|
Post by Ventia on May 15, 2022 13:11:16 GMT -5
((Open I guess for whoever))
There were so many changes since the last time she had been here, so much so that Ivy-that Katie-had a hard time believing that it was the same place. The guilt tried to take its course but she pushed it away, not for the first time remembering her father's words. Harsh yes but she had needed to hear it, even if it did come from a crazy man's mouth.
Having her father being alive was also something strange to her. It was a good thing he was mostly gone, off looking for her lost sister was more accurate. Another emotion bubbled in her. She had a lot of those these days. Emotions. More than she knew what to do with, if only she could just throw them all away. But seeing as how she's already been there done that, she knew it wouldn't do.
Still, being back in New Dawn territory was strange, even if it had always been her home, being here now after all that time away...felt off. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that everyone she knew before, was gone. The few that remained were just that-few and far between. And dealing with their own lives that they barely had time for anything else.
At least, the land stayed the same. She's been roaming the territory for days now, visiting old spots and staying for hours, her mind on her past, reminiscing and worrying all at once, before finally tired and hungry she would trek her way back home, where her mom would usually always have a meal waiting for her.
Jaimie, her adopted son, was adjusting better to the Pack than she had thought. Ventia had set him up with some of the last warriors and Darian was personally training him. It was better than she could have asked for, as she had always liked Uncle Darian and wouldnt have wanted anyone else to do the honors. Especially the madman. At least not yet, she thought, unable to deny the certain merits a crazy man had. That one in particular.
She was exploring the Pack House Compound today, had even allowed her mom to drive her over once Ventia heard her plans for today, and tried to engage in friendly banter between her mother. It wasnt easy, emotions and all that, but their relationship was getting better, especially on the days that Jareth would drop in. How she missed her brother but seeing how happy he was, made her feel a little off as well. It wasnt that she wasnt happy for him, she was and wanted to meet his family soon or maybe later, just that...she didnt know.
Everything felt off. That was her life now. She felt worthless, not needed, at least outside of the Pack she was actively doing something, risking her life most days yes but getting a job done. Now she felt like a teenager again who could only do patrols around the territory. She also felt young and immature by not sticking to a name, some days she felt like she could go by Katie again and then on others she would insist on going by Ivy. It was a constant struggle for her these days and lately had been allowing anyone to call her anything at this point while still referring to herself to whichever name she preferred that day.
Wandering around no where in particular, she paused under a tree's shade and decided it was as good of a place as any to linger before bending down, she got comfortable, leaning against the tree and watching the old familiar buildings and the vast blue sky. She could hear distant voices from around but only a couple where before in the past, there would have been more.
She closed her eyes, readying herself for a nap, until something distracted her.
|
|
|
Post by Thea on May 15, 2022 20:06:54 GMT -5
Kane was … lost.
Which wasn’t unusual for him. He had a horrible sense of direction, and if you asked his mother, she would have said that he would lose his head if it wasn’t attached to his shoulders. He had always hated it when people tried to give him what he liked to call “landmark directions” because they would always go too fast and he didn’t know that the local convenience store used to be a firehouse station. He would have rather used the GPS programmed into his car. Just give him the address and he’ll figure it out from there.
Of course, his weakness included navigating places he needed to get to inside larger buildings, like a compound such as this one. It reminded him of his college days, where he was certainly late for the first few weeks if he didn’t leave his dorm room at least twenty minutes earlier. And for someone that had the goal of getting into the medical field, tardiness wasn’t a good look.
Sure, he had gotten into the parking lot at the time his GPS said he would, despite his taking a few turns too early (how was he supposed to know what 600 feet looked like?). But when he parked, he immediately worried that he was going to be late for his interview. When he spoke to Dr. Constantine on the phone earlier this week she sounded sweet enough. Her slight southern drawl denoted a woman that would give you the shirt off her back if she felt like you needed it. However, he knew that first impressions were important. The young chiropractor worried that his potential employer would see him as a slacker if he was even a few minutes late.
He turned off his car and pulled the key out of the ignition with a quiet shnick, sighing softly. “Don’t fuck this up, man,” he said in the rearview mirror before inspecting his face. Deep pools of topaz looked back at him, revealing pre-interview jitters. He bared his teeth, then ran his tongue over one sharp white canine. Once he was finished making sure that nothing was amiss, he ran a hand through his dark blond, slicked-back hair to make sure it stayed that way and forced himself to step out of his vehicle.
