[bloodyfvngs]

Forks Public Library August 19th 11:11 AM closed for @1ncebitten (Mina)

Mercy tried to find libraries peaceful, truly she did. But there was something about the unfamiliar buzzing of white noise and the deep fluorescent lights that set her on edge. Left her cheeks flushed in frustration and her ears prickled in irritation from all the sounds she could pick up on. Even the books had a plastic film wrapped around them, depriving her of the gentle comfort a well worn book could offer her.

As she entered the next passageway of books burning under white lights, she hardly noticed the librarian or staff person on a step ladder, too busy trying to blackout the sound of a child crying on the floor below. Part of her wished she'd brought the headphones she kept on her during her shifts at the motel, maybe that could provide some dampening to this ever constant buzzing. "God, I wish something would happen." She murmured to herself, briefly gazing at her phone and noting the time should imply her wish would come true.

Then — like a curse — the woman on the stepladder lost her balance and Mercy went on instinct. She was across the aisle in a human heartbeat, her hands gently — as gently as she could manage in a panic — held the woman at her lower back to steady her, stopping her from tumbling off the step ladder completely. "Poor thing." Mercy whispered, releasing her once she found her balance. "You alright, ma'am?"

[muddyreverie]

Something  BREAKS  inside  him.   Like  a  smash  glass  in  case  of  emergency  kind  of  break.   Except  that  he's  both  the  solution  and  the  emergency.   Maybe  not  even  the  solution. Light  eyes  scan  the  tabletop  in  a  frenzy:   breakable,   breakable,   breakable.   Fuck.   He  swallows  hard,   muscles  in  his  neck  rippling,   and  slides  one  arm  around  Marisol  while  the  other  settles  on  her  hands  where  they  sit  on  her  coffee  mug.   ❝ I  NEED  your  hand  right  now, ❞   he  intones  low  in  her  ear,   every  OUNCE  of  energy  in  his  body  focused  on  staying  calm,   both  internally  and  externally,   ❝ Before  I  freak  the  fuck  out  and  everyone  sees. ❞   Mouth  is  dry,   he  wants  to  reach  for  his  own  mug  and  take  a  long  sip.   Not  that  he  needs  any  more  STIMULATION;   his  heart  can  barely  take  the  adrenaline  right  now.   He's  suddenly  sober  enough,   though.   Funny  how  that  works. He  peels  her  fingers  back  from  the  coffee  cup  and  drops  both  their  hands  to  the  sticky  vinyl  of  the  booth  between  them.   Fingers  CLENCH  around  hers  so  tightly  that,   were  she  human,   they'd  surely  all  be  broken  within  seconds.   If  he  has  an  equal  as  the  strongest  among  the  strong,   those  who  were  built  as  shields  and  WEAPONS,   it  would  be  her.   It's  probably  not  comfortable,   but  she  can  take  it. A  long,   DEEP  inhale.   ❝ I  got  shitfaced,   and  left  as  soon  as  the  sun  went  down. ❞   The  confession  comes  not  from  between  clenched  teeth,   but  from  jaw  tensed  to  shatter  the  bone.   ❝ Sol,   please  tell  me  right  now  you're  fucking  joking.   Because  I  --  ❞   His  voice  BREAKS,   and  eyes  close.   One-two-three-four-five.   His  eyes  open  again,   and  he  looks  at  her  pleadingly.   ❝ PLEASE.   I  can't  go  through  this  again. ❞

[bloodyfvngs]

His voice in her ear reminds her why these things were better handled by the alpha. She knew he deserved to know, but his arm wrapped around her, his hand gripping hers so tight the bones might still splinter — that line of where her duties began and ended had been stepped over and well, fucked. Sol matched his hold to try and rally him, bring his senses to focus on the pain she was inflicting through her physical touch instead of the wound she had inflicted on his wellbeing.

To the fellow patrons in this all of a sudden stuffy diner, it would look like — god forbid — Thane and her were enjoying a warm, borderline romantic embrace in this cozy booth. They wouldn't see the sweat and anger boiling between them, or the way that their grips held onto each other with equal ferocity that they might just tear one another to pieces if the wrong thing was said.

"Thane." She bit his name so hard it sounded like a curse. "You know me better than that." Marisol spat — fighting the urge to snap her hand away from his death grip in raw anger. But he needed her. And that stirred her and drew on something ancient, something older in her. When she used to care. "I would never joke about that." There were no words she could say to calm him, no amount of ways she could explain that she was here for him that would take away this wound she ripped the sutures out of. But she could offer the truth and hope the facts would allow him to realize there was nothing anyone could do.

