alwaysmovinghowl

[alwaysmovinghowl]

Howl had been crawling backwards on his hands, trying to get leverage in the sand. Until Eagan was on him again and he was scrambling to keep their hands and mouth off his face. "Why-," grunting he glared, "You rabid lil shit."

The heel of his foot came down against the side of her head, knocking them away from the leg. She turned, spitting to the side before looking back at Howl, and moving to lunge at him again.

[alwaysmovinghowl]

"Eh deadly creatures is about perspective right? Other towns got muggers and serial killers-" pausing he gave a shrug and an exasperated huff, "Actually never mind apparently we still got the both of those. Towns one more murder away from me barricading the door at night." Glancing back at them he gave a small shrug, "What don't want to float next to me? You don't want to share water so figured you didn't want to share a floaty either."

koda cracked a small smile, they hadn't intended to make him laugh but it felt nice to make anyone laugh in general, sometimes they needed that reminder that they could actually do that. "fair, i'd say there's worse towns out there in the world but i don't think any others have deadly creatures that come out at night so i can't really say that." though they ended up blinking at him, confused as to what he meant. "we?" they asked cocking their head a little to the side.

[alwaysmovinghowl]

Howl slapped his hand over his own mouth to keep from yelling, most of the people around them were too busy drinking or had a radio playing loudly. Stumbling back he fell into the sand bringing his foot back again and kicking at Eagan, "Get the fuck off you little ankle biter," he hissed aiming for their face and hand.

She clenched her jaw as the foot came down, getting her already bad hand in the process of smashing the cupcakes. The thing already had had enough damage that she was more upset about the cupcakes than it. He continued to talk. The way he had a the other event when they'd first crossed paths. She grabbed his leg with the hand not currently under his foot and bit down hard, sinking her teeth into his calf, aiming for blood.

[alwaysmovinghowl]

Howl's jaw clenched, half tempted to kick them from the position he was in but they weren't exactly in an alley this time. Instead opting to smash his foot down over the container not caring if he caught Eagan's hand. "You think I gave a shit what she thought of me? She wanted to keep you how was that my problem? She said I could leave so I did." Crossing his arms he smirked, "But hey, worked out for me, one of us still kicking. So maybe I should be grateful you popped out."

She went to pull the container back again, but he was just a little too quick with the slam, knocking the container and the remaining cupcakes to the ground. "Are you fucking kidding me?" she growled as she bent down to see if any of them were salvageable. "You were insecure about a baby? That's what it was? You left because my mother cared about me?" she let out a laugh, shaking her head "what a fucking loser."

[alwaysmovinghowl]

"What she never teach you to share?" Howl snapped, already annoyed this time he reached over to try and slam his hand on top of the container. Staring blankly at them, "Cheating on who? Your mother?" Now he actually scoffed, "She'd never make it that easy, all about you, you, you."

"Not for you" Eagan pulled the container back quickly as she saw him reaching for one of them. "So what was it? Were you cheating on her?"

[alwaysmovinghowl]

Howl was enjoying the sun and the view, he had a pair of sunglasses and swim shorts on. He'd been standing a bit away from the lake chatting with a redhead when he heard a familiar voice. Turning around he bit back a groan rolling his eyes, ready to ignore them before noticing his companion was gone now. Cursing under his breath he turned back towards Eagan, "The fuck you want," glancing at the box he raised a brow reaching to try and snatch a cupcake, "Aren't you a little old to be going to birthday parties?"

@alwaysmovinghowl

Eagan had tried not to think too much about how or why this day had come to be, telling herself she could do that later back at home. She was maybe just a little too drunk and a little too high now with the remaining cupcakes that had been baked for her, searching the area for Mo because she was about 73.85% sure they hadn't had one of the cupcakes yet. That's when she saw him. That fucking asshole. "Hey! Asshole!" she shouted at him as she made her way over, unable to help herself.

[alwaysmovinghowl]

Howl stared at them for a moment before actually laughing, even if it wasn't a joke, it a good unintentional one. "You know what? You got me there," he said shaking his head. Thinking it over he shrugged, "Over a year give or take, not the worst town I've found myself in," certain company not included he thought. Glancing at Koda they shrugged, "Be a waste not to, long as you're not planning on shoving me in. We walkin in or you wanna grab one of those tubes?"

