Born to human parents, raised in a human house, and living around humans all her life, Casey thought that she was human. What else could she be?
Casey grew up in northern Michigan, and as the only child to two parents who were desperate for a kid, it was easy to say that she was spoiled. She got what she wanted, she had much more than she needed, and she was greedy. But her parents gave in to her every demand without a second thought. She wanted a computer--she got a computer. She wanted a new doll--she got a new doll. She wanted more ice cream for dessert--well, her parents did put up some guidelines. Her room was full of toys and games, stuffed animals and coloring books. Though Casey was clearly privileged and spoiled, her parents loved her, and she loved them more than anything else.
In school, Casey had several friends who she would hang out with, many of them staying her friends well into high school. Parties, dances, sleep overs--it was everything Casey had hoped for and more. Considered one of the "popular girls," Casey spent a lot of time hanging out and having fun, enjoying all the attention she was getting. She couldn't have been happier with how her life was going.
A few weeks after her seventeenth birthday, Casey woke up in the middle of the night in excruciating pain. Every bone in her body felt like it was breaking, her muscles felt like they were being ripped apart fiber by fiber. When she screamed in pain, desperate for help, the sound that came out of her mouth was an animalistic shriek. She screamed again, and the same sound came out. Her parents rushed into her room moments later, her father holding a bat. Her mother screamed, her father just stood there and stared.
That's when she finally noticed it--looking down at herself to try and see where the pain was coming from, Casey saw red and white fur, followed by a dark snout. Further down her body she saw whiskers and canine legs and a long, bushy tail. She wasn't...she wasn't human anymore. She was...a fox.
Casey can't remember anything after that, she must have passed out. When she woke up again, it was light out, probably midday, and she felt absolutely famished. Her mouth was dry as she sat up in her bed, a raging headache pounding at the back of her skull. Her pajamas must have been somewhere under her covers, because she wasn't wearing them anymore, but she didn't notice. Getting out of bed proved to be more difficult than she had intended--everything was spinning, every part of her was sore--but she managed to get to the door on wobbly legs eventually. Her hand rested in the cool metal of the doorknob and gave it a sharp twist--only for it not to budge. Frowning, she tried it again, but it still seemed stuck. So she tried it again, gripping it tightly, and twisted. There was a popping sound, and then the door opened.
Still groggy and in pain, and so very hungry, Casey went to the kitchen, not noticing that the house looked ransacked on her way there. She consumed nearly everything in the fridge--left overs, fruit, a jar of peanut butter. She also downed half a gallon of milk, followed by three cans of pop. Finally, her hunger and thirst had been quenched, and she could--Wait, why was the house a mess? Had someone broken in?
"Mom? Dad?"
No answer. Casey ran to their bedroom--they weren't there. Their closets and dresser were wide open and empty, as was the safe in the wall where they kept most of their savings. All important documents were gone. All of the pictures on the walls--gone. Out the front door, their cars were gone. In the back yard, there was a smoking pile of ash in their firepit, which Casey ran to to investigate. Tiny bits of blackened or browned paper remained, along with metal pegs that were...from a photo album? Casey picked up one of the singed pieces of paper to examine it closer in her hands.
'Certification of live bir...'
The paper slipped from between her fingers, back into the firepit. Her birth certificate. Her parents had burned her birth certificate, likely along with any other sort of legal documents pertaining to her. They had locked her in her room, grabbed their things, and abandoned her. The memories from the previous night came rushing back to her in a painful flood--screaming, pain, fur, tail, legs, fox--
Casey wasn't human anymore. She was something else.
An abomination.
Casey kind of just...sat outside, naked, by the firepit, for hours. Her whole life was turned upside down in the worst way possible. Her parents had abandoned her, she could turn into a fox, she had no record of who she was. Of course, her town still knew about her, she still had friends, there was no way her parents had erased records of her digitally, but could she stay? Was she safe to be around? Would she turn into a beast at any moment?
That night, after sitting outside well after it had gotten dark, Casey made up her mind.
Casey went inside, ate the rest of the food in the fridge, then packed her bags. She stuffed a duffel bag with as much clothing as she could, dug through her sock drawer until she found an old leather wallet full of cash--containing her birthday and Christmas money, along with some that she might have stolen from her parents, which she in no way regretted now--and filled a backpack with boxes and cans of food from the cupboards. Putting on a baggy outfit, raincoat, and sneakers, Casey walked out of the front door of her childhood home, and never looked back.
