Sunflowers and Moonmonsters
Quote from Mae on July 7, 2023, 2:38 amMercy sat on the bathroom floor with her head in her hands and the strange clothes on the floor in front of her.
"I made you a smiley pancake. C’mon Bubs."
Mercy heard the light tap of Charlie's soft knuckles on the door again.
"Go with her, Charlie." Mercy moaned from in the bathroom. Then she tried to sound more cheerful, for his sake. "I'll be out in a minute."When she heard his little feet patter away, Mercy picked up the clothes off the floor and unfolded them before her. If she could just think a little more clearly, she might be more curious. The clothes were strange and of a strange design, but they were soft and had no scent, and that gave them a certain appeal. Still, Mercy rummaged through her memory and could find nothing about strange clothes in her training with Harvey, Douglas, and the other hunters.
Rosa set out another set of clothes on the couch, along with some bottles and blankets.
"I thought so, too." She said. "They all do them a little differently. But the point is almost universally the same. They guide them through the use of their senses, and give them objects to focus on. Some use plants and medicines, others have ceremonial grounds that make use of stationary objects, like the moon, or the trees. Whatever you do, you will have to talk her through it as best you can. She needs to not be afraid."
Mercy sat on the bathroom floor with her head in her hands and the strange clothes on the floor in front of her.
"I made you a smiley pancake. C’mon Bubs."
Mercy heard the light tap of Charlie's soft knuckles on the door again.
"Go with her, Charlie." Mercy moaned from in the bathroom. Then she tried to sound more cheerful, for his sake. "I'll be out in a minute."
When she heard his little feet patter away, Mercy picked up the clothes off the floor and unfolded them before her. If she could just think a little more clearly, she might be more curious. The clothes were strange and of a strange design, but they were soft and had no scent, and that gave them a certain appeal. Still, Mercy rummaged through her memory and could find nothing about strange clothes in her training with Harvey, Douglas, and the other hunters.
Rosa set out another set of clothes on the couch, along with some bottles and blankets.
"I thought so, too." She said. "They all do them a little differently. But the point is almost universally the same. They guide them through the use of their senses, and give them objects to focus on. Some use plants and medicines, others have ceremonial grounds that make use of stationary objects, like the moon, or the trees. Whatever you do, you will have to talk her through it as best you can. She needs to not be afraid."
Quote from Adriana on July 7, 2023, 10:45 amI was glad to hear Mercy’s voice, not crying. There was still a lot of pain in it.
Once Charlie was seated, I looked over to see Rosa setting things out.
“What’s all that?” I asked, tilting my head towards the bottles.
I was glad to hear Mercy’s voice, not crying. There was still a lot of pain in it.
Once Charlie was seated, I looked over to see Rosa setting things out.
“What’s all that?” I asked, tilting my head towards the bottles.
Quote from Mae on July 7, 2023, 4:13 pm"Distractions." Rosa said simply. "You're welcome to take a look if you like. And this one is for you. I know you have your own things, but I thought you might like to have something spare on hand. There are no insignias or scents on it so you'll be safe wearing it. Yours are black. Hers are white. It'll help you to keep track of her in the dark."
"Distractions." Rosa said simply. "You're welcome to take a look if you like. And this one is for you. I know you have your own things, but I thought you might like to have something spare on hand. There are no insignias or scents on it so you'll be safe wearing it. Yours are black. Hers are white. It'll help you to keep track of her in the dark."
Quote from Adriana on July 7, 2023, 8:34 pmI knit my brow a bit tighter as I walked over to the sofa. Letting my hand brush the black garment.
"It's very soft." I commented, picking it up and examining the style. Setting it down again, I picked up a bottle next.
"How do you use them?"
I knit my brow a bit tighter as I walked over to the sofa. Letting my hand brush the black garment.
"It's very soft." I commented, picking it up and examining the style. Setting it down again, I picked up a bottle next.
"How do you use them?"
Quote from Mae on July 8, 2023, 4:17 pm"I'll show you." Rosa said.
She uncorked one of the bottles and lifted it for Robin to smell. The smell was quite strong the moment the cork came out, but it was neither revolting nor particularly pleasant. It seemed to rise in layers, each one interesting in its own way, and all of them together indiscernable. Rosa corked the bottle again and opened another one.
"Some of them can be quite pungent." She warned. But this one had a subtler smell, requiring Rosa to lift it to her nose to smell it. She wrinkled her nose slightly then let Robin smell it too. The smell was actually quite appetizing, for a werewolf. Rosa corked the bottle again.
"Each gives a different sensory input. Like toys, for children." Rosa explained. She uncorked another bottle, notably one tinted blue, and brought it to her lips. This bottle had no smell, but when she blew across its rim it made a very abrupt warble.
