*BBF: Cremating Memories [Claire/Open]

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

"It's not about this, Claire."

Claire moved some of her hair off of her shoulder and nodded. "Well, yeah but--" Griffin wasn't done talking. Of course she knew it wasn't just about looks. But looks were always a bonus! And when you had them you were more likely to have other good looking people flock to you! She listened to him, keeping her mouth shut while he spoke. He was starting to sound a lot like her. He was chattering up a storm and she enjoyed it! Claire was the type of girl who could stay up all night just talking about anything and everything. She loved doing that except it was hard to find someone else who enjoyed it too. Cheyenne normally fell asleep just as Claire would try to start a conversation. Or she'd throw a pillow at her to get her to shut up. She'd tried multiple times when they were kids.

"I've always known a day would come when I would be fortunate enough to take a woman to bed. She and I would be partners in all we did. We would travel together, study new hobbies, surround ourselves with books and art, and then we would be intimate. Our love would create another. That's what sex is. It's physical love, a way to be one with the one you cherish most."

Claire felt her cheeks flush as Griffin talked about sex in the manner that he did. Sex had never been a big thing for Claire. She'd done it once and it wasn't newsworthy. But she at least had done it, and she always got pointers from her sister whenever she asked. She knew plenty enough about it she just didn't actually do it. Not because she didn't want to but because she never dated! Claire had always said she was undateable no matter how many times her sister tried to get her on a date. Nobody stuck. But the very thought of an intimate Griffin got her all heated. Suddenly she felt like she was wearing too many clothes! She had to look away for a moment to try and get her mind off of the subject.

Look at the boat, Claire! Look at it! Oh look! Someone threw a walkman in there. Who used walkmans anymore?! Apparently not the person who threw it in there! And with that she had managed to get her mind distracted for a moment.

"You're the first woman I've wanted to truly travel with."

And with that Claire was back! Her green hues staring up at Griffin's face, her head tilted a bit to the side as she watched and listened. She just imagined travelling. It was something she always wanted to do which was why she loved the museum so much! The art, the sculptures, all the exhibitions were just a way for her to escape to somewhere other than Scriptor Bay. If her credit cards weren't maxed out she'd hop a plane and go to Italy or Greece. She'd visit the pyramids of Egypt and see the Eiffel Tower in Paris. She'd visit everything!

The more he spoke about the things he'd like to do with her, the cooking - which Claire knew she could not do if her life depended on it - the adventures and the sushi! Sushi sounded like such a good idea.. maybe they could make a quick stop after they left the festival.

The comment about being around her too much made her laugh and she bit down on her bottom lip to try and hide the smile. "I like hanging out with you. You're more fun than my sister. And a better kisser!" She said in a joking manner but wasn't sure if it came out right or not. It sounded sort of weird and even she knew it and scrunched up her nose.

"There's nothing wrong with your virginity. If you ask me people sleep around too much these days. With all those diseases out there you would think everyone would be afraid to touch each other." Not my sister that's for sure! Claire thought to herself. "There's just so many other things to do. And kids! If you're unlucky to get someone pregnant or be the one to become pregnant - well, obviously not YOU but someone else. Like me! Well.. yeah. Okay, like me. I'm a girl, right? Don't answer that." Claire actually had to laugh at herself and held up a finger as if to shush him.

"I'm a girl, but anyway. Unwanted pregnancies, diseases, there's those awful titles you earn for sleeping around. Whore, tramp, slut. Although there aren't really any bad ones for men. You know it's really a sexist thing right there! But that's beside the point." She shook her head to dismiss that. "Everyone has the right to choose what they want to do with their own bodies. I just know that I pile up enough debt without adding sexual problems to the equation. I mean the only relationship I've had in years was with my credit cards! Heh.. I do love buying shoes!" She shrugged her shoulders a bit at that.

"I've.." She stopped herself wondering if this was the sort of information she wanted to disclose. Claire liked to keep her private life private. She didn't usually give away details as far as her relationships went. And definitely not in her sexual relationships! The whole one of them. "..I've only been with one person." She told him honestly and stuck her lips out in an awkward way as she tried to let that sink in. "And if I'm being completely honest, I lie to Cheyenne. I've told her I slept with like.. eight guys." She rolled her eyes. "Keeps her off my back if I tell her I had a one night stand after work." She hated that she had to lie to her own sister but it made her life easier. Sometimes she wondered if Cheyenne even believed her.

"Oh my god. I'm babbling on about sex aren't I? That's a first.." Claire put a hand to her forehead and then let out a sigh.

"Since I'm being so brutally honest.. you make me laugh. Like, a lot! I mean I know I'm usually an upbeat person but nobody really makes me laugh. I know it sounds silly but I like that. Dirty jokes aren't my thing and your sense of humor is so.. I don't know what the right word for it would be.. genuine? Uh.. it's not forced, I guess. And it's not dirty or twisted either. Which is a good thing!"

