@big-bad-ulf replied to your post “[pm] I thought it might make you happy to know I think I ate one of...”
[pm] I think so. It wasn't a human mime, even before it turned into a puddle of sauce and I wasn't exactly human either at the time, in case it wasn't clear. Convincing a mime to drink with you is impressive even for you.
[PM] I’m 99% certain none of the mimes in this goddamn town are human. Like, I’ve never met a normal fucking mime in my life. Oh Ulfric, oh you of little faith. I’m a lesbian Casanova, of course I convinced my mime to drink with me. Well, Casanova, minus the bit where he got arrested for being too good in bed.
timing: Friday night (6/19)
parties: @letsbenditlikebennett, @big-bad-ulf, & @laylacooke
summary: Ari & Ulf vs. Layla. What’s the worst that could happen?
warnings: violence, including a rock being used as a weapon.
“I can smell you, Little Wolf. You might as well come out to play.” Layla’s eyes scanned the area for her best friend. Since the fight at the arcade, all had been revealed about who the redheaded wolf had become, and the only worry she held was the fear of having to give up the one thing that was giving her freedom from feeling anything at all; the fidget spinner. “I know you brought the Big Red Mutt with you, too, because, you know...being inseparable and all.” She continued to look around waiting and watching for what the other teenage werewolf had up her sleeve, but Layla had a plan of her own in mind, and if all went accordingly, she wouldn’t be the only heartless monster walking White Crest.
If there was one thing that never failed to make Ariana become annoyed, it was being called little. The fact she was also calling Ulfric a mutt and making their connection seem like a bad thing only furthered the swell of anger that threatened to spill over. She stifled a growl, keeping herself hidden in the brush, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. She’d been a little suspect when Blanche told her about the car thing, but when Layla admitted to killing a man and how much she seemed to enjoy talking about, Ariana was sure she’d done something with that damn fidget spinner. She’d warned her to be careful with it and now here they were, having to hunt her down to keep her from going psycho wolf on the whole town. She looked to Ulfric and mouthed, “Sorry,” for Layla’s rude comment and gave a firm nod, to communicate they’d let her get a little closer before revealing themselves.
Ulfric felt himself bristle at Layla’s words, letting out a low hiss from between clenched teeth. He knew though, that it was just a tactic to get them to give away their position and the advantage that came with the element of surprise. If it weren’t for the antagonistic context in which they were being employed, he might have felt proud of the young redhead’s adept understanding of battle strategy. As it was, he forced himself to release some of the tension the taunts had stirred within him, digging his heels firmly into the forest floor to ground him and shrugging in Ariana’s direction to let her know he could take whatever she was dishing out. He held up one finger, obscured by the large oak he was crouched behind to signal to Ari to wait. As soon as Layla stepped just a bit closer, or turned her back on them, they’d pounce, and they could dispose of the nefarious and utterly ridiculous toy that was apparently behind all this.
“Oh, come on. Like I said, I can smell you both. Barely. Considering you broke my fucking nose, Ariana. And neither of you don’t exactly smell like daisies and sunshine. Really should do something about that dog smell, if you want to play hide-n-seek.” She paced the area getting impatient with their games. She knew the reason they had come to play. The fidget spinner, and this time Layla wasn’t taking it out, until she knew she had an airtight hold on Ariana. The device had already been damaged in the previous fight, and Layla had started glitching in terms of the way she felt and the clarity of her mind; a simple hairline crack already doing plenty of damage. And as she continued to scour the area with narrowed eyes and her usually highly sensitive nose, now damaged, she finally picked up on a scent, “And Bingo was their name-o…” Stepping closer, she forced her claws to come out; the control over herself, greater than it once was, and now on the ready to attack and use force if need be.
