The Hunter and the Changeling(LastTargaryen and Gunner)

[LilGunner]

Fauna didn't know what this New Orleans place was really. Her mother technically wasn't from there but it was the best answer she could give. How could she tell him her mother came from a far more distant land? Of course she had no idea how from this New Orleans place was from where they were. Even still to reveal that fact might disturb Robert even more. Enough so he might simply turn her out, turn her away. The worst thought of all: turn her in. He was silent again. His own distress clearly written on his face. Part of her wondered if it was all just her crying and screaming. She thought, perhaps, there was something deeper. The way he had spoken of New Orleans. For the first time she glanced down at the scratchy patch on the shirt she had been wearing. She recognized there were words inscribed there in the thread but reading had not been covered well in her life time. Sure she knew a couple of words and what symbols created them, like 'exit,' but not the ones on the shirt.

All she wanted, all she really needed was a chance. For a little it seemed she had received it from Robert. Though each passing hour seemed to challenge that. If the night screams wouldn't stop, if she couldn't control her changing during the night screams, it wouldn't be long before Robert learned she wasn't really human. What would happen then? That gave her the most fear. The unknown. He usually seemed a steady man but clearly he was was distressed with the night screams and the holes she had torn in the blankets. Fauna was certain he wasn't stupid. He had to know she was withholding information. Still he didn't demand to know it all at once. The small bits she gave him every time seemed enough to send him reeling and not ask again. For a while at least. She needed to work harder with the night screams. Try harder. How she didn't know. Just a little longer. Until her legs healed, until she could fully change again. Then she would go and he could return to his normal life.

His sudden motion made Fauna jump, her head snapping around to look up at Robert as he got to his feet. Her heart turned cold. Couldn't leave her there. What did he mean? In his home at all? Upstairs with him. Her heart began pumping again, the frigid stillness receding. Though her head tilted to one side curiously. She pointedly didn't look at the sheets as he disentangled them from her, not wanting to call attention to the tears through them. Upstairs with him. She wasn't sure why. Maybe to wake her sooner from the night screams so his sleep was not so interrupted. She moved to get up once the sheets and blanket were unwound from her legs but he was far too quick. In one swift movement she was up again, supported by hard arms and broad chest. Fauna's hands instinctively jumped up and laid behind his neck though he didn't need much help supporting her weight. Even well fed she wasn't particularly heavy. Back up the stairs to the room she had woken in, meeting Robert for the first time. He was gentle as always as he set her on the bed.

Bright blue eyes lifted up to Robert, the position very familiar. Though she didn't feel the original fear coursing her veins. Worry perhaps but it seemed Robert had calmed a little. She reached up and scrubbed her cheeks a little. "Where...will you sleep?" She asked with a short glance around the room. Not the floor certainly, it was his bed after all. "Here," she asked as she laid a small hand on the empty space beside her. Being such a small thing she hardly took up any room on the bed. Her question wasn't trepidatious, as though the idea were something scandalous. Instead she was simply curious, certainly unaware of societal norms of strangers sleeping together.

 

[LilGunner]

Robert's apparent hesitant shock brought a tilt to her head. She didn't understand why the suggestion caused such a reaction. If she was to sleep in his bed it didn't make sense for him to sleep elsewhere. Humans were certainly strange creatures. Robert especially so but Fauna found it amusing. The oddity of the others was not so amusing. It took him a while to arrive at agreeing to share the bed. Maybe he took up more room than she thought when he slept. He was a big as a bear after all! "Yes, why would I not be?" She asked with an amused grin. Such a silly Bear he was. Her eyes followed him as he went to the other side and tossed the blankets back to climb in. The bed dipped and lurched with his weight. When he was laying down her head tilted again. Plenty of space and plenty of blankets. His hesitancy was terribly silly. "Plenty of space," she mused with a grin before wriggling herself down into the blankets as well, snuggling up with a pillow on her right side.

The bed kept rumbling and shaking, the blankets fluffing up and down as Robert shifted several times. Her eyebrows raised curiously as he seemed to struggling getting comfortable. Eventually he settled in, facing her as they both lay there. He looked very tired. Being woken by dream screams did not make for a good night she imagined so she could understand. Fauna gave him a little smiled before nuzzling down deeper into the pillow and closing her eyes. Yes it felt very nice to have someone near. She had slept side-by-side with her mother all her life. All of it save the last few moons. It was nice to have company once again. A very small but relaxed and happy smile rested on her lips as she huffed a content sigh, more than ready to drift off and already on her way.

