Art Therapy

  Jacky Davis || She/Her || SBS Roleplay   

[jackydavis-blog]

New Blood || Open

[jackydavis-blog]

rydenbolt‌:

“S’why ya got me to let ya know~” He chirped, grinning defiantly at her sarcasm, now standing just a few feet away from her. It stopped being such a surprise when he’d smell or meet another werewolf. Werewolves happened and in Soapberry they weren’t uncommon, so he stopped making such a big deal of it, squashing down his own wolf’s need to socialize with the members of his kind because human introductions were vastly different from the wolves’. Besides, Soapberry had already showed him that he wasn’t alone in his supernatural state, so he felt less of a need to cling to every lunarly challenged person he’d met.

Ignoring her obvious teary-eyes moment despite her attempt to hide it, because watching people cry was always kind of awkward for both parties, he shrugged casually, not nearly as shook about being lost as Jacky was. “I can find out. It’s usually that way.” He pointed away from the clearing, to the east. “I should prolly head back too. Wanna go t’gether?” He offered, because she very clearly needed a guide. Stepping a little closer, he offered her a hand to shake. “Ryden.”

Jacky nodded and looked down at his hand, there was a moment lag before she shook his hand quickly and gently, with a soft touch. Hand shaking wasn’t something her family really did, but it seemed to be popular in Washington.

“Thanks, yes. It would be nice to walk back together.” She looked to the east and hoped he was right. “How long have you been in town?” she asked - she wasn’t sure if he was a local or a new addition, but either way, he knew how to get back.

“I’m new, but you probably noticed that...”

[jackydavis-blog]

New Blood || Open

[jackydavis-blog]

ianncardero‌:

“Right,” Iann said neutrally when Jacky placidly said she’d find a cure. Although he couldn’t keep the expression off his face as he said it.

In a way, he was kind of hoping she would find some cure.  The umbrella of lycanthropy was huge after all, just like vampirism and other supernatural species.  Maybe, just maybe Jacky’s type of werewolfism was a certain unique type of shapeshifting that maybe, just maybe had some ancient reversal ritual or magic or curse-breaking.   If Iann thought it, then couldn’t it be possible?

“Vampires can be scary, yeah.  But the ones you’ll find living here are usually gentle lambs. Practically vegan vampires, if they can help it,” Iann chuckled, half-derisive, half-respectful.  “None of that ‘grrrar’ and blood-sucking straight from the struggling human source.  They’re all humane and shit.”

He smiled though, at Jacky’s reasoning.  “We’re just…humans, though. Or people, if you wanna get inclusive. We’re nobodies.  Just creatures on a random planet billions of light years away from most of those stars.  In the grand universal scheme of things, we can’t be that special or arrogant enough to attribute our ideas onto things that’ve existed before and after we have and will. Can we?”

It wasn’t often that Iann got to talk abstractly like this, honestly.  He was always so busy with the now and the present and the fix this and troubleshoot that - and although his mind sometimes took a more esoteric route - for the most part Iann had abandoned abstractions as the luxury of the young and the privileged.   It wasn’t that Iann didn’t enjoy a good friendly debate, but it was rarely anymore about subject matter that was so…mindful.   But as his obnoxious crunching put Jacky at ease, this idle discussion was a great distraction for Iann’s own nervousness.

“Maybe to nymphs, yeah.  They’re the closest things to real actual tangible deities that I think our planet understands,”  Iann said, in partial agreement to a question about nymphs that Jacky didn’t answer.

By the time they appeared on the campus grounds, Iann looked around in surprise and slight disappointment.  It wasn’t often he was happy to tromp through the woods especially in Soapberry and especially in the dark. But Jacky’s engagement with him and her willingness to humour him had made all the difference.

“Wow.  We’re at the university, huh?  And only an hour after dar.  Damn, you’re good,” he said, and offered the chips to her.  “Go on take some. You deserve one.”

Jacky pursed her lips. She hadn’t met a vampire yet... or maybe she had. Mostly she could sniff out other shapeshifters. Maybe she would get better at sniffing out supernaturals better as she became more familiar with them. “Well that’s good.”

“True... but how else are nymphs made? The kinds that are ideas, the kinds that live off human innovation. They’re children of humanity.” They were born immortal, maybe that was why Jacky wasn’t afraid of them, there was no way to turn into a nymph. But were they deities? Jacky pondered that. Did the sacred mountains of the Dinee have nymphs? Did the cardinal directions have nymphs? “What kind of nymphs have you met, that make you think of deities?”

Iann was a veritable fount of knowledge and Jacky didn’t want to let him go. But it was dark, and she had dinner to make and homework to do and beads to put together into earrings that she already had a couple orders for. Iann probably had things to do too. Jacky took the chips with an innocent grin. “Thank you.”

