Lauren Cooper (sometimescoyote) wrote in light_of_may, @ 2010-10-24 21:30:00 |
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Entry tags: | 2009-07-31, julian, lauren |
Who: Julian and Lauren
When: Late afternoon
Where: Woods, then Julian's clinic
What: Lauren's a klutz.
The problem with running a tattoo shop meant that Lauren's free time was drastically reduced - when she wasn't actually tattooing someone, she was handling bills and ordering supplies and reading up on how to actually run a small business. Not that she didn't like doing it, because it was surprisingly fun, but her other work was suffering a little. She had goals for this town, skins she wanted and didn't always have the time to take off and hunt for. But she'd nabbed a marten when she'd first arrived in Scarlet Oak, and after several weeks of preparation it was finally ready to use.
Lauren cleared her afternoon, closing up early and driving out to a nice wooded area near the edge of town that would give her plenty of room to run. Parking her car where it would be concealed from the road, she got out and stripped, tossing her clothes in the car and pulling out the marten pelt. It was on the smaller side, about the size of a housecat, and Lauren always felt a little ridiculous trying to wear her smaller skins like capes, but she only looked ridiculous for a minute or two. She chanted quietly, the words as familiar to her as her own face in the mirror, and grit her teeth at the pain that came with every change. Familiarity, in this case, never made it any easier to bear.
But it cleared quickly, and when it did, where Lauren had once stood was an American marten, just over two and a half feet long with silky brown fur and an inquisitive face. Giving herself a quick shake, Lauren bounded off into the forest.
She was having a grand old time - the marten body was quick and agile, with semi-retractable claws that were perfect for climbing trees. Until she misjudged the solidity of a tree branch; it cracked beneath the weight of her landing as she jumped from a nearby tree. Lauren scrambled for another hold but missed, falling to the ground. It was a good fifteen feet and she landed with a thud and a yelp, laying still for a moment to take stock. The searing pain in her shoulder wasn't good - she was betting on dislocation - and maybe a cracked rib. Her grimace translated to a teeth-baring snarl on the marten face; changing back was going to suck. No point doing it out in the middle of the woods when she'd be naked; she'd get back to the car first and then worry about shifting. Steeling herself, Lauren hauled herself painfully to three legs and began the long limp out to the edge of the forest. She made for the edge straightaway, finding it easier to maneuver with less underbrush to work through, and decided to take her chances walking alongside the road until she got to the car.