I12 - You Can't Hide Forever

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"I'll go grab it. I thought I had given one to you in the goodie bag I put together for you," she smirked, departing and returning shortly thereafter with the training suit.

[Connor Marshall]

"Been bloody hectic. Might've just forgot to take it from ya," he admitted, shrugging before he downed the beer like a pro. "All right. Let's get this bloody over with."

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"Cheers," she said, downing her beer and letting out an impressive belch.

"Don't blame you--I may have forgotten to pack it," she said as they wandered down from the room towards the Danger Room.

"We've got full safeties on from all of the people experimenting, and I've gotten...decent-ish at basic forcefields, so we're doing this as safely as we can."

She led them into the danger room, which was currently running, and found a free corner. "Computer, section off this portion of the room, open program Kaltiera night sky meditation."

The computer beeped in response and the rest of the room faded away, replaced by a night time forest scene. "Alright. Deep, slow breaths. Just sort of picture the change coming. You've probably been feeling like you've been holding back the past few days...just let it all go."

[Connor Marshall]

Connor took a few deep breaths as he psyched himself up for this. "I... I... Oh sod it I hate thiiaarghrrrrrr!" The statement turned into a growl that turned into a howl as 'his' body contorted, the change ripping through him with the force of a speeding bus.

After a few moments a rather wild-looking werewolf stood, panting and glowering at Steph.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"...well, that's certainly more impressive from this angle..." she said calmly.

"Connor. Focus on my words. You're still you. You're still in control"

[Connor Marshall]

Connor snarled, visibly restraining himself from lunging at her. His breathing never stopped being a low growl, even as he figured out how to talk. "Put... shield..." he growled in warning.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

Steph willed up a wall between them, mumbling "Practice for us both..."

"Connor. Listen to my words. You're still you, just bigger, and hairier. You can think for yourself. "

[Connor Marshall]

Connor growled, looking at this person in his body.

This person who was, oddly, telling him that he was himself.

This person who had badgered him into doing this in the first place.

ANd not surprisingly, with a loud snarl, Connor attacked.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

Steph sighed and narrowed her eyes in concentration, trying to extend the wall she'd formed between them to fill the gap between some trees. She took a few cautious steps back. "Connor, you wouldn't do this. You are still in control," she said, raising her voice slightly, but trying to keep a calm edge to her voice.

[Connor Marshall]

"I'm in control?" he snarled, battering at the amateur shield. "I'm in control!?" He bounded around, trying to get around the trees to her. "There was ONE thing I was in control of! And now it's gone!" he roared as he charged at her.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

Steph dropped one shield and tried to form another one quickly to at least deflect the charging werewolf away from her.

"If you weren't in control, you couldn't even speak! It took me months to learn to talk like that! You're still you, no matter the form, Connor!" she yelled.

[Connor Marshall]

"Yeah and I'm PISSED!" he bellowed, pounding into the shield and glancing off it, only to roll back to his feet and make another lunge.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"Good. Get it out of your system now," she grunted, diving to the side and shoving hard with a shield to deflect him again, scrambling upward.

[Connor Marshall]

He snarled as he was deflected again, enraged eyes fixed on her... or him. That was so confusing that it just infuriated him more.

Even MORE infuriating was that she wasn't even SCARED. That forcefield barely felt proper at ALL and he... she... WHATEVER wasn't even SCARED!

Even MORE enraged, he started pounding on the shield, intent on beating his way through.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

A sheen of sweat appeared all over "Connor" as the forcefield took a beating. Stephanie grimaced. "Connor. Focus on my voice. You don't need to fight."

[Connor Marshall]

"Who's... fighting...." he growled, pounding on the forcefield. "I don't... fight... I... WIN!"

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"You'd win if you had practice with that body," she said through gritted teeth, keeping the forcefield up, but just barely.

[Connor Marshall]

"Not if YOU weren't RUBBISH WITH THAT ONE!" he roared, smashing through the forcefield... and then coming to a stop, glaring and growling at her.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

Stephanie stared down "herself," unflinching. "Get that out of your system then?"

[Connor Marshall]

"Stop making FUN OF ME!" he snarled, lunging at her again, werewolf rage displacing the fact that it was his own body he as trying to disembowl.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

Steph sidestepped and deflected the blow slightlywith a new shield. She tried to take advantage of the blind rage, creating a second, smaller shield at calf level to trip the lunging werewolf.

Her head was starting to hurt like from doing all of this, and her vision went fuzzy for a moment. She blinked rapidly to clear it.

"You need to control your emotions when you're like this. The wolf heightens everything," she said, panting a bit.

[Connor Marshall]

He went to take another lunge, then snarled and backed off. Lucky she's wearing my bloody skin...

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"Deep breaths....you're already better than I was after my first change...took me...months to keep my head in the game enough to talk while shifted," she panted, rubbing her temples.

[Connor Marshall]

"You weren't looking at your own body, either," he growled. "Don't patronize me if you don't want me going again..."

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"Again...deep breaths...relax....the wolf amplifies everything. Everything."

[Connor Marshall]

"I know how to relax!" he snarled, pacing away from her. Don't like this... can't do this... just... stop. Everything'll be fine... won't have to be a bloody werewolf... just... stop... what... calms me down... Step by step, the form seemed to waver, like it couldn't make up its mind to come or go.

[Stephanie Kaltiera]

"Connor" flashed a somewhat sympathetic smile, but remained silent while he paced for a while.

"Just try and think about something that makes you feel happy. Or someone. If you want, I can even change the scenery here if it would help. The forest at night calms me down, but...well that's me. We can go anywhere."

[Connor Marshall]

"Who the bloody 'ell's ever happy here," he griped... but even as he said it, the form wavered before it started collapsing back down to a human form.