crucio (crucio) wrote in cwf,
@ 2010-06-18 02:26:00

open to varick
Losing Cameron was hard, and most days it was still very hard, but being with Varick definitely helped Shannon to cope. Being safe at the haven was also helping, and the wolves there were simply amazing. He'd gotten to meet Aubrey, another fox, and Cady as well. It was nice to be so accepted. Sure, there were some wolves that were grumpy - like Pirate and Felix - but they weren't ever outwardly rude to Shannon. And it'd been nice to make clothes for Aryk, Vance, and Basil.

Varick was planning on opening a law firm in the area, so he'd been especially busy. Though everyone was insisting they weren't staying for the long haul, Shannon was starting to wonder if maybe they were. It seemed like everyone was settling well enough. Varick said that once Kingston was ready, they'd venture out on their own but what did that mean for Varick's law firm if he was opening one up? Shannon supposed Varick could take it anywhere he wanted.

The Portland pack had taken up residence in an empty house on the property. It was just a few of them, so the house was more than enough room. Shannon was busy sitting indian style on the bed and hand sewing a seam that had torn in one of Varick's nicer suit jackets. He had the headphones of his iPhone on and was humming quietly to Incubus while he worked. Varick had been gone all day, and the suit jacket Shannon was working on had been the one he'd wanted to wear but couldn't because of the busted seam.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-22 03:20 am UTC (link)

"I'm sure drunkeness had everything to do with me ever having a chance with Cameron in the first place." He knew better than to believe that was true, but he had taken them wine tasting a few times and gotten Cam toasted. He left to go back to the house to get some.

Louisa looked up and put her hand on her hip. "Hey, kiddo," she said warmly. The term was the gentlest of tactics to reaffirm everyone's place. To Louisa, such subtleties were important because she'd come from a life for which she'd had to fight viciously. Richard's rule had only come to an end because she'd stood up to him with ferocity and now she was always reaffirming her place in the pack with tiny things like that.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

crucio
2010-06-22 03:35 am UTC (link)

"We both know that's not true, he and Shannon both had crushes on you the moment they saw you," Kingston told Varick, calling over his shoulder with a faint smirk.

Once he was in the dining room, he put the pies down on the table and glanced up at Louisa with a nod of his head. Kingston could smile around his own pack, but around others it was harder. He often looked much too serious.

"Hello, Louisa," he greeted, "I brought some dessert and I thinK Varick went to fetch some wine."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-25 03:23 am UTC (link)

Louisa looked at him and sighed with a small shake of her head. Gesturing to his shoulders, she tutted a little. "Weight of the world right there. You know, now is the time to just relax, enjoy what you can. We're all safe here. That's a luxury you and I aren't exactly used to." She grinned and dished up the stir fry into a serving bowl.

She headed into the dining room to set the bowl on the table. By the time she returned to the kitchen, Varick was back with the wine.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

crucio
2010-06-25 03:18 pm UTC (link)

There was a lot about Louisa that Kingston could relate to. He looked up to her quite a bit, and it was nice to have her and Hunter around to learn things from. His father had been a good man, but he hadn't been strong enough to keep the pack together. To keep things structured. He was learning that from Hunter, and from Louisa he was learning how to rebuild when a pack suffered great losses. It was good to not feel so alone.

With a knowing smile in her direction, he went to wash his hands up and then took a seat at the table. He figured Pirate was at work, and he'd seen Sterling in town, so he wasn't sure who all was going to eat with them. If it was just Louisa and Vance, that as just fine.

When Varick came back in with the wine, Vance snagged a few glasses for the adults, then took a seat as well. Shannon reached over to brush a quick kiss to Varick's jaw before he got settled in his chair as well.

"What time's Pirate suppose to be home?" Vance asked Louisa.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-25 11:22 pm UTC (link)

Varick scooted his chair closer to Shannon's, slipping a hand under the table to hold the other's. Louisa thought it was cute and it made her think of Marlena. The girl was always so tired and she'd stopped being able to come down to dinner a long time ago. Each shift made her weaker and Louisa had been searching for people to help her, but had come up short.

