.The Windy City. {open} « Thread Started on Oct 5, 2009, 1:14am »
R a y
Navy Pier Chicago, IL
"Yes, Pete, I understand that your girlfriend is being crazy. Just because I'm gay does not mean that I understand why women do what they do anymore than you do. Buy her some flowers and try to grovel for forgiveness or something. What am I doing?.... I'm on the pier... Yeah, by myself... What's wrong with coming here by - okay, okay, just go talk to her already and I'll see you at work tomorrow... Bye."
Ray Russotti snapped her phone shut and replaced it in the pocket of her shorts. Her best friend, Peter Ralston, seemed convinced that she must know how to solve every single problem when it came to not understanding a girl that he was dating even though that was very much not the case at all. Lesbians really were not magical advisors capable of fixing any and everything. Dating a girl was really just like dating a guy except for all of the obvious differences. And girls tended to be a lot more emotional in their relationships, at least from what Ray had experienced.
At least he had hung up to scurry off to Amanda or whatever her name was. Peter never seemed to stay with anyone for too long despite how hard he tried to make each relationship work. Ray was glad to be able to enjoy the cool breeze in relative peace. The ferris wheel flashed brightly against the darkening sky as it carried passengers up and around time and time again. Ray couldn't stand going on that thing. She had only ever been once and it had made her stomach drop.
As far as Ray was concerned, if people were meant to be that high then they would have grown wings or something. The red-headed woman scoped out a vendor that sold churros, bought two and then settled herself at a table right at the end of the Pier. A Seadog boat filled with tourists glided away to begin on its route.
Content, Ray occupied herself with the consumption of the first churro. She absolutely loved churros and thought that they were one of the greatest culinary creations since noodles. Seagulls screeched as a boy tossed crumbs out into the water and then they dove sharply and hurriedly to beat all of their kin to the free meal.
Joined: Nov 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 11,119 Location: USA Karma: 186
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #1 on Oct 9, 2009, 2:08pm »
Kaitlyn Lewis
The wind blew Kaitlyn's hair from her face as she stood on the pier staring at the water. This was far from the ocean she had come to know and love while living in LA. The Great Lake had small waves lapping at the posts of the pier that stood tall from it's shallow beach. Kaitlyn watched them seeing how futile the waves efforts were against the wooden intrusions, despite being rougher from the windy day. A small smirk crossed her lips in understanding and commiseration.
Kaitlyn understood futility. It was the basic concept of her life thus far, ever since her ability manifested and caused her family to abandon her in fear, Kaitlyn had been trying in vain to forget the pain, the feelings of insecurity and loss. She tried to move on and make a life for herself. She finished school on her own, graduated without anyone's help and went on to UCLA, graduating in May with honors. Now she had her Bachelor's degree in Zoology and determined the only way to escape her past was a move across the country.
That was what brought her to the Windy City, though it was her wander lust that brought her to the pier. Kaitlyn was making her cross country trip and seeing as many sites as she could along the way. She had been stationary for too long, not to mention solitary. It was time to start over. No one in New York would know her and Kaitlyn determined that when she started her new job at the Metropolitan Zoo there, she would try harder to be the person she wanted to be. The past couldn't drag her into its depths forever. She wouldn't let it.
Pushing off the pier railing, Kaitlyn walked toward the vendor at the end of it. She smelled food, something that made her stomach growl. An instinctual need to eat overcame the woman and she pushed her long dark hair from her face to see what the vendor had to offer. It appeared a bit of Mexican food was in order as she noted tacos and churros on the menu. Kaitlyn smiled. It seemed she could escape the Latinos in California, but never their influence. For that she was quite glad.
"A beef taco and two churros please," Kaitlyn ordered from the man inside. He smiled and went to get them while Kaitlyn reached in her pocket to pull out her cash. She paid the man and took the food with a friendly smile, something she never used to do in LA. Kaitlyn then turned and looked around, spying only one table, but it already had a woman sitting there. Kaitlyn was hesitant to go and ask if she could sit. Friendliness was not her forte. So she walked past the woman and stood at the railing near the table and attempted to hold her food and unwrap her taco, fighting the breeze the entire time.
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #2 on Oct 10, 2009, 1:22pm »
Ray was just munching and musing when a young woman walked by her to stand at the railing close by. The only reason the redhead followed her with her eyes was because, well, she thought she was attractive. She tilted her head slightly, observing the woman for a moment. Unfortunately - it was unfortunate in her mind, at least - a certain someone decided to call her back.
"What, Pete? Aren't you supposed - Wait, what?" Ray stopped abruptly.
"I said that we have a new snow leopard! He was just born like, ten minutes ago!" Peter sounded more than thrilled at the event. Of course, it was for good reason. Afghan leopards were endangered because of people over hunting them and destroying their habitats, so to have a new little boy cub was a great thing to get excited about. When Ray next responded, she was so pumped up about the news that her voice was very easily heard by those people around her.
