CoR Facing the Wolf

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Jas

Jas

Exceptionally Common
Location
The Rusty Nail
As collaborated with @Hollow glade

Marie checked the digital clock by her bed for the fourth time. 21:37. Ughhhh. Why did sleep evade her so?

She checked her phone. After swiping away a few notifications--Weather, gonna be a crisp night. Junk emails... That game can wait till morning--she sighed. She brought up the Pictogram app and scrolled for a few minutes. She watched a video of a cat sniffing some garbage and fainting a couple of times, but once that lost its novelty, she clicked on her friends. She scrolled down a bit to find a picture of a familiar bartender looking back at her, and she clicked the "message" button. It brought up some small-talk messages that were hardly substantive from a few days earlier. She sent him some new messages:

Hey
When u get off?


After just a moment she saw the little "Grisham is typing" icon show up and he replied.

waving sticker-emote
00:30 or so, y??

Can't sleep 😭
Thinkin about ur offer to 🐺 together
Wanna meet after u get off?

dancing sticker emote
Yea!! Want to come over n we go from here?

Ya
Ill meet u at the bar at 00:30
🐺🌙🎉

🐺👑🤟


She smiled. He was honestly pretty sweet. She'd felt bad about dumping on him the other day so she had been hesitant to reach out, but after that, she felt quite a bit better. He didn't seem bothered, and she was determined to show him that she wasn't just a sad sack. She could be fun too. Right?

Right?

When it was almost midnight, she dressed up in some yoga pants and a simple top, something that would be easy to get out of. When she was freshly bitten she'd shifted, unbidden, more times than she could count, and each time she'd ruined her clothes. Now she was able to hold it back most of the time, but she knew she'd be getting naked before she turned. She also got a little messenger bag that was designed to be worn over the shoulder to pack everything into and set off.

She pushed open the door of The Rusty Nail a little before 00:30, ready for a night out.
 
There had been a couple of people left, closing their tabs for the night. But on a wednesday, it really wasn't busy. Grisham waved at Marie when he saw her come in, glad to see that she looked okay. What she had told him when she had come over was a bit (A lot) on the heavy side. He had not been expecting her to contact him about going out to the forest. Maybe as a bit of a social call, for example, but not that. So it was nice to see her willing to step out of her comfort zone.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked, taking a large sip from the -water- bottle he always carried, while he finished up the cleaning and putting things in order before closing that he needed to do.
 
"I'm feeling okay. Thanks for asking, Grisham." She flashed a smile, whether to convince him or herself--who could know, really?--and approached the bar. She saw him take a swig. "Oh, should I have hydrated?" She had never really had a guide for any of this wolf stuff, and she didn't even know how much she didn't know. In this case, she just didn't know that Grisham was a functioning alcoholic. "I mean, I drink a lot of water, but I didn't bring anything special for... tonight."

She looked sheepish, looking around at the other patrons. She'd almost mentioned what they were planning to do for the evening and wasn't sure who would overhear. "I'm probably just over-thinking," she continued. "I have a tendency to do that. The real bitch of it is that I know I over-think, but somehow that doesn't stop me from doing it! Sometimes I even over-think about how much I over-think."

She realized she was rambling and decided it was best to stop talking for a moment. She plopped down on a stool near Grisham and watched him close up shop.
 
The people were practically on their way out the door by the time she sat down. Grisham continued to wipe the counter and put everything in order as fast as he could without breaking anything.

"You'll be fine. I just, drink a lot, piss a lot, old man shit." He said with a shrug. If they got hungry they could hunt, probably. If they got thirsty they'd find a water source. "It's fine to be nervous, ask anything you want. Blab away or whatever you called it." He tried to reassure her with a little smile. He'd do the best he could anyway as well, and it wasn't like He knew what the fuck he was doing either, other than having good intentions.

"Do you want to take a shot before we go? For the nerves. And it's on me" He offered, taking out two little shot glasses that would also take about three seconds to clean each.
 
"Sir, I live by two rules. First, never do today what you can do tomorrow. Second, never turn down free booze." She giggled softly. That wasn't exactly true; she didn't procrastinate nearly as much as she liked to imply. But she really had never turned down free booze. Well, not that she gave lower than about 10% chances that it was drugged, anyway.

She snapped out of her head and nodded, realizing she'd started to spiral into her thoughts again. "So yes, I would love a shot. Thank you." As she waited for him to pour the spirits, she watched the last of the patrons leaving the shop, though the last one did cast a downtrodden look over his shoulder as he saw Grisham pouring, as though he was missing out.

