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Several Hours Later.

Rebecca sighs, having been searching through the internet and a stack of her book collection, many of which were the very same stories of myths and legends she'd first shown Courtney when they'd first met, and whilch she doesn't have an answer, she has a large pile of possibilities, none of which she really likes. And only one real solution.

Slowly, reluctantly, she heads out into the hallway towards the kitchen, "Courtney?"

Courtney looks up from her chopping of veggies, having given up on figuring out the details of her change and moved onto making some lunch for the pair, giving her something else to focus on. "Yeah, I'm here. Find anything?"

Rebecca lays down just outside the kitchen, moving her head into the human-sized door once more. "A... fair bit. But it's all really unclear... a lot of myth and legend and a lot of really vague internet posts without much follow-up."

Courtney winces, stops her food preparations and steps closer to Rebecca, having gotten used to the slightly different moving pretty easily. Almost makes her able to ignore her new scaly, blue-tinted, clawed feet. "That... doesn't sound terribly encouraging."

Rebecca nods, "Not very, no. More just confusing. Searching online mostly got me more stories and art... but, there were a few posts on medical forums asking about 'callous growths' on the feet... They were just a little too detailed to be much else, but when people replied asking for more information, the original posters never reply. I found three cases on different sites that seemed a little more than just coincidentally similar. So... that was a dead end."

Courtney sighs: "I suppose it would be... if something like this happens, people probably wouldn't go running to a doctor and document it, would they?"

Rebecca gives Courtney a sad smile, "Not directly, at least. Asking for advice in a roundabout manner, trying to make it sound like something else, but... I sent the three users private messages wherever I could, just in case."

She pauses, taking a breath, "The rest is... speculation. I think I know what's happening, or at least, what you're... becoming."

Courtney listens, nodding along until Rebecca gets to the end. She looks up in surprise: "You... do you? A dragon like, er, you?"

Rebecca glances away, "Not... exactly. Remember us talking about Dragons and myths that go back throughout human history? Some of those stories talk about another species that would aid the Dragons... a smaller race which a lot of the myths would call many different things, but I guess the more common name now is... 'kobold'."

Courtney looks at Rebecca over, trying to find anything that feels off about the story. She can't. But the name 'kobold' certainly brings some kind of image in her head. "Oh." She looks at her feet, thinking. "That's... huh." She tries to figure out how to feel about it this, whether to be angry at Rebecca, or herself, or just uncertain and confused. She's left with the last one. "A kobold. Any, uh... descriptions or details that might help us?"

Rebecca sighs, "They... they're always described as being devoted, completely loyal to a Dragon whom they serve. Some of the legends say that they... worship the Dragons, surrendering to them completely." She frowns, glancing up at Courtney again for just a moment, then back down guiltily. "Some stories say being in a dragon's presence will turn those who get too close into kobolds. Others say that dragons breath has the power to change, or that there's some kind of ritual."

She chokes up, clearly upset with the implications, "I think... maybe when I kissed you, or... or I don't know! But it's clearly because of Me. I think the only way to stop it is for you to leave. To get away from Me so that my... whatever I'm doing to you, stops. And hopefully reverses too..."

Courtney feels her breath catch in her throat. For a long moment she's unable to procure anything to say, and instead she just stares. Her mind, however, is running a mile a minute catching up to the implications of it all.

"Ah... oh my." She runs her mouth some more, feeling just shattered in the current moment. "I s-should stop being near you, o-or else I... transform... further...?" She's staring at the dragon, not in an exactly accusatory manner, just lost, confused, uncertain, short on breath.

Rebecca looks away, "I... I don't know. That's just what the stories seem to hint at. I mean... we had plenty of servants back home and none of them ever showed any signs of changing like this. If it were a common thing there'd be worldwide reports of it, right? So why us? Why you? Or am I just making things worse by jumping at old stories? I don't know, Courtney... I just... don't want you to be hurt any further."

