[color=lightgray][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Q50kUMN.png[/img][/center] [center][color=black][sup]____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/color][/center] [center][color=#BB253E][b]Location:[/b][/color] Outside warehouse Gutter’s End → Coldfang Safehouse in GutterBane • [color=90F1FF][b]Time:[/b][/color] Dusk[/center] [center][color=black][sup]____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/color][/center] [hr] The engine coughed to life just as the unmistakable opening riff of the [url= https://youtu.be/lG3H1-tKzmM?feature=shared]Scooby-Doo theme[/url] blared from her phone, loud, ridiculous, and somehow perfectly timed for the night she was having. Angel snorted at the absurdity, a breathy laugh escaping her lips as she tossed her blood-smeared jacket onto the passenger seat without ceremony. With a stretch, she leaned back into the seat, one knee casually nudging the wheel as she slipped a cigarette from the battered pack in her pocket. A flick of her lighter sparked a brief orange glow, casting light over the dried crimson streaking her fingers. Smoke curled past her lips as she shifted into gear, her hand leaving a smear across the wheel. Then she thumbed the phone screen to answer, a smirk forming as the cigarette hung from her lips. [color=#BB253E] “...If it isn’t my favorite emotional support lycan,”[/color] she purred, voice rich with teasing warmth. [color=#BB253E] “Calling just to hear my voice, darling? Or are we confessing to another mailman incident tonight?”[/color] Luther’s partially turned hand raked the stone wall with misshapen claws. This feeling of pain and overwhelming dread was like being told not to fall asleep when one had a concussion. There was no telling what might happen the moment he chose to let his eyes close. Agonized breaths left his throat as he tried to hold back whatever was happening. His eyes were locked onto the screen before him, his hand gripping the phone like the lifeline it was. The pressure in his chest let up for the single moment in which the display on his phone shifted to show an active call. Luther’s pained, mumbled cries and strained breathing were the first sounds carried across the connection. Her voice had been like a heavenly angel’s when it came through but he couldn’t afford her a snarky response this time. [color=#90F1FF]”Sicily…Listen, I need…fucckk!”[/color] The harsh symphony of pained breaths and muffled agony on the other end of the line instantly wiped the smirk from Angel's face. Anxiety pooled in the pit of her stomach as she gripped the phone tighter, eyes darkening with concern. [color=#BB253E]"Luther?"[/color] she urged softly, her voice suddenly stripped of all humor. [color=#BB253E]"What the fuck’s going on?"[/color] Luther gritted his teeth as the bones shifting in his legs cracked and grew enough to drop him to his knees. [color=#90F1FF]”I need you to get…to Gutterbane quick…I’m…near a Coldfang safehouse…I’ll try to send you…the address.”[/color] Her pulse quickened instantly, chest constricting painfully at the sheer torment evident in his voice. [color=#BB253E]"Send me your location. “[/color] Angel replied swiftly, urgency layering her words.[color=#BB253E]"Just go to my contact and click 'share location."[/color] Speaking in this warped state was growing more painful by the second. He hated this so much. Every blink brought flashes of that nightmare and his body didn’t understand it couldn’t do something about it. Luther had never felt weaker and more pitiful than in that moment. [color=#BB253E]"...Luther, listen to me,"[/color] Angel spoke again, her voice unwavering, infused with warmth as she accelerated her car, [color=#BB253E]"I'm on my way right now, okay? I won't let anything happen—just stay on the line with me. I’m right here.”[/color] A yell cut through the moment —[i]"HEY!"[/i] Angel glanced in her mirror, sighing at the figures barreling after her from the warehouse. [color=#90F1FF]”Sending now…What’s…going on?”[/color] He weakly asked as he found himself a part of the alley that should be free of most foot traffic. Luther wasted no time in sharing his location to Angel, glad that one of them could think straight. Had he interrupted her on a mission? He let his mess of a transformed body slump against the cool, stone wall. [color=#BB253E]"Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me,"[/color] she muttered darkly, slamming her boot down harder on the accelerator. Tires screamed against asphalt as the car lurched forward, easily dodging a bottle hurled through the air behind her, exploding in a glittering cascade of glass on the pavement. Her free hand tightened on the wheel, but when she spoke again to Luther, her voice returned to its gentle reassurance. [color=#BB253E]"Just hold on for me a little longer, babe."[/color] Nothing about the alley changed, at least not at first. Cold fog began to spill from the cracks in the stone wall and he felt the chill that came with it. The distortions in his hands made it impossible to wipe his eyes. [color=#90F1FF]”Tch…always…making me wait…huh?”[/color] What should have been a laugh came out as a labored cough, likely harming his intention to inject some levity now that a lan was in motion. His eyes blinked. Luther had taken his eyes off his surroundings for just a brief moment but the fog that had started circling him was gone along with the dip in temperature. It wasn’t long before the sound of an engine cutting out with a violent sputter filled the air, and headlights sliced into the alley just long enough to catch the hunched figure trembling against the brick. The driver’s side door slammed open before the car had fully stopped. Angel was already moving, her cigarette flung and forgotten, smoke trailing behind her. Luther squinted his eyes as bright light filled the other end of the alley. This was it. The curse had finally taken him. Now the heavens were calling for him. He focused on the figure that moved quickly out from behind the wall of light.The shadow had curves for days and he could catch the faintest glimpses of blonde around the dark veil that obscured her. A beautiful valkyrie comes to take him to Vahalla. His delirious awe did not last for long as more of her features became clear the closer she got. [color=#90F1FF]”Sicily..?”