Nothing More Annoying Then Fleas (Open)

[Sage]

Sage lifted her muzzle to the skies, her nose catching the scents that drifted by on a –surprisingly- soft spring breeze. It was refreshing after the storm that had raged for the past two days, drenching pretty much everything and driving the poor werewolf from her den for the time being. Mud was plastered to her flanks, and ran up her legs in dried chunks. Despite the day being lovely, the sun had yet to poke its head through the light gray clouds that didn’t seem to want to give up their place in the sky. This was all fine for the female werewolf, so long as they didn’t open up and pour down onto her. Her fur had finally gotten dry, but now her lungs felt sore from constant exposure to the water. Normally when it rained –which was fairly often- she had been confined to the house to prevent from muddying up the carpets and furniture. Her lungs should be fine by the end of the day, however, so she wasn’t overtly worried. Hunger was not an issue for her at the time; she’d eaten not yet an hour ago.

Her paws padded softly on the tough cement ground. She preferred the soft grass and dirt, but in this part of the city, it was rare to find. Why was she here? Not even she really knew; she’d just wanted to wander and explore. So she had, and eventually she’d made her way down to one of the poorer ends of town. The houses seemed mostly run down, even though they smelled of living creatures. The street side-walks were cracked; the street wasn’t in much better a condition with all of the pot holes it had.

Since the death of her Master, Sage had lost weight, and the lush shine of her fur had dulled slightly. It was still obvious she had once been looked after, though. Around her neck still her tags clinked, a constant reminder that she had not always been alone in this world. She paused and sat, bringing a hind leg to scratch her neck when an insistent itch became too troublesome to ignore. Damned fleas. There was nothing she could do; no one she could go to get treated. The wolf would just have to deal with them.

She stopped at an abandoned street corner, and simply flopped to the ground with a slight huff. Her front paws crossed formally as she gazed down the deserted streets. Her viewing was interrupted when she raised a paw and scratched behind her ear, and then her pass-time resumed in silence.

[Kyon Girard]

Poor people were just no fun. At least that was what yon had decided. They were, as a rule, much less motivated to keep their own lives and there was nothing good to loot from them after they had died. And despite that, the vampire found herself wandering about one the poorest parts of London. Lately, she had been targeting the more unfortunate and lesser known members of society, but even in Surrey the people had lived better than these folks. It wasn't even as if she was hungry at all or feeling the urge to kill, she was just scoping the place out. And from what she had noticed so far, the town wouldn't be an ideal hunting grounds. The Burroughs had been better, especially because of all the huge fields to which she could take her victims. There had even seemed to be more people in that farming community, but that was probably because families were two or three times larger than the ones in Mayfair.

Her interests were soon being lost in the town and Kyon stood against a building, watching people walk past and studying them. One man in particular caught her attention. He wasn't too muscular, but looked strong for a human, even covered in his loose clothes, and he wore a mysterious patch over his eye (the thing was most like infected; he smelled hideous). Under normal circumstances, the vampire would have followed him and slashed his throat in some ally. However, her stomach turned over at the thought, not because the thought of blood disgusted her, but because she was very full and really did not want to eat.

Kyon started to move again, walking down the sidewalk and kicking tiny pebbles in her path, not looking up at anyone. That as until a certain smell caught her attention. It a werewolf, in animal form, and rather dirty. It almost smelled as if the thing had spent the last few nights outside in the mud. Why would any dignified wolf do such a thing? Unless, of course they had no dignity. And the wolf that she eventually did see matched what she had thought. The poor thing's coat was matted and dirty, stiff looking. How long had she been in such a form? It must have been a long time, as she acted like a house broken mutt. It was rather sad to Kyon, as she thought that wolves really were the most regal of races, despite what he foster parents had done to her, and it was a great pity to see a wolf that had fallen so low as to stay in constant wolf form.

"Hello there," she addressed the wolf, dropping down into a crouch across from it. "haven't we been as a wolf long enough, hm?" The woman smirked softly, hands folding on her knees. She knew perfectly well the girl wouldn't be able to speak back until she could coax her into her human self, but maybe she could discern something from the animal's body language and any bark or growl.

[Sage]

The soft clicking of shoes on the pavement caused the wolf to raise her head, ears erect in curiosity as a vampire crouched in front of her. ”Hello there.” The she-vampire spoke, and Sage's head leaned forward slightly to sniff her better. Once the wolf seemed satisfied with her observations, she leaned back, still resting on the ground. ”Haven't we been as a wolf long enough, hm?” She asked. The werewolf understood words quite well; the meaning of these ones caused her to tilt her head to the side slightly, her tags clicking lightly with the action.

A low rumble that was more like a grumble then a growl rolled through her chest, her muzzle opening slightly to allow the noise to carry. Her tail wagged back and forth for a moment, and then she tilted her head to the side again. Dimly, in the far recesses of her mind, she dredged up the last time she'd “changed”. In the present, she flinched, and her ears and lips drew back slightly. Yes, she remembered what it had been like. There had been pain, great pain, and then it was settled, and she was panting and cold. Her master walked in, nostrils flared, and that flash flicked across his eyes. That look told her she'd done something wrong, and she'd tried to back up, but fumbled from being unused to the form for so long. The beating she'd received was more painful then the change, and eventually she reverted back to it before it could continue any longer. She never tried to change again; nothing was worth that experience again.

She stood and shook her body much like she had when she'd been drenched and the rains had finally seemed to let up. It seemed as if this movement caused anther itch to arise, for she almost instantly sat down and began scratching vigorously at her neck area. The collar clanged and jingled as it rotated around her neck until her scratching was complete and she was satisfied. Again she rose to her paws and stretched out with a yawn, stretching her back legs individually afterwards to get out any final soreness that had inhabited the female while laying on the pavement. There was a pause, and her head whipped around so her teeth could gnaw at a particularly painful nip of a flea on her flank. The earthy taste of dirt filled her mouth, but she ignored it. It wasn't like she hadn't gotten dirt in her mouth before.

