((I can change my post, Mani, to where it still works for both of your posts, and remove him. I just had three people telling me they were creating males for four or five days now and no one added one, so I did it myself, lol. I got impatient. I planned on killing him off as soon as the others were created. I haven't even decided anything about him yet.))

((If you want I can add my character. I've been meaning to for a little bit but I wanted to work the kinks out first and I'm still not satisfied with him. Also I've been busy with schoolwork so character planning has had to take the backseat.))

((I have an idea for a guy but was waiting for things to 'calm down' before throwing him into the mix. >.> Soon, though, I think there'll be a chance to toss him in.))


Not good. Not good. Hurt bad - find den, heal.

Oh, now you think it's a good idea to run away.

Ears twitched - new arrival. Smell wasn't right - bird, man. The injured was walking away - this was not a fight she could win. Maybe, maybe, if in perfect condition. One at a time. This wasn't good, and the 'wolf needed to find a place close to hide.

She paused. The click and woosh of a door opening. Woman's voice - different. Further away. Echoing slightly.

The building. Get to the building - find a place to hide.

Hesitation. Between her and the door were four others. But... The alpha was not attacking. The bird-man-twolegged was not attacking. The other was injured - but the woman at the door was a mystery. She weighed her options.

The glass and rubble had shifted deeper into her side, a few of the punctures now bleeding freely due to the agitation.

Go. Now.

And the beast ran. It weaved between the alpha and the bird, speeding along as quickly as her body would allow. She passed the injured - smell not right not good - and soon the opening was in her sight. But it was blocked by a twolegged - a human, definitely, the woman who spoke. There was no other way but through her.

The 'wolf lept, front paws hitting her shoulders. For a moment the beast forgot that she was running, not hunting. The woman's back hit the floor and her teeth brushed against soft flesh.

No!

Her jaw clamped down, tongue brushing against fur. It hurt - it hurt so very much. Instead of human skin she had bit into her own foreleg, crushing muscles and bones.

She staggered off the prone woman already feeling the shift with her own human. fur began to melt into skin, bones cracking as they rearranged themselves.

Need den. Not yet - not yet!

Stumbling she moved her way further into the building, brushing against walls and using them for support. Most of the dens - Stores, they're stores - were locked, some with metal bars pulled across them. She found a desk, an information desk, shoved underneath a set of escalators. She pulled herself under it, now in the middle of her return to humanity. Her sense of hearing and smell were dulling, the mall growing dimmer with each passing second - but the pain grew in intensity.

Kylee could feel the glass as it writhed with her skin, could feel the pinpricks of the pebbles. Getting them out would be a pain. Hell, having no clothes would be a pain - she needed to break into some of the stores to find some quick replacements. God only knows that those four she encountered would come looking for her, and she'd rather not face her likely end buck naked.

For now, though, she curled up into a tiny ball underneath the info kiosk of a mall, shivering on the cold floor, wishing that she were back in her settlement. Before all this craziness happened to her.

Name: Derrick
Race: Human...?
Gender: Male
Age: Can't remember, 22 maybe?
Description: Shaggy blonde hair and clear bright blue eyes, he has no memory of his past. 6'3" tall, kind of skinny, but muscularly so, he wears wraps on his chest to cover his strange scars/markings.

Derrick, if that even was his name, shuffled through the fog. He'd been following the noises, glad to have escaped the running wild pack of dogs after the strange explosion. Keeping close to the wall, he snuck past what looked like two shapes in the fog, and something four-legged that was huge. He found a wolf damn near mauling another human form, but instead it had bitten its own leg. Then it looked as if it were melting, changing...But that couldn't be right. Either way, it disappeared into the building with the open door. It made the male debate whether he even wanted to go in there or not anymore.

Blinking as the other wolf shot past her, Jaylee turned and ran after her, pissed as the wolf jumped on the human. Skidding to a stop right next to the door, she tilted her head in confusion as the wolf bit its own leg. Then it seemed to start melting, but it bolted away, further into the open door. Letting her own body melt, she shifted back into her human shape with her clothes and weapons in tact. Holding her side where the were had hit her, she could still feel some of the sticky blood seeping through. It was sluggish, almost healed. She did always heal slower with attacks received in her animal shapes.

Senses still heightened, she could smell the Rider and the winged one coming closer, and two new smells. One closer to the door and the human female, and one behind her inside. Growling softly, she reached to the small of her back for the beretta 9mm she carried, just in case swords wouldn't help her.

Catching sight of the large shape moving closer to the door. Trying to make himself as small as possible, he gulped at hearing the growling sound that suddenly came from the two-legged shape. 'Ah hell.' He thought, wondering what to do now. "Look I'm sorry! I just needed to find a place to stay, and I followed the noise and heard something about hurryin' up and found the open door..." Shit, he was babbling now. But damn if that chick weren't all kinds of scary now that he could see her when he moved closer, his hands up in a surrendering gesture. Derrick really hoped they'd believe him. Though, he was unsure how to handle the fact that the growling one was not a human. Humans did not growl like an animal.

When the Rider moved, Aris moved as well, he watched her movements for a few moments and then he was beside her. His free arm slipping around her waist and pulling her closer, so that most of her own weight was against him and not on her ankles. His sword was still held tightly in his other hand, and the look on his face was one of concentration. He was judging how the fight was going by the sounds. Though it didn't sound much like a fight, and then the large wolf was racing past them, heading straight for the human. His eyes widened slightly, then narrowed, his entire body twitching slightly. As if he were about to just let go of the Rider and chase after the wolf.

The shifter racing past, chasing after the wolf stopped him. She would get there fast enough, she would protect the human, surely. Maybe. His single wing twitched, and that sword was slipped into it's sheath before he rather quickly lifted the Rider off her feet. Giving her a half apologetic look. He didn't want her to get angry at him, she didn't really seem like the type to want to be swept off her feet like that. Another voice, someone else in the fog, close. Aris picked up his pace, rushing the last remaining distance to the door. Once there he set the Rider down carefully, glancing over the area for a moment before moving to the human girl.