[jackydavis-blog]

New Blood || Open

[jackydavis-blog]

ianncardero‌:

“No problem,” Iann said, of Miles.  “I think he’s fairly new at the whole werewolf thing too, so.  Maybe you and him can help each other out.  Form a pack…” Iann said with a slight grin, in a kidding fashion.  “You planning on staying in Soapberry?  For the long term, I mean.”

Her confidence was enough for Iann, and he gave a curt nod and stood up.  Iann hitched his backpack up, pulling out a ziploc of baked plaintain chips.  “Okay, lead the way,” Iann said, crunching on some of the chips as he carefully followed.  “Shit, it’s gonna be dark in the woods, isn’t it. I really gotta get myself one of those helmets with the lights attached to them.  You have to keep talking to me, hm?  So that I don’t lose you.”

And so Jacky did, explaining to him about spirits.  And nymphs, apparently.  “You’re okay with nymphs?” Iann asked in surprise.  “How come nymphs?  What about vampires, or merms?”

He listened, cheered and pleasantly distracted by the fun of trying to understand what Jacky was explaining to him,  “But stars are billions of miles away.  You’re saying this idea of ‘spirits’ can extend outside of this planet?”

Iann was concentrating on where he was walking, and almost bumped into Jacky when she’d stopped.  “You can.  It might take a while to learn how.  Sometimes shifting can be painful at first, sometimes it’s effortless from the get-go.  And the feralness…some werewolves are taken over by the wolf, more like animal than sentient like a person, hm?  It can be dangerous to be around people, depending on how in control of yourself you are.”

“Ideally,” she started. “There’s some cure here, some way to make me human again. Then I’ll go back home. I’m here until that happens though.” Maybe that was another way of saying she was here forever, if what Iann said was true, and there was no easy way to cure herself of her lycanthropy.

Jacky smelled his snack a few seconds before she heard the crunch. There was something so human about everything she had seen Iann do so far, and it made her feel not so out of place. She smiled into the dark as she walked - the crunching of the chips kept her anxiety about being able to see so well at night at bay. If she was using her new physical attributes to help Iann, to get herself and the human back to town, then it couldn’t be that bad. Could it?

She paused. She wasn’t sure why nymphs just seemed neutral to her. Maybe because the stories of the yei were neutral. There were good yei, and bad yei, and yei that were just trying their best. So nymphs were automatically the same way in her mind. She didn’t know if she could explain that to Iann, at least without sounding foolish. So she answered the next round of questions instead. “Vampires... are a bit scary. The stories that people tell about them...” she trailed off and shook her head. “As for mermaids, I don’t think I’ve ever met one. Or if I have they were hidden.”

Jacky shrugged. She was happier to talk about spirits than vampires. “Why not? If humans can see it, if we can tell stories about it, then it might have a spirit.”

Out of control, painful, dangerous: all things Jacky would rather avoid. Her jaw tightened and she kept walking. “No. I don’t think I’ll try that.” She was too feral still, might always be that way. Maybe Miles could help her with it. But as it was, she barely remembered what happened when she changed, how could she even know if she was in control?

As they kept walking the woods seemed to brighten, and Jacky recognized part of campus. Or close to campus at least. This was where the fairy students liked to live. Will-o-wisp like lights floated lazily through the trees, while some lights were sedentary in the air, twinkling subtly. “Here we go,” she said with a sigh of relief. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, at least there was light.

[jackydavis-blog]

New Blood || Open

[jackydavis-blog]

ianncardero‌:

Iann made a noise when Jacky mentioned ‘star spirits’, not really understanding what she meant.  To him of course there could be a hundred thousand variant definitions of the term, depending on who (or what) said it.  The fun part for Iann was parsing what this werewolf Jacky meant by it.  

“Ahhh, Arizona, yeah.  That makes sense,” he nodded, but didn’t bother to elaborate.  Either she knew why it made sense or she didn’t and asked him to explain himself in which case he would. 

 “Well shit,” he said of this feral-sounding werewolf.  “That’s fucked up.  I’m sorry that had to happen to you, must’ve been totally random huh?  I hope no one ended up killed.  Anyone that you knew, I mean.”

Perched on a rock, the overhang keeping the chilly wind out, Iann rewrapped his scarf around his neck and took the water canister back, screwing the top back on.  

“Miles Cook?  Yeah, I know the guy.  He’s a good guy,” Iann said, but then couldn’t help but smile.  “Which, to be fair, you can take that review at face value.  Not like we know each other either.  Everyone’s gonna be a stranger to you here, unless you know someone here beforehand.”  Iann had his issues with Miles, but they were mild and personal and indirect.  When it came to Miles being a werewolf and a mentor, Iann knew the guy was reliable.  Ol’ reliable.  Ol’ average regular boring joe reliable.  Which was a good thing to be, in terms of helping out this young werewolf.