Somehow they ended up getting all the way to the boat and were standing a bit to the side of it. She looked at it and then at Griffin and jabbed her thumb at it in case he didn't happen to notice it. "What do you say we dump all this junk in and watch them burn?" She asked and there was a glimmer of excitement in her voice! She couldn't wait to get rid of some of the things she had with her. In fact, she took off the entire messenger bag and tossed the entire thing in! "I never liked that bag and I accidentally dumped an entire bowl of spaghetti in there once. Never got the sauce stain out or else I'd give it to goodwill." She muttered a bit and felt not only the weight off her shoulders but relieved in a sense to get rid of all those things.

She turned back to him to see if he was going to toss in her old bear or not. That bear knew too many secrets and needed to be burned in her opinion. As she watched him her mind wandered back to what he said about travelling with her. He'd said it before, that he wanted to take her places to show her so many things. She had always thought it was a pipe dream but she realized that he actually could go anywhere he wanted. The thought was so freeing.

"Someday I'd love to see the world with you." She told him quietly and her eyes moved up to meet his. "You know, it would be cool." She shrugged trying to make it sound like it wasn't that big of a deal. But then her smile gave her away.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

It was his turn to allow Claire to ramble. The pair seemed keen on taking turns this evening, but he found Claire, despite his attempts, was far better than he was. He was still a novice, after all. He would need to spend far too much time with her to pick up the habit completely, and to master it? He wasn't sure if anyone could rival Claire when it came to embarrassing themselves with speech. Not that he felt that she was embarrassing herself, but he could tell by her body language that she had made herself uncomfortable once more. He wondered for a brief second if that would ever changed. In a way, he hoped even as they grew closer, that it wouldn't. She wouldn't be nearly as amusing if she wasn't making herself blush every time the spoke about anything outside of museum knowledge.

"And kids! If you're unlucky to get someone pregnant or be the one to become pregnant - well, obviously not YOU but someone else. Like me! Well.. yeah. Okay, like me. I'm a girl, right? Don't answer that." Case and point.

Children, even done out of accident, sounded like the greatest adventure of all. It saddened him to know so many were born unwanted. When she mentioned herself he suddenly grew mildly sad. He knew she wasn't talking about her actually becoming pregnant with his child, but he knew then and there that it was never a possibility. Of course, she didn't. There wasn't even a point in bringing it up; the deformed child they could create, but he briefly wondered what it would look like.

Their eyes would be green, hopefully a more brilliant shade like their mothers. Hair would be blond or red, or even better a combination. Strawberry blond was so striking. He wondered if she would have freckles like Claire, and he couldn't believe he had given their child a gender.

Then he wondered if her genes would somehow manage to save their child! Could they inherit both Avisaille and Therian genes? A child with small wings that could shift into a cheetah. He wondered how that worked, as well. He knew Cheyenne was a lion and their mother was a panther, or some other large black cat. They would create a winged cat. The thogh forced a smile to his lips as he actually contemplated a baby with the beautiful woman whose fingers intertwined with his as she spoke of sex, and for the first time in his life he yearned to be with another. He could see being with her. Not now, of course, but perhaps that was something in their future. Could he really have found that partner he'd spent nearly sixty years waiting for?

Her previous sexual conquest didn't bother him. Actually, if they were ever together in that way, he hoped her experience would help him. Truth be told, he had no clue what to do and hardly knew how his own parts were supposed to work.

"Since I'm being so brutally honest.. you make me laugh. Like, a lot! I mean I know I'm usually an upbeat person but nobody really makes me laugh." He smiled at her, glad to hear a compliment like that from her. He listened, not even realizing he had a sense of humor, not one that she had been able to pick up on.

Before he knew it they were at the boat. "What do you say we dump all this junk in and watch them burn?" He was glad for the boats distraction from his own thoughts. He felt so odd inside for having thought about something he never really had before. It was sad watching her throw the whole bag inside. He wondered if she would regret doing it someday, but it wasn't his call. He looked down at the bear in his hands. Mr. Snuggles was not his memory to burn. He licked his lips staring at the place an eye should have been, but had been chewed out.

"Someday I'd love to see the world with you." She had grabbed his attention once more and he looked at her, that overwhelming urge to kiss her boiling in the pit of his stomach once more. Did he dare do it? The moment didn't seem right just yet. So many people were around..

"I would like that very much." He conceded in a soft, throaty voice. He cleared his throat and pushed the bear to her, his own thoughts surprising and overwhelming him. "I don't need to burn anything this year. Mr. Snuggles is yours. He would, I'm sure, rather you be the one to send him off." He offered, holding the bear closer to her now, wanting her to take him. Griffin licked his lips and pulled his eyes away bashfully, realizing he was staring at Claire. What the hell was going on with him tonight!?

