☾ ——- ❝ ＥＬＹＳＩＵＭ ❞ — [ closed ]

[guh-huh!]

❛xＣＯＵＲＴＮＥＹ　！
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xxfemale // caribou // feeling: oh, deer. // tagged: vic! salem! reyna! ...mercer. danny?
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xx'xxcaribou, by nature, were pacifists. courtney was not. it just so happened that she could occupy a caribou shift for hours on end, but at the end of the day she was still a human– born and raised. a human that felt, and could regulate emotions other than panic and terror associated with being an animal of prey. emotions that could whiplash to extreme distaste at mercer for even attempting to sully her mood, to the shock and confusion of hearing josie was dead in the most blasé tone that one could use for such a topic. it seemed as if mercer was simply stating a fact of life; that lichen was going to grown on her antlers despite her incessant scrubbing, that raspberry jam just tasted better than strawberry on toast, and that– oh yeah– one of her closest companions was dead.

xx'xxalthough she couldn't express her emotions the way a normal human could at the moment, (and lacked the fingers she desperately needed to accentuate her anger)– courtney let her nostrils flare with disbelief. her antlers shook alongside her head, as she attempted to put some semblance of normalcy on what was just said to her face. it was easy to accept that what mercer was saying was the truth, as the human newcomers did look extremely shaken up over whatever events happened; but it just seemed too out of the blue to make sense to her. it didn't seem right to think that courtney's last interaction with josie would be over some stupid conversation over fruit snacks– she needed closure– she needed something to ensure that she wasn't going crazy.

xx'xxcourtney took salem's words to heart, not allowing herself to shift in front of the humans regardless of what reyna had done without the group. if they knew reyna had shifted, that didn't necessarily correlate with courtney's own abilities or not. she'd gone to law school for a semester before coming to the cabin, she could easily defend herself against whatever questions the humans had to use against her. it might be a little too late to convince the humans they didn't see reyna shift, but courtney could get herself out of most situations if she tried hard enough.

xx'xxspeaking of reyna, the caribou-shifter looked over at the young woman with her large, caramel brown eyes stared into her companion and she flicked an ear in an attempt to garner her attention. if she was going to get an answer about this situation, it was going to come from the only person that was there at the situation that was here and wasn't mercer. with a quick shake of her tail, she beckoned vic and reyna to follow her somewhere they could talk with less humans. salem seemed busy with a helpful hand, but on the other hoof, courtney had no need to be cordial to the humans and their terrible driving skills.

xx'xxmoving one hoof at a time, courtney galloped mildly past the medical shed where they were positioned and instead trotted towards the storage barn. at least there, they could have a moment to themselves to hear not only the full story– but if mercer was really just trying to get under everyone's skin with his terrible lies about death and disintegration of the pack. it wouldn't be the first time. courtney's swore mercer's lied about worse to get out of dish duty, anyway.

xx'xxstanding a few paces away from the shed, courtney finds herself ahead of the others while lost in her own thoughts. her own cloven hooves were much more quick to get her across the trail than reyna or vic's human legs, and she hadn't even thought about waiting up for them with her mind racing like it was. courtney needed the time alone to think, to mourn, to simply exist by herself without–

xx'xxthe lights in the shed turn off, and suddenly courtney isn't alone anymore. she stands upright, lifting a hoof up in the air as her ungulate instincts beg her to either run– or stand in place as quietly as possible. she chooses, ultimately, to stand as quietly as possible while watching the humans emerge from their own personal shed; something that no human should ever get close to nor open without rio telling them to.

xx'xxwhile courtney's mind was racing, she knew better than to take her eyes off the humans now beginning to spot her shape. ...caribou were considered good luck to spot in the canadian wilderness, she just hopes they don't press their luck too hard and attempt to get a chance at grass-fed caribou jerky.

[guh-huh!]

❛xＦＥＬＩＸ　！
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xxmale // tech wiz // feeling: mental breakdown? in my felix? // tagged: salem + the gang
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xx'xxwhen they finally make their way out of the woodlands and finally into some semblance of a medical shed, it's almost too quiet for felix's liking. there's no steady chirp of crickets or rustle of leaves around to drown out his thoughts, and it's all too easy for him to spiral where he sits. felix cradles his broken arm with his good one as if it could cover up the mess in his brain, too. the gruff guy they'd met earlier had said they'd hit somebody, and it sruck him with this perpetually nauseous feeling right in the pit of his stomach for the time being. he sits there, trying to find the guts to actually make himself get up and go to the door, to avoid confronting with whatever waits outside of the door for him.

xx'xxbut then again, there's also his arm. felix has deemed himself a walking liability in this scenario, and he feels incredibly guilty for even being here at all. especially when somebody else was dead, especially when he doesn't even know the fates of his other co-workers or if he even has the worst injury out of them all. he'd been so eager to escape that car after all, what if he could've helped somebody else? the guilt and pain start to eat at him, now suddenly very aware of his grim situation after the adrenaline starts to decline in his bloodstream.

xx'xxhe looks around the medical shed; and while it's not nothing, it certainly doesn't look like the place he should be for setting his arm back into place. it seems akin to the nurse's office at his middle school, where they'll most likely give him an ice pack and let him sit down for a nap. not to doubt the medic that works here, but he's pretty sure that the dinosaur band-aids that stare at him from the corner aren't going to do anything against the bleeding and trauma in his arm.

xx'xxso really, it looks like he's royally, admittedly, 100-percent screwed.

xx'xxso despite the situation and his awkward placement in this office, felix wipes his good hand over his face pathetically and cracks up like he’s never known anything funnier; an eruption of laughter fogging up any other thoughts he might’ve been dwelling on before.

xx'xxit’s funny to think how far away from the person he’s supposed to be he is in that moment. it’s hilarious to think of his family, his dad, his brothers, who've all taught him that giving up or crying is only for losers who can't help themselves: none the wiser that felix had almost died an hour or so ago, and he's so emotionally stunted from his upbringing that he can't even cry from the pain or the predicament. felix doesn't even think his family would reach out to help, even if he called. felix has this tiny, shaking smile and he laughs as though he can’t help it, then giggles some more.

xx'xxuntil suddenly, it all doesn’t really seem so funny anymore.

xx'xx“god, i'm–” the smile drops and his eyes suddenly begin to well with the burn of hot, inexplicable tears. desperately, he looks to drew for some sort of condolence, for some show of comfort that might be just out of his reach. he then turns towards eva, as if mentally asking her if she can believe any of this too. and least of all salem, this guy he just met a couple of seconds ago who is supposed to help him but he can't help but feel like all too much at the moment.

xx'xx“i-i'm, sorry,” his words rasp with sullen emotion, this melodramatic despair that he can’t help but feel is situationally appropriate. "everything hurts and i'm so scared– i don't know what to do."

xx'xxthe last thing he wants to do is ruin anything or have people worry over him, but somehow, time after time, it always seems to come back around to just that. felix feels like a screw up for crying, he truly does. what is he doing? with this moment in time, with his life? disappointment and shame always remain so static and dreadful for him, somehow always just around the corner, waiting for felix’s next inevitable mistake. he shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be doing this. he can’t be. felix stares at his fingers and the way they shake despite his best attempts to settle them.

xx'xxthe few tears that spill over his cheeks then are unexpected, but not surprising. felix doesn’t wipe them away, but just laughs, dry and humorlessly, and braves to look back up at eva and drew. to gauge their reaction maybe, to ask them both nicely to leave so they don't have to see him like this. he doesn't want them to– he feels stupid and pathetic and– broken. his arm is broken and he's somewhere he doesn't know– like a chessboard tipped in advantage of the shadow of god, some things manage to go so awry despite his determination to keep them all together.

xx'xxit happens almost abruptly, emotionally charged and unplanned words bubbling up out of his chest because he can’t seem to keep it all in anymore.

xx'xx"i'm sorry, can you just set my arm back and cover it up?" felix blinks and blinks, the dizziness and pain unceasing as he tells salem, "i don't even care if you have pain meds or anything, i just can't take another second of this."

xx'xxit’s so unnerving to feel so beyond helpless. it feels like his brain is giving up on him, like he’s sleepwalking while still awake. after all, their guide had said they were dreaming earlier– felix just hopes that whenever he does wake up, he won't be in so much agony.

xx'xxslowly, pitifully, and achingly, he puts his head into his good shoulder to try and muffle his own sobs. practically unable to do anything else.

