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[azhefa.]

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it was a bit much for the loner when the male from before and the female stuck around, her ears kept perking and folding back in her unease. rory snorts at the redhead's offer of getting spare clothes, as if she would wear some stranger's clothing, she doesn't like smelling like anyone else but herself. when the front door opens and a young man appears with a knife in one hand, rory's hackles rise a bit, but soon settle as johann explains the situation to the dark-haired man. it seems she wasn't very welcome here, the female wasn't keen and now this dark haired man seemed to feel the same way.

when johann mentions hunters in the area, rory couldn't surpress the shiver that ran through her. she's met plenty of hunters during her time as a loner, many of which were the source of some of her scars. like the star burst shaped one on the back of her right shoulder where a bullet had struck, luckily it was a simple slug that was easily removed, but it still didn't feel great.

it was much less tense when the girl and the redhead went inside, followed by the angry looking man with the knife. with them gone, rory relaxes slightly, though was still a bit tense and unsure. the loner steps back when johann decides to squat down to get to her level, her head held low as she eyes the man. her ears fold back as he groans and shakes his head before speaking, which makes her ears perk back up. it was nice to see that he wasn't about to try and force her to shift, several had tried before and i always ended with her alone again.

she listens to johann as he stands back up and starts to speak, explaining a few things to her such as no fur in the house which makes her snort a bit of a laugh. at the mention of a woodshed, her head cocks a bit to the side curiously and she turns to look in the direction he motions towards before heading towards it. it was a nice little shed, big enough for her yet small enough to feel like a den which her inner wolf was very pleased with. she had always preferred smaller quarters such as closets or sheds, they felt much safer than a big room with too much space. rory noses open the partially closed door and wiggles her way inside where she sniffs around before circling like a pup and curling up in the tight space. a deep content sigh slips out as she settles and hides her face under her bushy tail. since it was so dark in the shed, she melts right into the shadows as if she was never there, a big ball of dark fluff.

location; driveway > shed ● mentions; others ● tags; johann

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[kanni]

𝕏𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕒𝕣|𝕃𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟; ℂ𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕟|𝕋𝕒𝕘𝕘𝕖𝕕; 𝕊𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕒, 𝕁𝕠𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕟, 𝔹𝕣𝕦𝕟𝕠
Xaviar nodded shortly at Johann's response, attention quickly ripped away by a shirt to the face and Bruno's stern voice. He could have sworn that the dark haired man hadn't been on property, but perhaps Xav's nose had been distracted by the variety of new smells that the black female had brought with her. Either way, he couldn't quite quell the little burst of happiness at seeing the other man, pulling the shirt over his head to free up his hands and his gaze. Anytime he saw any of his packmates he couldn't help but feel a weight he hadn't been aware of lift from his shoulders, no matter if it was befitting of the situation or not. It was just one less person to worry about, one less person to stay up for stressed and tired, and one less person to think thoughts he shouldn't about. The wolves could handle themselves just fine, but the ginger cared too deeply for them to not worry at all. He directed his signature toothy smile at Bruno, aware that the black female had moved away from the group and there was nothing he could do at that point.
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"Coming, mother dearest. " The ginger sang, hands dipping into his sweatpants' pockets as he sauntered up the stairs to stand just a few inches above the slightly smaller man. "Welcome back my dude. Or did you ever leave? What am I saying of course you did I watched you. Where did you go? How did you get back without me noticing? I bet you teleported. That reminds me, I want to keep playing portal, do you think I'll have time before dinner?" Xaviar trailed off to continue the train of thought silently, aware that no one probably wanted to hear him speak his mind at such a rapid pace and about weird things. He bumped his hip gently against Sasha's as a silent thank you for the shirt, grin still fixed in place as he looked down at her as well. It was nice feeling tall, and nice being next to two people he cared about deeply. He could only hope that eventually he and the female they were deciding to bring in would eventually develop a relationship similar to this - or really any at all. Even if she disliked him, Xaviar planned on making it known that she was pack, and pack was everything to him and so was she. As Sasha began tapping him, the ginger glanced over to Bruno, raising one eyebrow as a way to forward the question before he began to move into the house. Of course, should he want to stay where he was, there wasn't really any way for Sasha to move him in all his bulk, but Xav never minded following anyone around as long as it meant he was sticking with the group.
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Things still weren't good, not in the slightest - he was more than aware of the distress nearly oozing from Lyall and Dakota's rooms and could certainly sense their pain - but it was still nice to watch something as domestic as Sasha prepping food. A box caught his eye, and as the ginger leaned over the blonde's shoulder, he smiled at the sticky note he found. Perhaps some pizza would help keep his mind off things.

