The day had begun with the discovery that Koga had learned that Were’s sight was fully and invariably healed, as he had told her many, many times that it would. Many. She threw pillows at him with ridiculous accuracy one day when he wouldn’t stop being so peppy and after she hit him a couple of times he returned the pillows and said again!

He was relentless in the effort to get her to take it easy in the process of healing and slowly she let him do less and less for her. Until she insisted on doing more then him, which he wouldn’t have on a few different principals, namely that she was lady. They found how obnoxiously stuburn. After all those weeks she was more than ready to get out of the house, He had somewhere along the way learned that she could pick pockets something that he wanted to learn, just to be able to do it. He planned on convincing her to teach him. From his too casual and careful interest she more than likely guessed as much. But that wasn’t what they were out here to do, they were here to shop, He had foolishly told her that he wanted to get a job, so he could buy some new things and replace some of the stuff he lost while not, mooching off of the mansion and he found that her prior stubbornness was a mere sampling and that she probably let him do thing for his pride and not because she had truly given in.

He had refused three times and tried three different reasons, so she threw him over her shoulder like a bag of potatoes and carried him out of the mansion, the other adults laughed at his weak protests and calls for help. So for his dignity and the very real fear that she wouldn’t let him down until he agreed to let her shop with him, and pay. He agreed, but he would pay her back one day, some way. Whether she liked it or not.

The mall stood before them and they didn’t quite look like any one else in the mall much like any other pair on the mall. But the situation was very much the same. Koga pointed out a couple of stores that he liked, Sara pointed out others. They eventually met somewhere in the middle.

Koga needed cloths, and Sara needed what ever this was that called. Especially after her near death experience and loosing her sight. She just needed this. To get out and to do something that was productive. Koga needed cloths, and Sara had more funds at the moment, than what she was used to, thanks to Slate.

Sara hadn’t liked being weighted on. It annoyed her almost as much as having a pep talk about her eye sight. But at the same time without someone being persistent, Sara would have probably tried to shut out the rest of the world, and the people at the mansion. So when Koga had mentioned getting a job to buy cloths, Sara hopped on the chance to do a little pushing of her own. A job was something Koga could still get, and Sara felt it would be good for a man his age, but getting nice cloths after getting a job felt backwards to her. Because didn’t you need nice cloths to get a job in? Maybe Sara could pick up a few things for herself, as well.

Convincing Koga to go shopping with her. Well. Sara decided that, for his best interest, he didn’t have a choice in the matter. So as a result the mansion got to see the speedy cat lady nap Koga and off they went. Sara waving and mouthing “Hi Streak” to a security camera, on their way out. Koga on her shoulder and all.

Once at the mall, The two of them had split to go their own ways Then agreed to meet in the center. She’d handed Koga some money, threatening to throw him over her shoulder again if he didn’t take it if he saw something on the way. “Don’t make me stalk you to the dressing rooms too.” She teased.

Once seeing Koga off, Sara hoped people wouldn’t hassle him too much. She mentally reminded herself to listen for trouble. Mean while she had some shopping to do for herself. Before she met in the middle of the Mall to sit down, Sara already had a couple of bags at her feet. One containing a skate board that Sara had the sudden urge to try. The others contained a small stack of art pads. Now that she had her sight back, she was catching up on her drawing time.

Now. Where was Koga?

He opened his mouth to argue again, there was no reason she should be obligated to buy him anything. But she had insisted that he was going to spend it and he was going to enjoy it. He was secretly determined to pay back and or earn every red cent. He opened his mouth one last time to plea about at least not giving him so much. Any money was big money to him after all. The only time he every held any money he had for allowance was to pu it into the bank. He had spent his money twice, when he bought his violin. Something he was more than happy to do. And when he paid the entry fee to his latest competition, something he wouldn’t make the mistake of doing, ever again.

“Don’t make me stalk you to the dressing rooms too.”

His cheeks flared bright red. “ok, I’m going, I’m going.” Raising his hands in surrender. After the way they left the mansion he had no doubt she would if he really tried to refuse. He was determined to make it stretch and spend it well.