It wasn’t hard to spot the woman lying under the shade tree, what with the sharp eyesight and all. Immediately, he thought of asking her to lead him to the infirmary. But she looked like she didn’t want to be disturbed.
Fuck.
He started walking onto the sidewalk, his polished black shoes making small clack clack sounds as he did so. Upon further investigation, he found that it was really … quiet. Except for the woman, he didn’t really see anybody. It was a ghost town. He half expected a tumbleweed to blow across the yard. What happened to the New Dawn being a powerhouse of a pack?
I guess the rumors are just rumors, he thought briefly, a concerned frown on his face. It was as if he had come out of a theatre after watching a movie that really wasn’t all that great despite the reviews. But he was here, and at least wanted to see the interview through. That would mean getting there on time, though. So he bit the bullet and walked up to the only person he saw.
“Excuse me,” he said in an apologetic tone. “Could you show me the way to the infirmary? I have an interview at 1 with Dr. Constantine.”
|
|
|
Post by Ventia on May 15, 2022 21:12:02 GMT -5
It was the footsteps that had distracted her, seemingly getting closer and closer to her with each step. By the time those footfalls paused by her side, she was already feeling tensed. She didn't recognize the person's scent, as she hadn't with many of the Pack's members nowadays, and felt like she was about to get scolded by a higher up. It wouldn't be the first time in her life.
She turned up to look at who it was at the same time the man spoke, it was the apologetic tone he was using that instantly made her relax and think of her childhood friend, which only made her like this person a tad bit more than any of the unfamiliar faces she's seen throughout the weeks. She wasn't that good at making friends these days and hadn't bothered to really get to know anyone new.
As the man spoke, as she understood his request, she felt a sudden thrill of being useful. Squashing it away because it was ridiculous to be so chipper over being a simple tour guide, she got to her feet.
"Sure I can, not like I have anything better to do." She glanced at her watch, one o'clock was only a few minutes away and although she knew Aunt Jewel would be understanding of someone being late, she could still get him there if they went right now.
"You can follow me." She headed down the middle of the walkway, not really in the mood to talk but then again, her curiosity had a mind of its own. So she began to blabber, as she usually did whenever she couldn't put her mind to ease.
"This is basically the Main Building's courtyard, the Infirmary is behind the Main Building, a little bit of a walk so we should pick up the pace if you want to get there in time." After saying that, she increased her stride, although she may be small in size, she had always had a fast walk.
"Offices are over there," She pointed to the larger building to her left, "Apartments are there," she pointed to another section, "Dining Hall is there and there," she pointed to both accordingly, knowing full well that he probably wouldnt even remember such things afterwards. But she didnt care, she had to ramble or the silence would make her feel awkward. By herself silence was golden, in company silence was misery.
They were passing the Main House now, getting into the stretch of land that separated the two buildings, but she knew it wouldn't be long before she saw the gates of the infirmary. Since they were good on time, she faltered a little, so that instead of walking in front of him as she had done since escorting him, she was now by his side.
She had seen a lot of attractive people in her days and he did make the list, there was something almost familiar though that calmed her, maybe it was because he reminded her of Reaver and Reaver had always made her feel calm.
"Whats your name?" She asked not that kindly but curious, and curious would have to do.
|
|
|
Post by Thea on May 15, 2022 23:04:34 GMT -5
Relief flooded through Kane as if a dam had been broken, washing his apologetic grimace away. He replaced it with a grateful smile, the corners of his mouth practically touching his ears. She hadn't been asleep; he would have felt like an ass for waking her up for something as insignificant as being a tour guide. "Thank you. I'm terrible with directions. A new location for me might as well be a labyrinth."
He walked about two feet behind her, easily matching her gait with his long strides even after she picked up the pace. He was comfortable with the silence but didn't mind when she started filling it. Kane listened to her explain what was where and nodded along with her words. She was right in assuming he wouldn't remember what she said, but that wasn't because he didn't care about what she said. It was more along the lines of "I don't retain information that well unless it pertains to one's anatomy".
She was attractive to him, that was for sure, but he didn't really get a good look at her until they stopped at the gate that led to the infirmary when she moved to his side. He took stock of her then, committing to memory of what the first person he met in the notorious New Dawn Pack looked like. He dwarfed her, as he did for most people, by a foot. Now face to face, he saw that she had striking blue eyes and dark brown hair that framed her soft features beautifully. With such blush pink lips she looked, to him, like one of those old Renaissance oil paintings.