Robert was clearly not fully ready for sleep yet. Her eyes flit open to little slits as he spoke. Her sleepy smile grew wider as he spoke. Though his quip about the screaming made her laugh quietly. He wanted to sound annoyed but was probably too sleepy to put much effort into it. Not going anywhere. Sleepy as the declaration was it made her feel warm and safe. In a full state of health she was strong but she felt even better knowing Robert was there too. As Robert drifted off she slid an arm out and just ever so lightly draped the pads of her fingers against his hand. With that her eyes closed and she was quickly lost to the blissful darkness of sleep.

Dawn broke, filtering warm light into the room. There had been no screaming, no thrashing, no tears in the night. Fauna had slept through in utter peace and silence for the first time since her mother had been lost. Though it was hardly any wonder. Sometime in the night at least she had shifted. A spot of warmth was hard to deny, the animal instinct always seeking warmth. Fauna had shifted over in the bed, leaving her pillow behind, and curled up right against Robert. Her forehead nested against his collarbone, warm breath drifting across his chest and stomach. She used her right arm, bent a little awkwardly, as a pillow. For that position she would pay with aches and tingling when finally woken. She slept through the soft light of dawn and the early birds fetching their worms though as the sun rose higher spreading light into the room she woke along with it. For a moment she thought it had all been a dream, that she was back in the lab and dozing with her mother. No, her mother was not to large and masculine smelling. That spicy, woodsy scent that was so familiar now.

It didn't bother her any, it wasn't really that abnormal and strange. She was still so sleepy, felt she could sleep for far longer. So rather than wake and move, risking waking Robert, she just closed her eyes and lay there for a time. Reveling in the warmth rolling off of Robert and the comfort of laying there.

 

[LilGunner]

Fauna could feel Robert twitching. Was he dreaming? She couldn't tell if it was good or bad but he was not screaming. Maybe a good dream then. She was entirely content curled up there, enjoying the warmth and the peace of the morning. Robert suddenly made an odd noise and his heavy, strong arm wrapped tighter around her. Fauna was nearly crushed up against his broad chest. Maybe it wasn't not a good dream after all. "It is ok, I am here," she said softly. Suddenly it wasn't so much of a choice to remain there but she was trapped up against him. At first she didn't mind but she was growing a little uncomfortable being pressed so tightly against him.

It wasn't long before she felt him shift. As he looked down at her, his arm raising off of her. The sleepy surprise on his features was amusing and she couldn't help a small, snorting laugh. Though he clearly wasn't amused. She looked back some to follow his gaze. What was he looking at? Before she could turn back he snatched his arm back, causing her head to drop on the bed. He was up somewhat and a little away from her. He stammered a question but seemed unable to complete it in his...fear? What was he afraid of? Fauna frowned her confusion at him and she turned to look around the room better. She had been awake a little longer and her wits were a little more together. "What it is? Do you see something?" She questioned as she turned her whole body over, propped up on a hip, as she looked around the room.

"There is nothing there," she assured him as she turned back to face him. Though when she looked at him again she realized it wasn't the room he was staring at. It was her. "What?" She asked with a confused tilt of her head. Her eyes went wide with a little gasp and her hands jumped to her head. Had she changed? Was he staring at some partial beast? Was her secret revealed? No, no ears. She craned her neck back to check her backside. No tail. By all accounts she still looked human. Maybe her eyes were changed. She reached up and prodded her own face. How to ask. "Is there...something wrong with my face?" She questions as she continued prodding at her high cheekbones and little nose.

 

[LilGunner]

Fauna canted her head at him. Well everything was fine, nothing odd with her or in the room. She didn't understand why he was behaving so strangely. Her eyebrows pulled into a puzzled frown as he tried to carry on. Should have been holding onto her like that. Like what? Was that unusual for humans? Perhaps humans were not quite so keen to seek the warmth and comfort of another. That might explain it. Though he seemed far more upset than she imagined he should be. Or perhaps not? Humans were so strange and frustrating! Her head tilted the other way with his apology. "There is no need to be sorry," she said quietly. Despite her confusion she could still see how much it had affected Robert. Anxious and frightened. This was a very different man than she had known the last dayish.

She stayed quiet, watching him as he warred with his thoughts, careful to keep her distance. Clearly he didn't like to be so near to another. Or at least so near at the moment. With how much he had carried her about she didn't think his trouble was nearness. She felt sad seeing him as he was. She wanted to somehow make it better for him but didn't entirely know how. Especially if he didn't want to be touched. After a hearty sigh he finally brought himself to look at her properly. Still he was hesitant, scared to speak his mind it seemed. So very strange compared to the gruff man he had been. Since...since when? Since what? Her head tilted again as he pulled his eyes away but she had caught a glimpse of it. A sight, a feeling, she was all too familiar with.

