It took a while for Kevin to put on a reasonable disguise. He had to wear some kind of hat, though it would look a bit out of place on him given only adults tended to put one on. He had managed to grab one of his father's from his adventuring days. Curious about it, he smelled the strange leathers and noted the strands of black hair on it, contrasted to the white hair his father now had. Strangely enough white hair made him think of a 'white hare' .. or rabbit even. Peter though of course Peter would have been prepared for some kind of change to happen to him or at least the potential of it. Whatever was happening to Kevin was not normal, and almost certainly temporary once they figured out what happened.
He slid the largish hat over his head. It tickled his new pointed ears a little. It was.. strange, to say the least as he looked in the mirror. It didn't really make him look any older, just a boy playing as if he was his father. Something about that didn't sit well with him. Sure that kind of thing was okay when you were like- Five? Six? All children idolised their parents at that age. Still when he put on the hat it did give a glimpse of what his father might have been like in the old days.. before settling as an Inn-keeper, travelling the world with his mother seeing all the strange and wonderful beings that made up their world, running from the ones that were probably less friendly- you didn't hear about that kind of stuff nowadays of course.
"I guess I'll have to talk to the spider-lady and get something to stop me sneezing." He furrowed his brow a little, looking to see if there was anything giving away his new features but it looked like the disguise was working. He knew which room she was in he walked passed the corridors more then once each time pausing on the door just- trying to figure out how to ask for something without being obvious. His story was simple; 'got a cold, got anything for it.. don't tell me dad.' Would that be too suspicious? His new ears twitched a little under the leather hat. What if- What if she asked to take his temperature! Feel his forehead.. hm
He was about to pace himself again when- Peter suddenly came up the stairs. The rabbit eared boy looked a little flustered of something. "Uh- hi." he said to Kevin managing a small smile.
"Oh.. .hey." Kevin frowned a bit folding his arms.
"I heard Brookie was here..." said Peter. "I was hoppin' to talk to her."
"Let me guess, you want to get a cure huh? I don't blame you. I heard she found one, but it would cost you your soul or somethin'."
The rabbit-boy shook his head, the floppy ears dangling on his front and- for the first time, Kevin noticed how limp they were. "I don't need a cure it happens in my family an' if its cause we did something wrong then I'm gonna set it right. If it's happening 'cause it's normal, then it's just gonna happen anyway. So I'm not really sad about it.. just maybe a bit worried but I'm sure I'll be fine."
"How can you not be sad!" Kevin said aghast. "You- I don't get you! You could be turnin' into a girl. A weak scardy girl-"
"You're gonna grow up Kevin. Maybe you'll be a weak grown up. You don't know what kind of grown up you'll be. I think grownups forget -everything- when they get older. You won't even remember me, Diana, or anythin'."
Now it was Kevin who looked hurt. "Forget? I don't forget stuff, and I will -never- be weak. You'll see. I'll show you an' dad and Mary-"
".. and your mother?" A voice whispered behind him.
Kevin froze. It was like someone was breathing behind his back. He jumped startled, his hat almost coming off as he looked into the huge legs of the spider-woman. "B-Brook-ie.."
Lady Brook chuckled. "Children, it has been such a long long time since I have seen you. My have you grown! Peter? Kevin you were but mere pups.. it's so good to see you both," She smiled with genuine warmth and affection. "Come now, with such loud excitable noises from just outside my room, you don't half make a lot of noise." She chuckled softly. "I take it, you are after a few stories of my travels Kevin? You were always so inquisitive you want to hear that story again, about the moon and fairies?"
Kevin flushed. "I- no I don't want- I mean that was all just kid stuff." he muttered.
Lady Brook however then focused on Peter as something caught her attention. She shifted her spider legs downward, her torso almost to their level. The spider legs now touching the very end of the walls in the corridor. "Child? Did you get hurt? Let me have a look..."
Peter glanced up and winced. "I- it's nothing really..."
Kevin then looked again with a note of concern. "Uh- are you okay?" Peter didn't get hurt did he when they ran from the ship?
"I'm fine, it's really just a small scratch." The rabbit-boy insisted.
Lady brook carefully touched at the soft fur around Peter's ears. The damage wasn't serious exactly but goodness! Brook had to smile a bit as she had seen wounds like this before. "I take it you made.. friends with a cat-girl?"
Peter flushed at that. "Uh- she didn't mean it-"
"She must have really liked you!" The spider woman laughed once more. "Come into my dorm, I have a few ointments that will heal it with a bit more haste."
Kevin and Peter walked inside the room. Kevin of course didn't really worry about going inside someone else's room- as this whole inn was his fathers. Though Peter did show some apprehension. Though perhaps it was at getting caught and now getting his friend into trouble. That was another thing Kevin could not work out.. why was Peter hiding secrets like that? They had a really big secret, and it was their secret but as soon as a girl came in, suddenly it was like.. Kevin no longer mattered. His secrets, his desires his wishes.. it was all for nothing just because some -girl- some girl who was now actually hurting him!
