Samhain

chapter three: with fire

"Can I interest you in 12 pounds of pickles?" Wooyoung grunts, unloading the heavy bags onto Yunho.

"Oh my god, you actually brought them?" Yunho gladly accepts the pickles, lighting up instantly.

The evening started off fine. The little werewolf suburb is already half empty as dusk approaches, and the first thing he notices is how different this is from any other section of the city. He finally has the time to take in his surroundings now that the immediate peril of death isn't hanging over him.

Giants live in a neighborhood of colossal houses. Vampires nestle into their enclave where enormous sunroofs shield them from the burning rays of the sun. In the midst of it all is where the humans live, taking to the dense apartments and bustling downtown district. Despite their differences, a common thread unites this patchwork of species - a great commitment to structured living. Even the wildest dryad communities have some of the cleanest cobblestone streets.

Instead of pushing nature out, the wolves seem to embrace it. Looking from above, it appears to be more of a small village than a neighborhood.

Wooyoung and Yunho walk past small farms, gardens, communal buildings, outdoor spaces, pumpkin patches, and rusty cars broken down from years of abandonment. The paths are paved with pale, sandy dirt. The houses are all made of natural materials and wood, blending into the grassy plains that separate them from the rest of the city. The grass, tired from the cold autumn air, has already shifted from green to yellow where it will remain until spring comes again.

If autumn were a place, he thinks to himself, it would be here.

Not that it's time to muse romantically. Exhausted from the walk, Wooyoung reaches the towering trees, noticing someone is waiting for them at the entrance to the forest. Mingi approaches them, inspecting the bags curiously. He meets Wooyoung's eyes and offers a shy smile.

"Hey, um... I'm-"

"Mingi. You're Mingi." Wooyoung tilts his head at him curiously, recognizing him from yesterday. Mingi is one of Yunho's other best friends - aside from Wooyoung, of course. But honestly, if you're a part of a wolf pack, everyone in it is your best friend.

"Yeah. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you know my name. I know a lot about you too." Mingi grins and takes some of the brown paper grocery bags from Yunho. Twelve pounds of pickles are more awkward to carry than you think.

Yunho, now with a free arm, gives Wooyoung a half hug as they start to walk on the crunchy forest path. "So... Wooyoung, about last night."

Wooyoung takes a deep breath and stares at the ground. It was all he could think about - the terrible first impression he left, the gilded stab wound, the shadow figure. San. He raises an eyebrow and looks up at his friend. "About what? You're gonna have to be a little more specific than that. A lot happened last night, Yuyu."

He almost didn't catch it, but Mingi perks up a bit when he uses Yunho's nickname. "Oh," he cuts in, eyeing the way Yunho's arm is still wrapped around Wooyoung's shoulders. "Sorry for that. We were all stressed."

Wooyoung vaguely recalls the way Mingi tore him apart with his furious eyes when they first crossed paths. Stressed is a bit of an understatement.

"Right, right." Wooyoung laughs nervously, thinking of anything he can to change the subject. He digs around in his tote bag for something, trying to remember which interdimensional pocket he put the drinks in. "So... what do you guys need twelve pounds of pickles for?"

Yunho laughs. "We love pickles. But honestly, I'm not sure. Maybe Hongjoong wanted to see if you would actually do it."

Wooyoung rolls his eyes. "Is this some kind of form of hazing?"