"That's amazing! Is the veterinarian checking up on him already?... A new snow leopard... That's incredible. Yeah, I'll come to the zoo to see him, Pete, okay? Yes, soon! See you in a little bit." Ray grinned as she snapped her phone closed again. She had every intention of eating her other churro before leaving and possibly getting. She was also thinking of something else to do... It seemed that the pretty woman who had settled herself at the railing may find it a bit strange if she came up and asked if she wanted to come see a new cub at the Lincoln Park Zoo with her.
Joined: Nov 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 11,119 Location: USA Karma: 186
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #3 on Oct 13, 2009, 7:55pm »
Kaitlyn was half way through her taco, fighting the grease that threatened to run down her chin and onto her clothing. She hated to look messy even if she doubted anyone else would notice. She had another plane to catch later that evening, unless she was bumped. The flight from Chicago to New York was notoriously overfilled. Kaitlyn had volunteered for the bump, but would regret it if she ended up with taco on her only set of clean clothes.
Shoving a bite that was far too big into her mouth to try to avoid the greasy mess, Kaitlyn over heard the woman at the table at her back say something about a zoo. She sounded very excited. Kaitlyn covered her mouth with her hand and turned to watch the rest of the conversation. She heard only bits and pieces, but it was enough to interest Kaitlyn. Something had happened at the local zoo and this woman was friends with someone inside.
Once the woman hung up the phone, Kaitlyn hurried to swallow her food. She cleared her mouth with effort and wiped away any stray grease with her napkin before speaking. "Excuse me?" Kaitlyn said, trying to speak over the wind. She waded up her taco trash and held tightly to her two churros as she continued. "I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but... Did I hear you say something happened at the zoo?"
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #4 on Oct 15, 2009, 1:50am »
At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, Ray's eyes flitted upwards and she couldn't help but smile. Well, it was the cute girl she had been admiring. This was an interesting turn of events for her. Most definitely interesting...
"Well, I'm a zookeeper at the Lincoln Park Zoo and I was just talking to one of my coworkers. See, a snow leopard cub was just born. I really mean he was just born. He'll be about eleven or twelve minutes old now. So, I'm going to be going over to the zoo to see him." A bright smile spread over her features, "Uhm... would... would you perhaps like to accompany me? I mean, if you're into the whole baby animals thing. The zoo is kind of my life."
Ray brushed a flyaway tendril of flaming hair out of her face as she awaited a response. She had to hope that she didn't just manage to make herself seem like a creep by inviting a total stranger to come with her.. This wasn't something she was exactly used to doing. Usually, girls came up and hit on her and asked her out. Ray never really had to try it the other way around. Even if it turned out that this woman was completely straight, it would still be an interesting experience. The woman seemed to be anything but threatening.
Joined: Nov 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 11,119 Location: USA Karma: 186
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #5 on Oct 15, 2009, 5:17pm »
What were the odds of this?
Kaitlyn had to keep her mouth from dropping slightly upon hearing she had just met someone else who was a zoologist. The coincidence was compounded by the fact she had not only met her, but also met her at the same time as a new snow leopard was born. Kaitlyn couldn't help but feel the strange sensation of serendipity as well as a bit of awe at how convenient it was she was stuck in Chicago right now on layover.
Kaitlyn's excitement and wonder over it all must have shown on her face because the young woman invited her to go with her to see the new cub. Kaitlyn wasn't sure what to make of it. She rarely met anyone so friendly while in L.A., but then again, she was a very backward and private person while in school. Her abilities made her only really comfortable around animals, and the friendships she tried to make always fell through leaving her with a feeling of more abandonment.
This woman was a stranger, however, and the more Kaitlyn processed the idea, the more she liked it. There was no reason not to accompany the woman. After all, if she was intent on something evil, she would find out quickly she messed with the wrong Latina.
"OK," Kaitlyn replied after only a moment of thought. "I think I'd really like that."
Unsure if she should introduce herself with both her name and her occupation, Kaitlyn just stood there silently. She wasn't quite certain how to make small talk aside from talking about the one thing she loved most: animals. Most people didn't understand and were disinterested, but as Kaitlyn reminded herself, this woman was also a zoologist! Conversation may not be as difficult as she assumed it would be.
"I worked at a zoo in L.A., but we didn't have a snow leopard," Kaitlyn said meekly. She shifted her feet and moved the churros to one hand. "I've read about them, though. How long has your zoo had the parents?"
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #6 on Oct 15, 2009, 10:35pm »
Was this was an extremely unlikely coincidence and, had she really believed in some all-powerful deity, she may have taken it to be a sign of something. However, she didn't believe in any higher power. Ray never really had despite her parent's efforts to get her to know God. It was just a happy accident.
"Well, we've had Asal, the mother, since she was four-months and her mate, Hamasa, since he was six-months. We were lucky to get them paired up when they were young, so, they've pretty much grown up together." Ray absolutely loved talking about the animals at the zoo. She treated them as a part of her own family. The redhead had always assumed that, because of her ability, she was just naturally more in sync with animals than with other people.
She took a very quick moment to go over all of her mimicked abilities in her head. During moments of strong emotions, such as excitement, it seemed that she was prone to accidentally activating one or more of the traits she had absorbed from animals. And she really didn't want to accidentally reveal herself so it was crucial that she run brief self-checks.