His hands closed around her upper arms and he lifted her gently. Standing her on her feet, and looking her over for any sign of injury. Then he glanced at the shifter, surely she could handle things for now. The new male didn't seem much of a threat, but appearances could be deceiving, still. The shifter had a gun now, and the Rider could still use her own gun. The women most like had the situation under control. He pat the human on the head, and made some motions with his hands, indicating she stay close to the other two females. Aris drew his sword and stepped into the strip male, sniffing at the air.

There was a dangerous look in his dark eyes as he moved forward. Following the scent of wolf and blood. She had threatened his flock. He would not allow such things to go unpunished. Aris lips were pressed into a tight line as he moved cautiously forward. Each step quietly and carefully placed, he moved at a patient pace and eventually found himself at a service desk. Slowly, Aris crouched down to peer under the desk. Dark eyes met his quarry, and he moved his sword, the sharp tip only inches from the female's flesh.

Alexander 'Lex' Cauthon
(Note: He does wear a shirt. He doesn't just go around shirtless - he'd get pneumonia and die xD)

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 28

Description: Lex doesn't talk much anymore - he's been on his own for so long that there hadn't really been the need for speech. He cut off his own right hand to stop the spread of a vampire's venom from changing him and burnt the stump for good measure. So he taught himself how to be more proficient with a blade using his left hand than his right ever was. Though, if given a choice, he'd rather use a gun and get the fight over with quickly.


The fog is getting thicker... And the night will be falling soon. I need to get inside, someplace where the doors lock and there aren't many windows.

Lex's feet trod silently on asphalt, soft and worn boots barely making a sound on the concrete. His legs were starting to ache - not a good sign. He'd been walking since dawn, trying to find another settlement where he could bunker down for the night. The few he found turned him away as soon as he got close to their ramshackle houses.

Times were hard for a wanderer like himself.

The crackling of flames reached him and up ahead the fog began to turn orange. Something had been set aflame - and that was when he heard the growling. Dogs, turned wild and rabid from years of being alone, began to circle him, inching closer with each step.

Slowly Lex unsheathed his sword, testing the weight of it in his palm. He steadied his breathing and heart rate, letting any worries float away in the river of his mind.

The first dog leapt, teeth snapping, and he turned, blade cutting smoothly through the animal's neck. This was repeated with every consequent beast, Lex smoothly moving in circles, sword gracefully moving in his hand. It almost seemed as if he were dancing.

His left side tightened suddenly, the skin over his most recent wound pulling and stretching dangerously. The dogs were all dead - or most dead and some scattered. Lex rested his right wrist on the newly forming scar and scab tissue.

When he moved forward just a few more yards he saw that, indeed, there was a building on fire. And usually, nowadays, fire means one or both of two things: humans, or monsters.

Monsters don't typically start fires - the flame is their weakness, they would not deliberately set them. Humans, however, could accidentally do so or, which is more likely, start them in order to deter vampires or werewolves from coming close.

As he stared and the burning chunks of wood, the pieces of cracked glass and twisted metal, he marvelled at the number of dead animals surrounding the place.

Now who could've killed so many of these dogs...

Obviously more investigating had to be done.

~*~

It wasn't too long before Kylee heard footsteps, slow and steady, coming in her direction. She curled up tighter, a pained whimper escaping her lips. So. They found her - that didn't take too long.

Danger. Bad. Let help - Shut up!

Tears slipped from her eyes and she wrapped her arms around her knees and head. Her side throbbed. Her ribs burned. The bite mark on her arm screamed. She was going to die. She was going to die, naked, in a mall - and all because she had a stupid mutt inside her that didn't understand what the word stop meant.

Said 'wolf growled from inside her mind.

The footsteps had stopped in front of her hiding place and she knew it was not by coincidence. She could feel something move through the air and she shrunk back even further, whimpering, before she stilled completely.

Kylee was a danger to everyone she knew - and everyone she didn't. A bitten werewolf with a volatile beast that she couldn't control, someone that hurt everything and every person she came across. Maybe...

Maybe this would be for the better. She couldn't keep going on like this, having to fight a part of herself each day, being locked away in her own mind each full moon. Having to take back possession of her own body. This, this could be her way out. Besides, she doubted that this person would let her get away, not with what her inner beast had done to their comrades.

Her arms parted, the bitten limb twinging with the movement, and she stared at a one-winged man. He was blurry as her eyes were fuzzy with unshed - and shed - tears, but it was definitely a man with only one wing.

He was beautiful.

And he was holding a sword inches from her face.

For a second her heart stopped along with her breath, and though a moment later her breathing continued on slow - broken up by small hitches - her heart rate seemed to double. She blinked slowly before shifting onto her knees, uncaring if the man saw her currently unclothed state.

Kylee leant forward slowly, uncaring of the 'wolf snapping in her mind, until the tip of the blade rested against her throat. It was very sharp, and she felt blood well up and trickle from where the point had pressed against skin. Her shoulders slumped down and she forced herself to relax. She looked at the man, a question begging to be answered in her eyes. There was a pause.

Her voice was raspy when she spoke.

"Well...?"



(( >.> ))

Levi....something. Who knows.
Appearance: Levi is thin. Almost deathly so. His ribs and pelvis are well defined. He is also rather pale and covered in scars, lash marks and burns. On the back of his keft shoulder blade is the number 682 branded into his back. His former call number. Levi himself is rather tall, standing at 6'1 with oily black hair reaching just barely past his shoulders and wide, almost doe-like blue eyes. One eye however is glassy and dead, surrounded by nasty scar tissue.
Race: Human
Age: 17
Description: Being a former slave Levi is naturally cautious, almost twitchy and stiff when interacting with people. As result he secludes and hides himself for months on end. Left to his own devices he could spend years in seclusion. His time alone has caused him to...crack a tad though. He whispers to himself and to his 'others', filling the halls of whatever building he's claimed with the faint murmurs of his ramblings. Being so socially distant coupled with being practically raised in an environment where death is apparent and food is scarce, he has developed the habit of anything he can cut down and fit in his mouth. Including the unlucky human or two he found he could overpower.

