Some Details About Being Bitten Who: Madock and Tayne When: Evening Where: Phonelines
Madock waited for a little while after talking to Jessalyn to call up this Tayne guy. He didn't want to seem to over-eager but he sort of was so he didn't wait very long. Dialing the number that Jessalyn gave him, he held his breath and listened to the ringing. Actually talking to someone who could maybe share with him what he was going to expect would be wonderful. Gabe was going through enough at the moment that he didn't like being an extra burden, especially when Gabe wasn't happy with him in the first place. So maybe this guy would be easier to talk to. Maybe.
Tayne was just coming out of the shower when the phone rang, wanting to clean himself of the Justin smell and the Jess smell and the dinner smell. He wrapped himself in his towel and hurried out to pick it up, catching it on the last ring before the answering machine got it. "Hello?" he said, not sure who it was.
"Hey." Madock said. "Um... my name is Madock Korey. Jessalyn gave me your number. She's my girlfriend. I think she told you the reason I'd be calling though. I hope it's not a bad time." Calling new people always sucked. He always felt stupid not knowing what to say. But then again, that was how Madock felt most of the time anyway.
"Oh." It took Tayne a beat to place the name and situation. "Oh, the one with the headache, right? Yeah, no, this is fine. Not a bad time." He could get dressed while on the phone, right? Maybe? "You wanna talk? You could come over, or I could meet you at your place, if that'd be easier for you." It'd be easier on Tayne, he imagined. He could get dressed, have a face in front of him, all that.
"Yeah." Madock nodded a little, though that went unseen. "I'm staying with a friend so... maybe it's better if I meet you at your place or somewhere else. Preferably your place because talking about this out in public probably isn't the best. I didn't get your address from Jessalyn, just the number, but if you can give it to me then I can just head over." he said.
"Sure. It's down by the packlands." How ironic. Tayne listed off the address and a landmark or two. "See you in a bit, Madock." Which gave him time to get presentable, thank god.
Madock wrote down the directions and made his way to Tayne's house in his sister's car. He was still not used to driving it. He wanted his car back. He'd yet to go get it from the impound lot now that it'd been cleared from the police after the kidnapping. But for some reason, driving Claire's car made him feel better. Like she was still around or something. But maybe that was stupid. Whatever. He didn't care. He arrived at Tayne's place and made his way to the front door, lightly knocking and waiting for him to answer.
By that time, Tayne was dressed, his hair combed and pulled back, and he'd even gotten the towels hung up and his dirty clothes tossed in the hamper. He was doing great, for the week he'd had. When he opened the door, he grinned only a little wearily at Madock, then stepped back to let him in. "Hey, c'mon in. I'm Tayne."
"Madock." he said again, just because that was the first thing that came to his mind as he stepped into the house. "Thanks for seeing me..." he said, brushing his hand over his head. "You won't believe how relieved I am to know what's probably wrong..." he said. "Being unsure really blows."
Tayne shut the door behind the boy-- young man; Madock was taller than he was-- quickly to shut the last of the rain out. "So you think that's what the problem was, too, huh?" he said sympathetically. "It was the only thing I could think of right then. I mean, there shouldn't be a difference between a born or bitten were's bite-- if anything, being bitten by one who was born should be less painful, not more, right?" He shrugged, motioned to the couch in case he wanted to sit down. "Want something to drink? Eat? I've got leftovers from dinner."
"I can't think of any other explanation." he sighed. "And I haven't seen anything since she bit me. At all. Like usually if I touched someone I'd see something. At least once a day I'd touch something or someone and see something but I haven't at all. I didn't even think about it because... my head just feels so... weird." he muttered. "It hurt at first and now it just feels so wrong. Like something is missing." Madock shook his head at the invitation for food though. "No, thanks though. I appreciate it."
"Well, no matter what, you won't be a psychic anymore," Tayne promised, sitting, himself, on the armchair beside the couch. "I don't know if that's what caused the headache, but you definitely won't be seeing shit anymore when you touch things, all the books and everything I've known about weres until I got bitten were clear on that. Weres can work magic, if they learn, but anything else they can't be."
"Yeah..." Madock said softly. He still wasn't sure what to think about that. His insides torn between thanking god and wishing he'd never asked Jessalyn to bite him. It was something he and Claire shared and now it was gone for good. But he couldn't change it now so worrying probably wouldn't do anything but make things worse. "I guess in a way that's a good thing." he said with a little shrug. "I sort of got used to seeing things but... it was hard. I... just try seeing things that people have done that day or whenever every time you touch them. Seeing Jessalyn's parents or something while I kiss her isn't exactly my idea of a good time." he mumbled.
