Books for the Bitten Who: Tayne and Dorian Where: Nevermore When: Morning
Even before Tayne dropped Rowena off at her sister's, he knew where he was going. He was going to Nevermore, because if anyone had information that would help him out, it was Dorian. So as soon as he did drop her off, that's where he went. The sooner, the better, because he wanted to get as much done before his poor head told him he wasn't allowed to do anything else today besides find earplugs and a blindfold and sleep for a week.
Eagplugs were next on the list. After Dorian. He pulled up the truck as close as he could park to the place, and got out with a wince. At least with the engine shut off, it wasn't so goddamn noisy. He headed into the shop at a steady limp.
Dorian sat at the counter, flipping through the book on vampires he'd just recently sold Day. He really couldn't stand selling a book to someone that he hadn't read himself, so he intended to change that as soon as possible. The little bell on the door rang as Tayne came in, and he looked up, grinning. It wasn't often one of his friends visited him at the store on a week day. Most of them had their own jobs to attend to. "Hey, man, what's happening?" he asked, setting the book down. The limp caught his eye and he frowned slightly. "Get into a fight?"
At this hour, Tayne was usually still asleep. He didn't go in to work until noon, and this felt positively unholy. "Something like that," Tayne said with a wry, almost pained smile. "Last night was-- uh, exciting, I guess you could say." The counter made a comfortable thing to lean against and take some weight off the leg.
"Exciting?" Dorian asked, raising a brow. "Exciting how? Were you out playing in the rain?" The unsaid followed mentally-- on the night of a full moon? Dorian knew better, or at least knew to watch his back. Just because the Light of May had occurred, didn't mean every bitten were knew what to do about it. Hell, only hours before sundown he'd steered a bitten meerkat towards the city jail. Hopefully there weren't more of those running around town unbeknownst to Monica, since they'd have to have been bitten by her.
Tayne shot Dorian a dry, not-quite-annoyed look. "Yeah, I was out. Wish to hell it hadn't been raining, though. I was driving around, looking for bitten weres to catch and lock up." He shrugged a little awkwardly. He always felt a little weird talking about it, but at least Dorian already knew. "I've done it before, though never in the rain like that."
"So what happened?" Dorian asked, looking a little more concerned. He always was when one of his friends was hurt, but even more so when it came to the hunters he knew, especially one who'd been out dealing with weres. A lot of things could go wrong. Bitten weres were a bitch to handle, as far as he knew, and it had to have been worse in the rain.
A lot of things could go wrong. And until the night before, Tayne had only really thought about them in a few ways: academically, as in something to study to learn how to avoid; or as a consequence some few people he knew had, had to deal with. Like his father, dying because he'd somehow missed how close the were really was....
Shaking his head, unsure how to really say it without sounding really, really stupid, Tayne chewed his lip briefly then finally came up with, "Let's just say if you got any books on weres and were senses and instincts and shit... I c-could probably use a couple." Quite literally, too. He was just glad the store was so quiet; just himself and Dorian, pretty much, and lots and lots of books. Book-smell, at least, he could put a name to.
"Shit," Dorian breathed, then a few things happened at once. The front door locked, the sign turned to closed, and books flew off the wall, seemingly at random, and set themselves on the center table. Dorian ran a hand through his hair. He'd been open to Tayne about what he could do, but Tayne had never actually seen it in action. Other than Aiden, Dorian generally felt more comfortable using his TK around other people with abilities. Tayne now counted among them.
"What bit you?" he asked, moving to the table to flip through the books, several at once. He had to keep his eyes on all of them, but he knew what he was looking for. "I can tell you most of it myself, but some of this stuff might be helpful to read. I can also put you in contact with a few people who might be able to help." One in particular, should Tayne want a cage for himself.
"Uh." Tayne watched in a kind of stunned fascination as things moved. What the hell. Yeah, he knew about the telekinesis-- a word he was never, ever, ever going to be able to say, so he never tried-- but Dorian hadn't ever shown it to him. Not that Tayne had ever shown him a blood-blessing, but... it had never actually come up, so why would he?
Then there was a question. He shook himself out of the daze, blinked, and said, "She's a lynx. I got her drugged up and home, and I'm gonna be helping her get her own basement better fortified. I think." He hadn't tackled where he was going to go yet. He didn't have a basement, but he would figure something out.
"Sit," Dorian said with a little smile, nodding towards one of the chairs. "Friends get private sessions without worrying about being disturbed," he teased, though it was true. He knew Tayne wouldn't want anyone to walk in and hear what they were talking about. It would be hard enough adjusting as it as.
"I know someone who builds specialty cages, just for bitten weres. I can give you his number, if you want one installed. And you can pass it on to her as well," Dorian said. "He's a were himself and can run the tests on strength and whatnot, and can probably answer any questions I can't cover with the basics. Are you okay?" he asked. That was most important. Besides being bitten, it was a rather traumatic experience, especially for a hunter.
