Realistic or Modern A Night Bleeds (Closed)

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Sage

Tags Hayley Britt-21 | Location: Coven HQ ​

Sage frowned a little, and shifted weight from one hoof to the other. After a moment, he nodded, ears still twirling off and on, sort of like little windmills to his thoughts. "Okay. Yes. Right. I have picture." The goofy grin was in place, until Phoenix asked about others and how he did wrong.

"Sage... get things wrong. Have to be told more than once, most times. Picture isn't always... uh. Here." He gestured with one hand to indicate 'here' in general. Others didn't always have a picture for him to work off of, and then Sage got lost in his thoughts, on how the rock wanted to look rather than how they wanted the rock to look.

"Sometimes.. rock voice is stronger than ... instructions. Sa.. I get .. lost. And not do it right." Huff. A hand rubbed at one of the horn stubs, comforting himself. But then she asked about his favorite colors and the previous conversation was forgotten.

"I like.. blue. Like the sky and green, like the grass." Ears drooped slightly. "Not see much in here. But.. they give Sage some free time. Then I go. Look at sky, and grass. Only.. mostly ice, not grass. Have to go down, way down to get outside with grass."

Oh, oh. Sage shouldn't have said that. Ears flared and twirled, and the Minotaur seemed to crouch and hunch over, like trying to be smaller, as if that was possible. "Oh, uh.. Sage.. uh.. not.. go outside. Anymore. I uh... rememberededed wrongest." When he got upset, he lost words, didn't say them right, though in his head he thought them right. Sage remembered in his head. "Sage not go outside."

He wasn't allowed, he wasn't supposed to, it was wrong and bad to do such things when he was told not do to such things.

coded by natasha.

 

[Britt-21]

Location: Coven HQ | Interactions: Out Of Words

Hayley looked at him, her eyebrows furrowing while creating a crinkle in between them. The smile she had starting to shrink. From what she was hearing, not many people had patience with Sage. In fact, they treated him like a slave, no, less than that, like dirt. If pictures made building easier, then how come the person couldn't just draw up a sketch? Or get someone to make a sketch for them? It wasn't that hard, surely. While he had gone on ahead to speak about his favorite colors, she nodded approvingly. He had his own likes, as she figured. Two of the most common but she did see the beauty in it all. He's definitely like a child. How come no one has picked up on this before? there were things that she still couldn't understand to this day. But that's when she started to ask questions when she spoke to the right people. Shifting her own position, she lifted more onto one foot compared to the other, continuing to take in everything he was saying. Hayley was a wonderful soul when it came to listening and she wanted to continue being that soul.

But then he started to crouch and hunch over as if he was in fear. This made her look harden as she watched him act this way. Putting her laptop to the side, she took a deep breath, trying not to let her flames flare up before turning back to him and making her way over. He was practically sitting on the floor with how he was hunched and she slowly reached her hands out, gently cupping his face in the process. Hands warm as they touched his tough skin while being gentle "What the hell do they do to you?" she mumbled to herself as she crouched down a bit, her eyes scanning all of his reactions. His ears, his body language. "Sage, I don't see anything wrong with going outside." but there was probably a good reason for him not being allowed to go outside. The Moon. Maybe that's why he would be told not to go outside. Hayley spoke "In fact, I would encourage it, if the moon wasn't how it was. Maybe they just don't want you to get affected by it." she bit her lip, trying to think of a simpler way to maybe explain it to him to make it easier for him to process.

"Moon doesn't feel well." she said, looking at him while her look seemed to soften "The moon makes you and me feel weird. So we try to avoid going outside so much." hmm...Maybe she could ask around, see what she can do just to improvise for Sage. "How about this, Sage." she said "Once we fix the moon, we can go outside a lot more, okay?" she asked, giving a smile just to make him feel a bit better. "You can see the sky and the grass more." a promise that she wanted to work toward for this guy. Her delicate hands were still holding his face before they slowly began to move away "Don't be afraid of me. The only time you should be afraid is when I'm angry. I'm far from that right now." the witch was just merely annoyed.​

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Sage

Tags Hayley Britt-21 | Location: Coven HQ ​

Sage jumped when he felt a touch, but he didn't move away. His eyes remained on Phoenix, body tense, still, as if expecting something painful to come, the other shoe to drop. Though why anyone would drop their shoes was beyond him.

Sage couldn't help but try and explain, not picking up on the comment being something directed to no one in particular. "Sage needs.. guiding. Not think good. Not smart. Sometimes not pay attention right. Sage has thick hide. It okay. Thick head. Thick hide." Something he repeated like it had been drilled into his head time and time again.

"Not supposed to go outside. Might get lost." Ears twirled a few times, relaxing when there wasn't any pain coming his way. When Phoenix talked about the moon, muscles tensed slightly, even along the sides of his face, underneath her hands.

Ears were a veritable whirlwind of activity, and his eyes looked to the side or down before he started to pull back and stand. Though he didn't stand completely up, still somewhat crouched and hunched over, but it was like he couldn't get back to work soon enough.

"Sage goes backed to work. Makeded pretty rock trees now. Like.. like pictureded." A low rumbling built inside his chest, and he seemed to huff several times in a row before large hands steadied against what would be one of the 'trees' in the room.

coded by natasha.

 

[Britt-21]

Interactions: Out Of Words | Location: Coven HQ

Hayley already knew he needed guiding. But he didn't understand she saw him as a lost child who needed that. That's why she was trying to be patient with him and help him out to the best of her ability. His ears continue to flutter around, his eyes avoiding her as he moved to stand. Of course, the witch backed up to give him some space and she nodded softly, walking off to grab her laptop and stand were she was just before, only this time holding the laptop for him. He began to morph the rock while huffing I either hit a nerve or he's just trying to relax himself. It's best that I don't push my luck. at least she could stand there and just lose herself within her thoughts. Her eyes were no longer fixated on him as she shifted them downward in thought. At the mentioned of the moon, I felt the muscles in his face tighten. He knows about the moon just as much as I do and what it does to us. There was something that bothered her and she really wanted to figure it out. But it would have to wait, things will come to those who are patient.

She didn't bother to continue to watch Sage as he did his job. There was just pondering and questions popping up into her mind. Occasionally she'd tap her computer to make sure it stayed on. So much to do, so limited time. Before continuing to dive deeper into her thoughts, she heard a knock at the door and she looked over her shoulder and spoke up "Open the door! Just don't come in!" she called as the door opened to reveal one of the many people she kept her eyes on a young male from the looks of it "What brings you here?" she asked, listening as he spoke up "I was just told to remind you of the shadow later on tonight. There's no specific time, so you'll be called as soon as they're ready." that would mean as soon as it becomes evening she would get ready and just sit and wait for the time being. "Alright, thank you for the reminder. Go on." with that, the man closed the door and left her back in the room with Sage. Looking at the room, he made pretty good progress so far. He really knows how to mold the rock, doesn't he... "Sage, are you afraid of me, by any chance?" it was just a question that suddenly popped into her head and couldn't help but let it slip out of her mouth.​

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Sage

Tags Hayley Britt-21 | Location: Coven HQ ​

Sage focused really, really hard and did his best to just work. Ears did the flippy flippy twirl now and then, a hoof stomped once or twice, but he poured his attention into shaping the rock. When someone knocked, he held still, hands around a pillar of rock that was now looking like a trunk of a tree. He already had two others, this was the third tree to be molded.

He held still, barely breathing, save for those ears. Sage couldn't stop them from twirling with his thoughts if he tried his hardest. When the person went away, he relaxed his shoulders with a soft exhale of breath. He wasn't comfortable around more than one person at a time. Sage remembered.

The Minotaur was just getting back into the groove of working, when Phoenix asked him if she scared him. Huff. His flat nose scrunched up, ears flittered to and fro, and his hands grew slow where they were smoothing out the 'bark' of the stone tree.

"Sage.. not know what answer you want to hear." Huff. "What answer not make you mad?" He didn't usually talk so much with the members of the Coven. He had to listen, but usually wasn't allowed to speak. Definitely not allowed to speak freely.

coded by natasha.

 

[bread-and-butterflies]

Allison Hagan

purposeful Wright Wranch outfit Out Of Words Thropian

Allison listened to Edwin and Levi's dreams with interest. In his dream, Levi had been sent to pick up someone named Clementine, who was around his age. That did seem to match the young woman in Allison's nightmare, though a name from a quoted folk song and an individual's general age range didn't mean a whole lot.

And the revelation about what Devlin had been seeing was fascinating. Allison wondered briefly if this was a common trait for dragons, or something unique to him. She wondered if the woman from her nightmare was one of the faces he saw, if the dream was, in fact, related to the bleeding moon. Then again, how many different versions of Allison did Devlin see? And what had those other Allisons done wrong?

She had to shut that train of thought down quickly – dwelling on past mistakes, let alone ones she couldn't know, would not help anyone. What would help, or at least could, was gathering as much information as possible. And so, to that end, once the meeting seemed to have adjourned, and individuals were filtering out, Allison made her way towards Shia, attempting as she walked to catch the eyes of Levi and Edwin.

“Hello, Mr. D'Shire -” Allison suddenly caught on her words. She had never had real reason to describe her dreams to someone in this sort of context, and rarely even paid them any mind. She had no idea what sort of details would or wouldn't be pertinent in this situation. She continued with a frown, “I have to admit, I'm not sure exactly what kind of further information would be relevant right now. I believe I hit on most of the major points already – is there anything more you'd like to know?”

code by yousmelldead

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Talks To Mountains (Discord Chat) | Current Timeline: May 15th​

Tags: Hayley "Phoenix" Britt-21
Location: Coven HQ

Haley wasn't sure if Sage was running out of breath by manipulating so much rock, or if he was having some sort of attitude. Either way, she was patient with it and she spoke up "You can take a break, Sage." she said before going on to answer his question "None would make me mad. I just want to hear your honest opinion." just by that question alone, she knew these people got mad for him giving his honest opinion on things. It seemed like they wanted to train him to accept everything they accept and deny everything they deny. Not with her. She didn't need that.

