Epping Forest - Cat Hunting

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

((For Raph and Lillian))
Stephanie threw the van into park along the side of a lonely road meandering its way through Epping Forest and opened the door, stepping out and inhaling the cold, damp fall air. She turned to her companion as he got out of the car.

“Okay, so few last things….don’t forget the bag with the food and a change of clothes…we want to make sure we don’t seem overly threatening—this girl’s already been through a lot. She’s probably still just running scared in leopard form, if the news reports about an escaped leopard roaming the woods are true,” she explained.

“Also...this could take a while. While I have a rough idea of what I need to be tracking, there’s a whole of other scents getting in my way. Hikers. Pollution. Animals. Your cologne,” she smirked.

[Connor Marshall]

Connor chuckled. "Oh no. Roughing it, how'm I ever gonna get by?" he said, most definitely not really wearing any cologne. "You know how this works. How much do you think is her and how much is... not-her?"

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"Mostly not-her, if my own experiences are any indication...but every shifter is different," she explained, tossing the keys to the van to Connor.

"Hold on to these. Good chance I'll be shifting myself, and those in my uniform pocket while I'm shifting are just going to hurt."

Steph sniffed the air again, trying to catch a scent that didn't' quite belong in a forest on the outskirts of London. "Maybe...this way," she said, stalking off into to the woods.

[Connor Marshall]

Connor stowed the keys and resisted the urge to light a cigarette as he followed, not wanting to foul up the scent. "Just sayin', because if there's any of her in there thinking, this forest's got lots of little hidey-holes that the local kids'll go to ta smoke, get busy, fight, whatever."

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"Good to know. If there's any on our way that you know about....it'll be worth checking out. The forest also apparently has werewolves, so try not to get furry like me," she smirked.

[Connor Marshall]

"Yeah, it's not the most useful power to me, but forcefields come in handy sometimes, luv," Connor chuckled. "'Sides, if someone's already makin' it look good, I don't need to."

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"For a giant half girl half wolf, I'll admit I look pretty decent," she smirked, still sniffing the air, trailing a probable scent. "You said you spent time in orphanages. Were you ever at the one this girl was living in?"

[Connor Marshall]

"Couple years," he admitted. "Wasn't really a nice place to stay, gotta admit. Not for me, at least. Too many buggers my age who were looking for a fight. And so was I, really."

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"I guess kids everywhere fight. Just worse when they've already had a tough life," she remarked, thinking of the recent issues she'd had with her own students.

"Hopefully we'll be able to do some good for her. At least I'll have someone who my power control experience may actually be able to directly help."

Stephanie stopped, and looked around sniffing. "You know of any of those hiding spots near here? It'll be dark soon, so she might be looking for a place to hunker down for the night"

[Connor Marshall]

Connor looked around. "Smelling anything? Might narrow it down a little bit. Hrm. Let me see."

"This time of year... yeah. That way. There's about a ten-foot ravine with a good bit of overhang to it, I think we're getting kind of close. Only place that really has any shelter when it's this cold."

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"Is the ravine," she said, scanning her surroundings and sniffing, "...that way?" she pointed.

[Connor Marshall]

"Ah, let's see, creek runs over there, then- ah, hell. Yeah, I think so. Pretty close, at least."

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"Trail leads that way, and likely a good spot to hide? I'd say we might be getting close," she said, resuming her trek through the woods.

"Lillian?" she called out as they reached the edge of the ravine where the scent was definitely stronger.

[Connor Marshall]

"S'all right! We're here to help!" Connor called, looking around as they approached. He pointed to the right toward where the approach to the ravine was.

[Lillian Clearwater]

She had been running for quite some time, a snow leopard fleeing in a state of panic. Trees and wild brush blurred as she picked up speed, her blood stained paws leaving behind impressively large tracks on the forest floor. Lillian let out a heartfelt cry and was startled when she heard a wild cat's yowl tear itself from her throat. What had she done?! What had she become?! A monster, that's what. 'Run', her instincts told her, 'keep running! '

The farther she ran the harder it was to remember what she was running from. 'Danger', her instincts reminded her, 'run from the danger.' Lillian suppressed her human thoughts and emotions and let the wild cat control her. She came across a shallow creek and finally stopped, the cold water soaking all four of her paws as it cleansed them of the blood that stained them.

The anxious snow leopard took in her surroundings. There were so many different  sights, sounds, and smells that it was overwhelming. What concerned her the most was the unfamiliar scent of someone, or two someones, following her. 