Ray stood up after carefully wrapping her remaining churro up and shoving it into her bag. She held out her hand to the other woman and introduced herself in a cheery tone, "Ray Russotti."
She was never really sure whether to tell people her name was Rebecca or Ray, so, she generally opted for Ray simply because she liked it better. She was thrilled to have met someone in the same field that she was in. Usually she only met other zoologists at, well, the zoo.
Joined: Nov 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 11,119 Location: USA Karma: 186
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #7 on Oct 18, 2009, 5:24pm »
Standing there with the churros in her hand, Kaitlyn considered her not only speaking to this woman but also the fact she agreed to accompany her to the local zoo. She had come a long way these last two years. When she was first abandoned by her family, Kaitlyn didn't think she could ever trust anyone again, but then Arthur came along. He breathed life into her soul, as well as a bit of hope when he kissed her. Thus, when he too disappeared, Kaitlyn nearly forgot all she had learned by having his friendship.
It was only recently she really grew past her fear of opening up at all. Of course, that's not to say she was outgoing by any stretch of the imagination. No, Kaitlyn was far from unguarded. She was more willing to talk to humans than she used to be, but considering she was more introverted even as a child, some things were bound to never change. The only constant in her life was her attachment to the animal kingdom. She was almost one of them, at least in her own mind, and it allowed her a kindred spirit she otherwise had never felt.
Hearing the woman speaking of the snow leopards, Kaitlyn allowed a small smile to cross her lips. She enjoyed hearing about animals and was already piecing together in her mind how they two big cats interacted. She could already hear the conversations in her mind knowing the two spent much time together. It seemed universal, really. No matter the animal, they all had an innate understanding of relationships, something Kaitlyn felt most humans had yet to grasp.
"They sound wonderful," Kaitlyn replied, unsure how to keep the conversation moving an not become awkward. The woman extended her hand then and introduced herself. Kaitlyn reached out her hand to shake the other woman's. As she did, she felt something she had never felt before. It was similar to the feeling she got when touching an animal instead of another human being. Kaitlyn looked at her with a slight tilt of hr head but attempted not to miss a beat.
"Kaitlyn Lewis," she responded giving Ray's hand a light shake and then retrieving it. She looked at her hand a second before pushing it into her jean's pocket, then gave a small smile as the wind blew her hair in her face. Something strange just happened, but for the life of her, Kaitlyn had no idea what it was.
"I'm only here for a day at most," Kaitlyn told Ray. "I'm on layover on my way to New York and my new job, so maybe we ought go before I get a call that says they found a seat for me on a plane? I'd be really sad if I missed the new leopard," she mused demurely.
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #8 on Oct 19, 2009, 10:54pm »
Ray was certainly not someone to disappoint if she could avoid it. With a bright, hopefully charming, smile she started down the pier. It was unfortunate that the young woman was only in Chicago for a layover, but, there wasn't anything that she could do about that. She may as well try to at least try to make a new friend out of the woman while she could. She didn't have enough female friends. Actually, she couldn't think of more than one woman that she talked to on a regular basis. Most of her time was spent around the opposite sex and the guys all treated her just like one of them.
Maybe she should work on that...?
As the pair made their way to the Lincoln Park Zoo from Navy Pier, Ray kept up a rather lively commentary about the various animals in the zoo. The tigers, sand cats, gorillas, owls and so many more. She told the story of how an owl had once flown into the zoo one day and simply refused to leave the African wild dogs alone. It had been an extremely strange occurrence. The owl had followed the pack around for weeks. It moved from tree to tree to be closer to the pack. At times it even acted as though it was looking after a batch of young pups that had been born before its arrival. None of the wild dogs were at all bothered by the bird's presence. In fact, the owl had once fluttered right onto the ground and allowed itself to be toppled over by one of the pups before returning to its place in the tree.
As a child, Ray had always been far more drawn to animals than she had to humans. Animals just made so much more sense to her. However, her parents had been very good with making their daughter interact with other kids so that she would build necessary social skills. Nonetheless, no one had been able to stop little Ray from bringing home every animal she could get her hands on and she could get her hands on animals that usually ran from people. For example, one evening she had waltzed in from the playground with a chipmunk in her. Her teacher had assumed that the little bugger was dead and attempted to coax the young girl to hand the body over. Ray, puzzled, had simply placed the fuzzy rodent outside of the door and giggled as it took off and vanished under some bushes.
Of course, her constant contact with animals also resulted in the accidental acquisition of the traits of those animals. The incident with the chipmunk had resulted in some very odd, fidgety behavior on young Ray's part. Her parents had settled her down and given her instructions the best they could to teach her how to control her ability. Because she learned about it so early on, Ray had quickly advanced with her power and had grown very comfortable with it.
"Follow me... and here we are!" Ray had led her companion into a restricted indoor area that was specifically for the big cats of the zoo. Peter was up ahead watching the veterinarian handle a small fluffy cub.
