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Chris smirked and let out a chuckle as Branwan told him how to approach the doctor. "Yeah, that was what I was planning to do anyhow. I mean, I wouldn't expect to get much answer out of him if I balled him out first, right?"

He could tell that she was nervous for him about finding out. The way she worded that last sentence and her behavior gave it away.

"I take it the 'good doctor' is one for games of irony," Christopher rolled his eyes now as he said it. "Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see what he has in my mind for me. I just have to know is all. I mean, it would be like a dream come true if it turned out to be what I think it is."

Memories of Christopher's childhood came back to him. Just how he would behave in general and how he would constantly sneak out of the house to go into the woods. Oh the trouble he would put his parents though with that. One thing that hit him the most though was the nickname his parents had given him for when he was a child...

"Little Wolfpup..." he muttered under his breath, in a moment of rememberance.

He smirked again, a tear rolling down his eye as he thought about those times and how he probably won't see them again. But it was no sense to focus on that. At least he had the memories. But this would probably only lend to his anger toward Moreau later on down the road.

"Maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones who doesn't get that ironic fate," he tried to sound cheerful. "That would be nice, wouldn't it? But that doesn't mean I have to be grateful to the pompous little craven now does it?"

"So, about a month you've been here you say," Christopher repeated back. "Well, even if you didn't take it well then, I'm glad to see you're one of the few who would stay strong in a situation like this. Afterall, even though this sounds so corny and cliched, it's the truth. It's who we are on the inside that counts. Nothing can change that if you are strong."

Christopher examined Branwan's changes quickly again. "So, any idea on what they're changing you into? From the looks of it, I would almost guess some kind of flying animal myself."

Christopher listened once more but felt a little discouraged as well. Granted, it wouldn't be the first time he was disappointed but this was something that would greatly impact who he was. Even though he believed his words, he couldn't imagine being something else besides a wolf. That would practically erase his whole personality. Either way though, he had to stay strong.

"Sabin, heh?" Chris commented in an empty manner. "Well, maybe if I got him I would at least possibly count on a werewolf..."

'It is dumb to think they would cater to who I am,' Christopher thought to himself, feeling like he was sinking.

Christopher laughed at her joke about her changing on the inside. For the little time he had known her, he had come to admire her quite a bit. She was a strong person and he could tell. It was a wonderful to see. Someone who wasn't yellow bellied or too busy pitying themselves to take any action.

He then noticed how she reacted when he mentioned how it looked like she was becoming a flying animal of sorts. "So, I guess you don't know then?"

"Well then how does he manage to make the other mythological creature DNAs then?" Christopher questioned curiously.

He could tell that Branwan seemed a bit relieved to have some idea of what she was becoming. Maybe it was a good thing he spoke up on it. "White crow, huh? That would be quite interesting to see."

Christopher paused for a moment and thought of what to say next. "So, uhm... What do you do to pass the time on the island Branwan? You have any other friends here?"

"I'm 21 actually," Chris replied.

'Well, at least they're mostly going for adults but still, how terrible!' he thought to himself once again.

"Would you mind introducing me to your friends sometime?" Chris asked. "It'd be nice to meet them. Also, maybe we can all hang out and make a music video or short movie together. Or maybe I can show you my independent movie I made. It's called A Moonlight Lullaby."

He hoped maybe he could hook her into a movie discussion. Or maybe find out what some of her interests were. Afterall, he had been doing most of the talking and that seemed rather rude on his part. Plus, she was just a very welcoming personality. It was almost like having a little sister.

"What did you do before you came here? Besides gymnastics that is. What are some of your interests? As for the mountain, I caught a glimpse of it when I was flying in... Wait, you plan to climb it?!"

Christopher had to give Branwan credit for the fact she was very enthusiastic. 'Well, at least I know she won't be an emotional wreck like most people on this damn rock will be...'

A smile spread across his face as he listened to her talk with such energy. While she might have been shy or hesitant at first, there was a very colorful teenage girl underneath. He hoped that in time she would come out of her shell more and more. In order to encourage that, Christopher just let her go on in her spiel without interrupting her.

After she was finished, he started in, "My independent film deals a lot with spirituality, mainly focusing in on Native American culture and the ideas of totem animals and becoming one with them. I'll give you a hint what totem animal is present in the film. It's my favorite animal."

Christopher smirked and let out a little laugh on his last sentence. It only began to don on him them just how much he had surrounded himself with wolf related things all these years. It was no wonder he took on such strong characteristics and traits from them. But he began to wonder what caused that attraction in the first place. He tried to think back as far as he could but nothing came to him. All he knew was that he liked wolves and wanted to know more about them.

Before he drifted too far into his thoughts, Christopher spoke up once more.

"You write stories you say?" He repeated back. "Wow, that's pretty impressive, third place and all. You'll have to let me read it sometime if you have it handy. I'm into storytelling myself. Maybe we can share stories sometime. Sound good? And I must say you have a lot of gutso to climb a mountain like that. In fact, maybe we could have lunch up there sometime with any other friends we might make. I'm a pretty decent cook."

Christopher let out a hearty laugh as the conversation geared more towards a light tone. At first, he was thinking that the situation on the island would end up dominating this conversation in the long run. But he was glad to see it would not take control. It felt like a personal victory for Chris that Moreau wouldn't be able to influence or ruin this basic pleasure.

"I can't say I have ever climbed a mountain," replied Christopher. "I've done a lot of hikes and camping trips but mainly through forested areas and around cliffs. I have yet to tackle mountains. Maybe you can be my teacher in that department."

It felt great to have a conversation about typical things. Christopher had spent the last year either answering inquiries people had about his film or giving speeches and feedback. While it was a pleasure to run the festival circuit, he had to surrender most of his normal social life. He met very few of his 'fans' that wanted to talk about anything but making movies. Not to mention the business types. Just to have a normal chat once more was amazingly invigorating.

"So, what's your story about?" Christopher asked in an intrigued voice.

...when all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do...

Singing along to the tune on his MP3 Player, Erik was trying to enjoy himself, in the few days after his...emotional meeting with Branwan, his first round of changes had occured, and they were a bit more noticeble than her's.

His most distinguishing change was the furry, foot-long tail poking out from the hole he cut in his shorts. It was a dark brown, the same color as the patches of fur that appeared on his body, with a white tip at the end. Aside from the fur and tail, the changes didn't seem that noticeble (well, at least he hoped they didn't): pointed ears, sharpened canines and nails, small pads on his feet and hands, and his nose was starting to turn black.

Settling down at a creek on the outskirts of the forest, he took off his headphones, hoping to enjoy the sounds. But when he took them off, he heard two people talking. One of them he instantly recognized as Branwan, but he had no idea who the other person was. Curiosity beckoning, Erik made his way up the creek towards the others.

When they came into view, he called at them. "Hey Branwan, what's up?", he said, tail wagging.