What's better than spending time with a new friend? Sharing a meal and perhaps chat about all sorts of things. Owen still want to get to know much about Zack, it's how relationships like that grow when you learn something new about them. His name Zachary, knew most of his favorite movies, what does or doesn't like. His favorite colors, any colors he didn't like, what kind of style he goes for...all this and more but take a step at a time. For everytime they got a chance to talk about anything, they sounded more like brothers than did friends sometimes speaking from personal experience. He was done showering, he opened up the top drawer of his cherrywood oak dresser pulling out a nice, clean pair of polo jeans, black ones with a matching pair of a shirt that was in the center of the dresser which all of his shirts was stacked neatly, his pants always stacked in the middle, all his socks and undergarments were organized at the bottom. His mother(may she rest in peace) has always taught her only little boy how to fold his things in the dresser properly, she would do her kids laundry when there was all hampers ready to be taken down to the washing machine room.
She never did complain, she just went about her routine to do what she had to do including all the hard work she put into it. Wash clothes, cook breakfast and dinner, school lunch boxes was prepared so when the kids got up to go straight to the place of education they should be ready to bath or shower, clothes for that day was put out, the food in each lunchbox or bag was set on the table, and oh, she never did want her children to be obese or fat so she made sure healthy food was out there, half of the time on occasions she'd let them eat junk on certain days if they done a good job. Owen remembered sneaking some candy into a bag whenever he had an allowance for doing most of the chores, mom found out so scolded him for being a sneaky lad when she told them no sweets, he was grounded for one day go figure that. Black shirt with a chinese dragon and Don the Dragon Wilson was printed in the front, showing him kicking one leg in the air with the other on the ground. He smelt good, Lever 2000 soap and fresh degree deodorant was applied to his armpits for more heavenly scent. Owen felt real good after it, so made him smile and content.
Pants was pulled over his legs, zipping and buttoned, along with his brown tennis shoes felt absolutely comfortable making him want to go running a few blocks. No need to take the results, what Zach needed was a clear mind, a relaxation, good food and drink for the soul. If he keeps this up, he might as well be Zach's guru than a doctor who can apply all sorts of remedies. No one acknowledged his medicine profession other than Geller who he was glad the first to see he does have skill in the field, he wanted to prove to the community he was as good as Jessica was. Though, he was a dermatologist and counselor, Owen began to help a human infected with a lycan virus for the first time really, but he has started to understand that many out there needs the assistance too which got him thinking of an idea but he'll share it with Zachary when they began eating. For now, he wanted to take this slow. Grabbing his cellphone, keys to the car and the keycard to get inside his hotel room. He was going to be checking out, go ask Zach if he like to go help him search for the best apartment or home. But, if he did not want to he wasn't going to force him, Owen was never like that. He looked down at his scrolling cell, touching the pad with his left finger while holding it in his right hand checking the text message that Zach sent to his cell for the directions to the restuarant. "Thanks."He said to himself, his eyes read the text then left the hotel room making sure to lock the door.
Pocketing his keys in his right pants pocket, cellphone clipped into it's left side and tucked the newspaper in his right hand. Punching the elevator button, he waited then entered, punching the lobby button. When he reached the lower level, he walked to the revolving doors, exiting out into the night. There were lots of people, his nose opened to all sorts of smells and most of them made him sneeze a little. Half of the time he just want to slice his nose off, is that too much to ask? Don't even ask that. He started walking leaving his car behind as he has heighten endurance which it'll take him for a very long time to get tired, so lycanthropy wasn't all that bad. Noticing the sign, Chinese restaurant and there he walked right, his senses opened smelling the food which only made him realize how very hungry he was, stomach gurgled a little too loud. Holding his abdomen, smelling the enticing fragrance but most of all he spotted him. The back of Zach's head, walking towards him, he placed a left hand on his right shoulder hoping to surprise him. "Zach!"A sound of someone just happy to be able to be doing this with their friend and all, he sat opposite of him of the table listening to the light music flowing through the speakers on the wall with an amplified sound which that's cause his ears was sensitive and can hear tons of things no human can imagine, even the softest whisper.
A waitress came over, damn was she hot and she had light brown hair that only came down to her shoulder with the ends curving forward. You can pretty much see the shape of her bosoms outlining the top half, Asian women always was hot, it was a poll of the top hottest babes. She was popping her bubble gum, her eyes looking to the nice looking men in her sight, can tell she was already being flirtatious even while she took their orders. Pad and pen in hand, she asked the boys. "What can I get you guys?"Her voice was even sweeter, Owen's beast liked how she smelt which meant he was being a buffoon, he mentally told the brute to pipe down, sheesh.
Over the past few weeks, the Marlboro Menthols that Zack was always seen puffing on came to serve a different purpose. While being able to find someone by their scent alone was an amazing asset, there were certain smells, such as a bum puking in the alley beside you, that should simply never be sampled by anyone, let alone amplified. Though the urge to breathe in more smoke than air was still around, the smell of menthol also served to block out the other, more offensive scents of the city.