Tayne tried not to look hurt and discouraged by the idea of a cage. He really didn't even want to think about the full moon yet. It was a month away, and he had time. Maybe it was a pride issue, maybe it was just shying away from dealing with it so soon, but either way, it seemed kind of invasive to have some stranger come build him a cage.
Still, he limped over and gratefully took a chair, glad to not have to stand up, at least. "I'm as okay as I could be, I guess... my leg hurts like hell, my head is ringing with shit I never tried to listen to before, and I can't even tell what I'm smelling most of the time." Yeah, it was surface stuff for now, but even he wasn't thinking as deeply as he probably should about all this yet.
"Hey, I'm sorry," Dorian frowned, seeing the change in Tayne's expression. "I didn't mean it like that. A girl came in yesterday who'd been running out to the forest every full moon for at least ten years. She could've killed people, bitten 'em; she doesn't know. She didn't have a place to stay last night, so I told her to head down to the county jail. They're offering assistance to bitten weres on the full moon. I told her I'd give her a number of this guy I know, since I thought she'd want some place private for herself. I thought you'd want the same." As helpful as he was attempting to be, Dorian wasn't used to being sensitive to a newly bitten were's insecurities.
"I've heard you get used to all that, but I can't imagine what it feels like. Well, I kinda can," Dorian said with a little laugh. "We went through a window a week when I was about sixteen. But that was different." Different, but similar. Coming upon an unwelcome power was never a comfortable thing, even if they grew into it later.
"I just-- haven't thought about it yet, and I don't think I can think about it yet...." Tayne shook his head, not wanting to think about it, much less talk about it. "I do want something, just-- not yet." The idea of a were running lose in the woods for ten years scared the crap out of him, as a hunter; the idea of being in a cage scared him even more. So... not thinking about it until his brain settled down a bit on the matter.
He took a slow breath-- through the mouth, though at least in here, all he got was books, books, books, dust, and Dorian, who for once was very easy to recognize as a person-scent. Then he let it out, and said, "So tell me what you can about this, then. I'll take the books, too, but just-- for now. Lay it on me, anything you can think of that'll help." He wasn't a big reader, but having the books on-hand for reference and detail later would be a good idea, plus he'd promised Rowena.
Dorian could understand that. It had to be overwhelming, especially for a hunter. On the bright side, at least Tayne knew what had happened and wasn't obvious to what was happening to him. That could be so much worse. "Well, you were bitten by a Lynx, so you'll be a were-cat of some sort. I can't tell you if you'll be a lion, or a tiger, or a house cat, but you'll definitely be feline in nature. No worry about being a wolf, which is a plus for you. Wolves have complications." He was feeling fortunate that he didn't have to fill Tayne in on the whole pack mentality and mating for life thing. Cats were definitely easier.
"Basics are that you'll change into your battle form on the next full moon. After that, you'll be able to shift to your animal form as you desire. The first few times you shift will be painful, and you aren't likely to remember them. Also, getting seriously injured or into a fight will cause you to shift to that uncontrolled battle form. It's a self defense mechanism, so be careful." Dorian thought about mentioning tranquilizer guns, but then thought better of it. Tayne didn't like hearing about a cage, so that could be left for later. "All weres have increased senses, stamina, strength, and a faster healing ability. The downside is you can probably hear more than you want to, and smell more than you'd like to. The plus side is, being feline, you should have increased night vision, at least."
Tayne's mind was already going there, to tranq guns and if he ought to be giving them to someone. Anyone. Who the hell would likely be with him if he got into a fight or got injured? He'd probably be out hunting, in that case, which would mean by himself. He sure as hell couldn't shoot himself, especially not in the middle of a fight. He ran his hands over his face. "Would I turn back? After the fight was settled or threat-- g-gotten rid of? Or just keep going?"
Annoyingly, a tiny part of him that still had the gall to whine about all this was whining quite petulantly that he didn't even like cats. He did his best to ignore it. If he was going to whine about anything, it ought to be the goddamn danger he was going to be to... everyone... if he didn't manage to keep his temper, and his general sense of enjoying a fight, under tight control.
"I'm not sure," Dorian said. "Most of what I've read say till you've been knocked out or till the next sunrise. Once a bitten were is pushed to that point, they don't just... calm down." At least not without a blow to the head or something. Dorian knew this wasn't positive news for Tayne, but he wasn't really sure how to soften it. Tayne needed to know the truth, as much as Dorian could give it to him.
"That's really all that comes to mind, off the top of my head," Dorian said. "Once you know what type of cat you are, it'd be a good idea to research them a little. You'll pick up some of their instincts, and that can be good to keep in mind." He couldn't come up with anything bad about cats that Tayne would need to know. They were crafty creatures, but that could work for him, being a hunter.
