Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Jul 29, 2016 14:52:22 GMT -5
OrfeoThere was so much blood. Jua looked in the rearview mirror, sickened with how it just covered the back seat. What was even worse: Leo wasn't showing any sign of life other than his shallow breathing. No speaking. No screaming in pain. No moaning. His pale face was void of any expressions. Jua wondered if they were even going to make it to their destination. Despite Leo's silence, Jua could hear the sounds of the Challenge that happened not even thirty minutes ago still ringing in his ears. Taji's jibes. The ripping of skin and fur-shredding. The shouts of victory and horror every time Leo acquired another laceration. Seeing his own son cheering on the beast that - at this very moment - was enjoying his regained title. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, his stomach churned at the thought of a ... mutant doing his rounds. Controlling the pride. And Taji did, indeed, turn into a mutant. It was all because of the men with him, standing behind the crowd and watching with faint amusement as the ground was colored red with Leo and Taji's blood and growls and roars filled the air. It had to be. They had inhuman eyes that reminded Jua of ice. They reeked of darkness, as if they wore it as a second skin. Everyone was wary of them. At first. But they were so happy to see Taji again. So happy, in fact, that not even the form that he shifted into was enough to have them wonder what the newcomers were. "D*mn it all!" Jua slammed his hand on the top of the steering wheel. Then he pressed his foot down harder on the gas before casting a frantic glance to Jailean. God. It had only been a few weeks that she's been with the pride. And with Leo no longer alpha, Taji kicked her out. "As my first order as Alpha!" he had claimed vehemently, just shortly after Aiolos told him not to kill them. (Because he didn't feel like messing with dead people.) She didn't even have time to grab her things. "We're almost there," Jua gritted out. "Just a few miles out."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2016 0:44:36 GMT -5
Tears had brimmed at the cusp of her eyes and it took all of her willpower and then some to keep herself from interfering within the fight. No, it wouldn't be like last time. She couldn't interfere this time around for she had promised Leo that she wouldn't. That, and she was trying to be more like them. Be a part of their culture and their customs dictated no outside interference. Well, Jai didn't interfere, and now under her breath she cursed at herself in a somewhat panicked state as her two small hands pressed themselves tightly against one of Leo's wounds. It wasn't doing much of a difference. Blood still came out, there were dozens of other wounds, but in her panick her mind had focused in on one and one alone and all the others she just didn't see.
"Fuck. Fuck." She cursed under her breath, her body shaking side to side at the fast movements of the car, her heart accelerating faster than it already was when the vehicle suddenly sped up. Jailean pressed her hands tighter against the wound. She didn't know what else to do. All she saw was more blood seep between her fingers, every so often noticing just how shallow his breathing was. Jai fought hard not to scream, and God was there so much to scream about. Leo was dying in her hands. She had done nothing to try to help him. She hated that she just stood there and watched him get butchered. They kicked her out after doing so much to try and be a part of them, and they just let it happen.
She didn't even take her computer.
"H-he is going to be dead in a few minutes," she finally gave in response, silently urging at Jua to go faster. She tore her eyes away from the blood to look over at Jua, whom to her seemed to be filled with a determination she didn't think she had seen for some time. Only when her eyes went back to Leo did it finally hit her, and with a loud gasp, she quickly pulled away from him until her back was tightly pressed against the door. Her eyes darted up and down, panicked, "There's so much ducking blood," Jailen murmured, shaken to the core. Her hands were trembling uncontrollably and despite the fact that the entirety of her body was coated freshly with the blood of Leo, she dared not bring her hands close to herself.
Finally she moved to him again, pressing her hands tighter against the wound, hoping it would do something to help. "Oh god!" She sobbed, fat tears finally rolling down her cheeks, stained slightly red from the blood on her face. "I'm so sorry, Leo."
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Jul 30, 2016 14:57:00 GMT -5
Taji's new form did look like a lion; Aiolos never strayed from he animal shift, claiming he only sought to better it. For Taji, he did just that, and he was happy.
Taji no longer had the scars from his fight with Leo years ago. He had walked into the pride lands with a swagger and the patrol he came across at his heels. He had ice-blue eyes (a stark contrast from his brown ones everyone remembered), just like his companions that arrived just before the man demanded a Challenge. His whole demeanor afther that was savagely confident.
