Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty

[Will Spencer]

Mountain lions were a thing to be feared. Shapeshifting men who couldn't quite figure out how their mountain lion was going to react once he let it out, were also a thing to be feared. The news of cancer had finally sunk in after quite a few attempts at making sure that it wouldn't. He'd lied to his best friend, drank, started a few fights and went running in hopes of calming himself in some way. Nothing was working for a lengthy amount of time and the longer he put it off, the more irritable and the more out of control he got. The fact that he hadn't shifted in over a week was not helping his situation.

With the door to one of the open training rooms shut, he backed himself up against the wall and slid down. His hands were clenched tight into fists, his body trembling with the anticipation of the painful transformation into the large cat. The breaking of bones was something he probably hated the most out of what happened when he shifted. The rest was no better, by any means, but when each individual bone needed to bend and snap into a new shape, he thought he'd pass out from the pain every single time.

William was stalling, he didn't want to shift, but the anger he felt was boiling inside of him and if he didn't shift in a controlled environment, he would end up hurting someone. He couldn't rely on Gabriel to calm him now because he wouldn't understand the level of rage that William had reached. It was like a throwback to his early teenage years when he made picking fights with people a game. He just hoped so desperately that no one came in.

His body shook more and he took a deep breath before the shift happened and his scream turned into a snarl.

[Selina Taylor]

    Selina hadn’t been to Bellefonte Academy in quite some time, but she was here to see Riley and to revisit the old training rooms. She’d offered to help her friend learn some basic self-defense and had figured the college would be the most convenient place for them to meet up. Selina didn’t have much time outside of work lately, so she wanted to spend what time she could with those who were closest to her.

    Selina made her way past the old familiar places she used to haunt with a mixed sense of nostalgia and relief that she was no longer here. She’d appreciated Bellefonte for what it was, but there was something stifling about the place that she’d been all too happy to leave behind. Besides, she knew things could have only gotten worse with the recent events.

    She paused outside a room as she heard an animalistic snarl… the fuck? She glanced around, grateful that no one else was here. This could get nasty depending on how well the kid could control their powers. Selina wondered if she should leave the kid be… but the possibility of someone being in there with the beast crossed her mind and she cautiously reached to open the door, ready for anything.

    She was a highly trained professional, and she stood a far better chance than any student against whatever was on the other side of that door. If things had gotten out of control between friends… Selina pulled the door open and gave the room a quick cursory glance, taking in the image of the mountain lion and the fact that there was no one else here. Good. That meant she could slam the door and let this kid do as they willed until it was time for them to change back, so she moved to do just that.

[Will Spencer]

Pure, blind and unfiltered rage was coiled within each joint and tendon of the mountain lion. Its mind was unfocused and crazed. Will was inside, his own mind jam-packed with the lion's, but over-powered by his instinct. The instinct to fuck something up, to chase it or hunt it or kill it. Something needed to be targeted and in a school of people, mutant alike and not, he couldn't risk going after one of his classmates or one of his teachers or officials. Logically that's what he wanted to believe but his instincts were saying to find whatever came into view first and tear it apart.

The training room was empty, save for a few random things here and there that weren't anything to hold his interest. He was growling, a constant, low rumble. All he had to do was find a little thing to flip out on then he could shift back and the anger would subside. He batted at a ball and his claw popped it, making him snarl angrily. It wasn't enough.

His ears twisted and twitched, listening and studying. Footsteps, he could hear them stop in front of the door and the large cat's head snapped to the side, his body getting low to the ground. He was ready, he could hear what he needed on the other side of that door and he was going to do it. His paws dug into the floor and as the door clicked open, the lion sprang at it, slamming against the wood as it was beginning to close. His paw swiped out, claws extended and he let out a feral growl that gurgled in the back of his throat.

[Selina Taylor]

    Selina felt the weight of the cat against the door, but her reflexes were sharply honed from years of training. She pulled away from the outreached claw, though not in time to avoid it completely, and the deep scratches on her arm drew blood. “Goddamnit,” she hissed, slamming the door harshly on the paw that had taken some of her skin with it. She should have called a power suppressant but she hadn’t wanted to waste time in case there was another kid in there.

    Shit, this door wouldn’t last long if the cat truly wanted out, “Kid, if you can understand me, back up. Calling over a teacher isn’t going to be fun for you,” she offered, her voice calm and low, as she wasn’t worried about whether or not the lion could hear her. Shifters often had enhanced senses, the only thing she was worried about was whether or not the student could understand her while in this form. She’d also heard that forced changes hurt a hell of a lot more than natural ones, though she had no idea as she was no shapeshifter, so she didn’t truly want to bring anyone from the academy here if she could help it.

