Yuffie felt empty.
The room was dark, the fire having died a while ago. Outside she could hear the voices of those people…
But she paid no attention to what they were saying.
She was still in the wooden chair she had been tied to, sitting rigid, the tears dried and gone, no longer flowing. She stared ahead at the wall. No. She stared through it. She was searching for answers in space. She was screaming out for the gods, to Leviathan and Da-Chao for guidance.
Why did this happen to her?
Was she dreaming?
Was this real?
How could she change back?
But the answer came, not from them, but her. The bitter truth was…
…She couldn't change back. This was real. She wasn't dreaming. And simply put, she had been at the wrong place at the right time.
She knew this, all of this, deep down in her soul. She was stuck this way.
And that truth threatened her very being.
She couldn't live without people. She couldn't hide her face in fear and shame…It would kill her.
Yuffie Kisaragi wasn't meant to live in solitude.
For the longest time she contemplated what she was going to do. Would she hide? Would she beg for acceptance from her former peers? Or…would she commit suicide?
It all made her sick to her stomach.
Yuffie's tail curled around her legs, and for a moment she did nothing.
Then in a sudden burst of rage, she grabbed the cursed tail and started to yank hard on it, as if trying her hardest to rip it off. It hurt a lot, and her ears fell flat against her head.
Yuffie let out a strangled cry of fury and began clawing at those to, standing up so fast from her seat that she knocked the chair over with a clatter.
It was the first time Yuffie had ever really lost it. The fiery emotions surged through her like a wave of poison, and soon all rational thought left her. She didn't want the ears, the tail, the claws, or the power. She wanted to be normal. She wanted to be human. Full human.
There was a bang as the door to the room flew open, and a split second later a pair of strong arms grabbed Yuffie, pulling her to the ground roughly. She saw a flash of red hair, and two dark figures hovering over her. She continued to thrash and yell wildly.
"Stop it!"
At the sound of the voice, Yuffie stopped all together. Her ears hurt, her face was scratched, her tail was sore…When he was sure Yuffie had stopped for good, the man holding her down sat back, watching her warily. It was the red haired man from before.
Beatrix was with him, kneeling down next to Yuffie with a look of concern and confusion. Yuffie's lip trembled at the sight of them, and she rolled away, curling into a ball, her body racking with dry sobs.
Beatrix sighed and stroked Yuffie's hair a few times before she stood. "Julius stay with her," she said as she went to the door, "I'm going to get some clothes for her."
Yuffie tensed as the girl's footsteps faded away. She didn't want to be alone with this man; she wanted the girl to stay here.
"So I guess you weren't lying then…about being human." The man said quietly. Yuffie would have been insulted, but he sounded unsure of himself.
She uncurled slightly her ears twitching. The man continued, slightly more confident, "I'm sorry about what happened to you, but Meridian, the silver haired guy from before, told us you'd be staying here for a while…that true?"
Yuffie didn't answer right away, but when she did, her voice rasped and she sounded bitter. "I don't have anywhere else to go, now do I?"
At this the man faltered. Yuffie heard him sigh and scratch his head, and she turned slightly to look at him.
He was handsome, with fair red hair that fell into his emerald eyes and freckles dabbled on his nose. He had a lot of boyish charm, but he looked like something else…
He looked like a storybook hero.
Yuffie sat up, turning to him completely.
"You know, we used to fight against Shinra," he said quietly, looking up at nothing. It was an odd thing to say, but it was a good way of earning a person's trust and attention.
It was grabbing Yuffie's at any rate. "You fought against Shinra?" she asked sounding surprised.
The man nodded, "Yeah. Avalanche wasn't the only ones out there doing something y'know." Yuffie blushed. The man continued, "We were an anti-Shinra group just like them, only we didn't dare attack the heart of the monster. It was too risky for us. Especially since we were viewed as potential specimens by Hojo's science department."
Yuffie frowned, "So, what'd you do?"