More than likely because the form Taji changed into was bigger, faster, stronger, and - Jua thought - more grotesque. His shift had been pitch black from head to toe, with pointed ears and antlers growing just behind them. The fur was so coarse that it wouldn't surprise Jua if Leo's mouth was just as cut up as everywhere else. His tail was serpentine - about halfway through the fight Leo was tossed like a rag doll simply by the tail releasing the hold it had on his neck.
The only advantage Leo had in that fight was that Taji's muzzle wasn't elongated, like someone took a shovel to his face. That way, Leo didn't get bitten too often.
"We're going to make it," he saud harshly, and that was the end of his talking until he turned onto an exit lane. Just a couple more blocks. So far, he hasn't gotten caught driving fifteen over the speed limit. It was around 11 PM on a Monday night, which meant traffic was dead. Now that they were headed into a residential area, it took all of Jua's will power to slow the car down.
All of Leo's minor wounds - the bruises and the scrapes from being dragged on the ground - healed quite nicely. His crushed ribs were slowly on the mend. Slowly. Though there was still so. Much. Blood. Jailean could clearly see how his breathing was getting deeper and deeper, but with it came unconscious groans of pain. His face contorted to match how he felt. Other than that there was no response for Jailean.
Finally, Jua pulled into the driveway of a brick two-story house. Its outside lights were off, as well as the inside lights, showing that its inhabitants didn't know the now-rogues were coming. Jua didn't have time to call Carl. Or Avery or Jaye. Or anyone for that matter. So he just hoped that they would answer and didn't turn away from them.
"Wait here," Jua commanded, looking in the rearview mirror for the millionth time at Jai and Leo. This time, there was hope that glinted in his gaze. A childish hope that even if Leo did deserve to die, he'd be all right. God. He lost everything because of that dang man back there. He should die.
Jua didn't have it within him to be angry though. If he lost his best friend, too, he didn't know what he'd do.
He left the driver's side door open, as well as the car running. He took the porch steps in one leap before banging frantically on the door. After no response he did it again, this time nearly splintering the wood. "Carl! Jaye! It's Jua!"
In the time space of five minutes after that, in which it felt like an eternity and some more pounding, Carl finally opened the door. His hazel green eyes, bleary from sleep, suddenly widened when he smelled the blood wafting from the vehicle. "What happened?" he asked, moving past Jua to run down the steps and open a back door.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2016 20:56:16 GMT -5
It was a monster that did this to Leo. Only two months ago she would have thought that they were all mosnters. But, what fought Leo? There was no other way for her to describe it, and the only other thought that ran through her mind besides Leo's well being was that monstrous creature. She had no idea on what it was. Jai dared not even try to think about what it could have been. From what little she had learned Jailean knew that people took the shape of animals. That did not look like any animal she had ever seen.
"Fine," she said softly when he told her that they would make it. "Fine!" She screamed, struggling now to keep her composure as she watched Jua bang on the door and scream. Jailean wanted to be the one there, screaming for somebody - anybody really, it did not matter whom - to help her. But she also did not, dared not, to leave Leo's side. Jailean bit her lip, her hands still pressed against one of his wounds, no doubt doing an insignificant amount of help. She may as well have not been there, and it wasn't like the thought had not crossed her mind. Deep down, a guilt over doing nothing had started to form. "I'm sorry," she whispered lightly, a deep and shuddering chill running down her spine with every small sign of life he displayed.
The back door opened behind her and she blinked, taking in a sharp breath of air. Slowly Jailean managed to pry away her hands from Leo, then turned her head to look back at the man standing there. There was sadness in her eyes as she shakily whispered "I don't know what to do," slowly pulling herself out of the car, dripping with his blood all the way to her toes. A white croptop she was wearing was damp and matted against her skin, now a colour it was never meant to be. Jailean's terrified looking face, with the eyes of a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding car, had his blood smeared on her forehead and on her cheeks as well as partly on her nose from all the times she had grabbed at her face in terror. Blue jeans she wore were as well damp, some parts merely smeared in the same manner as her face was, other parts drenched as her shirt.
Jailean was a mess, and arms wrapped around herself in a vain attempt to find some sort of comfort, she could not stop trembling. "I don't know what to do," she said again, unable to think of anything else to say. She found herself a couple steps back away from the car, frozen still biting at the inside of her cheek and unsurprisingly tasting blood that wasn't hers.
