peckenpaugh | It's the flower moon

The flower moon hangs full in the sky tonight, haloed by haze, peeking through silvery clouds. Late tonight, a bit past final curfew, a few Deeplurk students are awakened from sleep by strange sounds from outside. Something's happening down at the boathouse...

A handful of Deeplurkers creep from their beds, down around the back of their fortress home, to the little docks that face Elflock Falls. There, lit by silver light, is Pocket, sitting crosslegged on the pebble beach with something inhuman as the lake water softly laps at the shore beside them.

A werewolf. Sitting calmly, obediently, as Pocket regales it with her last few days' adventures.

"...and he thinks he's going to make it right! After, like, everything?" Pocket snorts, indignant. "His ego is still enough for the full brood. I—I don't want him to leave, but he came back, like, such a dick, y'know? And, ugghhhhh, he only just—he only just acknowledged what he'd done. Like, bluh! Total epiphany, out of nowhere." Her anger ebbs very suddenly. "I guess...he didn't realize. When we, like, kicked him out, he didn't know. He didn't know how bad what he let out was."

The hairy beast lets out a soft whine.

"And when I think about it. I've done this so long without anyone. I can do it, myself, but..."

Pocket extends her hand and with a quiet woof the werewolf leans in to butt its head against her open palm. Pocket sighs and laughs, scratching the creature behind its pointed ears.

"I guess you're right," Pocket says to the creature which seems less an aggressive beast and more a faithful companion. "I only have one brother. Like," she sighs, "Literally."

The creature grumbles something that sounds almost like English.

"No, sweet boy, I haven't," Pocket says sadly. "I can feel him out there. I will look for him. Pinky swear!"

Another sound, this one rising, like a question.

Pocket, suddenly solemn, gives a nod. "I think memories are returning. Yes."

The wolf whines, panting now.

"I've, like, totally got it, don't worry." Pocket waves her hand, dismissive, but the werewolf persists, standing and butting his massive head into her side, almost panicked. Pocket rocks back against the force of it, then forward again, hand on the werewolf's head. "Don't worry, sweet boy." That doesn't seem to convince the werewolf, still nosing her hand impatiently. "If you remember, just come back to me. We'll close it—oh."

Pocket looks right at the students gathered, seeing them regardless of how well they're hiding. The massive wolf turns its head, eyes flashing in the moonlight in search of onlookers. It makes no sound.

The party bug throws an arm over her furry companion. To the onlookers, she says, "Please don't tell anyone," and before they can respond, the ground opens. Pocket and her wolf disappear into the dirt, leaving the students alone.

[FIVE DEEPLURK STUDENTS MAY HAVE WITNESSED THIS EXCHANGE.
CLAIMED: Atlas, Fred, Kermit (& Moop), Laszlo, Viola (5/5 claimed!)]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"That wasn't my dad!" Fred blurts out almost immediately after Pocket vanishes. It's clear from her utter shock at what they've just witnessed that if there is in fact a local Lycanthropes Anonymous group, she's never been invited. (And if there's been any hints whatsoever about a school werewolf conspiracy, that she's far too self-absorbed to have ever noticed.)

Edited (a v dumb reaction before passing out) 2020-05-08 02:10 (UTC)

Kermit watches, uncharacteristically quiet. The mop leaned up against his side lolls and rolls and he pulls it closer to keep it from disturbing the scene. A snooper by nature, Kermie couldn't help but follow the voices. And he doesn't want them to go away.

This feels... important. The air feels different. Heavy.

It feels like, when this scene ends, things won't be the same as they were last night.

"Not even—" he looks around at the others, feeling disconnected, yanked out of a dream. "Not even Professor Rattat?"

Well. This is what happens when you follow a mop who isn't your sister for fun. Atlas blinks,because now another piece of this puzzle is a werewolf? He isn't sure what that's about. But he can't help but sympathize with what he knows of their partybug's situation. Letting in a disappointing sibling. He can't quite relate, but it's not far away from things he can.

Still. He lets everyone else promise they won't tell, and stays quiet. Doesn't demand any answers; it's best if he's under the radar. He's already made a different promise; he told his own sister he'd keep no secrets. That feels like the most important one to keep.