"We tried to halt any attempt they made outside Midgar to expand and make money. But we were a small group with everything to lose and little resources. We only succeeded part of the time and failed most of the time."
Yuffie smiled dryly, "'Least you guys were doing something, anyone else in your position would have run away with their tail in between their legs."
Julius chuckled at the feeble joke, and Yuffie's smile brightened.
Beatrix came bustling into the room in cute disarray, a large messy pile of clothes in her arms. "I didn't know what would fit you, so I brought as much as I could!" She was out of breath, and a bit flushed in the cheeks. With a flop she dumped all the clothes she was carrying.
Julius raised an eyebrow, "Beatrix I don't think that was necessary…they're all the same sizes anyways."
"Nonsense!" she cried snatching up a shirt. She held it up. "What if she doesn't like some of them? I have to give her options!"
Julius snorted, rolling his eyes as he stood, "Yes, of course." He muttered sarcastically.
"I like that shirt!" Yuffie said quickly, before Beatrix could shoot back a reply.
The girl smiled appreciatively and tossed her the shirt, "Here ya go. Let me see what pants you could sleep in."
Yuffie held the shirt up, raising an eyebrow.
It was a black t-shirt that read, "Great time last night…whoever that guy was."
A shadow of a smirk played across her lips and she folded the shirt in her lap, watching with interest as Beatrix sorted through the clothes.
She was a bit shorter than Yuffie, with layered red hair that flipped out and bounced with each move she made. Her face was heart shaped and her eyes were wide and innocent. Yuffie sensed the girl was younger than herself, which she took comfort in.
She was still a bit disbelieving about their being 'werewolves' however. They looked like regular human beings to her.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Julius yawned loudly. After a good stretch, he sighed and nodded to Yuffie, "Well I'll leave you two girls to do your business." He nodded to Beatrix on his way to the door, "G'night."
But halfway out, he stopped. He turned to Yuffie, a frown on his face and his arms crossing over his chest. "Y'know, with all this commotion and drama we all forgot one thing…"
Beatrix looked up at him distractedly, "What's that?"
He continued with his eyes still trained on Yuffie, "We forgot to ask this girl her name."
Beatrix stopped mid-bend, her eyes widening a fraction. "Oh wow, you're right…"
Slowly she straightened, placing her hands on her hips. "So…what's your name?" she asked Yuffie. Julius joined Beatrix at her side, and they both looked down at Yuffie, who was feeling particularly small right now, since she was still sitting on the floor. "Um…" she rubbed the back of her neck, and her tail flipped and flopped idly behind her. "My name's…Yuffie." She paused, wincing a little as she said her own name. "As in…Yuffie Kisaragi."
She blushed as Julius gave a low whistle. "Whoa…"
Beatrix kneeled down next to the ninja, crimson eyes shining with excitement, "You mean you're Yuffie!? THE Yuffie?? As in the one from Avalanche!?"
Yuffie, at any other time, would have soaked in all the attention and admiration like a sponge. Now however, she was vulnerable. For the first time since Meteor, Yuffie wished with all her heart that she were just some normal, plain, boring girl.
Julius kneeled down to, and was examining Yuffie closely, his emerald eyes piercing. She squirmed in discomfort.
The man rubbed his chin, "…You do look a lot like her. Unless you were some crazed fan who went and got plastic surgery that is."
Beatrix hit him in the shoulder. "Julius!" she cried angrily. "How rude!"
Yuffie froze as the words hit her. 'Look like her?'
"…Can I see a mirror please?" Yuffie asked quietly. Beatrix gave her an alarmed look, and Julius looked remorseful.
After a moment, the young girl answered, "Yeah. Follow me…"
She stood somewhat jerkily, and Yuffie followed suit, still feeling tired and a bit sore. Together they walked out of the room, Julius in tow.
