"Anytime" Cassandra said softly, following the twins when they motioned for her to do so. She just wanted to bundle the both of them up and take them far away from their so called parents. She slowly took the lead, thinking they could go to the lake via town, and it was quicker then going all the way around.
They walked passed the music school. Cassie had had a few lessons there, just to develop the ability to read music, and had fond memories of it. She enjoyed hearing students at their play, and her heightened senses picked up the notes of a beautiful piece. She stopped for a moment listening to it, and if she had had time she might have gone in, to see who it was.
"I do love hearing good music" she said softly, finding another pleasure her abilities gave her now.
Kaylee Jade Evans and Connor Vos
Location: Connor’s Truck, The Book Shop, and Kaylee’s Hideaway.
Interacting With: Each other.
It seemed that the only logical thing to do was taken Kaylee home, so she could dress properly. So Connor loaded up his truck, deflating the air mattress and making sure everything was tied down or at least wouldn't fly away, and put the fire out. As he looked around, he realized that he wouldn't be coming back here to sleep. Something had changed, and it was time to become part of the town.
And he had an idea on just what he could be doing. While he didn't need an income, Connor knew that if he was going to be living in town, he needed a place he could go to everyday and be productive.
His gaze kept on slipping to Kaylee as he packed up, ensuring he had left no rubbish or mess, and when he was done he said
”so where do you actually live?” As he went over to her, wondering why he should want to kiss her again, or rather still. It seemed like a powerful force, that would once more spill over. He had never been so...Carnal. Was that something that had changed after he had been bitten, or was it something every teenager discovered, and he was merely a late bloomer? It wasn't like he could ask anyone that. One thing was certain, though. Whatever came next was bound to be interesting, and hopefully enjoyable. There was a brief, flickering worry about what would happen with the pack, but he decided to cross that bridge when they came to it.
“..if we’re being really honest here… I don’t actually know- like I said to you earlier, today is only our first day in town so…” Tilting her head to the side slightly, Kaylee shot him a nervous and apologetic sort of smile- she hadn’t exactly thought to memorize her new home address yet… it just wasn’t something that had crossed over her mind, however, she had done something that was bound to make this wild goose chase a lot easier on them both,
“But…”Breaking her hands away from where they were held together in front of her stomach, she took a few steps closer to him, closing the gap that was between them almost completely as she lifted them both up, her fingers playing with the tags that were hung from the collar she wore around her neck, twisting it around slightly and showing him the other side where her new address had clearly been engraved,
“..I made sure to write it down so that I would always have it with me… and because usually if a dog gets lost and they’re wearing tags, people will always check for an address so that they can return it…”For a fleeting moment Connor thought she meant to take the shirt off and change into her dingo form, but it wasn't so.
“Well then, we can put the address into the gps, because beyond going for supplies I haven't stepped foot in the town” he said, as he took out his keys, he quickly read the address, memorizing it, he held the passenger door open for Kaylee, ever the gentleman.
Getting in himself, he quickly programmed the navigation system, an accessory Connor had mounted on the dashboard, the old truck outdated for such things. The inside was clean, and well looked after, and the truck started with barely a sound, showing that it had been well looked after and perhaps rebuilt previously. He carefully exited the woods, making sure not to get stuck or destroy any wildlife.
God… could he have been anymore perfect..? There was really no other word that she could think of that could even come close to what he was. Lowering her arms back down to rest at her sides as she watched him open up the passenger side door, she smiled, the gentle blush that had been covering her cheeks earlier on once more making an appearance as she made her way forward, being sure to steal a quick kiss from his lips before she stepped up into the truck, making herself comfortable before pulling her seatbelt on.
“Thank you, Connor… for everything…” Lifting her leg up so that it was instead tucked up under her body, Kaylee twisted ever so slightly in the seat, facing him a bit as he got into the driver's seat and began to drive them away from the area, her hand reaching out to rest over his on the gear shift,
“..you’ve been nothing but good to me since we met… it means a lot… really…”Connor couldn't truly say what he was feeling, driving along with a girl he'd just met, not to mention kissed, in a truck he had brought when he was 16, after everything that had happened. This seemed like the most normal thing in the world,’compared to recent events. It made him feel almost...normal. He quickly looked to Kaylee and smiled as they got onto the road,
“the world would be a better place if everyone was a little bit nicer. But it's easy being nice to someone who is just so...well, amazing”Turning his attention back to the road so he didn't crash the car, not that he was sure that would kill either of them, except maybe if they got a life threatening injury, he followed the directions the GPS spoke, hoping that they were indeed going the right way and weren't about to get lost.
