8367/The Wolves are out in Mutant Town

The Wolves are out in Mutant Town
Date of Scene:	16 July 2019
Location:	Mutant Town, Bushwick
Synopsis:	First day after moving to Mutant Town, and Wolfsbane encounters someone who's been interested in meeting her: Oz.
Cast of Characters:	Wolfsbane, Daniel Osborn

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Wolfsbane has posed:
Mutant Town, the area of Bushwick east of the heart of New York City. It's a place those with visible 'deformities' have ended up calling home, a place a number of mutants have relocated to, a place multiple people from Xavier's have spent time in, including Wolfsbane.

However, it's the first evening since she decided to move out of the place in search of a new path, something to perhaps kickstart her in some way. It's a big decision, one that some will surely question now and later, but...it's done, for now. After walking around the area in her typical clothing, taking note of how few people give her a second glance, she finds a walk-up in front of a building that looks good for a little break.

Seated there, thoughts begin to wander as she looks up and down the street. A few deep breaths follow, a chewing of her bottom lip as what seems to be some nervousness sets in.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Mutant Town, well, there's certainly plenty of mutants alright. At first glance, Oz...is not one of them. Not that he minds the secon glances he might get in a place like this for being one of the few "normal" people here, even if he is anything but. He ended up spending the night before here due to, well, an incident, or rather, what followed the incident, he wasn't part of the incident itself, fortunately. Anyway, he's back, because...why not? It's not necessarily a bad place, and, well, nothing at all surprises him anymore, so why not visit a place that could at least try? Besides, he's dating a mutant, why not try and find out more about them? And what better place to do that than here? Anyway, he's just found a parking spot, and it happens to be on the same block where Wolfsbane is sitting, but a little bit further down. Now that he's found a place to park the van, he's on foot, headed back toward Wolfsbane, in his usual jeans and DAMB t-shirt, boots, and prayer beads of course. No bracelets today. Of course he likes to look around at the people here, and see what oddities he can find, and so he's doing that when he spots her, and his eyes widen when he realizes 2 things. This is the same girl that he once found pictures of online, well, it most likely is, anyway, the one he sort of admires and was a little jealous of, and, two, upon a more in depth look, that she's perhaps a bit nervous. So, he lifts a hand to wave to her as he approaches, offering a smile.

Wolfsbane has posed:
    A hand, tipped with claws, lifts to run through red hair tied back in a ponytail, then it lingers at the back of the neck to rub slowly, gently. Wolfsbane's eyes alternate between focusing on the sidewalk before her and keeping tabs on who's passing by. Just what she's doing there by herself is unclear, but it looks like she's simply resting. No real telling what's going on inside her head, yet.
    At least there are senses to help clue her in on when someone is focused on her and not just passing by, senses that work better than most could ever hope to understand. It's what leads in part to her looking back up just in time to catch sight of the hand raised, the smile sent her way. "Hullo," comes a plain response, eyes sliding back down before she pauses and blinks a few times, a brow raised as she looks back up with a subtle sniffing of the air.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
"Hey," oz responds, coming to a stop before her. His smile doesn't fade as he looks at her. The sniffing doesn't quite go unnoticed by him, and he nods slightly, as if to confirm what she might be sensing. he is, indeed, a wolf like her, though, perhaps different. He leans forward a bit, a little closer to her, but not enough to be like...all up in her grill, sniffing a bit as well, before nodding. "You okay?" he asks, after all, he'd seen her expression before. "You seem a little nervous about something."

Wolfsbane has posed:
    The wolfen woman looks about as human as anyone else right now except for the fur, claws, fangs, pointed ears in place of normally rounded ones. In other words, no muzzle, no paws, no tail, none of that extra stuff.
    The smile doesn't quite make it back to Wolfsbane's lips as she studies Oz, and if anything he might notice her tense up slightly upon figuring out what he smells like. A quick glance toward the sky also reveals a moon that is, for all intents and purposes, full. The true full moon won't be for another night, however.
    "I'll be fine," she answers brusquely, closing in on herself in a figurative sense. "It's just..been a long day." An evasive one.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
"You sure?" Oz asks, still smiling. Her gaze up doesn't go unnoticed, and he glances up as well, his voice becoming a bit distant. "Beautiful, isn't it? Look at the stars. They're harder to see in the city, though." He looks back to her. "Oh, don't worry, I got transformations under control...pretty much. I mean, I don't shift on the full moons anymore, but, I can't shift at will either." He sighs, frowning slightly. "Maybe one day."

