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WILDERNESS CLOSE-ISH TO RESPITE - AFTERNOON
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Erika walks at a more sedate and comfortable pace than before, definitely having gotten used to the quadroped walking at this point. The near-feral okapi glances at the lizard on her back and chuckles softly: "Still hanging in there, love?"
Nesseth rests upon Erika's back as he has been for the last several days of walking. He nods as he looks around at their surroundings. "Yeah, I'm doing okay, dear. How about you? You've been the one doing all the walking the last few days."
Erika pauses to crane her neck, looking forward and at least thinking she can see Respite Fall's walls in the shimmering distance: "Mmm, you know me, walking doesn't really bother me. Even less now, this form is sort of made for it I guess." She pauses: "Honestly this should bother me more, shouldn't it?"
Nesseth shrugs a bit. "I don't know... should it? Other than the bother of a body I'm not accustomed to, it's not been bugging me much at all..." He trails off for a moment, then amends, "...Though I'd prefer having my arms and legs back to how they were. A lot easier for me to do stuff that way."
Erika hums as she continues walking: "Yeah, I suppose. I freaked out way more on the first go, but now I'm just not feeling that." She goes quiet for a few steps before continuing: "Nesseth... there's something I want to tell you."
Nesseth hums curiously as he just takes a few moments to readjust himself on Erika's back. "Mmh? What's that, Erika?"
Erika gathers her thoughts for a moment before continuing: "The dreams, they... they never went away. I dreamed of being feral again a lot, and those thoughts never quite vanish." She sighs softly: "Maybe it is just me, maybe you will get them now too, but there's something just slightly outside my conscious mind that comes back to this form." She looks down at her forehooves: "It's weird and confusing, but I suppose it's just me now, too?"
Nesseth tilts his head. "Something slightly outside of your mind? Like... what, another side of you or something? The first time you mentioned the dreams to me, I thought that was something like what I was dealing with more recently, you know? Traumatic experience and such..."
Erika nods slowly: "It's... well, yeah, it was a bit traumatic at first. Now they're just... there. Part of me? Maybe. Maybe not. Part of the experiences I have-" She pauses, glancing at Nesseth and chuckles: "...seem to keep having."
Nesseth smiles back at Erika as she looks at him. "At least it wasn't exactly intentional on our part, hm? For me, I'm just resigned to being like this until we change back. I wouldn't really call it 'comfortable', though." He shakes his head a little, "I can't really speak for what you're feeling, though."
Erika nods, sighing a bit: "I mean, it's not the worst? I've been like this before, I made do then and I was more alone." She looks forward again: "But there's no denying something in me has changed, if only in my head."
Nesseth crawls forward a bit and up Erika's neck, just to give the back of her head a light, teasing pat. "Maybe. Or maybe it's something similar to what you and I are up to with the others? Not something you'd have even thought of being comfortable with until after it happened?"
Erika rolls her shoulders slightly in an approximation of a shrug: "Maybe. I don't know."
Nesseth leans to the side to give Erika a little nuzzle before he carefully climbs back down onto the safety of her back. "So... those dreams. How'd they make you feel?"
Erika hums as she walks: "Lonely, sometimes. Like, I'd be part of a herd in my dream, and then the herd would leave me as I remember who I am..." She pauses for a few seconds: "Other times, I'd just be running on all four hooves, and love it. There's really no one way about them, just that this form is there a lot."
Nesseth hums as well. "Mmh... well, I guess this is still something of a new perspective for you, since it's only your second time changing like this. I'm not exactly one to accurately interpret dreams, but... maybe the change was an opportunity for a kind of freedom, in a way?"
Erika shakes her head: "Maybe. I don't think they really mean anything, they're just... there." She sighs, though there is a smile in her sigh: "Just wanted to tell you."
Nesseth chuckles quietly. "You know I'm always here to listen if you need it, Erika, especially if it's something bothering you."
Erika nods: "Yeah, I know. It's just dreams, but I guess we both know how pervasive they can be."
Nesseth nods. "Yeah, dreams can be a bit crazy at times."
Erika looks forward again as she walks: "We're getting pretty close. Respite by this evening?"
Nesseth leans a little to see around Erika's neck. "Mmh... maybe, if you think you can make the push before the sun really sets and it gets too dark. I don't want you straining just to get us back faster."
Erika hums: "Probably? I mean, if I keep this pace, right? I can rest when we're back... not like I can really do much work before I have my hands back." She pauses and thinks of a few ways she in fact can work on all fours based on last time, but wisely keeps that to herself.
Nesseth nods. "Fair. You've been making some really good time, all told." He scoots forward a bit and gently presses the tip of his scaly snout against the back of Erika's neck for a few seconds, "Love you, dear."
Erika shivers slightly: "L-love you too. And it's nothing, t-the walking I mean."
Nesseth smiles a bit. "We can talk more about this stuff once we get back to town, hm? It'll be easier once we can just relax and not worry about... well, surroundings, how to keep warm, our stuff getting stolen by wild animals... things like that."
Erika giggles softly: "Yeah... let's do that." The okapi blushes slightly as she focuses on moving forward at a decent pace.