Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 1, 2017 14:40:17 GMT -5
My girl, Dakota, and your guy have been friends since childhood. They always hung out together and were inseparable. Until one day, your guy suddenly, for reasons you can make up, runs away from home without telling Dakota. Now after three years, he returns and runs into Dakota. He's stuck with trying to explain everything to her, and try to figure out if he should stay or leave again. After a while of hanging out again, Dakota and your guy start to date. So, will he face up to what he ran away from, or will he leave again, but this time with Dakota?
Dakota Daniels
(Artwork made at rinmarugames.com. Art created by Rinmaru. All I own is the character.)
Standing at the average height of 5'7", Dakota is a force to be reckoned with. The girl is active. She has to be. Due to unfortunate genetics, she has the body type that gains weight more easily than it can get rid of it. After being chubby her entire childhood, she is determined to keep herself in shape. Of course, she isn't thin, but she has achieved a healthy weight that she is happy with. Her round face is probably the only part of her body that still looks the same from her childish appearance. Dark brown eyes peer out from under dark lashes. Her hair, to match her eyes, is the say shade of brunette that curls into a mass of uncontrollable fluff when not managed properly. Because of this, she keeps it in a pony tail and out of her face. This is important when she does her hobbies. In order to keep herself at a happy weight, Dakota has taken up several interesting hobbies. Archery is one of them. She took up archery when she was ten, and had fallen in love with it. The other is self-defense classes. It's safe to assume that the girl likes feeling dangerous. She can easily hold her own in a hand-to-hand fight. Other than her love for being the intimidating figure, Dakota is a friendly person. She tends to keep most of her secrets to herself, but is willing to help anyone who comes to her seeking help. She's a very blunt person, though. If you were looking for sensitivity, you came to the wrong person. Dakota doesn't mean to be mean, but she doesn't see the need for phrases that try to cover up a situation, or make bad news seem easier to handle. She's the kind of person who believes if people want the truth, then that's what they should get. It makes her a little unpopular at times, but she isn't too heartbroken about it. However, if she senses that the blunt truth isn't appropriate at the moment, then she will offer silent support, lending a shoulder to cry on without making any comments of comfort. She doesn't offer sympathy. That's the one thing she hates. If anyone tries to say or do anything solely for the purpose to gain sympathy for themselves, Dakota will flat out ignore them. She has little patience for people who will do anything for attention. She dealt with a situation like that once before, and she vowed to never fall for the trick again. (Me)
Sawyer Mason
Since this rp is being moved from my plot shop to it's own thread, below are the responses given since the beginning of the role-play. For organization and ease of reading, I will be breaking up the scenes in their own little spoiler tabs. Also, to tell between which character's point of view is being written in, my replies will be in black while Junip's will be in caterpillar green.
The first meeting.
*Time Skip to Next Morning*
Dakota Daniels
(Artwork made at rinmarugames.com. Art created by Rinmaru. All I own is the character.)
Standing at the average height of 5'7", Dakota is a force to be reckoned with. The girl is active. She has to be. Due to unfortunate genetics, she has the body type that gains weight more easily than it can get rid of it. After being chubby her entire childhood, she is determined to keep herself in shape. Of course, she isn't thin, but she has achieved a healthy weight that she is happy with. Her round face is probably the only part of her body that still looks the same from her childish appearance. Dark brown eyes peer out from under dark lashes. Her hair, to match her eyes, is the say shade of brunette that curls into a mass of uncontrollable fluff when not managed properly. Because of this, she keeps it in a pony tail and out of her face. This is important when she does her hobbies. In order to keep herself at a happy weight, Dakota has taken up several interesting hobbies. Archery is one of them. She took up archery when she was ten, and had fallen in love with it. The other is self-defense classes. It's safe to assume that the girl likes feeling dangerous. She can easily hold her own in a hand-to-hand fight. Other than her love for being the intimidating figure, Dakota is a friendly person. She tends to keep most of her secrets to herself, but is willing to help anyone who comes to her seeking help. She's a very blunt person, though. If you were looking for sensitivity, you came to the wrong person. Dakota doesn't mean to be mean, but she doesn't see the need for phrases that try to cover up a situation, or make bad news seem easier to handle. She's the kind of person who believes if people want the truth, then that's what they should get. It makes her a little unpopular at times, but she isn't too heartbroken about it. However, if she senses that the blunt truth isn't appropriate at the moment, then she will offer silent support, lending a shoulder to cry on without making any comments of comfort. She doesn't offer sympathy. That's the one thing she hates. If anyone tries to say or do anything solely for the purpose to gain sympathy for themselves, Dakota will flat out ignore them. She has little patience for people who will do anything for attention. She dealt with a situation like that once before, and she vowed to never fall for the trick again. (Me)
Sawyer Mason
Rising at about 6'4, Sawyer most definitely lives up to the Mason family name in terms of height. With a bit of muscles developed from his time in the woods, he fills out his height, but for the most part is quite thinly built. Atop his freckled face sits his crown of dark curls, long enough to form a bit of a chocolate brown halo to frame his face. His features are somewhat angular, with a distinct jaw line, but his cheek bones are smudged and his pale blue eyes are soft with all the things they've taken in. The freckles about his cheeks continue to most of his body, and his skin for the most part is naturally fair, though he's got a slightly unusual looking tan from being outdoors so often. He tends to wear a lot of flannels and casual button downs, and either jeans or cargo pants, but isn't particularly strict; his only main consistency being that he typically wears neutral colors, nothing too bright. He also has a pair of slightly big, dark rimmed glasses, that sit squarely on the bridge of his nose. Sawyer is what most would call an introvert, and from his exterior and the majority of his first impressions he is. Somewhat concerned about the judgement of others, he tends to be quiet in social situations, and will return to this state if he ever gets angry or upset. However with the right people, he opens up significantly, and once he's comfortable with you is happy any day to discuss with childish excitement his favorite music, the beauty of the nature he's explored, and classic old movies like "Casa Blanca" and "Singing in the Rain". Seeing as he's had his fair share of secrets and things to hide from, Sawyer is also quite trustworthy. He isn't one to judge others because he knows better than most that any story, no matter how unbelievable, can have a big effect on you. He also has a way of speaking with others that can get people to open up, especially since he'd always much rather listen to you expel your demons than have to give away his own. This get's into one of his major flaws, he tends to sometimes become manipulative in getting what he wants. He'll forget for a moment that you're a real human with real emotions, and will push and push to learn more about you, to get you to speak or to do things for him. It's something that deeply bothers Sawyer, as he doesn't feel like a truly bad person, and grows quite concerned when he messes up to the point of scaring people away. One of the things he wishes for most is for others to simply accept him, and to be liked, he doesn't intend to cause harm, physically or emotionally, but because of who he is sometimes it's inevitable, and slightly scarring. ( נυɴιρ ☁ )
Since this rp is being moved from my plot shop to it's own thread, below are the responses given since the beginning of the role-play. For organization and ease of reading, I will be breaking up the scenes in their own little spoiler tabs. Also, to tell between which character's point of view is being written in, my replies will be in black while Junip's will be in caterpillar green.