"Name's Hannah. Disappeared at 9:30. Half the town was out in the woods last night looking for her. Couldn't smell nothing but piss, beer, and leeches." She growled the last word out, turning to fave him so no one would see the intensity of her scowl. "Girl up and vanished. And the cops seem to be throwing their hands up and doing fuck all." She let out a dry huff of air, and rolled her eyes. "As usual." They would pat themselves on the back for a good attempt, and carry on with their lives while the ghosts would haunt their streets. Assholes.

[femme-cafe]

Full Moon, Clear Night

[staroffire]

Although the hug was a bit uncomfortable, it was needed. How long had Marie been running? How long had she been hiding? When was the last time she been next to another being and let them give her affection?

She closed her eyes to think but nothing came to mind. The visions of her mother were fading. Her father was never affectionate for the few months she was with him. And her other family? She never really knew any one that was too huggy.

Marie awkwardly laughed with her old friend. "Guess you're right." She coughed. "On both accounts."

"Maybe, only if you want to, you can go through this stuff with me? You can take what you want. I know she meant a lot to you." She nodded, wiping her tears away. "Probably more to you than me." Marie tried to laugh but it twisted in her gut and turned into a sob.

She doubled over into Sol's lap and cried. "I should've come home sooner. I thought...I thought I wasn't wanted."

She shook her head, all this time wasted.

Maybe she could have had been close with someone. Maybe she could have had a community. Maybe she she could have had a mother.

"Fuck you, curse. Fuck you, Forks. Fuck you, Mom. "

The cries shook her ribs as she sobbed into Sol's lap. Why was she saying all this? There was just so much sadness in her and it was pouring out. The sound was like the waves crashing on the La Push beach when it stormed. It was all she could hear, all she could feel.

Marie was succumbing to her feelings.

She kept trying to calm herself like she did when she was alone but the feeling of another wolf was too strong to ignore. She hadn't felt community like this, probably ever. Despite the differences in their pack, their bond was there.

Marie began to shake in a different way. Her body began to contort and she could feel a shift coming on.

"MOVE, SOL."

She jumped from the couch and it scooted too far for any human, nearly hitting the kitchen counter. Lucky for Marie and Sol, it was just two wolves.

And one wolf, the embodiment of Marie's emotions, was about to shred through her skin to make itself known.

[bloodyfvngs]

What could she say? Everything she thought had crossed through the minds of everyone living with the regret and loss of a loved one. She had felt similarly when her grandmother passed, and again when she left the graypines — though the grief of that could never truly go away. She hoped Rosemarie would not live in her grief, but find a way to carry it in her life as she found herself again.

But now was not the time Marie would find any comfort in soul searching.

Supposedly, there were five stages of grief. Sol had only ever managed to get to anger and let it sit there on simmer, threatening to boil over at the slightest step backward. Her girl, Rosemarie, was just that. Cut from the same cloth as her, a shaking, wild thing, her anger so poignant Sol could almost reach out and grasp it, and taste it like blood in her mouth.

When she is rocked back by the strength of a grieving wolf, that couch feeling just a bit airborne — she almost laughed. But this was not her place to grieve.

The back door was hard to get to when a shifter is tearing through the house like she was on fire, and she apologized to the late Maureen for the way the hinges gasp and creak as they are forced to work at twice the speed. The sound of the door hitting the exterior wall makes a crunch — like a metal knob splintering wood — and Sol actually looks upward and offered a waved gesture and a mouthed 'sorry' to sleeping Maureen.

"Calm down, Marie." Sol called, double checking that the coast was clear before continuing. "You aren't ready to feel and hear everyone else at the same time." Her hands raise to steady her, like she was some wild beast Sol thought herself fit to tame. The truth was, she was a grieving girl, lost her mother, lost her home, and it seemed like she didn't quite know who she was anymore. It was a surprise she hadn't come undone like this sooner.

"Stay with me, Rose." Though she knew it was futile, she had to try. For Maureen. "Just take a deep breath with me."

