⯭ — ( ❝ 𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖲 𝖨𝖲 𝖭𝖮𝖳 𝖠𝖡𝖮𝖴𝖳 𝖴𝖲 !! ❞ ) started

[འབྲོག་ཁྱི]

.

images from pixabay, fontmeme & unsplash

.

.

.

┌────────────────┐

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│

Wolf Bay is located in northern Washington, o
n the coast of the Pacific Ocean. A former fi
shing town, it is now a sleepy destination for
tourists seeking respite in small town charm
and the verdant forests of the Evergreen sta
te.
What most don't know about is the second lif
e of the town as a hub of werewolf activity, d
rawing both packs and loners simply drifting
through to get a refresher on the goings-on i
n the community before moving along. For th
e longest time, it has acted as somewhat neut
ral territory, its residents united by the loose
ideals of remaining secret for the sake of th
eir own peace and protecting the humans of
Wolf Bay from threats that remain unseen to
them.
But having always known peace, the young ge
neration does not understand to fear discove
ry as their elders do.

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
└────────────────┘

it's more about how you're

doing what you wanna do

[འབྲོག་ཁྱི]

.

┌────────────────┐

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│

On the Fourth of July, a group of tourists rep
orts to the local PD that it saw a massive bea
st lumbering across the road in the night lit b
y the fireworks above. After an investigation
finds no signs of bear or wolf tracks in the ar
ea, the sighting is dismissed as drunken talk
inspired by local legends sold to tourists as tr
uth.
But the packs of the area know the truth, and
during an emergency gathering organized at t
he ancient hemlock, an old place of sanctuary,
the alphas announce, shockingly, that the you
ng wolves under their jurisdiction will learn di
scretion or they will be exiled.
Because that beast was the child of a local alp
ha, carelessly sneaking off to join the celebra
tions, with many more following in their foots
teps, and with such incidents happening on a
weekly basis all across Wolf Bay, an interventi
on has been in the making for a long time.

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
└────────────────┘

.
.

.

[འབྲོག་ཁྱི]

THE MERCURIAL — Lyra Osprey — chev

THE THIEVISH — Choi Chaewon — gyvre

THE HIDEBOUND — Saeraphina — azh

THE MISERABLE — Paris Harold — stran

THE DELINQUENT — Drew Yang — gyvre

THE VAIN — name here — open

THE SECRETIVE — Daichi — strawbs.

THE IMPULSIVE — name here — open

THE DISHONEST — Delaney Miller — stran

THE FORGETFUL — Maggie Rose — senna_

THE CARELESS — Andira Hadley — vega.

THE AIMLESS — Tyler Bellamy — j.sparrow

THE NAIVE — name here — open

THE GRIM — Thomas Rossi — danjo

THE FEARFUL — Lotte Michaud — boy

THE AGGRESSIVE — Jung Le — mtuan,

THE EXCITABLE — Helios — strawbs.

THE SELFISH — Bae Tae-Ho — mtuan,

THE STUBBORN — name here — open

THE VINDICTIVE — Ethan Barnes — chev

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
┌────────────────────────────────┐

│
│

two characters per player; if you've got an idea for a different "sin", just let me know!
please mention in your form why your character has been sent away by their pack, and
try to give your characters both negative and positive traits, because they shouldn't all
immediately get along (for the drama). ages should be 20 to 29. realistic faceclaims please

│
│
└────────────────────────────────┘

┌────────────────┐

│
│
│
│
│
│
│

The packs have sent their guilty, young gener
ation of werewolves to an old pack house at t
he outskirts of Wolf Bay, tasked with learnin
g how to cooperate as a pack and forming an
understanding of what it means to live with t
he wolf within. With some seen as more... c
ulpable than others, tensions are running hig
h and nothing seems guaranteed. Could they
possibly avoid fighting and find peace, all th
e while learning how to hunt and renovating t
he old house that has fallen into disrepair? W
ill they succeed in forming a pack of their ow
n, or will they fail before it has even begun?

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
└────────────────┘

[འབྲོག་ཁྱི]

.

