War Against Werecats

F

Fluffy

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Original poster
Seattle really was a suitable decision for Daniel as far as fitting in went. It was often times harassed by supernatural creatures, but from what he's seen, there were worthy enough individuals to defend it from their blood thirst. What invaded most often though, were the werecats.

Why? Because they're at war with this city; with humans altogether.

Daniel was banished from his clan for getting involved with humans, even going as far as befriending them. That was against the rules of his kind; humans were enemies of werecats. So, the clan's leader marked Daniel's back with a scar of shame and sent him away. Since humans are always so frightened from anything different from them, they target that source of their fear and do everything in their power to kill it. Unfortunately for them, werecats put up a powerful fight. It's all mindless from his point of view.

The day was overcast, which is typical Seattle. He sat by a window with a cup of black coffee steaming in front of him, a name tag on his shirt that symbolized his employment here. Quite honestly, Daniel hated working here and making coffee for people. The tips were grand, of course, but these noises and smells were harmful to his powerful senses. What else was he going to do, though? He had no proper education to go to college, and he wasn't allowed back into his clan.

One thing was for certain: living here was a much more comfortable lifestyle.
 
Catherine Johnson wasn't the average high school-soon-to-be-graduate most people thought she was. If anything, she would be considered abnormal if anyone knew about her abilities. She'd been born a witch, but knew to keep everything secret just because of how humans were around anything different. As a kid, some weird incidents happened all the time, like flooding in the area she lived in, or bright flashes of silvery light that no one could explain. Now, at age 18, she'd mastered all of her powers, learning her limits as well. She saw things sometimes other people didn't, but ignored them unless they were after her. She felt like defending her city since, she was gifted with an awesome amount of powers. She knew that meant responsibility as well, though her parents hadn't been anything other than ordinary humans, and too scared to talk to her much at all. She spent most of her childhood and older years alone, moving away when she was 15, getting a job, her own apartment, and still making good grades so she could attend a decent college. She didn't have close friends, didn't remain in contact with her family, and was in utter isolation outside of work and school. It was a typical Friday morning while she sat in class, reading a history text book, and waiting patiently for the last hour of the day to end. She didn't work on the weekends which gave her time to catch up on sleep. Finally, the bell rang, and she instantly headed for her apartment.~

What she didn't know, was that everything in her life was changing around her, and soon she'd have to put her powers to the test. Along with herself.
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When Daniel was off of his break, he finished the last of his coffee and went back behind the counter to fulfill his customers' needs. Ever since working here, the shop's drawn in a lot more people, females in particular. Although he was very aware of how this place considered him 'eye candy' for people, he still acted oblivious. Being attractive didn't go to his head like it did the rest of his kind; he didn't like the thought of taking advantage of people.

"Finally," he sighed, as he untied the apron he was wearing. Daniel's shift was from eight in the morning to two in the afternoon, which he had deep loathing for. He preferred to be active during nighttime, while sleeping during the daytime. That was granted to him when he first took up this job, but schedule changes happened sometimes. Hopefully, he'd be able to get back his old shift of working in the dark...

His co-workers told him to enjoy the rest of the day as he exited the cafe', his head instantly tilting up to the cloudy sky. There was a drizzle, which felt wonderful on his skin. With his hands in the pockets of his khaki pants, he began the walk home. Daniel didn't own a car, or even a license. Driving those foul smelling machines was not on his to-do list, anyway.
 
Catherine walked in the drizzling rain towards her apartment. She never minded the rain, sometimes it was fun to swirl the water on the ground around herself like ribbons, just for fun. Or just messing with the flow of the water in general. Right now she had a literal sphere of water around herself, that no one noticed since it was mostly deserted. She was so focused on getting home, that she didn't even see the guy until she literally smashed right against his sturdy chest, almost falling over backwards! In fact she did fall, causing the water around her to freak and spray him until he was soaked, as well as drenching herself. Why did guys have to be so rock-like...? He felt like a wall! "Sorry, so sorry, I was not paying attention." She said, feeling like a total klutz.. until she saw the guy she'd barreled into. Definitely nice to look at, but looks weren't all she noticed.~
 
Up ahead, Daniel could see a young woman with blue hair walking towards him. Like regular people, he assumed she would sidestep, while he would attempt to do the same. It annoyed him when he'd have to practically fight with another person to decide which would move for the other person to pass. It was all so pointless, and sometimes painful.

Only a single step could be taken to the side. She crashed right into the solid muscle of his chest, water splashing onto him out of nowhere. It drenched his golden brown hair so that it flattened and stuck to his face, his nice, white shirt sticking to his tanned skin. If a male had run into him, he would have lashed out with frustration and probably throw out an unkind name. Since this was a woman instead, he just let out a sigh and tried to relax. Water wasn't exactly something he cared for. This soft rain was tolerable, but this...?

