Status: Active- with muse

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You're a Strange One, But That's Just Fine

As the doors swung open Mila wasn't really prepared for the sight that met her eyes. She assumed she would find a wolf similar to the one in the that Grent had gone to take care of; something dirty, scrawny and mean. It was far from what she saw however, and nervously hung in the doorway while looking this supposedly dangerous man over. Even from her spot she could tell that his clothes were dirty and didn't fit him very well, Patrick was thin, his facial features were sharp and while she couldn't really tell how tall he was Mila could see the proud way he held himself. Letting her eyes travel up the length of his body Mila met his eyes. They appeared to be the type that morphed and one could never really tell what color they were; though they tended to flicker between a greyish green, and greenish blue type color. As of now they seemed more green than anything, but in that vast sea of green pigment Mlia spotted a few flecks of grey interwoven within the green. It was as beautiful and captivating as the sea; and Mila could see how intelligent those eyes were. They were sharp, on guard, and very alert as if scanning her for a threat. She must not of posed one because they lost that nervous energy and transitioned into something more peaceful; accepting and tolerating even of her existence. His eyes had this gentle air that matched his voice and while he'd been sitting straight up moments before; Patrick settled into crisscross applesauce and slouched his back as if he were trying to be in a more submissive posture.

Feeling her breath catch in her throat at the beautiful and deadly predator before her Mila was terrified that he'd snap and rip her throat out. Her palms began to sweat nervously and the petite, curvy girl swallowed audibly. Patrick's nostrils flared for a moment and he looked ashamed; of what Mila had no idea and was confused when the wolf slowly, leisurely, flashed her a smile; as if they had all the time in the world in that small, claustrophobic room. As if her brain were consciously reminding her; Mila noticed that his canine teeth were a little longer and pointier than normal human canines and she suppressed a shiver. "Are you going to come in?" The blonde wolf spoke in a curious tone, his brows furrowed at the woman's hesitant behavior.

"I... I guess." She murmured, her voice cracking as she forced herself to walk into the room, closing the door behind her. It was then she was aware how cramped the room was. She wasn't normally claustrophobic but enclosed in a room with a potentially dangerous werewolf, she was beginning to panic. Patrick's eyes followed her movements as if keeping track of her, and while he tried to appear vibrant; she could see the hurt and shame in his eyes. Mila wondered what that was about and slowly inched towards one of the corners; instinctively putting as much distant as she could between her and that strange wolf.

That wasn't what grabbed her attention though. What struck her was the fact that this wolf seemed more human than wolf, and how out of place he seemed to be. The door being muffled help to block the slurs the other wolves were throwing about, at her, Patrick and Grent; which were beginning to irk Mila. Not having a death-wish though she kept her mouth shut and waited for the blonde to speak; but he seemed to be intently studying her from the dirty bed on which he sat. It didn't seem sanitary, but Mila was sure that if it weren't Dr. Grent would of taken care of it. There was something special about Patrick, and nervously Mila licked her lips trying to wet the dry expanse of skin there.

All her life she'd been told that wolves were dangerous, vile things that had mental reasoning based solely off instincts; but after seeing the children upstairs, the elders and now even this wolf were beginning to make her wonder how accurate that information was. While he may be in the section purposed for housing the most dangerous residents; this scrawny blonde wolf seemed harmless. He seemed to want to make her comfortable, and if she hadn't been so scared Mia would of found it funny that /he/ was trying to calm her instead of the other way around. The air was becoming thick and humid again; like the way it felt right before there was about to be a large thunderstorm in the dead of Summer's heat. Those morphing, captivating eyes still held her defenseless like a deer in the headlights as he seemed to mull over her presence.

He still didn't speak, just sat up a little straighter from his hunched over position and watched her. It didn't feel like he was weary of her being there; it just seemed like he was trying not to scare her. There was a power that couldn't be hidden, try as he might, and in an odd way he reminded her of the frail Evelyn she'd only just met. Was this man an alpha? If so he would be stronger than other werewolves, but would he be more aggressive? So far all signs pointed to no and with trembling, shaking hands Mila nervously began to play with the hemline of her skirt- a nervous habit she had since she was little. It was then that Patrick seemed to decide it was time to break the silence and spoke in the same warm voice used to direct her to his... Room. If one could call it that it was really just a cell used for holding him until he went Feral and was put out of his misery.

