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[eyesforward]

[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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[eyesforward]

[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!

[doughnuthole]

Then just-- [Lars leans away from the doorway, his own patience quickly deteriorating with how confusing the situation was becoming.] --stop. Making things complicated!!

[His form ripples slightly with his frustration, his eyes narrowed and teeth barred.]

Should I just leave or what?!

[eyesforward]

Fine!! Yes! Yes. Go. [Lars's presence definitely isn't really soothing anymore, and Sadie's definitely not thinking straight with the way her head swims in pain. The second she starts to feel silly about her own emotional needs, Sadie always immediately shuts them out.

Sadie presses the pads of her hand against her face, teeth still grit, but more in pain than in frustration. The stress strains her wounds.] Go get a doctor. I'm just—I'm fine. I'll be fine.

[doughnuthole]

Fine! Whatever!! [He looks a bit hurt on top of the initial frustration, but he doesn't feel like arguing more about such a weird subject, especially since Sadie really DID need a doctor right now. So rather, he shoots her a quick glare of sorts before turning around, hunching so he doesn't hit his head on the door frame and steps out of the room.

He only lasts a couple of footsteps before his form disappears with his novice invisibility, so he can book it out of the house and she doesn't have to see how stupidly upset he really was over the matter.]

[eyesforward]

[Exasperated, Sadie sighs heavily after Lars storms out (almost literally—he's like a dark cloud), and she pensively pinches the short bridge of her nose as she shakes her head. She drops her towel, not having the range to put it somewhere more tidy, and then turns to bite her lip nervously at the running water.

Maybe she should just wait until the doctor gets there. She only was planning on showering if she was going to sort of do haphazard DIY first aid for the sake of keeping Lars around... which, in hindsight, was really dumb. She was always dumb and making bad decisions when it came to Lars. She turns off the water, and, feeling stupid, swipes the bandaid box off the lid of the toilet, watching it clatter across the tile floor.

She settles to just sit gingerly in its place, wincing. She wants to keep her arms down, with the state of her back, so... she's just gonna go back to chilling topless, now that she's at the liberty to do so.]

Stupid...

ok timeskip

[doughnuthole]

[After sending a doctor Sadie's way, Lars bummed around the town's beach while he felt bad about himself and about what had happened earlier. And normally he'd keep his human form going whenever he could manage but he was.. too distracted to even try, at the moment. So he sat in his dark, cloudy self in the shade of a tree and stared out to see until the sun started going down. If it wasn't for the sunset, he probably would've lost track of time and not even returned until much late into the night but he thinks about that maybe, maybe he's the one being dumb this time... so once the sun was lowered into the sea, he gets to his feet and makes his way back to their house.

He walks in quietly, because he doesn't really want to run into Sadie yet -- for fear that she was still mad with him or that seeing her would flare up his own anger again. But he does stop by her room on the way to his own and sees her presumably sleeping on her bed, back-up. And while he thinks she's sleeping he... just kind of finds himself standing there, watching her blankly with a troubled expression on his face. He kind of.. wants to apologize but also he really doesn't. And if she was asleep, waking her up wouldn't be a good idea.. hmm...]

[eyesforward]

[Sadie's resting her face against her folded arms, laying on her belly. She's all cleaned up and bandaged—her wings are still a little bloody, deep in the feathers, but they're ultimately quite clean, and their sandy color is actually visible. The fluff of her tail stands proper, too—honestly, Sadie was embarrassed during her treatment, feeling like she was being taken to a groomer. But she looks much better. And, she's exhausted, which is why she's laying so still.

She's definitely not asleep, though. With Sadie's heightened senses, she might have been more...aware...that Lars was there at all, if he actually had presence. But he doesn't. He doesn't make sound when he moves, he doesn't emit smell, and he doesn't emit warmth. She kind of deflates with a sigh, rolling her head over so that her face isn't just pressed into her furry arms. She's been resting, and, like Lars, moping.

That's when she notices Lars. Her eyes fly open and she jumps with a skiddish gasp, immediately wincing and groaning from the sudden jerking of her body.]

Uugh, Lars! You scared the hell outta me!