Little hands reached out but stopped, hesitant. With a little, courage mustering huff she reached out and put a hand to either of his cheeks to face him to her. "Bear...you are sad," she said bluntly enough. "I..do not know why and you do not have to tell if you do not want." Her hands dropped away, not wanting to overstay any welcome. She didn't want to press him to tell his secrets as she would hope he would not press her to hard for her own. "I am here," she said in a gentle echo to his sleepy reassurances the previous night. Very slowly, like dealing with a frightened animal, she edged over to give him a light hug from the side. Very careful not to get too close but close enough to try and reassure him. "I will...sleep elsewhere if you want," she said hesitantly. Though part of her really didn't want to. That night had been the first in many she had slept through the night.

 

[LilGunner]

Fauna didn't linger with the light hug. The moment he moved his arm from her she backed away again. He was upset and she didn't know why but she wanted to make it better. Robert was good. The first good human she had known. Though very confusing. Her head tilted at him again as he told her to wake him up if he got too close again. That wasn't particularly likely. It wasn't like she had woken up until the sun had come in through the window. Her silvery eyebrows pulled into a puzzled from. "Trying to do something...?" She questioned her confusion. What could he be trying to do? It wasn't like he was cutting samples or drawing blood with needles. He was certainly very strange. Still it was good of him to want to protect her even if he thought it was from himself. He was concerned for her and she couldn't help a small smile. Fauna was certain that he wouldn't do anything bad to her. He didn't even know what she was yet. Though, even if it worried her, she didn't think he would do it if he know. Still she couldn't risk that he might turn her back over to the others.

He wanted to lay down some more. Fauna felt very much awake, sleeping through the night without dream screaming did wonders for the body. She backed off the bed as he settled back under the blankets to sleep more. Poor Bear. His promise of breakfast made her grin brightly. She did love the food he made. "Okay," she replied still grinning. Though what to do while Bear slept? Watch the window she supposed. "I will watch the window...promise no outside," she said as she backed away before turning and left Robert to his sleep. Her legs certainly felt stronger and she managed her way down the stairs. The sun was bright as it flowed in through the glass and she took a seat to watch out in the forest. She sat for a long while, watching the play of light in the trees, birds and small animals darting here and there. While she yearned to go out there, run through the trees, feel the damp ground between her toes, she stayed put as promised. Though the longer she stayed put a hollow grumble started in her belly. Her uncanny blue eyes kept darting to the kitchen. Robert had said he would make breakfast. Well...maybe she could! It didn't seem that hard. Mix some stuff and put it in the metal cookers.

After the third loud rumble from her guts she made her choice. Fauna got up and headed into the kitchen. She had watched Robert while he cooked. Easy right? She found the box of powder that made pancakes. The symbols all over the box were fascinating. She wondered what they said. Didn't matter. Add water. She dumped the entire box into a bow sending a puff of powder into the air, lightly dusting her with the mix. Fauna shook off what she could but a good layer of mix still coated her. She took the bowl to the sink and ran water into it. When the bowl was full she reached in and mixed it with her hand into a wet, gloppy slurry. Seemed right. Next the cooking. She found a massive skillet and plopped it onto the stove. Getting the fire going was a trial. Turning the dial didn't seem to work immediately, it just gave an odd smell. Though as she played with the dial she heard a clicking. Curious she left the dial where it clicked. A small gout of flame burst up. Fauna sucked in a surprised breath, stumbling back. Well the fire was there now. The burner was left to keep clicking as the fire roared under the large skillet. All the while she had been leaving gloppy handprints from the batter on everything she touched.

With the pan over the fire she grabbed the bowl and dumped the nearly all liquid batter into the pan, leaving a fine lumpy trail behind. The lumpy liquid sizzled as it hit the hot pan. It nearly filled the entire pan but that was ok. Robert was a big man and would probably want big pancakes. They didn't look quite right but it was her first time cooking. She watched as the slurry bubbled and roiled in the pan. Oh right, she had to turn it over. She grabbed a pair of tongs and grabbed the still goopy mess in the pan. It wasn't working so well to turn it and a strange, acrid smell was starting to come from the pan. Fauna grunted in frustration, battery being flung with her attempts to grab the quickly burning mass from the pan. She ended up with some kind of burn batter scramble, still mostly raw, and dumped it onto a plate. "Not right..." she grumbled to herself as she went to try again. She tried less of the lumpy liquid but the bowl slipped splattering her and dam near half the kitchen with the goop. Undeterred she wiped her hands off on her shirt and tried again. The second try went even worse, the burning remains of the previous mass mixed in with the new mass, smoking and burning as she still tried to use the tongs to flip it. She blinked hard as smoke got in her eyes and drifted up into the kitchen.