𝘐𝘛'𝘚 𝘔𝘖𝘙𝘌 𝘈𝘉𝘖𝘜𝘛 𝘠𝘖𝘜
𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨❜𝗥𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛

┌────────────────┐

│
│
│
│
│
│
│

i. CS rules are important, please ask if there's
something you aren't sure about. ii. semi-lit,
100 words/post/character. iii. please let eve
ryone know in the discussion if you are going
to be absent for a while. iv. reserve roles thr
ough pm and only post once you've received
a reply to your reservation. v. try to have yo
ur forms finished within two days of reservin
g. vi. ask the players it might affect before
starting any major events or drama in the r
oleplay. vii. diversity and creativity are enco
uraged, all ethnicities and character identiti
es are welcome.

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
└────────────────┘

𝙊𝙋𝙀𝙉 / 𝘾̶𝙇̶𝙊̶𝙎̶𝙀̶𝘿̶

[འབྲོག་ཁྱི]

☽. ──── 𝑳𝒀𝑹𝑨 𝑶𝑺𝑷𝑹𝑬𝒀
they/she. location; pack house yard. tagging; to be tagged by Paris/Del. mentioned; everyone @ the house.

██ │
██ │

The jolt of static that burst from the radio made Lyra startle in their seat and rouse from where they had been mindlessly staring out of the window ever since they'd left town. It sounded like they had driven outside one of the numerous small dead zones that plagued the topographically capricious roads leading out of Wolf Bay, and with the hazy signal, the notes of an acoustic guitar were struggling to make it out of the speakers. But Arcturus hadn't seemed to notice anything, considering the jolting and tilting of the truck on the winding dirt path that only ever grew narrower — if they were to meet another car here, they'd all end up stuck.
Soon the low-hanging branches of the hemlocks began brushing against the sides of the truck, and that finally made him furrow his brow. Gotta protect the fresh Wolf Bay Inn paint job, because it wasn't as if he was driving Lyra to the place of their exile. Maybe they should have been grateful that he'd bothered to drive them at all, but it was increasingly difficult to be, considering the destination was getting closer with each branch, bristly with green needles, that smacked against the windshield and scraped across the windows.

Lyra slumped a little further down in their seat, desiring to pretend that the worn-soft suede was the earth itself and it had decided to swallow them whole. How did we get here? They knew exactly how, but it didn't mean they wanted to admit it any more. Or acknowledge it even, really. Maybe it would have been easier if they'd just legged it, taken off after the verdict and avoided all the awkward goodbyes, stern conversations, and lectures about how this was all very embarrassing and disappointing for everyone involved. Maybe they wouldn't have obeyed the orders and headed here at all, but just left, for good. And go where? Seattle? Unlikely.
As much as Lyra knew that there was no one else but themself to blame, it was difficult not to resent their parents — and siblings — for going along with this. Some months ago, they could have imagined them taking their side. Because would they have sent Leda away for being a little unruly as a child? And what about Atlas, did he leave because they couldn't handle him, either? Lyra frowned at the view sweeping by outside the window. His disappearance had stung a lot more than they'd ever wanted to let on. Why couldn't you just have taken me with you?

The tunnel of hemlocks ended all too soon for Lyra's liking, breaking into a small opening in the trees, the ground padded with humus and rusty leaf litter. The old pack house stood at the opposite side of the clearing from where Arcturus pulled his truck, all weathered boards and heavy with murky childhood memories of summers past, from before the entire forest had come to seem creepy and abandoned. The world had been so much more simple and pleasant when she had understood less of it.
The truck lurched and complained one last time as he set the parking brake, then rested his hands across the top of the steering wheel and aimed an expectant gaze at Lyra.
"Got everything you need?"
Lyra took the strap of the backpack that had been resting at their feet throughout the car ride and turned their eyes to the looming pack house, because making eye contact seemed especially weird right then. "Never packed for exile before," they muttered, beginning to fidget with one of the earbuds that had been hanging around their neck before settling it into their ear.
"You don't have to snap at me."
"Whatever," they scoffed somewhat harshly, already pushing the door open, but they were stopped by Arcturus's words before they had a chance to get out.
"It's not whatever, Lyra, I don't think they'll let you come back if this doesn't... fix something."

Dread settled into the pit of Lyra's stomach, but they stepped out onto the softer forest floor anyway, then wheeled around with a hand still gripping the top of the door, now dangerously tight.
"Really? Is that what you think?" considering the proximity of the house and all the presences they could already smell there, their voice was climbing to a conspicuously high volume, but their temper was flaring, white hot, and before they could stop it, it was all pouring out. "I didn't believe you cared enough about me to think anything about this! You could've defended me, but instead you rolled over without a word. And now you're acting as if you care about how this ends? As if you care whether I'll even come back?"
Lyra didn't give their brother a chance to answer the accusations by slamming the door, and he didn't seem interested in feeding the familiar flames, because the moment they'd stepped away, the truck pulled out of the clearing, and soon the taillights disappeared into the forest and the rumble of the engine faded into an eerie quiet mixed with distant birdsong and the buzz of insects.

