Chronicles of The Omniverse Archived Lutetia City: Bloodstone Medical Center

as written by Dashmiel, Tiko, and Knosis

Ragenard was already halfway through his dash towards Desmond as the latter violently smashed against the side of his target.

Desmond rolled free of the crumpled van, and it was instincts alone that kept him moving as he cleared Ragenard's path with a staggering bound. He whirrled about with a snarl as Ragenard plowed through the van at his back, but his head was low and he backed up two steps. His defensive efforts sparred himself only a few moment's thrashing though before Ragenard was on him again.

Ragenard emerged from within the wrecked van with the thing's front axle in hand and without missing a beat smashed it across Desmond's back with enough force to bend it. It clattered to the ground moments later as Ragenard stood incredulous at Desmond's tenacity.

Even driven down to the ground, he still fought to stand and fight on. An easily mistaken monstrous smirk of proud amusement suffused Ragenard's features, before he knelt by Desmond and made good on his proclamation.

With his will to fight far outstripping his capability to continue doing so, Desmond could do little but ineffectually snap at Ragenard's arm as the latter's hand closed around Desmosnd's throat and pulled him up far above the ground. For a few tense minutes the only sounds Ragenard was focused on were the mad scrambling of Desmond's paws as they scratched over his arm for purchase, and the steadily fainting sound of his breathing

Skye went from the short woman to the rather large, lanky werewolf standing on all fours in a few minutes. 'Hurry.' She barely stood up again before she was making a dash towards Ragenard and Desmond. She made it scarcely two paces though before a snarling Julienne planted herself in Skye's path, hackles raised and teeth barred in warning.

Before long, it was over. The massive bulk of Desmond's wolf receded to it's human shape within Ragenard's grasp as the Iverian lapsed into unconsciousness. Ragenard made no move to lower nor reposition Desmond, but merely eased his grip until his breathing stabilized and held his ground. The passage of time continued to flow ever onward as Ragenard awaited the outcome: Would he face another challenger, or move onwards to lead his pack.
 
as written by Tiko and Knosis

It would be immediately clear to Ragenard though that the focus of the situation was rapidly deteriorating as it threatened to spill into an outright bloodbath between the two packs.

Skye didn't slow down as soon as she saw Julienne. As soon as there was a snarling wolf in her path, she knew she would have to dispatch it before continuing to Desmond. Her lips curled back as the larger wolf barreled into Julienne, teeth aiming to grab flesh.

Kian had noticed Julienne making a move towards Skye as she had shifted and began to lope in his awkward way towards the pair, snarling.

Julienne didn't give ground as the larger wolf collided with her and the two descended into a ball of flying fur and gnashing teeth. Bastien was the next to throw himself into the path of the Iverians as he shoulder slammed his weight into Kian's shoulder.

Kian hadn't expected the wolf coming in from the side, and it threw the massive wolf off his path. His attention turned to Bastien as he stumbled to catch his balance. Snarling a warning at the other wolf, he stood waiting for the other one to move, his right fist clenching.
 
as written by Script

As Kian turned to face off against Bastien, another wolf came to his side. Snow's muzzle was curled back in a snarl, and though the white wolf couldn't compare to Kian's bulk, it was plain he was ready to fight - and fight mercilessly - if it came to it.

With the conflict escalating, a growl built in Connor's throat too, and he took a step forwards. As he did, fur began to sprout from his skin and he doubled over, letting out a pained howl over the cracking sounds of his skeleton rearranging itself and growing. Though his shift would take a few minutes to finish the transformation, it was already becoming apparent that the unassuming youth's wolf shape was of an imposing size, his clothes splitting in the process.

The combined intensity of his anger at his friends being hurt and the sheer amount of adrenaline and wolf in the air had overwhelmed his already overstimulated mind, and it wouldn't be long before he joined his packmates in their ill-advised confrontation.

"Stop!" Quinn's yell cut clear across the night, though whether or not it would be heard over the growling and snapping of the growing fight was uncertain. "Stop it! This can only end in more injured, is that what you all want?" Despite her reasoned words, her voice was charged with aggressive emotion. She wasn't immune to the effects of the atmosphere, but she wasn't as close to Skye and Kian as Connor was, and her years as a teacher had given her more discipline than theirs as musicians.

She turned her eyes on Ragenard, gaze somewhere between pleading and accusatory. She hovered on the brink of saying something, but couldn't find any words for him that weren't either pathetic or confrontational. And confrontational was the last thing she wanted to be right now.
 
as written by Lialore

Brendan’s ears were pinned back. His claws dug into the pavement, trying to shift some of the tension, sliding deeper as time passed. He was on edge completely. Both concern and anger were the only things he could feel. And they fought too.

His bright eyes were swapping from the dangling form of his brother, to the immediate threats to Skye and Kian. But mostly, they scoured for any sign of a move against Connor.

He felt less torn now, faced with the prospect of a bloodbath that was likely to drown his outnumbered family. It was still hard. It felt like his insides were twisting.

