Sunflowers and Moonmonsters
Quote from Adriana on August 10, 2023, 2:20 pmNo sooner had Mercy fallen back was I kneeling by her side. I held the back of her head in one hand and with the other felt her heart.
"C'mon, Mercy."
No sooner had Mercy fallen back was I kneeling by her side. I held the back of her head in one hand and with the other felt her heart.
"C'mon, Mercy."
Quote from Mae on August 10, 2023, 5:13 pmMercy's heart slowed so rapidly that it was hard to imagine what happened inside her. She breathed out, and the change flowed over her without resistence.
Met with no resistence, the change came on smooth and easily. On the surface, it was like an illusion the human eye could not comprehend. As if, with the growth of fur, Mercy's skin turned to scales or became an insolid thing for a moment; the light of the moon, glinting on her hair and skin, played a funny game on the eye to erase or distract from the bizarre change of her body and form. Blue hues danced on every red thread. Whatever shadows could be percieved played into the illusion's befuddlement of the senses. In one moment, Mercy was Mercy, and in the next she looked like an animal.
Robin's hand would know more than her eyes, for she would feel Mercy's hair grow thicker and longer, and her skull change, if only slightly in the back. Her skin felt loose as red-rabbit fur eclipsed Robin's fingers. Her chin fell forward with the lengthening of her face. Her ears rose and fell over Robin's forearm, and much of her human hair was shed. Her palms, now padded and clawed, were as black as ink. One of her ears was notably redder than the other, and her face was dappled and pokadotted red. All of her features were round and long, but not so long as the one who gave her her form. She bore a remarkable resemblance to him, and still she was a different color and size.
Mercy's heart slowed so rapidly that it was hard to imagine what happened inside her. She breathed out, and the change flowed over her without resistence.
Met with no resistence, the change came on smooth and easily. On the surface, it was like an illusion the human eye could not comprehend. As if, with the growth of fur, Mercy's skin turned to scales or became an insolid thing for a moment; the light of the moon, glinting on her hair and skin, played a funny game on the eye to erase or distract from the bizarre change of her body and form. Blue hues danced on every red thread. Whatever shadows could be percieved played into the illusion's befuddlement of the senses. In one moment, Mercy was Mercy, and in the next she looked like an animal.
Robin's hand would know more than her eyes, for she would feel Mercy's hair grow thicker and longer, and her skull change, if only slightly in the back. Her skin felt loose as red-rabbit fur eclipsed Robin's fingers. Her chin fell forward with the lengthening of her face. Her ears rose and fell over Robin's forearm, and much of her human hair was shed. Her palms, now padded and clawed, were as black as ink. One of her ears was notably redder than the other, and her face was dappled and pokadotted red. All of her features were round and long, but not so long as the one who gave her her form. She bore a remarkable resemblance to him, and still she was a different color and size.
Quote from Adriana on August 10, 2023, 6:05 pm"Good girl, good job, Momma."
I lowered her carefully to the ground and breathed a prayer of thanks. My first instinct wasn't fear, but nonetheless, I put a little bit of distance between myself and Mercy.
"Do your worst, you stupid rock." even as I reached into the bag and took out a bottle, I shifted easily. Mercy had made it look --if at possible—seamless and easy. My first few times? Not graceful.
She'd feel better already, that much I knew. Everything that had been building up was finally released, like the pressure in an old wine bottle. I knew it'd feel new, and scary, and loud. But if it were anything like my first change - she wasn't hurting so bad right now - and tomorrow she'd be sore, but feel loads better than she had.
"Wake up Mercy."
I popped the cork on the bottle and sniffed, then held it briefly to her nose before corking it again. Scent was as good a thing as any to get your senses going.
"Good girl, good job, Momma."
I lowered her carefully to the ground and breathed a prayer of thanks. My first instinct wasn't fear, but nonetheless, I put a little bit of distance between myself and Mercy.
"Do your worst, you stupid rock." even as I reached into the bag and took out a bottle, I shifted easily. Mercy had made it look --if at possible—seamless and easy. My first few times? Not graceful.
She'd feel better already, that much I knew. Everything that had been building up was finally released, like the pressure in an old wine bottle. I knew it'd feel new, and scary, and loud. But if it were anything like my first change - she wasn't hurting so bad right now - and tomorrow she'd be sore, but feel loads better than she had.
"Wake up Mercy."
