Gary
The ranchin' folk weren't ranchin' with snow still on the ground. The rooves in town had already been fixed up months ago in preparation for winter. Folks could chop their own lumber just fine. Shiners didn't need no helpin' hands right now. Besides, he couldn't leave town anyway. Not for a while. Not with what he'd done. He was stuck right here in this sorry holler, with all its nothin' goin' on, and far too much idle energy on his hands. 

He'd strung together just enough coin selling sketches of folks down in the town center for a pittance that he'd bought himself a busted old guitar and the strings to restring it. That had occupied him a while, though people were far less apt to give him coin for strummin' on the street than for sketching. Thing about being surrounded by poor folks was it was real hard to turn a coin from 'em unless they were really tickled. Most always did like the romantic notion of seeing their likeness committed to paper. 

With boredom setting in by his fourth week there, it became more tempting to drink the days away. But he'd seen how ugly that path could become. Also, it was expensive for someone with next to nothin'. Dominic was a young man that did not do well without a plethora of purposes. He'd had to make due. Some days he spent tidying up the little apartment while his cousin was at work. She'd been generous enough to lend him the use of an empty room with no questions asked. The least he could do was push around a broom now and again. 

In between some of that tidying, he'd gotten hungry. Ever prone to distraction, an endeavor to make toast had made charcoal and a lot of smoke. The air was chilly, but the apartment needed airing out one way or the other. Besides, he liked a bit of fresh air. Perched in the sill of the open window, he set to strummin' on that old guitar, eyes trailing the comings and goings of the folks in the road. 

||
Rufus
She hadn't thought much of her little life here; the days always seemed so packed with things to do. Maybe it was the fact that she'd spent most of her childhood wrangling kids that weren't hers, and now she was an adult with a clinic to help run. 

Dominic's appearance in her life had been an interesting one. Some might've had something to say about a young bachelor staying with her, but Lorelai didn't take much of that into thought. Besides her obvious (to her) tendencies for the fairer sex, she just didn't think much on the expectations one had when it came to housing a young man of marrying age. That aside, they got on fine thus far. 

She hadn't been a drinker until lately; she'd taken up drinking occasionally, to wind down from the stress of the days that toiled on. Either people were sick from the frost or they were getting torn apart by werewolves, and the clinic was packed up full. 

As she walked through the snow in her coat, she looked up at the open window he perched in and huffed. "Dominic!" She called up, squinting. "Yer gonna fall out that window if yer not careful!" She warned him, hands on her hips down below.
Steven
Lily had been walking home across the dirt paths of Briar Ridge, snow still lined some of its roofs and flora. They were restless, which meant they were on the look for one of a few things; a drink, someone interesting, someone easy to pickpocket (something she had grown much, _much_ more careful with, one might even suspect she had given it up completely) or something stupid to do. This town was a far cry from the hustle and bustle they were used to, she had found herself missing the rain-slicked streets of New York. They missed its corners and alleys, how they hid adventure behind every corner. Adventure, as well as many much more negative and downright abhorrent aspects, which is why Lily would not be going back, ever.

The sound of a woman's voice calling out alerted her that something interesting may be occurring on the otherwise dead streets of Briar Ridge. There was a man sitting in a window, casually strumming a guitar. It was something she'd seen before, but not here. Street musicians were common in NYC, where people had coin enough to spare for those musically inclined folks to make some kind of living. Briar Ridge did not have the same luxury, which didn't bode well for her, should she ever want to sing for tips at the Speakeasy.

Lily watched from a few steps away, wondering who these people were. They knew each other, that much was clear, but other than that, their relationship was unclear. She didn't seem to be too worried about the man plummeting from the window. They leaned against the wall of a nearby building, eager to see how the scene before them would unfold.

"Is this normal behavior for him or should I be looking for a doctor?" She asked Lorelai, not moving from her leaning position a few steps away.
Gary
Making his way through plenty of watering holes in Tennessee and Louisiana the past months had found Dominic a new love. This travelin' boy had developed a great fixation for the blues. Of course he didn't know many of them well enough to play them through, but he'd set to experimenting with what he could recall. Even in the few minutes he'd been sitting on that sill, his left-hand was bent up in a focused progression of chords. A sassy, plonky series of sounds went way down into the lower strings.

His cousin's voice brought him back around to the here and now. He tossed a smile down at her. If she wasn't the funniest damn thing, standing there hands on hips, liable to come up and pull him around by the ear. 