[Stargazer3000]

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Johann Vidar | tagged: Rory, | location: pack cabin
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Johann trailed after the lone wolf as she made her way towards the shed, his eyes rarely straying from her form lest she decide to try something foolish - trust was hard to come by these days, and Johann wasn’t about to give his full confidence so quickly. Within moments they had arrived at the small shed, the bits of paint of the outside starting to peel off slightly, showing the age of the shelter. But this was no deterrent to the new wolf who immediately made her way inside the tight space as the ghost of a smile flitted quickly across Johann’s face, disappearing as quickly as it had emerged. After a pause to make sure that she was settled, the alpha cleared his throat, once again squatting down to be on level with the loner.

“I’ve got to go back to the pack. It’s been a...long day, so I don’t think that right now would be the best time to meet everyone - but we’ll introduce you to them soon.” Here he paused for a second, before pulling the blanket out from under his arm, and placing it on the ground next to the black wolf. “I mainly use this blanket for bonfires and the like, so most of the pack member’s scents are on it - you can use it to help you adjust and get used to their smells,” he suggested, gingerly nudging it closer to her as he spoke. After one more beat, he continued in a firmer voice, “My pack is my family. And while I believe that you’ve submitted to us, things haven’t been easy here for a while, so just...give us time and we’ll do the same for you,” Johann finished, rising to his feet.

“I’ll bring out something later for diner,” he called over his shoulder as he trotted back up the steps towards the cabin. As he drew closer to the back door, Kota’s scent drifted towards him, comforting in its familiarity but heavy with grief, the undeniable smell of sorrow seeping through the wooden exterior of the cabin. Johann’s heart broke for the beta, and for his brother whose scent lingered in the air as well, and as much as he wanted to hang in the warm kitchen with Xav, Sasha, and Bruno, he instead made his way deeper into the house, ready to do what he could for his family.

[Stargazer3000]

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Jo‘s gaze was so firmly fixed on the blonde that she wasn’t fully aware that she had been removed from her prey until it was too late for her to latch back on. Immediately a panicked cry warbled up from her lips, taking out the last of the air in her lungs and replacing it with a tightness in her chest that she was certain wasn’t about to leave any time soon. They were going to be so mad at her. Whatever words the man uttered fell on deaf ears are the wolf quickly lapsed back into a world of her own, her hands twitching violently, and her head involuntarily snapping from side to side as through she was trying to catch sight of some invisible intruder. Even as she as dragged away by Jerold, the smaller wolf seemed unable to register his touch, instead stumbling along blindly behind him as she muttered quiet words of apology under her breath. As she was once again swallowed by the trees of the forest, all Jo could do was sink further into the madness consuming her mind and pray that the pack wasn’t too hungry.

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[kanni]

𝙴𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚢𝚒𝚊|𝙻𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗; 𝙷𝚘𝚖𝚎 |𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚍; 𝚃𝚎𝚖𝚊, 𝙻𝚎𝚘
If looks could kill, Elowyia would have been happy to have Jo dead at her feet. What did she mean, her emotions made her taste better? Something was seriously wrong with the brunette in front of her, and Elowyia wasted no time in gently herding Tema back towards her home as Leo came between them and the deranged strangers. She didn't think she bought the story the man seemed to have built around the pair anymore. Even a totally oblivious tourist would have been able to see there was something horribly off here. Cannibalism at the very least, and something unnatural and quite similar to the lore that was common talk among the townsfolk at the worst. The blonde couldn't help the full body shudder that ran through her as she finally dragged her gaze away from the odd couple and down towards Tema's wrist, not wanting to replace the benevolent protectors in her mind with whatever Jo was.
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Tema's wrist had little pinpricks of blood already squirming to the surface, and Elowyia's mouth twisted down with her delicate brows at the sight. She wished she could have protected her friend better, but Leo was more than capable of handling the two in physical situations where Elowyia was sure to be more of a burden than an aid. She would have to take him out on a hike or to coffee as a thank you for being such a supportive and kind person. The petite blonde was quick to shove her already developing plans to the back of her mind as she tried to focus more on Tema, and the red that began to pool on her skin.
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“You'll be okay, Tema. It doesn't seem like she got you deep at all. I have supplies in my house I'll get you cleaned off and bandaged up." Elowyia murmured, still gently shoving the brunette along the road back to her small home. Though it was old and didn't look like much, it was built in an era of sturdier houses and strength over beauty and could provide sanctuary for the small group for as long as needed. Looking back over her shoulder at Leo, hoping he would follow along and knowing he more than likely would, the blonde hummed unhappily at the sight of the strangers' retreating forms. Why couldn't they ever just get a break?