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

When Claire was given back Mr. Snuggles she looked at the bear for a second and then brought him up to her face and gave him a big kiss on his fluffy forehead before she practically choked the poor thing in a tight hug. "Goodbye Mr. Snuggles. You will be missed!" She told the bear and then she chucked it into the boat to be burned with the rest of the stuff, having no regrets about it. She hated that one yearbook picture more than anything. And her bag had been filled with stuffed animals that she'd been holding onto since she was a kid. They were taking up too much room in her tiny apartment.

Claire had noticed that Griffin seemed to be watching her more than usual. Not that she was going to say anything to him about it though! She simply looked up at him and then gave his hand a playful little squeeze. "So! What do you say we grab ourselves a nice little spot and wait to watch this bad boy burn?" She offered, knowing there were several benches around and hopefully they would be able to find one. If not then she would be perfectly fine just standing somewhere a little further away just as long as she was still with him.

She could have sworn Cheyenne said she was going to come to the festival and that she planned on burning some of the crap that her one night stands left at her apartment. She didn't understand why Chey wouldn't just return their stuff to them! She was pretty sure half of them hung around the Therian bar, but it was just the way that Chey was. A part of her hoped they didn't run into her sister. Last thing she needed was her to make a scene about them holding hands.

"It feels nice not carting around that bag. That sucker was pretty heavy." She muttered more to herself than to Griffin and tried to guide him back through the crowd so that other people would have a chance to toss their junk into the boat.

"After everything is done maybe we could go grab some sushi. I know it's not Tokyo or anything but the market down the street sells fresh sushi. We could take some and go back to your place so you can show me all your embarrassing, awkward photos!" It sounded like such a great idea! She almost wanted to just leave the festival now and head straight over there! But at the same time she wanted to see the boat burn. It was always so much fun and she'd missed it the last few years so she definitely wanted to see it.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

He waited patiently for her to toss the bear in and smiled softly when she squeezed his hand. "So! What do you say we grab ourselves a nice little spot and wait to watch this bad boy burn?" She was in such a good mood tonight. It did nothing short of put him in one as well. Everything about that evening made him feel good inside. Happy.. content.. It had been the perfect evening in a sense, and it had only just begun!

He did frown when she mentioned the bag having been heavy. "You should have said something sooner." He told her, his tone a little disappointed. "I would have carried it for you." And he wold have done so happily. That was just the way Griffin was. He would have done the same for most people, but especially Claire.

The more she spoke, the happier he became. He didn't show it outwardly like most, but his heart fluttered and he had the urge to spread his wings and take to the air. His feathers bristled at the thought of it and he couldn't help but smile. "Perfect end to a perfect evening."

He wondered if he could fly with her. Not in Scriptor Bay, but he was sure somewhere more secluded. He could hold onto her and try his best to support their weight. Would his wings be able to do that? He was relatively light, all things considering. He was probably as heavy as Claire was, since his bones were hollow like a birds, where hers were not. Perhaps one day they would try.

"You're not allowed to poke fun." He told her, looking for a bench to retire to. "Maybe a little fun, but not much. My ego isn't bruised as of now and I won't allow you to hurt it." He teased and then spotted a bench. He picked up the hand that was attached to her and pointed to it with her hand still clasped in his. "How about there?" He asked, turning to her and raising a brow in question.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

"You should have said something sooner."

Claire blew between her lips making them make that pbblt sound and she shook her head. "It wasn't that heavy. It was just starting to get that way but I'm okay." She could just imagine what Griffin would have been like if they were in high school together. He'd be the type of boy who would always offer to carry her books and the very thought made her grin like a bit of an idiot. She had always been the one who had to hold other people's books in the hall. And naturally when they gave her their books she'd trip and they'd go everywhere.

Claire had to bite her tongue a bit when he said she wasn't allowed to poke fun. "Oh come on. I'm sure your awkward phases weren't anything like mine." She told him and leaned into him a bit when he raised their hands up to point to a bench. It was nice and it was out of the way enough so that it probably wouldn't get as crowded as some of the other benches. They wouldn't have to worry about someone standing right in front of them so they couldn't see. "That one looks great. Hurry before someone tries to get it!"

Claire didn't wait for him to answer and tugged on his hand as she started to hurry through the crowd. She was in a particularly playful mood that night. Maybe because the moon was almost full, causing her to be a little more like her animal self. She loved running close to a full moon and she did it often. She'd go out running in the mornings before work when she could.

"Come on slow poke!" She teased and looked over her shoulder at him, hoping she wouldn't have to drag him along the whole way. "Try to keep up will you?" She scrunched up her nose making a playful face at him. Good thing she wore a pair of regular sneakers that night!

