{The Missing Frame} (Kris)

[Tahmores Stian]

Work had been busy tonight, though really no more than usual there just seemed to be more noise and people than usual. Perhaps London is getting to that stage where no one simply cares about what they do or what happens so they're just going to wile their days and nights away with drink, drugs and sex. He'd been keeping an eye on the people hanging around the bar, though he can't keep track of every person who comes and goes he can at least make a note of where the trouble makers are and get a good look at their faces and even catch a bit of their scent so he is able to find them later on if anything does happen and they're involved. A few times during the night he has had to step in and stop fights from starting between some vampires and werewolf workers, mainly because the vampires simply don't know when to stop and the 'wolves working are mostly young, by werewolf standards, and are not in total control of how ramped up their emotions can be.

Though he is glad that none of these altercations have involved his work-mate and friend Kris. The guilt of turning his friend seems to have faded a little, but every time he sees Kris struggling to hold back an influx of anger that pang of guilt just builds back up again. He is going to have to tell Kris one day that it was in fact him who turned him and not some random wolf on the beach. But how?

These thoughts have been on his mind all night and it has been fairly obvious to thos around him tat something is on his mind that is bugging him.

***

After work is over and done with Tahmores finds himself needing to go for a walk to clear his head. He finds himself back at the beach where he had defended Kris against the muggers and in the process bitten his friend. Tahmores takes a seat on a bare rock that is jutting out of the sand and sits with his legs crossed and looks out onto the ocean. Carefully he listens to the sound fo the waves crashing against the sand, the sound of the gulls flying overhead searching for whatever food they can find. He needs to relax or he'd find ihimeslf obsessing over this guilt for the rest of his life.

[Kristian Vulpez]

The bar had been busy tonight, or at least the busiest it had been since Kris had been working there. Thankfully, his buddy Tah was there working the same shift he was cause a few vampires had started to cause trouble with the werewolves that worked there. It seemed they just loved picking at the younger wolves to try and make them shift like unruly beasts. Kris growled, remembering that was exactly what the vampire that had come after his son had tried to achieve with him. Since that night, he had tried to avoid the vampires altogether, seeing as he just knew one of them would set him off.

Though he did notice something was off about the atmosphere tonight. Tah seemed distracted about something. Thinking that he would leave it until they were off, Kris just continued his work, trying to stay out of the fights that arose within the club.

*****

After work, Tah took a walk as they left the bar. Seeing his friend upset wasn’t something that Kris liked to see so he follwed him. They ended up at the same beach that Kris had lost his humanity on. Or at least the beach that he had been bitten on – he hadn’t actually lost his humanity until the following full moon. Kris found his friend sitting on a rock face that jutted out of the sand. Leaning against the same rock, he waited a minute before asking Tah if he was going to tell him what had been bugging him all night.

[Tahmores Stian]

Tahmores can hear Kris comming, is footsteps aren't exactly quiet on the sand. He waits for his friend to come up to the rock he is sitting on before he turns his head to look at Kris. "Following me huh? Well it's better you than anyone else. I'm glad to see that you were able to handle yourself better tonight at the club than you were the last few times fights and arguments have started, I think it shows that you're getting more in control of your wolf side, that you're not letting your emotions get the better of you when you're feeling angry or upset. You should just ignore those vampires that try to start fights, they're usually just bored and have nothing better to do than pick on the younger wolves to see if they can make them shift, it's pathetic really".

Tahmores hesitates for a little, wondering if he should come out and say it that he was the wolf who had bitten Kris. "How are you finding been a werewolf now? Is it any better than when you first got bitten? Sure it sucks at times but I guess you'll get used to all the things that come with been one eventually. I'm just glad to see that you haven't become one of those people who lets their animal side fully take over once they become a werewolf, it's a terrible thing to see. Even in their human form they're just animals, eating raw meat and communcating in growls and barks". Tahmores shakes his head slowly. "Some people just can't deal with it".

"So what're you doing out here after work?".

[Kristian Vulpez]

"Following me huh? Well its better you than anyone else.” “Who else would it be?” Kris replied. ”I'm glad to see that you were able to handle yourself better tonight at the club than you were the last few times fights and arguments have started. I think it shows that you're getting more in control of your wolf side, that you're not letting your emotions get the better of you when you're feeling angry or upset.” Tah went on. “Believe me its not easy at all,” Kris said. “Partly why I kept passing on the vampire ones tonight was they were getting on my last nerve.”

”You should just ignore those vampires that try to start fights, they're usually just bored and have nothing better to do than pick on the younger wolves to see if they can make them shift, it's pathetic really." “Yea and keeping cool under that is a hell of a lot harder than I thought it was going to be,” he replied. “Especially after that assassin.” Kris growled. Clearly he didn’t like vampires now when before he had been either way about them. But that was before one had come after his son.