[dinah-lance]

havana rose liu by kristine froseth via ig stories may 1st, 2025

[bloodyfvngs]

Forks Food Co-Op August 16th 3:32 PM closed for @lcvrgrl (alissa)

Marisol had few indulgences. Going to the Co-Op to listen to gossiping mothers and enjoy her overpriced and perfectly ripe vegetables was higher on that list than she would care to admit. Yet here she was just the same, proudly strolling the aisle with a basket far too full for anyone her size to carry as confidently as she did. She was listening to rare gossip about the town historian just as she came to the fruit section. It wasn't that the cemetery keeper lacked scandal, no, she was just sure he was better at hiding it than the rest of them. Her eyes found his little sister Alissa just a few steps away, and then it all made sense. The two women in question kept stealing glances at Alissa, like watching her would hide their rather obvious pointed conversation.

"This sale isn't even that good." Marisol offered in Alissa's direction, setting down the apple she had been inspecting. "Besides, I think the bunch has turned rotten in our present company's presence." Sol rose her voice to carry across the pile of apples, and the two women's whispering ceased, if only for a moment. Hopefully, they would much rather gossip about Marisol and her bad attitude, than imply someone as gentle as Agnes Towner would ever run someone out of town. That didn't seem very likely, did it? "I think I saw some fresh pastries over by the bakery. Care to join me?"

[ofgloaming]

Declan huffed out a short laugh, one without much humor, more acknowledgment than amusement. “Guess that explains why my head’s been pounding since sundown.” His thumb toyed with the flashlight’s switch, flicking it on and off once like he wasn’t sure whether it helped or made things worse. The smell was everywhere — copper and salt and ash mixing into a migraine. Pride wanted him to keep trying, to prove he could parse it out, but the truth was plain: he didn’t know how yet. Not like she did.

Still, he fell in step when she tipped her chin toward the trees, boots sinking out of the sand and into the loam at the forest’s edge. The fire behind them spat and roared, but out here it was damp and cold, shadows stitched between the pines. He kept the beam low at first, cutting across roots and broken branches, until a half-buried bottle caught the light and gleamed like an eye. His grip tightened on the flashlight, the muscle in his jaw ticking before he angled it higher, across the trunks instead of the ground.

“Figures,” he muttered, squinting into the dark, “first real run on a night like this, and it’s a needle-in-a-haystack job.” The words came without bitterness, though the restless way his shoulders rolled gave him away — the sharp edge of nerves, of someone untested. The bond thrummed faintly at the edge of his senses, all those other wolves and their noise bleeding in, reminding him of just how far behind he was.

After a beat, he cut his eyes sideways toward her. “What about you? Got some Redmaw trick I should know about? Something that makes this easier?” His tone wasn’t sharp, not a jab — more like a concession, rookie to veteran, asking how the game was really played. But there was something taut beneath it too, the quiet strain of a man who hated being the one always two steps behind.

[bloodyfvngs]

The forest floor was as much comfort to her as the sand had been, but this was the only place she could truly be. You wouldn't see either pack taking a four legged run on the beach any time soon. A pity, but some lines couldn't be crossed. Even the hotheaded redmaws knew better than that.

"It's the perfect storm." She agreed, tucking her chin length hair behind her ear. "Almost too perfect — like they were just waiting for this bonfire." Sol hissed, the they could genuinely be all encompassing — vampires, graypines, idiot humans — who wasn't she mad at? "I will never understand a human's need to explore what they know is dangerous." She said it, only because she had been a shifter half her life.

Her eyes were peeled for any danger, scanning the forest groves and nearly out of sight hiding spots for some kind of trace — but like all the others it felt as if she had just vanished into smoke. Marisol couldn't stomach the sensation, loss and wolves and bodies rumbling in her forest, muddling with what little evidence there might be to find. She should have gone out there first, as soon as someone first voiced concern. What had she been thinking?

"The redmaw way is a hard one to swallow." She paused, studying the way he seemed just slightly uncomfortable in his own skin. Like something was tugging at him, but she couldn't quite place what. "It's a vulnerability not even humans can handle without breaking." Her eyes glance forward, seeing nothing but a gaggle of concerned parents ushering their children out of the wood. "It's raw emotion. You have to feel it all." Her eyes closed for emphasis, allowing the feeling of the forest and even Declan beside her to wash all over her. "Smothering your emotions, your pain, your senses, even your wolf —" the last word came out quieter than the rest, her footfalls closing more of a margin between the two. "It holds you back. And trust, Declan. You were meant to run free." Her latest salespitch for the redmaws. She'd come up short again, but she couldn't help but keep trying with him.

