August Catch-All for Girl

[thelastjoy]

A. Late August; Open

Girl stood underneath the low awning of a shop, wrapped fish and chips held to her chest. It was late enough that most of the buildings on the street were closing up, natural light dying and artificial street lamps casting a sallow glow. Girl murmured gently, the noise lost to the hissing and screeching of the tabby hunched atop the awning.

Girl held up a chunk of the fish, trying to feed it to the upset cat. The creature swiped at her fingers and Girl jumped, dropping the corner of meat. She stuck her fingers in her mouth, sucking off grease and blood with a whine before trying again. There were enough red marks on her hands and so little of her meal left to show it wasn't the first time it had happened. There was probably something to be said about doing the same thing over and over, and still expecting a different result.

"Come on, kitty," she said sweetly, ignoring that the cat hunched further as she got closer with another piece of food. "You don't have to be scared of me. Just come down."



B. [Wild card it or pm for a specific prompt. Closed starters are in the comments.]

Comments

Cole

[thelastjoy]

Between helping Johanna and the pack’s territory disputes, Girl’s been too stressed to worry about pleasantries. When things finally started to settle down, she thought it was time to make a call on the promise she’d made to Cole. Finding his alley wasn’t too hard, though she did take a wrong turn trying to remember the directions and had spent far too long talking to empty air a few streets over. Not that he would need to know that.

Still, even thinking she had the right address, Girl felt awkward trying to call him out in the empty alleyway. “Cole?” She asked the wall, glancing around the clutter of the area. “Are you still here? I said I’d come and here I am.”

[hurtcomfort]

"Girl!" She hears him before she sees him. Cole sounds downright ecstatic. "You came!"

A moment or two later he materializes, the same awkward, lanky ghost that she first met, but this time he's brimming with excitement. Cole smiles a small little smile. He looks downright happy and downright excited despite the fact that they're in the middle of a slightly trashed alleyway. Obviously it hasn't been cleaned up in a while but Cole doesn't seem to mind.

"I wasn't sure. I'm glad you're here, Girl."

[thelastjoy]

Girl at least manages to keep from jumping when he suddenly speaks and just as suddenly appears. It's not like she thinks he's scary looking, quite the opposite in fact, but she's not used to ghosts. He, and all the creatures she's meet here, still fascinate her though, and she grins as he fades into existence.

"Sorry, I should have stopped by earlier. Got kinda busy and well, you know how it is." She shrugs sheepishly. She supposes 'busy' might not mean much to a ghost. What did Cole do all day out here? "How you been?"

[hurtcomfort]

He doesn't really know how it is. Busy? He hasn't been busy in years. Still, Girl was living and living people often had lots of different things to do, so while he doesn't know how it is, he knows how it should be.

"I've been fine. I've been around. More people have shown up around here which is always good." There are days when he can leave the alleyway, and days when he's pulled tight, made less, and he simply can't leave the alleyway. People visiting are always wonderful in Cole's mind.

[thelastjoy]

"Really? Have you met a lot of other people then?" That makes her feel a little better about not showing up sooner. If he had other people to talk to she didn't have to feel guilty. "People like us, or normal humans?"

Girl picks a wall to lean against, dusting off the brick and trying to get comfortable. She anticipates sticking around a while. "So, I know I promised to get you around the full moon. Sorry about, uh, not doing that. I was thinkin' maybe next month? If you were still interested."

[hurtcomfort]

"People like us. Normal humans can't see me." It's stated in a matter of fact tone. He tries and hopes and prays that normal humans could see him, whispering in their ears, placing a hand on their shoulders, throwing a telekinetic temper tantrum in the hopes that someone would pay attention. But it never worked.

As Girl mentions next month, however, Cole nods. "I am. You'll need someone to talk to, after all." And of course that would be him. She can't hurt him in the first place.

[thelastjoy]

"Oh, right." She winces. That certainly cut off most of the city. Most of the people who passed by the alley had to be just human, right? "Wow, that's- well, I hope you get to see plenty of witches and wolves and stuff come through here. Were any of them wolves?"

Girl grins, nodding quickly. "Yeah. When I turn back. Sorry to say you'll probably be pretty bored with me when I'm turned. Unless you start throwin' stuff for me to chase, but that wouldn't be any different from being around a dog."

[hurtcomfort]

"I met one. His name was...Ghoul?" It's said as if Cole isn't entirely sure what the wolf's name was. He thought it was Ghoul. But that's silly. He's a wolf, not a ghoul.

"I like his tattoos."

[thelastjoy]

"Yeah, Ghoul. Fun Ghoul. He's in our pack. He was the first wolf I even met in this city." Her face lit up and she started to nod quickly. From the excited way she speaks, it's clear it's someone she really likes.

"Did he let you look at them?" She laughed. "The showoff."