The first meeting.
Dakota took in a deep breath, eyes locked onto the target fifty feet away from her. With ease, she pulled back on the bowstring, arrow notched and ready to go. It took her only a moment before she released the arrow. She waited just long enough to make sure the arrow had flown true before grabbing another arrow and letting it loose. Six more times she did this before she lowered her bow, smiling to herself. Only two of the seven shots landed in the red ring around the center of the target, but it didn't bother her. Accuracy she had already mastered. It was speed the young woman was working on at the moment. Her accuracy would falter until she was comfortable with the speed in which she would be shooting. So far, after three days of practicing, her progress was improving.
Picking up the container she used to hold her arrows, she made her way to the target. Every day, if the weather permitted, Dakota drove out of town to an old camp ground long abandoned. The site used to be a busy place, but after a fire broke out in the area, people avoided it since the natural beauty was destroyed. That was five or six years ago. People still hadn't returned and there hadn't really been any attempts to restore to place by the city. What had regrown on its own was sparse underbrush and weeds so far. This created the perfect archery range for Dakota. As long as no one caught her and told her she couldn't be here, she would continue to practice her weaponry here in the peace of nature.
It was late afternoon, and Sawyer had been in the battered driver's seat of his rusting mini pick-up truck since dawn. An elbow balanced on the open window, and his fingers tangled in his hair, he held up his cheek to keep it from dropping as he began to reach the part of the forest with fire damage. He'd spent the last, well, few years, out on the road, and just got into trouble a couple towns back, which meant that yet again the young man was on the run. A friend who'd seen the incident, one of the few who knew of one of Sawyer's biggest secrets, had mentioned before he left an old abandoned camp ground in the midst of a burnt down part of the woods, perfect for a scrappy wolf looking for a place to hide. Of course, after the incident last night he'd hit the road practically before sunrise, and luckily seemed to be nearing where this campground would be located.
As he saw more and more of the charred trees, growing smaller and smaller and with more little greenery popping up from the ground, he began to slow down, blinking with fervent frequency to keep himself awake. At last a driveway so overgrown it was hardly visible came into sight, and he sighed with relief, turning into it and driving deep enough to hide the car from view of the road. Not that anyone would drive along anyway, the nearest towns were tiny, he knew because once, years before all this got, well, messy... he used to live in one. "Ah, boy have I needed this," He murmured in an exhausted tone, eyes closing as he shut off the ignition and climbed from the cab. Running his hands through his hair, he began unrolling his sleeping bag to crash out right there in the bed of the pick up truck, far too tired to notice a certain girl who'd just completed her archery practice.
Dakota, on the other hand, knew of the newcomer. She had just finished collecting her arrows when the sound of a truck grew louder. She checked over her shoulder, making her no one was parking beside her own car. For a moment, she thought it might be somebody coming to tell her she couldn't be here. However, there was no vehicle in site. She listened closely, trying to pinpoint the direction of the sound. Just when she located the right direction, the engine was turned off.
What she was about to do probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. Picking up two arrows, the young woman picked her way through the grass to the spot she heard the car park. There was no reason for her to go investigate who had just pulled up. It might have just been someone checking to see if the campsite was a good to use this summer. Still, her curiosity sent her feet forward. It didn't take long for her to find the old truck. A second later, she saw someone in the bed of the truck. "Everything okay?" she called out, keeping her bow lowered, but arrow notched in case she had just walked into danger.
After getting the bed roll all laid out, he removed his shoes and climbed in to take a seat, debating on whether to sleep with his shirt on or off. Just as the young man had grabbed onto the hem to tug it up, he heard a voice, and his shoulders sagged in frustration. Sawyer tugged his shirt back down and pressed his face into his hand, hesitating as exhaustion gave him half the mind to simply ignore her and pass out. Putting on a smile, he tossed a bit of his hair back, and blinked his eyes open, before turning to the voice and crossing his fingers this interaction wouldn't take long. "Fantastic, everything's, er, fantastic," He started to say, trying not to fumble when he saw the girl's face.
Something about it was extremely familiar, in an unusual way, as if he was recalling her expression of wariness from some time in his childhood, which would be odd because she was clearly a young adult now. There was just this slight roundness to her cheeks, which was right in proportion of her eyes and her lips.. it was rather cute, but too familiar to make him interested in flirting. It was just odd. His lips twisted slightly, but he kept his composure, and gave her a slight nod. "I appreciate the concern, but I'm just here to sleep, you can go back to your.." With a glance down at her bow, Sawyer faltered yet again, recalling a very certain person, many years ago, who'd picked up the bow and arrow just before he'd left her. Pressing his lips more firmly, he glanced up at her again, then lowered his face, almost to hide it, rubbing his eyes. "Whatever, it is, you're doing. Won't be a bother."
