Ailward Guard

A Storm Is Coming (Dominic and Autumn)

Dominic tossed the wrench he was using on the workbench above him as he rolled backwards on the creeper and out from under the car. The garage was void of workers except for him which was never unusual this time of the day. Mostly everyone would be gone around 5 or 6pm, but he tended to hang around a little longer because this place was more than just a job, it was a hobby, and he enjoyed being able to work in the quiet. 

As the classic rock song crackled from interference, his eyes looked to the ancient radio which was almost as old as him. A message was coming through from the dj that was breaking up just as badly as the music was, but from the few words that did come in clear, he was urging people to not leave from wherever they were and to stay off the road. His hues slowly moved upward as the wind howled over the rooftop. For once it seemed the meteorologists might be right; It looked like a storm was coming.

Groaning, the therian sighed and stood up, reaching for his jacket which lay on the hood of the vehicle he'd been fixing. It was barely springtime and it was rather surprising a storm of this magnitude was being predicted, but it also was no secret that Colorado would be hit by all kinds of bad weather throughout the spring and summer seasons. Today was unusually warm and it appeared all the conditions were perfect for the predicted storm. 

He had taken no chances either. Dominic had made sure his home was properly boarded the night before just in case and had told Sio to take the pets and stay with Clarissa inside the city and away from the river where they lived. Being in the woods during bad weather wasn't exactly the safest place to be, especially since his cabin was so close to the river which would undoubtedly rise from the flash flooding.

Pulling open the metal door leading outside, a drop of rain landed on his cheek. He glanced up to the darkening sky which had a sickly green color to it and he immediately knew that whatever weather event the citizens of Evermore were about to see would not be easy on them. Hopefully now that rush hour was almost over, he'd be able to make it into the city fairly easily. Climbing into his truck after locking up the shop, he reversed onto the road which was becoming sprinkled with the oncoming rain and put his foot down a little harder on the gas. Dom lightly bit his lower lip in thought. There was one thing that brought up a bit of concern that could make getting into the city mostly impossible. He'd need to get over the bridge before it was deemed impassable by the bridge operator who could shut down drivers from crossing into downtown. Dominic would no doubt be stuck on the wrong side of the city and not many options to find somewhere safe. With a bit more pressure on the pedal, he drove faster towards the bridge.

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NiveisPermalink Reply by ✓ Autumn Murphy on April 28, 2020 at 18:12

She seems a bit surprised to hear the apology from him, giving him a somewhat puzzled look. That wasn’t at all what she was expecting to hear but she brings a small smile to her face and shakes her head. “You have nothing to apologize for.” She means it too. What happened is still raw but there was no way he could know that and she doesn’t mind his asking. Actually she finds that it can be helpful to talk about it, though she knows that not everyone would agree. Besides, she’s far from the only one it happened to. Many in her tribe had been turned under far worse circumstances and she knows it well. Her spirits are a bit lifted now that she’s had some time to recover from the ordeal but she’s still quite serious when she meets his eyes. “Thanks, but I don’t think bravery had anything to do with it. I’m not letting anyone else drown, not if I can help.” No one deserves to go through that.

She seems quite happy to turn the conversation away from her and back to therians, listening with interest as he gives her a short explanation. She’s quiet through it, mulling over what he tells her in her head. She seems more comfortable now, no longer holding herself so stiffly, stretching her legs out in front of her. “You’re telling me more than I’ve heard most of my life. The biggest thing I was told was to try and avoid therians because they can ‘sniff you out’, which I guess is true. You said you tend to live in packs, what’s that like here?” In a city like this, she’s sure it must be pretty large which does make it odd that he’s the first therian she’s met. She’s also quite curious about what they actually look like, her only experience with them being werewolves in movies. For some reason she’s pretty sure they’re not exactly accurate.

“Yeah, I’ve only been here a couple of weeks. I was told there was a tribe of people like me here and… well it’s not like I had anywhere else to go.” That and she felt like she would be safer among people like her. She takes a second to think over her answer before she tells him, lightly tapping her finger against her knee as she mulls it over. “It’s… overwhelming. I’m not used to there being so many people and it’s loud. I prefer staying up in the mountains most of the time.” That’s not to say that she doesn’t like it, it’s just a bigger learning curve than she was expecting. “There’s a lot to do though, so that’s nice. I never got to explore much when we were traveling around so I’m learning a lot.” Like about therians, which is something she never would’ve learned about were she still up in the arctic. To be fair, she doesn’t think anything smart that wasn’t running like they were would make a permanent life up there and it’s hard to blame them.