And she seemed to damn determined about finding a ‘cure’ for lycanthropy that Iann didn’t bother to argue.  There was no point, not at the moment anyway.  Once she actually started digging, when she got more concrete knowledge on her situation, then he’d gladly return to the subject.  But for now, she simply knew too little. 

 “Yeah, alright kiddo.  Well if you ever got questions, let me know.  I spent half my life trying to learn about werewolves. I’m no expert, but I know some.”

Looking over to the lights, Iann raised an eyebrow at Jacky.  “You think you can get us back there?  The forest might turn us around,” he said, slightly apprehensive but clearly willing to follow her lead if her confidence was sound.  

“Your choice.  Either way, you gotta tell me more about this whole star spirits thing, hm? Although…” Iann tapped his chin.  “It might be easier to find your way to town if you were…you know.  Shifted.”

Jacky didn’t know why her being from Arizona would make sense to Iann, but she didn’t ask. Instead she waited patiently for him to say more on the subject, but when he didn’t she moved on.

“It was...” Jacky agreed with him but wouldn’t parrot back the curse. “No one was killed. There was a neighbor who was injured but not turned.” She shook her head. It was odd to her how much the wound had healed already, it seemed like it was only yesterday, but the memory had been written and rewritten with every time Jacky thought of it. It was crystal clear but also far away. Like she was watching it through a window, there would always be a layer of glass between herself and the memory.

“You’re right,” she agreed again. “Everyone will be new to me. But the things you say about him, I appreciate your opinion on it. It make it a little easier to trust him.”

There was too much Jacky didn’t know. She didn’t know what question to ask first. Or even how to word most of her questions. She had a whole mythology concerning people who could change shape, and she was finding that most of it didn’t apply to her. It felt a little like learning a new language and having the words in your first language to say what you meant, but not the one that everyone else spoke.

She stood and stretched. She could find the way. “Yes, now that I see the layout. The town will be easy to find.” She smiled down at where Iann was perched and waited for him to follow.

“Well, everything has a spirit, right? That’s what nymphs are.” Nymphs were one of the easier supernaturals for her to understand, they were similar enough to Jacky’s understanding of the immortal yei for her to collapse the two into one concept. “Even if something doesn’t have a nymph, it still has a spirit. Just invisible. Or too weak yet to take a physical shape. Or maybe it doesn’t want to take a physical shape. At least, that’s how it seems to me.”

When he commented about shifting she didn’t understand him at first. And then she stopped walked and turned to look at him. Her face almost looked... betrayed. But then she collected herself and knew what questions she should asked. “We can... change shape even if it’s not the full moon?”

[jackydavis-blog]

New Blood || Open

[jackydavis-blog]

ianncardero‌:

“You believe in aliens?” Iann asked, then looked at her in a more shrewd way.  “Where’d you say you were from again?  New Mexico?”  He shook his head, resuming the hike.  “I don’t believe in aliens.  Hell, I don’t even think I believe in space gods…sorry Ma,” Iann said, with a glance upwards to the sky.  It was easier to think about his lack of belief, but saying it out loud felt like he was confessing to his mother, disappointing her somehow.  

The mild existentialist conversation was easy-talking.  It didn’t matter what either of them believed in terms of aliens or gods, but it made everything seem more normal and harmless.  And for Iann, hearing Jacky’s werewolf story was the same sense of familiar, even if it was more tangible than aliens.  He was walking a little ahead of Jacky, and didn’t pick up on any of her internal discomfort.  

“Ay dios, so new,” Iann said; and Jacky was right in her simplicity.  Where else was she supposed to go. “I guess the wolf who bit you didn’t intend to fold you into any pack, huh.”  He nodded though, at her idea of being taught to control.

“That’s what packs usually do, but yeah.  Soapberry’s a good place for lone wolves like you.  There’s like bitten wolf group therapy here too, if you can believe it,” he said with a slight grin thrown her way.  “But healing…ah.  Lycanthropy can’t be healed, kiddo.  Not through any easy way.”

They got to the ridge, and Iann was a bit warmer although it was much colder up here.  Still, he hunkered under some overhanging rock, pulling out a metal bottle of water to drink.  He offered some to Jacky.  “It’s…sort of like that,” Iann said, surveying the town in question.  

“Supernaturals are hunted, out there.  The town protects supernaturals from Hunters.  Ah! Look - “  Iann leaned closer to Jacky, pointing to the north.  “See the lights?  That’s the town.  That must be the sea then, behind all that fog and rain and shit.  Thank god, bearings!”

Jacky shook her head. “I was thinking more along the lines of star spirits. But you’re close with that guess. I’m from Arizona.” Well, Dinetah, part of which happened to be technically in Arizona. She was walking a fine line with Iann, he immediately trusted him more than most people in the supernatural town, but she still didn’t know how much.