When she was done, the werewolf looked over at the vampire and tilted her head again, before shaking it to emphasize the jingle of the collar. The first tag was rather simple, composed only of her name in neat letters across a light blue stained piece of steel:

Sage

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The back of the first had her registration number. The second tag, a silvery colour and shaped like a bone, had the address and phone number of her old house on it. Thirdly was the tag with a short, simple message on it:

If found, please return to the address for a reward.

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Not that the female werewolf ever knew what was on them. All she ever noticed was the jingling of her collar before she bounced over to them, tail wagging happily as if she were about to be awarded a treat. Even if she had seen the words, though, it wasn't as if she knew how to read.

[Kyon Girard]

Kyon half expected to be growled and bit at by the wolf. But, as the vampire had noticed earlier, she was as docile as a house pet. There was the slight lift of the animal's lips, yet it didn't seem that the aggression was directed toward the vampire, so she dismissed it. Perhaps it had been toward her words, meaning that the wolf had understood her, not that she had doubted that, as the werewolf must have been very human at some point in her life, being as she wasn't an overly aggressive wild animal. However, she was still an animal, and from that slight growling snarl, Kyon could assume that she was not happy with the way she was.

The woman stood momentarily as the wolf did so that she could readjust herself on the ground a foot or two back, giving the animal more room to move, and to distance herself from a probably flea infested that the wolf was now scratching at. Now, that was the most pathetic thing she had seen; a werewolf with fleas. How could she have neglected herself, or been neglected by others, to let her coat get that dirty? As far as Kyon knew, wolves were very resistant to viruses, bacterias, and probably parasites as well, so this one must have some serious health issues to have fleas. Not only was this sad, it was frankly disgusting. The vampire pulled her suit jacket a little tighter around herself as if to protect herself from catching fleas.

Her attention was moved from the state of the wolf's coat to the collar she wore as she sat back down, shaking her had to emphasize the jingling of the tags. Kyon reached out a hand hesitantly to grab the tags and look at them, not sure if the animal would lash out an bite her if her hand got to close to her neck. A bite from the wolf would kill her, and she wasn't quite ready for that. Yet the animal was still as the vampire took the tags in her fingers to read them.

Sage One said. The second had a phone number and address, while the third: If found, please return to the address for a reward.

Kyon snorted softly with laughter, dropping the tags to rest on the wolf's matted fur once again. So she was a fucking house pet, Jesus. The vampire was amused by this, but she also felt a stab of pity, realizing how very low of a status this werewolf had. Having grown up in so many different households with little belongings of her own, Kyon knew what it was like to be 'low class', but at least she'd had a rather decent education. She had the feeling that this wolf had little to none, or she wouldn't be in such a situation. And the vampire now enjoyed a certain standard of luxury, as her job afforded her.

As usual, Kyon was starting to think about how she could manipulate this situation to her benefit. Sage would be at least loyal to her 'owner', otherwise those tags would have been long gone. So, perhaps the vampire could have some fun with that. She reached forward again, on the pretext of looking at the tags once again, but at the last second, she twisted the collar then yanked on the clasp, freeing the entire band from the wolf's neck. She then quickly got to her feet, stepping back with the tags held up against her chest, waiting for the animal's response. Would she act violently, afraid of not returning without her tags? Or would she shrug it off? The former seemed more likely.

[Sage]

When the vampire reached out to take her tags, Sage merely lifted her head a slight amount to give the vampire an easier way to view them. With the light clinking that the dropping of the tags created, Sage’s ears drew back slightly, as if she were annoyed by the sound. The snort of laughter that was followed by the vampire caused the werewolf to pull back, as if she’d been offended. Her ears and head lowered slightly, and a pain spread through her chest and stomach, churning uncomfortably. She didn’t know it, but it was shame that filled her. Her body turned to the side slightly, her head drawing back with her ears. Her eyes were looking away from the vampire, whites flashing in her shame.

The vampire seemed to be thinking for a moment, and the wolf turned her head back, ears facing opposite directions diagonally in uneasiness. When the vampire reached down for a second look at the collars, Sage froze, feeling the increasing need to back up to protect her own space, or nip the offending vampire. When there was a sudden twist of her wrist, and the soft ‘click’ of her collar, Sage’s ears began to swivel slightly, and her pupils dilated. A high-pitched whine, much like a dog’s filled her throat as she eyed the retreating vampire, holding her collar. Her head lowered to the ground slightly, and she paced around the vampire, tail parallel with the ground. Ears pricked forward, it was obvious she was highly attentive to even the slightest of movements from the vampire.

There was a pause in her pacing, and her head rose, ears once again off to the sides slightly and her lips drew back, showing off her teeth. Her head flicked to the side with each yip when she began the noise, teeth still bared. She went still again, and her head lowered, still watching the vampire. Slowly her tail curled slightly under her, and she yipped once more before her ears slid forward. All actions were a clear sign of distress and indecision as to what the hell she was supposed to do now.

She began pacing again, acting much like a caged animal, despite her newfound freedom. Finally she sat, ears once again in opposite directions and her head tilted to the side. This vampire obviously knew nothing about her or those collars. Maybe she would take her in. Give Sage a new home, a nice soft pillow to sleep on, a flea bath, a new collar. Eventually her tail began wagging slowly from side to side at the rising hope that she’d finally found a new home. A new Master, one that she could look after and protect. Her head stretched outwards and slightly up as the same groaning/growling/grumbling from before rolled through her chest and neck. After about three seconds, it was over, and she was still wagging her tail slightly before she rolled over onto her back.

Her tail curled around one hind leg and her head rubbed against the cement as she turned her head to look up at the vampire. A light whimper whined through her muzzle before she wagged her tail again, as if to say “Please love me.”