Outside of the room, Yuffie caught a glimpse of the living room, which was furnished by a couple of worn down recliners and a couch. The kitchen was right next to the living room, separated only by a simple counter and door. They passed it all and entered the hall. Here there was a flight of stairs leading up into the second floor, where Yuffie guessed was where the others slept. Beneath the stairs was a door leading down into the basement.
A few steps further down the hall, opposite the stairs was another door. Beatrix gestured toward it, biting her lip.
Yuffie stared at it as if it were the door to hell. Did she really want to do this?
With a trembling hand she opened the door and stepped inside. It was dark. She could feel the sink on her right…above it would be the mirror…all she had to do was turn a bit and flick on the light switch.
She did so slowly.
The light came on with a blink and Yuffie jumped at what she saw. Her reflection.
Wide, lightning blue cat eyes stared back at her in alarm, narrowed slits widening to adjust to the light. Black strands of hair contrasted sharply with her pale complexion as they fell around her face. Large pointy black cat ears stood tall on her head, stiff and alert. A sob escaped her lips as she reached a clawed hand up to her nose, which was smaller now and fairly pink. Poking down from under her upper lip were her canines, sharp and pointy.
Yuffie gripped the edges of the sink, her knuckles showing white through her skin. She trembled, her head bowed. She couldn't look at herself anymore.
A hand touched her shoulder lightly. It was Beatrix. "Yuffie…?" she coaxed.
Yuffie responded, her voice hollow. "Yuffie's not here…"
--
Taerk came lumbering down the stairs, yawning and scratching the scar on his cheek. Sleep hadn't come easy to him last night, the whole issue with the cat-girl still fresh in his mind. Would she kill them in their sleep, he had thought. Or was she really just some poor human caught up in the terrible winds of circumstance?
Taerk shrugged. He woke up, all right. Either the girl was telling the truth, or she was a demon with integrity.
As he came into the living room, he stopped in surprise.
Julius and Beatrix were still down here, wearing the same clothes from before; the girl was sleeping on the couch, her arm dangling over the edge, while the young man dozed in the recliner, head laid back and mouth agape.
Taerk frowned and looked to the guest room, which was closed. What had happened last night?
He went and shook Julius's shoulder. "Julius wake up." He murmured quietly, trying not to wake Beatrix. The red head groaned and sat up stretching.
"Whazzat?" he mumbled sleepily, before yawning.
Taerk crossed his arms, and eyebrow raised he asked, "What happened? Why are you two still down here? Were you keeping an eye on the girl or something?"
Julius rubbed the back of his neck, "The cat-girl needed comforting."
Taerk stared, "You're joking…right?"
Julius frowned at him, "Why would I be?"
The larger man sighed, rubbing at his face. "I knew you had a soft spot for cats, but this is ridiculous…"
Julius scowled, "What? What are you talking about? Look," he waved toward the guest room impatiently, "The girl was distraught, all right? Real shaken up! Me and Beatrix were up comforting her and keeping her company."
"But this isn't a stray cat off the street, Julius! We're dealing with a demon here! Not a fluffy animal to pet and love."
"Taerk, there's something you should know about this 'demon', she's-!"
"Yuffie Kisaragi."
The men jumped at the sound of the new voice and turned to see Yuffie standing quietly between the half open door of her room. She came out of her spot and approached Taerk, hand extended. "Nice to meet ya." Taerk paused, and then grasped her hand firmly.
"I'm Taerk." He said shortly as he let go. He had a skeptical look on his face.
Yuffie soured. "If you want, get a picture and compare. I don't really care if you believe me or not."
Taerk held up his hands, "I said nothing…nothing at all…" Silently Julius rolled his eyes to the ceiling.
There was a groan and the three of them turned in time to see Beatrix roll off the couch and hit the floor with a thud. She shot up in surprise, eyes wide and bewildered. Blinking, she slowly turned to look at them all, then glared irately. "What're you all starin' at?" she grumbled, eyes squinted with sleep.
Julius chuckled and stood, "Still just a pup…" he went into the kitchen.
