IC Hallen

[MaryGold]

HALLEN, QUEBEC

making you green with envy

A large, scenic village heavily influenced by French culture. The majority of the population is Were. It is considered the country's art hub. Much of the land is green and fertile, which is why many farms are located here. They provide most of the produce for Northern Cervia.

FORECAST​

DATE: October 29th, 2035. Friday.

TIME: 5: 30 PM. Afternoon.

WEATHER: 49.2°F (9.6°C). Cool and humid with a chilly breeze.

CITY ACTIVITY​

All too quiet. Hallen is keeping business as usual and the inhabitants are going about their day.

CITY NEWS​

Nothing for now.

UPCOMING EVENTS

- More fun activities will be added later. Can add any of your ideas too.

NOTABLE LOCATIONS​

• Guthrie Woodworking

[See Buildings and Businesses thread]

TIME SKIP LIST

• 1st Time Stamp
• To Be Announced...

 

[PavellumPendulum]

in response to NATALIA in BLACK CITY​

JANVIER

He fiddled with the harness strapped around his chest and shoulders, feeling the junctions of the leather and the buckles. The shirt underneath was made smooth and flat against his body from the pressure, which felt quite nice under his fingers. Janvier had been zoning out, staring out the window of his apartment as he sat on his bed, idly fiddling with his clothing. He'd had a few house calls today, but nothing incredibly interesting, so after coming home and eating an admittedly very lacklustre microwave dinner, he hadn't been able to think of anything to do besides sit.

He could hear distant chatter from the street outside his window, even from the third floor. He wondered if anyone was doing anything interesting. Perhaps, instead of sitting around with his mouth open, primed to catch any wandering flies, he could just do some people-watching. He pulled his trusty stool from beside his bed to the open window, leaning over and resting his chin on his still gloved hands.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

iChat: Natalia NATALIA: hey NATALIA: are you up?

Janvier, never being one to play hard to get with responses, typed up his reply immediately.

JANVIER: yeah. you ok?

He tried to remember where she currently was. Unlike him, Natalia's travels took her interesting places, meeting interesting people. He went on vacation every once in a while, but it never felt like he was experiencing anything particularly amazing.

JANVIER: you out of hallen right now?

「 @unanun 」

code by wren.

 

[PavellumPendulum]

in response to NATALIA in BLACK CITY​

JANVIER

Natalia always looked like something out of a painting. Janvier sort of felt like a background character around all the people he hung out with, since all of them seemed to know what they wanted from life. They did what they wanted, looked how they wanted and all of them just seemed to shine in ways that he couldn't figure out how to replicate. Natalia, with her mysterious eyes, her seemingly effortless dark tresses splayed out around her and the glow of her skin under the light in whatever room she was in... He tried not to gawk a little at the picture she'd sent him. It wasn't like it was anything new, but really, she was the only one who sent him stuff like this. He didn't really know what to do with it.

He swiped away the picture nervously, as though someone would catch him ogling at pictures of his pretty friend in the comfort and safety of his own home.

NATALIA: i told u i was leaving a week ago NATALIA: what do you think i'm doing right now?

"Uhh..." he said stupidly, out loud even though she couldn't hear him. He vaguely remembered her mentioning that, but it was escaping him now. Maybe she was back in Black City. She seemed to be there more often than the other cities, anyway. Before he could finish typing out his response, she'd added another text to prod at him.

NATALIA: are you still wearing that leather stuff?

Janvier felt his cheeks flush a little.

JANVIER: im guessin youre just laying in bed. at a hotel maybe??? had someone with you???? for. fun?????

His guessing was making him feel self conscious now. He tried to stop adding so many question marks.

JANVIER: im always wearing my harnesses n stuff. i like how they look. and feel. maybe you should try them. theyd prob look nicer on you tho

「 @unanun 」

code by wren.

 

[PavellumPendulum]

in response to NATALIA in BLACK CITY​

JANVIER

The harnesses that he kept on him during his waking hours had become a staple of his aesthetic multiple decades ago, nearly feeling like a second skin to him at this point, an unskippable part of his daily routine. When people poked fun at it, he didn't take it to heart (or at least, he tried not to), since they just felt so comfortable at this point... Plus, he liked that they sort of made him stand out. Still, with her mysterious, elusive sort of beauty, Natalia could probably make the statements pieces look like they were made for her.

He tried to stop thinking about her wearing them, borrowing his things. He wasn't sure why it was making him both envious and slightly flustered.