Sage made a little rumbling sound, almost a whine, almost a wail, smothered and silenced inside the confines of his chest. Hands slipped away from the tree and he stood there, motionless, in a mental battle with himself.

"Sage.. " Mmph. Huff. "...You are.. kind right now." Ears twirled and he paused, seeing if that was an adequate answer.

"Thank you, I appreciate that. As well as your honesty." she continued to watch him with careful eyes "You're very kind yourself. I enjoy your company." maybe he just needed some encouragement. Something different than what the coven was trying to drill into his thick head. She couldn't help but allow her eyes to shift up to his ears that fluttered constantly.

There was a hint of that big goofy grin on the Minotaur's face. He cast a quick glance her way, ears twirling a bit faster the happier he was. Also relaxed him a little bit. "Yeah? Sage.. not usually talk much. Talked to. Not do talking much. Not with other than Sage."

"Well here, you are free to talk as much as you want. I'm not going to get upset at you for having words of your own." the smile had returned, glad that she was getting him to talk a little more and be a little more honest in general "But just know, that's only me. Not everyone will have the same opinions."

Sage huffed and his ears drooped slightly. "You... talk to others?"

"I do, but I wouldn't talk about our situation in particular. It's a private conversation between you and I. No one else needs to hear our business." Hayley kept loving how cute he was. He may have been big but he was so sweet. Like a huge malamute dog who was scary but the cutest thing ever thinking they were a lapdog. "I just don't want you to get in trouble if others don't talk to you the same way I do."

Sage's hooves shifted a bit as he tried to look like he was just adjusting to get back to work. Huff. He did toy with the last stone tree, giving it some knots and a little hole in the 'trunk' where things could be stored on a whim. "They do not. They... talk at. Tell what do. Tell what do wrong."

Sage rubbed at one of his horn stubs. "Sage know not smart. Sage know why name Sage. It joke. See? Sage not Sage. Sage remember."

Hayley shook her head just a little bit, her smile growing "Listen, that may be true, but you're learning. It's a process." she informed him "Around me, you don't have to worry too much. You can relax." she then shifted her gaze to the tree he finished and found it very well done "You're very talented, Sage. I really do appreciate you doing this for me."

"Sage good at this. Sage not good at smart. Sage good at.. listening to rock. To stone. It speak, Sage listen.... I.. I listen." It was hard when he was being himself to refer to himself as I, or me. Sage was his name. I was not his name. Me was not his name. It did not make sense.

"Sage make most of everything." A large hand gestured to the cavern, the mountain itself. "Sage know all of mountain."

"Are you friends with the mountain?" she asked "Is the mountain happy or sad? Does it feel anything?"

Sage's ears nearly took off flying, no one had asked what the mountain felt. "She likes to be useful, but also likes to be good. Sometimes she is sad. Sometimes she wants to look one way, but they want something different way."

Oh shit she actually hit a good nerve on that one. She was sure if he had larger ears, he'd fly "They, would be us." she nodded "I can see how she could be upset about that. But tell her she's beautiful for me."

Sage gave that big goofy grin then, which looked different, and yet the same on the Minotaur face. "Sage do. Will. Sage will." He nodded his head and patted the stone tree before double checking the picture. "What else need?"

Hayley took a look around and then looked at the picture itself "I don't think I need anything else done. You did fantastic." she held her one hand up "High five?"

Sage grinned at the doing fantastic, then looked confused at the high five. He raised a hand to mirror Phoenix, holding it up, which was about ceiling height by then.

Hayley laughed “Here, bring your hand right here.” She put her laptop down and then pointed to her hand “Put your hand in front of mine.”

Sage did so, carefully, gingerly, worried about hurting Phoenix. His Minotaur hand dwarfed hers by quite a lot.

“And this is what you do for a high five.” She then slapped her hand against his “just like that. We call that a high five.”

Sage gave a grin and tried the high five himself, slapping his hand against hers, only he forgot for a moment about his strength. The slap sounded pretty loud and hard, and instantly he was contrite. Ears drooped, he moved back a couple of feet and started to hunch and crouch. "Sage sorry!"

Hayley didn’t expect the force behind the smack and it actually threw her balance off and she stumbled back before busting her ass on the floor with a laugh. Lifting her hand she waved it as if it was hot “you’re okay sage. You have a strong high five.” It was clear she wasn’t in much pain, but in fact she seemed to have joy on her face “let’s just tone down the strength a little bit. It can be our little secret.”

Sage reached up and tugged on his ears, pulling them down when he saw her stumble and shake her hand. "Sorry! Sorry!" But she was saying it was okay. Still holding onto his ears, he looked at Phoenix, making sure it was okay. "O..okay." Slowly he let his ears go and stood there a moment before he remembered he was done here. "If need more. let Sage know. Or..."

Sage looked to either side, then moved to the stone tree and ran a hand along the 'bark'. "If you lean close, and whisper against the rock, she will let Sage know."

Hayley got up from the ground, dusting off her pants before looking at Him. Poor guy. The Coven must have been doing things to really scare him. He really wasn’t that bad. How he acted... It was like he had trauma that haunted him... maybe it would be time to get information on Sage just to see what happened.

When he spoke about the rock, she walked over next to him and looked between the rock and him “will she?” She asked before looking at the rock once more, leaning her forehead up against it as she whispered how beautiful her rock was. As weird as it sounded, she went along with sages actions as a mother would with her child. Her attention turned to Sage and she waited a moment before whispering “Did she say anything?”

Sage's ears were twirling big time when he watched her whisper to the pillar. And then asked him what the mountain said. Sage rumbled low in his chest with that big goofy grin.

One hand was placed flat along the smooth stone, and he closed his eyes. Chin tucked, ears stilled for the briefest of moments as he listened. When he opened his eyes it was with the biggest smile, showing off his fanged teeth, which he hadn't done before.

Ears turn turn turning, he laughed. A big, boisterous laugh that filled the whole room and was probably felt as much as it was heard. Then he clapped a hand over his face to muffle it.

When he had control of the mirth, he spread his fingers slightly and whispered between them. "She said thank you."

Hayley didn't mind the laugh nor the smile he displayed. In fact, she giggled while he covered his mouth before whispering back to her "She already sounds lovely, Sage." the look on her face was one of a mother, caring and sweet.

Sage's shoulders lifted, hand still over his face and he whispered, "Sage go now. Oh..need change." And it was relatively quick, this shaking like a dog to change the glamor, to disguise or not to disguise. The process was the same.

And then a slightly shorter human Sage was grinning and wriggling the fingers of one hand in a wave of a sort, much like a child might. Where the fingers are all moving independently, like playing the piano, instead of a full hand wave.

Almost forgot to duck through the door, but he did close it behind him. Sage remembered.

Hayley nodded "Alright. See you soon Sage." she said, watching him make his way out after changing back to his form while waving. The witch shook her head and laughed to herself "I'll help you out soon, Bud."

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round | Current Timeline: May 15th​

Tags: Britt-21 Vinegar Bees Maeteris Rhyme
Location: Miami, FL

Key and the three additional guards didn't have any problems getting everyone on the bus and settled. The bus had windows that would not lower, were tinted with that one way tint, so those on the inside could see out, outside could not see in.

The ones in cuffs were placed on the inside against the locked windows, their guard on the outside. Even Morgan, which meant he was sitting next to the broken neck Roje. Thankfully, it was a short trip to the airport.

Along the way, Key did his best to let them know what to expect. "We will be on an airplane bound for overseas. This means your seats will also convert into a bed when you wish to sleep. For all the charges, there will be no use of the restroom without someone escorting you. There will be food, drinks and snacks available upon request. There is also a number of in flight entertainment options, movies, music, books, puzzles if you want. As long as you behave, you will not be strapped into the most uncomfortable seat available."

Key eyed all the charges, and the guards as well, while he spoke. "If you need something, ask. It is going to be a long flight. Please do not make it even longer than it needs to be." They were nearly there already. They would have to drive gates opened by a couple of uniformed guards, and the private charter flight would be visible once the bus drove along the private strip of the tarmac.

"Coda, when we arrive, please see to Roje. The guards will take care of Morgan and Indy."

coded by natasha.

 

[Vinegar Bees]

The vicious, dark energy that had been rocketing through him had not left—energy could not be destroyed, after all—it had merely adjusted for the moment, coiling up like a snake returning to its den. He could still feel it in the thumping in his veins, in the pressure behind his eyes, but he kept it clenched between his teeth.

Key's words to the group barely registered as they filtered in one ear, drifted languidly through his brain, and then slipped out the other. A long flight—fine. Food and drink—whatever. Entertainment—laughable. As if anything could hope to stimulate his senses as much as the feeling of flesh giving in beneath the weight of his jaw.

He had had a taste, but he still had not eaten. He wanted more.

Coda remained in silence for the duration of the drive, his head tilted away from Indy. To say he felt remorse for smashing her hand would be an outright lie—her screams still echoed in his skull, and the feeling carried equal measures of pleasure and disgust.

In another life, he had liked to read. He had enjoyed mythology—tales of heroes, larger-than-life, and the horrid creatures they slew, before it had had a chance to sink in that he did not belong to the hero caste. Greek tales of the underworld, especially, had always riveted him somewhere between curiosity and fear; they were the ugliest tales, the ones that best matched the noise he was always trying to block out of his head.

In one of the stories, the goddess's daughter Persephone had been trapped in the underworld, where she had been more of a curious, honored guest than a prisoner; when she came across Tantalus, the forever-parched man with slaking water forever just out of reach, Coda remembered her taking pity on him. The girl had scooped up a splash of clear, crystalline water in her hands and offered it to the tortured soul, but her act of kindness had soured quickly: having tasted that which he could never have, Tantalus only grew madder, more wretched with desire.

