[ ☾ ⸺ 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐒 ]

[འབྲོག་ཁྱི]

𝖨x 𝖶𝖠𝖭𝖳𝖤𝖣x 𝖳𝖮 𝖲𝖧𝖨𝖭𝖤x 𝖨𝖭x 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖤𝖸𝖤x 𝖮𝖥x 𝖮𝖱𝖨𝖮𝖭

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☾ ⋅ ─ ⋅ 𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐄 ⋅

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𝖡𝖴𝖳 𝖨 𝖣𝖱𝖮𝖵𝖤x 𝖬𝖸 𝖲𝖮𝖴𝖫x 𝖳𝖧𝖱𝖮𝖴𝖦𝖧 𝖠 𝖡𝖫𝖠𝖢𝖪 𝖧𝖮𝖫𝖤!

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tagging; kit, kodiak, flynn
mentioned; elijah, evelyn
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location; truck
feeling; amused

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Waiting for the others in the hum of the truck, Emily's thoughts turned to everything that had changed in the short time since the incident in town. Elijah and Evelyn had called them safety measures to soften the blow, but to Emily, they had been nothing more than an artificial and cruel limitation on what was natural to a werewolf. It wasn't as if they were simply one or the other, person or wolf — both were integral, and they needed to remain in equilibrium or else there would be trouble. More trouble. And so she had argued, as much as she could from her rank, against the implementation of limitations on shifting. Especially the unfair favour to the hunters — because when did they need the senses and patrols of the fighters more than in situations such as this?
indentindentYet even she had been forced, if reluctantly, to acquiesce to the ruling, but if she happened to see someone shifting without permission, she wasn't about to tell on them. Her beliefs meant these restrictions couldn't be anything other than detrimental to herself and everyone else, when they could have just practiced more care about when and where they took on a different form. Humans could be unbelievably dull, especially when it came to their senses. This wanderer on their territory was merely misguided kin to her, and they needed to be brought into the pack more than anything, not cast out to deal with whatever trouble they were experiencing on their own.

indentindentThe door on the passenger side opened and Emily realized she had been squeezing the steering wheel a little too tightly. She relaxed her grip and turned her head, expecting to see Kit, but it was Kodiak who had made it to the truck first.
indentin"When did calling shotgun stop being sacred?" she laughed, then reached out to turn up the heating a bit. Just about as much as the truck could take without combusting. Small droplets of rain pattered against the windshield, sparsely, but enough to carve little rivers downward. She nodded a thanks for the heads-up about Flynn, settling further back in her seat to wait for their missing passengers — and she didn't have to wait for long. The passenger side door opened again, and when she saw the smile falling from Kit's face, she guessed what was going to happen right as he began clambering over Kodiak. She grinned at first, then cringed as Kit's shoes leveraged off the seats.
indentin"Hey, don't mistreat my baby!" she called out, deliberately ignoring their battered healer in a gag that was extremely funny to herself (and possibly only her), and brushed at the fabric of the seats with the back of her hand, as if it wasn't already worn and barely holding together.

At least Flynn had gotten the memo about being nice to her prehistoric truck, as he politely filed into the remaining seat at the back. Emily glanced up at the rearview mirror to check that all limbs were inside the vehicle, before pushing the stick into drive and turning the truck around, onto the road toward town. Trees began to whip past, alternating with small fields and the occasional building. Eyes on the road, one hand on the wheel, she waved Evelyn's list in the air to draw everyone's attention.
indentin"Where do you guys wanna head first? I think we should do the groceries last." They didn't need another spoiled food incident, or else it could be the last time they were allowed to run errands without adult supervision.

[Consulting_Angel]

Flynn Johnston
25 | Male | Omega
Location: Kitchen -> Truck
Tagged: Kit, Kodiak, Emily

As he ate, he tried not to listen into Elijah and Evelyn's conversation, but it was almost impossible not to. It didn't help that he was nosy. No shifting unless it was for hunting... well, he didn't particularly mind that rule. He could not play guitar or skateboard in his wolf form. But it would look funny. He decided to file that idea away for later, for when after it would be safe to shift again.

He refocused when Kodiak got his attention and invited him out into town. Flynn perked up at this invitation - he'd almost thought it would be too late to go. He nodded eagerly in response, the other werewolf leaving shortly afterwards. He hadn't been out in a while, after all. And he could do with getting some more guitar strings and maybe a new amp cord to use as a spare - his one seemed to keep going missing. One time, he'd found it hidden behind a radiator. He knew he hadn't been anywhere near it with the cord, so how it managed to get there was a mystery. Good thing he had found it, though! It meant he could connect back up to his amp again. And a spare meant he wouldn't have to spend half an hour looking for it when it inevitably goes missing again.

