Come bother my boy...

[wolfborn_were]

Who: Emery Deluca (wolfborn_were) & ANY OF YOU
I'll take you all on!
What: new character meet and greet?
When: any time in November, before or after member event
Where: Lockwood Forest
Warning(s): May include some animal death, since... werewolf. Hunts for his food.
Note: Just the one general open prompt, so no cut. I can add some closed prompts as well -- feel free to hit up my inbox.

You've probably got your reasons to wander around in Lockwood Forest. Making friends with those cute little ghost animals, maybe. Wood-cutting, since this island is pretty low tech compared to home. Foraging for helpful plants or hunting for wild game to supplement your groceries.

But there's something... someone who is making his home in the forest. Did your plans include running across a wolf? Or, worse yet, a werewolf?

Comments

[wolfborn_were]

"Good. I don't trust humans. They can stick to their city and I'll stick to the woods, and we won't have any problems."

Emery shrugs. He doesn't really want to get into his own history before coming to the island. Why would this new person give a damn about Emery being betrayed, nearly cursed into a human shape permanently, and then fleeing from his pack? What he says is:

"Nothing in this forest smells like you, so you're alone. I'm alone, too. Waste of both our time and energy to be fighting. If you're going to be out here when the snows come, you'll understand why it's important to conserve your energy."

[tisnotthehouse]

"I'm trying to save my brass so I can buy tools and a proper lab for my research," Tarantulas says frankly. "So yes, I expect I will be out here, regardless of the discomfort." Real tarantulas rarely range far enough north or south to endure much snow, and even the semi-tropical ones usually hibernate through the winter...but the idea of wasting so much time sleeping makes his carapace itch. He loves his spider body, but science was his first calling.

"Wolves are social predators, are they not? It might be to our mutual benefit to cooperate regularly." Tarantulas could build larger traps for the deer or wild hogs, Emery could chase them into them...it wouldn't be a bad arrangement. "I used to know a wolf-former...actually, hyeh hyeh, I was the one who designed and gave him his wolf body, and in return he and his teammates provided security for my old lab. It was a most satisfying partnership, for both of us I do believe."

[wolfborn_were]

"Brass? Is that their word for money here?" Emery looks only mildly interested. "You have to get a job for that, right?"

"We usually are, yes." Emery figures that 'wolf-former' is a word that's closes to what he is, which is why this other person was brought up. He doesn't know how one could design a body for another person, but clearly they are from very different worlds. "My last partnership didn't work out so well for me. But you're not Hollis, so I'll give you a chance. I hope you're not the sort to play games."

[tisnotthehouse]

"Mm-hm." For comfort's sake, Tarantulas transforms back into his spider-body. It has slightly better resistance to the cold, and this conversation shows every sign of continuing. "I've been working as a junior electrician of sorts...a temporary state of affairs, I dare to hope. In my last life, I was an inventor and scientific researcher. I already have several ideas for improving the town's infrastructure..."

He sighs heavily. He's already been shown much more trust than he expected by the townspeople. It would be silly to expect yet more. But he's so eager to start making things again. Spinning snares and fixing frayed wires isn't enough.

"I once spent centuries spinning a web to trap an old lover, who had betrayed and abandoned me and stole my child from me besides," he says, voice flat from his effort not to betray the lingering depths of his anger and pain. "I wanted to force his repentance, or if not that, then to have my revenge. But those days are behind me now. I'm trying to become a better person now, hyeh...In any case, you have nothing to fear from me so long as you give me no cause to fear you. Does that sound fair?"

[wolfborn_were]

That description of his past actions doesn't quite inspire confidence. But... a stolen child... Emery's never had children of his own, but can still understand the protective instinct that they inspire. In any case, it's not like Emery is looking do do anything close to that.

"Fair enough." Pause, then, "I'm Emery."

[tisnotthehouse]

Just because he's turning over a new leaf, doesn't mean he wishes to be thought helpless. It seems only fair that anyone who tries to doublecross Tarantulas should know that the consequences will be vast and terrible. Wasn't Emery just telling him about the value of warnings?

"And I am Tarantulas." He bows his head slightly. "I look forward to working with you."

[wolfborn_were]

Emery tilts his head to the side, exposing his throat, in response to that bow. A gesture of trust without being a gesture of submission.

