Summer 2011: Kyle

[steyn]

Kyle: Kyle sat squatted on the cold cement floor of the garage. He was looking over every little bit of the yellow bike that suddenly appeared where he last left it. The thing he noticed as he sat there was the couple scratches on it from his and Hepz's previous ride through gardens was just gone.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah stood in the doorway, frozen in her tracks holding a new tarp for the Ducati as Kyle inspected his bike. His back was to her. If she was very quiet, maybe he wouldn't hear her as she back away.

Kyle: Kyle scratched his ear, and then felt for the oilcap, stopping and sniffing. He sat back in his squat, arms on his knees. "Thanks for fixing the bike up." he said, breaking the silence.

Hepzibah: "You - you're welcome." she floundered, gripping the tarp tighter. "Um...here!" She thrust the cover towards him. "I got a new tarp for it too." She forced a smile, praying that he wouldn't ask any questions.

Kyle: He twisted around, first seeing the yellow plastic being held up to him, and then Hepz holding it. Kyle stood up, took the tarp and placed it over the bike. He cracked a smile. "Thanks....fits with the bike."

Hepzibah: "It's custom for that model." She grinned a little. "A bike as awesome at this one deserves to be taken good care of." She tugged at an edge of the tarp, fidgeting with it.

Kyle: Kyle pulled up his sagging pants and retied the drawstring on the front. "So....er....where did you go?" he asked, one hand going lower and picked at a small hole on the hip of the pants.

Hepzibah: "Went to see an old friend...see if she could help me." She folded her arms. "What have you been up to while I was gone?"

Kyle: Images of Selene, cuffs and leash flashed in his head. "Err...nothing much. Got really warm once." he added. "Is the..err..the police still looking for my bike?" he asked.

Hepzibah: "I guess New York's finest are still on the lookout. They didn't find it though." She tried to grin, but it came out more like a grimace. Pennsylvania's finest...that's another matter...

Kyle: "Oh....okay....so still can't ride it around here then?" He asked, even though it was more of a statement. "Did your friend help you?" he asked, looking up to her, that one being an actual question.

Hepzibah: This time her grin was sincere. "Yes, my friend helped me. But not the one I went to see." Her eyes danced. "Anna rewired my brain and niether of us realized it."

Kyle: Kyle matched her grin, "So..umm...you went all that way for nothing?" His grin sticking to his face like glue, his hand at his pant's small torn hole, (then larger due to his picking at it), coming up to scratch his neck.

Hepzibah: "No, not for nothing, Fido." She finally started to relax. "Did I ever tell you about my Papa Doc or his friend, Mags?" she gave the bike a final pat and sigh, she was going to miss riding it.

Kyle: "No....I don't think so. If you did...sorry, can't remember." He backed up until he was against the worktable, leaning against it, and awaiting a Hepzi story.

Hepzibah: She shook her head. "Don't be sorry. I don't talk much about what's past. So I probably didn't." She shrugged. "Mags found me when - when I was in pretty bad shape...she and Papa Doc fixed me up." She sighed. Hepz was never completely sure how much Kyle could comprehend so she tried not to talk over his head...and at the same time not talk to him like a child.

Hepzibah: "Papa Doc took me in, treated me like I was his own. Only human I ever completely trusted." She folded her arms again. "He always took care of me...even now." She smiled wide. "He left me an inheritance."

Kyle: "Oh, okay." he said, "Kind of like Shanti" he added, thinking back and starting to feel a little guilty about how their relationship had gone over the years. "Inheritance? Like money?"

Hepzibah: "Like money." she nodded, still smiling. "Guess Papa Doc knew I wouldn't be able to get a real job and support myself, so he made sure I was taken care of." She cocked her head. "Who's Shanti?" She knew almost nothing about his past.

Kyle: "The woman who taught me stuff." he answered, "After people found me. Used to live in the woods. She's a professor at...umm..Duke University. In North Carolina....or is it south....one of the two."

Hepzibah: "Like a wild child?" she smiled bigger. "Yeah, I can see you living in the woods. Me? Air conditioning and indoor toilets all the way." She walked over and leand against the table next to him. "So, was she nice, this Slarti?"

Kyle: "Slarti? Shanti." he said, correcting her and nodding, "She was nice. She taught me what I had to know. Knife, fork, spoon, toilet, talking...um...tv. She and Mr. Kyle taught me reading and writing."

Hepzibah: "Yeah, all those things are important...except the TV. Papa Doc wouldn't even have one in the house. He used to read to me instead." Then she frowned, a little confused. "Mr. Kyle? A realative? I thought Kyle was your first name."

Kyle: "It is. Got the name from Mr. Kyle. I mean Mr Kyle Richards. I just called him Mr Kyle." he put his hand more back on the worktable, feeling something crackly and longish. He brought his hand forward, holding a Twix candy bar.

Hepzibah: "Oh, chocolate!" Hepz eyed the candy bar in his hand.

Kyle: Still leaning against the workbench, he brought the candy bar up to his mouth, tearing open the wrapper, spitting and blowing out the piece of wrapper in his mouth. He held the candy bar up to her.

Hepzibah: "One for me and one for you?" she grinned, taking one of the pieces.

Kyle: Kyle nodded, bringing the candy back up to his mouth, biting his piece and pulling it out of the wrapper, rolling the stick around in his mouth like a cigarette.

Hepzibah: Hepz laughed, taking a bite of her share. "You got you're own way of doing everything don't you Fido?"

Kyle: He grinner, teeth holding on to the stick, but only for a second as he sucked it in deeper and gnawed and chewed it all gone. He looked around, in case more candy was left. "Not much to do now. Summer can get really hot."

Hepzibah: She stared, remembering how he ate cheese sticks the same way..."Yeah, I didn't realize class was out. Not that it makes much difference to me but - " she shrugged. "Hey, um...Kyle?" she fiegeted with her hair with her free hand and her candy bar started melting in her other hand.

Kyle: Kyle looked back to her smiling and waiting for the rest of the question, "Yeah?"

Hepzibah: "You...you said they put you in a...in a 'special' class. What kind of class?" She watched the chocolate drip a little into her fingers.

Kyle: Kyle shrugged, "It's like, um, not like the rest of the classes. Spend more time with you, teach you more stuff that everyone already knows. So it's kind of special."

Hepzibah: "Stuff everyone already knows..." Her shoulders slumped a little as she offered him her unfinished candy.

Kyle: Kyle happily took the candy and popped it into his mouth, sucking his thumb and forefinger clean. "Why? You need special classes too?" he asked.

Hepzibah: "Me?" She started. "No! Of course not." she licked her fingers cleand and grabbed the candy wrapper. "I was just curious - that's all." She crumpled up the wrapper. "Better throw away before someone catches us red handed."

Kyle: "Okay," he said, pushing himself up from the worktable, "I'm getting hungry. You want something?" he asked, already starting to take a step towards the garage's door.

Hepzibah: "Kyle?" She bit her lip. "If...if I ever did need, you know...some help with 'stuff'..." she absently stratched a groove in the wooden table top with her claw. "You suppose you could...maybe...show me?"

Kyle: Kyle turned to her, "Hm? Er, yeah. Just tell me when. " he smiled, turning back to the garage door.

Hepzibah: "Ok. I will." Hepz answered softly, following him.

[fourpawsonthefloor]

Hepzibah: "Like a wild child?" she smiled bigger. "Yeah, I can see you living in the woods. Me? Air conditioning and indoor toilets all the way." She walked over and leand against the table next to him. "So, was she nice, this Slarti?"

Kyle: "Slarti? Shanti." he said, correcting her and nodding, "She was nice. She taught me what I had to know. Knife, fork, spoon, toilet, talking...um...tv. She and Mr. Kyle taught me reading and writing."

LOL. And really cute guys.

[Slarti]

LOL!! I'm immortalized!

[steyn]

It Begins



Kyle: Kyle piled his clothes on a small pile on the bed. He didn't wear much clothes, so laundry day is always a big event for him. He searched through the room for any sign of any clothing he misplaced that need to be in the wash. Looking under the bed he found his old backpack. Pulling out an old shirt that smelled unwell, he found a very familiar piece of shiny paper.

Hepzibah: The others were right. This place was dead during summer break. Hepz wandered aimlessly till she passed an open door, seeing Kyle inside piling what looked like every piece of clothing he owned on his bed. "What's up Fido?" Maybe he'd want to go run or something. Anything to alleviate this boredom!

Kyle: Kyle looked over to Hepz and then down to his bed, and finally back to Hepz, "Laundry day." he answered, his fingers playing at the edge of the shiney hard paper

Selene: Selene turned the corner into the next hallway, took quick steps past the doors, until reaching the one she was looking for. It was open already, and obviously another visitor was there, as well. "Did you take my nipple clamps to your room?" Selene asked, as if it were the most normal topic in the world, poking her head past Hepzibah and into the room.

Hepzibah: Hepz eyebrows shot up as her eye widened. "Nipple...know what - don't tell me. I get the feeling I'm happier not knowing." She chuckled and shook her head. "Whatcha got there, Kyle?" The foil paper caught her eye as it glittered.

Kyle: "Nippleclamps...." Kyle said in thought of where he last saw them. He had a pretty good memory of where they were used, but where they were, that was a bit of a trouble to remember. "Oh yeah, in here," he said, pulling the bedside drawer open taking out one of the clams, "Don't know where the other one is." he said, holding it up for Selene then looked to Hepz. "Voucher." he said, as if that would answer all questions in the world.

Selene: "Good," Selene commented and stepped into the room, taking the little metal object from Kyle. "I'm sure the other one will turn up again in time. Maybe I should post a note on the bulletin board in the main hall; just in case someone else finds it." Turning, she looked up at Hepz. "Oh, hello there."

Hepzibah: "Hey Selene." Hepz wriggled her fingers in a wave and smiled. "Well - at least you weren't bored without me Fido." She laughed. "A voucher for what?" Her eyes were drawn back to the paper.

Kyle: "Huh?" He looked confused at the question for second, then looking down to his hands, "Oh, err, can stay for a bunch of days free at, umm, at a thing, casino hotel place in las vegas."

Selene: "A hotel that lets you stay for free?" Selene asked, arching an eyebrow. "Sounds good. A little too good." She nodded knowingly. "You go there, thrilled at such a bargain, have a drink at their bar, go to sleep in one of their comfortable rooms, and wake up with a headache and missing a kidney."

Kyle: "err...I can heal...so..."

Hepzibah: "Now, Selene you don't really believe all those urban legends do you?" She smirked and sat on the Kyle's room mate's bed. "So...is it still good?"

Kyle: "What's good?" he asked back.

Selene: "No, of course not," replied, shiftily glancing from side to side. "After all, I know that reality is a lot more sinister than these fairytales." She showed a lopsided grin. "That doesn't mean I don't enjoy inventing and spreading more urban legends."

Hepzibah: "So that's how they're all getting started!" Hepz joked, drawing her legs up to sit cross legged on the bed, her tail in her lap. "The voucher, Fido," she sighed long sufferingly. "Is the voucher still good?"

Kyle: "Oh, err," he looked through the words on it, looking for any dates on it. "This voucher is valid until 31 December 2011." he read, looking back up, "I guess end of this year?"

Selene: "Indeed," Selene commented, flopping down on the bed, as well. The lack of classes actually bored her. "You should hurry up if you want to use it. Or sell it on the internet." She leaned back and crossed the hands behind her head.

Kyle: Kyle pulled a face, "Don't want to sell it. But..umm..don't want to go there alone again." he said, fingers going back to playing on the hard paper's edge.

Hepzibah: "You'd be up for some company?" Hepz's ears perked up. "Really? I'd love to go to Vegas again!"

Kyle: Kyle slowly started smiling, "Okay,"

Hepzibah: "Well, lets get ready then. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get there!" Vegas was a little bit like Mardi Gras, she and Kyle wouldn't even get a second look on the strip.

Selene: Selene raised her head a little to take a look at the other two. "Getting ready?" She asked, wearing a curious expression. "Sounds as if you'd plan something unwise. Intriguing."

Kyle: "It is? Are you going too?" he asked Selene.