(She had been a girl, right? Persephone—she had been a child. He remembered that well enough. And then she had ended up as Hades's bride—her decidedly mature uncle. What a fucked-up story.)

When the bus finally groaned to a stop, Coda looked up, alert. The guards would take care of Indy and Morgan, Key had said. And so he stood and moved to the front of the bus, keeping his gaze directly forward as he lifted Roje from beside Morgan.

He had seen the look before: the I-just-found-out-you're-a-freak-for-real look. He didn't need to see it played out again on the kid's face.

Before Coda departed the bus with the rest of the group, he looked briefly down into Roje's face—peaceful, almost, despite the damage he had wreaked upon her—and for a split second, he, too, was Tantalus, burning inside as the water lapped capriciously at his chin.

( Tags: Out Of Words | Rhyme | Britt-21 | Maeteris )​

coda.

half-demon

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Winnie stayed as feverishly curled-up as she could beside Banks, as if she hoped to fold in on herself and disappear altogether. If only she could be so lucky.

She listened carefully, dutifully, as Key outlined the plans for their trip: they were headed for an overseas flight (where were they going, again? The knowledge had rapidly fled her brain as panic forced its way in—oh, Ecuador. At least she was going to die somewhere warm), would be provided with food and drink and entertainment. It was a strange, disorienting feeling: a solid half of the group was arrested with cuffs, and yet they were being treated to movies on the plane. Winnie thought briefly of the final meal offered to prisoners just before the execution chamber, one last privilege before oblivion.

She had lived through that strange, eerie age: the so-called golden years of creatures in human flesh. Ted Bundy. The Zodiac. She had already been turned by then; she was in no danger, her mistress assured her—but Winnie clung desperately to the fear that identified her more closely with their victims than with the hunters themselves.

Every age had its monsters. Some of them were slain as befitted beasts—she remembered the headlines heralding Bundy's electrical end as cheerfully as recapping a brilliant burst of fireworks—while others, like the Zodiac, slunk into the shadows, surviving only as terrible specters haunting the public's collective mind. Condemned by history if not in fact.

Then there were the monsters that made the cleanest escape of all: slipping beneath notice. There were others, perhaps, who could boast of such a fate, but not her, Winnie thought as she approached the proverbial throne upon which Bundy had been crowned in his final moments. There would be no headlines cheering her downfall.

It was what she deserved.

She picked her head up, alarmed, as the bus crawled to a stop, and then she scanned the rest of the passengers with a feverish sort of urgency. Foster had been stricken horrifically by the events of the day, his spirit all but desiccated; she ached to check on Indy, ask if she was all right, but the terrifying Coda was still close beside her. Winnie could not bring herself to speak even to Banks, and either way, the woman Park had been eyeing her menacingly ever since Key let slip the news about her former partner.

News to all of them, even Winnie herself.

Ultimately, Winnie retreated into the familiarity of old habits: she kept her head down, lips sealed, as she obediently made her way off the bus and towards the airport. Even Mars had obliged when the neighbor boy jerked on his leash, after all.

( Tags: Out Of Words | Rhyme | Maeteris | Britt-21 )​

winnie sawyer.

psychic vampire

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Oh Clementine (via Discord) | Current Timeline: May 15th​

Tags: Allison bread-and-butterflies Edwin Thropian
Location: Wright Wranch

The clouded leopard saw the glance form Allison, and got up to head butt Pops to get his attention. As they headed toward Shia, Levi changed back to his diminutive human form. They trailed along behind Allison. Shia could see them coming and gave them all a nod of his head.

Once they were all there, he made sure everyone had somewhere to sit, unless they preferred leaving the warded area and going upstairs. Shia would follow their lead to the where, as as for the what, well. "I'd like to see if we can perhaps determine if the young woman you saw, matches the person Levi and Edwin dreamed of."

He flipped through his little notebook to the pages of notes he jotted down. "You said, she had braided hair. Was it one braid, two? And the positioning of the braid or braids? Brown hair. Sweatshirt. Do you remember anything specific about the sweatshirt? Color, did it have a design on it? Can you tell where or how she was hurt?"

Allison crossed her arms, resting one hand on the front of her chin as she thought. “The injury, yes. She appeared to have a head wound. I couldn't really say how it happened or the sort of wound, just that that's where the blood was coming from. It;s hard to say how much blood there was, as it blended in with the light of the moon.” She sighed. Yet another complication caused by the bleeding moon.

“The red light made it difficult to tell colors, as well. I think the sweater had some writing on it – I can't recall what it was, though. Was a little distracted at the time.” She trailed off a little, staring at some point behind Shia. “Her hair...was it one braid? It was behind her head.” She finally shook her head, unable to glean any more details from her memory.

“A lot of it is fuzzy. I mostly remember her face. It was...wrong. Stretched out.” She shrugged, finally turning to look at Shia. “Does any of that help?”

Levi was focusing hard on trying to push past the blur of the dream and recall what she looked like. "She wasn't hurt in my dream. Just.. we were going to see if she'd join us. Like.. she went to school. Like my age. and uh.. I think mad? Mad cause.. she had other visitors, too. She.. she wasn't happy about it."

Levi chuffed and rubbed at the side of his face, trying to recall more. "Pops?"

Shia was adding more notes as they talked. "Anything you recall could be the key in linking it all together. It helps, yes."

"Uh. I don't really remember her. I only know that we went to get her. And the others, I think I saw them briefly. At the end of the dream. They came to get Clementine as well." He brushed his beard some. "I didn't really see much else."

Shia nodded, checking all his notes once more before closing the notebook. "Okay, thank you. I'll see what I might be able to turn up with this. If you think of anything else, don't hesitate to let me know. I wish you all good slumber tonight." He gave them a grin and a nod of his head before he moved to check on Devlin now that his conversation with Miss Harper had ended.

Levi gave a few snorts and wriggles, as if he had an itch under his skin. "I think I'm going to cat nap tonight, Pops. Been a hot minute. How about you? What do you think of all this?"

"All this? You mean the time stuff? Makes a bit of sense when I think about it." He said, a bit casually. "We can see yesterdays, and the spirits can see the tomorrows, so why couldn't something see todays?"

He nodded, as though his explanation made perfect sense. "Plus, it's a lot easier to accept when you learn all the monster's in the manual might be real. Life comes at you quick."

Allison nodded solemnly at Edwin's words. “It's true. Given the state of the moon these past weeks, and what we saw tonight, it seems hard to rule out anything, however far-fetched.” A look of worry crossed her face. “Perhaps things will be clearer after a good night's sleep. I don't know about you two, but it's certainly been a long and eventful day for me.” She looked back up at the tunnel they'd all descended to arrive here, and gently grasped her right wrist in her left hand, anticipating the pain that would return once she left the cave. “Good night to both of you. I look forward to talking to you more in the morning.” She smiled, bobbing her head in a suggestion of a bow, and made her way back up to her room.

Levi gave Allison a good old fashioned wave of a hand. "Good night!" He looked to Edwin, "I might sleep down here, if they'll let me. Just cat it out on the couch. I'm going to go ask. Night, Pops!" Levi headed over to talk to Devlin.

"That sounds pretty nice." Edwin said, as Levi mentioned sleeping in the cave. "Let me know. I can always just curl up in a corner."

As Levi left to ask, Edwin looked around, searching for the best corner to curl up in, and even began shifting into his bear form to go relax.

It barely took a minute before Levi was jumping back to Edwin. "Yeah, we're cool. He just asks we don't go exploring the cavern past the waterfall."

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Lucy, You've Got 'Splainin' To Do (via Discord) | Current Timeline: May 15th​

Tags: Leif KodakWolf Maylee Vinegar Bees
Location: Wright Wranch

"To a land of endless summer. Can't say I'm very hyped." he shot her back a small smile, not wanting to crush hers with a negative comment. Her smile seemed about to break apart at the blow of a stronger breeze, or a wrong choice of words.

While he didn't find it difficult to talk to strangers, that was something else entirely. He couldn't say he'd had that conversation before, and while he felt like he should be telling her stuff, he didn't exactly know how to get there. Sometimes he wished he was wiser, being that old and stuff, but he hadn't exactly spent his years seeking spiritual enlightenment.

"What have you been up to?" he asked casually, after signalling her to follow him out of the dragon's lair for now. Not the best place to talk. Well, he ended up starting it off with a question, and a general one, but he'd get to the point. Once back upstairs, he'd let her choose whether she preferred to talk outside at the porch, or somewhere inside out of earshot of the others. Of course, if she agreed to talk at that moment, that is.

Maylee's smile, paltry as it was, faltered at Leif's question. For a moment, she could only blow out a puff of air through her cheeks as she followed Leif back towards the study and the subsequent staircase upstairs. There was more to the question than a casual desire for catch-up—obviously. Where, though, was she supposed to begin? She had already dropped both bombs, but which had made the greater impact?

"Well," she murmured finally, hesitantly, stuffing her fists into her coat pockets, "I... I've been working for a florist. Handling her deliveries and stuff. Nice woman. But..." She frowned. "I'm sure it's not my day job you're wondering about."

"No, actually, it was." he wasn't surprised to hear something so mundane for an answer. If she only hunted dangerous or harmful beings, she'd need another job to get by. "I do have other questions and I suppose you do too. But why start with the doom and gloom?" he added with a small chuckle.

Scents drifting in the air informeed him of where some of the others had retreated to. The one that caught his attention was none other than Evelyn's, possibly because she was the only one to do something as unexpected as going for a walk under the moonight. She wasn't anywhere in sight as he glanced out one of the large, wall sized windows, easy prey wandering the woods alone. Didn't matter.

The influence of the moon had become more and more present as they'd reached ground level, and while to him it felt at most like a discomfort, an inconvenience, he could guess it probably bothered Maylee a lot more, so instead of the porch, he headed to a couple of armchairs tucked far enough in a corner of the large living room that they wouldn't be on the way of anyone else.