"Hi. I'm Patrick." As if she didn't already know that. The collar she'd briefly seen that kept the unnamed black haired werewolf on a short leash was also chained to his neck. It didn't look comfortable and Mila could see him subtly try to shift to have it in a more comfortable spot.

"Mila." The woman answered quietly, trying to hide her sweating palms as she remained rooted to her spot with fear. Wrinkling his nose the wolf tilted his head in a manner that reminded Mila of a predator trying to figure a puzzle out.

"You're scared." It wasn't a question and Mila wasn't sure what to say. "I'm not here because I'm aggressive if that makes you feel a little better."

"Then why?" Feeling a little emboldened by the wolf's words Mila drifted a bit closer, the bright fluorescent lighting too bright for her tastes. She could only imagine how the wolf felt, trapped in this tiny room with lighting that was too bright for a human's liking. She knew that it must be killing his super-senses though he did a good job masking any discomfort. Instead a small and cheerful smile was carved onto his pale, pastel pink lips as if he were trying to keep her calm her instead of it being the other way around.

"Well, that's a complicated question. I'm a young alpha, so I suppose they think I pose more of a threat then a normal wolf." She had a feeling he was hiding some things but the raven haired girl would admit that he seemed a little less intimidating. "But what about you? What draws you here Mila?" He looked genuinely curious as Mila gave him a dubious stare.

"Work." Her tone was sharp with fright and Mila reminded herself to relax. "I'm a nurse. I just got hired." He smiled, a polite gesture really and nodded.

"Yeah I figured as much, Gary doesn't really bring people down here. Plus he usually complains about his co-workers; not that I blame him. The ones that I've met haven't been all that... Professional I suppose." It was clear he was trying to be neutral by choosing words that lacked any insult to them. At least a large insult. She wasn't sure what to say to that and simply remained quiet.

She hadn't met her colleagues so it wasn't really her place to talk about them; she couldn't really complain about them nor could she stick up for them. A dim buzz could be heard from the lighting and doing her best to ignore it the woman's tongue nervously flicked out wetting her suddenly dry lips once more. Slowly, Patrick scooched closer to the edge of the bed his collar jangling and alerting Mila of what he was doing, holding out his hands to show her he didn't mean any harm. An unchecked, alarmed squeak was emitted from the depths of Mila's throat as he advanced and the wolf frowned, instantly freezing from his spot on the edge of the bed, feet just touching the cold concrete floor of his cage.

"I don't want to hurt you. I wasn't kidding you don't need to be afraid of me." She would of liked to believe this mild-mannered alpha but every time he talked she could see his fangs and it was a rather effective reminder that if he really wanted to he could tear through her flesh the way that a knife cut through butter. He could make it look as if she were made out of paper and shivering Mila shook her head. The woman's heart raced through her chest, pounding in her ears as the alpha sat a in a dejected manner on the small and dirty bed, the white stained shirt a pathetic reminder of his captivity. Of course, the most obvious proof of his restraint was the fucking iron collar he had on around his neck, restricting his movements so he couldn't get too close to the door; or people Mila noted with relief as she cower against the cell walls.

The wolf gave her a pathetically wounded look before retreating back to his former spot, but remained in a less defensive position than before. Mila wasn't really even sure what Grent wanted her to do so she hung as far away from him as she possibly could; eyeing him with unease and distrust. She wasn't sure, and was sure she didn't want to know, why it meant so much to the alpha that she wasn't afraid of him. The air seemed to be stifling in here and the inky haired girl wondered how these wolves even survived. Surely these conditions weren't conducive to a healing and calm environment the top floor seemed to offer.

"You know, Mila, I've never attacked a human. You can ask Dr. Grent when he comes in here he's in" Patrick paused and tilted his head with a small smile. "-In with Gerard. Rather moody but overall very nice. Distaste for humans though so I wouldn't bother him too much." Mila nervously thought that she had no interest in bothering any of them; and would when possible spend her time taking care of the elders and children. The muffled voices had quieted and the woman could only hear the soft mutterings and growls of residence; though she thought that inmates might be a better term for them. After all if they made it to being elders, would they stay here? Or go upstairs?