"Here's hoping it will be a good partnership." Emery has had enough of bad ones. "Should I come back here when I'm ready to hunt, or is there another place to meet you?"

[tisnotthehouse]

"I've been sleeping at the Oak & Iron. But, if you don't like going into town..." Tarantulas taps the map where the train tracks would cross the river. "Why not meet at the edge of the woods facing the south train station? I can follow a scent-trail well enough, but I fear I will need a little more time and practice before I can navigate these woods easily."

[wolfborn_were]

"South train station. I can do that." Emery considers a moment before saying, "It may be a few days. I hunt around dusk. We can meet just before the sun sets, and that will give us enough time to get to the lake in the east."

He sighs. "I have no way for you to contact me. Would it be too much trouble for you to be near the train station each day before sunset? Or we can set a particular day if that's better."

[tisnotthehouse]

"Why not before sunset two days from now? Unless a different day would be better," Tarantulas suggests. "If something comes up, you could perhaps leave me a note scratched into one of the trees? And if I cannot come, I will pay one of the staff on the train to do the same."

scene change...

[wolfborn_were]

Emery agrees to the suggestion, and soon after vanishes back into the shadows of the forest.

They won't see each other again until two days later at the appointed time. Emery waits at the tree line in his true wolf shape, clearly visible from the south train station. He ignores any efforts by the staff to make him go away, just sits there stubbornly but calm as you please.

And he'll stay there until he sees Tarantulas approach.

[tisnotthehouse]

[sorry about the delay! I wasn't feeling well, but I'm eager to continue this if you're up for it!]

"You're here!" Tarantulas calls as he quickly skitters across the train tracks and briefly vanishes into the tall grass. He's in his spider form once again, nearly the same size as Emery, but with a backpack perched on his cephalothorax with the straps wrapped around two of his legs. "And I'm in the mood to bite something, so let's go!"

[wolfborn_were]

Emery shifts to his hybrid form so that they'll be able to talk to each other.

"Yes, I said I would be. What's got you in a biting mood?" Without waiting for the answer, knowing they can still talk on the move, Emery begins loping through the woods to the east and slightly north.

They will have to cross the train tracks again, just before the tracks go onto the bridge over the river, but this path will bring them closer to Hatchet Lake (the 'good lake') rather than the Leeds Estate. The deer do sometimes venture down toward the estate, but usually just for foraging in the very early morning. At this time of day, they'll be hiding in the deeper woods.

[tisnotthehouse]

Tarantulas coughs loudly, the product of his best efforts at stifling a wild and inappropriate burst of giggles. The effort also shakes him so hard that he has to literally lengthen his stride to keep up with Emery; for several steps his body is closer to the size of a small horse than a medium-sized dog before he gets a hold of himself and shrinks back down again.

"It's nothing serious," he says, in direct contradiction of all the above. "It just turns out that, hyeh, I'm poorly-suited to customer service. Which shouldn't come as a surprise! I've spent most of my life working alone for a reason, after all -- but people can be so terribly foolish, Emery! And frankly I don't see the point in hiring a professional if you're just going to ignore or belittle every little thing he says!!!"

But he's not mad or anything, honest!

[wolfborn_were]

"Hah! And my new Little Shadow thinks I should get a job with the humans and save the money they'd give me... I think I really would bite someone who treated me that way!"

Emery huffs. "A pack is better. The leader figures out who is good at what, and nobody questions the hunters on the hunt or the scouts when they're scouting."

[tisnotthehouse]

"Your Little Shadow?" Tarantulas asks, his curiosity piqued. "Is this someone I know?"

"But yes," he sighs heavily, "A small group with a single executive figure can be much more efficient, not to mention pleasant to work with -- so long as said executive is the type of leader who actually cares about the feelings of their followers. Unfortunately that isn't always a given."

[wolfborn_were]

{And now I'm the one that dropped the thread. Sorry!}

"Sounds like you might need to be the 'executive figure', so you can assign someone else to 'customer service'!" There's a flash of teeth as Emery grins at Tarantulas.

Emery leads the way across the train tracks again, and into the forest surrounding Hatchet Lake. His keen ears let him know that no train is close enough to be a risk. And they can keep talking because no deer are this close to the tracks.