Thankfully, the attack hadn't changed to much with him. The young pup had taken up his usual stance while he waited, leaning up against the wall of the Chinese restaurant he and Owen were to meet at with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. His attire was, likewise, rather typical for him. Black boots on his feet with the tops covered with an old pair of khakis, and a now slightly worn blue zip-up hoodie sat over top a black shirt, the design on it showing off an armored space marine with the phrase “Legalize Stim Packs!” written to the side. Wavy brown hair was a little shorter than usual, but was still wild and untamed, flowing in every which direction with the wind.
Figuring he still had a few minutes to wait, Zack flung the butt of the cigarette out into the street and walked inside, the waitress within directing him to a booth with a windowed view out to the street. Not wanting to order without Owen, he told the waitress “Ehh, coke to start, but I'm waiting for a friend.” If the doc took to long, though, he'd have to start without him. Zack had lived on Chinese during his drifting period, stuffing himself with as much as he could and taking out as much as the restaurant would allow. Not a period of time where he was proud of himself, but hey, the food was cheap.
Once the waitress left, Zack pulled out his phone to check for any text messages. Owen was just a couple minutes late, but the leopard liked to keep Zack updated with everything. The doctor had the best timing possible, walking through the door and catching the pup while he was shoving his phone back into a pocket. Zack managed to catch the scent, but a little to late. The hand on his shoulder didn't really startle him as much as it should have, but he still jumped from his booth and put Owen into a tight embrace. “Owen!” He yelled, drawing a little bit of attention to the two. The wolf didn't care, he was just so happy to see one of his friends again. Especially this one. It had been far to long since the two had seen each other.
Zack finally let Owen go and took his seat at the booth. “So what the hell, man? I ain't seen you in a month, what have ya been getting yourself into, huh?” He was talking a mile a minute, forgetting the waitress standing above him with his drink. “..Oh, right. Thanks. You guys serve General Tao's chicken? That, and fried rice.” While he was waiting for Owen to order, Zack removed the straw from his cup and guzzled down nearly have the glass in one go. Good thing there were free refills. “What about Jess? Any word from her since the apartment?” There wouldn't be any rest for Owen. Might as well bombard him with questions now, Zack figured, since the doctor would be doing the same thing to him shortly.
He could not contain himself when the two embraced like that, giving room for the boys to see there is more to come when they keep this up no matter how much they quarreled every so often, it is believed that the ones who fight most were usually the closest allies more like siblings than friends from an angle view of things. Just, feel Zachary around him perked him and his leopard. If only his beast was available, his cub will no doubt swipe a nice paw on the side of his face just as a sign of playfulness but alas, the kitten just laid next to the chair where his counterpart was as calm even the Chinese chick made their order. Owen alone happened to be staring at boobs, before he remembered the lady asked what he wanted. "The rice, teriyaki chicken, the chicken tenders, and oh, give me some of the noodles too."His appetite could use the fuel, it's not like he was ordering everything on the menu just enough for him as well as beast to get much of the food.
Owen nor Zach discussed who was paying the bill after all this but he did not mind doing the honors. The woman raised a brow, thinking how can he eat all that when she did not notice long whiskers, chartruese hues, as well as the rosetta marks camouflaging as the classy kitten said nothing, his massive paws intersected while he watched when Owen himself was going about doing what any lycanthrope may have done course he simply likes Chinese, they say the more a shifter eats the better his shifting would be the next time around so all that fuel turns into energy. The good thing about being a shifter is he did not have to worry too much about putting on the pounds, calories did not matter when you're two people in one.
Zach had begun to ask him a question. The one about that woman, Jessica of all people after that episode about why he did not put Zachary into an ambulance and carted him to the hospital. Doubt she want to talk to him anymore, what he did was out of line but his friendship with Zach is what prevented him for forcing the fellow of all things. It was the fact that he was getting to know Zach more and more each day the more time he spent with him. It helped him know what Zach prefers than other things, his scent was taken into his olfactories copying it to memory in the back of his mind in case he needed to find Zach it'll be much swifter now that he gathered the smell unless Zach was in water or put skunk scent then he won't be able to locate him on his radar. No address was necessary when your friend was a lycan too. "Haven't heard anything from her since then. I understand if she is angry with me."The woman had left, he wasn't paying attention to her coming and going, she did leave a coke in front of him so that was nice of her then left again to go prepare their meals giving them all the time to talk about all sorts of things.