"You don't have to explain yourself about your second job, if you don't want to." his tone was more serious, but still friendly, and he slumped down on one of the chairs. She actually already had, and the reason she'd presented was reason enough in his eyes. "I don't have a problem with it. Thank you for sharing, though." he made a short pause, glancing out the window again, though now he didn't have any elves in his thoughts. "But yeah, I meant to ask how you've been in general, like old friends do. Your day job, friends, plans... matters more than you probably think." he added with an encouragement smile. The doom and gloom was in the past, and while it helf it's importance, the future always mattered more.

Oh. So he had been wondering about her day job. Maylee clenched her fists in her pockets as Leif spoke, his casual demeanor somewhat mystifying to her. To be able to slip so easily into conversational after all of the distressing news they had been gifted with that night—was it something intrinsic to his character or something he had learned through years of trial and error?

Was it something she could learn, too—?

As they emerged into the ground level of Devlin's house, Maylee felt the sinister sickness of the moon smack her with all the suddenness of an early-morning hangover—wearily, she pressed a hand to her forehead, and she couldn't deny that she wobbled a little as she followed Leif to the living room and then ensconced herself in one of the armchairs, hiking her knees up to her chest. Under normal circumstances, a combination of social etiquette and shame would have dissuaded her from such a display in a glorified stranger's home, but a half-tipsy, moon-sick Maylee with a mind full of unanswered questions had little patience for such decorum.

"Um... yeah. Her name is Candace Baker. The florist, I mean. Though I guess I won't be seeing her again for a while." She furrowed her brow, drawing her knees up closer to her chest and resting her chin atop them. "I... uh... don't really have any friends. Unless you count Ms. Baker, I guess. But... she always had a soft spot for the stray cats that skulked around outside her shop."

She had had friends, once. She had always been shy, but by high school, she had mustered the courage to open up to a few of her peers—mostly girls from her classes or the locker room between track meets. It had been achingly obvious, after the change, that they hadn't a clue how to look at her, how to treat her. In a single night, Maylee had become a walking spectacle, a tragic curiosity.

That poor girl, her friends' parents whispered about her when she wasn't around. She could see it in the tense, uncomfortable smiles now permanently-etched into her friends' faces. She didn't want to be a poor girl. Poor girls were the victims who watched everything fall to pieces around them, not the heroes who salvaged the shards.

"Um, I started taking some classes at the community college," she murmured to Leif, distant and uncomfortable. "Criminal justice. I... haven't been in a couple of semesters though. Let time get away from me, I guess."

Should she tell him? Tell him about the mornings she spent inert in bed, awash with violent self-pity, unable to rouse herself as far even as the bathroom? Those were the worst days by far. In her anger, at least, even in her despair, she made noise.

"I didn't... I don't... really have any plans, I guess," she admitted, averting her gaze from Leif. "I think I was mostly... waiting. I don't know. Waiting to find something irreversible." She frowned, pensive, and then extended an arm toward one of Devlin's floor-to-ceiling windows, beyond which the sickened moon hovered. "I guess it found me first. Whatever it is."

Leif listened to her with genuine interest, though his gaze turned more serious as she spoke further. She was getting by, though not in the best possible way. Not in the worst, either. Was three years enough time to get over what'd happened? He couldn't really tell anymore, and couldn't use his own experiences as a parameter. An unnaturally long life shined a different light upon the concepts of life, death, loss and time itself, something he couldn't expect from her.

"I do hope it's not irreversible, though." he added, a lighter, more casual gaze back in his eyes. "Doesn't feel too good." Somehow, no matter how long you live, being alive is something hard to grow tired of, and he did hope stay around some more time.

"How do you feel about your wolf form? Do you like it?" his tone was still casual, though his gaze, although not demanding, expected an answer not as casual.

Maylee furrowed her brow, dropping her gaze to her lap as she began to fidget with the ends of her braids, their threads just barely held together by the hair ties itching to retire for the night.

“It’s different,” she murmured. An obvious, stupid answer. She scowled, biting her lip lightly in self-reproach. “It feels like... like a memory, almost, only happening in real time. You know—how everything is a little foggy, maybe you remember things as a little bigger than they actually were—what you’re seeing, it’s real, but it’s also... subjective.”

She shut her eyes, rubbed them with her thumb and forefinger in an attempt to blot out the twin assault of tipsiness and moon-sickness assaulting her brain. “Sorry. That sounds like a whole lot of nothing.” She shut her teeth together, took a slow breath. “I feel... stronger. But more vulnerable, too. Like a raw nerve. I can do what I’m supposed to, and I can do it better, but... when something burns, it burns more.”

What I’m supposed to do.

She stared resentfully down at her hands as they aimlessly threaded and unthreaded the ends of her hair together. There was more to the story than that, of course. She hadn’t just woken up one day as a wolf.

“It was my choice,” she said, finally, after a moment. “I found a wolf, we made a deal. I told him to bite me.”

She could feel the tears burning in their usual spot behind her eyes, and she fought them back, her voice grim as she continued.

“You know, Papa used to tell me stories before bed. Fairy tales. And whenever he told Little Red Riding Hood, he’d always say that she and the wolf ended up friends. That she and the wolf and her grandmother all had tea together.”

A wry, bitter smile tugged at her lips. “When I was older, I found the book he was reading from. Found out the real ending. Little Red didn’t save her grandmother—she was gobbled up by the wolf. They both were.”

Her fists began to shake as she clenched them—better her hands than her voice. Maylee turned her head to look Leif in the eye, hoping determination swam there as much as tears.

“I grew up, and I learned—that’s what happens in the real world. Little girls get gobbled up by wolves. It’s the wolves that survive.”

Leif knew something about shifters, but since he wasn't one, comparing her experience to that of a 'not so cursed shifter' would be a good start. What she was saying was definitely not a whole lot of nothing.

He'd leaned forward and listened carefully to her, a small smile turning up on his lips as she mentioned Adrien's version of Little Red Riding Hood. How they'd managed to get along was sort of a mystery, a friendship grounded on more disparities than similarities, wrapped up by a serious amount of respect for each other's contrary opinions.

"You're not wrong." he leaned back on the chair a sigh. Definitely not what Adrien would've told her, but he wasn't there to say it, was he? And possibly because of the same kind of advice he'd have given her if he was. He kept eyes locked on hers, serious but not stern. He saw tears that she fought against, but they weren't a little girl's."

"You're not a little girl, but the wolf inside you will gobble you up if given the chance." he made a pause to observe her reaction. He'd been more direct, but it was an important matter.

There was something validating, perhaps embarrassingly so, in Leif recognizing her as more than a little girl, a relief in the way he didn't dole sugar out generously with every word as Papa had. Such high hopes as those Adrien Larssen built shattered all the more catastrophically at the inevitable drop.

She supposed Leif was right. She had only truly studied her transformation after the fact, when it was too late to revert—the route she had taken, apparently, was not the usual way of shifters. Normally, shifters came from families—she thought of Chase and Leviathan, of how pristine, how genuine their animal forms had looked. They moved within them as within their own skin, while her own wolf-skin never quite stopped feeling like something she was wearing.

It made sense, she supposed. Real shifters came from families. A stray without a family had to go a grimier route.

Maylee supposed she should be afraid. She didn't know what it meant, really—what were the differences between her and natural shifters? Had she somehow doomed herself?

She should be afraid, and she was. But there were things that scared her far more.

"I don't intend on letting anyone gobble me up," she said fiercely. "Not until I've done what I have to do."

Then her voice faltered. "But if... if it's inevitable... then I'll outrun it as long as I can. And when the time comes—"

She stared down at her hands, gripped them into fists. "What's left for it to devour? That silly little girl you knew... I had to kill her to survive. All that's left in me now is ugly things. When the wolf comes to devour me... maybe the world will be better off without those things."

Maylee was certain he could detect the bravado in her voice. It was more for herself than for him.

Leif continued to listen to her in the very same way, unshaken. She seemed to have an idea of the real picture,but she didn't know everything she should. Neither did he, to be honest.

"You didn't kill her." he spoke, with a light shake of his head. His tone didn't completely hide a hint of sad surprise at her words. "She grew up. Did what she had to do to survive." He could partially understand why she felt that way, but if only she could see what little sense her words made. Still, he wasn't in position to judge, was he? She would've been different, had he interfered when he could.

The good hunter that bravely introduced herself in front of a group of supernaturals just an hour ago wasn't a different person, though. She didn't know that if the wolf devoured her, it'd devour only the good things left, allowing the ugly ones to roam free.

"I don't know if it's inevitable." he was quick to add. He didn't want to antagonize her in the slightest of ways, and knew he had to be careful with the word choice. "But Adrien and I had been working on some things that could clarify that. I couldn't carry on by myself, but now we have others who might be able to assist. If you want to, that is."

She looked up at Leif, curious, apprehensive. Things he had been working on with Adrien—what did that mean, exactly? Even back then, even as a naive child, she had known that Leif and Papa met for business, not for mere catch-ups—she hadn't understood until she grew older why Adrien insisted she accompany him on those trips. She often didn't realize how much tension had been simmering at home until she felt it sloughing off of her during the drive to Leif's cabin.

Still, she had never ventured to ask what Papa spent so much time talking with Leif about. It hadn't been any of her business. She probably wouldn't have been able to understand, anyway.

She had had guesses, though, over the years.

"So... what you and Papa were working on. It had to do with something... dark," she murmured, glancing down at her hands—fleshy and devoid of claws, for the moment. "I guess I always knew who Papa was really taking those trips for. And now I'm... like him. Something dark."

She refused to speak her brother's name, not because it hardened her heart so much as it softened it. That was the same name she had gleefully called out during childhood games of hide-and-seek, the name of her closest friend. She could not think of him as someone with a name anymore, could not remember him as anything other than the murderer he had turned into.

