carter bennett (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} heydude) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} dunwichgame,@ 2024-03-03 13:17:00 |
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Carter, Kitty, & Rahne
backdated after carter's arrival | ⚠ monster and werewolf talk, nothing too graphicAfter getting out of the Uber and wishing the driver a nice night, Kitty stood outside the house for a minute to just breathe and relax. The car drove away, and she shifted her attention to the house and the woods beyond it. Despite being here for a few months now, it was still sometimes so strange to be living in this big house in the woods, in a small town, and have no way to talk to her parents or sister. She missed them all desperately still, though Dunwich seemed to provide plenty of distractions so that the pain of missing her family wasn’t one often at the front of her mind.
Here, she’d started to build a new family, in a way, and so far she thought it was a pretty good one. The biggest part of that family was Rahne, and right now she was inside. Kitty’s heart still hurt for all that the girl had gone through - both at home and here - and she hated that she hadn’t been able to prevent it from happening. All she could do was be there for her, and Kitty had to hope that would be enough.
Finally, she headed into the house, carefully balancing two large bags of food and a drink tray holding three strawberry milkshakes. She took it all into the kitchen to set on the island, then made her way over to Rahne’s room. A quick check told her that the girl was taking a nap, but she left the door cracked so that the food scent would hopefully wake her eventually, then moved into her own room to drop off her purse and phone, and change clothes into something a little more comfortable.
A few minutes later, Kitty was back in the kitchen, barefoot and wearing a short-sleeved v-neck shirt with an Aerosmith album cover across the front, and shorts. A glance at the clock told her that Carter should be there soon and so she started to pull food out of the bags, setting a couple burgers and fries in the microwave to keep them fresh for Rahne, and putting one of the milkshakes in the fridge.
Carter did his best to be punctual. He'd spent the day dragging Luke around town trying to learn his way around, stopping in for some more clothes and some groceries, trying to figure out where things were and what he'd need to know. And he'd dressed..well, nicely. Mostly? Nice shorts, a button down shirt- but one of the patterned ones. It had bananas. Why? He didn't know exactly. But he liked it. Anyways, it didn't take him all too long to find the pack house. He liked the area- it did remind him a bit of Green Creek, and the house- well, it was newer than the one he'd left behind, and really nice. Knocking on the door, he stepped back, taking a careful breath. He could smell the scent of other wolves here, and if he hadn't been invited, he might have been tempted to step back. But before he could do anything else, the door opened and he smiled at the sight of the young woman. "Hi! Kitty? It's- I'm Carter."
When the knock came, Kitty quickly rinsed a little grease from one of the burger wrappers from her hands, then dried them on her way to the door. After a quick check through a side window, she pulled it open and returned the man’s smile. When he’d said he was Mark’s nephew, she had expected someone younger than her, but her surprise was brushed aside as she motioned him in. “Hi, Carter - come on in,” she said as she stepped back, then held out her hand to shake his. The gesture was definitely one more for the human world than wolf, but since he was more or less a stranger, she stuck with it, especially considering what he’d said about his experience as a mayor. “Welcome to the Pack house. Rahne’s taking a nap, but she’ll probably join us in a bit once she hears us talking.”
"Hi- thank you." Carter was almost surprised for a moment when she held her hand out but he shook it- confident, but not in any kind of way to try to intimidate. "This looks amazing- thanks for inviting me." He kept his voice quiet, not sure where Rahne was napping; he didn't want to wake her before she was ready if he could help it, and he wasn't exactly sure of how sensitive her hearing might be. He could hear her heartbeat somewhere in the house, steady for now, but he shook that off, not wanting to intrude. "It's great to meet you, by the way. All official and everything. I didn't really know what to expect when I got here- I didn't know if werewolves would be a secret or if I'd be the only one or what.."
“I wish I could take credit for it, but it kind of fell into my lap. Weirdly, that’s how a lot of things happen here for us ‘mistakes’,” she said, even adding the quote fingers with a little roll of her eyes, but she was still smiling. “It’s great to meet you in person, too. And I know what you mean - where I’m from, the existence of weres and vampires being known by humans is pretty recent, and like I said - I’m one of the few public figures. I try to set a good example,” she added with a little laugh, even though deep down she so very often felt like she was faking a lot of that public persona. It had all happened so quickly that her only choice had been to go with it at first; it wasn’t until Carl had threatened to take it away that she’d fought for it. “So my first post on that network was mentioning I was a werewolf, but I found out pretty quickly that not everyone is public about it. Though circumstances have dictated that a few have revealed themselves on there, at least.” Still, she wouldn’t force anyone to reveal what they were before they wanted, but she herself would still be public so that they’d know they could come to her if needed. “As you can see, the floor plan is pretty open,” she pointed out as she led him over to the kitchen area. The back of this part of the house was mostly windows and a few patio doors, which let in the last few rays of the setting sun, though heavily filtered by the woods. “When I saw it, I fell in love with the place, and figured instantly that it would work for whoever needs to use it.” Picking up a milkshake, she held it out. “I’m not sure if you like strawberry or not, if you don’t we’ve got water, tea, coffee, juice, soda - pretty much anything.”
"So I've heard," Carter admitted. "About things falling into laps, not- I haven't heard a lot about you, I mean." Gee. He was already sounding awkward, wasn't he? Carter shook his head a little- he really needed to get out more or something. "Yeah, I get that. I accidentally wolfed out in front of the town, and while we could have done a little memory magic, it seemed..better if they knew. Some people didn't handle it well, and they moved away, but most of the town have known us forever and stayed." He knew he and his pack were lucky. And..special, really, in a lot of ways. Green Creek was special. He followed her into the house, admiring the view out of the back windows. "I can see why you'd love it. This is awesome." He grinned as he turned to accept the milkshake. "Strawberry is great, thank you. I promise, I'll get dinner next time."
