Tate Morgan

Joey heard footsteps behind her, trying to compose herself. She quickly wiped at her eyes, not wanting the other to see her emotions. “Sorry, sorry. Hey, I was just… out for a walk.” She paused. “I…” she started as she hid her hand behind her back.

Walking was something that had become more frequent over the past few years, having come home once again without his dream fully realized. Though, it wasn’t often he crossed paths with another, generally trying to stick to the lesser-traveled trails. Seeing the woman, he’d planned to simply bypass her. In the end, however, he managed to catch the wipe of her eyes, and his own fell to the hand she kept tucked behind her back. “You?” He asked, eyebrows lifting. “Are you good?”

“I can hold my own, if that’s what you’re asking.” She clicked her tongue, focussing on the surroundings of the cabin. It was dark and dingy, but it was charming in it’s own way - maybe a little cottagecore. “We like to go under cover these days, not scare the ghosts away.” She stood up on a dining room chair, trying to peer over the kitchen cabinets. “There’s something up here, i can’t quite see what it is…”

“It wasn’t necessarily, but I like the way you think. Hate to disappoint you, but you won’t find any ragers here. Not like what I’m betting your used to, that is. Unless I’ve totally overestimated you, and you’re actually a lightweight.” Tate’s tongue moved easily across his teeth as he did his best to ignore the overwhelming musty smell filling the cabin. “Is that a fact? Learn something new every day, don’t you?” He asked with another wiggle of his eyebrows. “Seriously though, the fuck are you investigating all the way out here? Unless...” The wolf’s voice trailed, eyes narrowing in on Ronnie. “Wait, wait, wait. You aren’t some sort of paranormal investigator, are you?” Pausing, he studied her a moment longer, running their interaction over in his mind. “Holy shit, you are, aren’t you? Why the hell else would you be out here?” A laugh escaped his lips as he shook his head. Before he could say more, the other had made her way into the kitchen, pulling a chair up to give herself a platform to search. “Hope it doesn’t bite you.” He shrugged. “Can you reach it?”

Ronnie rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, you didn’t see where I went to uni. It’s carnage on a friday night.” She half laughed, watching as Tate moved into the cabin. She was a little cautious. The last thing she wanted to do was die in a cabin with a complete stranger and asshole. “I’m not a tourist she quipped. This is my job.” She picked up her camera again, snapping a few pictures of the abandoned cabin. “I’m an investigator.” She missed out the word paranormal on purpose, hoping it gave her a bit more credibility. 

At the woman’s comment, Tate grinned, wiggling his hips a bit and in time with his eyebrows. “Ohhhh, uni huh? I’ll bet you’ve been to a few good ragers in your time.” Though it could sometimes prove exhausting, it was as though he simply couldn’t turn off the smartassed side of himself. In many ways, his mouth was nothing more than a lonely boy’s biggest defense mechanism. Beneath was a sweet, caring person. One he only rarely allowed to show. “Oh? Not a tourist, huh?” He asked, eyebrow cocked. “That camera around your neck and look of awe on your face says otherwise. But, whatever you say.” Rolling his eyes, Tate shook his head. “You sure don’t look like any investigator I’ve ever seen. Where’s your trench coat and magnifying glass?”

Kai let out a soft sigh as he sat on the wall outside the bar. He was staring up at the sky, stars littered the dark surface. Clear, beautiful, peaceful. He was a werewolf, he had seen so much hate and darkness in his life. He was no stranger to the supernatural world and he often found himself wondering what else was out there. The sky so clear that it almost had an eerie feeling about it and he found himself staring at the moon that had so much control over him.

“Hey,” he said, letting out a soft sigh as he leaned back. “Just taking a small break. Beautiful, isn’t it? The quiet. You can just pretend you’re miles away, even for a few moments.”

The bar was a place Tate frequented, not only because of who he was, but because of the owner. Having both grown up in Holloway and being from the same Pack, Tate had at least known of Kai for his entire life. Stepping outside the bar, he pulled a cigarette from his metal holder, placing the orange tip in his mouth before flicking his lighter, bringing the flame to the cigarette’s tip. Slipping the lighter back into his pocket, Tate took in a long drag, stepping towards Kai. “What’s up, man?” He asked casually, leaning a shoulder against the wall. Wrinkling his nose, he shook his head a bit, laughing. “You start in with that touchy-feely crap, you lose me. But, uh, good for you and all that.” Glancing up, Tate shrugged a bit. “It’s alright, I guess. Just ain’t nothin’ I’ve never seen before. But, go on with yourself, Churchill. How goes your night?”

“Yes, i told you, you can have dips.” She stuck her tongue out. Already following him with a swing in her step towards the back door. “Oh you frequent the creepy cabin in the woods do you? Really selling yourself.” She smiled, putting one hand on the old wooden back door. 

Shaking his head, Tate tossed a grin over his shoulder as he advanced towards the cabin. “Glad you see it my way. I would’ve hated to have to spar you for it. Totally would’ve beaten your ass, though.” He teased, extending his own tongue in a mimicking motion. As the other approached the door, Tate took one final glance around, ears tuning finely into each rustle and movement around them. “Oh, definitely. In fact, I’m due to meet the interior decorator here in a few. So, you’d better make this quick, Nancy Drew.” Stepping up, Tate pushed the door open fully, disappearing into the cabin. “You really shouldn’t talk shit about my hobbies, though. After all, you’re the tourist who came all the way here to take pictures of some rotting logs.” It was clear Tate wasn’t serious, his infamous smirk giving him away. 

