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"Well, at least we're still omnivores," she said. "It's really nice to meet someone else who still is- everyone else turning into these ferocious meat-eaters or now they only eat vegetation... Oh, not that all of the meat-eaters are vicious," she assured. "But some of them are taking to the animalistic instincts a little too well." She didn't know who Bobby had met- but hopefully, she'd not come across Jamal...

Emelyn wanted to reply with a mention that she'd never met Pyroth- though, after all this time, had heard of him. ...She would have even rather focused on Ambrose, that touchy subject- and tell Bobby that of course he was in control. The man was one great bundle of controls and personal 'regulations'. Ambrose lived by the rules- even if those rules were those of an incredibly high, almost noble standard that he forced upon himself.

...But Bobby's question didn't really create the sort of atmosphere that those sort of 'outs'... asides, really, would do.

Emelyn nodded, just twice, slowly, up and down- as if that might suffice. "Yeah. About... two weeks ago, I guess? I don't know the timing exactly. Like you said- days sort of melt into one another. One of the islanders is turning into some sort of great cat- like a lion or a tiger or something. He dropped out of a tree as I was walking in the forest and got me pretty good. ...I woke up in the labs with an IV and stitches. But I'm healing really well, and I'm okay." She didn't know quite how convincing she sounded.

It was the first time that anyone on the island had ever offered their services to Emelyn as a confidant and... mental rock, and Emelyn would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised. In truth, the girl had always provided a sort of bedrock for the comfort and sanity of those other islanders who would come to her with problems. Never before had any other shown such a level of concern- at least, in that they were willing to offer it outright. Perhaps it was a mark of the woman's age and maturity... and that she was a mother and a policewoman- a protector in both of her jobs. She was unlike the other islanders, Emelyn supposed- in that she did not possess the veneer of vanity and self-absorption that so often comes with youth... and in a silent thank you to fate, if not Moreau- Emelyn was glad that Bobby had not become a more self-absorbed, violent animal. Now, those natural tendencies towards love and protection... would be preserved.

"Thank you, Bobby," she said, her words sincere, "I really appreciate the offer. ...I think I'll be okay. ...I spent a long time in my cave, afraid to leave- but just the fact that I'm out in the open now- I'm pretty sure I'm on the way to putting it behind me. I'm just happy to be alive. But trust me, if I ever need to, I'll take you up on the offer."

After taking the bag and thanking the jovial woman, Emelyn watched Bobby depart back through the brush, letting sweet thoughts of the woman- and this fortuitous day in general- sift through her mind and down into her body like water through a seive. The sack was indeed filled with food- apples and fruit, some jerky and even a half of a head of lettuce. As Bobby said, there were also two bottles of water at the bottom- which Emelyn looked forward to immensely. For the past few months, she'd had to travel to those sources of freshwater that eked their way through the island in tiny, sometimes dirtied streams. Having fresh, clean water would be such a treat. ...As was meeting the rotund, sweet woman.

Emelyn hoisted the heavy sack over her shoulder... and made for the mountains. So it had turned out to be a food collecting day after all.

Cass had her nose deep within the pages of a book as she slithered along, her tongue flickering occassionally to just touch the paper. The weather wasn't bad at all, she was just getting to a really good part, and really, things were as good as they could be expected to.

A faint, oddly familiar scent caught her attention, her tongue hesitating half-extended. It had been a little while since she'd smelled that properly, but...

Curious, Cassidy looked around, trying to spy something. She saw nothing at first, then the flash of something bright in the sun, somewhere up above.

A pendant! And there above....

"Amaya? Is that you?"

Cass tucked her bookmark between the pages and the book under her arm. Amaya was looking... rather more extremely reptilian, since the last time she'd seen her, but the same went for her.

She was secretly quite thankful that she hadn't lost all her hair yet, but her hopes of keeping what she had seemed dashed.

"I think you manage trees better than me," Cassidy said. "How're you doing? Feeling all right?"

"As well as can be expected." Cassidy coiled herself nearby, and set her book on what might be reasonably considered her lap. "My boyfriend's gone fuzzy, but the weather's nice... thought I'd climb a tree and do some reading."

She peered at Amaya a little more closely. "I didn't know you'd changed so far," she said, and punctuated this with a tongue flick. "You're looking all right."

She smiled as kindly as she could.

"He's doing all right. Still adjusting. Like most of us, I guess." Cass shrugged easily, as though to dismiss the worry she felt for him. "He feels really soft, though. Like a big teddy bear." She giggled a bit.

"I changed... I don't know. Two or three weeks ago, I guess." She plucked at a bit of her scraggly hair. "Just the short stuff is left. I'm not terribly hopeful that this stuff's going to stay, either, as neither snakes nor birds usually have hair." She sighed a bit. "I suppose... I'll get used to it. I guess I have to."