MY POISON IS YOUR REMEDY [DIGG]

[Willow Faye]

"Papa?" She wrinkled her nose, foreign scents filling her nostrils with in the otherwise homey aromas of the Sewer town. She knew that smell all too well... it was a smell of carnage and death. A small female jumped in front of her, sneering and stopping Willow in her tracks.
"He's busy." She hissed, eyebrows quirked in her over confident expression. Willow looked down on the unhealthy but somehow sensually curvaceous Carna Inquisitor, knowing well that she had out grown Manic's finest servant in size and in intellect. "I did not request this information of you, Nana." Willow hissed back, eyes cold and bright green, glowing in the dark of the tunnels. Her words were polite enough, but the smack behind those words was enough to make Eris snarl. Her form twisted and grew into the lithe and deathly quick shape of a cheetah, leaping towards Willow. Willow did not flinch and did not shift, but instead leaned forward and grabbed the large cat around its neck mid-air, whipping Eris's deflected body into the wall. The tunnels echoed with the satisfying snap of bones and the yowl of Eris's pain. She shifted back, looking especially small as she crumpled against the earth in her human form. They'd truly created quite the monster with Willow, with all the years of torture and training. But no amount of nurture over nature could change the flinch of compassion in her round, emerald eyes. "Are you alright now, Nana?" She looked down but did not move.

Eris yelped and whined in her pain, using her words to bite out at Willow. "I am no Nana of yours, pet." She spat. "You are all alone here, haven't you figured that out?"

Willow tilted her head sincerely. "That is silly. I have you, Nana. And Papa. And all the Carna are my family."
"You're the only one here who doesn't know! Idiot! Have you never wondered about your mother?"
Willow's eyes teared up. "My Papa loved my mother. She was the most beautiful Carna Alphess there ever was, and he put her above everyone else. She died a valiant death for you and for me, and for our people against the dreaded Fallen ring. We will avenge her." Willow growled, tears her in eyes.
"You sheltered spawn. Your mother was the Fallen ring Alpha! And WE killed her! It was all your fault too... It could have been avoided."
"That is not true... You are just angry." Willow's body shook with potential for sobs from with in. Eris's eyes softened ever slightly as she stood up. Having been the only female to look after this Whelp all her years, she could not help but feel just slight warmth for her.
"It is truer than anything you have been told." The spite left her voice and she looked the young girl up and down. She was the exact image of the Fallen Alpha, Skye... Other than the bright green eyes, they were almost exact. Willow's sadness and fear morphed into anger, much as she'd been taught to do, and she screamed so loud that it traveled through every crevice of every hallway, throwing all her energy into pushing Eris against the wall.
Eyes blinded with tears and mind blurred with fury, her assault upon another Carna proved sinful at the very least. She heard more snaps, screams, and cries, but threw punch after punch, crushing the woman into the wall before she heard a mightier roar than any sound capable among their people.
"Papa..." She squeaked, hearing the roar much closer this time, and looking down that hallway and back down at Eris, shriveled on the earth in a bloodied mess, Manic's one true servant and, as she could only assume, partner in other ways as well. He will know... I am as good as dead. Her paws hit the earth in a mad dash for what felt like her life, fleeing the Sewer town with her thoughts spinning. Who am I? She never gave up speed, and her run lasted on through the sun set, which blinded her in many ways. It was dark when she arrived at the park... For as much as she knew, she had never left the Carna ring borders in her life. She rarely got to leave Sewertown, and so the cover of the night was more comforting than anything else.
She collapsed against the ground in exhaustion, shifting into her human self to catch her breath, which seemed impossible in between her cries. When she was able to settle herself down and listen for threats, she brought herself to her feet and prowled around the perimeter, smelling her surroundings and taking it all in. She could smell another being near-by, and for the next twenty minutes, she breathed in carefully and visualize the warmth of the living body she could sense near by. At last, a twig snapped in the woods just beside her, and she leaped with an impressive speed up to the form that created the noise, swinging a leg beneath the form's legs to trip it to the ground and jumping directly on top of it, strong hands at the throat. Her raven hair fell over each shoulder into the face of the stranger, of which her hands so tightly and knowingly strangled. Her glowing green eyes followed the lines of her hair to his face, and immediately her grip lessened in strength, her expression softening and her muscles relaxing just ever so slightly. "Sir?" She said politely, in her young and endearing voice, head tilted charmingly to one side in genuine confusion. What was this beautiful creature, and why did she feel she knew it?