It was his turn to ask him something. "I been making something Zach. You have actually grown on me. I think about you whenever we're not together. I made it where if we ever separate then we do not have to worry about being apart. I went to the post office yesterday to drop off some presents for you. Soon as you return, there will be five gifts each with a topic. When you get it, call me to let me know if you like them."He spent time having an idea, then put the items in order to what he thought of Zach and what all he need to get by even when his days were shitty the presents will do him some good. He knew he was spoiling the lad right now but he cannot help but to let him see that his friendship is the only gift that mattered the most. Owen wasn't going to let anyone come between that, he's proven he was a strong willed type of fellow as it has shown right now.
-- Edited by OWEN CONNORS on Monday 9th of May 2011 03:48:29 PM
It was just like Owen to be right there when Zack needed him. Just the phone call that the good doctor had given him had started to pull him from the rut that the pup had found himself in over the events of the past few weeks, and meeting him again in person only strengthened it. Owen was there by his bedside while he recovered from the attack, provided a shoulder to cry on when Nate and Cullen departed, and still kept tabs on him when they were apart to make sure the new wolf was alright. Zack let himself get attached to the doctor early on since he, along with Steven, were the only two that were there to give a shit about him for the longest time. He likewise put Owen's scent in the back of his mind, knowing that it would come in handy one of these days. There was something else, too. The feeling that he was never alone, like he was always being watched. It had started about a week after the bite, and had never left him since then. He simply placed it on paranoia. Besides, Owen was here now. What's the worst that could happen?
The passing glance that Owen gave the waitress was noted, but Zack didn't look at her in that way. She was attractive, sure, but the last thing that the young man needed right then was a woman. Except, perhaps, for Nike. God damn, that was a fun night. “Really now? I thought everyone from the same...race? Strain? Whatever you call it, I thought you all tried to stick together.” The news that he hadn't heard from Jess really did surprise him, but he could only offer an outside observation. Zack hadn't even gotten the chance to talk to her, only to hear that she wanted him in a hospital. Sure, he could have turned out better, but he thought that things were going alright for being mostly on his own.
“Growin' on you, huh?” Zack tilted his head to the side slightly, a small smile forming on his face. “Oh come on, man. You ain't gotta get me nothin'. You've done more than enough already, didn't need to do this, too.” He was usually one to fight off gifts of charity, but Owen looked like he wouldn't budge on it. Besides, there's nothing wrong with gifts between friends, right? The pup reached over and patted Owen on the the shoulder, nodding. “Thanks, Owen. You...wouldn't mind giving me a hint to what it is, would you?” The grin on his face faded just long enough for him to take another drink from his coke. Owen hadn't said much, but was already working wonders on his psyche.
Zack completely froze with the cup up to his mouth. His eyes were locked on a spot beside the booth, where, to the normal human eye, there was nothing. Last the young man checked, in fact, there was nothing there...but there sure as hell was now. Laying on the floor, staring up at him, was what looked to be a wolf. A large, bony red wolf, its fur a mix of brown and cinnamon. It's mouth was opened in a pant, though it almost looked like a grin. There was no motion between the two of them, as the wolf simply lay there staring. Staring, and grinning.
Finally, Zack remembered to blink and breathe, and he slowly scooted towards the middle of the booth, never taking his eyes off of the creature. While he was a little wary, the pup wasn't quite scared of it. The feeling was still there, like something had been following him. Nate said something about a sort of metaphysical beast that would appear when it was least expected...this had to be it. That knowledge didn't keep him from feeling just a little freaked out by it, though. “O...O...Owen.” Zack stumbled across his words, his eyes still on the edge of the booth. “Do...do you see this? You fucking see that?”
And wasn't he right on the dotted line, Owen Connors did not budge even if the guy brushed off such friendly offering of gifts, Owen had not spoken of any of the results he took from the lab that sat on his bedside table that had Zachary's full name along with the report from the tests he received during the time he entered through the establishment that once belonged to their werewolf ally, Nathaniel Roshen. Cullen was a powerful male wolf who had let him see this is reality, and that he needed to realize that it was inappropriate to do certain actions near the full moon's power. Sipping his coke, the refreshment smoothed down his esophagus letting the effects invigorate his spirits higher and higher.
There was all kinds of scents that shrouded Zachary, his nose tickled at the fragrance of what seemed to be a snake-like smell that told a nice little story, what Zach did not know is that shapeshifters can tell where you been and who you been with as it appears to be he's been around a few of the undead kind, neither of these scents has registered since he knew nothing about these vampires he's been around he would not bring them up. He's never got the chance of really interacting with a real vampire face to face, nor has he been fed from one in that matter. Shaking his head, figuring Zach will ask such a question about his presents huh? Guess, he'll tell him one but the rest he left out. "There is a CD."There, all he was getting from the leopard doc.