[tawneypelt0504]

✵𝒱𝒾𝒸𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝒶 ℒ𝒶𝓃𝑔𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓃✵
～𝒞𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒶𝓇 𝓈𝒽𝒾𝒻𝓉～ℒ𝑜𝒸𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃: 𝒞𝒶𝒷𝒾𝓃 ➳𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑒 𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹 ～ℱ𝑒𝑒𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔: 𝑔𝑜𝓃𝓃𝒶 𝓁𝒾𝑒 𝑔𝓊𝓎𝓈 𝓈𝒽𝑒'𝓈 𝒹𝑜𝒾𝓃 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉～ℳ𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈:𝒥𝑜𝓈𝒾𝑒(rip), 𝒽𝓊𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝓈𝓆𝓊𝒶𝒹, ℛ𝑒𝓎𝓃𝒶, ℳ𝑒𝓇𝒸𝑒𝓇 ～𝒯𝒶𝑔𝓈: 𝒞𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓉𝓃𝑒𝓎, 𝒟𝒶𝓃𝓃𝓎～

Vic smiled at Courtney as she watched her leave "I'll be right behind you let me just grab a couple supplies" Vic called out to the caribou shifter before quickly dashing inside, and upstairs to her room Hank following close behind. She rummaged around her room for a moment grabbing her hiking pack, making sure she had a couple flashlights, some extra layers, a first aid kit, and one of the presents she got from grandma jack rabbit. Nish had done a lot to teach Vic survival skills so she was fairly confident in her ability to navigate the woods especially at night considering how often she did night time hikes but it never hurts to be prepared. Especially considering she was going out with Courtney, and obviously Vic wouldn't ever let anything happen to her.

It took a few moments but Vic had all her supplies in her back pack, and felt ready to go and face whatever was out in the woods, she eagerly rushed downstairs and out the front door once more but was stopped, in her tracks. Her eyes widened and she unconsciously tensed at the appearance of three strangers right outside the cabin. Vic looked over the strangers one by one all of them looking worse for wear especially that really tall guy good god. She noticed Reyna near them which relaxed her slightly since based on that and their...distressed appearance they likely weren't a threat. Although Vic had other worries namely where did these people come from? Was there more? Why were they all the way up here? No one from the nearby town never came over and these people in front of her didn't really fit the vibe of rural Canadians.

Vic was brought out of her thoughts with the arrival of Mercer and with his sudden brutal announcement Vic felt her mind go blank. "Josie was dead? that's-that's what the noise was, the awful screech, the crunching metal" Vic's thoughts swirled around her mind. Mercer walked right past her and Vic didn't even process he was there, her brain too focused on her sudden revelation. Vic heard Hank whining next to her sensing her distress but he sounded distant like he was in another room entirely. Vic felt her legs give out as she fell to her knees. This caused Hank to whine louder and make a distressed bark. He circled Vic sniffing her face and body as if trying to see what was causing her so much pain. Vic only stared ahead bringing a shaking hand to her mouth as she let out a choked sob, tears finally flooding out of her eyes. "Oh god, oh god it happened again" Vic thought "Not again, please don't let me lose another older sister" Vic begged silently. Vic had considered Josie somewhat of an older sister, with the two of them being big cats Josie had been helpful with teaching Vic how to manage her shift and whenever Vic felt like she had a problem it always felt like Josie was there to help. Josie could never replace Kathrine but having a big sister figure in her life again had brought Vic so much joy and now. Now once again Vic could do nothing but stand idly by as someone else important to her was ripped away from her life.

Vic could feel the same powerlessness she had felt in that hospital bed when the news was broken to her that Kathrine hadn't survived her injuries. Vic remembered how she had screamed as if she was dying, part of her nearly hoped if she screamed and cried loud enough Kathrine might come back to wipe away her tears just as she always did but no, Vic was left alone to cry out for someone who was never coming back. Vic currently had enough restraint to keep herself from screaming but she could do nothing to stop the sobs escaping her. Her hand doing little to muffle her grief, as she mourned one of her dearest friends. Hank sniffed at her face still whining and began licking away her tears and leaned himself against her doing everything in his power to make Vic not sad anymore. Vic hugged Hank holding him close as she wept into his fur.

After a moment of hugging Hank, Vic started to feel semi-grounded, her eyes remained tearful, but she felt like she had feeling in her legs again. Vic remembering Courtney was still in her caribou shift Vic immediately looked for her, Wanting to make sure she was alright. Vic only just caught her girlfriend trotting off behind the main cabin. Vic shakily stood up and wiped her face, letting out a little whimper, and began following Courtney, wanting nothing more than to bury her face into soft reindeer fur and cry some more, or just be held, Vic would take whatever comfort she could get at this point.

Using the flashlight in her bag Vic traversed around the back of the cabin on shaky legs, it felt as though all she could do was sniffle miserably, and try not to trip over her unsteady legs. Hank would dash forward a few feet ahead of Vic, sniffing the air, his body on full alert before running back to circle her. After checking in on her he would then quickly dash forward again, making sure the path ahead remained free of danger. Hank let out a couple barks as they got closer to the storage shed, which Vic assumed meant he was letting her know Court was there. Vic caught sight of Court and felt her heart lighten a slightly sad smile almost appearing on her face until she noticed Court was frozen in place, and Vic frowned wondering what could have startled her. Vic quickly realized the real reason for Hank barking, there was a very tall man standing in the doorway of the shed. She quickly dashed over to the two of them. "Um hello, can I help you" Vic called out her voice all warbly from crying and waved trying to act as friendly as she could in her grief stricken state. This was possibly the worst day of her life but at least she wasn't alone on that based on the appearances of these strangers. Vic glanced between Courtney and the stranger trying to figure out an excuse for why there was a reindeer just chilling in the middle of the woods. "Don't worry about the reindeer she's friendly" Vic patted Courtney on the shoulder, and her hand lingering as if trying to reassure the pretty caribou shifter. Hoping she could convince the man they just happened to have a free roaming reindeer pet, or something. Vic struggled with social interactions at the best of times trying to talk to a stranger in the middle of the night while trying not to break down in more tears, it felt like Vic was in hell, but she was gonna try to help out Courtney. Hank stood in front of Vic regarding the strange man with suspicion.

[kalo.]

│███ 𝚁𝚎𝚢𝚗𝚊 𝙵𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚜 . . . <3
────────────────────── [ wolverine shifter ] [ mentions salem, mercer, delusion gang ] [ tagged court, vic, danny ]

indentindentIt felt like the second Reyna had gotten the three humans back to the cabin all hell broke loose. Mercer had seemingly appeared from nowhere, and between trying to listen to Salem and the angry wolf in front of her she felt her throat go dry. She didn't want everyone to freak out or hate these humans immediately, and seeing how Salem left without much warning only made Reyna's metaphorical ears flatten. She wanted to tell it to Salem slowly, as she knew the news would break his heart. It didn't help that Vic had begun sobbing on the porch, and Reyna felt herself start to spiral down a different rabbit hole. Everyone was upset and crying, and Reyna knew she'd have to try so hard to try and get everyone's spirits up. It felt like she'd been hit by a truck with the news of Josie's death, but that pain and sorrow was pushed deep down somewhere within Reyna so she could work and try and get everyone else on track. She spun around in her tracks to try and at least locate someone a bit more experienced than her, like Rio, but he was nowhere the shifter could see. It seemed she was on her own. At least Salem was coming back to take care of the three humans, and she wouldn't have to keep an eye on them for much longer [even though Reyna truly did. They all seemed about ready to break down and cry and Mercer's comment no doubt made it worse]

indentindentShe felt her nose twitch as the anxiety of the situation came back and she couldn't help but let out a loud groan. She couldn't think of much else to say or do to make the situation better than it currently was, which was typical of Reyna. She could maybe count on her hand the number of times she actually contributed to a conversation and made it productive, or the times when she was told her bubbly antics were too much and she needed to leave the room and let the 'adults' talk. She had to prove at least she could handle something responsible, right? She knew she was doing a good job keeping it all in and making her emotions seem nothing more than positive with a hint of anxiety. If she could just keep this up until she was alone in her room she could make it work. Then she could let it all out, or she could go run off in the woods for a while and come back in the morning and argue she couldn't sleep.

