((Feel free to hop in, even if it looks like something's already going on!))
It was a miserable night.
Just the wrong kind of wet. Alf thought. He struck the cement with his claw and dragged it back, like a persnickety maid checking for dust. He had to squint to see. His eyes could cut through dark, but they couldn't make much of fog. He frowned on one side. If a human couldn't see their hand in front of their face, Alf was so large he found his was an extra three feet away, and thrice obscured.
He looked over his claw. He could see the city across the water. It was barely a glow, and if he hadn't known it was there, he might have mistaken it for street lamps packed too closely together. There was a hill of tombstones between him and it, all standing in poorly outlined angles. Not a one of them straight up. Alf, being a man who thought he was a cat, was belly down on the roof of a tomb like a stray, waiting for the sun to finish falling so he could get his night started. If not wondering how it would go despite the fog.
It's fine. He told himself. His nose would see for him. Alf's frown curled the other way and his mouth opened in a smile. The fog was doing him a favor. On an average night, a fella like him couldn't wander unless he tip toe'd and he thanked his lucky stars if no one screamed Big Foot. He was eleven feet tall.
He didn't know what all this holloweenie business was about but he had it from a good source that there were going to be some kids in the cemetery that night, and they were looking for a scare. He was there to give it.
It was a miserable night.
Just the wrong kind of wet. Alf thought. He struck the cement with his claw and dragged it back, like a persnickety maid checking for dust. He had to squint to see. His eyes could cut through dark, but they couldn't make much of fog. He frowned on one side. If a human couldn't see their hand in front of their face, Alf was so large he found his was an extra three feet away, and thrice obscured.
He looked over his claw. He could see the city across the water. It was barely a glow, and if he hadn't known it was there, he might have mistaken it for street lamps packed too closely together. There was a hill of tombstones between him and it, all standing in poorly outlined angles. Not a one of them straight up. Alf, being a man who thought he was a cat, was belly down on the roof of a tomb like a stray, waiting for the sun to finish falling so he could get his night started. If not wondering how it would go despite the fog.
It's fine. He told himself. His nose would see for him. Alf's frown curled the other way and his mouth opened in a smile. The fog was doing him a favor. On an average night, a fella like him couldn't wander unless he tip toe'd and he thanked his lucky stars if no one screamed Big Foot. He was eleven feet tall.
He didn't know what all this holloweenie business was about but he had it from a good source that there were going to be some kids in the cemetery that night, and they were looking for a scare. He was there to give it.
Reece Hata wasn’t at this cemetery on some stupid prank by his classmates.
That would have first, required him to have friends. And second, to care whatsoever. He had more serious business to attend to at o-dark-hundred in a cemetery.
He zipped up his black hoodie up to his neck and made sure the hoody was riding low on his forehead. He knew he wasn’t the only stupid teenager tonight, and he didn’t want to be recognized by his fellow man. He prowled around by a few of the gravestones, but didn’t look close. It wasn’t exactly that he was afraid of ghosts (though the idea had crossed his mind), it just felt somehow… rude. Unsettling even. So he skirted innocently around them, glancing up and down the aisles.
He did this for a while, looking in the way a person does when they’re actually looking for something.
“Damn,” he hissed lowly to himself after looking down the same row for the third time,”Where are they ?"
That would have first, required him to have friends. And second, to care whatsoever. He had more serious business to attend to at o-dark-hundred in a cemetery.
He zipped up his black hoodie up to his neck and made sure the hoody was riding low on his forehead. He knew he wasn’t the only stupid teenager tonight, and he didn’t want to be recognized by his fellow man. He prowled around by a few of the gravestones, but didn’t look close. It wasn’t exactly that he was afraid of ghosts (though the idea had crossed his mind), it just felt somehow… rude. Unsettling even. So he skirted innocently around them, glancing up and down the aisles.
He did this for a while, looking in the way a person does when they’re actually looking for something.
“Damn,” he hissed lowly to himself after looking down the same row for the third time,”Where are they ?"