“Since you’re a cop,” the look she fixes him with tells him she still doesn’t believe that, “I guess that means you’re used to the city? Did you grow up here?” She seems quite determined to take the conversation away from the topics that had bothered her earlier, finding drowning to be not exactly a fun discussion. She shifts some from her place on the floor, realizing how uncomfortable the incredibly thin carpet is, and gets up. She takes a second to drag one of the chairs back over to her previous spot before settling into it. In that time she's dragged her cellphone out of her pocket, looking down at the now ruined device. The screen won't even flicker, stuck permanently dark. She wouldn't have expected to get a signal anyway but she'd been hoping to at least be able to use it after the storm had passed.


Ailward GuardPermalink Reply by ✓ Dominic Howlett ~Mod~ on May 3, 2020 at 22:08

"I wouldn't know," Dominic answered to her question about packs, pulling his gaze away from the flames to look at her. "I'm an omega." He reached for his shirt and twisted it in an attempt to rid the material of any more water, but it looked like it had dried for the most part. Shaking it out, he put the top back on and could smell the smokey wood of the fire that had woven its way through the fabric. "Omegas aren't part of a pack. We're considered lone wolves and that tends to bring about trouble sometimes. I've gotten into my fair amount of fights with other therians in a pack who think of omegas as outsiders." He'd lost count of how many scuffles he'd gotten into, in fact, but perhaps that was also because at a time Dom was always looking for a fight. "We all have our reasons for not joining up with others."

"As far as I know, the packs here are pretty decent. There are branches of rule among them. Alphas and betas. The top dog or alpha of alpha's is named Orion. He ensures the packs are staying in line. Not causing trouble. Seems to be a decent guy." Dominic never did get the chance to meet the fox, oddly enough, but being a Guard for the Ailwards meant that packs were not relevant. Every member was considered equal, so a hierarchy system among the therianthropes would never mean anything to him and that was how he liked it anyway. Dom tended not to do well with other alphas.

He sat back on the couch getting more comfortable as the warmth from the fire relaxed his aching muscles. "I haven't been here my whole life, so I don't know the ins and outs of the different packs in Evermore. I grew up on the farms and mountains of Washington, so the city is not my speed, but I guess I have been here long enough to know it well and yeah, to be a.. cop.. you kinda have to." Knowing the darker side of Evermore dealings seemed to be another specialty of his among the Ailwards and whenever there was something shady going on, they counted on him to get information with the colorful locals who weren't on the right side of the law.

Dominic watched as she fiddled with her phone and wasn't surprised that it didn't come to life as she hoped. He thought back to his own cell which was still sitting in his truck after he left it trying to connect to Sio, leaving him wondering if she had made it safely into the city to hunker down with Clarissa. He already knew she was probably worried not having heard from him since he left work.

It suddenly dawned on him that there might be a landline that could be in use as he looked across the library. Dom stood and hurried over to the desk where a phone did sit and he quickly put the receiver to his ear, but was met with silence. He sighed in annoyance and dropped the phone along with a curse. His gaze moved out towards the window as the storm continued to pick up. Peeking through the wooden boards, Dominic could see the water rising significantly and was rushing through the street like a river, rising over the first step of the porch. The wind howled loudly and was shaking the utility poles in front of the gas station precariously. "That's not good."


NiveisPermalink Reply by ✓ Autumn Murphy on May 4, 2020 at 23:02

A brief moment of confusion flickers over her face when he says omega, but she waits patiently to hear his explanation. His fussing over his shirt brings her mind back to her own clothes, which are still damp, but she doesn’t want to get any closer to the crackling fire so she just lives with it. As he speaks he can tell she’s paying close attention, her eyes focused on him. There’s nothing underlying it, she just seems to genuinely enjoy learning about it and there’s no judgement in her eyes as he mentions the fights he’s gotten in, instead there’s just curiosity. His last comment brings to mind her own past and she gives a small nod. She understands entirely where that comes from, the reasons may be different but she was much the same until recently. They kept to themselves, away from others, out of fear. Both of others and of her.

