When You Give a Dragon a Penny... (Gwen/Open)

[Atticus Tuck]

Atticus Tuck was in awe. The scents fighting for dominance like two hatchlings over the last piece of goat's meat was quite nauseating, even more so than the high school! Humans, hundreds of Humans, thronged throughout the stores that awaited behind glass doors and windows, smaller kiosks sat proudly in the walkways with vendors calling out their products with confidence and gusto. The faint scent of gag-inducing Human grease-food hung over the entire building. Looking up, she saw bridges with glass fencing as more shoppers hustled upon the upper floor. How many shops could this single building possibly hold? Surely not as many she could smell! Humans could be quite impressive when they actually used their limited intelligence. . . Too bad they always ruin it with their foolishness. . . she mused. She adjusted her dark jean jacket, and put a hand in her jean pocket, grasping the wad of Human currency her mother had given to her to purchase whatever she liked at this "Mall." But, from where the Dragon stood, nothing stood out. Impressive, yes, but what could Humans sell that possibly interested a Dragon like herself? Unless they sold goats or priceless jewels, Atticus was sure she would quickly become bored with this new discovery. She scanned her environment, searching for the head of red hair that belonged to her newest companion who was to "meet up with her" at this location. Was she here already? Or was Atticus too early? Too late? At the wrong Mall? The latter being unlikely, since the Dragon was sure this was the only Mall in the area. This is much too stressful.

Atticus slowly moved away from the entrance as more people nearly collided with her in their rush to come and go. She located a semi-comfortable looking bench to rest on until her friend arrived. Quite a few teens were present at the Mall, she noticed. Most unfamiliar faces, and a couple whom she recognized from school. Nearly all of them cast her a glance, some curious, some judging, and others just being nosy as their stares lasted until they entered a store or turned the corner.

Humans are so rude these days. A small snarl left her throat. Could she not sit and wait a friend without being looked at as if she had seven heads? As the minutes drifted, she became fidgety and beginning to doubt if she had the right location in the first place. Had Gwen asked to meet at the Greasy Food Area? Or maybe the upper floor? Atticus pulled her cellular phone from her pocket, and read the white block lettered numbers deciphering the time. 2:04 P.M. Gwen had said 2 P.M. She should appear any moment then, so Atticus began to play with one of the apps suggested to her by Gwen to try and distract herself from her surroundings. Something the young Dragon would never admit, though, is how addicting the Human-made gaming applications for "Smart Phones" were. She had grown to love them nearly as much as her treasures. Nearly. Humans can be useful at times, I suppose. A smirk pulled at the corner of her lips in amusement. She glanced up, scanned the area for Gwen, then returned to her game.

[Gwendolyn D. Mattias]

Gwendolyn Mattias stopped for a moment. She was breathing heavily after her dash from the car that had brought her to the place she now stood. The crowd was heavy at the crosswicks plaza millennium mall. It was always busy on a weekend, and in the days leading up to major holidays, even more so. Dad's going to have a cow, some kittens, and a bloody gaggle of lemmings She thought, and almost groaned. Ahead of her, her sharp eyes could see her friend Atticus sitting on a bench. She was near the entrance where Gwen asked her to meet up. Gwendolyn was on the opposite side within the mall. She took a deep breath to steady herself. There were people around her staring, and she couldn't blame them. Here was a presumably young girl that just ran past a bunch of people as she tried to make it on time to her appointment with her friend. Gwen was not blind to the fact that she looked all of 12 years old. The make-up and hair style did not add to her age. She just drew attention to herself by being in such a hurry. She had to catch her breath and just walk. To have run up to Atticus would have drawn unwanted attention. Attention she did not want or need.

It was hard enough ditching her escort. She left her phone in the car so they could not track her, and jumped out of the car and ran when the driver came to a stop in the parking lot as some handicap person, oh so slowly, pulled out of a spot. He couldn't well leave the car in the middle of the road, so he'd been delayed. It was the break she needed, so she took it. She said she wanted to go do this without him and took off with an apology. Doing a bee-line to where Atticus was waiting was a no-go. So she headed in the opposite direction and made sure to loose herself in the crowd. A quick pit-stop in Abercrombie & Fitch for a change of clothes, and she knew she might just pull it off.

Just a few lousy hours. That's all Gwen wanted. Just a little time to just be a teenager. No bodyguards. No Drama. Just her, Atticus, and the mall. Was that so much to ask? A little normality? Okay... so everything was all BUT normal. Yeah, she was a werewolf. Yeah, her best new best friend was a dragon. Yeah, Gwen herself had been targeted for assassination not too long ago. But that was weeks ago. It had been well over a month. Gwendolyn had not seen hide nor hair of any more boogie-men. It was time to just let her hair down and relax. She still had her firearm. It wasn't like she was totally defenseless. She wanted freedom, yes. But Gwen was not stupid. This place was huge and had hundreds if not thousands of people in it. Who would be stupid enough to try anything here?

Her heart rate lowered quickly. Her breath evening out to a normal. It was something only a werewolf could do. To recover so quickly. Gwen almost reached for where her phone usually was. She caught herself and instead glanced at a man's watch as he walked past with his wife at his arm. Matching wedding bands gave that away. It was 2:06. Yeah, she was late. But taking the long way around and racing the length of the mall, while avoiding too much attention and mall cops was time consuming.

Gwen walked up to her blond dragon friend and smiled as she paused and watched her playing a game on her phone for a minute, before taking a seat next to her. Sorry I'm late, Atticus. I had... something I needed to take care of. She said with a smile. Gwen's coach purse looked like it was full, and it was. Her other clothes were within. Her newly bought attire consisted of outfit,which she hoped would keep her from being spotted in the crowd.

