449/An Unexpected Catch

An Unexpected Catch
Date of Scene:	15 May 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	A chance encounter on a beach turns into dinner and a camping trip. What did mom say about talking to strange animals?
Cast of Characters:	267, Feral

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Paisley (267) has posed:
    Paisley is walking along the edge of the south shore alone, at night. Her left hand is buried into the pocket of the leather motorcycle jacket she is wearing while the right holds a stone. She is watching as the most recent victim of her activities skitters across the surface of the water stretching out in front of her.
    Paisley is a slender thing, 5'3" and small for it, with long limbs for her height and a bit of muscle to shwo that she exercises regularly. The girl is wearing a dark blue band tee and black jeans atop tall black leather boots. Her belt is a steel chain and her hands are clolthed in black leather fingerless gloves. Her most visible feature, however, is her hair. It is a vivid blue, competing with eyes which might be too bright to be natural. She's dyed her brows as well as her tresses, long straight azure hair that abruptly become dreadlocks a few inches down, hanging past her shoulders.

    Scowling quietly Paisley skips another stone across the water, watching. It bounces three times perfectly leaving hardly a ripple as it sinks.

Feral has posed:
*Splish, splish, plunk!*

The stone disappears beneath the dark, moonlit waves a short distance out to sea, but before the ripples have died down, a thrash of water splashes around the rock's point of entry. Paisley's getting her stone back with interest.

A grey and distinctive fin breaches the surface first, followed by the shoulders, neck, and head of something almost human - but almost in not enough ways. As water washes off her grey tiger-striped hide and the figure grows, pale blue shark eyes peer inland through the darkness and thin nostrils expel a burst of water along with more from gills along the woman's neck and sides. Small claws tip her fingers and as she wades into the shallows, the falling obscurity of the ocean reveals the rest of her to be just as shark-skinned, just as finned, and just as worrisomely predatory in her build as the natural tiger sharks found further out to sea.

Vanya pauses when she's knee-deep in the surf and rocks a jaw full of shark teeth back and forth before spitting into her hand. "Is this yours?" She asks gruffly, holding up a familiar stone.

Paisley (267) has posed:
"Yep," Paisley responds slowly. She is staring but the way she narrows her eyes slightly and the faint scowl on ther lips suggests the girl isn't going to run away. It isn't that she isn't frightened, of course. Tension runs through the woman's shoulders, down her back, along her long, slender legs. She's ready to run... Or fight. But she doesn't turn away. Not from a shark. Not from a sharkwoman.

"Did it hit you or something?" Pais asks next. Her voice is a severe mezzo soprano that verges on an alto, full of plenty of raw pathos and bored teenage angst. The girl's expression is oen of near disinterest. Even if she's already all but admitted that she's frightened by what she sees.

"Look. It's just a rock, right." Paisley takes a deep, slow breath. One, then two measures. "I had no clue anyone was down there."

Feral has posed:
"I almost ate it," the were-shark replies as she hucks it over her shoulder and resumes her walk inland. As her legs force themselves through the surf the scales and fins begin to recede from her body, exposing human skin to the moonlight. "You're out late, aren't you?" she asks gamely, turning her head this way and that as wild and slightly more than shoulder-length hair sprouts anew from her head.

"No harm done. I'm not going to eat you," she teases with a grin that betrays a few shark teeth have stuck around.

Paisley (267) has posed:
"You missed a spot," Paisley offers helpfully, lifting her right index finger to indicate her own teeth helpfully. Then the girl nods slowly, shrugging as she does so, watching the scales recede. They stop as well and she nods once as this happens. "...Huh." The girl shifts her weight forward slightly taking a deep breath as she does.

"Out late, sure. Why not? Fewer assholes." Paisley cants her head slightly to the left then, bitign her bottom lip as heconsiders what to say next. "I appreciate you deciding not to eat me," she adds rather sarcastically but without any real malice in her tone. "Looking for something?"

Feral has posed:
Vanya only smiles wider as she comes fully ashore and walks towards the blue-haired young woman, showing off plenty more where the other teeth came from. "I already found it," she replies smugly. As her chimeric body reaches a new equilibrium, the scales linger in only a couple bands across her torso, leaving the rest of the older woman human and soaked in salt water.

"I missed a spot, huh? Care to show me where?" she goads, setting her hands on her hips and leaning towards Paisley with her shark-toothed maw open wide.

Paisley (267) has posed:
"I mean, sure. But looks like you were just making up your mind." Paisley shrugs at that, tilting her head as she does. When Vanya leans toward her the teen leans foward as well and reaches out with her left hand to indicate the teeth in question. She's not quite fearless but she acts it, arching a brow as she considrs the chimera standing in front of her. Paisley bites her bottom lip, shruggin.g

"Okay cool. You found what you were looking for," Pais continues in a fairly unhurried voice as she is moving. "So what happens now?" No resistance or concern at all. Just the somewhat diminutive, slender young woman with her vibrant dreadlocked hair standing right in front of Vanya.

Feral has posed:
Vanya straightens back up and lets out a hearty laugh that shakes her sharkskin. "I like you, kid. You don't scare too easy do you?" the were-woman asks fondly with a toothy smile that's becoming more human now that she's done showing off.

She gives an easy shrug. "Find my clothes and take a nap somewhere? A snack wouldn't hurt later but I filled up for now - lucky you."

Paisley (267) has posed:
"Nope. I've seen scarier things come out for me. Uglier too." Paisley shrugs at that, tilting her head enough that she can actually see Vanya's eyes finally. The smile is returned, though Paisley's is a bit more reserved. "You haven't tried to eat me yet and I'm sorry but sharklady doesn't beat werebitch for scary. Yet, at least. Breath is better."

Paisley shifts her weight from left to right now, moving her hand to bury it back into her pocket. "I might be able to help with a snack but clothes..." She shrugs again.

Feral has posed:
    It's hard to tell colors in the dim light but Vanya's eyes are dilated enough that they might as well be two black voids looking back at the blue-eyed youth. "I've got clothes nearby - you're definitely not my size," she replies mirthfully and with just a bit of cheer from the compliment.
    
    "Werebitch? That sounds like someone I want to meet," she considers while turning to brush past Paisley and move inland across the beach, trusting her to follow.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "No, I'm pretty sure I'm not," Paisley agrees, shrugging. "You probably couldn't even get my shirt on." She watches with her incredibly vivid, searingly blue eyes, meeting Vanya's gaze for a long moment. "But let's get you your clothes first." Paisley takes a moment to look Vanya over from hed to toe, somewhere between lascivious and evaluatory. She doesn't leer, at least.A

    "Might be hard to find the bitch. I kind of stabbed her in the kidneys and she ran off yelping. Plus this was in, like, Jersey." Paisley shrugs again now, apparently her signature gesture. She follows after Vanya as expected, with no resistance at all.

Feral has posed:
Vanya stares back unblinking, unwavering, patient, and a little amused as she lets Paisley drink in her gaze all she pleases - the calm of a predator absolutely unthreatened. She's more than a little taken studying the young woman's vibrant blue that stands out even in the dark, but eventually turns to resume her walk across the sands and find more civil garbs than bare flesh and bare scales. Dark shadows play within the wells and valleys of rippling sinew, exaggerating their depth and putting the feral woman's body in stark contrast. She's not a bodybuilder but an athlete, not an athlete but an animal, with a naturally-proportioned but well refined physique that's come from throwing herself from head to toe against the rest of nature. What's there is taut and gracefully marshaled as she walks rather than swollen to excess.