“The wolf that bit me...” she thought about the fear and terror of that night and had to stop walking for a moment and take a few deep breaths. “No. They didn’t seem to have much humanity left, much less a sense of family.” To be called a coyote, to be accused of acting like you had no family, those were the worst insults that Jacky could think of.

“There’s a...well another wolf mentoring me kind of, his name is Miles.” She watched Iann for a reaction, she wanted to know what kind of man this Miles was. She had learned that he worked for the Sheriff department. That was good, maybe. She wasn’t sure yet. The way the doubt crept into his voice made her tummy do a flip, and a seldom felt sense of cold dripped down her throat. “I don’t care if it’s not easy. I’ll do it. I’ll figure out a way...” She had to if she wanted to go home.

Jacky, desert raised, never said no to an offer of water. She sat next to Iann and took a small polite sip before handing the water bottle back to him. “Thank you.” The wind on her face and in her hair was a small comfort. Since the change she hadn’t been bothered by most temperature extremes, and the cold that clung to the ridge wasn’t anything more than a novel feeling on her skin.

She nodded. With the town properly placed in her mind, and knowing where the ridge and the sea both were, she was confident she could make it back to town. “Do you want to walk back to town together?” she asked. “Or should we hunker down here for the night?”

[jackydavis-blog]

New Blood || Open

[jackydavis-blog]

ianncardero‌:

“I don’t know. I just understand ‘em better than I understand phones.  I mean I get it - oh, phones are connected to satellites and what’s more foolproof than a satellite? I’ll tell you what: the magnetic poles,” Iann went off as he wandered up the hill.  He wasn’t really talking to Jacky so much as talking to fill up the air.  A nervous habit, as the evening got darker and the forest just felt more unfriendly. To him, anyway; mostly psychological which was why Iann needed to yammer to take the edge off.  He wagged a finger at Jacky.  

“Satellites can track you.  The stars don’t.  Unless they’re sentient space gods or something, I don’t know.  But then why would space gods care about some dumbass on one planet?  I ask you.”

He nodded, then waved his hand, prompting her for more.  “That can’t be all there is.  Just your mild passing interest on new werewolfian terminology.  How’d it happen? When did it happen?  What happened exactly? Why are you here?”  

She looked unsure, more like she was trying to follow his cue than anything else about the entire…this of the situation.  Iann didn’t mind of course - a bit of arrogance, but mostly understanding - but having her fill up air would be just as good to dispel his growing trepidation.  

“I grew up in Portland, in Oregon, but that was twenty years ago.  I’ve traveled mostly, but settled in Soapberry about five years? Ago? I think?  Longest I’ve ever been in a place since my childhood, lemme tell you.  This town has a way.  Either it works for you, or it doesn’t.’

Jacky let Iann talk. His words were like birds, flying from his mouth and flapping around the air between them. Jacky, who was raised to think anything that an elder said might be important was memorizing his reasons for not liking satellites and his preference to compasses. 

“Maybe they watch us like we watch tv. Something entertaining to view. I don’t know what else stars have to do.” She glanced up at the stars and wondered what it would be like to become a constellation. Lonely probably, a little boring, she would watch humans if that happened, it would be the most logical thing to stave off boredom. Unless there were aliens, those might be more interesting to watch. “If there are aliens on other planets then maybe the stars watch them. But then humanity has to be someone’s favorite channel.” It was an odd way to steer the conversation, but it was better than talking about being bitten. And running her mind through the hypothetical with the needed empathy to put herself in the place of the stars was calming in a way. 

“It was, a couple months ago.” Three full moons to be exact. Jacky was already grimacing at the memory. “Where else was I supposed to go? I couldn’t stay where I was...” She shook her head. “Here there are people who know what it’s like, they can teach me to control it maybe...” There was a tight feeling in her chest, she was anxious, Iann seemed knowledgeable and she was afraid he would say there was no way to control it. No way to fix it. “And there are witches, maybe one of them can heal me.”  

Oregon, that was a bit farther away from the Southwest than she expected. But she checked herself for assumptions and moved on. While Iann’s looks were familiar, the way he spoke wasn’t. Would Soapberry work for her? She hoped it would, but in a different way than the human meant. She hoped it could help her, fix her enough so that she could go home, back to her family. She could only use the college as an excuse for so long. “Is it true that the town is... alive? That it lets people in or turns them away?” 

[jackydavis-blog]

New Blood || Open

[jackydavis-blog]

rydenbolt‌:

Ryden had always considered himself a city child. Streets and concrete had brought him up - he couldn’t sleep without some traffic noise going on outside, without the faint street lighting peeking in through the curtains. But since lycanthropy happened to him, this had gradually changed. He’d started, quite unconsciously, to seek out solitude and nature. And in Soapberry, nature had become something closely familiar rather than foreign. Especially the Old Growth. This was the only place that had embraced him during the full moons without any danger to himself or others and because of this, it was slowly but surely becoming something like his backyard if not his home. Home he was yet to decide on. 