"I'm glad I never had a gift like that." Tayne grinned a bit, leaning on his elbows on his knees. "I don't think I could handle seeing some of the stuff I'm sure you saw. Not that being stuck with senses and going k-killing-mad every full moon or every time you lose your temper is much better, o'course, but it's sure different. Is the charm helping?"
"Charm?" he questioned, arching a brow at the man. Jessalyn hadn't said anything about a charm when she talked to him. "Jessalyn didn't say anything about a charm, but we didn't talk very long." he admitted. "She's worried about me. Feels guilty and I think that sucks more than being able to smell everything and hearing stuff I didn't even realize I couldn't hear before. It's like...everything is loud all the time."
"I had a charmed bracelet a friend of mine made me," Tayne explained. "It kept the sounds and smells and all muted down to human levels when you wear it. Helped me get used to things, not get overwhelmed or migraine-y from too much, like when I went to work. Guess she'll give it to you later, or somethin'. I'm still trying to put names to most of the stuff I smell, and some of the stuff I hear. I mean, you don't smell something and automatically know what it is, you know?" Which of course Madock would know, since he was probably feeling it pretty bad himself, but Tayne hadn't been at this mentoring thing very long. And it was a good thing to know, regardless.
"Well that would be awesome." Madock said, wishing he had the bracelet now. "She probably just forgot." he shrugged. "We only talked on the phone but I'm supposed to see her tomorrow. I know what you mean about the smells and stuff. Every little squeak of the floor could wake me out of a dead sleep. When I get to sleep." he mumbled.
"I couldn't sleep my first couple nights, either," Tayne agreed ruefully. "Hopefully tonight I can." Maybe by the time he got to bed, the rain would have stopped. He could hope, right? "It might help to make sure your windows're closed, shades're down tight, maybe even put some music on. It helps drown out some of the other noises that might startle you." That was going to be his plan. He'd always used music to drown out rain, now he just really needed it.
"Sounds like a good idea." Madock agreed. "I've just been trying to function really." he explained. "Hadn't really thought of ways to make things easier. Now that I know what's probably going on with my brain I'll be able to deal with everything else. I just wish that feeling would go away."
"I figure you'll get used to it," Tayne shrugged. "It might never go away, though it might, but at least I figure it'll get to the point where you don't notice it anymore. Kinda like how everyone swears we'll get used to the smells and shit, you'll get used to that feeling and so it'll at least k-kinda go away, in that sense."
"So long as it gets... less aggravating I'll be just fine. That and when I figure out exactly what I've turned myself into." he went on. The fact that he didn't do much thinking before meant he was doing a whole hell of a lot of thinking now.
Tayne looked amused. "Well, that's one thing I thought of a way to figure out for you, at least." Lucky bastard. Tayne still had no idea. "You did this to be with Jess, right? To be her mate on your end, too. Well... do it." He shrugged. "Sleep with her, and if your feelings've changed, then you're a wolf, like her."
"Yeah." he nodded. "That's why. I guess I'm just afraid now that I'm going to be some stupid canine that likes to hump everything." he muttered. He hadn't thought about that but it seemed like a good idea to him. "Wow." he said. "Yeah... that would probably help me figure it out." he said. "Never thought about that honestly. Don't see why it wouldn't work."
In any other situation, Tayne would've been surprised that Madock didn't think of that himself, but in this situation... well. It was probably the first time he wasn't thinking with his dick. "Try it out. Though if you're the kinda person who wants to have a lot of partners, then that's when you'd change into something like that. It's kinda based on personality, from what I can tell, and from what the books say. If you're clever and quick, you might be a fox; if you're the kind of guy who's loyal to a fault, maybe a hound. That kinda thing. I mean, within reason-- if the animal most likely to be like you is a horse, being bit by a wolf ain't gonna turn you into a horse."
Madock shook his head. "Jessalyn's the only person I've ever been with like that." he admitted. "I don't want to be with anyone else. I've never wanted to be anyone else." Maybe that would work to his advantage. "So that ups my chances at being something that wouldn't want to have a lot of partners, right?" he asked hopefully.
"It does," Tayne nodded. "Not absolute, none of this is down to a science or anything, but-- I'd say it's a pretty good sign, I'd say." His own voice sounded a little bleak, but only a little. Were his own thoughts and feelings the cat's fault or really his own? He still didn't know.
"Not knowing just sucks." he sighed. "You haven't changed yet have you?" he questioned. "When'd you get bit, if you don't mind me asking. I mean... it's really not my business so you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm just kinda curious what to expect and... Maybe I should really stop talking." he said. Shaking his head, he tried to contain his rambling brain. "It's just... a lot. My brain is a little... everywhere." he admitted. Bouncing back and forth between what he'd be, how it would feel to change, if his sister would be upset. The fact that his sister was missing the most prominent thing in his brain.