[She's not...actually still mad, but now she's mad.]

[doughnuthole]

[When Sadie is startled, it in turn startles Lars and he flinches, before backing out the door way slightly with his hands brought defensively in front of him.]

Whoa, okay calm down! I didn't mean to freak 'ya out like that! [Her wince has him a bit worried but he won't ask about it...]

[eyesforward]

[Well, Sadie's bandages are—relatively clean! And fresh looking! But there's definitely a presence of blood; she's still definitely actively wounded. She flops with an irate sigh, her expression becoming deadpan. Her heart is definitely going a thousand miles an hour, though.]

I know you didn't. Sorry for snapping. You're just so sneaky, on accident... I had no idea you were even back.

[doughnuthole]

S...sorry. [His apology sounds almost forced, but he looks guilty enough that it might just be genuine.]

Guess I shoulda' knocked or somethin' but I thought you were sleeping and I didn't wanna wake you up.

[eyesforward]

...It's alright.

[Apologies are still rare between them, but they're coming with more frequency—even if they still aren't always totally natural... Sadie scoots over sideways, carefully, and pats the space by her bed, peering over at Lars shyly.]

I'm happy you're back home...

[doughnuthole]

[Lars' expression changes, from guilty to a bit surprised. He.. didn't expect Sadie to actually be glad to see him when he got home, honestly. So seeing her pat the space next to her and express being happy that he's back.. well, let's just say he was very grateful for it.

And it's why he bashfully makes his way to her bed, and awkwardly sits himself next to her. Though he's facing the wall, rather than her and his gaze it stuck to the floor next to the bed, mostly due to embarrassment and not wanting to show Sadie his expression.]

...how you feelin' now that you got someone to fix you up? [Though he probably seems bitter or in the very least still upset, he silently reaches with his right arm behind him, as an offering to hold hands even.. though his form isn't exactly physical enough for it.]

[eyesforward]

[Lars, pls... your spooky face is kind of hard to read. Relax.

When Sadie sees his hand, she blinks kind of dumbly at it, and then her eyebrows lift into her fringe as realization dawns on her. Her cheeks pinken, and she glances up at him. She glances off to the side, simultaneously reaching out her hand—it goes through Lars's, but the gesture is still soothing. And unlike before fully transforming, it doesn't hurt. That in and of itself is a nice reward. Even if it's not really touching him, it's a lot closer...]

Still pretty rotten, actually. But I feel less sticky, at least, and they gave me something for the pain.

—Um, Lars... I'm sorry I got mad at you, earlier... I shouldn't have gotten so frazzled. I was frustrated because I wanted you to stick around, but I knew that wasn't the responsible thing to do.

[She can only admit as much because Lars has extended the olive branch, so to speak. Sadie wishes she wasn't so aware of the fluttery twisting of her guts.]

All I wanted was someone I trust to be around, I guess. I was feeling vulnerable, so I was probably being kinda silly...

[doughnuthole]

[While Sadie apologizes, Lars quietly looks over his shoulder, more-so to check if she took his offer since he can't exactly feel anymore than to look at her face while she speaks. When he's satisfied to see her hand (literally) in his, he glimpses up towards her eyes and stops there, until she finishes getting her feelings across.]

...well I mean, I probably woulda' done the same thing if it were me goin' through somethin' like that.. [His voice is a bit mumbled, with the bashfulness that hasn't quite dissipated yet.]

I'm just glad that.. uh... it's cool that you--uhhh.... [He drops his gaze back to their hands, and absentmindedly curls his fingers around hers.]

You'll.. you're gonna be okay now, right?

[eyesforward]

[Sadie is sort of stuck on what Lars says, her eyes glued to the way the silhouette of his fingers curls around hers, so intent on absorbing his words—especially since these moments were still a little rare (though less and less)—but her attention snaps out of it once he poses that question. She blinks up at him, her heart holding out on a beat in what she interprets as Lars's concern.]

O-oh! Yeah! Of course! Everyone else recovers okay all the time, right? I'm gonna be just fine.

[doughnuthole]

G..good. [Lars' expression softens a bit at that, into a smile-- though it's not easy to see.]