"are we in the commune right now?" koda said. was it a joke? it might've been but even they couldn't tell, maybe it was supposed to be a smartass comment instead. "that's fair, have you lived here long then?" they were curious if that was the case for having a view like that because they enjoyed it here for the most part, they also haven't been here very long either. "both, i wasn't planning on being in and out of the water. just going in long enough to enjoy it and the sun then relaxing on land the rest of the time." then they also turned to him. "since you love summer are you planning on swimming to?"

[alwaysmovinghowl]

"Ain't the commune suppose to be big on sharing is caring or whatever," Howl grumbled but dropped his hands, "Yeah yeah, I won't drink your drink, scouts honor." He gave a mock salute in their direction. "Eh can't complain food, booze, and nice views ain't much more you could for in this place," he said gaze moving to the lake and the various people. "Always did love summer, better than this bitch cold that's been hanging around." Turning back to look at Koda, "You hopping in the water or sticking to dry land?"

“i didn’t say i didn’t want a conversation, i just don’t want you to drink my drink again.” koda did realize they were still hiding it behind their back and finally moved it back in front of them, let it hang to their side in their hand. “and i’m fine, you?”

[alwaysmovinghowl]

"Hey I asked, you were to say no," Howl shot back shaking his head before holding his hands up. "You know I was swinging by to just say hi and see how you were doing, but damn. I can take a hint and keep walking," he said wondering how this was a conversation he was having.

"you might be, i can't tell off of one conversation at a bar where you did technically take my drink." even if it was to just take a sip of it and they didn't technically stop him but they also didn't know that's what he was doing. koda shrugged though, "there's more room than you think and i'm off by myself most the time so the only other culprit was you."

[alwaysmovinghowl]

"Ok first off way to make everyone in town think I'm a damn danger to society with that reaction," Howl grumbled rolling his eyes. "Second off, you live in a damn house where you can't even stretch without bumping into anyone, so doubt it was me. I'm healthy as a horse."

who: howl and koda where: doesn't matter, don't take their water this time howl @alwaysmovinghowl

koda had a water in their hand and saw someone familiar heading towards them. on instinct they covered their drink with their hand and tucked it behind your back. “i almost got sick last time you drank from my drink you can’t have any this time.”

[alwaysmovinghowl]

Howl Lake Party 2024

[alwaysmovinghowl]

"Commune," Howl raised a brow, more than a bit surprised, it wasn't really the housing situation he'd have pegged them for. "Least you're getting more room. Didn't like the idea of not having a guaranteed bed or people being able to go through my shit when I'm not there," he said shaking his head. Going back to his own drink he shrugged, "Well we can make it a little more entertaining since we're both not having a bad time. Everyone always asks the same questions, how'd you get here blah blah. It's usually the same like 4 answers. You try to guess mine and I try to guess yours, loser buys the other one a bar snack."

"quite the opposite, i live at the commune so this is less people than what i'm used to." koda was curious as to what howl was doing and why he wanted their water and only became more confused as he slid it back and said all that. "oh." they blinked a little bit as they looked at him, "truthfully i didn't know you were joking i just thought you wanted water. i'm actually not bored at all i'm enjoying my time here." even if howl was a little odd to them.

[alwaysmovinghowl]

"Offering drinks makes you better than most of the people trying for that mayor slot, let me know if you wind up running. Got worse people I could vote for," Howl said, giving a nod as well to the bartender.

Howl barely reacted to the aggression coming off the other, "Most folks don't wear sunglasses indoors, pal. But hey like you said your days old, for all I know it's the new thing to do out there in the big wide world," he said making a vague motion with his hand to the side. "That a dickmove of an explanation for ya, or we square?" he asked raising his own brow back.

At the mention of a little brother he took a sip of his new drink grimacing from the taste and the news. "What you in actual hell before now? You spend most of your time looking over your shoulder, bad enough we got a curfew like we're back in grade school. Now instead of getting grounded, it's literal into the ground," he said shaking his head. Taking another long sip he let out his own sigh, "Some guy got torn to bits on his way home, left a stain still in the middle of the street."

"Nope, something I decided to try out today, how am I doing?" Waylon quipped back, small grin twitching at the corner of his mouth as he threw another swig of moonshine into it. "Another?" He motioned to the guys glass, and waved over the bartender for his own refill.