indentindentWhat caught Renya out of her spiral happened to be the large eyes of Courtney's Caribou. It brought a small smile out of Reyna, to know she had at least someone thinking about her. She tried to compose herself again as she moved to the side to let Courtney pass her. She assumed that what Courtney wanted, was for her to follow, but she kept her eyes on the three humans for a bit longer. They looked awful, and Reyna wanted nothing more than to bring them into a hug and tell them it would be okay. That nothing was their fault and they were going to get help and shelter and nobody was going to be mean to them. For a moment she felt as if she was on a tightrope. She was trying to perform a balancing act and juggle at the same time. To make sure the humans were all okay, to pick up the pieces of Mercers' blunt words, and to comfort those who were sobbing currently. Which was more than Reyna liked to admit. She didn't need to add to the mess either. She'd have time maybe later, right?

indentindentFor a moment Reyna felt as if she was back at home. Everyone was moving around fast and not paying her any attention. If she cried they would tell her to suck it up and move on. She'd be forced to hide away and deal with her emotions by herself, as the others were always more important. She should be sad right? So why did no tears bother to threaten her when she thought of everything that had happened?

indentindentAll it took was Vic moving past her for Reyna to shake her head and trot after her. Her feet felt cold, and the cold autumn air didn't help either. She made the executive decision to cross her arms and rub on them, at least generating some sort of friction to make her warm. She would get warm later, the humans had to be taken care of and Courtney and Vic needed help. Or at least she assumed, maybe she was misreading and she was going to interrupt the two shifters in a quiet moment. God, tonight was a disaster and Reyna was about ready to collapse into bed and sleep it all off.

indentindentShe was slower than Vic, but she knew something was up when the Caribou stopped in her tracks and immediately froze it felt like her world was going to come crashing down again. She was slightly behind Vic, so she couldn't see what it was, but hearing Vic speak at least brought a little comfort. So Reyna slowly moved to peak around Vic and there was the one man she didn't want to see.

indentindentDanny.

indentindentIn her panicked state she tried to fling herself back behind Vic, but with her two left feet, she felt herself slip and had to take a few steps to get herself situated. No hiding now at least. She tried to think of how she could avoid this. Keeping her distance was the first, maybe if Danny couldn't see in the dark her features would be blurry. Which brought Reyna to another question, didn't he have glasses? The last time she saw him was roughly five or so years ago, so maybe he got contacts? Either way, she needed to try and keep her distance, but running away right now would only make things worse and Courtney and Vic needed her, right? She wouldn't leave them, that would be wrong. Immediate guilt washed over Reyna knowing she did to Danny what she wasn't going to do to the shifters. Get up and leave without a sound.

indentindentShe cleared her throat softly and tried with all of her heart to keep the panic in her eyes at bay. If she could play this off maybe she could get out of this without him knowing? She had to do something to try and mask her voice to, and maybe a badly placed accent would make it better. No, it would only confuse Courtney and Vic even more and she didn't need them calling her name out and questioning her. It was now or nothing. She needed to just speak and get Courtney and Vic away from Danny. "He must be from the crash. Their van crashed down on the road and Rio is having them come here to get help because lots of them are injured. There may or may not be two dead people?" She felt herself grabbing at the fabric of her shirt and slowly moving to stand a bit behind Vic again. She knew it wasn't like her, to sit and hide behind someone. She was typically the first person to run off into the woods or jump into the lake. She never liked to show weakness, and this was one of the first times her body language was contradicting her words. "Josie is in the boatshed like Mercer said, and I don't know where Rio is but he's going to come and explain everything better and everyone will be okay."

indentindentThe more time Reyna was given to talk the worse she was going to get. Sentences were starting to just fly out of her mouth at a hundred miles per hour, and she couldn't help but know she was digging her own grave as she continued to talk. Everything was flipping on its head and all she wanted was to hide in her room under her blankets before she knew she'd have to get up and leave this place. Forever. "I think they know were real because I may or may not have shifted in front of those three humans that were hurt, but they needed help! So I did what I had to do and Mercer did tackle one of them as a wolf and I think they know that so. If not it's my fault they know but I was just trying to help! You guys understand that, right?" A nervous chuckle left her as she tried to compose herself. She shot another glance at Danny and knew she had to address him before anything. If she could just get him to leave the three of them then maybe things would be better.

indentindent"Salem is going to help the three over by the other shed Danny, if you want you can go over there.. and..." After her sentence slowly came to a stop she couldn't help but realize her mistake. She knew she should have kept her mouth shut. Her brain was running at a hundred miles per hour and now she was going to make things more complicated. She wanted nothing more than to hide behind Vic or to run away at this moment as a wolverine and pretend this never happened. She couldn't help but let another nervous laugh escape her in an attempt to relieve the tension she was building up. She shot Courtney a 'help me' look as she kept her stance behind Vic, too nervous to look Danny in the face after what she did. Maybe he wouldn't hear her, and everything would be okay. Or maybe he'd think someone gave her his name! Or... Or anything. Anything but him knowing.

[chase.]

𝐀𝐀𝐃𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐇 xxxx ♛
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[ bengal tiger ] [ she/her ] [ location - bedroom > kitchen ] [ feeling - a little confused and v tired ]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxAndi groaned, tiredly rubbing a hand over her eyes as she was pulled from her dreams. Last night, the animal in her had decided to emphasise its nocturnal nature, leaving Andi to fight for her lucidness throughout the day, and now, just two hours into the first slumber in thirty six hours, she was being roused again. Life wasn’t fair. She pulled a pillow over her face, dramatically muffling her vocalised discontent. How Rio lived without decent sleep was beyond her, this was cruel and unnatural and—What was that?

She blinked, removing the pillow from her face. There was a soft hum of voices outside. The girl knitted her brows together, looking over at her alarm clock in confusion. She blinked. Then blinked again. What on earth were they doing at gone two in the morning? It didn’t sound like there were just a few of them either. She propped herself up, squinting in the dim light of her bedroom. There were voices she also didn’t recognise. Voices that didn’t belong to any of the shifters she knew. Any hope she had of falling back into dreamland was chased away with a sudden icy gust of fear, strange voices at some unholy hour in the morning was never a good thing. So much for sleep. Perhaps one of these days she would be forced to finally give in to the tiger’s nature and adapt a semi-nocturnal lifestyle. She’d fended it off so valiantly for years now though, daylight was simply too precious to waste—especially considering her favourite people were all diurnal. As much as the feline longed to exist exclusively under the blanket of night, human Andi very much did not. Yet here she was, getting up once again whilst the moon hung at its peak over the cabin. Tiger one, human nil.


With a quiet grumble, she stretched slowly—muscles aching from a restless sleep. There was no screaming outside, no yelling or otherwise hostile language, so it wasn’t urgent enough to scramble down the stairs as a one hundred and fifty kilogram beast. If there truly was danger, she was certain one of the lighter sleepers would’ve come to shake her by the shoulders—if Rio himself hadn’t dragged her off the mattress by her ankles. The cold air brushed against her skin as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, bare feet touching the creaky wooden floor. Her instincts as a predator tingled at the edge of her awareness, but for now she was still more human than animal, moving sluggishly as she stood. A loud yawn tore from her jaw, and Andi swayed precariously for a moment as the blood rushed to her head. It had been so damn comfortable in bed, oh how it pained her to leave it.

Now away from her warm bundle of faux fur blankets, she felt goosebumps pickle down the length of her arms. With a fumbling hand she grasped for the hoodie slung lazily over her desk chair; it was black with a graphic on it that she didn’t quite recognise, probably a band or something of the like. Three days ago Salem had left it unprotected and she had claimed it for herself—he could have it back when she next did the washing. That was the typical compromise anyways. It slid over her frame perfectly, and it helped that she and Salem were the same size, unlike her pyjama pants. Andi looked down, blinking the sleep out of eyes. Nish’s Cookie Monster pjs were hanging loosely around her waist; half heartedly rolled up at the ankles to reduce the risk of tripping over herself. She had dressed for a lovely sixteen hour slumber, not a community meeting in the clearing at 2am. For a brief moment, she considered changing, but the tired haze clouding her thoughts pushed the idea aside. Shrugging, she decided no one would care—if they did, they could look into the amber eyes of a tiger and say it with their chest.

