bakerstreet | (no subject)

(no subject)

the ROAD TRIP meme
You know who likes a good road trip? Everyone likes a good road trip! So aren't you glad you get to go on one now? Of course you are.

How it works:
1. Post with your character, with their name | canon and any preferences in the subject line
2. Someone else tags you. Congratulations, those characters are now on a road trip together! To where? Who cares! We only care about the journey here
3. Go to the RNG and get a random number between 1 and 15 to pick your scenario, or combine numbers or make up your own
4. ???
5. ROAD TRIP STYLED PROFIT!

Scenarios:
1: LOST You should have made a left toin at Albuquerque, or maybe you've been holding the map upside down this whole time! Whatever it is, you're hopelessly LOST. Will you make it back on the path to your destination, or will you find a new adventure? ~~Try not to open any hatches.~~

2: Tourist Trap Okay, you're all for seeing the sights, but World's Biggest Doorstopper? World's Smallest Chicken? World's Noisiest Whistle? Do we really have to stophere, too?

3: Car Trouble Maybe you got a flat tire. Maybe your engine's stalled. Or maybe you just overestimated how far you could get on a half tank of gas. Either way, you're broke down on the side of the road and the nearest station is miles away; better get behind it and push!

4: Bad Weather Driving in the rain? No problem. Driving in torrential downpours or a blinding blizzard? Big problem! Better find a way to get out of the storm fast!

5: When Ya Gotta Go... Didn't I tell you to go before we left? Well, even if you did, maybe you shouldn't have had that 44 ounce Super Big Gulp, because there's not another rest stop for miles. Maybe you can find an empty bottle in the back...

6: Road Delays Stuck in traffic? Stuck at road construction? Stuck in a funeral procession? Bridge out? Whatever it is, it's blocking your way. Do you wait patiently, or maybe find your own way around it.

7: Smokey and the Bandit Oh no, those blue lights behind you can't be good. Maybe you should just pull over and accept your speeding ticket like a decent citizen. Or, maybe you should floor it. High speed chase anyone?

8: Night Driving You decided to drive through the night, and now it's one AM and you're all out of coffee. Wake up a friend and make them help you stay awake; falling asleep at the wheel is dangerous!

9: Ghost Town Boy, this town sure is quiet. And... kind of creepy. Oh God, did something in those corn rows just move? I hear banjo music; DRIVE FASTER!

10: Roadkill Good going, you hit an animal. I sure hope you feel good about yourself. Now you've killed the poor- oh, it's still moving? What do we do now!?
10a: The I Know What You Did Last Summer Edition That animal you hit was a little more human than you care for... oh dear...

11: ROAD RAGE That jerk cut me off! How dare he!? I'll make him pay! Or maybe you cut off a less-than-friendly driver of your own, and now he's after you...

12: Carjacked Awww, that was a good lunch. ...Wait, I know this is where we parked... Dude, where's the car!?!?

13: Hitchhiking Who said you needed a car for a road trip? Stick that thumb out and catch a ride where you're going. Maybe you and a buddy are chillin' with the pigs in a trailer, or maybe that nice looking hitchhiker you picked up down the road is not as nice as you thought...

14: Fantasy Car Roads? Where you're going, you don't need roads. If you're in Doc's DeLorean, anyway. Or maybe the car is really Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Or a spy car. Or the Batmobile. Or a Transformer! Whatever it is, this car is NOT normal.

15: Are We There Yet? Roller's choice! Pick your favorite option, or two, or three, or just roll with whatever feels right!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

[Brigid isn't used to a werewolf that's just... human when not furry and howling at the moon. She's used to her pack, who can smell her coming almost a mile away. And that's not being weird or anything, they just are that way.

She can smell rain, and ozone and... sheep. And a wood fire, and that might be food, but she isn't sure. Twisting, she double checks the way the wind is blowing.]

I've got sheep and a fire. That's up ahead, if the road keeps turning. Maybe we can stop and get something to eat? And some directions?