He started to eat a bit faster, grinning when Kit came over and gave him a good-natured hit on his back. "Sure does! I'll be there soon." Flynn replied, and he quickly finished up his cereal, then stood up to take the bowl to the sink. He washed it up, along with a few other things that had been left in there - spoons, a mug, and a plate - and set them on the drying rack, figuring there wasn't much point in leaving them for someone else, and it only took a few minutes to do anyway. He darted out of the kitchen, and up the stairs two at a time so he could grab his skateboard and pull on his shoes - a pair of black hi-tops. He hesitated over a roll of duct tape, before relenting. No, Flynn told himself, he did not need it. Well, maybe he did. No, no. He didn't. He did not need to tape himself or someone else to anything. Yet.

Flynn slid down the bannister on the way back down, and made his way out the door, shouting a, "Bye everyone!" as he did, and then to Emily's truck. "I'm here!" he announced, and got into the truck, being careful as he did so. He probably would have dived in, if not for the fact that he was holding his skateboard, and had also once accidentally dented the truck when he'd tried to jump over it while on said skateboard. The aftermath of that was not something he wanted to risk repeating.
"Oh! Can we go to the music store first? I need to get some guitar strings." Flynn requested.

[Rae'tia]

ϟ 𝙽𝚊𝚖𝚋𝚊 "Raijin" 𝚂𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚞𝚎 ϟ
thirty-three | male | omega
location: Forest | tagged: Open

indentation Raijin couldn't honestly care less that he was breaking the "no shifting unless you're hunting" rule. One could say he was following the rule, well more like bending it was more truthful, but well to-may-to to-mah-to and all the crap. Coming to a stop a thought crossed his mind, and tensed as he shook his head to dislodge the horrid thought. It won't happen. I won't lose this pack, I won't let it happen. As much as he hadn't wanted to get attached to this pack, it was happening. Slowly, but he was getting there. He might not like everyone in the place but, well the chances that everyone would get along was minimal and honestly, that would be the oddest thing in the world. He let out a wolfish chuckle, I probably would have ended up getting everyone checked out by a priest or something.
indentationThe silver-flecked werewolf mentally returned to his idea of practice hunting. He wasn't aware of how much meat they had, or if they needed any, as he hadn't really paid much attention to Alice's and Elijah's conversation. So, he wasn't sure if it was mentioned or not, but he figured that if they did need some, Alice and the other hunters, Val and Soren would make an appearance. Raijin wasn't sure if he would be welcome on such an expedition, but he could at least offer his assistance, to get some real experience in today. Otherwise, he'd probably spend a large amount of time in the forest doing catch-and-release hunting. speaking of hunting... he mused, as the familiar scent of hare wafted into his nose. It was dainty as ever, smelling of moss and various herbs like they usually did. Now Raijin wasn't an exclusive meat eater, a balanced diet was the key to staying healthy after all, but hare meat was always so strange to him.
indentationHuffing before continuing forward, slowly trailing after the scent - which was thankfully leading him away from town and the big house. As much as he didn't care much for the rules, he didn't want to get caught bending them, or at least not that particular rule. Determined to not be a scobberlotcher or cumberworld, he returned his focus to his self-appointed duty of the day. As the scent got fresher, Raijin lowered his body in preparation for the hunt, his tail that had been wagging slightly stilled as his prey came into sight. Swallowing roughly, he froze as the hare looked up from its grazing. His muscles trembled with strain as he stared at the creature, relaxing as the hare returned to its meal. Those long grasses it was eating wouldn't be it's last meal, but it probably wouldn't return to this area again for some time after his little game.
indentationBelly brushing softly against the ground, he stalked forward before straightening up a little and pouncing forward. The hare let out an ungodly sound as he gently grasped it with his teeth. It was a careful balance, strong enough to hold it so it couldn't escape his hold, but gentle enough that it shouldn't hurt itself. Unfortunately, wolf teeth were made for hunting, so it didn't take much to draw blood. Dropping the comparatively little creature he tasted a drop of blood in his maw, he backed up and shook his head as the hare sciurid away. Well, I hope it's not hurt too badly. He grimaced with a soft mental sigh. Well, at least that hasn't faded. But a hare wouldn't keep me full, but if worst comes to worst I'll head to Yellowstone and feed off what leftovers I can snag from... well everything. Raijin shook his head, his mind returning to his painting. Oh. Oh, crap! I didn't lock the door! Swinging around, the werewolf turned around in the direction of the big house and stood frozen. I have to go lock my door! I don't need those rakefires rummaging around in my room! Unfortunately, Raijin couldn't bring his body to move just yet.