That's when the anger drained away and was replaced by embarrassment and an acute awareness of all the sensitive ears in the area. They'd done it again. Lyra's face grew uncomfortably hot, but they made an attempt at covering it up by adjusting the backpack hanging from their shoulder and shrugging their hands deeper into the sleeves of their jacket. They glanced up at the darkened windows, hopeful that any watchful eyes hadn't witnessed that... argument. They had all been sent here to learn how to control themselves and act as good pack members should, so why did it seem all the more difficult to pretend here? The thought of shifting and loping off to live in the woods as an animal for the rest of their days was awfully tempting. So why did they feel as if they'd been dropped off at summer camp and had a huge argument with their mother right in front of everyone with whom they were supposed to spend the next few months?

And now that the thought had entered their head, Lyra couldn't help but think of this as some twisted edition of summer camp. They were supposed to work on leadership skills and cooperation, neither of which they were terribly interested in. Lyra had never had a real "rank" and neither could they picture themself doing any of the duties they'd heard of other pack members as having, but maybe that was the bane of every wolf who'd been born into a pack that was just a single family. Seems they were off to a promising start.

[འབྲོག་ཁྱི]

✦. ──── 𝑬𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑵 𝑩𝑨𝑹𝑵𝑬𝑺
he/him. location; pack house yard. tagging; Maggie. mentioned; Lyra.

██ │
██ │

Early afternoon sunlight filtered down from the canopy in golden beams, splintering to dance across the forest floor before reforming and splintering again as the foliage shifted with the temperate breeze. It had admittedly taken some maneuvering, but Ethan had managed to back his cranky old jeep behind the pack house, right by where the boards making up the steps that lead to the rear porch had greyed in the weather and eventually rotted through. He had popped open the trunk and was unloading the lumber that had been awkwardly stuffed into the cabin. Driving around with it had probably been a serious safety hazard, but no one had stopped him, so onward he'd gone, along the questionable roads that wound through these woods.

Mind you, he wasn't doing this renovating purely out of the saintly goodness of his loving heart. When he had gone pensively moping around the streets of Wolf Bay after the urgent meeting at the hemlock, he had been seriously weighing two options. Either do as he had been told and come here or simply leave and find some other pack that didn't care about who he was or what he had done. He was a free man, really, there wasn't much tying him to this place, other than time — or at least that was what he'd always told himself. His mom had died before he could even really remember her and his father was living in a different state with a new family. Once he had said goodbye to the few friends he did have, he had been overtaken by a strange, drifting feeling that wasn't much helped by the quiescent town that still seemed heavy with smoke from the previous night's fireworks.
Deep down, he didn't want to be a free man and go as he pleased. He wished to be tethered down by people, people who cared. A sparse few names had come to mind.

Ethan propped the last board up against the railing and dusted off his hands. He had worked sometime as a carpenter... before getting fired over some minor disagreements, and this seemed doable enough to show that he was trying make an effort. What made it somewhat more difficult was the fact that he had no regrets whatsoever about what he had done — the thing that had finally gotten him sent on a time out. Getting into a bit of a scuffle with another pack member was one thing, it happened often enough and not just to himself — werewolf tempers and whatnot — but roughing up the alpha's son was a different deal entirely. Ethan wasn't sure if he would have even stopped there had he not been dragged away. Alpha's son or not, he should learn to think twice about the things he said. Er, maybe Ethan wasn't the person who should've been going around dispensing advice from his moral high horse.

There were other ulterior motives, of course. More dashing ones than his inner sad puppy. For example, Ethan had every intention of claiming the top spot in this pack of misfits. He would declare himself alpha and every confident atom in him sincerely believed that no one would oppose this assertion of his. And really, who could have made a better alpha than beaming, handsome Ethan Barnes? Someone more patient perhaps, but that didn't seem like an obstacle on an afternoon as nice as this one. Renovating the porch stairs into something less dangerous was merely the first step in his cunning plan. The second would be meeting his loyal subjects. As for the rest of the plan? He would formulate it once the time came. And it seemed the time for the second step had come sooner than expected, as the sounds of an engine followed by heated bickering drew him from the neglected backyard. Maybe a garden would be nice.

