moonpains

[moonpains]

He stands there, resolute in his decisions. Unsure if her offer had been fully formed at the conclave, but he also is under the impression that Yuisa doesn't just wave around entry to the pack to just any born wolf. Definitely not just any wolf. That wasn't how packs like this worked. That wasn't how his family had ever worked. To be offered a position was an honor. To be welcomed would be a privilege.

He feels young and unsure in this position. He's never been the one offered family. No, at home, he'd be standing next to his father; he'd be sitting straight, eyeing the prospect of a new member with scrutinizing eyes. With judgmental appraisal. Teaching his son what it means to command. What it meant to offer someone a spot in something grand, prestigious. Giving them the gift of his time. At her words, he straightens and bows stiffly.

"I've come to inquire about your offer from the conclave." His words are clear and precise. He is no pup, he won't give the impression of being one. "I would like to join your ranks, if I can prove myself worthy."

@moonpains The Portside

Yuisa's boots sit on her desk in the Portside's office - a much less well-kept room than the one she keeps up at the Dockworker's Guild. She eyes the werewolf over her footwear from where she leans casually back in her chair.

Can't just be a casual call. Can't just be Matteo either. Phones exist, and while she's heard about August's . . . condition, she's not exactly sure if that's what brings him here, given the track record she's got with helping werewolves find ways out of being cursed.

Still - a werewolf that eats its own? That is an interesting prospect, one she can aim like a gun, so she has to play this careful, because August Choi is an opportunity.

"Why you here, Choi?"

[moonpains]

|| END ||

He gives a nod when she says she isn't aware of pack politics, he feels silly because honestly he is behind on it all himself. After fleeing home. After his self-imposed exile from his home he has yet to fully immerse himself back into anything involving more than just existing in something. Has yet to do more than be a standing figure going through the motions. He isn't sure when he became so othered to his natural world.

'The moon you nearly killed her…' he reminds himself. A cannibal amongst wolves. A beast that had tasted the blood of a beast, and itching predator just below his waking mind. It craved to sink its teeth into anothers throat. To tear and devour. And yet Warwick wanted him. Anish had offered family. And he wonders if it was not time to re-enter into something greater than himself. Wondered if he should let Yuisa earn his loyalty.

"I'm a bit out of practice in them myself." He replies before listening to her explain her magic, head tilting as he tries to follow her words. The demonstration fills in the spaces in his understanding and his eyes widen. Fascinating. Truly magical. The rest is easier for him to grasp now that he has seen her ability.

"My family works with a coven, they have for centuries. Our families are entangled. They specialize in healing. So I hold respect for your kind and the abilities you hold. Thank you for sharing your gift."

[moonpains]

Smash or Pass + Yuisa

"Yuisa is a very attractive wolf…and she's strong. She fought for what she has earned and that is admirable. I'm afraid I don't completely understand the point of this game, but Millie has told me we just say if we want to sleep with someone or not. I wouldn't be against the idea, but sometimes her views turn me away from her cause. So I will pass."

[moonpains]

He gives a nod when she says she isn't aware of pack politics, he feels silly because honestly he is behind on it all himself. After fleeing home. After his self-imposed exile from his home he has yet to fully immerse himself back into anything involving more than just existing in something. Has yet to do more than be a standing figure going through the motions. He isn't sure when he became so othered to his natural world.

'The moon you nearly killed her…' he reminds himself. A cannibal amongst wolves. A beast that had tasted the blood of a beast, and itching predator just below his waking mind. It craved to sink its teeth into anothers throat. To tear and devour. And yet Warwick wanted him. Anish had offered family. And he wonders if it was not time to re-enter into something greater than himself. Wondered if he should let Yuisa earn his loyalty.

"I'm a bit out of practice in them myself." He replies before listening to her explain her magic, head tilting as he tries to follow her words. The demonstration fills in the spaces in his understanding and his eyes widen. Fascinating. Truly magical. The rest is easier for him to grasp now that he has seen her ability.

