Nothing in the Dark (closed)

[DrStein]

Varg Blackstone growled out as the sun filtered through his window into his eyes. Still feeling groggy, stretched out on the mattress before sitting up. The old, tarnished alarm clock on the floor by his mattress said that it was almost 1 PM. He hauled himself off the floor and shuffled to the dingy bathroom for a quick shower. The house he shared with his extended family was once a lovely Victorian home. At what point it had begun its slow descent into its current state was anybody's guess. It was old, musty and foreboding. Not the sort of place that encouraged visitors. And that's the way the family liked it.

Varg tied his damp hair into a ponytail and dressed in his usual ripped jeans, biker boots, a Misfits T-shirt, and his beat-up old denim jacket. He took the scrap of paper the fox mystics had given him last night. An address to a small bookstore near the college campus. His mission for the day, and he wasn't exactly looking forward to it.

He went downstairs, doing his damnedest to avoid his relatives. Unsuccessfully. "Varg," he heard his Uncle Leo from the living room. "Where are you going?" the old bastard asked in that creepy monotone he always spoke in.

"The sorceress," Varg answered bluntly and turned back into the foyer and out the door. Leo was saying or asking something else, but Varg really didn't want to talk to his uncle right now. He didn't want to talk to anybody. But this was his duty. He straddled his motorcycle and brought the engine roaring to life. He opened the throttle and tore off down the road into town.

Cain Hollow was a quiet town. Not large enough to be considered a city, not small enough to be what most would call a small town. But it had a history. That history was why Varg was here now. This was his town. It was his duty to protect it, even if few knew that he did, or even what he was. Anonymity was all part of the job. Well... as much as one could call it a job.

Before too long, he pulled up by the small bookstore. He double checked the scrap of paper in his pocket to make sure he had the right address. He parked the bike and stepped in. No customers were around. His nose filled with the scent of paper, ink, and that slight musty odor that seemed to accompany those two things everywhere.

He saw a young woman stocking one of the shelves and slowly walked up to her. His every movement was slow and controlled, communicating a great strength. His sullen features were handsome, but also somewhat menacing. It was clear that he was here for something specific.

"I'm looking for the owner."

 

[lmcms]

Every since Fawn had woken this morning with the first rays of a new day she had been edgey. She took an extra long time in her shower feeling as if she was still slightly dirty. She had not been able to hold down a single bite to eat. These where very bad omens but the only way to the answers was to wait for them to come she knew this and tried to prepare herself in anyway possible.

Once at work she set about organize the "new" merchindice. That phrase made her laugh as all she sold was old books,tomes really. Buisness was generally slow and her costumer base was mostly professors from the college but sometimes students would come too. Today was worse than normal not one person had set foot in the door a bad omen indeed. She twisted and wrapped her long waist length hair into a bun and secured it with a pencil.

Repeating a calming and peaceful protection chant over and over in her head she went to pull more inventory. Her back to the door her thoughts on the chant and the task at hand she never heard the a thing until low menacing growl like voice said, "I'm looking for the owner."

Fawn dropped all the books crouching down as she spun making herself as small as possible which was rather hard for a semi-tall woman to do. The first thing she noticed was biker boots and they where BIG. Ratty jeans incased well muscled legs. Some sort of T-shirt was streched over his massive chest. She did not notice his face only the piercing gaze of his bottomless dark eyes they where pulling her in to somewhere she wasn't sure she should go.

She shrank down farther weaving her hand in a silent protective spell while whispering "what do you want? who are you?" Her musical enchanting voice laced think with fear.

 

[DrStein]

She was afraid of him. Most people were. On a subconscious level they knew he was higher than them on the food chain. Even the street thugs and tough guys gave him plenty of room when he walked down the street. As badass as they thought they were, the most primitive parts of their brains still recognized him as the superior predator.

Still, this was time he didn't feel like wasting. He suppressed his urge to growl in impatience. Making this girl even more terrified of him was just going to get him stonewalled. "My name is Varg Blackstone," he said evenly. "I need to talk to the owner. It's important." He paused for a moment, and after thinking about it added, "Please."

