{SCE}The Beast Inside

[Devyn Solway]

This camping trip might have been for the sake of getting the bad kids out and doing something to...well Devyn didn't actually pay attention to why she had been dragged along for this trip. All she knew was that she was in her element. The woods were practically where she felt more alive than she did in any other location. It reminded her of the good times she had with her father and she could just go away from the others at the main camp and have herself some fun. That was what she was doing now, going off on her own to just take in the scenery. It was already dusk, and thus dark enough for her to go around without wearing her shades.

She of course could not help herself but the follow the light scent she picked up in the air, approaching very much like she was in her other form; minus being down on all four. She used to go hunting with her father, and even now she could feel her blood pumping with excitement as she knew she was getting closer to her 'prey' as she could see it in the signs of the trail and with her nose. Soon she spotted the deer that she had been tracking, minding its own business and grazing a bit. She could tell it was already pretty alert since it was currently by itself and figured its herd was not too far away.

Devyn's stomach growled slightly but she knew there was no way she was going to be able to take a deer down with her own hands, but that was why she was thankful for her power. She already started to slowly pull shadows in her direction as her green eyes started to turn a few shades darker. Just as the shadows started to climb up her body, the sound of a twig snapping rather loudly was enough to send the deer bolting off. While Devyn could have still used her power and likely caught the creature, she was more so upset at the fact that someone had scared her game off.

"I might have to make you my dinner instead." Devyn said, referring to the person who broke the twig and didn't bother to look at them as she calmed herself down. She didn’t really mean it, because cannibalism but she was still a tiny bit frustrated. Still, she knew she would not go hungry so that was what she told herself to keep from getting actually angry.

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley really was better than she'd been since the tragic events that had accompanied the manifestation of her mutant powers. Through arduous therapy and a strict treatment plan supported by an aggressive medication regiment she'd made great strides on her path to manage her condition in the best way possible. She still wasn't normal' even by the standards of someone who could manipulate the magnetic fields around her with a wave of her hand, but she was slowly getting there. Every so often, though, she found herself with a growing anxiety that could only be eased by making an escape and withdrawing from the world around her to seek isolation.

It was painfully obvious Ashley was not adept at traversing the wilderness. She moved clumsily over the rocks, plants, and fallen tress around her. She didn't realize she was making too much noise to hunt, her mind was far from such things. As it had a tendency to do, Ashley's mind had wandered off. She wasn't paying attention to the terrain, or anyone else around her. She certainly hadn't paid any mind to the twig that snapped beneath her sneaker. It had been just one of many, after all.

The voice that cut through the quiet night like a knife caused Ashley to jump and issue a faint yelping noise in response. The cold, bitterness of the words, whether they were but hollow threats or not, chilled Ashley to the bone and she shivered, her brilliant blue eyes wide as they sought out the source. "I'm-" She started, a hand moving up to her chest that had already started heaving from the shock. "I'm sorry." She breathed, her gaze now focusing upon the other girl. She didn't even know what she was sorry for. Had she done something wrong? She was only walking, minding her own business. Ashley almost flinched at the way the girl seemed to be gathering herself. "Did- Did I do something wrong?" She asked, her voice coming out almost pitifully.

[Devyn Solway]

Devyn half expected that she would end up running into this problem sooner or later due to the fact it was easy to tell who was equipped to handle the outdoor life. This girl that had scared away Devyn’s potential meal was not. Not her fully and again Devyn really could not be mad at her, once she got herself to fully settle down. The other girl even let out a yelp and jumped, remaining Devyn of someone else who she was used to seeing do that often. Such thoughts were pushed out of Devyn’s mind as she causally walked over to the girl, looking her over.

“It’s alright, I should have tried to hunt even further away from the main little camp we have going on.” Devyn said as she gave a small shrug. She was assuming the girl was a mutant and that she was a part of the trip because no one else should have been in this general area. Then the next question that had Devyn chuckling a little and shaking her head no. “No, you’re fine. I’m sure you didn’t mean to scare away a meal that could last me pretty much the whole trip. Probably a sign to go after smaller things.” Devyn said as she scratched her head a little for a moment as she looked back to where the deer had vanished too.

“I’m Devyn by the way. Who are you and why are you so far from the main camp. You know there a cougars and bears out here, right?” Devyn asked as she smirked a little. She could not help but to tease a little, and she was also not lying. There were so bears and cougars out there and Devyn was tempted to try and fight one of them in her other form. She was not sure how well that would go or if the beast would even stick around to fight her.