As Ethan circled around the house and toward what acted as the front yard, he did his best not to think too closely about the details, but it was likely that they would have to organize a hunt eventually. One of those age-old traditions of bonding, cooperation, and an eventual mouthful of fur, which was perhaps his least favourite part. He had gone hunting before, many times, but it had always been more of a "I may look like I'm acting as one part of a perfect, unified whole, but I'm really just doing whatever I feel like" than what they needed to be doing in these woods to become a pack, and he suspected many of the others would be of the same breed. Why else would they have gotten sent here? Perfect sons and daughters rarely had to worry about becoming scapegoats over some pack's issues.

The first face he saw upon rounding the corner wasn't one he had expect to see, not in the slightest. In fact, it was so unexpected that winsome Mr. Barnes, always so ready with a retort and a witty line, found himself stunned. Maggie Rose, the most innocent of them all, sent here alongside the criminals and lowlifes? He should have known the moment he'd smelled the blueberries. Whoever had been bickering was quickly forgotten as Ethan quickly recomposed himself, setting a bright and genuine, white-toothed smile on his face before inserting himself into her line of sight. They had spoken before, but the only impression he had ever gotten from her was pure sweetness itself, and so the only appropriate question, and really, the only thought that arose in his mind right then, seemed to be what she must have done to get herself sent to the very outskirts of Wolf Bay.

"Maggie Rose! Honestly speaking, you might just have been the last person I expected to see here," he greeted, voice deep and warm, and his hands tucked into the pockets of his flannel. She was impossibly petite, and had Ethan ever had any notion of uncertainty, he might just have felt awkward towering above her. "But since we're all here for some thing or another, I'm hoping it isn't insensitive to ask what brought you here?"

[mtuan,]

.. 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐄. 𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙋𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙏𝙃𝙍𝙊𝙐𝙂𝙃 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘿𝙄𝙈𝙈𝙀𝙎𝙏 𝘾𝙊𝙍𝙉𝙀𝙍𝙎 𝙊𝙁 𝙈𝙔 𝘾𝙃𝙀𝙎𝙏 !!
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

┌───────


(tags) ...
(misc.) sos help
value added: 0.01%
1,002 words
mtuan, kim mtuan

│
│
│
│
│
└───────

𝐀
𝐊
𝐀

𝐋
𝐄

Jung Le would have never considered herself an exile from the pack. Much less crudely kicked out? No, no. Absolutely not an option- not if she could have it any other way, herself, that is. Yet, somehow, the woman finds herself with the orders of being sent away to some dingy pack house with a ragtag group of other "delinquents" (as if she could ever be grouped with those hooligans) in hopes of reform. Reform from what exactly? She wasn't even sure-- surely, they weren't sending her away to brainwash her into some obedient little pup looking to follow an alpha's every whim? No, no- absolutely not.

And though the "abandoned" werewolf knew this was exactly the plan for each and every one of them being sent to the pack house away from home, her hopes for reform or even a civil conversation with the lot was slim to none. If they were all sent away for a reason, perhaps that reason was an unfixable, tangled ball of yarn all on its own. But again- Le wasn't sent away from her home like this. No, not at all.

Except, maybe being alone wasn't so bad of a quality after all anyway. The Korean had never been someone who was particularly close to her fellow pack mates as it stood- would living like a lone wolf have even been a bad option?

Sure, without a pack, a wolf held no stability, no protection, and no reliance on others. The lack of a pack made a wolf vulnerable to changes in their environment and no home and no person to return to by the time the moon rises high into the starry night sky above. Some could even say that a wolf without its pack was a lonely man without a family to return to. And maybe they were right. For anyone who was hoping for a safety net, anyway.

Surely this misfit group of wolves being sent away would be no different from those back home- a little rough around the edges, perhaps. But reaching for safety, nonetheless. It was the natural calling of a wolf. It was only natural to seek comfort from your loved ones.

Yet, even with all the statistical evidence, Le finds herself seeking the comfort of her lonesome. Like the moon waiting for the solace of the stars and night, she sought for the quiet stillness of darkness and the peace it brought when all the creatures walking on this planet took their nightly rest. Perhaps the loneliness was the most peaceful in this existence. When she could lay upon the grassy hills and watch the stars twinkle; ot a soul to squeak of their existence, not one to protest their presence.

