#//but really it's psychosomatic he's just convinced all hunters stink in their own way

[big-bad-ulf]

The Responsible Adult’s Guide To Running Away From Your Problems

LOCATION: (Former) Bennett Residence PARTIES: @celestelavie SUMMARY: Celeste needs to do a convincing job of trashing her and Ariana’s place to cover their tracks. This works out because being in her presence makes Ulf want to break things. 

Ulfric sat in his truck in front of the tidy two-bedroom house in the outskirts and stared into space for a moment, the humming of the old engine barely doing a thing to black out his spiralling, conflicting thoughts. Offering to harbor a hunter in his home. His mother would’ve disowned him for less, but Ariana was in danger and his duty to protect a younger wolf came first. Reminding himself of that fact he pulled himself from the cab with a groan and forced himself to knock on the door to the Bennett residence three times. “It’s, uh, it’s Ulfric.” He called out after a moment’s hesitation, regretting not having established a code to announce his arrival. The last thing the wolf needed was to scare Celeste into pulling one of those weapons Ari had mentioned on him, triggering some kind of defensive anti-hunter reflex. Luckily, she seemed prepared to at least pretend to trust him though, opening the door a moment later, allowing a waft of herb and hunter scented air to hit him at full force. “I’d, uh, say nice to meet you, but given the circumstances…”He greeted her, trailing off as he rock back on his heels a bit in instinctive revulsion, keeping it to himself that those circumstance had just as much to do with her heritage as the predicament they found themselves in. “You’ve got your work cut out for you, if want to make it look like someone’s blitzed through the place searching for you.” He added, surveying the neatly kept house with a furrowed brow after waiting for Celeste to move far enough from the doorway that he wouldn’t risk coming into contact with her. “But before that, do you have the note? Or anything else Ariana might have handled shortly before she left? If we put it aside, I can use it to pick up her trail later.” 

Since she had come home to that note, Celeste had been in planning mode. Normally, they’d up and leave, but it was clear Ariana had grown attached to this place. She finally had other people like her to connect with and she knew she couldn’t take that away from her. If this was going to work, she’d need to tread carefully. Normally, the planning had always been on her, it felt strange letting someone else be part of it, but it was clear this Ulfric was dead set on protecting Ariana as well. She began packing up a couple of duffle bags with necessities. To make it look like they rushed out, she had to leave a fair amount of things behind. She’d been picking through items in her closet when she heard the knock on the door. She listened closely and could hear Ulfric announce himself. Setting down the shirts she’d been sorting through, she went to let him in. The familiar feeling of her the hairs on her arms raising was present as she opened the door. “Welcome,” she said, “I do wish we were meeting under better circumstances as well.” She stepped aside and gestured for him to come in. She laughed awkwardly at the mention of them needing to do some real work to make it look like someone had actually ransacked their home. “I was packing up some of our stuff before I completely destroyed the place. But on that note, don’t destroy the waffle iron, Ariana loves that thing… I admittedly do too.” At the mention of grabbing something to capture her scent, she thought back to the hair filled towel in the bathroom. She pointed in the direction of the bathroom and said, “It looks like she had just cut her hair before leaving so there’s a towel filled with that in the bathroom. I’ve got the note right here.” She handed him the note from her jacket pocket. “Also, thank you for this. I know it’s for her, but it’s still a comfort to know there’s someone else out there looking out for her.”

Ulfric couldn’t help tense Celeste’s chuckle, no matter how objectively melodious the sound might have been. Being welcomed into a hunter’s living, making polite small talk, making them laugh? It was so weird. Or more aptly; wrong. He couldn’t help from staring at her hands while she talked, as though she might pull a silver blade from a concealed compartment at any moment. They were perfectly neat and ‘nice’ looking as the rest of her, which just amplified the wrongness of the situation. “I doubt one missing kitchen appliance will rouse much suspicion,” The wolf conceded, taking the excuse to move away from the woman he strode quickly towards the kitchen to grab the waffle iron. “It’s got some heft to it,” He commented upon his return, carefully depositing the device on top of the bags that were coming with them. “If they do notice maybe they’ll think you took it to use as a weapon. Though that seems more like a warden thing because… you know… iron.” Ulfric  knew he was rambling, but being forced to interact with a hunter up close and in a non-combative way left him utterly at a loss for what to do. “Don’t mention it, really. It’s what I have to do,” He dismissed her thanks, plucking the note from Celeste by the corner furthest from her fingertips. Unfurling it, he skimmed it’s contents quickly but there were no new insights to be gained from the words alone. For a  moment he considered asking her to turn away, before thinking better of it and bringing the page closer to his face to inhale deeply. It was unsettling to do something so blatantly wolf-y in front of a hunter, but certainly didn’t want her to think he was ashamed. “That’ll work, and we can save the bathroom for last,” He informed her,  “Where’d you want to start then? Since you’re the one with more experience in the running away department.”