There wasn’t much reasonableness left, and it took a lot of effort to not start the inflammatory warning growls that he could feel climbing up his throat, wanting a snap at his newer family.

Quinn was shouting. He didn’t catch what she was saying. But her watch on Ragenard was easily detectable. Brendan looked too. His stare was less beseeching; more dangerous, slyly hostile.
 
as written by Quinn

His chest swelled like that of a proud father at the sight of Ragenard displaying Desmond's out-for-the-count body as a trophy. It was a primal instinct, as if a cub he had raised had just performed its first kill. Hell, if you were to ask Jean-Pierre at that moment, while he was still... lost in it, he would have even admitted a particular attraction to the victor.

But to whom his spoils would go to would have to wait for another time. Right now, there was the still ever-present tension that hung in the air between their pack and the Iverians. His eyes too turned towards the one called Quinn as she spoke, and then proceeded to flick back and forth between the faces of all those he could see, including Ragenard's.

He paced back a couple of steps then, pushing himself to the back of the ring of people. If it came to a fight, he would stand with them, after all, but it didn't hurt to avoid as much of the negative attention as possible.
 
as written by Dashmiel

Ragenard continued to hold his ground as his audience threatened to degenerate into open skirmishing. The looks that Brendan, Quinn, and even Jean-Pierre shot him were not lost upon him. Ever since finishing his duel, he had been carefully studying the reactions of all present during the aftermath. He noted who shifted and who didn't, noted who cowered when, who snarled at whom, and so forth. Most of all, he noted how woefully inadequate so many of his kin before him, Bloodstone or otherwise, were at handling their combined blood lust.

With an inward sigh Ragenard resigned to do something about that problem later, before gingerly readjusting his hold on Desmond's sleeping form.

After a quick glance to cement everyone's position in mind and a quicker guess as to where they probably wouldn't be, Ragenard proceeded to take a running leap towards where the clashing was unfolding. He managed to land his bulk roughly between the oncoming Iverians and the Bloodstones standing between them, his shadow looming over the gnashing bitch pair.

"ENOUGH...IDIOTS," Ragenard roared, once again producing a guttural mockery of speech. He roared the first directly over the tangling pair, but the second stretched on as his gaze roamed about, finally settling upon Brendan.

Without preamble, Ragenard shifted Desmond over his shoulder, hunched down and inwards, and began his markedly smoother transition into his human form. The hulking monstrosity receded inwards as Ragenard's body began a violent and silent assault on his suddenly excess flesh, hungry to reclaim some portion of the energy spent in the push to create it in the first place. The space of twenty seconds saw him shed his wolf fur and over a third of his height, but Ragenard's naked and scarred form was still easily discernible over the backs of all but the tallest of those shifted, especially still hauling an unconscious Desmond around.

For a second he could only stare at Brendan disappointed. He had expected the newly arriving Iverians to find the experience overstimulating and was not entirely surprised that things went how they did. But he expected Brendan to know better. Ragenard had to remind himself with a sigh however, that he expected things of Desmond that hadn't come to pass either.

Gesturing directly towards Brendan to get his attention Ragenard said, "Oi, Brendan! Are ye goin' to just stand aroun' like an overexcited pup or 'elp me get this heavy sleepin' sack o' inklin's to bed?"

"The rest of you! Shed your wolves if you've control enough to do so, or lay down and flop about until we're done with this here misunderstanding-the moon calls and we'll be answering soon," he added loudly for everyone to hear as he slowly approached the disentangling pair of Skye and Julienne. Ragenard addressed the former while signaling for the latter to fall at his side,

"E's only sleepin'. Calm yourself cousin, yer pups ain't takin' yer cue healthy like."
 
as written by Tiko and Knosis

Julienne's eye remained locked on Skye, and a snarl upon her lips, but her head was down and she made no move to move through, around, or past, the imposing form of Ragenard to have another go at her and instead fell in beside him as he indicated for her to do so.

Skye stood tall, looking ready to spring should Julienne continued her assault. Once the other female fell beside Ragenard and the others seemed to back off in due time, Skye's form shivered and after a moment.

Once she was done shifting back, she stood in front of Ragenard, brow raised. "I was beginnin' to wonder if ya meant to teach the pup a lesson or send 'im a permanent coma." She put her hands on her hips, her eyes hard. "You and I will need to talk later."

She looked over her shoulder at the rest of her group and shrugged. Kian sighed began to shrug off his form as well.
 
as written by Script

Snow followed the rest of his pack in backing down. Though the white wolf hadn't entered the fray himself, he'd been on the edges and ready to, and his body language relaxed somewhat in the wake of the two sides retreating.

Connor had barely finished shifting when the conflict seemed to die down, and if it had been possible for a hulking black-furred wolf to blush, he probably would have done so. As it stood, he slunk backwards awkwardly in order to let his adrenaline die down to the point where he could shift back.

