Red Moon, Shy Moon

The firey werewolf and the timid artist.

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Isn’t anyone she knew? But Kirin was fairly certain she knew all the wolves in the area. This was news, and news that Gaius should hear. Kirin nodded slowly. 

"No problem." she said, giving Haley a wave.. "I remember what it was like i-in the early days. It doesn’t get much better, but you learn to block the more unpleasant noises and smells out. Just give it time."

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

"Ugh. If only it can happen at a faster pace than it is." Haley muttered. She nodded slightly to Kirin. Despite the fact that she may have been on the awkward side, Kirin meant well.  If only the circumstances were a bit different. She doesn't seem so bad. 

"See you later, I guess."

[lycomania-rising]

Stand Too Close || Eli and Thalia || End of January

[lycomania-rising]

"I told you," Eli protested. "I’m not crying." He moved his face to the crook of his elbow and refused to look at her, preferring instead to shut his eyes against his long-sleeved t-shirt, though the fabric was scratchy against his eyelids and made the skin on the back of his neck erupt in goosebumps.

After a moment, cautiously, he raised his head to stare at the wall. His eyes were red-rimmed and his face eerily blank, but after another moment he blinked and his face seemed to start up again, re-boot the way a computer might. He frowned, rubbed his eyes, and apologized brusquely,

"Sorry."

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

"No, it's fine, really." Thalia bit her lip and looked over at Eli. She never felt so helpless in her entire life. He was clearly broken, but she was wary about getting closer to him and trying to go deeper into the problem.  What can I do? I don't know how to help him at all. Goodness, this is difficult...

"Um, here." Thalia handed him the tissue. "For your eyes." 

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

No way in hell while Gaius was there.

Kirin grit her teeth together. He wasn’t that bad! Okay, he had his faults, and he wasn’t good with normal people, but that’s cause he’s a werewolf! A proper werewolf who lived with other werewolves in a pack! He really does think it’s a gift. He just doesn’t see it from our point of view anymore! He’s- he’s more evolved than us. 

Kirin’s eyebrows rose in shock when Haley spoke again. “You do? With whom?” She thought about those who were already turned. “With Etheridge or what’s his name?”

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

"Hell no! He and I hardly talk to begin with." Haley snorted and crossed her arms before starting to get up from the ground. "It isn't anyone you know anyway." 

The redhead took a moment to roll her shoulders and glanced at the coffee shop wall.  Oh, yeah, Duncan. Crap. 

"I gotta go." She muttered and gave a nod to Kirin. "Thanks for earlier."

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

Also made the Wellwood family! In order:  1. Family portrait

2. Thalia full-scale (She closed her eyes, ffff)  3. Thalia close-up with traits 4. Iris full-scale 5. Iris close-up with traits (Yep, Thalia got most of her looks from her mother.)  6. Atlas full-scale 7. Atlas close-up with traits

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

Made the Pierce family after what has been like 5000 years.  In order:  1. Family portrait 2. Haley full-scale 3. Haley close-up with traits 4. Ghost!Sawyer full-scale with cause of death (burnt to death seems the most plausible because of Corin burning the forest down.) 5. Human!Sawyer full-scale 6. Sawyer close-up with traits 7. Molly full-scale  8. Molly close-up with traits 9. Michael full-scale 10. Michael close-up with traits

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

"Er." began Kirin, haltingly. To tell the truth, she wasn’t sure how exactly this would work. She’d been under the impression that it just would. “I suppose it’d work like any club-sort-thing. We meet up occasionally at the safe-house (that’s where we go for the moons and stuff, it’s hidden in the woods), and since we mostly all go to the same school, we can pass on messages pretty easily without having to find excuses.” She took a breath to organize her thoughts. 

"Gaius’ the alpha, obviously. He makes sure we’re safe and taken care of, but he sort of runs a tight ship. I’m supposed to be second-in-command, so when he’s not around, I try to do pretty much the same. Beyond the moons, and emergencies, we don’t really meet up so you won’t have to worry about this cutting into your free time: it’s not like we have a weekly pancake breakfast meeting." she said, all the while thinking that a weekly pancake breakfast meeting might actually be a good idea. Mmm. Bacon.

