Mateo
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack: Senior Fighter
Life is a journey during which we all stumble at times.
Posts: 72
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Post by Mateo on Oct 14, 2011 0:04:45 GMT
Mateo had indeed heard the howl, which had caused him to tighten his grip on his rifle despite the new wave of pain that it brought. His hands were stiffening, the burns excruciating if he let himself think about it- far worse than his shoulder, which was little more than a faint throbbing in comparison- but thinking about the pain was something he didn’t allow himself to do. Even under normal circumstances, he would have ignored it, taking only the time he needed to deal with ointments and bandages before moving on, but circumstances were far from normal. He wasn’t sure how bad the burns actually were and maybe he would care later. At the moment, though, their home was burning, others were injured, there were still pack mates in the building, there were enemies about and he knew that it probably wouldn’t be much longer until firefighters and paramedics showed up, bringing with them even more problems. No, there was far too many other things to think about to worry about something like burned hands.
Mateo was more ready for the enemy wolves to make the scene than he was the emergency responders. He was a fighter, so he knew how to deal with those who had less than friendly intentions. Emergency personnel, though, was a different story. Oh, he could if he had to, but he preferred they didn’t find themselves in that sort of situation. Still, he wasn’t ready to leave until everyone was out of the building that would be coming out.
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Charlotte
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack: Historian
Hold on tight, wait for tomorrow, you'll be all right.
Posts: 47
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Post by Charlotte on Oct 15, 2011 20:42:25 GMT
Charlotte had tried with all her strength to keep hold of the relief rather than the fear, but it wasn't easy, and the sound of that howl made fresh tears spring to her eyes. What were they dealing with? Other wolves, yes, but why would other wolves do this to their own kind? Weren't vampires enough? Didn't they have enough to worry about without attacks from their own race from outside? It made Charlotte feel sick to her stomach, but there was no anger there, as much as she thought there should have been. It was disappointment and bitter shock.
When Calista came closer, she felt a little of that fear fade, and she was so thankful in the moment when the older she-wolf touched a hand to her hair that it was all she could do not to let the tears fall. Instead she blinked them back and looked around at the others nearby while Calista soothed Imogen. "I'm all right," she responded, shaking her head. She could see straight away that the same could not be said for Calista. The fear returned. "The others," she began, before listing off those who had injuries they could see or smell: Derrick, Samson, Finn, and Penelope. "I don't know what to do," she admitted, sheepish, with a small, almost meek shake of her head.
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Gabriel
Beta Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Tell me what you feel, now you're here.
Posts: 64
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Post by Gabriel on Oct 15, 2011 20:42:56 GMT
Gabriel hesitated long enough for Calista to meet his eyes, and as she kissed the back of his hand he gave her a small, subtle nod of his head. He watched her go, and then returned his attention to Mateo. Slowly and with as much respect as he could spare right then, he stepped around Heather's ruined body to join his fellow fighter a few feet away from the huddled group.
"You are hurt," he said to his friend without looking at him, his eyes on the same spot as Mateo's: the mouth of the small side street running alongside one side of The Four Seasons. When he spoke, he used Guenoa instead of English; none of the others behind them spoke the language, and there were some matters that were better kept private. Between them they could discuss the grimmer details, and using a language only they spoke out of those collected would allow them to say what needed to be said without having to sugar-coat, so to speak. "What have you seen?"
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Mateo
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack: Senior Fighter
Life is a journey during which we all stumble at times.
Posts: 72
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Post by Mateo on Oct 19, 2011 18:48:46 GMT
Even as he watched for threats, Mateo listened carefully to what was going on around him. They all needed to know what was happening around them, but there were, understandable, a lot of distractions right at that moment, so keeping his attention everywhere at once while still taking everything in was important.
“It could be worse.” It was fairly bad and he knew that, but it was nowhere near being bad enough that he was going to let it stop him from doing whatever he needed to do. He was more than content to use Guenoa as they spoke, since it would allow them to speak freely without having to worry about what anyone might overhear. Normally, it would have concerned Mateo very little, but when considering the circumstances, even he worried about how a frank discussion about what had been happening would affect them. “Not a great deal. A glimpse of someone at the side of the building, but he was gone as soon as I saw him.” It was frustrating that he hadn’t seen more, but as quickly as the figure had moved out of view, Mateo was certain that he had paused only long enough to be certain that he would be seen.
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Calista
Junior Member
Bella's Pack
Tell me are you free...
Posts: 55
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Post by Calista on Nov 3, 2011 20:09:08 GMT
Calista made certain to meet the young historian's gaze. "You are doing exactly what you need to, Charlotte," she murmured. "If you can keep your head, it will make it easier for the rest of them to do the same. All right?"
