Street Kids

A snickering bout of laughter split the conversation of those he was watching from the corner of the ceiling. As it grew louder and louder, Hood realized it was his own. Skittering like a spider down the wall, he leapt and landed in a crouch a ways back from the little gathering, only half straightening himself when he stood.


He was a tall and muscled creature, but seemed to hunch over in a half crouch, hiding his height. The hood of his sweatshirt obscured most of his face, save for the eyes that studied them all. They were slits of yellow, the eyes of a wolf, but tinged with black in the corners, tendrils of inky looking veins criss-crossing this way and that.


"You are all so VERY interesting, you know that?" the hooded being stated, cackling again as he shoved his long fingered hands into his pockets. "I don't think I could have helped myself from this 'get-together' for much longer! You all interact so strangely. Such personalities!"


Hood couldn't help but wonder how they'd react to his sudden appearance. Especially the boy. He was so jumpy! The thought made an impish grin spread across the hooded one's face, too-sharp and pointed teeth glimmering, even in the low light.


His gaze went to the rest of them and he blinked, seeming to think of something important. "OH! I do hope you don't mind me 'letting myself in' earlier," he explained, slender and pale fingers making air-quotes as he spoke. "You left a window open."


At these words he laughed again, a dry and raspy sound that echoed along the walls in an eerie fashion.
 
At this Sheena freezes, her eyes slowly widening until they appear to be all pupils and hardly any iris. As the first shiver runs up her spine, her nails dig into her arms, and she begins to tremble badly, her mind going blank. Without having any control over doing so, she cries out suddenly as she begins to shift into her Lycan form. Bones pop and reform themselves, breaking through her skin and stretching and elongating where appropriate to take on her Lycan form; the hair in her head shoots backward while hair sprouts from the other parts of her body, and when she is finished, she is a large, if lanky and underweight, black wolf, her clothes lying in shreds on the floor. She growls at the figure, clawing the ground threateningly.
 
"Ohh, my God," said Jason, almost quietly, sliding backwards until he was up against the corner. "O-kay, that- that's perfectly normal." The hooded figure looked strangely human- yet not human- and he had appeared from the walls and his teeth were much too sharp. He looked like something from a nightmare, a creature who crawled out from under the bed. "Oh, kay, who the f*ck is that?" he asked, to Kira perhaps, but probably to no one. Truth be told, he was scared. Out of his wits.


Okay, perhaps not that much. "Not that much," he muttered to himself, eyes frozen on the newcomer. Just... just....


He caught sight of Legs out of the corner of his eye. She was twisting- and turning- and-


"Oh, heh," said Jason. "Just a werewolf. Nothing to be scared of. Nope, nothing at all."


He was most definitely scared out of his wits.
 
Moving to stand in front of the other kids instinctively, as though blocking the figure from getting to them, Sheena snarls again, her fur standing on end, but she does not yet move forward to attack. She has no human thoughts at the moment, only animal impulses and instincts, and she is reacting as though her life is threatened- and theirs.
 
Kira growled and then looked at the boy. "ok just stay there then." she said and sighing. He probably already heard her being a shifter. She turned to him. "Maybe to you...but you're quite strange to me." she said getting up and then looked at legs. "Well I was close...at least you are a Lycan." she looked at the stranger feeling a sense of danger bit not yet goin to attack. Her having no more clothes she had to be careful not to tare them to shreds. She looked at the stranger, then to the boy scared half to death. Back at the stranger she sighed again.
 
The newcomer blinked, yellow eyes going momentarily wide as he watched this transformation intently. The smile on his face never left; it only widened at the various reactions he'd caused. Looking first to the wolf-girl, his eyes flickered knowingly as the host's knowledge poured into his mind.


"Oh, did I startle you?" he asked the Lycanthrope, but looked toward the horrified boy and second girl as well, brow's raising. He leaned back against the wall, long fingers rapping against it as they poked from the arm-holes of the too-long sweatshirt. "I really didn't mean to... ah who am I kidding? Of course I did! Your reactions were unexpected, but perfect none-the-less."