Alf was all settled in for his night of spookin' and prowlin', but it was not to be. Something smelled like burnt potato chips. He knew the brand, too.
Hell.
He twisted his head around hard enough to regret it and glanced over the stones. If he looked really hard, he thought he could see movement, but if he wanted to be sure he was going to have to leave his perch. If he left, he wouldn't be perfectly positioned to scare a gaggle of jumpy teenagers back to town. The decision was made for him when he heard muttering. He groaned in his head and back scooted off the tomb, sliding his feet off the edge and toeing at the ground.
It was a lazy way to get up.
He left a trail with his monster feet, all four of them, and some of his belly. He was almost crawling. He had a hunch, and if he was right, it wouldn't be the first time he found this particular Gosling wandering around alone and unsupervised at the witching hour.
It just.. It wasn't so bad when kids did it as a group, but alone? Young'uns weren't supposed to skip around by themselves. Something would eat them up.
Hell.
He twisted his head around hard enough to regret it and glanced over the stones. If he looked really hard, he thought he could see movement, but if he wanted to be sure he was going to have to leave his perch. If he left, he wouldn't be perfectly positioned to scare a gaggle of jumpy teenagers back to town. The decision was made for him when he heard muttering. He groaned in his head and back scooted off the tomb, sliding his feet off the edge and toeing at the ground.
It was a lazy way to get up.
He left a trail with his monster feet, all four of them, and some of his belly. He was almost crawling. He had a hunch, and if he was right, it wouldn't be the first time he found this particular Gosling wandering around alone and unsupervised at the witching hour.
It just.. It wasn't so bad when kids did it as a group, but alone? Young'uns weren't supposed to skip around by themselves. Something would eat them up.
Reece slowly spun around. He normally had a good sense for direction, but the way the mist and darkness was swirling, it was hard to make out much. Only the moonlight helped somewhat, and that was obscured in the mist. He had certainly been to this headstone before. He squinted: Miss Eleanor Rice… yes he had been here.
He shook his head, grumbling, “They either bailed or as lost as I am”.
He didn’t like putting out the not-so-metaphorical beacon for the things that were in the dark. But what choice did he have ? He fished out the pack of cigarettes in his pocket with one hand, and the lighter with the other. Her tried not to let his hands shake (more from the cold than nerves) as he lit it and placed it between his teeth before letting the smoke trickle in.
He looked around the cemetery, his eyes wide. The dim light of his cigarette helped. And… if they really were looking for him, they’d know where to look.
As would every other dark creepy crawly out here. His head rotated faster than the blink of an eye, yet when he turned he only saw the swirling mist...
He shook his head, grumbling, “They either bailed or as lost as I am”.
He didn’t like putting out the not-so-metaphorical beacon for the things that were in the dark. But what choice did he have ? He fished out the pack of cigarettes in his pocket with one hand, and the lighter with the other. Her tried not to let his hands shake (more from the cold than nerves) as he lit it and placed it between his teeth before letting the smoke trickle in.
He looked around the cemetery, his eyes wide. The dim light of his cigarette helped. And… if they really were looking for him, they’d know where to look.
As would every other dark creepy crawly out here. His head rotated faster than the blink of an eye, yet when he turned he only saw the swirling mist...
The mist darkened, rose up and made a severely disapproving face. He was a good two or three yards away when he did it, but Alf made large spaces look small, and he closed them quickly.
"What are you doing out here?" Alf demanded, in a lowered voice. "When I took you home I got the impression you were gonna stay there." Forever? And not that he'd had the privilidge of seeing 'home'. In fact, Alf had escorted him back to the alley he'd found him and decided it was as good as returning a baby bird to its nest. He hadn't told Cori that detail, but he expected she had guessed. He thought Cori had a way of knowing what he was going to do two moves before he did it, and worse, he was pretty sure she was just using common sense to figure it out.
He looked at the cigarette. He didn't know what that was, but he already had the urge to snatch it and snuff it out.
