I just want to turn the lights on
#1
((Set by the river in the Drifter Bay area.))

Null and Rurik had been walking all day-- or rather, Rurik had been walking and Null had been mostly dozing as he carried her piggy-back-- and the tiny female was bored with the wandering. They had encountered sow strangers, which had been interesting, but now it was just the two of them. Walking. Null was getting fidgety and restless, and squirmed until Rurik stopped to let her down. She kind of wanted to catch something, but what was there to catch? There were no deer grazing, no rabbits hopping-- oh, but there was a river, and rivers tended to be full of fish. She set off towards the bank of the river with a bounce in her step, Rurik close at heel.

"I can catch somezink if you are hungry, возлюбленная." He offered, tacking the Russian endearment onto the end. Null didn't know what it meant, but she liked it. No, Imma do it. She shooed away his offer, jumping onto a rock situated in the water and crouching to better watch the fish. She made a few unsuccessful lunges, soaking her arms up to the elbow and nearly falling in twice; she didn't want to get herself too wet in case it washed off the lavender perfume that hid her Salsolan scent. Her fifth lunge was more successful-- she grabbed a fish by the neck and hurled it into the ground near Rurik's feet with such force it's bones audibly snapped. She raised her arms above her head in a victorious pose and crowed with delight.

Aw yeah, in your face, big fat fishy! She wobbled and bounced gracelessly from her rock to the bank again, flopping next to where Rurik was sat and scooping up her catch. The huge black wolfdog watched with amusement as his tiny companion ripped the fish open with her teeth and set to munching on it. She belatedly remembered her company and ripped the fish in half, offering some to him. He took it with a word of thanks, and the two ate in companionable silence.
#2
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Her soft white feet were coated in a thin layer of river silt and the edges of her black pants were slightly darker than the rest from walking in the edge of the river. The water felt wonderful on her feet which where sore from many weeks of walking with little rest. Thirteen let herself relax as she wandered down the riverside and began humming faintly. It was a simple tune, one that she knew by heart. Oh how often they had played that song! The crowds loved it an-NO! Thirteen shook her head roughly, silverish bangs flying wildly. For an instant the blood red profile of a dragon could be seen in sharp contrast to her icy fur. She mustn't go down that alley again;it brought only pain.

Sorrow filled her crimson eyes as she silently meandered on her way. It had been almost a month since she had met someone in her long journey to nowhere. Despite her aversion to most people, she was a wolf and did like to socialize at least on occasion. How long had it been since she had held a decent conversation? Longer than she could remember. The albino wolfdog rarely spoke to anyone these days. She simply didn't have the will to do it. What was the use? She'd just leave again in a few days, so what was the meaning of getting to know someone?

A heavy sigh left the small girl and she reached into her jacket. When her hand reemerged, there was a silver crescent attached to a long chain between her slender fingers. The knotted silver was beautiful when it caught the light. Unconsciously, Thirteen stopped to look at it. The soft wooshing of the river became distant and instead the voice of an angel filled her ears just as tears filled her eyes. Caught up in the memory, the heartbroken women didn't notice the approaching luperci until they were almost upon her. She ran the palm of her hand across her eyes hastily and shoved the pendant back into her cleavage. She turned around and saw them there on the river bank eating fish. Silent sentinel to their meal, she stood and waited for their notice with her ears erect to hear their voices and hood up to shield her face from unwanted glances.

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#3
Null tossed the bare bones of her fish back into the river and licked her fingers clean. Rurik was already done, and the giant peered down at the runt as she yawned and stretched, before leaning over and shoving him playfully. He huffed at her but didn't push back, allowing her to lean her weight on him before she got restless again and lept to her feet. She stretched her arms high over her head, popping her shoulders and cracking her neck. She was considering play-pouncing at Rurik from behind when she spotted a stranger-- another Luperci, a hood hiding their face. Null sniffed; a female, her scent not of any pack as far as she knew. Null was still glad of her and Rurik's scent-hiding perfumes, as it wasn't good to reveal their Salsolan allegiance, even to a loner. Rurik smelled of cinnamon and hot spices, while Null smelled pleasantly of lavender. It was a far cry from the salt-marsh scent of Salsola.