"My family works with a coven, they have for centuries. Our families are entangled. They specialize in healing. So I hold respect for your kind and the abilities you hold. Thank you for sharing your gift."

“I will admit I am not up to date on the current pack politics but one of my oldest friends is a werewolf,” she laughs at his joke, “he is highly interested in the politics side and talks less to me about the hairier aspects.” While they had been at school together Anish had always talked less about the wolf side of his life than he did the family side. She knew he was proud of his wolf, and though that wasn’t a part of his life he had shared, she would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious about that side of him that was so essential to who he was. “The Feng-Lindon, we are known for our elemental magic,” Charlotte tried to explain, “my magic is water based but my specialty within that is that a control the kinetic motion of water molecules.” She shook her head, then indicated her drink. She coaxed a small droplet out let it float before expanding it slightly into a bubble shape, letting it grow till it popped and fell back in. She smiled to the young man next to her. “My Papa used to call me a tideweaver though, the ocean and I have always had a more special understanding than other liquids forms.” She hadn’t really had a need to use her magic over the last year, the first few months she hadn’t even wanted to touch it. But small things, like the bubble, magic to some witches flowed through you like breathing. An energy that wanted to be used and not suppressed.

[moonpains]

He smiles at the switch, thankful for something more familiar to him, as he speaks he signs for extra understanding. “Thankyou, I’ve been in the states a while so I like to think I have improved greatly from when I had been in Europe.” He says with another warm smile, “I grew up in Korea, that is where my family’s pack resides. I…” his hands stop for a second and he trails off, thinking of how to introduce the idea of Rose. Sure they were exes, but she was also his friend. Someone to hopefully work back into a status of more with. Though he isn’t sure if either of them fit quite that way at this point. But he had grown to be a pretty pessimistic fellow.

“my friend. But my pack I have found here, is also present. Eventide, I’m not sure if you are familiar. I’ve heard of Feng-Lindon. One of my friends is a witch, I don’t believe she is affiliated with anyone though.” He honestly wasn’t sure where Chamomile stood with covens, only that he was forever grateful for the work she was doing to help him through this now-known curse that plagued his body and mind.

“By the word pack, I’m sure my affiliation is obvious. I sprout quite a lot of hair when the moon hits just right.” He chuckles softly at his own joke. “Do you specialize in any sort of magic? Witches do tend to have certain…gifts?”

“I am mainly fluent in ASL, but if you ever want to practice BSL, I am proficient in both.” Charlotte signed easily switching over to the other language. “And I am having a fine time understanding you.”

“I never had to attend things like this until later in life she admitted,” she commiserated, “I can’t imagine going to them in my youth. I am glad it is better for you though, to be here in a less official capacity.” She hoped the boy had found something in the form of fun to do tonight, creating new memories, people deserved that.

“I am, I’m here with Feng-Lindon. I am a peripheral member but it feels nice to be here with all of them.” Charlotte smiled, it did feel nice to be a part of something, Feng-Lindon in many ways was much different than the coven she had left twenty years ago, and she found she was liking it very much. “I apologize I’m not good at differentiating between the different supernaturals, are you here with anyone?” Coven, pack, family, date. She was interested to see.

[moonpains]

END.

"If you want to be with him, then be with him." She says. "Besides, all true wolves are Warwick."

That sentiment is truthful. There is, to Yuisa, one pack.

Yuisa keeps the apologetic mask up. She doesn't know August beyond the mutterings of a handful of others; private, blood-cursed, and not himself; an eater of his own kind, is the rumor. Something rabid and unstrustworthy. But real. Born. Warwick; he needs only reach out and take it, and like Matteo, she will ensure all the effort spared that can be to figure out his situation.

"I've got to go get ready for this bullshit conclave, but look, right now we've got him holed up, for his own good and everyone's safety. But come down to the Portside, down on the piers? Whenever you've got the chance. We can set you up there, keep you secured, and to see him there."