Couldn't imagine why. It looked cool, but it sure did smell funny. It didn't smell like anything a person ought to be putting into their body. His nose knew.
"What are you doing out here?" Alf demanded, in a lowered voice. "When I took you home I got the impression you were gonna stay there." Forever? And not that he'd had the privilidge of seeing 'home'. In fact, Alf had escorted him back to the alley he'd found him and decided it was as good as returning a baby bird to its nest. He hadn't told Cori that detail, but he expected she had guessed. He thought Cori had a way of knowing what he was going to do two moves before he did it, and worse, he was pretty sure she was just using common sense to figure it out.
He looked at the cigarette. He didn't know what that was, but he already had the urge to snatch it and snuff it out.
Couldn't imagine why. It looked cool, but it sure did smell funny. It didn't smell like anything a person ought to be putting into their body. His nose knew.
Every hair stood on end. Every single damn one. The hair on his head and the little baby fuzz ones he didn’t know he had. His mouth gaped open and the cigarette fell on the ground. Faintly, he had the good sense to stamp it out. Their last encounter had been a result of his poor fire-keeping practices, and that was one moment of the past he didn't intend to relive.
As it was, he was happy he didn’t combust.
“W-wwhat…. are you…. doing here?”
He swallowed. Fake bravado filled his voice,”I can go where I damn well please. You’re not my boss or my dad or the teacher paid to care”
“The real question is… what are you doing here ? Gonna kidnap me again, or someone else this time?”
At this point, he would have taken a page out of the past and made a run for it, but in this fog going anywhere fast was liable to be unproductive. He instead just took a single step back, testing the ground was still there just a few inches back.
And that still didn’t answer his earlier question. Where were those visitors of his, that had insisted on meeting at a spooky graveyard just at the witching hour ? Had it all been an elaborate joke... a trap ? Or maybe there really were answers in this graveyard tonight.
As it was, he was happy he didn’t combust.
“W-wwhat…. are you…. doing here?”
He swallowed. Fake bravado filled his voice,”I can go where I damn well please. You’re not my boss or my dad or the teacher paid to care”
“The real question is… what are you doing here ? Gonna kidnap me again, or someone else this time?”
At this point, he would have taken a page out of the past and made a run for it, but in this fog going anywhere fast was liable to be unproductive. He instead just took a single step back, testing the ground was still there just a few inches back.
And that still didn’t answer his earlier question. Where were those visitors of his, that had insisted on meeting at a spooky graveyard just at the witching hour ? Had it all been an elaborate joke... a trap ? Or maybe there really were answers in this graveyard tonight.
He grated his bottom jaw against his top. Would have done himself a favor to think of an answer to that question before he stormed over. He wouldn't win this argument if he admitted what he'd really been up to, and winning arguments was very important.
"None a 'yer business. I'm the adult." He parroted what he'd heard other adults say and squinted extra hard when Reece fired back with beligerence.
"Didn't kidnap." Alf pointed out through his backward logic filter. He was a little bit flush in the cheeks because he knew he was wrong. "Just borrowed." Whoever thought of calling it kidnapping? It sounded so... benign. Grab a kid. Take a nap. Why not just call it stealing? English was bizarre, he decided, but had come to that conclusion some time ago. Humankind in general, really. Their habits, language, and especially their colonies.
He looked at his feet. He was backing away. Alf considered, and then relaxed his posture just a smidgen. He didn't want a repeat of the last time. That had been a real screw up on his part.
"Don't do that." Alf's voice quieted. It never lost its edge, but the growl behind it lessened. "I'm not gonna chase ya. My head's clearer tonight."
Probably.
"None a 'yer business. I'm the adult." He parroted what he'd heard other adults say and squinted extra hard when Reece fired back with beligerence.
"Didn't kidnap." Alf pointed out through his backward logic filter. He was a little bit flush in the cheeks because he knew he was wrong. "Just borrowed." Whoever thought of calling it kidnapping? It sounded so... benign. Grab a kid. Take a nap. Why not just call it stealing? English was bizarre, he decided, but had come to that conclusion some time ago. Humankind in general, really. Their habits, language, and especially their colonies.
