|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2015 9:20 pm
It had taken a long time for Toby to get to this level. The average werewolf was capable of understanding and communicating but just didn't care to, hence the general assumption that they were more animal than man. With enough work, with enough will, the baser instincts could be controlled. Did he still feel them? Of course. That was where the will came in.
He rubbed off the words with a paw-hand and nodded. Yes, he wished he could too, but this was what he got. Also he was rather hungry, but it was pretty embarrassing to eat in front of people in this state. Dogs didn't care, but he wasn't technically a dog.
He wrote another message.
Need food - lots. Will be back.
It had also taken a long time for the staff to trust Toby to wander alone in this state. For a long time there had been armed guards, albeit armed with nonfatal weaponry as well as firearms.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2015 9:34 pm
Maia wanted to point out that she'd brought Toby some food, but then stopped. He probably needed so much more food than what she'd offered. She looked to Dari when Toby left, moving to sit by him, and then hug him.
"He's really okay? Does it hurt him when he turns back? Can I help him?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2015 9:40 pm
Toby made his way down to a small store room stocked just today for his sake. It was an eye-scan lock and since Toby's eyes remained the same in either form it was easy to get in. He saw as well at night as a wolf, but saw all of the colors of a human regardless of the form he was in. He would stay down here a while, eating fruits and bread and sandwiches with absolutely no red meat. That was a trigger nobody wanted to risk, so he simply lounged in the room and started to eat.
"He's really okay, yes. He's a rare sort. The only one I know of, personally, that doesn't immediately turn for murder. Turning back is much easier. It almost seems relaxing for him, but after all of this he will be rather spent. We keep trying to get him to take the next day off, but he never does."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2015 10:33 pm
"I don't like him having to suffer like this," Maia said. "It scared me, his changing. But I wasn't afraid for me." She'd just seen the guy she cared about change into a wolfman. "Well. Not safety wise anyway." She was still shocky. She didn't want to admit it to Dari, or have Toby hear and have his feelings hurt.
"I'll ask him to," she said. Toby not taking a day off after this was ridiculous. He needed rest! "I'll make breakfast. I'll find a recipe somewhere. I've gotten good at reading. Will you help?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 4:29 pm
Dari nodded. Of course. Nobody who loved Toby wanted him to have to suffer in such a way one day a month, but like he said, at least it wasn't three days or four or an entire week. He had to assure everyone he was fine when they all assumed he probably wasn't.
"You can try," he said finally, "Help with what, finding a recipe? I'm not of much use in the kitchen. I can help you read it, though."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 4:39 pm
"Reading the recipe," Maia said. "There's words I still don't know. And I don't want to mess Toby's breakfast up by getting something wrong. I'd make you breakfast too, if you wanted. Your job is to make sure Toby doesn't come down stairs until it's done. Tell him his bedroom looks like a hurricane ran through it. Boss him. It'll work."
It seemed to work for her, anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 4:48 pm
Dari nodded. "Of course. It might not be so easy, though. He'll fight to go to work." Even if he had clearly not slept or his eyes were still bloodshot and legs bruised. He thought it made Toby feel normal. Sometimes he had trouble admitting that he was a different sort, but only sometimes.
"We'll spend the night here so there's no risk of anyone finding Toby or the others. We go home when Toby's turned back and we get conformation from other bases. He can't really fit everywhere either, but if I can get him to sleep I give him by bed."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 5:04 pm
"I know, so I've got a plan. I'll ask him to take the day off nicely. Then he'll say okay Maia, let's go to the cafe and have a drink later, I'm going to sleep. And if that doesn't work I'll tell him how worried I am about him. He needs to rest, and then We can do something to cheer him up."
Maia nodded. She understood that someone finding Toby might quickly become a worst case scenario.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 5:25 pm
Dari just smiled and shook his head. Was that her idea of a flawless plan? More likely it would end with "no, I have to go to work, I'm fine" and then a cup of coffee taken during the commute. It was some sort of psychological thing. Dari couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"He does, but he's stubborn."
Who's stubborn? Toby emerged from the hallway and couldn't ask. It wasn't a phrase that could be written down. It'd lose its wit. It'd seem like an honest question. He had eaten quite a bit, filled his stomach and quelled the desire to kill just to eat. He crouched against the wall then, all of his motions entirely human and almost familiar to battle his appearance at the moment.