Beatrix stuck her tongue out at his retreating back as she pulled herself back onto the couch. Taerk sat heavily in the recliner Julius had just left, and yawned hugely. Yuffie, unsure of what to do with herself, sat down next to Beatrix on the couch.
No one said anything, the only sounds that could be heard was Julius bustling around in the kitchen. Taerk sat staring into space while Beatrix proceeded to rub the sleep out of her eyes. Yuffie was holding her tail, gripping it a little tightly. The others would wake up soon. What would she do?
Her thoughts were interrupted when Beatrix asked her, and rather abruptly to, "What are you going to do?" she looked at Yuffie and smiled lightly. Taerk's blue eyes flickered toward her as well, and the ninja shifted in discomfort.
"I dunno…" Yuffie mumbled, cheeks flaring a little, "I don't really have anywhere I can go where people will take me in…I mean look at me!" she gestured toward herself, "I wouldn't even take me in!"
Beatrix bit her lip and looked to the carpet. Taerk sat back and continued staring into space. Both seemed to be thinking…and it made Yuffie nervous to think what exactly their thoughts were about.
There was a creak from the stairs as someone came down them. She tensed as she heard them come nearer. Was that the silver haired man, Meridian? Or was it the dark haired man from before?
The cat-girl turned her head to see whom it was, and was surprised to see it was neither of the men she feared it would be. It was the nervous looking man, the one who had hugged his knees and rocked back and forth in the corner the night before, not saying a word.
He was a pale looking man, with wide black eyes and a gaunt face, he had bushy eyebrows and short messy black hair that looked like it had never seen a comb in it's life. He was horrible skinny, a bit short, and had large (almost ridiculously large) ears. He also looked like he hadn't gotten a decent sleep in years.
Beatrix and Taerk glanced at him and muttered distractedly, "Morning, Ern."
Yuffie raised an eyebrow. "Ern?"
The man jumped at the sound of her voice, looking at her in alarm. She jumped to, confused by his behavior. He was looking at her as if she were some hideous monster…
She looked down at herself and frowned. Well he wasn't too far off on that.
"M-Morning!" he stammered nervously. He began to creep towards the kitchen, his wide fearful eyes trained on Yuffie, as if he were afraid she'd jump on him any second.
Yuffie was distinctly reminded of a mouse.
Beatrix looked up at her, then back at Ern. She sighed and waved him away, "Relax, Ern…she isn't going to hurt you." She turned and muttered to Yuffie on the side, "That's Ern. In case you haven't noticed he's a shameless coward. He's also a bit of a nut case. Has a stuttering problem and mutters to himself a lot. Just ignore him, he'll get used to you eventually."
Yuffie raised an eyebrow and glanced back at Ern, who slipped into the kitchen and was now ducking behind the counter. Julius glared down at him, "What the hell are you doing?" he snapped in annoyance. He kicked Ern lightly, the mousy man giving out a small cry as he scuttled back out into the living room. Julius continued to make his breakfast muttering irately, "Stupid, bloody, good-for-nothing canker keeps getting in my way…"
Yuffie had to stifle a laugh.
Beatrix grinned, her eyes suddenly shining brightly as she sat up. "I've got it!" she cried happily.
Taerk rolled his eyes, "What now?" he muttered.
Ern could be heard scuffling along behind the couch. Yuffie made a point to a ignore him. "What is it?" she asked Beatrix. The redhead girl looked to her excitedly, "Join our pack!"
There was a crash in the kitchen followed by a curse. Ern shot up from behind the couch, his eyes now wide with panic. "What!?" he shrieked. Taerk glared at Beatrix, "Have you gone insane?" he growled. Julius came shuffling out of the kitchen, his face a deep shade of red, "Um…Beatrix-"
"What!" she cried, holding up her hands, "What's so wrong with Yuffie joining?"
Ern started up, stammering horribly, "She can't join! She's a demon! A CAT demon! What if she—wait did you say Yuffie?"
