deercountry | (no subject)

[There's only so much time one can spend laying on their bed, or on the floor in a completely different form while their body lies asleep in the bed. For several nights, Willow just wanders the house, and that's enough to stave off boredom. She still doesn't remember how she died exactly, or anything else of Trench, but the idea of roaming outside makes her a little nervous. Maul may have promised he's turned over a new leaf, but she's not sure she trusts it just yet.

The first time she sets out into the night air, she doesn't leave the grounds of the mansion where the wards cast still offer protection from danger, but it still feels like a victory. From there, it only takes a couple more nights to work up the courage to begin to explore the city again. She lets her instincts guide her in the absence of her memory. She stays away from the forest for reasons she can't quite remember, but she does linger near spaces that feel familiar, and safe, such as near the homes of her friends.

As she finds her confidence with her exploration of the town, she grows more comfortable, and she goes from slinking around cautiously and sticking to the shadows to a lighter, springier step. It's easier too, to tell the difference between the hallucinations and reality in this form. The imaginary mushrooms don't smell like anything she's quite able to place, and she quickly realizes it's a dead give away for real or not real. Even with the recognition that they are not real, sometimes she finds a bit of enjoyment in pouncing on them, or smacking them with a paw and watching them explode into a shower of shimmering light, or a burst of colour she's not usually able to see as a wolf.

She can be found throughout the town, on the boardwalk, on the beach, or up on the cliffs overlooking the shore, although it's probably an odd sight to see her pouncing or batting at nothing. She will actively try to avoid contact with other Sleepers, unaware of who knows her in this form, and who doesn't. She will startle easily, and might bolt, or even get defensive if she feels cornered. If she recognizes you, she might be content enough to hang around as well, and she will help anyone who finds themselves in trouble.]

Edited 2022-03-07 01:15 (UTC)

[Savage had been trying to make it to the Archives to pick up some new books, which was difficult given he wasn't always certain of his reading level. The Archives also so full of books in such a confusing order that, without Willow double-checking his picks, he often couldn't decide or more often than not, just didn't. He ended up picking books they had already been through together.

Grumbling to himself, he tucked a book under his arm as he left the Archive to make his way back home. He always hid his books under mattresses so his brother didn't have a reason to question why he had them.

Yet, as he walked towards a lamp post to take him across town again, he noted what looked like a hairy beast skulking in the shadow of an alley. He flared his nostrils to drink in the scent, but he was upwind and couldn't get a sense of the creature. He tucked his book into his belt and began to follow the creature - a wolf, wasn't it?

As a hunter, he needed to make certain that the creature was a blood crazed beast. He stalked into the alley, keeping his footfalls quiet as he moved to track the wolf in question.]

[Willow sniffs around the alley quietly. Supposedly, smells are strong triggers for memory, but it doesn't seem to be helping at all.

Frustrating.

She catches a whiff of Savage as he approaches the lamp post, and lifts her head briefly. It's harder to recognize even people she knows in this form, and without her memory, it she still finds herself adjusting to the changes in her vision.

She tries to just move off at first, moving deeper into the alley. She doesn't hear him following her at first - he's quiet, and clearly experienced in tracking. It's not until she catches his scent in the air, closer than what she feels he ought to be, that she realizes she's being followed, and she lets out a quiet growl of warning.]

[This was definitely a beast he determined as he quietly stalked after the furry creature, and it was one he had dealt with before. They weren't often in the city, but this one wasn't attacking anything so far. From what he knew about them, they were shy pack hunters who could and would bring down large game.

This one seemed alone, and he didn't smell, see or hear any other wolves. When a growl was sounded at him as he was detected, he simply growled right back. In a contest of strength and hunting, Savage knew he was better prepared. Perhaps he and his brother would eat well tonight....

Except, he sniffed the air to be certain this was a lone wolf and drew up short from pursuing a potential meal. The wolf smelled oddly familiar, though it took him a moment to discern why that would be. Then he decided this wolf smelled similar to Willow.