Charlie's head came up from his plate. He looked for the source of the sound. When he saw it, he decided he best come take a closer look at once. So, he scrambled off his seat and came quickly to the couch.
Rosa laughed softly.
"You see?" She said. She gave the bottle to Charlie and showed him how to blow on it. He took it, and blew, but the warble was distinctly quieter. He kept trying.
Rose picked up another blue-tinted bottle and blew on its rim. This one made a sort of whistling sound. Charlie looked up, fascinated. He wasn't quite done investigating the blue-tinted bottle, but he picked up a clear bottle off the couch and tried to open it. It had many glass beads inside it that caught the sunlight coming in from the window and glittered in all directions. Charlie's stout, soft fingers couldn't get the cork out, even when he put down the blue bottle, so he gave it to Robin in the hopes she would open it for him.
Rosa corked all the bottles again, to Charlie's dismay, and put them on the couch.
"Of course," she said, "There's no guarantee they'll work... the minute a rabbit crosses your path, or a night bird, you're sure to lose her. But I haven't met a one that wasn't distracted by at least a few of them."
There were many aspects of the strange clothing that confused Mercy early on. The most bizarre, of course, was an open fold in the back of the lower garment meant for what Mercy knew could only be a tail. Up til that moment, Mercy never considered the thought of a tail. Would she have a tail? Bone is unbendable. Muscle performs according to patterns of routine movement. This was reality. There was nothing more real than one's own skin. Did Mercy believe that this flesh she knew so well, every muscle and bone, could change so radically after years of proper performance? What on earth was to change it - could change it? And somehow in a reversible order as to restore it the next day? It was impossible.
Mercy's suspension of disbelief was hindered only by the intensifying pain in her bones. Whether it was a numbing, throbbing, or tingling sensation under her skin, Mercy knew something was not right. The more she thought of it, the more her stomach turned.
Mercy tried to move on, move passed the thought of a tail, and try not to imagine the metaphorical train she was on, speeding her toward a cliff.
"I'll show you." Rosa said.
She uncorked one of the bottles and lifted it for Robin to smell. The smell was quite strong the moment the cork came out, but it was neither revolting nor particularly pleasant. It seemed to rise in layers, each one interesting in its own way, and all of them together indiscernable. Rosa corked the bottle again and opened another one.
"Some of them can be quite pungent." She warned. But this one had a subtler smell, requiring Rosa to lift it to her nose to smell it. She wrinkled her nose slightly then let Robin smell it too. The smell was actually quite appetizing, for a werewolf. Rosa corked the bottle again.
"Each gives a different sensory input. Like toys, for children." Rosa explained. She uncorked another bottle, notably one tinted blue, and brought it to her lips. This bottle had no smell, but when she blew across its rim it made a very abrupt warble.
Charlie's head came up from his plate. He looked for the source of the sound. When he saw it, he decided he best come take a closer look at once. So, he scrambled off his seat and came quickly to the couch.
Rosa laughed softly.
"You see?" She said. She gave the bottle to Charlie and showed him how to blow on it. He took it, and blew, but the warble was distinctly quieter. He kept trying.
Rose picked up another blue-tinted bottle and blew on its rim. This one made a sort of whistling sound. Charlie looked up, fascinated. He wasn't quite done investigating the blue-tinted bottle, but he picked up a clear bottle off the couch and tried to open it. It had many glass beads inside it that caught the sunlight coming in from the window and glittered in all directions. Charlie's stout, soft fingers couldn't get the cork out, even when he put down the blue bottle, so he gave it to Robin in the hopes she would open it for him.
Rosa corked all the bottles again, to Charlie's dismay, and put them on the couch.
"Of course," she said, "There's no guarantee they'll work... the minute a rabbit crosses your path, or a night bird, you're sure to lose her. But I haven't met a one that wasn't distracted by at least a few of them."
There were many aspects of the strange clothing that confused Mercy early on. The most bizarre, of course, was an open fold in the back of the lower garment meant for what Mercy knew could only be a tail. Up til that moment, Mercy never considered the thought of a tail. Would she have a tail? Bone is unbendable. Muscle performs according to patterns of routine movement. This was reality. There was nothing more real than one's own skin. Did Mercy believe that this flesh she knew so well, every muscle and bone, could change so radically after years of proper performance? What on earth was to change it - could change it? And somehow in a reversible order as to restore it the next day? It was impossible.
Mercy's suspension of disbelief was hindered only by the intensifying pain in her bones. Whether it was a numbing, throbbing, or tingling sensation under her skin, Mercy knew something was not right. The more she thought of it, the more her stomach turned.
Mercy tried to move on, move passed the thought of a tail, and try not to imagine the metaphorical train she was on, speeding her toward a cliff.