Selene: "Am I?" Selene asked in return, making a confused face. "Las Vegas seems like a barely tolerable place." She frowned. "Unless you want me along, that is. Or need someone to drive you there."

Hepzibah: "Well...it is a long walk." Hepz chuckled.

Kyle: "Err, I thought people flew to Las Vegas," Kyle said, not thinking about the last time he flew in a plane with a lot of people and how normal he lookd back then, not furry head to toe with a tail.

Hepzibah: "There is no way I'm stepping foot on an airplane! Not after that Mardi Gras trip. I threw up the whole way there and back" Hepz shook her head, shuddering. "If God wanted me to fly, he'd have given me wings instead of fur."

Selene: "So god wanted you to chase after balls of yarn instead?" Selene asked, giving Hepz a curious look. "I fully agree, though. I dislike flying on a plane, as well. Not the act of flying, mind you, but being stuck in a small tube with crowds of annoying people is what kills it for me."

Kyle: "So...drive?" Kyle asked.

Hepzibah: Hepz gve Selene a dirty look for a moment, then smirked at Kyle. "Would you rather walk?" she brushed her tail. "So...who has a car?"

Selene: "I doubt we'd even get close to Vegas before the summer break ends if we walk there," Selene tossed in. "We could hitchhike there, however. I got around quite well via hitchhiking before I came here." She shrugged. "That, or we could use the van Teagan and I used for our road trip last break."

Hepzibah: "Nobody in their right minds would pick up me or Kyle." Hepz chuckled. "Do you think Teagan would let us borrow her van?" Hepz frowned.

Kyle: "That's her van?" Kyle asked.

Selene: "I'm can't think of any reason why she wouldn't," Selene mused. "Of course, she might want to come along." Smirking slightly, Selene added: "In any case, I have various ways to convince her." She nodded at Kyle's question. "Yes, we used it last break for our trip. We also added some interesting modifications."

Hepzibah: "Modifications?" Hepz wanted to ask, but was a little afraid to. With those two, there was not telling... "Well, when do we want to leave?" She was glad to be home, but she was still avoiding Hector - and she was pretty sure he wasn't going to be in Las Vegas.

Kyle: Kyle watched the two girls talk, and then asked, "So...umm...when are we going?"

Selene: Selene studied the ceiling thoughtfully. "I don't have any important appointments," she tossed in.

Hepzibah: "Well, Kyle's got the hotel covered...Selene can get us some wheels...I can cover the gas money and food." She ticked off the requirements for a road trip off on her fingers. "How long will it take you two to pack??"

Kyle: Kyle turned to look at his dirty laundry on the bed, then said, "I can put that in my bag now...or half of it."

Selene: "I prefer to travel lightly," Selene remarked, turning her head to give Hepz that curious look again. "Should I need anything special during such a trip, I'm sure something will come up along the way."

Hepzibah: "clothes? Toothbrush?..."

Selene: "Most of that will fit into one of my bags," Selene remarked and waved her hand. "Hm, some clothes might be in order, too. And other cosmetic product. I'm sure I'll be able to do without large suitcases, though." She nodded slowly to herself. "Anything else we need to think of?"

Kyle: "Err, wait, how long will we be gone?" Kyle asked. "I just need...umm...this if it's two weeks." he said, grabbing just two pants and two shirts.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah crinkled her nose and grabbed up more of his clothes. "Not if your going to be riding with me Fido. The last thing I want is to be smellig 'Ode de Dog' all the way and all the way back." She put the clothes in his arms. "Wash 'em and pack 'em."

*** Hepzibah is now known as Hepz_store.

Selene: Selene frowned and nodded at Hepz' remark. "I absolutely agree. Unless you plan on going naked for most of the trip, you certainly should pack a few more clothes. Otherwise, we might be forced to dump you into every larger body of water we come across during the drive."

Kyle: "But...it's summer...and hot...and Las Vegas is in desert." Kyle wined, sniffing the clothes in his arms and not finding that much fault with them.

*** Hepz_store is now known as Hepzibah.

Hepzibah: "Go on - Go!" she ignored Kyle's objections, practically pushing him towards the door, a huge pile of dirty laundry in his arms. "The sooner you start, the sooner we can leave!"

Selene: Selene blinked and raised her head to get a better look at the other two. "Does that mean I have to expect to be shooed, as well?"

Kyle: "Okay, okay, " he just kept saying as he was pushed out the room.

Hepzibah: "Unless you had a premonition and already packed." Hepz smirked following Kyle to make sure he actually went to wash his clothes. "Or, you know, you could stay here and try to find your missing clamp..." she smirk turned into a grin.

Selene: "Already got it!" Selene announced and held up the small silver device. "Although, I'm pretty sure there must be a few other missing toys hidden somewhere around here." Tilting her head backwards, she gave Hepz an upside down look. "I'll even promise that any snooping around in your belongings will be purely accidental."

Hepzibah: "Well, I got a small back pack and it's a long drive. It won't take you long - accidental or not." she laughed. "I'm sure we're all going to get to know each other better..."

Selene: "Oh, I'm quite certain we will," Selene replied, hiding a small smirk. "It should be an enlightening trip."

Kyle: Kyle stopped before they went further down the hallway out of hte boys dormitory and got another shove on his back, "Wait...I dropped a shirt." he said, looking back at a rather good example of dirty laundry.

Hepzibah: Hepz snatched up the shirt and threw it on top of the pile in his arms. "Here you go, Fido. I need to wash my clothes too. I'll see you down there?" It was a statement in the form of a question as she split off towards the girl's dorm.

[steyn]

Kyle: Kyle was standing in the garage, looking through his backpack's insides, which had everything he could think that would be needed. "Am I forgetting something?" he asked, looking up to Hepz at the van.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah tossed her backpack in the back seat. She leaned over his shoulder, peering inside his pack. "Nope, I think we're ready!" She grinned.

Adriana: Hearing a small commotion as she passed the garage on her way to her bee hives in the woods, Adriana got curious and poked her head in. "Hello?"

Kyle: "Err...how long is the tri..", Kyle didn't finish the sentence as he turned his head to see Adriana. "Hi!" he said, waving.

Hepzibah: "Hey Adriana! What's up?" Hepz tried to pick up a heavy box of snacks and drinks snagged from the school kitchen. "Ugh!" she gave up and looked at Kyle. "Little help, Fido?"

Kyle: Kyle looked back to the box, "Huh? Oh." he stepped closer and bent, lifting it up as if it was empty and just put it in the van behind the seat that was occupied with Selene's lounging figure.

Adriana: Curiously she came closer, a bit like a shy deer, ready to run away at any moment. "Where are you going?" She had gotten increasingly bored lately, there is only so much time you can spend with building and taking care of bee hives, especially if you can let the bees do most of the work.

Hepzibah: Patting Kyle's shoulder with an 'attaboy' attitude, Hepz shut the back door of the van. "We're going on a road trip!" She hummed the chorus to 'Waking Up in Vegas'. "What have you been doing with your summer break, bug girl?"

Kyle: Kyle flinched his hand back before getting it caught in the door, making grumbling sound in his throat, but quickly changing his attitude looking back to Adriana.

Adriana: "I've been making honey...and hats..." Finally she stood in front of the others, in all her glory and with a big straw hat on. "Why are you going to Vegas?" This sounded exciting, she had only ever heard of that place...

Hepzibah: "Why not Vegas?" Hepz grinned. "Every kind of fun you can imagine happens there! As soon as our driver gets here, we're off!" Hepz opened the side door of the van and saw Selene curled up a dark corner, sound asleep. She sighed and frowned. "Speaking of our driver..."

Kyle: "Umm...I thought we're going because of my thing, err," what was it called again? Oh yeah! "My voucher. I got one. For a big hotel room. It ends the end of this year." Kyle said.

Adriana: "Oooohhhhh!" She bounced closer to Kyle. "Let me see, please!"

Kyle: "Err..." Kyle stretched the 'err' until he remembered where he stuffed the voucher, then turned back to the van, and opening the one door, pulled out his back pack and scrambled through the contents until he pulled out a shiny hard fancy looking piece of paper, holding it up to Adriana.

Hepzibah: "Of course, we're not going anywhere if we can't keep Selene awake." Hepz frown deepened, niether she or Kyle knew how to drive the van. Then a little grin replaced her frown. "Hey, Adriana...you can drive - kinda, right?"

Adriana: She nodded in a way that could be described as violent. "You can call me Schumacher!"

Kyle: "Is that a food?" Kyle asked.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah smiled bigger as she put an arm around Adriana's shoulder. "Say...how would you like to go to Vegas with us?"

Adriana: "I...don't know?" She mustered Hepzibah suspiciously, she was plotting something. On the other side... "It's in the desert, right?"

Kyle: "Yes. Really cold in winter. Don't know about summer. I got shot there. In the head. And somewhere else. Can't remember where." Kyle said, trying to think where else he was shot.

Hepzibah: "Shot in the head??" Hepz eyebrows shot up, then turned her attention back to the bug girl. "But, I'm sure no one is going to get shot on this trip. Kyle's got the hotel covered, Selene got Tea to loan us her van and i'm covering the food and gas...now all we need is a second driver." She looked back at Adriana again with a grin.

Adriana: "...can I bring some scorpions back with me?"

Kyle: "Err, okay?" Kyle agreed before Hepz could say anything.

Adriana: "Then it's a deal!"

Kyle: Kyle grinned, "I need to learn how to drive." he added

Adriana: "I can teach you!" Kyle received an eager thumps up.

Hepzibah: Hepz tossed them a pair of sarcastic 'thumbs up'. "Trying to make this a one-way trip, guys??" Just then, something glittering on the van's roof caught her attention. Scooting inside, she looked up at a real-life disco ball. "Now, there's something you don't see every day."

Kyle: Kyle joined in with his own thumbs up, "So...you wanna get your stuff?" He asked Adriana, thumbs still upping.

Adriana: "I don't need stuff, I can let friendly spiders make new clothes whenever I need them." She continued giving thumbs-up since everyone else seemed to enjoy it.

Hepzibah: "Well, then what the Hell are we standing around here for comparing thumbs?" Hepz pulled the other two into the van. "Let's go! We're burning day light!"

Kyle: "Eeeyy!," Kyle yelped as he was pulled at the scruff of his neck into the back of the van and finding himsel looking at Selene's sleeping body.

Adriana: "Okay!" She literally jumped behind the steering wheel. "Everybody get your seatbelts on!"

Hepzibah: "I call shot gun!" Hepz grinned and crawled up and over the passenger seat, settling her tail and snapping her seatbelt. She remembered Adriana driving them to Times Square.

Kyle: Kyle turned and twisted around in search for any sign of a seatbelt. Clearly the van Teagan had wasn't by factory standards, so he just held on to what he was sitting on.

Adriana: Adriana finally let the engine on and hit the accelerator. "We're going to Vegas, woohoo!"

[steyn]

Selene: "This looks promising," Selene announced as their van rolled past a roadside diner. "If you are looking for horrible experiences, that is." The location certainly looked like the typical diner.

Selene: In fact, it looked like a foreigner given command over a bunch of tools, building materials, and Oompah Loompahs, then given the instruction to build the stereotypical American diner as it appeared in their fever dreams.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah stretched and looked out the front windshield. "Oh, I bet they got great milkshakes. Diner's have the best milkshakes." Sitting up, she rubbed her face. "Nothing like pancakes and a milkshake for breakfast."

Kyle: Kyle lifted his head, hearing a couple cracks in his neck. He really shouldn't have fallen asleep in that position. Twisting his body, several more cracks escaped his body, "We there yet?" he asked.

Selene: "Fine, let's stop here," Selene agreed and pulled the van over. However, since they had already driven past the entrance proper, she steered the vehicle in a tight turn across the lawn surrounding the diner.

Kyle: Kyle grabbed something in the car to hold himself up during the turn. The something was quite soft and not as sturdy as he thought.

Freak: Adriana sat up and rubbed her eyes before checking her straw hat for damage. "Mmm'ungry..."