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Jul 31, 2016 1:21:34 GMT -5
Carl wasn't expecting the woman. The stench of blood in the air was so potent that it masked Jailean. His eyes grew wide a bit before he stepped out of the way for her. With how much blood was on her for a few moments he was concerned that it was she that was injured. But it couldn't be.
He turned his head to look at his eldest, rubbing his bald head and searching quickly for any signs of life, as Jua had done prior. A cold chill crawled down his spine and spread to the very tips of his fingers. He was so close to death, it seemed. "What the f*** happened?" Carl demanded, bending down to latch his hands onto Leo's ankles so that he could pull him out gently.
"Taji Challenged him," Jua said in a rush, taking his place beside Carl to get Leo out. "But he didn't shift into a lion."
"What do you mean, he didn't shift into a lion?"
It was difficult to explain what had happened as they situated Leo where Jua was at his head and Carl was at his feet. And it was slow walking from the driveway to the doorway. Eventually, they got him in. And Jaye was right beside Jailean.
Jaye liked to sleep shirtless, but he did have a pair of simple black sweats on. His hair, as blonde as Leo's and just as thick as a lion's mane, had been pulled back in a small bun. The bags under his eyes said that he was older than he actually was, but – not like his father, who sported a goatee – was cleanly shaven. Which clearly showed his frown of fear.
Oh, he hated his brother. The feeling went down to his very core. But he didn't want to bury him. And no matter how he wanted to deny it, Leo was family. It felt as if yesterday he lost his mother. And now, he was going to lose Leo if his father didn't do something.
Carl owned an aviary. A large tourist attraction in the city, even if Carl's jail time put a damper on the reviews. Not only that, but he was also a retired vet and licensed falconer. Sometimes, he took sick birds home to personally oversee and administer their care. He had enough needle and thread to stitch up a wound or two, but not enough.
Jaye knew this. And more than likely he was going to have to do the stitching while Carl went to the aviary to get some more. But he didn't want to. He hated blood. It just made his stomach turn standing beside Jailean. "He's stubborn," he said lowly, not wanting to go in either. "He won't let death take him without a fight." He said it more for his benefit than Jai's. But if it brought comfort to her, hey, that's good. Leo has to be really important for her to be covered in his blood. Besides, his own confidence booster wasn't cutting out for him.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2016 1:47:38 GMT -5
"He turned into a monster," said Jailean, holding on to herself tightly and shivering as her eyes locked themselves to the car. Even from where she stood, more than a few paces away from the door, she could smell the blood like it were booze. But, she didn't think that was real. A trick of the mind. God, how she hoped it was merely a trick of the mind. "A monster did this to him." Her voice was still shaky and the terror was all too easy to tell. Biting her lip, Jai stepped away once again. She... She knew. Yes, she knew that she was of oh so little help now. What else could she have done? Jailean wasn't trained in medicine. She would probably end up doing also more harm than good. Her powers were no good at healing either and-
She gasped softly and to herself, eyes widening a bit. Just out of the corner of her vision, gone as quickly as she saw it. Droplets of blood where it shouldn't be. Floating, just out of her sight, her heart almost stopped from the shock. She closed her eyes tightly for a full second, opened them, and quickly followed behind, suddenly feeling a chill she'd rather get away from. "Yes," she murmured softly in reply, scratching lightly at her arm before finally dropping her hands to her sides. Jailean took in a deep shaky breath of air and then let it go. "Leo is going to fight himself to death, isn't he?" She bit at the inside of her cheek again, her hands going from her sides to her arms and back to her sides, up to her hair - which had not been untainted by the crimson liquid -, then down back to her sides. Her food tapped anxiously, she let out a huff, took another deep breath, and then groaned.
"Jua," she said suddenly, crossing her arms over her dirtied ches as she rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. "Listen I-I need to take a few. Clear my mind. If not that... Thing," her eyes glanced at the strangers, "that happened before when we first met will happen again and I... I'm sure you don't feel like dealing with that a-and I sure don't and Leo needs help and I can help s-so." Jailean stopped herself and sighed. "I-Please, is there anywhere I can just... Sit in silence?
At this point she was not even trying to look in the direction of Leo. She knew that if she looked at him again then she wouldn't want to leave his side, not even if she as a hinderence and that was the last thing they all needed.
Shaking, still somewhat terrified, more for him than for herself now, she looked at Jua with a somewhat pleading look and waited silently for him to lead her somewhere quiet.