The next few months basically consisted of Casey walking, stealing, hiding, and discovering just what she was. A lot of the time she slept outside, even in the cold of winter, incase she changed into a fox in her sleep again. And, actually, she did. But she didn't just turn into a fox--she became a cat, a poodle, a hawk, a squirrel--all while she slept. It took her a while to figure out how she could change while she was awake, and the more she changed while she was awake, the less she did while she was sleeping. It was also far less painful than the first time she had changed. Now it was just uncomfortable, not scream-worthy agony.
Stealing was something she wasn't proud of, but Casey had to eat, and she had to eat a lot. Apparently after her first change, something about her physiology had changed internally as well. She could burn off food as fast as she could eat it. She stole food from convienient stores and clothes from thrift stores, just enough to keep herself reasonably clean and fed. Sometimes she would actually make a purchase, if there was something she wanted that was too difficult to steal, or she just felt too bad about being a theif. She was already a monster, she didn't want to be a major criminal, too. The cash that she had taken with her from her former home was tightly sealed away in a jar, being saved for the right time. And finally, finally that time came nearly two years after she had first turned into a fox.
{A couple of months before her nineteenth birthday, there was a used car place that she came across that was having a going-out-of-business sale, and Casey jumped on the chance to get a car. Her jar with nearly three thousand dollars in it--she kept a few hundred in her bag just in case--was handed over for any car of her choosing in the lot. There weren't that many, and even fewer that were actually worth the money she paid, but she found a simple sedan that was ass-ugly and rusty but drove well, had all its windows, and the doors could lock. She drove it off the lot before having the chance to do any paper work, but she didn't care. She finally didn't have to sleep outside anymore! She had a radio and air conditioner and heater that only partially worked but it was good enough for her.
Finally, one year after that, she found a job. At the age of twenty, Casey got hired as a busboy in a small-town bar that didn't ask for the papers she didn't have and only paid her in cash, but you bet your ass that she worked her ass off cleaning the place spotless every damn night. Her boss quickly stopped giving her free meals after seeing how much she ate, paid her cash at the end of each week, and eventually got her a uniform, too. Finally, she didn't have to steal anymore, she had a place to sleep away from the cold, and she knew how to control her abilities. Still, Casey had no idea what she was or where she had come from, and she missed her parents even after they abandoned her, but with a job and a running car, she felt...human again.}
EDITING
Current Life
{Now, at twenty-three years old, Casey still works at that same bar, in that same small town, with that same old car. Now as a bartender instead of a busboy, she made more money, money that she finally got as a paycheck with some...possibly forged documents that might have also been used to get her a bank account and an apartment. Her savings is going towards getting a newer car and paying rent, and she feels happy again. Of course, she didn't think anything would ever make her as happy as her childhood, but she tried not to think about that. Her parents left her, and she left that part of her life behind the day she turned into an animal in her bedroom. Done were the dreams of going to school and becoming a doctor, in were the dreams of being able to get enough groceries and afford rent at the same time.
Almost every night or early morning, Casey would run in the woods in one of her animal forms, allowing her to sleep more soundly at night so she wouldn't change. Because there was always the chance that she'd wake up as an animal, she never dated, not even a one night stand. It was far too risky. So she remains single, her only friends being her coworkers, who she never spent time with outside of work. It was easy to say that her life was lonely, because it was, but Casey would rather be alive and lonely than experimented on for what she was.}
EDITING
Other Information
Casey's favorite animal to become is still a fox. She had no idea why that was the first form she had turned into, or why she liked it so much--hell, she never really cared about foxes as a kid--but it's still her favorite. As far as she knows, Casey can turn into any animal she visually knows the body of well enough. She had just see a single image of an animal she's never heard of and suddenly become that animal, she usually has to see that animal in person. Mamals and birds are also the animals she can turn into. Reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects are a no-go, only giving her a headache whenever she tries. Because apparently when you're a shapeshifting abomination, you still have rules you need to follow.
||Still editing||
{Face Claim: Luca Hollestelle}
NOTICE: A lot of shit is going on, we all know this. I'm having trouble sticking to consistency at the moment but I do still want to write. I'm trying to get back to people timely but that's just not happening as often as I want it to. And I apologize for any inconvenience that caused.