wc: ~ 671

[mtuan,]

.. 𝐇𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄-𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍. 𝙉𝙊 𝙁𝙍𝙄𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉, 𝙄𝙈 𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙍𝙎 !!
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(tags) emily, kit
, flynn
(misc.) 726 words

mtuan, kim mtuan

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𝐀
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𝐊
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𝐊

The flick of the muffin crumb from Kit causes Kodiak to roll his eyes fondly at his buddy, wanting to laugh a little, despite the teasing 'tsk' that leaves his lips instead. Brushing off the practically nonexistent piece of food, Kodiak shrugs his shoulders, his tongue pressing against the inner wall of his cheek, "Pfft, yeah yeah- bet you're just covering up for yourself!" his tone sarcastic- mirroring Kit's speech, "I bet you're the one who spends all his time talking in front of the mirror- you know, confidence boost, before talking to the ladies~." He pauses, a sly grin forming on his face, "Or maybe you just talk to the mirror out of loneliness, how am I supposed to know what you're doing in your room all by yourself?"

When Flynn perks to his invitation, Kodiak's attention, again, finds itself wandering away from Kit. He offers Flynn a quiet smile to that, gestures good-naturedly towards the door with a nod of his head. Only Kit would be getting his attitude, right now (-he's kidding!).

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"When no one actually called shotgun and the kiddo's late to the party." he laughs softly along with Emily, humming contently when the engine picks up and warm air puffs through the vents of said woman's truck. "Thanks for turning up the heat, otherwise we c-" Kodiak's thought cuts when the door of the truck swings open, Kit's face coming into view- smiling first, but not for long. The healer eyes the way his fist balls at his side, wanting to quip how he looks like that one pic he saw once. The one where the kid stood there with his balled fists- yeah, Kit looked like the kiddo with his fists balled, right about now.

"Aw, if it isn't Kit!" He gestures towards the backseat, but much to Kodiak's despair, but not surprise, the boy begins to climb over him, whacking him in every direction damn near possible. A series of 'woah', 'hey' and 'watch it' sputtered in between each thud or smack against his skin. A particular smack to his cheek and Kodiak nearly throws Kit over into the backseat, let him tumble for all he cares- the fighter could handle it, Kodiak was sure! "If you break something this time, Kit, it's not my responsibility!"

"You heard Emily, don't mistreat her baby, either!" Kodiak can't help but quip, despite not a moment later that the other fighter was happily bemused by the entire debacle. Clearly not standing with Kodiak here- not that the healer took Kit very seriously either at the moment. From the corner of his eye, Kodiak catches Kit settling into his seat, but his head turns towards Emily with a sniff of mock hurt, "Who's side are you on, anyway? I'm the one being beaten up here." 'Course, nothing about Kodiak's tone of voice was very serious at all. The man could barely keep the amused twinkle out of his eyes.

Again, once their last pack mate filed his way into the truck, Kodiak offers Flynn a little wave in greeting, sticking his tongue out playfully at his backset passenger. A 'Sorry, you gotta deal with that one now.' In retaliation to all the hitting that Kit had dealt just a moment or two earlier. Again, all in lighthearted, good fun.

As the engine roars and the truck pulls away from their home and towards the direction of town, Kodiak's eyes follow the lines of trees that fly past them. His attention doesn't turn back towards the driver, until the sound of a sheet of paper being waved in the air catches his ears. He would've said something, if Flynn didn't pipe up first. Instead, Kodiak nods his head, pretends to be in thought for a little longer as well. "Definitely groceries last. Otherwise, this is gonna turn into a very short trip in and out of the markets and that's it." Again, Kodiak could not help himself but to laugh at the silliness of their entire group. A mismatch of personalities, but funny nonetheless.

"The music store is good with me. I also gotta make a stop at the nursery, my sage plant is dying... and maybe a couple new additions could do me some good, too... perhaps we could do well stopping by the pharmacy too. Some over the counter meds and patches."