Ariana rolled her eyes at the whole dog smell thing. As if that was supposed to be some kind of insult. She was a wolf, smelling a bit animalistic was part of the package and she saw no shame in that. It was evident Layla wanted to get a reaction out of her and her annoyance spiked, but not enough to completely reveal herself before she had the ideal position to pounce. Peeking through the leaves, she saw Layla extend her claws. When did she get so good at that anyway? She was honing in on their scent, but she was close enough for her to grab her before she realized it. If Layla was going to be fighting with claws again, Ariana figured it’d be best for her to follow suit, not willing to give her any advantage. This ended tonight. She looked to Ulfric, communicating with a nod, before reaching out and snatching at Layla’s ankle to pull her down to the ground. Now that she was finally revealed, she grumbled, “Oh, shut up already.”
The boldness and control Layla displayed now was surprising, the opposite of the frightened, turbulent teenager he had come to know. Was that what she’d wished for when she’d used the hypnotic prize on herself? To be everything she wasn’t. Ulfric felt a sharp tug of guilt at the thought, knowing the words he’d said and his distrustful attitude towards her when she first arrived had likely played a part in fueling that desire within her. One distinction between the girl who goaded them now and the one he’d gotten familiar withstood out as possibly giving him and Ari an edge though; while Layla was usually a ball of insecurities this version had taken that to the other extreme and was absurdly arrogant. It will be her downfall, the older wolf thought just as Ari grabbed her ankle to cause her to literally stumble. “Where is it? Where is the gadget spanner?!” He roared, bursting from his hiding place on the opposite side to shoulder charge the girl and help the purple-haired wolf pin her to the ground. “Hand it over, now!”
They still refused to come out and her patience was wearing thin. However, one swift jerk to the leg and she was down with a bit of a yip as she felt Ariana’s claws slightly dig in. Huffing after having the wind knocked out of her, Layla realized if she didn’t want to get caught, she was going to have to scramble fast. And even though the other young wolf had a death grip on the redhead’s ankle, she tugged, feeling skin and jean being ripped, but before she could get away, she felt the weight of Ulf pinning her as well. Letting out a growl, she squirmed managing to at least free one arm where she revealed her own claws and pulled a hand back ready to give Ulfric a swipe, “You’re never going to find it, so let me go!!!” With everything in her, she fought to free herself and keep the precious fidget spinner safe.
Under better circumstances, Ulfric’s booming voice calling it a gadget spanner would have put an amused smirk on her face. At the moment, her anger toward Layla took precedence and she kept a firm grip on her ankle, her claws causing skin and jeans to rip as the red headed wolf tried to rip herself free from her grip. Ariana let out a low growl as Layla tried to break free from their grip. She snarled, “Just give it up, Layla. You’re only making it worse for yourself.” Why she even bothered trying to reason with her, she wasn’t sure, but she quickly yanked on Layla’s leg, claws sinking in just a little deeper when she saw her going for Ulfric. It was clear she wasn’t willingly going to hand the fidget spinner over or leave with them. Ariana was still crouched low to the ground and used her knee to fully pin her other leg to the ground, not daring to give her the chance to run off and do any real damage.
Ulfric’s growl echoed with the other’s as he just dodged Layla’s strike, her claws dragging and then snagging in the thick khaki fabric of his jacket sleeve. He quickly took advantage of the disruption to her momentum to seize hold of that arm, the arm that she’d injured early into her stay in White Crest and roll away with her, holding it in a contorted, uncomfortable position. “Have you forgotten amidst your little spree,” the wolf’s low voice rumbled in between grunts as she struggled between him and Ari. “That you’re not the only one capable of inflicting damage?” When necessary, he added internally not wanting to dilute the threat implied in his unflinching hold and words. He found it wasn’t difficult to conjure enough anger to seem menacing though, the mounting frustrations he’d felt building up over the last few week’s provided authentic fuel, even he remained reluctant to cause the redhead harm. “You want to be the big bad wolf, Rødhette? Well, if you don’t tell us where the device is will give you something to really howl about.”
