| The West Wing | |||||
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| What: Russell catches up to Vukodlak for a chat in a little-used corner of Castle Russoff, a gallery in the West Wing... | |||||
After the Moon-man and the strange Mask-man left, and after Vuk had eaten xir fill of whatever Rus had for meal, Vukodlak had promptly disappeared into one of the remote corners of the castle. After some time, a guardwolf passes a message of sorts - the newcomer seemed to be crying in sleep.
Russell looks down from a walkway that spans the gap between indoor balconies overlooking one of the less-used chambers of the castle - possibly a gallery - in the West Wing. On this higher level, there are bookshelves filled with books on the walls, with sitting arrangements on either balcony to enjoy them. Some of the lights are on, but have the werewolf cast in shadow.
Below, the room is full of ancient antiques - most of which rest beneath sheets of white to protect them from dust and cobwebs. No, precious few people have been in this particular corner of the castle... until now. In near silence, the wolfman jumps down from the walkway, landing nimbly on the marble floor, and stands to his feet. Raising his head he calls out into the shadows:
"Vukodlak. Hey, Pup, it's me."
It takes a moment, but there's an answering woof from the shadows, hushed and hesitant. Vukodlak slinks into view on all fours, as how xe usually moves. Xe's head hangs low and the young wolfman comes forward, ears flicking. Xe cants xir head, clearly both confused and... afraid. There's no mistaking the scent of fear, or the timid, submissive stance.
Russell drops to his haunches, elbows resting comfortably on his knees - he is wearing his jeans, no shoes, and a fresh shirt - and beckons the other werewolf closer. "Nothin' to fear here, kiddoh," he tells xir, his tone light and warm. He glances about the gallery, frowning a little at the amount of dust on the floor and shelves, and returns his attention once more to Vukodlak.
He smiles.
"Did you eat enough? Get enough to drink?"
Vukodlak creeps closer, still timid even though xe obviously trusts Russell. To the werewolf's question, xe nods, quickly. "T-Tanks for food." There's a gurgle in xir stomach, but it's ignored with not even a glance. "Why ask?"
With a mild snort of rueful humour - possibly at the tummy-gurgle he heard - Russell jabs himself in the chest with a thumb and shrugs his shoulders. "Pack-mates, Pup. Pack-mates. I need to look after ya, and you need ta take care o' yourself too." Pursing his lips a bit, the man reaches out a hand to likely lay it on the neo-werewolf's shoulder.
"I know you're sick," he says gently. "I can get you help - medicine - but I need ta know... What did you eat before? Not people, I don't mean people. With your... Dad. What did you eat? Can you tell me?"
"Vuk tuff!" The declaration is forceful, pleading. There's fear in that tone. "Vuk tuff, stay okay." Xe definitely knows the word medicine, judging from the way xir ears twitch.'
Russell shakes his head and gives Vuk's shoulder a light squeeze.
"Yeah you're 'tuff', Pup. But yer also /sick/," he replies in an attempt at a soothing voice. "Don't bother lyin' ta me - I can smell it. We gotta find... something - " Rus hesitates, not willing to use the word 'medicine' again, " - to help you. Y'know? Me, Alpha - you, brother. It's... my job."
Removing his hand from Vukodlak's shoulder, Russell tilts his head to the side to get a better look at the other wolf's features. "You trust me, right? You know I won't let anyone hurt ya? Ever."
Vukodlak whimpers, ducking xir head. Something about being called 'sick' made xir upset. But, xe also seems worried, and frustrated. "...Not angry, Vuk sick? Just....? Sad?" Xe's trying to comprehend Jack's behavior, so alien to what is normal for xir.
Getting of his haunches, Russell sits down cross-legged on the floor, the shift in position putting his body further into shadow, but illuminating his face a little more. He lets out a breath and rests both hands in his lap, leaning forward a fraction.
"Trust me," he says. "We'll figure somethin' out. I think we gotta find where yer 'father' was keepin' ya, okay?" The man's expression turns pensive, and he puts a pair of fingers to the centre of his brow, trying to concentrate.
