On the prowl
#1
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WC: 598.
Not my best, but I tried...


Everything looked the same as it had done those many moons ago. This was where Lucia had been accepted into the Inferni clan on the basis of her relationship, which was not a problem, but it was lonely being the only one; the only ‘outsider’. Scanning malachite eyes over the horizon, they ate up the cracks in the concrete, the dust clouds which whipped up randomly due to some pathetic breeze which taunted and teases, whilst the sweat clung to her body. There were still little in the ways of plant life, which in turn, meant little shade – however, a little further down the road would be an old gas station. She would be thankful for the shelter.



On two legs, Lucia cautiously edged toward the abandoned store. Her ebony fur dragged the rays of the sun into her skin, beads of sweat slipping through the pores of her skin, and her eyes desperate for water. Though she doubted such a luxury would be present at this hour, in this heat, she could but pray – and as such, could feel herself salivating over the thought of cool, clean water. Watching her surroundings closely, it felt like she was not alone – like somebody had been watching her, maybe even following her. It was a strange sensation; and even though she was part of a clan now, even her status claimed she was nothing but an outsider – and that, in its own way, could sign her death sentence. She wasn’t a hybrid or a pure coyote – she was pure wolf, and that, for some, really pissed them off.


Trying to shake off the feeling, Lucia finally managed to reach the shade of the gas station. Glancing up at the sign, she managed to just catch the words ‘Rockbuster’s last Gas’ before the glare of the sun became too much for her ivy coals. Grimacing slightly at the momentary inability to see, the ebony canine muttered inaudibly under her breath and prepared herself to sit by one of the pumps – this seemed all too familiar. She half expected Kaena to stroll out from the shadows and greet her, like some twisted time warp – but it wasn’t possible, and Lucia knew that all too well. Sometimes she wondered if she had made the right decision, but only time would tell.



Lost in her thoughts, Lucia suddenly then caught herself still walking along the dusty turf, and before her brain could register where or what she was doing, she entered the building through a half-beaten door, which creaked as it hung off its hinges. Shivering slightly, the sensation of something or someone still watching her creeping back into her system, she carefully looked around. A little uneasy, the obsidian female licked her lips as though one of those quirky security traits, and parted her maw to speak.



“Hello? Is someone there? I’m not a threat… I swear…”



Auds perked atop her crown, her face curled into a nervous smile – creases on her one scarred eye; she was a beautiful creature, but not many saw her that way. They saw her as a monster, a fraud; after all, being a wolf in a mainly coyote clan, it was bound to cause some problems. But, at least as an upside to her misery, the dark female had her lover – and they shared the same terrain. The thought made her pain go away, made her nerves become steel, and as such, she shouted a final time into the apparently abandoned gas station.



“Is there anyone around right now? My name’s Lucia! I’m part of this clan…”

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#2
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I hope you don't mind me joining! And this post is craptacular. :3 +5


Less and less time had been spent in the mansion, for the building seemed to bring about too much misery. Silas wanted nothing more than to be with the ruby eyed princess, but things just didn’t seem to be working out for that fantasy. Their last encounter had been less than ideal and Silas wasn’t sure what would happen the next time they came across each other. Since that time he had only vague glimpses into her existence there – her form trailing into her bedroom, the sound of her footsteps creaking outside of his door as she walked by, her smell lingering as Silas climbed down the stairs. Still, they had yet to speak again and this pained the young Russian. He wanted nothing more than to tell her how he felt. It seemed, however, that the boy was too much of a coward.

So he left the security of his bedroom, the unfinished mural raising unkind memories. He was planning how he was going to tell these things to Halo, but hadn’t discovered the right opportunity yet. In time, he hoped, something would come to him. The morning had been spent inside of Inferni’s lands, and the boy had trailed to places he had yet to really spend much time. For awhile, he merely wandered along Route 32, nothing but the thoughts in his mind occupying him. The small bag was slung over one shoulder, just in case he found something interesting or of use. Inside he had tucked away some cigarettes if he decided that he needed that release. It didn’t take long for the young Russian to happen across the abandoned gas station and, after studying it momentarily, he pushed inside the front door to escape from the glaring sun.

