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 Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 3:59 pm
 Kiacy Khalid Kiacy listened as Allen introduced himself, and as Vee spoke. Kiacy was about to leave, but when Vee handed her the money, Kiacy guessed she was going to be a part of this, team if you could even call it that. Kiacy looked over everyone that was here, counting how many she'd have to buy for. Six, including herself, Kiacy quickly thumbed through the money, trying to get an estimate of how much she had. After counting, she decided it would be enough, Kiacy glanced down at her clothing, it wasn't very bloodstained, and inn the places there was blood, it was covered by dirt. Kiacy sighed, it would work well enough. She guessed that traveling as an ocelot would definatly speed things up by a lot. Kiacy shifted, the money firmly locked between her teeth, and she shot off into the trees, heading east.
When Kiacy was at the edge of the forest, she shifted back into a human and tucked the money into her jean pockets. She walked into the store, which wwas conveintly empty except for the man at the cash register, who didn't pay much attention to Kiacy. She went through the clothing, grabbing six shirts, and six pants, estimating on peoples sizes. When she had enough clothes, she walked over to the man at the cash register and handed the clothes and the money to him. When the man raised an eyebrow, Kiacy bit the tip of her tounge, "Uh, charity work?" Kiacy said, instantly regretting it. The man shrugged and handed the remainder of the money back to her along with a plastic bag filled with clothes. Kiacy left the store as fast as she could without drawing attention to herself. As she exited, she smacked herself on the forehead, "Charity work? God I'm an idiot," She muttered as she started making her way back to the group.
Since she had too much to carry, she had to walk as a human for most of the way. Before she was there, she ducked behind a bush and changed into jeans and a simple gray shirt. When she arrived, she dumped the plastic bag on the ground, "By the way, we are now charity workers if anyone asks," Kiacy said, smirking.
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 8:50 pm
 ♞xxxxxxxxxxxRichard Leonard Bayard
History is written on the backs of horses ((SKBCTakuya, if the thread creator makes an observation about another character, such as their being covered in gore, that's what the rest of us should roll with. It only makes sense that the leopard involved in all that fighting and subsequent eating of a corpse would be covered in blood.))
Before Richard had a chance to say anything, Vee and the leopard were busily dragging bodies to the river while Kiacy was off like a shot in her ocelot form, streaking through the underbrush. Half an hour later, she returned as a human, carrying bags of cheap clothing in different sizes. He snagged the biggest t-shirt, but ignored the pants. His were still fairly clean, after all, he was only missing his shirt. He pulled on the new one and frowned when he realized it was a bit too small. He would have to be careful about moving his arms or risk ripping the damn thing right down the back.
"If anyone asks, we're charity workers."
Richard looked blankly at Kiacy when she said that. "Why would we be charity workers?" A sinking feeling began in the pit of his stomach. Had this little cat just screwed up? Were they going to be in danger? He knew that throwing the bodies in the river would be a mistake, and now this little odd comment only increased his feeling of apprehension. The thought that maybe sticking with these people wasn't such a good idea flitted across his mind. Did they have no idea on how to stay anonymous? The bodies had obviously been savaged by animals, and the fact that they hadn't been partially eaten as well as dumped into a river in an attempt to hide them were huge signs saying "Look, we weren't killed by normal animals! There are shifters around here somewhere!"
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Irako of the Desert Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 9:01 pm
((All right, I understand that and will roll with it the next time, but the way I see it, if the shifter was in animal form, unless they were wounded, the blood would not show up on their human form.))
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 9:11 pm
(( I'm sorry, that's my mistake. I never quite cleared up that matter. Since the coat of an animal is pretty much like the skin of a human, any blood spilled on the animal's fur would still be present after shifting back into human form. I guess it depends on the amount of blood that decides whether or not it gets onto the clothing. In this situation, unless Bithiah has really good table manners, the blood probably would've gotten onto the leopard's front.