Wolfsbane has posed:
    Wolfsbane's shoulders shift, a shrug. "I've had harder days," she tells him, suggesting something difficult may have taken place. "An' I do like th' woods more. They're quieter, no' as many people around.." The voice, Scottish through and through, trails off before she changes topics.
    "I knew ye had th' wolf in ye. I could smell it. So ye're a real, um, werewolf?" There is, again, a sense of apprehension, caution whether he says he can control it or not. Is this the one Kurt mentioned?

Daniel Osborn has posed:
"Werewolf indeed," Oz says. "I'm oz." He holds out his hand, with a smile. "The city is a little much sometimes. There's nothing quite like running through the woods, on a warm spring day, or a cooler autumn day especially."

Wolfsbane has posed:
    Wolfsbane moves to her feet and hops down from the steps, only a distance of a couple feet. She maintains a guarded way about her. Yes, this must be the one she was told of, and every indication was that he was on the side of good and everything like that, but hearing about a werewolf and seeing one with her own eyes, even if he looks to be nearly the same size as her? Well, it's different. She's not yet sure how to handle this.
    "I thought werewolves could no' control th' shifting an' it always happened around th' full moon," she points out, and after a few seconds of hesitation she offers her own hand for a quick shake. The fur at the back of it is quite real, no doubt about it. "Aye..th' woods are better, but I..ah, nevermind. I go by Wolfsbane, though."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
"Wolfsbane," oz says, clearly knowing he hasn't gained her trust yet, but not necessarily bothered by it. "Well, it's a pleasure," he says. "There are ways to control shifting. I use meditation and spiritual techniques I learned in Tibet. Now that the moon is up, I'm good to go. Some werewolves can learn to completely control their shifting, ya know...like you. I...am not one of them." He glances back up at the sky, with another smile. "Have you ever been...way outside a city, like, hundreds of miles? The sky at night is so beautiful out there." He gets that far away look as he seems to remember something which makes him smile, but it doesn't last. "So, I know you're guarded about me, that's cool. But what can ya tell me?"

Wolfsbane has posed:
    Trust is a process, not always something that's going to come right away. Even if Wolfsbane is naturally guarded, at times like this where curiosity clashes with caution, it can be smart to stay safe. "I'm no' actually a werewolf. Silver will no' do anything tae me, an' maybe sometimes I feel a little more strongly toward tha' side o' things, but I've always been able tae shift when I wanted. I just had tae learn how tae control th' type o' shift." Hence, she must be a mutant.
    Keeping at least to arm's length distance from Oz for now, she sniffs once, almost a version of a chuff. "I grew up in a village tha' had maybe a thousand people when I was there, an' I've been in a place where there was nothing else around for a long time. Aye..I know how it can look on a clear night."
    What can she tell him? Well, he's already more than picked up the way she's acting, but she shares something else. "I just moved oot o' where I was living tae come here. I'm no' sure if it's th' right decision or no'."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz seems to understand the issue of trust, and is not stepping into her personal space, physically or verbally, at least not intentionally. "That certainly must've been an experience," he says. "I grew up in a suburb, nice place except for the vampires, of course. But I never really knew what the world could be like until I started to go places." he listens to her talk, and when she mentions moving, he nods simply. "Well, you know what? If i turns out good for you, then awesome. If it doesn't, then you made a mistake, but you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take, right? I'm actually looking for a place to move myself, but I'm not sure where yet. It's almost tempting to mvoe here, but...ya know...I'm not sure if I'd really fit in. Look at me. I look normal. Are normal people even welcome here? I have never held anything against mutants, especially not after becoming a werewolf, and becoming different myself. But I guess some hold something against humans. I know it's...not necessarily common, but, sometimes I wonder." Oz is rambling a little. That's not exactly common for him, but perhaps there were just things he needed to say, and he finally just said them. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

Wolfsbane has posed:
    Some things may just take time. Wolfsbane has not volunteered exactly why she's acting the way she is, but someone like Oz, who knows what it's like to be a werewolf - an actual one - probably understands. "O' course there were vampires," she says, voice bordering on sarcastic. "So I guess ye were bit? Ye were no' born tha' way?" the wolfen woman asks.
    She does listen to what he has to say, growing quiet for a few beats once he's finished. "Nae, I guess we say whit we say for a reason. There are normal people around here as well. No' everyone is afraid o' mutants, a' least no' like many are tae th' point o' joining hate groups or supporting Sentinels." There's a sudden grimace out of her, leading to a quick shift in subjects. "Anyway, ye can live wherever ye want. I just left a place wi' a lot o' friends, an' I'm sure I'll see some o' them around here when they visit an' I can always drop by there, but..I didna feel like I was in th' right place lately. I thought maybe I could do something useful around here."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz does, indeed, understand, but he is fully in control, his eyes even being their normal blue grey, there's no reason to fear him. Of course, he also understands being cautious in general around a stranger."Vampires are real," he says, seriously, no sarcasm in his voice. "And they're as dangerous as you think they are, I promise." He holds up a particular finger, using a finger to point out a particular spot on that finger. "My cousin Jordy. Does not like to be tickled," he says, simply. "So, now that you've moved here, do you know what you wanna do? Or do you just wanna sit back and see where life takes ya?"

