2224/Tiger Training

Tiger Training
Date of Scene:	29 August 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Diya shows up to meet more of Mercy's shapeshifters. Wolves and a tiger; this can't possibly go wrong.
Cast of Characters:	Okhotnik, Mercy Thompson

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Okhotnik has posed:
Three weeks to the day - or night, in this case - and Diya has returned to Harlem. Her attempt to relocate away from Mutant Town did and did not work. She has instead been moving around quite a lot between the alleyways of Mutant Town and the woods of Upstate New York. But she has not forgotten to count the days.

When last she was in Harlem, Diya encountered a woman named Mercy Thompson, who proved to be a 'shifter' coyote, and identified for Diya what had happened to her, in becoming a shifter tigress. Not that this was welcome news to the Russian vet struggling with PTSD and the aftermath of an attack by a huge Siberian tiger that should have killed her. Mercy also promised Diya that she knew those who could help her; doubtful, Diya still accepted the offer of aid. After all, Thompson fed her, and Diya could tell she believed her own words.

Diya has wandered back into Harlem for this meeting specifically. She came early, because she is a paranoiac, and set up 'shop' on a rooftop nearby, scanning the area incessantly; if she has to be cursed with these heightened and augmented senses, she will at least use them intelligently. She cannot be certain that others, like the soldiers in black armor, could not have been here even earlier and well hidden, but she has caught no sign of that.

Diya waits until an hour after dark, and then climbs back down to street level, making her way down and across the road to the side of the garage where she met Mercy last time. Remembering etiquette she has had no use for in years, the Russian woman knocks on the side door, then steps back into view of the security camera and waits, hands out to her sides in plain view ... almost like she expects the whole world to be as skittish and paranoid as she is.

What do you mean they're not?

Mercy Thompson has posed:
In a previous life, perhaps six to eight weeks ago, Mercy Thompson wouldn't have considered herself a paranoid person. Now, however, things have changed and while she's perhaps not as paranoid as Diya, there is a new sense of watchfulness from the coyote. And while the life of the mechanic is in a constant state of flux right now that hasn't stopped her from remembering her promise. Or making good on it.

As such, when Okhotnik surveys the garage she'll find that everything looks perfectly normal. The garage is open for business, the business occurs, and Mercy Thompson is there. Just ignore the shadows that haunt her gaze, her expression, even her scent once close enough. It's only as the businesses close for the day and that day turns to evening that the change in 'guard' occurs.

The activity within the garage picks up a bit as two men step out from the third door in the back. They're both tall things, with a lot of muscle, and their movements speak of predator. A smooth quick gait from them both, no wasted movements from them. It's, however, their eyes that might capture a person. A beast lurks within both of their gazes and while their wolves are completely leashed, but for some reason both men sport the yellow eyes of the moon. Mostly because the trio is arguing with one another.

"You should have told us -" First male.
"We could have helped -" Second male.
"I didn't want your help." Mercy. "Two wolves already died because of me. I wasn't going to risk /more/."
"That's a stupid reason to not ask, you could have /died/." First male again. The second male just offers a noise of agreement.
"I didn't. We're /good/." Mercy again.

And at this point that knock at the side door is heard. It causes Mercy to look from the wolves to the door and with a quiet breath, she says, "That's probably her." And again her gaze is back to the wolves, "Play nice. And remember I am not a wolf you can boss around. Neither is she." That last is said for good measure, even as the mechanic finally stomps her way over to the door. With movements laced with a tinge of frustration and anger, Mercy pulls the door open. While that irritation might permeate her scent her expression is anything but. There's cautiousness there, as Mercy looks to the other woman, to see how she is. "Hey." She states gently, the door being pushed open by one hand, "Come on in."

Okhotnik has posed:
With the ears of the tiger, Diya cannot miss the argument, though she does not know the meaning of all of what she hears. Nevertheless, she understands the frustration lacing Mercy's scent, and she stays still, letting Mercy move through that feeling before she moves; she is well aware her presence in this situation is going to ramp up the tension, and she has no desire to make things worse than they have to be.

"Hello." Diya offers, her Russian accent in clear and plain view, but moderated; she is capable of speaking English quite clearly, and she does so now. She picks up the scents of the two wolves inside, and she stands still, inhaling deeply as she lets her own beast's instincts sample for anything - or anyone - else out of place. Fewer explosives in the open this time, at least. That's better.

Once assured she isn't smelling a tactical team inside, and the wolves seem neutral, rather than already aggressive, the homeless vet nods, and steps inside past Mercy, her own eyes glowing slightly in reflected light as her gaze snaps instantly towards the wolves, visibly knowing where they would be inside, by sound and scent.

"You ... are friends of Mercy?" Diya questions, very directly. To say that her hackles are up would be an understatement. But she is keeping it controlled, trying to defuse things as best she can. It's not her natural state, but she can try. For Mercy.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Once Diya is within the garage Mercy will keep pace with the other woman. Neither falling behind, or pulling ahead, just staying right by her side. A show of solidarity there from the coyote, to the tiger, perhaps against the two wolves within her domain. Even if they're known wolves.

It's only with Diya's question that Mercy will allow a soft snort to be heard, a corner of her mouth hitching high upward. "Friends?" Begins the mechanic, "No, it's better. We're family." And that last word of Mercy's is laced with a caustic tone; more sarcam than Mercy has likely ever shown in front of Diya. Though perhaps not the two wolves as they both turn a level look upon Mercy Thompson. Then to each other - silent words passed between the two.