He went ino several stores and found the best sales compared to the original price, he ended up with fifteen tee shirts, ten pairs of pants, three beanies, three scarves and glove sets, two poofy vests and a coat. He still had only spent half of the money. It helped, that he was cold blooded and winter clothing went on sale in spring and was all but given away coming around summer.

He then went and spent the rest of his money on shirts for Werecat he had plenty of time to peek at the size label on her shirt while he was over her shoulder. As for any other clothing…well he didn’t want to guess on pants and he would have to be dragged and held at gunpoint to shop form women’s underwear, besides that would just be weird. The shirts were cute, probably not what she would pick for her self and since he had looked at her tank top size and not her over wear he had her actual size. Three of the shirts had a single word. Sassy, Ms.chevious on the other and then on the last one it it said Delicate written in barb wire. The other three were tone tones and nice comfy fabric. He spent the second half on these six shirts since they were high quality and not on sale. He hald the ridiculous amount of his bags in one hand and the one bag of baby doll fit tees in the other, she should show off her form a bit more. He could tell she was fit; she must simply be self conscious of her mutation. Most of the women here would give up a lot to have her Gymnasts figure. Not that he had noticed in that way. Ok so maybe he had noticed initially but since then they had moved moved toward more of a big sister little brother relationship or maybe even aunt and nephew…. Mom and son? He thought about this as he walked toward the fountain in the middle of the mall and the designated meeting spot.

He held out the bag with a mischievous smile. “I hope you like them!” he said and beemed a smile that said she couldn’t refuse unless you wanted to do it over my poor fragile teenage heart. Internally he laughed a laugh of triumph.. He thought she would like the shirts he picked but if she wasn’t a wear a statement type person then the other there were safe picks.

Sara was sitting cross legged near the fountain waiting patiently. She’d taken out her newly bought sketch pad, and pencils and had been trying to sneak glances at people as they either walked by, or chatted at tables, with out drawing a lot of attention to herself. The thing she had missed the most about her sight was her art. Even in the bad days, Sara’s art kept her sane. She’d taken her sight and ability to make art for granted up until her ‘Accident’ as Doc Prof had put it.

By the time Sara noticed Koga approaching, She had filled two pages will everything from loose sketches of people seated at tables, Mothers and children where normally Sara focused more on the details of the children leaving much of the mothers form to the imagination. There were gesture drawings of men and woman walking, each carrying a different sized load. Then there were a few children that had been drawn very realistically, and speed shaded as they stared at the werecat, with their little pudgy fingers, noses, and wide eyes peaking over chair backs around store advertisements, and over tables. Sara shut her sketch book before Koga reached where she had chosen to sit, and she hastily shoved it into the art store’s shopping bag. She immediately caught the mischievous look in Koga’s eye.

“I hope you like them!”

Sara took the bag, curiously, and peaked inside. “Stinker. You’re supposed to just shop for you.” Still she curiously peaked inside the bag and was met first by the words ‘Ms.Chievious.’ One eye brow quirked and she glanced sideways at Koga. Even more curious and maybe a little confused. Most of her shirts were rather cheep. She had one out fit that was really worthy of formal occasions and the rest of her shirts were cheep and did work to hide herself. Normally ranging in colors that were either deep red or black. Things that Sara didn’t mind getting holes in, seeing as she had a very bad habit of getting either shot or stabbed.

Careful not to hook a claw in the fabric, Sara pulled the first shirt out for inspection. Followed my ‘Sassy’, and then ‘Delicate’ with the barbed wire, that Sara decided was her favorite out of the three. The corners of her mouth pulled up into a small smile as she admired the design work and the colors. Even the typography was well thought out and subtly placed so that the letters were even. She’d admired shirts like these before, but at the same time she’d wondered if her mutation could pull off the way that they were cut. Even the other three, without images on them, form fitting. Sara had admired the style, but again, she hadn’t really imagined herself pulling off the look. When it came to cloths and models, people didn’t pick models with hair. Actually the choice of models was quite the opposite, with the exception of the hair on the head of course.