Inside he stepped over littered boxes and things on the floor, the edibles long since perished and shelves strewn haphazardly around. Stepping carefully, Silas moved his way through the small building, icy blue eyes dancing over the things that surrounded him. He wound his way through the maze of debris and went through another door to find himself in a room that had once been for employees only. After a minute of investigating, the Russian’s eyes happened across a sight he had seen only a few times before. There, lying on the ground in relatively perfect condition, a human skeleton.

He hadn’t noticed the squeak as the front door swung open and not until a voice sounded did Silas lift his gaze from the remains. After hesitating for a moment and upon hearing the voice sound again, Silas marched back towards the door. He peered out from behind it, searching the dimly lit gas station for his new acquaintance. "Over here," he told her, finding the form of the wolf just inside of the door. "I’m Silas," though his voice remained low as if not to disturb a sleeping beast. "Please, come. Zhere ees somezhing you must see." Though he didn’t not know just who she was, that didn’t matter to Silas. The appeal of the human remains was still fresh.

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#3
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WC: 610.

Silence seemed to flow around her like a mysterious fog. She half expected to see some sort of deformed creature crawl out of the shadows of the gas station like some sort of nightmare, yet instead there was a fellow Inferni member. Lucia breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled as best she could. Scanning his frame, the ebony wolf admired his courage. She could have been anyone, and yet he seemed perfectly at ease in her presence. That was a first, she had to admit – after all, not everyone seemed to like the idea of a wolf on Inferni grounds.



“Hi Silas,”
she responded simply, her tone flat and empty. She wasn’t one for emotions these days, not since her beating from Daisuke. He had left a scar on her, not only physically, but mentally as well. She hadn’t left Inferni turf since the incident really, and she doubted she would for a while. It was not a problem, however, as it gave her chance to explore – and it appeared that today was a particularly good day to do such a thing. After all, it appeared Silas had found something of interest, and she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity.



Shifting her weight slightly, she casually made her way closer to the Inferni male. Glancing over him, it was clear from his body language that something was bothering him, something deep inside his brain that seemed to eat away at him from the inside-out, yet being a mere acquaintance, Lucia found it best to keep her mouth shut. She wasn’t one to pry unless it was absolutely necessary, and it seemed a mild bother so she felt it best to let him deal with his own demons, just as she would hers.



“I’m Lucia,” she finally revealed, reaching the male’s side. The stench of Inferni seemed to burn her nostrils, but she figured that after a while, it would become second nature. She would adjust eventually, but having been a traveller for so long, it was strange adapting to belonging somewhere – even if she ranked as an outsider. It was still home, and they were still her ‘family’, despite her having to play black sheep. Maybe one day she would be fully accepted, but for now, she just kept her ear to the ground and played by the rules. It got her by without any grief, and it made things simpler, especially with her instability, and the secrets which plagued her mind – things she didn’t even know existed. The only one who could fill in the blanks was Daisuke, and she had no plans on seeing him anytime soon… or ever, if she could help it.



“What have you found?”
She inquired, returning her mind back to the matter at hand. Malachite coals watched Silas carefully. She was also so untrusting; she put it down to paranoia, or perhaps just a dislike for meeting people. It gave her a bad taste in her mouth, and though it needed to be done, sometimes she just wished she could avoid it altogether. All she wanted was a family with Snake one day, and a happy life – but that seemed like a chore in itself. She had hardly seen her lover lately, and that worried her. Was he having an affair? Who knew… well, she would just keep her eyes open and her thoughts clear. She didn’t want to jeopardise her relationship so early on, and thus, she put her mind to Silas’s discovery, and played along with the happy-happy routine. She would play nice, and pretend it was all okay. Lucia was good at that, and she always had been.

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#4
My apologies for the horrible wait. :/ <3 +3
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In the dim light of the dilapidated gas station, Silas watched with pale blue eyes as the wolf drew closer to him. She was not someone he knew, but it was apparent she was a member here because she smelled faintly of Inferni’s scent. An outside carried with them a foreign barrier and this was absent on her. Still, it seemed strange to see her there, for Silas was well aware of the clan’s bias against those without any coyote heritage. "Lucia," he breathed lightly, testing the name out on his own tongue. For a moment he studied those rich green eyes and there was nothing but the stale air and silence around them. Her voice, however, brought him back to the matter at hand.