"Gonna need some help..." he murmurs to himself. "I think I know a way to fix what happened at Westchester... Locals are still out fer blood. Most of 'em." He glances across the room to where cleaning implements have been discarded - a pair of feather dusters left on a mantelpiece between a candelabra and an old clock.
In the shadows they look like they're duelling.
Russell glances back at Vukodlak. "I think I know someone else who can help, too."
Vukodlak whimpers again, this time sounding a bit pained. Whether it's physical or emotional pain is hard to tell. "Rus... care..." It's as if xe didn't realize it before. "WHy? Vuk not tuff as Rus. Vuk not like Rus's pack-mates."
"No, Vuk /not/ like Rus's pack-mates," the alpha-wolf replies - slipping into Vukodlak's curious speech patterns without thinking. He catches himself doing it, and spreads his hands in a 'what can you do?' gesture, half-grinning wryly.
"My... pack-mates are animals, Pup," he tries to explain. "The wolves around here... they don't think like us - they can't. I... didn't mean to make 'em that way, but after I did, well... they're my responsibility. Now they guard our home - our den - and they're happy."
He leans forward a bit more to get a good look at Vuk's eyes.
"You ain' as strong as they are - but yer smarter. That's like... bein' strong in a different way. 'N yeah, I care - coz some bastards once tried to do to me what someone did to you." The man's lip curls in repressed anger. "That ain't happenin'. Never again."
Vukodlak headtilts, trying to understand what Rus meant. "Rus tuffer than Vuk, and smarter. No need second." Xe seemed frustrated, more by their own lack of understanding, There's a faint flash of pain in xir eyes,l but it's very quickly hidden.
Russell shakes his head.
The difficulty of getting through to the young werewolf... is beginning to show in his face, in the worry lines around his eyes, across his brow, in the tightness of his lips. Letting his amber-glowing eyes fall closed for several moments, Rus refrains from voicing a reply straightaway - to give himself time to think.
"There's more to it than power, Pup - or smarts," he murmurs, still with his eyes closed. "It's about... family. Like yer Dad 'n you." The alpha opens his eyes and continues speaking: "Wolves aren't meant ta run alone - not really. Yer... just gonna have to trust me, alright? This is your pack now. Pack looks out fer pack - so Rus looks out for Vuk."
A second later, and the man smiles.
"Besides, kiddoh - yer still a Pup. You'll be stronger - an' faster - when yer all grown up. But first we gotta get you better."
Vukodlak whimpers a tad, but nods, slowly. "...Vuk no sick, hurt." Xe seems unhappy with that statment. "No-" Xe coughs loudly as a demostration. "Just-" Xe mimes having achey muscles. "Vuk be okay, no worry Rus?"
Jack Russell smiles again, and puts a hand on Vuk's shoulder once more, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Rus no worry," he replies with just a hint of amusement at his own choice of words. The cough, however, elicits a flash of sympathetic pain in the older werewolf's eyes.
Something has to be done about this.
At least now - with Moon Knight and that Voight-person-thing no longer trying to 'judge the wicked werewolves in the name of General Bony-Beak and all Travellers everywhere - they might actually have a chance.
"Small victories," Rus murmurs to himself, patting Vuko on the shoulder. "Small victories."
By the window on the far side of the room, one of the giant guardwolves pads in front of it - blocking off the moonlight momentarily. As the shadows fall back into place, the appearance of the clock and the candelabra on the mantelpiece changes - enveloping the clock in darkness, whilst leaving the candelabra standing alone with arms upraised in apparent triumph.
Vukodlak nods, rubbing up against the affectionate hand on xir shoulder. It felt nice but Vuk was afraid to ask for more contact - it wasn't xir place to ask for such things. The wolf coughs again, quietly this time, even as xir stomach gurgles again.
"C'mon," says Rus as he stands to his feet and takes a step back from his newest pack-mate. "You have NOT eaten enough, Pup. We're gonna fix that - an'... get ourselves outta this corner of the castle." He takes a few more backward steps and finally turns about to lead Vukodlak out of the West Wing.
"Too damn creepy in here for me..."