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[Sadie had recently gone through her second, and final, transformation. It was painful, but she was alone at the house during its happening—and no matter how terrible, they never go on longer than thirty minutes, she's sure. The first time, she'd grown an embarrassing amount of fluffy fur exactly like the head on her hair basically—everywhere, which, you know, didn't feel terribly attractive (especially on her chest), even for monster stuff—and she'd also grown claws, which meant losing a finger on each hand and foot (strangely). This was topped off with a pair of little pointed ears, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Learning how to talk again without a lisp took a bit.

And that was how she'd been looking for...well, a month or two. And the longer it had been since her first transformation, the more uneasy Sadie had been becoming. She knew she was due for another, which was what she'd just survived.

Panting, her breath unstable, Sadie blearily tries to push herself up from her belly. The fur of her back and shoulders is matted with blood, and there's a pair of weakly folded, feathery wings, slick in parts from their emergence. The feathers are inconsistently coated in Sadie's blood, apparently having some sort of water resistant oil. She's pale, and her watery vision is spinning—and bright. She can barely stand to keep her eyes open for how bright everything is, and she grits her teeth, groaning as she tucks her head down (thus curling into a ball), paws folding over her head as she shields herself from the sensory stimulation. Her eyes also hurt incredibly bad, light sensitivity aside. She's not aware that their makeup has changed entirely.

Her lower back had also blossomed grotesquely to make way for a new appendage. Pretty embarrassingly close to her ass, actually, though her shorts are pretty unscathed. But there's a red, bristly tail with a furred spine, limp against the floor with a long, deadly spur punctuating its end. The fur along the tail's back is almost completely flat from the weight of Sadie's blood. She had the good sense to hastily peel off her shirt when she felt the changes coming, especially as the pain localized in her back. She's not feeling particularly sheepish or vain about it, and she's curled so tightly, it can't matter, she figures.

For now, Sadie pants, gulping for breath and clutching her head as she tries to focus on not vomiting. She moans miserably. She's got a high pain tolerance, but this a lot. Especially to undergo alone.

Stupid fog.

But it's okay. Sadie's strong. She is strong.]

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[Lars had been.. out and about. He'd tell Sadie that he was just wandering around the city because he needed fresh air, but the reality of the situation was that he had just finished eating -- a fact of life that he fervently rejects. His hunger for human souls was his newest - and final - change, and he couldn't get used to it no matter how many souls he wound up devouring, understandably so. He didn't want to lose his humanity, or he didn't want to admit that he lost it a long time ago. He refused to. He was almost jealous that Sadie stayed more of a human than most monsters for so long, he almost forgot that she still had changes to go through at all.]

[By the time he reached his home, the fog was mostly subsided, his beast-like form back under his control for the most part. He hesitated in front of the door, so he could try to empty his thoughts and focus on keeping his human form - for Sadie. He knew his shadow form freaked her out, and honestly he hated it himself. So he was more or less human, when he entered through the front door.

He almost didn't notice Sadie, since he didn't need to eat anything he didn't think to enter the kitchen. He was planning to go straight to her room, to hang out and complain about the recent happenings of the day. He didn't smell the blood when he walked past, he lost his sense of smell very early on. He didn't notice the blood splattered on the floor, either. No, what tipped him off was that at the top of the stairs, her room's door was wide open.

She never really left the house alone unless they were low on food or she heard about something that interested her in town, and she hadn't had a craving for humans.. prior to today. So of course he felt worried. He had turned on his heel and was prepared to sprint out the house, but he turned his head enough to see into the kitchen and, well... he finally noticed.]

S-Sadie..?! [His form almost immediately broke, his body glitching between Shade and Human before it finally settled on the dark, incorporeal. But it didn't bother him, rather he knelt down near her and hesitantly held his hands out towards her -- but retracted them in worry of making things worse by touching her.]

H-hey, Sadie... [He looks around hopelessly, trying to figure out what to do for her but not having much ideas.]