[Ashley Benson]

Hunt? Ashley's brow furrowed curiously at that. She hadn't done much hunting herself, mostly she'd stuck around the teachers that were out and about. They knew at least some of the details regarding her circumstances and it had been agreed upon she probably shouldn't carry any weapons or be allowed to wander the woods alone. Which went to show how compliant she was as she constantly found herself getting as far away from camp as possible. "Um, I'm sorry. What, uh, what were you hunting?" It looked as thought her thoughts had made her forget someone was speaking to her. She shifted to glance over the area as best she could in a futile attempt to see some sign of what had been Devyn's quarry. "How are you hunting?" She asked with genuine curiosity. The other girl didn't have any weapons, she figured her power must be useful. That was something that mutant teens talked about with each other, right? Their powers? Ashley thought it a better conversation topic than just awkwardly standing around.

"I'm Ashley." No matter how many times she said it, she still couldn't get used to the name. It left a bitter taste in her mouth that showed whenever she introduced herself. It felt alien to her, as if she was disconnected to something that she should have been comfortable with her entire life, not a meaningless moniker that had been practically issued to her. "Yes." She answered with a faint nod as he eyes shifted back to focus upon the other girl. "I figured if something jumped out I'm not too far enough away from camp to..." The blue eyed girl trailed off as she, once again, pulled her attention from Devyn and scanned the darkened area around them. She'd gone a lot further than she'd thought. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to remember which direction the camp was located. "Or maybe I just lost track of time and got myself lost."

[Devyn Solway]

"A deer." Devyn answered back right away in a simple manner. She enjoyed hunting, liked it, and saw it as a part of life so didn't view it as a big deal. It would have been awesome to get her hands on a deer and not have to worry about food for a while. Plus she could end up feeding her friends and make sure that they were not having a super hard time trying to survive while on this trip. She was already thinking about the best way to cook it and how she could end up finding some herbs or at least the right kind of flower to help really bring out the flavor. Her mouth was already starting to get watery just thinking about it.

"Well I was mainly tracking like most humans do by looking at the land and tracks. Then I was using my sense of smell and was about to use my power to change into my other form and catch my prey." Devyn said, missing the bit if the girl was looking for an explanation of her power. She would have been happy to give it but her mind was still a bit distracted with the whole missing out on food and trying to figure out what to hunt down now for something to eat. "Nice to meet you Ashley, pretty name." Devyn said, honestly finding the name pretty. She often enjoyed people’s names in general but there were a few that just sounded nice with they left your lips.

Devyn listened as she explained two possibilities of how she ended up out here, even noticing how the girl kept looking around. She didn't see the point in it because Devyn herself was there and while she didn't know the girl she was not going to let some bear or cougar sneak up and maul her. While the girl was around Devyn, she was safe. Unless of course the girl pissed Devyn off or something crazy happened that caused Devyn to lose control over her power and go berserk. "Well good thing you got lost and found me. I'll make sure you get back to the camp safe. Do you mind waiting until I get some food first? I'll catch something and cook it up for you too." Devyn asked as she rolled her shoulders.

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley nodded slowly as she took in the other girl's words. They were strange, not at all like the ones she'd heard uttered from the few others while on the trip. This girl seemed much different than everyone else. She didn't seem to mind so much being out here in the middle of nowhere. Something about the way she spoke and even moved made Ashley think she actually liked being stuck in the woods. Her talk of stalking prey and having another form was intriguing, to say the least.

She offered a sheepish smile to the compliment on her name. Ashley had never given much thought into the name sounded like, just that it didn't sound like hers. It never had as long as she could remember. Still, it was nice to be around someone who didn't instantly snap at her or look at her like she was an idiot. "Thank you." She said after a moment, the weak smile still splayed across her features. "I like your name too. I've never met any girls named Devyn."

Ashley's brow then furrowed at the generous offer. Her clear, blue eyes studied Devyn for a long moment as if waiting for the punchline of some cruel joke she didn't want to hear. It was an awful lot to offer someone she'd never met. It actually threw Ashley off when it became apparent Devyn was being sincere and not simply ridiculing the girl for her obvious lack of comfort in this environment. "Oh, I..." She couldn't accept something like that, could she? Her eyes lit up as a realization struck her. "How about if you catch something, you show me how to prepare and cook it?" She countered. At least that way she'd learn something and not feel as much like a freeloader.