[Digg Haywood]

"I freakin' love parks," he said to no one in particular, and quite suddenly. In the quiet hours before dusk, his voice was sudden enough to cause the pigeon sitting next to him on the bench to burst into flight, at which point he thoroughly emasculated himself and shrieked at the loud flutter of movement next to his head, hands flying instinctively to protect his face. "Gaddamnit, you stupid bird! You are ruinin' my zen!" He shouted after the bird as it flapped away, following it with his eyes until it disappeared into the quickly setting sun. He and the bird had bonded an hour ago when he'd plopped his ass down on the bench. Probably the only bench left standing in the park as the forest slowly but surely began to take it back. The bench was a bit wobbly and near overgrown with ivy, but comfortable enough. Not too many bugs. He hoped there weren't any spiders lurking (though he was 99% sure that there absolutely were), and suddenly felt itchy. Hm. Why does my beard itch? I washed it last week.

Spiders. Beard. His brain disconnected from his spinal cord for a moment as he visualized the tiny little vermin crawling in his beard, laying their filthy eggs. So many eggs. And legs. "Christ on a crutch," he wheezed, clawing at his beard, grabbing it between his fingers and pulling it up and over his chin, searching it for spiders. Finding nothing more than a few crumbs he breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, sweet baby Jesus." He said and busied himself with rearranging his beard. Then he remembered he was supposed to be doing something, though he couldn't remember what it was. He'd gotten caught up in the park and the bench and the whole pigeon thing and god be damned if he couldn't remember why the hell he was on the bench in the park next to the pigeon in the first place. "Clem's gonna be pissed," he said, sucking air through his front teeth. "Then again she's mad most the time. So it won't be all my fault, I guess. That's comforting." He nodded to himself, but supposed it was time to head back to camp and face the music, or more realistically Clem's shrill voice as she tore him a new one. Not so musical, her voice, but he supposed to some she had a nice voice.

Leaving, right. He slapped his knees and hauled himself to his feet just as the last rays of sunlight faded in the west, heading in the direction of where they'd made camp for the week. Somewhere near Studio Ess, so not too far to go and he wasn't too worried about getting stuck out at night. The baddies usually came out in numbers, but he was big enough and fast enough as a horse to outrun them so as long as they didn't sneak up on him he was A-OK. He set to marching towards camp and was only walking for a few moments when he heard something crashing through the underbrush not far off, then silence. Then the soft, barely audible sounds of sobbing. He stopped in his tracks, gritting his teeth. "Well that's a ghost if I ever heard one," he whispered to no on in particular, and wondered if the ghost could hear him. Or see him. The sobbing stopped as soon as he'd thought that, and if that isn't a sign to get the hell out he didn't know what was. Digg started to back away slowly, sending out good vibes and trying not to draw any spiritual attention to himself when he heard a loud, almost deafening crack of a twig. He glared down at the culprit, his foot and the damned twig, fairly certain that he was going to get possessed by a demon or something because of a damned twig. "Et tu, twig?" he muttered, still standing and looking down at the stupid thing when something leaped from the bushes and had him on the ground in a matter of seconds, too quick for him to make a noise except for some strangled rush of air from his lungs as he slammed into the ground. Not that he could make a noise if he wanted, hands were so tightly wrapped around his throat.

"Sir?"

Air, oh sweet beautiful delicious refreshing air he thought, gasping as she released her grip on his throat. Wait. Her. Clem? he thought, bewildered. It could only be Clem who'd sneak up on him and tackle him like some crazy bitch. Some sort of practical joke-punishment. Right? No, she called him Sir. Clem would sooner find a gun and shoot herself than call him that. So, a real crazy bitch then. She didn't seem to want to kill him now though so that was good. She was kinda cute, in fact, what he could see in the dim light at least. "Ma'am?" he said in the smoothest voice he could muster despite the race of his pulse. "What brings you to the, ah, park floor this time a-night?"





ooc| ahahahaaaaa I missed posting with my Diggles

[Willow Faye]