"Meet the newest addition to our Lincoln Park family." She spoke very proudly as though about her own child. Ray couldn't stop the grin that dominated her features and didn't even acknowledge Peter until he cleared his throat loudly and pointedly. "Oh... Right, and that's Peter Ralston. He's another zookeeper here. Peter, this is Kaitlyn Lewis. She came to see our baby boy."
Peter sidled over to stand next to Kaitlyn, a casual smile on his face as he tried to inconspicuously look her up and down. It was a typical boy move to think he was being so smooth when, in reality, he was being about as subtle as spontaneous combustion. The snow leopard cub was squeaking for his mother as he squirmed in the veterinarian's hands.
Joined: Nov 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 11,119 Location: USA Karma: 186
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #9 on Oct 21, 2009, 4:45pm »
The woman seemed un-offended by Kaitlyn rushing them off, which was good. Kait wasn't sure if mentioning her situation would be construed as rude or just a statement of truth, but she found honesty was the only way to go when dealing with people. At least, as much honesty as they could handle, that is. Telling people she could talk to animals and mimic some of their abilities was usually a bit too far to go when being truthful, but she had never been asked a question directly concerning that and it was unlikely to ever happen in her lifetime, so Kaitlyn didn't worry too much.
Following the woman off the pier to her vehicle, Kaitlyn wondered if this is what it was like to trust people and not shy away from opportunities. Surely she could have gotten a taxi and gone to the zoo on her own, but she had taken a chance to talk to this woman and now she would likely get a personal introduction to the animal that would not yet be on public display. The coincidence this woman was a zoo keeper like herself was astounding, and not something Kaitlyn had yet dismissed but pondered the entire trip to the zoo while Ray filled her in on the animals they kept there.
It seemed Ray had the same fondness for her animals as Kaitlyn did. They way she spoke of them was passionate and Kaitlyn felt she found something of a kindred spirit. Sure, most of the men and women she worked with in L.A. liked animals, but she rarely found anyone to speak to her with the kind of familiarity and adoration ray seemed to possess. It was really rather refreshing if not more intriguing. The coincidences just kept multiplying, and it appeared Ray was also placed in that exact place at that exact time just so Kaitlyn could meet her. If the former student was still as paranoid as she once was, she might have run away when the car stopped at the zoo, but Kaitlyn had grown up and kept only caution in the back of her mind.
Gaining access inside the zoo, Kaitlyn followed Ray to the snow leopards. Kaitlyn listened to both Ray and the animals as they walked through the zoo, hearing Ray's excitement and the usual animal banter throughout. It seemed most animals were simply content as long as they could feed and have company, though a few who had once been wild often longed for their freedom. Those were rare in the zoos these days as most had been born in captivity and never knew any different.
"Meet the newest addition to our Lincoln Park family," Ray announced as they walked into the veterinarian's office. Kaitlyn's eyes went right for the small ball of fur in the hand of the man, not really even noticing him in the process. She smiled and moved forward, hearing the internal cries and sensing the fears of the newborn cub. She stood close to the vet as Ray introduced her to the man, and raised her eyes to notice him for the first time. She smiled congenially and, being the naive young woman she was, failed to notice his eyes wander over her before settling on her face.
"Nice to meet you, Dr. Ralston," Kaitlyn replied amicably, a small smile on her face. The cub mewed and squirmed and Kaitlyn's eyes were drawn back to the tiny creature. She slowly moved her hand to touch the cub, noting she probably shouldn't but couldn't help herself. Silently, she attempted to comfort the cub, speaking soothing words to it mentally as her hand gently stroked its furry head.
"I bet you're hungry, aren't you?" Kaitlyn cooed quietly but aloud, relaying what she had understood from the newborn's actions and mental stress in a way that wouldn't seem odd to the others.
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #10 on Oct 30, 2009, 12:45am »
The little cub responded to Kaitlyn immediately. The insistent squeaking died away go nothing and all he really did was squirm a little bit. The little ball of fluff was, indeed, pretty hungry and he craved the warmth of his mother's fur and the protection that she provided. He didn't understand what was going on and why he was seemingly suspended in the air by some strangely scented animal.
"Huh... Well, it looks like he likes you!" Peter mused, smiling curiously as the woman stroked the newborn cub. Ray couldn't tear her eyes away from the pair together. There was a strange feeling rising in her chest; an odd sense of kinship, almost. There was no other way she could think to phrase it. The woman raised a hand and moved red hair from her face. Unfortunately, her hair never listened to her for long and soon a few rogue strands swept across her face again.
This woman, Kaitlyn, had quite a bit in common with herself. Had she stopped to really think about it, she would have found it rather perplexing. Her hand, having fallen back down to her side, flexed a little bit as she recalled the brief connection she had thought she experienced when she had shaken Kaitlyn's hand. It had been an extremely odd sensation of familiarity and she had thought that she had imagined it. However, now she was fairly certain that the connection had actually been there.
