Fantasy Compliments and Conundrums : Private for Tarmagon and readysetstalk

[readysetstalk]

Everything around them had happened so quickly, it seemed. Just a moment ago, they were surrounded by injured and exhausted teammates. And now? Now they had a newly changed were, who was happily bounding around the room in her new form. Gracelynn had managed to follow Ryan’s instructions well, taking charge of calming Sarah down so that he could talk to her. Feeling him stand behind her gave her a good bit of asssurance that things were going to be just fine. In the beginning, Grace had doubted herself. But now she was more than confident in what she was capable of. Together, she and Ryan were a force to be reckoned with. That was clear.

Grace rose an arm to wipe off her cheek after Sarah, in her wolf form, expressed her gratitude in one of the only ways she was capable. A smile was evident, however. She was more than happy to see Sarah in this state. She had been through a lot in the past few days. Everyone has. To see her so happy, and healthy, Grace was overjoyed. As Sarah took her spot in front of the fire, Grace stepped back so she was standing next to Ryan. Her arm slipped around his waist as her small frame leaned into his side, her head leaning against his chest as she watched Kathy drape a blanket over Sarah. If she woke up in human form, she’d at least be covered.

At the mention of food, Gracelyn gave a small nod, tilting her head towards the cart she and Ryan had ushered back into the suite. “Dig in. There’s plenty. We gathered a lot of food that will perish sooner than the rest of it. We’ll go back for more when we need to.”

What worried Grace more, was the fact that they still didn’t have a good grasp on what to do next. They weren’t exactly sure what was causing the mayhem, or who was behind it. It was a toss up. They werent even sure at this point if anyone was left in town that wasn’t turned into these zombie things. Gracelynn wanted things to get back to normal as soon as possible. This wasn’t exactly the tway you of honeymoon she thought they’d be having. Granted, this whole relationship had been a little against the odds. But never had zombie apocalypse been on the table.

Sighing softly, Grace moved to stand in front of Ryan, both arms now around his waist, a little tighter this time. She hid her face in his chest, worry washing over her yet again. ‘What do we do next, Ryan?’ she thought, breathing slowly into his shirt to keep herself collected.

Tarmagon Hopefully I can keep a better routine now. I’m so awful. Still off work, and baby is due any day now. I’m so sorry for disappearing for this long.

 

[Tarmagon]

"We survive," Ryan murmured softly, enfolding Grace in his arms. "We protect ourselves and our little Pack. When Marissa recovers we can see what ideas she has, but for right now, we hide and fight only if we must. If Marissa doesn't recover, we'll see about making a run out of the area and calling for help. This is like nothing I've ever seen before."

Ryan looked over to where Marissa was still sleeping, wondering whether or not to try and wake the witch, then decided against it with a shake of his head. When one's body demanded rest so adamantly, it was best to rest. Marissa would recover, eventually. Then they could work out what to do. Right now, with the immediate needs handled, the events of the morning were starting to wear on Ryan, and he found himself struggling to keep his eyes open. Kathy must have sensed his waning energy, because she looked at the two of them, then at the sleeping Sarah.

"Right now, you two should get some rest yourselves," Kathy said firmly. "I can feel your exhaustion from here Ryan. I need to settle in for some serious eating to fuel my healing, so I can keep watch. You two go take a nap or something. I'll keep an eye out for trouble, and watch over Sarah and Marissa."

"That's, not a bad idea," Ryan said slowly. "We've been going at a dead run since Sarah's fear woke me up this morning, and we didn't exactly get a lot of sleep last night."

Ryan gave Grace a wicked grin, and she had the grace to blush lightly, but she rallied gamely.

"Well, if I hadn't had to take time to explain every little detail," she started, but Ryan held up a hand, even as his own cheeks heated.

"You win dear," he said with a laugh that somehow cut a little of the tension over the uncertain future. "And if I'm trying to match wits with you, I must be tired. Care to cuddle up and rest for a bit? We're as safe as we can be for now, and Kathy can wake us both without speaking if she has to."

readysetstalk (Good to see you back, but a regular schedule once the baby is born? You and I both know that's never going to happen, but that's okay! Family first.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Grace was honestly a little surprised to see Ryan standing up to bat against her. It definitely lightened the mood greatly. A little joking around is what both of them needed. They might not be injured physically, but mentally it was clear that they were both exhausted. He was right. There hadnt been a whole lot of sleeping the night before. Or earlier this morning. The two of them had been a little busy with one another. And then all hell had broken loose. There had been time for a little breakfast, and then they were on the move. Everything seemed to finally come to a slow crawl.

Her head lifted from his chest, her eyes going to Kathy who was busy piling food onto a plate. She was happy to see her with such a strong appetite. With her healing, she was going to need it. Gracelynn remembered the night that Ryan had helped her. He had ravaged through her kitchen in order to heal. Not that she was angry; she was more than grateful for what he had done for her.

“I think a nap sounds great right about now.” She tilted her head back to look up at Ryan. She offered a smile. A little time for just the two of them was what they both needed. A little vacation from the hell that was bubbling around them. There was a sleeping witch in their bed, which left the only other feasible option—the couch. It wasnt the kind that had a pull out mattress, but it was definitely big enough for the both of them. Having a lot of space didn’t seem to be a problem. Grace would curl up with him anywhere at this point.

Finally breaking her hold on him, she allowed herself to take a step back and step out of her shoes. She grabbed a blanket and tossed it over her shoulder, soon after taking up Ryan’s hand and leading him over to the couch.

Kathy munched away on fresh fruits and veggies, watching the scene unfold before her. A warm smile seemed almost permanent. Nothing made her more happy than seeing Grace finally happy and in a place where she knew she belonged. There was something different about Ryan and Grace. Their bond was of a greater magnitude than shed ever seen before. And now that they were Pack, she felt it at a different level than everyone else. Still smiling, Kathy took a spot on the chair, listening intently to anything that could approach outside.