 

[lmcms]

Fawn shivered this man had a very commanding and it scared her more than what was going bump in the night now days. He was wanting to speak to her but didn;t realise it was her he wanted. She could lie say the owner wasn't in but she hated liers and she wouldn't let her fear make her one as well. Maybe she could get information out of him to find out what she wanted or whom had sent him. And she knew someone sent him cause if he was here for a book he wouldn't be demanding the owner. She figured he was a man who would appreciate straight forwardness to games. She still didn't rise but add some backbone to her enchanting voice. She still didn't try to hide the fear in it though.

"What do you want and who sent you?" she said instead of whispering as she had done before.

 

[DrStein]

This time Varg couldn't stop the exasperated sigh and roll of his eyes. "For fuck's sake, lady. I just need to talk to the owner about a job I need her help with. I know you don't want me here, but the sooner I get this business done, the sooner I leave." Varg was never a patient man. He wanted to get a job done in the fastest, most effective way possible, smoke a bowl or have a couple beers, and call it a night. The last thing he needed was a cowering human putting roadblocks in his way.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard his aunt lecturing him about how he was almost perpetually irate. How he was prone to scaring people even when they were on his side with his temper and hostility. He drew a breath in through his nose and folded his arms over his chest. "Look, just go get the owner and I'll wait over at the counter." He turned on his heel and strode over to the checkout counter. He leaned against it and folded his arms over his chest. He leaned his head forward with his eyes closed. Perhaps if he wasn't staring her down, the woman would be a little less terrified and get the owner for him at last.

 

[lmcms]

Fawn debated her options. Now that he wasn't staring down at her she could process her thoughts and her brain could work instead of cower. The best option in this matter was to scan him. Even though she couldn't find out his thoughts or his exact entent she could get the gist of it. Taking a deep breath in then slowly letting it out she let her magic flow out of her as well seeking data then returning to her. HE had need of her it was no lie. He truly ment her no harm. But he was good she could gather up no more than that but it was enough to let her rise and speak to him.

"Mr. Blackstone might I suggest in the future if you someone's help you do not growl at them and try to force your domince over them." She walked to the opposite side of the counter where she had any number of magical items to assit her if need be and where she felt safer.

"My name is Fawn Shays and I am the owner of this store so once again Mr. Blackstone I will ask what do you want and who sent you? And before you ask you are obviously not here for a book which means you have needs of my other talents and you could only know those if someone sent you."

She stood at her full height and figuring magic was involved and she always did that best with her hair free she pulled the pencil out of her hair and sighed feeling the tresses fall to her waist. Her whiteish blue eyes stared at him seeking the truth. The more magic she used or held the whiter her eyes became.

 

[DrStein]

Varg opened one eye but otherwise didn't move a muscle when she addressed him. When she stepped behind the counter and explained who she was, the corners of his mouth twitched downward into a frown. While releasing her hair, she missed his eyes briefly flashing yellow. "You could have saved me some time and just said that to start."

He forced himself to get over his irritation. "I'm a werewolf. I'm the protector of this town, but... that's not as easy as it used to be. We have a problem with ghosts lately." He looked briefly at the door, making sure no one was about to walk in. "Trouble is, you can't punch a ghost. Biting doesn't work either. The fox mystics sent me here. They think you might be able to fix this. And they 'volunteered' me as your bodyguard."

This was not going to be an easy task, Varg could tell. The woman was a terrified little mouse. She would probably be more afraid of him hovering around her all the time than anything scary they actually encountered. And he hadn't yet told her the part that was sure to make her terrified. "To do that, I'll be moving in with you for a while."

 

[lmcms]

For a man of few words this man sure did talk alot Fawn decided as she processed each comment and readied the reply keeping them in order.

"Firstly Mr. Blackstone unlike you some of us do not have brawn on our side and choose evasion as a form of protection rather than brute strength." She raised one finger as if marking off the statement.