No, it wasn't good news; it was actually rather discouraging. More than discouraging. Tayne wound up in more fights than he probably should, just to get out tension and, well, for fun. He liked closing in on something evil and taking it out. He did have a temper, even if it hadn't been riled much recently. The idea that any kind of anger or battle situation might turn him into the kind of evil he hunted was almost too much to swallow. It might well mean, for him, giving up hunting, to keep from endangering other people, and he wasn't willing to consider that at all. Not yet.
"Is there any way to find out what kind of cat I'll be?" Tayne asked. "Any kind of way to just... guess?" A safer question. One that wasn't going to make him fall apart and start shouting or throwing things in Dorian's store.
"Another were might be able to tell by scent," Dorian said, though he wasn't all too sure on that one. "I just don't know if they'd be that specific. A wolf can tell another wolf, but if they've never smelled a tiger before, they're not gonna be able to identify tiger so much as cat. You should turn to something in your nature. Like, I don't think you're gonna be a fluffy little house cat." Dorian might have laughed, but he didn't think Tayne would appreciate it. As far as he knew, there was no for sure way to tell until after the next full moon, other than finding someone that was exactly what he was. What were the chances?
The tiny laugh Tayne gave, himself, wasn't very humorous. "I hope to god not. I hate housecats." He sighed and pulled over one of the books, looking at the cover wearily. "I with there was such a thing as a 'newly turned guide', or something. Even a c-collection of 'when I was bitten' stories would help." Most of what Dorian had said, he'd actually known already, and it just plain didn't seem applicable to adapting to being bitten. They were good to be reminded of-- since he hadn't thought of what his temper would do to him, even if he knew about it in an abstract sense-- but it didn't address any of the little things. Knowing what instincts were like, learning how to sort out scents, hell, what kind of earplugs were the most efficient... those were what he wanted right about now.
But even these generic books were better than nothing. "I'll take these, though," he said, and reached to bring over one of the others. Every little bit helped, and if he read between the lined maybe he could glean something.
"Unfortunately, prior to the Light of May, bitten weres have been more focused on staying hidden than writing books," Dorian said. "Your best bet would be to track down one of the bitten weres here in Scarlet Oak, or even one of the born ones. They might be able to help you. Just don't tell them you're a hunter." Any kind of hunter came across bad to most weres. They didn't stop to ask if he was a good guy before turning tail.
"Wish I was more help," Dorian said as he gathered up the books to ring up. As he did so, the door unlocked and the sign flipped back to open. "I've got a lot of book knowledge, and I know some weres myself, but that's not the same as being one."
"I know a few, too," Tayne said, "and that's probably a good idea." And while he wasn't going to bother poor Rowena, who didn't know much more than he did and might well know less, he could probably get Jess to talk to him. And she already knew what he did. Kind of, anyway. Hell, so did Rowena. Maybe he'd give Jess a call for lunch and they could talk....
Following Dorian to the counter, Tayne grinned a bit. "If I were at all good at writing, I'd write a damn book on all this. Then at least it'd help someone else." Too bad he was a shitty writer. "You were a help. All I really expected outta this was the books... talkin' with me, that helped, too." If you called making him want to go to bed and not get up again until it was all over "helping", anyway. But that wasn't Dorian's fault, that was his fault for not being able to deal.
"It takes time to adjust," Dorian said as he rang up the books. "That goes for any kind of supernatural ability that you stumble upon, or get attacked by. In the beginning, it feels like the end of the world, but eventually you get comfortable in your own skin again and you learn how to work with it." That was the real advice he could give, based on his own life experiences. He hadn't been bitten by a werewolf, but he had fallen out of a tree and triggered the psychic side within him. With it came killer migraines and the ability to accidentally shatter windows when angry. Luckily, it'd been a while since that had been a problem. It wasn't quite the same as Tayne's problem, but he could relate. "Glad I could help," he said with a small smile, handing over the books in a bag.
At the moment, Tayne was having a hard time seeing it as anything less than the end of the world-- or at least his world. So many things would have to change. And if he wanted to figure out what needed changing, to test it at all, he'd be putting people in danger if he experimented wrong. This was going to take a lot of thought. And probably help. And even then, he probably wouldn't come to any kind of conclusion that would work for him, and let him be able to keep anything about the life he lived.
He traded books for cash with a sigh. "A'ight. Guess that's that." He grinned faintly. "Next stop, anywhere I can get some goddamn earplugs.... Thanks again, man. I really appreciate it."
"Good luck," Dorian said. "Gimme a call if you need anything, or if you just wanna grab a beer. I hear that can help." Dorian might not have the answers, but he was always willing to listen. It was what he spent most of his day doing, hence knowing more supernaturals than most people suspected. It came with the territory, he supposed. Working in a supernatural bookstore did have it's perks.
"If we can find a nice, quiet place for the beer," Tayne grinned wryly, "I might take you up on that in a few days. Talk to you soon, man." He hefted his books and headed back out to his truck. He had a phone call to make.