The mottled-coated wolf darted back to be crouched by the huge black wolfdog, nudging him and gesturing to the stranger. He nodded and the pair watched her silently, body language guarded but not aggressive. Why was she hiding her face? Something about the strange canine made Null uneasy, but Rurik had no such reservations. He rose to his feet and offered a friendly wave to the girl.

What are you doing?! Null hissed, tugging at her friend's elbow. He looked to her and shrugged.

"Maybe is lost? And you say alvays be friendly to strangers to gather information for pack." He replied, voice quiet enough that there would be no chance of the stranger hearing. Null dropped her ears a little.

...You're right. She unsettles me, though. She half hid behind the giant Russian, who huffed at her.

"You are beingk silly. Ve should say hello." Before she could argue further, the ebony furred wolfdog began to lope towards the stranger with a pleasant, friendly expression on his face. Null hesitated for a moment before taking after him. Hello! Rurik greeted the strange girl, nodding his head. Null flashed a quick smile at her too, not sure why the girl bothered her so much.
#4
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Thirteen didn't flinch, didn't shift her weight. She could have been a statue underneath that jacket if it weren't for the steady movement of her chest as she breathed. Her hand was automatically resting on the hilt of her katana. Who were these people, she wondered. They were so different. The girl was tiny, but the man was huge. Actually... Tiny wasn't completely accurate. She was only slightly smaller than Thirteen.

The big male waved his arm in the air, seeming friendly. The girl remained behind his large mass. They appeared to be conversing and she knew the most likely topic of discussion. Thirteen wasn't surprised, she unsettled most people. The big male called out, and unwilling to raise her voice, she began to walk towards him. Her walk was very confident and determined, her way or the highway, yet there was an underlying grace to it, the way her body absorb the entire shock of her foot touching the ground no matter how lightly. Her step was silent and careful as if land mines had been scattered everywhere, but she knew where she was going.

Before long she was withing a conversational distance. "Hello," she said but it was like no hello in these parts. Her voice was a mix of British English and Irish English making the sound that came out of her mouth more of an 'eloo' than a 'hello'. If it wasn't obvious before, it was now. This girl was a foreigner. No doubt about it. Invisible beneath her hood, her red eyes met the Russian's and she had to tilt her head back to do it.

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#5
Hi, Null replied simply, ears twitching slightly when she caught the accent. It sounded like... English? Hm, so the girl was a foreigner. It would be rather hypocritical for that to bother either of them, seeing as Null's family was from Arizona and Rurik had been born and raised in Russia. Plenty of their traveller friends, too, were wanderers from overseas.

"You are traveler too?" Rurik broke her train of thought when he spoke again to the stranger, rolling his 'r's potently. "I am Rurik, zis is my friend Null." He gestured to Null and nudged her forward a little. The runt stumbled a touch, but she recovered to flash a quick smile and a tiny greeting wave. "Vhat is your name?" He asked politely, ignoring his companion's oddly skittish behaviour. It was only a stranger in a cloak; what was bothering her so much?

If asked, Null couldn't've explained why the girl unsettled her. Perhaps it was how statuesque she had appeared before approaching them. Perhaps it was how hidden her face had been. Perhaps it was how that cloak could be hiding any number of weapons. Null sniffed-- the stranger was a loner, hm? Perhaps all the better. The idea of this stranger in a pack outside of Salsola, potentially against Salsola, it set her teeth on edge. That was what it was-- the stranger felt dangerous. How did Rurik not feel it?
#6
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So the girl could talk. Thirteen's pure white ears perked up under her hood as she caught Rurik's voice. She'd heard accents similar to his in her travels, but she couldn't remember where it was from. Dainty white brow furrowed as she struggled to remember. Thirteen scowled beneath her hood as she admitted defeat, but she nodded calmly at Rurik in response to his question. "I am." Again with the accent; her 'am' was more of an 'ahm'. She nodded politely at Null, but the girl seemed scared.