"Secondly, Good for you nice to know the strength is used for more than scaring innocents, I am already aware of the problem and getting things together some of it is taking longer than expected." She lifted another finger marking of that comment.

"Thirdly, if you don't wanna be here I don't need you there's the door." She pointed as she raised a third finger.

"And lastly," she paused finally realizing what the last thing he had said was. "Nononononono, I cannot allow that you'd kill me in a day then what could would I be. I am nothing to you just a weakling with no strength. Nononono." She kept murming no and began pacing.

She didn't like people she could barely deal with them for small peirods of time but to have someone live with her? It was unthinkable. She paced her unease growing and as her panic and unease grew so to did her magic she didn't even realize her eyes where now glowing white and lights danced at her fingertips for all the world to see as she fluttered about nervously almost in full blown panic all the while muttering no.

 

[DrStein]

Varg snarled and slammed his hand down on the counter to get her attention. His eyes were a bright yellow and the hair on the backs of his hands had become noticeably thicker. "Hey! One, calm the fuck down, you're glowing. Two, don't fucking insult me. Three, fuck you. Four, I don't have a goddamn choice in the matter." He folded his arms over his chest again and scowled. "Unlike you humans, my people still have honor. Don't you dare insult me by telling me to walk away from my duty."

He snorted in a distinctly canine manner and crossed over to the door, checking to see if anyone was coming down the street. This was going to be even more irritating than he had imagined. But he would not walk away. He would protect his town, and if that meant being her bodyguard, he would do it.

 

[lmcms]

The loud bang and aggressive growling instictively told Fawn is was in immediate danger. Blind to reality she flashed her hand out sending a flash of magic wrapping around the aggressor. This Magic had two purposes one it restained the object her aim and two it also tranfomed any thing inside the bubble into one that was tranquil. She did not often use her magic to force her will on others but she was in a panic and needed to think and she needed a less threatening air around her to process all this.

"Doubt my honor or duty and I'll ship you back to the mystics. Call me merely human again and I'll put up wards so you cant come near me or do your job because A) I hate prejudice and B) I am more than human. If you can not calm yourself and have a rational conversation I will call mysic sentries to come remove you from my presence. Think you can handel being an adult Mr. Blackstone?"

She knew he would already be calming even if he was irritatted it's just the way the magic worked. She knew she was in a glowing state because her site was always diffrent instead of seeing shape and solid objects all she saw was the diffrent energies that made up everything and formed it.

 

[DrStein]

Varg felt his temper falling, even though a part of him knew he should be furious. He recognized she was using her magic on him. He was immobilized and even though she had calmed his conscious mind, the primal side of him was outraged. He felt disconnected from his fury. He felt... unnatural. And that he couldn't act on the anger his unconscious felt disturbed him deeply. He didn't trust magic other than that used by the fox mystics, and this only reminded him why. This woman had stolen his mind and free will from him. He was silent for a while. The primal part of his mind wanted to roar at her never to do this again. He wanted to swear and bark and... transform. But he couldn't. She had removed his connection to that rage that gave him strength. Slowly, the anger inside him turned to fear, but he couldn't act on that either. It was the first time in a long time that he had been afraid. And being unable to use fight or flight only made it worse. The sensation of his conscious and unconscious minds so in conflict was one he couldn't describe. He didn't have the words. He just wanted it to stop.

"Let me go," he finally said. His voice was deadpan, almost monotone. The sound of it surprised him. It didn't sound like him at all. "You kick me out and I will come back. I don't have a choice."

 

[lmcms]

Fawn sighed his neutral voice helping to calm her she visibly relaxed but didn't realse him not yet not before she had a chance to explain what she had done and why and praying the whole time he would not attack when she did release him.

"I know werewolves change when they are in danger it is a natural reaction that sometimes cannot be stopped. I do not like doing what I am at the moment but to me it is the same thing as shifting is to you. It is the most effective way to protect myself. If you promise not to attack me and to talk calmly with me and be paitent I will release. I am sorry I have done this to you but I am only protecting myself the best way I know as a warrior I hope you would not find fault in me for this. Promise not to attack and to attempt to stay calm and I will release you and we can go upstairs."

