Doing Nature

[Karishma]

Traipsing through the undergrowth and brambles was not what Kari would normally consider a good time. The scratches of the branches and crush of frozen ground against her feet was more pleasurable than she would have expected. It wasn’t a good time but she was surprisingly not petulant nor disappointed. Since whatever has fallen over Sabin began taking root she had to admit she was far more experimental. It seemed somedays that whatever was affecting Sabin bled into them all. She had come very close to crossing the one line that not even her infection had forced her to cross. She’d eaten meat become quite addicted actually and even taken life but she hadn’t given herself to anyone. No matter how close she’d come she hadn’t crossed that line.



Pausing she looked out at the view below her. She had not believed there were such places in the plains of Illinois. Yet here she was high above a valley and it was easy to believe that she was on a mountain top. The view, the crisp clean air, took her breathe away. It made her feel as if she was everywhere anywhere than where she was. It was a moment where she was close to god and knew the ecstacy that was her’s alone. She couldn’t understand the tremor of sheer passion that had washed through her moments ago but she was sure that Sabin was fine safe and far more whole than anyone would ever know.



Kari looked to her instructor allowing her breath to slip from her in a rush of light gray steam. She watched the air from her lungs mix with the night air. Looking back to her trainer she went to her embracing her as she never would have been able to months gone by. Whatever effect Aeolas was having Kari was thankful.

[Laurette Alcine]

As Kari hugged her she was surprised not at how Kari had become more expressive but that she had become more accepting. She felt everyday the warming of her heart. She knew it was the whispers from Aeolas his calling to snakes was having an unforeseen effect and Sabin for all of his shielding bleeding through of the passions inherent was having an effect that no one could have seen. She was pragmatic enough to know that soon Aeolas would have to choose amongst them. The same way Isadora had. If not soon it would be a matter of the tensions building to the point that the nest became rapists as a way to bleed the energies spilling over.



As Kari stopped and took in the view she did as well. It was interesting that somehow her anger had while not left her been tempered by a need she seldom gave license to. It was all she could do some nights to keep from tramping things up with more of the nest. She wanted a variety that had almost made her make a bigger mistake with Ray. Thankfully he was more of a gentleman than he would ever admit to. Either that or his bear was a far better lover than he was willing to leave on a whim. She hated how close she’d come to losing control as such she had focused on doing everything she could to making the Nest stronger. Which meant that Kari would have to become stronger. It was no small feat as she seemed determined to remain as passive as possible.

[Deleted]

He'd fed and watered them now it was time for a run, having found this place scoping things out and normally no one was here. Today tho as his pack of four barked and raced and smelled and did their business all as he came up the trail.They were well trained could be silent as death and even when on the trail wouldn't get over excited or attack with out permission from him. They were a good ways up when the dogs alerted and came to him. Head tilting his night just kept getting better. Jones his big lead boy laid low to the ground which told him a type.. hmm snake was rare but interesting. Had not brought anything with him it was a rookie mistake so he'd have to deflect.

He gave them the signal for calm and they went back into a closed formation but did not change behaviors. He made sure to make unnecessary noise so as not to spook whom ever was there and not put them on offensive. The dogs looked like most any other breed an you wouldn't know what they were unless you were a breeder a marshal or a hunter. Henry whistled a friendly tune just a regular guy out with his dogs, they came into view and he grinned beautiful to boot.

[Karishma]

He hadn’t need to make noise she had been drawn to them the moment she felt them enter the preserve. As quiet as the night was she had felt before she heard the pack of hunting dogs. Without meaning to it seemed their natural hunting instincts had them trailing behind Tiem and herself. Tiem hadn’t seemed worried so Kari wasn’t. She like dogs. She like animals of all sorts. Though it was rare that a dog found the naturally dry undertones of her scent comforting. Especially hunting dogs they always seemed to realize that there was a danger to her that they couldn’t quite figure out.



She had learned enough to give Tiem her space when things got tense. She didn’t know why but the dogs dark eyes and their unnatural calm sat off all sorts of alarms in her head. That wasn’t a normal trait in dogs. It spoke of training and no dogs could really be trained out of certain urges especially around the infected. That realization made her far more nervous than anything ever had in along long while.



Pack of dogs and their owner against the two of them she had no illusions it would get bad quickly if that’s what the night was about. Tiem was seldom unarmed but with so many targets to choose she was unsure. Smiling she hoped for the best she called out so as the owner would not only know they were there but also that they meant no harm. “Hi, there big dogs you have…”

[Laurette Alcine]

The piece was short lived as she followed the pack on their heels with her ears. She thought of having Kari double time it back to the car but knew that would trigger the dogs chase instinct. She hadn’t thought it possible but sure enough they were wolf dogs. Some called them Troll hounds but whatever name you wanted to use they were loyal strong Pack minded and made good chase hounds to bring down lycanthropes. Sabin had several packs brought out to do away with the unruly wolfpacks on the island. They bred quick enough that soon there were roving packs just out in the jungles hunting anything and everything they could.



She knew first hand what they could do if bred and trained the right way as well as wat they would do once they’d been taught to not fear lycanthropes. She swallowed and knew she hadn’t enough ammo for a long fight so she would need to make everything count and Kari would be a distraction damn her hide. Her greeting the man who led them might be the only way. So Tiem didn’t draw she simply held her ground and nodded at the man who led them easy as pie. He was definitely trouble.