“Sweet dreams, you too,” she mused.

Tarmagon Wishful thinking. Lol. The baby will definitely not have a solid routine. But at least I won’t be trying to remodel the whole house and yard because I’m stir crazy.

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan settled onto the couch, putting his back towards the room, giving Grace her own little den between his body and the back of the couch. One arm slipped around her, and he used the other to pull the blanket over them both. His brain took in the presence of Mate, Pack guarding them both, and promptly decided that sleep was in order.

"Rest well love," he managed to murmur before awareness fled.

Something was searching for them. Something hungry. It wanted... it wanted what they were. It needed their essence, their life, in order to make more of... something. It reached out, but it was stymied by, distance? No. Something else. It knew they were there, but it couldn't touch them. Its touch slithered away, unable to make that final, fatal contact. Frustrated, whatever it was withdrew, sullen and hungry.

Ryan woke, stilling his immediate urge to leap up and search for his foe. He knew there wouldn't be anything there. It had been a dream. But, not a dream. Concern. Someone was concerned.

"Ryan?" came the quiet whisper from two different voices. Both Kathy and Sarah were looking at them from their different places. Sarah was still on the floor in front of the fire, but she was now back in human form and had wrapped the blanket about her. Kathy was perched in the chair, a half eaten plate of food still in her hands as she looked at him.

"I, don't know," Ryan admitted, shaking his head. "It felt like a dream, but not."

"It wasn't a dream," Marissa's voice said from the bed. The witch was propped up on one elbow, still looking tired but nowhere near as exhausted as she had been. "It was something, or someone, searching for you in Astral form. It found you as you slept. Fortunately, your Bond with Grace, along with the amulets I gave you, kept it from actually being able to latch onto you. Whatever or whomever that was, knows you're out here somewhere, but has no idea where. I felt it searching, and thank the Goddess, had enough Power built back up to hide the rest of us from its sight. As soon as I rest some more, and get some of that food down me, I'll get to work making some more amulets for myself, Sarah, and Kathy. If you and Grace can help me, I should be able to take care of that in short order."

"I'l help," Ryan said instantly. "I won't presume to speak for Grace, but I rather think she will be happy to help as well."

readysetstalk (Soul-Mate powered protection amulets?)

 

[readysetstalk]

It shouldn’t have been that easy to slip into a slumber, yet here she was. She found herself curled up into Ryan, peaceful. They were safe here,or so it had seemed. It wasnt long before she felt the anxiety rise in Ryan, along with the urge to get up and fight whatever had been causing the disturbance within him.

Grace shifted slightly, her eyes slowly flittering open. Instantly, she knew Ryan and their pack mates were safe. There was cause for concern, she could sense that. Everyone still had their ten toes and ten fingers. They were safe, for now. Nuzzling her face into his chest momentarily, Grace breathed in his scent before propping herself up on her elbows, looking out at Sarah, Kathy, and Marissa. Whatever had happened to cause Ryan to stir, was clearly something that was bothering everyone. She listened as Marissa explained what had happened. Her body tensed ever so slightly. What the hell was Astro form? And who in the world would be searching for Ryan?

Sitting up fully, she placed a hand on Ryan’s chest. “Looks like you’ve learned enough to not speak for me,” she teased, offering a small smile. “Of course I’ll help. What else would I do with all this free time?” Maybe joking around wasn’t the greatest idea, but they also couldn’t just sit around and fear what was going to come next.

“Ryan and I can gather whatever you need while you rest up. Sarah and Kathy can hold down the bunker while we’re gone.” Part of Grace was worried that being too far from Marissa would lead to whoever was searching for Ryan to find him. Hopefully this amulet would keep them protected, even from a distance.

Tarmagon Im a slacker, and my brain is a little mushy. Next post will be better.

 

[Tarmagon]

"Well, Ryan, Grace, you two are protected by the amulets I already gave you," Marissa replied with a tired smile. "And if you two can scavenge up some of the raw materials I need, I should be able to cobble together something for the three of us that should keep us cloaked and protected. The biggest problem is the materials, since i don't have access to my workshop. Hmm. Copper. We can probably salvage that from wires. I'm certain that a place like this has a workshop for repairing whatever goes wrong. It's not like a repairman could get here easily when the snows flying. Herbs. I'll have to make do with whatever the kitchen has on-hand, since I doubt anyone here besides me is an expert on wild plants. Damn. Quartz or hematite, I don't know where we're going to get either of those."

Marissa looked worried, obviously thinking hard, but then she shook her head.

"No, there's no way. We have to have one or the other. Both would be best, but we have to have at least three pieces. Shit."

"Grace?" Ryan asked, looking at her quizzically. "Don't places like this normally have a souvenir or gift shop tucked away? A place with a rustic vibe like this should have locally made trinkets and such. Do you think we might be able to find what Marissa needs if we go out and scrounge around a little more seriously?"

readysetstalk (Scavenger hunt, part deux.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn listened as Marissa spoke, trying to keep a mental note of everything that she would need. The copper seemed easy enough. That would probably come in an abundance around here. Even if they had to rip it from every television in every room, they would be able to get what she needed. And then some. Herbs. That would be easily found in the kitchen. Surely, Ryan would know what was what. Gracelynn had been on her own for some time, so cooking just wasn’t her strong suit. When she got busy with her art, it was hard to even remember to eat, let alone remember to actually cook.

For a moment, Gracelynn thought quietly. “If I remember correctly, the gift shop actually has geodes for the tourists. You know, the ones you buy and then crack open yourself. They’re actually a pretty big hit, and they’re loaded with quartz. The locals go out and find them, and just post them up in the gift shop,” she spoke, her head giving a small nod. That would work. She didn’t know where to find hematite, so it was a good thing she needed one or the other, and not both.

“Plus, it’ll be fun to crack them open. And maybe be a little stress reliever for all of us.” Lord knows they need it.