"So, how did it happen?" Lady Brook asked as she took out a cotton bud. She placed the end of the stick onto some kind of bottle. It smelled a bit like alcohol, but must have had other things in it too. She started to dab it onto the scratch marks around Peter's ear.
"I was- ow- a- a-"
"it stings, that's normal.. please continue."
"I- was showing her my ears. She liked how floppy they were.. then her eyes suddenly got really big and she wanted to grab em. She managed to grab it and I pulled slightly back but then she bit me- please don't tell! I'm sure she didn't mean it. She didn't even notice afterwards and I didn't want to tell her."
"But she hurt you!" Kevin said angrily.
"She didn't mean it," replied Peter. "An..." he got a bit quiet. "I I um I think I sort of liked it anyway? Is that weird?"
Lady stopped the bud for a moment then had a slightly odd smile, before continuing with the next set of scratches. "Liking to play with your friends is not a bad thing my dear " she held back a giggle. "Though I wouldn't encourage too much play-fighting. A cat-girl can get very rough, especially with a rabbit."
Peter felt himself blush more. "I'm sure I can handle it."
"Blargh," Kevin made a sick motion. "I knew you were gettin' weird and she's weird too."
"She isn't!" Peter insisted. "She's just playin' the only way she knows how an' I think she did 'cause she likes me."
"Actually, Peter is quite right," said lady Brook after carefully inspecting the scratches satisfied. "You can't really apply human normality to cat-girls. She likes you, and because of that she might just bite you, claw you, or even mark you- if she really really liked you." The spider woman winked. "It can be a painful relationship at times, but no malice was intended I am quite certain."
Kevin frowned "If I scratched someone I'd get into trouble. It ain't fair." It was always like that wasn't it? Girls were just such hypocrites! They could make up any reason to suggest it was just 'playing' when they hurt someone. He wasn't going to believe anything -they- said. Was Peter really just a girl now he hated that.
Lady Brook blinked. "Young man, if you scratched someone it wouldn't be because you liked them. A cat girl is simply different in how they show affection. Those big floppy ears of a rabbit like Peter here is just too difficult for them to resist at times" She gave the rabbit boy an affectionate petting of his large white ears, which Peter blushed heavily on.
Kevin eyed the floppy ears frowning even more with a.. weird expression. Peter seemed happy at the affection of it and the boy just felt awkward and.. odd over it. "Hmph." he turned away not really wanting to look.
"Thank you Brookie," smiled Peter with a blush. "I feel a lot better now."
"Your welcome "
With that, Peter walked out, small rabbit tail in view as he left. Brook started to throw the used buds away in a basket.
Kevin looked awkwardly and in a bit of a daze as thoughts raced around him- what could he do how could he use this to his advantage Diana had broken the ship, and took away his friend- maybe a little payback was in order.
"...Kevin?" Lady Brook whispered.
"Uh- yeah?"
" cold medicine." she said with a gentle look in her eyes. "It should stop you sneezing for a little while."
"Uh- Thanks!" What luck! The young boy took the bottle eagerly as he left the dorm. The door closed behind him when he suddenly realised something he never sneezed nor told Brook about what he wanted! "...how..." okay well- never mind. He got what he wanted from her.
Brook stretched out her spider legs. "Hm.. he's a lot like me when I was his age an awful lot like me. Please Kevin, don't make the same mistakes I did..."
Kevin went over the new plan. It was simple enough normally he didn't like to tell grownups -anything- but this was to help his friend. It was completely justified. Once Diana was out of the picture, things would go back to normal! They were going to spend weeks here he was told and in that time.. well.. Kevin could see Peter prefered being with her. Both of them being.. animals maybe? He was -human- human.. hmph
"'scuse me," Kevin called out seeing the clockwork girl Sarah. "Are you.. Diana's mom?"
Sarah stared down at the strange boy in the hat. "Well- sort of? I guess?" She said. "We're taking care of her anyway.. myself and Tom.. why?"
" well, I saw her hurting someone..." Kevin explained. "He had these deep scratches and stuff..."
Sarah frowned a bit with a ticking of her strange body. "I- see. Maybe I'll ask her..."
"Please don't mention me!" Kevin said quickly. "I wouldn't want her to hurt me too..."
Sarah looked taken aback at that. "I'll.. be discreet. Thank you."
Kevin turned away and smiled. 'Yes! Diana will be in trouble, they will keep her away from peter.. things will get back to normal now this will work out really well- "A-choo!"
"bless you." said sarah.
Kevin tensed a bit but.. didn't feel anything weird this time. "T-Thanks.." he mumbled quickly running off...