[Devyn Solway]

Devyn did enjoy where they were, even if she was being forced on the trip at least it was something that she enjoyed. It allowed her to get away from the school and that was currently something she wanted to do a lot of late. She didn't have to worry about seeing those who made her heart ache. Sure she was dealing with knowing Cade liked her and unsure how Vera felt about all of that, but in general things were pretty good. Time away was always a good thing and doing something that she really enjoyed helped ease a lot of tension she had built up, but other activities would have helped out a lot more.

Said activities just had not been done recently because of how Dev had been feeling and not wanting to get mixed up with things too much. Devyn just gave a nod when the girl thanked her for saying that she liked her name. Then she chuckled when Ashley pointed out that she didn't know any girls named Devyn. "Yeah, it’s not really common for girls to have the name. My dad was set on it and even called me his Little Prince of Shadows. Plus I've grown up to be quite the tomboy so I figure it all fits me." Devyn said smiling just thinking about it. She loved her name and the fact that it just added that she could pass as a guy sometimes.

"Hmmm...alright, that could work. We are having rabbit in that case." Devyn said after she thought about the girl's offer. She preferred to cook her own food because of certain events that happened to her as a child, but if she was showing the girl that meant she was watching her and she would not have anything to worry about. Devyn looked around for a moment before moving to a spot and clearing an area where they could set up a fire. She made sure to clear the area just enough for a decent sized fire and made sure that nothing else would catch fire.

"We should get a fire worked up first and then I can go out and get the prey." Devyn said as she dusted her hands off and looked to the girl. "Can you gather some fire wood? There should be plenty of broken sticks on the ground around here, especially from that tree." Devyn said as she pointed to a tree that was basically dead. It clearly was a meal time favorite for some cicadas. It would not take long to get a fire started once the girl got them the wood that they needed. "Mind if I ask why you are on this trip?" Devyn could not help but to ask, since the girl didn't really look like she had a bad bone in her body.

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley nodded faintly while Devyn spoke of her name. It caused the blue eyed girl to harken back to the words of advice her therapist had given about finding contentment in the little things of her life. The doctor would surely have loved to hear Ashley having the same fondness over the name she still didn't wear right as Devyn had for hers. She smiled though. Ashley liked hearing about the small inner workings of people's lives. Listening to someone else made it easier to remain outside her own mind.

"I've never had rabbit." She admitted, although there was probably a great deal Ashley hadn't gotten the chance to experience. While she was hardly one to latch onto the idea of food for pleasure, the idea of trying something, anything, new was actually a little exciting. "Oh!" She perked up at the mention of fire. "I think I can do that." She'd gotten a few instructions before being shipped off to the middle of nowhere and being able to make her own attempts at executing them was a welcome distraction.

Ashley obediently had started for the dead tree Devyn pointed out only to have the question cause her to stop in her tracks. Her brow furrowed as she suddenly found herself in a near panic to figure out the right way to answer without coming off as utterly mad. Ashley didn't like speaking of her condition and people tended to ask questions about her erratic and often strange behavior. Slowly she turned and looked back to Devyn, the girl's question had obviously rattled her but she took a deep breath and finally spoke. "I don't do well around people." Which was a true statement, just not the answer. "I've had some problems with my mutation and I've been..." She waved a hand a bit in frustration as she tried to piece together the right words. "Isolated for the past couple years." Her arms then went to wrap around her body. She hated talking about this. "I guess they thought it'd be a good change of pace." Ashley's clear, blue eyes then lifted to focus upon the other girl. "What about you?" She asked. If this was supposed to be a trip for 'troubled' kids, why was the person who'd probably been nicer to her than anyone she'd ever met on it?

[Devyn Solway]

"Well, personally I find wild rabbit tastes stronger then domesticated rabbit and taste like most light meats. I'll make it so that it’s perfect for someone who has never had it before." Devyn said, already getting excited about it. She did actually enjoy cooking, it was not a passion but she liked it enough to want to cook for others. It allowed her to text her skills and well it was another way for her to be able to take care of people. Must have been a wolf thing about wanting to not only protect but also make sure that those she cared for; her pack, were fed.

"Awesome. Then you can work on the fire while I go get the food. That way we are not waiting around for a fire when I have the food." Devyn pointed out. Plus she liked to just have everything prepped and ready so she could cook it all at once and dig right in. Dev did notice how the girl suddenly changed at the question and was about to voice that the girl really didn't have to say anything if it was not something she wanted to talk about. Dev understood that, and she knew that if you did things right you would get the answer to that kind of question later on.