His den was quiet. His little storefront, a former local boutique of some description, secure and quiet and serene. His candles glowed faintly and warmly, shadows dancing on the cardboard and metal walls of his improvised sleeping area. Privacy was key. He grinned slightly as he sat, staring at his hands in his lap, long fingers curling and uncurling his fingers. His clothing could barely be defined as such, more like a raggedy old shirt coupled with a pair of jeans he had scavenged....somewhere. It was hard to remember.

Levi stiffened at the noise of a door opening, of the faint sound of footsteps. Of the sound of more doors opening in a hurry. It seemed to be moving away from him, from his den. But who knows if it would make its way back. His arm shot out and he snuffed out his candles one by one, standing slowly and silently, moving on heavily calloused feet out into his living space. He had hoarded the mannequins into the corner, a bucket of old paint and a paint brush next to them. One mannequin head, set aside to dry, had eyes crudely painted on its surface with a tad too much paint, the excess dripping down white plastic cheeks. Those he had finished were scattered about the building, his eyes in the dark. They told him of the happenings here. He trusted them. They were his mouth-less little messengers. They helped keep him safe.

Grabbing an old pipe from the floor he made his way to the door leading into the connecting hallway of the long little mall. He opened it slowly and peeked out, staring down the dark hallway. It bent into a corner a little ways down, but the mannequin at the end of the hallway was there, its body positioned so its painted on eyes saw down both halls, so his apprehension lifted slightly. He finally slithered out, closing the door silently behind him before slowly making his way down the hall.

~~*~*~*~~

Dahlia made an almost indignant squawk as she was scooped up, the sound like the hiss of a skipping tape. When she was placed back down she began to glare the winged man down, glowering at his back as he disappeared into the expansive building. She snapped to attention at the other male, eyes bloody red as she stared him down. With a huff though she ignored him, grumbling about her legs and the fragility of flesh. She hated it. Even as above humanity as she was now, she was still cursed with their fragile body. She detested it. Hated it. It only lowered her already foul move to an all time low, her grumbles becoming low and static like hisses.

One moment Jules was trying to get the others inside, and the next a large animal was pouncing on her. She hadn't seen the wolf before, not in the fog. As the beast appeared out of the fog, leaping at her, Jules' light blue eyes widened. There wasn't even any time to react. No time to dodge or run or scream or think.

The air was knocked out of her, and she gasped and choked, trying to breath again. Not that it mattered, she was going to be killed. The beast bore its teeth and opened its mouth. Those teeth were coming for her. Jules squeezed her eyes shut, and in that same moment she heard a disgusting crunching sound. Then the beast was off of her.

Jules laid there still. It had all happened in a matter of seconds and her brain was trying to catch up. She was good at appearing composed, as she did, but inside she was a little bit of a basket case. The winged man was there now, and she was rising off the floor. Floating? Was she dead? He pat her on the head. Not dead. Not a scratch on her at all. Somehow, she hadn't even hit her head. Jules certainly was always freakishly lucky.

She nodded at Aris, understanding his instructions. It registered in her brain that there had been a male voice outside the door. That didn't make sense, the winged man couldn't speak. There had to be someone new here. Someone new! Jules turned on her heel, "Wait! There's someone else inside!"

Jules didn't know if the man who'd let her in before was dangerous or not. It had been strange how he hadn't said anything to her, and had disappeared. But which way had Aris gone? Jules was a human. She didn't have any super human smell or hearing. She didn't have night vision. Heck, she barely had balance. But it was easy enough to follow the drops and smudges of blood.

She came through a door in the strip mall that connected one store to the other and saw the winged man there. He was holding his sword to a woman's throat. She was naked, and bloodied. Jules saw the blood drops and smudges on the floor leading to her place under the desk, and she'd seen enough monsters to put two and two together.

Jules stood there for a moment, and finally she whispered, "Don't do it." She didn't know if he would hear her or not. She hadn't meant to whisper, but fear kept her from being loud. Fear was telling her to let him do it, before that woman changed again and killed them all.


((Sooo. Latteee. I stayed up watching The Great Gatsby. I hope my post made sense because my brain is mush. ))

Aris kept his eyes on the naked woman, assessing her. A helpless victim of her curse it seemed, even as some reveled in being a werewolf, this woman's eyes seemed to scream for help. For a moment his hand trembled, the sword shaking slightly in his grip before that grip became steady again. His head jerked up. Foot steps. Was it the other, that the human had warned him about as he ran off after the werewolf? He looked in that direction. It was just the human, his human. Didn't she realize she would have been safer back with the others? Aris grit his teeth lightly, catching a whisper on the air, he shrugged.

Honestly he had no intention to kill this girl here and now. He wanted to bring her back to the others, to give her a trial of sorts. To decide what to do as a group. He moved slightly, moving back and sheathing his sword. Then he reached down and grabbed the woman by the wrist and pulled her out from under the desk. He lifted her to her feet and scowled at her. Trying to communicate his displeasure at the way she had attacked his allies, his flock. Not to mention, she had nearly killed the human when entering the building. Aris was not very happy about any of that. He wanted to hurry back to the others, though he didn't think they were in too much trouble, the new male didn't seem particularly threatening.

Aris let go of the werewolf's wrist, his hand moving to the back of her throat. He squeezed slightly, it would be uncomfortable for the woman, but he wasn't choking her, it would be hard to do from that angle. A slight pressure put on her neck to indicate she should start walking. They would move towards Jules, and Aris would extend his other hand to the human to take if she wanted. Then he would continue on, guiding the werewolf back to the others. His wing twitched.

Kylee tensed - it was the woman from before. The one she almost...

The man gripped the wrist of her injured arm, roughly pulling her up. His sword was put away. She wasn't dead.

What..?

He didn't look happy - in fact, he was the most opposite of jovial she had ever seen someone been. But there was no smile across her throat, she wasn't gushing blood on the dirty floor of a mall. What did he intend to do?

Her wrist was released and she brought it back into her body, softly rubbing the skin where the man had grabbed her.

The man grabbed the back of her neck firmly and she froze, a growl squeezing past her lips before she bit down on her tongue. Her 'wolf didn't like this.

Bird-man-twolegged dangerous.