[/color] His voice had deepend with the changes to his throat and lower jaw. [color=#BB253E]“Luther!”[/color] she called out sharply, tone raw with urgency, already crouching beside him. She didn’t hesitate: not when she saw his claws, nor when she saw his twisted limbs. Her eyes flicked over his body, gauging the damage. She then took his clawed hand without flinching, squeezing it tightly. [color=#BB253E]“ I’m here now. ”[/color] Then softer beneath her breath she added: [color=#BB253E]“You scared the shit outta me.”[/color] Luther had felt like he had been floating away from his own body amidst the pain and dread that wanted to crush him and reshape him into something else. The moment her hand took his and spoke with such concern Luther felt himself crashing back down. It was something real he could hold onto. [color=#90F1FF]”Just…keep talking.”[/color] If he could just focus on her right now, just maybe it would turn out alright. His body was an absolute mess, more than he even realized in the haze of pain and lingering effects from the vision. The bones in his legs had grown to accommodate what would be an absolutely huge Lycan, yet the muscles and skin had not kept up to contain it all. His right shoulder and arm were similarly disfigured as was his neck and the lower half of his face. Angel’s brows knitted together, her eyes darting over his form. Instinctively, she tightened her grip on his clawed hand, ignoring the sting as jagged edges grazed her palm, drawing faint crimson lines across her pale skin. Her free hand gently brushed aside the strands of his blonde hair from his forehead. [color=#BB253E]“You’re okay, Luther. Just breathe with me, alright?”[/color] Her voice was calm, softer than she usually allowed it to be. [color=#BB253E]“In… and out… just like we practiced.”[/color] Luther did as she said, letting her voice drown out the chaotic mess of his thoughts. His chest rose and fell slowly in even breaths. Yes. He was going to be fine now that Sicily was here. She was tougher than anyone else he knew. Luther couldn’t help but dig his claws deeper into the hand that grounded him in reality. He’d have to apologize later. The swell of emerging muscle mass and bone slowed to a crawl. [color=#BB253E]"Listen to my voice,"[/color] she continued quietly,[color=#BB253E]"You’re stronger than whatever's got its claws into you tonight.”[/color] Then, after another moment, Angel lifted her head slightly, eyes glinting with mischief as she managed a small smile. [color=#BB253E]"But seriously,"[/color] she teased lightly and gently, breaking through the tension. [color=#BB253E]"This is exactly why you've gotta stop chasing the mailman. How many times do we need to talk about this?"[/color] She squeezed his hand gently again, expression softening into affectionate amusement. [color=#BB253E]"Poor guy’s just doing his job… I’m pretty sure he's considering a restraining order by now."[/color] His eyes narrowed at her hearing the running joke between them and huffed. [color=#90F1FF]”He knows…what he did. I’ll get…him one of these days.”[/color] By then, any signs of growth had ceased. Simple discomfort and ache replacing the terrible pain of shifting. The distortions in his thoughts and vision came to an end. He wasn’t in that cold place. He wasn’t a butcher of his own mother. No. He was here, getting poked fun at by his best friend like always. Luther wasn’t that vile monster…at least not yet. Angel’s lips curved into a wry smirk as she gently ran her thumb over the back of his hand before relinquishing her touch. [color=#BB253E]“Oh I bet,”[/color] she replied with a light giggle. His eyes finally managed to focus on her and the copper scent of blood flooded his nose. Luther did his best to make an exaggerated look of disgust at her that looked disturbing as his body began to reverse the changes made to his body. [color=#90F1FF]”There are better ... .ways to bring a snack with you…”[/color] He chuckled lowly as his voice returned to him. [color=#BB253E]“Sorry. Got into a bit of a scuffle.”[/color] Her gaze lingered on his, gentler now. [color=#BB253E]“So… this is usually the part where I ask if you wanna talk about what happened,”[/color] she said with mock thoughtfulness, before letting the smirk creep back in, [color=#BB253E]“but since I’m an unrepentant jackass, I’m also gonna bring about the idea we just head down to Sundown Row while the night’s still young and pretend none of this horrifying shit just happened.”[/color] Luther’s body once more began to crack as he shifted again. It was slightly less painful this time as his partially turned muscle mass and bones shrank and set into their proper places. He felt physically and mentally drained so the last thing he wanted was to spend the next hour talking about what happened. It was far too fresh in his memory. It hadn’t been real. It was just a vision. Just a vision. [color=#90F1FF]”No arguments here.[/color] He smirked as he shifted and rolled the muscles that had recently recovered. [color=#90F1FF]”Except one that is…”[/color] Luther wobbled as he stood up. [color=#90F1FF]”Ain't no way in hell I'm getting caught with you like that.”[/color] gestured to all of her with a wicked grin. Angel let out a dry laugh, wiping a smear of blood from her cheek with the back of her hand. [color=#BB253E]“Oh, piss off. I’m the best thing you’ve got going for you right now.”[/color] She offered her hand as she rose to her feet, eyes glinting with that familiar fire. [color=#BB253E]“But don’t worry, we’ll both get cleaned up first.”[/color] Her smirk softened just a touch. [i][color=#BB253E]“Then we’ll fucking party.”[/color][/i][/color]