run with wolves | open post.

[thelittleone]

Characters

Asil, The Moor
A very, very old wolf and a member of the Marrok's pack.

Jang Eun
Previously of Carmel Valley, sent to Aspen Creek by her former Alpha.

Jesse Hauptman
Daughter of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack

Joshua Brennan
Burden-bound. A Sin-Eater paired with the ghost of a long-dead soldier.

PREMISE

All the stories are true. Years ago, the Fae came out because technology was making it harder and harder for them to hide, and it's been a couple of years since the werewolves did the same. The world is changing day by day. Humans and the paranormal live side by side, but it's not easy nor is it simple. While the Marrok has taken great lengths and care to preserve the werewolves' PR front, everyone - wolf, fae, vampire and other - know that it's only a matter of time before the humans start thinking that perhaps the other stories meant to warn of the dark are true.

This is an open post set in the universe of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series. The books are amazing and you should definitely check them out. More information via this Wiki link. The rules are simple: Drop a prompt, leave a tag, and let's play!

THREAD TRACKING

© tessisamess

Comments

for asil.

[lastcall]

[Eun has never felt more out of place and out of her element than when she first steps foot in Aspen Creek. Born in Hong Kong and raised just south of San Francisco, she's always been drawn to busy, tightly packed cities with a very active, social nightlife. She likes places where the restaurants deliver more than pizza until midnight, where she can always hail a taxi in any part of downtown, and if she feels like getting out into nature she goes to the local beaches or hitches a ride with a friend to the national parks well away from her home.

Montana is a place of staggering beauty, and perhaps if she wasn't such a city girl at heart still she would appreciate it more if there were more signs of civilization to be found closer together than the long road that had passed under the wheels of her rental car.

Stepping out onto the dirt, she breathes in the cold, crisp air, and a thousand scents from the woods around her and the pack that lives there. In time she's certain she'll get used to it and be able to pick out individual scents as she gets to know the wolves and humans that live there, but for the moment it's just a chaotic swirl of unfamiliarity. She closes her car door decisively and heads onto the path, trying to apply the directions she'd been given the night before to the terrain before her.

Somewhere around there is a cabin where she's been told she'll find the Marrok or his mate. From what she's heard about them both, she'd be fortunate to find the former instead of the latter, but Eun's never been one to shy away from unpleasant people. It seems a hypocritical, considering the fact that she herself has no issues being unpleasant when the situation or people she's dealing with warrant it. Then again, isn't that part of why she's found herself here in the first place? Pursing her lips together with a sharp huff, she continues walking. Even without an escort, it's not really intruding or trespassing if she's been "invited" to Aspen Creek in the first place, is it?]

ilu

[nosco]

[ As much as he loves Kara, he wonders sometimes if it is not to his benefit that her presence has given his wolf new purpose. Not too long ago, he had come to Aspen Creek to plead with Bran Cornick to end his life. He is very, very old. And wolves who are as old as he find it more difficult to fare in the modern world where change flits by quicker than a butterfly's life.

Still, he cannot deny that the little wolf who came to them has filled the void in his heart. If it is a minor inconvenience that the Marrok has begun to deem him "well enough" to play errand boy, then he will enjoy what years he has left.

This is how he has come to wait for Bran's most recent stray. You will find him meditating in front of the hotel, Eun - a young-ish looking man with fine Middle Eastern features. The bench he sits on has been recently cleared of snowfall. You are welcome to join him if you like. He's already scented you, but he'll wait for you to make you move. ]

♥♥♥!!

[lastcall]

[It takes her a little while to note when one scent becomes more prominent than the others she's discovered. A moment longer to realize it's newer, which means the person is in her vicinity. Or at least was recently. After a few more feet and a corner turned, she finds herself staring at a larger building of sorts, with a man about her age sitting on a bench up front. At first glance, she doesn't observe anything remarkable about him. From thirty or forty feet away, he's just a man, one whose appearance might stick out in the predominantly white population of Montana just like her own would.

It's her wolf that seems to sit up and take notice of what she could not at first. Every few feet closer to the man she seems to realize more. That he's a werewolf. That he is likely dominant. That his seemingly relaxed body language does not mean he did not realize she was there long before she realized he was on that bench. Coming to a stop a respectful distance away, she remains silent, waiting to see if he'll open his eyes and look at her. When it seems unlikely, she clears her throat.]

Are you the welcome wagon, then?

[nosco]

I presume you are Jang Eun?

[ Not one for answering questions, this one. He opens his eyes but makes no move to actually look up at her. She's young. And based on what little Bran told him, this one had been sent by her Alpha to Aspen Creek - but beyond that, the canny, old wolf had been a little vague on the details. ]

for eun.

[nosco]

[ In the end, he blames Anna.

"I like her," the Omega had told him casually, slipping in the remark while she and Kara kept him company in his hothouse by deadheading roses.

"Eun? Yeah, she's cool." His little prinsesa had chirped cheerfully, before the conversation continued into how their newest wolf had indulged her in a discussion on Korean Boy Bands.

They had dropped in to check on him. It was not unusual, since Anna often came to him to pick his brain on what knowledge and experience he had about Omegas - and Kara enjoyed indulging her green thumb. But as they continued to bring up the subject of the pack's newest member for the next few months, he could not help but wonder if this was because he had declined three invitations for dinner held at the Marrok's home.

It's not that he was not prone to hermiting - but evidently it was interesting enough for Bran to stir himself into calling "just to check in."

Tuning both of the young women out, he focused instead on giving his vegetables his full attention. He would need to harvest soon enough if he wanted to can several of them and replenish his stores. But his mind was not entirely set on the task, as he found himself trying not to think on the last week… with very little success.

After he had dropped off Eun off at her lodgings, Asil had driven home and gone for a run. Normally, shedding his human skin while maintaining control allowed him to bask in the peace offered by the forests that spread across the Marrok's domain. He ran and chased small prey until the sun dipped behind the mountains and the stars came out. But when he finally returned home, he found that he could not focus on his flowers.

So he set to work on the financial spreadsheets sent to him by a firm based all the way in Germany. When he was content that he had all the numbers neatly balanced, he settled in for bed - only to catch his thoughts lingering on the morning's walk in the woods, the weight of the young woman's hand in his own; and the way she had fit against him just before Tag ruined the moment.