Imogen seemed to come back to herself. Voice soft, the Greek she-wolf coaxed her young packmate into a seated position, glad to see that the female was just badly shaken. If she had sustained any injuries, they weren't serious enough to be worried. Calista saw those who hadn't been so lucky - Derrick and Samson, Finn and Penelope - and felt her heart constrict. She couldn't yet pick up the sound of sirens in the distance, but they would need to be able to move quickly, and it would be difficult considering those who were too injured to walk on their own.
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Gabriel
Beta Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Tell me what you feel, now you're here.
Posts: 64
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Post by Gabriel on Nov 3, 2011 23:40:47 GMT
Gabriel readily believed Mateo when the other male said the damage could have been worse, but it was bad enough that his friend was hurt at all. Naturally, as a wolf, Gabriel was deeply protective of those he considered his own, and though he wasn't technically a dominant, even in their pack within a pack, Mateo was considered one of those he had to defend. Whether it was just because he was a few years older than the other male or because they had known each other practically their entire lives hardly mattered. What mattered was that Mateo was wounded, and Gabriel wanted to make sure it didn't get any worse.
Behind them, he could hear Calista soothing the younger wolves, and Gabriel turned his head just enough to glance back over his shoulder at the Greek female and those she had chosen to console and defend whilst they waited for others to join them. "We saw one inside. Do we have any idea how many there are?" Gabriel suspected he already knew the answer to that question but it was worth asking all the same. As a fighter, he liked to know what he was up against, even if he was in no real condition to be leaping back into the fray right then. As far as he was concerned, if he needed to rejoin the fight, then that was exactly what he would do, wounded or not.
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Charlotte
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack: Historian
Hold on tight, wait for tomorrow, you'll be all right.
Posts: 47
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Post by Charlotte on Nov 3, 2011 23:57:08 GMT
Charlotte felt strangely small, so very young, when Calista looked at her that way, and at first all she could manage was a meek nod. After that the severity of the situation struck her again, along with the knowledge that she was one of the older pack members present. Gabriel, Mateo, and Calista were the oldest, that much went without saying, but she still had more years behind her than the others present.
"All right," she told the other she-wolf, nodding her head more confidently. "Okay." She took a deep breath and spared a moment to calm Figaro; the cat had nowhere else to go and would have to stay in her arms for now, but Charlotte felt better with the animal close by, just as was usually the case. Not unlike Calista she had thought about what they might have to do, and soon, and how the injured parties effected that; if they had to move then those such as Samson and Derrick could not move under their own power. It was possible Mateo and Gabriel could carry them, but both males were injured themselves, she could see that, and the last thing they needed, if she put things into their true perspective, was for two of their defenders to make their own conditions worse when they were only trying to help others. It was possible that, between them, they -- Charlotte herself, and the likes of Imogen and Adalina, and perhaps even Calista if her injuries were not too severe -- could move their wounded, but it wouldn't be easy.
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Mateo
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack: Senior Fighter
Life is a journey during which we all stumble at times.
Posts: 72
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Post by Mateo on Nov 8, 2011 20:44:44 GMT
There were far more important things to worry about than his burns and aching shoulder, such as the others who were injured and those who had yet to make their way out of the hotel. He understood Gabriel’s concern and, in his own way, he appreciated it, but with everything that was going on, Mateo really couldn’t be bothered to be concerned with his own problems and, really, he did think that all concern was best focused elsewhere.
The others needed someone who could make an attempt at soothing them, something he simply wasn’t suited for. “At least two, since you saw one inside, but past that, I have no idea.” He hadn’t come across any of the strange wolves on his way out of the building, which just meant that luck had been on his side. He very gladly would have gone up against any strange wolf they had come across on their way out, but with Samson’s condition being what it was, it had been best that they had gotten out as quickly as they could. If it came down to it, Mateo would throw himself into any fight necessary without a second thought, but only as long as there was a fighter being left with the others. After all, someone needed to be there to look after them, just in case the strange, violent wolves decided to make an appearance.
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Gabriel
Beta Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Tell me what you feel, now you're here.
Posts: 64
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Post by Gabriel on Nov 30, 2011 20:50:50 GMT
Fighters could overlook their own injuries and ignore their own pain in order to take care of others when the situation called for it, and the situation in which they had found themselves tonight most certainly qualified. Gabriel and Mateo were protectors by their very nature, and it was not in them to be self-absorbed or caught up in their own troubles in any way when there were others who needed them in any capacity. The group at their backs now needed to be shielded, regardless of the fighters' condition. They were bloody and battered, wounded and weary, but they could overcome all of that in order to do their jobs, and so they would, without question or hesitation, and without even needing to think about it.