Again, I apologize for not being clear about this. Sorry! sweatdrop ))
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 9:15 pm
((Thanks for clearing that up. And, yes, Bithiah does have really good table manners. Even as a leopard she eats cleanly. The only blood would have been on her muzzle, and she licked it off before she shifted back.))
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Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 5:19 pm
 xxxxxA g h a v e a g h McMURPHY
Richard had apparently chosen to not help out with getting rid of the dead agents, so it was just Bithiah and Vee lugging the dead bodies to the river. Instead, he stood off to the side, critically watching the two girls as if he had something he wanted to say, but was deciding whether or not he should actually say it. As she nudged the last body into the river, Vee stared at it and watched as it slowly sank to the bottom, the current not quite strong enough to wash the body downstream. Yes, it was a pretty poor plan, but it was all they had for the moment. They were aiming for efficiency and quickness. It was alright once in a while to be a bit careless. Maybe.
She loped back to the clearing where Richard, Dex, and Allen were and shifted back, panting from exertion. Those bodies were not light, Vee had to admit. Both the wolf in her and Vee herself had pretty good stamina, but they were dragging bodies across two hundred or so yards of land.
Kiacy returned the same time Vee and Bithiah did, a large plastic back slung over her shoulder. She was already dressed in new clothes, a nondescript gray T-shirt and jeans. Richard fished out a large shirt from inside the bag. Vee followed after, picking out a pair of jeans that, surprisingly, was her size, and a dull brown shirt. She wasn't picky about her clothing, and she wanted to look as boring as possible, so as to not attract attention to herself. Vee darted behind a tree to change.
"By the way, we are now charity workers, if anyone asks," Kiacy said dryly.
Richard spoke first, his tone of voice somewhat wary and tense. Vee had an idea of what he was thinking. Why would anyone ask what they were? Had something happened while Kiacy was out? Had someone approached her, questioned her? Vee didn't think that the girl would be so foolish as to attract attention. If she'd survived this long, she should know how keep a low profile. Yet still, there was that little worm of doubt and worry in Vee's mind. She tried to disspell it. She had put her trust in these people, and she didn't trust anybody unless they had proven they could be trusted.
Vee stepped out from behind the tree, straightening her shirt. "Working for charity sounds fine with me. I've always liked helping out," she said with a shrug. What a big, fat lie. "Let's hope, though, that nobody does ask."
Vee looked back warily in the direction of the river and narrowed her eyes, as if she expected the dead agents to climb out of the water and come back for them. "Dumping those agents in the water wouldn't cover them for long, but it's the best we can do for now. We have to head out -- now. I noticed that those goons tend to pop up more on the east side of the country, so we should head in the other direction until around nightfall. We'll wing the rest depending on where we are by that time."
She gazed at the ragtag group gathered there. She had a feeling they would attract attention, even if they tried their hardest not to. Six people, all muddied and scratched up, just walking around. Maybe the best way to survive was to go their separate ways. One person might be a lot harder to catch than a group of people. But then again, that's what Shapeshifters had done these past years, and look how well that turned out. What if these six people were all that was left of their . . . species? Vee barely knew them, but she knew she wasn't going to let them go, and she wasn't going to let them die without a fight.
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Irako of the Desert Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 12:53 pm
♞xxxxxxxxxxxRichard Leonard Bayard
History is written on the backs of horses ((I'm working on what we talked about, crying rees_T, but I'm having trouble finding the right pic. Once I have that, we'll be set.))
Richard looked at everybody, running through everything he'd observed. He figured they'd travel a lot faster as animals as long as they avoided people, but he worried that Allen, Kiacy, and Dex wouldn't be able to keep up with the larger animals over the long distance from here to the next county. Finally, he made a decision he didn't particularly like, but found necessary.
