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The Following Morning.

Narrator The nights of deep, dream-filled sleep are over for Clay as he struggles with his anxieties and nightmares.

He woke up not too long ago, and was now quietly sitting up in his sleeping bag. The bag itself was almost too hot to use to sleep in, with the extra fur. He brushed a lock of red hair out of his eyes, sighing as he struggles with his own conflicted thoughts.

He was half tempted to just perform the ritual by himself , just to see if it worked. It was supposed to be a two way street, right? With the key to restoring them to human, he wasn't sure why Nithya seemed so uncertain, and that gave him pause. Maybe she sensed something he hadn't about this. They'd certainly already dabble with strange rituals more than enough for any lifetime, he wagered.

But no, he couldn't do that without talking to Nithya again. Somehow, it felt like it would be a betrayal between them. He already felt like he'd done something to strain their friendship sorely, and could probably name a half dozen things in the past day or two that could be the culprit, the both of them feeling so much stress.

The other reason he couldn't just go ahead with this meditation was because of something in the back of his mind telling him to wait for a reason he couldn't quite hold onto. She for the moment, she sat and thought and stared up at the statue of their goddess, still trying to reconcile his body with these feelings, and the one whose form they'd accepted. It was all so frustrating.

Nithya stretches sleepily. In contrast, she is sleeping pretty soundly, feeling more comfortable sleeping outside on a stone floor than she ever has before in her life. Something about a bit of extra layer of fur really makes the difference. She's not cold, she's not sore, she's had one beautiful doze off tonight and as she wakes up, she stretches her arms above her and stretches her back with a big yawn, followed by a smile. "Mmmm! Good morning, Clay."

Clay glances over to Nithya as she wakes, chuckling, "At least one of us slept well. Good morning."

Nithya smiles as she looks at her friend: "Mm, I don't think I've slept as well outside in ages. How about you?" The doe stretches some more, clearly unperturbed by her still very recent changes.

Clay shrugs, a half-hearted smile on his face, "Too much going through my head still. I've been up an hour or two I think? The uh, goddess has been keeping me company, but she's not much for conversation." He waves a hand at the statue. "So just been me and my thoughts."

Nithya nods slowly, then gives Clay a bit of a worried look. "And how are you and your thoughts doing?"

Clay takes a long pause to look back at the statue. "Don't know... It's all such a jumble in my head. I feel calmer, at least. Maybe that's just because we've got a solution, so I can stop worrying about 'solving' the problem. But I still don't understand the problem in the first place... I'm just rambling..." He shifts to look at Nithya more directly, smiling warmly, "How about you? I went to bed feeling like... Maybe instead of a deer, I was kind of an ass last night."

Nithya winces, and hesitates. "M-maybe. But I was... Probably going too fast, too far." Even if she can't actually put a finger on what she's doing wrong, it's important she attempts to keep her humanity. Or something like that, she's not entirely certain.

"... Should we try to do it before we get on the proverbial road?"

Clay sighs, "I'm torn over it. Yes. Yes I want to be myself again. I'm not comfortable like this, and I keep questioning everything and it's just driving me insane. But..." She swallows, "...I don't really have a but... Except... A gut feeling."

Nithya stretches again, getting a feel of her changed legs that almost yearn for a good run. She's going to miss those.

"What kind of gut feeling? That it will fail?"

Clay shrugs, "I don't know... Just a hunch that... Something." A harsh laugh at himself, "It's just another one of those stupid feelings I get. Remember in Mardin? Probably just a stomach ache."

Nithya looks at her friend, her expression serious. "If there's anything on this planet I trust, it's your gut feeling." She lifts a hand to her chin as one of her ears flick.

"Think we should then try and walk for a bit, see what your gut says when we stop to camp next?"

Clay hums, looking back at Nithya with a conflict in his eyes, before finally breaking a smile, "I mean... I guess it can't hurt. We did say it would make the hike back faster, and all."

Nithya The black-maned doe smiles as she gets up. "I don't know about you, but I could really do with a hotel breakfast and a bath. Or two." She pauses. "Er, once it doesn't include wet fur."

She finds herself wondering what a warm bath would feel like in this form, but pushes that des- thought to the background.

Clay stands up as well, stepping closer to give Nithya a hug. "I just want a big bowl of hot pasta." Though, there's no desire for meat... But that makes sense in this current form. Maybe once turned back he'll be fine with it- he pauses realizing he's naked hugging Nithya. "O-oh right... Guess if we're not changing I do need some of your clothes."

