawn was the place where her legs decided to root her. Clint lifted his cap and rubbed his forehead with a sturdy hand. Wrinkles formed around his blue eyes as he peered at her.

indentin"Thought you'd come back because you'd heard Irene's died, but I'm guessin' from the look on your face that you had no clue, kid," he called out, and Erika could not recall a single time he had ever been bashful about anything, and that seemed to apply for breaking the news about a dead parental figure, as well. Erika threw her arms up to her sides, finding herself at a loss for both words and the appropriate thing to feel, then let them fall back limply to her sides.
inden"House's been sitting empty for two weeks. Couldn't find you from a jail nor your body in the woods, so we thought we'd wait around a bit and there you are." Two weeks. If she would have made up her mind before, she would have had time to see her aunt alive. Now it was too late. Had she caused this? Worried her aunt to the point of death?
inden"How?" Erika asked, voice faltering toward the end.
inden"Natural causes, heart gave out in the back garden. She cared for you, kid, worried her like crazy when they found those dodgy friends of yours in the woods and you were gone." He appraised her for a moment, leaned his weight from one foot to the other. When Erika said nothing, he scratched his beard and continued, as straightforward and brusque as he had always been. "Must be hitting you hard. They're thinking these three men this morning were by the same bear. Might be time for me to come out of retirement, if everyone else's too much of a coward to chase down that beast."
inden"Where'd they bury her?" Exactly what level of wrong was it that she had to ask the neighbour where her own aunt was buried? Somewhere between terrible daughter and ungrateful child?
inden"She had a plot in the back, by that old oak. Lots of town came over, she didn't have to go in the ground alone." He nudged Kody, who had been standing stiff and vigilant, with the side of his leg. "Been looking after her dog, guess he ain't awfully fond of you. Could hold on to him if you like."
indentinMaybe Erika being gone when her aunt died had been the final straw for Kody, because the last time she had crashed on her aunt's couch, he had still liked her. He had always watched her with disapproval when she had interrupted his sleep by dragging herself into the house around four in the morning, but it had always been easy to regain his favour by offering him the breakfasts she could not stomach in a hangover. Irene had gotten him four years after Erika's childhood dog had finally passed away, and leaving him with Clint was the last thing she wanted, but─ was he smelling the werewolf on her? The heartbreak started trickling into Erika's mind, and the urge to leave before she had to cry in front of Clint soon followed.
inden"That's─ great. Thanks."

indentinErika turned on her heel and strained steps took her back toward the town. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, but a turmoil of guilt steered her toward the graveyard. She could get her things from the house later, or possibly never. The wrought iron gates hung open, and a stone wall circled a field of wet headstones and tufts of hay swaying in the breeze. Coppery leaves dotted the paths, stuck to the faces of the stones and formed piles at their feet. It was vacant, no one had hurried back to walk among the dead after the rain. The red oak at the back still dripped, standing gnarled in a circle of fallen leaves. She smelled the lone doe grazing at the edge of the churchyard before she saw it, and it leapt back over the stones and its white flag-tail disappeared into the trees soon after.
indentinMoss marked the bodies of the stones with the exception of the one she had come for, which stood clean and glistening from the rain by a plot of bare earth. Flowers sat in a vase nearby, but the downpour had beaten at the petals and scattered them on the ground. Maybe it had not felt real before, but the name and dates carved into the headstone were harder to deny than the words of an old callous man. Erika truly had been ungrateful until the very end, and now there was nothing she could do to make up for it, or at least nothing that her aunt would get to witness.
indentinWhere had she gone so wrong? She could remember shared breakfasts in the morning sun, a dog at her feet under the dinner table, camping, trips to the movies, then fighting. Always fighting, and finally resignation and quiet disappointment. All it had taken was an encounter with a bear to make her feel sorry for any of it, and she had managed to turn even that into nothing more than too little too late.

indentinFast footfalls on wet grass had Erika drying her face on her sleeve, but the growling let her know that it was not another person, but Kody. It seemed he did not like Erika, but liked Clint even less. That was apparently what she would have to settle for.
inden"You don't like him because he smells like cigars and taxidermy?" she muttered bitterly. Kody barked sharply and turned to sniff at the ground. There definitely must have been some rule banning dogs from the graveyard, but half the town appeared to know exactly what breed of terrible person she was, so she might as well have crossed the line one more time, for good measure. She reached for Kody, but he dodged her hand and flattened his ears, louring at her from beneath his brows. "And you don't like me either because I'm thankless, selfish, and smell like a rabid animal? Great."

indentinThe streets had not become much livelier when she returned to the stores and their awnings. An opaque fog hung over Main. Dutch's truck was still parked in front of the cafe, so she had come back on time after all. She had expected Kody to turn back and scamper to Clint each time she had turned a corner, but he had persisted and reminded her of his existence every now and then by diving and nipping at her heels as if he had been herding her. Drained and feeling as if her insides had the integrity of something shredded, Erika finally wheeled around to face the dog that had the audacity to react to this by snarling.
inden"Do you want to come with me or not? If you don't, then please run back to Clint," she insisted, before it dawned on her that she was talking to a dog in the middle of Main Street, and whether she wanted to leave was a question she should have most likely aimed at no one but herself. Kody dropped his act and wandered to sniff at the base of a streetlamp. Something boiled over and Erika turned to grip at the side of the truck's bed, then aimed a kick at the side. She wanted to shriek, but instead she kicked the truck again, then a few more times. Once the anger had drained out, there was nothing left except exhaustion and grief, but she still managed some spark of gratefulness over the street being deserted.

indentinErika dropped to a crouch and leaned her forehead against the battered side of the truck, and when Kody came to stand a few feet away, staring at her with brown eyes that told her she was an idiot, she tilted her head to look at the black dog.
inden"Stop judging me," she mumbled before hauling herself up and heading for the cafe. It must have been clear that she had been crying, because when the bell above the door rang, Matilda looked at her in brief disbelief before it melted into a look of compassion she had never seemed to deserve before.
inden"I'm sorry for your loss," she hollered from behind the counter, and Erika gave her a limp salute in return, peeled off her jacket and dropped it into Sao's soaked lap as she passed, before sliding into a booth and slumping by the window without a word. The slate grey fog had draped itself across the town, veiling the church's steeple and the forested hills that rose in the distance. Kody leaped into the seat across from her like an unyielding bad memory, which he definitely should not have been doing, but Matilda had been friends with Aunt Irene, so maybe she would let it slide.

indentinThe clatter of shattering ceramic had Erika startling out of her glassy-eyed stupor. Her gaze found a scene by the restrooms, coffee spilled on a clean shirt, rude words, pointed fingers, and Alexia in the middle of it all. Erika had not spent enough time as a werewolf to recognize the look of a verging shift, but she could feel the prickling at the edges of some sense she had lacked only a few months before. It drew out the memories of the morning, but this time, she was determined to keep it inside. Dutch pulled Alexia away, and Erika planted her elbows on the tabletop and buried her face in her hands. Maybe it would come off as embarrassment or sorrow. Her shoulders tensed and her leg bounced restlessly under the table. Kody whined and paced on the seat across from her.

[kopfkino]

𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐁𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔
𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄, 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔!

( ♛ ) ── ❝ 𝘋𝘜𝘛𝘊𝘏 𝘚𝘏𝘌𝘗𝘏𝘌𝘙𝘋 ❞

( 26 years old ) ─ ( male ) ─ ( omega ) ─ ( town → pack house ) ─ ( nervous ) ─ ( alexia, sao, erika; arden (mentioned) )

indentation Dutch's fair mood soured slightly at Alex's teasing joke about him and Sao needing a room. There was the faintest curl of a lip, a mere muscle twitch in response to her comment, before he allowed his face to go slack again. Her opinions weren't really worth his time or the energy it'd take to respond, so he remained silent from his small nook, where the counter met the wall. That slight well of irritation quickly melted away again as he allowed his dark blue gaze to rake over his surroundings, checking in with the mood of the café and allowing himself to match it again. All was peaceful and he was fine. Alex and Sao's orders came, both fairly reasonable and easy enough to make. Dutch slid a couple of bills onto the counter to cover the cost of their drinks, and crooked a finger in acknowledgement as Sao and Alex both thanked him for the drinks. It was little more than a friendly gesture; let them interpret it as they wished.

indentation Dutch thought nothing of it when Alex requested that he grab her drink when it'd been made, and excused herself to the restroom. He merely dipped his head once to acknowledge her quiet request, folding his arms over his chest while he waited for the drinks to be completed.

indentation He'd been momentarily distracted from Sao's response as she fumbled in her lap for....something. She hadn't answered his question at all, but he didn't have a chance to point this out as the door opened again and Erika stumbled in, expression absolutely wrecked. A dog trailed after her, oddly enough. It made Dutch's eyebrow quirk in confusion, but there didn't appear to be any objections from the coffeeshop's owner. Matilda's voice split the silence, offering condolences that made Dutch twist, glancing over at the older woman. The compassion aimed toward Erika made him work his jaw, tamping down the urge to ask for clarification. He supposed that it wasn't really his business to ask someone else, but he also wasn't sure that Erika would want to answer his question. She'd clearly had a rough morning already - was this part of the reason why she'd snapped? He didn't know and that also seemed wrong to ask.

indentation He had no chance to deliberate on this as a hand reached up and grabbed his. He immediately tensed up, arm twitching slightly as he checked the impulse to wrench his hand away. When he realized it was just Sao pressing something into his hand, he took it automatically before frowning down at the bundle. Money and her beanie, mostly wet with a few beads of water shining on the soft yarn. He glanced down at her, the expression of confusion on his face lost to the girl's blind gaze. He supposed this meant he was doing this now. "I wasn't asking for money back - I was asking to know what the total was so I could give the remainder over if I hadn't given you enough for Hazel's supplies." With that said, he gently pressed the bundle back into Sao's hands. "And I appreciate the offer about drying my hair, but I'll be fine. I don't get sick often; you don't need to worry about me." He winced slightly at his tone, the blunt delivery of that last line.