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

Haley quickly shook her head and reeled back a bit. Several images flew through her mind. A shabby shack in the middle of the woods. Everyone trapped down in the same room tied down with Gaius above them all. Having to report with him, even talk with him and be in the same room...well. She gagged a bit and shook her head some more.  "No thanks. You and Dross aren't so bad but...damn, no thanks." She crossed her arms, her expression becoming a little cloudy. "No way in hell while Gaius is there. Besides,"  As she spoke, she felt herself becoming lighter and different images started to pop into her mind. The Ruiz family, faces that she could remember since her childhood was in her mind's eye, Thalia's, Erza's too. Erza's was the strongest, the brightest of them all. Her own little sun.

No. I'm not running away again. Not this time. I'm staying with my real family. Besides, what do I have to lose?

"I have a pack of my own."

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

"Oh, that guy.." Kirin nodded, her face focused and thoughtful. She’d have to tell Gaius about this, when she found him again… wherever he was. She sighed under her breath. She could find him later. 

"So… would you like to join our pack? Not to put you on the spot, but like… you’d always be welcome."

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

Join their pack? 

Haley closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. With no information to go on what being in the pack was like, she was left with the choice of going through the facts of each person themselves one by one. Macheath. Gets pissed off really easily. Is really strong. And based on what Kirin said, really... "close" to Gaius. ...Yeah. 

Gaius. A stalker and creepy. Wow, I really know nothing about this guy, do I? Dross. He seems okay enough. Easily the most normal out of everyone.

Kirin. Seems okay. Although, damn, hasn't she done some weird stuff too? Like with her locker.

"How the hell would this work?" Haley finally spoke and raised a brow.

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

"Tell me about it." Kirin sighed at Haley’s opinion of Macheath. "I think that’s why Gaius wanted him. I-i-in his pack. Y’know, like… what better way to get ready for a battle than get the fighters on your side-?" 

Kirin was struck by what she had just said, her eyebrows furrowing. She hadn’t thought of it that way before. That would explain a few things, why Mac and Haley were turned, why Gaius was so keen to get everyone together. She wasn’t too sure how Nik fit into that idea, but she could figure that out later.

"Etheridge?" Kirin snapped out of her thoughts to stare at Haley. "Who the fuck is Etheridge? Who turned him? I mean, I was sort of kept up to date with who was turned and who Gaius was thinking but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an Etheridge…"

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

"Figures." Haley grumbled and crossed her arms. With the two of them starting to put the pieces together involved in the situations, new connections were beginning to be made. 

A battle with us versus the hunters. Oh geez.

Haley breathed out slowly through her nose before she began to speak again, to keep herself from being riled up again. "You know, Etheridge. The guy who does the morning announcements on the intercom and stuff." Shrugging a shoulder, she continued,  "I don't know." she lied, "When I went over to see him in the hospital, he was gone already and had left some...video diary about the weird stuff he was going through. It seemed to fit." Well. That part was true, at least.

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

"Wait, you didn’t know about Mac?" Kirin frowned. "Who do you know about then?" Kirin counted up the people again in her head. 

"Mac’s been turned for a while. Gaius did it, and they seem to be getting along great ever since." There was a slight tone of resentment in Kirin’s voice, but it disappeared when she spoke again. "I have…Me, you, Darce, Corin, Nik, Mac, and Gaius. Mac, Gaius and Nik are my pack right now." She stared at Haley. "Is there… is there anyone else?"

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

"No! I mean, he was already nuts as a human...God." Haley shook her head slowly. Of course, there were several stories and rumors throughout the student body about how many times the guy was suspended, some of the rage episodes he had; the guy was practically infamous for his ability to lose his composure instantly. And now, with him being a werewolf on top of that... This is so fucked up. 

Corin, on the other hand, was not as surprising to Haley. With the two of them living in the same household, it wouldn't be that hard for Darcy to locate and turn him.  She sighed and nodded.  "Etheridge. Eli Etheridge. He was turned recently too."

