For a February day in New York, it was almost nice. It was freezing, but it wasn't raining or snowing or anything. Paige had an idea to relax today. She'd grabbed her purple acoustic guitar and headed for the nearest park.

She wasn't playing for tips, but she didn't really complain when someone dropped a dollar in her case. As the gentle breeze picked up, the blonde clad in a black leather, fur-lined jacket, and black jeans and boots decided to try something just as soothing as far as music, adding to the peaceful atmosphere.

But peace was not meant to be. Paige wasn't the only one playing guitar in the park today. The male guitarist approached, picking up rhythm as he picked away at the strings on his own guitar, playing sharp angry tones as he glared at Paige.

Paige merely glared back, before countering with a sharp riff of her own. If it was a guitar battle he wanted, he'd just gotten one.

Back and forth for several minutes, the two musicians tried to one-up each other. Finally, the male let out a string of curse words before packing it up and leaving. Paige merely smirked, giving her arms a rest for a minute, not noticing more people putting tips in her case as they walked by. The light applause though? Music to her ears...

Butterfly had decided to go out and try working on her shifting abilities. And what better place to practice than the park. Wide open spaces where she could shift and fly without worrying about buildings or people or cars getting in the way. Plus the park was big enough that she could go and practice alone without people seeing her.

As she strolled down the sidewalk and through the gates of the park, Butterfly quickly found a spot where she could practice. She tried to remember what Tses had told her before, thinking about things that had made her change before. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine how she felt. As she concentrated, Butterfly shifted into her butterfly form. "Well, I managed to shift okay. Now the only question I still have to work out is how to shift back." Butterfly thought to herself. She fluttered around and as she was thinking, she managed to hear what sounded like people playing guitar, but not as if they were together, more like they were competing against each other. This intrigued Butterfly very much and she fluttered on following the sounds until she came upon a blonde in a black jacket and jeans, playing a purple guitar and a guy who obviously had a testosterone problem and had to try and show off and be competitive, even though he sucked at playing guitar. Butterfly didn't notice the crowd that started to form as they played, but she sure was glad when the guy decided to leave. Where she could actually listen to good guitar playing and admire the girl playing. Butterfly decided that she would flutter over and land on the headstock of the guitar and just watch. "Wow, she's even more pretty up close." Butterfly thought.

Okay, though Paige wouldn't admit it, that guy sort of wore her out. Even if he was mediocre at best, but when it came to playing guitar, or anything she loved for that matter, Paige didn't half-way it. Once rested, the blond noticed a butterfly landed on the headstock of her guitar, and it made her smile. Thinking hard, she tried to remember a song that had come to her mind.

With a smile, she began to play, singing very softly, so that likely only the butterfly would hear, even if it was a silly idea. She couldn't help it, and she didn't like singing in public.

"Just like a crow chasing the butterfly
dandelions lost in the summer sky
When you and I were getting high as outer space,
I never thought you'd slip away
I guess I was just a little too late"

Paige smiled, leaning down and pocketing the ten bucks she'd made without even trying, then half expected to see the butterfly fly away, but it was still there.

"I guess somebody enjoyed the show," she murmured with a smile.

Butterfly fluttered her wings as she listened to the blonde woman sing. Just hearing her voice did something to Butterfly. As she watched her play and sing, Butterfly felt herself just start to melt. She was completely speechless. She just admired the moment, the peaceful serenity. Butterfly was brought back out of her daze as she heard the blonde woman speak again and smile. As Butterfly heard her words about enjoying the show, Butterfly blushed and thought to herself "Yes, I did. More than you know", though she knew that the blonde woman couldn't see her blush or hear her thoughts. Butterfly crawled over to where the blonde's hand was resting on the strings and rested her front legs on the woman's finger. Butterfly breathed in deep and realized how good she smelled. As Butterfly rested there, she hoped that the blonde would stay for a while and play some more. Butterfly really enjoyed being able to relax and hear the melodious tones she produced.

Paige smiled at the butterfly, surprised at how long it was staying. Well, as long as she had an audience...

The girl began to improvise again, filling the air with sweet, melodic tones that were almost hypnotizing. After several minutes, she ended the 'song' and gently took the guitar off, careful not to disturb the butterfly, but sure she'd likely scare it off. As she knelt to put it in her case, she smiled. "Guess it wasn't such a bad day today. I made ten bucks, and got a new fan." She smiled softly.

Butterfly all of a sudden realized that she was about to leave. Before she could stop herself she cried out, "Please don't leave yet!"

She paused for a moment, hoping that she didn't freak the blonde out and blushing at her boldness to speak out to the blonde. Especially since Butterfly found her so attractive. "I'm the butterfly that's been keeping you company. I really enjoyed hearing you play and sing. My name's Chloe, better known as Butterfly. What's your name?"

Paige shut and latched her case, then she heard the butterfly talk, which...scared her. So much so that in a split second, a spork clanged to the top of the guitar case.

"Oh...I'm Paige. Or Thingamajig. Or Thing. Thanks, I guess, though I thought you were just a butterfly...now though, I guess I'm not going much of anywhere until I calm down." She giggled a little, which had to be weird, a spork talking to a butterfly.