"Ah, I see. Sorry for asking, you didn't have to tell me if you didn't feel comfortable talking about it yet. I would have understood. You can just relax and be yourself around me, promise I don't bite unless you want me to." Devyn said in a calm voice, but then of course she had to toss a flirt in there as well. Devyn had no problem answering this question; it was one that she didn't really think was too personal, at least not for her. "A lot of things. Destruction of property, fighting, a bit unstable with my power a few times, and probably a lot involving the fact that I'm always getting detentions for being out past curfew." Devyn admitted as she chuckled a little.

She then took a deep breath and started to pull shadows towards her before hesitating and looking to the girl. "Don't run away or anything when I use my power. Promise I won't hurt you and I won't wonder off to far. You stay right here and get the fire ready and I will be right back, okay?" Devyn said as she gave the girl a friendly smile and then resumed pulling the shadows to her. Allowing them to cover her form in the darkness, molding them into her beast form, and stretching out as all the shadows became solid and the shadows smoke appeared around her.

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley's head turned as Devyn spoke. She listened intently, even though she'd never even tried rabbit (wild or domesticated), nor had she ever had to gather wood or started a fire before. Of course, she'd also never been faced with the threat (however hollow it may have been in the end) or being dinner. What mattered was that Ashley had something to focus her mind on and, given that it was obvious Devyn knew what she was talking about, Ashley figured it wouldn't hurt to try and retain as much as she could from the young woman.

Ashley wanted to talk more about her condition and the way it tormented her every waking moment. Just the fear of suddenly finding herself trapped in a reality that resided only in her mind was enough to keep her stress and anxiety levels going through the rood. She saw the look in Devyn's eyes, whether real or imagined, when it became apparent the blue eyed girl was incapable of fully detailing the reasons for her selection to attend this trip. Devyn was judging her like they all did. She was trying to figure out what was wrong with her and wondering why she wasn't locked away somewhere instead of being able to come out and walk around with the rest of the normal people.

Devyn's voice cut through the growing madness inside Ashley's head and started, jumping as if she'd just been pinched. Crystal blue eyes shifted to look at Devyn and then Ashley nodded. The color had drained from her face but she was alert and went to start gathering up wood as Devyn shrugged off the vague answer to her question. A small smile was turned toward the short haired girl. Ashley would try to relax around her. At least as best she could.

At the mention of Devyn's power, Ashley couldn't help but curiously turn toward her. Her head tilted as the other girl began to shift and change. Eyes grew wide and the few dried twigs she'd gathered fell to the ground. For a brief moment something far more wicked than the shadow beast that stood before her flashed in Ashley's mind. Her eyes closed and she began silently mouthing numbers up to ten while she forced her breathing to slow.

[Devyn Solway]

Devyn was not meaning to judge the other girl if she was coming off that way, she really did want people to relax and feel at ease around her. She understood that not everyone was skilled at controlling their powers, and it took work. So long as a person put work into it, Devyn had no problem with what they could do. She didn't even know this girl, but it was easy to tell that there was some baggage there. For those who had baggage of their own and were not self-absorbed, it was easy to see other people's baggage.

She didn't know what kind of baggage the other girl had, but it was there and Dev was a little curious. Devyn then used her power, planning on going to get their food while Ashley handled getting the fire at least set up. Part of her should have been ready for the other girl to be scared when she saw her us her power, but it was still something that took time getting used too. People looking at you in fear, like you were a monster, or well anything but joy. Then again, no one ever was really overjoyed at first when they saw her but with time they relaxed.

Dev didn't understand if it was her that was the real problem, but that was what she assumed. So she lowered herself, trying to not look as intimating. She lowered her ears and tail in a submissive position as she carefully moved closer to the girl. She would have let out whimpers if she was actually capable of doing that in this form. Instead she moved closer, slowly, and reached out with her nose to give the other girl slight nuzzle. The shadow smoke that always traveled around her moved to form out words.

S. A. F. E.

[Ashley Benson]

After letting the initial shock of the transformation fade, as well as the vivid image of the beast that had flashed in her mind, Ashley's eyes opened. The surprise had just been fleeting. She was sending away the portrait that had superimposed itself over the form of the creature that stood before her, not the sight of Devyn in her bestial form. Devyn had no way of knowing and it caused a visible wince to surface as she saw the subdued demeanor of the animal.