Tarmagon

 

[Tarmagon]

"Sounds like we've going out on yet another shopping trip," Ryan said with a lopsided grin. "So, we go hunt for whatever kind of maintenance shop they have around here, then hit the kitchen for anything that even resembles an herb, then raid the gift shop for anything that look useful. We can do that. First things first though. I've got to hit the bathroom. I do love you dearest, but you just had to fall asleep pressing on my bladder."

Ryan winked at Grace, then exited the room with a chuckle. It only took a minute to dispose of the mornings coffee, then Ryan was heading back to the sitting area where the women were waiting. Marissa was sagging in her chair again, though Ryan could see her lips moving as she apparently worked out what she was going to have to do to create the needed amulets. He checked his pistol, then grabbed one of the radios he and Grace had retrieved. He handed another to Kathy, then frowned a bit.

"Emergencies only," he said. "If we're trying to sneak around something hostile and the radio suddenly crackles to life... Well, I'm not going to be 'that guy' from the movies."

Kathy nodded, carefully setting the radio beside her, making certain that it way lying down so that it couldn't fall over and accidentally transmit. For his part, Ryan turned the volume as low as he could, then clipped the radio to the back of his belt, well clear of his pistol. He might have to work a little to grab it, but there was no way he was going to have it anywhere it might get in his way.

"Ready beautiful?" he asked Grace, gratified to see her check her own pistol before nodding to him. "Okay, we'll go look for a workshop first. Let's head around back to where the generator was. That's probably the best place to start."

Suiting actions to words, Ryan and Grace slipped out of the room, Ryan clearly hearing the lock 'snick' into place behind them. Moving carefully, they headed towards the back of the hotel, where the generator was grumbling away quietly under the minor load they were putting on it. Strain his sense as he might, Ryan didn't see, hear, or smell anything new since they had come this way earlier. He didn't relax though, magic could make things complicated. Nothing jumped out of a magical cloak to ambush them however, and a door marked with 'Authorized Personnel Only' located near where the massive cables from the generator entered the hotel proper caught his eye. Tapping Grace lightly on the shoulder, he pointed to the door, then himself before pointing to the doorknob and Grace. She looked at him for a moment, then nodded, moving up to the door and trying the knob. After a second, she shook her head slightly. Locked.

Ryan reached out, grasping the knob and turning it firmly. It resisted for a moment, then something inside gave way with a metallic 'ting'. Thanking the Goddess that there wasn't a deadbolt, Ryan stepped back and motioned to Grace again. Grasping the handle, she positioned herself so that the door would protect her as she opened it, then nodded to Ryan.

'Now." he thought, then ducked through the door at a crouch, pistol extended as Grace pulled it smoothly open. Ryan found himself at the end of a long hallway that appeared to run the length of the building. From the unfinished look, it definitely wasn't a hallway that guests used, and it was currently quite empty. Rising from his crouch, he put his pistol away then stuck his head back out through the door.

"Maintenance hallway I think," he said quietly to Grace. "Empty. Let's see what we can find."

Grace ducked into the hallway, and they closed the door behind themselves, then turned as one to examine the space. The hallway was well lit, and several doors were located along the right hand wall. The closest was marked 'Switchgear", and the one beyond was labelled 'Workshop'. Even Ryan's vision couldn't quite make out the tag on the third door, but he was certain it would ahve something to do with the operation of the hotel.

"Shall we check the workshop first?" he asked Grace. "It seems as good a place to start as any."

readysetstalk (What's behind door #3?)

 

[readysetstalk]

Just as before, Gracelynn had stuck rather close to Ryan as they exited the suite and ventured out towards the generators that they had come across not long ago. If she was a shadow, she’d be a damn good one. The eeriness of the land around them set a blanket of uncertainty over Grace. She had no doubt that Ryan would protect her at all costs. That had been proven before they had even met. He nearly died for a stranger. Now, they had a bond that was incomparable to any other bond—both human, and inhuman. She could feel his strength and determination, and it helped her push on. However, it didn’t prevent her from holding onto the back of his pants as he lead the way.

Once they reached the door, she could feel her anxiety rise. It was impossible to know what was behind the door. And here she was, getting ready to open that can of worms. Her heart rate accelerated, and she could feel her hands begin to sweat. Nevertheless, she still pulled that door open and allowed Ryan entry. It stayed at its quickened pace until he popped his head out letting her know that everything was okay and that it was safe to enter. There was no time wasted when it came to getting inside. She quickly shut the door behind her, her eyes soon focusing on the bare hallway they now occupied.

“Seems like a good place to start, if you ask me. I’m sure they have other things we could probably use too. Like maybe some flashlights or a hefty hammer for knocking some zombie things silly...” She offered a grim smile, her grip loosening on her weapon just slightly as she slid it to the back of her jeans. Her hand soon found a much more welcoming replacement for the cool metal it once held. Grace took up his hand in her own, her fingers intwining with his.

“Lead the way, love,” she murmured, her eyes still darting down the hallway as if something were going to jump out at them any moment. Her reflexes were nothing like his, but she trusted him to react if something did come out at them.

Tarmagon Im literally the worst. I am so sorry.

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan sensed more than saw Grace putting her pistol into the back of her jeans, then her hand was in his. He could sense her ongoing disquiet, but that was only to be expected. He was uneasy too, though he was more worried about how he was going to protect everyone than he was for himself. Giving Grace's hand a quick squeeze, he padded nearly soundlessly to the door marked 'Workshop'. As they approached, he was able to make out the plaque on the third door, 'Locker Room'.

"That must be where the employee's change when they get to work," he whispered to Grace, pointing to the door. "Once we're done in here we should check it out. It would be nice to find the ladies something to wear besides night clothes, over-sized sweats, or a blanket."

