12 January 2022, 11:51 PM
Ria's gaze fell once more to her hands and stared uncertainly at her palms, slowly curling and uncurling her long, clawed fingers before turning them over to stare at their backs. How naturally it had come to her just now, to reach out for the apple with this strange hand without so much as a second thought. In fact, now that the racing of her heart had begun to slow and the initial fear was waning, she was able to note more clearly how her body didn't necessarily feel wrong, despite what her mind told her. There was no pain to speak of from the transformation--ignoring, of course, the wound on her neck--nor did anything struggle to respond or react strangely as she made it move. Her ears still twitched, she could sit upright, she could still smell...
And I can change back. There was a great deal of comfort taken from that single grain of knowledge alone, a whole day's worry beginning to fade in the face of a new, budding hope. This didn't have to be a scary thing. This was something that could be controlled, and there were apparently a number of others with this capability already living in the world to prove it. One such individual, Coriander realized suddenly, who had acted without consideration for his fellow canine and was responsible for her acquisition of this freakish super power. "A bite," she repeated in quiet distraction, absently lifting a hand to touch her dark mane where it rested at the base of her neck and covered her healing wound. Yes...she had been bitten. An infection...not punishment.
The woman's kind offer of making a fire and hunting for her seemed to finally pull the dark Luperci's thoughts away from her revelation and back to the present with a sharp inhale of the cold evening air. That was right. Her situation was still poor no matter which way she looked at it--or at least would be if she didn't take the compassion from her fellow canine being extended her way. Lifting her eyes to stare again, Ria studied the woman anew, not with fear or revulsion but in utter incomprehension. Where did this endless well of kindness come from, and how was it she ended up on the receiving end of it? "Why? Coriander asked through a look of confusion, tilting her head to one side much like a perplexed child might, "why help me?"
And I can change back. There was a great deal of comfort taken from that single grain of knowledge alone, a whole day's worry beginning to fade in the face of a new, budding hope. This didn't have to be a scary thing. This was something that could be controlled, and there were apparently a number of others with this capability already living in the world to prove it. One such individual, Coriander realized suddenly, who had acted without consideration for his fellow canine and was responsible for her acquisition of this freakish super power. "A bite," she repeated in quiet distraction, absently lifting a hand to touch her dark mane where it rested at the base of her neck and covered her healing wound. Yes...she had been bitten. An infection...not punishment.
The woman's kind offer of making a fire and hunting for her seemed to finally pull the dark Luperci's thoughts away from her revelation and back to the present with a sharp inhale of the cold evening air. That was right. Her situation was still poor no matter which way she looked at it--or at least would be if she didn't take the compassion from her fellow canine being extended her way. Lifting her eyes to stare again, Ria studied the woman anew, not with fear or revulsion but in utter incomprehension. Where did this endless well of kindness come from, and how was it she ended up on the receiving end of it? "Why? Coriander asked through a look of confusion, tilting her head to one side much like a perplexed child might, "why help me?"