Whenever weather and work permitted it, Ryden would venture out into the Old Growth for strolls that could take hours. At first, the woods were his training field - a place to practice his shift at, without the fear of encountering some unfortunate passersby. That was when he’d go in pretty deep and not come out sometimes for a full day. But more often, he just liked to roam. There was a hidden wanderer in him this pastime appealed to and leaving Soapberry’s been on his mind a lot lately. Going into the Old Growth put those thoughts at ease, gave him another excuse to stay and prolong the inevitable. The large expanse of the forest fed the wanderer in him, pacifying him for now. But with nothing to tie Ryden down, it was only a matter of time when the Old Growth would become too small for him.

These thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a person breaking onto the clearing he could make out ahead. It was always a bit of a jump-scare when he’d coincidentally stumble upon someone in the forest because it rarely happened. Old Growth was so vast and so big that two people meeting without agreeing beforehand was something of a miracle. The forest could also fuel your wildest imagination. Every sound was a pixie playing a prank on you, every shadow a bugbear lying in wait. That’s why Ryden’s first reflex had become to observe then engage.

He observed for a full minute before deciding that she might not be a figment of fairy glamour after all. Which was good because illusions of a fair maiden alone in the middle of the woods were usually created by creatures who’d eat your eyeballs out like candy or strip you butt naked and leave you on the cold hill side wondering where your undies are.

“Yeah, that ain’t workin’ here.” He pointed out the obvious as he casually stepped out onto the clearing, backpack slung over his shoulder. “Ya’d have better chances yodeling and smoke signaling.” 

Jacky turned toward the voice and the wind shifted. He was a wolf too, she could smell it on him, and that only made her eyes water a little more. She was frustrated and scared and always seemed to be 30 seconds from shaking apart. “I hadn’t noticed,” she said sarcastically and put her phone back in her pocket.

She shook her head and wiped at her eyes. She wasn’t going to cry in front of a stranger, and especially not in front of another werewolf. Jacky eyed the man carefully, he was very... chiselled. He looked like he was carved from marble and then someone with a black marker went to town on his pale skin. It was an interesting look.

“Do you know the way back to town?” she asked hopefully. “My name is Jacky,” he added as an afterthought, it might be good to get to know the other wolves in the area.

[jackydavis-blog]

New Blood || Open

[jackydavis-blog]

ianncardero‌:

“Yyyeah,” Iann murmured.  “Depends on where you are in the forest of course, and what time of say it is, what stars are over the northern hemisphere…”  Iann spun his hand slowly.  “You know, fancy magic stuff.  Sometimes it blitzes electronics.  And compasses as well - “ Iann pulled out his compass, holding it out to her.  It obediently pointed North, but then every way one turned, the ‘North’ would shift positions.

“I’ve done the old school compass, using water and a needle, but I forgot my sewing kit,” he smirked, then turned and started trudging up the little deer path through the woods.   

“Besides, I really should never have come out here by myself.  I’m hopeless navigating forests.”

Jacky kept talking, and Iann glanced at her from over his shoulder.  “Like a bitten werewolf?  Shit…how’d you find out about Soapberry?  Welcome too, I guess.”  Rummaging around in his pockets, Iann pulled out some wax-wrapped bars.  “Well I got granola bars, and some pork jerky.  Are you only craving meat, or can you still muster human food?”

Jacky looked up at the sky and thought about the stars. She would be able to tell direction better if those were out. Well she could tell where the sun was at least through the gray clouds. But it was hard in the trees. Then she looked over at Iann’s compass and watched as it shifted.

“Do the old-school compasses work better than the usual sort?” What an odd place. At least he wasn’t making fun of her, he had the same problems she had. And she wondered if he was from a place with a lot less trees too.

“Where are you from? Mr. Human Iann?”

“Oh, is that the colloquialism? I guess, yes then, I’m a bitten wolf.” She suppressed a little shudder at the thought of the night she had been bitten. That was such a mild way to put it. Bitten. As opposed to torn apart, muscles ripped, bones broken. Just bitten. 

Jacky scrambled up a steep part of the walk and turned to help Iann up. “I can still muster human food.” She shook her head with a small smile. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to make jokes about it yet, but Iann didn’t seem to have any qualms about it. Maybe laughing about it was the best way to move on?

“I’ll take you up on the granola offer once we find a place to settle in.”

[jackydavis-blog]

New Blood || Open

[jackydavis-blog]

ianncardero‌:

“Ahhhh shit.  Ahaha, Mr and Ms Lost, huh?” Iann said, removing his baseball cap to scratch the back of his head, before fitting it back on.  He was smiling slightly though.  The woods were intimidating and hostile, this wasn’t new to Iann.  They didn’t like him and he didn’t like them back.  The owls knew to much, to quote a pop-culture phrase.  But Iann had grown up with this sort of forest, had been sent out early in his life to learn them.  That methodology worked.  Even if he didn’t like nature, Iann was no longer avoidant of it.  He just tended to grumble and complain a lot more, in a forest.

