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 Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 1:52 pm
As they came down the stairs, Toby emerged from the side room tying the draw string of his shorts around what remained of his waist. This way he didn't have to feel strange being naked around people he wasn't used to being naked around. He raised a paw and waved.
"Well just look at you!" Lori said, still holding Luca's hand, "You're lucky these ceilings are high."
Toby nodded and turned slightly as Dari cut a hole in the back of his short and tugged his tail through. Bah. Embarrassing.
"Do you want to go hang the strings?" Dari asked. He was up toward his own room to grab Toby's board and marker.
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 2:01 pm
Luca seemed a bit nervous, but Toby was definitely tame, he decided. Not like the werewolves in books. He gave Lori's hand a squeeze.
"Now you'll have to reach the top branches," Maia said, looking up at Toby.
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 2:05 pm
Lori squeezed back, then released Luca and went down to help gathering the loops of string.
Toby lifted one lip in a way that was undoubtedly meant to be a smirk but came out more like a sneer. He joined Lori to help, and then nodded for everyone to go out back where the tree stood. They were far from any busy road, and who would believe anyone had seen a werewolf anyway?
Rosie ran out barking, barking, running circles around Toby's legs. He handed Maia his loops and took a sudden step at Rosie who lunged back and happily wagged. Toby always played with the dog, but he had never had a chance in feral form. She seemed more interested than usual now, so he went off chasing her in the snow.
Lori started running a string around the base of the tree and offered another to Luca.
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 2:20 pm
Maia took the loops and watched Toby. She smiled; now he had a playmate! She knew transforming for him was by no means fun. She watched Lori and then added her own string above his.
"Do birds like popcorn?" Luca asked.
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 2:27 pm
"I think so," Lori said. If not he was sure they'd like the dried fruit, right?
Toby was now on all fours, something he tended to avoid for dignity's sake, having a standoff with Rosie. Lori looked to him and laughed, then shook his head. He was glad to be here. Really he was.
Dari interjected. "They do. If it doesn't snow too much tonight we can come out and see their footprints in the morning."
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 2:42 pm
"Can we watch them tonight, maybe?" Maia asked hopefully. Her eyes went back to Toby and she smiled. She'd never seen Toby so playful in this form, it was nice. Maybe Rosie could come on the full moon more often!
Luca took a loop from Maia and started winding it around the tree.
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 2:48 pm
"I don't see why not," Dari said.
Toby returned when Rosie was panting great gouts of white steam and came back to watch the other looping strings around the tree. It was starting to look downright festive. He took a string himself and set it up higher on the tree; this was the first time in a long time he'd been feral on Christmas Eve and able to reach so high. Then he leaned down and picked Maia up at the waist to go even higher. They'd nearly reach the top!
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 3:00 pm
"You certainly wore her out," Maia said, when Toby returned. She hugged him, and then when she was picked up, wound a string around the tree.
"I can see everything from up here," She said, smiling down at Toby.
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 3:06 pm
It was frighteningly effortless for Toby to lift Maia even higher, so high that her feet dangled above his shoulders from the extra length he'd gained in the arms to run on all fours. He gave her a look of love when she looked down and then let her have the view a while before pulling her back down.
"Aren't you cold?" Lori asked.
Toby shook his head and ruffled the fur on his own chest. Nope, not at all. This was the best coat around. Pretty soft too. Here, feel! He held his arm out to Lori, who just looked bewildered at it a moment until Toby stroked it himself. Ah. A rare occasion of being allowed to pet a coworker. Lori did so and gave a thoughtful hum. "I guess not then. You'd make a nice coat."
Toby growled and Lori laughed.
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 3:12 pm
Maia snuggled against Toby when she was let down. He was an excellent cuddle buddy, especially when it was cold. "Come on Toby, I've got food," she took his hand and began to tug towards the house. Summer sausage, crackers, cheese and five dozen cookies. "I made cookies."
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 3:18 pm
Toby followed and waved goodbye as he was dragged half-hunched toward the house. Getting in involved sticking in one leg, and then his head, then ducking and bending the rest of the way. At least it was only for one night. He'd forgotten his board, so Dari went in after him to hand it off. Rosie followed him inside.
Lori turned to Luca and smiled. "Having a good time so far?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 3:27 pm
Maia led Toby into the kitchen, smiling at him. "Dari and I made these," she gestured to the plate of cookies. "And I bought these for you." She pointed to the cheeseball and sausage.
"Yeah," Luca smiled. "The tree is beautiful," he smiled and took Lori's hand. "Want some hot chocolate?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 3:30 pm
Toby reasonably enough went for the sausage first. His craving was always for meat but Maia, bless her heart, wanted him t have a balanced diet. Anything worked to keep him sated, but nothing stopped the craving but more meat. He ate the sausage as he looked over the cookies. Were these the ones Maia had been talking about? Half the sugar? What would they taste like?
Lori smiled and nodded. "Yeah, sure." He'd do anything with Luca at this point.
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 4:04 pm
Maia offered him a cookie. "Dari didn't know whether sugar was bad for you in this form or not, so we made sure they'd be safe for you to eat."
Luca kissed his cheek. "I'll go make us some."
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 4:14 pm
As Lori came in he heard Maia talking.
"Nah, he's still human on the inside," he offered with a smile, and then gave Luca a kiss back on the cheek.
Some time later, after Toby had eaten, he brought Maia and a load of blankets to the back to watch the tree. Their scents had all petered out by now and some of the tree had already been pilfered, so Toby laid a blanket down for him to sit on, then gathered Maia in his arms to be her fluffy chair, and finally wrapped an blanket around them to keep the warmth in. He had more depending upon how long they stayed out.
It was only four minutes before a raccoon began to make it way to the tree from the woods.
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