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean you can tease me relentlessly." He chided with a chuckle. He wouldn't be terribly offended if she did tease. He was a scrawny boy with moppy blond hair, but he didn't think there was anything too blackmaily in the pile. She could look for herself and decide.

She was a bundle of energy all of a sudden and she tugged him along. His feet weren't working as fast as hers and he moved a little slower, amused by her antics. Where had this Claire been hiding? She was giddy and childlike but not in an immature way, but more like a puppy. Or a kitten, he supposed.

"Come on slow poke! Try to keep up will you?" He moved his ass a little faster for her sake and shook his head, stifling a laugh. "I'm going, I'm going."

The finally made it to the bench and Griffin slumped down into it with her. "There. We made it." He taunted playfully, letting go of her hand and leaning back into the seat, giving off a boyish little laugh. His teeth glimmered in the lights spread around the pier, the sound of music sweeping the area as people gathered near the boat, dropping their loot into the ship.

"If I knew this side of you would emerge after I kissed you, I might have done it seven months ago." He teased, gazing at her again. His thoughts from earlier flew back, of being with her and going places with her and experiencing new things with her...making a baby with her..

His cheeks flushed and he looked away quickly, surprising himself by the thought. It wasn't even the intimate part he had really considered much, but the life he could share with her. He was playing dangerously, he felt. Caring for someone who wasn't his own kind was setting himself up for disaster. Again he had to shove it from his mind, not wanting it to spoil the mood of the evening.

"I have books from when I traveled." He offered. "Sort of like journals, or rather, I suppose, memoirs? I wrote down my experiences, not wanting to forget a single thing in case I never got the opportunity to go again. You can read those as well, if you care to. There are a handful of pictures, but I don't look terribly different in them then I do now. Less fit, longer hair, clean shaven, but otherwise very similar."

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire practically collided with the bench and fell into it, a little out of breath and panting but a big smile on her face.

"If I knew this side of you would emerge after I kissed you, I might have done it seven months ago."

Claire let out one of her loud laughs and shook her head. "That's not it -- well it sort of is. Okay it's a combination of that and another thing." She confessed and held her hands out palms facing up like she was using them as a scale, balancing the two invisible 'things' in her hands and when she'd mention one she'd lift one hand higher than the other one to give the full effects of the scale thing.

"It's a mix of that, and then the moon." Claire pointed up to the sky and looked up to see the moon which was three quarters full which meant it would be soon that she'd be forced to shift against her will. She never really liked the full moon because of that and it was never fun. "The fuller it becomes the more I'm like my 'other' side. You know.. it wakes up my inner beast I guess you could say? When that happens I rush more. Don't know if you've noticed it or not, but I tend to just avoid everyone and keep myself busy at work when the moon gets full." She told him honestly, knowing that there wasn't anyone paying attention to them. Or at least she hoped not anyway.

"I went for a jog this morning and then I went for another an hour before I came here." She told him and had to laugh at herself. She loved running! It was in her nature, being how cheetahs were so crazy fast! But she figured he didn't want to hear all about her and her weird body changes. Although at the same time she knew he loved to learn things and everything seemed to fascinate Griffin. Except she didn't want to talk about it in public. She could go on and on about it forever but that wasn't something she was going to allow herself to do right then and there.

"Journals?" Claire briefly forgot just how old Griffin actually was at times, but then there were certain things that reminded her of it again. Like the fact that he'd traveled the world before she was even in high school. But his looks and innocence made it hard to truly believe that he was old enough to be a parent for her and she just let it go. His age didn't matter to her. They enjoyed each other's company and had a blast which was all that she cared about.

"Are you kidding me? It took you this long to tell me you have books!" She teased him and scooted herself a little closer to him. Claire was feeling a little brave that night and after the kiss she felt like she could do anything! "I can't wait to see them. It must have been so much fun. Such a great experience. I want to hear all your stories! Can we go through your journals and you can tell me every single little detail from them." Claire was eager to hear about his journeys. She'd always wanted to travel and if she could hear his stories she could imagine that she had been there. "I don't care if it takes all night!"

Claire couldn't help but look at Griffin. In fact she must have been staring because she jumped a bit and looked away, trying to distract herself with something else. Anything else. Except her attention went right back to him and she gave a nervous little chuckle. Why did she get so awkward at times when she was fine just moments ago?

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Her mood being affected by the moon intrigued him. He wonder how that worked. Would she act differently if she weren't a large cat come the full moon? If she were, say, a sloth would she become more sluggish? One of these days he was just going to pound her with questions and soak up her answers like a sponge. He was so curious about it all! She was exotic to him, a new place he had yet to discover and travel. There were no books on her, he had no former knowledge of what she was, and the thought excited him maybe a little too much.