"Waste of a perfectly good set o' clothes..." Quinn muttered, shooting her brother a disapproving glare. Despite almost being taller than her on four legs, Connor seemed to shrink beneath the stare, letting out a disgruntled huff and slumping down to the ground.
 
as written by Lialore

With Ragenard’s shift, Brendan relaxed almost instantly. His claws withdrew, his worry left in the dented concrete. The immediate threat to his brother now gone, the one to his family dispersed; he knew he could easily slip back into his human form.

And he started to do so before receiving that particular look from Ragenard that stirred absolutely no shame within him. Not now.

‘No hard feelings’ Brendan read in the tone of Ragenard’s next words. He took it as more of an order.

As he shifted, the sound of voices reached him through his transforming ears, the words distorted.

Through human eyes, he looked shortly between Skye and Ragenard before stepping forward to help with the load and get his brother to somewhere safe to wait-out his latest disaster, though he was reluctant to leave his Iverians amidst the simmering tension.
 
as written by Lialore, Knosis, Tiko and Dashmiel

Without ceremony, Ragenard proceeded to dump Desmond on his brother's arms before stretching his sore neck and eyeing Skye for a moment.

"Maybe it's best that you stick around for a minute Bren, might need help translating your brother's idiocy and how it works around here" he exhaled with a barely contained sigh towards Brendan. It was taking him every ounce of his self-control not to revert back, but it wouldn't do to show it.

"We speak here and now," he added to Skye. "Do you know why you're here?"

Skye gave him a smirk, obviously not pleased with the aspect of talking out their conversation in front of both packs. But she wouldn't cow down at it.

"Fine." She said. "I received a call from me cousin, statin' that ya were in trouble. That a few of yer family was 'urt and worse." Her eyes softened at that.

"That's all the information I was given, and that ya needed 'elp from allies." She shifted her weight, and folded her arms across her chest. "I 'ad my group ride 'ard to get 'ere to lend aid to our family." She paused before adding, "All of it, albeit extended. We knew the risks coming up 'ere."

Julienne kept close at hand while Ragenard and Skye conversed, and though there was an intensity to her yellow eyes as she stared down Skye, the aggression in her posture had eased. The fur of her shoulder was matted red, but she showed no sign of favoring the leg, and her other shoulder was so close to Ragenard that he could feel the press of fur against his own leg.

Brendan was dealing with the weight of his brother with more difficulty than Ragenard. Still, he managed to haul the body over his shoulder.

His face wrinkled up some as Skye mentioned the call. He knew that Desmond had had one of his strikes of strange, idiotic brilliance; those didn't tend to sit so well with Brendan. But it still hurt that he'd been left out of the loop.

"Ey. Y' never know, maybe some gratefulness can be scraped off the floor once the night is over" he said with an unamused look to Skye. Brendan hadn't spoken in a while and it came out roughly. He was still not in the finest of moods, his eyes still wary.

A momentary wry chuckle escaped Ragenard's lips before he clamped it down shut.

"Yes, another of his good intentions gone awry. However, the brunt of the misunderstanding falls on me, I suppose..." he said to no one in particular.

"It might surprise ye, but a good part of my youth was spent in the rolling hills of Iveria. The way things are done there, and the way we do them here, they might as well be different planets. We're facing a difficult situation here. Here, we operate under a much stricter form of hierachy. We do it because of the difficulties we face day to day, and well, a bit of archaic thinking as well I suppose," he explained to Skye.

"For many years, I had a clear place in that hierachy, but recently personal decisions I've made have murkied that. Up until before I put Desmond here to nap, we had no leadership. My brother lies grieveously wounded, and my absence for a time meant I was no longer his second. Here, the right to lead is determined by strength. That's what you got caught up in tonight. With me so far?" he asked.

Skye merely nodded, but kept quiet for the time being. It was obvious that she had her own words to say, but it would wait until the end.

"It may seem ruthless, brutal even, but that's the system we have. It doesn't mean we lack love for each other, but rather that we trust and depend on each other, and look to the strongest among us to see us through the perils of our daily existence. You're in a wholly different land, cousin, one where it's not uncommon to laugh with a brother one day, and bury him the next. And that system ain't changing with your arrival," he stated gravelly to Skye before continuing;

"Question now is, will you accept the way things are done here and actually be of help, or will you be going on your way?"

The short woman narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her and drew up to her full height. Skye had never been one to take orders, usually the one who gave a command and they were followed immediately. And those who had challenged her had fallen inline one way or another. True, Iveria may not have the hierarchy structure as Lutetia, but it didn't mean the wolves of Iveria didn't know it existed.

"Ya think I'm some ignorant pup tha' dun know what the outside world is 'cause I was born in a peaceful 'ome?" She shook her head slowly. "Just 'cause ya neglected your duties as a second to yer brother also doesn't mean you gotta get everyone to follow be'ind ya with their tails between their legs that's willin' to give you a 'elpin' 'and." She sighed slightly.

