He nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I can still understand everything I could while human; my brain is still mine, after all. I just don't really gain new understanding. Like, I wouldn't know how to hunt if it bit me on the ass," he said with a chuckle as he walked, instinctively drawing a little close to her in reaction to a particular biting gust of wind.

"Wolf is a good choice," he murmured. "I wish I had more of a reason--or an appropriate place--to use it," he added with a slight sigh. "But my wilder shifts tend to go unused, sadly..."

Ok, good. Zoe hadn't thought there would be issues with having Jay shift into a wolf in the middle of her apartment. But she had to be sure. It was the same thing as the spiders, in a lot of ways, a dangerous animal being right in front of her that she couldn't communicate with.

But, since Jay could understand everything even when he wasn't human, the worry disappeared. Feeling the wind pick up, Zoe shivered.

”Well, I'm not sure how appropriate a place it is,” she said with a grin. ”But you're always welcome to practice those kind of shifts at my place. I mean, what kind of animal lover would I be if I didn't let a tame wolf risk my apartment?”

He chuckled as they kept walking, and gave her a nod. "Yeah. Though my physical body changes, inside I'm still...me. Though sometimes he wondered if that was really a good thing. Sure, they were just going so he could shift, but he was still catching a slight suggestive hint in her words. Or maybe that was just him.

He shook these thoughts out of his head. "So, was there another one you wanted to see?" he asked after a few moments.

Zoe nodded as Jay explained that he was still...him when he shifted. That did make sense considering what she had heard earlier that afternoon from a certain golden retriever laying in the grass in the park. But it never hurt to make sure when you were literally inviting a wolf into your home.

”I’d love to see all of them, of course,” Zoe told Jay in response to his question. ”But you said it took a lot of energy to shift like that, right? Those fennec foxes were pretty damn cute, though,” Zoe continued, grinning up at Jay. They were almost at the edge of the park at this point. ”Plus, I’m guessing you’re eager to try your new shifts, aren’t you?”

"Yeah. I figure I can do two, and then I'll need to rest a little before I head home," he explained, smiling at her choice. Somehow, he had a feeling she'd choose that one. Not that he blamed her, it was a damn cute shift.

He pulled his jacket even tighter, wishing he could just melt into it as the wind was starting to turn his face pink. Hopefully he'd warm up some before having to go home.

He wanted to pull her close to leech some body heat, but all things considered...that was a bad idea.

”Oh, you knew I was going to choose the fennec, did you?” Zoe asked, glancing over again. Was he closer to her again? Zoe wasn't sure.

A little over 5 minutes after leaving the park, after turning into a side street, they arrived at her apartment. Climbing the stairs above the shop on the street up to the third floor, Zoe opened the door and led Jay inside.

”You want a coffee or tea or something?” Zoe asked as she took her coat off and hung it on the cost rack beside the door.

It was a small apartment, with a galley kitchen open on both ends to the right of the front door, the bathroom and bedroom to the left. At the end of the entrance hall was the livingroom. On the far wall was the tv, with a couch in front of it and a bookcase on either side. One was filled with books, the other held movies and CD's. Against a wall was a desk with a closed laptop surrounded by various art supplies.

"Well, if I remember, it was your idea," he said smoothly, smiling just a little. It wasn't long before they made it to her apartment, and he hung his jacket up, revealing his black band tee shirt, and the bottom edge of the wolf tattoo just peeking out from under the sleeve on his left arm.

It was a pretty cozy place, to be honest, and much more well kept than his. "Coffee sounds good, if you don't mind," he said politely as he felt nerves starting to form a little. After all, he knew how this usually ended, and for once, he was hoping he could keep it together. Maybe once he shifted, he'd be too tired, and that'd make it easier. He hoped.

After a few moments, he sat down on the couch, making himself slightly comfortable.

Zoe nodded, looking over her shoulder at Jay when he said coffee sounded good, to see that he had hung his jacket up. He was looking more uncomfortable than Zoe had seen him look so far that afternoon. And was that a tattoo she could see peeking out from under his sleeve? She tilted her head trying, but failing, to see better.

”No problem, I can make coffee,” Zoe said, turning back walk into the kitchen. ”Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. It won’t take long.”

Now in the kitchen, Zoe set about setting the coffee maker up, glancing out the other doorway to see Jay sitting down on the couch. ”How do you take your coffee?” Zoe called over a couple minutes later before making said coffees and carrying them into the living room. Handing Jay’s over, she sat down on the couch and took a sip, wrapping both hands around the mug to help warm them up.

