Howl Your Appellations

What Can I Do For You

Lissana Mons

Boen doesn’t know this but being extremely up close to the city, let alone being inside it, feels like being subjected inside a gas chamber. When we became the people of the forest, we cast away places with people that rely on their own assets, their own potential. In that way, we’re inferior to the humans, we rely on the moon and owe it our lives. But we’ve shed the skin of our old race and as the years continue, we become more and more in-tune with its rules and our instincts.

The city didn’t affect me as much as I thought but it did a number on Beige. Boen doesn’t notice this, since she can’t hear him, but it feels like he really needs to lie down for a couple of days. I felt like this when I was cursed too, but I can’t tell which one’s worse. Obviously it would be the curse, right? But being in the human city’s different. At least with the faes, I knew there was nothing I could do about it; intentionally going into the human city just hits us in all the wrong places.

It’s got good food I’ll give it that, and the glass tower’s admittedly gorgeous, but that’s all there is to it. If it wasn’t so close to the sea, I wouldn’t have come. Beige only came in the first place because he knew I’d inevitably tag along.

I intended to make this afternoon a bit more flirty, but I guess the city overpowered me. Or am I just out of practice? Impossible. I can’t really distract Boen while she’s driving either. Neither of us expected this little outing to be not that eventful. In a romantic sense, anyway. I did, on the other hand, buy a bunch of things with Boen’s money. Mostly condiments. I don’t know anything about cooking with spices but Miller and Nikki do, so I hope they whip us up something delicious with the things I bought with Boen’s money.

I think Beige managed to find some second hand books, those were cheap, and I don’t think Boen had a problem with buying them, she almost seemed relieved. Maybe I shouldn't have bought all those condiments. She did buy a lot of food and booze though, interesting.

“You guys are awfully quiet now. Are you tired? It’s okay if you take a nap.” She says, being a little sweetheart.

“One of us is definitely tired. Oh. I think he actually did fall asleep.”

I should place his head where it won’t get thumped. Hmmm, on my shoulder it is then!

“Rest easy, Silent Howler. You did great.”

I can see Boen looking at us through the front-view mirror. Blushing? Most definitely. I just have that effect on people.

“You’re really close with everyone. I’m kind of jealous.” She says.

I’m glad Beige is asleep right now. He’s been teasing me since we entered the car, good thing I kept my cool the whole time. Boen’s got it all wrong, my members only like to make fun of me, and that turned into an unbreakable bond. She’ll get it soon enough.

“Well we have been together for a long time. Beige is closest to my physical age, but it isn’t obvious, is it? I’m waayyyy older than him though. ”

I can see her tense up. Does she like older women too? Although, she’s like a baby compared to how old I am. She’s so much younger, and yet she’s so interesting. I’m probably just a little bit older when it comes to mental age. Physical and mental, those age separately now.

“Are you bothered that we’re so much older than we look? It’s a little difficult to comprehend, isn’t it? You wouldn’t truly get it if you aren’t experiencing it yourself.”

She’s thinking about it. I act as if I understand these things completely, but that’s far from the truth. I wasn’t made like regular Weres. Imus and Nike became Weres at almost the same time but I’m a bit different…

“You’re a lot older, but you still act like how you look. I think, the way to understand it a bit clearer is that I’ll have to stop thinking about it in terms of human aging, right?”

I’m happy she’s as smart as she looks. Maybe being with the pack for so long made her look at things at a different perspective. We’ve gone through separate tunnels but came out at the same place, a bit wiser. Not so sure about me, though.

“Yes! So don’t worry about these things too much. What we present to you: how we act, I mean, is really just how we are. We’re not putting on a show, this is really just how we think in the moment.”

I think I might have said some pretty cool things right now. Maybe because we’re farther from the city and next to the sea. She’s still trying to think of the right words to reply with. Or maybe she’s too stunned by my honesty. I’ve been very honest lately, I wonder why I found it hard in the first place. I'm sure I had my reasons.

“Mind if I open the window?” I want the sea breeze to wash out the city stink.

“Oh! Ah, sure! You’re being awfully talkative since Beige fell asleep. How convenient.”

Well look who’s taking the offensive route now. I don’t think I’m talking more than I was earlier. She can’t hear what Beige’s been saying so of course she thinks I’m talking to her more now. Is it wrong that I just want to hear her talk?

“Convenient, it is. Would you like to talk about more ‘spicy’ things, now that Beige’s aleep?”

SCREEEECCHHHHH!!!!

“Whoa!? Are you okay? You'll crash the car!”

Did I go too far? I haven’t even said anything. She gets flustered so easily. I didn’t even say anything.

“S-S-S-ANAA!!! Don’t you start! I’m driving and I.WILL.CRASH. Knock it off. Shut up. Stop it!!”

“I didn’t even say anything! You’re literally over reacting! You can’t just decide you’ll crash! We’ve got so much s**t to do back at the forest!”

Huh?

"Boen?" We’re slowing down.

“Let’s take a break here. Look at the sea with me?”

The early night breeze feels so nice on my face. I feel like I'm reborn. The moon is a large, bright yellow. It looks more majestic than it's ever been, it feels like there’s an additional veil surrounding it glow, like it’s about to get married again.

The sea reciprocates with a similar beauty. Its waves are calm and serene, reflecting the glow of its lover. They’re both glowing, as if on a date.

I look at Boen. The night sea breeze tickles her hair as she makes a melancholic expression. She’s even more beautiful than I remember. The images of her I’ve imbued in my head when I was in the caves are nothing compared to the real thing. Her eyes, her nose, the plump of her lips. They’re all perfect.

“It’s so quiet here. I can’t believe it.”

I can’t believe it either.

“It is. It feels nice.”

“I can’t believe that my life’s been turned over. It’s always been so quiet. But now, there’s sound. It’s a little scary, it’s not something I’m used to. I have so much to do, I need to go back to work, the cabin needs to be rebuilt, I still need to find Soft, and I still need to patch things up with you.”

“You know there isn’t anything to patch.”

“I know that you know what I mean. We haven’t started yet, there are still things we’re guilty of, you know? I adore you so much.”

“I adore you more than anything. If only you know how much you impacted me! My world literally shattered and built itself again! But...I guess..there are things you still need to know about me..”

“And I still haven’t figured out what I really am. There’s no rush, right? Tell me we can take it slow.”

“Of course we can. We have no choice, but it’s the best choice. I think it’s the choice with the best outcome. Something happy.”

“I believe that. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Me too.”

Her round dark brown eyes manage to reflect the whole of me. I know I’ll never love someone as honestly and completely as I love Boen. I can’t leave her alone, even in her thoughts. I know she feels the same. We know we feel the same but we have too much s**t to do right now. It’s so much easier to rush these things, so much easier to pretend that everything’s perfect. But you don’t want that, and that part of you makes you shine the brightest out of everyone in my life.

“Hey, I know I said we don’t need to rush but, no one’s watching. No one will know but us. Can we kiss?”

My sweat palms and your sweaty eyes are no issue. Just give me this moment to show you the depth of my love. ..Please.

“Okay.”

We share a kiss between the moon and the sea. A kiss sweeter than honey.