timelined right before instance: GTA: Westchester
Hepzibah: Hepzibah stretched as she took in the early morning sounds and smells. The sun was just risen, casting light on the early spring day. She winced slightly, still sore. Her hand wandered to her shoulder and she sighed.
Hepzibah: Suddenly, her nose turned to the breeze and she blinked. "The devil dog himself." She mumbled. She'd avoided him for the past couple of days, trying to sort things out in her head. She held herself responsible for what had happened between them, but regardless of who was to blame, it still left her a little freaked out.
Kyle: Kyle was panting and huffing byt the time he finally decided that was enough running for the morning. Sitting still in class was really difficult if he skipped his morning run. With the wind to his back he got to the patio, suddenly seeing someone reclining on a deck chair. "Hi Hepz." he managed to say between breaths, and plopping himself down on the chair next to hers.
Hepzibah: "Whadda know Fido?" she smiled a little and shifted in her lounger. She gave the bite mark one more rub, then covered it back up with Hector's T-shirt. "Good run?" He was the same as always; she didn't know if that made her feel better or worse.
Kyle: Still huffing and puffing he managed a grin and a nod, "More animals coming out....rabbits getting more too." he lied back in the chair, shifting a little, making sure his tail wouldn't be caught between the hinges of the deckchair and settled down.
Hepzibah: She watched him fiddle with his tail. It was obvious he hadn't been born with it. She was so used to having to adapt her mutation to a world designed by humans it was second nature. "I like spring." She closed her eyes listening and smelling, although most of her senses were focused on Kyle now. "Means the rats stop trying to get into the house."
Kyle: "I like it because rabbits makes more rabbits." Kyle told her. He turned his head to look at her, "Ever ate rabbit? Ever chased rabbit?" he turned his head back to look up at the sky.
Hepzibah: She opened her eyes and stared at him. "Ate a rabbit I chased down?" She shook her head.
Kyle: Kyle didn't see her shake her head, and turned to look at her again for an answer. "So? Did you?"
Hepzibah: She shook her head slowly. "Case workers frowned on that growing up. It was hard enough to get anyone to take me in without having to worry about their pet rabbits or hamsters or gerbils or whatever vermin they kept as pets."
Kyle: Kyle reached up and scratched behind an ear, "Wanna do it? It's fun. Don't think should do now, but, umm, later, you try it? They're fast."
Hepzibah: "Do?..." She frowned, then laughed. "Oh, Do I want to go chasing rabbits?" Shrugging and wincing a little at her shoudler, she nodded. "Love to. Your a great hunter, you'd be even better if you'd use your tail more."
Kyle: Kyle gave a deep breath and exhaled, not feeling as tired anymore. He squinted, "What do you mean?" he turned on to his side, twisting and checking his tail, then looking back at her, "Been hunting since....ever, don't need to use my tail."
Hepzibah: Hepz shook her head vigorously, sitting up. "That's not true, Kyle. If you'd used your tail, you'd be amazed how much faster you could take turns!" Her own tail flicked up in interest at the conversation.
Kyle: Kyle slowly pushed himself up too to face Hepz and frowned, "Oh yeah? Show me." he dared her.
Hepzibah: It was just impossible to be on her guard around Kyle for too long. "I'll do better than show you." She grinned, eagerness in her features, forgetting how sore she still was. She hopped off the deck chair. "Catch me if you can!" And she was off like a shot across the back yard.
Kyle: Kyle lunged into a run, going from two legs to four, keeping her in his sights, running across the backyard and going deeper into the woods after her, twising around trees and jumping old logs and bushes, but still keeping her white fur in sight.
Hepzibah: Hepzibah knew just the place she was looking for. A long narrow clearing where they could both gain speed. She needed him running full out to prove her point. With another leap, Hepz sailed over decaying tree trunk and ran as if her life depended on it, knowing Kyle wouldn't be able to resist the chase.
Kyle: Kyle even used large steady trunks or rocks to launch himself closer in his chase to catch Hepz. The trees thinned out slightly and he started less effort on dodging obstacles and more on running, getting closer and closer to her.
Hepzibah: She could feel Kyle literally nipping at her heels and knew had to make her move soon. Hepz could feel herself beginning to tire. She was reminded again how much better Kyle was at this, than she was. But - she had a secret weapon.