"So, I couldn't help but notice you're probably a shifter too. Though I can do more than this...I just have this rotten habit of turning into a spork when frightened or really emotional. No biggie, happens all the time..." She would have shrugged, but kitchen utensils don't do that sort of thing. "Nice to meet ya."

Butterfly sort of chuckled a bit and blushed as Paige spoke to her. She was starting to have those feelings of a crush rise inside of her. Paige was so pretty and she seemed to have such a bubbly personality by the way that she spoke. "Yeah, I'm a shifter too, though I'm limited to just a butterfly. And trust me, I understand. I have those same shifting problems. I've been trying to learn how to control them. I'm not that good at it though. I've started to understand how to shift into, but not yet out of my butterfly form yet. How long have you been playing guitar? You sound amazing." Butterfly said, trying to converse without giving away her feelings.

Paige laughed a little."I can become anything man-made, but complicated crap doesn't work. Though...I usually don't scare so easy. Sporked by a butterfly. I am definitely slipping,' she joked.

"I've been playing guitar for probably....thirteen years. Started when I was six. Loved it. I have an electric in my apartment too, it's a deeper purple with a black pickguard and body, as opposed to the light purple acoustic."

She calmed relatively quickly, and the spork became a mass almost like putty that seconds later became Paige. "Well, that was quick. Tell ya what, if you want I could take you back to my apartment, jam for you and maybe you'll shift back?" She picked up her case, then blinked. "You uh...you shift into clothes, right?"

Butterfly blushed as Paige spoke about scaring her. "I didn't mean to scare you. Honestly, I didn't. I just didn't want you to leave. Your music, your voice....They were just so beautiful." Butterfly was kinda glad she was still in her butterfly form, she was blushing so much. She felt those jittery feelings of attraction well up as she spoke to Paige more and tried so hard to hide it. She didn't wanna come on to her so fast. She didn't wanna scare her away. Or into a spork again. As Butterfly listened to Paige talk about her guitars and the love for playing, Butterfly smiled as she realized that she liked purple as well. Though when Paige offered to take her back to her apartment after shifting back, Butterfly grew even more excited and yet nervous at the same time. She really liked this girl. She hoped that maybe she wouldn't blow it. "Sure that would be great! she said in an almost overly excited tone, blushing as she realized that she had done so. When Paige asked about her shifting into clothes, Butterfly replied with Yeah. The only time I don't is if I don't have any on to start with." Just as she finished saying this, she started to over-analyze it and thought that maybe she had said too much. "Just great, Chloe." she thought to herself. "Please, don't ruin this one with being over emotional."

Paige giggled a little, starting to her apartment, butterfly in tow. "[color=pinkSounds interesting. Yeah, I shift into whatever I was wearing, too. Convenient, right?[/color]" She blinked, looking at her new...acquaintance.

"Sooo...you were wearing clothes when you shifted, right? Because I honestly have nothing I'm willing to part with. Most of them are meant for California weather, heh." She shrugged lightly.

Butterfly looked around as Paige started for her apartment. She was startled by Paige asking if she was wearing clothes and hearing that most of her clothes were for California weather just about made Butterfly go into a daze as she tried to picture Paige in warm weather attire. But just as she caught herself starting to daydream too much, Butterfly responded to Paige's original question, "Yeah, I was wearing clothes. Can't exactly walk to the park naked. I walked to the park and then shifted. I was tryin to practice shifting and shifting back. And I understand what you mean with your clothes. I'm originally from Georgia and am used to fairly warm and not too cold weather. Nothing as cold as it is here anyway. " Butterfly sort of giggled, trying to get to know Paige better.

Paige blushed a little, but continued the walk to her apartment, reaching the building and making her way to the fifth floor. "Ah. Makes sense. I didn't know," she replied with a small giggle. "I'm from California, been here maybe...I don't know a couple days to a week? I miss it, honestly. Working in a coffee shop and all that isn't all it cracked up to be."

Unlocking the door, she set the case down and sat on the couch. "So....make yourself at home, I guess."

Butterfly replied with a giggle, "Its okay. I'm sure that being exposed to nudity upon a first time meeting would not be something either of us would want, even if we are both girls."

As Butterfly listened to her talk about being from California and missing it and working in a coffee shop, Butterfly said "Awwwww. I'm sorry, Paige. I know it may seem rough to start with, but I hope that maybe you'll come to like New York like I have. To be honest, I'm glad I'm away from Georgia. At least here, I have a brother and a few friends who care and love me. I didn't have any of that back home. And who knows, maybe I can come visit you in the coffee shop and keep you company sometime. Brighten your day even.", blushing slightly at this last part.

When they finally got to Paige's apartment, Butterfly realized that she lived in the same building as Tses and as Paige walked into the room and told her to make herself at home, Butterfly smiled and fluttered over to arm rest and landed there saying "Thank you. Do you like living here so far? This is a lot nicer that where I was living when I first got to New York."

Paige chuckled awkwardly, shrugging a little. "I miss California. The sun, beaches...everything was so much...less...cold. I've met a couple people, but not like the ones I built over the years in California. And so far...I hate it here. Maybe it'll get better."

Sighing, she took out her guitar again, sitting on the couch and playing a light, soothing melody.