[Kyon Girard]

The wolf's reaction as first was not exactly what Kyon had thought would happen, but it wasn't odd. It was if taking off the wolf's collar had magically broken her out of someone else's ownership. Sage paced back and forth and around the vampire, whining softly, almost growling at times. It put the woman a bit on edge, unsure to if the wolf would suddenly bite her and maybe nuzzle up to her or just sit there and be as docile as ever. The collar dropped from her fingers and she backed up a step, the animal's confusion erratic confusion making her nerves worse. It wasn't so much that she was afraid of wolves, as she knew that she could easily break its neck with the twist of her wrist, it was more that she had a deep ingrained respect for werewolves in her mind, having been nearly tortured by her foster wolf parents. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing though, it kept Kyon out of a lot of trouble, and she never tried to bite a wolf.

Once the wolf sat, the vampire released a soft sigh, relaxing a little as Sage had seemed to decide on something, though Kyon wasn't sure what that was. A huge clue came when the wolf rolled over onto her back, submitting to the vamp. A tiny smile curled the woman's lips and she dropped down into a crouch, stretching out a hand and rubbing the mutt's belly.

"You're a silly animal," she sighed, growing softer by the second. Humans, she would never be so kind to, as that was nearly impossible for her to force upon herself, but animals were so helpless that they just touched her (cold) heart. Maybe she could take the poor thing in for a while and give it something better than a cold alleyway to sleep in and scraps to eat. Surely, Sage would appreciate it. And even though her job forbade her from having friendly relations with werewolves, she didn't really count this girl as one. She was far too wild and absolutely dog-like to be considered a real threat to the organization.

"Let's go back to my place," Kyon told the wolf, getting to her feet, picking up the collar as she did, "we'll stop by the pet store first though, get you something to wash you up with." The vampire stood fully then started off down the road to her car, glancing behind her to make sure the animal followed. The vehicle was only a few blocks down and once they reached it, she opened the back door for Sage, not wanting the wolf to ruin her front seats at all. With the were secured in the back, Kyon dropped into the front seat and put the car into drive.

Since her home, all the way in West End, was quite a distance away, the woman struck up conversation with Sage, even if she couldn't reply with words. "My name's Kyon by the way," she told the wolf. There was slight pause, as if she was waiting for the were to respond with words, then she shook her head softly, thinking of how silly she was being. "Bark if you can understand me."

[Sage]

The vampire seemed to settle for the moment, even relax a bit. This caused the wolf’s tail to gently thump against the ground when she reached out with a hand and gently rubbed her stomach. Her muzzle reached out, and she gently nudged her hand, as if begging for more attention. Warmness filled her, she felt finally somewhat content and happy. It’d been so long since she’d gotten a belly rub, it made her feel so much more exhilarated and alive. ”You’re a silly animal.” The vampire told her. Sage’s tail continued gently thumping against the ground, and she licked her lips. ”Let’s go back to my place.” She told the wolf, and stood. Sage flipped over onto her stomach and stood, stretching slightly. ”We’ll stop by the pet store first though, get you something to wash you up with.” She told the werewolf. At the word ‘wash’, Sage’s ears picked up again, and her tail wagged more furiously. She loved baths, and had been used to them being more frequent.

She followed the vampire, near jumping with joy. Her tongue was lolling, and her tail wagging, and it was much like the old days. Trotting alongside the vampire, she would glance up at the higher-up face, as if she couldn’t believe that she was actually taking her in. Taking her home. A great, happy pain filled her chest as they reached the car. The back door was opened, and Sage crawled in, sitting contently on the floor. Normally she’d sat on the floors, her Master yelled at her whenever she went onto the leather seats, which were apparently always ‘new’.

She waited patiently as the vampire made her way to her side of the vehicle and got in to begin to drive. She scooted closer to the window, watching as houses and people zoomed past in the night. It was all so familiar that it made her want to howl. She was tempted, but knew that it’d probably be best not to; most humans and vampires alike weren’t too fond of howling. Her attention became immediately focused on the vampire when she began to speak. ”My name’s Kyon be the way.” Kyon told her. Sage’s head tilted slightly to the side and her tail began wagging for a few moments again. There was a pause, and the she-vampire added, ”Bark if you can understand me.” Sage opened her mouth slightly, that funny growl-grumble vibrating her neck before she closed her mouth and wagged her tail again.

The next little bit was silence, and once the wolf became bored with the window, she inched closer to the middle of the seats, placing her head gently on the middle part dividing the two front seats. Her eyes glanced up at the vampire before she gently nudged her side with her nose. When her arm was close enough in reach, Sage flicked her tongue over the skin before wagging her tail again, resting her head a second time onto the middle piece.

[Kyon Girard]

Kyon found herself liking this animal more and more. She'd never had a pet herself, as she'd never needed the company, and she didn't want to accidentally rip its head off, since she had practiced the mutilation of small animals as a child. Yet, now she was considering taking in Sage with her, just to see what it was like to own another being, and she was rather partial to wolves, even if her employers discouraged such feelings. It's not like this girl was really a were anyway; she was far more dog than person.

Grinning softly, the vampire reached a hand down and scratched the creature between her ears, enjoying the wet tongue against her skin. She wondered vaguely what Sage thought of touching such cold skin, but she couldn't be bothered to ask, and it didn't seem as if the wolf had minded anyway. "Silly," she muttered again, resting her hand on top of the animal's, scratching her fur absentmindedly as she drove. Kyon wouldn't have continued this contact if she had still been thinking about fleas, but that had since left her mind.

Within a half hour, they were near West End and in the area where all the shops were scattered about. The woman pulled into a parking lot and got out of the car, picking up her purse out of the passenger side seat. "No you stay here," she told Sage, plucking her keys from the ignition, "and try not to drool on anything." Kyon slammed the door shut then locked the car up with the press of a button on her key-chain.

Shampoo and a flea collar were first on her list, so she headed to a very small pet shop she new was around there, even though she had never been there before; she had only seen it in passing. Once inside the shop, she rushed to get out, as the musky smell of ammonia and animal droppings was a little overwhelming. Thankfully, the cleaning products and collars were close together so it was no trouble finding either, and paying in cash helped her to get out that much faster. Now it was time for food. Seeing as Kyon rarely ever ate real food, there would nothing for Sage at her house except a fridge filled with liquor. Not that the vampire drank much; she just liked having it around for fun.