The smooth, male voice reached her ears and reminded her of her Papa. She hardly ever saw or heard males in her life other than Manic, and then her memories of this one... Her existence had been almost always covered by Eris, as she hid away in a room in the Sewer town, forbidden from speaking to others. She was especially encouraged to avoid males, although she could not imagine why. There was something far more delightful about them anyway...
Willow wrinkled her nose when she realized it had brushed his, having leaned over in concentrated curiosity. She had long since stop strangling him and simply sat on top of him, straddling with ease. Her body's shape and strength spoke of her health. She lifted up his arm, looking it up and down, touching his beard with a delicate hand. Her eyes widened at the texture of it and her crooked smile looked delighted... or amused. She leaned forward and sniffed his neck, sifted through his hair, and searched his eyes for signs of aggression. During all of this, she rested a warning palm at his throat. "What is The Park Floor, Sir?" She blushed, worried that her lack of knowledge would show weakness. She hissed a warning just in case, grabbing a handful of his hair and pushing his head against the earth. "You will show me The Park Floor, or die!" Her throaty growls warned of her feline creature with in. She looked entirely conflicted, unsure if showing disrespect for a male would end in punishment. It always had in her experience, but she did not know entirely of this man. "Forgive me, Sir. But I will kill you if I have to." She corrected politely. She found her hand brushing his beard again, slight delight breaking through her otherwise pained-looking eyes. Why on earth would Papa want to keep her from this species of man anyway? The wonder on her face turned into a heated blush as her eyes met his. Confused by this, she pressed her other palm closer to his throat in warning that if he was manipulating her emotions she would harm him. He must be very powerful if he can dissipate anger. She tried to rationalize everything, but nothing made sense to her.

"Do you remember me?" Her voice suddenly sounded far more vulnerable. She peeked around the forest, waiting for a threat to appear, taking a moment to sniff the air and take everything in. A breeze gently pushed her hair out of her face and she reveled in the feeling. It was strange and beautiful, like the man beneath her and the earth all around her. The moving air continued to play with her hair and brought peace to her somehow. She gently pulled the man before her to sit up, her bright eyes adjusting naturally to the dark and taking in his details, shivering lightly in response, either to him or to the breeze, both of which bewildered her in amazing ways. She touched his face again in curiosity, only then freezing up to smell the air. Very still and focused, she lowered into a crouch, leaping over him and colliding with a snarling form mid air. She wrestled with the creature through the foliage, twigs snapping and twisting. The creature smelled foul and foreign to her, but she wrapped her arms around the animal's furry neck in a tight lock. It released a long, meaningful howl that traveled through out the park, before the sound ended harshly in a choking gasp. A loud crack sounded as she twisted its neck, and it fell limp in her arms.

Willow stood, proud and a little smug. "It is not so difficult at The Park Floor." She turned, eyes searching for Digg. The fear in her eyes melted into confidence and warmth to see him at a slight distance. Five more howls resounded in the distance, and with in moments, bright yellow eyes reflected from the moonlight and peeked through the trees behind her. Why are there dogs here? Do we eat them? Before her thoughts could finish, there was a light brown wolf at her ankle. She hissed and kicked it harshly in the face, flipping away from it, but another was at her ankle from behind and dragged her down for the others to approach. She had been obsessively trained for one on one combat, often intentionally placed against others for sport and further skills. But never had she been gained up on, and she could not help but think this was an unfair fight.

[Digg Haywood]

Digg tried to keep his breathing steady when she started slowly leaning forward, closer and closer to his face. Her eyes were round, wide and intense and frankly scared the shit out of him with that intensity. It was like looking into the eyes of a tiger on the prowl or some poetic shit like that. He couldn't really think clearly though, when he realize she was straddling him, her thighs squeezing his midsection, her warmth seeping into him. Then her nose was touching him, so close and damned she was pretty. But terrifying. Yeah, keep thinking that.

He kept his eyes on her as she grabbed his arm and looked it up and down like it was some alien thing, like she didn't have two of her own. Swallowed hard when she sniffed at his neck, then nearly melted into a puddle when she started playing with his beard. It was his weakness and damned if she didn't find it. His breath came out in a shuddering rasp of pleasure as she continued to run her hands through his hair. Then her hands were like claws, digging into his scalp and pushing against his throat in a threat. What the hell?! Alright, yeah. This chick was some-kind-of-crazy, and Crazy wasn't good. Sure, Crazy was fun for a quickie but it was never just a quickie with Crazy. Crazy hunted your ass down and tackled you in the Walmart two towns away from her house.

