I'm from out of town

Redrum’s ear twitched involuntarily at the subtle shift in her tone, a nervous flick betraying the tension coiled beneath his skin. There was something laced in her voice, a hint of a hidden meaning that gnawed at his thoughts. His breath hitched, an anxious rhythm picking up in his chest. She was more attuned to his quirks than most, something that both unnerved and intrigued him. It made his pulse quicken, his muscles twitching in response as uncertainty ate at the edges of his mind. This girl—strange and unpredictable—yet who was he to judge? He was as strange as they came, teetering on the edge where strangeness blurred into madness.

His eyes darted towards her, narrowing as if trying to dissect her intentions. The way she studied him, like he was a puzzle she wanted to solve, set off a mix of curiosity and unease deep in his gut. Most didn’t look past his stuttering speech and awkward mannerisms. They saw the jagged surface and left it at that. But she... she peered deeper, and it felt strange—good, but strange—to be noticed in that way. His muscles tensed as if bracing against the discomfort of being both exposed and seen. He forced his gaze forward, his tall ears pin straight and tracking the movements of critters around them as they went.

When she mentioned the far north, a slow nod accompanied his thoughts, picturing icy landscapes and the biting chill of winds that matched the coolness in her voice. His ears flicked back, pulling him into the memory of his own brief venture north. Still, there was a warmth beneath her icy exterior, something faint that he almost tasted on the air. His lips twitched into a lopsided grin, one that quivered slightly as he replied, “Adventures… yes, Redrum likes– that.” The words came out awkward, his speech halting as he struggled to steady the excitement bubbling under his skin. It was seldom he wandered the lands with a stranger, let alone a friend.

But her next words made him freeze, a muscle in his jaw twitching at the mention of pleasure and freedom. His skull craned towards her, contemplating those concepts he understood, but not the way she spoke them—so openly, so boldly. His eyes darted toward hers, a flash of apprehension sparking behind the golden hue. Was she testing him? His claws flexed into the dirt, his mind scrambling for the right response. He admired her honesty, but it left him off-balance, teetering between admiration and discomfort. “Pleasure is… important. Freedom –too. Redrum won’t —shame Hestia… freedom should– be– hers.” His voice wavered, uncertain, as if he was still trying to grasp the weight of his own words.

The cool night air carried the scent of the forest and the wilds, mingling with the lingering thoughts that buzzed restlessly in his mind. She spoke of trust, and Redrum’s chest tightened, his ears pinning back as he tried to wrestle with the concept. Trust was a delicate thing, easily shattered, and something he rarely gave without hesitation. But he wanted to trust her—or at least, his body said so, the way it leaned ever-so-slightly in her direction despite the tension knotting in his spine. Her words mirrored his own uncertainty, and he took them seriously, sensing the fragility in what was being exchanged. “Trust… is hard, yes. Redrum– knows. Like a stone— thrown in- a lake, could –sink… could– skip.” His gaze flicked toward her, searching her expression for any cracks in sincerity. He didn’t fully understand what trust meant to her yet, but he was determined to find out. There was a growing need to prove that his friendship—awkward and clumsy as it was—was something real. The vermillion brute was not a duplicit wolf, he was as bold and forthright as nature itself.

When the question turned on him, his jaw clenched, and his muscles tensed with the struggle to put his desires into words. What did he want? The question burned in his mind, tangled in the confusion that so often clouded his thoughts. His inexperience. His breath hitched as he forced out the words, his voice almost a whisper. “Redrum seeks… to belong. To have a place. In the world.” His gaze dropped briefly, vulnerable in a way that made him feel exposed and childlike. “To not be alone. To be strong.” Redrum’s gaze rose to meet her’s, trying to take more pride in his speech in that moment he mentioned strength. His eyes searched, golden slits searching for any hint of mockery, bracing himself for a reaction that might sting more than he could bear.


"Murder"