Things on his mind

[Wendy Berber]

*She was more than well enough to go into work, but her blue cross insurance had her listed as "still eating through a straw", and so the spindly kin remained at home, moving outside from time to time to send in work from her laptop. At the moment however, she's not catching up on work. Wendy is in the living room, getting the most out of new spectacles, nose deep in a book, glass of iced tea in her other hand. The only trace of the incident in the park is a yellowing bruise along her pointed chin. The house has been quiet, despite the crackle of too much rage.*

[Boy]

Another typical morning, though absent of hammering or sawing. Doors opened and closed quietly, at least as long as Boy was involved. At some point in the near morning, before the sun had come up, he'd slipped out of bed and quietly slipped into the locked, furnished, empty room. There he stayed, whispering to people that weren't there for hours. The sun had come up. The day had begun. The birds outside the windows told him so. The stairs groan softly with the weight of his slow descent down the stairs. Boy appears in the living room, not speaking, just there.

[Wendy Berber]

*Its a few moments before his mate realized he was in the room, the persistent press of rage finally drawing her eyes from the words on her page, to the creature standing in the doorway. Wendy quirks a smile and sets the book and iced tea aside, straightening on the couch.* Hey. Good Morning. I put breakfast away already, but it mights till be warm?

[Boy]

He nods his head, quiet still, and eventually gives her a smile. It came as if as an afterthought. As if he were so lost in his own thoughts that this living world, this world of projected emotions and impressions, was only coming to him in fleeting glimpses. He smiled when he realized he'd been staring too long. He stopped smiling when he realized he'd been doing that too long too. And when it occurred to him that he was being uncomfortably silent he says: "I've...got a lot on my mind."

[Wendy Berber]

Yeah. Seems that way. But... Alot has happened. *Wendy offers him her drink, scooting over on the couch so he might sit. She pushes up her specs and peeks at him from under shaggy black hair. She watched the wolf in man's clothing, the distracted boy struggling to be the man everyone expected him to be. Totem lost, Tribesman falling, Pack squabbling. A purse of her lips.* Boy? Is there anything I can do.. you know. to help?

[Boy]

His brows furrow in that same pained and confused expression, as if he were telling himself 'Think, damn you!' But in the end he simply shook his head in resignation. "I don't know."

[Wendy Berber]

Kay. *What else was there to say? She takes a deep breath and gestures for him to come sit if he wants. A gentle reminder that the couch exists, the world exists, a world outside whatever riddle had Boy wrapped inside his mind, smiling too long, staring too hard. Wendy clears her throat.* Um, hey. I spoke to Dietrich.

[Boy]

His approach to the seat was a bit hesitant. His approach to actually sitting, wasn't. He sits close to her, almost against her, and one arm reaches around the back of the couch behind her. The other was in his own lap. "Yeah? What about?"

[Wendy Berber]

I think, he was just venting his frustration. Talking about the pack and, you know, everything thats happening lately. *Wendy nods, twiggy young woman drawing up a leg to rest her head on her knee, watching Boy through shiny new straight spectacles. She nibbles a lip nervously.* He had some suggestions... *Ok, so what he had was anger, and a tirade about the packs failings and shortcomings. But there were suggestions in there too, beneath the roaring.*

[Boy]

At first his eyes narrowed and there was a certainty that the biting dog was about to do just that. The hand that was around Wendy moved. It tugged and straightened Boy's hair as Boy himself let out a strained, seething sigh. "Like...like what?"

[Wendy Berber]

*Wendy tenses, eyes widening slightly at the sudden certainty of violence that resonate in Boy's movements. It takes her a few moments to recover, blinking and stammering.* J-just um, maybe more c-communication. F-from everyone, to everyone.. ab-bout everything. Um... d-direction. M-maybe w-working towards the g-goal of cleaning up the n-neighborhood. More s-scheduled sort of p-patrols.. or something.... *Wendy adds quickly.* I think he, um, he needs order.

[Boy]

"Order." It didn't seem to do anything to improve his mood, this revelation. But, at the very least, it didn't worsen it either. He ran a hand through his hair one last time and the arm went back around Wendy's shoulders. "Alright. That'd probably be good for everyone, actually. Including me. But...there's still stuff around here that I need to take care of. Did you pick up that stuff I asked for?"

[Wendy Berber]

Yeah. *Wendy nods, resting against Boy a little tensely.* I got a bunch of luncheon meat on a platter with some vegetables and dip. And some whole milk. Oh, and those instant breakfast shakes. In case Soledad doesn't want breakfast with us ever. *She considers, tilting her head to the stressed Uktena.* She's ...kinda hung up on.. the whole mating thing. Huh?

[Boy]

"Apparently." Whatever that meant. "I'm worried about her though. Well...actually...its not her I'm worried about. But...what'll happen to her baby."

[Wendy Berber]

*Shock. Wendy forgets the wolf that silently waits to bite, the wolf that lingers beneath Boy's skin and begs for a stray limb to come too close. She forgets and stares his flat in the face. Speechless.*

[Boy]

He doesn't notice, too lost in his own thoughts. Eventually he stands, or prepares to stand. He places both hands on his knees and leans forward, dictating his plan for the day before actually doing it. "I've got to go check some things out. I hope Soledad will be around today. I cant force her to stay. Can't afford it coming down to a fight. And then...and then I'll talk to Dietrich. But first, I think I'll eat something."

[Wendy Berber]

Ok. Breakfast is in the fridge. um. Just french toast and brown beans. But there's lots left. *She moves away from him so he might stand, still reeling in shock.* ...I'm going to go out again.. and maybe... get some vitamins or something for our, um. Guest.

[Boy]

Boy stands and sets his plan in motion, starting with the food in the refrigerator. She can hear him in the kitchen, rustling and rattling as he gets the food out. But then, just as suddenly as before, he's in the living room again. Thankfully he's a bit more animated this time, casting cautious glances toward the stairs. "Don't tell anyone, okay? It'll be our secret. I don't even know...I don't even know if she knows. But I'll talk to her about it. Somehow."

[Wendy Berber]

*Wendy nods, offering a tense smile.* Our Secret.