Her only problem was that she had absolutely no idea why the feeling had flushed through her body and then suddenly vanished, leaving behind only a lingering relaxation. She had no idea why, but she felt pretty comfortable about Kaitlyn. It was an odd move for her to bring the woman back to the zoo with her, but she had done it nonetheless and she hadn't rethought that choice once. Usually, if she had done something with a stranger, she would have reconsidered her decision because, well, it would have to do with a stranger; someone she didn't know.
Generally speaking, Ray did not like, and was not particularly good at, interacting with people she didn't know. The zoologist stretched out her arms languidly as she caught Peter giving Kaitlyn another look. Eyes narrowed and flashed warningly at her friend. Peter, rolling his eyes, shifted himself away slightly from the Latina, but refused to stop checking her out. These actions managed to annoy Ray.
"[b]Any ideas for a name for the little guy?[b]"
Peter's eyes were fixed on Kaitlyn as he asked the question in a bright tone, trying to act smooth and oh-so-cool to try to somehow impress the woman with his charm and looks. Ray did not like it. Not at all. The irritation grew and flared up even more so in her chest and she burned holes into Peter's forehead with the intense heat of her glare.
Joined: Nov 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 11,119 Location: USA Karma: 186
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #11 on Nov 2, 2009, 7:56pm »
Kaitlyn stroked the soft fur of the new cub. She would have taken and cradled him but she understood this was not her place to do so. She wasn't in her own zoo, and frankly, the people in the room were strangers to her. Even Ray only had her word for it that she was a zookeeper, and Peter had nothing but her name. She looked sheepishly up to the man who was holding the cub, shy due to her social awkwardness not because of how he seemed to be staring at her.
"Hmm, a name," she repeated as she thought to herself. She recalled many good names but wondered more what the mother would wish to call her son rather than what these people chose to. However, Kaitlyn did not presume she would have a chance to ask the mother leopard, especially not before she could answer the veterinarian before her.
A clap of thunder rocked the room, rumbling through the walls and causing the small leopard to squirm in the man's hands a bit more. Kaitlin cooed to the cub, soothing it with thoughts of her mind while verbally merely whispering quieting words. She looked back to the doctor once he quieted a bit and smiled. "Perhaps Ochir," she offered with a small chuckle. "It means "thunderclap" in Sanskrit, native to Tibet and it's a very masculine name."
Casting a sideways glance to Ray, the woman who brought her here, Kaitlyn was caught off guard slightly by her stare. She looked to be giving the man a death glare. Kaitlyn wondered if the two were an item and she was apparently too close to him for Ray's liking. It was either that or something else entirely, but whatever it was, Kaitlyn let her hand slide off the cub and cleared her throat gently. She looked back at Peter and nodded.
"Thanks for letting me pet him," she said and took a step back to give the man and cub some space. Hopefully that would help Ray look less ... whatever she was. Kaitlyn wasn't an expert with people, having had little interaction, but she wasn't stupid. Something was going on between the man and woman. She just couldn't be sure the reason behind the interaction and determined to play it safe.
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #12 on Nov 4, 2009, 6:10pm »
Peter hid his disappointment when and rolled his eyes as a look of triumph flitted briefly across Ray's features. Disgruntled as he would be later about the whole thing, she honestly didn't care. They always went through the same little act whenever they were both interested in the same attractive woman. It really was no big deal at all.
"Ochir? Awesome!" Peter moved to jot the name down on a chart for the little cub. After he did so, he looked up at the two women with a broad grin. "He'll be right lady killer with all of his macho-ness."
The snow leopard cub was growing more and more insistent about getting his meal. So, he was determined to make this fact known and call to his mother while he was at it. Tiny limbs began flailing in Peter's hands and he squeaked louder than ever to make sure that all attention was on him. His instincts told him that he must be fed as soon as possible for the sake of his survival. So, his squeaking persisted.
"We should get him back to his mother, Pete. Here, I'll take him." Ray gently took the cub into her hands, ignoring the slight glare that Peter sent her way. She was obviously asserting herself to him and he didn't like it one bit. He wasn't going to throw a big tantrum or anything like that. He would simply go along with it and sulk at her later when they went to get drinks as they generally did.
He made a slight move to draw nearer to Kaitlyn, but the sharp, lingering glare sent him moving a step or two back instead. If he had been paying closer attention the details of his best friend's appearance, he would have noticed a brief change in shape of her pupils and the color of her irises. For a moment, the true essence of the feline in her hands had risen to the surface to threaten Peter. She hadn't been concentrating when she took the little guy into her grasp and so her power had gotten the better of her. However, it was only a momentary change. Even so, Ray was hoping that Kaitlyn had caught a glimpse of her little mishap.
"Would you like to come meet Asal?" Ray extended the offer to Kaitlyn as she cradled the cub close her chest, smiling affectionately down at the cub. She really couldn't explain what she was feeling. It was like some kind of strange connection, but that didn't make any sense to her at all.
Joined: Nov 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 11,119 Location: USA Karma: 186
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #13 on Nov 6, 2009, 8:45pm »
Kaitlyn watched with interest at the exchange of looks between the man and woman. She couldn't decide what it was for certain, but the staging seemed to remind her of the stallions vying for position as leader of the herd. It seemed strange in a way, but being colleagues in the zoo, they may have been at peer levels in some way although it seemed unlikely considering Peter was a doctor. Perhaps Ray was as well, she just hadn't told her as much.