indentation There was little chance to apologize as a commotion sounded from around the corner. The soft thump of people colliding and the splash of liquid against the ground, along with the shattering of ceramic, pieces skittering in every direction. Alex's apology came quickly and Dutch expected that to be the end, as people were typically fairly pleasant in the coffeeshop in his experience. However, an irate voice sounded, rebuking Alex heavily. Dutch pushed himself off of the wall he'd been leaning against, stepping around Sao to get a better assessment of the situation. The man had begun laying hands on Alex, jabbing her repeatedly with a finger, enough to make her sway.

indentation Something tugged at Dutch's senses, sounds pressing in a little louder and his heart ticking up a little. He could feel the anger roiling off of Alex and he realized in an instant what she was trying to suppress as her own heartrate increased. Dutch swore softly, mostly to himself and pushed himself into the middle. "Matilda, use my change to replace his coffee and keep the remainder as a tip." His words were barked over his shoulder as he flashed a warning look at Alex, looping an arm around her narrow waist and lifting her off the ground, bundling her against his frame as he began to carry her toward the door.

indentation Her protests came quickly, as Dutch expected, squirming as she tried to wrestle free from his grip. He tightened his arms around her instead, bundling her through the door and back out into the cool, clear air. "I need you to take a deep breath. We're not doing this here. Not in town." His voice came softly but with finality to it. "That really sucked and wasn't your fault, but we can't have you exploding with fur in front of the townies. Deep breaths, slow your heart down a bit." The urge to shift in response to her anger was slowly fading away, which reassured him that Alex was beginning to relax a little bit.

indentation "I'll bring your latte out so you don't have to deal with him again. My truck is unlocked; I'll be there in a second." He kept his tone calm, hoping that by showing that he had control of the situation, Alex could draw some of that control into herself as well. She didn't have to know that the reason that he'd clenched his hands was to keep them from shaking. That situation could have been so bad, and he prayed that things had resolved inside.

indentation He cast a glance back just once to ensure that Alex hadn't begun shifting again before shouldering his way inside again. "Matilda, can I get a carrier for the drinks, please?" When she just paused from where she was cleaning up the mess that had resulted and pointed at the counter to where she'd already set some drinks into a carrier, he let out a relieved sigh. There was an extra drink placed into the carrier as well, one that he guessed was for Erika. Matilda always had been such a sweet person, so it came as no surprise that she might slip one in for the one person in his little group that hadn't placed an order.

indentation He slowly approached the booth that Erika had slumped herself into, taking note of the wary expression on her face. "We're going to head back to the house now before things get more exciting here. I think Matilda threw in a drink for you as well. No idea what it is. I'll see you at the truck." Even as he spoke, his gaze slid to the dog judgmentally staring back and something in his expression softened. He resisted the urge to reach out and stroke the dog and just turned a slightly questioning glance at Erika before gesturing at the dog. "He may need to ride in the truck bed if you intend to bring him along. Might be too cramped otherwise." He wasn't really sure what the deal with the dog was, but he figured if the dog was in a freaking booth in the coffee shop, that probably meant that Erika intended for the dog to come to the pack house, too.

indentation With his invitation given, he maneuvered his way over to where Sao was with the drinks and sighed. "I think it's time we head back. I've got the door if you can carry the drinks." He was quick to grab the door, relieved that it had stopped raining finally. The breeze was still chilling and damp and Dutch hunched his shoulders as he waited for Sao to heave herself up into the front seat. It took just a minute for him to get her chair stowed carefully among the supplies for fixing the bannister, and he opened his door, freezing when he saw a piece of paper left on his seat. He picked it up, reading the words before letting his hand drop. "Well, this day just got even better." Sarcasm laced his words and he shook the piece of paper in frustration.

indentation In a tidy hand was written a note from the pack alpha, announcing his departure from the pack and a vague comment about an emergency back home that meant that he had no idea when he'd be back. Arden was to be left in charge of the pack, and a brief apology for departing under these circumstances. Mood officially soured by further bad news, Dutch just cranked the engine on and turned the heat on to drive out the chill pervading the cabin. He took a sip of his coffee, cooling rapidly in the low temperatures and waited for everyone remaining to climb into the truck before he finally pealed off down the road, truck wheezing breathily.

indentation The drive back to the pack house was quieter than the drive to town had been, absent now of rain pattering away at the roof of the truck. He was relieved to see the pack house, easing into the spot that he normally parked beneath a towering pine and cutting the engine. The asthmatic engine growled out a final huff before falling silent and Dutch shoved his door open with more force than he intended, cramming the note into his pocket before automatically going to get Sao's chair ready. He placed it carefully beside the passenger side door where it would be easy for Sao to lower herself down.

indentation Once freed from his duties of chauffeur, he headed inside. Improvements had been done on cleaning up the mess and Dutch took a moment to breath, trying to uncoil the tense muscles in his shoulders. He would need to inform Arden at once, but there was a strong reluctance all at once. He sought Sao out, shaking the paper slightly so that it crinkled. "Can I have you pass this on to Arden? It's the note that was left in my truck while we were in the coffee shop. I get the feeling that she'd put a bullet through me if I was the one to relay the fun news." The admittance left a bad taste in his mouth and he had the odd urge to growl. Instead, he pulled his sodden jean jacket off and turned, heading upstairs without a further word, drained after the stress of the town visit. He'd let Dimidian know later that he'd gotten supplies to repair the bannister and that they were under the tarp in his truck bed.

indentation He shoved his way into his room, pawing through his drawers to pull out clean, dry clothing. A pair of black skinny jeans and a well-worn white t-shirt, soft from many washes. Probably his favorite shirt, it advertised some band that he'd seen in the UK just two years prior. He let out a quiet sigh and shuffled down the hall to one of the bathrooms, securing the door behind him. The hot shower was welcome after sitting in cold, damp clothing for the past hour and a half and the heat served to ease some of the knots of tension in his shoulders. When he stepped out of the bathroom just a few minutes later, a lot of the hard lines to his body had disappeared. Still, he didn't make a move to speak to anyone, dropping his wet clothing off in his room - hanging them to dry until his next load of laundry.

indentation He slipped quietly down the stairs, shrugging on a beat-up old leather jacket that had been forcefully given to him by the miner he'd purchased the truck from. It fit him well enough and it was another thing to wear, so he'd allowed the kind gesture. His expression was still one of disquiet as he pushed his way outside, careful with the door that barely hung to the hinges from Erika's earlier departure. He walked purposefully toward the tree line, squaring his shoulders and lifting his chin as he called upon the familiar burn of shifting. He tuned out the popping and groaning of his body as it shifted to accommodate his intended form, letting the pain consume his form and burn away the human in him.

indentation He spent much of the remainder of the afternoon in wolf form, silvery-black form idling near one of several abandoned mineshafts beyond the pack's private property. It was sheltered from the cold wind and had been disused for so long that the waters passing nearby ran clean and lacking in pollution. He lapped at the chilled water and settled on a little grassy knoll heaped along one side of the entrance to the shaft. He was content to remain there until the sky darkened with the forthcoming night before finally reminding himself that he ought to get back. Hopefully Arden had taken the news without somehow finding a way to point a finger in his direction. Surely it couldn't be his fault if the alpha took off on some personal quest or whatever?

indentation It suddenly hit him that if Arden was left in charge, she had every right to boot him from the pack, personal disdain a good enough reason. She didn't have to have anyone in the pack that she didn't want. An alpha had that power, as he'd found out four years prior. Name someone you wanted gone and it could be so. He supposed it didn't hurt to pack his bag now. It'd only take him a few minutes.

indentation Instead, upon nearing the pack house, he picked up the achingly familiar scent of a bonfire. The flames danced and cast ominous shadows that flickered and dappled wildly. Something fluttered nervously in the pit of Dutch's stomach and he forced himself to remain calm, embracing the lick of pain that coursed through his bones as he returned to his less wild form. He would be little more than a shadow hedging his way toward the pack house, giving the bonfire a wide berth. No one had mentioned a bonfire to him earlier, so he figured it was probably some pack function. One that he probably wasn't really welcome at if his hunch was correct.

indentation He hunched his shoulders guardedly, picking his way up the stairs and into his room. The emptiness of it did little to muffle the sounds of him opening his drawers, pulling clothing out and making small stacks so that he could find the best way to fit everything into the single bag. He was methodical, almost artful in the way that he rolled up his phone charger, deft movements of long fingers winding it up so it wouldn't tangle and knot in his bag. This would be fine. He'd known that it would surely have to happen and wanted to be ready. He didn't want to have to start over with nothing again.