It was late afternoon, and Sawyer had been in the battered driver's seat of his rusting mini pick-up truck since dawn. An elbow balanced on the open window, and his fingers tangled in his hair, he held up his cheek to keep it from dropping as he began to reach the part of the forest with fire damage. He'd spent the last, well, few years, out on the road, and just got into trouble a couple towns back, which meant that yet again the young man was on the run. A friend who'd seen the incident, one of the few who knew of one of Sawyer's biggest secrets, had mentioned before he left an old abandoned camp ground in the midst of a burnt down part of the woods, perfect for a scrappy wolf looking for a place to hide. Of course, after the incident last night he'd hit the road practically before sunrise, and luckily seemed to be nearing where this campground would be located.
As he saw more and more of the charred trees, growing smaller and smaller and with more little greenery popping up from the ground, he began to slow down, blinking with fervent frequency to keep himself awake. At last a driveway so overgrown it was hardly visible came into sight, and he sighed with relief, turning into it and driving deep enough to hide the car from view of the road. Not that anyone would drive along anyway, the nearest towns were tiny, he knew because once, years before all this got, well, messy... he used to live in one. "Ah, boy have I needed this," He murmured in an exhausted tone, eyes closing as he shut off the ignition and climbed from the cab. Running his hands through his hair, he began unrolling his sleeping bag to crash out right there in the bed of the pick up truck, far too tired to notice a certain girl who'd just completed her archery practice.
Dakota, on the other hand, knew of the newcomer. She had just finished collecting her arrows when the sound of a truck grew louder. She checked over her shoulder, making her no one was parking beside her own car. For a moment, she thought it might be somebody coming to tell her she couldn't be here. However, there was no vehicle in site. She listened closely, trying to pinpoint the direction of the sound. Just when she located the right direction, the engine was turned off.
What she was about to do probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. Picking up two arrows, the young woman picked her way through the grass to the spot she heard the car park. There was no reason for her to go investigate who had just pulled up. It might have just been someone checking to see if the campsite was a good to use this summer. Still, her curiosity sent her feet forward. It didn't take long for her to find the old truck. A second later, she saw someone in the bed of the truck. "Everything okay?" she called out, keeping her bow lowered, but arrow notched in case she had just walked into danger.
After getting the bed roll all laid out, he removed his shoes and climbed in to take a seat, debating on whether to sleep with his shirt on or off. Just as the young man had grabbed onto the hem to tug it up, he heard a voice, and his shoulders sagged in frustration. Sawyer tugged his shirt back down and pressed his face into his hand, hesitating as exhaustion gave him half the mind to simply ignore her and pass out. Putting on a smile, he tossed a bit of his hair back, and blinked his eyes open, before turning to the voice and crossing his fingers this interaction wouldn't take long. "Fantastic, everything's, er, fantastic," He started to say, trying not to fumble when he saw the girl's face.
Something about it was extremely familiar, in an unusual way, as if he was recalling her expression of wariness from some time in his childhood, which would be odd because she was clearly a young adult now. There was just this slight roundness to her cheeks, which was right in proportion of her eyes and her lips.. it was rather cute, but too familiar to make him interested in flirting. It was just odd. His lips twisted slightly, but he kept his composure, and gave her a slight nod. "I appreciate the concern, but I'm just here to sleep, you can go back to your.." With a glance down at her bow, Sawyer faltered yet again, recalling a very certain person, many years ago, who'd picked up the bow and arrow just before he'd left her. Pressing his lips more firmly, he glanced up at her again, then lowered his face, almost to hide it, rubbing his eyes. "Whatever, it is, you're doing. Won't be a bother."
"Are you sure?" Dakota asked. There was something familiar about the man, but unlike him, she didn't brush away the feeling. the freckled face, brown hair, and pale eyes held her attention. Why? She didn't know. Maybe because he shared those features with her once best friend. The one everyone in town had deemed long gone. It was hard for her to admit that her friend was possibly dead. If he was dead, she would have been able to feel it. So hope had burned in her as she constantly scanned the streets, hoping that she would spot him once more. Whenever she saw anyone with the same colored eyes, she was drawn to that person, even if they looked nothing like the boy she missed. It had become a habit she needed to break, but she couldn't get herself to abandon what little hope she had left. After all, she hadn't spotted her friend in three years. Why would this man in front of her be him? Yet still, she lingered.
"I don't mean to pry or anything, but if you need any help, I can show you the way into town," the young woman offered. "It isn't that far, and I was just about to leave anyway. It wouldn't be too much trouble." She doubted he would take her offer. He looked exhausted as it was. If he denied assistance, then she wouldn't press further. It wasn't her place to force help upon him if he didn't need any.
Her question made him flinch slightly, and he waited, such tense hesitation holding his body in place he could hardly even consider moving. However, after a moment when she'd said nothing more, Sawyer found himself wondering what was taking so long. With a reluctant glance up, he met her gaze, and clenched his fist around the edge of his sleeping bag. She recognized him, she had to. Now that he'd realized who she was, he was shocked he hadn't recognized her immediately, and knew that she must've figured it out from the way her gaze was lingering.
After a tense moment of waiting, he swallowed, and his lips parted to say something, anything, when she spoke up again. Relief trickled into his mind, and he continued to simply breathe until he could relax how tense he'd become. Instinctively, Sawyer wanted to turn her down. He didn't take help from anyone, especially not from ex best friends who could interrogate him and get his secrets revealed. Seeing her right here, however, standing just outside his truck and looking up at him with a lingering gaze, he regained that feeling of warmth their friendship brought him. He recalled feeling safe, before he'd come of age to begin shifting, when it didn't matter what he was, he still had someone who cared for him. And right then in that moment, Sawyer missed that feeling, so much, compared to the fear and anxiety of constantly running, he decided in the blink of an eye he wasn't willing to give up the chance of getting close to someone again.
"You know what, I'd-I'd actually love that. Yes, thank you." The words tumbled from his mouth, and he rolled his sleeping bag up before he could change his mind.