[muddyreverie]

❝ Yeah,   well,   there's  nothin'  GOOD  about  it, ❞   he  snaps  back  at  her,   head  falling  into  his  hands.   He  digs  the  heels  of  his  hands  DEEP  into  his  eye  sockets,   and,   when  he  looks  up  again,   there  is  is,   like  an  angel,   holding  a  pot  of  coffee.   He  sighs  and  straightens  and  flashes  her  puppy  dog  eyes:   I'm  sorry.    She  drops  into  the  booth  beside  him,   and  he  scoots  over  to  give  her  SPACE.   Sitting  too  close  to  him  for  too  long  isn't  exactly  the  most  comfortable  thing  in  the  world,   what  with  all  the  extra  heat.   Even  for  another  wolf  like  Marisol.    He  hears  the  tone  of  her  voice  and  that  HOT  BLOOD  of  his  turns  icy  cold  in  his  veins.   For  a  split  second,   the  world  moves  in  slow  motion.   Thane  steels  his  jaw  as  he  stares  dead  ahead,   watching  a  waitress  deposit  a  plate  onto  the  table  of  a  hungry  patron,   moving  through  molasses.   And  then  it's  OVER,   and  he  has  to  turn  and  face  Sol.    ❝ Do  I  know  what? ❞  he  asks  in  a  low  tone,   gravelly  voice  THICK  with  fear.   To  most  other  people,   it  would  sound  more  like  a  threat  than  a  real  question.   Sol  can  handle  it,   though.

[bloodyfvngs]

A man of his age should be a little less, bratty she would think, but Thane was a rare man. She was never sure if that was a good or bad thing. Regardless, he was redmaw, and in some twisted way, that meant she put up with mood swings and even puppy eyes regarding coffee. She pretended not to see it, because softness was not something people like them allowed anyone to see, even if it was a simple unspoken apology.

Marisol wasn't one to complain — she put up with the brunt of everything to save those who couldn't handle it — but she could already feel the sweat prickling at her forehead from sitting next to Thane. She glared at the empty side of booth, had it not been facing away from the door, she would've slipped there instead. But she couldn't trust like that, always on edge, always waiting for the next shoe to drop. And so Sol busied herself with turning her own coffee mug around, wondering how long she'd have to wait for it to be cold enough it didn't overheat her to drink it.

"What even happened to you last night?" She spoke with her lip curled upward — irritation, annoyance, and worry pulsating in her veins. He didn't take care of himself, not well enough to not be one Marisol's unofficial list of concerns. "Last night, something happened." Sol gripped her mug, skin lightening and tightening around her knuckles as her grip became snug, anger building in her. "Something bad." She let out a short breath and cracked her neck from side to side, realigning her senses to fight off the wolf growling beneath.

"Another kid. Another mystery." She bit out the words — her throat too tight to speak more than a few clipped words. She turned to give him a serious look. "Missing — without a goddamn trace."

[staroffire]

Marie shrugged, "I'm not sure. Storage unit, I guess. It's hard to look at a lot of it." Her voice hitched as she spoke. "It's like being surrounded by the childhood I had and...didn't."

She coughed at the silence of her awkward statement. How could she be honest when the community lost someone more than she had? She chastised herself mentally and quietly took a plate from Marisol.

"Thank you."

She took a bite and the tears threatened to come.

It tasted like a day of running on the beach and begging Sol to pick her up. It tasted like when she was human and her mother still loved her. It tasted like home.

"This is really good, Marisol." Her voice clearly breaking. She put her forehead on her hand, dropping the fork on the floor. She tapped her foot so fast that her knee bopped up and down.

After the death, the funeral, the packing: She finally was breaking.

[bloodyfvngs]

The childhood Marie was deprived of sits heavy on Sol's chest — similar to the own weight she carried of her own stolen youth. Becoming what they were, going from girl to adult in the blink of an eye — loved ones who could never understand what you are, try as they might. She fought the urge to hold the girl.

Then came the floodgates. It must have been here under the surface, under the facade with the headphones and sunglasses, surrounded by all these boxes and wrapped up in the very memory of a woman no longer with them. Sol set her plate somewhere and moved across the living room to hold her little Rosemarie.

The hug was warm and weird and a little wet from tears — hers and Marie's — but it didn't matter to her. She missed the girl and she had wanted to provide her a warm hearth since she saw her just a month ago. "I've got you." She murmured, rubbing her hand over Marie's arm. "I'm here for you, always."