Yes, they can sense what mood the little coyote is in.

"Paul -" Mercy says and points to the taller of the two, "- Elliott." With the two introduced Mercy then turns slightly to Diya, "This is Okhotnik." And while Mercy does know her true name is Diya, for now, Mercy sticks with the more codename of the two. Allowing Diya to determine when to give the two wolves the right to call her anything else.

With the introductions completed the two wolves look to the Russian woman. While neither of their eyes are the sharp yellow-gold shade of the moon behind their eyes is each of their beasts. The wolves always there. Carefully leashed by both men, always peering out from within their own eyes, their own senses. Even their movements hold the telltale signs of the animals within.

And while both men assess Diya it's Paul who speaks first, "Like Mercy said, we're family. She tells us you need help." A lesser wolf wouldn't likely hold Diya's gaze, but both Paul and Elliott will.

Okhotnik has posed:
Okhotnik gives a slight nod of acknowledgement to each wolf as they are named to her. She stays very still, however, as they move; she does not dark draw closer, as her instincts tell her to do so right now would be to issue challenge to those she is not yet sure she wants to fight.

"She tells me this as well." Diya answers, honestly. No, she does not ask that help for herself, not yet; she does not yet fully understand what that help would be, or what it would entail. But she has chosen to trust Mercy, and so she is here to meet, and to listen. To learn what may lie ahead, and choose that path for herself in the knowing.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
While Elliott has deferred to Paul, the slightly more dominant of the two, that doesn't stop him from sliding a subtle gaze to Mercy when Diya speaks. There's a slight question there, as well as something else. Sardonic humor? Perhaps. If looks good be verbalized Elliott would be saying something along the lines of 'now what have you brought to us'. For Mercy, she sees that look for what it is and the look returned is, along with her stance shifting to her hands settling upon her hips.

The byplay isn't lost upon Paul as he shifts just enough to give Elliott a silent message - pay attention - which Elliott (thankfully) does.

As for Diya, it's good that she doesn't move aggressively. Even though both men have their wolves reigned inward, that doesn't mean they'd stop themselves from responding to any sort of challenge. It's the nature of the beast.

Diya's words are considered by Paul and with a cock of his head he'll finally speak, "You're not wolf." He states, "But that doesn't mean we can't help." And here is where Paul finally moves, taking a step towards both Mercy and Diya, "You're having problems? Blackouts? Missing memories?" And while Paul could come right out and say why the two of them have been called, he doesn't. Not just yet. He's waiting to see how Diya answers those (somewhat) rhetorical questions of his.

Okhotnik has posed:
The ashen blonde Russian eyes both men, noticing the interplay without having quite enough knowledge of them as individuals to translate all of the messages. She could guess, but she's concentrating very hard, so she lets the unspoken messages mostly slip past her beyond simple awareness.

The woman shakes her head. "No. I am not wolf." Green eyes slant towards Mercy, and then back to Paul. "She tells me I am likely tiger." she says the word more like she's spitting a curse than saying a noun. "And yes. Missing time, blackouts. I believe she is right: I am changing. Moreso recently, for a while, though that has calmed down. But I have no memory of these changes. Mercy says that is not the way it should be."

Diya does not claim knowledge she does not have, and she does not assume that anything lore may have whispered to her is necessary at all correct. She starts with stark, absolute statements of truth, and proceeds from there.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
The slant of Diya's eyes toward her earns a faint smile from Mercy. Something that perhaps translates to 'you're doing great'. If circumstances weren't so serious Mercy might give a thumbs-up, but this particular matter isn't all that light-hearted.

Approval can be seen in Paul's eyes now when Diya answers his questions honestly, that makes it easier. It's harder when a person lies to themselves, but more importantly to their beast. He continues to approach the woman, his steps slow, most of his movements telegraphed for all within the garage to see. "It isn't." He agrees, "And yes, from what Mercy has told us of you, it sounds likely you were attacked by a were-tiger." At those words of his Paul can't help but allow a small smile to play across his lips. Outside of their world saying such things would likely cause a person to give him the crazy eye, but within here, it all seems quite normal.

The last few steps of his will start to pull Paul into Diya and Mercy's personal space. He'll stop just when he's within the outskirts of just acceptable to most animals. Then he waits to see how she handles it. That doesn't stop him from speaking, however, as he adds, "Those missing memories and blackouts should stop once you can control the change. That doesn't mean high emotions or circumstances won't pull the tiger out unintentionally, but it should be harder."

Okhotnik has posed:
Something within Diya rankles when Paul nears that edge of 'acceptable space,' and a deep subsonic sound starts to rumble forth from within the ashen blonde Russian, something more felt than heard, though the wolves and coyote can hear it far more clearly than humans. It is a sound that wakes atavistic horror in most humans, and it's coming from a supposedly human woman.

Diya's eyes flare, amber taking over her natural green, and those with far more experience would understand Diya's tiger is very, very touchy right now. She's not saying they can't come any closer, but she is making it very clear that she is aware they are there, and if her person will not tell them to watch themselves, she will.

Damnit.

"It would be ... easier ..." Diya continues, but only after a while. "if I could feel it coming. Living homeless, replacing my clothes is not easy." She doesn't bring up why she's living homeless. Just that she is. "And I worry that the monster will attack others I don't want attacked, the way I was attacked." Diya doesn't bring up that a big part of her would rather find a way to kill herself and the beast successfully. She's trying to stay positive, but it's not easy.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
That rumble of displeasure from the tigress causes all three to become instantly more alert.

