facethewolves: (Default)
Alex Udinov ([personal profile] facethewolves) wrote in [community profile] undergrounds2016-03-04 11:08 pm

March open post

I. The Department Store [OPEN]
Waltham Forest, Morning

A relaxed morning in bed with a cup of tea had turned into a trip to the store to buy a new set of sheets. The mattress was dry now, at least, even if it would probably smell like tea forever, but she'd somehow managed to scrub a hole right through one of the sheets so she'd need a new set of those. The new sheets came with new pillowcases, and she decided she might as well get new blankets too, because her blankets had also fallen victim to the tea disaster, and before she knew it the three hundred pounds she had left in the world became less than two hundred and fifty.

Loaded down with new linens, she headed for the cafe and bought a sandwich and a cup of coffee, ruefully counting out her change. She was so preoccupied with that, hoping that maybe the barista had miscalculated and maybe coffee and a sandwich wasn't really that expensive, that she failed to notice when she nearly walked right into someone, only barely stopping herself spilling coffee all over them.

"I'm so sorry," she said quickly, immediately readjusting her grip on the coffee.



II. The Mansion [OPEN]
Westminster, Night

Alex needed the money. Badly. And it wasn't like she was robbing an orphanage or a bunch of nuns or something. She did research. The guy whose house she was breaking into in the middle of the night was filthy rich and not very nice, and if the contents of his safe happened to go missing, well, that sucked for him. Getting into the mansion was easy, and cracking the safe wasn't much harder. There was some cash and a small bag of diamonds, which she took, and a lot of papers, which she left.

Before tonight, she'd figured out how many guards there were, and had so, so carefully avoided all of them. So it came as a huge surprise when she heard a floorboard creak and whirled around to find a guard pointing his gun at her.

A short fight later, Alex was running full speed towards the outside fence. She'd been shot in the shoulder and her hands were slick with blood from digging the bullet out, which made climbing the fence a lot more difficult. Some other guard must have heard the gunshot, because as her hand finally gripped the top of the fence, all the outside lights turned on, lighting the yard up as bright as day. She felt someone grabbing at her ankle, kicked out as hard as she could, and hauled herself over the fence onto the sidewalk. She almost landed square on somebody's head.



III. The Bus Stop [OPEN]
City of London, Early Afternoon

The bus was late. This bus was always late, and Alex knew its exact schedule because Edith rode this bus every week. She had to buy cat food, and it had to be specialty cat food from a specialty store in the City. Alex hadn't believed that at first, because an 85 year old werewolf who was obsessed with cats didn't seem like it could possibly be real. And yet, here she was, carrying around a thirty pound bag of cat food for Edith for the third week in a row.

She didn't hate it as much as she thought she would have. Cleaning dentures was gross, and doing the dishes and laundry and changing beds was tedious. But helping the elderly members of the pack generally felt kind of... good. Which was a weird feeling.

Alex was snapped out of her reverie by someone barreling past her, snatching Edith's purse as he went. Alex did the first thing that came to mind: she hurled the bag of cat food at the thief. It hit him square in the back, broke, and sent its contents showering over a near passerby. She ran over, picked Edith's purse up, and kicked the thief onto his back. He was out cold.

"Are you okay?" she demanded of the passerby.



IV. The Diner [CLOSED to Illya] (backdated to a couple weeks ago)
Camden, Evening

Three weeks to the day that Illya made his deal, Alex waited for him in a small diner near the British Museum. She'd scraped together a few thousand pounds and had it converted to rubles, so she would be able to buy weapons and transportation once she got into Russia. She'd mapped Pinksy Forest, partially from memory and partially by bothering immigrants in Little Russia, and she had some ideas of where the pack's new den might be. All she needed was a way into the country, and Illya, she hoped, would have one for her.

She was too excited to eat. If this worked out, she might be only weeks or even days away from going... not home, exactly, Russia wasn't home anymore. Back to where she started. To finally get closure for everything that had happened to her in the past six years. But she ordered some eggs and sausage for the appearance and sat, picking at them while she watched the minutes tick away on her phone, waiting for him to show.



V. The Confrontation [CLOSED to Kyle] (backdated to late February)

After Lupercalia, Alex spent days worrying that she had ruined whatever relationship she had with Kyle and wondering whether it would be easier to simply pretend she had never met him and move on. But he was a hunter, or at least somehow involved with the supernatural. And even if he'd never directly lied to her, he'd concealed the truth, and in her eyes that was just as bad. She wanted an explanation. Before long, she had worked up enough anger to storm all the way to his place with every intention of confronting him.

There were no obvious signs of life there. Maybe he was out. She raised her hand to bang on the door when she remembered that even if Kyle was a liar, his aunt and uncle might be clueless and innocent, and she didn't want to get them involved. If they came to the door, she would have to exchange pleasantries and possibly pretend to be there for some innocuous reason when all she wanted to do was shout at Kyle.

Instead of knocking, she yanked out her phone and called him. If he didn't answer, then she'd knock.


VI. Choose Your Own Adventure! [OPEN]
Anywhere, Any Time
akillersmile: (puppy dog)

[personal profile] akillersmile 2016-03-25 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
Kyle paused halfway through washing the glass, turning off the water and shifting to look at her. He expected a smile, a mischievous grin that suggested she was teasing him in return. Instead, he found a determined look, a suggestion that she might actually be serious beneath the taunting stare. His mind raced to find a response that was neither encouraging or discouraging and all the jokes seemed to lean one way or another. "I'd say maybe when you're not so sore."

He gave a small smile before turning back to the sink, intentionally distracting himself with the dishes again.
akillersmile: (anty up pony up)

[personal profile] akillersmile 2016-03-25 05:14 am (UTC)(link)
Kyle finished with the dishes, glancing back at the door she had disappeared behind and half-tempted to take her up on her offer. He hovered there, not moving, until the urge passed. Instead, he took up his usual seat on the couch, sliding down until his head laid on squishy back, waiting for Alex to return.

Or trying. Kyle fell asleep a moment later, sleep deprived as well. At least this time, his dreams were good.
akillersmile: (you dont say)

[personal profile] akillersmile 2016-03-25 05:34 am (UTC)(link)
Kyle startled awake with the voice beside him, sitting up suddenly and reaching out to take the pillow from her. He stopped halfway to it, realizing what was happening, and smiled up at her, lifting his head to allow her to set the pillow there. Then he slapped the couch beside him, still clearly half asleep.

"Come lay down. You need sleep more than I do." There was plenty of space for her to stretch out with her feet or head on his lap, or for her to curl up against him. He left it intentionally open, not encouraging her in any way beyond to join him.
akillersmile: (hint of a smile)

[personal profile] akillersmile 2016-03-25 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
Kyle smiled as she stretched out, wishing he'd thought to grab a blanket for her. Too late now. He wrapped a hand around her legs to hold them in place as he shifted to a more comfortable position, then released them. His hand laid casually on her legs, waiting until she was at peace, if not asleep, before closing his eyes to follow suit.