Felice
Ruth did not consider herself a selfless person. Caring for her own self and putting food on the table already took too much energy. Not to mention, caring for the house: she lived alone, so both female and male parts of the household chores rested on her shoulders. 

She considered altruism to be a privilege of the wealthy, of the leisuring, of the bored. People who had time to spend. And she didn't. She had to make sure the roof was not leaking, and the traps worked well, and her old, callous sorrow wouldn't turn her into a shadow of a woman. There were only so many hours in the day, and "Being kind" Didn't fit into her tight schedule.

Of course, there were some exceptions.

Sometimes other's misery is so cruel you cannot help but stop in your tracks. She first heard about it around the Cage, because it was impossible to keep quiet about something so inhuman. The news poisoned her, hung on her tongue just like they did with the others, begging to be said out loud, praying to remove at least a part of that heaviness in her chest. The people had already died, decapitated, bled out, and yet this was the idea that sent shivers down her spine, cold and leaky like the March's snow.

Akira Hirano had lost an arm.

News about the poor girl turned her stomach upside down, grabbed it by its corners, and shook it like a canvas bag. Ruth had never considered how lucky she was to have her own self. Her strong arms, her trusty legs, her head that always told her what to do and where to go. She took her capabilities for granted, and now the possibility of losing them at once opened a pit in her stomach. A pit so deep, that no food or hard work could close it, however she tried.

Ruth didn't do handouts. Ruth didn't do pity. Ruth barely knew the girl, with the slash of a scar on her cheek, with her face like a hero's from a children's book; with her bravery and her carelessness. But she knew enough to understand her incapacitation would put the farm in a very bad place. Her father was old, and Akira needed rest. With all that, it was spring. With the snow finally melting, the soil needed treatment, and the crops needed care. Nobody in this damned town had money for hires. There would be too much work for one man; and certainly, too little food for the two of them.

Ruth knew, despite trying her hardest to learn nothing about it. About them. About her. She didn't even know the girl, damn it! However, even when arguing with herself, deep down Ruth already knew that it was decided. If she wouldn't be allowed to help them, at the very least she would bring them some meat.

If she wouldn't be let in, she would leave the rabbits outside, where they would be found. She didn't want a "Thank you". To be completely honest, she dreaded looking into the eyes of a person who just forever lost a part of themselves. She just wanted to help. To ease her own pain, her own worry. She was still selfish. She still needed to tend to her own roof.

In the late March morning, Ruth Hansen approached the entrance to the Hirano family farm and pushed the gate open.

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Melvin
Rest on itself proved to be a new challenge Akira had to get pass through. For a good while, she was confined in a hospital bedroom, and then sent home to continue her recovery. Spring was here, which meant crops needed to be planted, the chickens needed to be fed, she needed to get firewood for the stove, fetch her father's medication. She was used to this kind of life ever since she was thirteen. 

As if the winter wasn't harsh enough for the Hirano, she had to get used not doing anything. That for a restless body could only do so much. 

As soon as she could stand back on her feet, Akira insisted on taking walks, even if it was around the living room, she was set on going back to work, but her father was adamant on keeping her safe. 

'I'm going to the store, do you want, anything?' Mako asked his daughter, who had been awake for a while, staring at the ceiling on the bed. 

'Hmmm...' Akira hummed, turning to her father while keeping the conversation in full Japanese for their convenience. It wasn't like anyone was going to visit, was it? 'I wanna sit on the porch.' 

She wasn't hungry, she didn't thirsty, she wanted to get moving.

Reluctantly and quickly, Mako set up a chair for Aki to sit in. There, she saw him leave, she was able to feel the air on her skin, she could get the false sensation of being productive rather than sulking in her seclusion. And by the spirits she was tired of it all, if it wasn't the curse that turned people into beasts that would kill her, it'd be her own self pity. She already promised to far too many loved ones she'd live.

When Ruth approached the home, Akira sat there, with an oversized sleeveless top that was clearly made for a man, baggy pants stitched back together multiple times, a comfy blanket that hid her missing limb... And fire in her eyes?

More than worrying about her damn arm, Akira was more focused on each and every single piece of news that her father brought from the outside.

'_Eli Abrams is dead, he was a werewolf. April Abrams gave herself in. Shady Rooster is also a werewolf... He had convinced Alma not to kill him. The coalition voted to wait three months to find the cure_'

Akira's fierce eyes turned to the gate up front, it couldn't be that Mako returned this quickly. A new person came over, making the woman go back to her default, gentle gaze. The woman smiled at the stranger, waving her one arm. 

"Greetings." She said, her voice quiet yet exhausted, there was a hint of rawness to it, denoting her determination to returning to her routine one day. 