If she did, she might falter.

Finally, after a moment, she spoke decisively: "I have one priority now. If Devlin thinks I'm somehow important enough to help save the world—" She had to admit, she was still having trouble believing it. "—then that's what I'm going to do, with everything I have. If there's still a world left after that... then I need to get justice for my parents. And if there's still a me left after that..." She hesitated, her voice unwillingly losing a touch of its firm edge: "...then I guess we can see about fixing what's left."

Maylee's last words sparked a true smile on his face, wider than she'd seen before, accompanied by a nod. He was glad she left that small opening, that maybe she'd be willing to help herself after all.

"No point in saving yourself if there's no world left, fair enough." the smile didn't last long, and his expression was quickly serious again. "But don't go after him before you've sorted out your business with the wolf." He hoped she'd take that as some serious advice, or even an order, had he ever had that authority, though it sounded a bit like a request, as if she'd be doing him a favor. Which wouldn't be a lie, as even though it was for her own good, he wouldn't want her to go down the doom path. He cared.

"Let revenge take over, and the wolf takes over you for real. You can do it better." he wouldn't dissuade her from her purposes, at least not now. But if she was going for it, there were better and worse ways.

"We weren't working on anything dark. In fact, we worked on everything we could find that wasn't dark. You know your Papa." he continued. This time, the mention of Adrien didn't exactly bring a smile to his face. He couldn't pretend he didn't resent the man, even if it was just a little. "It didn't work. Possibly would have, if we'd dipped toes there." another pause. "It can be a solution. But you have to be very careful around it. It's not pleasant, but it works."

That's the problem, though. Maylee chewed her lip, troubled. Leif was being sensible when he cautioned her to work out her wolf side before she went after her brother, but... there was something within her that almost wanted to face him broken. If she were whole (as remote a possibility as that seemed) when she again looked into his eyes, she might see a person there instead of a monster. It was bitter and ugly and selfish, but she didn't want to see the person in him. She wanted to burn him to the ground. Maybe there was a part of her that wanted to go up in flames with him, too.

But she couldn't just say as much to Leif's face. There was a certain self-conscious consternation at his obvious concern, to be sure—after being on her own for three years, the feeling of being worried over like a child was disorienting—but she was grateful for it, too. She had been grateful for Ms. Baker's kindness, but—the woman was kind to everyone. It was difficult not to see it as charity. Leif, though—his concern came from a deeper place, a place of mutual tragedy.

"Maybe saving the world will change my mind," she said with a wry laugh. "Fix me. You know. But until then... I just have to survive." She frowned, brushed a lock of errant hair out of her face. She wanted to thank him, if she were being honest with herself, for caring about her, for showing her there was at least one person left in the world who wanted her in it. But her heart had scabbed over long ago, and she could not again make it soft without bleeding first.

So, shamefully, she deflected.

"Whatever this dark stuff is... it sounds like you know a lot about it." She frowned thoughtfully. "Did that come from the vampire part or the long life part?" It occurred to her, then, the answer embedded in her question, and she self-consciously gnawed at the inside of her cheek. "No, wait, that's... stupid. You wouldn't have the long life part without the vampire part."

Her answer was satisfying, for now at least. Meant she listened, even if a little bit. He didn't see her as a rebellious teenager, but as someone who was half blinded by dark feelings, so he didn't want to play the wise mentor role and patronize her, though somethings were just too serious to not be discussed. He gave her a small smile and a nod, deciding not to push her any further on that matter.

"Just sleep on it a few times, it's not a concern for now I believe." if he managed to give her something to consider, it was good enough. Any final decisions would be hers to make.

"Both, actually." he'd chuckled at her last question. "I was turned by a dark magic ritual. Saved my life." At a cost, but that was in the far past. "I've researched about it but there's only so much I can do on my own." That was a vow of trust, in a way. He did believe he'd be able to defend himself against her if it came to that, but it wasn't set in stone, one never knows. He was telling a hunter what sort of vampire he was, and that he couldn't practice magic, after all (though the last bit she probably already knew from her own studies). A feeble attempt at making up for not being able to help more when he actually could've made a huge difference.

"Which is why the amulet I sent you was never finished. Don't shift wearing it, and don't try to use it against him." he fished in his pocket for his phone, turning the screen towards her once he'd found the picture he was looking for: an amulet just like hers, except it was half melted.

A dark magic ritual? Maylee studied Leif curiously at the revelation, though she caught herself before she had been staring for too long. There were different ways of creating vampires, to be sure—she had learned as much during her studies. The most common, it seemed, was the classical turning method—a process centered on biting—but she had been able to find snippets of info about older vampires created by magic. The information didn't get much more specific than that—and, if Leif himself had had trouble finding anything (surely his research skills were far sharper than hers at his level of experience), she was willing to guess there wasn't much to be found.

The idea, of course, came shackled with questions—heavy questions that buzzed between them, burned on her tongue—

What does the dark magic do to your hunger?
What do you eat? Blood bags? Animals? Humans...?
How many have you killed—?

—questions that, at the moment, a tipsy, moon-sick, and, yes, sentimental Maylee didn't have the will to ask. Again, she deflected, shame burning in her cheeks.

"Um. Thank you," she said abruptly, gaze focused on her lap. "For the amulet, I mean. I never answered your letter. I mean—I wrote an answer—but I couldn't... bring myself to send it."

She chewed her lip. That letter was still nestled at the bottom of a desk drawer at her little apartment in Portland, the apartment she didn't know if she would ever set foot in again.

"I've used the amulet, though. Brought it with me, actually. It's been a big help."

Indeed, it had; she briefly recalled a hunt when a half-feral creature had tried to hook its teeth into her throat, only to reel back hissing at the touch of the amulet. She might have told Leif about it, too, but—the creature had been a vampire. Maybe not.

Oh, but she had noticed the amulet did something to the wolf in her, too—the pain that rocketed through her system at an attempted shift had been so intense that she had never again tried. Tentatively, Maylee glanced again at the picture of the destroyed medal on Leif's phone and suppressed a shudder.

"I... I always thought of it as Papa being there, with me, when I was in trouble. Protecting me." She frowned, circling her arms around herself at the sudden onset of a chill. "But it wasn't just Papa who made the amulet. It was you, too."

She pulled her jacket in closer around her shoulders.

"So, um—when this is all over—" The whole saving the world thing took current precedent, duly so. "—if you're still trying to find answers... I mean. There's only so much I can do on my own, too. Maybe..." Bashfully, she tucked her chin into her knees. "Maybe we'll have better luck if we share the burden."

It was clear she had more questions, but it'd be a lie to say Leif wasn't glad she apparently decided not to ask them. For now, at least. He could answer some of them, most likely not all of them. He wanted to lie as little as possible, but in some cases the truth wouldn't be beneficial, nor useful.

"I'm just glad to know it's been helpful." Especially since she turned out being a hunter. Had he unconsciously predicted it? "I wish I'd sent you more than a letter and a charm. I'm sorry about that." Somehow, it hadn't crossed his mind that she'd end up all by herself like that.

Chin tucked into her knees, she did look like someone who needed to be protected. The little girl hadn't died, but instead she'd bravely grown into someone a lot stronger, and it wasn't only the darkness emanating from her blood that told him that. Her fathers would've been proud. In another context he would be too, but the thought that he could've prevented what'd happened made it hard to feel proud about much. It was a thought that hadn't bothered him in a while now, but being reunited with her definitely made it resurface.

"Sounds like a plan." he nodded at her last words, a small smile again on his lips, though his eyes conveyed a hint of sadness. "Thanks."

"Don't let me hold you back if you wanna retreat for the night. I'll still be around till dawn, so..." his tone was lighter, casual again as he briefly glanced out the window then back at Maylee.

"It was good seeing you again." he quickly added, on thing he was definitely not lying about.

Maylee couldn't help a little smile of her own—a smaller, warmer one than she had been used to wearing. It felt strange on her face, like an old pair of shoes she hadn't outgrown but that no longer fit her style.

She wanted to keep talking—part of her did, at least. But another part balked. Their voices were starting to get heavier, even if their words weren't—she pretended she didn't notice the sadness in Leif's eyes and hoped he would overlook it in hers. They were drifting far too close to the past, now. She could only look forward—not back. An object in motion must stay in motion.

"I guess I should be heading to bed," she murmured wryly. "I figure not needing much sleep is more of a vampire thing." Slowly, she stood, stretching her aching arms out over her head and listening to the rhythmic, satisfying snap of her knuckles.

"Um..."

She turned to face him, but her chin was pointed at the ground—nothing more than a shy little girl in the end, even after all this time.

"It was good to see you, too."

And it had been. Oh, it had stung a little, but there were different types of pain—the sting that jolted through her muscles the morning after an intense workout carried with it the sense of progress.

Maylee hesitated for a moment, and then she reached out and lightly grasped one of Leif's hands in both of hers, giving it a tentative squeeze.

"I'm not Papa, but... I think I know what he'd say if he were here." She cleared her throat and stood up a little straighter, imitating the musical cadence of Papa's voice: "Don't stay up too late, now."

And then she went, the smile on her lips withering bit by bit as she climbed the stairs to her room. Just as she had the night before, she held back the tears until the moment the door shut behind her.

When she finally smiled, the little girl was back for a bit. It was like the heaviness of her countenance had been temporarily lifted, which made him reciprocate her smile.

As she reached for his hand, he grasped hers with both hands too, giving it a light squeeze, and when she mimicked Adrien (surprisingly well), his smile widened, revealing fangs that were rarely seen and reaching his eyes for a brief moment.

"I won't." he spoke with a shake of his head, before letting go of her hands and watching as she silently headed upstairs. He could only wonder what was spinning inside her mind.

coded by natasha.