Courtney feels her legs go weak for reasons not directly related to her feet changing. She sits down on the floor, feeling her emotions choke her up. "It's not... not f-fair." She looks up at the dragon now looming over her, eyes going foggy: "I didn't... I can't... I... I..."

Rebecca shrinks back into the hallway, fighting away tears, "I- I'm sorry... I don't want... I don't want this for you. I hate seeing you upset. I... I'll pay for it all... your schooling, the money you're owed for this contract. It's yours."

Courtney looks at Rebecca: "It's... I uh... well i-it's not about t-that..." she manages to stammer. She swallows: "P-part of me wants to scream at you." She swallows and takes a deep breath, trying to steady her near-gasping breath and the tears that make it almost impossible to see. "B-but, R-Rebecca, I... I love you, I can't just..." She puts her hands on the ground in front of her, gasping for breath. Hyperventilating.

Rebecca breaks at Courtney's declaration, tears running down her face, "I love you too! B-but... but... I want you with me as a Friend! An Equal. Not some... some... mindless slave!" Her real fears, as every story says that the kobold is nothing but a servant to dragons, isn't that Courtney will lose her form, but her mind. "Being near me could cost you... You."

Courtney gasps again and again, trying to keep herself together and failing. "Gah... I-gahh... Gotta... be some way..." She slowly, deliberately, with effort gets her panting at least slightly in control. "...m-me. I..." She trails off, looking at Rebecca with a desperate expression.

Rebecca's breath catches in her throat as she sobs. She desperately wants to tell Courtney it's okay and let her hug around her neck. She knows she should just order Courtney to leave. To have her belongings packed up and shipped wherever she has to go. She can't bring herself to do either. "Courtney... I..."

Courtney looks at Rebecca, or where she is pretty sure the dragon is despite being nearly blinded by tears. "We... we... there's got to be... something... we can do..." Her mind is telling her to run, yet her heart refuses to agree to such a plan.

Rebecca tries to steady herself, "I... I'll... try anything... I just... d-don't know what to do..."

Courtney swallows, getting back to sitting at least. "I don't either, but... w-where would I go?"

Rebecca shakes her head, "I don't... I don't know that either. Away. But I don't want you to go away. I want you to be close... to be my girlfriend... my best friend... M-my only friend. I just... feel like I've ruined your life..."

Courtney feels her throat catch again, but she pushes through this time: "I w-want that too. A-and I'm still me." She considers her options, then finds some resolve: "I... I d-don't want to go anywhere."

Rebecca: "We... keep looking. For now, we keep looking. I sent those other three messages... they'll respond, right? That'll help. It has to help... and..." She swallows, shuddering, "If you change... if you feel something about who you are shift... you have to promise me you'll leave. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to You. To who you are."

Courtney nods, swallowing: "I... I will." She looks aside: "L-let's hope nothing happens, then." She sniffs, trying to gather herself but she's very spent right now.

Rebecca gives Courtney a brave smile, trying to rally for her girlfriend, "We... we've got this. If the fates want to test us... w-we just need to rally. I'll... I'll keep looking. You get some rest, or relax, or... do whatever you need to do. I love you, Courtney. That won't change. I promise."

Courtney feels that electric jolt of Rebecca talking about her like that again, and nods. She swallows and gets up: "I t-think I need... I need sleep. I feel... well, I feel so much right now, I just wanna reset..."

Rebecca nods, "Okay... but if you need anything.. I'll be in my room. Don't hesitate to come ask me."

Courtney nods, feeling more stable on her feet again. She sniffs. "I'll be... here. Or probably crashed on the lounge pillows. But anyway." She gives Rebecca a smile despite, well, despite everything.

Rebecca smiles back, knowing that she has a long night ahead of her, continuing to search and research for anything that might help them. "Rest well, love..."

Courtney smiles, before heading towards the lounge. Whatever else this has caused, her head and eyes feel so very heavy right now...

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