"Look, we're 'ere to 'elp where we can. Not join your 'pack', whether you like it or not. All who came with me knew the risks before joinin' in when I called upon 'em. An' we're not some wet-behind-the-ears welps that were eager to jump out of Iveria for the first time. Well, not all of us anyway." She gave a sharp look in Connor's direction before returning to Ragenard. Skye didn't seem to be willing to budge. She was here, and here she would stay, whether Ragenard liked it or not.

Skye then lowered her voice, although it wouldn't stop those closest from over hearing her next words. "The question is, cousin, will you accept the fresh eyes, the fresh pair o' 'ands and legs of another, as you put it.. 'iarchey, and allow us to live side by side as allies, or will you risk injuryin' more of your lads for the sake of pride and try to run us off."

Ragenard's eyes narrowed dangerously as Skye's reply ran it's course, and by the end their hue and shape was once again the contracted custard yellow that served as a precursor to his shifting.

He could feel the beast clamoring from within just beneath the surface and for an instant almost failed to reign it in, when once again the peculiar sensation of fire running up and down his spine presented itself. A faint memory of raging flames swiftly ran through his mind before vanishing, turning his fury to ashes.

With a raised eyebrow, he merely turned to look at Brendan.

Brendan made a strange noise. Something like a cough and a sniffle and a burst of laughter all at the same time that he put out by running the back of his hand across his mouth and nose. So it turned out that his humour hadn’t been completely buried by the day’s events.

“O’, I’ve missed you” he said to Skye with a good effort at a grin.

“Anyway, nothin’ you’re considering bad happenings today were these lot’s fault. It were my brothers. An’ you more than dealt with that. They know how it works. We all get it. You din’t see any retaliation until there were some worry that ‘is brains were about to be laid about on the floor.

They can help. Truly” he said sincerely to Ragenard.

"I hope you're right, Bren," Ragenard replied to Brendan. "The situation we're in doesn't need any more complications, well intentioned or not."

"As for you," he continued, addressing Skye. "I'll confess I admire your fire, but I have one word of caution. Never presume that any admission of fault in myself gives you the grounds to judge me, unless you're prepared to answer such a challenge with force. With that being said, welcome aboard, I hope the idiot was right about you and yours."

A deep rumbling from within reminded Ragenard of just how far removed his last meal was from now. "Decide if your folks are wanting to rest or run, I'm leading a quick hunt tonight," he added before pointing toward's the band's trailer. "And let that one out for fuck's sake, she ain't a dog. I want a word with her."
 
Meanwhile inside...

as written by Tiko, Sokka, Faithy, and Knosis

As Re'Altarm's change began to overtake her, the door opened as Renard and Aimee arrived in the room with her, Jesse, and Carlisle.

Renard opened the door, just as Re'Altarm began to chage. He paused for a moment. "Everything okay in here? I heard a few crashes, I ran into Aimee in the hall didn't see any Scion freaks running around inside though." He said motioning to Aimee before moving in to stand against the wall out of the way of Re'Altarm.

Peeking around Renard's arm into the room, Aimee took note of the shifting individual and wracked her mind to remember who the female happened to be. After a few minutes, she recalled her as Re'Altarm, but didn't really know much about her. Glad when Renard moved out of the way, she stepped into the room and nervously chewed on her bottom lip. No, nervous wasn't the correct word, because in truth, despite the fact that pull was not as strong as it no doubt was outside, she still really wanted to shift. Not only that, she was incredibly curious as to what was happening outside.

"Is it the Scions attacking?" Aimee questioned, glancing over towards Jesse.

"Do you think we would just be standing around gawking like idiots if it was the Scions attacking?" Carlisle asked with a grunt.

His wounds and deteriorating condition had shortened his patience it would seem.

Jesse meanwhile gave another wince at whatever was transpiring outside as he continued to observe the situation through the slits in the boards of the window.

"No, I imagine we wouldn't be just standing around if the Scions were attacking. Stupid question on my part, but it's been a long day ... or night for us all. My brain's not quite thinking clearly at this moment." Aimee started to chew on the inside of her cheek before the pain quickly stopped the motion. In truth, she did like much of anything that had happened thus far, especially feeling helpless. At the moment however, she was more concerned with what was going on outside, especially since she couldn't see anything. Sure, she could go peek like Jesse, but that would do her absolutely no good.

"Anything I can do to help?" One once said that idle hands were the devil's tools and at the moment, Aimee wanted... no, needed something to do.

"Suppose not." Renard said "What's all the noise though?" He asked as he leaned against the wall his head was still throbbing.

Re's shifting was not going as smoothly as those with vetern years on them. It was slow and as painful as it had been the first time she remembered. She let out a low groan that seemed to resonate through her entire being as her form grew and shaped itself further. Ebony fur sprouted from her skin and after an agonizingly long time, she stumbled on all four. 'Run.' The thoughts came to her in brief bursts.