 

[AsherMasher]

Clementine Holt
​

As the days dragged on, they all seemed to meld into one another. Day in and day out, Clementine dragged her feet through without any change to her monotonous schedule. Without thinking, she stepped out the door of her home and turned to lock it. When she let go to the knob and turned her back to it she quickly noticed the change in familiar scenery that was her surrounding neighborhood.

The vast greenery that surrounded her was definitely foreign and threw Clementine out of sync. She quickly rubbed her eyes and blinked, hoping that it would wipe away the unreal vision before it. Unfortunately, when she opened her eyes the beauty before her did not falter. She gazed in awe at the stone home and the various creatures that danced their way past her. Hearing her own name coming from them was definitely unsettling. She gave herself a quick pinch on her arm to wake herself up from this crazy dream.

Upon hearing the angelic voice calling her name Clementine quickly turned her attention to the creature calling for her in song. Woah, she thought. I must really be passed out to have a dream this good.

Still in a state of awe, Clementine cautiously walked up to the creature basking in the clovers. She stared at the horns and wings on the creature, but for some reason was not afraid. The glow and twinkle of the magic flowing from the creatures hand seemed inviting, so Clementine wandered closer while keeping a safe distance.

“H-hello,” she muttered as she toyed with her sleeves. “I like your dress.”

 

[Thropian]

Luna
Location: Miami, Florida​

Malika's display with the phone call was sickening. If not for how effective it had proven to be, Luna would have reprimanded the Baron for her behavior. She instead bit her tongue and swallowed her venomous words. "Good work. Be sure to get that email to the Order. A coven, moving vampires around the country. What a find."

Luna strode across the room while thinking. "We'll have to be careful. Watch them, see how much back up they have here. If we can at least draw our Leech out, we can dispatch her and then file a full report. Or perhaps we can catch her in transit. Perhaps a week was too much, be ready to leave in a rush at the drop of a hat."

"If I had to guess at this, I'd say they have human drivers and travel long distance during the day, so the leeches can hunt at night. It's probably a bit riskier, but hitting the transport would give us the surprise and cover of day for finishing them off." She looked to Malika. "Objections?"

 

[KodakWolf]

Maddox Ward (Leif Hjalkarssen)
Location: Wright Wranch​

After Maylee left, Leif debated for a while whether returning ton the cave would be the best bet. In fact, he wasn't sure why anyone would rather be in the rooms upstairs, unwarded a lot closer to the moon. Devlin hadn't said anything about camping in the cave, which meant he hadn't said it wasn't allowed.

Devlin had also said, however, that they might not have another quiet day/night again anytime soon, and believing him wasn't hard. It only made sense to enjoy the privilege of not being as affected by the weird moon. That way, whoever stayed in the cave would also have the privilege of not camping with a vampire, which might be too much for a first night as a team.

As he ventured outside, the ominous chanting mingled with the background forest noises, and together with a heavier atmosphere were the main reminders of the bleeding moon above. Not enough to keep him from expploring the property, something he wouldn't be able to do during the day, under the summer Texas sun. He didn't push his luck though, and returned to the house after a couple of hours, picking an available room to hide for the day.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Dream A Little Dream Of Me | Current Timeline: May 15th​

Tags: Thropian
Location: Wright Wranch

Guests retired to their rooms, while some took advantage of the warding in the cavern. Chase, Leviathan, Edwin all chose to relax in the cave. So, the wolf, clouded leopard and bear slept soundly. Well, for the most part.

Edwin dreamed a different dream. Something 'woke' him, whispered to him with sounds of water and wind. Messages from long ago, spirited away, no, washed away. Things hidden, buried deep, covered over with a blanket of tales and stories that became truth, grew into reality as they understood it today.

Secrets called him by name, or was it the bear's name? The cavern lit by flickering dances of candles along the rock walls, shafts of moonlight where there were no holes above. Moonlight not stained red, but the color of a wintry moon, pure and free from a blood plague.

The shafts of light flicked on and off like a switch being flipped by something not in the same world. The bear walked, padded from one spotlight to the next, watching as the spirits guided him to the next place, one moon spotlight at a time.

As a paw broke the light barrier, the one behind him shut off. No going back, only forward. While the trickle of the waterfall beckoned him onward, ever onward. It felt like slow motion, but as a human, a bear no longer, Edwin soon stood facing the river falling down the rocks. The waterfall filled the brook with ripples and small bits of foam from the collision, water upon water.

Algae and small flowers lined either side, drinking in from the mist, feeding off the luminescence. A glow that suddenly grew brighter, and brighter as the man watched. So bright, when the shaft of moonlight shut off, it wasn't noticeable.

Something moved on top, transparent and yet visible. A trick of the eye? A ghost? No, a spirit. A clouded leopard appeared, blinking down at the man before its gaze shifted to Edwin's left. He looked, and there stood Leviathan in human form.

Chase appeared standing to his right, looking upward. Edwin's gaze lifted, seeing a wolf standing on top of the waterfall. The same translucent appearance, another spirit. They gave Edwin a nod of their head, before both jumped, merging with the males on either side.

The low rumbling drew Edwin's gaze upward once more, but not to the top of the waterfall. Rather, to the middle, where the water smoothed out, became a mirror, and he saw his reflection. For a moment, that's all it was, Edwin looking upon himself. Then something approached the water's surface. A bear spirit, his bear, looked back, ears twitching and one could imagine the stub of a tail doing the same.

Seek the truth. Find your freedom. Find theirs.

The spirit stepped out of the waterfall, shaking the droplets off its fur as it moved to meet Edwin's form. It didn't merge though, it waited. Edwin could see his own hand moving, reaching out toward the spirit, touching it, petting its head gently. Quietly, the bear walked forward and it and Edwin became one.

Wake up.

For a moment, the reflection changed, and Edwin was in a different cavern. The colors were darker, the feeling weighed down on him like a heavy blanket. There was the sense of others around him, yet he could not turn his head, he could not move. Somewhere, the sound of an alarm was brash, irritating the senses.

No, not here. Not yet.

A gasp, torn from his own chest, and Edwin woke up. Still in bear form, with the wolf and leopard nearby, all curled up close, naturally seeking the warmth of others as they slept on. And the lingering remnants of his dream was already fading into vague memory.

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

BBQ | Current Timeline: May 15th​

Tags: Thropian bread-and-butterflies KodakWolf Vinegar Bees
Location: Wright Wranch

Friday arrived, with the third quarter moon now being a thing of the past, recent, but the past all the same. Those sensitive to scents might wake to Tilly's breakfast buffet, but no one was pressured to wake up at a certain time. They could stay in their room all day if they so wished.

Lunch would be similar, food scents indicated when lunch was served. Overall, people were left to their own devices. It would be hard to miss when the preparations began for the barbecue. It would take place before the sunset, outside not too far from the pool area.

Tilly and Shia, and anyone else who offered to help, carted out coolers, crates, and cartons of food, ice, drinks and more. It was going to be a BBQ sendoff to remember. Lights were strung up with the help of Bug and Levi, little lights that Bug liked to call little fireflies. And the cookers fired up long before the meat was done marinating and being tenderized.

The scent of charcoal permeated the area, leaking into the house as well. Music played through built in speakers, and the party was ready to go. Shia and Devlin made sure everyone was gathered, and before the revelry started, Devlin did have an announcement to make.

"Tonight, I hope everyone can just enjoy themselves. Feel free to venture inside or outside. We should have a couple of hours before we need to worry about the moon." Devlin gave a small smile and rubbed at the side of his face. There was a bit of bad news.

"Unfortunately, Miss Harper has decided to return home for now. She has my contact information, as well as Shia's, and should circumstances change and she wishes to join us, I will make sure she is able to." Allowing a moment for that to sink in, Devlin gestured toward the vast seating area, and the outdoor kitchen area. "Well, let's get some food on the grill and get this started!"

coded by natasha.

 

[Vinegar Bees]

When preparations began for the barbecue, Maylee had enthusiastically offered to add her own manpower. She had gone for a run earlier that day, had swum in the lake, had even attempted some weight training with whatever she could scrape together as makeshift tools, but no amount of activity was enough for her restless mind and body. At least in carrying out food to the party venue she would be making herself useful.

She went where directed, when directed, her eye never straying far from the horizon. For now, they were free from the worst of the moon's beleaguering effects, but night was never far—and darkness, she knew, could abound even in daylight.

She hadn't done much conversation with the group beyond polite pleasantries—as shameful as it was to admit, strangers made her clam up, and groups of them were even worse. Leif, of course, was not a stranger, but the wounds their previous conversation had opened were still a little raw for her tastes—and moreover, she couldn't stomach the thought of tailing him like a docile puppy. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She needed to be stronger than that.

That left Evelyn and Shia as the closest thing to familiar, but she knew Shia had enough on his plate without her offering seconds, and Evelyn didn't seem the type to enjoy company. The elf woman. indeed, had been reclusive for the duration of their time at the ranch, and so Maylee had not thought it unusual that she had not seen her around the premises. It was only when Devlin announced with a hint of dismay that Evelyn had returned home that Maylee realized the totality of her absence.

Dismay sank quietly within her own chest as she recalled her quiet, perhaps childish resolve to get to know the elusive elf, a goal now that would never be met. Despite her elegance and poise, Maylee had sworn she could detect a tinge of loneliness within Evelyn, a loneliness she had been determined to chip away at. Maybe, though, she was only projecting her own.

The truth was that Evelyn had a life, a business, a family to return to. A wealthy heiress who rode her own private jets across the continent—she had plenty to lose, far more than a soon-to-be-expired lease on a shoebox apartment in Portland and a charity job peddling flowers.

She had been speaking the truth, Maylee thought, when she told Leif that she had been waiting. Her life had become little more than upholstery dressing a growing darkness within her, an appetite for revenge that was whet by the day. The thought of saving the world, however unlikely, was the first thing in a long while that had made her feel more aligned with life than death. The option of walking away seemed far more remote—impossibly so—than it must have for Evelyn.