Content with her decision to remain dressed as she was, she ran a hand through her sleep-mused hair and opened the door, stepping into the hallway. The cabin was unusually quiet, the typical creaks and groans of settling wood absent, and the hallway lights on—causing her to wince in response as her eyes adjusted to the harsh ambience. Her fairy lights were tasteful and comforting, quite unlike the blinding yellow of the energy saving bulbs that decorated the hallway. It felt inherently wrong for the cabin to be washed in such jarring light at this hour—at least when she failed to fend off her nocturnal instincts, the cabin had always been bathed in a soothing, natural darkness. It was beginning to feel like that one fire drill she had experienced at university—where she’d first slept through the alarm and then jumped two feet into the air when her roommate had poured water over her face. At least this time she’d woken up by herself.


Still barefoot, she padded down the stairs; her senses groggy but finally beginning to sharpen. The emptiness of the cabin was odd at this hour, and although she could hear the faint voices outside—it still made her skin crawl at the foreign feeling of it all. Once or twice a solo shifter had arrived at an early hour, but never in the quantity it sounded currently.

It wasn’t until she reached the bottom of the stairs that she caught the faint clink of cutlery, oh thank the gods, at least she wasn’t in here alone. Her eyes followed the sound to the kitchen, and stood there in a rather tatty and threadbare orange shirt, was Mercer. Andi’s shoulders relaxed, a gentle sigh loosing from her lips. If the wolf-shifter was content to stand there and eat a sandwich, whatever was unfolding outside couldn’t be that threatening. She took a silent step closer, mouth parted to speak when she caught sight of his hands. His palms were coated in a red substance, cracked in places from where he’d been moving them. Her throat fell dry and she paused midstep in thinly veiled surprise.

“Mercer? Are you alright? What is that on your hands?” Andi murmured, her head tilted in concern as she drew closer. Her stomach was twisting, having already come to her own conclusion of what the crimson substance was likely to be—and she was ashamed to admit that one of her first thoughts had been how her aunties would have slaughtered her for preparing food in that state. ‘That is very much not the point.’ She scolded herself, glancing out the window. With the lights on inside, she could only see her tired reflection staring back at her—dark circles under her eyes that she had yet to chase away with rest. The state of her mismatched clothing was the last thing on her mind as she narrowed her eyes at the glass panes. There were definitely voices she didn’t recognise, and a fair few of them too. The distinctive, deep British accent she knew belonged to her brother wasn’t amongst them, and it made her nerves twist uneasily. “What happened? Why is—” a yawn cut her question off, and she covered her mouth politely, gently smacking her jaw as if it would help her spark to attention faster. “Why is everyone up?” She finished, her voice still hushed and fatigue-ridden.

The state of Mercer’s palms was worrying, but the distinct lack of agonised screaming outside merely confused her further. Where on earth had the blood come from? It certainly didn’t look like his food, unless he’d stuck half a raw steak in his late-night snack. Though it wouldn’t be all that surprising if he had.

[ inventory, n/a ]

[ tags, mercer ] [ mentions, rio, [salem, nish] ]

[The Trickster~]

E V A

╔xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx╗
xxorganizer // she/her
xxlocation; medic shed
xxtags; felix, drew, salem
xxmentions; mercer, reyna
╚xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx╝

Eva wanted to cry. Everything was rapidly falling apart, and it felt harder and harder to keep spirits up. Walking through the woods in the dark was one thing. She could handle that. She had simply followed Drew and Felix, wringing her hands in front of her, the touch bringing some odd sense of comfort even if it was just her own. Panicked situations were nothing new to her. But this was different.

It was clear that they weren’t wanted here. The medic, Salem, she was pretty sure she had heard him be called, seemed confused and weary, and that was before the angry man had walked by, dropping the news of someone’s death like it was nothing and storming off. He had ushered them into a shed after that, colder and more closed off. Eva didn’t blame him. She stayed quiet, words failing her, simply nodding at the girl that had led them there as they entered the shed.

She felt like she was going to be sick. People had died tonight – did they not have cell service out here? She really felt like they should be calling someone – and she felt somewhat responsible. If she hadn’t lied about reading maps in the first place, they wouldn’t have even ended up on that road. If she had planned everything better, or actually done her job on this trip, this wouldn’t have even happened. Eva had led them here, even if it was accidentally, and now people were dead.

She had no clue where they even were. What were the chances that anyone else did? She couldn’t remember the last time she had actually spoken to her parents, the realization that no one would actually be looking for her if she really went missing sinking in. The only people she felt any sort of connection to were the ones in that van, and she didn’t even know if all of them were okay.

It was hard to be hopeful in this scenario. She wanted to be by herself, to scream and cry and maybe punch a pillow, but that wasn’t really an option right now. Felix and Drew looked far worse off than she did, and she needed to be there for them. What she felt right now didn’t matter. It wasn’t hard to fall back on familiar tactics, bottling up her current emotions and saving them for a later time.

The medic shed really didn't look like anything special, and Eva wondered if they’ll even be able to actually fix Felix’s arm. And then suddenly, Felix is laughing. It caught her off guard, her shock changing to concern as the giggles turn into tears. She hated to see him like this, so unlike the Felix she usually knew. She didn't blame him, knows that it’s a normal reaction for the situation. She reached one hand out, placing it on his back. She met his eye as he glanced at her, trying to offer him a smile, knowing it probably didn't look too reassuring.

“It’s okay,” Eva hoped she didn't come across as patronizing, would hate to make Felix feel like she’s simply pitying him. She just hated seeing her friends in pain. “You don’t have to know what to do right now. We’ll take it step by step, it’ll work out.”

Glancing at Drew, she tried to get him to help too, or at least offer some support. Felix clearly needs it. She grimaced at the mention of not using pain meds, staring up at Salem. Quickly, she made a motion with her free hand, hoping that the new guy gets the gist that he should definitely find pain meds. She paused for a moment, looking around the room before turning back to the medic.

“Is there anything I can do to help? I hate that we just stormed into your place with all these injuries you have to deal with, and I’m in a lot better shape than some of the others.” Eva hated feeling like a burden, hates that they have to force these people to help them after everything. At least this is an atmosphere she’s used to. She’s been in so many hospitals, taken care of her parents when they couldn’t anymore, that this almost feels like second nature. Anything she could do to make it easier on everyone else, she would.

[друг]

❝ If I was aware of the open outside, of the planets and the citiesxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxand the flowers and the bedrooms — I’d go away for too long now

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⯭ ⋅ ── ⋅ 𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐋𝐋 ⋅ ─ ⋅

████
████

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tagging; briar, salem
mentioned; danny, rio, felix, drew, eva
location; the road > med shed
thirty-two ⋅ cismale, he/himx⋅xcontractor

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With Briar barely clinging to his shoulder and pleading at him in a quivering, tear-stained voice to not leave again, it struck Soren just how much responsibility he was now carrying. Danny was out of it, in a kind of daze like a half-burned soldier who had watched his entire crew light up in the night from the flash of a roadside bomb. Ennis, their second-oldest and an all-round reliable guy by Soren's measure, was dead and dangling from Danny's grasp. All of this left Soren as the oldest, the one with the most experience and the least injuries, and in charge of some pretty young coworkers — the youngest of them sobbing by his side from what must have been both fear and overwhelming pain. Why had they made him drive? It had been such an inconsequential thing in the moment, and an irresponsible idea in hindsight.

indentindentThese people were all adults, with jobs no less, but oh how he suddenly felt responsible for keeping them safe. Soren, the man who had served by all means honorably with the marines, but refused to be promoted to a sergeant toward the final years of his service because he had never sought to be in charge of anything. A corporal to the end, preferring to take orders and pal around with the other grunts. He was happy to simply work, to put his head down and watch the progress that his hands could make. He found neither pride nor pleasure in ordering others around, or knowing that the heavy weight of their mortal lives rested on the bed made by his decisions. Yet there he was, made sergeant by life, again dragging a brother through his injuries and knowing that he had already lost one.

