Speed (Tondry, open)

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The woman sat waiting on the curb outside Master Yoghurt's Bar and Grill, her shock of blonde/brunette hair tied back loosely. Her body was completely relaxed, muscles rested after a full night's sleep, and resting elbows casually over her knees, she breathed in the morning air. It was crisp, chilling her lungs as it filled them, and exhaling, she watched as a puff of steam appeared briefly before her. Her fingers twitched a little, and she let a smile touch her features.

Bare feet scraped a little across the dusty asphalt, and leaning a hand down, she flicked a loose pebble away. The sun wasn't even up, only the first traces of its light daring to make themselves known. Thankfully the weather would be nice today, though as she lifted her head to smell the air around her, the woman could tell that later in the afternoon, rain would threaten those who lived here.

Lounging back a little, Lok s'Ilancy waited patiently.

[Pierce Tondry]

In the distance, a motor could be heard in advance of its arrival. When it did arrive, it turned out to be the motor of a speeder bike of military issue. The rider pulled it off to the curb and stopped neatly a few feet from where s'Ilancy stood.

"Let me guess," the rider said as he turned off the bike and stood up. "You've been here all night, because you don't sleep."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il only smiled, shaking her head a little. "No, I simply like waking early."

Her feet shifted beneath her, and she rested her weight on one leg while propping her arms atop her head.

"Besides," she continued almost lazily, "I was looking forward to our little race."

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce pulled off his helmet. "You enjoy losing that much, huh?" he laughed.

He sucked in a mouthful of the chill air and exhaled it as steam out the side of his mouth. "Well, I guess there's gotta be somebody out there who gives themselves credit just for trying."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"So you like to think," was all she said, a cryptic smile coming to her lips. This man knew alot of things about her, but he didn't know everything, and she wasn't about to let him know of everything... just yet at least.

She gave off the appearence of someone who didn't really care much about what Tondry was saying; of course that was most likely because it was true - she didn't give a rip. Her bare feet made no sound as she brushed by him, looking him over; seemingly assessing him.

"From one end of town to the other," she started, her voice even, " - on foot.

"I'll even give you a head start."

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce grinned as he pocketed the speeder bike's inciter. He opened his mouth to speak-

- and then turned and took off down the street and a moderate pace.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She watched, a bemused expression crossing her face as he sprinted away. It was funny almost, his little 'trick', and she shook her head as her body moved, first at a slow pace, then building up into a leisurely lope. He was ahead of her by a good distance, but to her it didn't really matter. She'd catch up to him. Nothing to worry about.

Slowly, the lope picked up in speed, and soon the Lupine was surging after Tondry, her muscles propelling her forward as she covered the ground between the two competitors. He was still a good ways off, and spotting a speeder heading in the opposite way she was, a crooked grin crossed her features. His lead wouldn't last for long. And he would soon find that fact out. He was smart - and it seemed he had no problem with letting her know how much he knew about her. Well. She would put a stop to that.

The speeder was close now, and she veered to the right, running directly into its path. The driver, utterly startled that someone would turn into his pathway slammed on his brakes, and s'Il leapt, her bare feet landing lightly on the hood. in another surge of motion she used the roof to launch herself up, and it was in the air that she began to change...

[Preacher Blake]

In the other lane of traffic, a figure leaned his head out of his window at the sprinting pair. His eyes narrowed as he spotted S'Ilancy change. Without commentary, he eased his speeder forward, keeping generous distance behind S'Il and her adversary, ready for anything that might happen next.

[Pierce Tondry]

The commotion behind him caught Pierce's attention. He hadn't stopped running- just looked over his shoulder- but what he caught sight of did bring him to a halt.

After all, it wasn't every day you saw a mass of humanity twist itself into the shape of a vornskr.

It took several seconds for the surprise to fade, during which time the loping animal began catching up to Pierce in a big way. He turned and took off again, this time going from zero to full sprint immediately.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Paws pounding the pavement, the beast began closing the distance easily between her and her adversary. Whiplike tail trailing behind her silvery form like a streamer, she surged ahead, muscles bunching as her strides brought her closer and closer to Tondry. This race was certainly getting more interesting.

She hurffed, letting out a snort as she ran forward, idly making note that Tondry seemed to run with more... intensity now.

[Preacher Blake]

As the pair put more and more distance between themselves and Preacher, he began to accelerate slowly, following their romp at a discrete distance.

[Pierce Tondry]

The human/vornskr that Pierce had thought to be just a smuggler was just full of surprises.

However, she had only stipulated one rule: reach the other end of town on foot. There was nothing else he had to abide by.

Pierce made an abrupt turn into a nearby alleyway and disappeared from view.

[Preacher Blake]

SKRRRRR!