The being gave an almost comical shrug, eyeing the other girl and giving a bone-chilling laugh. "Strange? Well, that's no way to greet a visitor," he joked, eyes going again to the wolf in front of the group. "Oh, calm down, would you? If I wanted to kill you all, would I really have announced myself first?"
 
Kira looked at him and then turned her face to look more like a cat and hissed at him. "Well you certainly are one to talk. Sir jump and scare every one half to death." she turned her face normal her own nail slowly growing. "And you aren't exactly someone to say oh hello sir with pointy teeth to." she said and stood straight not really trusting him yet. She could feel herself starting to transform but holds it off.
 
Sheena snaps at him; she, unlike Kira, is unable to talk in her Lycan form, and she does not move yet. She is not sure she could actually damage him if she needed to, as he's much larger than she is, and as she is ill, she would be relying on adrenaline more so than her current level of strength. She doesn't want to fight if she doesn't have to, but she tries hard not to convey this in her body language.
 
Hood tilted his head at the strange shape-shifting girl, snickering as her face twisted into a mix of human and feline. "Oh, and who are you to talk Miss Kitty?" he questioned with a toothy grin, eyes going from Kira to Sheena. "Between you and Wolf-Girl over there, I haven't gotten the warmest welcome myself!"


Laughing aloud, he waved a hand. "Not that it matters. However, I AM hurt at the jab against my appearance. You don't like the teeth?" he asked, stretching his mouth into a sickening smile. The edges of his lips pulled back, making a thin line of black that snaked almost to his ear. It widened the smile further for a second, showing even more sharp teeth, then went to normal, no sign that the wound had even existed. "I'm not only used to them, but I find they come in VERY handy at times. BUT, enough about me... what about all of you? I HAVE been watching, but I don't think I managed to catch any names."


 
May had watched with a mixture of interest, confusion, bewilderment and protectiveness up until the point where the man-thing mentioned his appearance. She stood up from the mattress and walked over to him confidently, she stood infront of Sheena and raised an eyebrow as she raked her eyes over his appearance. If one were to look at them both together, they would probably be called the beauty and the beast. She smirked lightly, "Well, I have to admit I have seen and met men who are many more scary than you." She still held her refined speech as she spoke to him, glad she hadn't yet revealed her secret for the poor human behind them all seemed scared to death. She was glad the three newcomers thought of her as human. At the man's comment about names she held out a perfectly tanned hand, "I don't approve much of eavesdropping. But that doesn't mean I shall forget my manners. I'm May. And you are?"
 
Hood blinked a little, surprised by the appearance of the other as she stood from the mattress. He looked her over with a smirk, standing up straight against the wall and listening as she spoke. At the words, he gave a snicker and a shrug. "Oh, dear. And here I thought I was the most terrifying one of all!" he said with a mock look of hurt going over his face that only stayed for about a second. "Might just have to work on that."


Tilting his head, he studied her hand for a moment, not taking it quite yet. "Ah... I'm not sure I'd call it eavesdropping... that sounds so negative, does it not?" he explained, taking a few steps forward, his fingertips being the last thing to leave the wall. They drifted along it as he walked forward, arms behind him, making the slender digits seem even longer than they really were. Finally moving a hand forward, he grasped her and shook it, no malice in the handshake. It was simply a greeting, the first normal thing the man had done since his arrival. "Perhaps one would consider it... studying. And, it's a pleasure to meet you, May. I am called Hood."


The creature let her hand go, moving his own behind his back again. "Now, I'm not entirely sure why I've kept that nickname, but it's as fitting as any. I could always use the name of HIM I suppose, but that would be disrespectful, now wouldn't it?" he rambled, pacing a bit back and forth before shaking the thoughts away visibly. "One could see that as a sign of taking over his life completely and, well, we can't have THAT."