"How long have you been here?" Her voice was soft, like a whispering breeze that fleetingly danced 'crossed the wind; only for the gossamer currents of air to be lost in an instant.

"I've been in this cell for about five years now? Yeah... I was like twenty-six when they put me here." While it had answered part of her question, Mila was curious if he had been born here, or caught. He didn't elaborate and Mila didn't push him.

"I'm twenty-six." She whispered her voice rough with anxiety as he turned his gorgeous changeling eyes on her. They held a depth and intelligence she knew that plain wolves were not able to possess, and wondered once more why the Government had claimed that they were no better than their beast brethren.

"Oh? I hear it's a fun age for humans." It was impersonal the way he said it and Mila wondered if twenty-six was a bad year for wolves, or just him. Because even from where she cowered against the wall she could see an inkling of a shadow of wretchedness dull his features.

"I wouldn't know. Studying and trying to get a job."

"I always wanted to be a musician." He shared, his voice regaining the currents of welcomed amiability that he had used with her since first calling out to her. It amused Mila that the wolf wanted to be a musician and wondered if he'd be any good at it. After all, being a musician entailed many annoyances that she wouldn't even want to handle. People always bothering you, having to be in the spotlight and scrutinized for everything you said or did; the large crowded concerts where people wanted to grab hands and of course the whole preforming in front of people was inconceivable for the humble nurse. However a genuine grin lit up Patrick's face as he admitted his dream career to Mila.

"Oh." She murmured and spared from anything further as the door swung open to reveal Dr. Grent. Without bothering to shut the door the man examined the situation briefly and must of deemed it safe. He barely spared his newest nurse a glance and hurried to Patrick's side grumbling about something. As he drew closer Mila realized he was cursing the conditions of the floor and specifically Patrick's conditions. While it didn't seem like the cozy, happy place that the others had to an extent; Mila wondered why it raised so much annoyance from her boss. She kept her tongue though as he produced an old looking key from his lab pocket, and without so much as a warning disengaged the lock that held the restraint on place around Patrick's neck. It clicked off with a pop and removing it completely Grent carefully examined the red and raw skin that was now exposed. As Patrick stood, stretching his body out with a loud yawn Mila was aware that nothing would stop him now from tearing them all to shreds.

"Mila, stay here with Patrick. I have to go unlock the others." Terror raised the bumps on her arms and she made a strangled noise in the back of her throat.

"You're going to do what?!"

"Oh stop whining. It's their time of the day to be taken out for exercise. The security guards are on their way down and should be here... Now." A tell tale ding was heard as well as the stainless doors swooshing open and the sound of heavy boots scuffing the floor. "This place runs like a well oiled machine." With that remark he disappeared leaving Mila to Patrick who slowly began to cross the room towards the door. He stopped a foot away from her and tilted his head as if trying to figure out if the girl would freak out on him. When she showed no signs of it the wolf crossed towards the door and threw a glance over his shoulder.

"C'mon. I've only got a couple hours to go out." She wasn't quite sure what, going out entailed but begrudgingly followed. From the open door, what wasn't being blocked by Patrick's back, Mila could see Dr. Grent and other security guards unlocking doors and letting wolves out. They didn't look like normal security however, as they wore tight black clothing and were obviously and heavily armed. One stocky man seemed to be in the lead as he roughly pushed the emerging wolves into a cluster, a gun pointed at them. It chilled Mila to see such violence, and even more so when he began to speak.

"Alright, listen here you pieces of shit. You know the deal, you run I shot. You bite, I shoot. You so much as smile without my say so I will put a wolfsbane bullet through your sorry-ass skulls. Are we clear?" Dark and rage filled "Yes Sirs" Echoed bleakly around the room and even Patrick had stopped smiling. Instead a cold and tired look replaced his features and Mila could see how tense his shoulders were. It was as if here tensing up before getting ready to pounce on a rabbit; and it scared her.

"Stump! Get your idealist hide over here unless you feel like spending the day in your fucking cage."

"Wouldn't dream of it Allen." Patrick's voice was mockingly polite and as he headed to join the rest of the wolves the one he addressed as Allen stalked over to him, holstering his gun. Thinking that maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked Mila was shocked when the guard, painfully taller than Patrick, grabbed a fistful of his blonde hair and forced his head back to look at him.

