a strange kindness ;

---

The cowboy had decided to stick around the glade, its golden grasses a familiar sight in an unfamiliar world. Even though the gang was gone, Callahan needed something to remind him of them, something to keep him going. After meeting that feller, Cal felt there were others like him, outlaws cast out of polite society when they were just trying to live like everyone else.

But the world was moving past that lifestyle, and that was something Callahan knew was inevitable. People wanted security, a solid foundation that wouldn't crumble if light was shown on their lives. The gang had always tried to fly under the radar, out of sight, out of mind, until that day. The day, Callahan lost everything because of one's greed.

The man was taking his time discovering the glade, learning where each animal chose to live and places to rest in to stay out of sight. Cal had grown to like the meadow and its peacefulness; his mind began to compare it to his past home, with its golden grasses and plentiful prey. All it was missing was them.

Then, the familiar scent reached him. It had to be his mind playing tricks on him. Why would she be here? Why would any of them be here? This was his punishment, solitude to atone for his sins. Purgatory. But the fresh scent grew stronger the closer he got to the thicket.

“Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am. I thought you were someone else.” Callahan took a step back, eyes downcast, as if he had walked in on her changin' or somethin'. Always a damn fool, wasn't he?

---

@Penthesileia somewhat short but will be longer <3

the staff team luvs u

---

The sudden and fantastical reality Penthesileia had come to know and accept was jarring at first. Being a wolf was different from being a human. Bunny had a little bit of a learning curve as she adjusted to this new reality. She liked to believe she was as exploratory as the next curious individual, but sometimes, being alone and suddenly realizing she didn't have her books on poetry or her soft, warm blankets to comfort her was a bit much for her to handle.

It was why she resorted to gardening.

Gardening was one of Penthesileia’s go to activities to help destress from an overwhelming day. Especially now since it wasn't like she could bake tons of confectionery sweets and eat them all to her heart's content or read until reality and all its pressures fell away and all she could see was what the words wrote on her books pages. Weaving fantastical tales or indulging her lovesick beart into a beautiful, sordid love affair. Beautiful words tended to move Bunny’s silly little heart.

Feeling overwhelmed, Bunny sought to keep her hands turned paws and the easiest way to do so was by gardening. Food was scarce. Bunny wasn't much of a hunter— she had never killed an animal with her teeth. Never stalked, never actually hunted. In her little cottage Sileia raised meat rabbits for protein. She wasn't adverse to blood and gore for she was used to skinning the rabbits she processed for food, making their furs into gloves, blankets, or even moccasins. Bunny lived off the land and that meant most of her food was foraged if not grown in her own garden, however, her slow, sustainable lifestyle had its limitations, and actual hunting was one of them.

Bunny had never felt confident wielding a weapon, be it a knife, a gun, or a bow and arrow.

Her paws busily shuffled through ferns, her teeth nipping and tugging at weeds while her mud-caked paws dug into the soft earth. She knew that none of the plants she was putting in the ground would yield fruits for months, requiring diligent care and attention, yet the repetitive motions of planting and clearing created a soothing rhythm that calmed her anxieties. She allowed herself to drift into a tranquil state, focusing solely on her task, feeling the earth beneath her paws. Before long, her pretty pink fur was speckled with mud and dirt, the earthy aroma clinging to her as she worked. It was this very focus that kept her from noticing the approaching man and the sound of his heavy pawsteps until he was right beside her.

His voice was deep, but soft— sheepish in quality as if he just stumbled upon Bunny doing something mighty embarrassing. Had she been in the river not far from here, she might have understood the inflection of his voice better, but no, she was just covered in grass, dirt, and plant clippings. Though now that she thought about it, Penthesileia could understand why he may have sounded so startled. She wasn't exactly presentable in the way her Mama taught her to be— though to be fair to the woman, Bunny didn't expect to suddenly have company.

“Oh! Oh, it's — um, its quite alright, sir!” Bunny stuttered out, words tying over her tongue at his sudden appearance and the jolting out of her mind and back into reality. She blinked at him, having to crane her neck upwards for just a bit since he towered over her despite her taller size. She jolted in shock, her mind screaming danger at the presence of a wolf before she blinked soft fern green eyes and realized that no she wasn't in danger. She was a wolf too, no longer a human woman.

She awkwardly shifted, shuffling her paws as if to try and make herself more presentable only to smear the dirt more into her soft fur. She frowned down at herself, snorting softly before turning her attention back to the man, noting his averted gaze. “Um… it’s not a problem. I'm mistaken for a lot of people by accident. You're not the first.” Despite Penthesileia never really sharing physical features with someone, many people still mistook her for a loved one. It had to be the energy she gave off, the vibe that many people mistook for being a loved one when in actuality she was a complete stranger. It's led to many funny and enjoyable interactions though so Bunny never took it to heart.