As the music in the restaurant played, his eyes downcast into that other place noticing right there was Zachary's own beast like it meant to appear without a moment's notice. He gasped, clapping his hands over his mouth right when Zach spoke in excitement about seeing something. Oh yes, he saw it. Right there, his own leopard was curious of this new wolf, he stood up then stalked forward so that he could get a closer examination of the red beast. The tip of the feline's tail flicked in curiousity, then sniffed it. His leopard brushed his left jaw into the wolf's right jaw and neck as to show a greeting, a welcome, letting the pup get an idea of his surroundings. The beige kitten was welcoming him, then headed back towards the left side of the chair where his counterpart, Owen sat on that metaphysical plane. Before he had time to say anything else, their plates came smelling so good right now. The Chinese woman put Zack's order in front of him then Owen's plate. The bill had not came just yet, that came after they got through finished eating. "Enjoy, let me know how the food is. I'll come by with the check later."Her voice was polite and looked between the two males before leaving their table to go to the next set of customers.
Really, though, what results were there to talk about? The infection had taken hold, and Zack was changing. Seemed simple enough to him, really. If Owen wanted to review the reports with him, though, he wouldn't complain to much. It'd be something to talk about, at least.
There were other pressing issues, however, that had the young pups attention. Namely, the wolf that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Zack seemed to be a lot calmer about it than he should have been. In a way, it felt like the creature had always been there, like it was the feeling of being watched and followed everywhere, and it had just now taken the chance to manifest itself in a form that he could see. After the initial shock, the young man looked to be much more at ease with it being there, even if it had a look on it's face like it wasn't exactly all there in the head. Zack pulled his attention away from his new companion long enough to nod and smile at the waitress, trying his best to look like nothing had happened. “Thanks! We'll let you know, ok?”
As soon as she had turned around to leave, his gaze was right back on the wolf. It accepted and returned the brief rub from Owen' own creature, but made a playful swat at the side of its head when it turned to head back to the doctors side. Zachary simply shook his head and laughed, his attention turning to Owen. So, he was going to be paired with a bit of a jackass. Fine by him. “This is....wow. Holy shit, man.” He had to restrain himself from bouncing in excitement over this new development. “So you've had your own following you for this long? Can you...I don't know, control it or something?” There was so much more that Zack wanted to know about himself his new companion, and seemingly not enough time to figure it all out.
The chicken in front of the pup finally tempted him into peeling himself away from Owen and the beast beside him. The wolf, unfortunately for him, wasn't about to be pushed aside for even a second right now. As Zack stabbed into the General Tao's chicken and raised the first piece up for a bite, the wolf had stood up and laid it's head on the table, acting like it was reaching for Zack's plate of food. “Mph...you fucker.” Zack quickly swallowed his food and swatted towards the creature with the back of his hand, mumbling curses at it. “Mine. Get the fuck out..” The action made the wolf lean back slightly, but it never took its head off the table. “...Anyway.” Once again, he tried to take his attention away from it and turned back to Owen. “A CD? Man, that's helpful. Guess I'll have to wait to see what they all are, huh? But...I feel bad. Like I'm obligated to get you something now.” So many scents, each with their own story. Hopefully, they could burn through them as the night went on.
He was devouring most of the noodles from the first carton, Owen had decent table manners compared to his other experiences when he started as a shapeshifter he was always hungry, did not matter how much he consumed in one sitting it just occurred the minute the leopard strain was upon him. Closing his eyes, letting the Chinese noodles savor along his taste buds even while his good friend across from of the booth said something.
His own beast crossed his massive paws, each of his digits held within them a set of razor sharp claws all cats were known to have. His feline companion watched this jackass of a wolf, his amber hues looked at the rest of the room, he did not go after the enticing food but that chicken smelt divine through his naughty kitten's nostrils as it's blood hunger rose for a nice catch such as a juicy rabbit, a fancy feast of partridges or some nice birds in mid-flight, then leapt into the air using it's long jumps and interesting balance.
Owen spoke to his feline friend, the only one who stood at his side through thick and thin. Hush, you'll get yours soon enough mangy kitty. It calmed, trusting Owen with his words of a good hunt when the time comes. Opening his eyes, he heard everything Zachary said to him, there was a catch to all that excitement is good for his friend there but what he did not count on was the cons of being what every good thing is considered to be. He swallowed the remaining noodles, setting his empty cartoon down. He was known for his conservative attitude, letting his lips linger a small smile. "Yes, I had mine for three whole years. That's a really long time to be a shifter for most of us lycans. Control is a strong word Zach, sometimes I can and most of the time my beast takes over me in a snap of a finger. Do you remember that time you, me, and Steven was hanging out in the upstairs bedroom? Did you notice any changes in me? Like a sudden protection of you for example? "Several hints details a shifters life aside from a normal human's own. When your beast like something, when it feels a bond of that person or their mate to others it jumps in when you least expect it.
