Kyle: Kyle fiddled with the soft little fake mouse he bought at the petstore. He really didn't like going out and buy stuff at the petstore, alweays felt like people were laughing at a joke that he didn't know of. Atleast he got the mouse and the other things. He hoped Hepz wouldn't come in too soo while he's still putting things up.
Kyle: Hopefully this will have the same effect on her that it had before on Vic. That would be fun. He tied the long string to the mouse and walked around in the recroom, putting the mouse through a nook an cranny, and ending up with sitting on the couch...waiting. After some time he finally turned the tv on. Waiting was boring.
Hepzibah: The TV was on in the Rec Room as Hepzibah came down the hallway. She frowned, most everyone was in class. Then his scent caught her nose and she grinned, a little guilty. Blue Boy She turned the corner and stepped in. "What's up Kyle?" She waved.
Kyle: Kyle grinned, sharp teeth showing in rows. "Hi Hepz. Nothing really. Just watching tv. Wanna watch with me?" he asked, his grin still plastered on his face.
Hepzibah: "Um, sure." She smiled. She perched up on the back of the sofa and stared. "What are we watching?" She took a look at his fur. It was still most definately blue. "What's so funny?"
Kyle: "Err....just watched a funny show....it's done now..umm...watching something else now. About redoing....rooms." Kyle said as he watched the tv. A renovating show was on.
Hepzibah: She watched for a few moments. It was hard for her to focus on the show. There was something...unsettling in the air. "Kyle, do you smell something?"
Kyle: "Umm....I used a new conditioner today...it's a little fruity..." He answered her.
Hepzibah: She sniffed slightly then shook her head very slowly. "No. It's not that..." She turned her head, she knew that smell from somewhere and sniffed Kyle again. "What else have you been into?"
Kyle: "Nothing really...maybe it's something in the room.
Hepzibah: Nodding, Hepz stood up, no longer focusing on Kyle. Instead she started around the room in something that was closer to a stalk than a pace. It got strong as she got closer to the book case.
Kyle: Kyle turned on the couch, his hand coming down and grabbin between the cushions and finding the string. When she got too close to the book case, he started pulling the string, making the mouse quickly move to the back of a small fancy table in a corner.
Hepzibah: Her quick eyes caught a sudden movement and a stronger wiff of whatever it was that was starting to drive her senses crazy. She knew that smell but it had been a long time. Cautiously, she crouched down and prowled to the table. "Kyle. I-I think a mouse might have gotten inside." She hated mice.
Kyle: Kyle pulled the string again, the mouse quickly went from the table to under the couch. For some reason Kyle was getting a bit excited at that. It was funny, and sneaky, but not something to cause that kind of excitement.
Hepzibah: This time she saw it! Pouncing, Hepz lept over to the sofa, reaching a claw underneath to snagged the rat. "Damn it!!" She growled as she missed; then she sat back on her heels. She shook her head, almost woozy. Something was wrong. She felt like she was starting to come out of her skin. Breathing a little harder, she scratched her arms up and down trying to get rid of the sensations.
Kyle: "Something wrong?" Kyle asked, half his head sticking over the couch's back. "I think it ran out this side." he said, thumbing to the front of the couch. Yup, Catnip has definately the same effect on her.
Hepzibah: Hepzibah nodded but couldn't move right away. What is wrong with me? Finally she hauled herself up and tipped over almost crashing down on top of Kyle. She caught herself and hung onto the back of the sofa for a moment. Then she saw the offensive little gray piece of vermin and hopped over the side of the sofa after it. Growling she caught it in her claws. But she dropped it as she started to feel her temperature rise and her heart starting to race.
Hepzibah: Slowly she picked up the toy mouse with dread. Now she knew that smell. "Kyle. What did you do?"
Kyle: Kyle felt unsually hot and flustered at the time she was holding the mouse. "Getting back for permanent dye." he grnned. He gave a loud breath before adding, "Getting stuffy in here."
Hepzibah: She shook her head, her green eyes wide and her pupils dialated till they looked like dark moons. "You shouldn't have-have done this." She laid her head back against the couch and tried to breath deep, but that only made it worse - for everybody.
Kyle: "Why, it's just funny." Kyle shifted closer to her, "Not gonna kill you....is it?" he asked. He was sniffing at her neck, getting a little closer than he usually would get.
