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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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[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)

Oh come on, Lars. [Sadie laughs, letting Lars drift towards the door. She touches the water to test it, and brings her hand back quickly with a frantic little shake; it's still pretty cold. She bites her lip, absently watching the water. Her anxiety is welling, knowing that it's gonna sting like a bitch. Not that it doesn't already.] We don't actually know that I'm actually gonna turn into some spunky jerk.

Maybe all the manticores you met were just—that way...coincidentally.

Pfft, yeah right! [He grins, his expression looking amused and a little smug.]

It's about as much as a coincidence as every Shade having their own set of headlights. [He motions with a misty hand towards his own, glowing eyes.]

[Sadie laughs kind of bashfully. Though she does legitimately hope she doesn't turn into an asshole—that's not...among the warnings she's really gotten about manticores, but then, why would any of them advertise a trait like that? But she's not that worried.]

Well, things between us better stay the same, then! Who's gonna keep you in line if I start to turn around and laugh at your bad behavior?

[She jokes, but, to be fair—aside from making enemies and getting himself in trouble, Sadie hasn't been telling Lars how to live his life. If she took anything away from Mask Island, it was that Lars needed his elbow room. Sadie hadn't been giving him the distance she thought she was; that she was intending to give him.]

[Her bashful laugh is enough to get Lars feeling a bit bashful himself, and along with her comment about keeping him in line -- he'd definitely be beet red right about now.]

H-hey, I haven't done anything bad since I got here! 'n it's not like you're my keeper or somethin'... [He feels a bit embarrassed too though, to be honest. Her statement makes it sound like he's some dumb 8 year old who can't keep his hands to himself...]

So.. don't worry about it. If you end up bein' a jerk to me I'll just be a jerk right back!

Haha! Yeah, I don't doubt that.

[Sadie tests the water again, pauses, then kind of coyly glances over her shoulder back at Lars.]

Hey, um.

Not that I wanna be alone right now, but—while I'm showering, should you—get someone? I should probably get proper medical attention, but I don't think I can really travel that far in this condition... [Sadie's carrying on pretty normally, but she's just actively trying not to crumple underneath the pain of her transformation's aftermath.] Like, someone to dress my wounds, and maybe bring me something more than a little ibuprofen for the pain?

[Sadie is legitimately not totally sure what to be doing in this situation. Somehow, she didn't think this would strike her when she's more or less alone—Lars is around, true, but being incorporeal isn't...super helpful. She doesn't blame him, of course—but it is what it is.]

Huh? Oh, uh... [It's always a bit hard to read Lars' expression whilst in his shadow form, with no real defining features on his face besides his glowing eyes and mouth, and maybe that's something he's been grateful for with his changes. Because he feels a little embarrassed, and kind of useless with her asking for someone else to help.. he only hopes it doesn't show on his face well enough.

But he gets it-- he's incorporeal and he only really knows very basic first-aid. So naturally Sadie'd want someone else to dress her wounds. But still, with his self-centered nature, he still can't help feeling at least a little shitty about it.]

Yeah, I think there's a doctor in town if you want me to get her for you.

I dunno. Maybe it would make sense to just put a post up on the network.

[Sadie's kind of gazing aimlessly at the shower curtain; she can feel the blood coagulating on her back, and she's afraid to move for unsticking it, making the skin pull. Her chin dimples, blinking away the hotness on her eyes.]

I just really don't wanna be alone right now, but I don't know if it's the right thing to do to keep you around just because I'm scared. [Her voice wavers, and in embarrassment at herself, she sort of plops her face into her hands. She sniffles miserably.]

I wish I could be a little stronger... I feel so dumb. I'm scared to even get in the water, cuz this hurts so bad.

...Sadie.. [He's not really sure what to say to that, since he's never really been once for comforting others. But it's not often that Sadie spills these kinds of feelings, especially to Lars, so it's... well it's weird, and it kind of makes him feel uncomfortable and a little scared to deal with her feelings like this. But he'll.. try his best, to make her feel a bit better at least.]

...I ain't gonna leave if you don't wanna be alone, Sadie. It's not like I got anything better to do right now anyway and... changes seriously suck so.... I get it. [He wants to say something like "you're strong enough Sadie" or "being scared doesn't make you weak", but sayings like that are too... cheesy, for someone like Lars.]

But is it the right thing to be doing right now? I feel like I might be prioritizing wrong, since I...

[you know, kind of have a giant crush on you, so your presence is comforting.

Sadie takes a shuddering breath in, exhaling slowly as she calms herself down. She wipes her eyes with the clean part of her padded finger, not wanting old blood in her eyes. Her voice sounds fairly even again, though, like she's pulling herself through the momentary weakness. She clears her throat.]

Last time this happened, there were so many people around... It wasn't so bad. Didn't hurt nearly as much, either.

[Lars folds his arms over his chest and leans slightly near the door-frame. His stance has him looking maybe a little annoyed, and through his distorted voice his tone would portray the same feeling.]

Look, I don't know about you "prioritizing" wrong or whatever but you're covered in crusty, old blood and you got tears 'n junk all over your back... 'n maybe there ain't a lotta people here this time but c'mon Sadie -- it's not like I'm completely useless just 'cause my form ain't exactly physical. [To prove his point, he uses his glitchy telekinesis to float a box of band-aids from the bathroom counter towards Sadie.]

So.. it's not like it's stupid or a bad idea to just. Y'know... let me stick around.

I—I know that, Lars! [Sadie flushes with mortification, clutching the towel in her hand as she turns on her heel. She's tempted to swat the box out of the air, especially since she only has one free hand—but she carefully takes it, instead, and sighs, scowling.]

I'm not saying you're useless, just— [Sadie bites her lip, her eyes falling. She goes from feeling irritated to feeling ashamed.]

For one thing, I'm a little embarrassed to be like this around you... And even if you were—you know, exactly as you were back home, I would probably still be fighting with the idea of sending you out for help! Not because I think you're useless, but because I probably really need a doctor.

Edited 2015-07-12 02:52 (UTC)

[His eyes dart to the ground while Sadie speaks, though it's not easily seen in his current state. He feels a bit bad for jumping to conclusions -- thinking that Sadie thought he was useless when she didn't, but his feelings still stood where they were, even though she had a very good point.]

...what do you mean "still be fightin' with the idea of sendin' you out for help"? I mean, I don't know why you gotta make this so hard, Sadie -- like, you need a doctor 'n you're embarrassed with me around so I'll just get you a doctor and be outta your hair.

[Sadie loses her patience again, flipping her free paw/hand up as she curls her fingers in frustration, claws unintentionally drawn as she grits her pointed teeth. She also kind of unintentionally pokes herself through the towel against her chest, but she doesn't notice.] But I want you around, because—! I'm just saying, I dunno what's the right thing to do right now!!

Sorry for making the situation complicated, but that's kind of just how it is right now!

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WTF I DIDNT GET THIS NOTIF IM MAD kept bein like oh boy i hope blake tags me soon. im dumb. also 1/2

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wow your notifs are so rude!! punches them for you

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