The young wolf cried out in pain as Ariana’s claws dug deep into her leg, immediately bringing blood to the surface. Twinzies. It was only fair though. She had done a number on the wolf the other night at the arcade. And any attempt to remove Clifford from the picture was out of the question as he pinned her arm. The God-awful angle it was at had her quivering. Between claws in her leg and the threat of her arm and hand being broken, Layla was trapped. She whimpered as she knew defeat hung heavy in the air, but her mind was telling her otherwise, like a rabid animal with no sense of self-control, and she snarled as her breathing quickened, and she tried to force a shift. Body beginning to ache and the earliest signs of lycanthropy coming into play. Without the fear that had once lingered in her small form, she had more control and power over herself, and if it was going to be an all-out wolf fight, then so be it.
The whole intimidating vibe Ulf was giving off was clearly working. Ariana could feel Layla squirming underneath her grip as she tried to transform. This wasn’t a side of Ulf she was familiar with, but she didn’t find herself frightened by it. It wasn’t directed at her and she doubted it ever would be. She tried to mirror it, her own growl coming out louder as she focused on keeping Layla’s legs still. They weren’t deep enough in the woods for an all-out wolf brawl. “Ulf,” she urged, “You have to knock her out. She’s trying to fully shift.”
Ulfric hesitated for a moment at Ariana’s plea. As much as the overheated blood pumping through his veins sung out that he needed to hit something, the thought of directing that energy at Layla gave him pause. Layla had undoubtedly been spurred on to using the hypnotic toy by being unable to cope with her first taste of blood, which had only happened because Celeste hadn’t been there to help her at the full moon, which had only happened because he’d failed to keep her safe. How much further would the ripples of pain from that one-night spread? How much more suffering would he have to inflict on his charges before the mistakes he’d made then were finally dealt with? Layla strained and growled beneath his grasp. Guilt wouldn’t slow her down in her rampage against them and the entire town, he reminded himself as he scrambled for large rock with his free hand, he couldn’t afford to let it hold him back now either. He struck, and the arm he was holding went limp.
“Get the ropes from the back of the truck. Quickly.” Ulfric instructed Ariana between huffs. “I’ll search for the damned devil widget.” With all the tact and patience, he could muster, which was close to none, he searched the young redhead’s pockets until he found it. He only glanced at the device to confirm it, unsure of how easily it’s power could be triggered. It felt so light though, so flimsy between his fingers compared to the rock that weighed heavily in his other hand. All it would take was one good whack and it would be smashed to pieces on the forest floor. He stood and surveyed Layla’s unconscious form, in sleep she resembled the frightened girl they knew much more than the force of destruction she’d been moments before. With aggravated yell that dissipated into a resigned sigh, he threw the rock into the trees away from them, zipping the device securely inside his inner jacket pocket. As much as he wanted all this to be over, he couldn’t risk losing that girl.
Calmer now, he stooped to pick the young redheaded wolf up. Like the cursed toy, she too felt worryingly light and breakable in his arms. Clutching her tighter, he carried her over to where Ariana was waiting at the truck, readying the restraints. “What are we going to do with you?” He murmured to Layla. It wasn’t the first time he’d asked himself since they’d become acquainted, but he found himself more disturbed than ever at not knowing the answer.
@big-bad-ulf replied to your post: [pm] Do you know anything about magic, or is your...
[pm] A friend of mine was put under some kind of mystical mind control in order to perform a ritual. I’m trying to get to the bottom of if such a thing is possible, and maybe locate the person or persons responsible.
[pm] Okay. Mental magic wasn’t really my wheelhouse except for levitation, but mind control is big stuff. Your average townie witch isn’t going to be able to do anything like that, so this at least narrows possibilities. It is definitely possible, though. I’ve heard of at least one other incident like this from a friend of mine. Was there anyone else with them? Anyone who can talk about what kind of ritual it was? Or who was able to tell your friend was under mind control in the first place?