Sirens screeched and screamed above. Fauna went utterly still at the sound. So familiar. Her lungs seized and her heart beat a thrumming retreat. Had to shift, had to run. Still too weak. Fauna stood there, chest heaving in short, sharp pants. Her hands dropped the tongs and clapped over her ears. No she couldn't go back! She could feel claws on her scalp and her teeth sharpened. A full change was impossible but she wouldn't go back! She would fight and they would have to kill her.

 

[LilGunner]

Over the din on the sirens Fauna didn't hear Robert's appearance in the kitchen. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut as she pressed her palms against her ears. She felt the breeze as he rushed by her, could hear the clanging of the skillet in the pan distantly. Yet all she could think of was escape, the alarms sounding high above. They would come. Chasing, shooting. Couldn't go back. She could feel the claws against her scalp as her body struggled to change. Struggled to arm herself against a foe. Her breathing came in short, sharp, rasping gasps with the occasional cough from inhaling the smoke. A quiet, reasonable part of her mind tried to break through. Safe. Safe with Robert. But the sirens! They were coming! Her mind roared in a fight between the instincts to fight or to flee. No she was safe!

Robert's voice cut through it all. Through the battle raging in her skull, through the high screech of the sirens. An odd ripple rushed across her skin raising up the fine hairs on her arms and neck. Her eyes popped open with his shouting demand. The claws receded and her teeth became flat ivory once more. Safe with Rob. Of course he was very angry for the fire. Her heart beat settled down even as the sirens still wailed overhead. The smoke was clearing from the kitchen. Her eyes lifted to him, still a little frightened but sad and apologetic. The way a puppy might look when being scolded for chewing up shoes. She didn't answer him at first, just stared with her large, liquid eyes. The smoke cleared enough to silence at least the siren overhead.

Fauna took a long, shaking breath and lowered her hands from her ears. "I am...sorry," she said as she glanced to the pan in the sink then at the plate with the odd, burnt scramble of goo. "I thought you would have hunger when you woke up. I wanted to make you food," she said just barely loud enough to be heard over the sirens. "It did not look hard and wanted to....ah...surprise." Well she certainly surprised him by nearly burning down his kitchen. "I am sorry," she said again as she rubbed her arm and looked down at their feet. If she had learned anything it was she would never try and make food again. It was much harder than it seemed.

 

[LilGunner]

His shouting certainly didn't help with the way she felt. It was a strangely new feeling. It was sort of like being sad but with an added pit in the stomach. The scientists had yelled and scolded but it never bothered her. She hated them. Rob was different. She didn't want him to be mad at her. It didn't feel nice. So she stood there and accepted his yelling. Of course Fauna hadn't meant to make such a mess, make the fire and make the alarms blare over head. It wasn't something she intended on attempting again. She kept staring at their feet, seeing his motions from the edges of her vision. With a final huff his arms dropped into view. His question made her head tilt a moment before shaking it. "No..." she replied. She had never cooked and clearly it was much harder than she had anticipated.

Silence again. Her wide, blue eyes lifted to look up at him as he spoke again. She noted the odd expression. The tremble of lips and jaw, holding something back. Maybe he was going to yell again? Though the swallowed laugh made her whole head raise up. He was...laughing? Oh he tried to hide it but covering his mouth didn't mask the sound. Fauna had never felt more bemused and perplexed. One moment he was yelling and now he was laughing? "A mess...?" She questioned and raised up her arms. Well she was coated in a fine layer of powder and dark blotches from the soot. "Yes...a mess..." She agreed with a confused nod. Rob really was a strange man. He still seemed irritated and yet somehow amused all at once. Very strange man.

His mention of a shower made her head tilt at him again. "Shower...?" She repeated, unfamiliar with the word. Though she did understand cleaning. "I can walk but...I will clean. I made it, I will clean," she said with a firm nod. While she didn't know what a shower was she knew what cleaning was. Every so often the scientists would clean. Take the clothes, throw on powder, cold hose. It was easy! Fauna hesitated and her face scrunched curiously. She had thought cooking would be easy. Maybe cleaning was not so easy as that. "Mmmm....will not clean without Rob. Probably will make...a...mess? No...no mess," She shook her head again with a small, lopsided smile. "Where is clean powder?" She asked as she glanced around, looking for the large, white bag that held cleaning powder.