Be quiet!

He squeezed and put more pressure on her neck, nudging her forward, and she took a step. Kylee hugged one of her arms across her chest, the other covering below. She was suddenly hyperaware of her unclothed state and she felt a blush creep up over her neck and across her face.

She took another step. They were heading towards the woman and she looked terrified, frozen in place.

In the back of her mind she wondered if he was taking her to the others, to the alpha wolf, and she'd be torn apart by her.

If they were going to kill her in the end, she hoped they would at least make it quick.

~*~

Lex toed around the bodies, stepping lightly into the gaps they made between them. Surprisingly only a few showed signs of bleeding - the others had pieces of shrapnel imbedded in their skin.

Likely they bled out from the inside.

Around the building he walked, keeping his steps quiet. Whoever had done this would be gone by now, seeking out somewhere safer - and, if they were truly being chased by this pack of dogs, somewhere nearby. That didn't leave too many options.

The back of the structure was still relatively intact. Only a few flames had reached it. He covered his nose - burning flesh, burning hair. It seemed as if a few didn't make it out in time. In the morning, when the fire had died, he'd come back and properly bury them.

However, with the back being nearly untouched, it lead one to think that it was where one would escape from. The dogs would be distracted, letting one sneak out the back. But where would they go from there...?

...Ah! A vague shape in the fog - a shadow darker than the other shadows. Lex had to strain to see it, but it was there. From the building to what was likely another building was a straight shot. A quick run and then you're there. That would be where he'd go if he was caught in their situation.

Lex began to move towards it before pausing. Monster or human. What if it were the latter? He needed to be careful.

Circle around the building, try to find another entrance. That's the best bet.

With quiet steps he moved towards the left of the shadow.

He had spared the woman. Something in Jules had thought that he might. He yanked her up and began leading her back in the direction they had come from. The silent man offered Jules a hand, but she shook her head no. "Go ahead, I'll catch up," she said. What was that look? "I'm going to find a first aid kit," she offered. The others could probably use it. Though she wasn't too sure. She'd learned that monsters weren't that easy to harm, much less kill.

Minutes later, Jules was in what might have been an employee locker room/break room of sorts. She thought it was in the center of the strip, and was aware that that probably meant there was a cafeteria nearby. Maybe they could find something to eat. What did the others eat? Jules remembered who she was going back to and swallowed. Maybe she wouldn't go back.

Finding the first aid kit was easy. She slipped her backpack off and stuffed it inside, kneeling on a tiled bathroom-like floor. Ahh, her lucky pack. Jules was convinced that all the great luck she so constantly had was thanks to this tattered sack right here. Of course that wasn't true. The universe just really liked her or something. She made her way back towards the others. On the way, she spent a few minutes in a clothing shop, grabbing some things for them.

She didn't take the time to pick anything that matched, the sizes could even have been all off. But who knew, maybe her luck included picking awesome attire in perfect sizes for monsters she just met. She didn't gather shoes or undergarments, just the basics to help clothe the nude woman and get the others out of their bloody clothes. They could shop around themselves later.

So she was going back then? Why? The companionship of people, or things, she was sure wouldn't harm her? She'd been alone for so long. She wasn't sure how much she could trust the nude woman, but she was mostly confident that the others wouldn't let her harm anyone. Why would they do that? It didn't matter. She wasn't even sure it was true.

Jules had the first aid kit in her bag and clothes draped over one arm. She moved through the large store, headed for the others. Something in the back of the store fell and Jules turned quickly, trying to see through the darkness what it might have been. Her heart rate picked up. Was it the man who'd let her in? "Hello?" she called quietly.

((I'm not having her get back to the others yet, since it would be a little bit of time that she's been gone. :)))

Levi had moved silently through the hall, cracking open doors and peeking through ones that had been opened haphazardly. His friends told him nothing, remaining silent. No one was in there with him. Time to move on. He finally stopped as he came across one of his friends toppled over, obviously bumped and forgotten in a rush. The head had popped off and rolled down the hall slightly. He moved forward, grabbing the head and placing it upright on its plastic stump, dusting it off before standing and moving further down.

He stopped dead at the sound of words and the echoing sound of movement. A woman's voice coupled with something walking off. He slunk to the side, hiding himself in the darkness of the hallway from the two that moved into his view. A woman followed by a man. A man with a wing. A monster. He bit his lip. Hard. Blood trickled down his chin as he backed up, eyes widening. Was that man a slaver? Was that lady he had in front of him captured? He didn't wish to think too long on it and so moved away, sliding into a small boutique and moving to huddle in a standing rack of clothing. He sat there, curled up and twitching, eyes darting about wildly. Then he heard it. Even more movement. Someone shuffling about rifling through the clothing. He clenched his teeth, scooting back and away from it out of fear. He regretted that, the clothing he bumped falling to the ground with a loud clatter. A voice chimed up soon afterward, high and melodious. Female. Another monster? If she was he was doomed.

Jules had decided to get out of the darkening room rather than look for the source of the sound. She didn't want to turn her back away from where she'd heard it though. Carefully she moved towards the door without turning completely towards it. It was as she passed a clothes stand that she saw something, the fainest movement, in another clothes rack a small distance away.

Someone or something was hiding there. Someone who was afraid, she had to assume. Monsters never hid. They didn't need to. She crept slowly towards the rack near the back of the store. "Hello?" she asked again quietly. She was almost there now, moving slowly as to not frighten whoever it was.

When she reached the rack, she pulled the clothes back quickly. She had to. She was too nervous to do it slowly. What it revealed was a man, huddled there and trembling. He looked like he hadn't eaten in days, and rarely when he did. There were scars about him and he was really pale. The man looked deathly.

"My God..." she managed. She dropped the clothes she was holding and reached for him. "Here, let me help you." With her hand offered, and kneeling towards him, she tried to reassure him in some way, "There are others here. We won't hurt you." Well, she was sure she wouldn't hurt him anyway. She didn't think the others would, but she really just couldn't speak for monsters she'd just met. They hadn't even really officially met yet.

