Pine Heath Town

[BladeRunner]

 

The large town of Pine Heath spans between two mountains, it has plenty of business and always seems to never really sleep. However despite its population the town is actually peaceful and quiet, abd sports a variety of shops as well. 

 

[BladeRunner]

May 10th, 10:25 A.M. 12th and Parker "Main Street," Pine Heath 

Sunday morning went about as well as it usually did, slow and steady. In the large, sleepy town of Pine Heath, business fluctuated with the traffic usually hitting at the hours of 6 AM, 12 PM, and 5 PM, usually with the city going into a near dead silence at night save for the overnight workers, party animals, and the occasional night owl. Today was no different, the sunny and warm Montana day was ideal for people to come out and participate in activities or take care of errands. Most folks were either off enjoying the day and staying home or working, business as usual. 

And that much was true for one (or more) particular individual(s). An old Dodge pickup truck was driving down Main Street, the engine a bit loud no thanks to the muffler that fell off long ago. Despite it being nearly twenty years old, it still ran... Decently. In recent times the old thing was running a tad bit heavier and struggled during certain times of the year. Despite how much he fixed on it, his pride and joy was running a lot rougher than what he's used to. 

Austin Windcaller was one of the oldest members of Pine Heath, never residing in town but rather the Half Moon Reserve where his home was; the very same reserve where his pack lived. As the truck made its way down the street he would notice how quiet it actually was, save for the stray vehicle and bystander here and there. Usually there would be more people out and about but Austin wasn't about to complain, less traffic meant more time to take his time running errands. Well, not necessarily errands, just spelunking around and getting a break from the Midnight. 

Days like this was when the Alpha of the Midnight Pack could step away and get some time to himself, he wasn't opposed to one or two of his members coming along and if any had. The trip to the city was filled with silence and music from the country station he chose. His truck, his rules. Austin sighed as soon as he stopped at a red light, so far his thoughts were empty but... He could go shopping...? It wasn't usually his forte, however the older he got the more he wanted to actually get out and do things, said things didn't even have to involve money just more a matter of fucking around. 

"I suppose the mall sounds good..." Austin said to himself, pulling onto the highway that would lead into another ten minutes of driving. 

[love_and_poprocks]

Evelina sat in the backseat of a black vintage sedan that looked expensive enough to belong in another century. It rolled silently through Pine Heath’s quiet streets, untouched by the rattling imperfections of modern life. No engine noise. No radio. Only the faint tap of gloved fingers against the polished armrest inside. Her crimson eyes lingered lazily out the tinted window as storefronts drifted past one by one. Small town America. How unbearably quaint. The Night Mistress of the Blackthorne Family had crossed oceans, empires, and centuries only to find herself trapped in a town where people worried about grocery sales and lawn care. It should have driven her insane. Instead, it merely exhausted her in a very old, familiar way.

The sunlight overhead should have burned her alive. Instead, enchanted black lace veils draped beneath the sedan’s roof dimmed the lethal rays into something tolerable, bathing the interior in perpetual dusk. Ancient magic woven into thread by hands long dead. One of the few luxuries she still appreciated. Evelina rested her cheek against her knuckles, expression distant. “…I miss the plague years,” she murmured softly. From the driver seat, her chauffeur remained perfectly still. “Understandable, my lady.” Not even a beat. “People were more honest while dying.” The old vampire’s gaze drifted toward the streets again just as an obnoxiously loud pickup truck rattled through the intersection nearby. The sound alone was enough to pull her from her thoughts.

Crimson eyes narrowed slightly. Old Dodge. Poor muffler. Smelled of pine, gasoline, dirt roads… And wolf. Well, that was mildly more interesting. She watched the truck pass through the sunlight, her expression remaining deceptively neutral, though the air inside the car grew subtly heavier. Predatory instinct stirred beneath ancient boredom like something massive shifting in deep water. “Austin Windcaller,” the chauffeur spoke calmly before she even asked. “Alpha of the Midnight Pack.” Evelina hummed quietly. “So the mutts still reside here.” Rhetorical but the chauffeur answered anyway. “They do.”