His instinct to guard Zach came when he heard and saw what was going down. Even the closing gap between them was a sign his beast was there on the higher levels of the metaphysical plane. A brow rose now repeating what he said earlier. "No! No! No! Zach, I did that from inside. It has nothing to do with me just giving you those gifts."Yep, Owen wasn't the type of guy who gave then expected something in return. That wasn't him at all. "So....what can you smell? Give me one thing. "His nonchalant personality never cease to amaze, so it seems what he was trying to do is take Zach on an adventure of a lifetime allowing him to direct his new path as a shapeshifter. Someone had to teach him some of the ropes didn't they? Even if he wasn't a wolf, they were still one and the same in the lycanthrope department. Different species, but the same race.
-- Edited by OWEN CONNORS on Wednesday 11th of May 2011 04:36:31 PM
Once he was finally satisfied that his new companion wouldn't be giving him any more trouble for the time being, Zack dug into the chicken, completely ignoring the rice for the moment. The craving for meat seemed to be brought on with the infection, but the pup didn't mind all that much. Especially since his plate was thankfully loaded end to end. Owen always brought something new to the table, didn't he? Regardless of the things that seemed to happen when he was around, the doctor had done an amazing job taking care of him, and Zack was simply happy to have him around.
“I figured as much. Geller...he said basically the same thing to me, that the beast would be more in control than me for years. I guess...I don't know, it doesn't seem all that bad.” After tearing through another chunk of the spicy general's chicken, Zack looked back over at the wolf, who was now wagging its tail a bit. Fuck, this thing didn't seem threatening at all. But, looks could be deceiving. I mean, I'd love to finally be able to take care of myself out here, but I don't want to hurt anybody either. It's a mean cycle, you know?” The young man nodded at Owen's comment about his momentary change at the apartment, remembering the incident quite well. “Yeah, I noticed that. You sayin' that was your cat comin' out? Guess I should thank you, then.” The last bit was directed towards Owen's side, where he imagined his own beast was relaxing. Perhaps it wasn't the right way to think about it, though. After all, the two were supposed to be one and the same, right?
Zack laughed a little when Owen became a bit defensive, quickly reassuring him that the gifts didn't need anything more than a 'thank you'. “I know, I know. Still, I'll get you back somehow. Just you wait.” Noticing that the wolf was still standing there staring at his plate of food, Zack decided to tease it a bit by grabbing a spoon full of fried rice and waving it around, grinning when the creature's head moved along to keep track of it. “Heh...dumbass.” His voice mimicked Butt-Head before downing the next mouthful of food, paying attention to Owen once again. “You mean besides the food? It's hard to pick out much beyond that.” He was still having the problem of having certain smells completely overwhelm him, though he was slowly learning to pick out different scents in a crowd. “Well, there's you, first off. It's weird...like, I can sort of pick out who else is a shifter. For the most part, there were some that I had no clue about until they straight up told me. I guess they've learned to...I dunno, shield themselves or something?”
Shield? Yeah, he was pretty much learning to do just that whenever he goes out or when he met other people. Picking up his coke, he sipped a little of the carbonated liquid inside then released a small belch. "Excuse me."He pounded his chest with the right of his hand. The teriyaki chicken was picked up, then he put the meat into his mouth. Seems his leopard like him found it savory. Protein, lots of protein, the meats as well as other protein-based foods supposedly kept the beast at bay for some reasons. Owen's scent was that of pine and moisture that came after a rain shower. He lowered his shields more so that Zach can breathe in much of this scent to identify him by if he needed to find him he will much easier with or without an address. The tip of his leopard's tail flicked once, then again as he turned his attention to that red wolf in that other pace. The edge of his whiskers twitched some watching the wolf, his eyes twinkled in amusement as if admiring his new friend. His beast did not feel much alone anymore aside from Owen who connected with Zach on both levels.
This is it, do it in a cat style. Casanova was his name, cause of his classy movements and actions. He was a lazy thing sometimes, but he stood up then started moving in the direction of the wolf. The next thing Casanova touched the side of his body against the red wolf's right flank, dancing around him like many cats did with their owners. The tip of his tail hit the wolf's nose, curling his frame from the front to the back of the wolf, along his other side until it was through. This is a sign of marking him as the large male feline liked this one. He purred in delight at his work, then instead of returning to Owen's side he kept himself underneath the table where it made the table act like a canopy. If there was one thing he knew of his inner beast is he acted more like one of those italian artists half of the time. No, half of his personalities never did match any of the West Virginian lads own. While they were one and the sign, half of the time they was two different specimens. He took the time to understand exactly what his beast is thinking, who is he, or what does he half of the time.