JANVIER: sure 👍
JANVIER: nah. i had dinner and that's it. i was just sitting by the window
JANVIER: hbu? hopefully something more interesting

「 @unanun 」

code by wren.

 

[MaryGold]

TIME STAMP: HALLOWEEN

The first official time skip. There has been a fast-forward of two days later and the city falls on the day of Halloween.

FORECAST​

DATE: October 31st, 2035. Sunday.

TIME: Up to the players for their scenes.

WEATHER: 49.2°F (9.6°C). Cool and humid with a chilly breeze.

CITY ACTIVITY​

The town has turned up the lights and has welcomed the fun of costumes and were fun.

 

[sele]

were-jackal | a quick thief | longs for summer

Location: Hallen, outdoor mall. | Tag: @Ghostie 's Bellatrix, THE one and only Trixi.
──────────────────────────── ˖ ────────────────────────────​

In normal, everyday circumstances, Pomona didn't find herself at this shopping center mid-afternoon, surrounded by regular people, behaving as them genuinely and not merely to blend in for other purposes. She was shopping. She was honest to god just shopping.

"Look, whatever we get we can make improvements on." She hummed with a half-lidded side glance toward her bestie to her right. Her grin eased along, becoming something sharp, shark-toothed in spirit. Well, jackal-fanged being more like it. If they had to tailor a bit here and there on store-bought stuff, that was no problem.

And just because Pomona claimed the money she used to buy the concert tickets had been legit, and the tickets had come through official sources, didn't mean that the funds they had for the concert clothes had to be totally clean. It wasn't, and neither had a moral qualm about that. At least Pomona didn't, and assumed Bellatrix didn't either by their mutual track record. Look, when the world is rigged, change the rules.

They were the underbelly of Hallen. The grimy, chaotic, mischievous underbelly. Generally, laws were for these people around them. The ones who were born and raised into a sunlit world, sustained on stability and structure. For the survivalists like Mona and Trixi? Guidelines.

But that day, the pair meandered side-by-side window shopping. With their concert coming up, they'd agreed to search for fresh outfits. Maybe get hair and makeup ideas from this topside of Hallen society. Maybe for just one evening, they'd disappear into a concert crowd as part of rather than as outsider scavengers. Though, scavenger-types were pretty bad ass.

Neither expressed an interest in genuinely fitting in with the stable topside of society, but there was a touch of novelty to maybe really blend in for just an evening. Just one show, with no ulterior motive to lift any wealth from the sheep the coyote and jackal weres camouflaged amidst. Their only set goals for the Sudden Revival show was to dance and yell songs til they lost their voices.

The pair strolled up to a popular clothing store, where Pomona's pace slowed to a languid halt. Lanky, under-fed limbs eased into a lazy posture - her right hip jut with a lean, and her skinny arms laced loose over her diaphragm. Her amber glance assessed this palatial entrance and the hints of many racks and colors just beyond.

At present, the jackal-were wore shredded, red skinny jeans under an oversized white t-shirt with some random city's name faded out on the central print. It'd once been some sort of trendy New Tokyo thing (a city she'd never been to), but she'd cut off the collar and sleeves and washed it out. A black tank top peeked from beneath.

"Watch us pull off being normies even better than normies, babe." Mona snickered delightedly. "C'mon." She slanted her head toward the door, keeping glints of her sharp grin.

credits

 

[Ghostie]

hh

hh

TRIXI

Bellatrix was hype as fuck to be able to get the time off she wanted from boxing. Don't get her wrong, she loved the sport, and she loved the game she got from it, but none of that compared to fucking around in Hallen with her best friend and partner in crime. Although today no crimes were committed, but the day was still young.

Her time away from work was how she found herself with said partner in crime rather expensive mall in their hometown. The thrift store around the corner would usually be the one to get their business, but with Trixie, taking on a lot more fights, and Mona taking matters into her own hands, in one way or another, they were able to scrape up a good chunk of change to be able to meander around some nice stores.

"Remember we can splurge on ourselves a little too. I got paid damn good from my last fight." Bellatrix beamed, throwing an arm over Pomona's shoulders before Mona came to a stop. "Ahh so this is the store that tickles your fancy." Trixi looked into the shop's entrance, assessing the clothing that hung about the racks for anything she could see herself wearing. It seemed promising. "Good choice, doll. The normies better look out for us." A smirk turning up at the corner of her lips.