Sol pulled back from the hug, wiping her own stray tears and fighting wiping away Rosemarie's. "It's better you did this here then out shopping, don't you think?" She let out an awkward laugh and continued, "Besides, you needed this." Sol ran a hand against Marie's shoulder in an attempt in comfort. "What do you need from me?"

[ofgloaming]

“Least you can do,” Salem echoed, mouth twitching like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to smile or smirk. Her gaze drifted to the tongs in Mercy’s hand, then back up to her face. “Dangerous words, by the way. Depending on who you ask, the least you can do might involve burning the burgers and walking away.”

She tipped her chin toward the grill, scanning the lineup like she was about to deliver a professional assessment. “If you want something safe? Stick to the hot dogs. Low expectations, low risk. Nobody’s gonna write home about a hot dog.”

Her eyes cut back to Mercy, sharp but not unkind. “Besides, they’re practically tradition out here. You can’t go wrong with something that’s survived decades of sand, rain, and bad company.”

There’s a pause, her smirk deepening just enough to suggest she’s not just talking about food. “Though if you’re looking for something a little more interesting, I could point you toward the salmon. Might be risky, but… some people live for that kind of gamble.” She let the words hang there a beat, then added, “You say you’re bad at these events, but you’re out here tong-wrangling like a pro. What’s your secret? I'll take any pointers. I think my resting bitch face has scared off at least 3 possible conversations."

[bloodyfvngs]

Mercy looked over towards the hot dogs, attempting to seem like she was interested in the notion. Under seasoned, over charred, and somehow always under cooked in the middle — hot dogs made her stomach curl. Safe for humans, bad for hybrids. They seemed to be all the worst parts of meat, sequestered into finger sized atrocities. She should know about atrocities.

"Not sure I'm quite brave enough for hot dogs tonight. Too much risk involved for me, I'm afraid." She offered a gentle smile to hide her disgust in front of Salem. It was the least she could do, after all. The girl had been nothing but kind to her, at the bar and here tonight — she couldn't let her disgust on most things processed ruin any chance at befriending the locals. "But I wouldn't say the sand, rain, or company is bad at all." She offered, were they closer and she much less hungry, she might have even bumped shoulders with her like they were old friends. But she was much to on edge for that.

The innuendo flew over Mercy's head and landed somewhere in the sand dunes, all the while the light brown haired girl eyed the tables for the fish she had missed. She would have smelt salmon, right? Could they even have salmon at this time of year? Probably, it was Washington, after all.

"Waving tongs around aimlessly is a lot easier than one might think." Mercy assured her. "I would say I haven't talked to many, but standing in this line, I dare say they're all a bit..." She sways her mouth from side to side for a moment in thought. "peckish. So it isn't like conversation has been much to have here, present company excluded." She paused to stop herself from talking too much, a habit formed from years of silence. But once she starts, it is hard to stop. "I'd say they rather missed out on you, don't ya think?"

[staroffire]

"Oh I remember arroz con pato..." She said, her tongue feeling heavy in the unfamiliar language. It was like this all the time, Forks was like walking in a memory. "Yeah, I was leaving but fuck it. Regardless, I need to be around people that I'm not tending to."

She unlocked and opened her mother's red door for Marisol with a semi-smile.

"Come on in. It's a disaster but the living room is manageable."

It was a short walk from the entry way to the living room. It was a teal color inside. Her mother had always loved color. Marie hooked her keys back onto the little hooks with a wooden sign that said "home". The living room was mostly boxed up except for the couch which kept its plastic cover ("a condom" as teenage Marie called it).

The kitchen was also right next to the entry with a tiny window so her mother could yell at jeopardy while it was on after school and she was preparing dinner.

Too many memories. Marie thought and closed the door. She went into the kitchen.

The kitchen had a small table but unfortunately for them, Marie had been having all her meals on the couch. The table was filled with boxes. The whole house was. Where there wasn't a walkway: was a box.

She went to the kitchen table and fished out two plates out of a box. She figured duck and her mom's favorite dish deserved more than a paper plate. She still got two plastic forks because fuck washing forks.

Marisol seemed lost so, Marie called from the kitchen. "We can eat on the couch. The end table will hold it just fine."

She walked into the living room and threw a pot holder underneath where Marisol was putting down the silver tray. Then placed the plates down on the honey oak end table.