Selene: "Anybody hurt?" Selene asked and took a look over her shoulder back into the van. Fortunately, for the sake of his own health, the man walking across the parking lot paid more attention to his surroundings than Selene did, and so stepped out of the way of the unsteady van just in time.

Hepzibah: "You haven't killed us yet, Selene." Hepz rolled her eyes, gripping the armrests tightly as the van hopped over the curve and into a parking space.

Adriana: She tried to get a glance out of the front window. "Where are we?"

Selene: "Believe me; I try my best," Selene remarked as she stopped the van, just a little too abruptly.

Kyle: Kyle pushed himself back up and put the cushion back in one of the seats, only to have him wish he used it to stop his head from hitting hte seat in front of him with Selene's rather talented abrupt stop.

Hepzibah: "So are we getting this to go?" Hepz chewed her bottom lip as they piled out of the van. They were already starting to get stares. Most were aimed at her and Kyle, but Selene with her pale palor and Adriana with her wacky hat were getting a fair amount of attention too.

Selene: "The All American Nightmare," Selene replied to Adriana's question, as she stepped beside the van. "I'm afraid we found a typical diner."

Adriana: "Oooohhhhh, cool! I always wanted to see one!" She bounced up and down, eager to get out of the van. "Can I have pancakes?"

Kyle: Kyle yawned and stretched some more, scratched his chest through his shirt. "Pancakes?"

Selene: "I'm quite sure they have something resembling pancakes in there," Selene tossed in while she struggled with the keys in an attempt to lock the van. Eventually she gave up and hoped the sticker reading "Beware! Rabid Raccoons Inside!" would suffice to keep thieves at bay.

Adriana: "And maple syrup?"

Hepzibah: "Oh, they have everything at a diner." Hepz nodded. "Papa Doc and I used to eat at them all the time."

Kyle: "Everything?" Kyle repeated another keyword in the conversation as a question.

Selene: "I hope they have cranberry juice," Selene commented as she followed the others across the parking lot. A family who just got out of their car stared at them as they walked by, before apparently changing their mind about visiting a typical diner and getting back into the car to drive elsewhere.

Adriana: The girl waved happily at the family with her hat and then looked around. "It's pretty dead around here...Perfect place for a murder mystery!"

Kyle: Kyle watched the family car speed off, turning back to face the diner's entrance, he repeated yet another word as a question, "Murder?"

Selene: "If that keep up, I just might feel tempted to start one," Selene said, glancing after the car. She opened the door and let the others walk inside first.

Kyle: Kyle ventured forth with the rest of the group into the diner, looking around and checking his surroundings. It was like walking into a wall of tasty scents. His stomach reminded him quite audibly that he was hungry.

Adriana: "Do you guys think they got one of those big stoves here? You know, where the cook throws the egg on a hot plate and the parts are perfectly sepparated?

Kyle: Kyle wasn't paying much attention to the qustion, but he was listening to the sizzling of something coming from a window in the back where the kitchen was, with the strongest smell he could get was bacon. "Mmm...bacon."

Selene: As predicted, all eyes were on the small group of mutants as they entered the diner. Selene made sure to stare directly back at everyone who looked their way, patiently making everyone glance away again. "Before we order things," Selene remarked, "how much money do we have, anyway?"

Hepzibah: "I got it covered, don't worry Selene." Hepz smiled. "Order what you like."

Adriana: "Awww, I was hoping we could pay or bill with cleaning plates, like in the movies." Her face indicated she was in fact upset about this.

Kyle: Kyle took another deep breath, "Toast. Eggs. Burgers. Waffles...err...I think it's waffles...maybe pancakes."

Hepzibah: "Well...if you like, I could pay for everybody but you?" she wasn't sure if she was being insulting or helpful. She glared at a couple in a corner booth whispering back and forth. Apperantly, they didn't realize what good ears she had.

Adriana: "Nah, I don#t want you guys waiting for me." She skipped along the lines of tables and finally sat down at one with a nice view on...well, the parking lot, but what a nice parking lot it was!

Selene: "Earning your living with good old hard work?" Selene mused. "How delightfully old-fashioned. I figured we could always sell one of us off into slave-labour and pick them back up on the way home." She followed Adriana to the table and took a seat.

Kyle: Kyle turned to see the rest already left him for a table. He quickly caught up to sit down with them. His stomach reminded him again he's hungry. "I'm hungry."

Hepzibah: "You're always hungry." the white cat laughed. "Did the snacks we packed even last to the state line?" She slid into the booth seat next to Andriana.

Adriana: "I tried to feed him cockroaches earlier. They're full of protein." She nodded wisely.

Kyle: Kyle took a second to think if there really was anymore snacks in the car. "Think there's small bag of potato chips. And some packets of err, candy stuff. And cola." Snapping out of his memory he looked over to Adriana, "They still don't taste good."

Selene: "At least they're crunchy and snack sized," Selene remarked. She looked around trying to spot a waiter. "Besides, protein is good for you."

Adriana: "Listen to Selene, she is a very wise and intelligent woman."

Hepzibah: "I'm not listening to anybody who wants to tell me to eat cockroaches...might as well eat a rat." Hepz's stomach turned at the thought. "Maybe I'll just have some coffee..." She could still hear the muted voices of others talking about the 'freaks.' She frowned and sunk deeper in the booth.

Kyle: "Rat's aren't that bad....they're...err...chewy." he said trying to remember how they tasted.

Adriana: "So you don't eat rats?," Adriana asked Hep. "That's kind of peculiar for a cat..." She blinked out of big and curious eyes.

Hepzibah: Her eyes never left the menu. "I know how they taste." Hepz answered so softly, it would have been a miracle if anyone could have heard her.

Selene: Selene perked up at the mentioning of coffee. "Ooh, coffee!" Her eyes widened and she nodded a couple of times. "Coffee will be absolutely necessary. It'll help us stay awake. After all, we shouldn't waste our time sleeping as long as we can drive, no?"

Hepzibah: Hepzibah nodded, perking up too. "With lots and lots of cream and sugar!" She decided on a delicious looking picture of pancakes and bacon with eggs and hashbrowns on the side. "I'm going to have that!"

Selene: "I think I'll just have the coffee," Selene mused, looking over the menu. "I wouldn't want to dilute the effect of the caffeine with food. Except for a cranberry juice. I like it."

Hepzibah: Just then the waitress showed up in her retro styled uniform, notepad in hand, ready to take their orders. Hepz pointed to the picture, "I'll have this and coffee, please."

Adriana: "I don't like coffee, it tastes bitter. But when I give it to my beetles, they do funny dances, all on their own!"

Kyle: Kyle looked up to see the waittress who was already waiting for everyone's orders, "err, coffee? Please? Oh and, err, what she's having." he said pointing at Hepz.

Selene: "I'll have a coffee, too," Selene ordered, not looking up from the menu. "Also, a glass of cranberry juice, please." After a pause of three seconds and a slight frown on her face, Selene added: "Could I maybe have a couple slices of lemon to go with that?"

Adriana: "Do you have pudding? I want chocolate pudding. With cream. And ice. Vanilla."

Hepzibah: "Vanilla and ice?" the white cat frown, then shrugged up at the waitress. She folded her menu and handed it to her.

Kyle: Kyle was a little confused. "I thought vanilla was a thing..er.. a flavour...like chocolate." He said, not even noticing the waittress taking his menu from him.

Adriana: "I like vanilla ice and chocolate pudding. It's crunchy slimy." Along with those words the girl made a smile as if all joys of the world were combined in what she had just ordered.

Selene: "You know, I believe snails would also fit that criteria," Selene tossed in with a sideways glance at Adriana.

Hepzibah: Hepz chuckled and shook her head as the waitress brought coffee for her and Selene and Kyle. "To each their own. But, I don't think they serve vanilla ice or snails here, guys."

Adriana: "I would never eat snails! I have beautiful philosophical discussions with them." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "You have lots of time to think if you can only move an inch per hour."

Selene: Selene arched an eyebrow, giving Adriana a curios look for a moment, before actually reacting with a chuckle. "That even makes sense, in a very... unique way." She nodded in the direction of the waitress and pulled her cup of coffee close.

Kyle: Kyle made a face, "Snails not nice to eat. The shell thinger tastes...yech." Kyle finally said as he took the coffee and sipped it.

Hepzibah: Hepz looked at Kyle with a little lopsided grin. "Is there anything you won't eat Fido?" She stopped before her cup was too her lips. "On second thought, don't answer that."

Kyle: Kyle started to answer but closed his mouth at her request.

Adriana: "I bet he doesn't eat poop."

Kyle: Kyle nodded to that.

Selene: Selene looked up from her coffee. "Remind me to scrub your mouth more often," she said. "Just to be on the safe side."

Hepzibah: Hepzibah nodded to that.

Kyle: Kyle slurped his coffee at that

Adriana: "You people are weird..."

Selene: "Thank you," Selene replied, almost as if it were the nicest compliment she had ever received.

Selene: She reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a worn and tattered map. It had been thoroughly scribbled on with pens of various colour, and from the slightly yellow tint of the paper, one could deduct that it might have been slightly out of date. "So, where to next from here?" Selene struggled with the map for a while.

Adriana: "Vegas, baby!" She rose a fist.

Hepzibah: "Should be a straight shot from here to Vegas, I think" She tried to remember. "Of course, Columbus's map might be a smidge out of date." She grinned, putting her coffee up down.

Kyle: Kyle slurped his coffee some more, then eyed the sugar. He threw in a teaspoon of sugar, stirred, slurped, threw in another teaspoon of sugar, stirred. and wondered. He then added two more teaspoons of sugar.

Selene: Selene held the map up and pointed at some of the uneven, scraggly lines. "That's why I always keep it up to date," she announced. "Finding Vegas should be no problem, at all. If all else fails, we'll just follow the trail of drunken and despaired to the shiny place in the desert."

Adriana: Adriana tilted her head a bit as if a thought had hit her square in the side. "Do they have shows in Vegas?"

Hepzibah: Hepzibah nodded. "Oh yeah, they got shows and concerts - everything!" Just then their food came. Hepz looked at all the food. "I think I'm going to need a doggie bag..."

Kyle: "Want me to finish it?" Kyle asked wihout even leaving his own plate of food. The second the waittress left he was already busy eating.

Hepzibah: "What I don't finish..." Hepz answered carefully, taking up a knife and fork, ready to pop Kyle in the knuckles if he reach for her bacon.

Selene: Selene unceremoniously downed all the coffee in her cup, before waving at the waitress to bring her another refill right away. In between her caffeine injections, she sipped on her glass with cranberry juice. "All I'm hoping for is that I'll manage to avoid the worst kinds of cheesiness while we're in Vegas."

Adriana: "Is Vegas famous for cheese?"

Hepzibah: "No, that's Wisconsin."

Kyle: "What's Vegas famous for then?" Kyle asked with a mouthfull of bacon.

Hepzibah: "All think debaucherous, Kyle." Hepzibah answered, finally sliding her unfinished food over to him. "That's why what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," she winked.

Kyle: Kyle took a second to think about that. "If someone's born in Vegas.....can they not leave then?" He asked before downing his coffee.

Selene: "Where do you think do all the performers for those horrible shows come from?" Selene asked, sipping on her drink again. "I'm certain they wouldn't have migrated there voluntarily."

Adriana: "I heard Cher is in Vegas, and I know she isn't from there..."

Kyle: "Is Cher a mutant?" Kyle asked. "She, err, doesn't look old. But I heard she was, like, umm, like old."

Hepzibah: "Why don't we go ask her?" Hepz asked, standing up and finishing her second cup of coffee. "Vegas ain't getting any closer with us just sitting here!"

Adriana: "Who drives next?"

Adriana: Adriana was secretly hoping she could. she liked to speed. A lot...

Kyle: "Not me," Kyle said, looking at Hepz's plate and cleaning it completely from any food left on it.

Selene: "Why?" Selene asked in return, looking up again. "I can still drive. I just had coffee." She held up her freshly emptied cup. "Besides, I could always nap during the straight parts of the road."

Hepzibah: "You drive!" Hepz pointed at Adriana, hearing Selene.

