Welcome to Gaia! ::

As the base of her tail became gradually visible, along with those patches of skin which... could no longer be correctly categorized as skin appeared, Emelyn understood why Joli would be so upset. So many things were changing- and not for the better.

"I'm so sorry." Emelyn said, slowly following her to the beach. "I don't think there's anything I could do- the only food I have stored up... wouldn't be very appetizing to you. ...And you're hurt? What happened?"

Of all the things Joliette said- it was the unspoken- yet very evident- that she focused on.

"You sound starving. Have you been to the cafeteria at all? You sound like you need to eat if you don't want the Komodo taking over." Emelyn knew- from quite different experience than Joli, given... that when she was hungry or hurt, the animal presence became much more solidified, more insistant. Em wondered briefly- as she had before- what it was about humans that had... cancelled out the majority of their survival insticnts. Had humans just become so reliant on the tangible, on the known... that they'd forsaken those anscestral keys that gave them priveledge to the doors of survival, to innate, instinctual knowledge? Were they nature's mistakes? ...Or perhaps miracles, evolved beyond the need to instinctually know, and feel. She supposed she'd never know.

"Well, water won't help you, much. My Grandpa John's dog used to love getting into the skunks in the woods. The best way to get the smell off is to clean yourself with tomato juice- or with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, dish detergent, and baking soda. ...Maybe you can get them from that woman who works in the community center. ..En route to the cafeteria." Emelyn said. Not quite subtlely.

"Pretty good. Can't complain," Emelyn said. "It's easy to live off the land when you're an omnivore. ...Although I do get awfully bored." She steered the topic off food as soon as she'd gotten a handlehold on it. No reason to antagonize Joli's poor stomach even more than it was. "Seems these days, all I do is write, think... wash my clothes... and gather food. Tres boring."

"I'm sure you'll be able to still do everything you've done before. Just... differently-abled. If it came down to it, I'm even sure that the jackasses up at Feral would be giddy at the chance to design new, compatible equiptment for you." And it was probably true, too- they'd think of it as a challenge, instead of what it really was: payment due for their atrocities. A very small percentage of that payment... but due, nonetheless.

"Mmn," Em said, murmuring in the affirmative. "There's a cave about halfway up the slope of the mountain- about a six-seven minute climb up the easy side, if you take it at a clip. Just at the point where the trees start to thin out. It's just a little... concave sigh, practically, in the mountain- but it's deep enough that I've got everything set up inside. It's also far enough up that I feel safe. ...That's a big thing out here," Emelyn said, after a noticeable pause. "Trying to feel safe."

"It's not the natural animals that I have cause to worry about," Emelyn said honestly. "Only those islanders... who have given themselves over completely to their animal nature." Her eyes were sympathetic, and her words were honest.