loccent | run with wolves

Entry tags:

verse: run with wolves

run with wolves | open post.

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Eun's eyes close as his hands run over her back, all but purring above him for how good it feels. What is it about being a werewolf that touch feels so much better now?]

Mm, well, eventually we'll get into my old neighborhood and to my house. Around there, they have these two story houses that come in all different kinds of colors. Some more muted but...a lot of them are pastels. My house is sort of a light green with a white trim. We'll pull in the car in the driveway, but on the other side of the grass there's the stairs up to the front door. Which is on the second floor. I don't know why, it's just how all of the houses were designed and built. Like, all of them in these neighborhoods. Just like a lot of the ones on 19th...

[She's getting ahead of herself.]

My father has wind chimes he hangs on the porch, and when we step inside there's just a small area to take off our shoes, before we step into the living room. It's not very fancy inside, but it's all clean and tidy, and comfortable. [She smiles against his ear, and kisses it.] It's a three bedroom home. My room and my parents' room are on the top floor. The guest room on the same floor as the living room, kitchen, and guest bathroom. And there's the garage on the ground floor, of course. There are too many hills and trees to seethe city around us when we go outside, but it's far enough from the commercial developments that it's easy to see the sky above us. It's a neighborhood but I think it's one of the prettier ones, closer to the ocean and everything.

[And next is San Francisco. The part she imagines he'll be most anxious about.]

You know, you might do better in San Francisco than you think. I'd say only a third of the city at most, probably more like a quarter, is that difficult combination of densely packed, tall buildings and lots of traffic and people. And even then, it's never so packed that you can't easily get where you need to go. And we don't even have to go to those areas because they're usually the business districts and the touristy parts of town.

[She nuzzles into the corner of his jaw and sighs.]

Most of the places I used to visit had buildings no more than three stories high. They were quieter. Lots of little hole in the wall restaurants along the metro line. And there are a lot of beautiful parks. At night we should take wolf form and go into Golden Gate Park. There are bison there in the pen, and an arboretum full of flowers from all over the world...

[She smiles then, lifting up to look at him.]

There's a courtyard between the DeYoung museum and the Academy of Science museum, nestled right there in the park, and sometimes people bring their art there, or they hold concerts. There used to be a night once a week where people could come and dance to live music. It's beautiful there, I think you'd really like it.

[ He lets his head lean against hers, the sound of her voice lulling the tension he has not realized had been building deep in his chest. ]

Thank you. [ The words are soft but no less full of feeling. And he feels a bit more centered, knowing what they might expect. ]

I had not realized until this moment how... concerned I have been feeling.

My offer to join you on this trip is well-intentioned. But I had not allowed myself room to consider what it might mean once we moved beyond hypotheticals.

[Eun relaxes once more, curling in toward him. Her lips press against his cheek gently.]

I understand your concerns, and I know they are valid, but I do also think that the places we are going will be less difficult than you think. None of it is like New York City, and we won't be visiting the places that come close.

[Her lips find his neck, and she kisses him again, gently. Sweetly.]

And you will not be there alone. You will be there with me. And Charles and Anna. Your pack.

[ Her words ring with truth and because of that, he takes the opportunity to turn his face towards Eun so that his lips might brush against hers. He lingers on that kiss for a moment and then asks: ]

And you? Is there anything you would like to ask me? Or perhaps share about your pack?

If you have friends there, it would distress me if I mistook them for annoyances.

[Eun wonders if she'll be able to manage not kissing Asil as often as she does when in the presence of her parents. It's going to be difficult to limit herself to holding his hand.]

There are a few that I'm friendly with. One of the ladies. A couple of the mated men. I was never super close with any of them, but I can point them out so you know at the outset.

[Sighing, she nuzzles up against him once more.]

I admit...I am a little nervous too. About seeing my parents for the first time since my Change. About introducing them to all of you. [Not just Asil, but Charles and Anna too.] They seemed like they were adjusting to the idea but for all I know it could all feel different once we're all face to face.

Do you think it might be better if you and your parents had time to reacquaint yourselves first?

[ She had mentioned that she'd told her parents over the phone. But Eun was right in that sometimes conversations from miles away might feel different when revisited in person. Coming to terms with how their daughter was no longer human was a fair amount to take in without adding in any other potential complications - no matter how otherwise welcome. ]

Edited 2020-05-24 09:11 (UTC)

[Eun hesitates, because she hadn't considered splitting up once they had gotten to California, but his idea has merit.]