Kitty hid a grin at his words, only nodding a bit as he continued. “For a while, it was quiet, and most humans had no idea - I mean, it was pretty much the best kept secret for centuries. But then things started to happen that couldn’t be explained, and my show started getting calls about it, until eventually a hunter showed up and outed me while I was on the air,” she explained. “After that, it was kind of hard to deny it, so instead I used it how I could - and it helps some people.” Not enough, in her opinion, even if sometimes she was surprised when she was recognized or people had heard her show. “No problem - like I said, just pitch in with groceries or grocery money every now and then, and we’ll be square. Do you like your burgers straight from the bag or on a plate?” When she was feeling a little too wolfy, she’d go for a plate, but right now she didn’t have a preference and would go with whatever he wanted to do. Kitty was working hard to help him feel at ease, because this home, in her opinion, wasn’t just for her and Rahne. She wanted others to feel like they could come over anytime they wanted, too.
Carter listened as she shared her experience. "That's really shitty of him," he replied. God, he hated Hunters. But he was glad that she'd survived that experience. "I get it. We had hunters attack our town- which is how I ended up transforming in front of people. And it was a few of them who really stepped up and reminded everybody else that they'd known half of us since we were awkward and gangly teenagers, that the town was better for us being there, and that..was nice." He nodded. "Bag's alright by me- unless you wanted plates? I'm not picky." It seemed easy enough, and he didn't want to make too much extra mess for her. "I don't really know how I ended up Mayor, actually. It just..kinda happened. Someone suggested it, and I had the degree, and wasn't doing a ton else at the time so I just..ran. And they voted me in."
“It was,” she agreed, but then she grinned and shook her head ruefully. “But I managed to talk him into reconsidering who hired him and why and exactly what he’d been told, and he agreed not to kill me until he looked into it. After some things happened that are a little too complicated to sum up now, we actually became friends. His cousin is my lawyer, and helped me when I was testifying in DC,” Kitty added as she passed him one of the bags. That was how her life had been since she’d become a werewolf - talking people into or out of things, because it turned out that her real gift was talking fast enough to keep herself alive most of the time. Sitting in one of the stools at the counter, she nodded to a second for him and pulled food out for herself from the bag. “Do you like it? Being mayor?” Kitty asked before unwrapping a burger and taking a bite.
"At least you had a reasonable one, I guess," Carter admitted. He thought back to Elijah, the hateful things she'd spewed, determined to destroy the entire town. He shook his head before he got pulled too far into his thoughts. "That's great, though- that you could do that." He moved over to the stool she mentioned, sliding onto it. He maybe sat just a little closer than most people would, but he didn't notice and couldn't quite help it. Thanking her for the food with a nod, he reached in for the burger, then pulled out the fries and poured them onto the flattened bag. "I did- do. The people were great, and I really love Green Creek. My family's been on the land there for generations, you know? My brothers and I, we spent a couple years away, and nothing's..nothing was ever quite the same. But it wasn't so bad, knowing we could always go back home."
“Sure, that’s Cormac - a reasonable man,” she said with a little laugh. If Cormac was here, she could only imagine how he’d react to being called that. “Honestly, despite being a hunter, he’s a man of honor - and he knows I’ve never hurt or killed any humans. Plus, I think I’ve worn him down to the point where he kind of likes me, and would be sad if he ever actually had to kill me.” Pulling out a second sleeve of fries, she added them to the pile he started, then ate a couple as she relaxed. “And everyone in your family is a werewolf?” She asked curiously. It was still a little strange to her that weres could be born that way - though honestly, more fascinating than strange. “It sounds like you all have a close connection with the area. That sounds really nice.”
"No, that's great- honestly!" Carter replied with a laugh of his own. "The only hunters I've known were all..zealots. Real intense, believed they were 'cleaning the world of sin and evil' or something like that- it was terrible. And you should've seen the way they treated werewolves. Well- no, you don't want to have seen it. It was awful." He picked at a couple of fries before reaching for his burger to unwrap it. "Yeah. Well- define family? Our pack is werewolves and humans, and every pack has a witch. They're my family. The Bennetts- we're all born werewolves. Ox was a human, and he became an alpha somehow when Joe and Kelly and I were all traveling- he took care of Green Creek and what was left of the pack when we couldn't." Carter still felt a pang of guilt for that. "We didn't even know that human alphas were possible- Dad suspected years ago, but I don't think he really knew for sure. And we've got some wolves in our pack who were human and then turned- usually to save them from dying- if they wanted it. We wouldn't turn anybody who didn't want the bite." He was quiet for a moment, taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully. "I don't think our pack is really like most others. It makes the Alpha of all nervous, I think."
