Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ambrose winced at her reaction - picking up more than just visual signs of her surprise, and begining to resent his heightened sense of smell. At least otherwise he could pretend that he hadn't frightened her.

He swallowed down the depression that threatened to rear its head. She wasn't judging him... he had just startled her. And, thank God, from her follow-up reaction she at least seemd to be abreast of the situation. He was going to have to get used to things. Their little "community" seemed to be always growing - there would always be new faces - and with many of them Ambrose may not have the same luck of them already being in-the-know.

"It's.... alright. I'm sorry for startling you." His ears drooped and he gave a wincing smile. "My name is Ambrose." He said after a deep inhale, trying to start on a new foot. He glanced between her measuring tape and the window. "Is there something I can help you with?"

A moment later he extended his hand after, it seemed, some internal debate.

Ambrose nodded, more than understanding her hesitance to put words to the situation. "It's fine... believe it or not, I do understand."

He ran a hand through his still-human hair. "I can't criticize. I find myself staring embarrassingly at others even though this has already happened to me."

He wrapped his furry hand around hers and gave her a firm handshake, his eyes meeting hers. "Anjali.... it's nice to meet you... I think that Greer mentioned speaking with you? About helping wiht the butterfly house project she wants to work with?"

He nodded, his tail twitching behind him a bit anxiously. "Yes... from what they say... a wolf." He nodded to her rundown. "Sounds like you've met Greer and The Dude besides myself then?"

Ambrose nodded, consideringly. "For better or for worse - and arguably the latter in my opinion - I was the first to change initially. SO I didn't exactly receive a warning." He grimaced.

His eyes snapped quickly to the tape measure as it made the loud sound. He had not been paying attention to her hands, and the loud noise set his hackles on edge before he took a breath, shook his head at his own jumpiness, visably forcibly set himself down.

"I... understand. Our own affairs come first, I suppose." He commented, looking at the tools. "What is it precisely you're doing? You said that you're a gardener. But.... I mean, most of the plants here are wild." HE looked to the jungle.

"Aaah" Ambrose said, realization dawning on him. "I see what you're saying. Honestly, I hadn't thought about it, but I can see what you are saying. I bet you could do some truly beautiful things with our little village here." Ambrose said with a gesture. "I just hope.." He added. "That not just for the sake of stripping the woods, but for those others out thre, that he doesn't have to expand the duplexes past what he already has here." He winced.

"And yes.... other than a few new faces... Jamal... And Awen... everyone else I know has started to change. Amaya is a lizard of some sort... Cassiy a snake. My upstairs neighbor is some sort of feline... Pyroth another canine of some kind."

Ambrose shrugged and raised his eyebrows. "well.... I was thinking something similar when it had been some time before I changed the second time. But then again, it had to be at least partially successful on me to work the first time." He said with a sigh. "But I guess I didn't believe... or didn't want to believe that THIS" He gestured to the fur covering his body "was even plausible." He frowned. "I Guess I hoped that if I didn't change again, that I could leave."

He looked her over. She certainly didn't seem to be boasting any inhuman qualities. "But maybe you're right. Maybe it didn't work. I mean it is a very experimental scientific process. For your sake, I hope you're right. I don't suppose you know what serum they gave you?"

He gestured to his sparce room. "Would you like to come inside?" He offered. "IT's more comfortable talking there."

"You're more than welcome" Ambrose smiled, unwittingly revealing sharp teeth as he stepped aside and gestured into the room. "Unfortunately, I'm becoming less and less suited to the heat."

It was Ambrose's turn to look startled. "A plant?" He shook his head, a bit confused. "Is that possible? I mean... maybe that's why you haven't changed - it didn't work.... or... maybe it's just taking longer for them to 'prep' you..." He added with chagrin, not wanting to play to the more depressing option.

Ambrose smiled sincerely. "It sounds like you have a better knowledge on the subject than I do... I did take a semester of undergrad biology... but I'm sure that that doesn't exactly count for much. I mean... cell walls and all that..." He pulled out a chair to offer her a seat.

"Sorry about the sparce room - I don't have a whole lot that I brought with me. I wasn't expecting to stay longer than a couple of weeks." Ambrose took a seat on the edge of the bed with a masked sigh.

"I don't see how any of this is possible, frankly, but... well.. it's happening."