To be honest, Dakota hadn't expected him to agree. Despite his assurance that she knew him, the young woman had already pushed the notion of familiarity. Since he had accepted her offer, she didn't want to make things awkward by staring at him. "Great," she said, offering a small smile. "My car's just right over there. Let me get my stuff put up and we can get going."
With a last look at the man's face, she turned and headed back the way she came. She took away the arrow from the bow string, sure that the stranger meant her no harm. If she was wrong, then she hoped her speed would be good enough to keep anything bad from happening. Upon reaching where her target and quiver of arrows waited, she made quick work of dissembling the target. It was too big as it was to fit in her trunk. Five minutes later, Dakota was stuffing all her gear into the back of the trunk. The woman closed the deck lid once everything was put away before glancing in the direction of the old truck, wondering if he would follow her out the way she came, or if she should go back the he took.
Waiting to see how she'd react, he half expected her to say something, anything about them, or to at the very least, well ask his name. But she did nothing of the sort, instead simply smiling and lingering with her gaze on him, the only indication he really had to suggest she did know him. With baited breath he waited until she'd turned away, then leaned against the side of the trunk in a slightly dazed manner. Rubbing his forehead then tugging at his face, he slowly climbed upright to slide from the cab of his truck to the ground. In a matter of moments, because of a suggestion from a friend, Sawyer had gone from a sort of fugitive, a tired young man without a home, to the mindset of a giddy high schooler. He cast his gaze towards the girl again, and wondered if he was just tired and his mind was playing tricks or if she really was.. Dakota.
With a small sigh he buried his fingers into his dark hair, clenching at it with nerves and a renewed sense of guilt over what he'd done those years ago. Dropping off the grid without a word of warning, not to his best friend, his school, not anyone. Being a werewolf was apparently like that, at least according to his parents, who were the ones to force that initial move when he'd begun shifting. He didn't understand it then, why they had to hide so much, and to this day hated what he'd done, even if now he understood the reason for it. Releasing his hair, he climbed into the truck again and turned it around, pulling up and looking back towards where the girl had her own car. "Where uh, which way do we go, to get to your town?"
"When we get back onto the road, we'll head east," Dakota called to him. "It's just a fifteen minute drive to reach the town. If you want, I can take you to the nearest motel. You'll be able to get your bearings from there. It's a pretty small town, so you should be able to find your way around just fine." She didn't know if he would actually stay at the motel. If he was ready to spend the night camped out in his truck, then chances were he either didn't want to spend the money for a room or he didn't have the money. Whatever was the case, the motel parking lot would be a good as place as ever to give him any further directions if he needed them.
Swallowing, he directed a nod in her direction, knowing of course precisely which way to go, and was really even able to summon up the image of a motel from his old home town that was likely the one she spoke of. "Ah, yeah, if you could lead me there that'd, be great." Sawyer called back to her, before easing back into the driver's seat as she waited for him to pass so he could follow. How odd, this sort of game, if it was true and she was who she seemed to be, then they were both dancing around each other, pretending to know and not know things for fear of the other person. It was slightly frustrating, but nerve wracking as well. Twisting his lips together, the young man wondered if he should try and get her to talk more, to see if she did remember him. Of course it was tempting to try and reconnect, to get to know her again and perhaps gain a friend in the midst of all the distrust and deception in his life. At the same time, the thought was terrifying, because there was no doubt he had hurt her, and knowing his pattern of living, if they were to reconnect.. well he might hurt her again.
Giving a nod, Dakota smiled and disappeared into her own car. Starting the engine, she put the car in drive and heading off into the direction of her town. It was strange, leading someone she didn't know (as far as she knew) to a place to stay for the night. It wasn't something that she did on a regular basis. In a town as small as hers, you didn't meet new people every day. Her town wasn't one people moved to unless they wanted to get away from big cities.
Fifteen minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot of the motel. There was hardly any other cars around, so she pulled into the closest parking spot she saw. Dakota parked the car before stepping out of her vehicle. She didn't need to get out to talk with the stranger. He could handle himself from here. Yet she wanted to be sure he was good instead of just leaving him on his own. Plus, she kind of just wanted to talk with him one more time. The whole ride here, she kept thinking back to his face and eyes. As much as she tried to tell herself she didn't know him, she just couldn't shake the feeling until she confirmed it.
As much as he wanted to get to speak to this girl again, confirm the questions bouncing from wall to wall inside his head, Sawyer couldn't deny that he was, in fact, quite exhausted. This feeling was renewed once they'd gotten back onto the road, and he found those same muscles shifting into those same positions as before. Feeling the soft rumble of the engine and the tickle of the breeze through his cracked window very near put the young man to sleep right there. That is, if it weren't for the fact that as soon as they got into town, he began to recognize a certain Grocery store logo, or the placement of shops, or the familiar painted window of a flower shop.
Stomach tightening enough to keep any man awake for days, Sawyer shifted upwards in his seat, body stiff as he swallowed roughly in anticipation. Sure enough, as her small car pulled into a spot in front of the motel, the dingy neon sign and quaint little doors were so nostalgic he very near lost himself. Turning the key in the ignition, he sat for a moment, then pressed his palms into his eyes, leaning forward onto the rim of the steering wheel with a silent groan before he sat up and got out of the cab.
Coming around to the side where she had come to meet him, Sawyer bit the inside of his cheek, chewed it roughly as he looked at her, almost with an aura of fear. He couldn't do it. There was no way he couldn't, at the very least just, ask. What's the worst that could happen, him being wrong? Considering the shape of her face, the familiar sights in this place she called her home town, the young man found it highly unlikely that he was wrong, but the very possibility of being right was making him positively sick. He turned away suddenly, sliding a hand in one pocket and hunching his shoulders as he ran the other hand through his hair, pulling it back and to one side. "Y'know, I-I think I actually know, this city. In fact if I'm right I believe I even, grew up here.." Sawyer twisted his lips together, and fumbled, hesitating with his speech. "You, you don't perhaps, know a Dakota-oh, what was it.. Daniels, I think."