Remembering their brief, if pleasurable exchange had left him feeling strangely guilty. It was not a discomfort borne from a sense of disloyalty to his long-dead mate, Sarai. He had laid her to rest after Anna had killed the witch, Mariposa, who had long hunted him. No. His guilt stemmed from the knowledge that Eun was young, attractive, and had shown him kindness in the face of his instability. That she was Anna's age. While he had, once upon a time, presented himself as an interested wolf prior to her mating with Charles was irrelevant.

But even as he tried to hide behind his reasons - he knew it was because he had not thought that he would ever again think of a woman the way he found himself thinking of Eun.

So he had made himself tea. And spent the rest of the evening suffering quietly in the dark.

But where was he? Ah, yes. The reason he blames Anna.

"She's probably wondering where you are." Anna had lingered after Kara's mother had picked her up. "The other wolves have been chatting her up, but it's obvious that she's not up for their company."

Guilt is a magical and inconvenient thing. It is also very effective when an Omega wields it with expert finesse.

"Aspen Creek is small, Asil. Be careful or she'll catch on that you're avoiding her - come to think of it, why are you avoiding her?"

And this is why you will find a present waiting for you on your front porch: an insulated picnic basket containing homemade bread, fresh vegetables, canned fruit and a selection of spices - the latter of which should last you a month.

Oh yes. And flowers - specifically yellow roses wrapped in paper with a note in calligraphy-esque script:

A gift, to bring a bit of warmth to your new home. —A

It is the least he can do given his behavior. ]

[lastcall]

[Eun had no trouble unloading her rental care and getting her things moved in. She had just enough time to get the necessities put away before taking a quick shower to wash off her travel dust, so to speak. By the time she'd finished dying her hair, Anna had come by to invite her to dinner with the Marrok and other members of his pack. She'd met Leah there, and had a chance to get to know Anna and Charles better, as well as a couple other wolves.

She'd noticed Asil's absence, but considering he'd gone to tend to other things, his roses and the like, she'd decided that waiting for and escorting her must have been all he had to give of his day.

In light of the way she'd teased him, how they'd gotten along, and his own mention of inviting her to see his kitchen at some point, she'd thought perhaps he might visit the next day. She'd spent most of it indoors, settling her things into the cabin and beginning her searches for jobs and the like. When no one had visited her by lunch, she'd taken herself for a walk among all the cabins to get a feel for her new home, and in the process met several others.

The male wolves were attentive, but without the persistence of her old pack. She was grateful for that, though it was clear they were interested in getting to know her. Eun had never been one to shy away from others, certainly no one of her old pack, but all the same she found the repeat of the same getting-to-know-you conversations over and over again to be exhausting. And truthfully, none of them had been as engaging as Asil.

That evening she had dinner with Anna and Charles alone, a simpler, easier dinner. Anna makes for an easy conversationalist, and while Eun found herself careful of Charles as she got to know him, it's clear that he warms considerably in the presence of his mate. Their adoration for each other is obvious, and for once Eun finds herself wondering what it might be like if she had something like that for herself. Asil comes to her mind again, as if summoned, and she quickly pushes him from her thoughts again. A first meeting shouldn't linger in her mind so much. It's not as if he's the only person in Aspen Creek whose company she's been enjoying.

Still, by the end of her first full day in Aspen Creek, there's no word from him at all.

The next several days pass without him. She meets Kara, and immediately finds her delightful, as well as her parents. They talk of K-Pop groups (which Eun has only a little knowledge of) and a few Mando Pop singers that Eun does know. It's clear that the latest craze has swept Kara up, and Eun finds her enthusiasm endearing. They watch a few of Kara's favorite music videos before Anna rescues her, offering to take her into town as she does a grocery run.

With the first of her groceries she makes the Marrok a tray of maple scones with a sticky icing on them that she hopes will please he and his mate Leah. The next day it's chocolate chunk cookies for Anna and Charles. The day after that, a trio of red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for Kara. Her mornings are spent drinking tea and baking, and her afternoons among the pack that will be hers, at least temporarily. Eun begs off the dinner invitations after the third night in a row, and eats alone.

And realizes after Asil's conspicuous absence that he is avoiding her.

Eun goes over the moments of their meeting together in her mind several times. The conversation. Their reactions to each other. The way he held her hand—the way she let him—and the way she teased him by blowing on the back of his neck in the car. She thinks of the way he told her he'd come to Aspen Creek to die, something that would be so deeply personal to tell a near stranger, and wonders if that is why he avoids her now. That he told her too much.

It doesn't seem right, however. Her mind lingers back on her tease in the car, when Tag had picked them up, and his lack of reaction to it. Was that it? Had she taken something too far in the moment? Or had her griping about the male pack members of her last pack rubbed him the wrong way?

She spends a day feeling indignant about it and stubbornly unhappy.

And then the roses arrive. They're beautiful and fresh, each one perfect and fragrant, and the basket is full of so many goodies. She looks over each offering with care and growing delight—

—and realizes after she's put half of it away to enjoy later that he didn't stay to deliver them in person. Eun doesn't like the uncomfortable feeling that lodges itself in her chest, and rather than prompt her to worry and fret, Eun finds a flare of anger rise in her that his actions have made her feel that way at all. She shouldn't care, she knows she shouldn't give a damn, but the fact that she does only irritates her more.

A half a dozen ways to respond to his behavior spring to mind as she mulls over the situation. She could walk over there and return his emptied basket with a terse thank you. She could call him on the phone and do the same. She could simply walk over there, no excuses, and ask him what she did to warrant being ignored. To ask if he's so busy he couldn't even spare five minutes to say hello.

It all feels desperate. Too desperate for someone that she's spent an hour with at most. Rubbing her face with her hands, Eun decides that she doesn't need to complicate things. She's been here a week and if Asil doesn't want to see her then he doesn't have to. She grabs a piece of paper from a pad near the phone and a pen. Her writing isn't as classically nice as Asil's, but the scrawl is artistic and still aesthetically pleasing. She grabs a paper plate from the pantry, loads a few of the muffins she made for her own breakfast onto it, and covers it in tin foil before marching over to Asil's home.