☽ ☽ ☽

Looking at herself in the dressing room mirror, Bellatrix shifted foot to foot in thought. An all black Sudden Revival tour shirt with dates from a few years back adorned her torso. She was a girl of simple tastes. Popping outside, she did a spin asking, "What do you think, Mona?" Trixi struck a pose with her hands in her pockets. "I might cut half of it off." She said with a shrug.

"Have you found anything you like?"

「 @sele 」

LOCATION | INTERACTIONS | MENTIONS

code by wren.

 

[sele]

were-jackal | a quick thief | longs for summer

Location: Hallen, outdoor mall. | Tag: @Ghostie 's Bellatrix. We're open for anyone to crash!
──────────────────────────── ˖ ────────────────────────────​

Pomona's amber eyes slowly half-lidded with a feline sort of pride at Trixi's mention about her last fight. Her friend really had made out like a bandit, without even needing to actually thief anything. She put the work in for it, though. All of her training, all of the hard hits she'd taken over time to build her experience. She had no doubt that people might underestimate the coyote-were by the look of her - which, the mere thought flickered a sharkish grin out of Pomona. Being underestimated was a great benefit.

"You know I'll take you up on that." She'd snerked. They were scavengers; you didn't just politely decline good offers.

They strolled in, clearly not the typical clientele. They had those sharp edges, keen glances, and a sort of relaxed swagger that couldn't be bought. They did catch a few glances from the normie crowd, and they wore them like accessories.

⋅ ☼ ⋅​

When Trixi showcased her choice, emerging from a changing room, Mona gave her a scan over. She began to nod when her friend said she might cut half of it.

"Yea. Yea, that'd work. We could add some shreds of kinda toxic colors, y'know? Stripes or patches or, whatever we find." The lanky jackal-were approached with an analytical edge still to her eyes. Her gaze floated upward along with orange-chipped nails, which caught through a few strands of Trixi's pearlescent hair to the right of her face

"Maybe a clip with something we make, too. Color just pops against your hair. Some wrings, bangles, y'know, the works. Maybe we find something in here, too." She gave a slight slant of her head back toward the store in general.

All the while, she'd been dressed in a few things she'd found and piled on. She had a sheer, black mesh long-sleeve on that looked like shadow and spiderwebs by the design. The silhouette of her black bra showed through, but that was a part of the style. Below, she had a leather skirt.

"I think I'll wear a red one, maybe put some patches on it, too. Or like, pins n'shit that look like they're caught in the spiderwebs. Like hell I'll buy their shredded tights, though. I got those myself, or can make some. I grabbed some platform boots so I could maybe see over some people for a change."

She wriggled a foot to showcase the faux combat boots with buckles and lacing criss-crossing here and there. None of that shit had a real function but it looked cool. Pomona was short. She at least wanted a chance to see.

"I'll need to get a bunch of rings and accessories, too. Kinda funny how I think this kinda just looks like what we might normally like, but a billion times more expensive? Should I go preppy instead, trick the whole world? Maybe a soft pink cashmere sweater?" Her tone was even - someone else might have even been fooled into believing she was serious. Trixi'd know she was fooling around, but if she was challenged to something, she'd do it.

"It's also kinda funny how I'm not sure what we're supposed to shop for next. I mean like, what's 'normal.'" She shrugged with her typical, slanting grin.

credits

 

[PavellumPendulum]

JANVIER

There was nothing cooler than being at a punk rock concert. Janvier was sure of it. He didn't really listen to much of it, since his ears were more often graced with the drum and bass and thrumming dance music that popped virginal ears of the uninitiated inside of clubs, but Hallen was buzzing with hype, so surely he had to be too. Of course, going to such an event, he'd decided that he needed something extra to wear under his usual leather harnesses, but what? There was no punk rock fairy godmother that would grace him with the perfect clothing for the evening.

And so, he found himself worrying his lower lip with his teeth in a clothing store's dressing room, having been in there far too long with too few options to choose from. One of the salespeople had already checked on him thrice and if there was a fourth time, he would perhaps pass away.

He'd picked up some thrifted, faded shirt for the band from a previous tour, but it was a size or two too big. But that was the style now, right? He stared at himself in the mirror again, before his eyes flicked to his phone. Always hopeful fingers drifted to the screen, inputting his password and checking his messages, but still, no dice. His last texts to Natalia remained unanswered. She hadn't spoken to him since their last phone encounter, one that left him feeling dizzy and nauseous, only out of fear that she no longer had any interest in him now that they'd had some sort of sexual encounter, even if it had not been in the flesh. He could never figure out what she was thinking.