Adriana: "YAY!" She jumped up like a bunny...that was about to race.

Hepzibah: "Alrighty then..." Hepizbah wasn't sure which one of the drivers scared her more, but Adriana was faster.

Selene: "Fine," Selene commented and shrugged. "I could still navigate, I guess. Or stow away in the rear of the van."

Adriana: "Okay!" She held her hand out towards Selene. "Keys please!"

Hepzibah: Hepz held up her hand "Check please!"

[steyn]

Kyle: Kyle woke up after his nap, stretching in the bed and scratching with his claws almost every place on his body. He sat up and looked at the window. It was night already. He was probably past out the most of the day. Twisting around he searched through the empty glasses and bottles on the nightstand and floor finding one of those tiny bottles still half full of vodka and emptying it in his thirsty mouth and ending it was a burp.

Hepzibah: Hepz heard something in the room with her. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around cautiously. Kyle was sitting up on the other bed, peeping down the neck of a mini liquor bottle disappointedly.

Kyle: Kyle dropped the bottle to play with its friends and decided maybe all those drinks he had the previous night wanted to finally get out of him. He slid out of the bed and slouched his way to the fancy gold and silver and mirrored bathroom.

Hepzibah: Rolling over, she threw her legs over the side of the bed and looked at the night stand. A room service menu was sitting on it. At least she assumed it was a room service menu because there was a picture of a covered serving platter at the top. She was a little hungry...

Kyle: After a sigh and a flushing from the bathroom, Kyle walked out. It was then that he realized that he wasn't alone in the room and that maybe he should have closed the door. Looking down he wondered if he should have put on pants too.

Hepzibah: She saw him look down and waved away any concern he might have about his current state of dress. "Kyle, I've seen you naked so many times, you look odd wearing clothes now." She went back to staring at the menu. There were no pictures! How was she supposed to order something if there were no pictures?!

Kyle: Loooking back at Hepz he made a 'Oh yeah' nod and walked over to her, sitting next to her and cocking his head at the menu. "I'm hungry." he declared.

Hepzibah: "Me too." She bit her bottom lip and gave him a quick side long glance. "Do you - do you see milkshakes on this menu anywhere? I looked but I can't find them." She handed him the menu.

Kyle: Kyle looked at Hepz and down at the menu in his hand. "Err, yeah, here." he said, pointing at the part of the menu she was staring at most of the time. "What kind you want?" he asked, looking through it some more. They had some really fancy names for the steaks.

Hepzibah: "Vanilla, that's my favorite." She gave a nervous smile at his expression. "You know what they say, 'Looking right at it and can't see it.' That's me." She grabbed her hairbrush out of her pack and started brushing her hair - what she did anytime she was nervous.

Kyle: Kyle gave a small lick across his lips as he kept reading the stuff they offered in the hotel, his stomach starting to make a grumbling sound. "And to eat?" he asked glancing back up at her.

Hepzibah: Oh Hell... She took the menu back and pretended to look over it. "Chicken fingers?" It came out more as a question than statement. Every place everywhere had chicken fingers, right?

Kyle: Kyle made a questioning look and took the menu from her, looking it over, not remember finding anything like that. "Where you see chicken fingers?" he asked still reading through all the descriptions of each chicken dish. Maybe she meant the chicken schnitzel, that was kind of like chicken fingers.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah's heart stopped. She didn't answer, instead she just gripped the hairbrush tighter and raked it through her hair, looking away from him.

Kyle: Turning the menu around a couple times and making sure he wasn't gong blind, he said, "I can't find chicken fingers...you sure you, err, you don't mean this?" he asked pointing at the chicken schnitzel on the menu as he held it up to her.

Hepzibah: "Yeah, that was it!" she said almost too eagerly. She pointed where he was pointing and nodding.

Kyle: Kyle eyed her for a second. That was a little weird, but then again, he was sitting there naked, so maybe it was normal. He shook his head a little and asked, "You want to order or me?"

Hepzibah: "I just want the milkshake and the chiken Schnitzel." she nodded, murdering the word 'schnizel'. "You can order whatever you like." She grinned, braiding her long hair back.

Kyle: "Okay," he said back, lifting the receiver of the phone and looking at the top of the menu on how exactly to get room service. He then gave them the order: One vanilla, one chocolate milkshake, one chicken schnitzel, one rump steak, one t-bone and one fillet steak, along with a bottle of tequila, just because he eyed the little empty tequila bottle next to the phone.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah rolled her eyes, cringing inwardly at how much the room service bill was going to be. But the tequila sounded like a fantastic idea! "So, what are your plans for today..." she looked outside "well, tonight?"

Kyle: Kyle shrugged, shifting and lying back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was really fancy looking. Lifting his head he asked, "You wanna do something?" he asked

Hepzibah: "Sure!" That was the great thing about Vegas, they could go out and everyone would either dressed up or not care. "There's a ton of stuff to do. There's amusement parks and water parks and the casinos and shows and concerts..." She ticked off the multitude of options.

Kyle: Kyle was a little overwhelmed at all the choices. Staring with mush confusion he finally said, "Err...all of them....tonight?"

Hepzibah: "No, not all tonight!" she laughed. She thought. She didn't think he could sit still through an entire show or concert and she couldn't swim. "How about the casinos or an amusement park??"

Kyle: He pushed himself back up on to his elbows, "Okay, err, casino first? Or, amusement park?" he asked again. Pushing up some more he pulled his legs on the bed.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah grinned, "Why don't we eat and then hit the strip. See what kind of mischief we can get into!" She pulled a clean set of clothes out of her backpack.

Kyle: Kyle stared at her for a moment, scratching himself and then looked over to the rather large tv in the other side of the room with the overly comfortable couch. Watch her get dressed, or watch the big flickery tv.

Hepzibah: Making herself get up, she stretched and headed for the bathroom. "I gonna grab a shower before the food gets here." Her long white tail twisted as she walked, trying to work the kinks out.

Kyle: Kyle's options turned then into try and watch her in the shower, or tv. The couch at the tv was tempting alone. And it didn't involve getting unnecessarily wet. The tv won and he quickly made his way to the couch, jumping and bouncing on it before getting comfortable and clicking the on button. He watched as he waited.

Hepzibah: There was a knock at the door as Hepz stepped out of the bathroom. She was drying her hair with one towel and trying to keep the other bath towel from slipping down. "Hey Fido, wanna get the door?" She called to him with her back turned. "It's probably the food."

Kyle: Kyle sat up and turned to looked back at Hepz for a moment, and then down at himself. She was more dressed than him. He wondered for a second if someone would mind, but after the second series of knocks, he jumped over the back of the couch and answered the door to a really surprised waiter, or bellboy, or whatever were the people that brought the trays of food.

Hepzibah: Hepz did a facepalm as Kyle answered the door in all his furry, naked glory. The waiter brought in several trays of food, stared between the naked dog and the half naked cat and beat a hasty retreat. "Well...at least he didn't smooze for a tip." she sighed as she picked up her milkshake.

Kyle: The smells of the food was making his stomach call out to it. "Mmm, food." he said watching past the light clouds of steam. He was about to sit and chow down, but remembered something really important when eating with a girl. He went around the table and pulled back the chair for Hepz.

Hepzibah: "Thank you, Kyle." Hepz grinned Her voice was tickled and a completely taken by surprise. She did her best to sit in the chair, but still ended up having to perch on the seat instead of sitting in it properly.

Kyle: Kyle quickly went to the other side of the table, plonked down on it, and commenced to stuff his face.

Hepzibah: She shook her head and looked down at the only chicken dish on the table and made a face. Definately not chicken fingers. Sighing she would just have to make do with her milkshake till they went out.

Kyle: While chewing on the T-bone his eyes kept looking up to Hepz. She wasn't touching her food. Well, he wouldn't either, never saw how coating chicken in crumbs be nice when you could have a juicy steak instead. With a meat juice drenched wet hand he pushed the plate with fillet closer to her.

Hepzibah: Hepz blinked at the plate he put in front of her. It did smell fantastic. Her stomach rumbled a little bit. Biting her lip, she looked from him to the plate and back. "You sure, Fido? It's yours."

Kyle: "Hmmhm," he mumbled and nodded, T-bone not even leaving his mouth. Even though it was cooked, it was delicious. Maybe the hotel had something going for putting spices on it.

Hepzibah: "Thanks." Rolling her eyes, she grabbed a knife and fork and made quick work of the fillet. Feeling better, she left to throw her clothes on while Kyle finished up with his half of a cow.

Kyle: While he pulled and bit chunks off the rump, he leaned to the side to get a better look at hepz while she got dressed. He chewed with a smile on his face when teh robe disappeared, but when she started putting on clothes he sat back normally and finished with his dinner. Atleast he used the napking to wipe his hands and mouth.

Hepzibah: By the time Hepz got her hair dry, Kyle was dressed and ready to go. She thought she saw a little grin on his face and frowned. "What??"

Kyle: "Nothing," he just said, pulling at his shirt. It was little wrinkled from being stuffed into his backpack, but who really cared. Just as long he wore pants and a shirt, people didn't react like the waiter bellhop guy. He hopped down next to her and waited.

Hepzibah: Outside the hotel lobby in the valet station, they tried to stop someone to ask directions, but everyone was too busy. Hepz held up her hand to flag someone down when a pair of keys landed in her hand with a $50 bill. She looked shocked first, then pissed off as her eyes narrowed.

Kyle: Kyle watched the guy with the very dark glasses keeping his head ooking at the girl in his arm walk past them and headed into the casino. Turning back at Hepz, Kyle asked, "Huh?"

Hepzibah: "Oh - Hell No!" Hepzibah snarled. She clenched the keys in her head until they bit into her hand. She turned an angry eye to Kyle. "He wants me take care of his precious..." she stared at the emblem on the key fob. "porsche."

Kyle: "Hey, Andy drives a Porsche. It looks like that one, but, err, not that red." Kyle said as he walked closer to it. Touchg the car's top he said, "I think the top can come off."

Hepzibah: "I ought to take it's fucking top off," Hepz muttered under her breath as she started to throw the keys onto the pavement then stopped, a slight grin curling up. "You know, this nice man paid us $50 to take care of his car. I think we...should take of it."

Kyle: "Err....you wanna park it...somewhere?" he asked, eyes still looking down at the porsche.

Hepzibah: "Oh, yeah I wanna park it somewhere..." She stalked to the car and jerked the door open. "Just call me Keith Moon. Where's the nearest swimming pool?"

Kyle: "Keith who?" Kyle asked, watching her climb in, then he jerked and grabbed for the passenger door, his claws scratching the paint job as he got in. "We going swimming?"

Hepzibah: "No, the car - the car is going swimming." She stuck the key angrily in the iginition and turned it over, then hesitantly put the gear. She didn't actually know how to drive...

Kyle: Klyle cringed at the noise it was making and looked down at the gear. "Think the stick gear thing should be in D thing." he pointed.

Hepzibah: She bit her lip, and pulled the stick all the way over. Suddenly, they rocketed backwards, taking out two luggage trolleys and making a host of bell hops run for cover.

Kyle: Kyle held on to the dash in front of him then got knocked back against the seat with their sudden stop. "Think that's reverse." he said. It didn't take Hepzibah long to get the thing into drive after that.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah grinned at the rip marks Kyle left in dashboard. The car lurched out onto the strip and weaved across the lanes. "See, this isn't so hard! I'm already doing as well Adriana."

Kyle: Kyle just grinned as she swerved through traffic until she got the hang of actually not going way, way, way faster than the rest of the traffic. "Where we going again?" Kyle asked, pulling his claws out of the dashboard and the door's armrest.

Hepzibah: "Where ever we want!" She laughed, finally finding the button that let the top down. After the traffic thinned out a bit, she pulled over and motioned to Kyle. "Come on Fido - your turn."

Kyle: Kyle watched her not even climb out, she just shifted up on the seat and crawled over him as he slid past the gearshift, making his tail comfortable and looking at the pedals. Hepz didn't even have enough time to sid back down before the car kicked into motion again. Kyle then understood the use of the hand break and break pedal.