“It’s interesting that you use the Greek alphabet to distinguish roles. I suppose it makes sense…” She mentally files this information away for future reference, the name he mentioned easy enough to remember due to many nights on deck stargazing. To her it sounds like Dominic is a lot like the men she grew up with. They valued their independence as well and, though they worked well together, there wasn’t much of a hierarchy on ship beyond listening to the captain. Everyone did their part and that was all they really cared about, your past didn’t matter much. That’s not saying there weren’t drunken brawls on board but she did notice that they tended to try to be on their best behavior around her.

Autumn can’t help herself. The way he hesitates on ‘cop’ pulls a laugh from her and she ducks her head to hide her grin. Neither of them are trying very hard to sell that lie apparently and it’s starting to hit her funny. “I never really had a home town, but according to my grandfather I was born in Hawaii. He left with me a few days after I was born and we never went back, but I’ve always wanted to see it for myself. I always thought it was because of me being born there that we never visited any of the States but he never would say why. Is Washington a lot like here? Or is it really different?”  She hasn’t been here long enough to even get close to a handle on how the city works but she has had a lot of help from her tribe. It’s something she greatly appreciates, since arriving they’ve all honestly gone out of their way to help her get settled. As far as shady going on's in the city, she has the look of someone who knows exactly nothing about all of that.

He can feel her eyes on him as he suddenly gets to his feet and hurries away. Apparently her cell phone triggered a thought about someone he needed to get up with, and she frowns when she sees that the library phone he picked up wasn’t working. “They probably turned off the power before they boarded up… I’m sorry. I really didn’t intend to get you all caught up in this mess.” Silence falls between them for a moment before his words set off alarm bells in her mind. “What’s not good?” She gets out of her chair, walking over beside him and looking out at the mess outside the library.

Not good feels like an understatement to her. The rushing water alone would be dangerous enough, especially since it’s so shallow that it would hinder her swimming in it, but if those electric lines fall into the gas station… She's seen enough TV to know what might happen and her kind does not like electricity. “Do you think we should leave? Go somewhere else?” She turns to look up at him, worry bringing a frown to her face. She honestly isn’t sure, not between the flooding and the lines about to go down, but she finds she trusts his judgement in this scenario more than her own. He seems like he knows what he’s doing.


Ailward GuardPermalink Reply by ✓ Dominic Howlett ~Mod~ on May 6, 2020 at 21:40

Dominic's eyes stayed steady on the developing situation that was becoming rather dangerous across the street as he felt Autumn stand beside him. He knew it wouldn't be long before the cables and transformer came crashing down. Best case scenario, it fell away from the library and the gas station, shorting out. Worst case scenario, they would be dealing with a fiery explosion that could lead to their possible deaths. Fun. "No," he answered, watching as a vehicle from the gas station began floating away down the newly formed river. "There could be other lines down that we haven't seen and it's not like there's anywhere else to go around here. We're on the outskirts and these few mom and pop buildings are the only places around before crossing the bridge into the city. Wading around in that murky water along with the storm getting worse isn't gonna do us any favors. The woods aren't any better." He turned to look at her. "And I told you to stop apologizing." He walked away then and headed towards the kitchen to see what they had stocked up. The sun was nearly set and the dark was quickly enveloping the library. 

It seemed the librarians used the space as any normal kitchen in a home which was good for them. He pulled open the refrigerator, immediately noticing the light off, but the cold air had still held. He took out a few sodas and water bottles before shutting the door and looking around at the cabinets. Luckily they had several candles and a flashlight in a junk drawer. Dominic noticed a crate nearby that was stocked with more wood for the fireplace and began loading up the rest of the snacks and other finds on top of it. 

As he made his way back into the main part of the library, those few minutes he'd spent rummaging for things had completely changed the space. The sun had set and the only source of light was now coming from the flames. He could barely make out Autumn's silhouette by the window, despite his better than normal sight. Dom gave a short whistle to grab her attention as he dropped the crate down on the worn rug near the fireplace. He had a feeling a lot of people gathered around where they were now for some type of storytelling from how scuffed the wood of the floor was. "Looks like chips are on the menu tonight. Peanuts for dessert." Grabbing a bottle of water and a bag of Doritos, he untwisted the top and took a sip which was more refreshing than he expected. It seemed his lungs were aching for the feel of something besides the river which had almost drowned him.