"Listen here fucker. You're under my watch, what I say goes. If I don't like the way you breathe I can beat you to a pulp. So knock the fucking sarcasm off and get in the line." Patrick's eyes were scrunched up in pain and it was clear he was trying not to bare his fangs, or even so much as struggle against the cop. While Mila wasn't overly fond of the strange alpha, she didn't like to see what was happening and to her horror Dr. Grent was choosing now to go silent. Without thinking Mila rushed over, her heels echoing painfully loud against the concrete and shoved the cop trying to get him to release the alpha. It worked, only because he was surprised and Allen stumbled back a couple feet. Before she could explain herself a gun was pointed at the raven haired woman and the stocky man cocked it; the sound ominously thudding in her ears.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Mila Fjar. That man is under my care and as he's already in a fragile state I don't think it's wise to be manhandling him like that." The girl timid mere moments before seemed to find her confidence under the steady aim of the gun, ready to blow her head away.

"Let me see your ID."

"It's around my neck." Lowering the gun Allen stalked over and grabbed it, none to gently but Mila refused to indicate that. Instead she stood erect and stoically as he examined the ID badge that hung from her neck.

"You better not interfere like that again Nurse Fjar. Or I may not let you off with a warning." She was about to retort when she felt a warm and gentle hand on her elbow, tugging her away from Allen. Glancing up she found Patrick by her side and curiously enough his face was contorted into a mask of rage as he led the curvy woman towards Dr. Grent. It was clear that the whole room was watching and doing her best to appear unintimidated by the attention Mila was relieved when the wolf let her go. Allen seemingly bored with what was happening began to usher the wolves onto the spacious elevator in groups of two with four guards. It was then that Patrick leaned down towards Mila, being just under 5', and murmured in a low and dangerous voice a warning that chilled her bones.

"Don't fuck around with Allen. He's the worst employee here besides Janet herself." Raising an eyebrow Mila didn't have time to comment as she, Patrick, Dr. Grent, a wolf with intoxicating hazel eyes, Allen and another guard boarded the elevator. The ride was terse and pressed against Patrick in the corner the curvy woman inwardly frowned as Allen barked more orders at the group. They were pointless really, and kind of just taunts but Patrick shot her a look that begged her to be quiet; so Mila did keep her tongue though she found it hard.

"Stump you've got two hours to visit your pack, then dinner, and then you get back." The blonde didn't respond as the guard his the button for Patrick’s designated floor; a button with a faded three scrawled in black, peeling paint.. The dim glow was weak and Mila wondered just how old this thing had been used. Soon enough the doors opened and Patrick shouldered his way out, turning around and watching her with expectant eyes. He seemed to be waiting for her but Mila had been under the impression she was going back wherever Grent was going. It was not the case though as she felt a slight nudge from her boss.

"Go with Patrick, I have to go find some salve for the irritation the collar does to his neck. Keep an eye on him, meet some other wolves and really just acquaint yourself with everyone." Four pairs of eyes were trained on her as she tried to make her way past the men, and had nearly made it to the door when a hand brushed across her ass. Whirling around she found that Allen was smirking as he dared her to say something. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction Mila held her head rather high and whirled around walking towards the blonde alpha who had clearly seen what happened. It looked like he was struggling not to say anything the doors slid shut, hiding Allen from view. The two were left in front of an immediate set of doors that required a security badge. Quickly swiping her card and gaining access Mila found herself following an ebullient Patrick down a hallway set up very much like the top floor. The only difference was there was a long hallway that had doors lined on each side that emptied to a large space that was littered with things to do.

A TV with a gaming console was being used by a big and burly man with a buzzed head, while a spiky haired brunette played next to him. A few lounge chairs were set up to one side near a bookcase and two boys; one a lean and scrawny blonde that reminded her of a beanpole, and another wolf with lanky legs, black hair and stunning crystal blue eyes. Pausing Patrick glanced around and smiled cheerfully at the group and cleared his throat. The wolves appeared to be so engrossed in what they were doing; they seemed almost surprised to see the blonde alpha there. The one that reminded Mila of a beanpole basically threw his book aside and sprung up hurrying to the alpha with a large and carefree grin.

Was this his pack? He said they were decent and based on the minimum security she doubted they were much trouble. The shrieking sound from the TV ceased as the muscular man glanced up; then cursed as the sneaky brunette finished him off in whatever game they'd been playing. This gained his attention and the bulky male snarled and flashed his fangs; clearly annoyed by what had just happened.