"Kane DuPont. Well," he added with a bashful smile as he rocked back on his heels, "Doctor Kane DuPont. I, uh, just graduated last month. I'm a chiropractor.
"What about you?"
|
|
|
Post by Ventia on May 16, 2022 23:32:25 GMT -5
"Doctor?" She asked a little surprised, even though it shouldn't been seeing as how he had a interview in the Infirmary. She should have guessed, once upon a time she had wanted to be a doctor herself, but life had gotten in the way of that particular dream. Although she was sort of considered a doctor back at her place.
"Chiropractor huh," she thought about that, a lazy smile covered her face then. She loved hearing all the pops when bones were cracked. "Well if you get the job and decide to stay, I wouldn't mind being your first patient. I have a few areas that need to get properly rearranged."
She opened the gate for Kane, aware he was still waiting for her name. She hadn't wanted to get to this point but of course one couldn't ask for one's name without giving their own. She took a moment to look at the various flowers and herbs growing in the front garden of the Infirmary, and realized she hadn't dropped by the Infirmary either in a long time.
It looked the same as it had before, she remembered having to come here constantly while growing up, being the runt of the litter and highly allergic to silver, she had to come for tests and checkups, enough that she should have gotten sick of the sight of the Infirmary. But no, Jewel had always made it fun and a safe place for them, just then she realized how much she missed her Aunt Jewel. How much she missed being back, even if it was so different.
"I'm between names at the moment, to be honest." She told Kane, finally meeting his gaze again, she shrugged at the look that crossed his face. "Its either Ivy or Katie, Katie was my given so technically I should go back to that, and I do like the name, but I'm still attached to Ivy as well. I'll let you know the verdict once I've made up my mind. Well its almost one, I should probably stop talking by now. Ill walk you to the doors, don't want you running off in the other direction now."
She led the way with a soft laugh, this time though she kept to his side, the walk to the front doors wasn't that long and she was actually enjoying this stranger's company. She wondered if he would stay but didn't see why he would. She was sure that there were better places for him, where he could make better money and have a larger client list. Things in New Dawn just weren't the same as they were a couple years ago.
As they got closer to the automatic doors, she could see her reflection in the glass, both of theirs. They painted a pretty picture together, which wasn't all that hard when two attractive people were together. Still, now that she was staring at him without worrying about getting caught, she found herself really staring.
His blonde hair was the perfect length for his face, and although she could see that he tried taming it back, it still curled cutely around his ears and his nape. She liked how tall he was, not overly tall but just right. The same went for his body build, not scrawny but not too built either. Lean, she thought, watching the way his body moved with each step. All too soon, the doors were opening on their own, vanishing the sight of Kane.
She pouted, having been enjoying herself, and blinked a few times, adjusting to the white lights of the Infirmary. The waiting room at the moment was empty, but she could hear soft voices coming from behind the front desk and somewhere else in the room.
She glanced up at Kane and gave him a bright smile. "Good luck, though you should be good."
|
|
|
Post by Thea on Jun 14, 2022 2:11:55 GMT -5
Hearing his title come out of the woman’s mouth was … well, he liked it, even though she did sound sort of shocked. As he expected – he was fresh out of school after all. He had a baby face and has been told that his brown eyes held no darkness. Often, he had been equated with a golden retriever. Kane couldn’t deny it, especially when he found himself smiling back at Katie/Ivy, revealing two perfectly straight rows of pearly whites. “Hey, if Doctor Constantine will have me, I’d love to sort you out.”
Sort you out? he thought after a few moments. I hope she doesn’t take that wrong. Kane’s mouth had a tendency to let loose things that his brain didn’t have time to catch. Sometimes, he’s gotten in trouble for it.
Kane watched the gate to the Infirmary swing open with a near silent creeeeak, an ominous sound if it was dark. If his hearing wasn’t so heightened, he wouldn’t have heard it. Honestly, though, he was still a little off-put at the sound. It was as if the gate was saying, “Enter, if you dare”. He was intimidated, even if a little bit. To shake it off, he looked back at his guide for her name.
His head tilted a little bit in curiosity, eyebrows lifted just a hair. He had graduated high school with a few people who were genderfluid and went by a few different names depending on the day. He was no stranger to that. But the way that she explained herself, almost sheepishly, he didn’t think that the names had anything to do with her sexuality.
Then again, he didn’t know her very well.
He would like to, though.