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Aug 1, 2016 10:58:06 GMT -5
*Time Skip*
Jua led Jailean to the bathroom at Carl's snap of directions. Jaye gave Jua permission to rifle through his room next door for some clothes; they all figured that she'd want to change, and Jaye (despite his height) was closer in size. So Jua placed a band tee and a pair of shorts on the counter. "We'll be downstairs," he said in a rush, before closing the door.
It was some time later when Leo woke up.
He was still on the floor, because Carl and Jaye were too afraid to move him. He found himself on his stomach, with his upper body on his father's lap. But at the moment, he had trouble discerning reality from the ... dream that he had. He felt sharp, throbbing pains everywhere in his body. It was like he was being drilled with a silent jackhammer. Never before had he felt pain like this. Not even when Harrison shot him.
His face twisted into agony to match how he felt, and he let out a zombie-like groan. He tried to pull his arms under him so that he can push himself up, but he was stopped. "Don't move," his father said, but to Leo it was all groggy and distorted. His senses were off, he realized. He didn't even know who was with him. "You'll open up your stitches."
Leo growled, struggling weakly but valiantly to be freed. "Where are they?" he demanded before smacking his lips. It was dry as a desert in his mouth. Yet after a muffled answer Leo shook his head, then turned it slightly to look at Carl. His eyes grew wide at the familiar face, completely flabbergasted. "Papa?"
"Where's who?" Carl said in return, slower this time, concern covering his features.
"J-Jai," he stammered after a pause, then rubbed his face slowly with a hand. It hurt so much to move. "And Jua. They were with me, right?"
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2016 0:05:20 GMT -5
Jailean locked the door and stripped herself naked and yet she could still feel layer of blood which she dared not touch. She knew she want queasy to it but she was definitely not used to this amount. The shower water ran hotter than usual, steam immediately filling up the small bathroom as she used the brief moment of pain that came from the heat to distract her mind. Her eyes were shut tight to avoid seeing how the water stained, and it wasn't until about twenty minutes later that she had finally opened her eyes to see that she had scrubbed herself clean. Sighing, Jailean reached up and rubbed her nose, at the same time dipping her head in into the scalding water to once more rinse her hair - just in case. By this point all she wanted was to rid herself of that thing on her.
It was only about a half hour later when she stepped out. The bathroom was warm and humid but every breath of air felt fresh. It was definitely much better than being in that car. She shivered slightly just thinking about it but then turned and wiped away the moisture from the mirror until she could see herself just enough to make triple sure that her face was completely clean. "Good," she said out loud, doing anything to keep her mind occupied. That's what she needed. All she needed. Yeah. She just had to keep herself occupied and-
Jailean bit her lip, twisted her fingers, and watched in silence as a couple droplets of water performed aerobics across her vision. Another twist, then a flick of her middle finger against her thumb, and the droplets split. She clenched her hand unto a fist, tightened, and then let go. The water simply fell from the air and landed silently in her toes. Jai closed her eyes and cursed.
The shorts fit well enough as did the shirt. She finally opened the door and let the air out, welcoming the cooler air from outside in, waited a minute or two while ignoring all the other noises that could have come from the other rooms during this brief moment of exposure, and then locked herself back in once more. Jailean sat, legs crossed under her body, closed her eyes, and felt.
*~*~*~*~*
She finally "awoke" from her meditative state, slowly easing herself back up on her feet with the use of the wall near her. Her bones creaked and complained but everything smoothly settled into place with a couple of somewhat satisfying pops when she finally stretched out. "Better," she murmured, once more and finally feeling like she was back under control of herself.
Although that was most definitely not her concern, it having been shifted once again towards Leo. To say that she felt as if she had neglected him would have been an understatement. However she did so for both his own wellbeing as well as hers. There were far more capable hands, and if she had remained longer she knew she would have lost some sanity. Somewhere. The door swung open slowly and immediately she heard voices coming from the other room.
Fighting the urge to run had never been so difficult.
"I'm here you... You... Stupid man!" said Jai rather loudly as she entered the room. "If you knew the scare y-you gave me! Ooohhh I want to just... Punch you!" But she couldn't help but fall to the temptation of a small smile as she walked up to Leo, her arms holding on to herself. "But I can't, because like he said," Jailean nudged her head ever so slightly at Leo's father, "it'll open up your stitches and if I see just one more drop of blood out of you... Hmph." Jailean stepped back and looked at everyone in the room that had been there to help. "Thank you for helping him. I wish I could repay somehow."