[Atticus Tuck]

Atticus's eyes flicked up, a smirk gracing her features. "Like, it is not an issue. We've still a few hours, correct?" She put away the phone and stood, eyes landing on Gwen's bag at her side. It looked ready to burst! Atticus blinked, was it common for teens to carry such heavy bags? She had noticed a trend among other girls struggling with handbags nearly four times their own heads. . . Would I fit in better if I purchased a large bag to overstuff? I could be able to carry my treasures with me. . . She let out a breathy laugh. Wouldn't that be a sight! It seemed like a rather large inconvenience. She pondered this for a moment, then quickly shook her head. Even if blending in was a major piece to her agreement with her parents, she wouldn't start stampeding for such a hindering trend. "Well, like, where to first? I'd rather not go anywhere near the Grease Food," she made a face. "I can smell it well enough from here. And I've little interest in the stores I can see so far. . . Is this really how girls spend their free time? It seems dull."

Two young hatchlings scampered past, giggling loudly as they made a mad dash for two miniature statues of an aircraft and the vehicle that traveled along tracks. Atticus watched in amazement as the two hatchlings climbed inside the statues, inserted a coin somewhere in it, and the vehicles began moving. They went forward, then back, then forward, then back. Even though they remained stationary, the hatchlings squealed happily, and the young Dragon watched. Statues that could move! Sometimes, Atticus was truly in awe of Human contraptions.

Atticus crossed her arms over her chest, focusing back to Gwen once the machines had slowed to a stop and the hatchlings scurried off to find other wonders. Were there other things like that throughout the building? She hoped so. Then it would not be so boring. She had little interest in clothing stores, her Human form's appearance was not one of her top concerns. She'd heard her mom tell her about book stores, but why read when one could experience adventures firsthand? That was the point of life, was it not? Her dad teased, saying she could see if they sold any anti-trip boots. She'd scoffed, but if they were sold. . .

[Gwendolyn D. Mattias]

Her dragon friend looked up at her and smiled as she made light of the apology and that Gwen was just a few minutes late and they had hours to burn. Gwen smiled at this, but then she followed Atticus's gaze after she stood, to the bulging bag on her shoulder. The shake of the head had Gwen blushing pink with embarrassment. "Like, yeah. 'till closing, if we want." She replied, even as the stepped away to the rubbish bin next to the bench. Gwen unzipped her bag and fished out her clothes. She quickly stuffed them into the bin. 'How stupid of me. Should have ditched my stuff at the store' she scolded herself.

Gwendolyn turned to her friend as she spoke. Gwen knew what she just did was weird, and Atticus would wonder what Gwen was doing. Besides, at this time Atticus was, for all intensive purposes, Gwen's bodyguard. The realization of this made it unavoidable that Gwen tell Atticus what she'd done. She pondered this as she watched her friend look on in amazement at kids playing on the coin operated rides. Gwen could only guess at what Atticus was thinking. Was this also something new to the dragon? She had to remind herself that before her friend's first day at school, the dragon had lived in seclusion. Away from everything that was normal to Gwen. Everything was a new experience to her. Of course she found a girls night out dull. Atticus did not know what it was. All she could see were stores filled with stuff that a dragon had no interest in. But it really wasn't about the stores.

Gwen smiled and looked determined as she feigned a scoff and insult. Atticus needed to experience what being a teen was all about, and Gwen was the girl for the job. She put a hand on Atticus's shoulder. "Oh my God! Like, seriously?. Atti, Its not about the stores or the food. Its about you, me, and exploring this mall and its contents. There are treasures to be found, and junk to make fun of, and of course, all the cute boys." She declared adamantly. Gwen smiled nodding to the dragon's left. There was a group of boys walking past across the corridor. They were staring until both Gwen and Atticus looked in their direction. The boys quickly looked away, but the blush on their cheeks spoke volumes.
Gwen giggled, taking Atticus's hand and coaxing her to walk at her side. "See?. They like one or both of us. Probably you. I, like, look like jail bait" She joked. "Like, then again, some guys are into loli" She said with a laugh. "Oh, and I ditched my bodyguards. You'll have to fill in. That should keep things interesting and exciting for you" she added in a somewhat more serious tone while still all smiles. She didn't allow for those words to be pondered,. She pulled the dragon further into the mall as she said. "Now lets go look for ridiculously overpriced cute and shinny stuff to buy."

[Atticus Tuck]

Atticus's eyebrows raised a fraction, eyes widened. ". . .Treasure? There's, like, treasure here?[/color]

This instantly piqued the young Dragon's interest, and she barely heard the rest of Gwen's sentence until the redhead began nodding towards the right of her. She glanced over, and two young males caught her eye but quickly ducked away, faces flushed with pink. Curious. Atticus really had little to no idea about the attractiveness of Humans, they all just looked like Humans to her. Maybe some had more symmetrical features, which counted them as "beautiful", or whiter teeth, or greater muscle mass, but to Atticus they could have all been identical to one another for all she cared. Perhaps it was different for Gwen, however. She was a werewolf, and partly Human (Atticus chose to overlook this aspect of all werewolves.). She focused back on Gwen. "They find us worthy of attention? How flattering, at least some Humans aren't as dense as others."[/color] An amused smile grew across her face, followed by a small laugh.

