PIRATE: Pirate was beginning to suspect that Kohl was a very touchy feely person. Granted, it didn't take a brain surgeon to figure that one out. But he was being sure to keep his distance from the other, offering meals and answers to questions in a prefunctory manner. At the moment, Pirate was watching a movie on the small television in his room. He had it down real low because he knew other people in the house would be able to hear it if it was up much louder, and he could hear it just fine from his vantage point. It was from his secret stash of Disney movies.

KOHL: Kohl wasn't feeling all that great when he woke up from his nap and on top of it all, he was still missing Kelsy. He could hear the faint rumble of the television from Pirate's room and he slipped out of bed, slowly walking toward the sound of the noise, wearing nothing but a pair of oversized pajama pants tied tightly around his slender waist. "Pirate?" He said, poking his head through the door. "I don't feel....hey," he brightened a little. "I like this one." He wandered over to the bed and climbed on next to Pirate. It wasn't that he was necessarily touchy feely with everyone. It was that Kelsy wasn't there and that Pirate was the only one who ever seemed to talk to him for longer lengths of time.

PIRATE: Scooting away just a little, Pirate glanced over at Kohl with a frown. "You don't feel what?" Because information like that was important in the first stages of becoming a werewolf. It wasn't an overnight process and things could go wrong. The reason Pirate ended up taking care of so many of the new wolves was because he was good at keeping them alive, and deep down he liked that ability, and liked that Sigmund recognized it.

KOHL: "I don't know," Baby murmured, shrugging his shoulders. He wiggled himself into a laying down position next to Pirate and slid his arm around the man's waist. "I want to go home..." he trailed off, realizing that Jonathan's place wasn't home but it was where he had been staying. "I miss Kelsy," he sighed, resting his head on Pirate's chest. "It's so hot in here," he added, sure that the other could feel the heat from his bare chest radiating through Pirate's shirt.

PIRATE: Doing his best to wriggle himself away from Kohl, Pirate stood up. "We should go for a walk outside." He said finally, his own body reacting with an uneasy feeling, the need to be out with trees and grass, and earth. Clicking the remote to turn the television off right in the middle of Ariel's big moment, Pirate motioned with his hand for Baby to follow him. "Who's Kelsy?" He had to ask though.

KOHL: "My...best friend," Kohl said sadly, forcing himself up and off the bed. "Why do you want to go outside?" He asked, taking the hand that Pirate had been motioning with. He'd only been downstairs in the house a few times and everyone always stared at him so curiously, he felt like he was on display. Wiping a little sweat off his forehead, he walked along with Pirate. "I think I'm getting sick again," he said quietly. He'd been hoping that as soon as he was better he would be allowed to go home.

PIRATE: Pirate wasn't exactly shocked that the boy still didn't quite believe what was happening to him. It would be better to just let the shift take him by surprise, because when people got nervous, or allowed their human brains to think to hard about it, the change was always more difficult. "Because you're right, it's stuffy in here." Even though he thought about it, he didn't pull his hand away. The connection of touch between them felt like what was needed right now, so Pi wasn't going to deny him that.

KOHL: "Ugh, I feel shitty. Can we just sit outside? I don't really feel like going for a walk," Baby said, following him outside onto the porch. His insides kind of hurt, down to the core of his bones and he didn't feel like walking anywhere. There was a cool breeze though and he let go of Pirate's hand to go lean against the porch railing. He got frustrated after a few moments though when he realized the breeze wasn't making him feel any better.

PIRATE: Seeing the frustration and feeling himself feed off of it a little, Pirate wondered if that's why he wasn't so good at dealing with first timers. He loved being around them when it got to be too much for the human in them to control. It was really thrilling and made an excited growl lodge in his throat as he reached forward to tug at Kohl's hand. "Come on, just down the path here. Walking will make you feel better."

KOHL: "No it won't," Baby pouted, but he went along with Pirate anyway since the older man had taken his hand of his own free will. It wasn't until they had started down the path that his body started burning up even more and he had the undeniable need to scratch. He tugged his hand from Pirate and began to itch both of his arms as well as his chest and stomach. "What the fuck is going on?" He whimpered. "What is happening?" His bones hurt worse too but that wasn't his main concern until an ear-splitting crack resounded, causing him to fall to the ground. He screamed then, having no idea what was going on. "Pirate," he whimpered desperately, but then he was rendered speechless again as more bones started to break and reform.