“I thought Cormac was like that at first, and he’s warned me that there are some out there who are that way, but for now at least, we get along. He’s helped me out a couple times.” At Carter’s words about how werewolves were treated, her own face hardened a little. “I think I can imagine.” She’d seen a few things in her own world, and experienced them, and there were some things she didn’t wish on her worst enemy. Chewing thoughtfully on a bite of her burger as he talked, she stared at him as she took in every single word. What he described was pretty incredible when it came to weres - though it sounded a little more like Alette’s situation in DC, as the ‘Mistress of the City’ and the area vampire in charge. “Where I come from, no one is born like this. I don’t know the origins or anything like that, but I do know that you have to be bitten to become a were. And most Packs rarely have non-wolves, though I ran into one recently that….well, it wasn’t a Pack, exactly, more of just a sanctuary for the area, but they had a bear, a jaguar, a lion - different kinds like that. Humans are normally not in Packs back there, I don’t think.” She paused to sip her shake, then went on. “I was attacked and bitten four years ago, and pulled into a Pack with an abusive Alpha. I was exiled a few months ago, and since I had to leave Denver, I haven’t seen my human family since. They’d only found out what I was a month or so before the exile. But what you’re describing sounds really nice,” she said quietly as her eyes dropped to the burger in her hands, and for a moment her appetite faded.
"It's strange, isn't it? How people here can be similar but come from really different worlds? Origins?" Carter was still wrapping his mind around it. "You'd think werewolves would be pretty much the same everywhere- all born or all bitten or something, but then..we're not." Then it sank in that there weren't just werewolves in her world. "Wait, bears and lions too? How-" He broke off, shaking his head. "That's wild. I didn't- I don't think we have anything like that in our world. I mean- if people can shapeshift into wolves, why not other animals? It's just- not something I've ever run into." He could sense the blue wash over her, and he set his burger down, turning a little toward her. "I- shit- sorry. Pardon the language. That's- Alphas should never abuse their power like that, and I'm sorry you had one that did. And I'm sorry you haven't seen your family. But- it seems like you all have started building something good here so far? I know it's not a substitute for the family you miss, but.."
“Yeah, it’s kind of mind-blowing, but I guess the laws of physics probably differ from world to world, too, in order to make sense of it all somehow.” She then laughed at his reaction to the different kind of weres she’d mentioned. “Okay look - I had the same reaction. It’s pretty amazing, but it was definitely an experience. I was even told this were-myth - you know the bible story about Daniel and the lion’s den? I was told that he was a were-lion, and that’s how he survived.” When he turned towards her, Kitty set her burger down, then looked back up and gave a faint smile of thanks, glad that he could understand the way she felt. Then she nodded as she took a deep breath and picked up a couple fries. “Yeah, I am. I know that I wouldn’t have met the people here if I hadn’t been brought here, and I know some bad things have happened, but I wouldn’t trade meeting Rahne or Mark or Enid for anything,” she said firmly. “Especially Rahne. She’s as close as a sister to me, or even a daughter,” Kitty added, then bit into the fries.
"Do werebears give good hugs? I bet they'd give amazing hugs." Carter laughed. "I..you know, that kind of makes sense? I never thought of that, but I can see it working, a were-lion to survive." "That seems to be the general consensus of this place, from the people I've met so far. I'm glad you have them now." He offered a small smile, pressing his knee to hers in a small show of sympathy. Touch tended to ground him when he was feeling upset, and they'd only just met, so he was still keeping his distance a little bit, trying to respect her space while still offering some comfort. "I'm looking forward to meeting the others- they seemed nice, from what I saw on my post."
It had been a combination of low-volume chatter and the drifting scent of warm food that had stirred Rahne from her sleep. It tempted her towards the surface, the promise of company and a full belly both, teasing and leading her out of dreams, dark or otherwise, that had already begun to fade by the time she blinked her eyes open. For several seconds she remained right there, comfortable on her side in a bed unlike any other she had had before in her life (big and cosy and hers), listening to the voices and identifying them. One was Kitty. The other she didn’t recognise. Rahne had taken a nap in her clothes and didn’t even think to change them before padding out of her room on quiet, sock-covered feet, rubbing at her eyes with her characteristically oversized sleeve that not only hung over her hands but swamped them completely. The grogginess faded more and more with each step, until she reached the bend that would take her into the kitchen, just in time for her to hear Kitty say what she did about their relationship. It caught her off guard, that statement, along with the almost immediate formation of a lump in her throat, along with the faintest prickle of tears in her eyes. For someone who had never had a mother, not even the replacement figure of one, those words meant more than she would ever be able to express. Once she had those emotions under control she stepped around the corner, looking from Kitty to the newcomer who had to be Carter, who had introduced himself on the network and told her that he would be stopping by for dinner. In a quiet, but not entirely timid voice, she said, “Hello.”
“I didn’t get the chance to find out, but I imagine they probably do,” she replied with a faint laugh. The press against her leg earned him a small, appreciative smile as she recognized the gesture for what it was, when a faint sound caught her attention. “I do believe you’re about to meet one of them,” she said, then gave Rahne a warm smile as she looked over just in time for the teenager to step around the corner. “Hi, sweetheart. I brought dinner home - yours is already sitting in the microwave in case you want to heat it up,” Kitty added as she moved easily to her feet and walked over to sling her arm about the girl’s shoulders to gently lead her around the island counter and into the kitchen. “Rahne, this is Carter Bennett. Carter, this is Rahne Sinclair.” As they passed the fridge, she paused and reached in to grab the third milkshake, setting it on the counter for Rahne as well.
Carter heard the quiet footsteps down the hall, but he kept his attention on Kitty for the moment, figuring Rahne would step out when she was ready. He could feel blue on her as well, and a flood of green at Kitty's words. "It's a bummer you never found out," he replied with a laugh. "Maybe one will show up someday and you can find out." He turned as Rahne stepped out and offered a smile. "Hi, Rahne. I'm sorry if we woke you up- but it's good to meet you."