Glancing up at Pirate, she thought about the answer for a moment. "A few hours, I suspect. He doesn't stay late at work anymore, now that you're around." It was true, Pirate used to pull extra shifts. He reasoned that the pack needed money and if he could contribute, then he was going to do all he could. Really, Louisa knew it was Pirate's way of guarding himself from getting close to anyone.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

maybe andrew can help marlena :[ and his dad?

crucio
2010-06-26 03:28 am UTC (link)

When Louisa said that bit about Pirate, Vance couldn't help but smile shyly. He was part of the Cold Water pack because of Vaughn, but it was obvious that he felt more at home with Pirate and the New Orlean's pack. He practically lived with Pirate in his room, now.

As everyone started to dish food out, Kingston poured some wine for himself, Varick, Louisa, and Shannon. He settled back into his seat for a sip, then took a bite of the stirfry.

"Wow, this is really good," he said once he'd chewed and swallowed. "One thing I never got to be good at was cooking."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

Haha, I don't know if Trace even plays her anymore, but yes!

impotentwaffle
2010-06-26 04:24 am UTC (link)

"That's for sure," Varick quipped without really thinking about the people he was with. That was a good sign though, that he felt comfortable enough making little jokes. He looked immediately shy though and poked a fork into a pea pod, pushing it around on his plate, staring at it intently.

Louisa smirked. "Vance is brilliant. You know how many amazing culinary schools there are in New Orleans? He'd fit in there so nicely." Not that she was trying to lure him away from the Seattle area--oh no, of course not.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

crucio
2010-06-26 04:38 am UTC (link)

"The cooking is usually me and Varick," Shannon chimed in with a wide smile, and that was only because Varick had been teaching him.

Vance blushed a little at Louisa's compliment, and he smiled a little as he took a sip of his tea. He really would go anywhere that Pirate went, just as long as he could come back and visit Vaughn, Wendell, and Basil. They were the three he'd grown most attached to, though he

"I really want to go to culinary school," he said with a little sigh. "And I want to learn how to be a pastry chef, too. I want to do everything."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-26 04:46 am UTC (link)

"Fortunately, werewolves tend to live a long time, so you'll be able to do everything," Varick said. As he spoke the words, he realized the bitter irony of himself claiming shifters had lots of time to accomplish all they wanted to accomplish. But he smiled through it, pretending that it didn't sting a little. "Would you open up a restaurant? Be a chef?" He asked as he ate. The food really was exemplary.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

crucio
2010-06-26 05:04 am UTC (link)

Shannon felt the slight tenseness in Varick's posture because they were sitting so close, and he gave the wolf's knee a gentle squeeze beneath the table as reassurance. Hopefully nothing would happen to Vance like what had happened to Cameron and some of their packmates, and Vance could live a long and happy life.

"I'd really love that," Vance said eagerly with a nod. "I've wanted to do that for as long as I can remember," he added with a soft laugh.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	impotentwaffle 2010-06-26 05:31 am UTC (link)
	The reassurance was nice and he glanced at Shannon with appreciation before turning back to Vance. "You certainly could. You're talented enough. Shannon here knows all about starting his own business. You two should talk about that." It would be sweet to see Shannon giving Vance some tips about the whole operation. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

crucio
2010-06-26 05:45 am UTC (link)

"Really?" Vance asked as he looked over at Shannon, who nodded.

"I can't wait to open my own shop again, when we settle," he said with a glance over at Varick, and then Kingston.

Maybe one of the reasons the Portland pack got along so well with the New Orleans pack was because they were both in transition. They were comfortable at the haven, but they weren't going to stay.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-26 11:32 pm UTC (link)

The question of where to settle was always nibbling at Varick's mind. Ultimately, it was Kingston's decision and it wouldn't be made until he was ready to lead. But Varick wanted to be able to advise him when the time came so he'd been looking at territories and homes in the area.

It felt nice to be eating with another pack, a group that was separate from the Coldwater Flats pack. They were welcoming enough, but Varick missed feeling like he was home. "Are you really going back to Louisiana?" He asked Louisa and then glanced at Vance as if to ask him as well.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	crucio 2010-06-27 05:02 am UTC (link)
	Vance swallowed the food he'd been chewing, and after a sip of his sweet tea he nodded his head some as if he was orginally part of the New Orleans pack all along. "Eventually, I'm pretty sure, right?" he said as his eyes went in Louisa's direction with a questioning look. It was obvious that wherever Pirate went, he was sure to follow. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-27 05:15 am UTC (link)

The topic was only a touch sore. Louisa was trying her best to make the situation down there safe to return. But Richard's dealings had really screwed over the pack and sometimes she didn't think she'd ever be able to get the land back to safety.

