Drumming Noise Inside My Head [Mason]

[Lukan Christopher Oliver]

Lukan clutched the fabric tightly with clawed hands, hugged it close to his body. His lips emitted quiet whimpers that sounded too pitiful for someone of his stature and age to make. "No... nono." The troubled boy reached out at some invisible entity hanging inches above the bed. He clawed, grasped, let it slip away. He couldn't get hold! Why couldn't he get hold!? Once more he whimpered and thrashed about. "Come back. B-back." His hands rose again, this time grasping and clawing at the headboard. Luk's sleep induced mind tried to make sense of what he was touching: a door maybe? NO! He'd slammed the door in his face.. he was gone. Gone forever. Like a drum beat had sounded throughout the room, Luk awoke with a gasp and a choked off howl.

Anyone who knew Luk well enough knew the source of his nightmares too: his mentor. When he was first bit by a wolf named Amaguk (though Luk preferred to call him Am), Luk became heavily attached to the older male. He was father. Not just a father figure, but he felt like... dad. A real, and loving dad. But like so many people had done before in Lukan's life, he left. Now instead of safety, Am's name only brought back hatred and painful memories to the young boy. He wanted so badly to forget! But his nightmares, like the one he'd just experienced, refused to provide him with such mercy.

Lukan wiped the sweat from his brow and trembled; his shoulders heaved as he tried to catch his breath. The boy kicked off the sheets to try and cool down... then he scowled. Fright flickered across his face as a thought prodded his mind: I don't remember going to bed. Lukan claws unfurled from the blankets and jumped to his sides. This was not a packhouse bed. It wasn't Dave's apartment either. The teen suddenly felt a dull throbbing in his head (though honestly that could have just been from the nightmare). He reached up with cautious hands and nearly jumped out of his skin; that was not hair! That.. that was fabric? What was going on!?

The confused teen stumbled out of bed and whirled around like a frightened deer. He wanted nothing to do with the blankets that earlier gave him comfort. He didn't even want to be in this room! What he did want, was to know what in the world had happened. "What... what?" Lukan continued to glance around as if the walls held answers.

WORDS! 423
TAGS! Mason
NOTES! none
CREDITS! Haze

[Mason Smith]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imgur.com/D4CaV8v.png] warning for mature language and mature themes text | speech The night was still vivid in Mason's mind, but of course he hadn't been torn up like a chew toy. His arms and face were cut up, but the wounds had already healed and he was done bleeding by the time he had hauled the kid back to his apartment. Mason didn't really know what else to do - he wasn't going to leave him there when he could barely get up or even think straight. The head wound Mason had bandaged last night would have probably been worse without Mason's tender touch and the medication he had supplied. By the time Luk had woken up, Mason was in the kitchen doing his usual routine. He let eighties rock play on the radio he barely new how to operate ( even though it looked like it was from the 18th century because it had tuners and what the hell? ) while he calmly cooked eggs and bacon and ham and pancakes and just about everything you'd eat for breakfast. Half of it was because it was what he usually ate for breakfast, and the rest was just options for the kid to eat whenever he decided to get up and if he felt well enough to eat. He had checked up on Luk right when he had woken up, though, and had watched the poor kid suffer through what seemed like nightmares. Mason got them enough that he could tell. Sweating, screaming, tossing and turning. Mason knew the drill. He often woke up from them drenched in his own sweat, but he started sleeping so little that when he did actually get a chance to sleep, he slept too heavy to dream at all. It was nice, and it did good things to numb the pain. He shuffled eggs and bacon onto a plate and sat down on the couch in the living room which was connected to the kitchen. He heard clumsy footsteps and chuckled slightly as he scarfed down some food before calling out to the boy. "Morning sunshine. There's food in the kitchen if you can eat. We'll take a look at your head after we eat." table by sophia

[Lukan Christopher Oliver]

Lukan continued to stumble around the room in dreary confusion until the clattering of plates sent him bolting for the corner. There he pressed himself against the wall with his arms out to his sides, claws scraping at the paint nervously. He felt sure that another frightened howl would escape him, but then he picked up another sound. One far less frightening. Music... he heard rock music. Lukan's heart, once fluttering like a bird trapped in a cage, had now calmed down just slightly. The teen glanced at the bedroom door with his brow furrowed and lips parted. He could see very little while inside the bedroom since the door was just barely ajar, but he could hear and he could smell. And what he smelled was a mix between the reassuring scent of food and the ever frightening stranger smell. At least, he thought it was a stranger.