Hepzibah: Hepz's claws were all that kept her from being thrown out of the convertable as the car lurched against the hand break. Grabbing for the seat belt, she just managed to get it fastened when Kyle shot back out onto the road. She brushed her hair back as it started coming loose from her braid.

Kyle: "Errrrr" went Kyle's mouth as he kept trying to miss the other cars and looking around him almost frantically. He quickly got used to the car, but not the speed limit.

Hepzibah: "Slow down, Fido!!" Hepz cringed as they narrowly missed a minivan on her side. She waved as they flew by. "Where to, Kyle??" She relaxed a little as Kyle let off the gas a little.

Kyle: "Errrrr," he continued until he asked again, "What we do in Vegas again?" He unfortunately turned his head when he asked and swirved away from oncoming traffic when he looked back.

Hepzibah: She screamed as they shot across the center lane. Horns blared and people made rude gestures at them as Kyle jerked the car back into their lane. The seatbelt pulled against her as Hepz grabbed up a thick wad of paper and smacked Kyle with it repeatedly. "Watch were you're going!!"

Kyle: Kyle cringed as he kept straight with the car, looking ahead with slitted eyes as he gave a grumbling noise in his throat. "..car's fault. Moves too easy." he mumbled more to himself than to Hepz.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah took a few minutes to calm back down, then looked down at papers in her hand. There was a photo of a giant ferris wheel and other amusement park rides on one of them. "Hmm...how about here?" She held the paper out to him so he didn't have to turn his head.

Kyle: Kyle's head shot down and up and down and up to get a good look while still keep the porsche aiming straight. "Okay!" he said with a smile, "Where is it?" he asked.

Hepzibah: "Ummm...I don't know." She gave a little bit of disconcerted look. "Here - I bet there's a map here." She tried to shove the papers at him, despite the fact that he was driving.

Kyle: "Er, waitwaitwait," he started repeating, trying to give the papers back and still keep the car from making a pileup. "Can't, driving," he said, "just, err, just look it up,"

Hepzibah: Hepzibah bit her lip and slowly opened up the folding map. She looked at it hopelessly for several minutes. Some maps had pictures, she could 'read' those. But no luck here - not a single picture to help her out.

Kyle: The car was a little quiet for a moment while Kyle waited for Hepz to give directions, "Getting it?" he asked, taking a super fast glance at her and back to the road.

Hepzibah: "No...I, um..." She crumbled the map up. "I'm no good at reading...maps." She felt him watching her in quick glances but kept her eyes trained on the floorboard.

Kyle: "Oh, err, I can try, err, you awnna switch again?" he asked, the car already starting to slow down, maybe a little too slow as a honk from a horn behind them urged to go a little faster.

Hepzibah: "Sure!!" Hepz perked back up again. When they finally found a place to pull over, she climbed over each other and traded places. She grinned as she clicked her seatbelt back on.

Kyle: Kyle watched her put her seatbelt on, but only registered he had to put his on too when the car shook into motion again. After the seatbelt's click he picked the map up, uncrumpling it and turning it around a couple times, finally finding where the park is. "Err, where are we now?" he asked, "what street?"

Hepzibah: That mild look of panic crawled back up on her face "I'm...I don't know." She pointed. "There's a street sign! What does it say??" The car swerved into the other lane for a second. More horns blaring and birds shooting as she righted the car.

Kyle: Kyle looked everywhere except at the streetsign as the chaos started and ended in a few seconds. "Huh?" he said, trying to turn in his seat to look back, but sitting back down, "I didn't see, did see it?"

Hepzibah: "Here, lets just ask for directions!" She whipped off the main drag onto a side street, seeing but not comprehending the 'DO NOT ENTER' sign.

Kyle: "Err, Hepz....Hepz, the sign," he siad, pointing behind them and then the next one which clearly said in big capital letters 'ONE WAY', "Hepz....Hepz....Hepzhepzhepzhepz" he went and pointed to the headlights in front of them.

Hepzibah: "Kyle! I'm trying to dri-" Her scolding turned into a screaming yoewl as the headlight barreled down on them. Jerking the wheel, the Porsche careened off the street onto the sidewalk. Hepz slammed on the brakes, and stopped, but not before barreling through several garbage cans.

Kyle: Kyle didn't mind the screeching of tyres or the honking of horns, he didn't even mind a garbage can rolling over the hood and letting something sticking shoot out from it over his head, missing him but getting the rest of te porsche good. What he did mind was the airbag coming out and slap him through the face. That only made him bit it back and ripping and throwing it out.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah groaned and put her head back, slashing the airbag wiht her claws and watching it deflate. After a moment of silence, she looked over at Kyle sheepishly, "You alright?"

Kyle: Kyle sniffed and licked, tasting the drop of blood on his lip. "I bit myself." he said, then remembered the more important part of their mishap. "What happened?" he asked.

Hepzibah: "I don't know. Those other cars were in our lane!" She huffed, her hand went to the ignition to see if the high performance car would start back up after having been attacked by garbage cans.

Kyle: Kyle looked a little confused, trying to turn in his seat, getting stopped, unbuckling and turning in his seat properly, looking at the sign that still clearly said 'One Way'. He pointed to the sign.

Hepzibah: Her eyes followed his hand blankly towards the sign. After a moment, she let go of the keys and gripped the steering wheel. Blinking hard, she bit her lip and whispered, "What does it say?"

Kyle: Kyle looked back down at Hepz, "One way." he answered. The cogs finally moved in his head. "Can....can you read?" he asked.

Hepzibah: Hepz couldn't look at him. She bit her lip harder and stared down at her lap. For a long time she didn't move. Then sniffling a tiny bit like she might burst into tears, she slowly shook her head.

Kyle: "Oh...thought something else was wrong. Okay. You still wanna go to the, umm, the thing, the rollercoaster...park place?" he asked as he settled back into the seat.

Hepzibah: "No, I'm not much in the mood now. Sorry." Hepz kept her head down and her voice quiet. She turned the key and heard the ignition turn over. "If you tell me how to get there, I'll drop you off if you want."

Kyle: Kyle made a face, "Not fun going alone. Wanna go back to the um, the hotel and get drunk?" he asked, putting the seatbelt back on when the porsche rocked back into motion.

Hepzibah: She thought back to the bottle of tequila they'd ordered. "Yes." She answered definately, nodding. Carefully and little awkwardly, she put the car in reverse and pulled back onto the street, facing the right way. The battered Porsche merged back with traffic heading towards their hotel.

Kyle: The drive back to the hotel wasn't even a fraction as hectic as when they first started driving the car. When they stopped very suddenly in front of the hotel and casino, Kyle didn't even bother with the door and jumped out of the porsche.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah climbed out of the car as well and left the keys in the ignition, leaving it for the valets to park in one of the tiny parking spaces. Her aim wasn't that good.

Hepzibah: She looked over the damaged car as she met back up with Kyle. "You know - that was better than putting it in a swimming pool."

Kyle: "Smells bad too. Glad you didn't drive in reverse." He added and turned to the hotel with Hepz, the two making their way to the fancy suite.

Hepzibah: Hepz was quiet as they rode the elevator up to their floor, when they were back in the suite, she turned and looked at him. "Kyle, nobody - well almost nobody know that I can't...I mean that I don't know how -" She gave up. "Just don't tell anybody, allright?"

Kyle: "Um, okay? Why?" He asked back as he went straight for the tequila bottle sitting ready for consumption.

Hepzibah: "Because..." She sighed, not really sure if Kyle could understand or not. Sometimes she envied how simple things were to him. She could have gone into a rant about being the only person at the school who couldn't read and how humiliating that was. Instead, she just sat down next to him. "Because it would hurt my feelings if you told."

Kyle: "Oh, right, okay." He unscrewed the top of the bottle and held it out for hepz, "Embarassed." he stated. "I'm not good with some bigger words." he added. "That's why I keep to the small ones. Easier." He msiled.

Hepzibah: "Not easier - better. Big words are for assholes." Hepz smiled back and took a swig of the burning alcohol. "But, yeah...embarrassed."

Hepzibah: She handed the bottle back and cleared her throat. "Um, Kyle...you remember when I asked you if you could help me if I ever needed help with stuff?"

Kyle: Kyle took the bottle, nodded "Uh-huh," and then turned to the very comfortable couch and going over to it and flopped down on to it, drinking from the bottle and then holding it up to Hepz so she should come to him.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah followed Kyle and took the bottle. Taking another swig, she climbed over the back and curled up on the sofa, her legs tucked up underneath her and her tail wrapped around her defensively. She took a breath and asked quietly. "Could you show me how you learned to read?"

Kyle: Kyle squinted and then scratched his brow. "Err...sure?" He said. "I, err, I think I still have read learning book in my room, at the mansion. Oh, err, wait...do you know the thing, the alphabet?" he asked.

Hepzibah: "I used to - before they scrambled my brain." She took a second, longer drink not wanting to remember that place. She handed the bottle to Kyel. "Why?"

Kyle: Taking the bottle, he brought it to his lips and then said after swallowing, "Because that's where we gonna start." he cleared his throat and got comfortable on the couch, bringing his own feet on it. "Start with A. Maybe end with Z." he said.

Hepzibah: "Okay..." she said a little uncertainly, nodding and stretching out a bit herself. "What do you want me to do??"

Kyle: He sat relaxed and said, "Say the alphabet." He drank from the bottle and got an idea. Holding up the bottle he added, "If you get it right from the err, the start to finish, then you can get a drink."

Hepzibah: Hepz thought long and hard, trying that tidbit of knowledge most took for granted. "Umm...A, B, C...D..." She got as far as 'K' before she bit her lip, furrowed her brown, came up with 'L' and continued on, hasitantly but correctly to 'Z'. "Did I get them all??" she asked.

Kyle: "Yeap," Kyle said with a grin, holding the bottle up for Hepz.

Hepzibah: Grinning like an idiot, Hepz took the bottle and drank her reward. It tasted very sweet indeed.




[Edited on 19/7/2009 by steyn]

[Raven Hare]

Hepzibah: Hepz grinned as she pulled her latest winning into her pile. Of all the games here, Black Jack was her favorite. Easy to sit down, play a few hands and leave before anyone got suspicious. The true art to cheating at cards was not to get greedy. She couldn't quite remember how many hands she'd played. "Hey, Fido. How many hands does this make?" She took another drink from him and swayed a little bit.

Kyle: Kyle looked through his whiskey glass, seeing Hepz's shape through a bit of whiskey and the glass' bottom. Bringing the glass back down he just said shrugged, "Dunno. Should I know?" he asked back.

Hepzibah: "Naw, it's fine." She swallowed her drink and grimaced a little, setting the glass down. "Hit me and hold. That'll make 20," she grinned even though the dealer had not dealt the card to her yet. She almost slipped off the stool, but caught herself her her hind claws.

Kyle: Kyle looked at his frightfully near empty glass, and then at Hepz's horrifically completely empty glass, and decided a refill was in order for them both, grabbing her glass and disappearing for a short while at the bar, coming back with their glasses full once more.

Hepzibah: Putting her chips in little color coordinated stacks, Hepzibah grinned at Kyle and took the drink, downing it fast. She gave him a pretty red chip to tip the bartender with.

Kyle: "Pretty," Kyle remarked while turning the chip around. It wasn't just red, it was glittery red. The fancy kind. "Err, this mine?" he asked her.

Hepzibah: She ruffed his hair, "No, that one is for the bartender." She gave him a black chip with 'Golden Wings' printed on it. "This one is for you." She turned back around and shook her head at the dealer even though she hadn't looked at the face down card.. "No, I'll hold." She giggled a little and cupped her chin in her hand lazily waiting for her newest winnings.

Kyle: "Oh," Kyle said, putting the black one in a pocket. Well, if she wants him to give the red one to the bartender, then he probably should refill her glass too while he's there. Grabbing her glass, he walked back, drinking his own drink on the way and back.

Hepzibah: There was a tap on her shoulder and she turned around ready to take the drink Kyle was surely bringing her. But instead of her canine friend, it was a large man with biceps like a gorilla. Somewhere from under her drunken haze, Hepz knew she'd played one hand too many. Uh-oh...