Yuisa reaches out to him again, this time to his shoulder. "He's a good man," she says. "He deserves to see the ones he cares about now, give him something to hang on for, yeah? Think about it." Yui lets go of his shoulder, offers a farewell salute, and pulls away.

[moonpains]

He almost says something when she touches his arm, but there is something comforting about it all the same. They may be in different places, but Matteo tethers them together. Makes them family, no matter how distant that connection may be. In the end, they want the same thing, to make sure the older wolf is okay.

His eyebrows furrow together as she continues; there is no doubt her words hold true. Matteo is dying. He is about to lose his family. An important figure that has come into his life to stand tall and sentient. An older brother, a guiding hand, someone to understand the torment a rabid wolf can bring.

He wonders briefly if Matteo's fate will be his own in the end. "I know I'm not Warwick…but I want to be there for him in any way that I can. I've already lost so much family. I don't know if I'm ready to lose more. But — " He pauses, eyes skirting away. "I'm a danger…I've been warding myself into temporary jail cells. I'm sure Arleen told you, if I become a problem, I'll turn myself over willingly."

"Good." She says. Little else in the way of affirmation.

"He's very sick." It comes out in a regretful tone, morose even, and she shakes her head. "He's mentioned you a handful of times - very private, Matteo, yeah? But I know of you and I know you've ties with him, so I figured, given that you're somewhat difficult to nail down, I'd take the opportunity here."

She takes a step on him, hazards a squeeze at his arm. "He's not going to make it much longer," she says, shaking her head. "I promised him we'd find something to help... but I'm not sure I'll be able to deliver on that promise."

Part of the sorrow here is genuine - Matteo's blessing had been what had given her the push needed to secure her place - secure this moment even. Everything she is now had come from Teo giving his blessing for her to shoulder her way to the top of the pack. For that she would, ultimately, be unable to properly repay him.

"He needs his friends and family, August. Close by. Deserves it, even. He's dying."

[moonpains]

His eyes dart across Anish's face, taking in his scent as he does, it doesn't feel like he is lying. And he isn't discrediting what August has done either, just offering an ever so slight praise that he has been controlling himself. It feels…nice. Makes him feel proud that his work is being noticed. A space amongst them… he thinks, and for once he doesn't catch himself outright denying the offer. After what Yuisa has said about Matteo, and now Anish's added words and concern, he wonders if a more structured place might be good for him.

That it might not hold a better barrier between him and what his wolf want. There was Arleen with a connection to the police force, and Yuisa who had fought her way to being Alpha. There were people here that could be suited better for his glaring issues. And deep down, even if his family had only been a tiny offshoot, Warwick would be a sense of belonging to home again. He presses the pad of his thumb hard against the stone in his pocket. A longing he keeps buried deep as he looks up to the other man, a pause, before nodding, "I will consider the offer." He sighs and glances away. "Is there a deadline?"

Anish sniffs and thumbs at his nose as a way to pass off the fact that he'd just been about to try and touch August's shoulder. It doesn't really work, but he's trying. Heaving out a sigh, it gets clipped off by a laugh. "I dunno if Warwick as an entity is all that concerned, no, but I am."

He may not be the Alpha, but he's close enough to her that it should count. Yuisa's hard to convince, but he's damn sure he could do it with the right angle. It would just take some time.

"And I'm not warning you, no. It seems like you're doing better, actually. I'm.. I'm here to offer you a place, should you decide to be with us. No hard feelings if you decide Eventide is more suited for you, and I'll make sure Yui accepts that decision -- It's just the offer is there."

[moonpains]

When she raises from her slight bow and salute, he mirrors the action. Give respect where respect is due. An Alpha is to never be held in insult. The words are branded into his mind. She may not be his Alpha, but she earned her place. She has earned his respect. When he stands fully again he notices the way her face seems to take on something less than desirable. So it wasn't good news. He aches for having been away from the older wolf. Of not being more help. Of his own curse keeping him helpless in Matteo's situation.