With an inward sigh, Kaitlyn realized she should have paid more attention the last few years in college. She had simply kept her head down and studied, worked and slept. That was about all her life consisted of back then, and while she was content at the time, she felt mild regret she didn't study humans as much as she did her animal friends. If she did, Kaitlyn was fairly sure she would know much more of what was transpiring around her. Oh well, it was never too late to start.
"I'm glad you like it," Kaitlyn told Peter upon his exclamation. She smiled meekly. "And I'm sure Ochir appreciates your vote of confidence on his macho-ness."
Watching as Ray took the small animal, Kaitlyn felt a small sense of jealousy which she quickly stifled. The woman obviously had a way with animals and she was not mishandling the cub by any means. Kaitlyn just wished it was her holding the animal and cuddling it closely instead of Ray. She reminded herself that it wouldn't be long till she was back in a zoo she could claim as her own and handle the animals all she liked. In fact, she got to look forward to meting many new friends in New York.
Human friends, too, Kaitlyn reminded herself.
Ray surprised Kaitlyn she mentioned moving from the room. Peter took a step toward her, only to move back abruptly. Kaitlyn's eyes darted to the other woman's and for a fleeting instant could have sworn her eyes looked more cat like than human. Kaitlyn blinked and the vision of yellowing eyes disappeared, but the glare Ray was giving Peter had not. Was she marking her territory? Like one of the cat's she held in her arms? And if so, what were the implications of that?
Shaking her head, Kaitlyn affirmed she would very much like to meet the parents of Ochir. She cast a sidelong look toward Peter, almost apologetic for any trouble she inadvertently caused between he and Ray, although Kaitlyn was at a loss how her mere presence had done so.
"Thank you again," Kaitlyn said with a smile and a nod to the veterinarian. She took a step toward the exit and made motion she was prepared to leave all the while wondering still what kind of mess she had gotten into and what in the world it was she thought she'd seen in Ray. It could have been nothing, just her imagination, or it could be more. So much more...
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #14 on Nov 6, 2009, 11:23pm »
Peter smiled brilliantly at Kaitlyn before the two women exited and left him alone. The lingering territorial feelings of the feline that had momentarily seized control of her mind were beginning to dissipate. The brief lapse in control had been taken care of. She could really only hope that Kaitlyn, if she had seen her eyes, chalked it up to her imagination.
It was a short walk to the next building where Asal was being held in a special "maternity ward". Undoubtedly, she was anxious to have her cub back so that she could nourish the little boy. His father would remain in the exhibit for the safety of both mother and cub. When Ochir was old enough to become independent, then the little guy would remain in the exhibit with his parents for a few months before being relocated to find a breeding partner in another zoo.
It was always a bit depressing when Ray thought about having to split parents from their progeny, but, on the other hand, they were contributing to conserving their species for the future. It was somewhat comforting to think about, but it still didn't make her any happier about having to do it, even if it was for a good reason.
As the two entered through the door to the building, they were greeted by a loud growl. Asal had been restlessly pacing around her indoor enclosure. She was confused; angry; fearful. Her cub had been settled comfortably against her coat and, after few minutes of resting, she had stood up and padded through an opening to quench her thirst. Then the opening had disappeared and left her parted from her newborn cub. Ever since, she had been calling to her young one in the hopes of hearing his response so she could go find him. So far, she had had no such luck. Her powerful maternal instincts pushed her to continue her low rumbling growls to her young one.
Ochir began squeaking loudly and insistently while his tiny limbs pushed feebly against Ray's chest. She was more than glad to return the babe to his rightful place cuddled against his mother. Before she moved to take the cub back to his mother, she paused to allow Kaitlyn the chance to pet him a little more if she so desired. The redheaded woman's eyes were bright and she smiled at the other woman. As quietly as possible, Ray slipped into the softly lit enclosure with plenty of bedding on the floor. She carefully settled Ochir on the soft, warm bedding and then quickly exited.
Normally, she would just stay in and open the small door for Asal to come back to see her cub. After all, animals didn't hurt her. She connected with them; calmed them. They never took issue with her presence around them. It had something to do with her ability, but Ray didn't fully understand her power. At least she knew how to keep control over it. Since she had to keep up the appearance of being a regular human being, Ray exited the room and quickly pressed the little button that would raise the door. The moment the opening presented itself, Asal raced through and made a beeline for her young cub.
"And, of course, this is Asal." Ray glanced over at Kaitlyn, still grinning from the sight of the mother nuzzling her offspring. Ray took a few moments to simply observe the attractive woman next to her. The territorial feline instincts fought to rise to the surface again; they were demanding that she claim what was rightfully hers. She could feel the insistent leopard mindset fighting to gain some control and knew that it may or may not try to manifest its presence in her own physicality like it had done before with her eyes. "I think she's really going to make a fantastic mother to Ochir. What do you think?"