"My plan all along, Lou.". He'd only made himself at home in her generously-shared apartment for all of two days before his tongue had apparently gotten too lazy with the extra syllables saying *Lorelai* Would require. In the three weeks following, she was Lou, whether she wanted to be or not. 

"You know I love it when you kiss it all better." Not a care in the world seemed to go into him singing that down to her in the street. If folks had something to say about these two living together, he wasn't helping a whit. 

Swinging around, he stepped back down into the apartment. That was only so he could lean out, elbows propped on the sill, doing his best to get a look at whoever was chatting to Lorelai from the strange vantage point. His cousin was sweet-hearted and well-liked. Moreover, she'd grown up here. It was no surprise she might know most folks that lived around them. So it was left just to him to be nosy on their conversation.

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Rufus
Her attention was drawn by the person to her side, not having even heard her approach in the snow. "Oh, he's always like this," She admitted. "My cousin Dominic here thinks he's a songbird! Somebody done forgot to tell him he don't got wings and that if he falls, he gon' go and break his neck!" She spoke loud enough for him to hear, casting him a look as she crossed her arms. 

"Don't you give me lip," She told him, shaking her head with a smile on her face. She didn't hate the nickname at all; her mother used to call her *Lorie* Sometimes, which she hadn't liked very much. *Lou* Was fun. 

"Lorelai Roswell," She introduced herself. "Ain't you cold out here?" Her fingertips felt like ice. "If yer cold out round here, Dominic could always use another drinking buddy, I'm sure," She nodded up towards her apartment door. "Care to join?"
Steven
Musicians had always impressed Lily. The only instrument they could play was their voice, she'd never had much talent with actual instruments. Nor had she tried much, but she sure did miss the collaboration between musician and singer. Creating music with others was a wonderful experience, people coming together to create a blend of different parts that flowed into one whole; it was something truly special. 

Lily shook her head and smiled at the playful banter exchanged between the two strangers. _Kissing it better._ Were these two a couple? It made sense, they did seem to live together. Lorelai introduced the man, Dominic, as her cousin. Definitely not lovers, then. 

"A pleasure to meet you Lorelai. I'm Lily Brooks." It had been a while since she'd introduced herself with a surname attached. Brooks had felt like a fitting name and now that she'd said it out loud, it was hers to keep. "You know what, it _is_ cold out. Why not? After you." She gestured at Lorelai to lead the way. Lily never said no to a drink. Especially with people who seemed like she'd get along well with.
Gary
"Drinkin' buddies always welcome," He agreed with what he could hear of the conversation. He couldn't see much of who Lorelai was talking to, besides the top of of some long dark hair. The introduction was too quiet for him to make out, and he was left still nosing over whether this person was Lorelai's friend or not. 

His head canted to the side a little, impressed with the way his cousin could talk up just about anyone. He too had the gift of gab which seemed to run way up the family tree, but Lorelai possessed a certain effervescent charm that felt contagious. She couldn't smile without him and other folks smilin' too. 

It was a big dumb grin on his face that faded away as he turned to throw another log in the stove. He'd forgotten about the burnt toast, but the darkened ring on the ceiling told the story. Hopefully Lorelai would forgive him. He'd get up there with a sponge the next day. Probably. 

||
Rufus
Up the wooden stairs, she pushed the door open and raised an eyebrow upon entrance to the now-shared apartment. It smelled distinctly smoky, but she chalked it up to something in the fire and dismissed it. Shedding her coat, she tossed it onto the back of the kitchen chair and gestured to Dominic. 

"My cousin, Nicky," She introduced, gesturing to the young man. "Nicky, this is Lily," Lorelai set about grabbing the kettle. "Coffee anyone?" She was already on it anyhow, pouring water from a pitcher into the kettle and setting about putting it on the fire to boil. 

"While we wait for the coffee..." She looked to Dominic now. "Drinks? Y'think it's the right time?" Of course, it was always the right time these days. It seemed moonshine business was pretty damn lucrative when everyone needed something to soothe the physical and emotional stress of the wolves. 

"Miss Lily Brooks, I been in Briar Ridge all my life and can't say I know yer face," She said. "You new in town?"
Steven
She followed Lorelai up the stairs, entering the apartment. Lily, who made sure to check every room she entered for potential escape routes and unseen dangers, did notice the charred ceiling. She didn't comment on it though, not their place, not their problem. 

"Pleasure to meet you Dominic." Lily nodded her head at Dominic. "If you're offering, yes please Lorelai." Her name rolled off the tongue easily, it was a very pretty name indeed. 