For Mercy, that alertness translates into a spike of wariness in her scent, as well as a slight tension within her muscles. For Elliott it's similar to what Mercy is experiencing, though with the added change to his eyes. The edges of them have now acquired a ring of yellow brightness.

While Paul's scent shows a touch more wariness to it, he seems the least affected. Until one gets to his eyes, that is. They're bright yellow-gold, the beast clearly seen there, as Paul and the beast watch Diya and her tigress. While Diya's words are heard and listened to, Paul's first response is to her beast. While his words are neither sharp, nor loud, what he does say is stated with resolve, firmness, an absolute confidence. The quiet strength behind them reverberates throughout his tone, as he says, "Calm yourself."

Again those two words are for the tigress, not Diya.

Now, for Diya, Paul nods. "Valid worries." He agrees, "And something we can help with." And while he should say more, he doesn't. Not until he sees how the tigress reacts to that command to relax.

Mercy, for her part, simply watches and waits. She knows the struggle that's currently playing out and in this, she doesn't nose in. For this to work the Alpha has to be able to keep control of the situation. Not her. Not the coyote.

Okhotnik has posed:
Paul will find that Diya's tigress does not appreciate orders. From anyone. That aura of a living, breathing predator looks out through Diya's eyes, and snarls back. But just once. Once, to make absolutely sure the wolf knows that she chooses to calm down, not that is doing so at his command or behest. And she is more than willing to prove it, if he wants to push his luck.

Outwardly, Diya clenches, falling to a knee even on the concrete floor, fists tight. She sucks in breath, and then pushes herself back up to her feet by sheer will, and shakes her head. ~"Stop it."~ she growls. ~"Damn you, stop it. Your friend tried to kill me. Now you ruin my life. STOP! I will not fight these wolves for your blind, stupid pride! They say they can help, and I want that help."~ the soldier growls out in Russian.

Diya is no telepath; she does not argue with her tigress silently. She has not learned how. But she has a mighty, indomitable will, and she is prepared to use it like a club on the monster inside her, until she relents or they both die.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
The wolf within Paul sees that tigress and hears that snarl and the wolf sees that as a challenge. Unlike Diya, however, Paul doesn't let it go beyond that. Instead the amber-eyed man's lips thin to a tight line, as he leashes the wolf tightly within himself.

Elliott's eyes by this point have likewise gone bright and yellow.

For Mercy, she can't quite stop the rise of her hands, a placating gesture in that movement of hers. She has yet to say anything, however, again knowing this is resting solely upon Paul and his wolf.

The three watch Diya as she struggles, as she falls to the ground, pleading in Russian for her Tiger to listen. While none of them speak Russian it's not hard for any of them to understand what she's doing. What she's asking. It's within her scent, within her tone of voice, and when she rises back to her feet they continue their silent vigil. Witness to the woman trying to overcome the baser instincts of an animal. It's with her back upon her feet that Elliott steps forward now. He may have strong alpha tendencies, but within the confines of their little pack, he's taking on the role of the more submissive wolf. This allows his wolf a bit of leeway and the beast within Elliott calls out in a voice of reason.

'Listen to your person. They are right. You must become one. You must be whole. If you cannot be whole you cannot be allowed to live.'

And Elliott now stretches a hand out to Diya, an offer of strength, of help, of aid within that gesture of his. "Take my hand." He urges softly, to both beast and woman.

That hand is a test - to see if both will listen, to see if Diya can control her tigress enough to do what he asks, to see if the beast can be controlled.

Okhotnik has posed:
The Russian soldier pants slightly, her body reacting to the stress of her confrontation with the tigress inside as it would to a physical battle. With agonizing slowness, the rippling beneath her skin stills, at last. The bulgin of her muscles. The pulsebeat in her throat. That lethal amber in her eyes remains, but glows a bit less brightly, easing back from the edge of magic and agony that is the transformation.

"Sorry." Diya offers, her accent thick and razor-edged. "It -- the monster -- is not very happy being given orders, just now." she explains. Then she reaches out her hand, looking at it for a moment as if to make sure it is only a woman's hand, however strong, and not a monster's paw and claws. And then she places that hand on Elliott's.

"Why is it not as angry with you as it is with him?" Diya questions, her head giving a little jerking gesture towards Paul. She has the terrible beast leashed, if only by a hair's breadth. But she has so much to learn about what she has become, made more challenging by the fact that the person, the woman, hates the creature inside. She resents it. She never wanted this.

Are the wolves able to comprehend enough of that to realize it may well be part of the root of the mental block that keeps Diya and her tiger so separated, including their memories?

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Mercy breathes a sigh of relief.

The tension that both Paul and Elliott feel lessens.

The two were prepared to fight, if they needed to, to even kill, if the woman lost control of her beast. It's something they've done before and will likely have to do again, but for today it seems that battle is forestalled. At least, for this particular moment.

When Diya places her hand in Elliott's the man gives her a smile. He'll even go so far as to squeeze her hand in comfort. The way she describes her beast is heard and both wolf and human offer a denial, "No." Elliott says, "Not a monster. She's not a monster. Nor are you." He continues, even as Paul in this moment, takes a back seat. A good leader knows when to let others take the lead. "She's just another side of you, that's all. When you realize that and see how she can help you, it'll get better."

