Far too Deep (Open)

[cassidytremmer]

ooc: I'm horrible at starting threads. Just thought I'd warn you all, but don't let me scare you off.

Cassidy A l l y n Tremmer

The hushed whisper of waves rolling onto the shoreline was all that could be heard in the dismal night. Above, dim stars attempted to brighten the darkness, but their soft glow wasn't enough to pierce through the thick shadows weighing on the earth. Only a few hours ago, a cacophony of noise had rang from this beach, but all the tourists had left. Now, all that remained was what they'd left behind. The corner of a faded beach towel poked up from under the surface of the coast. It had been trampled and forgotten by its owners. There were a few empty coke cans from careless people who didn't mind destroying the beauty of nature, and everywhere, there were foot prints, just intentions in the sand. All were reminders of the chaos that had raged. Now, only peace remained. However, even here, there was no escape from the pandemonium that haunted her every thought and plagued her every action. If the past could be erased, maybe then she' find solace, but that since that couldn't be done, the battle would just have to rage on.
Sitting on the beach, her feet in the tide and her knees pulled up to her chest, Cassidy longingly stared out across the ocean. Scooping up a handful of golden sand, she clutched it tight, then slowly opened her palm. As the tiny grains slipped through her fingers, a gentle breeze brushed by bringing with it the salty scent of the sea. Gazing at the water, it came to her, what she truly desired. To be free from herself, or more accurately from the monster that she'd been turned into. Yes. That was what she wanted, to lose the burden and wash clean her bloodstained hands, but there was no chance of that every happening. The best she could do would be to gain at least some measure of control over her wolf-self, because as it was, her emotions ruled. She was just a witness, watching it all happen, but with no hand in the outcome.

Right now, she felt like she was trapped in a pit, buried under ten feet of dirt under. Every day she dug herself down a little deeper. Pretty soon, there was going to be no way out. She needed someone to throw her a hope before she was beyond saving. Until then, though, she'd just have to trudge through the mud and hope she doesn't make any more kills during the next full moon. For now, though, the people here were safe. It was always the ones close to her that ended up getting hurt. Lucky for the rest of Hollywood, she'd just moved here and didn't know a soul. It was quite the lonely existence she was living at the moment.

A familiar and unwelcome sound yanked her out of her thoughts and back into reality. There was panting and the thump of paws on sand. Oh no... With dread, she reluctantly peered over her shoulder and the panic alarm went off inside her. Barreling down the beach like a freight train was a massive German shepherd. He probably weighed more than she did and he showed no signs of stopping any time soon. "Dante, no! Stop!" Unfortunately, she knew that dog. It was hers, but it didn't matter because he wasn't going to listen and he certainly wasn't going to stop. He didn't even slow down. Holding her arms out in front of her like a wall, she sprung to her feet. In an instant, the serenity that had surrounded her shattered into a thousand pieces, like taking a baseball bat to a glass window. A loud thud, painful to the ears, echoed as Dante relentlessly slammed into her, forcing the air out of her lungs. Being the klutz that she was, she stumbled backward and tripped over her own foot.

In a stream of crimson hair, Cassie crashed onto the ground. A spray of golden sand flew in every direction, even managing to get in her face. With a glare that could have sent children crying to their mothers, she scowled up at Dante. His paws, almost as big as her hands, were on her shoulders as he pinned her to the ground, and there was no doubt that he was overjoyed to have sent her ass-first onto the sand. The dog was completely un-phased by her glare. In fact, he looked quite pleased with himself. "Some present you are." Cassidy grumbled as she shoved Dante off.

[*sombra delgadillo]

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The beach was an interesting place to find Sombra on any occasion, mostly because there was usually some association with it and people. Large masses of people roamed the sand and absolutely swarmed, putting the wolf on edge to no uncertain end. To Ms. Delgadillo this was an exercise – working to control the beast and harness the violent energy that roared within her. Naturally there would be other werewolves. That was another objective. Sombra was searching for the lost ones. The ones who needed help. Naturally her definition of them was different than one might guess. She wasn’t looking to adopt a bunch of puppies.