PIRATE: Watching him was painful, but Pirate got down onto the ground, knees hitting dirt, hands planted firmly so that he could crouch down and be close. It was a dangerous distance for him, but his proximity was the best act of comfort he could offer. "It'll be all right--I promise." And those last two words were weighty, because he was not a man who broke his promises. The event was sparking his own wolf, making it swell up and beg to be let out of his skin, but he kept it at bay until the right moment.

KOHL: Kohl wanted to scream at Pirate that things were definitely not going to be all fucking right but unintelligible screams and yelps were all he could manage. His pajama pants were ripped right off his body as he shifted and the pain was excruciating. Every thought that crossed his mind had to do with his presumed imminent death until he felt every single one of his fingers break and reform into paws. Closing his eyes tightly, he curled up on the ground, just screaming in pain until suddenly all the breaking noises stopped. He just stayed put, scared to open his eyes and look around.

PIRATE: It was somewhere hidden beneath the screams that Pirate had shifted as well, a much quieter affair for him. He was a richly toned brown wolf, so deep in color it was almost black, but not quite. With his head down, he stared at Kohl's form with wide eyes that retained all of his human self. Still, he was more comfortable in this form, and so when he stood up to close the distance between them, he ran his tongue over Baby's head, licking the space between his ears.

KOHL: Opening his eyes, Baby's first instinct was to glare at Pirate and then snap at him, which he did. He was entirely unsure of what was going on and as he stared down at his paws again, he noticed they were a pure white, just like the rest of his body if he had been able to see it. The only thing dark about him were his eyes. They were they same dark black as they usually were in human form. He shook his head irritably and pulled away from Pirate, trying to stand. It wasn't two seconds before he collapsed back in the dirt with a pitiful whine.

PIRATE: Dodging the snap artfully, Pirate insisted on continuing to lick the other. Even when Kohl pulled away, Pirate waited until his legs went out from underneath him and then continued to wash. He liked the way Kohl tasted, his fur thick in his mouth and between his teeth when he nipped at the other's neck. Pirate was a large wolf, and his will was not to be denied, even though he expected Baby to be somewhat of a nuisance in this realm as well.

KOHL: Kohl was not a very big wolf at all, as opposed to Pirate. He was small, very much like his human self and just totally white all over except for the very tip of his tail, which was black. He attempted a growl to tell Pirate to back off but all that came out was a frustrated whine. He didn't like this washing business. He could wash himself if he needed to. And then when he felt Pirate nip at his neck, he panicked again, trying to get back on his feet. This time, he managed about three clumsy steps before his face hit the dirt.

PIRATE: Pi snorted, and trotted easily the three steps that Kohl had managed. Sitting back on his haunches, the wolf's tail thumped carelessly on the ground. After a second, he laid facing him, but seemed to have tired of cleaning routine. Instead, he out his head on his paws and inched his nose closer to Kohl's nose, perhaps just out to annoy him. If a wolf could look amused, Pirate looked that way now.

KOHL: Kohl was just exasperated now and he snapped at Pirate again, just narrowly missing his snout. Standing up on his wobbly legs, he turned around and went the opposite direction. He didn't fall this time but he was still moving slowly although he didn't care so long as he was getting away from Pirate. He didn't want the other wolf anywhere near him at the moment.

PIRATE: Pirate barked, and yipped, knowing that if he put a fire under Kohl's belly, maybe the wolf would learn the mechanics of his body more quickly by necessity. That, and Pirate felt like running. It was clear he was going to give chase, the energy building up in his limbs, coiling and ready to spring if Kohl didn't do something fast.

KOHL: Kohl looked over his shoulder and yipped, clearly displeased at the idea of being tackled by Pirate and started to move faster. His running was wobbly and clumsy but he was doing it. Granted, Pirate would have been able to catch him any time he pleased, but Baby was doing his best to outrun him. Dirt from the ground was turning his paws a light brown and he darted behind a tree to sit and lick at them.

PIRATE: He stayed purposefully far enough back to create the illusion of closing in on him, but with no threat of actually catching him. When the other wolf got going, Pirate loped satisfied behind him, and stopped to watch him clean his paws. It was a curious sight and Pirate tipped his head to the side, large ears perked.