As to that last question, that causes Elliott to flash a smile, a closed-lipped thing, since most weres react to the showing of teeth. "The three of us here -" Meaning him, Paul and Diya, "Are creating the dynamics of a pack." A look is cut to Mercy now, not quite apologetic, but something there. "In this particular pack I'm the least dominant. Your tiger senses this and most animals try to protect the 'weaker' ones within the pack." A corner of the man's mouth lifts upward when he says weaker, "It makes it easier for her to listen to what I have versus Paul."

At this point Paul steps back into view, "For now, at least. If you ever join a pack you'll still need to learn to listen to the alpha, whether your tiger agrees or not. First, though, we need to get you and your beast talking to one another. What you just did was the first step in learning to control her. Now we just need to get you to the point where you can hear her before she erupts so furiously."

Okhotnik has posed:
Diya glances, momentarily, towards Mercy. She heard the exhalation of that sigh, and the subtle change in scent reached her nose. She is still getting used to these things, but she doesn't deny she picked it up.

Diya watches Elliott, listening, but she bristles a bit - a purely human thing, not reflected in the tigress at all. "I -- Did Mercy tell you what happened?" Diya did explain how it is she became what she is. But she cannot know what has or has not been explained to these others. "I call it a monster, because that is what the other was. What it did." Unlike most modern wolves, Diya wasn't given a choice. She is a survivor of a vicious and brutal, rapacious attack, one that should have resulted in her death. Only the fact she contracted the disease vector allowed her to survive. And so she was changed. Against her will, and with no preparation, no training.

In Diya's heart and mind, the tiger inside her is a monster, a destroyer of lives. Others have tried to tell her that her tiger is not like that; indeed, those who have spent time with the tiger have found her to be even more friendly - in her own tiger way - than Diya herself, less bogged down by the human woman's PTSD and profound trust issues. But Diya does not believe; she cannot trust the creature, the monster inside her, because she cannot divorce it from the one that slaughtered her.

"Tigers ... they do not have packs." Diya offers to Elliott, questioningly. Apparently that does not matter, or not entirely, as the pack responses are still happening. But she is aware that normal tigers don't do this. And it is up for debate whether or not a tiger's loner status has been part of what has kept Diya from forming new bonds and friendships, what makes her so standoffish. "But a wolf pack - like yours - might accept something like me?"

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Diya's glance is met by Mercy and a smile is there for the other woman. The coyote continues to stay just out of the dynamics though, even if Elliott's look earns a vague shrug from the woman.

And beneath that shrug a scent of old pain, an old hurt. Her place will always be on the outside. That hurt soon fades to resolve, however.

Mercy has had many years to be okay with her status and she is. She is.

Back to Elliott and Paul, Paul once again takes control of this particular meeting. "Mercy told us." He stays quietly, his gaze moving to meet Diya's. "You aren't the first who was changed against their will. We have many wolves in the pack who had similar encounters. None of them are monsters and neither are you." And his scent rings true, all he's said is truth, no well-intentioned lies, no hidden meanings, just truth. "It is something you will have to learn, but that lesson will take time. Years, likely, before you can see the truth."

Elliott will keep a hold of Diya's hand, for however long she'll keep it there. Touch is a good way to help calm the beast and the person, to keep tabs upon what's happening within, when scent and other ways aren't enough.

Her last question, about acceptance into the pack, earns a look between Paul, Mercy and Elliott now. It's Paul who will finally answer, "I believe so. Our Alpha believes so, but it won't be as easy as it is with a wolf - but you are a were, and we believe the pack will accept you and your beast."

With those words of his, both amber-yellow eyes of the wolves go to Mercy silently.

Their gazes are met with a smile from Mercy, her expression tight, though she says nothing to those looks. The three of them know how well she was accepted into the pack. A coyote, but not a were, a shifter, but not ruled by her animal. A woman, versus beast and woman. An anomaly in the flow of the pack.

Okhotnik has posed:
Diya looks at Paul very intently; it would be obvious to all present that the woman is leveraging and evaluating everything her augmented senses can tell her, judging his honesty, his truth. She finds no lie in him, and says nothing more on the subject. She cannot currently imagine truly feeling that the tiger isn't a monster, and that she is a monster because it is inside her. But this man - this wolf? - believes it can happen. That it should. That is something that bears thinking on.

"But joining ... that will be my choice. As much as your pack's? Your alpha's?" Diya questions, carefully. They won't make her join, just because they decide that is the way it should be? She's hoping not. If it were instead a volunteer thing, it would be like the army. That, then, was her first 'pack'. No choice about joining her family, she never regreted that one. And she never regreted the army until they abandoned her.

"You said I need to learn to listen to it, even when it isn't very upset?" Diya questions, considering again. "I usually ignore it, shut it out." Obvious, of course, but she says it anyway. It's the truth, her truth, from whence she begins. Indeed, Diya's solution to making peace here was to shout down her tiger until the beast relented to her will and backed off. She didn't make peace with her tiger, so much as she viciously held on until the tiger took a back seat once again.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"Your choice." Paul says in agreement, but then cautions, "But know that lone wolves - or weres in this case - find it harder to acclimate within the world. They find it difficult to make the same connections as they would find within a pack. It is a lonely life."

Mercy looks away at his explanation and of warning and back to Diya. The coyote nods; knowing what Paul says is the truth. For weres and shifters like the three before her.