I popped the cork on the bottle and sniffed, then held it briefly to her nose before corking it again. Scent was as good a thing as any to get your senses going.
Quote from Mae on August 12, 2023, 8:19 amRosa couldn't have told Robin anything to prepare her beyond this point, for the change happened differently for every person who ever experienced it. At its basest and most benign, the werewolf was a reactionary creature. Each would fall upon his or her own instinct to react in a different way. Some reacted in fear-driven flight. Others, reacted with adrenaline-induced excitement. Still others more were prone to aggression, and irrational compulsion. What would Mercy's reaction be, to finding her senses overwhelmed, and without the least idea of where or who she was?
Mercy's dark, ebony-red nose twitched. She lay still on the ground... Then, her eyes opened with a flash! Her pale green eyes slowly turned until Robin sat in her focus...
Mercy was still. Then, her head rotated, and her body followed. Her hands flattened on the earth. Her ears flattened on her head. Her heart began to race once more. And then! A slow, long whine issued out of her mouth.
Rosa couldn't have told Robin anything to prepare her beyond this point, for the change happened differently for every person who ever experienced it. At its basest and most benign, the werewolf was a reactionary creature. Each would fall upon his or her own instinct to react in a different way. Some reacted in fear-driven flight. Others, reacted with adrenaline-induced excitement. Still others more were prone to aggression, and irrational compulsion. What would Mercy's reaction be, to finding her senses overwhelmed, and without the least idea of where or who she was?
Mercy's dark, ebony-red nose twitched. She lay still on the ground... Then, her eyes opened with a flash! Her pale green eyes slowly turned until Robin sat in her focus...
Mercy was still. Then, her head rotated, and her body followed. Her hands flattened on the earth. Her ears flattened on her head. Her heart began to race once more. And then! A slow, long whine issued out of her mouth.
Quote from Adriana on August 12, 2023, 10:41 amI exhaled. Stayed where I was on my haunches. I didn’t want to move fast and scare her.
Her body language wasn’t aggressive, that much I could tell. I had her attention and I needed to keep it that way.
This was the part that was hard for me, my second language. It was something I’d always had a sense of shame about.
I tilted my head before I finally extended my arms forward on the ground in a long stretch-that’s what dogs did when they wanted to play. Or it was a greeting. I don’t know. Either way, I was lower and hopefully less intimidating. Still bowed forward, I whined in response,
“You’re safe.”
I turned my eyes away and looked towards the trees as a breeze ruffled the leaves gently, and the bottles swayed just so, catching the light of the moon. My tail wagged.
I exhaled. Stayed where I was on my haunches. I didn’t want to move fast and scare her.
Her body language wasn’t aggressive, that much I could tell. I had her attention and I needed to keep it that way.
This was the part that was hard for me, my second language. It was something I’d always had a sense of shame about.
I tilted my head before I finally extended my arms forward on the ground in a long stretch-that’s what dogs did when they wanted to play. Or it was a greeting. I don’t know. Either way, I was lower and hopefully less intimidating. Still bowed forward, I whined in response,
“You’re safe.”
I turned my eyes away and looked towards the trees as a breeze ruffled the leaves gently, and the bottles swayed just so, catching the light of the moon. My tail wagged.
Quote from Mae on August 12, 2023, 2:04 pmMercy breathed two hard breaths. She followed Robin's gaze with her own and lifted her head from the ground. Her ears stood erect as she looked at the star glittering under the boughs. Then her tail hit the ground. It scared her. She jumped and scampered back, kicking up grass and dirt as she fell over! Her tail forgotten, she lay still on the grass. Her odd colored ears swiveled rapidly in the direction of a warbling bottle nearby.
Mercy breathed two hard breaths. She followed Robin's gaze with her own and lifted her head from the ground. Her ears stood erect as she looked at the star glittering under the boughs. Then her tail hit the ground. It scared her. She jumped and scampered back, kicking up grass and dirt as she fell over! Her tail forgotten, she lay still on the grass. Her odd colored ears swiveled rapidly in the direction of a warbling bottle nearby.
Quote from Kaqurei on August 12, 2023, 2:15 pmHe knelt in shadows above them, observing, but not interfering. In the pale moonlight, his steel grey pelt melted into the rocks around him. In plain sight, yet invisible, as was the way of the Svalnaglas.
He'd never been accused of having a weak stomach. But then, he'd never seen anyone human-born undergo their first change before either. He'd heard it could be brutal.