And she supposed he was, in a way. But it was probably something he didn't want to be a part of, anyway.
 
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He snorted, an echo of her giggle, and poured them two shots of Thunder bitch. If he saw the guy who looked back at them, he ignored him completely. And Marc had finished earlier today, so they were completely alone. The ambience was better this way.

"Atta girl Marie!, to facing the wolf." He said, lifting his little glass to clink it against Marie's before downing it in one with absolutely no reaction and no trouble doing so. This whiskey was fucking delicious, a bit spicy and definitely helped wake him up a little bit more after a full day of work. He felt more than ready to face the night head on now!.
 
"Yeah! To facing the wolf with new friends!" She concurred and threw it back as well. She... did not handle it nearly so gracefully as Grisham did. She immediately grimaced as it burned her mouth. She forced herself to swallow and grimaced more as it burned her throat. Then she coughed a little bit as soon as it was down. As the initial harshness faded, though, she found the warmth it left behind quite pleasant.

"Woo! Did not expect that much heat, but it was actually pretty good," she piped in as soon as she was able to quit hacking. "Sorry, I'm a bit of a lightweight. Not really much into shots, though as I said, free is free. Thank you."

She giggled again. "After a couple of those the acid quality probably isn't as noticeable either."
 
With new friends? aw. He almost smiled and his heart did give a little jump. He wasn't that hard to get along with that he hadn't made any friends during his travels. He often did, actually. He tended to leave them behind just as often as he made them though. But hey, first friend in Lutetia. He wasn't sure if Marc was his friend. Probably not, or at least not yet. Friendship with people above you in a vertical power structure never went well anyway. Marc would fire him one day, or he would leave himself. Or he would die. But that was a more grim approach, and the mood was cheerful now.

"Aight, let's go then. Before I'm tempted to test your true lightweightedness and we end up not going out at all." He said with an amused snort, reaching to gently pat Marie a couple of times on the head. He cleaned the glasses and after a last check of the spaces, and the bathrooms, always the bathrooms, they were ready to head out through the back.
 
Marie had never been patted on the head before. She was unsure how to respond to it. She enjoyed it, but at the same time it made her feel like a little kid. So she just blushed and looked down at her empty shot glass, at least until he took that from her to clean it. She was silent while he finished up, debating whether she liked them or hated them. By the time Grisham was ready to leave, she'd decided that since he meant it in a friendly way--she was pretty sure, anyway--she liked them. From him, anyway.

As he beckoned her on, she hopped off the stool and went around the bar to follow him out the back. She decided to finally respond to his words as she did. "I'm not that much of a lightweight. I just like things that taste fruity and sweet instead of things that taste like toilet cleaner. Sue me." She giggled and shoved him gently.
 
He laughed, not shoving her back. He liked the familiarity though. "Me too, my taste buds are just rotten." He joked.

He grabbed his black and green camo pouch bag. Where he put his water bottle and carried a few other things, like his keys and cards. He planned to put his clothes in it as well. Then they closed the back door together and he walked with Marie towards the forest.

"I have good news, I got hired for real. Like, signed a contract, official schedule and everything." He told her, happy and eager to share his news with someone other than fellow drunks and public park dogs.
 
"Oh! That's exciting. I'm happy for you!" She was, and yet it reminded her of her own troubles. She was silent for a moment, deciding whether to share or not; she couldn't just be the oversharing bitch all the time right? Finally she decided to go for it. "I've still not found anything permanent. Just scrambling between jobs at the moment. Been giving that private eye thing some real thought though. I think licensing would be a bitch, but if they won't let me into the system, maybe I'll just stay outside of it. It's a big step, though, and I don't really know where to start. It would be nice to have some sort of authority backing my business even if it isn't the government. The question becomes: who?"

They were nearly to the tree line by now, and her anxiety about the wolf within was beginning to grow. It was remarkable how much she was able to ignore it up until now. "With my legal status as... well, a monster... I have been wondering if I shouldn't look at those. I'm sure the Bloodstones don't have a private investigator on their roster, and they probably don't need one. But I suppose it's worth asking, right? Only problem is... I don't think I'm well-liked there."
 
Yeah from what he remembered she told him, it was no wonder they weren't huge fans of her.

"Legal status, werewolf or wolf, jeez. Don't call yourself a monster, and by extension me, because I sure as hell don't feel like one. I'm just a dude. And you're a troublemaker, even if it's just for yourself." Said Grisham as they stepped past the tree line together. His step became a bit more springy, and he couldn't help it. It felt better to walk through nature than it did to be in the city. There were a myriad of scents waiting to be discovered, especially when it came to prey.