[Zyn]

♕ ℭ𝔦𝔞𝔯á𝔫 𝔔𝔲𝔦𝔫𝔫𝔢𝔩𝔩𝔶 ♕
Bitten Werewolf || Fighter || Male || Twenty-Five || Demisexual-Homoromantic

◤xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◥
♕ Location: The Forest
♕ Tags: Delaney, August
♕ Mood: Anxious, Worried
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.
Quinn let out a huff of laughter at the look of disgust on Delaney's face when he took a sip of the barely edible concoction he had created. Ever the rebel he took another swig of the drink before Delaney could stop him and flashed them them a teasing smirk before his nose wrinkled in pure disgust. He wasn't really prepared for the hand that reached out and gasped his elbow and he had to steady himself before he poured the drink on the floor. Between the two of them they managed to keep the toxic liquid from spilling and potentially burning a hole in the flooring. Keeping his footing he hurried to keep up with Delaney, his grip firm on the cup. It would be a tragedy to loose the coffee now. Not because it was a master piece but because he had managed to keep the drink from spilling all over the place so far. He nearly bumped into Delaney as they faltered a little bit at his news about the three people killed. His gaze flicked to the banister as Delaney mused about it and then glanced back tilting his head slightly with confusion. "Yeah. Erika shifted while on the stairs and couldn't get her grip on the stairs. Coraline and Hazel should be able to help her though" he stated quietly. He barely got the words out before he was being pulled along again and into the kitchen. As they stepped into the kitchen Delaney released his sleeve and a strange feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Could it be disappointment? Surely not. Deciding to ignore whatever that feeling was Quinn instead followed Delaney as the other wolf rummaged around in the kitchen. They must be hungry from the amount of food that was being piled on their plate. If he hadn't known about Delaney being a werewolf he might have been impressed by the amount of food. Instead he was more impressed by how much syrup that they had decorated the sandwich with.

Quinn nodded slightly, that funny feeling settling once again in the pit of his stomach. It was confusing and unhelpful. Everyone loved Heron's company so there should be no reason why he should feel disappointed that they hadn't mentioned him. "Helping Heron is always fun" he opted for instead with a tiny nod. His expression was carefully schooled into his usual smirk. His gaze once again followed Delaney as they started working on the coffee that he had been promised. He could tell just from how they were making this cup that it was going to be a million times better than the one that he had placed next to him. He would have to pour that out and pray it didn't bring the pack any bad luck by getting rid of the abomination. As Delaney questioned him about his preferences he just nodded along, he wasn't very picky about his coffee. So long as it had some sugar and cream and wasn't black he would like it. The flavoring was just an added bonus. He took the vanilla though since Delaney was the coffee master and he wasn't. He made a mental note to snag the cream next, vanilla and cream would work well together. More of a simple drink, it went well with his more simple appearance today. He let out a chuckle of agreement as Delaney brought up the instant coffee. Even he had to agree that the instant coffee was a mistake. However the chuckled died off and he flinched slightly at Delaney's words. His gaze snapped away from them and to the cup, trying to rein in what he could only assume was a hurt expression. He hoped he had been successful when Delaney nudged his shoulder and headed off. As soon as Delaney was out of the room he relaxed and rested his elbows on the counter in front of him and buried his face in his hands. "I don't know how to be anything else" was the pained whisper that only the coffee in front of him was privy to. Growing up in the foster care system he had been a guest in someone house for as long as he could remember. Even when he and Sao had been adopted it hadn't really been home. They had been generously allowed to live in the same house as the couple but it hadn't ever really been home and they hadn't ever truly been anything more that a guest. When they had been brought into the first pack they hadn't ever really been treated as anything but guests. After all what pack would abandon pack members. Coming here and joining the pack had been different but he was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Being a pack member wasn't something he was familiar with, he wanted to know how to be a part of the pack without fear of being abandoned.

Quinn wasn't sure how long he sat there before he was able to rouse himself. It took a couple moments after that to rally himself. Finally he pushed himself away from the counter and poured a little of the vanilla into the cup. Snagging a spoon he stirred the coffee and took a long swig. It really was a million times better than what he had created. It was then he realized that Delaney should have been back and he quickly downed the rest of it. There was bit of disappointment when he realized he had finished so quickly. If he hadn't needed to hurry to catch up with the other fighter then he would have spent more time savoring the drink. As soon as he was done he took the cups to the sink and quickly cleaned them before setting them aside to dry. He needed to go after Delaney but he didn't want to leave the kitchen a mess. It was the least he could do, cleaning up the mess he had contributed. Then he hurried to the door. Stepping outside he was relieved to see that it wasn't raining as badly as hit had been. His gaze flickered around, momentarily landing on the lone figure of August. It appeared that they were getting things ready for the campfire, he didn't remember this being mentioned but he might have just missed it. Normally he would skip the campfire's, walking to and from the cabin was taxing enough that Sao and him rarely stayed late enough to attend. Though now that he was clearly doing things wrong he would have to try and convince Sao to stay. It couldn't hurt to make use of the tiny bedroom that they had been given. If it came down to it he could always sleep on the couch. With that he gave August a small wave and then walked purposefully further into the woods. He would have to make sure to thank August later for getting all the wood chopped up for the campfire. The further away from the cabin he got the more his chest ached. His own thoughts and Delaney's words rang in his head as he mulled over them. If he didn't want to be a guest forever then he would have to learn how to be a member of the pack. Even thinking about it made him uncomfortable, everything that could go wrong constantly floated through his mind.

Before he knew it he was fairly deep into the packs territory. It was then he realized he had been wandering aimlessly. Drawing in a deep breath he focused in on the scents around him. Relief rushed through him when he recognized Delaney's familiar scent strong on the plants around him. It appeared as though even though he had been wandering aimlessly he had been following Delaney which was something. Taking a moment to get his bearing he glanced around the forest, searching for some sort of landmark. With a frustrated grunt he found that he hadn't spotted anything. Thankfully something very familiar popped up fairly quickly. The dramatically hunched black wolf could be no one other than Delaney. Picking his way over he peered at the wolf curious, it wasn't until he was closer that he understood what was happening. It appeared that their trusty fighter had gotten caught in one of Heron's snares. Kneeling beside Delaney he kept his gaze trained on the snare, carefully reaching towards the trapped limb to get a good look at the snare. "Hold still, I'll see what I can do." Working as gingerly as possibly he started to loosen the snare around Delaney's poor paw. It took longer than he would like to admit but it was mostly because he was actually trying to careful. He pulled back as soon as he was done as though he was checking his handy work. "That wasn't so bad now was it" he quipped, flashing the black wolf his trademark smirk. Then he pushed himself to his feet and took a few steps away as he tugged on the wolf in the back of his mind. His expression turned into a grimace as the pain of his bone break and shifting took over. No matter how many times he shifted he could never get used to the feeling. It was over soon enough and Quinn have his pelt a quick shake. He moved back to Delaney's side and gave the formerly trapped limb a quick sniff before jogging forward a few paw steps. He paused to glance over his shoulder as though checking to see that Delaney was joining him and then took another few steps. It was almost like he was asking the black wolf to set the pace.

[Zyn]

🍂 Sασɾιʂҽ Qυιɳɳҽʅʅყ 🍂
Bitten Werewolf || Hunter || Female || Twenty-Five || Demisexual-Demiromantic

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🍂 Location: Town
🍂 Tags: Arden
xxxxxxxxxAlexia, Erika, Dutch
🍂 Mood: Guilty, Anxious
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.
Sao's turned in Alex's direction at the the joke that slipped from their lips and tilted her head in confusion. She couldn't get a read on Dutch to know what was happening nor could she get context clues from Alex's expression. It was times like this that she cursed her inability to read body language as well as the average sighted person. While she could get a good sense from how people held themselves it only went so far, especially when it was about something she wasn't familiar with. Moving from school to school meant that she didn't get a solid friend group and even when she did find a group she was never really a member. The things that kids learned from social cues in certain areas were lost to her. Though now that her attention was fully on Alex she realized that they were probably as cold as her. Had her jacket been warm and not so soaking wet she would have removed it and tried to get Alex to wear it. Maybe if she made herself useful enough they wouldn't want to get rid of her so quickly. Her mind spun as she tried to figure out a way to help out her fellow hunter. Before she could settle on something though Alex excused herself and headed to the restroom. As Alex walked away she listened to them leave and then turned to Dutch. He took the things she had shoved into her hand and and replied something that confused her and she tilted her head slightly. She had assumed that since he had asked about the amount and how much he owed that he would have wanted the change back as well. It seemed to make logical sense to her but maybe that wasn't what he had been trying to get at. Maybe there had been a subtle social cue that she had completely missed. Her lips spread into a warm smile as she nodded slightly to show she understood, or at least to act like she understood. "Ah okay, I am sure Hazel will appreciate whatever was left" she responded with a slight shrug as she slipped the cash into the bag. Her gaze flickered up in Dutch's direction as he continued. At the bluntness of his statement her chest clutched, she had flubbed it up again. She hadn't meant to do the wrong thing but it seemed like today no matter what she did something went wrong. Keeping her expression as warm as ever she offer Dutch a small nod before rolling back a little bit to give him space. Maybe he had been wanting that the whole time and she hadn't even noticed.

Suddenly the sound of a cup hitting the ground caught her attention and she glanced over in the direction it had come from. Alex's voice could be heard, an apology leaping from her lips followed by the sound of an angry man. Sao's brows narrowed at the sounds coming from that side of the room. A snarl clawed at her throat, the audacity of this man to treat Alex so poorly made her furious. There was a way to respond to an accident and calling some stupid and snapping at them wasn't the way. Her fingers coiled around the wheels of her chair and tightened until her knuckles turned white. Unable to hold herself back she started forward, almost at the same time that Dutch decided to go and intervene as well. Dutch made a move and placed himself in-between Alex and the man. The moment Dutch picked up Alex and pulled the furious hunter away Sao rolled in front of the man, successfully blocking him from following. She may have also accidently rolled over his foot in the process, a grunt of pain told her all she needed to know. Then she lifted her gaze and managed to accurately and almost creepily fix him with her furious cloudy blue eyes. "She said she was sorry, she tried to help. Next time don't take your anger out on the wrong person." Her voice was cold and harsh. Then she spun around and rolled back towards the group. The sound of the door opening again alerted her to Dutch returning and she picked up the pace until she was next to the drinks. Just in time too for Dutch to make it back to her side. Reaching up she grabbed the tray of drinks and flashed Matilda a regretful smile before setting the tray next to the bag. A quick nod to Dutch and she rolled towards the door, pausing when she was near Erika to motion for the hunter to join them and then kept going. She paused for a moment for Dutch to open the door for her and then hurried out, making a valiant. attempt to not be such a burden on the others. It wasn't long before she was hauling herself into the seat and settling in for the quiet ride back.