And this chick was definitely crazy. Muttering about the Park Floor and killing him if she had to like she was some ninja assassin trained only to kill and didn't know nothing about nothing. Well he wasn't gonna be the one to teach her to love and all that sentimental crap, that was for damned sure. "Uh, it was an expression-type thing, senorita." He said, though immediately regretted calling her that. If she didn't get the stupid Park Floor thing she probably didn't know español. "See we're on the floor of the park. My half-assed attempt at a joke," he said with a forced laugh, trying not to sound as freaked out as he was. Turned on one second, terrified the next. Yeah. Crazy was not good. "And you don't gotta worry none 'bout me. Err'body who meets me loves me, and you won't be the exception I guarantee." He said, with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

When she asked if he remembered her, he had no idea what to say. If he said the wrong thing she'd probably rip his throat out with her teeth. Or gouge his eyes out with her sharp nails, which were still tangled in his hair. He was still scrambling for an answer when she eased off him and pulled him into a sitting position. He got a good look at her as she looked him over, making him feel very uncomfortable in his own skin for the first time. He realized how young she looked, wanting to slap himself on the forehead. She was Jail-bait. Some-kind-of-Crazy Jail-bait. He was about to answer her when she went still, that unearthly stillness of a predator that instinctively made him wary, as his shift was a prey animal and he always had to fight with those instincts). He let out a shout when she sprang forward, his arms coming up to protect his face. But he felt only a ruffle of breeze on the top of his head as she cleared him and slammed into something behind him.

He scrambled to turn around and was still sitting on his knees when she snapped a wolf's neck pretty much with her bare hands. "What the actual f***," he said, his eyes wide in disbelief. She turned to him, but all he could see was her strangling the life out of that wolf. "I'm gettin' the hell out of here," he muttered to himself, turning to leave. He'd taken about five steps when he heard her hiss, then the sharp yelp of a wolf. And then snarls, the sound of her body hitting the ground. "Shiiiiiiiiit," he groaned as he turned, traipsing back towards the sound of the scuffle. "Why me? Why poor ol' Diggles? I'm cursed. A beacon for the batshits," he said, simultaneously shifting into his heavy horse form. He hesitated for a minute but heard her cries as she fought off, what five (oh sweet baby jesus of course  there were five) wolves? It really wasn't fair.

He let out a shrill whinny and plunged into the undergrowth with impressive speed and strength. The closest wolf yelped and darted off into the forest, but two turned to face him. He did a half-rear and struck out at the wolves with two massive hooves, catching one square on the top of the head. It crumpled to the ground instantly. The other wolf snarled and darted behind him, but Digg sent it flying with a savage kick with his hind leg. There were two left, but he couldn't tell who was who in the snarling mass of fur and skin. The wolves were nearly on top of her in their attacks. Digg lowered his heavy head and swung it from side to side, managing to knock one wolf away. The other reared up its head and snapped at his nose but Digg yanked his head up in time. He could hear more howls closing in, just a few yards away. "Get up, and get on!" he shouted at the girl, who was still fighting with the wolf. "Get on my back! I'll get us out of here!" He only hoped that she understood what he was saying. He was a big, tall horse but with the way this girl leaped around he was sure she could easily vault onto his wide back.

[Willow Faye]

She was pressed right to the earth, disoriented by the teeth digging into her attire and flesh. The weight lessened, and she could hear loud thumps against the earth, and her eyes widened. She struggled more, but it caused sharper pain. The weight upon her lessened and lessened and she was able to turn over and kick away at the last wolf. Looking up at the horse with her feline-like eyes, her mind calculated the voice. 'Get up, and get on!' What... 'Get on my back! I'll get us out of here!' She had just the moment to shift into her feline form and pounce from the earth to the horse's back, keeping her paws soft as not to harm. She immediately shifted back as Digg rushed forward, grabbing his mane with her hands and naturally found her way to clench her thighs around the waist of the large creature. The wind rushed by her, and the amount of foreign stimulation had her shivering and shaking. Willow steadied her breathing, reveling in the texture of Digg's fur, the softness of the wind, and the lightness of the night sky. The moment flowed timelessly for her, soaking in the new experiences, mind wheeling with all that had gone on... She even wondered what sort of creature it was that she rode upon. Mind wandering back to her Papa, she both missed and feared him, and what would happen to her for her sins. No one betrayed the Carnaring and got away with it. Were all those things Eris said true? Was anything she knew true?