At the question he nods. "As much as he lets me know. Too busy worrying over me to be completely open." Damn that stubborn man. He swallows when she continues, eyebrows pulling together in worry, his hand rubbing at his scruff as something to do as he glances away a moment. When he turns back there is a determination in his eyes. "Is there a way I can help?"

Good. This saves time and introductions. Yuisa bows her head and offers a salute of sorts with her free hand. Good. When he asks after Teo, she lets her face go sullen, sorrowful. "For now, yeah, but... well, you know about his.. uh... maldición, yeah?"

She squints her eyes, looks around. "Not sure how long he's got. I made a promise, t'help him find a fix but... it's slow going, yeah, maybe too slow." Yuisa sips her drink. Lets the implication settle in like the fishermen who built her family's stretch her in this city. Bait on hook.

[moonpains]

"I was raised using BSL," he manages out before looking at her and giving a nod. "If it isn't too much trouble. I can sign if you misunderstand me. English is not my first language either." he lets out a soft chuckle.

"These kinds of affairs were never my favorite things growing up, though it is nice to not have to be present. Less important. Not there to host any negotiations in training." He explains. Giving her a little shrug. "

You seem to fit right in. Your outfit is very beautiful." he compliments and gives her an awkward, albeit charming smile. A rare thing for him. "Are you here with a coven? Sorry, I caught scent of the magic."

“You’re signing very well, and don’t worry I can understand you as long as you are looking at me when you are talking.” Charlotte smiled. She was aware that she often came off as more difficult to communicate with at times btu through lip reading she could often pick up on more in a room than most people.

It was something her spouse had *adored* about her. ‘Just keep your mouth shut and don’t take your eyes off of the Belgium suppliers sweetheart’ she could feel their breath crawl down her neck. She took a deep breath pulling herself to the present.

Her eyes rested back on the boy. “I’m actually enjoying tonight, though it can be a little much for me at times.” She gauged his reaction, “How are you enjoying tonight?”

[moonpains]

He sees the look as plain as day. Anish is good, but August can smell the disinterest. The slight pity. His jaw tightens a moment before relaxing with another pass over the stone. Keeping his wolf at bay as its hackles rise as if insulted. Nice to see even in its rabid spiral, it still remains proud. But letting it take hold will do no one any good.

Dark eyes watch the slight movement of the other man's hand, the pause, the decision not to. He is glad for the second thought. For the decision not to. He hums in agreement. Even if he feels as if there is some angle here, the words do resonate with him. That is all he wants, too.

And though he has mutts for friends now, he knows deep in himself that they don't belong. He cares for them, will guide them. But this, two wolves born to hold this pride, this weight, this gift. They were the only ones able to actually do anything. "I do." He answers. "I didn't know Warwick cared about what I was up to. Or is this a warning to continue to tame myself? I'm taking plenty of precautions."

Anish stares down at him, unimpressed, but he says: "I'm glad to hear it." Because you don't catch flies with vinegar. How many times has he tried to tell Yuisa the same thing? It seems to be working well with Olivia, but everyone else? He worries. He worries so damn much that one day it's going to be irreversible, that she's going to piss off the wrong person.

"I know you do, August. I know you care and you try." He says and moves to try and pat him on the shoulder, but stops short - not wanting to invade his personal space. "I just worry, myself. About him, about you. Hell, all I want in this fucked up world is to make sure every wolf out there is where they belong."

He waits a beat, "You get that, don't you?"

[moonpains]

"Things are fine. Arte is doing a fantastic job." He says, are there things he would handle differently? Perhaps, but he has faith in the redhead. He sees the look that passes across the other's eyes and shifts to stand a little taller. Not a challenge, but a sign that he isn't someone to push around. Maybe it's a lingering pride that swells in his chest. Maybe he is just foolish.

His hand slips into the pocket of his dresspants to fidget over the family crest etched into the stone there. "I am here for him, my absence hasn't been easy. I do appreciate what you all have been doing for my brother. I too understand what it is like to struggle with an underlying beast." might as well be open about it, he is sure Arleen has shared with the rest of the pack about the bodies he has left behind when the shadow of a monster washes over his mind at night.