"You've come to the correct location for a bodyguard, Gwen! With me around, no one will dare touch you or I."[/color] She looked rather proud of herself as she spoke; it wasn't everyday that another being counted on her for protection (actually this was the first time, but Atticus just ignores that.). Atticus trailed after her young friend, eyes scanning the area lazily for anything of actual interest to her. Then Gwen said another word that caught her attention. "Shiny? Like, what kind of shiny? How, like, shiny?"[/color] Treasure and shiny things?! This place is, like, better than I first thought! Atticus beamed in excitement, as if she were a hatchling once more with her first taste of goat. Allowing Gwen to quide her through the masses of shoppers, Atticus gazed around on alert for any danger as well as anything particularly eye-catching. Small packs of teens shuffled about, laughing and giggling and speaking on their own cellular phones. Mothers with hatchlings led either hyper children into toy stores or screaming kids into clothing and shoe stores. Elders reclined in plush chairs that vibrated. Atticus nodded, as if in approval, but made no comment. Her nose twitched as the Grease Food smell began to fade slightly as the girls headed the opposite direction. Out of the corner of her eye, the young Dragon spotted the same two boys who Gwen had pointed out earlier. They stood before a window that displayed many of the strange "online PC games" Atticus had read about once. She considered the store for a moment, deciding whether she should purchase a game, but scrapped the idea as she recalled that they required a computer for such games, which she currently did not own. Atticus shoved her hands into her pockets, one hand curling around the wad of currency her mother had gave her, and the other grasping her cellular phone. Maybe she should buy a purse? But, honestly, they always looked too small for even a cell phone to fit in, or so large and entire store could be stuffed in. Was there an in-between? "Like, Gwen? Do they sell bags here? Like, normal-sized purses I could keep my personal items in?"[/color]

[Gwendolyn D. Mattias]

The dragon's eyes widening and asking about treasures made Gwen Happy. She'd succeeded in getting her attention. The question that followed about whether guys found them worthy had Gwen giggling, even as Atticus confused look turned to an amused one. "Like, yeah they find us attractive. We're super cute." Gwen chimed before giving her answer some thought. She replayed Atticus's words in her mind and again thought about how the dragon would see things. Gwen was used to being human. It was a werewolf's preferred form. From the way Atticus talked about humans, it was obvious that it was the opposite for Atticus. The Dragon was Dragon first and foremost. She probably only took human form to be able to experience the other side.... or maybe just to get an education? Gwen could only guess. Her smile wavered a bit. Gwendolyn knew so little about her friend. It was a grand task to be the dragons teacher and bff at the same time.

No matter. Gwen had skipped grades for a reason. She was just bored out of her mind. Atticus was a challenge. And Gwen loved to be challenged. She loved solving puzzles and problems. Loved having to actually work towards something. Atticus was the best thing to happen to her in a long time. She had her coveted challenge, and now, for the first time she had a friend who she could be totally open with. No more watching what she was doing or saying. She could just be herself. They were two of a feather when it came to their social situations, and Gwendolyn was happier than she'd been in a long time. Her old friends lost were missed, but no longer a reason to be depressed. This was better. So much better.

Before Gwendolyn could answer Atticus, she'd moved on to what Gwen had hopped was lost in the middle of everything else she'd said. The whole bodyguard thing, however, was well received by the dragon. Gwen was simply relieved, though she knew that more than likely nothing that eventful would happen to require the dragon to intervene and protect Gwen. So a nod of thanks was all Gwen replied with, even as Atticus excitedly moved on to the shiny things Gwen had mentioned. Gwen knew there were ample teen girl shops that had allot of glittery and shiny stuff. And if makeup, hair accessories, and teen jewelry was not enough, there were always the fine jewelry stores. And, of course, FYE. Was Atticus into music? What did dragons listen to? Gwen would find out soon enough and it exited her almost to Atticus's level. She looped an arm through her friend's as she started to answer her questions.

Gwen's smile renewed to reach her eyes. "We lack the physical flaws the regular humans girls have. So, like, in a way, we're perfect. Kinda like human eye-candy. The males will,like, all find us appealing. Its not a bad thing, really. Like, boys will treat you nice. Shower you with attention and kind words, and, like, the more mature ones will do things for your, just to be noticed and get your attention" Gwen tried her best to explain. "But this makes the other girls jealous. So like, watch out for them. Its,like, when we're at school. They talk negatively towards those they see as superior. Some will, like, say and do spiteful things." Gwen said, remembering her first few days at the high school, and even the day she met Atticus.

Gwen's words seemed almost to be lost to her friend who was staring off in the other direction. Gwen noticed the boys from before and almost laughed thinking her friend was indeed paying attention and looking at those boys again. Gwen pondered that she may be looking at them with new understanding. So the real reason of the dragon's interest in online gaming went unnoticed by Gwen. Perhaps if Gwen had brought her Mattias training to bear, she would have understood different. But Gwen had turned all that nonsense off. She was having fun. That is all that mattered at the moment.

The arm she was holding's motion of hands being shoved into pockets,caught Gwen's attention. She looked over at her friend. The question of a purse surprised Gwen, ans do she just stopped them both and turned to face her. There was a slight pause as Gwen recovered from the setback. It was more like a double take. "Wait...What?. OMG! You, like, want to go purse shopping?" And this was all gushed out in a squeal of excitement. "Do they ever!. I know the perfect place. There's a Coach outlet store on the second level. And, like, every department store sells the more generic bags and..." Gwen continued pointing out all the locations as she looped her arm through Atticus's again and led the way.

[Atticus Tuck]

Atticus dipped her head in understanding. Of course their Human forms would have to be above those of regular Humans, being a Were and Dragon and all. Did she expect any less? She never noticed, she supposed, and was not the best judge in attractiveness of any Human. She'd once passed a couple girls mooning over a magazine that was slathered in pictures of an adult male wearing only his undergarments and was rather well-muscled. She'd been curious as to why they were practically worshipping him, but gave up trying to understand Human logic.