“No need to apologize,” Iann replied mildly, coming forward when it was clear the younger woman didn’t see him as any sort of threat.  He had waited politely, of course.  And body language spoke volumes.  He didn’t think she was some spirit of the woods either, not from the way she was dressed, and certainly confirmed by her blithe joke.  

“Iann,” he said, patting his chest.  He held out a gloved hand.  “Pleased to meet you.  I was looking for something in here and time got away from me.  As per usual, phone stopped working properly.  I was heading up to that ridge to camp out for the night, try again in the daytime.  My weak human eyes,” Iann said with a grin. 

 “Please tell me you’re not a hungry vampire or anything, because if you are, then I may have weak human eyes, but I have strong human martial arts skills.  And vervain.”

Jacky watched as he scratched the back of his head. The thick black hair and the tan skin on a human was even more encouraging and familiar than any other combination she could think of, and she relaxed a little more in his presence.

When Iann offered his hand Jacky blinked at it for a moment. She knew that a lot of people shook hands, at least westerners, but it was never something she had done much. After a moment of pause she shook his hand anyway, might as well. When in Rome, and all that.

“Is that actually usual? Phone stops working in the woods here?” Her eyebrows furrowed. But she liked the idea of finding high ground and hanging out, especially with the sun going down, anyone smart would be safe inside once it was dark. “Sounds like a plan.” Plus if they were up on the ridge she wouldn’t feel so boxed in by the trees. She started climbing the base of the mountain, easy enough to hike up, no need to get on all fours and climb, at least not yet.

“Mmmm,” she smirked a little. She liked Iann. “I’m new, new werewolf.” It was an odd thing to admit so easily, but it seemed like everyone in town did, or would have if asked. That at least didn’t seem to be a secret to anyone in Soapberry Springs. “Not particularly hungry,” she said with a smile.

[jackydavis-blog]

New Blood || Open

[jackydavis-blog]

ianncardero‌:

Not that Iann had doubts about Miguel’s willingness or interest.  And in some ways, there was an ‘Aunt Lily’ part of his brain that reminded him that Miguel, looking up to an older brother he never had but perhaps deeply desired, was shut down multiple times by said ‘older brother’ about anything that could possibly connect them to fate, magical ties, mysterious father.  And that maybe, just maybe, Miguel’s reticence about all this forest golden dog wasn’t because he wasn’t curious, but because he feared something far more plausible and tangible: that if anything went awry, Iann would take his own hurt and fear out on Miguel.

Iann hated when the ‘Aunt Lily’ voice piped up. Sometimes it was easier to quash the ‘Mala’ voice in his mind; but the Aunt Lily one?  Usually spoke truths that Iann buried and denied. And sometimes that voice hit closer to home, sounding like his dead wife.  

Guh.  

Regardless, Iann stubbornly went tripping on his own.  He and Miguel were supposed to investigate together, but fuck it; all this trouble of needing to keep in mind the ups and downs of a relative stranger-cum-brother was just too difficult for Iann. He loved teamwork, but hypocritically only when he was working for someone else on their problems.  He was Iann Cardero, nobody extraordinaire.  He didn’t have problems; at least none that he couldn’t deal with on his own.

So here he was, in the forest, and naturally hopelessly lost.

Miguel was good at navigating.  Hell, even Molly was better at it than Iann.  “Now I know why people get pets.  All that…instinct shit,” Iann muttered, and looked up the rocky hill.  Logically it might’ve been better to head further down, but Iann figured he could get to the top, maybe see where he was.  Maybe end up camping up there, because it was getting ominously dark.  And it would be safer on higher ground.

Grumbling and chastising himself for being a bleeding old idiot, Iann started tromping up the hill, when he was suddenly startled by the sight of someone in a clearing.  A someone who looked normally dressed, and was checking their phone.  

“Oh thank god,” Iann said, loud enough for her to hear, as he started moving forward.  “People.  Hello, hi.  I’m lost.”

Jacky turned toward the voice, relief flooded through her at the sight of another person. And then he kept talking and the relief fell right out from under her and her stomach dropped with it. Why was this just her luck?

Jacky clenched her jaw and tried not to start letting loose frustrated tears, that was the last thing she wanted to do in front of this stranger. “Hi lost, I’m also lost.” She didn’t know why the dad joke came out of her mouth, but it was almost calming. If she could still joke, then things weren’t that bad.

And really, what was the worst that would happen? Maybe Jacky hadn’t grown up in this environment, but she had grown up in one even harsher, and she could sleep out in the open in Dinetah for days - and take care of herself. It wouldn’t be that hard to get back to town. And maybe having someone to talk to would help her feel more sane as they did find their way back to town.