It was hard to miss the show of exhaustion the man gave while in his car. He must have been driving all night from the looks of him. Dakota stopped a few feet away from the truck, figuring that he wouldn't appreciate a stranger getting too close. He might have accepted her help leading him to town, but that didn't mean they were buddy-buddy because of it. So, instead, she waited for him to get out on his own accord. Her eyes shifted around her for just a moment, trying to not stare continuously at the man. Only when she heard him get out of his truck did she allow herself to gaze back at the pale blue eyes that had captured her attention in the first place. I really have to stop, the woman thought to herself.
Dakota smiled as he told her that he recognized the town, about to make a playful remark of how they were glad to have a visitor back. They were pretty far out from the rest of the cities in the state. Nothing much happened here, which she liked. Sure, it got boring from time to time, but that also meant nothing bad was happening. In a small town like this, you didn't have to fear and watch over your shoulder like you did anywhere else. But then he continued talking. The smile faded bit by bit as she listened to him explain he once lived here. Her heart began to race. Then stopped dead as he spoke her name. For a moment, all she could do was stare up at the man before her. No, not just a man. Her best friend. The boy deemed dead or gone forever. "S-Sawyer...?" she more or less whispered, as if speaking his name too loud would cause him to disappear once more.
Seeing the smile fade from the girl's face made him tense up and struggle to swallow the thick knot that had begun to slowly build inside his throat. There was no way anyone else could have had that reaction, no way anyone else would get so worked up over the words of some strange man talking about some strange girl. The name would mean nothing, to anyone but her. He watched her expression shift and as she opened her mouth, Sawyer found himself gazing now into the starkly familiar face of the only person he'd ever fully trusted. His rock, his sanity, his best friend; Dakota.
At her words, the nearly fearful tone of voice he flinched, gut wrenching, and very nearly turned around to flee yet again, finding this new wave of guilt as he faced her to be all but unbearable. Gaze fixed to the ground, he stayed tense for a moment, then all of a sudden his shoulders slumped, and the young man gave a weary, reluctant nod. Pale eyes lifted to meet her dark ones, and he bit the inside of his cheek as he caught onto her expression. Without thinking, over taken by the onslaught of a vulnerable, emotional Sawyer from many years ago, he stepped forward and lifted his arms instinctively to hug her. However something about the situation made it seem as though the move was all of a sudden, against some unspoken rule.
The foot of space between the old friends yawned into a chasm, and the young man lowered his hands, then grabbed onto his elbows, gaze quickly shifting down again. "I-... I'm sorry Dakota, I-..." Sawyer faltered, then closed his mouth again, not wanting to ruin the situation any more than he already have, but hating the way she must be looking at him. "I never, should have left.. I'm, sorry."
She couldn't believe it. After all this time... Dakota's vision blurred as tears formed in her eyes. Sawyer. In the flesh, alive and well, albeit tired. So much about him had changed. He had always been taller than she had, but only by a few inches. Now, she had to tilt her head back in order to look at his face. His frame remained mostly the same, but his clothing hid the details of his body from view. Yet when he nodded, there was no denying it. His face transformed to the one she remembered three years ago: a younger, happier version of the man before her.
When he stepped forward, arms outstretched, there was only a moment of hesitation. The only thing that kept her from rushing him immediately was the fact that he looked ready to run at any sudden movements. Once she was sure he was going to stay there, she closed the gap between them. Her arms wrapped around his torso tightly, as if anything looser might allow her friend to slip away. "Sawyer!" she cried, her voice filled with all her past worry and current relief. "E-everyone stopped looking for you... T-they said you might b-be dead." Tears flowed down her cheeks only to land on his shirt as she buried her face in it. It was quiet the contrast in appearance to how she was earlier. Posed, confident, ready to defend herself if this man meant trouble. Now she was just the same girl she had been when he left: scared, lonely, and not ready to accept the reality of the situation.
Feeling the warmth of another being against him was.. a sensation so alien to the young man, at first he was entirely unsure how to react to it. Sure, when they were younger, little kids messing around they'd probably hugged all the time, but in the time before he left, they'd gotten old enough that that sort of thing got awkward. Since then he hadn't hugged, let alone felt another persons touch, at all, and feeling his best friend cling to him so tightly.. very nearly brought Sawyer to his knees.
At the sound of her struggling, muffled words, instinct finally kicked in, and he smoothly slid his arms around her shoulders, holding her to him with the desperate cling of someone in their dying breaths. Inhaling, then exhaling softly he rested his chin on her head, surprised only briefly at how much taller he'd gotten; somehow, the way she fit into him was so natural he hardly had time to question it. "I-.. I know, Dakota I know.." He said softly, the exhaustion somehow fogging his emotions enough to keep him from shedding tears of his own as he felt the wet spots soak into his flannel shirt.
Hearing her cry, when she'd been so poised and mature less than an hour before, made him feel like they were kids again, when he'd hug her after she scraped her knee or fell of her bike. He pulled her tighter, running a thumb softly over her shoulder blade and cursing himself all over again for all of his past mistakes. "I'm so sorry.. Dakota I'm, I'm so sorry, you don't know how relieved I am to be back."
"You think you're relieved?" Dakota asked, sniffling as she lifted her head to look at him. Relieved was an understatement. There wasn't a word strong enough to express how she felt with her best friend in front of her. Her eyes scanned every inch of his face, searching for any signs of harm that might befallen upon the boy in the years that he had been gone. As far as she could tell, he was all in one piece. Despite her tears, a laugh bubbled up from her. "God, Sawyer, I've missed you so much. I'm never letting go of you again."
Of course, she would eventually have to let him go. Sawyer would have to rest unless she wanted him to pass out on her in the parking lot. For the moment, at least, she had no intentions of releasing him from the hold she had him in. It had been so long since she had ever had a friendship as close as the one the two of them had been. Sure, she had friends she hung out with, but it wasn't the same. Dakota had spent so much time with Sawyer, shared so many secrets and plans with him. He knew everything about her. Everything.