[kanni]

𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚝 𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚙 𝚂𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚎 : )

[Ashton_99]

<<Dakota M. Calhoun>>
○ Pack Member ○ ♀ ○ 26 ○ Pan ○ Location: Cabin ○ Tags: Open ○

The entire weekend, nothing but the occasional muffled sounds of movement came from Dakota's room. The door never opened, she didn't speak. She slept through most of the day and rarely moved when she was awake at night or in the early hours of the morning. She could feel the stick of grime and sweat on her body but even that didn't get her out of her bed for the few days after Jacob Crane's death. By the time she'd gotten up today Dakota could tell you each and every detail and imperfection in her ceiling since she'd spent so long looking at it. The pendant still dug into her palm but it didn't hurt anymore, it was comforting now.

Weakly, Dakota rolled on her side. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, it was morning now. Not that any light filtered in through the window with the blinds securely closed. Tucking her greasy hair out of her face, she shifted to sitting up. Every limb was heavy and all of her muscles where complaining at the sudden use. She didn't have the capacity to cry anymore. She'd silently cried for the past two days and couldn't anymore. It was like her tear ducts and simply dried up. Setting her bare feet on the floor, a shiver ran up her spine, the coldness was expected but still chilling anyway.

Wrenching herself to her feet, Dakota let out a long drawn out sigh. She shuffled to her dresser but her progress was instantly stalled when the first thing she saw was the belt she wore with her uniform left there. It was dumb, she thought, that that was the thing that made her stop but knowing it was dumb didn't help any. Biting the inside of her cheek just enough to hurt, Dakota shoved the object out of her field of vision and grabbed the first clothes she could find. The ones she was wearing felt just as grimy as the rest of her. Hugging the clothes and a towel to her chest, Dakota's entire posture was one of bitter defeat. 'First the pack lost Lars, and now I lost Jacob too...' there was no finish to the thought, it was just the same thing that had been repeating over and over in her head between newly pain tinted memories.

Silently Dakota glided like a phantom out of her room, down the hall, and through to the bathroom. The shower water was scalding, like Dakota was hoping it'd wash more than just the grime away from her. And it worked, for a moment at least. For a moment she could pretend that everything was normal and fine and that it was just another weekday. Eventually though, she felt numb to the heat and made herself get out. Wiping the fog off the mirror Dakota could only half recognize her own reflection. Bruise looking bags under her eyes, pale gaunt skin, and her mouth stuck in a frown. Changing into what she'd grabbed, Dakota pulled her hair up and finally let herself out of the bathroom. The plan she'd made while awake last night coming to mind for her day.
Dakota is pretty messed up rn huh?

[Stargazer3000]

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Johann Vidar | tagged: Kota (mentions of pack) | location: pack cabin
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Johann sat listlessly on the edge of his bed, fiddling with the stuffed wolf affectionately named Blueberry as he took a moment to just breathe. The weekend had been a welcome reprieve from the seemingly endless chaos, passing in relative quiet at the cabin as Johann gave his packmates space and time to process everything that had happened to them, offering his company if they needed it but never pushing it on them. He had spent much of his days helping with meals (even delivering them to bedrooms and out to the new wolf in her woodshed den) and doing small projects around the cabin to stay busy. His nights had been more restless, spent either tossing and turning or silently padding through the hallways of the cabin, simply needing to confirm and reconfirm that his family was still there and safe. And, more often than not, he paused outside of Kota’s door - had he been younger Johann might had rushed in and demanded that she eat, or shower, or something, but now he simply stood sentry outside her room. He could smell her grief but had refused to intrude upon it, only moving away from her door at the first rays of daylight.

Last night, however, Johann had managed to fall into a fitful sleep, only roused by the sound of running water. While going through the motions of his morning routine, Johann’s eyes had landed on the stuffed wolf Kota had left for him less than a week ago, and he had gingerly picked it up, perching on the edge of the bed where he was now, still staring down at the small animal cradled in his hands. “I think it’s time for you to go back to your owner,” he eventually murmured, rising to his feet - Johann was resolved to respect Kota’s need for space but he was deeply worried for his friend, and was ready to use any excuse that he could just to see her. As he padded out of his room, Johann mentally prepared himself for any number of scenarios to play out, knowing that however she reacted he would do his best to support her; yet for all his planning the alpha was fully unprepared to run into Kota in the hallway.