She knows which one it is, only because Kara pointed it out to her, but even as night falls she makes her way there with ease. Eun walks up to his front step and leaves the plate and the note. She's glad that most people are eating dinner at this point. No one will see her deliver the muffins, or knock on Asil's door. They won't see her slip away into the shadows and out of sight, heading back to her own cabin before Asil can even get to his front door to find them.

The muffins are blueberry.

The note is simple, and offers no warmth, no sentiment, nor any invitation whatsoever.

Thank you. —E]

whoops i wrote u a novel in return

[nosco]

[ Thank you can mean many things. With the Fae, it can be dangerous, ensnaring a person in servitude. Among friends, it can mean warmth and gratefulness. From a submissive wolf, it means an Alpha can take pleasure and pride for the privilege of protecting those under his care - for that is the way of their kind.

From a dominant young wolf, evidently, it is irritation.

No, he didn't miss the faint whiff of anger lingering on Eun's note. The blueberries were delicious, and he would have enjoyed them immensely. But there is something in the manner they were made that brings to mind that book Kara had lent him recently. The one written by a Spanish writer with a premise where food conveyed whatever emotion the cook was feeling. It was a surprisingly mature piece of fiction that made him wonder if John and Liza were aware of their daughter's reading habits.

He suspects that he knows the root of her irritation. Anna had warned him well enough. Still, he finds himself pacing his home, losing himself in his plants and wondering if the yellow roses had been a mistake - and bleakly wondering if his penchant for casual flirtation had given her the wrong impression.

His wolf, surprisingly, had snorted at him. And in images rather than words, it conveyed that no, it was useless to deny that the flirtation wasn't an accident. They had both found her intriguing enough to play. And when Tag had driven up and interrupted them, they had both felt irritation that their careful hunt had been cut short.

When he finally manages to brew tea without breaking the delicate handle of his precious china, it is true dark and someone has rung the doorbell to his home.

---

The meeting among the wolves does not include the young ones. Poor Juste has taken shelter beside Charles - which signals the other wolves that Asil's silence means he is not quite at peace. The discussions are relatively brief, news from Europe given Juste's continued communique with his old pack; business that does not require the women as of yet.

When they disperse, Asil busies himself with keeping his gaze and attention from the nervy and watchful exit of the other wolves. He straightens out the furniture in the Marrok's main room, trying not to bristle at the weight of Charles' gaze.

"Go. I need to speak with the old Moor in private about some concerns raised by Hussan."

And then they are alone. It is the mirror on the far wall that shows him the thoughtful look on the other wolf's face. "Your son asked after the package you received. He's been waiting for your phone call."

Ah. So there is nothing wrong with the Spanish wolves. No doubt Charles heard the way his father skirted the truth, but the nosy busybodies who lingered would not know that.

"Want to tell me what's got you so wound up that Juste was quaking in his boots even if you drove separate cars?"

He sighs at that, and lifts a pillow off the couch so he can sag into the cushions.

---

The next flowers left on your doorstep are more yellow roses with a handful of pink rosebuds - and some Calla lilies, which he'd driven to his favorite flower shop Missoula to acquire.

Because I cannot sleep
I make music at night.
I am troubled by the one
whose face has the color of spring flowers.
I have neither sleep nor patience,
neither a good reputation nor disgrace.
A thousand robes of wisdom are gone.
All my good manners have moved a thousand miles away.
The heart and the mind are left angry with each other.
The stars and the moon are envious of each other.
Because of this alienation the physical universe
is getting tighter and tighter.


Anna told me you enjoyed poetry, though I am not sure how you feel about Rumi.

I ask for your forgiveness and understanding, niña. My control has been very bad this last week. I did not wish to risk bringing my issues to your doorstep.

Thank you for the pastries. I enjoyed them very much.

And no, I have not forgotten our exchange and would still enjoy showing you my kitchen.

I will be fussing over my blooms today, but if you are free tomorrow, we could catch up at Bran's residence.

—Asil

He hopes Bran is right and that he has not damaged what little rapport he had built with you with his carelessness. ]

it's perfection

[lastcall]

[After leaving her muffins and the note for Asil, Eun had brewed a cup of tea for herself that would help her sleep. She'd slipped out of her clothes and curled up in a bed she was still getting used to calling her own. She slept, hoping to leave behind the anger and confusion she feels, chaos that would keep her up if not for her own intervention.

She hopes to wake up leaving behind the part of her that cares that Asil has ignored her all this time. That he apparently cannot bear to face her. She doesn't know why he's kept his distance, whether it's something she's done or something he feels, and if he won't speak to her then she would be better off believing it a mystery that will never be solved. They spent an hour together. There's no reason for her to linger on this any longer than she has.

When she awakens, Eun begins her day with a run. The change hurts, but the pain wakes her up and is worth it for the opportunity to stretch her legs. There are large swaths of land that allow her to run free, so fast, so hard that her heart pounds in her chest and adrenaline makes her feel alive in a way that nothing else ever has. It feels like a fresh start for her morning, something for herself. She has freedom here she did not have in California, and a run like that reminds her that it is more than just the land that is better suited for her. The lack of pressure from the pack, however intrigued they may be by a new female wolf, has meant more to her than she ever realized it would.

Eun takes herself into town for lunch, still traveling with a rental car as she waits for her motorcycle to arrive. With her belly full, she checks out the locations of a few places offering jobs, checking their neighborhoods, how busy they are, and even the feel of how well the employees seem to get along with each other. How at ease they are in their place of work.

She eats dinner alone that night, content with the events of the day, and that she's only thought of Asil twice during it.

Eun wonders if she will get a response from him, but there is nothing on her doorstep, even in the morning.

Midday is another matter. She finds flowers again, yellow roses once more, but with the addition of pink roses and lilies. They seem brighter, specifically arranged to set of each others beauty. She loves them even better than the yellow roses she didn't have the heart to throw away, even in her pique.

It's the letter that holds her attention.

She doesn't recognize the poem for whose it is until midway through, and wonders if she flatters herself to think that it may be very fitting for them both. It is not a comfortable sentiment in the poem, but she and Asil or not in a comfortable space with one another. She despairs at the fact that she's pleased to hear Asil has spoken of her at all to another person. He's kept his distance from her, made her feel like an afterthought with his delivered basket (her thoughts are uncharitable, but she cannot help them sometimes) and still he learned something about her from Anna.