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Kirin’s eyebrows raised and her stomach dropped. “Oh.” 

Well then. There went the rest of what she had planned to say. Kirin struggled for a moment, taking deep breaths as he mind raced. 

"He’s.. sort of right, you know." Kirin started, halting a few times to figure out what to say next. "There are things, things happening in this town that are gonna make things harder for all of us. People like you and me, I mean. We’re not safe like we used to be." Kirin laughed under her breath. "A year ago, my biggest concern was avoiding frostbite when I woke up after the moon. But now… There are people trying to kill us. Hunters. Last moon they attacked. They shot Gaius and Macheath- i-if you look closely, you can see the scars around Mac’s mouth from the crossbow bolt.” She took a deep breath, eyes fixed to the ground, trying to think about how to proceed. 

"Gaius told me that he was taught it was a gift, and I-I’m not sure I agree, but I guess he thought it would be better to teach y-you like his sire taught him. The thing is… if we don’t stand united, we’re gonna be picked off until no one else is left. We have a pack, and we can protect you until you can protect yourself. I know that Gaius can be creepy, but once you get past that, he’s seriously not as bad as all that."

She paused. “Er. Yeah.”

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

"Yeah. I ran into a couple of them myself, apparently." Haley grumbled and looked over at her ankle. Hidden beneath the thick socks and jeans was a very painful injury from the previous full moon, apparently caused by some rope of some kind.  Yeah, waking up naked and climbing up the hospital was LOADS of fun. 

She was about to make another biting comment when her mind froze. 

Wait, Macheath?! 

"Abinsive?! Him?!" 

The redhead couldn't help but gape.

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

"O-oh." Kirin sighed, and nodded. She remembered that night, or at least, transforming, then waking up later to the world on fire. Kirin bit her lip, thinking. "I-I’m so sorry." she said.

The next topic of conversation was less easy to bring up in a casual manner, especially after talking about Haley’s deceased brother. 

"When- When you found out was there… Er. Was there anyone who talked to you about it? Did they explain things to you or were you just sort of… on your own?"

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

Haley closed her eyes and furrowed her brow in response. It was almost like the funeral again in a sense; no matter how many apologies were given to her, it didn't change the facts as they were. It's funny, how some people think that simple words had the ability to change the world when it didn't change her own. 

Maybe that's why I would rather have some action than talk, anyway.

Haley sighed and opened her eyes to look up at Kirin. "Eh, a bit of both. There was some weird stuff going on with me, but it was, ugh, Gaius who gave the final push." As soon as she said his name, her facial expression became grumpier. 

"Said this was practically a gift, needed his help, all of that crap." The redhead scoffed and crossed her arms. "What a creep."

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Kirin counted under her breath.

Me, Gaius, Darcy, Nik, Corin, Macheath and Haley makes it…

"Seven, actually. I-if we’re all counting the same people." she said. "Maybe more? I’m not sure: I’m really not the most well informed person around." 

Kirin sighed and tried to smile reassuringly at Haley. “You’re looking better. More h-human, a-at least. Much less ‘grrr’” She made a clawed hand by way of emphasis, but quickly put it away after realizing how silly she looked. She cursed herself in her mind. Why couldn’t she just be normal? This was an important moment: if Haley was anything like Kirin had been in the early days of her new life, she’d be scared and confused. All of the world suddenly far more hostile than only days before. Kirin felt a burst of protectiveness in her chest. She needed to talk to Haley and bring her into the pack where they could train her, protect her, keep her safe. Kirin kicked the snow and gravel underfoot.

"W-would you mind if I asked, er, when this happened?” She asked. 

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

"Seven?!" Haley found herself stumbling back against the brick wall of the coffee shop. Once her back hit the wall, she allowed herself to slide down against the wall and take a seat on the gravel. 

That many?! Seriously?! Were the other six on purpose?! 

"Damn..." Haley mumbled and folded her arms onto her knees, staring at the snow hard. "This is so messed up." 