"Just this last full moon," Tayne shrugged, a bit awkwardly. "I don't know what I am yet, I won't change until this full moon. Just some kind of cat. But I know a lot about weres in general, and I have some books. The gal who bit me has them right now, but I could let you borrow 'em next, if you like. I could probably answer most of your questions now, though, if you have any, and if there is an answer." He had found the hard way how many questions and concerns simply didn't have answers.
"Well... I keep hearing that if I lose my temper I'm gonna shift..." Madock said. "Does that mean that I'm going to every time I get mad because I get mad a lot and... I don't... I just don't want to hurt anyone." he sighed.
That right there was one of Tayne's own worries, and he gave Madock a sympathetic grin. "Just getting angry isn't gonna do it. I've gotten angry a couple times, no shifting. It's only when you fail to control your anger, and really, seriously lose your temper. Like, get so pissed off you'd take a swing at someone, that kind of angry. You'll shift when you're in danger, too, when it's something your human self can't handle."
The fact that he'd waited to have Jessalyn bite him til after his father and he had that fight was the best thing he'd ever done. He could have ripped his father open and not been able to do anything about it. "I don't lose my temper that much, at least not often..." he mumbled. "I'm glad I know that now though."
"It'll be somethin' you'll have to work on," Tayne agreed seriously. "We all do. I got the same problem. Hell, probably half the population does." He grinned a bit. "You'll have to think about th-the full moon, too, at some point soon, and what you wanna d-do about it." The part that still made him stutter and shy away... if Madock could face it already, he was a braver person than Tayne was.
Madock wasn't a braver person. Especially not when his housing situation was so up in the air. "I think I might have to check myself in somewhere with a cage." he admitted. "I don't know of any other options. A friend of mine is a bitten were too and putting us both in one place might not be the best thing. I... I just don't know." he sighed. "I don't want to go around blasting it either. People might come after me if they know. Not everyone loves a were I'm sure."
That wasn't something Tayne had thought about: whether two weres changed at the same time would harm each other. None of the books had mentioned that. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. "There's a few options you can go with. I haven't decided what I'm gonna do yet, either...." He shook his head. "And I've been thinkin' about it--" Or, rather, not thinking about it. "--for longer."
"I gotta figure something out before the full moon I just... don't know what to do." he sighed. "I should have thought about it more... for longer... you just got launched into this, I chose it but... I mean I don't regret it... I don't I just... wish I'd thought about it longer..." he muttered. "Then I'd have everything already situationed."
"Have to admit, thinking a little more 'bout it first prob'ly would've been a good idea." Tayne shook his head with a little grin. "But it's done, now you get to learn 'bout it, and that'll work out in the end, too. People been gettin' bitten for centuries, it can't be any worse for you than them, right?"
Madock nodded. "I shoulda thought about it more." he said. "But you're right, it don't change nothing and it's done and there's no going back so... I gotta make the best of it. If I could deal with touching and seeing shit... I can deal with this too. I'm actually kind of thankful in a way that the seeing shit is over with."
"Yeah, I probably would be, too. There are perks to all this-- you're gonna be more alert to trouble, more observant of shit like moods and emotions, all that. Canine types in particular are supposed to have really good senses-- hormones, even. You'll be able to tell." Tayne scratched his head a bit. "What all do you know 'bout weres, right now? Wolves in particular, but also all of us in general."
"Not as much as I probably should. I know about the senses... Jessalyn explained that she could like... smell me and be able to find me just by that. And I know about the wolves mating for life. I know that biting obviously turns other people. I know that if I get angry... well, yeah, you just cleared that part up for me, so I know about that. I know about the full moon and stuff like that."
"You need to know about silver," Tayne said firmly. "You can't touch it anymore-- it'll make you sick. And if it gets inside you, treat it like deadly poison. And if you do wind up a wolf, or probably any kind of large dog too, you'll have a pack mentality-- people important to you get more important, and people who weren't that important to you matter less. It's very much an us-and-them kinda thing: your pack is what you live for, not anything else." The werewolves section of the books had been rather more extensive than anything else, somewhat to Tayne's annoyance.
Madock nodded. "I'm sort of like that now..." he admitted. "Well... before I mean. It was always me and my sister, we're twins, and Gabe, a friend of mine. And now Jessalyn obviously." Maybe that was another thing that would work for him with the whole werewolf thing. He kept hoping that he'd have reasons for being a wolf and not anything else.
Tayne's mind was thinking along the same lines, and he said so. "Then you're probably on your way to wolfdom already," he said with a little grin, trying not to be too envious. He still didn't have a clue, himself... but he didn't have to deal with losing a psychic power, either. Trade-offs, and all that. "Or at least large dog-dom. But I mean it on the silver. Be careful."