At a small corner shop, she was able to pick up a pound of hamburger and even a nice slice of beef. She wasn't about to degrade the wolf more by feeding her dog kibble, so beside fresh human meat, this was the next best choice. With her bagged purchases now hung on her arms, Kyon made her way back to her car, wondering how excited the wolf would be to see that she had bought her all these nice things. It was amusing to think that she was suddenly go into seizures from the pure joy of it all.

"I've got you a new collar," the vampire told Sage after opening the driver's side door and leaning in. She pulled out the item mentioned then moved further into the car before slipping the flea collar around the wolf's neck and adjusting it so it wasn't too tight. "Don't you look snazzy," she smirked, dropping the bags into the backseat and climbing into the vehicle herself.

From here, Kyon's apartment was only ten minutes off and they were soon parking into front of the building. "Let's go see where you'll be staying tonight, hm?" She glanced back at the wolf, smiling, then got out of the car to open the back door so that Sage could get out. Once the animal was clear of the backseat, the vampire grabbed up her bags before slamming shut the door and locking up the car. The woman moved in front of Sage to lead her up to her apartment.

Kyon only lived one floor up, so it wasn't a very long trek, and upon reaching the door she pulled out her key chain to unlock the door. Swinging it wide, she looked down at the wolf and swept an arm in the direction of the room's interior, ushering her in. With Sage now inside, she closed and looked the door behind her, securing up the place. Usually, she wouldn't switch any lights now, as her eyes were too sensitive to artificial light, but she had a feeling that the wolf would feel better in the light, so she reached out and flipped a light switch illuminating the hallway and kitchen beyond with a faint yellow glow.

[Sage]

Sage’s head tilted towards the vampire’s touch, eyes closing in contempt. When they pulled over, Sage stood to get out of the car, but when Kyon told her to stay, her tail drooped, and she sat back down. With the kind warning not to drool everywhere, the wolf’s tail wagged side to side slowly before the door was closed, and she was left alone. She made her way over to the window, pressing her nose against it and fogging it up when she breathed out as she watched with saddened eyes the vampire walk away.

For a bit, the wolf paced back and forth in front of the two back seats, dodging around the front seats that were slightly in her way. Finally, she lay down, resting her head between her paws. The position wasn’t kept for long. Within moments, she was back on her paws and staring out the window at passer-bys. Her viewing was paused when she lightly sniffed the windowsill, and then watched as vampires, humans, and the odd lycanthrope made their ways passed the car.

In the distant black shadows beside a building, yellow eyes peered out at her from a bush. Her ears flattened as the wolf emerged, dark fur making it appear as if moments before, he was the shadow. She recognized him; it was the wolf from before, the one whose paw she’d broken. He snorted and a doggy grin revealing his teeth, as if to say ”Found you.” Her lips curled in a similar greeting. His tail was bushy, and now stood on end, fur bristling. Sage wasn’t worried, in the car he couldn’t get her. He seemed to realize this, for after a short length of time of staring and baring his teeth, the wolf’s head whipped to the side, catching a sound with his ears, and he slunk back into the shadows. While the female couldn’t see him, she knew he was there somewhere. She also knew she’d be rid of him soon enough.

As it turned out, the noise that had caused the male wolf to retreat was the advance of Kyon. Sage’s tail wagged happily, and she gave three short but loud barks. She opened her door and leaned over the seat as Sage turned to greet her with her large head poking out from over the center divider. ”I’ve got you a new collar.” She told her, and slipped it over her head. Once it was on place, Sage shook her head to allow her fur to flow around it more comfortably, and she gave a wolfy grin with her tongue hanging out whilst her tail thumped lightly on the ground. ”Don’t you look snazzy.” Kyon smiled back. The grumble/growl was made from the wolf in response, changing in octaves and volume as her mouth opened and closed as if she were talking.

Her ears pricked forward and she leaned up slightly as the vampire passed some bags over her head. The chemicals from the shampoos reached her nose, but what really caught her attention was the delicious, but faint, smell of raw meat. Her nose nudged the bag to get a better whiff, and her tail began wagging again before she turned her attention back to the front of the car.

They started off again, and Sage lay on the ground to steady herself when they began going over some bad roads. Soon, though, they arrived at the apartment. ”Let’s go see where you’ll be staying tonight, hm?” Kyon said to her. The female wolf’s head rose and she stood with a wagging tail as her door was opened for her. She jumped out, and after a quick once-over of the surroundings, dropped her nose to the ground and began sniffing like a curious puppy. Her tail was bouncing with her paw falls as she trotted up to the side of the building and began sniffing lightly the grass. It was easier to pick up scents from plants, rather then the hard pavement. Catching up on all of the recent local canine news with one sniff of a lamp post, the wolf seemed to find her surroundings to the liking. She circled a spot for a second before squatting to relieve herself, and then trotted over to the vampire, who was making her way to the door with the bags.

Within minutes, they were outside the door to Kyon’s apartment, and she took a step back to allow the vampire to unlock the door. With a gesture, she padded into the room, stepping up so the girl could join her in the room, and began sniffing the interior. She made her way into and around every room that had an open door, and even the kitchen. When finished, she made her way over to Kyon and made a quieter bark then when she’d greeted her in the car. Her tail was wagging side-to-side, and while she knew she shouldn’t, she wanted to so badly, and so did. Raising up on her two hind paws, one of her front paws balancing precariously her weight against the wall, Sage licked the vampire’s face, tail wagging, before she dropped to the ground, and began prancing around as if to say ”Look at me! I have someone who’ll love me and look after me!”

[Kyon Girard]

Kyon moved after Sage, watching her sniff around everything and investigate. She, herself, went into the kitchen to slip the meat into the fridge then place the plastic bags and shampoo neatly on the counter. As she walked into the entry hall again, to hang up her coat, the woman couldn't help but wonder what the wolf's old home had been like. It had probably been a dump, seeing as the animal was filthy, and she mustn't have gotten too much food, as she was pretty skinny; her ribs were almost visible under her thick fur. The creature needed attention badly because it was a horrible waste to let such a magnificent beast look so pathetic.