“Sorry, I’m...” She took a deep breath and looked over the stranger. He had a, sort of, indescribable helpful aura. And it helped that her nose told him he was a plain human. She didn’t think there were that many plain humans in the town, but here was one. That immediately made him a little more trustworthy in her book, or at least less scary. “My name is Jacky.”

[jackydavis-blog]

Full Moon Help Hotline || Miles & Jacky

[jackydavis-blog]

monsterbyamile‌:

It wasn’t common that an emergency would occur with a newly turned werewolf during the day, especially when it wasn’t a full moon, but he didn’t know how new she was. If she was only a few days old, no doubt she’d be terrified and probably need some help immediately. His concern was mostly for her well-being and less about her hurting someone else. 

“Alright. How about we meet at a public place that’s relatively private. There’s a real nice internet cafe down on Main Street. They have conference rooms in the back. I can meet you there in about half an hour. You can either speak to the person at the front desk and they’ll show you how to get to the back, I’ll book the room under my name so ask for Miles Cook, or you can just bypass all that and go straight to the double doors at the back.”

Once all that was sorted, he adjusted his seat, stuffed what was left of his bagel into his mouth and started to drive. After he finished chewing he made a call to the station of where he was going to be and that he’d have his radio on him if needed. He arrived at the internet cafe and booked a private room in the back. He figured this would be a decent place to meet because it was in a public place but also crowded and loud so she would feel comfortable talking to him about what she’d been through. He knew from experience that it wasn’t easy to talk about how you got turned. 

While he waited, he ordered himself a black coffee and sipped it slowly, listening to the sounds of gameplay from the headphones of those playing in the main room. 

Jacky agreed, and in a half an hour found her way to the cafe. It was an odd place to walk through, very loud, but most people seemed to be having fun. And the coffee smelled good. The smells were the most overwhelming part of the changes that had been happening to her. She could smell everybody, and the food being cooked, and the drinks. The coffee smell was near intoxicating and she ordered a cup before she was lead to the room with Miles Cook sitting in it.

She closed the door behind her and the room got quieter. She offered a friendly smile to the rugged looking cop sitting there, drinking his coffee and having a relatively soft moment. She could smell him, and she could smell his coffee. It was... odd. But she sat across from him and surveyed the room, politely avoiding his eyes. “Hello.” She took a deep breath and her nose kept confirming that he was the same, a wolf, deep down inside. Or maybe right on the surface of his skin. She didn’t know yet.

“Sorry,” she shook her head. “Everything is so new, and my nose, it gets confusing.” She was amazed that her humanity was still in check, that she could still interact with people and get things done.

[jackydavis-blog]

Full Moon Help Hotline || Miles & Jacky

[jackydavis-blog]

monsterbyamile‌:

“Who?” He looked curiously at his phone and realized it was a number he didn’t recognize. She went on to explain herself though and as she mentioned a flier at town hall, he made a sound of realization. “Oh right right. The mentorship program for new werewolves.”

He adjusted himself in his seat, pushing the chair back so he had more room to maneuver as he set his half eaten bagel on the dash of his truck, wiping his hands on a crumpled square of napkin. “Alright ma’am, do you need help right now? Do you want me to come meet you somewhere?” He was in the middle of his lunch break but he could extend it no problem if she needed to speak to someone.

“No, no I’m okay, at the moment.” He sounded so serious, and she didn’t want him to think it was an emergency. But it made her nervous, what kind of emergencies could happen when the moon wasn’t full?

“I just could use some help with all of it. There’s a lot a don’t understand.” She sighed and looked out at the trees from her spot on the back porch of her apartment building. There was a lot she didn’t understand and she was only 22, it seemed old enough to her until she realized she was supposed to be an adult, and then she felt 16 - she felt like there were too many expectations and she wasn’t wise enough to meet them.

“But if you want to meet to talk, we can do that,” she offered cautiously.

[jackydavis-blog]

Full Moon Help Hotline || Miles & Jacky

[jackydavis-blog]

monsterbyamile‌:

Miles had been parked on the side of the road, bagel in hand that had a very generous smear of cream cheese and was tearing into it when his phone started to ring in his jacket pocket. “Fuck,” he licked his cream cheese covered fingers and reached across to the passenger seat where his jacket was sprawled and dug into the pocket to fish it out.

“This is Cook,” he greeted automatically. He hadn’t checked the number because it had already rung a couple of times and he didn’t want to miss the call. “Hello?”

“Hi, this is Jacky... Davis.” She introduced herself automatically and then stumbled toward the end. The last name was sort of new, but the lack of clan introduction left her feeling like the introductions weren’t complete. Not that a stranger in the North West would have a clan probably, and even if they did the clan system probably wouldn’t be the same. Come on Jacky, keep going, she mentally prodded herself.

