Rabbit in Your Headlights [Kaelyn/Summer/Open]

[Kaelyn Halifax]

The soft popping of rubber flip flops on the heels of a pair of feet signaled Kaeyln's entrance into a clearing set back from the duplexes. Her footsteps were cautious as she moved out into the open night, her eyes reflexively darting to the tree line every few seconds.

After finding a new place to live, having a small intervention, some delicious tea, and a hot bath; Kaelyn's day had been jam packed with events. Brandy, after being so wonderful, had opted to spend the night with Sam and left Kaelyn to her own devices.

Once Brandy had left the apartment, Kaelyn had washed the dishes left over from their tea time, gave the living room a quick dusting, and unloaded what few belongings she'd had in the Impala. During all the menial tasks, that constant pressure beneath Kaelyn's skin continued to grow. When her nerves had gotten too close to the edge mid Brandy blanket folding, she'd known it was time to venture outside.

So now she found herself staring skywards as clouds lazily drifted overhead, concealing that voluminous orb that held the key to her changing. With a resigned sigh, Kaelyn slid her thumbs within the elastic band of her teal track pants and pushed them off to the grass below.

"I'm going to end up naked anyways," she mumbled to herself, "might as well avoid getting any paws stuck when it happens..."

[Summer Morgan]

"Well, this was a f**king stupid idea Summer!" the female Were loudly chided herself as she drove from her motel towards the duplex where Brandy had been staying. Though in truth her friend had barely slept a night there, opting to be with the love of her life. This made Summer smile and forget the uncomfortability of the urge to change. She had a chance with Sam Merlotte, but in hindsight was glad he never did call her back. He and Brandy were simply meant to be and Summer would have been dropped like a turd sandwich for her new and best friend, if she had've gotten involved with Sam.

definetly for the best she thought to herself, as she checked her bearings. Almost there.

Summer's mind wandered again, the closer to the duplex she got the lonelier she felt. The envy she felt as she remembered how quickly Sam came to get Brandy and even after a row, there was still so much love in his eyes for her. Summer missed that feeling, the feeling of being so in love with someone that you can see past the faults and move past difficult times. She let out a heavy sigh, as she cursed her luck with men.

Pulling into the street where the duplexes all sat neatly in a row, Summer pulled the car in and took the keys out the ignition. Getting out the car and moving up the path towards the front door. Her shifter senses kicked into gear. Someone of the two-natured variety was close, very very close. Summer's metaphorical hackles raised as she fought to shift down to wolf form.

[Kaelyn Halifax]

Clothes had been folded, the moon had finally revealed her bright glory to the earth below, and there was now an abnormally large rabbit sitting in the clearing. For the longest time when Kaelyn had changed she'd been cooped up in a dark, dingy room without freedom of movement and now that she had it, she didn't quite know what to do with herself.

At first she'd hopped about the edge of the circular clearing, stretching out her limbs and getting reacquainted with her body. Now, Kaelyn sat perched on her hind legs fiddling with her ears. Her left ear had always flopped down to her side and her right had always been as straight as an arrow. Kaelyn batted at the drooped ear with the back of her right paw with a light huff.

Before she got to the point where she was actually tilting her head to straighten out the irksome appendage with the aid of gravity, she suddenly became aware of another presence. Kaelyn immediately grounded all of her limbs to the ground and strained her ears for any hint of where they were. On an instinctual level her mind was screaming 'Danger!' and she felt the urge to thump her hind legs against the earth to drum out a warning to others nearby.

Kaelyn had been scared to death that something like this would happen tonight and she hoped that her speed would save her if things turned south.

[Summer Morgan]

Summer inched carefully towards the duplex. Her eyes and ears tuning in for any sign of the Shifter. It was definetly not a Were, but whatever it was, it was close. Summer looked all around. No point in calling out.

Summer got closer and her senses alerted her to something underfoot. She bent down a little to focus. She stood upright with a confused grin.
"A rabbit?"