[Buckeye]

𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐉𝐀𝐇 𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 [ forty-nine | male | beta | heterosexual | location: kitchen; main house | tagged: evelyn ]
⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺
Elijah hummed softly. "Same here. The more information we get, the sooner we can get the jump on whatever is doing this." Or whoever, though that part when unsaid. "I'm none too fond of staying in human form, either. It makes me feel...vulnerable, for lack of a better word." The beta admitted, running a hand through his graying hair. While his health wasn't what it used to be, his wolf form was still far stronger than his human one. The added muscle, speed, and agility always made him feel more alive; more capable of defending himself. It felt like he was a young pup again, even with his fur starting to show the same streaks of silvery gray as the top of his head. "It's for the good of the pack, though. When I accompany the hunters later, I'm sticking to my word and keeping to this form. Sure, hunting with a gun can be more difficult, but if there's one thing I'm not it's a hypocrite. Besides, maybe seeing me keep to the rules too will make things a little easier for them." Elijah pulled out one of the kitchen chairs, taking a seat. "Anyways, do you have any theories what could be behind this mess? You and I both know what that attack looked like, but I want to hear it from your mouth before I say anything more." His eyes darkened with seriousness. "You think the townsfolk are right about it being some rabid dog?"

[a ghost!]

mark𝐊𝐈𝐓

── fighter ── in emily's truck > the music store ── tagging emily, kodiak, flynn ──

markkit sat down in his seat─ that is, the back seat, thanks to kodiak. thinking on it, maybe he should have sat down on top of kodiak, if only for the front seat. But he unclenched his fists and let his hands fall to his seat, wiping them absent-mindedly on his pyjamas and thinking in his head with a smile on his face. the back seat it was. but next time... next time, it was going to be the front seat. this time, though, he didn't want to make trouble in emily's truck. well, other than the trouble of getting into it. it was a miracle to him that it was still up and running. because of that, he didn't try to take the front seat from the healer, though he wanted to. what he did in its place was glare at him from the back seat, the look on his face showing his determination and none of his anger─ maybe some of his anger, but just some. there was no bite to his bark. “𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 i'𝗺 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂.”
markbut hearing emily's voice from the driver's seat, a wide-eyed look on his face was in its place. “𝗼𝗵! 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆, 𝗲𝗺!” he leaned into the front of the truck from the back, reaching in with his arm to try and help emily's wiping, wiping at the seat and where he stepped on it with the sleeve of his jacket. if he was honest, it didn't look like his stepping on it did something to it. well, something new to it. the seat was just... like that, old and holding on to its life with its fists clenched, with or without his stepping on it. maybe it was a miracle and a half that the truck was still up and running. still, he did his job of wiping the seat and then looked at it with a nod of his head, like he did a perfect job. to him, he did, but the seat looked the same. “𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲! 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗵?” he hit emily's shoulder with the back of his hand, gesturing at the seat before he leaned into his.
markwhen flynn opened the door to the truck and sat down in the seat next to him, kit sat in the corner of his seat to make room for flynn's skateboard in the seat in the middle, with a nod of his head in the place of a 'hello' to the omega. then he turned, sticking his tongue out at kodiak in the same playful way the healer did before kit turned to look out the window, where he added on a gesture with his hand that we can't show to the camera. but still, it was a playful gesture, and he was hiding the smile on his face.
mark“𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀. 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿? 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝘁𝗼𝗼? 𝗶 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽, 𝗱𝗼𝗰.”

markit didn't take long for them to get to the music store, the truck parking in the parking lot in front of the building. the building itself was old and not something big or grand, but the windows─ two of them, one on either side of the single door ─were big, taking up nearly the entirety of the wall they were on so that he could look into the store. and it didn't take long for kit to open the door to the truck and close it to go into the store. he should have unbuckled his seatbelt first, but he didn't have to unbuckle something he didn't buckle in the first place.
markwhen he opened the door to the music store, the lights on the inside were warm, and a song he didn’t know played on the speakers that filled the store. it didn't just have instruments on display; the dark purple carpet floor of the music store was lined with rows of vinyl albums, t-shirts of bands hanging on the walls alongside posters, and shelves full of vinyl albums and cds. it was kind of cluttered, with something to look at everywhere he turned, but it was kind of cozy all the same. with a hum of thought, he wandered here and there in the store, running his fingers along some of the strings of the guitars hanging on the walls with the posters and t-shirts. why didn’t he visit here more often?
markhis eyes landed on a drum set on display in a corner of the store, and he sat down in its seat, deciding to give it a try while he was here. he picked up the drumsticks and─ the disjointed beating of a drum, like a child playing with a bowl, and the clang of a cymbal followed. oh, that’s why he didn’t visit. he didn’t have the talent... but maybe his lack of rhythm was a talent in itself? that, and he had a talent for breaking instruments. that had to count for something. it didn’t take long for him to give it up, placing the drumsticks back down, and he leaned in to set his elbows on the drum set and look at his pack wandering the store, humming still to the song playing through the speakers.