She looked up and raised a brow. "Uh...thanks?" There was a pause as Haley watched Kirin fumble her hands a bit awkwardly, then put them away. Haley looked down at her hands now, watching the claws slowly retreat as her body got under more emotional control.  "A couple of months ago." Haley grumbled. "In November. It was the night Sawyer...died." Her breath caught while she was speaking; it was still hard for her to get the words out. Her body and heart were still struggling on the fact that he was gone, and it showed in her speech.  A part of me is glad that he is not like this, but...I wish he was here too. He'd be coping a lot better than me. 

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Kirin passed over the napkins wordlessly. Haley seemed very… nervous, anxious. Edgy. And if Kirin new anything, it was that an edgy werewolf- heck, an edgy girl- wasn’t something you wanted to piss off.  She didn’t look used to this yet, if the amount of blood on her hands were any indication, Kirin thought to herself. That was only natural: this took a long, long while to get the hang of. Kirin took a few steps back to give Haley some space to breathe. 

"Try deep breaths, a-and think of something pleasant. Like cookies or flowers. The claws and the teeth-" Kirin gestured to her mouth. "-They only come up when you got strong emotions and stuff." Kirin leaned back, resting her back against the other side of the alley.  "Just… keep calm. I don’t think anyone’s gonna come out here."

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

It took all of Haley's willpower to not roll her eyes. "Easier said than done." She replied gruffly while applying pressure to her hands. The whole situation was rather frustrating; while Haley was now a bit aware of how her anger can cause werewolf symptoms to spike up, this knowledge made it all the more difficult for her to keep herself in check. The constant reminders of what she was now constantly left her on edge, always close to exploding.

Well, at least there was one person she always felt more calm around. 

The redhead closed her eyes and pictured Erza's warm, friendly smile, letting out a sigh. "So...this makes it...what, how many of us? Six?"

It has to be six, right? Darcy, me, Nik, Eli, this girl and...Gaius. How the hell the majority of folks are still alive here beats me.

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

"Wait, Haley!" Kirin cried as the younger girl jumped up and ran away- too quick for any human to run. As if the growing claws and flashing eyes didn’t give it away already. 

But she couldn’t! She hadn’t been changed yet, and if she had why hadn’t Gaius told her? Kirin grumbled, as Gaius had made his opinion of her feeling entitled to knowing when people are changed very clear. Kirin glared and mumbled a goodbye to Duncan before grabbing her coat and dashing out. 

The cool air was a relief after the terrible stench of adolescence inside the cafe. Kirin could feel her headache lifting. A few deep breaths, and Kirin could start to pick out Haley’s scent. She followed it around the corner, skidding to a halt in front of her. 

"Haley!"  she said, eyes falling on Haley’s bloodied and clawed hands. "Oh. Um." She looked away, shifting between her and the street to block their view of her. Kirin rummaged through her pockets. "I-I think I have a-a f-few napkins here…"

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

Silver eyes snapped back to blue once Haley heard Kirin's voice. The fog in her head seemed to have left for now, and she was able to breathe a little easier. However, these changes didn't really sink in once Kirin's words were easy to pick out.  Napkins...oh god.

She shook her head quickly to clear her mind and pressed her lips together to hide her teeth, although it took quite a bit of effort (and not to mention pretty painful).  Kirin knows. She knows. But then...how the hell...?

Haley took a napkin. "Thanks." she barely managed to grumble.

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley (and this Asshole)

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

"I don’t know. On the crime shows, the murderer always return to the scene of the crime!" said Kirin to Haley, before turning to Duncan, saying "And that’s stupid. You really have bad priorities." She paused and considered what he said.

"But… that would be a good idea. Figuring out why she did it, i-i-if she did. "

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

"Ugh, geez." Haley buried her face in her hands and grumbled to herself. "That is why I never watch them in the first place; they always do such stupid crap like that."  While Haley mumbled into her hands, the last bit of sweaty teens arrived to the coffee shop and went into line. Suddenly, the air felt terribly thick, heavy and... Ugh, CHRIST. I can't take this anymore!  