"You never know if they remember or if they need people, honestly. The Bloodstone's I mean. They don't love me either, because I told one of 'em to come keep the iron jackshits or whatever they are called in place. And their fucking big boss Ragenard came to beat the shit out of me for it, yesterday. But he also told me to go say hello if I considered joining? So eh, we could go together if you want." He offered, just telling her casually as if it wasn't a much bigger deal than their little night walk. Even though it was. He had had an alcohol fueled nightmare and vomited last night, thinking about Mr. Wolf-hulk kicking his guts in. But then he had just made himself pass out again, with a pill involved, and he slept through the rest of the night without much more trouble.
 
Marie gawked at Grisham when he mentioned he called out the Bloodstones in their own turf. "Oh you didn't..." and then he continued, and her fears were cemented. Now that he mentioned it, she did see some signs of a fight, but they looked days old. He must have some sort of improved regeneration by merit of being a wolf.

"Go together huh?" She considered his offer. She certainly would feel better about this with a friend at her side. "Yeah, I think I'd like that. In the meantime I'll fire up some advertising. And if you run into anyone that needs--well, a private dick--send em my way?"

They were fairly deep into the forest by now. She looked around nervously. "This a good place?" she asked, the apprehension clear in her voice.
 
"If I send clients who want a private dick your way, they won't be looking for the same thing that you're offering." He said with a snort, stopping as well. Alright, how the fuck were they doing this? He'd have to stay human or partially human in case she was too much to handle as a quadruped. But he did drop his pack next to a tree, after taking out his bottle for a couple of big gulps, and licking his lips.

"We'll go together then, and sure. Hm. Do you want us both to transform? I just turn into a big grey wolf, nothing fancy. Or do you want me human while you give it a try?." He asked, making sure to dial the gruffness back by an order of magnitude so Marie was comfortable.
 
She giggled at his comment about dicks. She wasn't the crass sort, but she also wasn't a prude, and she genuinely found it funny. But when he asked her how she wanted him, she hesitated, deep in thought.

"I get... very strong, when I am a wolf. I've only shifted so far whenever the moon was full or when I was really angry, before I could control it. As soon as I was able to control it, I haven't shifted since." She fidgeted nervously. "Those times I wasn't able to keep my human mind, though I've never tried to do this, and I don't know if it will change anything. But if you could go toe-to-toe with the leader of the Bloodstones and still be standing..."

She paused for a little bit and then proceeded, sounding more confident. "How about this, Grisham? I want us both to have fun, but I also don't want to do something I regret. So I'll shift first. After I do, if it seems like I still have my head, then you go. Otherwise you'll... probably need to stop me." She unshouldered her pack and turned around, starting to undress while she waited for his response, folding her clothes neatly and placing them into the pack. She felt a little strange getting naked in... well, this wasn't exactly public, but it wasn't in the safety of her home either. But she wasn't body-shy and she wasn't threatened by Grisham, so she bore it.
 
He felt warm, because of the extra alcohol no doubt. But also maybe because he seemed to have succeeded in making her laugh and possibly more relaxed for what was coming. Grisham heard her out, already anticipating that he was probably going to take his second beating in as many days. And he wasn't even getting paid or an orgasm out of it. So he was clearly not managing his time as efficiently as he should.

"Alright, I'll be here okay? And if it works out we can go hunting together. Or maybe you won't attack... Me, specifically." He said, taking his shirt and shoes off but stopping there for now. He wasn't shy in that sense. But wolves asked less uncomfortable questions than humans did, and he didn't want to be super exposed if she did try to take a bite off of him. So he kept his pants on.
 
"Oh I hope not. Sorry in advance if I can't control myself. Trust me that I'm certainly gonna try." She meant that. Sure, he was gruff. But it had been a long time since anyone had been as kind to her as Grisham was, and she didn't want to let him down.

She closed her eyes. She'd spent so long suppressing the wolf within that communing with it was difficult. But she knew that little corner of her psyche from which the occasional cackle or roar issued, and she started there. At first, for nearly a minute, she was not able to reach it. Was it gone? Her wolf? She didn't know if that made her happy or anxious.

Then from nowhere she heard a howl ring out through her mind and that familiar, terrifying presence overwhelmed her. That horrible howl that reminded her of Jasper, of the monster she became that night, not because of the bite, but because of her actions. White-hot pain blinded all her senses for several moments. Her mind raced, her conscious thoughts waning to nothing. Her mind became occupied only with colors and smells, of hunger. The howl persisted, but she realized it was now external instead of internal, pouring from her throat.