'Brutal', to him, meant blood and broken bones and unanswered pleas for--oh, the irony--mercy. 'Brutal' was nothing Josh Rogers couldn't handle.
But after seeing Mercy's first change, he'd learned a new definition for the word 'brutal'. He was glad there was no one to observe the tears that lept to his eyes, or how he'd ducked lower to the earth with his ears pinned back and his tail tucked like an overgrown puppy. He was also glad he'd managed not to throw up.
He wasn't sure what made her agony different from any other he'd ever seen... But nothing he had ever seen or done in his entire life had ever been as hard to watch as Mercy's first change. That part was over now. Now the Preacher transformed and Mercy woke. Her whines made his stomach flip again. He took a steadying breath, and waited.
He had a job to do. Now was not the time to get all sentimental.
He knelt in shadows above them, observing, but not interfering. In the pale moonlight, his steel grey pelt melted into the rocks around him. In plain sight, yet invisible, as was the way of the Svalnaglas.
He'd never been accused of having a weak stomach. But then, he'd never seen anyone human-born undergo their first change before either. He'd heard it could be brutal.
'Brutal', to him, meant blood and broken bones and unanswered pleas for--oh, the irony--mercy. 'Brutal' was nothing Josh Rogers couldn't handle.
But after seeing Mercy's first change, he'd learned a new definition for the word 'brutal'. He was glad there was no one to observe the tears that lept to his eyes, or how he'd ducked lower to the earth with his ears pinned back and his tail tucked like an overgrown puppy. He was also glad he'd managed not to throw up.
He wasn't sure what made her agony different from any other he'd ever seen... But nothing he had ever seen or done in his entire life had ever been as hard to watch as Mercy's first change. That part was over now. Now the Preacher transformed and Mercy woke. Her whines made his stomach flip again. He took a steadying breath, and waited.
He had a job to do. Now was not the time to get all sentimental.
Quote from Adriana on August 12, 2023, 5:52 pmPoor Mercy got frightened by her own tail. If it weren't so pitiful, it'd be funny. She really was like a baby, looking at everything from brand new eyes. Mercy was still there, and sooner or later, she might remember Charlie. But for now I got to entertain a baby werewolf.
I straightened my posture with my haunches still low, and followed the sound her ears twitched towards; one of the bottles laying on the grass. Picking it up, I blew into it and recreated the soft warbling noise once to show her how the sound was made. Then I tapped my nails along the glass in a satisfying series of "chnks".
Poor Mercy got frightened by her own tail. If it weren't so pitiful, it'd be funny. She really was like a baby, looking at everything from brand new eyes. Mercy was still there, and sooner or later, she might remember Charlie. But for now I got to entertain a baby werewolf.
I straightened my posture with my haunches still low, and followed the sound her ears twitched towards; one of the bottles laying on the grass. Picking it up, I blew into it and recreated the soft warbling noise once to show her how the sound was made. Then I tapped my nails along the glass in a satisfying series of "chnks".
Quote from Mae on August 12, 2023, 7:35 pmMercy watched Robin play with the bottle. Her head tilted one way, then the other. Her ears twitched. Her pupils expanded slightly and then collapsed to their previous size. Then she extended her neck, sniffing cautiously. For any amount of time that the bottle was silent, Mercy's ears would start swiveling rapidly around at the field, but so long as it made noise her focus was engaged. She, as yet, did not try to untangle herself to stand up.
Mercy watched Robin play with the bottle. Her head tilted one way, then the other. Her ears twitched. Her pupils expanded slightly and then collapsed to their previous size. Then she extended her neck, sniffing cautiously. For any amount of time that the bottle was silent, Mercy's ears would start swiveling rapidly around at the field, but so long as it made noise her focus was engaged. She, as yet, did not try to untangle herself to stand up.
Quote from Adriana on August 12, 2023, 8:19 pmI kept trying different tones - deeper and higher - and meanwhile I moved to the bag and pulled out another bottle. This was one of those scented ones - I think nicer than the last one I opened. Still distracting Mercy with the sounds, I inched closer, seeing how near she would let me get.
I kept trying different tones - deeper and higher - and meanwhile I moved to the bag and pulled out another bottle. This was one of those scented ones - I think nicer than the last one I opened. Still distracting Mercy with the sounds, I inched closer, seeing how near she would let me get.