Now, Human males attempting to gain her attention and affection through proper acts of kindness and respect-Atticus could get used to that. Granted, she more than likely would never return the feelings of a Human, them being at the very bottom of her Food Chain and all, but she wouldn't cast aside any worship she rightly deserved. Her heart swelled slightly at the mere thought. Oh how entertaining that will be! "Finally, like, we'll receive the recognition we deserve, she said, that small lopsided grin growing on her face."Females seem to be rather defensive of their "territory" aren't they? They, like, act upon their spite rather aggressively, I've noticed. Males seem more, like, lax. Why is this, I wonder?" She hummed in mock curiosity. How Humans reacted to feeling threatened was amusing at times, yes, but not a major question needed to be answered yet.

What the young Dragon hadn't expected was her friend's outburst of an answer to her final question on the location of handbags. It seemed Gwen was fond of purses. Atticus blinked, surprised, but before she could recover was being guided farther into the mall as the redhead pointed out multiple shops that sold purses. They ranged from nearly as expensive as all of the Dragon's treasure put together, to barely the amount she had spent on the tattered jean jacket she wore. Nothing particularly stood out for a few minutes, the bags all seemed to be the same. Her ability to discern the "cuteness factor" between them all was nearly nonexistent. She scrunched up her nose in annoyance. She let out a low sigh before focusing on Gwen, who was listing the many cons and pros of purses. "Like, Gwen?" Why don't you pick a bag out for me? Something large enough to hold my personal items-and one or two of my treasures-but not so big that I could fit in it. I think it would be most appealing to match my jacket, since I wear it so often."[/color] There was price, but she wasn't too worried about that factor. Her mother had trusted upon her a generous amount of currency.

[Gwendolyn D. Mattias]

Gwen giggled at the dragon's lopsided grin and her view on human males, though she was sure Atticus was quite serious about her statement regarding the stature of human males, Gwendolyn was not totally on board with the whole bottom of the food chain and superiority thing that Atticus believed. Gwendolyn did understand Atticus though. The dragon was not wrong for the most part. It was just that Gwen was tempered. She'd been around humans her whole life and was used to them, she saw them more as... well, not equals, exactly. At least not the general populous. Close friends and family, however, were every bit an equal. And then there was Yukki..... He was just so different. She shook her head. No, this was girls night out. 'No thinking your boyfriend.' She reminded herself.
"Well, the males are all constantly looking for.... " She blushed, not sure how to explain a potential relations, but not a relations, really. Guys were mostly after one thing at that age. The relationship was just an annoying required ritual to most. Gwen remembered when Mother tried to explain the birds and the bees to her a few years back. Mom was the only other female, not counting the staff, but for some reason she just got really angry shortly after starting and told her to ask one of the maids. Gwen chose not a maid, but her bodyguard Carmela, who she was closes to. Being a werewolf herself, she went into both sides of the issue, human and were, and beyond. She was also very clear on the dangers and harsh reality of the here and now world we lived in.

Some guys, however, really wanted the relationship aspect. Yukki came to mind again. She touched her lips remembering the first kiss, even if it was kinda an accident forced by fear. Gwen knew it would have happened eventually anyway. Yukki never pursued the matter afterwards. He waited for Gwen to ask when she was ready. She mentally shook her head again to clear her mind of her boyfriend. Gwen looked up at the blond. "Well, not looking for, really. They, like, hit puberty around our age. Get all wrapped up in their mating urges" She finished, not sure how much Atticus knew about the subject. She really didn't want to get into details in public. Besides, Gwen was very aware of the fact that what dragons considered humans well below their stature and would probably not be acceptable as potential mates.

Even as Atticus responded, something made the hair on the back of Gwen's neck stand on end. Gwendolyn couldn't explain it. Like sixth sense or instinct or something. Being a were meant she was hyper sensitive to things like pheromones which every being exuded, and something had set off a red flag. All the knew was that something told her there was danger. That something was not right. That she should turn on her senses and take a good look around. The first thing to switch on was her hearing. Gwen stopped actively dulling her sense of hearing and heard the end of something whispered directly behind her and Atticus. Focusing she heard the words "You're one of those freaks, aren't you" whispered. Smell heightened next, and in combination with sound, told her that there were two males and three women. Had they overheard her talking? Did one or more of them take an interest in their conversation?

But it was too late. Being caught so off guard made her react before she could think, which made what happened next unavoidable. Gwendolyn turned her head to look behind. There was a couple talking with each other. She dismissed them immediately. Two other women who's attention was on the windows of shops to either side were also eliminated as threats. But the tall man... the one walking just a few feet behind... He was as tall as Leon. Longish dark brown hair. Eyes were hidded behind dark sunglasses, but the angle of his head confirmed he was staring at her. A bushy brow raised to confirm he was indeed intent on Gwen and Atticus. Gwen's own eyes widened and her mouth popped open slightly before she could control herself. 'Oh, no!' She almost said out loud. She knew that man. He was one of the new additions to the Hunter chapter here in England. The Mattias network of informants was formidable, to put it mildly, and his profile picture was still fresh in her mind. The man's lips twisted into an amused sort of almost smirk. Like he was saying "gotcha".

Gwen took control of herself then to no avail. All she could do was keep from going pale and closing her mouth, turned to look forward again. That hunter was right behind them. Anyone else would have panicked. Gwen was not anyone else. She quickly assessed her situation. The Hunter was alone. He had just caught on to them, and Gwen was sure it was by accident. First, the man had a hunch, but a chance reaction from Gwen was not enough for the man to act on. Gwen was sure of this. Besides, they were in a crowded mall. There was no way he could do anything and expect to get away with it. Second, Gwen was certain the man had no idea what she was, and if Atticus was even a fraction as powerful as Gwen thought, that hunter was in way over his head.