No, Sombra defined the lost ones as the domestics. The ones whose wolves were dormant and they were like fat housepets. Those were the ones in need of serious help in her opinion. It was denial in her eyes, the inability to connect with the more powerful self. A true and not unusual problem. She had every desire to change that. She would change that in fact. A quiet frown had etched her delicate features, mocha oculi skirting the horizon beneath the amethyst sunglasses. Her outfit was as it generally was. Mildly provocative but not in the sense that she was trying. It was simply for the passersby to appreciate. Not to begin anything.

If asked, Sombra would not be able to respond to the question asking if she were beautiful or not. In her mind she was simply herself, and had never pondered her looks very much. She did what was natural, what was instinct and the wolf made her desirable. It operated on a primal basis – one that identified with a beast aware of its own worth. She was not a prize to be had but a woman all the same. It was in fact possible to be beautiful and not promiscuous – she had more respect for herself than that. Then again another’s viewpoint of her could very well thwart her ease…just not in the way that would be expected.

It made her defensive and violent when men appreciate her body, as if threatened. She was threatened in fact. Men took far too many liberties in this day and age and she was quite fed up with being objectified. This served as logical reason for her standoffish behavior, her natural distrust and her expertise in hostilities. Enough of men though, society is far too dominated by them why let them completely block up her mind?

There she was. The she-wolf that had drawn her out of the waves and onto the beach in a reticent search for this “comrade”. A brow ascended as her domestic cousin leapt at her, rolling her over in the sand. A faint smirk was endowed the two. Puppies. Pets. Nearly rolling her eyes, she silenced the disagreeable huff of the wolf within and moved towards the woman. A fellow redhead, immediately she wondered if it was natural – she always did. Hers was but for reasons she could place – her grandparents were Irish. Odd? Yes. Pausing as she drew near the target, a faint, reserved smile was bestowed upon the effeminate creature. ”Quite an unruly one, isn’t he?” It was voiced amusedly as she folded her arms over her torso and observed with all the idle placidity she could muster.

[cassidytremmer]

The overwhelming weight on her shoulders was made worse by the claws digging into her skin. It wasn't enough to draw blood and probably wouldn't even leave a single bruises, but it wasn't the visible injuries she was worried about. Cassie was painfully aware of a presence nearing her. Barely noticeable below the acrid smell of salt and fish drifting in from the ocean was the subtle scent of a stranger, but this stranger wasn't just any normal person off the street. To her demise and misfortune, this was one of her own kind. Perhaps, things would turn out better than she was imaging, but if all went as usual, she would find some way to mess this up, and as of now, her only companion and biggest annoyance, better known as Dante, was going to be the reason for her undoing. If this other woman could get past the rowdy dog, maybe everything would be alright, but there were no crossed fingers. She knew well enough by now that hope never did any good. If anything, it only made situations worse.

Being ignored by her own dog was already almost more embarrassment than she could handle. To be completely dominated by his size and strength in front of another wolf, even someone she didn't know, would be something her pride would never recover from, mostly because she barely had any pride. In her eyes, a disgrace like that would not only brand her a fool but would also annihilate any scrap of self-esteem that she still managed to cling to. Without even a moment of hesitation, she tightly wrapped an arm around Dante's neck and in one smooth motion, hauled the monstrous canine to the side. In less than a second, the dead weight and overwhelming pressure of claws biting into her shoulders diminished into nothing more than a faint sting.

To prevent any more trouble that the devilish German shepherd might attempt to stir up, she firmly looped her slender fingers around his well-worn and faded collar. Obviously, she had to do this quite often and knew the drill. Awkwardly keeping hold of him with one hand and pushing against the sand with the other, she rose to her feet. Everything was great... Until Dante heard the other she-wolf speak. Apparently, this was the first time he'd noticed her. Without warning, Cassidy's entire body was jerked forward as he made a determined lunge for the stranger, most likely in an attempt to send her slamming into the ground as well. After all, that was his way of saying hello. If he didn't do it, then that would just be downright rude.