"How are you finding been a werewolf now? Is it any better than when you first got bitten? Sure it sucks at times but I guess you'll get used to all the things that come with been one eventually. I'm just glad to see that you haven't become one of those people who lets their animal side fully take over once they become a werewolf, it's a terrible thing to see. Even in their human form they're just animals, eating raw meat and communicating in growls and barks." Tahmores shakes his head slowly. "Some people just can't deal with it." “It’s not bad once you get part the shift pains and all that,” Kris said. He had to admit Tah was acting strange. “But then I’ve never been one to back down from any challenge. Probably why I have aggression issues as a werewolf.”

"So what're you doing out here after work?" Tah asked. “Wouldn’t be a good friend if I couldn’t tell when something was up, now would I?” Kris replied. Maybe Tah would tell him. They’d been friends for a long time – ever since Kris had started working at the bar as a human. “You want to talk about what’s eating you?” he asked.

[Tahmores Stian]

"Could have been anyone else for all I know, one of the vampires from the bar who couldn' let it go that they were denied the chance to beat on a werewolf so decided to follow me out of work and see if they could get a hit in". Tahmores smiles a little. "Like they could. Even though I wouldn't have time to change from human to wolf I'd give any vampire that comes at me a damn good beating before I'm willing to go down". “Believe me its not easy at all" “Partly why I kept passing on the vampire ones tonight was they were getting on my last nerve". "I understand Kris. Sometimes I can take all the will power you have to not just jump the counter and beat their faces in, but then we are no better than them. We are not stupid animals as they like to call us. We are more human than they will ever be". “But then I’ve never been one to back down from any challenge. Probably why I have aggression issues as a werewolf". "Yes that can be a problem at times, but as I said you've shown that you can control yourself quite well most of the time, which I'm proud of you for".

“You want to talk about what’s eating you?”

Tahmores looks away from Kris, turning his eyes back onto the ocean. He sighs slowly, well it's now or never. "You know the night you were attacked by those muggers and the wolf came to your aid? Well it wasn't just any random wolf that just happened to be there... It was me. I was the one who helped you fend off those muggers and that makes me the one who bit you and turned you". He glances at Kris. "I should have told you earlier".

[Kristian Vulpez]

"Could have been anyone else for all I know, one of the vampires from the bar who couldn' let it go that they were denied the chance to beat on a werewolf so decided to follow me out of work and see if they could get a hit in." Tahmores smiled a little. "Like they could. Even though I wouldn't have time to change from human to wolf I'd give any vampire that comes at me a damn good beating before I'm willing to go down." “Oh I’d just love to see one of them try and take your big ass down,” Kris joked. “Mine I could see, but not you.” "I understand Kris. Sometimes I can take all the will power you have to not just jump the counter and beat their faces in, but then we are no better than them. We are not stupid animals as they like to call us. We are more human than they will ever be." “I agree with you there,” Kris replied. “Closest we get to blood suckers is the meat we eat, which took some getting used to I might add!” he added.

Kris just knew he wouldn’t like what Tah was about to say when the other wolf turned his head. "You know the night you were attacked by those muggers and the wolf came to your aid?” he asked. “Course I remember that,” Kris replied. “What about it?” ”Well it wasn't just any random wolf that just happened to be there... It was me. I was the one who helped you fend off those muggers and that makes me the one who bit you and turned you." Kris’ blood ran cold for a minute. That had been Tah that had bitten him? Tah glanced at him. "I should have told you earlier." “Damn right you should have!” Kris said, the pent up anger of the night finally hitting the point that Kris couldn’t control. “What the hell were you thinking?” he asked his friend. To say he was overreacting was an understatement. Tah could easily squish him like a bug but at the moment, Kris didn’t give a damn.

[Tahmores Stian]

“Oh I’d just love to see one of them try and take your big ass down"

"It's easier to take a werewolf down if you've got weapons, simply hitting one is usually like trying to take down a brick wall with your bare fists. Perhaps you should get some training done in your spare time. Most people don't know how to actually fight, they just swing and hope their fist makes a connection. Knowing how to properly fight is a great advantage".“Closest we get to blood suckers is the meat we eat, which took some getting used to I might add!". "Ah you'll get use to it. It's not really that bad if you find ways to cover up the taste of raw meat".

“What the hell were you thinking?”