"I'll bet you twenty dollars I could, but your shirt might stretch a little," the shark-woman is quick to reply as she reaches a pile of rocks along the edge of the road and drops to her knees to part the sands, burrowing with her hands. "Mmm... That doesn't sound like me. Is that common in Jersey?"

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "I mean, Bludhaven isn't exactly the nicest place you can live if you don't like werebitches and demon dogs that piss fire on your lawn." Paisley shrugs again, though in perhaps a somewhat less confident way. She might be taken with what she sees as well. It's hard to tell with eyes where the sclera is overtaken in brilliance by the pupil in such a way. "And it's not a bad bet, but this shirt is a little tight on me and you're... Bigger. In multiple dimensions." She gestures vaguely to her chest and then gives a soft laugh as she takes a few quick steps to stand beside Vanya.

    Paisley is incredibly quick. She's light on her feet, with an alacriy that borders on the impossible. It matches the girl's build, perhaps, but woulds till draw attention to her movements. It's unavoidable, really. It's obvious that Paisley is a bit taken in regarding Vanya as well, similar messages in how the woman stand and regard one another.

    "So," Paisley begins with a beat of pause. "Snack. How do you feel about chili dogs?"

Feral has posed:
    Vanya laughs to herself as she leans over her hole, pointing her sharkskin butt at the moon as a natural instinct almost sends her nose in after her hands. "You would be surprised what you grow into. I was a late bloomer."
    The sound of shifting sands is replaced by a plastic crinkle as the were-woman's face lights up and she pulls a grocery bag out of her hole. Taking a moment to brush off some sand from it and her hands, she stands up and tries to clean the rest of herself. Fresh from the ocean, the beach clings to her body like glue.
    
    "Oh I'd love chili dogs," she moans wistfully. "Do you have any vegetarian?"

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Oh, I... don't think there's much that would surprise me on that account," Paisley offers rather wrily, shaking her head as she does so. She watches with a rather amused expression as Vanya fights her losign battle with the sand, again shifting her weight fom left tor ight while she stands there.

    "All that talk about eating me and you're a vegetarian?" Paisley snorts at that but there's a good-natured smile to follow. "...Nope. But if we head up the beach a little ways I know there's a place that'll sell us a couple." Paisley shrugs a bit at that, gesturing briefly with her hands.

    "I can probably also help with all that sand, if you really want." Paiseley frowns at this and reaches up one of those hands to drawh er fingers carefully through her long hair.

Feral has posed:
"It's on me like fur on a cat, but a little beach won't kill me," Vanya grumbles before giving up and pulling clothes from her bag. A quick snap uncurls a tank top and the rest of her upper scales recede just as the brown-haired woman pulls it down her front. Next comes a pair of red pants that look frankly like they've been mauled and the were-shark gives them a little more care in unrolling as its tattered edges threaten to gleefully pull themselves apart.

"Good joke, da?" the bottomless woman teases, flashing Paisley a smirk.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    Paisley flashes a wry grin and offers a thumbs up as Vanya asks her about the pants before rolling her shoulders again. "Anyway... Cool. Let's go then. It's a little bit of a walk to actually reach anything worth mentioning. Up for hopping a ride with me?" Paisley is pointing down the beach. Not too far away is a sleek back motorcycle, a beast with power as well as speed. It explains the jacket, if not Paisley's lack of a helmet.

    "Vegetarian chili dogs, even. Promsie." That comes with a sly grin from the smaller, darker haired woman. She keeps walking toward the bike. Vanya can follow or not.

Feral has posed:
    Vanya finishes dressing quickly, although the many holes in her pants make it questionable whether she's truly dressed without underwear underneath. The area of her hips is at least mostly whole. Still barefoot and crumpling the now-empty bag into her pocket, she makes a light jog to catch the blue-eyed teen and settle back into stride beside her. The footprints she leaves behind in the sand are well packed.
    "If your bike can handle me," she replies gamely while slapping her covered stomach. It's a firm, resonating sound. "I'm a lot heavier than I look. Something about having to fit a shark in here too."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Sure. Unless you're like eight hundred pounds?" Paisley looks Vanya over briefly and then shrugs before moving forward toward the bike in question with long strdes. "Well, let's find out, I guess." She gestures to the bike as she herself climbs astride it, taking a deep breath. "Just lean into me and don't weigh a thousand pounds and squash me flat, alright?" There'sa soft laugh as the girl looks down the nearby road, gauging something. "Other than that there aren't really any rules so let's just have some fun, okay?"

Feral has posed:
    The were-woman takes a moment to look down at herself thoughtfully as she comes up alongside the bike. "Well I haven't weighed myself in a while, but I don't think I'm *that* heavy," she responds coyly. A bare hand goes onto the back seat as Vanya puts her weight onto it, sinking the motorcycle's suspension.
    
    "Nice and sturdy. I like your bike," she compliments before slinging a leg over and nimbly hopping on. The weight in motion might be less kind to the machine but once she's settled it's not too much worse than a pair of large passengers. Vanya's arms wrap around Paisley's waist as she half-leans and half-pulls the smaller woman against her like a living, breathing chair back. That the were-shark is still wet from the ocean might become apparent quickly.
    
    "Ready when you are."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    Fortunately, it's a solid bike. Built for a decent load and two potential passengers, Vanya's excessive weight isn't enough to give the machine heart palpitations. Paisley? Paisley is rather thin and slightly below average height. Adding her to it is nothing. The girl is dragged back against Vanya untilt hey are pressed intimately close. She doesn't comment on how wet the were-shark seems to be, instead getting her bike into motion.

    Someone doesn't care about traffic laws. No helmet, speeding down the road at a pace that some people would call insane. her motorcycle roars as they set out to find the aforementioned chili dogs. "Place'll close if I'm too slow," Paisley notes in a voice that barely suppresses her glee.

    So long as no cops show up the world will be good.

Feral has posed:
    "Woah!" Vanya shouts as the bike jumps to life beneath her and she pinches the seat between her thighs to keep a good hold. She laughs at the thrill of sudden speed and seems to enjoy it just a little more for Paisley's flagrant manner. A cloud of mist is left in their wake to mingle with exhaust as the streaking air jet-dries the were-shark and whips her loose hair backwards to flap alongside Paisley's like two competing flags.
    While she's not holding any kind of death grip on the girl steering them, Vanya's arms are firm and secure. There's a little room to breathe but enough support to lean back with confidence.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    Ultimately Paisley does lean back rather than forward, her slight frame against the wereshark's front. her dreads are off to the left, fluttering like the pennant from the race they are surely winning. Paisley just laughs when Vanya does, their voices twinning, and keeps them accelerating well past safe speeds. Especially when it's wet. Somehow the bike doesn't spin out or skid, even if it possibly should. Somehow, the cops are nowhere to be seen.
    Paisley is still howling with laughter when she comes tearing into the parking lot at the drive-in hot dog stand, the bike squealing as she comes to asudden halt.Breathless, flushed with mirth, Pais is climbing down from her biek to look around.
    "There. Better? Should be dry at least. Now lets get you some food, kay, babe?" Still grinning Pais settles her gaze firmly on the restaurant ahead. It is time to order.

Feral has posed:
    Dry? Yes. Puffed up like a dog that just met a hairdryer? Also yes.