"It's okay," he assured, looking down at her. She was soaked as well, he noted. There was something off about this stranger... He got different signals from her than he did from normal citizens. There was no other explanation for them getting soaked with water so quickly... She must have been able to command water in some way. It didn't surprise him too much; lots of special people lived here.
 
Catherine was definitely not normal. Good thing the fall probably scared the memory out of what this guy had seen. She normally didn't show her powers like that, what was wrong with her today?? She was staring up at the guy she'd bumped into. "You're not hurt are you?" She asked, sensing he probably wanted to just go home and forget about her. Most people did that very easily. But she -was- apologetic for smashing into him like that. She had bad balance today, that was for sure!
 
It made him want to laugh when she asked if he was hurt. She was such a frail looking creature, especially compared to a muscular man of his type. If anything, he probably hurt her. When she ran into his chest the way she did, she fell onto the ground!

"I'm not hurt at all. You're the one I'm worried about," he replied, making a crooked frown.

From the looks of it, nothing was bothering her. He didn't smell any blood, and he didn't hear any bones crack. The most that probably happened was a bruise to the rear, or maybe a minor scratch.

It was rather awkward now, with it being silent and both of them still standing around in the rain. The drizzle wasn't enjoyable anymore since he was now soaked from head to toe. His lips then twitched into a smirk as he dared to ask her a question,

"So... You manipulate water?"

Daniel then stepped in front of a bakery window they were nearby so he could shelter beneath the hood that kept the sidewalks dry. Along the way, he gingerly tugged her sleeve to bring her with him. Any time he got to socialize with people, he'd take with an eagerness. This girl, though, was not quite normal. If he scared her away with his question, so be it. It wouldn't make him cry.
 
Hah, Catherine had taken many worse falls than this before, but his question stopped her dead in her tracks. Well hell! normally people would have forgotten all about that in the event of nearly being run over. "Yes... I have since I was little." She said evasively, not wanting to admit her power over other elements. She used just a bit of the weather magick and made it stop raining at least. "I suppose I'm what normal people would call, a witch." She added after figuring out a better way to describe herself. She wasn't afraid of him at all, for some reason, she found his presence calming. In fact, she hoed they'd at least talk a while before they went their own ways. She felt strangely drawn to this guy.
 
"A witch, huh?" Witches weren't too friendly with werecats if he remembered correctly. It all depended on the rank of the werecat, and the grudge the witch might have against those beasts. Otherwise, they could coexist peacefully, even be friends. Daniel, personally, didn't mind them. As long as that witchcraft wasn't used on him, everything was rainbows and butterflies.

He wondered if she could see right through him; see that he wasn't human. Since he had a good grasp on his sanity, he was able to shift in between forms at will. It was when the moon was full that he lost his mind... For now, he was as human as anyone else in Seattle. Hopefully, she recognized that. For now, he kept his secret to himself.

"My name is Daniel," he said, offering his hand to her so they could shake. It was a formality he grew accustom to since moving here from the wilderness. He didn't understand what it meant; only that it was a polite gesture.
 
Catherine shook his hand, with a surprisingly firm grip for someone who looked so frail. "I'm Catherine, nice to have bumped into you, Daniel." She said with a slight teasing smile. She -could- read people,but she sensed he didn't want to be read, so she didn't out of politeness. "Do you have a long walk to your place?" She asked, hoping he was sort of close by. She had no grudge against any creatures, since she'd never even seen were-people before. In general, life was too short to hold grudges anyway, so she was pretty easy going about most things.
 
A hand went to his soaked head of hair when she asked where he lived. Daniel had a lonely one-bedroom apartment that wasn't very decorated, since he had little knowledge of how a warm home felt like. Judging by the way she asked this question, she wanted to follow him home. That happened more often than he could count... Normally, he'd have a good excuse to go somewhere else, but this time he had nothing!

"No, it's pretty short. Why?"

Daniel made a challenging smirk, a shoulder leaning against the window to the bakery. Lovely aromas filled his nose... He sadly didn't care for the taste of bread, or even sugary cakes and donuts. His tastes mostly leaned to... Well, what carnivores liked.
 
She smiled apologetically. "Just wanted to make sure you'd make it alright." She said, not pushy in the slightest. She stood to her feet, stretching a few kinks out of her back. "I'd better get back to my apartment. It's just 2 blocks that way," she pointed in the same direction he did, pleased at least that they lived fairly close together, not that she'd dream of pestering him. "I guess I'll see you around," She added, and headed towards her apartment again. She would definitely need to get dry clothes. She had a bad habit of getting sick easily, which sucked, because her schedule didn't allow much recovery time.
 
Daniel watched with some disbelief as she walked on to her home. Not that he minded; it was a nice change of pace. She did look much younger than most women that flirted with him, but she was so much more mature. That was enough for him to want to keep speaking with her, especially if they were walking the same direction.

It didn't take long for him to catch up with Catherine. He had impressive agility being what he was, which was the skill he liked most. "I can...walk you home!" he offered when he walked beside her. Women liked that, right? "I'm really in no hurry."
 