Kyle: By the time Kyle got to the table he gave the white russian drink to Hepz, who turned out to be an elderly woman with platinum hair. "Err, sorry," he said, grabbing the drink back and turning to the other blackjack table, ready to give Hepz her drink, only to find a bunch of men sitting there. He looked around if he maybe went to the wrong table, but he was sure that was the right area.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah couldn't help a little drunken stumbling as she was 'escorted' to a set of elevators. She bit her lip nervously, then yelped suddenly. "Watch the TAIL!!" she yelled at Gorilla Arms as the elevator doors started to open.

Kyle: Still holding his and her drinks, Kyle started wandering around on the casino floor, catching up with everyone who unfortunately just had the style to get the platinum blonde look. Kyle was a little irritated when the fourth Hepz lookalike turned out to be a guy. He started sniffing the air, going back to the blackjack tables, and finding her scent.

Hepzibah: They seemed to be in the elevator a long time on the ride down. If she was drunk when the door slid shut, she was sober when they opened back up. This is NOT good. She looked around, frozen in panic before being dragged along down the hall like a rag doll.

Kyle: Kyle followed his nose around, losing the scent here, picking it up again there, and ending up in front of the elevator door. He smiled as he remembered that elevator from years ago. Pressing the button he waited until the doors opened and went in, standing there with the two drinks. He sniffed down the button panel, stopping at the one that smelled the freshest of sweat, and pushing it with a knuckle.

Hepzibah: Once in the small conference room, Hepz was shoved in a seat and grilled about her 'system'. She played along, insisting she had no idea what they were talking about. Then the real fight ensued as she was informed they were 'going for a ride' in finger quotes. Gorilla Arms really didn't stand a chance against her claws, but Hepz didn't stand a chance against the three other guards waiting just outside in the hallway.

Kyle: Kyle swayed a little while he stood in the elevator, just keeping himself entertained, and then looking down at the drinks. His eyes going left and right, he made the coast was clear in the elevator, and then took a tiny sip from both glasses. The elevator stopped and he peeked out, sniffing the air.

Hepzibah: Her hands handcuffed behind her, Hepz yelled for help and struggled to get free as she was dragged to an underground parking lot where there was already a car waiting for them.

Kyle: Kyle looked around the corner of a room with a table and a couple chairs, waiting in silence and then hearing something again, "Hepz? Hepzibah?!" He called out, picking up his pace as he went through doors and corridors, getting to a familiar looking parking lot. There he saw her yelling with couple big guys trying to get her into the car's trunk. "Hey!" he yelled running, "I got your drink!"

Hepzibah: "Kyle!!" She screamed, trying to twist away from the trio as they were shoving her in the car. "Kyle! Help!!" she managed to get out before one of them backhanded her.

Kyle: "Hey!" Kyle yelled again when he saw them hit Hepz, his fast paced walk turning into a fast paced run. And then stopping when one of the three turned and held a gun pointed at him. "Freak, go back up to the casino and forget you ever saw us." the guy said. Kyle just frowned, standing there. No-one was moving until someone else moved first.

Hepzibah: Hepz fell against the bumper; looking up, she saw the trio focused Kyle. She easily contorted herself till her arms were back in front of her. Then she leapt up on the nearest catnapper and choked his neck with the chain linking cuffs together.

Kyle: Kyle started moving again, but held still when the guy warned him not to move a muscle, or he would shoot Hepz, and holding the gun at her head while she was busy choking the guy. The third man came around and pulled Hepz off before she could get the guy she was clinging to unconscious.

Kyle: "Err, wait, wait." Kyle tried to calm everyone down as the gun was pointing from him to Hepz. "Stand the fuck still!" yelled the guy trying to hold Hepz down. The guy with the gun looked nervous. For Kyle, the guy with the gun smelled nervous.

Hepzibah: Completely still, except for her tail that was twitching like mad, Hepz wasn't sure if she was more scared or angry. The gun swung back in her direction. Scared. Definitely more scared. "Look!" She offered to the threesome, "You can have your money back - we won't say a word. Just let me and my friend go!"

Kyle: "Shoot them both....shoot them both," said the guy who Hepz was choking, his face starting to get back down to a more normal colour. The one holding Hepz pushed her aside, not wanting to be in any bullet's path. The gun followed her, the hammer pulled back and Kyle moved right before the bullet shot.

Kyle: Standing in front of Hepz, Kyle could feel the pain start off slow and then burned brighter where the bullet entered. He didn't even notice his hands breaking each of the glasses that he was still holding. And then, things just whited out for him.

Hepzibah: Hepzibah screamed as the she heard the gun pointed at her fire and Kyle jump in front of her. She screamed again as he grunted in pain and shattered the glasses in his hands. Finally, a shiver went through her as she heard him start a low, deep growl and flex his claws, eyeing the trio.

Kyle: Some things Kyle would end up just remember like flashes. Other things he would not remember. He would not remember snarling at the three, jumping at the guy with the gun and having another bullet go into him. He would remember a flash of a guy screaming, but not of him landing against the car, missing his gun and a finger.

Kyle: Something else Kyle wouldn't remember is breaking one guy's arm, and taking a big bite out of another guy's back. What he would remember is a flash of three guys inside a car trying to get it started. He won't remember him standing on the bonnet and breaking through the windshield trying to get to one of them. In the end, the car started, they drove off, and Kyle had a tumble, ending up road kill as they tried getting away.

Hepzibah: Hepz dislocated her thumbs for a moment and slipped the handcuffs off. Launching into the one who'd back handed her, she left deep gashes across his face in retribution. She slashed here and bit there, but stopped short of actually joining Kyle in the dog fight. Hepz knew how hard it was for a feral who had lost control to tell friend from foe.

Hepzibah: She narrowly missed being hit by the car as it screamed out of the parking garage, throwing Kyle to the ground. He rolled several times, ending up about ten yards away. He lurched up, ready to go after them again, when the white cat threw her arms around him. "No, Kyle! Let them go!" she pleaded, breathing hard and shaking. "It's over."

Kyle: Kyle's breathing was hard and erratic. He tried to push at the person holding him and then turned to strike, stopping with his claw in the air. Staring at Hepz for a long while before blinked and then looked down at himself. "Ow..." he said, slumping down to the ground and cringing. That he did remember, the bullets and the broken ribs and arm and dislocated shoulder.

Hepzibah: For a split second, she was certain he was going to attack her, then she watched him slowly come back to himself. Was that what she looked like? When he moaned, she crouched down and put his good arm over her shoulder. "Come on Kyle, we have to go," she whispered urgently.

Kyle: Kyle pushed himself up with Hepz's help, "I'll, I'll, I'll be okay...just need a minute." he said. His healing was already kicking in, getting rid of the smaller nicks and cuts and bruises, taking its time on the bones and the bullet holes in his body and organs.

Hepzibah: She nodded, but kept his arm over her shoulder. Helping him as best he'd let her, they made their way to the garage elevator. Once inside she pressed the floor the van was on. It was the only place she could think of to hide.

Kyle: The elevator didn't take that long, but it still felt like an eternity as he bled down his shirt and pants waiting for the elevator to finally make a ping sound and open up. After another minute of looking and finding the van, he found himself leaning against its side. There was a cracking sound coming from inside his body as bones realigned.

Hepzibah: Hepz tried not to cringe as she heard what sounded like gravel grinding inside Kyle. Her head was spinning. Dear God, this is my fault! They would have killed me if Kyle hadn't- She opened the van door and helped Kyle in, then climbed in herself. Her mind drifted back to the images of him tearing into the three guards as she slid the door shut.

Kyle: His shoulder popped back into place and he rested the arm at his side with the bone still knitting together inside. He was tired as hell. And hungry too. His good arm came up under his shirt, fingers sliding over the bullet holes. They were already halfway smaller as they healed. He took a deep breath and sighed.

Hepzibah: She pulled pillows off the van's sofa and propped them under Kyle to make him more comfortable while he healed. She stared at him in the dark of the van for a moment, "Thank you. You saved my life back there." She almost called him Fido, but that seemed a little insulting at the moment.

Kyle: He closed his eyes, slightly nodding in agreement, "Uh-huh." Then opened his eyes looking up at Hepz, "I think I dropped the drinks." he said, his hand going over the holes on his chest and stomach. Almost gone. Very slick with blood though.

Hepzibah: The smell of blood and Kyle's scent mixed with the emotional aftermath of having someone try to kill you made Hepz's head spin. She reached into a bag and pulled out a few towels with the Golden Wings logo on them and tried to help him clean up. "Don't worry about it. Drinking was what got us into this mess. I got drunk and I got sloppy. I'm so sorry Kyle."

Kyle: Kyle lied still as she leaned over him and wiping the blood. He lifted his arm with the previous broken arm, flexing his muscles and making a fist. It was still feeling a bit funny, but was much better than ten minutes before. Kyle cringed and jerked, grabbing her wrist when Hepz accidentally pressed a little too hard down on the still sensitive bullet hole, even though it was nearly gone, it still hurt a little on the inside.

Hepzibah: When he grabbed her wrist, Hepzibah froze. With her free hand, she kept wiping up the blood, her stare level with his. Suddenly, she was having to fight hard to keep from thinking about the time he'd played a catnip trick on her.

Kyle: Kyle just stared up at her, his grip loosening a little, but not letting go at all. He pushed her back lightly as he sat up, finally letting go of her hand and cringing at the feeling of something in him. He really should be seeing someone about the bullets still in him. He pulled the blood soaked shirt off and relaxed back down and sighed at Hepz's stroking over his chest and stomach with the towel. It was pretty much impossible to get the blood stained fur clean like that, but he didn't mind.

Hepzibah: She discarded one bloodied towel and grabbed a clean one. When she watched him pull off his shirt, she rubbed the towel over him and tried desperately to keep her pheromones under wraps. Not here - not now...

Kyle: He just kept still, he was pretty much finished healing, except for slight discomfort here and there, but Hepz stroking over his body with the towel outweighed the any discomfort. His face cracked a smiled as she tried to get the redness in his blonde fur out. "Water works better. back home, when I got blood on me, would just wash it off in the lake. Or lick it off if it's not a lot."

Hepzibah: "It's a lot." she whispered, finally putting the towel away. "I'm so sorry. This was all my fault."

Kyle: Kyle stared at Hepz and her constant apologizing, and then said, "But....it was fun?" he suggested, not just talking about her and the cards, but the adrenaline rush, even though his memory was a little blurry remembering the events.

Hepzibah: "I'm sorry Kyle." She buried her face in her hands, shaking a little. "But this wasn't fun."

Kyle: Kyle frowned and sat up, sitting still and then putting his arms around her, his head nuzzling in against her neck and shoulder, "It's okay." he said.

Hepzibah: She leaned against him, swallowing hard and trying to nod. "It is now." she whispered, burying her head in his shoulder.

Kyle: He breathed in with his nose pressed against her, taking in her body's scent and sighing as he held her tighter, one hand slipping down her body to get a better hold on her waist for the hug.

Hepzibah: Hepz put her arms around him and hugged him tight. Unconsciously, she began rubbing her face against his shoulder.

Kyle: Kyle's hand that went down to get a better hold accidentally went a little too low, brushing at the start of her tail and holding her there instead of her waist. He could smell a small change in her scent.

Hepzibah: A gasp escaped her, as Kyle's hand brushed over the base of her tail. Everything that had happened came crashing down on her. Not just there, but at the school...the mutilated animals, being arrested, abandoning Hector. And she needed relief from it all. As she released pheromones into the air, she knew Kyle could give that to her.

Hepzibah: Her gasp became a soft growl as she pulled him tighter and laid back on the pillows. Well, you know what they say...What happens in Vegas - stays in Vegas.

[steyn]

Jay: Jay was glad they had such big pools here, as he pushed himself through the water with his wings. Meant they could take his full span easily, and then some. He pushed himself up to the surface, gasping for breath as he flicked hair out of his eyes and opened the protective lids he usually used for flying. It had been so long since he could just...relax like this.