It's a bit of both, Anish realizes. It's partially to check on rival packs, and partially to gather information on how August feels about said pack. He's here on mission from his Alpha - information, recruit, threaten. It's how this whole thing works, and he's good at the latter most of all.

He doesn't think it's needed here, though.

"Both." He grumbles out, hands in his pockets. But he moves on quickly. "The crux of this is checking on you, checking on Matteo. Letting you know that we're doing our best for him, but also - you should be with him. Just in case."

[moonpains]

He's already tired, and sure what else the night could entail. His head is mixed up. He's happy where he is…but family. It digs into his chest. Turns and turns until his entrails are spitting out of the too big hole. The craving. The desire. He is almost too lost in conflicting thoughts to notice the woman, but he smells her with her sudden appearance and proximity. Witch, with an undercurrent of nerves, but also something welcoming.

He looks up in time to catch her signing. Ah, it's not something he has done for a while now and his cheeks heat as he holds up a finger to let her know to give him a second. ASL is different from what he knows, but thanks to a neighbor from his time in San Francisco, he knows the basics. Reminding himself the positions he signs his name to her "August," and indicates himself and then a follow up of "how is your night? Forgive me, my signs aren't the best."

Closed Starter for @moonpains

Where: The Conclave

The was fidgeting uncomfortably when Charlotte spotted them across the room. Charlotte knew a lot about feeling like they didn’t belong in the space they occupied and tonight was about getting out there and what better place to do so then in the corner with someone else who didn’t quite fit in.

So she went and positioned herself conspiratorially next to the boy on the wall. “Charlotte.” She said as she signed indicating herself.

‘It’s nice to meet you.’ She continued to sign and then indicated the other party.

She had a pad in a hidden pocket of her shawl but she never wanted to assume someone would immediately need it. She would wait for the other to introduce themselves and see where they could strike an accord.

[moonpains]

He's honestly trying to find Rose or maybe Millie. Hell, even Arte. Someone to get him out of the sight of the Berserkers. He doubts they recognize him like this, but there is a history there of his father denying the other pack access into their territory years ago, and maybe, from what he remembers. He does look like his father in the shape of his eyes and the slope of his nose.

He hates political events. Has been to his fair share of them. Now that he isn't vying for a spot as an alpha, now that he is a seemingly nameless pup in a foreign country, he hopes to avoid anything that might shove him into a debate. At the sound of his voice, he pauses in his movements, turning at the mention of Matteo. He hasn't seen him, is lost on what has happened, and feels like a terrible brother because of it.

"Yuisa Echevarria, the Warwick Alpha." He gives her a nod, hunched and misplaced demeanor seeming to vanish as he stands tall in her presence. Wolves from Warwick were about bloodlines and the old ways. About pedigree, August has that. He knows in their eyes he is what is to be held high in the throngs of wolves. "What of him, is he alright?"

@moonpains

They're sliding around the place, looking like a fish out of water, like they're on edge or like they might bolt right out of the Arts Center at the drop of a pin. Good. Time to offer him proper family; a place to fit. Potent offerings if you know where to knead. Still, this wolf is a wildcard- she knows that much from Arleen.

"August Choi?" she asks, tone sharp, targeted. "Can we talk? It's about Teo."

Yuisa follows, immediately, with a her first question, because the talking part wasn't an option; "You know who I am?"

[moonpains]

He's lost sight of Rose, figures she is most likely with family. That's what he figures at least. There is still so much that goes unsaid between the two of them. But it is fine, he has a drink in his hand, leaned against the wall just surveying his surroundings. His shoes are pinching slightly though and he wonders why he hadn't just trimmed his hair before the event.

'You wanted it to look tidy.' he reminds himself. He had wanted to look good for the blonde, put together. And perhaps he had left the slight scruff on his chin and face to look dashing. He's a bit lost in thought when he's approached. Anish, he knows him from Warwick. From his time with Matteo so he offers what he hopes is a friendly enough smile. "Do you really want to know, or is this just an act of being civil for the evening?"