He nodded once, "very new, mate. Days old practically." Although his brows furrowed around the edge of his glasses as his eyes were mentioned, muscles in his jaw tightening just a little. "It would be a dick move and yet you done it anyway," eyebrow raised, "what makes you think my eyesight is bag huh?" That was the true question, the true test, a push to see how honest the other would be, to determine how much longer this conversation would continue. "Go on, make an actual dick move."

He let out a small sigh, leaning back a little on his stool, a small hum reverberating from his lips. "Yeah yeah, I found him. Little brother, but he ain't so little anymore." He pushed up his shoulders to emphasise the size of him. "And to be fair, this place ain't as bad as where I was before."

[alwaysmovinghowl]

Howl hummed in thought before shrugging, "One way to pass time in this place," he mumbled. Glancing at her before raising a brow, the reminder of who else was in town on his mind, "Really pulling out all the stops for a guy who's old enough to be your dad, huh? Like the 3rd person I've met with daddy issues in this town."

“What can I say? I’m adaptable,” Elise grinned, then let out a short laugh at his question. “I’m not always cheerful, I just happen to enjoy chatting up hot people. Nothing wrong with that,” she shrugged and took another sip. “Shit, the water did that? All it did was ruin my best heels, which I was so mad about. Could have been a lot worse I guess. Hey, at least you can rock the look, Freddy couldn’t manage that.”

[alwaysmovinghowl]

Howl wasn't expecting Aaron to still stay on the subject, taking another drag from the joint and this time simply blowing it out as he let him talk. "It's only been a few months since you got back, least you're not sitting in a corner wallowing about it," a brief flyer passing through his mind making his jaw clench before he shoved the thought away. "Let's be real here, whatever reason he gave for you not coming home? Probably was grateful for it, meant you were walking around and alive. If you were stuck here and he wasn't, wouldn't you be wishing he never come home?" Chuckling he took another slow drag before once again shotgunning the smoke to Aaron, tugging on his lip when he pulled back, "Alright, I'm an asshole. But I'm nice to you, aren't I? You know you have fun with me, feel special, I'm not nice to everyone."

aaron raised an eyebrow as howl moved closer but he didn't stop it. he inhaled when he shotgunned it and held it for a moment as he pulled back, blowing the smoke out of the side of his mouth. "well you are kind of an asshole so," he said smirking back at him. "i don't know i guess it's not really how he went is what's hitting me so hard. i think it's more the fact he had to grieve alone because i wasn't there and how i probably made him wonder why i never came home, like i didn't care i wasn't hearing from them." he wasn't sure why he was telling howl all this honestly. "oh so me coming back when i did was for your benefit then so you wouldn't be bored." he joked and kept his tone light before asking the question, "what was that again on you sounding like an asshole?"

[alwaysmovinghowl]

"You always talk like you're giving a speech?" Howl quipped, rubbing at his face. More than anything he was just annoyed he had no other options but resorting to getting drunk on moonshine. The shit taste a reminder of who got him into this position, feeling his jaw clench as he made a mental note to figure out later how he was going to handle that situation.

"New then? Let me guess," turning to actually look at Waylon properly now, "I'd blame the bad eyesight but seems like a dickmove." There weren't many other reasons for someone to have sunglasses indoors after all, although red was an interesting tint for them. "You don't seem nearly broken up enough about being stuck here. Someone you know also in town then? Found who you were looking for?"

Waylon shrugged, "could be love, could be piss. I ain't been here long enough to know the delicate and intricate procedure of making Huntsville's finest moonshine." He also genuinely didn't care. It was alcoholic, throw all the piss and paint thinner they had in there if it did the job properly.

He shrugged, "valid," he agreed, "cheap and cheerful as they say," and a few more glasses of it and Waylon would definitely be cheerful. Well, not definitely. Maybe he'd be cheerful, it depended a lot on what happened between those next few glasses. "Everyone saying town is that bad, I'm counting myself lucky I ain't had to experience anything yet."

[alwaysmovinghowl]

"Fair enough, live alone then? Could get a pet but that seems more of a pain in the ass here," Howl replied. Taking the glass he took a sip of the water, if for nothing else grateful it tasted better than the moonshine before sliding it back. "Power of friendship? Ain't that suppose to make shit taste better," he said shrugging as he sipped his moonshine again, "Must be bored if you're humoring me this much."

"maybe but i wanted out of the house and this was the quickest option that i know wasn't closing soon." koda mused back but as howl reached for the glass they looked at him confused and let him take it. "i don't know why that would make a difference but if you want some okay."