Wolfsbane has posed:
    Wolfsbane frowns both at the vampires and the telling of how, in fact, Oz was turned into a werewolf. Let's just not think about what might happen if a wolfen mutant was bitten by a werewolf. "I'm..sorry tae hear tha'. Yuir own cousin.." Because that's just wrong!
    A hand sifts through her hair again, then both reach up to redo the tie around the ponytail. Similar color hair? That is something they share. "Right noo, I guess I need tae get used tae living in an area like this. If I can help some people oot, that'd be good, aye?"

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz nods. "Make some friends," he says, simply. "I don't think he did it on purpose, he was like...10 at the time. I...can't believe he was a wolf at such a young age...but..." He shrugs. "I tickled him, he bit me on that finger, hard enough to make me bleed. That...was...a very interesting phone call to make to his mom." He chuckles, offering a smile. "But you know what? I've learned to live like this. I'm okay with it."

Wolfsbane has posed:
    Wolfsbane chews at her bottom lip again. "That's so awful, even if ye're fine wi' it noo. I mean, ye had nae choice. It just happened, an' changed yuir life forever." Sort of like when a mutant's abilities come out, but not quite the same. Perhaps there's a parallel between those things, even if one is supernaturally based and one isn't.
    Looking up and down the street, a few more people pass by on the opposite side of the road. There's still little mind paid to the pair. "Much o' muh life has been sheltered. Maybe oot here, I'm no' sure, but maybe it'll help me grow intae someone better." She talks of living a sheltered life, yet she dresses in something one could see at a renfaire.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
"As we get older, we grow and change. Our experiences, our friends, our surroundings change us, but deep down there are things about us that will always stay the same. Did it change me? Of course. But so did learning how to play the guitar. So did meeting the people who are now my best friends. Were you born with your shifting abilities, or did they...come about one day? I mean, it can't really be much different than what I went through...except I may have attacked some people that first full moon..." He takes a breath, then lets it out. "It's hard to say if it'll make you better or not, but being here will definitely change you. Different environment, different friends, different experiences. Speaking of friends...if you ever need one..." He offers a smile.

Wolfsbane has posed:
    Nodding slowly, the Scotswolf acknowledges, "Aye, I know, but knowing tha' does no' always mean it's easy tae remember or deal wi'. I..had an abusive father, is all I'll say. I tried tae escape it by drawing an' writing, but one day when he was being mean I just.." Wolfsbane snaps a finger, symbolizing the sudden change. "Th' next thing I knew, I was being chased through th' countryside by some o' th' villagers, an' I was just a wolf. One o' them actually shot me, but muh mu..I mean, Lady Mo--"
    She stops herself, trying to be careful about what she tells him. Some of it is still fairly secretive. "Ahh, fortunately someone was there who th' others respected an' listened tae, an' she made them all go home. Otherwise.." Potential friend or not, she might not be standing here now.

Daniel Osborn has posed:
"What I went through is nothing compared to that," oz says. "I won't even try to understand just how horrible that was. But you made it out alive. There are things I just don't stand for, but often they're things I can't do anything about. I hope things are better for you now." He would offer a hug, but given how guarded she's been, he has a feeling it might be received poorly.

Wolfsbane has posed:
    "It's no' something I like thinking about, but there's nothing we can do tae go back an' change it. I've heard o' mutants whose powers went oot o' control th' moment they happened, an' killed them. Tha' kind o' puts whit we've been through in perspective," Wolfsbane murmurs, fiddling with her fingers before she wraps her arms around herself. That he didn't seem to show any sort of bad reaction to learning she actually turned into a wolf says something.
    She tells him, "Since I learned how tae control an' fine-tune whit I could do, it's been a lot better. Sometimes days are tough, but I was one o' th' lucky ones." There's no way to know just what a hug could do, but she does add, "An' ye can call me Rahne if ye like." It sounds like 'rain.'

