She seems like a lovely woman. If I actually intend to reveal my nature, it would be better to learn more about what she thinks. Like it or not, werewolves seem to be the closest thing to shifters to call ’my kind’...
"Do you have a relationship with any of them?"
"Honey, the old wolf families have been in these mountains longer than any of us regular folk. The Goddess blessed them with her gifts long ago and she’s continued to do so all this ti."
Martha glanced over at after making a turn and getting stuck in more traffic. Green eyes with depth stare my way, but I’m not sure if they see through or past ... or see at all. Probably so of all of it, forcing her to interpret as she will.
> Mystics are all that way, interpretive conduits. <
"Most people in the city pretend they don’t exist, but anyone with sense and power knows better. Especially those too few of us who practice. Don’t underestimate them or make enemies, you hear?"
"And you’re... comfortable with that? With them?"
"I’ve been selling eggs to one pack’s family for decades. They’re so of my best custors - always pay fair. Never cause trouble. And best, they understand the value of good, natural food. Why wouldn’t I be comfortable with that?"
Scratching underneath my chin, I exhale a hard sigh at her well reasoned beliefs. Not that I expected a magic user of her specializations to be a bigot, but being careful and not assuming similar ideologies exist between worlds...
> Really does not feel like I’m being too cautious. Just prudent. <
"I just know that so people fear what they don’t understand. I guess you’re plenty old enough to know that, though. No offense."
"Fear’s usually just ignorance in fancy clothes. Though I’ll admit, lately I’ve been worried about the wolves. Sothing’s just got everyone on edge this last week, and I can’t quite put my finger on what."
She drumd her fingers on the steering wheel as a few honks in the traffic drew my attention for a mont. I have to say I’m not a fan of being confined in a vehicle like this. Walking freely is so much better.
> Alright. It’s , isn’t it. She’s talking about us. <
Vrika whimpers as it reinforces my probably vain statents. There are probably a lot of things going on around here other than a single new rogue showing up. Maybe not as exciting as one that drew the eye of the territory’s Alpha...
"Have you sensed anything specific? Perhaps through your regular rituals?"
Martha was quiet for a long while as we passed through another small three-way intersection. I could see that she was struggling with saying sothing, in that way that people who don’t want to worry others get about them.
"You know how animals behave before a big storm? Restless, agitated, like they can feel sothing coming that we can’t?"
As a beast and a shifter who particularly dislikes storms, I nodded without any hesitation. Call it Intuition, instinct, or simply an innate ability to interpret scientific properties like air pressure changes.
"Yeah, I know the feeling you an."
"Well, that’s how I’ve been feeling for weeks now. All of the long ti practitioners in the local circles have. Like there’s sothing building. Sothing... big."
The snowflake at the top of my vision practically urged to tell her. But again, it’s probably a better idea to wait until she isn’t driving. I don’t want to test my ability to survive an automobile crash.
"And you think whatever it is is connected to the Solar God being... quieter than normal around now?"
"...I simply think the balance is off sowhere, Citra. Honestly? I don’t know how or where. And that’s what scares most. In forty years of interpreting signs, I’ve never felt anything like this."
I stared out the window at the city skyline. Thinking about how storage the size of a shipping container couldn’t possibly save too many people. How the start of the Apocalypse coinciding near the usual waking period of a sun deity was surely no coincidence.
"Martha Callway. If you happened to et a new one of the Goddess’s special children you ntioned... would you help them prepare for whatever’s coming?"
"Without question. No matter what form it takes, all of her chosen and all peoples with good in their hearts should be at least listened to."
She didn’t hesitate - and the conviction in her voice made my chest tighten almost as much as her use of the word ’chosen’. The woman, even beyond being a witch, would make a good ally. I allow my eyes to shift slightly, glowing softly blue as I et hers at the next stop.
"Then I might need to co back to your farm soti. To talk more about... the sort of preparations that might be wise for us all."
"So that was it. Wolf or not, my door’s always open, dear. Especially for soone with your kind of troubles - which is to say, congratulations. You’re pregnant... in case you didn’t-"
"Yes, I’m aware. Thank you."
I sighed as I turned and she reached over and patted my knee gently, a gesture I really didn’t enjoy... but I let her do it anyway. As Helene’s mories tell it’s just an older motherly human thing.
> Still feels like a power move to . <
As we approached a red light in the heavier traffic, my phone buzzed with a notification. It felt rude to look at it... while technically in the company of soone else, but I glanced at the screen anyway and saw Kyrie’s na.
The ssage was a photo. Breakfast spread out on what looked like it could be her office desk. A plate with so sort of egg dish covered in a yellow sauce, fresh fruits, and coffee in an elegant white mug. Her morning al looked sophisticated.
K: [Hope your day is off to a good start.]
I stared at the image, first wanting to point out the parts she could have done better between angle and lighting. My next instinct was to ignore that I’d received it entirely. Then it was to complain to her for showing sothing tasty looking while I’m stuck traveling.
> Fresh carrots are actually not bad, but I still kept thinking of the foods that I couldn’t eat right away. The golden egg yolks and mouth watering chicken waiting in the cooler unit! <
Of course, it did not help that Vrika also wanted both of those things. But... altogether, that woman was thinking of while eating breakfast. And her wanting to share this small mont... made hesitate to even put the phone away.
"Smartphones. Don’t get wrong, they’re useful tools, but I swear people spend more ti staring at those little screens than the world around them."
The older woman behind the wheel snickered at when the light turned green. When the movent began, I found myself looking out the window at Lunarizon Tower rising in the distance. On a whim, I rolled down the window and started to hold up my phone.
"Martha, do you mind if I take a quick photo from your vehicle? Of sothing outside."
"Go right ahead, dear."
I snapped a picture of the tower from between other buildings when it was visible. Then I sent it out quickly enough, without obsessing about its quality so much.
C: [Back, but still busy. Your breakfast looks much better than mine did.]
K: [Welco back.]
"Good news from your friend?"
The woman driving the truck asked, perhaps noticing my expression - or maybe the ’good energy’ around . I tucked away the phone in my pocket and stayed quiet and contemplative until we pulled in the parking lot of the farm supply store a minute later.
"...Sothing like that."
> A fox likes to be chased, after all.
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