When he had the beast in his sights, he eased into a crouch to be more on eye level. It didn't look like Willow, but the similarities in scent were clearer now that he was focused on it. He pointed a finger at the wolf.]

If you ate Willow, her friends will tear your legs off.

[The answering growl encourages her to increase her pace as she retreats from Savage, and she growls again as she glances back at him, deeper, and this time she shows a flash of sharp fangs to try to warn him off. She does not want a fight, she simply wants to be left alone.

Navigating the alleyways is a far more difficult job without her previous memory of Trench, and she hasn't had much time to re-familiarize herself with the city yet, and she blunders right into a dead end.

"I learned you can turn into a wolf. So I waited until you went out one night, followed you until I had tracked you down, and broke your neck."

She can practically hear Maul's dispassionate explanation of how he killed her ringing in her ears as she turns to face Savage. She can feel her heart pounding in her chest. She does not want to die again.

Savage crouches, and mushrooms, in bright red that she shouldn't be able to perceive in this form, explode out of his face as her anxiety spikes. If not for the hallucination, she might realize it was Savage, and not his brother she was facing down. Maul said he had changed, that he planned to turn over a new leaf. No more killing Sleepers. He didn't even mean to kill her.

She knew she shouldn't have believed him.

The wolf lifts her lips and snarls, showing off her teeth, and she lunges towards him, snapping her jaws at the air with a sharp click in one last warning to back down as he points at her and issues his own warning that she only half hears.

No one is tearing off her legs tonight.]

[The details of Willow's death was not something that he had asked much in the way of details, not with the kid crying outside of the house, and it wasn't of interest enough to him to inquire with his brother. He might scent Willow on the wolf, but he didn't think she was the wolf either. It didn't particularly occur to him as she hadn't shown him that magic trick in the past.

He remained crouched at the wolf, now cornered and far more dangerous, but he did draw his hand away when teeth snapped at him. He growled back, still confident that he was in control of the situation. It was just a wolf, and he had tangled with his share of wild animals before.

Slowly, he rose up again to his feet, still blocking the way out. This wolf still smelled like Willow, but there was no blood on the fur or signs of hunting. It just looked like a shy wolf.]

You smell familiar...

[She stays tense and ready to spring, and snarls a second time as he growls at her again. She might not want to fight, but she isn't about to show any signs of being intimidated either. At least he withdraws his hand.

Her eyes lock on his as he rises to his feet. His movement may be slow, but he's still preventing her from leaving, and now he's towering above her, and that feels like even more of a threat.

She allows him only a brief moment to move aside to let her pass, and when he doesn't, she leaps for him, prepared to knock him over and close her jaws around whatever she can grab onto.]

[Savage held his ground, trying to figure out the source of the scent that clung to this beast's fur. He didn't have enough close encounters with wolves aside from the undead ones that he and Airy had fought and then seeing or hearing one when he was out hunting or tracking.

As the wolf lunged at him, he twisted aside to avoid the teeth. Yet, he didn't jerk had hand away enough, and he felt the close of teeth on his hand and wrist. He hissed in aggravation, and he clenched his fist as he whipped his clamped hand to try to dislodge the wolf.

His right hand went for his saberstaff, drawing it and lighting one end with full intention of cutting the wolf down if she didn't scamper away quickly enough.]

[She makes contact with his hand and wrist, and bites down hard, sinking her teeth into his flesh as she shakes her head. She may not have wanted to start this fight, but she isn't going to back down easily either.

He shakes his fist to try to dislodge her, and she moves with him, holding on as though she's well aware she's just grabbed a tiger by the tail. She needs to be able to do enough damage to keep him from coming at her again, and she has few reservations about spilling his blood, given what he did to her.

The snap-hiss of the saberstaff igniting is all the warning she needs. She is familiar enough with lightsabers to know she doesn't have a defense against them, and she isn't sure she can outmaneuver him with his weapon. She releases his hand immediately, and turns and bolts into the night.]