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Aug 2, 2016 10:02:14 GMT -5
To say that Leo had been worried about whether or not he dreamed Jai and Jua were with him was an understatement. He was utterly terrified that he was, indeed, going to die - alone, and violently. But the relief that he felt when he heard Jailean's voice washed over his body atop the pain, and he nearly lost what little strength he had that kept him from being in his father's lap again.
"Those Challenges are rough," Leo muttered, before closing his eyes and chuckling. That was his only defense against Jailean's words. Though he didn't care that she called him stupid. Didn't care that he gave her a scare. All he was concerned with was that if she was all right. He passed out just as soon as Jua dragged him away from the throngs of people, and the last thing he was was a human Taji claiming that Jailean had no right to be within the pride.
His amusement and relief washed away just as quickly as it came, and along with the pain he worried if the reason why Taji kicked her out wasn't that if she was human, but if he believed he and Jai were an item. He cursed lowly, shifting his weight a little so that when he felt his strength give out, he wasn't on his father's lap and rather on the cold floor.
"There's no need," Carl said neutrally to Jailean, standing up and walking to the kitchen where Jua was. "Unless you have some spare blood somewhere. Leo's healing ability isn't healing fast enough for me, and he's lost a lot of blood last night."
"Let him suffer a bit more," Jaye said bitterly, which had Leo snorting. "D*mn man now knows how Avery felt."
"F*ck off," Leo quipped breathlessly.
"Knock it off, the both of you." Carl sent daggers to his youngest, which only had Jaye roll his eyes before sitting down on the couch and turning on the TV, regardless of the blood on his hands. Leo just grunted. Carl could only rub the bridge of his nose in exhasperation before he motioned for Jailean to follow him into the kitchen, where Jua was. "Now that we have the chance to properly introduce ourselves," he said over his shoulder as he walked. "I'm Leo's father, Carl Fowler. Little skater boy in there on the couch is Jaye, his youngest sibling."
He scooted past Jua, who was studiously watching over a pot of rice and skillet of sausage patties. He's never been inside this house before, but he quickly found everything and gave off a relaxed aura, as if he'd been here all his life. He ignored everyone and everything, even Carl, who turned on the sink and poured a palmful of dish soap in his hands. "And you must be Jai?"
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 1:06:56 GMT -5
"Our blood types are different," she said almost immediately, then looked at Leo slightly cautiously. "I... Learned that when we were in the infirmary before." Jai looked back at Carl, "So no spare blood. Sorry." Still, she smiled, only really glad that Leo seemed to be doing well. Yes his health was still in question but it was easy to say that he was no longer on the brink of death in her eyes and there wasn't blood everywhere. That was good enough for her. Jailean's eyes fell on Leo, but she looked at Carl quickly enough to see him motion to her to follow, and thus she did, sparing a glance over her shoulder at Leo and waving slightly at him before turning back as she entered the kitchen.
She took a seat wherever it was closest, and watched. Jua was cooking. She closed her eyes and breathed in deep before smiling. The smell was pretty good, good enough for her at least. She could hear her stomach growling. "Yes," she replied softly, though tried her best to project her voice a little better and clearer. "I'm her. Jai, I mean. Jailean for short." She bit her lip and peeked back into the other room, sparing a glimpse at Jaye. "It's nice to meet you," she said lightly, "but I wish it had been under better circumstances. Still, you helped us. Oh! Wait-" she quickly got up and quickly walked over to Jua, giving him a quick tight hug. "Thank you too, for getting me out safely. I think I owe you my life." She pulled back just as quickly and turned to face Carl. "I'm... Guessing you know a few details about what happened to your son." She tapped her fingers against each other, once more taking a seat, suddenly feeling weak at the knees simply through bringing up the topic once more. "I wouldn't really know what else to add. I mean... One moment things were fine and the next, well, yeah. Complete one eighty."