[Sadie's eyes snap open when she hears Lars (she's good at recognizing his voice now; it took some time getting used to the change of its quality), staring at the blood-smeared floor from her tightly curled position. Sniffling a few times, feeling embarrassed and pathetic, Sadie lifts her head, squinting her bright yellow eyes in part due to the light sensitivity and from the pain she's feeling. Her face is wet from her crying, and her slit pupils contract and expand, like her brain is trying to understand her new hardwiring. What that does for the light she's taking in is kind of disorienting.]

Hey, Lars...

[She feels kind of weirdly relieved. She smiles weakly, and briefly, but then knits her eyebrows, wincing her eyes tightly shut as she tucks her head down again and groans.]

Good timing, [she mumbles against her knees, laughing a little bit through sniffles. She knows it's inappropriate to joke, but 1) she's a tough cookie, 2) what's happening to her is really normal (she kept reminding herself of this as she was being shocked from panic and horror through the transformation), and 3) she's honestly really happy to see Lars.]

[He lurched forward towards her as she curled up again, but still he couldn't bring himself to touch her. So rather, his hands stayed, hovering above her bloody body and his stress slowly rising.]

Y-yeah, uh.. [He sat there, at a complete loss. He wasn't one for comforting others, he never was. Even when Sadie went through her first change, he made a point to stay away so someone else could help her through it. So now, with just the two of them.. he wanted to leave, but he knew that she needed someone with her... so he started thinking about what he could do to help.

His form wasn't very physical, he couldn't touch living beings without going through them or hurting them if he wished. So cleaning her wounds up wasn't really an option... neither was hugging her or any other physical form of contact -- unless he could calm down enough to use his human form. Though, actually, she was squinting a lot earlier, and her eyes looked weird like they were having a hard time adjusting to her surroundings. So maybe she was like him? His first change involved his eyes adjusting to the dark, and though it kicked in late, they stung like a bitch in the beginning. It hurt to look directly into light, the dark always felt nicer so.. the house's lights..... he didn't want to leave Sadie's side but he did have the power to mess with electricity.. so........

In what seems to be a hurry, Lars shuts his eyes closed and takes a deep breath. He hated using his powers, he wasn't very good with them either but he was panicked and worried, so this was better than nothing.]

[Though.. being out of practice, rather than just shutting the lights off in the house, the bulbs crack and pop above their heads and in the other rooms around them. But hey... at least... it's dark inside now..]

...shit.

[Well, the damage has been done and he accomplished what he was trying to do, so he directs his attention back to Sadie. This time leaning in closer to her to try and get a good look at her wounds.]

U-uh is that... are you okay Sadie?

[Sadie squeaks, snapping her head up again, though she's still clutching her sides.]

What was that?!

[Her squinting eases, though. It does feel a lot nicer... She's still got an awful headache and the rest of her hurts quite a lot, but at least it's not annoying to do anything but squeeze her eyes shut with her face towards the floor.

She blinks, her eyes slowly coming fully open as Lars leans in to inspect her wounds.]

Oh.

[Sadie realizes it was the bulbs pretty immediately. She also suddenly feels kind of weirdly bashful, especially with Lars asking if she's alright. And, you know, her inconvenient state of undress. But does that stuff even really matter if the guy you like is like....... made of mist, or whatever]

Um! I mean... I'm in a lot of pain, but...

[She glances to the side, her cheeks pinkening as she stifles her embarrassment and lets Lars check out what's going on. The tears in her back are quite long, since her wings, while folded, are easily at least as tall as her torso; they seep blood, and the cold of the room stings the wounds. She's also got a pretty large tear just below at her tailbone, and Sadie can't be bothered to think about which hurts more; she's still stuck, kind of curled, knowing that if she sits up too much, the skin of her back will fold, thus stressing the wounds. Chubby probs.]

Not as much as when I was turning, but...my back feels pretty terrible. I'm kinda starting to feel better otherwise? The lights being off already feels like it's kinda helping...

