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studentinpursuitofclouds · 7 months

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Golden pumpkins hunt

A short and little crappy story about our farmers and the madness during the maze on Spirits Eve.

Farmer OCs in this story: May (@poxy-domain), Zeke (@theambivalentagender), Rain (@silly-farmer), Wren (@girls4zelda), Bo (@boinurmom13), Miranda (@amishasp), Shiro (@shirokumav3), Myra (@seharuuchan), Marley (@mmarggsstuff), Willow (@vilochkaaa), Skylar (@justashamwithwastedpotential), Thad (@reallyghostlypost), Lucy (@doggoneaway), Bella (@ivquatro), Eris (@lavendel081), Elisa (@elisa6102), Hestia (@g0atmama), Fawn (@fawn-wickenshire), Josephine (@jazhand), Ziana (@nimillaarts) and Julian (my OC).

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"Aunt Marnie! I'm not little anymore, why can't I go into the maze...". Julian turned to Jaz, who had been begging her aunt for about ten minutes to let her enter the scary maze this year, but Marnie was still hesitant. No sooner had Julian greeted the two of them and congratulated them on Spirit's Eve than Bo pulled him back to the maze entrance.

"You'll see, dude, we're definitely going to win this Magnus puzzle! Especially since this year's prize is not one, but three whole golden pumpkins!", Bo enthusiastically tugged on his friend's sleeve, unable to contain his anticipation before the treasure hunt. "We'll divide the spoils, naturally: both get a pumpkin each, and the third... well, we'll figure something out!"

The two young men stopped near two artisanal arches.

"It's showtime, baby! Ok, I'll go left, and you go right then. Good luck, bro." With a Hollywood smile on his face, Bo clapped Julian on the shoulder, and disappeared into the semi-darkness of the maze.

The young man with multicolored eyes sighed a little tiredly: he wasn't opposed to the most exciting adventure to find the golden pumpkin, but before entering the maze, Julian wanted some snacks from the communal food table. The poor lad hadn't had time to eat before the feast, and the smell of spices made his stomach rumble and mind go crazy. But Julian decided he would help Bo win the contest first, because after all, three pumpkins was a very generous reward.

Without wasting any more precious time, Julian finally entered the maze. The tangled paths, the cold, penetrating wind, the dense dark vegetation on either side, the atmosphere and frightening scenery, the shrieks of familiar voices, the laughter and the rush - enthralled by the spirit of the feast, Julian even forgot about hunger for a while.

Continuing to walk further and further down the labyrinth, Julian didn't immediately realize how he found himself in a place separate from the main maze. There was a circle where Magnus Rasmodius himself was sitting cross-legged, and next to the wizard were Julian's friends and colleagues in farming - Eris and Bella were sitting on soft pouffes, holding cups with hot drinks in their hands, and Elisa was eating delicious white chocolate-covered strawberries. The treats were made with scary but still cute faces of all sorts of ghosts and monsters.

"Hey, Julian! Happy Spirit's Eve!", with her mouth slightly full, Elisa congratulated the young man. Bella and Eris also nodded to Julian sincerely happy meeting their friend.

"Greetings, young adept. Enjoying the festivities?", Magnus ducked one eye open, not taking a break from his meditation. Julian sensed a large concentration of magic in this place - apparently to maintain the summoned maze.

"Would you like to join us? We still have some strawberries and hot tea left." Bella moved a loose cushion closer and a plate of strawberries, which Elisa looked at very intently. Oh, how Julian wanted to stay here and have a snack!

But he made a promise to Bo...

"Thanks for the offer, but another time. I still want to win the competition."

"Good luck to you, then." Eris smiled sincerely at the young man, and happily took a sip of hot tea.

"Watch out, young fool. The treasure is guarded by fearsome monsters, it won't be easy to get it..." Magnus was pleased with his own cryptic and creepy speech, and hummed quietly, returning to his meditation. After saying goodbye to everyone, Julian rolled his eyes.

"Scary monsters, yeah... They're all fake for sure!" With that thought, the young man went back to searching for the right path to the treasure.

Walking past the plastic spiders (where Thad was able to hide and scare Julian enough to make the poor guy jump a little), he stopped near a huge cauldron where a green liquid of unknown origin was bubbling. Penny, Ziana, Shiro, and Myra stared at the bottom of the cauldron, mesmerized.

"Mr. Julian..." Ziana said in a slightly monotone somehow. "This cauldron... It smells so good, it makes my head spinning and dizzy." The other girls only nodded slowly to confirm her words.

The boiling water smelled like cotton candy, and Julian's hungry stomach twisted itself into a knot. Ugh, no, he need to move on! Overcoming the urge to stay near the cauldron, the young farmer returned to his original mission, intending to turn left.

"Nope, it's a dead end." Skylar walked out of the darkness a little tiredly with Sam. "Honey, maybe we can go back to the common table?"

"Oh, absolutely!" Sam was delighted, "Besides, the straw in my suit makes me itchy... like, everywhere."

Oh well, Julian thought, the search continues.

"Hmm, maybe I should turn into a dragon? Then I’ll definitely find the treasure..." Hestia stood thoughtfully near the fake tombstones.

"Don't cheat!", Julian said a little provocatively from behind, which slightly frightened the girl. Hestia herself was not in debt, and stuck her tongue out at Julian, disappearing into the darkness of the labyrinth. Giggling, the young man walked on.

Yoba, the labyrinth seemed endless to him, and his stomach is already begged for some food...

"You decided to take part in the treasure hunt too?" Julian didn't notice Rain standing in front of him. He nodded to her in agreement. "And you?" Julian asked.

"Eh, I'm just hanging out here. I like this creepy atmosphere, it gives me goosebumps." Rain smiled, pointing her hand at Fawn and Josephine standing nearby. "Besides, I decided to accompany my friends in case we accidentally stumble upon monsters." She patted the hilt of her sword that was strapped to her hip.

"Huh? But the monsters in the maze aren't real." Julian was surprised.

"How are you so sure?", having asked a rhetorical question, Rain said goodbye to her friend and returned to the girls, who were still looking at the house with chicken legs with delight and curiosity.

Her words made Julian's hand tighten his grip on the hilt of the dagger, which he had taken purely to decorate his suit... "Magnus wouldn't put people's lives in danger. Right?..." Now walking more carefully and listening to every sound, Julian I was able to go through half the maze already.

After about two minutes, the poor guy was scared again when Miranda's figure suddenly appeared from the bushes. The girl’s face was distorted with anger, and she confidently walked past Julian towards the exit, despite the thorny bushes.

"Today there will be one less stupid adventurer in the world," Marley said to Julian with a malicious smile when she saw his downcast face. "You’re on the right track, brother. The treasure is out there somewhere. I think"

"Aren't you going to look for pumpkins?", still in a slight shock, Julian asked hesitantly.

"And miss such a show?" Smiling even wider, Marley hurried after her friend. Julian prayed for the soul of that unfortunate adventurer who became the cause of Miranda's righteous anger. Deciding to find out about this story later, he headed in the direction from which both girls had emerged.