As she spoke she moved around him never taking her eyes from him as she locked the front door and changed the open sign over to closed.

 

[DrStein]

Varg's fear turned to rage again. She didn't know. How could she? It seemed she barely understood her own kind. He should have figured she'd be just as oblivious as the rest. "I don't expect you to get it. I was never going to attack you, but you keeping me like this is..." He swallowed. He couldn't find the words. Disconnected from his primal mind, he couldn't summon up the words. He wasn't a werewolf. He wasn't even a man. "I'm not what you have to worry about. Let me go."

 

[lmcms]

Fawn felt a tear trinkle down her cheek he may think she didn't understand him but he didn't understand her either. She knew physically she was about as weak as a kitten it was instinct and fear she hadn't ment to do this but it was obvious she was in someway hurting him and that is what caused her tears to gather in her eyes. As quickly as she had trapped him she released him. Let him do what he wanted as long as he left her alone.

Turning on her heel she rushed to the stairs and almost flew up them her long hair slowing behind her along with parts of the loose fitting dress she wore. She couldn't do this. She and the mystics where even she could refuse to be of assistance but she was already working on a solution to the ghoul problem. She could kick Varg out but he said he would just come back. She was stuck, cornered, with no where to turn. Her tears flowed free and silent down her face as she gathered herself into a ball in her favorite chair.

She knew he would be coming up as well. She knew he was going to yell at her. She watched the door waiting not caring to try to protect herself she was willing to give up admit to defeat she could never win against him her best hope was that he would claim a quick victory.

 

[DrStein]

When the spell broke, Varg felt whole again. His emotions flooded back to him all at once. He stood in place a moment as his eyes turned yellow, his teeth sharpened, his nails turned black and hardened... He stood in place with his eyes closed, calming himself. He heard Fawn run upstairs, smelled her tears. Humans were weak. Whether or not they would ever admit it, they needed guardians like him.

He stalked up the steps to the room he smelled Fawn in. He stood in the doorway when their eyes met. His face was sullen, unreadable. "Don't ever do that again," he said simply. "Fucking humans are all racist," he grumbled as he strode into the room and collapsed into an armchair. "So... you already know the score?"

 

[lmcms]

Fawn saw him and shivered. She knew she would be safe if the fox mystics had sent him to her at lest safe from outside sources. He must not be very smart or the Fox mystics where keeping her secret she wasn't human and she was growing weary of him calling her so. He called her racist but he was the one judging not her she was merely doing her best to protect herself.

"Yes I know the...score. I know I need protection and I can't physically protect myself. I will ask again Mr. Blackstone that you refine from calling what I am not. I am not human nor am I racist. I am not judging for what you are but merely reacting to how you are toward me. Every action has a reaction Mr. Blackstone. I am not human I am sentinal." She whispered all of this very softly.

"I'll make this arrangement easy for you you get the spare room. You don't growl and yell at me I will leave you alone. We will share my apartment but we will ignore eachother as much as possible." She nodded slightly and turned blue eyes to him. SHe noticed he never looked her in the eye.

 

[DrStein]

Varg rolled his eyes. "You smell exactly like a human, but fine: Fucking sentinels are all racist." Outside of shapeshifters Varg spent little time with others. Few understood his people and fewer still accepted them. To most who knew of what actually went on after dark, lycanthropes were little more that brute beasts to be used as shields against more dangerous denizens of the dark. Their cultures and psychology were difficult to grasp and they rarely shared their secrets with outsiders out of fear of what would happen if those secrets reached their enemies. It gave many the impression that the lycanthropes hated the world and everyone in it, despite that assumption being far from the truth. Most like Varg chose to simply minimize contact with other races to save themselves the headache. Unfortunately, he didn't have that luxury now. He would set his jaw and play nice, but he looked forward to this being over so that he could go back to his nightly patrols.

He raised no objection to her arrangement. He simply nodded in agreement. He would be able to smell anything dangerous that came within eyeshot of the store anyway.