Turning away from the hallway closet at hearing a soft bark, the vampire saw Sage standing close by, tail wagging happily from side to side. Kyon smiled softly, staring at the quick back and forth movement of the animal's tail. Then before she could really react, the animal had raised herself onto her hind feet, becoming just as tall as the woman, and licked her face with a very smooth, slobbery tongue. The vampire stepped back at this show of affection, more so because she was a bit disgusted by how dirty Sage was than because she didn't enjoy this 'love'.

Wiping at her wet cheek, she stared down at the wolf, prancing about her legs. "You need a bath," she muttered, unable to help but smile a little at the creature's excitement. "let's do that for you first, then you can eat." Still running a hand over her face, Kyon went into the kitchen to grab the bottled shampoo, before she made her way to the bathroom, glancing behind her to make sure Sage was following.

The room was rather elegant looking and meticulously clean, as the vampire liked to keep it as a sort a sanctuary. The wolf however, would very much ruin such cleaning, so there would have to be some way to avoid too much dirt and hair getting everywhere. Going to the bathroom closet, Kyon pulled out a huge armful of towels then began laying them out on the floor to protect the tile from wet, muddy paws. The bathtub getting dirty couldn't be helped though, so she would have to deal with cleaning. Not that it would be too bad; the worst part was just getting the hair out of the drain.

"Get in," she told the wolf, nodding at the bath and pulling off her shirt so that it wouldn't get wet and stained.

After pulling up the shower curtain so that it wouldn't get in the way, the vampire turned on water, putting the knob on slightly past the middle, though she wasn't sure what would be comfortable for Sage as all temperatures were fine with her. She waited for a while until the bath was half-full to turn the water off, then she started to splash water up onto Sage, making sure to get all of her fur soaked so that the shampoo would go on nicely.

Usually, this sort of menial task would have put Kyon off, but she having fun with it, to an extent. Part of her loved touching the wolf, feeling the fur and skin and muscles and warmth under her hands, and part of her just liked have something productive to do that wasn't harmful to anyone. At the same time, the bathing couldn't have ended sooner, as when she went to rinse off her hands, she found them covered in fur, mud, and little black specks that she suspected were flea droppings. Nasty...

Ignoring the fact that she now had dead fleas all in her bath, the vampire took down the shower head and rinsed Sage off very well so that her skin wouldn't become all dry and itchy from dried soap. She then told the wolf to jump out, not bothered that she was drenching the towels underneath her, before drying her off with another towel. Even though the wolf was now wet and bedraggled looking, she did seem a slight bit healthier. A huge portion of her fleas had been eradicated and the fur that stuck to her body was now sleek and shiny, instead of matted and dull with mud. Kyon fancied that she liking this creature more and more every second.

[Sage]

”You need a bath.” The vampire informed her. Sage’s front end lowered to the ground, her tail still goin in its side-to-side motion and the expression on her canine face saying ‘Really?’ She gave a quiet bark of agreement. She lowered to the ground in a laying position, head in front paws as she watched Kyon go to the kitchen. Once the female returned however, the werewolf was back on her paws and merrily jumping along beside the vampire, slightly jumping up to sniff the bottles before her front paws would land back on the ground, and she’d pad a few steps forward.

”Get in.” It was the only encouragement she needed before bounding into the tub, landing with a small ‘thud’ when her paws hit the interior. The water was turned on, and Sage stood still as she was slowly soaked from head to tail. Then the shampoo was applied, and she fought to prevent her eyes from closing while her body swayed slightly. She enjoyed the feeling of fingers gently massaging her skin as the shampoo was rubbed in. She was thankful when she could close her eyes for her face to be washed; the only problem with that being it became all the more difficult to stay awake.

The water was running again, and she was rinsed off. Dirt, fleas, their droppings, and loose fur all ran down the drain. The wolf felt all the better now; as if she could finally breathe clean air. She enjoyed the warm/cool water seeping through her fur and cooling off the skin beneath. With the coming spring and random bursts of heat, Sage would be left cooking in her own thick fur. The water was refreshing, and if there weren’t bad tasting soap suds and fleas in the water, she would have taken a drink.

At an order, she jumped out of the tub, landing on the soft towels and managing to spray droplets of water around the room with the sudden motion. The urge to shake her body was strong, but she resisted it when the towel was brought over to her and she was moderately dried off. There was still a fair amount of water in her fur, but that could only fully dry out with time. When the vampire was finished, she watched the wolf, and the wolf watched her back, tail swaying slowly. She lay down and began licking herself, a way to help dry off faster. Her tongue flicked between the spaces of her toes, and then she turned her paw over and gently licked and nibbled the fur between the pads.

Content with her front paws, she looked up at the vampire, and her tail began wagging again and she rolled onto her side. Her head adjusted itself so she could look up at the other female, her eyes saying “Pet me!” Rolling completely onto her side, she moved around, rubbing her back on the towels and simultaneously mimicking the feeling of having her back scratched… or at least close enough to suit the wolf’s liking. Flipping suddenly to her stomach, she sneezed once, her head flicking down then up, and she paused again before sneezing a last time. Shaking her head, Sage looked up at the vampire and wagged her tail again before getting up. As she did so, the amusing grumble/growling sound left her slightly opened mouth. When she was done, her tongue flopped out and she panted lightly.

When she was content with how dry she was, she got up, gently nudging passed the vampire, and following her nose to the kitchen. Sitting on the tiles, she waited. And waited. Her stomach growled, and her head tilted to the side as if she didn’t understand the sound. When she couldn’t take it any longer, she gave five short and moderately quiet barks before wagging her tail, ears pricked and waiting for the arrival of her new master.