Celeste wasn’t sure what to make of Ulfric. It was apparent that he had Ariana’s best interest at heart, which right now was what was most important, especially right now with the threat of her parents potentially finding them. The man was being cordial enough with her though the way he kept his eyes on her was enough for Celeste to figure he probably wasn’t keen on being around a hunter. She could hardly blame him. How either of them felt about the situation was hardly a priority though. “Not everyone has a waffle iron, it’s not something I think they’d even notice was missing,” she said with a shrug before adding, “Never thought to use it as a weapon. I don’t even keep silver weapons, let alone iron when I was never trained for that. Regardless of species, cast iron pan would be my go to for kitchen supplies to use as a weapon. Still heavy, but easier to maintain control over.” She watched, slightly amused as Ulfric sniffed the note. There was something just so very wolf-like about it even in human form. When it was Ariana, she always found that sort of thing endearing. She looked down and ran a hand through her messy hair. Staring was rude and there were important matters at hand. “I usually try to go about it as if I was looking for something in someone’s home. Makes it look like someone was here trying to find something. You have to leave enough stuff behind, too.” She grabbed the coffee mug off the counter and smashed it on the floor, “I usually break a couple of things, adds to the appearance and it’s kind of fun. So break and ransack what you will. I’ve already set aside some of Ariana’s things. She only has a couple of things that were hers from when she was still with her parents so I always make sure those things make it in the bags. Towards the end I usually try to make it look like there was a struggle.”

“That’s… good. She should know where she came from.” Ulfric replied honestly, squinting at  Celeste in suspicion when he mentioned preserving the memory of Ariana’s birth parents. It was proving a challenge to pin down her motivations, which was irritating to say the least. If she wanted a tame wolf at her disposal, why not raise her completely cut off from her less controlled and civilized roots? Was this really some misguided attempt to compensate for the legacy of unrepentant slaughter she’d been born into? There was only one way she could even come close to that would be to make good on her promise to purge her family tree of those who were looking to continue it, and he’d believe that when he saw it. “Breaking things, right, that I can do,” He repeated her instructions absentmindedly, frustrated but grateful for the outlet. Backing away from her he unceremoniously began flinging open the kitchen cabinets, yanking some of the doors free of their hinges, and emptying them of their contents as he began his ‘search’. Cans of soup became dented and boxes of cereal burst open in a flurry of flakes under his grip as he allowed his restraint to slip slightly. Turning his attention towards the fridge intending to gut it, he noticed a photograph of Celeste and Ariana side-by-side smiling pinned to the front with a magnet. Plucking it from it’s spot he paused fixated on the flimsy picture in his hand. “Here,” he sighed, holding the image out to the hunter some reluctance, clamping down on the petty impulse to tear it in two. “Ari might want this.”

“I know, maybe one day we can actually go back and see if she had any other family. As is, I wouldn’t go to Tennessee or any bordering states with my family still in action,” Celeste said pointedly. She could see the way his eyes narrowed as he watched her. He didn’t trust, not that she could blame him. People like her parents had probably caused him a fair deal of pain in his life. Hell, she wouldn’t even trust another hunter around Ariana, even if she swore up and down they meant well. “I know it may be hard to believe, but I do actually want what’s best for her and you by extension. I don’t expect you to just trust that though. I don’t even trust other hunters, especially not with anything concerning Ariana.” She began flinging books off the shelves, setting aside only the most informative books to be packed. One hit the television as she flung it off, leaving a large crack in the screen. Perfect. A dent in the wall caught her eyes. She frowned as she realized Ariana must have done that out of frustration. She wished she would’ve just called. She could have skipped out of work early. Ulfric’s voice caught her attention and she grabbed the photograph out of his hand. “Oh,” she said, smiling down at the photo, “That was her 15th birthday. We went camping and hiked Yosemite National Park.” Things had never really been simple with always being on the run, but that trip had been filled with fond memories. She tucked the photo away in the pocket of her leather jacket. That was definitely a memory she wanted to hold on to.