She had almost zoned out when Dutch opened the driver's side and picked up something from the seat. A curious expression remained on her face even as her heart clenched and her mind recoiled from the news. Another alpha was leaving. It was a family emergency or so Jun had stated. It had nothing to do with her but still her mind kept twisting upon itself trying to shove that belief further. After all if one alpha had decided to leave her behind then it wasn't to hard to believe that her new alpha had too. A thought that she was trying to suppress by repeating the message over and over again in her mind. She couldn't even conjure up a reply to the sarcasm in Dutch's voice since her mind was whirling to fast. She wasn't sure if she wanted to scream or cry or throw up or maybe do all three at once. Closing her eyes she aimed her gaze towards her hands as she picked at the hem of her jacket. Whatever she did she couldn't let anyone see what was eating away at her. She had to keep herself centered and calm. Whatever happened later when she was at home would be another story. The ride home was quiet again, though she noticed even less since she was more focused on keeping herself calm and centered. As they rolled up to the cabin she barely even acknowledged the way Dutch opened the door. As he opened the door she managed to pull herself together and flashed him a grateful grin and then heaved herself into her chair. By the time she had settled into her chair Dutch was long gone and she had to stretch to grasp the door to close it. She was slow to roll back to the cabin, tired from the days adventure. Usually she would have been fine to keep going but the news was weighing heavily on her mind. She had barely made in the door when Dutch was approaching her with the piece of paper. Hearing the piece of paper shaking she reached out and slipped it out of his hands. "Sure. I'll go talk to her now." The words were like cotton in her mouth and she almost choked on them. Thankfully as the words left her lips they sounded normal. Taking a deep breath she sought out Arden's scent, following it until she had found the beta. "Arden. I have something you need to see. It's about Jun and it's important" she said slowly as she held out the note. There was no good way to deliver this news. "Jun had a family emergency and has left the pack, he has assigned you as the new alpha."

[phayraoh]

▐│
▐│

𝘋𝘐𝘔𝘐𝘋𝘐𝘈𝘕 𝘈𝘕𝘚𝘠𝘓𝘖𝘙 ─────────❝ je ne t'oublierai pas. je te laisserai dans la lumière déclinante. puis-tu vivre jusqu'à ta mort ❞ xxxxx
thirty-three yrs ▪ he/him ▪ fighter
location: forest -> dutch's room | tags: audrey; dutch | mentions: --
xxxxxxxxx

--indent--The smell of wet stone and rain-drenched earth rested comfortably in the black wolf's nostrils, muted and grounding as he lay on the misty banks of the falls. The water pounded relentlessly into the frothing rapids below, filling the air with a fine, shimmering mist that crept beneath Dimidian's fur. His nose was wet and dark with moisture, twitching as the scents all around him were drawn into the space beside the rushing snowmelt. There were thoughts -- so many thoughts -- crowding his mind, jostling for attention beside the questions and longing. He blinked and let out a long sigh, his breath curling away from him to fall twirling into the undulating cloud of brume pressing around him. Each exhale released from his mind the burden of rigidity and structure: confusion became the crisscrossing of shadowed tree limbs deep in the woods, dismay the yawning black gap in the falls where the cleansing waters did not pass; his pounding heartbeat was given to the roar of the cascade's descent and his yearning to the cautious chirp of a sparrow somewhere to his left. He bled on those stones by the river, silently and invisibly, until every emotion hung suspended around him, at once separate and wholly a part of him -- tolerable, understandable.
--indent--He closed his eyes, drawing it all in, passing it over his lungs and then back out before it all grew too much again: in, and out, and in, softly -- diligently. The wolf did not know how long he was lying there for, but at some point a peace draped over him, a recognition of a more natural state of mind, one unplagued by intoxication. He sat up, the pebbles shifting beneath his wide paws, and blinked to clear his vision. It took him a moment to realize the blurriness was primarily due to the fog wreathing around him. Sunlight trickled weakly through the embankment, outlining the tall, thin statures of the trees and casting their shadows in slanted parallel across the veil of silver, white, and glimmering prism. Dimidian gathered his hindquarters beneath him and stood, dipping immediately into a stretch at the protest of his aching limbs. A soft whine sang from his nostrils towards the end of his bow and he picked up on the whisper of a scent shortly thereafter, a scent that caressed the inside of his chest with a feeling akin to the brush of a bird's wing.
--indent--He barely had time to grasp at the fickle aroma before something large and furry bowled into him with a loud snarl. A sharp pain thrilled up Dimidian's side as his ribs fell victim to the hungry stones beneath him, making it impossible to suppress the yelp that burst out from his chest. Legs tangled into his as the animal's momentum sent them both skidding across the earth. He set free the fire that had been lurking in his stomach like a caged lion, feeling instinct surge through his limbs and seize control of his mind. His jaws peeled wide and he enveloped them around a scruff, which he now realized belonged to a wolf of greater-than-average size. A striking thought plunged itself into his gut, cold and malevolent: was this the beast that had killed those three men last night? A werewolf? In his hesitation he found himself slammed heavily onto the ground, claws digging into his shoulders with a steel grip. His attacker had wormed from his grasp and driven themself into his chest, forcing him downwards. He might have been nearly twice the size of the aggressor, but they were far quicker. Teeth lunged at his throat and he flinched as they connected with the skin of his...ear?
--indent--The wolf gave a short tug, instantly playful, and drew a warm tongue across his snout. Dimidian snarled vehemently and snapped, but the now-mischievous wolf easily dodged his advance. Something pressed suddenly at his conscience, so familiar he opened his mind without hesitation. A twinkling laugh filled his head, triumphant and thoroughly humored. 'Dia, Dia, Dia: always so predictable.'
--indent--Bewilderment was too tame a description for the emotion that launched all feeling from Dimidian's bones for several heartbeats. He lay there, stunned and numb, before lunging up with his ears pinned back and his hackles raised. The she-wolf deftly hopped to the side to avoid his fury, visible more clearly now as a break in the fog illuminated the achingly familiar pelt and tranquilizing eyes. A deep growl peeled forth from his maw as he marched forward, fangs glinting in a half-snarl. She had the sense to look genuinely afraid as he approached, towering over her graceful frame. 'Audrey? are you insane? What the Hell was that?'
--indent--The she-wolf was cowed into submission. Her tail swept between her legs and she bowed her head, ears pinned back to her skull. For a moment, Dimidian believed she had genuine regret in her expression, but he should have known better. Her tail began to wag and her ears began flagging up and down. She licked him again. 'I've missed you too, sheesh. I was just messing with you. Did I hurt you, pup?'
--indent--He flinched from her touch, growling in exasperation. 'Why are you here?' Dimidian turned and began walking back home, a displeased frown tugging at his brows. Inside, he was a whirlwind of feelings again. Audrey was his childhood best friend, a generational relationship that their fathers had passed down to them. He'd never known she was a werewolf until they'd met years after Dimidian had fled his home, crossing paths someplace within the Dakotas. She'd taught him everything he'd needed to learn as a werewolf -- many firsts were shared with her. And now, after their years apart, here she was in all of her glory: stunning and divine. The ebony brute shook his head. He needed to get back before Arden or Jun sent a search party out for him -- he couldn't be sure, but he was afraid Audrey's ambush might have triggered the instinctual sense the leaders held that allowed them to sense if anyone in the pack was in danger.
--indent--'You have a son.'
--indent--Dimidian halted so quickly that his back end failed to comprehend what was going on, sending himself stumbling to the ground. 'That's-- no-- that's impossible.'
--indent--'Entirely possible.'
--indent--'But untrue.' Her snickering was filling his head as he gathered his paws and stood up, shaking out his wet and gritty pelt. He sighed and turned to face her, trying to ignore the way her innocent, seraphic expression and shy wagging of her tail made summer night skies flash vividly in his mind alongside the feeling of a breathless sprint across evening-cooled grass.
--indent--'Of course, Dia. Use that beautiful brain of yours and you'll have your answer.'
--indent--Still looking for Gray.
--indent--He was Audrey's younger brother, an accomplice to their many crimes in youth. She'd told Dimidian about Gray's fight with their father during their first reunion, explaining that she was traversing the country to try and bring him home if he could be found. Dimidian sobered, knowing how much the search meant to Audrey; it was part of the reason they'd put an end to their romance. They locked eyes and she trotted up to him, curiosity lighting her expression despite her posture betraying the pain she held over her brother's absence. 'And you?' her tone was softer now, as if the adrenaline was wearing off and her head and heart were catching up to her discovery of him.
--indent--'I live here. Well, not here but....'
--indent--Disbelief lurked in her tone. 'As a wolf?'
--indent--'Not usually.'
--indent--'Alone?'
--indent--'Not...usually.'
--indent--Her elation was so strong it broke through the boundaries of Dimidian's mind and sunburst through his body in radiant fingers of light. He'd had no choice but to be honest with her, knowing there was no use trying to hide a lie from Audrey. Rather than try to explain the situation -- and to avoid any more anxiety-inducing questions -- he tentatively began feeding her images of the pack, memories and flashes that would allow her to better understand what his life now entailed. He tried to be as objective as possible, mostly because he...because he wanted to avoid any jealousy? embarrassment? The realm of feelings he was about to be exposed to were so complicated and headache-inducing that he nearly groaned. And what was he supposed to do now? Stroll back to the pack's territory with some werewolf none of them had ever met? Well, he'd need an explanation, right? If he merely offered being attacked by a werewolf as justification for his absence and pack-sense triggering, it would only unleash a storm of questions and put Audrey in danger; besides, there was no way she'd let him order her to leave him be. She was trying hard not to let it show, but there was a desperate relief simmering beneath her pelt. Dimidian could tell he was the first good thing to happen to her in years, and she was attempting to play it off as cooly as she could. Perhaps that's why she'd led with the attack: to scramble his brains so she could seize control of the situation and put him on the coals.
--indent--Dimidian wanted to be annoyed with her, but not only was he impressed with her effectiveness, but he felt as if her presence shoved away everything he'd been pelted with earlier. As complicated as she was making him feel, there was an unmistakable happiness radiating from some long-abandoned place inside of him. A buzzing in his paws had him itching to run, but he was held back by the tightening feeling in his gut. He hoped that, by the time they reached the pack house, he'd know what to say. But how would everyone react? Would Audrey be welcomed or turned away? Maybe he ought to take her into town first, put her up in a motel while he explained everything. Arden would understand, surely? She could help explain this to Jun, too. Would she still be there when he returned? Worse, was she on her way to him right now? And was that truly worse?
--indent--"Dimidian."
--indent--Audrey's voice rang clear in his ears and he came slowly to a halt. His ears were cocked back towards her and his heart panged in answer. So familiar and yet so, so different was the face his gaze alighted upon when he finally turned back to see her standing there -- human -- with her arms folded and a grin on her face. The pain of the shift was hardly felt as he backtracked a few paces to end up right in front of her. Her eyes widened at the sight of him and she wordlessly reached up, her fingers brushing his cheek and gliding into his hair. Audrey's smug expression melted away in wonder and slight alarm; no doubt she was seeing all that she'd missed in their years apart, seeing how the world still weighed on his heart. "Now what has happened to that boy I left behind?" she whispered, her voice catching at the end of her words. Dimidian didn't and couldn't answer. Tears welled up in his eyes and his head leaned into her palm. How desperately he wanted to fold into her. Audrey's eyes began to mirror his own and she rubbed her thumb across his cheekbone. "He wears the face of a man."
--indent--"A handsome man," Dimidian answered, seeing his opportunity to break free of this moment. What he needed to do was get home, not break down in the middle of the woods. He stepped back, his skin cooling in the absence of her touch. How long had it been since he'd felt a gesture so tender? How long since he'd allowed it? He set his sights towards his home and motioned for Audrey to follow. "Come on, we need to get back."
──────────⚶──────────