[འབྲོག་ཁྱི]

𝖨x 𝖶𝖠𝖭𝖳𝖤𝖣x 𝖳𝖮 𝖲𝖧𝖨𝖭𝖤x 𝖨𝖭x 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖤𝖸𝖤x 𝖮𝖥x 𝖮𝖱𝖨𝖮𝖭

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☾ ⋅ ─ ⋅ 𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐄 ⋅

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𝖡𝖴𝖳 𝖨 𝖣𝖱𝖮𝖵𝖤x 𝖬𝖸 𝖲𝖮𝖴𝖫x 𝖳𝖧𝖱𝖮𝖴𝖦𝖧 𝖠 𝖡𝖫𝖠𝖢𝖪 𝖧𝖮𝖫𝖤!

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tagging; kit, kodiak, flynn
mentioned; the top dogs, the big cheeses
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location; truck > music store > [ spoiler ]
feeling; i just want a little nibble

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Emily snorted at Kodiak, all the while idly picking at a rip in her jeans.
indentin"You're both equally terrible," she jabbed, with evident fondness. "Besides, you know I beat Kit in training every time. He just needs an outlet for all that pent up disappointment, and unfortunately, the outlet is you." Her tone remained light, even as she was more than aware that she would likely be paying for the remark in the future, sooner or later. Probably sooner, considering the distance between the front and back seats wouldn't be enough to shield her.
indentindentTruth be told, they were closer to evenly matched even if their techniques differed, and to her, all of their competition was friendly. The point of any training was to protect the pack after all, and they seemed to have no disagreements when it came to the importance of it. Emily didn't like talking about this particular aspect of her upbringing all that much, but in her pack of origin, she had been trained to kill fast in order to defend and minimize injuries. It was merciless, and it was what her brain still fell back on when things got serious, but training with the other fighters in Dagmire had taught her ways to pacify rather than kill. She was thankful for that.
indentinHer voice became more sincere, if still amused, as Kit sacrificed his sleeve to brush the dirt off the seats and thwacked her shoulder to show off his work: "Thanks Kit." As beat-up as the truck was, it really did matter to her after its years of loyal service. It had come with her to Dagmire, and she had long since had to come to terms with how it wouldn't be making the trip out with her. Then again, she had little intention to ever leave Dagmire, so maybe she could entertain her delusions about the truck even making it through this winter for a while longer.

indentindentEmily kept her eyes on the road as everyone in the truck began to chime in with their thoughts, and started forming a mental list of the stops they would be making. Atop all of this hovered Elijah's reminder about another goal, about keeping their ears open for news in town when it came to the attack. Emily herself was keen to know, perhaps for reasons that slightly deviated from those of their leadership, but the information would be the same in any case. The only aspect that sent a single thorn of urgency pricking at her insides, was the knowledge that time mattered here. The longer it would take them to understand what was at play, the more damage could be done in that time.
indentin"Alright so music store, nursery, pharmacy, then groceries," she repeated, partially for her own benefit but also so that everyone would be on the same page about their plans. The thought of splitting up and getting things done faster crossed her mind, but she didn't bring it up; frankly, this trip wasn't about efficiency to her, and she didn't feel like running errands alone when the chance to spend time with her packmates was right there. It would be much less dull together.
indentindentShe deftly folded up Evelyn's list with the fingers of one hand, and tucked it back into the safety of her pocket so they could check later if they had missed anything. Most of the items could be found in the grocery store, according to her quick scan, but the pharmacy would also be a necessary stop, and not just for Kodiak's things. As the trees kept passing, then slowly turning into smatterings of houses on the outskirts of town, she began to make idle conversation. Silence never seemed to be uncomfortable between them, but neither did she feel the need to keep her inconsequential thoughts to herself.
indentin"Do you think I should get something for myself at the nursery? Feel like my room could use some green or something, or else I'll miss it too much when it starts snowing in earnest." She had no misconceptions about how long a plant in her care would stay alive, but maybe if she got something hardy enough, it would make it through the winter months, until green things would be sprouting up again outside.