She could hear Digg slow down, the wondrous thuds of his hooves coming to a stop. She slid down off of him carefully, only to wince and sink to the ground weakly. Assessing any damage, she was proud to find that every thing had stopped bleeding. Her ankle was swollen but more likely to be sprained than severed. Her clothing had suffered the most, leaving her more or less half-naked in front of this stranger. Eyes wandered up to take in his form, all the shapes and colors of this beautiful, mighty animal. Willow pressed the majority of her weight on one leg in order to stand, tall and proud, shivering lightly as his form changed into the one that even more-so made her catch her breath. Her intensity distinguished, if only for a moment of respect, avoiding eye contact with him. "Alpha." She spoke gently, as actions made him superior to her now. It was the only language she truly knew, even if it was that of wild animals. "You have potentially saved my life, and therefore I owe this life to you." She looked up at him curiously, sneaking a glance at his eyes that swam with an ethereal warmth. Her cheeks heated to a pink, and she affectionately nuzzled his neck with her nose. A heavy purr rumbled in her chest and took her off guard. She felt a strange pull to the stranger, this stranger that was now her Master. Perhaps this strange pull was the dangerous side of men, and perhaps it was this danger that had her, for so long, kept away from them. She recalled his reaction to her touching his beard and reenacted it, eager to please and entirely delighted herself with the texture of such a wonderful face ornament.

"What will you have me do, Sir?" She questioned, prepared to stand on guard for his safety for sleeping, or to hunt for a meal, or to destroy people he did not favor... The usual, of course. She shivered lightly, feeling the temperature dip as her teeth chattered excitedly behind her blueish lips. "I can do many things." She grinned proudly, too naive to associate her words with anything potentially sexual. Willow was a paradox of herself, being a very innocent and dangerous creature. Her mind raced, trying to find something he would want. Her new Alpha would not only be well-served, but she could see out here she needed some kind of protection herself. Perhaps the exchange of services would pan out smoothly. Err'body who meets me loves me, and you won't be the exception I guarantee. She recalled his words. "Everyone loves you. I can love to you too, if you like?" What on earth was that? Surely she was capable of such a simple task. "May I know your name, Sir? I am Willow, whelp of Carnaring." She flashed a smile, still avoiding direct eye contact. Now that he'd earned her respects, her demeanor changed, but only towards him. She was still on edge with the strange surroundings. She could only thank the night for masking most of the new things she was engulfed in. Her green eyes finally glowed up at him, unable to keep herself from his gaze, and she lightly reached out her hand to touch his, seeking some body-language of acceptance.

[Digg Haywood]

He cantered until he felt sure that the wolves had not followed them, and slowly pulled to a halt careful not to dislodge his rider. He snorted, nostrils flaring and ears twined back to listen for her as she slid off his wide back. Massive head swung round to look at her, snaking forward in an attempt to grab her as she fell. But she seemed more occupied with surveying her own wounds so he shifted back and waited, standing before her as a man. She was an odd creature; a small young thing with startling strength and even sharper instincts than his own. A terrifying little odd ball. He helped her to her feet but dropped his hands to his sides as soon as she was steady, content to eye her from a few feet away. But she stepped closer until they were nearly touching; he swallowed hard against the instinct to step away. He wasn't sure how she would take it. She seemed to want to be close to him. He knew he could easily outmatch her in strength but she was fast, and seemed rather adept at killing. He was a decent brawler but he'd always had more experienced people to back him up. Honest to god he'd never fought for his life single-handedly in this place. Clem or Winny his brother always had to save his ass.

So he was careful with her, this small admittedly...beautiful woman. It was hard to resist the flicker of warmth she ignited in the pit of his belly when she inched closer and nuzzled his neck, his hand instinctively coming to rest on the small of her back as he reached to support her in her injury. She was saying something about owing her life to him, calling him Alpha. It was some pretty weird rhetoric he had to admit, and part of him liked the idea of having a woman owing him. Hell, he liked the idea of anyone owing him. But even he (whom the world accused of having met the bare minimum of morality) knew that it would be wrong to lead her on and allow her sudden burst of devotion to go any further. It would be taking advantage of her, and the pangs of guilt were already starting.