[Even more strangely than his lack of senses, perhaps, is Remus's lack of a pack. He's got a very strange sort of group when he is in his wolf form, but none of them are wolves. And, a bit sadly for Remus's wolf-form, they are all in charge of him.]

Fire is good - forest fires don't happen at this time of year, so someone must have lit one. Er, sheep are usually owned by someone, but some farmers send their sheep to graze very far from their homes.

[His eyes are scanning the horizon as he speaks. Suddenly he points. In the distance is the faintest trail of smoke.]

There, is that what you're smelling?

[Omegas happen. They aren't usual, but every once in a while is a wolf that prefers the solitary lifestyle. Not Brigid; give her a pack.

She follows his point and then nods.]

That looks about right. Shall we go -

[The first crack of thunder rumbles overhead.]

Before we get rained on?

[She smiles and climbs back into the car. The wind whips against the vehicle and she shivers. The storm looks nasty.]

[He wouldn't be comforted to know how Omegas are treated where Brigid comes from; at least in the world of humans Remus can be accepted by others if he doesn't say he's a werewolf. He looks up at the sky, still squinting, and then follows Brigid back into the car.]

Maybe they can point us in the right direction. They might not want us to leave if the storm becomes fierce, though. People out here are quite serious about hospitality, you know.

Not be able to leave?

[No, she doesn't like the sound of that at all. She really doesn't. Brigid bites her lip. Her Alpha had given her very strict orders when it came to dealing with others that weren't wolves. The pack isn't close enough to help, if something goes wrong.

The first heavy drops patter against the windshield.]

Well, we'll have to risk it. I don't want to be stuck out here wandering.

[He's not thrilled about the prospect, either. The night after this one will be a full moon, and he doesn't want to be near any civilization when that happens. Still, Brigid does need to be warned.]

Right, yes. We'll go and see who they are first. They'll probably be charmed by you - everyone likes Americans, right?

[Brigid giggles, starting the wipers. She's more afraid the road will become impassible soup than anything. Also, tomorrow, she's going to try to help Remus with his shift. She'll be hanging around, anyway, so might as well try to teach him.]

Everyone likes Canadians. Americans, not really. But I can pretend to be Canadian. As long as they don't know my accent, it shouldn't be a problem.

[She squints through the gloom, turning on the defroster.]

Oh, there's the turn for the house.

[Does everyone like Canadians? He has to admit that he knows nothing about the place. He'd always thought it was like America, only colder and less interesting.]

Your accent sounds American to me. Is a Canadian accent different?

[Not that he can differentiate. His own slightly lilting and trilling Scottish accent is softer than any of those around here, but it's nowhere near as flat as Brigid's.

His eyes dart to the dark new road on their left. It's all rocky moor here, but in the distance looms a forest.]

[Brigid thinks about it for a moment.]

I think so. I doubt I could pass for one. My Boston accent is a bit too thick.

[She turns down the road, keeping a close watch. It'd be just her luck to put a tire in a ditch or something equally stupid.]

Tomorrow... I was wondering if you'd like to go running with me. It's not like you can hurt me.

[Well, he has no idea what a Boston accent is meant to sound like. He's never heard of parking one's car in Harvard Yard, either. But he'll take Brigid's word for it. He's watching the road out his side window, making sure they're not driving too close to the shallow gullies on either side of the road. But his eyes shoot back up to Brigid at her offer.]

With - with you?

[His body tenses a bit.]

I'm, er, not like you when I'm... when the moon is full, you know. I'm not even a tiny bit human. I'm not... that is. I'm not sane.

[He's not worried about biting her and giving her lycanthropy, of course. But even if he can't give her the curse, he can still hurt her badly when his mind is not with him.]

[Her hands are steady on the wheel as she tries to maneuver them closer to the house without too much trouble. Brigid glances out of the corner of her eye at him.]

Remus, running alone isn't a good idea. I heal. And being with me, you'll be safe - from hunters, from yourself - and I can make sure you don't hurt anyone.

[A deep breath.]