So maybe if this stupid pack kick-out didn't work out, Le could simply walk away on her own. Into the shadows of the trees in the forest and live a much more peaceful, undisturbed life. Maybe Le had always meant to be a lone wolf, the soul of a wanderer with little care for others or authority--

Authority (or lack thereof) was the only reason why she was here anyway. Er- exiled from her pack to the aforementioned old pack house in hopes that other "rebels" like her would simply take the hint, learn, and coexist with one another, rather than... whatever chaos had been happening in each respective side. Everyone had their own story. Their own reason.

Because deep in the woman's mind, she knew that she had no desire for power, or hell- even an alpha's position. Knowing the burdens that came with responsibility and pack wellness; looking after another being had never been one of her... passions, much less even a hobby. (And maybe it is why she's never sought for a mate nor raising a family to call her own.) She had no ambition for such. In fact, often regarding the duties as more of a pain in the ass than a rewarding job to be cherished. Other than the glorified status an alpha could presume, that is. (And maybe- just maybe, if it were simply for the glory of an alpha, Le would have piqued an interest for such- being raised on a golden spoon herself and all as it even presently stands.)

Yet, it's the juxtaposition of wanting nothing more to do with being in power and wanting all of the power that keeps Jung Le thriving; in a constant push and pull of overpowering her peers to stay at the very top of the hierarchy, yet never wanting more to do with the power- not the responsibility nor the compassion. Only the idea of thriving off of another's challenges- knowing the alpha could do so much for just the lift of a finger.

(Of course, there was also the safety of knowing that an alpha never would face the struggles of being told off by another- at the very top of the hierarchy, there was no one more who had the rights to say more.)

And it's the entire reason for her current predicament, of course. Can't forget to mention all the fights she's had with her superiors over petty subject matter such as cleaning or chores. To say Le was a little spoiled (heh) would have been an understatement.

Upon the arrival at the pack house, with her possessions in tow and the pristine heels of Le's clicking against the hardened ground of the house, the smells of various "guests" who have already made this pack house their residence begin to waft. Unfamiliar, inter-mingled, and head-ache inducing from the very start. The unfamiliarity no doubt causes the wolf within the rouse and spike in wariness; so many unfamiliar faces, such little space. Vying for power could cause a disaster-- not that the woman was afraid. This is what it was meant to be- or has always been. Baring tooth and claw.

Terrific. Not even a guide to tell us where we'd be staying in these rooms, I suppose?

[enby]

██
██

𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐔𝐃 ━━━━━━━━━━━━
they/them | location; pack house yard | tagging; open | mentions; lyra

Anxiety had been bubbling in Lotte's gut the moment they stepped into the taxi, not a word had been spoken by Lotte the whole ride, despite the long journey they'd been on the only words they spoked was a mere, quiet, 'Hello' when they first entered the vehicle and since then the only noise that happened through the whole car ride was the quiet mumbling from the car radio.

They peered out the car window, eyes grazing over the quickly passing forest before them, their body extremely tense not having relaxed the whole time- their hands gripped tightly onto their knees as their eyebrows held a tense expression across their pale face. All that went through their mind for hours was wonder and questions, 'Did they ever really care enough?' 'All because I'm nervous?' they frowned at the thoughts, they didn't understand completely and were mostly hurt that they were shoved away just because of how they were as a person, but they supposed that's how it was when your whole family was known for being brave throughout their history- they just never thought they'd end up being banished from their own pack, their family, just because they were less like that.

Once the taxi came to a spot, they thanked the driver quietly handing them the money that was required before they grabbed their bags and lugged them out of the back seat, a soft struggled huff escaping their lips as their thin and petite frame struggled a tad the drag everything out. They shook their head gently and slowly made their way closer to the packhouse, dropping their stuff on the step and sitting down for a moment to gather their strength, rubbing their forehead a tad as they watched more people arrive, face flushing a bit with nervousness and their pale skin blemishing out of anxiety- they weren't the best with new people but they had hoped for a good start with everyone, they were friendly after all they just hoped they wouldn't be a burden to the others.

They flinched slightly as they heard an argument ensue close by, ending in the slamming of a car door- they wouldn't say they were surprised, as tensions with possible family members would definitely be high, but yelling and loud noises was something that generally just shocked the smaller werewolf. They kept their eyes averted from the person, not wanting to bother them or embarrass them at all- focusing their attention back on other people that made their way into the drive way.