For a moment he stood stock still, unsure of how to proceed or what to say - her loss was splashed across her face, striking in its intensity, and Johann felt his heart break as he stared as his friend, his Kota in suffering. Wordlessly, he approached her as his eyes roamed across her face, taking in the evidence of her mourning piece by piece. When he was close enough to touch, to smell the scent of her shampoo, to feel the heat radiating off her body, Johann gingerly reached out, slowly tracing up her arm with his stuffed-animal-free hand, eventually resting it on her shoulder as he continued to stare into her eyes, searching them for something. He opened his mouth, but shut it again before any words slipped out - there were no words to express how much he wished he could make it better. Then, all at once, something inside him gave way and Johann moved into action, pulling Kota into him and wrapping his arms around her in a bear hug, pressing his face into her damp hair as he cradled one of his oldest friends, trying to be there for her in the only way he knew how.

[Stargazer3000]

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Farris Sannhildr | tagged: | location: hunter’s cabin
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Farris tilted her head back, a content smile spreading across her features like butter as the morning rays of the sun warmed her face. Even if they couldn’t match the grandeur of nature, the sunrises in town still brought with them the simply joy of golden shadows slowly creeping along rooftops and down empty streets, waking up Cranberry with a soothing certainty. Since the hunt Farris had stopped going on her usual 5am hikes by herself, deterred by all of the unknowns surrounding the hunter’s opponents, and though she felt slightly restless, the unscheduled time had given her the opportunity to review old notes and even slip in a bit more training. And her constant journaling hadn’t stopped, or even diminished, as she spent less time traversing the mountainside - though instead of filling notebook after notebook with observations of the forest, Farris instead turned her attention to the locals, spending most of her time roaming the small town on her own and gathering whatever local gossip she could get her hands on.

The town was buzzing with energy, the latest loss leaving a tense atmosphere to settle over Cranberry like a fog, dense enough that Farris could almost cut through it with her hatchet. She had stepped up her work as much as possible in and around the town, using almost every spare moment to try and track down the killers in their midst and prevent yet another tragedy, determined to not had the blood of one more person on her hands. Farris worked with her customary diligence and single mindedness, but when she had a few minutes of quiet she took full advantage of them, trying her best to stay grounded in the midst of all the chaos. And so, after filling yet another journal with notes, Farris had slipped out onto the porch with her tea and a day old scone to greet the day.

[kanni]

𝕏𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕒𝕣|𝕃𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟; ℂ𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕟|𝕋𝕒𝕘𝕘𝕖𝕕;
He hadn't slept well, at all, but it didn't come as any sort of surprise. His consistently high levels of energy meant that Xaviar couldn't really sleep more than a handful of hours at a time before he had to get up and move. The weekend had been spent avoiding Kota and Lyall's rooms because he wasn't sure how to handle the level of stress and grief they were dealing with and lazing around playing games, so it had been even harder than normal to get any shut eye. At least the extra time spent near vibrating with energy alone in his room had earned him another few hours of progress on his animal crossing town. Now he sat at the edge of his bed staring at his near always open door, watching as Johann and Kota both passed by. He was almost afraid to leave his room, but he needed to get up and move. Johann had mentioned the day before they needed groceries, so Xaviar could use the excuse of "helping" to leave and deplete his energy.
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Not wanting to disturb whatever interaction Dakota and Johann were having, Xaviar decided to do a very smart thing and crawl out of his window after changing into a fresh pair of black sweats and a red tshirt, bringing up a balled pair of socks with him. His slides were past the pair, so he could just go around the front of the cabin. The drop to the ground wasn't terrible at all, considering he was on the first floor and he wasn't that short. The real issue was fitting through, and he nearly fell flat on his face in his struggle, popping through at an awkward angle. Once free, the ginger righted himself and made the short jog to the front of the cabin, locating his slides sitting next to the door once he entered again. Flopping down to the wooden floor, much like a child would, Xav yanked his socks on and then toed into his slides. Instead of standing again, he chose to wait there, leaning against the door as he began messing around with the gameboy he had managed to lose inside the sweatpants at some point. Thankfully it wasn't dead.