Kanuna Oliver (kanuna) wrote in summerview, @ 2019-03-06 17:48:00 |
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Noah wasn't entirely sure how he felt about the fact that not too long after his arrival in Summerview Lily had headed off on a trip to New York with some dragon creature whose name he'd already forgotten but he certainly wasn't going to sit around and mope. Definitely was not his modus operandi, not when he could be doing something more practical with his time.
Like getting a feel for Summerview for instance. He'd so far covered most of the ground but had paused outside of a tattoo parlour that went by the name of Needles For Days and was perusing the art in the window. Kanuna pushed the door to the place open and strolled out onto the sidewalk, whistling to himself until he was assaulted by the scent of another wolf. He stopped in his tracks and his mouth fell partly open as he inhaled again, tasting it as well as smelling it. Kanuna turned around and looked at the man at the window, exhaling in a rush. Found him. "Hey," he called, shifting his feet and sticking his hands into his jacket pockets. Noah's hair prickled at the back of his neck when he smelt the presence of another wolf. It was to be expected, this was Summerview after all and Lily had filled him in on the fact that there were a lot of supernaturals wandering around including wolves. He'd lost his entire pack a long time ago but their loss despite his recent revenge was still very raw and he pushed back on the keening for belonging. He straightened up from where he was looking at a piece of art in the lower section of the window and turned to regard the other wolf. "Hey," he greeted, voice deep and gruff. Having been a wolf for as long as he had, Kanuna had developed a sense for the type to be cautious around, and the type he didn’t have to worry about. Koa, who he’d met earlier, was a type not to be worried about, more little brother puppy than anything threatening. This guy gave off far different vibes. From the set of his jaw to the placement of his feet and the darkness in his eyes that had nothing to do with color, Kanuna’s instincts told him caution. Kanuna’s gray regard flickered to the piece the other wolf had been examining. “Looking to get some ink done? My brother inside, Samuel, he’d fix you up nicely.” Kanuna cocked his head and took a step closer. The advance was a test, in a way. It was also a move to show that this place, and the brother mentioned within, were under Kanuna’s protection. Noah may not have been a wolf for as long as Kanuna had but he recognised wariness and caution when he saw it and he saw it mirrored in Kanuna's eyes and reflected back at him. That was okay though, he was used to that, preferred that even. Definitely better that way. Connections spelled trouble and wolves were particularly troublesome especially as Noah hadn't allowed himself to be around other wolves ever since his entire pack had been slaughtered. He matched the step as he wasn't about to give ground not for anybody and especially not for a strange wolf. "Yeah?" He asked, knowing full well that they weren't just talking about tattoos any longer. "That's good to know." One side of Kanuna's mouth pulled up in a half-smile when the other wolf matched his step. It was gonna be like that, was it? Good. Kanuna hadn't met another wolf like this one in a long time. It was refreshing to be able to rely on those animal instincts rather than human facial expressions. He stepped forward suddenly, intending to put the other wolf further on his guard, and reached out to offer his hand. "I'm Kanuna. I'm pretty new here. And you are?" It was definitely going to be like that. Noah had for the longest of times been unable to do or change anything about his life that when he was finally able to take control he wasn't about to let anything or anyone push him. As the other stepped forward Noah didn't move, holding his ground, possessing that space and making it clear he was very unmoveable. The hand was regarded suspiciously, brown almost black eyes shifting from the hand back to Kanuna's face, before finally he reached out and took a hold of the hand. Both grips were firm and equally unrelenting which in itself was a challenge. Communication didn't always need words, not when you were a wolf. "Cruz," he returned. "Hey, Cruz," Kanuna responded as congenially as he could. It was hard to conjure up any kindness when there was such a hard edge coming off this wolf. A ticking bomb, almost. Kanuna wondered if Cruz was like this to everyone he met or just other wolves, and suspected the latter. Wolves had to be careful. Pack loyalties would form and dynamics would play out in a way that humans didn't understand. They couldn't understand. "So," he let go of the handshake first, giving Noah that tiny bit of a win. "You new here too, or...?" Noah exhaled a breath he had been very aware that he had been holding when the handshake ended. “Yeah, just arrived in town. Seems to be quite the beacon for us supernaturals.” Never mind the fact he’d come for Lily and no other reason. He still thought it was a shitty little town and he’d be more comfortable in a much bigger city. So much easier to get lost in the crowd. "Yeah, it's a sanctuary city, of course it is." Kanuna eyed Noah and wondered if he'd not heard of them before, the cities. He himself had had to find out about them on his own, and even then it hadn't made him want to leave his vigil over Samuel to come to one. "So are you here alone, or...?" Or were you here with a packmate, was the unasked question. Kanuna didn't want to assume all wolves came from a pack. He himself was a loner who'd exiled himself, so he had no room to judge other lone wolves. But if Noah was alone, then Kanuna could directly relate to how lonely that can feel as a werewolf with strong urges to seek that contact. Noah had in fact not heard of them. It wasn’t like his pack had felt the need for anything outside of one another but maybe they should have and maybe they’d still be alive. Kanuna had hit a still raw open wound that even with revenge didn’t stop bleeding and Noah struggled with his reply as his throat worked hard to swallow. He wasn’t alone though, he had Lily. Still as a wolf he longed for belonging though he had done well to cut himself off from his base emotion. “I’m here with a friend. You?” The cost it took Noah to reply was noticeable and Kanuna, for a moment, regretted asking it. He hadn't meant to cause the other wolf any pain, but he should know better than to think a question like this one would be easy. He had an apologetic look and glanced away to give Noah a chance to recover himself a bit. "Yeah, same. My brother Samuel. He's one of us." Kanuna shrugged and paused, considering his words more carefully now. "We'll be together on the next moon if you, uh, you know, feel like meeting up." Noah rolled his neck as he navigated the familiar emotions that washed over him whenever he thought of his long lost pack until something cracked and he felt centered again. Brother? Literal or figurative? Important definition because blood didn’t mean shit. Just meant they got to dump all over you from a young age. “Thanks but I’ll pass. I don’t tend to run with anyone else.” Hadn’t in a long time and he just needed to keep stamping down the instincts and the craving to be close. It hurt too much and some things you could never get back. "Suit yourself." Kanuna shrugged, not at all surprised by the other wolf's refusal. "Offer still stands if you feel like company." He smiled a bit more easily this time, letting go of some of his unease that had built in him by Noah's general demeanor. "See you around, Cruz." He gave a small salute and, instead of heading out like he'd intended when he left the tattoo parlor, he went back inside. Samuel wouldn't appreciate knowing that Kanuna did it as a protective measure against another wolf, probably saying he could handle himself, but Kanuna had been through this before and his protective instincts were hard to suppress. |