Lex moved along the left wall of the building, stopping every so often to test a door to see if it were locked. So far all of them had been - he wondered if the people managed to get in or, like he, felt disheartened by the unmoving handles. If he could help it he didn't want to stay stationary in the outside for too long, not with the sun slowly dipping behind him.

He could pick one of the locks but that required time and concentration and coordination. However that meant he'd leave his back exposed to whatever creature decided to come along and take a swipe at him. No, he'd rather find a broken window or an unlocked door than have to pick at tumblers with two pins and one hand.

His sword was still sheathed and whenever he wasn't testing doorhandles he had his hand resting firmly on the hit, prepared to draw at any time. Complacency was what led to drastic situations, and he'd like to avoid drastic situations as much as he could.

Lex had now circled half the building, the mall now between him and the wreckage. Another twist, another expectation of the small piece of metal not moving more than a shuddering jerk, and sudden surprise when instead it turned - jerkily, mind you - all the way, opening the door.

As soon as he took a step inside the building he drew his sword, making sure that the entrance he used was blocked before continuing forward. His eyes rapidly adjusted to the lower light level and he started when he realized there was a humanoid figure right beside him. His blade flashed and a head rolled, coming to a stop a few feet away from him.

It was a mannequin, crude eyes painted on it's head, some of the paint, or ink, or whatever it was running down from where it had been applied in excess.

This had suddenly gotten more complex than he was expecting, and with a couple wary he glances he forged ahead, slower, quieter, and definitely more on alert. Someone had to have graffitied those mannequins and if he were to guess...

It was definitely someone who had begun to - or already had - lost their mind.

Levi froze the moment he heard her move again, heard her shoes tap almost painfully loud on the cracked and filthy linoleum. Then the sound stopped. Then she spoke again, repeating her questioning greeting. Then the clothing hiding him from the world flashed to the side with a loud jingling noise, revealing the intruder in his home. He stared up at her, eyes wide and bloody mouth slightly agape. Then she had dropped what she was holding and held a hand for him, speaking promises that he would go unharmed.

Another voice hit his ears though, low and raspy and a whisper. Just behind her he could see it; one of his friends with the large blank eyes, facing slightly away but still able to see them. It whispered of her lying of them that had dragged the woman away. The monster. The man with the wing. The slavers who would just take him back, drag him off to another auction house, probably kill him for running. With a strangled noise he gripped the pipe in his hand tight and swung wildly, aiming for her hand but who knows if he would really hit anything with his mind clouded as it was. His friend began to chant, telling him to run run run hide hide run hide. And that he would do. He lunged, trying to escape from the rack of clothing by pushing past her. If he managed to do so he would scramble out the door, turn down the hall and run full tilt for his den.

Aris frowned deeply when the human told him to go on ahead. She would catch up. He grimaced lightly, glancing at the human, then the werewolf. His hand still gripped the back of her neck, it was mostly to keep her in front of him, to show her who was in control of this situation. He gave a slight nod to the human, and then he was guiding the werewolf forward again. There was a chance there might be someone else in this place though, and the thought of leaving the human alone, defenseless was unsettling. Still, she seemed to have survived well enough before meeting him, so perhaps she wasn't as defenseless as he assumed.

His body was slightly tense, and he didn't stop moving forward with the werewolf until he had reached the other females, and the new stranger. A male. Aris brought the werewolf directly to the shifter, and without warning, knocked his prisoner's legs out from under her. His grip on the back of her neck and a sudden hand closing around her upper arm kept her from falling, he guided her down almost gently until she was resting on her knees. The shifter, she exuded an aura of alpha, and she had a voice. So he would let her play leader for a while, if it went well, then he might let her continue to lead them. His allies. His flock.

Aris released the werewolf's neck, and upper arm, one of his hands going to rest on the top of her head. Fingers squeezing just slightly, to let her know that he would be in control of whatever action she might try to take. Aris was not taking any chances with this one. She had attacked them, she was the enemy, and right now she was his prisoner. Almost impatiently over his shoulder, he had assumed the human would be only a few steps behind him. She wasn't it seemed.

The look of displeasure on his face seemed to only deepen, and his eyes moved to the Rider, looking over her. Trying to assess how badly she was injured and maybe even trying to calculate how fast she would heal. It was impossible for him to calculate something like that though. Since he could study her injures and time them. He certainly didn't want to send her after the human, injured as she was, she would need to rest. So many thoughts flitted through his mind, making him even more frustrated just because he couldn't communicate any of them to his companions.

This man looked terrified. Maybe he couldn't tell that she was a human? That didn't always matter, she supposed. His eyes showed a fear, almost crazed. The one eye did anyway. The other looked as if it had sustained some sort of terrible injury. And what was that around his mouth? Surely it was ketchup or something of the like. It wasn't unusual to find humans eating condiments, if it was the only thing to eat.

Something told her thought that it wasn't ketchup. No, not the way it was drying so thin and browning. She was pulling away from him now. Perhaps she shouldn't be offering help, but just leaving. He could be dangerous. Though, he looked so frail she was unsure how he could be. What was he looking at behind her? Was someone there?

Jules' head spun around to see who was sneaking up on her. But no one was there. Some short distance away she noticed a mannequin. For the first time, she realized it had some kind of strange face painted onto it. Jules turned around slowly. She wasn't sure what to feel. Sorry for the man who had clearly been through so many awful things that he'd lost it completely, or fear for her life. Sometimes it was the crazies that were, well, the craziest.

She turned just in time to hear a strange sound and see a pipe swinging at her. She jumped backwards out of the way just in time. He was still swinging. Jules was about to turn and run, but the man leaped up, shoving into her and knocking her into a clothes rack. And he was gone. Jules' heart was racing. She hadn't fallen, she should have, her knees were bent and she wasn't supporting herself.

Ah, the lucky pack. It had caught one of the rack's protruding bars, thus keeping her from falling and hitting her head or twisting a wrist or something else awful. She stood and yanked herself free and took a deep breath. She was a little shaken up, but Jules was able to compose herself well. At least it seemed that way. Perhaps she was just always so frightened, with a paralyzed fear, that she merely appeared in control. She really wasn't sure herself.