It's just a conversation, an easy one at that. Easy for him, maybe not August. How often does one deal with being approached by a wolf from another pack without being aware of their intentions? Though, Anish isn't sure if August knows or not. Either way. He has to make the best of the situation.

Once he spots the man, he doesn't try to approach slyly. Straight forward, head on. And then - "How goes Eventide? You and yours?" / @moonpains

[moonpains]

Fresh from a mutual parting with who would have been his date, August stands unsure in front of the mirror unsure if he should even be attending an event, especially with moon full in the sky. The risk of a shift heavy on his shoulders. But he runs his hands through his hair and tells himself he can do this. That he deserves a night out with his pack.

AUGUST CHOI arrives with ex-girlfriend and close friend @rosexhalstead to the Gala with plans to meet up with his packmates having convinced himself that his friend @millieteethewolf is right and he does need to allow himself to enjoy life. Upon entry his eyes glance round at the grandness of a function he remembers from his younger days while looking for his Alpha and close friend @huntedarte and the ever growing group of women that seem to follow them around. Hopefully this doesn't turn into another blood bath. Hopefully Rose stays safe.

[moonpains]

Spending time in the hardware store has become a bit of a common occurrence for the wolf at this point. On nights he was forced to shift it was nothing new for the wild animal he became to destroy things. It was a painful reminder that his apartment had become a bit of a prison cell as well. But there wasn't much that could be done, and at least the constant, nightly changes had been slowed down.

He has his phone out, earbuds in as he watches a tutorial on the best ways to repair a massive indent that has cracked plaster and paint chips littering his front entry hall. He really wasn't getting his deposit back, and would most likely have to pay a hefty sum if he ever moved. That's when he hears a familiar voice.

Glancing over and spotting Romy he pauses his video and takes an earbud, more for show than anything. "I think they call it a socket wrench. That isn't going to help you keep your ceiling up." he tells her regretfully as he moves closer, pocketing his phone and bumping the hand basket he has against his knee.

"Is your ceiling really going to fall in? I've gotten pretty good at…uh…fixing holes and things if you needed help." He offers with a small smile. It'd help to keep him distracted from his thoughts. Reaching out he offers to take the wrench from her, "How badly are things damaged? I'm no professional, but I can help at least keep it up until you can get a professional."

WHO: @moonpains WHERE: hardware store.

Romy stood in the middle of aisle seven like it had personally betrayed her.

One hand was on her hip, the other was holding… something. Possibly a wrench. Possibly a medieval torture device. Hard to say, really — she’d grabbed it off the wall like she knew what she was doing, then immediately realized she absolutely did not. Her jeans were still faintly dusted with drywall, and there was a smear of something (possibly paint, possibly coffee) on the sleeve of her oversized hoodie. She looked very much like someone attempting to renovate a house with equal parts stubbornness and delusion.

“This was not in the brochure,” she muttered, squinting at the label on a pack of screws like it might reveal its secrets if she stared hard enough. “Why are there types of nails? I just need the kind that go in things.”

She turned and spotted movement out of the corner of her eye — someone else in the aisle, familiar enough that her shoulders dropped a fraction. August; thank God. “Hey,” Romy called out, lifting the questionable wrench like it was a greeting card. “Please tell me you know what this is. Or, failing that, can help me find something that’ll keep my living room ceiling from turning into a skylight.”

A pause, then a crooked grin.

“I brought a list. I lost the list. I had a list,” she clarified, with a vague gesture like the list had floated away on the wind, along with her last bit of patience. “So if you see anything that screams post-hurricane home triage, point me at it. Or just steer me away from the power saws. I’m operating on one cup of coffee and pure spite.”

She tucked the wrench under her arm like it was a fashion accessory and added, more honestly, “Could use the company, too. This place gives off ‘final destination: tetanus’ vibes.”