"Two sugars," he replied from his spot on the couch, and it wasn't long before she returned with both cups. He took his in his hands, sipping on it a little bit, enjoying the warmth.

"I'll shift once I finish this. Would you prefer the wolf or the fox first?" he asked, looking over at her. He was starting to relax, though in his head he was still reminding himself not to do anything stupid like he normally would. After all, he did enjoy what went on today. He sipped his coffee, savoring the taste as he closed his eyes for a moment.

"Thanks for everything, by the way. It's been fun."

”No rush,” Zoe said as she sipped on her coffee. The warmth from the coffee mug was slowly working its way into her hands. It had been cold out, that was a definite, but Zoe really hadn’t minded; Jay had been good company, and while she’d had her arm around his, her one hand had stayed warmer.

But which did she want Jay to show her first? Leaning back against the couch, Zoe turned her head to the side to look at Jay. ”Surprise me?” She asked with a smile.

Then he thanked her again. ”I’ve had fun, too,” Zoe told him. ”Probably one of my best days at that zoo.”

He smirked, sipping on his coffee some more as he thought. He was glad to be warming up, but he wondered which shift to go into first. "Surprise you? I think I can manage that," he murmured. Considering the conditions of his shifting, there'd definitely be a surprise. Even if she did have a fair warning earlier.

He smiled, nodding. "Work tends to be more fun when you're off the clock, anyway," he replied with a smile, still nursing his coffee.

After a few moments, his cup was empty, and he set it on the table. Then, he stood up and moved to a larger area of floor. Then, in an instant, Jay's clothes were lying on the ground, and there was a Fennec Fox just like the ones from the zoo, sitting on top of his shirt. The fox looked up at her with piercing blue eyes, definitely unlike the foxes at the zoo.

He thought that he could surprise her? Well, considering some of the things he had already said that day, it was quite probable he could surprise her in more ways than just which species he would shift into first.

And, while it was likely true that work was more fun in general when you were off the clock, that wasn’t what she had meant. ”That may be true,” Zoe said, still smiling slightly as she looked over at Jay. ”I think it had far more to do with the company, though. I mean, it was nice talking, learning about your powers. Actually getting to talk to someone about mine who didn’t think I was crazy…”

Zoe trailed off slightly with a shake of her head. Just in time to see Jay set his coffee cup on the table and stand up and walk around in front of her. But before she had a chance to suggest that he could use the bathroom to shift, what with his clothing issues regarding shifting, all of a sudden Zoe saw Jay’s clothing crumple to the floor, a fennec fox with bright blue eyes, exactly like Jay’s, sitting on top of the pile.

Zoe jumped a bit of her coffee that she still had in her cup splashing out and over her hand. She didn’t even notice, she was too busy staring at the fox that was suddenly, instantly, in her livingroom. After blinking a half dozen times, Zoe grinned at Jay. ”That,” she said slowly. ”Is absolutely amazing!”

He looked up at her, yipping a little as he looked at her with those shockingly blue eyes. Then, he walked over to her, standing on his hind legs and pawing at her leg to be picked up. After all, he was a lot friendlier than any wild animal, so she'd be able to pet, hold, and even snuggle or play with a wolf or a fox in ways she'd never be able to otherwise.

He let his tongue loll out a little, not acting like the Fennec Fox at all, but he was hopefully making the experience more fun for her, he hoped. Those big ears twitched a little as he continued his little bout for attention.

All Zoe heard in response to her comment was some yipping. Probably not the right sound, but it was extremely cute. If possible, Zoe’s smile grew even more.

And then Jay was walking over to her, reaching his front legs up to her knee as though he were asking to be picked up. Well, for such a little creature, it likely would have been difficult for him to jump up onto the couch by himself.

Leaning forward, Zoe set her coffee cup on the table, then reached down to pick Jay the fox up and set him on her lap. ”You know, this is strange for me, but probably not because of what you’d think,” Zoe said, looking down at Jay. Then his tongue fell out of his mouth and his ears twitch slightly. She laughed slightly, shaking her head.

”It’s weird for me because I can’t talk with you,” Zoe explained. ”Well, I can talk to you, but I can’t understand you. That’s what’s weird.”

He looked up at her, listening as his head cocked to the side, those large ears twitching a little. It was weird for him too, because he was used to them being able to converse while he was in shift, but now there was a language barrier like with everyone else. He made a small whining noise in response as he sort of curled up on her lap.

Maybe he was playing the part a bit too well, but again, she worked with animals all day, but would never get to be this close to them as she could while he was shifted. He just hoped that him not being authentic with his behavior wouldn't ruin it for her. After a moment curled up in her lap, he looked up at her, ears perked up a little.