Party Animals(Shah/???)

[jarahamee]

The club music in Zoo Party was pounding, almost deafening in volume as the partygoers mingled on the dance floor. Bright lights moved to the DJ’s rhythm as he changed pacing and mingled one song with the next. It was a Thursday night, and the dancers were lively. Some of them wore ordinary clothing, others had dressed to match the animal theme of the club.

Shah sat in the corner, enjoying her multicolored drink with a smile, trying not to think about how much sweat was caked on her body under her pink hyena robe.

She was a towering woman, at 250 lbs of muscle, sinew and bone. In the ring she made the most of her great size and incredible strength, but here she knew she was just going to intimidate the men on the floor. She sighed and took another sip, savoring the peach tones of her drink.

Her rounded ears flicked to the tune of the music. She took a deep breath and tried to smile. Relax. It was her time off and she was going to enjoy it.

[qhostqrowls]

A young woman sauntered off the dance floor, scanning the quieter corners of the club for a free seat. Her pointed ears pricked forward when she noticed Shah, and after a cursory up-down glance over the woman she strode over, perfectly balanced in her hot-pink high heels.

It was evidently her favorite color - from her long painted nails to her purse and even her cocktail, everything was pink. She flashed a sharp-toothed smile at the wrestler, amber eyes narrowing.

"Hey girl! Is this seat taken?"

[jarahamee]

Shah looked up from her drink, tapping her dark red nails against her glass, before she realized the young woman was talking to her. She double-took, and them smiled hugely, moving to make room for the other woman to settle herself.

There were many shapeshifters in the city, but she could hardly say she knew many personally, and there weren’t many who had such good fashion sense. She tried not to feel self conscious about the way she probably smelled underneath her perfume.

“Not at all! Sit down. What’s your name?”

She crossed one leg over the other. Her toe-claws were painted a matching shade. She had thought it looked good on her, and in the Underground, she was allowed to be herself.

At this close proximity, her new friend could see her wiry gray-blond hair, both on her head and on her forearms and legs.

[qhostqrowls]

“I’m Jennifer, what’s your name?”

She cocked her head to the side, smiling broadly. As she sat down she delicately placed her tail out of the way, and Shah could see she had a layer of fur across her arms and legs similar to her own.

She brushed a wisp of hair out of her face, amber eyes gleaming in the ever-changing light of the club.

“You’re so pretty. I love your robe. Why are you sitting here all alone?“

She spoke with the confidence and friendliness of someone a few drinks deep, and leant in close as she spoke.

[jarahamee]

“Shah.”

She moved her hand holding the drink. Shah smiled, her teeth sharp and almost conical shaped. Her lipstick color matched her nails, and as she moved, her complementary eyeshadow color shimmered in the light. She mirrored the movement, pressing a stray tuft of fluff away from her forehead with the back of her hand.

“Thanks. It’s just a work robe. I come here to have a drink after work sometimes.”

Shah blushed. There weren’t many people who called her pretty who didn’t want something, and she wasn’t one for complements most of the time. She stretched out her legs, and Jennifer could see that whatever she was wearing under her robe didn’t seem to be substantial. The barest trace of her leather halter could be seen from the front. She crossed her arms under her chest and leaned back.

“You look great too! What about you? Come here with someone?”

She tilted her head to look behind Jen, and, seeing no one, tilted the glass in her hand thoughtfully.

[qhostqrowls]

Jennifer took a sip of her cocktail, watching Shah intently the entire time.

“Are you like, a dancer?”

Given the robe and the glimpse of leather harness beneath, it seemed to be a valid guess. She leant in a little further, eyes glittering.

“Aw, thanks! I totally didn’t buy this dress just so I had an excuse to come back here.”

She smoothed a hand over her zebra-print outfit, and then rolled her eyes.

“No, none of my friends wanted to come…even with the $10 cocktails. More for us, right?”

She winked, leaning her elbows on the table.

[jarahamee]

Shah, for her part, seemed unphased by her rapt attention. After a life partially spent in the Underground, she was used to the intensity of predatory supers. She studied the other woman, but no details stood out to her besides that this was someone who seemed like they came here to have fun.

She shook her head, still smiling.

“I’m not a dancer. I’m a wrestler who works at The Den. You know, one of the local wrestling places.”

The large woman made a muscle for Jen, grinning hugely as she showboated. Sitting, she wasn’t quite as impressive as when she was standing, but the flex was real. Her carefully manicured nails were curved and claw-like.

“Your friends didn’t want to come? This is a good club. Nice music, good food, friendly people.”

Shah nudged the air near Jennifer, and huffed in soft laughter.

[qhostqrowls]

"No way! That's so cool."

Jen's smile widened, flashing pointed canine teeth. She clasped her hands together, an expression of wild excitement flitting across her face. Something fierce and animalistic shone in her eyes, disappearing as quickly as it had come. Maybe the aggression her ilk were so well-known for, or something else entirely.

"What's your wrestling name?" She asked. "You must win like, all the time."

Her smile turned more conspiratorial, plush lips closing over her teeth.

"It's my favorite. It was meant to be, us meeting tonight." She said earnestly.