Ruth was her name, wasn't it? A hunter in town, living alone, someone who shared the same fashion choices that Akira did, but tall and imposing. Well, imposing to some perhaps, as Aki was unfazed, even if she only saw her once or twice in town. 

"How can I help you?"
Felice
Ruth:Akira kept calm. She looked like she was handling well both the misfortune that was bestowed upon her and the appearance of an unexpected guest. Her voice was soft and gentle, yet androgynous; seeing her now reminded Ruth of all the times she had already seen her in passing. Akira had a very memorable face, a memorable... Charm about her. Maybe she felt the need to keep brave, to keep strong, but judging by her face, Ruth would've never guessed that.

"Hello." She answered, voice monotone as always, "Akira, was it? My condolences... For your arm."

She passed the threshold of the gate, but stood at a distance, keeping in mind how this might look. A man of the house leaving the farm under the care of his incapacitated daughter, and someone imposing and unexpected showing up at the gates. Briar Ridge was not a crime-filled town, - if you didn't count the werewolves and whatever was done to the people in the mines, - but it was a cruel melting pot of desperate people. There were always things to steal from a farm.

"I'm here to bring you food." Ruth raised the bag with rabbits inside of it, "And help with some farm work if you'll let me. No money needed." She quickly clarified.

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Melvin
It had seemed that Akira's misfortune still led to friends and strangers to her door. How ironic, given the fact that the woman let go attachment in the past few months, almost as if she was running out of time, fighting for her own life. 

Though that was a common sight in Briar Ridge by now, everyone was scarred and to some degree deformed from an outsiders perspective, all neighbors looked at each other with mistrust. If a simple housewife, who was about to deliver at any moment, was a werewolf... Then anyone could be. 

Now, as much as Aki tried to detach herself from people, she couldn't fully commit. It wasn't in her to push them away, to turn away their kindness, even if in her own religious views, it could help cleanse her soul if she were to die the next day. 

"That's me." She said. "And you're Ruth if I'm not mistaken. Good to meet you." 

But there she was, sitting on her porch, letting Ruth inside the home. Her eyes scanned her body language, finding it peculiar how the tall woman approach her with caution. 

"Come on in. This place always welcomes new guests." 

She waved her one hand to dismiss any sort of worry Ruth had, making a stark contrast over the fact that Aki was alone. In fact, she didn't consider to look at it the way the other woman did. Akira was a provider and made an attempt at homemaking (emphasis on attempt), but she never saw them as things inherently masculine or feminine. 

"That's... Very kind of you." She followed, bowing her head slightly as she took a glance over the bag. And then, that same contrast was made it more apparent after Ruth offered to help in the farm, a place that she called her own for many years. 

Her expression was hard to read, almost as if she didn't deserve to be offered more than Briar Ridge could afford in these times.

"Hmm, I'm gonna... Have to think about that one offer." She said. "You see, I think all labor should be paid one way or another." 

On Akira's left, within her arm's reach, there was a

Small table with a tea set. The kettle itself was clearly foreign made, it looked handmade, though the rest of the cups were bought in the town itself. There, the woman poured the hot liquid in two out of the three cups. 

"I can tell you what needs to be done in the farm." She said, lifting up a cup within Ruth's reach to grab it. 

"Want some?"
Felice
Involuntarily, Ruth raised her head as the sound of her own name pierced her ears. People in this town knew of her? Unbelievable: Ruth knew how bad she was at making acquaintances. It seemed like all she had was either solitude or awkward first meetings that led nowhere. Someone else acknowledging her existence was almost as weird as someone acknowledging the existence of the Non-Deer. *Something From The Forest That Should Not be Glanced Upon.*

"Thank you," Ruth replied, accepting the cup and taking a seat at the side of Akira's remaining arm. Despite the blanket transforming the women's silhouette well, there was no hiding the absence of where there was supposed to be *Something*, the eerie lack of movement on one side. Ruth tried not to stare, but knew, with how heavy her gaze was, Akira had probably already noticed. The bag of game sprawled awkwardly on the floor under Ruth's feet, pressed against the legs of her chair. She took a sip of her tea and considered her next words.

She expected many more questions, much more suspicion, and, whatever answer she would give, much more mistrust. Aki acted almost like she expected her to come. Maybe Ruth wasn't the first person to attempt to offer help; and when she takes a look at the fields, she will see half of Briar Ridge's population working there, including the wolves. The thought was humorous. It entertained her for a couple of seconds, that thought of Briar Ridge as a sun-drenched community coming together at a time of need.

