Meanwhile as Josh's transformation into a werewolf was ongoing, Jesse had been looking around for the brunette
and without consideration or restraint snuffled his broad nose over stranger's heads, stopping cheerful
conversations by bumping someone into a table and in general completely at loss where she had went. He could
smell her just fine, but the thing was that he didn't know how to differentiate the smaller nuances and the
strength of it. To his brain it all smelled perfectly clear (to the point of almost overloading him) but he
couldn't really create a [i]trail[/i] to follow from it. He knew where 'A' was, but 'B' was everywhere. With
bloodhounds you can find basically anything, but for Jesse it was all a very colourful mixing bowl. The worst
thing was that he probably had the best shot at finding someone in this crowded bar with his new height, but
[i]still[/i] he couldn't see her face. There were however other women glancing at him with a smile, but after
the encounter with the nymph he couldn't help but feel a bit repulsed. How many nymphs were there in the crowd
even? As the minutes passed his sniffing became less enthusiastic and slumped down on a free chair with his
back facing toward the alcove without really looking. Quietly he heard someone slide into place behind him,
settling in the back.
Sighing, Jesse turned his head around, creasing his broad furred neck and glanced backwards.
"Yes?"
"You're looking for someone?"
He looked at a guy leaned back into the shade. He wore a stylish cap, had a bit of stubble, a scarf that
defied the humid temperatures and clad mostly in dark. That alone made him a stuck-up goof in Jesse's eyes,
considering that this place had palmtrees and swimming pools. Not really interested in whatever he had to say,
he turned back again and scanned the crowd.
"Not really any of your business, but, yes." He said with a hint of a growl.
The man behind him quickly snagged the handbag he was supposed to give to the brunette and held it up at eye-
height.
"Hey! What the fuck!"
"I see, so you're returning sis' handbag? What a gentleman. Gentlebear even."
Jesse furrowed his brow and held his breath, his muzzle creased in a bestial snarl with fangs showing but
slowly the muscles relaxed as realization settled in. He carefully sniffed once and could sense that they had
something alike to them, although it was really... really hard for him to distinguish. He would have missed it
completely unless he hadn't known the answer precedently. This was clearly his best lead, and from the look of
things they hadn't come off to a great start. He tried to contain his displeasure but his new facial muscles
seemed to tense without his control, showing off his fangs slightly as he spoke.
"Yes. You're her brother?"
The man craned forward into the circle of light cast on the table where he could see him clearly. He had a
checkered textile flatcap and a decorative scarf around his neck. He wore a leather necklace with something
black and polished he couldn't distinguish in the dim light. The man smiled broadly, his face covered with
dark and dense stubble and looked to be around thirty or so, crow's feet around his eyes and small creases
that reinforced the heartfelt smile that creeped Jesse out a little. He didn't seem to be intimidated by Jesse
in the least.
"Yep!" the man said with a little gleeful bounce of his head.
He held the same smile and stare for a moment, until Jesse had to break it. Jesse was getting the sneaking
feeling that the man clearly knew he had the upper hand. Jesse idly scratched his throat in discomfort.
"You, uh, mind telling me where she is?"
"I know where she is but I have a request for you before I can tell you that."
"Oh, really? Is it the usual "I'm her older brother" kind of deal?"
"Well that too, but, you see this is my second stay at Pleasure Island, and as we both know; the
transformation doesn't last outside this place. And I have overheard your conversation with that bartender,
Frank was it? And the friendly little deal he offered to you guys," he looked away quickly and snorted. "I
want in on that deal," the man said and winked. "And in exchange I'll tell you where sis' is, of course."
Jesse raised a brow. This guy was clearly just faking it and wanted in.
"No thank you", Jesse said and pulled off a dangerous swipe with his menacing claws towards the handbag, the
man still rock solid as it was snatched off the table with the claws barely missing his arm. If he had
overheard his conversation with the bartender it was quite obvious that he had also noticed that Jesse was
looking for that brunette, and faking relationship to a person he had barely seen isn't that hard to do.
The man however - still smiling - quickly flipped two fingers holding a photo with the brunette and him on it,
in a friendly hug with an older couple standing beside them which he assumed was their parents. She looked
just as gorgeous on the photo as the brief glance had shown him. When he had grabbed the bag he must have
pulled out the photo. The man reached out a hand towards Jesse, with a triumphant smile to accompany it.
"Tom. No hard feelings?"
"[i]Jesse[/i]." He said with contempt and shaked Tom's hand hard. Tom winced a little with pain and shook his
limp hand.
"So...", Tom flicked his sleeve and produced a wristwatch, "The time is forty-one past midnight, you reckon we
should try and meet up with the bartender now?"
Jesse looked defeated and drooped his eyelids to a lazy stare. He could have just ignored him and given up on
the girl, but he was too stubborn for that. He rose out of the chair, the colourful lights dancing across his
back and shining through at the rim of his fur, the smoke in the room casting rays around his massive bear
body. Tom looked up and tried to conceal his awe.
"We'll go, but first we gotta get Josh."
Once Tom shuffled out of the small alcove Jesse quickly snatched that handbag back. "Let me carry that for
you."
He didn't want Tom to take that honour from him.
Jesse couldn't help but wonder how Josh would look now as he walked with Tom trailing behind him through the
crowd. And if Dianne was still sticking to him.
---
[[[I know the previous chapters before I started writing my own storyline was basically a gay story with
donkeys (sorry but; ugh), I'm going along with the idea that this is basically our two straight guys Jesse and
Josh who entered a bar at the evening at the mysterious Pleasure Island/Hedonia and I will take the story from
there.]]]