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SOMEWHERE IN THE WILDERNESS - LATE EVENING
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Narrator: The chaos of the fight had ended, though Annika in truth hadn't stayed for the end of it, she had seen Victoria had bolted, and once everything was at a even keel, broke away from the fight, to chase her down. Her presence wouldn't be missed, she'd never really revealed her presence in the first place. She wasn't calling out as she followed, instead following the tracks, carefully, rather than rushing..she didn't know how long it would take, and she didn't want to exhaust herself..she wanted to be sure that she'd find her friend.
Narrator: The leopard ran quite the distance after the fight, and even more so once the mountain just short of exploded behind her. She did not stop running until she was certain none of the horrible cacophony or those big beasts were following. Finding herself sitting on a low, big branch of an ancient tree at the edge of the savannah, she gauges her situation... even as somewhat conflicting thoughts wander inside her head. Some voice that she does not quite understand is telling her she should not have ran away as she did...
Annika finally found Victoria in that tree, and..well, she'd heard about Victoria's previously loss of thumbs, and her own personal little journey with regards to the weird, wonderful, and weirder still..so was going to take this one in stride "Hey" She calls up, with a soft tone, "Coming up there to join you" With that, she would start scampering up the tree, aiming to sit down on the branch beside her, and just..see how this went.
Victoria looks at the fox coming up, and coming up her tree, in silent confusion. She doesn't make a sound, other than shifting slightly as Annika sits next to her.
Annika: "You've found a pretty nice spot here" Annika remarks softly, slowly shifting, trying to place VIctoria's head on her lap "High up, safe, quiet, good place to chill out, wait for all the madness to die down" Stretching gently, she looks out over the expanse "But, you think it might be a good time to stretch those arms of yours, and come back?"
Victoria looks up at Annika curiously, letting herself be this close and not even sure why. Something is ticking at the back of her head, and this bothers her greatly. She lets out a feline yawn and half-stretches, then looks back up at Annika again, leaning her head against the fox.
Annika gently rubs behind Victoria's ears "You're pretty sweet like this, don't get me wrong, and honestly, I've been thinking about trying out the four legged thing myself, but well..it seems like this is more your thing, so maybe you can teach me how you do it?" She's treating it like it's something that Victoria has control over, because ..well, maybe it is! but there's no hope of control unless Victoria thinks there is (and more importantly, has the mental capacity for such things), so Annika is continuing to gently give the mental prods towards that sort of direction. "Or maybe I can show you what I want you to try and do, and you can repeat it?"
Victoria nuzzles Annika, then lifts her head... and nods. This is something she would be curious to see, yes. Some part of her is only vaguely sure what is happening, but it's not unpleasant like, say, mountains exploding from nearly under her, so it's all good?
Annika: "Okay then" She stands up on the branch, and does a little walk along to get some space, her tails flicking about behind her. She had said it so confidentially, but wasn't sure..no, she was sure! She was gonna get this right. She looks to Victoria, and gives her a smile, before focusing, closing her eyes. She knew who she was, and everything that made herself, her, her relationships, both with her friends, with Victoria, and with her brother, the things she liked, her ideals..none of those required her to be a fox, so..no matter what she was, she was still Annika, but Annika the Fox wasn't what was needed...Her fur shivered a moment, before fading to white, and it was like wind, flowing over her body. She was still Annika, even as her facial features took on a more feline bent, and her three tails went to one, abet one that still retained a level of fluff that would be highly uncommon on a Snow Leopard "Hmm" She shakes herself gently, and her leathers shifted to fit her new, stockier form. It was more revealing..but still not nearly as minimalist as Victoria's dressing habits "Well!" She smiles, and keeping up the charade that what she did was easy, gives a bow to the Leopard, "Your turn!"
Victoria looks as Annika gets up, then grows a bit more wary and infinitely more curious as she starts the change, looking at the fox... well, now not-fox intently. She works her jaw a few times, then tilts her head. After a moment more staring she opens her mouth to actually talk, having found some of that conscious bit of her back: "...when did... learn that?" On a second look, the
Victoria feral leopard now looks just that bit more sentient, if still on all fours.
Annika: "Well, it was something that I thought I might be able to do..and, I thought you needed help, so I focused on what was me..and, none of that really needed me to be a fox, so..I decided I needed to be something else right now" She hunkers down to get on the same level as Victoria "It's a kitsune thing, but..I think it's something you can do too, if you just work on it a bit~ What to give it a go?"
