Time: Night
Location: Ember Grove Park ---> Ember Grove Streets
Interactions: Cyler Johnson -
@Pyxis
Leilani smiled at the thought of exploring town with someone beside her. She hadn’t been bold enough to do so alone, and hadn’t had the heart to force someone in her clan to escort her around Ember Grove. It just didn’t seem fair. She felt like the new girl at school when it came to her clan, something she thought she had lucked out of. It wasn’t as if they were rude to her, or treated her like some sort of freak. Most of them were in a similar position, after all.
Instead, it was as if she was on a test trial. One that lasted more than a month, apparently. They didn’t necessarily trust her, and she couldn’t really blame them. She had made the effort to learn their names, but leaving her home was rare unless she was asking for rations. She wondered if they thought she was mooching off of them. She planned on getting a job, sooner rather than later. She just needed to get a feel for this place.
Her mind continued to wander, coming to conclusions that were increasingly worse. Maybe they were keeping a secret from her, some sort of rule that couldn’t be said but also couldn’t be broken. Maybe they’d kill her if she overstepped.
Or maybe she was just being ridiculous, and she needed to quell her anxiety over the situation. That was probably a lot more rational.
“I’d love to.” She said at last, tugging herself out of her mind and forcing herself to focus on the moment. Trying to recall what he said, she finally offered him a nod.
“I’m sure the pictures are great. I’m pretty sure everyone has a love-hate relationship with their own art.” She closed the distance between them, happily accepting his camera. As she began to walk toward the outer gates of the park, she looked over his work. She had always loved photography, but it was something she had never been able to get a good feel for. The cameras were always a bit too complex for her tastes, and she was never still enough to get good photos.
Cyler, on the other hand, was everything she wasn’t when it came to his medium. It showed in his pictures. Her grin broadened as she moved between pictures, though she was slightly jealous of his ability to capture life’s beauty so vividly. If she hadn’t been so blocked at the moment, she would’ve taken inspiration from the images.
Finally, after a period of fascination, she handed the camera back. By this point, they had made it beyond the gate and onto the sidewalks of Ember Grove.
“These are really good, Cyler.” She was sure he knew that, though.
“Do you sell them? I bet you could make good money in a tourist location like this.” Maybe that would be her job, when she got inspired again.
Approaching a crosswalk, she glanced about.
“So, which club are you thinking? I’ve heard a lot about The Pit.”
So many people lingered in Trance. Men and women of all different shapes and sizes and species. Some were gorgeous, others plain-faced. All of them dressed quite nicely. A good number clung to the bar or the lounge chairs and loveseats, while others danced fluidly to the beat of whatever song was playing. They were decidedly fun to watch, moving about in their little cliques. Genesis was tempted to join a few of them, and would’ve done so had
he not arrived.
The shift in the club’s atmosphere was almost immediate. His introduction struck the ears of all around, and the hearts of many. She watched as heads swiveled to face him, a brow raised in confusion as a wave of excitement passed over the throng. It wasn’t until she turned to gaze upon the figure that she understood.
Volfango.
He had joined the pack very recently, and in that short amount of time he had captured the hearts of male and female werewolves alike. They were like putty in his hands, falling over themselves to please him. It was interesting to watch, albeit annoying.
She watched his gaze sweep the room, wondering who he’d choose to sink his teeth into that night. As he caught sight of her, she cocked her head, wondering if he recognized her as a packmate. She nearly raised a hand in greeting, but decided against it as he started to prowl toward her. The small smile on his face told her what she needed to know.
She was the night’s target.
The thought made her shudder, though she wasn’t sure what the chills meant. She felt conflicted. On the one hand, she was enjoying herself in the club, drinking away everything that troubled her. On the other hand, leaving before something drastic happened was probably the better choice. Groaning inwardly, she turned on her stool to face him as he took up the seat to her left.
There was a moment where she watched him with the slightest amount of melancholy in her gaze, before her face morphed into a warm grin. After he gave the go ahead, she ordered herself a cheap shot of vodka, watching the bartender leave to prepare their drinks before shifting her attention fully to Volfango. She listened willingly to his spiel, mirth swiftly filling her features. He was so confident, and perhaps a bit narcissistic.
“Good evening to you too, Your Highness!” She chuckled, reaching out and playfully tapping his shoulder with her knuckles. God, he was muscular. It was like brushing against steel.
Focus! “How’ve you been?” She asked, genuinely curious. She wanted to know how his transition into pack life was going. She had only gone two years in her whole life without the security of a pack, and those two years had been miserable. She wanted to know if it was any different for a newly transitioned human.
Lifting her shot, which had been sitting on the counter, she downed it in a smooth motion. It stung her throat on the way down, but was otherwise pleasant.
“Thanks for the drink, by the way.”