With every step he took, his hope of winning faded, and the thought of returning to other friends at a common table beckoned him more and more.

“Yep, I told you it was fake,” Zeke stopped looking at the plastic chest and just quietly snorted at Shane’s comment. "Oh, another competitor." Shane just smiled faintly, and Zeke waved to Julian in greeting. "Zek, maybe, to hell with these pumpkins? I’m already hungry." Oh, how hungry Julian is - you can’t imagine, Shane!

"Alright alright, let's go for the snacks. I hope there’s some honey bun left in there!' Taking Shane by the hand, Zeke led him towards the exit.

Mmmm, honey buns... Julian can already feel the sweetness melting in his mouth and...

"Oh man, there you are!" Poor Julian might have a heart attack at this rate, and he's too young to die! Ah, it's just Bo.

"We are already close, I can already feel the taste of victory!" Taking Julian again by the sleeve of his leather jacket, the two farmers headed along the only road that would definitely lead them to the desired chest.

"So, now we have to go here and-" Bo didn’t have time to finish when suddenly, before his and Julian’s eyes, the figure of their mutual friend, Wren, appeared.

"Agh, damn, I knew I should have teleport a little further!" Stomping her foot angrily, the red-haired girl, however, immediately turned pale when she saw Julian and Bo, and giggled slightly nervously.

"What the tutty frutty fuck is going on here?" Confused, Bo blinked a couple of times and immediately answered his own question: "Cheater!"

Wren only smiled even stronger and ran away in the opposite direction from the treasure.

"Hey, come back!" Bo rushed off after the girl, leaving Julian alone. Alright.

It became darker and darker, the cold autumn wind did not spare anyone who was now outside, and the stomach began to growl again. So having decided to finally reach the end, the young man already prayed that this would be the end of the hunt for golden pumpkins. He's so tired and so, oh so hungry...

And it seems that this time - finally - Yoba heard the prayers of one of the chaotic farmers in the Stardew Valley.

A large, decorated wooden chest - after so many puzzles and endless dead ends - Julian finally found the treasure. He had already stretched out his hands to touch the lid of the chest and rightfully take the prize, when a human figure again appeared out of nowhere in front of him.

But this time it was May.

The girl smiled to the fact that she had teleported directly to the target, but her smile immediately faded when she realized that she had been caught. Oopsie....

The two farmers looked into each other's eyes for half a minute, not daring to do anything.

"Apple cinnamon pie in exchange for your silence," May finally decided to interrupt this staring contest. Julian's eyes widened.

"Deal", Oh boy, you didn't need to say twice. After shaking her hand and receiving from his friend a plate with a still warm pie (where she even get this pie?), May took her prize from the chest and disappear once again.

With the satisfied smile of the happiest man in the entire Valley, Julian began to leave the maze, still holding the plate of pie in his hands.

"Well, did you get your prize?" Willow laughed good-naturedly, standing with Lucy near the exit from the maze. Julian just nods, and Lucy noted to herself how little a person needs to be happy.

#sdv #stardew valley #sdv oc #sdv ocs #farmer julian #i hope i mention everyone in this story

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downwiththeficness · 4 months

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Shadow and Veil-Chapter Thirty Two

Summary: Eva Moore’s life was a carefully constructed fiction. Every day, she did exactly what her mother in law, her husband, and his best friend expected of her. No mistakes. And, that was going pretty well for Eva right up until a huge complication literally tried to run her over. Now, she’s faced with trying to keep the pieces of her life from falling apart while attempting (and failing) to keep her feelings for her husband’s new business partner at bay.

A/N: This fic is a sister-fic to A Need So Great and A Need Unleashed. You do not need to have read ANSG or ANU to read this fic, but there are Easter eggs from those fics in Shadow and Veil for readers with keen eyes. This fic is explicit for canon-compliant blood, gore, violence, and sex. As such, it is intended for an adult audience, only. A/B/O dynamics come with their own warning. Anyone under the age of 18 should not interact with this work. I do not consent to reposting this work to other platforms. Reblog only to Tumblr.

Word Count: ~3500

Start from the beginning Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Masterlist Read on AO3

Eva stood in the motel bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. Nothing about the reflection staring back at her was any different than it had been several days before. And yet, everything was different.

Her feelings about it were somewhat ambiguous.

Two days ago, Eva would have said that she was happy—no, that she was ecstatic. She was away from Josh, and the business, and the worries all packed together in that house. She was with a man she was slowly developing deep feelings for, that she could see herself loving in the not too distant future. She had money and a destination. Things were looking up.

That was two days ago.

On day one, it hadn’t seemed very important that Horacio was distracted. He was either focusing on the road, or making a call, or memorizing their route on a map they bought at a gas station. By day two, Eva started to worry that something was wrong even though he assured her over and over that everything was going exactly how it was supposed to go.

Today, Eva was beginning to have serious doubts.

She woke alone that morning and the place beside her in the bed was cold. There was no note on the nightstand to tell her where Horacio had gone or when he would return. With nothing else to do, she dressed and wandered to the lobby to find some breakfast and spent about half an hour picking at a bagel before she went back to the room.

There was no sign of him anywhere, but his bag was still sitting next to hers. Eva was certain he hadn’t abandoned her.

Why did she feel so uneasy?

The TV was a nice distraction for an hour or two, but eventually Eva’s worry began to overcome her meager ability to cope. She paced the room, occasionally peering out the window. Then, to keep herself busy, she counted and organized the money so that it laid neatly in her duffel.

Eva ignored the fact that there was a pistol sitting at the very bottom.

When that was done, she emptied her personal belongings onto the bed and took stock. Some of her favorite dresses were mixed in with more comfortable jeans and t shirts. She had heels in black, navy, and brown along with a pair of sneakers. A small cosmetics bag held her make up, a bit of moisturizer, and a hair brush. An even smaller bag held all the most valuable pieces of jewelry she owned—most of them gifts from Myra.

Eva opened the zip and poured out it contents. She was glad she had the foresight to thread her necklaces and bracelets through straws so they wouldn’t get tangled. Eva examined each piece in turn and dropped it back into the bag.

Her wedding ring.

It glinted at her in the low light of the room, a physical reminder that Josh was still alive and that she was technically still married to him. The ring was a simple piece, a two carat diamond set into a yellow gold band. Eva stared at it, turning her hand from side to side so that the facets in the stone flashed at her.

Eva pulled it from her finger—or, tried to. The band caught stubbornly on her knuckle. She turned it and tried again, then wiggled it back and forth. The thing refused to budge.

Little fucker.

Sucking her teeth, Eva dug into her cosmetics bag for her moisturizer and dabbed it around the circumference of her finger. The ring fought against the glide of the lotion, but she was eventually able to get it free of her hand. With a feeling of triumph, Eva tossed the ring into her jewelry bag and zipped it closed.

At the very bottom of the duffel, carefully folded into a linen, was Eva’s baby blanket. The very last piece of her childhood that she had left. Unfolding the linen, Eva lifted the blanket up so that she could see it in its entirety.