    Vanya unbuckles Paisley from her hold to let her off first, then braces her hands against the warm seat to swing off after her. The were-woman puts calloused feet to pavement and flicks the inflated mane of her hair back behind her shoulder as she takes a deep, lung-stretching breath and sighs briskly. "Ahh, that woke me up!" she chirps as she tucks in behind Paisley and lets the teen lead. In the light of the restaurant, color finally shows itself across her features. Her pants are a faded red, her skin alternately sunbaked and pale where it's been mostly hidden from the world, and her eyes are a not-quite-human shade of pale yellow with alert, sharply-focused pupils. Pupils that take the chance to view her friend for the night in the same improved light.

    "You order first," she offers.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Sure. Okay. So... Three of the five alarm chili jalapeno dogs, a large coke with no ice and a large onion ring," Pais is calling out to the guy behind the counter. her expression is a self-sure grin that borders on cocky, though there's no obvious reason for her to bethis way. She looks back at Vanya then, rapping her fingers against the edge of the counter.

    "Your turn. What do you want? I got you, order whatever." The smile doesnt' falter, even while Paisley is rocking her weight form left to right on her boots as she doess so. She takes a deep breath and then slowly exhales afterward, looking upward otward the sky.

Feral has posed:
    Vanya takes the time to study the menu and scratches the back of her head while thoughtfully licking her lips. When it's her turn, the were-woman's eyes glint just a little at Paisley before turning to the cashier.
    
    "Two vegetables hotdogs with relish, mustard, onions; two more with barbecue sauce and hot sauce; large cheese fries; large onion rings; two apple slices; a side of beans; and a medium tea."
    
    Before giving her new dinner buddy a chance to interject, Vanya pulls out a wad of bills from her pants pocket. "I'll pay us both this time."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    The cashier fixes Paisley with his best, pimply-faced nerd baleful glare and Paisley glares back at him and hen rolls her eyes. Afterward she is shaking her head, watching as Vanya is ordering and blinking. "...Woah," is the only response, that and soft laughter as she nods a few times. "Actually, yeah! Toss me hot sauce on mine too," she calls. The laughter grows louder.

    When it comes time to pay and Vanya is alread y covering it Paisley blinks. One might even mistake her expression for a pout. She does take a deep breath however andflash her taller companion a smile. "Thanks," the girl replies softly, perhaps more earnestly than other things she's said.

    "Shouldn't take more than a sec to get our stuff anyway. Then we eat up and..." A beat as Paisley considers. "Where you headed to next anyways?"

Feral has posed:
    "You drove, I paid," Vanya dismisses with warm disregard and a less toothy smile back. It only lasts a beat before the were-woman stretches her arms back behind her head with a grunt. "Sleep at some point, but I'm not too tired yet. And we might need this to-go if you want time to eat," she quips with amusement. "What about you?"

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Nothing doing," Paisley chirps with a grin. "I can sleep tomorrow for all I care. So we can pretty much do whatever til you crash."She shrugs, shiftign her weight from left to right as she does so. "You're not like other people around here. I wanna hang a little bit mroe at least. Give me something worthwhile to do tonight."

Feral has posed:
'    "I am pretty special, aren't I?" Vanya smirks playfully as her hand rests at her hip. That her same arm is flexing lightly to showcase its contours in proper lighting is innocent coincidence.
    "You don't have your own set of fangs do you?" she asks curiously, leaning forward to set the teen's face deeper within her yellowed gaze. "Most of the people that don't run have some to match."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Well, you tell me. I don't have a mirror." Paisley smiles her widest, clenching her jaw and displaying her perfect, perfectly ordinary human pearly whites. She blinks a couple times. "See anything?" The girl asks, staying as still as possible as Vanya leans closer to her.
    "Oh well. Guess I'm just crazy," Paisley responds, shrugging as she stops for a moment. "Oh, look. Food! Table over there just opened up." The man at the nearby table abruptly spills his food in his lap and, cursing, scurries off to clean himself up. "I mean, NOW it's just opened up. Let's go." And off Paisley goes, tray of food in hand. She's smaller than she tries to appear, carrying all of it would be impossible without stacking food. And that would be a crime.

Feral has posed:
Vanya looks intently into the teen's maw and clicks her tongue. "You look normal except for the metal," she concludes, sounding just faintly disappointed. The were-woman's head whips to the side like a startled dog as she hears the spill and she raises a curious eyebrow. "Huh, I see it did," she murmurs before following the blue-eyed young woman. She takes her own tray with her - it's full enough with what she ordered alone.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    Paisley shrugs at this and then nods, her dreadlocks bouncing slightly as she walks. She fiddles with the stud in her tongue as she walks, pinching it with her teeth. Then the girl slides down onto the table, tray striking it with a soft thunk. "Sorry to disappoint, I guess" Paisley responds in what isn't quite a grumble. "I can't transform into much of anything..." Paisley takes a deep breath and slowly sighs, looking up toward the sky overhead as she does. "that I know of anyway."

Feral has posed:
    "Heh, not all of us get to have fun," Vanya quips as she sits down opposite and picks up her first hotdog.

    "So why were you on de beff?" the were-woman asks around a bite.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Yeah. The world is kind of a boring place when you can't turninto a giant shark and go around scaring all the beachgoers," Paisley agrees, nodding as she too picks up her first hotdog.

    The girl doesn't seem to mind that Vanya is talking while she eats and actually does the same afteer her first few bites. "I was just skipping stones. Pretending they weregoing somewhere after they sank. Boring stuf, really. Just felt like theright place to be, I guess..." She shrugs slowly at that.

Feral has posed:
    "You almost hit me. Are you sure you weren't out chasing fish?" the were-woman adds mirthfully as she devours her food. She might be savoring it in her own way but there's not a big gap between bites; it might not take the older woman a more-than-normal time to clear her more-than-normal tray.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    Paisley eats pretty quickly too, and when one considers mass she overordered at least as heavily. The smaller woman is not, however, entirely savouring it. She eats like she has a wasting disorder and the only cure is more hot dogs. Still, she's obviously enjoying herself and somehow manages not to even make a mess. "You caught me," Pais replies. "I was out hunting pretty fish girls. Hi. You're better than a mermaid by the way. Less boring."

Feral has posed:
    Vanya sputters her sip of tea and comes off the straw wet and laughing. She smiles toothily as shark features make a reappearance in small grey-scaled features in her mouth and eyes. "I like to think I'm a little more interesting than a fin with boobs," the were-shark agrees as her scale pattern develops just enough to tease at being tattoos.
    
    "I haven't met a mermaid yet but a merman did find me yesterday. He didn't have a fin though."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Well, that's kind of dull. What's the point of mermen with now fins? Not useful for anything else," Paisley responds almost dismissively- of the man, not Vanya. She shrugs atthat, nodding as she studies Vanya more carefully, noting the small changes in her features. "Hey. I'm kind of a bitch so if I call you interesting you should believe me." She plows through her fries having said this. "So, um. What exactly are you anyway?"

Feral has posed:
    Why yes, Vanya is showing off, and as her eyes return to the beedy slate grey they held in the dark, the roots of her hair begin to shift to the same, accented faintly by darker stripes. The sharkskin bands across her face stretch almost like tribal tattoos and her other features like ears and nose have taken on similarly pointed, faintly animalistic qualities.
    