indentindentBriar wasn't particularly heavy, but having him lean against Soren's shoulder meant that he was left imbalanced as they both stumbled in the uneven terrain, and he could feel his arm straining and slowly beginning to numb from being held in the same position, but he couldn't keep adjusting it for fear of hurting Briar more. He wasn't unfamiliar with situations that one couldn't simply quit, or walk away from, but it did always feel just the same: a wall, something one couldn't smash into bits with fists alone.
indentindentindent"Hey, I ain't leaving you again," he promised to the weeping boy, "Not until you tell me to. We're gonna see this through."
indentindentIn spite of the inherent difficulty of moving, Soren could not slow lest they lose sight of the surly brit, Orion, relentlessly leading them through the woods. It wouldn't have only meant stranding himself in the dark, but hindering Briar's access to the medical attention he desperately needed, and failing to lead Danny somewhere safe and warm as he had promised, because the man was undoubtedly following the sight of his back as they moved in a chain down a path Soren could barely see. Come on, Soren, this isn't the worst situation you've ever been in. Remember when you and your dad took the boat out and got lost in a storm, and the seawater lashing over the deck felt like knives on your frozen cheeks? There's no water here, you ain't gonna drown even if you fall. Just keep moving.

indentindentOrion walked ahead of them as if neither the dark nor the difficult path bothered him, but eventually the time came when the weight dragging on his shoulder caused Soren's boot to snag on one bump too many, and he became uncomfortably aware of just how much pain each jostle must have been causing Briar. Maybe Soren had been thinking that he was preserving some of Briar's dignity by allowing him to walk on his own, only supported by him, but they were past considerations of dignity when they were only causing suffering. He wasn't able to give Briar much warning, or time to prepare himself if they wished to keep up, and so, with a cursory I'm sorry man, but I'm gonna have to pick you up, he hooked his other arm behind Briar's knees and scooped him up with little effort. He probably should have done it earlier, because he found that without the imbalance, it was actually easier to move even while carrying all of Briar's weight. It didn't hurt that he wasn't the biggest guy in their group, and Soren had invested a whole lot of time into the gym. Yet the worry about the stability of his spine remained, because it wasn't possible to keep him entirely still.

indentindentFor the first time that night, Soren, the last man to ever anger, felt a nascent irritation. He was aware that they had most likely trespassed on Orion's lands, and interrupted his night, but most people showed at least a hint of concern when they witnessed an accident and knew that those involved were injured. Hell, even if they weren't injured, and were simply frightened by what they had gone through. But not once did Orion slow his step, or stop to look over his shoulder to check that they hadn't fallen behind, and that alone would not have been enough to upset Soren, but his friend was in agony, an agony that he was painfully aware of, and another was in a fugue state, carrying the body of his boyfriend toward a destination that remained unknown. He wanted to shout at the uncaring back turned on him and his friends, but the hospitality offered them was already thin, and he had no desire to cost his friends their only chance at shelter, or to frighten the boy in his arms.

indentindentWhen light began to leak through the darkness ahead that had moments ago seemed unending, Soren couldn't help but understand people who wished to believe in a god. The toll of the journey had already resulted in his breath coming a little heavier than usual, and he could feel the strain in his biceps and the droplets of sweat racing down his back. The relief was tangible but fleeting, because as soon as they stepped out of the treeline and into the clearing lined by buildings, Danny was pointed to an unassuming shack in which to leave the body of their friend, and Soren received terse directions to find the rest of them. Before he could ask about someone to help Briar, Orion was gone, melted into the shadows in a way that made his skin crawl. He wasn't easily spooked, but there was something wrong with this place. To his luck, a bleach blonde figure he had not seen before disappeared into another shed nearby with a slam of the door, and Soren decided to take his chances. It was better than standing out there, waiting for his strength to run out on him and fail Briar.

indentindentPulling open the door without risking his grip on Briar was a feat of flexibility Soren hadn't known himself capable of, but all thoughts of struggle were quickly replaced by a flood of gratitude as he saw Drew, Felix, and Eva seated in the lit interior, even with many of their eyes teary and faces grim. He hadn't seen them since the crash, but they had made it here. Not only that, but a glance around the room made it clear that it was exactly where he was meant to be: a place where Briar could get at least some kind of treatment, or even rest if nothing else, before they began to plan how to find their way to the nearest town in the morning. Both the space and its supplies were clearly makeshift, improvised from many sources, but Soren wasn't fazed by this. It wasn't exactly a MASH unit, even, but it was better than the nothing they had, and he had frankly had his scrapes bandaged in a desert before. Try keeping sand out of a wound in a sandstorm. This was the lap of luxury.

indentindentEven then, it wasn't all that much larger than the blue-collar workers' break room in the warehouse at work, where one wall was taken up by a kitchen set-up with particle board right out of the nineties, and the other by a wood-coloured table and a notoriously hideous armchair in a dull, dirty shade of dark orange. And a grey full floor carpet. But this room appeared clean and organized for a shed in the middle of nowhere, and a significant improvement from squatting in the wet, dark woods until morning. Soren wasn't going to complain, and strangely, he thought about a time when he had still been a private, newly assigned to a squad, and their tent had gone flying in the middle of the night. He wouldn't even have woken up had he not mistaken it for an air raid, and then spent a few hours of dawn gathering scattered laundry on their sergeant's orders. It could be worse. He could be picking up underpants from the sand. There was a slight chance that he hated sand.

indentindentBesides the chairs on which his coworkers were seated, there was one clear, flat surface, and without asking the one stranger whose name he did not know, Soren went to place Briar down on it as gently as he could, doing his best not to crack the curve of his spine directly against the hard tabletop. A stretcher might have been a good idea after all — he could have fashioned one out of a sturdy jacket and two branches, but it was too late now. He looked down at Briar's tear-stained, pained face, and thought better of slapping him on the shoulder in encouragement.
indentindentindent"You're gonna be just fine — look, we made it." He glanced over his own shoulder at the bleach blonde, who he assumed to be the one who would be patching them up, and then back at Briar. "I need to talk to the guy who's gonna fix you up, but I ain't leaving until you get sick of me standing around."

indentindentSoren stepped away and lowered his voice in the hopes of not concerning Briar, or the rest of their friends. He had pulled out the broken cap that had been dangling from his pocket, and clenched it in his bloodied fist. The truth was that he had no clue what was wrong with Briar, only that he was in significant pain. It was all concerning.
indentindentindent"My buddy there on the table is pretty hurt, but I don't actually know what's wrong. He was traveling up front, and the guy next to him — he, ah, died on the scene. I think he was gone on impact, and Briar got knocked around pretty hard." He looked over the others, at Felix's improvised sling, Drew's bloodied shirt, and Eva, who thankfully appeared fairly unscathed. He remembered the blood that had dried on his own face, which still tugged at his skin if he happened to scrunch up his nose. The blood had stopped coming a long time ago, and he could clean up the cut later. It was perhaps the least urgent injury of them all. "I'm fine, but if you could take at a look at him. He's in a lot of pain, and couldn't really move a lot."

[n ‎]

❝ 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗠 𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗚🡖 ꏢ ❟❟
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''│
mr medic| he/they | (@) home ty
tags; humans. rios|mentions;''''''''''''''':c

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it was mercer.

the person emerging from the boathouse when salem had first caught someone walking around in the dark had ended up being mercer. salem kept his mouth shut tightly as mercer approached him and reyna, his tone hostile and sarcastic. salem had an idea why he'd be upset reyna brought a random group back to the cabin, it was always a danger to bring back someone unknown to the cabins. salem didn't want to assume anything of the situation, his trust in reyna unwavering, though that wouldn't stop the anxious doom feeling salem felt wash over him with mercer approaching him.

salem and mercer were never close. salem didn't consider them strangers, but he also knew they had never stood so close to each other before until now, with mercer placing himself shoulder to shoulder with salem, his back facing the group of humans with reyna. salem looked up into mercer's eyes nervously before following the movement of his hands, salem's heart dropping as mercer lifted his hands to reveal the dark crimson color painted over them. mercer's continued silence only made salem's chest feel heavier, his throat suddenly swelling as he let his gaze shakily follow back up to mercer's, his eyebrows furrowed heavily as he looked back up.

mercer's words felt like a gut punch. salem scoffed out a short breath in disbelief at first, but it felt more like mercer had grabbed his shoulder and hammered his fist into his stomach. the look on his face was making him so nauseated, salem felt sick to his stomach within seconds. he was going to be sick. "..what?" salem's jaw trembled, his lips parted in disbelief as he looked up at mercer with almost begging eyes. he knew it was stupid to even wish for any kind of sympathy or gentleness from the man in front of him, he knew he was stupid for giving him such a look in the first place, but he couldn't help but desperately search for it. his eyes were burning, the tears welding up even when he was fighting them back so hard not to. salem could only clench his teeth so tightly together in his jaw he was worried his teeth were going to shatter, he was fighting back his tears and his tongue. josie had to be okay, right? she was hit, but she could have survived, right? she was an incredibly strong woman and an even stronger panther, surely she was-

and she didn't make it.

oh.

she was in the boathouse. that's what mercer had in his arms. that was what salem saw earlier when he went to check on their cabin. no wonder she didn't answer when he knocked on her cabin door. no wonder his hands were covered in blood, no wonder he was in the boathouse.