He could feel Grace's assent as he reached out and tried the door of the workshop. Unlike the outer door, this one wasn't locked, swinging open smoothly to expose a large, dark room. A dimly glowing square next to the door marked a light switch, and when Ryan flipped it on, banks of hanging fluorescent lights hummed to life, illuminating the shop. There were two, massive tool chests along one wall, and a pair of benches ran down the center of the room. Neatly labelled sections of bins and cabinets proclaimed the presence of electrical, plumbing, and miscellaneous parts. The benches supported various items in differing stages of disassembly and repair, tools set in neat rows beside each project.

"Well organized," Ryan murmured, slipping into the room and waiting for Grace to enter before closing the door behind them. "I'll start looking for copper in the electrical section, you check out the tool chests and see if there's anything we might need. Wire cutters, needle nosed pliers... things like that for Marissa to use making her amulets."

Ryan moved to the bins marked 'electrical' and began to rummage around. Behind him, he could sense Grace moving towards the tool chests. Maybe they could pull this off after all.

readysetstalk (Scavenger hunt, begin!)

 

[readysetstalk]

Working in a hardware store seemed to have perks occasionally. This was one of those instances. Once the door was shut behind them, Grace quickly went to work looking for anything that could be of use later. She grabbed one of the tool belts and wrapped it around her slim waist. Once secured, she started rummaging through the chests as quietly as she could. It was proven to be more difficult than anticipated considering everything in those chests was made of metal. She grabbed everything she could think of, and adorned it to the leather belt. She wasn’t exactly sure what they would need, but she grabbed just about one of everything and stashed it away on the belt.

After what she thought was an adequate amount of tools was gathered, she returned to Ryan. Her hands held down some of the more cranky tools as she walked, not wanting to alert anything that may be lurking around. So far, they had been pretty lucky when it came to this little scavenger hunt they were doing. Nothing had attacked, and nothing seemed too out of the ordinary—aside from the place being completely vacant of employees. She wondered what had happened to them..

“Any luck?” She peered around him to see what all he had collected. If she had wanted to, she could have already figured that out by taking a dip into his noggin. To her, that almost seemed like a breach of privacy, so unless necessary, she would refrain.

Tarmagon I didn’t even get a notification you had posted. So sorry for the delay!

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan heard Grace begin to rummage about in the tool chests and chuckled a bit. It seemed that he was incredibly lucky that his wife ran a hardware store. She would know what to grab. Meanwhile, spools of wire in various gauges met his eye, and Ryan wondered how large or small the copper needed to be for Marissa to work with. Finally he just swept several rolls of bare copper from a bin labeled 'ground wire' into a curious leather bucket. There were already several sets of pliers, and a set of thick, rubber gloves with heavy outer gloves of leather. Very, very strange. Maybe for work on live wires? Ryan didn't know, but resolved to ask Grace when they had a moment to breathe. A spool of thick, silvery material marked 'silver solder' caught his eye in the plumbing section, so Ryan swept that into his bag as well. A torch from the same area followed the solder into the bag, as did a curious looking mini-torch and a couple of cylinders that appeared to fit into its handle.

"Any luck?" Grace asked, and Ryan hefted the bag containing his finds.

"I'm not certain how useful this stuff is going to be," he said. "But I've got several different sizes of copper wire in here, as well as some stuff that might prove useful." Ryan paused, chuckling at the sight of the laden toolbelt cinched around Grace's tiny waist. "You look like you stepped out of a DIY reality show lover. I like it."

Grace had the, well, grace, to blush slightly under Ryan's appreciative gaze, but then she sobered. Ryan took the hint, gesturing to the door..

"Let's go see what we can scrounge from the locker room over there, then head to the gift shop."

Grace nodded her assent, and together they moved back into the hall, Ryan leading, every sense alert for possible danger. Unlike the workshop, the door to the locker room was locked, but a quick twist by Ryan elicited a metallic 'ping' from inside the mechanism, and the door swung open easily. Inside the pair found three neat rows of lockers, several semi-private changing stalls, and a couple of doors marked 'showers'. Out of the eighteen lockers, an even dozen had locks currently affixed, and after carefully checking to make certain the room was unoccupied, Ryan moved down the rows, twisting each lock off with a grunt of effort. Grace moved along the rows behind him, examining the contents of the lockers for useful items, or possible outfits for their little pack of refugees.

readysetstalk (Acquired tools, survival chances +5%. What interesting items will the lockers hold?)

 

[readysetstalk]

Gracelynn couldn't help herself. As he mentioned her little DIY get-up, she struck a few poses, a smile creeping onto her lips. She was more than happy to have had a small escape from their current situation. Her hands had rested on the belt at her hips, and her shoulders raised just slightly. "What can I say? I know what to pack when it comes to tools," she smiled. Grace was quickly diverted to the bag he had just lugged over his shoulder. She gave a small nod. If he grabbed something they couldn't use, she wouldn't be surprised. He might have overpacked just a little, but you never know what you could use in the future. It was evident that it was going to be a long time before things ever went back to normal. Well, as normal as Half Moon Falls could get.

As they moved to the locker room, Grace quickly became Ryan's shadow again. She couldn't help but need to stick close to him. It was scary. There were so many things out there that could cause them harm. It had been a while since they had encountered anything, but it didn't mean that it wasn't going to happen again. It was only a matter of time at this point. Soon, all of the town members would be effected by this curse, or whatever it was.

Once the coast was clear, Gracelynn started to rummage through the lockers. Surprisingly, there were a few articles of clothing inside each. It wasn't much. But there were some sweaters and a couple pairs of jeans that the workers had left behind in their hurry to get out. A lot of them seemed to just change into uniform here at work as opposed to arriving already dressed. It made sense.

"Ohh... Ryan," she spoke, reaching deep into the locker. "Look at this puppy.." As she straightened out, she struggled to pull out the great sword from the locker. She couldn't help but giggle. The sword was heavily decorated, and nearly as tall as Grace. She ran a finger along the edge, still laughing. "Looks like someone forgot to take their spoils home after the renaissance festival last month," she laughed, looking over the sword. "It's incredibly dull and won't do us any justice. But goodness... Why do people keep these things here?"

