Issue 1 Downtime

Stephanie marched up to Connor's door and knocked firmly after another day of not seeing him in practice. "Connor, you in there?"

"Oy! It's open!" Connor called back from the couch where he sat watching some banal show or other, textbooks spread next to him on the couch.

Steph walked in, arms crossed over her chest. "So...long time no see."

"Well, here's to hoping that you'll be seein' as much of this body as you want soon, aye?"

"Yes. I feel like half of me is missing," she sighed.

"And it's that other half I'm worried about. Especially since we haven't talked much and you haven't been coming to practice with everyone else. We could use you in decent fighting shape....and it would be good to know that you have the right sorta headspace to fight and not go into a blind rage."

"From what everyone tells me, it takes bloody years to learn to get a hand on that," Connor pointed out. "S'why I'm jes tryin' ta keep calm... since I don't have the bloody years to get a grip on it, right?"

"Years if you have no control to begin with. And if you're a hormone fueled teenager already scared of everything else happening to your body," she explained, closing the door behind her.

"I want you to let a change happen. Preferably in the Danger Room. I want to be there and help you through it, so you don't have to just sit in a room and hide. That's not you."

"That's not m- Luv, in case you didn't notice? I'm not me right now," he shot back.

"You're still you up here," she said pointing to her head. "And that's what matters."

"An' me up here," he said, tapping his head, "Doesn't want 'his' body all bloody twisted up an' to go all wolfy around people. Wee bit of a recipe for disaster, aye?"

"I'm not saying you need to fight...but if you don't at least try now, you've got no way to know how you'll react in a crisis. If we just...practice a bit? We can at least be sure you're not going to eat someone on our side. Or barring that, we know we can lock you up when the time comes."

"Ah... that's how I am right now, luv," he said, gesturing around the room. "Not really anyone to maul here, right?"

"This room wouldn't hold you for that long wolfed out. And I don't want to think about the property damage to your stuff."

Steph pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Sooner or later you're going to shift. I want you to shift with me first, in a controlled environment. Is that too much to ask?

He cocked an eyebrow. "Why am I going to shift sooner or later. Don't know about you, but I'm not gearing up for this to be a long-term arrangement, luv."

"Because...I tend to get extra...wolfy... around this time of the month. With the full moon coming, I mean."

"Okay, now yer just messing with me."

"....I'm really not," she chewed her lip a bit, looking down at the floor. "I mean, I don't think it's enough to force you to shift. But...you'll really, really want to."

She looked at him, "And if you have at least a little practice before hand, you will freak out less, and be in more control wh...if it happens."

"Ohhh no, there isn't anything I want less in the world than to bloody shift, I can't see the bloody moon tempting me."

"It's...not really a want sort of thing. Imagine...well just think of those times when you just really, really have to sneeze. It's not quite enough to just make you sneeze, but it's really uncomfortable. That's sort of what it feels like. Just the body trying to force it to happen."

"Oh bloody... Just get me a power inhibitor. That ought to solve this whole blasted thing," he said irritably.

Steph sighed. "If you really want that, if you're really that scared, we can do that."

"This's got nothing to do with 'scared' you bloody git. It's about not bloody hurting anyone. Don't know about you, but I bloody grew up not doing stupid shite that was going to get people hurt just for kicks."

"Hence the Danger Room. Hence learning about the body you're in now while we have the luxury of being able to do something about accidents."

"And how is putting a bloody inhibitor on not the safe solution? Or, sorry, 'm I deprivin' you of getting your jollies watching someone else have to deal with your shite?"

"Connor, we need as many people ready for anything as possible. These people who did this seem to be playing for keeps and we've probably got a big fight ahead of us. Without powers, or with absolutely no idea how to control them, you're in a bad, bad situation if something happens and you *do* get involved. We're going to need everyone to be ready for this fight."

Steph sighed. "I'm not even remotely suggesting you come out to the middle of the fight and try and shred things up with claws and fangs...but what if the fight comes to you? What then? Sit here, powerless, while these guys do whatever they want? Or get involved in a fight where you have almost no idea of what your current body is capable of? Look...All I'm asking is an hour or two of your time, Connor. Let me go over the basics with you. After that, you can collar up for as long as you like. But I can't. I just can't let you go on with absolutely no idea what your powers do."

"Yeah, an' it takes people bloody years to get the hang of this shite. Here's a news flash: I don't have years."

Steph sighed, "You learned to control your own power already. That took time, of course. It takes time for everyone. You can do it faster with someone else's. Is it perfect? No. But it's probably enough for you to shift and keep yourself in control."

"An' my powers don't come with animal instincts, luv. You don't want anyone gettin' hurt, you don't want me doin' that."

"Connor, I'm trying to do something that's going to possibly prevent people from getting hurt. It's like a gun you got given. I'm not asking you to use it. But I'm asking you to learn not to aim it at your face while cleaning it."

"No, ya are askin' me to use it. Yer askin' me to break the bloody lock and let it out, and assuming I can just shove it all back in afterward."

"Would you rather break it now, with someone who can help you put it back together, or break it later, when there might not be someone around who can help?"

"No, I'd rather not bloody break it at all," he countered. "It's not like this is something that I have to bloody live with forever, I just have to make it until they straighten us all out again."

"If you don't want to learn basic control techniques then go get a collar right now," she sighed, "You know how to get a hold of me if you change your mind."

"Oh, bloody... fine. If it's going to make you happy, fine. Get me a bloody pint and let's get down there."

"Do this with me, keep an open mind, and I'll get you the best bottle of booze 75 pounds will buy when this whole mess is over," she said, a smile cracking her face.

"Get me a pint first, I make a point of never doing anything totally bloody stupid without at least one glass in me," he said walking into his room to change his clothes.

"Fair enough. I'll get one for both of us," she said leaving.

She returned shortly thereafter with two bottles, two pint glasses, and a bottle opener.

Connor was dressed in a workout outfit... and from the looks of it one he didn't care about. He also had a change of clothes under his arm (sweats, of course. It wasn't like any of is proper clothes would fit Steph's body) which he tossed to her. "'ere, you'd better hang on to these."

"You want one of my training uniforms instead?" she asked, pouring the beers after grabbing the tossed clothes.

He shrugged. "You got one handy?" he asked, picking up the beer. Then he smirked. "I mean, you're the one who's gotta be modest about what I do."