--indent--By some miracle, the pack house was empty when Dimidian returned with Audrey in tow. He'd spent the journey back filling her in on the pack's happenings and how he joined them in the first place, grateful that she didn't seem in the mood to pry him apart anymore. It was worrying in some ways, because it could only mean she would figure out what he didn't say in due time. He wanted to think she would only stay with the pack temporarily, but one could point out that their three-year relationship was temporary. Dimidian wondered how strong her desire to find Gray was, recalling the feelings he'd sensed writhing under her skin earlier. In the end, he decided this would be something to worry about later. Right now, he needed to focus on how he was going to explain her arrival to anyone.
--indent--He led her to the stairs and then ascended as quietly as possible, though Dimidian could neither hear nor smell anyone outside of their room. When he realized Dutch's scent was among those he sensed, his earlier conversation with Arden came rearing up. Dimidian briskly opened the door to his room and pulled Audrey inside, slapping his palm over her mouth before she could protest. "Find something to change into. I need to talk to someone. Don't go anywhere, okay?" he hissed, though he wasn't sure she heard him over her occupation with scanning over the contents of his room. Dimidian sighed and walked out, shutting the door behind him. He worried his lip as he approached Dutch's door, halting before it as he wondered if this was really the time to be having this conversation. The expression on Arden's eyes flashed in his mind, followed by the equally murderous one of Coraline. He knocked firmly on Dutch's door.
--indent--The words building on Dimidian's tongue faltered when he entered and saw what was obviously the omega packing a bag. Confusion rippled across his face, and for a brief moment he almost found himself asking what on Earth Dutch was doing. There wasn't any time to talk about that, for several reasons, and thus he dismissed the sight for the time being. He cleared his throat and closed the door behind him. The fighter leaned against the wood, waiting for its creak of protest to subside before he fired out his question. "Arden blames you for the death of her wife; what do you know of that?" If it was blunt, it was because of the anxiety thrashing in his chest like a bird desperate for freedom. Surely, Dutch couldn't be directly responsible for murder, otherwise Arden wouldn't be using him as some scapegoat. But what if she wasn't? What if the omega was a knowing accomplice?
--indent--Dimidian blew out a soft breath, trying to calm his drumming heart but only succeeding in increasing its rate. What if Dutch was truly blameless? What if he wasn't? Was Arden's malice for him rooted in an ugly truth or was her fury being unleashed on someone who hadn't knowingly been involved? What was he to do about either or any situation? Who did he want to be innocent? He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, staring down at his feet as he tried to keep himself from pacing across Dutch's room. The answer to the question was obvious but it should not have been, because if it were true, it held dire consequence.

[I'm done delete me.]

𝔸𝕃𝔼𝕏𝕀𝔸 ℝ𝕀𝕍𝔼ℝ𝔸 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬:𝟏,𝟎𝟖𝟒 ]

xxx [ 𝟐𝟒 ] [ 𝐅𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐄 ] [ 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 ] [ 𝐇𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐎 ] [ 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: Dutch, Mid | 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: -]
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Out of the warmth of the cafe back into the cold, her eyes shut tightly as her body slowly tried to shift but Alex was trying her best to hold it back although it was hurting her. Listening to the voice of Dutch that had snatched her away from the scene "I don't need your help Dutch" she instructed him her tone still snappy although she didn't mean to come off like it. Too stubborn for help though she still listened, she took deep breaths as he told her to. Her chest slowly rising and deflating. Gradually her anger faded along with the urge to shift. Her eyes opened slowly to look towards his Dutch's blue ones. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked to him as he told her about fetching her latte and allowing her to get into his unlocked truck. Alex didn't say another word watching as he went back into the cafe. She then leant against the wall gathering herself together as she looked to the sky before then she pushed herself off the wall when she felt ready to and moved over to his truck. Climbing into the back seats where she then waited for the others so they could return to the cabin.

After that surge of adrenaline pulsing through her veins it made her feel exhausted from the event that occurred. Keeping her wolf at bay was becoming harder to maintain. Alex didn't know how much longer she could keep it up, feeling that one day she won't be able to hold it back. The thought had troubled her and knew she must seek advice from someone.

With everyone back in the truck, she was given her coffee to which now she needed the caffeine. Her hands around the cup feeling the heat radiate off. She took the hot drink to her lips and took a sip tasting the coffee along with the vanilla extract. There she felt a hot rush come over her making her body feel some warmth. The truck roared into life once more, making its way back to the cabin. Alex sat in silence as she looked out the window, leaving what had happened at the cafe behind her.

Back at the cabin, she slipped out of the truck making her way inside at a fast pace. Not to be rude she smiled at anyone that may cross her path but she didn't stop to talk she made her way up the stairs to her bedroom where she could remove herself from her wet garments. Opening the door to her room she slipped inside and closed it behind her. Putting her almost empty coffee cup on the bedside table along with what else may be in her pocket before she made her way towards the bathroom.

There she jumped into the warmth of the shower. Hopping back out she moved towards the sink where she had noticed again her nose began to bleed this time she saw how darkened it was. Thinking it was the mirror that had her worried she touched the black liquid with her finger seeing in front of her how dark it was. "What the..." She turned the tap on and wash her face she looked again in the mirror and saw it had stopped though she couldn't understand why the blood from her nose was such a dark colour. Alex didn't allow it to trouble her, she moved away from the sink and back into her bedroom where she changed into black sweatpants and a plain red shirt. She dried her hair before flopping onto the bed where she sighed closing her eyes. Unable to settle she grabbed her phone from the side table and opened up a new message to her brother asking for him to call her when he was free. Alex would usually turn to her brother for help, though he was the alpha of his pack she knew it might be a while for him to get back to her. Another sigh she rolled off her bed and back out the door.

The red-haired girl headed out of the cabin into the cold fresh air. There she stood on the porch as the sky slowly turned dark she saw the bonfire in the distance being assembled by August. She watches as the flames grew and saw some of the pack made their way over to the site. Alex made her way back inside to bring a blanket to wrap herself in. Making her way back to her room she grabbed her blanket from the end of her bed. Into the hallway, she wrapped her blanket around her and looked to her phone seeing her brother still hadn't responded. The she-wolf didn't know how long she could wait for her brother to get back to her. She thought about how Dutch had helped her back at the cafe putting her phone to her lips she started to think about asking him for advice.

Alex made her way towards the door of Dutch's room but there she gave attention to the activity inside. It sounded as if two people were in Dutches room. However, she did hear packing rather quickly and continuously rushing around into draws and such. She was about to knock on the door but her ears captured something making her fist halted towards the wood of the door and she pulled it back and turned her head slightly towards the door after catching what sounded like Mid's voice on the other side. The redhead continued to listen, was shocked to hear that Dutch may have some involvement in Arden's wife death. She didn't know of the story behind this but she did hear that Arden did have a wife at one point. Alex wasn't partially close to Arden she never did ask about her mate.