Victoria tilts her head, looking around them, then back at Annika: "I... where are we?" She blinks: "What happened?" She looks down at her paws, then sighs very forcibly as dots connect: "...not again."
Annika: "Again" She confirms with a nod "But~ If you think about it, this is a good thing. It means that this is some sort of thing that you have control over. This happened because you were trying to get away, and being on all fours made that easier..it's not a curse anymore" She reaches forward, and boops her nose "So, you have to work out what little button inside you you need to press to shift back" She winks "Trust me, I'm an expert on pressing your buttons"
Victoria blinks several times, then gives Annika a somewhat doubtful look. "Can it... can it really work like that? So far it's just... happened." She looks down, closing her eyes tightly for a moment. "I trust you... perhaps more than anyone." She opens her eyes, and in a swift motion, jumps down from the branch, landing gracefully and looking around them. No one to witness any of this. She then closes her eyes again, focusing as she attempts to find the proverbial button inside her, whatever makes her changes tick...
Annika: "I'm confident! I believe in you~" She smiles, and sits down on the branch "You're very cute right now, and pettable, but think about all the things that you need thumbs for" She fiddles with a few bits of cord that are keeping her bits of leather armour/clothing together "I'm new to this whole leopard thing, so I might need someone to give me the guided tour, but..." She sighs wistfully "I don't see how you could do that like you are..." She's providing motivation!
Victoria gives Annika a sideways glance before closing her eyes again. Slowly, almost painfully slowly she feels something change. A small grasp of a feeling, the tiniest strand she can mentally grab upon... hands. Getting that is important. The other stuff too, it's not like she likes being feral... that much, anyway. With a mental sigh, she refocuses and re-locates that strand. The single red line leading to her transformation. With a bit of a groan, she starts feeling her form come towards her mental image of... well, herself. The change is gradual and not entirely painless, but after several long moments, the leopard is sitting on the ground, all bipedal again almost like nothing happened. She takes several deep breaths before opening her eyes, looking at Annika hopefully: "D-did... did it work?"
Annika drops down, and lands on the ground in front of her "It certainly did!" She reaches down, to help Victoria up "Well, I think after some practice, you won't end up naked after it, buuut" She smiles, and takes a chance to run her fingers through the chest fluff "You don't catch me complaining...now then, I think I recall offering you something that could only be down with thumbs, if you're still interested..."
Victoria gets up with Annika's help, and works her jaw to a smile. "Hmm... better, certainly." She purrs ever-so-slightly at the touch of the not-fox-right-now: "What might that something be...?"
Annika: "Well, I only just tried out this whole Snow Leopard thing" She gives Victoria a nuzzle "I might have gotten some details wrong, so I need a detailed review~"
Victoria nuzzles back, letting her hands slowly explore Annika's fur: "Mmm, a hands-on approach it is, then..."
Annika: "Of course, I need to make sure that you're back exactly how you were..." She starts her own examinations...
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RESPITE STREETS - LATE, LATE NIGHT
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Maybelline finishes locking down the generator building, exhausted after a long work night. She's just heading home now, a light rain still falling on the town, but the thunder and lightning finally died down, the worst of it having passed with the... the dragon. She nervously glances up towards the clouds and sighs.
Louma stifles a yawn as she props herself up on a rooftop, giving her a decent view of the town. So far, nobody has run back to her with any news more jarring than a few folks making their way into town as their lowland farm homes started flooding. Her eyelids droop close for a few seconds, until she feels something hit her beak. Blinking awake, Louma realizes that the shield has come down, drawing her attention to the relatively calm clouds above, then toward the generator building. Nodding to herself, she spreads her wings and circles down to the street, starting a game of telephone with the nearest guards to have many of them stand down and get some rest. Satisfied as much as she can be that they'll be safe, she takes off again, lazily drifting over the rooftops in the general direction of home.
Maybelline 's eyes go wide as she sees a winged-shape coming towards her, following a similar trajectory to her own route home. Likely no coincidence, since even this tired, and thinking about other flying reptilian shapes, she certainly recognizes the silhouette of her Love. She lifts one hand to her lips and lets out a whistle, waving with the other towards Louma.