One day, he decided, he would spend an entire day with her. They could have breakfast and simply discuss their differences all day. He wanted to know everything about being a Therian, but he wanted to take it slow. Too much knowledge at once might be an overload, but if they spent a whole day hanging out, they could pace it a little. He grinned to himself at the thought.

"Are you kidding me? It took you this long to tell me you have books!" He smiled sheepishly at her and shrugged, but as she continued to talk his smile became wider, more excited and he gave a single nod. He would love nothing more than to share his journeys with her, to tell her about all the incredible, exciting things he had done and seen, the people he'd met!

"I don't care if it takes all night!" He chuckled, liking how close she was. "Oh, Claire.. it would take all night just to get through one book. I have a dozen." He explained, his cheeks flushed. He had made it a point to scribble in them every chance he got, to remember everything he did, all the faces he'd met, the things he'd seen, explaining them all in great detail in addition to how they had made him feel. "But we can do that, though. Whenever you like, just tell me when." He said, his voice obviously showing signs of excitement at the prospect.

Suddenly, she seemed bashful and he wondered why. Had he said something? Maybe it was all too much? He gulped and forced a new smile on, putting his arm around the back of the bench and sliding it to her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We can make a list." He offered a little more serenely. "A list of all the places you want to visit. Maybe it will inspire you, and we'll go. We'll make a plan and one day we can go. Not all at once, remember I was away for ten years so I could really take my leisure, but anywhere you want to go.." He swallowed, his eyes glistening like a boy who had just walked in to a room full of presents on Christmas morning.

He looked down, suddenly becoming bashful as well. "Claire?" He asked, his voice a little unsure as he suddenly had the urge to ask her something personal. "Maybe not this month, and I would understand if you didn't want me to, but... could I be with you on the full moon sometime?" He asked. To spend the evening in the presence of a cheetah seemed like something out of a story. She was his own personal wildcat! Sort of.. she wasn't exactly his, per se. It was like magic.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

It seemed more like a fantasy than something that would surely happen. Griffin told her to make a list of the places she wanted to go and see. She didn't really think she'd actually ever go but she could dream, and Griffin dreaming with her made it all that more exciting. So she nodded, she would make a list!

"Claire?"

She could hear the uncertainty in his voice and her eyes peeled away from the people who were walking around and fell on him, that smile still on her lips and her eyes wide with curiosity. "Yeah?"

"Maybe not this month, and I would understand if you didn't want me to, but... could I be with you on the full moon sometime?"

That was a question she'd never been asked before. Well, not in that manner anyway. Her and Cheyenne sometimes made plans but that wasn't often enough. Kit from the Jack Kit had even offered once before but she rejected him. He'd wanted her to get out of her apartment and roam freely, which was something that Claire just didn't do on a full moon. She preferred to stay indoors where she knew she was safe. She always worried about things like animal control or the zoo. The question threw her off and she kept her eyes on him but she was silent for a spell, thinking it over.

"I.. think we can do that." Claire nodded hesitantly. She just wasn't one to go outside and turn the way her sister did. She was.. well, a scaredy cat! "If we go outside of the city. We can go to the woods? I usually stay inside because I just don't feel comfortable roaming around the way others do." She told him honestly and chuckled a bit. "Cheyenne goes and hangs out in that tree in the park. I'm afraid with my luck someone would call animal control, or I'd wake up in the zoo." It was kind of funny and she had to laugh. But she figured that on a full moon she could most definitely make it happen!

Maybe he just found it fascinating that she shifted, but she didn't understand why he'd want to be with her on a full moon. It wasn't exactly a fun time. Not for Claire anyway. "It's not like we'd really be able to do anything though. I mean unless you can speak cat." She laughed again knowing that he probably couldn't. She sucked her bottom lip in and bit it, chewing on it lightly and watching him.

"You're really interested, aren't you?" Claire asked him curiously, tilting her head to the side with fascination in him now. She knew he liked to absorb as much information as he could but she didn't realize he was like that with her too. "Like, in me." She stated and then right after she said it knew it sounded a little weird.

"Not like that!" Her hands went up instinctively. "I mean, interested in me as in what I am, not me me. Although you kind of are interested in me too, aren't you? Well I would hope so at least. Since you kissed me and everything. But that's not really what I meant.." Claire knew she was starting to ramble again and looked up at the sky, her eyes landing on the moon for a moment and squinting at it as if she blamed the moon for her bad communication skills. This is on you, moon! She thought to it before looking at him again.

Her face showed a bit of remorse and she shrugged her shoulders up as if she didn't have any excuse for the way she was. "I went off again right there, I know." She told him and let out a little sigh before she pushed her hair over her shoulder. She was glad she decided to wear her hat tonight since it was keeping her hair out of her face with the small breeze. And it was getting colder the darker it got. At least she thought so.