Then her logic was confirmed shortly after. Gwen had to let Atticus know about the man, and she considered turning on the man and asking him what the hell he was looking at, and either calling him a creep or a perv, to bring attention to him and embarrass him into going away. She glanced back to see if he was still staring to put her plan into action, when the man walked right past and never glanced over or made any other gestures that would suggest he was up to something.

Gwen followed him with her eyes. She tried to study the man, but was interupted when Atticus called her name. Gwen looked over, a neutral expression on her face as Atticus asked her to pick out a bag for her. Once last glance at the man told her he was far ahead and quickly widening the gap between himself and them. Gwendolyn sighed in relief and gave Atticus her full attention as her smile returned.

"Sure, no problem. Just, like, leave it to me." Gwen accepted. She glanced at the man's retreating back. He'd not turned around a single time to keep tabs on her and the dragon. Gwen saw a way to loose the guy and pulled Atticus into a side corridor between stores. "Quick! this way." She whispered and tugged he arm. It led to restrooms and the elevator. One last glance and Gwen was sure they'd gone unnoticed. What worried her was the other girl. The one that hunter was following. She was. Atticus's age. Gwen was sure she'd seen that girl at school. What was her name again....

[Atticus Tuck]

Immediately, Atticus burst into laughter. The mere idea of Human Males attempting to act upon their urges was just so ridiculous it was funny. She shook her head, were all Humans so amusing and foolish? She hoped so, it would lead to a much more interesting life with them, albeit with a little annoyance. She glanced at Gwen, pausing for a brief second to take in how the redhead touched her lips slightly, before continuing on more strongly, as if pulling herself from a daydream. How, like, odd. She brushed it away, the Dragon would figure out the root of the act sooner or later. that was the least of her issues at the moment. The malicious aura that seemed to be hitting her from behind, however, was quickly becoming her top priority. She could sense a pair of eyes, her ears twitched as she picked up a sliver of a sentence, and Gwen's sudden glance over the shoulder coupled with a momentarily blank face wrapped her suspicions up like a gift. They were being zeroed in on. A few possibilities came to mind as she pretended to be fascinated with a "sale" on clothing. A disgusting adult Human who often owned white vans? But she detected no lust from the person. A teen Female from school who had for some reason developed negative emotions towards them? But the Dragon had never felt such hatred radiate from a young adolescent Human before. She didn't want to be correct, but one final person stood out above the rest. A Hunter. I've got to protect Gwen. No exceptions. Gwen looked back in her direction. A Male strode past, seemingly calmly, but the height of his chin and the smug grin on his face told her he had an idea that Gwen and herself were not simply Human.

Gwen whispered before leading her away, opposite of the man. Atticus reluctantly replied, but kept her eyes glued behind her. She blocked out all else, expanding her senses. He was farther and farther, but then he immediately took a hallway that would lead him straight to the girls. Another presence demanded Atticus's attention. Not angry, like the Hunter, but giving off waves much different from Humans. Another creature. He's going after them, not us. Atticus planted her feet, refusing to go farther. "Gwen. He's not after us. He has, like, detected another being, I believe. But if we continue in the direction we're, like, going, he'll stumble across us. I don't doubt, like, our ability to blend in with other Humans, but Fate might have other ideas in mind." Taking hold of the young Were's hand, she tugged her away from the small, arrow hallway. At the far end, a young girl came around the corner. She glanced over her shoulder, before picking up her pace. "He'll be here any second, we need to move. She can take care of herself, I'm your bodyguard.

Atticus could just see the Hunter's boot peeking from the corner as she led Gwen off. Stairs, where were the stairs? She could get to higher ground and get herself and Gwen lost in the sea of Humans. They could head into a popular store and keep their heads low until she felt they were safe. If it had just been Atticus, however, she would have more than likely faced the Hunter head on. Perhaps even if Gwen had not told Atticus she would have to stand in as her bodyguard, Atticus would have charged after the Male ready for a fight. She had little doubt that a Were and a Dragon could take on one Male, but there was the nagging voice that added: "There could be more. Mother and Father said to remain silent until you are positive the prey is alone or wounded." Wait, or was that a hunting larger game lesson? She shrugged. Same difference. "Let's, like, check out some cute purses, yeah?" she asked, attempting to mimic the irritating tone of voice she'd heard Females use when speaking about "shopping sprees."

[Gwendolyn D. Mattias]

The dragon stopped cold and this brought Gwendolyn to a stop. Gwen turned to face Atticus and was about go into an explanation, for she knew her actions in the last minute were everything but normal. Gwen looked relived when Atticus spoke and looked to be every bit as aware as she was herself. And why wouldn't she? The dragon's own senses were probably equal or better than Gwens. It would save time explaining things. Gwen's hand being taken and being pulled along was a surprise.

"Yeah, but...." She tried to reply. Gwen didn't see the guy turn into the parallel corridor, but she was sure he was trailing another person. The girl in question coming around the corner surprised Gwen. She'd been around enough humans to know that her scent was indeed human, but also had hints of supernatural mixed in. That girl, whoever she was, spent time around supernaturals. There were hints of vampire and werewolf on her. Gwen was pulled into a faster pace, and she went along, not quite sure how to react. Atticus telling her the hunter would be there any second put Gwen on edge. She was starting to get anxious. This was all so her fault. Atticus was trying to protect Gwen, she knew that for certain now that the dragon said very clearly she was Gwen's bodyguard.