“I’m not trying to be rude,” Ulfric called out over a clatter of a tower of CDs being knocked to the floor. It wasn’t an apology, just an exasperated statement of fact. For Ariana’s sake he really was trying to be civil, despite the howling protests from his inner wolf. He told her as much, flinging cushions wildly off the sofa. “But you’re right, it is hard to ignore all of your survival instincts screaming at you to fight, or flee.” Not that he was the type to take that second option, apart for the one notable exception that had landed him in White Crest. He grabbed one of the cushions between two fists, intending to rip it apart before he realized he was supposed to be making it look like humans had trashed the place, not a pack of coyotes on steroids. Instead, he retrieved the multitool from his pocket and used the small knife attachment to pierce a hole in it. “It’s not personal, just… ugh, Pavlovian.” He grunted, dragging the blade through the stubborn, thick fabric. It wasn’t as cathartic as using his claws, but it was close enough. “She trusts you,” He added more calmly, spitting out a mouthful of feathers that had exploded from the wounded upholstery. “She needs you on her side to get through this. That’s all that matters.”

“I didn’t think you were,” Celeste responded from across the living room, throwing the few DVDs they had out of the TV stand, opening up some of the cases to make it look like she had been searching for something and throwing each one in a different direction. She made a small pout as she threw Legally Blonde to her left. She’d always liked that movie. Material possessions could always be replaced, she’d grown acutely aware of that with how much they’d left behind every time they ran. “That’s understandable. I respect that I’ll have to earn your trust. I can’t expect-” She trailed off, unsure of how to finish the thought. It wasn’t worth bringing up at this point. If her parents did show up, she couldn’t expect a hand in that fight if he didn’t trust her to not turn on him. She’d have her doubts if she was in his position. It was something she could face alone if she had to, but the thought made her stomach twist. Her father had always been a particularly daunting figure in her life. With Ariana’s safety on the line, her own childish fear didn’t matter. She gave the coffee table a kick knocking it over with a loud thump. It was a shame, she and Ariana had a fun time building that table. “I don’t take it personally. I’m not sure if I’d trust your judgment if you weren’t weary of what I am.” As much as true enough. She scanned the living area. Their cute little home wasn’t looking so homely anymore. Her eyes fell on Ulfric as he spit out a mouth full of feathers and she had to stifle a small laugh. It wasn’t an appropriate time, but there was something comical about watching a large, bearded man spitting out feathers from their pillows. “I’m glad we’re on the same page priority wise.” She went over to the back of the room and took her elbow to the glass door that led to the backyard, nearly shattering the whole thing. She shook the glass off the sleeve of her jacket and said, “I think we’re good out here, just need to get the bedrooms.”

Ulfric tried to focus on his breathing and his utter destruction of the once comfortable-looking couch rather than her words. Before the last half hour he’d barely heard any words spoken by a hunter in his whole life. Besides the protests of captives his parents had brought home and those were always fairly typical and repetitive. ‘I’ll kill you and all your little mutts when I get out of here’ and the like. He’d tried his best then to tune them out. The fact the first real conversation he had with one involved concepts like respect and trust targeted towards him was so unsettling that for a moment he thought this all might’ve been a really disturbing dream brought on by the approach of the new moon. But the lingering smell of hunter in his nostrils reminded him otherwise. “I can do Ariana’s,” he quickly volunteered when she mentioned bedrooms, heading in the direction of the young wolf’s.” Wouldn’t want to intrude on your personal space.” As enticing as the idea of decimating a hunter’s sleeping area was in theory, just the thought of all extra baked-in scent of her on the sheets made him feel slightly nauseous. “Is there anything I should try to spare in there? That might make her feel better?”

Celeste was relieved that he offered to take care of Ariana’s room. She still had to grab some of her own stuff and a hint of privacy would be nice. There was no need for Ulfric to find out she was over thirty and still slept with a wolf stuffed animal that Ariana had given her as a birthday gift nearly ten years ago. “That’s a good idea,” she said, before thinking over anything she knew Ariana would want. Photos definitely couldn’t be left behind. That’d give her parents or whoever else was after them too much to work with. The point of this was to get them off their trail for the time being. At least until they had a better grip of the situation and a plan of action. She chewed her lip thinking it over before she responded, “Any photos or anything with her name on it can’t stay behind. Oh, grab that creepy ass painting, too. She’s in it. Have no idea where that one came from.” She shook her head, she definitely wasn’t hanging that up in the guest room at Ulfric’s. She was going to have a hard enough sleeping as it was. “Any of her soccer or running stuff. She’ll need her school stuff, too. I gathered most of her favorite clothes already.” She left him to Ariana’s room and started ransacking her own. She threw the last of her clothes, the stuffed wolf, and some of her weapons into a suitcase. With everything she needed packed away, she began ripping drawers out of her dresser and slung them around the room. As she tugged the last drawer out, her nail caught on the track. “Shit,” she exclaimed under breath, grimacing slightly at her now broken nail before moving on to tearing her closet apart. She haphazardly threw shoe boxes around the room and made sure her nightstand was completely cleared out. “How you doing in there?” she called out.