Dominic couldn't help but notice the storm picking up. The wind seemed to be relentless against the library and he wondered how well the foundation was going to hold. His eyes looked up instinctively as the weather pounded heavily against the walls while plopping down on the couch again, resting against the arm. Popping open the bag of chips, he ate one and caught her gaze before nodding towards the crate. "Bon appetit."


NiveisPermalink Reply by ✓ Autumn Murphy on May 7, 2020 at 3:38

As Autumn looks out at the river that has become of the street, she finds herself wishing she knew how to use her powers better. To anyone else in the tribe this would be an easy fix, just as simple as freezing the water around the poles to add extra stability and keep them from falling. She’s been told several times that she shouldn’t be so hard on herself, after all she only just became a niveis, but facing down something that she should be able to help serves to bring it right to the front of her mind. A frown pulls at her face until Dominic speaks, snapping her out of her thoughts and causing her to look up at him. She can’t argue with his reasoning, especially since she doesn’t know the area like he obviously does, and she’s fine staying in the library where she doesn’t have to worry about the wind blowing her over. She doesn’t respond beyond a nod until his comment about her apologizing, causing her to make a face at him. “You didn’t tell me that actually.” She doesn’t apologize again though, turning back to the window as he heads to the kitchen.

She can barely hear him rummaging around back there over the sound of the wind and rain. The last time she was in a library like this it was storming too. Not anywhere near this bad, just enough to be comforting as she’d sat at a table reading. Her grandfather had been looking into some old books about the phoenix, searching for a way to smother the flames running through her. According to him, a hurricane hit the island on the day she was born and, as lightning briefly lights up the sky to illuminate the downpour, it occurs to her that storms seem to follow her wherever she goes.

She doesn’t even realize how long she stood there until a whistle catches her attention. She turns from the window, suddenly noticing how dark it’s gotten in the time he’s been gone. If it weren’t for the fire she wouldn’t be able to see him at all and anything past the radius of light is entirely indistinguishable to her. The old wood creaks under her shoes as she makes her way back over, curious to see what he’d managed to find. Laying eyes on the bags of chips suddenly makes her realize just how hungry she is, apparently panic creates an appetite. “Good thing I like peanuts then.” He’s already digging in, even before she’s grabbed anything, and she nearly chuckles. Apparently he’d been hungry too. She picks a bag out at random, ending up with cheetos, and grabs one of the sodas he’d pillaged from the fridge.

Silence stretches between them as they sit, disturbed only by the howling wind rattling the library and the occasional crunch of a chip. Normally she’s fine with silence, but the situation really makes her want something to help break it that isn’t a reminder that this place might flood or blow up. “Well, since I’m apparently not allowed to apologize... “ she’s gotta mess with him at least a little, “is there any way I can thank you? You know, after we get out of this mess.” Barring them blowing up of course, that’s still a possibility. Still she felt she had to ask. It feels wrong just expecting a verbal thanks to be okay, she feels like she should write a note or something.


Ailward GuardPermalink Reply by ✓ Dominic Howlett ~Mod~ on May 16, 2020 at 21:58

Dominic cuts his eye at her as she teased him, munching on the chips while pulling his legs up on the couch. Sighing, he looks to Autumn seriously. "You've said your thank yous and sorrys. I don't need any more than that, so again, stop apologizing." He popped another chip in his mouth and continued talking through his munching and glancing at the fireplace. "I wouldn't change my choice in going out on the bridge to get you. Besides, it's my job." He emphasized the last word and looked back to her with a slight smirk before tipping the bag upside down and letting the rest of the few chips fall into his mouth. "What I wouldn't give for a big juicy steak right now."

As he stood and made his way over to the crate to grab another bag, a loud crash of glass could be heard coming from the kitchen. Instinctively, he pushed out his extraordinary senses. "Probably just a broken window. Sit tight." Dominic moved the snacks aside and grabbed the flashlight. His finger slid over the grooved button to turn it on and it flickered to life before dying. "Of course," he mumbled, smacking the side of it where the battery compartment was. The light turned on again with a bit more strength and he headed for the kitchen.