“Thank you.” What was it in Koga that made Sara let herself be pushed? Even when she resisted his encouragement about her sight, something in her welcomed it.

“Now lets see what else you go yourself.” Sara said as she carefully folded her new shirts away and moved so that she could peak in his other bags. She approved of his thinking a head and grabbing scarves, gloves, vests, and the coat. He’d found a good number of the pants, and a good number of shirts. Though Sara thought he could have paid a bit more on a few of them, to get himself something more dressy. Maybe even professional looking since he had mentioned getting a job. Something she still encouraged. Maybe he could use a tie too? And what else was missing? Sara double checked the bags really having her own sort of fun, now that she had her sight back to look. The things to look at in the bags were sort of like what Sara imagined looking in a trick or treat bag was like.

“I assume you need a new pair of shoes as well.” Her eyes flicked from the bags up to Koga’s to study his reaction. “I suggest a pair of skidsafe for professional, and a pair of sneakers you can get muddy.” Sara made a quick check around them to see if anyone was really listening to them. It didn’t seem like anyone was so she lowered her voice. Hardly moving her lips as she gathered their bags. “Did you still want to learn how to pick pockets?”

~~“Stinker. You’re supposed to just shop for you.”

“Well, I got what I needed. Ssso, I thought I’d make sssure to ssshow you I appreciated thisss.” He held up his bags.

~~“Thank you.”

He replied with a simple pleased smile.

~~“Now lets see what else you got yourself.”

He handed over the bundle of bags for inspection. He had spent thriftily on himself so there was plenty to hand over. And plenty to distract as he exchanged nosey for nosey. He edged over to her right side where her bags were and set next to her. His eyes accessed the skate board. Something that he just now realized that he had the potential to be insanely good at., with his mutation. He had the energy to slate board and always had, and in spite of being a great gymnast, he never could manage to bring the board with him when he jumped, but he now had toes that could take care of that. He then looked at the sketch book that was tossed in the bag quickly it faced the wrong way with the other’s he slowly but surely slipped his hand into the bag and put the sketch book on his lap he didn’t open it yet, but he waned to.

He was sure she noticed what he was up to. If nothing else his sneaky heart rate would have given him away, probably.

“can I look in here?” he asked cautiously.

~~“I assume you need a new pair of shoes as well.”

“oh.” He scratched the back of his head and looked down at his shoes… they weren’t too bad.” He owned the black flat bottomed skater shoes he wore now. “ I think thessse are pretty good. You’ve already done more than.” And he was cut off by a look and a statement.

~~“I suggest a pair of skidsafe for professional, and a pair of sneakers you can get muddy.”


He nodded as he took orders from his elder. Hmmmm. It was odd that he could defer to her like he never could his own mother. He did so with out question. But always resented his mother. Sara simply knew what she was talking about and was having none of his nonsense…more so, he didn’t want to give her any of his nonsense.

“Did you still want to learn how to pick pockets?”

The nail of his right thumb went toward his mouth and he momentarily chewed the nail as he made up his mind. He nodded and then poke.

“ I want to return whatever I take though.”

He wasn’t sure if that was allowed but he didn’t want to steal when he didn’t need to. He understood why Were had the skill, it had become necessary to her. it was like foraging if you were in the forest or jungle. Lots of people refused her so she made due. He considered the fact that one day he might be in the same situation. He wasn’t as noticeable as his guardian. But he still had a fork ed tongue and he changed colors, ok so maybe he was more notable…he wasn’t sure. Maybe they just stuck out like crazy as a duo.

“yesss, I do.”

Sara subtly glanced sideways at Koga as she heard her own bags rustle. Fair was fair. She was looking through his things, and he was allowed to look through hers. Sara didn’t have anything to hide there.

“can I look in here?”

Though she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear about her art work. Art work had been personal to Sara for a long time. Then again she couldn’t think of a logical reason for her to say no. “Sure. Go a head.” She tried to turn her full attention back to her inspection of her purchases, but her mind couldn’t be pulled fully away from the fact that someone was about to see her art work. “But there’s just quick sketches in there.” Sara said quickly. Immediately feeling like she was making excuses as she started putting her things back and organizing Koga’s shopping bags.