[bloodyfvngs]

"Oh I just meant I could set it inside —" Sol cut herself off and stepped past the threshold of the red front door. It was always such a bright and colorful house. The bright red door leading into the overwhelming amount of teal. Sol could recall the few times she had mentioned Maureen should repaint the door — and how many times the older woman had scoffed at the thought. She liked things how she liked it, and nothing could budge her. What a woman. She was missed everyday.

Boxes littered the house, filled to the brim and slowly removing all of the soul in the whole place. Part of her hoped Marie would stay and build a new soul here. But she knew it could never be. No one could expect her to have stayed in her grandmother's house when she passed, and she was glad when it got sold. If she had more room in her trailer and it wasn't sometimes occupied by Casio, she would make a little spot for Rosemarie as well — keep her as close as she'd let her. A sister? A mother? A friend? What was she to Rosemarie if not all three at once? Perhaps better to not claim motherhood after the loss of Maureen. But Maureen, she supposed, would want her baby girl looked after.

Marisol followed behind Rosemarie, dutifully and carefully with her meal. Part of her wanted to stop and embrace her. But she knew Marie would buck. She could tell when there was a fight in someone — it was knowledge that came with always being angry. "So..." She allowed the platter to clank onto the designated spot, drowning the discomfort. "Need any help? I could probably rustle up some of the boys from the shop to help move these out for you." Marisol winced, but hid it behind a hand smoothing back her hair. "Where do you plan on putting everything?"

Sol distracted herself with unveiling the food and using one of the plastic forks to plate the rice and duck for them. She had burning questions that were improper to ask someone so stained in grief. But it had rested in her for a month now. How long are you here? Where have you been? Why the graypines? But instead, she pushed the plate toward Marie. "Hope it's as good as you remember."

[bloodyfvngs]

Ashwood Trailer Park August 11th 6:45 AM closed for @fngsbared

Morning dew had caked her clothes by the time she returned to them, about half a mile before the trees break and the trailer park comes into view. Despite Sol's best intentions, she still hadn't invested in somewhere safe to store her clothes — the last time she used a backpack, someone had stolen it during the night and she had to make the trek to her trailer as a wolf in the cover of darkness.

Her trailer was nothing to write home about. Messy and falling a part — she always claims she'll fix it up when she has time. But when she has time, she's usually snoring or patrolling. Her door is slightly ajar as she approached, and her hands tensed at the possibilities. She crept up the front steps and grasped her baseball bat she kept by the door, ready to swing. "Who the hell—" She cut herself off and let out a laugh in surprise. "Cas!" Relief and embarrassment washed over her, and she slowly lowered the bat. "When did you get here?"

[celcstiall]

the pout on alissa’s lips completely vanished, replaced by a wide, genuine smile instead. her whole posture an demeanor seemed to change, the dramatic slump in her shoulders disappearing as she watched mercy as if she was responsible for hanging the stars in the sky. she was being so sweet, and it made alissa’s own silly frustration feel miles away. she wondered exactly why had taken her this long to approach her, but of course, she was just being professional at the cafe, she couldn't just approach mercy like that. “okay, you’re right, it’s not ugly,” she agreed with a little laugh, “but you and i both know it’s not going on the curtain, its depressing.” her gaze went from the shell to mercy’s face. “and wait- you’d really help me look? seriously?” she didn’t even wait for an answer, mercy's willingness to help making her super excited. “yes. absolutely, let’s do it.” she nudged her friend’s shoulder playfully, her mind catching up with the last part of their conversation now that her own mini-crisis was over. her head tilted. “wait, hold on a sec. why’d you look so surprised when i asked how your day was? do people really not ask you that?” she was confused, mercy seemed lovely, she surely got many people asking about her day, right? she leaned in a little, her voice dropping to a more gossipy tone. “and what was the deal with the meat selection? was it, like, super dry or something? you gotta give me the details on your dull day, it’s only fair.” she inquired, remembering how she noticed a couple of people trying out the meat fully raw. “i saw some people trying it raw, i cant lie, looked appetizing, i'm just not the biggest fan of bacteria... i mean, i'm sure there are many bacteria in raw meat, the thought alone makes me uneasy.”

[bloodyfvngs]

"Oh god forbid." Mercy shook her head, repulsed. "It is not curtain material." She made a disgusted face and let out a giggle unexpectedly. Every time she talked to someone new — someone who made her feel warm and whole inside — it was like her body awoke from it's eternal slumber. No longer a corpse, but the beating heart of a girl.