It's, however, Diya's last words that bring both wolves back to the forefront. "You can't do that anymore." Comes Paul's matter-of-fact response, "If you do your tiger will never be integrated and eventually she will suppress the human side and rule the body." And here is where Paul pauses and flicks a look to Elliott, now Elliott takes up the thread, "And if that happens -" The taller man says, "- You will turn into the same thing that forced the change onto you. A mindless beast looking to attack anything and all. Is that what you want?"

Perhaps harsh words, but it's still the truth. "It's your decision, Okhotnik. We will help, but it's you who has to make the final decision to start to listen to your beast. And if the answer is yes, then let us get started."

Okhotnik has posed:
Diya frowns, considering their words. She is not so much upset by them as clearly considering and weighing them carefully in all of their implications. She nods a bit as she meets Mercy's gaze, accepting that. She has most definitely found it hard to build connections with others. And she can acknowledge, wordlessly, that she has been incredibly lonely since she had to run away from her team in Russia.

Diya seems a bit surprised by Paul's latter words, and she listens quite intently. "You are saying that thing ... the monster that killed me ... shutting it out would lead to becoming like that?" She hadn't even considered that possibility. She had assumed shutting down the beast was the safest course: shut it up, shut it out, tamp it down and keep its monstrous activity zeroed out, removing any potential threat.

It might also be worth recognizing that Diya honestly considers the attack in Siberia to have been her murder; it was, after all, the end of her life as she knew it.

"I don't like the idea." Diya admits, honestly. Of course she wouldn't; only an idiot would expect her to. "But I cannot allow myself to become like that. I would rather someone figure out how to kill me for good, than to allow that. So if figuring out how to listen to it gives me a chance to stop that, I will try."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"It's likely that the beast that changed you was someone lost, yes." Elliott states, after a wordless look to Paul. "Someone who either couldn't control their beast, or was pushed too far and the beast took control."

Again there's a relief that can be scented and might felt when Diya accepts their offer. Elliott will go so far as to squeeze the hand he still holds, before finally letting go. "Good." Paul says, a smile gracing his features, "Then let's go. We'll go outside the city. Mercy picked the spot." And with a look to Mercy, the wolves allow the coyote to have a say here. Focusing upon Diya, Mercy nods, "It's about an hour outside the city. It's a place I like to go to run. Very little human interference, lots of rolling hills and grassy land. Not too many trees, however. Let's get going." And just like that Mercy is on the move; she'll grab a small pack that's stuffed with extra clothing for everyone, as well as some food, and water. Once the pack is shouldered the coyote looks to Diya. "You can ride with me. Paul and Elliott have their own cars."

Well, car. Really truck. It's the big truck sitting out in the parking lot.

When everyone is all set and ready Mercy leads the way. It's almost ironic in some ways, that the coyote leads a tiger and two wolves to where they need to go, but if that irony is felt, nothing is said. The trip is as Mercy stated, nearly a full hour. When they arrive they'll find themselves on a side road, really a 'country' road. It's packed dirt and it ends into a field of long-stemmed grass. Light pollution is at a minimum here, so the black sky is like velvet and allows the stars to shine even brighter. While the moon isn't full it's almost there and it's nearly round body steadily rises upward into the sky.

Mercy grabs the small bag of extra things and straightens up. She'll look first to Diya, to see how she's doing, and then to Paul and Elliott. The two wolves seem somewhat relaxed as their gaze scans the area around the four.

They wait, however, to say anything more as they too unobtrusively wait to see how Diya is doing.

Okhotnik has posed:
Diya does not seem to mind the unsettled hinterlands into which they have traveled. She stays quiet in the vehicle, watching all around herself as Mercy drives. But she definitely winds down the window once they truly leave behind traffic and the press of humanity, sucking in large lungs full of fresh air. But when they finally park, Diya opens her door and steps out, leaning against the vehicle as she takes it all in quietly.

"I see the extra clothing." Diya murmurs, a tint of curiosity in her voice. She has never practiced before, never tried to call the tiger. In fact, she doesn't even have a memory of changing, of ever being either way. She trusts Mercy, and others, and believes that she truly is a weretiger. But she could never prove it on her own. "Does that mean we're actually going to ... try to change?" She definitely sounds uncertain about that.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"For you and the wolves, yes." Mercy says when Diya mentions the extra clothing, "Wolves are hard on clothes, I'm going to assume you will be too." And a hint of humor might be heard within her voice now, as she tries to keep the mood lighter. "And if you don't need them tonight you can take them with you, for later." The coyote adds, just in case there was any doubt where the clothes would end up.

Once everyone is settled Paul nods towards the open and grassy fields. "Let's head out there a bit. Get some space between us and the road."

With those words of his Elliott and Paul move out, then Mercy follows, though she will wait for Diya to keep pace. "And yes, you're going to try and change." Even with their murmured voices Elliott will turn his head to look over at the two women, a faint smile curling his lips upward.

The walk for perhaps fifteen minutes or so, far enough away that the cars look smaller, but not quite far enough to lose sight of them. When the four are settled Paul and Elliott turn to face the two women. Mercy, for her part, settles more on the peripheral of the group than within. The bag slung over her shoulder will be dropped upon the ground with very little fanfare.

Staggering themselves into a loose circle, Paul nods to Elliott, "We're going to keep this simple. Elliott will change - as he changes you should feel some of the inherit process. Then we'll have you try to communicate with your beast - if you can, that's one step closer to changing voluntarily. If you can't we'll try to carefully call her forth to allow you to get a feel for her."

And once again the weres wait, allowing Diya to find her comfort level with this.