She picked up the clothes she'd dropped and moved towards the door, only stopping for a brief moment to meet eyes with the incredibly creepy mannequin. A chill crept up Jules' spine. There were now two men lurking around this mall somewhere, that she knew of. Who knew what else was here. The sun was already setting and the mall was darkening quickly. A bad bad thing for a human.

Jules made her way back to the others carefully and quietly, squinting into dark corners, afraid someone would pop out and grab her from one of them. How long had she been gone for? Fifteen minutes? Twenty? It felt like hours. She entered the room the others were in. What had they been doing in here? The nude woman was still alive, and she assumed that a good thing? She dropped the clothes on a nearby chair. "I brought things so you could change, and you could dress," she said addressing them all. "I didn't take time to check sizes," she shrugged.

After another moment she thought it best to share what she knew about the mall thus far. "Halfway down the strip is a locker area. There's probably a cafeteria somewhere around there. It may have been picked clean by now though. There are at least two others, aside from us, in the mall." She recalled the cloaked man with the scars, and the deathly man and his mannequins and shuddered. "There's a linens store three or four stores down with made beds scattered around. We can sleep there."

Did the others need sleep? Did they need little? Maybe they were able to summon energy from the sun or something. That was a thing right? She wasn't sure if she wanted to sleep in the same room with the werewolf, or any of the others for that matter. But part of her was thinking she'd be safer with them than without them.

She'd been so preoccupied trying to tell the winged man of the other in the building before, and now her mind was so busy thinking about the mannequin man, that Jules had completely just forgotten, that someone else had stumbled on them earlier while they were still outside.

((Sorry I no post. But just got distracted easy last night and then most of today I was with my gramma and had a huge headache. Hopefully the post I'm about to make will make sense. And I'm just gonna kinda leave Derrick in the background atm. I think.))

Jaylee just blinked as the winged one walked past, intent on something, and somehow it seemed the other human male inside the building disappeared. The human female trailed after the winged one, the Rider trudged past, grumbling and hissing. All her pack was inside. Good. Glancing at the new male, she griped his arm and brought him inside so she could finally shut the door, locking it tightly. Pointing the gun at the male, she glared.

"Who are you, what are you, and why are you here?" She snarled the question, her thumb already resting near the safety. It was something that she'd insisted on from the gun seller she'd seen last.

Derrick squawked when the female grabbed him and dragged him inside, but he wasn't complaining. He knew better than that. Instead of dropping his hands, he brought them right back up as the gun turned on him. "I don't know my true name, I can't remember anything of my past. I am called Derrick, I'm human, and I was just traveling." He wanted to ramble as was his tendency, but it would be best to keep things short, sweet and simple instead. Glancing around nervously, he was surprised to see the winged male coming back with another female, a naked female. What was going on here?

Satisfied with the answers for now, she lowered her gun, half a smirk on her face with the knowledge that the male had indeed kept control of his bodily functions at least. Most weaker humans would've pissed themselves. Turning to face the winged one, she raised an eyebrow at the kneeling young woman he brought with him. She was naked and bloody, but she could smell wolf all over her. This was the werewolf that had attacked them then. Wondering why the male had brought her, she could not ignore the fact that he was... Well conceding was the best a word she could think of... to her leadership. He certainly wasn't bowing to her. But obviously it seemed he wanted to put this female to a trial of sorts. That was fine with her.

"Girl, I know you are a bitten. The smell is all over you." Jaylee spoke, voice soft, but the tone of it caused her words to carry through the din. Flicking ruby eyes to see that the human had come back with clothes and knowledge, she nodded minutely to show she heard and understood. Turning back to the were, the shifter kneeled to meet her eyes. "Answer me honestly, and believe me I will know the difference, and I shall see about getting you healed and clothed." She promised sincerely. The others may not like it, but she knew the honesty to the weres. Not all were ravaged animals like this one had been in attacking them. Either they were like that in regular personality, and nothing would change that, or she denied her new status so vehemently that the wolf in her was going nuts and the poor girl had no control. Jaylee did not think the girl was psychotic to begin with, but the actions of the wolf spoke more of a scared child denying her new self.

"First I want your name, when you were turned. Then I want to understand why you attacked us. You could not smell or hear us at first, but from that pained first howl, we knew of you. By the time of the explosion, I think you were more scared and hungry than anything. I don't think you really meant to attack, but you do not have peace or control with the wolf. And thus it overrules you a lot, doesn't it?" She commented lightly as she brought up her left hand, not noticing the blood on the fingers till she was brushing red smudges along the girls chin to lift it so that she could properly meet those eyes. Eyes that she already expected to see filled with fear and desperation, but an acceptance of death and pain. It was a sad sight that pulled heavily not just at her heart, but at her instincts.

((It's no problem, Amani! :o And no worries about Derrick - I think, for now, I might leave Lex in the background too... A quick blurb and then poof, gone until the next convenient moment!))


Kylee was startled when her legs were kicked out from under her. The harsh landing she was expecting didn't come - instead the man lowered her gently to her knees. Obviously he had meant to unbalance her, physically and mentally.

It was definitely working.

Alpha. Alpha.

Her wolf was crooning in her head so loudly that she almost missed it when the woman she was kneeling in front of spoke. This was their leader, most likely anyway. The winged man brought her for judgement. She wondered if this shifter would be both the judge, the jury, and the executioner.

The human woman from before returned, a little frazzled, smelling slightly different than before. She held clothes in her arms, and she longed to cover herself up. The shifter began to speak again.

The truth. She wanted the truth - that she would gladly give if she got what was promised in return.

Alpha no lie. No lie. Good. Trust word.

At least her wolf was handy for something.

When the woman moved towards her she flinched back minutely, teeth flashing for a second before being tucked tightly behind lips. Questions. She had to answer the questions - then she could get help. Clothes. Someone to assist in picking out the shrapnel imbedded in her skin.

"...Kylee. My name is Kylee."

She spoke after a pause - she was uncomfortable looking into the eyes of the shifter but knew that looking away would make it appear as if she were lying - at least in the eyes of the group. She suspected that the woman could smell a lie.