[He cursed under his breath as he half-flung, half-propelled the wolf to let go of his skin where pain ignited from the punctures of teeth. He could have used the Force to pull the wolf back to quickly kill the beast, but he knew that it was just going to run away. He had corned it and paid a price, all for a reckless curiosity to the scent that clung to that fur.

He shook his arm, looking at the multiple punctures on his hand and wrist. Green smoky blood wafted from the wounds freely, and he growled in pain. It would heal, but it would be mildly annoying until that happened. He shut his saberstaff down, setting it back to his belt.

Well, he still had his book. He supposed he was trying to read before sleeping. He trekked his way back to his house, washed the bite wound, lightly bandaged it and carried on with his life. The bite was swollen and achy, but he didn't find it that bothersome compared to some of the wounds that he had suffered from.

He went through the next day without issue and expected to fall asleep as usual. Once he was asleep, he had no idea that his wolf bite would result in him actually becoming one.

So it was a bit of a surprise when his body slept on, but he was suddenly awake and standing up on four paws. And covered in fur. And he had a tail. And all of his senses were enhanced. He tottered on paws around the house then nosed open a window to clamber out; he was bigger than what might be considered a normal wolf with dark fur with lighter striping.

He hopped the fence around the yard and went sniffing around the neighbourhood.

[Willow had never bitten anyone before, not that she could recall anyway. She's certain she would have been careful - she wish her condition on anyone, not even her worst enemy.

She's still fairly sure that was Maul she bit the night before.

It's tempting to let it go - turning up would probably be a bad idea, it would likely lead to a fight, but at least she suspects he wouldn't be able to access blood magic or the Force when he turns. She can't use any of her powers, and even communication is more challenging. On the other hand... she had no idea what was happening to her at first, and it had been especially terrifying with no help or guidance along the way, and she does feel responsible. She is responsible for this.

She sought out safety at John's the night of the incident, and most of the day, she spends trying to figure out what to do next - does she reach out to him and apologize? Does she let it go, and hope for the best? He knows what she looks like as a wolf, he should know it was her. She glances at the Omni occasionally, waiting for a message, or a threat, but it never comes.

She doesn't make up her mind until she turns that night, and hits the streets to go find him. Maybe it will be a fight, or maybe she can help make the transition a little easier.

She finds the striped wolf outside, nosing around, and whines quietly. She's so sorry.]

[Savage was in mental flux with his new form, caught between wanting to explore and take advantage of this opportunity and feeling the need to return to where he sensed in an abstract way. The Force couldn't be wielded by him as a wolf, but he had senses far beyond because of it. He knew he was safe, sleeping, which meant... freedom?

So he sniffed and wandered, drinking in the world around him in such a primal manner. It wasn't anything like Dathomir, and he even bit some of the snow, snorting and shaking his head as he shifting his weight on his paws to feel the stone beneath them.

Yet, he whipped around at the sound of a whine, tail raising high in a show of dominance. He then paused, the gold of his stripes catching the light as he cautiously approached the other wolf. He knew her, knew her by sight and by scent. He lowered his head, given he easily towered over any other 'normal' wolves.

He gave a soft whine of both caution and curiosity.]

[She drops her head as she eyes him, poised and ready to run should he try to attack, but for now she holds her ground and lets him approach. Her tail stays low as well, wagging slowly in a sign of appeasement. She is not here to fight, she is here to help him adjust to the curse she inflicted on him. It is the very least she can do under the circumstances.

Red stripes, yellow stripes, they both look much the same in this form. She's figured that much out long ago, aside from the hallucinations that March has been inflicted on her. Her world in this shape mostly exists in blues, greys and yellows. He doesn't act much like she expected Maul would, though.]

Wolfwalker OTA (Bites for Vyng and Savage, cw: mushroom hallucinations)

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