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The Anatheman boy remained where he lay on the soft sand, miserably considering himself to forever be beyond the ability to shift. He had been eagerly awaiting the day ever since he first realized that he too would one day have that ability. It was the one thing aside from the eventual appearance of his remaining sibling that he could look forward to, and he hardly had the patience to wait any more. He wanted to run about on two legs, create things with his hands, tend to the cavern’s numerous fires, and practice wielding a blade. Yes, he could imagine it now, just how great life would be once he could turn. He would be an adult! No more being treated like the bumbling kid that he refused to believe he was.
Jackson hardly noticed the footsteps above the sound of the gently lapping waves before him. Wallowing in disappointment and giving in to flights of fancy seemed to require the majority of his attention. So the monochrome hybrid thought himself to be alone until the woman was within a few yards of him, introducing herself. His head snapped up from where it rested on his paws, blue eyes turning to view the stranger who had approached him. Floppy ears stood up slightly as he listened to her friendly words. The familiar pack scent indicated the truth of her words, but the boy was certain that he had never seen her around Anathema himself. She was tall with coat colors similar to his own and wore shorts and an open shirt (Clothing—something else that was still beyond his reach, he thought with a hint of jealousy). Most interesting, though, were the ears and tail that were cut short, something Jackson had never seen before.
“Yeah,” he answered with a slight sigh, still trying to shake off his dwellings of adolescent misery. “I’m Jackson.” He pushed himself up to a sitting position, turning to fully face the woman. “Never seen you before,” he stated obviously, making an awkward attempt at stirring up a conversation.