Zack wasn't going to budge either after he tried to brush anything in return. "My birthday is coming up real soon. It's May 18th. I figured I ought to tell you that you'll be the first one to come to my party. I am setting it up so everyone can have a great time. And oh, by the way Zack, I'll be moving out of the hotel I been staying in. It's just that I feel much better staying in a place where I don't feel I could hurt anybody. I like if you came along sometime to help me pick out the right home for me. It's up to you what you want to. I really do enjoy spending time with you, it's always fun whenever you're around."Aww! How sweet of him to say it like that. He did exploit his birthday was coming up, that he will be scheduling this one time event where he can put his party together. He certainly was getting much older every second wasn't he? Kind of makes you realize he was growing up before most eyes. Mikhail stated he was a brave one, it surprised his fellow leopard. Wonder if he and Zach met at all. Would be interesting to introduce the two of them one of these days. "Oh! Zack. I met this guy the other night. He's the best. His name's Mikhail."He left out the part he did speak of Zachary and the first time he was infected. It was nothing bad, more good things. Owen spoke of Mikhail's good name only because there was a chance this person could perhaps take him under his wing seeing as he is his only hope to raise into a powerful leopard like Zack was improving to be a strong wolf in his future. He had to try, he just have to discuss a preposition to the man. He could no longer pretend he can do it all by himself, he needed someone like him to show him all the ropes and maybe they can go hunting. "I do have other leopards like me roaming in this city, Mikhail is a much stronger leopard and I feel he can assist me. I absolutely like him, but I want to be able to lean on him for all sorts of reasons. I just feel I can tell him anything that is on my mind."Other than Zach, he can talk to him much the same too. Where he was going with this will change things in the coming months ahead. He dreamed of becoming a powerful male leopard to the point he can face any challenge or anyone if they stood in his way, Owen was looking at an opportunity and a possibility.
He waited for what Zach had to say from there. Owen updated him on a time he'll set up his party and get some invitations out there too to whomever want to come.
“Yeah, shielding. Some wizard I ran into talked about it a bit, said I'd learn something to that effect later on down the line. Fuck if I know how, but I s'ppose it'll come around eventually. Can you pull it off? I dunno, maybe show me sometime?” Owen didn't say anything on the subject, but Zachary kept going with it. There was still so much that he didn't know about his new abilities, and the doctor seemed like he was willing to teach. Or, at the very least, listen. “Ain't no excuse for ya, Owen. What are you, man, an animal or something?” Another grin spread across the pup's face at the irony. Might have been childish, but it was all still funny. The idea that every shifter had their own unique scent was an odd one, but it certainly explained a couple things to him: not only that he could pick other shifters out of a crowd, but also why the smell of a freshly mowed lawn seemed to follow him everywhere.
With that bit of the discussion out of the way, Zack continued to tear through his chicken and rice, his stomach already grumbling for seconds even after the plates were almost gone. He didn't much mind that he could eat enough to feed the entire restaurant, but doing that would soon get very, very expensive. On the other place, the wolf had taken it's face away from the food for a moment, tilting his head in a very confused fashion at the cat's actions. There was no motion to try and stop it from scent marking him, but he did give it's tail a playful nip as it hit his nose, grabbing hold loosely to let Casanova yank it out easily enough. After the exchange, it's head was right back on the table, staring blankly at what was left of Zack's food.
“You know...maybe I should name him.” Zack mentioned out of nowhere. “Doesn't feel right to have an animal and not give it a name. Any ideas on your end? Thing acts like it got beat in the head with a shovel, though. So, maybe something stupid. Like Darrel.” A small bit of laughter came from the man, bringing another head tilt from the wolf. The name just sounded funny to him, though there was no real explanation for why.
Zack's eyes went wide with excitement with the mention of the doctor's birthday. “Really now? Well shit, that's pretty sweet! I'd love to come over, and it'd be a great time for me to pay you back for what...well, whatever it is you're getting me.” Zack always got excited for people's birthdays, even though he hadn't celebrated his own since being thrown out of his parents house. Hopefully, August 18th would continue to pass uneventfully. “New place, huh? Yeah, I would mind helping you out.” The way Owen worded the last bit had him chuckling, and he batted his eyelashes in a mock seductive manner. “Well I enjoy having fun with you too, dearest.” More laughter came from the pup, and his new companion, if one didn't know any better, seemed to smile as well.
With the food finally out of the way, Zack finished off what was left of his Coke, and tried to wave over the waitress for a refill and seconds. “You mentioned something about wanting an older one to help you out, sort of like how I needed someone to train me, too. You think this Mikhail guy's what you're looking for?” Whoever he was, he was at least cool enough for Owen to mention it to him.
He had an interesting method how to control such hunger by eating a lot of protein, these proteins kept the beast underwrap and once you train more you can quite easily learn to curb this excessive hunger into a less amount which he learned from a former leopard member of his old pard back in his own hometown. It went nicely, but as the word "were" came to mind, you come to see why the were word is used with species. It means always hungry no matter how much food you consume. After a successful and a shift, then the hunger seems to die down for as long as the days slither like a serpent. Sipping the coke through a straw, already having finished off the last portion on his plate. Owen could just as simply ordered more, but he did not cause as much as he can intake there was such a thing as money and how much you had to pay.
