undergrounds | August Catch-All for Girl

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.]

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She pauses, halfway to hyperventilating and clutching her arms so tight her skin was turning white underneath her fingertips. A wrinkle forms between her eyebrows, bewildered. "What? You thought I did it?"

For a moment Girl looks hurt, even though rationally she knew she had to reason to be. She was already lying to him, in a manner of speaking, why shouldn't he think she did it? "I don't want to start some war! I'm not that stupid."

But still stupid enough to go following after someone who might. And there she is back to looking contrite. "Sort of. Did you ever meet Johanna?"

"That's what you made it sound like!" His voice is a little shrill when he says it, like he feels the need to defend himself from the god damn child.

Then he flinches, because he realizes it sounds like he is calling her stupid. That's not what he's aiming for. "I'm not thinkin' bad about you, okay? It's just." He motions vaguely with his hands, and that totally explains it. "Y'know?" No, Ghoul. No one knows. Words were invented for a reason.

He's halfway through shrugging at her with a dumb, useless expression on his face because the name Johanna doesn't ring a bell. Until it suddenly does. "Wait, yeah! She tried to blackmail me one time," he recalls, sounding thoughtful and hilariously casual about it, as if that's a completely normal statement to make about another person. "I kinda liked her... She started all this shit, though?"

"No I didn't!" Maybe she did. Girl's not thinking to hard about how she sounds. But even reasonable doubt won't stop her from whining and defending herself.

The hurt expression returns and lingers, like a dulled light behind her eyes. His attempt to smooth it over only lessens it by degrees instead of making it leave completely. "I don't know," she says petulantly, just to put him on the spot.

Her frown twists from upset to confused. Blackmail? "She did what? Why?" Johanna had been a little intense, sure. But Girl didn't think she was really out to get anyone. "She'd already changed, ya know? It was the night of the moon and I don't think she knew what she was gettin' into."

That's what Girl had been telling herself since it happened. Johanna couldn't have really been looking to start something with the vampires. No one would have run straight into vampire territory and risk their life on purpose, would they?

"I just followed her into the fangs streets 'cause I thought she was gonna get hurt. And then she attacked one and all I knew was to get her out before his friends came lookin' for revenge."

Ghoul seems to deflate a little, frowning at the look on her face. Come on... Why's she gotta be like that? He doesn't know what he hates more; that god damn look, or being the one who put it there.

He shakes his head distractedly, answering her question after a few seconds of silence. "I dunno. Maybe blackmail's a strong word. It was just a little bit of threatening over some money... I liked her nerve, though." He shrugs. What a way to make new friends.

At least he doesn't chase them in to enemy territory.

Except, from the sound of things, Girl's entirely right. He would've done the same thing and he knows it, which makes him groan. How the hell is he supposed to tell her don't do this when she's fully aware he'd make the exact same move? He's being slowly crushed under his reluctance to admit as much, and ends up resting his head down on the counter before grudgingly telling her, "You did right." That's what being a wolf is all about, isn't it? Looking out for your kind.

"Where's she at now?"

She'd almost feel bad about the look she was putting on his face if she wasn't upset herself.

"Why was she after you 'bout money?" She'd given Girl money- to get rid of her but the principle felt the same. Girl snorted, amusement momentarily peaking through the need to keep pouting. "Kinda crazy to like someone who's puttin' you through shit."

Which, honestly, means there's something to be said that he's still putting up with her. And why she came to talk to him about this in the first place. Out of the pack, Girl expected Ghoul to be the one most willing to indulge her side on this. She was expecting a little leniency, a lesser lecture than she'd get from everyone else. Not the understanding.

"Really?" He's caught her off guard. Her voice was quiet and her eyes saucer wide. Maybe it's not meant to be a compliment with how he sounds saying it, but Girl takes it as one. She was ready to argue until she was blue that she was in the right, but personal belief paled in comparison to hearing someone else say it.

"She left London. Guess she went back to the States."

Good of her to ask, because Ghoul is the best at explaining. "'Cause I had some, and she wanted it." Shrug. Why does anyone go after someone with money? Money solves a lot of problems.

Except it won't solve Ghoul's problem, which is a headstrong pup with a habit of getting herself in to sticky situations. He cringes against the counter, not even bothering to look up because he hears that astonished tone in her voice and he can just imagine the look on her face... "That doesn't mean I want you to keep doin' it!" Even if he knows that, sometimes, it's too late to know whether looking out for someone turns in to something wildly dangerous until you're in the thick of it.

Jo's gone, though. She can't create any new issues, at least. With a slow breath, Ghoul picks his head back up, glowering weakly. "You're gettin' in to too much hot water lately." Uh oh, here comes the lecture... "I don't like it. You don't even know how to defend yourself. Who's workin' with you on it?" Wait, what.

That would probably count as an explanation to someone who wouldn't bother for further questions, but Ghoul's facing a teenager. "That doesn't tell me anything," she says with a slight whine. "She didn't act like a thief to me."

And clearly when Girl makes a decision about someone or something, she sets her jaw to it like a dog with a bone. It's why the hope on her face drops when he denies that she should keep at it. For a moment she turns surly, ready to argue that he shouldn't praise her if he's just going to turn around and tell her she has to stop. Maybe to argue the possibility he could need her help someday.

But then Ghoul goes and catches her off guard again. She should really start expecting that around him. "I got a knife. What more do I need?" Girl asks, bewildered. She's got her pocket knife, bravado, and a lot of luck that hasn't required more from her thus far. "No one's workin' with me 'bout it. I'm fine."

August Catch-All for Girl

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