Kyle: Kyle hit the ground without any finesse, cringing and biting down as he waited for that old familiar pop of a shoulder going back into its socket. He sat up and rubbed the sore limb a bit before standing up and stretching his arm about. He decided it was enough outside fun for the day and went his way back to the mansion.

Jay: Jay scrubbed the last of the water off his face and then paddled to the side of the pool, boosting himself out of it and spreading his wings as he sat on the side, feet still in the water. Despite knowing he was going to have to shower for a while to get all the chlorine out, he felt better for the swim.

Kyle: Kyle's ben outside a lot that day. In fact, when he looked around after he got through te woods, it was much later than he thought. He didn't like wearing watches, kept pulling the hairs on his wrist. With a harumph Kyle kept walking, listening to splashing of water the closer he got to the patio. He squinted when he thought he saw red wings in the dark.

Jay: Jay picked at the board shorts he was wearing, staring up into the sky at the stars that were just coming out. It was peaceful, and he found himself wishing he had a beer so that he could enjoy it properly. Or Bobby. He grinned a little wolfishly, shaking his head. He was well over that little crush, but he wouldn't have minded the boy's company.

Kyle: Kyle stopped his walk, sniffed the air to make sure it was the same person he was looking at, and then said, "Jay?" A smile spread on Kyle's lips and quickly started getting closer to the red winged guy.

Jay: "Huh?" Jay looked down quickly, blinking. Something furry was heading towards him, and he couldn't quite make out who it was. "Yeah...who's that?"

Kyle: Kyle bounded over the grass and on to the patio, topping right before he crashed into the bird boy. He squated down and grinned with his sharp teeth, "It's me. Kyle."

Jay: "Kyle...?" Jay blinked at the boy, then grinned. "Kyle! Wow, Ah didn't recognise y'all!" He grabbed the guy and hugged him tightly, glad to see another familiar face. He was starting to feel a little lonely. "Oh god! How're you?"

Kyle: Kyle's grin stuck plastered on his face as he squeezed Jay back, then realized his dirt covered fur was now becoming slightly mud covered fur against Jay's wet body. "I think I'm getting you dirty." he said.

Jay: "And Ah just had a swim too." Jay grinned. "Jesus, Kyle, y'all have no idea how good it is to see you." He'd been a lot less furry the last time he'd seen Kyle, but it didn't matter.

Kyle: "You too," Kyle said, "Where's Jill, wanna say hi to her." Kyle immediately even stood up and turned to look around for anything flying about in the night sky, just in case she was near.

Jay: Jay's mood immediately plummeted. "Um..." He tugged Kyle to sit down next to him. "Kyle...Ah don't know how to put it, so I'll just say...Jill's dead. I'm sorry." He ran a hand through his hair, looking down. Damnit.

Kyle: Kyle's smile dropped completely, "Oh....okay." he said, and then fell silent for a moment as he watched the light in the pool's side luminating the water. He turned his head to look at Jay, but didn't say anything.

Jay: Jay stayed staring down. "Sorry, dude...didn't want to lay that on y'all." He kicked his feet a bit, liking the feel of the water.

Kyle: Kyle fidgeted, his gaze drifted back and forth between Jay and the water. He huffed a breath then stood up, taking a couple steps to the deck chairs.

Jay: Jay turned to watch Kyle, hoping he wasn't going away just yet. "Kyle? You alright?"

Kyle: Kyle looked back at Jay, "...er...yeah.." there was an awkward silence for a few seconds. Kyle then pulled at the drawstring of his shorts loose and dropped them to the ground, using his foot to kick it on top of a deck chair before he stepped back to the pool and jumped in.

Jay: Jay blinked as a naked Kyle jumped into the pool. His first thought was that the guy had not only put on fur but muscle too. His second was that he was naked. Wow. The guys at this school really didn't mind the whole bare-skin thing. He'd half-forgotten how free the school was. "Y'all are nuts." He chuckled, pushing himself back into the pool to wash off the mud.

Kyle: From under the water Kyle just heard a warbled version of what Jay said. He stayed there for a couple seconds before pushing himself up, throwing his head back and wiping the hair and water out of his face. "Huh?" he asked.

Jay: "Nothing." Jay smiled, ducking under the water, the odd feather floating on the surface.

Kyle: Kyle's smile came back on his face and he grinned, dipping himself under the water again and pushing him further to the deeper side of the pool before coming bac up for air. "You staying?" he asked.

Jay: "Yup. Ain't got nowhere else." Jay used his wings to keep him afloat, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "Feel safer here then anywhere else too. How've you been anyway?"

Kyle: Kyle dogpaddled a little as he stayed afloat as he mentioned the first and foremost important thing about him, "I got fur. And, err..stuff happened, and....er...now I'm here in the pool." He couldn't think of anything else that was really newsworthy.

Jay: Jay grinned at the other boy's usual specific way of talking. "Ah spotted the fur. And Ah get the pool part. What about the stuff, dude?" He tucked his wings close, just enjoying the feel of the warm water.

Kyle: Kyle shrugged, "Just....stuff. New people come, old people go. Other people breaking in and leaving dead animals around-oh I got blown up!" he added quickly the second it came to him. "That was....weird."

Jay: Jay scratched his chin, blinking at Kyle. Dead animals? "Y'all got blown up? Ah see ya got better though..." He rubbed a hand over his scarred arm. "So same old XU, eh? Good to see some old faces still here though."

Kyle: Kyle nodded with a smile. "Scott....and umm, Remy and teachers and..." he stopped talking when his head sank under the water, then pushed himself back up, wiping hair and water away from his eyes. "lots of new people too." he added.

Jay: Jay nodded. "Ah've met some, yeah. Interesting bunch, Ah guess." He shrugged, watching a feather go bobbing by with a frown. Looks like his wings weren't in as good condition as he thought they were. That or the chlorine really was too strong in this pool. Unlikely. "They all hidin' from the Registration Act?"

Kyle: "Some, or err, most...maybe all? I don't know, I think some people did the thing, the registering. I didn't." And with that he disappeared again under the water, this time he swam closer to Jay before coming up again, "Don't have to wear clothes. No girls around."

Jay: Despite himself, Jay blushed, ducking under the water before coming back up. "No, but Ah like t' pretend Ah'm decent. One thing Ah remember about this place is that people can appear at the worst times." Plus you're a guy. "Besides...after livin' in a commune, dude? Ah appreciate privacy." He grinned.

Kyle: Kyle sneered and rolled his eyes at that, then breathed in a deep breath before going down again, swimming around Jay under the water, squinting at Jay's body before he found the perfect area of attack. It was really easy, he just waited for Jay's wings to open up and then grabbed and pulled as fast as he could. When he pushed himself up for a breath, the swim trunks went flying over to the deck chairs. "See, better." he stated.

Jay: Jay actually squeaked as Kyle stole his trunks, backing water hurridly and wrapping his wings around him while still struggling to stay afloat. "Ah was perfectly happy bein' covered, dude!" He whined. "Oh man, that was so unfair." He looked from Kyle to where his board shorts had landed and back again. "What y'all do that for?"

Kyle: Kyle shrugged, "Is funnny?" he said and pushed himself away on his back, floating on the water as he kept grinning. "Swimming's more fun like this."

Jay: "Funny for y'all, maybe." Jay grumbled. Unfortunately getting out of the pool meant exposing himself. Still, Kyle didn't seem particularly bothered. "Ah dunno, been a looong time since last Ah went skinny dippin'." Damnit, he missed his band sometimes.

Kyle: Kyle stroked the water, turinging himself around and started to float back to Jay, "Good thing you doing it now." he said. "Should try swimming in lake. More space."

Jay: "Also not heated." Jay pointed out, relaxing slightly now that he'd got over the shock of being disrobed. It wasn't that he was self-conscious of his body, oh no. More that he preferred to choose when he was naked in front of a guy. "Trust me, skinny dipping in a cold lake? Just ain't fun."

Kyle: "Not so cold in summer. Not so cold when you're with someone either." Kyle said. He took a long restful breath and exhaled as he drifted, just lightly moving his arms and feet to stay afloat.

Jay: Jay tried to keep his eyes from going over Kyle, but it was a little hard when the boy was right there and not exactly trying to hide anything. "Uh..." He tore his eyes away. "Well...it'll be cold now, right? Ah mean...it's night'n all." He shrugged. "And Ah ain't got no one to warm me up either."

Kyle: "Why not?" Kyle asked, "You want someone?" he added, as he drifted past Jay.

Jay: "Well..." No! No no no. No Ah don't. "Ah dunno." Kyle was not saying what Jay thought he was saying, it was just him reading into it because it had been a long time. He found his eyes being caught by Kyle again and shook his head. "Ah mean, what with the Morlocks an' all...and Ah don't know anyone who'd...y' know?"

Kyle: Kyle lifted his head and splashed a little to look at Jay, "I know what?" he asked, cocking his head, which was a really well done feat for him seeing that he was still half afloat, albeit part of his body was underwater

Jay: Jay smirked a little. "Keep me warm. What else?" He kicked a little away from Kyle, more to stop himself from staring then anything else, his wings trailing in the water. Half-heartedly he tried to think of a safer subject to talk about but his one-track mind refused to help.

Kyle: "Want me?" Kyle asked, "I don't mind swimming in the lake. Think the fur helps to keep warm." he said, looking down at himself, then back up at Jay with a smile.

Jay: Jay took a deep breath, raking his hand through his hair before ducking back underwater, swimming underneath Kyle with one powerful stroke of his wings. Anything to avoid answering that. Did he want to? Yes. Did Kyle even mean that? From what he could remember of the other mutant (which wasn't much, Jill hung around with him more) Kyle wasn't great with subtlety. Right?

Jay: He surfaced, brushing wet hair out of his face. "Why not. All this chlorine cain't be good for my wings."

Kyle: Kyle turned and his whole body except for his head went underwater, "Not good for my fur." Kyle said, "Spend a lot on shampoo." he kicked his way to the edge and then went down to the bottom of the pool, pushing himself up through the water and twisting around to sit on the edge, feet still in water. "Wanna go now or later?" he asked.

Jay: "It ain't gonna get any colder then it is now." Jay shrugged. "Uh...can y'all pass me my shorts then?" No way was he getting out of the pool and flying naked.

Kyle: "Okay," Kyle said while getting up. He shooks his arm as he felt the water still trickling down through his fur, then he just gave in to the urge and shook his whole body to get rid of excess water. He flet much better afterwards and quickly stepped over to the swim trunks hanging from a deck chair and throwing it back to Jay.

Jay: Jay caught the board shorts and pulled them on, breathing an inward sigh of relief as he climbed out of the pool. He flicked one wing out and then the other, flapping them slowly so that the excess water slicked out of the feathers. A few more dropped out as he did and he frowned. He'd have to be careful of them. "So uh...race y'all there?" The flight would help get rid of the rest of the water.

Kyle: Kyle grinned from ear to ear, "Yeah," he agreed, "loser got to do what winner says," he added as if betting that was something normal when racing. Unfortunately Kyle's brain never actually connected that flying may actually be faster than running.

Jay: "You're on." Jay flapped his wings a little harder, shaking more water off, before a powerful downward sweep put him up into the air, another boosting him to twenty or so feet. He grinned down at Kyle. "In y'all's own time, dude."

Kyle: "Whoa, err, oh!" Kle snapped into action, jumping the corners of the pool and onto the grass, cutting over the garden to get straight into the woods and finally going down ot all fours for a faster run.

Jay: Jay pushed after him, catching a slight thermal and easily catching up with Kyle. His wings were still water-heavy, though, and it made it harder to move them, his chest already aching a little. He wheeled up, locking his wings, before pushing towards the lake again, wind cold against his wet skin.

Kyle: Kyle already started breathing hard as he fought to run faster and fast, bounding from ground to tree and over bushes, scaring some critters half to death as he went past them, his mind dead set on reaching the lake as fast as he could.

Jay: Jay skimmed the top of the trees just ahead of Kyle, wings too heavy to attempt going faster unless he wanted to tear a muscle again, second lids snapping over his eyes instinctively as he flew. He was nearly there...so close.