When the festivities began, Maylee took a moment to shut her eyes, inhaling the husky scent of meat growing hot and tender over flame-licked charcoal. Again, the wolf within her salivated. She had been apprehensive, at first, about breaking her commitment to vegetarianism, and in some ways, she still was, but the animal instincts within her demanded satiation. She needed the protein to keep building muscle, either way.

When she opened her eyes, Maylee scanned the group around her and then landed on Shia. He had been traveling with Evelyn even longer than Maylee herself—had he taken the news of her departure hard, too? She wondered if he saw it as a personal failure, though such a view certainly didn't align with her reality, at least. It was clear even from the short time she had known him how much pressure the young man was under. He couldn't be much older than her.

For a moment, she hesitated—the thought of initiating conversation was still embarrassingly daunting—and then she took in a deep breath and headed over to Shia, offering a wave she hoped looked at least somewhat natural.

"So Evelyn—" As she started, she was unsure what exactly she wanted to say, what exactly she felt, even, about the mysterious elf's polite refusal of their mission. "I'd hoped she would stay," she admitted, too solemn for comfort, and then hastily added: "You did everything you could." She certainly didn't want it to seem like she was blaming him for Evelyn's departure. The topic buzzed uncomfortably and unhappily in her mind, and her thoughts turned to Devlin's entreaty that they spend the evening enjoying themselves. Indeed, who knew when the chance would come again?

Somewhat forcibly, Maylee summoned a smile to her cheeks, valiantly trying to dispel the gloom from within her own mind. "You know, um, back when we were at my apartment," she said wryly, "and you said you had a dragon... I didn't think you meant it literally."

( Tags: Out Of Words | KodakWolf | bread-and-butterflies | Thropian )​

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Shia D'Shire

Tags Maylee Vinegar Bees | Location: BBQ ​

Shia gave a bow of his head when Maylee approached, and a small smile crossed his face. When Miss Harper was mentioned, there was another bow, and he murmured, "Yth geou llewarin jacioniv." A moment later, he added, "We will miss her."

She had maintained an air of distance from the beginning, so while it wasn't the best of outcomes, it wasn't completely unexpected. "Everyone has a choice, free will. As they should." And then Maylee mentioned the bit about having a dragon. And Shia laughed.

He grinned ear to ear, and gave a small shrug of a shoulder. "Yeah, not quite the same as it wasn't stuffed, but.. the sentiment is the same. Everyone has a security blanket, something we rely upon in times of stress, heartache, share the joy and pain with. Mine just happened to be Devlin."

"If you feel like telling me about your rabbit, I'll listen. I'll listen to anything you want to talk about, really. Devlin's taught me well, raised me better than I think he knows." Shia laughed a little. "Though, I could have done without having to attend the stuffy mage's school. But that's a story for hopefully another time."

No guarantees there would be another time, but Shia did his best to not think hard or long on that part of it. He didn't want to go into it with a 'going to fail' attitude, but he also couldn't be the cocky 'we're gonna make it' side of the fence either. It would be whatever it would be.

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Thanks For All The Fish | Current Timeline: May 15th​

Tags: Britt-21 Vinegar Bees Rhyme
Location: Miami, FL

The bus came to a stop near their charter flight. Two guards got off the bus first, and then Key was helping direct the others. Each guardian and their charge, with Coda carrying Roje. Instead of having a guardian handle an additional charge, he made sure the guards he brought along took responsibility for them. Morgan was handed to one, Indy to another.

They were walked to the plane's steps, as it was outside boarding. They couldn't very well go through an airport like this. One at a time, everyone was guided up the steps. Charges in front of their guardian, and Key would bring up the last. Only, he lingered outside, with Foster and Park.

Everyone had a seat assignment, and the flight staff inside were there to help direct them accordingly. The ones in cuffs and collars sat next to the windows, with their guardian on the aisle. Two seats on either side, but the seats were large and comfortable. They could be changed to a bed easily enough after the plane was in the air.

Everyone else had been settled in, with Morgan sitting next to a guard, and Roje in a row by herself when Foster finally boarded, Key following behind. Banks was confused and looked for Park, but she could be seen out a window getting back on the bus. "Where's she going?"

Key sat Foster by himself, but in the row immediately in front of Key. "She changed her mind." He leveled a look at Banks, "Why, did you want to go too?"

Banks seemed conflicted at first, but then glanced to WInnie. Something about her just made him feel like she needed him more than Park right now. "No. I'm good." He shifted around in his seat, then gave Winnie a small smile. Even after hearing she had killed her partner, she had those cuffs on. And it was just a little over half a day before they reached their destination. He could do this.

Key nodded to the flight staff and the door was closed, and seat belts were checked. "Alright, let's behave and have an uneventful flight. Alright? Let's get in the air, and then we'll see about drinks, food, and other items on the table." The last was said as he turned his face toward Coda. They did have to have a talk after all.

coded by natasha.

 

[Out Of Words]

A NIGHT BLEEDS
A story by Out Of Words​

Out Of Words

Tags: Clementine AsherMasher | Location: ????​

The creature smiled at the compliment, her voice echoing slightly when she spoke, as if her words were repeated by the smaller twinkling lights a half second later. "Thank you, but 'tis not me we should speak about. But rather, we should discuss your breakout."

She sat up, her wings stretching as her face lifted to the sun, eyes closed briefly. Eyes fairly snapped back to focus on Clementine. "Today you are not yet ready, but soon you'll have a cavalry!" Her arms spread out to either side as she did a small spin, the twinkling lights of the others swirling around her before dispersing once more.

"You're very important, Miss Clementine." Her head dipped a little as the upper half of the creature's body leaned toward Clementine. She started to walk, gesturing with her head for Clementine to follow. "Their power, yours will undermine."

"Thus, our plans, they cannot discover. So for now, you must remain undercover." A finger was held up, pointing toward the sky. What appeared to be a dome was visible, like a snow globe, with some dark, unappealing world beyond its confines.

"Play along, you must. It's the only way to keep their trust." Suddenly the winged thinged paused, eyes growing wide a second before shoulders lifted and hands covered her mouth with a laugh. "Oh, oh my. Yes, that's the plan. This you'll do, you can, you can!"

She flew to the nearest rock wall. Wings spreading out to either side, her feet never touching the ground. Hands urged Clementine to follow, hands that took hers and laid them flat against the rock surface. The creature leaned in close, pressing her lips to the stone.

"Whisper your plea to the steadfast stone, feel its cool surface with your cheekbone. Say 'help me break free, mountain hear my plea'." She waited for Clementine to mirror her actions and words. Once the words were said, she added, "Say 'help me out of my cage, oh great and kind sage'."

She giggled, holding onto Clementine's hands, even as the world around her started to grow gray, color fading away. "Do it three times a day, but whisper it, and help, he may. Until then, stay strong." She touched Clemetine's face lightly, "You'll find where you belong."

The darkness swallowed the winged thing and Clementine alike. Until she was once more standing before her front door, as if she hadn't yet opened it to start her day. When she did, everything was as it was, save for the memory of the creature's instructions. Those stayed clear and true, hoping Clementine would know what to do.

coded by natasha.

 

[Vinegar Bees]

He hadn't been on a plane many times before. Eyes squinted against the harsh gleam of sunlight, Coda looked up at the long, serpent-like machine they were in the process of boarding and immediately distrusted it. When had the last time been? As a child—?

(Heights troubled him, the way they always beckoned. The natural order of things was to descend; so he had thought when he stood on the roof of an Icarus of a building in a Troy of a city during that inscrutable stretch of time just after he had indelibly marked his hands with Adrien and Malik's blood, scrubbing be damned.

He didn't remember walking away, didn't remember much from that foggy, hungry time, but that must have been what happened.)

As unwelcome as ever, one of the voices ran as thin and gravelly as sand through his head: Scared of going up, schoolboy?

Don't want to run into the big man upstairs, maybe? Don't worry, you won't be headed there anytime soon.

Coda gritted his teeth, and for good measure, he scowled up at the sky before stepping onto the plane. He had never much believed in God, and he wasn't in any sort of mood to start now, but just in case, he wanted the old man to know exactly where he could shove his so-called Paradise.

He felt mechanical, half-detached from his own body as he boarded the plane, stretched Roje out on a row of seats as Key directed, and took his seat at the aisle, barricading Indy against the window. Coda spared her a quick glance before shifting his gaze away, his heart drumming in his throat. He wasn't in any mood to strike up a conversation with her, and he imagined Indy wasn't feeling particularly sociable, either, but even in silence, he knew the flight was going to be a test of endurance. Now that he had heard her screams, every hair on his body stood on end in delirious anticipation of more.

What do you have to lose, schoolboy?

Nice eyes, that girl. Maybe you could pluck them out and string them up on a necklace.

Come on, pussy. Smash the little pussycat.

Coda could feel the tendons in his neck aching as he clenched every muscle from his fists to his jaw as tightly as he could. He would not kill Indy, if for no other reason than to show those stupid, greedy voices that they did not control him.

Only half of his senses processed the information as Key offered a pre-flight briefing like some sort of shady flight attendant, but every nerve awoke abruptly at the mention of other items on the table, the pointed look from Key. In response, Coda offered a grim, barely-perceptible nod.

Good, he thought. The talk couldn't come soon enough. Even his thirst for information had taken a backseat to the agitation stirring in his body, and he wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of sitting still for more than a few minutes, let alone an overseas flight.

( Tags: Out Of Words | Rhyme | Britt-21 )​

coda.

half-demon

 

[Vinegar Bees]

Winnie kept her head down, hands together as she followed the rest of the group up the steps to the plane, somehow feeling that she wouldn't feel quite as afraid if she didn't look at her impending fate. As with the limousine from the day before, Winnie couldn't shake the feeling that she was now dancing along a creature's tongue as she tread a path directly into its throat. It was almost a surprise no saliva rained down from above as she dared a brief glance to ensure Banks was close behind. The man hadn't signed up to be her protector, merely her watchman, but she couldn't deny the childish thought that Banks provided the closest thing she had felt to security since those fleeting, sweet moments she had shared with Indy.