[Kyon Girard]

After watching Sage licking herself off, drying herself better than the towel had done, Kyon grabbed herself a towel then dried off a slightly damp torso before pulling back on her shirt. Now, staring at the wolf still licking her body dry, the vampire had to wonder what she was going to do. She couldn't easily kick out the animal if she didn't feel like having her around anymore, she respected her too much for that, even in her diminished state of glory. Perhaps she'd be able to find someone else to take the creature in when she didn't want to take care of her anymore, unless she could get the wolf to become more self dependent. That was what she would try first, though she couldn't do much at first. To see Sage in her human form would help, though Kyon had her doubts as to how well the wolf would be able to actually speak, seeing as she was so dog-like.

Grinning softly as the creature rolled onto her back, staring up at her in a almost pleading, but incredibly happy way, the woman crouched down next to the animal. She reached out a hand and scratched at Sage's slightly flea-bitten belly. It was reassuring to see how little the parasites had really damaged the wolf's coat; not having more than a week to anchor themselves on the animal, they'd be easy to get rid, also meaning that the vampire wouldn't have to worry out the things getting in her carpets. Kyon pulled her hand away once Sage started to wiggle around on the towels and got to her feet, smiling softly at how cute the beast seemed. Damn animals, they just knew so well how to find Kyon's soft spot, though they never were aware that they were doing so.

Now that Sage was back on her feet and heading out of the bathroom, after two short sneezes, the woman started to clean up the space. The damp towels were all throw into a basket at the bottom of the closet in the corner of the room, then the bath was rinsed out a few times, just to make it look presentable for the moment, and finally the floor was given a once over with another towel, to get up all the wetness that had soaked through the cloth that was supposed to have protected it. As soon as Kyon had dropped that last towel in with the other, five, soft barks sounded from the kitchen.

The vampire shook her head slightly, a bit amused by Sage's impatience, before heading out to meet her. Upon reaching the wolf, she patted the creature on the head softly, then moved onto the refrigerator to pull out the slab of steak. She placed it on the counter, ready to unwrap it and throw it to the wolf, but she paused. The light was getting to her and she thought that the wolf should work for her meal a little. Rubbing her slightly aching head, Kyon went to the front room, turning off the light there, then went back into the kitchen and turned off the one there as well. The darkness shouldn't be too much of a problem, as she knew how well wolves could also see in the dark, though it wouldn't be quite as bright looking to Sage as it was for Kyon. With the lights from signs outside of the windows it was almost daytime to her inside the room.

Turning to Sage once more, the vampire took the beef out of its packaging then tore off a piece and threw it to the wolf, grinning softly as she snapped it quickly up with her teeth and practically swallowed it whole. The poor thing, probably never had a decent meal in her life. Yet, at the same time, Kyon didn't want the wolf to become greedy, so she'd have to work a bit for her meal. "Tastes good, hm?" she asked the animal, pulling out the rest of the meat and holding it in front of her, enjoying how the blood made it feel in her fingers. "I'll let you have the rest, but only if you do one thing for me...." Kyon paused, not sure how Sage would react to what she'd say, though she soon confident that it wouldn't be that dramatic. And if the wolf didn't obey, she would just put off feeding her until a bit later. "Can you transform for me, darling?" The vampire gave her a kind half-smile and held the steak a little more forward to entice her.

[Sage]

The wolf shook her head when the vampire entered and her tail thumped on the floor at the attention. When she opened the fridge, the werewolf stood, her tail wagging so much that her rear began swaying with it, and her ears pricked forward upon the removal of the steak. Through the concealing plastic, she could smell its deliciousness, and her stomach cramped while her mouth filled with saliva. She was forced to be patient though, when the vampire appeared to be uncomfortable and went to turn off the lights. If the werewolf had of been fed sooner, she would have went over and gently given the vampire a few licks, but now she was only focused on the meat and getting it.

When the vampire opened the package, the smell wafted strongly over to her, and the wolf’s movements became more pronounced with the anxiety. Her front paws would leave the ground as she jumped slightly, and then she’d trot around, give a small jump to better smell the meat, and then pad back to her other spot. A high whine escaped her throat when she paused, and then the action continued. Finally a piece was torn off and tossed in her direction, and she made short work of catching and –after about two or three chews- swallowing it mostly whole. The taste made her stomach growl for more. It had been quite a long time since she’d managed to sink her jaws into a nice piece of raw meat. This was a special and rare treat.

After swallowing the meat, her eyes had once again focused hungrily on the rest of the slab, ears erect as she sat mostly still. Her body was taut as a string in a bow and, just like a drawn one, was quivering lightly but violently. The vampire held the piece out in front of her, and Sage’s tongue licked her lips at the sight of the dripping meat. She swallowed, and then gave another high whine. ”I’ll let you have the rest, but only if you do one thing for me…” The wolf’s head tilted to the side, a sign that she knew what the vampire was saying, and was waiting as patiently as she could for the rest of the instructions.

The master had frequently had guests over; sometimes the guests would have kids. She liked it a lot when there were kids over, it meant she would be fed better food; especially when they were terrible eaters and she got their leftovers. As a product of these kids, she was taught that sometimes to get what you wanted, you had to do certain things. A few they had wanted her to do were menial tasks such as rolling over, giving them her paw, playing dead, and jumping for it. There were only a few more difficult ones, like flipping it off of her nose and catching it, or even giving them a piggy back ride –though this wasn’t difficult, sometimes the older kids needed to watch their weight.

”Can you transform for me, darling?” The wolf visibly paused, her whole body stopping every movement before her ears flattened uncertainly. Why couldn’t she have just asked for her paw or something? It didn’t take long for her attention to be drawn away from the question though, for the vampire was holding the steak closer to her. The werewolf leaned forward, sniffing the steak. Her eyes looked tentatively up into the vampire’s eyes as she leaned forward, mouth opening slowly in a half-attempt to sneak it away. Needless to say, the steak was rather suddenly pulled away, and the wolf gave a small huff as her attention was turned back to the question.