Okhotnik has posed:
Diya doesn't mind hiking or being out in the open at all. She trudges along happily enough with the others, and could easily outpace most unenhanced folk without even trying; she could do this stuff even before the tiger. Now, she just doesn't even get tired.

The walk gives her plenty of time to think, however. And Diya is not super thrilled about the idea of inducing the change. She's nervous. She can't help that; much as others have sworn to her that the tiger is not a monster, not a threat, her heart and mind are still stuck in the prejudices, feelings and fears of years, built upon the bone-deep horror of her near-murder. She said she would try, and so try she shall. But she's nervous.

When they stop and discuss all of this, the Russian soldier looks to the others. "I would rather not destroy my clothes." She shrugs her shoulders. "Homeless people don't exactly pack a wardrobe." She doesn't make a big thing of how she lives, or how it's going. It is what it is. But she is very matter of fact aout the limitations.

"Would it offend you if I undressed for this?" Diya queries. Hey. Some people are squeamish about such things. But Diya was a soldier in a mixed unit in the field, and has now been a homeless woman for years; she lost most of her modesty a long time ago. She doesn't flount, but she gets through whatever she has to get through. Like now.

"I've never been great with ... 'meditation' games. Just a fair warning." Diya offers, as she pulls off her jacket, then shucks her boots, socks, pants and shirt, rolling it all up and then tossing the tightly-managed pack, bound with the belt, towards Mercy to put with the other spares. She seems not to mind the revelation of very utilitarian, unpretty drab and obvious Army surplus undergarments, or the visibly buff and tightly muscled but still feminine form usually hidden away beneath all those clothes.

Undressed, Diya settles and watches, waiting. They expect her to feel Elliott changing? OK. She's not at all sure how that would work. But ... she is here to learn. Or try like Hell anyway.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
It's Elliott who answers, somewhat dryly, "You'll find most wolves have little reaction to nudity." Paul's expression and even Mercy's expression shows agreement. "And while we're loathed to destroy clothes I won't lie, it happens way more than you can expect." That's still Elliott speaking there, even as he nods to what Paul has to say.

Much like Diya, Elliott will quickly disrobe, his clothes being set aside. Then with a glance to Diya and then the rest, Elliott returns his attention to the tigress. He allows one more brief smile before something within him shifts -

For those around it's a feeling of pressure. One minute nothing and then the next second the air is heavy. The feeling around Elliott is all crackling tension and it builds until like a bubble it finally bursts -

With that the man's arms, legs and torso begin to elongate to unreasonable (for a human) proportions. His back legs seemingly snap and reform into those of a wolves, his features are similar, allowing a muzzle to form, ears to appear. Reddish-brown fur likewise begins appears all over the man's body.

The process only takes twenty to thirty seconds, though perhaps to those watching it seems longer, and when the painful process is completed there before the group is a large red-brown wolf. The wolf's eyes glow that bright yellow-amber and with a shake of his head Elliott will suddenly throw his head back and howl.

Paul keeps his attention upon Diya throughout the transformation, to see how the woman reacts. Mercy is doing much the same.

Okhotnik has posed:
The Russian woman nods to Elliott, accepting his words, watching without leering, just staying observant and tuned-in to what he's saying and how. She can accept and understand that, at least in a theoretical sense. Perhaps this experience will make that into something more concrete? Only time will tell.

The pressure is a feeling unlike anything Diya has ever felt before. It is uncomfortable; her skin crawls. The loose and amorphous 'pack sense' that has built up between the three - four? - itches as the energies of the transformation begin. But she - mostly - holds that back. There is uncertainty there, and confusion.

But the amber light of her tiger lights within the depths of Diya's eyes, and she makes a face, as pressure builds within her jaw, an uncomfortable if not yet painful ache.

Diya's last thought, unspoken, is a warning: if thise goes badly, she has to hope these people know enough to know how to kill it. She doesn't, and she has tried more than once.

Other signs begin to manifest, things that the more experienced would recognize and catalog: a faint rippling beneath Diya's skin; signs of 'itching'; little muscle twitches and twinges. And then there is a look in those eyes: another consciousness staring out of them, masking a very human stink of fear and confusion.

Diya is confused and afraid; Diya's tiger, on the other hand, is curious. She has poked herself out at times of stress and anger. She has manifested at times of compulsion, need, or weakness. But she has never come this close without the human woman pounding on her, beating her back, fighting her for every inch. So she is curious; will she truly be allowed out?

Diya makes an odd choking sound as the process begins for her. Her transformation is not nearly so smooth or as fast as Elliott's. Indeed, her transformation looks and sounds positively agonizing. A muscle twitch becomes the sound of a bone snapping, a tendon ripping, a joint exploding. She convulses on the ground, going nearly fetal as her whole body twitches and writhes, hips shifting, limbs lengthening, spine more than tripling in length. Where the Hell all that mass comes from is anyone's guess. Orange, black and white fur ripples out through the skin. Jaws snap and break and shift, realigning as massive teeth sprout from a head that has more than doubled in size. The tail's appearance, by comparison, is almost anticlimactic, as it unfolds from her twisting spine.

The whole process takes perhaps ten minutes. There is no denying that they are ten minutes of purely unadulterated sensory Hell. But when they end, a truly ginormous creature lies on the grass, panting, looking at the wolf and the wolf-on-two-legs nearby, making an uncertain rumbling of a purr that is not pleasure, but a warning of hypersensitivity. The not quite six foot tall woman has been replaced with a twelve foot long, six foot or so at the shoulder frosted Siberian tigress that masses a thousand pounds or so.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Paul watches. As does Mercy.