Daniel Osborn has posed:
\"We're the lucky ones, yeah," Oz says, with a nod. "But you know, I feel bad for those who don't make it. Or the ones who end up killing their families, that has to be the worst. Rahne," he says, thoughtfully. "Pretty name. You know, I found a few pictures of you online...they weren't good, and I never got a name or any info, but I guess I sorta admired you, was a little jealous, of all the things you could do that I really wanted. But I was never able to find out anything about what you were actually like as a person. I see now I picked a good person to admire." He smirks just a little, but it's clear he's not kidding, he really means that. "Because even with such a hard beginning, you stay strong. We can never change the past, but we can move on, move forward, into the future."

Wolfsbane has posed:
    Nodding, the wolfen mutant answers, "Aye, tha' must be th' worst, especially if they live through it, knowing whit happened an' they couldna stop it." Wolfsbane shakes her head, rubbing one of her elbows with the opposite hand amid the self-embrace. What she's told next has her head tilting slightly to one side, her eyes blinking a few times in response.
    "There were pictures o' me ye saw? How did ye find them?" Was he looking for something? Stumbled across them? She seems as if she might ask more, but she lets it go. He'll tell her what he feels like, but no doubt there's a bit of a blush in the cheeks at the talk of admiring her. "Tha's..nice o' ye tae say, but ye dinna have tae look up a' me for anything." And they're able to see practically eye-to-eye, as well. "I was gaunae ask how ye managed tae control yuir change."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz chuckles, with a smile. "I don't remember what I was looking for, exactly, it was one of those days where you just end up typing random things into Google and clicking from link to link until you have no idea how you got where you are, and I found a picture. I managed to find a couple more through some searching but nothing else. But, well...I guess I always liked your ability to...be who you wanna be, whenever you want, and you don't, ya know, lose your mind, go all ferral and start attacking everyone. That's what I admired most. But...I guess I see what you're saying." He smiles. "It's mostly meditation. And I didn't realize just how much meditation can actually help me other times as well. If I'm feeling upset, or, especially angry, I can just meditate, and let it wash away. I've always been good under pressure, but, well, things have only gotten better."

Wolfsbane has posed:
    "I never thought o' it like that. I just had a lot o' training in how tae be whit I am," Wolfsbane says, finally lowering her arms so she can gesture with a palm up. "Tha's how I learned th' control tae be able tae do this." She demonstrates, a partial muzzle forming as her face takes on more of a classic werewolf appearance, though not too far, and even a tail can be seen now behind her. But her body remains mostly human otherwise. The voice still sounds more or less unchanged. "I've never tried actual meditation," she says in between a brief sniffing of the air. "But I'm glad ye've figured oot a solution."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz watches, and seeing the change manages to fascinate him. "Your eyes never change color," he says. "They're pretty, by the way. When I transform, my eyes turn black." Of course...he really can't get past how she was just able to...transform. Maybe one day, he'll be able to do the same.

Wolfsbane has posed:
    Wolfsbane nods, the appearance certainly more feral now than before, in comparison. "I'm no' sure how it'd work for ye, but th' fact is it works differently for us. Sometimes maybe I want tae, ah..look a' th' moon an'.." Another hand gesture, perhaps hoping he knows what she's trying to say without her saying it. "But there's nothing tha' makes me change or lose control like, ye know, th' stories." A twitch of a smile comes and goes at the notice of her eyes. "Ah, thank ye.." Why is everything so awkward sometimes?

Daniel Osborn has posed:
Oz nods. "You are lucky, you know." He can't help but let a grin cross his features when she mentions the moon. "Wanna do it together? I have never had anyone to do it with, ever." yeah, he's been a lone wolf...for...however long he's been a werewolf for now, a few years at least. "Hey, I'm only honest, you know."

Wolfsbane has posed:
    Wolfsbane looks genuinely surprised by the suggestion, pausing or a few seconds to consider it. "Maybe..later, if we get along well," she answers, admitting, "Usually I dinna do it because it makes me feel a bit odd, if tha' makes any sense." Yes, howling at the moon also leaves her feeling awkward, strange. Around that time her stomach grumbles. "But I could go for a hamburger or something tasty, noo tha' I think o' it."

Daniel Osborn has posed:
"It does?" Oz asks, actually surprised. "Perhaps it'd be better to do it away from others, though, it is a little odd. But it is fun." He pulls his phone from his pocket and glances at it, checking the time, before slipping it back into his pocket. "Burgers it is!" He grins, looking up and down the street. "Um...wait. Do you actually know where a burger place is?"

Wolfsbane has posed:
    Wolfsbane pulls out a phone of her own, previously hidden within the fabric folds of her outfit. Tapping at it a few times, after shifting enough that the claws fade down to the point they're more like normal nails than not, and she points down the street to their left. "There's one a couple blocks away," she tells him. "In fact, I think I can smell them already."