Jailean let out a small sigh, once again making herself smaller by holding on to her arms. "I'm just glad Leo got help before it was too late. I don't know what would've happened had he gone but, that's not to worry much over now, is it?" She looked at Carl and gave him a sort of half smile one does when they try to show they aren't feeling as terrible on the inside as it may seem from the outside. "On a somewhat lighter note, it's nice to meet the family." She lowered her voice a little but still figured that if he tried, Leo would hear her. "He doesn't really talk family much, to me at least." Jailean raised her voice back to a normal pitch, leaning back against the while also dipping lower just a little, then crossed her legs and sighed out again. "I hope you don't mind me being here for a little. I just want to make sure that Leo remains safe."
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Aug 3, 2016 19:39:41 GMT -5
Carl didn't look too much into Jailean's answer; he half-expected her to say no anyway, considering that there wasn't any equipment here to do a blood transfusion. So he just waved it off. And after the night he had, he didn't feel like looking into things.
As he dried his hands, he watched Jailean hug Jua with an amused look on his face. After all, Jua's reaction was priceless. He had been in his own little world, flipping patties and stirring rice. So when Jai hugged him just as soon as he turned around, he gave a surprised, "oomph," with a wide-eyed expression.
Jua didn't even have time to properly return the hug before Jai sat back down on the bar stool, so all he did was smile a bit before turning back to his work. "You don't owe me anything," he replied. "You're pride. And that's what pride does." Jua went back to his own little world, then, ignoring the prideful clap on the back and the warm chuckle he received from Carl.
"I still can't get the picture of Taji's ... shift into my head," Carl murmured, crossing his arms across his chest. The expression on his face seemed to show how old he truly was. A look of utter disbelief, added with a lot of concern for the man lying face-down on the living room floor. But then, it was quick to be gone, and he nodded his head. "No, it's not," he replied a bit forcefully. Mimicking Jai's smile, he rubbed his head a bit.
Suddenly, her talk was met with a booming laugh. Jua became startled again, but Carl didn't mind. He leaned his hip against the sink, uncrossing his arms to place them at the edge of the counter. "Trust me," he said in a normal tone, his white teeth showing no canines or otherwise sharp teeth, "if he had it his way we would have never met."
There was no answer from Leo. Not because he didn't hear, because Carl was sure he did. To be honest, though, he wasn't sure why there wasn't a little quip or a full-blown tirade. "And maybe because he commpletely disowned us. He always said he liked the pride better." After Jailean spoke again, he shook his head. "Stay as long as you'd like. We've got the room. Besides, Leo's safe here. Unless he lets his temper loose."
Now it was his turn to lower his voice. He leaned over the counter so that, over the sizzling and the water boiling, his whisper could be heard. "In his past relationships, he's let his ... machoness show. No signs of bruisings that I could see, though. Or scrapes or things. But ..." he narrowed his eyes, concern for her safety now showing, before continuing. "Has he ever ... hit you?"
He completely assumed that she and Leo were intimately involved. How could he not? There was a human, who knew of who she was surrounded by, that was covered in his son's blood when they first met. She was so concerned, and the first name that came out of Leo's mouth was hers. Could you blame him?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2016 23:32:55 GMT -5
Jai blinked, unsure really, on how she should react to what he was saying. It was probably evident in her slightly confused eyes, narrowed down just a bit as she licked lightly at the inside of his lower lip. "Huh," she finally said, softly, before blinking again. She then shook her head. "Hit me? No. Never really even tried, or came close to. Not even when I almost took his eye out. Well, not just his, but Jua too." She looked over at Jua with a somewhat sheepish smile, then continued. "But then, taking it with how you worded it, he wouldn't really have a reason to get all Macho Man Randy Savage on me. We're not together. Relationship wise, I mean. We are together as in we are kind of stuck together because of the situation, but not together as in hearts intertwined with each other."
She huffed, pulling back behind her hear a few strands of hair that had fell loose just in front of her eye. Jailean easily ran her fingers through her hair a couple of times and then finally scooted back just a little bit more on her chair. "Although, truth be told, you aren't the first to think that him and I are together." Jailean shrugged softly. "Probably because of the way I act around him? I mean, him and Jua saved my life, brought me into their pride and he did give me a home, even if I didn't really fit in well. Plus, I may have saved his life once too. Although I'm not so sure. It definitely feels like I did."