Kyle: Kyle kept glancing up everytime he saw a shadow against the night sky above the trees, spotting Jay from time to time, and seeing he needed to put more effort in to win. His constant glancing wasn't helping though, everytime he looked back in front of him, he would almost trip over something or run right for a tree. Atleast he wasn't falling behind.

Jay: Jay banked a little, glancing down to try and spot Kyle and looking up - in time to see a taller tree then the rest loom out of the darkness in front of him. He spread his wings in alarm, hurridly backing air and losing precious ground. Swearing, he pushed himself higher and flew over the tree, the lake not far ahead of Kyle. So gonna lose... Although maybe that wasn't a bad thing...

Kyle: When he heard the swearing half behind him, Kyle almost laughed, but rather kept to panting air as he ran. He could see the end of the woods getting closer and the smell of water getting stronger, even though the chlorine scent was stuck in his nose too. His curiosity unfortunately peeked its ugly head, and Kyle had to look over his shoulder up to the sky for where Jay was. It was definitely one of the stupidest things he did that day. The tree jumped out of nowhere.

Jay: Jay swerved and climbed higher to avoid any other trees before he heard the impact ahead of him. He stopped, then circled closer. "Kyle, dude, y'all good down there?"

Kyle: After a few seconds while Kyle rubbed his nose and lips, he yelled "...........I'm okay! We still racing?"

Jay: "Damn yeah." Jay grinned, pushing up higher. Of course he's fine, idiot, he heals. Dumbass. "See ya there!" With that, he shot back off, making a beeline for the lake. Reaching it, he did a graceful spin and folded his wings, diving straight into the deep water.

Kyle: When Kyle reached the edge of the water, all he could see of Jaw was the splash and ripples. He just huffed and stood there looking for the other guy before wading in the lake himself. It was nice and cool against his body after that fast sprint he had to do.

Jay: Jay propelled himself through the water and then surfaced a little way away from shore, wet red hair near black in the darkness as he grinned. "Jesus fuck it's cold!" He called, before swimming closer. "Took y' time, dude."

Kyle: "Tree got in my way," Kyle said as he waded towards Jay, "Could have won." he added not as loud. He jumped forward and dived into the water and swam his way closer.

Jay: "Yeah, sure, keep tellin' yourself that." Jay grinned as the boy got closer. "Wings beat legs hands down." He pushed wet hair out of his face, the cold water feeling nice after the flight. Probably better for his wings too.

Kyle: When Kyle finally reached Jay he stopped and tread water for a second before he dipped down underwater, shook his head, getting rid of the pool's chorine from his hair, and came back up again, wiping hair and water from his eyes, "So.....what you want?" Kyle asked.

Jay: Jay shivered a little, despite himself. "Y'all said anythin', right? Absolutely anything." He chewed a lip. Well, he had won the bet, after all...and Jill wouldn't begrudge him. Would probably cheer him on, complete with pompoms, actually.

Kyle: Kyle nodded and grinned, "Yeah," he said as he waved his arms and kicked his feet under the water to keep him from sinking, "Anything. Last time I won the bet, had someone to wash my back."

Jay: Jay flexed his fingers nervously. "Ah want a little more then that." He swam a little closer. "Y'all are single, right?"

Kyle: Kyle's eyes shot up in thouoght, "Yeah, think so."

Jay: "That'll do." Jay grabbed Kyle and pulled him close, wings holding them afloat as he crushed his lips to his, the fur feeling...strange under his fingertips but not unpleasent.

Kyle: Kyle was taken a little by surprise, his eyes forming suacers before showing turning into squints as he tried not to smile while they kissed, his own hands coming around Jay and holding him.

[Raven Hare]

Woot! Good thing Hepz isn't the jealous sort.
Fun read guys!

[steyn]

Hepzibah: Hepzibah quietly shut the door behind her. Kyle was in the buff, dogpiled ontop of his bed, sound asleep on his stomach. Coming up on him she whispered, "Kyle..." When that didn't work she called louder, "Kyle!" Finally, she took a pair of his roommate's socks, wadded them up and threw them at his head. "Kyle! Wake up!"

Kyle: Kyle snorrted andjerked his head up. He was a little confused on where he was. The room was a big difference to that of what he was dreaming. He blinked and brought a hand to his mouth, wiping away some drool, "Hepz?" he asked, still on his stomach.

Hepzibah: "You gonna sleep all day? It's after 10:00." She threw him a pair of boxers and went to open the blinds. She held up her notebook she'd been practicing in. "You promised."

Kyle: Kyle pulled his boxers from his face and squinted at the sunlight. "Promise....oh, yeah, yeah, okay." he said as realization dawned on him. He pushed himself up and stretched and yawned as he sat before pulling the boxers on.

Hepzibah: Hepz was already cleaning off a place at the desk and pulling up two chairs. "Come on, it's just a week or so before the new sememster starts." She grabbed her pencil and opened to a fresh page.

Kyle: Kyle rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and stood up, and the temptation to stretch again was too much. He scratched his stomach and stepped up beside her. "Where we stop last?" he asked.

Hepzibah: "With these cards." She pulled the flash cards out of her pocket and sat down. There were bright simplistic images of animals and easily recognized objects. She took pencil in her hand and bit her lip as she stared at the top card. "Cloud..." She warily put her pencil to paper.

Kyle: Kyle watched her take her time writing the name down, then nodded, "yes, like that." he turned and grabbed the chair at the roommate's desk and sat down on it. He switched to the next card.

Hepzibah: She practically beamed at Kyle as he picked up a new card. She laughed at the irony a bit. "Dog..." She carefully drew the letters but with the 'g' backwards. She frowned; it didn't look right.

Kyle: He put his head on his hand and watched her for a second until she helped, "D and O is right." he said as a hint.

Hepzibah: Hepz stared at the last letter and suddenly brightened again. "Oh, the tail goes the other way!" She erased the bakwards 'g' and corrected it. "Better?" She held the notebook up a bit.

Kyle: "Uh-huh, yeah," he nodded, and then switched the flash cards. He looked at the picture of a 'house' and then at her. He wanted to give her a clue, but thought it best to wait first.

Hepzibah: Biting her lip, carefully sounded out the word. "H-O...H-O-S..." she gripped the pencil till it threatened to break. "H-O-U-S." She forwned but held up the notebooik hopefully.

Kyle: "Err, almost done. Need something more." He said and rubbed an itch at his head.

Hepzibah: She stared at the paper then stared at the card as if the missing letter would just appear if she thought about it hard enough. She sounded out the word again but that didn't help either. Finally she gave him a rare, helpless look. "I don't know," she finally admitted.

Kyle: ""Um, clue, need another letter at the end. A...thingy...vowel, need another vowel." he patiently said. This whole routine brought back frusterated memories of his own lessons. Atleast she was a faster learner than he was.

Hepzibah: "E." With a growl she finished out the word. "Stupid... doesn't even make a freakin' sound!" She wanted to throw something and if her head didn't hurt so badly she probably would have.

Kyle: "No, it doesn't. Stupid, I know." he agreed wholeheartedly, then started looking through the flash cards until he pulled out one with a picture of a 'mouse'.

Hepzibah: When she saw the little gray rodent on the card she crinkled up her nose in a disgusted growl. Then her face broke into a grin, writing 'MOUSE' just below 'HOUSE' and put the card side by side. "They rhyme!" she laughed.

Kyle: Kyle just had a broad grin on his face switched the cards, then realized he pulled house out again. He placed the two offending soundless e cards aside and showed a picture of a flower.

Hepzibah: She knew that was a tricky one. There was a letter that didn't look like it should belong. Slowly, she spelled it out. "F-L-O..." she went through the alphabet in her head. "H?...no." after another moment it hit her. "W!" She spelled it the rest of the way out and was rewarded with a growl from Kyle's stomach.

Kyle: Kyle squinted a little when he was reminded he needed food. "One more, then we move to kitchen." he said with much authority. He went through the cards again, looking for a certain card, and then pulled out 'flour'.

Hepzibah: That one finally got the better of her. Going through every conceivable misspelling of the word 'flour,' In a fit of angry frustration, Hepzibah finally snapped her pencil in two and threw it across the room, along with her notebook, and the cards, and the pencil holder on the desk and a little paperweight in the shape of a frog.

Kyle: Kyle waited out the white squall and then rubbed his forehead where one half of the pencil hit after bouncing off the wall. "I'm hungry, wanna go for food?" he asked.

Hepzibah: Hepz was face down on the desk, her head buried in her arms. A muffled, unenthusiastic "Yeah..." drift up. She finally sat up and pushed her chair back.

Hepzibah: She stood and retrieved her broken pencil, notebook, gathered up the cards and returned the pencil holder and little frog back to the table. She inspected the frog for a moment. "He just indestructible isn't he?" She must have launched it across the room a dozen times.

Kyle: "Yeah....don't know where he came from." Kyle mentioned looking at the frog. He stood up and lead the way, holding the door open for Hepz.

Hepzibah: She gave him a little smile and, after petting the frog, left it and went to the kitchen with Kyle. "I just want some water." She took a seat on the stool, trying to accomodate her tail without perching. Perching meant falling these days. "What are you having?"

Kyle: "Err..." he turned to the almighty fridge for help on that. The err turned to uhh as he looked through the fridge, "Eggs and bacon I guess." he said, taking out what he needed and then filling a glass of water for Hepz.

Hepzibah: She took her water. "Thanks." She watched him cook a little enviously - knowing he could smell and taste. She drank her water with disinterest.

Kyle: His stomach cheered in celebration as the whole kitchen filled with the smell of bacon. "You, er, you sure you don't want any?" he asked. "Can always add more....make scrambled eggs."

Hepzibah: She shook her head. "Naw, they'd just go to waste. Thanks though." She set the glass down on the counter. "What do you think of the new students?" she asked, making conversation.

Kyle: Kyle made a face of confusion, "We have new students?" he asked, then asked again, "Err, you sure you don't want to eat?"

Hepzibah: "Where have you been??" She laughed. "There's another white hair Pietro, a blond girl - Emma...and a guy - J...and then another J, but Jay - with wings." She waved off the offer of food. "You know food just doesn't taste good anymore. You haven't met the new students yet? I thought I was being reclusive."

Kyle: "They're new?" He asked. "I thought they were...err, you know...second year or something. Jay's not new, I know him." he scooped his food on to a plate and sat next to Hepz with a fork in a hand, already starting to shovel the food in his mouth. "Maybe the thing is too strong?" he suggested. "The patch."

Hepzibah: "I think it only comes in one strength." She rest her head against her hand propped up on the counter. "Don't worry, I'm fine. What are we going to do today after I break a few more pencils?"

Kyle: He thought for a second, "Buy more pencils?" he said. His breakfast was starting to disappear from his plate rather fast. "You sure you okay?" he asked a final time.

Hepzibah: Hepz laughed for a second, then quieted down. "I don't know, Kyle," she admitted quietly, studying her hands, then looking up at him briefly. She never could lie to Kyle.

Kyle: "Umm, maybe you should talk Dr. McCoy? Maybe a break from the thing? Like a day....maybe." He suggested before cleaning his plate from any sign of food.

Hepzibah: "But, if I take off the patch... the pheromones come right back." She turned towards him. "Kyle, for the first time, I can talk to guys without worrying..." she motioned her hands suggestively.

Kyle: "But....you're with Scott, right? He likes you without the stuff, the pheromones....so why you still using the patch?" he asked before standing up with the plate and heading around to the dishwasher.

Hepzibah: "He does," she blushed under her fur, her tail swished. "But he's not the only guy I hang around with." She nudge him with a grin.

Kyle: "Yeah.....but I don't mind your pheromones." he said, and then remembered something and started to look through the cupboards.

Hepzibah: "No kidding," she grinned at him. She knit her brow as she watched him rummaging through the kitchen cupboards, "What are you looking for?"

Kyle: He found what he was looking for and got up, and put down on the counter in front of Hepz a pack of flour. He grinned.

Hepzibah: She erupted into a fit of giggles. "F-L-O-U-R. Damned if it ain't!" She dipped her fingers in then flicked the flour on his nose and grinned back.