Howling

      Bark! Bark!

As confusing as it had been to be relocated, that didn’t stop Hugh from doing his best to make the most of it. At first, he worried about getting in contact with his sister. He still worries about it, but until he can find a way to reach anyone outside of Solitude, it won’t do him any good to dwell on it. A few other…things have come up since his time spent here, and Hugh couldn’t stay in his house in Haku for more than a few days at a time.

Instead, he has taken up camping out in Haku’s wilderness–just like in Unova, with himself and his team to keep him company. It’s disappointing that there are no other Pokemon so far, but until Hugh is more comfortable in his new once-a-month-routine, he won’t be venturing off Haku. Even if it means he has to simply deal with it, it’s better than risking putting others in danger. He doesn’t understand it himself, and with that, he has to keep moving around to keep himself safe.

Just as Hugh decided to relocate his camp, he had been a little too busy to notice someone walk up to him–and, subsequently, bump into him, causing Hugh to drop some of his tent gear.

“–Ahh…no, no, I should’ve been looking, it’s fine…” Hugh rubs at his head and moves to pick up the tarp, when he sees the unmistakable red and white Pokeballs on the sand. Standing upright, and suddenly forgetting about literally everything, Hugh excitedly points at the man.

“A trainer! You’re a Pokemon trainer! The first one I’ve seen here! Ahh, who’s on your team? We gotta battle! It’s been…well, I dunno, however long,  but it doesn’t matter! It’s customary for trainers to battle upon first meeting!”

     Harper moves to help pick up the stranger’s dropped items-- but is stopped dead in his tracks with the finger pointing.

   “ ...E-Eh? I-- What? I d-don’t understand. I don’t want t-to battle, no, no. Ah-- ” Sweats rolls down the back of his neck as he holds his hands up in polite surrender.

      “ I d-don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t kn-know what Po-key-mon are. I-I’m sorry-- ” Please don’t hurt me. Harper can’t seem to move, he’s a bit rigid in fear and his anxiety is spiking throuh the roof. Breathe. Breathe. He’s better with people by now, but this gentleman is so loud and energetic. It’s a little too much.

   But he’s not on Haku for sightseeing today, no. He’s here to do some investigating. It’s still a wonder how he ended up here on Solitude, and whether or not there are any of his kind on this archipelago. And his nose... has led him right to here. There is a scent very familiar somewhere on Haku, and as scared as Harper is to find it, he just has to know.

      But in his troubled thoughts, he didn’t mean to unexpectedly bump into someone with his head down. Harper takes a few steps back, some of the contents of his bag spilling onto the sand. Some pencils, a notebook, and two red and white balls with a little button in the middle. Keepsakes that Harper had no idea about really.

   “ O-Oh...! I-I’m so sorry. A-Are you ok...? ” Harper is quick to make sure the other individual is unharmed, ignoring the items he’s dropped from his satchel.

Walking – maintaining his territory. These were the only actions that kept Toby going currently. Kept him sane when he recalled the events of his own death. Rather, kept him sane for the fact that he had died in the first place. Through out all of the punishments he had lived through, such a death seemed reasonable yet, still unbelievable to him. And then there was the obvious fact that now, he was alive once again. How that had happened was obvious – the Goat’s had allowed him to return to life. Which has considerably changed his view of the herbivores – seeing as they held such power over his life. He would not step on their toes, would not act out… He’d be safe in he remained here in the woods where he was not causing any disruptions on the islands.

Every routine walk was the same. The same tracks were repeated every single day, paw prints practically cemented into the earth with how many times he had gone the path. It was easier this way – easier to give himself a natural border that he knew he could defend by himself. So far it’d been working rather well, most animals avoiding his boundary aside from the occasional deer that wandered in… It was quaint and quiet on Hani, and animals seemed to be the only creatures that he noticed.

That was what he had thought until the scent of someone caught his attention. Darting his head to face them, it would seem that they too had noticed Toby’s presence. ..What was he supposed to do. A twitch of his nose as he stared him down. The more that his scent came with the wind, the more of Toby’s interest was caught. To the point that he was stepping closer in Harper’s direction, and shifting to his two-legged form. Uncaring to expose his normal change, as if he was correct on this scent, then the other male was safe.

“…You smell… like a wolf…”

     --Lord and Baby Jesus save him. Not only does the wolf come right for him, it also shifts into a more human form. Harper is petrified, rooted to the spot. Because the first thing that runs through his mind is lycan. Lycanthropes are dominant and intimidating and much, much stronger than Harper. It’s all he can do but start going down on his knees and start to cry.

   Stay strong.