Thirteen's attention was again turned to the male. Without hesitation, she spoke. "Thirteen." Her unseen eyes hardened as if daring them to contradict her. It wouldn't be the first time she'd been questioned about her strange name. Most didn't think that a number was a proper name, and she must admit it was rather unusual around here. But wasn't everything about her? How many females as small as she carried around so many knives? How many albinos were there with dragons tattooed on their back? Thirteen knew of her differences and accepted them openly.

Thirteen glanced at the girl again. So small, so frail, so frightened. Thirteen cocked her head curiously. Just what set this girl on edge so badly? Thirteen took a few effortless steps forward towards Null and whispered in her ear, "Why so frightened?" Thirteen immediately stepped away and turned her back on the pair as if to leave. She crossed her arms frustrated. She didn't like being feared without a reason, it irritated and offended her. Suddenly a grin split her white maw and a cruel chuckle escaped her. "It's the hood isn't it?"

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#7
Null nodded once at the girls strange name. Null could hardly judge-- her own name ment, literally, 'nothing'. If the girl's name was Thirteen, then that was the end of it. The trapper knew better than to comment on a name, especially given how sore she got when her own name was commented on. People with ordinary names never realized how important they were. Part of her sympathized with Thirteen; the rest of her was still wary.

Null shrank back, startled, when the girl got so close to her. That was a very dominant gesture, and the trapper didn't like it one bit. Rurik didn't like it either-- Null could feel him looming over her protectively, one of his arms going around her petite shoulders. She placed a hand firmly against his abdomen in a reassuring gesture-- I've got this-- before looking back to the girl. Frightened? Null wouldn't describe herself as 'frightened'. She was unsettled, yes, but those were two completely different things. Pups got frightened. Weak things got frightened. The trapper didn't like the implication. She pulled herself to her full-- unimpressive-- height, staring Thirteen dead in the eye.

I admit, it hides your body language. Makes you difficult to read. Null replied in a high, imperious tone, like someone who was used to high position-- which she wasn't, not in the least, but Thirteen didn't know that. I would appreciate it if you didn't get all up in my face like that. It's considered rude in most circles. Could get you in trouble if you tried it on someone more aggressively inclined. Null examined her claws, appearing disinterested-- but it was also a subtle warning flag; these claws could've been put in your gut if I weren't so good-natured.

Rurik, usually so sweet of temperament, was ruffled by Thirteen's advancement on his friend. He didn't appear actively aggressive, but he did appear guarded. Rurik considered moves against Null worse than moves against himself, and he was something of a sleeping dragon-- he only needed the right provocation to become hugely dangerous. He didn't want the situation to escalate, but he wouldn't run if Null was threatened.
#8
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A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. The girl had guts, that was for sure. But she didn't have the inner strength that Thirteen possessed. She didn't have the ability to pull herself from pure desolation. Didn't have the will to stand up to certain death and win. She didn't have nothing to lose. Thirteen turned back to the pair and bowed her head in a sort of apology, but her eyes never left them. "Soory aboot thot. Didn't knew it'd cause such oofense." Thirteen rose again and looked up at the tense Rurik. "Tell yew wot. I'll get reed of the 'ood. Will thot 'elp?" Before she could be answered, Thirteen's slender fingers ripped off of the hood.

Her scarlet eyes twinkle with amusement and her pure white features glimmered in the bright sunlight. She shrugged her shoulders and cocked her head to the left. Her silvery bangs slipped and the crimson dragon peaked out from it's hidden place while her long ponytail slithered down her back. She shifted and the dragon disappeared just as quickly as it had materialized. "Noew, wos thot sew sceery?"

Thirteen dropped her shoulders with a sigh. A weary look came to her single visible eye. She hadn't meant to come off as a scary jerk, but she knew she had. She held out a snow white paw to the pair, not caring who shook it. "I belave we got off to a bahd start. Try agayne?"

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#9
((Sweet Christ her accent is reminding me of my grandma something fierce.))

Well, no harm done. Null shrugged, watching as Thirteen removed her hood. Oh, now that was quite the tattoo. The accent seemed stronger, now, perhaps because the girl was more relaxed, trying to actively be more friendly. Null herself found that when she was in certain moods her own speech patterns dropped from carefully articulated and proper to slurred, full of contractions and sometimes only barely comprehensible.