Tarmagon Nothing like a great sword to lighten the mood.

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan chuckled as Grace struggled to hold the massive sword she had pulled out of one of the lockers.

"I have no idea," he replied, giving Grace a considering look. "And I'm sorry, but I just can't picture you as the chain mail bikini clad warrior maiden. Now the rogue in the skin tight leather pants and the ribbed corset liberally festooned with daggers. Yeah. That one I can imagine."

Ryan waggled his eyebrows at Grace, then sobered in the next moment. Casting about, his eye settled on a large bag made of heavy linen with a drawstring top. It proved to be filled with dirty towels, obviously from the showers. Ryan dumped them out unceremoniously, then handed the bag to Grace.

"Clothing and anything else useful in here love," he said, eyeing the sword. "Unless there's also a baldric in that locker, I don't think that we'll be taking your little prize there. If it actually had an edge, I might be of a different mind, since guns tend to attract attention. Do you think that the steel will actually hold an edge?"

readysetstalk (Very, very short, but we need to decide about the sword before we leave the locker room.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Although many might think that Ryan's comment about what warrior she would be as offensive, she found it just the opposite. "Well, thank you for knowing that I am much more brain than brawn," she smirked, sending him a quick little wink. She let the tip of the sword rest on the floor by her foot, as she held onto the hilt and kept it upright. Soon, however, she propped it up against the lockers and shoved all the clothes she had found inside, along with some random snacks like Twinkies and ChexMix. It was obvious that these workers fully expected to have a decent day at work.

"Hm..." As she tied a knot in the top of the bag, her eyes locked onto the sword. Slowly, she straightened herself out and her hand wrapped around the hilt once more. "It might take a bit of work... but it doesn't seem to be that poorly made, really." She ran her fingertips over the edge of the blade once more.

"If you want to take the time to grind this puppy down, I'm sure it would be somewhat useful." There was a glint of mischievousness in her eyes. "I mean.. I wouldn't mind seeing you carry it around and whacking noggins off of your friendly zombie." There was just something about him that it didn't matter what he did, she would be his biggest fan.

Tarmagon Understood

 

[Tarmagon]

"Well, if you think it'll hold an edge," Ryan said, "Then we'll take it along. Might be a challenge to work out a sheath, but what the hell."

Ryan took the sword from Grace, holding it easily in one hand. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any silver decorations on the sword... that would have opened up a whole other can of worms. After a moments consideration, he holstered his pistol, choosing to carry the blade instead. It wasn't sharp, but it was heavy, and Ryan was fairly certain he could swing it hard and fast enough to discourage all but the most recalcitrant of foes to lay down and impersonate a rug.

"Last chance to grab anything, then we need to figure out where the gift shop is," Ryan said, looking around the pillaged lockers. He saw Grace doing the same, then she shook her head and turned to him.

"I think we've got it all," she said, and Ryan nodded, moving to the door to sniff and listen. Only Grace registered on his senses, and Ryan moved out into the corridor, trying to decide where the gift shop would be from here. Grace tapped his shoulder, then pointed down the hallway. Ah, a door labelled 'Lobby'. That would be a good place to start. Ryan moved out, taking to care not to let the sword band against anything or to scuff a boot on the floor. He was aware of Grace following close behind him, close enough to be a second shadow.

After a moments pause at the door to perform what was becoming his standard sniff and listen, Ryan eased the door open to expose an empty corridor. Signs on the wall proclaimed the presence of a 'Pool', 'Spa', 'Restaurant', and 'Gift Shop' as well as the aforementioned 'Lobby'. Ryan turned down the indicated hallway, making his cautious way down a corridor that smelled strongly of chlorine. Finally, near the end of the hallway, a glass wall replaced the wallpapered drywall. Shelves, also made of glass, displayed a rather eclectic assortment of what appeared to be hand crafted jewelry, as well as polished crystal, stones, and what appeared to be lumps of rock. An elegantly lettered sign proclaimed 'Cam's Curiosities' on the door, which thank the goddess wasn't locked. If Ryan had been forced to try and force the industrial bolt in a glass door, they would have been wading through glass shards.

"Grab anything that looks even remotely like Marissa could use it," Ryan instructed as they gazed at the shelves. "Heck, I'm in favor of finding another cart and taking it all. When this is all over, we can find 'Cam' if he or she is still around, and make things right. For now, we need the materials."

readysetstalk (Time to shop.)

 

[readysetstalk]

"You don't really need a sheath for a sword that size. Just get a belt, and slip it through," she smiled. She had been to a few Renaissance Festivals in her lifetime. Most of them skipped the sheath because finding someone to use that much leather to create a sheath was often much more expensive than finding a decent leather belt. Besides, it added to the whole 'badass' vibe most of them were going for.

As he holstered his pistol, Grace pulled hers from the back of her pants. She was still inexperienced in wielding a weapon, but she wasn't going to take a chance. If something popped up out of nowhere, and the sword didn't do its intended job, she would gladly spray and pray. She would hit something, right? One would hope so.

Just as before, she held onto the back of his pants with her free hand, keeping as close as she could while walking. Second shadow was a good explanation of what was going on. She was scared. A little less now than she was before, considering they had had a pretty smooth operation thus far. It wasn't confidence, or anything remotely close. Just lack of excitement.

Once they entered the gift shop, she looked around a bit before finding the door leading to the employee area. That, too, was unlocked. She stepped inside and peered around in the darkness. One would probably have suggested to have Ryan scan it first, but she just went on in. Certainly there wasn't anything hiding in there. Ryan would have picked up that, she was sure.