    Selina quickly looked around for anything she could brace the door with and found a chair nearby to jam under the door knob. It wasn’t much, but perhaps it’d hold off the lion until the student came back. “You can rage as much as you like, just tear the room apart instead of the door,” she added wryly. There should have been a room packed with breakable items for these kids. Why the hell hadn’t that happened yet?

[Will Spencer]

Immediately he smelled blood and the lion was disturbingly satisfied, but Will was not. He was angry, yes, but he didn't want to hurt anyone. The lion was out to kill, but Will was reining it in as best he could. Which by the way he'd scratched whoever opened the door, he felt as though he wasn't doing the best job. He was out of control, much more so than he ever liked to be. His mind was chaotic and he was on edge, the tiniest thing to set him off. The illness had gotten to him, had shook him so viciously that he couldn't handle it and he couldn't recoil the way he wanted to.

With the lion's paw slammed between the door and the frame, he let out a loud roar. It was a mixture of surprise, pain and fury. He fell back against the ground, landing on his hind legs and gingerly setting the paw on the floor in front of him, it was limp and Will knew in his own mind that his wrist would be what ended up broken when he shifted back. And during the shift, the morphing of the bones back to their human shape would only be worse.

He was breathing heavily and he scratched at the door, wishing to break through it and finish the job. He wasn't putting in enough effort, as Will was holding back, the strain exhausting both him and the lion. Her voice made him snarl and he growled low. Will would almost rather she call for a teacher. But he knew that if a teacher was called to take care of him, the odds of it being Gabriel or of it getting back to Gabriel was high. He couldn't risk it.

With a tremor he could feel himself start to shift back. The bones cracked and he groaned and bit back a scream. When it ended, he fell back against the ground and wrapped his arms around his knees, his wrist limp and the bones shattered. He could feel it, but he didn't care. The pain was what had brought him back, what had contained the beast. He was breathing heavily, but he didn't bother saying anything. Will hoped that she turned around and left now that there wasn't an animal trying to tear its way out of the training room.

[Selina Taylor]

    Shit, she’d have to get those cuts disinfected soon, but right now Selina had other worries, like the creature she heard scratching at the door. Damn it, she just hoped the kid had enough control to hold back. Even despite her warning, leaving him here alone was a risk she wasn’t willing to take and she didn’t have her phone on her to make any calls. The threat had been empty, but she’d hoped it’d subdue him for the moment.

    Selina felt bad for what she’d done to the kid’s paw, but at the same time, self defense was self defense. She had a high suspicion that the lion would have done far more than merely claw the skin off her arm if she’d let it. Selina heard a groan and… she cringed at the sound of snapping bones. It was the worst part of the transformation for her to be around and she knew it was far more unpleasant for those going through it. She also knew that it wasn’t likely the kid would want to transform again anytime soon… at least based on past experience. Selina had hope he’d be like the other shifters she knew.

    She slowly moved the chair away from the door and opened it, relieved to see a human instead of a lion. “We should get you to the nurse...” she offered quietly as she stayed at the door, not wanting to crowd the young man. He was handsome enough, but right now she was far more concerned with limp wrist that had to be causing rather severe pain. She also figured he probably wouldn’t be feeling very happy with her considering the injury had been her fault, so Selina didn’t mind staying back and giving him plenty of room.

    She’d willingly apologize if he wanted it, but right now she had a feeling the sentiment would sound hollow at best. Selina wished she knew a healer on campus, but once she’d left Bellefonte behind her, she’d rarely returned. She knew next to no one at the school unless she’d met them while she’d been there for her four years. Corey was still here, she knew, and he’d probably be far better at working with this man than she ever would be. She just hoped the young man wasn’t going to fight her.

[Will Spencer]

Annoyingly enough, the door clicked open and William lifted his head, his eyes barely connecting with hers. He didn't want to talk, he didn't want to interact, he just wanted to be left alone. He'd shut the door in the first place to keep people out. For some crazy reason he had this idea that if he did finally come back to his human form, whoever this girl was would just leave him be. He had only hurt her because she walked in at a bad time and he was out of control. Just as she'd hurt him because she didn't know how to contain him otherwise. Still, he didn't understand what had possessed her to check in on a room that held growling and snarling behind the door.