She took off running again, following the creek to a nearby ravine. Lillian,feeling trapped and terrified of whatever was tracking her, crouched down to ground and folded her ears back in preparation of self defense. The voices were getting louder, coming closer. A low growl rumbled in her throat, a warning to the strangers.  

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"You hear that?" Stephanie said in a hushed whisper, holding up a finger to silence his reply. She sniffed the air, and squinted into the twilight to try and spot where the noise.

"Lillian, we're here to help you. It's okay. We don't want to hurt you," she called out into the forest.

[Connor Marshall]

"Don't think she's listening, luv," he sighed, though he followed along and joined in. "It's all right!" he called out along with her. "Just relax... no one's gonna hurt you. We have food!" He looked around at the trees, then pointed at the gap between two that led down to the ravine. "She goes crazy at me, just let 'er. No sense roughin' 'er up when she can't get at my skin," he added quietly.

[Lillian Clearwater]

Too scared to move, Lillian remained where she was at. Her grey eyes darted around for any signs of approaching danger. She took a few steps back for good measure, roating her body sideways, her hackles raised in alarm. Her tail twitched in aggitation. They were close, she knew, she could sense their approach. ' Stay back!', her voice cried out but was instead replace by a cat's yowl.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"You'd be surprised what the right words can do sometimes," she said quietly, following Connor's direction.

Steph stopped dead in her tracks at the yowl, turning to face it very slowly.

"Lillian. I know exactly what you're going through," she called out again, looking around for a sign of her. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. We...we can help you."

[Connor Marshall]

"We're not gonna let anything happen to you," he said, focusing for a moment, then feeling the somewhat constricting presence of a forcefield forming over his skin. "It's all right, luv. You're not in trouble." He nodded ahead at the turn into the ravine as they approached it.

[Lillian Clearwater]

Lillian allowed the growl to die down in her throat and cautiously approached the strangers. Her ears remained flattened against her head, and she was sure to keep a safe distance between them and her. She couldn't understand what the girl was saying, but the tone in her voice was friendly. Confused and still alarmed, the snow leopard sniffed the air with a 'chuffing' sound. Odd. They looked like humans, but they didn't smell like humans; not entirely at least. She sniffed again. They smelled of human and...something else...something unfamilar and...different.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

Stephanie squatted down more onto Lillian's level, trying not to look threatening. She glanced back at Connor, "grab the food, bring it here, slowly," she said evenly.

"It's okay Lillian. Focus on my words. You can understand me. You're safe. We're friends. You're a girl."

[Connor Marshall]

"So far so good, aye?" Connor murmured as he, very slowly, got the bag with the food, opening it so that nothing he was doing was secretive or sneaky. "Right, let's see if she's hungry," he said, looking at what they had, then holding it for Steph to pick from. She was the werecreature expert, after all.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

Steph gingerly grabbed a large steak that had barely been cooked to rare, somewhat regretting she didn't think more like a cat and bring fish. She slowly brought it in front of her, and gently placed it down in front of her, taking a few steps back while still squatted down.

[Lillian Clearwater]

Lillian growled and shrank back when she saw Conner fidget with the bag. She did not run, nor did she make an attempt to approach them any further. Her attention shifted back to Steph, glancing to Conner from the corners of her eyes every now and then. Reconition flickered faintly in her eyes. Her slitted pupils dialated when the scent of food caught her attention. Slowly her hackles flattened as she eyed the bag with intrest. But the moment Steph had taken the opportunity to approach her with the steak had her hackles raised once more. She sniffed the offered meat and experimentally licked the top of it. Her mouth watered. It tasted AMAZING. The hungry snow leopard ate the piece of meat in three bites, pinning it to the ground with one paw as she ripped off three large chunks.

[Connor Marshall]

Connor, meanwhile, picked a rock and took a seat on it, keeping still and figuring that this was going to take a while.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"You were hungry," she smiled reassuringly. "We can get you more...would you like more?"

[Lillian Clearwater]

She sniffed the ground where the steak had lay, and looked up expectantly at Steph. Lillian put one paw forward. Then another, and another. Soon she was standing directly infront of her. The muscles in her feline shaped face twitched with uncertaintly as she stared at the girl, unblinking. Her eyes were more human that cat at this point.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"Can you understand me, Lillian?" she asked gently. "We're here to help you. You're safe now..."