And maybe teach you how to control it. Most bitten wolves don't know how to when they start changing. It's something that has to be taught.

[The idea of hunters - Muggle werewolf hunters, apparently - is definitely frightening to him. He's never seen any before, but then, he's never had cause to. Most of these last few years have been spent in the company of wizards only, aside from his mother.

He gazes at Brigid silently as the car trundles forward. Can she really... teach him? A few years ago he'd have told her it was impossible. But now... well, it's not as if Sirius, Peter and James have made his wolf-self into a creature with a human brain, but they've definitely made him more rational. Often when he is with his friends he can slow his rabid mind down and think through the terrible hunger - because he is with friends. Like a pack. Could this werewolf, a werewolf who was born this way, make him rational every time he transforms?

He shouldn't risk it. He should tell her that it's too dangerous, even if she can heal herself. He should be responsible...

But. Well. It's worked with his friends, hasn't it?

He doesn't have time to answer before they finally turn a corner and see the house fully. It's a rather crude affair, made with unfinished wood and stone, but it looks well-made and light floods from the windows. It's good that they've made it, too: just as they pull up a great gust of wind rocks the trees around them and suddenly the rain comes splashing down in a great torrent.]

[Brigid sighs when he doesn't say anything. She wants to teach him. She wants to make him okay with who and what he is. There are those that call the bite a gift. It isn't always. Sometimes, but not always.

She groans as the rain splashes into rapidly deepening puddles. Brigid doesn't want to go out into that crap, but there's no other choice. Not really. Putting the car in park, she takes a deep breath and then runs to the house, knocking swiftly.

A quick conversation later, and she is back in the car, grabbing her things.]

C'mon, they're going to give us a place to wait out the worst of the storm.

[Remus only has one backpack, so it isn't hard for him to grab it out of the back seat and run splashing onto the wooden porch with Brigid. It's a downpour. Fifteen minutes of this and the road will be thick soup; and according to the report on the car radio, this might keep up all night.

He ducks into the house where an elderly woman and what must be her daughter meet them. They show both travelers into a small, warm guest suite with two bedrooms on the side of the house, give them fresh towels, and tell them that dinner will be in an hour. They're lucky to have found this place in time: privately, Remus wonders how far their luck can take them.

In a few minutes he is out in the main room of the suite, his bag having been put on the heater to dry and the towel having made his hair stick up in all directions like he's James Potter.]

Brigid, we're not going to make it out of here until tomorrow afternoon at this rate.

[Brigid doesn't know why they're being welcomed with such open arms, but she doesn't want to look a gift shelter in the mouth. Never mind that they're lost, anyway.

She grabs a five minute shower - too many afternoons with packmates waiting - and then walks out in much warmer clothing. The rain is making the air much colder than it had been.

She looks out the window, pulling the sweater sleeves down over her fingertips.]

Maybe not until the next morning, from the looks of this weather. Means tomorrow night's going to get messy.

[She turns to look at him.]

But there's lots of room. If the weather lets up, we can go out for a walk and tell them we're exploring.

[She hates lying, but there isn't anyway around it. Not this time.]

[His stomach squirms horribly at the idea of staying here tomorrow night. He's not surprised that this family is so willing to help them: out in the rural areas sometimes a roof can save lives. But if they're still here tomorrow... could they get far enough away from the house to keep from repaying the kindness with a bloodbath? The familiar frown creases his eyebrows.]

I... I really hope that doesn't happen. I dunno about you, but when I'm, you know, transformed, I can run all night. And I can smell... people, and things... for miles.

I can do that without the transformation.

[Brigid knows that. She had been forced to really learn to control her powers. She'd been lazy about it and the Alpha had, rightfully, yelled at her for it.]

Worried I can't keep up?

[He finds himself wringing his hands absently now, something he does when he's very worried. He feels a pressure somewhere in his throat.]

I just... don't want to hurt anyone. Usually I'm well-separated from anyone I could... you know.