“ I want to return whatever I take though.”

“If you can’t return things, I will.” Sara said simply. A smile formed across her face. “If you’re nervous about returning what you take, just hand it to someone, tell the owner they dropped the wallet, and move to a different place.” Sara said trying to give some advise. Koga still had a different look that most but he wasn’t part predator like Sara. Hopefully he would seem more trust worthy, and if the crap hit the fan, Sara was there. They’d just get out, and fast.

Sara finished reorganizing koga’s bags and started rattling off advise in a lowered tone so that only Koga could hear her. “The secret to pickpocketing is simple. You look from someone who isn’t paying attention. I prefer people who look like they are well off to begin with. The shoe store is easy because you can tell the boys who have money to burn. They go for the couple hundred dollar shoes and won’t generally notice a few dollars missing. Plus if their looking at their feet, they’re not looking behind them. Just mind the mirrors, and when you pull a wallet out, don’t look at your hands. You look at your hands, others will look where you’re looking.” Gee. Was Sara giving Koga enough to think about yet?

~~“Sure. Go a head.”. “But there’s just quick sketches in there.”

Koga whistled a slow high pitch whistle, he couldn’t manage the low tone that would have been normally in its place due to his thinner tongue.

“ and I thought I wasss glad about your sssight coming back before…drawing like thisss and having your sssight sssstay gone would have been tragic…er I mean not that it woudn’t have been ssso before. Oh you know what I mean.”



~~“If you can’t return things, I will.” “If you’re nervous about returning what you take, just hand it to someone, tell the owner they dropped the wallet, and move to a different place.”

“hmmm, that sounds like the easier method anyhow. Though I suppose it would be good practice to go both ways.”

~~“The secret to pick ….where you’re looking.”

Koga nudged one of his bags back toward him and then pulled out a grey hoodie and threw it on over his head, he then pulled a band aid with a black line of sharpie across the inside and then turned fleshy peach and his hair turned a jet black. Making him look much, much, more like the typical teen in the mall. From there he smirked at were. Stay here and if trouble kicks up I will head this way. If nothing else I can take to the ceiling. “ he raised his eyebrows at his bad influence and then paced calmly away.

He paced around the store and then saw a easy mark he had one of those long bill folds that already stuck out of his pocket. He paced down the isle and stopped at one of the sitting stools. He then reached a single finger behind him and held lightly onto the wallet he then stood up bringing the wallet out of his pocket and swiftly maneuvered it to his front pocket and around into his hoodie pocket. He turned the corner and then right back around, his back half bent on that side of the isle and he lifted the wallet again and flipped it open. Looking at the I.d. inside. “Excuse me missster munstersss?” the man looked up startled “ I believe you dropped this.” He said holding it out as he flipped it shut, to the man.

“why thank you young man.” The older fellow said glancing at his eyes and then away, his face contorted for a moment and then the man looked like he decided something. “can I reward you?” he opened the wallet and counted his bills covertly. He started to reach for a twenty.

“oh, uh , no charge sssir. Thanks anyway.” He shook his head to the extended bill repeated himself and walked away. And waved to Sara as he passed from one shoe store to the next, he didn’t want to hit two in the same store.

Koga had given Sara some praise about the pictures and the words didn’t fully sink in, in the way that they were said, but in the meaning in them. Yeah. Missing her art work would have driven her crazy if her sight hadn’t returned.

”Stay here and if trouble kicks up I will head this way. If nothing else I can take to the ceiling. “

Sara nodded and waited impatiently with her tail twitching. If she followed Koga, she would cause a problem by automatically drawing attention to herself, and then to Koga by proxi. So the best she could do was sit and wait, tryin to look calm, when her right ear wouldn’t stop twitching with her tail.

Sara found herself rather fascinated with the way Koga changed color. Particularly with the change to almost human and she felt a twinge of jealousy. That he could make his skin tanned and his hair black. Ok. So Sara could make her hair black too but with her mutation her hair went black all over. Defeating the entire purpose.