"The fuck Brian?! The fucking minute I look away you pull a bitch move that like that?!" He demanded clearly outraged the spiky haired one called Brian didn't seem to be bothered in the least by the hulking man's threats; and a slow smirk simmered over his face.

"Never look away Matt. Never look away."

"Fuck you!" The scary muscular one snarled and it looked like he was about to actually shift and go for the other one's throat. Patrick must of sensed her unease and cleared his throat; shutting the two up. Four pairs of eyes fell to her and the nurse blushed trying to avoid all the attention. She had no idea who these wolves were, but so far she was as nervous of them as she was of the ones only mere floors below. The men had stopped moving and once more Mila was struck by the intelligence and cunning she could see glittering in the depths of their orbs. It was as if she were a new bug under an eager scientists microscope and it was starting to cause her to become more agitated. Rather nervously she self-consciously pulled at the ponytail, trying to fix the mess that it had disintegrated into over the course of the day as she waited for someone to say something; anything to break this awkward silence.

"Who is she?" The muscular one demanded shoving his way past Brian and Patrick to get close to the girl, like lean down and invade your personal space close as he examined her with his brilliant hazel depths. While Mila felt a little at ease with Patrick, she was not ok with this strange wolf coming over and shoving his face close to hers with an abrupt air that left her feeling extremely on edge. Her nervousness, was translated into a sharp and barbed tongue as she stepped away from the male with a displeased glare.

"She can talk, and she can speak for herself. My name is Mila." The dryness in her tone was apparent and scrutinizing her for a moment longer Matt grinned at her. It was then she noticed the dimples that made him slightly less intimidating as he stepped back as well, straightening himself upright. He was tall, massive, and hulking in every sense of the word. The white shirt that fell so loosely around Patrick was stretched tight around this sheer mass of this wolf's muscle, and he seemed to be aware of this. Every gesture he made, or step he took it was Matt made it clear that he wasn't one to mess with. There was a dangerous layer underneath his wild elegance that made Mila torn between admiring him and fearing him. She hadn't realized the others had crowded about her until the gangly black hair man with the nearly glowing ultramarine eyes waved his hand in front of her face.

"Hello? Are you there? Who're you? I'm Jimmy."

"Oh.. I'm Mila."

"You're new here right? You've got Grent's scent so I assume you're a nurse?" Nodding mutely she noted that Patrick was hanging a little away from her; though his eyes were focused on her. It was as if he were watching and gauging the situation as he let these new wolves question her. The one that was in front of her now, Jimmy, was rather energetic. He talked a million miles an hour from what she could tell and seemed to be very friendly. Hardly seemed deserving to be put on level three but as she barely knew him Mila held off her judgement for a later date.

"-And that's Brian, you can just call him Bri-Bri." It was clear from the soft growl that Brian would probably skin her alive if she dared called him that. "And the weird one with the glasses is Mikey. It's Gerard's brother but you probably haven't had a lot of time to meet Gerard. He's kind of moody but he's alright. The man can draw like no one else." Jimmy gushed happily seemingly taking a shine to the short and curvy nurse. thankfully this room was not lit by the bright and harsh glare of fluorescent, but rather tall lamps that omitted a soft glow across the large room. There were no windows; but there were a few rugs that covered the cement flooring and Mila found herself enjoying this room more than the other's she'd seen so far.

"I"m not weird." A whiny protest sounded off to her left and turning her head Mila found Mikey there with arms crossed and glasses sliding down his nose.

"You are. But that's ok." Jimmy argued and Mikey scoffed under his breath.

"Give the poor girl some room to breathe." A dark and smooth voice washed over her ears and Mila found that Brian had stepped in giving Jimmy a relentless stare that bordered between amusement and agitation.

"Fine!" Jimmy huffed backing off the rather lost nurse and shooting her a small smile Brian turned towards Patrick; who in the wolves' questioning of the new nurse had managed to sneak off towards the other side of the room and into Mikey's lounge chair reading whatever the kid with glasses had been.

"You looking for Pete and the boys?" At this the alpha glanced up and nodded.

"I know they're out right now. But I've got two hours to kill then dinner with you guys so they'll be back soon."