The ex-speakeasy dancer found immense enjoyment in the seemingly total disregard of Prohibition laws that Briar Ridge had. A town after her own heart. "I am new, well spotted. I got here a few weeks back." Her accent gave away where she was from, if people were familiar with it. "I'm originally from New York, but my path led me here. And who am I to question that path right?" She said, leaning against the armrest of the couch. 

"I like it here, you've got good people in town, and a firm distaste for the law telling you what you can and can't drink. I feel right at home." She smiled. She didn't feel quite at home yet, but more so than she initially expected. Briar Ridge was growing on her, its people were kind and hardworking. Lily would be lying if she said they hadn't found themselves enjoying the place. Maybe one day it would become home to her, instead of just a place of residence.
Gary
"Lil'," He said, as if that were a hello. It made sense abruptly to him that she was Lil because she was, well... Little. Still a respectable height for a woman, just like his cousin, but to him they were mighty small. 

"Firm distaste for the law telling us anything in general." He laughed, but caught himself up halfway. Lorelai was given a sheepish grin. She might have had a drink now and then, but something told him that was about the end of her law-breaking. 

"Always the time, ain't it?" A few crystalline shot glasses were pulled from the very back of the top shelf of a high cupboard. Squinting one eye shut, he looked through em all. The last of them received a little cleaning with a dishtowel going *Squeak, squeak, squeak* Before they were set around the table with a few weighty clinks. 

A black coffee with some shine was always a welcome addition. He was happy to see the kettle go on, and didn't waste any time in rounding up a few of his cousin's mugs. "I know you're probably sick to death of people askin' you Lil' *What brings you around here?*" The last bit was done in a mock imitation of any of the local townswomen, always in folks' business. "Anyone comin' from *New York*, well..." 

He gave her a sly grin before reaching back in the cupboard. A small wicker basket was taken out. Beneath a kerchief, there was a mess of sewing bits and bobs, and beneath those, a glass bottle. There was at least a pretense at hiding the 'shine. Only just. This wasn't the stuff in mason jars someone made in their bathtub. Briar Ridge was a legitimate supplier. The bottle had its own cork and label. It was set on the table and the basket stowed away. "S'pose what I find a lot more interesting is what you don't like about Briar Ridge. I ain't from around here neither. Sure would like a shoulder to cry on."
Rufus
"New York!" She repeated, getting the coffee out to properly set them up with a few mugs. She was glad to have Dominic around, even if just to reach all the high-up things she could never quite get at. "I been to New York once," She said. "Left from there to go to Paris for the war, that place is all business, I'll say..." She whistled and shook her head. Too busy for her, that was just honest. 

She cast a look over her shoulder at Nicky, swatting gently at his arm in a playful manner. She knew he was up to no good, truly, she could see it in the wicked turn of his mouth. 

"I think it goes without sayin' that the worst thing about Briar Ridge is that *Infestation*," She said, shaking her head. "Miss Lily, you been in town since the last full moon?" She asked curiously, doling out coffee into each mug.
Steven
Lily wasn't sure how to feel about Dominic giving them a nickname instantaneously, but she wasn't going to comment on it. Nicknames were indicators of trust, and she could use some of that. An eyebrow rose upon mention of unlawful activities beyond the drinking kind. "Oh? Is the sheriff in town not doing his job properly then?" She wouldn't mind that at all, not one bit. 

She laughed at the imitation of the nosy neighbors she'd encountered already. They prepared themselves for the familiar spiel of lies and partial truths. "I ran into some trouble back home, or rather, it ran into me. If you don't mind I'd rather not go into specifics, it's quite personal." Then the next question came up, what did she dislike about Briar Ridge? She seized it with both hands, trying to avoid having to specify the details of her arrival altogether. The lack of plumbing for one, that had been a hard pill to swallow. Lily had never realized how lucky she'd been to have running water in her apartment until she'd found herself without it. 