JANVIER: hey
JANVIER: im going to a sudden revival concert in a couple days idk if youve heard of it but ill send u pics if u want
JANVIER: hope alls ok

He wondered if he was, perchance, stupid. Was it stupid to ask someone if all was okay after they'd gone through a hard week of estrus? Fuck. He added another message, continuing the list of unanswered texts.

JANVIER: got a new shirt its awesome

God, he really was stupid.

Janvier finally stepped out to check himself in the full body mirror, only to lay eyes upon a familiar sight: Trixi... Accompanied by another woman, all dark hair and golden eyes. He blinked rapidly, if only to shake him out of immediately associating anyone with those features as Natalia. Suddenly, he felt extremely sweaty. "Hi Trix. Um, hi..." He trailed off, waiting for the other girl's name, before realizing that they were all wearing similar shirts, "Oh."

「 @unanun @Ghostie @sele 」

code by wren.

 

[Ghostie]

hh

hh

TRIXI

"You better take me up on it, cuz it's happening whether you like it or not, babe!" Bellatrix let out a cackle as she wrapped her arm around Mona's lanky shoulders. The were-coyote was ecstatic to blow some money on her best friend. After all, who was there for her whenever her shitbox she called a life started rocking her shit left and right? Pomona, of course; ready to help her beat life's ass because two fighters was always better than one.

☽ ☽ ☽

Trixi nodded simultaneously with Mona at her clothing choice. Sure, she still had to find bottoms, but at least she had a shirt now.

She almost jumped back when Pomona reached up to touch her iridescent locks. She had to try hard to turn off her fighter sometimes, even around Mona. "Yeah, I'm thinking maybe some neon barrettes or something like that," Trix said with a shrug, "probably put it up in a half up half down space bun style. Think Roxy on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World." She finished with a chuckle, ready to whip out her phone to show Mona a reference photo if she had to. Trixi couldn't remember if Pomona had seen the movie or not.

"You should for sure get that shirt! It's hot stuff on you, hot stuff!" Bellatrix winked adding a light laugh at the end. "Ooh we should get matching skirts! You wear a red shirt and a black skirt and I'll wear a black shirt with a red skirt! Damn, that'll be so cute!" By now, Trixi felt like she was rambling, but she was just excited to be getting a damn good break from work. A break with her closest cohort that included a lit ass concert at that!

Bellatrix scoffed, a cackling laugh following quickly after as she wiped a fake tear from her eye. She didn't realize Mona was such a comedian. "Ha ha, very funny! More like a black one with a corset over top. We should get our jewelry and shit from some other store." Trix suggested, but before the two women could checkout and head to the next shop, they were greeted by a familiar face.

"Hey Janvier! Nice shirt." Bellatrix finger-gunned towards her blonde friend before she gestured towards Pomona. "Oh, this is my best friend Pomona! I don't think you guys have met yet." Trixi introduced.

「 @sele @PavellumPendulum 」

LOCATION | INTERACTIONS | MENTIONS

code by wren.

 

[sele]

were-jackal | a quick thief | longs for summer

Location: Hallen, outdoor mall. | Tag: @Ghostie 's Bellatrix & @PavellumPendulum 's Janvier.
──────────────────────────── ˖ ────────────────────────────​

Pomona had anticipated the flinch from her friend. If she'd gotten slugged as a reflex, she'd have accepted it (with a little bit of dramatics to troll Trixi of course).

Survivors and fighters were always on alert, it seemed, and her best friend hadn't had the easiest life - had either of them? She still risked careful touches sometimes. Everyone deserved a little bit of thoughtful contact. They might not want it from most of the world, but from each other? Those closest to either of them? Sometimes. She'd carefully continue to offer living, kind touch every now and then at whatever violent risk it came with.

"Girl, chill." She'd hummed nonetheless with a shark-toothed slant of a grin. The jackal in her soul would also continue in its mischief, of course.

As for the matching, opposite colors, that grin straightened into a proper smile. "'Perfection.'" She quoted a meme in her show of support. It didn't matter if anyone ever caught every single instance of her memeing or trolling if she amused herself.

The day was good. It also felt suspicious to her given that it just felt like everyone else's normal. Just shopping. Just laughing and shopping together with little more to worry about than what colors might work best. Pomona pushed back that general, vague sense of wariness about 'normalcy.'