It was nothing special. A two by three foot quilt that was somewhat faded. The edges were frayed, but the batting was still thick and fluffy. In one corner, almost completely invisible, was a small “E” stitched in a thread that matched the fabric. Eva ran her thumb over the letter, wishing that she had more memories of her parents to take with her.

She’d left them too young, was too stupid to hang onto them for a few more years. And now, they were gone and all Eva could do was try to remember them. Her mother singing hymns in church. Her father smelling like oil and gasoline after coming in from working on the tractor.

The way cornbread tasted fresh from the oven.

The wail of a record as it played after dinner.

The both of them slow dancing in the kitchen after they thought she was in bed.

Eva wiped her face of the tears and folded the blanket back into the linen. With a sense of ceremony, she put it back into the bag and set her other belongings on top of it. Then, because she was suddenly very, very tired, Eva laid down and rested.

The sound of a lock turning roused her from not-quite sleep. Eva blinked blearily up at the ceiling until her vision came into focus. She turned her head to the side in time to see Horacio closing the door behind him.

“We need to go.”

Her voice was rough when she replied, “Go where?”

“An air strip not too far away,” he explained while he ambled over and sat on the bed next to her. “Its small. Out of the way. Too risky to use the airport.”

Too risky.

Horacio used that term a lot over the last few days. They took the long way into Mexico, crossed the border at night. He guided their car on detours, just in case. In case of what, he wouldn’t say. When she asked, Horacio’s answers were vague and Eva was beginning to tire of it. She sat up and passed her hand over her face with a sigh.

“What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, not wanting to start a fight. Her misgivings were small in comparison to the larger problems they were facing. They could wait until they were safe.

A hand touched her arm, “Talk to me, Eva.”

Oh, now he wants to talk, she thought angrily. What she said was, “Talk to you? Really?”

Eva couldn’t keep the anger out of her tone, nor could she school her face into something less annoyed. She was tired and vaguely hungry, and it was so incredibly frustrating to feel like she was being intentionally kept in the dark.

Horacio’s brows drew together in confusion, which only fueled her ire. She looked away for a moment and tried to figure out if she wanted to uncork the bottle of her feelings.

“What happened?”

“Nothing,” she said airily.

“Nothing?”

“Yes!” Eva hissed, “Exactly.”

He shook his head slowly, “I don’t understand.”

Of course, he didn’t.

She inhaled a calming breath, “You were gone this morning.” Eva held up a hand when he started to defend himself, “That’s not really the problem. The problem is that you haven’t told me anything. Nothing. Not a single answer to my questions. And when you do answer, you won’t elaborate. I have left everything I have ever known to come with you, and you’re making me follow you blindly. You have to understand how frustrating that is.”

Horacio was silent for a moment, as if waiting for her to say more. When she didn’t, he said, “I’m sorry.”

Eva looked away and took another deep breath.

He scooted closer and touched her hand to draw her attention, “The call I made after you agreed to come home with me was to Javier. Josh made bail within an hour. He called in a few favors with state police to find you—his kidnapped wife. We were lucky to already be in Texas at the time. If we hadn’t...it would have been difficult to get you across state lines.”

God, it sounded so logical. If she were a little less angry, Eva might have felt remorse for lashing out at him. Instead, she grew even more frustrated, “You should have told me.”

“I was afraid you would change your mind,” he said honestly, “that you would tell me to send you back to him.”

He was right.

Eva was abashed at how accurately Horacio predicted her behavior. She would have been scared, would have suggested he send her back so that he didn’t compromise his cover. Might have even demanded he put her on a bus back to Louisiana.

The hand atop hers squeezed, “I was afraid I would have to actually kidnap you.”

She almost laughed, her lips spreading in a knowing smile. Horacio nudged her with his shoulder and the laugh escaped her.

“And,” Eva hedged, “everything else? That was only the first day.”

He shrugged, “Caution. I didn’t know how far he could reach. Its why we’re flying into South America on a privately owned plane. Less likely he’ll be able to get his hands on the manifests.”

A slow wave of affection rolled over her. It mollified the anger she felt at being left out of the plan, but didn’t take it away completely.

“You should have told me,” Eva asserted again in a gentler voice, “I would have understood. We could have talked about it instead of…” She trailed off and gestured ambiguously around.

Horacio nodded, “I thought it would worry you to be looking over your shoulder.”

She could admit to herself that he was right. That any sense of safety would dissolve like cotton candy in water. But, not knowing felt like it made her worry more.

“You’re right,” Eva retorted, “I was worried. But, not about Josh—Josh, I can handle.” Her voice softened with emotion, “I thought, I don’t know, that you…”

Again, she trailed off. Thinking the words was one thing, saying them was another.

“That I…?” he pressed forward as he tried to catch her wandering gaze.

Eva couldn’t look at him, “That, maybe, you changed your mind. It seemed like it was too much work to help me get away.”

She could hear him take a breath. And then he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. Eva chanced a look at him, instantly caught in the intensity of his eyes. He looked upset, but she didn’t sense that the feeling was directed at her.

“I have not…” he began, then started again, “How…?” Horacio’s free hand brushed against the skin below her ear, barely skirting her gland, “My decision is the same.”

It felt good to hear him say it. The knot of anxiety in her chest unwound a bit, allowing Eva to breathe a little bit deeper. Every one of those breaths was touched with his scent, and it calmed her just as much as his words.

“I don’t like it when you don’t tell me things,” Eva admitted.

Horacio pulled his lips between his teeth, “I know that, now.”

“Please don’t do it again.”

“I won’t,” he promised in a voice not much above a whisper.

“Okay,” she said, “thank you.”

Leaning forward, he sealed their agreement with a kiss. His mouth lingered on hers, soft and warm. When he moved to end it, Eva followed. After days of feeling a growing distance between them, she needed the physical contact to ground her.

His arm wrapped around her middle, free hand drifting up her thigh to rest heavily on her hip. Eva leaned into the touch and traced the seam of his lips with her tongue. He let her deepen the kiss, let her shift her weight so that she sat astride his thighs.

Her senses drank him in—his scent, his heat, the way his chest arched into hers. His hands alternated between gripping her hips and sliding beneath the hem of her top to caress the length of her spine.

Horacio broke the kiss, “The taxi will be here soon.”

“Taxi?”

Eva was not ashamed of the neediness in her voice, nor the way she interrupted his response by kissing him until she was dizzy. Horacio certainly didn’t seem to mind.

“For the plane,” he gasped against her mouth. “I, ah, sold the car.”

So, that’s where he was that morning.

Her chin lifted as he peppered her neck with kisses, “The plane…”

She got a kind of rasping ‘uh huh’ in response. He was more focused on nuzzling the hollow of her throat.

“The plane,” Eva said again, “to take me home with you.”

Horacio nodded absently as his fingers curled into the neckline of her shirt. He pulled it to the side, kissing down her chest until he met the cup of her bra.

“To take me home,” she repeated, impassioned, “as your wife.”

Oh, he liked that.

