#packrunners

I’m currently studying and the workload is huge. That’s why I’m currently posting other fics that have been lying in my WIP folders for ages, and, most importantly, already have a bunch of finished chapters. With the exception of one fic, Fly Away, Little Bird. I am writing on it, but it ties into what I’m currently studying so I’m applying what I learn to the story.

I’m most definitely planning to come back to Packrunners. I’ve got several half-finished chapters for several of the storylines. There are just not enough hours in a day to devote myself to everything at once.

*stressed*

I know. :) And it would happen quite often I presume. But on the other hand, in a world where being able to smell things like that is the norm, it wouldn’t be quite as embarrassing as it would if that suddenly were to happen to us.

And think about it. It could also be a good thing. No one will ever be able to go “I thought she/he was into it!” or “They’re just playing hard to get!” because the scent of distress or fear would be a dead giveaway that the intended partner isn’t interested. You’d know if you were doing a good job turning your partner on or if they have a better time thinking about doing laundry.

Pregnancies wouldn’t catch people unaware since hormones start changing right away and should be detectable within a week. 

A child goes missing in the woods? A lot easier to find.

It would be harder to lie and next to impossible for two best friends to play schemes where they pretend to be enemies since you’d be able to smell their friendship bond.

Marlon “Mar” Williams

Marlon is the ultimate villain. While generous, loving, and self-sacrificial towards people he loves, Mar is a fanatic who sees any sacrifice worth it if it serves to achieve his long-term goal. In the Packrunners’verse it’s his pack and kids he’s fanatic about, but in other ‘verses he’s part of, he’s been fanatic about other things, and then his kids pay the price instead.

Mar is intelligent and has a predisposition towards mental illnesses, that’s been enhanced by a lot of early trauma. He suffers from chronic insomnia since his brain won’t shut off, and regulates that by taking drugs on and off. He feels things more acutely than most, repressing his feelings until it instead comes out in explosions of violent anger. He’s got abandonment issues that makes him possessive and controlling towards people he loves. He’s aware of it, and tries not to let those sides of him take over. Despite his possessiveness, he will let a loved one go if they insist on leaving him. Instead, he’ll withdraw and stew in self-pity and feelings of abandonment. He’s prone to grand gestures, and there’s literally nothing he wouldn’t do for a loved one or the cause he’s devoted himself to. His intelligence makes him able to figure out far-reaching and long-term consequences for actions, and helps him set up goals that can span over decades or even centuries. However, he’s got a huge blind-spot for personal relationships, and often misreads people when his feelings get too involved.

He’s ambitious in everything he does, always striving to be the best. He hates authority and rebels any force trying to get him to conform, but will act proper if it suits his purposes. He’s vain, and loves clothes, makeup, and jewelry. When he’s young he wears a lot of flamboyant attire. As an adult he has a more conventional style to suit his goals, abandoning visible makeup, colorful skirts, and eye-catching jewelry in favour of three-piece suits with "acceptable” accessories.

Marlon’s the ultimate villain, not because he’s evil and wishes harm to people, but because he’s fanatic about his causes and has a limited ability to empathize with people he’s never met. That’s why, even if he’s fighting for a good cause, he’s very dangerous. Whenever I write him, he’s born into privilege on the top shelf of the upper class. 

Marlon is tall, has light brown hair, and intense ice-blue eyes, and his flare is lilac. His hair is wavy/curly. When it’s short he’ll comb it when it’s wet to force it straight, but when he’s got long hair he’ll let it be and allow the curls to do their thing. At that length it’s common to see corkscrew locks in his hair.

Aiden Matthew Williams

Marlon Williams’ older brother. Outwardly he’s friendly, charming, proper, responsible, and strives for excellency to please his overachieving parents and grandparent. Inwardly he struggles with a lot of guilt and anxiety. He’s got a good sense of empathy. Most people think he could never do anything wrong, but his closest friends know he does a lot of drugs. He loves math and finds it relaxing. Most of his time is devoted to keeping an eye on his wildcard younger brother. A very skilled fighter that takes a lot of psychological damage from being violent. Has tendencies to become overbearing and angry when someone he loves put themselves in danger.