What Grisham would have seen was a little different. First, she just stood there with her pale skin glowing slightly as it caught the moonlight. Then all of a sudden her body wracked, contorted, seized. She wailed throughout the process as her skeleton and musculature rearranged itself. She dropped to her knees and black fur began to envelop the roiling mass beneath her skin, and she nearly trebled in mass. As the transformation continued, her wails lowered in tenor until they were a lupine howl, which pierced the otherwise silence of the night.

Finally all was still and quiet. The beast that used to be Marie got to his feet, sniffing around. The smell of sweat, behind him. It was accompanied by the sound of a heartbeat, coursing delicious blood through his veins. A cloying caustic aroma. Ethanol? As he turned to face his friend-turned-quarry, his face contorted into a grin, saliva dripping from needle-like fangs.

No no no no no! Marie screamed out inside of the wolf's head. Anything, anyone, not him!

The wolf ignored her pleas. Even as she screamed in his head, he bore down on Grisham with a clawed talon raised to strike. And as he brought it down, Marie shrieked in fear and frustration in his head, struggling to do anything to save her friend. And before finding purchase, the strike diverted, instead clawing into a nearby tree. She wasn't sure how she did it, but she had taken control, and the body was obeying her. She still heard the gnashing of tooth and claw in her head, fighting for the reins. But she had them firmly, for now. The wolf took a couple of steps back from Grisham and sat on the ground, panting.
 
Watching a new werewolf, which Marie sill counted as, shift was always... A painful ordeal. Grisham had forgotten the agony of the first times. He now did it so often that it was like a second nature. Her form was impressive. Big, monstruos to humans probably, fierce. Still, he watched her get through it. The darkness wouldn't show his expression, but he still kept his mouth pressed into a tight line.

He didn't move when she shifted, he didn't move when she approached him and raised a clawed hand to him and he didn't move when she almost struck him. Grisham made sure to not even flinch, because as the first person she spent time with as a wolf... He didn't want her to remember him flinching in fear at the sight of her, or at her actions. But she did it, she controlled it. And they didn't know each other that well, but he felt his heart swell with pride anyway.

"That was amazing Marie! How are you holding up in there?" He said, now grinning at her but giving her space for now. He didn't want to crowd her either, or make it harder for her to keep control. "Ready for me to shift as well? I'm not as impressive as you. Just regular wolf, bigger than average though." He explained, waiting to see how she reacted.
 
She had shifted before; she was unable to prevent it at all at first, and each time The Wolf had been in control, and he had just done whatever he was gonna do and she sat back and watched, screaming and trying to block out the terrors of what he did. This was actually the first time Marie had ever been in control, and she didn't quite know what to do.

Not quite sure what to do with these monstrously long limbs with which she now found herself, finding a comfortable sitting position was hard. So she fidgeted. At first she tried just sitting on her butt with her legs splayed out, but the new way they articulated didn't quite feel comfortable. So she shifted, trying to sit cross-legged, but that was even worse. So finally she tried sitting more like a dog, her legs sort of bent and her hands on the ground between them. All the while, she was drowning out the sounds of The Wolf trying to claw his way back to the pilot's chair. Still, she ignored him, and marveled at the way her new body felt.

Finally satisfied with the way she was sitting, she looked up and realized that as she was drowning out The Wolf, she'd been drowning out Grisham also. So she focused on her friend, her ears turning toward him, and was able to catch the end. Something about him shifting. She tried to say, "Yeah, go ahead," but instead her jaw moved and she made sort of a whining noise.

Alright, so she couldn't speak in this form. She wasn't sure The Wolf had ever tried. But she did have full control over the body's motions, so she nodded her new head. It was much bigger than her normal one, but her neck was much stronger, so it ended up being more vigorous than she'd intended, but hopefully she'd gotten the message across: she was in control and was ready for Grisham to shift.
 
It was pretty funny to watch her now that she wasn't trying to take his head off. Had that been an attempt at talking? Like a human? With that head?? Grisham fully laughed as he took the rest of his clothes off. He took a few more sips from his super legit water bottle and stood naked in front of Wolfy Marie before he started shifting. It didn't take long, and his only complaints were a few grunts, the cracks and snaps of rearranging bones. Soon, Grisham was a big grey wolf with yellow eyes that borked softly at Marie. And walked a bit closer to her to sniff her wolf form, curious. He kept his tail relaxed, and his fur flattened. No threats were being made, nu uh. But neither was he laying on the ground exposed. So he kept an air of seriousness and authority over her anyway. Or he was trying to.
 
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