Grace grabbed a cart much like the one that had taken from the kitchen to drag food back to the room. "I'm sure they'll understand if we end up saving this little town," she spoke, her voice soft, as she wheeled the cart out of the backroom. Gracelynn gave a small shoulder shrug and made her way around the gift shop, grabbing anything that looked usable. When she reached the geodes, she grabbed three at first, and then paused. Her eyes darted to Ryan to see if he was watching before she stowed away about five more. There was nothing more exciting than busting open a geode and looking at its insides. These were her favorite as a kid, and she still had them in her art room back at her house. They were displayed rather elegantly on stands.

She grabbed various sets of jewelry, thinking that this would make it easier on Marissa to make pendants and necklaces for everyone. She also grabbed a few t-shirts and hoodies that were adorned with "HalfMoon Falls" logos. It was hard telling how long they would be in this situation. Clothes were going to be needed, especially with the werewolves in the group ripping through clothes left and right.

Gracelynn went around grabbing stones, crystals, and anything else that could possibly be used. Once the cart was loaded, she stopped and looked to Ryan. "Think this will be enough?"

Tarmagon Shopping is a woman's strong suit.

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan watched with bemusement as Grace took him at his word. She vanished, only to reappear with a cart which she then proceeded to load with anything that might be remotely useful. She went through the tiny shop like a hurricane, leaving empty shelves in her wake. In a remarkably short time her cart was filled and she glanced up at him.

"Think this will be enough?"

"I hope so," Ryan said with a laugh. "I don't think we're quite to the point that we need to take the shelves back with us, and those are about all you left behind. Let's get this haul back to Marissa. No, wait. We still need to hit the kitchen."

Ryan looked at the loaded cart, then considered his own load. Yes, they could get it all in one trip. The bag from the locker room probably had enough room to fit the herb bottles. Yes, that would work. A couple of minutes cautious movement found Grace and Ryan back in the huge kitchen, loading bottles of spices and herbs into their bag of spoils from the locker room. On impulse, Ryan had Grace check the smaller of the fridges, and they were able to add several packages of fresh herbs to their growing horde. Finally, Ryan called a halt.

"Ok, this will have to do," he said firmly. "We need to be able to move, and we've got a pretty big load. Let's get back."

Ryan was unsurpassed when Grace readily assented, and they made their was slowly back to the back door that led to the honeymoon cabin turned into a pack safe-house. Ryan eased the door open, and froze, one hand gesturing for Grace to freeze as well. There was something.... something not quite right. Ryan scanned the edge of the woods that he could see through the open door, but nothing looked or smelled wrong. Despite the evidence of his senses though, Ryan's hackles were rising, literally as well as figuratively. His eyes roved about, then movement caught his eye. Far, far above the Cascades, a dark shape circled. It looked a bit like a crow, but Ryan narrowed his eyes, seeing membranous wings rather than feathers. The odd creature circled several more times, but apparently didn't see or sense whatever it was searching for, because it gave voice to a cry that was part hiss, part caw, and wheeled away, heading back towards town. Ryan waited until it was beyond even his sight, then waited a minute longer. Finally, he gestured for Grace to follow, and practically sprinted to the door of the little cabin.

"In!" Kathy hissed, swinging the door open before Ryan could knock or call out. Ryan didn't question, just turned to help Grace wheel the cart through the door before Kathy shut it behind them.

"Did it see you?" Marissa asked from by the fire, a faint glow shrouding her hands.

"No," Ryan said. "Whatever it was circled, then left. It didn't see us, and we got everything we could safely carry."

"Show me," Marissa said, her voice tight. "I need to get to work."

readysetstalk (Uh oh. Something wicked this way came, then left. Will it be back?)

 

[readysetstalk]

Everything had gone so smoothly, up until they reached the point where they were out in the open. Ryan had sensed something along the treelines, and Grace tensed up. Her small body moved closer to Ryan's, seeking shelter almost. All this time that they had been moving about and making noise, nothing had happened. It was a very good thing that Ryan was always on high alert. Part of Grace had seemed to let down the guard she had up. Confidence had taken over. But now that was no longer there. If she hadn't been there with Ryan, she would have probably peed her pants. She was able to see the creature. Not as well as Ryan, but that was beside the point. She saw it. And whatever it was, wasn't your average pigeon. It was much scarier. This was a rolling horror movie before them. Whoever did this...was a psychopath.

Once they were safe inside the cabin, she placed the gun back down on the table by the door with shaky hands. She was absolutely terrified at the moment. With Kathy and Marissa both on guard, it only assured her that whatever was out there wasn't good. Gracelynn sort of shut herself in, not paying attention to anyone else in the room. There wasn't action to keep her mind in the now. There wasn't a horde of zombies begging for her attention. There was nothing. No distractions. At this moment in time, she wasn't even aware of Ryan's thoughts or presence. The image of whatever was flying overhead was burned into her brain.

Silently, Grace walked to the couch that she and Ryan had napped on earlier and sat down, pulling her knees to her chest. With hands that still shook, she grabbed the blanket and pulled it around herself. Her forehead rested on top of her knees as her eyes closed. She was overwhelmed. Absolutely overwhelmed. Searching through the resort was a bit of a distraction from reality. It was scary still, but it seemed surreal. Like what was happening, wasn't really happening. And it finally slapped her in the face. She didn't even have a place to sulk in silence. They were lodged with others, in a honeymoon cabin. Her senses were overloaded. In response, her breathing was a bit more rapid than usual, and her chest felt tight.

What in the world was going on?

Tarmagon (I'm going to assume it will be back. Things can only get worse. )

 

[Tarmagon]

Once they were inside and the door safely shut behind them, Ryan became aware of the turmoil roiling inside of Grace. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in his arms and reassure her that everything would be alright. In this moment however, he had to protect her and his little pack, which meant helping Marissa protect them all. All he could do was send his love along the Bond that they shared, though from the feelings he was getting from Grace, he doubted that she was open enough to feel him. As he helped Marissa inventory what they had brought in, he could feel Grace withdrawing further into herself, and what felt very much like the beginning of a full blown panic attack.