As if realizing he was going on and on, he stopped, turning back toward the others. "Hmm. But, back to the matter at hand," he began, looking past May toward Wolf-Girl and Miss Kitty. "Was that so hard, now? See how far manners can get you?"
 
As fierce as she is acting, Sheena is still frightened, feeling very threatened, and it takes all her effort to not let herself start shaking. She snaps at Hood again, moving slightly closer to Kira, baring her teeth; she is waiting for him to leave, and the only thing keeping her from leaving herself is her dim knowledge that once she's out in the streets and shifts back, it will be mmuch more dangerous for her to run around naked in the streets than up here.
 
Kira sighed and held out her hand. "Fine but only because you asked." She said and then looked at Sheena. She sighed. "..." Looking back at Hood, she stood up stright. Wolf ears appeared to keep her hearing alert. SHe didn't trust him. Instinks took over. She now had a lions tail and her hands had sharp claws.
 
Jason had stood up, in his corner. His hands gripped the notebook in his jacket, knuckles white, simply for the sake of having something to hold on to. Around him stood a werewolf, a prospective Animorph- as he still thought of Kira- and a man who had sharp teeth and a grin that would have met in the back and slliced his head into two parts if it had grown any wider. It would be prudent to just go ahead and call him terrified.


Thankfully, none of them were focused on him. A small part in the back of his mind reprimanded him for being such a scaredy-cat- while May stayed unfazed, greeting the creature called Hood, and Legs and Kira stood ready to fight


There's a fine line between courage and bravery, he told himself.


You have two shape-shifting teenagers on your side. And May can probably do something too.


For all I know, Hood can kill us all with a snap of a finger.


Then you might as well go down with a fight.


Before his common sense could return to him, Jason suddenly blurted out, "What do you mean?" He was aware of the creature's eyes looking at him, and gulped. "I mean, uh, who's this person you don't... want to use the, uh, name of?"


His nagging subconscious was quiet.


Now you've done it, he told himself reprovingly, feeling rather cold. He suddenly felt very fragile.
 
Sheena can smell Jason's fear, and suddenly feels very protective of him specifically; he is, after all, much smaller than her, especially now, in her Lycan form, and with a sudden surge of empathy for him that lessens some of her own fear, she moves to stand in front of him, briefly nuzzling her nose into his hand, then maintains a protective stance in front of him, as though to block Hood from going to him.
 
As Sheena and Kira both show their distrust in him openly, Hood simply smiles and lowers the hood of his sweatshirt. The face underneath was a relatively normal looking one despite the changes that had taken place. Under his black tinted yellow eyes, there were dark circles. He was pale, but not too unhealthy looking for his size and weight. "Now, now... if you two keep up the animal act, I do believe I'm going to start feeling disrespected," he said calmly, but his smile wavered for a moment, the blackness in his eyes seeming to churn under the surface as if it was alive. "It's beginning to make me feel VERY unwelcome."


He nearly said something else on the matter, but the boy stood and spoke, finally, blurting out nervous words. "Hmm? Oh... this 'person' is the one currently standing in front of you. I am he and he is me, though he's not quite what he used to be," he said quizzically, giving another bit of laughter, his good mood seemingly returning. He looked over Wolf-Girl again, shaking his head. "As touching as that is, you really don't need to be so protective. As I mentioned earlier, if I was planning on killing you all, I would not have wasted so much time talking."


Sighing, he figured it was time to explain his purpose here. "I am in need of a place to stay for the evening. There are too many out tonight and that could prove problematic. Since we all seem to suffer from a lack of housing, I simply wished to at least come introduce myself before sneaking in and staying without any warning," he explained, being bluntly truthful. "There seem to be less and less places one can stay that are uncompromised these days. Though, I suppose I should have thought of that before, hmm?"


If it seemed like he was making little sense, that was mostly correct. He didn't wish to explain outright what he was, choosing to instead speak in riddles or mindless words that would seem crazy to those who didn't know about the creature. "If it's a situation of WHERE to sleep, that's not really an issues. I find mattresses and bedding to be quite the bother," he murmured, seeming to speak his thoughts aloud again. "Never could get used to be wrapped in something. Or laying on some soft, squishy hunk of bedding. What a bizarre concept."
 