It was easy for Rahne to fold herself into Kitty’s embrace, to just sort of mold into the older woman’s side and enjoy the closeness and the comfort. For a moment she indulged herself by wrapping her arms around Kitty’s middle in what could only be described as a snuggle. “How long has it been in there?” she asked Kitty, with regards to the food, before she caught sight of the milkshake and the telltale hue that told her it was strawberry. A smile touched her face, a knee jerk response, and then Carter spoke, turning her attention his way. The smile faded but not unkindly. There was still a trace of it at the corners of her mouth. “It’s okay. It’s not really a normal time to be sleeping anyway,” she said with the smallest show of a shrug, before she took the milkshake from the counter, cold in her hands, and sipped through the straw.
“Just a few minutes,” she told Rahne. “Barely long enough to cool off.” She brushed her hand across the teen’s hair, then gave her another quick, tight hug before releasing her so she could take hold of her shake and get her food. Sitting back at the island, she picked up a french fry and bit into it. “Do you want to join us?” Kitty asked Rahne a moment later, nodding towards one of the empty stools. She never put any pressure on the girl, always giving her the chance to decide things for herself, but she was glad that the teen had woken up while Carter was there so the two of them could meet, too. “I was just telling Carter about the different kind of weres in my world. I think the bear impressed him more than the jaguar.”
"Any time is a good time for sleeping," Carter replied solemnly. "If you're tired, then you need it." He watched her for a moment as Rahne picked up her milkshake, then laughed as Kitty spoke of him. "Bears are so much bigger than jaguars!" he insisted. "You can't tell me that they wouldn't be nice to snuggle up to if you had a chance." He wondered if a werebear in human form would also be larger than a regular human. Shaking his head, he smiled. "Seems like I've got a lot to learn about everyone here. And the town itself. Do either of you have any recommendations? Things I should definitely do, anything I need to skip?"
“I fought a demon bear in my world.” Rahne said this as casually as one might discuss the weather, and she did it as she collected her food from the microwave. As Kitty had said, it was still more than warm enough to eat. It didn’t warrant the power it would take to heat it through again. She took it to the island and chose the seat closest to Kitty without missing a beat or seeming to pause for consideration. After she sat she had a moment to regret mentioning the bear, because it very naturally led her mind to Dani, and how much she missed her. Dani Moonstar was the first person who had accepted Rahne through and through for who and what she was. She wasn’t the only person now, of course, but being the first and now being absent from Rahne’s life had resulted in an ache that never seemed to face. Carter’s question came right as she took a bite of her burger, and despite knowing full well that it was impolite to talk with her mouth full she couldn’t stop herself from saying, almost a knee-jerk response, “Don’t go to Joyland.”
“I don’t think snuggling with a demon bear would have quite the same effect,” she remarked with a grin, and when Rahne sat next to her, Kitty bumped her knee against the girl’s in easy companionship. At the words spoken around the burger, the blonde nodded and picked up her own burger again. “She’s right. The tunnel will show you…weird things, the wax museum might have a version of you, and I’ve heard the haunted house is a little too real with its scares,” she explained before taking a bite. After chewing and swallowing, she went on. “And I imagine you’ve been told about the ghost line - and the lake, with the lobstrocities? Our territory is a little close to it, but it's easy enough to avoid.”
"A demon bear? I wanna hear that story sometime. If you're up for it." He didn't know how bad of a fight it might have been, but she had mentioned it first, so maybe she'd be up for it sometime. It didn't hurt to ask. Carter blinked. Joyland. He thought he remembered seeing it on the map, but hadn't gone seeking it out. "A version of you? Whoa. What- what kind of weird?" He nodded. "Yeah, I heard about the lake. And the ghost line, but I haven't actually gone out near it at all." Pausing, he took a bite of his burger, quiet as he ate. "Are, uh. Eldritch horror monsters common around here? I'm pretty sure I fought something like that on my way here."
Dunwich was a strange town, that much was certain. Even though Rahne hadn’t been here as long as some of the others, she had learned that much early on. Perhaps she had had an upper hand coming in, though, what with the hospital and everything that had happened there. She hadn’t been exaggerating or joking about the demon bear, after all. She had smiled at Carter’s interest in the story, turning the same expression (albeit with more ease and comfort) in Kitty’s direction at the knee bump. It was so easy to feel comfortable and reassured in the older woman’s presence, and that was a feeling Rahne had never expected to have in her life, a bond she never could have anticipated. It was something she definitely wasn’t going to take for granted. With a quirked eyebrow, waiting until she had finished her mouthful of fries to speak, Rahne asked, “Eldritch horror monsters?” She flicked her gaze between the two older wolves. “What are those?”
“Just weird - things that might happen, or might have happened, - it’s all a little confusing, honestly,” Kitty replied. “Nothing good can come from a place ironically named ‘Joyland’ in a town surrounded by a ghost line, in my opinion,” the blonde added before eating some more of her burger. For a few minutes, they were all quiet as they worked on their burgers, and Kitty set her sandwich down to take a sip of her soda as Carter spoke up again, and then gave Rahne a reassuring smile at the teenager’s accompanying question. “You’ve heard of Lovecraft, right? Eldritch horrors are things that are in some of his stories, and there have been different kinds in other cultures and mythology over time - and in fiction. They’re usually really powerful, scary monsters - like Cthulu would be considered one, I guess. Or that thing that came from Todash space at the tavern a couple months ago - when the festival was going on at the church,” Kitty explained to Rahne, before looking back at their guest. “So - yes, a couple. The town isn’t overrun with them, but they’ve shown up.”