Louma catches the whistle, turning her head down to scan the street as she slowly circles back. On spotting May, she breaks into a tired smile and and equally tired dive, landing with a little less grace, but still as softly as her travel armor allows. She shakes her wings to shed the rain from them before bending to give May a tight one-armed hug. "You're out late, sweets~"
Maybelline tiredly leans into Louma, "Could say the same for you, scoops~. Been... been a hell of a night. Guessing it was the same for you, though. You... are you okay?"
Louma sighs before kissing May's cheek. "Only tired and a little chafed. Your timing with the shield was fantastic, my love~ Both start and finish. That ah... Dragon was..." She shudders, thinking back on it. "Close." She opts to not worry May with the hindsight that Louma had been airborne and nearly in front of Yzzayt's dive, even with the shield between them. "And then you saved me being caught asleep at my post when you brought it back down~"
Maybelline gives a relieved sigh, reaching up to grab Louma's hand in hers. "I did my best. I uh, dropped our dinner running back to the generator. The storm looked so... wrong. Policaster would get tropical storms sometimes off the ocean, but this... It... it really was then? A... Dragon? What... what does that even mean?"
Louma shakes her head a bit, chuckling quietly as the now irrelevant news of ruined dinner is broken, before she frowns a bit for May's question. She squeezes May's hand, "I don't know... I don't like the implication of it all. That storm... That creature. They were heading from the West, from the direction of the Saur's Prominence." She squeezes May's hand again, resting her cheek against May's as they stand there in the light rain, Louma's wings covering the two of them for the most part.
Maybelline takes a deep breath, pressing herself in closer to Louma. "I... that..." She shudders a bit in fear, feeling very small compared to such big events. All the stress of today's events finally pulling her down as she breaks into tears, "I'm... I'm sure everyone's okay... I'm... just... Oh, Louma! I'm glad you're with me, here, now."
Louma ignores the clattering of her dropped spear, using that arms to pull May into a full embrace. "I am, I always will be, May." She shivers with the shared emotion, not quite brought to fearful tears by the events. May's emotions are enough to put her over, though, the rain dripping from her feathers mixing with some relieved tears. She whispers next to May's ear before kissing the brilliant stoat, "You did so great, my love."
Maybelline cries into Louma's embrace, needing to release all the emotion and pent up fear before she can look up at Louma, expression a mix of fear and relief and love. "I... did? I did my best. W-wasn't about to let a little storm blow up another generator. My generator. O-or my town. I love you, Louma."
Louma looks into May's eyes, smiling as May asserts herself. "I love you too~ And yes you did. I watched the lightning crawl over your shield, not a single strike within the walls. Honestly, it was maybe the fourth most beautiful thing I've witnessed in my life."
Maybelline manages to laugh at last, sniffling, "Sh-shame I was inside for nearly the whole show."
Louma wipes May's cheek with a gentle touch, even if more rain or tears might stray to it. "Next time we have a stormy catastrophy like that, I'll make sure to order Brunilda to tend the generator for a bit so you don't miss it again, alright?" She giggles, pecking May on the forehead.
Maybelline laughs aloud, "D-Don't say that! No more stormy catastrophes!" She hums, then gives Louma a kiss back. "I need a shower... and a change of clothes... and some sleep. I'm afraid I'm the rest might have to wait for that sleep though."
Louma hums into the kiss, blushing. "The rain can count as half a shower, and sleeping naked with me counts as halfway changing your clothes~" She giggles, scooping May up into her arms after picking her spear back up. "Though lets not take half measures on sleep tonight."
Maybelline shifts a little once scooped up to give Louma a better hold on her. "I was gonna ask if you'd be willing to walk a lady home in the rain~. But this is much better. I... I think we've both earned a bit of sleeping in together."
Louma grins down at May as she turns, heading along the usual route to their home. "Well, you have been on your feet for a long time now, and I don't have those to worry about, so really it's only fair."
Maybelline relaxes a bit in Louma's embrace. "You're missing out... feet are..." She glances down towards Louma's tail and sighs dramatically. "No, I think I'm missing out. Feet are awful."
Louma laughs quietly, glancing at May's legs before looking back to the stoat's face with a warm smile. "You get to stop on stairs. That's worth it."
Maybelline is swiftly grinning, but now that she's off her feet, it's pretty clear she's exhausted, "Stairs are not a benefit. You've never had to run up four flights of stairs to get to class on time."