Preacher rapidly decelerated, gliding onto the sidewalk as he did so. The man had taken a diversion from the course. Preacher didn't know what it meant, but he wasn't in the business of assuming. He would follow Pierce nevertheless. He hopped out of the speeder, and bounded into the alleyway. Unfortunately, his stout figure wouldn't have Pierce's footspeed, but there were other alternatives.

"gnnngh!"

Preacher leaned against a nearby wall, and punched the brick with a large fist. It didn't yield, instead bloodying his knuckles. Preacher snarled at the pain, the endorphins from his release causing his pupils to dilate, as he tried to will himself into a change. Slowly, his frame began to creak, tendons and ligaments tugging like steel cables at bones and flesh, snapping and mending a million times over. Preacher dropped to his knees, and arched his back as his trunk violently shifted out of proportion, splitting his jacket away. His legs shortened. His arms lengthened. His knees stiffened, then snapped under his shifting weight, causing his legs to bend back upon themselves, supported by elongated feet. The skin on his face began to stretch thin, lips peeling back over growing teeth as his jaw snapped forward, almost pulling the contours of his face forward. His eyes glinted blue, and became a incandescent gold. The cartilege of his ears seemed to migrate up and behind his temples, as a bristling mane of fur worked from the back and neck, and soon emerged over his entire frame. Sounds of human exertion gave way to something more animal, as Preacher's spine elongated, tapering outward and tipping itself in calcified, poison-tipped tail whip.

*whine-growl*

"Preacher" reared up on his haunches, allowing his pants to fall free of his now-narrow waistline. His legs shakily kicked the garment off his body, as the dire vornskr took a tentative survey of the air around him with his keen nose. Though his eyes saw only black and white, his nose saw far more, painting the olfactory world around him in a bright rainbow of scents.

Pierce Tondry stood out like a sore thumb, his blue scent starkly contrasting against the yellows and pinks of the alley.

Preacher started into a slow trot, and resumed shadowing.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her head swiveled, watching as Tondry turned down the alley and disappeared from view. Tawny eyes blinking, the vornskr opened her jaws in a toothy smile before surging forward with renewed energy. He left a trail easy to follow, and the Lupine sprinted ahead.

Her form twisted, as she dodged surprised early-morning walkers, and with a final excelled breath, she turned, barreling down the alleyway, following Tondry's scent.

[Pierce Tondry]

Unfortunately for both vornskrs, the scent trail led upwards. The bright blue that the vornskrs were following floated upwards to a fire escape twice the height of a human. Pierce's jacket fluttered as he clambered over the rooftop's edge, and it was the last either of the vornskrs could see of him until they got closer.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She'd stopped momentarily, her tawny gaze cast upwards at the ladder Tondry had ascended. Her eyes caught sight of a dumpster on the opposite side, and with a surge of renewed energy, the vornskr leapt atop it. Pivoting on her haunches, she jumped - front paws outstretched to catch the roof's awning.

She caught it... barely... having to cling on as her back legs frantically scratched the building's side, trying to gain purchase. It took a few seconds, but finally, pulling herself up, the Lupine stood quietly before shaking her body and turning to look over the side of the building. With a snort, she wheeled around, Tondry's scent standing out in the air like a paint trail floating in the air - weaving in and out of itself.

And without so much as a [i]hurff[/]i, the beast took off once more, after her opponent.

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce had taken off at top speed across the rooftop, his short jacket fluttering off his back as he ran. With a hopstep, he leapt to the rooftop's edge and jumped to the next building.

The distance was short and Pierce cleared it easily. Dodging among the various rooftop fixtures, Pierce reached the next edge only to find that his next target was a pointed roof with a downward slope. Even if he made the full distance and landed squarely, Pierce would likely slide right back off it.

But if he intentionally missed, grabbed the edge with his hands, and pulled himself up, he might make it.

Pierce backed up a couple of steps and took off again. His foot left the rooftop and then he was in midair, fleetingly between floating before moving toward the downward earth.

His hands found their purchase on the rooftop opposite, jerking Pierce to a stop. A simple pullup was all it took to get him atop the roof and then he carefully made his way up its pointed shape. The going was slower, but the roof was large and would save him time on the course.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her strides took her easily over the gaps in between buildings, and she surged ahead, muscles propelling her faster with each pawfall. She saw him jump, disapearing from view for a quick second before popping back up and scrambling up.

Speeding up, she bunched leg muscles in preparation for the leap, and when the Lupine hit the edge, she sprung, paws outstretched. She landed, scrambling to keep her footing on the sloped surface, but she'd misjudged its angle, and in a flurry of limbs, the beast tripped up, crashing down on the roof before beginning to unceremoniously slide down towards the edge.

Oh bugger it...

Her bulk tipped over the edge, and she plummeted to the ground below.