"That's so strange." Carter breathed a laugh as she spoke about Joyland, but he fell quiet to eat his burger. He would have explained for Rahne, but Kitty handled it better than him, with examples in town that he wouldn't have known about. He groaned. "Great- and I thought stuff was weird at home sometimes with witches and werewolves and stuff. I think I got rid of the other one, but it was dark and then I was pretty confused about ending up somewhere else."
Rahne had opened her mouth in a silent oh of equal parts awe and understanding at Kitty’s explanation, giving the smallest shudder at the memory of that whole night. She hadn’t been at the tavern, but her own experiences at the Church had been just as unsettling. And given her history with churches in general, that was saying something. “Other one?” She had been halfway towards raising some of the communal fries to her mouth when she said that, her hand pausing mid-motion at Carter’s words. She allowed her concern to show on her face. “What do you mean?”
Carter did his best to be punctual. He'd spent the day dragging Luke around town trying to learn his way around, stopping in for some more clothes and some groceries, trying to figure out where things were and what he'd need to know. And he'd dressed..well, nicely. Mostly? Nice shorts, a button down shirt- but one of the patterned ones. It had bananas. Why? He didn't know exactly. But he liked it. Anyways, it didn't take him all too long to find the pack house. He liked the area- it did remind him a bit of Green Creek, and the house- well, it was newer than the one he'd left behind, and really nice. Knocking on the door, he stepped back, taking a careful breath. He could smell the scent of other wolves here, and if he hadn't been invited, he might have been tempted to step back. But before he could do anything else, the door opened and he smiled at the sight of the young woman. "Hi! Kitty? It's- I'm Carter."
When the knock came, Kitty quickly rinsed a little grease from one of the burger wrappers from her hands, then dried them on her way to the door. After a quick check through a side window, she pulled it open and returned the man’s smile. When he’d said he was Mark’s nephew, she had expected someone younger than her, but her surprise was brushed aside as she motioned him in. “Hi, Carter - come on in,” she said as she stepped back, then held out her hand to shake his. The gesture was definitely one more for the human world than wolf, but since he was more or less a stranger, she stuck with it, especially considering what he’d said about his experience as a mayor. “Welcome to the Pack house. Rahne’s taking a nap, but she’ll probably join us in a bit once she hears us talking.”
"Hi- thank you." Carter was almost surprised for a moment when she held her hand out but he shook it- confident, but not in any kind of way to try to intimidate. "This looks amazing- thanks for inviting me." He kept his voice quiet, not sure where Rahne was napping; he didn't want to wake her before she was ready if he could help it, and he wasn't exactly sure of how sensitive her hearing might be. He could hear her heartbeat somewhere in the house, steady for now, but he shook that off, not wanting to intrude. "It's great to meet you, by the way. All official and everything. I didn't really know what to expect when I got here- I didn't know if werewolves would be a secret or if I'd be the only one or what.."
“I wish I could take credit for it, but it kind of fell into my lap. Weirdly, that’s how a lot of things happen here for us ‘mistakes’,” she said, even adding the quote fingers with a little roll of her eyes, but she was still smiling. “It’s great to meet you in person, too. And I know what you mean - where I’m from, the existence of weres and vampires being known by humans is pretty recent, and like I said - I’m one of the few public figures. I try to set a good example,” she added with a little laugh, even though deep down she so very often felt like she was faking a lot of that public persona. It had all happened so quickly that her only choice had been to go with it at first; it wasn’t until Carl had threatened to take it away that she’d fought for it. “So my first post on that network was mentioning I was a werewolf, but I found out pretty quickly that not everyone is public about it. Though circumstances have dictated that a few have revealed themselves on there, at least.” Still, she wouldn’t force anyone to reveal what they were before they wanted, but she herself would still be public so that they’d know they could come to her if needed. “As you can see, the floor plan is pretty open,” she pointed out as she led him over to the kitchen area. The back of this part of the house was mostly windows and a few patio doors, which let in the last few rays of the setting sun, though heavily filtered by the woods. “When I saw it, I fell in love with the place, and figured instantly that it would work for whoever needs to use it.” Picking up a milkshake, she held it out. “I’m not sure if you like strawberry or not, if you don’t we’ve got water, tea, coffee, juice, soda - pretty much anything.”
"So I've heard," Carter admitted. "About things falling into laps, not- I haven't heard a lot about you, I mean." Gee. He was already sounding awkward, wasn't he? Carter shook his head a little- he really needed to get out more or something. "Yeah, I get that. I accidentally wolfed out in front of the town, and while we could have done a little memory magic, it seemed..better if they knew. Some people didn't handle it well, and they moved away, but most of the town have known us forever and stayed." He knew he and his pack were lucky. And..special, really, in a lot of ways. Green Creek was special. He followed her into the house, admiring the view out of the back windows. "I can see why you'd love it. This is awesome." He grinned as he turned to accept the milkshake. "Strawberry is great, thank you. I promise, I'll get dinner next time."
Kitty hid a grin at his words, only nodding a bit as he continued. “For a while, it was quiet, and most humans had no idea - I mean, it was pretty much the best kept secret for centuries. But then things started to happen that couldn’t be explained, and my show started getting calls about it, until eventually a hunter showed up and outed me while I was on the air,” she explained. “After that, it was kind of hard to deny it, so instead I used it how I could - and it helps some people.” Not enough, in her opinion, even if sometimes she was surprised when she was recognized or people had heard her show. “No problem - like I said, just pitch in with groceries or grocery money every now and then, and we’ll be square. Do you like your burgers straight from the bag or on a plate?” When she was feeling a little too wolfy, she’d go for a plate, but right now she didn’t have a preference and would go with whatever he wanted to do. Kitty was working hard to help him feel at ease, because this home, in her opinion, wasn’t just for her and Rahne. She wanted others to feel like they could come over anytime they wanted, too.