Null stepped forward and shook Thirteen's snowy hand with her own delicate white paw. Right-o. That accent-- some kind of British, no? It seems none of us are local. I'm from Arizona, grew up in Quebec. Rurik's from... St. Petersburg? Yes? Null glanced back at Rurik, who nodded. Yes, St. Petersburg, Russia. We've only lived in the area for a couple of months. How long have you been in this end of the world? Null was slightly more at ease now, but much of her confidence was an act. She was very good at acting, very good at telling barefaced lies.

Rurik visibly settled now that the situation seemed to have been diffused. He still hovered very close to Null, but that was how he always was; if Null couldn't bump against Rurik just by leaning back a fraction, it was because he wasn't there at all. One could easily assume that the two of them were mates.
#10
Lol. Sorry.
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Thirteen smiled softly at Null in response and gripped her dainty paw with her own similar paw gently, but firmly. Her eyebrow raised at the accuracy of Null's guess. " 'ow'd ya guess?" A smile at the end of that sentence was the only indication of sarcasm. When she had first met the wolves, she had attempted to conceal her accent and copy theirs, but it had proved difficult and pointless so she had reverted to her true speech.

Thirteen listened to Null's rambling patiently before thinking. How long had she been here? She had turned two three months before departing England, and then the trip had lasted two months. Her birthday was in December, so she had left in March. That must mean she had arrived around May, and now it was October. If she remembered her basic studies correctly, October was about 5 months after May. So she had been here roughly 5 months. It had seemed both a second and an eternity, but she merely replied "Five moonths."

Thirteen's face grew grave as she counted again. How many months since she had died? How many months since they had fallen in love? How long since... Thirteen shook her head. She couldn't lose it in front of a few complete strangers. Thirteen refused to show such weakness around anyone, least of all this cocky pipsqueak.

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#11
((Lol,'s not a problem. It's just amusing XD.))

We used to cruise with a band of travelers from all over. We had a couple of Brits, didn't we amorcito? The trapper directed the last part to Rurik, who nodded once. Though most 'round these parts can't place an accent for anything. Plenty don't even know the names of other countries, or even that there are other countries. Ah, but-- unimportant. What brings you 'round here, anyway? Sightseeing? Looking for a pack to fit into? Null asked, feeling as though any breaks in the conversation would be hugely awkward. Rurik had no such difficulties-- the huge black wolfdog stayed quiet, content to just listen to his friend and their new acquaintance.

Null still wasn't sure what to make of Thirteen. She had initially come across as standoffish, aggressive, domineering, but now she was friendly, nice? That little glazed look followed by a shake of her head implied that Thirteen had some unpleasant or distracting thoughts bubbling around in her head-- memories, perhaps? Null used to have problems with unpleasant reflectection on her past-- but that was all Null could tell about her. The Salsolan hated not being able to read people. She was usually so good at it.
#12
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Thirteen watched Null silently and still as a statue. The girl could ramble on and on Thirteen thought to herself. She had known a few girls like her in the Organization, but even then she couldn't stand them even then. Even though she had joined in their fanciful idiocy and even though she had been in love with one of them. She still couldn't stand them. This girl was very different though. She didn't ramble out of idiocy or ignorance. Thirteen could tell that Null suspected something about her, which set her apart from the category 'rambling idiot' and into a more... Well Thirteen would have to keep an eye on Null, that was for sure.

Thirteen didn't know what the relationship between Rurik and Null was, but either way it made her jealous. To have someone that you could trust and be that close to... It was a relationship she could only remember and long for. Again, Thirteen scolded herself internally. Jealous over strangers, she was better than that.

A question. Finally a chance to get her to shut up. Thirteen opened her mouth and then actually thought about the question. Why was she here? The whole story was more that she wanted to reveal to anyone let alone this little brat. "A promeese." And that was that.

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#13
A... Promise. Null repeated, tilting her head in equal parts suspicion and thoughtfulness. Those two words hinted at a dark and mysterious past that Null in no way wanted to delve into. ...Fair enough. The trapper shrugged, indicating that she wasn't willing to pry. Thirteen was dark and enigmatic anyway, Null didn't need to go rummaging through her background. If Thirteen wasn't going to offer up more than that, then Null wouldn't ask for it.