[senna_]

[❀] 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐆𝐈𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄 ──────────
xxxxx''''''she/her . the forgetful . loc; pack house yard tags; ethan

Waking up in the new packhouse was something Maggie Rose had yet to get used to. It was not a large difference from her old one, yet, at the same time, the absolute opposite of it. Leaving her pack ─ her home ─ was not something she had written out in her “to-do” list, and yet, here she was, miles and miles away from her family. Maggie had done an impressively good job at keeping quiet on the matter; even now, a good fifty-odd hours later, she had yet to make a verbal complaint. Since the shock of it all still seemed to course through her veins, she had done a fairly good job at stating that this was for the best. I’m putting myself out there. Whatever “there” implied. Oddly enough, ever since Maggie’s arrival, she hadn’t felt homesick. Perhaps she hadn’t had the proper chance to feel it, though; there was so much to do. Or maybe she was in denial. There were shockingly few people at the house when Maggie first arrived, and while a few more had trickled in since she had settled (but had she really?), it wasn’t even possible to compare it to her old home. Home. That word felt foreign, bitter, and forbidden to say ─ or think, in her case. She didn't quite know what was home and what was not. All that mattered was that she had a roof over her head... for now.

She was pulled back into present time by the sound of a nearby thump, which was likely a car door. With a hum to herself and an exasperated shrug of the shoulders, Maggie rose to her feet. She swiped her hands along the sides of her pants, squinting her eyes against the shimmery rays of sunlight as she peered out the window. She felt isolated, despite having been inside her room for no more than a mere hour or so. Turning sharply, arms lashing outward at the momentum she picked up, she exited her room, still humming slightly at herself as she carried herself towards the back door. The house was empty, or practically so; it felt haunting, as if someone was hiding amongst the shadows; or behind the walls, waiting to bang on them and send her right into a struggle with an unbearable heart attack; or maybe even in the cupboards, where they could extend their arm and grab onto her ankle and pull her into the world of deep, dark, grungy nothingness. Maggie knew she had a growing imagination, but in a place like this, it seemed like anything was possible. And one could never be too cautious.

Except maybe Maggie herself, who managed to wrap herself around these extreme theories to such a degree that she usually ended up forgetting how it all started, and what it was she was supposed to be fearing. Such as right now. As she slid open the back door, she couldn’t rid the small frown that had crept up onto her lips. In one fluid motion, she spun herself back around, hazel eyes skimming the kitchen with a suspicious look plastered across her features. Silence greeted her once again. She tilted her head back, then dropped to her knees, lowering her head to the ground to peer underneath the countertop. Of course, nobody was there. Then why was she so anxious? Once more, the word homesick floated in her mind, but Maggie refused to buy into that. The small town reminded her a lot like her hometown back in Alberta; it wasn't as though she had just moved from a big, busy city. So, with a small hmph, she pushed herself back upright and properly exited the house.

The afternoon sun was a relief. Its comforting warmth wrapped itself around her, enfolding her in a snug hug as if they were old friends. “Hello!” she called out to it, opening her arms to embrace the heat like it was an actual object. Smiling to herself, but quickly pressing her lips together so that it turned into a less noticeable, lopsided smile, Maggie set off again. She was most determined to find that stray cat she had seen wandering around when she first arrived. Or maybe it had been a raccoon. Whatever it had been, it looked irresistibly squishy, and Maggie now regretted her decision to stay with her bags instead of approaching the poor thing. Her father had been allergic to cats; her mother, never a fan. Maybe that was why fate sent Maggie to Wolf Bay. You’ve gotta get rid of one to have the other. Ouch. Maybe that wasn’t the right approach to this, after all.

Regardless, she still found herself trailing towards one of the bordering bushes. Plopping herself onto the ground, Maggie drummed her fingers against the soft soil beneath her. “Hereee, kitty kitty,” she cooed, knowing all-too-well that there was no way that would summon what could very well not be a cat, but doing it nonetheless. She crinkled her nose as she caught onto the sound of an obliviously loud rumbling motor, most likely from an old truck. There were so many old trucks around here. Sighing, Maggie slapped her hands onto her knees, then heaved herself up to full height once again. Maybe she could wait out front and see if they’d have any new guests. It seemed she could have more luck that way.

Abandoning the bush for now, Maggie set off once more, a small skip in her step at the thought of meeting someone new. It was pretty unpredictable, who came and who didn’t, but she was always very eager to say her hellos whenever they did come. However, if someone was arriving at this very moment, it seemed they would need someone else to greet them, for her attention was quickly pulled elsewhere. She supposed she didn’t have a say in the matter, though, for Ethan Barnes quite literally filled her entire vision as he stepped up in front of her.