indentindentEventually, the road took them into the town proper, and it wasn't difficult to locate the music store after so many times driving by. She parked out front, then waited for everyone to get their things and climb out before following last so that she could lock the doors behind them. The truck's keys, adorned with a number of worn accessories, slipped into her jeans' pocket after an idle twirl around her finger. She took a few running strides to catch the door after Kit, then stepped inside once everyone had gathered in the store. While they were still nearby, she sought their attention with a look and a shrug of her shoulder at the back of the room.
indentin"While you find the guitar strings, I'll go talk to a shop assistant and see if they've heard anything about the attack," she explained, in a voice that was hopefully low enough to be paid no mind to by the other patrons. She didn't think there would be any harm in going and simply asking, considering small towns loved their gossip, and if nothing else, she might hear a rumour that could point them in a helpful direction.
indentindentEmily stuck her hands into the pockets of her coat, and took a moment to wander along the aisles of records instead of making a beeline right to the young woman organizing a display of CDs near the back wall. She was genuinely interested in the rows of vinyls, and the graphic band tees folded on the tables, but she was here on a mission, and thought it best not to linger too long or else the others would be done and waiting to leave long before her. Emily plastered a polite smile onto her face and sidled up to the employee, but as she caught sight of the piercing on her brow and the curious look in her eyes, she couldn't help the genuine quirk in the corner of her mouth.
indentindentIf she flirted her way through a conversation potentially related to the survival of her entire pack, the others didn't need to know about it. And it was possible they couldn't hear a thing at all, considering Kit was set on murdering some drums nearby. It turned out that the employee didn't know anything about an attack, but she was able to point her in the direction of someone who might: there was a bar nearby, frequented by people who were "into that sort of thing", whatever that meant. Emily returned to Kit, poking a sharp finger into his shoulder to get his attention.
indentin"I got a tip about someone who might know something. The place is just down the street, I'll be back in five," she promised.

indentindentTrue to her words, Emily set right for the door, going back out into the chilly air and continuing down the pavement that followed along the front of the store. It couldn't have been more than a minute of brisk walking and a single turn around a street corner before she spotted a sign resembling the one that had been described to her. She wasn't big on bars, but she had visited a few in town over the years, and this one hadn't been among them. In fact, it was news to her that the place existed at all, but she headed inside anyway.
indentindentThe heavy door thumped shut behind her, closing out the daylight and revealing the dimly lit interior, which was rather rustic and marked by dark wooden tones. There was a kind of stuffy, dusty smell in the air that set her on edge, but she didn't allow the feeling to dig its claws into her skin, and walked to the counter without hesitation. It felt strange in general to be inside a bar so early in the morning, but it seemed that they served food as well, considering the man behind the counter was busy writing their lunch specials on a blackboard that leaned against the wall.
indentin"Hey," she greeted, and it was obvious that he had heard the door banging on her way in, because he wasn't surprised in the slightest by her presence and turned calmly to her, still wiping chalk from his fingers. What can I do for you? the question came, and as the oppressive feeling lingered, Emily thought it best to get to the point.
indentin"I was told you might know about the attack that happened here recently?"
indentindentThe look on the man's face outright soured, and something began to feel very wrong. His voice was undeniably angry as he began talking about the dangers that lurked just outside of town, about bears, coyotes, creatures that ought all be put down before they would kill again, but Emily could hardly focus on his words, because that was the moment she had decided to look around her, to see what she had really walked into. The old shotguns hanging on the walls, the taxidermied trophies, the photographs of smiling men posing over the bodies of dead animals. Animals they had killed. Every man at the tables here, leaning over their lunches, a hunter. It was almost as if her vision narrowed when she saw it, the stuffed wolf proudly displayed in the corner of the room. A flash of anger burned the back of her neck.
indentindentBut have no fear miss, whatever animal it is that did this, we'll kill it before it does it again. The sounds and sights of the bar leaked back in, just in time for a few cheering agreements and raised glasses from the tables nearby. Before she could stop herself, to think better of it, her mouth opened and the words fell out, like a reflex.
indentin"You're disgusting." Silence overtook the room, and the man was clearly taken aback for a moment, before the anger on his face returned. 'Scuse me? Expletives. Chairs scraping from all around as men stood up from their tables.
indentindentAnd Emily... her thoughts had gone silent, with the exception of a single pounding thread. She could have killed every single hunter in this room and erased this threat to her kind, done away with another problem they had to deal with, this human obstacle that had led Evelyn to restricting their shifts out of fear. Emily wasn't someone who lost control — her relationship of mutual understanding with her wolf didn't allow for it. She wanted to do this. She felt reckless. She wanted to shift, and eradicate this den of monsters before they could kill one of her own. Her hands tightened into fists.

[Consulting_Angel]

Flynn Johnston
25 | Male | Omega
Location: Truck -> Music Store
Tagged: Kit, Kodiak, Emily

Yes! The music store was first - a minor victory that didn't mean anything and wasn't a contest, but Flynn still liked that. And it meant he could get what he needed first and then maybe screw about for the rest of the time they were there. Though maybe he shouldn't split from the group, especially given the recent attacks, even though he highly doubted he'd run into any serious trouble. He was very much tempted to stoke the fire of the light argument between Kit and Kodiak, since it was objectively funny and entertaining to watch the two and their back-and-forth. But... perhaps it was better to not risk any damage to Emily's truck, and he definitely didn't want to be the one to instigate any of that. He couldn't help but snicker about it though.
"Little plant bandages? I would like to see that." Flynn commented.