"You know that Pete got into a fight with Austin yesterday right?" There was a tense pause as Patrick flinched, remaining quiet for a moment. Mila had a feeling that this was bad news as the wolves became somber for a moment.

"I heard that Austin was asking for it and no one blamed him." Making a noncommittal noise Brain rolled his shoulders cracking a few joints which made Mila cringe.

"That's not really... I mean you need to remind him to cool it. You know how hot-headed he can be. Someone's gonna label him as Feral if we don't keep a close watch on him." Silence. Dead silence met that statement and Patrick glanced up from his book. It appeared he was struggling with remaining calm as Mila saw a muscle twitch in his jaw.

"Pete is pack, he's brother bound by our wolves. I won't let anything happen to him."

"You say it like you have a choice; and I hate to say this 'Trick but you know he's a little hot-headed and it's already gotten him or one of us into trouble."

"He just needs to learn more control." Pat gritted out his eyes appearing stormy and outraged from where he sat. The musky scent of the room swirled about Mila and feeling a tired she blinked slowly trying to focus on what was going on. She was equipped to stop a fight should it break out but Mila didn't think that the alpha would let things escalate to that point. As the men stood in stony faced silence and Mila watched as Patrick breathed slowly through his nose; apparently horrified at the thought one of his brothers being put down Matt finally spoke up.

"Brian shut up and leave Patrick alone. It's his pack so let him deal with it." There was a note of authority that left little room for arguing and Brian mumbled under his breath but did shut up. She wondered if the muscular wolf, Matt or something along those lines, was an alpha as well. He definitely carried himself like one and he came off as one as well. She stood there feeling obscure and out of place as Patrick, who had gone back to reading and ignoring her presence, glanced up with an abrupt movement.

"They're back. I'm going to go greet them, c'mon Mila." She didn't have much of a choice as Patrick in a quick and fluid manner put the book down and swung himself out of the chair, breezing by her. Turning to the men Mila smiled politely and waved hesitantly. While they all seemed to have a bit of a loose cannon streak; Mila found that overall they hadn't been so scary and was surprised to find that the wolves the Government had told it's people about; were becoming more and more fake in her mind as these living breathing wolves proved their claims wrong.

"It was nice to meet you; see you around." She called following Patrick quietly.

"You're not scared are you?" To her surprise Mila found she was not; and was beginning to relax around these wolves.

"I'm... Nervous. Not scared." He smiled at her and paused, a little down the hall from the room they'd just been in. He studied her for a moment and his eyes were back to that greyish green color; clear and empathetic as they had been when they first met.

"You don't have to be nervous. I'd protect you; besides it's my pack I'm taking you to see now." There was an undeniable and clear ring of pride to Patrick's words as he paused. "They're wonderful people really; I think you'll like them." Flashing a rather charming smile the slender man motioned for her to follow him back down the hallway. It was all the same, except for a few minor changes. One of the doors on the left was open and soft chatter could be heard from inside it's walls. While Mila couldn't exactly make out what they were saying, it appeared Patrick could. With one last glance he watched her as if to quietly ask if she was ok and ready to meet the rest of the wolves. The wolves that were important to him anyway. Nodding and taking a breath Mila followed Patrick into the room to find three boys sprawled in various positions.

One was sprawled horizontally over the bed with a large mass of curly hair falling into his face so Mila couldn't make out much. One man had short hair and was curled in a small corner of the bed the two barely brushing against each other while the last one was spread eagle on the floor his black hair pillowed beneath him and Patrick lingered by Mila's side.

"What are you sorry lumps of fur doing?" He asked, though it was clear that it was only affection that colored his words. The three glanced up and grinned, clearly happy to see their illustrious alpha. A few choruses of "Hey man" or "'Sup?" Were asked as they noticed the girl by his side. She was very short, and had lovely curves while appearing to be completely fine with the fact that she was in a small room; surrounded by a pack of unfamiliar werewolves. Sending their leader a curious glance Mila could feel him gently nudge her in front of him as he motioned to her.

"This is Ms. Mila Fjar, she'll be working with Grent from now on." They seemed interested as they examined her and the woman offered a small wave as she waited for someone to say something; any indicator on how they liked or didn’t dislike her as she couldn’t read their careful, expressionless faces.