Two Brothers

[Llamadog]

The city was cold tonight. Dark, cold, and quiet. Although this was unusual for a Friday, Dario enjoyed it. He scrutinized his land with hopeful anticipation. With little to no humans around, an animal could run free without having to deal with being seen. He knew very well the consequences for the human who spotted him. It was messy, uncivilized and albeit much too fun for his own good. The last fool to cross his path was a bum. He was quietly sitting on the corner, covered in his own filth and a few cardboard pieces trying to sleep when he had accidentally caught Dario changing. The insolence of the man. The change was a very personal process, possibly holy in nature, and the bum defiled it by gazing upon it's majesty. There was no other alternative; Dario had to rip his throat out. It was remarkably easy to kill a human. Dario always wondered how humans had become such a force upon the planet when all it took was a few sharp fangs and a well placed bite to end them. Dario always considered the possibility of wolves being the master race on the planet, the bestial royalty that would control every aspect of the weak, shriveled, insects that was human kind.

He spotted a single man wandering home from a night of alcohol consumption. Dario chuckled. If he played his cards right he could have some spirits along with his meat tonight. Dario took off his sport coat and began to undress.

Brother! The door burst open. Dario spun around to see his brother dressed in dark jeans and a t-shirt, uncultured at it's finest, smiling at him. He always had such bad timing.

What do you want?

Ah brother, aren't you happy to see me?

You are interrupting me.

Interrupting you? From what?

Remus, Dario's brother, strode to the window and peered outside at the drunken spectacle stumbling down the boulevard. He laughed heartily. Ah brother. Always thinking about food. Why don't we just go out for some meat? Maybe not human this time, you know how messy they can be...and loud!

What do you want Remus?

What I want is to spend some time with my big brother! Nothing more!

You never just want to spend time with me Remus, you want something. What is it?

Ah brother, you know me so well. Actually I was here for a specific reason. It appears that one of your seconds seems to think that I, being the brother of the all powerful alpha, am not worthy of respect

This is not my problem.

Ah brother, but you do not understand. If someone questions the validity of power in our family then more will follow. The last thing we need is for you to be usurped by some lowly pup who thinks he is bigger than his backyard.

DO NOT LECTURE ME ON POLITICS! I am the Alpha and I know far better about how to run a pack than you![/i]

Remus laughed heartily. He knew he had won this fight. Making Dario angry always meant victory to him because when he became angry he became stupid. Dario bore his teeth at Remus and growled deeply. Sometimes it was hard to distinguish the difference between Dario the wolf and Dario the man. Remus continued to stand his ground and stared directly into Remus eyes, trying to initiate a fight through intimidation. Dario lunged at him and grabbed his throat pinning him against the wall.

Well done Dario! Zero to pissed off in five seconds flat! That's a new record!

Shut the fuck up or I'm gonna have to rip your fucking heart out and feed it to you!

Come on brother! Family doesn't kill family it just isn't right. Lemme down or else I might have to do something wrong.

Dario howled and dragged his brother to the door. He opened it and through his brother into the lobby. His grip on his brother's now formed a bruise reminding Remus that he had been bested. Some other time then brother. Remus tidied up his clothes and walked towards the door.

[Llamadog]

(Yes I know, double post, but I have two characters!)


Remus grinned as he began his walk home. There are two things that he loved in this entire universe: 1) Beer and 2) Absolutely pissing off his older brother. A spring began to encroach upon his step as he began his way home. The streets were dark, the street lamps barely lighting the sidewalk as he walked. Two men stepped out of an alleyway blocking Remus' path. The one with the red-bandanna, who Remus would eventually learn was named Rizz, pulled out a knife and poked it at Remus stomach. Remus stopped, looked into the eyes of his would-be attackers and smiled.

Something I can help you with folks?

Riz did not seem fazed by Remus' disregard of the situation, instead he pressed the knife further into Remus' stomach. The knife made a small hole in Remus' shirt and playfully poked at his stomach. Riz's companion stepped behind Remus and put his hands on Remus' shoulders and as Remus continued to watch Riz he could swear that he was smiling.

Follow us or you're dead.

Remus didn't complain. His smile fading away from his face as he followed the men into the alley. Someone was going to get hurt tonight it definitely would not be Remus, but someone had to get hurt. The worst part of it was Remus couldn't help but feel bad for the two of them. These idiots just chose the wrong person to mug that's all, it's not their fault.

Remus was walked into an alley behind a thrift shop and was pushed against the wall. The one called Riz holding the knife to his stomach as the other one went rifling through his pockets. Being a werewolf and all had it's perks. One of the downsides though was you couldn't carry anything you couldn't afford losing this includes jewelry, pictures and of course: wallets. While the other man continued his futile search through the various crevasses of Remus' being, Remus decided he would do some rifling of his own.

Why are you guys doing this to me? Remus tried to sound scared. He was never that great an actor, but he though now was as good a time as any to try.

The look on the one named Riz's face told Remus that his acting needed some work. Just tell us where the cash is and we'll leave you alone.