Hepzibah: "No." She shook her head, incredibly aware of how close Kyle was to her. Damn stupid dog! "It won't-it won't kill me, but -" Suddenly, she threw the toy down and lept up. The room was too small, too hot, too crowded. "I have to go. I need some air." She jumped up and tried to rub the catnip smell off her hands onto the sofa cushion.
Hepzibah: "Good joke! You got me good!" She mewed distractedly as she yanked at the door leading to the patio. Finally getting it open, she fled outside on all fours. She knew what was happening and she had to get away from anyone who could be affected while she still could. She headed for the woods as fast as she could go.
Kyle: Kyle just turned his head and watched her run. He stumbled over his legs as he climbed and got tangled with the mouse's long string. Pulling at the mouse he snapped the string off, kicking the string aside and running through the open doors, wanting to find out what was wrong.
Hepzibah: Hepzibah ran until she was just compeletely out of breath. Panting, she looked around and desperately rubbed her hands against the tree bark, the ground, anything she could to get rid of the smell. Starting to shake, she curled up. She could ride this out; she'd done it before. Just so long as she was alone.
Kyle: Kyle followed her scent, running and finally slowing down to a walk, slowing down the closer he got. She was acting a little unusual. Definately not what he was expecting. He then realized he still had the mous in his hand and mindlessly just stuffed it in his pants pocket. "H...Hepz. Hepzibah? What's wrong?" he asked.
Hepzibah: Her head snapped up as Kyle approached. Her claws begged to unsheathe. "N-nothing, Kyle. I'm - I'll be fine. You go back to the house." She growled, close to begging.
Kyle: Kyle got down to a squat, then all fours. "What's wrong?" he repeated.
Hepzibah: His scent was overwhelming as he got closer to her. She tried to curl away, trying to hang onto the hope that she could just ride this. "Kyle...please go a-away!" Her claws sprang out as the fur on her arms and neck began to stand up.
Kyle: One more step closer and he stopped. A part of him wanted to go right then and there, do what he was told to do, but another part of him wanted...something. Half a step closer, "What's wrong?"
Hepzibah: She had one more brief moment of sanity before she descended into madness. "I warned you." She whispered. Before Kyle could quesion her again, the white feline spun against him, hissing like a wild animal. Two sets of claws left long, ruthless cuts on his face and chest as she attacked him.
Kyle: She took Kyle by surprise and made him fall back before he twisted around and was back on fours. A growl was sounding in his throat, but kept from striking back at her. He waited, watching her next move.
Hepzibah: He didn't have to wait long. As soon as he was on all fours again, a higher pitched, but no less threatening growl rose from Hepz as she sprang at him. She grabbed hold of him, digging her claws in and sinking her fangs deep into his shoulder.
Kyle: Yet again, he was surprised by her. She clawed while her teeth was biting down hard at his shoulder. He grabbed with his own claws at her wrists, trying his best to keep himself from actually hurting her, but there was that feeling inside him. The urge only got stronger the longer he tried to keep her from clawing more. A kind of haze filling his head.
Hepzibah: Hepz hissed fiercely as he pulled her off him and held her at bay. His blood was strong and metallic in her mouth. Her eyes flashed as she struggled, twisting wildly. Finally, she laid her teeth on his hands, lacerating his fingers as he held her.
Kyle: Kyle's ability to hold back was dwindling fast, and the haze in his mind was growing just as fast. Before he knew it, Kyle was ignoring all the cuts and scrapes, red marking his light blue fur. He twisted and struggled with Hepzibah, getting a hold on her, rolling, and ending up above her. He wanted her.
Hepzibah: They snarled and hissed as they fought, each one using their feral abilities to get the upper hand. Finally, Hepz found herself on her back glaring up at the better fighter, exerting his dominance. She writhed against him, both wanting him and hating him. With a snarl, she whipped her knee up between his legs, landing a hard solid blow to his testicles.
Kyle: Kyle cringed and for a small moment lessened his grip on her, where she easily slipped ouf of his grasp. Instead of grabbing for her, her grabbed between his lgs for a moment until the pain subsided. He looked up for her.
Hepzibah: Twisting around, the cat dug her back claws into the dirt and launched out from under Kyle like a rocket. On all fours, she raced away blindly. The trees flew past her unseen as she ran. Suddenly, she grabbed hold of the earth beneath her and narrowly escaped going headfirst into the water.
Hepzibah: Desperately, she stared wide eyed at the river that blocked her way. It had to be at least 50 feet to the other side. She couldn't make that on her best day. Swinging her head around, she saw Kyle closing the distance between. All intelligent thought gone, she instintively, she leapt up a tree that made it's home on the loose dirt of the bank.