Sara scooped up their purchases so that Koga could have his hands free when he was learning. Still she had trouble staying extremely far back. With one hand supporting the many bags, she made her way to a large whide booth that stretched the wall next to the shoe store, using the close proximaty to listen for trouble while purchasing two pretzels. Reminding herself that no news was good news till Koga came out of the store, waved to her with a smile, and started for the next store. Ok… so things went well?

Sara paid for the two large pretzels, but found herself still too nervous to eat one. She settled for sitting down on another bench that was half way to the next store. Her legs crossed, and the pretzels forgotten in their box with their cheddar cheese cooling. Sara waited.

He was feeling good about this, a solid hundred percent better about this than before he had swiped and returned and returned the first guys wallet. A younger sat there with a simular blank look on his face. He set down with his back to the man and repeated the process move for move, this time the tip of his finger dipped into the pocket as the wallet was smaller and he stood secured the wallet turnd the corner twice and tuned around holding the wallet in his hand. “ Hey man, thisss yoursss? Guy in the school i.d. looksss like you.” He tossed the wallet to the young man who was feeling his back pocket.

“Weird, where’d you find it?” The teen

“Over there.” He nodded his head back behind him.

“huh. I haven’t been over there.” This guy was a bit more street savvy. He blatantly opened the wallet and looked in it, his expression softened as he counted the bill even looking at the numbers. “Oh, thanks man.”

“Ya, no problem. “ Koga turned around and stalked down the aisle parallel to it, he was two for two and didn’t feel like pressing his luck. He paused as he heard the young man talking slightly abashed to the older.

“Hey pop, I dropped my wallet and some kid gave it back to me. See why I should be able to keep my wallet chain. Mom complains about how.” The young voice was interrupted by an older more stern voice.

“wait, what kid?” the father asked the son.

“ that one in the grey hoodie. Weird eyes.” The Younger said a bit quieter.

“Hey! Come back here, Young Man.” The father and his initial mark exclaimed.

Koga stayed calm and kept walking he glanced around and didn’t see Ms. Sara by the fountain his eyes frantically fluttered about and then landed safely on. He sighed with relief and then signaled a so so sign and veered off toward another both nearby were. She would be in hearing distance but nor immediately implicated.

“Hey, I am talking to you young man.” The man said walking out of the shop causing a bit of a scene. Koga set down in the both away from the man.

The man stormed over and looked down on him putting his an firmly on the table and the chair. There was always the other side.

“ You found both mine and my sons wallets for me? That’s a bit of a coincidence Isn’t it?”

“Sssir, with all due respect.” He said a bit louder then he needed to. “ If you could ssstay calm, I am ssssure we can talk thisss out. There wassssn’t anything missssing from either of them wasss there? I can’t be held accountable for you and your clumsssy ssson. But way to appreciate a pair of good deedsss.”

Ah oh… Trouble. Sara quickly picked up on the signs of it and watched as the father and son came to confront her new charge. Koga made a mistake with the pick pocketing. Sara was concerned for the potential problems. She didn’t want Koga to get discouraged, but at the same time there was a little part of her that was amused. She picked up the bags and the box with the giant pretzels and walked so that she stood off to the side, just out of the boy and fathers field of vision till she had the full situation, and gaveKoga a chance to handle things himself.

He wasn’t going to learn a thing if she cleaned up the mess here for him. Same went with if he didn’t make mistakes. But she was there should he need further help picking up the pieces. Sara chose to give him another minute to clean this little mess up himself. Confident in her own speed, that if things got bad, she could jump in.

“Listen you little punk, I am not going to.”

“NO You lisssten, I am not going to sssit here and lisssten to you go on about how bad I am when I gave the walletssss back.” He stood up. “ After, I found them on the ground, I could have emptied the casssh took the credit cardssss and ran, but no I gave them back no harm done.” He was looking almost directly up. “If you want ssssome harm done, Keep messsssing with me.” He then used his power to put a spread of tribal like war paint across his face in his coloring. And the man looked as if Koga had grown about three feet and tentacles. “Now then go buy your ssson sssome ssshoesss, before thingssss essscalate unnecessssarily. And next time sssome one doesss something nice for you. You thank them.” He then turned to his right toward Were as the man and his son glanced at each other uncertainly. His eyes had been a give away. But who knows what would come after the facial coloring. I mean they had seen video of a kid that shot lasers from his head. This world was crazy.