“Well, when you make up your mind I’ll be waiting. If you ask me, I like them both. They suit you.” He sent her another golden retriever smile as they walked, chuckling at her “other direction” remark. Soon, they came upon the automatic doors to the pristine, clean-smelling building that other places of healing had. The feeling of belonging settled in his bones. It was strange, and he jumped a little bit in surprise as if he had seen a ghost. It had been years since he felt it; once he was turned, he always felt out of place. Like a Spot-the-Difference game. What was even weirder? The trigger wasn’t because he was actively searching for a place to work and stay. It was seeing his reflection standing beside Katie/Ivy’s.
As soon as he saw their reflections, they went away as the doors opened. Yet the feeling stayed, making a home within his being. Her words jolted him back to reality, and he looked down to meet her gaze once more. He had an unreadable expression on his face, matching the way he felt on the inside. Once her words registered, he shook his head once and gave her yet another smile, though probably not as vibrant as his last two. “Thanks, I might need it.”
“Hey stranger.”
The new voice caught his attention quickly. His eyes took in a young woman as she stood to her full height of five-foot-seven, with chestnut-hued eyes and a short wavy bob that framed her smooth features. She looked to Katie with a small smirk – not a bad one. It just … he felt as if it fit her, and it rarely left her mouth. With arms folded over her chest, she jerked her chin toward him. “Who’s this?”
|
|
|
Post by Ventia on Jun 14, 2022 4:05:15 GMT -5
He had really nice eyes, Katie thought, watching him smiling down at her with that wide innocent smile. The color was so familiar and yet it didn't hold the darkness that she was so used to. Pure, she thought, when was the last time she had seen such open eyes. Ivy didn't know, even Jaimie's eyes had gone blurry with emptiness and darkness from time to time. It was a refreshing sight to behold, she had the strangest feeling that it wasn't like nothing bad had never happened to Kane before but that he hadn't allowed it to change the person he wanted to be. It made her respect him and made him that more appealing.
She felt her face flush at his words, or more exactly the embarrassed worried expression that passed his face almost immediately after he had said it. He was just too cute, she thought with a small smile, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from giggling out. And then, the thought of him touching her filtered into her brain.
Katie found her eyes glancing down at his hands, because she couldn't daydream about him touching her without knowing how big or small, she paused, how big his hands were. A tingle ran up her spine, she hadn't felt a sexual attraction to anyone in months, and here she was, not even ten minutes in, and fangirling over someone definitely younger and most probably unavailable with every glance and smile he gave her.
"I'll hold you up on that." Ivy muttered, she really would like to have someone help with all the knots in her body, she still managed to not sleep well, and would wake up daily with aches and pains. And yet, her mouth dried up at the thought of his hands all over her.
Thankful that they were walking now, she found herself tucking her hair back, feeling a little hot and watching his reflection really wasn't helping her in that department. She shouldn't act so friendly all the time, Ivy thought stoically, but really unless she was in a bad mood, she was naturally friendly. Especially around people she got a good vibe from, and Kane happened to be one of them.
Relationships however just weren't her thing. Friends, lovers, even her parents for goodness sake, Katie seemed to only make a mess of things, she feared that it would only happen again, despite how much she was actively trying to change that. And she didn't like the idea of pulling Kane into her messy personality, despite how natural it felt to stand by his side.
Maybe it would be better if he decided to leave-but then he was giving her that big smile again, and telling her that he liked both of her names, when any normal person would tell her that it was ridiculous to cling to both. She bit her lip, walking the last few feet fighting the urge to grin stupidly and maybe even skip into the Infirmary.
Once inside she waited for his response, watching his face that had seemed to freeze, but only for a second, before was giving her another smile. She was about to say something else, when Thea's voice made her thoughts falter, she took a moment to watch Kane's face as he turned towards her, unable to stop the crazy tightening around her heart when she thought he might give Thea one of his happy puppy smiles.
Then she quickly bereded herself and her silly heart before turning her head to the side, watching Thea stopping just a few inches away from her. She seemed different from the last time she had seen her, but then again, life did that to most of them.
"Hi Thea," Katie gave her a smile and then glanced up at Kane again.
"This is Doctor Kane DuPont," she made sure to remember the doctor bit, "he has a appointment with your mom, I've been nagging at him about some things so ask your mom to not deduct any points for being a bit late." Ivy joked, knowing Aunty Jewel really wasn't that type of person, but found it funny nonetheless.