Edited 2015-07-04 04:12 (UTC)

Yeah? [He looks a little proud of himself, while he feels relieved to be helping somehow.]

'S no surprise your back's killin' you though, it looks like a mess. [There was so much blood, soaking her wings and tail, spilled on the floor. It's.. a good thing he's been in this place long enough for blood to stop affecting him, otherwise she'd.. probably be on her own right now.]

You might wanna get a towel or something if you don't want your uh... wings, stickin' together forever like that. [He offers a bit of an awkward smile, despite the grim situation.]

I mean, if you're gonna get weird shit like that, you might as well be able to use it right?

Yeah... Jeez, I feel like I can't even move them. [She wonders if maybe her body is still trying to process the new appendages, like maybe the nerves aren't wholly formed. Sadie winces with a scowl, attempting to look over her shoulder at the wings, which...despite her efforts, don't really move. She can't quite feel them yet. She doesn't even know what everything even looks like, since... you know, she was a little preoccupied.]

Maybe it would be better if I rinsed off, but that sounds like it's gonna hurt a ton.

[Sadie lifts one of her pawhands to wipe away any lingering tears using the pads of her fingers, and to dry her face. She sniffles again.] Ugh. Hopefully that's the last time I ever—spontaneously explode.

At least your skin didn't crumble off like chipped paint. [That's said with a bit of a grumbled tone.]

But uh... hey, it's over now and I don't think you've got anything left to get? Besides like, I dunno, cat instincts or somethin'. [He shrugs a little, and gets to his feet.]

And, y'know... I can get like, Steven to come over and help if you want. [He'd probably be better to help right now than Lars.]

[Sadie makes a face at Lars's description. Good point, she decides.]

Oh! Oh... that might. Uh. [Sadie turns quite pink, trying to figure out how to articulate this. Maybe she should just be blunt. She glances at Lars, her slit pupils contracting.]

I dunno how to get—decent, now that I have wings. And big tears in my back. And Steven's like, 11.

[Sadie thuds her head against the floor. She honestly felt stupid worrying about that when, you know, she needs medical attention, but she's also pretty protective of Steven. It'd be too weird if he saw her boobs. What the fuck. This is something she never wanted to think about. This is getting frustrating fast]

Uuuugh. Why!!!

[Sadie winces, the strain of her ...stressin' out about people seeing her boobs making her muscles tense, thus exacerbating her injuries a tiny bit. She winces, hissing through her clenched, pointed teeth, forehead still on the floor.]

Ow.

Decent? [He.. hadn't noticed earlier, the fact that she was shirtless. And now that he's realized it, things have gotten.. a lot more awkward. But it's a good thing he's just a giant mist guy, because she can't really tell that he's extremely embarrassed to be in the same room as her now.]

Y-yeah uh I guess. Steven shouldn't. Uhh....... [He doesn't really understand her angry outburst about it though, but he won't.. he won't ask about it.

Really, he just kind of feels like turning invisible and leaving right now, like maybe she'd feel better if he left. But he'll refrain.. somehow.]

...I can leave if you... I mean——

No! [Sadie lifts her head, then realizes that she maybe sounded too weirdly insistent, accidentally implying something weird she—didn't mean to? Maybe??!] N-no, that's fine, I mean— [Oh my god. This is horrible. It shouldn't even be a big deal, right? WHY IS IT A BIG DEAL

What's worse, Lars (the anxious mess of a boy she's unfortunately still interested in) being around in this circumstance, or Steven? —Okay, probably Steven. But Lars is the second worst candidate. She makes a noise that's between a grumble and a sigh.]

Could you just like—float me a towel, or something? That should be okay.

[It's not like she's got a ton to cover up, anyway. Most towels are taller than she is.]

Edited 2015-07-04 05:46 (UTC)

Uhhhh.... oh! Y-yeah, okay. Sure. [In his strong rejection of living life like a monster, he had prior forgotten that telekenisis was even a thing he could do. Which.. probably would've made everything a little easier if he had remembered earlier but well, what can you do.