"Yes," she nodded, covering any ounce of doubt she had about being able to go back. "Things will settle there eventually and I'm sure Sterling and Pirate are looking forward to going back."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

crucio
2010-06-27 05:35 am UTC (link)

Kingston knew it had to be a tough subject for Louisa, mostly because of what a tough subject his own pack and home was. At least Louisa was strong enough to go home, but after so many had been killed back on their land in Portland Kingston just didn't think it would be the same.

"I'm not sure where we'll end up settling," he said after a moment. "Maybe somewhere close to Portland."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-27 05:55 am UTC (link)

"Then you'd be close to here," she smiled. Being close to a strong pack that was an ally was probably the best thing for Kingston at this stage in his leadership.

Varick nodded his agreement. While he wasn't the largest proponent of going back to the land where so many had died, he also couldn't imagine being too far from Garrett. The pacific northwest was where he would choose.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	crucio 2010-06-27 06:05 am UTC (link)
	Like Varick, Shannon felt the same about the Pacific Northwest. He wanted to be close to what they were use to, but he knew that he would never do well with going back to where they'd all lost so much. And where he and Varick had lost Cameron. "Maybe somewhere in between here and Portland," he suggested softly. "Close to a little town, kind of like Cold Water." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-27 04:35 pm UTC (link)

"It"l be awhile anyway," Varick said, suddenly worried that they would all strike out on their own too soon. It was clear that some of his helpful bravado had been changed into a reserved protectiveness, full of caution and some would say fear.

Louisa recognized the reservation but didn't say anything. Instead, she covered up the moment of worry with a casual wave of her hand. "Plenty of time!"

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

crucio
2010-06-28 02:39 am UTC (link)

Kingston was thankful for the change of subject, and he gave Louisa a grateful look as he took a bite of food. He wasn't too much of a talker, and he never had been. While he could speak to Louisa one on one just fine, in front of others he kept more to himself. That was just the way he was.

Underneath the table, Shannon hooked his foot around Varick's ankle and leaned a little bit closer to the wolf as he ate. He could tell Varick was a little worried, but he knew things would work out. They had to.

"I'm going to talk to Mabel about a job at the diner," Vance said after a moment as he eyed the pies Kingston had brought. "I wonder if she'll teach me her secrets. I think Wendell wants to plant me as a spy," he smiled.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-28 03:01 am UTC (link)

Varick raised his eyebrows. "With pie that good she has to have tons of secrets. Good luck getting her to part with them." He was curious himself, though he had a few ideas. Varick wasn't exactly sure he trusted half-demons, but only because he tended to run into the more tricky ones.

Louisa had the same kind of distrust. "Vance, are you sure she's trustworthy? I suppose if Hunter trusts her but--New Orleans has some pretty hardcore demons and none of them make the best bosses."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

crucio
2010-06-28 03:12 am UTC (link)

"Mabel isn't like that," Vance said with a little shake of his head, "Hunter and her have been friends for a really long time, and you know - there's people like us who aren't good. We can't judge a species as a whole, that's not very fair," he said before he went quiet and sipped at his tea in silence.

"He's right," Kingston said quietly. Joseph was a werewolf, and look at the awful things he'd done.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-28 03:33 am UTC (link)

Louisa still looked a little skeptical, but shehad to give Kingston and Vance credit for their logic and fairness. "Well, I'm sure she'll give you a job. Her place is always busy and but even if it wasn't, the wolves would keep her in business."

Varick had gone quiet, drinking a large gulp of wine as he focused on the way Shannon's ankle felt interlocked with his own.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	crucio 2010-06-28 03:42 am UTC (link)
	Shannon finished up his food and wine, and it was obvious that by just one glass he was feeling a little bit tipsy. His cheeks were more flushed than usual, and he leaned his head against Varick's shoulder comfortably as he listened to everyone else talk. Kingston glanced over at him with a faint smirk of amusement. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-28 04:02 am UTC (link)

Varick had always loved that the foxes' metabolisms weren't as fast as wolves and made them little lightweights when it came to alcohol. He chuckled when Shannon leaned against him and when he'd finished his meal, he slunk an arm around the other man's shoulders.

Louisa observed, falling into a comfortable quiet before getting up to clear the dishes from the table.