The truck disappeared further down the road toward the highway, country music faintly audible even through closed windows. For a moment, she simply watched it leave. Then unexpectedly, she smiled. It was small. Sharp. Interested. “…Follow him.” Hesitation, “My lady?” Her lips curled into a mischievous grin baring a fang on the rearview mirror. Though not like she had a reflection to show it off. “I wish to see whether age has made werewolves wiser or simply slower.” The chauffeur sighed almost imperceptibly before turning the wheel. Outside, Pine Heath continued its sleepy Sunday morning completely unaware that one of Europe’s oldest monsters had just decided she was bored enough to involve herself in local affairs.

[BladeRunner]

The truck crawled up to the speed it was supposed to, seventy miles per hour was the speed limit but why not bush a little part that? Austin sped up to just seventy five, no more and no less. Reaching up to that particular speed did he go around two cars, one a minivan and the other a Sheriff's Deputy Mustang. Despite going over the speed limit the lawman didn't pull Austin over, as a matter of fact they would slow down and turn to an off ramp leaving the minivan alone. And another short few minutes later Austin took the off ramp and in the distance the Oak Parks Mall, a place he usually resents because of how busy and claustrophobic it can be. 

Looking in the rearview mirror to see if anyone was behind him, Austin took noticed of a black car that was not too far from him. At first he thought nothing of it, but then he felt a knot in his gut, uncomfortable and making his mood unsettled as is. At first he threw it away as paranoia given the uneasy "truce" that the Midnight Pack had with the Blackthorne Coven, with what every so often a vampire dying here and a werewolf dying there including certain members of both sides trespassing on either territory, Austin wasn't one to take chances anymore. But ignoring this feeling wasn't an option any longer, as the Alpha slowing to a stop sign his senses grew stronger. 

Once he came to complete stop at a sign Austin closed his eyes and breathed. He wasn't quite used to going to such a massive and heavily populated area, especially alone, going onto main street was easy enough but this was a different ball game. Easing himself once more he began to think happy thoughts. Throughout the years Austin had always compiled a list of errands to complete starting with the more important chores and working his way down. At least what he deemed as more important.

The children were a good start, taking them hunting and teaching them how to camp was certainly top of the list, from there Austin would need to make sure the Gamma was properly planting the appropriate herbs and spices and not anything useless or dangerous; Spirits forbid they actually do that. Next on the list was meeting with the Pine Heath Sheriff's Office to plan out certain hunting times for the Wolfpack with the law enforcement, given that the latter owns the Half Moon Reserve, they were still prone to having a member or two stray outside of the territory and further into the woods. Why they needed the department involved was so they can bring public awareness of the dangers of hiking far from campsites and the city itself and also to help make safety concerns aware, in reality it was a way so that hunters didn't just start firing at werewolves- While usually it was a problem, it was still an occurrence that happened a good few times in the past few decades. 

And coming up this late summer, the little ones of the Midnight would get to go to a church camp in the Ozarks. How that would work is that since the children weren't able to transform yet (If they could at all), two of the Human parents of the pack alongside a pastor- who the pack had good relations with- can take them on the road trip which would allow the adults to commit unholy acts of lust. Four times a year, the pack goes into a heat with the Spring and Summer times only lasting a week, whilst the Fall and Winter lasting anywhere from a couple weeks to a while month and usually back-to-back. But that was in a few months, so he didn't have to worry about such things. 

Finally after two more turns, Austin entered the covered parking lot near the mall, stopping his vehicle and turning it off after finding a decent spot. Sighing he stepped out of the vehicle and closed the door, slipping on a Texas Longhorns ball cap. Compared to the large truck he was massive in height, donning a plain black T-shirt and jeans with work boots. He had a bushy silver beard with a bald head, the only thing sticking out aside from the man's massive frame were the various tribal tattoos that littered his arms and neck. The Alpha used the key fob to lock the truck and proceeded forward toward the massive shopping center...