He leaves the kitchen momentarily, quietly glad that the two of them could see in the dark and therefore not really need the lights that he'd broken. Though it was probably a good idea to clean up the aftermath.. before anyone slices their foot open on the broken glass.

Anyway, it doesn't take him too much longer before he returns with a towel, floating a little ways up and away from his face. He seems to be having a bit of a trouble keeping it up though, with it's aura glitching every few seconds. But he at least is able to get it to Sadie, before it falls out of his grasp completely. To which he just gives her a sheepish smile and shrug.]

You're getting better at that, [Sadie offers with a little laugh, finding his bashful smile more than endearing. She has to reach forward a bit to get the towel, which pulls on her wounds a little, but she muscles through it pretty unflinchingly despite the pain, because she doesn't want to leave a bad mark on Lars's progress. Or make him worry too much.] Thanks, Lars.

[She finally sits up, holding the towel against her chest, and immediately winces, hissing through her teeth again. That hurt a little more severely than leaning forward, so, oops, her strong front cracks a little bit. She relaxes again, though.]

Oh man, this is probably gonna scar pretty bad...

This is so gross. I wish it didn't happen in our house.

[He perks up a little bit, at her complementing him. It's not like he wants to get good with his powers... but hey, encouragement feels good.

It's not a long-lived enjoyment, anyway. Because she looks like she's having a rough time with sitting up, and he feels bad for her to be going through changes as bad as this.

He crouches down in front of her, and looks at the blood staining the floor for a moment, before shrugging.]

This place was bound to get messy anyway. I only got to eat.. souls, to keep livin' but you... [His glowing eyes narrow a little, and he sticks out his tongue in disgust.]

I just hope you don't do that thing that cats do. Y'know, bringin' in dead stuff as presents or whatever.

I guess if you keep yourself fed, it shouldn't be a problem... Don't cats only do that if they're worried you aren't like, properly fending for yourself?

[Sadie's mind is snagged on what Lars said about feeding, though, and she gazes up at him.]

...I'm—gonna have to eat entire humans, aren't I?

I.. [The expression on her face, while she gazes up at him snags at him a little, and he's quiet for a few seconds as he figures out a way to backpedal.]

...Well, yeah b-but I think there's people that'll kill them for you-- I mean, that's not as bad as killin' them yourself right?

...Yeah. Not as bad.

[Sadie's been thinking about that since her first week here, honestly—the reality that she'd very likely have to eventually kill humans, or take their souls, or something horrible like that. And even now, with the hunger well within her to consume them now (she WAS on her way to making a sandwich, after all, but you know, the painful body horror has thankfully killed her appetite for now), it's hard to imagine... you know. Murdering. But she's not about to let herself get dragged down about it.

Not right now, and not in front of Lars. There's better stuff for her to worry about. Or at least, more immediately pressing things. She rests a hand on the floor, pushing herself up to her feet somewhat unsteadily with a grunt and some pained winces.]

Guess I didn't realize that was an option.

[Hoo boy. The pain is. Bad. But she should at least stand up. Maybe go get the water going... She'll just have to suck it up.]

—Speaking of the... weird behaviors, like bringing in dead animals as gifts or whatever—have you had any like... change of instincts, since changing? I don't know a ton about shades, and there's no convenient animal motif or whatever for me to make any guesses.

[He slowly stands up with her, hovering a bit near in case she falls. He may be scared to touch her but if anything were to happen, he did have his powers...]

I've seen other shades be like, territorial or somethin' whenever I get near 'em. Like especially when the fog's out and we're all just tryin' to eat. They won't let me near them at all, even when I'm not lookin' to steal their kill or whatever. [He shrugs a little.]

I guess as far as my instincts go... I dunno. I don't get a lotta sleep anymore? I like dark, cramped spaces now?

Huh. Solitary, I guess? Do shades not sleep, maybe?