Gwendolyn groaned. What rotten luck! She didn't want this, and didn't want Atticus to be in the position where she might be forced to protect her. Gwen was not exactly defenseless, she was a werewolf, after all. But her stupid words. Telling Atticus she was Gwen's bodyguard.... Gwen only half meant it. She just wanted to give Atticus something to keep her interested in their little date. The other half was Gwen trying to cover her own ass when Mitchel, her father, would accuse her of going against Mattias rules of being protected at all times. She would have retorted that she'd been protected all along. Gwen thought she was so smart to come up with that.

Gwen followed Atticus's line of sight to notice the boot sticking out from around the corner. That stupid hunter was being, well, stupid. How could anyone worth their salt as a hunter be so clumsy? From what Mattias intelligence reported, Hunters were no armatures. This raised Gwen's eyebrow. Was this guy even really hunting? Why would he let Gwen and Atticus go to follow a girl who was not even actually a supernatural? And on top of that he would know that he was herding them together, wouldn't he? He couldn't possibly think we could take three targets at once, could he? It just did not add up.

Atticus's mention that there could be more hunters did actually cross her mind as she racked her brain for answers that made sense. She would have laughed at the commentary about her parents and their hunting lessons, But this was no laughing matter. There were factors at play that still had to be discovered. Gwen was sure of this. The suggestion of not getting involved with whatever the girl and hunter were doing sounded like a good idea. Gwen didn't know why exactly, but she was sure that Hunter had given them a pass, and whatever his issue with the girl was not malicious. But why tempt fate? getting out of sight and staying out of mind of that weird hunter was good enough for her.

"Like, Yeah. None of this is making much sense. Lets just get back on the main strip." She said no longer being half dragged. Gwen moved with purpose next to Atticus. "Go left, Macy's is, like, just up the walk" Gwen instructed to avoid a potentially embarrassing situation where they would split ways and go in opposite directions and one of them having to backpedal to join the other, very three stooges like.

[Atticus Tuck]

Atticus did as instructed with a curt nod. Her free hand fidgeted endlessly, tugging and twisting at the hem of her shirt and jacket. Her skin prickled and itched. She forced herself to concentrate on keeping her Human form. As a hatchling, Atticus had trouble keeping her Human façade for more than an hour before she felt the burning desire to expand once more, which she always submitted to back then, seeing very little reason to care for her Human form. She had finally grasped control of her transformation when her parents finally gave in to her request of living among Humans, but that didn't mean she was free of the occasional need to return to her Dragon self that occurred when she remained in Human form for more than at least 12 hours at a time, or felt threatened. It was instinct. Show your wings to scare away foes. But she could not do that here. Humans were everywhere, if she transformed now she would surely be yanked right back to the mountains until she reached full maturity. No, she had to remain calm. She took a deep breath, heading to the right with her friend at her side.

"Like, let's just remain to the opposite side of the building from him, yeah? I'm not going to like, be forced to scamper off from this mall with my tail between my legs just because of, like, an irritating Hunter," she said quietly to her redheaded companion."What I would not give to, like, just reveal how tiny he is compared to me in my true form! I would bet half of my treasures that he would flee wailing like a newborn for his mother!" She scoffed, a roll of her icy eyes followed.

This "Macy's" Gwen spoke about was just ahead, judging by the over-the-top red illuminated letters spelling a word that seemed similar to the word when put together. Atticus had studied Human English writings dutifully before moving, but sometimes, just sometimes, she was a little caught off guard by the strange spellings Humans used. Their tongue was quite odd as well, but she adjusted to the best of her ability with their strange meanings and "slang." Her favorite word, "like," was the result of many hours of Human teenage girl movies Atticus had used to assist her with "fitting in." Though, other than Gwen, she had not heard the word as much as she had anticipated. Not that she really cared.

"This shop is enormous! How do they manage to fit so much into such a small area?" Atticus forgot momentarily of the Hunter far behind, and gazed around the store in childlike awe. A flash immediately caught her eye. To the far left, glass casings held hundreds of glittering treasures that flickered beautifully in the young Dragon's eyes. The purse was long forgotten. She began heading in the direction of the jewelry, which gleamed invitingly under the bright lamps overhead. In mere moments, Atticus was peering into the glass with wide eyes. Gold, silver, gemstones, anything and everything that sparkled was on display. Have I died? Like, I've never seen so much treasure in one place! Giddy excitement overtook her; she was literally bouncing on the spot in pure joy. You cannot simply take it, though. Remember? Atticus reached into her pocket, wrapping her fingers around the wad of cash tucked away. How much could she afford? She wanted it all! But, Humans were quite territorial of their own jewelry, Atticus had learned, and did not take kindly to having it taken without any collateral. Not that Atticus had cared. But she had promised not to slip up anymore. It was a nearly impossible promise to the shiny-obsessed Dragon, but a promise nonetheless. She gazed at the different varieties. There were bracelets, anklets, necklaces, watches, earrings. . .

[Gwendolyn D. Mattias]

It did not go unnoticed to Gwendolyn that there was something not right with her blond friend. Atticus looked nervous and looked to be struggling with something. Gwen was focused and her training of dissecting an opponent by studying body language and words was in red alert status. She was certain that something was going on. As a werewolf, however, Gwen would not know that the tug and urge to transform into her native form during the full moon was a 24 hour thing for dragons. Even now she had to take everything she saw and heard with a grain of salt in her calculations on what it all meant. Atticus was no human. Gwen was smart to keep this at the forefront of her thoughts. Otherwise she would be misjudging the dragon's behavior now as fear and deception. There was no time to concentrate on Atticus. There was the danger of the Hunter having yet undiscovered friends with him. Gwen slowed and tried to act as normal as possible as she looked about. Most humans went about their business. Some looked at them with interest. Mostly the teens and men. She tried not to keep eye contact with any of them. She snapped a mental picture and studied it in her mind, but it was futile to try to see ill intent in a snapshot.