Luckily, Cassie didn't feel the same way about pummeling people into the sand and kept a solid grip on his collar. Even when his first leap failed, he didn't give up. There were a few more arm-wrenching yanks before the head-strong canine finally trashed his idea of a greeting and settled for some good old-fashioned tail-wagging. He wasn't relaxed, but at least he wasn't trying to pull her arm out of the socket anymore.

Blowing out an exasperated breath, the petite woman brushed back a few loose strands of crimson hair that had fallen into her face and finally looked up. From her fair complexion to the faint dust of freckles and red hair, her heritage was easily guessed. All of her mother's side of the family is Irish and Cassidy herself had been born in Ireland. On the other side, her father is all American. He has the face of an angel with crystal blue eyes and light blond hair.

An unspoken apology for her pet's behavior drowned out all other emotion in her misty azure eyes, but despite the subtle hint of shame, a fragile smile shone on her face. With a soft laugh as she caught her breath, Cassie light-heartedly answered ”Unruly may just be the understatement of the year. Believe it or not, compared to how he usually acts, this is really quite calm."He'd been a gift for her sixteenth birthday from her father. At the time, he'd been an adorable puppy with paws way to big for his little frame. That had been three years ago. Now, he might as well be a horse, and his sense of supremacy had only magnified. "Rules don't really apply to him, and I don't think anyone can change that.”

The truth was, and it was plain to see, Cassie was not the master of this dog. More or less, he was the boss of her. Of course, she didn't blame the dog for his disobedience. She blamed herself. Control was the major issue here, and if she couldn't control herself, then there was no way she could even expect to control Dante. Just by glancing at the other she-wolf it was obvious that they didn't share a similar problem, and if they did, the woman hid it extremely well. Confidence seemed to brightly radiate off her, and yet it didn't strike her as arrogance.

The only thing radiating off of Cassie was her obvious lack of experience, but that was almost definitely because she's only been lived as werewolf for a year. No one had shown her the ropes. No one had tried to help her. She'd been all alone, trying to figure out how to survive without becoming a senseless murderer. It hadn't worked so well. Everything had been trial-and-error, and yet, she still hadn't learned anything except that she couldn't shift to wolf form unless there was some emotion driving the change. So instead of trying to control the beast, she'd tried to bury it. If anything, she was a failure. A lost, confused failure.

[*sombra delgadillo]

The poor attempt to reconstruct what was left of her dignity was noted with a calm look, one of amusement perhaps but little else. There was some question as to whether or not her wolf was any stronger than the lanky redhead that was struggling to contain her domestic canine. Shifting her weight to and fro, Sombra stared, disinterested in whether or not this was concerned acceptable by modern social conventions. What was taken note of was the fact that the dog was the dominant, while its clearly stronger human was the submissive. Disappointing. The world was a disappointment to the wolf, so this new addition was unsurprising and much less than hard hitting.

As the beast leapt at her with sudden realization she supposed, the wolf’s hackles rose and Sombra’s shoulders squared, pupils narrowing as something akin to a snarl radiated past her lips. Her chin tipped back and she stared down her nostrils at the domesticated animal, daring him to make contact with her. She was far less kind than his master, she would put him in his place and gladly. There was very little that bothered Sombra more than impudence. This dog acted like a child. A bratty only child whose parents indulged it too much. The fault naturally was placed on the girl currently wrestling with it.

The disheveled woman tried to recover again, tried to appear somewhat normal. She wasn’t. There was nothing vaguely generic about her at this point. A small wolf whose meek personality was so tamed that even a mediocre semi unhealthy mutt could give her trouble. She was pale, almost to the point where she could be assumed a leech with the rest of them, but the heat that resonated from her frail body stated otherwise. Thank goodness for small favors.