I don't mean to disappoint you two but I do not have any cash on me at all. No wallet either. I left it at home. I would be more than happy to give it to you, but I would need to know what my financial contribution will do for your cause. Remus tried to look as sincere as possible in saying this. He had to gain their trust. He had to know why. He needed a reason. The look on the other one's face began to soften.

I'm sorry man. I'm desperate. I need the money to feed me and my wife...ever since the economy went under I lost my job at the Chrysler plant and then they took my house. I don't want my wife and me to live like this no more. Remus' acting must have drastically improved because this man was saying his life story to him. Now what to do.

What about you? What have you gotta do this for?

Fuck you man. The one called Riz responded.

Remus flashed the knife out of the one-called Riz's hand and sliced open Riz's throat. The one-formerly-known-as-Riz collapsed in a heap, life streaming out of his throat.

Riz!

The other one dove for the-now-decomposing Riz's body. Remus swept behind him and pressed the blade to his throat.

I don't know what your name is. I don't care. What I want you to do right now is go home to your wife. Go home and forget everything you saw here tonight. If you don't, well let's just say funerals can be really expensive.

Remus loosened his grip and allowed the other one to escape. As the adrenaline began to quickly escape his body, Remus felt pangs of sorrow and regret over the now-dead Riz. He loathed the slaying of humans. Yes they were weak and useless, but he hated seeing them die. Putting an animal down always left Remus feeling like he failed. Remus picked up the body and carried him deeper into the alley where he found a small park.

Remus looked at the fresh earth in the park and placed the now de-sanguined Riz on the ground. Remus began to undress hoping no one would walk up to see him naked with a dead body. Murder is easy to explain. Necrophilia was just gross. The change came quick and as soon as he could feel his wolf take over, he began to dig. He kept digging until he was deep enough in the ground to properly dispose of the body. Then he picked the pale-as-a-sheet Riz up with his jaw and placed him in the cavern. He then sealed the grave and padded it down with his paws. He bayed at the moon quietly, mourning the death of another human, and picked up his clothes in his jaw and started towards a dark corner letting the change flow through him. When he was human again he dressed and walked back towards the walkway.

Another night, another dollar.

[Talia]

She could practically taste it on the air- that cold dampness that promised of rain, possibly a storm. It would, at the very least, explain the utter darkness that lay over the city. It was an all-consuming blackness, like a void had sucked the light out of the area; the thick cloud cover prevented even the brightest of stars from shining tonight, short of the ever-present moon.

She watched the few humans that she passed with a certain amount of curious, yet oddly detached calculation. Humans were so... unusual. She had been born Uratha, and did not understand their peculiarities. They openly admired, the women with a certain degree of envy, their hair plaited or pinned, their necks and arms bejewled, their bodies adored with designer labels. Vanity was for meat. The men leered, cat-called. Made passes at her. She bit her lip hard, resisting the urge to snarl and snap at them in utter disgust. Did they really think that she would stoop that low?!

She really could not comprehend the spiteful expressions, the exposed desire. She simply was. Her hair was austere, and lay to her waist in wild golden tendrils and waves. Her brilliant emerald eyes hinted at a fierceness and deep rooted sense of pride that she had kept carefully in check since she arrived. Her clothing was simple- nothing fancy, yet seemingly elegant on her frame, snug like a second skin. She didn’t need makeup; her face had its own vibrant coloration, rosy cheeks against a pale palette and delicate lips that had never seen lipstick. She drew people in like an intoxicating wine. Perhaps that’s why he had wanted her as a mate...

Dario.

She had been brought up outside of Toronto, in the rural countryside. She and her brother had been sheltered, and up until recently, she had had minimal contact with humans in general aside from occasionally socializing with the neighbors so as not to arouse suspicion. Her family fed when they were hungry, and stayed out of sight when they weren’t. And up until recently, she had been content- until her mother had died, and Aidan had ran.

She had come to Toronto after that of her own volition, mostly to track down Aidan, and there she had met Dario. The rest was still so new, so fresh. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure what to make of him, what to think. Was she fond of him in the human sense of the word? Probably not. But he was strong, powerful and capable- everything she needed at the moment. And he had promised her Aidan, so she didn’t object. Wouldn’t object. While she was indeed capable, for a female, she had no illusions about being able to put Aidan down. She would need her mate for that, and she was smart enough to realize that belonging to a pack, for once, could come with some advantages.

She agilely spun away from a grasping hand- some filthy ingrate on the corner, disheveled and half-mad. Obviously homeless.

No doubt he would be someone else’s meat tonight. She didn’t think she could stomach this one at the moment.

She paused outside of Dario’s door for a moment, hesitating. Her legs ached for a run, for freedom, but she knew that she had to put in an appearance tonight. She had been skirting Dario for awhile now- no doubt he would not be pleased. She was his only mate, the only one he wanted- and if she was smart enough, cunning enough, she could use that to her advantage. But even he had limits, limits that she had sorely pushed as of late.

She decided on polite, demure. Submissive was best, for now, until she could better estimate his temperament. She knocked softly at his door and waited.