    The revived shark teeth are quickly put to use attacking her food again once the water-woman is satisfied in her showing off. "Predator," she answers simply, swallowing a healthy chunk of hot dog. "I don't really have a fancy name, heh, but some people like to call me feral."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    Paisley seems mesmerized by a long moment, her expression one of wide-eyed enthusiasm as she studies this showing off wit ha certain degree of intensity. Her gaze follows the sharkskin bands, stripes, and other qualities appearing as she does so, slightly tilting her head to theleft as she does so.

    "Feral, hm? Do you like that name? I mean ,i can stick with the real oen if you want," Paisley offers. She splays he fingers of one hand on the table while she reaches for another hot dog. Finally the girl takes a deep breath and slowly shrugs her way out of her jacket, setting it over the back of her seat as she considers. Now the tattoos ae visible, Athena on high presenting the Curse to Medusa on the right arm, complete with shimmering lights, and the left a long photorealistic rose vine covered in blooms curling over her tricep and bicep.

Then the pictures change. Medusa and Athena becomes Hector fighting Achilles. The rosebush is replaced with a jaguar. They continue to change for a moment and Paisley finally blinks. "Didn't know if I could make that work... Hm."

Feral has posed:
    "I'm just Vanya but call me Feral if you want. It stuck for a reason," the shark woman smirks, drinking in the youth's expression like water. After all, what's a show without an audience?

    As she continues working across her tray, the were-shark's features recede back towards human but leave behind enough of a tease for Paisley to spot now that she knows where to look. Her eyes fall down the young woman as her jacket comes off and she smiles approvingly at the tattoos - then all but beams when they shift to something more her style. "Now that's a fancy trick. Are those some kind of high-tech tattoos?"

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Nope," Paisley responds, slowly shaking her head. "They just do that sometimes if I am concentrating." Ther'es a sort of lazy smile on Paisley's features, satisfied but also distracted. She nods a couple times, glancing down at the food arrayed in front of her. The tray is nearly empty now. "I still don't... Entirely get it. But anyway .It's a thing. And now I'm telling you about it since I know you're a super awesome shark person. So there." She glances around at their surroundings quickly and then takes a deep breath. "I can make bigger pictures, right. But maybe not before dinner's over."

Feral has posed:
    "Shalunya, you've been holding out on me," the were-woman taunts with shark teeth to show. "I could enjoy a home movie after dinner," she decides easily, letting her eyes linger on Paisley's arms. The jaguar gets just a little extra attention as food keeps passing into her mouth and disappearing. "Mmm! Try these cheese fries," she moans happily, offering the little cardboard tray.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    The jaguar bats a claw toward Vanya and roars quietly. A person passing nearby blinks at the pair and then continues on, shrugging. Speakers are a thing. "Oh, sweet. Thanks, I forgot to get me some of those." Paisley dives into the cheese fries happily, cramming a couple more into her mouth before nodding. "I can do better than just pictureso n my arms. Find somewhere a little less crowded, though." She shrugs. "And I don't know about holding out. I just figured I could even do this."

Feral has posed:
    The tiny sound effect perks Vanya's ears and its claws latch onto her gaze again, captivating the primal woman like a kid before a lollipop. By now there's a pretty big smile on her face again. "And sound effects, now you're the one showing off." The were-woman's blue eyes linger while she shovels beans into her mouth. After a swallow they draw back up to Paisley's, vibrant blue gems disappearing into pale watery depths. "Heh... With your bike we can find 'less crowded' in no time. How much do you like civilization?"

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Fuck civilizations and all the assholes who live in it and look down their nose at you because your hair isn't the right colour," Paisley responds bluntly. The jaguar's tail is swaying now. He's stalking something. Paisley, for her part, is finishing off the last of the fries on the table. Blue eyes stare intently into Vanya's now, still their intensely vibrant blue. "Tell me where we're headed. I've got a full tank of gas and nothing I need to do for awhile."

Feral has posed:
    Vanya's eyes hang in view with mutual interest and the web of color around her pupils grows as they adjust in faint degrees to light and focus before the feral woman laughs and they land on her plate to help her hunt. "Well that rules out my place," she answers mischievously, her words grinning at their edges. "Bring a good lantern and let's get lost in the woods."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "I am a good lantern," Paisley replies, shrugging as hse gets to her fee.t She glances over the mess they've left and flips it off before starting toward her bike. "That guy who runs the hot dog stand is an asshole anyway," is her only comment on this as she walks away. "Okay. Let's get lost."

Feral has posed:
    Vanya stands up as well as she sucks her drink dry with a rattle and quirks an eyebrow as Paisley begins to wander off. Wordlessly she stacks their trays together and dumps them with her drink on the way out the door. Feral perhaps, but it seems she was raised right.

    "I know a good park to the south of here. Go down the main road for ten or fifteen miles and you'll see it," she guides, rolling her shoulders and taking another deep breath of the night air as she draws up to the breakneck bike. "It's closed now, so have fun making your own trail from there." A shark eye winks as it returns to a slightly more human gold.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    As Vanya tosses the trash away Paisley glances back over her shoulder. She pauses for a second and then nods once before reaching her bike. Only a moment later and the two are on their way. "Okay, so... I don't mind going offroad on this one but it might be a little loud," Paisley notes as they cruise into the unattended park. She is watching the trees ahead with gleaming eyes, controlling the bike easily with her body weight. At least as long as Vanya remains centered. The chill has the girl breaking out in goosebumps along her bare arms but she doesn't seem to mind too much currently. "So, um. Is this the part where we go deep out into the woods and you eat me and scatter my bones then I'm used as a cautionary tale for stupid bints who go out into the woods with strange hot chicks who turn into sharks, Feral?"

Feral has posed:
    Centered and close to the illusive girl's back the feral woman stays, complete with her brand of sturdy seatbelt. Sharp turns do feel her weight but Vanya's grip on the bike is solid enough that there's no risk of throwing her off, and at least not too much risk of oversteering. "If I ate you why would I make you a cautionary tale?" Vanya shouts back with a laugh against the wind noise. "Don't worry, I'm vegetarian... most of the time!"

    "And I just ate. Don't go too fast offroad," she warns as wind whips at her tattered pants. "I don't want to see the hotdogs again."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Those urban legends never make sense," Paisley points out. "If there's no survivor who spread the tale, the monster? Then they'd starve. The whole thing's a mess." There's a shrug from Pais who then glances back to offer a brief grin before leaning into the bike. "Don't worry, we're not going to go too fast." Indeed, Paisley slows down the rougher the terrain becomes. She's actually a skilled driver and handles the off-roading with relative ease. Soon the road ahead is shaded by trees. And it's rather dark. Somehow Paisley seem to be confident in navigating even as the light flickers on. Shadows are casting, growing and shrinking around her as the head lamp casts over everything. "Well, we're basically here..."

Feral has posed:
    "Police maybe, or I guess some drunk saw them," the shark guesses. Vanya takes a little tighter grip as she's bounced around by the bike's suspension. Suspended over the wheel, the wild woman gets a slightly more wild ride. Her nostrils flare as they enter the woods and the darkness is met comfortably by her eyes - their golden depths shrink back just a little.
    
    "Stop anywhere," she offers, then turns her head and sniffs some more. "I smell water to the right."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Nah, they're just fake," Paisley responds, shrugging. Eventually the bike is pulled off ot the right and very carefully parked, engine humming and then whuddering into silence. "Smell water to the right of us, hm?" Paisley asks, placing herh ands on her hips once she reaches the ground. "Awesome."

