acontritemess | I couldn't come up with a good subject

I couldn't come up with a good subject

[Kevin and Cat were at the movies, which suited Chase just fine. It have him the opportunity to just sit at the coffee shop and watch the people go by, which he happened to enjoy doing. It also gave him the chance to sit, read a book, and be alone, which he also enjoyed immensely. It wasn't that he had any problems with his siblings, though Kevin could be over-bearingly goofy most of the time, and Cat was too much of an angel to be annoying for long...he'd just always enjoyed his solitude, and here, in this place his instincts had told him to call his own, he felt the same. It was his town, he'd made sure of that, and he was damn well going to enjoy it if he could manage it.

Shuffling the two of them off to see a new movie gave him just that opportunity. The air in mid-October here in Ohio was just starting to cool, so he was in a button down under a thin sweater, the collar showing, as he held a tattered paperback and sipped a latte.

Sometimes he was certain he was the only member of his family, at least with a penis, who also had class.]

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[Zhanna has just arrived to town but she immediately searches for the wolf who has claimed this territory. She needs information and she hopes to find something of it here. The war, everything she's fought for, has felt very far away since arriving to America. She doesn't want to forget what she's left behind despite the current focus of her travels.

Her bike pulls up in front of the coffee shop, heedless of the no parking sign. She can read English, she just doesn't care. Her eyes fall to Chase quickly enough and she walks over with a purpose and confidence of a wolf. She's wearing a lose sweater, leggings, boots and a peculiar cross around her neck.]

Ты дома? [Her voice has an accent though it isn't to thick to understand her.] Excuse me. [She spoke fluent English and had slipped into the wrong tongue.] May I join you?

[The wind shifted as she approached and he paused, his latte halfway to his lips, and looked up at her. She was lithe, powerfully built, with a husky voice (Russian?) and striking eyes. All he could do was watch her as she approached for a moment before blinking, realizing she'd asked him a question. He looked to either side, to the other patrons at their tables, and slowly the gears in his mind started turning again.

After years of surveillance and stealth, he'd learned to observe his surroundings without distracting himself with it. She'd parked her bike in the fire lane, swung from the seat, and made for him. Specifically.

All he could wonder was who she worked for. He set his coffee down, closed his copy of Fight Club, and motioned to the other chair.]

I don't think no's an option.

[She glances down at his book and her lips twist into a momentary smile before her expression grew serious again.]

You always have an option.

[She spoke soft as she lowers herself to her seat. Her form is lethal and her muscles tense as her eyes glance around the coffee shop. It isn't an ideal place to meet but it does give her something of an advantage.] This is your home, no? [She has picked up other scents living here as well though she recognizes the one in charge.]

Im Zhanna хищник.

[When the waitress returns to their table she orders a coffee though she does so by pointing to the menu and speaking in Russian. There isn't any point for the greater masses here to know that she speaks English perfectly.]

Normally, the option is between the stupid idea and the smart one, so not really.

[He smirked momentarily, his eyes watching her as she look a seat. He liked the sound of her name. It was exotic yet familiar, and it suited her.]

Chase Allaway.

There are other options. [They were usually harder to see and Zhanna isn't about to explain. Yes, you can sit or you can run. There were harder options and then there were easier options but there were usually more than just two. It depended on how much you wanted to break down those options but that train of thought can have your mind twisted with technicalities.

When the waitress returns Zhanna said nothing and simply nodded at the delivery of her drink. It's only when she's out of ear shot that she speaks again.]

I've just arrived to the states. I've been trying to find the other packs. [Also a mate but she figures that part is obvious.] Also information. I don't suppose you can help me?

Yeah. There's also the easy one or the hard one. [He took a breath, taking a drink from his coffee as he raised an eyebrow.]

..."the other packs"? Is there a registry I didn't know about?

[In another life time, one without war, Zhanna would have found his coy comment amusing. Given the current state of things, she only grew more worried. The American werewolves can’t be this disjointed. If they don’t pull strength from each other…

She forces the thought firmly from her mind.] Yes. [Her voice lowered when the waitress brought over her drink. Zhanna flashes the woman a smile, her expression changing in an instant, which is enough to send the woman away. Thin pale fingers wrap around the warm cup and for a moment Zhanna is quiet.]