"I can take a couple of riders in human form as we go, and possibly in animal form as long as nobody digs claws into my back. It's not like I'm going to be wearing a saddle. Kiacy, Dex, Allen, I'm thinking of you mostly, but Vee, if you or Bithy get tired, I suppose I could carry you in human form, too. You'd have to take turns, though, I am not carrying five people at a time."
This offer was a mark of just how willing he was to ensure that the group stayed safe. In all his years, he'd never allowed anyone to ride him in his horse form. In a strange way, he felt that he couldn't trust anyone enough to sit in such a position of power over him. Now, though, he had decided that the necessity of getting away from here quickly took precedence over his trust issues.
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 2:35 pm
 Dex could see the uncertainty in the wolf girl's eyes, but she was going to just have to trust them; he and the other shifters. While the leopard woman and she were dragging the bodies, Dex was starting to assess his injuries. He never really felt much unless he actually looked for the cuts and scratches along his body, but foxes did not need much strength to survive. He did not seem to have any serious injuries, just a single scratch on his shoulder; but that would heal in time. Since his immune system kind of sucked, it would take most likely double the time to heal if his immune system was working functionally, but it did not matter much. When the ocelot girl came back with the clothing, he noticed the horse man obtaining the largest shirt, but it still did not quite fit him well.
Dex looked down at his apparel, realizing that he did indeed have blood covering his clothing, although none of it his own. Since he did not eat meat, nor lay in the dirt, he wondered when he seemed to get so much filth on himself; deciding it was the fight with the agents; the blood looked fresh. Dex quicking shed his shirt and picked up a decent regular shirt with perhaps blandness, but it was not the time to be picky of fashion. With his body exposed, he really felt at a loss, being able to see each of his ribs and his collar bone pronounced very much. Dex could only imagine what his hips and legs looked like, he never looked at himself in the mirror, nor did he really care what he looked like.
When the horse man mentioned that he, the snake man, and the ocelot girl would not seem to be able to keep up, Dex had wanted to protest, but since the horse man, leopard woman and wolf girl were much bigger than they were, he sort of considered that the horse man was right. "I can carry the snake man.", the sentence was barely a voice above a whisper, but he was being more forward than he had ever been. The ocelot girl could ride on the horse man. He also wanted to grow to know more about the snake man, he was interested in how his story came to be. The snake man; Allen as he called himself, made Dex feel drawn to someone, the first in all of his life. The sna-Allen seemed to be uncomfortable, so maybe being forward was not the style best for the situation; but alas, he had already spoken.
Dex wondered if he should start trying to use the shifters' names, instead of just calling them by their shifted animals. The wolf girl, Vee; the horse man, Richard; the ocelot girl, Kiacy; and the leopard woman, Bithiah. An odd group of people, brought together for the common good, or maybe the common tragedy. There would be only one way to find out which one; to travel together, see how the end turned out.
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 7:42 pm
 Bithiah Iseret Bubastis Bithiah donned one of the outfits Kiacy had brought back and hid her own clothes in the pack she carried across her shoulder. She looked down at herself in distaste, then shrugged. She glared at Richard when he shortened her name. "Please do not call me that," she said. "I do not tire easily and could also carry others if any of you tire."((By the way, Bithiah's name is pronounced "BIT-ya," not "BITH-ya."))
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:23 pm
 Allen would have blushed if he weren't cold-blooded; he'd made the change to mamba form before donning his new outfit. He shifted once more as Kiacy came racing up, and, after the others had chosen their clothing, hesitantly plucked up a shirt and a pair of pants. Giving little thought to his surroundings, the slight boy stripped off his own ratty jacket, shirt, and pants, rather like a reptile shedding its skin, and slipped into the new clothing. It hung off his frame, emphasizing, perhaps even more than his brief nudity, how skinny the boy really was. He replaced the tattered cloak over the new clothing, realizing that it would clash a bit, but unable to bear leaving it behind.