"I was - I was turned five years ago, during snowfall. It - the dogs. The dogs caused the shift. My.. My wolf hadn't been out since the last full moon, and I hadn't eaten meat in - I think in a year. The smell of blood, the sound of a fight, of a /hunt/, got it crazy.

After the explosion, it was confused. We were in pain - it wanted to get away, find a place to lay low, somewhere away from the fire. That's when, well, when we came across you. It wouldn't let me shift back - it hates being in a mental cage. It thought that you were dangerous. That the 'twoleggeds' caused the explosion and would be a hazard if they stayed in the same area.

After our... skirmish, I guess, we ran to the open door of the mall. It was tired, and scared, so I was able to stop it from - from tearing into your friend."

Here Kylee rubbed her hand against the bite mark on her arm. For some reason it had yet to start the rapid healing that usually happened with her wounds.

"The 'wolf and I... we don't really see eye to eye on most things. But sometimes she's stronger than me and I can't do a thing to stop her, not until she's done so much...!"

Her fists clenched along with her eyes, teeth grinding against each other. If it wasn't for werewolves, she wouldn't be in this situation. She wouldn't be naked on the floor of a mall awaiting judgement for something she tried but couldn't control. If they didn't exist she would still be with her makeshift family, finding a way to survive. Maybe they would have had a nice house and they wouldn't have to live in fear of everything that moved outside their ramshackle walls.

~*~

Lex glided down the hall slowly, encountering more silent watchmen, more mannequins with crudely drawn and frankly disturbing eyes. Though to be fair, it was more normal than what was going on outside the mall. Monsters and men and mutants all fighting each other.

He jerked his head up, grip tightening on the hilt of his sword.

Footsteps, running feet. Sounds in the distance, coming steadily closer.

Was it those who escaped the burning building? Or was it whoever made the mute guardians? He didn't want to find out in a head-on confrontation so he ducked into an open store, careful not to make any noise.

Lex glanced around the shop. It was filled with frilly white dresses hanging from racks, some covered in aged plastic sheeting. That could be useful to use, actually. He could make protection against the rain, put together a new bag - even fashion it into a sling if need be.

He flicked his gaze back out into the hall and crouched, moving his sword into a defensive position in front of him. He would not be caught unawares.

Aris glanced over his shoulder when the human returned, relaxing slightly, even has he kept one hand on the werewolf. She was alright, that was all that mattered, though the news she gave of another stranger being somewhere in the building made him uneasy again. For now though he would push such things from his mind, though he remained alert. A grimace and a look of disdain passed across his features when the shifter mentioned clothing and healing the werewolf. He had brought her here for justice, not sanctuary. She was a danger to them. An uncontrollable danger. Aris' lips parted to object, then closed immediately. He had no voice to object with, so he remained quiet. He could've tapped his booted foot against the floor to gain the shifter's attention, but Aris didn't.

The shifter was playing leader for now, and he would let her. He would see how this went, and if the were wolf proved to be a danger to them again, he would put her down himself if he thought it necessary. So he silently stood there, his one wing twitching in slight annoyance. As the conversation continued though, he took his hand off of the werewolf and moved away from the interrogation. He had heard enough. Aris moved towards the human, to look her over for injury. She seemed alright, satisfied that none of the other strangers in the building had harmed her in anyway, Aris moved to the Rider.

He would kneel down next to her to get a better look at her injury. Aris wanted to inspect the shifter's injuries as well, but he had a feeling she was healing rather well, quicker than the Rider or human would. Also, the shifter was busy playing alpha. If the Rider allowed him, he would look over her injuries, if she didn't then he would just sit there and stare at her, assessing her well being silently.

Flickering her eyes up, something she had done often to gauge the reactions of the others when she started the questioning and during the wolf's, no Kylee's, answers, she saw the irritation of the winged male, hell she could feel it, it was so palpable to her. "I believe you Kylee. Please give me one moment." She gently said, brushing back a loose strand of hair on the girl. Standing swiftly, her side giving a sharp twinge as the slowly healing muscle and skin were stressed apart a little, the shifter turned to the winged male. She found him next to the rider, glad it was a little bit away from the lycan. "Avian, since I know no other name for you, I understand that while you can't speak, you are upset with me." She kept her voice low, but knew that he would hear her. Given how close the Rider was, she too would hear. "My...Leniency, with the girl, is not because I lack the will or desire to protect this pack, or in your case, flock. I am attuned to the ways werewolves work, about how the wolf works. Her actions caused me to believe that she is not psychotic. It is instead because the wolf inside her is a lone, it is hungry, it is frightened, and she has caged it mentally. So yes, it will lash out wildly in its own defense, in its hunger. If she were a psychotic wolf, I would have been hurt much more."

She hoped he could hear the truth, the sincerity of her words. "A wolf is nothing without its pack, and she has none. As a new changeling, she should've been in a pack with a proper alpha to help her. As an Alpha myself, whether I take wolf shape or not, I can tolerate being alone only for so long before I begin to question my sanity. How she managed to go five years is beyond me." It was a lot for her to admit, it certainly was admitting a weakness in herself, and it was not something she could afford. "I want to help her, my own wolf Alpha howls for it. The feline alpha in me too calls to care for her. She is young yet, she is in need of guidance. But I will concede that if she does become a threat that I can not deal with, you may handle it how you wish. I am not the only Alpha, I can see that. As a female, I should be second to a male Alpha anyway." The she whispered in disgust, but sobered her emotions and stared him in the eyes to make sure he understood her. Hoping he would, Jaylee turned back to the bitten girl. Studying her, the shifter kneeled once more. "Come pup, I think the soonest we can get you cleaned up and clothed, the better you will feel." She smiled softly as she held her hand out to the girl even as she stood.

Dahlia has begun to doze against the wall, barely even registering or caring that their lamb had wandered back or that their angel brought some naked bloody lady in by her neck. The last point would have actually been interesting had it not been for the fact she was currently falling asleep. She could hear her blood pumping, veins inflating and deflating in rapid intervals. It was the strange pressure of someone being a little too close that caused her head to snap down and her red-filmed eyes to lock onto whoever was invading her space.