The poem is beautiful, one she'll mull over for a while still, but his apology is what softens what flash of irritation she felt at the appearance of the flowers. She can't withhold forgiveness with his explanation, even if she thinks that perhaps it was more than poor control that kept him away. His poem, if its words hold meaning from Asil, certainly imply as much.

Patience is a virtue, apparently. Eun knows she would have liked some from those of her pack, so she tucks the note away somewhere safe and pulls out a piece of paper in her cabin to pen her own in return.

Anna is correct, and I'm very fond of poetry and Rumi, though these days I tend to read modern poetry more. That piece happens to be one of my favorites.

I'm glad you enjoyed the pastries. I usually have something in my kitchen if you find yourself hungry for more.

You have my understanding, and as I'm available tomorrow you can retrieve your forgiveness from me in person if you come to Bran's as offered.

Enjoy your blooms, Asil, we can talk of the rest tomorrow. Until then, I hope you enjoy this poem from one of my favorite books.

—Eun

you've invaded
my solitude

and veins.

the rhythm
of my heart
has not been
the same.

in all my reveries
i tune my breath
to suit your melody.

when words
become obsolete,
i will follow
the echoes
of your heartbeat

—k.y. robinson

She sends the letter with Anna, deeming her a more trustworthy messenger who will likely only gossip to her husband, rather than Kara who may very well tell everyone in her teenage exuberance.

And the next day she arrives at Bran's for dinner as expected, gaze slipping to the front door far too many times to wait for Asil's arrival.]

for asil.

[lastcall]

[It's difficult to think or settle herself once she makes it back to the cabin. A thousand thoughts rush through her mind about the conversation she shared with Asil over wine, the truths they revealed and the tentative agreements they came to. It wasn't a negotiation of course, but there was a discussion as they tried to determine where they both stood with each other. What their intentions might be.

He wants to kiss her, and he thinks about something more than friendship with her. Eun flatters herself to think that he means more than a physical relationship. He would have told her if that was something he was considering, wouldn't have said he wants to get to know her better. She might feel guilty for being open to Asil and what apparently is growing between them in light of the fact that she moved to an entirely different state to get away from such things, if it wasn't for the drastically different motivation he has from the members of her last pack.

It's a full half hour before Eun decides on what she wants to bake them for breakfast the next morning, and with all of the ingredients at hand she begins. There isn't much for her to do that night. She pulls out her dry ingredients in advance, measuring and mixing them into a bowl for the morning. The wet ingredients get measured out and put into other containers in the fridge for her to mix when she awakens. She won't be up at dawn, but she'll be up early enough to mix everything together and bring it over to Asil's to rise and then bake. The act of organization and beginning the process of creating is soothing and calming for her, and by the time she's done she thinks perhaps she'll be able to sleep alright...

By the time she slips into bed, he occupies her thoughts fully once more. More than that, in the quiet and dark, curled up under the covers, her mind drifts to the way he'd held her hands, how he'd kissed htem and she'd caressed his. Eun can't say that she hasn't felt a flare of desire for someone recently, she's seen attractive men in the world and thought they were hot enough she might have hit on them in a bar, given the opportunity. The difference now is that before, she would go out to find someone to sleep with because she wanted to, or she'd go on a date because someone asked her. It's the first time she's met someone and been so taken by them that her desire and her urge is for them specifically.

It's the first time she's actually felt the desire to know someone beyond the surface level. To hear about their life and their history, their thoughts and feelings and what makes their eyes light up.

Sleep comes for Eun, eventually, and she doesn't wake until after dawn, when the sun is still rising over the ridge. She shuffles into the kitchen and mixes her ingredients together to let the dough rise, and then slips into the shower to wash and try to wake up a bit more. In the quiet of the morning, she feels less heated than she did the night before. As they'd spoken over wine, she'd found it hard not to ask him to kiss her then and there. She'd wanted him to say he could kiss her without taking it further so that she could feel his mouth on his and know he would be able to pull back when she couldn't. She'd wanted to see his eyes darken with desire, feel the rise of her wolf, and act as impetuously as she had in the past with others. Only now it would be more, something better than scratching an itch.

Her mind turns over these thoughts in her head as she gets ready. Eun leaves her hair loose down her back and applies only enough mascara and lip color to keep from seeming washed out. It's not unusual for her to take care with her appearance before going out for herself, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't taking into account Asil and wanting to look appealing to him. She slips into a pair of leggings that make her legs seem long even at her height. A tank top goes on next, plus a button down shirt she leaves open enough to wear slightly off-shoulder. Socks and boots go on next, and her heavy coat waits at the front door to slip on before heading to her car. With time to spare, she heads to the bookshelf where she's unpacked a handful of her favorite volumes of poetry, and selects the one she quoted from the other day. Eun adds a novel to it and tucks both into her bag before heading back to the kitchen to check on her rising dough.

Now that it's getting close to the time for her to leave, she can't help but feel a little flutter in her stomach. If they'd simply done this from the start, would she feel the pressure she does now? The weight of these visits? She doesn't mind the weight of course, but after the night before it certainly feels heavy with potential that wasn't there before.

And she's excited for it.

Wetting her lips with the tip of her tongue, she stares at her bowl of dough before deciding it can continue rising on the ride over. By the time she gets there, she'll need to turn the oven on to pre-heat anyway and perhaps the task of preparing breakfast for them both will give her time to get comfortable with him that morning. With a plan in mind, she packs everything up. Her bag, her dough, the cookie sheets she plans to bake with, the cooking spray, and tosses it into her car. With a text to Asil, she lets him know that she's on her way over and just...goes.

She drives before she can talk herself into delaying, knowing that she won't be able to relax until she's there. Knowing that she wants to see him sooner rather than later.

Oh, if her friends could only see her now, so thoroughly rattled by man.

It's a thought that gives her cause to chuckle a little to herself, to smile as she knocks quietly on Asil's front door.]

[nosco]

[ He woke before dawn feeling oddly rested, in spite of the intensity of last night's exchange. In the dark, Asil pads about his household, barefoot and in nothing but a pair of pajamas. His routine is a welcome balm on most days, but today it is comforting in a different way. Though he feels his wolf alert and close enough to the surface, it is quiet and still. It is unusual and more than a little disconcerting. Then again, the last week and some change has been interesting by all accounts.