He made a face at were and took a deep breathe. He had been practicing different ways that reptiles bluffed there ways out of fights. One rule was to color your self brightly and appear more willing and more apt at fighting then your opponent. Showing you were a mutant seemed to work well enough.

“ Hi!” he said happily as he paced over toward Ms.Sara. “ I think it went ok, but I dunno bad luck I guesssss.”

Sara nodded quietly to herself as she listened to Koga give the two gentleman an ear full. She tried to tell exactly how the two norms would actually react. For the most part they seemed flabbergasted, and when Kog came to join Sara, she gave a nice little finger wave that might or might not of shown a little flash of claw, before turning to lead Koga somewhere else, before the norms could really decide what happened, and what their real story was.

As they walked she gave the box of big soft pretzels a shake, offering one to Koga with the melted cheese. “many times bad luck is a self inflicted state. It’s why I don’t tell people when I take their things. I just return them and move on.” Sara said once she was sure they were out of ear shot.

“Speaking of moving on, we might want to do that just incase they decide to go to security anyways.” Exactly why Sara had planned to do their shopping first. “Up for another try?”

“Many times bad luck is a self inflicted state. It’s why I don’t tell people when I take their things. I just return them and move on.”

Koga nodded easily at the thought of moving on and maybe just chunking the wallet near the next person. Maybe it would be worth going back and robbing that pair blind. The nerve of some people.

“Speaking of moving on, we might want to do that just incase they decide to go to security anyways.”

“That sssoundsss like a good Idea.”


“Up for another try?”

“I dunno I would sssay I wouldn’t mind ssseeing you in action but I don’t know how good I’d be at not watching. Didn’t you need to pick up ssssome other thingssss? I almosssst feel like the next person would be their aunt or the mom or their grandmother.” He shrugged with amusement. “I Think I have the general Idea of it. And I have ssssticky fingerssss…literally I ssuppossse.”

They were moving off at a good pace, but not so fast it looked out of the ordinary. Just following the crowd of people they were in. Sara was feeling rather smug at the moment. She’d never really encouraged other people to pick pockets before. Let alone giving them hints on how to do it better.

Sara jiggled her bags and looked back at the art store as they passed it. There were actually a lot of things she wanted to shop for, but most of them she hadn’t decided if they were practical for her to have, or store yet. The skate board only just came in out of curiosity. She was sure if she didn’t use it she could give it to someone else or something. “I think I’ve got everything I could want right now.” Sara said lightly as the passed a toy store and then the sporting goods store she had purchased the skate board.

“naturally sticky fingers do help when it comes to this type of stuff.” Sara said as they walked on. “I use the tips of my claws to hook things without pushing my fingers around them at first. I could probably demonstrate but you’re right, it would be hard to follow, the way I work. We could head back and try to use a manikin, or pick pocket from each other as we go along shopping.”

A ridiculous smile burst out on his face. " I imagine if I could make a mark out of you, well most othersss don't ssstand a chance. Game on?" This would be fun, how could he use his abilities to his advantage. some where cold would slow his heart rate enough to counter act the adrenaline his body would feed him....instead of his heart rate giving him away immediately...hopefully. He carefully put his hand through all of the bags Were held toward his side taking half of them. it was fair she balanced the load evenly. they weren't all his, but that hardly mattered, in fact he didn't even if he knew if he had any of his bags.

He took off his hoody and put it in one of the bags randomly. "so where do we ssshop to get ssstarted? or ssshould we sssimply make this a long term game to take away the edge of waiting on the other to ssstrike. we could owe the other one a favor or sssomething to make the game more interesssting for the winner. like every time you ssswipe sssomething from the other with out getting caught? I don't know." he stopped himself from babbling and letting his ideas pour out of his mouth.