"Sarah," he said, flicking his eyes to where Grace was sitting on the couch, her breathing starting to race. Sarah had dressed in some of the clothing that Ryan and Grace had retrieved from the locker room, wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, though her feet were still bare. She immediately left off her inspection of the rest of the loot and moved to the couch, sitting beside Grace. Without Ryan's prompting, Kathy moved to bracket Grace on her other side, both women radiating love and comfort like warm summer sunshine. Of course, there was an undercurrent of worry, there had to be in their situation, but there was also a rock-ribbed determination to protect the Pack that promised ruin and devastation on anyone who tried to mess with them.

"Ryan, crack these open," Marissa said, not giving him a chance to add his own presence to the little circle surrounding Grace. The lumps of stone she handed him seemed too light to be solid, and Ryan nodded. After examining the geodes and the hammer he had brought, as well as the tools on the belt Grace had appropriated, he shook his head. Those weren't going to get the job done. With a resigned sigh, Ryan shed his shirt and pants, leaving him in only his underwear. He'd need a new pair, but he wasn't going to get naked in front of Marissa or the newest members of their little Pack. He knew they wouldn't think anything of it, but these bonds with Grace were too new, and she was unused to the casual immodesty that werewolves typically exhibited around pack mates. Taking a deep breath, he reached deep inside himself, calling on the Change. Ryan knew he had some of the easiest changes of any were, but the ease and speed of this transformation shocked him. Between one breath and the next he was simply IN his combat form. There was no feeling of the Change, no sensation of his body breaking down and re-configuring itself, he just was a man, then was in combat form.

Both Sarah and Kathy were staring at him, their mouths hanging slightly open at the nigh instantaneous Change, and their shock resonated along the Pack Bond. Ryan was a bit in shock as well, but he could figure things out later. He picked one of the geodes up, the lump of rock seeming tiny in his massive hand, and considered just squeezing, but then thought better of it. A handful of powdered rock and crystals probably wouldn't help Marissa. Instead, Ryan examined the geode with his enhanced vision, then set the tips of his claws into a barely visible crack on the geode's surface. Massive shoulders flexed, and the geode split in half with a loud 'crack'. Setting the two halves on the cart, Ryan quickly worked his way through their stock. Some held clear crystals, some purple, and a few were a yellowish color. Marissa was nodding to herself as Ryan opened each rocky treasure chest, her hands busy with the bare copper wire and surprisingly, the silver solder that Ryan had tucked into his bag.

"Sarah, come here for a minute," Marissa called, gesturing to the seat beside her. Sarah immediately looked concerned, but left Grace's side at Ryan's nod, moving to sit by Marissa, who immediately started holding bits of crystal and metal up to Sarah's neck. Ryan looked at the spot Sarah had vacated, then decided he wished to be in full wolf form. And just as easily as making the choice, he was. Trotting over to the couch, he jumped up into the spot Sarah had vacated, pushing with gentle but inexorable strength at Grace's arms until his head was in her lap. Things would be alright.

readysetstalk (Wow. Something has changed in a major way.)

 

[readysetstalk]

It was like everything around her was going in slow motion. Every possible thought seemed to flood her head at once. Gracelynn kept her eyes closed as she felt those around her. She could feel Kathy embracing her. She felt the warmth of Sarah opposite of her. Ryan was absent. Though he tried to be there through the bond. A bond that no one else had ever experienced. She still didn’t quite understand it. Maybe Ryan didn’t either. But at least he had the opportunity to have experienced a bond before. This was all so very new, along with everything else. The apocalypse outside was ever-present. There were now more people in their Pack. It wasn’t just Grace and Ryan anymore, she felt. In a sense, that was great. They had people to help when they needed it. But at the same time, Gracelynn felt rather overwhelmed with everything.

Just a week ago, Grace was running the hardware store. She ventured to the diner after work sometimes to grab a meal when she didn’t feel like cooking. Kathy had always been present in her life, but never on this level. It had never been possible. Now it was. Now, she could send her a thought through the air and she would receive it. A week ago Gracelynn was heading to an empty home, grabbing a glass of wine, and spending hours in her art room. Alone. Everything about her life had been rather lonely. And it was quite the opposite right now. Gracelynn felt the love from the others, but right now it was just a little too much. There was too much going on. She couldn’t focus. She couldn’t think straight. Every possibility was running through her head.

By the time Ryan had made it over to her, almost every muscle in her body was tense. Her eyes opened and looked down at the wolf head on her lap. For a moment, she just looked at him—her eyes searching his. After just a few moments, tears seemed to well and she broke the gaze. Carefully, she shimmied out from underneath him and out of Kathy’s arms. She couldn’t do it right now. She just couldn’t. There wasn’t even anywhere for her to go, really. The only option she had in this suite was the bathroom, and that’s where her feet carried her.

A single tear slid down her cheek as she walked past Sarah and Marissa, her head down as if it would make it less obvious. She felt like she had no privacy. Everyone knew how she felt. Everyone knew what was going on in that pretty head of hers. Even with going to the bathroom, they knew. And just thinking about it seemed rude.. They would know, right?

Slipping into the bathroom, she closed the door behind her. She slid to the cool, tiled floor and just sat. All she wanted to do right now was shut off her brain.

Tarmagon Overwhelmed Grace is overwhelmed.

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan could feel Grace's tension, but for some reason he couldn't sooth it. If anything, her tension seemed to ramp up, despite the comforting presence of the Bonds between them. If anything, they seemed to be making things worse. After a few moments, Grace shimmied out from under him, and headed to the bathroom. There was something wrong, but some instinct made Ryan stay still, letting Grace go. He could feel a need resonating down their Bond, and he almost reached for it, but again, something... Ryan sat bolt upright, his ears pointing straight up. His wolfish face wasn't well suited to some emotions, but somehow the eureka moment made itself clear. Grace was human, had always been human, despite being raised in the midst of the supernatural. She hadn't ever expected to be anything but human. She'd been alone since her father passed, working, painting, everything alone. And now, she was a member of a Pack. Bound to packmates, and bound to Ryan in ways neither of them fully understood. She wasn't alone now, and she wasn't comfortable with the intimacy that werewolves took for granted.