“And you make it easy to be so.” The last week something had been changing within Connor, and this day it just all seemed to happen. He had had his future planned out for him since he was a child. And now it was wide open, and he could choose what he wanted. And so far that had been good, he thought, flickering a glance at Kaylee.
He didn't want to drive to end, because then it wouldn't be just them, and he was enjoying that. But the destination would always come. No matter what you did.
She didn’t want this to end… Just being there, right beside him- there was something about him that was just so calming to her, and she knew for a fact that it wasn’t just his scent. Smiling happily to herself as she let her mind linger upon that thought, her fingers curled, entwining slightly with his though not enough that he wouldn’t still be able to drive- she wanted more time to just be with him… The both of them. Alone. Because she knew the moment she brought him home, they were possibly both going to be facing her brother’s wrath… and even once she managed to shut him down, Hunter’s pouting and grumpy nature was most definitely going to ruin whatever it was they had managed to build up between them.
“..turn here.”Speaking out and completely going against what the GPS was telling him to do, Kaylee shot him a quick glance, nodding her head softly in encouragement before she pointed in the direction she meant with her free hand,
“..trust me... It’ll be worth it, I promise. Turn here and head towards that cafe in the main street; I’ll tell you when to stop. I wanna show you something before you enter the dingo’s den…”Connor was curious about the change in direction, but nevertheless followed Kaylee’s instructions, turning where she told him to, and continue down the new road. Just where was she taking him, when she couldn't give directions to her house? It intrigued him, and he glanced to her briefly. It seemed that Kaylee too did not want to have others around them yet, and he found that reassuring. He was walking on unknown territory, and each reassurance gave him the courage to keep on going, to see what would happen between them.
“Okay, so where are we going?” He asked after a moment.
“..you’ll see… pull over there, in front of that building.”Unable to hide the small though playful smirk that seemed to light up her features, Kaylee waited until he had pulled the truck over to a complete stop before she unbuckled the seatbelt, her body slipping from the seat and her feet once more hitting the ground as she opened the door, making sure to close it behind her before finally, she lead the way up to the front of the building which was clearly labeled with the words ‘Boulder Book Store’ in gold upon the darkened windows- it was really looking good… her parents had both done a great job getting it set up for opening day.
Shooting a quick glance around the front of the facade, Kaylee found her gaze coming to a stop on one of planters, her brow quirking slightly before she crouched down, fumbling about within the flowerbed before eventually, she found what it was that she had been searching for. Producing the key from underneath a fake rock hidden among the flowers, she stood herself up straight once more, brushing her hands off a bit before turning to unlock the door,
“My parents flew in early so that they could get this place set up… my mum and I love reading; hence why she now owns and runs a bookstore; opening day is tomorrow, though she said she’d leave me a key for whenever I needed to get in.”Opening the door, she paused and looked back at him from over her shoulder, once more finding herself just staring and taking in everything that she possibly could about him before she motioned for him to go in ahead of her,
“Come on; I told you there’s something I wanted to show you right… you didn’t think this was it, did you..?”Connor wondered what could be so important in a bookstore, while he loved books, and you could escape within them, he had felt there would be something else. While the place looked intriguing, and enjoyable, he glanced about expecting something a little more. He followed Kaylee out the car, putting his keys in a small hidden box attached to the underside of the seat, he was not worried about anything getting stolen from the truck. It was just food and clothes, after all.
Following her in, he glanced about. “Well books are fascinating” he said, giving her a smile when he noticed her glancing at him. “There's more?” He asked, wondering what she was going to show him. It seemed everything would be an adventure with Kaylee, and he waited to see what she would show
him.show him next.
She didn’t bother answering him; at least not with words, instead she closed the doors, being sure to lock them once more before she reached out, slipping her hand into his and tugging on it lightly so that she could lead him through the rather homely store, passing through shelves after shelves until finally they reached the back of the store, her eyes scanning over the titles until she found the one that she had been looking for: Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales.