Had Mason not delivered a particularly hard blow to Luk's head, knocking him unconscious, then perhaps the older male's smell would not be so foreign. Luk would also know far more about his surroundings. But unfortunately for the boy, Mason did knock him out cold during their fight. If Luk would only stop his panicking for a measly five seconds then he would discover the faint familiarity in the loner's smell.

Lukan was too impulsive a thinker to calm down, that is, not until Mason spoke up from the living room. The boy flinched then furrowed his brow with suspicion. "We... who is we?" He brought his hand up to his forehead to touch the bandage wrapped an inch above his eyebrows. "Andwhat happened to my..." Lukan suddenly scowled. Nah...that was silly. Last time he saw that bastard he was getting his face smashed in. He would just help him, right?

He had to find out. If the smell of food was not intoxicating enough, the answer to his question (lying just outside the bedroom door) provided the extra motive. Lukan hesitantly pushed himself away from the corner and moved towards the bedroom door. Cautiously, he swung open the door to take in the sight before him: sure enough, the stray from before sat on the couch with a plate of food before him. Lukan frowned, screwed up his eyes and blinked, but Mason was still there. "What are you... you helped me?" It seemed an answer to one question had raised another. Lukan, with his near incapacitating trust issues, refused to eat until he got a response.

WORDS! 416
TAGS! Mason
NOTES! none
CREDITS! Haze

[Mason Smith]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imgur.com/D4CaV8v.png] warning for mature language and mature themes text | speech It only took Luk's first words for Mason to realize the head wound had done some damage. He didn't remember last night - that much was obvious. He was scared, probably, but in his own apartment no where near the full moon, Mason was probably at his tamest. He was in a black tee and boxers, for goodness sake, and unless you were his girlfriend, you'd never find him in a more vulnerable position. "We, as in, you and me. There's no one else here." Mason wouldn't let just anyone into his apartment, anyway. The only reason Luk woke up here was because Mason felt bad for the kid. He was standing up for himself and Mason beat him up for it. That and Mason had killed enough people in his lifetime, so he wasn't about to let a pup die just because Mason didn't play very nice. He shoved another piece of bacon into his mouth and started talking with his mouth full. "Last night you got a little feisty. We fought, I beat you, I bashed your head pretty good." He swallowed. "I couldn't leave you out there, so I brought you here and took care of you." He shrugged and continued to eat a few more bites ( albeit very large ones ) of bacon and eggs before finally swallowing it all and looking at Luk as he peered at Mason. "Yeah, I helped you. Don't seem so surprised." He chuckled slightly before continuing on. "As long as you feel like shit you're welcomed to stay here. After all, I'm the one who beat you." And Luk had left barely any scratches on Mason after the night was over with. There were still some marks left and mild bruising, but it'd all been taken care of. On Mason, there was little evidence of a fight. "But if you do plan on staying here," his voice got much more serious. "you're going to have to obey some rules." He held up his fingers to the number of the rule he was saying. "One - you bleed on it you clean it. Two - don't touch anything that looks like it shouldn't be touched. Three - don't break anything. You'll be paying for its replacement. Four - no stupid questions. And five - no going into my room uninvited." He practically growled the last word but when he was done he got up and grabbed more food, looking towards the boy and gesturing the food in his direction. "Come grab something to eat. It'll make you feel better." table by sophia

[Lukan Christopher Oliver]

Lukan stood in the doorway with his fingers pressed tightly against the wooden frame. He sucked his cheek (and nervous habit of his) and scuffed his foot along the ground. His hesitation lasted for a good minute or so, but eventually he crossed the threshold. There was no sureness in his expression. Luk viewed Mason as a stranger, whether he had helped him or not. Besides, the injured teen couldn't remember Mason helping him. All he recalled was the stray's fist flying towards his face and... well, he didn't remember much more than that. Luk, though he refused to admit it to anyone, was partially scared of Mason. Yet while he did not verbally express his fear, Luk worked visually; he subconsciously touched the bandages wrapped around his head while listening to Mason, as if reminding himself of the pain said stranger could inflict (and had inflicted) on him.