"oh." he uttered. mercer didn't stick around for long after. it wasn't like salem noticed really, anyway. for a moment salem felt like the world really did pause and go silent for a minute, it stopped spinning just for a second. salem's chest felt heavy, like there was someone on top of him holding him down and placing cinderblocks onto his chest, expecting him to move his feet after. and for a moment, salem completely forgot how to move his body. his arms wouldn't move, they wouldn't listen to his head begging just to move even a little bit. for a second salem completely felt immobilized. what felt like an entire eternity for him was faster than he expected - only after hearing mercer slam the door to the main cabin did salem lock back in again, the sounds of the leaves shifting in the wind and the crickets singings brought him back to earth as salem moved his gaze from where he stayed frozen looking at mercer back to the group of humans, staring more through them than anything.

reyna wanted him to help. reyna asked him to help, reyna brought them to him for help. he can't say no to her, he couldn't. it felt like someone had put their hand into salem's heart and soul and grabbed into it, ripping it apart too easily. he didn't want to take any more time on the situation than he needed to, his body already moving on autopilot turning on for him when he knew he wouldn't function without it. his body felt surprisingly lighter than he has ever felt in his life, despite the terrible knot in his stomach feeling like it was desperately trying to drag him back to the boathouse. salem's entire body was moving in a haze, his vision feeling blurry and incomplete every time he blinked and moved his head. he didn't feel like he was completely in control of himself and his actions, his mind unable to catch up with the movements of his own body. salem only put his hand impatiently on the back of the shorter blonde to push them forward, feeling his own face heat up from the feeling of dread and simmering feeling of anger the closer they got to the medic shed, further from the boathouse.

the sudden burn of the bright lights in the medic shed only made salem hiss to himself lightly, shaking his head in clear annoyance as he tried to usher them around the room gently but quickly, getting them situated and seated as he also looks over them and examines their bodies, looking over their visible injuries. salem wanted to feel sympathy for them, he wanted to look at the boy's broken arm and feel bad about it and promise he'll do his best to fix it. with mercer's words louder than his own thoughts in his mind, salem couldn't do it. he only felt anger, betrayal and anger. salem's left hand was tight in a fist as he only gently looked around them a little more, his own nails digging so deep into his palm he was worried he was going to break skin. he didn't want to help them, yet he couldn't find it in himself to leave them in here alone. his head felt dizzy, his heart felt heavy. salem couldn't get rid of the knot in his throat, his lips tight shut as he only fought back the urge to cry. he couldn't cry when he was working on patients. not only would it obscure his vision but it was just unprofessional. last thing he needed was them verbally doubting him and pissing him off enough he just would prove them right and leave them to deal with their own injuries.

he knew who he needed to focus on. the woman looked fine, the other shorter male didn't seem to have any injuries that needed any immediate support. only the boy with the disgustingly depressing sling was the one that needed urgent care. salem was sure they had a sling somewhere - salem liked to keep supplies freshly updated, even if they hadn't used a sling in a couple years anyway. at least that's what he was trying to tell himself as he looked through the supplies behind them quietly, his bottom lip shifting to get pinched tightly between his teeth. the faster he got this over with, the faster he wouldn't have to hold the uncomfortable feeling in his throat back anymore. his head snapped quickly back to the sound of him suddenly speaking though - tears following quickly and salem only felt himself hold his teeth tighter as he straightened his back, his hand tightening around the multiple pain meds he was shifting through. "good thing you're not the medic, yeah? you don't have to know what to do," he muttered bitterly, turning his glare down to his own hands as he looked at the pain meds gripped tightly in his hands, letting out angered huffs from his nose as he watched his own chest rise and fall rapidly, his emotions shifting between anger and sadness easily. he didn't want to speak too loudly - he knew it was wrong to be so angry, but the feeling in his chest was overbearing, the feeling in his stomach was uncomfortable and becoming painful. salem didn't know how to get rid of the feeling other than ripping it out physically, and the absolute doom was terrifying to him.

he made his way back over to the counter he allowed the group to sit next to, his hands steadier than his shaking breaths as he got closer to the group, trying his best to keep his poker face on, but he could feel his face heating up, and every once and a while salem did break to turn away and tap his eyes with his sleeves. he had to. he was trying his best to keep it together, this was not the time to mourn and it wasn't the time to let his emotions get in the way. but with the taller blonde speaking, salem only rolled his eyes along with his head as he turned himself to face him fully, his hands slamming the different bottles of pain medications onto the counter next to them. he let out another shaky breath, very uncertain, his own voice cracking as he desperately fought back the tears that were demanding to fight through. "look, i am doing my damn best right now. okay? i know it's difficult for you to be patient right now when your arm is in such condition but please, can you let me get through everything and be a little more patient? i am going to do everything that i can for you," salem pleaded. he was already in a losing battle in with his emotions, frustrated and sad tears slipped down his his cheeks as salem only flicked his sleeve over his cheek again to wipe them quietly and look back at the pill bottles he had so rudely hit onto the counter.

salem only shook his head in anger and annoyance, not even trying to hide his glare at the woman as he looked back at the boy who only seemed to deteriorate in front of him as the time continued on. "assuming you want the strongest thing i can give you," salem only let out another defeated sigh from his lips as he started to get everything together for the boy to consume to help the pain - dipping down to grab one of the plastic water bottles from the carton, only squeezing it lightly in his hand when the woman talked again. he felt bad, but he also couldn't help how annoyed he felt after. "i'm so glad you know you just barged in here," he dismissed sharply, his eyes rolling at her offer. he ignored her for a moment to walk around them again and search quietly in the cabinets and drawers, his own breathing only worsening as he took the moment of his back turned to them to let his poker face break only momentarily. silent tears slowly dripping down salem's cheek and off his chin as he shifted through everything impatiently, looking through the old supplies with a frown. he knew had a sling, he remembered the trip before when he had gotten mad at mercer for forgetting it last time in case someone broke their arm. no one ever did end up needing it. salem only slammed the cabinet door shut when he had finally found the old thing, wiping the dust off it robotically as he sighed. hopefully it would still be able to work!

salem lips quivering as he walked his way back over there, he glared at the group again as he pushed the water bottle closer to the boy. "drink this, the water's warm but it's the best you're going to get. maybe bloody mary over there can help you get the pills down," he muttered as he started opening the sling, salem unable to match the gaze of the humans anymore, the silent tears couldn't stop. it wasn't overbearing, but it was still bothersome having to blink tears out of his eyes every two moments. "you know what would really help?" he choked out, the breaths he was taking in were sharp and uneasy. "if you hadn't noticed, i am the only person here qualified to help you, and frankly? i don't want to be doing this. if you really want to help, you can make yourself scarce, because frankly you are only stressing me ou-"

the door swinging open caused salem to jump again - taping his eyes with his sleeves yet again to help him see the faces in front of him, salem's hands only tightened dangerously again, one hand shaking around the box of the arm sling and one digging right back into the same place he dug his nails into earlier, the familiar burning sensation nothing compared to pain burning in his chest and torso. he only watched in horror as the new blonde male moved to place another on the counter, his jaw tightly shut as he pursed his lips, the salty taste of his tears only making him grimace harder. "yeah, yeah i freaking noticed," salem barked, using all the power in body to hold back every reaction salem's body was fighting to let out. salem ripped open the sling's box angrily, shaking his head hard as he bit down on his tongue. "god, god god god god," he whispered under his breath, his chest never hurt worse. "you wait. you- you wait," he finally let out as he looked at them, shaking his head in defiance as he looked back to the trio in front of him. he didn't say anything as he began to get to work on the sling - he was moving robotically, but it was as gentle and slow as his body was mustering. he was moving carefully, he didn't want to harm the boy any more or make the break any worse by removing his terribly done sling by putting on a proper one, but he also didn't want to sit here forever and waste all night on the man's arm. occasionally he had to pause his own movements, his own breathing uneven and having to blink the tears from his eyes away so he could see more clearly again because his arms were occupied. he made sure the sling was snug before he backed away , wiping his tears gently. "is it snug? comfortable?" he managed to choke out, his eyes locked on the counter below them.

