Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Jaina pulled into town on her motorcycle. She yanked her black helmet off, fingers running through her short white hair. She'd made a point to stay where wolves were naturally, to keep from looking out of place. She had pulled into a McDonald's, not that she particularly enjoyed their burgers but, she was hungry. She secured her bags, the backpack-like ones that required codes to open, and then headed inside. She purchased a double cheese burger, only ketchup, and a large fry. She headed back out and sat on the curb beside her bike, frowning at the burger. God, the meat was so over-cooked. If you could call it meat. She'd have to remember to go hunting later on, get some real meat. With that thought, she took a bite of the burger, attempting to eat it quickly. The fries, she actually liked those, those she would save for last.

Melissa sighed, hands in her pockets, head down.  She followed the familiar route down the street; the one she took nearly daily to school.  But not today.  Today was one of the first days she was not going, as she was taking a break.  That kind of hurt.  One of the proudest things for her was being able to say she was going to school, especially with what had happened.  And now she wasn't.  She shrugged, clearing her mind, counting down from 10 in Russian as she often did when she began thinking to much.  Or remembering.  She glanced up, checking to see if the McDonald's she occasionally ate at was still there, as if it wouldn't be.  Unsurprisingly, it was.  As she walked towards the entrance, she noticed an unfamiliar motorcycle.  Unusual.  She recognized most of the bikers in the small town, and this one was different.  Next to it, she noticed a woman with striking, pure white hair.  At this, she raised an eyebrow.  Melissa bit the inside of her lip in nervousness before approaching the woman, and clearing her throat and asking, "Excuse me...How do you get your hair like that?"

Jaina had finished the burger and was now working on her fries. She paused when she heard footsteps approaching. A quick sniff of the air told her it was just a human. Humans were strange, so guided by emotions. She hated that, honestly. Bittens were just the same. Bittens were too human. Still, no reason to hate either group, right? And so, she didn't. She didn't hate. The 19 year old's unnatural, ice-blue eyes flicked up to the girl as she spoke. There was an accent, Tennessee, unless she was mistaken. The girl had red hair, obviously treated, no hair was that shade of red naturally. Maybe she was into hair dyes, that would explain the inquiry into her own snowy hair. As she spoke, her South Carolinian accent coated her words, though not heavily enough to effect the clarity of the words, "The white's natural. Turned this color a long time ago." Of course, she normally never said how her previously long, ebony hair had made the change to short and pure white. Even she wasn't entirely certain how it had changed colors. What she did know was that it had happened when she'd first shifted. A white wolf was supposed to be a good sign so, she assumed she'd been born to have her form be a white wolf. Since hair color and pelt color were linked, the white had just won out over the black. At least, this was her theory.

Melissa blinked slightly at the tone and abruptness of the statement.  "Oh.  Well, that's...Interesting." She shrugs, "Mine is slightly dyed.  Not much, but, yeah." She looked down at her feet.  This was one of the few times she'd talked to a stranger since her abduction.  After a short pause, she added, "How..Did that happen?" She looked up, more determined now, forcing herself to not be awkward in the conversation.  She would not let the past follow her.  Melissa took in the rest of the girl as she spoke.  The girl was pretty, almost unnaturally so.  Especially her eyes.  The ice blue wasn't something she'd seen often, if ever, but, it was no more unusual than the hair. Oddly, it went well with the hair, as if the two were paired.  Melissa glanced towards the inside, noticing there wasn't much of a line, and so decided to stick out here a little longer, see if she could get this mysterious girl to talk.  After all, this person was different.  Not from around here.  And therefore, interesting.

Jaina pulled a cigarette from her jacket pocket, as well as a lighter. She glanced up at the girl again, briefly, before her eyes flicked back down to the cigarette as she lit it, placing it to her lips, inhaling and exhaling smoke as she listened to the next question. "An event in my childhood. It's not really important and it was a long time ago." She gave a gentle smile, keeping her tone equally gentle. She stood, dusting her jeans off. She fiddled with a red dog collar she was wearing, for a moment. The metal tag on it red 'Gypsy'. She watched the girl, half leaned against the motorcycle, giving her cigarette another puff.