"Oh, no..." She said, her voice low but stern. "Not you." Ashley's head shook. How could she possibly explain her reaction without coming off as more crazy than she already had? At the feel of the muzzle against her hand, Ashley actually smiled. She always felt more comfortable around animals anyway. They didn't judge or shun her. "I've never seen anything like this." She breathed, tentatively reaching out to lightly stroke the top of the animal's head. There was no fear in her eyes anymore. No apprehension beyond being curious as to what behavior was acceptable around a person who shifted into such a form. There was a certain, strange sense of majesty and grace that Ashley found in the creature. She watched the smoke swirl about, forming the simple word. Her head shook in disbelief, gaze never straying. "It's... beautiful..."

[Devyn Solway]

Devyn easily heard the words that came across that it was not her fault that the other girl looked so scared there for a moment. Well, if it was not Devyn then there was something in the girls past that was a lot darker then Devyn was originally guessing. Devyn's form just triggered a memory of sorts perhaps, so while Ashley said it was not her, Dev still felt partly at blame. She nuzzled the girl at any rate, knowing that she would feel cold to the touch, but still had that whole sort of feeling like an actual wolf.

It seemed like the idea worked. Dev could feel Ashley start to calm down and the girl was even starting to pet her a little bit. Devyn kept herself low enough for the girl to be able to reach her and leaned into the petting. She loved the way it felt to be pet in this form; it was such an odd sensation that came with her power. Devyn could not help but to feel proud that the girl had not seen anything like it, many had not. Devyn had her own special way of using her power, so of course hers would not have been that common.

It felt good to see and also sense that the girl was no longer worried or anything, it meant that they could get back to their originally plan. She moved to give the girl's cheek a quick lick, the feeling would not be wet, but more like feeling a cold sensation slide across your skin. Devyn then backed away, having to still get back to that whole hunting plan so they could actually get something to eat. She knew she would be hungry after turning into this form, so she had to get to work. Dev did make sure to make her smoke create a message before she went running off, to get to hunting. She hopes the girl understood, because she was pushing it by making five letters, but it was the best she could do.

B. B. A. C. K.

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley was utterly awe struck by the sight in front of her. The smokey, shadowy creature that Devyn had become was equal parts frightening and alluring. Ashley couldn't pull her deep, blue eyes from the beast until it began to pull away. Even then, the girl found herself staring in awe at Devyn as she stalked off into the wilderness. The sight alone had caused a rush of adrenaline to course through Ashley's body. Her chest heaved as she swallowed hard and turned away, trying to tear her focus away from Devyn so she could see to her own designated task.

It took some manner of effort but Ashley had done it. She brought a sleeved arm up to her brow and wiped away the fain traces of sweat that had formed upon her brow and settled back onto her knees. There was a wide grin across her face as she looked at the makeshift firepit she'd made with gathered rocks and twigs. After all the annoyances, frustrations and aggravations, Ashley had made fire. A small tinder box that she'd gotten from one of her councilors had helped, to be sure, but she felt proud and accomplished as the sat, watching the traces of flames lick up around the branches she'd stacked up in the center of the pit. "Wow." She breathed, utterly unaware if anyone else was around. "I did it!"

[Devyn Solway]

It didn't take too long for Devyn to track down some rabbits, and even less time to catch and kill them in her powerful shadow jaws. It always felt do good to be able to hunt like this; without the use of a gun or bow. It just felt...more animistic or something, perhaps because it was. Going right for the throat, teeth sinking in, and feeling the last bit of life slip out of something. Alright, so Dev knew none of this was something she should say out loud or to anyone. They probably think she was crazy and worry she enjoyed killing.

She enjoyed hunting but of just animals, but there was no way she was going to think about how it felt to bite into those SPECTRE agents. Even if it felt good then, she just knew better than to say such things out loud. At any rate, she had managed to get two decently sized rabbits and was on her way back. Arriving just as Ashley had managed to make fire and was clearly happy about it, making Devyn chuckle on the inside as she silently moved up closer. More so out of habit then actually trying to sneak up and startle the girl.

Her shadow jaws dropping the two dead rabbits on the ground a little away from the fire before Devyn start to have her form break down. The process was just as fast as or perhaps even faster than when she would create her form. Soon all that would remain was traces of the shadow smoke lingering around before it would vanish all together. "Good job. Now the question is are you squeamish about dead things, blood, or guts?" Devyn asked as she kneelt down in front of the rabbits, making sure her back was towards Ashley and covering up what she was doing; just in case the girl could not handle it.

It was a bit more 'dirty' work since she had to snap the rabbit’s neck, break it off, cut it from the center and then peel back the fur from the flesh. Could not cook a rabbit with its fur still attached, that would be just a stupid move.