Nithya gives a strong and tight hug, not caring at all that the other doe is naked. Or rather, caring in an another kind of way.

As they let go, Nithya smiles: "It's probably more comfortable to have a bra-" She holds up a hand: "-not talking about in a femininity kind of way, talking in a 'you don't want to know how much your new boobs can hurt after a day's hike without a sports bra' kind of way."

Clay blushes, but waves a hand calmly, "Y-yeah, I know you don't mean it like that. We uh.. a few pointers on how to hike, and how to dress up for it."

His voice goes very quiet, and he takes in a few breaths, "Okay, I... I think I'm secure enough in who I am to wear a bra for a day. No problem."

Nithya smiles: "Don't worry. You're still Clay to me, and always will be." She turns to dig through her backpack, humming to herself.

Clay hums, feeling buoyed by Nithya's words, "Hey... Um, thanks for that. It... I'm struggling right now, and that's good to hear."

Nithya smirks: "Now, if you had changed into a camel..." She winks as she continues digging.

Clay laughs, "Or what about a... Oh! A Crocodile?"

Nithya blinks. "All those teeth. Sobek would be happy."

Clay becomes weirdly aware of the inside of her mouth, and runs her tongue along her teeth, "Huh, I hadn't even considered my teeth... no canines... guess that makes sense."

Nithya nods: "Yeah... I suppose not a huge problem since we never actually hunt when we're out and about anyway." They had long since decided to rather master the art of carrying as much rations as they are able, on top of learning enough of local vegetation to know what's edible.

Clay chuckles, "I guess we were already eating like deer before we came here, huh?" He grows silent a moment, not quite sure where that thought is leading him."

Nithya smirks: "When you see a deer munching on a protein bar and it's not me, make a note of it."

She then gives Clay her loosest, beige sports bra and matching trekking shorts. "I hope those fit you. They're my kinda most worn, so also least tight ones."

Clay nods, still grinning, though the expression turns a bit when she takes the bra and actually holds it in her hand. He glances at Nithya, blushing, "I uh... I guess I am a bit bigger than you, uh, in the... chest, huh?"

Nithya nods. "I'm no expert, but I'd say you're maybe a cup size bigger. Go figure."

She looks down at her own cleavage: "And I'm pretty sure I gained a size."

Clay sighs, "I'm pretty sure this goddess is definitely a pervert then..." She lifts the bra up to her chest, and starts to loop her arms through it to get it on. "This feels so weird..."

Nithya shrugs: "Weird is definitely relative. If I need to go bra shopping after this it's the least weird thing about all of this."

Clay chuckles, "It's very relative. See, if I have to go bra shopping..." He shakes his head, "Th-thankfully we have a way to avoid that."

Nithya pauses for just an instant before nodding. "Yeah. You don't have to worry about the nonsense that are bra sizes. Be thankful." Pause. "Er, later."

Clay hums, "I promise to be more thankful for a lot of things once we're back." He proceeds to put the bra on as awkwardly as possible, taking a moment, but managing to get it to stick in the back, "Ah, there we go... I could make the joke about 'only have experience taking these off' but... ah..." He shrugs.

Nithya shrugs, glancing aside. "Hard to have a lasting long term relationship when all your colleagues accuse you of being married to your career... and they're right..." It's pretty obvious she's talking at least about herself as she is of Clay.

Clay laughs, "Yeahhhh, I can't really say much in my defense. I keep going out on these hikes over and over again... not really made time for getting to first base, let alone second base..." He pauses, contemplating the thought that he has now 'gotten' to second base feeling up his own boobs, and shudders, "...touching my own doesn't count..."

Nithya laughs: "If it did count, I'd be living in said second base!" She then blinks and blushes a bit. "Ah. Heh. Ahem."

Clay laughs along, blushing as well, before letting an awkward silence descend between them before she blinks, "N-not that I was touching mine on purpose! No-not that they're Mine, even."

Nithya gives Clay a bit of a look, but doesn't pursue the topic.

"Should we pack up and get trekking? Just that weird feeling that we're going to pack up most of our clothes instead of wearing them..."

Clay withers under the look, but quickly nods, "Y-yeah! Good idea! We'll still need them since we'll be changing back, but I guess for now... uh, we won't need most of them?" He sets about rolling his sleeping bag, and starting to clean up camp rather quickly.

Nithya does do as well, focusing on getting her backpack prepared properly.

Although she does steal a glance at how well Clay's breasts fill her biggest sports bra, and feels a pang of jealousy...

... And a flash of desire.

'Oh. Crud.'

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