A rabbit. Summer's Wolf instincts were trying to rip out from her. Begging her to shift and to make this little morsel a pre-hunt appetiser. Summer turned away, forcing herself not to look at the floppy eared creature. "I dunno if you can hear me, but if you can. Can you change back. Seeing you all bunnified is makin' me hungry and that's not good news for you."

Summer hoped for the rabbits sake, she heard her and was able to shift back to her human form.

[Kaelyn Halifax]

"A rabbit?"

At the same time that those words were uttered, Kaelyn's attention was keenly focused on the source of the disturbance. The pretty woman seemed harmless enough, but the terror that pooled in Kaelyn's stomach told her otherwise.

"I dunno if you can hear me, but if you can. Can you change back. Seeing you all bunnified is makin' me hungry and that's not good news for you."

At the hearing the word 'hungry', Kaelyn gave a small snort of dismay and started to slowly back up towards her clothes. After warily eyeing the woman's back, making sure that she hadn't moved since speaking, Kaelyn made a dash towards her shirt.

With the white of her tail flashing, she burrowed in from the bottom and struggled to position herself just right for when she shifted back. Gathering as much willpower and courage as she could muster, Kaelyn forced her body back into her human form.

"Thanks for the warning," Kaelyn's voice came out muffled as she pulled her head through the collar of her shirt, "...even though I can't say as much for the interruption."

Kaelyn was up and shimmying into her pants by the time she was ready to speak up again. "Okay...so, can I help you or what?"

[Summer Morgan]

There was a change in the energy, an adjustment to the air. Summer realised after a few moments that the rabbit had made the change. The female voice from behind her solidified the fact. Thanking her for the abrupt warning. Summer waved her hand up in acknowledgement, not turning round to give the girl at least a little privacy to put something on.

"Okay...so, can I help you or what?"

Summer raised an eyebrow. Tension was in the air with the moon at fullness, but a stranger showing up out of the blue almost chowing down on your fluffy behind, that sort of sealed it.
"Wait, this is Brandy Berry's place? I haven't come to the wrong house have I? Cause that would be awkward." Summer sort of babbled almost in the style of her best friend. Brandy's unique way about her was rubbing off on her.

Summer turned round to see a pretty, fragile looking blonde girl. Summer didn't feel too surprised to see the human behind the rabbit. It was almost poetic.

[Kaelyn Halifax]

Kaelyn ran her fingers through her hair, partly to smooth out the chaos that the changing from fur to clothes had caused and to release some of the pent up nervousness. At least, unlike last time, there was halted conversation and not tranquilizer darts in the back.

Thank the stars for small miracles.

"Wait, this is Brandy Berry's place? I haven't come to the wrong house have I? Cause that would be awkward."

"Oh, no, you've got the right place," Kaelyn answered with a small smile. Feeling a little more confident that she was not going to be devoured, she took a few cautious steps forward towards the surprisingly nice predator. "I'm her new roommate as of...today, actually."

"I'm Kaelyn," she tentatively held out her hand for a shake,"and if Brandy has taken the time to know you...that must make you worth knowing. I've learned that much in a day," she admitted bashfully.

[Summer Morgan]

"Oh, no, you've got the right place...I'm her new roommate as of...today, actually." the girl spoke with a smile. She was - understandably- cautious of Summer. She wasn't sure if she realised Summer was a Were, but she had to realise she was of the two-natured variety. It's not something you can really hide from someone with the same...gift.

Wait. Room-mate? Summer felt a small pang of envy again. If Brandy needed someone to help out with the rent, Summer would have bunked with her. Would have been better than a lonely motel room that's for sure.

Kaelyn outstretched her hand and introduced herself. Summer politely took it and shook her hand.
"and if Brandy has taken the time to know you...that must make you worth knowing. I've learned that much in a day,"

Summer smiled at her. "Well, that's awfully sweet of you to say. My name's Summer."

[Kaelyn Halifax]

"Well, that's awfully sweet of you to say. My name's Summer."