"We could go camping? I have a few camping supplies. Not that I've gone camping much before.. but we'd have to get out there before it got dark. Do you like camping? We could roast smores! Or.. you could roast smores? I could.. kind of lay there. I guess."

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Silence. Griffin didn't even realize he was holding his breath as he waited for her to reply to his plea. Had he offended her? He couldn't even tell. Her face showed nothing of what she was thinking and he wondered if he'd gone too far. Maybe she wasn't ready or even interested in sharing that part of her with him. He would understand if she didn't; it seemed very private. Plus she would be nude for it and that might make her uncomfortable. Not that he would really be looking, but the naked body, make or female, was something Griffin thought to be exquisite and surprisingly not sexual. People were like art, but she wouldn't be in human form so he thought maybe she wouldn't mind.

"I.. think we can do that." She seemed unsure and he watched her curiously as she began to babble on as she often did when she spoke to him. Claire didn't let him down. "It's not like we'd really be able to do anything though. I mean unless you can speak cat." He smiled and shook his head. "I can speak fluently in many languages, but unfortunately cat is not one."

"You're really interested, aren't you? Like, in me." His smile was warm and inviting as he began to nod and opened his mouth to speck, but she went off on another tangent, silencing him. Griffin sighed, wishing he could shut her up for a moment to let her know she had been right on the money since he was interested in both ways he could be. He sighed and let her talk herself into a tizzy.

Griffin opened his mouth to speak again, but once more she was off on a tangent about camping and s'mores and who even knew what! "I could.. kind of lay there. I guess." "Claire!" He snapped, which was unlike him and he reached his hands up, grabbing her face with both hands so she could focus on him and maybe quiet down for a moment. "Finally.." He breathed when he caught her gaze and slid his hands to her shoulders, a gentle, but amused look on his face.

"We can go anywhere that's comfortable for you. Your place, mine, the middle of the woods, top of the tree... I don't care. I'm not interested in where we are together, only that we are together. I just think it would be nice to glimpse into such a large part of your life, and just think, if you're hungry or want to change the channel, someone with opposable thumbs is nearby." He teased lightly.

He let his hands drop to her lap, taking her hands in his and squeezing, his eyes locked on hers. "You don't have to try and fix every verbal faux pas, though I hope you don't mind that I find them mildly amusing." He kept his tone kind in the hopes she wouldn't take offense. He wasn't trying to tease.

"I'm very interested in you, Claire. Not just your wild cat side. All of you. Even "like that"." He grinned giving her hands a squeeze. "That feels so weird to admit. I didn't even know it myself until a few days ago it seems." He gave a nervous laugh.

"Honestly, I just want to keep you company. I want.." His cheeks flushed, though it was hard to see in the dim light of the lanterns. "I sort of want to admire you. To be in the presence of such a fierce creature, and to know inside it's you, it just, I can't even explain the feeling that fills inside of me. It's like excitement, bewilderment, intrigue, curiosity, want... Does that sound silly?" He shrugged and pulled his hands away, feeling shy now, which was a strange feeling for him. He wasn't used to asking people for things, especially things like this!

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

"Claire!"

When Griffin's hands were on Claire's face her eyes went wide with surprise. He'd startled her into being quiet while he tried to talk. Claire knew she went off on tangents and sometimes zoned out not hearing what everyone else was saying around her. "Finally..." Oh man, Claire thought to herself. She'd definitely been ignoring him which she hadn't meant to! She just.. didn't hear him! She was in the zone!

When he said he didn't care where they went just as long as they were together, Claire's cheeks turned a deep red. It was weird hearing someone say they wanted to be with her during the full moon. She wasn't used to it and she didn't know how to react to it! But it was nice.. a part of her deep down really liked hearing him say he wanted to be with her. And the fact that he'd have opposable thumbs was a plus! She hated when she put in a movie or something and forgot to hit play, or she had changed it to a certain channel and then they decided to play infomercials all night long. It was so painful! And in a way.. it sounded kind of like a date. A very weird, totally far from normal date. She couldn't keep herself from smiling at that thought.

But Griffin wasn't done talking. He explained that he did want to be with her and how he hadn't realized it but a few days ago. Claire's cheeks began to hurt from how much she was grinning. The girl was all smiles!

When he tried to explain why he wanted to be with her during the full moon she both understood and didn't at the same time. He seemed to want to absorb the knowledge of what happened during that time but spend time with her all the while. It was both strange and sweet. At least that's how Claire saw it.

"Okay. How about my place then? I don't want to break anything by accident at your place." Plus she wanted to stay in her comfort zone. Especially if she was going to spend the full moon with him. She didn't see her changings the same way that he did, which was why she seemed so indifferent about it. She found it to be more of a curse than a blessing. There was nothing fun about missing out because you had to stay in so you could turn into a cheetah on the full moon. But then again Griffin knew about missing out. And that was why Claire was allowing him to join her.