Damn it all to hell! Why did they have to be humans. It was impossible to pick a particular needle out of a stack of needles until it revealed itself as a threat. By then it could be too late. Gwen and Atticus could walk right into a hunter and not know it was a foe until the gun was pointing at their heads and the trigger was being squeezed. Lucky for them, it was a proven fact that Hunters /wanted/ their victims to know who and what they were, and were prone to gloating before, during, and after they struck. Kinda like a want to see the look on their target's faces before hey killed him or her. They also wanted to see their targets suffer, which is why Gwen still held hope that they would not dare engage anyone in a crowded mall. The hunter or hunters would be disappointed if they were waiting for Gwen and Atticus to exit the mall. A simple phone call and Gwen would be surrounded by bodyguards and it would be a short dash to an armored sedan, limo, or other vehicle.

Atticus quietly expressed her desire not to tuck tail and run. She wanted to remain in the mall, and Gwen was in whole hearted agreement as she nodded. Leaving the mall was not an option. The part about showing her true form to the humans, however, put Gwen on edge. With all the witnesses and security cameras it would be suicide to go native and confront the hunter. Panic would ensue and they would be hard pressed to escape the mall unharmed. Gwen might be able to get out since a wolf, be it over-sized, was still just a wild animal that somehow got into the mall. A dragon, however.... Law enforcement would shoot first at something they would consider her a monster and imminent threat. Gwen's plan was sound in that respect. Loose themselves in the crowds of shoppers. The further away from the exits the better.

As they entered the Macy's Gwen relaxed somewhat. The confines of the store offered protection from snipers on an upper level. She glanced over at her friend and found her awed at what must be wonders. They'd entered on the level of the store that had all the perfumes, jewelry, purses and accessories. Atticus had all the look of a kid in a candy store with a ticket to cart away all she could carry for free. This shop is ginormous She heard her friend proclaim, and Gwen smiled, despite herself, and even giggled as she followed Atticus who made a bee-line to the jewelry counter. "Like, yeah. Macy's is the biggest anchor store." Gwen chimed, and as they approached the fine jewelry counter added "They are a bit pricey though." Rich or no, Gwen was not spoiled. She never flaunted or threw money away just cause she could. She always looked for sales and bargains.

Gwendolyn watched as Atticus's eyes slowly looked over the jewelry. They moved from case to case as the dragon shopped. Gwen was all smiles. In fact, she had to stop herself from snorting and laughing out loud when the most ridiculous thought crossed her mind. She could briefly imagined Atticus purchasing a ring and caressing it lovingly while whispering "My precious" in a Golem of the Lord of the Rings voice. Gwen may have shared that with Atticus but she had no idea if her exotic friend even knew what LOR was. To have to explain would take much too long. She would just have to make sure to introduce Atticus to LOR next time she was over Gwen's house. It would have to be a sleepover though. Three movies at almost two and a half hours each would take a better part of a day to watch.

With a purchase imminent, and Gwen not knowing how well off the dragon's parents were, she decided to share some good advice. "The specialty jewelry stores like Kay, Jared or Littman Jewelers would, like, sell for less." She would have mentioned the kiosks in the promenades which would have the best prices of all, but being out in the open was not a smart thing. Besides, the purity was questionable in the kiosks. Just 'cause it was stamped 24k did not mean it was. It could well be 10k or even plated. Any real gemstones would also not be the best in clarity, and usually flawed. Luckily Gwen and probably Atticus could smell the different metals mixed with the lesser karats of gold. Superior eyesight would also help them notice major flaws without the need of a jewelers magnifier

Gwen took a moment to stop and carefully turn full circle as she, not so casually, looked for anything that may hint at them being followed. Her eyes paused and lingered, but not at a threat. It was the larger than life "ULTA" sign on the other side of the promenade from the Macy's entrance. 'Oh, yeah. Gotta go there next' she thought. She was going to insist on it. The Ulta staff knew Gwen well and they would get the royal treatment. Her dragon friend was in for a treat, if she would allow for it. They would give her makeover and if Atticus liked what she saw in the mirror, Gwen would buy her the makeup. It would be her gift.

[Atticus Tuck]

Atticus's nose crinkled as she spotted an imperfection amongst the jewels. True, she was not too terribly picky when it came to her treasures, but usually she did not purchase them. She had always come across them, or managed to "borrow" them from some distracted Human. Her ears twitched. There were stores just for treasures? Humans! They weren't so useless after all! The young Dragon perked up. "Like, let's go then! My horde could use an expansion! I'll get something for, like, Rogwink as well! The little scoundrel has been trying to snatch from my pile lately." She crossed her arms, eyes focusing on the multiple faces milling about the store. None were the Hunter, nor were any showing any indications of spying. She sniffed. Nothing but Human reek. Briefly, she wondered about the girl the Hunter had been stalking. What was so important about her? Atticus hadn't been able to get a good whiff, but she didn't detect anything particularly worrying about her. She seemed like a run-of-the-mill Human. She pushed away the thought. She needed to focus on two things: Treasure and hanging out with/keeping safe Gwen.

"I wonder, like, if they have pure gemstones. Right from the earth! That would be, like, quite appealing! Have you ever seen a freshly found gemstone, Gwen?" She gave a lopsided grin. "You should, like, visit the house we are occupying someday. I could show you, like, my collection! Or a bit of it at least." She laughed, as if sharing an inside joke with herself.

