Kierra

"It looks good. If you have a higher heel boot it would be perfect. Don't forget to accessorize too."

My sour look has her grinning. My boots are functional, that's all they need to be. Me in heels is just laughable. Hilarious when watching me try to walk in them, too.

"May I?"

She's pointing at my jewelry box, so I nod, walking up to it myself to grab a new tongue ring. Her eyes widen when seeing me put it in, then to the stash I have to replace when balls are lost, broken, or swallowed. Had one unravel once when eating a Reese's cup.

"Your piercings stayed open? That's so unfair, I lost all mine."

Looking at her ears, there's no evidence of her ever having metal protrusions.

"From what I've been able to gather, the older they are the more likely they may be to stay open for a little longer before closing, the hole just shrinks dramatically. I've had my tongue done for over ten years and throughout that time stretched the hole by my constant playing with it. I’ve shifted so much now though that it does fully close each time I shift."

Have to redo my ears each time too. Masochist that I am, I don't mind it much. High tolerance for pain, so it barely registers when thinking back over the other shit I've had done to me. Fighting with supernaturals is quite an experience.

"I had just recently gotten my tongue done when I was Changed. Hiding it from my parents wasn't easy. They threw a fit with each hole I put in my ears. They didn't know about my navel, or that I'd planned on getting my septum done."

Laughing with her, I have to admire her rebelliousness.

"You said they were hardcore bible thumpers, yeah? Must have been some kind of crazy growing up. Did you always know you preferred fems or was it a recent thing?"

She shrugs, watching me impale my ears with rings and studs. Wounds don't even get a chance to bleed before they heal around the bars.

"Speaking of which, if you do decide to re-pierce anything, let me know so I can get you over to Ava's. She can tell you where you can and can't do."

My brow furrows, the thought of a puncture going wrong and hitting a nerve or whatever...does that still apply for those who heal the way we do? Hmm.

"Well, she can tell you the best spots anyway, also have to bear in mind that with every shift they will fall out and heal. If you don't keep up with checking and turning them, your skin will heal over them as well given time. Tattoos stay though, as you can see."

Looking at her, I ask directly.

"Do you have any?"

She starts to shake her head, then winces and looks at her arm. The scar tissue is still healing from where she'd been branded. Her blue eyes look dismal as she looks at it. Laying my hand over it, she looks up at me.

"It will heal, just needs time. If a mark still ends up remaining that you wish to cover, we'll talk about going to Ava. She's the one who did most of mine."

Probably not okay to tell a sixteen-year-old that she's allowed to get tattooed, but eh. It's for a good reason. No one wants a reminder that they'd been branded as someone's meat. Least I wouldn't.

"How old were you when you got your first one?"

I point out the one on my right forearm, a black tangling tribal wolf piece with blue and green accents. Smiling, I tell her the funny story behind it.

"Was eighteen. Begged my mom to get my tongue pierced since that was the big thing at that time. We went into a shop but couldn't prove that I was of age since I didn't have an I.D. yet. Even with my mother there, it wasn't enough."

I smile and laugh, thinking back to the bigger bald guy who'd been behind the counter watching me.

"I'd been asked to stick my tongue out and told I had a 'perfect specimen for piercing'. We lingered, looking around at the artwork on the wall and picked out a design for my mother. While doing so, the guy had come out and said that he better not have anyone coming in later to prove me wrong about my age."

The grin on my face just won't quit.

"He couldn't do my tongue, but he could give me a tattoo."

I shake my head, still amused at the whole event that was so weird to begin with.

"Can't remember how much it was. While I was getting mine done my mom was getting one as well. Sad part now is the place did end up closing sometime after that. Too much competition with another shop in the area."

Motioning her to follow me, we go to the bathroom where I can finish getting ready. Door doesn't have to be closed, but it is so we don't disturb the movie. While I paint my face, I keep talking to her and answering questions.

Tell her how my second tattoo, the one on my upper right arm, was bought by a friend on my graduation day. A barn owl in flight, it looks like it's about to come right out of my shoulder. The third and fourth were done on the same weekend by Ava, done with a single needle prison-style gun. Was before she got all her good and professional equipment, when she was still practicing, more or less.