"You're making complete sense. This is just new to me too, you know? There's only a handful of people know about me and I didn't tell any of them. My mom and Cheyenne already knew obviously, and then Chey decided to volunteer the information to someone else who's like us. There's a lot like us out there." She admitted to him, knowing it was probably the same for him. It was just so strange!

"I have to warn you though. I might not be much fun. I'll probably run around a bit to tire myself out and then lay on the couch with you." Claire was glad that she was such a small cat. Cheetahs were built small so that they could be fast. And her weight didn't change as much the way that her sister's did. Lions were huge! And they weighed so much more.

Then Claire realized that by the time she changed back she'd usually be asleep. She'd tire herself out and fall asleep and sleep through the rest of the night. She didn't want to be rude though and just fall asleep on him. Then her cheeks blushed harder and her eyes fixated on him, trying to be nonchalant. "Y-you know if you want you could just stay over that night? Like, the whole night." She offered, knowing that must have sounded weird. Or at least it did for her! It wasn't as if they'd do anything! But that way she didn't have to worry and if he got tired he could lay down and rest.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin gave a small nod when she said they could be at her place. his heart was racing. Would she let him come this full moon? He didn't even know they existed until a few days ago and now he would be allowed to witness her changing all night. There was something fascinating and exciting and incredibly sad about her being forced to change into an animal at the full moon. He felt pity, but slight envy. He wished his wings could sprout only once a month, or at will, like her ability, but then he would feel so strange without them. They were so a part of who and what he was, he decided he didn't want to be rid of them. They held him back from being able to do so many things, but he wouldn't trade it all.

And now he would have the chance to witness Claire's own magic. She mentioned more of them out there, many more, and his heart fluttered as if it had its own set of wings and he smiled, wonder in his eyes like a small child. It made sense, of course. There were plenty of Avisaille. Why would there be any less of her kind?

"I have to warn you though. I might not be much fun. I'll probably run around a bit to tire myself out and then lay on the couch with you." His grin was kind and amused. "I don't expect to have a full conversation about life with you." He said playfully. "I'm more than happy to snuggle on the couch with an enormous cat on my lap." Griffin liked cats mostly. They made him uneasy, but they were often curious about him. Like they knew what he was. His hands twitched a little with the excitement of knowing he would get to pet her when she had changed. It never registered as being strange or dirty, but something personal he could only ever share with her. To be a part of her world at her most vulnerable and to be there with her, stroking her, aiding her, allowing her to have a bit of normalcy during a moment that was anything but. Not that being pet while stuck in the body of a cat was normal, but sitting, lounging on a couch with a good friend certainly was.

"Y-you know if you want you could just stay over that night? Like, the whole night." His head tilted to the side as he considered her proposal. He had no problem at all spending the night with her. the thought sounded nice, knowing they could wake up and have breakfast together in the morning.

"I would love to." He said softly, surprised there was no long speech afterwards trying to correct what she had said and make it seem like something more or less than what it was. "Only if you're comfortable with it. I love the idea, but I could just as easily leave after I've seen you off to sleep if that makes you more comfortable." He offered.

Things didn't register the same to griffin as he knew they did everyone else, and he was smart enough to realize this. Spending the night with someone wasn't cause for anxiety, especially if all it was was sleep. Nudity didn't even register to him as sexual as it did others. He felt comfortable around the naked body, curious about it, intrigued by the lack of wings. Things that just seemed maybe taboo to some just didn't to Griffin. He had an open mind and a clear perspective on things.

"I could bring movies to help keep us entertained, maybe a journal if you're interested. I don't mind reading, or shutting up. I guess scrabble is out of the question though, huh." That wry smile was back and he gave a chuckle, excited about their upcoming...date? "Would you like to do it this full moon? Next month? Or...whenever you're comfortable with is fine with me. You make the rules, Claire. This is our body, I'm just the spectator."

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire couldn't hide how excited she was about their plans! The thought of laying across Griffin's lap as a cheetah was kind of funny, but the thought of him petting her was kind of a strange turn on. Not that she would tell him that! Of course it would feel different since she would be a cat instead of herself, and everything felt different when you were covered in fur. But she liked the thought of it.

"Well, no. You should stay! I mean it's probably going to be late by the time I fall asleep and I wouldn't feel right making you leave in the middle of the night. There's some pretty crazy things out there on a full moon!" She said and knew it to be true. She didn't know who was or wasn't a Therian like her, but she knew that they were out there. She could pick up the weird scents outside of her window if they came within close proximity of her building!

