Step In, Step Out

[clearlyleah]

 Leah will admit to herself perhaps this one time that being a wolf is not so bad. She runs through the trees, smug that she is faster than all the others, and uses the cover of dusk to skip ahead, taking shortcuts that only she knows. This is the second time she's been on this path for the day, and the faster she runs, the more she feels like she

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[crimson_sugar]

Here's someone who's both unafraid of wolves (thanks to her friendship with Firekeeper) and used to nudity (little else can be expected of a reformed prostitute).

Sugar, a nineteenth-century dressed in semi-Edwardian dress that isn't unlike contemporary gothic garb, is looking at the wolf in interest as it passes by her, wherever that may be.

[clearlyleah]

Leah is still exploring, deciding to go once around the house before she heads in to find out what the deal is. She literally stops with a little puff of dust to indicate how fast she did stop, however, when she sees the fiery redhead in the dress.

Now, she doesn't feel like a vampire, so it can't be Victoria... but who else has red hair that wears such elaborate clothing? They said that she did.

But the smells weren't adding up. Leah takes two steps towards Sugar, and then stops, paw in mid-step to the ground. She really isn't sure about this. Really, really isn't sure, and it's indicated from a small whining sound she makes.

[crimson_sugar]

She's completely human, a most ordinary 19th-century human girl, who smells of cream because she's ruthlessly battling a rare form of psoriasis, and of power and perfume because she likes to smell sweet, which she does. She has a boyfriend to please, and a little girl to coddle, though neither are around at the moment.

Sugar looks at the wolf without fear. "Well... hello."

She's not sure if it can talk, but well... Firekeeper wouldn't like it if she jumped high in the air, now, would she?

[clearlyleah]

Leah senses that the woman is not afriad; on the contrary, she garners the feeling that the woman is talking to her much like she'd talk to anyone else. Leah's tail wags a little, more or less because she's terribly relieved that this isn't Victoria, and that she's still safely away from everyone, whose thoughts she still cannot hear.

She can't very well talk in this form, though, but she's not quite sure she's ready to just phase yet, so she lets out a yap in greeting, and approaches with less caution than before. If Sugar starts to make sudden or threatening movements, Leah's going to run. Until then, she wants to investigate further.

[crimson_sugar]

Sugar's posture doesn't change, she looks at the wolf with interest. "Well then. I suppose you must be Blind Seer. I've heard of you. I don't suppose you'll be able to talk to me much, now, will you."

She's not sure what to do with this friendly beast, but it doesn't look like it has bad intentions, and at any rate, she is wearing the Ring of Summons that Jaenelle gave her, so...

She just waits.

[clearlyleah]

Leah doesn't know what a Blind Seer is, and so she regards Sugar with much curious head-tilting, like canines tend to do when you say something to them they don't understand.

She walks to Sugar in a closer proximity and aims to nudge at her. Leah clearly is open for some petting, which is something she can't explain but at the same time suddenly very much wants.

[crimson_sugar]

That's perfectly find, and Sugar will give the wolf some scratches, she's unafraid and fairly competent at giving them. There are several wolves in her life, and so she's learned to appreciate them.

She doesn't talk more, just gives the wolf what she wants.

[clearlyleah]

Leah can't remember a time honestly where she's been able to just sit and be loved on - by anyone. It makes her a little sad, but at the same time, there's a bubble of excitement in her chest, because - really, this place is already awesome compared to her home situation.

Leah moves suddenly, and trots off out of sight. There are a few moments where nothing happens, and then she comes back out, hands clasped behind her back, the wire of her white iPod twisted around her finger and trailing into the back pocket of her immodest shorts.

"You know, I've never let anyone pet me before," she says, holding up that wire-wrapped finger to Sugar, eyes squinted as she has a half-smile on her face. "But I think I made a good first choice, because wow can you scratch," she says.

[crimson_sugar]

Throughout the whole thing, Sugar is taken aback - first by the sudden movement, secondly by the appearance of a girl she's never seen before. Of course, she can put two and two together and realize that this girl is the wolf she was petting, but still.

"Thank you, I guess," she replies, still a bit amazed at this. "And now that you can talk, I suppose introductions are in order.

Also, scratching a human female is strange to Sugar. Very strange.

[clearlyleah]

Leah shrugs, the motion a relaxed one. "I'm Leah. I'm liking this place more and more. I got separated from my fr - er, some people I was with, and now I'm pretty sure I'm somewhere else," she says, taking a wild guess. She's handling this well, but then again, Leah's giddy to the idea that she's really got, quite literally, a fresh start.

[crimson_sugar]

Sugar nods, very politely, but there's understanding in her eyes. "Yes, you most definitely are," she replies, patiently. "My name is Sugar, and I am from London... in what you would refer to as the nineteenth century."

She doesn't look very disturbed by Leah's evident cultural differences, though. That's because Sugar is dating Cal, who is from twenty-first century New York.

[clearlyleah]

"Cool!" Leah exclaims. And she means it. "So, what's this place about? Is everyone from all over, or are there locals?" she asks, taking a relaxed sort of posture. She does, Sugar may notice, admire the woman's hair. Leah likes the colour - a lot. She's never been one to dye her hair, but if there were a salon nearby, she might have dragged Sugar to it and said 'this colour, right here' to a stylist.

[crimson_sugar]

Sugar would be all red if she was told about her hair - then again, that's really her best feature. The rest of her isn't particularly pretty: she's wiry, her hands are a bit too big, she has bad skin. Her green eyes, though, have always been promising to patrons, which is why she did so well in her prostituting days.

"I don't know that there are any locals here," Sugar replies, and she pats the seat next to her, inviting the girl (she's barely older, Sugar just had her twentieth birthday) to sit with her. "And yes, there are people here from all over, in space, in time, in ... I don't know, planets, perhaps? or dimensions? You will meet mythological creatures of all sorts, though as you're one yourself, you won't find it too trying, I don't suppose."

[clearlyleah]

Leah plunks down next to Sugar without any hesitation. "Wicked," she says, eyes wide. "Crazy alternate universe. In my sixth grade science class I wanted to do a project about this but everyone made fun of me." She nods serenely to herself. "I won in the end; I was right. I just have no way of proving it."

She looks back at Sugar. "So, everyone is from somewhere else. That explains the garb - and the lingo. Are there other wolves here, too?" she asks. She means wolves - like herself. It's nice to run with someone, so long as she doesn't have to hear their every thought. In the back of her head, Leah's thinking about her own situation, though - the prospect of being somewhere else, perhaps the rules wouldn't apply - perhaps her body wouldn't be quite so 'broken' as she views it.

[crimson_sugar]

It's a good thing at least the last bit of Leah's explanations were not filled with slang. Sugar isn't sure she really understood what was said, but she did catch the question. The expression 'alternate universe' rings a bell, but she can't place where she heard it, unfortunately.

"Ah, well. Yes, there are. There is another girl, who says she is wolf-souled, and she can indeed change to a wolf's form. She is very sweet. There is also Grey Wind."

[clearlyleah]

"What's a Grey Wind? Or should I say, who?" she asks, tilting her head. She clears some of her long brown hair behind her back, thankful that she didn't make that move to cut it all off like she'd thought about doing. She's decided she likes it long in this new place.