    The girl sets off in the indicated direction, moving slowly enough that Vanya can easily keep up with her but not hesitating otherwise. "I'm just glad you're a vegetarian, even if it is kind of offensive. I mean, look at me. I'd be fucking delicious." She picks her way fairlye asily through the brush as they move away from theclearing.

Feral has posed:
    Vanya swells with a hint of pride when she hops off and stretches her arms over her head with a luxurious sigh as she wiggles her toes and digs them into the cool dirt. "Ahh... this is much better scenery."
    Tucking in behind the tattooed youth with an amused glance, she lets Paisley lead the way through the dark. Her bare feet crunch quietly through the underbrush as she thoughtlessly slips around branches and over noisy twigs or bark. Unconsciously she settles into a slight hunch and her arms widen by a hair for balance. The chimera's ears fan out a little more into less pointed, more triangular shapes with just the ghost of stripes branding them - this time with hints of orange in black. A similar, subtle change spreads across the bridge of her nose as she sniffs the air again, mingling the forest's scent with Paisley's in her nose, and eyes her new camping partner from behind...
    "You look a little gamey," she teases with the barest hint of a fang showing in her mouth. "But you'll grow into a meaty course. What's so offensive about being vegetarian?"
    
    Up ahead, the sound of trickling water spreads through the night air before the ground takes a sudden and surprising drop down a smooth, muddy cliffside - the flood-worn bank of a creek. With the recent dry spell, the steady stream flowing through the darkened woods doesn't quite cover its bottom, leaving a slightly muddy landing down below.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "I'm probably done growing msotly," Paisley observesm ildly. her form does havedefinition, especially sans jacket. She's naturally lean, athletic rather than curvaceous, but the young woman is obviouslyan adult for all that. Observed from behind it is in some ways more obvious.a Her colorful appearance and manner can be distracting.

    Paisley approaches the creek with careful steps, humming softly to herself as she is coming close. it's some Punk anthem, to judge by the chords, probably somethng of the sort played by groups like 'The Misfits. It's hard to say just by her fairly decent humming. The girl stops to take a deep breath and inhale deeply through her nose, studying everything aroundher with the careful eye of someone who is wary but knows not what they intend to avoid.

    As Paisley comes to the creek in question she finds herself stumbling at theedge of the drop. she wobbles and wavers, proving her excellent balance by keeping her feet, nnd then let out a low whistle. "We can climb down into the creek. Huh." Paisley starts to go about doing so, placing a hand against the cliff and digging in her boots as she descends.

    "Anyway, there's nothing offensive about it. I was just making- a joke."

Feral has posed:
    Vanya's dark-adapted eyes don't miss the fine details as she follows without seeming to have any great concern for her surroundings. The were-woman has more than one sense to keep a lookout. As Paisley starts to sway unsteadily at the edge of the cliff, a hand grabs the back of her shorts and anchors her to the ground as the golden-eyed woman looms behind her. With her quiet steps it's hard to tell when she got so close.
    
    A tongue smears itself across Paisley's collar as Vanya steals a quick lick around her dreads before leaning back and releasing the blue-eyed punk.
    
    "Hmm... you mostly just taste 'human'. Could use some barbecue sauce," the were-woman concludes. She grins a little to watch Paisley descend, then lazily follows suit, hopping more than sliding down and landing roughly in two deep barefooted imprints in the damp earth. "If you want to get wet and muddy. I thought we could just come when we want a drink."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    Paisley starts when that tongue this flesh. She twists quickl, eys briefy wide and wild as she looks back at Vanya. Paisely takes a deep breath and then swallows hard before venturing aweak smile. She crossses her arms against her chest and nods slowly. "Shouldn't be too bad in the wet and muddy department," Pais responds. She somehow manages to make her alongside the water through he mud and dirt without covering herself in the muck. I just get the feeling..."

    A warm glow suddenly fills the river bed asan orb appears, bobbing in the darkness. The light quietly floats beside Paisley and then begins to orbit her. the girl, for her part, ignores it completely as she walks along.

    "Might as well look around awhile. Do you sleep long...?"

Feral has posed:
    There's a mischievous glint in Vanya's eyes with Paisley looks back - gratified to get a reaction. She rests a hand on her hip and watches the youth walks along the water's edge, then her eyes light up - literally - as bright sprites appear in the darkness.
    
    The were-woman averts her gaze slightly as her eyes adjust to the light and eyeshine dances in her pupils when she looks back. The slight orange and black striped features crossing her face and painting little patches down her arms come into startled view - Paisley's been walking with another kind of tiger since she got off her bike.
    
    "Woah..." she murmurs, rushing to catch up and then following closely along to stare at the glowing orbs. "So this is what you meant by being your own flashlight... nice trick," she praises with a grin. Reaching a hand back to scratch the mess of hair behind her head, she thinks for a few moments.
    
    "I sleep normal I think. I don't time it, but asleep some time after the sun goes down then awake when it comes back up... and maybe a nap after lunch," she adds with a furtive little smile.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    Paisley wasn't so much shocked as disturbed or grossed out when she was licked and as they ride the girl spends much of it staring at the tiger following beside her. After a long moment She inhales deeply through her nose, holding it in a measured way for one beat, then two.

    "Not a shark anymore?" Pais asks, finally audibly expressing a measure of surprise. Wereshark? Well... Sure. But this? The girl arches a brow and then slowly shakes her head, casting her gaze toward Vanya to briefly tilt her head, watching her."Sleep is good for you. I shuld probably do more of it..."

    Vanya would probably scent it before she sees it. A crature leaps form the shadows, cunning but vicious as it snarls. It is a sleak, dark creature whose faint spotting is hidden beneath a coat of black. Heavy claws, a naturally predatorial build, coiled with muscle. The panther lunges directly at Vanya, leaping through the air as it youwls a challenge.

Feral has posed:
    If Vanya notices the discomfort she doesn't comment but the gaze she gives back is soft and harmless when she catches Paisley staring - minus the feral touches of tiger features. She's beginning to like this young woman.
    
    "Why would I be a shark out of water?" she asks with a little smirk. Yes, there's a fang there now. Rolling out some stiffness in her shoulder, the were-woman looks around at the fae-lighted woods with a predator's quiet comfort, surveying what's implicitly her domain just by being in her sight. "Oh I get enough sleep from day to day--"
    
    The tiger-woman stops and her nostrils flare alertly a moment before she's consumed by a streak of black fur. The large animal takes her to the ground but a sharp knee as she rolls with its pounce forces it overhead before its teeth can sink in. Tumbling up quickly from her imprint in the mud, Vanya whips around as what had been tiger accents spread rapidly to form the distinctive fur coat down her arms and sprout viscious, needle-like claws from her fingertips. The were-woman growls back in warning as she crouches low to the ground in a wide stance that forces itself into the creekbed and the same pattern of stripes overtakes her hair.
    
    A tail even sprouts in Paisley's direction, poking out one of the holes in Vanya's pants just before the woman roars back and lunges at the panther with primal energy. It's hard to tell if she's actually gotten larger of only grown by illusion of her fur, but everything the blue-eyed youth saw on the beach is now marshalled on the attack.