Madock nodded. "I don't think I have anything silver..." he said. "At least I'm pretty sure I don't but I'll have to go through and make sure. Good to know though." he said. "Definitely don't wanna end up putting myself in a crap situation because I was stupid. Anything else I might need to know?"
Thinking for a minute, Tayne finally shook his head. "Nothing right now. Might think of somethin' later, that's always how it happens, remember what you should've asked a few hours later." He looked back up, brows up, at Madock. "D'you have any more questions, yourself?"
"No." Madock said, shaking his head. "I don't think so at least... like you said I'll leave and think of a billion things." he sighed. "But... I got your number so... if you don't mind, I could call you if I think of something..."
"You do that," Tayne said, nodding firmly. "You have any questions or concerns or whatever-- gimme a call, a'ight? I know you don't know me all that well, but I've been dealing with the supernatural a long time now, and I wanna help any way I can." And, even to his own mild surprise-- not a lot, but a little-- he really did mean that. He knew he liked helping people, but the whole... specifically being there for new weres thing, it wasn't something he'd expected, either before or after he was bitten. But it did seem like he was headed that way.
"Thank you." Madock said sincerely. "You don't realize how much this really helps it's... it just really sucks to not be able to understand any of this and Jessalyn wants to help but bitten and born are two different things and I hate making her feel like she can't help me..."
"She tried helping me out, too," Tayne remembered with a little grin, thinking about the girl. She was sweet, and probably being too hard on herself over all this, too. She was a kid; she shouldn't have to worry about shit like this yet, if ever. "What about your friend?" he asked, remembering. "You said you had another friend who was bitten, didn't you? Is he pretty new to this, too?" As nice as it was to be able to help, himself, it would've made more sense to go to his friend, didn't it?
Madock nodded. "He's new to it yeah. He's pissed at me for doing it. He didn't have a choice and I guess... I don't think he'll ever understand why I did what I did." he sighed. "I don't blame him for that, I guess if the shoe was on the other foot I'd be pretty pissed at me too."
"Pissed enough to not want to help?" Tayne asked, surprised. He hadn't made this choice, though he'd always known it was a possibility, but that didn't mean he was going to get angry at someone who did choose it. He shook his head. "Well, I guess that's his choice. Sorry to hear it, though."
"Yeah." he shrugged. "He's just... going through a lot of shit right now." Madock explained. Why he was defending Gabe, he didn't know. But he was going through a lot. And he had every right to be mad he supposed. It still hurt. "I guess he might come around eventually."
"One would hope." Tayne couldn't imagine turning on a friend for something like that. "Well, if you need anything, at least you got Jess, right? And me, for what it's worth." He grinned a bit, tempted to offer the same for his friend, but thought that might be a bit too forward. "You want those books? It might be a couple days, wanna let her get a good read-through, but that shouldn't be too long to wait."
"Yeah. That'd be great." Madock nodded. "Whenever your other friend is done'll be fine by me."
"Great," Tayne said with a smile. It seemed like that part of the conversation was over, which left... regular pleasantries, or shooing Madock out already. He tried to think of anything he might've forgotten, and in the meantime asked, "You sure you don't want anything while yer here? I have this overwhelming urge to feed people when they show up in my house, so I gotta ask...."
Madock smiled and shook his head. "No, it's alright, really." he assured the man. "Thanks though. For everything. You've really helped me out a lot. I feel better about all this... stuff now. Glad I can talk to someone about everything that sorta... understands." he said. "I should probably let you get back to whatever you were doing before I interrupted." he said. "You've got my number on your cell though, so if you wanna get a hold of me, you can call that. Anytime."
"Will do," Tayne nodded, rising, though he had a frown on his face. "There was something else... oh." Finally remembering, he went for the kitchen, where he'd left his wallet and keys-- and the little notebook he'd been carrying around. "This," he said, bringing it back into the living room. "I've found this helps, with the senses. Whenever you smell something or hear something you d-don't recognize, stop and write it down. Or take some time once an hour, and write down everything you can smell. It's helped me not be so overwhelmed by it all." He showed Madock the first few pages, filled with observations in his messy handwriting.
Madock watched as he paged through and nodded, letting his eyes flick back up to Tayne's and smiling. "Awesome." he said. "Yeah... shit, definitely. There's stuff... crazy stuff that I sit around and wonder about for hours. Writing it down might get it outta my head."
"Anything to sort out the mess, I figure," Tayne agreed, tucking the notebook into his back pocket for the moment. "Anyway. I think that was it." He offered Madock his hand. "It was good to meet you, and now you know where to find me if there's ever a problem."
Madock took the man's hand and gave it a little shake. "Good to meet you. Great actually. And yeah. I'll make sure to come see you sometime, for sure." he smiled. "Thanks. Again."
"You're welcome," Tayne chuckled, and pulled open the door for him. "Drive safe on the way home. It's still pretty wet out there."