As they arrived in town and Emily had parked up, Flynn practically fell out of the truck, skateboard under one arm, in his beeline for the doors of the music store. His entrance into the store did not cause much of a reaction - as though the staff were used to his presence and way of entering. Perhaps they were a little more surprised that there was a group instead.
"Okay!" he responded, as Emily mentioned she was going to ask the store staff about the recent attacks to see if they knew anything. He didn't have much investment in finding out that much information about it - if any at all - so he was glad that Emily was taking the lead on that instead.

He knew that he should be just focused on getting the guitar strings, but Flynn decided to browse through the vinyls first. He liked to see whether there was anything new or rare or just particularly interesting. As he flipped through the box of new arrivals that had been set out, he was briefly distracted by Kit attempting to play the drums - to which he laughed to himself about, but he was sure the employees heard more than enough people trying to play that drumkit throughout the day. For him, guitar was where he'd stay at. He hummed to himself as he finished his search through the vinyls, debating to himself as to whether or not he should take a bit longer. He could always tell the others that he'd catch up later... but maybe he shouldn't. Not today, anyway. So, resisting the urge to add at least five vinyls to his collection, Flynn found the guitar strings he had been intending to purchase, and went up to the counter to pay for them.
Once he was finished, he glanced around the store to see what the others were up to... and noticed Emily wasn't there. He hadn't seen her leave, and Flynn suddenly got an odd feeling that something wasn't right. He ambled over to Kit. "I'm ready - where did Emily go?"

[mtuan,]

.. 𝐇𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄-𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍. 𝙉𝙊 𝙁𝙍𝙄𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉, 𝙄𝙈 𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙍𝙎 !!
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(tags) kit,
emily, flynn
(misc.) if I messed up
the chronology, no i
didn't. LMAO
886 words
mtuan, kim mtuan

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𝐀
𝐊
𝐀

𝐊
𝐎
𝐃
𝐈
𝐀
𝐊

The involuntary laugh that erupts from Kodiak is more than victorious as he watches his buddy settle down into the backseat, surely still looking for a sort of payback whenever he could find his opportunity. One way or another- Kodiak was sure this wouldn't be the last time he heard from Kit on the subject of shotgun- and for the record, he was going to squeeze his way into the passenger seat on the way back too- if he had any say in it at all... if they ever got back home, anyway. A trip into town was always rowdy and Kodiak sometimes wasn't so sure they'd make it home on time- or ever. And that quip was nothing less of what Kodiak had expected from the poor boy, stuck in the backseat of the rover, "Oh no- I'm so scared- pfft." The lighthearted confirmation was all anyone surely would've needed to know that the pack's healer was not at all taking any of the current predicament seriously. "We both know you wouldn't hurt me, Kit. I'm the one that patches you up half the time."

Turning towards the driver, eyes sparkling with amusement, Kodiak finds himself chuckling once again- this time, entertained by Emily. "You wound me, ma'am." Feigned injury, of course- and the selected word choice. "So all I'm hearing here is that you set him up for failure so that he'll have to pick on someone else, is that right?" No malice. Not even a hint; the healer found this entire "predicament" all in good fun. Poor Kit, though. The healer spots movement from the corner of his eye soon after that, Kit wiping the dirt off the seats with his sleeve- well. Coming out of this, at least the truck was mostly... intact. Mostly.

As the truck rolled off, Emily's voice ringing into the background, listing off the itinerary for the trip, Kodiak's eyes wandered towards the tree lines. Where just the tips of the trees seemed to blend into a blur against the sky, soft- because their eyes couldn't keep up with the speed of the revving truck. Still got some power to it, it seemed. Not what Kodiak would've expected if not for the care its owner put into maintenance.. sorta. At some point, he hears his own voice hum back in affirmative- that the list was just what they were headed out to accomplish.

White noise fades into comfortableness for just a heart's beat or two longer- and then his attention's brought back to Emily, who seemed to find a sense of content in conversation- Kodiak would agree with her to that. Sure, they could sit in this ol' box of metal in quiet peacefulness, but- Kodiak enjoyed hearing what his pack mates had to say- to say the least. He found a sense of relief in the openness. They weren't strangers, no. But wolves who bonded, one way or another, and sought out company. He found the thought to be endearing- despite the feeling of a gloomy day. Fond. He was fond.