Third was my nickname on my left shoulder with several paw prints, and my right calf has the fourth, one of the many signs for Capricorn with the planet Saturn behind it. Plans are still in place for the rest of the solar system to circle my ankle, just haven't gotten to it yet. Been a few years, but we'll eventually get back to it.

The fifth was also done by Ava, another tribal wolf but this one done in a Celtic style on my back, and finally my sixth, a trail of smallish tribal frogs on my inner left forearm. I have a thing for frogs. Not many know about it.

"Tattoos are very addicting. I've been wanting to get another for a while now, just never seem to have the combination of money and availability the same time Ava does."

Don't know how many times she's told me not to worry about cost, but it's now her profession just like her cosmetology, so doesn't feel right to not pay her. Maybe we'll split the difference at some point with an exchange of favors or something.

My hair usually gets left to air dry, but I go ahead and blow dry it real quick, at least enough so it's just a little damp. The blow dryer isn't even mine, it's Faline's. Evil little machine if you ask me.

"Did you always have those streaks? Or did Ava do them?"

Looking at the reflection of them in the mirror, I finger one of the curled locks. They look wider than what they used to be, but that could be from blow-drying. See? Evil.

"Neither. After my first shift is when they showed up. For a while, I thought people’s animals would be the same color as their human hair, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Take Maii for example, he's blonde yet his animal is mostly normal."

Rika frowns, looking at the door.

"The coloring on his face isn't. Diego's isn't a natural wild coloring either. Nor Kani for that matter, with his patterning. So, what does that mean exactly?"

I shrug, clueless.

"Not a clue, but it is interesting. The drawback is those like Diego would be hard-pressed in the wild, his colors making him stand-out instead of blend. What I find unique, mother nature finds a cruel joke."

Thick hair falls around my shoulders, poofy thanks to the blow-drying, going down my back to just above my rear end. Don't care to put it up most times, unless a ponytail to get out of my way. Besides, with my hair, it looks better down than up.

Looking over to the teenager, I tap on the sink.

"If you guys decide to go out again, don't go far, okay? I need to get the Reds called in so they can get yours, Diego's, and Bryanna's scents. After that, nothing like what happened earlier will happen again."

Shouldn't anyway with the warning I gave. Even then, not like we'll be here too much longer. What will be done with this house? Technically, I'd signed it over to my sister and mother weeks earlier, never got that changed.

Think it will be kept, just in case. Have to let Alarico know as well. His Pack has the old couple’s house so I can keep mine locked up. Won't be much here, but I don't want squatters.

She nods, holding up the necklace she'd picked out. Didn't realize she had it this whole time. Simple enough metal chain with a small silver wolf head charm. Forgot I had it. Has a matching set of earrings but they're dangling ones that get caught up in my hair.

Smirking at the choice, I put it on. Was a gift from someone, can't even remember who now. Could have come from an old workout buddy for all I know.

Not that kind of workout.

Looking back into the mirror, the streaks do look wider than what they'd been when they first appeared. Worrying, but not important. Charcoal framed eyes make my green darker than normal, lined and shaded.

From there, my gaze finds each scar on my bare chest and arms. Faded yes, but I know where each is. My collarbone looks amazing considering it'd been snapped with a gaping hole, even chewed on.

Strap mostly covers it, but not all. My fingers play along it, lost in thought. Hearing a knock on the front door jars me from la-la land.

Shooing the young girl out, I finish up with some mascara and lip gloss. Also belongs to Faline, since I'm not one for more than eyeshadow and liner. Heading back into my room, I get my boots equipped.

It's a good thing real Werewolves don't have an...allergy to silver, I'd be screwed. Not because of my coloring but because just about everything jewelry related I own is either silver or titanium. All the studs and rings in my ears now for example. It's platinum that I have to worry about.

Freezing in place, I go over everything in my head, making sure I'm not forgetting anything. I don't do purses, so my wallet goes into my back pocket. Snug fit, but I'm used to feeling it so it isn't all that weird.

Phone goes into a front pocket, keys will get left here, since I won't need them. As a last thought, I slip one of my flat handled knives into my boot. Nodding to myself, I head out to the living room. Place is dark aside from the flickering lights coming from the TV.

Dark, yet I can see clear as day. Benjamin's reflective eye lens catch and glow green. We all have them, but I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing it.