KOHL: Kohl didn't like being dirty in his human form and he didn't like being dirty as a wolf either. As soon as he got his paws clean, he took off again, trying to lose Pirate. He was so intent on making his getaway that he didn't notice his paws had gone immediately brown once more.

PIRATE: Pirate let him go--or rather, he let him think that he had. Really, Pirate just focused on staying downwind of the other, stalking him quietly from behind cover so that he could be certain Kohl stayed on the pack territory and didn't get into any trouble that he couldn't handle on his own.

KOHL: Kohl ran for a good long while, satisfied that he had lost Pirate. The only problem was that by the time he was out of energy, he had no idea where he was or how to get back. He was exhausted and flopped over under a bush, curling up with a whimper.

PIRATE: Kohl finally curling up was a good sign. If he was tuckered out enough to sleep, then the first shift had gone off without a hitch and his chances of surviving the next few were good. Gaining some control would come with time, and then maybe his new charge would be out of the woods. Pirate settled down nearby, but not close enough to set the other off again. He kept one eye open until he was certain Kohl was asleep and drifted off himself only to wake up with grass imprinted on his face and various other parts of his body.

KOHL: Kohl managed to sleep through the shift back and by the time he woke up, night had begun to fall and he was shivering once his eyes finally opened. His entire body hurt worse than it ever had in his entire life and when Baby sat up and found himself naked under a bush, he started to tear up, not really remembering anything that happened while he had been in wolf form. Crawling out from under the bush, he rubbed at his aching limbs and sniffed harder to try and keep the tears from falling. He looked around, remembering that he'd been with Pirate out on the porch.

PIRATE: Getting to his feet, Pirate looked over to see Kohl emerging. "We should get you something to eat. It'll make you feel better." He was kinder at the moment, voice soft, stretching out his hand for Kohl to take. He wasn't sure if the other would be weirded out by the nudity, or how much he would even remember of the run. But he was confident at least some of it would fade in and out of his memory eventually.

KOHL: Kohl gasped, jumping away from Pirate's voice before realizing it was him. "Wh-what did you do to me?" He asked pitifully, looking up at the older man. Eventually though, he reached up and took Pirate's hand, letting himself be pulled to his feet. "My whole body hurts. I feel like I got ran over by a car." He held onto Pirate's hand, not really minding that he was naked. He was naked a lot of the time because of his chosen profession.

PIRATE: Pirate looked surprised. "What did I do to you? I didn't do anything to you." Except perhaps pester him with a bath and chase him about. "Your entire body broke and reformed into that of a wolf--you would feel a hell of a lot better if you'd been hit by a car." He led them back up to the house, running upstairs really quick to grab some clothes for them. Pirate was comfortable to a point with nudity, but not much past that point. Tossing some pajama bottoms at Kohl, he went into the kitchen.

KOHL: Kohl just stood there, leaning up against the wall until Pirate came back. He accepted the pajama pants and tugged them on, slowly following him to the kitchen. He had been thinking about what Pirate said regarding his body breaking and reforming into a wolf and that kind of creeped him out. "Why don't I remember being a wolf then?" He asked, easing down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Everything hurt so bad, he could barely even stand it.

PIRATE: "Because the human brain goes to a lot to prevent itself from going crazy." Including just up and forgetting traumatizing events. "Eventually you'll start to remember your times as a wolf. You don't have to worry though, you can't get into that much trouble around here." He pulled some pizza rolls from the freezer and popped them in the oven.

KOHL: Kohl just sat there at the table, his stomach growling loudly as he smelled the cooking food. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until then and now he was ravenous. Keeping his head down, he just tugged at his bangs, trying to ignore how positively miserable he felt. "I don't like this," he said softly, finally putting his head down on his arms. Gone was the spitfire, for the moment at least, as he tried to wrap his head around everything.

PIRATE: "Not many people do at first." Even some of those who had been born into it could be resistent to the shift and its alarming effects. "You get used to it though, and it can be pretty amazing down the road." He wanted to make Kohl feel better about all of this, but he knew his efforts were futile. When the pizza bites were ready, he pulled them out of the oven and dished them up. Setting them in the middle of the table, he sat across from Baby. "You didn't want me near you--you're a pretty grouchy wolf."