"How's everyone?" She asked Thea before Kane could say anything, once again feeling funny about them interacting too much.
|
|
|
Post by Thea on Jun 15, 2022 2:29:36 GMT -5
Kane knew he was handsome. Not in the cocky “every girl falls for me because I’m hot and I’ve got money” way. More like … he was told all his life that he was. And he had no reason to not believe those people. He knew he could pick any female in the world to be his significant other – supermodels, B-list singers, social media influencers. And before he was turned, he did. He went through them like underwear. The young doctor knew when a woman found him attractive.
Ivy was being subtle about it. But that wasn’t why he didn’t mind it. He wasn’t the same person he had been before his turning. He didn’t care about the attention he garnered from the opposite sex. Sure, he was friendly but … it was like a switch in him had been flipped. Kane always turned the girls down, whether they slipped him their numbers or legitimately threw themselves at him. Ivy, however, was different. He knew that it was cliché to think considering they knew each other for all of ten minutes. But Katie was someone that he would like to get to know better. Even if, in the end, they just remained friends.
Ivy’s introduction to Doctor Constantine’s daughter had him straightening his shoulders and reaching his right hand out to offer a shake. The smile he gave Thea was – in a word – professional. Wide, but closed-lipped. He was just a man coming in for an interview. A billionaire’s son that knew that first impressions got you far if they were done right. And if this is the daughter of the woman he needed to impress to establish a place in the New Dawn, then she would have the same Kane that Doctor Constantine would have. Before he could say hello as Thea took his hand for a shake, another feminine voice piped up from the service desk.
“As I live and breathe. Oh, Katie, com’ere.” A small, round woman with a greying bun perched atop her head booked it for his tour guide, causing for Kane to step aside to allow them room.
“This is my mom’s personal assistant, Miss Penny,” Thea introduced for Kane, nodding and snorting at the human woman’s doting over Katie. “She’s one of the few humans that live in the territory and know that we’re shifters.”
That information took Kane aback a little. He thought that the supernatural side of Earth was a closely guarded secret so that humans wouldn’t freak out. Coming into the New Dawn, he didn’t expect to ever interact with a human again. “I’m sorry,” he said, struggling to put his thoughts together. “I didn’t know that humans … knew about our existence?”
“Some do,” Thea replied, rocking back on her heels. “And those that live in the New Dawn are carefully vetted to make sure they don’t have any connection to any enemies that the pack has, like rival packs – which are few and far between – and werewolf hunters. Even fewer know that their neighbors are shifters.”
Before Kane could respond, a door creaked open on old hinges. His head immediately turned to the new sound and found a woman standing in the doorway behind the desk Miss Penny and Thea came from. Her golden-brown hair was pulled back in a severe bun. Her eyes were framed by dark circles, as if she hadn’t been sleeping. She wore a white physician’s coat with her name embroidered in dark blue on the left breast. She had her hands in the pockets and a stethoscope draped around her neck. “Dr. DuPont?”
“That’s me,” he responded, a little overwhelmed with Thea’s answer but grinning and bearing it. “Dr. Constantine?”
Jewel nodded. “I’m the Head Healer for the New Dawn and its sister pack, the Nightstar. How ‘bout you come on back and tell me a little bit about yourself?” When she caught sight of Katie, she sent her a warm motherly smile. “Hi, sweetpea. Glad you’re home.”
|
|
|
Post by Ventia on Jun 15, 2022 13:35:48 GMT -5
Ivy scoffed down a laugh at Kane straightening his shoulders with the sudden alertness in his gaze once realizing who Thea was. Was she happy that the smile he gave her wasnt as wide or toothy than the two he had given her? Yes. Did that thought bother her? Also yes. She would have continued her spying on the pair but then her name was being called by another familiar voice.
Katie turned towards Ms. Penny and froze, as the much older woman came over her with obvious glee at seeing her. When she was still a kid, Ms. Penny was in her thirties and still looked young and strong, now the woman standing in front of her seemed to have aged a decade. She tried to hide her dislike, even as Thea was saying she was a human. Humans...they aged too fast and were too delicate. Why hadn't no one changed Ms. Penny yet? She bit the inside of her cheek, not wanting to see the day where Ms. Penny was on her death bed.
"Ms. Penny!" Ivy finally managed to find her voice and reached for her fragile outstretched hands that trembled ever so slightly, causing another crack in her façade to falter. Instead, she squeezed her delicate hands softly and smiled at her friend, all while feeling her eyes starting to sting. She had to remind herself that Ms. Penny was still young for a human, and would still have plenty of years to come.