Dominic could hear the sound of the whirling wind gusts before he even turned into the room. The curtains were blowing chaotically and as he took his first step in, his bare foot crunched on a piece of the broken glass. He let out an annoyed growl and pulled the small shard from his skin, lifting the light up towards the window. It seemed the light boarding they did wasn't enough to hold back the power of the storm and Dom wasn't sure if they had any more of the planks left in the place to cover the window back up; not to mention he'd have to go searching for the tools to even do it. 

He carefully stepped over the broken glass he could make out on the darkened floor and peered outside. The wind had already knocked down countless branches which littered the ground. Dominic could see the water rising against the library walls and at that very moment, the water seeped under the back door, lightly rolling over his feet. "Of course," he repeated in annoyance. If that one problem wasn't enough, a sudden large crash came from the front of the house. It sounded as though a truck came barreling through the library and Dom had a feeling the utility pole had finally lost out against the storm.

Running back out to the main room, the hole in the roof was gaping open towards the night sky and the rain came down in sheets. The transformer was sparking dangerously above, but stayed connected to the pole which had lodged in the structure of the broken ceiling. Dom spun around in search of the niveis. "Autumn!" 


NiveisPermalink Reply by ✓ Autumn Murphy on May 21, 2020 at 12:42

Autumn gives him an innocent smile in response to him cutting his eyes at her, something that she’s mastered over the years so that it appears completely genuine. “Ah, but I didn’t apologize this time,” her mouth does tend to ruin the facade though and it’s not helped by her pointing at him with a cheeto. Sure she’s fairly mild mannered but that doesn’t mean she can’t also tease someone. Better to joke around than be all miserable anyway. “Even if you wouldn’t change it, it would make me feel better.. But oh well, I suppose if there’s no changing your mind…” she shrugs and takes a second to eat a few more of her cheetos, “It’s just a shame, I cook a pretty good steak if I do say so myself.” She matches his smirk with one of her own before breaking with a soft laugh. Having finished her soda she grabs a water bottle out of the crate but instead of drinking it she holds it in her hand, taking the quiet moment to focus and watching as ice ever so slowly begins to creep into it, chilling the water down. Her progress with her powers has been quite slow and if she’s being honest she’s pretty sure she knows why.

She’s so focused that the sudden sound of glass shattering startles her and she fumbles with the bottle as her head snaps up. “Right…” Just a broken window shouldn’t be a very big deal and with his better vision he would be better off to go check anyway so she doesn’t argue. While he’s gone she puts the water bottle down, taking a second to finish up her bag of cheetos. She can hear him in the other room moving around, though the noise is mostly obscured by the sudden sound of wind whipping into the building. She gets up after a moment, walking closer to the back and raising her voice so that he can hear her over the howling wind. “Everything alright?”

She’s about to head back there herself when a sudden flash of light from between the slats of the boards catches her attention, if only because she doesn’t hear the loud crack of thunder following. Hesitantly she walks toward the window, peeking outside and for a brief time all she can see is darkness. The storm clouds have completely blocked out any light. But then she sees it again, a brief but very bright flash, different from lightning. It’s blinding in its intensity, turning the whole of her vision white, but it was enough for her to know what’s going on. She stumbles away from the window just in time to avoid the worst of the loud crash. Bits of ceiling fall around her, the sudden torrent of rain allowed into the interior managing to knock her off balance. She feels her shoulder hit the couch, sending her sprawling onto the floor with a grunt of pain, but thankfully away from the gaping hole in the roof. The sparking transformer hanging dangerously above her head is alarming and, ignoring the pain in her arm, she scrambles away from it and up onto her feet. The wind and rain has completely put out the fireplace and the downpour has already managed to soak her entirely back through.

The transformer isn’t giving enough light for her to see by, rendering her almost completely blind. She hears it when Dominic calls out her name but she can’t see him in this mess. “I’m here!” Frustration flares through her and, both so she can see and to brace her against the rain and wind, she wills her wings to unfurl from her back again. Bright blue light glows through the room, visible through even the rain and finally she can make out his shape. As quickly as she can she pushes through to his side, looking back over her shoulder at the transformer to make sure it’s not coming farther down. “Just so you know, we don’t get along with electricity!” Her brown eyes are wide, implying that it’s probably worse than just getting shocked for a niveis. The rain pouring into the building is already beginning to contribute to the flooding. “We have to get out, is there anywhere else we can go?” There’s no way she could fly in this and even if she could she’s not about to leave him behind.