"A small group, then," Gabriel said, his eyes scanning the hotel and the flames he could see dancing through several of the windows. His heart ached to see it burning, even with the tension it had been filled with of late; The Four Seasons had still been a home to them all, they had made memories within those walls, and if the fires continued to spread and walls and floors and ceilings continued to buckle and collapse, there would be nothing left to salvage come the dawn. "Otherwise a highly organised one, striking tactically and spreading themselves out in order to attack from multiple points on all levels," he added, before a sound from behind caught his attention.
When he turned, Teivel had his hand on Samson's chest and was trying to get the Greek male's attention. Had Samson been unconscious before? Gabriel had not noticed, and he glanced to Calista and then back at Mateo. Before he could ask how badly the unresponsive male had been injured, Teivel called out; "I think he's stopped breathing."
Gabriel cursed under his breath, torn between going to try and help and remaining where he was to stand guard.
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Calista
Junior Member
Bella's Pack
Tell me are you free...
Posts: 55
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Post by Calista on Dec 2, 2011 22:11:08 GMT
It felt as though her heart had stopped. Calista's head snapped up, eyes focusing on Teivel and Samson's unconscious form. "Stay put, both of you," she said to the young she-wolves. Her vision went double the moment she stood, but she ignored it. There was no denying the panic that gripped her when she scrambled to the Greek male's side and dropped to her knees over him.
"Samson," Calista breathed. His skin was cool beneath her hands - too cool. The she-wolf gave his face a frantic little jostle. When she spoke to him again, she could hear her voice rising in both volume and pitch. He wasn't responding, oh god, he was slipping away and he wasn't breathing. "Samson, open your eyes right now - look at me. Don't you do this, not now."
Keeping a cool head was suddenly the last thing that she was concerned about. She tilted back Samson's head, pinching his nose with one hand before she sealed her mouth over his and exhaled. Three times she tried to get him to breathe on his own and nothing. Calista choked back a sob; immediately, her frightened gaze went to Gabriel.
"Help me!"
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Mateo
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack: Senior Fighter
Life is a journey during which we all stumble at times.
Posts: 72
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Post by Mateo on Dec 5, 2011 22:59:11 GMT
All Mateo was really worried about in regards to his injuries was making sure that his hands didn’t stiffen to the point that he wouldn’t be able to handle his gun properly. He had a finger at the trigger, though, and as long as he could keep it balanced, then that was all he really needed. He could turn to aim if that was what he had to do, so he was fairly confident that, should he actually need to fire the gun, he would be able to do so and his aim would be good. Still, it was a relief to have someone else there to help him should the chaos inside start making its way out to them. Having backup was never a bad thing.
He was about to agree with Gabriel before the sound behind them caught his attention and he looked over to the others, shifting his position a bit at Teivel’s statement. Though he had gotten Samson out as quickly as he could, he had known that the other male had been in extremely bad shape when they had gotten outside, but hearing that he had stopped breathing wasn’t something that he had been expecting to hear. For the briefest moment, he wondered if perhaps he had taken too long getting the Greek wolf out, but knew that he had done everything he had been able to. He had unearthed him from the pile of debris as quickly as he had been able to and had gotten outside immediately after, so there really wasn’t much else that he could have done. He knew that.
Accepting it was a bit harder.
“I can keep watch, in case they make their way outside. You should do what you can for him.” He thought it might be best to keep the thought that those inside causing destruction and devastation might make their way outside was best left between them because, while it was undoubtedly on the minds of more than one of them, it felt like saying it for them to understand might make things worse.
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Regina
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
They made a statue of us and put it on a mountain top.
Posts: 37
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Post by Regina on Dec 11, 2011 22:46:42 GMT
CONTINUED FROM: Hallways.
It had taken Regina longer than she would have like dot get out of the hotel. First one way was blocked then another. Eventually, carrying a pack member over her skinny shoulders she had all but tumbled out of the smoke and into the hot air of Los Angeles, straight into the parking lot. Regina coughed, covering her mouth with a charcoal-black hand. Tears were brimming in her eyes from the smoke and her vision blurred. She staggered a few steps and then turned her attention to the wolf she had been lugging around. She laid him down on the ground and crouched next to him, looking at him intently; he didn't seem to be breathing anymore. Regina put her hand over his heart but it was still.
"No," she said softly, shaking him. "No, no."
How long had she been carrying a dead body around with her? When had he last moved of his own accord? Too long ago. He was dead and gone. Regina was still shaking her head when she looked up and around at the other wolves. She saw Imogen. Samson was on the ground. The scent of blood mixed with smoke hit her full force and she felt the world start to spin in a funny kind of carousel type whirl. Looking around she realised that she couldn't see Mikhail anywhere. She couldn't see Mikhail and he was terrified of fire, more than most wolves. With scuffed knees and filthy skin she rose to her feet, swaying a little before she got her bearings, before she found her steel. Regina was not about to let Mikhail die in that fire.