Witnessing the tiger and woman deal with the realities and ugliness of the transformation. Neither the coyote or the human-wolf wince as bones snap and reform, tendons tear and repair. Both have seen enough transformations for it to lose that painful connotation for either of them.

Elliott, in his wolf form, likewise watches with amber-glowing eyes. His posture is alert, his ears forward and turned to the tigress. It's only after her transformation is complete and the large tigress is finally revealed to all, that the wolf will toss his head back. A howl is offered to the nearly full moon, night sky and the stars above. A sound of happiness, of success, of completion. Of welcome.

And while Diya has successfully completed that transformation, Paul and Mercy don't quite offer words of congratulation. Not yet. A look is sent to Mercy, from Paul, before he says to the rumbling Tigress, "How do you feel?" And it's clear from his tone of voice that he's expecting a human response from the tiger. Oh, not in words, no, but in other ways to show some sort of evidence that it's the human who's in control versus the beast.

All three likewise don't necessarily move closer to the transformed Okhotnik. Instead they all hold where they are as they await her answer.

Okhotnik has posed:
The huge creature lies in the grass, panting, ears lowered but not backward in anger, rather forward in mild distress, or at least displeasure. Her whole form droops right now, with the aftershocks of hypersensitivity. Her head pulls back a bit from the howl, not appreciating it as perhaps another wolf might, but also not roaring a challenge or taking a swipe at Elliott for expressing himself.

When the wolf on two feet speaks, the cat turns her head up and over towards him, considering again. She tilts her head to the side, watching him, sniffing him; her instincts are much stronger like this, stronger indeed than Diya has ever known them to be, consciously, and those instincts are very much on edge. Still, she shakes her head, tossing her ruff. She yawns that giant mouth of hers, as if offering to swallow up the wolf whole, then snaps it shut and lays her head down on her forepaws.

After a few minutes, the tigress rises up, shaking herself a bit from head all the way back to her lashing tail. Then she glances at the coyote, finding herself to have a much clearer mental image of who and what Mercy is than she did before. Then she turns and pads over towards Paul, looking up at him, and then over at Elliott, and back to Paul. There is no feline gesture language for 'weird', but the gaze coming out of those huge amber eyes is intelligent, self-aware, and responding as best she can to spoken language when she has none.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Instincts at play. They are both good things and bad. The animal is there to give advice, to alert a person to danger, to the undertones of a room, to everything humans can't see, scent, hear.

It's hard to fight those instincts, the wolves know this, and that is why Paul is quite cautious currently.

His own eyes reflect both himself and his beast, as the amber-yellow shines bright within his gaze. The yawn from the tigress and the snap of jaw causes a slight tension from the two-footed wolf, but beyond the vague tension within his body and his scent, he doesn't otherwise show anything else.

For Mercy, at the glance from the tigress she smiles. And while her coyote doesn't necessarily have a strong voice within her, it's there. A companion that's integrated within her whole self. Neither a beast, nor a human, but something more. Part mortal, part not. It's all there wrapped within her scent to be parsed and possibly understood.

When it's clear that Diya is in control, versus the beast, both Elliott and Paul look relieved. For Elliott it's more based upon scent, as a wolf's face can't quite betray all of the same emotions as a human's face. For Paul, it's both his scent and his expression that reveals his relief, as they both relax minutely. "Good." He says quietly, before he adds, "Now change back to a human." And beneath his words Diya might hear a note of grim humor within. He understands what he's asking her to do - changing so quickly isn't fun, or always easy, but it must be done.

She must be able to change to and fro for him to consider this successful.

"If you can accomplish that, afterwards we'll hunt. Get you used to all your senses, your new body. Blow off some steam." He finishes with, his expression quite serious.

Okhotnik has posed:
The giant cat makes a sound of protest at that direction. She would much rather do this hunting, exploring this new body of hers, than to attempt to shift back right now. Shifting into this form hurt, and hurt badly. She has only now recovered from that pain. And now Paul is asking her to subject herself to that again.

And then there's the problem of not being sure she can. Diya found the 'trigger' for pushing herself into the tigress' form by following the tug and flow of the energy across the bond with the two wolves as Elliott changed. No one is shining any headlights to show her the way back.

Still, Diya lowers her head, annoyed and dejected, and pads back over to her spot, lying down. At the least, she is going to make sure she is comfortable while she tries to find where in her skull to prod to make this change happen. It's not quick. In fact, she may well lie there for ten or fifteen minutes; meditation is not exactly a skill taught in the Spetznaz. But just about at the point when the others have likely given up on her, Diya seems to find it, as her feline form starts bucking, twisting, breaking itself as it shifts and molds and reshapes. As before, it is a long, agonizing process, as all of that mass is shed, all of that size disappears, and she slowly, painfully melts back into her human seeming, fur rippling away beneath hr skin as her short-kept ashen blonde mane reappears, and the naked woman lies, panting, mewling, and feeling quite helpless in the grass.

Touch her and die.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
No, this time, Elliott didn't offer the road map for turning back human.

Purposely so.

Now they wait. Mercy's expression mirrors some of Paul's grimness. While she herself isn't a wolf she knows how this goes. The test Paul just offered to Diya.

The tension with the waiting is palpable, but the trio continue to patiently watch Diya. It's Elliott who finally shifts, perhaps intending to shift from wolf to human, but whether he was or not is shut down when Paul just gives him a /look/. That censure communicated quite neatly with that look of his.