Ailward GuardPermalink Reply by ✓ Dominic Howlett ~Mod~ on May 29, 2020 at 18:38

Dominic could barely see in the darkness except for the intermittent flashing of light coming from the sparks of the electricity. Autumn's voice rang out above the sound of the storm and his head swiveled around to where it was coming from. Moving over the pieces of debris that now littered the floor of where they both were only moments before, Dom tried to see in the black following where her voice had come from only to find that stepping in the mess was not exactly safe without his boots.

The bright and familiar blue light began to emit in the room which immediately made her form clear to him. It took him a bit by surprise to see her wings fully extended as she used them for a shield. From what he could tell from the quick up and down he gave her, Autumn didn't seem to be hurt badly. Dominic turned around and began to pull away some of the ceiling boards and found his shoes still sitting by the fireplace which was nothing but smoke and ash. So much for trying to stay dry.

After pulling them on, Dom looked around at their unfolding situation while nodding to her side note. "Yeah, kid. Not many people get along with electricity." The foundation suddenly began to shake making them falter slightly. Something in the collapse had caused the library structural damage that was not quite obvious, but it was enough for him to know they couldn't meander around longer. He climbed over the fallen bookcases and hurried to the window they'd come through. Bracing himself against the wall, Dominic placed his foot on the back of the bookcase and pushed, knocking it over to free the way again. "We'll have to wade across to the gas station. There's nothing else around here that we can shelter in. It's literally the edge of town before you head into the city." He offered his hand out to Autumn to brace herself and make it through the window, speaking up to be heard over the storm. "Come on." 

The flash flooding had happened just as the term implied. The water had risen up over the porch of the library, so when he took the railing to guide his steps to the ground, it was now up to his waist. He quickly looked up to the moonlight which was hidden behind the storm and was happy to still have the flashlight handy. Turning around, Dominic put his forearm out to her so she could hold onto him, knowing the water would be high on her chest. The current was moving fairly fast and he knew it could be even more deceiving the further they went out as the street opened up. It also didn't help that anything in the path of the dark water was victim to its power as he watched one of the cars from the gas station get taken away by the newly formed river. "Never a dull moment," he muttered, taking his first step out from the safety of the railing.


NiveisPermalink Reply by ✓ Autumn Murphy on May 31, 2020 at 22:53

Her wings, the only part of her powers that she has good control over at this point, are truly coming in handy. While being able to freeze over the giant hole in the ceiling would also be super useful, knowing that she’s not just going to get knocked over by the wind is also quite handy and besides, the blue light carries quite a way, more consistent than the flashes of lightning above their heads. In the time it takes him to find his boots she does a quick injury inventory mentally, noting her incredibly sore shoulder and the headache from falling roof hitting her head, but otherwise she’s fine. As for Dominic he doesn’t look too bad off, just unpleasantly drenched again.

Normally Autumn is of a rather pleasant disposition, but at this moment she finds herself biting back a sharp retort to him. Just because this is a bad situation doesn’t mean she should be rude, it’s not like any of this is his fault. She follows him over the fallen bookcases, her shoes crunching on pieces of wood and glass, using her wings to help her balance against the wind and shaking foundation that threaten to send her toppling over. He moves faster than her and by the time she reaches him, he’s already knocked the large bookcase in front of the window over. With a nod to acknowledge that she heard him, she quickly takes his hand and lifts herself through the window, her grip tight on his hand until her feet hit the porch.