Once he was alone in Ariana’s room, Ulfric’s appetite for annihilation waned, replaced by a sharp sting of sympathy as he surveyed the trappings of typical teenagerdom the young girl had started putting up in the hopes she could stay. How many times had she been forced to bulldoze the foundations of the life she was building and start over? And for no crime other than being born? The one time he’d had to do it had been difficult enough, and that was with the luxury of having a home he could theoretically one day return to. “Right, no need to salt the earth, it’s just a soft reboot,” He called in acknowledgement of Celeste’s suggestions, but it was more of a promise to himself that he'd do everything in his power to make sure that was the case, that Ariana would finally be able to build something to last. Carefully, He bundled her photos, sportswear and school supplies into a neat pile on top of the painting (which, while definitely not lacking in artistic merit, evoked a sense of dread he had to agree could correctly be termed ‘creepy’) and placed it safely in the hallway. He then made quick work of tossing the room; disemboweling chests of drawers, tearing the bedspread and mattress to shreds, all while reassuring himself that Ari would’ve encouraged him to get into if she were there. Finally, divesting himself of his outer shirt, he looped the fabric around his hand a few times and then used the wrapped fist to bust through the window with a CRASH, clearing away the jagged bits of glass that clung to the empty sill. “Fine. Bedroom window of the primary target seemed like a logical entry point, is all.” He answered, hurrying back into the hall and stuffing the torn flannel into the back pocket of his jeans. It was lucky the soon-to-be-former Bennett residence was so isolated, or they’d probably have attracted a lot of unwanted attention by now. “Is that enough carnage for one night or do you think it needs more ‘struggle’?” Ulfric queried, assessing the scene of strewn furniture covered with a dusting of glass intermingled with broken discs, stuffing, feathers and a few cornflakes. He thought it looked pretty convincing, but admitting that would mean facing the mortifying act of helping a hunter get settled in his home. Any excuse to put that off for a few more precious minutes would be a good one.

Taking one final look over their home, Celeste was confident that it looked like someone had ransacked the place and that they wouldn’t be returning. There was always something disheartening about leaving a home behind. She hadn’t been much younger than Ariana when they first began running. It was a necessity for their safety, but it didn’t mean she didn’t also long for just a little bit of stability. Maybe at the end of all this, they could finally build that cabin out in the woods they’d always talked about. She sighed softly before leaving behind what was once her bedroom and said, “Good thinking.” She made her way back into the living room, suitcase in hand and set it down with the rest of the bags to make sure she had everything. A quick scan told her they were good to go. Part of her was uneasy about the next steps, but Ariana would be safer with both of them looking out for her, especially until they had some sort of plan for a glamour in place. “It looks good… well, terrible. I’m sure you know what I mean. Just have to load up the car.” She wistfully gave their home a final goodbye before she began picking up their bags. She sincerely hoped this would be the last time they had to do this. She turned to Ulfric as she slung a bag on her shoulder, “I’ll let her know to call me when she’s ready to leave her friends so she doesn’t come back here. Which way am I heading?”

Ulfric sighed, knowing he couldn’t put it off any longer, and hauled the rest of the bags swiftly into the bed of the truck. “Head west on Torrance Street towards Bangor, and look out for a gated dirt road on the left-hand side just before the sign to the Devil’s Gullet,” He informed her after making sure all of the luggage was secure. “Take these, I can make it back on foot.” He salvaged his keys from his pocket, showing off each important one as he listed off their purpose. “This one’s for the gate, and this one for the front door. Get inside quickly, there’s some squirrels hanging around that might be rabid.” He tossed them to Celeste her in a flash, morbidly curious to see if her hunter reflexes had dulled since supposedly turning her back on her calling. “I’ll scope out Ariana’s location and confirm she’s safe, but I’ll be discreet enough not to tip her off. I’ll message you when I’m back but don’t be too, uh, concerned if you don’t see much of me. It’ll be better if I keep watch from a distance since your parents’ scent is probably similar to yours. Don’t want to be ambushed because my signals are jammed.” He hoped that convenient truth would spare him from any further torment that was ‘friendly’ chit chat with a hunter, at least until Ariana was there as a buffer. With curt nod goodbye, Ulfric took a step back from the vehicle and broke into a run towards the wood in pursuit of the younger werewolf’s trail. He wouldn’t shift to find her, her decision to flee had been made in human form guided by human motivations and he’d find her faster if his thought processes matched. But there was no harm, even a small bit of satisfaction to be found in leaving the hunter behind to wonder.