Horacio’s hands moved to tangle in her hair. His kiss grew fervent. Commanding. Eva could only hold onto his shoulders while every touch of his mouth took the very breath from her lungs.

A car horn blared loudly from just outside the door.

Eva flinched, whipping her head to the side. Beneath her, Horacio also stilled. She could feel his breath fanning across her neck and chest.

When she looked at him again, he said, “Taxi.”

Disappointed at the interruption, Eva let Horacio ease her to the side. They sat for a moment, exchanging shy glances.

The horn sounded again.

Rolling his eyes, Horacio stood and went to the door. He opened it and waved to the driver. Then, to her, he said, “I’ll get us checked out. Can you take our bags to the car?”

Eva nodded, “Uh huh.”

After another lingering look, Horacio stepped out into the noon sun and closed the door. Eva ran her hands over her hair and calmed her racing heart. Then, she climbed off the bed and shouldered her two bags.

The taxi outside already had its trunk open. She dropped her bags into it and went back for Horacio’s. By the time she stowed them safely away, he was strolling away from the motel office towards her.

Just like in the bar, Eva found herself unable to look away from him. It was as if the axis of her entire world was balanced squarely on Horacio. His broad shoulders. The little curl that hung down over his forehead. The way his smile grew bigger as he came near.

Eva stood in that spot until he slowed to a stop in front of her. She rose up on her toes to meet him in a brief kiss, couldn’t help but to share his grin when she dropped back down again.

The ride in the taxi was surprisingly short, not even a half hour down a winding road. Horacio had been correct when he said they were going to a small air strip. It was not much more than flattened dirt atop which sat a small propeller plane.

Horacio, carrying two of their bags, greeted the pilot with a handshake and a few sentences in Spanish. Eva, bag slung over her shoulder, offered a smile in greeting and let the pilot take the bag from her. Horacio helped her into the plane, guided her through fastening her seat belt, then saw to his own.

In what felt like no time at all, the plane was in the air and the ground was falling away from her at breathtaking speeds. The ride was a little bumpy, but the pilot looked utterly calm as he confidently navigated them to the South.

A few minutes into the trip, Horacio reached over and took her hand. Eva turned her attention away from the window to find that he was looking at her with a joy that was barely restrained. Although it hardly seemed possible, they were almost to the finish line. Eva’s smile started soft, then spread into a grin, then to a giggle that felt like relief.

When they landed, Horacio guided her to another taxi and gave an address to the driver. In the backseat, he pulled her into his side and draped an arm around her shoulders. Eva let her head rest against him, content, as the car moved through traffic. She lost track of time, didn’t even bother to orient herself as unfamiliar towns passed by. Figuring out where she was could be handled later.

The taxi pulled to a stop in front of a two story house in a residential area. There was no car in the driveway, but the porch light was on. Horacio paid the driver while Eva got their bags. She waited on the sidewalk with them, unsure.

Horacio had no such hesitations. He simply picked up two of the three and ambled up the driveway and onto the porch. Eva, bag in hand, followed him slowly. She watched as he set the bags down and felt behind one of the shutters. He tugged free a key and used it to open the front door.

Horacio looked over his shoulder at her, then jerked his head to the side in a silent bid for her to come with him. Eva stepped through the threshold of the house, looking around with curiosity.

It was sparsely decorated—a couch sitting against the far wall of what was probably the living room, a TV sitting on a small entertainment console. Through an opening she could see a staircase that led to the second floor and on her left was an empty room.

Setting her bag down, Eva closed the door and asked, “Whose house is this?”

Horacio set his bags down, too, and replied, “Ours.”

She looked at him with confusion, “You bought a house?”

He hummed in confirmation, “My apartment was too small for two people.”

Eva’s mouth opened, her confusion growing, “When?”

“Yesterday,” Horacio answered, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. “I had a colleague fax me the paperwork to our motel.”

Slowly, Eva put together all the work it would have taken to acquire a property without even being in the same country. It was a lot of fucking work.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said, eventually, “I wouldn’t have minded a small apartment.”

His smirk was almost too reminiscent of Diego, “You wouldn’t have minded until we were both trying to use the tiny, tiny bathroom in the morning.” He stepped up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, “It was a place for a single man, not a married couple.”

Eva felt her cheeks warm as he referenced their ‘marriage’. It didn’t really seem to matter to her that it was more or less a piece of paper, that there was no one there to witness it but them. She liked it, all the same.

“How did you even find the place?”

Horacio took her hand and began leading her through the house, “I know the neighborhood. Its quiet. Good schools.”

He was thinking about schools?

The empty room led to a kitchen that had an island topped with groceries. Horacio loosed her hand and began to sort through them.

“You arranged for a house and groceries,” Eva asserted in a dis believing tone.

Looking up from a bag of coffee, Horacio shot her a dimpled smile, “It was Trujillo’s idea.”

“Your colleague.”

“Mmhmm.”

Eva looked at the bounty of food in front of her, “I should send a fruit basket.”

He chuckled, “I’ll buy him a beer after work some time.”

Not convinced that a beer would square the debt, Eva added, “I’ll send his wife a fruit basket.”

Dinner was a kind of soft, sweet bread and fruit served with beer that was ice cold from the fridge. They ate on the floor of the living room, passing a paper plate between them while the TV played quietly in the background.

With the leftovers packed up and their bellies full, they collected their bags and climbed the stairs to a bedroom that already had a bed with fresh linen, a nightstand, and a dresser. Too tired from the journey to shower, Eva pulled on her pajamas while Horacio checked that the house was locked up.

She watched him undress from the bed with sleepy eyes. He climbed in beside her and slid beneath the sheets. Eva stared at him, wondering if she was dreaming. Nothing about the last few days felt real. Some small part of her brain kept telling her that Josh might have actually got her to drink the fentanyl. That she was laying on the floor of The Lounge, dead, and that this was the afterlife.

And then Horacio reached out to take her hand, and Eva’s mind was quiet.

#Shadow and Veil #Narcos #Horacio carrillo #carrillo #maurice compte #au #A/B/O dynamics

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utterdrip · 5 months

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myra update♡

and some backstory on how she got here!!

on their first night making camp, she immediately headed off to a stream with the sharpest knife she owned. she didnt even bother trying to get the tangled, matted sanguine mess out of her hair; she just started hacking away. she didnt even realize she was crying until there was a soft clearing of throat behind her, and she whirled around with blurrier vision, knife pointed towards the intruder.

wyll already had both of his hands up placatingly and a dim smile. he said he didnt mean to intrude, but heard distressed whines and came to investigate. myra didnt even notice and she flushed as well as she could with close capillaries LOL. wyll was stepping forward and she lowered her defensive stance when he asked if she needed help. her first instinct was to deny it, but looking around at the muddied red water and lumps of hair encircling her, she nodded in defeat.

wyll took his time with what little hair she had left over, styling it so that it looked like an intentional haircut and not the hack job she was initially doing. he got her to relax enough to turn her back on him, and he encouraged her to ease herself back so that she was floating in the river. and instead of the close-shaven haircut she thought she would need, he thoughtfully and soothingly worked out the tangles and mattes closer to her scalp. it was a long, meticulous process, but wyll never complained, and he looked at ease and content with massaging the viscera and long caked on grime from her locks.

wyll didnt ask about the scars he felt on his fingertips, nor the blackened eyes she sported, nor the faint whiff of decay that was slowly going away. myra didnt ask about his scars, or his scrying eye that she Knew was a scrying eye, and didn’t ask about why he looked wistful sometimes before resuming his pleasant resting face.

afterwards, myra asked what she could do to repay him. wyll just smiled sadly at her and said it had been therapeutic for him as well. he had missed some of the simpler aspects of life. but when she insisted, he had paused. and told her, blank look on his face, that he never really considered what he’d like as repayment. not ever. not when he felt it was his duty to protect those he could.

myra vowed to be the one to protect him instead. he laughed.