"Knowing I can rely on you would be enough of a payment." She answered, "Those are dark times, Ms. Hirano. I noticed you aren't wary of me. That says a lot about your character, at least to me it does."

She sat in silence for a second, allowing the words to seep in.

"Either that, or... You won't have a couple of silver bullets lying around, will you?" She breathed out a short and quiet raspy laugh.

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Melvin
Akira let out a small giggle, right before her own cup touched her lips to take a good sip of her tea. 

"Guess I can't say 'no' to your offer, I hope you can accept some sort of payment either way." She said, savoring the warm liquid as it slid down her throat. A stark contrast from the shine that used to burn her stomach, now Akira had to stay put if she wanted to recover.

"I got no reason to be wary of you." The woman added, humming in thought to herself as Ruth remained in silence. Akira didn't find this uncomfortable, however, as she took joy in something so simple as a cup of tea by the porch. Silence in this kind of environment meant she could relax, she could feel safe. 

"Pfffft..!" Aki joined Ruth in her laughter, turning to the other woman who seemed to tower her even while sitting. 

"I can tell you that I'm an awful shot! I can't land a bullet on a werewolf even if it was right in front of me!" 

Akira wasn't talking about hypotheticals, that indeed happened. 

"Nah, I've given up trying to learn how to use a gun. Give me a machete or a stick, something tells me I'd be better at that."
Felice
The tea was good and tasted expensive, although Ruth doubted Hiranos had money for expensive tea. She took a sip and let the words about the payment slide: neither confirming nor denying Akira. She did the same with the mention of reasoning. Fear did not play by the rule of reason. If it did, people would not be killing spiders.

However, when the conversation shifted to shooting the werewolves, Ruth got back in her tracks.

"You don't say!" She barked out, happy that her joke landed well, "I shoot for a living, and the only time I shot a werewolf, I missed. Hands shook like crazy. They say they're gonna kick me out' the Coalition any day now."

She was, of course, joking. With more and more people becoming dead, incapacitated, or just deciding that fighting the werewolves was not worth it, the Coalition's numbers noticeably thinned. Any pair of hands counted, however competent it was with a gun.

"The bastards are hard to target." Ruth continued, her tone more serious now. She lifted the cup to her lips and left it there, distracted, "Too strong and too smart. We don't know how the disease passes, or how many there are. Even if we reveal them all, it does not mean they will stop. If we don't make up any sort of... Trap, or something, I believe, our chances of surviving are slim".

There was a pause, filled only by the rustling of the wind outside, rolling around the small dry lumps of dirt. Ruth blinked, her soul, vision and *Reason* Returning back to her body.

"Should I not... Talk about this?" She asked Akira carefully, setting the cup back on the table.

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Melvin
"Oh, I believe you." Aki said. "I had one right in front of me. They're so fast, you see them in front of you, and then they're onto you to make you their dinner." 

As Ruth's tone got more serious, so did Akira's expression as she sipped on her tea. Her guess would be right over the fact that the Hirano couldn't afford it, as it was a gift from the Coopers themselves. Aki could enjoy the beverage for so long, given it was one of the last of the batch. 

The woman raised an eyebrow at the fact that Ruth seemed hopeless of the situation. She remained in solemn silence, for she knew the horror everyone had to endure.

"Oh, no no, it's okay! We can talk about it, whatever happened to me doesn't matter." Akira was quick to reassure her after a glance on her missing limb, covered in fabrics. 

"You're underestimating the coalition, though." She said. "They're about to complete this cage project they had going on for months. Just about time, if you asked me." 

Akira paused to let the information settle, for she was ready to say everything she had heard since she woke up from almost bleeding out to death. 

"And, I don't know if you heard what happened recently, but... Two werewolves just gave themselves in." She continued, nearing her cup to take another sip, letting her gaze get lost into the dirt path. "I don't blame them, if you ask me. They don't do this because they want to... It's more than a decease, it's a curse."
Felice
"I understand." Ruth exhaled quietly, "I'm not saying they all are bad. The April girl, the pregnant one, she seems nice. The Cage's not a bad idea too, but..."

She clasped her hands together, the cup on the table forgotten.

"I have little hope." She admitted "If all werewolves give themselves in but one, the deaths won't stop. Nor will they if we kill all the werewolves but one. People throw solutions around, but... I just don't know."

Ruth waved a hand, then put it back on her knees. A troubled look came out on her face, creases of unease around her mouth. 

"If that's a curse, you say, who knows when the curse'll come back? We lock all the wolves in the Cage, and the new one'll pop outside, free as a bird. Don't know." She repeated, "It's all so complicated."

