Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Thank you so much!" Unimagainably grateful to be headed back towards civilization, Greer trotted obediently behind him the whole way.

It was crisply cold out, and refreshing- the air was poignant and thick to Emelyn's new sense of smell, and she let it lead her through the jungle and up past the beach onto the cliffs- a place she'd never before dared to explore. The past few weeks had been those of isolation, closeting herself away from the others on the island, and into a fierce, guilty debate with her shame and fear. ...Strangely enough, it was her transformation that had freed her, unlocking the abandon of the wild creature that was now a part of her. Emelyn had let that creature free, and now it was taking her to places she'd never been.

The cliffs were beautiful... and so were the views beyond- a sparkling, dark see as far as the eye could imagine it, and farther- stretching beyond the crystal line of the horizon. ...But there was someone already there, clutching their stomach and leaning over the edge. Em's first reaction was to clutch her own stomach- for it had seized in fear.

"Please don't jump!" She cried, not wanting to step further out onto the precipice with someone who may be suicidal.

Emerwyn almost did fall with two voices coming at her. She scrambled up to her feet.
"Oh, hello, Ian." she smiled weakly.
"And, hello, to you; I don't think I've met you yet." She looked over at the woman, who had also begun to change.

"Nice to meet you Emelyn," said Ian, holding out his hand automatically, then hesitating because of his fingers. "Emerwyn referred to me by name, but I'm Ian." He frowned as his arm began to itch again, finding a rock on the ground he lifted it and rubbed it on his arm to relieve it. "Sorry about that," he grimaced. "I have a hard time scratching nowadays." Then his grimace turned to a smirk, "but it would hurt a lot if I ever decided to slap someone."

Ian nodded at Emelyn's other comment. "I can understand holing yourself up, I did that my first few days here."

Emelyn had laughed at Ian's scratching comment- and in response, she only held up her newly-fur tinged arm- she certainly knew about the itching. Her roughened claws were no match for them, however- and any itch was quickly dispelled by a vicious drag across the newcomers.

He seemed a little uncomfortable about his change- and Emelyn wanted to ask him about it- but then the other woman began to cough, and Em was concerned, stepping forward and putting her newly-padded hand out to see if she needed steadying.

"Emerwyn, was it?" I like your name, Em thought wryly... but then pushed the non sequitor out of her mind. "Are you alright? That's a vicious cough."

Emerwyn simply nodded - to every question posed. She hadn't gotten her voice back yet.

She reached out, trying to find something to lean on. Not finding anything, she collapsed onto the ground. The coughing was beginning to sudside. She had ben covering her mouth the whole time. When she pulled her hand away, she saw a trickle of blood. She hid her palm in a fist, hoping that neither if them saw.

Ian, being the dense not very perceptive man that he was, completely missed seeing blood on Emerwyn hand and crouched down beside Emerwyn, hearing Emely say that they were going back to the village. "A hedgehog huh?" he muttered distracted my Emerwyn. "That's interesting. In elementary school, a kid I knew brought in his pet hedgehog for show and tell. It was kinda cute, but it curled up when I went near it."

Ian put his hands on Emerwyn's shoulders briefly then started to help her up. "I agree, you have to go to the village. You might be seriously ill."

Em furrowed her brow, not having anticipated the resistance.

"I really think we should have you see one of the doctors." She'd been very cautious thus far not to say Moreau's name, but obviously Emerwyn had understood the meaning behind the words- for she either had "white coat syndrome"... or she was one of the many on the island who despised Moreau.

"Or at least... let us take you back down to the village, where people can look out for you if you collapse again," she said, still not happy with the idea of Emer refusing medical help, but willing to attempt a compromise rather than have her spurn aid altogether, "After all, a cliffside isn't the best place to be collapsing." By mentioning the off chance that she might tumble over the edge, Emelyn hoped to bring Emer's mind away from her illness, and instead focus it on something that was probably easier for her to accept help with, and to admit that it could occur.