Kyle: Kyle ran, all fours, watching her, going for her, seeing her go up a tree. Effortlessy when Kyle got close enough, he jumped and grabbed hold on to the tress with his claws. Slowly he started climbing, getting closer and closer to her.
Hepzibah: There was a low growl in her throat as the she watched the canine climbing towards her. Arching up, her tail whipped behind her madly as she backed out across an overhanging branch, easily clinging to it with her feline claws. Lust, anger and terror battled across her feral features as she watched him come closer.
Kyle: Kyle clawed his way up the trunk, getting closer to her on the branch. When he reached the branch, he got on it, claws digging into the wood, keeping his steady as he slowly crawled closer to her as she backed away as far as she could.
Hepzibah: The branch waivered as their combined weight bore down on it. Hepz reached a foot behind her and found nothing to purchase on. Twisting around, she realized there was nowhere for her to go - she'd gone as far out on the branch as she could. Kyle's eyes were completely fix on her as he closed the distance between them.
Hepzibah: She bowed up and hissed violently as he closed the last few feet between them. Her claws slashed new gashes across his face were the old ones had already healed, but he didn't seem to feel them. Kyle took one last step forward to claim his prize when there was a terrible cracking sound behind him.
Hepzibah: In an instant, the branch gave way under the strain. Cat, dog and tree all crashed into the water together in a tumbled mess.
Kyle: The crack nor the fall was as surprising as the cold water that suddenly enveloped his whole furred body in an instant. Kyle was only mere seconds underwater before he broke the water's surface yet again for air. He was half confused on why he even ran after Hepzibah up the tree and on to the branch.
Hepzibah: Hepz's claws instintively released the branch as it broke away from the tree and plummeted them all down into the water. Lust and anger were completely replaced by terror as she plunged beneath the surface. The shock of the ice cold water brought her back to herself as she fought desperately to get her head back above the water.
Kyle: Kyle realized he he couldn't see Hep anywhere above the water. He quickly dove under, barely making out a shape trying to swim to the surface. Kicking and swimming as fast as he could he finally could grab and grab a wrist before he had to come up for air.
Hepzibah: Her lungs burning, Hepz was making one last futile grab for the water's surface when something strong grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. Coughing and gasping as she broke the surface, she grabbed the broken branch Kyle offered to her and dug her claws into it, clinging on for dear life.
Kyle: Holding tight on to Hepzibah, Kyle started paddling his way to the edge of the water. After a while he felt riverbed under his feet and, and drags the catgirl along, finally helping her out of the water completely and ends up both sitting at the base of a nearby tree.
Hepzibah: Shaking and coughing, it still took several minutes to got the all the water out of her lungs. Then, wet, freezing and still terrified, Hepz curled in a tight ball against Kyle.
Kyle: With her clinging to him, he could only do what he thought was right, hold her just as tight. But she was really cold, and really wet, which reminded Kyle of his own moist problem. He had the sudden urge to shake off the excess water. He then wondered if that's what she needed to do, get rid of the excess water. Her clothes were really cold and wet.
Hepzibah: She felt Kyle skin twitch and looked up. "Feel better if you had a good shake?" she managed with half a smile. She pulled away and wrung her hair with her hands.
Kyle: Kyle gave a little grin and a shrug and shifted a couple feet away, stood up. His wet baggy pants were hanging low and heavy, and made annoying noises as he moved in them. After his shake, they weren't hanging anymore.
Hepzibah: She stared for a moment then shook her head and stripped down herself, laying her clothes in the sun to dry. She did not want to hike all the way back to the school soaking wet. She was still shiveing though, her fur too wet to offer her much protection against the cool March air.
Kyle: Kyle stepped out of the lump of pants and picked them up, squeezing water out of them and copied the cat, laying it out in the sun. He turned to look at Hepzibah. She was cold. Kyle stepped closer and crouched down, sitting next to her, his arm coming around her shoulder to hold her against his warmer body.
Hepzibah: As his arm encircled her, Hepz found it hard to believe she'd ever been afraid of him. She leaned into his embrace. "I'm so sorry Kyle. I've been nothing but a jinx to you since we met."
Kyle: "Jinx?" he was confused, "is...is that the thing that...um...that makes bad things happen?" he asked, his clawed hand on her arm rubbing her fur.