"Movies! Movies are a good idea. And journals! Yes. I'd like it if you read them to me. It'll be fun! We can do it this full moon if you want? It's in three days I think. You'd just have to come over before the sun went down." Claire said and laughed a little bit. For some reason she wasn't her usual chatty self. Maybe it was because she didn't want someone walking by and overhearing their conversation. She just smiled and looked at Griffin, still unsure where exactly they stood. But that was alright with her for now. She was fine with the way they were right now. He knew how she felt and she knew how he felt.

[CUPCAKE]

“But whhhy!" Jackson whined to his mother, tugging at her shirt as he began his tantrum. "Jack, I said no." His mother growled through clenched teeth. Why had she brought the boys to this festival, anyway?

"Boat!" Hayden shrieked from the stroller, pointing poignantly at the ship docked on the dock. He was rocking back and forth in his stroller, so excited to be there. He was too young to remember the boat burning last year!

"You promiiisseedd!!" Jackson continued, stopping his walking and folding his arms, pouting fiercely, his brows low over his crystal blue eyes. His brown bangs fell into place as he bowed his head exasperatedly. He stomped a food to make a point. His mother put a hand to her temple and rubbed, then grabbed her eldest sons forearm, yanking him to her. "Do you need a spanking?" She asked in a firm, intolerant voice. She had a right mind to load the boys in the car and just go home.

"BOAT!" Hayden said louder, wanting his mother to acknowledge him and to know it was where he wanted to go. He was obviously oblivious to the trouble his big brother was causing, and when he looked back and saw his mother wasn't paying attention, he decided to take maters into his own hands. He stood up and climbed out of his stroller, running off towards the boat. How very exciting!!

"No!" Jackson grumbled. "Then knock it off, because so help me, Jack, I will put you over my knee right here. Now lets go." The woman turned back towards the stroller and began to push, her angry son at her side, but something didn't feel right. One look in the stroller was all it took to realize what was wrong. "HAYDEN!" She screamed, panic overcoming her.

---

A young woman with auburn hair made her way to the podium, the speakers ringing to life. "Good evening and welcome everyone!" Came the girls kind voice over the PA system. The crowd looked over at her, their eyes averted from the boat for now. There were still people walking all around it depositing their goods. "Well, we all have things that we regret. We all have things in which we are remorseful. The burning boat festival is our city’s time honored tradition of letting go and giving yourself a second chance. I think we all need those from time to time, right?" No one seemed to notice the small boy running excitedly towards the boat.

"Boat!" Hayden said excitedly to himself as he moved to the back half. "Pirate.." Came his voice as he stood on his tip toes to look inside. He wanted to be a Pirate! Pirates were cool! He wiggled himself over the edge, tumbling into the boat as the last few people were rushing away since the boat was about to go up in flames!

"So I say we take all those failures and let downs and burdens and lets torch ‘em!" The crowd erupted and the young speaker stepped off the podium and grabbed a torch, making her way towards the boat.

In the back of the crowd a woman, frantically pushing an empty stroller, was screaming. "HAYDEN! HAYDEN, WHERE ARE YOU!"

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin's eyes were kind as they twinkled across at Claire. She was so sweet and when she insisted he stayed he gave a small nod, letting her know he would. He was glad she was alright with the idea. It would be nice spending an entire evening with her without the looming notion of having to leave. He could get comfortable and simply stay. There was the added benefit of having her all the next morning to himself, something he was greatly looking forward to. It had been so long since he had woken up with someone and not alone in his home. In fact he he didn't think he had ever had a slumber party like this. Slumber party...what a funny thing to call it.

"I bet there's all sorts of crazy things out on a full moon." He said softly before she continued to gush about their plans and when he could come. His feathers and heart both seemed to bristle simultaneously when she said he could come over this month. Three days? Could he prepare himself in three days? He knew he could. The very idea made him light up with joy.

"I'll be over well before the sun goes down. How about five?" He suggested. "We can have some supper, get everything settled and then..." He grinned at her, feeling like a giddy boy. "Wow, This is amazing, Claire. Thank you. Thank you so much! It's going to be fun. I'm really looking forward to this.. I don't even know why." He laughed, feeling his cheeks flush. He suddenly felt so stupid about it all, shaking his head. "It's just so fascinating to me. You're a mystery, and I love it. I love that you... that you're what you are." He lowered his voice, not wanting to grab attention. He squeezed her hands and offered another silly smile. "Thank you." He said more softly, pulling her hand to his lips and kissing her knuckle. It was a tiny gesture, unsure if he should be kissing her again or not. On the knuckle was sort of in between.

"Good evening and welcome everyone!" Griffin turned towards the speaker. "Oh, it's starting!" He exclaimed, his attention turning to a frantic woman with a stroller and a small boy. He frowned at her, watching her scream out a name he could only assume was her child's. "Oh, no.." He said softly, watching her look before turning to Claire. "I hope she finds her child.."