The smell secreted by sweat and hormones slammed into Haley like she was being hit by a truck. It took all of her willpower to not hack and cough in the middle of their conversation. The redhead quickly moved her hands away from her face and closed her now watering eyes, clearing her throat.  "I need to step outside for a bit."  She wiped her eyes roughly and stuffed her fists into her pockets before climbing out of her seat. Immediately she could feel stabbing pains in her palms and the back of her lips. 

Fuckfuckfuck gotta get out--

She shoved her way past the line and practically sprinted out of the front door. Now blurred to the normal human eye, she ran around the building to the back and stopped to lean against the wall.  "U-Ugh!"  The redhead removed her hands from her pockets to be greeted with the sight of bloody claws and bleeding hands again.  "Ffff..." Haley hissed and ran her tongue over her sharp teeth, wincing. Her eyes constantly shifted from blue to silver, to blue again, as if they were flickering  lights.  Goddammit. 

[lycomania-rising]

Stand Too Close || Eli and Thalia || End of January

[lycomania-rising]

"Not worth her time," he repeated, mumbling the last syllable, and raked a hand through his hair,

"No— I don’t mean it like that, I’m relieved— no, really.” The heels of his hands flew to his eyes and he pressed vigorously for a moment, his cheeks turning a bruised sort of pink, before saying emphatically,

"I’m not crying—”

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

Thalia gasped softly. "No, no, it's okay! Um...let me just find you a kleenex, or napkin, or...something to use!" She gave him a soft smile and stood up before going to all of the drawers and cabinets. In her home, the unused napkins were stored in their unopened packed in drawers. Hopefully, it was the same case for him.  "You need to let it out...you know?" She spoke meekly, trying to not startle Eli too much while speaking. "Just let it out and wait for her. I promise, she'll come to you and talk in time."

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Ground like Coffee || Kirin and Haley (and this Asshole)

[teenage-weredom-aint-easy]

Kirin shook her head, saying before she could think: “But he wasn’t killed with a gun.” Her eyes widened and she shut her mouth, quietly. “Er. I mean. There w-would h-have been a-a bang! The music w-wasn’t that loud! We w-w-were at the p-party, we would have known.”

Her face grew red, and Kirin sunk lower into her seat. “Th-there were a bunch of us when the body was found. Just cause May knew a few things a-about dead b-bodies doesn’t mean sh-she did it.”

Kirin knew a few things about dead corpses too. Of course, most of them where deer, but animals, humans… What’s the difference when they’re dead? But what made Duncan so sure that it was May if his story didn’t match up with Gaius’ version—

Her stomach clenched and she swallowed drily.

[lycomania-rising]

He shook his head. “Baxter wasn’t killed Halloween night— or, I guess, the night of the party, or whatever. He was dead ‘least a few days before then. Figure May wanted to check up on the body, make sure it was, you know, still dead.”

He grinned, but it dropped soon. “That was a joke,” he added, slightly, hurt, but sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 

"I can live with being expelled," he restated, and shrugged. "Doesn’t matter much to me. figure one school’s as good as any other. More mysteries the better," he added, and attempted a rueful grin. "What I can’t live with is not knowing why she did it," he admitted, and rested his chin on his palm. 

[sweetlight-bittershadow]

Haley glanced over at the two teenagers with her at the table, her eyes a bit wide. It was common knowledge at this point, according to rumors, that the body was indeed found at the party. However, as time passed, more and more of the details became mucked up. Some students said that Baxter was attacked by some random guy in the woods; maybe a stabbing or something else along those lines. Other students guessed the same thing that Duncan did, that Baxter was shot by someone.  However, considering the events that happened with her recently, along with what happened to Sawyer...  She swallowed hard and looked away at the window, glaring hard at her reflection in the glass. More people entered the cafe, causing her irritation to rise.  "I don't think she's that stupid enough to do it." Haley muttered, balling her hands into her fists at her side. "To kill someone, then go back to the scene of a crime a few days later. That's pretty fucking stupid if you ask me."