"What would you do?" She asked after about a minute of silence later, voice a bit brighter, moving on from the sudden pouring out of her worried heart, "Heard you ran for mayor, so... If you won, what would you do about the wolves?"

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Melvin
What Ruth said made all the sense in the world. If anything, plenty of people in Briar Ridge would share the same sentiment. But, what was the solution, then? To kill all the werewolves? Akira would had have that opinion just a few months back, but now her vision was different. 

"It really is all complicated..." She sighed, going for another sip on her when the subject of her running for mayor was brought up. Aki almost spat on her cup, choking on it. 

"Blegh! Ah...! Oh dear..." She wheezed and coughed, patting her chest as her face turned bright red. "Oh this is embarrassing... I didn't run for mayor because I wanted to. I did it 'cause I lost a bet while drunk..." 

With that being said, Akira did say her opinions out loud on the podium. She paused for a moment to ponder (and to clear her throat), tapping on the scar on her cheek. 

"There's a cure in the works, I heard" She said, her voice was firm, reassuring. "There's a group of people out there who can stop all this madness once and for all. Who are they? No idea, but rumors spread quick... One of the werewolves even said he was willing to have it tested on himself if that meant to end all this as soon as possible." 

Witchery, the blood of an immune, the healing power of hands blessed by the forest. Those were words mentioned in that journal that had been found mentioned. While some may have seen this as a devil's act, Akira saw hope in those writings. 

"A cure is what we need." She said. "We need less bloodshed, and less mistrust amongst ourselves... That's what I'd do, 'cause I think the last thing you'd want... Is to shoot someone you love in the face because of something they didn't choose or have control over." 

Akira stared straight into her cup, frowning. 

"It's not fair for anyone to go through that."
Felice
"What's done is done." Ruth shrugged at the crazy story of how the election came to be. God had the most curious ways of making things happen.

Akira's future words, however, left Ruth with even more questions. What kind of doctor would hide in the shadows when working on the cue to the most deadly sickness in Briar Ridge? The town had an official doctor and a couple of nurses, bless their hearts, and all of them were cherished and respected even by the most inconsiderate ones in town. If the mystery doctor was hiding themselves, it either meant that they were doing something nefarious or... Or they knew something that the others did not know about the werewolves. Something worth hiding from. 

That "Something" Would mean that at least some of the werewolves did not want to be cured. What should be done with those, and what *Could* Be done, even if the cure was found? Would the kind-hearted future mayor, sitting there with her teacup and her big brown eyes, have the heart to banish them? Would they agree to be banished?

And then, the cryptic message from the journal. *Witchery, the blood of an immune, the healing power of hands blessed by the forest.* If the recipe was in the Briar Ridge before, yet the werewolves were still around, wouldn't that mean that the cure did not work? But even so: the words imply that there was only one immune among them. What if they had already died? Immune did not mean invincible. What if they left the town? How could one search for them outside, in a country so big? And finally, how would their immunity be revealed, if there was no information about the way curse transmitted? There was only so much that a mayor could do, even the most determined one. And, it seemed, Akira was not the most determined. It seemed she saw the election as a joke.

Still, Akira sounded genuinely caring. She had some opinions about the way things should be run, and Ruth always enjoyed it in people.

"So, if you were mayor, you'd focus on making the cure? How would you support it, if you don't know who's making it?" Ruth asked, with curiosity in her voice.

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Melvin
"Why wouldn't I focus on the cure?" Asked Aki back, her voice growing serious as she kept her gentle tone. Who wouldn't want for things to be over once and for all? How many more families had to be destroyed and separated? How much more blood had to be to be spilled? 

Akira was certain that no one in Briar Ridge chose the kind of lives they had to endure, human or beast. She wasn't there when April gave herself in, but she imagined her desperation, she felt the grief she was going through after losing a husband a second time. The woman reminded Aki of her father in that sense, someone left alone to raise their own children.

Now, she was alone once more, without her own kids, about to deliver more. Akira shook her head as she pushed the thought away, trying not to show her frustration by taking one last sip on her tea. 

April Adams didn't ask for any of this, none of the werewolves wanted to be cursed. Briar Ridge didn't have to endure it. 

"Even if I don't know who can make the cure." Akira said. "I'd try to find them by any means necessary." 

Finding the people who could put an end to all this was just a start, and the whole town was put on a timer. Could they survive another year? Doubtful, but that fed into Aki's new found determination.