”Calm? This is anarchy.” It sounded as though it should have been a joke, but the lazy tone that it was stated it contrasted that. Her gaze flitted away, away from the youth towards the horizon, a slight squint unappealing on her brow though endowing a seasoned appearance. Despite this slightly calloused appearance, the wolf appeared twice as experienced – sporting its scars. Rules don’t apply? A quiet laugh was liberated at this as she stared down at the shepherd with mirth. ”He’s a dog. Not the wind.” There was faith in knowledge here, power, the necessity for order. Unshakeable faith in this.

”Were you a werewolf when you received him?” It was an inquiry as she folded her appendages lazily over her torso, a brow ascending though she did not make eye contact with the woman just yet – a submissive did not need the deathly stare that Sombra was currently hedging on the mutt. Perhaps he was dominant and formidable, Sombra’s knowledge of threats was far more expansive than his purely animal brain could comprehend. Though, intimidating him was far easier to do, she reasoned, in wolf form when the language they both spoke could be more easily translated.

However, that gap was being replaced by the clear signs of domination and superiority. Sombra was the boss dog. That was how it always was. Or how it was meant to be. The skills she had been made to learn were both for survival…and for this. This was Sombra in her prime setting. This was the beast and the human as one soul.

[cassidytremmer]

The authority with which this other werewolf carried herself was overpowering. To escape the suffocating sensation, Cassie downcast her turquoise eyes, choosing to stare at the sand instead of chancing a glance at the woman. As if something so boring could actually entertain her, she shuffled her feet and attentively watched the golden grains flow around her converse. A muffled growl made her snap her gaze to the canine beside her. His wagging tail now hung limply and his stance was demanding to be challenged. There was a savage glint in his normally gentle brown eyes. Anarchy was only half of it. Barbaric was more like it.

Following his line of sight, Cassie narrowed her eyes in concern, not for his target but for him. Dante walked all over his owner and didn't know that other werewolves were any different from her. In fact, his animal brain couldn't comprehend what a werewolf ever was. To him, they were just distant cousins. Their scents were always a mix of human life and wolf. This stranger was no different from any of the others, though dominance did seem to hover around her. In the animal's eyes, she needed to be knocked down into her place, which was undeniably beneath him. And that was the way the hound's simple mind worked. Put plainly, he was alpha. End of story.

A grim smile stained the bella's lips as she noticed the threatening glare that the other woman was holding her rebellious dog in. Such tactics never worked on Dante. Her own efforts had been wasted. The only one who'd ever been able to control the beast was her brother, but then Cody had always been good with animals. With a breif glance to the shepherd, an icy gleam marred the beauty of her optics. Maybe, just this once I should let him go. Teach him a lesson... Her grip on his collar loosened, but she sighed and crushed her fingers around it so hard her knuckles turned white. There were other ways to train Dante, ones that didn't involve any pain on his behalf. She just had to figure them out. Using someone she'd just met, without even a name to put with the face, was not the way to put Dante in his place.

Looking out across the rough ocean waters, she listened to the woman's question and calmly stroked her canine's fur. The soothing motion subdued him and he lowered himself to his haunches. Though his eyes never left the werewolf, he'd quit growling.

"Were you a werewolf when you received him?" Absent-mindly, Cassie lightly brushed the silver chain around her neck. The metal was cool to the touch and she slid her fingers down it until the cross hanging on the end was between her thumb forefinger. "No, I was human." She turned her crystal blue pools back on the other woman. "I've been human all my life... until last year." She'd only said that to try and redeem herself, thinking that maybe if the stranger knew how short a time she'd been a werewolf, she'd cut her some slack.

It was strange, but not hard to understand, that the other kept her gaze off of Cassie. She seemed so much rough and experienced, able to hold on to her human-self even while unleashing the wolf on Dante. That was control and strength. In her peripheral vision, she glimpsed the black canine. His eyes were downcast, his shoulders angled away from the dominant woman. A staring contest from her is all it took? That's embarrassing... A pale red hue bloomed on her cheeks and she refused to even so much as glance at the werewolf. However, a question was in order. "Dante is head-strong and never backs down. How did you get him to do that?"