"You and I must not have frequented the same area then." She smiled. "You fought in the war?" Lorelai didn't strike her as the soldier type, nor did Lily think that women were allowed to fight. Not that that particular rule was one they followed, Lily herself often disguised themself as a man, or simply was a man, depending on the day. The war had always seemed so far removed from her, they had no urge to fight for their country. All they would fight for was themselves. 
_ _

"I haven't." She still believed that the 'werewolves' weren't real. That Carina had been joking. "Carina told me, but-" Were Lorelai and Dominic in on the joke? "You can't be serious right? _Wolfmen?_" She almost laughed. "Werewolves? I'm supposed to believe that?" Wolves they could believe readily, but men shifting, skin stretching, growing fur and craving the taste of their neighbors flesh? That she couldn't, no way. "Aren't they just regular wolves, those live out there in the mountains and forests right?"
Gary
For a moment, his eyes went so wide they looked liable to fall right out of his head. Lily was awful brazen, saying she'd run into trouble and had it at her back. Just like that. Was that how they did things in New York? Well he hadn't made it there yet to find out. The feel he'd gotten for this little podunk town was that people faked nice, even if they weren't really nice. And so he'd been doing that an awful lot. There were a few rapid blinks at her and a lick of the lips before he looked down to the shots he was pouring. Wouldn't waste a drop. 

"Lorelai likes to spice up her coffee and sit around sippin', but I say, why not start off strong, hm? Y'all really believe in all that? *Infestation* Business?" 

He set to dragging over the reading chair from the living room. Lorelai's dainty little dinette only had two chairs. Before she could even squawk at him, he was reassuring. "Don't worry, don't worry. I ain't scratchin' the floors." 

"Sounds an awful lot like just some wolves howlin' to me and fools getting tore up from drunken mishaps. Y'all actually seen one of 'em?" The borrowed chair was shorter than those meant for dining, but he didn't mind. It was a comfy seat that he settled into, even if it put him at a funnier level with the table.

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Rufus
"I didn't fight in the war none," She said, a laugh following. "Was a nurse in one of them fancy French hospitals. I even picked up a little French," She shrugged one of her shoulders. "But I even spent some time in one of them little outposts on the battlefield, haulin' half dead bodies out to try and save fellas at war. It was..." She bit the inside of her cheek at the memory. "It wasn't nothin' pretty." Lorelai managed to say, before she cleared her throat and set the respective coffee mugs around the dinette. "Nicky, you always want a reason to have a drink," She tutted softly and had a seat, crossing one leg over the other and picking up her coffee mug. "But pour me a double anyhow," She said over the lip of her coffee. 

But now, she sat up a little straighter. "You two ain't tellin' me you don't believe in the werewolves!" She clapped her hand down on the table. "I've been lucky to not see one up close, but I've seen what they can do t' people," She said. "Who do you think treats these people?" 

Lorelai sat forward, elbows on the table. "Dimitra Florakis nearly had her face ripped off by one of them. She's got a big nasty scar on part'a her beautiful face now." She shook her head. "And you know what I did see? I saw JD Monroe— he works at the lumber yard, y'see— I saw him put one down. Turned into the sheriff at dawn, it did." She nodded solemnly. "Noah Rowe was a good man, too. At least... We thought. And the mayor too— one of them werewolves. Bleedin' black all over the place."
Daniel
Lily winked at Dominic when he reacted in what could only be described as shock to her casual reveal of past dealings with trouble. "A man after my own heart." She said, referencing Dominic's suggestion to start off strong. She would need a strong drink if she was going to entertain this _werewolf_ business. "A nurse, why yes that does make more sense than a soldier. Still, that's a tough job to do, I couldn't do it; all that blood, people dying, no thanks. You have my respect, Lorelai." Lily was okay with blood and injuries, but the idea of treating wounds made her skin crawl. It was one thing to be on the receiving end of medical care, but to be the one doing the caring, no, not for her.

"I heard some faint howling, but I didn't see anything. I'm with Dominic here. Besides, Carina admitted it was a story she'd made up. You don't have to continue with the werewolf charades around me." 

Lily mumbled a thank you when taking one of the cups. They brought it to their lips as Lorelai continued speaking of werewolves as if they were real. They had just taken a sip of coffee when she heard Dimitra Florakis spoken by Lorelai. They couldn't hide their surprise at hearing it, suddenly overtaken by a small coughing fit as they choked on their drink. The name was familiar, _very_ familiar. She knew Dimitra; they'd worked in the same circles back in New York. How on earth did they both end up here? What were the odds? "Apologies, different taste than I'm used to." She cleared her throat. "It's not bad, don't get me wrong." 

