I focus on my phone, swiping through the basic apps. There was an app with a ’crosshair’ icon that I can’t seem to access without ’credentials’.
After a few monts of thought, I consider that it is probably the network of hunter’s specialized software. Maybe a simple private ’ssage board’ or sothing even more complex?
It just really looks and feels like sothing from that ’spy’ drama or thriller stuff that this body had read in the past. I make a ntal note to check the journal for information later.
The ’browser’ icon seems familiar enough from mories. I tap it, and a blank search field appears.
> What to look for first? <
I hesitate before typing werewolves. Sothing feels wrong about searching for such information on a hunter’s phone.
Besides, with two other werewolves sitting nearby... it feels silly. Like tempting fate.
No, that’s not good enough for to not do it. Perhaps like choosing to read a book about foxes outside of the histories I was made to learn, while sitting in the middle of my kind.
And if we want to go the human route... maybe reading a psychology or anthropology text in the middle of a crowd.
Sufficiently dissuaded, I type [Vossden history] and wait as the screen fills with links. Tapping on the first result, which appears to be from the city’s official website, I see so pictures of the cityscape.
The text itself is dry but informative. Founded officially in 1862 as a settlent that grew after a silver mining boom.
Rather, it seems to have been two places that rged into one. A then untitled set of buildings that was designed more as a trade hub and stopover... and then the [Silverton] that still has its na on many locations in the city.
Which was a shanty-town of miners.
I can’t help but notice the founder and mayor has the last na Voss - just like the Alpha nipping at the heels to my heart. Surely it could be a coincidence.
At present ti, it is considered a moderately sized city known for technology and healthcare sectors. Especially Lunarizon Industries.
Nothing about its supernatural inhabitants, of course. That history remains carefully hidden from human eyes.
Next, I search for the na of Kyrie’s company and find myself looking at a sleek corporate webpage dominated by whites and pale oranges. It appears to be involved in everything from dical research to telecommunications to ’sustainable’ energy.
Whatever that ans... ah!
I open a new tab and type frantically. The definition of the term tells enough to know that I won’t really understand without deeper research.
But it served its purpose to distract until I cald down.
> So, let’s just ignore that happened and go back to see if there are any more... I an, learning more about... shut up! <
My wolf looks at how calm I am and snorts.
The section I’d quickly closed before searching about energy production thods featured a professional photograph of her. Taken in what looks like that sa white suit I t her in.
Looking every bit the powerful CEO and beautiful, domineering presence. I quickly navigate away again, unwilling to dwell on her image.
Unwilling to test how one performs a ’screenshot’. Helene had seen Chad do it before, so I know these devices can...
No!
My practical side takes over and I search [cheap motels Vossden] to see what options exist for to try tonight. The results are mixed... so of the places look as bad as the Starlight Suites.
Others seem nicer but a lot more expensive. Still, I make ntal notes of a few possibilities and their rough locations on my system map.
> Besides, with the phone I can always look this up again later. No more rote morization! <
The stern Pineheart sighs loudly from her seat, clearly annoyed by how long we’ve been waiting. I glance up briefly before returning to my exploration, for I’ve already lost interest in using her to have fun teasing soone.
When I discover the settings nu, I get absorbed in the display options. Dark mode seems like it eases eye strain, so I toggle it on.
Several minutes go by as I try adjusting text size and testing different wallpaper options. The default is replaced with a scene that reminds , painfully, of ho.
Colorful silks and the busy landscapes of sandstone looking buildings. No wandering beast shifters in the market scene, so it isn’t entirely accurate.
> But it’s close enough, Vrika. This is what life was like outside of the palace. <
My wolf barks once in acknowledgnt of my nostalgia. My hosickness.
It shares with so vague mories of forests and caves in return. Hunting with packmates.
Fragntary and old. Older than its ti with Helene.
> I see. Thank you for trying to comfort . <
On a whim, I tap the ssaging app to see how it looks with the new text sizes - but I’m reminded of my brief exchanges with Kyrie. I quickly navigate away from that conversation and open a blank one.
Finding the ’emoji’ in the keyboard, these tiny pictographs fascinate for a while. Who decided humans needed hundreds and hundreds of different ways to express emotions through caricatures?
Then there are the many others that are representative of objects and things. So make intuitive sense, while others leave completely baffled.
Like this purple... fruit? Vegetable?
Searching deep in her mories, I ca up with the na ’eggplant’. What purpose could sending this to another person even serve?
Continuing to explore ssage settings, I noticed a ’location’ sending option. It prints a string of numbers that reminds a little of how the side of the system map looks, before | Survivor’s Wisdom | simplified it for ..
Decimals and other math symbols pressed together tightly until it looks gibberish to . But it’s interesting that it can use these to pinpoint a spot on the map.
Even if I’m not sure I’d ever intentionally share where I am with soone else.
"Ms. Lomdi?"
A woman in light blue scrubs called from a doorway, her eyes scanning the waiting room. I raised my hand slightly and she nodded at with a smile.
"This way, please. I’m to take care of so of your first data intake while the doctor is busy."
She was human - I could tell imdiately from her scent. But neither of the two next to reacted strangely, so I followed her through the door into a short hallway.
One side lined with rooms numbered and marked [Examination]. I’m brought to the end of the hall and an open doorway.
Up close, I see she is middle-aged, with sandy blonde hair pulled back in a bun. And a na tag that read [Nancy].
I really love these things. Should I start wearing one with my na on it?
> No, I like saying my na too much and people would stop asking. What, don’t look at like that!
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