He puts water on the stove. While he owns an electric kettle, he rarely uses it when putting together his morning cup of tea.

He sees to his plants first. Gardening is not pristine work, and with a guest due to arrive, he would prefer to shower after digging around in the soil. So he fusses over the roses his son sent him and sings softly to them a few verses of the same song he used to help Kara through her Change from wolf to young girl - and then he gathers tomatoes and some leafy greens from the cold frames that line one side.

He's set up in the outdoor breakfast nook with his laptop, dressed in jeans and a simple, loose, brown cotton shirt, when his ears catch the rap of knuckles against his front door. He taps send briskly, and the email correspondence to Hussan is off into the ether.

When he finally opens the door, he leans idly on the frame to his sanctuary, a warm smile touching his features as he takes the sight of you in. ]

Buenos dias. I trust the drive over was uneventful?

[lastcall]

[As he opens the door, Eun offers him a small smile, chin lifting a little. Her hand adjusts the strap of the bag on her shoulder as her weight shifts from one foot to the other.]

Uneventful and peaceful. Enough I almost wonder if I should be getting up earlier around here to enjoy it better.

[Her gaze shifts from Asil, who looks quite comfortable in his jeans and slippers, to the interior of his house. She could see the hothouse from outside, but the interior has been a mystery until now.]

I came bearing breakfast, if you won't mind delaying a house tour long enough for me to put it in your oven.

[nosco]

[ His home has changed since he started renovations. Painting and building gave him something to do, put his finances to work, and made good on the promise that perhaps one day he would be prepared to receive guests.

While the exterior of his home is rustic American, the warm and homey tones of the indoors is a callback to Europe. Bran had laughed once, remarking that the old wolf thought that the "Spanish revival" trend might appeal to Asil - and he was right.

The tiles are terracota, warmed for Montana's cold climate by an assortment of persian rugs. The walls are a warm honey offset by the occasional white and wooden beams crossing the ceiling. There are lamps - all antiques or faux antiques, and lanterns grouped together in lieu of a chandeleir; the design a callback to the beauty of the Alhambra.

He likes turquoise. The color shows up in the odd piece of pottery, in the glass vases that give a range of roses simple homes on an open fqce bookshelf filled with carvings, books both old and new, as well as the odd trinket. It peeks out among the earthy patterns and colors of the cushions carelessly arranged on a heavy, wrought iron living room set and dots a border in what is clearly a warm and inviting kitchen. A pair of french doors lead to his garden and greenhouse, though a mechanism for an airlock expertly keeps the warmth of his hothouse at bay.

Werewolves like the cold. In the summertime, an airlock keeps his home from growing too stuffy. ]

The tour can wait. I can brew tea while you work.

for eun.

[nosco]

[ She reads for him, they share a vegetarian meal that he prepares for lunch, and after, he pulls up two benches close to the roses so he can seranade both Eun and his blooms with a rendition of John Denver's "Annie's Song" in his native tongue. The rest of the day is easy after that, spent in quiet companionship as he fusses over his plants, his edible garden, and occasionally, Eun. And when a hint of dark creeps over Montana, he drives her home and walks her to her doorstep with a gentle goodnight before he makes his way to the Marrok's home.

They go for a week and a half without meeting in person. In part, it is because he needs to recover, and the rest, because of the necessity of certain tasks that only he, Leah, Anna and Charles can be trusted with. Nevertheless, he makes it a point to make his presence felt with the help of small gifts for her kitchen: a basket of greens, a few jars of canned herbs - always with a sample cutting from his garden or a note with some verses from the poetry books scattered about his home.

In brief, each gift says think of me, for I am thinking of you.

It is a little over a month to the day of her arrival when a meeting is called for all of the wolves to attend. Overhead, the moon is round and full, shining brightly over the entirety of Montana - a hunter's moon, perfect for a run through the woods. He is early, arriving ahead to monitor the headcount. The meeting is held in the old pole barn to accommodate them all, because, as Bran had put it simply: he wanted to ensure that those of his wildlings who could, would be in attendance.


It's a little strange for Asil to find himself flanking his liege with Charles taking up Bran's right side. But then again, the last couple of years (nevermind the last few weeks) have been strange for them all.

He can only pray that his newfound place as a "back-up enforcer" does not mean that there will be more work for him.

When they are all complete, Bran hops on top of the wooden table they'd brought in from the main house.

"Thank you for coming, all of you."

It's a tactic that Asil approves of, not being particularly... tall himself. By crouching atop a platform, Bran ensures that he sees all of the gathered while asserting his authority and dominance to those who might otherwise be inclined to not pay attention.

"I know that it's rare that we gather like this. But I'd rather not play pass the message when many of us are still, for the most part, raw over recent events. At least this way, what I need you to hear, you hear straight from me."

They have been briefed already, those numbered among Bran's small council. So Asil sneaks a look among the crowd, hoping to soothe his restless wolf by picking Eun out. ]

[lastcall]

[Eun wasn't quite aware that she might need time after her day with Asil as well, not until the first few days in and she realized that it had been good for her to have the time to herself. To settle. To reflect. To attempt to work into a daily routine in her new, temporary home. This time his absence feels different, perhaps because it is not completely an absence. They made no plans of when they would see each other again, but Asil made a point of sending her small gifts throughout the days to make it clear that she was on his mind.

Her cabin smells of roses and faintly of him. When she cooks with his offerings, she thinks of him as well. Three days in, she sends Kara with some leftover muffins she's made, and a note thanking him for his gifts. It comes with a poem that makes it clear her thank you is exactly that, and that she has been thinking of him as well.

By the time the pack meeting is called, Eun has been in Aspen Creek a few weeks, and feels quite at home in her cabin. While this is not a vacation, it continues to feel like a trip away from the complications of the Carmel Valley Pack. Space from those who could not take no for an answer, space to learn what it's like to be a werewolf without the distractions of fending off others. She makes friends. She learns how to be a wolf. More than that, she learns more of how to be herself as a werewolf. Aspen Creek offers her more than she expected it to when she first agreed to come.