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Gabriel
Beta Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Tell me what you feel, now you're here.
Posts: 64
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Post by Gabriel on Dec 18, 2011 2:33:58 GMT
Everything was happening at once, and Gabriel's head spun at the rapidity of it all, the chaos and the frantic pace. Regina appeared just as Calista screamed for help, and Gabriel looked towards the younger female, calling behind him to Mateo as he moved, "Make sure she's all right." One glance at the male she had lain on the floor was enough to tell him it was no longer a member of the pack, but just another body, just another corpse already beginning to cool. Even as he was moving towards Calista, he saw Regina rise to her feet with determination in her eyes, and his concern built; there was no one but Mateo who could make sure she was all right in that moment, no one but Mateo who might be able to talk her down from whatever she might be thinking. He saw the way her gaze locked on the burning building that had not so long ago been their home. Mateo needed to talk her down.
Dropping to his knees beside Calista, Gabriel laid his hand over Samson's chest and lowered to put his ear close to the still male's mouth. Nothing. No heartbeat, no breath. A touch to his neck, over his pulse point, confirmed the worst, and Gabriel lifted his gaze to Calista's, dreading what he must do but knowing that there was no escaping it. Teivel's eyes were on him, unblinking and filled with fear, and the old male glanced at the young wolf, sympathetic and regretful, before he focused his attention once more on Calista.
"He's gone, Calista," he told her, shaking his head. They would not be able to resuscitate the Greek male, not with the terrible injuries he had sustained; Gabriel did not know the full extent of the wounds, but he suspected they ran deep, and that vital organs had been irreparably damaged. Samson had been beyond help when Mateo had brought him out here. There was no bringing him back, as much as he hated to admit it, even to himself. "I am so sorry."
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Mateo
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack: Senior Fighter
Life is a journey during which we all stumble at times.
Posts: 72
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Post by Mateo on Dec 21, 2011 19:43:20 GMT
He really didn’t know how he was supposed to convince someone not to go back into the fire, especially since that was exactly what he wanted to do himself now that there was someone there who could look after the others, but he knew that he had to figure out some way to convince Regina not to go back in. To say that it was something that he wasn’t good at would have been an understatement, especially considering how he actually doubted whether or not he would be able to make himself sound convincing. Speaking often wasn’t something he had a tendency to do, but still, he knew that he needed to convince Regina not to go back into the building and if he couldn’t do that, then he would just have to go in with her. At least then he might be able to watch her back, though he hadn’t done anything like a good job with Samson…
That wasn’t something that he could allow to get to him. He had done absolutely everything he could have and he certainly couldn’t have done more. There was a bit of niggling guilt beginning to form, but his concern for those still living overtook that for the time being, pushing away anything and everything else for the moment. There was too much going on to focus on such a thing right then, too many that needed looking after, too many inside to still worry about.
He moved over, stepping in front of Regina. He didn’t like putting his back to the building, but he wanted to face her while he spoke. “I know what you want to do, but you can’t. The building is-” A crash from the building interrupted him, another section collapsing as if to make his point for him. If Regina was anything at all like him, that would only make her want to go in more.
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Finn
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
War is overdue. The time has come for you to shoot your leaders down.
Posts: 46
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Post by Finn on Dec 31, 2011 21:46:12 GMT
It felt surreal, Finn realised, standing there watching Calista, Gabriel, and Teivel as they huddled around what was now merely a corpse, and not a member of their pack. Finn wasn't sure what he had expected to feel when something like this happened. He hadn't expected it to happen at all, but given how much he had hated -- perhaps he had even loathed the male who now lay motionless on the ground no more than ten feet away -- Samson, he had thought he might feel something akin to satisfaction or relief.
Instead he didn't really feel anything. No, that was a lie. What he felt was something akin to disbelief, his gaze lifting to the building as another window shattered under the heat and pressure of the flames within, sending glass raining down to the ground below. The simple act of lifting his eyes also made him realise he still felt dizzy, another wave overcoming him and causing him to stagger. His eyes closed, and he found himself holding his breath, as though that might help somehow. A hand caught his arm, helping to keep him steady, and he let his breath out, as slowly and evenly as possible.
Finn refused to collapse. Flat out refused. Swallowing down the bitter taste in the back of his mouth, he opened his eyes, finding himself once again focusing on the group huddled across the way, the dead body sprawled amongst them. Attempting to figure out how he felt about the death of someone he had always thought he might one day kill himself would distract him from his own physical condition. That was the hope, anyway.
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