The young man snorted a little at the brief exchange between Richard and Bithiah -- he'd already judged her to be rather uptight -- but snapped to attention when his name, or form, rather, was mentioned. Allen had not really considered that these larger animals would have much more stamina than him. Snakes weren't meant for migrating; in fact, in the year or so since Allen had left his home, he had not really wandered an incredible distance away from it, perhaps only several states or so.
"I would appreciate that, if it's not too much trouble," he murmured to Dex, meeting the other's eyes. He liked this, this odd feeling of camaraderie he was gleaning from these people, and the fox man in particular. "You are not..."He searched for the correct word. "Uncomfortable? Unnerved? By sssnakes, I mean. I'm told we feel... um... odd when sssliding across the body." Not to mention the less-than-pleased initial reception he'd gotten. He couldn't blame the other shifters, not really, but that didn't keep it from putting him off a tiny bit.
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:40 pm
Kiacy Khalid Kiacy rolled her eyes when she noticed Richard had tensed when she talked about being charity workers "Calm down, I didn't screw up. For one thing, the guy was probably too drunk to remember our conversation. Secondly, I'm the only one he saw, and if I was suspicious, I can disappear easily. So don't worry," Kiacy said, shrugging it off.
When Richard talked about being too small to travel long distances, Kiacy gritted her teeth. She wasn't slow, and she could probably make it the entire way, but Kiacy did see some sense to his idea. Kiacy crossed her arms and tried not to frown, if she was going to be traveling with them, she'd have to actually work with people for the first time. Kiacy tried not to sigh, it looked like she would be riding a horse for a portion of the way to the next county.
Kiacy watched Allen and Dex's exchange curiously. It could prove to be interesting how they both would get along. They were both small and skinny, and they also seemed to both have similar personalities. Kiacy shrugged off the thought, she would see what would happen with the both of them.
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:09 pm
xxxxxA g h a v e a g h McMURPHY
It appeared everyone was sort of digesting what she had just said, so Vee waited silently until they were clear on the plan and ready to go. Richard then stepped forward and offered to carry the smaller animals on his back. It was a smart idea - his horse form was the largest, and although she or Bithiah could also carry the other Shifters, Richard would probably be a bit more comfortable. Richard sounded slightly unsure, even as he spoke. He probably hadn't been in physical contact with anybody else in a long time, and just to offer himself as a sort of transport like that was generous.
Probably eager to help out in any way he could, Dex also offered to act as transport, but only to the smallest animal form in the group. Allen murmured agreement, and the two met eachother's eyes, a look of understanding coming between them. Vee sensed the beginning of a very close relationship. The two already almost seemed like brothers, by their shy, soft-spoken demeanor, and - with some remorse - their horribly thin stature. They looked like they'd get along well - that is, if either of them ever even started a conversation first.
Bithiah as well offered to carry the others if they ever get tired. Vee's heart warmed at the sight of them being so ... nice? towards eachother. No doubt they had each gone through hell while they were on their own the past few years, and they were already so willing to do what they could to help others like them.
"That's real nice of you to offer Allen a ride, Dex, but -" Vee bit her lip. She shouldn't be so blunt. Dex didn't even look like he was strong enough to carry himself over to the next county, much less another person. "Really, I'm not sure you'd be able to keep up with the fast pace Richard, Bithiah, and I will set. It'll probably be better if you and Allen and Kiacy hitch a ride on Richard first. The three of us could take turns carrying all of you. And, as Richard said already, we'd appreciate it if you hide away your fangs and claws during the trip."
Vee clapped her hands together and looked up. The sun was just traveling over to her left. If they leave now at a brisk pace, they should make good time, be over in the next city by nightfall, or even the city after. Providing that they didn't get discovered first.
She turned to their little group and gave them a fleeting grin. "Thanks for offering to carry them, Richard. I can carry them next if you get tired. Shall we go then?" At that, the white, nearly translucent light that always accompanied her transformations surrounded her, and she turned into an Arctic wolf. She emitted a soft bark once, then set off at a steady run west.