Hepzibah: Just as Kyle lunged at her, Hepzibah twisted and threw her tail to the side, sending her off in a nearly perfect 90 degree turn. She leapt up a nearby tree and waited, breathing hard.
Kyle: Kyle twisted in midair, grabbing air, landing on his feet, his momentum reminding him that he's not supposed to be going to another direction so soon, and suddenly ended up rolling on the ground, old dead leafs and small twigs getting thrown around and picked up in his fur before he was back on all fours.
Hepzibah: Laughter burst out of her burning lungs as Hepzibah watched Kyle twist and tumble. When he back on his feet, she cleared her throat. "Counterbalance." She nodded, but stayed on the tree in case the feral still felt the urge to catch her.
Kyle: Kylewinced and then looked up, squinting at her and then a smirk formed when he remembered a word. He jumped up and started climbing, claws digging into the wood. "Persistence." he said.
Hepzibah: Hepz's eyes went wide as the canine was, indeed, still after her. She dug her back claws into the wood and propelled to the next tree. "You can run dog - can you jump?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXewIR7Y7cc
Kyle: Kyle got up high enough, only smirking and then pushed himself hard enough to get him to the other tree she was on, a claw grabbing into the tree and then the other, going back to climbing towards her.
Hepzibah: Oh shit! She didn't know if Kyle was still playing or not. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. She was too tired to out run Kyle back to the house and he could jump as well as she could. She edged up the tree further. "What are you doing Kyle?"
Kyle: The closer Kyle got to her, the slower he climbed. Right until he was close enough to touch her. He finally told her what exactly he was doing as his hand reached up and grabbed a foot. "You're it!"
Hepzibah: Relief hit her like an ocean tide. Then she grinned. "You better run Fido!" she laughed and waited for him to run. Fear gone, she felt a second wind coming.
Kyle: Kyle just kept on grinning, letting go of her foot and slid down the tree a little, claw hooking a little too deep in the wood, staggering his way down he ended up having a fancy fall or a horrible climb down, ending up on his back and picking out a sharp twig that got stuck in an arm. He then started running.
Hepzibah: "Amateur!" She laughed and released the tree, flipping backwards and somersaulting to the ground. Instantly, she was in pursuit of Kyle, running full out with a giant grin on her face.
Kyle: Kyle ran, he could hear Hepz was getting close, but that didn't matter. She said she didn't hunt, even if she could turn real good, that only meant she was hard to catch, but if she had to catch someone running basically straight, that's something else. He jumped over familiar logs and bushes on his way back to the mansion.
Hepzibah: The cat saw Kyle pulling further away from her. Damn, he was good. And he knew this terrain. That became very apparent as he continued to gain ground on her. The house was getting bigger as they approached it. She laughed and gave one last burst of speed; she didn't want to end up so far behind him it was embarrassing!
Kyle: Kyle grinning like an idiot by the time he reached the backyard, and was chuckling when was near the patio. For a final flourish, he wanted to jump over a couple deckchairs. He quickly glanced over his shoulder to see Hepz was already busy crossing over the backyard, and then jumped. He did not look where he jumped and ended up with his body over half a deckchair and his face on flagstones.
Hepzibah: Hepz raced to close the distance between them. "Kyle!" she yelled , digging in her claws to stop. She watched him plow into the chair and end up face down on the patio floor. She helped him up. "Kyle, you alright??" Healing factor or not - that had to hurt! "Speak, Fido!"
Kyle: "I didn't jump high enough." he said, then rolled his tongue around in his mouth, holding his hand to his mouth and spit out a chip of a tooth. "Ow....is it bad?" he asked Hepz, baring his teeth at her.
Hepzibah: Kneeling next to him, she took his chin in her hand and tilted his head. His healing factor was already starting to mend him. "Not too bad, Fido." She grinned, brushing off some of the dirt off his face. "Better be glad you got that super duper healing ablity with moves like that though." She laughed.
Kyle: Kyle rolled his tongue over the chipped tooth. It'll probably stay chipped for a while. He could always try and pull it out, but he'd rather not. "I'm hungry." he said. "You hungry? I'm hungry." He then stood up with Hepz's help, picking out some dead leaves out his light blue fur and goign to the door. He stopped and turned, "Did I win or did you?"
Hepzibah: "I'm starving!" Hepzibah nodded, following him to the door. She grinned wide at Kyle's question. "Why don't we call it a tie?"
Kyle: Kyle just nodded and headed in with Hepz' on his tail, figuratively.