Re: [OPEN] What's Better Than Running At Night?

Arden Rowe | Wolf; Spiritual Leader

OOC Message

I've had some similar issues and I feel your pain :(

I blinked, surprised by his response. Then I shook my head slightly and laughed. I'd forgotten how wolves could be, especially if they were pack-born. And this wolf oozed it. Even before I was a wolf, I'd always been kinda fit (it was kind of hard not to be) but when I'd run into bears and shit in Wyoming or Colorado I had to use my brains to get out. This guy's response was that he (the big man) would, I dunno, shift and wrestle the bear while I (the little woman, I suppose) ran away. I didn't judge wolves for liking to fight - the adrenaline rush, the mental and physical challenges - it was legit stuff when you had a legit opponent. But a black bear? They were pure instinct. Sure, you could shift and fight it, but it was simpler just to use its instincts to your advantage and walk away with no hassle and no carnage. To answer your question, I'm running because I like to run, I gave a nod to his shirt with a laugh, and to be honest, I don't think we'll be seeing any lions, tigers, or bears.

I almost rolled my eyes at his comment, almost. This kid took himself way too seriously if he thought I was calling him dumb, but I guess I'd figured that part out. Shit, bears are serious about their cubs. If the ones I'd run into had had any I'm not sure I'd be alive right now. I was mildly impressed. Mama bears didn't mess around when there were cubs involved. Still, I couldn't stop thinking about this guy as a kid - he just came off as inexperienced or something. I guess it was the way he'd asked me the bullshit question about bears and mountain lions like there was any concern that one would appear out of the shadows and attack me as I ran through a populated area. A bear or a mountain lion could probably kill a human, sure, but why would it? Black bears didn't really come into town except maybe the outskirts to dig through trash for food, and I didn't exactly look like dinner. Mountain lions were known to occasionally pop up, but they also generally left people alone.

I gave him another smile - smaller this time because of the bullshit I'd been wading through but I also found him kind of amusing. I'm Olympia. And you?

Hugo Abraham |

Well ya know, you never know... Unless you can see the future. I knew her gift couldn't have been that. She would have been higher in rank and I would have seen her before. But the pact was so big now... I still had siblings that I had never met on my mother's side. I nodded, exhaling. Running to run. I used to be like that until my dad died. And now, I stuck to lifting. She laughed a lot, I noted. A happy female wolf was rare especially at night. Most of my female friends would have hit me by now for checking them out and being an asshat. She was probably being cordial because she didn't know me and I didn't know her. But my mother should have taught me better manners.

I chuckled, They are. I think she got bored with the fight or sniffed Andre and realized he wasn't hers. And made him leave. It all is a hazy dream now. It was crazy. I pulled out my phone to check the time. A story for another time. I said, seeing a text from Andre. It wasn't to pick him up, but to tell me what time I should come. I'm just happy that my brother didn't get killed after she found out what he wasn't. I don't think my mom's would've allowed me back home. It was supposed sound like a joke, but it sounded more depressing than I intended.

Olympia. Pack name. Got it. I replied, grimacing. I liked my pack name, but I hated telling it to changed wolves for the first time. I'd been ragged on by all my pack born friends since the day I chose it, but at least they didn't roast me unless I earned it. Changed wolves would get this look on their faces where they wouldn't understand what I just said, knowing the pop culture reference and then knowing me as Star Wars boy and make force jokes. Obi. That's my pack name. I pretended to tilt a fedora. But my real name is Hugo. Such a stretch right? Who names an Indian kid Hugo right?

My mother loved the name Hugo. She wanted to run off with some European trash dude named Hugo but settled for a few months with my dad. I guess naming me after what could have been was her fix and a reason to always dislike me.

Arden Rowe | Wolf; Spiritual Leader

Ha! Yeah, 'cause if I could see the future I would definitely use it to see if I was going to be attacked by a bear I laughed, then fell silent as I began to seriously consider the implications of being able to see the future. If you could see the future, would you be able to change it? It seems like it would suck to know all the horrible things that are going to happen and not be able to do anything about them. But if you could change things then it might be kind of useful, I guess. It seems like there'd be a pretty heavy price to pay for that kind of gift though. I did not need any more of that shit.

I could tell from his voice that the kid cared about his little brother. I could understand that, at least sort of. Landon was not in any danger of being mistaken for a bear cub, nor did I consider myself my brother's keeper, but I could still empathize with this guy somewhat. Plus he gained some respect from me for it. A lot of wolves lacked discipline and responsibility. This guy may have come off as childish, but at least he knew what it meant to take care of someone.

I hesitated slightly when he mentioned that I had given him my pack name. I'm never sure whether to tell wolves my pack name or my human one. I was always told that you always call wolves by their pack names so that's the one I give out, but half the wolves I meet give me their human names anyway. Of course, different packs had different cultures. I'd been turned on the outskirts, and the pack of that region was different from Index - more disciplined but less tight-knit. Everyone called each other by their pack names and there wasn't as much partying in the local bars.

I'll admit the first thing I thought of when I heard his name was Star Wars. I'd never actually seen it, but you'd have to live in a hole not to have heard of Obi Wan Kenobi. That was not as funny as his dislike of his human name. What would you rather it be? Slow Wolf? One Who Asks Stupid Questions? I'll admit they were both slight jabs, but it was all in good humor and I thought I deserved a little revenge for having responded to his question with the grace that I did. 'Cause, I'm obviously so graceful. Obviously.

Mine is Arden, if you, uh, cared. I said with a shrug.