"Everyone's looking good," Dari said to him, "Max is struggling a little. Luca's just tearing up the walls and pacing. Do you want me to check on them later, or would you prefer to go yourself?" Toby shrugged, then pointed to himself. He needed something to do. He always felt so useless these nights.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 5:48 pm
"Can you stay home tomorrow?" Maia blurted, when Toby entered the room and Dari finished speaking to him. So much for the I plan. She headed over to him. "Please? You need rest. And we can do things together." She reached for his hand. "Want to go see if we can see a coyote by the apartments?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 5:59 pm
There was remarkably little emotive power on a muzzle save to bare teeth. It was all in the eyes, and Toby couldn't be sure how good people were at reading them. He didn't like Maia's implication. Clearly Dari had told her something and she had made herself a new goal. He sighed and once again did not take her hand. The whiteboard came out again, picked up off the desk.
"Work for now. Later."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 6:09 pm
Dari was right, Toby was stubborn. He didn't seem particularly happy with her suggestion. She crossed her arms. She glanced at Dari and shrugged. "Fine," she agreed. "Then we go see if we can see a coyote. I saw one the very first night I was here. Or we could look for an owl. Do they live around here?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 6:34 pm
Knowing Toby got frustrated having to write out complex ideas, Dari answered for him. "Not around here. Owls live in trees. There aren't many trees around here. Cacti, maybe."
But Toby was already writing something, and he held it up for Maia to read.
"I'M
BIGGER"
He let out a little rumble, bared his teeth for just a moment while making eye contact, and then went to erase the note again.
Toby spent some time checking out the computers; typing was still possible with claws but quite a bit slower. He saw the others weres settling. In the beginning he was just as likely a target as any human, even at his size. After a while a sort of pack mentality developed unless, of course, one was a member of an elaborate clan. That complicated things. These men, though, were not like that. One had moved from the Carolinas after his siring to have help nearby. The other had been flown in against his will and had eventually decided to live within a few hours of HQ for the same reason.
So he excused himself to go down to their cells, to try and talk to them, to calm them and at least offer a little comfort. Sometimes he would write on the walls, something the janitors hated but he happily offered to paint over in the morning. Anything he could do to help was worth the effort. He knew the pain of this condition.
When he returned he was feeling a bit glum but contented. He was stuck like this for hours, and at some point everyone else was going to be asleep and it'd be just him and Dari. While his partner was definitely the best communicator while he was in this stage, he also had to take over Toby's role in the work. There wasn't much room for anything but conversation. Maia was awake now, though, and she had wanted to do something. Star-gazing, he thought, would be a grand idea. Maia had mentioned wanting to watch the stars on the boat, but the stars were brighter here when all the lights were out, and they could go linger in the hall or in the yard and nobody would be any wiser to the werewolf among them. First he wrote to Dari.
"All ok?"
Dari nodded. "We're quiet for now." His smile said Toby could go and do whatever he liked, really.
Toby nodded and wiped the board clean while motioning to Maia. He nodded his head toward the door and began in that direction. Come with me, his body language said, and he continued out of the room (it held a handle rather than a knob for just such conditions) and down the hall. He could use a break anyway. These were always the longest days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 6:51 pm
Finally, Toby seemed to have a free moment. She followed him when he indicated to do so. Where were they going? He hadn't seemed too impressed when she'd suggested going to see id they could see any coyote, but he was right; he really was much more impressive than one.
What did she say? She wasn't as nervous as she should've been, alone with a werewolf. But this was Toby. And he'd protected her from monsters far worse; humans. "Its different, HQ at night. Quiet."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2015 7:02 pm
It was awkward to try to walk and converse at the same time in this form. At least Maia wasn't saying anything complicated. He simply nodded. Yes, it was much different. The place belong to Pixie and Seamus and a dozen overnight workers.
He led Maia down the hall, around a corner, and then toward a familiar place. The apartments. Before going through the door, though, he opened a control panel on the wall and pressed a few buttons. When they emerged into the concealed hallway, none of the running lights by their feet were lit. Everything was dark. Black. Barely maneuverable. Now Toby offered his hand but only carefully. His claws were thick and sharp, and he knew from experience they hurt like a b***h.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