She turned and a low growl escaped her throat.

"Desmond and Ragenard are scrapping," Jesse answered.

He didn't turn to look at Re'Altarm, but he could feel the needle pricks that raced along his arm. He wanted to join her, to join the rest of the pack. He was needed here though.

Next time...

"Go on," Carlisle grunted towards Re'Altarm as she turned with a growl.

He remembered what it was like to be young. He remembered well the euphoric rush that came with the shift, and the immersion of the pack. It called to them all, but to the young it could be downright intoxicating.

Renard watched Re shift,he felt only a slight urge to shift though it present only in an increase heartrate and his breathing became slightly increased.

Re snorted and growled as she passed through, trotting through the door as though she were skiddish around those who weren't on four legs.

"Any word on the bosses condition?" Renard asked.

Jesse just shook his head in response, offering nothing further. Ragenard had been pretty clear on the matter of Baron's condition.

Had she not been injured, Aimee probabaly would have shifted to join the others outside, but logic dictated that'd be incredibly stupid. Never before had she been forced to utilize her self-control and amazingly, it was working. Her uninjured hand scrunched up into a fist and she kept her face as neutral as possible, not wanting to pull stitches yet again. After Re disappeared, she glanced back towards the others, wondering just how Baron was doing. Everything seemed to be hush-hush concerning him.

"Why is Des fighting Ragenard anyways? Isn't now the time not to be scrapping among ourselves?" Aimee rubbed the back of her neck, squeezing the flesh there to stave off the incoming tension headache she was getting.

"I don't intend to be the one to tell them that," Jesse answered. "Here, sit down and let me take a look at you real quick," he told her.

Carlisle meanwhile kept an eye on the fight ensuing outdoors. "Better get another room ready when you're through with her," he noted dryly.

As if to punctuate his words, the screech of twisting metal filled the air from the lot out back.

Jesse had a point as much as Aimee knew they shouldn't be fighting one another, she wasn't about to go out there and tell Ragenard what to do. The thought of being the target of his anger was not all that appealing. Shaking her head, she did as asked and sat down in a nearby chair with a slight sigh. She didn't really like not being outside knowing what was going on, but knew better than to venture out there. Wincing at the sound coming from where the fight was going on, she clenched her fist yet again. "This is stupid..."

Jesse deftly unwrapped the bandages that had been put in place over the side of Aimee's face, and gently lifted the edge enough to get a look at the wounds underneath. The side of her face had been torn into like a piece of raw meat, and the dried blood had caused the stitches to stick to the bandages. Removing them was a less than pleasant ordeal, but he was quick about it.

"Going to put some fresh bandages on it," he explained. "You two should get back into bed," he added towards Carlisle and Renard. "Reinhard's still waiting on the results of those blood tests he's running." He turned his attention back to Aimee as he began to apply the new bandages.

Renard nodded to Jesse before turning and heading out of the room walking back toward his room.
 
Back outside...

as written by Tiko, Knosis, and Dashmiel

Seamus glanced between Skye and Kian, seemingly uncertain as to whether to move to open the door himself, or to simply get out of the way.

Skye merely shrugged at Seamus, as if that were enough to give Seamus permission to do whatever he wished, be it move out of the way or open it for Ragenard.

Seamus gave a shrug and stepped aside. The door wasn't locked, or barred in any way.

Chloe leaned against the cases of band equipment, her jaw clenched. She was rather pale looking and a cold sheen had taken to her skin. As the door opened, she winced at the sound and looked up at Ragenard in a mixture of trying to stay awake and pleading to make it stop all at once.

She wanted to shift. Needed more like it. But for some reason, as it had happened many times in the past, she just couldn't on her own. And it looked as though it was as painful as it sounded.

Ragenard pushed his hunger aside for the moment and cautiously approached Chloe with Julienne on his heels. She held back though as he wrenched the door open and kept her eyes narrowed on the rest of the gathered pack members at Ragenard's back.

Whatever diatribe he was subconsciously preparing vanished away when he saw she looked. Which was like shit, he noted. "The fuck's wrong with you, you look like shit. You going to be alright? Why are you holed up back here?"

The woman couldn't help but chuckle tiredly at the first question. "Good question." She muttered. She groaned and winced, fingers digging into her pants legs, and eyes glowing as another urge to shift came and she found no release for it. "I'll.. Be fine eventually..?"

She leaned her head back against the case behind her. "Desmond thought it best I sit back here to get some rest. Wasn't doing so swell earlier either." It was at least a half truth. The other part may have been to keep her out of trouble, but Ragenard didn't need to know that.

"Sure as fuck doesn't seem like you're doing so swell now," he commented dryly. "You shouldn't have been cooped in here with all the frenzy going on outside. Why are you holding your wolf back? Kick back, let it out. Your little boyfriend is taking a nap, come join the rest of the pack for a hunt," he finished as his stomach let off another growl.