(also below is a pic if myra had her way and wyll didnt intervene!!)

#frankie posts #bg3: myra #:)#i. reallynlike myra.#wyll hc

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chasseurdeloup · 10 months

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2 Hunters, 1 Prey || Leticia and Kaden

TIMING: Before The Sound of Silence LOCATION: A tunnel near the outskirts of town PARTIES: @rhythmicmeow and @chasseurdeloup SUMMARY: Leticia goes after a young employee of her shop that she thinks might be in trouble. Kaden gets a call to animal control about a weird bear in the tunnels and goes to investigate just as Leticia arrives. CONTENT WARNINGS: None

Myra. The name kept repeating in Leticia’s head. She was a regular employee at the Vinyl Countdown. A good kid. But with stupid, risky ideas of what a fun night looked like. And this was the only strange location that she could remember Myra talking about. A haunted tunnel on the outskirts of town that led into, what Leticia assumed, was the sewer system. Weird things happen there, Myra had said. By the dense shadows at the entrance, Leticia had a feeling what kind of beast Myra might have tangled with.

Giving the balam spirit more room to breathe within her body, Leticia listened for the creature inside, but mostly, for Myra, hoping to hear any lifesign of the young woman. Instead, she heard footsteps. Her head snapped in the direction of the footsteps, away from the tunnel, and towards an approaching man in the darkness. Fuck. “Hey friend,” she said, in an overtly friendly tone. “I wouldn’t recommend coming down here, I work with the Park Rangers and there’s a bear down here. WIth one of her cubs. I’m watching her to make sure when she wakes up and starts moving, she heads back to the woods where she belongs and doesn’t get confused. So, why don’t you head back home?”

It was 50/50 if the call about a bear in the tunnel on the outskirts of town was about a real bear or some sort of monster. It was just as likely it was a grizzly in there as it was that it had been a bugbear trying to scare the shit out of people. Either way, Kaden was more than suited for the job. He headed out with the usual arsenal: crossbow, rifle, pistol with tranquilizers, and a number of knives. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure what he was hoping to run into. A normal bear would be dangerous, but he’d know what to do. A bakubear would be fine, as well. But a bugbear? Putin, he wasn’t sure what the fuck the plan was going to be if he ran into one of those. In the past, the answer had been simple. Was it supernatural? If yes, kill it. But now, the thought of just shooting a shifter and not asking any questions felt–

Didn’t matter, he’d cross that bridge when he got there– if he even got there tonight. Putain de merde, he really shouldn’t be out working or hunting without any goddamn codes yet. In the field, there wasn’t time to question a decision, there was only time to act, and it was a hell of a lot easier to act when you knew the rules of the game. So far his only rules were that he shouldn’t default to his family’s rules.

As he approached the area where the entrance to the tunnel opened up, a shiver shot down his spine. Fuck. His stomach dropped. He was going to have to make some kind of decision tonight if he kept going. There was a shifter in the area. Probably not a werewolf, the signals weren’t strong enough. He could turn around, just leave, make this a problem for later or for someone else. It might be better if–

A voice called out and Kaden stopped in his tracks. “That so?” he replied, taking a few more cautious steps towards the sound. The hairs on his arm stood on edge as he closed the distance between them. It could mean a number of things — he wasn’t going to read into it just yet. “Good thing I’m animal control and came to handle the situation. Why don’t you go on home, then?”

She had been prepared for a question or two about the bear — some information to sate their curiosity before they would eventually make the trip back to town, but she had not prepared herself to be dealing with anyone from animal control. It would seem that, once again, Leticia was the punchline to a joke the universe was telling. Hopefully, someone was getting a laugh about her misfortune.

Dusting off her pants, Leticia stood up and crossed her arms, facing the man fully now. Maybe, like a traditional bear, Leticia could stand a little taller and intimidate him into leaving. “Animal control? You’re a little late to the scene, buddy. Besides, I was here first and the situation is already under control.” There was a silver of concern for him as well as Myra. For all the assumptions she had made about the beast inside the tunnels, Leticia couldn’t be sure until she saw the thing with her own eyes. And letting another human into the tunnels with it?

She didn’t want to be responsible for his safety, too.

Taking a moment to look at him more fully, her heart dropped. A new twist and worry formed in the pit of her stomach and pulled her out of the delusion she had allowed herself to fall into. He was too well equipped to just work for animal control. Paranoia pulled at the corners of her mind. She couldn’t turn her back on him. It was too big of a risk.

Feigning disinterest, Leticia shrugged her shoulders and then glanced towards the tunnel opening. “Well, since you’re already here, you might as well make yourself useful. How much tranquilizer do you have on you?” Arms crossed and head tipped just slightly, Leticia sighed, this was going to be a mess. “This better not be your first day.”

Kaden’s brows knit together in confusion. “Late? What are you–” Ah, she thought she was going to handle this. He rolled his eyes and began to walk past her. “Yeah, I don’t think so. I’ve got it covered. Since you shouldn’t be here at all let alone first.”

He’d hoped she’d take the hint and turn around and go. Home.

She did not.

Kaden sighed as she planted her feet firmly, arms crossed. Bordel de merde, he didn’t want to have to make sure she didn’t get herself hurt. Or killed. It was hard enough to make sure he didn’t get killed when it was just him.

“Right, I’m not the one who has to make themselves useful,” he said as he pulled the rifle off his back, making sure it was loaded. Kaden tried not to raise his brow too much at her mention of tranquilizers. Sure, he had those, but that wasn’t what he was loading into the gun just then. “Plenty,” he answered flatly. Rifle looked good and Kaden was ready to head into the tunnel, so he started walking.

He wondered if maybe he should take out a flashlight or something just for show. Sure, he could see just fine in the dark, but she didn’t need to know that. Of course, he wasn’t entirely sure if he had one. Didn’t normally have company on hunts. He huffed out a laugh at her last comment. First day? “Far from it.” He may have only been an animal control officer for a few months, but he’d been a hunter his whole damn life.

“You’d better be a fast runner,” he said as they started down the tunnel. “Because the first sign of trouble, that’s what you should do, got it?” It was the least he could hope for now that she followed him into the potential monster’s lair.