Carter listened as she shared her experience. "That's really shitty of him," he replied. God, he hated Hunters. But he was glad that she'd survived that experience. "I get it. We had hunters attack our town- which is how I ended up transforming in front of people. And it was a few of them who really stepped up and reminded everybody else that they'd known half of us since we were awkward and gangly teenagers, that the town was better for us being there, and that..was nice." He nodded. "Bag's alright by me- unless you wanted plates? I'm not picky." It seemed easy enough, and he didn't want to make too much extra mess for her. "I don't really know how I ended up Mayor, actually. It just..kinda happened. Someone suggested it, and I had the degree, and wasn't doing a ton else at the time so I just..ran. And they voted me in."
“It was,” she agreed, but then she grinned and shook her head ruefully. “But I managed to talk him into reconsidering who hired him and why and exactly what he’d been told, and he agreed not to kill me until he looked into it. After some things happened that are a little too complicated to sum up now, we actually became friends. His cousin is my lawyer, and helped me when I was testifying in DC,” Kitty added as she passed him one of the bags. That was how her life had been since she’d become a werewolf - talking people into or out of things, because it turned out that her real gift was talking fast enough to keep herself alive most of the time. Sitting in one of the stools at the counter, she nodded to a second for him and pulled food out for herself from the bag. “Do you like it? Being mayor?” Kitty asked before unwrapping a burger and taking a bite.
"At least you had a reasonable one, I guess," Carter admitted. He thought back to Elijah, the hateful things she'd spewed, determined to destroy the entire town. He shook his head before he got pulled too far into his thoughts. "That's great, though- that you could do that." He moved over to the stool she mentioned, sliding onto it. He maybe sat just a little closer than most people would, but he didn't notice and couldn't quite help it. Thanking her for the food with a nod, he reached in for the burger, then pulled out the fries and poured them onto the flattened bag. "I did- do. The people were great, and I really love Green Creek. My family's been on the land there for generations, you know? My brothers and I, we spent a couple years away, and nothing's..nothing was ever quite the same. But it wasn't so bad, knowing we could always go back home."
“Sure, that’s Cormac - a reasonable man,” she said with a little laugh. If Cormac was here, she could only imagine how he’d react to being called that. “Honestly, despite being a hunter, he’s a man of honor - and he knows I’ve never hurt or killed any humans. Plus, I think I’ve worn him down to the point where he kind of likes me, and would be sad if he ever actually had to kill me.” Pulling out a second sleeve of fries, she added them to the pile he started, then ate a couple as she relaxed. “And everyone in your family is a werewolf?” She asked curiously. It was still a little strange to her that weres could be born that way - though honestly, more fascinating than strange. “It sounds like you all have a close connection with the area. That sounds really nice.”
"No, that's great- honestly!" Carter replied with a laugh of his own. "The only hunters I've known were all..zealots. Real intense, believed they were 'cleaning the world of sin and evil' or something like that- it was terrible. And you should've seen the way they treated werewolves. Well- no, you don't want to have seen it. It was awful." He picked at a couple of fries before reaching for his burger to unwrap it. "Yeah. Well- define family? Our pack is werewolves and humans, and every pack has a witch. They're my family. The Bennetts- we're all born werewolves. Ox was a human, and he became an alpha somehow when Joe and Kelly and I were all traveling- he took care of Green Creek and what was left of the pack when we couldn't." Carter still felt a pang of guilt for that. "We didn't even know that human alphas were possible- Dad suspected years ago, but I don't think he really knew for sure. And we've got some wolves in our pack who were human and then turned- usually to save them from dying- if they wanted it. We wouldn't turn anybody who didn't want the bite." He was quiet for a moment, taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully. "I don't think our pack is really like most others. It makes the Alpha of all nervous, I think."
“I thought Cormac was like that at first, and he’s warned me that there are some out there who are that way, but for now at least, we get along. He’s helped me out a couple times.” At Carter’s words about how werewolves were treated, her own face hardened a little. “I think I can imagine.” She’d seen a few things in her own world, and experienced them, and there were some things she didn’t wish on her worst enemy. Chewing thoughtfully on a bite of her burger as he talked, she stared at him as she took in every single word. What he described was pretty incredible when it came to weres - though it sounded a little more like Alette’s situation in DC, as the ‘Mistress of the City’ and the area vampire in charge. “Where I come from, no one is born like this. I don’t know the origins or anything like that, but I do know that you have to be bitten to become a were. And most Packs rarely have non-wolves, though I ran into one recently that….well, it wasn’t a Pack, exactly, more of just a sanctuary for the area, but they had a bear, a jaguar, a lion - different kinds like that. Humans are normally not in Packs back there, I don’t think.” She paused to sip her shake, then went on. “I was attacked and bitten four years ago, and pulled into a Pack with an abusive Alpha. I was exiled a few months ago, and since I had to leave Denver, I haven’t seen my human family since. They’d only found out what I was a month or so before the exile. But what you’re describing sounds really nice,” she said quietly as her eyes dropped to the burger in her hands, and for a moment her appetite faded.