Melissa watched as she lit the cigarette up, not saying anything.  She wasn't a smoker herself, but had nothing against it.  Although, the smoke from it never sat well for her.  She stifled a cough, and said, "Ahh...Well, I guess that's fine." Melissa shrugged, adding, "So where are you from?"  As the girl moved leaned on the motorcycle and fiddled with the collar, Melissa finally noticed the collar for the first time.  She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, as it didn't necessarily surprise her.  She was beginning to regret striking a conversation with this woman; she could be dangerous.  Well, I am too... The girl also didn't seem to want to talk much.  Probably a transient or a drifter...

Jaina noted the irritation that the smoke was causing and snuffed the cigarette out on the palm of her hand and the tossed it into her now empty food bag. "Charleston, South Carolina. Well, the outskirts of it. You're from Tennessee, yeah? The accent gives it away." She gave a bit of a smirk, watching the raised eyebrow. "No, I'm not some strange punk that's into that 'furry' crap. I've been asked that before when wearing this collar. It was my dog's, I kept it as a reminder." Much like any proud parent would, she yanked out her wallet to show the girl a photo of her babies. There were photos of she and a group, she and a guy, she and an older man who was most likely her father, then a photo of a Dalmatian and a Red-bone Coon Hound, as well as one of a Coyote. She stopped on the one of the two dogs, "These were my pups, Gypsy and Cooper." She beamed proudly as she showed them off.

Melissa blinked, reassessing her view on this girl. "You didn't have to do that, but thank you."  As the girl mentioned Charleston, Melissa nodded, "I know that place.  Had a friend from there, before..I lost contact with her.  And, yes! Born 'n raised.  Knoxville area." She beamed proudly as she spoke of her home town, then laughed a bit when the girl began mentioning the collar, "Ah, well, I was wondering, but thought it'd be impolite to ask..."  Melissa moved closer, almost cautiously out of reflex, but trying to to let the girl notice.  She looked at the picture, smiling slightly, "They're quite lovely, but what about the Coyote?" She pointed as she mentioned it.  She also was wondering about the photo of the group, the guys, and the one with the older man, but figured it'd be impolite to ask, and more importantly, didn't want to offend this girl.  With her other hand, she reached and also took out her wallet, thumbing through it and glancing at it, finding the picture with her and her brothers.  She figured that since this girl had shared something, she should too.

Jaina smiled a bit, "Yeah, people get mixed ideas about me. I'm just a dog-lover who has a motorcycle. Not so scary." The collar did clash with the rest of her more Native American jewelry but, she didn't mind that. She flipped to the one of the Coyote, "Ah, this is Neil. My dad and I found him in a hunter trap we I was younger, after Gypsy and Coop passed on. He was hurt so, we took him in and healed him up." She smiled down at the picture before flipping her wallet shut and putting it up. Her icy eyes flicked over to the picture the girl had. "Strong resemblance. Your brothers?"

Melissa blushed slightly, "Hmm? Oh! I'm not afraid of you at all" She nods matter-of-factly, and adds, "You seem nice enough.  Just, not a lot of people come around here, 'specially dressed like you."  Melissa looked at the picture of the coyote, nodding, "I'm sure he appreciated the help.  He stay with your dogs? I don't imagine they took too well to him."  She was starting to like this girl.  There was something about her that Melissa couldn't place though.  Something that made her oddly nice to be around.  Not in an attraction way, but there was definitely something.  A perfume, maybe? She didn't think about it long, classifying it as not important, before flicking her green eyes to the picture, and nodding, "Yeah.  The big one's Peter, he's the oldest.  Other is Michael...He...Took care of me a lot" A slight frown tugged at the corners of her lips, and her eyebrows lowered slightly.  It hurt, remembering them.  She hadn't seen Peter in...God, years, at least.  She didn't even know if he knew what had happened to Dad.  And Michael....He almost got off easy.  Almost.  Would've been if they hadn't tortured him before killing him.  She still hadn't gotten the screams out of her head.  No, I won't do this.  Not now.  Past.  Michael is gone.  Peter...Might as well be.  It's over.