"Oh, well," Kaelyn replied as she pulled her hand back to her side where it began to fiddle with the soft material of her pants, "I'm just basing my opinions on what I've seen so far. And it is nice to meet you, Summer."

"I suppose you and Brandy know each other fairly well," Kaelyn said with an embarrassed shrug and apologetic eyes, "...suddenly finding out she has a new roomie might be a bit of a shock."

Kaelyn slowly became aware that her currently flip-flop-less foot was tracing circles in the grass, her hand busying itself at her side, and that she was chewing on her bottom lip. She hated that she was so fidgety, but on top of constantly fighting the urge to go back into bunny-mode and making new friends, it was awkward enough trying to figure out how to explain her sudden appearance in Brandy's life and Bon Temps.

"I've barely been in Bon Temps for more than a day, to be honest. Brandy took pity on my...situation and took me in."

[Summer Morgan]

"I suppose you and Brandy know each other fairly well...suddenly finding out she has a new roomie might be a bit of a shock."

Summer found it hard to feel anything bad towards this girl. It wasn't her fault nor was it Brandy's. Just Summer's own stupid insecurities getting the best of her.

"Fairly well, we're quite close even though we only met a little while ago. But she's got such a good heart." she paused and gave Kaelyn a reassuring look. "I'm not gonna lie, it is a shock. But the more I think of it, the more I'm not surprised. She's like that, kind and supportive even to people she doesn't know."

Kaelyn looked as nervous as Summer felt agitated. Not by her, but by the moon and her increasing need to shed her clothes and shift into her large wolf form. A wolf being around a bunny at the moon's fullest form was not the best situations.

"I've barely been in Bon Temps for more than a day, to be honest. Brandy took pity on my...situation and took me in."

Summer put her hands in her back pockets, and leant back on her feet. She had no idea why she thought this was the solution to her little problem. She felt eyes changing, her skin tingling.
oh sh*t no....not here. Stupid, stupid Summer. she chided herself inside her head as she fought with every fiber of her being to keep some semblance of control.

"Like I say...she's a good girl. She'll look out for you, you can trust her." the words came out harsher than they were in her head. She looked at Kaelyn, trying to quell the hunger in her wolfen eyes.
"I should go...could you tell B....I mean Brandy, that I tried to drop off her car. But I need to borrow it again. This was a stupid f**king idea."

[Kaelyn Halifax]

"Fairly well, we're quite close even though we only met a little while ago. But she's got such a good heart. I'm not gonna lie, it is a shock. But the more I think of it, the more I'm not surprised. She's like that, kind and supportive even to people she doesn't know."

"Sounds like she could put the dearly departed Mother Theresa to shame," Kaelyn softly quipped. "I can't imagine that she would have any bad karma coming her way, that's for sure." If she got to stick around in Bon Temps for long enough and find her place, Kaelyn was certain they should throw a big 'Thank You' type party at Merlotte's. The question of whether an ice cream cake or regular would be preferred flashed through her head.

Kaelyn gave a small shake of her head, hoping the movement hadn't been too twitchy, as she physically reacted to the mish-mash of jumbled thoughts. As more time passed and the moons beams beat down on her as heavy as the sun's, her mind just couldn't settle down. It was a disjointed feeling and Kaelyn did her best to re-focus on Summer as words began filtering through her addled brain.

...she's a good girl. She'll look out for you, you can trust her. I should go...could you tell B....I mean Brandy, that I tried to drop off her car. But I need to borrow it again. This was a stupid f**king idea."

"What, why was it stupid...?" Kaelyn questioned softly. She hadn't quite been looking directly at Summer's face but, the sharp bite that her words had taken on gave Kaelyn pause and what she saw in her eyes made her take an involuntary step backwards. "Brandy...might be back tonight. I-I don't know...she's leaving for Dallas in the morning..."

There that dreadful feeling was again. Kaelyn felt fear strike like lightning through her limbs and her whole body gave a small spasm. The pull of the moon was gaining strength and the prey-like mentality was seeping through all her reason.