She lightly rubbed her hands because her fingers had begun to ache slightly. In Ray's experiences with her ability, she had quickly learned that predatory animals seemed to have more focused instincts that were often coupled with persistence and, so, they were occasionally hard to suppress. Prey animals had overwhelmingly flighty personalities, but were usually easy to keep under control than, say, a leopard. Ray's fingers were hurting because the strong leopard personality was trying to extend claws. However, it would seem more than a bit unusual if her nails just started growing spontaneously in front of the other woman. It would be a dead giveaway and she certainly couldn't have that. Ray's nails had pushed out just a little bit and had sharpened slightly because the leopard instincts were resolute in getting their way.
Joined: Nov 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 11,119 Location: USA Karma: 186
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #15 on Nov 9, 2009, 4:00am »
Kaitlyn wasn't naive enough not to notice her smile had an effect on Peter. His smile was very nice to her as she departed and when Kaitlyn looked back she saw his eyes lingering on her. It made her feel a little funny to think he was checking her out for a possible mate. While the thought was less discomforting than it used to be, Kaitlyn still did not believe herself ready for human relationships beyond those of learning to be a friend. She gave him a fleeting wave and walked out the door with Ray.
They crossed the distance to the lair of the big cats in little time, Kaitlyn listening more to the cub than to Ray, but that was only because Ray had stayed silent. They reached the service entrance to the cave-like dwelling that posed as a natural habitat for the new mother and cub. It wasn't that large, but big enough that the mother leopard was pacing in circles around and through the areas, entering then leaving through the same entrance as she looked in vain for her cub. Kaitlyn heard her anxious thoughts and didn't dawdle much when Ray offered her to pet the newborn one last time.
When Asal moved back outside, Ray sneaked in and laid the baby in its place and quickly exited. Kaitlyn smiled at her as she did and the two watched the mother find Ochir. The reunion was beautiful.
"I think she's really going to make a fantastic mother to Ochir. What do you think?" Ray asked.
"Definitely," Kaitlyn replied, a smile spreading over her face even more than the friendly one she had given Ray before. Her eyes stayed on Asal and her cub through the observation window, the bathing had begun already. "Look at her. She already is."
Kaitlyn noticed Ray begin to rub her hands together. It was almost like she was either cold and trying to circulate the blood or like something perhaps bit her and she was wringing her hands to rid herself of the feeling. Kaitlyn looked back up at Ray, meeting her eyes and noticed she seemed stressed.
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #16 on Nov 9, 2009, 10:02pm »
"Huh?" Ray's eyes rose to meet Kaitlyn's.
Even though she had had her ability since she was an infant, she still couldn't say she had complete and utter control over it. Now, she did have a great deal of control and could use her power very precisely. While she was excellent with the physical aspect of her ability, it was a slightly different story with the mental part. Sometimes, the animal instincts permanently wedged in her brain could sometimes be overwhelming. The instincts of the animals that she mimicked manifested themselves as perpetual whispers in her ear; feral thoughts that rampaged around her consciousness.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it." Ray offered the other woman a smile that she hoped was convincing. The leopard was not at all pleased at her attempts to lock it away in the recesses of her mind. So, it pressed forward violently and with all the force that it could muster. Ray quickly averted her eyes, hoping that the second brief change in the color and shape of her eyes would go unnoticed.
This was always a complication with working around animals. It always seemed the the big cats, wild dogs and other large predators put up the biggest fight. She had difficulty every time she mimicked that particular category of animals. The strange thing about what was happening to her was that the animal's instincts and fight had always faded away by that point. And, yet, at the moment, the leopard was refusing to back down and she couldn't figure out why. Something was driving the feline to keep trying to force itself to the surface. Chalking it up to her lack of mental training with her ability, Ray made a mental note that she really needed to practice with her power more so she could gain more control.
She took a silent, deep breath to compose herself as she looked back up at her companion. Ray was very much hoping that she could play off her strange behavior and act as though nothing had happened. With any luck, Kaitlyn hadn't seen those piercing feline irises that had briefly replaced her own.
Joined: Nov 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 11,119 Location: USA Karma: 186
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #17 on Nov 10, 2009, 6:20pm »
Kaitlyn watched the agitation Ray was exhibiting and wondered what it was that was bringing it about. Her hands were busy collapsing over one another in an exaggerated effort to be calm, or so it appeared. Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow. Was her smile back to Peter that big of a deal? Was her attempt at being friendly taken as some kind of mating ritual in its early stages? The sad truth was that Kaitlyn had no clue. She thought Peter had seen her as such while in the veterinarian's office, but she also thought she saw Ray's eyes turn yellow. Kaitlyn couldn't trust her instincts with anyone but animals it seemed.
Then, as Ray flashed her a smile in assurance everything was fine, Kaitlyn saw it again. Her eyes became cat-like before she turned her head away. Kaitlyn nearly gasped aloud. She did take a subconscious step backward and felt herself touch a cart that was in the room. It wasn't possible, was it? For someone to be like her and have their eyes change to become animal like? Arthur had told her once there were others, but Kaitlyn knew him to only be precognitive. Anyone could have a sort of sixth sense, she thought, but not just anyone could connect to animals like she did.