"You might! He's a young human -- dark hair, dark eyes, skinny as sapling. Loves to talk. Had myself a different Little Shadow at home, but Bart reminds me of him."

[tisnotthehouse]

[No worries! <3]

"Hyah! Perhaps I do." Yes, somebody to handle all of the annoying customers while he does the real work would be much more pleasant -- oh, but then he'd have to pay them, and that would mean less money for his research...ugh, what an unfortunate trade-off.

Talking about Bart is much more pleasant. "Oh! I do know him, then. I caught him following me around and making sketches of my body some time ago. His passion for scientific inquiry is very close to my spark."

[wolfborn_were]

"The boy does love to draw," Emery replies with some amusement.

The words that Tarantulas uses are odd to Emery, but he's not going to call the shapeshifter out on it. It was already established in their previous discussion that they are from different worlds, so idioms being different isn't such a surprise. He can guess from context anyway.

"Maybe if we catch something extra, we can leave it on his doorstep. Bit of a feline move, I know, but... also proof that 'we're fine out here in the woods, stop worrying so'." It's half a joke, but if Tarantulas goes for it, Emery will be serious.

Emery pauses and takes a deep breath, then slightly alters their course to follow a scent trail he's caught.

[tisnotthehouse]

"Oh, that's not a bad idea...Does Bart know how to cook, though?" Emery and Tarantulas are perfectly capable of digesting raw meat, but baseline humans are rarely so lucky. Although he supposes Bart could always take the meat to the Oak & Iron or something and ask them to cook it for him...

Such questions can be safely set aside, however, as Tarantulas lapses into silence at the sudden change in Emery's body language. He sidles closer, keeping an eye on Emery's movements with interest. "If we can but find a natural chokepoint," he murmurs softly, "I might spin a trap for the prey you stalk and startle into motion." He doesn't know what Emery will think of such tactics. It's not like they stopped to talk about how this hunt would go. But if they're to work together, why not play to each other's strengths?

[wolfborn_were]

{Accidentally opened the tab with Mary's account signed in. Now that would be a very different outcome!}

"Ambush. It's a good plan." Emery glances around, then points out a spot off to one side where the trees look thicker. "Maybe over there?"

With his own pack, they'd be able to separate and still sense where each other were located. Since there's no mind-link in this case, Emery sticks close by Tarantulas as they try to locate a choke point.

But eventually, Emery will leave Tarantulas spinning his webs and seek out the deer...

[tisnotthehouse]

Yeeeeesss, excellent.

Tarantulas spins quickly, increasing his size so he can build the web more quickly. Then he shrinks down, and climbs into an upper corner of the web; should the plan succeed and prey becomes trapped inside, his fangs and silk will be ready. And Emery shouldn't worry; his venom won't spoil the meat...

[wolfborn_were]

{Rolled a one, but that's why he's working with someone, heh...}

Emery attempts to take down an older deer, who is standing at a slight remove from the herd. He lunges for it, but totally misjudges the distance. He lands hard on the ground and the deer aims a kick at his head before the herd goes scattering in several different directions.

But at least one hurries in the direction where Emery left Tarantulas to build the web. Slowly, still aching from that hard landing, Emery gets to his feet and follows that particular target.

[tisnotthehouse]

[And Tara rolled a 9 on web effectiveness and a 5 on that jump. The mighty hunters indeed XD]

Tarantulas thought he was ready for anything, but he made a miscalculation: a deer is not only larger than a rabbit, but also much more dense. When a running deer hits his web it stretches -- and then starts to break. He curses and jumps down onto the deer -- and its entire body jerks and bucks, throwing him off.

He lies on his back for a moment, legs in the air, trying to work out what just happened.

[wolfborn_were]

For a wolf, when hunting deer up to eighty percent of the attempts end in failure. So Emery isn't surprised to see a broken, empty web when he arrives. If Tarantulas still needs a hand up from that spill, Emery will gladly give it.

"Hm." Emery picks up a shred of web, and rubs his thumb against it before trying to use the claw on his thumb to cut it. "You figure out what went wrong with your web?"

Before Tarantulas can answer, Emery notes, "I messed up my initial attack as well. Drove the healthy ones toward you, too." No one is at fault because they both messed up.