“..found it…”Breaking her hand away from his, Kaylee brought it up to the polished wood of the tall shelving in front of them, her fingers running over the side of it before slowing to a stop as she felt something off in the wood; a small hole that would otherwise go unnoticed by those shopping once the store actually opened to the public. This was it. Biting down on her lower lip as she concentrated, she let her eyes flick to her hand, watching as her nail began to grow and lengthen into a point before she brought it back to the wood, slipping her claw into the hole and waiting for the inevitable ‘click’ before she glanced back at him, a bright smile lighting up her features as she pulled the bookcase towards her, opening it up to a staircase that led to the upper level of the building.
“This is what I wanted to show you.” Waiting until he had stepped in and taken a couple of the steps, she followed suit, closing the bookcase behind them before she hurried past him and up the rest of the way, her arm lifting to brush aside the curtain hanging over the archway as she passed through it and into the room that had been made just for her,
“..told you; mum and I share a love of reading… and she wanted to be sure that if I ever got into trouble, I would have somewhere safe that I could go.”Pausing for a moment, she turned so that she was facing him, her hand lifting to rest on the back of one of the armchairs she stood by, her fingers lightly tracing the patterns in the material,
“..if you want, you can use it as well… you just search for the right book, and open the door like I did… just use your claw…”Connor followed Kaylee in, watching her with curiosity as she transformed a small part of herself, to open a hidden room. It was obvious, even from this morning, that Kaylee had more control over her shifting then Connor did. He wouldn't admit it, but he had been trying since the full moon without success. Following Kaylee in the secret room, he looked about. It seemed this was indeed a safe haven. Slightly embarrassed he looked to Kaylee when she said he could use it too.
“I don't know if that will be possible. So far I've only changed on the full moon. I don't know what I'm doing. I assumed Vanessa would teach us, but so far she hasn't” Connor said, knowing he was in an odd position. He didn't know who had changed him, nor did he care, but shouldn't be have some...instinct about what he was meant to do? Or was he simply too new? ,
Pausing for a moment in thought at what she had just learnt, Kaylee slowly took a single step towards him, then another and another until she was standing directly in front of him with her left hand resting lightly on his side,
”It's okay… it took me a few months of nonstop training to be able to shift at will… and longer to mature enough to even get that training… but here…”Dropping her head down and to the side, she brought her right hand forward, brushing her fingers against his skin for a moment before she pressed her palm flat against his own, guiding both of their hands up so that they could see them,
”..part transformations are easier… claws and canines- it might hurt at first, but you get used to the pain after a while… Just clear your mind, Connor; think about something that makes you happy, and then when you're ready…”She smiled softly, her eyes focusing on her hand pressed against his own, watching on as one after one her nails began to grow, sharpening to a point as if to show him what it was that she meant,
”..try to do it…”Think about something that made him happy? He smiled that slightly crooked smile, looking passed they pressed hands to Kaylee, before he looked back to their hands, watching the transformation. How could he do that? How, when it went against all he knew about nature? Perhaps that was what was stopping him. A perplexed expression crossed his face, and he quickly filtered through all he had experienced.
Maybe the point about life wasn't about trying to make sense of it. Maybe it was simply...living. He frowned slightly. It was quite obvious that transformations were possible, he was watching it right then. So why was he fighting it?
He swallowed, and drew in a breath, trying to imagine his fingers shifting into claws. It was harder than he thought it should be, and he frowned. Things had always come easy to Connor, learning just seemed to come natural to him. This was however completely different to learning something out of a book. It was doing something that went against everything he knew, and it made the thing a hundred times harder.
He tried, but it didn't seem to be happening. Giving a frustrated sigh, he shook his head “I can't” had he ever uttered those words before, in reference to anything he tried? He didn't think so.
So concentration and thinking about it didn't seem to be his thing… there were other ways in which he could learn. Deciding to forego the thought of tossing him out the room and not letting him back in until he managed to do it, Kaylee shook her head lightly from side to side, her gaze soft and full of encouragement as she pressed herself just that little bit closer against his body- if he wasn't going to be able to do it this way…
”You can do this Connor, I know you can; we'll just have to try it another way…”Unable to hide the way her smile flickered into a small smirk, she leant in closer to him, the hand that had been resting on his side slowly lifting up and slipping under the bottom of his shirt so that her hand was pressed up against his warm skin, her fingers curling slightly so that she could hold him in place and close against her,
”..don't think anymore, just feel… let it come naturally…”Not bothering to give him any time to respond to what it was she had said, or what it was she was doing, she closed the remainder of the gap between them, her eyes closing as she sealed their lips together in a kiss, soft at first before she began to add slightly more pressure… more passion...