He attention is split between two of those things, however, when she joins everyone in the barn. Part of her is of course focused on the wolves around her, picking out familiar faces and attempting to learn the unfamiliar ones, while being very careful not to challenge anyone with her eyes. And then there is Asil, standing up front beside the Marrok in a position of honor. Charles is his father's second, but Asil appears to hold an important place in the pack as well, and it seems another small revelation about the man she's been thinking of often since her arrival. Eun is given little time to linger on him, however, or thoughts of their breakfast together, when Kara bounds up, all smiles, taking her by the hand to stand a little closer to the table, closer to where Charles stands.

Eun is given only moments, perhaps a minute to look at Asil from among all of the unfamiliar wolves, before Bran jumps to the top of the table to draw everyone's attention. Once he has it, he keeps it. Eun briefly recalls reading somewhere this concept. This presence that royalty and other rulers may have. The Marrok has it, though he doesn't flaunt it, and even Asil's presence doesn't distract her from Bran's words when he speaks.]

[nosco]

[ He manages not to preen when his princesita singles out Eun, effectively letting all those present know that:

a) While Eun is unfamliar, she is not to be touched.
b) For those stupid enough to try, they now know that she has not only Bran's - but Asil's protection as well; and, finally
c) That she sits surrounded by the Marrok's family and then some - his mate, his daughter-in-law who is less than an arm's reach from Charles; the Berserker, and poor, safe Juste - means that they are all to behave or invite a reckoning.

But Asil does not have more time to gloat inwardly, because Bran is speaking again - and this time, it is to formally bid welcome to their newest wolf.

"Welcome, Jang Eun of the Carmel Valley Pack. It is my privilege as Marrok of North America to welcome you to Aspen Creek, as it is the privilege of Mason Conway to call you one of his children.

"As agreed, for the next six months you are welcome to roam through the forests of my territory as any of my wolves." Bran's expression softens, but Asil would sooner trust his nose than that warm and fatherly look. Those who didn't know Bran well enough would miss just how he'd skirted outright declaring that for the duration of Eun's stay in Montana, she was a lone wolf welcomed onto pack grounds.

"While the offer of a place among our number still stands, I respect your request to revisit that conversation at a later date; once you have weighed and measured your options." There is a pause, perfectly timed just to let his words sink in, and then softer still: "I speak for all of us gathered here when I say again, welcome. You are ours to protect, as you would also protect us. You are ours to shelter as we would family."

Asil watches then, how the Marrok hops down from the table, looking no older than an unassuming young man more suited to the halls of a community college, and offers Eun a hand up. It is all formality and all necessity that she is properly presented to even the old ones. ]

[lastcall]

[Eun understands human nature so well, but she does not entirely get the nuances of the wolves she is among now. It was a similar issue in the pack back home. She could see the other wolves seeing that from Kara's acceptance she has made friends with the younger girl, and perhaps even that the fact Eun is trusted with Kara means that they do not consider her a threat. But it's her wolf who has to point out that in trusting Eun around Kara, they place her in the same category of one to be protected. She is among allies during that meeting, to help drive home Bran's point.

That she is welcomed.

That she is to be safe.

That they will protect her, just as she would protect them.

And that, while she is not pack yet, she may still become pack.

Knowing that it's coming, that Bran is coming, Eun manages to shrug away any tension that comes with anticipation, and takes his hand when offered. She moves to rise and stand where he guides her, doing her best to keep her expression neutral. She had decided that the most she would allow herself would be the faint curve up of her lips, but no more than that if she wanted to be taken seriously.

Her wolf at least seems pleased at the attention bestowed upon them by the Marrok, as Eun in turn responds to all that he's said.]

Thank you Marrok and alpha of the Aspen Creek Pack, for allowing me to come to your territory and offering your protection to roam freely through it. I am grateful for the opportunity to enjoy this extended stay here in Aspen Creek to consider my future options, and will do my utmost to protect the pack to the best of my abilities, as they would protect me. Thank you very much for your welcome and shelter.

[It feels a little repetitive, but Eun decides it would be better to err on the side of caution, to make it clear that she accepts his protection, that she will offer the same, and that yes, she is grateful for all that he offers her during her time there. She pauses a beat, and after giving Bran a quick glance, she offers Kara, and the rest of the pack, a sly little smile.]

And here I thought I was past the days of that "new kid in school" experience.

[Forgive her, Bran, she could not help herself.]

for asil.

[lastcall]

[It is many hours that pass all too quickly before Eun finally pleads exhaustion. If Asil is close to doing the same, she doesn't know, and does not care. There is no competition between them when it comes to stamina, after spending the evening proving to each other how good they are together. The bare minimum clean up happens in a sleepy blur, and before long Eun falls asleep curled up against Asil.

Between her changes, their lovemaking, and the emotional highs and lows of the evening, Eun sleeps very, very soundly. More than that, she and her wolf are content, having found someone who manages to balance passion and physical urges with emotional connection that does not veer into sappy sentiment that would otherwise make her cringe. She's now well used to his endearments, so much so that she does not flinch when he calls her his love in English, and even goes so far as to use his endearments for him. In the back of her mind she makes a note to ask him what other endearments there are, or to look it up, but it is a low priority to simply enjoying the change.

It is not lost on her that she's slipped into this relationship with Asil at a surprisingly speedy pace. In the space of a month, she's fallen hard for him, and while that speed has her balking to say plainly that she is in love with him or that she loves him, even in the quiet of her own mind, the depth of her feelings are considerable and clear to them both. She has his heart, and he has hers, and the reality of their feelings are not limited to only one string of commonly used words.

It works for her, and gives her time to continue to get comfortable with things between them. It should alarm her more how easy it all is, how little adjustment she needs to most things, but Eun is too happy with how things are unfolding to be scared of the newness.

She sleeps with a smile on her face.

When she wakes, she can tell already that it is late in the morning. She is alone, with Asil's side of the bed cooled enough to tell her he has been gone for a while now. Rather than be sad that they have not woken up together (she does not doubt it will happen in the future) Eun allows herself time to enjoy being in Asil's bed at all in the quiet of the morning. She continues to wake slowly, looking around the room she only saw at night and picking out the little ways in which he has made it his sanctuary. On impulse, she flops over to Asil's side of the bed and breathes in deeply the scent of him on his pillow, eyes closed as memories of the night before run through her mind. At her old apartment they would might have had the police called on them for noise disturbances, but Eun appreciates their isolation in the woods, giving them privacy she would never have had otherwise.