Stephanie very slowly brought her closed fist up towards Lillian to let her sniff it.

[Connor Marshall]

Connor watched, keeping quiet and doing his best to look non-threatening. Which... all things considered wasn't exactly his strong suit, but a hooligan could try, after all.

[Lillian Clearwater]

'NO!' her mind cried out. 'No one can help me!' Again, she recoiled from Steph. The leopard snarled, and snatched up the bag, her powerful jaws clamping down on it. She shook the bag violently and then threw it on the ground. Still hungry, she shoved her head inside it to find more food and got stuck in the process. Thrashing around, Lillian tried to shake the bag off, but to her frustration it wouldn't budge. She slumped to the ground in defeat. Bag 1. Lillian 0. 'Help...' her cry resulted in a long sorrowful moan.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

Steph scrambled backwards as Lillian darted right past her to grab the bag. Lillian would find another steak in a tupperware container, an protein bar and some fruit, and a change of clothes as they tumbled out of the bag with her shaking.

"Lillian. It's okay. Let us help," she said quietly, crawling towards the girl.

"Can I help take this off?"

[Connor Marshall]

Connor winced, following Steph up. "How 'bout the one who's claw-proof get 'er out of there," he said in a low voice as he leaned forward, putting himself in the line of fire. "Easy, there, now, luv," he said as he knelt down next to her. "I know this's been a bad night... might be you'll never have one worse. But it's going to be okay. Now... I'm going to take this bag off you. Don't panic, I'll take it off and then move back, I promise." She was acting very much like a frightened animal, so he kept his voice low and quiet, like you would to calm a frightened pet as he carefully tried to work the bag off of her head. Really, it was all he could think of to do. Well, that and beat the piss out of the little blighters that had set this off, but that was a job for another day.

[Lillian Clearwater]

The way she saw it, she didn't really have a choice in the matter, she needed help. Lillian stayed on the ground with her front paws on both sides of her bag covered head. She huffed in response to Connor. She didnt' much care for him, and she let him know exactly how she felt with a smack of her tail. Regardless of her behavior she still allowed him to help her, making no attempt to go after him or Steph after realizing that they were of no threat to her.

[Connor Marshall]

It's something, at least. And, true to his word, Connor set the bag down, then moved back. "Think I might not've been the right person to come... someone that could tell us what she's thinking might help," he muttered.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"You're doing fine," she said quietly.

Stephanie moved back several paces, still staying on the ground.

"I know what's happening to you, Lillian. I know it's scary. We can help," she explained.

"Here...watch..." she said grimacing as she shifted directly into her wolf form, bones popping and rearranging before she laid down on the ground and tried to look far more like a submissive puppy than a large wolf.

[Lillian Clearwater]

She looked to the bag, then to Connor, and at last to Stephanie. Her eyes were back to being more human than cat as they had been previously. They widdened after witnessing Stephanie's transformation. Lillian's curiousity set in. She circled around the wolf, inspecting her, and even dared to reach her nose out sniff her fur. Lillian scrunched up her nose at the faint smell that was strictly canine. Dogs. Ick. Sitting back on her haunches, Lillian stared down at her massive paws. She lifted up the right one, then the left one, and looked back at her tail, waving it around experimentally.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

Stephanie pushed herself up slowly into a seated position, trying to remain as submissive as possible. She then forced herself back into her human form.

"You can do that too...you can change back," she said reassuringly, kneeling before the large cat, her hands on her knees as the girl examined her paws.

[Connor Marshall]

Connor, taking his cue from the clothes that they'd brought, politely turned and started interestedly studying the wall of the ravine.

[Lillian Clearwater]

Lillian closed her eyes and concentrated, to the best of her ability, on changing back. Nothing happened. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, wrinkling up her nose, and tried to will her body to change. 'Change back! Change back!' she chanted in her head. After several minutes of this, of nothing happening, Lillian collapsed on the forest floor and threw a dramatic fit. She placed her paws over her eyes and sobbed. Her mewling sobs transitioned into humanized sobs as she unexpectedly transformed. Crying harder, taken aback by the pain, her body contorted itself back into the 16 year old human body she was familiar with. Her spotted fur retreated back into the pores of her skin. Her paws became hands and feet. Her ears and tail remained. Lillian now sat bare in her human form. She snapped her head up and gasped loudly when she realized that she was completely naked. She shrieked and ran for the nearest brush.