It was a fire that she had started with her words, an insult for an insult, a prod for a prod — but still, Leticia looked like he had overstepped when he said that she would be the one that would have to prove their worth here. “I think a prompt arrival already proves that at least one of us has some sense of urgency.” No matter how annoyed she was, she didn’t say what she did loudly. It was a grumbling under her breath.

He stepped into the tunnel and Leticia was right on his heels, pretending not to notice that he didn’t have a light in his hand and wondering how long he’d pretend not to notice that she wasn’t tripping in the dark either. “You want me to run?” She said, louder this time. It was demanding but kind, in a strange way.

Leticia chewed the inside of her lip, listening to the sounds echoing around the tunnels as they walked. “Wait,” she whispered, stopping a few feet behind him. “Head towards the left.” There was an unnatural pause before she followed the man again. “Listen—“ the word came out harsher than she intended, and mentally, she cursed herself, but pressed on. He was already in the tunnel with her and the deeper in the tunnels they got, the less she cared about what he knew about her. Myra was more important.

“There’s a girl named Myra and last I heard from her she was talking about some spooky tunnels at the edge of town. She didn’t come home last night. Her parents called this morning to see if she showed up for her shift.” Leticia wished she could say that she knew Myra was down there and that she was alive, but she couldn’t. “I can run, but not without her.”

Kaden snuck a sideways glance at the woman who was right on his heels. He already knew to go left, there were faint sounds that way somewhere off in the distance. The real question was how did she know that? He could still feel the alert prickling at his skin, but it hadn’t changed since he’d gotten to the entrance to the tunnel. It had remained steady, constant. And that certainly brought even more questions. None that he was going to question even in his mind let alone outloud. Not yet.

Her next words stopped him in his tracks, his head snapping to look at her. “There’s a kid down here?” Putain. He rubbed his hands down his face. Well that fucking complicated things. And also increased the urgency ten-fold. “No time to waste, then,” he said and continued deeper into the tunnel. He was careful to keep his steps light, trying not to sacrifice speed as best he could.

The hunter listened for any more signs of life up ahead. There wasn’t much, but there were small scuffs and scratches he could hear. Kaden tried to plan what to do whenever they did find the creature in question. He had his rifle in hand, but if there was a potential human down there, too, he wondered if that was the best weapon to start with. A missed shot could be fatal.

A roar rang through the tunnel. “Shit.” Kaden couldn’t stop himself from running towards the source. Plans would have to be improvised.

He snapped, and for good reason. Leticia bit the inside of her lip and looked him in the eyes, wondering if he could see the concern in her features, or if the movement was just for show. He had been moving flawlessly through the tunnels, stepping lightly and moving quickly — with such care in the dark that it was impossible to convince herself that he was either like her… or he was after people like her.

“Myra,” Leticia repeated. “Her name is Myra.” Clinging to the present tense as if it would change anything that might have already happened. This was no place for a young woman to get lost, and certainly not one who was simply human, but until there was evidence otherwise, she’d keep holding onto Myra as if she were still there. “I don’t know what’s down here.” The only other truly honest thing she had shared with her new companion. “But… tranquilizers.” The silent please hung in the air. Would it have mattered if she had said it? Should he have begged for him to change the weapon he was holding?

He might have been uninterested in her for the time being, but he cared that there was a child down here. Leticia figured betting on his humanity might be safe.

But the roar meant all bets were off. He ran and Leticia was close behind, hands clenched into fists as fear and anxiety mixed to create a toxic cocktail, threatening to overwhelm her. The tunnel opened into a small canal, Myra was slumped on the ground by a barred gate that prevented anyone from getting too far into the underground of the city.

The beast that they had heard was an unnatural looking bear, one that Leticia couldn’t name… but she was confident she could take. “You’re going to hate this idea,” she whispered to him, a huff of a laugh hidden in her words. “I can take this thing.” She looked at him, only long enough to make sure he wasn’t about to risk it all with a shot. “How fast can you run? With her added weight?”

Kaden slowed once Myra and the monster were in sight. It was bear-shaped, alright. Squinting, he took a closer look, trying to discern what it really was he was about to face. It was hard to say, could be a bugbear or a regular grizzly.

A rumble of bau, bau, bau came from the canal in front of them.

That answered that question. Baukbear. Should be easy enough to take down. Kaden was ready to line up a shot, with the rifle that wasn’t loaded with tranquilizers, despite her request. The hunter was about to steady the gun, hands hovering over the trigger, when she spoke. An idea? “Mmhmm,” he mumbled, lowering the barrel ever slightly to look over at her from the corner of his eye. He was interested. It wasn’t like he had a plan beyond run in and fight the monster. He hoped that would be enough but he was open to other options.

“What?” He almost forgot to keep his voice lowered as he turned to face her, dropping his line of sight on the beast. Well, he thought he was open to other options. At least not that option. “You can take this thing? With what?! A song and dance? What are you going to do barehanded against a bauk–”

Kaden nearly missed the shiver down his spine, the one that had almost doubled since they got closer to the monster. His hunter senses felt like he was surrounded. Which meant…

His mouth pulled into a thin, tight line and his eyes bore into the shifter standing next to him, searching for a reason to trust her. Every little hair on his arm that was standing on edge was telling him not to, that he should make sure to take care of her just as much as that bakubear across the way. He could practically hear his sister’s voice hissing in his ear, telling him to do the right thing.

His eyes darted to the slumped body of the girl on the ground with the monster. Saving her. That was the right thing, no questions asked. The rest, well, he could debate the rest but Myra was what was important above all else.

He had to trust that they shared the same goal, and that she had the better perspective on things. And if he was wrong, he’d make it right later.

“Faster than most,” he finally answered, lowering his weapon and flipping the safety back on. He wondered if she knew what he was, if she suspected. Didn’t matter. “You sure about this?”

The gun in his hands caused Leticia to internally panic. She should have been worried about the notbear inside the tunnel with them, or even more concerned about the fact that he seemed too well adjusted to the darkness to be normal, but instead, she was looking at that gun and thinking about Myra. All it would take was one wrong move.

Whatever suspicions she had been willfully ignoring were confirmed with one slip. Bauk— the start of what she assumed was the creature’s name. A small slip, but Leticia didn’t miss it. How many people came well equipped into the tunnels of a seemingly small town more than prepared to face off against something supernatural in nature? Suddenly the strange bear wasn’t the most dangerous thing in these tunnels. No, that honor went to the man standing next to her. Looking her in the eyes.

There was a long, silent moment, where Leticia wondered if she had earned herself a bullet. What would be more important to him? She wanted to believe that Myra was the obvious answer, the only right answer would be to save her. But Leticia had never tangled with a hunter directly. She couldn’t pretend to know what went on in their minds or how they made such decisions. Maybe she was the greater threat to them, being able to blend in with humans so easily.

But he had the benefit of seeing her face. If he wanted to, he’d find her after this. Leticia’s heart was pounding in her chest. The choice to her was simple. But in the darkness of the tunnel she was drafting a letter to her mother in her head. That way she wouldn’t wonder about what happened like Leticia did daily with her absence.