This is exactly how he had expected Kris to react, so his friends anger didn't really come as a surprise to him at all. "I wanted to tell you that it was me. Ever since that night the guilt of it has been eating away at me. Every time you almost lost control of your anger, every time you changed... it was all my fault". Tahmores stands up slowly, been on the rock he stands about a foot higher than Kris. "Come on then, do your worst". Tahmores stands in front of Kris with his arms spread out, waiting for him to make some movement to take out his aggression on Tahmores.

[Kristian Vulpez]

"It's easier to take a werewolf down if you've got weapons, simply hitting one is usually like trying to take down a brick wall with your bare fists. Perhaps you should get some training done in your spare time. Most people don't know how to actually fight, they just swing and hope their fist makes a connection. Knowing how to properly fight is a great advantage." Tah said. “That may be but not everyone’s a fighter,” Kris replied. “I mean look at me. Do I look like a fighter? Honestly?” "Ah you'll get use to it. It's not really that bad if you find ways to cover up the taste of raw meat." Tah went on. “The taste I can live with,” Kris replied. “It’s the constant craving of it over my other favorite foods that I do mind.”

"I wanted to tell you that it was me. Ever since that night the guilt of it has been eating away at me. Every time you almost lost control of your anger, every time you changed... it was all my fault." Tahmores stood up slowly, being on the rock he stood about a foot higher than Kris. “Then why not tell me and save yourself the regret?” Kris asked. "Come on then, do your worst." Tahmores stood in front of Kris with his arms spread out, waiting for him to make some movement to take out his aggression on him. Tah shouldn’t have said that cause the next thing he knew he had a black wolf lunging at him. Kris had finally lost control on his emotions and was coming at his friend.

[Tahmores Stian]

That may be but not everyone’s a fighter" “I mean look at me. Do I look like a fighter? Honestly?”

"I guess you're right, not everyone is meant to be a fighter. And you are right. You don't exactly have the frame or the build to be a proper fighter, no offense meant. Guess it just comes naturally to me because I was brought up in the kind of environment where you have to be able to defend yourself against whatever the world around you throws your way". “The taste I can live with" “It’s the constant craving of it over my other favorite foods that I do mind". "It can be annoying. There's this delicious looking set of food right in front of you but you don't want to eat it because you're mind is just craving for a nice piece of raw meat".

“Then why not tell me and save yourself the regret?”

"Before I bit you I'd never done it to anyone else before. You're the first person I've ever changed. I didn't know how to deal with it, and the fact that you're my friend just made it worse". He had thought that Kris would have come at him in his human form, Tahmores hadn't expected Kris to change and attack him as a wolf. The force of Kris hitting Tahmores sends them both falling backwards off the edge of the rock, Tahmores landing hard on his back, dazed for a few seconds. When his head has cleared Tahmores puts his hands up and pushes them against Kris's chest, to stop his teeth from coming near his face.

[Kristian Vulpez]

"I guess you're right, not everyone is meant to be a fighter. And you are right. You don't exactly have the frame or the build to be a proper fighter, no offense meant.” “None taken,” Kris replied. “I knew the answer already.” ”Guess it just comes naturally to me because I was brought up in the kind of environment where you have to be able to defend yourself against whatever the world around you throws your way." “Could be a reason,” Kris said.

"It can be annoying. There's this delicious looking set of food right in front of you but you don't want to eat it because you're mind is just craving for a nice piece of raw meat." Tah said. He couldn’t have been more right. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that part of being a werewolf,” Kris said.

"Before I bit you I'd never done it to anyone else before. You're the first person I've ever changed. I didn't know how to deal with it, and the fact that you're my friend just made it worse." Tah tried to defend his actions. “That still doesn’t mean you should’ve kept me in the dark,” Kris said before coming after his friend. The force of his lunge sent Tah backwards over the rock, taking Kris with him. Tah landed on his back with the black wolf on his chest. Had it not been for his hands being against Kris’ chest, he might have lost his nose. Kris didn’t want to hurt him, just let him know just how ticked off he was. Soon though, the growls and snarls subsided to whimpers as Kris came down from the anger high he had been on.

[Tahmores Stian]

“That still doesn’t mean you should’ve kept me in the dark"

"I know Kris! I should have told you as soon as I next saw you. I should have told you as soon as I could. But I didn't, I was a coward. You have every right to be angry with me. Believe me that it was not done on purpose. Biting you was a total accident. If I could take back what I did then I would".

Kris's snapping jaws had come dangerously close to Tahmores's face, dangerously close to maiming him. Tahmores keeps his hands pressed against the wolfs chest, using all his strength to keep those sharp teeth away from his face. "Damn it Kris, biting my face off isn't going to change what happened". As Kris starts to calm down a little Tahmores gives him one more shove with enough strength to push Kris to one side, and he stands quickly. Readying himself for another strike as soon as he is standing.