The waitress came to put down the check in the middle of the table. Owen slipped a few cash, holding it in between his pointed and middle fingers. "Nice place. This tips for you since you been so kind."His charms never cease, and you wonder why Casanova was named as such. He and his kitten was quite similar. They say, whatever your personalities were as a human is carried over to the animal within you. The woman smiled, took the dollars then stuffed in her left pocket. "Thanks."Is all she said from there, then took up their plates and trash to clear the table then left them be with deciding who pays for the expenses. Owen looked over the paper, this wasn't all bad. "It's on me Zach."Owen left the money on the table so that once the waiter returns they'll come by and pick up the tab. He did keep the cup which had cold drink still inside.
Listening to Zachary talk about being his teacher he smiled, glad to hear him allow him the access to do just that. "I would love to Zack. I mean I'm happy to be your choice. Shielding wasn't easy for me, it just takes lots of patience and concentration to do."He sounded like one of those older men who spoke toward his younger pupil. Laughing softly, he did answer him whether he was man or animal. "I'm a man with feral characteristics my liege."Waving his half-emptied plastic cup in his right hand, he did mention that he as a shifter there was man but there was also an animal magnetism that often at times took him over as if Owen Connors had never been there at all. Once in a shifter's life, there is experience and with that experience came the downside to being one. Bringing his cup up to his lips, he sipped through the straw while hearing him figure out a name for his inner wolf. "Sweet. Darrel. Sounds like someone who maybe a jackass. Like they do say, a name has it's meaning. I find that believable why parents give their child a name that fits them. "Darrel was approved, kind of reminds him of the red haired dude in "Adventures in Babysitting" course that was always his favorite character from there.
Now, about helping him look for a place to call home, the excitement came but he did not jump up straight out of his seat to go hug the guy as if he won a million dollars, instead he smiled in that boyish look he perfected too much. "I do appreciate it. I'm going to be checking out in a few days. I'll call you when I am ready."After that was out, they went on the subject of the wereleopard, Mikhail. "I hope so. I'm kind of tired of hunting squirrels, turtles..I love turtles, their meat is tough but savory. I also often hunt various birds, but anything would do if it is available cause I know right after I shift my beast is hungry and must feed. It's tradition for all us shifters to remember that. "Upon finishing the last coke inside the cup, he stood up from the table waiting for Zach to follow him outside. The newspaper he had with him was unrolled, then looked at what to catch that will be on. Well, it was up to Zach. "Think we could catch a flick or should we call it a night, do it another time?"Now, he put out some options out there. Can you imagine if Owen suddenly fell off the channel, would Zach have been wondering ..where in the world is Owen Connors?! The only thing is they got a good chance to spend the day together. Soon as Zach heads home, there be something waiting just for him.
Rather than try to limit his intake, Zack had simply been eating until he figured out that he must have taken in a sufficient amount. It was hard, since his body nowadays was always screaming out for more, and still being out of a job kept him from buying out to much. “If you want to, I ain't gonna argue. Thanks a ton, Owen.” The pup reached over, giving Owen a nice pat on the shoulder for it. The last time he had been treated to a meal like that, he was bedridden with the worst fever in his life. Ironically, the doctor had been there for that, too. There seemed to be a pattern forming, and Zack smirked a little at it.
“Gotta say, I really don't have either of those things...but I'm sure as hell willing to try. I suppose I'll have to learn how to do this shit sooner or later.” The idea of spending three years and still not being under control of himself did have him worried, but Owen seemed more than capable of taking care of himself. Even now, Zack felt fast and strong enough to take on whatever was thrown at him, even if he was still early in his development. The only thing that scared him, however, was the control aspect. “Your hunting...shifting, whatever. Do you remember it at all? Or does the kitty there shut you down completely?” It didn't really matter, though, did it? He was to far into it now to change his mind, and there wasn't a chance that he would if there was. There wouldn't be another incident like the attack at the park again. Next time, he could defend himself.
The smile was returned twofold, a grin spreading across Zack's face that was only matched by the wolf now starting it's way towards the door. Already, it seemed to be leading the way, even if it was only a couple feet ahead. “I said don't worry about it, man. I'll take any excuse to get the hell out of the house, especially if it's hanging out with you guys. You two mean a lot.” The pup's tone of voice told that he meant every word of it. Steven and Owen had grown to be his two closest friends since the attack, and there was no way he'd let himself become separated from them. Not now. “Fuck going home, Owen! Night's still young! I'm up for a movie, or whatever the hell you wanna do. Not sure what's showing...so might as well go find out!” Fuck it, why not make an adventure out of it? Whatever was in the package could wait for now, as Owen was coming first.