[jarahamee]

“Do you think so? I’m Maneater Amazonia in the ring. Nothing big really, low-key, but most of the people who work in supernatural wrestling are low-key because we can’t perform for the general public, you know.”

Shah took this opportunity to flex a few more times, her robe’s sleeves shifting down off her wrists and both arms. She finally stopped showboating to settle down again, leaning forward, playing with the straw of her now empty drink.

“No one can win all the time. It’s part of the game, you know? Even if I was the most skilled ever, you sometimes have to lose just so that the game is still fun. Who wants to watch a match if they know who the winner will be already?”

Shah smiled swirling her empty glass again. The woman was beautiful. Had she really come here alone? Was she out looking for dates?

“I’m glad. Always looking for friends. What do you do for work?”

[qhostqrowls]

“Maneater. I like that.”

She looked up at the woman through her lashes, admiration and that something-else gleaming in her eyes.

“I would.” She enthused, pausing to finish off the last of her cocktail. “But, I get it. Have to play the game and all. It’s a shame you can’t perform for a bigger audience…”

She pushed the empty glass to the side, leaning back on the stool.

“Same! I don’t mean many other were-girls.” She ran a hand through her hair, swaying along to the beat of the song . “I work at my cousins dental clinic down here.” She sighed. “It’s whatever. I’m saving up for college, and it’s good pay.”

She glanced at Shah’s finished drink, and perked up again.

“You want another cocktail?”

[jarahamee]

Shah wasn’t sure what her new friend was thinking, but that wasn’t really a part of her job. She ran her hand through her thick hair, eyelashes lowering. She had chosen the name herself, based on the mythology that her mother was fairly sure she came from. Bultungin. A hyena witch. A cannibal spirit.

“I would have liked to. Imagine how amazing a transformation would look in high definition! I’m sure some people would pay just to watch it!”

She nodded, watching the werewolf finish off her drink. Most of them had a good stomach for alcohol. She supposed it was how durable they happened to be.

Shah tilted her head a little, her ear twitching as she listened. She was right, there weren’t many female werewolves. Maybe the atmosphere just wasn’t welcoming, or maybe women just weren’t as suited to being werewolves as others were.

“Oh…I’d love a cocktail.. um, really? They’re expensive..”

She paused, thinking.

“Are you a werewolf who was bitten, or are you a bloodline curse or something like that?”

Bloodline curses were rare, and came with different rules. Shah was always curious.

[qhostqrowls]

"Um, I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't!" She leant in as if to tell her a secret. "I know the bartender, he'll give me a discount."

She winked, leaning back.

"Both my parents are werewolves, so, I'm bloodline. Gévaudan. I don't like to call it a curse, you know. I think it's a gift."

She spoke with conviction, staring straight into Shah's eyes.

"Like, we all have a bit of a temper, but who doesn't?" Her smile returned. "I can control when I shift - except full moons, obviously - I can look like this, or more human, or totally monstrous."

She listed it off on her fingers, entirely confident.

"And you?"

[jarahamee]

Shah’s expression softened a little as she looked at Jen. There weren’t many bloodline werewolves. For many, it was a contagious curse instead, which was a completely different bag of worms, and one she had more trouble relating to.

The last werewolf like that she had met…well, that was a very ill-fated date night. She didn’t want to think about it anymore.

“…It’s not a curse for us. It’s a whole thing. Once, there were a people who were all like this, but now, it’s just the children of the hyena-witch who are sometimes a witch themselves. There are some things that are good. I’m tough. I’m really hard to kill… It’s… I like being strong, but I don’t like the impulses.”

She wondered if Jen just really liked becoming a werewolf, and she could understand that well enough. She liked being a hyena, apart from her overwhelming desire to consume human flesh. She was pretty sure that was part of being a monster, since most actual hyenas didn’t go around eating people.

“I’m.. happy enough. I don’t know if I’d change all of this if I had the chance, you know?”

[qhostqrowls]

"Impulses? Like what? You like, shouldn't feel bad about them. It's instinct. Nature."

She seemed entirely enamored by Shah, and smiled widely at the woman. Her yellow eyes shone reflectively every now and again, as the club-lights pulsed and flashed. The dance-floor was heaving, and she glanced longingly over her shoulder as a particularly bass heavy song started up.

"I hope you wouldn't. You're perfect." She reached out to grasp Shah's hand, squeezing hard in her excitement and standing abruptly. "Let's go get those cocktails! Do you like dancing?"

[jarahamee]

“Nature? I mean… some are just gross.”

Shah blinked slowly. She couldn’t say that wanting to eat people down to the marrow was good in any way, shape or form. She supposed it was something like nature, but there was something unnatural about being a bultungin too. Wasn’t being a witch the opposite of being part of the natural order? Some had said it was some kind of curse from the devil to make them wicked.

She turned her head a little as Jen stood up, making to lead her towards the dance floor, and probably the bar. Though the werewolf was much smaller than she was, Shah allowed herself to be pulled to her feet, pausing only to pick up her purse.

“I don’t know if I’d say perfect… you know, I’ve always looked for a better glamour… And…yeah, you know I like a good dance!”