b l a c k m o o n

Charlie grins. “Is this what it must have been like? Growing up with a pack, rather than having to find one once you’re all grown up?” Not that her found family isn’t everything she could have asked for and more - there are simply times she wonders how different she would be if she’d been raised with people that loved her wolf side as much as her human one. 

“The thrill? The feel of family? Oh yeah. I was the London pack for a few months before it went to shit. It was the best high out there,”Immy responded with a nod. She loved every positive second, but otherwise it was best laid to rest.

“Having a dance with you?” He repeats albeit with a brief chuckle as he threw an arm around her to guide her around the party. “You sure are a Brit, aren’t you?” Obviously, that much had been answered by more than her out of the ordinary verbage, but it was fun to tease her about it none the less.

“I guess it rubbed off on me. I kept that touch of a accent but I was born in Canada. London was a whole two years of my life.” She hadn’t even noted that she still kept up some habits from there honestly unless someone pointed it out. “Two very...questionable years.”

“That all sounds great, Im!” Charlie was glad to hear that Imogen had found her footing here, and especially that said footing was close to Charlie’s other friends. “I think I’m going to do the same. It’ll be fun - I’m still not used to turning somewhere that isn’t inside somewhere locked.”

“Thanks.” Immy had made progress before only to slide backward so the three months in town were certainly the highest achievement for the wolf. “Cool. We can all go run together. It’ll be a blast, and I swear as long as I am around no one is locking you up again.” Even the thought of someone doing that to Charlie made her make a face.

Accepting the hug graciously he offers what can almost be described as a smile. He had decided that he didn’t know her well enough to unleash his burdens on her right then and there. So he’d try his best to keep up his usual demeanor. “Don’t be a worry wart, Immy. I’m just fine.”

“Good-” Immy released him though she couldn’t shake the smile. Overall it was a good night and the fact she had friends to be around was celebratory in itself. “You know, you’re totally having a dance with me at some point. Can’t let them be sticks in the mud. It is a party after-all.”

“I think so, too.” Charlie grins. “So far, yeah. She really knows how to throw a party. What about you? How have things been since I last saw you?”

“Things have been great. I found myself a job at a flower shop which is very fun. Made some new friends. All in all I am happy with how things are going.” Imogen was trying this time around so she was rather proud. “I think I’m spending the full moon with Mason this time. What about you?”

“It was my favorite growing up,” he explains, glad to hear he wasn’t the only one who had enjoyed it. Piper doesn’t stir at the conversation, her chest still rising and falling evenly - she was an insanely heavy sleeper, once she actually settled down long enough to sleep. “So far, so good. I’ve got the day off, so we figured we would enjoy the nice weather. Apparently, that means napping. Is yours going well?”

“They read it a lot at the hospital for me,” Immy mused. She recalled a few favorites while she was locked up in her younger days and even as she grew older. “That’s a good plan. Mine is going well too. The trees are very chatty today too.”

“You’ve never been?” he raised an eyebrow out of surprise. It was an American staple. Just like McDonald’s, but better, and more likely to be less made of plastic. “Sure. Very watered down Tex-Mex.”

“I spent a lot of time isolated I guess you could say. I didn’t really enjoy all that stuff like normal people,” Immy explained. It was hard to explain though just a little. “I’ll have to give it a try.”

“Yeah, he definitely does.” Charlie honestly wasn’t sure how she’d ever repay her friends for everything they’d done for her. A party certainly wouldn’t cut it. “She’s here, in a matching one, actually. Maybe I can introduce the two of you at some point tonight.”

“Oh, can’t miss her then. That’s fun.” The matching outfits were definitely pretty cute. She was just glad Charlie was doing so well. “That would be great. I’d love to meet her. Are you enjoying yourself then?”

Carson had gone to the party purely for his best friends benefit, not that he’d seen him since being there but the least he could do was be pleasant and mingle. When he spotted Immy, a familiar face he approached her, butting into a conversation she seemed to be having with another guy. “Ey, making all kinds of friends, aren’t cha? Doesn’t really make a guy feel special.” 

Immy laughed off a rather lame joke spoken by another before she turned at the sound of Carson’s voice. “There you are-” She immediately went for a hug of course. “I was worried. I hadn’t seen you around. Now, of course you’re special.”

“He has literally no idea this is happening, his girlfriend is gonna bring him. I really hope he likes it as much as everyone else seems to.” Charlie grins, before giving a quick spin to show off the outfit. “Thanks! My mom designed it, she’s wearing one that matches.” The wolf sees fit to clarify, “the good, adoptive one, not the shitty one.”

“That’s so cute. I bet he loves it. He deserves it.” From what she knew of Mason so far he certainly did a lot for other’s. He deserved a little something for himself. “It’s very pretty. I’ll have to meet her.”

Charlie had been throwing as much energy into the party as she could, hoping the excitement would be enough to drag herself out of the strange pit she’d felt herself gradually sinking into in the last couple of weeks. “Immy, you came!” She wraps an arm around the fellow wolf, trying not to let herself wobble on her heels. “It’s good to see you.”

“Of course. Birthday’s are special.” Even for most of the beings that never really did age properly. They were still something to celebrate and make a big deal of. “It’s good to see you too. You look great.”

Hearing of Mason’s party it was a no brainier for Immy to go. Mason had offered her a spot with the pack and she had a feeling she’d spot Charlie there too. Just like she thought she was all excitement as she tossed up her hands upon spotting the brunette. “Charlie!”

* The man getting somewhat aggressive about her looking at him made her scrunch her nose. It wasn’t hard to hard the facial expression which only made him angrier it seemed but he quickly backed down when someone came between them, a familiar face. “Yeah, I’m good.” She automatically said. She didn’t want to worry Imogen with anything. “Just went back to my mum’s house in Texas for a week and a bit.” 

“Oh, that sounds nice.” She didn’t know it was like to have family to go back to, but it must have been a nice thing when you did have it. “Did you have a fun time there?”

“Well, yeah. Lots of drunk college students. Cheap to get there, but expensive to stay,” he recalled, before letting out a laugh, “Wouldn’t exactly call Taco Bell Mexican, but sure.”

“Sounds interesting,” Immy put. She wasn’t sure what else to be said about it when she hadn’t been there herself. “It’s supposed to be some variation of it right?”

Adrian looks over at the woman when she speaks. He’d noticed her before but hadn’t registered her as any kind of threat, perhaps because of that sixth sense he got about other wolves. “Yeah, that sounds about right,” he says, waving the book slightly to reference that he wasn’t just spouting the entire story from memory. He’s had the book for ages and read it at least a hundred times - it’s one of the only things he brought with him when he and Piper moved here, and it’s pretty beat up. “Have you read it before?”

“The Book Thief? Yeah. My  mom used to read it to me when I was a kid. My sister was never interested in it so she loved that I was,” Imogen answered as she turned over to better look at the pair. She waved a hello to Piper. “Are you and the pup having a good afternoon?”