He was too busy looking at times and listings of showtimes at the cinema. "I love Banderas. Do you like Antonio Banderas Zachary? "He canted his head even when he can feel his nervousness and confusion from within, little does Zach know that you can detect a series of emotions in a single person based on the rhythm of their heartbeat as well as their breathing patterns. Biting the bottom of his lip, he rolled the paper into a cylinder shape then slipped an arm around his shoulder. "Zach my man, it's time I allow you to explore while we head up to the movie theater. It'll take awhile before we get there which means we have room to converse. I'll tell you as we walk."He lead the way, canting his head slightly to see only the side of Zach's face, viewing his jawline. "For me..I really did not want this life Zachary. All my life I could go back and remind myself why I yelled at my maker. She's a mad woman I tell you. I dated her, did not know what she was. Hell, I wasn't aware things like ghosts, vampires, even shapeshifters existed. I read a lot of those in the books, never suspected I be...you know, this creature with spots and whiskers. I'm still learning everyday like you. I'm not exactly all up there like the stronger shifters out there. Few times when I shifted, some I choose to forget though now I do not loathe myself because of what I have become. I learned to accept the fact this is me now. "He did not look at him completely this time, his brown oculars was drawn to the eclipse of the moon.
The moon. Shifting is a painful process, the dull ache in your abdomen acted as if several knives is slicing your insides then he found out that it's the first few stages of growing into a full grown shifter someday, he only hopes that he'll be able to protect himself just the same as Zachary. "So yes, I remember some of my shifting and hunting. Though, I failed only a few times..about three or four, could not get the damn thing to stand still! My former Nimir-raj taught me some of the things I needed to know about what to expect of my new place in life as both human and shifter. "He spoke of his maker Harper and the day she attacked him during his first kiss, after that he saw blotches then blacked out after.
Owen spotted the theater then waited in a long line leading to a ticket booth. There was premieres of Puss In Boots, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Fast and the Furious, Twilight: Eclipse to many others. He almost gagged when hearing about sparkling vampires. "I always wonder what the vampires must think whenever they hear of Edward? "He said without looking at Zach, he chuckled.
“Antonio?” The question seemed rather confusing to him, having never really put much thought into the actor. Most of his attention was on the likes of Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke. Not that he didn't have a taste for drama now and then. “I liked him in Philadelphia, and the Zoro movies were ok. Why, there somethin' new with him in it?” Maybe another Shrek movie, who knew? Zachary wasn't all that up-to-date on the new releases, taken up almost completely by his latest developments. So much that he would have been driven insane if not for Owen's rescue.
It wasn't like the pup was trying to hide anything, and Zack was pretty easy to read to begin with. With Owen around, he had opened up even more than he was before – if that were even possible – so the doctor was probably reading his emotions like an open book. “Ya sure I should be doin' that, Owen? I thought I was to young and fragile-minded to be wanderin' on my own.” He cracked a smile at his friend, doing his best through the leopard's grip to fish a cigarette and lighter from his pocket. Hopefully, the smell wouldn't be to offensive to him. Following slightly behind, Zack let the cigarette hang from his mouth while Owen talked a little more about his life before becoming a shifter. “What I can't figure out is how the hell you didn't know, man. You'd think that someone would just come out and fuckin' say somethin' about that sorta thing.” The improbability of the events aside, Zack still had some serious questions he wanted to ask. “...Do you ever regret it? Becoming like this? I mean hell, that cure they wanted to pump me full of was around back then too, right? My reason's for not takin' it were beaten to death with a damn whiffle ball bat, but what made you stick with it?” There was a slight tremble in the pups voice near the end of his interjection, as more and more, Zack was hoping he wasn't getting himself into something he'd soon regret.
Oh boy, the shift. From everything he'd heard so far, it wasn't something he wanted to remember. If only alcohol still had an effect on him...damn it. “So even these bastards can fuck up sometimes, huh? Just lettin' you know pal, I ain't gonna let you live it down if you do.” The sentence was accompanied with a point towards the red wolf in front of him, which simply looked back with it's stupid grin. Though now, it seemed more mischievous than before. “The letter that Nate left me...” Zack picked the conversation back up, his voice getting a little softer. There was still a wound from that day that hadn't completely healed yet. “...Said something about the 'Munin'. Honoring my ancestors spirits, or some such. Any idea what that's supposed to mean?” He wouldn't get into to much detail on the letter, as there was still a lot that was obviously only meant for his eyes.
Finally, they were standing in line at the theater. Zack tried to concentrate on the new release wall, but the wolf constantly drew his attention away, either making motions to rub up against him or acting like it would take a piss on Owen or some poor bystanders leg. A motion to backhand Darrel provoked another grin, but had him back off a bit, seeming content enough to bat at Casanova playfully. Jackass. “Are you kiddin' me? I'm surprised everyone in the cast ain't been shot yet.” Shot, or bitten, or ripped to shreds. Take your pick. “But...hmm. I saw the first Fast and Furious, and liked it. Maybe this one would be good? Unless you really wanna go see fucking Antonio, then I'm willing to go see that, too.” He seemed to visibly pick himself back up again, at least for now.