Comments
It seemed that Rey's compliment wasn't having the effect she had hoped for. At least she had given it a shot. She had tried to make her feel more welcome and accepted but she also understood that a life's worth of mistreatment was a hard thing to overcome.
Even still, she tried not to let it get to her as she went aboard the Falcon and sat down on the small bed by the wall. After removing her boots she spread out on the cot and began to fully relax. Rey would then turn her head to look at Casey as she got tucked in on the other side of the room. "Goodnight, Casey."
The young Jedi would then turn over so that her back was facing the other woman; not out of disrespect, but privacy. As the minutes went by, Rey wasn't having much luck getting to sleep either. She never slept well; it was something that had followed her from her Scavenger days. Too many restless nights due to the heat, nightmares, starvation and a million other things.
She always managed to get at least a few hours, and tonight was no different. She awoke sometime before dawn, and saw that Casey had shifted back into her Fox form. Either she was sleeping, or just resting quietly. Either way, Rey knew that to stay in bed would be useless and so it was time to get up. She tip-toed across the ship as quietly as she could and decided she would see to the repairs bright and early. There was still a lot of work to do.
Lilith stood around in the kitchen, watching the two animals eat their food patiently while she helped herself to some of the human food she had bought for herself. She had grabbed some pre-made sushi from the grocery store and began to eat that. However, she wasn't even done her own meal when she looked down and saw Casey was done with her food and looking up at her as if expecting more.
"Really? You want more?" Lilith asked, almost annoyed. "That was a whole can of food! If I give you any more, you'll get sick." She explained, and then laughed to herself a little when she realized the cat couldn't understand her. It probably didn't care what she had to say, it just wanted food. Or so she thought.
"Ugh...fine." Lilith finally gave in with a roll of her eyes as she put her sushi down on the counter and walked to the fridge to retrieve another can of fish pate. She opened it up and dumped it into Casey's dish once again.
"There. If you throw up, don't blame me." Lilith added with a sigh as she went back to eating her sushi. Meanwhile, Charlie was finished his kibble and was now making his way back to his bed to wind down for the evening. He seemed to understand now that Casey didn't like to be bothered, so for now, he left her alone.
[ That's okay! No worries at all ]
Rey had to think about it for a moment. She glanced upwards in thought before returning her gaze back to the fire. "Well, it's true that it does affect the temperature. Tatooine and Jakku for example, they have twin suns, and they're desert planets. So yeah, I guess you're right," she said with a small smile as she glanced at Casey briefly.
She eventually stopped poking the fire as it would need to die eventually. Rey was starting to become tired, and let out a slow yawn to show for it. It had been a long day. She still felt so horrible for what she had done. All those poor animals...either killed or forced to relocate. It wasn't fair, but there wasn't much she could do to fix it.
Casey's laugh almost startled her, as it wasn't at all what she had expected to hear. She would look over at her with a concerned expression as she listened to the words that followed. It was yet another somber response, one that made Rey wonder if there was anything she could say or do that would make the young shape shifter feel better.
"Well...if it's any consolation. I like having you around," she said with a sincere smile as she really meant it. Whether or not Casey would believe it was another story. Although as the conversation shifted back to Rey needing to leave, she gave a short sigh as she knew there was no getting around it. "Yeah, you're right...we should get some rest," she said before standing up and promptly stamping out the dying fire so that there was nothing left.
"Well, I'm heading up. If you need anything just let me know. You can wake me up for anything," she said with a nod as she walked over towards the ramp. "Goodnight, Casey. I hope you have a good sleep," she would add before going up to the Falcon.
Getting to replies today!
(hello I just saw we were friends, I am sorry for not having spoken before. I hope we might be able to plot?)
While Lilith was gone, Charlie would come up to Casey and sniff her curiously every now and again. But obeying his owner's wishes, he did not do more than this and mostly kept to himself.
As Casey would roam around through Lilith's home trying to find clothes, she would find a few piles in Lilith's laundry room that she hadn't bothered to pick up. It was a messy assortment of clean and dirty clothes mixed together, but Casey would have known which was which simply by the smell of them.
Miraculously, despite being a bit taller than Casey's human form, it looked like many of Lilith's clothes would fit her. And that went for her shoes as well, which sat near the door in a disorganized pile.
Finally, after about an hour or so, Lilith finally returned through the front door, carrying a very full grocery bag. Charlie immediately ran over to greet her, barking happily.