Ryan hopped down, padding on silent paws over to the bathroom door, laying down across it. He sent a wave of reassurance to Kathy and Sarah, then turned his concentration inward. The Pack bond was there, tugging gently in three directions. He knew which string was which, and taking the wisp that screamed 'Grace', and deliberately muted the intensity of the connection. He reached out to Kathy and Sarah, feeling the tug of 'Grace' from each of them, and muting them as well. Kathy and Sarah looked at him curiously, but didn't question his action. The Mate bond was harder to mute. He couldn't completely silent that Bond, but he could dim it down to a background murmur. The Compliment and Soul Bonds were beyond his understanding, but Ryan concentrated on making the need that Grace felt a part of his being. The hum didn't fade, but it, shifted somehow, becoming more internal. Ryan could still feel Grace, but the intimacy of thought and being somehow made them one being shifted, allowing them to become discreet once more. They were still bound together, but it wasn't as close. All the benefits were still there, but Ryan felt alone in his own skin. He hoped it was giving Grace what she needed.

readysetstalk (Turning down a Bond is something Alpha's can do.)

 

[readysetstalk]

Everything was buzzing. The bonds, her mind. It was over stimulating. But soon... something seemed to happen. Gracelynn lifted her head, staring out into the bathroom. Slowly, one by one, the bonds that linked her with everyone besides Marissa seemed to dull. It was like they were being dialed down. They were still there, but not nearly as loud. She could still feel them, but they weren’t screaming at her anymore. It was a soft whisper. Kathy was still there. Sarah was still there. But it no longer felt like they were right there beside her, humming and buzzing in her head. There was a bit more... silence.

With a soft sigh, Gracelynn lowered her head back down, closing her eyes. The bonds were great at times. But for someone who had spent a large majority of their life on their own, it was overpowering at times. Now was one of those times. Although she got what she so desperately needed, she reached out across the bond she had with Ryan. There were no words, but a warming sensation as a thank you. Her body and mind ached for him. She wanted to feel his skin against hers, the warmth radiating between them. Intimacy. Physical intimacy.

The impending doom lurking outside kept Ryan and herself busy. She would not be selfish and beg for him to sit with her, even if that’s all she wanted. This was supposed to be their honeymoon, after all. Their bond had made it feel as though it had been the two of them for quite some time. The connection she had with him was far less bothersome than the ones she had with Kathy and Sarah. She craved the bond with Ryan. Perhaps that was the biggest difference between the bonds she had with the people in their pack. Ryan’s she craved, yet Kathy and Sarah were new and foreign to her.

Gracelynn reached up and turned the knob on the door, cracking it just enough to see Ryan laying across the doorway. “Please...?” Her voice was soft, and she hoped that with their quieter bond that he would pick up what she wanted—him. Just him. At least for a few minutes.

Tarmagon (Someone needs some cuddles)

 

[Tarmagon]

Ryan's ears perked forward as the door cracked open slightly. He could only see part of Grace's face, but her quiet "Please?" coupled with the need he felt coming off of her demanded he answer. He rose smoothly, nosing the door open enough for him to enter, then turning to face the outer room.

"Privacy" flowed from him in an inexorable wave, and he felt immediate assent and understanding flow back to him as he nosed the door shut. He turned to look squarely at Grace. She still looked disheveled, a tear streak obvious down one cheek, but there was something else there, and in a moment the wolf form slipped away, leaving Ryan standing before Grace. One hand reached out to pull her close, even as the other hand found the lock on the bathroom door and clicked it home. Turning Grace's face up to him, Ryan gently moved her hair away from her face before lowering his lips to hers in a lingering kiss. She returned the kiss with a fervor and need that surprised him, but Ryan devoted himself entirely to meeting Grace's every need. When she began to claw at her own clothes, he undressed her, then took her up in his arms and stepped into the massive shower that they had been unable to enjoy properly earlier. When she cast a worried glance at the closed and locked door, he sent her wordless reassurance that they were in their own little bubble of privacy. As the warm water cascaded about them, Ryan let Grace dictate both the pace and the destination. He was her Mate, as she was his. He would be whatever she needed him to be in this time and place.

readysetstalk (Whatever Grace needs, Grace gets.)

 

[readysetstalk]

And just like that, Ryan was there. Every time she needed him, he was there. Just one word, and he understood. Hell, she probably didn’t even need to say anything. But those thoughts were quickly wiped clean from her mind as he took her up in his arms. Every worry she had slipped away the moment his lips met hers. The tears no longer stained her cheeks. The intrusive thoughts had vanished. Right now, it was just her and Ryan. There was no worry about Kathy, or Sarah, or Marissa. There was no worry about the outside world right now. All that mattered in this moment was Ryan. She had never felt such relief just by the presence and touch of another being. Yet, here she was. Completely mesmerized by him.

Her legs wrapped around his waist as she parted their lips. Her eyes searched his, her fingertips tracing over his cheekbones. She was his, he was hers. She reached and turned the water on. It was cold at first, causing goosebumps to form over her pale skin. It didn’t matter. Nothing but Ryan mattered right now. Her lips soon met his again, with more passion and need than before. Gracelynn needed him to distract her. She needed this moment of intimacy between them. She was losing it. And she needed him to reel her back in. Soon, the steam from the shower was rolling, and Gracelynn advanced. She absolutely craved him in this moment. He was all she wanted in the world, in this moment. It was Ryan. It would always be Ryan.

Tarmagon Shes not gonna complain