Rested enough to get up for the morning, Eun shows herself into the master bathroom and takes a shower. While she brought a tooth brush and tooth paste from her cabin, she happily makes use of his soaps, not at all minding the opportunity to smell a little like him. She cleans quickly and dries her hair with a hair dryer she also brought from her cabin, setting it on low so as to not disturb the morning's quiet overmuch. Asil's hearing is good, and it is her hope to have it all handled before he even realizes she is awake. Once done, Eun heads back into the bedroom to dress, and on a whim, digs into his closet to pull out a larger, cotton button-down shirt from inside. They are not too dissimilar in height, but the broadness of his shoulders makes the shirt oversized in just the way she might hope for. She slips on a pair of panties on next and heads down the hallway and stairs to the more familiar downstairs.

When Asil isn't immediately apparent, she shifts into the kitchen to find her things and, to her extreme appreciation, a kettle of hot water already available for tea. It doesn't take her long to set up a cup to steep, before she gets to work making a tray of cinnamon rolls for them to have for breakfast. A glance at the clock tells her that it's just after eleven, much later than she usually sleeps in, but life in Aspen Creek is slow enough, unhurried enough that a lazy day like this seems to stretch ahead of her still. It is not half-gone when the hours do not often pass quickly here. With sleeves unbuttoned and only turned up at the cuffs, she jumps up onto the countertop where she was the night before, and crosses her ankles over one another as she begins drinking her tea.

Asil, she imagines, will make his way back to the kitchen when he is ready, and until the rolls are ready to eat she won't interrupt whatever he happens to be doing.]

[nosco]

[ He had woken a little close to two hours before, with the sun shining through his curtains and the faintest hint of birds chirping beyond the window. Eun had been beside him, caught in sleep and peaceful dreams and he had been loath to wake her after their activities the evening (hours) before.

So he gets up, showers, and dresses in clothes that suit a quiet morning of fussing over his garden. When the sound of running water eventually catches - faint - on his ears, he sets down his shears to heat a pot on the stove.

There is a unique pleasure in hearing one's lover (because if nothing more, that is what they are to each other now, yes?) pad around in one's kitchen. He tells himself he does not deliberately track her movements and murmurs softly to his vegetables that perhaps he will make them both a salad for a quick snack later in the afternoon.

When she does not appear in his garden, it occurs to him that perhaps it would be good to finish up his work, fill his basket, and go back inside.

He makes a fairly domestic sight: a small, steel basket full of greens and root crops in one hand, weather-worn jeans and a loose cotton shirt. Asil leaves his shoes behindnthe door, happy to pad towards her barefoot. ]

Good morning.

[ The sight of her wearing his shirt warms him. And so, he comes over with the intention to greet her as a proper lover would - with a kiss. ]

[lastcall]

[It is possible that among the things Eun packed in her bag last night, clothes were among them. After all, doesn't she have fresh and clean underwear on now? The fact that she's borrowed one of Asil's shirts to wear that morning is deliberate. Because she wanted to. Because she wanted his scent on her. His clothes on her. Because she wanted him to see her dressed as such. Little signs of not only her acceptance of their new relationship, but enjoyment of it.

There is much enjoyment to be had as Asil makes his way to the door. She glances up at she makes his way in, shoes left at the door but basket of greens and vegetables in hand. He looks like something off of a Harlequin romance novel, though she knows his own words would put them to shame. The appraisal in her gaze is overt, and appreciative. She smiles upon seeing him and puts her cup aside in favor of greeting him properly.]

Good morning to you too.

[Her arms reach for him before he makes it to her, and as his lips find hers they wind around behind his neck gently. He smells like the soap she used earlier in the shower, clean skin, and rich soil. What man needs cologne when he smells this way? Eun gives him slow, dragging kisses in her greeting, and pulls away slowly after.]

Thank you preparing the tea.

for eun.

[nosco]

[ That Eun approaches Bran about moving to Aspen Creek does not come as a surprise to Asil. His little wolf is flourishing in the wilderness of Montana in a way that he suspected she had not been able to in Carmel Valley. Whispers travel fast after the Marrok sends word to Mason Conway and among those Asil calls found family, the prospect of Eun staying in a more permanent fashion brings much pleasure.

Kara is attached. Peggy enjoys having another woman among the ranks. Anna was evidently tickled pink that Eun had taken his advice to express wanting to coordinate with Charles on growing her bank account.

And him? Well. He is equal parts relieved and anxious of what this could mean for them - the good kind of anxious. The one his princesita says are probably stomach butterflies.

What surprises him however is that when Bran drops by his home to visit (read: apprise him of the new developments) he finds himself volunteering himself for a flight down to California "for however long it is needed to help Eun move" to their neck of the woods. And even moreso, he is momentarily baffled that Bran agrees to let him.

So here he is, puzzling over what to pack for the trip while his mobile phone vibrates on a nearby table - the result of Anna filling his inbox with instructions and messages for coordination purposes. ]

Can you run the itinerary by me again, mi amor?

[lastcall]

[It had not taken long after the full moon hunt for Eun to go to Bran to announce her intention to accept his invitation to join his pack as a member, rather than the guest she had been the previous weeks. Bran had not seemed surprised in the least, but neither had Eun expected him to be. Even without her growing relationship with Asil, Eun would have viewed his pack as the one where she belonged. The one where people would treat her in the way she wished.

The friends she's made in the pack had thought it very likely that she would join them, but were delighted nonetheless to hear official confirmation that she had made her decision. Her talk with Charles had gone well. Despite lacking the know-how of how to manage her funds in a way that would build her wealth rather than have her living paycheck to paycheck, Charles had patiently explained what he could while Anna had baked cookies for them both in the kitchen. It was at that point that Eun had mentioned how happy she was to have more time to be baking, especially with no lack of shortage of hungry wolves to gobble up what she'd created. It was apparently a common past time with the ladies of the pack, though few of them had been baking every day the way Eun had. It puts a thought in her mind that perhaps it might be a good vocation for her in Aspen Creek...but she keeps such thoughts to herself for the moment.

Before she can settle in to Aspen Creek, she needs to uproot her life in California and transfer what she can to Montana.