"What would you do about the werewolves, if you were a mayor?" She asked after putting her cup down and making herself comfortable, her curious eyes meeting with the older woman's.
Felice
"By any means necessary" Sounded great, with that Ruth could agree. Good to say, good to think. The problems started when it came time to decide what actions it would actually entail. Ruth also liked to think, on occasion, that she would do *Whatever it takes* To protect Briar Ridge from the shaggy clawed curse that got brought down on its inhabitants' heads. And yet, when it came time to take a shot, she missed. When it was time to think, she ran and abandoned the Cage she swore to protect, adrenaline beating in her brain like a deafening drum, depriving her of rationality. When the time came to cure wounds, she was incapable; when comfort was needed, all she could provide was her disturbing presence. When you look at it this way, her "Any means" Wasn't worth much, was it?

"Oh no, Ms Hirano, I'm not a mayor." Ruth shook her head with a small smile, "Haven't got brains for it. My job's handiwork".

She finished her cup of tea, then stood up from the chair, subtly stretching her back.

"Thank you for the tea and the company." Ruth said honestly and calmly, "But I reckon it's time for me to do what I came here for. Would you kindly show me the ropes?"

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Melvin
:Well that makes two of us." Akira laughed. "I'm not fit for the job either, I just hope the next Mayor will do a good job.."

And surely, Aki hoped they'd do a better job than William Cooper did. It had seemed he tried to handle the werewolf situation on his own terms, but he had failed. Perhaps he became a traitor in many people's eyes, yet Aki felt pity for him. Her father still mourned his death, Mako's grief felt like her own. 

With difficulty, Akira sat up after Ruth, making the contrast between their heights even more apparent. Her one hand still held the blanket that covered her missing limb, almost as if she was afraid to be seen in such state. Despite looking like she'd break with a single touch, Aki smiled through her pain, even going as far as picking up the game that Ruth had brought to have a semblance of independence. 

"Alright then." She said, gesturing the other woman to follow her to he backyard, where they both could get a better look of Akira's old working environment. 

Behind the Hirano residence there were to things that stood out aside from the lands that needed to be worked on. The small family had managed to have their own barn built, alongside a chicken farm that served both as extra income and for their own supplies. 

"I usually get things started at six in the morning. First things first, the chickens need to be fed." She said. "They may be a lil skittish but don't worry about it, they'll just go hide so as long as they don't escape it's all good."

Her dark eyes then focused on the barn.

"All the tools are stored there. If you have a horse I think it'd make things much faster, sadly we don't own them." She continued. "We'll start with something simple, trying to plant some potatoes and wheat should be good. We may need to harvest some hay later this month for the Kahawai's goats next door."

Akira then paused for a moment as her smile faded for a moment, letting her mask slip just for a second.

"Hopefully I should be good enough

To at least help on that front..." She said, though her voice was low enough as if the woman tried to cling on whatever dignity and pride she had left. 

Aki then took a deep breath, slightly puffing her chest and cheeks as if she tried to tell herself that it was okay to receive help. 

"I should show you the barn. Follow me."
Felice
Were the words about not knowing what to do as a mayor a false coyness, an insecurity, or an actual indifferent opinion of Akira, Ruth wouldn't get to know, because the woman stood up, asking for Ruth to follow her. Ruth got on her feet as well, with a slight hesitation leaving the bag with the rabbits behind: Akira already knew it was here, and they probably needed this bag now more than Ruth did. She could always come to pick it up when Hirano's farm would pick up as well.

They went outside, the spring air cool and pleasant. Ruth's eyes wandered: the house held well, but after Briar Ridge's cruel winters with its icy storms, it surely had a couple of leaky places that could be up for patching. The fields looked unkempt and dry, with the snow slowly melting into the ground underneath. The fence looked wavy and deplorable, - probably the result of the storms as well. A problem that's easy to fix, which would in practicality turn into many sweaty days of work because of the sheer size of the territory it stretched to. So far, no task before them looked small or approachable with one hand, and Ruth was once again filled with sympathy for Akira. 

There were a couple of other buildings closer to the field, the purpose of which Ruth couldn't guess at a glance. A shed, maybe? As Akira spoke, Ruth tried to stop wandering and focus on the words said to her. With careful consideration, Ruth was making a mental to-do list. Feeding the chickens, in particular, got stuck in her mind. Was it the task hard to do with one hand? Ruth never had chickens, but she always thought feeding was just throwing food on the ground. Or was Akira pitying her, giving her an intentionally easy chore?

Regardless, it wasn't her place to decide, which tasks needed help. If anything, she could always come back.

Ruth noticed the woman's uneasiness, - was it a fear of letting a stranger into her place, or guilt at her own incompetence, or something else entirely? – and tried to show her a supportive smile.

"Lead the way!" She said optimistically, as if there would be nothing else in the world she would prefer to see to Hirano Barn.

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