Lyra Road
Lyra stopped on the sidewalk, looking up at the blinking bank sign. "Good Morning!" it blinked. "It's Saturday June Eighth!" Lyra shifted her bag higher onto her shoulder, wincing against the sunlight as she read the sign. "Have a Wonderful day!" Cheery little place, she thought to herself as she returned her eyes to the sidewalk she had previously been heading down. The weather was growing quite warm, but luckily her outfit was practical. Walking down the unfamiliar street, she couldn't help but feel vulnerable. So many eyes to look at her, so many ears to hear her... it was all very unnerving. A young girl, around ten, went skipping past her, scaring her into a street lamp. After she had caught her breath, she slowly leaned off of the pole, trying to gather her nerve. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Lyra looked up to see yet another unfamiliar face. This time, though, instead of ignoring her, this person had taken notice of the lost looking girl. "Wouldn't that be something," Lyra replied, offering a small smile to hide the rabbit like heartbeat in her chest. The woman smiled back at her and dipped her head to the side. "I've never seen you around before," the woman said. "I'm just passing through," Lyra mumbled.
"Well, you should at least stay the night. Tonight's our New Moon celebration.""I'm not much for parties..." "There will be a free buffet," the woman added, giving Lyra a knowing smile. "What makes you think I need a free buffet?" The older woman laughed a little, a knowing twinkle in her eye. "Because I looked just like you when I rolled into this sleepy little town for the first time... and I had that exact look on my face. That look that says; I could use a free buffet." Lyra eyed the woman suspiciously, her paranoia making it impossible to trust her even though she appeared friendly enough. "If you decide to come, it'll be where it's always held; at the Nightbloomer. Just down this road, and to the right," the woman informed Lyra, gesturing down the way. "In the meantime, here's something for you. A little... Welcome to Cereus present."
Before Lyra could stop her, the woman had rushed a $20 bill into her hand, and left. Lyra didn't even have time to thank her before the mysterious woman had vanished in the growing crowd of people on the street. Confused, and $20 richer, Lyra took another look around the mysterious town. Deciding that she would go to the Nightbloomer party...thing... Lyra stuffed the bill into her shorts pocket and began walking again. The downtown area was full of little shops, cafes, and bakeries, each one smelling better than the last. When she could no longer ignore her stomach, Lyra slipped into one of the outside cafe tables. This would be the first time she actually paid for something to eat in a long time. Deciding she better make the money last, she ordered a lemon water, a bread bowl, and an apple.
She took a large bite out of her apple as she pulled out her sketch pad and a pencil, trying to capture the generous act she witnessed just a few moments before. She ate her soup slowly, mostly focusing on her drawing. The pad soon began to come to life with the image of three feminine hands. One holding onto the wrist of the other, one palm up and open to receive something, and the final hand crushing a twenty dollar bill into the open palm. Time began to slip away from her, but she could feel the temperature in the day growing and then cooling off. Luckily she was under an umbrella in the shade, or she would have been lobsterfied within a half hour. Her mind couldn't wrap around the motives of the kind stranger. Maybe it was some sort of trick, maybe she would have to owe the lady a favor, or maybe... just maybe... The rumors about the town were true. That every werewolf, weak or strong, pack or no pack, was truly welcome here.
Lyra had never felt welcome anywhere. She was always different. Off. Slightly odd. Her reclusive personality made it very hard for people to get close to her, and her passive tenancies made it impossible for her to feel obligated to an alpha. She had no real memory of where she came from, no idea where she was going, and no real clue as to where she would like to be. There were rumors of a safe haven in the north, and she had debated going there. After all, a white wolf was incredibly hard to miss around these parts. She didn't exactly blend in. Then again, even as a human she didn't blend in due to her fire engine red hair and china doll skin tone.
She slowly stopped sketching for just a brief moment to let that thought sink in. Who was she, then, if she didn't know where she came from or where she was going? Lyra Road... but was she really? Road wasn't even her real last name... she had forgotten her real one long ago. If I keep thinking like this, I might off myself, she scolded herself, shaking her head as if it would remove the unpleasant feeling in her gut. With a small intake of breath, she forced herself to straighten up and go back to sketching. After all, the sign had said to have a 'wonderful' day.