Yuffie sighed, "Yuffie Kisaragi, former member of Avalanche, at your service." She droned.
Ern stared at her, before sinking out of view again. He started to mutter to himself rapidly.
Taerk shook his head vehemently, "Meridian won't go for it Beatrix, you know that."
Beatrix glared daggers at him, "You mean he won't or you won't?"
The man scowled, "Both!"
Julius cut into the argument, "Look, Beatrix, by definition, Yuffie can't join us. She isn't a lycan."
Beatrix frowned disappointedly, "Aw, geez…you're right…" but she looked up again, a grin on her face, "But she can still join our family!"
Julius gave Taerk a sidelong glance, "Uh…Beatrix, that's the same-"
"Oh come on!" she glared between the two men, "A family isn't the same as a pack! I looked up the word family and it means a lot of things, one of them being the members of one household! If she lives here, she's family!"
Yuffie in the meantime had remained quiet, stunned by the simple notion of making this place her home and considering these people her new family. It was really farfetched. But it seemed everything would be farfetched from now on.
There was a creak from the stairs. Yuffie stiffened. Ern, Taerk, and Julius did the same. Beatrix went on without noticing.
"She could go hunting with us! I'll teach her myself if I have to!"
"What's this all about?"
Beatrix stopped, her mouth hanging open and her eyes widening in horror. "Um…" The girl turned slowly and was greeted by the sight of the silver haired man. "Morning Meridian…" she murmured looking down at her lap. The man continued, his voice deathly even. "What's this talk about hunting and teaching?"
Beatrix didn't answer right away. Meridian folded his arms across his chest, locks of hair spilling over his shoulder like water, "Beatrix?"
"I…was wondering if Yuffie…" Meridian's eyes snapped towards the ninja, and the cat-girl flinched beneath his gaze. Beatrix continued, "…Could join us. Be part of our family and stuff…she could live here with us and help us fight the demons…"
Meridian raised an eyebrow. "And how do you think this would work?"
Beatrix snapped into life again, talking a mile a minute. Yuffie blinked at the girl, her eyes widening a little. Was she serious?
"I could teach her to hunt and transform and stuff, and I wouldn't be the only girl anymore! She could detect demon auras faster than any of us and she would be really good at stealth!"
"S-stealth?" Yuffie squeaked. Beatrix continued, undeterred. "I mean she's a ninja and now that's she's a cat demon she's faster and stronger and more flexible n' stuff, plus, think about it, we can use all the help we can get on this Meridian! Please! She used to be in Avalanche, that has to count for something!!"
There was ringing silence after the girl finished, somewhat out of breath. Yuffie looked up at Meridian nervously. What would he say?
He looked down at her with his golden eyes and asked, still in that even tone, "You were in Avalanche?"
Beatrix giggled nervously, "Oh yeah…forgot about that."
Yuffie rubbed her arm and nodded her head once, "Yeah, I'm Yuffie Kisaragi."
Meridian nodded. Yuffie was surprised, but relieved that he didn't make a fuss like the others did. He placed a hand on her shoulder, "As long as Ms. Kisaragi agrees with all of this, then it's alright with me."
Taerk began to protest, "But Meridian-!" but a glare sent in his direction from the silver haired man silenced him immediately.
Without another word, the man went into the kitchen and began fixing his breakfast. Beatrix beamed at Yuffie, "There ya go! Now you can stay with us! If you join, you might find stuff out about that demon cat you found out there!"
Yuffie nodded dazedly, "Y-yeah."
Beatrix leaned forward eagerly, some of her hair falling into her eyes as she did so. "So what do you say?" she asked Yuffie cheerily. The ninja faltered.
"Er…"
Julius laid a hand on Beatrix's shoulder, and the girl looked up at him in confusion. "Let's let Yuffie have some time to think about it, okay?" The young girl looked put out, but she nodded mutely.
Yuffie smiled her thanks as Julius retreated back into the kitchen to finish making his breakfast.