Still, she often wondered how she could be taken for someone else. Bunny was pretty memorable as a human and now even more so as a wolf. She was tall for one, standing over many men and women and she had all the curves that many women felt envious of. It was difficult sometimes though. The extra padding on her belly and cheeks had been a source of insecurity and don't even get her started on the thickness of her thighs.

She was thick as a human and now even thicker as a wolf since her center of gravity was vastly different from when she was human. She twitched again, suppressing the need to fidget as if to cover herself when in the presence of an admittedly attractive looking man. Ears pinned to the back of her head and her eyes flitted from place to place were the only signs of her discomfort. “Who— um, who are you looking for? P-perhaps I can be of assistance?” She looked at him, trying to meet his gaze before they darted away once more.

---

---

sorry, had to rewrite this a couple times before i felt satisfied. Im still trying to find her voice :3

the staff team luvs u

---

Callahan hadn’t realized his actions may seem odd to the inhabitants of the place. He was human turned animal, though his behaviors still adhered to human society. You never look at a lady when she’s vulnerable, whether it be bathin’ or sleepin’. It was improper, even if he rebelled against society’s restrictive rules.

“You shouldn’t be out here alone, miss. Never know what’s waitin’ out here.” She was a sweet little thing. A target for dangerous men who would take advantage of a kind woman. Callahan knew that from personal experience.

A soft chuckle left him at her offer. She was a nice girl for offerin’ but he knew that who he thought he found wasn’t here. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. Just my mind playin’ tricks on me.” Cal allowed his eyes to trail down to her mud caked feet, the pale fur now stained a soft brown.

“You been out here long?” He asked, head turning to quickly scan the area. Despite the woman not being much of a threat, he never knew if it was a front. A soft smirk appeared as he thought of the last time the gang had used the tactic to rob a stagecoach. He knew just how good that worked.

---

the staff team luvs u

notes here

---

A soft frown pulled at her lips as she tilted her head to the left in a way that silently asked ‘pardon?’. Sage colored eyes blinked slowly as her ears swirled and twitched on the top of her cranium. She had her thinking face on, one that she used many times when she was stuck on something, particularly when she was experimenting with new recipes. “Well… since you seemed to be so concerned with my wellbeing, I think I’ll be safe in your care if— and that's a big if —something big and mean comes sauntering this way.” Was her own response to his misplaced and unfounded concern.

Penthesileia was used to living on her own out in her cottage in the woods. She had no man to care for, no family to call her own. She was a young and unattended woman who kept to herself. She liked to believe that she knew how to care for herself. Still… her words might have come off harsher than she originally intended. “Still, I appreciate your concern. It's mighty sweet of you,” she amended softly with a shy little smile.

And then he had to go and call her sweetheart paired with that short little chuckle? Her poor little heart thumped erratically in her chest for an entirely different reason. Had she not had fur, her own body would have betrayed her with the magnificent flush that would turn her whole face red down to her chest. Thank goodness for her fur.

At his question she shook her head, flyaways from the longer fur on her cheeks swaying with the motion. “No… no sir.” She spoke before pausing, a look of contemplation on her features. "Well actually— maybe?" Her tone was far less assured and more questioning as if she didn’t rightly know the answer herself. “Depends how you're asking." Yes, Bunny had been here in this glade for ‘awhile’ now, but as far as tending to her little garden? She didn’t have much of an idea. The sun still looked to be in the same position as she last looked at it so she probably wasn't here as long as she might believe?

---

the staff team luvs u

This content is not visible to non-members.

the staff team luvs u

---

“You put words in my mouth," She pouted, lips pulling into a frown as air puffed out her cheeks like a chipmunk. A furrowing in her normally placid brow tied the look together. With a huff and a roll of her sage green eyes skyward, Bunny couldn't help but stop the smile from twitching on her lips. And his smile. By golly, his smile just lit up his entire face and sent heat boiling down her face. Bunny was just as much of a sucker for a pretty face as the next girl and this man hit all the internalized check marks off her list. Rugged, polite, but not afraid to approach and tease as if they were friends. Almost immediately Bunny felt comfortable in his presence and whatever held onto tension melted from her frame.