Her words caused him to laugh harshly, "Me? You're the one bleeding. Nasty scratch you've got there. Pretty sure if I walk in with you, it might draw some unwanted attention to my situation. I think I'll pass." His voice was raspy, like he hadn't spoken in weeks. His eyes were lacking expression, cold blue and empty. Way deep down, sure, he felt bad for the scratch. Way far deeper down, he might have felt guilty for not even thinking about apologizing. And he sure as hell wasn't going to address the fact that he knew he should go to the nurse. Going to the nurse would result in more people finding out that he was losing it. One person in particular, he couldn't risk finding out.

Maybe if he waited a few days, he could go with a better excuse. A car accident. A fight. He didn't want anyone to know that the reason he'd broken his wrist was because he'd lunged at someone while he was in his shift. It hadn't happened since he was much younger and much more out of control. He couldn't be bothered with more therapy sessions. He didn't want to unravel. Will was barely holding on, but he was still holding on tight to what he could. Normal was what he needed and therapy was not going to help him feel normal.

[Selina Taylor]

    Selina studied him and nodded when he’d finished. Didn’t want to draw attention… huh. She could understand that, and she wasn’t about to ask why. Selina then sighed and shook her head as she considered her options, “I’m sure you can come up with a story, besides, I can take care of this at home. I don’t need the school’s personnel. Your injury, however, is far more serious,” she replied easily, her tone calm and collected. The pain in her arm was impossible not to focus on, but there were more important things worth her attention at the moment. Besides, regardless of how much she hurt, she knew broken bones were far nastier.

    Selina knew she could leave him… but that didn’t sit right with her. “Although… I know Corey Spencer personally, and I can assure you he is capable of keeping someone’s private business quiet. If I call him here, no one else need know about this,” she then offered instead. “He can also help you get in contact with a mutant whose powers involve healing. Perhaps it’ll even lessen the pain.” She had his number saved in her phone from back when the two had actually kept up with each other, besides it might not be the best idea for the kid to move his arm.

    She met Will’s gaze, unconcerned with obtaining an apology. Accidents happened, and besides, he didn’t seem like the type who’d be willing to give one easily. Selina then glanced around and looked for something she could use to stop the bleeding… she didn’t care to pass out from blood loss anytime soon, particularly not in front of a kid who couldn’t control his power. She turned her back to Will and got the duffle bag she’d brought with her that contained a change of clothes and other things she regularly used in a workout. She pulled it into the room and shut the door behind her. If he didn’t want others knowing, she assumed the privacy would be preferable.

    Ahh, antiseptic. Sparring could occasionally get ugly, and she always had some with her when she went to the training rooms. Selina grit her teeth as she applied it to her arm. Goddamn, it stung like hell, but the temporary increase in pain was better than risking an infection. She then swiftly slid a knife out of a concealed sheath on her hip with the speed of practiced ease and cut strips of cloth from the plain white t-shirt she’d pulled from the bag. Wrapping her arm and tying off the hastily made bandage wasn’t easy with one hand, but she managed. It would have to be good enough for now.

[Will Spencer]

The name of her 'personal friend' rang a bell and William most definitely had no intention of going to him. Whether he actually believed this guy would keep his secret or not, he was an academy official, just as Gabe was. The chance of it getting around wasn't anything he was willing to risk. Corey was probably a decent person. Probably a stand-up guy. Will didn't trust anyone that he didn't know personally, though, which also included the girl in front of him. She looked his age, perhaps younger, but he didn't recognize her as someone he'd known of around the school. Honestly, he didn't even know if she still went to the school or not. He didn't quite care.

"That's mighty nice of you, dearie, but I s'pose the problem with all that is perhaps I don't quite give a fuck whether my hand heals or not. In fact, pretty sure the only reason I shifted back was because of the pain and I'm not willing to part with my humanity again just yet," His words, though polite, came out snide. He was full of anger still, the rage that unleashed the beast in the first place was lingering, but the pain in his shattered hand was keeping him comfortably human and as he'd said, he wasn't about to part with that any time soon. Perhaps when he had the time to calm down, to think over some things and once he was alone as he wanted to be, then he'd be willing to go to the nurse with a cover story, but until then he was going to remain in the training room.

And he would continue shooting daggers at her until she got the picture that he wanted to be left alone.

His eyes slid away from her as she started tending the wound that he'd caused and he felt his stomach curl at the sight of the blood. William was studying to become a doctor, blood wasn't anything that made him squeamish, but the thought behind the wound, the knowledge that he'd once again drawn blood because he was out of control made him sick. He couldn't be trusted around anyone anymore and he would have to figure out a way of pushing those who had come much too close away again. Perhaps he had to include Gabriel this time. Surely the older man would be furious with him when he found out.

"Well, now lookie there. You a girl scout?" William asked, searching for a way to get away from his own thoughts.