At her retort he found himself flinching yet again, and when she lifted her gaze the sniffle made him clutch onto her ever more fearlessly. The look in those familiar eyes was killing him, he couldn't stand thinking he'd done something like this to someone he used to be so close to, who had always been so kind to him. Even now she couldn't help but look him over, already resuming her roll of caring for him like the best friend she always was. I don't deserve her, he thought with a swallow, and was tensing up with the instinct to push out of her arms immediately so he wouldn't hurt her again, but then her bubbly laugh reached up and soothed his fear enough to make him stay, at least for the moment.
Chewing the inside of his cheek, Sawyer shook his head, "I'll do my very best not to go anywhere, Dakota, don't worry," He offered her a soft smile, reassuring himself that if they were close friends before, there was no reason they couldn't reach that point again. Mistakes had been made, but she had missed him, it was clear, the least he could do was to be with her now, to appreciate having her again and to give her what she seemed to miss as much as he did.
With a soft exhale, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead on hers. With a sheepish tone he hunched his shoulders slightly around her. "I-I have a confession to make.. I don't, really have the money to pay for a motel room.." He admitted, opening his eyes again slowly and giving her a slightly hopeful look. "I don't, suppose your basement is still unoccupied..? Or, do you even still live with your parents?" The young man's eyes widened as he considered this possibility. If he wasn't about to pass out, he would've wondered, possibly even asked what life was like for Dakota as an adult, or what life was like for average adults in general. Although that was probably his sleep deprived brain, it couldn't be a very good idea to speak of his own abnormalities when there was so much to be kept secret... goodness, when did he begin keeping things from his best friend...?
Sawyer jumped, eyes snapping open, finding he had slumped forward half onto her, losing his train of thought to the warm blanket of the night. After squeezing his eyes shut, then widening them open again, he let out a shaky breath, and focused his gaze onto Dakota again. "I-I'm sorry I really, really need to sleep." He mumbled, wishing he hadn't become so reliant on her after only an hour, but nonetheless unable to help his unstable condition.
"You better," Dakota muttered, but there was no anger or ill feelings. She was too happy to be mad at him. There were so many questions bouncing around in her mind, each one fighting to be asked first. Yet in the moment, with his forehead pressed against her, she didn't dare ruin the moment with the unpleasantness of the topic. She would have plenty of time to ask him about it once Sawyer was rested.
"I do still live with my parents, but I'm in the process of finding my own place," the young woman told him. "I already have a place in mind, and have made an offer on it. All we're doing now is waiting to see if the previous owner agrees to the price we've gave. The basement is all yours. Do you want me to drive you there? Sawyer?" Dakota felt the taller man beginning to lean heavily on her. Worry flooded through her. Was there something else wrong with him that she hadn't seen. But a moment later his eyes were opened and fighting to stay open.
"I guess that answers my question," Dakota muttered with a small smile. "Come on, I'll take you home. You're truck will be fine here. Just don't forget the keys. Wouldn't want you to lock yourself out of your own vehicle."
At her words the young man furrowed his brows, capturing the first few words enough to know she was in the works of getting her own place. However as she continued is when his train of thought sputtered and keeled off the rails, and soon enough he was waking again to her sympathetic, gentle smile. Sawyer replied to her offer with a numb nod, not willing to complain about leaving the truck, then turning to grope for his keys in the ignition and jam them into his pocket. It was likely he'd be leaving some things that, were the young man to be of right mind, he'd know he should have with him.. but in fact he wasn't of his right mind. In all honesty he would quite willingly pass out in the passenger seat of Dakota's car, if he could.
For now, he focused on taking a slow breath, then walking around to the side of her car and sliding into the front seat. Buckling in, he turned to his chauffeur with a small smile. "So, what is it, 5 minutes to home? I'm, glad you still have the same place..." Sawyer gave his head a lazy swivel to face forward. "I always liked your house, so much, bigger than mum and dad's old place... mm an the basement, remember, remember, playing games down there? Pretending to explore un-uncharted, territory.. man it's, good to be back.."
Dakota waited until he had gotten the keys to his truck before walking with him back to the car. She moved slowly, her eyes never leaving him. It was more for the sake of being ready to catch him if he fell (or at least breaking his fall) more so than being captivated by her childhood friend. Of course, she was that too,
but she would hold off staring at him like an idiot until he had a good night's rest. Only once he was safely in the passenger seat of her car did she walk around to climb into the driver's seat.
She had just turned on the ignition when Sawyer began to speak. A smile formed on her face. In his lack of sleep delirium, he was beginning to ramble. "Yeah, those were the good days," she agreed with him, setting off down the road. "Before we were swamped with school and responsibilities. The young woman dared a glance at him. "It's good to have you back, Sawyer," she muttered. Those words didn't even come close to how she felt, but they were all she could give at the moment. Sawyer looked ready to crash any minute, so she didn't want to say too much only to have him miss it.
With a wrinkle to his nose, Sawyer shook his head, "Of all the wonderful things about, about us, and the town... I can't, say I miss, leaving elementary school," He admitted, then turned back to his companion, giving her a soft smile in response even though he hadn't heard what she muttered.
As they began driving and he turned back to the road, he found himself feeling an almost painful nostalgia at all the aging sights they passed; crisp trimmed lawns becoming unkempt, once bright colors fading to pastels, bright neons flickering into oblivion. It was somewhat disheartening to see the disarray the historical parts of town had fallen into, of course many of them were old to begin with, but it still felt odd to see them that way. Of course there were also the new buildings, empty lots when he was a kid that had sprung into little museums, blooming apartments, crisp new shops. That sparked a bit of his natural curiosity, which, although it was muted at present, was always heated in the young man's mind.
"I suppose maybe tomorrow or, or something.. you should really, give me a new tour," Sawyer said distractedly as his wide, dopey eyes trickled over the odd mix of nostalgia and unfamiliarity. It didn't really occur to him to wonder if she'd have a job, responsibilities, things to do. At the moment, after seeing her doing archery in the woods as her only action, it felt like they were young again, and adulthood seemed kind of like a book you read and forgot about.