She let out a slight growling noise, more of a breath that happened to contain noise, as he eyed her legs. She felt her muscles start to twitch under his gaze and she let out another growling breath. She was wired. She could feel it. Sleep would be a blessing at this point and Stone-Faced Mc-One-Wing decided to come in and look her over. Wonderful. Just wonderful. She straightened her legs out, allowing him access to her slowly mending limbs. She gently laid her Steed over her lap, tapping one finger on the black, warm metal. A subtle warning. If he tried anything she'd blow his head off. Not everyday she let somebody poke her.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Levi finally pulled himself to a stop, his breath coming out in ragged bouts. He pushed a door open and, barely caring anymore in his exhausted and fear driven state, closed it was a loud click. He slid down to the floor, back against the door. He stared into the darkness of the room, eyeing the stacked paint cans and cleaning utensils, staring blankly as he panted raggedly and erratically.

At this point he did not even care how loud he was. He knew in a moment he'd regret it, sit in the closet for hours staring at the door and waiting for it to open and reveal monsters or people with chains and swords. But for now he sat, fingers twitching and eyes darting about through the dark. His stomach twisting is what caught his attention, causing him to blink down at his emaciated gut in mild shock. He turned his head, leaning his ear against the door. He....didn't hear anything. Maybe they hadn't come after him. He licked his lips, the thought of what little food he had stashed away in his sleeping area causing him to drool. A few moments later he shakily stood and cracked the door open, peeking out. Empty. He slid out and, casting quick glances over his shoulder, made his way as quickly and as quietly as he could back to his den.

Aris mostly ignored the Rider's growlings and unspoken warning, she hadn't shoo'ed him away. She had stretched her legs out towards him. He shifted, changing positions slightly so those legs could rest lightly in his lap, and then the shifter had approached. He glanced at her, acknowledging her presence, and then his eyes shifted to the werewolf. To watch her while the shifter was preoccupied with him. His wing twitched as she spoke, his lips parted to speak as his eyes momentarily darted to her, then back to watching the prisoner. His lips snapped shut quietly and he gave a shrug.

A lone wolf was always a dangerous wolf. It was a risk to welcome her into their pack, flock, herd, group. Or whatever else they might call themselves. It was a danger. Aris certainly wouldn't be able to sleep with such a threat, at least not until the girl and wolf inside had proven that both could be trusted. Aris still looked dissatisfied. Exile if not killing her, would have been his choice. The shifter's words about being second to a male made him look at her again, a hint of knowing in his eyes. It was good, then, that she knew he was allowing her to play the part of alpha. But he shrugged, a gesture to indicate that he didn't really care if she was male or female. It wouldn't change how he was acting.

Honestly though, it was better for a strong person with a voice be a leader. Even if he didn't agree fully with some of her decisions, he wasn't going to openly challenge her authority or openly exert his own authority unless the situation truly needed it. Without a way to voice his opinions he was practically useless as a leader anyway. He would be better suited to the role of protector, he would keep the flock safe. Then the shifter was returning to the were wolf, and Aris attention went to the feet in his lap.

His hands were gentle, his touch feather light as he gently explored the injured area with his fingers. Checking for bone damage and how much damage might have been sustained. It didn't take more than a few seconds for him to decide that she was mending well on her own. He planned to look the shifter over once she was done playing momma wolf to the were. Carefully he removed the Rider's feet from his lap and stood. Wing twitching lightly.

Now to see to another matter. The strange male that was in here with them. Aris dark eyes were serious as he moved across the floor to the stranger. One hand on his sword hilt, but he was sure the other wasn't dangerous. So far the male had been just standing quietly in a corner. Aris came uncomfortably close to the male, looking him over with a scrutinizing gaze. Assessing him. Sizing him up. He smelled human, and Aris was confident he could win a fight against this guy, if it came to that.

The winged man had seemed to check her out for a moment, and Jules raised an eyebrow. He moved on to the injured ripper. How these people cared for each other, how anyone cared for anyone without knowing them, would always amaze her. She slipped quietly back out the door once the others were preoccupied again. She didn't want to see it, if they decided not to keep the werewolf around, and there was so much tension in the room, it was suffocating her.

She moved around through the mall, back to the place she'd spoken of with the beds. Halfway there, she stood in a hall, eyeing a mannequin that was eyeing her. She'd have missed it if it hadn't been standing right there in the center of the hall. She wondered where the man from earlier went. The mannequin man. Or the one who'd let her into the building for that matter. Were there others?

Jules moved as silently as a human could until she reached what she'd refer to as the bed room. She spent some time feeling her way through the dark areas of the room and making sure she was alone. She walked to the large storefront window to look outside. The fog was lifting enough to allow some moonlight in. It wasn't enough light, but it was light. There was a bed, right there, almost parallel to the thick glass window. She tossed her backpack onto it.

It's had been many days, maybe weeks, that she'd slept on a real bed. She sat at the edge of it near the end where she could reach the window. The temperatures inside the building and out were so different that the inside of the window was beginning to fog. Jules began doodling little shapes and hearts on the glass without even realizing it as she pondered her next move, the state of the world, how long she might survive, etc.

When the - Alpha - shifter brushed away her hair she felt a smile wanting to build up and spread across her face. It had been the first time in so long someone had given her a friendly touch. But this was neither the place nor the time, so she bit her lip instead.

The woman went over to the others and Kylee did the best she could not to eavesdrop on their conversation. She could feel the winged males gaze from where he sat with the injured lady. Clenching her fists she looked down at her knees, consciously trying to think of other things.

Alpha good. Trust. Good Alpha.

We wouldn't have to be in a position to trust someone with whether or not they'll make a decision about our death if you didn't just listen to me in the first place!

Human weak. Need protect. Danger eliminated.

You don't just run headlong into a fight like that, especially when we're injured!

The shifter came back - and Kylee was surprised when she knelt down to be level with her. For a moment they were on even ground - something she never expected from any of the persons gathered in the mall. Come with her... That's right - she promised, didn't she... Clothes, and help.

Pup. Called us pup.

Hesitantly she took the offered hand, her own shaking.

Is this real? What's going on here?