Maybe...maybe that would be best. They can start with one werewolf instead of four. You three can drop me off at my parents' home and head to the hotel. Settle all the baggage, clean up maybe, and meet me back after an hour or so, so I can make introductions?

[By then, she'll have had a chance to see how comfortable they are with things. It's possible they'll need more time, in which case perhaps they wouldn't offer to host them for more than a family dinner.]

I will let Anna know. And you can let us know also if they need a little more time with you before you bring in the rest of us.

[ Her parents sound like good people. If they are anything like John and Liza in their love for their daughter, he is more than happy to give them time to... acclimate as not to feel besieged by strange werewolves. ]

[Eun sighs, nodding her agreement.]

That works. The hotel is really close too, so we won't be far.

[Earlier she'd suggested a place close to her parents' home rather than in the heart of San Francisco itself. The hotels of San Francisco could be very, very nice, but those same hotels were usually in the heart of downtown, full of chaos and tourists. With Daly City directly next to the city, it had seemed better to suggest a quiet place for everyone to retreat to as need be, rather than force the four wolves to navigate around people and traffic on foot while they were there.

Besides that, the hotel rests in Daly City, rather than San Francisco. On the edge, but still. Eun doesn't know how territorial Thomas is of his city, but she hopes that he'll see it as a gesture of respect.

If they decide they want to upgrade to the expensive hotels of downtown later, Eun is certain they will be able to find something somewhere.]

If they seem to have adjusted to the news as well as I'm hoping, I think it should all go well. Mom, thankfully, isn't the sort to trot out the baby pictures at the drop of a hat, and Dad's not the kind of person to give a man I'm seeing a shovel-talk. Or shotgun-talk, depending on what phrase you're more familiar with. I think they both know that if someone made them happy I'd make them regret it myself. [Her lips curl up a little into a smile, thinking about it. Knowing that Asil knows well that Eun doesn't hesitate to make her anger known.] But I wouldn't put it past them to ask what all three of you do for a living. They're going to be very curious about you especially. Are you ready to answer all of their questions?

I am. [ There's no hesitation, no anxiety now. He's never had to present himself as a suitable suitor before, but if anything, the truth will suffice. ]

I plan to be as honest as I am allowed to your parents. Though I might leave my actual age out of our talks.

[ The humans knew that they were long-lived and immune to disease. But mentioning that he was alive when Charlemagne ruled might be better for once they were better acquainted. ]

And then have Anna lead any additional discussions on werewolves if your parents have other questions you cannot answer.

[Eun doesn't have to ask what he means by "allowed" when it comes to sharing information. Werewolves as a race have secrets that should not make it to the public, and Asil is old enough to have his own personal secrets. Or secrets he holds for others.]

That's a good idea. Anna seems like she'd be really good at handling that sort of thing, and she definitely knows more than I do...

[His words do bring something to mind, however, and Eun sits up a little to look at him curiously.]

Is it rude for me to ask how old you are? I know you're in the hundreds-of-years category, and older than Charles, but not much beyond that.

[Having looked up the Moors of Spain on Wikipedia, she has already discarded the possibility of him being there from the beginning of the occupation. Surely he's not that old.]

Not rude. [ Though he had been deliberately vague since he had not wanted to scare her off. They are in a better place now, however, and he hopes her knowing will help rather than hurt. ]

I was born a little before the Battle of Tours, in the year seven hundred and thirty-one.

[ Calendars have changed greatly since then, so he has not bothered in a long time to wonder the precise date of his birth. ]

Seven...

[Eun stares forward at his skin, not facing him at that exact moment. She's quiet for a long moment, mind whirling as she tries to handle some numbers in her head.

She pushes up away, just so she can look down at him, eyes wide with obvious surprise.]

You're almost thirteen-hundred years old?

[ Having anticipated her surprise, he gently props himself up on his elbows. ]

You can imagine how well that would look on dating sites. [ He keeps his tone light, alluding to the incident he told her about where the pack had set him up on a series of interesting - if altogether disastrous - dates. ] I believe the phrase Bran elected to use was "not quite old as dirt". Anna and Kara's recommendation.

[Eun pushes back further as Asil props himself up, and his light tone is what keeps Eun from spiraling deeper into her surprise. He makes a joke, and Eun cracks a smile despite herself. She smacks his shoulder playfully.]

You can't say you're as old as dirt unless you were BFFs with Jesus, I guess. But oh my god, I thought you were like, four-hundred or so. Give or take fifty years...

[She stares at him, marveling a little over werewolf genes making him look as young as he does. Not a hint of his true age.]