[Brigid hasn't really dealt with bitten wolves. She was born, not made. Most of the pack is the same way. She turns from the window and steps over to him. She touches his hands. Her nails grow into claws. For a moment, her eyes flash bright blue. The wolf within surges against her rigid control.]

Remus, I won't let you hurt anyone.

[Her claws retreat into her hands again. She makes the soft words a promise.]

[He flinches the tiniest bit when she touches him; even after five years in the company of close friends he is still rather uncomfortable with physical contact. Her hands feel warm, and they do not look as scarred and calloused as his hands. Her fingers are thin as well, as if they haven't been broken and healed over a hundred times like his. He wonders how she manages to be so very calm. Is it really possible for someone to be born like this? To control it so well that the inner wolf cannot harm her? It's hard to wrap his mind around it.]

I... thank you, Brigid.

[He manages this around a little lump that's forming in his throat. He watches, mesmerized, as her hands change and reshape themselves. It looks somehow beautiful, graceful. Not like the grotesque transformation his body goes through. And it doesn't look at all painful.]

Won't you be lonely without your pack?

[Her father had been bitten. However, by the time she came along, he had full control. She's not used to those without that training. The time she'd made a mistake - almost clawing one of the younger children - had been the last time she'd ignored having to train.

She settles onto a stool.]

I'm always lonely without the pack. Not having one of them around is like a physical hole in my stomach. It aches. Having friends around, having a lot of things to do, it all helps. But it doesn't stop the bone-deep loneliness.

[Brigid gives him a weak, small smile.]

Being able to run with you, to feel the pull of the moon, to hear another wolf? It'll be nice. I won't be as lonely as I normally would be with you.

[He knows, deeply, how she feels. His mind as a wolf is not the same as his mind as a human, but he can understand the wolf's simple emotions well enough. When he is not at Hogwarts, running and playing and exploring with his strange, multi-species pack, the werewolf is... extremely lonely. Lonely and angry and frightened. It's somehow comforting to know that he isn't the only one who feels this way. He gives a weak smile.]

Then I guess we'll both be able to make each other happier.

[They don't have much of a choice, if Remus isn't going to hurt anyone.]

But, you know, I should tell you... I don't really transform the way you do. I mean, well. I think it's a bit... scary, you know, to watch.

[In fact, he made his friends swear not to watch him transform before the first night they came to see him as a werewolf. They completely disobeyed the order, though, when they got a look at exactly how painful the transformation was.]

Maybe you should, er. Transform in another spot, close by. Or something.

[She cocks her head to the side, the wolf watching something particularly interesting. Even twenty-four hours out, she can feel it tug at her, since she acknowledged that it existed.

She listens to him talk about it. She reaches for her bag and for the bestiary she's been translating as a special project for class and the pack. The Alpha agreed to her coming to Ireland if she agreed to do the translations.

She flips through the pages for a moment, then turns the book around and shows him a drawn picture.]

Remus, this is what an Alpha can look like. I've seen my Alpha look like that. I was twelve, and going through my first full moon. Two years later, I got out of hand and this is what put me on the ground.

[She takes a moment, to let herself gather her thoughts.]

If you don't want me there, I'll respect your decision. You don't scare me, Remus.

[He gets a brief glimpse of several pages of what looks like medieval Latin text before he's gazing at a picture of a large, black beast. It is very clearly a werewolf in the literal sense: part man, part wild canine. Feral eyes and impossibly strong jaws, a body so muscular that it must never tire. The image makes his blood run cold.]

I've. Er. Never seen a werewolf like that.

[He's not sure that his actual transformation will look nice to Brigid, but he's certain that at least his wolf form is not as dangerous as that. From the sound of it, an Alpha like that has to be not only ferocious, but very smart. And at least his wolf form is not overly possessed of brainpower.]

I've only seen it twice. He does it once a year to show the new ones, so they know.

[She takes the book and closes it, tucking it back into her bag. She doesn't look back at him.]

I'll respect your decision, but on my word, I won't let you hurt anyone.

[A small smile as she glances at him.]

Not even me, if I can help it.