The red-headed woman's face turned troubled. "Trust me, if I could shift, I would have about five times already." She said, sounding rather desperate at this point. She closed her eyes as another urge rushed her body, shivering as the pain ran down her spine. "I want to shift. I can't shift.."

Ragenard raised an eyebrow at this but didn't immediately comment. He gave Julienne a look and sighed before turning back towards Chloe. "Right. That, uh, sucks. Hope you get that sorted out quick for your sake, talk to Reinhard maybe and see if he can help? I dunno, never had that problem for obvious reasons," he said ackwardly.

"Stay along and rest with the Iverians I guess. Try not to sob into Desmond's bed too much, his face will heal," he added the last with a chuckle before turning around and walking off back towards the assembled packs.

Chloe merely sighed and decided that she was just going to sit there for a bit until the wolf part of her tired itself out from the attempt.

"BLOODSTONES! YOUR LEADER HUNGERS!" Ragenard bellowed out into the night. "We're going hunting, and now. If you feel up to it and can keep up, fall in line and lets roll. Otherwise, go hit the sack, we've got things to do tomorrow," he roared before triggering his shift and waiting to see who would be coming along.
 
as written by Script

Having yet to shift back, Snow padded across to Ragenard, silently indicating his intent to join the hunt. Though he was fatigued, sleep was far from his grasp tonight. Perhaps letting the wolf run would bring it closer.

Quinn watched the exchange between Ragenard and the other Iverians without comment, sighing to herself as he began to gather the other wolves for a hunt. She supposed she was going to have to get used to this. After a moment, she noticed Connor giving her a questioning glance.

"Don't even think about it, kid," she muttered. The hulking wolf let out a huff and lowered his head back down onto his paws.
 
as written by Lialore

Brendan was left with the useless sack that was Desmond slung about his shoulders. As the tension began to disperse, he sighed and jumped a little to position his brother more comfortably. With a last, sweeping look at the crowd, he jerked his head towards Quinn and Connor, nodding towards the door as he turned to it. He wasn’t sure about the others, but he sure as hell had too much in his head to even know if he was starving. Chloe was another matter for him, but he was certain none of them wanted a run-in.

He stepped back inside first, knowing the others would follow if they were in a similar state. He wanted somewhere relatively remote to dump Desmond, there was no use for ‘doctors’ until he woke up, which by then he could be half-way healed anyway. He was steady and safe. Keeping to the ground floor, he made his way to the end of a corridor, kicked open a room, studied it vaguely, then moved to the bed. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for. He didn't know if he should care how comfortable his brother was. Still, his interpretation of ‘dumping Desmond’ happened to be placing him down with more love and care than he’d meant.

He lingered for only a few seconds, then left for what was likely to be a catch-up void of excitement. Brendan was too drained. Too disheartened.

But he’d be back. Taking care. As always.
 
as written by LuLu6214

Eliza had not shifted back, she was not prepared for a second change but stood there confused as to who she was supposed to shadow. She decided to stand there near Bastien till told otherwise. Although the weapons she had may foster some good will, she was not about to give that monster of a wolf, Ragenard, a reason to tear her limb from limb. She was built for speed not strength but for now she felt more like a house pet at someones side than anything else.

____

Damon stood out of the way, his hulking frame towering over pack members. He was prepared to leave with the pack and was itching for a hunt. He could taste it, the freedom of running with the pack, it was making him antsy.
 
as written by Dashmiel

Several hours later

The skies over Lutetia appeared dark to the casual observer, and only those with a keen eye could barely discern the gradually growing shift in the grays at the boundary of heaven and earth. The awakening of a new dawn was upon the city, still a bit over an hour away but inexorably coming nonetheless. Perhaps in more ways than one, thought the massive figure leading the pack of monsters through the streets.


The pack's run had been a success, Ragenard thought. As the night progressed, he felt the wild aggression of the heated challenge they had all been exposed to settle into a more ordered rhythm. It wasn't anything any of them had to think about, it just happened. Their primal instincts had been awakened during the night, and given an outlet to order themselves in.

As Ragenard led them riotously through their territory in Lupaix, he made no effort to curb their enthusiasm, allowing the packs energy to ripple freely through them. The result had been a mild sort of rampage through town, as the pack roared, barked, ran, and howled freely. Those fastest on four legs weaved in between buildings and light-posts, and innocently startled the rare late bystander. Those fastest on two ran over low roofs and awnings, and many a window was suddenly shuttered at their passing.

To them it was a fun good time, to Ragenard it was a show of force to the people. Regardless of what anyone might have heard, or whatever the rumors flying might be, one thing was clear. The Bloodstone pack still was. And with every powerful howl he sent up, he dared the night to question if the pack was still strong.

As their progress gave way through Lupaix and shifted into the Phantom Quarter, Ragenard's hunger began to ripple through him again, and he led them all ever faster. In the no mans land that was the Phantom Quarter, he began to more carefully direct them. A bark here, a yip there, and with an occasional rough push, he got the pack together in an rough sort of formation. His movements were careful and constrained, weaving among them when needed, leaping over at times, but never straying from his position at the front for more than a minute.