Louma gasps, giving May a clearly exaggerated expression of shock. "Oh, you're making fun of me for having neither feet nor a college education? May!" She breaks out giggling, bending to kiss her lover.
Maybelline frowns, starting to shake her head and deny it when Louma interrupts with a kiss, causing her to kiss back in retaliation. "Mmmmm... never want to make fun of you, love."
Louma blinks, giggling again. Perhaps a sign of her own tiredness. "I know... Sorry, I'm very tired and making bad jokes." She pauses in their movement, turning around to return to the familiar door that she's just passed by. "...That I'm going to blame on your magnetic lips, though~"
Maybelline giggles, reaching up to boop Louma on the bill, her own tiredness not doing her many favors either. "I'll take that blame. My lips are way hotter than my feet anyways~"
Louma blushes at the boop, grinning until they reach the door. She looks between May, the lock, and the spear in her other hand. "Hm, do you have your key?"
Maybelline blinks, suddenly brought back to the moment, "Oh... uh..." She reaches her hands down, wiggling in Louma's grip as she digs through her jumpsuit's many pockets, "I'm pretty sure I do... they have to be in here... I made sure to lock up the generator!"
Louma can't help but giggle as May wiggles around, doing her best to keep her supported as she searches for her keys. "We're never going to make it to bed at this rate, but I'm fine sleeping in the rain as long as it's with you~"
Maybelline digs down, "No no, never you... fret..." She reaches into another pocket, at last pulling the keys free triumphantly! "Aha! Bed will be ever so sweet, but not half as sweet as you~"
Louma blushes, giggling again. "I'm going to bank that one, you've just made tomorrow night much longer for both of us~" She pushes the door open once May's unlocked it, letting her down only because she can't really stow her armor away one-handed.
Maybelline blushes, stowing the key away as Louma lowers her back to the ground. As Louma goes to change, she shuts the door and lock up behind them, letting out a long sigh. "I'll have to get plenty of rest so that tomorrow we can avoid getting any rest~." She follows Louma towards the bedroom, already reaching up to unbutton her work suit.
Louma sighs as she pulls off her gear piece by piece, eventually leaving the guard in only her tail armor as she holds the last piece she'd unhooked in front of her at the cabinet it's normally stored in. Above the remaining kit, her feathers are matted in spots, and ruffled in others, with the crisscrossing leather straps and rings making shapes in the disheveled fluff. "...Maybe two nights from now? Sorry, sweets."
Maybelline finishes slipping out of her work suit rather quickly, it's basically a one piece deal that can be slipped on and off. She's mostly just had a long, stressful day, and her fur is matted from wearing her suit all day, sweat baked in by this point, the heat and humidity of the thunderstorm was certainly not blocked by the town's shield. She strips off her undergarments as well, before turning towards Louma, "Well, I feel like I could sleep through two nights so... no apologies necessary, scoops. I'm just... I'm just glad to be home with you."
Louma smiles over her shoulder at May, blushing a little despite her tiredness at the adorable one's clotheslessness. "As I am you. I wish we could sleep all day, but unfortunately-" She grunts as she tugs a section of armor that's been giving her trouble for a few uses, the hook snapping free of it's rivets with a sigh from Louma. "I'll have to read forty variations of 'THERE WAS A DRAGON!' tomorrow." She tosses the rest of her armor into a rather unceremonious pile in front of the cabinet, slipping out of the strapful kit as she approaches their bed-pad.
Maybelline sighs, walking up close to run her hand along the top of Louma's scales. "If it makes you feel any better... I have to write reports tomorrow too regarding the generator's output." She giggles tiredly, coming up closer to hug Louma before she settles down to sleep. "And at least you can respond to each of those reports by saying 'There was a dragon. But we have a Maybelline.'"
Louma giggles, slowly circling May until the two are comfortably entwined in preparation for sleep, if a little bit mutually matted. "I'm going to do that, perhaps in a little more official language." She yawns, barely reacting to stifle it. "Goodnight, my love. Thank you for being amazing again~" She nuzzles up to May, bringing her wing across to blanket both her head and May.
Maybelline stretches with a yawn of her own, before Louma's coils move in closer and she curls up atop her. "Thank you for doing everything you do as well, love. Rest well." She brings her head back up to give Louma a good night kiss before settling down under her wing, sleep finding her very quickly.