Once again, there was a creak from the stairs, and this time Yuffie knew who it was. Her face darkened considerably, and she tensed as she sensed the person coming nearer.
"Good morning Mikau." Beatrix said. There was no reply. Yuffie turned slightly and snuck a glance at the man.
He was tall with raven black hair that reached his shoulders and dark guarded eyes that were shaded beneath his bangs. His face was stony and aloof and his pale lips were set in a straight line, as if cursed to stay that way. He didn't make an effort to greet anyone, and seeing that the kitchen was full (it was a small kitchen) he swept past them all to the farthest chair in the room.
Ern came creeping out from his spot behind the couch, pulling up into the last available chair in the room. He twiddled his thumbs and glanced nervously around, licking his lips occasionally as he did so. Yuffie got the impression he was preparing himself to ask something, most likely from her. Sure enough, he did.
"What was it like?" he stammered, eyes darting to Yuffie.
She frowned at him. "What was what like?"
"Being with Avalanche!" Ern cried, his voice cracking. He flinched at the sound. It seemed Yuffie's past with the famous rebel group boosted his confidence rather than squash it, he gained the courage to ask her a question anyways. Beatrix started up as well, clapping her hands together in glee. "Yes, tell us about your adventures!"
Yuffie rubbed her arms, "Don't you guys already know the stories?" she muttered wearily.
"After a while they get more and more stretched, and now no one can tell what's true and what isn't. Besides, it'd be cooler to hear it straight from one of the actual members!"
Yuffie blushed as she felt the weight of Mikau's gaze on her. He didn't look surprised to hear she was a member of Avalanche, nor did he show much interest in the idea of Yuffie telling of her experiences. But the simple act of looking at her made the ninja uncomfortable. He may not be showing as much excitement or interest as Beatrix was, but she had his attention.
And in all honesty she really didn't want it.
Yuffie sighed, giving into the looks Ern and Beatrix were giving her. Taerk was looking at her as well, trying to seem uncaring like Mikau, but he leaned forward ever so slightly and the corners of his lips hinted to a telltale smile. Meridian and Julius, finished making their breakfasts, and leaned against the counter, looking into the living room. They ate silently as Yuffie began.
"It all started…for me anyways, back in the forests near Junon…"
--
"…Don Corneo's henchmen had dragged me into the room beneath the giant bell, and I saw Elena all tied up to, looking angrier than a Volocidor. She kept kicking and screaming, and part of me was kind of happy to see her there, looking like such a mess, because the woman was real stuck up and all "I love Shinra and the Turks" and stuff, so I figured whatever she got, she deserved—Then again I didn't know why Corneo kidnapped us to begin with, so if I'd have known what he planned to do with us then I wouldn't have thought that. They were going to move us from the room, when suddenly Cloud and the others came bustin' in. But those jerk henchmen slung Elena and me over their shoulders like we were a sack of potatoes, and ran off before they could do anything. I was so mad, I think I broke one guy's nose at some point…"
They were all still in the living room. An hour or two had passed, as Yuffie told her side of the story of the fight against Sephiroth. By then everyone had had breakfast, and they were all listening with rapt attention, soaking in every word she said. Yuffie had been uncomfortable at first, but as she continued to tell her story, she began to get more relaxed, and soon she found comfort in the one thing she had always enjoyed to do…Talk.
So imagine her disappointment when Meridian cut her story short.
"That's very fascinating, Ms. Kisaragi," he stood. The others followed suit, some looking disappointed, "But I'm afraid we're going to have to end it there, we have issues that need to be addressed and plans to be made." He looked to the other lycans, "Down to the basement then?" They all nodded, and immediately began to filter into the hallway, Ern, Julius, and Beatrix whispering to Yuffie on the way out:
"Great story, Yuffie!"
"Your story is fantastic, we have to hear the rest sometime."
"Amazing s-s-story! You have to f-finish telling us the rest l-later!"