As he talks, Sheena sees the flash cross his eyes and stiffens; when he speaks of spending the night, her rage and indignation flare up further. This guy, sleeping with them!? What the hell, NO! It was bad enough that it had gone from just her and May up here to seemingly everyone on the block, but now this guy with his...she didn't even know what he was, but she didn't trust him, she didn't like him, NO!


Unable to express herself in words, she lopes over to him and butts him strongly with her head, as though to indicate that he should get moving, and snapped at him again.
 
Kira sighed reading alittle. "Hmm." she slowly walked up sniffing him. "...you smell weird." she said not know what creature had the smell he was giving off. She slowly looked at him and sniffed again. "Hmm. Not human." she said simply and slowly backed off. Her tail disappeared and even her hands turned back to normal. Her ears as well. Slowly she nodded. "My name is Kira." she said and then sat down. "Good I would be willing to sleep on the ground if it ment having to sleep close to someone that smelled as weird as you." she said her nose turning back to a human one. "Curious one you are though, although quite true." she sighed leaning on the wall.
 
Hood stopped, watching Miss Kitty as she approached him, sniffing him and making a less-than-kind remark. At least he took it as such. "Well, that's quite the thing to mention when introducing yourself," he stated, still smiling, however it had lessened just a bit. He sighed and began pacing back and forth until she was done turning back to something more human looking. He gave a nod in return, however, not wanting to seem TOO unpolite. "Kira. Well met."


As she continued to speak of his smell, he shook his head, giving a colder sounding laugh. "You're all so kind to one you've just met, you know that?" he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "However, I WILL take the word 'curious' as a compliment."


He began to add something else to the conversation, when he was interrupted; Wolf-Girl butting him strongly backwards. He stumbled, more in surprise than anything, then gave a glare as she snapped once again. For the first time since his arrival, his smile and jovial attitude faded, leaving him with a grim frown as he stared down the Lycanthrope. "That may have been a mistake," he stated, inky blackness beginning to seep down his lengthy pale fingers, contrasting the near-white skin with it's shimmering dark surface. Pulling outward, the black substance twisted into long hooked claws where his fingers had once been. He flexed them, leaning forward in a hunched motion. "If I were you, I would not do that again. I am getting tired of your rudeness."
 
Sheena stares at Hood's fingers, feeling her heartbeat speed markedly, and she swallows, a shiver sweeping over her again. She swallows again, her raised fur slowly smoothing down; she is so afraid now she can't summon any anger, and this deflation causes her to shift back, even as she fights to remain in her Lycan form, where she feels considerably safer. Nevertheless, she cannot stop her bones from twisting, popping, and reforming themselves into her human form, and she is left hunched over on her hands and knees, her hair falling forward in front of her face and shoulders. As a Lycan rather than a shapeshifter, she is naked, her long, bony form trembling visibly, her chest rising and falling sharply, rib cage prominent, and if one were to look at her more closely than a glance, you would see that she has scars on her torso and arms, as well as just beneath her chin.


Feeling intensely vulnerable to be viewed in this way, Sheena scrambles over to her mattress, snatching up the blanket May had covered her with earlier and wrapping it around herself tightly, pulling her knees to her chest. She doesn't meet Hood's eyes, or anyone else's, but remains on the mattress, fighting the urge to forget all and just flee.
 
Kira straightened up and then looked at him. She watched his hand and then stared. She backed up a bit and then looked at him. No wonder he smelled weird. "..." she walked up slowly and looked to legs. "I think we can handle Him for just tonight. If you want I can watch him." she said and then her gaze turned back to his hand. Why did it seem so fimiler. She suddenly was lost in thought. Could it be that she just has seen it before? No she would remember the smell. What ever it was she didn't like it one bit.