There was this hint in the tone that said the question was expected to be fulfilled, and she wouldn’t get her reward until she carried through with it. The wolf’s heart was thundering in her chest, and her ears continued swivelling. She whined, thoughts scanning back to the last time she had changed.

She remembered it fairly well, better then she would have if she were the mere animal she’d become. Her body was still blossoming to its proper human feminine quality, but that hadn’t mattered much. She had been covered in sweat, and was shaking in recover from the pain. Her muscles were relaxing from when they’d tensed from the pain, and slowly everything was getting better. Dimly she had remembered the thrashing she’d gotten the last time she’d changed, and yet she couldn’t help herself from doing it. It had only been a few years since she couldn’t be a wolf at all, and she had yearned for that life again. The time it had taken for her master to come looking for her and find her had seemed less then the time it had taken her to change; she was still shivering on the floor when he entered the room. There had been a pause in his step, and he looked around. She’d changed in the cold cellar, and hadn’t taken into account the scaffolding bars that had been used on the house the year before to repair it. The beatings from the bar were worse then those of the whip he’d used the last time. It wasn’t until he heard the cracking of her bones beginning to rearrange that he stopped, and then he stood by in satisfaction as she withered and screamed in agony until she was once again panting as a wolf. As a final point to his punishment, she’d been locked up in a small cage like many of his other pets out at the barn-like building.

The wolf whimpered again, and her head shook side-to-side before her ears flattened again. There was an uncomfortable knot forming in her stomach that made her want to regurgitate the chunk of meat from before and anything else occupying her stomach. She began pacing and panting heavily before pausing, glancing uncertainly up at the vampire, and continuing her pacing again, her panting now accented with whines.

Next time she paused, it was for good, and the wolf was looking up at the vampire with slightly pleading eyes; eyes that said, ”Please don’t beat me.” For a moment she stood there in concentration, trying to remember what she had to do to change. It came to her slowly, until her body tingled, on the verge of the beginning to change. It continued building, and the werewolf gave a small whine of uncertainty, wondering whether or not she should all for a hunk of meat.

The change was too far along though; there was a snap and a yelp as the wolf crumpled to the floor. Her body twitched and bulges could be seen rising and retracting from her skin under the fur. Maybe one couldn’t tell, but it was the bones breaking and cracking as they shortened or lengthened according to what they needed to be. Her stomach area stung sharply, and with a growling groan, she retched up the contents of her stomach and continued heaving until her body seemed to realize there was nothing more to bring up. Her mouth remained open, and saliva dripped to the floor slowly, following the vomit. She wanted to swallow, but was also scared of retching again. Her skin twitched a few times, and a few areas felt as though they were being pinched when they stretched over uncertain spots of changing bone. She didn’t highly acknowledge the pinching feeling though, her teeth were beginning to hurt, and her hind legs felt as though they were on fire. Slowly her teeth began pushing into her gums, or rather her gums began to suck in her teeth. It broke some of the skin barrier, and blood mingled with the saliva still slightly pooling from her mouth. Dimly she could remember that the next step was her skull, and another whine and groan escaped her. Her muzzle began to retract into her skull, snapping as her cheek and jawbones rearranged. This was probably the, or the second most painful part of the change. Her skull seemed to take the remaining bone surface from her muzzle as her head began to grow, her brain throbbing as access blood flowed to it, swelling it until it was enlarged to fit the skull made for it. The next part –the one she had been debating over how intense the pain was compared to that of the rearranging of the skull- was her spine and ribs and her innards shifting, growing, and shrinking to fit her forming body. Her spine seemed to collapse inwards, and there was a sharp yelp that almost sounded like a scream. The half-wolf half-human couldn’t tell over the pain of her intestines and liver and all of her other tracts rearranging, that her voice box was slowly changing to accommodate the sounds of a human. There was another snap, and her back arched. The rest of the change was the finer touches. The fur on her head slowly inched outwards, growing into hair as the fur covering the rest of her recognizably human body began to thin and retreat until it covered her peach skin like see-through reddish down. As her tail and ears began to retract, her toes, fingers, and slightly more feminine spots began refining themselves until they appeared completely human. The body was covered in the liquid of sweat from her exertions, and her skin was still twitching spastically as it grew used to the long unused body and relaxed from the pain. It was visible through her pale skin that her muscles were still bunched.

Through her heavy breathing, Sage gave a huff that was close to a sigh, and basically fell to her side, her silvery gray eyes closing from how tired she was. Now the meat really didn’t seem worth it. Her shorter tongue ran over her human teeth, and Sage gave a groan, her eyes tightening for a moment before her body tensed, waiting for the beating. When no blows were given to her, her eyes opened, and it took her a moment to focus properly before she could look up a Kyon. She attempted to raise herself, but quickly collapsed. The knowledge of how to properly stand had long ago been forgotten by the werewolf, so she had to content herself with the cool floor, which was nice against her now-feverish skin. She whined, and paused in the noise when it sounded unfamiliar to her ears and not as loud as she would have normally experienced the sound.

((lol, yeah, I'm thinkin it really wasn't worth a chunk of meat xP ))

[Kyon Girard]

(( Probably not... Poor Sagey. ))

The pause in the wolf's motions at first did not register as anything more than slight annoyance, especially when she tried to snatch up the meat from Kyon's hands, though she didn't even get a nibble as the vampire quickly yanked it away and out of her range. Even that whine only seemed to be one of indecision, as though the wolf was wondering how hungry she really was. Eyes narrowing slightly, the woman stared down at the animal, waiting for some sort of action, be it walking away or doing what she had been told.

However, the more Sage moved around, ears and eyes moving this way and that, and the more vocal she became in her whining, the less Kyon actually wanted her to change. It mustn't be a pleasant experience at all, for the creature seemed very reluctant to even start. Or maybe it was that she had been hurt by a master after transforming and didn't want a repeat of that experience. Of course the vampire wasn't going to beat or harm Sage in anyway, but the wolf didn't know that for sure, she only knew what her old owners had taught her.