Taerk and Mikau passed her without a word, the blond man giving her a brief glance before continuing after Mikau, who didn't acknowledge her at all. Meridian nodded to her on the way toward the hall, "I'm sorry for interrupting, but you understand."
Yuffie nodded grudgingly, miffed that she didn't get to finish at least the part about Don Corneo. It was so good to! Sighing, the cat girl sat there for a moment, looking around.
Now what?
Leaning against the arm of the couch, she fisted her hand in her cheek and began to examine her nails—claws, with distaste. They were so thick and jutted out of the tips of her fingers in a way that Yuffie found grotesque. They were sharp and threatening, and as the girl continued to study her claws, she regressed back into her dark, depressing mood.
How could she live like this? She wouldn't even be able to keep up the illusion of normalcy no thanks to her ears and tail. Her eyes and claws could just as well give someone a heart attack. How could she live life if she had to live under a rock, because no one would be able to handle her appearance? Yuffie didn't know, and it was this thick black cloud of uncertainty and confusion that frustrated her most.
How was she to move on and survive if she couldn't be sure about anything?
Her tail began to twitch and her ears fell flat against her head as she narrowed her eyes.
She'd make a decision. She wouldn't allow herself to stay helpless like this. She'd take initiative.
She would join Beatrix and the others. It was the only way she could get more information about these demons that had been popping up and the only way she could stem their coming into her world. Yuffie was going to try and fight, like life had taught her to.
This little ninja cat wasn't going to sit and wait around for answers to come to her. She'd take her will and hope by the handle and go digging for them, getting her hands good and dirty as she did so.
But first…
She'd have to learn how to use her new senses and abilities to her advantage. Reassess herself on a whole. What were her weaknesses? Her limitations? She'd introduce herself to her new body; familiarize herself with it until she would be comfortable in the skin she was in.
Yuffie stood to her feet, and with a quick glance back at the hall, went into her room. She shut the door behind her, quietly, then went and stood at the side of her bed. She braced herself.
She said quietly to herself, tail swaying behind her, "Time to start seeing what I can do…this may be stupid, but it's a start."
Yuffie cleared her throat…and without even having to think about it…
She meowed.
It was soft and clear, and sounded very much like a cat…but what struck Yuffie the most was the fact that-
"I sound adorable!"
A/N: Hey, before you start stoning me, just know that the next chapter will actually have stuff happening in it. Yuffie won't be nearly as depressed as she is now (though I'm not saying she's 'recovered' exactly, she's just determined not to let herself get too down. There'll be a good deal more humor in the next chapter, anyways, so rest assured.), and some of the other Avalanche members will most likely be appearing as well. I apologize for how slow the plot's been so far, but I promise to try and pick things up.
And to Stratadrake: I've yet to see these Yuffie/Red pairings you speak of (but the thought of it makes me shudder…ugh, bestiality). Also, I know I haven't gone into great detail about the character's appearances. The lycans do look human, in fact they look completely normal (except Meridian and Ern, who are exceptions) the only thing that really hints to Yuffie that their what they say they are is their scent, which even then, stills leaves her skeptical. I'm not really placing too much importance on appearances, only giving key details to how the characters look and maybe some quick simple lines about what their wearing. You see, unless I can find some way to weave it into the story so that it flows nicely, I don't go into heavy detail about anyone character, especially if it really isn't necessary. It gets clunky and tends to drag what was going smoothly. If you've ever read Bram Stoker's, Dracula or any of Orson Scott Card's books, you'll see they BARELY go into any detail about how their characters look, but still manage to paint things out in a way that it really isn't necessary to begin with.
My English teacher tells me time and time again. "Show us. Don't tell us." And it's something that I'm still striving to do.
And by the way…I'm planning to elaborate on a lot of things in the coming chapters, most importantly what my definition means on the word 'lycan' (for this story, it's a little different from folklore and the usual Hollywood image) and how this will affect Yuffie and her relationship with her new…cabin mates.