--- Merged Double Post ---


Kira looked as she turned naked. She sighed and pulled off her jacket. Her clothes under neath torn in the back. She quickly gave it to her and then looked at hood. She grew wings and opened them hiding her. "Listen put that on I will get you some more clothes." she smiled a bit straightening up. Her wings still hiding her from view.
 
For several moments Sheena looks at her blankly, not reacting; it takes her some time to realize what Kira is offering. Slowly she reaches to take the jacket, and puts it on beneath the blanket, pulling the hood up over her head. She pulls the blanket more tightly around herself, still silent.
 
Hood stood his ground, staying in the hunched position as he watched all of this take place. After Wolf-Girl had changed back, he pulled upright again, the oily black claws melting away and churning back from his hands to wherever they had come from up his sleeves. His only reaction to the nudity being a raised eyebrow, he seemed unphased by the shocked reaction of the Lycanthrope.


Giving a sigh, he finally spoke after Kira spoke to the other about watching him. He looked annoyed by the whole ordeal, but smiled again. "I do apologize if I frightened you with my little 'display' there, Wolf-Girl, but it was not an unprovoked one. Though none of you have reason to trust me, I would have expected at LEAST the common decency of not being 'threatened' with your headbutting and snapping jaws," he explained calmly, voice never rising more than a normal speaking tone. "If you had that much of an issue, Wolf-Girl, could you not have simply voiced your opinion instead of going at it in such a way. It's why Lycanthropes tend to be seen as beasts in the eyes of society... at least those who know of the existence of such things."


He shook his head, trying to get back on track. "Back to my point, however. If all but one of you are so unreceptive to my presence here, I will simply find another place. However, don't think that I'll be TOO far away," he said with a snicker the lead into another sharp and gravely laugh. "This little group has caught my eye."


Looking toward the broken window, he pondered exiting then and there, but wanted to see just what the others had to say first.
 
Kira looked at him and nodded. "Listen I really don't care what you do I guess it is up to you. But if your going to be sticking around and staying close I would much rather you be where I can see you." she stood up and then looked at the two boys still having her wings out. She was protective of legs in such a venerable state. "I don't trust you, and you are right I don't really have a reason too, so why not keep you around so I can watch you and you aren't stalking us and me not knowing where you are." she chuckled a bit and then looked down. She didn't want to leave the girls with now two boys here. One of the girls being unclothed. She didn't know what may could do so that gave her even more reason to stay. She sighed and sat down rubbing her head. The one with the interesting powe worried her the most of course. She found herself staring again at where the power showed up. Shaking her head she sighed. "Hmm..."
 
May watched silently once more as it took place, when Sheena became naked she quickly stood infront of her, waiting until she had moved and waiting for Hood to finish his little speech before she spoke herself, still standing infront of him without any visible worry. His 'power' seemed to interest her and slightly frighten her at the same time. That was May's trouble, she was also intrigued in bad things...but maybe Hood wasn't all bad. Like he had said, it was nice to show some decency towards him. Her eyes swept over the others in the room, so far May seemed to be the one making most decisions, Jason looked too scared to do much, the cat-girl who called herself Kira seemed wary and Sheena seemed to be freaking out internally. She gave them all a final glance before looking back to Hood, her tone normal, "Well Hood, I have no issue with you staying here. As far as I have seen, you don't seem to be a cause for concern unless provoked." She turns to look at the others once more, "Hood is right. He may have frightened us slightly, but he clearly isn't intending to kill any of us tonight. So let's show some manners ok?" She says it softly, being careful not to hurt anyone's feelings. She then looks back at Hood, "Sleep wherever you wish." She gives him a brief, genuine smile, before turning around and walking right over to Jason. Her hand gently goes to the one that is turning white from the force he is exerting on it and she somehow manages to pull his fingers off of the thing he is gripping and they slowly turn back to normal colour, "Calm down Jason." She speaks comforting, looking at him, "I know you're majorly freaked out right now, but breaking your hand and forgetting how to breathe probably isn't the best thing to do."
 
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