"It's strange, isn't it? How people here can be similar but come from really different worlds? Origins?" Carter was still wrapping his mind around it. "You'd think werewolves would be pretty much the same everywhere- all born or all bitten or something, but then..we're not." Then it sank in that there weren't just werewolves in her world. "Wait, bears and lions too? How-" He broke off, shaking his head. "That's wild. I didn't- I don't think we have anything like that in our world. I mean- if people can shapeshift into wolves, why not other animals? It's just- not something I've ever run into." He could sense the blue wash over her, and he set his burger down, turning a little toward her. "I- shit- sorry. Pardon the language. That's- Alphas should never abuse their power like that, and I'm sorry you had one that did. And I'm sorry you haven't seen your family. But- it seems like you all have started building something good here so far? I know it's not a substitute for the family you miss, but.."
“Yeah, it’s kind of mind-blowing, but I guess the laws of physics probably differ from world to world, too, in order to make sense of it all somehow.” She then laughed at his reaction to the different kind of weres she’d mentioned. “Okay look - I had the same reaction. It’s pretty amazing, but it was definitely an experience. I was even told this were-myth - you know the bible story about Daniel and the lion’s den? I was told that he was a were-lion, and that’s how he survived.” When he turned towards her, Kitty set her burger down, then looked back up and gave a faint smile of thanks, glad that he could understand the way she felt. Then she nodded as she took a deep breath and picked up a couple fries. “Yeah, I am. I know that I wouldn’t have met the people here if I hadn’t been brought here, and I know some bad things have happened, but I wouldn’t trade meeting Rahne or Mark or Enid for anything,” she said firmly. “Especially Rahne. She’s as close as a sister to me, or even a daughter,” Kitty added, then bit into the fries.
"Do werebears give good hugs? I bet they'd give amazing hugs." Carter laughed. "I..you know, that kind of makes sense? I never thought of that, but I can see it working, a were-lion to survive." "That seems to be the general consensus of this place, from the people I've met so far. I'm glad you have them now." He offered a small smile, pressing his knee to hers in a small show of sympathy. Touch tended to ground him when he was feeling upset, and they'd only just met, so he was still keeping his distance a little bit, trying to respect her space while still offering some comfort. "I'm looking forward to meeting the others- they seemed nice, from what I saw on my post."
It had been a combination of low-volume chatter and the drifting scent of warm food that had stirred Rahne from her sleep. It tempted her towards the surface, the promise of company and a full belly both, teasing and leading her out of dreams, dark or otherwise, that had already begun to fade by the time she blinked her eyes open. For several seconds she remained right there, comfortable on her side in a bed unlike any other she had had before in her life (big and cosy and hers), listening to the voices and identifying them. One was Kitty. The other she didn’t recognise. Rahne had taken a nap in her clothes and didn’t even think to change them before padding out of her room on quiet, sock-covered feet, rubbing at her eyes with her characteristically oversized sleeve that not only hung over her hands but swamped them completely. The grogginess faded more and more with each step, until she reached the bend that would take her into the kitchen, just in time for her to hear Kitty say what she did about their relationship. It caught her off guard, that statement, along with the almost immediate formation of a lump in her throat, along with the faintest prickle of tears in her eyes. For someone who had never had a mother, not even the replacement figure of one, those words meant more than she would ever be able to express. Once she had those emotions under control she stepped around the corner, looking from Kitty to the newcomer who had to be Carter, who had introduced himself on the network and told her that he would be stopping by for dinner. In a quiet, but not entirely timid voice, she said, “Hello.”
“I didn’t get the chance to find out, but I imagine they probably do,” she replied with a faint laugh. The press against her leg earned him a small, appreciative smile as she recognized the gesture for what it was, when a faint sound caught her attention. “I do believe you’re about to meet one of them,” she said, then gave Rahne a warm smile as she looked over just in time for the teenager to step around the corner. “Hi, sweetheart. I brought dinner home - yours is already sitting in the microwave in case you want to heat it up,” Kitty added as she moved easily to her feet and walked over to sling her arm about the girl’s shoulders to gently lead her around the island counter and into the kitchen. “Rahne, this is Carter Bennett. Carter, this is Rahne Sinclair.” As they passed the fridge, she paused and reached in to grab the third milkshake, setting it on the counter for Rahne as well.
Carter heard the quiet footsteps down the hall, but he kept his attention on Kitty for the moment, figuring Rahne would step out when she was ready. He could feel blue on her as well, and a flood of green at Kitty's words. "It's a bummer you never found out," he replied with a laugh. "Maybe one will show up someday and you can find out." He turned as Rahne stepped out and offered a smile. "Hi, Rahne. I'm sorry if we woke you up- but it's good to meet you."
It was easy for Rahne to fold herself into Kitty’s embrace, to just sort of mold into the older woman’s side and enjoy the closeness and the comfort. For a moment she indulged herself by wrapping her arms around Kitty’s middle in what could only be described as a snuggle. “How long has it been in there?” she asked Kitty, with regards to the food, before she caught sight of the milkshake and the telltale hue that told her it was strawberry. A smile touched her face, a knee jerk response, and then Carter spoke, turning her attention his way. The smile faded but not unkindly. There was still a trace of it at the corners of her mouth. “It’s okay. It’s not really a normal time to be sleeping anyway,” she said with the smallest show of a shrug, before she took the milkshake from the counter, cold in her hands, and sipped through the straw.