The largest known pack in America went by the last name of Vaughn. They had a few other sir names but I believe that one is still the most common. You know nothing about the hierarchy of the packs do you? Your family never taught you?

[Zhanna makes mental notes of what she’s going to tell her uncle when she reports in. Time zones make that tricky so for now she’ll have to wait and see what more she can learn. What she’s telling him is common knowledge to her and the packs who live in Europe.] You at least know there is a war going on? [She doesn’t know his situation but the fight is far from over.]

Hierarchy? [He shook his head, his brow furrowing.] But I'm...familiar with the Vaughns. [He's never met one, of course. Not outright, but he did plenty of scouting for...

...] Look. I don't know who you are, but we're done with sides. We never wanted to help him, but he had...something we couldn't be without. You have to be blind to not notice the war, but that doesn't mean you want to fight it anymore.

[His word choice tells Zhanna a lot in a very short period of time.] So you were on Sunet's forces? [She already knows the answer.] Then you know that not wanting to fight in this war won't stop it from affecting you.

[Her eyes are serious and her gaze steady as she watches him.]

I will be happy to explain anything you want however I'd rather believe that you care about those, like you, who have suffered because of this war.

[Chase willed his eyes to move from her, to stare, instead, at the closed book on the table. She didn't know him. Who was she to come into his town and just...throw around names like that without so much as batting an eye?]

Yeah. [His tone was quiet and tightly controlled.] I know. What do you want from me?

[Zhanna doesn't bat an eye, in fact, her confidence doesn't waver.]

Nothing that I haven't already told you. [She takes a sip from her coffee and looks around them.] I get why your tense. War does that. More so if you're fucked by the other side. I won't pull you into this if you don't want. [She might judge him though.] But I'm asking you, as a guest in your territory, for information as well as the permission to stay for a few days.

[Her eyes met his, once again, unwavering.]

It's up to you. Say so now, and I'll be gone forever.

If not, we should go for a run, and maybe you can show me around.

[The last thing Chase wanted was to be pulled into the conflict again, but he'd always been the observant and logical one. He knew burying his head in the sand and waiting for it all to pass by was impossible, a fantasy.]

I'm not an idiot. [He took a breath and looked up to meet her eyes.] I know better than to think wars disappear because you stop looking at them. [He wants nothing more than to drink in her scent more, but he has other responsibilities, also.] I have time to show you around.

[Zhanna watches him curiously before placing her coffee cup back down on the table.] I never meant to imply that. If I thought you were an idiot I wouldn't continue to sit and speak to you.

I was simply implying that war effects many people differently. [It's obviously that he's been affected and judging by the smells around here, he has family he'd want to protect. Zhanna doesn't want to see any families get hurt or torn apart. She'd been raised to focus on protecting those around her, related or not.]

[A smile tugs at her lips.] I would love a tour. I haven't been to many places in the states and I'm finding it very different. Your coffee is a lot sweeter. [Her tone is a little lighter than before, almost teasing.]

I rate speaking with. That's...that's good. [The same thing was happening with Chase that always happened when his instincts came into play. His mind was warring with his nature. In his mind, one that had experienced great hardship and loss over the last 20 years, he knew it was foolish to even begin to trust a stranger who showed up, sounding like they knew a lot more than Chase himself knew. His instincts were telling him this was a viable female who was spending time with him. He was a male who'd recently claimed territory, a sizable one even, and was holding it on his own (albeit with his younger siblings around, but he'd hardly consider them aid in defending his territory). He allowed himself to smile briefly before finishing off his coffee, placing a bookmark in his book, and sliding some bills, plus tip, in the table.]

Only if you put sugar in it. Come on. It's a pretty neat place, but it's a small town. If you really want to experience America, you'll need to spend time in places like New York or Los Angeles.

[It actually never occurred to him that it was strange a male had been so many places.]

[Zhanna smiles as he tosses the money down on the table. She doesn't find it odd to trust those she's met in America though she hasn't realized the extent of Sunet's reach. While there are werewolves on his side they are all wild, having been pushed to great lengths. None of those wolves would sit and speak to her like this.]

My plan came in at LA. It's fine, I prefer small places like this. [She likes the trees and feeling the earth beneath her feet. It reminds her of home because no matter where she goes, the earth is there to greet her.

She places her half empty coffee cup down and rises swiftly from the table. She nods over to her motorcycle with a relaxed expression.]

I'll drive.

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