Paisley (267) has posed:
TThe panther lets out a yowl as it is thrown overhead. It rounds on Vanya then as the chimera is on the attack. A black furred tail lashes. Then they clash... But it gives, too easily. It doesn't have the weight and strength of a real panther. It vanishes like mist as it is thrown away from Vanya and as it does Vanya would liekly be let to notice that Paisley.... Doesn't seem at all concerned by what is happening, even while she watches. The girl takes a deep breath and slowly exhales, nodding her head once as she does so.

    "Cool," Paisley remarks then, shaking her head. "That's what we came out here for, I guess. Kind of. It actually worked." Pais herself seems to be moderately surprised by that fact and not at all by the events surrounding her.

Feral has posed:
    The tiger-woman is left crouched on all fours as the panther dissipates and for the moment there's an absolutely bewildered look on her face and in her half-wild body language. With a tail lashing out behind her, fur covering her face and arms, and her body tensed and chewing into the muddy ground, there's an unmistakable ferality in the woman now draped in muddy hair striped in orange and black.
    
    Her legs clench and their stripes swell for a moment in the gaps of her pants before she looks back to Paisley and stares with intense, wholely golden tiger-eyes. It takes a few seconds for Vanya to put it all together but once she does the tiger-woman lets out a huff that growls in her chest before rising back up to her full, biped height.
    
    "That was yours?" she reasons from her natural perch, gaining a few more inches on the youth from rising on the balls of her feet, looming in her primal display without having to advance. There's a beat, then a broad, fanged smile splits the were-woman's face as her tail lashes behind her with a hearty, shoulder-shaking laugh. "That was awesome! You got me, Siniya." And got her body too. It's slight, but a few shallow cuts down Vanya's front are bleeding through new tears in her shirt.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "You wanted to see more," Paisley resonds with a slow grin crossing her lips. "I haven't gotten to practice those much yet.I wasn't sure I could do it, but- there we areM< I guess." Still smiling Paisley shrugs, shifting her weight lightly from left toright as she does so. The girl bounces on her heels for a moment then presses forward to rest on the balls of her feet. Her illusionary lamp remains stationary for now, floating about to illuminate the darkness.

    Paisley lacks the raw ferocity of Vanya, of course. She's smaller and much less compact at the same time. She does, however, have a frenetic energy to her. It's like someone took the power and caloric value of a being thrice her size and compacted into a small, sleek, metal-studded and tattooed package. It might explain why the girl eats so much.

    "You're bleeding?" A blink follows as Paisley considers this, reaching up to draw a blue dreadlock from her face. "Is that a problem or do you do the whole rapid healing thing?" She does, at least, seem concerned. Insofar as anything seems to concern the girl.

Feral has posed:
    Vanya meets the young woman's attempt to meet her with a wide and amused look as her pupils lock onto her form. The dancing light nearby coaxes a brief shine from one of her eyes as a finger slips under her chin and one long, needle-like claw pops out of it.
    
    "-Huh? Oh I am?" she asks, belatedly noticing the cut in her clothes and body. The were-woman casually waves it off. "You really think this shallow little thing means something to me?" Vanya chuckles. "But you did make a muddy mess," she notes, looking over her shoulder and observing all the mud covering her back.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "I didn't really think it did but can't hurt to actually find out," Paisley responds, shrugging. "For all I know you have a tragic weakness to mud puddles. Makes about as much sense as weird space rocks." The girl is half-grumbling but she flashes Vanya a wry smile, twisting slightly as she does so. The girl bobs up and down briefly before turning to survey their surroundings.

    "That's true. As far as the mud goes. I don't know any cleaning spells or anything so you're kind of SOL there. Sorry." Paisley shrugs, utterly insouciant. Then she glances off through the woods. "Well, plenty of night left to burn. So far so good, right?"

Feral has posed:
    "If I have a weakness it's to good fights, good food, and good beer," Vanya jokes in reply. "And you're almost looking like you want to fight me yourrrrself," she adds knowingly as a little purr slips out between her fangs.
    
    "I'm not sleeping any time soon after *that*," Vanya answers with an excited swish of her tail as she turns from Paisley and plods towards, and then into the creek. As she walks her tail recedes, tufted ears smooth back out, and her fur visibly retreats back towards human skin. "Nature provides," she concludes as the first flashes of pale flesh return to view just in time to disappear underwater.
    
    There might not be enough depth to submerge but the were-woman ducks as she enters until she ends up fully underwater with just a little floaty of hair splayed across the surface.

Paisley (267) has posed:
"FIght you? Nah. Just pumped. I Don't know." Paisley shifts her feet rom left to right. "I'm not going to be able to beat you in a fight," the girl adds seriously. "From my point of view turning int oa bear is cheating." There's a grin at that, one that stays on her features as the larger woman is moving to disappear from view.

"You provide for yourself. Nature is its own thing. I think she's pretty pissedo ff at most of us really." Paisley shrugs those slender shoulders and turns her gaze up toward the sky Small hands are buried into the pockets of her jeans and she stands patiently beside the water, waiting for Vanya to emerge. Seems the girl has her own business somewhere up above. She doesn't relate what it is.

Feral has posed:
    Vanya breaks the water again with a splash as she whips her hair behind her head and stands up in stomach-deep water... wearing a sharkskin bra with muddied shirt in hand. She smiles with a more familiar set of teeth as she squeezes and works the garment through the water to give it at least a basic cleaning.
    
    "Is it cheating if you kill the bear you turn into first?" she rebukes in the same feral cockiness that hovers around her like bees on a flowerbed. "I've earned all my fancy tricks. What you see is all~ me." And "all me" is almost on display as Vanya crushes her shirt together with needless force to flex and expose the fitness of her primal and for the moment very human form.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Well," Paisley responds, arching a brow as she watches this display. She certainly doesn't seemto mind at least, nodding as she considers. "I only said it was cheating because you'd kick my ass anyway, if it helps," the girl offers after a second, that grin of hers wroking its way across her lips as she smiles wrily at the woman in front fo her.

    "My talents aren't really in wrestling bares. I can throw down with regular people just fine." Paisley rolls her shoulders at that, moving closer to the edge of the water as she does. "But you're a bit past being that, you know? No offense. I think it's pretty great, honestly. Definitely less boring."

Feral has posed:
    "I am a little more than a human can handle," Vanya admits with a swelling of pride squaring her shoulders and straightening her posture. "Without the shark teeth," she's quick to add, "I'm just not all human anymore."

    Despite the water and more than a little shark-face that's begun creeping back in a similar tattoo-like pattern to her tiger stripes, the were-woman's eyes remain a deep golden colour that's light on the edges and a deep, almost bronze tone as it reaches her pupils. The contrast against her grey and very faintly striped sharkskin is striking and draws attention to a mischievous glint that sneaks into them for a moment as she eyes the young woman above her.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    Paisley stares for a long moemnt, appreciating Vanya openly and without a hint of modesty or embarrassment. She nods slowly as those words come, titling herh ead slightly as hsedoes. A moment is taken torun her fingers through that long blue hair as she considers what to say next. "Neitehr am I, I bet. I don't ereally know," comes the response from the girl in a voice that is not quite a whisper. "Anymore, though. You were entirely human once? What happened?" Paisley is standing very still finally. She seems to have found an outlet for her pent-up energy, even if itisn't entirely physical.