“Just a few minutes,” she told Rahne. “Barely long enough to cool off.” She brushed her hand across the teen’s hair, then gave her another quick, tight hug before releasing her so she could take hold of her shake and get her food. Sitting back at the island, she picked up a french fry and bit into it. “Do you want to join us?” Kitty asked Rahne a moment later, nodding towards one of the empty stools. She never put any pressure on the girl, always giving her the chance to decide things for herself, but she was glad that the teen had woken up while Carter was there so the two of them could meet, too. “I was just telling Carter about the different kind of weres in my world. I think the bear impressed him more than the jaguar.”
"Any time is a good time for sleeping," Carter replied solemnly. "If you're tired, then you need it." He watched her for a moment as Rahne picked up her milkshake, then laughed as Kitty spoke of him. "Bears are so much bigger than jaguars!" he insisted. "You can't tell me that they wouldn't be nice to snuggle up to if you had a chance." He wondered if a werebear in human form would also be larger than a regular human. Shaking his head, he smiled. "Seems like I've got a lot to learn about everyone here. And the town itself. Do either of you have any recommendations? Things I should definitely do, anything I need to skip?"
“I fought a demon bear in my world.” Rahne said this as casually as one might discuss the weather, and she did it as she collected her food from the microwave. As Kitty had said, it was still more than warm enough to eat. It didn’t warrant the power it would take to heat it through again. She took it to the island and chose the seat closest to Kitty without missing a beat or seeming to pause for consideration. After she sat she had a moment to regret mentioning the bear, because it very naturally led her mind to Dani, and how much she missed her. Dani Moonstar was the first person who had accepted Rahne through and through for who and what she was. She wasn’t the only person now, of course, but being the first and now being absent from Rahne’s life had resulted in an ache that never seemed to face. Carter’s question came right as she took a bite of her burger, and despite knowing full well that it was impolite to talk with her mouth full she couldn’t stop herself from saying, almost a knee-jerk response, “Don’t go to Joyland.”
“I don’t think snuggling with a demon bear would have quite the same effect,” she remarked with a grin, and when Rahne sat next to her, Kitty bumped her knee against the girl’s in easy companionship. At the words spoken around the burger, the blonde nodded and picked up her own burger again. “She’s right. The tunnel will show you…weird things, the wax museum might have a version of you, and I’ve heard the haunted house is a little too real with its scares,” she explained before taking a bite. After chewing and swallowing, she went on. “And I imagine you’ve been told about the ghost line - and the lake, with the lobstrocities? Our territory is a little close to it, but it's easy enough to avoid.”
"A demon bear? I wanna hear that story sometime. If you're up for it." He didn't know how bad of a fight it might have been, but she had mentioned it first, so maybe she'd be up for it sometime. It didn't hurt to ask. Carter blinked. Joyland. He thought he remembered seeing it on the map, but hadn't gone seeking it out. "A version of you? Whoa. What- what kind of weird?" He nodded. "Yeah, I heard about the lake. And the ghost line, but I haven't actually gone out near it at all." Pausing, he took a bite of his burger, quiet as he ate. "Are, uh. Eldritch horror monsters common around here? I'm pretty sure I fought something like that on my way here."
Dunwich was a strange town, that much was certain. Even though Rahne hadn’t been here as long as some of the others, she had learned that much early on. Perhaps she had had an upper hand coming in, though, what with the hospital and everything that had happened there. She hadn’t been exaggerating or joking about the demon bear, after all. She had smiled at Carter’s interest in the story, turning the same expression (albeit with more ease and comfort) in Kitty’s direction at the knee bump. It was so easy to feel comfortable and reassured in the older woman’s presence, and that was a feeling Rahne had never expected to have in her life, a bond she never could have anticipated. It was something she definitely wasn’t going to take for granted. With a quirked eyebrow, waiting until she had finished her mouthful of fries to speak, Rahne asked, “Eldritch horror monsters?” She flicked her gaze between the two older wolves. “What are those?”
“Just weird - things that might happen, or might have happened, - it’s all a little confusing, honestly,” Kitty replied. “Nothing good can come from a place ironically named ‘Joyland’ in a town surrounded by a ghost line, in my opinion,” the blonde added before eating some more of her burger. For a few minutes, they were all quiet as they worked on their burgers, and Kitty set her sandwich down to take a sip of her soda as Carter spoke up again, and then gave Rahne a reassuring smile at the teenager’s accompanying question. “You’ve heard of Lovecraft, right? Eldritch horrors are things that are in some of his stories, and there have been different kinds in other cultures and mythology over time - and in fiction. They’re usually really powerful, scary monsters - like Cthulu would be considered one, I guess. Or that thing that came from Todash space at the tavern a couple months ago - when the festival was going on at the church,” Kitty explained to Rahne, before looking back at their guest. “So - yes, a couple. The town isn’t overrun with them, but they’ve shown up.”
"That's so strange." Carter breathed a laugh as she spoke about Joyland, but he fell quiet to eat his burger. He would have explained for Rahne, but Kitty handled it better than him, with examples in town that he wouldn't have known about. He groaned. "Great- and I thought stuff was weird at home sometimes with witches and werewolves and stuff. I think I got rid of the other one, but it was dark and then I was pretty confused about ending up somewhere else."
Rahne had opened her mouth in a silent oh of equal parts awe and understanding at Kitty’s explanation, giving the smallest shudder at the memory of that whole night. She hadn’t been at the tavern, but her own experiences at the Church had been just as unsettling. And given her history with churches in general, that was saying something. “Other one?” She had been halfway towards raising some of the communal fries to her mouth when she said that, her hand pausing mid-motion at Carter’s words. She allowed her concern to show on her face. “What do you mean?”