He looked at his feet. He was backing away. Alf considered, and then relaxed his posture just a smidgen. He didn't want a repeat of the last time. That had been a real screw up on his part.
"Don't do that." Alf's voice quieted. It never lost its edge, but the growl behind it lessened. "I'm not gonna chase ya. My head's clearer tonight."
Probably.
Reece gave a quick roll of his eyes in reply, but it was probably lost in the dim lighting. He wasn’t even sure the term ‘adult’ applied to monsters. That would imply that… this was almost a normal person, which at 11 feet tall he most certainly would not. So instead he nodded to his second statement, like Alf had just said the most brilliant thing all night.
“Good. Great. Awesome. Wasn’t going anywhere anyways” Well, his feet said otherwise, but all the sudden they’d caught up with his words and he stopped backing up. Which was good. He really didn’t want to risk running into a tree. Maybe up a tree would be better at this point. He was considering it.
“So…” his voice was starting to get a bit quiet, and he half prayed the wind would take his words away before they reached Alf’s ears,”Did you see um… anyone else out here tonight ?"
“Good. Great. Awesome. Wasn’t going anywhere anyways” Well, his feet said otherwise, but all the sudden they’d caught up with his words and he stopped backing up. Which was good. He really didn’t want to risk running into a tree. Maybe up a tree would be better at this point. He was considering it.
“So…” his voice was starting to get a bit quiet, and he half prayed the wind would take his words away before they reached Alf’s ears,”Did you see um… anyone else out here tonight ?"
"Yeah? Good."
He didn't push it, but Alf's eyebrow rose high at his question.
"No." Not yet, anyway. "I was... maybe expecting somebody'd show up. Just not you." He folded his arms. It looked impressive, what with Alf's arms being brick walls and marred with scars, but really he was just putting a barricade between himself and the boy. Had to ward off guilt and accusation somehow. He was still feeling it from their last meeting, and deservedly so. "Why?" The eyebrow went up a little more. "You lookin' for somebody?"
Maybe Reece wanted to go ghost hunting too. Alf was still having trouble figuring out what exactly ghost hunting was, but if a bunch of teenagers were doing it, he didn't imagine it was anything that could color him impressed.
He didn't push it, but Alf's eyebrow rose high at his question.
"No." Not yet, anyway. "I was... maybe expecting somebody'd show up. Just not you." He folded his arms. It looked impressive, what with Alf's arms being brick walls and marred with scars, but really he was just putting a barricade between himself and the boy. Had to ward off guilt and accusation somehow. He was still feeling it from their last meeting, and deservedly so. "Why?" The eyebrow went up a little more. "You lookin' for somebody?"
Maybe Reece wanted to go ghost hunting too. Alf was still having trouble figuring out what exactly ghost hunting was, but if a bunch of teenagers were doing it, he didn't imagine it was anything that could color him impressed.
((Headed to bed for the night. I'll be back around 5 pm Central USA time. Feel free to hop in 
))
))
(Could I join?)
Alf Ochoa wrote:
((Yup. You don't have to ask.))
(Oh ok thanks)
A large wolf with stunning white fur appeared on one side of the cemetery, her white fur standing out. A barley seen smaller wolf with bright green eyes and black fur stood besides her uneasily. With a short and quiet bark Devil (the female) walked past a few of the grave stones running into one with a sharp Yelp of pain.
It was not in Paris' nature to prowl cemeteries during the Halloween season. Aside from raiding the clearance candy on his birthday come November, he paid the entire holiday almost no mind.
No, instead he was lost in the fog for personal reasons.
Though his voice was not particularly deep, it carried through the misty air with an almost haunting tone, his words of a language across the sea as he provided company to the souls sleeping around him. It was something he often did with his grandfather, but his hometown was now states away. Besides, from the state of these headstones, he figured these folks could use some tlc.