So.. you got wings now, huh? Think you can use 'em to see eye-to-eye with me for once? [It's said playfully, while he hopes that his joke will brighten the mood and shift some of the awkward, sappy air around.]

[eyesforward]

[Sadie pauses, looking shocked, then she laughs incredulously in a sort of WOW, EXCUSE YOU sort of way.]

Like I'd waste my energy like that! We've been just fine at our normal heights all this time, haven't we?

Pretty crazy to even consider I might wanna learn how to fly, though. Who'd'a thought. Right now, I still can't even move them or anything... [Sadie's currently trying. No luck. For the better, though, as movement from her wings would ultimately stress out her wounds.]

[doughnuthole]

Why wouldn'tcha'? Don't you wanna-- [A pause, and his expression looks momentarily embarrassed at what he was about to say, before he continues with something different to say.]

I-I uh. I mean-- I'm sure flyin's gotta be fun or somethin' right? Might as well use 'em since you got 'em anyway!

[eyesforward]

[Too bad Sadie isn't STUPID, Lars, but she's going to give you the benefit of the doubt—once she recovers from the initial interpretation, which makes her eyes widen a little, her gut twisting in a weird sort of anxious giddiness.]

O-of course it's gotta be fun!

[Sadie laughs, the sound coming out maybe more bubbly than she intended. Seeming to notice this, she bashfully presses a paw against the lower half of her face, stifling another little chuckle.]

Sounds like you'd get more creative with it than I would, though...

[SADIE that's not nice]

[doughnuthole]

Sh-shut up Sadie, that wasn't what I meant! [He laughs a little awkwardly, kind of disappointed that he can't physically punch her or something for that remark.]

Y'know I'm kinda jealous though, all I gots are my dumb technology powers or invisibility... and I guess I can make other things 'n people fly but that ain't nearly cool enough.

[eyesforward]

[Sadie just laughs when Lars denies his own suspicious tone, pressing her face into the arm that currently doesn't have its hand surrendered to Lars's affection, momentarily muffling her giggles. She glances back at him, having recovered, and squishes her cheek against her arm as she gazes over at him.]

I dunno, you can make stuff explode and go through walls and junk. That's pretty cool. I'm probably just gonna end up eating wild animals, quizzing people on horror movie trivia since I'm not all that buffed on my riddles, and start sleeping 15 hours a day like you used to back in Beach City.

[That sounds kind of grim, but that's just sometimes how Sadie's humor can go. And anyway, she's in a pretty good mood now, so hey!]

[doughnuthole]

Hey, sleepin' fifteen hours a day is like a gift! I'd give anything to just sleep five.

[He looks down at her gazing up at him, and their eyes meet for a moment, long enough for him to shoot her a sweeter looking smile before he shyly looks away again.]

'Guess it's pretty nice to stay up 'n hang out with everyone, though. Even if I gotta stay in the shade all the time.

[eyesforward]

[Sadie is embarrassed by how much his expression rattles her to her core, and in the best way. She almost reflexively releases a bubbly little giggle, unconsciously trying to assuage her own nerves as she fills with butterflies. God. It's literally sad how much she isn't over all of this, especially since Lars literally isn't even the same guy she first came to be attracted to, physically speaking.]

Yeah, I could believe that. I always thought sleep was kinda inconvenient. Like, it's nice when you want it, but sometimes I just used to feel like I'd probably be a more productive person without it.

[doughnuthole]

Well yeah, sure you could get a lot done if you never slept but it's boring! Like, there's always hours when everyone's sleepin' themselves and I don't got anything to do besides I dunno... hang around a buncha' lame strangers. [There's a small pause, as if he was trying to decide if it was worth continuing his train of thought or if he should just leave it there.]

But.. y'know.. it wouldn't be bad. [He has more to say, but.. honestly he feels too embarrassed to really get it all out.]

[eyesforward]

Yeah?

[Sadie raises her eyebrows, grinning. She absently mindedly sort of lifts and drops her legs in tandem, slowly, unaware of how flirtatious her own body language is.]

How ya figure?