KOHL: As soon as the food was set in front of him, Baby snatched one of the pizza rolls off the plate, yelping a little when it burned his fingers. He dropped it and pouted, licking at his fingers before he even realized what he was doing. Grabbing a napkin, he finished wiping them off and looked over at Pirate. "Well, you're a pretty grouchy human," he countered, reaching over to poke him in the shoulder.

PIRATE: All of Pi's amusement at Kohl getting burned faded at the poke. "I'm not grouchy--why do people say that? Not everyone is a fucking cheerleader like Sigmund." He plucked a roll from the plate and blew on it lightly. Popping it into his mouth, he was satisfied that he'd managed the first bite. "Your body heals very quickly now. You'll be as good as new by tomorrow morning." The bones were already knitted, he imagined, but the pain and inflammation would linger.

KOHL: "Oh," Baby replied in response to this new information. He gingerly picked up a pizza roll and blew on it before taking a tentative bite. "What did I look like?" He asked once he'd finished the piece of food. It bothered him that he didn't remember much about the experience and probably would have thought that Pirate was making the whole thing up if his body didn't hurt so badly.

PIRATE: Pirate smirked at that question, having expected it to be the first thing out of Baby's mouth. "White, mostly. You're small, but you might get bigger as you get older. Maybe I'll stay a human next time and we can do a photoshoot."

KOHL: Kohl just kind of looked at him. "I won't try to hurt you?" He asked, taking another one of the pizza rolls. He was still entirely unsure of how all this worked. "And...when will it happen the next time?" He hoped not too soon since his body still hurt.

PIRATE: "I don't know, you might try to hurt me, but I'm not exactly worried." There was a bit of arrogance in his voice, and maybe it was founded, maybe not. He ate a few more rolls, munching contently as he pondered the best way to explain the answer to Baby's next question. "It comes when it wants. The first year is eradic."

KOHL: Baby stayed silent, finishing off the rest of his meal. He ate and ate and ate some more, more than he thought he could consume. Then he just looked over at Pirate, trying to figure out the strange connection he now felt with the other. He kind of felt covered in Pirate, most likely due to the tongue bath he'd been given and since forgotten, but whatever it was now was making the boy not want to be out of the older man's presence. "Can we finish the movie?" He remembered watching some of The Little Mermaid before.

PIRATE: Pirate quickly glanced around, as if he was scared someone else had magically appeared in the kitchen and could listen in. He was taking precautions in case the title of the movie was mentioned out loud. "All right." Because it sounded appealing, and he was very full at the moment and in desperate need of some more lounging.

KOHL: Kohl got up and took their plates over to the sink, washing them off and putting them in the dishwasher. He was used to picking up after himself at Jonathan and Kelsy's. Then he slowly headed for the stairs, hoping that no one else was around. He wasn't in the mood to talk to other people. "Do I have to stay here forever then?" He asked as they went up the stairs.

PIRATE: Pi was shocked to see Baby pick up. He'd been a demanding little fuck up to that point. But maybe the release of the shift had put him back to a better state. "No, you don't. Once you're under control you can leave. No one is forced to live here, but a lot of us like to be close to the pack." And the alpha. It was a little old fashioned, and Sigmund definitely ran a progressive pack, but he always left room for tradition.

KOHL: And Baby would still be a demanding little fuck later on but for now, all the fight had gone out of him as he struggled to come to terms with his new life. He just nodded and walked along next to Pirate until they reached the room and then he went right over and curled up on Pirate's bed.

PIRATE: Pirate looked annoyed at how comfortable Baby made himself, but really it just made him want to sit down next to him. After a second of staring, he gave up trying to resist and flicked the movie back on as he settled down next to him. His wolf had gotten a taste of the other, and it made Pirate look at the boy with more fondness.

KOHL: Baby scooted closer, his arm going back around Pirate's waist and he just buried his face in the man's chest. He probably wasn't going to end up seeing much of the movie. He was still tuckered out and his body still hurt and he just wanted to sleep it off.

PIRATE: Pirate allowed it, even resting his hand on Kohl's back. "It'll be all right, you know. You've made it through the hardest part." He wanted to encourage the other, though he wasn't the sort to coddle anyone.

KOHL: "Okay," Baby said, sighing a little. He closed his eyes and just took some comfort in Pirate's familiar scent. When he woke up, he would most likely be back to his usual demeanor of annoying little shit but for now, he was content to just drift back to sleep with the other's arm around him.