"I remember the fight." Lukan, trying hard to retain some more of his usual bravado, cautiously let his gaze lock onto Mason's before continuing. "I just don't remember, umm..." He touched his bandages again and quieted down; Mason could infer the rest. Lukan was busy eying the eggs and bacon that the stray continued to scarf down. The boy's attention finally drifted back to Mason when the other started talking again... there was no more food left on Mason's plate to look at, anyway. But this time, he didn't respond. Not with words. Mason had beat him... God that just burned into his skin and made the boy squirm ever so slightly. A warm blush scorched his cheeks and the back of his neck. There was little that embarrassed Luk more than getting beat in a fight, yet he refused to stop fighting. After all, refusing to fight was a close second to losing. Perhaps if Mason hadn't commented on his failure, Luk would actually thank the guy for helping him. Maybe.

And then the stray went on to list his rules. Lukan didn't even attempt to hold himself back from rolling his eyes. It seemed the more annoyed the teen became, the more his confidence grew. This confidence was nicely complimented with some of Lukan's trademark attitude. "One - I don't clean. Two - I don't like touching other people's things anyway. Three - I don't have any money to pay you with. Four - my questions aren't stupid. And five - hell would I want to go into your room anyway?" Lukan nodded his head, obviously proud of his little comeback, then finally took a step away from the wall he had so recently clung to. "Oh, one more. Six - stop bossing me. If I don't listen to the alpha, then I'm certainly not following your rules either if I don't want to." Good ol' fashioned gratitude coming from this kid over here! At least he finally shut his snarky trap when Mason offered him food.

"You... made food for me?" Up until now, Luk was sure that the stray had fixed breakfast only for himself. This new information... well, it wiped the smirk off Lukan's face. The teen glanced over to the kitchen and back at Mason. His eyebrow cocked in suspicion before he padded across the tile floor on bare feet. But, he wouldn't buy into it so quickly. Luk sniffed around the food, checking for traces of silver or strong smelling chemicals. Eventually he quietly declared that if Mason wanted him dead, then he wouldn't have fixed up his head in the first place. Luk grabbed himself a plate.

WORDS! 594
TAGS! Mason
NOTES! none
CREDITS! Haze

[Mason Smith]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imgur.com/D4CaV8v.png] warning for mature language and mature themes text | speech He remembered the fight? That was news to Mason - he figured the entire ordeal had been like a night out drinking, where the second alcohol touches your lips you forget where you went and you have to run through all your friends and find out what the hell you did last night. Only more Mason, he usually woke up in a jail cell and the second he moved the cops blurting something about how he almost killed the guy he fought with and damn it, he was lucky the guy's not pressing charges. He watched him touch his bandages and Mason wanted to reach out and grab his wrist to stop him. Leave them alone, he wanted to chide. Don't touch. It was the way he was with Jennifer - she was always under his care and Mason became more than an older brother - he was a father. It became a bad habit and when he tries to put up the manly front, sometimes he can't help but pull out the daddy card, too, when things get a little too hairy. It had happened last night and frankly, Mason was glad the kid couldn't remember being taken care of. That's not really something Mason wanted going around. But, he began to regret it all when the boy decided to get sassy at Mason's list of rules. His upper lip curled and his teeth showed slightly. What an annoying brat. Mason watched as Luk walked toward the food, eyeing it before he took a plate. He stayed silent while the boy rambled, and then Mason laughed his overly mocking, grating on the nerves laugh. "Yeah, I'm not an alpha," he started, grabbing the plate of food out of Luk's hands the second he'd gotten it. "And do you know what that means? That means I don't have to hold my cool. I don't have to act like a role model. I could rip you a new fucking hole and not give two shits about what happened to you. I could throw you out my fifth floor window and laugh as you fall to the ground. So you're going to follow my rules without any fucking smart talk, alright?" His words were a deep, menacing growl, laced with not a single threat, only promises. Mason was born to kill, and if anyone pushed him enough, he'd be completely willing to fall back on instinct. When he was done with his threats and the like, he shoved Luk's plate back into his hands forcefully. Enough so that if the boy wasn't paying much attention his food would probably falter and maybe even fall or get on his clothes. But good, the boy needed to be shamed into submission. It was the only non-violent method Mason had to crack smartasses. He grabbed his plate and moved before Luk could try anything on him. His leather couch was still warm from where he was sitting there earlier, only this time he turned on the television and moved through the channels quickly, stopping at the news network curiously. Just watching and just learning. "Make yourself comfy," he added idly. He would have said another threat but maybe what he had said before would get the boy's attention enough. Probably not - based on what happened the night before he'd but much harder to crack. table by sophia