he didn't make much more small talk as he approached the next male on the counter, his own face bloody and teared stain. there wasn't much to work off of first glance, the two giving each other almost the silent treatment as he looked around him. salem did his best to quickly clean up the back of his head and clean up the blood in his hair and face, but he only shook his head in the end. " the other one died? how lucky for you, huh?" he remarked bitingly, his tongue pinched between his teeth. he only did the same spiel he did again with the pain meds in his hands, grabbing a different but still warm water bottle to offer before backing up off the humans entirely.

salem only rolled his eyes one more time at the girl, shaking his head as he brought his attention back to her once again. "you really think you'll be useful? you really think you can help? if you think you can, feel free to do whatever you want, actually. but i am going to leave for a minute and if you want my help, you wait. you sit here and you wait for me to come back if you want anything else from me, otherwise i am not going to do anything else for you tonight." he spat at them through his tears, wiping under his eyes more time as he shook his head. he swung the medic shed's door open without waiting for a response from the humans, slamming it hard behind him after as the cold air hit him once again, the feeling uncomfortable from the warm wet tears on his cheeks. he had to go to the boathouse, he had to.

his tears were immediate. salem tried to keep his sobs quiet and keep himself together as he only hugged his arms against his torso desperately and nervously, his arms over his shoulder and over his stomach as he tried to walk quickly over to the boathouse. he wasn't running, he had used all his energy over the course of the night, but he was finding himself to be so impatient. he was pulling energy from his reserves that he didn't know he had, but the desperation to get to the boathouse quickly was the only thing fueling him. his breaths were filled with anxiety and horror, he didn't want what mercer said to be true. he was begging for it to just be some stupid lie or ploy, something to just upset them. it was mercer after all, surely it was just to get under their skin. it was an incredibly evil prank, but salem hadn't even found coby or rio yet. maybe he still had a chance for this to just be some sick and twisted lie from mercer to upset them and get him some alone time.

salem's hand dropped to the doorknob of the boathouse, but it had already began to swing back and open before he could even grab it in his own hand, his eyes trailing upwards from the doorknob to the figure in the doorway - rio. salem's face softened only for a moment, his eyebrows relaxing and his lips dropping. "rio..." he said softly, his voice quivering as he spoke. tears were still dripping down salem's chin as he forced his head to move around rio to gaze into the boathouse. he didn't need to see her face to know. he didn't need to see anything under that jacket to know who it was. salem thought he was doing so good at keeping himself together, he thought he had worked so hard to hold back every single thing he had been feeling so intensely. moving one leg back to try and back up from the boathouse and rio, salem tried to say something to him again, but all that came out was a broken sob as salem moved his arm from his stomach to cover his mouth, unable to keep any tears back anymore.

salem wanted to move away from rio and from the boathouse, he wanted to leave the area entirely. no matter how embarrassing it felt, how ashamed salem felt breaking down so quickly in front of rio like that, salem's body seemed to make its own executive actions that night. hesitating only for a moment, salem only finally let himself grab towards rio desperately, his arms wrapping around rio's shoulder's gently but tightly as he cried into his shoulder, the warmth of his skin only making salem's heart feel tighter as he let his hands grab rio's shoulder. he didn't mean to let go of it all so easily, only focusing on the fact his sobs were muffled by rio's shoulder, his voice cracking in desperation. his hands and grip were uncertain and shaky, even tho he wasn't holding onto rio very tightly, he didn't know if he could. he couldn't find it in himself to grab onto him any harder, especially when this was foreign enough. the fear of just losing another person overwhelming and unbearing, salem needing him to be near. knowing he was still breathing and warm, salem wanted it so bad, he needed it.

[Foe Paw]

[ 𝘿𝘼𝙉𝙄𝙇𝙊 𝘿𝙄𝘼𝙎 ] ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

[ leader— he/him — 39 ] [ location — storage barn ] [tagged — courtney, vic, reyna ]

xxxxThere was something large looming out of the darkness right in front of him.

xxxxDanny had paused on the doorway to try to make sense of the scene before heading out. His glasses, finally given up on, were sitting in a mangled little pile in his bloodstained jacket's pocket. Come daylight, he could inspect the damage, in that manner that one does while hoping it would turn out to be not that bad in the next day. Seeing was believing. Maybe later, he would see it was fine. Coming out of the shed, though, any path back towards the main group was blocked by something large. Leeched out of color by the moonlight, standing in the middle of the wide open area of the little collection of buildings, was an enormous animal. There was little hope of figuring out what it was he was looking at, but the shape was almost of a height with him, antlers cutting through the moon-bright night. It wasn't moving. Had it wandered in from the forest, keeping away from the main group?

xxxxHe didn't dare move a muscle. People without much sense for animals had a tendency to dismiss herbivores, lulled by the notion that just because something wouldn't eat you, that it didn't have the impulse to absolutely maul a human that got too close to them in the wrong way, invade their territory, or something. Would this one charge, if he moved? Was it waiting for him to do something? It was probably too close to hope that it hadn't seen him.

xxxxA sharp bark of a dog, coming from the building where most of the light and sound was coming from - and then, there were a pair of people on the slimmer and shorter side coming towards them, and Danny didn't have time to warn them about the wild animal standing in their yard - the voice, though, didn't sound alarmed, only like someone having a very rough time.

xxxxSo she must have heard the news already.

xxxx"My condolences", he said automatically, taken straight off his script for sentences he expected to say often during their hopefully short stay. "A terrible tragedy. And that is... A reindeer." That last part was harder to say with the required gravitas of the first phrase. Still locked onto the thing, very large and very horned, Danny squinted, trying to resolve the blurry form of the animal into a clear picture. "What's the... respectful amount of space I should be giving it?"

xxxxThe newly arrived pair - with maybe the dog he'd heard barking - following at their feet. They really were just fully having a conversation about what happened while standing near it - maybe it was actually domesticated. Something about their conversation, though, was trying to grab at Danny's attention, like something he'd forgotten. He was finding it hard to focus, tonight. And then he placed it - the voice reminded him of home, in the sense of remembering it empty. It felt like something his mind would have come up with as a follow-up joke to the rest of this night. He'd already been thinking of Ennis' death, then Nicholas' - it would have been no far distance to cross from one funeral forgotten, to another planned, on to a symbolic one. He was ready to dismiss the familiar voice as only that.

xxxxAnd then she called him Danny.

xxxxHis head snapped to her, hearing a nervous little giggling like a reaction to his attention. "Is that-?" He resolved to get past the hesitance in approaching the herbivore. He needed to come in close enough to be sure. In this, seeing was believing. In his mind's eye, she was the cheerful teen from ages past, youngest and wildest from a brood of people who were only too kind to have let Danny in. Danny stepped up, enough to see shoulder-length dark hair and a sweet face. "Reyna?" Closer, closer. He placed a hand on the side of her face, craning his head down further. There was a nervous expression and an old scar on her jaw, older, more worn. "Reyna. My God."

xxxxHe swept her up into a hug, dizzy with confused relief. He felt as if he'd fallen down a deep, dark hole, and at the bottom of it, found a long-lost sun shining back at him. "You- what- how? What happened?" He broke it off enough to look her over, frantic with the need to check, again, that she was real, was here. "I went to your funeral." The grave had been empty, of course. The death of a hope more than of the real girl who he'd stumbled into, covered in the blood of a loved one, standing next to a tame reindeer. "How are you? Where have you been? What kind of place even is this?" He gestured at the reindeer, the buildings, one of which was now Ennis' make-do resting place, and which had apparently been where Reyna had ended up. He'd come up here hoping to get medical treatment for his coworkers and a ride back to town to get Ennis back home to be properly buried, but he felt those priorities take a sharp nosedive into second place, pushed down by the overwhelming need to make sure the sweet teen he thought died would be alright. He cared about where the hell they were, but only insofar as gathering information on what Reyna would have to be rescued from before she could return to real life.