As they left the bonfire circle, Mercy felt heat rise to her cheeks, anticipation and uncertainty on this endeavor they were embarking on. She hoped with her enhanced vision, and with the tide coming in a little more — she might be able to save Alissa from a meltdown over the beaded curtain vision. Or, maybe she shouldn't get ahead of herself. After all, the beach had been tread quite a bit, surely other's had been seashell hunting already.

Mercy chewed at her lip and avoided Alissa's gaze for a moment, trying to decide how to broach this topic. Part of her wanted to be honest and share her luck — or lack thereof — in the friend department. The other part of her, well, she knew Forks had been kind to her, even if it still surprised her. Explaining how she didn't connect with people, or the many years she had in experience, would be opening up a whole can of worms she was unsure she should share — if she even could share something that drastic.

"It's just — how do I put it?" She trailed off, not usually one to speak before she was ready. Messing up and embarrassing herself were a given, of course. No one had socialized the little beast before. "Forks is full of so many kind people — you most of all. I reckon it just takes me by surprise a little, every time." Mercy shrugged her shoulders, downplaying her feelings. She had a way of coming on too strong and too desperate.

Mercy made a face when she remembered dinner. "Over cooked." She squished her features together. "It tasted much better barely cooked, I promise." She moved her mouth from side to side in thought, "Though, not for the faint of heart." She hid her laugh behind her hand.

Her moment of glee was interrupted by downright elation. "Alissa!" She squealed and ran ahead of her. "Look at this beauty!" She plucked up a shell twice the size of the one she had originally found.

[sombvers-deactivated20260218]

Sienna shivered at the mention of the cold ones. She really still was unsure of how she felt about them. Most she met, were kind to her. Being able to smell them was new and all around a strange but she knew that shouldn't assume they were all being honest with her. Sienna didn't want to see naive but she was new to this, there were things she didn't quite understand yet.

She nodded. "Well, lets find her then." Sol's comment pulled a tug at her chest. The other wolf was right, she had to be found tonight. Not only for her sake but her family's.

The brunette sighed. "Me too." She admitted before taking a glance around the forest floor again. "It would be much quicker if we could run through the forest. We'd cover more ground, for sure." Sienna told her.

She glanced around another set of trees and glanced down. "Sol, look. There's some clearing over here. The trees look like they were snapped recently. Want to check it out?" Sienna asked her, flashing her light in the direction. "It might be deeper into the forest, though." She admitted, a little nervous.

[bloodyfvngs]

Her entire life as a wolf had been rough — full of loss and full of the knowledge of what she had to do — and who she had to become — to make it in this life that was chosen for her. Sienna was different — softer, gentler, and meant for greatness. It was hard for Sol to swallow that that greatness was now the life of a wolf. She deserved better than this, didn't she? After all she had worked towards? Grief for her comes over in a wave and she involuntarily recoils, pretending a shiver overtook her and wrapping her arms around herself. It made her look weak — She didn't get cold anymore.

"We could run laps around this entire search party, and find her before anyone else got lost in the woods." But the reality was, they would not risk exposure to the rest of Forks like that. Why couldn't they just kill the vampires and get on with it? They'd probably find the girl among one of them, if she hadn't been turned or drained dry. The color left Sol's face at her own thoughts, the gnawing sensation that Hannah would never be found hung over her like atlas and the sky. This was her fault — somehow — her latest failure.

Sienna's voice brought her back — the other's worry causing her hand to involuntarily touch the other's back — to soothe. "No doubt she's deep in the forest by now. Someone would have seen something by now if she wasn't." A pause, a smile dancing on warm. "Good call, Sienna." She walked ahead of the other, pretending the broken foliage wasn't dropping like a heavy weight into the pit of her stomach. "I'll lead — watch my back, yeah?"

Sol pushed past the trees and took in this new area of forest. The snapped branches of the tree didn't smell like any scent she knew — she couldn't even discern if it was human, shifter, or vampire. It must mean that this place had been stomped through so much by the residents that everything was muddled now, and unable to be traced. Marisol knelt at a shoe print in the forest floor. "That could be a small girl's." Turning back in Sienna's direction, she nodded toward her find. "What do you think?"