Hepzibah: "Yes, a jinx makes bad things happen to someone, so let me think...you can't ride your bike now because of me, you're stuck in blue fur because of me, you're soaking wet, sitting naked on a river bank because of me." She rubbed her eyes. "Am I forgetting anything?" She started to notice his hand rubbing on her arm. She wanted to blame the catnip, but she didn't really that was a factor in how his hand was starting to make her feel.
Kyle: Kyle thought about what she said, a hard concentrated look on his face, then turning to look at her, "But I thought we were just having fun."
Hepzibah: She stared back at him, then nodded. "We were having fun." She stopped for a moment then stared at him again. Slowly, she reached her hand out and touched the fur at his collar bone. The feel of his hand on her and his scent in her nose was causing a purr to rise up in her.
Kyle: Kyle sighed lightly, his arm around her starting to move to more areas than just her upper arm. His claws touching lightly on her skin beneath the fur. His head slowly tilted down, nudging the hand with his chin, jaw and cheek.
--------------------------- Time Passes ------------------------------
Hepzibah: Her eyes were closed when Kyle laid down next to her and rubbed his head against her neck. She bowed her head and pressed back against him, reaching up with her hand to take his arm and pull it over her.Hepzibah: "Kyle?" she asked, wondering if he was back from the heat she'd put him in.
Kyle: Kyle gave a couple deep breaths and finally just made a "Hm?" noise to show he's listening. She felt nice under his arm.
Hepzibah: She was glad he was at her back. She didn't think she could do this facing him. "I'm sorry." Before he could question what she was sorry for, she plunged ahead. "When I'm around catnip-" She took a deep breath, embarassed. "It makes me crazy. It- it makes me go into heat Kyle." He closed her eyes again and continued on humiliated, "And when I go into heat...so does everybody around me."
Hepzibah: "My body releases pheromones and I - I can't stop it." She tucked her hand in and clung to his hand so he wouldn't leave. "I'm so sorry. I thought when we got out of the water that I was all right, but I guess I wasn't"
Kyle: "Oh..." was how Kyle could just start. "Umm...so going in heat is bad? Err...ab..about the umm...coming out the water..umm..I think..umm..I think maybe it's because the mouse, the mouse you saw in the recroom, that got catnip in, I think heat after water is because the mouse is in my pants pocket." he told her.
Hepzibah: For a moment she was quiet. Then, "You what?" There was an edge in her voice. Then, after another second, she shoved him away and stood up, still a little shaky. "You stupid dog! How could you do this to me??" Suddenly it didn't matter to her anymore that he was as much a victim of her as she was of the catnip; Hepz was angry.
Hepzibah: She stalked over to the nearly dry clothes and yanked up his pants, pulling the offensive toy rat out and threw in as far as she could into the river. She started to throw his pants in the river too, but he'd like that too much. Instead she threw them at him and pulled on her clothes as well. Suddenly, she stopped with a wince as she pulled against the bite Kyle had left on her shoulder.
Kyle: Kyle gave a slight flinch at the pants hitting him in the face. He pulled them off and sat up. "Err..I didn't know, I'm, I'm, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..." actually he did mean to play the prank, he didn't mean to have things turn out with her being angry like that. He watched her touch and wince at the bitemark. "Sorry. about that....I kind of umm...get carried away."
Hepzibah: Hepzibah sat back down in the dirt, holding her shoulder and bringing her knees up to her chest. Laying her forehead against them, she took a deep breath. I am not going to cry. "It's all right Kyle, I've had way worse," she whispered, her anger dissipating. "I'm sorry I called you a stupid dog. I know you didn't know."
Kyle: Kyle leant forward and crawled closer to her and sat down by her. He was a bit quiet for a small while, until he finally broke the silence, "Did I hurt you when we were...I know about the shoulder....but what about the rest?"
Hepzibah: She shook her head. "No. I'm rough and tumble. It didn't hurt, it-." She turned to him and gave a little smile. "It was incredible." She edged closer to him, "Even the shoulder isn't all that bad."
Kyle: He looked down grinnig, claw tips flicking against eachother, and then looked up, "It was nice. Really nice. Liked it a lot. Then we're okay?" he asked.
Hepzibah: Looking out over the river, Hepz wrapped her tail around him. "Yeah, we're ok, Fido." She smiled at him. Then she sighed and shook her head. "Kyle?"
Kyle: "Yeah?"
Hepzibah: "Put your pants on."