      Harper swallows thickly and squeezes the strap of his messenger bag, taking one step back in case he has to run. Sweat runs down the back of his neck, and he’s trembling like a leaf. Fear is only an illusion of instinct, but that doesn’t stop Harper from whimpering softly in the back of his throat.

   “ A-Ah-- Um, p-please don’t c-come any closer-- ” No, no, no-- Respect is demanded within the lycan clans, especially from a low-blood like Harper. Harper ceases eye contact immediately and looks to the ground.

   ...Although it’s strange how he gets a sudden feeling of forgetfulness, as if he should be calling someone, somewhere. Mm... it’s probably nothing. The only stranger amenity, is the two red balls that sit on his kitchen counter. Red on top and white on bottom, with... what looks like a button in the middle. He can’t place what they are and where they came from, and neither will he take the risk to find out. He’s kind enough to dust them off and keep them in a safe place.

      It’s all just vague familiarity...

   The full moon cycle this month has passed and everything seems to be in order. No disturbances, just small trots through the groves and trees. Being on Hani sure is paradise. He doesn’t even have to pay bills; hallelujah!

      But with every good thing, there can be a bad. Or Harper considers this “semi-bad”. There is a scent of other wolves here. And not that far at all. He can smell it in the downwind, the trees and the bushes that it has seemed to mark. Harper can’t help but feel a bit territorial but it’s not as though this wolf is bothering him. Perhaps it’s just his paranoia too, considering he’s not the most sociable of people.

   This morning’s walk seemed to only further his paranoia, when... a white wolf crosses his path. Harper freezes and the hair on the back of his neck stands on end. It’s watching him. He has to swallow thickly, his hands tightening around the strap of his messenger bag on his shoulder.

      Don’t move, maybe it’ll go away--

      ...His memories... There’s still something missing. He can recognize a few familiar faces... but there’s just this big blank that makes his stomach turn and his head hurt. It’s never easy not knowing the unknown...

   Dreams had kept him awake all night. Blurred images of blues, reds and... gosh, he can’t even comprehend it all. Harper is just relieved he had some painkillers.

   It started with a cry. A breath of fresh air. Salty sea air. The sea is not a foreign friend, but it is something that would rather be avoided altogether. Sand still empties from his pockets and his shoes, finding the desperate need for a shower more desirable than anything.

      His thoughts are discouraged and jumbled into disarray. What’s happened? Why is he here? Who brought him here? The first day, had been so painful and slow; the second, third and now fourth day even more so. His memories had been pieced together slowly, his head pounding and aching like someone had hit him with a hammer. He almost wanted to cry with how much it hurt; no less how dry his lungs felt.

   It was as though he’s experiencing a New Moon cycle, tired and drained, but not exhausted. His lungs hurt, he has taken at least three shots of his pocketed inhaler in the last hour or two. It’s sickening and he’s not sure what is going on through his moon phases. Regardless, he’s dealt with his illness for the entirety of his life. This isn’t his first rodeo.

      With only this ID card, his belongings, and a few pieced memories of New York, he has all the reason to feel upset. Settling on Hani wasn’t something he was prepared for, and it sent his anxiety through the roof. Not a single face he recognized, no familiar territory, nothing. At least his pills are here too-- Harper feels helpless, useless and above all else, lonely once again.

In spite of having heightened senses and being in a strange, new place, Hugh is still a heavy sleeper; admittedly, he wore himself out from moving, and so he has been even more inclined to ignore all the weird ass noises of Solitude. But he can’t ignore it when Harper wakes him up, and he grumbles a bit as he rubs his eyes and sits up.

“Mm…what? Howls…?” He pauses to yawn as his brain catches on to what “howls” are and why Harper would be so concerned enough to wake him up.

“–Oh. I can come with you to go look.” Since the house is so secluded, all of their Pokemon have been able to roam freely, too; and Flygon just so happens to overhear that both Harper and Hugh and questioning the noise. She practically tosses Hugh’s bag at him, urging him to go.

“Wha–hey…ugh, fine…” Hugh is too sleepy to properly argue, and grumbles to himself again as he gets up.

     Harper is hesitant, almost a bit too fearful to even dare get up. But the howls... could their possibly be more werewolves on Solitude, that they weren’t aware about? Moving into the woods could’ve possibly just made it easier for Harper to finally take notice of such a hopeful thought. Having more werewolves, means better protection; just God, don’t let it be lycans. The lycanthropes were a lot more aggressive, and more territorial. The thought of having to move again was dreadful.

   Pulling on some socks and tennis shoes, Harper grabs a sweater to throw on over his head. Thick, winter gloves are slipped over his hands... before he pulls out a silver cross from a pair of his older, thick woolen socks. Just in case, he’ll hold onto his pure cross. He won’t be taking a single chance tonight.