On the other side of the door, she grew more confused. She did hear Dutch packing, was he planning on running? Alex stood puzzled at what she was listening to. The redhead then came to terms with that she shouldn't be listening to this discussion. The girl needed to leave silently not wishing to be caught out by Mid or Dutch as she would surely be in trouble with the two. She took a step back but the wooden floorboards under her creaked, she gritted her teeth at the sound but there her eyes widen as the door flung open in front of her.

[kopfkino]

𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐁𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔
𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄, 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔!

( ♛ ) ── ❝ 𝘋𝘜𝘛𝘊𝘏 𝘚𝘏𝘌𝘗𝘏𝘌𝘙𝘋 ❞

( 26 years old ) ─ ( male ) ─ ( omega ) ─ ( bedroom ) ─ ( anxious, angry ) ─ ( dimidian, alex; arden (mentioned) )

indentation Every little sound in the house warred with his pulse thrumming in his ears. He heard footsteps on the stairs and paused, one set familiar and quiet. Dimidian, steps ever sure and quiet and a stranger whose climbing gait carried an eager energy to it. The sounds carried past his bedroom and Dutch forced himself to set back to motion, bundling a couple of t-shirts up carefully, squashing them at the bottom of his bag. He could choke on the resentment burning in his throat. He'd just begun feeling settled and like he belonged in Pine Knob. Maybe not necessarily in the pack, as Dutch prevented himself and Arden ensured, but in town all the same. He'd dropped off a work contract with the local newspaper even for a bit of stability and some guaranteed stories over the next few months. How stupid that was. He'd call from the road in the morning and see if he couldn't charm Clara out of disposing of the contract if it wasn't already filed.

indentation Dutch had barely begun to roll up a pair of pants before Dimidian's footsteps carried him back down the hall, alone this time. When the sound didn't travel past his door, Dutch's hands froze in their automatic motions, breath catching in his throat. No, no. Please don't- The knock on his door was firm and he desired very badly to hold his breath and convince the older wolf that he wasn't in his room. When that didn't readily happen, Dutch reluctantly dropped the pair of pants onto his bed. The door opened before he could make a move and Dimidian slipped inside, pausing as he took in Dutch's frantic packing. Instead of commenting on it, the fighter merely pulled the door closed behind him with a drawn out creaking sound.

indentation Dimidian leaned against the door, effectively blocking Dutch's only means of escape. Dread, cold and heavy settled into Dutch's stomach and he swallowed, eyes darting toward the window. He hated the feeling that he was trapped in his room. The window was an option, he supposed. It would hurt like hell, glass splintering and landing on the uneven ground one floor below his window. He supposed that the worst that could come out of it would be some nasty gashes and an ankle sprain, though that would certainly make retreat more difficult. A last resort then, if things went south as he suspected they would. Arden certainly hadn't wasted time in enacting orders to rid the pack of him upon taking charge of the pack. It'd only been a few hours since he'd found Jun's note in his truck, after all.

indentation Dutch wasn't going to speak first, eyes scanning Dimidian's posture and expressions. He didn't like what he saw there, but didn't know the fighter well enough to conclude what any of the twitches and flashes of emotion meant. He could feel heat beginning to well up in his stomach and sear his bones, preparation to shift if Dimidian unexpectedly lunged his way. The ache was low, just enough for Dutch to grasp onto. He'd dive headfirst into that pain and embrace it to save his own life if necessary. He wasn't ready to die and he didn't necessarily want to run a second time.

indentation Finally, Dimidian broke the silence, but his query, ground out with force was not what Dutch had been expecting and he opened his mouth and shut it a few times, clearly blindsided by the mention. His mind strayed to a phone call he'd shared with his sister just months after leaving the pack. It'd been the first time he'd spoken to his family after the initial courtesy 'I am alive, do not look for me or try to contact me' that he'd given them. It had been for their own safety, he'd insisted.

indentation Kerrin let out a trembling breath as she finally admitted what she'd been avoiding saying. "There was a death in the pack a little while back. Melissa. She was out hunting and the pack thinks it was Merill's pack, given all the talks and tensions these past few years. There have been a few talks since this happened but Dutch, I'm scared. There's been talk of the other packs getting involved now. Wherever you're at, please be safe." Her voice was hushed and Dutch could hear the tell-tale signs of his sister pacing in her room while she spoke. It was something both of them did; he was pacing around in the parking lot of some little Asian food market, hundreds of miles away from his family and everything he knew.

indentation Dutch blinked himself back to present, meeting Dimidian's eyes with a frosty glare. "Yeah, that sounds about right. It was definitely my fault." His tone dripped with sarcasm, words clipped. He held onto the anger, settling into his bones and twisting his stomach. It would make this easier to share before cowardice sealed his lips again. "Four years ago, the alpha of mine and Arden's pack decided that he wanted to start a fight with our closest neighboring pack and decided I was the perfect pawn. Best friend of his son, the future alpha. He chose for me to die in some war I didn't want any part in." His tone was bitter as he shrugged the leather jacket off of his right shoulder, pulling the sleeve of his shirt up and angling his arm so the single light in his bedroom could throw the scars into the barest bit of relief. He'd gotten a raven tattooed on his shoulder, defiant and jagged lines with angry black ink. Anything to cover the tattoos so he didn't see them anymore. The skin puckered if he bent his arm just right. He only exposed the scarring for a few seconds before he'd drawn the jacket back up, a barrier against his vulnerabilities again. "I barely escaped with my life. Left town that night with nothing more than the bloody shirt on my back."

indentation He wanted to pace in his room, but felt trapped by the strong presence of Dimidian hovering and sealing off his door. Instead, Dutch clenched his hands and released, continuing to stare the fighter down. "I was long gone by the time Melissa died. It would be a self-imposed death sentence if I went back to my old pack, wouldn't it?" Even as Dutch said the words, something complicated flickered across his face and he scrambled to cover it up before Dimidian picked up on it. He'd known Melissa - maybe not well. Her family wasn't one that his own had interacted with much - but he'd known her all the same as a pack member. If I had died that night, would she still-

indentation Dutch bit his tongue hard. He tasted blood for the second time that day. He wasn't going to allow himself to finish the thought threatening to swamp him and drag him down. He wasn't ready to reveal that to anyone else, much less allow himself to dwell on that question. Clearly Arden was already there though. It provided clarity to him on why she despised him so much, but it didn't explain why Dimidian was standing here in her place. The anger and anxiety still simmered in Dutch's stomach and he drew a deep breath before lifting his chin, pretending to be a lot braver than he felt in that moment.

indentation "Arden is welcome to believe what she wants about the matter. If she has an issue with me, she needs to be a little more willing than our former alpha to get blood on her hands, instead of sending someone else to do the dirty work under the guise of talking." There was a lot of implication in Dutch's tone and he was willing to let Dimidian interpret that as he wished. He'd noted early on that Arden and Dimidian were close, familiar with each other's mannerisms and relying on each other more than they relied on the rest of the pack. No doubt she had entrusted Dimidian with this task - but surely she wanted to take matters into her own hands? He could recall all the looks she'd given him and could now correctly identify the hatred and blame. If she wanted him dead or driven out, surely she was big enough to do it herself?

indentation With his explanation given, Dutch stood coiled, ready to flee or to shift and defend himself. The pain of holding the shift close but not letting it claim him was growing and he clenched his hands to ward off the tremors. He'd always had remarkable control over the urge to shift - he could hold it close without letting it overpower him. But moments like this, where anxiety wanted to burst out of his chest made it difficult. He wanted Dimidian to get out of his room and give him space in that moment, or to get it over with already. He was tired of running and watching over his shoulder and analyzing every little situation for a threat. Everything would out tonight, surely.

indentation The preparation to shift and fight sputtered out of Dutch at the sound of a floorboard squeaking directly outside of his door. The heavy tide of dread swamped back over Dutch strong enough that he wanted to vomit. Had someone been waiting to join Dimidian, ready to chase him out or worse? His gaze snapped to Dimidian's and then back to the door, breath squeezing out of him. Was this it?

[slaughter beach, dog]

─────────────── 𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐀 ─── 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐑 ─────────── ⯮ ───────── ─ ─
────────────────────────────────────────── 𝙃𝙐𝙉𝙏𝙀𝙍 ──────────── ─ ─

LOCATION; cafe > campfire ─ TAGGING; open ─ MENTIONED; Dutch, Sao, Alexia, August ─ WC; 1,953

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*


The heat of the distant fire receded, escaped the cafe into the waiting autumn air through the gap in the door. Erika stilled her foot beneath the table, lifted her head from her hands and watched with sore eyes through the fogged cafe window as Dutch bodily carried Alexia outside. A laugh teased the air in her lungs, but neither the urge nor the sound ever came, they simply died a pathetic death in the dark of her throat. Her heart convulsed weakly, then let the wolf go, and returned to its toneless thrum ─ she almost missed it, that fire she needed to fight, because all it left in its wake was impassive and hollow. Empty, void even of the emptiness needed to fill something in order for it to be empty.
indentinErika rubbed the back of her neck with narrow fingers, threaded their cold tips into the hair at the nape of her neck, chasing the shadows of the fire, making certain they were gone, and they were. She turned to Kody, who had settled on the bench, but restlessly switched between panting and pulling his lips back to flash the points of his teeth at her. The collar around his neck was not the one Erika recognized; he must have lost it, because it was a mere frayed loop of fabric that was missing its tags. Kody's head turned, and when Erika turned her own head to follow the line of his gaze, the movement was nothing but automatic and mindless. Dutch's words flowed past her as continuous strings, sounds and symbols that resembled the cadence of speech, but he had already turned when they began to register.
indentinSao wheeled past, gesturing for her to follow, and Erika lifelessly shuffled out of the booth. Kody's nails pattered onto the cafe floor behind her. Outside, the runoff of the earlier rain ran as a steady stream next to the curb, babbling into the gaps of the drain cover. There was a cold spreading somewhere in the space between Erika's ribs and her lungs that bit worse than any autumn chill, and it grew twining tendrils that sought to weave into her spine and make a home there. She had cried herself out during the walk back to the cafe, then taken out on Dutch's truck the simmering anger revealed as sediment in the bottom of her limited reservoir of tears, and now her head merely hummed with something drained and resigned.