"How have you been? I'm sorry I haven't been around in a while..." Katie wondered if everyone knew the whole story of her disappearance and if not, she wasn't about to enlighten them. It was hard enough staying in the Pack with her guilty conscious even if she still hasn't run across the parties involved.
"But I should be back for good now." She smiled at her and leaned over to put a light kiss on her childhood's nurse cheek. Hearing Aunt Jewel's voice, she turned to see her and frowned at the sight of her as well, she looked almost like her mother now, with dark circles and a exhausted face under her warm smile.
Her insides clenched with anger, everything was different now, everyone seem spent out, and what had she been doing for the past few years? Running away from home like a child. Biting the inside of her cheek again, she returned Aunt Jewel's smile with her own, silently vowing to do more for the Pack. Maybe she would visit her mother once she was done here in hopes of getting a better job for the Pack.
She watched Kane move towards Aunt Jewel and rolled her eyes at herself, she couldn't think about boys at such a drastic time. It was a man's fault that got her into this mess.
"Thank you Aunty Jewel, I'm here to stay."
|
|
|
Post by Thea on Jun 16, 2022 2:24:20 GMT -5
Ve, the interviewee is here. I’ll see if he’s a good fit for the pack and send him your way if he is. From his resume and cover letter that he sent me last week, he’s a chiropractor. The scout that brought him my way claims he’s a turned shifter. Jewel sent the message along the pack link to her friend, whom she had grown close to since they’ve collectively taken up duties that others have seemingly abandoned. She watched Katie with Ms. Penny, the way that she acted toward the human, her own heart aching. Everyone that came to the Infirmary knew her, and questions regarding her place in the pack had emerged before. Was she going to be turned? What about her family? Is it really safe to have a human work so close to the heart of the pack if she wasn’t going to be turned? Penny, despite vehemently denying to be turned, was loyal to the New Dawn. Her family too. Jewel wished that Penny would change her mind but knew that the chances of her surviving it were growing slimmer the older she became.
“That’s good,” the Head Healer responded with a nod of her head. “Don’t be a stranger, though.”
Jewel took one more glance a Kane as he moved to Ivy’s side and gave her a wide, toothy smile. “Hey, thanks for getting me here. I’ll see you around?” Jewel raised an eyebrow at that, thinking that maybe mister new guy had a crush on the she-wolf she watched grow up. Then she turned back into her office before she could catch Katie’s answer.
Regardless of Katie’s answer, Kane walked briskly to follow Jewel, and the door shut behind them with a soft click. Thea and Ms. Penny watched him leave, Ms. Penny with an appreciative eye and Thea with a mild curiosity, like a cat that saw a mouse but didn’t bother with interacting with it. “It’s rare seeing new faces around here, anymore,” was all she said before turning back to Ms. Penny and Katie.
“He was a good-looking man, though,” Ms. Penny responded with a nod of her head.
“Eh, not my type.” She yelped a bit when Ms. Penny popped her forearm with the back of her hand. “What?”
“You already have a mate,” the human retorted, putting her hands on her hips expectantly.
Thea couldn’t help but mock her pose. “And he’s an ass. He chose Lena over me again, and I’m done with it.” With a shrug that said “that’s the last thing I want to talk about”, she turned back to Katie. “What are you up to?”
|
|
|
Post by Ventia on Jun 30, 2022 12:57:36 GMT -5
Thanks Jewel, let me know if anything happens-I'll send someone. She had mixed feelings about recruiting more people for the Pack, yes they needed the help but in this day and age she felt like she couldn't trust anyone. The Pack was going through enough to worry about hidden motives and agendas. Still, that wasn't a reason to turn anyone away who already passed all the background checks and seemed to be a good fit for the greater good of the Pack. She sighed, going through the mountain of paperwork she seemed to always have on her desk at any given time, and wondered if Ivan would call her one of these days-so far it had been radio silence not that she blamed him, he was busy searching for Elena, Ventia would take any amount of days of silence if it meant he found her.
Katie raised a hand waving him off as Kane followed Aunt Jewel into the building, she sighed and turned back towards the two of them with a good natured smile. Did it make her feel better that Thea didnt have that much of a interest in Kane? Yes, annoyingly so. She tried to hide that little tidbit and shook her head at what was being said.
"He was pretty cute, but it's his profession that will help the Pack more," She laughed and agreed with Ms. Penny so that she didn't scold Thea all that much and made a wince towards Thea.