Ronnie felt the tall man beside her as she persistently shoved the camera under his nose. She rolled her eyes, looking back at the female figure in the image. His reaction was exactly what she’d come to expect from people when she’d found what she thought was real evidence. She smiled mockingly. “Help me find her and i’ll let you have first dips.”

It was obvious that the woman hadn’t enjoyed Tate’s humor quite as much as he himself did, though he took no real offense and let it roll off his shoulders. More often than not, he found himself in the position to be the sarcastic asshole, and it was a position he’d become more than comfortable with over the years. “Help you find her, huh?” He teased, leaning a bit closer than necessary. “Looks to me like you’re doing a pretty swell job of that all on your own. But...If you insist...” Glancing around, Tate ensured no one was close enough to them to notice the casual, slow movements he began making towards the back of the cabin. “C’mon, follow me.” He said with a motion of his head. “I think there’s a back door. If I remember correctly.”

Ronnie half laughed, her hand touching her hair and flicking through her camera furiously for some sort of sign as to what was at the window. “I don’t think it was a trick, i think it was evidence.” She was determined, mostly driven by the hope to one day prove every skeptic wrong. “Look here!” She thrusted the camera under his nose. “Look in the window, there’s a woman.” 

Tate waited as she flipped through her photos, slipping his palms easily into his jeans pockets. His eyes flickered from her, to her camera, to the small crowd shifting around them. Ignoring the overwhelming scents as they mixed together, swirling in the wind, he clenched his jaw briefly before relaxing once more. “Good to know.” He commented with a raise of his eyebrows. When the camera was thrust into his face he smirked, cocking his head before glancing down. “That’s a woman alright.” Tate commented, leaning in slightly. “Looks pretty hot to me. Were you planning on asking her out, or should I?” The wolf’s eyes sparkled, sarcasm evident in his tone.

Looking up at the man Elise had to do a double take. There was a combination of dread and excitement swirled in her belly at the handsome barista from her favorite coffee shop. It shocked her that she hadn’t caught on to his presence before he spoke. One of the perks about being a wolf was her heightened sense of smell, it helped her track down many members of her old hunting party, much to their detriment. But tonight she must have really let her guard down. “Oh yes, so adventure seeking”, she told him holding up one of the magazines that was not hers. “Better Homes and Gardens, screams adrenalin junkie.” She turned away slide the misplaced mail into the slot. When he addressed her by an unconventional name she could help but get goose bumps. “It’s going”, she threw back. “Nothing particularly exciting. How bout you, Tate, right?”

Having been born to a lineage of Holloway Pack members, Tate knew virtually every wolf in town, even if they didn’t know him off-the-bat. Anyone he didn’t know from the Pack, he knew from growing up in town, or from his day job at the local coffee shop. He was familiar with Elise, of course, though he couldn’t recall a time they’d spoken at length, past casual conversation when she came into the shop to place her coffee order. Tate’s eyes fell to the magazine in her hands, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. “Don’t make fun, those Martha Stewart obsessed housewives are nuttier than fruitcakes. In my experience, at least.” The white picket fence life wasn’t one Tate had ever been able to imagine himself getting behind, and in fact was one he frequently poked fun at, simply to prove his own point. This instance was no different. His eyes scanned Elise’s outfit before he spoke again. “Looks like something you’d really dig though. Why not keep it for yourself, I’m sure they won’t miss it.” Tate laughed, shaking his head as he slid his hand into his pocket, retrieving a metal cigarette holder. “Nothing exciting, huh? Funny. You look like you’re headed to the party of the millennium. Yeah, you’re right. It’s Tate. Eh, no solid plans at the moment, I’m sure I’ll find something to change that, though.” Turning, he began to head towards the exit. “You coming, Blondie?”

Ronnie had read about the cabin since she’d been in Holloway and somehow she’d never had the time to visit it herself. It was hidden deep in the woods, past the lane’s. Stories of ghosts and figures in the night surrounded the old wooden building. She lifted her camera, jumping as she heard the click of the lens. “Shit.” She glanced around her, other tourists and walkers were around her. “I swear.. i saw someone in the window. Up there.” She pointed. “I thought nobody was allowed inside?” 

@hollowstarters​

Tate was by far no tourist, though he was  more than familiar with them. Having been born and raised in Holloway, the wolf was more than aware of the rumors surrounding the cabin. When he was bored, or seeking entertainment, it amused him to make his way towards one of the more major tourist traps in town. Something about observing people torn between their own fears and their sense of curiosity tended to amuse him. It was this pastime that drew him to the cabin, having nothing better to do and nowhere better to be. The woman spoke, and he grinned, stepping towards her as he tipped his head in the cabin’s direction. “That’s because they aren’t.” He agreed, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re visiting one of the nation’s most famously haunted attractions only to try and convince yourself your eyes are playing tricks on you.”

status: open location: post office @hollowstarters​

Letting out a sigh, Elise slid the incorrect mail into the outgoing slot. “I’ve had this box for over 2 months now”, she said primarily to herself. “You’d think the previous residents would have changed their address by now.”