indentinThe town had a different timbre in her ears, distant and separate from herself, encased in thin ice, and she was in turn dark and leaden. Black stone in winter, earth in permafrost, and the frozen limbs of trees. The unlit span of space in-between two dying stars the world had collectively chosen to abandon. The hollow in the bones of birds. The last two months coloured the world in desolate and devastated hues. Even every disillusioned adult knew that thawing would come with the spring sun, and the spring was inevitable, but from the dark of the deepest woods, the sun was a hypothetical. And even so, the melting would always burn, and it was tempting to remain in the cold and dark, a dead and stagnant place without breath.
indentinErika's movements were mechanical when she opened the truck's door and a presumptuous Kody leapt inside. The truck's engine rasped to life and the door clutched in her fingers trembled as the truck idled in wait of her. She ducked so she could shoo Kody into the middle seat and her eyes glossed over the tray that had a spare drink for her, but with the grief still finding a place to settle within her body, it did not seem appealing in the slightest. The bell above the cafe door chirped its annoyingly cheerful melody again, and Erika straightened back up to see the man with a coffee-stained shirt settling a trim trench coat over his shoulders.
indentinThe ice in her head fractured, allowing in the stark rays of something cruel and malicious that nipped at the shadows that had settled there. It would be nowhere near the worst thing she had ever done, far from it, but she had been given a second chance at life and it should have marked the beginning of something better. Or at least different. And maybe for two months it had, but this morning had showed that nothing mattered. She could do whatever she wanted. The world would keep throwing punches and maybe she should punch back.
indentinErika bent back down into the truck and pulled the drink meant for her from the tray. She cracked open the lid to courteously check that whatever liquid was inside had already cooled, then secured it back into place. She turned, took aim, whistled sharply, and when the man's head turned, she chucked it at him. It struck his shoulder and the cardboard cup budged on impact, the lid yielded, and dark coffee sloshed out in an arc that splattered across the chest and lapels of his coat. Erika flipped him a choice finger and she could see his face turning bright red as she dropped into her seat and slammed the door shut, closing out the sound of his enraged shouting. It made her feel nothing.

indentinErika sank into the warmth rising from the heated seats as Dutch pulled out of the parking space and turned the truck onto the road that lead back to the cabin. Being stuck inside the truck became dangerous, a place where she was bound to think as much as she would have loved nothing more than to slip into unconsciousness as the pines whipped past the windows. She would have loved to fall asleep like a child, knowing that the person in the driver's seat would keep her safe. Those were good memories, but all she could think about was how she had wasted it all until she had nothing left. It was, in a way, freedom, but what worth was there in a freedom in which no one cared whether you woke up in the morning and where.
indentinHer parents had died before she had been old enough to find some way to take the blame, point out some aspect that could have allowed herself to go that makes me guilty and I behave this way because that guilt is eating at me. Now her aunt had died, the only person she had truly known as a parent, and she had wasted the few last weeks she could have spent with her, and even if she had known that the time they had left together was finite, would she have spent it on more arguing at the dinner table? Maybe more bullheaded behavior that landed her in the miserable little jail cell of the local police department? When you found yourself in a groove, the best thing to do was to lean into it, right?
indentinErika drew her hands into her hair, shifted the unruly dark locks away from her pallid face. She would need to find the strength to possibly clear out the house, maybe set Clint's porch on fire, and at least pick up her things, because even if she would have to live out the rest of her days in that cabin that never quite stopped smelling like wet dog, she wanted to do it in her own clothes. But there was the uncomfortable urge, maybe the knowledge, that she could and would not do it on her own, and she had driven away everyone else. Even if she had not, she doubted that the people she had kept around would have been the kind she could have asked any sort of favour from. She had done her damnedest to live a life that left no one around to care for her. Some armchair psychologist would have likely remarked that this was something she should have worked on.

indentinWhen the truck's tires ground to a halt on the gravel, Erika hopped outside and passingly noted the smell of campfire smoke rising from amid the fog-veiled trees. Kody followed her, all the way into the cabin and up the stairs, where she promptly closed her bedroom door before he could slip inside. The steps that took her to the bed were heavy and she collapsed into the sheets, passing out faster than she had in weeks, the sole thought in her mind being that maybe she could drain out some of the static into her pillowcase. But the world inside of Erika's dreams was restless, filled with guttural noises, dead faces and feelings that gripped her shoulders with fingers of dread.
indentinIt was already evening by the time Erika woke in a cold sweat, but the recurrent ache that had been trickling down from her shoulder and along the bone beneath her bicep was gone. All that was left from the earlier dislocation was a sensation of light pressure emanating from the joint, but it was barely noticeable. Honeyed sunlight pressed against the curtains and Erika peeled herself from the bed to push them aside. A sunset was blinking in veiled rays between the boughs, the evening foggy and overcast. But from amid the opaque mantle of fog, she could make out the glow of the firepit, which cast the long, dancing shadows of the stockade of trees onto the yard.
indentinErika did not find herself in a mood to socialize, which was not a surprise, but the campfire seemed like a place to find a drink or two to soothe each organ in her body that had received its fair share of stomping throughout the day, and possibly something to eat, because she had hardly eaten all day, and with some sleep in her system, a budding hunger had taken its cue to ignite. Erika washed her face in the bathroom sink, peeled off her shirt and found a cleaner one, and opened her bedroom door to learn that Kody had finally found someplace else to be.

indentinErika could not help the feeling that she was there to lick her wounds when she stepped into the sphere of light cast by the campfire's restless flames. The fire crackled and spat sparks into the sombre evening ─ floating, burning pinpricks against the black sky ─ but it radiated a consoling heat that kept Erika from drawing back into the shadows and returning to the cabin to mope on her own. She would mope in company instead. Nearby, the sturdy figure of August was lit by the fire as he fed bits of something to Kody, who was quickly turning out to be the biggest traitor of a dog she had ever met. It most definitely was not Erika who was the bad guy in this wordless feud.
indentinShe popped open the cooler set further from the fire and searched around to catch her fingers around the cold, damp neck of a beer bottle. Warnings of what had happened the last time ran clear through her mind, but if she had decided that nothing mattered, then this should not either. Two months seemed to be the longest she could go without a stupid choice, and even that could be disputed considering she had spent half of it incapacitated and the other half choosing not to visit her aunt before it was too late. Back to old habits it was, and it felt nothing short of a homecoming.
indentinThe bottle clinked against its brethren as she slid it out of the ice. She cracked the cap open against the stones of the firepit, then slumped into one of the plastic chairs to stare vacantly into the flames.

[tealfeather]

delaney shivers — { forest, campfire. quinn, august, erika. }
⟶ he/him. twenty-four. fighter.
⟶ bi. 5'9. scar across ear.

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Dejectedly waving his paw back and forth while he waited, Delaney almost got impatient enough to just shift and fix it himself, but he caught Quinn's scent on the wind in that moment. He still faintly carried the smell of vanilla and coffee, and were Delaney able to, he would have smiled, but as it was, he just looked up and did his best attempt at puppy eyes. They were better perfected as a human, but he did have the added bonus of being inherently cute as a wolf.

Whether it worked or Quinn just took pity on him, he would never know, but Delaney chose to believe it worked. He nudged his nose against Quinn's hand when he was free in thanks, reigning in the lick that this form encouraged him to follow it up with. Wolf body language was weird when you were a human, and Delaney didn't want to make Quinn uncomfortable. He could reign it in while they checked the rest of the snares. He was capable of not always being the boisterous, friendly person in any situation.

He carefully stretched his paw a few times, shaking the stiffness out of it from holding it still so long, and then let out a little huff of acknowledgement to Quinn's question. The words were blurry, but the tone and intent were clear in his mind. The magic flowed naturally through his body, but it still shocked his human-born thoughts every once in a while, when he was in human shape and particularly contemplative. He had, in the past, wondered faintly if any studies had been done on how the human need for complex communication interacted with the wolf's lack of capacity for verbal language. He shook the edges of those thoughts from his head. Something to bring up with Sky, when he was particularly drunk, as a hypothetical. Then he wouldn't get suspicious, and Sky always loved those kinds of conversations.

The shift in the air brought Delaney's attention back from his own paw to Quinn. He could tell he was about to shift before it even happened. It was a slight tingling along his spine, a feeling in his heart and his paws, a thrumming yes, yes, yes, join me, which he expressed by tapping his paws excitedly on the ground.

Once Quinn was steady on all four paws, Delaney returned the cursory sniff, and then bounded forward in delight. Oh, how he loved a good run with another wolf! Almost as thrilling as jumping off a cliff, and much less likely to get him a scolding. He rushed through the grass and leaves and undergrowth, catching up to and passing Quinn, none too gently slamming into his shoulder along the way. Sure, they were sturdy in human form, but they were even sturdier as wolves, and he loved it.

The way Quinn had approached made Delaney pause to tip his head to one side and think, but not for long. Instinct could get him a long way, and Quinn's hesitance was easy to place. He didn't know where the snares were, but that was okay! Delaney did, and he would gladly show him, and maybe be a little more careful this time. He looked back up at Quinn, glad he was easy to spot with his bright coat, and did a head gesture and little growl that seemed to say come on, this way.