[Summer Morgan]

Kaelyn could either see or sense the change in Summer. Her body language was screaming 'get me the hell out of here'. She seemed almost frozen to the spot, almost.

"Brandy...might be back tonight. I-I don't know...she's leaving for Dallas in the morning..."

It was getting harder and harder to hold onto her human form. The struggle against the primal need to change. That base animal instinct that virtually nothing could snap Summer out of. It drove her mad with feral lust. A hand coming up from her back pocket towards her white short sleeved shirt, pulling at the buttons.

"You....should....run." Summer said between growls, her dark green eyes now completely taking on there wolfen tone. "I...don't want...to hurt...you" Summer fell to her knees, her hands changing to there clawed shape. Digging into the turf, she looked up at Kaelyn. Stricken with what she may do to the innocent girl.
"go...NOW!"

It would be the last human sound to utter from her throat till sunrise.

[Kaelyn Halifax]

"You....should....run."

Kaelyn's eyes grew wide as saucers as she followed Summer's hands one button at a time. She didn't have to guess as to what her words alluded to. She gave a startled cry as she stumbled backwards, her own hands fumbling for the hem of her shirt as she tried to rip it off her person. The moment of pure terror when she had to pull the material over her head, blocking off her vision, sent her into near sobs.

As soon as her top was thrown behind her, Kaelyn was slightly hopeful to see that Summer hadn't shifted just yet. There was still time...maybe. The worry over her new acquaintance seeing her massive amount of scars was all but forgotten as she stripped down to her bare skin and dropped down to all fours, begging her body to be quick with the change.

"I...don't want...to hurt...you"

"Please...fight it..."

"go...NOW!"

"Oh...god," she wailed as bones began to pop into new positions and fur spilled out across her skin. In the passing of seconds there was a petrified rabbit where once had been a scared-stiff human. Without a moments more hesitation, Kaelyn turned tail and darted into the trees behind her. Legs pumping as fast as they could go, the world around her blurred and escape was her only focus.

[Summer Morgan]

The last thing Summer saw was Kaelyn's body shifting into it's rabbit form. This only increased the need to hunt and it wasn't too long till she had torn everything off her body and let the deep need to change take over. Her skin on fire, bones cracking and snapping into new places. Where once was Summer, now stood a very large, very powerful and very hungry Werewolf.

A low howl and a grunt and Summer was off in the direction of her target. Her wolf and human thoughts conflicting within herself. The human side wanted to let her go, she didn't want to eat a potential new friend. For one Brandy would never forgive her for eating her roomie. The Wolven side only wanted to hunt, to run, to catch her prey and eat it. Savour every last bit of the rabbit.

A trace of Kaelyn's scent caught Summer's attention. Picking up speed to find the floppy eared creature. Going against her better, more rational human side. That rabbit would be hers.

[Kaelyn Halifax]

Kaelyn was in unfamiliar territory. The earth felt different beneath her paws as she struggled to find purchase with each running sprint. In the mountains her movements had been precise and unfaltering. The ground of Bon Temps was firm and reliable one second and then it would give way, the dirt steeped in moisture.

Panic was laced in with every motion she made. There were only two locations she was aware of as the tunnel vision of fear enclosed around her. Turning back towards Brandy's was certain death and that only left Merlotte's. The scents of her surroundings were a blend of the unknown and sounds were a cacophony of confusion. An instinct born from fear drove her on.

With the idea of the bar becoming the sole focus in her plan for evasion, Kaelyn made a sharp right turn that sent her spinning off a patch of mud. Her back legs flipped up into the air and her body went into a mad spin against the wet earth. Disorientation had her limbs flailing and Kaelyn stumbled to right herself to keep running.

She could feel the weight of those lost seconds clinging to her fur just like the new coat of mud she'd acquired in her spill. The night's warm air blew across her back and in her mind's eye she could see a large snout, teeth as sharp as razor blades coming down upon her head.

Spurned on by a new wave of horror, Kaelyn forced her legs to move faster and hoped she was headed in the right direction.