Feral has posed:
    Staring is allowed at the exhibit and the only thing the were-woman's hiding is what's underwater. There's a little extra glint in her eyes and upturn to her lips to show a tiny bit more fang as she catches the path of Paisley's gaze.
    A self-satisfied chuckle rolls out between shark teeth as she turns back to her shirt and resumes cleaning once the changeling forces herself back to conversation. The question seems to rob Vanya of whatever sneaky thought slipped into her mind as she looks pensively at the grey fabric in her grasp, then smirks and glances back up.
    "Have you heard about that bunch of heroes that went into space then came back with super powers because there was a solar flare or some kind of big radiation bath?"

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Sure, I've heard about that. Isn't that like a third of all heroes? Then a third are mutants or metahumans or whatever it's called and the rest all fell into radioactive waste or whatever the fuck." Paisley shrugs at this but then she's nodding slowly, twisting slightly as she does.
    "You got sent out itno space or is that just a lead-in?" Paisley asks curiously, tilting herh ead sligthly as she does. "I know werewolves and things are natural but you seem like you're... Were everything. Eating the flesh of creatures to take their form or something? I mean, if you weren't a vegetarian, I guess."

Feral has posed:
    "I'm a vegetarian who cheats," Vanya corrects with the same sharky smirk. "If I took too big a taste of you we'd start looking like twins, and I'm not about to sully this body-," her arms move apart and out of the water to flex another pose, accentuating an almost triangular pair of lats and proportional limbs, "-with something as base as a pig or a cow. I have to be a little choosy..."
    "And no, I've never been to space. I just had the biggest bomb in history dropped on me - and survived."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Now that's pretty badass. I get why you didn't care about all the cuts," Paisely responds slowly, blinking. That was enough to surprise her at least, though the fact she is considering whether or nto she believes it is something written plainly across her face. Finally the girl shrugs as if it doesn't matter and lifts her hands from herp ockets in order to cross her arms over her chest.
    "That makes a lot of sense. I wouldn't want to turninto a pig either. ANyway, if you really need to look at me does it have to be a big piece? I can probably spare a pink." Paisley's expression is one that is utterly serious.

Feral has posed:
    "Oh it almost killed me, and that was *unbelievably* painful," Vanya assures casually. It's a very distant memory now that's lost most of its barbs. "But some time after that I started turning into whatever I ate, so... I ate a few top predators and now I'm the thing panthers run away from."
    "Not that these muscles came for free," she adds with a bit of amusement as she wrings out her shirt, looking past Paisley's damaged leggings to the rest of the young woman. "You're pretty well on your way too," she notes approvingly. "But I think I have enough human in me already."
    Those golden tiger eyes search in a slow, lazy path over Paisley before the were-woman asks, "Which part of you is pink?"

Paisley (267) has posed:
    Paisley blinks and then gives a shrug, laughing as she does. "Well, y'know." She snaps her fingers and then her hair bright, cotton candy pink. "Whichever part. You too, if'n." THen she leans her head back and just laughs. It's a rich, musical sound, a bit out of keeping with her mannerism if not her voice and appearance.

Feral has posed:
    "Bozhe moi I don't need night eyes to see that!" Vanya laughs back, a lower, heartier sound that marshals most of her torso in its efforts. Flicking the wet shirt over her shoulder with a slap, she strides up out of the creek to stand beside the changeling as water floods down her soaking wet pants. What's left of them clings to her thighs like glue, exposing grey peeks of tiger shark flesh.
    "You're a lot more fun than I took you for on the beach," she praises, soaked and looming beside Paisley, not too much taller but now far more comfortable invading her personal space. "Do you want to make a camp fire and dry off together?" she asks before suddenly shoving the blue-haired teen's back to pitch her into the water.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "What, you didn't think I'd be fun?" The girl asks with a short laugh, shrugging her shoulders as she does. "The one who said I looked cool," she adds, apparently not particularly concerned with what Vanya thought of her earlier in the evening. She glances upward and her hair s back to blue. It doesn't help her meet Vanya's gaze.
    "You're more fun'n I took you for too," Paisley adds. "But what do you mean, both dry o-'" Paisley is normally faster to recognize a situation. This time, however, her instincts take a backseat. The girl tumbles through the air and- gracefully dives into the water in a manner that could make a competetive swimmer jealous. Sploosh. The splash is actually rather restrained. the girl soon bobs up, considering it's only four or five feet deep, and spits water out at the bank.
    "Right then," Paisly notes briefly. "SHould'a seen it," she mutters, half to herself. "A fire's good." A beat. "It's gonna be cold out."

Feral has posed:
    Vanya crosses her arms smugly as this time it's her turn to look down from the bank, golden eyes glistening in the fay lights left high and dry with a toothy smile not far below. She might have enjoyed that a little too much. "Oh it is?" the were-woman asks with genuine surprise. Then it's also her turn to shrug. "We'll be fine."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Yep, got a feeling about this one. Usually right." Paisley shrugs and then swimseasily over to the bank and easily draws herself out of the water. How is she so good at avoiding becoming a mudslick like Vanya wasa moment ago? It borders on unfair, for those who actually care about such things. "Mmm." Paisley savours her breath this time, closing her eyesfor a second as she does. "So, do you have flying forms then?"

Feral has posed:
    Some people do care and do notice. Vanya's caught between frowning at a slight to her pride as the best thing since sliced bread and grinning at having a talented (and interesting) companion to spend the night with. What results is a slight up-turn of her lips and a snorting sort of 'heh'.
    "I wish," she gripes. At least Paisley got all wet. In that she can take comfort. "I can grow a couple feathers but I am *way* too heavy to fly. That is the one thing I can't do..."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Chin up. I can't fly either, right. Can't even get real feathers. Feels good, though." Then Paisley is laughing again. Water runs off of her form asshe fully emerges, her jacket a darker blue nowt hat it is heavy against her shoulders. She grimaces then, patting down her pockets and coat with her hands before finally giving a shrug. Pais tosses her head, blue dreadlocks flinging broadly as wait causes them to swign about. "Mmm. Could pretend 'bout flying, if'n. " She tilts her head, studying Vanya while she considers this. "Haven't tried yet."

Feral has posed:
    Vanya tucks her hands behind her head as she looks down the wet teen and smiles just a bit more in satisfaction. "Pretend about flying?" she echoes curiously

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Sure. Why not?" Paisley makes brisk gesture over her head o emphasize the words. "If'n you wanna see?" Pais shrugs out of her jacket. The t-shirt she's wearing clings to her form in revealing ways but she's ignoring this for now and leaving the garment on.

Feral has posed:
    Vanya nods and beckons the changeling back towards the woods with a hand as her eyes glance at the t-shirt, the smile staying. "Da. I've gotten to show off - you can pretend to fly to a camp site."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    Then, all at once, the world shifts with a lurch. Vertigo, first. It's impossible for the human mind to process suddenly being in the air. Suddenly fall... Falling? Then the intensity ships at the drop suddenly levels out and- the world from above is a marvelous place. The forest stretches out ahead endlessly, and beyond it the countryside and eventually the city. All of it tiny, like so many dots running around beneath her.
    Flight. Like a bird, almost, save that one still feels human. Above the world.