      Harper also snatches a flashlight and his nifty survival bag from beneath the bed. Bandages, safety cones, flashing SOS blinkers, NutirGrain bars, a tazer-- you know, the essentials. When Harper is content with his safety gear, and is assured Hugh is ready to face whatever howling creature lurks from the outside, he pushes the door open slowly, clicking on his flashlight to take a look around.

   There’s no movement, albeit the brushing of branches in the wind. It’s quiet, with the sound of crickets chirping in the near thicket. Harper shudders almost, gripping the cross within his gloved hand, before he steps further off the porch of their cozy cabin. His light shines through the dark, his body still and silent as he listens for any sort of movement.

      “ ...I think it came from the direction of the volcano... Sh-Should we follow it...? ”

Hugh nods and wanders off to find a vase for the flowers–or something to put them in, but he’s trying to hurry while being careful while paying attention to Harper while sneezing a bit as he inhales a bit too much pollen.

He opens the cabinet and knocks over a few cups, and, flustered, he swears under his breath while picking everything up (including himself). Eventually, he finds a pretty glass mason jar to put the bouquet in, and onto the table it goes.

“Okay! That sounds great, heh.” He plays it off all casual, of course, because dates are a part of life just like being in a relationship with someone too handsome for his own good, and being smitten by Harper on the regular is something that Hugh will–very casually, of course–have to accept it in spite of the way he keeps going hopelessly red in the face about it.

He follows suit in putting on his shoes and bites his lip and tries to be brave be confident about this because dates with Harper make him nervous are a part of life and he will just have to accept his fate have a good time. Without further ado, he’s out the door.

“S’go, then!”

     Harper isn’t stupid, watching Hugh’s not-so-graceful movements as he struggles to find a vase for the flowers. But that just makes it all the more endearing; it makes Harper just appreciate Hugh’s brave face, even if it’s a facade at times.

   Harper just smiles, watching his boyfriend take the lead out the door. A warning finger is given to their Pokemon, as a be good signal. Surely Flygon could keep everything under control... right? Yes... Harper shouldn’t have to worry, as he locks the door behind him, before hurrying after Hugh.

      It’s almost been a year, a full year, since Hugh had decided to take the leap of faith with Harper. A whole year, of trials and tribulations that Harper sort of hoped and didn’t hope would come across their relationship. But worries and aches had been soothed overtime; not completely healed, but a scar is better than an open gash. Harper can worry all he wants, but with Hugh... Hugh makes everything seem fine. Hugh’s brash and brave attitude makes everything look fine. And Harper is right there to make sure it will be fine. He’s convinced they’re a good partnership; hopefully Hugh believes the same as well.

   Harper hums softly, skipping ahead to brush his fingertips into Hugh’s palm, firmly squeezing his hand. Harper is supposed to be leading the way, anyways, as he offers a small grin to Hugh.

      “ Eheh... it’s nice going out on nights like this without... well, fur and paws, eheh. I just hope Flygon will have everything under control... This must be what it’s like having kids, huh? I’m not too envious of parents who have little time to themselves. ”

      ...Huh... That’s... odd. One, two, three... twenty-five capsules in his pill bottle. But... there should be thirty.

   But the one downside, is the outside noises. Harper’s heard howls and caws before, but never the distant bleating of goats in the middle of the night-- it’s terrifying.

      But what Harper heard in the middle of the night, tonight, was a howl he had never heard of before. It’s smooth, long, and almost startled. It certainly wakes Harper from the dead of sleep, looking about before he reaches over to rub Hugh’s shoulder.

   “ Hugh...? ...Hugh, hey... I heard howls outside... ”

For once, Hugh is actually speechless. He sputters a bit, blushing furiously as he takes the beautiful arrangement of flowers, tempted to hide his face inside of the bouquet. Certainly, Harper must have Hugh right where he wants him.

“Th-thanks, Harper,” he manages, swallowing thickly before speaking again, “that sounds great…! I’m ready to go when you are, heh heh…Where did you have in mind? What’s the occasion, anyway?”

     “ No real occasion, heh. I just... thought it’d be nice for us to have a night out together. ”

   Though he wasn’t completely prepared for them to leave right then and there ( maybe in an hour or two? ), but neither does Harper wish for Hugh to wait on him to shake out the last little bit of nerves. Harper moves to pull on his shoes and a light jacket.

      He hasn’t been this excited in a long time. A cozy, log cabin, all to him, his mate and they’re Pokemon. It’s so nostalgic, but it’s such a nice and comfortable feeling.

      ...Why does he even bother going to the Community Center anymore? All it does is crush his mentality to the ground, like a squashed bug.