But then she was twining her fingers through his beard, with her breath warm and sweet on his neck and damned if all those thoughts just scattered into the wind. Her scent was overwhelming, soft and alluring. Salty, earthy, enticing. He made a soft noise in his throat, just short of a moan at her featherlight touch. It had been a good while since he'd been this close to a woman. On the outside things had been different. He'd been somewhat of a ladies man, had a few girlfriends in a few different cities that he'd shack up with in between truck routes. But in here, things had been different. It'd been a good 6 months since he'd met a woman who didn't try to kill him within five minutes of seeing him. And now here this girl was, pledging herself to him, serving herself up on a silver platter. Though as he listened he got the feeling she didn't quite realize how differently her words could be taken. She spoke so strangely and with such startling naivety that he was sure she was from some brainwashing cult. And when she said she was from the Carna, he almost bust out laughing. Brainwashing cult to be sure, then.


He realized that he hadn't answered her yet and turned to her with a smile. "Willow, huh? That's a pretty name if I ever heard one." he said. "Name's Digg. Not as pretty as Willow to be sure but what's a man to do? And I ain't your Alpha. I couldn't lead nobody nowhere, not even if I had t'." He said, smiling down at her when she touched his hand. He wrapped his fingers warmly around hers and gave it a light squeeze, one promising warmth and friendship. "Love ain't somethin' you should give away too freely, sweetheart. You should make me work for it," he said, laughing and sounding stupid to his own ears. Oh, well. This strange girl, this Willow, gave him a weird mix of feelings. She seemed so young, so innocent and guileless yet at the same time she seemed laced with threat and venom. She gave him a weird urge to shelter her and make her safe and junk he'd never really felt like doing for a girl before. He liked the type of woman who could handle herself and take care of her own business; not the type that would need him to take care of her. Willow, strangely enough, seemed to be both in one. And it both confused and attracted him.

"Darlin', you don't owe me nothin' for helpin' you out, awright? I was jis doin' what any gennelmen worth his salt woulda done." He finally got around to noticing that her wounds weren't as bad as they looked, but still needed to be seen to. He'd kept his eyes mostly on her face to keep his thoughts pure and gentlemanly but he realized that her clothes had been torn pretty badly and she was half naked. "Gennelmen, I says, what kind of gennelman am I that I don't even offer a lady my coat on sucha cold night?" He said, unzipping his camo jacket and helping her into it. He zipped it up for her, laughing at how small she looked in his big coat; almost like she was drowning in fabric. "Think you kin walk, Willow? I know a place that ain't too far from here where we could hole up fer th' night, and I could see your wounds get a cleanin', good and proper." He held out his arm to use as support, and waited for her reply.

[Willow Faye]

She reveled in his acceptance of her, though it be reluctant, shivering lightly at his touch on her back and responding with a heavier purr. Her nuzzles against his neck left her scent upon him, and in turn, she picked up his scent as well. She jumped a little, mildly surprised by the sound he made and her eyes looked allured and darkened all in one moment. ”Digg…” She repeated, albeit breathy. Not as pretty as Willow to be sure. She tilted her head slightly, unsure what this meant. He looked entirely sincere, but she had never been truly complimented with out flattery being a tool in battle, sarcastic spite, or otherwise. Her mind calculated his facial features, body language, and took in his scent, which also told her he meant no harm in this moment. And I ain’t your Alpha. She wrinkled her nose in a little glare, frustrated by these words, and determining what she could do to show him she was worthy of his acceptance.
This man both rejected her and treated in kindly in the same moment, and this not the way of her people... certainly this was not the way of animals either. Luckily for her, they were not animals.

Closing her eyes, the young woman felt the earth beneath her feet and took in every scent that the slight breeze carried. When her eyes opened, determined and lethal, she could not help but give him a little smirk before leaping up and climbing a tree close to them with speed unheard of. Her adrenaline blocked out the pain of her ankle, and all that could be seen from below was the rustle of leaves and the sound of little bones crunching. She returned shortly after with a small, young owl, hanging limp from her human canines, dropping it at his feet proudly. ”I will catch food for you, Digg, Sir.” Her bright, emerald eyes reflected the night sky with little lights of quivering hope, desire, and fear. She found herself sore and tired after pushing herself to do this task, but found pride in that she was only bruised and scratched, other than her ankle, which she could manage. She worked her arms into the sleeves of his jacket, which hung well past her hands and she purred heavily at the warmth and his scent. Surely, he was claiming her now. ”How should I repay this kindness?” In the midst of her delight, there was also confusion. Kindness did not exactly exist where she came from, and certainly not to this extent. He held out his arm to her and she looked curious, confused, and delighted, embracing his offer with the warm grasp of her arm around his.