Jailean rubbed her arm gently, looking down at the ground for a second, then looked back up at Carl. She opened her mouth for a second but then stopped, biting at the edge of her lip. "It was strange at first to learn that the world has things that one thought was mere fiction and myth. But I got used to it. Again, he helped a little. Allowed me to help too. Although it did start to feel like a debt that I couldn't really repay, I did try my best." She looked off to the side a little, scratching at her neck. "It's just a shame, what happened I mean. I know, customs and all. Tradition. But I kind of wish things didn't have to be so..." Jailean looked back at Carl, "bloody? Why must disputes be handled through a challenge? Yeah, I mean, one has to show some force if they plan to be in charge, but some things can be reasoned with words. A compromise. Negotiation. I mean, could this have been avoided?" Her hands rubbed together lightly. "Forgive me. I'm not trying to come off as some knowitall has all the answers girl. This is all new to me. Maybe there's something I'm missing. But when people start changing their bodies into those of animals as if it were a mere blink, I can't help myself but think.
"Still, I need to ask. Are they all like this? Prides, I mean. Or... What was it that he called them... Right! Packs. Prides and packs and whatever else there is. Are they all like that? Reclusive, and somewhat tribal at their core? I-I don't mean any insult by that, I just want to know."
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Aug 14, 2016 1:04:11 GMT -5
Oh."
The dumbfounded reply to her explination was all that he could say to it. Carl could have sworn that Leo had, in fact, found a girl. It was a shame, too. Despite the fact that she was a human, Carl had liked Leo's choice this time. Other times, it was girls that didn't care too much for brains. Didn't like the birds that he brought home, nor Avery for that matter. They had been easily swayed to believe that Carl was the bad guy. That Jaye was a recluse that was hard to get along with - not that they even tried. Leo had manipulated their thought process to make them think that he was the victim of a dysfunctional family.
When in reality, he made it that way ever since Avery's birth.
People do change, though. And he was starting to see that with Jailean. Even if he was sort of disappointed that she wasn't romantically involved with him, he liked her all the same. Through her, he saw that Leo was starting to become what he was supposed to be growing up.Grandfather was right after all.
He was quiet, birdlike in his stillness as he listened to the woman in front of him. He held back the rueful smile. Even if Leo was as he should have been, Carl believed that he shouldn't have brought a human into this business. If he hadn't, then she'd never have this feeling of having unfinished business. The feeling of a weight never being lifted off her shoulders. She would never be able to keep up with it, in the end. Not to mention, the complexity of the packs, prides, and clans out there was even over his head, because he had never truly been in one. Never felt the presence of family that weren't your own flesh and blood.
Of course, he tried. But it never worked out in the end for him.
"I'm going to be honest with you and say I don't know much. I've been a rogue my whole life. For me, it's much easier to watch from afar - it what most birds do. But I do know that no two packs, prides, or otherwise are alike. One can be very reclusive. Another could have control over a few towns, and you might find that your next door neighbor is a shifter. A pride can be very set in their ways, like yours had been. Still yet, one can break free from its origins and start fresh." He shrugged, as if to say, 'I'm just an old fart". "Religous. Not religious. It really all depends on who is Alpha. Chief. Jarl."
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 22:00:07 GMT -5
"Hm." She crossed one leg over the other, paused, thought for a second, then brought her leg down and crossed the other over instead. She was slow about, as slow as she was when it came to thinking through it all. It's not like it was too much information for her. On the contrary, Jailean could easily keep up... mostly. She just decided now that she would take her time. "Honestly?" She stood slowly and stretched out her arms. "Sounds dangerous." She followed that with a yawn, then stretched from side to side until her bones popped. "I'm surprised the secret has been kept so well. With thousands of your kind, as you're making it sound, roaming about. Owning towns and property and all that. How this isn't general knowledge is somewhat disconcerting. Then again, there's probably a reason to that. I'm guessing people might panic. Witch hunts. That sort of thing nobody really wants."
Jailean took a couple steps forwards and peeked over into the other room. She couldn't quite see Leo from where she stood, but felt like he was still there. Hopefully getting better. jai bit at her lip, finding herself unable to shake the feeling of having been useless to help him. It's not like she had much of a say in matters. Everything just... sort of played along in a way that allowed her to stay by his side. Things could've gone very differently. She shuddered and refused to think on that. "Has he..." she whispered softly, then stopped herself as she looked away from the other room to place her gaze back on Carl.