And so Kodiak hums thoughtfully in response- that he's heard her inquiries. "Mhm... I'd say so. Something to keep the color during the frigid months ahead, yeah?" The healer finds himself smiling softly, "Something easy to take care of- won't die if you don't water it enough... the easy suggestion woulda been a succulent but one of those snake plants would do you some good too." Kodiak pauses and then finds himself laughing softly, "Or you can get yourself one of those butt plants- you know, the cactus that looks like a butt. Lithops. But they look like little butts."

Into the music store the motley crew went for their first stop, Kit first, then Emily, and Flynn, filing into the little town store all with their own interests in mind. Immediately, Kit finds himself creating chaos- of course. And Emily seems to slide away with her own agenda in mind. And so Kodiak finds himself wandering into his own world- again, everything else beginning to drown out into white noise as he perused through the shelves of the music store. His fingertips skip over the CDs along the shelves, stopping once they land on a name he recognizes so well. Was familiar with. The music produced by this particular artist was like liquid sunshine- sunshine on a bright day with blue skies and white clouds and green grass to lay in. It warmed Kodiak's heart- the kind that opened your chest and filled it to the brim with little bits of happiness until you were warm to your fingertips. Yeah. That kinda feeling. The young man finds himself picking up two of the CDs off of that shelf. For his quarters ofc.

Blissfully unaware. Would be a good word to describe Kodiak- and likely the other two young men too. As he spotted Flynn with his strings at the counter- Kodiak sets his CDs down next. With the bag in hand, he's the second to shuffle closer to the pair of boys by the drums, a leisure stretch of his shoulders to follow. "Haven't seen her, but she should be fine on her own..." His words trail off for a moment, "But how much you wanna bet that she's found herself some trouble- for fun."

[Rae'tia]

ϟ 𝙽𝚊𝚖𝚋𝚊 "Raijin" 𝚂𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚞𝚎 ϟ
thirty-three | male | omega
location: Forest -> Main house | tagged: Open

indentation After what seemed like literal hours of being frozen in fear, and honestly a vat of other mind-warping emotions, Sessue took off racing frantically back to the main house. Any thought of catch-and-release hunting was long gone as anxiety took over. He wasn't ready for anyone to see his newly finished projects, or the few not yet finished commissions for the varied people in town. The run back to the main house felt both extraordinarily long, but also blessedly short. Throwing his clothes half-hazard back on, not caring to check that everything was put on properly, - his shirt was both backward and inside out - before racing into the house.
indentationCarelessly he swung the door open, and with half a mind closed it as softly as he could. That said, it was still quite loud, but maybe that was just his panic. Rushing past the kitchen and bounding up the stairs, he paused as his door came into view. It was thankfully still closed, and it didn't seem like anyone had gone into it. Finally slowing, he carefully stepped forward and swung his door open, cautiously stepping into his room and surveying the area. Nothing seemed to be out of place, but it wasn't like he'd memorized the placement of everything, so he'd never truly know right. His lips pursed with thought as he looked over his room again, taking a few steps into the room before his gaze fell upon the small shelf he used to store his tarot cards and the like. He blinked in thought, then with a shrug that was both mental and physical, he walked towards the shelf and picked up one of his favorite decks.
indentationHe had collected a few decks after all, but the Luminous Spirit Tarot Deck was his favorite, mostly because it was so shiny, but also because it was the first set that he'd bought. Swallowing roughly, he turned around, snagging his door key, and left his room once more. Making sure to lock his door this time, and putting the key in his pants pocket, Sessue relaxed, though his heart had yet to return to its normal rate just yet. Sighing, he went down the stairs tarot deck clenched in his hand as he turned away from the kitchen area. He needed a relatively quiet area to do this, so for now the living room would do. He didn't bother to look around the room as he entered the living room and instead sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table. Unclenching his hand he brought the deck in front of him and began to shuffle the cards.
indentationThe action was automatic at this point, and allowed his mind to focus on the question he had, Why did the attack happen? A broad question, but it allowed for broad answers, which were easier - for him at least - to interpret, and usually allowed for more specific questions to be asked. After an appropriate amount of time, he drew three cards, laying them each face down. After a few moments of silence and contemplation, he turned over the first card. The Ten of Pentacles, dread pooled in his belly, maybe the stranger that had mauled that poor soul had just shifted for the first time? He then turned to the middle card, and turned it over, Three of cups, a breath of relief. Pack, friendship, happiness. Already feeling better he turned his attention to the last card and turned it over. The King of Swords was unsurprising in all honesty, in this situation, truth and discipline were greatly needed. A teaching moment maybe. That brought him up short. There were many ways to interpret the cards before him, but at least they pointed to a happy future. Mostly, things still had a chance to get worse after all.

wc: 639