”Pardon me, Sir, but I must say you are indeed leading me now.” She lifted a brow with a clever little, feline-like smirk. I couldn’t lead nobody nowhere, not even if I had to. She recalled, stealing glances at him now and then. She avoided eye contact almost continuously now for the show of respect that he had earned from her, but the dominant creature with in her still gave her cravings to over-power, or rather, to try.
She leaned against him, feeling the desire rise with in her again, but what for? The need to over-power was not a need to harm, but to have, to claim, to be. And all of these feelings were entirely foreign to her.

”You are a leader like my Papa.” She admired, speaking softly, observing this strange and gorgeous world around them. Overwhelmed but not turned off by all of the sense stimulation, she took it all in with wonder and thankfulness. Even this night sky was brighter than the room she had slept in for all of her days.
She looked down at her feet, feeling the fear grip her heart once more… She attacked her primary caretaker, and found herself unsure if that woman, Eris, would even live. Her Papa would surely never forgive her for this, and she knew she could not go back. Did she even belong there? Who could ever know the truth of Willow’s existence? ”I will do anything…” She repeated, her voice softer and more broken now. ”I will do anything for you, Sir.” She feared the rest of the world far more than her outcome of saying this to her new acquaintance. The Carna ring itself posed a threat to her, as did everywhere else.

Time passed as they walked and she finally piped up. ”Good Sir, are we nearly there?” She looked flustered, and this statement was a reminder of her youth. ”It would please me to sleep now, and certainly that would please you?” She hardly help herself but to speak to him, as though her words had been stifled for years, and his company itself awakened her true self. She thought more on this, on the grander scheme and about self-actualization, but her mind wandered back to the man with the intense eyes, the man who approached her with a nonchalant generosity.
Her thoughts swam with ideas of what would please this strange man, and her desire to do so.

[Digg Haywood]

He stooped to grab the owl she dropped at his feet, stomach rumbling. He wasn’t even going to think about how easily she had caught the damn thing with a likely fractured ankle, so he just shoved the small bird in his back pocket. “Thankee kindly,” he said as she grabbed his arm, and he started off in the direction of the shack he was thinking of. “I kin cook it up when we get where we goin’. I ain’t et since…eh…well I kin’t recall th’ last time I et,” he said, and gave a chuckle when she asked how she was going to repay him for the jacket. "Look, I’ll cook th’ bird up and we’ll call it even steven if that’ll make ya happy.”

Digg’s instincts were still hollering at him to drop this girl off at the Studio and run like hell back to Hot Lips and Winny but now she’d gone and given him food to cook up and she was injured and alone and he couldn’t in all good conscience abandon her. There was a maintenance shed not too far away off from the park that his group had spent a few nights in and if he could remember the way then they’d be there in a few minutes. He figured they’d gotten far enough away from whatever wolves were still breathing that they’d be safe and sound for the night.

“You are a leader like my Papa,”

“Well I ain’t never been accused of that afore,” he said with a snort, grinning wolfishly. God what would Clem say to that?; Probably roll her eyes so hard they’d get stuck in the back of her head. He shook his head and kept moving, hopefully in the right direction as the Willow girl started getting antsy. “It’s ah, just ‘round the bend here,” he said with a grimace. He thought this was the way, but it had been quite a while since he’d been up this way. “Nearly there. But here,” he said, leaning down to scoop her up in his arms. “I’ll carry y’the rest of the way to save yer foot some hurtin’. Climbin up that tree couldn’ta done it any good.”

She was tiny but had some good weight to her, mostly muscle he would wager the way she’d fought off those wolves. He tried not to think on it too hard as he plowed his way through some thick underbrush, shoved aside some branches while keeping them from scratching her too bad before he came out on the other side, chest heaving from the effort. But when he looked up he saw it, the small little maintenance shed all boarded up and looking shittier than he remembered. “It’s rough, but it’s somethin’,” he said and plopped her down. In a few short minutes he'd finagled the door open (more like bashed the lock with a rock until it opened) and held it open for her. There was dirt and leaves and more dirt, a table with three legs, held up by a bench and...not much else. "Home sweet home," he said with a sheepish smile. "For tonight, at least."

He motioned for her to sit down as he went about plucking the bird, gathering a few essentials and starting a fire in a corner. As he went about preparing the skinny morsel for cooking, he looked back at Willow to see if she was still awake. She was tucked snugly into his jacket and looked so small in the flickering shadows of the small fire. "So," he said, slowly taking out a small knife from his back pocket and filleting the owl. "You a Carna, then?"