Thankfully, Diya begins to shift as she figures out what caused her to shift in the first place. It's once more a terrible sight to behold, as well as hear, and Mercy's expression loses some of that grimness and instead turns to something close to a wince. It's only after the woman has shifted back to her human form that everyone breathes a faint sigh of relief.

And no, no one touches her. The only thing that happens is Mercy taking a step closer to Diya. She'll even go so far as to crouch down near the nude woman, "Hey. You're okay. You did good. Just rest." Those murmured words are said quietly, intended for comfort than actual conversation.

Paul stays where he's at and waits for the woman to regain some composure. When she does, the Alpha allows a smile to twitch his lips upward. "Mercy's right - you did good." And while there is no pack bond between Okhotnik and the wolves, the beast within Paul's gaze exudes enough power to possibly give a sense of approval. A good job, indeed.

Okhotnik has posed:
Diya shakes a bit as she just lies there, head down, panting as she waits for the aftershocks of sensitivity and pain to ebb and flow and finally go away. It takes her a much longer time than the wolves are likely used to, though of course some of that is just how new she is to it all. The other part may well be just how huge her tiger is, the drasticness of the change. There's enough different going on that it would be very hard to be sure.

Eventually, after another ten to fifteen minutes, Diya finally rolls her neck, a very human-sounding series of pops echoing with the motion. Then she sits up, moving slowly but steadily, until she can face Mercy and nod to the other woman. It helped, the sound of her voice, her reassurance. She didn't panic, didn't erupt into a fight response. PTSD on pain is not a pretty picture at all.

"Eliott?" Diya questions, gesturing just a bit to the other wolf, calling him closer. She reaches out, laying her hand in front of him, moving deliberately, telegraphing. Then she lays a hand into the ruff of his fur as she meets his eyes. "Thank you, for wanting to help." she offers. There. That's it. That's what she wanted.

Diya looks up at Paul and asks the question she'd rather not: "Does it always hurt that much?" She is figuring it does. But she wants an honest answer, nevertheless.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Mercy's expression turns slightly lighter when Diya finally speaks, finally moves. When the other woman rises to a more seated position, Mercy will drag the small bag she put upon the ground over. A gray short-sleeved shirt and a pair of sweatpants will be pulled out and set near Diya. A protein bar and a bottle of water will likewise be set near the woman.

Elliott, for his part, hears his name and sees the woman gesturing for him to draw closer. Before he moves he looks to Paul and the two-footed wolf nods, giving permission. With that allowance given, Elliott moves over to Diya. Her telegraphing of her movements is accepted for what it is; intelligence when surrounded by a beast that is both man and animal. His fur is both coarse and soft beneath her fingertips, her palm. When her eyes meet his own yellow-gold, she'll see more human than beast peering outward.

The thanks she offers is met with a sudden opening of his jaws, as Elliott offers a very wolfish-tongue-lolling grin at her. Apparently her thanks is quite appreciated.

Paul watches the exchange between wolf, coyote and tigress, only speaking up again when Diya asks her question. "Yes." Is his completely honest answer. "It will always hurt like that, but as you get used to changing it should get faster. A few minutes, versus how long it took tonight."

Then Paul settles into a crouch, as he looks across to the trio, "Rest for a bit, ask whatever other questions you have, then when you're feeling up to it we'll all change and hunt. It's a good night for it." What with the nearly full moon casting quite a bit of light upon the ground below.

Okhotnik has posed:
Diya gives Elliott a little scritch through his ruff before she lets go, nodding to him, clearly appreciating the grin. That tongue-lolling thing is actually cute. Interesting thing, that.

Diya doesn't bother trying to dress, given that Paul says they're going to change again. But she accepts and tigers down the protein bars. Her body is suddenly ravenously hungry. She can feel the gnawing inside, and a compulsion that answers to Paul's offer of a hunt; oh yes, she wants to hunt. But she also doesn't want to change again just now. Twenty minutes from now? Maybe.

Diya's questions are practical ones: what to visualize to help promote the shift; when and how it is safe to resist the urges, and how they work on resisting the urges of their animals; things they have run into that set off their animals, things for her to be aware of. And the litany goes on, likely spurred on a bit by her desire not to change just yet.

Diya does ask one question that might be a bit of a departure. "You seem to shift from human to animal, and back again. But unless I miss my guess, you don't seem to ever ... well. 'Stop in the middle' ? I met someone who does, often It made me curious." It made Diya want to put herself out enough to ask about that, to those who would know best. Clearly her nature as a weretigress is much closer to theirs as werewolves than anything the mutants do. So it's worth asking about that.

After the answers are done, after they talk it all out, Diya will be ready to put herself through some return torture, and shift back into her tigress to go for a hunt.

Poor deer.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
The questions are answered as they come.

WIth promises that they'll be able to help further; even when they return home. A call from Mercy and they'll return.

It's, however, at the question about a transition form that Paul shakes his head. "Our pack doesn't have a half form. For us it's either human, or wolf. Other shifts do, however, but not our particular pack." His head tilts now to the side, "If you like I can see if someone who can shift to a half-form can talk to you. Answer those questions for you -"

And when all is said and done and the questions trickle to nothing, and Diya has had a chance to rest, the group will finally hunt.

Coyote, Tigress and two Wolves.

They lope and chase and while the coyote might be more keen on playing than actual hunting, it turns out Mercy is quite good at it. As are the wolves. As is the tigress.

Poor deer, indeed.