So much of what you've told me before has...has very different context now.

[There's no need to rehash it, but it's clear that she's thinking about it now. The way he calls the pack Children, his initial concerns that he was too old for her, and more beyond that. His timeline...the issues with his control over his wolf, there is much to consider. To speculate on. None of which she doubts he hasn't already thought of himself. She shakes her head a little, smile present. Her body language shows nothing in rejection, and neither does her tone as it rises to match his lightness.]

You know, if you were still in your eleven-hundreds I think it would have been fine, but approaching your thirteen-hundreds? [She gives a show of feigned disappointment.] I think I'd better go find myself a nice octogenarian to settle down with instead.

[She rolls off of him, swinging her legs over the bed, seeming to have every intention of leaving while perhaps more obviously having every intention of seeing if he might capture her before her feet hit the ground.]

[ Ah, this dance, he is familiar with. He does not grab for her - but he does let his fingers catch lightly at her elbow, a slow smile toying at his lips. ]

You had no objections to my age when I made love to you the other day.

[Eun gently pulls her elbow out of his grasp. The way she backs up from him says that she is trying to put distance between them. The look in her eyes, lighter for the rise of the wolf in them, tells him to chase her. And if the look in her eyes is not clear, the smile on her face certainly is.]

The other day I thought you were a sprightly four-hundred. I had no idea of the truth. If I'd known I would never have taken the risk. What if you broke a hip?

Broke a hip. [ He says it slowly, incredulously - but not without amusement. ] Mi amor, I am offended.

[ He sounds far from it, however. The wolf in her eyes calls to his, and he does not need a mirror to see that his own have lightened as well.

He is watching her now, his weight propped up on both elbows, that it would be so easy to come to his feet and give chase.

Low and liquid, he murmurs: ] If you plan to run, mi cielo, I recommend you get a five minute head-start.

[Eun's interest spikes with his own show, with the gold in his eyes, and she walks closer to the doorway, watching him speculatively. They need to eat. They haven't yet. They should get sleep as well...but it is tempting to play.

Especially when he looks at her like that. When his voice twists things low and deep inside her.]

In Golden Gate Park, I'll take that five-minute head start and see what happens. Here and now, I'll just have to take my chances.

[And off she goes, dashing out of the bedroom with her heart beating fast and hard in her chest.]

[ He vaults off the bed, hot on her tail as he rushes past the doorway to follow her out into the hall. The only place to go (beyond the spare upstairs bedroom) is the stairs - which she is most definitely heading for.

It is tempting to hop down from the second floor, which is the strategic option. But this is play and he is not out to frighten her.

He'll take those stairs two steps at a time and then sweep her up into his arms just before she makes it to the bottom. ]

[Eun also took the stairs two at a time, thinking that a pair of gloves might have made her descent faster if she'd slid down with the help of the hand-railing in the stairwell.

She hears Asil behind her and pushes forth with a burst of energy. Just because she wants him to chase her doesn't mean she's not going to half-ass her attempt to get away.

Of course, all of this is moot. Asil catches up to her in almost no time, and she lets out a sound of surprise and laughter as she feels him grab her and sweep her up off the ground. There is nothing but joy and want on her face as she leans in to kiss him, full of heat and desire.]

[ He uses the wall for support, caught up in the taste of her lips and tongue on his. The sound of her laughter is music to his ears. The press of her body stoking need and desire. ]

I have half a mind to take you here, if only for the novelty of it.

[ He murmurs that as he moves to kiss along her jaw, hands splayed on her back as he holds her close. ] It is not as if we will we doing anything else but dinner and sleep.

[Her chin lifts in welcome of his mouth along her jaw, already making low pleased sounds at the back of her throat.]

It must be that old age getting the best of you if half of your mind is lagging behind the other half.

[Even now, she cannot help but tease him. Goad him on. She is quite, quite happy being pressed between the wall and his body. Her legs squeeze around his waist.]

I was thinking about you taking me against this wall before I ever left the bedroom.

Were you now? [ He rolls his hips, his need straining against his pants. Tracking a path down the side of her throat, he shifts his hold on her so that he fills his palms with her curves. ]

I am happy to indulge if that is what you wish.

[She shifts in his arms as his hands slide over her body, grasping her where it pleases her most and helps keep her aloft all at once. With her head resting back against the wall, her hands move, one arm helping to brace herself so that he does not have to keep her up without assistance, and the other stroking down the back of his neck.]

I wish. I want. I insist.

run with wolves | open post.

Characters

PREMISE

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