He flipped the safety back on his gun and Leticia took in a sharp breath. “You’re a hunter, aren’t you?” It wasn’t a question that needed answering. It didn’t matter what he said, the fear had already rooted itself in her stomach. And she had already made her choice about revealing herself so that the three of them would make it out of here alive. Whatever his answer was, she was ready to reveal her hand.

“I can’t carry her and run, so that just leaves you.” Leticia nodded her head, finally answering the actual question he posed. “I’m sure.” She moved closer to where the tunnel connected to the other room, her hand braced on the wall while she watched the strange bear’s movements. Rotating her shoulders back, Leticia took a deep breath, preparing herself. She had done this before, she could do it again. Focus on the bear. Myra’s scent is familiar, she’ll be safe.

Propelling herself out of the passage, Leticia threw herself at the bear the moment it put the slightest bit of distance between itself and Myra. Her elongated nails dug into the skin of the bear, only for her to be swatted with uncanny strength. It wasn’t her that hit the floor though, it was the jaguar. Landing on her feet, the beast roared to life as the bear stumbled.

The question caught him off guard, though it shouldn’t. It was easy for Kaden to forget about the other side of the coin, that shifters could recognize a hunter the same way a hunter could identify a shifter. For a moment, he worried that the ire might turn on him, that it might have been an even bigger mistake to put his gun away than he initially thought. But like a lot of what he was conditioned to believe, his first thought was wrong. She wasn’t about to turn on him the same way he didn’t plan to turn on her – there was something far more important to focus on. The girl.

It still felt wrong to be the one running in and then back out with the girl. He was a hunter, he should be fighting the monster. Instead, he was letting a monster run in to fight the monster while he just ran away. It was against everything he was ever taught. But he couldn’t doubt it now. She was already launching herself into the fight.

Merde. Okay. He dashed in behind her, trying to stay low and hidden. He didn’t need to draw attention to himself, not now. His hand still hovered over the hilt of his knife, just in case. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to be needed in the fight. He couldn’t trust that a shifter had this covered, that the hunter wasn’t the best choice. When he saw her body thrown back by the baukbear, he feared that his instincts were right. He grabbed his knife and almost yanked it out of its hilt, but then she bounced back. More than that. She transformed into a jaguar.

A balam. Kaden was familiar with the species, but he had never encountered one. He was stuck for a moment, watching her, wanting to spectate the fight. Putain. He shook himself out of it and darted towards Myra. He had to ignore whatever was happening with the two beasts brawling, he had to focus on the girl. “Hey,” he whispered. He was unsure if she could hear him or if she was out cold, but he’d rather err on the side of caution. “I’m going to get you out of here, alright.” He was relieved he could hear her breathing even though her breaths were shallow. Her eyes flitted a little in response. She was still there. For now. If they didn’t get the hell out of there, they wouldn’t be for long.

Kaden was tempted to glance over his shoulder and check in on what was happening behind him. No. It didn’t matter. Myra mattered. He scooped up the girl and slid her onto his back in a fireman carry. Time to get the fuck out of here. He pushed himself up and sprinted out towards the tunnels. He had to hope that the balam was alright, that she was as capable as she said.

Leticia had every reason to stop and reconsider showing this man what she was and pretend to be human a little while longer. But every time she avoided it, it felt like another lie was being told against her will. A secret that she had to keep, boarding on the line of something to be ashamed of. But what was the point of hiding if it cost people their lives? How could they claim to be protectors if they simply hid in the shadows? What good was she if she couldn’t protect those around her?

While the man lifted Myra’s limp body from the ground, the jaguar was matching the baukbear, step for step. Circling each other in the water as the two humans fled the area. The beast, despite the injury her human counterpart had sustained, moved with grace despite the pain. A low growl came from the jaguar, a steady warning that sounded like a purr at first before erupting into a full roar. The baukbear replied in turn, the bau bau bau echoing off the walls and throughout the tunnels.

A moment later, the beasts clashed once more. This time, instead of taking the attack straight on, the jaguar leapt above the head of the baukbear, running down his back and then digging her claws into him as she descended. The claws cutting deep enough to draw blood, which ran down the animal’s fur and dripped onto the tainted ground below. In the blink of an eye, the baukbear had vanished into the darkness. The surrounding shadows seemingly darker than they had been. The jaguar stayed alert, letting out a long growl as she paced the room. Her eyes stayed on the beast despite the darkness, almost curious if the other monster knew what she could see.

The beast reared up for another round with the jaguar, but as he charged toward her, she jumped to the side this time, allowing him a clear shot into the wall that gave way to the massive force. The wreckage revealed another tunnel on the other side of the wall that the baukbear stumbled in, trying to regain his footing. And as he did, the jaguar approached, the low growl starting up again, warning the other creature away from starting up again. The bear rose to his hind legs and let out the call once more, but the jaguar put a paw forward and roared, forcing the bear into silence.

Dropping to his four paws, the baukbear looked at the jaguar, sounding off again, and the jaguar responded in turn. As if they could be understood. As time passed, the baukbear faded into the shadows and deeper into the tunnels. The jaguar waited, sniffing the air and tracking the scent until it was faint. The tunnels were still not safe, but for the time being, the humans could have this space back. Wandering back towards the tunnel they had entered from, the jaguar sat down and huffed loudly before letting its body completely touch the ground. Her turn, as brief as it was, was over.

Leticia leaned against the wall, her hand instinctively gripping the right side of her body where the bear had initially made contact. Glancing around the room she had lost herself in, she noticed a new passage that had been opened through a broken wall and no body in sight. She hadn’t killed it, despite the blood on her hands that was now staining her shirt and the walls where she propped herself up. Hobbling toward the entrance of the tunnels, she was unsure of how much time had passed and could only hope that she hadn’t been left behind.

At the mouth of the tunnel, Leticia caught a glimpse of them before she squeezed her eyes shut. “How is she?” The worry in her tone was cut out by pain now. “I couldn’t kill it. It’s further in now. Broke through the wall into another tunnel.” An ending that the balam had been satisfied with, but not Leticia. And she hoped not the hunter either. It was too close to humans and other unexpecting prey.

As Kaden heard the snarls and growls from further within the tunnels, his instinct was to turn and run back. He had to trust that she had this under control. He hoped like hell she was winning the fight but he’d have to learn that the hard way.

At the entrance to the tunnel, Kaden had to decide if he was going to go on with the girl, try to take her farther away to safety, or wait there for the balam to come back. Well, hope that it was the balam returning and not the baukbear escaping the tunnels. He should leave. Shouldn’t he? Putain. The stupid fucking part of him needed to know that she was going to get out of the tunnels, too.

Against his better judgment, he found a nearby tree and placed Myra down gently, leaning her up against the trunk. She still hadn’t come to, yet, but she was breathing steadily. Looking over at her, he didn’t see any injuries. It had been a minute or two. Maybe he should go back in and check on the balam.