Jaina shook her head at the question of her dogs and the Coyote mixing, "Naw, they'd both passed on, by then. They were old dogs. They woulda love Neil, though." She gave a slight smile at that, though it was obvious that their deaths saddened her like losing a child would. The bond that was visible was oddly close. "My brothers both skipped out on the family after my mom died." It had been her and her father. Always her and her father. Until the hunter... God, she hated hunters. Killing for sport. Who did that? Murderers did that. She could sense the sadness, her wolf catching it. Her head tilted in that strangely dog-like way, "You don't have yours either, huh? I won't press. We all have our secrets. Trust me, I've got plenty, I know."

Melissa nodded somberly, "Oh, I'm sorry.  I'm sure they would have.  They look like great dogs!"  Melissa sighed, nodding, "Yeah, Peter got out soon as he could.  Michael stayed.  Had to.  My old man probably would've killed me if he hadn't been there.  Mom divorced him later...I don't blame her." Melissa shrugged, "But it's all in the past now"  It had been her and her brother.  Always her and her brother.  Well, and of course, her baby sister.  She wondered where that girl had gone off too.  She missed her little Kaylee. Hope she's okay...Fucking gangs.  Who the hell starts a gang in fucking Knoxville! Melissa shrugged, eyebrows drawn slightly as her anger at those that murdered her brother and the man who should've been her father, and sighed "'Fraid I do too.  But that's alright.  Usually I don't even mention my brothers, or my father.  What..What's your name, by the way? I never asked." She didn't offer hers, in case this was to be another of those secrets.  She hoped it wouldn't, as this girl was starting to grow on her.  She obviously had a big heart, and she spoke of her pups like they were her own flesh and blood.  It was oddly endearing.  But at the same time, she noted the sadness that their passing caused the girl.

Jaina's fingers ran through her white hair, once more. It was a tick of hers. She liked how it felt when she did that. She supposed it was a dog thing, like being pet. Being pet was nice. "Mother died of cancer when I was 6 or so, brothers skipped out. It was me, my dad, and the dogs." She smiled a bit, "Jaina Smith. Yeah, I know the name is strange. And, don't you dare make a World of Warcraft reference. Apparently, one of the characters shares my first name." In her mind, she was going over the things she would have to do. Get a motel room, set up, go hunting. Simple enough. It was getting close to the full moon, made her even more happy she was a purebred wolf.

Melissa smiled, twirling a lock of her thick red hair, a tick of her own. "My father made a bad bet.  Got himself murdered.  Michael died protecting me.  Hell, they literally ripped him off me.  Then...Tortured him.  In front of me, and my baby sister.  And my father.  They finally killed him after..God, an hour of it.  Then they killed my dad.  Mercifully, that one.  Bastards.  Bullet to the brain.  One of 'em...Protected me.  Yeah, that didn't work out.  I don't know what happened to my sister..." She sighed after spilling all of this out.  It was a lot, and it came out very rapidly, like she had been dying to say it.  She had never told anyone, not even one of her mother's old friends.  She laughed, a forced laugh, but managed to say "Melissa.  Melissa Hartell.  My brother played that game.  He loved it.  Got me to play it a bit, but, I wasn't very good." She shrugged, trying to bring the conversation back to something normal.  It felt good to state what had happened.  To talk about it.  She never had, and now she realized that not talking at all about it was the worst thing for it.  It was getting easier to forget, to live with it.  She finally had moved past it.  It wasn't her anymore, and, she knew it.  She smiled, a real smile, slight dimples appearing as the corner of her lips curled upwards.

Jaina perked a brow at her, "Quite a lot to tell a stranger. My father was shot. Hunter mistook him for an animal in the woods." The hunter, honestly, hadn't mistaken him for an animal. He'd seen a wolf, he'd shot it. He'd fucking taken the body for the fur! Of course, he never got to use it seeing as he hadn't lived very long, after that. But Dick Cheney had shot a guy while hunting, so her story was plausible enough. "Now, I should get goin' soon. I need ta' get a room at a motel and settle in, you know?"