Watching the back of Ray's head, Kaitlyn went over it in her mind. She knew she had felt something when the two shook hands at the pier, but Kaitlyn chalked it up to her having little to no human contact. Then seeing her with the cub and noting how Asal didn't seem to particularly mind smelling the zoologist on her cub, although she wasn't particularly happy about Peter or Kaitlyn scent, as Kaitlyn was keen to read the leopard mother's mind at their greeting. That meant Asal had somehow connected to Ray in a way that seemed natural to the animal, a way only likened to Kaitlyn as the kind of connection she often shared.
Taking a deep breath, Kaitlyn ventured to stand up straighter. She had no idea how to ask the woman if she could connect to animals in a unique way, or if she was able to communicate with them like she did. Worse, it would be awful to ask her if she was able to mimic animal traits only to find out Kaitlyn was all wrong in her assessment. It would make her appear unstable mentally to the zoologist, and having a poor reputation here could carry on to her new appointment at the New York Metropolitan Zoo. Any kind of questions about her character could also get her taken back to LA because of the crimes she'd committed there using her friends from the zoo to help.
All in all, it was a very bad idea to approach Ray about what she suspected. However, that rarely kept the young woman from doing anything. She just needed to go about it in a way that would not expose her own secret unless Ray affirmed she herself was different.
"The animals," Kaitlyn began, trying to sort out how to find out certain things before moving on. "They really seem to take to you. Do they allow you into their habitat very often?"
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #18 on Nov 10, 2009, 10:50pm »
"Well... Yeah, they do, actually! I don't know, the animals just don't seem to mind me. They must be used to be because I'm around here all of the time. A few of them seem to have it out for Pete, though. It must be because his job is to poke and prod at them and you can't blame them for not appreciating that." Ray gave a light-hearted smile and then continued with her smooth, practiced explanation. It wasn't as though Kaitlyn was the first one to notice how tolerant the animals were of her.
"I've always just been an animal person, you know? I was one of those kids that would bring every stray cat and dog back to the house and beg my parents to keep them. And we gained a lot of animals that way. Did you ever do that?" Ray was carefully trying to steer the conversation in a controlled, predictable direction. Even though the likelihood of anyone even getting close to guessing her secret was slim to none, she still thought it was best to stay away from topics that could even remotely expose her.
The leopard's instincts were definitely beginning to fade back. It was about freaking time too. Slowly, but surely, the aggressiveness of the feline was slinking back and giving way to Ray's refusal to completely give in. She stretched out her arms, feeling her tightly bunched muscles begin to pull apart briefly as she flexed slightly. Maybe Ray needed to get a massage or something. Her various muscle groups always seemed as though they were so rigidly wound together and sometimes it would ache violently because her body was just not loose enough.
She considered herself to be a fairly relaxed person, but her perpetually tense form said otherwise. Ray turned and studied the other woman, keeping her face polite and amiable. She noted that Kaitlyn had taken a step backwards, away from her. She seemed not to have realized what she had done and Ray mused over the reaction in her mind. Had she possibly seen the change in her eyes? The thought was most certainly troubling to contemplate.
"[b]Are you okay, Kaitlyn?[b]" She sounded concerned and gentle, trying to alleviate any suspicions that may have crossed her mind if she had, indeed, seen the leopard's eyes manifest in place of her own.
Joined: Nov 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 11,119 Location: USA Karma: 186
Re: .The Windy City. {open} « Reply #19 on Nov 13, 2009, 8:22pm »
Kaitlyn wasn't at all surprised by Ray's answer. She knew the woman was close to the animals. Of course hearing Ray confirm it simply made Kaitlyn realize that the probability of her seeing what she thought she saw was much higher now. If Ray was like her, though, Kaitlyn still had to figure out what that would mean. Ray could not be aware of her abilities like Kaitlyn was aware of her own, having utilized and practiced with them for years now. Then again, Ray did turn away as her eyes flashed yellow... She had to be at least aware.
Sighing inwardly as Ray turned the tables on her while she thought, Kaitlyn wasn't sure how to respond to her obvious placement with her back to the cart. It was apparent she had backed away from Ray and now it was time for either truth or consequence. Either that or Kaitlyn ignored the entire thing and moved on to New York in the morning never knowing if there was someone else like her in the world, and that was something the lonely woman simply couldn't allow to happen. She'd been isolated because of her ability to communicate and mimic animals for almost a decade. Shed be damned if she'd miss this opportunity to know.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Kaitlyn replied with a small, mirthless chuckled. She smiled at Ray and then shook her head. "The truth is that ... Well, I know it sounds stupid but I thought I saw your eyes turn yellow a second ago." Kaitlyn paused and watched Ray closely. "It must be the jet lag," she commented innocently as if she were giving the girl a way out. That was stupid of her but at the same time, Kaitlyn wasn't yet convinced she wanted to reveal her own secrets. She'd play it out and see what happened, hoping to have an answer to the question that was now niggling at the back of her mind.
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