Right as he reached for his weapons, ready to charge back into the underground when he saw her stumbling out of it, hand on her side. He put his weapons back down and walked over to her, offering to help her over to the tree where Myra was. “Merde, it’s still alive?” He sighed, but there was nothing to do right now. Not while she was injured and the girl was still unconscious. “I’ll come back for it later. For now, we should get her taken care of,” he said, nodding towards Myra. There were also her own injuries but he’d let her acknowledge those first before saying anything.

There was a disconnect between Leticia and the balam at any given moment, no matter how much she respected the spirit, no matter how much she trusted it to protect those she loved and cared for, Leticia was not privy to the thoughts she had. And that included why she chose to spare the strange bear they had just tangled with. The man sighed and Leticia, despite herself, looked away and toward the ground. She had never felt shame in a failure like this before. Sending a creature running had been enough before, but she would have been lying if she claimed to be satisfied with this ending.

An apology hung on the tip of her tongue, threatening to spill out despite herself. But Myra was leaning against a tree and she was breathing and that was enough for Leticia to swallow those thoughts and pretend to be someone else. Someone stronger. “It’s wounded,” she informed him, looking at the blood on her hands that wasn’t her own.

Leticia made the mistake of closing her eyes. Trying to sort her mind, the darkness that covered her vision invited a need for rest and her head fell forward slightly before she forced her eyes open again. The bruise that was undoubtedly forming on the side of her body and the exhaustion of whatever the balam had done was catching up quickly. She wondered, silently, if she spent more time allowing the balam to exist in her own skin, if this wouldn’t impact her so much in the aftermath of a transformation.

Forcing her eyes open and standing up straighter, Leticia forced herself forward. “Does she need a hospital?” She assumed the answer was no, but she wasn’t sure if the bear had any special abilities that she hadn’t seen firsthand. But she didn’t say any of that out loud, not wanting for the man to know she ran in head first without knowing a damn thing, running purely on instinct. She knelt by Myra and put the back of her hand to the girl’s cheek, checking her temperature as best she could and her breathing.

Sucking in a breath, she stood back up turned toward the man. “You know, I went thirty years without meeting one of you assholes. And now I can’t seem to turn a corner without saying hello to one.” Leticia huffed a laugh, then shook her head. They had the same goals in mind, but that didn’t mean that would extend past this single night. “Should I be worried?”

Kaden nodded when she mentioned the beast was wounded. “Should make it easier to track. And less of a threat in the meantime.” He’d rather the monster get away and have everyone get out safe than the alternative. The sentiment startled him a bit when he remembered that everyone in that scenario also included a monster. He wasn’t used to that just yet. His world had changed so much in the past few months that when he stopped to look at things as they were now, it was sometimes hard to reconcile.

“I don’t think so,” he said, shaking his head, “but I’m not a doctor. I didn’t see any injuries so we might have gotten there just in time.” It didn’t always work out that way. This girl was lucky.

As she crouched to examine the girl, Kaden made sure all his weapons were back in place, that he was ready to head home. He shouldn’t have been surprised by her next question but for some reason he thought the words would be left unspoken for a little while longer. “Can’t say the same about balam. You’re the first I’ve run into here or otherwise.” He was stalling and he knew it. He didn’t want to kill her, he knew that much. Admitting that would make him an easy mark if it ever came down to it. At least, that was the fear that bubbled up from somewhere deeper in his mind, a part of his training that he hadn’t shaken off. “No, you don’t have to worry,” he said, the words quiet but sincere. “Unless there’s suddenly reports of a jaguar murdering people in town, I’m not going to come knocking.” He couldn’t speak for the other rangers in Wicked’s Rest, of course, the same way she couldn’t speak for every shifter, but he knew they both knew that much.

Everything so far had been good news. Myra was safe and alive and the man who had helped was confirming minimal injuries. He wasn’t a doctor, but if there was anything deeper to worry about that the bear could have done to her that Leticia wouldn’t notice on the surface — he would have said something. “She lives with her parents on Worm Row. Might make more sense for Animal Control to drop her off than me.” She doubted the validity of his job now, but the cover story should be enough for them.

She offered him a faint smile when he said she was the first balam he had ever met in person. Her mother would have been happy to hear it, and furious that it was Leticia that was the one who broke the track record. “Most of us tend to stay away from people.” And she was the idiot that decided the risk of being around people was worth it.

His words echoed similar ones that Andy had spoken. And ones that Nora had texted her about Emilio. They all had their own different ways of saying it, but the underlying message was the same: they weren’t a threat to her until she became the monster she was believed to be by other hunters. She looked at him for a long, quiet moment. Almost telling him that if he heard attacks like that, that it wouldn’t be her — and if it was — it wasn’t something she chose. But that felt like a lot of preemptive begging.

“Leticia,” she finally introduced. “If anything like that happens, you can find me downtown most days, I own a shop… the Vinyl Countdown.” She didn’t know if it was an attempt to humanize her to make it harder for him to make that call when it came down or if it was her trying to get ahead of him having to hunt her down like a rabid animal, but her gaze dropped after she spoke. Refocusing on Myra. “Let’s go ahead and get her home then.”

Kaden nodded; it made sense to him to be the one to show up at Myra’s house with the girl. Even if he felt a bit like an impostor for being the one to bring her home safe and sound. It didn’t feel like he deserved the honor. It didn’t feel like he’d done enough or helped enough. Despite the fact that by all means this had turned out well, Kaden could feel the distinct feeling of failure seeping into him. It left stains that were hard to wash out and forget entirely. His family had done a lot to build them all on top of one another, dying and changing the whole color of who he thought he was to the point he’d forgotten who he was when he wasn’t a hunter – if he even knew in the first place.

“Interesting.” He hadn’t spent a whole lot of time studying what the Langley family hunter journals said about balam given how often he’d encountered any. It never occurred to him that part of the reason they’d been listed as rare and hard to find might be because they were keeping themselves hidden rather than there being a population shortage. “Guess that makes you a trendsetter or something.” He had a feeling without knowing one damn thing about her family that they would approve of this team up about as much as his family would. And he wasn’t about to call himself the same. He wondered if she felt the same shame trickling inside her.

“Kaden,” he said, returning the gesture of trust. “I am actually Animal Control, by the way.” He’d caught the twinge of doubt when she mentioned his profession. Couldn’t really blame her considering he didn’t look the part tonight (if ever).

“It…” He sighed and placed his hands on his hips, trying to find the bravado to say what was on his mind. “It’s a good thing you were here.” His voice was quiet, unsure, and he wasn’t able to make eye contact with her for long. He did believe it; what he’d said. It was just hard to say out loud, to do the work to try and begin to remove the stains. Kaden crouched down to pick the girl up, this time cradling her instead of hoisting her on his shoulders. He didn’t need to sprint away with her anymore, he could take the time to be a little more gentle. Probably in more ways than one. “Let’s get her home,” he repeated.

#writing #wickedswriting #para #c: leticia #rhythmicmeow #2 hunters 1 prey

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