Really, this was the best he could've hoped for, as a reunion with his best friend. Surely, soon enough they'd be having to get into the muck of where he'd been and why he'd left and what he'd been doing.. but right now Sawyer, however sleepy, was happier than he'd been in quite a while.
The town had changed in the three years he had been gone. Dakota had mixed feelings about the stores that had gone out of business, buildings that sprung up out of nowhere, and new sites that should have brought more people by the small town. It was as if the world was moving on, unphased that she herself couldn't move with it. While her body grew up and her life demanded her attention and actions, her mind was still stuck in the time when Sawyer went missing. The woman went through the motions of living while her dreams and thoughts were with the boy she missed so much. Some days, she would realize that weeks had gone by without her even remembering what had happened. It must not have affected her work abilities since she was still currently employed. But if anyone would have asked her what she did three weeks ago, she wouldn't have been able to answer.
"You should see the elementary school," Dakota said. "They've remodeled it. Now it actually looks kid friendly." In the faint memories she had of when they were that young, the school they attended looked less like a school, and more like a building meant for storage. The walls were bare and an ugly grey, even though the teachers tried to decorate the rooms with as much art work from the students as they could. Now, however, she was jealous of the children in elementary school today. The thought made her laugh. "Maybe that'll be the first place I take you tomorrow," she continued. "We'll start there and work our way around. Or go wherever you want to go. Honestly, you won't miss anything no matter which route we take."
She might joke and playfully complain about the size of their home town, but really, Dakota couldn't be happier here. Sure, she might be able to find better work elsewhere, but the thought of leaving behind everything she knew and loved made her sick to her stomach. This was her home, and this was where she was going to stay unless forced to do otherwise.
Hearing his companion mention their elementary school made Sawyer wrinkle his nose, giving a scoff at the memory of playing in that prison yard. That was likely one of the more beneficial remodels that had occurred in town, almost a relief; he certainly wouldn't want any other children to grow up there. "Well we, made it fun, didn't we," He murmured, giving a soft smile as they passed by a few more familiar structures.
Indeed, Sawyer and Dakota had turned the prison yard into a place of wonder, magic, inventing entirely new worlds and writing endless stories with their joyous cries and running feet. Yet more fond memories of his best friend, being the kids on the playground who everyone simultaneously was wary of and wanted to join.
The young man yawned again as she mentioned touring the small town, and attempted to smile but couldn't around his widened mouth. Instead he gave a sheepish nod, then sank deeper into the seat. "Oh it's not, that, small I'm sure," He gave a dismissive flick of his fingers from where the rested in limp weariness in his lap. "I rather like how, how small the town, is, has always been.. good that even, with, all the new places it's still, quaint." Rambling slightly, Sawyer tiled his head as he spoke, rolling it slightly against the headrest to look this way and that out the windows.
Of all the benefits of staying here, that was a big one. Even tired, the young man could take blurry note of his situation and know he'd be alright to entrust himself to his best friend in this place for at least a month. He'd just have to be careful about staying in control of his shifts..
Eyes snapping open he moved upright in the seat and inhaled deeply, before letting out the breath with a shaky hand rising to comb his hair. He needed to get inside so he could shift, walk a bit, then get to sleep. Waiting much longer risked shifting here, in front of her, something he most certainly could not do. Sawyer felt a twinge of guilt, glancing over to her in the drivers seat and knowing he was keeping secrets as they drove, but what else could he do?
Dakota gave a small laugh. "I'm sure when we were younger, the town seemed a lot bigger. But trust me when I say it's a lot smaller now then we once thought," she told him. "But that's what gives the town it's charm. Small and quaint. As much as I bash on it, I don't think I could ever move into a town bigger than this. Too much noise, too many people."
While the girl was sociable and didn't have a problem with talking or being around other people, she did have a limit with how many other civilians she could handle in a day's time. Here, she pretty much knew everyone. She wasn't friends with a lot, but she at least had seen them before on more than one occasion. Plus, she dealt with plenty at her work. Even if she wasn't on close speaking terms with them, she at least had a good idea of their character. On a daily basis, she maybe saw and helped over fifty people. Any more than that, she might not be able to last a few day of work. By the end of the day, the young women was more than ready to slip off the silence of her room or the peacefulness of the camp ground for archery practice.
Within ten minutes from their departure of the motel parking lot, Dakota pulled the car into the driveway of her parents' home. If any building had stayed exactly the same, it was her home. The three story brick house (two top floors and the basement) sat on the edge of the town, close enough to any of the grocery stores and department stores if they ever needed anything. The lawn was neatly cut and cared for. Her father always took great care of the lawn. Her mother was in charge of the small flower beds on either side of the front porch. "Here we are," she said, parking her car. Neither of her parents were home yet, but they should be getting off work soon. She would tell them about Sawyer when they returned, and maybe after he had had a chance to rest.
Sawyer closed his eyes with a slight, tired smile. She would've hated the places he went; not all, but the vast majority were big cities, close enough to wooded areas that he could safely shift, but big enough it was near impossible to find one face in a crowd of many. He was quite glad to be home again, where he had familiarity, relationships, people he could trust and get to know without fear of them knowing about him, secluded as they were from much of the rest of society.
When they finally pulled to a stop in front of Dakota's old home, he could of cried in relief, but instead the young man simply smiled and climbed out of the car to admire the grounds. Aside from a bit of faded color or peeling paint in parts of the decor, much of the house was the same as he remembered it. Down the height of the grass, the flowers blooming in the seasonal beds. Those looked to have grown, which was good, Sawyer thought, but expected; of course Mrs. Daniels could nurture them into bountiful adulthood, and she did, making the gardens lush but graceful, and Mr. Daniels was excellent at keeping the lawn. He was glad to see it hadn't changed much, for it brought back another welcome wave of nostalgia to recall the beauty of the place, the comfortable homely feeling anyone felt by stepping inside.
Turning to his friend, the young man smiled, "Thank you, it’s absolutely just as, beautiful as I remember." He said gratefully, leaning against the side of the car as he turned to admire the building once more. "I really, I really appreciate this, Dakota."