Atticus brushed away the hair that fell into her face. She just realized how irritating Human hair was. Always falling into your eyesight, tickling you cheeks, giving the impression of creepy crawlies on your neck. Perhaps she should have it cut? She had seen females with extremely short hair. She pursed her lips, then shrugged it off. IT was too much trouble to bother with, this silly Human form. It was only a disguise, she didn't put too much thought into the silly vessel. When Hunters were finally shooed away like the gnats they were, Dragons could reveal themselves once more, along with the other magical beings forced into secrecy. The mere thought of being able to stretch her wings without a care made her Human heart flutter. To be at the top of the Food Chain openly again!

[Taylor Harper]

Taylor watched as his sister walked into the mall and towards a blond girl who looked about Sarah's age, and a redhead girl who was probably the blond's little sister or cousin or something. He stopped, hoping his sister was there to meet those girls for a girls night out or something. Maybe they were her friends and this was all a mis-understanding. She approached the girls at the bench, and walked right past and continued into the mall. Taylor sighed and rushed to catch up. What the hell was sis doing? Where was she going?

Taylor kept his distance. Once he caught up he slowed and blended in with a group of people. He never took off his mirrored shades. He didn't need to worry about looking out of place, He was just over being a teenager. Thanks to others around him that were around his age and sported the fad of wearing sunglasses all the time, whether indoors or out, he did not stand out. This way he could keep his eyes on his younger sister and not look to be. He could imagine the attention he would attract otherwise. An adult stalking a teen. He tisked and then sighed. How society had declined. To have such predators to worry about. He only had to keep her in sight. To find out why she had broken her routine. Sara was all about routines. It was something he could count on. It is what made his decision to leave her with his aunt possible.

Taylor had made arrangements with the hunters. He could only join if he could have Sara monitored. They balked at committing resources to keeping track of one human girl, but agreed once finding out that it would require just one person. There was always someone on light duty or on an injured list. Keeping track of only a person's comings and goings if that person was on a schedule was easily done with just a single person.

He may have been lost in thought, but one thing Taylor was good at was keeping his ears open. Certain words spoken ahead of him peaked his attention. He took his eyes off his sister and glanced at the two girls waling several steps ahead of him. There was a blond and a redhead. The blond looked to be about his sister's age and the redhead was younger by a few years. It was the two girls from the entrance, the ones he thought were friends of his sister. He just happened to catch the words "males, females, human" and "mating" which were not normal words spoken by the general populous. Then the fact that these were teenagers and not adults, who may have been doctors or some other profession that might have explained the use of certain words...

"You're one of those freaks, aren't you" he whispered softly. If he was right, he would get some kind of reaction. Only one of those monsters would be able to hear such a whisper in a noisy mall. The younger girl turned her head. She looked at the other people around him before her eyes rested on him. She was really pretty. Perfect features. Not a zit or blemish on her perfect skin. Taylor raised an eyebrow. Could it be?... The girls eyes widened in surprise and her mouth popped open. Taylor couldn't help the rare smirk that curled his lip up. The training was paying off. He'd just made his first positive identification of at least one of the monsters. The girl turned away, and Tyler's brows came together and he grit his teeth as hatred filled him.

[Celestine Mattias]

It had been a while since Celeste had had the opportunity, and the time to take Alice out and just have fun. She had been getting a lot more commissions lately however so it couldn't exactly be helped. Thankfully she had just sent off the last commission and had closed her studio for the day, thus giving her the rest of the day to spend time with her daughter. Even if Celeste hadn't been able to afford the time it would take to make a day of the trip to the mall, it was worth it to see Alice's delighted expression at how huge the mall was.

With Alice's little hand grasped in Celeste's own, they walked the length of the mall, Celeste couldn't help but smile at the small gasps that left her daughter's lips at all the treats and toys she saw in the mall. What caught Alice's eye the most however was the huge toy store that Celeste had decided would be their first stop much to her daughter's delight. Seeing her wide, brown eyes take in aisle upon aisle of toys was a treat in and of itself. It didn't take long before Alice's hand slipped from her own as she ran down the aisles, ever under the watchful eye of Celeste. Alice could have her fun but she would never wander far from her mother's watchful gaze.

Eventually, Alice came back with a treasure in her arms, pleading with her mother to let her have the toy. Celeste relented and bought the toy for her daughter who squealed with delight and held onto the toy as if she was afraid it would disappear if she didn't do so. Chuckling softly, Celeste took her daughter's hand once more and walked towards their next stop, a candy store located near Macy's. Celeste knew that Alice loved chocolate and would love all the sugary delights that awaited her in the candy store.

No sooner had they rounded the corner however, that Celeste spotted a familiar red head following a blond-haired girl that looked to be about the same age. That couldn't possibly be Gwen...could it...well, there was only one way to find out. Deciding to see if her suspicions were true, Celeste approached the pair that had just stopped at a jewelry kiosk. The blond was gawking at the jewelry as if she wanted to devour each and every precious gemstone on display. Curious behavior really but then again, perhaps the girl simply liked jewelry and other shiny stuff.

Celeste was about to make her presence known when a delighted squeal escaped from Alice and went to hug the red-haired girl before Celeste could stop her. Well then, that solved that mystery...but what was Gwen doing in the mall...and without her usual bodyguards... "Sorry about that Gwen, she's just a little excited to be here,"Celeste explained, smiling kindly at Alice who still had Gwen trapped in a bear hug,"What're you doing here anyway? I didn't think you would be here today what with recent events and all,"she continued, looking into Gwen's eyes with an expression that told her sister-in-law that she knew she wasn't supposed to be here.

Words: 545 | Notes: Busted... | Tags: Gwendolyn D. Mattias, Atticus Tuck, Alice A. Mattias, Taylor Harper