Melissa exhaled, and twirled her hair around her finger. "Yeah, don't remind me.  I didn't mean to..it just sorta...Slipped out."  She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly, "That's awful.  And..Personal.  I'm sorry for your loss..." She said this sincerely, and it was obvious that she meant it.  Melissa cringed slightly, realizing she'd kept Jaina for far longer than she'd intended. "Oh, my, I'm sorry! Didn't mean to keep you for that long!". She pointed down the street towards a cozy-looking building, "That's the one we used to stay in when we came here.  They have a good breakfast! Best eggs n bacon you'll ever have this side of the rockies!" She beamed at Jaina

Jaina laughed, it was a strange laugh that held something like a bark to it. "Oh, it's no trouble. I don't mind being a bit held up. I'm social, even if I try not to be." Well, the wolf was, at least. She and her wolf were at odds more and more, recently. The wolf still wanted her to run back to that human, Micah. As if she would ever do such a thing. "Asheville, North Carolina? Whole lot of hippie food. They don't know real meat. Though, they had a couple of nice steak places." A motel with a breakfast was strange, then again, it was a smaller town. "I'll check that one out. Thanks." She flashed a white, toothy grin.

Melissa smiled, and nodded, "Well, thank you then. I did enjoy it. Hopefully I'll see you again!" She waved slightly as she said this, starting to walk towards the door. She walked up to the counter, still thinking about Jaina, and placed her order. Chicken tenders, fries. Old favorite. Still, Jaina was a surprising person to Melissa. She certainly did not seem as Melissa expected. But, she supposed that was a good thing. Although not many come through here, it would be nice to see her again. Melissa mentally kicked herself for not asking how long she'd be in town for. Oh well. Perhaps they'd meet again.

Jaina didn't bother with her helmet for the short distance she'd be traveling. She ditched her food trash and swung a leg over her bike, taking off towards the building down the road. Once there, she secured her bike and headed inside. After getting a room key, she grabbed her bags and entered room 22, tossing the bags onto the bed before ditching her jacket and stuffing her wallet and phone into the pockets of her jeans. Not as if anyone ever contacted her for her to need a phone. Quickly, she removed the dog collar, dropping that onto the bed, as well. After adjusting her arrowhead necklace, she left the room, the key going into her pocket with her wallet.

Jonathon rounded the corner, humming a tune.  "Master of Puppets".  He smiled; it was one of his favorites.  This town is a shit hole.  Damn.  They could at least use architecture from this century.  He glanced to a side street and noticed two girls talking.  They were rather gorgeous.  One looked dangerous though, the biker type.  The other, not so much.  He smirked, and continued on his way.  A motorcycle went thundering past, but he ignored it.  It was too nice a day in this piss hole town to be pissed off by some asshole on his super-loud Harley.  He followed his feet, heading towards the Motel he'd booked a room at.  Cross here, I think.  Once on the other side, he noticed a motorcycle in the parking lot.  Same one from that McDonalds.  This could be fun.

Jaina adjusted her shirt neck a bit, stretching as she did so. She heard the motorcycle and rolled her eyes. She much preferred her Indian. It was prettier, quieter, and it functioned better. She ran her fingers through her hair, glancing around. She'd go hunting tonight. She was glad she was not a Bitten, for many reasons, one being that she'd have control over her own mind tonight.

Jon leaned against the post, watching the girl, "That one out there yours?" He gestured at the motorcycle as he said this. He smiled disarmingly, but it never reached his eyes. "Interesting hair you have there. Doesn't look dyed, but then, it has to be, doesn't it?"

Jaina perked a dark brow at him, "So many people, so curious about my hair." She nodded, "Yes, that's my bike. Also, this is natural, yes. Many things can turn one's hair white. Such as fear." Her voice held no big interest in what she was saying. She wasn't fond of humans, but male humans were worse. Male humans like Micah. Male Bittens weren't much better.

Jon shrugged, "It's a small town.  Shitty one, but yeah.  Your hair is unusual, would be anywhere you go.  Especially with such a nice bike.  And, that fear thing, coming from you? Sounds like bullshit.  You don't seem the type to be afraid of anything."  Jon stuck out a hand, "Jon Contarini.  Passing through here from Yale...Needed a break."  He didn't mention he'd dropped out just before the semester to take the break.  He also didn't ask about the other girl, which he was curious about, but this one seemed oh so much more interesting.  Especially in a town like this...