Light blond, proper haircuts, deep-set hazel-green eyes that appears to shift between hazel and green depending on his mood. In the Packrunner’verse his flare color is red.

Malicia Hale

Mentally unstable after losing many close family members as a child, then experiencing even more misfortune and loss of loved ones as an adult, she runs a high risk for snapping and succumbing to severe mental illness. However, if she gets stability, love, and support before it is too late, she’ll instead become a fiercely skilled healer dedicated to stopping others from experiencing the sorrow and anguish she had to go through. She loves to dance and is very good at it.

She’s suspicious and prone to bitterness. To gain her trust, you first have to prove your devotion and loyalty. A fierce and fearless fighter who, before chronic depression and trauma takes its toll, has the opportunity to find her calling as a field medic.

She grew up in the criminal pack, the New York Hales, and despite its impracticality, refused to cut her hair. Her long glossy hair is widely admired by many. Her flare color is blue, and her primary eye color is dark brown, nearly black. Her features are too sharp to be considered conventionally beautiful according to Prog standards, but let’s face it, if she gets to be happy she’s gorgeous. <3

Marshall Adam Swift

Marshall of the New York Swifts. Tall, athletic guy who doesn’t talk overly much unless he’s completely comfortable in a company. He’s kindhearted and thinks before he acts. He’s hard to anger. Although not impulsive, he’ll never hesitate to put himself between his loved ones and danger. Emotionally stable and would make an awesome mate, if the other characters I write weren’t too damaged to be romantically drawn to wholesome people.

He’s far from an outcast in his pack, but unconsciously he’s searching for something different. He loves his pack but doesn’t really feel that that’s what he’s meant to do with his life and ultimately that’s why he ends up with his friends at The Sanctuary. Yellow flare, that he’s showing off in the pic at low luminosity.

Artist’s note: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING! Look, I’ve barely drawn any PoC in my life, and lately, the pressure to “do it right” has given me so high anxiety about backlash for not mastering it to perfection at the first try, I seriously considered not posting at all. I live in a small town in Sweden so I don’t see many black people IRL. I tried using a photo to pick a color palette but messed that up even worse. If you’ve got concrit about coloring or the hair or the lips - it’s welcome, okay?

*lol*

Okay, but, I too have opened google to search for things that are verse-specific, only to catch myself and feel ridiculous. I get so invested, and so many things are intertwined with real history and religion, that sometimes I simply don’t catch myself before I’ve remembered what is completely made-up. ^^’ Oops?

When it comes to real history, I’ve changed things at will to fit my purpose, and I’ve given myself about 30 years of flexibility for when things were invented. But it’s been interesting to read up on the history of walkie-talkies, phones, bathtubs, kitchen appliances, and so on. One of my Betas is great at finding where I use too modern expressions. PTSD for an instance. But since she came into the picture when I’d already written Marlon’s story, I’ve had to make the history of Psychology happen sooner in Packrunners rather than go back and fix the problem in already published instalments.

As for the actual question - no. If you find somewhere where I’ve written that they’re speaking and deep-purring at the same time, I’ve messed up. Deep-purring isn’t a sound made in the breastbone tract like the all-is-well purr. The all-is-well can be made while talking, but a deep-purr involves the vocal cords. :)

Laurent Hale

Laurent belongs to the New York Hales core. He’s short, easy-going, and friendly. He’s a social butterfly whose job it is to sell drugs. He loves to swim, and therefore took a lot of damage from the EB50 pollution in the ocean, growing up. He’s getting treatment, but his body will eventually give up prematurely. Before he got medical treatment he developed an addiction to drugs that he used to combat fatigue and pain. His positive and chipper attitude comes from an acceptance of his inevitable death. He sees each new day as a blessing, and manages to hold onto that view even in the worst of times. His acceptance is a form of defeat that renders him free from envy, greed, or jealousy. His lack of expectation also means he takes a lot more joy in positive things that happens to him compared to his ambitious friends. He’s a great fighter, but hates hurting people. His only living close relative is his cousin Malicia Hale.

His flare color is blue.