Then again so was she. She thought as her smile turned genuine. Perhaps she had spent too much time fighting. She saw everything in terms of threats. This didn’t have to be it was as good a chance that he didn’t know what he had on his hands and was simply a dog breeder who’d been given an exotic animal. She hoped even as she gauged first line of cover and her first shots. “They certainly are; You lead them yourself or you have help out here?”

[Deleted]

The one was scared but friendly the other was calm and it was her henry would not let to far out of site should this go sideways. He had no plans in hurting them here and now and wasn't prepared even with the dogs as an upper hand. So he would memorize faces and the way they felt and leave them in peace.

So she asked was he alone he grinned "yep just me and these big galloots. Im sorry we spooked ya they can be a hand full and love to investigate and and every thing."

Keeping up his aweshuks mam persona he was so good at it he believed himself and if you believe you lies don't exsist. He'd learned that when dealing with sups who could feel or taste lies. He'd learned to fool them completely. The dogs sensing his calm had gone back to doing dog things like the women wernt even there but ine sound from him and they would go back to gaurded.

[Karishma]

Kari smiled brighter now that she could see that he was unarmed and not out to do mischief. The dogs were big and hunters but in his care she could see that they were loved and more pets than work dogs. She wouldn’t have been on guard had Tiem not gone still and calm as death. That meant there was danger near them even if it wasn’t the man and the dogs. Kari wanted to give the man a warning to get going so that whatever danger was near wouldn’t harm him or his dogs. She didn’t as she couldn’t find a way to let him know to flee without potentially letting the danger know they knew. She thought of moving close to the man so she could get him out of whatever line of fire she was sure Tiem was constructing in her head.



She thought better of it he was all but surrounded by his dogs. She knew dogs were terribly loyal and she hoped they were brave enough to keep him out of whatever harm they could. She’d read stories of dogs standing down bears. She hoped they would be in this case as well.



“I’m Kari and this is my… sister Alcine. She’s trying to toughen me up with all this outdoor stuff. Do you and your pack come this way a lot?”

[Laurette Alcine]

Tiem watched the man like a hawk. It was hard not to it was either him the dogs or Kari and that bothered her. After all this time she was still somewhat of a mystery to Tiem. Shew as so good and nice that it made Tiem’s mouth ache. She was so oblivious to the world around her because she generally was trusting and wished for the best in the world at large and everyone she met. Yet she was also what some would call deviant as she actually well and truly liked pain. It was such a dichotomy that Tiem didn’t know what to do with her most days.



Tiem sighed as she watched Kari try to make friends with a stranger who was in possession of dogs that could be trained to hunt lycanthropes. It was Tiem sure in her bones part of the dogs genetics. But Kari was strangely usually right in finding what she was looking for be it the pain she felt made her day more enjoyable or a person good enough to spend time with. There was an optimism that the world had not stripped her of and instead reinforced.



So Tiem did something she never did she forced herself to relax and try not to consider what his sweat tasted like. Shaking her head at the thought she chimed in, “ Yeah what gets you out here this late those guys seem to require a good bit of looking after…”
the last she trailed off leaving room for him to drop his name now that Kari had given both theirs.

[Deleted]

Filed Away and his smile never wavered he spoke honestly" I only just moved here a few weeks ago and we had been exploring they like here the best..forgive my manners I am Boquin its nice to meet you both. Nature is truly wonderful I've found enough to sooth even the most savage of beasts which I need with these guys. So after feeding and care we tend to come for a walk and play."

He nodded and knew it was almost time to either leave them or make a move and he had not intention of tipping his hand, Father had always said a bird in hand is worth two in the bush and these two were still well a ground. Taking a deep breath he stretched softly then bounced in place
" Well ladies it has been most wonderful meeting some of my fellow park goers but i like to keep them on a tight regimine lest they get up to mischief and then who know what could happen but maybe we will meet another time.I would enjoy it then you could share other nature places with me to try."

With a whistle low that rose to a horter after all four gathered in an undulating barking mass at his feet. Looking at his lead he gave an order in cantonese and he took off up the trail with the others in pursuit. He bowed to them then turn and jogged after his dogs grinning to him self. Chicago had definitely been a good choice.

[Karishma]

“Boquin Nice to meet you” Kari said sparing a real smile at the strangely accented southern drawl he had. It was so easy to believe that he wouldn’t harm a fly that Kari found herself watching Tiem more as it was obvious that this man and his dogs couldn’t be the danger that had Tiem tasting the air. Kari saw her attention focused as fi she was coiled and ready to strike but she couldn’t find the danger and so would trust Tiem. She had to admit aside from Sabin and his friend the Rex Tiem was the toughest person she knew. Tiem had even taken the time to try and toughen Kari up sadly Kari knew she wasn’t up to what Tiem had in mind. Not that they had ever discussed details.



Simply one morning Tiem had called her into the greenhouse and threw down some mats. Tiem gave Kari one choice fight or get beaten. Kari was tired and all too aware that if she was to get beaten it wouldn’t involve any safe words or control on her part and so she gave all she had. Tiem beat her soundly and yet held back. It was clear that she was testing what Kari was and knew. When they finished Tiem stood over her a strange look in her eyes. Ever since then Tiem would just show up and say to do a thing and Kari went along with it. Of all the exercises they’d done she like hiking the best. And she liked when they hiked here over the rocky craggy spot northwest of the city. She’d even begun keeping a change of clothes with her for these outings.



As Boquin trotted off with his dogs Kari watched as Tiem seemed to exhale. She wanted to but she didn’t ask she simply went to Tiem placing her hand in her left allowing Tiem to keep her right hand free. Smiling she waited for Tiem to begin walking. She made no qualms about Tiem being in the lead.