[друг]

❝ watching the weather in the 4x4, with the headlights onxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxyou look pretty when you cry, and pretty when you don’t

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◈ ⋅ ─── ⋅ 𝐂𝐎𝐁𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 ⋅

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tagging; collie
mentioned; rio, salem, humans
location; josie's cabin > main cabin
twenty-five x⋅x cisfemale, she/her x⋅x dog

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While Collie was cleaning himself up, Coby should have been focusing on sorting through the stack of sheets and blankets in the closet, and searching for the ones most suitable for camping out on the couches in the lounge and, likely, the floor — this was when she realised that she had never gotten a full headcount of the guests, but they seemed to outnumber the couches either way — but she kept glancing at the shepherd curled-up near the mountain of luggage that Collie had somehow hauled by himself all the way through the woods. The dog seemed much more relaxed now, with Coby's appearance perhaps matching more closely with what an animal had learned to expect from something that was distinctly non-animal, but she couldn't help worrying: would he get used to the idea of humans that weren't quite human, or would he remain ceaselessly unsettled by creatures, well, her, who could shape themselves into a semblance of his kind, but retain all the human sensibility that made them not-quite believable to those with sharper senses and an instinctive idea of how an animal behaved?

indentindentCoby managed to startle herself when the bathroom door clicked behind her, but she composed herself to turn around and politely face the man she had selfishly dragged along simply because the idea of returning to the place where she had lived with Josie had been too frightening. Collie had scrubbed the blood from his skin and bearded jaw, and the strip of adhesive he had placed across the bridge of his nose seemed to fit there so naturally that she wondered whether he found himself in scrapes often. She was about to explain that it was likely Salem had an actual splint or at least the materials to make one among his stores of carefully obtained medical supplies, but the fact that his bloodied shirt had also disappeared stopped her from saying a word. Actually, her tongue and the general area of her mouth were experiencing a sudden onset of paralysis, and she stared, helpless, perhaps a little longer than was by any means appropriate. Then just as the blush was beginning to climb up her neck, hotter than ever before, she spun back around and returned to sorting the blankets with the renewed energy of someone standing in the middle of a house on fire.

indentindentBecause he was beautiful. Ridiculously beautiful, and handsome, even with the bruises purpling his skin, and apparently also crafted out of pure muscle by some wonderfully cruel god that Coby could not in the moment fathom. It definitely explained the feats of strength, but it did not help Coby, who was spiraling fast and perhaps realising that she might have been feeling something toward the strange man she had encountered in the middle of the woods in the dead of night. This realisation made her feel far from normal. In fact, she felt as if there was absolutely something wrong with her, something that would have earned the disapproval of every level head in the pack, and if some divine entity had decided to pop her out of existence right then and there, it might have been lovely. It would have been wonderful, really. Because the image of him standing in the doorway was seared into her eyelids, and the heat scorching her face was not going anywhere, and the more she attempted to wave it out of her mind, the closer she seemed to remember it.

indentindentDeep scars had carved their paths through his bicep, and against the pleading screams of her remaining sanity, she wanted to ask him about them. What had come and offended against the beauty of his form, and resulted in those marks that now gave rise to most certainly inappropriate fascination in Coby? She scolded herself. Not only had he just endured a car accident, yes, the one that had claimed her friend, but she had invited him here as a guest. None of these thoughts were appropriate or warranted, and she desperately needed to behave. She pulled the stack of blankets out of the closet, and with it both piled high enough and held a little elevated to hide the embarrassing red of her face, she held it in front of herself to conceal what she feared would be a relapse-inducing sight.
indentindentindent"It's fine— I mean I'm sure it's fine— the towel I mean, I'll just put it in with the laundry tomorrow." She could hear him move closer, even through the sound of her own babbling and the wall of blankets she had constructed between the two of them, and she tensed just slightly, nervous over the situation she had concocted inside of her own head.

indentindentThankfully, Collie seemed capable of an awkwardness that matched her own, and the way it made her guard lower again was a relief. He claimed to know nothing about the ocean, but truth be told, Coby must have had even less of an idea of what he was talking about — stingrays could smile? Aquariums and marine life had been Archie's thing, and Coby could remember him browsing through tattered old visual encyclopedias about the ocean, straight past the sharks and to all the other weird, cartilaginous creatures that Coby tried not to think about because the vast darkness of the ocean freaked her out just a little bit. One picture of a fish-monster with a mouth of needle-like teeth had been enough, but she liked the thought of stingrays that smiled. Gently, and hopefully not with a lot of teeth. She lowered the tower of blankets just enough to peek out over the top, and was again relieved that Collie had retrieved another shirt. She didn't need to think about how the white t-shirt hugged the curves of his muscles, or left a part of those mysterious scars uncovered.
indentindentindent"Oh. Thanks. It isn't really mine, I guess, I kind of stole it from my brother."

indentindentThe mention of him slipped from her mouth, and she feared that she might have made a mistake. Nearly everyone in the pack knew at least something about Archie, and clearly, her gauge of how appropriate it was to bring up someone whose whereabouts were unknown to a person she had just met was terribly skewed. Especially when asking about them might have required an explanation that was both drawn-out and uncomfortable. She sped past it, latching onto something else he had said: Europe. Coby had never even dreamed of seeing Europe, nor had she ever been on an airplane. Or left Canada, for that matter. She wasn't sure if she could, considering she had no passport and the thought of walking into a police station to acquire one sort of made her stomach clench up like her organs were trying to escape the anxiety. She wanted to ask him all sorts of questions, but her nervous habits urged her to pace herself.
indentindentindent"You've been to Europe?" She lowered the blankets in her arms a little more, distracted from all thoughts of her previous reaction to the sight of him by the prospect of hearing about a place that remained, for now, unimaginable. "I'm sorry, it's just, I've never even left the country. Leaving a province is the furthest I've been." Should she have been more embarrassed by this? He had clearly seen the world, and here she was, offering to let him sleep on the floor of the lounge in borrowed linens. She worried briefly at the edge of her lip. "I'd love to hear about it, if you don't mind telling me."

indentindentHe returned to the topic of the shifters, and Coby couldn't really blame him. That was the elephant in the room, the big, strange unknown that he had only just been introduced to. She was sure he had even more questions, but so far, he had been quite polite about asking them. He held his arms out, and it took her a moment to realise that he was looking to carry the blankets, and so she placed them in his arms. Grabbing a few pillows from the depths of the closet allowed her time to think, but by the time she had acquired them, she wasn't any more certain about what Rio might have wanted her to answer to that question. She imagined that he might have wanted to keep his cards close to his chest, but with the big secret out, she didn't really know to what extent. She could be vague, couldn't she?
indentindentindent"There are options." She smiled at his phrasing, then thought about a way to answer his question that might have satisfied some of his curiosity. "We don't get to choose the animal, but what it turns out to be, I don't think there are really any limitations. I mean, I haven't met a fish yet, and most of us are mammals, but I've known birds and reptiles. I don't know if I'd personally have chosen to be a dog." It was a little self-deprecating, but it was the truth. Of course it made her inconspicuous, especially in an urban landscape, but not everyone was kind to dogs. Fortunately, he seemed to be.

indentindentCollie asked for the plan, and Coby was reminded that they had an actual task to complete — and it wasn't standing in the hallway of the cabin, as much as she might have liked to stay and just talk for a while longer.
indentindentindent"Oh, right. We should take these to the bigger cabin and set up for your friends in the lounge. There are some couches, but some of you might have to spend the night on the floor," she explained, apologetically. The pack took up most of the beds in the cabin, and she worried many of them might not have been in the mood to offer up their own for the humans if asked. Neither did the idea of letting someone sleep in Josie's bed feel good, to herself, or likely to whoever would have had to do it. "I'm sure we can make it comfortable if we just set down enough bedding."
indentindentShe turned to thread her feet into whatever shoes required the least amount of free hands, then pushed the cabin's weighty door open and stopped to stand against it to let Collie — and his dog — out, since his hands were full of blankets. They could pick up the bags later — they weren't going anywhere in the meantime.

indentindentCoby had made it all the way down the stairs from the porch, and far enough to see that the crowd at the steps had scattered, which caused her to feel a jarringly guilty sense of relief over not having to deliver the news to everyone at once, when Collie brought up the other elephant in the room — the one she had tried so hard not to think about, for fear of losing her composure entirely. He had been doing an admirable job of distracting her, of keeping her mind on other, perhaps more pleasant things, but he had circled right back, and as Coby led the way toward the larger cabin, she could feel the length of her body stiffen. She was glad he could not see her face as clearly now, because the mere thought of repeating her name made her throat clench up painfully.
indentindentindent"Josie," she answered quietly.