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Tweak says, "The backroom is reopened, boys"

outdoorsymedic (outdoorsymedic) wrote in heureuxlake,
@ 2025-01-12 16:21:00

Entry tags:

Δ threads, → cap pucey, → eli pucey, → eric reed, → fiona wilder, → kamari mousavi, → maria warrington, ∞ 2001: 01, ◦ heureux lake

RP: A Change in Leadership
Who: Eric, Maria, Craig (NPC), Amy (NPC), Caspian, Kami, Fiona, Eli
What: Eric is made acting Pack Leader
When: 12 January 2001
Where: Craig and Amy's House
Warnings: TBD, not likely.
Completion Status: Ongoing

Eric laughed quietly to himself at Craig's speech. His father was too gruff and not nearly loud enough to break through the din of voices that carried through the small home. It was just the pack right now, even if he'd reached out to Heather. He didn't expect anyone else to show up. Craig was still an old wolf and thoughts of migration and survival still rule him more than common sense. The last week had been spent in difficult conversations that revolved around how he would run the pack and open it up slowly to the community at large. Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow were already so interconnected that it didn't make sense. Eric still believed that there were groups that would want nothing to do with them because of him, but he wasn't worried. It would take more than a change of leadership to turn around the isolationist attitude that defined their still very transient pack moving from coast to coast.

His father's speech ended and the room erupted in a round of applause and sporadic hollers. Craig pulled him in close for a hug. It finally felt real and after months of lessons and information dumps he was the head of the Reed Pack. "We're still here if you need anything," Craig whispered in his ear before giving him a smile. The words held more vulnerability than he ever thought his father was capable of but it was the look in his eyes that had the lump in Eric's throat catching. It almost looked like fear. Maybe he was concerned. Eric looked for Maria in the crowd hollering louder than anyone else. "I know." Eric replied. He knew he wasn't his father and Maria wasn't Amy, but that felt like a good thing. It felt like change was a good thing.

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Re: Eli + Kami

ladyinblue
2025-01-19 03:21 pm UTC (link)

It was so hard to keep from laughing at the thought of Eric leading the pack, but somehow Kami managed. Did she always agree with Craig? No, but her wolf did at least recognize the authority in him, the Alpha. Eric did not ping in the same way to her wolf, and she had trouble imagining that he ever would. But she was, at least, used to seeing him and Maria together, and she freaking loved Maria, so she supposed she would adjust.

Wandering toward the snack tables, Kami grazed a bit before flashing Eli a curious smile. She didn't know him, not really, but she knew he was Cappie's brother, and it seemed glaringly obvious that he didn't really want to be here. "You look like you'd rather be just about anywhere else," she pointed out, not without sympathy.

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Re: Eli + Kami

ejpucey
2025-01-19 03:59 pm UTC (link)

Crap, what was her name? Camille? It was something like that, but all Eli could remember in the moment was that she was someone who had joined the pack since he had unofficially left as soon as he was legally an adult.

"Eric's girlfriend was probably still in diapers the last time I enjoyed a pack gathering," he said dryly, picking up a couple more chips from a bowl. The vegetarian selection was never great at these things, but he could usually find something. "But Fi suggested I come. Kind of a big deal."

He wiped his hand on his jeans and offered it to her. "I’m Eli."

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Re: Eli + Kami

ladyinblue
2025-01-19 10:40 pm UTC (link)

Kami let out a soft giggle at that, lifting her hand to hide it. She could admit, to herself at least, that having Maria around was nice if only because it made her feel less like the baby of the pack. "Well, Fiona is rather awesome like that." She really had been enjoying having more lady wolves around.

"I know!" she chirmed with a wide smile as she took the offered hand. "I'm Kami--well, Kamari, but I've always just gone by Kami," she explained, fairly used to having to do so. "I've heard some stories over the years, so it's nice to finally, officially meet you."

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Re: Eli + Kami

ejpucey
2025-01-19 11:33 pm UTC (link)

"Fiona's the best." Eli's face lit up in a smile, happy to praise Fi at the slightest invitation. "She even puts up with me crashing at her place." Only it didn't feel a hundred percent like crashing because spending time with Fi was like coming home, no matter where they were.

Kami. That was kind of close to Camille, so Eli felt some satisfaction that he hadn't been completely off base. Now that he knew her name, he wasn't going to forget it. "If you've heard stories about me, should I be nervous?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

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Re: Eli + Kami

ladyinblue
2025-01-20 04:56 pm UTC (link)

That didn't surprise her one bit, as Fiona was good people like that, and Kami enjoyed seeing the genuine love and appreciation etched in Eli's face. She didn't think it was more than platonic, but she really didn't know that much about Eli.

The question had her tipping her head back with a laugh, shaking it as she looked back at him. "Oh my god, no! They've mostly been from Cappie and Eric--" And not directly, at that; just things she'd overheard or picked up on, really. "--and I only believe like twenty percent of what either of them say!" she pointed out, perhaps exaggerating a little, but she thought the point still stood.

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Re: Eli + Kami

ejpucey
2025-01-20 10:29 pm UTC (link)

"Oh, jeez, those two? Don't believe a word they say," Eli joked. He knew Cap probably wouldn't say anything bad about him, especially when they were both doing their best to maintain their relationship in the aftermath of the breakup. "God, we used to follow the two of them around like puppies," he said, shaking his head ruefully. "But I'm a detective, I live in Portland. Not much more of a story to tell." Not to someone he had just met.

He sipped the soda that he'd poured himself earlier. "How long have you been with the pack?"

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Re: Eli + Kami

ladyinblue
2025-02-08 07:01 pm UTC (link)

Oh, Kami didn't believe that for one minute. Everyone had a story to tell, if they were willing to tell it, and so she had to figure that Eli just wasn't willing to share. No matter, she had just officially met him after all! She was confident that if she wanted to, she could get him to open up in time. She just needed to decide if she wanted to. "Ooh, I totally understand! I will admit to a bit of that, too," she said, focusing on the puppies comment instead of the questions circling in his mind.

"Ten years," she answered with a chirp, a hint of pride in the words. While she knew that some people found her circumstances for joining controversial, she had nothing but love for and gratitude to the Reeds and the pack.

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Re: Eli + Kami

ejpucey
2025-02-08 08:19 pm UTC (link)

"Ten years? Brave woman." Eli thought he might have gone crazy if he'd tried to stay in the pack any longer than he had. But he guessed pack life worked for some people and even he had those flickering feelings of wanting to belong sometimes. More than once over the years he had wondered whether he simply didn't like the pack elders - despite Eric ostensibly taking over, that older generation weren't going anywhere.

"Do you live in town or are you just visiting?"

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