[muddyreverie]

𝐖𝐇𝐎: thane rowan, open to all! capped at [1/3] replies 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: august 7th, 11:42am 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: the carver café

❝ I  am  BEGGING  you  to  keep  it  down. ❞   It's  hard  for  the  wolves  to  get  wasted.   Hard,   but  not  impossible.   Thane  is  constant  proof  of  that.   It's  not  respectable,   but   —   he  has  more  demons  than  most.   By  design.   He  can  protect  THEM,   but  not  himself.   ❝ At  least  until  I've  had  some  coffee. ❞   He  tips  the  empty  mug  towards  himself  and  peers  down  into  it with a DEEP frown.     ❝ More  coffee. ❞

[bloodyfvngs]

"Fuck, Thane." Marisol scoffed, annoyed by him. It wasn't unusual or unheard of for Thane to be found in this kind of mood but damn — all she'd said was good morning. Sol grasped a pot of coffee from a waiter bustling by and gave a placid smile in his direction before joining her fellow packmate in the booth. They were both tired and weathered — probably had been for a long while before becoming redmaws. Sol had her reasons for being abrasive and blunt, and she knew Thane could take it. Even if he was a grump about it. "Some shit hit the fan last night but you're worried about your caffeine addiction?" Sol quirked a brow at him, maintaining an intense kind of eye contact with him as she poured into his cup. She flipped over the spare coffee cup on the table and poured herself a glass. "Do you even know?" Her voice was tight, drenched with grief. Another tally on the missing in Forks — another unsolved case tucked away by the incompetence of the police.

[mawsagape]

who: open | when: aug. 16th | where: in the woods, 8:00 PM.

the sun was going down, basking this side of the world in orange rays of light. any normal person wouldn't be in the woods at this time, especially after what happened to that girl at the bonfire. missing, pending investigation. it was weird, how a girl could just vanish into thin air with a crowd of people on the same beach. then again, everything in forks was weird. the people, the atmosphere. if luke didn't know how to mind her business, she's sure she would be gossiping with the rest of them rather than hiking alone with her dog in the very same woods that the girl went missing in.

[bloodyfvngs]

The woods were a comfort when Mercy couldn't fathom being around the pulsating heart of town. The rain soaked the ground and made people even scarcer out here — allowing for just her and her umbrella. Or at least, that's how it should have been. But her hybrid ears heard the girl and her dog before she saw them. Mercy — despite enhanced senses — still did a double take to make sure she was, in fact, seeing a human girl and her large specimen of pet in the woods. "Are you lost?" She called out, spinning her umbrella nervously in her grasp. Realizing she was far from a human's view, she stepped out of her spot underneath the trees and gave a wave. "Haven't seen many folks out here in some time." Ten days to be exact, but saying that felt like an omen.

[svpine]

Ayla bit her tongue at Marisol's jab, holding back from saying something she knew she'd regret. Instead, they replied, "You know me better than that." Or had known Ayla better than that. Now? It felt like they were strangers. Strangers who knew so much about one another, who had so much they shared, but still, seeing the other now was a starkly painful reminder of that loss. Of the familiarity that now couldn't exist between them, even if Ayla wanted it back so desperately. They hadn't been this close to one another in a long time. If things were different, they would have been this close from the start of the search, they were sure of it.

"You know I can." She murmured, something like amusement alight in her eyes despite the heavy feeling between the pair. "Unless you've gotten slower. Maybe I'll lap you." Ayla teased, tone still level, not wanting to betray any emotion they didn't want Marisol to feel. Though, that was difficult given the bond they inherently shared. She glanced over her shoulder, "How deep did you go? Don't wanna waste time by searching the same place twice."

[bloodyfvngs]

You know me better than that. Maybe she did. Or maybe that was a different life, a different girl — Mari with the smile on her lips and her hands braiding the hair of her loved ones. Maybe that was the girl who knew Ayla like she knew the back of her hand. The one who spent hours in the cultural center with her, pouring over art and books and talking about anything and everything, laughter echoing the halls. But Sol could hardly recognize her own face in the mirror some days, how was she supposed to look at Ayla like she had when she was younger? Drenched in nostalgia and anger, Sol had to look away from them — it hurt more than she could stand.

"As if." Marisol lied — she had definitely gotten slower as she had aged. While she could still outrun most anything, she was far from the spry youth she once was. She reserved her agility for the right moment more than she used it. Perhaps tonight could be an exception. "I know you grays prefer napping in the woods than patrolling." She teased, ever so slightly allowing one corner of her mouth to tilt upward. Marisol gestured off to the side, "I went west — nothing but trees and teenagers telling ghost stories. Poor taste if you ask me."