Once outside she quickly finds the railing to brace herself, ignoring the way her injured shoulder cringes in protest. The flood has already risen to the point that the entire area looks more like a river than the outskirts of a town but at least that means she should be able to handle the deepening water. If the water already reaches Dom’s waist here, she’s positive it’ll be over her head closer to the middle but that thought doesn’t bother her as much as it would others. She joins him in the water, holding on tight to his arm so that she’s not swept away until she can adjust. She notes how pleasant the water is to her, which means he must be freezing again, the cold of her wings definitely not helping that, but she can’t will them away yet. “If the current takes you off your feet, grab onto me!” Her wings are cutting the worst of the current around them, slowing it enough that for now they’re fine. Farther out she’s likely to be the only one of them that can navigate if the current gets too strong and her ability to breathe under the water could come in handy yet again. She pushes through the newly formed river with him slowly, making sure to keep her wings angled to deflect the currents as best she can, figuring any little bit would help but still she can feel it trying to tug her small frame off her feet. She glances back at him, raising her voice a bit so he can hear her better. “You okay?” He was already tired, having to fight this yet again she’s sure is wearing him out.


Ailward GuardPermalink Reply by ✓ Dominic Howlett ~Mod~ on June 4, 2020 at 18:47

As expected, the river which now formed the street he was so used to driving through when he would be going into the city on any other day, was becoming harder to navigate. Despite his strength and increased agility, mother nature could always win out if she really wanted to. Dom was no stranger to her power living in the mid-west for the passed handful of years and he'd seen the worst of it when he didn't have a place to call home.

Seeing the small girl holding onto him, but being able to shield them from the worst of the river's current was rather remarkable. The water was only getting deeper though. Dominic knew Autumn wouldn't be able to stand much longer without the river pulling her away from him and even if she could swim through it far better than him, it didn't mean she couldn't still get hurt. He planted himself firmly and pulled her around to his side with a grunt, wrapping his arm around her waist so her wings still faced the current that threatened to take them. "Okay isn't the word I'd use for it." His eyes glanced over to the gas station which seemed like a lifetime away. "Hang on, little koala."

A sudden explosion rang out in the night and when he looked backwards the library had caught fire. Pieces of the building shot outward towards them, but it was the intensity of the heat from the flames which caught his attention more. Looking backwards, it was obvious the transformer had finally met its end and decided to take the library with it. He couldn't help but think of his mother who would be devastated to see all those books possibly being burned.

Dom reached out and grabbed onto one of the utility poles near the gas station, taking a much needed breather. The cold of the water was starting to catch up to him and he could feel his muscles starting to cramp. The only good thing was the height of the river had finally lowered in their crossing and they could both stand more easily. The rising of his chest came in great heaves, but he wasn't going to stop now. He nodded in confirmation to Autumn to climb over the hood of the car that stood in their way, knowing she was looking to him to make sure he could keep going. 

The therian looked around for anything they could use to smash the store's window, but everything was under water and the glass was much thicker than the library's. Getting inside wasn't going to be as easy as it was before. The door to the gas station was locked to no surprise, so he put his elbow through one of its smaller panel windows and shattered the glass. Reaching in, Dom turned the locks and then pushed open the door, watching as the water poured inside to the already foot or so that had seeped through before their arrival. He waved the flashlight inside quickly and saw no movement while using the rest of the strength he barely had to get the door closed again.

Dominic placed his back against the door and closed his eyes. The exhaustion was draining him, but at least they'd gotten to somewhere which proved safer for the time being. Opening his lids after a few brief moments, he waved the beam of the flashlight across the space and surveyed their surroundings more with the hope they wouldn't be forced from here like before as there weren't any other options left for them to go. 


NiveisPermalink Reply by ✓ Autumn Murphy on June 6, 2020 at 2:40

Autumn does not like being back out in this storm, the slight shaking to her frame having absolutely nothing to do with the cold, but she’s determined not to let it distract her from keeping the worst of the current off of them. She only notices how concerned he is about her being swept away when he takes a moment to shift her around, her mind having been more on him being taken off his feet as the water deepens. He looks exhausted, prompting her to grab onto him tightly so he won’t have to work so hard to keep her with him. Thankfully years of hauling nets has made her stronger than she looks so she’s not having any difficulty hanging on. “Koalas would be smart enough not to be in this mess.” Her joke doesn’t stop her from hanging on like one though.