Then they had reached the forests, and then began the hunt. Over several hours they had a chance to sate both their stomachs and their primal instincts. Rather than take over and decimate the prey population, Ragenard made sure to keep his place in order in the hunt, working along with the pack as it's leader should.

By the time they made it back to the Medical Center, Ragenard got the distinct impression that a more cohesive and less stressed group had returned than at first had set away, and he was pleased.

He sniffed the air of the approaching morning a few times and gave a final howl to the dying night before triggering his change back with a pop. In mere moments, he stood back on his human form, and his features while no less grim looking, seemed to have love some roughness around the edges.

"Alright folks," he shouted while giving his newly reconfigured muscles a few stretches "we had a good time, and I hope you guys remember it. But we'll be getting back to the shit storm in no time I'm sure. So take a few to decompress, we'll be facing a new day soon. Don't do anything too crazy and watch each others backs, stay in contact in case another call to gather has to go out."

"Bast! I'll need you to sort out whoever needs alibis for the events at the Den and send them to me so I can be sure they got their stories straight before we disperse for the day. And make sure whoever you think needs a reminder that the Med Center is not a clubhouse and that their lips need to be shut about it gets it!," he said before starting to head inside.

"After that you can hang out for a bit, don't go nowhere, I got something to talk to you about. But first I need to see I left enough of Des' head still working for him to be useful."
 
as written by Faithy

Aimee headed back to where she had woken up after her bandages were changed. It hurt more than she wanted to admit, but at least it was done and over with. She rolled onto her side and curled up into a slight ball. It wasn’t long before her mind started to wander about what had happened at the Den. Had she even done any good? Would things have turned out differently if she hadn’t disobeyed orders and went to get some free booze? Did she actually keep the three from being killed by the Scions or did she just muck stuff up? Aimee had no idea, not really, but the thoughts were enough to keep her from sleeping, at least for a while.

“Am I nothing more than a stupid pup who can’t control her addictions?” She grumbled and finally gave up and fell asleep. It wasn’t until she felt the pack returning that she slid out of her bed. Her stomach growled and her head was hurting something fierce, but Aimee was glad she was still alive. It definitely could have been worse.
 
as written by Script

While the pack had been running, Seri had remained behind, taking a catnap on one of the chairs in the med center's lobby. Finding a comfortable spot to sleep was infinitely easier in his chat shape, and so the werecat was bundled up in a pile of clothes in the form of a rough-looking black feline.

His ears twitched at the sound of howling and then yelling outside, but he remained resolutely in his spot. He was comfortable, now. Moving was not an appealing option.

Across the room, Connor, now returned to his human form and in a fresh set of clothes, had been dozing up against the wall. It had been only a light sleep. Though he was tired from the long road trip, the events following their arrival had been tense enough that it made it difficult to fully doze off. He perked up upon hearing the return of the runners, hoping that there'd be a chance for more amiable introductions before the night was out.

Quinn was seated nearby, a book in her lap titled 'Songseeker' that she seemed to be engrossed in - though to the observant eye, her eyes often flicked up from the page to take stock of the room. The sound of the returning pack provoked little outward reaction from her, beyond setting her bookmark on her current page in anticipation of her reading being interrupted.

Amongst the returning Bloodstones, Snow was quick in shifting back to his human shape whilst Ragenard was starting to give out orders. Lingering only long enough to listen and be certain he wasn't needed for anything, he then made his way inside, making a beeline for an empty room and a bed. The run had left him worn out enough that he hoped that sleep would finally come to him, despite his difficulty in finding it earlier in the night.
 
as written by Lialore and Knosis

The door frame looked as though it was holding Brendan up. He slumped against it, gaunt, a cracked mug with a dribble of liquid remaining hung from his grip as he stared at the bloodied mess that was Desmond upon the shoddy bed. He’d been watching his chest rise and fall for a while now. It was a small miracle, after all.

He hadn’t slept. Just watched, mostly, and attempt to make small talk but submit to the exhaustion that still refused to give in to his agitation. Yet, his eyelids began to droop, his head nod. Then a smash. The mug that had been swinging precariously from his index finger after being emptied hit the floor and shattered into porcelain pieces with a sound far too loud for most to handle right now.

Brendan jerked. Cursed. Kicked a piece.
Felt like crying.
So cursed again.

The clash of shattering glass made Chloe flinch in the darkened hallway. Peeking through the door and finding who she was looking for, she slowly allowed herself in.

The red headed woman looked half dead on her feet herself. Her eyes were dark, and her movements were stiff as if she had taken a beating herself. Giving a look over at the unconcious Desmond she grunted and shrugged towards the mug.

"Thought he might have woken up and you were already yelling at him..." She muttered.

Brendan grunted in reply without looking at her. He blinked a few times at the mess then resumed staring at his lump of a brother, settling to scratching his jaw that was covered with stubble of an uncommonly long length for him. His voice sounded as tired as he looked.