"Are you calmed down now Kris? I don't want to have to restrain you but I will if you're going to continue acting in this way. Take you're anger out on me but with you as you are it is not a fair fight". Tahmores senses that Kris has calmed and gotten over his bout of anger, but it is best to be on the safe side none the less.

[Kristian Vulpez]

"I know Kris! I should have told you as soon as I next saw you. I should have told you as soon as I could. But I didn't, I was a coward. You have every right to be angry with me. Believe me that it was not done on purpose. Biting you was a total accident. If I could take back what I did then I would." Tah said. That’s when Kris had attacked him.

"Damn it Kris, biting my face off isn't going to change what happened." Tah was right. What the hell was Kris thinking? Sure he hadn’t asked to become a werewolf but that was no reason to attack his friend the way he was. As Kris calmed back down, Tah pushed him off the top of his self, readying himself in cause Kris decided to attack him again. But instead of attacking his friend again, Kris just nudged him before shifting back to his human form.

"Are you calmed down now Kris? I don't want to have to restrain you but I will if you're going to continue acting in this way. Take you're anger out on me but with you as you are it is not a fair fight." Tah asked him. “Yea, I’m good,” Kris replied. “Sorry I attacked you like that. Don’t know what came over me. I’m not normally so confrontational.”

[Tahmores Stian]

Tahmore stands panting for a while, though he isn't really out of breath his heart is beating fast, adrenaline is still coursing through his veins, pent up energy in his muscles “Sorry I attacked you like that. Don’t know what came over me. I’m not normally so confrontational". "It's okay Kris, I understand why you did it and I think that I sort of deserved it. I think I might have reacted the same way".

He is starting to feel a little fidgety now, he has to do something to release all this energy. "Hey Kris what you say we go for a little run, maybe a hunt? I've got all this energy built up that I just need to get rid of and frankly been in wolf form is just relaxing and it's nice to have the freedom to run through the woods and streets without a care in the world".

Before Kris even has a chance to respond Tahmores has already started his transformation from human to wolf. The change takes him about fifteen minutes all up, enough time for Kris to start his change as well. When the change is done Tahmores stands to one side of Kris, looking up at him with one milky white eye. Tah' barks at Kris and puts his nose to the ground, playfully growling at his friend then jumps back a little, encouraging Kris to turn as well.

[Kristian Vulpez]

"It's okay Kris, I understand why you did it and I think that I sort of deserved it. I think I might have reacted the same way." Tah said. “I’ll say you deserved it,” Kris replied. But he left it at that. Tah was his best friend but apart from that he could easily beat Kris in a fight. It just wasn’t worth it. But looking at him, Kris could see Tah was getting fidgety.

"Hey Kris what you say we go for a little run, maybe a hunt? I've got all this energy built up that I just need to get rid of and frankly been in wolf form is just relaxing and it's nice to have the freedom to run through the woods and streets without a care in the world." Tah asked. Kris thought a moment. He hadn’t ran as a wolf in a while, or much at all since he had been changed. A hunt might actually be fun. Before he could reply though, Tah was already shifting to his wolf form. When he had changed, he put his nose to the ground in a play position, growling and jumping around as he waited for Kris to turn.

Kris watched his friend for a moment before shaking his head. “And I thought my son was hyper,” he said before taking off the trench coat he had put on when he had changed back from wolf form a moment ago. Within fifteen or so minutes, he was back to his wolf form. ”Alright, let’s go,” he barked.

[Tahmores Stian]

While waiting for Kris to go through the change from human to wolf Tahmores has taken up a seat on the rock he had been sitting on when Kris had found him at the beach. Tahmores hangs his paws over the edge of the rock and rests his head between them, his tail flicking absent-mindfully. Even with his wolf mind Tah' can still recognise the sick cracking sounds of Kris's bones breaking and reforming again. The whole process defied nature; how could a creature survive such a change to their anatomy? Surely it should kill them. His father had always said that it is nature and perhaps the gods ill that the werewolf should survive their change from human to wolf and back again. Tahmores is inclined to believe this since there is no proper medical or scientific way to explain how they survive it every time without fail.

Hearing the bark from Kris Tahmores's ears perk up quickly and he practically leaps off of the rock onto the sand and almost rams himself into Kris's side and skids in the loose sand a little. When he comes to a stop Tahmores shakes his head a little and sneezes, some of the sand having gone up his nose. When done Tah' runs along the beach a little then turns back to Kris and barks for him to come with. They'd probably stick to the beach for now, but perhaps Hyde Park could hold something interesting.