The wolf story kept growing more and more unbelievable, Lily had half a mind to suggest Lorelai shouldn't be partaking in any alcohol, lest she fully lose her mind. "Your sheriff and mayor-" They started, clearly not buying a single word of it. "-were both werewolves?" She snorted. "What, so half the town is secretly some murderous creature? Don't country folk have firearms, can't you just shoot them?"
Gary
"Funny of you to think I need a reason, Lou." She only had to say the word and her shot glass was near to full of that crystalline liquid hellfire. Good thing about being young was that he'd been just a child when the war broke out and couldn't do a damn thing about it, so he could only give his cousin a respectful little nod at all that talk of draggin' bodies and this and that. He'd seen dead men plenty. She was right. It wasn't pretty.

That little bit of respect was what kept him from cracking a grin at the name *Dimitra Florakis*. Sounded like a tune to hum more than a name. And then of course there was Lily about to cough one of her lungs on the table. Clearly Dimitra *Was* A real person. 

He was content, for a time, just to go sippin' at his moonshine, drinkin' it neat like a glass of fine whiskey. There was no rush, and plenty of time for a buzz while he weighed his options. On the one hand, his instinct was to come to the defense of his cousin, as he would, perhaps sometimes too aggressively, for any he considered *His* Kin. On the other, her tales seemed to be growing more and more wild, and Lily was mostly saying what he was already thinking.

"Sorry, Lou, but *The mayor*? C'mon now. I mean, guess it's a good a story as any. Ain't seen no mayors 'round these parts, but yeah, what Lil' said. You can just shoot 'em, can't ya? Half the town's packin'." He hadn't seen Lorelai. Hadn't seen her come home those nights. Not yet. Drenched in blood, hands shakin', eyes red from cryin'. He'd seen her set a kid's broken arm and heard her chat about this or that cough kickin' around. But then, he'd only been here three weeks or so...

"What ya gonna say next, Lou? Youse a werewolf too? Alright, alright." He was a creature prone to greater empathy than one might think, so it was a gentle tone that came about, waving his palm out at her a little bit, "I hear ya. Sounds like whatever's happenin' is awful scary. But wouldn't that make Dimitra Florakis a werewolf too? That's how it works, aint it?"

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Rufus
She puffed her chest up a little, her cheeks flushed red not from the shine, but from embarrassment and a bit of irritation, admittedly. They really didn't believe her? They'd be sorry to not believe her when the next moon came around— she was sure she'd be working overtime, cleaning up the messes left behind and the shattered bones and teeth marks. 

"I ain't lyin'," She said, crossing her arms as she got defensive. "Why would I lie about this kinda thing, huh? I swear to ya—" She gave a defensive sniff. "You shoulda seen it. It's awful; one werewolf done ate this boy right up and barely left anything behind for his family to bury," She said, fingers gripping the edge of the table. 

"The bites and attacks— we don't know how it rightly works just yet. Beaux LeBlanc done been attacked almost every moon and he ain't one." She told them. "It's just... Strange. But I'm tellin' the truth!" She huffed, sitting up a little straighter. "You'll see. Just mosey on down to the Ol Davis Ruins and talk to just about anybody about them werewolf coalition meetings." She was a little pissed now, picking up her cup to sip her moonshine. 

"It ain't just normal wolves, I'll tell ya. Normal wolves don't take off people's limbs like that and bite through doors!" She pointed out. "And bullets aint do much against these beasts, I'll say that." She shook her head and sighed.
Daniel
Lorelai remained adamant that wolfmen were real and Lily decided they needed that drink now more than ever. Lorelai continued talking, growing more emotional on the topic. _Here's to wolfmen_, they thought as they picked up their shot glass and downed it in one fell swoop. She felt the familiar warmth of the alcohol, at least that was something that wasn't so different from what they were used to. Lily grinned at the thought that Lorelai, who seemed kind-hearted, was one of these ferocious wolves. Dimitra similarly didn't strike her as a murderous type, she didn't rely on brute force to break out of places. Then again, Lily didn't know what she expected werewolves to look like as people. Did they look the same as regular people?

More names, more victims, this town seemed to be dealing with a real infestation of these wolfmen. Just her luck, you leave behind a snake in New York and replace her with a wolf. At least the wolves seemed clear about their intentions. Lily was starting to accept that maybe there was truth to the story. She wondered how one became a werewolf, if you could control it, being invincible would come in mighty handy as a criminal. "Werewolf coalition meetings?" Lily couldn't imagine what kind of meetings one could have about wolfmen but maybe she would make her way down there, just to see what that was all about.

"Alright, alright, let's say they are real, is there nothing to be done about them? You all just accept that every month an oversized dog can barge into your house and tear you limb from limb?"