She blinked rapidly in an attempt to dispel the images of a bleeding, agonized Indy that threatened to pop up every time she shut her eyes. The shock collar, the gruesome execution of the limo driver, and now the vicious attack from the half-demon that seemed perpetually a straw away from slaughter—Indy had been suffering horrifically all the time she had been here. She didn't deserve it, Winnie thought. Neither of them—Foster had managed to avoid Coda's wrath, but his shellshock from yesterday's events still bled through in each of his startled movements.

Foster—?

Winnie frowned as she looked over her shoulder—Banks, indeed, was behind her, but behind him, Foster had come to a stop, along with Key and Park. Not wanting to hold Banks up, Winnie hurriedly skittered up the rest of the steps, but she had begun to gnaw on her lip in apprehension. Was Key going to do something to Foster? Or Park, perhaps—?

Her mind raced as she obediently settled into her seat beside the window (the feeling of being a mouse stuck in a cage was unmistakable, and surely the sight of miles of unbroken sky just outside the window would be a terror after takeoff—she imagined she would be spending much of the flight with her eyes shut), and it didn't settle much when she watched Foster board the plane (good) while Park returned to the bus they had taken to the airport (confusing, concerning). Banks, too, seemed concerned—Winnie felt a twinge for him, as he and Park had clearly been close. She thought of the eerie, hungry way Park had been eyeing her and suppressed a shudder. Was it her fault, maybe, that Park was leaving—?

Don't be so self-absorbed, she chastised herself. Why would Park care so much about a little creature like herself? Surely she had a bigger, better reason.

As expected, Banks seemed a bit dismayed when Key boarded and informed them of Park's departure, but Winnie felt a jolt of surprise run through her when he informed the spiky-haired magician that he would be staying. Just for the paycheck, Winnie decided, but then her heart gave a little squeeze when Banks flashed a comforting smile at her. Was he actually committed to guarding her, after all—?

Her relief was tinged with embarrassment as Key briefed them on the coming flight. She was burdening Banks, for sure, but she felt a little safer with him on the plane than she would have without him.

"I'm sorry," she murmured quietly and vaguely to Banks, and then she clumsily added: "I don't think she liked me very much."

( Tags: Out Of Words | Rhyme | Britt-21 )​

winnie sawyer.

psychic vampire

 

[Vinegar Bees]

There was a moment of faint embarrassment when Shia murmured something in a language Maylee didn't just not understand but couldn't even identify. Languages had been an unexpected yet integral part of her training as a hunter—after all, an opponent might try to gain an upper hand by communicating in a different language—and while she wasn't a polyglot by any stretch of the imagination, she had been diligent in her studies. She liked to think she could at least recognize which of the most common magic-adjacent languages was being used by identifying tone and inflection, but Shia's words seemed almost as otherworldly as his gleaming wyvern form had been.

The mood shifted quickly, though, and Maylee was surprised to see Shia smiling and laughing, especially because he had been so consistently dignified and serious since they had met. He seemed to be taking Devlin's advice—that they enjoy the celebration while they could—to heart, and the thought bolstered Maylee's confidence that it was okay for her to do the same.

She didn't hold back a laugh when Shia mentioned a stuffy mage's school—she hadn't a clue what such an institution might look like, but she found her mind automatically filling in blanks with images of the Catholic boarding school on the opposite side of town from the public elementary school she had attended growing up. A story for another time, he said, and she genuinely looked forward to it.

He had suggested the idea of her sharing a bit more about her rabbit, and while the idea caused Maylee to flush in self-conscious embarrassment, she was surprised to find that she wasn't too embarrassed to work her tongue.

"It was a present from my dad, when I was young," she said, feeling a private, fond smile tugging at her lips. "Well—one of them. I had two dads, actually. We shared a lot of things, but not DNA."

She found herself silently wondering whether such a story felt familiar to Shia. Certainly there was a world of difference between a human couple adopting a human child and a dragon finding and raising a wyvern from an egg, but ultimately, they had both been raised by people who hadn't needed DNA to cement their bonds.

"It was from the one I called 'Dad,'" she explained, "and it was sort of out-of-character for him, to be honest. The other one, 'Papa—'" A brief resurgence of the flush coated her cheeks at the silliness of the moniker, just as it always had when Papa playfully refused to allow her to outgrow it. "—he was really soft, tender. Too soft, Dad would say. He was a lot more... tough love, 'kids-learn-from-making-mistakes' type. Not the type who went around making a habit of buying stuffed animals."

Maylee couldn't forbear the bittersweet smile that fought its way onto her face at the memory. "When I was little, really little, they had a cat. Ingrid. She was already an old lady—a dignified one, mind you—by the time I was living there, so I was pretty young when she passed. She'd gone missing the day before, and when I went outside to tend the little garden Papa and I were working on, I could see her yellow fur on the edge of the forest that fringed our yard."

She could still picture the sight, could still feel the thrill of excitement and subsequent wash of relief that had flooded her at the possibility that something precious she had thought lost hadn't been. "I yelled out to Dad—he was poking his head out into the yard to watch me—and I think he knew. He told me to wait up. I didn't, of course, and when I realized Ingrid wasn't sleeping, I started to cry, of course. Dad tried to help in his usual way. Explaining things, being realistic. He told me that cats know when it's time to go, and they'll go to a cool, comfortable place. She had probably just fallen asleep, he said, and stayed asleep."

She remembered being confused by the explanation. How were you supposed to know when you were going to die? And if you knew, wouldn't you want to make sure your last moments were with your family, the people you loved—? Ingrid had been sick, of course, she had long since learned, and the thought had occurred to her in the years since that perhaps she hadn't wanted them to watch her die. She had looked awful, unfamiliar on the edge of the woods—stiff, doll-like, tongue lolling out—and perhaps, Maylee thought, the poised cat hadn't wanted something so crude to be their final image of her.

It was strange, how much the moment of death defined life. Did an ugly, unsightly death negate a well-lived life...?

"I was crying about how I didn't think it was fair that pets had to live such short lives. That they ought to live as long as we did. And the next day, Dad came into my room and handed me that rabbit. It had a lot more substance back then," she laughed, thinking how many long nights of snuggling had worn away patches of the rabbit's fur. "He told me here was a pet I could keep forever. No matter what, he'd always stay with me. We named him, too, like he was a real pet. Winkle. Perry Winkle."

She laughed lightly at the corny name, but a little twinge caught her in the chest. "And he's right. Life isn't guaranteed. Not for our pets, and not for us, either. But Winkle has always been with me, even when I tried to leave him behind."

The only things that lasted forever were the ones that were made, not born.

Maylee looked up at Shia, a little embarrassed, again, at how long her story had run. Shia hadn't asked her to pour her heart out; he had merely asked about the rabbit. "I know I thanked you before, but I wanted to say it again. For grabbing him for me. When I think about it now, it's so stupid—" She hugged her arms around her shoulders. "I didn't want to grab him in front of you and Evelyn because—I wanted to look grown-up, I guess? I didn't want you to think I was childish. But that in itself is pretty childish. If I really were grown-up, I wouldn't be so worried about something like that. What Winkle meant to me would be more important than what other people thought."

One of her hands drifted down her arm, giving it a light, nervous scratch. Overshare much? He didn't ask for your whole life story, she chastised herself, but she felt herself brighten a bit as something else occurred to her.

"Oh, by the way—I wanted to ask you something, too," she said tentatively, and then she added a swift quantifier: "Only if you want to answer, though, I mean—! I don't want to, um, pry, or anything like that—"

She frowned, fumbled her hands over her arms a bit. "After you told your story, about how Devlin raised you, I was wondering, um, how you got your name."

Wright and D'Shire—clearly distinct from each each other. Like her, he didn’t bear the name of the one who had raised him. On all documents, she was a Song, not a Larssen or a Darwish. If she stretched back in her memory, she could remember faint, eavesdropped conversations in which Papa had insisted she should retain some sort of connection to her mother.

Dad had never seemed to like those conversations. Though she didn't know his reasons, she agreed with him more than with Papa. That woman she barely remembered—she didn't need a connection to her. Not when all her mother had ever done for her was tell her to stop crying.

( Tags: Out Of Words )​

maylee song.

hunter | werewolf

 

[Thropian]

Edwin Blut
Location: Wright Wranch
Tags: bread-and-butterflies KodakWolf Vinegar Bees ​

Edwin awoke in a cuddle puddle, but pulled away into his human form. He rubbed at his temple and looked about the cave. The waterfall, though distant, was real and called to him. He briefly thought of looking around, seeing what secrets it kept, but decided better to ask first.

Extracting himself from the other shifters, he made his way back up to the surface. His reverie was broken by the smells of food, and the hungry growls of both his stomach and the bear. He discovered that Tilly, and Devlin by extension, had provided a feast for breakfast. Edwin thanked them, before eating his fill.

Satisfied, he made his way outside to find a place to sit and meditate on his dreams. He spend much of the day in this spot, disturbed only by a short lunch. Despite his best efforts, no good answers came to mind. Unless the spirits had wanted him to break their bonds, which he was unsure he could do if they were even bound against their will. The others had hardly seemed upset or forced to their companions.

As preparations were made for the dinner barbecue, Edwin was finally roused from his thoughts. He helped with preparations where he could, giving him a much needed break from himself. Devlin announced that they should "feel free to venture inside or outside", though he still felt as though the falls were off limits. He decided to approach as food was placed upon the grill to ask.

"Devlin." He started, then found his confidence wavered slightly. "The caves, you know the ones? Is there something behind the waterfall? Something important? I know you told us not to go back there last night, but my bear spirit was calling me to it, as though it was vital for me to see. Just, just wanted to ask in case it's something personal."