Connor had absolutely no idea what Kaylee was trying to do as she moved closer to him. Another way? This seemed to be entirely off the topic of transformation. Returning the kiss, it had the effect that Kaylee wanted, effectively clearing his mind, but it didn’t seem to help with the transformation. All he could feel was Kaylee, his own body seemed nothing, compared to the warmth that was Kaylee.
It just seemed instinctive to hold her closer, to never want to let her go. And maybe that was all he needed to know. Why was he fighting something, when it was apart of him, now? It wasn’t like he could turn back time and stop the attack. And...the thought made him feel guilty, he wouldn’t want to if it meant he wouldn’t be right where he was. Even if it meant his father’s death. Did that make him a horrible person? He didn’t know. But he couldn’t live in the past. Kaylee was trying to teach him, and he was failing her. He couldn’t do that, couldn’t let her down.
His first transformation had been painful, but perhaps that was because it was a complete one. It had been uncomfortable, and...unnatural. Perhaps that was because he had fought it. There was so much he didn’t know. Still, changing even a small change was painful. And uncomfortable. It wasn’t merely the fact that his fingernails grow, curved slightly, it was the rearrangement of the skin, the bones as they adjusted to the claw shape, and he pulled away, not wanting to hurt Kaylee.
The very moment she felt him pulling away from her, she tightened her hold over his side, her non-clawed fingers curling slightly more as she began to lead him across the floor until finally, his back was pressed against the wall- he was getting scared… it was what had him trying to pull away from her; but he was never going to learn if he always ran from the things he believed were wrong… especially in this lifestyle…
“..don’t-... don’t fight it… let your… instincts… take over…”Her words came out muffled and slightly short of breath against his lips as she continued to keep the both of them as close as they possibly could be, her other hand slipping away from his so that it was instead resting against his chest, her claws lightly dragging over the material of his top and threatening to tear it as she curled her fingers, her head tilting to the side so that she could deepen the kiss they were sharing with one another.
“I don’t want to hurt you” the words were barely a whisper, but he didn’t have the strength to pull away again, in this he wasn’t strong enough. Completely overwhelmed, his instincts were not to hurt Kaylee, but he understood that was the human side. Was there anything wrong with that? Perhaps in this.
He was well aware that Kaylee could protect herself, indeed she was more experienced in the shifting aspect, but he was still reserved. He truly did not want to hurt her. As she continued to kiss him, he was helpless especially being pressed against the wall, and with Kaylee pressed against him. If she thought it was safe, then...wasn’t it?
Perhaps he made a mistake, simply letting go as she kissed him deeper. He felt the slightly familiar sensation of, it seemed, every cell in his body vibrating as he broke away, “I think...too far…” the pain, so much like it had been a week ago, rocked through him, and he shook, feeling his whole body changing once again. He wouldn't admit it, but it did scare him. What if it went completely wrong? But it was too late to do anything about it.
He only assumed it was over when the pain was gone, finding himself on all fours, but it seemed completely natural. He went to speak, but all that came out was a wolf's bark.
The moment the words left his lips, she pulled herself back, her actions coming just that little bit late and leading to some small scratches here and there as she took a couple of steps back from him, giving him room as she watched him drop to the ground in front of her- he’d done it… he had managed to change like she had been trying to teach him to do… though he’d been right when he’d said that it had gone just that little bit too far…
Laughing softly as the sound of his bark filled the room around them, Kaylee retook the ground she had lost by stepping back, her legs folding up underneath her as she sat on the floor before him, seemingly not even bothering to hesitate one bit as she reached out, running her fingers back through his gorgeous fur,
“..heh; you did it, Connor… I said you could, didn’t I..? And I bet it feels a lot better now than the last time you changed…”Leaning her body forward, she closed her eyes, her lips pressing square in the center of his forehead for a few moments before she pulled back, a soft chuckle falling from her lips as she curled the fingers of her right hand, lightly scratching behind his ear with her claws, “..hows about next time we just try for the claws..? Otherwise, you did great- I still remember the first few times I transformed…”[/color]
C
Connor found it truly frustrating that he couldn't speak. He bowed his head, for once glad that he couldn't truly blush in this form. He gave a sigh, wondering just how he was going to change back. On the full moon, when the sun had come up he had just changed back without trying.