"Yeah, you think? I mean yeah of course it will be!" Pomona first considered her clothing choices with a splay of her spindly fingers against her torso, glancing down. Then concluded with a cheeky grin back up. "Sure yea, different shop might have better choices."

She made sure to give a half-lidded side glance toward a general jewelry rack in a way that was meant to teasingly scoff at it. Whether she could have liked any of it or not, she was with Trixi on exploring elsewhere! That in itself was a major part of their outing that day. It was all novel - no need to rush through and just settle on one stop!

With her side glance trailing back toward her friend, Pomona spied the guy staring at Trixi and her own survival sense quickly surveyed him for any initial threat. ......... yeah none were really found straightaway. He did have some good clothes picked out to try on, though, that gave him some points back. He knew Bellatrix apparently, too, enough to know a friendlier nickname for her. More points, less skepticism.

The were-jackal's long grin slowly lengthened along the line of what might appear as some Grinchy, nepharious consideration. She just wanted to make the guy slightly uncomfortable - which seemed, by appearances, potentially easier to do. She'd find out!

"Oh, hey, friend! It's been ages!" She began, as though she and Janvier had met before and should have been familiar with each other. Her energy bloomed in a friendly way to further impress that false reality. "Can't wait for us to all go to the show together, too! You're bringing snacks for while we wait still, right??"

This poor guy.

Mona sauntered on over to... whoever this was... oh, alright, Janvier. She caught the name in Trixi's introduction. She then cast a lanky arm around his shoulders like they were old chums - if he didn't duck away from the invasive, grinning stranger (that he OBVIOUSLY should have known and OF COURSE didn't).

credits

 

[unanun]

Somewhere far away, Natalia was still holed up in that hotel room, as estrus was the worst times of the year for sex work. Her body was loudly reminding her that the thing she was always doing was what it wanted exactly here and now, and could not understand that it was usually for numbers either printed on paper or a screen, so why was she instead so committed to damaging the upholstery, mattresses, and furniture instead of going out and making a pup?

JANVIER: got a new shirt its awesome ✓✓ read

The urge to downward dog was overwhelming, but she sat upright in bed and stretched overhead instead. She was not feral.

 

[PavellumPendulum]

JANVIER

Trixi was a familiar face, one that Janvier was pleased to see, even in spite of his current conundrum. He managed an awkward, bashful smile at her compliment and added finger guns, fingers twitching at his sides. He'd wanted to send finger guns back, but it'd immediately seemed weird to him and by the time he'd decided that he wanted to really lock in the idea, the moment had passed... As moments usually did for him, anyway. "Thanks." he settled on saying, turning his eyes back to Pomona, who was apparently Trixi's best friend. That was nice. He wasn't sure if he had anything close to a best friend currently, nor could he remember the last time he'd had one.

Looking confused, brows strung together at Pomona's extremely familiar greeting (putain, had he forgotten meeting her before? Her face wasn't ringing any bells...) "Hi Pom-" Janvier didn't manage to finish the sentence, immediately freezing up when he felt her arm get thrown around him, a nefarious chill being sent up his spine. Blinking rapidly, he stared at his phone for a momentary escape from his body, seeing now those two sad little checkmarks letting him know that Natalia was reading his texts but not responding. Maybe she was tired of him...

His expression shifting from uncomfortable to straight up a vibe that a dejected puppy would mope around with, he turned off his phone, eyes sliding back to Trixi. "You guys are going to the Sudden Revival concert too? That's cool..." he started, sliding his phone back to his pocket after fidgeting with it for a moment, before he veered the conversation onto a completely different path, "... Can I have some girl advice? Or just normal advice?"

The desperation in his tone was evident.

「 @unanun @Ghostie @sele 」

code by wren.

 

[unanun]

Natalia hugged herself, looking down at the blank screen of the phone on the bed. She reached over and double-tapped it, then again, harder, as the blanket absorbed the first set of taps.

JANVIER: got a new shirt its awesome ✓✓ read

"Pfft."

"You're such a nerd."

Her stomach had been gnawing at her since yesterday, even louder than the other mouth down there. She yanked the windows upward and open. The draft was cold, and every time she wondered how it could feel so irritating in this form versus when she was morphed. There wasn't much to eat in the hotel room, but at least yesterday her had the sense to buy some scraps from the butcher, which had only slightly leaked in the minifridge.

@PavellumPendulum