“Oh!” She stood dumbfounded for a fleeting second. Despite having registered his name right off the bat, it took Maggie an extra moment to properly acknowledge his appearance. “Hi! Why is this the first place I’d expect you to be at?” It was certainly Ethan Barnes, in the flesh. She’d met him once, or maybe twice before, but that was enough to get a good idea of who he was as a person. He was the exact definition of “don’t get yourself involved… but also, I’m too charming to resist”, if that was something people went by often. “Okay, let's make one thing clear. I am an adult – and a perfectly good one! I just don't work well under pressure, so naturally, things go wrong. I had good intentions! I just had to babysit Josh — the son of our Alpha's pack, and we went to get ice cream and go to the park... and then he was gone. I swear I'm not a bad person! But seriously, how does one misplace a child? It was fine though, turns out he had just ended up bumping into a friend and they went wandering around the mall next door, but of course the little brat jumbled up the whole story and... Clearly, he’s a very convincing person. Or maybe it was because I misplaced the Alpha's wedding band. Whatever the case may be, it's fine. I'm fine. The place was... toxic... anyway.” She frowned slightly at her rambling, even though it certainly wasn't uncommon for her to do such a thing. She brushed it aside with a question of her own; “Why are you here? Who did you pick a fight with this time?”

[stranger danger]

───x✯ 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 ❝ 𝐉𝐎𝐘 ❞ 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐃 ✯x───
WHERE? pack house yard ✯ WITH? lyra ✯ WHAT? open

paris really couldn't believe his life had gotten worse. like, all of the forces of the universe banded together to make sure that paris joy harold never felt happiness ever again. he didn't get heavily ill, or amass a huge amount of debt, no, this was irreversible. this life was absolute. he could never be human again, could never see his mother again, or participate in typical society - he'd never thought that he could possibly be upset about that - his whole life, snatched from beneath him. to be honest, paris doesn't totally remember what events lead up to him being turned wolf, he just, woke up one day in his pack's home, restrained to the bed, clothes in tatters. he felt an unusual itching beneath his skin, a burning low in his gut that he couldn't quite place as anything except for hunger, a scorching, unyielding hunger. what was told to him within the next few minutes made him howl and thrash, fighting against his new packmates as they pressed him into the bed. none of this was his choice, or his fault. why was he being punished for it?

paris spent the next day staring out of a window, trying to ignore the heavy disgust he felt for himself and the others around him. how was he supposed to deal with this? everyone in the house was a stranger, and he was told he couldn't go seek out his mother or any other family he may have for their "safety". yeah, right. with no where else to go all of the things he was thinking and feeling turned bitter, curdled into a dark and relentless feeling of helplessness. if he had to suffer, so did everyone else.

it doesn't make much sense to him how much he delighted in making others upset, but, not much in paris' life made sense anymore anyway. he snapped at the heels of his packmates, talked back to his superiors, did everything in his power to make sure everyone felt how he felt - if they didn't want to see through his eyes he'd make them see. no one could have a peaceful day so long as paris was around. a few of his packmates started using his middle name as a nickname, which only set the newly turned wolf off even more. "good morning joy," or "how are you joy?" of course, it didn't work in their favor because it only served to piss paris off even further.

one evening he was called to see their leader, who narrowed his eyes upon paris' arrival. it took everything in him not to snarl, or huff indignantly. no, paris could tell he was already in a ton of trouble. the events following lead to paris being exiled to learn to accept who he now was, and stop trying to make everyone else share in his misery. to keep him from running off, paris was escorted back to his room and watched as he packed his bags, then taken down to a car which drove ever deeper into the woods. now, he sits in his new room, somehow hating his life even more as it got endlessly worse.

it wasn't all too bad, maybe, as he knew a few of the faces in the house already. lyra, for example, one of the few who brought him solace in his earlier days. they offered tidbits of advice, listened to him and did her best to help him adjust. seeing them upon arrival was a little jarring - they'd seemed to be so well adjusted. now he pads down the stairs and walked briskly towards the front door, trying to avoid any other interaction. approaching lyra in the yard, he gives a strained smile, surprising himself.

"lyra," he chortles, "can't believe you got shucked out here too." his voice is unusually warm, face open and inviting.

wc: 646