 

[lmcms]

Fawn wasn't violent by nature far far from but he kept calling her a racist and her blood was begining to boil. She grabbed the first thing she could reach which happened to be her favorite vase, and threw it with all her might across the room. She looked over at him opened her mouth couldn't get the words out and shut it again. Tried again failed again and stomped off to her room leaving an icy cold breeze in the room behind her.

 

[DrStein]

Varg had enough time to raise an eyebrow at her outburst before she clearly telegraphed her throw. Without even trying he caught the vase in one hand without damaging it and gave her a very unimpressed look. She stormed out of the room in a huff to which he simply shrugged and replaced the vase from where she had grabbed it.

He stalked out into the hall to see her fuming. "Where's the guest room?" he asked as if nothing had happened. At this point he was resigned to the fact that she was determined to be more insulted than him. Not the first time he'd ever seen that happen. Fighting it would be pointless. She wouldn't understand no matter how much he explained it to her.

 

[lmcms]

Fawn took a deep breath and sighed out "Give me 2 minutes please."

Ignoring rather he was leaving or not she kneeled down onto the floor in her metition pose and looking in on herself. She felt the air warm and lighten as she found peace deep within herself. After 2 minutes she rose calm peaceful scerne.

She walked to him lightly touching his arm realizing it was the first time she had touched him or him her. "Right this way do you perfered do be called Varg or Mr. Blackstone?"

She also noticed he never said her name in any form just refered to her as human or racist but he had is right to his opinion and if he thought ill of her so be it.

 

[DrStein]

The change in her was curious, but he said nothing. None of his business. "Varg," he said in answer to her question. "I don't know how long I'm gonna be here. I'm going to go get some of my stuff in a minute. Be back before dark." He would try to be a decent house guest. Keep to himself, not make trouble. Just stay quiet and unintrusive. He didn't want to provoke her into using that spell again. The feeling of being separated from his primal nature shook him up more than he let on.

 

[lmcms]

Fawn nodded her voice mellow and echanting back to perfect normalcy. "Varg it will be then." She opened a door shoing an airy room that besides a bed chair and dresser had nothing in it. It was compelte minimualistic expect for the matress on the bed so one of the most comfortable and expensive to get. "I'll got get some fresh linen for you then leave you be. If you wish to dine here I serve up at exactly 6:15. Have a good day Varg."

With that last comment she headed back down the hall and away from the nessesary intruder in her life. She began humming softly thinking of the incrediants she had still yet to get her hands on.

 

[DrStein]

Varg looked around in the room, figuring out escape routes and weaknesses before heading back downstairs. The engine of his motorcycle roared to life outside and he zoomed off.

He returned a little more than an hour later carrying a black trash bag slung over his shoulder and a blue milk crate held between his hand and hip filled with odds and ends. Sunset would be in a couple of hours and he was still seething from earlier even if he didn't show it. He needed to relax. He deposited everything in his room with bothering to unpack it and went looking for Fawn.

 

[lmcms]

Fawn heard the motorcycle as she was heading up to the roof but didn't let it distract her the wards needed to go up before Dusk. The roof was surrounded by a privacy fence so noone would see her while she worked her craft. She walked to the center of the roof removed her robe and let it fall to the ground. Standing in the buff she created a protective cirlce around her. When this was done she stood tall arms held high and looked into herself calling her energing to surround building and keep any harm from coming to the occupants.

She began chanting Gaelic as light flowed forth from her hands and to surround the building in a dome like structure. As the viel became thicker and thicker she chanted louder and louder thrusting her head back.

 

[DrStein]

Varg heard the chanting through the roof and started looking for the way up. When he finally got up there, he saw Fawn naked and presumably casting some sort of spell. Not having a lot of trust in magic, he sat down cross-legged and pulled from his pocket a baggie with several buds of pot and a bowl. He packed it in and began slowly puffing at it, waiting for her to finish. Getting high was one of his few luxuries and on the rooftop no one could see him anyway. He figured it was probably more polite than sparking up in the apartment.