The look that the wolf gave her when she finally stopped moving was what did it for Kyon. "No, Sage..." But she trailed off, seeing and hearing that the animal was already starting the change. Normally, the vampire would have stared in fascination at this sort of thing, yet that would have only been if the were had been going from human to wolf, not the other way around; the animal seemed so much more pathetic, and Kyon hated feeling pity like that.

As soon as the woman saw the bulges appearing through Sage's damp fur, signally the breaking of bones, Kyon swung away, almost dropping the meat at the noises that were coming from the creature. Screams were one thing, and something that the vampire enjoyed, but the sounds from the wolf were more like keenings, noises developed only by perfect pain. The cracking and creaking were even worse though. She didn't even think it was possible for a body to produce those sort of sounds and still be a whole thing, they were the sort of things you heard when a femur was snapped in half or the skull was bashed open. Somehow, the wolf even managed to stay conscious enough to scream in that terrible way that wasn't quite animal-like, nor human.

With a deep breath, Kyon forced herself to turn back toward Sage and look at what she had commanded the wolf to do. But upon one glance, seeing the disgusting morphing, stretching, of the wolf's face and skull, she looked away again, pressing her eyes shut tight and trying not to hear that odd shrieking so clearly. The whole thing lasted a good ten minutes, or more, as it felt like maybe half an hour, perhaps it had felt even longer for Sage, as she was the one experiencing all of that pain first hand. The only thing that alerted the vampire to the girl's complete change was a very human whine that came from her, though it was very short, as if the werewolf had difficulties making such a noise.

Sighing, long and deep, Kyon dropped the raw meat on the counter before spinning around and immediately dropping down next to girl. Her body, while obviously human, looked very odd. All of the muscles in her, especially those in her arms and legs, were taught from the strain of changing, and her face held an animal look of distress, as she was so unused to this form. "I'm sorry," the vampire muttered, slipping her arms under Sage's limp, and very light, body. She then lifted her up, which was surprisingly easy, even with the all that muscle and dead weight, and went to her bedroom to drop the girl down on her bed so that she would have somewhere to relax for a while. "You can sleep in here," Kyon muttered to her.

The vampire left her then and grabbed a few towels from the bathroom, dampening one to help the wolf's fever, and then she got a couple of sheets out of the hallway closet, to cover Sage up for the moment. Back in her bedroom, the woman sat down next to the half-conscious girl and draped a blanket over her, not wanting to heat her up anymore than she was, but also not wanting to leave her bare and feeling vulnerable. This as probably the best treatment this beast, woman, had received, at least in her human form. If she had been at any time better off looking human, she would be more used to the transformation and having that body, but as it was, Kyon could clearly see how foreign the shape was.

"I suppose you're not hungry anymore..." the vampire muttered matter-of-factly, placing the damp washcloth over the wolf's hot forehead.

[Sage]

Her ear twitched, though it felt strange; she couldn't swivel them, or twitch them as she liked. A quiet -or at least quiet to the girl- sigh reached her hearing canal, and her eyes rolled up towards the face of the vampire, which was now closer. ”I'm sorry.” Sage made a sort of huffing grunt, as if she were trying to make a noise, but just couldn't. Another whine left her, but it still sounded weird to her, so she ceased making any noise as she was lifted. Without her fur to protect her, the werewolf should have been freezing, but with her fever that was slowly climbing, she wasn't really bothered at all by it. She hadn't really realized her eyes had been closed until she opened them again when she felt something soft beneath her. ”You can sleep in here.” The vampire told her, and Sage's eyes fluttered closed for the time that she was left alone.

It took quite a bit of her energy just to open her eyes again when Kyon had returned. She lifted herself feebly on her front arms that wobbled uncertainly until she finally fell. This was growing frustrating. She wanted to be able to move around properly, but that just wasn't happening in her state. Her body was hunkered into the blankets, and she moved around as best she could to make herself comfortable in them. They felt odd against her bare skin. There was a hollow feeling in her chest. She wanted to be a wolf again, to be in her natural state. The girl couldn't comprehend that the state she was in then was supposed to be her natural form. Her cheeks tickled, and the feeling ran down to her lips, where she licked them and tasted a salty liquid. She whined again, distressed and confused; what was going on.

”I suppose you're not hungry anymore.” The vampire gave a lame comment as she pressed a cloth to her forehead. Sage's silvery eyes closed, and she shook her head side-to-side. No, she wasn't really hungry, but she was incredibly thirsty. She gave a whine, and then licked her lips, hoping feebly to get the message across. It was all so awkward to her. The liquid continued pouring down her cheeks, and the pain in her chest spread to her whole chest and throat cavity. There was a strange noise that came form her then, one she'd only heard once and a while on the streets when a human was upset. Sage was crying. She pressed her face into the warm blankets, allowing them to soak up her tears. It just wouldn't stop though, and the strange blubbering noises made her all the more frightened, they intensified slightly and were accented by whines.

The wolf -for although she didn't appear to be a wolf, she was certainly one at heart- growled; which too sounded weird, but was something she didn't stop. She was scared, and the noise wasn't exactly directed at the vampire, more at herself. Animals did not show their weaknesses, it would only end in their death. If you weren't strong enough in this world, the world gobbled you up and finished you. It was a lessen she'd quickly learned in life, and it was refined when she'd been kicked out on the streets; the life she'd learned with her master was one that was wimpy compared to that she learned homeless.

Lifting her head, Sage blinked a few times and looked around before studying the vampire. Her body was much like the one Sage had now; maybe she could pick up a few pointers. Her eyes focused on the small movements on Kyon's hands, watching as her fingers twitched or moved in complicated ways that would take the wolf a long while to fully comprehend. She looked down and focused on one of her own hands. Her lips just twitched a small bit to open, as they would have with a wolfy grin, when her fingers moved slightly. It wasn't anything like walking, or talking, or even figuring out how to write, but that small twitch in the small appendage was enough to provoke an almost smile from her.

She looked back up at the vampire and blinked, then opened and closed her mouth a few times before licking her lips again and giving a small whine, once again trying to ask for water.