Feral has posed:
    For all her strength and feral cunning, the sudden work of magic throws Vanya for a loop. The were-woman lets out a surprised yelp as before she can make sense of it she's much, much, *much* too high off the ground. The startle gives way to shock, then elation that's fanned by a rush of adrenaline from being waaaay too high off the ground to land comfortably again.
    The shark-woman flails her limbs as she hangs in the air before after a few seconds settling in and just sort of hanging there, uncertainly treading air like the water she was just in as she looks around.
    "Woah..." is the most articulate thing she can muster.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    Snap back to reality, like a brittle thread has broken. After a few good glimpses Vanya is on the ground next to Paisley. She never moved. Pais, for her part, has a grin like the cat who ate the canary yet went uncaught despite the feather sticking out of her maw. She watches Vanya's expression with unveiled glee. "So... How's it feel?" Paisley asks earnestly.

Feral has posed:
    Vanya looks around in disorientation before landing back on Paisley, for a brief moment uncertain of the world like a sleeper pulled from a good dream. Her golden eyes have faded halfway to a pale yellow but finding where she is, reverse themselves back to the amber of a tiger.
    The were-woman's lips quiver, caught between a frown and a smile, and she looks just the tiniest bit shaken by the brief experience. "Amazing," she admits wistfully in a voice that gathers conviction. "Now I really must learn to fly somehow."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "You want to actually be able to fly?" Paisley asks slowly, tilting her head asshe does so.Those blue eyes are intense agian,carefully studying and measuring Vanya while she consiers what she wishes to say next. "Well, I mean. That's possible," the girl continues in a thoughtful tone, tilting herh edslgihtly asshe does so. "At least, I am prety sure it is.
    "What are you willing to do to be able to fly? Or give up." Paisley shifts her weight from left to right again but this time Vanya has all of her attention. It's just a wiggle really, starting at the knees. "One for one, not at the kenes."

Feral has posed:
    "Kenes?" Vanya repeats, not being able to guess the word. "I was thinking of just eating fifteen kilograms of hawks and eagles to try to grow enough feathers. Do you have a spell that can make me a bird too? I'm heavier than I look, I think I'll need a *lot* of wings..."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "No, no. You'd, like, have to actually turn into a bird or something. Or maybe just float around, not really fly with wings at all. I'm not sure." There's a blink as Paisley adds slowly. "Bit of a silly question. Somethin just came to mind." She shrugs her shoulders slowly at that. "Anyways. We can at least try that again sometime while you figure on it, yeah?"

Feral has posed:
    Vanya glances thoughtfully towards the tree line as her toes grip at the damp ground as if to anchor herself against another flight. The were-woman nods. "Yeah... we can do that again later."
    Looking back to the blue-eyed changeling, her cocky grin makes a reappearance as she remembers the reason for their trip. "Now that we've found water, do you want to pick a camp site - or are you just going to summon one here?"

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "I mean, you might not like it if I summoned a campsite. I guess it'd feel like a bed, right. But you'd still wake up sore from laying on a rock and wet from the rain, y'know?" Paisley shrugs, tilting her head slightly to the left and hten surveying their surroundingso nce more. "Sorry. I can't do anything as cool as make a tent appear. Going to have to, like, stick close to a tree or something probably."

Feral has posed:
    Vanya laughs as she hangs her shirt from her neck and bends down towards her toes to stretch her legs. The pattern of tiger fur continues all the way up her back and a long, slender tail swishes overhead.
    "Nnn... Or you can make one the normal way. I don't smell any rain coming, but we might want somewhere dryer than this."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Okay," Paisley responds mildly. "If you think I know how to put up a camping site without gear." She shrugs at this and produces, of all things, a folding buck knife. Technically legal as it is a "survival tool" and not a weapon. Then the girl gets to work. Surprise of surprises, she apparently knows all about using a knife to construct a lean-to and arrange a campsite when there are no supplies about. Paisley is extrmeely fast, too. Faster than she should be, really.

Feral has posed:
    Vanya smiles in amusement as the knife comes out and sets a hand on her hip to watch Paisley work. "And I thought you were a city girl..."
    "No shade for me - I can sleep without cover," the tiger-woman adds before slipping into the trees. "I'll bring you some firewood."

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Suit yourself," Paisley responds while she works. It really doesn't take her long to get everything established. She's even bothering to find soft things for the inside, just in case there's anough about for it to matter. "City girl? I mean, sort of. I've been running around in places like his for a little while. I picked up a few things. Turns out natural." Then she straightens, takes a deep breath and nods firmly. The large knife disappears into her clothing once more.

Feral has posed:
    Not wandering far, Vanya returns soon after with a modest armload of branches, twigs, and small tinder. She wolf-whistles softly at the state of the quickly-made camp and drops them near the entrance of the lean-to, making a separate pile of the fire-starting bits of moss and twigs.
    "Not bad," she praises while brushing a few stuck bits of tree out of her fur.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "They always say practice makes perect. Apparently dreams that tell you how to do stuff work too. Haven't steered me wrong yet anyway." Paisley flashes Vanya as mile and then takes a deep breath, turning around in a circle. "Thanks for grabbbing the wood. Honestly, this is nice. I can use my jacket for a pillow. And I know you've got you covered." That draws another of those quiet smiles from the blue haired teenager.

Feral has posed:
    The were-tiger smirks in all her topless, fur-covered glory. Dropping to her knees, she hunches over the kindling and works a stick between her hands to start a small flame for the pair. "Dream lessons? That's no fair at all," she cracks. "You're hiding all kinds of magic."
    Blowing delicately at the tinders, a tiny glow develops in the moss and slowly, unsteadily grows into what can truly be called a small fire. Camping for the were-woman might be old hat.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Not hidin'," Paisley objects quietly. "You're just need'n to ask right." Then she shrugs again, staring into the flames in frotn of her with wide eyes. The glow is reflected in her gaze as she moves forward, extending her fingerless gloved hands toward the warmth. "You can do all kinds of crazy things. Seems like we're even to me," Paisley offers helpfully.

Feral has posed:
    "Maybe, but I *look* like I'm evolved. You still look normal," Vanya notes as she coaxes a healthy flame and covers it with a good supply of thicker branches. A hearty crackling and the scent of wood smoke begin to fill the camp site. With the fire going, she takes a few moments to bask in its warmth before standing up and kicking off her muddy pants.
    The were-woman's clothes drop beside the fire in a haphazard pile as she turns to warm some clinging dampness out of her fur. Not having bothered to transform back, it's tiger stripes the whole way down, this time well-lit by the flickering fire light. Vanya's a predator, in all the primal details that entails.

Paisley (267) has posed:
    "Maybe 'm just good at hiding that I look weird," Paisley suggests reasonably, tilting her head as she does. She keeps her eyes on the fire rather than Vanya's stripping, eventually crossing her arms over her chest.
    "Can't hide my eyes though. You didn't notice the way they almost glow or whatever? I guesss they can kind of pass, but..." she shakes her head, biting down briefly on her bottom lip. "You do look pretty cool, though. Can you look 'normal'? Like, if you wanted to."

Feral has posed:
    "Your eyes are pretty cool," Vanya replies gamely, trading compliments as she takes a deep breath and lightly tenses her physique, making a small show of standing before the fire. Muscle and sinew ripple beneath fur... and then the fur begins to recede, first to tattoo-like stripes, then away completely.
    "This is as normal as I get," the now very human Russian answers, even going as far as letting her eyes fade back to their natural human brown. Despite the change she's still flexing and raises one arm to show another part of her musculature. Except for her sheer fitness, the average height, average age, and average size young woman looks... deceptively normal.