"Yes, hello little monster," Lilith mumbled as she reached down to give Charlie a small pet. "Hey, you...how are you doing?" She asked Casey, knowing full well she couldn't answer but she wanted to ask anyway.
"I hope you appreciate this. This food was not cheap...but it should keep you happy." Lilith said as she began to take out the cans of cat food from the bag and onto the kitchen counter. She grabbed the nearest bowl that was still somewhat clean and opened the can, dumping the food into it. It was some sort of fish pate, by the smell of it.
"All right. Sorry for the wait. Dig in." Lilith said as she walked over to Casey and set the bowl down in front of her. She then moved on to making Charlie's food, dumping some kibble into a bowl for him, which he chowed down on happily.
Rey gave a small chuckle. Raspberries. Maybe it was a silly name, but who was she to judge? Especially on this new planet - well, new to her at least. A brief silence commenced, followed by Casey's next question which surprised Rey. Out of all the things to ask about, why sunsets? There was nothing wrong with the question of course, but it really made her think about it as she had never been asked before.
"Well..." she started as she looked up and saw the beautiful array of colours from Earth's own sunset. "It's a bit like this...except sometimes, depending on where you are, there can be multiple suns. It's beautiful to watch two suns set together. If you ever get the chance, you should see it for yourself," Rey said with a smile. There was no tellling if Casey would actually get that opportunity, but who knows?
Upon hearing the next question, Rey was at least glad that Casey was considering sleeping inside, and not out here with the potential cold and risk of predators. A compromise indeed; and Rey accepted it. "Yes, I do have a spare blanket. It's yours if you want it," she said as her smile grew a bit wider. She would then return to poking the fire some more, although it seemed like the two of them would be heading to bed soon.
Rey wasn't surprised at all by Casey's response. Despite only knowing the shapeshifter for a few hours, she felt she was starting to really understand who she was. A loner, a drifter, someone who wants companionship but for some reason can't get it. Someone who doesn't want to get their hopes up so they won't even try to find a better place. Rey could relate to some of this, probably more than she even realized.
"I see," she said softly as she gave the fire one last good poke. It would probably die soon, but that's okay. It was enough to keep them warm and she could easily make another one tomorrow if need be. Rey could tell that Casey wasn't being entirely honest with her or herself, but she wouldn't dare pry. Although she felt sorry for the girl, it really wasn't her business.
"Well...no matter what planet you're on, being alone is hard...sometimes you need people, whether you like it or not...and sometimes they show up when you least expect it," she said, almost as though she was trying to teach Casey something; but she was really more talking about her own experience. There was a time when Rey didn't think she needed anyone either. She had gotten so good at looking after herself. But then BB-8 came along...and then Finn...and now she couldn't imagine her life without them.
{Hello my friend I apologize it has been some time life had become very busy. I hope we might be able to plot sometime}
"Oh, well...if you say so," Rey said, believing her words to be true as she reached out and ate a small handful of the berries. They were ripe and delicious. Perhaps she'd be able to find some more before leaving this place. She would need a snack on the ride home after all. "Mm, they're good. I'll store the rest in the mini-fridge," she said before gently placing them in a small bag and keeping them refrigerated so they wouldn't go bad.
Rey would then follow Casey back outside and sit across from her on the other side of the fire. She too, enjoyed the presence of the controlled flames. She had spent more than a couple nights on Jakku in front of a fire; on the rare occasion that she was able to make one herself, or borrow the warmth from another Scavenger's fire. Despite being such a hot planet, Jakku was unbearably cold at night.
The young Jedi didn't imagine that this planet would get too cold at night, but how could she really know for sure? She was saddened to hear when Casey rejected her offer for the bed. Rey could tell that she really wanted to say yes, but something was holding her back. Embarassment, shame, or something else; she wasn't certain.
"Alright, if you change your mind, please let me know. It's no trouble," Rey assured her before reaching out to poke the fire lightly with a nearby stick. As she did so, she thought of what else she could say to make conversation and try to get to know Casey better. She really wasn't in a hurry to leave. The repairs were halfway done anyway, and she still wanted to help this girl with more than just clothes.
"Do you have anyone waiting for you out there? Friends? Family?" Rey asked gently as she pulled the stick back and twirled it around in her grasp. She had a feeling about the answer, but perhaps whatever Casey said was something that Rey could help her with.
(Thank you for excepting my invite.)
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