Quote from Adriana on July 8, 2023, 4:45 pmI looked, smelled, listened, touched. Each object was fascinating even standing here now - to a werewolves senses, they were sure to be an experience.
Then the objects were all neatly tucked away. I shook my head to Charlie and gestured back to the table.
"You're not one of us, though - you've been present at a lot of first time changes?" I asked, sipping my coffee and gesturing vaguely at the toys. "They're not all the same though, right? I've seen two-" I spoke more quietly now than before, "I mean, me being one of them. Neither were good experiences."
I looked, smelled, listened, touched. Each object was fascinating even standing here now - to a werewolves senses, they were sure to be an experience.
Then the objects were all neatly tucked away. I shook my head to Charlie and gestured back to the table.
"You're not one of us, though - you've been present at a lot of first time changes?" I asked, sipping my coffee and gesturing vaguely at the toys. "They're not all the same though, right? I've seen two-" I spoke more quietly now than before, "I mean, me being one of them. Neither were good experiences."
Quote from Mae on July 8, 2023, 10:36 pmCharlie was disappointed. He opted to stay on the couch and keep trying to open bottles in vain.
"Only a few," Rosa said. She smiled a queenly smile in reflection of years gone by. "I learned how to make these before the birth of our son."
"It seems like we talked about it for years, what we would do when he started showing signs. Oh, Abe described the ceremonies and rituals to me so many times, I suppose he just didn't want me to be unprepared. But when it came time, well, we never needed it."
"I did use these to get out of a scrape or two, though." Rosa laughed. "And, of course, for my other son... Abe didnt want them to do a ceremony for him, so we went out with him together."
Charlie was disappointed. He opted to stay on the couch and keep trying to open bottles in vain.
"Only a few," Rosa said. She smiled a queenly smile in reflection of years gone by. "I learned how to make these before the birth of our son."
"It seems like we talked about it for years, what we would do when he started showing signs. Oh, Abe described the ceremonies and rituals to me so many times, I suppose he just didn't want me to be unprepared. But when it came time, well, we never needed it."
"I did use these to get out of a scrape or two, though." Rosa laughed. "And, of course, for my other son... Abe didnt want them to do a ceremony for him, so we went out with him together."
Quote from Adriana on July 10, 2023, 1:06 pmI listened to her answer. I absorbed it. But my mind was on something else. A lot of something else's. Mercy was still in the bathroom. Charlie wasn't listening. A woman from my husband's pack was in my living room.
The dogs didn't alert because she was part of the pack.
I suddenly had the urge to do dishes. I went to the kitchen, and began scrubbing and scraping the grime off of the breakfast dishes.
"How old are your boys?" I asked from the kitchen.
I listened to her answer. I absorbed it. But my mind was on something else. A lot of something else's. Mercy was still in the bathroom. Charlie wasn't listening. A woman from my husband's pack was in my living room.
The dogs didn't alert because she was part of the pack.
I suddenly had the urge to do dishes. I went to the kitchen, and began scrubbing and scraping the grime off of the breakfast dishes.
"How old are your boys?" I asked from the kitchen.
Quote from Mae on July 10, 2023, 8:27 pm"One turned eighteen in February." Rosa replied. She neatly folded the blankets she brought and set them out of the way. "And my Samuel turns thirty next month..."
"He looks so much like his father." She mused, "I was thirty-six weeks along when I had him. He came on a full moon night."
"Abe did everything he could to make sure I had the care I needed, but we weren't expecting it to be so soon... We were scared. And the nurses were simply awful people." She said, but she smiled all the same, as one does who can think of all the good and bad together through the lens of time.
"One turned eighteen in February." Rosa replied. She neatly folded the blankets she brought and set them out of the way. "And my Samuel turns thirty next month..."
"He looks so much like his father." She mused, "I was thirty-six weeks along when I had him. He came on a full moon night."
"Abe did everything he could to make sure I had the care I needed, but we weren't expecting it to be so soon... We were scared. And the nurses were simply awful people." She said, but she smiled all the same, as one does who can think of all the good and bad together through the lens of time.
Quote from Adriana on July 10, 2023, 9:14 pm"He wanted out on a full moon? Boy's crazy. So was the first time he saw his father..?" I whistled.
"Never liked doctors much. Never ran into them on much good terms, anyway. My daughter stayed in an extra week past her due date. My husband was out, ended up having her alone... I would do it again that way. Nobody in my business. She just turned... twenty seven last month."
"He wanted out on a full moon? Boy's crazy. So was the first time he saw his father..?" I whistled.
"Never liked doctors much. Never ran into them on much good terms, anyway. My daughter stayed in an extra week past her due date. My husband was out, ended up having her alone... I would do it again that way. Nobody in my business. She just turned... twenty seven last month."