As he meandered down overgrown footpaths, other voices reached his ears. He went quiet, careful not to create too much noise as he followed the sound. Thrill-seeking teens looking for a quick buzz? A cop coming to shut down the party? The tone certainly didn't sound like a late-night mourner. A cold breeze pushed his hood up his neck as he ducked against the tomb wall, peering around the corner at what appeared to be a person having a conversation with the weirdest, most inconveniently over-sized gargoyle the world had ever seen.
No, instead he was lost in the fog for personal reasons.
Though his voice was not particularly deep, it carried through the misty air with an almost haunting tone, his words of a language across the sea as he provided company to the souls sleeping around him. It was something he often did with his grandfather, but his hometown was now states away. Besides, from the state of these headstones, he figured these folks could use some tlc.
As he meandered down overgrown footpaths, other voices reached his ears. He went quiet, careful not to create too much noise as he followed the sound. Thrill-seeking teens looking for a quick buzz? A cop coming to shut down the party? The tone certainly didn't sound like a late-night mourner. A cold breeze pushed his hood up his neck as he ducked against the tomb wall, peering around the corner at what appeared to be a person having a conversation with the weirdest, most inconveniently over-sized gargoyle the world had ever seen.
The white wolfs ears went down and she quickly and quietly started to walk away form the cemetery. Devil (again) ran into another tombstone falling down with a sharp Yelp of pain. The black wolf quickly ran over seeming concerned.
Reece let out a breath he hadn’t been holding and the board-straight posture of his back relaxed by a few millimeters. Ever since Alf had dropped him back home, he’d always looked at the shadows a little more suspiciously. Waiting, he realized, for just this big, lumbering monster to creep back out and take him away again. No one was hunting him. This was all just… coincidence ?
Right ?
Yes. He was going with yes. Yes was easier. He let his posture relax more.
“None o’ your beeswax,” he retorted back absently, still looking around in the mist. His vision was mostly obscured. He couldn’t see anything. But he swear he could hear things. Footsteps? People… hopefully ?
All the sudden he could feel something behind him. He almost jumped out of his skin to turn around, like a startled cat. When he squinted, this time the mist looked awfully… person-shaped, crouching down on one of the tombs? Yes, he was going with person-shaped. That was easier.
“Hey,” he shouted abruptly, waving, "What took you so long? I’ve been waiting forever. So long that even…” he glanced around helplessly at Alf. No way would he explain that. “… that I even started talking to myself”.
Right.
Right ?
Yes. He was going with yes. Yes was easier. He let his posture relax more.
“None o’ your beeswax,” he retorted back absently, still looking around in the mist. His vision was mostly obscured. He couldn’t see anything. But he swear he could hear things. Footsteps? People… hopefully ?
All the sudden he could feel something behind him. He almost jumped out of his skin to turn around, like a startled cat. When he squinted, this time the mist looked awfully… person-shaped, crouching down on one of the tombs? Yes, he was going with person-shaped. That was easier.
“Hey,” he shouted abruptly, waving, "What took you so long? I’ve been waiting forever. So long that even…” he glanced around helplessly at Alf. No way would he explain that. “… that I even started talking to myself”.
Right.
It did Alf good to see him relax. He didn't usually enjoy it when his company wasn't sweating in his shadow, but he didn't want Reece to be afraid of him. Not right that minute. It made him feel like he was doing something right for a change.
"It is my beeswax." He argued. Alf seemed to have decided that everything Reece got up to was his business. Because he definitely had a dog in that fight, right?
He raised his head. He heard someone else mucking around out there, and Reece did too, because he greeted them like he'd been waiting, then cut himself short. Alf's theoretical cat ears flew back. He looked at Reece, and they shared the same thought. Alf couldn't just let himself be seen. He looked over his shoulder and backed away, melting behind a tree and headstone until his outline looked like a boulder with a fern sprouting off one side. For something so big, he did an okay job of hiding himself. All it took was some creative thinking.