Such improper thoughts had her wanting to melt into the ground out of the foolishness of her trembling, faint little heart. She tried her damndest on controlling her fluster, but if she was successful was hard to tell. "Oh, hush you—you silly man!” she floundered, her voice a mix of indignation and delight, her nose wrinkling in a barely contained grin. His laughter was so infectious that she found herself smiling even though she didn't rightly know what was so funny.

As he leaned back from out of her space and grew more serious, Bunny couldn't help but wish to lean forward. She almost immediately missed the warmth of her presence, but even she had enough common sense to stifle such urges. "No, I suppose I don’t know what could happen, but I can certainly assure you that I haven't seen much of anyone around these parts.” Only a few fleeting faces stood out to Penthesileia, but besides that nothing really stook.

She blinked back to him at his question. It was hard to keep track, but it had been a while now since she's been here, hadn't it? "About three weeks now, I believe.” She tilted her head upwards as if looking towards the sky would help her recall the time. If she had hands to tap the bottom of her chin, she would have. "How about you, sir?”

---

the staff team luvs u

---

Callahan couldn't help the soft groan that rumbled in his chest at the sight. She was a cute little thing, and young. That was one of the first things he noticed about her, and he couldn't justify any feelin's he may felt brewing. He hadn't spoken to a woman like this in a long time, Cal couldn't tell if he was making her uncomfortable, or perhaps she was unsure how to act around a man. He hoped he wasn't acting improper with a lady, but he couldn't help teasin' her.

Being called a silly man was not something Callahan could ever recall happenin' to him. But, he didn't hate hearing her say it. It reminded him of the way April would huff his name after he would tease her after a successful robbery.

Cal let his focus trail to the horizon, olive eyes searching for the dark furred man. “Unfortunately, I have. Some rough fellers 'round these parts. One feller told me to get on outta 'ere, said his royal kin was passin' through.” Callahan snorted as he allowed his rump to fall on the ground. Sure, he should've moved on by now, but the man didn't feel right leavin' her on her lonesome. “You might want to get movin' 'fore they show up. Wouldn't want ya gettin’ hurt.”

“I've been roamin' here fer months now. Three, if my mind's workin' right.” He looked around in thought, trying to count how many suns had passed since the first time his eyes opened here. It felt like forever since he last saw the faces of his family or enjoyed a long ride on Tex through the forest outside of camp. It almost felt like a dream, as if he had never actually done them until a memory appeared and reopened the wounds he thought had healed. Cal could only hope that things would be different now.

---

the staff team luvs u

---

As she stood before him, a faint, almost imperceptible groan caressed the shell of her ear, drawing her attention. She blinked, her sage green eyes tilting to the side, narrowing in on the man before her. Was he in pain, or merely hurt or was it something else entirely? Despite her learned ways, Bunny wasn't educated as a doctor, and her knowledge came not from dusty tomes, but from the elbow of her grandmother and the trials of her own life. Growing up in the forest, she had learned to heal her own ailments, often relying on the resources of the natural world to do so. With limited coin to spare on a doctor's fees, Bunny had taken it upon herself to develop a practical understanding of herbalism and basic medicine. "Are you hurt?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper, as she stood for a moment to circle around him.

Upon finding no visible wounds, Bunny sank back down in front of him, her eyes scanning the surrounding area for any potential remedies. She returned to her garden, hoping to find something that might aid him, but her searches yielded nothing. Frowning, she huffed in frustration and turned back to face the man. It seemed as though even if she wanted to help him, she would have nothing to offer.

However, Bunny's concerns about her own abilities were swiftly pushed aside as the man began to recount his tale of encountering some unsavory individuals. Her brow furrowed in disgust, and a look of concern etched itself onto her normally pleasant features. "That's mighty rude of him," she said, her ears folding back in distaste. Sometimes, Bunny couldn't understand how people could be so downright nasty to one another. She shuffled her paws, lost in thought, as she listened to his warning to leave the meadows behind. But that was easier said than done – Bunny had nowhere else to go. She was still adjusting to her circumstances, and her skills were limited to foraging for roots, berries, and vegetables. Hunting was a skill she still struggled to master, and while it might get her by, it was far from sufficient.

As the man's words hung in the air, Bunny took a deep breath and held it, her chest rising and falling with the effort before she blew it out of her lips. "This might sound absurd," she said, her words tumbling out in a hesitant rush, "but I wasn't always a wolf?" The question hung in the air as if she was uncertain whether it should be a statement or a query. Taking another deep breath, she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't really know how to hunt," she admitted, her eyes cast down at her paws. "And I have nowhere else to go. This little glade is all I have known for these last three weeks – it's a fragile sense of security, but it's the only home I've known since... since everything changed.”