Dakota got out and walked around to Sawyer's side of the car. Noticing the way he was staring at things, she decided to leave him be for a moment. This was probably just as big of a shock to him as it was for her. Had he even meant to come back? He seemed to not remember where he was at until he reached the motel parking lot. Did he just accidentally stumble upon his own town in his exhausted state? The possibility that that was the case only created more worry, and that wasn't what she wanted to focus on at the moment.
"I'm more than happy to have you here," She replied honestly, smiling at her best friend. Linking her arm through his, she slowly tugged him away from the car. "Come on, let's get you inside before you fall asleep where you stand. I don't think I could drag you all to the basement."
Were it to be any brighter time of day, or were Sawyer to be less tired, he would've tensed up, flinched, or even shied away from having his arm taken hold of. He didn't tend to take kindly to having his boundaries crossed, both because he liked to have a bit of control over his situations and because he didn't have good experiences with people crossing them in the past. However, as Dakota linked her arm into his and held him up,
He merely shifted his head to glance down at the warmth, the sturdy support she was offering, and was more than grateful enough to take it.
He shook his head again, too tired to yawn, but smiled as he followed her up the steps, just as eager to get himself inside as she seemed to be. Sawyer couldn't be more excited about his friend--well, at least, in the state he was in, it would be nearly impossible. Were he to be fully rested he'd be practically jumping for joy right about then. Excitement however was trumped by the need for a bed, the carnal desire and biological requirement to rest one's eyes and mind, and he had to sidestep the eagerness in order to get up the steps and enter the house after her. "Thank you, Dakota.. oof," He mumbled dumbly, "I already said that, didn't I..."
Dakota laughed softly. "Yes, you did," she confirmed for him. Stopping by the door, she quickly unlocked it and pushed it open. No lights were on inside, but thanks to the light still pouring in through the windows, the hallways and rooms of the house were lit enough to maneuver through. She helped Sawyer inside before closing the door. Then, making sure that he was going to make it the rest of the small journey, she lead him down the hall, passed the kitchen and the living room, towards the back of the house. There, two doorways lie, one of either side of them. The one on the right led to the laundry room. The one of the left led to the basement.
"I hope you'll be able to make it down the stairs," the girl said, opening the door to reveal a flight of stairs disappearing into the darkness. Reaching over, she flicked on the light switch, making the path down more welcoming and less like a scene out of a horror movie. "If you think you'll trip, you can sleep in the living room. I'll try not to let my parents disturb you when they get home."
Entering the house made Sawyer glad he had a nice grip on his friend, and even more grateful to her moving slowly and being so careful. Being this tired made him feel like an invalid, a cripple, and he rather hated it. Any other scenario and the young man would force himself to walk normally, to not lean, to not mumble or stumble because he couldn't risk it, couldn't show how weak he was to someone he couldn't trust. It was kind of odd, to think he'd been gone so long, and coming back now it was like nothing had changed, here was his best friend, as caring and selfless as ever, sheltering him in her home.
He took the first two steps down once she'd turned on the light, then turned, now about level with her gaze, looking at her with examining eyes. "I'm sorry for, being such a burden, tonight.. I know I thanked you a lot, but, really," Sawyer looked down, twisting his lips and rubbing his forehead, before gazing up again. "Tomorrow I should, tell you, some things.. I owe you, if not, because we're friends then, because of all this."
The final yawn of the night overtook the young man, and he shook his head, giving her a small smile, then offering a wave as he walked down the stairs. "Goodnight, Dakota.. goodnight."
"Sawyer, you owe me nothing," Dakota assured the taller boy, now able to look him in the eye without tilting her head. His eyes, despite the weariness of the day, still shone the same light blue as they always had. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was wrap the boy in another hug, keeping him close until she knew for certain this wasn't a dream. "Just go get some sleep. I'll be sure that you get breakfast in the morning if you sleep through dinner. I'll also be sure to explain things to my parents so they won't freak out if they accidentally stumble across you in the basement."
Honestly, the Daniels' basement wasn't used much. The adults of the family had converted the decent sized room into a entertainment area where they would gather to watch movies or play games. In times of extreme weather, it was their hide out until the storms passed over. The couch transformed into a bed, and while it wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, it was better than trying to sleep on it's sofa form. She knew that she wouldn't have to go down to get anything for him. He already knew where everything was. They had spent so many days and nights making forts out of the pillows and blankets stored away down there that there was no way he could have forgotten where everything was. "Goodnight, Sawyer."
Saying he owed her nothing was, well, relieving.. but impossible. You don't leave for over half a decade then come back expecting to get kindness for free, it hadn't happened to his parents, not ever, and he wasn't about to allow Dakota to simply trust him without consideration. It somewhat shocked him how easy, how gentle she was being about the entire ordeal. At the very least, Sawyer had been expecting hesitance, distance, skepticism.. although he supposed she had always been kind hearted, he didn't see how she could so easily embrace this man into her life without knowing really who he could've become.
At her reassurance, he gave an obedient nod, then smiled gratefully, homemade breakfast at the Daniels' household was certainly something he missed. Giving her one last wave, he finished off the steps into something else he had always missed; their cozy basement. The sort of lounge/storage place couldn't be more magical to a couple of kids, and seeing it illuminated in the same old, yellow tinted light made him smile softly, glad to feel at once at home. Sawyer stepped in and removed the cushions from the couch to fold out the bed, then stepped into the closet in the corner for the linens, pillows and blankets he knew resided there. It didn't take long to half heartedly put the sheets on the mattress and remove his shirt, then tumble straight under the blanket he always used to use when they were down there.
"... how nice..." Looking up at the ceiling, he sat for a moment in 'bed', enjoying the nostalgic smell of the basement, but after a moment felt his eyes drooping. At this point of course, the young man, finally, after almost 48 hours of staying awake, was finally able to slip under that dark nighttime blanket.
"How nice.. to be back..."
*Time Skip to Next Morning*