“Yer never known me to throw stuff at him though. Yer must’ve guessed how pissed off I am… came to check…”

"Honestly, only know very little of you, so I wouldn't know." She said blankly. "But yeah, I did guess you were a bit upset. Came to check up on both of you.." She slumped against the other side of the doorframe. "How is he doing?"
 
as written by Tiko, Lialore, and Knosis

Desmond cracked one eye open as the commotion and noises going on around him nudged its way through his unconscious stupor. His healing was already well on the way, but every muscle, joint, and nerve ending in his body screamed in protest as he stirred.

"Don't suppose it's not too late to pretend to still be asleep?" he mumbled.

Apparantly despite the thrashing he had just endured, his sense of humor had not been dampened one bit.

"Well, you are the master of deception after all, might as well give it a try, brother" Brendan said, shrugging his shoulders away from Chloe. "And naw, 'asleep' and 'knocked the fuck out' seem a bit different to me... but if you're up for round two, I ain't in the best o' moods."

If she hadn't been so tired, she would have jumped clear from her skin as soon as Desmond spoke. This brought a disapproving frown at the laid up individual. "You'd have to get in line." She told Brendan gruffly.

"Aw come on," Desmond replied. "I 'ad a perfectly good reason for all of this... that I'm sure I'll remember just as soon as me 'ead stops tryin' to split in two," he added with a wince.

“No. I got it. Get it. Just dunno why you didn’t tell me” Brendan said.

"And get you thrashed by Ragenard too? Besides, we need at least one of us on 'is good side," Desmond answered grimly. "This needed to be on me and me alone. But if it makes you feel better, next time I'll sleep in, an' you can get your face punched in."

Brendan ground his teeth together, finally looking at his brother for the first time since he'd woke.

"You really don't think there was a better way to introduce our family? Not a conversation to be had? A warning given? That coulda' easily ended in carnage..."

Desmond sighed and rubbed at his brow as his humor did little to stem his brother's ire.

"You know that things 'ere aren't like back 'ome. Ragenard couldn't accept outside 'elp without being seen as weak, an' the pack with him. By me makin' the call before 'e made a move for pack leader, there's a chance now that 'e will let them stay. I gave 'im a choice 'e wouldn't 'ave 'ad if 'e knew what was going on. Never intended to win tha' fight. but 'e wasn't undermined this way, because 'e 'ad no position in the pack when I brought them in. And now everyone remembers it. This will 'eal," he said with a gesture to his face. "This pack won't if we keep losin' people."

"I told you, I get it" Brendan replied. All this sudden thinking and talking was reminding him of how exhausted - and hurt - he was.

"Just strange now there ain't no confidin' in me..." he trailed off then pushed himself from his leaning post, ready to leave.

Even if it hadn't been meant to be a jab at her, Chloe winced at Brendan's words. The two brothers hadn't always been at odds, but it seemed to have gotten worse with her around. She moved off her perch as well, backing out into the hallway slightly.

She felt she had to at least mend this while she could, even if it wasn't something terribly wrong with it now.

"He didn't confide in you under my advice.." She said quietly before adding rather quickly, "I'm not really with the pack, so he spoke to me about it.. Easier for me as I've got no family in the pack if Ragenard decided to punish all of the culprits in this idea. Desmond he could pound into the ground, and me.. Well he'd run me out of town. Easier than having both of you down for the count when he really needs you."

She bit the inside of her lip. "I'd rather be run off than have Ragenard have to punish the pair of you, especially if it means the survival of your family." She murmured.

Desmond looked about to say something, but stopped and sighed. His headache was threatening to split his skull wide open, and his mouth felt like it was on fire. Whatever bridges needed mending with his brother... now was no time to try and fix them. Later he told himself. Later.

Unfortunately for Desmond, his impulsivenes often left him rushing forward headlong with little regard for anything beyond the moment. And usually he was off again after some new fixation before he'd even finished picking up the pieces his from previous ventures.

This had never really strained things with Brendan in the past, and on the contrary his brother was always right at his side through it all. But since Lutetia... his brother only seemed to be growing more mature, more focused on the long term. With Desmond showing no sign of slowing down, the tension between the pair only seemed to be growing day by day.

Brendan was bothered by what Chloe said. It bothered him a lot. But this was only reminding him further that he needed to let go, let loose a little. He looked at her warily. It’d be nice to tell her that all the increased friction wasn’t being caused by her, that it was something that had been a long time coming and that she shouldn’t worry or feel guilty. It’d be nice to tell her that what she had just told him changed the way he felt right now. That just wasn’t the case. Something had changed. Yet, who was to say that this wasn’t inevitable anyway…
He just stood, slumped, and looked around shiftily with eyes that had little life in them.
“Better hope your advice keeps him out o’ trouble more than mine did” Brendan said after chewing over her words, then left.
 
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