"Who is Avery?" The words to her question came out slowly one at a time, and hushed, as she felt a feeling of having violated some sacred oath, for some reason or another that she couldn't really describe. It felt wrong to her. "Jaye mentioned her a few minutes ago. And it isn't the first time I've heard that name either. I haven't asked Leo... It feels wrong to ask him that." She lifted her right hand and slowly played with a loose strand of her hair nervously. "Maybe it isn't my place to ask?" Jailean shrugged, turned around, and headed back to her seat with a slight slump to her shoulders. She plopped down hard and crossed her left leg over her right one, which she had tucked under herself as she sat down.
Having asked that suddenly felt... wrong. Jailean shook her head, closing her eyes gently in some effort to shake away her thoughts. "Jaye implied that Leo was suffering, and connected it with... Avery? Meaning Avery suffered, somehow, and Leo's connected to this too. Made it sound like it was Leo's fault. How? I don't know. At this point it's more of a curiosity killed the cat kind of thing. I'm not... I'm not concerned with my safety when it comes to being around Leo. You don't have to tell me the whole story. Some things are better kept behind closed doors? But I do want you to tell me if my line of thinking is foolish or reasonable. About not feeling concerned on my safety with him." She anchored her elbow against the armrest and rested her cheek against her open hand, openly staring at Carl, then looking over at Jua, before looking back at Carl once more.
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Jewel
Healer
Loyalty comes in many forms. Some are more obvious than others. -Thorn
Posts: 2,195
Pack Status: New Dawn, Nighstar, Rogue, Other
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Post by Jewel on Aug 30, 2016 23:16:00 GMT -5
"No, not at all," Carl agreed, finding it easy to speak with Jailean. And quite peaceful. He's never had such a human come through his door and speak with such … wisdom. Actually, he didn't think that he had a human grace his home since he moved here with Jaye. (Except for Zach, but that was a different matter.) Maybe wisdom isn't the right word, but he felt as if he was talking with an old soul. "And of course, there are a few slip-ups. Unexplained happenings. But it's nearly forgotten soon. Unless there's a conspiracy theorist or two in the mess." And he chuckled, as if he cracked a joke that he was only a part of.
He watched her silently, noticing how she peeked into the living room. Thinking that Leo was, indeed, lucky to have such companions with him. Sure, his grandfather was right about his children. Though with how Leo treated people that surrounded him, Carl was definitely surprised that even at this moment, he had companions. Such wonderful companions. Freida would be proud. So happy that she wasn't the only one to chip into Leo's hard shell. There was a soft smile underneath his goatee.
Before it completely washed away.
Answering who Avery was was simple enough. It wasn't like she was dead. Save for the fact that one of her daughters was missing, she was fine. Physically. Emotionally, not so much. What had happened when she was younger had Carl feeling the exact same way she is now. And it was such a horrible emotion that left a scar. Something that would hurt on rainy days. But … Jailean had to know what had happened for Jaye to hate his brother so much.
And even more importantly, she needed to know how far Leo has come.
"No, your thinking is smart. Leo is very protective of his pride." He heard the front door open, then close just as sharply as if he was standing right by it. Heard Jaye move quickly off the couch to greet his best friend, Zacharie. The confused scrunch of the red-head's eyebrows was seen so much that Carl could clearly see it in his mind's eye. A sigh passed his lips, actually mentally counting the seconds before a series of shouting erupted in the living room.
That shouting cleared into a line of curse words, wheezing, and creative insults. Carl knew in the back of his head this was going to happen, because almost every day Zach came by to either hang or – very recently – pick Jaye up to look for Penny. Right now, though, it seemed to be out of the question. Carl had a fight to break up. "Excuse me, before Leo gets hurt again."
His steps were quick and purposeful, stepping over Leo to get to the two struggling boys. Of course, Zach was feeling Jaye's intense hatred. But Jaye was trying to hold him back. It was honorable, but Carl couldn't have that; Jaye was touching Zach, only making the feeling amplify. Not to mention of Leo's taunts. "I could rip you apart even in my condition, punk! I'd like to see you come at me!"
It was easy to pull Jaye away – all he had to do was grab the back of his shirt and yank back, and with the other hand placed it on the center of Zach's chest, letting his emotions override Jaye's. And soon, a feeling of pain washed into Zach's eyes, causing for Carl to pat his cheek knowingly. "Pops, what's wrong?" Zach asked, before heaving a great sigh.
"Nothing. Except for the fact that Leo nearly died."
But for Zach, he knew that Carl was lying. There was barely anything you could hide from an empath. "Come meet Jailean."
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