"Why thank you, that's very kind." Catherine said, slowing her pace so he didn't have to keep rushing. It was like watching a mini-whirl wind catch up to her, or a blur of light. She smiled, liking his company enough to let him walk her home. Her apartment building was called 'The Villa Apartments.' "Did you want to go inside? Maybe get dried off before going home?" She asked as she stopped at the apartment number 216. She had her apartment key in the door, turning the knob and unlocking it. Her apartment was nice, with cozy pastel green walls, and everything a modern home usually had. It hadn't taken her long to save up for her own apartment, and she'd lived her since she was 15 years old, running away from home. This was definitely a cozy place, even though she was the only one who lived here.
 
The cozy feeling of her home is what invited him inside, otherwise he would have politely refused her offer. Her apartment had some pleasant smells, probably from plants or candles she kept around. There were also vibrant colours, however not so bright that it would hurt his eyes. Some envy developed as he looked around some more, not going too far from the doorway. It all reminded him how much his own apartment needed a woman's touch.

"This is nice," he commented, swiping a thumb across his nose. Some water droplets were sliding down the bridge of it, which was highly annoying. Daniel decided to stay here by the door where there was tile and a rug to catch the water dripping from his body. Even though his soaked mess was her fault, tracking moisture into her apartment didn't sit right with him.

"If you have a towel, that would be great! And then you can send me on my way." It was so difficult to resist shaking his body like a wild animal in order to send the rainwater away.
 
She grinned at him, sending him a big comfortable blue towel for him to dry off with. "Sit down if you'd like. I just planned on making dinner if you're hungry. I'd be a bad hostess sending someone away without food." She said, returning to the kitchen where she was making a beef stew. She'd learned how to cook at a very early age, having been left by herself as a child for sometimes months at a time, well it helped her be independent. As she cooked, she lit an incense stick called 'Morning Star' by the living room window. There were house plants but not any more than 3, she wouldn't have time for more than that to look after. There was even a big-screen t.v. in front of the couch. She often fell asleep on the couch rather than in her bedroom, because the t.v. was nice background noise sometimes. She continued making the stew, cutting up vegetables, and adding just the right amount of liquid before letting it simmer on the stove. "Dinner should be ready in 20 minutes," She told him poking her head into the living room area.
 
Daniel made very good use of the towel. He despised being wet, so he dried off as much of the water he could. In the end, his hair was a wild mess, but at least his skin was no longer drenched. He also managed to soak up some of the water from his clothes so they didn't stick to him anymore. A good smell wafted from her kitchen... The only one he truly recognized was beef. The most irresistible meat there was for him was bird, but he quite liked his red meat as well.

"I... Okay," he said a bit sheepishly. As he thought about it, she probably didn't get very many dinner guests and he didn't get to have any home cooking in a long time.

To be polite, he slipped off his wet shoes and left them by the door. He set the towel down there as well, and made his way to the comfortable looking sofa in front of a television. Once he took a seat, he couldn't help but purr at the plush feeling underneath him. He almost went as far as nuzzling against it, but caught himself, and just sat still instead.
 
Soon, Catherine had two bowls of stew ready, and napkins for them both. She carried the bowls expertly from the kitchen to the sofa, placing them on the coffee table in front of them, so they could let theirs cool off. It was perfect weather for stew, and though she was surprised to admit, company. Much better than if they had just gone their own way so soon. "It's just hamburger meat, carrots, and onions." She assured him, in case he might have allergies to anything. She wasn't one for anything super-fancy, she didn't have that kind of time. She did take a sip of her own stew once it cooled, and flipped on the t.v. letting him have the remote if he wanted to watch anything.
 
Everything about the stew sounded good until she said carrots. If he could, he would just have nothing but the aforementioned hamburger meat. Daniel felt like he'd have to man up and eat everything he was able to, in order to not insult this girl. Onions were especially not his favourite... Such a strong taste and that crunch always made him shudder.

Like she did, he took a sip of the soup since he didn't exactly know how it was supposed to be eaten. It didn't make sense to him that it was watery... It sure did hold in a lot of flavour, though. He analyzed that way too much, causing his nose to take in a deep breath and then hold it so he could ignore all that.

With his given utensil, he picked out some chunks of the meat and swallowed a couple of the carrots. He didn't care to touch the remote for the television. That device did entertain him, but he felt no reason to choose a show for them. Besides, he didn't know the channels very well still.
 
She smiled, figuring out that this guy definitely liked more meat than vegetables. She'd remember that if they became good friends. Catherine didn't have anyone she could say she was really close to, just co-workers, a few class mates she hung out with occasionally, and the once a year phone call from her parents. They -did- call, probably to ease their guilty conscience. Soon she'd finished her meal, and asked if Daniel would like anymore of the stew. It was getting fairly late however, and she didn't want to keep him from his own home more than necessary. He probably wanted to go to sleep or something. Sleep, that was something she had a really hard time with since she was little. She just hated sleeping.