The blast of heat and pieces of building shooting toward them cause her to duck her head into his shoulder, the sheer intensity of the heat sapping away some of her strength. It’s only a short exposure so it’s not bad but it’s enough to bother her, though she’s sure to Dominic it was probably a welcome reprieve from the cold. Her own body runs naturally cooler now than it used to but at least she’s warmer than the water around them, even if she doubts it’s helping much. The water is unforgiving in many ways, sapping the heat from people being one of them. She waits until he stops for a breather before she speaks again, eyeing him with concern. “Not much farther now.” It’s meant to be encouraging, but as she takes in the way he’s breathing so heavily she can’t help the pang of guilt. It’s her fault he’s even in this mess. With the water finally low enough that she can get her feet under her again she releases him so she can do her share of the pushing through the water, letting her wings cut the current around them to make their progress easier. Then it’s just over the car and they’ll be at the building. She climbs over with little trouble after checking silently with him to make sure he’s okay.

The only obstacle left is actually getting into the building to get some shelter, which she watches him solve by putting his elbow straight through the glass. Her eyebrow raises as she goes over to help him with the door, pushing against the force of the water while looking to see if he’s truly as fine as he claimed earlier. She’s a little bruised from the ceiling collapsing on her earlier but she’s positive he must be bloody from the beating he’s taken. Once inside she helps him push the door closed, noting how exhausted he looks as he just leans against it for a moment.

She leaves him there to rest for a second and moves into the room, quickly navigating her way through the shelves and plucking things off of them before returning with her light haul, surprised but grateful that they hadn’t cleared too much stuff out. It feels wrong to steal stuff from a gas station but right now other things outweigh that. She tosses a bag of beef jerky at him to munch on before approaching with a small bottle of aspirin. “One advantage to gas stations is that they’re stocked better I guess. I found some bandages if you’re hurt.” She doesn’t doubt his previous assertions about healing quickly but knowing that they have something available just in case makes her feel better. Now the real problem is figuring out a way to clear some of this water out to give him a dry place to rest. She’s fine in it but he really needs somewhere dry so he can warm up. The staff room in the back would be ideal if she can just manage to keep the water out long enough for them to get in and shut the door, but that raises the problem of actually managing to do that.


Ailward GuardPermalink Reply by ✓ Dominic Howlett ~Mod~ on June 15, 2020 at 0:27

Dominic caught the beef jerky in his free hand, looking to the bottle of aspirin she offered and shook his head at her final offer. "Bandages, no. Bottle of painkillers and beef jerky, yes." He moved through the shin deep water that was filling their new shelter and put his plunder down on the counter, before heading to one of the refrigerators filled with a variety of different beverages. The electricity had long been out, but the drinks were still cold and it made him shiver in response as the frigid air from inside hit his already wet skin. Taking one of the six packs out, he made his way back over to the counter and pulled himself up on top of the glass to get out of the water. He looked down at the items around him and couldn't help but scoff before a slight chuckle as he spoke under his breath to himself. "Like the day after one of my nights drinking too much."

He glanced over to Autumn and could see her calculating look. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Pulling one of the beer out of the cardboard casing, he popped open the tab with the same hand while swallowing a good number of the pills with the other. It was going to take a lot more than the average dose required to help numb any kind of pain receptors since he was therian. The cold drink was refreshing as he chugged much of the can and gave a satisfying sound when he finally took a breath. His eyes went back over to his companion as she watched him. "Don't judge me," he said, ripping open the packaging of the beef jerky and snapping off a piece in his mouth. "And get out of the water. Whether it affects you or not, it's still making me colder just looking at you."

His eyes fell on the cigarette cases below him which were inside the glass that he had now made his seat. Looking over and down at the lock that kept them barred, Dominic pulled his knife out and easily slipped the blade between the two sliding doors and watched as the lock dropped to the base of the counter before pulling it off. He slid one of the doors over just enough to grab a pack of cherry flavored Black and Mild before shutting it again. Usually he'd be smoking these under different circumstances, but these were circumstances that were rather stressful and unforeseen and the guilt of lighting this up would be nonexistent this time. Putting his back against the register, he pulled his Zippo out and lit the end of the sweet cigar and blew the smoke out slowly with content while looking to Autumn, grinning. "Gonna go out on a limb and say you don't smoke." He chuckled and flicked his lighter open and closed out of habit. "That's gotta be some ass backwards thing for your kind or something, right?" Looking down to the open bottle of aspirin, Dom picked it up and shook it at her. "You alright? That was pretty amazing of you out there."

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