And then he set off to the next closest snare location, weaving his way through the trees with joy bubbling in his chest. It was always so freeing for him to feel like nothing could touch him, he was in his element, and with some good company. He would never trade such a thing, now that he had it.

After finding a few snares, some of which weren't empty, Delaney stopped at a creek, dropping the rabbits he had in his jaws, and lapped up a few freezing mouthfuls. It was getting colder, but that was okay. There was something magical about snow in the forest, and the crisp, sharp scent of it, and with a sidelong glance at Quinn, he recalled that his white fur would blend seamlessly. Perfect for hunting in winter, whereas Delaney always had to find shadow or night. He delighted in the fact that all their wolves had different advantages and they would look after one another perfectly for them.

Once his teeth were burning with cold, Delaney reluctantly grabbed his mouthful of rabbits again and rushed off without warning. Not only was winter soon; so was sunset, and he didn't want to miss the fire, nor did he want to miss giving his prize to Heron and being able to speak to everyone with human words again. He missed the intricacies, even if he could - and had - nipped Quinn's face and ears playfully all afternoon. It was freeing, but it wasn't the same.

He slowed down as he neared the cabin, making sure Quinn was still following before he trotted over to the porch and gingerly set the rabbits down next to the door. No way was he entering the house as a wolf again, nevermind the fact that three wolves had already done that and been scolded for it today. Instead, he shook out his fur one last time before leaning into his human thoughts.

This time the wince was more clear on his face as he moved from a crouch into a standing position and rolled his shoulders a few times. He was probably going to be sore in the morning. Even though they were different bodies that he somehow held inside himself at once, some things transferred over.

Zipping up his jacket and cramming his hands in his pockets only did so much for the sudden lack of warmth, so he left the rabbits for Heron to find. She had a good sense of smell, and besides, she knew he'd gone out. If anything, he could tell her. But for now: fire. He gave Quinn a little nod of acknowledgement and a smile as he passed, and then beelined for the warmth. Sure, it would be warm inside, too, but here there were people and warmth. Win-win.

There was a stack of chairs nearby, so Delaney gratefully dragged one closer and sat down, leaning in precariously close to the flames to warm his palms before he looked up to August and Erika. "What a lovely night with some lovely people. Are we inviting everyone? Why don't we make the fire a little bigger? It's going to get cold and foggy tonight, and it'll be fun. We can even roast marshmallows, I swear I saw them somewhere."

At the clink of bottles from Erika's direction, he glanced over and offered her a small, conspirational smile. Maybe he'd drink too...later in the evening, once everyone else joined them. And it did look like it was shaping up to be that sort of fire.


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[phayraoh]

▐│
▐│

𝘈𝘜𝘋𝘙𝘌𝘠 𝘏𝘖𝘓𝘓𝘈𝘕𝘋─────────❝ staring into blackness at some distant star. the thrill of knowing how alone we are, unknown we are ❞
thirty yrs ▪ she/her ▪ fighter-to-be
location: dimidian's room --> bonfire | tags: erika | mentions: dimidian
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--indent--Dimidian left the room so swiftly that Audrey believed, for a brief moment, that she had simply dreamt their entire meeting -- that any moment now, she would jolt awake and find herself in a hastily made nest beneath a shrub that had never thought to grow large enough to shelter a full-grown werewolf. She would blink her tired eyes open and stretch a body that had grown lean from her years of loping through forest and golden grassland. Her day would be spent journeying in search of her brother, a quest that she refused to believe would be fruitless.
--indent--Well, used to believe. Audrey had chosen to ignore the listless creature pacing back and forth in her mind, caged and cast aside in shadow, a beast that fed off of freedom and most likely held a similar ferocity to whatever force that had overcome her brother, Gray. She stepped forward and slid onto Dimidian's bed, his scent flooding her nostrils: wild and familiar. This wasn't a figment of her imagination, but her current reality was becoming clouded in fantastical memory that reminded her of a time in her life where she had no use for dreams. Her years spent with the black wolf hadn't been time but a weightless existence bound only in flesh and blood -- though, Dimidian had ways of transcending even that. When they'd gone their separate ways, she'd forced her unhampered spirit back into the confines of purpose, an act facilitated by a truth she'd finally come to accept. But to be in Dimidian's presence -- his true presence -- was to strip oneself down, naked and vulnerable before the eye of the universe; it could be exhilarating, it could be terrifying, and it was always enlightening.
--indent--Audrey couldn't shake the feeling that finding him was the sign she needed to accept the predatory truth circling her heart: she wanted out from beneath the Holland name. The woman slid off the bed with a huff, cursing Dimidian for unlocking the secrets to life and corrupting her civilized mind with them. She meandered across the hardwood floor and peeled open the closet, quirking a brow at the wardrobe inside: the man had style, she would always give him that.
--indent--Thumbing through the hangers, she settled on a flannel that looked maybe like it wouldn't be ridiculous on her. She peeled off her clothing and left only her tank top and jeans, knowing there was no way he would have anything to suffice in the pants department. Having spent most of her journey as a wolf, all she had was the clothes on her back and a wallet, which she placed on the windowsill before draping the flannel over her shoulders. Once more, his scent wreathed around her and purred against her lungs. Audrey yearned not for his touch or affections but all the ways he had made her feel and think; it was a complicated relationship so akin to love that it had been easy to see and treat it as a romantic endeavor in the past. It had been one of the hardest things to explain to him at their parting.
--indent--When she'd finished dressing, Audrey spent a moment pinching, rolling, and smoothing the fabric until she felt confident that she'd managed to turn "I'm wearing something too big for me" into "trendy oversized flannel look." Perhaps one of her greatest abilities was that of making things work, she being a magician well-versed in the illusion of order and control.
--indent--Audrey had decided to not stay in Dimidian's room the moment he'd left it. She pressed her ear to the door and only opened it when the hush of silence fell upon it, broken only by the sound of conversation further down the hall. She slipped quietly from the bedroom and scurried back downstairs, her stomach taught with apprehension as she considered what might happen to her if she was spotted. Something lovely and fragrant hung in the air, making her stomach growl. She followed the scent in a manner resembling that of a cartoon character floating towards a succulent pie cooling on the sill, eyes drooping and wanting of a meal. Audrey hardly took notice to the battered state of the house as she found an exit and took it, homing in on the sight and sound of people gathered around a fire. They were familiar in face but not in spirit, slightly more daunting in flesh than from brief puffs of images delivered to her via World Wide Dimidian. These were not people but werewolves, making her not only a stranger but an outsider and a threat.
--indent--Audrey steeled her shoulders and crept closer, sticking to the shadows and looking for a point of entry. She was thankful now for the cloak of Dimidian's scent, which would likely burry hers with the help of the smoke and whatever smelled so damn good. A breath was drawn into her lungs as she recalled all of the galas and political banquets she'd attended in her life; the social theater of spoken warfare of which she'd been trained to fight in since she was six. This wouldn't be too far off -- strange werewolves weren't an unfamiliar hurdle, and she had the advantage of a head start in recognition of who was who. One face in particular held a dangerous intrigue.
--indent--She'd only just stepped forward when a guttural snarling sounded from outside the house. Confusion was striking lines across her face at the recognition of the black wolf standing just beyond the porch, radiating such a burning mass of emotion that the wolf inside of Audrey fought to obey his sudden onslaught of gravity. She broke her gaze from the scene and stamped down the heat rising beneath her flesh. Dimidian could handle his own problems -- and besides, she technically wasn't supposed to be out here. The yawning of her stomach, the curiosity bubbling in her chest, and a desire pulling at her hands urged her forward to the fire, the event transpiring outside the cabin providing an additional layer of cover as she finally reached the circle of trees closest to the flames.
--indent--Audrey scanned past something she didn't truly notice until the jolt of sparks in her chest told her that an interest of importance had been discovered: food? If that's what you wanted to call it...her. Her. Silent, still, keeper of secrets and words unspoken. A storm about her, mournful and thundering. The reflection of the flames in her eyes an unworthy replacement for what should have been burning in the cold coals of her eyes, dark now in an expression heavy and meant for drowning. She smelled of a forest under flame and sacred ritual that failed to cleanse what ghouls haunted her soul.
--indent--Audrey blinked once, twice, then straightened up and set herself into motion, hooking her finger in the back of one of the many plastic chairs standing around and dragging it along behind her as she strode over to her newly claimed sad eyes. She both spun the chair around and sat down in it in one fluid motion, letting out a sigh as she did. How this woman would react to her sudden appearance, Audrey did not know; she did, however, trust her intuition. For a moment, she allowed herself to melt into the chair, drawing on the warmth of the fire and the whispering breeze that sent an audible hush through the pines. The stars held their breath. A beginning.
--indent--"Hey, Lonesome," Audrey said, her whisper soft and low. She fought the urge to dust a sprinkling of ash from the other woman's shoulder and instead rested her cheek on her fist, blinking slow as she, too, fixed her gaze on the tongues of flame licking at the stars in want of their light and white fire. "I'd ask what it is you see in that fire but the look on your face tells me you don't seem to be looking at anything." She hummed quietly in thought, a modified growl that resonated more from her chest than the roof of her mouth. It was a habit she'd developed early in life, her best representation of consideration. "Have you eaten today? You better have, with the amount of alcohol I see in your future."
--indent--Her gaze flitted briefly to the man who'd spoken up but she remained silent in wait of answer, if she would be awarded one; besides, the presence she held by the fire was delicate and needed to be carefully maintained. She took a breath and attempted to further relax herself in that chair. The better she enveloped herself in this space, the more likely she would fold into it. People didn't like awkward interruptions: that she held as a general truth.