"Again? I wouldn't deal with that, mate or no mate, no offense Ms. Penny but that kinda sucks. Um, not much really, exploring mostly and trying to work it out with Mom, it's been okay?" Ivy shrug and ran her hand through her hair, feeling tensed. She wanted to ask Thea questions about the Pack but didnt want to put anymore stress on Ms. Penny, even though she knew Ms. Penny must know most things about the going-ons but still.
"Your mom looks almost as bad as my mom, why is that?" She felt this might be a okay subject seeing as how Ms. Penny was always with Aunt Jewel anyway.
|
|
|
Post by Thea on Jul 1, 2022 0:31:41 GMT -5
It was no surprise to Ms. Penny that Thea's mate chose her cousin over her. It wasn't the first time, and if Thea didn't get out of the relationship soon it wouldn't be the last. That was when she had taken a huge sigh of relief when Thea waved her hand. "No worries. I told him that if he did end up going with Lena and her mate to their honeymoon-slash-whatever-the-fuck don't expect a welcome home party from me."
In truth, Thea cried when he left. She had begged him not to go, really. She wanted for him to stay with her, tried to reason that with Lena's newfound witch abilities and Drogo's worshipping ass she would be safe. But in the end, he chose to go, and Lena didn't do anything to keep him there with her. Which she found was bullshit because if their situation was reversed ... well, Thea would have told Lena that Drogo wasn't worth shit if he didn't want to stay with her.
Her mother would tell her that her line of thinking was unfair because it wasn't like Kenneth wanted to leave Thea. But that was how Thea felt. Abandoned. After all she did to overcome the trauma that was The Arena and what her first mate did to her before she died, while Kenneth was there by her side? She felt like a piece of trash, much less important than Goody-Goody Lena -
Deep breaths, she found herself thinking. Focus on the now.
And just like that, she was teleported back to the Infirmary lobby, latching onto Katie's questioning tone. It wasn't like her to pry into others' business, so she just nodded her head in acknowledgment. "I know your mom is happy for you to be back."
When Ivy asked Thea about her own mother, she immediately looked to the door leading to Jewel's office. Thea was a ... private person. Not because she didn't trust her fellow packmate. It was just the type of person she became. And it was probably because of the woman who raised her. Thea remembered years ago when Jewel's depression was at an all-time high. She looked exhausted then, between insomnia and the lack of desire to eat. But not once did Jewel ask for help, instead she poured herself into her work and tried to pretend everything was okay. Even now, when the reason why she looks different isn't considered normal even by shifter standards, she was here with her pack.
Besides, how can Thea tell Katie that Jewel was chosen to be a priestess for a god of another world, of whom some of their ancestors were from? It was hard coming to terms that she was part alien, herself, on top of everything else.
"Ahh ... to put a rather long story short, Ma killed someone while we were in France. Granted, said someone trespassed onto the estate property. Thing is, she was in full wolf-mode. And you know how territorial even regular wolves get." But what Thea failed to say was that never had her mother had trouble when it came to shifting. She and her animal counterpart had been in sync until recently. That every night since she had come home from the planet Drethinov to help some distant family, her inner wolf drove her to run every night. And when she was like that, she might as well be an animal. "No matter how many times we tell her that she was only defending her territory, she beats herself up because she's a doctor. She's supposed to preserve life, not end it."
"And Jade is missing," Ms. Penny said, voice low and sober. Tears started to well up in the older woman's eyes, and she turned away from the she-wolves to go blow her nose.
"That too. Jade is Jasper's mate. She was kidnapped while she and Jasper went out on a date. Everyone's messed up about it."
|
|
|
Post by Ventia on Jul 1, 2022 20:10:49 GMT -5
"Guys suck, you deserve better, unfortunately there's not many good one's left." Katie shook her head, and couldn't help that her eyes strayed for a millisecond towards Aunt Jewel's office. Kane seemed like a good guy but then that's how they all seemed at first. Hearing about Kenneth should have been a clear reminder of how much one couldn't trust a man; if a mate could break their own mate's heart multiple times than why did she think it would be any different with someone new?
Not that Ivy ever really experienced the whole mate thing, tingles? Never felt them, at this point she expected she wouldn't ever. And if she did? She still wouldn't be convinced, she knew too many failed mate relationships. Yes, it was better if she never even thought about another man again, save for maybe friendship but even then that was a big maybe.
She waited for Thea, almost regretting her question, despite how careful she thought she had been, it was obvious to her that she stepped on a landmine. That was how much she was out of the loop, had been away too long to remember the little things, like how Thea wasn't that much of a talker. She was about to tell Thea that she didn't have to answer the question when she finally did.