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:32 pm
Dex was not about to let the wolf gir-Vee control everything. Even if he was not the one to state his opinions, he was willing to try his best in the migrate to the next place this small group of shapeshifters would settle. "I will carry Allen. If I lag behind, I will be able to track you by scent. My sense of smell is by far the best, since two of the five are not capable." Dex's voice was stern as he looked the wolf girl in the eye, stating this as a fact, not an option.
By the two of the five, Dex was referring to the fact that he was point blank blind and mostly deaf, without saying it outfront. He was not over-zealous of telling everyone that he was not able to function like a normal human being, let alone as a shapeshifter most of the time. It was true though, he could track an animal for states, as long as he had a trail.
Dex had more energy than he ever had before; ready for flight. It was what he was best at, fleeing, but it was going to be different this time; he was migrating, not fleeing.
As the wolf girl was about to signal for the shifters to head out, Dex crossed over to Allen, "Let us go then.", as the light green glow animated from his center, swiftly shifting into a fox. The sounds of the forest once again returned, his sight of course stayed the same, but that was to be expected. He offered his neck to Allen, perhaps to loop around maybe, probably the safest way to carry him as Dex ran over the long stretch that they would no doubt travel today.
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 9:59 pm
♞xxxxxxxxxxxRichard Leonard Bayard
History is written on the backs of horses Everyone seemed quite ready to go, and Richard was left standing with Kiacy and Bit-something. He glanced at Kiacy and said, "I don't know if you've ridden horses at all before, but let me just say that I'm not a normal horse, so I won't put up with some things people do like regular ones will." Holding up his hand, he began ticking off things on his fingers.
"One, do not kick me in the sides. At all. I will dump you if you try it, and you can damn well run on your own from there. Two, I'm not going to go for yanking on my mane. You can hold onto it, but try not to yank on it or worse, wrap your arms around my neck and hold on. That'll just choke me and throw off my balance. As long as you don't do something I don't like, I'm not going to let you fall. The best thing for you to do is try and grip with your legs as much as possible and leave the rest to me."
He looked at her appraisingly for a moment. "I won't be able to have a conversation, but I can answer yes-no questions. Yes is a short whinny, no is a snort. Let me know whenever you want to run." With that, he transformed into his horse form and looked around before walking over to a log just out of the clearing and standing expectantly next to it.
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Irako of the Desert Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:28 am
Allen hesitated, eyes flickering, trying to decide whether he ought to follow Vee's orders or go with Dex. Ultimately, he realized that he did indeed want to get to know the fox-man better. Besides, out of the six of them, Richard was probably the only one that could travel very quickly for a very long time, so hopefully, he and Dex would not be lagging too far behind.
He stepped forward in an attempt to appease Vee. "Also to consssider... it would probably not be bessst for us all to travel right at one another's sssides... if Dex can keep on your trail but ssstay a mile or ssso back, well, wouldn't that be less sssupiciousss?" The word 'suspicious' was a bit of an ordeal for Allen to get out, but he supposed the wolf girl got the idea.
Allen wondered briefly at the whole 'two of the five' thing, but did not dwell on it. "I will hiss when I am situated; if I am constricting you anywhere, then just yelp at me." He appraised their little pack one more time, then, engulfed in a cloud of gray mist, shifted back into snake form.
Fortunately, despite being rather long -- Allen had last measured himself at 13 feet -- his mamba was quite light, just a little over three pounds. He slithered over to the fox, noting that Dex had proffered his neck. Allen would do his best to spread his mass out a little, however. He first wound himself gently around the fox's midsection three times, then the chest four times, then around the neck twice, and finally set his head down somewhere between the fox's ears.
He wondered if the fox realized how easily Allen would be able to kill him right now if he so desired; it seemed that an intense trust had already formed. He hissed in Dex's ear, then settled.
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