Ah-- a word of advice. Don't travel further south from here. You'll hit Salsolan lands, and there's nothing but dark reputations and aggression surrounding that place. They don't take kindly to strangers, either. We knew a girl, Wren, she went to explore down there. Never came back. They're dangerous. Null was a perfect liar, always had been. It was pack policy to spread dark rumors about Salsola, to build it's reputation as a pack not to be trifled with. And Null didn't like the idea of this girl coming anywhere near her pack.

North, though, there's New Dawn. Reasonably friendly. West, there's Vinatta, also good. East, Inferni. They don't like non-coyotes, tend to be very aggressive. Then further East there's Anathema, more bad reputations, and South of there are four packs known for being good-natured. I'd try for some of them if you're looking for something in particular. Null sounded like she was giving well-intentioned advice, and it could have been taken as such. In reality, though, she was trying to direct Thirteen as far from Salsola as possible.
#14
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The albino relaxed inwardly at Null's display of willingness to leave well enough alone. Thirteen was certain that if things got ugly she could take on the girl without a hitch, but she knew better than to attempt to take on Rurik. Thirteen was well aware that she was neither experience nor skilled enough to take on those who were larger or more skill opponents.

Thirteen endured the information with an expressionless mask. Though Thirteen was listening and processing the information in case she needed it later, she wasn't interested in the information. Unless a pack had something she wanted or needed, she would have nothing to do with it. Due to past experiences, Thirteen was wary to trust any group of people. Old habits just die too hard. With a sigh, Thirteen responded to Null's rant. "I've no weesh ta join a pahck, but thank ya for the... deescriptions."

Thirteen was exhausted after so much. She had traveled half way across the world, walked for miles without stopping and now she was being interrogated by this shrimp of a girl. What did she do to deserve this punishment? All Thirteen wanted to do was find a place to rest for a while and play her flute and study her fighting skills a little bit better. That was it. Was it too much to ask of the world?

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#15
Well, neither, really, but sometimes there are... unforeseen circumstances and you might need assistance or a place to crash. Null pointed out. It's just good stuff for any traveller to take note of. It was more than Null had known when she was new to the area. She hadn't known that Salola was even a thing, and had learned of its existence from a member. She didn't know where Rurik had caught wind of it.

Ah, well, it's getting on a bit. We promised our friends we'd meet them, so we'd best be off. Null didn't like being around Thirteen; she had an unpleasant air to her, in Null's opinion, and the trapper definitely got the sense that Thirteen didn't like her right back. She tugged at Rurik's elbow, and the wolfdog gave a start. We should be going, love. She prompted, and the male nodded in agreement. Null flashed a smile to Thirteen, intended to be as sweet as sugar but perhaps hinting just a touch at the shark that swam beneath her disarming exterior.

Stay safe, look after yourself. Or, y'know, whatever you like. Null flashed a wave as the pair began to take off, which Rurik mimicked. Ordinarily, Null would leave some sweet parting words with whoever she was saying goodbye to, but she felt that they would come across as false even for her. They wandered away, Null making sure to not seem as though she was hurrying, and soon they were out of sight completely. Null hoped to never see the unsettlinggirl again.
#16
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Whatever. Thirteen thought. She wanted to roll her eyes and stamp her foot like an exasperated teenager who was tired of being lectured, but she didn't. It wasn't politeness or common courtesy that kept her from throwing a little temper tantrum. Oh no, it was pure selfish pride. There was no way she'd let that brat have blackmail like that. It irked Thirteen to no end that this girl got under her skin this way.

Thirteen was jerked away from her irritation with a jolt. They were leaving? Finally! The albino watched in silence as Null smiled and waved at her. Thirteen's only response to their departure was a soft nod to Null and a small smile to Rurik. She had nothing against the giant Russian, only his companion. Thirteen didn't move at all as she watched them. She waited until they were nothing more than little dots on the horizon before she allowed herself to move. She took in a deep breath and let it out with a huff. Thirteen gathered her hair and pulled her hood back over her head as it was before. She walked away gracefully, humming as she went. It was as if the meeting had never taken place.

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