“I’m new in town, and to this life. I mean, I’m a new werewolf, and I got your number off a flier at town hall...” her breathy voice trailed off, unsure of what else to say. This was a very new way to do introductions and she didn’t know if there was an established social structure to it. Maybe it was just a try-your-best kind of thing. She would have to get used to it, just like everything else.

[jackydavis-blog]

Full Moon Help Hotline || Miles & Jacky

Jacky had spent the last full moon out in the desert, at the side of the highway. All alone and scared. She didn’t remember much of what happened. Just the feeling of being hungry and panicked and then a blood red bubbling rage that ebbed and waned like the ocean.

Though she still had time until the next full moon, she wanted to be better prepared for the next one. And when she had gone past the town hall she had seen a little flyer asking new werewolves if they needed help. Jacky sure did. It gave a few different numbers of more experienced wolves and she picked one at random.

She had spent a few hours looking at the number, wondering what she would say. Wondering if it was some kind of... werewolf scam. That didn’t make sense. Not in this overly friendly town. Unless the whole town as a scam. But her new nose was hard to fool, and almost everyone here was a little more than human. Why would they be looking to one-up each other. Would another wolf want to help her? Or would they want to hurt her further, take her farther away from her morals and ideals?

There was only one way to find out. And hell, maybe the other wolf would be able to help her. Why not? She took a deep breath, dialed the number, and held it up to her ear.

[jackydavis-blog]

Starter Call

Ready for some threads with the new character! 

Witches: Jacky is going to be looking for magical help controlling her wolf shifting.

Werewolves: Jacky could use some company and solidarity as a new wolf. Maybe someone to help show her the ropes.

SBSU: Professors or Students, maybe your character teaches one of Jacky’s classes, maybe they bump into each other on campus? This lonely gal could use a friend her age.

Jacky is curious but scared about most of the supernatural world, so if your character is willing to explain things slowly, Jacky is willing to listen.

Any other ideas! Glad to hear them!

[jackydavis-blog]

New Blood || Open

There was a lot about the town that Jacky didn’t understand. She didn’t understand how friendly and forward so many people were. Especially since most of them seemed to be infected with bad medicine. There were witches, out in the open. As well as shapeshifters of all sorts. There were people that sucked blood and people that turned to stone. And yet they all seemed like... well... people. No violence or terror so far. In fact, Jacky’s suitmates at the college seemed more than happy to help her move in when she transferred in for the spring semester, more than happy to cook dinner and share. It was almost unnerving.

That’s why Jacky went for a walk in the woods, to clear her mind, to figure things out. But even the landscape was wildly different than what she was used to. While she could find her way in canyons and arroyos, across mesas and under cedar and juniper and among tumbleweeds - all the pine trees looked the same to her. And the way the forest closed in made her feel almost claustrophobic. Not being able to see the sky put her a little on edge.

There appeared to be a clearing up ahead and she jogged toward it, spurned on by the beautiful blue of the sky. With everything covered in snow that reflected the light, it was bright even under the trees.

Once she was in the clearing she breathed a breath of fresh air, and her shoulders sunk a little. She was relaxing, albeit slowly. Under the sky, under the sun. That was when she realized that she was a little bit lost. Maybe a lot lost. On all sides all she could see were trees. When she took out her phone to check where north was it wasn’t working, something was interfering with it. Maybe the odd magic that seemed to bubble under the town like a cauldron.

The young werewolf needed help.

[jackydavis-blog]

What your muse can do! Bold for yes! Repost don’t reblog.

BAKE A CAKE FROM SCRATCH | RIDE A HORSE | DRIVE A SUBMARINE | SPEAK A SECOND LANGUAGE | DANCE | CATCH A FISH | PLAY AN INSTRUMENT | THROW A PUNCH | BUILD A DECK | ICE SKATE | UNCLOG A DRAIN | PROGRAM A COMPUTER | CHANGE A FLAT TIRE | FIRE A GUN | SEW | JUGGLE | PLAY POKER | PAINT | FLY A KITE | SCULPT | WRITE POETRY | CHANGE A DIAPER | SING | SHOOT A BOW AND ARROW | RIDE A BIKE | SWIM | SAIL A BOAT | DO A BACK FLIP | PLAY CHESS | GIVE CPR | PITCH A TENT | FLIRT | STITCH A WOUND | READ PALMS | USE CHOPSTICKS |  WRITE IN CURSIVE/CALLIGRAPHY | USE AN ELECTRIC DRILL | BRAID HAIR | MAKE A CAMPFIRE | MAKE A MIXED DRINK | DO SUDOKU PUZZLES | WRAP A GIFT | GIVE A GOOD MASSAGE | JUMP-START A CAR | ROLL THEIR TONGUE | DO MAGIC TRICKS | DO YOGA | TIE A (BOW) TIE | SKIP A ROCK | SHUFFLE A DECK OF CARDS | READ MORSE CODE | PICK A LOCK.