He half closed his eyes to keep the light out of them, but looked expectantly at Reece.
From that point forward, Alf was as good as his imaginary friend, unless he wanted to be Gotham's next Sasquatch enthusiast.
"It is my beeswax." He argued. Alf seemed to have decided that everything Reece got up to was his business. Because he definitely had a dog in that fight, right?
He raised his head. He heard someone else mucking around out there, and Reece did too, because he greeted them like he'd been waiting, then cut himself short. Alf's theoretical cat ears flew back. He looked at Reece, and they shared the same thought. Alf couldn't just let himself be seen. He looked over his shoulder and backed away, melting behind a tree and headstone until his outline looked like a boulder with a fern sprouting off one side. For something so big, he did an okay job of hiding himself. All it took was some creative thinking.
He half closed his eyes to keep the light out of them, but looked expectantly at Reece.
From that point forward, Alf was as good as his imaginary friend, unless he wanted to be Gotham's next Sasquatch enthusiast.
The male accidnely stepped on the females tail and a loud growling could be heard across the cemetery followed by a few yelps of pain when she bite his tail. The female looked up and watched where Alf. Her bright red eyes stared in his direction and her ears twitched at the sound of talking. After a minute or two of watching them talk, the two odd wolves walked back into the forest but stayed nearby the edge.
Okay, so Paris had bad eyes. That could explain why that massive shadow seemed to melt into the fog-drenched silhouettes filling the graveyard. In fact, it seemed like such a sensible conclusion that he clung to it with as much force as he could manage. This city was weird, and he felt like he was forcing logic down his throat with uncomfortable frequency.
It was his turn to leap into the air, springing out from behind his little hiding spot with a yelp. "Uh yeah... yeah! Sorry man, I got sidetracked..." he apologized, swallowing hard to chase away those fear-induced voice cracks. In light of his recent memory issues, he automatically rolled with what this stranger(?) was saying. It sorta worked with his recently discovered best-friend-in-the-world situation, but this time around, he lacked that gut feeling of familiarity. Nothing about this voice or mist-veiled shape was recognizable to him.
Clutching the bone instrument around his neck- a nervous habit of his- he debated dropping the act. It felt wrong this time around, like he was lying rather than being stuck in a spiral of genuine confusion. Then, a chill ran up his spine, some sort of animal noise echoing through the heavy night air, and he turned his eyes towards the shadows. It felt like someone- or something- was watching them. "So..." he started, fully aware that this guy had a solid six inches on him, "... are we doing this or what?"
Mentally, he slapped himself across the face. Lying always worked out well for him...
If the definition of always was 'absolutely 100% never.'
It was his turn to leap into the air, springing out from behind his little hiding spot with a yelp. "Uh yeah... yeah! Sorry man, I got sidetracked..." he apologized, swallowing hard to chase away those fear-induced voice cracks. In light of his recent memory issues, he automatically rolled with what this stranger(?) was saying. It sorta worked with his recently discovered best-friend-in-the-world situation, but this time around, he lacked that gut feeling of familiarity. Nothing about this voice or mist-veiled shape was recognizable to him.
Clutching the bone instrument around his neck- a nervous habit of his- he debated dropping the act. It felt wrong this time around, like he was lying rather than being stuck in a spiral of genuine confusion. Then, a chill ran up his spine, some sort of animal noise echoing through the heavy night air, and he turned his eyes towards the shadows. It felt like someone- or something- was watching them. "So..." he started, fully aware that this guy had a solid six inches on him, "... are we doing this or what?"
Mentally, he slapped himself across the face. Lying always worked out well for him...
If the definition of always was 'absolutely 100% never.'
Since the wolves were practically starving, and probably sick as well, the male saw something sticking out of Paris’s pocket and thought it was edible. The male inched his way closer to him and glanced back at the forest just to be sure his twin- the femal- was alright. The males black fur blended in perfectly with the darkness. When he got close enough he snatched the object (anything at all) from Paris’s pocket and ran diving behind a nearby tree.
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