---

the staff team luvs u

---

A soft smile quirked his lips at the change in her expression. She had a keen eye, this one. “Not at all, Darlin'.” He replied, attempting to distract her from his mistake. Now, Cal knew he shouldn't be actin' like a teenage boy, captivated by a woman's sweet smell and words, but damn, he couldn't ignore it. The man stiffened when she came closer, her herby scent swirlin' around him. It settled like the warmth of his mare when they waited out a storm in the valley, a comfort he never realized could be so nice.

He chuckled at her words as he nodded along. “He weren't the kindest, but at least he gave a warnin'. Most don't.” He knew that well enough. Cal remembered the time the gang had intruded on rival territory without a care in the world before following orders to, clean the area, as he said.

Callahan stopped to look at the woman, brows furrowing as he really looked at her. “I weren't either.” He confessed, turning away with a grimace. Cal didn't know if she'd believe him, but he believed her. No matter how absurd, Callahan knew it was possible. He remembered everything of the past, the lives he stole, the lives he ruined. But he also remembered the beauty of freedom. Bein' able to ride off for days at a time and camp out in the wilderness with Tex, bravin' the storms in the mountains or huntin' in the meadows of the valley. And now, he was something he loathed with no way of gettin' back.

“I know, I know. I haven't left the glade since I woke here, but it'd, be safer leavin'.” Cal paused, before tilting his head. “Would ya wanna go with me? You'd never hafta hunt or get yourself dirty, I'll do it for ya.” He offered, before falling silent. Did he sound too eager? Cal didn't wanna scare her off by comin' off too strong, but he couldn't let himself leave her here alone. Not with that feller comin' through here soon. “I'll be leavin' at daybreak, if you wanna come. Prob'ly headin' west, seems outta their way.”

---

the staff team luvs u

---

She frowned at his denial, her eyebrows knitting together in disbelief as her sage green eyes narrowed suspiciously upon him. Still, despite the urgency of her concern, she found no visible signs of distress on his rugged features that would compel her to pester him for the truth—not at this moment when her own supplies were running low. If he chose to keep whatever burden he carried to himself, that was ultimately his choice, and there was precious little Bunny could do about it. 

Her attention was diverted momentarily as he addressed her with a warm, honeyed drawl, the word 'darling' dripping with a southern charm that sent a flutter through her chest. She blinked, taken aback by the unexpected endearment, and a pleased little grin threatened to break free from her lips. She hastily suppressed it, trying to maintain a serious expression, but the urge to giggle was almost overwhelming. Who was this man, and how was he effortlessly winning her over with his cowboy drawl and charismatic smile?

As she gazed up at him, she couldn't help but think of the dashing cowboys from her favorite books – tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome. It was surreal to think that she was living out one of those fantasies, albeit in a rather unexpected way. Who would have thought that becoming a wolf would be the key to experiencing the wild west? She shook her head, chuckling wryly at the absurdity of it all.

"I suppose that has to be good enough then," she muttered, her tone dark with a hint of resignation. "Better than attacking you out of the blue, at any rate. Thank goodness I haven’t encountered him around here." The unspoken 'yet' loomed in the air, heavy with ominous possibility.

Then, to Bunny's utter astonishment, he agreed with her. She blinked in surprise, her heart skipping a beat as she searched his olive-colored eyes for signs of deceit. "What? Really?" He was sincere, she could tell. She couldn't help but edge closer, unwittingly encroaching on his personal space while her tail wagged enthusiastically behind her, disturbing the grass and unturned earth. In that moment, she resembled an excitable little puppy, the notion that someone might understand her troubles stirring a sense of hope within her. It never crossed her mind that he might be lying—she simply refused to entertain the thought.

His invitation caught her off guard, halting her breath in her chest as she carefully scrutinized him, absorbing every detail of his appearance and demeanor. He exuded an air of honesty, and for a complete and total stranger, he had treated her with nothing but the utmost courtesy. Moreover, Bunny felt a surprising comfort around him; he had a way of making her relax, as though the world had momentarily stopped its chaotic spinning. “You… you would do that?” she asked hesitantly, her voice small and nearly lost amidst the sounds of the surrounding wilderness. “I promise I'm not completely useless – I just need a bit of guidance.” A tiny grin crept onto her face. She needed little encouragement to accept his offer. “If we’re to be traveling together, though, we should probably know each other’s names.” Her shy smile blossomed into something more playful and coy. “Penthesileia. Penthesileia Cavanaugh – but most people just call me Bunny."

---

we can end it on your post here <3

the staff team luvs u