It had been Eun's expectation that she would be traveling with Charles and Anna alone. After all, most of the wolves in Bran's pack were there for a reason, and while Asil could easily make trips to Missoula, and did, she hadn't expected him to be able to handle a flight out to California, especially for as long as it would likely be. She's thrilled to have him going, especially with a meeting with Mason's pack ahead of her, but it does add complications she hadn't considered at the time. None of them, at least, are complications that are impossible to handle, or unwelcome for her.

It would likely be some months before Eun would have an opportunity to fly out to visit her family again. They had been shocked at her recent call to finally open up about what had happened to her the last year, and why she had not come home to visit despite being so close at the time. It had been a long, and emotional conversation for all three of them, but one that had left Eun with some hope that they would make the adjustment without too much issue. Her parents were intellectual sorts at heart, but not so much that they did not have great depth of feeling for their only daughter. They loved her, and said as much during the call. They would not reject her for what she had come, especially when it had apparently made her so much happier than she'd been as a human. Eun is eager to see them again, and while it will make things more complicated to add in an introduction of future pack mates, and now the man she's fallen for, she's rather pleased to have the opportunity now.

As Eun stretches out on Asil's bed, watching him pack and occasionally looking at her phone as Anna's messages fill up her inbox as well, she feels quite content. Her anticipation of this visit is one that involves more excitement than apprehension, and each item that Asil packs is another cementing his commitment to take this trip with her.]

We arrive in San Jose tomorrow, late afternoon, early evening or so. Charles booked hotel rooms for us close to Daly City, and we can go there to clean up after traveling, but my parents will probably offer to host you and I, if not Charles and Anna too, at least for a few nights while we're in town. You can decide when we've settled in a bit whether you're up for that or not. [She feels certain that Charles and Anna will stay at the hotel. She picks her phone up again after that, and glances at some of the messages.] The next evening after, the four of us are having dinner with Thomas Hao and his companion. It's my understanding that this is a semi-official dinner since it's his territory we're in, so chances are high we'll need to be dressed up for it. Once that's out of the way...it's going to be a mix of me going through my things and packing up what I want to take with me, and enjoying showing the rest of you around where I grew up.

[She looks up at that, face warm with the bright smile she offers. Eun didn't realize how much it would excite her to get to do this already, but it does. She can hardly wait.]

Once we're done up there, I need to do the same with my apartment down in Monterey. That one will probably take longer because I'll need to arrange furniture movers and all of that, and get a truck hired to load all of my boxes into. But after that...Mason's ready to do the ritual that removes me from his pack on whatever our last day ends up being.

[While Eun had been inclined to take care of it right away, the fact that they weren't certain how long it would take her to get ready to move became a factor. It had seemed safer to have her remain in Mason's pack to avoid Eun spending too much time as a female werewolf without a pack. Rolling onto her stomach, she props her head up on the heels of her hands.]

Are you having trouble figuring out what you should pack?

[nosco]

More that I am debating on what would be appropriate to bring.

[ He had briefly entertained just packing essentials, and then considered that if a change of attire was required, he could drop by stores to purchase whatever was needed. But California is dense and for all that yes, it was replete with various shops for his needs, picking out clothing that would last for however long they ended up staying was best.

And so. Here he is, trimming down his choices to what would fit well in a manageable suitcase. ]

Do you have questions about Thomas Hao? I am not sure how much you have been briefed on regarding our... [ there is a wry note in his voice that is at odds with the half-distracted expression on his face as he sets down a set of shirts to select from ] vampire ally.

for asil.

[lastcall]

[Eun doesn't get nervous when she flies, and becoming a werewolf hasn't changed a thing. She enjoys travel. The organization and packing. The outfit selected for both comfort and style when navigating an airport and sitting on the plane. She enjoys the sense of independence that comes from handling it all herself.

This particular trip is different, however. Charles is taking the pack plane and flying them himself. There's a small airport nearby, which means there's no need for fussing over what she's wearing. Instead, for the first part of the flight, Eun focuses on Asil. The fact that she soothed his fears and concerns last night does not mean they will not rear their ugly heads once more. She tries to be as attentive as she can (in subtle ways) as they sit behind Charles and Anna. For a time, Eun contents herself with holding his hand, but soon Asil falls asleep, and Eun decides to do the same. The small plane is convenient, but it's also noisier than a commercial liner. It's difficult to get into her book, and there's only so much looking out the window she can do. It is surprisingly easy to rest her head on Asil's shoulder and doze for a few hours. She wakes eventually, just as the cross the Californian border. She looks at the dry grass on the hills, the trees with leaves more yellow than what they see in Montana. Eun knows that California is called the Golden State because of the gold rush in the 1800's, but sometimes when she looks at those dry, yellowing hills (prone to spreading fire far too easily) she can see how it looks a little like the Golden State as well. It is home, and Eun looks out her window the rest of the way, drinking it in with a sense of homesickness she didn't know she felt.

It's only been weeks since she left California, but the fact that she hasn't seen her parents for longer makes her miss them more acutely, now that they are so close.

When they land, Eun is glad to stretch her legs and help gather the luggage out of the plane. She takes her own bags with ease, situating them all so she can still hold Asil's hand as they walk. The airport in Half Moon Bay is not one she's ever flown from, not when SFO was so close to home, but she can look around and feel that it is California around her, and that keeps the smile on her face and a little bounce in her step. As they head to the rental cars, trailing behind Anna and Charles, she looks over to Asil and leans in to press a kiss to his lips.]

Did you rest well?

Re: for asil.

[nosco]

[ It is brighter here than Montana. The difference in the light is subtle, but it is enough for him to take notice. ] I did.

[ The weight of Eun's hand in his grounds him. He carries suitcase on his shoulder, like a regular bag. People are few on the tarmac and there is no reason to hide his strength just yet.

Up ahead, Anna turns to walk backwards and calls towards them: "You guys take the SUV. We'll follow." ]

[lastcall]

[So far, Asil seems okay. She knows he's probably well practiced in hiding how he feels, in guarding his expressions so that others cannot see to the truth, but Eun looks all the same. watches him a little.

Anna's voice draws her attention, and Eun calls forward, holding out her hand to catch some keys.]

No problem, we'll lead the way.

[She looks over to Asil then, giving his hand a squeeze.]

Do you mind if I drive?