"You must see eet," and he stepped back to the other side of the door, pushing it open fully so that she may follow him. "Eet ees almost perfect. A whole human skeleton left behind." Though the atmosphere of the dimly lit gas station could have seemed somewhat unsettling, Silas didn’t seem to be phased by it. The discovery of the human remains was somewhat ghastly, and yet he had found it more than interesting. In a way, the young Russian felt ridiculously childish again, having discovered one of the simplest aspects of life. Any fear that had started to rise along his spine had been pushed away by sheer curiosity and intrigue. Carefully and quietly, Silas moved around the lying bones, kneeling down so that he might get a closer view of the milky remains.

"I ‘ave never seen anyzhing like eet before. Never so perfect." One hand slowly lifted from his side, reaching towards the bones, until he held it still in hesitation. Could he touch it? Pale eyes swept to find his new acquaintance’s face, searching for some sort of indication he was not overstepping some invisible boundary. And then, curiosity winning over anything else, Silas carefully brushed his fingertips against the smooth bone of a long femur. Though he had expected the smoothness of bone underneath his touch, the boy lifted his hand slightly at the initial contact as if he had been dealt a shock. Smiling to himself, he ran his fingertips along its length, the dirt from years of neglect collecting along his fingers and leaving behind thin trails of gleaming bone in his wake. How marvelous.

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#5
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WC: 674.
Not a problem. <3 Hope you're okay? :]


It was strange how Silas seemed not to bat an eyelid at the fact a wolf was behind Inferni lines. Whether she smelt of Inferni or not, surely they would question such things? Either way, Lucia was grateful he didn’t cause a fuss – she wasn’t in the mood for it really. Not that she ever was, but more so today than usual. Perking her auds slightly, she smiled quietly as he whispered her name. It sounded quite intriguing falling off his tongue, and with his accent, it sent a tingle down her spine. She smiled lightly, and nodded as though acknowledging that he had spoken her name correctly, or perhaps, had addressed her at all. He seemed nice. What a blessing!



As he continued to speak, Lucia remained quiet, statuesque in appearance. She wasn’t really sure about the environment to be honest. She wasn’t scared or anything, but she hadn’t explored it before. She was always weary of new places – she had to be. Danger had a way of following her around, and she was sure Inferni would be no different. After all, did she not invite it by joining their ranks as a wolf? That was the biggest danger of all, and she had brought it to her front door. Oh god, she was a nightmare in the making. She could feel it deep down, and no doubt, it would get worse before it got better – she just hoped Snake would be there to hold her hand along the way; for she was certain that she wouldn’t make it on her own. She needed him, but the question was, did he need her?



Drawn back out of her thoughts, the ebony female watched curiously as Silas pulled back an old door. It creaked with age, and a cloud of dust shot into the atmosphere. Half-shutting her toxic coals, she followed the Inferni male carefully, winding in and out of the obstacles of abandoned crates and broken shelving units with precision and ease. Halting inches behind him, Lucia followed his gaze, her own malachite eyes widening with surprise at the sight before her. “Wow...” She breathed under her breath, not sure what to make of the situation. Looking around the environment, her mind raced with possible reasons why this corpse looked so well preserved. She decided it was due to the dryness of the earth, and the humidity in the air. It seemed plausible, thus she would share this information with her companion. He seemed like a smart individual, so she was certain he would approve of the topic of conversation.



“It would appear that the dusty dryness of the basement kept it preserved,” she remarked, her tone filled with admiration for his discovery. “What should we do with it?” She asked, watching him stroke the femur with some sort of pleasurable enjoyment. It was strange to see someone so drawn in by the dead; she hadn’t seen it since her meeting with a tribe a long time ago on her travels to Nova Scotia. It reminded her of some of her better days. A smile paused over her ebony lips, and she stepped closer to the male, attempting to get a better view of the skeleton. “Maybe we could put it on the borders?” She suggested, glancing over to Silas to see his reaction, “You know... paint it in Inferni colours, but have the entire skeleton up? You never know... it might stop the intruders a bit better than the...” She paused, a look of dislike momentarily on her face as she thought about the myriad of skulls that littered the poles of the borderlands. She remembered the wolves, and wondered if she had ever met any of them. The thought depressed her, but she shook it off hastily. Lucia was Inferni, and that was their protocol; she had no jurisdiction over who, or what, was displayed on their borders. She was an outsider, and thus, had no say over anything really.



“...It would look better than the wolf skulls, don’t you think?”

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