[Lukan Christopher Oliver]

The plate jolted in Lukan's hands and nearly fell to its death against the tile floor, all because of that... laugh, if you could call it that. A cackle sounded like the more appropriate description. Either way, whether it was a laugh, cackle, chuckle, or a snicker, it disturbed Luk. What else Mason had to say didn't help Lukan's nerves settle, but he refused to show any ounce of fear or regret on his face. Rather, he'd settled for his trademark look of indifference. Didn't bother him! Whatever! Lukan's lip curled in a defensive, yet quiet snarl as Mason advanced forward. Had it not been for the fresh bandages wrapped around his head, Luk would have punched Mason for snatching away his plate. He chose to growl in protest instead.

Lukan's disposition soon changed as Mason's voice shifted from a cackle to a warning. The boy's chin jerked up defiantly, as it often did, but his feet shuffled on the ground and told a different story; he was uneasy. Scared, not yet, but definitely uneasy. It was as Mason's threat developed that Luk's mindset turned fearful. He tried to come up with some snarky comeback, but there was very little he could say to the threat of getting thrown out the window. Towards the end of Mason's speech, he was so wound up and fidgety that he didn't allow himself time to resort back to his defensive mannerisms. "Yessi-" His lips clamped shut as he finally found his scowl again. Still unable to come up with a creative response, Luk started another growl, albeit shakier than before.

Once the loner shoved the plate back into Luk's hands, the boy- gasp!- behaved? Well, with a growl and a glare that is. But at least he sat down finally... as far away from Mason as possible. Lukan glared down at his food and sulked like a chastised child, occasionally picking at the eggs with his fork. Soon enough, he'd have his attitude and false bravado back at full force. But until then, Luk would continue this childlike temper tantrum.

WORDS! 348
TAGS! Mason
NOTES! none
CREDITS! Haze

[Mason Smith]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imgur.com/D4CaV8v.png] warning for mature language and mature themes text | speech When Luk growled in protest at Mason's ramblings, he growled, too, and stared at the boy right in the eyes. It was a challenge - let's see who'll tuck their tail between their legs first. It used to be Mason's favorite game, but as time wore him down, his favorite games tended to change. But there was a little bit of his childhood still in him, and that's what made him smile and growl until Mason could tell Luk wasn't comfortable. His eyes went down and watched the boy's feet shift. Good. Mason was feared, it was something he used to pride himself on. No one ever wanted to fight him because he seemed so large and so intimidating. It kept him out of trouble, even if some of it were bluffs. 'Yessi-' Mason laughed. It was funny how obedient some pups were when they were threatened. The boy had spunk, though, and Mason could admire it to some degree. But it was more fun to rip his spunk from him and warp him to Mason's will. When he placed his plate back in the boy's hands, Mason grinned with his dangerous teeth and then moved to the couch. He watched as the boy sat as far away as he could. Mason quirked a brow and didn't say anything, at least for a good long while. When he finished his food, he set his plate on the coffee table in front of the couch before leaning back and getting comfortable. His eyes looked over the boy and finally the silence had gotten to him. "What'd you say your name was, kid?" He swallowed and coughed before jerking his chin up for a moment in a 'what's up' motion. "I'm Mason, by the way." Under all the rage and turmoil, Mason was a good guy. You just had to give him a minute. table by sophia