[THIS IS VERY INTERESTING, LARS, AND HELPING HER brain not focus so much on the pain. She turns a little, then gestures weakly towards the bathroom, indicating she's heading there.]

I'm gonna start the shower so I can rinse off this blood before it becomes a breeding ground for infections and stuff.

[...is it weird to invite Lars into where she's about to shower... The water takes a bit to get warm, so... And also, she might need some (distant) supervision.]

Man, I don't really know much about manticores... But I've heard they're jerks, and they like riddles.

[He shrugs again at her inferences towards shades, and moves out of the way so she can get to the bathroom easily.]

Yeah I've met a few of 'em who were jerks. [That's said a bit grumpily.]

I hope you don't turn into a jerk.. at least to me anyway. [He grins then, leaning a bit close to her playfully.]

As long as you're buggin' someone else, it could be kinda fun.

[Sadie, with the hand that isn't pressing the towel to her chest, curls some clawed fingers by her chin, glancing over her shoulder as she muffles a small laugh at Lars as he leans in close.]

I wouldn't be any more of a jerk to you than I am already.

Maybe manticores make exceptions with their favorites.

[She moves a single claw to pretend flick at Lars's nose.]

[When she pretends to flick at his nose, he stays there, frozen, with his eyes wide open in surprise. This would be another instance, where he's glad he's not human any more and she can't see the deep red blush that would surely be painting his cheeks if he were. But his body language and slight stuttering is probably enough to tip her off to his embarrassed feelings.]

Y-yeah? Y'think so? [He leans away from her, reaching up to rub the back of his head in a force of awkward habit.]

[GOD... He's so cute. How is that possible, when he's so unlike his former self? She can still find him endearing, even though he's literally just a shadow of who he used to be. She supposes that isn't so unreal, but maybe it's kind of a relief. She's not sure why, but feeling the things she feels, and has always felt with Lars, is sort of comforting; a thread connecting her to what she used to be, or what she's known.

Her eyes widen a little with his stutter, and she cheekily glances away, feeling decidedly better in general, even despite the horrible pain and horrible situation. She steps into the bathroom on the tips of her paws, leaning forward to turn the water on. Her tail just kinda just. Drags behind her, leaving an inconsistently bloody trail.]

Maybe. Like I said, I don't really know.

But I'm pretty confident I'm not gonna treat you any different.

So... maybe I'll just bully everyone else. Who knows, it might be kinda fun.

Edited (TYPOS) 2015-07-04 08:08 (UTC)

[While her back is turned, tending to the shower, Lars' arm falls limp to his side again and he lets out a silent sigh through his nose. Ever since.. well, even before the two of them arrived to this new and scary place, he wasn't sure about their relationship. It's always been rocky, from fighting one day to hanging out with each other the next. But the last few days of their "humanity" had been especially trying. He'd been fighting back the feelings he had recently developed for Sadie while she was desperately trying to get over her own, and that resulted in almost a weird pause to their friendship. They weren't... it's not like they suddenly stopped being friends or anything, but they weren't going anywhere with it. They weren't even really doing much together outside of work anymore, due to Sadie wanting distance and Lars being too stubborn and self-conscious to ask Sadie if she wanted to do anything with him.

So this... place, this entire situation -- as bad and terrible as it was -- it was something that helped them start to move again. Lars felt more comfortable around Sadie now than he ever had before, and Sadie seemed to be working through her own feelings about him well enough. It.. it was really nice. It was something Lars unknowingly needed.]

..heh, the idea of you pullin' pranks and annoying the shit outta everyone else is so weird, but it's like, somethin' I gotta see for myself now! [He's kind of hovering towards the bathroom door now, though. Not really sure if he should be leaving since she's... gonna be taking a shower here in a minute.]

Edited 2015-07-04 09:02 (UTC)

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quick 2/2 shhh

omg YOU SNEAK

GOMEN

das ok lil bean

lil bean...

1/2

2/2

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