Katie frowned, not liking what she just heard, she glanced at Ms. Penny and then at Thea, "I'm sorry, that was a bit insensitive of me, I shouldn't have asked...I hope she feels better soon, she must know deep down it wasn't her fault," If there was one thing Katie had done since leaving New Dawn, was killing...it didn't make her feel good, but it did make her sleep better at night. There were some people in the world that were better off dead, trespassers fit the bill in her mind.
"Any leads? I'm pretty good at tracking people down, I have friends in all kinds of places, I can ask around?" She hadn't seen Thea's younger siblings since they were still children, another guilty stab staked through her, she had been so childish for leaving, even though she had tried to keep tabs on everyone on the Pack she still managed to miss a whole lot of news.
"It's crazy how time flies...how different everything becomes." She said sadly and sighed, she felt horrible, as if she had failed each and everyone of them.
"Anyway, if you ever need a extra pair of hands for anything, I'm your girl. So what else is new? Anything I should be made aware of?"
|
|
|
Post by Thea on Jul 2, 2022 21:13:33 GMT -5
"You're right," Thea said with a laugh, rocking back to put all of her weight on one foot. "Too many cons, not enough pros."
At Katie's apology, Thea lifted a hand as if to wipe it away. "Hey, I'd ask the same thing. And if you have an idea to talk some sense into her, be my guest. Those motherfuckers didn't have great intentions coming onto the property so they got what they deserved." It just made her worry about Archard and Maddox. What if something like that happened again? "Just hate that Ma was the one to do it."
Thea did perk up when her packmate laid the offer of help out, brows raising with hope. Everyone in the Constantine clan was upset. Miss Penny and her son, who had been Jade's host family, were too. But nothing compared to Jasper's pain. Much like his mother, Jasper was suffering from insomnia, spending most of his days locked in his bedroom researching the beings that kidnapped Jade and toiled away with his gadgets. On the days Thea had to leave for the Guild Jasper came with her, where he shadowed her as she used resources to look for Jade.
They weren't making much leeway, unfortunately. "Oh yeah, I'd love the help. She wasn't kidnapped by the average shmoes. I'm sure Jasper would appreciate it.
"As for more news ... my time gets split between here and the Guild." She paused, holding a finger up before pointing it at Katie. "Not sure if you know what that is. But anyway, I'm not really too sure if I'm in the loop over here anymore. A lot of the higher-ups are gone. We're barely holding the Outsiders to us by a string. Our moms and Darian - I think that's his name - are trying their best and we are getting new pack members in. But ... I don't know. Someone is going to catch wind that the Coberts are gone and take that as an opportunity to attack." Quickly, she tacked on so as not to scare Katie, "That's my opinion though. I could be wrong."
Miss Penny came back to stand across from them, waving a crumpled tissue in front of her as if to wave away Thea's words. "Stop it, with your end-of-the-world talk. Go for a run or something. You've got the free time."
"You know, Miss Penny, I might just do that." She looked to Katie with a questioning look on her face. "I'm not sure how long Ma is going to be in there with the new doc so do you want to come with? It's been a week since I've shifted and I'm feeling it."
|
|
|
Post by Ventia on Jul 4, 2022 18:41:59 GMT -5
Katie chuckled at Ms. Penny she was happy to see she was the same loveable creature she always was before glancing at Thea, a little surprise that Thea invited her to go along, she felt her lips stretching into a genuine smile and she nodded.
"You know what, I haven't shifted in a while either," she said while thinking, which was odd considering the fact that for the last two weeks she had been out and about exploring and hadn't even thought to shift into her wolf. Was it because she felt like she didn't deserve to run through Pack Lands as her wolf? Because she had left the Pack? Ivy bit the inside of her cheek and drew in a big breath.
"I might be a bit rusty so take it easy on me yeah?" Katie giggled and turned to Ms. Penny and reached in for a half hug and kiss.
"I'll see you soon Ms. Penny, take care of yourself okay?" They said their byes and it wasn't long before they were walking out of the Infirmary and down the path.
"I'm sure Aunt Jewel will be okay, they say time heals all wounds. Anyway! Anywhere in particular you wanna go?" Ivy gave Thea a companionable smile before stretching her arms out above her, a light buzz filled her core as excitement grew in her belly, it had been a while since she ran with anyone and it made her just as nervous as it did giddy.
|
|