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"I've seen the way people look at me, even before I finished changing." She sniffed, looking up at him. "But you wouldn't like me either by how I look, I know you wouldn't." Afterall, who would? "No one can even tell I'm a girl anymore unless I talk."

She sobbed, hiding her head in her hands again just as the human man walked in.

Gaius sighed, rubbing the side of his face. What could he say to that? It was hard, when Amaya seemed determined to remain depressed, but then, he could imagine how she must feel. "Maybe not by looks..." He reached a hand up to pull one of her from her face and hold it, long fingers and all, in one of his own, and looked her in the eye with a hopeful expression. "But I could like you for who you really are? After all, who's responsible for your current appearance? Certainly not you! The labs have just hidden a very pretty heart under a veil of scales - it takes a little more effort to see, but it's there! I know you think it's impossible, but I still think you can find someone who loves you!"

His ears twitched, registering the sound of footsteps, but Gaius's attention was on the bundle of sobbing scales in his arms at the moment.

Gaius's smile faded slightly, looking a bit more defeated, but optimism sprung eternal. He'd known a couple people in his life who had times when they needed to roll in their negativity, like a comforting blanket.

Gaius pulled Amaya back into a hug and gave her a quick squeeze, then let her go and set a hand on her head. "Are there any desserts you like? Maybe gorging a bit can help take away the sting. It helps me sometimes when the world seems to all be going bad," he raised his eyebrows with a light smile, hoping she'd agree to the suggestion.

"Strawberries!" Gaius's grin brightened. "I think I can manage those." Pulling himself to his feet, the overly-helpful guy turned tail for the buffet area, specifically the fruits. However, as he looked over the selection, he was disappointed to find no strawberries to be had. He sidled over to Delia and after a quick exchange, she went into the back, returning a moment later with a clear plastic box dripping water. Gaius took the container and started to turn away, but paused as he looked over at the beverages. Of course, there was a coffee machine for the islanders that could still drink it. He seemed to debate over something, then grabbed a small bowl and filled it with a couple white cubes. Then, he finally returned to the table and sat down near Amaya, setting the basket of strawberries and a bowl of sugar cubes between them.

He plucked up one of the red fruits and took a bite off the tip. "Mmm...." he sighed appreciatively. "They're better than I remember. Have some!"

Thankfully, eating manners were never anything to bother Gaius, who was all for finger food. He picked off another strawberry, sucking the juices off his fingers before reaching over to the bowl of sugar cubes. He picked one up, looking at it thoughtfully a moment before tossing it in his mouth and crunching. He'd been drawn to them, but he really didn't know why... Maybe it was just his sweet tooth acting up?

He looked back at Amaya, glad to see she was enjoying the fruit. He finished crunching the cube, licking the dissolving sugar off his lips. "Out of curiosity, you like fruit salads? The wolf fellow mentioned I smelled like an herbie... uh... like a plant-eating animal, but I have to admit I'm not too keen on vegeterian dishes... but I guess I could try making something inbetween. Would you want to try some of my experiments if I make extra?"

He shook his head, long ears flopping slightly. "No clue. I mean, the ears and tail and all seem to work together, but then I have these weird growths on my back..." He gestured a hand over his shoulder, twisting in his seat so she could get a glimpse of them. "Nita suggested they might be wings, but I don't know of any animal with this combo, unless they're trying to make a flying pig..." he frowned.

His eyes turned back to her. "What about yourself...? Ambrose mentioned being complete... have you... finished too?"

He shrugged at her comment about furry. It was true, he'd grown a good bit of hair down the back of his neck, and along the base of his spine, but he didn't really think of himself as 'furry.' "I dunno either... though I'm glad you don't think it's a pig!"

At her question, he nodded, then chuckled. "Nah, when I first saw him he was sneaking up on me on two legs. Nearly scared the stuffing out of me, but he's a nice guy and we got to talking. He seems to be okay. Functioning hands and stuff, though definitely has a werewolf thing going on..." He shrugged. "Still... it has to be a relief, not having to wonder what part of you is going to disappear with the next change, and that you don't have to deal with that bone-deep pain anymore..."

Silence spanned between the two. Gaius fiddled with a strawberry, unsure what to say. He didn't want to talk much more about the changes, it was a touchy subject for everyone there and not one that'd lead to happy feelings. And he was worried about making another dumb move like earlier.

"So," he ventured, "are the strawberries to your liking?" He looked sideways at her, hoping that her mood had improved at least.