Laying down, he stretched his front paws out, laying his head on them. He wasn't too sure what to do, truly. He gave a soft whine, trying to convey that he was thinking about how he was going to change back. It was frustrating to try and communicate without words in a body that wasn't made for charades. .
“..I get it; you wanna change back…”Nodding her head lightly in understanding of what it was that he wanted, Kaylee thought back to when she had changed back at the campsite- it wasn’t particularly hard to do under any normal circumstance… and she had managed to do it at that point out of nothing more than pure anger towards the jerk who had been threatening her… but Connor was new at this; it had taken quite some time to get him to change in the first place, maybe it was best if she kept it simple, and just taught him what she had been taught.
Lifting her hand from behind his ear, she slowly worked to retract her claws, waiting but another moment before she scooted herself closer, placing her hand on the top of his head so that she could lightly and soothingly rub at the fur between his beautiful eyes… damn she could get lost in them if she wasn’t careful…
“..close your eyes, and relax your body… some packs have a mantra they recite to help new members calm down, or return back to their human form… back home in my pack; we sing, or hum, depends on how good your voice is…” Taking a moment to pause, Kaylee continued to rub his forehead lightly, unable to hide the bright red blush that crept over her cheeks at the thought of sharing with him the one thing that always helped her to change back whenever she felt she couldn’t.
“..I’ve been to cities, that never close down…” Her voice was soft… and almost inaudible, though she knew for a fact that he would be able to hear her clearly, it was just one of the many perks that came with what they were,
“..from New York, to Rio, and old London town… but no matter how far, or how wide I roam; I still call Australia home… I’m always travelin’, I love bein’ free… and so I keep leavin’ the sun and the sea… but my heart lies waitin’, over the foam; I still call Australia home...”Relieved that Kaylee seemed to understand him, he watched her as she moved closer, He wondered what she was going to do. He didn't t have to wait long, as she began to sing. While her voice was soft, he could hear every word, finding her singing to be beautiful. It slowly relaxed him, until he remembered something. Sitting up, Connor gave a bark. While the room was relatively private, he couldn't exactly walk outside unclothed. What happened to their clothes when they changed, he had no idea. But he would need clothes, that much was clear.
Trotting over to the entrance, he placed a paw on the door, looking to Kaylee. He trotted back, and gently tugged at his shirt she wore, trying once more to communicate non-verbally. He sat to see if she would understand him, tilting his head in what could only be an inquisitive manner.
Furrowing her brows slightly, Kaylee turned her body, watching him as he moved back towards the door before coming back only to tug on the top that she was wearing- okay… so maybe the choice to sing the first thing that popped into her mind hadn’t been the best one she’d made so far that day… for all she knew, he was into a completely different genre…
Nodding her head lightly though allowing her gaze to wander away, she turned her head off to the side, biting down softly upon her lower lip before finally, she returned her full attention back to where he was sat in front of her, waiting a few moments longer before she reached out towards him, urging him to lay down once more, though this time with his head resting lightly over her lap, her hand once again returning to his head so that she could begin to rub at his fur again- it was an idea… though whether it worked or not was another question…
“..I’m a forty-five spinning on an old Victrola… I’m a two strike swinger, I’m a Pepsi cola… I’m a blue jean quarterback sayin ‘I love you’ to the prom queen, in a Chevy.” The smile had once more returned to her face, her eyes seeming to hold a slight sparkle to them as she began to sing once more, though this time slightly louder and with a slight attitude entering her voice,
“..I’m John Wayne, Superman, California… I’m a Kris Kristofferson Sunday morning… I’m a mum and daddy singing along to Don McLean at the Levy- and I’m a child of the backseat freedom, baptized by rock and roll… Marilyn Monroe and the Garden of Eden; never grow up, never grow old.”Leaning her body over, Kaylee let her head drop to the side, almost resting it completely on her shoulder as she scrunched up her face, lightly pressing her nose against his before she sat up once more, a soft chuckle slipping through her lips before she continued on, her body swaying lightly from side to side as though keeping the beat only she could hear,
“..just another rebel in the great wide open, on the boulevard of broken dreams… And I learned everything I needed to know from John Cougar, John Deere, John three sixteen.”Connor was more then sure Kaylee knew what he was trying to say, but that she choose to ignore it. It seemed he wasn't getting out of being naked. She urged him to lie down, and he knew he couldn't do anything about it. Resting his head, he listened to her sing. The song she had chosen was different to the earlier one, and she seemed to be enjoying herself. When she pressed her nose against his, he quite deliberately licked her nose.
He closed his eyes, as it seemed the only thing he could do. He didn't think he would be able to open the door himself, and with what had happened he doubt even a wolf dog would escape unnoticed, let alone himself. He let out a sigh, and allowed two images to form in his mind. Or rather they just appeared there. One human, one wolf. He imagined the wolf must be what he looked like at the present time, which he found curious as he hadn't really looked at himself on the full moon. The human was of course himself. While he had noticed differences in what he could do, see, smell and bear, he hadn't thought such things would be seen in his human body. Subtle differences, but it was still enough to unnerve him slightly.
It was easy enough to figure out what he had to do. Focusing on the human form, it was like he was being pulled through cold water at an alarming rate,almost colliding with the image, he knew at once it had worked as he felt his body begin to change once more. Connor had long subscribed to the notion of alternative realities, and perhaps that was how this worked. Perhaps he simply borrowed the wolf shape, leaving his own human one in return. He would have thought on that longer, but the shifting was once more painful, and uncomfortable as it felt as if his bones were rearranging themselves into the shape of man.
He found himself cold, naked and laying on the floor, right in front of Kaylee. He found it odd that their clothes just vanished, but that his glasses had once more appeared on his face. Why did their clothes not survive the transformation, but the glasses did?
Lifting her free hand up so that she could wipe at her now wet nose with the back of it, Kaylee let her gaze fall back to where he was laying in front of her- he seemed so relaxed… so at peace… even if stuck a wolf. And that was when it happened; raising her brows slightly, her voice began to trail off into nothing as she watched him, never once even thinking to remove her hand from the top of his head as she continued to run her thumb lightly back and forth over his forehead, doing what she could to help him remain calm.
“..welcome back… did you have a nice trip..?”Chuckling softly, she shifted her body over the ground, her legs slipping out from underneath her so that she was instead sitting on her hip, her shoulder leaning up against the wall that she had been using to hold him pressed up against earlier on, her smile holding for only a few moments before finally, it faltered slightly, eventually disappearing completely as she dropped both her head and gaze down and off to the side, seemingly becoming extremely interested in the patterns on the wall,
“I-... Connor; I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to push you like that…”Connor knew that he was unclothed, but it didn't seem to matter then, nor his heated face from the blush he was sure was there. Sitting up slightly, he reached out to lay a palm against her cheek, “it's okay, Kaylee. No harm done. Everything worked out, didn't it? Sometimes you have to run before you can walk” he gave her smile, hoping he was reassuring her, and not making things worse.
After a moment, he cleared his throat and said “although maybe I should have a change of clothes with me at all times. Ah. If you wouldn't mind, there's backpack with clothes in it in the truck” he couldn't very well walk out naked to the truck himself, anymore then he could as a wolf.
His gentle touch upon her cheek… Lifting her hand up from where it had fallen back to her lap, Kaylee pressed her palm over his on her cheek, her head tilting ever so slightly into his touch as she held it there, her eyes slowly lifting up until she was able to meet with his gaze once more.
He-... He wasn't angry with her..?
Smiling weakly at his sweet words of comfort and encouragement, she nodded her head lightly in understanding- they both needed to get dressed, and become decent again before even thinking about heading back to her place for dinner with her family. They were already going to have a hard time with her brother; they didn't need to give any other reason for him to become angry, or get riled up more than he would be.
”Okay… gimmie a bit, I'll go get it for you.” Reluctantly pulling away from his touch, she lifted herself back up to her feet, being sure to tug on the bottom of the top she wore to make sure she was covered before she crossed the room, her figure disappearing through the curtain and out of sight as she made her way down the stairs. This day was just so… amazing…
Maybe she would likeit here after all...
